It's been months since I've updated my blog but seeing as I had such a beauty-filled weekend and just came back from a much-needed and wonderfully refreshing vacation (all that for a later post), I thought now was the perfect time to do so. This weekend was a record for me in terms of makeup jobs. I'm not a professional makeup artist by any means - I'm more of an aficionado - and I don't have tons of opportunities to do makeup on anyone other than myself. The opportunities were definitely there this weekend and I got a taste of what a professional makeup artist's life is truly like. Seriously, to all my makeup artists friends: kudos, props, you go Glenn Coco! What you do is no easy task.
On Friday, our dear friends Mike Garza and Alex Janss whispered their wedding vows to each other at a very sweet ceremony at Union on Eighth in Georgetown, Texas. Mike's sisters, whom I've known a lot of my life, commissioned me to do their makeup - I, of course, was honored to do the job. I did full makeup for four girls, with some hair included. I worked for 6.5 hours straight and followed up with my own hair and makeup which was finished a short two hours later. Frankly, I was beat. But it was so, so fun and the bridesmaids looked beautiful. It was worth every second and all the minor body aches and only reinforced my passion for beauty. The day was rushed (because I'm still developing my craft and very slow), so I didn't have a lot of time for photos, but this was the makeup I did for Mike's sister, Veronica Garza. Vero is actually the owner and creator of Must B Nutty Tortillas. They're gluten-free, grain-free and super yummy. Read more about her story here. Vero has beautiful skin (thanks to her super healthy diet) and shared a few makeup horror stories from her past with me. She was worried too much makeup would make her eyes look small and I promised her I wouldn't let her down. Thanks for trusting me, Vero!
On Vero, I used the Marc Jacobs Genius Gel Foundation. It's an oil-free formula with a very dewy finish that never looked too shiny. Hours later, it still looked fresh. I did her eyes with the Naked 3 palette which worked beautifully with her ivory complexion. I went very soft for her look and loved the results.
And, of course, I can't go without a photo of the gorgeous couple. Alex's dress is one of the most beautiful gowns I've ever seen on a bride. It's a two-piece gown in a blush shade with a lacy, beaded, sweetheart bodice. The skirt was layers and layers of tulle that looked like candy. She wore flowers in her hair and looked stunning. I loved every detail down to her rose gold ballet slippers. She was perfection. Congrats to the two of you. You're like our Austin family and I wish you the very best.
As a treat to myself for my completing my greatest beauty feat thus far, and as prep for the weekend's final makeup job, I invested in a few new tools. I'm slowly growing my brush collection and started with larger brushes, but realized my eye brushes could use an upgrade. I bought Sephora's Smoke Machine Smokey Eye Brush Set , which includes brushes used to create smokey looks, which I love, and also picked up my first ever Beauty Blender. Up until now, I've mostly used Sigma's famous F80 foundation brush for makeup application (it delivers beautiful, smooth results), but Beauty Blender's cult following has had me really curious. And it didn't disappoint.
The weekend's final job was for my friend Celina's maternity shoot (check out House McGraw to follow her entire journey to mommyhood). Celina and I have known each other a decade and she's now expecting her first baby and I can't wait to meet the little guy in December. When Celina asked me to do her hair and makeup for her maternity shoot, I just couldn't say no. It's been a couple years since I've done her makeup, so this was particularly exciting because my skills have come a long way since I last touched her face. As expected, her mama-to-be skin was flawless and glowing.
On Celina, I applied Makeup Forever Invisible Cover HD Foundation with the Beauty Blender. It was my first time using both and while I'm certain the foundation itself is very light and dewy, I know the application with the Beauty Blender accounted for the final flawless finish. I instantly noticed the difference in application from the F80. The finish was truly seamless and I'm hooked. For her eyes, I did a soft smokey eye (told you!) using a combination of the Naked and Naked 3 palettes. This was also her first time ever wearing false lashes. I love first-timers' reactions and she adapted really quickly. She looked radiant. I can't wait to see the final photos.
On Friday, our dear friends Mike Garza and Alex Janss whispered their wedding vows to each other at a very sweet ceremony at Union on Eighth in Georgetown, Texas. Mike's sisters, whom I've known a lot of my life, commissioned me to do their makeup - I, of course, was honored to do the job. I did full makeup for four girls, with some hair included. I worked for 6.5 hours straight and followed up with my own hair and makeup which was finished a short two hours later. Frankly, I was beat. But it was so, so fun and the bridesmaids looked beautiful. It was worth every second and all the minor body aches and only reinforced my passion for beauty. The day was rushed (because I'm still developing my craft and very slow), so I didn't have a lot of time for photos, but this was the makeup I did for Mike's sister, Veronica Garza. Vero is actually the owner and creator of Must B Nutty Tortillas. They're gluten-free, grain-free and super yummy. Read more about her story here. Vero has beautiful skin (thanks to her super healthy diet) and shared a few makeup horror stories from her past with me. She was worried too much makeup would make her eyes look small and I promised her I wouldn't let her down. Thanks for trusting me, Vero!
On Vero, I used the Marc Jacobs Genius Gel Foundation. It's an oil-free formula with a very dewy finish that never looked too shiny. Hours later, it still looked fresh. I did her eyes with the Naked 3 palette which worked beautifully with her ivory complexion. I went very soft for her look and loved the results.
And, of course, I can't go without a photo of the gorgeous couple. Alex's dress is one of the most beautiful gowns I've ever seen on a bride. It's a two-piece gown in a blush shade with a lacy, beaded, sweetheart bodice. The skirt was layers and layers of tulle that looked like candy. She wore flowers in her hair and looked stunning. I loved every detail down to her rose gold ballet slippers. She was perfection. Congrats to the two of you. You're like our Austin family and I wish you the very best.
As a treat to myself for my completing my greatest beauty feat thus far, and as prep for the weekend's final makeup job, I invested in a few new tools. I'm slowly growing my brush collection and started with larger brushes, but realized my eye brushes could use an upgrade. I bought Sephora's Smoke Machine Smokey Eye Brush Set , which includes brushes used to create smokey looks, which I love, and also picked up my first ever Beauty Blender. Up until now, I've mostly used Sigma's famous F80 foundation brush for makeup application (it delivers beautiful, smooth results), but Beauty Blender's cult following has had me really curious. And it didn't disappoint.
The weekend's final job was for my friend Celina's maternity shoot (check out House McGraw to follow her entire journey to mommyhood). Celina and I have known each other a decade and she's now expecting her first baby and I can't wait to meet the little guy in December. When Celina asked me to do her hair and makeup for her maternity shoot, I just couldn't say no. It's been a couple years since I've done her makeup, so this was particularly exciting because my skills have come a long way since I last touched her face. As expected, her mama-to-be skin was flawless and glowing.
On Celina, I applied Makeup Forever Invisible Cover HD Foundation with the Beauty Blender. It was my first time using both and while I'm certain the foundation itself is very light and dewy, I know the application with the Beauty Blender accounted for the final flawless finish. I instantly noticed the difference in application from the F80. The finish was truly seamless and I'm hooked. For her eyes, I did a soft smokey eye (told you!) using a combination of the Naked and Naked 3 palettes. This was also her first time ever wearing false lashes. I love first-timers' reactions and she adapted really quickly. She looked radiant. I can't wait to see the final photos.
