Sally Hanson complete salon manicure nail polish - swatches

I picked up some Sally Hanson complete salon manicure nail polishes from my local Priceline yesterday. They retail $14.95 for a 14.7ml bottle but it was on sale for $10 and they had a buy 3 pay for 2 special so any excuse to buy for research purposes. Sally knows your busy so there are 5 steps in 1 bottle: base coat, strengthener, growth treatment, colour and topcoat available in 21 salon inspired shades.

I love it when I turn up to a wedding and everyone's fingers are nicely manicured and why not, there's shots of everyone holding their bouquets, helping dress the bride, putting on earrings and even exchanging rings so it makes sense that nails should be nicely presented. Acrylics or even stick on nails are a great option if you have less then perfect nail beds. If you have nice nails I personally prefer gel polishes which can be done beforehand, lasts up to 2 weeks and you walk out dry so no need to worry bout smudges and accidents.

However I guess not everyone has time as I notice that a few weddings I've attended too bridesmaids and on the odd occasion even a bride painting their nails in between hair and makeup so these polishes got me thinking, since they only ever have time for 2 coats of colour anyways wouldn't it be cool if you got the added bonus of the base, strengthener, growth treatment and topcoat as well!

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.

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.

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...

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.

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.

Cleaning makeup brushes

Last night i had to clean brushes for a wedding so i thought I'd take some photos for a post to show you guys how i do it. I like to have heaps of brushes, a mini set for each client so i don't have to clean in between when doing a wedding party and clean them all when i get home instead.

Makeup tip - longerlasting lipstick

For longerlasting lipstick, a good tip is to apply your lipstick, blot with tissue, then apply a second light coat of lipstick. Layering lipstick in this way makes the colour more pigment rich and acts as a second layer of defense against eating, drinking and kissing. Blotting is also a good trick for making lipsticks more matte, as doing so rids your lips of the moisture, leaving only a layer of pigment behind.

Brooke's engagement hair and makeup

Hair and makeup i did for an engagement shoot last month. My client came in with some photos (which is always a good idea) of Jennifer Hawkin's and choose what aspects she did and didn't like. The final look was a bit more tone down with loose wavy hair.

Engagement shoots are also a great opportunity to do hair and makeup trials. It gives you a chance to wear your hair and makeup out and also see how it will look on camera.

Thanks to JoelC for the engagement photos, you can see more of  his work on his blog, check it out.

Sopheak event hair and makeup

Some pictures of event hair and makeup i did yesterday. My client was attending a wedding and wanted  professional makeup to hide minor skin problems, colours to compliment her dress and natural wavy hair but flatter on top.

She liked a purple and sparkly copper eyeshadow i had and wanted a bit of grey for a slightly smokey eye and also bought her own NARS blush, YSL lipstick and Rimmel nail polish, all very beautiful colours that suited her look very well. 

When getting your makeup done, don't be afraid to bring your own products if you like a certain colour or formulation that works for you. That way you won't have to worry about purchasing an extra item for touch ups especially for bridal parties where makeup needs to withstand longer periods.

Cinema secrets lip palette #12 bubbly gum

Another Cinema secrets lip palette in #12 Bubbly gum. I'm usually not a fan of pearl lipsticks but the colors are pretty and they look great on certain skin tones.

My lips are a bit dark and some of the colors in this palette tend to wash me out. For people in the same situation I suggest applying either foundation, concealer or a nude lip liner to your lips first so you have a lighter canvas to work on and lip gloss/lacquer on top that will change the hue slightly to suit your skin tone more.

                                  (L-R) pink glow, pretty-n-pink, rose pink, orchid, pink flower.