Know what else you can do to embrace the season? Freshen up your makeup. Luckily, Sephora is having a 15% of sale (for their Beauty Insiders only, online or in-store) through 4/21/13, so get on it, girl. Here are some suggestions:

- Color! Get your lips up on one of the new chubby pencils that make me and my clients so happy. Right now I’m loving Bite Beauty Zinfandel (electric coral) and Nars Yu (bright pink). Both are long wearing, creamy, and very comfortable.

-Summer foundation! Sale time is the moment to buy your summer color, since we all get a little color from walking around the city (wearing protection, of course). I love the Pure Radiant Tinted Moisturizer Broad Spectrum SPF 30 and the Smashbox Camera Ready BB Cream SPF 35. Both come in a range of shades for all of my gals, and offer protection, correction, and a small tube for packing in your travel bag.

-Bronzer! I know you want it (Gina and Angela, I hear you!) so I suggest these matte colors to give you a safe glow. Try Milk Chocolate Soleil Light/Medium Matte Bronzer and my fave, Smashbox Bronze Lights in two shades. Bronze judiciously (and pleassssse blend).

-Fragrance! Treat yourself to a lovely new scent to reflect the season. My summer jam will be Stella…what will you wear?

Sale time is the best opportunity to treat yourself (or a friend/mom/sister). Whatever you do, enjoy the season, and feel beautiful!

However, I am fortunate enough to participate in celebrations of love that lift my spirits and give me hope for progress. Today I want to share with you the pictures from the marriage of my clients and new friends Gina and Kathryn. We were introduced by their wedding photographer, Lilian Haidar. Once I spoke with Gina, learned their love story, cried over their wedding website, I knew it would be a match for us.

We did a trial at their home, and nerded out by watching a little Big Bang Theory  (we’re all obsessed). They showed me their gorgeous disco-fabulous outfits for the big day, and I left feeling so grateful to have met them.

When I arrived at their apartment on July 1 for their bridal prep, Kathryn showed me her new tattoo – this is a woman not afraid of commitment! We had lots of fun doing makeup and hair, were joined by Lilian and her assistant, as well as Kathryn’s family, and I trotted home knowing that I made a real connection and would get some beautiful pictures.

Here’s where I get a little verklempt: the pictures are not just a small selection of beautiful wedding shots, they start to illustrate that while the occasion is extra special, this marriage is just as regular as any other (apartment, 2 cats, monogrammed towels, family pics on the fridge – regular). Actually, Gina and Kathryn might be even more excited than most women to be married, because it wasn’t an option until very recently. These are beautiful women, inside and out, and I’m extremely proud to post these pictures on my blog and soon on my website. Enjoy.

In celebration of this wonderful day off, here are some of my favorite red, white, and blue beauty treats for all of you lovely readers:

• Essie Clambake nail polish is the perfect summer red! (just painted some on my nails right now)
• Blue mascara creates a subtle and gorgeous richness for dark brown or hazel eyes! It’s a cheap trick for eye-opening effect. Sephora has a bright blue for $15, and Makeup Forever Smoky Lash is $23 at Sephora or department stores
• White eyeliner is an instant pop for tired eyes. Use it inside your lower waterline, blink a few times, and maybe blend it with a clean cotton swab, Add mascara afterwards to smooth out an white liner caught on your lower lashes. This is a gift if you have very dark circles, suffer allergies, or never get enough sleep. I like the Sephora Flashy Liner for $8 and the Buxom Insider eyeliner for $14

For your viewing pleasure, a pic of my niece and nephew with their tasty crustacean friends:

Want to share secrets? Okay!

Ali, above, got married at St. Patrick’s Cathedral on a HOT day in May. The gorgeous event, designed and planned by Danielle Bobish from Curtain Up Events, took place on a busy bright Saturday. I followed Ali and her party through Central Park during their photo shoot with Joseph Lin. Yes, it’s great having an artist follow you with powder, blotting paper, and lipgloss, but you can keep your face fresh even without the celebrity treatment.

• Waterproof mascara – I’m liking Cover Girl Lash Blast 24 Hour
• Makeup Forever All Mat primer  gives you the best chance of keeping your makeup in place on a searingly hot day
• Sonia Kashuk blotting papers are available at Target; press them on the shiny parts of your face (press, don’t drag)

More secrets will be revealed in later blogs, plus gorgeous pics of the fun weddings from summer 2012.

Now we are back in school, home from vacation, and returning to our routines. With this busy schedule, I’m meeting lots of great folks who need to tweak their skin care or makeup habits. Here’s what’s on my mind:

- What’s with this addiction to Clarisonic? This weekend I met 3 women in the same bridal party who have scrubbed their faces raw. Please, be gentle! Monitor your diet including any food allergies, which may cause breakouts or hives), cleanse, tone, moisturize, sleep, and clean your face after the gym. If you must scrub, please limit it to a specific trouble spot. When you overscrub your face, you risk skin flakes and an overproduction of sebum that just wants to compensate for lost oils. Ouch!
- Nighttime is when your body is at rest, including your skin (the largest organ on your body). Use moisturizer at night to allow your skin to soak in the goodness and repair itself.
- Please remove all of your makeup at night so you can wake up clean and fresh. The effort you put in will be rewarded with great skin.
- One more: when you are getting your makeup done in the morning, before a wedding or a photoshoot, please arrive with a very clean face (ie no eyeliner, mascara, concealer, anything). This cuts down on clean-up time for the artist, so she/he can spend more time doing fun things to help you look and feel BEAUTIFUL!

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Dolls are only representatives of humans. Children play with them, and project their feelings onto these inanimate objects, practicing their social graces (tea parties), learning to relate to new siblings or friends, and working out various dilemmas. Dolls are also used in religious or spiritual traditions.

However, dolls are inanimate. They are always wide-eyed, don’t talk, laugh, complain, contribute, or provide real company because they are mute! Dolls eyes always pop open because they don’t need sleep! Why would Lancome find this an ideal to emulate? Lancome is marketing this item to real women, and despite the generally positive reviews online, I think they missed the mark.

Thoughts?

Raina from indigofoto introduced me to Raina in November, when I did her makeup and hair for her engagement shoot in Central Park with Henry. If you check out my website, you will see that she looks like a movie star. She was all sweetness – we had some bubbly and cheese, Raina and Jaime came over to pick up the couple, and we all enjoyed our afternoon in the park.

For her pictures and two ceremonies, we started makeup and hair at 5:30 AM in the hotel, then transferred to the prep room at the Crystal Plaza, where I made up her mom and a bridesmaid. Harveen had two photo shoots, two ceremonies, two dresses, and never once broke a sweat.

Let me tell you about this young woman: two degrees from Penn (one an MD), Marshall Scholar, future surgeon, nice to her mother, endlessly patient, looks like a movie star, and completed PX90 before the wedding so she could look amazing in her dresses. Oh, and she had graduated medical school only weeks before the event. Plus, she told me several times, “Sharon, I’m so glad you’re here” – seriously, I was thrilled to be there, too!

I witnessed the traditional application of the Indian jewelry by her parents (much of it from her mother’s home town and own wedding), Henry riding in on his white horse with his family and friends dancing around him, the eating of the sweets (many fun moments there), and lots of enjoyment. It was my privilege to apply the traditional veil; for those of you who know me, I love anything bright, traditional, and sequined!

The most beautiful part of the entire day was watching the two families blend into one, sharing hugs, sweets, dancing, and traditions. Oh, and Henry has handsome brothers, so that wasn’t terrible, either.

Here are a few select pictures – enjoy! Love to Harveen and Henry, and best wishes for a bright future.

Photography: indigofoto

Event Planner/Flowers: Rose Events

Venue: Crystal Plaza, Livingston, NJ

Makeup/hair: sb beauty

Right about now the SPF moisturizer you bought for summer should be on its last drops. My recommendation for replenishment is Garnier Nutritioniste Skin Renew Ant-Sun-Damage daily moisture lotion. It’s loaded with SPF 28 UVA/UVA sunscreen.

I love the light feel, which has an almost gel-like smoothness. This lotion is light enough for everyone’s face in this incredible heatwave, and it’s very compatible with makeup (if you can manage to wear anything in this oven-like city except power lipstick).

You can try it; it’s $8-13, depending on where you shop, so you won’t feel bad if it’s not for you. However, I love it, and predict you will, too.

Stay cool!