Esther's Engagement and Kirsten's Birthday

Long time no talk Blog World. Just starting to get back into the groove of things. My four month old chubbawubba has been keeping me busy, but I'm back baby! During my maternity leave, I had the pleasure and honor of prettying up two dear friends. Esther and I worked together for quite a few years until she decided to take a courageous step and left the company to start her own business. She got engaged last year and in a few short weeks is getting married in Paris. L'Amour...So romantique!~ She wanted a semi natural look with a pop of color on her lips. So berrylicious :).

Kirsten was celebrating a birthday with friends and family and wanted to get dolled up for her big night out! This mother of 3 deserves it! She wanted an understated va-va-voom look.

Here are some pics of these beautiful ladies. :)

And here's Kirsten...

M.A.C. Prep + Prime Skin Primer

Happy December Everyone!
It's been a long time since I've updated this blog, but been busy busy being a preggo and preparing for baby. :) I haven't done an update regarding my favorite products of the moment in awhile and thought I'd share with you one of the latest and greatest items that I've been loving. MAC's Prep and Prime Primer has been around forever and I'm normally not the biggest MAC skin products fan, due to it not vegging well with my skin...I love their color payout with their shadows and pigments though...so I'm not knocking on MAC. Despite my doubts about MAC's skin products, I gave one of their primers a go.

I shopped around for awhile for the perfect primer. My wants and needs in a primer are:
1) Needs to have my foundation stick. Lasting power baby!
2) Fill in imperfections as much as possible i.e. fill in larger pores, smooth over lines and wrinkles, dull redness, etc.
3) Make my oily t-zone less shiny and matte it down without drying my skin out.

There were 2 types of primers that I was shopping for. Silicone based or water based. Everyone has a different preference and recommendation on which is better, but I think it just depends on your routine. They say that water based is better for your skin in the long run, since silicone based may make your imperfections more noticeable in the end, but it does provide a velvety finish. I may use foundation daily, but I don't put on a full face of makeup unless I'm heading out for a fun day/night, ergo, don't have the need to put on primer daily. In my case, I was comfortable using a silicone based primer.

The P+P fits my 3 needs to a T. I love the pump dispenser and how it expels the exact amount I need for one application. It dries to a smooth finish where your face feels like a baby's bottom. This mattifying effect really pleases me since it fills in my larger pores around my nose & cheeks. When applying it on your hand, you might notice that up close, the P+P leaves a sparkly residue, but once on your face and with makeup over it, there is no glittery effect. Its supposed to have an illuminating effect without the sparkle. Works for me! My foundation lasts allllllllllllll day and I mean all. Not to be disgusting, but trying to be honest...I came home exhausted one night and didn't wash my face. (I know shame! shame!) The next morning as I was wiping off my makeup, ALL of my foundation was still intact. I found it surprising that most of it didn't rub off on my pillow during the night. The price point is reasonable as well at $29.

So far, I've been extremely satisfied with this primer. Not sure if I can call it my Holy Grail Primer yet, but its a definite thumbs up in my book. :)

Priscilla and Daniel

This past Saturday was Priscilla and Daniel aka Dinko's wedding. I've known them since my old CPC days and literally it feels like just yesterday when I heard that they were dating. I can't believe the date approached so quickly and now they are a Mr. and Mrs.! I had so much fun making Priscilla and her whole bridal party up for her e-pics and the big day. It was definitely an unforgettable day and they both looked absolutely stunning at their wedding. I'm so so so happy for them and can't wait to see the professional pictures of their wedding.

Also, I loooooovvvveeeeed their wedding photographer who took their engagement pictures as well. I love how it looks like they're in a fairy tale and it's very ethereal. You can just tell how in love they are. Check out the photographer's blog and her post of Priscilla and Dinko's engagement session.

http://hoooney.com/blog/priscilla-daniels-engagement/

Also, here's a tiny sneak peek before the pro pics of Priscilla's big day getting ready and also some homemade shots of her bridesmaids and the beautiful bride. (p.s. I love these new apps nowadays where you take pictures and add cute borders to frame them. Must DL it asap! :))

 Beautiful Bride and Beautiful Maid of Honor!

 Bride and Groom!

 Priscilla with all of her BM's.

Her after shot sans lipstick. Please excuse the hair. Will post the final "after" pic.

xoxo

Hair for engagement pics and whole wedding party by Kimberly Anderson
Photography for engagement and wedding pics by Honey Honey Photography

FAMILY PICTURES

Hello y'all! Hope everyone is staying cool in this scorching SoCal summer heat. Despite the crazy heat waves, families have been spending time outside, going on picnics, going to the beach and also in some cases taking family pictures! I've had the pleasure to help make up two beautiful mamas for their son and daughter's milestones. (A 100 days and a dohl) Their pictures came out beautiful and natural since they are beautiful and amazing mothers. Happy baek-il to little Gavin and happy 1st birthday to Sienna. You two are cutie patooties and the camera loves you guys. :) xoxo

Pictures from Karyn's Wedding

Here's a mini picture update of Karyn's vintage bride style at the Queen Mary. I love how Karen was bold enough to go with a classic red lip. :) Congratulations again to the lovely bride and her handsome husband. :)

                                          Her B&A on the day of her wedding

Lovely Ladies

I must admit that I'm so incredibly relieved that my morning sickness has dissipated by many degrees. I had a busy week with a trial, a wedding and a family photo session scheduled all within 5 days. I'm relieved that I was able to get through the week with no accidents and turning green on the clients. :)

Here's some of my amateur before/after pics of the wedding I did this past Saturday. I think it was probably one of the most relaxing weddings since it was only makeup for the bride and her future sister-in-law. No bridesmaids running around in a panic, no chaos ensuing looking for missing items...it was calm, quiet and soothing. Jackie, the bride is such a breath of fresh air. She's so incredibly beautiful and effervescent every time I see and talk to her. On her wedding day, she was so full of energy and joy, it was palpable. I wish her a beautiful honeymoon and a lifetime of wedded bliss for her and her new husband. :)

Jackie Trial Run B&A

Jackie Wedding Day B&A

Sister-in-Law B&A

New heart: YSL Mascara Volume Effet Faux Cils

Ask all of my friends, but as of late I have been having a hard time putting on makeup on my face. It's really due to morning sickness and at work I'm in my cubbyhole where I don't have to talk to anyone face to face. So, its a big deal when a new make-up item can rouse my interest and compel me to drag my butt to the mall and purchase it.

Awhile back, my sister had eyelash extensions that made her already envy worthy lashes look lusher and feathery. Gotta admit, those extensions are not that lush and beautiful while they're falling out...Either way, she swore them off forever. Recently, while visiting with her, I noticed that her lashes looked beautiful and fake again. AND! To top it off, they were a really nice noticeable rich purple. I thought maybe she got new extensions in, but she said that it was actually the magical workings of the YSL Volume Mascara. I think I was most drawn to the rich hue of purple on her eyes. It wasn't a tacky color, but really velvety looking.

I've been using it for the past week and I gotta say that I'm a believer. Love love love the color and I definitely think it beats out all of the Lancome mascaras I've ever tried. It doesn't clump, it separates nicely, and volumizes to the max. I really like my wands to be thick, full and fluffy looking...kinda like a pipe cleaner, and this one does mama proud. Plus, YSL did a good job of making sure that not too much product comes out with each pump of the brush. I hate it when you have half of the tube on your wand. Blech. I know that there are a lot of inexpensive mascaras out there that get the job done too, but if you have sparse, thin eyelashes like me, you need all of the help you can get. Call me a sucker, but I buy into the hype of what the department brands claim. :)

If you're in the market for your next tube of mascara, try being a little bit adventurous and spring for a classy shade of purple. It gives your eyes a little extra umph and an unexpected surprise for your friends when you look at them. For $30, it's not gonna break the bank. Just think of eating out 2x less during the week and you'll break even. It's available at all major luxury department stores so you have easy access to purchase. Happy Wanding y'all! :) xoxo

color #4 (Fascinating Violet)