BlushPretty: Make-up Artistry Weblog

wedding ring magazine + a blushpretty bride

Another one of my beautiful brides has been featured in a wedding magazine!

I recently had the chance to meet the talented Irina Fortey of Irina Photography for my photoshoot for Crave Toronto. I knew from the moment she walked into the studio that I had worked with Irina on a wedding - but I just couldn't place her, the wedding, or the bride (often times, if I am not booked for the whole day, I'm leaving as the photographer is arriving - not much time to really get to know each other!).

But ... after several times of me blurting out "I know we've worked with the same bride ... I know it" ... we started throwing names and dates at each other ... it was Lesley from August 2010. (Don't you love the satisfaction you feel when you figure something out!)

And then Irina hit me with the good good:

Lesley's wedding was featured in The Wedding Ring, a Canadian based wedding magazine. 

Irina had submitted the photos to the mag and with Lesley and Vince's wedding being super chic - OF COURSE it would makes it way into the magazine for a full spread! On page 12 - to be exact.

I remember how chill and relaxed Lesley was; during both her trial (when she had her engagement photos) and on her big day. She was a pleasant and easy-going bride - not to mention beautiful and talented (she made her bouquet and her bridesmaid's bouquets).

I adored the hairstyle Lesley picked for her big day.  It was a classic updo, smooth and sleek on the sides and top with a big beautiful round bun in the back.  And when I say big - I mean big.  She dressed it up with a pretty headband and veil.  She was definitely a princess bride!

I wish Lesley and Vince all the best.  How lucky are they to have their wedding remembered for years to come in a magazine?  I also want to thank Irina for submitting the photos and for letting me know about the feature.

I wonder which one of my brides will become magazine celebrities in 2010?

-bp-

it's my party and I'll cry if i want to

You've got your checklist checked off.

From your gown to your seating arrangement to who's going to pick up grandma from the airport. Check, check and check. You've read all the reviews on your vendors, filed your contracts and receipts in proper order and you are all set.

Sounds about right ... right?

And then Betty Bridesmaid calls and says: "What about hair and makeup for me and the girls? I know you booked with the best hair and makeup person in the world for all of us - but that's just a little too pricey for me, she and her. We've already spent x, y, and z.  We're on a budget!

(fair enough - everyone is on a budget)

This is not uncommon. Trust me. I've worked with many a bride who have gone back and forth and forth and back about which girl is getting what done; about the cost; about reducing rates; about maybe getting a more affordable stylist for them, but the best hair and makeup and hair person in the world for her.

Definitely not uncommon.  And frustrating, I bet. It's your party and you will spend what you damn well please ... errrrr ... but maybe you should consider that Betty Bridesmaid still has a whopping student loan to pay.

In the end, you wear the white gown and you make the final call.  But if you are trying to make it easy (and affordable) for all involved then here are some tips on keeping the attitudes of your bridal party just as pretty as their makeup and hair:

beauty + the bride

Brides want everything to be perfect; that's a no-brainer!

I wanted to write up a little teaser about a couple of thingamajiggies I am in the processing of lining up for brides (current and future) in the GTA (and surrounding area or if you happen to be visiting the city at all the right times) that can help them get aisle-walking, white dress wearing, gorgeously glowing, picture perfect.

Here's a sneak peek:

Seaflora: I'm teaming up with my girl Raman and Seaflora in mid-March for a mini-spa experience. Learn the benefits of Seaflora's skincare line while getting your hands and feet pampered. (I should mention that this event is free).

RMS Beauty: Let's play! In early April come hang out with me for some beauty demos and quick makeup apps (no not for your iPhone) using range of colours from RMS Beauty. See what the 411 is on the living luminizer and the lip2cheek products - a bridal must-have! (And this is event is free too!)

Vida Skin Studio: I'm collaborating (once again) with Raman of Vida Skin Studio to get your complexion in tip top shape before the wedding. Let's just say skin treatments are involved plus FULL SIZE products (notice the plural) for DIY at home maintenance. Your skin will never look better.

The Blush Boutique Bridal Sale: Ready to start thinking about thank you gifts for your bridal party? Expect to hear more about a big sale at The Blush Boutique on bridal sets and goodies that you'll want to keep instead of gift. If you want to hear more about any of these events or The Blush Boutique sale, please email me at beautymail@blushpretty.com.

- bp -

The Budget Bride

I'm amazed at my brides who know how to create a beautiful wedding, but on a budget.

If you are in the middle of planning your big day, then you know that the costs can rise within the blink of an eye.  You can start off with all good intentions to have a budget, but let's face it ... there is always some wiggle room to it.  To top that off, it really feels like no single part of your wedding day can be skimped on - from food to your face, a bride, and yes the groom too, would like to have everything be perfect.  P-E-R-F-E-C-T.  And who can blame them?  It will be the biggest day of their lives after all.

When it comes to your skin, makeup and hair, there are ways to stay within if not really close to your budget.

A great way to keep your costs down - hire a freelance artist. If you shop around and get the right referrals, a freelance artist will have more competitive prices than a salon or makeup counter that has a pricey cost due to their operating overhead.  Plus, a freelance artist will come to you on-location so you will save on driving and transportation costs the day of your wedding too.  Plus, everything is done in the privacy of your home or hotel room.  Bonus.

It's really tempting to use the phrase "if I book with you for my wedding day, will my trial be free?".  Freelance artists have a skill and expertise that should be compensated for.  They are spending that skill and their time on you each time you ask them for a trial, so you should pay for those services just like you pay for every haircut, every dental or doctor appointment, every time you get your car a car wash after buying gas.  If you plan to book more than one trial, and also services for your bridal shower,  stagette and rehearsal dinner - then expect to pay for each one.  But what you can do when you book your makeup and hair services is see if they have wedding packages available.  If they do, take time to read through all of them and see if any fits your beauty schedule.  Maybe your artist has a package for trial runs, where if you book your wedding day, you'll get 15% off each trial run.  Or, maybe he or she will have a package where your trial run, wedding day, and another bridal related session are grouped together.  Long story short: don't expect it to be free, but do expect your artist to be open to "bundling your services" if you're booking quite a few of them!

Brow shaping. Facials.  Mani/Pedis. It's a big thing.  This is another time to ask the salon or spa you frequent if they will give you a package deal.  Go armed with a list of days and times you plan to come in (it helps the manager or cashier see that you plan to come in for services more than once) and politely ask that if you schedule each service right at that moment if they can somehow workout a deal price.  All you have to do is ask. Maybe if you come in for four visits, you'll get the fifth visit 50% off or better yet free. You might have to put down a deposit for each date - but who cares - you know you will need and will use those services.  This will work better if you go to a salon or spa that will offer all services you need, as opposed to going to one place for facials, one place for brow shaping and another for your tips and toes.

Try doing your own makeup! You can go to any beauty counter at your local mall and get a makeup lesson just for buying the product they used.  That might not sound like you are saving - but if you love the makeup they used, chances are you will use that same makeup even when it's not your wedding day.  A refreshed makeup bag and tips and tricks!  Can't go wrong there!

And a tip for keeping it on budget that doesn't deal with beauty:

Think outside the box.  Choose to have your wedding on an "off" day! I've seen many beautiful weddings on Thursday evenings and Sunday mornings. Who says it has to be a Saturday?  Guests love the ease of a Sunday morning wedding celebrated over brunch OR the short but sweet nuptials made official over cocktails and h'or d'ouerves on a Thursday night!

-bp- 

Not Everyone Has a Wedding Registry

As a bride, you can be sure to receive only gifts you love by registering.

But what about the gifts you have to give to those near and dear to you - bridesmaids, flowergirls, mothers, a friend who went above and beyond to get your husband a citizenship card (when he had failed to tell you that he didn't have one or a passport) two weeks before your wedding so he could fly overseas to actually be able to go on a honeymoon (my heart to my BFF's and her mother because yes, that was my husband who failed to tell me he didn't have a passport or citizenship card two weeks before the wedding) ... not so sure anymore, huh?

Buying the perfect "thank you" gift is quite hard. If your bridal party is made up of a group of girls from all different walks of your life, they probably have different style, tastes, and personalities. While you would probably love to get something unique and individual for each, it can be easier to find one gift that speaks to each of them.  Plus - you can avoid any "she must like you more" comparisons. LOL.

Now, I've seen it all when it comes to such gifts.  I had one bride buy her bridal party lunch sacs and fill it with nutritional snacks and munchies.  I've seen another give the most beautiful Tiffany necklaces. Here are a couple of items I think you could give to your bridal party that will have them feeling like its their big day!

A set of beautifully pressed notecards: My BFF and I are suckers for stationary.  We've been known to take trips to Buffalo just to pick up some pretty notecards and pens and decorative post-its. So I think a nice set of notecards is always a chic, sophisticated, touch - bring back the art of the handwritten letter.  Check out snap+tumble for some beautifully letterpressed pieces. I like her "xoxo and hello" cards or her scribble postcards.  Better yet, take one of her Letterpress Curiosity workshops.  Learn the craft and make a few sets for your bridal party.

A cashmere scarf: Okay, I know.  That sounds ridiculous.  But honestly, find ten friends and probably only one of them will say "I don't like scarves". That means 90% of your friends will always wear or make use for a cashmere scarf.  They open up into a big shawl and are great for airplanes; if you are Torontonian - hello, we wear them fall, winter and spring ... maybe even summer if there is a bit of wind; women wear them just as an accessory - we take off the coat, never the cashmere scarf. Anyway, pick up a cashmere scarf in your bridal colour and gift it.  It will be useful on the day of your wedding and after. I say cashmere because its luxe and soft AND many retailers have a cashmere scarf that isn't to pricey. Club Monaco always has something cashmere and scarf like!

Beauty kits: This is a beauty blog and I am opening a beauty boutique at the end of the week - so naturally, I think Beauty Kits are always a winner.  A set of coveted bath products, a mix of fun eyeshadows and matching liners; a pedicure set - wait - did I just say pedicure set?  Well, The Blush Boutique has one of those! Principessa's Perfectto Pedicure set has everything your BFF needs to prettify her feet on the go - it even comes with a sock so she can do that "load up on the moisturizer and then put on a sock for an instant foot sauna" trick! Ha!  But really whether its something from The Blush Boutique (launching Jan 31, 2010 shameless plug, shameless plug), a makeup bag with a few goodies is always a treat.

-bp-

Lash by Lash

"Can you do fake lashes?"

The answer is yes.

Every bride always asks me about fake lashes: whether I can do them; if I think she needs them; if they will look "too fake"; if they will look "natural".  Only a wedding day can make even the most natural, non-makeup wearing bride do a one-eighty and completely INDULGE herself in makeup and cosmetic enhancement.

If you are a makeup artist, fake lashes MUST be a part of your bridal kit.  If you are a bride, fake lashes will be the most funnest (I know - not a real word) part of your makeup application.  The key is determining which fake lashes are the most complimentary to your real lash line, your bridal look, and your comfort zone!

If you have light lashes, as in the barely visible kind because they are so blond, look for brown lashes - they do make them!  These work well for those who have blonde or light brown lashes.  Coat your real lashes with a brown mascara to blend to the fakes and the look will be much more softer and natural than heavy black lashes or mascara.

If you happen to have sparse lashes and you want to keep it natural looking then try lashes like Ardell Fashion Lashes in #108.  This will fill your lash line in a little and give them some heft.  You can find Ardell at Wal-Mart and Sally Beauty.

If you really want to pump up the volume, look for something full and lush like Quo's #800.  These fakes have a full fringe across the band. The Quo brand is available at Shoppers Drug Mart.

If you have lashes and don't need volume, but wouldn't mind some length, than try MAC Lash #2.  These are wispy, so they won't add too much volume, but they will give you a bit of length.

If you want to extend your lash line a bit but rather not add volume or length, then opt for singles or clusters which can be placed at the outer corner to extend the eye.  Singles come in short, medium and long lengths so you can definitely find one that matches your natural length.  When it comes to placing singles at the outer corner, I always mix up two sizes, placing the longer length at the outermost corner and then the shorter length closer to the middle. 

There are tonnes of options out there and all you need to do is look.  Shop around, try them on, and pick two or three you like.  Discuss your options with your makeup artist and you'll find the perfect ones!

-bp-

The Studio Makeover

Everyone ... and everything ... can use a little makeover every once in awhile.

And to prove it - check out the coat of "makeup" my studio got!

A special thank you to my hubby and my son who decided to do a little DIY makeover to my studio for my Christmas gift. 

The pink stripes resemble my business card (how's that for branding) and just make the room a little brighter, a little more fun, and all girl (in a house filled with a husband, two sons, and a male dog - you need something that's all girl). 

I'm definitely excited to hold consultations and trial runs at the fresh.new. studio! If you are a bride looking to run a trial, did you know that coming into the studio to get your hair and makeup done is just a little bit more budget-friendly?  Well it is!  On top of that, any clientele who comes to the studio for a trial run or consultation (consultations are 30 minutes and F-R-E-E) receives 10% off their purchases from the BlushPretty Boutique.

Listed below are the on-location and in-studio prices for trial runs - so you can compare how much you can save.  To book, just send me an email at stephanie@blushpretty.com!

On location:

• Hair and Make-up: $80
• Make-up: $50
• Hair: $60

In studio:

• Hair and Make-up: $65
• Make-up: $40
• Hair: $50

Check out more pictures of my studio below!

-bp-

My Cake and Principessa shelf

My desk and "beauty closet" (i know - it's just a shelf)

The wall I face when I sit at my desk. 
There is a indented space which he wallpapered with pretty pink peonies.