ÁMEZING NEWS #9: NY FACIALS, MY NEW FAVE TREATMENT & BRIDAL BEAUTY

Innovation, baby!

Tierney & Bryan’s 8/18 wedding! Photo by Rahael Asfaw

Photo by Kim Romero

ÁMEZING UPDATES

Need an Ámezing facial in New York? I’m thrilled to announce I will be doing a facial pop-up in Bedford, NY this September 14 and 15! It’s happening at Duchess, a beauty and wellness space curated by my friend Jenn Streicher. Thank you to everyone there for hosting me!

Tired after fashion week? Take the train up to visit me for some rest and restoration! I’ll be offering custom treatments using my new favorite device – THE LYMA LASER. More on that later!

I’m so grateful for the chance to connect with clients in New York, and I’m hoping to see some of your familiar faces! I’ll share more pop-up details on IG in the coming weeks, so please keep an eye out if you’re interested.

MY NEW FAVORITE TREATMENT

So… the LYMA laser! I already mentioned my plans to use LYMA lasers during my facial pop-up in NY, but I’m also incorporating them into my Los Angeles practice. Starting this fall, I’m introducing a new facial service that features two LYMA lasers. It’s a luxe offering intended to promote rejuvenation and radiance while targeting everything from fine lines and wrinkles to acne and hyperpigmentation. Looking to treat rosacea or scarring? This is for you too! It’s safe for all skin tones too (a non-negotiable for everything I use in my practice, obviously!)

What is the LYMA laser? The world's first skincare laser FDA-cleared for home use. It targets skin at the cellular level, deep beyond the surface, as well as the outer layers of skin, more visible to the eye. Its low-level laser light therapy (LLLT) technology is 100 times more powerful than LED skin therapy!

There’s no redness or recovery time. Also, it doesn’t rely on any injury to the skin to trigger healing (Many procedures, like microneedling, do.) It doesn’t hurt, it’s cordless and portable, and you don’t have to wear an eye mask or any protective covering while using it. 

The clinical trial results within a 12-week period have been outstanding, which is what first caught my eye. I hope you’ll come in and try it soon! 

Plus, if you love it after trying, you can invest in one to use at home. I’m a certified seller of LYMA lasers and they retail at $2,695 a unit. You can email bookings@amezskin.com about buying one if you’re interested and I will happily answer any questions you may have. 

ÁMEZING EDITOR: TIERNEY’S BRIDAL BEAUTY

As many of you already know, the editor of this newsletter is my friend and colleague Tierney Finster. Tierney and I met years ago in Venice when we both worked on Abbot Kinney (Actually, we met briefly during a sweat-themed photoshoot in Highland Park just before that, but AK is where our friendship took off…) Years later, Tierney and I now share a long history of combining our shared passion for beauty and media to create content for all of you (this newsletter, my guest eps on her podcast Tierney Talks, numerous IG lives, live events, and more…). Needless to say, we love each other and love being in conversation with each other about anything and everything.

But today we aren’t just talking about anything! We’re talking about her wedding! More specifically, the way I treated both her and her husband (!) Bryan before their big day, as well as her overall approach to bridal beauty (in a must-read lil personal essay!). Of course, we’re also including a full breakdown of the skincare and beauty products and preparations she did to feel her best, as well as a bit of expert advice from the artists responsible for Tierney’s glam (who happen to be two of her closest friends…notice a theme!).

HIS & HER FACIALS

Part of a relationship is recognizing you each have unique needs. Case in point: Tierney and Bryan’s skin needs were very different leading up to their wedding. They each took turns in my treatment room as the other watched a movie in my lobby. This doubled their amount of relaxation time, which was especially appreciated as this was the Monday afternoon before their Friday wedding.

TIERNEY’S FACIAL

My focus for Tierney was to really hydrate, lift, and control. The hydrate and lift are a bit self-explanatory, especially because I know her skin so well, but the control aspect was all about making sure that her skin stayed CALM. This was key because the wedding was just four days away. Her skin is sensitive, so I formulated a plan to get the most intense results I could while avoiding all redness and breakouts. I typically love to extract and deep cleanse pores, but I altered my approach away from that to keep her biome hydrated and snatched!

I turned to my LYMA laser to accomplish exactly that. An effective, calming, and regenerative treatment! The goal was for Tierney to feel refreshed, especially after doing all of her own wedding planning in just six short weeks. I wanted to alleviate all of Tierney’s anxiety about looking old and haggard (lol! her words not mine!), as well as to create a smooth, healthy canvas that would ensure her makeup lay beautifully.

BRYAN’S FACIAL

Bryan’s facial was SO fun! Because it was his first facial EVER, I focused on purifying the skin and really making it glow. His pores opened up beautifully and I did a lot of extractions. We focused on evening the skin through microdermabrasion and doing a three-step exfoliation. Bryan has an incredible skin tone, so I knew his outcome would look amazing whatever treatment we did. I wanted him to feel as if his skin was quite literally shed after our treatment was over. And he did! His skin was not only glowing, even, and radiant, but noticeably smooth and plump to the touch.

Photographic evidence of Bryan’s first facial!

ALL OF THE BEAUTY STUFF I DID BEFORE OUR WEDDING

Tierney here! Ok, the pressure to be a beautiful bride is bullshit. Although I was lucky to receive this amazing facial with Andrea before our wedding, a covetable luxury treatment, I felt mostly outside of the $70 billion wedding industry during the many months of my engagement, especially when it came to beauty and aesthetics.

I didn’t lose weight. No Ozempic prescription or Pilates class package for me. I didn’t get Botox in the area above my left eye that wrinkles and sags a bit, I didn’t get Botox under my arms to minimize sweating during the 90-degree ceremony, and I didn’t get Traptox to create an illusion of definition while wearing my off-the-shoulder gown. I didn’t go to the Face Gym, get laser hair removal, or visit any wellness resort and spa. There was no detoxing. No cleanses. No fasting. No liposuction or CoolSculpting.

We all know there’s pressure for a bride to look her best on her wedding day, but the real expectation is that a bride should look better than her best. She should look better than she’s ever looked before, not just as a celebration of herself but as proof of how much this commitment means to her.

That’s the part I hate the most….the sense that NOT undergoing a major transformation or participating in a militant pre-wedding regimen is somehow a sign of a bride who doesn’t really care, who is lazy, or who doesn’t consider her wedding that important to her.

Thanks to the dominant bridal culture, not overinvesting in one’s bridal beauty prep is treated like a sign of one’s depression or apathy, while treating your beauty prep like a full-time job is normalized and encouraged, no matter how spun out it can get.

I didn’t resonate with the idea that I had to devise and fund a preliminary beauty program for myself in order to feel worthy of love and commitment.

Of course, the wedding industry will tell you it’s all about self-empowerment and FEELING your best, but at the end of the day, it’s often all about how one appears to other people while walking down that runway…I mean aisle…. How someone looks in the photos and the videos becomes more important than how they look to themselves and their partner…More “proof” of their goodness, their love, their worthiness.

Some people might think of me as a “body-positive” person, but there’s nothing like being a bride to remember that most people would do ANYTHING to avoid having a body like mine. If you’re uncomfortable reading that, imagine living it! I had to protect myself against the endless spiral of self-loathing that the bridal industry encourages and cashes out on. I learned new, derogatory slang terms for my body parts (not writing them here to spare you!) and routinely examined my own jawline because it was slightly softer than in the years before.

For me, getting engaged was all about celebrating the unique, spiritual connection we share. But quickly, being engaged began to feel like it was all about being as skinny and rich as possible. It was no longer about who I was, but what I could do to be better.

Being engaged was so fun, but it was also an intense time because of how much other emotional stuff floats to the surface, begging to be transformed before your new beginning…body stuff…money stuff…family stuff…mortality…time…purpose. The last thing I wanted to do was invest in the idea that I had to change and sacrifice in order to deserve the wedding of my dreams. I wanted to be, not to do….to just be the bride without having to exhaust myself trying to “bride” the best.

This isn’t to say I’m some kind of naturalist…I’ve always been a glam girl. Strutting into a beauty service provider is a sacred ritual to me, one that began when I was two years old and sat perfectly still for my monthly manicures. I tell beauty practitioners the same thing I tell my lovers, “I can really take it!” I love a strong look and always have, but I’ve never liked the pressure of having to adhere to any one, optimized image of myself.

So I didn’t cut carbs or caffeine. I didn’t gua-sha my face every night. I didn’t even dunk it in a bowl of ice water to curb puffiness the morning of the wedding. I didn’t fill my lips with collagen or get them “blushed” for the kissing photos. I didn’t get a fake tan. I didn’t dye my hair. I didn’t get eyelash extensions or brow lamination. I meditated LESS than usual and often forgot to take my probiotics upon waking.

This doesn’t mean I did NOTHING. There are plenty of more low-maintenance brides than me (I mean hello, I got an Ámezing facial with first-in-class lasers…). I’m just inviting any of you who are getting married, especially brides and femmes, to do as little as you’d like without any guilt. You have every right to do as much as you’d like without any guilt too. The important part is prioritizing what actually matters to you and ignoring the rest. Don’t obligate yourself to do anything in advance of your wedding (or any other important event in your life) just to feel like you’re doing things “right.”

You don’t have to work or change to be deserving of good.

Here are the steps I took to look and feel great….with the caveat that what’s best for me might not be best for you…

• LYMA Laser Facial with Andrea (four days before. This was my first facial since February 2020! It was certainly worth the wait. My facial composition was really lifted and sculpted. This ensured I was on top of my skincare the rest of the week).

• Trim with Maureen at Supercuts (a week before, $40, I spent tons of money on hair services until the pandemic paused and reset everything. I wandered into Supercuts for the first time at 30 years old, met a stylist named Maureen, and have remained loyal to her straight-across-cut style ever since. I would still shell out the major cash when it comes to color, but for the simple style of haircut I prefer, this works for me. I’ve left a full hand of high-end salons crying in my past, but I always leave Maureen happy.)

• Foot massage at a random local spot (a week before, $40 including tip, full body treatment. First timer. Would go back. A perfect way to escape your phone.)

• Full facial waxing with Sally at the Benefit Waxing Bar in Ulta (a week before, $50 for eyebrows, upper lip, chin, and cheeks…I usually get my eyebrows waxed by Sally twice a year, but I went with a full face wax here to help with makeup application and photos. Note that I scheduled this a few days before my facial because wax tends to congest my pores and cause chin breakouts).

• A private cacao ceremony for Bryan and me at Leo Carillo Beach with our favorite energy medicine healer (five days before, $348, including heart-opening ceremonial-grade cacao to drink, guided meditation, water, and red rose rituals, prayer, a personalized playlist, communication exercises customized to honor our connection, and more. This cleared away so much anxious energy! It also brought a smile to my face, peace to my body, and a lot of faith in our wedding and marriage. Bryan loved it too! In some ways, it felt like our “real” wedding. A wedding is a community effort, so making time to honor just the two of us helped us feel connected and embodied. This boosted our confidence and glow more than any external procedure ever could….well except for that LYMA laser lol….)

• Acrylic full set and pedicure with Mary at Nail Shoppe in Northridge (three days before, gifted by Mary, my beloved intergenerational bestie, nail artist, and fellow pink aficionado, and the shop owner Kathy because I’m loyal! I love you guys! I love Nail Shoppe! Mary does the best full sets! And at only $40 for her expert care, you’ll have money leftover for a passisonfruit-green-tea-boba two doors down. It’s worth coming to the Valley to get your nails done, BELIEVE ME!

MY BRIDAL MAKEUP BREAKDOWN 

A quick touchup before walking down the aisle. Photo by Niko Karamyan

Photo by Rony Alwin

My friend Brande Bytheway, a former makeup artist turned producer extraordinaire, did my makeup! When she offered to glam me, it was my dream come true, especially because she rarely steps out of makeup artist retirement. Ever since she did my makeup in a creepy garage at 4:00 a.m. for “Wicked Games” in Amboy, California many years ago, I knew I loved the way she saw my face. She is refined and light-handed without sacrificing any drama or glamour. She knows how to sprinkle just enough princess/pornstar charm into my otherwise “natural” look. Plus, as a fellow Valley girl, she knew what it would take to preserve a look on a sweltering summer day. Not to mention the joy that was getting to spend extra time together, both in advance as we practiced the look twice, and on the day of the wedding, executing it upstairs as everyone was setting up down below.

My makeup vision was clean, fresh skin with defined eyes and features. Elegant and timeless, but still full of my pink personality. Luxe, glam, flirty…you know the vibes.

Since Brande doesn’t do makeup professionally anymore, we used a majority of my own products, which was a nice example of not needing things to be new to be good. With the exception of a couple of low-cost additions, all of my bridal makeup was pulled from the stuff I already use and organized into this Hello Kitty makeup case (a Christmas gift from Bryan that I’d never had a “special” enough occasion to use before).

Get creative with what you already have before succumbing to impulse buys!

You might love the products you already have more if you experiment with using them in different ways (try a different amount, a different brush, etc.).

Here are the products I prepped my skin with, all courtesy of the Ámez Marketplace.

TONER

302 Professional Calming Mist (a moisturizing spray full of organic ingredients, $18)

SHEET MASK

Ruhaku Enriched Creamy Sheet Mask (a nourishing Japanese sheet mask full of thick lotion, filled with nutrients and antioxidants, $65)

SERUM

Aliange Jellyfish Peptide x Antioxidant Serum (full of ingredients that plump the skin, diminish lines, and protect against environmental damage, $146)

CREAM

Avène Cicalfate+ Restorative Protective Cream (the moisturizer Andrea recommends to most of her clients, a French pharmacy staple, $28)

CREAM

CeraVe Moisturizing Cream (full of hyaluronic acid and ceramides, I topped off my skin with this just before makeup began because I’m dry AF, $14.99)

Photos by Rony Alwin

Here are the products Brande did my makeup with:

PRIMER

elf Power Grip Primer (a gel-based hydrating primer with Hyaluronic Acid, $10)

Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion (classic for a reason, $27)

e.l.f. Shadow Lock Eyelid Primer Sheer (Light Clay Pink, used as a lip primer, $4)

FOUNDATION

Westman Atelier Vital Skin Full Coverage Foundation Stick (a creamy foundation and concealer stick with antioxidants and calming actives, shade Atelier VIII medium bisque, rose undertone, $68) 

CONCEALER

Rose Inc Softlight Clean Dewy Hydrating Concealer (a brightening and blurring concealer with squalane and vitamin E, shades LX 080 and LX 050, $30)

HIGHLIGHTER

Westman Atelier Lit Up Highlight Stick (a gel-stick formulated with a blend of ayurvedic oils for dimension and radiance, in the shade Nectar, $48) 

BRONZER / CONTOUR 

e.l.f. Putty Bronzer (glowy, cream-to-powder finish, in the shade Honey Drip, $7)

MASCARA

Thrive Causemetics Liquid Lash Extensions (a jet-black tubing mascara that NEVER smudges or flakes, doesn’t damage lashes or irritate sensitive eyes, the best! $25)

FALSE LASHES 

Ardell Lash Whispies (lightweight and long wear, $12.99 for a multipack)

KISS Strip Lash Brush On Adhesive ($4.99)

BROWS

Pat McGrath Labs Luxe Eyeshadow (Velvet Eclipse (charcoal-brown matte, prices vary by pallet)

Benefit Cosmetics 24-Hour Brow Setter Gel ($26)

EYESHADOW

Pat McGrath Labs Mothership III Eyeshadow Palette - Subversive (my absolute FAVE, most used, universally flattering eyeshadow palette of all time, worth every penny, lasts forever, $128)

Pat McGrath Labs Mega Mothership Celestial Divinity Eyeshadow Palette (only available via resale)

LIPS 

Huda Beauty Power Bullet Matte Lipstick (in the shade honeymoon, a super-pigmented cool-toned, rosy pink. Same tube I’ve used for the last few years. $27) 

Lancome Juicy Tubes Lip Gloss (an homage to my younger self, just the best, $24 ) 

Dior Contour (lip pencil, shade 100 / Nude Look, $34, but free because I found it sealed and unused in a bush at Gjusta during lunch a few years back)

FRAGRANCE

Private Collection by Este Lauder (Tuberose and gardenia. Top note: Neroli, Rosewood, Lilac. Middle Note: Tuberose, Gardenia, Orangeflower, Jasmine, White Lilu. Base: Vanilla Bourbon, Carnation, $180)

NAIL COLOR

OPI Infinite Shine Longwear Nail Polish (shade Throw Me A Kiss, iridescent pink, $13.99)

GLITTER

Urban Decay Heavy Metal Glitter Eyeliner (shade Grind, light pink iridescent glitter, we added this after the ceremony for some disco magic at night, $25)

The backyard wedding was full of blooming plumeria and hibiscus trees.

Photo by Rony Alwin

I can’t thank Brande enough for making me feel ready for anything. After our first trial, I knew I’d feel great on the day of my wedding no matter what, with makeup like that! Follow her here (but don’t ask her to do your makeup!!!)

MY BRIDAL HAIR BREAKDOWN 

My friend Jaime Diaz did my hair! Jaime is an extraordinarily talented and accomplished makeup artist, hair stylist, and creative director. He thrives doing both hair and makeup, executing an endless variety of looks with ease, but his energy and presence are his best gifts. I knew I would literally be in healing hands with him.

It’s been such a treat to glam with Jaime for all sorts of projects and occasions over the years, but like my facial with Andrea, it was my first time in his chair since 2020! The pleasure was ALL MINE. I wanted a snatched high, but not wildly high, ponytail that was sleek and smooth. I wanted my hair out of my face so that I didn’t have to arrange it for every photo, and I needed a style that would last in the heat. Jaime came in, brushed out my air-dried hair, and executed a PERFECT pony in about 30 minutes. His work is as elegant as it is efficient! His essential tool for elevating that pulled-back look? A two-sided boars-hair club brush like this one.

Follow Jaime here and check out his work on the latest cover of Wonderland!

jaime.creates

A post shared by @jaime.creates

To finish the hair look, we clipped in my custom veils handmade by Karen Veliz of Girl Rarities. A short, sheer, white double-layered veil for the ceremony and a nearly floor-length, baby pink veil during the reception (we flipped it over for more volume at the crown).

Photo by Ali Madigan

Photo by Karen Veliz

Thank you to Andrea, Brande, Jaime, Karen, and so many other friends for making my wedding day so beautiful. I couldn’t have done it without you and I wouldn’t want to!

Love, Tierney

Photos by Rony Alwin

ÁMEZING QUESTIONS

Real questions from our Ámezing community! Comment your question below to be featured in the next issue of Ámezing News.

Vitamin C question…should I use it in the AM for protection or PM for recovery?

It’s absolutely for both. For the daytime, vitamin C will provide that extra layer of antioxidant support against the sun and environmental stressors, so if you’re using vitamin C and finish your routine with SPF, that is literally the golden combo for daytime. That’s the strongest shield one can create for your face!

Vitamin C at night is also great, especially if you are someone who struggles with uneven tone or wants to treat old scarring. If you only want to use it once a day for whatever reason, I would say that a vitamin C serum is best to rotate in as one of your night serums. I think vitamin C in rotation with retinol or a peptide/stem cell serum is extremely effective for night.

Can you always tell when your clients have had fillers and injectables? Should I tell you before a facial if I’ve tried something new?

I can pretty much always tell right away, especially on clients who have been using injectables for a number of years. My eyes are trained to notice where a person's facial geometry has changed or shifted since I’ve last seen them, so it’s no secret when you get a little filler or Botox. This doesn’t mean I judge any of you for doing so, quite the opposite!

I really despise shaming injectables.

The only thing I like to stress (and the only thing that matters) is making informed choices and choosing the right practitioner for you. I prefer when clients disclose what treatments they’ve done in detail so that I can be sure to avoid any treatments that might mess with them (specifically microcurrent). The great thing about injectables is that you can try them and if you don’t like your result, you never have to do it again.

I heard Botox is better when applied to the surface of the skin, not the muscle. Do you think that’s true? Can you explain why it would make any difference?

This is an interesting question, I would have to do some more extensive research, but I do think this to be generally true. When I was in London this summer, I had the chance to visit Dr. Vali’s Experimental Wellness Centre and it became quite clear to me that the style of injectables there was different from what I see and what in Los Angeles. It’s done more conservatively and is more skin-centric than muscle-focused. I am not a nurse or dermatologist, so please advise a medical professional with specific concerns. Also, keep in mind application and results can vary based on the age of the candidate. What has recently caught my eye on social media is the “traptox” trend, as it is used to relax the trapezius and ease tension along the base of the neck and shoulders. For our next newsletter – maybe it’s time we discuss this all further with a nurse! Stay tuned!

ÁMEZING PRODUCTS

I’m wild for having these all in my bag at once…but I wouldn’t have it any other way! I don’t have it in my heart to rank them, but let me introduce you to each….

Saje Peppermint Halo (a cooling oil blend, great for headaches, night time vibes, $32)

Ismaya Beauty Liplacq Maximum Lip Serum (shade Black Eeil! High shine, buildable, and chic, $38)

Biossance Rose and Squalene Lip Balm (everyday, nice gloss payoff, nourishing, $16)

UBeauty The Plasma Lip Complex (high shine, high performance, and a treat for the lips, feels like a retinol alternative but just for the lips, $68) 

Covergirl Clean Fresh Yummy Gloss (shade Laugh-vender, sheer, vibey, and HIGH SHINE, $8)

Covergirl Clean Fresh Yummy Gloss (shade But first a Cosmo, probably my favorite of the three, it really gives “you can bite those cherry lips” come to life…from my fave song “He Loves U Not” By Dream…you know? $8)

Covergirl Clean Fresh Yummy Gloss (shade My Main Squeeze, a nice, sheer, high gloss neutral even though it looks very orange! This pairs so nicely with any brown/nude, $8

Chanel Rouge Coco (this shade, Parthenope #788, is probably my fave of all time. I got it in Spain and I don't think this limited edition color is even available in the U.S. I will be sad once it runs out! I can't even find a link, womp! It’s a warm peachy nude with a pearl finish.

ISDIN SPF 30 Lip Protector (what can I say…an Italian pharmacy find. Just the best for the beach or high sun! $13)

Thanks for reading! Lots of love until next month! Andrea

One last wedding pic! Real-life Juicy Tubes! Photo by Rony Alwin

The editor of Ámezing News is Tierney Finster.