AS REPORTED BY DANA WOOD, BEAUTY DIRECTOR

“Magic hands.” That’s what Sisley Paris lead aesthetician Danielle Gamble deploys in the facials she gives clients in the treatment rooms of the beloved French beauty house’s chic Bleecker Street boutique in NYC. A five-year veteran of Sisley Paris, Gamble knows every ingredient in the five “phyto complexes” that serve as a key component of the brand’s facials. Steeped in high-powered botanicals, these complexes help Gamble address specific skin concerns, whether it’s dehydration, loss of radiance or stress-generated breakouts. Since brides make up a crucial chunk of Gamble’s clientele, we tapped her insight into how she helps them achieve a “dream complexion” for their big day.  

BRIDAL COUNCIL: Are you able to assess what a client needs just by asking a handful of questions? 

GAMBLE: Yes.  first have to find out what their concerns are, and then I go in with my light and I look, and we come up with a plan together. Often clients will feel that they’re oily, and then when I get in and look, it’s the opposite. They’re dehydrated, so their skin is producing more oil to compensate. That’s so common.

BRIDAL COUNCIL: How far in advance of the wedding do you typically start working with brides? 

GAMBLE: I like to start with them nine to 12 months out, because at first, I just do one treatment a month. And during the first consultation, we maybe suggest just a few products. But as we get closer to the date, I’m just going to keep adding in more and more products – if they’re open to it. Six months really isn’t enough time for me to know if a particular serum is the best one for her. 

BRIDAL COUNCIL: I’m sure a lot of women – not just brides – jump ship on a product before they’re really seeing results. And you’re saying that even six months isn’t long enough?

GAMBLE: It really isn’t.

BRIDAL COUNCIL: What “skin mistakes” do you see brides making? 

GAMBLE: I don’t see too much peeling with my clients. That may be because we’re Sisley, and we’re botanical, so we don’t attract that type of clientele. But something I see – and I can’t believe this is still going on – is women getting sun before their weddings. They want to be tan. It blows my mind. Tanning doesn’t make you look ‘healthy,’ it makes you dehydrated and dull. 

BRIDAL COUNCIL: Since no one uses a tanning bed anymore, where do you think your New York clients are getting their sun from? Are they flying to Bermuda for the weekend? 

GAMBLE: No. Most of them are getting married in the spring and summer, so they’re probably just out on their roof top.

BRIDAL COUNCIL: Well, since you’re not going to ‘shame’ them for tanning, how do you work with sun-baked brides.

GAMBLE: If she’s going to do that, I have to make peace with it. Since I know the sun is going to make her dull and dehydrated, we have to focus on radiance and hydration. And that’s what we’ll target during facials and the products she’s using leading up to the wedding. 

BRIDAL COUNCIL: Do you dole out any lifestyle tips during treatments? Or do you feel that’s not really your place?

GAMBLE: Well, I do see that brides get so stressed-out with wedding planning that they start to break out. And how do you tell someone not to stress? You can’t. So I usually just suggest that they meditate, or try some yoga – or even just ask someone for help. Because if they don’t do something about the stress, they’re going to break out and that will lead to marks.

BRIDAL COUNCIL: Do all skin types break out under stress?

GAMBLE: No. 

BRIDAL COUNCIL: But I’m sure plenty do, especially if they’re on the younger side.

GAMBLE: Correct. 

BRIDAL COUNCIL: So you try to get them to stop stressing out....

GAMBLE: Yes, but something that else that I tell them, which is probably more realistic, is to stop drinking two weeks before the wedding. If they don’t stop, they’ll be dehydrated. And then just get some rest and drink lots of water. 

BRIDAL COUNCIL: Plus, drinking completely messes with sleep. It might make you fall asleep more quickly, but you’ll wake up in the middle of the night once the effects wear off.

GAMBLE: Good point!

BRIDAL COUNCIL: You definitely help brides figure out which products to use at home between appointments with you, yes?

GAMBLE: Absolutely, which is like I to start nine to 12 months before the wedding. We just go little by little, and then by the end, you have a really nice regimen that you really love and know is working. But it takes a while to get to that place. And then the morning of the wedding, I have a little mini facial I have them do. It’s an exfoliator and two masks, and then they put their makeup on. 

BRIDAL COUNCIL: Well that sounds very lovely and calming! Before I scoot off, is there anything new and incredible – or even old and incredible – in the Sisley lineup that you’re really loving right now?  

GAMBLE: Honestly, every week there’s a different product that I’m obsessed with. But right now, there are two things that are really perfect for anyone getting ready for a big event.

The first – Intensive Serum With Tropical Resins - is for someone who is prone to breaking out. Or even if they’re just a little clogged, they can have that on hand, and it will control the oil and prevent breakouts. I feel like everyone should have a bottle of that. Even if they’re drier, if they’re prone to breaking out when they’re stressed, it just calms everything down. My other I product I love, which is an oldie but a goodie, is the Sisleÿa-Elixir. It’s a four-week intensive treatment program that clients use in place of their serums in the morning and evening. It’s described as anti-aging, but I’ve noticed that it’s really great for clients who are just having a texture issue with their skin. If they have marks left behind [from previous breakouts], or if they put their makeup on and the texture just isn’t very nice, it smooths everything out. 

BRIDAL COUNCIL: Thank you!