Top 4 Reasons Why You Should get Professional Makeup for your Wedding Party.....

When I'm talking, texting or emailing with a client, bridesmaid makeup comes up often.  Many clients just know right off the bat...whole wedding party, done.  Others aren't sure and have hesitation about whether or not it's a good idea to arrange for the bridesmaids to have their makeup done too.  Speaking from YEARS of experience, I can assure you...it is!  Here are just some of the reasons:

1. Consistency - Think of all of your friends and who will make up your wedding party.  If you're like most of us, you've got a mix of different types of girls...the edgy college friend who lives in NYC, the down to earth girl who lives in yoga pants and ponytails, the glamazon who adores makeup and won't leave the house without false lashes and full highlight/contour.  If each of these girls does their own makeup, it will look REALLY inconsistent.  Why does that matter?  A mish mash of looks draws your eye...to the MAKEUP, not to the moment and not to the bride.  The best wedding photos capture the joy, intimacy and connection of the day.....this is hard to achieve when a bridesmaid sticks out because her look is different than the rest.

2. Problem solving - Ok, so you're thinking..."yep, I DO have the one friend who never wears makeup and the other friend who wears a ton, and I don't know how to tell them that I'd like a certain "look"...awkward!"    Hire a professional artist to do your wedding party and the problem is SOLVED.  You, as the bride, can share what "look" you want your girls to have (usually a private convo before wedding day!) and then  I will take care of it for you.   Don't worry about individuality....it's easy to adjust slightly for each girl!  A bit less for Natural girl, a bit more for Glam Girl....tweaks in color and placement.  It's not about looking like carbon copies of each other...each girl's individual beauty will shine through, I promise.


Peyronet Photography

3. Less Stressful...and More Fun!  Getting makeup done together should be a good time.  With all the work and pre-wedding festivities, it's nice to settle in for a day of beauty with all of your girls!  I specialize in onsite artistry, so I will come to the location of your choice...with all huge selection of high-quality pro products, a chair, a light....essentially a mobile makeup studio.  So much easier than running back and forth to a salon or juggling appointments, or worse, letting each girl figure it out for herself with mixed results.Whether it's a private home, the bridal suite at your venue or a hotel room, you can customize snacks and drinks, provide cute robes, assign someone as DJ for the day...hang out with your besties while you get beautified!  At a recent wedding, one of the girls brought several wedding themed movies....we all had a blast laughing along to "Bridesmaids"....it really made for a fun and relaxing day as each girl took turns getting hair and makeup.  Nothing like laughing your butt off to cure any last minute jitters!


Tracy Autem Photography

Tracy Autem Photography 

4. Better Photos and Video - Ask any photographer or videographer and they will tell you....great makeup for everyone results in BETTER PHOTOS.  I know how to apply makeup to truly enhance everyone's features...makeup that will look good in person AND in photographs...and most importantly, I use primers/sealers and special techniques to ensure it will last all night.  This means that you and your girls will all look stunning, FEEL gorgeous and your pictures and video will all be about the love and capturing fun and silly moments of the ceremony and reception.    Your eye can focus on the bride (yay!) and the memories, not the bridesmaid with bright orange lipstick (yes, I've really had this happen).  Short story? When everyone has on long-lasting makeup applied properly in a flattering color palette, you and your girls will look....and feel amazing!  That really comes through in photos and video....

Brass tacks moment...Who picks up the tab?  Do you or your family?  Do the girls?  In most cases, the bride or bride's family picks up the entire makeup tab, however it's perfectly acceptable to ask your girls to chip in to defray part of the cost if budget is an issue. Some brides pick up half the cost and ask their girls to cover the other half....if your budget is tight, this is a great compromise so that everyone can get the makeup they deserve!  It's common to only accept payment from the bride (or bride's family) or one source, mainly because it's all pre-paid ahead of time, so do keep this in mind. If your girls are going to chip in, they'll work that out with you and then you'll pay your artist (in most cases).   In the rare occasion that one or two girls aren't sure about getting makeup, they always want it done once they've seen everyone else....better to plan ahead for a hassle-free experience on wedding day!

Tracy Autem Photography

So....

Just some things to think about when planning your wedding or helping a friend plan a wedding!  Your photographers, videographers and other wedding vendors know too....professional makeup is WORTH IT, and you'll be happier when you, and your girls, aren't stressed about how you look.  Want more proof?  Just check out all the stunning brides and bridesmaids on this page! 

Let's hear it for the bridesmaids!!  Your girls have been through thick and thin with you, and they will really appreciate you arranging onsite , hassle-free, gorgeous makeup for them. And whatever you do, please skip the weird Brazilian restaurant for your bridesmaid's lunch....they'll love

you even more!  ; )

What about the already married ladies reading this....did you arrange for makeup for your whole group?  Wish you had?  Why?  Share your thoughts in the comments section!

Naturally Pretty Palette....Epic Fail or Must buy?

I bought a palette several months ago, and I really do love it, so I wanted to share the lowdown.... it's the Naturally Pretty palette by It Cosmetics.  Right off the bat, I'll warn you...if you're a type A  or OCD type, it might really bug you that the outer packaging is a mauve, sort of felt material that starts looking dirty and ragged nearly INSTANTLY.  Poor packaging....and yep, it does bug me!  It's fabric and can't easily be wiped off, but I've forced myself to look past that into the gorgeous, wearable colors inside.

I'm normally not a fan of matte shadows...generally, I think a bit of shimmer helps shadows blend out better...matte shadows can look chalky and dull.  In this case, nothing to worry about...these colors blend like a dream!  Just like their other palette competitors (Lorac, Urban Decay and others) these shadows are the micro-milled, high-end variety that apply like butter and have terrific color payoff.  Here are some more specifics from the It Cosmetics website about the shadows:

Hydrating Age Reverse and Prevent Complex and infused with Peptides, Hydrolyzed Collagen, Silk, Anti-Oxidants and Drops of Light™ Technology. Paraben-free, fragrance-free, sulfate-free, cruelty free. 

Ok...I'm down with all of that, but how does it LOOK?  Overall, this palette is a subdued one...the colors are soft, nothing bright or garish...you might even say a bit boring?  But let me tell you, this palette has become a total go to!  These colors help me craft the most lovely soft smoky eye looks, like the one below:

This palette is especially great for brown-eyed girls...it provides a neutral palette that isn't a boring brown and the colors all go together in a wide variety of combinations.  In the photo above, I used 5 or 6 shades for depth and dimension, with Iconic and Midnight (plum and navy) shadows as the base, blended down with Love, Soulful and All Heart.  Here is what the colors look like individually:

 

I use the lighter shades (Sheer Joy, Love) for base color and highlight, the deeper shades (Midnight, Noir, Iconic, Java) for liner and defining the crease and the mid range tones (Violet, Mocha, All Heart, Sunset, Sunrise, Warmth, Soft Light) to add warm tones and to create a smooth, buffed out look between darker and lighter shades.  The "Java" shade is a particular favorite...a warm coffee color, it just blends in so well and works with a lot of different color combinations, and makes the great base for a smoky eye that isn't too dark.  The hot bridesmaid dress color lately has been a gorgeous blush shade...this palette is perfect for that!  One of last week's weddings had blush dresses....I knew these shades would be perfect for creating sophisticated, yet soft looks that I needed.  Here's one of the bridesmaids:

Her eyes are blue, so I went a little warmer (Java, All Heart, Soulful, Noir)....and it looked great with the blush dresses, but also really made her eyes shine!  So pretty.  I almost forgot to mention...the Naturally Pretty palette comes with a "Transforming Pearl" shadow that you can swipe over the matte shades to give them shimmer.  Meh...not impressed with it and I skip it completely. I have other shimmers in my case that do the same thing much better.  If this was your only palette, that would be a nice feature to get more use out of the colors, so it shouldn't be discounted. I just have a lot of other competing products in my case.  So...all in all, here's the scoop:

 

Pro's - lovely shades, blend like a dream, great color payoff and wearability

Con's - case always looks dirty (it's fabric), shimmer is so-so

 

This has become a kit staple that I use all the time!  For non- pro's, it's a great starter palette for someone building their shadow collection as it works for any skin tone or eye color.  It's a great selection of neutrals with a lot more range (and a lot less glitter!) than Urban Decay Naked palettes too!  So...how much and where can you get it?  It's $42 on the IT Cosmetics website (click HERE), and you can purchase in store at Ulta. I stumbled across IT Cosmetics last year and have added several of their products to my kit (Bye Bye Redness has become a #cantlivewithout product!), so I spotted this palette and gave it a shot...so glad I did!  And if anyone from IT Cosmetics ever reads this, for the LOVE...please don't package eyeshadows with fabric packaging ever again.  Especially not mauve nubby felt.  More women would probably discover how great this palette really is if the packaging were better....#justsayin.

 

IT Cosmetics Naturally Pretty Palette....a MUST BUY!

It's June which = high Wedding Season....#busybusybusy!

Holy cow, this is one of busiest years Lip Service has ever had!  I'm barely 6  months into the year and I've already completed over 30 weddings, 9 photo shoots, plus tons of quicker jobs like boudoir shoots, trial runs, bridals.  I'm having a BLAST...my clients rock!  A bridesmaid just asked me if I ever have bridezillas and the answer is truly..no, I don't.  My brides are all super sweet girls....I'm super lucky....man, did I just jinx myself?!?!  Hopefully not!  Haven't had much time to write and post, just wanted to check in and say hey....I'll write more when things slow down a bit in July.  I'm waiting on wedding pics from a ton of spring weddings, hoping many of them will arrive soon so I can post for you!

 It's been a blur of venue open houses, weddings, a surprise prom, charity events, lessons, bridals and even a big group of adorable girls for an 8th grade dance....so many super fun things I can't wait to share. In the meanwhile, just a handful of pics from what I've been up to:

Just say THANK YOU already!

Sorry I haven't been posting much, it's June!  Eight weddings...2 down, 6 to go and then things slow down a bit for July/August.  So, nothing fancy today, just some thoughts on why it's so hard for women to accept compliments.  I do makeup on an average of 50 faces each month...sometimes more, sometimes less, but average of 50.  I see beauty in each person in my chair, but often, the subject doesn't.  I mean, really doesn't!  I'll say "wow, you've got such great cheekbones" and their response is "well, my nose is way too big and my eyes are super small".  Usually, the descriptors they give aren't accurate at all.  A recent client told me that she hated her really small lips.  They weren't small at all!  They were normal to a bit on the full side, but somehow she got it into her head that they're small....and that that's a flaw.  Why do we as women do this to ourselves?!?! We pick pick pick....this isn't big enough, this is too big, I look old, I'm too pale, I'm not pretty.  I say ENOUGH!

Change what you say in your head...now.  If you catch yourself thinking "I can't wear that, I'm too fat", or "I'm not as pretty as her".  Just stop....find something, anything about yourself you like and think about that instead.  Your shiny hair, your great smile, your toned legs....whatever you like about your face and body.  (There's a whole 'nother side to this....with inner beauty, but that's a much longer discussion, so for now, let's focus on what you can visually see!!!  It all ties in.....)

I've always said PEOPLE SEE WHAT YOU SHOW THEM.  If you believe you're beautiful, people will see that.  If you think you're sub-standard and pick yourself apart, you invite others to do the same.  I have plenty of things I don't like about my appearance, but generally, you won't hear me talking about them much.  Why?  Simple...if I don't point it out to you, maybe you'll never notice!  Suppose someone thinks they have a big nose.   If they constantly say "oh, my big nose...Oh, I hate my nose...gosh, can you use makeup to diminish this nose!"  Guess what?  People around you who thought your nose was perfectly fine are now focused on....your nose.  You're telling them it's big, so they're looking at it thinking....wow, it's really pretty big, hadn't noticed until she kept talking about it.  Hmmm...how did that work out for ya?  Not so great.

I knew a girl years ago who did this routinely, and couldn't see what a problem it was.  I remember one time, we were all at an fun event...she was single and looking too mingle, there were plenty of nice guys there.  She's cute, smart, great job....had everything she needed to land a guy.  So what was the problem?  All night...to anyone who would listen she would say "oh, I hate my arms...they're so fat.  It'd be ok if I weren't so short.  Don't look at my stomach, I'm trying to lose weight" and on and on.  (None of it was true, incidentally...she was indeed short and petite, but not at all fat...but, that doesn't change the point.).  Guys who started flirting and complimenting her were treated to "well thanks for that, but this thing (arms, stomach, height) really isn't great and I'm not happy about it". One by one, the guys who had started flirting with her initially wandered off and started ignoring her.  She thought  it was because of these "flaws", but it really wasn't. It was because her words and behavior shouted "I'm FLAWED!  I DON'T THINK MUCH OF MYSELF!  IF YOU THINK I'M ATTRACTIVE, YOU MUST BE NUTS!"  Any normal dude is going to be turned off, and they were.  Guys want a woman who is confident with whatever she's got, plain and simple.  Maybe you're his type, maybe not...but confidence trumps good looks all the time.  That girl and I drifted apart over the years... I wonder if she ever "got" it and stopped sabotaging herself...I may never know.

Are YOU sabotaging yourself?  The next time you start to tear yourself apart....out loud to others or internally....just STOP.  Even better?  When your makeup artist tells you how lovely your almond shaped eyes are, your husband compliments your haircut or a friend says how great you look in that outfit....just say THANK YOU. That's it, no qualifier...no, thank you BUT this that or the other. Just THANK YOU...with a big smile.  When you notice lovely things about others, return the favor and pass out compliments that are simple and sincere....spread the feel good factor. If we all do this, maybe we as women can start to change this global bad habit we all seem to have.  I know you can do it!!! 

Is this an issue that YOU struggle with? Share  your comments below.....

Evercolor Shadow Stick by Mally Beauty - 5 Second Review

Had to share....honestly, I've had such great luck with most of the new products in my kit this year!  This one, um...not so much.  I love Mally Roncal...supremely sassy makeup artist to several celebrities.  She talented, fun and beautiful so I really wanted to like her new line of makeup products.  I picked up her EverColor Shadow Stick at Ulta the other day.  In the store, I loved the champagne shimmer shade and was intrigued by easy application so I thought I'd give it a try.

I swatched it out on the back of my hand at the store and it looked like this:

So, the next morning, I did a simple champagne eye, blended it out, added a little black liner and was out the door.  It was super easy to apply and blend and looked great.....at first.  This product totally changed!!!  Within about an hour, my eyelids felt really dry and cakey and I have oily skin and (typically) oily eyelids, so for them to feel dry?  Holy cow.  Also, the pretty shimmer had changed to SPARKLE, as in glitter sparkle.  Remember the old school Mary Kate and Ashley cosmetics for girls and pre-teens way back in the day?  Like that.  The kind of glitter that is too much for daytime and unflattering for a woman in her 40s....if you've ever taken a lesson or class from me, you've seen me demonstrate the difference!  The subtle champagne "shimmer" turned chunky, turned to a yellow-ish gold, started flaking off and just looked terrible.  I wish I'd taken a photo of my eyes to show you, but I honestly couldn't wait to take it off.  Mally touts her products as "bulletproof", meaning they won't budge....but that's only a good thing if the product actually looks flattering and this didn't.  I may try something else from her line just to see, but although I loved the idea of a crème stick, this one just didn't work for me.  At $25 (cheaper on Amazon) which I think is pretty high for a cream shadow anyway, this will definitely be returned.

And on to the next product!  Still love ya Mally!