I was at Macy’s the other day and found myself in the fragrance section.  From all the spritzes sprayed my way, I had a hard time picking out one that I really liked.  After awhile they all started to smell the same.

I’m assuming I’m not the only person having a scent-identity crisis and decided to get some expert tips on how to pick your own signature scent for both your wedding and any other day.  I turned to fragrance expert, Harry Slatkin who has created fragrance brands for Elton John and Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York as well as Bath & Body Works, Henri Bendel and Victoria’s Secret. Here's his expert advice on how to find the perfect perfume for you:

1. Browse & Explore:  Look for fragrances in different places: a tiny boutique, an open market, or on a trip abroad.  You'll be in a relaxed mind-set when you try it on.  And every time you wear it, you'll be reminded of your holiday.
2. Reflect Your Personality:  Discuss with the person behind the perfume counter, your interests and lifestyle.   Share the following details: What kind of car you drive, what kind of dog you own.  The more you reveal, the more luck you'll have finding a scent that suits you.  If you're the life of the party, try choosing a fragrance with a bold note such as cassia.  If you'd describe yourself as sexy, opt for jasmine, tuberose and orange flower, which offer a seductive scent.  And if you're more feminine, notes like bergamot, lavender, and rose will leave you with a light, sweet scent.
3. Don’t Sniff More Than Three:  Be sure not to sniff more than three scents in a row during a shopping trip, and spray the leading contender in the crook of your arm.  Live with it for awhile - samples are a girl's best friend.  You'll know you've found the magic formula when you like both the way it smells right away and over time.  The final clue is getting the seal of approval from loved ones and even strangers.  Compliments -- when people like how you smell, you know you've chosen the right one.
4. Make It Your Own By Layering and Mixing Scents:  For a truly unique scent, consider layering two fragrances.  The trick is to blend notes that complement each other.  Jasmine, vanilla, rose and citrus work well with most scents while stronger notes such as patchouli and vetiver, don't.  Use a classic fragrance as a base, such as Chanel No. 5, and adding something on top.  Be daring and take it in a different direction -- you'll end up with something that's truly unique and memorable.

 

 

As you probably know, Tweezerman makes the best tweezers. But did you know that they offer a lifetime sharpening program, so if your current pair is a little dull you can send it to them and they’ll sharpen them for you...for free!

 

In addition to tweezer sets – they come in a rainbow of colors and pattern – they also had some other grooming tools that I thought you’d be interested in.

 

First, I just LOVE this nail clipper.  In addition to being quite sharp, it comes in a holder so you can easily grip it.  AND the best part is that your nail clippings actually get stored in the case so you won’t have to worry about finding random fragments of your nails on the bathroom floor.  Just pull the clipper out, empty the case and you’re good to go!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This second item, I think, would be great for your honeymoon – or any trip you take.  It’s a pocket eyelash curler that lies flat, so it won’t take up too much space in your makeup bag.  It’s easy to use and so affordable at $14. 

As you know, I like to get expert planning tips from a variety of wedding businesses and vendors.  A few weeks ago, I had the chance to get some beauty tips from Kristie Stricher from Warren-Tricomi Los Angeles.  Kristie is a celebrity makeup artist and brow specialist.  Here are her bridal beauty tips so you look picture perfect on your wedding day:

 

• Keep your makeup classic and clean.  You don't want to look at your wedding photos years from now and think "What was I thinking with the smokey eyes".  
• Look like yourself, but have just enough makeup on so you look great in pictures.  I like to play up the eyes with a little eyeliner and individual false lashes.  If you have blue or green eyes, warm browns are nice to bring out the color without being too dramatic.  Brown eyes, look great with gold or gun metal silver.  
• Let your eyebrows fill-in for at least three months beforehand so you can have a nice full brow for your Eyebrow Specialist/MakeUp Artist to work with.  You'd be surprised what your brows will do in a few short months.  
• Don’t forget skincare.  Makeup will only look as good as the skin underneath it.  Getting regular facials may not be a part of every bride’s normal monthly regime, but for your wedding you may want to schedule facial appointments for at least 6 months before the big day.  Make each appointment special by asking your mom, maid-of-honor or bridesmaid(s) to go with you.
• I recommend that your makeup artist uses an airbrush to apply foundation to ensure maximum coverage and wearability.
• For destination weddings on a beach, using an airbrush to apply foundation can help it look flawless up to 12 hours even in the sun and humidity.  
• For a blushing, glowing bride I always use a soft pink blush with slight shimmer on the apple of the cheek.  Leaving the lip to be soft and delicate, I like to line and fill in the lip with a soft light rose lip liner and top lips with a slight sheen of gloss or even lip balm, which is easiest to touch up after all that smooching.  

 

If you’re getting married in the LA area, here’s the contact information for the Warren-Tricomi Los Angeles salon:

 

Address:  8327 Melrose Avenue, Los Angeles   

Phone: (323) 651-4545

 

 

Click here for more wedding planning tips.

Let’s be honest.  Some of us have taken our men to the salon for a mani, pedi and some waxing.  Now, I don’t know if your fiance reacted to waxing the way Steve Carell’s character did in 40-Year-Old Virgin, or if he just turned red from embarrassment, but either way, I think I’ve found the solution you need to make sure your guy’s well-groomed.

I attended a press event for Nair a few weeks ago.  Not just for women anymore, Nair has an entire collection just for men.  There are sprays, creams and roll-on versions so your guy can pick whichever product he is the most comfortable using.

 

So before you start an argument about whether or not he should go with you to the salon, pick up a bottle of Nair at your local drug store and try to remove unwanted hairs at home first.    

 

 

If you've decided to hire a makeup artist to apply picture perfect makeup for your wedding, it’s important that you have a trial a few weeks before.  A trial will ensure that the makeup artist knows exactly how you want your makeup applied for your wedding.  Don’t be surprised if you are charged a fee for the trial.  You shouldn’t pay the same rate that you’re paying for your wedding day, but rates from $50-$150 are common.

 

Also, it’s a good idea to take a photo of yourself after the trial so you and the makeup artist have something to refer to.

 

If you're planning on doing your own wedding day makeup, make sure that you practice putting on exactly what you think you want the month or so before your wedding.  Make sure you have enough concealer, bronzer, foundation, blush, shadows, liners, mascara and lipstick in your makeup bag.  You don’t want to find out the morning of that you ran out, or don't have enough, of something you really need.

 

Makeup Guru Bobbi Brown has created a Bridal Beauty Kit, filled with everything you need to apply your wedding day makeup.  It includes:

 

• Exclusive Ivory Eye Shadow
• Black Ink Long-Wear Gel Eyeliner
• Black No Smudge Mascara
• Pink Sugar Shimmer Lip Gloss
• Short Handle Ultra Fine Eye Liner Brush
• White Cosmetic Case

The Kit, which comes in the white case shown above, retails for $75 and is available now at BobbiBrown.com, and in April at all Bobbi Brown department store counters.

 

If you are doing your own makeup, here are Bobbi's wedding day tips:

 

1. Flash photography emphasizes pink tones, so be sure to even out skin with a yellow-toned foundation. Start around the nose and mouth where there’s redness, then blend out to the rest of the face.
2. Set concealer and foundation with Sheer Finish Loose Powder to make them longer-lasting and to ensure that skin looks matte in pictures.
3. If your dress has an open neckline, be sure to warm up your neck and chest with a dusting of Bronzing Powder.
4. Use a water-resistant liner that can withstand tears; try Long-Wear Gel Eyeliner applied with the Ultra Fine Eye Liner Brush. If you prefer to line with shadow, make it longer-lasting by applying it with a slightly damp Eye Liner Brush. Finish with a water-resistant mascara like Lash Glamour.
5. After applying all your eye makeup, finish with a highlighter shade on the browbone tomake eyes pop. Rub your finger in a light matte shade and pat lightly on the outer corner of the browbone.
6. For a pretty flush that lasts, use two shades of Blush. First, apply a neutral shade on the apples of cheeks, blending up into the hairline, then downwards to soften. Then apply a brighter shade just on the apples of cheeks.
7. Neutral and pale lip colors look washed out in photographs, so choose a lipstick that’s one to two shades brighter than what you normally wear. Pinks, roses and plums are great choices for brides.
8. To make Lip Color last longer, line and fill in lips with Lip Pencil before applying your lipstick.
9. Carry a touch-up kit with concealer, pressed powder, lipstick or gloss, lip liner, tissues, mints, and a mini sewing kit (for emergency clothing fixes like a dropped hem or popped button).
10. Have fun!

So we’ve talked about hair, makeup, your groom, your girls, what’s left?  Fragrance!

 

You know how you can smell something and it can bring back a flood of memories.  Wouldn’t you like it if at anytime in the future – a year, 10 years, 25 years – you smelled a particular scent and it just brings back the memories and feelings from your wedding day?

 

It’s not that hard to do.

 

Visit a department store’s fragrance department, or stop by Sephora, and sample a variety of scents.  You may need to make several trips because after awhile all of the perfumes will begin to smell the same.

 

There are a number of companies that package specific fragrances for a bride, but you should try a variety of perfumes and not just “wedding” perfumes.  When you find something you like, ask the sales girl if they have a sample size vile you can take home to try it out.  You may want to ask your fiancé what he thinks too.  You don’t want to walk down the aisle and have him thinking that you stink.

So we spoke about the bride and her ‘maids, and now it’s time to focus on the groom.  While you’re paying careful attention to your appearance - ensuring flawless skin, perfect makeup and hair, a mani and pedi, and possibly a massage to relax - your groom probably thinks he can just roll out of bed, shower, shave, get dressed and leave for the church. 

 

Men don’t realize how much time and effort goes into looking picture perfect, so to ensure that your man looks handsome follow these grooming tips from John Allan, owner of John Allan’s, a salon for men in New York:

 

For a groom to look his best on his big day he should begin his preperation 2 weeks in advance.

 

• First step; he should get his haircut 2 weeks prior to his big day.
• Two weeks prior he could opt for a facial - which would be very helpful to increase circulation in the skin and help get ride of some of the stress from the wedding planning.
• He should definitely consider getting a manicure and a pedicure - his hands should look fantastic and a pedicure would be great for his honeymoon.

 

I was very concerned with Dave’s hair for our wedding.  So about 6 months before the big day we went for a haircut -  yes, I went with him - and we spoke to Vito about how fast his hair grows and how long before the wedding he should come in for a cut.

Now remember, I’m a little bit of a control freak at this point in the plans.  After Vito cut his hair that day, I paid careful attention, and so did Dave, as to which day after his haircut he looked his best.  Then once we agreed that the length was perfect we knew exactly how many days before the wedding he should schedule his haircut for. 

This may sound crazy, but he did look great!

Finding the right hairstyle for your wedding is no easy task. There are so many styles to choose from: an updo, a chignon, a ponytail, have your hair blown out or a myriad of other options.

Many brides decide to grow their hair from the moment they get engaged to ensure that their locks are as long as possible so they can get the ‘do they want. But for those of us who don’t have the time to wait for longer locks, or want to add some volume or curls, I found the perfect product for you.

Jessica Simpson and her hairstylist, Ken Paves, have partnered with Hair U Wear to create Hairdo - a line of hair extensions that you can easily put into your own hair, or have a stylist add for you.

There are 15 different shades of hair colors and 6 different styles so you’re sure to find a color that matches your hair as well as the right style. The hair can be cut or trimmed by your stylist for the perfect “fit” and you can also pull it back, to the side or up so you can get the hairstyle you want.

I went to Bendel’s to have a professional stylist put in the 18” wavy hair extensions in my hair, and I couldn’t believe how great they looked. (As you can see from my illustration above I have short hair.) Once I find, or buy, a new cord for my camera I’ll upload the photos so you can see how great it looked.

The extensions cost between $90-100 for the Vibralite fiber hair (not real hair) or $500 for the human hair styles. Click here for a list of online sites that sell Hairdo.

And just like yesterday’s post on brightening your smile, after your wedding, you can take these clip-in extensions out and wear them again and again.

On your wedding day you’ll be smiling from the moment you wake-up through formal pictures and probably well into the night. Everyone wants their makeup to be flawless and their hairstyle perfect, but not many brides remember to take care of one very important feature — their teeth!

Since you’ll be smiling all day, don’t you want your teeth to be white? Who wants stained or yellowed teeth ruining their wedding pictures.

I spoke with celebrity dentist, Dr. Greg Lituchy of the New York City practice, Lowenberg & Lituchy, about how you can keep your teeth healthy:

• Brush two times daily


• Floss daily


• Use antiseptic mouth rinse after brushing, but avoid mouth rinses with alcohol because they will dry out your mouth, giving you bad breath


• Eat a healthy diet. Avoid eating in large quantities, foods with a high acidic content (lemons), which can destroy healthy enamel. You should also avoid eating in large quantities, foods with a high sugar content to help avoid tooth decay – aka cavities.


• Have a dental cleaning twice a year and a dental checkup every year.

Of course it’s important to keep your teeth healthy, but you also want them to be white and bright, right? If you’ve tried at-home kits, and they don’t seem to be getting the job done, you may want to consider having them bleached professionally. And for those of us who NEVER wore our retainer (sorry mom), you may want to consider bonding or veneers to get a movie star smile.

Dr. Lituchy finds that patients who have had their teeth whitened through bleaching, bonding, or veneers love their new smile so much that they take better care of their gums and oral health to maintain their beautiful smiles.

Many wedding industry insiders tell you that after your wedding, all you have left are the photos (and your memories) but if you bleach or bond your teeth, or get veneers, you’ll now have something else from the wedding forever – a perfect smile.

So this is beauty week at From “I Will” to “I Do” and I have some fabulous tips that you’re going to love.

I thought I’d start out with one of my all-time favorite beauty tips for bridesmaids.

As you probably know, you can visit almost any makeup counter in the beauty department of a department store and the sales staff will apply not just one product, but make you up for the night. And the price for these makeovers? The cost of one product.

If you’re getting married near a shopping mall – or your bridesmaids can get to one well before the time you need them at the wedding location – send them to the mall to have their makeup done.

Each girl can pick whichever counter she likes – MAC, Prescriptives, Bobbi Brown, Clinique, NARS – and ask the sales girl to apply makeup for her. She should specify if the wedding is a formal black-tie affair or something more casual.

The cost of lipstick is probably around $20-$30 – much less than the cost of a professional makeup artist. She can always use the lipstick to reapply it at the wedding, and unlike her bridesmaid dress, she will use it again.