Monday, August 31, 2009

Promtastic!

A bit late, I know. Here are a few pictures of prom make-up I did for my sister Taryn and her friends back in June. My mom and I were pretty sad as this was the last time we would work together on Operation Prom. When I was in high school (a long time ago) my mom designed and sewed all of my prom dresses, just like she used to do for her own proms. There's nothing quite like having something custom made to fit your size and shape. Since I'm seven years older than my sister, she was fortunate enough to have a hair stylist and make-up artist on hand for all five proms she went to. And my awesome mom made a dress for each and every one. This last one was my favorite as I could easily see the shape and style of it translate nicely into a wedding gown. The big bow was the best part! And it was high pressure for my mom and me since my sister was on the prom court. Since the dress was such a soft pretty color, I didn't want to take away from it by putting on harsh colors so I did more definition with black eyeliner and I chose some eye shadows that were more blush toned. For teenage make-up, it is super important to me that the look is age appropriate, natural, but still pretty.
Then as a final touch I complimented every one's cheeks with a shimmer highlight which gives a nice glow in pictures.
Here is a shot of Sydney and her cutie pie prom date. Luckily for Sydney, she had a natural glowing tan from swim practice. Thanks girls for letting me paint your faces for the last four years. I'll miss my baby sister who will always be the rosy, chubby-cheeked tot whose hair I used to braid. Good luck girls! Your faces are now on their own. Always remember to moisturize and blend, blend, blend!

Wedding Envy

There are moments in life that make you realize the magic that can happen when all the right people come together. Kristina and Soren's wedding made me step back and think about what a wedding is really all about.

What do you get when your mother-in-law to be runs her own catering business, lives on a beautiful ranch property where the sun always shines, pours punch from a fountain on her patio, and barters photography for cases of wine? You get a beautiful heartfelt wedding that outdoes every other fancy wedding you've ever been to. You forget about the comforts of a padded chair when you're eating organic veggies on a bale of hay. You get a duet of guitars that welcome you as you walk down a dirt aisle. You realize you are having the wedding of your dreams and the best part is that it doesn't cost you a thing.

When you wear the dress of the woman who raised your husband into the man that he is today, the sparkling antique diamond ring of his grandmother and flowers in your hair grown in the gardens where your husband played as a little boy, you get the most cost effective, sentimental, meaningful day of your life. And as a make-up artist you get to prepare the bride outside in the most beautiful natural light possible. You also get a bride near tears, hence the reason that waterproof mascara is so important on your wedding day. If you're fortunate like me you get to participate in the wedding of good friends. And if you're lucky enough to be Soren you get to spend the rest of your life with a beautiful wife like Kristina. It was everything a wedding should be- a simple celebration of the couple without the hassles of uncomfortable tuxedos, the bright light of chandeliers, or bad banquet food lit by dim candlelight, eaten with heavy silverware. Kristina's wedding was inexpensive yet personal and oh so very beautiful. Cheers to the newlyweds who threw one of my favorite backyard bridal bashes ever!

At the Claremont Hotel

Preview. Just wanted to post a snapshot of Deanna's wedding prep at the Claremont Hotel, a beautiful venue with spacious rooms to host your wedding party. Deanna was a super calm bride lucky enough to have a massage therapist for a cousin who worked on her in the room- a nice treat to relax before getting hair and make-up done! An event planner for California Rose Catering in Berkeley, the ever-organized Deanna had things running smoothly all afternoon. Two moms, three bridesmaids, a few pitchers of mimosas and one set of lashes later we were off and running! Yes Nate, Deanna is gorgeous. High five! More pictures coming soon!

Kristina's Wedding


Preview. Here's a sneak peek at my friend Kristina's ranch wedding in Mendocino County. Her maid of honor (my lovely cousin Jessie) did a great job putting it all together. Complete with punch fountain, pregnant goat, barefoot bartenders, gorgeous gardens and the first dance by a beehive (yes, a real active beehive!), Kristina's wedding was one of the most intimate and special weddings I've ever attended. I'm awaiting more photos from her new husband and will post when I can!



Sunset Photoshoot

The Hot Toddies. Bernal Hill in San Francisco during sunset is amazing. But what is it about fancy photoshoots that gets people walking towards what is going on, rather than staying out of the shot? Nevertheless the seven of us had a great time. This shoot happened right before the Toddies flew across the pond to tour in jolly old England.

The fabulous photographer Rachel Styler offered her Mission home for the Toddies to get ready. Not only was her home beautiful but she supplied the cheese and wine (which I declined to drink until I had finished everyone's make-up). Super stylist Mary Dyann Kees, who has worked with the best in the fashion industry from New York and beyond, brought suitcases full of corsets, velvet skirts and platform oxfords for a funky tea party costume theme. The Toddies looked hot!
Everyone had on lots of eyeliner and false lashes (for the bargain price of $3 from Longs Drugstore). I would say the most challenging thing was finding the right colors to go with Erin's pink hair. She ended up with a teal eyeshadow to match her earrings and a stained pink lip.Blush and foundation are really important for outdoor shoots where the light is pure and bright. If you're considering an outdoor shoot for engagement photos, be sure to powder down the center of your face to keep too much light from reflecting off your face and creating a glare. Also, faces can look too pale or washed out if there isn't enough color on the cheeks and lips, especially if pictures are taken from a distance.

The photos will be used for an upcoming album or publication. I learned a lot from shooting during this time of day and I was so excited to be a part of this fun shoot. Currently The Hot Toddies are on a nationwide tour spreading their fun songs such as "Motorscooter", "Seattle" (which mentions buttcheeks) and "HTML". Check out their music page to find out where they are playing next.
Cheers from the Hot Toddies (and me)!

First Faces

Theresa and Rob. Their May wedding morning began at their home in San Francisco and was captured by the awesome and friendly Cate Corbitt. Hair was designed by Camilla Betteridge, a sweet lil' lady and talented stylist. The morning's atmosphere was calm and endearing with Rob's family shuffling around in their robes and sipping coffee. Getting ready at home with was a great, relaxing experience that allowed every one to run about, check themselves in the mirrors and snack on Chinese buns. The roomy kitchen table gave Camilla and me plenty of space to work and and spread out all of our supplies.
Theresa had been planning on doing her make-up herself, but after a last minute referral from her cousin via my cousin Svetlana (thanks Svet!) we met up one week before the wedding and designed her look. Theresa is a minimalist and wanted to look the same in person as in pictures, so we designed a very light handed look. Using long wear, tear-proof eyeliner in black (always black!) and natural looking lashes by Shu Uemura, her soft focus look came together beautifully. I think she looked stellar.

Theresa was a smart lady. She had her own Channel lipstick, pencil and gloss on hand (Rouge Allure #32) and was able to touch up throughout the day. The lipstick color also worked great later that evening when she changed to a traditional red Chinese dress.
Her San Francisco City Hall wedding included one maid of honor, Liana, who went for a stone colored eyeshadow, a stronger lip and of course, plenty of blush.

I loved the palette of the flowers against the graphic print of Liana's dress (which was a smart find from Banana Republic!). Theresa's sequined dress was also really special and different. She really was the calmest bride I've ever seen and I was really inspired by the colors and flowers of her wedding.

If you're looking to do your make-up on your own and you want something foolproof and simple, make sure you get matched for the perfect foundation color. You don't want to get your pictures back and realize you were a few shades off. I recommend a foundation stick which offers full coverage and a natural, easy formula to blend. Also consider a bright blush (like Apricot by Bobbi Brown) which will really pop in photographs.