This past Monday morning I got to hang out with 5 beautiful ladies and 3 talented stylists at a great lil’ salon called Halcyon Aveda in downtown La Jolla.

It was the morning of our bridal photoshoot and I was very excited to see what the stylists of Halcyon would “do” our girls up as. We went for a lil’ bit of variety… a spring bride, one sleek mod hairstyle, another romantic cinderella look. The outcome? Well, I’ll let the before and after pictures do the talking …

What I loved about the stylists at Halcyon was not only how personable they were, but that they let the girls’ true natural beauty shine and accentuated that with their make-up.

I know that the search for the perfect hair & make-up is sometimes a difficult one for a bride-to-be. But, brides, take my word of advice: Bridal make-up should enhance and accentuate your natural beauty and your style, not give you a total new make-over for that special day.

If you’re a bride that rarely wears make-up on a day-to-day basis, I think your groom might be a little shocked when he sees you walking down the aisle with jet black smoky eyes. And yet if eyeliner and mascara live inside your purse and you two are like BFFs, you can probably pull off a heavier look to pump up the drama on your wedding day. In either case, go for a notch or two above your normal “face”, just not five to ten notches more.

Every bride should feel beautiful and comfortable on her wedding day, and your style will ultimately come from the person that knows you best – yourself. So don’t feel pressured to “clump it on” for the wedding day photos. You should look like you’re wearing make-up, but you shouldn’t look nor feel like you’re playing dress-up with your mother’s make-up kit.

Don’t be afraid to ask a trusted bridesmaid or friend after your make-up trial (and yes – please do a trial, or even two!). Welcome the honesty. That way, you can be confident that when all eyes are on you and the camera is flashing, you have your best face forward with wedding day portraits that will last a lifetime.

Fun Fact: I just discovered Halcyon is 100% wind powered and uses eco-friendly products! Extra Kudos!

So thank you to Erin, Carolina and Sylvia of Halcyon for creating these looks! Now, after you’ve seen these gorgeous faces, don’t I have you curious as to what these bridal beauties’ hair looks like? Coming up next ….