In Pursuit of Classic Beauty

When 35-year-old Jim Thomas, an autoworker at the Chevrolet plant in Brook Park, popped the question in Las Vegas, the city known for its busy wedding chapels and impromptu marriages, Cyndi Novachick, 31, didn't question his sincerity.

After six years of dating, the couple knew marriage had been waiting in the wings for quite a while. With a platinum and diamond ring securely on her finger, Novachick went to work on making their nuptials a celebration to remember.

With a job in quality control at Swiger Coil Systems Inc. in Cleveland, she has an eye for fine things. She focused on style by booking the newly built LACENTRE Conference and Banquet Facility in Westlake, a grand hall with impressive detailing, exquisite chandeliers and expansive floor plans. An added bonus to selecting this venue is an on-site wedding consultant who has offered Novachick suggestions as she makes her selections for the big day, including what to do with the wrong-sized, personalized cake boxes that Novachick accidentally received. They will now hold wedding favors.

Ω mouth-watering menu will delight the 190 guests invited to the Oct. 11 wedding ceremony at St. Angela Merici Parish in Fairview Park. Smoked salmon and arugula crepe wraps, mosaic chicken strudel and miniature vegetarian Vietnamese spring rolls will be the featured hors d'oeuvres during the cocktail hour, when wine and sparkling waters will be served. Dinner will include filet mignon, Tuscan chicken and veal in a cabernet sauce.

For her wedding, Novachick has opted for a traditional bridal look, mirroring the tone of her special day. The professional stylists at Spa West in Westlake recently gave Novachick a glimpse of elegance.

While Novachick normally wears her hair short, she plans to grow out her dark locks to work into a stylish updo. Hair stylist Gaharta Fine utilized some of Spa West's line of products to give volume to Novachick's fine, thin hair. The stylist first applied milk shampoo and conditioner to lend moisture and shine, then worked in a Root Booster while blow-drying the hair to add volume and hold for the updo.

Once Fine created the collection of wide curls for the updo, she finished the style with Give Me Shine, an oil-based spray ideal for curly hair and elaborate updos that also gives hair an eye-catching shine.

After having her eyebrows waxed, Novachick sat still as makeup artist and aesthetician Laura Alhajj transformed her look through a combination of neutral tones and tricks of the trade. Aiming to highlight Novachick's already striking blue eyes while adhering to her request to appear natural and classy, Alhajj used the salon's signature makeup products of Sorme, an olive oil-based Italian line that is enriched with vitamins A and E. It is also protects with SPF 10 and 15 and ranges in price from $12.50 for concealer to $26.50 for the pressed-powder foundation.

Alhajj first applied luminous foundation and Believable Cover concealer, a stay-all base for lipsticks and eye shadows. She then carefully lined Novachick's eyes with a personally matched mixture of wet and dry eye shadow designed for staying power on the whirlwind day of pictures.

Alhajj then combined neutral tones of foggy and buff on the eyelids and used seashell for the highlighter. Wild rose blush was dusted on Novachick's cheeks and Envy, a rich burgundy color, was applied to her lips.

"Everybody was saying how great it looked,€VbCrLf Novachick comments about the makeup and hair she showed off after the makeover. "I hurried home and tried on my dress so I could see how it all looked together. I was very happy.€VbCrLf

She says the makeup and hair were a perfect complement to her simple off-the-shoulder, long-sleeved dress, which trails down her frame and is accented by a cathedral train.

"I didn't want to look like I was going to the prom,€VbCrLf Novachick says. "I didn't want anything puffy. I just wanted a sleek, simple design, but still very elegant.€VbCrLf