November 3, 2009 at 3:00 PM
If you love the idea of a makeup palette for your wedding day, but have yet to find the perfect color combination for your skin tone, take note: make-up artist extraordinaire Julie Hewett recently introduce a new customizable palettes!
The empty palettes launched on juliehewett.net last week and can be filled with anything from eyeshadow to concealer. Virtually every product in Julie Hewett’s line is available in a pan for palette placement.
Assembling your own custom palette is simple. Just follow these two easy steps:
1. Visit the Custom Palettes section on juliehewett.net and choose a 1-pan, 2-pan or 4-pan empty palette ($18, $28 and $48 respectively).
2. Scroll down to Single Pan palettes and you’ll see a list of all the available pans to mix and match.
Our must-have for every palette? Julie Hewett’s “Shimmy” gleam cream—a multi-use illuminzer for a touch of shimmer.
Take the customization one step further by personalizing your palette with your name! Share the love by gifting each of your maids with her own custom palette, as well!
—Christa Joanna Lee
October 27, 2009 at 12:00 PM
Getting married provides the perfect excuse to indulge in some at-home pampering. When a spa retreat just won't fit in your planning-filled days, Thymes makes it possible for the spa to come to you.
This fall, Thymes introduced their new Moonflower collection. Scented with cinnamon, clove, sugared quince and myrtle, it's your one stop shop to fulfilling your ultimate relaxation needs. Their chic bath salts ($5, thymes.com), shimmery body wash ($21, thymes.com) and luxurious moonflower scented candle ($25, thymes.com) are the perfect antidote to melting away wedding planning stress in the comfort of your own home.
So, exfoliate, soften and smooth your skin with these irresistible bath and body must-haves to ensure you walk down the aisle with the perfect bridal glow.
—Christa Joanna Lee
October 22, 2009 at 1:00 PM
As temperatures begin to cool, we found a great way to keep warm next to your sweetheart in the days leading up to your wedding. Noodle & Boo’s Glowology Love Light candle ($24, glowologyskincare.com) gives off a decadent honey fragrance, that both soothes and sets the mood.
Even better, though, by lighting the Love Light candle, you will also benefit an amazing cause. This month, in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Glowology is donating 50% of proceeds from the Love Light candles to The Breast Cancer Research Fund.
So whether you keep the Love Light candle all to yourself or purchase them as gifts for your bridesmaids, you'll be doing some greater good. Visit glowologyskincare.com to purchase this beautiful and unique gift and support fight against breast cancer.
—Christa Joanna Lee
October 13, 2009 at 7:00 PM
If you easily bore with nail colors, dreaming of a new hue the day after getting a manicure, you’re in luck. Sula’s Paint & Peel polishes (available at sulabeauty.com, $14) let you easily peel polish off sans remover and messy cotton balls.
This month, Sula debuted mini Paint & Peel polishes, available in four different sets of three fun colors. We love the Jewel trio, which comes with three autumn-appropriate shades: Dove, Merlot and Teal. Sula minis are perfect for busy brides-to-be. They're compact, making them great for carrying around in your purse for a quick polish change between wedding errands.
Because we're such fans of this amazing new technology, we sat down with Sula a few painting and peeling questions.
Q: How do I use Paint & Peel nail color?
A: It's simple. Just apply Paint & Peel polish onto clean, dry nails, like you would any other nail color.
Q: How long does it last?
A: Paint & Peel nail color is like make-up for your nails. It’s not forever, but that’s the point! Experimenting with different colors has never been this easy.
Q: I can’t stand the smell of nail polish and remover. Does it smell like all the others?
A: Nope! Sula Paint & Peel polishes have a “Big 3-Free” formulation that is free of Formaldehyde, Toluene and Phthalates—the “smelly stuff” found in most polishes.
Q: Does it dry faster than normal nail polish?
A: Yes, two coats will dry about in two minutes. You'll need to wait 30 minutes before peeling, though.
Q: Will all the peeling ruin my nails?
A: No! The polish sits on top of the nail, so it won't dry them out. Normal environmental elements do dry nails, though, so condition your nails regularly.
—Christa Joanna Lee
September 29, 2009 at 3:30 AM
Whether you’re in search of a beauty treat to try out on your wedding day or looking for a special thank you for your bridesmaids, BeingTRUE’s limited-edition Lipsync Heartfelt Lip Palettes ($38, BeingTRUE.com) are the perfect pick. The portable heart-shaped clutches—available in two palettes—contain a lip compact that has a light lip color, a shimmery gloss and a deeper lip shade.
Our favorite choice for brides is the “Art of Persuasion” set, which includes an icy pink gloss and bold berry lip color that seamlessly transitions from a day appropriate tint to a nighttime worthy pout in one easy swipe.
Each lip palette also comes complete with a retractable lip brush for quick, fuss-free applications. Another standout detail: BeingTRUE’s Heartfelt Lip Palettes are infused with a natural hint of peppermint to ensure your breath is fresh for the kiss.
–Christa Joanna Lee
September 22, 2009 at 3:00 PM
Every bride knows that a budget-friendly tip for your wedding day is to have a friend do your makeup. But did you ever think you’d have the chops to do it yourself? Now you can get the best how-to instructions for creating stunning wedding day looks with the help of YouTube’s latest beauty buff, Lauren Luke (
bylaurenluke.com).
If you haven’t heard of Luke yet, it's only a matter of time. She started off selling cosmetics on Ebay and instead of uploading pictures of products, she posted photos demonstrating how they looked when applied. Her makeup skills were so amazing that people wanted her tips for getting such glam looks, so she added her amazing how-to videos.
In addition to making fashioning your big day look a breeze, Luke's offering a brand new line of full-face makeup palettes. The five palettes in the By Lauren Luke collection—My Vintage Glam, My Smokey Classics, My Fierce Blue Violets, My Luscious Greens and My Sultry Blues—each come with an eyeshadow primer in two shades, three eye shadows, two lipsticks, a lipgloss, a blush and a black eyeliner ($37 each, sephora.com). True to form, the palettes also come with DIY tutorials.
Need a little more instruction? Check out Luke’s YouTube page where she personally demos how to get dolled up for your walk down the aisle.
—Christa Joanna Lee
September 15, 2009 at 1:45 PM
Who’s the fairest of them all? That would be you, gorgeous, especially if you win The Fairest.com’s latest contest! Register by October 30th on thefairest.com/instylewed for an all expense paid trip to Hollywood for two for the Ultimate Beauty Weekend. The grand prize includes:
A full day at Exhale Spa
A facial with celebrity fave Sonya Dakar
A haircut by celebrity hair stylist Neil Weisberg and coloring by Amanda George, the co-owners of the Neil George Salon
A Stila makeover and goodie bag stuffed with $250 worth of products
A Hollywood night on the town after your beauty treatment
The newly launched TheFairest.com is a full-service beauty retail site, similar to RueLaLa.com and Gilt Groupe (gilt.com). As an exclusive members-only online boutique, TheFairest.com offers members a whopping 50-70% off high-end beauty brands from one-of-a-kind finds to established favorites like Jurlique, Stila and Tarte.
And the deep discounts don’t stop there! The team at TheFairest.com extended an exclusive discount offer for InStyle’s beauty-obsessed brides. When you spend $75 or more, you'll receive $10 off. Just use the coupon code: inwed.
So, why not give yourself a little (or a lot!) beauty pampering before the big day? Just visit TheFairest.com to find expert make-up advice for your wedding day looks and to get more information about the Ultimate Beauty Weekend giveaway.
—Christa Joanna Lee
September 8, 2009 at 4:30 PM
What bride doesn't want a brighter, whiter smile for her wedding day photos? Most teeth whitening products usually take a couple weeks before you notice any real results, but we found a new system that guarantees whiter teeth in less than an hour. Yes, you read that right—one hour! Luster ($39.99; at drugstores) is a new at-home tooth whitening system that promises to get teeth up to six shades whiter with zero tooth sensitivity. I gave it whirl this weekend and it totally worked—my teeth were noticeably whiter in 60 minutes!
Here are Luster’s 3 easy steps to pearly whites:
1. Rinse with the Accelorator Mouth Rinse for 10 seconds to enhance the effectiveness of the whitening gel.
2. Brush on the Super Whitening Gel—the same whitening product used by dentists!
3. Apply the Activating Whitening Light, which will stimulate the photo-activator in the gel in just 2 minutes. You can rinse and repeat ten to twenty times for up to 1 hour for best results.
—Christa Lee
September 1, 2009 at 1:00 PM
With hundreds of perfumes to choose from, it’s easy to wonder which fragrance will be perfect for your walk down the aisle. Fortunately, celebrity make-up artist Julie Hewett has come up with a unique way to let your eyelashes make some sense of it for you with her new rose-scented mascara ($20, juliehewett.net).
Not only does the mascara give off a fresh, floral scent every time you bat your lashes, it comes in a smear-proof formula to ensure you won’t need constant touch-ups throughout the night. And brides with sensitive skin who may be wary of scented products need not worry: the rose flower distillate is actually an eye soother that relaxes and calms the entire eye area. It's perfect for ladies with irritable eyes who want to look extra refreshed on their special day. As if you needed more incentive to give it a try, Julie Hewitt’s mascara also helps curl and lengthen your lashes so you’ll look stunning in every wedding picture.
Visit juliehewett.net to order yours in time for the big day!
—Christa Joanna Lee
August 25, 2009 at 3:30 PM
Attention all brides: Bookmark Lock & Mane (lockandmane.com) as your go-to online source for the best hair care products around the web!
From Jonathan to Oscar Blandi, they only carry the best of the best. And to ensure all their products deliver, the staff at Lock & Mane personally tests everything before it goes on the site. As if real women's results weren't enough, L&M also collaborated with N.Y.C. dermatologist Dr. Michael Lorin Reed, who specializes in hair health, to ensure their picks are the best a bride can get. Looking for a fabulous hair treatment to revive your locks before you tie the knot? Lock & Mane's got it.
For your chance to sample what L&M has to offer, enter the "Locking Down the Aisle" contest. All you have to do is submit an idea or photo of the look that will inspire your wedding day hair and the most unique entry will receive a customized honeymoon hair kit tailored to your hair type and vacation destination. A photo of your wedding ‘do could also be featured on Lock & Mane’s website! Click here to submit your entry before the contest ends September 1st!
–Christa Lee