Winner of the 2011 Bride's Choice Awards from Wedding Wire with Martha Stewart Weddings!

Minneapolis, MN – January 25, 2011 - WeddingWire, the nation’s leading wedding technology company, is thrilled to announce Brett Dorrian Artistry Studios, LLC  has been selected to receive the prestigious annual WeddingWire Bride’s Choice Awards™ 2011 for Health & Beauty!

Recognition for the Bride’s Choice Awards™ 2011 is determined by recent reviews and extensive surveys from over 750,000 WeddingWire newlyweds. Our past clients are among those that shared their experiences on WeddingWire, the largest wedding review site in the nation.

Brett Dorrian Artistry Studios, LLC stands among the top five percent of wedding professionals in the WeddingWire community, representing quality and service excellence within the wedding industry. Awards were given to the top wedding professionals across 20 service categories, from wedding venues to wedding photographers, and were based on the overall professional achievements throughout the past year.

“WeddingWire is honored to celebrate the success of the top-rated wedding professionals within the WeddingWire community,” said Timothy Chi, WeddingWire’s Chief Executive Officer. “With the annual Bride’s Choice Awards™ program, WeddingWire has the unique opportunity to recognize the best wedding professionals across the US and Canada. We applaud Brett Dorrian Artistry Studios, LLC for their professionalism and dedication to enhancing the wedding planning experience last year.”

We are happy to announce that Brett Dorrian Artistry Studios, LLC is among the very best Health & Beauty vendors within the WeddingWire Network, which includes leading wedding planning sites WeddingWire, Martha Stewart Weddings, Project Wedding and Weddingbee. We would like to thank our past clients for nominating us to receive the Bride’s Choice Awards™ 2011.

For more information on the Bride’s Choice Awards™ 2011, please visit www.WeddingWire.com.



About WeddingWire, Inc.
WeddingWire.com, the nation's leading technology company serving the $70 billion wedding industry, is the only online wedding planning resource designed to empower both engaged couples and wedding professionals. For engaged couples, WeddingWire offers the ability to search, compare and book over 200,000 local wedding vendors, from wedding venues to wedding photographers to wedding cakes. WeddingWire also offers an online community and a suite of cutting-edge planning tools for weddings, including wedding websites and wedding checklists, all at no charge. For wedding professionals, WeddingWire provides free online management tools creating the only market opportunity that gives local businesses control over their clients, reviews, leads and performance. Businesses that join the WeddingWire Network appear on WeddingWire.com and other leading sites, including MarthaStewartWeddings.com (NYSE: MSO), ProjectWedding.com and Weddingbee.com (both part of eHarmony), and Celebrations.com (part of the 1-800-Flowers begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              1-800-Flowers      end_of_the_skype_highlighting family of brands, NASDAQ: FLWS).

Congrats to Blush Twin Cities

Congrats to Blush Twin Cities : Bad-Ass Boudoir Photography for their feature in MN Monthly Magazine! Sarah, one of our senior artists, styled the hair/makeup for one of the Blush photographers, Katie, for their feature image.

Enjoy!

Cheers,

Brett

Check Us Out

Brett Dorrian Artistry Studios is listed in the latest publications and online directories of Mpls/St Paul Magazine Weddings and also in MN Bride Magazine in the directories under "beauty and health," as well as showcased in a full page ad in Mpls/St Paul Magazine with the other Semple Mansion wedding vendors.  On stands now. 

You can also check us out on the premier bridal blog, Style Me Pretty under their vendor guide, The Little Black Book, under "beauty/health" and "boudoir." 

Read up and enjoy! 

 Cheers,

 Brett

 

photo:  Serendipity Photography

Thank You Shout Out to: Carrie's Custom Catering & Shindig Diva

A huge THANK YOU to Carrie's Custom Catering & the Shindig Diva for their assistance in providing some absolutely beautiful and amazingly delicious displayed desserts for the studio's open house during the White Saturday Sale (after Thanksgiving) at the Semple Mansion (where we're located).  

Carrie made gluten-free coconut macaroons (to die for), french vanilla cupcakes (hit the spot), and the cutest bridal-gown-esque sugar cookies for our bridal sale event. 

Carrie's Custom Catering does all of the food creation and the Shindig Diva provides the set-up and decor to make the spread perfect for the occasion.  I highly recommend them for any event- large or small.

And I have to mention- the darn cake pops from our Grand Opening Gala Carrie made are still being raved about and sought after.  I will start with a gratuitous cake pop image to reminisce over...and then I shall move onto the images from the sale event spread. 

Cheers,

Brett

Ask the Experts: Brett- Lash All You Want

Lashes can influence the personality of a look.  I highly recommend them for any pro makeup application (unless it's meant to be specifically natural, perhaps for a period piece).  Lashes open up the eye, give an "up and away" shape, instantly add glam, and provides focus to the eyes. 

A pro makeup artist can help decide what lashes are appropriate- from a full strip to a few singles.  Lashes should be measured and trimmed to custom fit your eye shape.  Adhesives used are gentle and easy to remove; however one needs to steer clear of the usual adhesive if there's a latex allergy, and simply use an alternative. 

If you're applying your own lashes, be sure to do your eye makeup and mascara first; otherwise you run the risk of disturbing the false lash.  Do what you can to trim the strip lash down to the proper size if you are going that route.  Try to get the lashes set down by the root of the natural lash line, against the eyelid (not on the lashes), but follow the lash line so you don't end up with the false lash lifting partway through wearing it.

Peruse the gallery below for inspiration...Cheers!

Ask the Experts: Stephanie- Choosing the Right Lip Color

New Year's Beauty Resolution: Choosing the right lip color

There are a couple things to consider when selecting a lip color that works for you.  Skin tone and lip size.

You can categorize skin tone in 4 groups:  Fair, medium, olive, and ebony.  The ideal lip color will complement your skin tone by bringing life and a healthy look to your face. 

For example, women with fair skin tones would not wear deep brown lipstick since it would look unnatural and drab, just as ebony skin tones would not wear frosty pale lip shades because it would look unnatural and artificial.

Yes, size does matter!  If you have full, gorgeous lips, you are able to wear darker colors that complement your skin tone.  If you have thin lips, lighter shades will work best as they create a fuller more youthful look.

 Here are some suggestions to help you find you right shade of lipstick: 

Photo: www.audreydao.com

One more tip:  Keep in mind...Dark lip colors can have an aging effect on the face.  So don't hesitate to lighten up! 

Ask the Experts: Sarah- Article Find on Cleansing

Sarah found a great article on cleansing:

"It’s easy to take cleansing for granted, since it seems like such a basic step.  But the fact is, people often shortchange themselves by not cleansing thoroughly.  Many women don’t feel that their skin is dirty in the morning, so they may not cleanse before applying makeup, and they lack the education and the correct products to effectively remove makeup at the day’s end. Proper cleansing is the foundation to vibrant, healthy skin...."

To keep reading, click below:

http://www.skininc.com/treatments/facial/103732269.html

Booking Special!

Are you still looking for your wedding photographer? Book Serendipity Photography in January 2011 and receive an exclusive Brett Dorrian Artistry Studios gift certificate for professional bridal makeup/hair...only 5 exist...

 Check out their special here:

http://www.jenniferwheelerphotography.com/blog/january-booking-special/

 Cheers!

Vote for Brett Dorrian Artistry Studios Today!

The voting polls for MN Bride Magazine's "Best Of" Awards for 2011 is now open! Please vote for Brett Dorrian Artistry Studios for best of hair and makeup.

This makes ALL the difference for us. Anyone who knows the studio's work can vote- brides, other clients, MOB, bridesmaids, vendors, models, friends- anyone who knows our work and thinks it's the best.

Just click on the link. http://mnbride.com/best-of

Brett Dorrian Artistry was in the top 3 last year as a top contender, but did not take the cake. Let's take it this year!

Support all of your favorite MN bridal vendors. Let me know if you need recommendations for swell vendors; there is a minimum number of 6 categories that must be filled in for your vote to count. They do ask for an email address, but only to track votes so email addresses/people can only vote once.

Go to http://mnbride.com/best-of TODAY to cast your ballot!

Voting closes March 1, 2011.

THANK YOU!

Cheers,

Brett & Brett Dorrian Artistry Studios

Ask the Experts: Doryne- Article Find on Mineral Makeups

Ever wondered what makes a great mineral makeup?  Check out this article find of Doryne's, entitled, "Why Preservatives Make a Better Mineral Makeup" by Sam Dhatt.

It begins:
"Today’s women demand more from their skin care products—and makeup—than ever before. In particular, the anti-aging boom of the past decade has brought skin function into sharp focus for discerning consumers.


Makeup and skin care products now are seen by many in a long-term context, as part of a lifelong strategy to prevent and minimize damage and wear to the skin. And thus, women have grown increasingly wary of cosmetic ingredients, including the preservatives commonly used to keep the products fresh, free of spoilage and perfectly blended for product consistency...."

Read the entire article at:
http://www.skininc.com/skinscience/ingredients/110984294.html


Cheers!