GIVEAWAY - Sigma Beauty Makeup Brushes

ENTER for a chance to WIN two Sigma Beauty makeup brushes!!  

The Tapered Kabuki Brush (F80) & the Precision Round (P82) synthetic brushes will go to one lucky WINNER! 

These brushes are from Sigma's new Sigmax Collection and are excellent tools for contouring and applying foundation. Watch this video for tips on how to use these fabulous brushes.

You have until Friday, November 4, 2011 at noon PST to enter.
The winner will be chosen at random on
 Friday, November 4, 2011 at 5 pm PST.

Simple Rules for Giveaway:
1. Subscribe to this blog using Google Friends Connect (press the blue button that reads "join this site" in the top left side bar)
2. Post a comment to this post with your email address
3. Follow on Twitter OR Like Facebook Page

All three actions required to qualify for the giveaway! GOOD LUCK!

New Series - Feature Friday with Diana Rush

I am debuting another new blog series this week, entitled Feature Friday. In this series I will feature various Southern California Wedding Industry professionals. I will be sharing a brief interview as well as examples of their work and inspirations. My goal is to introduce you to a different talented vendor every Friday, so if you or someone you know would like to be featured please don't hesitate to contact me for more details. I would like to feature all aspects of the wedding industry, everything from bridal dress designers to caterers.

Diana with her lovely family. Photo by Studio 28.

For the first Feature Friday post I'd like to introduce you to Diana Rush of Diana Rush Photography. She officially started her company in 2009 after having a life long love for photography.  Diana is based in Orange County where she has lived her entire life. I actually met Diana at the Lover.ly Meet Up I shared about recently so it was great reconnecting with her for this post. I hope that through this brief interview you can get a sense for her passion and talent for photography as I have displayed some of her work throughout the post.

 What inspires your work? Although I'm not a nature photographer, I am very inspired by nature, and the elements (wind, water, earth, fire) and love finding ways to capture the natural movement of my clients rather than force them in to a pose.  I draw a lot of inspiration from my clients as I'm photographing them, as I spend time learning their natural laugh & how they interact with their soon to be spouse.

 

Amour Bijou Photo Shoot (Part 2)

Imagine this, you agree to be a model in a photo shoot for your friend's accessory line. She explains that the theme will be a vintage-styled romantic picnic complete with candles, cupcakes, French macaroons and Parisian accents, on the lawn of a lavish estate. You and your boyfriend will be stars of the shoot. Unbeknown to you, said friend and said boyfriend have conspired to turn the photo shoot into your surprise engagement session because your boyfriend is planning to propose. Sounds dreamy, right? Well, that is exactly what happened to Michelle, the model in the Amour Bijou photo shoot featured here. You see, the photo shoot was an actual event planned by Josefa (said friend) for her accessory line but Mark (said boyfriend) ceased the opportunity to knock the socks off his sweetheart Michelle by popping the question. I will never forget how amazingly perfect it all played out and the stunned tears of happiness that fell from Michelle’s eyes. I am so happy to share some of my favorite moments from the beautiful surprise proposal as well as a slide show. Don't you just love Michelle's expressions! Oz Wroe did an excellent job capturing every moment frame by frame.

 

New Series - Wedding Blog Wednesday featuring a NYC Wedding

I am so excited to be staring a new series entitled Wedding Blog Wednesday. I will share my favorite post of the week from one or more of my Top Ten Favorite Wedding Blogs. I hope you will check back every Wednesday to see what beautiful images have caught my eye. There will be a blend of real weddings, engagement sessions and destination nuptials shared by some of the wedding industry's best.

My first Wedding Blog Wednesday post features a real wedding originally posted by Snippet & Ink. I was drawn to these images because I love NYC and the color turquoise. Needless to say they had me at the turquoise Louboutins! You can find all the details and more fabulous images in Snippet & Ink's original post. Hope you enjoy and I'd love to hear what you think about the new series!

Unique vintage inspired stationary.

 Gotta love those shoes!

 

There's just something of about New York City!

What a sexy reception dress!

Amour Bijou Photo Shoot (Part 1)

I'd like to introduce you to my friend and accessory designer, Josefa Ciccarelli. Brides love the beautiful hand crafted designs she creates for her company Amour Bijou and I'm sure you will as well. Last summer we  joined forces on a photo shoot for her website. It was a fabulous time collaborating with numerous vendors who worked hard to bring Josefa's vision to life. And she toiled away on all the pretty pieces and details for every beautiful shot. Please check out her blog, Love a Little Jewel and more amazing details in the post she featured about the shoot.

 

There were plenty of pretty pieces to go around!

Lot and lots of delicious fun!

 

Tons of beautiful sweet treats created by Miss Sweetcakes!

And some romance too! (more about this in Part 2)

Beauty Inspiration - Top 10 Favorite Beauty Blogs

Since I posted my Top 10 Favorite Wedding Blogs, I only saw it fitting to share my Top 10 Favorite Beauty Blogs.  Just like in the wedding industry the beauty biz has been inundated with many beauty blogs so I have narrowed it down to some that I find the most informative. As a Makeup Artist I am always being asked tons of questions about everything beauty, from products and techniques. There is no way for one MUA to know everything about all of the new products and latest trends but with the help of beauty blogs we can continue to expand our Beauty I.Q. everyday. Checking in on my favorite blogs is one my favorite to abreast to the newly released cosmetics, skincare products, and trending techniques. These blogs can definitely be a source of inspiration for brides trying to decide on the perfect look for their big day. I hope you will check out some of the blogs on this list and boost you beauty brainpower. 

See the list after the jump!

Intoducing Lover.ly

Images by Tiffany Curry

A couple of months ago I attended a wonderful meet up for a new wedding website called Lover.ly. The event was held on the rooftop of the Shade Hotel in Manhattan Beach. As you can probably tell from the images above the atmosphere was nothing short of lovely. Lover.ly's founder Kelli Kahlil and her team did a stellar job with the chic decor! (more images can be found here) Who doesn't love dessert table? Cupcakes Couture of Manhattan made some amazing sweets, the cheesecake pops were my favorite. I also met some new wedding industry friends. The three of us, photographer Diana Rush and event planner Deanna Nash & I had a blast in the Mobile Photo Booth!

image

You will definitely be hearing more and more and more about Lover.ly as it is still in the beginning stages but beta access has been trickling out. I was lucky enough to receive beta access last week and instantly started to explore; it's beautiful. It is perfect for anyone getting married and trying figure out a way collect all the beautiful inspiration they find on their favorite blogs. Think Pineterest, high-jacked by the wedding industry. Brilliant, right? Kellee has definitely filled a void and tapped into something really special with Lover.ly.

Don't miss out, be sure to sign up for your beta access now!

Bridal Inspiration - My Top 10 Favorite Wedding Blogs

For any bride that is looking for some help and inspiration during the planning process, wedding blogs are a great resource. Not only for weddings, but whenever one needs to plan an event. From an intimate dinner with friends to a large family baby shower, wedding blogs have a limitless array of details that are sure to get your creative juices flowing. There are tons to choose from so I have compiled a list of my Top 10 Favorite Wedding Blogs and hopefully you will be wowed as well. All of these blogs are consistently sharing some of the most gorgeous and inspiring images the wedding industry has to offer.

1. Green Wedding Shoes - Head Over Heels in <3 About All Things Wedding

2. Junebug Weddings - All the Best...wedding photography, style inspiration, wedding planning resources

3. Snippet & Ink - Daily Wedding Inspiration

4. 100 Layer Cake - Crafting Your Wedding Layer by Layer

5. Grey Likes Weddings - Love Well Styled

6. Inspired By This - Wedding Insight by Leila Khalil

7. The Brides Cafe - Edgy, Sophisticated, Romantic

8. The Wedding Chicks - All Things Pretty

9. Style Me Pretty - Bridal Inspirations

10. Once Wed

Please let me know if you find this list helpful. I'd love to here about your faves!
(Note: sites are listed in no particular order) 

Bridal Gift Idea - Birchbox

images via birchbox.com

Birchbox is a fun gift idea for brides-to-be or anyone obsessed with beauty products. If you’ve never heard of Birchbox, it’s a unique beauty company that offers a monthly subscription to a beauty box  filled with 5-6 deluxe samples that are delivered to your door once a month.  If you love surprises like me, for just $10 a month you can receive a variety of beauty samples ranging from skincare to fragrance by established and or new companies.  No worries, cancellation is available at any time and there is no additional charge for shipping. The memberships also come in 3 and 6 month gift cards which make for a fabulous bridesmaid gift idea.

Also on the site you can find a wide variety of popular beauty products available for purchase.  One of their more unique products offered is the Limited Edition: Here Comes The Bride Birchbox. Here are some details according their site: “These days, it seems like everyone we know is getting hitched. In honor of all our favorite brides-to-be, we’ve created a special collection that makes the perfect gift. There’s everything she needs for her journey to the aisle, from a purifying botanical skincare set to the cutest customizable stationery. A $140 value!” What a great way to make a bride feel special and pampered!   

Have you ever purchased a Birchbox for yourself or as a gift? I’d love to hear about your experience. Please leave a comment!