Surprise Prom for Ashley - Mascara alert!

Don't have a lot of time, but I HAVE to take a second to tell you about this....
I did prom makeup for a super sweet girl named Amanda just a few weeks ago.  Her mom reached out and told me that Amanda's friend Ashley had been very ill, in and out of the hospital nonstop, missing tons of school and missed her own senior prom.  Turns out Amanda had contacted the local radio station (Kiss 106.1FM Dallas/Fort Worth, Kidd Kraddick in the Morning Show) and they jumped up and offered to hold a special prom...just for Ashley!  They wanted to know if I could do the makeup.  Are you kidding?!?!  I was honored to be asked, and so excited to have even a tiny part of this wonderful surprise.

I called up my dear friend Renn Traylor to assist with hair, we set an appointment for them to come by...ready to go!  Ashley, her mom Michelle and stepdad Rodney showed up and right away, I could tell Ashley wasn't feeling so great...she arrived in a wheelchair and walked very slowly up the stairs, she's suffering from major vertigo and weakness.  Ashley thought she has having hair and makeup done for a prom-style photo shoot, she had NO IDEA what was really in store!  Here is a pic of Ashley "before"

Totally adorable, even without a stich of makeup, right?  She asked me to fix up her brows and create a sophisticated bronze smoky eye for her.  Plus...she wanted to "not look sick"....just pretty! I got to work on this gorgeous face and here's the results!

You know what I see, so much more than the makeup?  The SMILE.  Look at that!  That is the best part of what I do!  When she looked in the mirror, she teared up and said "this is better than I ever imagined" and hugged me super tight.  I just melted into a puddle....humbled and happy to be able to give her that feeling of confidence.  Renn did her hair and her mood just kept climbing....she kept saying "wow, I look GOOD!" as we shared winks amongst ourselves.  Renn created a red carpet ready updo, Ashley got into her dress and we snapped a quick pic with her before she left....

 

 

She had a photography session at the Fort Worth Water Gardens nearby....gorgeous!  (I need to find out who the photographer is, so I can give credit!)

Then, she was whisked away to the Omni Hotel in Fort Worth for the big surprise!  Here are just a few pics that her mom and friends posted...don't you just love the look on her face?!?!  She found a complete prom, just for her...including her closest friends, lovely décor, a photo booth, a DJ, seated dinner and.....her boyfriend, who the station flew in just for the occasion!

Kidd Kraddick in the Morning show cast greets Ashley...she's so surprised!

Ashley was surprise to see Jeshua, her boyfriend who was flown in as another surprise!

Ashley having a blast on the dance floor!

With Kellie, J-Si and Jenna from Kidd Kraddick in the morning

Ashley's mom Michelle, Kellie, J-Si, Ashley, Jeshua and Jenna

I've been a fan and listener of Kiss 106.1 and the Kidd Kraddick Show for years and years, I just love these guys even more for stepping up to help with this. Isn't it nice to know how people will jump in and do something so wonderful for someone else?  For more details, check out this Youtube video....
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M8rSkrfUFk0&feature=share

I hope Ashley's story touched you as much as it did me.  In the short time I've spent with them, I already felt like I've known this family forever, and I can't wait to see the next chapter of Ashley's life as it unfolds.  She's already weathered some pretty tough times, but she's got such a sunny outlook!  So many wonderful people contributed to this event, Birds of a Feather Events, the Omni Hotel Fort Worth, Lacey and the staff of Kidd Kraddick, plus a ton more....I wish I had a complete list of everyone who helped, if I did, I'd list them all here.  Kudos to all of those people, along with Ashley's friends and family who truly gave her a night she'll never forget!

Class of 2014 or Ad for Free People? You decide!

It was a lazy Sunday....nothing booked, so I had slept late and was hanging out with my boyfriend and the kids.   If you know me at all, you know how truly pleasantly weird that is...I'm usually getting up at 6am and going non-stop!  I was looking forward to a day of couch time and catching up on Scandal episodes when I got a call from a photographer I didn't know with a frantic.... "Can you help?  We need makeup for senior pics...stat!"  Me..."Um...when?".  "NOW!"  If I had a cape with MUA on it, I would've thrown that sucker on!   It'd be red with big ol' lips on it, naturally.  ANYWAY,  I packed up my case and headed to Fort Worth where I met the lovely Kelsey, her sweet momma and the amazingly talented photographer Heather Thorne.  Right away, I was super excited...Kelsey is gorgeous! She has incredibly long hair with a fun, hippie vibe..she's tall and has just a bit of an alternative vibe to offset her classic good looks.  Here she is without a stitch of makeup on as I got started:

And the before/after....

I'm telling you, gorgeous girl! She wanted to look natural, but also wanted to be sure her unexpected breakout was covered and that she looked pretty....these are senior pics, after all!  I created a look that both mom and daughter were happy with....fresh, glowing, but yet sophisticated in an age- appropriate way.  I used warm neutrals on her eyes, black and hunter green liner plus some flirty false lashes for pop.  Flawless skin and my signature flushed cheeks and rosy lip and she was ready to go.  You've gotta love it when you can make an 18 year old happy when it comes to makeup! I teased her roots a bit and then twisted sections of her hair around a curling iron for definition (but still loose and "undone" to fit her style) as Kelsey chose her outfits and Heather planned where to shoot around the Magnolia area of Fort Worth.  I could not WAIT to follow up with Heather and see how this shoot turned out...I just had a feeling, ya know?  Are you ready?  Check out these fabulous images...again, courtesy of Heather Thorne Photography...

I just love the boho chic vibe!!  The overall shoot wound up like a lookbook for a chic boutique or Free People, not your everyday senior pics, that's for sure. My senior pic involved floofy 80s hair and some kind of blue feathery thing around my shoulders...just one head shot in the school gym with a bunch of people in line behind me, boom...done.  Nothing special, but that's what everyone's senior pic looked like....yep, I'll say it...back in the day!   Wish I had a copy handy, I'd post it just for grins...and to show the contrast with how FAB these images are in comparison! Wow, things have really changed for the better in regard to senior pics...these show so much more personality. In the end, that lazy Sunday wasn't meant to be, but I'm so glad I picked up the phone and was available for this last minute session!  Can't wait to work with Heather again.  And.....happy graduation Kelsey! What a great way to celebrate......

I'll get to those Scandal episodes eventually....