I’ve been nominated for an Emmy!

Fantastic news this week! I have been nominated for a daytime Emmy for “Outstanding Achievement for Hairstyling” for my work styling Bethenny on her chat show.

I am so thrilled to receive this honor for a job I simply love doing. I was born to do hair! It’s even more special that I’ve been nominated while working with people I adore — the whip-crack smart, hilarious and ultra-talented Bethenny, and all her amazing team behind the scenes.

The awards will be presented on June 22nd at the legendary Beverly Hilton. Watch this space to hear all about it! For now, here are a few of the fun moments from the past year of working with Bethenny on her show…

5 Easy Steps to a Fashion Favorite: the Fishtail Braid

Blake Lively with a fishtail braid. (Pic: Just Jared)

Those gorgeous fishtail braids worn by celebrities on the red carpet might look super-complicated, but you can create the look yourself easily by following five simple steps.

I shared the secret recently for fans of bethenny over on her website, and the response has been huge.

So here you go, ladies — start experimenting with this versatile and easy braid. Tousled and bohemian, it’s a great look for all types of long hair.

 


STEP 1
If you want a high or side fishtail braid, make a ponytail. Otherwise gather your hair at the base of your neck. Then, separate the hair into two chunks.

 


STEP 2
Take a thin strand of hair from the right side and braid it into the left side: cross the strand over the right chunk and under the left chunk. The strand needs to be thin — you’ll be doing this several times, so you need to make sure you have enough hair to work with to get all the way down to the end.

 


STEP 3
Take a thin strand from the left side and braid it into the right side.

 


STEP 4
Take a thin strand from the right side and braid it into the left. Continue this pattern until all hair is braided.

 


STEP 5
Tie hair off at the end and pull the braid apart with your fingers to separate the strands a bit. It should look tight but slightly mussed, like “bed head.” Finish off with hair spray, and you’re good to go!

Once you’ve got the hang of the basic fishtail braid, try experimenting — as you can see from these celeb pics, the possibilities are endless…

Rihanna rocking a red fishtail (pic: Getty Images)

Nina Dobrev with a glam red carpet fishtail (Pic: Getty Images)

Dianna Agron takes the fishtail to the next level, creating a romantic updo (Pic: Getty Images)

Meet wedding makeup expert Veronica “RaRa” Pastoriza

“After many years as a makeup artist for television and magazines, I specialize in bridal makeup artistry. My focus is always to exceed my client’s expectations, and to make sure she looks and feels her best on her wedding day.”
Veronica “RaRa” Pastoriza

You may know our makeup artist Veronica Inez Pastoriza as “RaRa” from Bethenny Frankel’s TV shows. Along with Once Upon A Bride principal Stacey Weinstein, Veronica is part of Bethenny’s glam squad, on hand to style the star for her shows and media appearances.

An accomplished and creative makeup artist, Veronica is exceptional at bringing out brides’ natural beauty.

From a very young age, Veronica has had a passion for the fashion and beauty industries. She studied Fine Arts at New York’s High School of Fashion Industries, and then went on to study Fashion Styling at The Fashion Institute of Technology. During these years, she honed her makeup skills on friends and family. She launched her makeup career as an intern for MAC Cosmetics in 2004 and then worked for Trish McEvoy for five years.

In 2007, Veronica began doing Bethenny’s makeup, and she has appeared on Bethenny Ever After. She has also been on the show My Fair Wedding and has worked as a makeup artist on Inside Edition, Selling New York and LX New York.

“I was thrilled to be the makeup artist for the wedding of Julie Plake, formally Bethenny’s assistant,” says Veronica. “While I have many years’ experience as a makeup artist, I have never done bridal hair in my life. Unfortunately, Julie’s hairstylist had a family loss and had to cancel at the last minute. Because it was a destination wedding, there was no-one but me available to do her hair. Stacey emailed me step-by-step instructions, and I’m happy to say that her hair was a complete success!”

Bethenny’s girls get a summer makeover by Stacey

Bethenny always loves the way I do her hair, so she recently treated her sweet assistants Jackie and Leslie to cuts at my salon Loft 26. Jackie had let her hair get very long, so she needed some length taken off, while I gave Leslie face-framing balayage highlights. The girls were so happy with how their hair turned out — healthier, brighter, and ready for summer!

Ready, too, for life to get oh so busy when bethenny starts filming her new daytime talk show in New York — I’m looking forward to creating all of bethenny’s favorite looks before she steps in front of the camera!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DCDxf8K2sNg

Stacey shares wedding hair and makeup trends with fashionistas on “Archetype Me”

Hot new social media site Archetype Me just featured my advice on the latest hair and makeup trends and tips for brides, wedding parties, and guests! So here’s the lowdown…

Braided updos
Adding braids to your updo is a trend that’s going strong, especially for more fashion-forward girls going for an unconventional romantic look.

Marion Cotillard and Jennifer Morrison going for unconventional romantic looks with braids. Photos: Getty Images.

Retro glamour
Thanks to The Great Gatsby, vintage-inspired hair is very popular. Girls who wear their hair down are going for stylized, Veronica Lake waves, and Art Deco hairpieces add a great finishing touch.

Jessica Chastain and Eva Longoria with Veronica Lake-style retro waves. Photos: Getty Images

Hair accessories
If you’re doing your own hair for the big day, add a hair accessory. It instantly makes your hair look special. Blow your hair out and fashion it up with a headband. My favorite designers are Jennifer Behr and Dauphines of New York. And check out Once Upon A Bride’s selection of gorgeous accessories.

Emmy Rossum and Lydia Hearst adding effortless touches of glamour to their looks with hair accessories. Photos: Getty Images

Dry shampoo and texturizing spray
No matter what style you choose, it’s usually best not to wash your hair on the morning of your wedding. Instead, remove grease and freshen up your hair with René Futurer Naturia Dry Shampoo, and have Oribe Dry Texturizing Spray on hand. You can use no other products, and this will make your hair stay, even if you’ve chosen an updo.

Nicole Ritchie and Naomi Watts going for flapper-era looks. Photos: Getty Images.

Be prepared
Stash an emergency packet of bobby pins and invisible hair ties in your bag, so if you get hot, you can pop to the bathroom and create an instant updo. And carry a travel-size hairspray to keep your hair in place all night.

Create your favorite Bethenny hairstyles: Stacey shows you how

Girls ask me all the time how they can achieve the same looks as the gorgeous Bethenny Frankel, whose hair I have been styling for years for her photo shoots and TV shows. So I shared my secrets over on bethenny.com, and now you can create the same styles at home.

Photo: Forbes.com

I wanted Bethenny to have luxurious looking hair, so I went old school and used electric rollers. They are best when used on clean and dry hair. Take 1-inch sections, spray the section with a wet hairspray to dampen, and then put in the electric rollers. Spray the set with a strong hold hairspray and let the rollers stay in for 30 minutes.

Trick: The wet spray will allow the hair to form the shape of a large round curl while drying on the roller.
Favorite products for this look: Paul Mitchell Sculpting Spray, Sebastian Shaper Hairspray

 

Photo: Getty Images

On wet hair I applied a clear gloss so my basic blow dry would be shiny. I added a root lifter to give a slight lift at the root, so hair would not be flat. I dried hair 80% and then used a round wooden brush in large sections to achieve a smooth, basic blow dry.

To keep her trendy and stylish, I added hair extensions that were 2 shades lighter than her hair color.

I placed a few throughout her hair so I could achieve an ombre highlight (dark to light). This is a bit more edgy for Bethenny to wear on a regular basis.

Trick: Buy clip-on hair extensions (easy to use) one or two shades lighter, and only use a few pieces. You won’t harm the hair with bleach and can create a new look in seconds.
Favorite products for this look: Oribe Gold Lust Nourishing Oil, Oribe Shine Light Reflecting Spray, Oribe Root Lift

 

Photo: Bethenny/Warner Bros.

To achieve the best sexy waves, I always ask Bethenny to show up with day-old hair. Hair then has some texture already and will not be so clean, slippery and fresh. I spray hair with a hairspray to get the hair prepped and texturized. Add a dry shampoo spray at the roots for a clean boost.

I use my wand iron throughout the hair and alternate my section size. For instance, the first row, I take an inch section and then the next row I take a 2-inch section. This allows the hair to have more of a flow. I use a wand and not a regular clip iron to achieve waves because when using the wand you will not curl the ends. If you only have a regular iron, then you want to leave at least one inch from the bottom out of the iron so the ends are straighter and not curled. To achieve the prettiest waves, you want to remember to always wrap the hair away from the face on both sides.

Trick: Freshly washed hair and over-conditioned hair make it harder to get waves and won’t hold or last. Work on dry, one day old hair.
Favorite product and tools for this look: Rene Furterer Naturia Dry Shampoo, Sedu Blow Dryer, Sedu Wand Iron

 

Photo: ©PA Images/Scott Gries/Invision for Skinnygirl/AP

This style is great when you have time to indulge and pull out all of your tools. I start with wet hair, and apply a root lifter and gloss to the ends of the hair. I use a large round metal brush in big sections so I can achieve a full body blow dry. I use electric rollers on the top section to get a full voluminous look.

I then section hair in horizontal rows and alternate two sizes of curling irons. After I wrap each section on the iron, I wrap the hair up in a barrel curl and clip at the root and let sit in a set. Once I am done, I spray hair and let set for at least 30 minutes.

Trick: I use a 1-inch and a 2-inch iron.
Favorite products for this look: Oribe Gold Lust Nourishing Oil, Oribe Root Lift, Oribe Hair Spray