Wedding Day Do's and Don'ts

I have been a professional wedding hairstylist and makeup artist for almost 5 years now and have seen it all! When brides ask me for advice or my suggestions, I can give an honest answer because most likely I have experienced it.  I thought I would share some of my thoughts on bridal do's and don’ts.

Do

Do respect your stylist’s scheduled timeline. I can’t tell you how many times I arrive to a wedding, no one wants to be first for hair or makeup and is waiting around because they still have 5 hours until the wedding begins. Therefore, hair and makeup starts late. What happens is that last hour everyone is panicked, everything seems to be lost and out of place, and that carefree vibe that was present a few hours ago has turned to sheer panic.

                                                           
                                                                    Don't
 

By Chris Corwin (berbercarpet) (Flickr) [CC-BY-SA-2.0
 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)],
 via Wikimedia Commons

Don’t drink too much alcohol the night before your wedding. I had to service a wedding once where the bride was completely hungover from last night’s bar hopping and literally hugging the toilet the entire day. We could barely service her hair and makeup because she was constantly running to the bathroom. I felt horrible for her and let me tell you adding color back to that pale of skin is not easy!

 
Do

Just as I stress the importance of having a bridal trial it is equally important to have a spray tan trial if you decide to get a spray tan before your wedding. There are many formulas used by spray tanners and all are not created equal. I had a bride who had a pretty bad spray tan, it was literally orange. Thank goodness I use airbrush makeup and could completely customize my formula for her because I had to add orange pigment into the foundation formulation to match her skin. Otherwise her face would have not matched her orange body.









By amrufm (Flickr: Adri & Mira Wedding-4) [CC-BY-2.0
 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

Don’t

If you can afford it, don’t be involved in helping set up your wedding. Have friends or family decorating the reception hall or do it the night before. This added pressure is stressful for a bride. In most cases, the bride messes up her hair or makeup because she’s running all over the place and sweating up a storm. On your wedding day you should just relax, enjoy being pampered, and be able to live in the moment.

 

Spring 2013 Hairstyles

Are you ready for a change? Spring into the new season with an updated haircut or style. Here are some of Spring’s hottest hair trends:

 

 

Bangs are back!

One of the easiest ways to update your current hairstyle is to add some bangs. Yes they are maintenance but Spring 2013 bangs are long and easy to pin back when you don’t have the time or patience to deal with them. Plus, they are so cute and look good on just about anyone! Bangs equal instant style.

 

                                        

 

                                                 

Modern Pixie

 

Neck feeling a little jealous from the lack of sunshine? Show it some love with a modern pixie cut like Anne Hathaway. This cut is adorable, simple, yet so chic. It’s versatile and can be styled prim and properly curled under or add some texture paste for a piecy rocker look. Add some peek-a-boo highlights in the bang for a nice pop of color.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Long Graduated Bob

This is one of my favorite hairstyles of the season, the long graduated Bob. Seriously makes me consider cutting my long locks. The hairstyle is beautifully messy with long front bangs and a shorter neck hugging back.  Rock this hairstyle with big wavy curls and a nice ombre haircolor.

 

 

                                                              

 The "In-betweener"

 Not daring enough to cut it short but still wanting something drastic? Try this cute haircut I call the “In-betweener.” It’s just below the shoulders so it can still go in a ponytail, yet it has great length and movement.  It can be worn with loose curls or flat ironed for a sleek look. 

 
 
 
 
 
 

Long and layered

We all know how long hair can quickly go drab. Modernize those long locks with long layers and a prominent bang, either side swept or straight across. Add some highlights around the face to emphasize the layers. This hairstyle is great with loose curls or beachy waves.






 
 

Healthy Hair and How to Get It

I have a lot of clients that ask me questions on the perfect hair regimen. That’s kind of a tricky question because all hair is different and in some cases require different upkeep than others. There are however some similar rituals that can be adopted for every hair type.

How often should I wash my hair?

Although you may not believe it, you should not wash your hair every day. I know what you are thinking, but I have oily hair there is no way I can skip washing my hair. When you wash your hair every day you are essentially robbing your hair of it’s natural oils and therefore you are telling your hair to create more oil! It’s a vicious cycle. Ideally, you should wash your hair every 2-3 days. If you are prone to oily scalp, use a dry shampoo in between your wash days or even a little cornstarch in your roots, it will absorb the oil and make your hair more manageable and absorb the oil off your roots.

Unplug the Blow Dryer

Blow drying your hair even when using a heat spray protectant, is still damaging your hair. Your hair is at its most vulnerable state when wet. If you can skip the blow dryer at least every other wash, I promise your will see a difference in the appearance of your hair. Besides, a lot of styles today call for a loose, more natural textured hairstyle. Just let it air dry and touch it up with a wide barrel curling iron.

 

Leave-In Conditioner

I am a huge advocate for leave-in conditioner, it is a step in the perfect hair care regimen that should not be skipped. I have nursed my hair back from death when I fried it in hair school with the use of a leave in conditioner.  I have two favorites, Soy Tri-Wheat Leave In Conditioner by Sexy Hair and also It’s a 10 . Many people are weary of leave-in conditioners because they are worried it will leave their hair feeling oily. Both It's a 10 and Soy-Tri Wheat leave your hair soft, but not oily and completely manageable.

 

 

 

 

Paul Mitchell Super Skinny Serum

Once you towel dry your hair, right before blow drying it or just letting it air dry, I apply a few drops of Paul Mitchell Super Skinny Serum and comb through my hair. This product makes your hair so silky smooth and casts a beautiful shine in the sunlight. It can also be used dry. I use it to touch up my hair when it’s a bit dirty and needs some luster and I also run it through my hair after I have curled it with a curling iron. It gives it instant shine and defines the curls. Just be careful because a little goes a long way and if you use too much, it will make your hair oily.

 

 

Once a Week Deep Conditioning Treatment

 

Sunlight, air pollution, hair products, heat-all these elements do a number on our hair. I highly recommend deep conditioning your hair once a week. Just wash your hair like normal, towel dry while in the shower, apply the deep conditioner in place of your regular conditioner, and then comb through with a very wide tooth comb. You can even apply a deep conditioning treatment and cover your hair with a plastic cap, add a little heat from the blow dryer, and let it sit on your hair while you do some housework. My favorite is Macadamia Natural Oil Deep Repair Masque.

 

 

These are just a few of the important things I tell my clients when they ask me how to keep their hair healthy and color looking great. There are more specific steps for different hair types, but these few steps can be used by everyone. Good luck!

 

 

 

 

Be My Valentine..

Valentine's Day is just a couple days away and is the perfect excuse to go all out for your man!

Red and Delicious

If there is one night of the year to bust out the red lipstick, Valentine’s Day is it! Sure it’s cliché, obviously red dominates in every Valentine's Day card and decoration. But let's not forget, red is the color of passion and love. And a pretty red lip on a girl, when done correctly, will rock a guy’s world! If you are going to do a red lip, lay off the dark eyeshadow. Choose neutral shades complimented with black eyeliner and black mascara. This will put all the attention on those red hot lips. Don't want to commit to an entire tube of red lipstick, Kat Von D makes a mini lipstick duo for only $10.00 at Sephora.

                                                        

Bedroom Eyes

If the bedroom is your end goal for Valentine’s Day, get started with some bedroom eyes! You can achieve this look with false eyelashes. They are easier to apply than you think. Find eyelashes that have a thin band, these are more pliable and conform with more ease to your eye. Be sure to place the eyelash to your lash line and then see where you need to trim them. In most cases, eyelashes always need to be trimmed. And always trim them from the outside corner. Revlon makes eyelashes with the adhesive already attached, eliminates the messy glue step!

Victoria Secret Hair

Men love messy curly hair. It’s in every Victoria Secret Catalogue and believe me, in every guys fantasy. Even if you have shorter hair, you can add some “messy” sexiness to it. The curls are loose, not uniform, soft, and sultry. Makes a guy want to run his fingers through it (and make sure he can). Use a soft hold hairspray and leave your hair down, taking random sections and wrapping them loosely around a medium to large barrel curling iron. When you are done, run your fingers through it and lightly mist with the soft hold hairspray.

 

Nail him to it

Although they say nude nails are in, I am a dramatic kind of girl and say go for a bold, jewel colored tone. Compliment that red pouty lip with a beautiful shade of navy blue, royal purple, or burgundy. Believe me, he will be looking at every inch of your body including your nails!

 

Valen-TIRE

Want to make your man’s mouth water? Show up in a dress. What is sexier than seeing a woman in a beautiful dress with her legs showing and a nice heel? For me it’s jaw dropping, I find it hard not to look! It’s classy, sophisticated, and screams femininity and sexiness.

Happy Valentine's Day!

 

 

Confessions of a Beauty Queen

Many of my friends from Florida already know that I was somewhat of a pageant queen. Not as well known and famous as my beautiful sister, Samantha, she won many pageants! I have won a title or two, "Jr. Miss Teen Winter Haven" and "Miss Daytona Beach." I went on to compete in the televised Miss Florida and Miss Florida Teen Pageant, but did not place-not even close!










This is where I learned a lot about makeup and hair. At Miss Florida and Miss Florida Teen you were not allowed to have a backstage stylist for your hair and makeup, you were on your own! My dear friend and pageant pusher, Greg, made me drive half an hour after school each day to the salon to practice my hair and makeup and tan for at least 30 minutes in the tanning bed to get ready for the pageant.
Being backstage with 50 other girls, I have learned a thing or two about what goes on behind that curtain.

Butt Glue

Yes, there is such a thing! But it's not actually called "butt glue" it's a craft spray that is a strong adhesive. You spray the craft glue on your butt after you put on your swimsuit and it prevents the swimsuit from riding up while you are on stage. It's mandatory, I have seen a couple contestants that didn't use the "butt spray" and their bottoms stayed up their bottom the entire walk. Not a good look!

 

Chicken Cutlets

Whether you are in pageants or not, I'm sure you know what chicken cutlets are. They are the silicone fake breast pads that go into your swimsuit. Trust me, every girl on that stage has some sort of padding either sewn into their dresses and swimsuits or the chicken cutlets. Even if you are blessed with large breasts, the cutlets and the padding push them up and out, exactly where you want them to be.

Duct Tape

Instant push up bra! I personally had to use a combination of duct tape and sewn in pads in order to be in the same realm as some of these other contestants. And at the end of the pageant when it's time to rip it off? Ouch!

Preparation H and Saran Wrap

I have seen this stuff work miracles on girls. At the very start of the morning some contestants rub Preparation H all over their thighs and waists. After they rub in the Preparation H, they wrap their thighs and waists tight with the saran wrap and then put on pantyhose. This stays on the entire day, right up until the swimsuit competition. Would you believe that their skin does not move? Literally, it is so firm and tight when they get on the stage, incredible!





One of our appearances, I am 5th in from the left.
 

Vaseline

Ever wonder how those girls can smile for so long without cracking? Vaseline. We would put Vaseline on our teeth and gums and it allows your mouth to move freely. Many times when you are filming, the emcees will have to repeat the same segment and you are left standing on stage smiling for literally five minutes in front of the judges.



Pageants are actually a lot of fun, I had a blast competing and meeting new friends along the way. I even competed against Ericka Dunlap, Miss America 2004, she was one of my pageant friends. Who knows, maybe I will have to compete for "Mrs. Idaho" one of these days!

Do I Really Need a Foundation Primer?

If you want your makeup to stay all day, you must use a primer under your foundation. They truly make a difference in the longevity and application of your foundation. Primers are just that, they prime your skin for makeup by evening out skin tone and texture. They create a base for the makeup to evenly glide and settle onto the skin’s surfaces and contain ingredients such as silicone, waxes, and polymers which enable the foundation to stay in place longer. Being a makeup artist, I go through a lot of primer. I am always trying something new and experimenting with high end and low end products.  Here are a few primers I have used and what I thought about them.

 

Too Faced Primed and Poreless

This is an awesome primer, it is ideal for every skin color and texture. It comes in a cream form, slightly pigmented but dries colorless, and a little goes a long way! Primed and Poreless contains Vitamins A & C, mulberry extract, and a powerful dose of Retinol . At $30.00 a bottle, it’s a little pricey but definitely works.

 

 

Neutrogena Healthy Skin Healthy Skin Primer with SPF 15

I was at Walgreens the other day and stumbled upon this primer. For photography we stay away from moisturizers and primers with SPF because they reflect light from the flash of the camera and can cause your face to appear white in pictures. However, I wanted to try this primer for an everyday use and to have some sun protection. Not a fan. It’s basically a moisturizer with SPF and does nothing in terms of a primer. It’s very well priced at $13.99, but I would use it as a moisturizer only.

 

 

 

Palladio Herbal Liquid Foundation Primer

I ran out of my Too Faced Primed and Poreless and was at Sally Beauty picking up lashes for an upcoming wedding when I stumbled upon Palladio Herbal Liquid Foundation Primer. The packaging looks just like Smashbox’s Photo Finish Foundation Primer and it immediately caught my attention. The sales girl said that a lot of people had been purchasing it so I thought I would try it myself. Sally’s has a great return policy, you can return almost anything even if it’s opened and used. So at $10.79 (I have the Beauty Club Card), it was worth a try. This primer is awesome, girls! I couldn’t believe how impressed I was. I even texted a couple of my fellow makeup artists in Florida and told them about it. It does nothing for skin tone, however it evens out the skin texture and your foundation glides on smooth and effortlessly. One downside, I use more of it then the Too Faced Primed and Poreless.

 

These are just a few that I have tried and I will continue to seek out more, there is always something new on the market. Also, primers are applied after your moisturizer and with a sponge. In most cases, you need just a pea sized amount, a little more with the Palladio.

 

www.blushNbeauty.com

 

 

 

Which Foundation is Right for Me?

We have all been there, walking the aisles trying to find the perfect foundation. In most cases, we buy the wrong one, end up hating the results, and it ends up in that stash pile  of old makeup at the back of your dresser drawer. Or, we go to a makeup counter, get sold on the newest, most expensive foundation that the sales associate, in most cases not even a licensed makeup artist, suggests and again, unhappy! Well ladies, I am going to give you a quick breakdown on foundation so that you are able to make an educated decision and purchase a foundation that's perfect for you!

So what are the real differences in foundations? A ton. Here is a breakdown of all the different types of foundations. There are powder, liquid, cream, airbrush, cream-to-powder, mineral, and even tinted moisturizers (those count too). No wonder it’s so hard to decide, there are a ton brands and each brand has 5 or more types of foundation to sell you.

 

                                                                                            

Powder Foundation



MAC Studio Fix Plus Foundation

Powder foundation is just that, a foundation that comes in a compact, applied with either a sponge or brush, and aim to give you the same look as a cream or liquid foundation. That is not always the case. Powder foundations are fantastic for people with oily skin, sensitive skin, and those who are looking for a lighter coverage. They are not good for those with dry skin because they do not hydrate the skin and will appear flaky when applied to dry skin. They are great for everyday use but need to be touched up frequently. My all time favorite is MAC Studio Fix Plus Foundation. I have entire pallet of these powders and my sister is a huge fan too!

                                       

Make Up Forever HD Foundation

Liquid Foundations


MAC Studio Fix Fluid
 

Liquid foundations are obviously in a liquid form and are applied with a sponge or foundation brush. Unlike powder foundation, liquids are not ideal for oily skin types. A lot of makeup artists use liquid foundations because they have a “buildable” coverage. Meaning you have the freedom of deciding just how much coverage you want by applying it in layers on the skin. This foundation is great for people with combination or normal skin and can be used everyday. The biggest downfall is that they are a little messy and can sometimes feel heavy on the skin. Two of my favorites are MAC Studio Fix Fluid and Make Up Forever HD Foundation.

 

Airbrush Foundation

Dior 'Diorskin Airflash' Spray Foundation
 

Ok, so airbrush foundation is my favorite foundation ever! It looks amazing on your skin, creates a flawless complexion, and it lasts for hours. I have airbrushed brides on a Saturday morning and they have danced all night at their wedding, slept a few hours, boarded their plane for their honeymoon, and still looking good as they arrive in Jamaica, not kidding. Airbrushing is great for every skin type, feels weightless on the skin, and even ideal for sensitive skin. The downside is that it's expensive and must be applied with an airbrushing system. However, there are some airbrush foundations that come in a can that are getting great reviews such as Dior 'Diorskin Airflash' Spray Foundation. It costs around $62.00 a bottle and is pretty comparable to airbrushing with an airbrush system.

MAC Studio Tech

Cream Foundation

Probably my favorite go-to foundation, besides airbrushing, is cream foundation. Cream foundations are fabulous because they are compatible with most skin types, are a buildable coverage, and a little goes a long way. And when used with a good oil absorbing primer, can be used for someone with oily skin that wants a full coverage foundation. I personally use a cream foundation for everyday use and my favorite is MAC Studio Tech.

 



Urban Decay Surreal Skin

 

 Cream to Powder

Cream-to-powder foundations are a lot like cream foundations, but they dry to a matte powder. I would recommend this type of foundation for oily, combination, and normal skin. They can appear flaky on dry skin, but again great for everyday use. Urban Decay makes an awesome cream-to-powder foundation called Surreal Skin. 

 Mineral




Bare Minerals

I hear this term thrown around so much in the makeup industry. Mineral foundation comes in many forms, powders, liquids, creams, etc. “Mineral” foundation is foundation that has minerals added. It is ideal for those with sensitive skin. In essence, they are marketed to believe they are composed of more pure ingredients that have replaced most other ingredients found in makeup like dyes, binders, and fragrances. In some cases that is true, in other cases inflated. I personally think mineral makeup is great for some people but not others, it tends to settle into fine lines and wrinkles and can look flaky on dry skin types. They are marketed towards sensitive skin but I have seen mineral makeup irritate skin, my self included. However, a lot of my clients rave about Bare Minerals and I agree, it is beautiful on the skin.

 Tinted Moisturizer

 Tarte Smooth Operator Amazonian Clay Tinted Moisturizer SPF20



Tinted moisturizers are basically pigmented face lotions. They are great for occasions when you want to have some coverage but not overdone. BB Creams also fall under this category and most tinted moisturizers have become BB Creams. Some women, myself included love tinted moisturizer with just a little bronzer. Most contain minerals and sunscreens, and feel just like lotion on your skin. My favorite tinted moisturizer
 is Tarte Smooth Operator Amazonian Clay Tinted Moisturizer SPF 20.

 

My clients ask me a lot of questions about foundations, so I decided I needed to share what I knew. I encourage you to also keep a couple different types of foundation in your makeup arsenal. Your skin changes with every season and it’s great to always have options. Keep a full coverage foundation around for those big nights out on the town or special occasions when you will be photographed. Still unsure, message me and I would happy to help you find the perfect foundation!

 www.blushNbeauty.com