Autumn Brides, part 1

Shana and Rick were married on September 4th, at the Sherwood Country Club in Thousand Oaks. Her dress, a beautiful Amsale gown

with an asymmetrical sweetheart neckline looked stunning on her. Looks like Rick thought so,too!

photo:John Boone

Roxana and Joe tied the nautical knot on a boat in Marina del Rey

on September 3. They got ready at the Jamaica Bay Inn. It was terribly windy so I chose one of the indoor shots of me putting her veil on. photo: Drew Brashler

Jenna and Rob were married October 22 at Maggiano's located at the Grove in West Hollywood. She had a great group of bridesmaids, with a special nod to her sister, Melissa, who took care of everything (including hiring me!).

photo: skyphotography.com

The Brides of Summer, Part 2

Jennifer and Eyol got married on August 7 at the Brandies- Bardin campus of the American Jewish University in Simi Valley. We got ready in a very cozy bungalow in the middle of a beautiful wooded area.

photo by Nataliya Cole

photo by Karen French

On July 30, Caroline and Josh got married at La Venta Inn in Palos Verdes Estates.
Before meeting Caroline I was contacted by her best friend, Maren, who wrote,
"I'm contacting you on behalf of my friend Caroline who's getting married
and hates makeup...." Okay. Well, we ended up having a great time and
she didn't hate me, so that was good. It turns out, she just didn't want to
look overdone so when she found out that she didn't have to worry about
that, the air was cleared.




Shira and Duvid got married on August 14th in Cherry Valley at the

Highland Springs Resort. Shira had spent many summers there so the resort held some great memories for her and her family.





photo by davidziman.com

Denise and Bill celebrated their nuptials on August 25th at the historic Castle Green in Pasadena. Denise is originally from Naples, Italy where my father's family was from so we had lots to talk about.

photo: Mieke Snepvangers

The Brides of Summer, part 1

After a busy bridal summer, I've got just about all of the pictures form the photographers. I started out in June with Megan and Mike's wedding at the Cravens Estate in Pasadena. Megan was the most organized bride I'd ever worked with.  If she ever decides to go into  business as a wedding planner, current wedding planners watch out.  Photography by Kevin Wynn.

In July I did Janet and Josh who got married at The Four Seasons, Beverly Hills. While my assistant, Stephanie and I were finishing up we could observe the wedding party from the terrace  proceeding down the aisle to bagpipes playing a Scottish tune.  Photo by Christina Dominguez














Leslie and Sean, another July couple, got married at the Calamigos Ranch in Malibu.

They had a rock and roll wedding complete with VIP passes and graphics and decorations that they designed themselves. They even designed his and hers Nikes  to change into when their feet started to hurt from all the dancing they planned on doing that evening.

Photos by John DuBois and Brittany Douziech

Some more "stuff" that I like.....

Makeup Forever Super Matte Loose Powder

in shade#18, Banana, is the perfect shade for just about everyone and is the perfect consistency for a loose powder. It is so micro fine and matte that you barely notice it which is always a good sign to

me!

$24 at Nigel's Beauty Emporium, 11252 Magnolia Blvd., North Hollywood, CA

The BeautyBlender

I know that this has been around for a few years but, I happen to think that

it's definitely worth mentioning again. Especially during this time when we all want to re-use rather than throw away.

This beautyblender set contains all you need to flawlessly apply

your makeup. Beautyblender is the first ergonomically designed

non-disposable sponge and is designed to be cleaned with the blendercleanser making it super eco-friendly. It comes with an instruction disc so you can quickly master your application technique. It really gives an airbrushed look to you makeup and won't eat up your foundation( you'll use less) which most acrylic sponges do.

It's on sale right now at Sephora for $24.

My 2 New Favorite Things!

Boom! Stick Color by makeup artist turned model, Cindy Joseph, comes in one color

and can be used as a blush, a lipstick and eye shadow. This one color works for everyone. It's sheer enough so that when you put it on, it lets your own natural color shine through. $24 at www.boombycindyjoseph.com

My other favorite thing is L'Oreal Voluminous Million Lashes in the

waterproof formula. It's perfect for my brides, especially in the Carbon

Black. The brush is really great for separately covering each lash with just the right

amount of mascara. $8.99 at Ulta.

Charity Shootouts, Pt.1

The Charity Engagement Shootout on May 23rd at the Bel Air Bay Club in beautiful Pacific Palisades was a major success! Charity Shootouts and Marriage.com teamed up to offer engaged couples and wedding pros an opportunity to mix, mingle and get photo sessions from some of the top photographers in Southern California. Even more, all the proceeds of this event benefited BRIDGES TO ABILITY, whose mission is to improve the lives of teens and adults with disabilities through quality vocational, educational, social and recreational programs.Charity Shootouts is an organization founded by Beverly Hills wedding photographer, Jen O’Sullivan to bring new and seasoned, talented photographers together with engaged couples searching for the perfect wedding photographer as well as wedding industry specialists who need an updated headshot. The 2 shots above are couples whose makeup and hair I did.

Shootout,Part 2: The Coordinators

Carrie Goldberg of Mary Dann Events ,VikkiMarsee, All You Need Is Love Events ,Cheryl Jablow, Social Frog Designs

Here are three of the coordinators I worked with. Carrie Goldberg of Mary Dann Events is sweet, high energy and knew exactly what she wanted which was dramatic eyes and coral colored lips.

Vikki Marsee of All You Need is Love Events has the most beautiful porcelain skin ( not a visible pore to be found!) and generously let me do whatever I wanted. Cheryl Jablow of Social Frog Designs has a thousand watt smile and sparkly eyes that were asking me to grace her with a few individual

faux lashes! These ladies don't just create the party, they ARE the party!

Now, For Something Completely Different...

A few weeks ago, photographer, David Palmer called to see if I'd like to do a 1940's style shoot, complete with a "fainting couch" and a model with a Lauren Bacall sultriness.I immediately thought of Bacall in "The Big Sleep" and jumped at the opportunity! In addition to all the obvious reasons why I wanted to do this, a lot of my bridal clientele have been asking for this look. Now, I have something to show them!

model: Jessica Uberuaga

photographer: David Palmer

couch: http://www.omegacinemaprops.com

Charity Shootout Hosted by Jen O'Sullivan and Marriage.com

These are from the shootout at The Sunset in Malibu with celebrity Camille Guaty. Photos are by Beverly Hills Wedding Photographer, Jen O'Sullivan.

Charity Shootouts and Marriage.com are teaming up to offer engaged couples and wedding pros an opportunity to mix, mingle and get photo sessions from some of the top photographers in Southern California. Even more, all the proceeds of this event will benefit BRIDGES TO ABILITY, whose mission is to improve the lives of teens and adults with disabilities through quality vocational, educational, social and recreational programs.

Charity Shootouts is an organization founded by Beverly Hills wedding photographer, Jen O’Sullivan to bring new and seasoned, talented photographers together with engaged couples searching for the perfect wedding photographer as well as wedding industry specialists who need an updated headshot. Test drive photographers with no pressure to book and all your high res files are included. The experience is unlike any other wedding or bridal event out there. The lucky brides-to-be also get to test drive hair and makeup artists as well as other wedding day specialists. The event will continue with an awesome social sponsored by marriage.com complete with an insane auction and really yummy cake tasting from premier cake artist, Kimberly Bailey of The Butter End Cakery. Bel Air Bay Club will also feature their tastiest hor d’ouevers and fantastic music from the best entertainment company in the country, 11H Entertainment will play all through the event. There are several participation opportunities for you so please contact us to get involved!

Get in on this once in a lifetime chance to get some great photography of you and your fiance! Check out the details of our upcoming event below:

When: Monday, May 23, 2011 from 5-8pm (hair and makeup trials start at 4pm)
Where: Bel Air Bay Club
Upper Clubhouse 16801 Pacific Coast Highway Pacific Palisades, CA 90272
What: Get photographed with some extraordinary photographers and experience the best wedding auction in town plus enjoy a yummy cake tasting and sumptuous hor d’ouvers with tons and tons of other things to experience. This is a no-joke-you-have-to-be-at-this-event event!
You Get: All your high resolution files from each photographer.
Cost: The cost to participate is only $20. 100% of your money will go to our charity. This fee gains you entrance into the entire event and includes one matched photographer, cake tasting, and hor d’ouvers plus access to the best wedding auction around.
The Charity: BRIDGES TO ABILITY. The mission of Bridges to Ability is to improve the lives of teens and adults with disabilities through quality vocational, educational, social, and recreational programs.
Auction: There will be a live and silent auction at the close of the event full of valuable wedding day items to benefit BRIDGES TO ABILITY.
BEWARE! You may walk away with items from your wedding to-do list at a fraction of the cost.
Donate: If you would like to make a donation in honor of this event and will not be able to attend, please email Jen at kiss@charityshootouts.com or mail your check made payable to Charity Shootouts to 357 South Robertson Boulevard, Beverly Hills, Ca 90211.

SIGN UP! (Yay!) To sign up, please go HERE.

I'll be doing mini trial runs before your shoots. See you there!

The Burns Sisters and Arlo Guthrie, April 8th, UCLA, Royce Hall

April 8th, my sisters-in-law opened for Arlo Guthrie and then joined him onstage in a concert at UCLA's Royce Hall. Before and during the show, David Palmer shot some pictures with makeup by me(!). The sisters have been with Arlo and his "Journey On" tour since October and will end in May in New Orleans. "I love them," Guthrie said of the sister band whom he got to know in 2005 when they joined him and other artists on the City of New Orleans concert tour- a fundraiser to benefit New Orleans musicians who lost everything after Hurricane Katrina. And..... I love them, too!

Tyra Banks' TypeF Beauty and Fashion Website

Two weeks ago, I received a telephone call from Antonia Blyth, a writer for Tyra Banks' beauty and fashion website, wanting to ask me a few questions about the trends for weddings in 2011. I was happy and honored to participate! Click on this link to not only read the article but to see the fabulous site:

http://ow.ly/4EGvG

Find the Answers To All Of Your Marketing Questions, May 1st

Check out this new marketing class!

Are you tired of all your hard work not working? Do you feel like this economy will never let up? Well, I have news for you. It may not be the economy, but rather how you are approaching it. Things have changed. Have you?

In this full day class you will learn what is working and why. You will get all my marketing tactics that are getting ROI. You will also gain valuable image and branding information and will actually work on your own brand in this workshop. The fee is only $199 for the entire day. It is open to any and all business owners and future business owners.

Please contact Jen at jen@jenosullivan.com for more info.

Date: Sunday, May 1st at 9am

Location: Beverly Hills

Teacher: Jen O'Sullivan

Investment: $199

A Day of Test Shots

Last month I did some test shots in Santa Monica at the Sheraton Delfina with 2 photographers and 2 couples. I did the hair on both these photographs.

The top two photos are Samantha, and then, Samantha and Ryan. Samantha's makeup was done by Denise Van Arsdale -West. Samantha is very petite with a lot of hair so I chose to set her hair and pull it back off of her beautiful face. I gave her a little height by placing the curls randomly above her crown. A tea rose was placed just below the curls at the back of the head. Denise gave Samantha a natural look with a light pink lip gloss. A light strip of lashes gave the eyes a bit of a pop. The photo at the top is by Kishana@lMilanphotography.com; the photo below is by Mieke Snepvangers.

The bottom is Dee whose makeup was done by Kristin Turner of Intimate Designs. We decided that Dee's coloring and beautiful hair would lend itself to a romantic, 40's style. I set the hair in hot rollers and brushed it into soft waves then pulled one side back with a jeweled pin. Kristin gave Dee a strong, perfectly arched brow, a light strip of false lashes and a soft rose lip color. The photo is by Kishana@LMilanPhotography.com.

Excellent New Makeup Book:The Makeup Wakeup, Revitalizing Your Look At Any Age by Lois Joy Johnson and Sandy Linter

Face it--women fall into a beauty rut at a certain age, when their tried-and-true makeup techniques just aren't working anymore. That's when you know it's time for a Makeup Wakeup! Beauty experts Lois Joy Johnson and Sandy Linter say it's time to learn what will work for women 40+ now. The Makeup Wakeup shares Lois and Sandy's inside information on what stars do; how to face demons like brow abuse and sun damage; even a fail-proof shopping guide. Though focused on the simplicity of makeup, the authors also consulted with three prominent doctors to address the concerns of women who opt for cosmetic procedures. Lois and Sandy say: "Women 40+ tell us they feel invisible in a world of beauty that is really marketing to younger women. We felt a need to write a beauty guide we'd read ourselves, one that solved the kinds of issues women face every day.

Lois Joy Johnson is one of the founding editors of More magazine and has been a frequent contributor to The Today Show, The Early Show, Extra and CNN.

Sandy Linter is a celebrity makeup artist to women such as Elizabeth Hurley, Cheryl Tiegs and Bette Midler. She is Lancome's Beauty at Every Age Expert. In this role Sandy works with the product development teams and serves as an ambassador for the brand by sharing her makeup and skincare expertise in workshops across the country for women of all ages.

The Knot, Spring/Summer 2011

Last June I did the makeup for Morgan and Brett's wedding at the Sunset Restaurant followed by their reception at the Saddlerock Ranch at Malibu Family Wines. Their wedding is featured in the latest issue of The Knot photographed by Adam George of Embrace Life Photography. Beautiful bride, beautiful day, beautiful setting.....

A Soolip Wedding, March 6, 2011

Last Sunday, I attended "A Soolip Wedding" at the Bel Air Bay Club in Pacific Palisades. It has to be one of the most beautiful and intimate bridal shows that I've ever been to. I loved it because I didn't feel like I was at a bridal show where traditionally the walls are all lined up with vendors ready to attack brides to be with their services. This felt like an elegant cocktail party with amazing hors d'oeuvres being served by waiters in tuxes and beautiful tables set with luxurious linens, flowers.....and all of this at the beautiful Bel Air Bay Club overlooking the Pacific from the Palisades. Wanda Wen, the owner of Soolip, Paperie & Press in West Hollywood, has been holding this event in Los Angeles for 12 years and it is truly the modern bridal event of the season.

Marketing For The New Economy!

On Sunday, March 13th, I am attending this workshop. If your business is in any way "web based", I suggest that you also attend. I've taken webinars, read books about it, and there never seems to be enough time to cover everything. I have a feeling that this workshop is going to be the topper for me. Having taken seminars from Jen before, her incredible organizational skills along with her passion and success in her work as a top wedding photographer make her the perfect teacher for the current economy.

The workshop is covering things such as Organic SEO, Social Marketing, Traditional Marketing that Works, How to Position Yourself as the Go To Person, with tons more.

THE MARKETING INSOMNIAC: MARKETING FOR THE NEW ECONOMY

At this one day Boot Camp Workshop you will learn from Jen O'Sullivan everything you need to know about gaining a better understanding of the current economy and how to market your services in the best way. You will learn how to position yourself to make more money and how to make your brand stand out in a crowd of many. Gain more clients, more money, and a more rewarding life!

Sunday, March 13th · 8:00am - 6:00pm in Beverly Hills.

Only $199 for a full day 10 hour workshop.

Contact Jen at jen@jenosullivan.com to register.

The 2011 SAG Awards

The 2011 Screen Actors Guild Awards were Sunday, January 30 at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles. My friend, Jack McGee was nominated along with the cast of "The Fighter" for Best Performance by an Ensemble. Jack played Melissa Leo's husband and the father of Mark Wahlberg and stepfather of Christian Bale. It was an amazing movie as was Jack's performance! I was honored to do his wife, Stephanie's makeup for the show.

Photo:Kevork Djansezian/GettyImagesEntertainment

WeddingWire Bride's Choice Award 2011

Los Angeles, CA- January 25, 2011- WeddingWire, the nation's leading wedding technology company, is thrilled to announce Betsy diFrancesca, Hair & Makeup, has been selected to receive the prestigious annual WeddingWire Bride's Choice Awards 2011 for hair and makeup! Recognition for the Bride's Choice Awards 2011 is determined by recent reviews and extensive surveys from over 750,00 WeddingWire newlyweds. Our past clients are among those that shared their experiences on WeddingWire, the largest wedding review site in the nation. Betsy diFrancesca, Hair & Makeup stands among the top five percent of wedding professionals in the WeddingWire community, representing quality and service excellence within the wedding industry. Awards were given to the top wedding professional across 20 service categories, from wedding venues to wedding photographers, and were based on the overall professional achievements throughout the past year. "With the annual Bride's Choice Awards program, WeddingWire has the unique opportunity to recognize the best wedding professionals across the U.S. and Canada. We applaud Betsy diFrancesca, Hair & Makeup for their professionalism and dedication to enhancing the wedding planning experience last year." We are happy to announce that Betsy is among the very best Hair & Makeup within the WeddingWire network, which includes leading wedding planning sites WeddingWire, Martha Stewart Weddings, Project Wedding, and Weddingbee.

We would like to thank our past clients for nominating us to receive the Bride's Choice Awards 2011! For more information, please visit our WeddingWire storefront at http://www.weddingwire.com/vendor/VendorViewStoreFront?mode=edit&tab=profile.

Shooting Author Elise Allen

A few weeks ago I worked with author, Elise Allen, shooting the photo that will appear on the jacket of her new book, "Populazzi", a young adult novel that as Hillary Duff says,“Fresh, funny, and sometimes wrenching, Populazzi nails what it’s like to try and find yourself while navigating the crazy world of high school. I loved it."And, speaking of Hillary Duff, Elise co-wrote Hillary's novel "Elixir".

Elise's work can also be heard by watching Fozzie Bear, Kermit the Frog and Miss Piggy as she has been writing for The Muppets in "The Muppets Kitchen with Cat Cora" and "The Hasty Tasty Cooking Tips with Cat Cora and The Muppets". To find out more about Elise, check out,http://www.facebook.com/l/1e446-YN-OicYyFi4r_n-bz0BGQ;www.eliseallen.com.

photo: Steve Goldstein