Mika Jones

My newest collaboration with Scott Witter and model Mika Jones. Love!

 

 

Actors and Models Wanted!

Scott Witter Photography and I are teaming up to create the best head shots in the entertainment biz! Our key is to capture the attention of the casting agents immediately and so far success!  Scott’s original and beautiful lighting composition combined with my makeup application result in a win win! My ultimate goal with the makeup is to enhance the model or actors natural beauty. Recently we worked with Wilhelmina model Ashely Walsh (featured below) and we were very excited to hear that her agents loved the images!

For more information contact Scott@scottwitter.com or me for more details!

To Conceal Or Not To Conceal

Is the question I have been asked by four of my girlfriends in the past couple weeks. So I thought I would just blog about my favorites!

Concealers can sometimes go all awry. It can look caked on, settle into those unwanted lines, or the worst, make breakouts look more noticeable. Ugh the breakouts! Why didn’t anyone tell me! I never knew there was such a thing as “middle-aged” acne until my lovely dermatologist explained this to me recently. After telling me why I was breaking out and guessing my age completely wrong,  how dare he! I’m in my 20’s 😉 he finishes by saying  “There is nothing you can do (long pause…blank look) sorry.” Which in turn I responded with something along the lines of  a yeaaaaa that’s really not going to work for me speech. And not to my surprise, he didn’t really seem to care.

So begrudgingly…darn acne…I took matters into my own hands and started using my new love. MAC’s Select Cover-Up! Unlike most, I apply it after my foundation and blend with a brush. If you are using a foundation brush (which everyone should) it will sometimes just take off what concealer you just put on.  Even tho I use this particular concealer this way, do what works best for you. I stick with a tone that matches my skin because I want it to blend nicely and be unnoticeable. This concealer has great pigment and can sometimes be used on its own as a substitute for foundation. THIS IS WHY I LOVE THIS PRODUCT.  Full coverage, multi-use, and inexpensive. Excellent!

Okay next! So I have these mornings…you know…THOSE mornings. You wake up after a long night out, look in the mirror, gasp loudly, and then turn away so you don’t continue to scare yourself mornings. Well Bobbi Brown Color Corrector is here to save you. It’s like my morning coffee, I must have it. It picks me up and within seconds I look bright-eyed and ready to go. It makes me feel SO much better.  And with that being said, it has done wonders for my sis, my mom, my friends on shoots etc. This one of those products I would say you must have in your makeup collection. It’s a full coverage corrector and should be applied using a brush and only in areas that need to be covered. I find I don’t need the concealer in addition too being that this corrector works so well.  Make sure to apply your favorite moisturizer under the eyes first then move on with your corrector and makeup. You must get matched at your local Bobbi Brown retail counter.  Never guess what tone you are if you want to buy on-line. That could turn out all wrong. No raccoon eyes please.

Well ladies,  I hope these two products bring you as much joy as they have brought me. Be sure to check them out! Couldn’t be without them!

Rey Swimwear

Who says it has to be itsy bitsy? is the tag line for Rey Swimwear. Inspired by Audrey Hepburn, creator Jessica Rey wanted to capture Audrey’s sense of style, grace, elegance, and fun in the design of the line. And who not to showcase it best than photographers Kristin Rogers and Logan Cole!

Model Aimee Joy Grover

Scott Witter

About 7 months ago I met an extraordinary photographer named Scott Witter. The first shoot I did with him was the start of a great partnership that now has turned into this friendship of sharing endless hours of music over weekly downloads on Dropbox, and hanging out with him and his wife Vanessa and model Ashley Walsh at concerts. It couldn’t have turned out better, and its been a ton of fun!

After each shoot with Scott I wait patiently  to see the end result AND I am NEVER disappointed. When I get the final photo I get this crazy big smile and just think about how lucky I am to be able work with him. His ease, organization, and meticulous eye always turns out photos that I end up staring at forever. Here is some of the makeup work I have done with him and I think the photographs really speak for themselves.  Thank you Scott…until next time!

Jenny Laszlo

Haruka

Ashley Walsh

 

 

Highs and Lows

Life has many ups and downs as we all well know. I was recently reminded that almost one year ago I had some stuff going on that wasn’t all sunshine, rainbows and candies galore. Let’s just say it wasn’t pretty. And in my particular case because of the closely timed sequence of events that occurred, I sank deep in all that was going on. I stewed in it and often thought to myself…is this it? Am I really going to feel this way forever? Is what I am going through right now ever going to get any better?  A couple months after dwelling on it, and with a little encouragement, I finally said screw that! Enough is enough and I am done feeling like crap! This sucks! I had actually never been that low before. BUT in a weird twist, it eventually pushed me to a level I hadn’t been in a while.

Almost one year ago after saying enough, I took the leap and started making makeup artistry my number one project. I put things into perspective blocked out all the emotional turmoil I had gone through and dove in. I was ready to run with my dream of being a full time artist again. I was really excited until I quickly realized I wasn’t sure how to start again. The questions started racing…Where do I get a website? How do I blog? What are my cards going to look like? How do I make connections again? Can I really do this?  Luckily for me, the answers to all of those questions ended up coming to me rather quickly, and I have to say I can’t take all the credit. My friends were a big support and helped me with a lot.  I would not have been able to accomplish what I have now without them so I would like to say thank you to Shannon, Adrienne, Allison, Ewa, Sara, Danae, Keri, John, Ryan, Ash, Ursula and someone who I could not live without my sister Jennie.

In the last year I have made numerous friends, met extremely talented and inspiring people and have found myself again. It has been an amazing feeling.  This picture of the makeup I did for Tamara Young below just proves to me that this is what I am supposed to be doing. It is by far one of my favorites. Tamara’s photo just reminded where I have been, what I have become, and why I love what I do.

Now I can’t help but wonder if those particular events in my life hadn’t occurred, would I be where I am today? I say probably not. So I guess lucky I went through those lows because now I am just enjoying the highs.

Sarah Rhoads Photographers

I went to Palm Springs recently to do a shoot with Sarah Rhoads Photographers and Jai Greenlee.  Sarah and Chris Rhoads are well-known photographers from Seattle who have a knack for telling stories through their camera lense. When I pulled up to the location and met them I knew instantly…and I mean instantly…that Sarah and Chris were full of life, talented, and ready to go! This shoot was going to be good and I was giddy with anticipation! Sarah had told me the concept was to be fun, light and more of a lifestyle shoot…a day in the life of Jai if you will. She wanted the makeup to be what an everyday girl would wear and to keep Jai looking fresh throughout the different looks of the shoot. So after a few hours of fun we wrapped and I felt like I was leaving my new best friends. I don’t feel that this happens often especially meeting and working with people for the first time…I almost wished I could have hopped on their plane back to Seattle so I could continue working with them.

Oh did I mention they did underwater shots! YES! AND it was my first time doing makeup for this. Did I jump up and down when Jai came up to the surface of the pool with her makeup still on? Be sure to scroll all the way down and you tell me!

Sarah Rhoads Photographers and Jai Greenlee

One Perfect Photograph

Scott Witter is a talented photographer who has a meticulous eye for creating beautiful work. Team him and gorgeous model Jai Greenlee together, and you get one perfect photograph. The best thing about coming onto this shoot was Scotts clear direction down to the makeup and hair.  He knew exactly what he wanted and I would work with the two of them again in a heartbeat.  I just love it.

Album covers can say a thousand words…

Anyone who knows me well can tell you that I live for music. Dave Gahan makes me swoon, Yann Tiersen can make me cry, and Kaskade gets my butt moving in the morning. Hearing certain songs can take me back to a moment in my life I will never forget. All of a sudden I get this overwhelming feeling of happiness and the next thing I know I’m smiling. But there are also times I hear a song and I want to shut it down or off or try to forget I ever heard the first note…whichever works the fastest. Oh the quintessential breakup song or you know something along those lines.  It’s crazy to me that once a song comes on, my mouth automatically starts to move, and I know all the lyrics.  I always wonder how it is I memorized all of that but could never memorize anything in high school?

Anyway, now that iTunes has  taken over the music world, does  anyone miss the Tower Records  on the corner? Walking into the giant store, maybe lurking for a while, listening to something extraordinary out of those germ infested half broken headphones while starring at the album covers. I remember looking at covers thinking now that is some fantastic and thought provoking art. Even some of  the photos taken for the covers  are quite possibly the best photographs I have ever seen. U2’s War album for example…the angry stare of the young boy. Made you wonder what the next hour of your life was going to sound like.  AND it was tangible! You could read who was involved; any sentiments from the band, and the lyrics were at your disposal immediately.

Don’t get me wrong everyone I love my iTunes, but I miss the poignant art and photography that seems to be lacking these days.  It’s just not the same looking at it on the computer screen. There are some record stores out there but they are so few and far between and I want to look around and experience, not order on Amazon.

So needless to say,  I am waiting for the day I get the call to do makeup for an album cover. I would die! Not only would I get to work with a band that are artists in their own right, but also it would just be so cool! Ahhh to put guy-liner on Dave Gahan. But seriously, to collaborate with a photographer who essentially is trying to tell a story of what your going to hear inside that little jeweled case once you open it. THAT would be awesome. One day….

Interviewed!

I got  interviewed! My good friend and master photographer Thomas Frank decided he wanted to interview me and get a little perspective on what I do and how I came to love makeup. So cool that he wanted to do this. Check it out here!