We are always asked by our brides-to-be, “Should I get a spray tan for my wedding day?” or “What do I need to know/think about when organising a tan for the day?” So here are a few tips from one of our stylists who is a tan-professional

How do I plan the perfect spray tan for my wedding day? 

Everyone has seen an unattractive spray tan, no one wants to look orange on any day but especially not on your wedding day!  The first step is to prepare your skin for your spray tan – using an exfoliating glove, exfoliate your skin every day for seven days prior to your spray tan; moisturise your whole body as often as possible (dry patches will go darker); do all hair removal at least 24 hours before your spray tan to ensure that your pores close before the spray tan is applied.

How do I rinse my tan off?

Have a luke warm, 30 second shower or until the water runs clear, don’t use any body wash, run your hands over your body very quickly to avoid water run marks, pat dry with a towel from head to toe, do not moisturise after your first shower (especially if it is an express tan).

How do i know if the product/brand will be appropriate for my skin tone and type?

There is a huge variety of tanning products on the market and choosing the correct product for your skin can be tricky.  Tanning products are available in various “base” colours for example, green, purple and red.  The spray tan consultant will analyse your skin and determine which base is best suited to your skin, aiming to counteract your natural pigment.

How do i keep my spray tan lasting and avoid patchiness?

It is important to moisturise as much as possible after your tan has developed and been rinsed off (not within 12 hours of getting your tan).  Hot water and chlorine dry out your skin so it is best to avoid these for the week after your tan.

What questions should i ask my spray tanner?

Spray tans are now available in 8 hour or express tans, ensure that you know which tan you are getting so that you know when to rinse it off.  Ask what it should look like before and after rinsing and what to do if you make a smudge in the tan before rinsing.

What else do i need to know?

Spray tans do not contain SPF protection so don’t forget to apply sunscreen! It is best to have your spray tan done two days before your wedding or special event.  Remember to relax while your spray tan is developing, avoid activities that cause you to sweat or get the spray tan wet.  Wear dark, loose clothing without a bra after having your spray tan applied.

“GIVE ME A Kiss, and to that kiss a SCORE, THEN TO THAT TWENTY, ADD A HUNDRED MORE; A THOUSAND TO THAT HUNDRED,SO kiss ON, TO MAKE THAT THOUSAND UP A MILLION; TREBLE  THAT MILLION, AND WHEN THAT IS DONE, LET’S kiss A FRESH, AS WHEN WE FIRST BEGUN” …Robert Herrick

I love this quote, it says it all really, imagine how many kisses we get and give in our lifetime!!

Kayla and Sarah looked after Simone’s Wedding late last year for her Wedding  hair and make up and we were so excited to see Simone’s feature on Polka Dot Bride!


One of Sarah’s favourite make up products that she used on Simone was the Laura Mercier Illuminating tinted Moisturiser, a lightweight sheer buildable foundation formula, that delivers a youthful radiant finish.  Great mixed in with more coverage foundations, for example use the fuller coverage foundations through the T zone and then use a sheerer foundation in other areas.  Quite often when we do our own foundation, we don’t get the evenness that a make up artist can, so this alone is what can make you feel that coverage when a make up artist applies can be too much!!!  This is a great way to get the still have the coverage needed and still feel like you!!

Choosing your Wedding hairstyle can sometimes be a challenge, you are left wondering “What will it look like on me”  and you do want it to be extra special!  You are also trying to imagine what it will all look like together, that is your dress, Veil, or should you have a fascinator!  I know how confusing!!  Well don’t worry as when we meet you at your pre Wedding trial we make sure we have plenty of time to help you create that special look as we allow double the time to that of your Wedding day and of course the same stylist that you meet on your trial day is the same that spoils you on the Wedding day.

Just wanted to share with you all a sneak peak at one of our new Bridal collection images photographed a few weeks ago. Powder Stylists have created 8 new looks to be launched in the December edition of  Brisbane Bride Magazine out in December! We all love a red head, Katie’s hair is naturally curly and is softly pinned of the face with one section. The Wedding updo, flows softly to one side, using a hair padding to create the gorgeous shape.

Wedding make up was inspired by Katie’s beautiful porcelain skin, soft  warm apricot gold tones and shimmery iridescent cheeks, perfect for a Spring Wedding.  Lips lacquered with Powder Room’s “Lips with Love”  I Do lipstick and Last Flirt gloss.  Visit our Powder Room store to purchase your very own Powder Room shade!

Katie looked so beautiful in a dress by “Paddington Weddings” .

Images Photographed by FourZeroZeroFive Fotografie

Last Tuesday night was a lovely night, with lots of “Brisbane Brides to be” at our Wedding event. If you are a bride an planning your Wedding day , The Powder Room was the place to be last Tuesday night!  It was such a great night and the Tara from “Style magazine” came just to photograph me!  Oopps I mean all of us:) It was so nice to see Tara again, we last caught up when Tar and her Mum cam into our studio just before Mother’s day to have make up lessons.


The evening started with our brides arriving to be greeted with a goodie bag, glass or champagne and a cupcake from “Judy C” Cakes, we even had gluten free cakes!  The studio smelled amazing with Glenda’s Pradella’s gorgeous flowers!


Lots of helpful hints in planning your big day were shared, did you know at Emporium hotel that they even have a pillow menu, Darren helps you plan your day for all Weddings at Emporium……what about that when choosing your dress don’t choose shoes with too much bling as they catch on the inside of your dress, thanks Ann and Gill from Paddington Weddings, such gorgeous dresses! Miriam from Body Essence day spa, talked about what happens if you get a pimple and how to have that perfect back in your gown.

Rebecca from Hypoxi talked to the girls, and one man in the audience (poor fellow!) about how to spot reduce, the latest sensation in weight loss and cellulite reduction, it’s a pity I’m not getting married again:(


Cath from Vivid Photography shared with us their amazing candid shots and how to plan your timing for getting the most amazing looks on your Wedding day. Leanne from Lila designs wowed us all with sparkly bling to enhance every dress, I just loved the sole less jewelled shoes for beach Weddings! The Photo booth hire was such a hit, can’t imagine what that would be like at the end of a night after a few too many glasses of champagne!

Prizes that were won on the evening included a high tea for four guest for a high tea at Emporium hotel, a gorgeous Wedding hair comb, and make up basket form Powder Room, engagement photography voucher and a Wedding clutch bag.


Check out some of our photo’s from the evening. If you are having trouble choosing your perfect Wedding style, see the Powder Room Gallery for lots of style looks!

Thanks also to Discerning Bride for donating a magazine to each bride on the evening!

Planning your Wedding is so much about organisation and trying to fit it all in around work, family and of course getting fit to look like that super princess bride! Phewwww!!! Hard work!!

If your Wedding is soon, you will be thinking about your Wedding day trial. At the Powder Room we have had so many trials lately, and it got me to thinking that we could help you with a few tips!  When we meet with our brides, I can really see the excitement and the nervous energy as you realise that the day is close!!! You feel those butterflies in your stomach.  It is simply the most amazing time of your life, and we are so happy to be a part of your special day.

When planning your trial it seems that brides have more difficulty in choosing that perfect Wedding hairstyle, so we’d like to help make that easier for you! We are updating our gallery soon, so make sure you check out the latest hairstyle looks

Tips for Brides To Be

• Consider the time of day and the season. If the weather is warmer and you really want to make sure your style lasts all day and night, then choose an upstyle for longevity.
• Most of your professional photo’s are taken from a front on view, so make sure you still feel like yourself and that you are comfortable with how the front of your hair looks.
• Think also about what you don’t like as the process of elimination for a hairstyle choice, as is sometimes easier.
• What shape face do you have?  For example,if you have a long face don’t choose an upstyle with a long parting, choose a short parting and a style with a bit more width and softness, maybe a softly curled look.
• Are you wearing a veil?  If so where do you see your veil being placed?  If your veil is a heavy veil, it may weigh down a hairstyle, you may need to choose a hairstyle with padding support added to make sure the hairstyle holds if you remove the veil.
• Try to have your trial at least 4-8 weeks before the day, in the few weeks before you are feeling a little more excitement jitters, that way you leave nothing to chance.
• Check the correct preparation of your hair before the trial.  Did you know if you are thinking of a curled hairstyle that if you have your hair straightened with irons prior to coming to your trial, then it can make your curls drop.  Also try to avoid using silicon based straightening products as they can tend to coat the hair.
• Wear a simple top without a collar as they can interfere with the back of the hairstyle, particularly if you choose a low look.

See some of our recent beautiful Powder Room Wedding hairstyles from our Real Bride collection.

Photography compliments of Studio Impressions ©2010

Love Karen xxx

Helloo Ladies, I wanted to tell you all about our very 1st Wedding hair and make up showcase, what a lovely intimate night, 15 brides and their friends came along on Tuesday 2nd Feb at our studio in Boutique Bridal studio in New Farm.  A glass of champagne or punch and a piece of desert cake is just what you need after a bit day at work!  Our event was featured in the latest “Village News” paper, check it out to see if your picture is in the social pages…


Natalie from Perfect Potion started the evening, chatting about how to look after yourself in the lead up to the big day, how to avoid those pesky pimples and how to stay calm and relaxed.

It’s such a new experience planning your Wedding day and our evening was filled with lots of little tips to help you along the way.  Sarah demonstrated  airbrushed make up on our lovely model and we started with a softer more natural looking make up and then built it up to a smokier look for the evening.  Karen created a very red carpet boudoir down hairstyle with soft finger waves on the face, then transformed the hair to one side into a low chignon.

The hair was accessorised with a beautiful hair piece from “House of Windsor” and our model was dressed in a beautiful dress for “Bridal on James” new collection for 2010.

Guest Wedding suppliers included “House of Windsor“, “Bridal on James“, “Perfect Potion” and “The Welsh Lady Cakes” .  Each bride received a bag of little pressies including a pair of flexi flats, perfect size to pop in your hand bag.


Sue from The House of Windsor brought along the punch and it was such a hit that we wanted to share the recipe with you…..


Fruit Punch – Iris Collins
1 Bottle Golden Circle orange Crush Cordial (750mls)

1/2 Bottle Golden Circle Lemon Crush Cordial

1 450g Can Orange Juice

850 ml Pineapple & Orange Juice

Mix all the ingredients together and then freeze – it’s better to use small plastic containers as it then easier to make up in smaller quantities (in a jug instead of a large punch bowl).  Generally it’s better to microwave the base to free it up.

Add bottles Lemonade/Gingerale (Schweppes is better as others are too sweet)  Mix half/half for a start. adjust accordingly to taste.

We look forward to seeing you at our next Bridal Showcase, in March, date to be advised!
If you would like to catch up with some of the girls at The Powder Room we will be at the following Wedding reception showcases in the following months, come and say Hi


Indooroopilly Golf Club – Open day – Sunday 21st February 10am – 2pm

Brisbane Marriott Hotel Wedding Showcase – Fri 26 February 2010 – Sat 27,  Friday 5.30pm – 8pm; Saturday 10am – 3pm

Hillstone St Lucia Open day – Sunday 11th April – 4pm – 6pm

Novotel Brisbane - Wedding open day – Sunday 18th April 10am – 2pm

Hello and Happy New Year Powder Room Brides, I’m so excited about 2010!  The year of all of your Weddings and we are so looking forward to spoiling you all with your Wedding day hair and make up!

It’s all about Dreaming and imagining your own most amazing Wedding day and we would love to be a part of your special day!

Our phones are going crazy and we are already turning away brides, although we’d love to look after you all!

Powder Room hair and make up artists only spoil one bridal party per Wedding day, so call early in the year to avoid disappointment.

By the way The new “Brisbane Bride” for 2010 is out and we have 6 pages of our beautiful new bridal hair and make up collection, check it out

Here is a sneak preview of one of our new images from the collection!

I wanted to share with you a 2 minute visualisation, compliments of the gorgeous girls who wrote the book ” Like Chocolate for Women” to help you relax whilst planning for your big day.  Thoughts are powerful and provoke a physical response on the central nervous system.  Try it and see how you go!

Sit down, close your eyes and imagine yourself on a holiday – pick your favourite place.

Start to hear the sounds and smells of your holiday place; choose to believe you are there.  Stay there a while then come back.

Your body does not know what reality is; it only responds to what the mind is telling it.  It you are uptight and stressed the body will respond by shortening your breath, creating the ‘nervous butterfly feeling’ and teasing muscles.  However, if your mind thinks it is relaxing on a beach listening to the waves, you will slow your heart rate down, relax your muscles and release endorphins (otherwise known as pleasure hormones), making a dramatic change to your body in just 2 minutes.

Hi again, it’s Karen and I must say Edward Cullen can bite my neck any day!!

The Twilight fever with the release of the  movie “New Moon” is so this second.  Powder Room stylists love seeing the influence of the celebrities hairstyles and make up, apart from the face that we have all read the books and are addicted.  We would of course love to do the hair and make up on the set.  You never know…..

The premier of the movie  in LA saw lots of liquid liner, severe hair and pale skin.

We absolutely loved celebrity Jenny Garth’s red carpet hairstyle.  The vampy braided quiff bob style looked so simple and fresh.  It looked amazing with defined dark eyes.  Mac Liquid last liner in point black gives that perfect black patent line and of course finished with lots of lashes.

Ashley Greene was another stunner on the red carpet.  Her hair looked amazing with her bouffant curls and the  help of extensions. The look was 60′s inspired.  Along with the black liner the inside of the eyes was lined with white liner, to open the eyes even more.  Shu Umemura’s Painting liner in White is a must for this season!

Extend hairpieces are a great way of adding extra length and no one will know, Powder Room can hire hairpieces for your Wedding day hairstyle, adding extra length and thickness to your hairstyle.  Ask your Powder stylist at your trial.

Helooooo, sorry I haven’t been in touch in a while, been so busy at The Powder Room with so many Weddings.  I hope you haven’t forgotten about me, just in case my name is Karen, Powder Room’s youngest Make up artist and I have so excited about make up.  I have also just completed an airbrush make up  course and before you it won’t be long before I’ll be airbrushing all my brides.  Airbrush make up really is so popular at the moment.  Can you believe it we have so many Weddings booked for next year already, here I come!!  Anyway I wanted to chat about lately how much girls love big lashes.

Doesn’t everyone want luscious lashes?  It’s much easier to achieve with some home maintenance and a great product called  “Enormous Lashes”!  Sounds amazing doesn’t it!!

Applied morning and night along the lash line like eyeliner and then watch your lashes grow thicker, fuller, healthier and it adds volume.

What girl wouldn’t want that…..a Non irritating product that is safe for sensitive eyes. Available at Mecca Cosmetics for $150, a bit pricey, but if it does work it’s a small price to pay.  It has a 90 day money back guarantee. Internet reviews rate it quite highly, and some even use it on their eyebrows to thicken their brows.

Click here on the link below to learn more about Enormous Lashes.

Well Heeelllloo lovely Powder brides!!!!

My name is Karen and I’m hoping you’ll follow my blog entries about all things hollywood, celebrity and Wedding wonderful

I’m the Creative Director of The Powder Room and am passionate about glamorous hair and make up for weddings.

I’m so looking forward to having the opportunity to chat to you all every week about my passion for all things girlee. I have so much to share with you. I’ll be going on shopping expeditions, checking out the latest products, surfing the net for the latest and greatest hair and makeup styles and keeping you up to date with the latest celebrity news and trends.

Talking about gossip…..have you all heard about Brisbane’s very own Miranda Kerr and her supposed engagement to Orlando Bloom? Do you think that it was just a publicity stunt or are they really going to tie the knot??

One of our very own brides went to school with Miranda and told us that Miranda regularly checks out what all her school friends are doing on facebook. (What ever did we do before facebook!) The Aussie model dazzled in her draped orange halter dress and her Christian Louboutin heels at the Cannes Film Festival.

This season is so about colour not just in clothing but in make up as well. We are seeing pops of colour straight off the catwalk such as bright purples, blues, pinks and sorbets. Maybe we should see if Miranda and Orlando are on Twitter!! BTW check out Powder Room on Twitter, choose to follow @PowderRoomChic and see what we are up to.

I would really love for you all to let me know about what products you just love and can’t live without!!! At the moment I am really enjoying Benefit’s “Lemon aid”, a colour correcting eyelid primer, which helps to hide redness and discolouration on your eyelids, just what a 20 year old girl needs to

keep up with her busy social life!

Well lovely to meet you all and I can’t wait to hear from you

Kisses Karen xxx