Aisle Style | Beauty

Try one of these shades of polish from your local shop or salon. Plus, the pros share their beauty secrets, find your soul mate of a stylist, and trying a different kind of push-up.

Photograph by Jarad Castaldi

Top Coats

Try one of these shades of polish from your local shop or salon.

Clockwise from top: Pink Ribbon lite pink by Butter London, $14, All Hail the Queen sparkle in gold by Butter London, $14, both at South Moon Under, Rehoboth Beach; I’m Not Innocent nude by Deborah Lippmann, $16, Shape of My Heart pink by Deborah Lippmann, $16, all at Houppette, Greenville; Lilacism by Essie, $8 at Ulta, Wilmington; Angel Wings complete salon manicure by Sally Hansen, $8 at Ulta, Wilmington.
 

 

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Page 2: Beauty Secrets | The pros know fab. Here’s how it’s done.

 

Julia Fuller and Mike Donohue married November 6, 2010, at St. Elizabeth’s Catholic Church in Wilmington. Photograph by Clair Pruett Photography & VideoBeauty Secrets

The pros know fab. Here’s how it’s done.

What are Delaware’s bridal beauty experts’ top tips? Here’s the first: Beautiful makeup begins with beautiful skin. “Flawless skin helps create a flawless makeup look,” says Jessica Galoff of Elayne James Spa & Salon in Greenville. “Eliminate as many imperfections as possible so you don’t need a lot of cover-up, which can look heavy and over done.”

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How to get that beautiful skin? “A peel, just a few days before the wedding, makes all the difference,” says Holly Wayman Grist of Salon 828 in Wilmington. “Not a very powerful peel, just something that will lightly exfoliate and eat off all of the dead cells so that the skin glows.”

Nicole Cook of Colour Roxx in Newark suggests a series of facials. “And, make sure to get your waxing done a few days in advance of the wedding so that any irritation diminishes.”

As for day-of tips, Heidi Sweringen of Made Ya Look! Salon & Day Spa in Rehoboth Beach says to make sure that face and eye primers are silicon-based so that they last longer. Once the makeup has been applied, spray it. “A lot of makeup lines now have sprays that you use after the makeup is on to set it in place,” Sweringen says. “They are water-based sprays that hydrate the skin without smearing the makeup.”

Sweringen also suggests lip stains instead of lipsticks. “The stains color the lip, actually staining it,” Sweringen says. “Over the stain put a coat of lip gloss, and the look will last forever.”

Aren’t wedding days all about forever? —Melissa Jacobs
 

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Page 3: From Hair to Eternity | How do you find the perfect partner? This way…

 

Tracy Trzonkowski and Noel Gonzalez married October 16, 2010, at the Christiana Hilton in Newark. Photograph by KPK PhotographyFrom Hair to Eternity

How do you find the perfect partner? This way…

Finding the perfect one can take years. There may be disappointment, trial-and-error and lots of drama. But once the right person is found, the bond lasts for eternity. A husband? No. A hair stylist.

A woman lucky enough to find her soul mate of a stylist starts planning for the big day months in advance.

“No one style looks good on everyone, but everyone looks good in healthy hair,” says Michael Hemphill, owner of Michael Christopher Salon and Day Spa in Wilmington. “I want the bride to come in many months before the wedding so I can evaluate her hair. Does it need conditioning? Does she want to grow it? What’s going on with the color?”

Overcoming bad color is a huge priority. “Correcting the color is one of the first things I do,” says Laron Thomas, owner of Cielo Salon and Spa in Wilmington. “For winter weddings, I usually advise darker, richer colors. For summer, brides seem to like lighter tones. But first, we correct the color, then work toward perfecting it and think about highlights.”

“I tend to go a little bit lighter with hair color because it reflects better in pictures,” says Holly Wayman Grist of Salon 828 in Wilmington. “I like a pop of highlights around the face.”

Grist says brides should next consider whether they want extensions. “The goal is to get a plan. What does the bride want her hair to look like? Up? Down? Straight? Curly? Extensions or pieces? I do a complete look for the bride, and take pictures so she can show them to her mom and her bridesmaids to get feedback.” —M.J.
 

Page 4: A Different Kind of Push-Up | The one that works your arms will help you rock your gown.

 

A Different Kind of Push-Up

The one that works your arms will help you rock your gown.

With strapless wedding dresses dominating store windows, many brides are vowing to get their arms into Michelle Obama shape before the ceremony. How?

Push-ups work more than the arms. “They strengthen the chest muscles, which burn fat efficiently,” says Carolanne Leone, owner of The Studio in Wilmington. “You’re also engaging the abdominals.”

Modify the push-up to make it harder or easier, says personal trainer Val Whiting-Raymond, owner of GameShape in Wilmington. Do pushups with your toes on a chair or on the floor, or do them standing with your palms against a wall.

Weights add intensity. Use at least 10 pounds, Leone says. “Don’t be afraid of lifting heavier weights.” Do biceps and triceps curls to the point of fatigue. Leone also recommends an exercise ball for push-ups and crunches, which works the arms, stomach muscles and shoulder girdles. To wow them in a strapless dress, she also suggests working your back.

It goes without saying that you won’t develop great arms on exercise alone. You also need a proper nutrition program and workouts that target the entire body.

Here’s a quick regimen developed by Whiting-Raymond. Do as many rounds as possible in at least 15 minutes.

10 jumping jacks
8 push-ups
10 sit-ups
12 lunges

Every minute, perform five two-count “mountain climbers.” Get into push-up position. Bring the left knee to your chest, putting the foot on the floor. As you move that leg back, bring the right foot forward. Reverse without pausing. —Pam George
 

Page 5: Blushing the Bride | Local makeup artists apply just the right amount of blush to create a natural look.

 

Deana Sarif and  Mike Macrides married September 18, 2010, at Winterthur Museum, Garden & Library. Photograph by Feehly PhotographyBlushing the Bride

Local makeup artists apply just the right amount of blush to create a natural look.

Savvy brides leave nothing to chance. They turn to nature’s little helper: a good blush. “When we get into bridal, we tend to go more pinky, although obviously we choose a color that is flattering to the woman,” says Elizabeth Johnson, manager of Houppette in Greenville.

The cosmetic and skin care boutique specializes in Laura Mercier makeup, whose blush palette includes Barely Pink, which is ideal for fair skin. City Pink skews a shade deeper. Women with darker complexions may prefer Violet Orchid, which has a touch of plum.
All three are powder blushes that are applied with a brush. Not just any brush will do, however. Johnson uses an angled brush for contouring. “We do a little sculpting, which is flattering for photos,” she says.

With a flatter brush, tap a lighter color on the apples of your cheeks. Blend well. “You don’t want to look like a mannequin from the 1980s,” Johnson says.

Cream blushes are best for women with dry skin. In the Laura Mercier line, Oleander is a favorite among brides. You can set the look with powder. If you apply a cream blush over powder, the makeup will cake and flake.

Johnson, who is fair, uses a warm bronzer before opening the blush. “When you get color, you don’t just get pink on the cheeks,” she says. She applies bronzer to areas that the sun would kiss in summer, such as the chin, the bridge of the nose and the forehead. As with the blush, a little goes a long way. “The whole idea is to look as natural as possible,” she says. —P.G.
 

Page 6: Pretty as a Picture | A dermatologist can get your skin in shape for the big day.

 

Pretty as a Picture

A dermatologist can get your skin in shape for the big day.

Of course you want to put your best face forward on your wedding day. That takes some planning, so you may need to consult a dermatologist up to six months in advance.

Brides-to-be with acne should visit their dermatologist as soon as they’ve set the date. Some medications take six weeks to more than four months to do the job. Topical treatments, such as Retin-A and Renova, take as long as three months.

To smooth out fine lines and plump up deep creases, consider fillers—such as Restylane and Juvederm—or Botox. Consider a dry run up to six months before the wedding date. “You need to make sure you like the results,” says Dr. Marguerite Thew, a dermatologist in Wilmington.

Botox is “very natural looking,” says Dr. Minh Thieu, who practices in Wilmington. “You look well rested.”

You can diminish brown spots and redness with laser or intense pulsed light treatments. IPL can fade brown spots in one to two treatments, but you may need between three and six treatments to get optimal results, which means starting three to four months before the wedding.

Both dermatologists recommend peels to attain what Thew calls “a nice glow” for your wedding. Peels administered in a doctor’s office typically have a higher concentration of active ingredients than those used in a salon. Thieu suggests a series of up to six glycolic acid treatments every two to three weeks before the wedding.

These so-called lunchtime peels have no downtime. “They make the skin look smoother and softer, and they even out the pigmentation,” Thieu says. “They also help with breakouts.”

Even if your skin is blemish-free, consider visiting a dermatologist to create a skin care plan. “A dermatologist can select the appropriate moisturizer and cleanser to keep skin well hydrated,” Thew says. —P.G.
 

Page 7: Lashing Out | Your guests’ eyes will pop when they see yours.

 

Jennifer Winter and Ron Zappaterrini  married October 31, 2010, at Waterfall  Banquet & Conference Center in Claymont.  Makeup artist: Jon Caltuna of Gloss Salon. Photography by Misty Dawn PhotographyLashing Out

Your guests’ eyes will pop when they see yours.

Brides who are lashing out aren’t throwing temper tantrums. They are finding new ways to make their eyelashes look fabulous. How?

First, try to grow them. “Natural is always best,” says Christi Miller of Houppette in Greenville. “That’s why we started selling New Lash, a lash enhancer similar to Latisse. I have brides start using New Lash about six months before the wedding, and most of them get longer, fuller lashes.”

Strip lashes are another effective way to add va-va-voom. At Cielo Salon & Spa in Wilmington, Laron Thomas uses faux lashes made of mink.

“It’s weather-proof and water-resistant,” Thomas says. “Mink lashes can be used up to 35 times, whereas traditional faux lashes are for one-time usage.”

The newest way to max out lashes is with extensions. They last up to a month. “We have different lash looks for brides to choose from,” says T.J. Seeney of Bling Salon & Spa in Lewes. “Some want a natural look. Others want very long lashes. Some want the Betty Boop look, with long lashes at the outer corners.”

Applying the lashes is a two-hour procedure, and it’s not for everyone. Seeney has women fill out an application. She says that those who have had Lasik surgery or eye problems are not candidates.

“The lashes are great for the wedding,” says Miller, “and the bride will have beautiful lashes all through the honeymoon.” —M.J.

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