Danielle Zarrilli Petry of Beautifully Bronzed and Bare wants you to look – and feel – your best for that walk down the aisle
Your hair and makeup artists are an essential part of your wedding day team, but it’s often those smaller details that ultimately pull your bridal look together – a stunning white smile, perfectly curved brows, and a beautiful bronze glow that commands attention from everyone in the room.
Those all-important details are what motivate Danielle Zarrilli Petry, owner of Beautifully Bronzed and Bare (a BOLI Preferred Vendor). She brings years of passion and experience to her privately-owned studio, and she’s constantly inspired by the brides-to-be that walk through her doors.
“I finally get to help people not feel the way I did growing up.” – Beautifully Bronzed and Bare
At first, Danielle was interested in pursuing another trade within the beauty industry. “I initially went to beauty school because I only wanted to do makeup,” she recalled. “You couldn’t even talk to me about anything else. But you just can’t walk out of beauty school and become a makeup artist.”
As she was building her portfolio, Danielle decided to get a job at a popular skincare franchise. “Fresh out of beauty school, I worked at European Wax Center and I fell in love with the waxing and skincare part of everything. I’m Italian, so when I was younger I had hairier arms and sideburns and everything. So I thought, ‘Oh! I finally get to help people not feel the way I did growing up.’”
Her talents and professionalism were quickly noticed within the company, and soon European Wax Center promoted her to regional trainer. But a BOLI leader pushed Danielle to branch out independently. “When I met Heather [Cunningham, Brides of Long Island founder], she told me ‘you have to go off and do this on your own.’ European Wax Center was a great place to start, but I had been there for 11 years. I was ready. I got my own studio, and this past September was our three-year anniversary.”
“It’s the most rewarding feeling, because I know I’ve done my job correctly.” – Beautifully Bronzed and Bare
After opening her own studio, Danielle soon began adding other services to her repertoire. “Primarily I do waxing and spray tan, but I also do lash lifts and tints, teeth whitening, dermaplaning, and brow henna,” she said. “I’m in the process of adding another service as well, hopefully by the end of the year.”
And while she’s constantly striving to expand her knowledge and offerings, Danielle still holds a deep love for the skills that brought her into the business. “Waxing and spray tanning are definitely my favorite services, waxing because I’ve been doing it forever. I could do it with my eyes closed.”
“There’s nothing better to me than waxing somebody’s eyebrows, and seeing the look on their face when I give them the mirror,” Danielle described. “It’s the most rewarding feeling because I know I’ve done my job correctly. Your brows frame your face, so when you have good brows, you feel good about yourself. That’s the best feeling to me.”
“I love seeing the final product.” – Beautifully Bronzed and Bare
Danielle appreciates her entire client base, but she has a special place in her heart for brides. “I just love interacting with brides, getting to know them and how they met their fiancé, and making them feel really good about themselves” she detailed.
Being a part of a wedding team is an incredibly rewarding experience for Danielle. “I love seeing the final product, when brides send me their pictures in their dresses. I feel the same way about tanning as I do about brows – being tan makes everybody look and feel good.”
She’s been lucky enough to work with an almost immeasurable number of soon-to-be brides, but one in particular stands out in Danielle’s memory. “I had a bride who found me on Brides of Long Island, and she ended up booking her entire bridal party with me,” she recounted. “They all came two nights before the wedding, and it was such a fun ‘girls’ night out.’ I got to listen to all their stories about how they met the bride, and got to see how they interacted. The best part was that I asked her to send me some professional photos when she got them, and she ended up sending me her entire album. She said ‘I can’t decide. I love every single photo. My makeup, hair, spray tan – everything was so amazing. So you have to decide!’”
“Those 60 seconds are something you’ll remember forever.” – Beautifully Bronzed and Bare
As a former bride herself, Danielle has some thoughtful words of advice when it comes to your wedding. “Because of my own experience, I would say just let everything roll off your back,” she recommended. “Everything that went wrong on my wedding day – which was literally everything – I knew about. And it truly affected my day to the point where, looking back, I don’t think ‘wow, what a great day.’ So do not let anybody or anything bother you. Nothing is going to bring this day back. You have to enjoy it.’”
Even though Danielle doesn’t have the fondest of wedding day memories, she does treasure one special moment. “Take a minute, 60 seconds of the day with your husband. Go in the corner of the ballroom, just the two of you, and look at everything. Even though my day was horrible, I did do that with [my husband] Matt and it was the best part. Those 60 seconds are something you’ll remember forever.”