A Styled Bridal Shoot I'd Like To Do ( part 1)

                             I love this very simple, classic bridal look.  Someday, I would love to feature this look in a styled bridal shoot.  Maybe shoot it at Disney Hall- the Frank Gehry designed concert hall with it's clean lines or maybe at Vasquez Rocks in Agua Dulce.  In thinking about the rest of the look, I see her in Elsa Peretti ( from Tiffany) disc earrings.

I think this very large diamond engagement ring ( it's Jennifer Anniston's) would be a nice touch

 as  would this diamond cuff bracelet, also Elsa Peretti also from Tiffany.

I love peonies and I think a big bunch of them, like the ones pictured, gathered together with a big grosgrain ribbon would suit this look.

Look What Showed Up in My Inbox Today!

I'm one of four finalists for California Wedding Day Magazine's, Best of 2016 Awards!  The event
is being held at the Alexandria Ballroom in downtown L.A. on November 15th.  Yes, it's a real honor just to be a finalist!

My New Favorite Ritual

The other day I was taking  a beach therapy walk with my friend, Kim, in Santa Monica. Not only do we get great exercise  ( we walk and talk for almost 2 hours ) but we also  subject ourselves  to those positive ions that one can only get at the beach.  Did I also mention that we trade tips about products that have changed our lives? Well, we do and Kim was talking about the self tanning mousse that I turned her on to and she said that part of that self tanning ritual is not complete without the amazing scrub that her friend, Sara makes and sells on her Etsy site.  Here is how Sara describes her products on her site:
                    sea with love is microbead free ~ Kindness to body, soul & sea.
                    exfoliant containers are 100% post consumer recycled plastic.  
                    each item is made in a small batch, handmade to order.  
                    inquire about customer blends if there is a particular essential oil you love.    
     The scrubs come in 6 incredible scents and mixtures like, Buoyant ,which is a sweet lemon sea salt scrub and not only leaves your skin feeling so unbelievably soft but also smells heavenly! And, it is the perfect pre-self tanner treatment of gently exfoliating your skin so that your tanner goes on streak free! You can purchase a 16oz. jar for $35 plus shipping on Sara's Etsy site called Sea With Love.    

Schedule Trial Run on the Same Day as your Engagement Photos ( what a concept!)

To get a really good idea of how your bridal look will read for the camera, why not schedule your trial run the same day as your engagement photos? Why waste a beautiful camera- ready look for the "all dressed up with no place to go" routine? Here's how it works: Give yourself at least 3 hours with your makeup artist/ hair stylist ( moi) before the shoot. Bring some pictures of how you'd like your hair and makeup styled for your wedding day. After each look I'll take some digital photos and print them right there for you to take home. At the end of our session, I'll style your hair differently than what I did for your possible wedding looks. That way you'll still be able to surprise your fiance on your wedding day. When you get your engagement photos you'll really be able to see what works and if there's anything different that you'd like to try, I'll be happy to schedule another trial run, free of charge of course!

The BEST Under Eye Concealer EVER

                         http://www.itcosmetics.com/bye-bye-under-eyer-anti-aging-concealer



                              My friend, Holly introduced this concealer to me. Now, I've tried every concealer known to man, starting in 6th grade, when the only concealer that was out there was a product called, Erase, that only came in 3 shades, light, medium and dark.  When I became a makeup artist, thankfully  ( sort of) there were many more products to choose from. But there was way too much layering of products going on- prime it with the salmon color to get rid of the purple or prime it with yellow to get rid of the red. Plus, there were different formulas- cream or liquid?  Do I powder it or go easy on the powder?  Oy!
                             When Holly introduced me to this, I screamed, YES! Did I say it's also waterproof? And, anti-aging? How about, crease resistant?
                          Thank you, Holly and It Cosmetics! Talk about a life-changer!

More Summer 2016 Products That I like

Back in 1978 or 79 when I was living in NYC and performing in a disco band ( below), one of the women I was singing with  suggested we all try Lee Press-on Nails. We did use them for a couple of
performances  because they looked good on stage when we were doing our "hand-eography" but after that I said, never again!

                                                                             

ModernRomance

Almost 38 years  later I saw these in my local Walgreens  for $7.99. The weren't too long , they didn't look like a French manicure ( hate them) , they just looked like the way I've been trying to make my nails look when I have a manicure.  They come with glue and they last a week! I tried them and I'm on my 2nd box! I still found them a little long and square ( another look that I hate) so I filed them even though they say not to.  Here is  the finished look:                                                                                                        

Summer 2016 Products That I Like

It's been a while since I've posted anything on my blog but, recently I made some purchases that I have to share. Maybe because it's summer ( my favorite season, even in L.A.)  and summer is when I love to try new products. Although, I'd like to forget about that summer in high school and my experiment with Sun- In ( aka, orange hair) or the first self tanner called QT by Coppertone (orange skin). Anyway, the beauty industry has come very far in improving these items so, here goes.....

This is my new favorite self tanner, SUN by Sun Laboratories.  It's a self-tanning foam that has an instant tint so you can't miss a spot. I use the ultra dark on my legs and even though it kind of comes out of the container looking like low tide, it really works great. I've purchased it off of their site, sunlabusa.com for $19.95.

If you're into contouring, in a natural way, this is the palette for you.- Illume Sheer Color Trio by Hourglass $62. Here's how the company describes it:
Give your face a luminous wash of color using this luxe creme-to-satin finish palette featuring bronzer, blush and highlighter. This versatile trio provides everything you need for sheer definition and color. Formulated to seemingly melt into your skin, it gives your complexion an incredibly natural and radiant finish. The palette now includes all three products in a sleek signature Hourglass compact.

When I use it on myself I use the highlighter in the center of my eyelids rather than on my face because it accentuates my lovely, aging skin. ( Did I say that?)

More to come.....