Guest Blog: Beauty Expert Julie Coates

Julie Coates runs The Lanes health and beauty salon in Brighton, pampering locals and celebs. Her advice is highly sought-after and often appears in the national press and mags. So we are super lucky to have her on on aisle-be-there.co.uk

Here, Julie answers your questions about your big day..oh and move over Amy Childs, she's one of the country's leading authority on Vajazzles..in case you were wondering. Over to you Julie.

Julie Coates of The Lanes Health and Beauty

1. I don't have great nails but don't want to have false ones on the day - I want to look as natural as possible. But how can I have a French manicure or clear or light colour with such awful nails that break and are weak? Help! Carrie, Bradford

Why don’t you try a gel manicure? This would both encourage growth and help to strengthen your nails. I would suggest you have one a month before you wedding to kick-start the growth slightly. 

Then, when you come to have your wedding gel manicure, there is a bit of length to achieve a French finish. Although, I would also recommend a light pink/natural shade for a pretty, groomed bridal look. Lastly, apply oil over the top of your gel manicure every day to keep the nails hydrated.

Posh goes French

2. This is a bit embarrassing but I've got a few stray hairs on my upper lip. As I get older they get darker and more numerous! I don't want to wax in case I get a reaction - that happened to a friend who went red and blotchy. Laser treatment is a bit expensive and my wedding is only in a month. I've tried tweezing but I don't seem to get them all. Help! (Anonymous, London)

Luxury at The Lanes

Ideally I would usually recommend waxing. I always advise clients to undergo a patch test beforehand to make sure their skin is not going to react adversely to the treatment.

But if your skin is really sensitive perhaps you could try threading. This would still have the desired effect, though it may take a little longer.

Don't try this at home - wax or thread instead

3. I hear you do hen do's. Do tell me more! How much is a package? There are ten of us and it sounds perfect. (Mandy, Hove)

Our Hen package is priced at £30 per person. You can choose 1 from the following treatments:

* Hot stone back, neck and shoulder massage.

* Hot stone aromatherapy facial.

* Manicure.

* Pedicure.

All the treatments last for a relaxing 30 minutes and the price includes a glass of non-alcoholic blush.

Hen pampering..because you're worth it

4. I want my feet to look nice for my honeymoon. What can I do to make them look pretty? (Jasmine, Glasgow)

Have a gel Pedicure. This would last you three to four weeks without chipping or marking. It will remain shiny, even in the sun and sea and does not fade. You can choose from an amazing range of colours, or keep it simple and stylish and just go for a French.

Remember your tootsies

5. I want my skin to glow. Should I have facials? I have normal skin but it's a bit dull especially in the Winter. My Wedding is at the start of May. (Claire, Newcastle)

You should definitely have a Micro-dermabrasion facial with oxygen. The mda removes dead skin cells and cleans out the pores, leaving skin fresh and rejuvenated.

Becoming the dewy bride takes work!


The oxygen then pumps hydration into the skin, leaving it completely glowing and refreshed. I would recommend you book this in for a few days before your big day. 

More Top Tips:

• Have an eyebrow shape and tint – Eyebrows frame the eyes and with the right shape and colour they can make your eyes look brighter.

• Use a nail top coat to refresh the shine of your polish whilst on honeymoon – the sun and sand can dull the finish

• If you like a scent but you don’t like wearing perfume try the body lotion for a lighter fragrance and hydrated silky skin

• Spritz your skin with a skin tonic to keep refreshed in the heat and your set make up in place

• Before you polish your nails always squeak the nail plate with nail varnish remover, this removes excess oils which can affect the durability of your polish.

• For strong nails file once a week in one direction, keeping the nails short and square with corners slightly rounded.  Massage cuticles with oil to stimulate growth and hydrate.

• Your first aid wedding kit should include Lavender Oil – not only will this relax you but it’s also antibacterial and has amazing healing properties, witch-hazel to dry out any spots, a good antibacterial concealer, a nail file and Nail glue for breakages.

VAJAZZLES

Design time

Add a lovely touch of sparkle and glamour to the area you are applying the gems to.

Not only can they be playful but they can be tasteful as well, with some of these designs taking the place of the traditional garter for the bride on her wedding day.  

As its Oscar month I have launched my own Vajazzle in salon called Starlet priced at £11.95

The Starlet

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Guest Blog: Celebrity Hairstylist Charley McEwen

When it comes to famous client books, they don't get more impressive than hairstylist to the stars Charley McEwen.

As personal stylist to X Factor judge Kelly Rowland, Charley has also teased the locks of her Destiny's Child bandmate Michelle Williams, Sienna Miller, Adele and many more. You name it, he's made them look fabulous.

Celebrity Hairstylist Charley McEwen

I met Charley at Channel Five and trust me..two minutes in his hands turns you into a new woman.

So it's with great excitement I introduce Charley to aisle-be-there.co.uk with the brief of making you ooze glamour on your wedding day.

Thanks for sending all your questions. Over to you Charley.

Meet in the middle - a half-up-half-down

Q. How does the style of my dress affect what I should do with my hair? (Jemma, Bath)

A. If it's a high necked dress or with lots of detail across the chest you should consider having your hair up 

so as not to cover it up. 

Strapless dresses can work well with long hair falling over your shoulders. If you want to put your hair up but are worried there's too much flesh showing, you could break up the look with jewellery - perhaps a necklace of pearls.

Break up flesh with a necklace

Q. Is my wedding day the time to try something different? I'd like to surprise my guests (Amy, Chester)

A. No. The groom expects to see the woman he knows. It's not the time to shock him and you want to feel like you too. Go for a hair rehearsal and bring your mum or friends along for advice. A second opinion is really valuable but ultimately you have to be happy. They might be able to have a rehearsal too.

Don't go changing too much on your big day

Q. What would you recommend for a timeless style I can look back on in thirty years and not feel it looks dated? (Ali, Edinburgh)

A. Remember to K.I.S. - Keep it simple. Be natural too for a timeless look. All down and tumbling can look effortless and will never date.

A timeless look for Kate Middleton last year

Jennifer Aniston let it all hang loose for her 2000 wedding to Brad Pitt

Q. I have short hair. What can I do to make it look a bit different on the day? (Penny, Jedburgh)

A. You can colour short hair to make it look really shiny and healthy. Do your homework and find somewhere with a good reputation. Salons like www.fourlondon.com in Mayfair, London where I sometimes see clients specialises in colour.

Posh went for a short Beck and sides back in 1999

Q. I have short hair and my big day is nine months away. Should I let it grow? I fancy looking romantic and feminine on the day you see. (Jasmine, Glasgow) 

A. You could grow your hair. Alternatively, you could add a hair piece like a side bun with flowers around it. Remember to have a trial beforehand though so you're sure you like the look and it's not too different for you.

Add glamour with a side bun like Adele

Q. I've just spotted a few grey hairs but don't want to die my hair for the day. Should I just pull them out? (Claire in Clapham, London)

A. Don't pull them out - the old saying goes that three grown in their place. Instead, if you don't want to use colour, you can cover individual strands if there are not too many with a mascara wand.

Grey: sexy on George Clooney. Not the bride 

Q. My hair's very thin. Is my only option to make it thicker using extensions? If so, how can I make the extensions look natural? (Michelle, Virginia, USA)

A. You can go into a specialist shop and buy a hair weft. You can style these to suit you by using a razor to cut them. Or you could think about wearing a wig that looks like your own hair but is thicker.

I have worked a lot with wigs and know it's important to style it. You don't just buy it and wear it - you have to get it cut well to suit your face and style.

Otherwise you can use colour cleverly to make your hair look thicker. A few highlights or create depth by going darker.

Turn to the weft

Q. If Kelly Rowland was getting married, what would you recommend for her big day? (Alison, Bromley in Kent)

I'd suggest nice big, flowing waves. Kelly loves styles with her hair to one side so we might do that too. She likes and suits Hollywood glam.

To get the look with heavy waves there are plenty of products on the market you can buy to help. Try a Cloud 9 curling wand which gives beautiful results or Babyliss rollers.

Charley styles Kelly Rowland with glamour in mind

Q. I'm exercising to get rid of my tummy but is there anything I can do to my hair to get it into shape for the big day which is three months away? (Shona, Manchester)

Absolutely. You could treat yourself to a weekly mask until your wedding or visit a salon for a rich treatment. Make sure you have a trim to take dead ends off and condition well.

Charley 'Sheen'

Q. Any other tips?

• Look out for styles you love and cut a picture out of a magazine or even take a photo of the television - so you can show the hairdresser exactly what you want.

• Many stylists will do a one-off fee for you and your bridesmaids, maybe the mother of the bride too so you make a bit of a saving. I think around £30 a head is reasonable.

• Don't turn up looking like a different person.

Show off your hair

• Think about an alternative style in case it rains - so rather than have your hair all down and looking like a drowned rat if it's soaked, you could pin it up loosely.

• If you've got lovely hair, don't hide it - show it off.

Thanks Charley!

You can follow Charley on Twitter at @charleymcewen and take a look at his work at www.charleymcewen.com and check out the Four London salon here www.fourlondon.com

Products Charley recommends: Cloud Nine, Bumble and Bumble, Babyliss and sallybeauty.com 

Guest Blog: Wedding Dress Designer Christine Kendall

It's only my humble opinion, but I think I found the best wedding dress designer in London. 

I'll blog fully soon on why I chose Christine Kendall, who is based in London, to make my gown. But in short she was head and graceful shoulders above the rest.

As important as her beautiful creations, is her approach to you. There's no sending the order to Hong Kong, sticking rigidly to a pre-made pattern or eye-watering hidden costs.

The concept - that a top designer makes the dress for you - might sound simple enough but as I found, is all too rare.

Over to you Christine.

Christine Kendall

Finding your dream dress is going to reflect your personal style and is one of the reasons why the choice is so important.

Not only do you have to choose the right silhouette and style for your figure type, fabric and detail too.  

This is the time when you will look at yourself in a mirror and analyse every inch of your body, every seam, neckline, hemline and detail on a dress as you have never done before.  

A Christine Kendall creation

Be discerning

There is so much choice that you may feel overwhelmed. Be discerning and only go to five bridal designers. 

Choose them according to your budget, your styling and the location.

Have a red herring too perhaps a designer out of your location or styling that is not so generic, keeping an open mind.  

By choosing just five designers it will help you to focus on the styles that each designer creates, the quality of make, the quality of the fabrics used, the general feel of the establishment and if you would receive value for money.

The personal touch

Know your body shape

When it comes to your first bridal gown selection it can be difficult to know what to choose and knowing your body shape and areas you want to disguise or accentuate will help you.

To give you an example, if you are well proportioned and petite a column dress will  give the appearance of lengthening you. 

If you have a waist that you would like to disguise and have slim hips and thighs then this silhouette of dress should be in your selection. 

A column dress drops straight to the floor in a narrow skirt often falling from a line under the bust. 

A fuller curvy figure often looks fantastic in fitted boned bodices with an A line skirt as this shows off an hour glass figure really well, hiding larger thighs under the skirt and controlling the upper body shape.

The Kendall touch

Spoil yourself

Wear nice underwear that makes you feel good as most wedding dresses need assistance with the buttons or nets and you will may be embarrassed in greying knickers or an old ill fitting bra.  

You will want to feel as groomed as you can in the wedding dresses so it is a good idea to prep up with bikini wax and remove underarm hair as it will help you to feel confident and relaxed.  Wearing the perfume you plan to on the day will make you feel special too and the scent will linger on the dress.

If you think your hair will be worn off your face try to arrive at the shop/salon with your hair emulating how you plan to wear it on the day.  

It doesn't have to be special but the hair, up or down can completely change the look of the dress and help to reflect your style of wedding.

Ooooh, fancy pants

Know the right question

You may be surprised/confused by the language of fabrics and different terminology for silhouettes and face a fast learning curve.  

The main question to ask about the fabric used to create the dress is if it is 100% silk.

This will help you to gauge the value of the dress as some dresses  that are made in polyester are exuberant in price.  

You need to hear the words 100% silk as some fabrics are identified by weave only such as Duchess, because it is a weave only term it can be made in either polyester or silk.  

Many sales assistants will tell you that the fabric is Duchess and those not aware assume it is silk. Don't assume and ask if the Duchess is silk and don't let them tell you that the Duchess is the fabric name - you now know better.

Most importantly..enjoy!

It truly is a wonderful time in your life, I wish you joy in your search for your dream dress and remember that the dress is not just for one day.  You will see the dress in photographs. And remember how you loved wearing it and you will treasure those memories for a lifetime.

Thank you Christine. When I see you next week, I'll be sure to have defuzzed and will be wearing my finest French knickers!

For more information, do have a look at a selection of Christine's dresses at www.christinekendall.com or say hello on Facebook.

GUEST BLOG: PERSONAL TRAINER NICK RYDEN

Trust me ladies, Nick Ryden is the man to whip you into shape for the big day.


I enlisted his help just two weeks ago when I started an hour session three times a week at the famous Matt Roberts (www.mattroberts.co.uk) gym where Nick is senior personal trainer.

Nicklas Ryden

Already, I see the benefits on my body and have lost a couple of kilos as well as a centimetre round my waist. I feel myself toning up and most importantly, feel better.


We're all used to seeing articles on how to shape up but this Q&A is pretty special - because, should you choose to follow it, it will work.

Matt Roberts

They say blogs with too much text can turn readers off - but I hope you'll agree it's worth the wordage if it's the best advice out there.
Thank you for your questions. Over to you Nick.

Q. I've only got three months to my wedding. Have I left it too late to
make a difference? Realistically, what can I achieve? I want to lose half
a stone at least and go down a dress size. (Tanya, 31, Bournemouth)

A. It usually takes at least 5-7 days in my experience to notice a shift in
tone and weight loss so there is plenty of time in order to get in shape
for the wedding.

Now depending on how much effort you put in to training,
nutrition, quality sleep, hydration the results can vary from ok to very
good. Half a stone weight loss and losing a dress size is very doable in
that time frame.

Q. My problem areas are tummy and thighs. I don't want to bulk up, just
lose the flab. What exercises can I do? (Jen, 28, Brighton)

After

A. In general it is very difficult for anyone to bulk up. For women in
particular since they are low in testosterone (which is the main anabolic
hormone responsible for increasing muscle mass) so should not worry about
bulking up. 

The best exercises for tummy and thighs are squats, lunges, step-ups,
glute bridges, planks (front and side variations).

Protein in peanuts 

Q. If I exercise regularly, can I get away with eating more (or at least
the same as I normally do) without putting on weight? (Anne, 34, Glasgow)

A. Yes you can eat the same and possibly a little more without putting on
weight.
Combining resistance and cardio training is the best way to get in shape
as the resistance training will increase lean body mass thereby increasing
metabolism so you will burn more calories on a daily bases which means you
can eat the same and still lose weight.

Snack on tuna

Of course if you then try to eat 200-300 calories less each day in conjunction with the training 

that will be the best option.

In general excess protein won't be converted to fat as a lot of the calories will get burned off in the process, but extra carbohydrates get converted easier so the
recommendation is that if you are hungry try to snack on protein rich
foods such as yoghurts (natural, not flavored), tuna (in spring water), a
spoon of peanut butter or a handful of nuts.

Bingo wings + tats = wrong

Q. My dress is strapless and I have slightly soft upper arms. What can I
do to tone up for my wedding in six months time? (Susan, 36, Sidcup, Kent)

A. The best arm exercises in my opinion are press-ups, close grip press-ups,
trx inverted rows, barbell biceps curl, and triceps dumbbell extensions.

Flying without (bingo) wings

Q. What's the benefit of a personal trainer as opposed to going to the
gym?

A. A personal trainer can make all the difference when it comes to getting in

shape in a short period of time.

Your trainer will be able to push you harder than you would yourself in the gym, and he/she will be able to progress you when needed and scale it down the days when you are not 100% in form so that you prevent getting injured by over training or performing exercises with poor form.

Booze Culture

It is a fact most people don't push themselves as hard when they train by alone than with a trainer.

Q. I am happy with my weight but don't feel very healthy (long hours,
drinking culture at work) How can exercise help? (Paul, 27, not-a-bride-to-be, London)

A. Exercise will make you feel energetic even though you physically exert
yourself during a session mentally you will feel refreshed and clear
headed afterwords.

Also once you get into the habit of training regularly
you will notice that will start to eat healthier, drink less and sleep
better. It is a win win in my opinion.

Matt Roberts in action

Q. I jog for half an hour every day on the treadmill at the same speed
going quite fast and watch what I eat but never lose weight. What cardio
would work? (Ali, 45, Fife)

A. It is very common that people are stuck in an exercise routine that they
have been doing for years.

So after a while once the body has adapted to the stress of the exercise the body stops adapting and you are staying in maintenance stage.

My recommendation is to get out of your comfort zone and try something new like a spin class, body combat or try interval training.

Challenge your body by working hard in 30 seconds with 1 min
rest.

Repeat that four times. This can be performed on the spin bike,
x-trainer, rower, and treadmill.

Q. I feel too scrawny and thin and want to put on a bit of muscle,
especially on my arms which are boney. My big day's in six months. Is this
possible? (Emma, 31, Manchester)

A. Yes with six months you can make a big change in how you look and feel. Of
course in addition to training; nutrition, hydration (plenty of water),
sleep, and a positive mental attitude will help you reach your goals much
sooner.

Q. What are your favourite success stories with clients?

A. My favorite stories are with 2 of my fat loss clients.

A women I trained lost 20kg in about 4 months just from stopping drinking and training very seriously, about 5 sessions week including 3 with me.

And a man I trained last year lost 4.5 stone in 4 months which was amazing as it changed both his body and mindset.

Q. Any other tips for food and exercise?

A. With food don't follow any crazy diets, because in the end you will put
that weight back on again.

Try to eat healthy proper food like meat, fish, vegetables, rice, some fruit, and nuts.

If you want to be serious about hitting your goals cut out all baked goods like cakes, biscuits, crisps and so on.

Only wedding cake allowed

Limiting bread and fruit intake seems to help as well.

Have a limit of two fruits a day if you want to lose fat. 

If you are happy with your weight then you can have your five a day.

With exercise make sure you know what you are doing as far as technique is concerned. 

If you are not sure seek a trainer who can help you with the basics and
set up a program for you.

You want to mix your resistance training with cardio training and preferably also some stretching routines or a yoga class.

A Swedish eye for grammar

Thanks Nick. Not only is your advice first class, it's hard to believe your native tongue is Swedish as your English is better than many a Brit.

For more information about the London-based training centres go to www.mattroberts.co.uk


And to read more about Nick's background - which spans slalom, football, athletics and martial arts..in Sweden, America, Australia and London click here.