Are you one of the lucky ones? If you are going on any sort of vacation this summer, your answer is “YES!” Are talking Honeymoon? Feel free to add a squeal, jump or fist pump to your “YES!”. If said get-away includes soaking up the sun, sipping fruity beverages near water and donning a sassy little bikini, you should also be considering your “face”.

A girl by the pool with mounds of make-up is not a pretty sight. My guess is that she is wearing all that make-up to cover up her skin that has rebelled against her vacation. So what do you do? You want the beachy glow. You want to wear minimal make-up. And most important, you want to feel gorgeous!

Lucky for us, Corinna Cooke, our friend and make-up artist extraordinaire, has shared some ingenious skin care essentials for your summer getaway.

The #1 product you must use, without fail, is sunscreen. Rhonda Allison, skin care guru and “Queen of Peels”, offers a fantastic product called Zinc Protection Cream. It is a zinc- based sun protection that is gentler on your face than most sunscreens that contain harsh chemicals. There are sunscreens that can actually harm your skin when exposed to the sun’s rays so watch out for those that contain synthetic chemicals. For more information on what to stay away from and why, visit Rhonda’s blog.

You need clean skin, vacation or not, so check out the crazy efficient multi-tasker Melt from Face Atelier. This one product removes make-up, rids your face of grime and rejuvenates your skin. This is the ultimate all- in- one product that Corinna Cooke recommends to her clients. Use Melt and you can get back to relaxing in no time!

And for today’s final vacation skin tip, and this one is going to knock your floppy sun  hat right off, Hylunia Skin Care will soothe your sunburned cheeks with it’s Colloidal Silver with Lavender Floral Water. Yes, it sounds a bit space-aged but when you’re on vacation, the last thing you want is that scratchy “don’t touch me” sunburn pain. Hylunia will save the day.

Finally, travelers, brides, honeymooners, make sure you are using high-quality skin care products even though you are leaving town. Your skin deserves to be pampered on vacation too!  Pick up these face-saving products in travel sizes and you are good to go!

Chatting soon, Kelly

Thanks to Corinna Cooke for the fabulous tips and endless beauty information!

All images courtesy of LightRain Images, a Phoenix wedding photographer.

Photos taken on location at the gorgeous Scottsdale Resort.

There are many reasons to plan a destination wedding or honeymoon in Jamaica. It’s lovely, the weather is great, you can enjoy wonderful food, and the list goes on. But, for me, the list should be topped with the Ritz Carlton Golf & Spa Resort in Rose Hall, Jamaica.

This resort is a destination in and of itself. There is a Jerk Cooking School on the beach here, the rooms are wonderful, and the service and cuisine are tops. Cuisine…..best meals, perfectly paired with wines, exquisite presentation…best of any destination in the Caribbean. Hands down.

This luxury destination offers an “all inclusive” meal package, which even includes beverages and room service. It’s not the customary drunk fest you might expect from all inclusive resorts. This is a fun place, but people are respectful. Even the few kiddos we saw were a delight.

This is the view from my room, taken with my iPhone (I was too excited to pull out my “real” camera!). The room I had was spectacular, and truly larger than my first college apartment.

When we arrived on property, we were greeted by the staff, who always had a warm smile to offer. That’s one of the things people like best about Jamaica–the friendliness of the people.

World-recognized friendliness + Ritz Carlton = perfect vacation.

The special event team at Rose Hall offers spectacular decor, and they have an impressive collection of preferred vendors. This is an outdoor party they set up on the veranda, that boasts fab views of the regal green lawn below and the blue water beyond.

If I were getting married again, I’d choose to wed on that fab circular lawn, and then have my guests dine and party on this veranda.

Many guests choose to wed on the beach, and the set up there is also lovely, but I like to wear heels and they seem more suited to lawns than shifting sands.

Check out this floral arrangement and chic table setting. It’s not all shells when you are decorating in the tropics.

and this mini arrangement was on each of the chairs!



If you’ve read our Summer/Fall issue, you know we love fancy chair covers and embellishments. Even in the Caribbean, we are scouting out the best for you, our dear reader!

Look for better shots of this prestige destination in our Winter/Spring 2011 issue. And when I get back to the states and plug in, I’ll share my own camera images too!

This location is about as perfect for newlyweds as they come. I couldn’t possibly make you wait until December to hear about it.

Just book the flight. Next time I’m bringing my husband.

Your editor, Stephanie Gandy Riley

on location in Jamaica