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Is it a good idea to do a pre-wedding run-through with your hairstylist and makeup artist?
Lisa: Absolutely.
Tina: Bring your veil.
Lisa: That's an absolute must.
Tina: And bring pictures from magazines. That way your stylist will know your vision.
Shana: I ask a ton of questions. I'm pretty good at getting a bride's personality. A lot of times, if they bring pictures in, they're way off. A blond bride will bring me a picture of Kim Kardashian. That's totally unrealistic.
What's the trend in bridal beauty?
Shana: A lot of brides aren't wearing veils.
Tina: They go on Etsy and find unique things for their hair: feathers, a vintage brooch, a flower.
Shana: You just want to look like you. You don't want to go down the aisle and have people say, "Who the hell is that?"
Lisa: It comes back to your own personal style. If you're the girl next door, you're not going to be Gwen Stefani and bust out a pink wedding gown.
What do you think about spray-tanning before the wedding?
Lisa: Unless you're Anne Hathaway, you have to tan. She can rock that pale look. But the majority of us need a little color.
Shana: I think everybody looks better with a glow. It makes your body look better and your makeup look even.
Sandra: It does make you look thinner.
Shana: Do it a couple of days before the wedding. Make sure you're totally exfoliated. Your tan will last longer and look really even. If your skin is dry, your tan will flake off in a day or two.
Tina: Have a spray-tan party a couple of days before the wedding with your bridesmaids—a tan-a-palooza.
What about self-tanning lotions?
Shana: I love L'Oréal's Sublime. They have a gradual self-tanner lotion. I use it on my body every day. It's subtle and kicks up your own natural tan. I also use L'Oréal's self-tanner on my face every day. It's an oil-free gel formula that dries fast.
Are brides turning to cosmetic surgery these days?
Sandra: I see a lot of breast augmentations. They say it makes the dress look better.
Shana: I've seen people get Botox.
Tina: I hear of women who get Botox in their underarms to reduce sweat.
What do you think about eyelash extensions?
Shana: I can't stand them. If they're done wrong, they're horrible. They're very, very damaging to the eyelashes—that glue is made to stay on for weeks at a time. And the lashes tweak and turn. You look like Snuffleupagus.
Lisa: What do you think of (eyelash-lengthening medication) Latisse?
Shana: Latisse works. It's amazing. But you have to be careful if you have light-colored eyes. It can dark-pigment the eye, and that's irreversible. It can darken your eyelid, too, but that goes away.
Tina: I've heard of using Latisse on your brows to make them thicker.
Shana: It works.
What about false eyelashes?
Shana: I swear by them. But I only do half-ies on the ends for beautiful doe eyes, so you look like a bride, not like you're going to a club. It photographs beautifully and bumps up your natural lashes.
What's the biggest beauty mistake you've seen a bride make?
Shana: I had a girl who got spray-tanned and then immediately came to me to get her brows waxed. I waxed the tan right off. She had two big white strips on her face. It was hilarious. I had to apply self-tanner with a Q-Tip. Don't get your brows waxed right before the wedding. Makeup won't stick to areas that have been recently waxed. Getting a facial too close to the wedding is a no-no, too.
Tina: I had a bride who went out the night before the wedding with her bridesmaids, and they all had too much to drink, so they decided to put teabags on their eyes. When I got there, they were red all around their eyes—they used cinnamon tea. That was funny.
Lisa: I'll never forget this one bride. She wanted this gorgeous Pronovias gown, but it wasn't meant for her body type. We advised against it, but she bought it anyway. A week before her wedding, she called us, bawling. Her sister had just told her the gown didn't look good on her. It was a nightmare. Ultimately, we got her a gown that flattered her. But why do that to yourself? Listen to the experts in the first place.
Tina: Don't listen to a lot of people.
Lisa: Some brides come in to the bridal salon with an entourage. I don't think that's a good idea. You've got too many cooks in the kitchen. Come in with your mom and your best friend or your sister—people you really trust. I've seen fights break out, people crying, feelings hurt.
Let's talk about a couple of recent celebrity brides. What did you think of Prince William's bride, Kate Middleton?
Shana: She was a beautiful, classic bride. Her makeup was pretty and simple.
Lisa: I feel like she was a little too skinny.
Sandra: I thought she looked sexy. She's got an athletic body. Imagine the stress she must have been under.
Tina: Her hair was simple and safe. In photos 40 years from now, it will still look classic.
Describe the prettiest bride you've ever seen.
Shana: A bride named Tara. Her hair was in beautiful ringlets like a mermaid. Her makeup was sun-kissed and glowy. She was stunning.
Sandra: Mine was a bride named Lisa, who made such a transformation in seven months from somebody who never walked, much less worked out. Every time she hit a plateau with her diet, I'd give her more calories. Her body needed it. She looked happy and healthy. She just glowed.
Tina: Confidence is beautiful.
Sandra: A happy bride is beautiful.
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