Wedding makeup extraordinaire

I'm back, once again with much time elapsing...I went on vacation for a week and also have been working hard on my wedding invitations that were SO time consuming. Those things combine have made me an awful blogger. :(
My day yesterday was a very productive/eventful day both for my wedding planning as well as my makeup career and so I thought it is time to get back to blogging. I finally sent out my wedding invitations that have been a thorn in my side for way too long. Bringing those things to the post office was a total relief. Bye bye gluing, stuffing, and licking envelopes. I also went to the mall with some of my coworkers where my flip flop broke which gave me an excuse to get some really cute flats...yay there is always a silver lining. After mailing invites and shopping I had a wedding I had to do makeup for.
I arrived at the hall a bit early because I was under very strict time constraints. I have felt like I am a bit slow because I want everything so perfect. Thankfully the bridal suit was open and I began to set up. The bride was there early too and had a seat and begins to tell me, with no real forewarning... "You know the trial you did, yea, I don't want that look anymore." I was nervous but honestly a bit relieved because when doing the trial she kept picking apart the eye look. At the trial she requested a smokey look, when done she basically was not used to that much makeup. And so she told me "I want it to look like your makeup." I had green eyeshadow and so went with green. Most brides want purples and browns from what I have done so green was different which I appreciated. I used deep greens color with flex of gold in the crease and outer corner and a gold shimmery color for the inner corner. She loved it and didn't ask me to make a single change which was very different from her trial experience. I put individual lashes on her with more confidence (they have been a mini struggle of mine) and actually finished with 15 minutes to spare. It seems I am getting better and better which is so encouraging! I felt great afterward because I knew she looked beautiful and that I am actually pretty good at this!
I forgot my camera, of course, and so I will be waiting for her to send pictures my way to show! That pretty much sums up my awesome and productive day! Until next time...

Wedding colored glasses

It has been a really long time since my last post. It has been hard for me to focus on expanding my makeup career when everything I see and think about is "wedding." There are at least 100 or so things I need to do. I decided to do many do it yourself projects to make the wedding have my personal touch and style as well as save some money. Little did I know that adding my personal touch also meant adding my slow touch. I was not made to be crafty. All things crafty take me FOREVER since Martha Stewart I are on different ends of the being crafty wheel, me being on the "not so crafty" side. I can do projects like invitations, favor boxes, programs and such but it takes longer than your average DIYer. It took me 2 days and 2 cousins, 2 sisters and a cousin's boyfriend to complete assembling 63 of 130 invitations! I also feel extra pressure to stay wedding focused because I will be going back to my full time job as a teacher soon, booooo...and so makeup has taken a backseat to my currently wedding obsessed life.

Though the makeup business has not been something I have not been focusing on entirely I have been doing work here and there. I did a photo shoot where I worked with photographer Leticia Valdez, I was pleased with the pictures but definitely wished I had more pictures that express my makeup skill. Here are a few shots:



I also did two weddings..Here are a couple shots!


Following photos by Ilya Shmulenson:



Hopefully I will get some more things done for the wedding and then I can focus more on makeup and beauty...Soon to come a few beauty product reviews! Until next time....

Working on a film set

Yesterday I worked on my first "non-wedding" job. I met the makeup artist I am assisting, Ellen, and helped out on the set. It was a short film called Skeletons, about the skeletons that people keep and how a therapist works them through their said "skeletons." It is such a different dynamic than the bridal world. Someone is sweaty and they scream "makeup" and I stare into space until I realize "oh that's me..." Here I come with a brush and powder in hand, make everyone look perfect, run off and it's "quiet on set."

I must admit bridal is way more fun; the anticipation and excitement of the day is contagious. Film is mostly sitting, waiting, and touching up. I did enjoy my experience; it made me feel like I may actually know what I am doing. Another plus was all of the actresses were African American, which is skin I haven't worked with yet, so I gained some much needed experience. I think I did well though and my name will be in the credits as the makeup artist. :)

I have another makeup trial with a bride on Thursday to try out another look for her wedding on Saturday. I am very excited about it and will make sure to post pics! Until next time....

Before and After

Just a couple before and after pictures and yes, in one of the pictures she has two different eye colors. We were testing out a few looks. I have a photo shoot testing on Friday so I will be able to post better quality pictures soon. I have realized I definitely need a new camera! These are both more natural looks but what I am doing for the shoot should be more drama which I am excited about!

Bride to be becomes makeup artist

Anthony and I are the kind of couple that loves just hanging out at home with maybe a good movie or even better a puzzle and glass a of wine. Yup, we enjoy puzzles, and not really because we are good at them. See, it normally takes us many weeks and many glasses of wine before our 500 piece puzzle is done, but once all the little pieces make up our jungle themed puzzle, a strange sense of accomplishment comes before both of us.

One weekend, Anthony decided that we should get away from our hectic lives in New York City, so we headed for a rented vacation house approaching a weekend of many puzzles (Anthony bought a variety pack with a gazillion puzzles!) good food, and good wine. The second night of our stay Anthony looked an odd shade of green as we were watching TV. I asked him what was wrong and he said “nothing’s wrong. I got you something, it’s upstairs.” I was comfortable, “why would he make me go upstairs to get this gift,” I thought. I gave him a hard time but eventually went upstairs. Lying on the bed was a large pink box reading the words “Victoria Secret.” I nearly turned around instantly without opening the box thinking, “I am not wearing whatever is in that box.” I opened the box and to my surprise and delight it was not what I thought it was going to be. At the bottom of the box was a beautiful and large puzzle, already carefully assembled. The puzzle said, “Daniela, you are the missing piece to my puzzle. Will you marry me?” A scream and a cry came from the room and at the bottom of the stairs. There he was, my prince charming in a black wife beater and basketball shorts on one knee, like I had always pictured (I think). I quickly ran to him in my outfit of bleach stained sweatpants and a huge t-shirt and storybook fairy tale begins:

I haven’t formally introduced myself I am Daniela. That fateful day of a surprise puzzle and has begun this journey that you will follow me on. I am getting married November 20, 2010 and have loved planning. In my wedding planning one major focus has been my serious search for a makeup artist for my big day. Most people found my intense search and meeting with various makeup artist’s strange. I had friends and family make comments like “shouldn’t you be concerned about the venue, the dress, the photographer, etc?” Yes, I should and I was but makeup somehow just seemed more important. You see I have a slight obsession with makeup. I love how makeup can enhance someone’s natural beauty and can transform someone’s confidence. I kept meeting with MUA’s that were fine but I was sure I could do a better job than them. I have felt like applying makeup has been a bit of a talent of mine. Finally, I met with Ellen B .( http://www.ellenbmakeup.com/) and it was love at first makeup trial. I instantly saw her skill, kind spirit, and excitement about her job I thought, “Wow, I’d love to work with her.” And that has led me into my developing makeup career. Ellen graciously offered to have me work with her and train with her.

So far I have went to train with Ellen once and also went to the Makeup Show in NYC to stock up on all the essentials. I have done two brides, one through an ad on craigslist.org and the other through projectwedding.com message boards. This blog will follow my journey to becoming a makeup artist and bride! Until next time...