StyleSchool

Not sure what beauty products are must-haves on your honeymoon? Mark your calendar for COS BAR of El Paseo’s “Travel in Beauty, Travel in Style”event this Thursday at the La Quinta Resort in Palm Springs, California. The 60-minute seminar, hosted by El Paseo’s beauty expert manager Sydney Rucker, promises to teach women about the most essential beauty products while traveling and how to pack them!

COS BAR carries a selective lineup of beauty, body and skincare brands like Chanel, La Mer and Frederic Fekkai. They also have underground favorites, like Sisley, Cle de Peau and Kanebo.

To reserve your spot at the “Travel in Beauty, Travel in Style,” call COS BAR of El Paseo at 760-341-6699.

If you can’t make this week’s event, don’t despair: COS BAR locations offer multiple classes and fun beauty events every month that members can register for only $69. For more information on COS BAR events, products and its other locations, visit cosbar.com.

–Christa Joanna Lee

Love jewelry designer Leslie Greene’s elegant and timeless designs, but don’t live near one of her boutiques? You’re in luck! The award-winning jeweler just added e-commerce to her Web site, which means brides across the country can shop her exquisite collections!

With a seemingly endless variety of styles, stones and metals, Greene has something for every bride-to-be. Be sure to peruse the Couture collection of diamonds and gemstones, which are all set set in18-karat gold, and the newly added Sterling collection, which features the same design aesthetic at a more affordable price. Of course, the Bridal Collection is also a must-see: it features an array of pieces crafted with a stylish bride in mind.

To view all of the collections, learn more about Greene’s work and see the gallery of celebrities who have donned her gems, visit lesliegreene.com.

—Darcy Newell

A quick quiz for brides creating welcome baskets. What do your out-of-town guests want to see when they enter their hotel rooms?: a) A locked mini-bar B) Granola bars and raisins C) Gourmet fresh-baked cookies.

The answer’s obvious. Distribute gift boxes of Heidi’s Heavenly Cookies (heidisheavenlycookies.com) amongst hotel rooms and you’ll have happy, well-fed wedding guests. These decorative boxes are filled with decadent cookies in flavors like “raspberry eclipse” and “coconut macaroon.” “Rocky road,” is sure to delight a true chocolate lover. Creating the perfect welcome basket is a task best left the professionals; let Heidi’s Heavenly Cookies do the work for you.

—Randy Miller, Editorial Assistant

Welcome back to our weekly roundup of the best of the wedding blogs. For your enjoyment this Friday we bring you homemade favors and a wedding gone wild (but in the most elegant way). Read on for the goods.

—Jessica Derschowitz

Photo courtesy of Mr. Boddington's Studio

Looking for an eclectic mix of gifts for your wedding party? Look o further than home accessories boutique Henry Road (henryroad.com). Their unique mix of products ensures you'll find something special for everyone on your list. 

Some of our fave finds include vintage inspired candlesticks and throw pillows. The one shown here is actually a sneak peek—it won't be out until January 2010. We also love their adorable teddy bears, which are the perfect present for your flower girls.

If you live in the L.A.-area, make sure to stop by their boutique at 3949 Laurelgrove Ave in Studio City where they carry one-of-a-kind chandeliers and lamps starting at $175—ideal for the décor-obsessed maid of honor (or maybe for your new home!).

—Rachel Jacoby, Assistant Editor

If you blew your budget going all out for your wedding day, but still need a few essentials for your honeymoon, you're in luck! We're partnering with Shop.com to give one lucky couple the honeymoon shopping spree of their dreams.

Send your smartest wedding shopping strategy to weddings@instylemag.com and you could win a $1,000 shopping spree on Shop.com!

It's no secret that Shop.com is an online shopping mecca. They literally have everything you could ever possibly need for your postwedding getaway, all just a few clicks away. New swimsuits? Over 500 of them! Underwater camera? They have the 10 top brands! Sexy lingerie? Your trousseau will be stocked!

Click here to browse some of Shop.com's incredible inventory!

Click here for official contest rules.

—Jeanine Edwards, Associate Editor

A healthy skin regimen is always important, but never more so than when prepping for your big day. All the top experts suggest scheduling a consultation with a skin care professional at least 6 months before your wedding. Luckily for some brides (and grooms!), Dr. Zein Obagi and his daughter, Sandra Obagi, are making stops across the country offering free one-on-one skin consultations. 

Obagi is the brains behind the awesome ZO Skin Health (zoskinhealth.com) products, so here’s your chance to skip a pricey in-office visit and get the scoop on the latest skincare breakthroughs, complements of the father-daughter duo.

Skin evaluations are available by appointment only at the following Nordstrom’s locations.

Take advantage of some much needed face time with these skincare gurus and find out what you’ll need to prep your skin for a radiant walk down the aisle. Visit Dr. Obagi online (zoskinhealth.com) for more information on locations, special events and his line of ZO Skin Health products.

–Christa Joanna Lee

This week we caught up with Amy Berman, executive pastry chef and co-owner of Vanilla Bake Shop (vanillabakeshop.com) in Santa Monica, California. Berman’s love of everything sweet began when she was a little girl, thanks to her mother’s frequent surprises of homemade cakes and treats. After graduating from culinary school, Berman and her husband Jeremy created a dessert catering company which soon bloomed into their artisan bake shop named after the world’s “most universally loved flavor,” vanilla!

How does your bakery differ from the rest of the pack?
Taste! We bake fresh from scratch with all natural ingredients every day. I love that we use real vanilla beans in almost everything we make, and go through hundreds of pounds of butter each week. High quality ingredients make the biggest difference in taste. Your wedding cake should look stunning, and taste incredible.

Why do you enjoy working on wedding cakes?
Wedding cakes are very personal. There is no other cake in your entire life that will be quite as important. I really love that. I recently designed a cake for a couple that incorporated vintage brooches from the bride’s mom, mother-in-law and grandma. It was incredibly endearing and unforgettable for their family.

What’s been your absolute favorite wedding cake you’ve designed so far?
I love all the wedding cakes we have created. I remember the story behind each one. One of my favorite and most recent wedding cakes was for a bride who adores fashion and owns a fabulous shoe company. She wanted a cake that was chic, and played off the jewel detail accenting her wedding dress. For her cake, we accentuated the height of each tier and made handmade sugar jewels dusted with charcoal and silver luster for sheen. It was meaningful, luxurious and happened to be Chocolate Truffle, one of my favorite flavors!

What’s the most unique wedding cake you’ve ever designed?
The most unique wedding cake I designed was a collaboration between a good friend of mine who's an amazingly talented floral designer. We've worked together over the years on many weddings. When it came time for her own wedding she gave me a call. I was really honored. Her husband is an architect, and the cake was definitely “his” thing. It was important that it be unique and focus on clean lines, structure and simplicity. It turned out to be one of the most talked about cakes we have ever done.

Any advice for couples choosing their wedding cake?
Research cake designers and chose someone who has the best tasting cake as well as impeccable craftsmanship and design. Schedule your consultation about four months before the wedding. When you meet with your designer have an open mind and experiment with the untraditional. Sometimes it can be a fun contrast to the rest of the environment and add an unexpected touch! And, don’t forget to have fun!

For more information on Vanilla Bake Shop, visit vanillabakeshop.com.

—Darcy Newell

Love the taste of a cosmo, but looking for something a little lighter in the calorie department? A Skinny Pomegranate Cocktail, isn’t only waistline-friendly, it’s also an antioxidant-packed and seasonal delight for your autumn wedding. N.Y.C-based mixologist Jonathan Pogash, has created the perfect sip for your bridal shower or bachelorette party. Topped off with the tangy punch of Sobieski Cytron Vodka (vodkasobieski.com), make this the signature cocktail for your night out with the girls and you’ll last long into the evening without derailing your white dress diet!

Skinny Pomegranate Cocktail

1 1/2 oz. Sobieski Cytron Vodka

1 oz. Honey Syrup (a 1:1 ratio of honey and water)

1/2 oz. fresh lime juice

1/2 oz. POM pomegranate juice

Directions: Shake ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice and strain into a chilled martini glass. Garnish with an orange twist.

-Randy Miller, Editorial Assistant

Happy Friday! Start your weekend off right with our favorite Web finds from the past week. Topping our list this time is an urban-chic wedding and bridesmaid dresses in great fall colors. Enjoy!

—Jessica Derschowitz

Photo courtesy of Apertura Photo