Fall mini sessions have become a favorite for my clients. The weather has cooled down and there is usually beautiful leaf foliage, especially in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park. This particular fall mini session was extra special because Charlotte is my cousin. They recently moved to Kentucky for her, but with family in Ohio, they are up in the Akron area every few months. They have been wanting updated family portraits with their new baby boy, so we made sure to fit it in when the weather was still nice. Their session took place at Silver Creek Metro Park, which is a jem stone in the Akron area. It is one of my favorite places to shoot. Charlotte and Andrew were absolute pros during the session and are terrific parents. Even though baby James was fussy, you would never know by these photos. They had his favorite toys ready and he quickly calmed down. I’m so thankful I could capture their sweet family and am excited for baby James and Natalie to grow up together. Enjoy some of my favorites from the Labelle family fall mini session.
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January 18, 2021
For this week’s bridal blog post we are talking with Stephanie Walkiewicz about skin care routine and what steps to take to get that happy, glowing skin for your wedding day. She gives us the inside scoop to her favorite tips and tricks for glowing skin and how to better understand your skin type. She reminds us that the healthy glow we all are looking for takes time, love and care. I am so excited for you to learn from Stephanie and start your skincare journey today!
Meet Stephanie
Hi! I’m Stephanie Walkiewicz and I’m a traveling bridal makeup specialist and advanced licensed esthetician based in Strongsville, Ohio. (That’s near Cleveland, for you out of towners!) A big thank you to Ana for letting me come on here and share my love for brides and their skin! I’m passionate about helping women feel like the best version of themselves. It’s so easy for us to compare ourselves to one another, but instead let’s direct that energy toward showing ourselves love, acceptance and care. I hope by the end of this post you feel ready to dive into a plan to be glowing and radiant by your big day!
Healthy, Glowing Skin takes Time!
My first and most important piece of advice is to START EARLY. If you have big skin goals, months are needed, not weeks! If your budget and schedule allow you to work with a professional, I suggest you do so. Many people misdiagnose their skin type or condition and treat it in a way that actually harms it. If possible, start working with an esthetician a year in advance. You can work together to come up with a plan that will address your skin concerns with a combination of professional treatments and a homecare routine.
Treatments AND a routine? Isn’t it my esthetician’s job to make my skin look great!? Sorry friend! Just like your trainer they can’t do your workouts for you, your skincare professional can’t get you glowing without your help.
An example of a starter routine would be cleansing and moisturizing twice a day and wearing a SPF of at least 30. This is a great first step and if you can manage to do this faithfully, you should be proud of yourself! Add an exfoliant 2-3 times a week if you have the cleanser, moisturizer and SPF down to a routine. Other products that can be added for specific benefits are antioxidant serums, acne products and toners. Whatever you do, it’s important that you do it consistently. Sticking to a minimal routine will give you better results than throwing on a fancy serum a couple times a week when you remember.
Stephanie’s Top Tips to getting that Wedding Day Glow
There are many professional treatments that can help you get your best skin ever. Here are a few of my favorites:
- Facials: Good basic treatment to start with! Most estheticians include a consultation with their facial, so it’s a good way to get started. It also will typically include extractions (yuck but necessary) and a relaxing massage!
- Peels: A chemical peel is a powerful way to address acne, scarring, dark spots, aging and more. I prefer a series of gentle peels to minimize downtime.
- LED Light Therapy: LED can do everything from stimulate collagen production, reduce inflammation, kill acne bacteria, reduce pigmentation and give a healthy glow. It’s often added onto another treatment.
- Checking Your Diet: There are many food products known to aggravate acne, such as dairy, shellfish, peanut butter, and soy just to name a few. You’ll also want to make sure you’re getting lots of antioxidants for a healthy glow! My favorite ones are leafy greens, dark berries and sweet potatoes. Real food is best, but a supplement can be used as well.
Remember, the best version of YOUR skin is different than the best version of someone else’s skin! Glass skin isn’t real, breakouts happen to everyone and every human has visible pores. Be kind to yourself, start early and take consistently outstanding care of yourself! You’re going to be beautiful!
** Special offer for YOU: Schedule a free consultation, in person or virtual! (Normal fee is $50) To schedule, please contact me HERE and state that you saw the special offer from this featured blog post with Ana Maria Photography. **
Thank you Stephanie for sharing these tips!! You sure know that we will all be implementing this and sharing this with all future brides! If you are needing a local makeup artist or tips for glowing skin, head here to connect with Stephanie!
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January 11, 2021
Let’s talk about fall mini sessions! Before I dive into the first session, I wanted to take a moment to say thank you to all the couples and families who let me document a piece of this year for them. It was a great reminder to take a moment to slow down and document the season we’re in. From baby announcements to updated family portraits, each mini session had their own story to tell.
My first feature for fall mini sessions is the Telidis family. I was so excited when Liz reached out about booking a family session. I met Liz and Nicko when they booked me for their intimate wedding earlier this year. I loved spending time with them again and capturing their sweet daughter. The session took place at a small flower field within Brecksville Reservation, it was perfect to the vision Liz had for their photos. While it was a hot fall day, we were able to get some beautiful portraits. Spencer, their daughter, was a little shy, but she opened up as the shoot went on. While we dealt with a bug bite and a dog running around, we got a great mix of formal and candid shots! Here are some of my favorites, hope you enjoy!!
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December 23, 2020
