Archive for the ‘Girl Tested-Bride Approved’ Category

By now, I’m sure all of our gorgeous Real Weddings Brides, have heard of Pinterest! If not, then we seriously need to snap you out of your wedding planning haze.

We’re gaga over this innovative social sharing site and have come to rely on this resource to help us organize our ideas onto virtual pin boards.

We’re so excited that we’re able to utilize this amazing space as yet another way to spread some inspiration to our darling brides. That’s right, you can pin our original and exclusive photo shoots from Real Weddings Magazine’s Pinterest page!

Take a peek at Real Weddings Magazine’s Pinterest page here, follow us, get inspired and pin away!

Blog Post by Aimee Carroll, resident Girl Tested, Bride Approved Columnist.

Photo by Sarah Maren Photographers (c) Real Weddings Magazine.

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Every bride-to-be finds herself in the pursuit of flawless, glowing, youthful skin. That’s because she knows that the first step to achieving that jaw-dropping, heart-stopping, groom-melting bridal look starts with great skin! I recently came across a new innovative product that helps us girls get our skin “wedding aisle” ready in no time!

WrinkleMD from University Medical is a high-tech device that replenishes hyaluronic acid in the skin, via an eye patch. Wearing the eye patch once a week for 40 minutes leaves your skin brighter, smoother and younger looking… all from the comfort of your own home!

According to University Medical, “WrinkleMD can act as a preventative measure against wrinkles for brides-to-be in their 20s, lessen the appearance of lines for those in their 30s and work to decrease wrinkles in brides-to-be in their 40s.”

Using the system is really easy! All you need to do is stick the eye patches around your eyes and leave them on for 40 minutes twice a week to start and then once a week after the second week of the system.

While using the system, I could feel my skin begin to tingle and warm as the eye patches activated and worked their magic. The patches are very comfortable to wear and I was even able to resume my normal activities while they were hard at work fighting my winkles for me. After the 40 minutes is up, the patches automatically turn off.

WrinkleMD provides an Ion-Infusion Moisturizer and an Ion-Infusion Eye Serum C to apply after using the eye patches as well as in the morning and evening. The moisturizer and eye serum felt great on my skin, especially when I applied them right after I used the eye patches. They gave my skin a nice cooling sensation and left the area around my eyes feeling extremely hydrated.

I suggest not to make any plans directly after using WrinkleMD. The system does leave your skin red where the patches were applied. For me, it was about the same redness I would get from a wax and disappeared after 30 minutes to an hour. I do believe the redness could be concealed pretty well with makeup if you did have to go out right away.

After my first application, I instantly noticed a brightening of my skin. After a couple applications, I noticed a plumping around my eyes. Overall, I’ve noticed smoother, brighter, fresher skin.

At the risk of looking a little silly with those sticky eye patches on, WrinkleMD is a great alternative to needles and injections.

Using the WrinkleMD Eye System in preparation for your wedding might just be the answer you were looking for in your quest for flawless skin.

The WrinkleMD Eye System is available for purchase at universitymedical.com for $129 for a Deluxe 30-Day Kit.

Blog Post by Aimee Carroll, resident Girl Tested, Bride Approved Columnist.

Photos courtesy of University Medical.

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For what seems like my entire life, I’ve been searching for the perfect tank top. One that’s long enough (but not too long), one that’s thick enough (but not too thick), one that keeps its shape wash after wash, and one that lasts longer than just one season…suffice it to say that I’m a little picky. My husband just rolls his eyes whenever I come home with some newly discovered tanks to try, knowing that I’m just a little high maintenance in my constant quest.

Imagine my delight when I found, for me, THE  perfect tank…Tank Essential!

The company’s mission: “It is the simple solution to a problem most women encounter.  Most tanks and camisoles are made of low quality fabric that does not hold up in the laundry, offer no support, or too little coverage to wear them without a bra underneath.  In 2008, unable to find a longer length tank top and weary of the bunching and bulk that is created when you layer a bra, a camisole and a blouse or t-shirt, the Tank Essential team set out create something better.  Something customized to each woman’s individual needs.  Tank Essential was born.”

It’s this customization that I love the most! Each tank is built according to your own desires in neckline, length, support (shelf bra or no shelf bra) and straps, and they’re each made from a luxurious cotton blend.

And, it’s a local Sacramento-based company too! We love that!

Now that I’ve discovered my perfect tank in Tank Essential, I’ll have to find something else to drive my husband nuts with (yeah, like that’s going to be too difficult! Note the sarcasm.)!

If you, too, are on the quest for the perfect tank, check out Tank Essential’s Web site and Facebook!

Blog post by Editor/Publisher Wendy Sipple.

Photos courtesy of Tank Essential.

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GLOWING SKIN ON THE GO…perfect to throw in the honeymoon suitcase!

Getting a bombshell blowout, a deep tissue massage and a relaxing facial not only make us feel better, but it makes us look better. However in this economy my bank account won’t let me get everything done on a regular basis, so what’s even better than a facial at the salon for glowing skin? A free facial at home of course!

On Saturday evening as I was getting ready to go out I decided to try L’Athene’s Purifying Clay Mask. It has been created by skin care consultants and Registered Nurses and contains peppermint, tea tree and clove oils with witch hazel and mineral clay to help your skin have a deep-cleansing, pore-fining mask that refreshes skin, helps prevent blemishes, and makes your skin feel and look young and rejuvenated once again.

I was in a rush so I wore the mask and then popped in the shower to get ready. I had the mask on for fifteen minutes and during that time the clay didn’t make my skin feel to tight or dry, but instead it felt cool and moisturizing. It also filled the bathroom with the aroma of peppermint and tea tree oil and helped me relax.

As I washed of the mask with the warm water, my skin felt fresh and clean. There was no redness, irritation, or dry skin. Instead, I threw on my sunscreen and put on my make up and let my skin glow.

Visit L’Athene’s Web site for more information.

Blog post by Style Media Group’s Executive Editor Desiree Patterson.

Photo courtesy of L’Athene.

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Glowing skin has always been the envy of my eye. How nice it must be to wake up with a clear, glowing complexion every morning! Unfortunately, it’s something I’ve never been able to achieve; no matter the type or amount of face products I use or number of facials I get, my face still requires some assistance from make-up.

While I had heard of microdermabrasion plenty of times – mainly when living in Southern California where staying on top of beauty regimens is a must – I never took the time to learn more about the treatment or have it done. Recently, however, I caved in to see what the “lunchtime peel” is all about.

I scheduled my appointment at Vitality Medical Laser & Skin Clinic in Folsom after being recommended by a fellow Real Weddings staffer. The clean office had a warm, inviting ambience to it, and on my visit, was staffed with a friendly receptionist whom immediately welcomed me in and eased all nerves. The first-time patient paperwork was harmless and soon after completing it, my esthetician Megan brought me into the room. After asking some general questions about my skin and allergies and explaining the microdermabrasion procedure, she began.

First, Megan cleansed my face and then applied a mild, medical-grade chemical peel. While she warned me it may sting a bit, I experienced no discomfort. In fact, if anything, I began to relax. The non-invasive, exfoliating chemical peel was made up of fruit and nut acids, as well as herbs and antioxidants – helping to “loosen the ‘glue’ that binds the dead skin cells to the skin’s surface and increase the production of collagen.”

Next, it was time for the microdermabrasion. An abrasion tool was guided over each area of my face, gently exfoliating the top layer of skin and buffing away the dead and dull skin cells. Megan compared the feeling of the abrasion tool to “a cat licking my face,” which was pretty accurate – except for the fact that cats don’t clean out pores and stimulate collagen production! Upon completion of the painless process, my baby soft and pink (the redness faded about an hour after) face was covered with a medical-grade sunscreen moisturizer and another product to help even out my skin tone.

The entire procedure lasted approximately one hour (hence the “lunchtime peel” nickname), but the results are said to last anywhere from four to six weeks. It’s now nearly two weeks later, and my face has never looked as fresh or felt so soft. And, for the first time ever, I feel like my skin just might be the envy of someone else’s eye!

If you’d like to try a microdermabrasion for yourself at Vitality, visit vitalitymedicallaserandskin.com.

Blog post by Real Weddings Managing Editor Megan Wiskus, filling in for Girl Tested, Bride Approved Columnist Aimee Carroll.

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