Slimming down for your big day

It is true that many African-American women are not much fair. But brides should worry as there are many makeup tips available with the best colors for African-American skin tones and how to properly deal with common problems so you can be wedding-day gorgeous.

Here are some tips how to apply makeup that makes a bride more amazing.

Normally for American and African brides, foundation that has yellow undertones is the most flattering, but if a bride has a very dark skin, a foundation with a slight blue cast works best. And if a bride has medium-toned skin, choose a foundation with a

red-yellow hue. Additionally if her skin is light, look for a soft golden shade.

There is possibility that bride may he variances in undertone on different parts of bride’s face so it’s a good idea to have three foundation shades — light, medium, and dark — on hand to allow for the different gradations of color. Actually most of African-American women are darker across the brow and chin, and slightly lighter on the cheeks. So it better to use light foundation under-eye concealer and to lighten a dark forehead or chin area. Plus use medium foundation all-over color to correct spots of varied pigmentation and then use the dark foundation to even out the lightest areas of bride’s face. One can also experiment with a bronzing stick to bring down the lighter tones of her face.

And for blush one medium to dark skin tones look best with deep blush hues like dark rose, currant, and plum. Use burgundy and blackberry shades in lipstick, it will look beautiful on dark skin. And the bride with medium skin tones look pretty in currant or red, and those with light skin look best in low-voltage neutrals and glosses.

The wedding cake, the flowers, the rings ... the personal trainer? For some brides- and grooms-to-be, getting in shape for the big day is an important part of wedding planning.

But could they be setting themselves up for failure? Not only do last-ditch dieting efforts usually fail, but new research shows that married people tend to gain more weight over the years than singles or people who are widowed or divorced.

Still, saying "I do" doesn't have to lead to a lifetime of excess poundage.

Just as getting married is a major lifestyle change, so is successful weight loss, experts say. It's natural for brides and grooms to want to look their best for their wedding day, and going about it the right way can make the difference between living healthier, or heavier, ever after.

Losing Weight Before the Wedding

"I wanted to look nicer for the wedding, mostly for the pictures," says newlywed Donna Eck-David, who was married on April 3, 2004. She tried watching what she ate and avoiding the cafeteria at work for months before the big day. But she finally resorted to drinking a dieter's tea containing laxatives a few weeks before the wedding, to speed up her weight-loss efforts.

Eventually, Eck-David says, she lost about 5-8 pounds before the ceremony -- then gained most of it back during the weeklong honeymoon cruise.

Resorting to drastic measures like fad diets or pills for quick weight loss before a wedding may not only be dangerous, but can also set you up for a future of yo-yo dieting rather than permanent weight loss.

Planning a wedding can be a big job for future brides (and grooms), says Nelda Mercer, RD. If they're not getting proper nutrition, they may feel faint or suffer other health consequences.

"It's not a good thing to stress the body at an already stressful time," says Mercer. "It's best to plan ahead, join a health club, exercise, get a personal trainer if needed, and see a nutritionist or registered dietitian to set up not only a well-balanced diet, but a lifestyle change."

Personal trainer Sue Fleming says many women see their wedding day as the most important day of their lives and want to look their best. "It's the time where a lot of women finally decide to incorporate a fitness program because of that goal," says Fleming, author of the book Buff Brides.

Wedding dresses today are sleeker and more revealing than in years past, says Fleming, which means that the shoulders, back, and arms are usually top areas of concern for her clients.

Fleming recommends starting a bridal "boot camp" at least six months before the wedding that includes a balance of cardiovascular and strength training for about an hour a day, three to four days per week. Procrastinating brides and grooms who have less than six months to work with should plan on spending more time in the gym.

"The less time you have, the more time you have to dedicate to working out," says Fleming. Fleming says it's normal for brides-to-be to experience a slight weight gain after starting an exercise program, as they build lean muscle mass. But that's what will give them the kind of muscle tone they'll want to show off in a strapless wedding dress.

Experts say a weight loss goal of about a pound a week is reasonable. For those with weddings many months away, Mercer recommends setting short-term goals -- like a couple pounds per month, rather than just 20 pounds before the wedding. This will allow them to enjoy short-term successes and not get discouraged.

When is the best time to start a diet before one's wedding?
“The amount of time you need really depends on how much weight you want to lose and how much toning you want to do,” says Flipse. “If you’d like to drop 10 lbs., you need at least 5-10 weeks. If you already ordered a dress in a smaller size and haven’t allowed enough time to sensibly and safely lose the weight you want, you better be sure to have a good tailor or postpone the wedding by a few more weeks.”

According to Conde, the goal is to lose body fat, not muscle tissue. “If you lose muscle while you are dieting, you will end up looking flabby or 'skinny fat.' And you’ll eventually gain the weight back. In an ideal world, you could safely lose up to 6 lbs. per month. Most people are not happy with that. You can accelerate your weight loss per week by increasing exercise or decreasing caloric intake. If you need to lose 30 lbs., think smart and start 6 months before your wedding.”

Does the added stress of wedding planning make it harder or easier to lose weight?
“The added stress of planning does indeed make it harder to lose weight,” “When most of us are stressed, we turn to food for comfort.”

The trick, according to the experts, is to make one's fitness goals a priority. “Treat your ‘get in shape’ program like a part-time job that you have to budget time and energy for every day. The pay off will be better than the money another job could provide,”

How much weight is too much weight to lose in such a short time frame? If you lose more than 10 pounds a month (and you are not obese), that is too much

Any weight loss more than that isn’t sensible, say the experts. “Plus, you’ll feel exhausted, look run down, and be cranky all the time