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.