Behind the Scenes - Film Noir/ Roaring 20s Shoot at A&M Gardens

Holy Great Gatsby!  I did a photo shoot Sunday night and all kinds of vintage fabulousness ensued.  I've done a Great Gatsby/20s style shoot before, but that one was light and feminine, with a  blond model.  This one had a totally different feel...a brunette model, much darker makeup, a handsome "groom", and amazing lighting that allowed the photographer to create an edgy/moody vibe.  But first, hair and makeup!  Here's what went down:

                                                            Our model, Jenny....

                                                      Creating a major smoky eye....

                                                      Almost done, did a quick test shot.....

                                                 And done!  Makeup is ready to go......

I used a TON of products to create this look, but basically I used a mix of black, gray, brown, taupe and burgundy/red shadows to create tons of depth and dimension in the 20's smoky eye, plus tons of black liner and the biggest lashes I had in stock to go with the extreme, over the top glamorous look.  I sculpted her cheeks with contour powder, defined and darkened her brows and added an oxblood/burgundy lip shade topped with a tiny bit of shadow for a plush look.  Love it! I get super excited when the image I have in my head is exactly how it turns out.  With makeup like this, it's 100% about the context, lighting and photography...I wanted to make it historically accurate, but yet push the boundaries a bit so it would photograph well.  With makeup done, I sent Jenny over to my #1 hair gal, Renn Traylor to create a flirty 20's look reminiscent of Clara Bow:

We also did hair and makeup for our handsome groom, Hunter and then we started shooting just as the sun went down.  Ian Miller of MVision Photography captured some GREAT shots.  The bulk of them will be published at a later date, but here are a few images to give you an idea.  I love everything...the models rocked it, the lighting, the mood even the vintage car....all of the elements really came together.  The old Hollywood glam headshot of Jenny that Ian captured (see below) may be one of my favorite images examples of my work...EVER.  Can't wait to see the rest of the photos...so exciting!

 

Check back for more photo shoot images in the coming weeks!

Photography - MVision Photography

Venue - A&M Gardens

Makeup - Jennifer Trotter, Lip Service Makeup

Hair - Renn Traylor, Renn Does Hair

Dress - Bliss Bridal

(Other elements not pictured are paper goods by Lauren Blake Paper, cake by Kakes by Kay)

 

 

You Make Me Feel Like a Natural Woman...

Sorry, had to go there!  Ok, now that that song is all in our heads...
I wanted to do a quick post before I embark upon a CRAZY weekend!  Three trial runs, a wedding and a photo shoot...so definitely, no time to post in the next couple of days.  Clients ask me a lot about natural makeup....they want to look like "themselves" and think that adding makeup won't look right.  Wrong, 100% wrong!  Often when "natural" people attempt their own makeup, or look around at other people wearing a lot, what they don't like is a lot of COLOR.  This is makeup that I did recently as part of a commercial photo shoot for Smart Barre, a local chain that offers a barre/yoga/strength training workout experience, mostly led by former dancers.  So cool!  I'm getting ready to take some classes there myself.  At any rate, the vibe of the shoot was polished, but natural....red lips or teal eyeshadow would've been totally out of place, so I kept it all soft and neutral, but still sophisticated.  On this instructor, I shaped her brows, corrected and evened out her skin (but notice...freckles still show a bit!), added peachy pink lips and blush.  For eyes, there's a bit of vanilla and camel shadow for definition, and then I used a black/brown shadow applied with a pencil brush...I buffed that into her upper and lower lashlines for a soft, but still defined look...love this trick!  I never, ever draw a pencil line on the lower lashline...too harsh.  This gives you the thick looking lashline in a much softer way.  So, here's the before and after....

She looks polished, pretty, but still NATURAL.  With a bunch of makeup on.  It's all in how it's applied and what colors are used!  This look is a popular one for brides who don't normally wear makeup, except for a bride, I'd add false lashes for a bit more impact and probably more blush...both are needed for wedding photography against a white or ivory dress.  So, are you convinced that makeup CAN look really natural?  Let me know what you think in the comments!  I hope everyone has a GREAT weekend, I'll be back next week to post pics from all the stuff I've been working on....I have THREE fun photo shoots to share!  See you soon!  JT

Time to get a new Tattoo! (Product Review)

I mentioned these cream eyeshadows yesterday, just wanted to tell you a bit more. I'm deep into a spring product testing phase...prestige against drugstore, new offerings from my favorite companies...new products that are creating buzz in the beauty world.  The verdict is still out on a couple of items, but this product stood out as a definite winner, so I wanted to share!  First of all, I've never been a fan of cream eyeshadow, mainly due to the texture.  Most are either too watery or sticky, too hard to apply/blend and they crease as the day wears on. Meh...all of that is way too much hassle in my book, so I typically stick to high end micro-milled shadows that are really pigmented to get the results I'm looking for.

Lately, I've been hearing a little buzz about Maybelline Color Tattoo 24 Hour Eyeshadow and I was intrigued enough to give it a try. The packaging is simple, and pretty much the same to similar high end cream shadows, plus it's easy to find at any drugstore or beauty store that carries Maybelline.  It comes in several colors, including a few that are really bright and intense:

Whoa!  Orange cream eyeshadow?  For runway or photoshoots, sure!  For PTA meetings or work?  Um...no so much. For initial testing, I started by purchasing Bad to the Bronze...

A shimmery, bronze-taupe that is a great color for everyday.  This is similar to Satin Taupe by MAC, which is one of my favorite everyday shades for any eye color.  I also went back and purchased Bold Gold....

A traditional, warm yellow shimmery gold.  Packaging does vary slightly I think the photos above are the newer version.  In short?  This stuff ROCKS!  Seriously!  I was shocked at how much I like it.  I applied with a flat brush (any flat, synthetic shadow or concealer brush would work), it's easy to apply, and easy to blend.  It goes on creamy, but then dries down to a finish that simply WON'T BUDGE.  I'm not kidding.  I tested this on a day when I applied my makeup at 6:30am and took it off at midnight....it was perfectly intact, it didn't fade or crease at all.  I did a photo shoot yesterday that called for a "shimmering golden eye with berry lips", so I KNEW I wanted to use this!  I blended the two shades together to form the perfect soft antique gold, and then added a bit of dark brown shadow in the crease for depth...check it out....

 

 

 

It's lovely, and actually has more shimmer than this picture shows.  I'll  post more pics from this shoot once I get them back, but I think they're going to be awesome!  Bottom line on Maybelline Color Tattoo?  It applies like a dream, looks great, lasts all day and beyond, plus it's AFFORDABLE.  Gotta love that!  Only down side is the color selection....most people can't get away with wearing shimmery turquoise or orange cream eyeshadow on a daily basis. It worries me that women might try!  Stick to the more subtle shades...there's even a white that makes a great shadow base.  There are several prestige brand cream shadows out there at $25 a pop or more, this one beats them all hands down.  Overall score?  A+!  Let me know what you think...enjoy your new "tattoo". I know I am!

Gold Rush!

Nothing like an early morning photo shoot!  Excited about this one...it's with a few of my favorite vendors...the Gold Dust girls from Gold Dust Vintage Rentals.  The name of the shoot?  "Bee Gold", of course!  Here's the pic from this morning...I created a golden eye using a mix of gold and bronze cream eyeshadows to get the perfect soft, antique gold that wasn't too yellow.  I added major liner and lashes, a very defined brow and bold berry lips and instantly, Emily looked like an Old Hollywood starlet!  This is actually a very requested wedding look...it's bold, but classic and looks fabulous in person and in photos.  I'll post more from the shoot when I see the final images.....until then, have a GREAT day!

They're Real....and they're SPECTACULAR!

A SUPER common question clients ask is "what's the best mascara?  I've tried everything and still can't find one I like..."

I'm a big believer that mascara doesn't have to be expensive to be effective.  Most mascara formulations are chemically similar...the biggest differences are in packaging, and of course, marketing.  Here's what I look for in a great mascara:  glossy, very black, non-clumping, and no awful smell (I'm very sensitive to products that smell really strong!).  I like formulas that are moisturizing and don't smudge, but also don't take an act of God to remove at night.  Tall order?  Maybe, but I've been lucky and found several I like!  Here are two in different price points to handle any budget.  First, the drugstore fave:

L'Oreal Telescopic Mascara in Carbon Black

 

This stuff is pretty great, especially at around $9 a tube at any drugstore!  It's glossy, VERY black, non-clumping, easy to apply and lasts all day without flaking.  It has a small, comb like brush that coats lashes individually with zero clumping. If you need volume for sparse lashes, this is just meh...this is better for just giving lashes you've already got a nice, black glossy finish....all at a reasonable price.  Considering you should switch out your mascara every 3-6 months for safety and cleanliness reasons, this is pretty appealing!  Overall grade: A-

 

Here's my second current fave:

 

                                              Benefit's "They're REAL!" Mascara in Black

 

This is more of a prestige brand, and at $23 a tube, more of a prestige price.  I am LOVING this mascara!  Again, glossy, very black, lasts all day, etc.  But this one has more VOLUME and really adds fullness to your lashes.  The brush coats each lash and the little ball on the end helps with tiny bottom lashes.  Definitely my choice for a night out when I want more of a dramatic look.  Does it really look like false lashes...no, but it creates pretty nice real lashes!  At Ulta, Sephora and other beauty retailers that sell Benefit cosmetics.  I am a bit of a sucker for clever marketing too!  Overall Grade: A

Bottom line?  If you have a prestige mascara that you love and works for you, by all means...buy it!  The various brushes work better on different eye types, so when you find one that works, it's the Holy Grail.  Having said that, don't think that mascara is a category where you absolutely have to pony up bucks.....drugstore brands are very, very similar and can produce great results at an affordable price.  Which one will you choose?  What's your favorite?  Let's all LASH OUT!
PS....anyone get my Seinfeld reference in the title?!?!  I'll give you a hint, it has nothing to do with lashes......
Have a great day....see you soon!  J

EAST MEETS WEST....on Wedding Chicks!

So excited that a photo shoot I was involved in last summer was featured on the super popular blog Wedding Chicks!  They cover all things Wedding, so it's a fantastic resource for any bride to be, or anyone who just LOVES weddings.

This shoot was created by my girls at Gold Dust Vintage, Megan and Rachel....love them!  They wanted to show how vintage doesn't always have to mean "shabby chic"...but can actually be translated into many types of décor.  They used colorful sofas, lanterns, vases, tableware....all sorts of goodies and created a fantasy setting for an East meets West style photo shoot that was just chock full of ideas for brides to consider!  They gathered up a team of local wedding professionals to help, and I was thrilled to be asked to do hair and makeup for the shoot.  I normally don't do wedding hair, but I was happy to create two simple looks for this shoot...a twisted side pony and then a classic side-parted updo for the second look.  The makeup was FUN....the first look was a very dramatic dress and we wanted dramatic makeup to go with it!  Several colors of blue and turquoise, MAJOR lashes and a bold hot pink lip.....

 

This look was more of a traditional, colorful Indian-inspired look, but yet with modern and edgy twists...I just loved it!  Our model Shaina, was a dream to work with....she's so gorgeous.

 

Oh, did I mention it was WELL over a hundred degrees that day?!?!  It was in August and it was HOT.  So glad my stuff was set up in air conditioning!  The photographer was shooting away and capturing dreamy images like the one above, but then we realized it was starting to get dark....we had to REALLY hurry to do the second look!  I quickly scrubbed Shaina's face and created look #2, a buffed out smoky eye, flushed pink cheeks with a bit of shimmer and a subtle, warm pink lip.  And....more traditional lashes!  This look is more of a glamorous bridal look and one I actually create pretty often on real brides...it photographs well and looks fabulous in person too, it's a most requested look.  With makeup in 15 minutes flat, I pinned up her hair, she changed dresses and put on some truly fabulous jewelry and look #2 was complete!

 

 

 

 

Check out this link from Wedding Chicks for more pictures and details about the shoot, including fabulous paper goods by The Bee's Knee's Custom Design, Dresses and jewelry by De Ma Fille Bridal an amazing cake by Sugar Bee Sweets, Florals by We + You, Photography by Nine Photography, and the lovely venue, Weston Gardens.   Don't forget to check out this fun behind the scenes video from Turquoise Video!

Texas Beauty and Grace - Loma Linda

Hi Everyone!
I recently did an amazing styled shoot with Melissa Shook Photography out at Loma Linda Events, in Rocket, TX.  Although it's been cold cold cold lately and the trees were definitely still starkly winter barren, we lucked out and the day of the shoot itself was warm and really nice!  I crafted a mostly natural and sweet look for Grace, but when I saw the aquamarine color of her eyes AND the fabulous shoes stylist Sally Schnitzius had lined up for the shoot, I decided to add a little pop of unexpected shadow around her lashline.  I loved the ethereal effect it created...very cool!  For her hair, I did soft, natural waves that were first adorned with a floral crown (created by Teresa Choate with Loma Linda), then just down and loose for the 2nd look.  For the final group of sunset shots, I pinned up a quick twisted topknot PLUS added a vibrant raspberry lip for a more bold and electric look that perfectly played off the colors in her bouquet...gorgeous!  Sally and I collaborated our massive jewelry collections to find some perfect vintage additions to adorn Grace's gorgeous dress.  Did I mention Grace and Matt are engaged in real life?  They had such great chemistry and Melissa captured some sweet moments and dreamy imagery while rushing to get that last little bit of sunlight.  LOTS of pics, but what the heck....check out "Texas Beauty and Grace"!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Photography - Melissa Shook Photography 

 Venue, Floral, backdrops - Teresa Choate/Loma Linda Events 

 Styling/Jewelry - Sally Schnitzius 

Dress - Pence and Panache

Makeup/Hair/Jewelry/Additional Styling - Lip Service Makeup

Models - Grace Schnitzius and Matt Chapman