Feature in Carats and Cake!

We are thrilled to announce that one of our weddings have been featured in Carats and Cake!

http://caratsandcake.com/kelseyandtyler

We loved working with the gorgeous Bride who happens to be the owner of Flower Girl Los Angeles, our favorite florist in Southern California!  

Here are some of our favorite images from the wedding!

Flowers by Flower Girl Los Angeles. Photos by Maui Maka Photography. Makeup and Hair by Cynthia Rose for Kipona Aloha. Location Hui No'eau Makawao, Hawaii.

Timeline of Do's and Don'ts before your Maui Wedding

We here at Kipona Aloha pride ourselves foremost on being renowned wedding beauty experts. Especially for weddings in Hawaii! Our founder Cynthia Rose has taken her years of experience in weddings as well as with celebrities and models and compiled a list of dos and don’ts to help you navigate your beauty regiment before your big day in Hawaii:

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6 months Prior

This is the latest I would start if you have *major* skin concerns. Have your doctor have a look and prescribe some help for issues like acne, uneven pigmentation or scarring. You can also take care of brown spots, fine lines, pores & redness.  And because it may require multiple sessions & several months to see their cumulative results, this is also the right time to schedule a series of dermatologist-administered light peels & microdermabrasion on both the face AND body.

3 months Prior

If you haven’t already, find the best brow groomer in your area. Brows frame the face and having them look on point is a must. At least 3 months prior talk to your brow groomer and find on a shape and tint you love. 

This is also the time to book a follow up appointment with your dermatologist so they can see how your skin is responding to any new prescriptions and products. At this point, there is still time to tweak anything so you get the best results by your wedding day.

1 Month Prior

Have your last professional facial. *Never* have a facial or microdermabrasion right before the wedding.

From this point on it isn’t wise to try any new products or aggressive in-office treatments. Instead, stick to wearing extra sun protection, using a mild exfoliator, and applying moisturizer religiously to your face and body.

For extra glowing skin and diminish dark circles drink lots of water, get adequate sleep, exercise, and maintain a well-balanced diet. 

Invest in a Keratin Treatment. If you battle frizz, go for an in-salon keratin treatment one month before the wedding so your texture is under control but hair doesn’t fall flat on the day. This is especially helpful for tropical weddings. Hawaii’s climate can be quite humid and a keratin treatment can really smooth out unruly strands.

3 Weeks Prior

This is the time to book a wedding hair and makeup trial (or preview as I like to call them). Wear a white t-shirt (or one close to the color of your dress) for the preview, so that you can see how the make-up looks against that color. Take a picture of yourself in daylight and another with flash to see how it looks in both lightings before deciding on a final look. Bring references to your make-up and hair preview. Start looking for images of make-up and hair that you really like and bring them with you on the day.

Sometimes with destination weddings you aren't afforded the luxury of a preview day or trial, instead you can use reference pictures to effectively show your artist what you would like as well as send photos of yourself. A seasoned artist will know what questions to ask, but be prepared to send pictures they are always helpful. Remember, one person's "smokey eye" is another's "natural look".

Book a professional teeth cleaning and in-office whitening to remove surface stains, plaque and whiten and brighten teeth.  To maintain the brightness, use over-the-counter whitening strips up until a day before.

Any last min acne flare ups? Absolutely no picking blemishes. If you can’t get in with your dermatologist, we recommend using this instead:

http://www.dermalogica.com/us/html/products/overnight-clearing-gel-50.html

2 weeks Prior

Get your final trim, and touch up your hair color or highlights. Perfecting your color, whether it’s a root touch-up or subtle highlights, at this point is smart because it gives the dye a chance to settle while still looking fresh, but doesn’t leave enough time for your roots to start growing in. 

Drink at least 64oz. of water a day. Proper hydration improves dryness and fine lines. Skin is a protective barrier to prevent excess fluid loss, so drinking more water can make our skin better hydrated and have a plumper appearance. 

1 Week Prior

Try to avoid salty foods, excessive carbohydrates, and do NOT overdo exercise as all of these things cause your body to retain water and can result in a puffy face and eyes. We know it can be hard especially with all the tempting delicious foods on Maui (And soon we will be doing a blog post of all of those amazing hidden foodie gems. Sorry!). But remember everything in moderation and you can always have a spluge day after.

Have your eyebrows shaped for the last time. 

Take extra care to avoid the sun and/or apply sunblock. This is especially useful to remember because you will likely be on island 1 week prior to your wedding and it’s very tempting to be a sun worshipper when here. Remember hats, umbrellas and sunblock are your friends.

Take care to use lip treatment to avoid chapped lips. Don’t forget sunblock on your lips too. The sun can be pretty unforgiving in Hawaii.

Avoid new skin products or treatments, and basically anything you think may cause an allergic reaction such as: overexposure to the sun, a strong glycolic peel, self-tanner, and spray-tanning booths this late in the game.

3 days prior

To ensure your skin is smooth but not irritated, get waxed no later than 72 hours before the wedding day. KEEP IN MIND: if you’re new to waxing, have an aesthetician test it a few months ahead of time to see how skin reacts.

Remember to reduce redness and swelling immediately following hair removal, ask your aesthetician to recommend a calming cream.

1 Day Before

Get a manicure and pedicure! You will undoubtedly be having some close-up shots of your hands. Be it your getting ready shots or the wedding band exchange and for a Hawaii wedding you may even be in a sandal or strappy toe baring heel. Your best bet is to get a manicure and pedicure to smooth and exfoliate your hands and feet and have them looking their best. To ensure chip-free lacquer, try a gel polish mani *as well as* pedi. The sand on the beach in Hawaii can chip away at a gorgeous new pedicure. If you go for a gel cured pedicure you can help reduce that risk.

Use a body wash to gently exfoliate or polish your skin, especially your décolletage and arms.

Apply lots of gentle moisturizer -- everywhere.

Don’t forget to drink extra water!

And remember to remain calm, breathe, and most importantly: have fun…after all you’re in Hawaii. 

Mahalo and Ho'omaika'i!

Cynthia Rose

New makeup work with Joanna August Bridal

So happy to see these beautiful images come out of Joanna August Spring 2016 Collection! Joanna August is one of my favorite wedding lines. So elegant and so bohemian! Absolutely perfect for a wedding in Hawaii.

The new styles will be available for pre-order at joannaaugust.com on April 20th and will be available in stores this coming August.

photography: Tyler William Parker //  makeup: Cynthia Rose of Kipona Aloha// florals: Flower Girl Los Angeles