The “Getting Engaged” Beauty Routine

October 1, 2012 | By

When my boyfriend told me he had planned a romantic surprise weekend, I was pretty sure that there was an engagement in the cards. But not totally sure.

Still, I didn’t want to look like a slouch for the occasion, and like most girls I spruced up with some beauty products. A whole lotta beauty products. In fact, I didn’t even realize how many products we use to get ready for a big night until I thought about it today. Here’s a snapshot at my pre-engagement beauty routine:

I used Sara Happ Vanilla Bean Body Scrub, which has extra large sugar crystals and smells delicious. There’s no shortage of shampoos and conditioners in my shower, but I grabbed Kerastase Bain Force and Frederick Fekkai Technician Color Care Masque since I love the way they smell [Note to self: Kerastase running unusually low. Strong suspicions that boyfriend has made friends with it]. Then, I used Living Proof Prime as my leave-in to ensure my blow-drying handiwork stayed in tact throughout the weekend. (It did! Still going strong after 5:00p.m. on Monday!)

As for my nails, I’m a diehard DIY manicure kind of girl, so if I’m going to outsource the job it’s gotta be a special occasion. I headed to Deva Spa in Soho for one of their notoriously particular manicures (read more about this here). The technician took one look at me and insisted “I have a color for you.” She layered a sheer bubblegum pink over a sheer iridescent pink, both by Zoya. See it (and the ring!) above.

Then, much to my chagrin, I realized there was no time for a spray tan (I’m obsessed) and threw a container of Prtty Peaushun in my weekend bag instead. At least I could smooth on this tinted lotion (with light-reflecting particles) and make my legs look a little tan for an hour or two.

Finally, I packed my favorite cheek color: Sue Devitt Gel Bronzer (the best bronzer EVER), two concealers (Bobbi Brown and Laura Mercier), Blinc primer and eyeliner, and Clinique High Impact Mascara (if you haven’t tried Clinique mascara, do it. They’re all amazing.)

Phew. Do you use more or less products than that? Have you counted? Let us know your go-to beauty products for a special occasion below.

Filed Under: Beauty & Style, Bridal Tagged With: , , ,

Anne’s Wedding Story: “My Mom and Sister Planned It All”

May 9, 2012 | By

It has happened! Our graphic designer Anne got hitched! You saw the gorgeous yellow diamond ring, the dress teaser, and we told you about this lucky Friday the Thirteenth affair… now here’s how her middle-of-nowhere wedding kicked off her happily-ever-after, as told by the bride herself. Spa rundown included.

Our reception was held at Heartwood Conference Center & Retreat in Trego, WI, population 904. Certified middle of nowhere. We chose the location because my mom has a lake house 10 miles from there and we absolutely love spending time on the lake and in the Northwoods any season of the year. It’s nice and, well, quiet.

We planned the wedding in seven weeks! And by we, I mean my mom and sister. They planned and executed my entire wedding. That was magical.

With me being in NYC, I had never stepped foot in the church or reception area until the day before our wedding. Other than creating a guest list and giving my input on their ideas, all I really had to do is figure out what I was going to wear. My mom and sister attended the food tasting and gave us their opinions on what to serve. My sister designed the invites and programs, created all the details of the centerpieces and other decorations. They planned the flowers with help of my mom’s friend who is a florist – who took creative control after hearing what our colors and vision was and ran with it. I saw the flowers for the first time the day of the wedding and I couldn’t have been more pleased!

We had about 150 guests (bringing us to about 15% of the town’s population) – a bunch of friends even flew all the way from New York to join us. What I loved most about this occasion is that so many of my friends and family joined together not just to attend – but to be an integral part of my wedding day. Program cover and logos (see below) were designed by my sister. Our family friend at  Kynn Schulz Photography was the talented photographer and took all the photos you see here. Family friends and relatives baked all the desserts – which included key lime, carrot cake and chocolate cupcakes, coconut oreo bites, fruit tarts, along with others. We also had friends DJ for us – till 1:30am! The day was so incredible and flew by so fast. The great thing was that because it was a bit of a trek (a 2-3 hour drive for most), many guests stayed and celebrated with us all weekend. It was the best day/weekend ever – I got to marry my best friend, surrounded by all the people we love.

Every bride’s gotta have a pampering plan.

ANNE’S SPA + BEAUTY WEDDING RUNDOWN:

MASSAGE: The fast paced wedding planning definitely got stressful (even without doing all the planning), so about a week before the ceremony I indulged in a hour long massage at a salon near my apartment in Queens, NY, Blossom In Astoria.

SKINCARE: Before the wedding I didn’t have any professional facials (I was afraid at the possibility of breaking out), but did use an at-home treatment to exfoliate my skin:

Here’s my recipe for a Honey Sugar Scrub:

1 tsp. of honey
1/2 tsp. of sugar (either cane or brown)

Blend in bowl. Apply.
Rinse very thoroughly, as this recipe can be slightly sticky.

SPRAY TAN: Before I left for Wisconsin (literally right before I left for the airport), I got my faux glow at Beach Bum Tanning. Even though I tested it out a few weeks prior, the orange color was frightening at first! I looked like one of the Hogans and my fiancée teased me the entire time we traveled. But it wore off once I showered and I had a natural glow for my wedding day.

NAILS: I got a mani/pedi at The Cat’s Meow in Spooner, WI – a place with only one pedi chair! And I only had 25 colors to choose from! I chose something that looked like essie’s “Buy Me a Cameo,” but I honestly can’t remember. I was happy with the job they did.

HAIR EXTENSIONS: My friend Tescia is a makeup artist and all-around creative type. She knew I was looking to make my hair longer and fuller for the big day, so she offered to MAKE me clip in hair extensions! (I decided against salon extensions after researching the costly price). We went and picked out the hair to match my color, spent about $100 and she sewed the pieces together. They turned out awesome – I never would have worn my hair down (being it’s so thin and fine) without them.

HAIR STYLING: I was very nervous about getting my hair done at a salon I’d never been to in a tiny Northwoods town. But I ventured to Hair Envy without ever having a trial run, I told the hairdresser what I envisioned and she executed exactly what I wanted.

MAKEUP: My friend Tescia, the makeup artist and hair extension extraordinaire, did my makeup. She also did my mom and my two sisters – who were my bridesmaids!

Check out more pictures below. I’m the one in white. And I couldn’t be happier!

Filed Under: Bridal Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Wedding Cake For Breakfast (New Book Giveaway!)

May 2, 2012 | By

“It was only the day after the wedding that I turned into an absolute lunatic.”

Do Bridezillas go calm, and composed brides go crazy? This is one of the opening musings of Wedding Cake for Breakfast, a brand new compilation of original essays from New York Times bestselling authors Susan Jane Gilman (the above post-nup lunatic), Joshilyn Jackson and Jill Kargman, among other noted female writers.

The book just hit shelves yesterday, May 1st, and the stories it tells aren’t just for newlyweds – they’re stories that speak to the emotions we have about life and love – from the first day we dream about our bridal gowns to our 75th wedding anniversaries.

What makes this new book particularly exciting for us is that if you turn to the third page in, you’ll see that one of the book’s editors, Wendy Sherman, dedicated this book to her daughter Samantha – one of our own! She’s the one you can chat with via our @SpaWeekGiftCard Twitter or via our snazzy live chat feature on our gift card purchase page. Check out Wendy’s blog post from yesterday about creating this book.

Incidentally, we’ve gotten our hands on three copies of Wedding Cake for Breakfast to give away to you! Want to read about all the highs, lows and WHOAHS that come along with the first year of till-death-do-us-part? Comment below.

TELL US: What’s your favorite memory from your first year of marriage? Or, what do you envision your first year of marriage will be like? (Ends Friday 5/4 at 2pm EST)

Either way, leftover wedding cake is most definitely involved.

 

5/4 – WINNERS ANNOUCNED! Congratulations Shanda Kendall, Angela Hunt and Lisa Levine – please email your mailing address and phone number to daily(at)spaweekmedia(dot)com and we’ll send you your book!

Filed Under: Bridal Tagged With: , , ,

Extreme Bride Weight Loss

April 18, 2012 | By

Of course every bride wants to look her absolute best on her wedding day. There’s the standing up in front of all your family and friends in white, the photo evidence that may outlive your marriage and that dream dress that you just HAVE to fit into which you may have optimistically ordered a size (or two) too small. But how far would you go to make it fit?

You’ve heard of cleanses and detoxes, but by way of a feeding tube? The New York Times recently released an article featuring a relatively unknown and controversial new weight loss plan that brides-to-be are choking down. The diet uses a tube that goes through the nose and down the esophagus into the stomach to provide all nourishment, with no carbohydrates, for 10 days, supplying around 800 calories a day. Body weight is lost quickly, at times alarmingly quickly, through ketosis, the state in which the body burns fat rather than sugar.

While the side effect may be weight loss, a lot of other side effects come with a diet this extreme. “Any extreme low-calorie diet is associated with side effects, kidney stones, dehydration, headaches,” said Dr. Louis Aronne, the director of the Comprehensive Weight Control Program at NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center. “If you lose muscle mass and water, what’s the point of that?”

This bridal accessory costs $1,500 for 10 days, which includes a screening and the equipment. There’s also the price of having to wear the tube in public. We think that trying on your final fitting with a tube down your nose seems unpleasant and won’t warrant the same joyful tears you would hope for.

For women looking for a healthier quick slim down try the following #50dollartreatments that won’t leave your bridal party questioning your mental state.

Adara Spa in Boston, MA

  • 50 Min Arasys Slimming Treatment
  • 60 Min Sudatonic Slimming Wrap

Cleansing Concepts in Westbury, NY

  • 60 Min Cleansing Concepts Exclusive Fit Body Wrap

Revive Spa in Duluth, GA

  • 45 Min Slimming Infrared Body Wrap with Cucumber and Green Tea Eye Treatment and 30 Min Reflexology Treatment with Sea Salt Foot Scrub and Aromatherapy
  • 45 Min Slimming Infrared Body Wrap with Cucumber and Green Tea Eye Treatment

Selah MediSpa & Wellness Center in Katy, TX

  • 60 Min Vibration Light Therapy Session with Dry Infrared Sauna

Spa Belle Vie in San Francisco

  • 90 Min Detox Body Slimming Wrap

The Beauty Clinic in Las Colinas, TX

  • 90 Min Aloe Vera and Seaweed Slimming Body Wrap

The Chocolate Day Spa in Costa Mesa, CA

  • 50 Min Arasys Ultimate Effortless Work-out Treatment

Vida Emanuel European Day Spa in Beverly Hills, CA

  • 50 Min Cellulite and Body Slimming Treatment

Wrapped In Wellness in Dallas, Ft. Worth, & Houston

  • 120 Min Express LA Slimming Wrap
  • 90 Min Sudatonic Infrared Weightloss Wrap

Yin Beauty & Arts Spa in New York, NY

  • 60 Min Lipo-Slimming Therapy or Infrared Pressotherapy Water Retention and Cellulite Reduction Treatment
Filed Under: Bridal, Spa Treatments Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Wedding Wednesday: One of Us Is Getting Married Friday!

April 11, 2012 | By

This Friday the Thirteenth is the lucky day for one of our own! Our graphic designer Anne, who tirelessly creates all our banners, email blasts, homepages, media decks, gift card materials, you-name-it… is getting hitched. If you’ve been following us on Instagram or Twitter you may have picked up on it by now, but we’ve got a wedding happening, and we’re as excited as the blushing bride! (Well, almost.) Anne has been filling us in on all the charming details and we couldn’t be happier for her. From rings to dresses to celebrations, here are some of our favorite pre-wedding office moments. These should hold us over until the wedding photos.

A few weeks ago she brought her dress in to show us giddy girls a peek (also, she had a fitting that morning).

After her fitting it was time to turn her skin to a fitting color to make that dress pop with the modern bride’s secret weapon: Spray tan. Brides, always do a test spray tan at least one month before your wedding to leave ample time in case there are any splotches or peeling.

And what do we want to try on for a fitting? Anne’s stunning yellow diamond engagement ring. Just for a second. Please?

yellow diamond engagement ring

(It’s from Saks… yes, you can pick one up after your Spa Week treatment there.)

To celebrate her last day in the office before she takes the big leap, we threw her a little brunch party yesterday and gave her a “homeymoon.” We wanted Anne and her new hubby to escape from it all right here in New York, so we got her a dinner and a swanky night at The Gansevoort – Meatpacking. She deserves this!

C’mon guys you’re going to make her cry!

Anne, here’s to you and Travis and a lifetime of love, LUCK and happiness!

(And yes, he is a model.)

Filed Under: Bridal Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , ,