Yorkville Engagement Shoot

About a mth ago I did a trial w/ my one upcoming bride Katherine for her May wedding.  She had decided to schedule her engagement shoot the same day as the trial which I find can be a good thing as long as you don't mind having the same look for your shoot as your wedding.

Katherine wanted a grey black smokey eye and a fancy Kate Middleton inspired updo so I wanted to make sure it was okay for the shoot but she explained she was doing a fancy shoot in Yorkville so it actually all complimented itself perfectly.

Engagement shoots are the perfect time for couple's to get comfortable and practice in front of the camera as well as get to know their photographer.  It's also a great chance to see how makeup reads differently on camera than it does in real life.  The look you might have thought was super dramatic in person actually reads fairly natural on camera.

That's actually what Katherine decided after the shoot,  She realized she wanted the eye more intense and the lips brighter which I'm more than happy to accommodate on the day.  At the trial Katherine wasn't even sure she wanted to wear the fancy blue dress she had picked out for the shoot b/c she thought it might be a bit too much but I said you have fancy hair and makeup you have to have a fancy outfit...plus it's Yorkville!

I'm so glad she went w/ the dress b/c the pics are just gorgeous thanks to the awesome photography of Jessilynn Wong!  Very excited to work w/ her on Katherine's wedding in May b/c if these pics are any indication of things I know the wedding pics will be amazing!

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 Makeup Looks From Last Year!

I thought since I did blogs about some of my fav hairstyles I created for last year's brides it only right to do a blog post about some of my favourite makeup looks! Especially considering I am a makeup artist first, hairstylist second...although sometimes you wouldn't know that by the amount of brides I have contacting me to just do hair sometimes lol!

One thing that has always been a constant in my bridal business is brides hire me b/c they are looking for that "Natural, Soft, Glowing" look.  Very clean and very pretty!  For the most part my brides DO NOT want to wear or look like they are wearing a lot of makeup!  The thing is that to create those looks I often have to educate brides about the face that they do in fact STILL NEED TO WEAR MAKEUP!!! More makeup then they are probably use to lol...especially considering it seems like about 75% of my clientele were minimal to no makeup for the most part lol!  When I'm interviewing staff it's actually one of the things I have to stress to them is that my clientele for the most part wants a "NATURAL LOOK"...even if they are showing me Kim K. pictures I gotta ask them questions and determine what in fact they are actually looking for (99% of the time it's not Kim K let me tell you lol)!

It's actually funny/frustrating (depends on my mood lol) how much convincing I sometimes I have to do w/ clients to make them realize they are in fact not wearing that much makeup and it's not "too much".  My day look is often more than they will let me put on them for their wedding lol (and I don't get glam day to day fyi).  I actually don't know a bridal artist who has a lighter hand than I do when it comes to understanding the approach of  less is more...a lot of times I do actually think my clients could use a bit more "drama" but I do have to respect their wishes and comfort level of course.

With that said I do still get to create some beautiful makeup looks and I do really have some beautiful clients.  I think one of things that really helps when doing a natural look is that I pretty much insist on some sort of false lash whether it be strip or individual lashes.  I've mentioned this before but I include this not only for the bride but anyone getting makeup services (and my staff do too).  I think when you are doing a "natural look" it really is one of the best ways to make the eyes pop w/out the use of a lot of shadow and if I do get the chance to do a "glam look" it's of course necessary otherwise to me the look just seems unfinished!

I definitely see a rise in the amount of airbrush foundation I'm doing on brides this past season!  I got a new airbrush compressor/gun this year and I have to say I'm actually really loving airbrush a lot more than I use to!  I don't know if it's the new machine or just me getting more skilled but I'm loving the finish, the lightness on the skin and the coverage it provides...plus my makeup phobic brides are really loving the fact that it still feels like "there is nothing on the skin" even though it gives them that flawless finish!

Adrianna is a classic example of "Pretty & Soft" Wedding Makeup! I used airbrush foundation on her and I'm still obsessed w/ her updo lol!  Photos courtesy of Azure Blue Photography

I did a return visit for Adrianna which is getting more popular with brides.  I changed up her lip to a bold red lip and smoked out the eyes a bit more!  It was the perfect addition for the evening look.  Making it a bit more "glam" but not over the top or "too much"

 Of course I have to mention Brittany when I'm talking about some of my fav makeup looks for last season!  She actually let me do a bronzy/brown/black smokey eye on her and give her a little drama.  The funny thing is that I'm always trying to explain to brides is it doesn't look that much in the pictures at all!  In fact it looks like the perfect amount...in person it didn't look "too much" either btw...but it's all about comfort level.

Airbrush foundation was used.

Diane was fun to work with!  She sent me dramatic pictures and she actually wanted dramatic makeup!  We did a full smokey eye and deep berry lip for her.  She was getting married in Nov. so it definitely worked w/ her Fall/Winter wedding.  Photos courtesy of Jennifer Moher

I love how glowy and soft Jasmine's makeup looks!  She's Eurasian and I loved working with her unique features and look.

Kadie was one of those girls that actually surprised me when I put the makeup on her!  She's a baker by trade and doesn't wear any makeup day to day but wow just a little bit of makeup on those blue eyes and porcelain skin and wow do her eyes ever pop!  I  kept commenting how she looked like a doll w/ her big blue eyes lol!

Katie and her entire group were so awesome to work with!  I knew I had to get pictures from Katie b/c I not only loved the hair I created for her but she's so pretty and I loved her makeup too!  Airbrush foundation was used.  Photographer Jennifer Ballard

Really loved the soft pink eyes, lips and cheek combo for Kyla's wedding.  Really suited her complexion and style well.

Lori was another one that let me put a bit more makeup on her!  You really can tell in the photos when everything just seems to "pop" a bit more!  Her and her entire group were so pretty!  So many great pictures from this wedding.  Renaissance Studios did a great job here! Airbrush foundation used.

Martha was so pretty!  A natural beauty, so of course we kept the makeup natural too!  Glowing cheek, soft pink lip and a neutral smokey eye!  I loved the textured updo for her so much!  Photo courtesy of Reid Lampshead

There probably isn't a bride I was more happy w/ how the makeup turned out on than Melanie.Though the look is natural Melanie had a lot of skin concerns and issues in the form of acne, scarring, redness and dry patches.As someone who has/still does suffer from acne and other skin issues I understand the stress and confidence issues it can cause.  I'm so happy I was able to create such a beautiful canvas for her so that her beautiful features and blue eyes could be the focus that day!  Her wedding photographer - Yuki Noda actually said it was some of the best wedding makeup she had seen - Big compliment indeed!  Airbrush foundation used! 

Of course I have to include my friend Sophia on the list!  She's gorgeous this was an easy one lol!  Her brother kept saying how beautiful her makeup was all night!  I took that as a huge compliment as he's in the fashion industry so he knows makeup!  Photo courtesy of Diane at DNA Phtography.  Airbrush Foundation used.

Okay well this wasn't actually a wedding I did but it was for a mock wedding photo shoot.  What was great about this is both I and the photographer understand the level of makeup necessary to create a good photo so of course I got to up it a bit more than a lot of my brides will let me do.  The results are gorgeous and I really love this copper/bronze/brown smokey eye!  Airbrush foundation used.  Photos courtesy of Lisa Mark Photography

 Tammy was such a pleasure to work with! We did a soft grey smokey eye and with a lot of Asian brides less is more and the real drama comes from the lashes and creating a nice brow to shape the eye.  Photo courtesy of Avenue Photography

To close it out here's a couple of brides I never did get photos from but I still REALLY love their makeup looks...sad I don't I have good pics of them :(  I'm thinking of adding a section on my website for snapshots b/c I don't like to mix non professional pics w/ the professional pics but it's disappointing to not share work you love or if the photographer didn't take any beauty shots of the bride (gasp...NEVER understand this one!!!)

Wedding Wire 2015 Couple's Choice Award

Just wanted to share with you all that my wedding company Toronto Beauty Group  has won a Wedding Wire Couple's Choice Award for the 4th straight year!  Just wanted to thank all my amazing clients for their beautiful reviews...seriously these things make me gush they are so thoughtful and heartwarming...and I'm not really the gushy type lol!  Also, thank you to my awesome staff as I truly believe you are only as strong as your weakest link which is why I chose to only surround myself with artists I know I can trust and rely on.

What a great way to start the year and the launch of Toronto Beauty Group.  Hopefully this is only the beginning of amazing things to come this year for the company!

Toronto Beauty Group

As 2014 closes out and 2015 is literally just a couple of days away I thought this would be a good time to share with everyone the changes I have in store for my wedding business!  Which in just a few short years has really taken off and I couldn't be happier or more proud about that fact.  It's so funny to think that originally I started doing weddings as a "side thing" to my fashion and commercial work and it just sort of took off and ended up becoming more my focus..especially these past couple of years.

I think one of my strengths and a big reason I've seen such growth in a few short years is b/c of my anal, organizational, business personality when it comes to things like emailing, scheduling, following up on things etc.  A lot of artists just don't have this as a strength and I'll openly admit I'm a bit crazy about it all lol.

So being that this is a strength of mine and with me getting solidly booked every weekend it only made sense to expand my business and develop a team to work with me and that I can outsource on weddings on their own.  I've been doing this for a couple of years now under Jessica Jean Myers & Associates and overall I've seen growth but like usual I want more lol!

I realized the only way to make "my team" busier was actually to take my name out of the mix...had to put my ego aside on this one but the thing is people of course only wanted to hire me so getting them to use my team has not always been the easiest even though I know I only bring on artists that I feel do work that is comparable to quality and talent as my own.

With that idea and a A LOT of brainstorming of names I came up with Toronto Beauty Group - I actually came up with the name during a bus ride in Nicaragua during my Central America backpacking adventure!  I wanted something that wasn't too fluffy or frilly b/c that's not my clientele or me but I wanted it to be self explanatory as to what it was but still sound professional and classy. Such a simple name really but I think it's strong and I'm surprised actually it wasn't taken lol!


With the name decided I've taken the past couple of weeks to change up my site a bit, buy new domains and email addresses and add Bios for my team.  I even got new business cards and made a new Instagram Account just for the Wedding Business.  I really want to separate it from myself and really build something that is it's own entity so that I can outsource weddings to my team more and build the business that way.

This year the company closed out at just under 100 weddings (98 to be exact) and next year I'm really hoping to smash that and do at least 100 weddings!  I did notice this year the weddings were definitely bigger than previous years which is also a good thing!

I'm always looking for new and talented Makeup & Hair artists or assistants to add to my roster so any artists that have experience in Bridal and have a style they would classify as "Soft, Romantic, Natural" should definitely reach out to me.

With engagement season in full effect I'm really excited to see what this year has in store for the business...I'm already starting to book into 2016 so that's exciting!