Thursday, March 22, 2012

Food For Thought...

...If time and money were no factor in your life, what would you do and who would you spend your time with??

thinkaboutit...

Wednesday, March 21, 2012

My Philosophy On Beauty

I believe that every woman wants to look and feel like the best version of herself. She wants to put her best face forward for the world to see. It is so easy for women to look in a magazine and see images of models and celebrities, and feel as though they must do their best to look like they just stepped out of that magazine too. But lets be totally real and honest; most ordinary women dont have the time, energy, or training to make themselves look that way. But it is a fact that every woman just wants to look beautiful, feminine, put together, and confident.

I have seen other makeup artists literally make women look like drag queens on their wedding day, using heavy foundation or eye makeup or severe lip liner. In my opinion, most women just want to look like themselves...especially on their wedding day. I have seen hair stylists create a look that they think will be perfect for their client, however, the look is totally un-managable for the client to maintain or impossible to re-create at home. All women want is to look and feel fabulous, without having to use tons of products, time, or major skill to achieve the look.

I believe very strongly in simplicity. But I also believe in glamour. Basically, I believe a woman should be simply glamourous. When a woman steps out of my hair or makeup styling chair, they should feel that the look they are walking away with makes them look efforlessly glamourous. They should feel like the world is looking at them for all the right reasons. They should feel confident that the look that was created for them enhances all of their best features, and brings out their natural beauty. They should feel confident that they can maintain their hairstyle at home, even if it doesnt look exactly how I, as a stylist, did it. They should feel that the makeup application that they received made them look like it was just them, only enhanced. And, they should feel like they have taken away a few new tips and skills that will allow for them to make themselves look and feel the same way in between salon visits.

Beauty is not about looking perfect. Beauty is about being you. Because nobody is perfect, yet there is still beauty within everybody. And if I can help to bring that beauty out, whether it be for your wedding day, photography session, special event, or even just a regular salon visit to pamper yourself and make you feel fabulous, then I feel like I am doing my part within the Professional Industry of Beauty, and really conveying the message about what "Beauty" TRULY is.

That is my take on beauty. That is what I believe women want. How do I know? Because I am a woman. And even though I love providing hair and makeup services on others as well as myself, I'm also a very low maintenance girl. I understand that women dont have time for a full face of makeup and to style their hair up. Because I sometimes dont have time myself. I understand that a woman just wants to look and feel like herself, because I want to feel the same way. I get that most women dont really even have the skill or training to create the look that I create for them. Because at one point, I didnt have it either...I just had the interest and passion in order to learn.


:)

Thursday, March 1, 2012

Bridal Photoshoot

Hey guys and girls! I have to tell you about how much fun I had yesterday! I've been dying to just style someone up and take some bridal inspired photos just for the fun of it. So when Lydia, one of the girls on my Beauty Angels Hair and Makeup Squad, told me that she had a wedding gown, I was all over it! I immediately contacted my good photographer friend Kevin Auger and set up a photoshoot.

The shoot took place at my studio, M.A.W.Beauty Hair & Makeup Studio. Lydia arrived early that morning and we got right to work. She showed me her gown and veil, and we decided to keep her looking very classic. Lydia is absolutely gorgeous, and has somewhat of a vintage and innocent vibe to her, so I wanted the photos reflect that. Lydia is also in her early 20's, so I wanted the pictures to also reflect the fact that she is still young. So we went to work!

We had about four or five different looks. We had lots of different accessories to play with, from hair combs, to clips, to earrings, and her GORGEOUS veil. (SIDEBAR: Lydia's veil made me want to go out and buy a veil just to wear on a daily basis...it was absolutely BEAUTIFUL!) Some of the looks we did included having Lydia's hair out with loose curls, then pinned into a low bun, then out and wild, and then up in a high, carefree top bun. The makeup didnt really change much throughout the shoot. We did a natural, slightly smoky eye, and for the lips, we went from a coral to a light pink, to a brighter pink, to a red lip.

This shoot was so much fun for me because my studio was in such dissaray, there were people all over the place (one of my other Beauty Angels, Samantha F. was there, and my friend Nora stopped by as well), and we got pretty creative with just the few decorative items that I had around the studio! This just goes to show how you can create such beauty with just a little creativity.

I haven't seen all of the pictures yet, but Kevin posted a few of them online and I snatched them up really quick! I'm so excited to see the rest of the pictures, and as soon as I get them, I will be posting! But until then, here are three shots that I am totally in love with! Hope you enjoy!!





Friday, February 24, 2012

Are Bridal Hair and Makeup Trials REALLY Important?

When planning a wedding, brides usually make sure to schedule all of the important things like cake and food tasting, viewing of your venue, meeting your photographer, and things of that nature. For some reason, though, it sometimes seems like hair and makeup are overlooked. In addition to scheduling all of the other important activities when planning your wedding, its also super important for a bride to schedule a hair and makeup trial with her stylist prior to the wedding date.

Why is it so important? Well, the purpose of a trial is to work out all of the details of how you will look on your wedding day. Trials make things easier for both the bride and the stylist because everything is totally spelled out. Trials for the stylist allow us to determine exactly what products we will be using for your look, how much or how little we need, and also we figure out exactly what look you are hoping to achieve, and work with you to create your vision. For the bride, trials are important because they allow you to rest assured that you will look exactly how you imagined on your wedding day.

Generally, for a hair trial, I like for my clients to arrive with clean, dry hair. This way, the hair isnt too oily, and if I need to add product to make the hair a little more "dirty", I can do that without worrying about product buildup. It is also important that when having a hair trial done, the bride should bring any hair accessories such as a veil, tiara, clips, or pins. This will give you a clearer idea of what your hair will look like on the day of your wedding. Also, if you have any pictures that will help you describe your dream hair-do, bring those along too.

For your makeup trial, it is always necessary to start with a clean face. You should also bring pictures that may help you best describe how you'd like your makeup to look, then your makeup artist will offer advice and opinions on what might be best for you. During your makeup trial, you can determine whether or not traditional foundation or airbrush foundation is right for you. Also, colors will be chosen that will compliment your skin tone and makeup you look your absolute best.

Trials are also SOOO important because not only do they show you how you will look on your wedding day, but you are also able to find out how long your look will last. You will figure out any hair and makeup weaks that need to be made, and also find out the staying power of your look. So, do you see the importance of having a trial? Bridal beauty trials are nothing to be skipped!! Remeber, a photo can last forever! Now that we are in the digital age, your entire wedding album may end up on FaceBook, and can be shared through the internet for years to come. So its important to make sure that your look is on point for your big day. By booking a trial, you will save yourself a lot of stress on your wedding day!

Wednesday, February 22, 2012

Get Your Glow On

One of my favorite beauty trends for the upcoming Spring season is gorgeous glowing skin. I'm really loving this trend because it is just a natural, simple look that is so easy to get. Here are a few tips and products that will help you achieve the look of fabulous, fresh, glowing skin!

TIP #1: Exfoliate. In order for your skin to shine through, it is necessary to remove any dead skin cells that may be causing your skin to look dull. When you expose new skin cells, your skin LOOKS renewed and it will glow. I love Arbonne's FC5 Exfoliating New Cell Scrub, which gently exfoliates dead skin in order to produce a more radiant, youthful glow. Another product that I love, also from Arbonne, is the RE9 Cellular Renewal Masque. This product is genious. Enzymes help this product to provide an immediate, radiant glow, and also improve your skin tone, help with any discoloration, and create a poreless surface on the skin. This trend is wonderful, and these products are holy grail.

TIP #2: Moisturize. Just do it dog gone it! After all this exfoliation, and even without it, its so important to replace moisture into your skin. My favorite way to hydrate right now is with Arbonne's RE9 Advanced Intensive Renewal Serum and RE9 Advanced Restorative Day Creme. These products keep your skin hydrated, contain ingredients that make your skin very radiant and glowing, and are lightweight so that you dont feel like you have layers on your skin.

TIP #3: Highlight. My personal favorite highlighter is Arbonne's Sheer Glow Highlighter. This creamy liquid highlighter is wonderful because it can be used alone, or mixed into your moisturizer or foundation for an all over glow. By using it this way, your entire face will have a beautiful, healthy glow. You can also just use it in targeted areas of the face, such as cheekbones, browbones, bridge of the nose, and cupid's bow. Either way, whether using a powder highlighter or a liquid, make sure that you're using one! Your skin will look fabulous!

Bridal Beauty Trends

This bridal season, there are quite a few fabulous beauty trends that I'm excited to see. When it comes to bridal, I have a very classic and natural style, however, I also love the vintage 1950's look as well. I'm so happy to see that both of my favorite styles are becoming more popular and will be seen on brides all season!

Here are my top 3 bridal trends for the upcoming 2012 Bridal Season:

1. Bold Lips.
I think this may be my favorite. Brides will be wearing more of a "stand-out" lip this season, which is think is great. Faces will be kept very natural and dewy looking, but the lip will be more of a "pop" color. Tangerine, corals, pinks, plums, and reds will be seen, however, even with a bolder lip, the total look will still look natural, classy, and put together.

2. Buns.
Messy buns. Structured buns. Top buns. Low buns. Side buns. Do you get it?? Actually, THIS may be my favorite trend of the season! I'm such a low maintenance girl, and I can very often be found with my hair in a bun. Any variation of a bun is something I love. Buns are classic, classy, and simply gorgeous. You can create so many different looks with a bun, and you can dress it up in so many different ways. I cant express my love for hair that is in a bun, so I'm extremely excited to see all the brides this season with a bun of their own!

3. Metallics and Peaches.
So, I combined 2 trends into one because I love both of them so much. This season, beautiful golds and bronzes are going to be seen a lot. Accents of these colors in your makeup will bring your skin a beautiful, warm glow. Golden bronzers and eyeshadows will be very popular, and peachy, coral colored, glossy lips will be all the rage. I'm super excited for this trend because I love golden and peach colors! Something about them just screams SUMMER to me! They bring a beautiful warmth to the skin, show off blue eyes, and make you feel and looks glamourously natural!


I cant wait to see (and do!!) all of these trends this year! What are some of your favorite bridal trends for 2012?!