“Dirty” Hair is Best for Bridal Updos!

It is important on the day of the wedding that your hair is NOT freshly shampooed if you want an updo or ½ updo that will stand the test of time and allow you to boogie on down till the break of dawn. I know it’s hard, but squeaky clean hair is extremely silky and limp, it has fly-away ends, and doesn’t have the grip needed to create full, voluptuous curls or smooth sexy hair with body and lift. No matter how skilled the designer, unless time is not of the essence (in which case we can “dirty” it for you), clean hair is too difficult to work effectively with in a timely manner. Cleansing the day before is the standard recommendation in the hair design industry. Having yesterday’s product in your hair is a bonus. Be sure that what you use the day before will be a benefit to and not a hindrance to the wedding day look. For example, a product used with a flat iron to create a smooth silky look for the night before won't work well with a wedding day style that includes curls. Wedding Tresses calls this “Rehearsal Dinner Hair”.

It is hard, very hard for some to not suds up, but I promise, the results are beyond worth it.

By Christine Enwright,
Wedding Tresses Hair Designer

Getting the Glow for Your Wedding Day.

Your dress is altered, the band is booked and invitations are engraved. Looking ahead, the day of your wedding is the one day in your life when all eyes are on you. This is the day to look glowing and luminous, and this all begins with your skin.



Your wedding day makeup is going to look only as good as the skin underneath. For this reason you must begin to prepare your complexion months before. Follow this schedule as a “Countdown to Glow”.

3-6 Months prior to your wedding
Begin a skin care regiment that is tailored to your specific skin type. One of your steps must be exfoliation of the skin; this is key to achieving the aforementioned “glow”! For a twice-weekly, gentle exfoliating facial scrub, see the recipe below. This does not have to be a major investment in either time or money, but you need to be consistent. Product lines I recommend are:

• Neutrogena
• Clinique- especially their new liquid face cleanser and the old standby Clarifying Lotion
• Mario Badescu- this line has a solution for every skin type

Also, now is the time to see a dermatologist for any skin related issues such as eczema, acne, etc.

1-3 Months Prior to your wedding
Schedule your trial run with your Wedding Day Makeup Artist to solidify the Beauty look you envision for your day! Bring pictures of Bridal Makeup looks obtained from magazines. Bring your own personal makeup, brushes, false eyelashes that are “must use” item. Some people even feel more comfortable having their own makeup applied by a professional makeup artist.

3-4 weeks to go
Schedule any facial appointments now if you opt to. Allow at least 3 weeks prior as skin eruptions might occur after any facial treatment.

1 week left
Get any facial waxing done no sooner than 2 days before to allow for any redness to subside.
Also remember to HYDRATE! Drink plenty of water this week. Nothing you can put on your skin can make your complexion look fabulous like hydrating from the inside out.

If you have any blemishes during this time, please do not pick at them. Instead, apply a spot healing product containing salicylic acid directly to the blemish. This type of product hastens the healing process of the blemish by exfoliation, bringing it to the surface quicker without squeezing.

The Big Day!
Right before you sit down with your makeup artist, wash and exfoliate your face. Follow with moisturizer.
Remember WATER, WATER, WATER!
If you wake up with puffy eyes, place wet bags that have been chilled in the refrigerator on each eye for 10-15 minutes.
If you wake up with a pimple, please-please-please do not pick it! It is much easier to conceal a tiny bump than broken skin as makeup will not adhere to it.


Sugar scrub recipe:
In a plastic sealable container, mix 3 tablespoons granulated sugar with 1 teaspoon honey and enough grape seed oil (found at any health food store) to form a paste consistency. Apply about 1 teaspoon to damp skin in a gentle circular motion working from the center of your face outward. Rinse off and cleanse your skin using your regular cleanser. Repeat 1 or 2 times weekly.

Jennifer Neumeister,
Wedding Tresses Makeup Artist

Where is Bridezilla???

A few years ago I had become earnestly interested in the elusive creature known as "Bridezilla". Although I have often heard hype and stories about her and have witnessed the TV specials on the Discovery Channel... or maybe it was TLC… I've yet to encounter this mythical creature.

Anyway, she, not unlike Ole Nessie herself, seemed a little fishy to me. So I decided to hunt her down and see for myself is she truly existed or if she was just another Jerry Springer-esque myth. After watching many hours of important footage, I came to the conclusion that if real, she must to be related to the Gremlin (you remember, from the critically acclaimed film-"Gremlins" and the less successful sequels). For instance, they don't like to get wet (we all know what humidity can do to hair if not properly prepped with product), they seem so nice and then attack in an instant, and should not be fed alcohol after a certain hour. After studying the footage, I devised my plan to search far and wide- well, mainly the greater Boston area but - during the high season. This may sound dangerous, but I did my research. Without telling anyone I was secretly searching, I went head on into her own territory- I became a Bridal Hair Designer with Wedding Tresses. I have spent the past 3 seasons exclusively working with brides from Boston to Cape Cod, from Providence to Newport. I have searched high and low and still Bridezilla has eluded me at every step. With all my careful research and planning I have yet to encounter this creature. Is she a myth? Is she real? Where in the world is this Bridezilla? No matter where I looked all I could find was happy and excited brides- just normal girls.

It seems hard for me to believe she is real. With all the love and happiness and good feeling in the air at every wedding I go on location to- not a Bridezilla to be found.

Mother-of-Bridezilla? Maybe…

KT Renner,
Wedding Tresses Hair Designer

Wedding Tresses' Signature Bridal Eyes

I worked with one of the most beautiful brides today. It is truly a pleasure to spend time with a bride who radiates warmth and happiness on her special day; time seems to pass by quickly and it hardly seems like “work”.  Although this bride had a personality much like a serene and gracious princess and a smile that could melt glaciers- it was definitely her eyes that made her look amazing and set her apart from looking like a run-of-the-mill bride. I was thinking about her eyes on the way home and thought every bride should have the opportunity to look so lovely on her wedding day. It is with that intent that I share with you the "ingredients" of Wedding Tresses' Signature Bridal Eyes so you too can step away from the crowd and look amazing on your wedding day.

Wedding Tresses's lead makeup artist, Jacki, created a glow about the eye with a specific combination of eye shadows that flattered the bride's warm brown eye color and glammed up the look with the addition of individual black false lashes. You will need to customize the placement of the colors on your eyes to enhance your particular eye shape, but no matter your eye color, the shadows you use can be the same. The color combination is made up of:

Oyster - a light, bright cream colored shimmer shadow used for highlight on the brow bone
Suede - a rich chocolate color in matte applied in the contour of the eye
Ecru - a buff/tan matte color used to on the lid and as a blending medium

The eye was further enhanced with a fairly thick line of Black/Brown eyeliner applied to the upper lash line, close to the eyelashes.

The true Glam came when Jacki applied individual false lashes in black to the outer, upper lash line. No lashes were applied on the inner lash line to keep the drama at a maximum while keeping the look real and the eye "open". One quick coat of water proof mascara is all that was needed for this look. And what a look it was - simply gorgeous!

Under Eye Puffiness... The Cure!

We are often asked, or rather bombarded upon by brides as we enter the door on their wedding day, what can be done for under eye puffiness?? For a multitude of reasons, brides are prone developing issues with the skin surrounding the eye: lack of sleep, stress, dehydration... Prevention really is the key- but, try telling that to a bride who is scurrying around tying up all loose ends in the few short days she has before the wedding. If the blessed day has arrived and you find yourself with monstrous mounds beneath your lids, relax and have a cup of tea. Caffeinated tea bags are the best thing you can do for the immediate relief of under eye puffiness.

Follow these simple steps to prepare the miracle bags:

Boil (not microwave) enough water for two cups of tea
Pour boiling water over the tea bags into the cups (don't add tea bags after water)
Let the bags steep for 3 minutes
Gently squeeze the bags of liquid and set on a plate
Place the plate in the freezer for 15 minutes
Sip and enjoy the cup of tea while you wait
Lie down comfortably and place the bags directly on of the puffy lump (not on the eye lid)
Relax, without talking, for 15-20 minutes

This process will not only take care of your eyes, but will serve to give you a quiet time out and relax you for a few minutes, letting you collect your thoughts and get on with the business of your wedding day.

Hello Bride ~ It's nice to meet you...

Wedding Beauty blogspot is designed to bring today's brides information on today's bridal beauty trends, tips and suggestions for hair and makeup design, and assistance from the pros in creating a beautiful, flawless look for her wedding day.

I am looking forward to sharing these topics with you...