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Having taken the plunge myself back in 2005, I know one of the happiest days in a girl’s life doesn’t always arrive inexpensively.  With costs of flowers, dresses and incidentals adding up, some brides feel the urge to cut corners, especially with their facial care/makeup application.  This can be risky and sometimes result with a disappointed, stressed-out even teary-eyed bride minutes before she has to walk down the aisle.

Achieving the look you want can be so easy! All it takes is a little preparation and care.  Below I’ve listed some very important tips and products that can guarantee to help you be your most beautiful and love the face that will be captured in your wedding photographs forever.

SKIN Preparation

Your skin is your canvas.  As a painter does before he paints his masterpiece, his canvas must be well prepped.  First of all, determine the overall health of your skin.  Am I dry or oily?  Do I break out often? If you decide you do have problem skin, rosacea, acne, eczema or scarring, start up a combative treatment AT LEAST two months in advance.  Facials should be done at least two weeks prior to the wedding because accidental scarring or breakouts could occur and you will need time to heal. Also. Start drinking water!  Water will keep you hydrated, flush out impurities in your body and give you a refreshing glow all the way to your wedding day.

Day of Wedding Suggestions:

1. If you happen to wake up with a pesky stress pimple or red spot, no problem!  A product such as Face Atelier Transforming Gel, which has cucumber extract to sooth the skin and horse chestnut to reduce redness, will alleviate the redness in a flash.

2. Photographs and weddings go hand in hand. A foundation with long-lasting excellent coverage is key to a perfect picture every time. For brides, an outstanding foundation is one which is silicone based.  Silicone provides unbeatable coverage with a natural satin finish.  Face Atelier’s Ultra Foundation is a favorite to numerous professional makeup artists (even Lady Gaga, Fergie, and Rachel Ray are fans) and provides a flawless, youthful radiant illustrious look.  No primer needed!

3.Where there are weddings, there are tears (of joy!).  It is super-important that you use mascara that is waterproof and smudge-free. Face Atelier Sculpt mascara is a great products that will do the trick while conditioning and strengthening lashes.* If some tears do happen (as they always do) NEVER WIPE them away.  Keep a tiny handkerchief or tissue with you and blot blot blot.  Wiping will remove all the other layers of makeup around the eye and leave you puffy and red.

4. Neutral tones look great in photos as well as pastel colors.  AVOID glitter, frosty makeup and sparkly shimmer makeup at all costs!  You will end up looking like a disco ball instead of a beautiful bride.  Recommended- Face Atelier Eye shadow with Vitamin E and Silica to absorb excess oil in the eye area.

5. With your friends, relatives and new husband, you are going to be kissing up a storm.  A well-pigmented, long-lasting lipstick is key to keeping your lips beautiful all day.  Choosing your “right” color is very important.  A hue that is too nude or pale can make you look washed out (especially if you have very natural eyes).  Face Atelier has twenty-seven hydrating and moisturizing lipsticks to enhance your lips from wedding to reception.  Use Face Atelier’s LipLock after applying lipstick to double the wear time of your lipstick.

6. Finally, after the makeup is done, you are dressed and almost out the door to becoming betrothed, quickly spray some Face Atelier’s Face Finish, a light,  hydrating, refreshing, alcohol free cucumber scented mist  all over your face.   Hold about 6-8 inches away and lock your final bridal look in place.

Off you go and smile!  You are a radiant, beautiful bride!

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Amy Zdunowski-Roeder is a Pro Makeup Artist for FACE atelier. She has worked as part of America’s Next Top Model Makeup Team, is a regular on movie sets and has credits in People Magazine, Womens World, NYLON and OUT Magazine. She also frequently writes make up tips and articles for Star Magazine, People Style Watch.com and Lifetime.com.

You’ve survived the brutal winter so far without moving to Miami. What next?

Whether it’s a rooftop, backyard, window box or pocket garden, there are many things to consider now that spring is around the corner. Some gardeners, especially with icy Northern exposures, may have to wait longer than others to begin digging in the soil. It’s helpful to keep in mind that the snow which created havoc for our daily routines also created a protective blanket while adding beneficial moisture to the soil. Since every urban gardener has different needs and aesthetic interests I have compiled a general to-do list. Some suggestions will be more relevant than others.

• Remove dead plant material and excess mulch.

• Consider experimenting with new annuals and perennials, especially those that attract bees and butterflies.

• Clean out your drains.

• Run water through your planter boxes and pots to see if they are draining properly. One of the main reasons why plants die throughout the season is because of poor drainage.

• If you have any outdoor electrical lines check to see if the wiring needs to be repaired or replaced.

• If you have perennials that were not cut back in the fall, they should be pruned once you see new growth at the base of the plant. Prune them back to ground level for the healthiest spring growth.

• In most cases your soil has been depleted of major nutrients during the previous season. It’s a great idea to work organic compost into the soil for the new growing season.

• Check all masonry and stone work for cracks.

• Most perennials can be divided and transplanted now. Generally, dividing perennials in the spring is relatively easy, and will result in more vigorous and healthier plants. Divided hostas can make great gifts.

• If you enjoy spending time in your garden for entertaining, meals or personal time and you haven’t any lighting, now is a great time to consider a few strategically placed LED lights. The quality of LED lights has improved dramatically and they are cost efficient. I do not recommend solar lights since their output is nominal.

• For shade gardens that are prone to slippery algae build-up on stonework you should consider giving it a power washing. Walking through your garden will be safer.

• Organize your gardening tools, fertilizers etc. Sharpen your pruners! Replace or repair any materials that are outdated  or no longer function well. Consider a storage bin to protect these things and decrease visual distractions.

• Many hoses in urban gardens tend to be stored willy-nilly. Why not invest a few dollars in a hose bowl or a simple hose hanger? They both come in an assortment of colors, designs and materials.

• Check for leaks in the irrigation lines

• Consider repainting and restoring furniture or investing in new furniture that moves you. You want to be comfortable while relaxing in your garden.

• Try to keep your garden as simple as possible since it doesn’t require much to be successful.

Regardless of your garden’s size or aesthetic it’s good to remember that it evolves in different directions depending on the level of maintenance, weather, pests and other variables. Also remember that in gardening there are no serious mistakes. The process should be an enjoyable appreciation for nature and the pleasure it provides.

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Dan Silverstein owns and manages GreenZone Landscape Design, LLC. He focuses primarily on Manhattan and Brooklyn gardens of all shapes and sizes. His philosophy is that any space can be wonderfully transformed regardless of aesthetic tastes and budget.

I’ve had a year!

Think Bored To Death plotline, with a bit of Kafka thrown in for good measure, maybe a dash of In Treatment now that it’s relocated to the hood, and you’ll begin to get a sense of what I’m talking about here.

I wish I could tell you all about it (well, maybe not) but suffice it to say that my fidelity to our most livable neighborhood has been sorely tested.

But, I’m sticking by you, Park Slope.

Because I love you even though you do kind of suck sometimes.

Because for every colossally entitled, god-awful person in residence (and I would argue that we have more than our fair share), I have met more truly smart, funny, good people day in and day out than anyplace else I’ve ever lived.

Because you feel more like a small town to me than most small towns, with accidental friendships forged on subway platforms, bored to death at playgrounds, waiting an hour to mail a package…

Because of all the hilarious, misbegotten brushes with lots of different people, like trying to discuss the weather with my last food coop walker and ending up deep in a discussion of electromagnetic phases and the coming end of the world, whereupon Park Slope ends up at the bottom of the ocean like Atlantis. Because you love my dog and let him loose in the meadow every day.

Because you love my kids and give them freebies just for being charming.

Because you teach them well.

Because while you are bent on self-improvement, your ass is still kind of fat.

Because of my pals at Blue Apron and all the eclectic shops that I can’t afford to buy much at but admire nonetheless.

Because I only have to move the car once or twice a week.

Because there is a Park Slope Parents to have permanently banned me.

Because I make at least one new friend a day.

Because of the surfeit of coffee and bagels, even though I really, really want some matzoh ball soup and brisket around here.

Because of the remaining hippies, legal aid attorneys, social workers, teachers, dykes, and sleep-deprived parents.

Because people still stop and listen as they run the gauntlet of causey reps that litter 7th Ave and still care about stuff beyond how much stuff they have.

Because fabulous failed to make a go of it in Park Slope and moved upstate.

Because, our hair is still in desperate need of a dye at times, our clothes schlubby, our unibrows untweezed (except for that crazy samurai slayer!), eyes bespectacled.

Okay, that’s it. Happy Holiday, Park Slope! See you next year.