I LOVE Overtone Haircare!

So for the last year I've been rocking various shades and degrees of alternative hair colours.  At first I was doing purple and with every hair appt. I was bleaching a bit more of my hair to achieve an all over purple look.

In February I decided to switch it up and go blue!  I've totally been loving the blue...I think even more than the purple!  The issue for anyone who chooses to dye their hair these unnatural and crazy colours is the upkeep and keeping the colour fresh and not faded.

When I first heard of Overtone Haircare I knew (or at least hoped) my fading hair colour worries would be over!  After debating for a mth or so about ordering it (it's not that cheap and w/ the shipping and exchange to Canada makes it even more pricey) I decided to take the plunge and order! Let me tell you I'm SO GLAD I did!  This product is AMAZING!!!  Seriously the difference it makes on my hair just using the Weekly Treatment Conditioner once made on my hair made me a believer!  I bought the complete system which includes the Daily Conditioner and the Weekly Treatment Conditioner.

So this product is designed primarily for ppl w/ the wild and crazy colours in their hair, you know - Blue, Orange, Purple, Pink, Teal etc.  But what's really awesome is the fact that you can combine colours to make your own custom colour for your hair.  Plus they have 3 different levels for each colour - Pastel, Vibrant & Extreme!  I'm using the Blue Extreme for anyone that's curious.

The best way to figure out what would work for you is to take their little quiz and it will let you know the best product to achieve or keep the colour you want/have.  You can even use this product on bleached hair alone (ie. you don't already have it dyed a crazy colour) and it will deposit colour so it doesn't just revive worn out colour it adds it too!  I'm actually going to try this w/ some blonde extension pieces that I have that I've been thinking of dying blue.

What I really love is how soft and silky it makes my hair feel after I've used it.  Unfortunately, all this bleaching to my hair has not been kind and I have a lot of breakage and dryness b/c my hair is naturally fine and thin and it was previously dyed black prior to my new found crazy colour routine. Plus it really helps cut down expensive trips to the salon to get your colour retouched and you can wash your hair in warm water!  No more cold showers!

I definitely recommend wearing gloves when you apply it to your hair.  It doesn't dye your hands like traditional colour but just to be on the safe side.  Also, it's vegan and cruelty free for all those people out there that are curious about that sort of thing!

Check out their FAQ section to answer any other questions you might have!

BEFORE & AFTER

Both pics are with natural light hitting the hair.  The After pic I had used the Daily Conditioner twice and the Weekly Treatment Conditioner once!

Wedding Hair - Why Using Your "Usual" Stylist May Not Be The Best Choice

So as anyone who reads this blog knows I do A LOT of weddings.  Sometimes I do just makeup, sometimes it's just the hair and sometimes it's both makeup and hair.  The more I do weddings and the more confident I get w/ both bridal makeup and hair I will be honest the more I enjoy having complete control over the entire look...that means being in charge of both the makeup and hair (at least for the bride).

Of course that is not always the case and I'm totally cool with that but I will say there has been more than one occasion where I have thought "Oh she would have looked better if she just let me do her makeup or her hair" when I haven't been in charge of both services.  

A lot of times when I'm not booked for hair it's because the bride has opted to use her "Usual Stylist" for her wedding day hair.  Now I'm not going to say that this is always a bad decision because it's not - there are plenty of salon hairstylists that are good at wedding updos and styling...but there are also a lot that aren't!

I think a lot of times brides feel "guilty" if they don't hire their regular hairstylist for their wedding day or they just assume they are a hair stylist and they cut/colour my hair great therefore they'll do my wedding hair great...but that's not always the case.  Do not feel like you are "cheating" on your usual stylist if you don't use them on your wedding day.  

So this isn't to say you shouldn't hire the person that cuts/colours your hair it's just important to ask some questions and make sure they'll be the right artist to achieve you wedding hair dream.

Here's some questions to ask or things to think about:

Do they do weddings often/Have they done a lot of weddings in the past? Ask your stylist this don't just assume they do.  There are a lot of hairstylists nowadays that don't want to do weddings or almost never do weddings.  Either because they don't like them or their specialty isn't updos or wedding styling.

How comfortable are they with Wedding Hairstyles? Some salon stylists are amazing and cut and/or colour but you ask them to do an updo or half updo and it's just not their forte.  This doesn't make them a bad stylist it just means it's not one of their strengths.  If they aren't strong in updos do you really want to risk their skills on your wedding day.

Are they willing to come to you on your Wedding Day? Weddings typically happen on Saturdays which of course is the busiest day in the salon.  Are they willing to leave the salon for several hours to work your wedding w/ you and your bridal party or do you have to go to the salon? 

 If you have to go to the salon how will this effect your timing for your wedding day?  Is this going to cause more stress or anxiety for you having to travel to and from the salon vs. getting your services in your home or a hotel where the artist comes to you?  More and more brides are opting to have mobile services for this reason.  It's just so much more stress free to have an artist or team come to you and your girls where you are!

If the stylist comes to you or you go to the salon what's the timing like? I've also seen several times where b/c the bride wants her usual stylist to do her hair she's had to get it done HOURS before the ceremony or pictures b/c that's the only time the stylist could fit her in.  Either the stylist came to her and did it super early before their Saturday salon hours or the bride went to the salon super early in the morning.  If you have an updo this might not be the end of the world as they are typically pretty sturdy if done properly but if you are wearing your hair down and you get it done hours before pictures or the ceremony you have a much stronger chance that they hair is going to fall and not look like you had hoped by time the ceremony comes around. 

Remember to ALWAYS do a trial with your usual stylist! If you do want to use your usual stylist make sure to book a hair trial with them...don't just chance it and think they will do exactly what you want on the day b/c they are use to cutting/colouring your hair.  I personally find even with my own work I do a better job on the hair the second time around.  I figure out little adjustments and things I want to fix for the wedding day.  The trial is as much a practice round for me as it is for the bride so it's VERY important!

If you aren't happy with the trial DON'T feel obligated to still use your regular stylist!  I've seen and heard this time and time again.  A bride does a trial w/ their stylist and they leave unhappy but then somehow magically hope/expect that their wedding day will turn out better.  Speak up at your trial.  If the stylist isn't getting your vision let them know so they can try to fix things they aren't mind readers lol!  If they still don't get it and you are doubting they'll get it on the wedding day FIND ANOTHER STYLIST FOR THAT DAY!!!  It's one of the most important days of your life and you're spending so much money on every detail you HAVE to hopefully LOVE...at least LIKE your hair!  DO NOT stick w/ a stylist if you are judging their wedding hair skills.  It will cause more stress for you and you'll actually resent them later if you hate your wedding hair.

Like I said above just b/c a stylist is amazing at cutting and colouring doesn't mean they understand or can execute wedding hairstyles.  It's a VERY different skill set for a stylist and truthfully a lot of stylists don't get that much practice at it and it's not heavily taught in school.

I don't cut or colour hair but I specialize in wedding hair...you wouldn't want me to cut or colour your hair b/c it would be a disaster but I feel pretty confident doing your wedding updo lol!

I've had it happen multiple times where a bride who I was doing makeup for contact me after and ask to do a hair trial b/c her regular stylist just didn't seem to get her vision.  I've also seen brides cry b/c they had their regular stylist do their hair while myself or my team has done their bridesmaids' hair and it's looked better.  And of course I've seen salon hairstylists do work that's amazed me where I've wanted their card lol!

All I'm saying is think about what's right for you on your wedding day and don't feel obligated to make a choice b/c you feel pressure or a sense of loyalty if it's not what's right or convenient on your wedding day.  

Fav Wedding Hair of 2014 - Down Hairstyles

Earlier this wk I shared w/ you some of my fav updos that I created for my wonderful clients this year.  So it only makes sense to share some of my fav half updo and down hairstyles of this past season.

In the past it was very much the norm and expected that brides wear their hair in updos on their wedding day.  Trends have definitely changed over the past few years and I for one am very happy about that.  For one hair for the most part is not about being stiff or "helmet" like.  Even with updos brides (at least mine) tend to want styles that are are a lot softer, more loose and romantic in style.

I think this soft, undone done hair trend has been part of the reason down hairstyles have gotten more popular in recent years.  No matter how it's styled there does tend to be a softer look when hair is left down.

Also, with the rise in popularity of clip-in hair extensions down hairstyles are becoming a lot more of a possibility for brides that may in the past have not been able to pull of the style.  Truth is when you see pictures of girls on Pinterest w/ big loose curls I'd say 90% of the time (especially if they are photo shoot/model/actor type pics) these women are wearing some sort of hair extensions.  It's very rare for a girl to be able to have really long, thick hair that holds amazing curl and style naturally...for those blessed few we call them hair models ;) ...for the rest of us hair extensions are the answer lol!

Luckily for my brides I also make clip-in extensions so they never have to worry about the hassle of matching and buying their own extensions b/c if they don't know what they are looking for or where to go it can all be a little overwhelming...and the last things brides need is another thing to worry about ;)

So here's some of my fav half up or down hairstyles from this past wedding season!

Of course if I'm talking about beautiful hair I gotta include my "Barbie" bride Brittany.  We did add extensions to her hair..not so much for length but more for volume and thickness.  Photos courtesy of Stephanie Amoroso

This is probably one of my fav accessories to date.  It was so unique and it just accentuated and worked w/ the style so well!  Crazy thing was she borrowed it!

This was all Chantal's hair...girl had A LOT of hair!  Photo courtesy of Heidi Ram

Personally I've found it to be a bit of a wive's tale that Asian hair doesn't curl.  Yes, naturally a lot of times it is naturally straight but I've also found b/c it's often very thick and coarse it can create some gorgeous down hairstyles that hold VERY well.  Diane was a perfect example of this.  Her hair held beautifully and was gorgeous, long and thick!  Photos courtesy of Jennifer Moher

Rasha was another bride I made extensions for.  Funny thing was we did her trial like a year in advance so on the wedding day she was having some doubts about the style we did at the trial.  I ended up taking the half updo style down and just leaving it all down and it looked gorgeous and full!

Amie was another bride w/ gorgeous thick hair.  We did a classic half updo w/ loose curls.  Her hair held so well I actually felt comfortable running my fingers through the curls to loosen them...there's a lot of brides I wouldn't dare try that with for fear that their curls would fall right out lol!

I'm so sad I don't have professional shots from Gabby's wedding.  Seriously, the nicest set of extensions I've ever made for a bride.  Love how seamlessly they blended in and the colour matched..even all the highlights!

 Eva was probably my "nicest" and "sweetest" bride last year.  Seriously the girl was just so sweet...like genuinely sweet!

Stephanie was another bride I made extensions for.  Blonde hair w/ all it's highlights always photographs so nicely and choosing the right colour extensions w/ the right highlights is especially important!  Wish I had professional pics of her...so pretty!

Brittany - My Barbie Bride

Whenever I'm talking about my wedding w/ Brittany this past Summer to friends or clients I always refer to her as my "Barbie Bride".  I, in no way mean this as a derogatory term.  I LOVED Barbie growing up and I still think Barbie is awesome.  Basically I just think Brittany looked so blonde, gorgeous and glamorous on her wedding that it was like Barbie getting married!  In fact I basically made her swear on her life that she would send me pictures after the wedding lol!  I just thought it would be such a shame if I didn't have a bride like her on my site!

One of the things I really loved about Brittany and the look we created for her wedding day is that she actually let me put makeup on her!  She wasn't afraid to be a little glamorous and smokey eyed. That doesn't mean it was super heavy but it was definitely a level up from what a lot of my brides let me do.  The funny thing is I KNOW future brides are going to be telling me they want to look like her but they won't want the style of makeup she has one b/c they will think it's "too much".  Truth is when you look at her pictures it doesn't look "too much" at all.  In fact, it reads pretty natural w/ glowing skin and a soft lip but the eye was a decent level Brown/Black/Gold smokey eye plus there was full black liner all around the eye.  I will totally admit though not every bride can pull off this look - for some it would be too much.  It all depends on your features, skin tone and comfort level of course.

I think one of the most exciting things about the wedding for me was the fact that Brittany's mom was a glamour girl just like Brittany.  I could definitely see where Brittany got her looks from.  I only wish I had pictures of her mom too b/c I don't think I've had a mom that let me do such a dramatic look on them before...and the thing is she totally pulled it off!  She looked great and I loved the full dramatic lashes on her!

Brittany was also another bride that had clip-in hair extensions for her wedding day.  She wanted her hair BIG w/ big, soft curls and we did just that.  The funny thing is like the makeup when you look at the hair it looks perfectly in line w/ the dress, her face, everything and yet I know there was volume! It's so important for brides to remember everything looks less dramatic (or more appropriately dramatic) once you have a big white gown on!  Plus I LOVE her hair piece...still one of the nicest ones I've seen to date...so different and unique!

More pics of this beautiful bride! Photography Courtesy of Stephanie Amoroso

Can you tell she's a dental hygienist - Perfect Smile!

Update...Brittany and her mom read the blog post and they sent me a pic of her mom...doesn't she look amazing!

Adrianna - Bridal Updo with Extensions

 I had the pleasure of working w/ Adrianna back in June for her gorgeous wedding.  I also got to fancy her up for not 1 but 2 different bridal showers (one her sister in law and one was her own) before her wedding so I definitely got a good chance to work w/ her hair and face before the day and learn the tips and tricks to make her look her absolute best!

After the first makeup and hair appt. (about a yr before her wedding) we both agreed to get the style she wanted for her hair she was going to need some clip-in hair extensions.  I've talked on here and to my clients quite a bit about the importance of hair extensions for when clients want to wear their hair down...pretty much every girl needs them to get that luscious "pinterest worthy" voluminous, long, big curl look but I haven't really talked that much about their importance and how much they can help a style when a bride wants an updo but has less than thick hair to fill it out.

Let me just say that Adrianna's updo on her wedding day has to be one of my fav updos that I've ever done on a bride!  And let's be real we all know how many updos I do EVERY wedding season so that means a lot!  It also helps that Adrianna hired an amazing photographer Azure Blue Photography and they took some gorgeous pics to capture my work.  Sometimes it's so sad when you know you've done amazing work and yet when the bride sends you pics you're disappointed b/c the photographer just didn't capture it...definitely not the case here!  There's also a video if you want to see a bit of my work in action...I always love videos b/c there is no hiding behind retouching in them - your work is on full display whether it's good or bad!

If I didn't know better I'd never know that there were extensions in Adrianna's hairstyle...sometimes brides and their fiances get a little freaked out about the idea of "fake hair" and not looking "like yourself" but anyone who knows me and my work knows that above all I strive to make my clients look and feel like the best versions of themselves.  And the truth is not all of us are blessed w/ thick, gorgeous hair so what's wrong w/ supplementing it to get the style you want on your wedding day!  Yes, it will cost extra but when you think of all the money you're spending on the day anyway isn't it worth it if it's going to bring your hairstyle from a 6 to a 10!  I just love the texture and tousled curls in this style!

Another great thing that Adrianna invested in on her wedding day was a return visit for her and her girls.  If it's in your budget and you're starting early in the morning w/ an early church ceremony before pics and the reception a return visit can be very beneficial to your wedding day look!  Yes, I do always give my clients an extensive touch up kit but at a return visit I touch up all the bridesmaids makeup/hair (if they got services in the morning) plus I touch up or adjust/change the bride's makeup and hair look.  Often times I darken the makeup a bit for night - or in Adrianna's case added a gorgeous bold red lip and a smokier eye.  Plus sometimes I'll change the hair going from an updo to down.  Plus after pictures...especially in the Summer when it's hot touching up the hairstyles and makeup can be a real lifesaver!

So here's some more of Adrianna's beautiful wedding look...there's even a couple of me looking serious as usual ;)

Adrianna and her girls

 Teaching how to take out the veil

Great shot of the back!  So often photographers don't take nice shots of the back of the hair :(

Hair Extensions and your Bridal Hairstyle

Over the last few years I've had more and more brides using clip-in hair extensions to supplement their natural hair on their wedding day.  I think clip-in extensions are a great tool for hairstyling and they aren't just used to create length, a lot of times they are necessary to create the volume and fullness you see in so many  hairstyles these days.

I find w/ almost every celebrity at some point sporting extensions on the red carpet and the invention of Pinterest hair extensions and have become more and more a necessity and often reality for many bridal styles.  The truth is almost EVERY amazing pic you see on Pinterest where the hair is styled down or half up and is so full, curly and gorgeous has some sort of "fake" hair worked into it whether it be clip-in extensions, bonded extensions etc.  A lot of the updos do too!

Plus, a lot of brides don't realize how long your hair ACTUALLY has to be to create those long, loose curl styles...curl after all shortens the hair so the hair needs to be long to create most of these down styles.

I, myself often use extensions for when I have special events or night's out.  Definitely not for length as my hair is well past my breasts but it's for the thickness.  Even when I'm wearing my hair straight the difference it makes is remarkable!  Sometimes it makes me wish my hair was actually like that but man would it be heavy and hot if it was!!!

The problem comes sometimes when trying to explain to clients how it is not possible to achieve these styles w/out the use of extensions.  I get not every bride wants to invest in extensions which she may or may not ever use again but unfortunately most people's natural hair can't create these styles.  So a bride either needs to adjust her expectations or invest!  And in reality if it's going to make your wedding pictures that much better (which are after all your memories) you might as well spend the couple hundred on extensions.  Just think how much you're spending on the dress, photography, makeup and hair...it would be a shame to regret it afterward in my opinion.

Also, talk to your hairstylist about what type, length, style of extensions to get for your desired style.  If your hair is just at your shoulders you probably don't want 18 inch extensions as it will jut be really hard to blend into your style.  If you're doing an updo longer isn't necessary better either...sometimes 14 inch extensions are more than enough for a style.

When I make them I personally make a set of 8-10 pieces.  I like having a variety of sizes and clips so that I can put the extensions where necessary.  Sometimes I've had brides come to me w/ just 3 very long pieces and depending on your style that may or may not work!  Also, I double up on the weft - thicker hair w/ less clips creates a more comfortable and less bulky style w/ less clips to worry about hiding!

With all that said I thought I'd share some of the styles I've created for brides the past few years using extensions....if don't right you shouldn't even know they're there ;)

This was actually for a wedding photographer workshop and was a mock wedding shoot.  I used a ton of extensions on this model's hair and a really tight barrel curling iron....tons of brides love this pic but they don't really realize how tight the curls are in reality lol!  Having highlighted extensions also helps to make them look more real as it creates great dimension and highlighting in the hair!

Photographer Taylor Jackson

One of the few times I had a bride that opted for a straight style w/ her extensions.  I think it was a good choice and really worked well w/ the 60s vibe.  

Photographer Nicole Duplantis @ Eclipse Photography

You can't tell in this pic but Suzanne actually has strawberry blonde hair so which was a bit tricky to match for the extensions...but I did it and they looked gorgeous! It was also nerve wracking b/c I hadn't met Suzanne until the trial and I had to choose the colour based simply on a small snippet of hair she had mailed me b/c she lived in Montreal!

You can see the colour a bit better in this one.

Kristen is tiny so she was a perfect example of someone that had to pick the right extension length for them!  If she would have gone w/ ones that were too long they would have overwhelmed her tiny frame!  I love the braid I incorporated in the front for this style!

Photographer Erin @ Renaissance Studios

Elissa was actually a bridesmaid for her sister last year.  The year before she was the bride and I made extensions for her wedding.  We used them again for her sister's wedding.  They look so natural! Perfect colour match!

Photographer Tobin Grimshaw

 Rashani's hair was actually a pretty blunt bob and she has very coarse hair which makes it a little harder to blend in the extensions so I was happy she opted for a side pony style which really helped to blend it all together and make it look all natural!

Simone actually had a combination of bonded extensions and clip-in extensions on her wedding day.  I was glad she opted to have the clip-in ones too b/c you're not suppose to tease bonded extensions which therefore makes it impossible to create the volume necessary for some styles!

 Photographer Tally @ Phototerra

Svetlana was not only a beautiful bride but she also happens to be my oldest friend (way back since we were 14!).  She has long hair naturally but needed more fullness.  That's where the extensions came in.  She said I created her "dream hair" :)

Photographer Toan Lam

Thought I'd finish off w/ a bridal updo that has extensions worked into it.  What a great looking couple and you'd never know that wasn't all her hair!  See it's not just half updos or down styles that sometimes need the help of extensions...an updo can also be greatly enhanced by extensions!

Marc Anthony New Coconut Oil Collection

Anyone who knows me knows I'm kinda obsessed w/ anything coconut related...seriously if it smells like a tropical vacation or involves the concept of coconut oil, coconut water, coconut milk...basically coconut anything I'm all over it!  So of course I was more than willing to try out Marc Anthony's new Coconut Oil Hair Care Collection!

I think for the last year or so coconut has definitely been picking up steam as the next big ingredient in many hair and body care items.  Coconut oil has a ton of healthy and wellness benefits and it's a great moisturizer for pretty much any part of your body so I can totally see why it's become an "It" ingredient!  I regularly rub coconut oil all over my body as a natural moisturizer and trust me it's been great w/ this never ending cold, windy Winter we've had up in Toronto!

So the newest line from Marc Anthony is targeted at those individuals w/ dry, damaged hair...another effect from this cold, harsh weather...or if you just happen to use and abuse you're styling tools or dye your hair a lot ;)  The idea w/ using both coconut oil and shea butter in their latest collection is that it will absorb into the hair and help nurture it from the inside out.

So I got to try both Hydrating Coconut Oil & Shea Butter Sulfate Free Shampoo & Conditioner. Love that they are sulfate free as that's a big bonus these days!  They both smell great but not in an artificial coconut way...just really nice.  My one concern was that these products would be too heavy for my hair being that my one prob is volume but I'm happy to say I didn't feel they weighed my hair down at all.  The shampoo left my hair feeling clean and even w/out the sulfates still created a decent lather.  I made sure when using the conditioner to mostly concentrate on the ends as that's where my hair gets dried and tangled and it worked well to nourish and moisturize them w/out leaving my hair feeling limp or lifeless.

I also got to try out the Hydrating Coconut Oil & Shea Butter Treatment.  This treatment can be used on dry or damp hair and you only need a couple of drops.  It doesn't leave the hair feeling greasy though so no worries there!  It helps to nourish and moisturize the hair to help create smoother and shinier locks!  It also helps to protect hair against splitting and breaking...important for all those girls looking to grow out their luscious locks!

I must say the people at Marc Anthony have always been so generous w/ what they send me and their packaging is always first rate!  A few days after my initial gift I received a surprise second package to try out w/ their new Oil of Morocco Argan Oil 3X Volume Cream!  Now this is the type of product I need!  I have very long, straight hair so any product that can help me w/ volume and lift is great in my books!  I took about a quarter size amount and ran it through damp hair starting a the root and running through to the ends, blow dried my hair as normal and I can definitely say it works!  My hair definitely had more volume and lift to it at the roots!  I wasn't even doing any fancy blowing drying or using a round brush to help so I imagine if I did that it would have been even more!

So definitely some new hair care products to check out if you're in your local drug store...very reasonably priced and I think they are worth it!

My Favourite Loose & Down Wedding Hairstyles of 2013

So a few days ago I shared w/ you a bunch of my favourite updos from last years wedding season! Well you know what they say - what goes up, must come down.  So I thought I'd share w/ you some of my favourite half up or down wedding hairstyles from 2013.

Back in the day I think it was just assumed on your wedding day you're suppose to get an updo...well times and trends have changed and I definitely feel there has been a shift in this mentality.  I'd say it's really an even split as to whether my brides are wearing their hair up or down on their wedding day.

I will say this though, lots of people assume that wearing the hair down is a lot easier to style but for me personally I'd say depending on the bride's natural hair there is actually a lot more stress and worry as to what could go wrong!

With an updo I can be secure in my skills enough to know that it's going to stay once I have it locked in (even if it is one of those popular loose styles that everyone loves).  But when a bride opts to wear her hair down there is so much more that could go wrong!  Wind, heat, humidity...maybe the bride just has hair that doesn't hold a curl no matter what you do to it!  You never know so it actually creates a lot of stress and worry b/c of course I want nothing more than for my brides to have beautiful hair and makeup on their wedding days!

Also, one of the biggest things a lot of brides need to realize if they are going to wear their hair down is that they need either naturally very thick, voluminous hair or like most of the celebs and women of the world they need a little help w/ the use of clip-in hair extensions.  It really does make all the difference in creating the volume and body necessary for a majority of the down hairstyles for weddings!

With that being said here are some of my gorgeous brides that did totally rock wearing their hair down on their wedding days!

Adriana

A lot of times brides want curls in their hair if they are going to wear it down.  I really loved this 60's inspired half updo w/ it's sleek smoothness that I created for Adriana.  It also included additional clip-in extensions which I made for her prior to the wedding day.

Photographer - Nicole Duplantis @ Eclipse Photography

Even her bridesmaids got in on the down hairstyles for this wedding!

Denise

Denise actually has wavy, curly hair but like many curly haired girls she wanted a different type of curl on her wedding day.  It may sound weird but so many curly haired ladies opt. to blow their hair straight and then add a different type of curl back into the hair.  We kept things very simple here, not a lot of volume and just some clean, smooth beautiful curls.  Considering the rain that day I'm very impressed w/ the smoothness!

Genalyn

Genalyn was a referral from a wedding I did last year.  She was a bridesmaid and hired me for her wedding this year.  At first she didn't think she needed a trial b/c she knew she liked my style but I convinced her that a trial was still a good idea as there are still kinks to work out and it makes for a less stressful wedding day.  I'm so glad we did b/c w/out the trial I don't think we would have gotten the style to look as good as it did w/out a trial first!  Really a great reminder for brides...even if you know you love an artist having a "practice run" makes everything that much better on the wedding day!

Photographer - Chris Lacsamana

Jennifer

So many of my brides w/ naturally curly hair try to work against their hair's natural texture...not Jennifer!  Finally a curly haired bride that wanted to embrace her natural, gorgeous curls!  Everything about Jennifer's style was super natural and relaxed so I wanted the hair to be the same way.  She deffused it before I got there and then I just re-curled certain curls a little bit more to make the hair uniform throughout.  Teased a bit at the crown, pinned back a few pieces added a clip and done!

Photographer - Dave & Charlotte

Jennifer

I had done Jennifer's makeup for another wedding earlier in the year when she was a bridesmaid so I was thrilled when she contacted me a few mths later to do her hair and makeup for her own wedding!  Jennifer LOVES vintage looks and isn't afraid of makeup or volume and she wanted some Va-Va-Voom on her wedding day!  This girl has HAIR!  Curly hair that I blewout and then set for a larger, smoother style curl...when I was combing in out into the waves it was probably the only time in my career where I thought...OMG this is holding too well!  Lol w/ a little more brushing I was able to get it into the glamorous big, curl waves I wanted.

 Kristin

Kristin has gorgeous blonde hair made even more gorgeous by the blonde extensions that were added on the day for her wedding!  She is a perfect example of why you need extensions to create those big voluminous loose curls that we see in all the magazines!

Photographer - Erin @ Renaissance Studios

Laura

If I'm going to talk about down hairstyling I definitely can't forget about Laura.  She seriously has hair model hair!  That gorgeous blonde hair that is full and thick and holds curls so beautiful even after you brush it out!  Seriously if EVERY client had hair like Laura I can't even imagine what I could create!

Photographer - Tobin Grimshaw

Elissa

Laura's sister who I first met last year when she got married.  She wanted a style very similar to her wedding day except not quite as much volume.  We used the extensions I had made for her last year and they still looked amazing!  I don't think anyone would ever question that that's not her own hair!

Lucy

Lucy was a last minute bride I booked in the Fall.  We never did a trial before the wedding (I don't like to do that but sometimes it can't be helped).  I did however make clip-in extensions for her on her wedding day and they worked perfectly...even w/out a trial beforehand ;)

Photographer - Boston Ave Photography

Shannon

Shannon actually had a couple of hair trials and was back and forth a bit on exactly what she wanted...happens all the time actually.  Funny thing is she ended up going w/ the look we tried out at the first trial.  I think it's perfect and I really like the fact that most of the curls are still framing the face and only a section from the front it pulled back.  It really does depend on your face shape, hairline, hair length, texture and a bunch of other factors as to what looks best when wearing your hair down...crazy how just making the slightest alteration or decision can change the whole hairstyle.  Some people look better w/ more pulled back while others look better w/ other a tiny bit pulled back.

Photographer - Stacey Wight