Vanessa's wedding hair and makeup trial

Vanessa and Dave were married on Saturday 17th of November this year at Peter Seppelt's Winery in Springton, South Australia. They were having a very relaxed wedding and since she and her sisters (aka her bridesmaids) usually didn't wear makeup anyways she wanted something simple and natural. So we went with soft colours and a side do so she could have David austin roses in her hair to match her bouquet. Don't mind my crappy photography skills (or lack of…) of her hair and makeup trial done late one night after work in my home studio.

Belinda's wedding hair - Chignon

I wanted to share some pictures I took on my phone of Belinda's wedding hair from Sunday. I love structured updos! This is a very classic style that would suit a lot of different wedding themes and dress styles and since everything is up and out of the way you don't have to worry about hair dropping, getting in your face or on your neck. A very resilient style for those wet windy days or crazy hot days!

We didn't get to have a trial beforehand as Belinda is from Melbourne but since she had already gotten married in April (in Melbourne, where they live and had celebrations with Cam's family in Queensland and now the big Italian wedding in Adelaide with Belinda's family) I already knew the style could be done on her hair as she had pictures from her wedding with the exact same style. 

The only thing we changed on the day was not using her clip in hair extensions since her hair had grown longer since April it wasn't absolutely necessary. For those with shorter and thinner hair remember this style is still achievable with clip in hair extensions and padding and can be made smaller, bigger, higher or lower for a different feel to suit your style.

Vanessa and Dave's profession wedding photos

Below are Vanessa and Dave's professional wedding photos taken by her amazing photographer Carla of  Carla Mucucci Photography to give you an idea of how a professional photographer, time, light and atmosphere (in your dress with your flowers and friends and family to share in your happiness) can really transform how you look and feel.

Interesting story, Adelaide is very small and the wedding industry even smaller. Imagine the photographer's surprised when she walked in to see her sister aka my second artist doing the bridesmaids hair and mother of the brides hair and makeup! So thats how I've had access to these photos, having connections and Facebook stalking lol, otherwise I'd be too scared to ask for photos and hence why i don't usually have any wedding photos to share on my blog.

First ever wedding blog feature - Style Me Pretty.com

What a great start to the month! Aroha and Derrick's Engagement shoot that I did makeup for was featured on StyleMePretty.com today! My first ever featured makeup work on a wedding blog! You can see all the photos on their 3 page gallery. Can you tell i'm excited! :D When I first started this was  something i've always wanted to acomplish but didn't think was possible for a few years to come so i'm very grateful for the opportunity and outcome to working with such amazing South Australian wedding vendors.

Aroha and Derrick are such a cute couple and Bree from Life in still photography did such an amazing job at capturing them. Everyting just came together beautifully from the location at Lyndoch Lavender Farm in the Barossa Valley to the gorgeous floral arrangements from  Poppies Flowers.

Yaby Something Bright palette - swatches

My Yaby Something Bright palette. I always carry it around just in case i get that one bride who'll much rather colour over neutrals but that hasn't ever happened and with trials I know beforehand anyways so not really necessary to carry around for weddings. I'm thinking of rearranging my palettes so I can carry wedding colours in just one palette otherwise I'll neglect my colourful palettes and some of the wedding friendly colours in them because I can't be bothered opening too many palettes at once… but it's really hard to condense your kit when you're a hoarder :p

Yaby World of Peal Paints palette - swatches

Did I mention I love palettes, especially if they hold a lot of colours and are compact. I always carry 3 Yaby eyeshadow palettes around so I can have a choice between 120 shadows but to be honest I hardly need to open 2 of them as most of my work is bridal but I like it when my palettes are uniform and they fit into my drawers unlike my other palettes. Like my Yaby dramatically neutral palette these eye shadows are very pigmented and these pearl paints are also water resistant. I love looking at all the pretty colours together! Enjoy the swatches :)

Makeup Forever Aqua Rouge swatches

I love statement lips so for bolder lip colours I keep the Makeup Forever Aqua Rogues in my kit. They work the same as the Makeup Studio lip fluids, long wearing, waterproof and easy to touch up but unlike the Makeup studio lip fluids (where i'd have to order them for you) clients can actually purchase these themselves from Media Makeup at $38. I haven't had the chance to use them for a bride yet but heres to hoping :)

Yaby dramatically neutral palette - swatches

The Yaby dramatically neutral palette is possibly my favourite (and most used) eyeshadow palette. I never leave home without it when doing weddings (or any makeup for that matter), It's so compact yet I have 40 colours in the palm of my hands with a variety of different finishes that covers anything from a natural eye to a smokey eye. The pans may be small but the shadows are so pigmented and last forever because you end up using less. If you do happen to finish a colour it can be replaced with another colour, genius!

Makeup Studio Australia Durable lip fluid swatches

Recently I've been putting my brides onto the Makeup Studio Australia's Durable lip fluids which promise to be waterproof, smudge-proof and kiss-proof. Usually I give clients a variety of lip products to choose from as everyone is different but I just haven't come across anything to be as long lasting as these lip fluid and gloss combo.

They aren't cheap at $38.90 a pop but essentially you'll be getting two items, a lipstick and a gloss. Its a double ended wand with colour on one side and gloss on the other. Colour is applied with the doe foot wand and once it's completely dried you apply the gloss with its brush wand which locks the colour in place and gives it a natural or high gloss shine depending on how much you apply. They come in a variety of colours and I always suggest that if it's a colour you can see yourself wearing everyday then it would be worth it to invest for your wedding day as touching up is as easy as reapplying gloss. You can always use other glosses with them but unfortunately it doesn't have the same staying power but still longer than a normal lipstick.

Aroha & Derrick's Engagement shoot

Today I came home to a CD in the post from Photographer Bree of Life in Still Photography. The photos were from Aroha and Derrick's engagement shoot, that i'd done makeup for a few weeks ago. Yay. Everything about the shoot from the lovely couple to the flowers and location are amazing! So I just had to share, you can find the rest of the photos from this shoot on Bree's blog.

Photographer: Bree Vracic

Flowers: Poppies Flowers

Makeup: Yours truely :)

Lilly in the field shoot - product list

Just thought i'd share the list of products used to achieve Lillie's look in Fawn Magazine. I love flowers and  coloured lips... can you tell? We kept her makeup simple and i only applied a light wash of gold on her eyes so that her lips would stand out more. Her hair was curled using a conical and brushed out for a nice wave to compliment each flower head piece. 

Sedale's portfolio shoot

I just wanted to share some pictures of Pride Model Sedale's portfolio shoot that I did hair and makeup for on the weekend with photographer Marryam Lum. We started off with natural clean beauty and wavy hair, then added more subtle colour to her makeup palette and changed her hairstyle with each different look that was styled by stylist Imogen Sabel so she could have a bit of variety to choose from. Which has actually made it harder for me to choose which pictures to post so instead i've uploaded a few too many of my favs, the rest can be seen on Marryams blog and i've also listed all the products used down the bottom.

First Hairstyling work featured on Fashionising.com

I'm not sure how I managed to miss this but a shoot I did hairstyling for has been featured on Fashionising.com... for over 5 months now!

I've uploaded some of my favourite pictures that didn't make it into the feature but shows the 4 different hairstyles I was asked to style as well as the screenshot from Fashionising.com I took, just click on the link to go see the full size pictures on their website.

First published editorial and tear sheet!

A few months ago I worked with the talented Marryam of Marryam Lum photography and Lilli from Pride Models on a photo shoot that was just published in Fawn Magazine! The simple makeup, flowing hair, pretty clothes and colourful flowers were very fitting for the spring issue and appropriately name Lilly in the fields. You can find the rest of the photos that didn't make it into the feature on Marryam's blog.

La femme blush swatches pt 2

My second blush palette from La femme with the colours I picked out as my first palette wasn't as colourful as it could be. I notice as I love doing bridal work I do tend to use some colours more than others so I think I may need to find a smaller empty palette to carry the more popular colours from the two as their palettes a little too long to fit in my kit...

Any ways onto the swatches, I just wanted to mention the pictures below were swatched with my fingers so they are quite pigmented and look harsh but when used with a light hand and applied with a brush they will look more natural and blend on the skin. I used a brush to blend the blushes lightly after they were swatched to give a better idea of colours but obviously it is best to apply lightly and add more as needed rather than too much and trying to buff it back. With all blushes remember to tap off excess product so you don't over apply, however if you do find yourself applying too much, a little bit of powder on your brush will help to tone down and blend the colours more.

La femme blush swatches pt 1

Swatches of my blushes from La femme cosmetics. I carry these around cause there are quite a few colours to choose from, from the one palette. This was a pre made palette I purchased from Camera ready cosmetics that was designed to suit a variety of different skin tones. Mind you I probably only use a few favourites though seeing as most of my work is bridal. They are quite pigmented as you can see from the swatches and  if you do your research will know that La femme manufacture and repackage for a well known Australian cosmetics brand.
Remember powder goes on powder so even if you don't like powdering your face after a liquid foundation at least powder your cheeks so it helps make blending your blush easier.

Graftobian corrector swatches

Swatches of my Graftobian corrector palette which is quite creamy and easy to blend. Not something I use too often but I always carry it in my kit anyway just in case. Correctors are used before foundation (or can even be mixed with foundation) as opposed to concealers which is used after foundation.
Correctors work by using opposite colours on the colour wheel to cancel each other out therefore hiding imperfections. So Soft Orange Neutral neutralises blue, Yellow Hi-Lite cancels deep reds and purples, Muted Green removes redness, Pink Hi-Lite counteracts greys or browns and Extra Hi-Lite is a light highlighter.

Soft Orange Neutral, Yellow Hi-Lite, Muted Green, Pink Hi-Lite, Extra Hi-Lite.

Claudia's wedding hair

Such a beautiful day for a wedding, congratulations Claudia and Tyrone! I just wanted to share some pictures of the hairstyles I did this morning for Claudia's wedding party.

Inglot eyeshadow swatches

At a wedding I did a few months ago the bride bought in her own inglot 3 eyeshadow palette which reminded me I hadn't used mine in a while. So I took mine out and remembered what great bridal colours I'd picked out and since I just used it on my most recent bride I though i'd swatch it for you guys.

The only reason why I don't carry this or any of my other Inglot palettes in my bridal kit is because it's so heavy! It doesnt seem like much but when you stack 2 or 3 on top of each other it takes up a lot of room and weighs a ton.

I like magnetised palettes cause you can swap and change colours as needed. A great tip with these, if you want to pop them out, use the edge of the lid to tap the back of the palette. If you try to tap in the middle of each eyeshadow pan you can pop one out at a time.

Inglot AMC lip pencil swatches

My favourite go to lip liners. I initially bought these as I like matt lip colours and the makeup artist at Inglot suggest I use these under their lipstick since I found them to be  a bit too creamy.
The Inglot AMC lip pencils are larger than average pencils so it's much quicker to line and fill in the whole lips. As with all matt lip products it can be drying so make sure you prep your lips before hand (dry cracked lips are a definite no no). If you're not in to matt lipstick you can just use them as liners or easily change their texture with a bit of gloss, something I like to do so it gives a softer colour and doesnt look to harsh with more natural makeup.

A great tip, if you are planning on buying these pencils buy their sharpener also! I have a few sharpeners to fit different size pencils but even though they fit it work sharpen these liners without breaking them and losing a lot of product :(

Cinemas Secrets concealer palette kit #2

I've found myself using my Cinema Secrets concealer kit #2 a lot lately so I thought i'd post some swatches. The texture is quite creamy and since i mainly use it for under the eyes I prefer something not so thick that i'd have to worry about caking especially since the skin around the eyes is so thin. Save product and use concealer after foundation that way you only have to conceal the things foundation missed.

#607-19, #606-26, #605-61, #603-21, #602-65

Tips for wedding hair trials

I've been doing a lot of last minute hair trials and thought i'd offer some of my tips to get the most out of your hair trial/preview.

Bring lots of pictures, examples of what you like and what you don't like and be as specific as you can but do be prepared to compromise. You can come in wanting Beyonce's do but we may have to do a different style but with the same feel for your thin wispy blonde bob... Even if it's just looking at using hair extension or  padding to add volume or shape.

Bring photos of your dress, material samples, bridesmaids dresses, flowers, hair pins, veils, headpiece etc so the stylist has a visual idea of your wedding theme and understands your taste and style. It's ok to want a totally different style to your everyday look, for example vintage makeup to suit your theme but if I know you usually don't wear make then I can make it more natural to suit you rather then go straight into the Marilyn Monroe...

Jasmine's wedding hair and makeup

Yesterday I had the pleasure of doing hair and makeup for one of the sweetest brides, Jasmine. Due to circumstances we didn't have a trial before her wedding but she was very relaxed, easy going and not fussed at all. Since she usually didn't wear a lot of makeup she just wanted  simple makeup and classic hairstyling.

Unless you're having a second wedding I recommend everyone has a trial especially if you are particular about certain things and want everything to be perfect as possible and run smoothly on the day. It took us 3 hours to do her hair and makeup, if you don't have a trial I suggest you treat your wedding as the trial and allow twice as long for everything.

Cinema Secrets lip palette # 14 Coral Reef

Swatches of my #14 Coral Reef lip palette from Cinema Secrets. I purchased it from Camera ready cosmetics due to their bright picture (which is never the same and can't be help due to monitors) but was a bit disappointed when I received the palette and the colours looked rather dull. This was quickly changed when I swatch the colours which were actually nice nudish corals, not too bright for bridal, which is what I wanted them for in the first place.

(L-R) copper, coral, caramel glow, sunset, pearl coral

Bronwyn's wedding hair

I realise that my blog is called the bridal hairstylist (only because I was trying to find a name that wasn't already taken) yet there hasn't been a blog on bridal hair... So when I did hair for Bronwyn's wedding last week I thought I'd take some pictures for my blog post.
Everyone had different hair; short, thick, thin and highlighted, so we went with similar curl styles but to suit each persons hair and different hair accessories. The flower girls had their hair done elsewhere but by the time they got to the hotel and after all the running around their curls  had dropped a bit so I pinned their hair and revived some of the curls.
The wedding was amazing and the girls were absolutely lovely, you can see more pictures from Bronwyn's wedding on Jewel's Facebook.

Professional photo courtesy of Jewel Chenoweth Photography. 

Hair and makeup before & after

Last week I attended a wedding so I thought I'd take some photos to show you guys what products I used on my skin to give you an idea of what it looks like on different skin types.

I usually don't wear makeup, mostly because I can't be bothered applying it on myself and i hate having to take it off at the end of the day. Most occassions I can get away with a tinted moisteriser for the discoloration but for special occasions I use foundation to cover scaring. I have dry skin with an oily t-zone and occasional flaking on the cheeks, nose and forehead as well as dry lips so I used a heavy moisturizer as well as primer to prep before makeup application and paw paw ointment on my lips (the before photo is after skin prepping so no dry patches or lips).
The last photo was taken at the end of the night 10 hours after the makeup photos. You can see the break through oils making my face look shiny and my lipstick has all but gone, this can easily be fixed with an oil blotting paper (to get rid of the shine) and powder (for longer lasting makeup) and reapplying the lipstick but I wanted to show you guys a picture of what my makeup looked like after eating,  drinking, dancing and with absolutely no touch ups.

    before                                                     with makeup

Milena's portfolio shoot

I recently did hair, makeup and nails for a black and white photo shoot with K.Li Photography and Milena of Tanya Powell. I like colour but I must say I'm really liking these photos but then again I like all of Kevin's studio work...

The first look we started with a top wing liner, nude glossy lips and high ponytail. Since this was the simplest of the 3 looks i gave her long stiletto nails! The second look (not pictured), I dragged the top liner out more and went with a nude lipstick and braided the side of her head. The third look, I lined the bottom of her eyes and went with darker maroon lips with edge nails and I pulled her hair into a faux bob. You can't see the colours  but I've listed the products I used below anyway.

Crystal's portfolio shoot

I received some photos last week from Marryam Lum Photography of hair and makeup i did for a Model's portfolio photo shoot. Crystal was so kind to let me share some of her gorgeous pictures. A very talented and busy young lady (she made the pink dress!), requested for her freckles to show so I used a tinted moisturizer as a base and went over areas that needed it with a liquid foundation.

Amy & Adam's trash the dress shoot

I wanted to share some photos I received from Black duck photography of hair and makeup I did for a trash the dress shoot, not a bad way to wear your dress twice if you don't mind getting it a little destroyed... lol. We kept hair and makeup the same as Amy's wedding so the photos would follow on from their wedding pictures; updo hair in the morning and curls for the afternoon with glowing makeup and coral lips.

Heidi & Craig's engagement shoot

I received some pictures of hair and makeup I did for an engagement shoot from Black duck photography, an Adelaide based wedding photographers, who I've worked with a number of times.

I was asked to do bed hair with a natural no make look but with sexy eyes for an intimate boudoir shoot. Even though I was hired by the photographers this time to do a certain look I always double check with the subject just to make sure they are fine with everything. She was but I just had a feeling, and it wasn't until we got to the end that she mentioned she liked the bright blushes and it came out that she usually wore a lot of makeup and felt a bit naked as the makeup wasn't as full coverage. There's no point doing makeup the subject isn't comfortable with so i spent a bit more time going over to something she was more comfortable with but still keeping with the photographers request and you could tell she was a lot happier.

Eve Pearl Magic Salmon Concealer

Just a quick post of swatches from my Eve Pearl Magic Salmon Concealer and Treatment Wheel. It comes in 3 colours; light, medium and dark salmon, that can be used alone or mixed together to get the correct colour. Just remember when using concealer under the eyes if it looks ashy then the colour is too light, which is why I wanted to carry some salmon colours to neutralize the dark blue under eye circles rather then highlighting it.

Yaby liquid foundation

One of my favourite liquid foundations is a silicone base by Yaby. It has a smooth texture that's not thick so I can build coverage and the finish is not too shiny or matt, very nice and natural, like skin. I purchased it as a set from Makeup and Glow as i had the cream foundations and wanted something for people who didn't need full coverage but since its an oil free silicone base it's still good for oily/acne prone skins.
Yaby products were created with the makeup artist in mind so the packaging is always small and convenient for condensing kits (just how i like it!) but don't let the size fool you as with all pro brands its quite pigmented and has last me quite a while.

Holly's portfolio shoot

Just some photos from Pride model Holly's portfolio shoot with photographer Haley Renee of See.Sound.Photography, you can find more of her work on Facebook. We started with simple natural makeup and wavy hair, these photos were actually taken at the end of the shoot after i'd added more eye shadow and blush and put her hair into a  top knot.

     

Cinema secrets lip gloss palette #11 All that glosses

Just a quick post of my Cinema Secrets lip gloss swatches. Palette #11 All that glosses has 5 colours Ice (just a clear gloss), Snow white (slightly yellow gloss with white shine), Gold dust (gold gloss), Pixie pink (slightly yellow gloss with a touch of pink depending on how the light hits it) and Iced lilac (slightly yellow gloss with a touch of purple depending on how the light hits it). As with most swatches it can be a bit hard to tell in photos.

You can use them on their own or over lipstick for a nice gloss or even to change the hue of lipsticks. I always keep it in my kit just in case as its in a palette form and doesn't take up much space.

    Ice,        Snow white,    Gold dust,    Pixie pink,    Iced lilac

Yves Saint Laurent Touche Eclat swatches

One of my favourite makeup items are my Yves Saint Laurent  (YSL) Touche Eclat Radiant Touch Highlighting Pens. I have them in #1 which i use for light skin with pink undertones, #2 for light skin with yellow undertones and #3 for tan or darker skin tones. I like to use it under the eyes, cheeks, down the nose, forehead, chin and brow bone, basically anywhere you want to highlight as it has tiny light particles that refract light to create a natural healthy glow.