Why Do We Hate Our Stomachs?

I came across a cool blog today called Inside Out Style Blog.

They posted an article titled Why Do We Hate Our Stomachs So Much?
Imogen talks about how it's normal for women's stomachs to have a curve to them. Even most of the thinnest girls don't have flat stomachs. She also talks about how models are airbrushed to look "perfect" for public consumption.

This is dangerous thinking. I wanted to share this article. I hope you will read it. Just like the author, I also hear a lot of women with normal beautiful tummies complain about them to me. I do my best to highlight what you love and hide what you don't. I think I do a good job of this, but I also want you to love your body - all of it. Every women I have ever photographed is beautiful.

image is originally from Inside Out Style Blog

Giveaway - Little Batch Botanicals {Etsy}

{shop} {blog} {facebook}

Our first giveaway sponsor for this week is, Jen of Little Batch Botanicals. She has a simply charming shop filled with beauty goodies. Jen has roll-on perfume, lip balms, scrubs, soap, and many other goodies. You really need to check out her shop.

Some of my favorites in Jen's shop are the following....

Lip sugar scrub in the flavor of your choice....

   

Lip balm in Cocoamint & Cucumber Melon....

   

Roll-on perfume in Pumpkin Pie & Spiced Apple Cider....

Jen has so graciously offered one of you the chance to win the Roll-on perfume in the scent Pumpkin Pie. Wasn't that nice of her? And it is perfect for Thanksgiving Day which is coming up shortly.

::Mandatory to enter the giveaway::

Visit Jen's shop and comment with your favorite thing{s}.

For more entries do one, or all of the following. Just leave a separate comment for EACH entry. Otherwise, all the entry numbers won't count as I will draw the winner using random.org.

- Heart Little Batch {1 entry}
- Add Little Batch to your Etsy circle {1 entry}
- Buy something from her shop. {10 entries}
- Like Little Batch on Facebook {2 entries}
- Follow Bramblewood Fashion blog via GFC {1 entry}
- Follow Bramblewood Fashion on Twitter, Pinterest, Tumblr, Facebook {1 entry for EACH one you do}
- Blog, Facebook, Tweet, Pin, Tumble, etc...about the giveaway {3 entries for EACH one you do}
- Email about the giveaway to four friends. {3 entries}

That's it. This giveaway is only open to those within the USA. The giveaway ends on November 13th @ 11PM {EST}. A winner will then be selected at random and announced either the next day, Monday, or on Tuesday. Good luck girls!

"Bikini Ready?" Who's Judging?

I saw this title for an article and had to read it. It has been a long time since I have owned my one-and-only bikini. I grew up in a conservative family (which, as I get older, I am thankful for) where bikinis weren't something I would have asked to wear. So when I was about 20 I bought my first and last bikini since after that I had a baby and I no longer have a "bikini body". In fact, I don't have what I would call a "swimsuit body" in general, lol. But that is beside the point.

Check this article out. I liked it. It talks about how getting "bikini ready" has turned into this phenomenon and about how learning to love your body is ultimately the best thing to do.
"Bikini-Ready?" Who's Judging?

1940's Make-Up {Achieving a Vintage Look Part 2}

The next post in the Achieving a Vintage Look series is on 1940's make-up. Also, on my Formspring I was asked, "what make-up did they wear in the 1940s." Now I for one don't wear make-up, so I did some research to get the answer. =)



Key features of 1940s make up were:

• Foundation: matched to your natural colour.
• Cheeks: Rosy pink
• Brows: Well plucked but full, arched eyebrows - moving away from thin eyebrows of the 30s. Brush with matt eyebrow power, set well with either eyebrow wax or vaseline.
• Eyes: no eyeshadow or neutral cream base. Lots of mascara on top lashes only.
• Lips: Focus was on full lips, the top lip rounded. All colours reds, fuchsia - anything to impress. The 40s were the golden age of lipstick!

Links -

Elegant Musings -
"Girl Next Door" Look
Red Lipstick
40s Nail Colors
The Eyes Have It: Brows
Vintage Eyeliner Tutorial

Va Voom Vintage -
Vintage Eyebrows

Annie Pancake and the Time Machine -
How To Fake A Vintage Complexion

Strawberry Koi Vintage {video channel}

1940's Make-Up Guide

Another 1940's Make-Up Guide

Mrs. Amber Apple - Vintage Nails

Videos -

If any of you know of more links, just let me know. =) And I hope some of you find this information helpful!

~Ashley

The Price of Beauty

I couldn't find the original source, but it's swimming all over the blogosphere, Rihanna allegedly spends $840,000 a year on her looks. Wow.
While much of that is spent on a personal trainer and an on-call chef, part of it is the obvious hair, makeup, lotions and potions she must use.

I am going to apologize in advance for hopping on my soap box and also for my superfluous use of exclamation points :)

No wonder we are all losing the game of trying to compare ourselves to celebrities and models! I think we need a good healthy dose of perspective. It is their job to look beautiful and as perfect as possible (and they have the resources). Our jobs are different. We may be housewives, secretaries, moms, {photographers}, CEO's, babysitters, waitresses, whatever. And we are important and strong and beautiful too!

One of the ways to enter the recent boudoir shoot contest was just to send me an email stating why you wanted a photo shoot. While I made it clear the answer would not affect the random drawing I could tell a lot of thought was put into some of the entries. I read them all. Most were pretty short and simple. They talked about wanting to show their husbands they are still sexy, or about needing to do something indulgent for yourself. They were sweet, they were sincere and they really touched me. So thank you, I am glad everyone shared. More than ever, I love what I do.