Video Tutorial: A Pouf and A Pony

Even before I did the demo at the Forsyth Woman Engaged Bridal Show, I knew that I wanted to add video tutorials to the blog.  I had a little free time one morning and set up a quick "studio" and started filming.  Doing my own hair on video, while describing what to do is a lot harder than I thought!  The easiest part was editing the movie on iMovie and posting on YouTube.


Of course, my first video tutorial was on how to do a pouf and a pony.



 Try it and let me know what you think!

Behnd the Scenes: Makeup

I am not a makeup snob. I like all kinds, brands and colors. I buy items from Walmart and Target...I buy from Chanel and Dior. My makeup kit is FULL and I love it!

There are several brands that I stick with for certain things. I love Benefit’s concealer, Boing! It has a range of 5 colors that I use to conceal, contour and highlight. My other favorite item from Benefit is their Stay Don’t Stray eye primer. I never bought in to the whole “oh, you need a primer” thing, until this! It really does make the biggest difference in how the eyeshadow colors look and stay on.

My favorite blush is Nars Orgasm. The color looks amazing on everyone.

I love eye shadows from Bare Minerals, Revlon and Almay.

My favorite makeup brand by far is Bobbi Brown. I have always found the quality of makeup is top notch and as a company they are great to work with. I became a Pro Member with them a couple of months ago and have been very impressed. They offer great foundation and lip palette’s for artists as well as perks for being a member. My favorite things ever are their gel eyeliners. I think I have one in every color they offer! They come in this great little pot and the brush is the perfect size. The gel flows on the eyes and lasts all night! It makes it easy to do cat eyes, simple eyes or extravagant eyes! My other favorite item from them is the Sheer Finish Powder. I have one in Pale Yellow. I can use it on every skin color! I do this before I apply mascara. It sets the makeup and gives an all over finished look.

 

I love trying out new brands.  What is your favorite brand or product? Who knows, you might find it in my kit next time I post pics!

Special Event: AIDS Benefit Fashion Show

For the third year in a row, I am honored to have been a part of the Hanes Brands/AIDS Care Service's Fashion Show. I love being able to give back to the community, and this is a great opportunity.

AIDS Care Service is the longest continuously operating AIDS Service Organization in Forsyth County. They are a nonprofit health and social services agency providing a broad range of programs and services for clients throughout Northwest NC infected and affected by HIV/AIDS.

Their annual fashion design competition is open to designers who want to create contemporary, high quality, wearable garments using three Hanes Brand T-shirts and other repurposed elements that inspire awareness about HIV/AIDS and demonstrate respect for those living with the disease.

This is a fast paced, adrenilian packed fashion show. From the time Taylor and I arrived, it was non-stop hair & makeup.

We worked directly with the designers and were able to create looks that complimented the outfits. Some were simple, some were retro and some were outrageous! It is always so much fun stepping away from "everyday" style and into the box of extraordinary runway style!

Special thanks to the designers for their creative outfits that gave us the ideas for awesome hair & makeup! 

I've got even more pictures from this fun evening in my Charity Portfolio, so check it out!

Please check out AIDS Care Service for more information and how you can be a part of their next show!

Forsyth Woman Engaged Bridal Show

With the Forsyth Woman Engaged Bridal Show being our first bridal show, I was worried about how it was going to all come together to create a booth that showed off Hair & Makeup Design to potential clients for the first time. We had some our own ideas for the booth, but of course searched on Pinterest too.

It started to seem real when I picked up the banner from M & M Engraving and Graphics.

My husband, Andy, built the wonderful arbor for a backdrop.  I had a poster printed at Walmart's photo center, and my sister-in-law designed our information cards.  If I do say say myself, our booth looked beautiful!!

 

After Taylor and I set up the booth, we braced ourselves. We were a little nervous and weren't sure what to expect.  Not sure why that was, since we were there to tell others about our passion of hair and makeup. 

We'd talked about having something to "show" the brides we'd meet.  I brought along my airbrush makeup system and was able to demonstrate just how awesome it is to brides at the show. I’m pretty sure some of them were blown away! Airbrush makeup really is an amazing technique. Of the many brides that have already contacted us from the show, every single one of them has decided to go with airbrush makeup. They realized the value in having a finished look that lasts longer, looks flawless and completes their wedding day look!



 Our neighbors at the  bridal show were Prints Charming Photobooth, and 815 Events. We have worked with 815 Events before at Victoria and Scott’s wedding and would love to do so again! We have yet to work with Prints Charming, but after experiencing the photobooth first hand, all of my brides will know about them!

I loved my quick chat with the ladies from The Perfect Pair event coordination. Kristen helped us through the day at Victoria and Scott’s wedding. I did not have an event coordinator for my own wedding, but after seeing how these ladies work, I wish I would have!

Something new at the bridal show were quick tutorials from vendors. I was chosen from the hair and makeup vendors to do a presentation, and I chose to show the ladies how to do a quick pouf and pony hair style that would be perfect for a bridal shower or a meeting with a potential vendor for their wedding.  Pinterest has quickly become a great way to collect ideas as plans start to come together for a dream wedding. I have a Pinterest board where I pin ideas for hair and makeup that might the perfect inspiration for clients.

Throughout the afternoon we had the opportunity to meet many future brides with their moms and bridal parties, and a few brave grooms to be too!  We also met the other local vendors and the Forsyth Woman Engaged staff who organized such a great event!
If you missed the bridal show, this video by 201 Media Productions will give you an idea of what you missed!

Thanks to all the great women at Forsyth Woman Engaged who made Hair & Makeup Design’s first bridal show well worth it! Denise and Kelley, we owe you a lot! Looking forward to working with the magazine and its great staff in the future!

On Set: The Cabinet Studio

I got a call for a local cabinet company needing a hair and makeup artist. I always like it when companies use their actual employees instead of hiring actors for advertising. One, it makes it more personable; and two, it lifts the employees' spirits.  It's a lot of fun getting a mini make over a work!

I had two lovely ladies and two fine gentlemen to work with. All were so sweet and happy to be getting made up...except the men! I powdered them a little so there would be no shine-- although the ladies picked out lipstick and blush for them!!  For the ladies, I kept them very natural and in an everyday look.

I loved working with The Cabinet Studio and look forward to any future projects they might have!

Wedding: Victoria and Scott

A lady came walking in to the salon one day and asked for help. Of course, I was more than happy to oblige. She was getting married in a couple of months and needed everything for her wedding.
 

Victoria had moved here to Winston-Salem from Montreal, Canada a few years ago. Originally from Ukraine, there was a language barrier that for some, was difficult. Not me! We quickly not only became business acquatences but friends as well.

With not a lot of her family living nearby, she was worried that she wasn't going to have little children in her wedding like she'd always dreamed of. Lucky for her, Taylor and I each have a daughters that were honored to be a part of her special day!  Our girls fell in love with Ms. Victoria right away.

On Victoria’s wedding day, my team and I had the honor of doing the entire bridal party’s hair and makeup, along with Victoria’s mother, special guest...and of course, our little girls! The wedding turned out great and everyone looked beautiful. One of the challenges was the language barrier between us and Victoria’s mother, but we didn’t let that stop us. She even taught us some French!  Victoria’s daughter, Dana was amazing to work with, she is so beautiful and sweet. She knew exactly what she wanted to look like and brought us pictures to achieve that look.

Victoria was beaming with love and excitement as we finished helping her get ready to walk down the isle. We started with an updo, and then after the ceremony we took it down for a wavy romantic look. The updo was classic and perfect for the church ceremony. The fun wavy curls made Victoria and Scott’s choreographed first dance even better!

We were all so happy to be part of their wedding. We have become like family to them; and, them family to us.

Congratulations Victoria and Scott, may you have many years of happiness together!
 

Merci!
 

Meet my team!

Although, I would love to be super woman and be able to do all the cool stuff I do by myself, I am not, and sometimes need help! In those cases, I bring the coolest girls I know with me. Taylor Turner, Jennifer Carr and myself work together at the salon. 

 

I want things to be done a particular way and these girls have no problem dealing with my perfectionism, in fact, they are perfectionists as well! Each curl, bobby pin and eyelash are always in place.

I can trust these girls to deliver the same quality of craftsmanship that I give to each person. They each bring their own unique twist of ideas to any project and help keep me calm. I love working with Taylor and Jennifer, both in the salon and out. I hope you enjoy what I have to offer, as well as them. If I didn’t have them, I would not be able to serve the multitude of brides, bridesmaids, etc that I do. So, thanks to them!