Must Have Mondays: Rembrandt Deeply White

WHAT: Rembrandt Deeply White

WHY: Everyone should have a shining smile! This unique formula is made with enamel-safe ingredients that whiten “below” the surface. I like to switch from my regular toothpaste to a whitening formula every few months. My dentist recommended this one! Check out this behind the scenes interview with Dr. Rembrandt:  http://www.rembrandt.com/teeth-whitening/behind-scenes

WHERE: drugstore.com

Feature Friday - Meet Stephanie and Matt!

Happy Friday, JFBL Beauties!

I'd like to introduce you to our bride, Stephanie, who married her beloved Matt this past September.

Photography by Stacey Ilyse Photography

Kelly and I had the pleasure of providing hair and makeup for this stunning bride and her wedding party at the Omni Hotel in New Haven, CT.  Stephanie wanted a glamourous, luminous look which I had such fun creating for her.  I brought out her piercing blue eyes with shimmery bronze shadow, champagne highlights at her brow bone, and soft espresso liner for the perfect touch of definition.

Action shot!
Photography by Stacey Ilyse Photography

Check out those amazing blue eyes!  I had such fun with this glam look!
Kelly Sharkey created her sleek updo.
Photography by Stacey Ilyse Photography

Stephanie's wedding was filled with tender moments, and she was surrounded by such love - it was an honor to be present for such a happy day!

Stephanie surrounded by her beautiful bridesmaids!
Photography by Stephanie Ilyse Photography

Stephanie -- Kelly and I wish you and Matt nothing but the best!  Here's to your happily ever after!

That's love!
Photography by Stacey Ilyse Photography

Have a great weekend, beauties!

Until next time --

XO
Lindsay

Vendor list:
Location - Omni Hotel, New Haven, CT
Photography - Stacey Ilyse Photography 

Guest Blogger Thursday: Sami's Sweet & Spicy Strawberry Mask

I know, this mask doesn’t look all that appetizing, but that’s why it’s for your face and not your tummy! :) It’s very easy to make and full of nutrients, exfoliants, and acne-zapping ingredients that your skin will love.

Ingredients:

4 strawberries (fresh or frozen)

1 tbs oats/plain oatmeal

1tsp honey

1 green tea bag

1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

Supplies:

a small, airtight plastic or glass container

fork or spoon

scissors

Directions:

1. Grind up the strawberries in either a blender or food chopper (be sure to remove the green leafy stems if you’re using fresh strawberries). Put the pureed strawberries into the container.
2. Cut open the green tea bag, pour the tea leaves into the container with the strawberries.
3. Combine the rest of the ingredients together in your container.
4. Wash your face with your favorite face wash.
5. Apply the mask in gentle, circular, upward movements. This mask also functions as an exfoliating scrub, so I recommend massaging the mask onto your face for about two minutes.
6. Let the mask sit for 15-20 minutes, then rise off with cool water.

This mask can be stored for three days in a refrigerator.

About the ingredients:

_Strawberries exfoliate, brighten the complexion, and contain salicylic acid, which combats acne by shedding dead skin cells, opening your pores, and preventing them from being clogged. Read more about the health benefits of strawberries here.

_Oats/oatmeal gently exfoliate and buff the skin.

_Honey has healing, soothing, and antibacterial properties.

_Green tea is high in antioxidants and works as a great skin toner in liquid form or exfoliant in leaf/powder form. Read more about the health benefits of green tea here.

_Cinnamon functions as a great exfoliant in this mask, but also increases blood flow to any blemishes and provides antibacterial phytochemicals to treat inflammation of the skin.

xoxo, Sami

~Sami Jensen is the writer of the culture blog, Poor & Pretty. She also makes cupcake soaps and bath bombs, which can be purchased online at the Poor & Pretty Bath Sweets Shoppe.

Secrets to a FAB blowout

1.) Start by applying an anti-frizz lotion from roots to tips. (If you don’t wash your hair everyday, then try not to apply too much product near the roots or on your scalp or else your hair will look dirty in a few days).

2.) Have a professional blow-dryer.  M baby-bliss PRO was the best investment I ever made.  Trust me, you’ll dry hair up to 60% faster.

3.) A thermal brush and a boar bristle brush are both essential in creating that smooth texture.  You want both of these brushes to be round.The size will depend on the length of your hair and how much volume you want. (i.e a large brush is great for creating maximum volume for long hair.)

5.) Part hair into 2 inch sections and use the nozzle attachment that comes with your drier.

6.) Voila, now you have the perfect blow out.

Must Have Monday: Hair Heat Protection Spray

WHAT: TReSemme Thermal Heat Protection Spray

WHY:  I tend to abuse my flat iron at this time of year which really runs havoc on my hair. You can’t beat the $5 price tag on this product! I recommend always sheilding your strands before your use any heating products. This one leaves hair soft and shiny.

WHERE: drugstore.com

We want to know:  Do you have a favorite flat iron?

Featured On Style Me Pretty!

For our feature Friday today, we would love for you to head over and check out our bride Laura and her gorgouse New England wedding featured on Style Me Pretty! Click here to go see all the loveliness.

A big thank you to all the vendors who are always so wonderful to work with.

Wedding Photography: Justin & Mary / Venue: Wee Burn Beach Club / Wedding Dress + Accessories: The White Dress by the Shore / Wedding Planner: Five Grain Events / Hair + Make-up: Jennie Fresa Beauty Library / Flowers: Stew Leonard’s / Cupcakes: CakeSuite / Bride’s Shoes: Kate Spade / Bridesmaid Dresses: J.Crew

Meet Naja!

We are so happy to announce our new line up of talent for the 2012 wedding season! 

Today, we would like to start by welcoming Naja Muller to our team!  Naja comes to us with a unique background and over 10 years experience in the beauty industry.  Her career in makeup began at a very young age while she was pursuing her first love, theatre.  For many years she studied professional dance where she honed in on her craft as an artist by doing makeup for herself and her peers before performances.  Before long, she realized she had a new love in addition to being a performer.... and a makeup artist was born.  Naja has worked for cosmetic companies such as Paula Dorf and Chanel.  Most recently she was a Trainer and National Artist for Sue Devitt Beauty.  She can create looks that range from the most natural, glowing faces to more glam looks that work for photo shoots and stage performance.  We are so excited to have Naja on board with us, she is an absolute doll!  We can't wait for you to meet her!

XO!

Nails are the new lipstick!

SO I hear that the best way to accessorize this fall is with your nail color!  Well, that’s great news for me since I love trying a different color each week!  If you need a statement piece, forget those python stilletos and try Magnetic Polish by Nails Inc.  London manicurist Lisa Logan created this smashing colors to grab attention!  Find her collection, coming out this month, at Sephora!  Warning:  it’s not for wall-flowers!

Must Have Monday: Dior Velvet Eyes

WHAT: DIOR VELVET EYES

WHY:  Ok, I admit I haven’t actually tried these suckers but I still think the idea of a stick-on eyeliner patch is the coolest idea!  Created by Dior artists, these fun and easy to use patches are perfect for a night out!

WHERE: Sephora

Would you give them a try?!

Saltwater Farm Vineyard Bride By Justin & Mary

It's Feature Friday today and we are very excited to share the bridal look of our beautiful bride Julia. She was married to her lovely beau Tom at Saltwater Farm Vineyard  under a beautiful white Sperry Tent with the decadent catering from A Thyme to Cook  , Events by Amy for the fabulous setup and The White Dress by the Shore for the beautiful dress. I was on hand for beauty, Julia was a sweet and wonderful bride. Thank you to Justin & Mary for the amazing pictures and thank you Julia for letting us share your bridal beauty look.

Guest Blogger Thursday with Nutrition Coach Jane: Sweet Vegetables for Fall!

Roasted Root Veggies

Hi friends!

As fall as upon us, I wanted to share some thoughts about how to deal with sugar cravings, and in doing so, add in some amazing fall veggies to your diet!

Almost everyone craves sweets. Rather than depending on processed sugar to satisfy cravings, add naturally sweet foods to your daily diet to satisfy your sweet tooth. 

Sweet vegetables soothe the internal organs of the body and energize the mind. And because many of these vegetables are root vegetables, they are energetically grounding, which helps to balance out the spaciness people often feel after eating other kinds of sweet foods. Adding in sweet vegetables helps to crowd out less healthy foods in the diet. 

A simple way to cook these vegetables is to follow the recipe below. It has few ingredients and preparation time is minimal. 

Sweet Veggie Recipe 

1. Use one, two, three, four or five of the sweet vegetables mentioned below.
2. Chop the hardest ones, like carrots and beets, into smaller pieces. 
3. Softer vegetables, like onions and cabbage, can be cut into larger chunks. 
4. Use a medium-sized pot and add enough water to barely cover the vegetables. You may want to check the water level while cooking and add more water if needed. Remember, vegetables on the bottom will get cooked more than the ones on the top. Cook until desired softness. The softer the vegetables get, the sweeter they become. 
5. You may also add any of the following ingredients: spices, salt, seaweed. You can add tofu or a can of beans for extra protein. 
6. When the vegetable cooked to your satisfaction, empty the ingredients into a large bowl, flavor as desired and eat. The leftover cooking water makes a delicious, sweet sauce, and is a healing, soothing tonic to drink by itself. 

 List of sweet veggies: corn, carrots, onions, beets, winter squashes, sweet potatoes and yams

List of semi-sweet veggies: turnips, parsnips and rutabagas, brussel sprouts Other veggies: red radishes, daikon, green cabbage and burdock

Other cooking methods include steaming, roasting, stir-frying. They can also be simmered and pureed to create a soup, or you can simply eat them raw, grated in a salad. Be creative! 

Hope you enjoy it!

Best,

Jane

www.WellnessWithJane.com

www.JaneAshleydesigns.carbonmade.com

		© 2010 Integrative Nutrition

JFBL Is Getting A Make Over!

This month marks 5 years since I first launched my business. We have so much to celebrate! Over the years, we have successfully grown our business from an on-line presence only to opening our boutique in Clinton, CT to now serving over 100 brides per season. I have met so many wonderful people along the way. Clients and industry professionals alike, I consider so many good friends now. It's one of the best parts of my job.  

It hasn't always been easy. I have had my fair share of growing pains like any other thriving business. There have been many tough decisions to make and difficult circumstances to deal with, all of which made me stronger so I am grateful for even those challenges. I have learned the importance of finding balance in work and life and how to focus on positive energy. To do this, I had to take a cold hard look at what was working and what wasn't working.Yes, face the mirror and make some changes with myself first.  

Now that we have "trimmed the fat", we are ready to move forward. For the last several months we have been working diligently on a plan that will take our business to the next level of success. With our established bridal beauty business running like a well-oiled machine, I felt it was time for women to know about our other areas of specialized service. As a facialist and makeup artist, it has always been my intention to create a place dedicated to helping women put their best "face" forward. For us, it's more than just makeup--we treat skin, style brows and design custom makeup looks--using healthy, quality products!

You may have noticed our website is temporarily down while we get our make over. In a few weeks, our boutique will also close down while we give our new extended space a beauty overhaul and get it ready with our selection of fine beauty products just for you! Stay tuned for our grand re-opening this November! In the mean time, keep following us on our blog, face book fan page and twitter!

We are super excited for what's to come!

XO!

Jennie

Benefits of Dry Skin Brushing

Dry skin brushing has been around for quite a long time. It’s an excellent method for excreting toxins from our bodies. This type of stimulation of the skin also sets in motion a natural healing within our bodies. Here are some benefits of this practice you can do right at home:

1.) Dry skin brushing helps to shed dead skin cells, which can help improve skin texture and cell renewal.

2.) Dry skin brushing increases circulation to skin, encouraging your body’s discharge of metabolic wastes, which greatly aids the lymphatic drainage of the entire body. When the body rids itself of toxins, it is able to run more efficiently in all areas.

3.) Dry skin brushing also helps to tighten the skin because it increases the flow of blood. Increasing the circulation to the skin can also help lessen the appearance of cellulite.

4.) Dry skin brushing stimulates the lymph canals to drain toxic mucoid matter into the colon, thereby purifying the entire system. This enables the lymph to perform its house-cleaning duties by keeping the blood and other vital tissues detoxified.

5.) Dry skin brushing also rejuvenates the nervous system by stimulating nerve endings in the skin.

6.) Dry skin brushing helps your skin to absorb nutrients by eliminating clogged pores. Healthy, breathing skin contributes to overall body health.

Must Have Monday's ~ Loreal Paris Voluminous Million Lashes Mascara

WHAT: Loreal Paris Voluminous Million Lashes Mascara

WHY:  I tried this mascara a few weeks ago when a bridesmaid in a wedding party I was making up demanded I use her own mascara.  With one coat, her lashes looked like she was wearing false lashes.  This isn’t for everyone but if you like dark, full, thick-looking lashes, I would give this a try! 

WHERE: Walgreens

Looking for lash enhancement treatments that really WORK!  If you have a favorite product that has shown great results, we would love to hear from you!

Feature Friday: Amarante's Sea Cliff Bride

It's Feature Friday and we want to thank our bride Melissa's sister Stacie for sending us pictures of Melissa's bridal beauty. The wedding was held at the beautiful Amarante's Sea Cliff in New Haven and makeup was done by Jennie. Thank you Melissa for letting the Jennie Fresa Beauty Library be part of your day!

guest blogger thursday: Tracee Dolan of tracee teaches yoga

Happy Fall Everyone!

Well, I know- that I have plenty of stories & tidbits that I could share this week-but I've been on an Abraham Hicks Video & meditation tear, so I thought I'd share. Perhaps you check this out at work today or maybe you take a listen tonight. I love, love, love! these videos, cds & books & highly recommend all of them. The best part? You can check (hearty) snipits of them on youtube at any time. Enjoy the sun & fall air today and remember that all you have to do is find something in your life to feel good about right now (and if feeling good feels like a stretch...start with feeling 'better'). take care! 

Tracee Dolan is available for group and private lessons. She is the author of Parent Child Yoga a Yoga Instruction & Coloring Book & leads a yearly yoga retreat to Panama at Pacific Bay Resort. Please do not hesitate to contact her with any yoga questions or concerns: traceeteachesyoga@gmail.com

Ocean House Wedding Featured On SNE Weddings Destination Edition

So very excited to share today that our bride Kelly and her now hubby Tommy made the cover of Southern New England Weddings Destination Edition Magazine! This gorgouse wedding took place on 6.18.11 at the stunning Ocean House in Rhode Island. Kelly's bridal beauty was done by our very own Emily. Kelly and Tommy also had the following faboulous vendors to put this incredible wedding together for them, True Event, Miles Witt Boyer Photography, Stoneblossom Florist, and Papermoss Invites. Pick up a copy and check out the feature on pages 52-55.

How To Do A Home Breast Exam

Today we are continuing with our mission to spread the word for breast cancer awareness for the month of October. We want to remind all women how important it is to do a self breast exam.

All women age 20+ should be doing regular monthly self-breast exams, along with regular doctor visits. Here’s how to do a proper self-breast exam:

Begin by looking at your breasts in the mirror with your shoulders straight and your arms on your hips. Here's what you should look for. If you see any of the following changes, bring them to your doctor's attention:

Breasts that are an usual size, shape, or color

Visible distortion or swelling

Dimpling, puckering, or bulging of the skin

A nipple that has changed position or an inverted nipple (pushed inward instead of sticking out)

Redness, soreness, rash, or swelling

Now look with your arms raised above your head.

Next, feel your breasts while lying down, using your right hand to feel your left breast and then your left hand to feel your right breast. Use a firm, smooth touch with the first few finger pads of your hand, keeping the fingers flat and together. Use a circular motion, about the size of a quarter.

Cover the entire breast from top to bottom, side to side — from your collarbone to the top of your abdomen, and from your armpit to your cleavage.

If you feel an abnormal lumps or bumps, bring it to your doctors attention right away.

Must Have Mondays: Casewell-Massey Floral Rose Water

WHAT:

Casewell-Massey Floral Rose Water

WHY: I can remember my grand mother always had rose water tucked away in her medicine cabinet. It has been used for centuries. Rose water is gentle, non-drying and reduces damage to the skin’s elastic fibers.  It’s also anti-inflammatory making it an excellent choice for sensitive skin.

Where: Casewell-Massey

Do you have a favorite toner?  We would love to hear from you!