One bridal makeup look that works for everyone is pretty, natural makeup. Choosing to go with a natural makeup look is a timeless option that will help you look like the best version of yourself on your big day. Here are some tips on how you can get the best natural, yet still flawless, bridal makeup look.

Remember That Less Can Be More

When it comes to special occasions, we often have the inclination to wear very heavy makeup. However, very full coverage makeup (especially foundation) can often look mask-like in photographs or make someone look older. So, if you want to have a fresh, natural bridal makeup look, it’s best to remember that less is more. Wearing just the right amount of makeup will help you look fresh-faced and beautiful on your big day.

See What Your Makeup Will Look Like In Advance

Whether you’re doing your makeup yourself or getting it done professionally, you should practice your wedding day look in advance. When practicing, either on your own or at a test with your makeup artist, there are a few things you should do to help you visualize how your makeup will look on the big day.

When doing a wedding makeup trial, be sure to look at your test makeup in natural daylight so you can really see what it looks like. Also, it’s a good idea to wear a white top and have your hair in a similar style to the one you’ll wear for your wedding. Doing these things will allow you to get a better idea of how your makeup will look on the big day and help you see if you want to make any adjustments.

Know That Blush Is Your Friend

One of the best ways to get healthy, natural looking makeup is through using blush. Blush gives the skin a rosy, pretty glow that is perfect for the blushing bride. So, even if you don’t normally wear blush, you should consider using it to round out your wedding look.

Double Check Your Foundation Shade

While you should pick your foundation shade (and test it) in advance of your wedding, be sure to make sure it still matches close to the wedding date. You could be a bit more tan or fair by the time the big day finally rolls around, so double check near your wedding to ensure it still matches and looks natural.

Go For Complimentary Accessories

If you’ve decided to go with natural makeup for your wedding look, make sure you compliment it with the right accessories. It’s a good idea to go with classic, simple jewelry that accents your makeup, rather than distracts from it. One option that works well with natural makeup is a pair of simple, yet glamorous diamond studs, which is a classic option that lights up the face. The right pair of diamond studs can really pull together your look, helping you look both pretty and polished as you walk down the aisle.

Shopping for a diamond can be a bit confusing, especially if its your first time. But buying a diamond doesn’t have to be overwhelming if you get educated about the elements that make up a diamond. In this post, we’ve rounded up all the important diamond aspects you need to understand before buying a diamond. Read on to see our diamond buying tips and learn how you can easily understand the six major diamond qualities to help your purchase an informed one.

Diamond Buying Tips: Shape

A diamond’s shape is a simple aspect to understand: it’s the shape the diamond has been cut into. The most popular diamond shape today is round, closely followed by princess, though there are many other diamond shapes, including cushion, asscher, emerald, oval, pear, marquise, and heart.

A diamond’s shape has perhaps the biggest impact on its style. So, when selecting your diamond shape, consider which shape is most visually appealing to you.

Diamond Buying Tips: Carat

The 4Cs (cut, color, clarity, and carat) are four measurements that can help you understand a diamond’s quality. Perhaps the most well known of the 4Cs is carat. However, many people mistakenly think that carat is a size measurement, when in fact it’s a weight measurement. It’s important to understand that carat is not necessarily a reflection of visual size. For example, some diamond shapes have more surface area on the table (the top) of the diamond and will look larger per carat. Additionally, a poor diamond cut can lead to much of the diamond’s size being hidden in the base of the diamond, which would usually be covered by a ring’s setting.

So, while a diamond’s carat can give you a general idea of its size, it’s important to also consider its cut, shape, and table measurement when considering size.

Diamond Buying Tips: Cut

A diamond’s cut is not a reflection of its shape, which is a different diamond quality. It’s actually a grading of how well a diamond was cut. The best diamond cut is excellent, followed in order by very good, good, fair, and poor.

When a diamond has an ideal cut, all the light that enters it is maximized, reflecting and refracting, creating beautiful sparkle. When it has a poor cut, most of the light that enters the diamond is lost through its sides or bottom, causing it to appear dull. Cut can have a major impact on the beauty of a diamond, so it’s important to keep that in mind when shopping.

Diamond Buying Tips: Color

A diamond’s color is a measurement of how white a white diamond is. While diamonds do come in many bright colors such as pink, yellow, and blue, the white diamond color grading isn’t used for these. Instead, colored diamonds (also called fancy colored diamonds) are graded on how vivid they are and are ranked on a scale of fancy light to fancy vivid.

The white diamond color scale ranges from D to Z, with D colored diamonds being the purest white color (meaning they have no yellow tint at all). Generally, the diamonds used for jewelry are a K color at the lowest, as L through Z diamonds have an obvious yellow tint.

When shopping for a diamond, consider how important color is to you. D color diamonds are extremely rare, and therefore extremely expensive. So, you might want consider selecting a slightly less white diamond that will still be beautiful but will be far less costly.

Diamond Buying Tips: Clarity

A diamond’s clarity is a grading of how flawless it is. There are two kinds of flaws that can exist in a diamond: inclusions (internal flaws) and blemishes (external flaws). Here are the different clarity gradings:

FL: Flawless
IF: Internally Flawless
VVS1 and VVS2: Very, very slightly included
VS1 and VS2: Very slightly included
SI1 and SI2: Slightly included
I1, I2, and I3: Included

Flawless through VS2 diamonds are generally what is called “eye clean,” meaning the diamond’s flaws can’t be seen by the naked eye. As with all other diamond gradings, the higher the grading, the more expensive the diamond. Yet, many diamond flaws are microscopic, so choosing a diamond with some flaws can help you save money while still getting you a beautiful diamond. So, consider how important flawlessness is to you when shopping online.

Diamond Buying Tips: Fluorescence

Fluorescence is a marker of how a diamond reacts to UV light. If a diamond glows under UV light, it’s considered fluorescent and if it doesn’t, it’s not fluorescent. This is ranked on a scale of no fluorescence to very strong fluorescence.

Fluorescence can have an impact on a diamond’s appearance even when it is not under UV light. In sunlight, blue fluorescence can have a positive effect on a diamond’s color, helping yellow tinted diamonds appear more white, while a yellow fluorescence can make a diamond look more yellow.

Diamond fluorescence is somewhat of a hotly debated topic amongst jewelers. In the past, fluorescence was always considered a negative quality. However, today jewelers are split on the topic, as fluorescence doesn’t necessarily negatively impact the beauty of a diamond and can even sometimes enhance it. Whether you prefer diamonds with or without fluorescence is simply a matter of personal preference. If you’re unsure about how you feel about diamond fluorescence, you can always compare diamonds with and without fluorescence to see which you find more visually appealing.

Diamonds are deeply ingrained in our culture; we see them everywhere. Yet, diamonds are such a part of our everyday life that most people rarely stop to think much about them. Want to learn a bit more about what make the diamond so unique and special? Here are 10 amazing facts about diamonds.

Diamonds Are the Hardest Substance On Earth

Did you know that diamonds are the hardest naturally occurring substance on earth? They’re not just the hardest gemstone, but also the hardest material across every category. Diamonds are so hard that only another diamond can scratch one!

“Diamond” Means “Invincible”

The word “diamond” is derived from the Greek word “adamas,” which means invincible or unconquerable, a very fitting name for this incredibly strong gemstone.

Many Diamonds Are Billions of Years Old

Many diamonds are more than a billion years old (yes, that’s billion with a “b”), with the oldest diamonds on record coming in at 3 billion years old. Most diamonds are this old because the majority of diamond formation took place billions of years ago. However, there are some diamonds that are newer, with the youngest being hundreds of millions of years old.

Diamonds Are Made of Pure Carbon

The diamond is made of only one element: carbon. Pure carbon can take many forms, including coal, graphite, and, of course, diamonds. So, how can pure carbon be so many different things? Carbon can change form depending on what it’s been exposed to. For example, carbon turns into diamonds when it is exposed to immense heat and pressure in the Earth’s mantle.

We Can Reach Diamonds Because of Volcanic Eruptions

Diamonds are formed in deep in the Earth’s mantle. But the Earth’s mantle is far too hot for excavation, so how do we reach diamonds? The answer might surprise you: it’s believed that the eruption of underground volcanos is what moves most diamonds higher into the Earth’s continental plate (where we can excavate).

Diamonds Can Form Due to Asteroid Impact

While most diamonds form over a long period in Earth’s crust, some form instantly. How? Through asteroid impact. When a large enough asteroid hits the Earth, it creates enough heat and pressure to form diamonds at the impact site.

Diamonds Were Once Thought to Be the “Tears of the Gods”

In ancient Rome and Greece, diamonds were highly regarded. Both of these cultures believed that diamonds were either tears cried by the gods or splinters of falling stars.

Cupid’s Arrows Were Tipped With Diamonds

One of the oldest records the association of love with diamonds is found in Roman mythology. According to ancient Roman texts, Cupid, the god of love, carried arrows that were tipped with diamonds.

The Largest Diamond Ever Found Was 3,106 Carats

Have you ever wondered how big the largest diamond is? The largest diamond ever found was called the Cullinan diamond, which weighed in at an astounding 3,106 carats. This raw diamond was eventually cut into nine large diamonds and a hundred smaller diamonds.

There Is a Planet Made of Diamonds (And a Star!)

The biggest diamond lovers might dream of visiting 55 Cancri e, a planet made of carbon that is one-third diamond. Or perhaps they might dream of visiting the star named Lucy (also known as V886 Centauri and BPM 37093), which is a white dwarf star that is essentially an enormous, 10 billion trillion trillion carat diamond.

There you have it. 10 absolutely amazing facts about diamonds and 10 reasons why we find them so important. Browse stunning diamond jewelry at diamondstuds.com.