$411.50 Bridal Look

Here are the things that went into my awesome prewedding photoshoot. All the little details really paid off.

First, I bought this dress off of ebay for $200 (with $25 shipping). I looked for a dress that was my size (bust, waist, hip, and even height) so I wouldn't have to tailor it.

It is made of tulle and very ginormous.

I knew I wanted something really big and poofy because Phil would never let me wear anything that big on our wedding day. He said that he wanted to be able to hold me close to him and not at arm's length! The girl I bought the dress from said she had originally bought it for $2,000! It was preserved in a box and even came with her veil and crinoline (which I dyed purple).

I also bought this white wedding shrug/stole a few months ago. I forgot which ebay seller and how much it was, but I'm pretty sure it was around $25. It's so pretty, and I will definitely use this many times over!

The mannequin pictured was bought from ebay seller talk2sean for $84 with free shipping.

I love it and it will look nice for pictures on the day of the wedding. Measurements of the mannequin were Bust 34", Waist 24", Hip 34". It didn't fit my ebay dress that I wore for the shoot, but it fit my white looking QiPao dress (below) and my actual wedding dress (which I also got on ebay).

The white QiPao looking dress was another ebay steal that I bought for $25 with $12.43 in shipping. I had wanted to wear it for our photoshoot, but we didn't have enough time. Maybe I'll wear it for the rehearsal dinner? Too bad we aren't having a tea ceremony. I would have totally worn it for that. Anybody interested in buying it after September? Can you believe that this is a Jessica McClintock dress?

This dress fit me perfectly and does not have to be altered at all! I am so lucky. Actually, my method is to look for only my size so that I don't have to pay for alterations.

Here is a flower I bought from Forever21. It's so cute and was cheap at $8!

I bought a simple birdcage veil from Etsy seller PishPoshes for $23 with $5.50 shipping. I had originally wanted to wear it with the QiPao for the photoshoot, but we didn't have time for a dress change so I just wore it with my big poofy dress.

Another veil I bought was a simple, long cathedral one from Target, on clearance for $10! I didn't mind trashing it (but it's still pretty clean). I had a $10 gift card so I actually didn't pay a thing for it, score! I'll probably wear it again for some more outside pictures after the wedding.

Finally, the last thing I bought in preparation was the Tobi steamer for $80 from Costco.

I was wanting to buy a steamer forever because I suck at ironing. The only steamer I had heard really good things about was the Jiffy, but it was pricey at close to $200. The only reason I bought the Tobi was because it was at Costco and I figured, if it sucks, then I can always return it. Well, I love it and it was a good buy. It steamed my wedding dress and Phil's suit nicely. Now, I kinda want the Jiffy travel steamer ($69 plus shipping).

The jewelry I wore came from two places: The San Jose Flea Market and a cheap jewlery store I found in Dallas, TX. My shoes came from DSW, which were on clearance. I forgot how much they were because my mom bought them for me, but they were most likely less than $50. I will write these up in my next post.

So, for a budget beautiful bridal look, it can be done!
Dress: $225
Crinoline dye: $5 (I think? I forget)
Shrug: $25
Veil: $10 (or free with my gift card)
Birdcage Veil: $28.50
Flower clip: $8
Shoes: guestimating $50
Jewelry: guestimating $20
Makeup/Hair: $40 done by friend
Total cost: $411.50!

I did not include the QiPao or Mannequin since it was not used in the photoshoot. Nor did I include the steamer because I will use it FOREVER.

I can't wait to show you pictures! We'll all just have to wait on my dear photographer to give us some sneak peaks =)

How much did your bridal look cost?

Cheap Beauty Secrets

I have always been a student and didn't start a "real" job until 3 months ago. For those of you who are unable to get your eyebrows waxed or threaded every 2 weeks, I have a good eyebrow money saver that I've been using for many years. Say hello to the Eyebrow Shaver.

Source

Source

I use it to clean my arch, above and below. I know you're not suppose to do much above your eyebrows but I shave a little bit up there. And you can clean in between your eyebrows too, to prevent that unibrow. It's so easy to use and very efficient. It takes me all of 30 seconds to do a clean sweep.

I usually buy mine at the Asian supermarkets for a couple of dollars (which lasts me months), but I have seen these babies start popping up at Walgreens so check them out at the makeup area! Amazon also sells Ardell Brow Trimmers here.

Secret #2 is something I learned from my old roomie. I am one of those klutz's that wakes up one day with 3-4 nice purple bruises on their legs, and does not notice them until someone (usually my mom or the fiance) points them out . Then I kinda cock my head to the side, raise an eyebrow, and go, "Huh, wonder where that came from." And... here's my old roomie's trick to cover up those nasty bruises. Sally Hansen's Airbrush Legs Makeup.

I tried it on the day I took my engagement pictures. I just picked a color that was close to my skin color, and then sprayed it all over my legs. I then evened it out with my fingers. The results turned out pretty okay. It's like foundation and coverup, but for your legs! It's also nice for someone that has freakishly white legs and a tanned rest-of-the-body to even up those legs and eliminate the stark black/white contrast. I also read that mixing it with a little bit of lotion may tone down the color. I'm going to try the lotion/spray mix next time!

Anyone else has some cheap beauty secrets they'd like to share?