Photography: Portraits by David

Dress: Bancroft Bridals

Venue: Springfield Sheraton

Talk about good fortune: I was the lucky recipient of a complimentary tooth whitening session by local dentist (and former client of mine), Dr. Jyotika Dhawan from 1st Advantage Dental on King Street in Northampton. Dr. Dhawan uses the innovative Venus products (which she described as being much gentler than Zoom and similar whitening systems), and she wanted me to experience a whitening session for myself. I was game, so we set the appointment (somewhat miraculous, considering our respective crazy schedules!)

Let me start by saying that I am two things:

1. A total wuss about pain, especially dental pain (and I have wickedly sensitive teeth – I couldn’t even tolerate more than a few days of Crest White Strips!)
2. Insecure about many things, sure… but not so much about my teeth, as my natural tooth color has never really bothered me. (Dr. Dhawan confirmed that my teeth were already on the lighter end of the spectrum.)

Accordingly, I am a very odd candidate for cosmetic tooth bleaching. But when she suggested that I try it out in case a client ever asked me about it, I couldn’t pass up the opportunity!

I spent two surprisingly short appointments with Dr. Dhawan – first, to get my teeth fitted for trays (which hold the soothing gel that you use after a session to reduce any remaining sensitivity), and then for the actual whitening session itself. On both days, I was so impressed with her “chairside” manner – she explained everything she was doing and has a definite talent for relaxing her clients (and I am rarely relaxed at the dentist – I still pine for the days of nitrous oxide!) Even with an oral speculum in place, I was quite comfortable as she applied a protective barrier to my gums, kept my mouth very dry (no small task!), and proceeded to dab on the whitening compound. No UV lights are used for the Venus system; you just sit comfortably for about 15 minutes while it works its magic on your enamel.

I didn’t feel a thing until the last minute or so. And honestly, what I felt couldn’t even be described as pain – more like a twinge, a minor nerve annoyance (Dr. Dhawan called them “zingers”). But since it’s an unusual feeling, I was too anxious to continue – I had an early commercial shoot the next morning and was afraid I’d be too distracted by my sensitized teeth to concentrate on my work. (Such a wuss!) So we stopped after one round, and Dr. Dhawan applied the soothing gel to my tooth trays and I bit down on them, which was very satisfying and immediately alleviated the minor discomfort. I kept the trays in place for about half an hour afterwards, and once I removed them, I ate a bowl a soup with no trouble at all. And then I promptly forgot about the trays and gel, because I no longer needed them – within a few hours after my session, I was fully recovered!

Dr. Dhawan provided me with everything I needed in a gift bag: comfort gel, whitening toothpaste (including an innovative new brand designed to reduce sensitivity), and two bottles of clear mouthwash (much better for freshly bleached teeth than green!) She followed up with me afterwards to make sure everything was comfortable and to see whether I had any questions about maintenance. I was so impressed with her professionalism and follow-through.

Because I only did a single 15-minute round of bleaching before the minor twinges made me too nervous to continue, the results are very subtle (normally clients would do between 3 and 4 applications) – but I still saw a result, especially on my front teeth, which I attempted to capture below. Thanks to the maintenance products she provided, the effect has lasted, even as I sit here cluelessly drinking coffee and probably staining them anew.

In hindsight, I wish I’d toughed it out for at least one more round – I had no idea the twinges would go away within an hour of my appointment, and I could have tolerated many more “zingers” than I did. But hopefully this gives you an idea of what’s possible:

So if you’re self-conscious about your tooth color and haven’t had luck with at-home/over-the-counter systems, I would absolutely recommend seeing a professional like Dr. Dhawan for a whitening session – it was nowhere near as uncomfortable as I thought it would be, and anything that makes people more willing to smile is OK by me!

Here is a before & after from our trial session where you can see the VERY subtle, but effective, difference the airbrush makeup made to her already beautiful face:

(I love sharing photos like this because so many of my brides are afraid of looking made up, and if you don’t want to, you don’t have to! It’s all about invoking the style that you’re comfortable with so that you feel like yourself on your big day, but are still camera-ready.)

Here are some wedding day photos that Heather was kind enough to share (I love the classic beauty of her dress combined with the pop of color of her shoes!)

Venue: The Log Cabin
Photography: Karen Winger
Hair: Lisa Cummings

I loved all the details in her day so I couldn’t resist including some of them – check out the painting station, the French Bulldog (squee!), and a bridesmaid demonstrating the proper “corner of the tissue” method for blotting away tears during the ceremony. Here are my favorites:

Venue: Santarella

Photography: Max Benjamin

Fab You Bliss published this little love-fest here, and my favorite images appear below:

Photographer: Michelle Girard Photography

Hair Stylist: Jennifer McClendon

Event Planners & Styling: Eutopia Events

Dress Designer: Celia Grace

I had the distinct pleasure of taking part in several styled shoots with the incredibly talented Michelle Girard in 2012, and I’m so pleased to announce the publication of another one of our group efforts! This shoot was built around a pair of gorgeous, fair trade Celia Grace gowns and the detailed styling touches of Eutopia Events. Once again, I did makeup for both the bride & groom, but to shake things up a bit (and to add my own “shop local” element), I opted to use all mineral makeup by local business Fortunate Face Minerals. To fit the shoot’s rustic theme, I created a very soft look with sparkling eyes for the gorgeous Marcie (owner of Celia Grace), plus a bright Spring-y pop of color on her lips created by mixing two mineral colors together with a cream base.

Happily, this shoot is everywhere! Click here to view the gallery on Fab You Bliss, here to view the photographer’s selections, and here to view Eutopia’s tips on eco-friendly wedding planning. My favorite images from the day appear below:

Photographer: Michelle Girard Photography

Hair Stylist: Jennifer McClendon

Event Planners & Styling: Eutopia Events

Floral Designer: LaSalle Florists

Dress Designer: Celia Grace

Candles: Prosperity Candle

You might remember Jessica as the client shown in my Gazette newspaper feature (the photographer was scheduled during our trial session, which Jessica was kind enough to approve). Subtly smoky eyes and blushy cheeks were the order of the day. I had a wonderful time working with this gorgeous bride, her mother, and her sister!

Photography: Portraits by David

Venue: Springfield Marriott

I am so proud of this team effort! Last August, I teamed up with a fantastic group of wedding pros and two professional models (nope, they’re not a couple, but they fake it pretty well, amirite?) to create a wedding vision inspired by a specific tradition: the tasting of the four elements (bitter, sour, hot, and sweet), symbolizing the aspects of marriage – and life – that any couple will endure. Plus we had access to the gorgeous Marriott rooftop (on an exceptionally windy day, which made prop positioning difficult!) We finished the shoot at sunset on the Memorial Bridge.

I was on board to do makeup for both the “bride” and “groom” – here’s an iPhone before & after to show the dramatic change made by airbrush makeup, smoky earthtone metallic eyes, false lash clusters, and berry lips:

Our team was honored when Paper Moon Weddings agreed to publish the shoot – click here to see their photo selection. Here are my personal favorite portraits from the day:

Photography: Michelle Girard Photography

Models: Clairemise & Gibran, Maggie Inc.

Event Planner: Bowties and Butterflies Event Planning

Wardrobe: Bancroft Bridals

Floral Designer: Forget Me Not Florist

Reception Venue: Springfield Marriot

Hairstyling: Cyndi Drenthe

Cake Designer: Whip City Cakes

Lighting: CJC Event Lighting

Linens and Coverings: Cloth Connection, Inc.

How can you speak the artist’s language and translate what you’re seeing in your head into the real-life face that looks back at you in the mirror at the end of the session? The good news is, you don’t have to learn a whole new set of lingo – communicating with beauty pros is easier than you think! Here are some tips for getting the most out of your makeover:

1. Picture this. Can’t figure out how to describe that perfect shimmery smoky eye you’ve been daydreaming about? Track down the picture(s) that gave you the idea in the first place and bring them to your session, or send links in advance. That way the artist can get a sense of your tastes and adapt a look you love for your features and coloring. Magazines, Google image searches, makeup blogs, and Pinterest are all great resources! However: Try to choose pictures that show models with similar features to your own, and remember that what looks good on one face won’t always look good on yours. Provide images as a way to share what you like, not to provide an exact template (your artist will know what will and won’t work to enhance your features).

2. Who’s your point of reference? One request makeup artists hear almost every day on the job is “I want a natural look.” And who wouldn’t want to look naturally gorgeous, right? But I always ask a few follow-up questions when I hear this, because what I think looks natural and what my client thinks looks natural might be two very different things. I might be thinking a barely-there/”no makeup” look like Tilda Swinton, whereas you’re thinking Kim Kardashian. (I would never in a million years hear the word “natural” and think KK!) “Smoky eye” also means different things to different people, so when in doubt, show, don’t tell.

3. Think happy skin. If you know you’re allergic to aloe, your makeup artist will need to make sure not to use an aloe-based moisturizer. A latex allergy means several common eyelash adhesives are not an option for you. While most artists stock their kits with products that have few active ingredients in order to avoid skin irritation, everyone has different allergies and sensitivities – and claims of “hypoallergenic” and “noncomedogenic” are largely marketing (they’re not medically regulated terms and offer no guarantee that your skin won’t react). Be specific and, if you have a product you’d like the artist to use, don’t hesitate to bring it along and politely offer it to them as an alternative. Also, be sure to speak up – in advance – if you’re vegan, so the artist can use products and brushes that aren’t derived from animal products.

4. Got plans? Where will you be wearing your fabulous face? Artists take lighting, wardrobe, setting, and longevity into consideration when making someone up. You’ll probably want a bolder and more long-lasting look for a night out at a club, as opposed to a professional headshot photo session. Will you be outdoors in daylight? If so, we’ll probably keep the complexion natural looking (direct sunlight makes heavy foundation look unflattering) and start with a layer of SPF. Will you be photographed? If so, camera-friendly products are key. You get the idea – just let us know what your plans are.

5. Be honest… A good artist wants to know what you think, and ultimately wants you to love the look! So don’t hesitate to give us your honest feedback when you finally get the big reveal.

6. …but keep it real. Unless you’re getting full-on Halloween makeup, you’ll probably still be able to recognize your face in the mirror when the artist is through. Usually this is what clients want, but sometimes the unspoken expectation is that makeup will erase certain features that you consider to be flaws. If you’re concerned about a particular feature, be sure to tell your artist about it so he or she can explain what will and won’t be possible with the makeup (for example, it’s impossible to erase wrinkles just with makeup, but you can minimize their appearance). We won’t automatically know that you hate your mole and want it covered up (especially if we thought it was a lovely beauty mark!), so definitely speak up. But most importantly, don’t expect to look exactly like your inspiration pictures when the artist is done – it’s still your face, and a good artist should help you enhance and celebrate your unique beauty, not spackle over it.