Vanessa & Dawson's Wedding

One of the reasons I love doing wedding makeup is I get to meet some of the most beautiful brides inside and out, and Vanessa was one of them. During her consultation I discovered that Vanessa use to compete in dance with her sister when they were younger. Vanessa and her sister would travel all over the States to dance, and because they were performing on stage they had to wear a lot of makeup which she became accustomed to. So when we were discussing what kind of look she wanted to have for her wedding day I wasn’t surprised when she pulled out a picture of an intense, black smokey eye with nude lips. I was thrilled because I knew how striking this would look on her perfectly flawless skin and how much definition it would give her eyes in the pictures.


Key products – #3 Lashes, Carbon, Smut and Texture eyeshadows, Pale Lip Erase, Creme d’ Nude Lipstick and Fashion Whim Cremesheen Glass. Our limited holiday set - Iced Delights Lip bag / Wintercool includes the lipstick, gloss and lip pencil in a snowglobe inspired bag, makes a great little touch up kit for your wedding day!

14 day Manicure from Black Orchid Spa

I recently had a manicure done from Denisa at Black Orchid Spa. I'm really excited because I tried the new Orly GelFX manicure and it lasts 2 weeks chip free! I love the look of the regular gels but I don't like having the commitment of filling them and the condition that they leave my nails in once they've been removed. So Denisa suggested the Orly GelFX. They still give the look and shine of regular gels but they're a lot better for your nails because they're infused with vitamins A & E, and Pro Vitamin B5. So far it's been about a week and my nails are still in perfect condition! This is a great option for brides if you don't want the commitment of regular gels but still want your nails to look beautiful and last for your wedding and honeymoon thereafter. You can see other services that they offer and pricing info on the Black Orchid Spa website, the Orly GelFX is an extra $15, or contact Denisa at (604) 533-0195. Mention my name and she'll give you 15% off their services. They can also come to you as well, great idea for a bridal shower or just a pamper night with the girls : )

Click here for the Orly Gel FX Video

Orly GelFX Manicure in "Kiss the Bride"

Orly GelFX French Manicure

Christine & Koby's Wedding

Earlier this year I met two of the sweetest girls, Christine and her MOH Tiffany.  They found my website through Hong Photography who took our wedding pictures and they loved my makeup.  The day I met Christine to do her trial she explained to me how she normally does her makeup and what she likes, dramatic and dark smokey eyes.  Even though I had something else in mind for Christine we decided to build the look around the smokey eyes because that’s what she felt comfortable with.  When I’m doing someone’s makeup, I want them to feel completely comfortable with their look, especially if it’s a bride.  End result? We couldn’t have been more pleased and Christine looked GORGEOUS!  We played the eyes up even more by throwing on a pair of the biggest baddest lashes we have, the #48′s.  We call them the Kim Kardashian lashes because that’s what your lashes look like when you wear them!  Some key products that I used for Christine’s look - Smut and Carbon Eyeshadows on top of Blackground Paintpot, Black Black Chromaline and Graphblack Technakhol for her eyes.  Studio Sculpt Foundation in NW 43 to contour her face.  Pink Treat cremestick liner, Creme cup lipstick, and Just Superb Cremesheen glass for her beautiful full lips - My favorite lip combo!

You can see more pictures from Christine & Koby’s Wedding here  and check out their super cute and sexy engagement shoot which I also did the makeup for.

Photos by Hong Photography

Love this Picture!

The stunning MOH - Tiffany

Christine & Koby's Engagement Shoot

Product that i'm loving right now...

MAC Care Blend Essential Oils

This isn’t a new product but I’ve recently started using it a lot more again due to the change in weather.  You can mix it with your moisturizers or apply it straight on the skin. It gives your skin a luminous glow and it’s very calm and soothing.  I’ve been mixing it with my Pro Longwear Concealer to make it more sheer to use all over the face as a foundation and the result is amazing.  Some oily skin types may be wary to try it for fear that it will make them more oily, I promise you it won’t!  There is NO mineral oil or lanolin in this product (those are the ingredients you want to stay away from),  just naturally derived essential and botanical oils.  Your makeup will actually stick to your skin better because of this product and it will not cause separation.  Remember, oil sticks to oil, your makeup will actually last longer.  One drop with your favorite foundation or concealer and your set!

Available in Sweet Orange + Lavender or Grapefruit + Chamomile

MAC Care Blend Oil

Greer & Bradley's Sneak Peek

Here’s a sneak peek at a wedding I just did this past September. Greer was looking for a 50′s inspired makeup for her wedding day, with the classic red lips and winged out black liquid liner. To create this look here’s some of the key products that I used. Face and Body Foundation, which is one of my favorite foundations for all day wear because it’s water and transfer resistant, not to mention it looks amazing in photos because it mimics the look of your natural skin. Prolong – from the Pro Longwear Lipcremes, these are essential if you’re looking for something that’s going to wear all day for your wedding. Point Black Liquid last liner to create that flawless line with a bit of a wing, it’s also waterproof so it’s guaranteed to make it through the ceremony! This timeless look with a modern twist looked stunning on her!

Here’s the image from their amazing photographers White Linen Photography

White Linen Photography

Erica & Peter's Wedding

One of my many favorite weddings that I got to work on this year was Erica and Peter’s. Erica is a creative and free-spirited accomplished photographer who I met a few years back at a couple of weddings that we were both working on. I really did, and still do admire her work, and I felt great appreciation towards her when she was kind enough to send me pictures from the weddings that we had worked on together. Erica was so refreshingly down to earth and calm during the morning of her wedding, you wouldn’t have guessed that she was about to walk down the aisle in front of 400 guests! Her dream wedding was held on a beautiful sunny day at her family’s gorgeous home in Southlands.
The makeup that Erica and I decided on for her wedding was super natural since she doesn’t wear a lot of makeup in her day-to-day life. She also didn’t need a lot because she has this beautiful dark Hawaiian tan from living in Maui. I did manage to convince her into wearing false lashes for the wedding to give more definition to her eyes since we were using minimal eyeshadows. # 33 MAC lashes, they never fail! The makeup went perfect with her loose side swept braid and simple but elegant ivory lace wedding dress.

Photography by the talented and artistic Jana Vackova

Photography by Jana Vackova

I also did the makeup for Erica’s bridesmaids as well. They all wore white dresses that they each chose themselves to reflect their own personal style. They were such a beautiful group of girls inside and out, I can see why Erica wanted to include them all in her bridal party. Congratulations Erica and Peter!

Erica and her 7 Bridemaids

Product that i'm loving right now...

MAC Art of Powder - Bronzing Powder

It's the perfect 2 in 1 bronzer and blush!  I usually like to apply bronzer on the cheeks to give that natural "just came back from a beach vacation look" and then add a pink blush on the apples of the cheek to make it more flirty. This bronzer/blush creates that look flawlessly, and it's got just the right amount of sheen from the gold pearlized pigments in it to make your skin glow.  For those of you who like to keep your makeup simple, you'll love this product, or if you just want to have amazing looking cheeks : )  Available at MAC stores only, limited edition.

Art of Powder Bronzer

MAC Posh Paradise Body Painting

On the evening of Sept. 20th we hosted an Unveiling party for the launch of our new Fall Collections at MAC Pro Robson.  The night was filled with cocktails and canapes, lots of new makeup and a beautiful model fully body painted, which I was lucky enough to be a part of.  Myself and  3 other talented MAC Artists (Monica, Olga, and Linda)  spent 4 1/2 hours executing this amazing design that was created by Nicola Formichetti , better known as Lady Gaga's Stylist.  The design reflected the Posh Paradise Collection which was the main focus of the party. Some products that we used were: Face & Body Foundation, Golden Bronze and Silver Dusk iridescent loose powders, MAC Pro acrylic paints and MAC Pro Chromalines.

Posh Paradise Model

My MAC Peeps!

A Glimpse into the life of a Makeup Artist

So I’ve finally decided to jump on the bandwagon of blogging, in hopes to share my love and experiences of doing makeup and also to refine my writing skills : ) I’m a makeup artist who’s been working in the industry for over 10 1/2 years for the world renowned MAC Cosmetics, where I received the bulk of my training. I also freelance on the side doing weddings which is my true passion. Stay tuned for more posts of my upcoming work and makeup tips!
Ariana ; )