I'm Going to INDIA!!!!

Yes, you read that right!  I've FINALLY officially booked my First REAL vacation in 2 YEARS!!!  It's funny b/c the #1 Goal I had for myself this year was to travel more ( you can revisit my 2012 goals here if you like) and until I booked this trip I was failing miserably at goal #1...but I will add I've been pretty successful w/ all my other goals this year so I guess I can't beat myself up too much ;)

Plus the year isn't officially over...still gotta a couple of mths and my trip is booked for Nov 19 - Dec 3...so just making that 2012 deadline ;) ...and India is pretty exciting so even though it's only one trip I think it's a pretty good one!

The problem w/ me booking trips and getting away is 1. I'm a bit of a workaholic 2. I HATE to miss or give up work...seriously it's a problem.  I get anxious when I'm already booked for a wedding and can't divide myself in two b/c another job has come up.  This year has been an incredible year for growth and improvement in my business but I am IMO still starting out so I still have fear that every job is the last job and that I need to be available for everything b/c there will come a time when I won't have any work and I'll regret missing jobs or spending money on trips...I know this ridiculous and my business continues to grow and I'm already booking weddings as far as a year in advance but still it's a BIG fear of mine!

Plus I really wanted to get a handle on some debt that I had collected while beginning my career...so now that that's taken care of I feel I can relax a bit, save some money and even splurge once in a while...still trying to learn to do this as it takes me FOREVER to make a decision sometimes.

Seriously, I've been talking about taking a trip pretty much all year.  I'm sure some of my friends were annoyed (particularly Ashley Readings lol) b/c I just kept making excuses and saying not yet, it's too busy, I don't have enough money saved yet, I don't want to miss ANY work etc.  I also have all these issues where I think b/c I'm self employed I'm technically losing MORE money than a reg. employed person b/c not only am I spending money on the trip but I'm making $0 while I'm gone and technically possibly losing money b/c I'm turning down work...ppl who aren't self employed just can't get this b/c they have vacation pay and can't WAIT to take some time off lol!

But finally I just had to realize YES Jessica you probably are going to miss some work...but think of the experiences you are going to gain.  So then came the research!  I knew I wanted to go w/ a travel group of some sorts...I've decided to go w/ G Adventures btw.  I've traveled alone a lot and I just didn't feel like doing it for this one.  So I needed to find a trip where they weren't going to charge me more just b/c I'm single...jeez don't I get enough flak or pity from society for being single...do I need my vacation to penalize me too lol!  Also, b/c I'm still anxious about missing work I wanted to choose a time when I "should" be less busy...so I was thinking Nov/Dec (hope I'm right).  Plus I wanted to go away for approx. 2 wks...I really want to experience a place a bit and flights are so bloody expensive I want to at least get my money's worth there! So right there b/c of my timeline and budgetary restrictions (I'm not rolling in it yet ;) ) the trips are a little limited...I was really hoping to do Turkey but the company I'm booking through stops their tours their in Oct.

So anyway, w/ those restrictions I started my research!  I really wanted a trip that was a bit exotic, a bit of an adventure and a bit of a learning experience.  Esp. since I'm going alone I wanted to do something active. I've never done an all-inclusive in my life...maybe when I have someone to actually go w/ - be it a friend or significant other that might be something I'd enjoy but by myself...not really what I was looking for.

Ever since a friend of mine Christine Estima did a tour of India a couple of years ago and inspired me w/ her wonderful stories of her trip it's been a bit of a fascination and interest of mine (plus while I was in Shanghai I almost went there for work at one point but it didn't work out :( ).  So I thought India would be a good option!  The tours are affordable, once you get there the expenses are affordable, just the friggin' flights (or more specifically the taxes) that are expensive and it really is a place I'd want to travel w/ a group and really wouldn't feel comfortable exploring on my own.

There were a lot of tours going on there...as it's still quite warm in Nov/Dec in India (esp. the South) AND it's after monsoon season.  But again b/c of my "work anxiety" I wanted to miss the least amount of Saturdays possible (it is after all my busiest day of the week usually...and wedding really do happen all year round in Toronto).  The problem is a lot of the tours START on a Saturday which would mean leaving on a Friday and then they finish on a Saturday or Sunday so even if they are only 14-15 days b/c of all that you still end up missing 3 Saturdays...and I preferably only wanted to miss two at most!

Then I found the PERFECT trip for me!  It starts on a Mon. which means flying out on a Sun and it finishes on a Mon. so I'll get back to Toronto on Tues.  Plus it really is a fast past tour that hits a lot of the MAJOR attractions of the country...AND it just happens to be one of their more budget friendly trips to India (always good for me ;) ).  Even w/ all these things lining up I'm not going to lie it probably took me another 2-3 wks to FINALLY officially book the trip.  I kept re-visiting the website, checking how many spots were left for the trip I wanted (I finally booked when there was only 1 spot left), checking flight prices...and just over analyzing the whole situation.  Hey I'm a Libra...I'm indecisive and I like to weight out everything...but when I FINALLY make that decision I STICK WITH IT!

So on Friday morning I OFFICIALLY booked my trip!  India - Delhi to Goa - Nov 19 - Dec 3...if you're curious you can check out the trip details HERE!

Still lots of planning and researching to do before the BIG trip but I CAN'T WAIT!!!

What A Doll!

Wedding season is slowly winding down...still another good mth ahead but as I finish up my two busiest mths to date it's nice to see that I'm starting to receive wedding pics from some of my gracious and generous brides.  It's so funny some brides get their pics in a matter of weeks while others it takes mths.  I just received a bunch of pics from a beautiful bride of mine named Taylor who actually got married during the Sept. long weekend up at the Estates of Sunnybrook.

Taylor is a doll - petite, big blue eyes, tiny features and that "Doll Look" is exactly the reference Taylor gave before her trial a couple of mths ago.  For creating a Doll Like Look I want to keep the eye makeup rather natural and the emphasis on the lashes.  I wanted a fresh pink flushed cheek look and a soft pink lip.  For the hair Taylor wanted a very soft wave half updo.  Naturally Taylor has VERY fine hair that doesn't hold curl so of course I STRONGLY suggested we make some clip-in extensions...it took a little persuading but in the end she agreed.  It definitely made the difference and I definitely think it was the right decision in helping to create the whole "Doll Look".

Here's some pics of Taylor's special day courtesy of Little Blue Lemon Photography.

 

I LOVE My Anastasia Holiday Sets!

Christmas has come a little early in the Myers household this year...about 4 mths early actually lol!  A few weeks ago I received a package from the awesome ppl at Anastasia w/ both of their new Holiday Sets - Want You To Want Me and Kisses On My List (both available at Sephora or Anastasia.com). Both kits draw from and touch on the glam and decadence of the 1970's...FUN!

Upon first look both of these sets are really gorgeous in their packaging and design.  Esp. the Want You To Want Me which comes in a pretty velvet box and includes 9 eyeshadows in an array of mattes and shimmers in nudes and plum shades, an eye brush, black liquid liner and brow gel.  The shadows give a little nod and wink to the 70's w/ names like Ziggy and Power Ballad and all the shades are very wearable for pretty much any skin tone and the colour combinations are almost endless...you can create a lot of really gorgeous looks for day or night w/ this set!  Plus I have to say as someone who has worn the shadows on a few occasions now they are really amazing - great pigmentation, little fall out and they last throughout the night so real winners in my book!

I actually have to admit I was surprised how much I LOVED (or still LOVE) the Kisses On My List Collection!  A lot of times w/ Lip gloss collections there will be a couple of colours I like but the rest I don't really care for but I really like ALL of the colours here!  In fact these glosses might actually earn a place in my coveted Pro Makeup Kit...not just my personal makeup collection...that's a big deal in  my book as I really don't carry around a lot of glosses and have been using the same few shades from the same brand for awhile now...so CONGRATS Anastasia!

The set has 6 glosses - 3 sheer, ultra-hydrating glosses and 3 new Hypercolour glosses that react w/ your skin's own chemistry to stain your lips a custom colour that's all its own...who doesn't want a custom colour lip gloss!  Again playing w/ the 70's theme the names draw on famous 70's muses - Sharona, Maggie May, Lola...to name a few.

Left to Right:  Moi, Maggie May, Sharona, Jolene, Roxanne, Lola

As you can see there's a really nice range of Opaque and Sparkle and a good selection of nudes, pinks and peaches!

It should be mentioned that both kits are Paraben Free...always a good thing in my books!  So if you're looking for something to get for that special female in your life - sister, girlfriend, daughter etc. definitely check out these sets...or who's kidding just get them for yourself you won't be disappointed...and why wait till Christmas don't we all need an early Christmas present once in awhile ;)

One final side note - the kits retail in Canada at Sephora at $44.00 Want You To Want Me & $39.00 Kisses On My List!

Novus Capta

A little over a month ago I shared w/ you the awesome and edgy video editorial from the people at Light X Hevvy titled Novus (if you missed it before def. check out the video b/c it's amazing!).  Now I'm hear to share w/ you the gorgeous stills photographer Zach Hertzman shot during the two day shoot.  They are beautiful and I love the final edits and finishes Zach put on them.  He's seriously one of my fav. young photographers to work w/ b/c he has such a great style and eye.

Hope you Enjoy!

Photographer: Zach Hertzman

Makeup & Hair: Jessica Jean Myers

Stylist: Monika Tatalovic

Model: Madison (Spot 6)

Wedding Movie Magic!

Videographers are becoming more and more popular and commonplace during weddings now.  It's another great way to capture all the special moments of the wedding in a live action way that you just can't get through photos.  It's like watching your very own special mini movie completely dedicated to your special day!

Last Sat. I worked a wedding w/ a wonderful bride Mary Rose and her amazing and gregarious group of friends and family.  She had a full house packed into the conjoined hotel rooms - Bride, Mother, 6 Bridesmaids, Flower Girl and a whole photographic and video team...oh  yeah and me and my assistant Angelina lol!

Her videographers were amazing and I don't know how they did it but they already put together a video from the wedding!  Actually I think Rose sent me the video on Monday...the wedding was Saturday...that's an INSANE turnaround time!  And the video is SO GOOD!  Rose looks gorgeous and you can't hide anything w/ video so I know I did a good job ;)  I did her Hair & Makeup and the rest of the bridal party's hair...and can I just say my hair skills were ON on Saturday lol!

Check it out here and ENJOY!  You'll even see me making a couple of "cameo" appearances in the video ;)

alex + mary rose SDE

 from mc sabado on Vimeo.

Asian Beauty - Behind the Scenes

Last week I got to reunite and work w/ one of my all time fav photographer friend's Todd Anthony Tyler.  Yes, that's right the same Todd Anthony Tyler that first suggested I go out to Shanghai and try my luck their back when I was all fresh and new to the makeup world.  Can you believe it's been almost 4 yrs since I went out there for 6 mths and started this blog!  Wow have things changed!

Well anyway, I've of course seen him a few times in the past few years (pretty much anytime he's been back to Canada to visit his family).  But this marked the first time in 3.5 years that we actually got the chance to work w/ one another again!  When I look back man has my work changed a lot in the past 4 yrs...esp. my hair skills.  I'm like a completely different artist when it comes to that!

This wasn't a fancy or really technical shoot...in fact it was beyond simple...beauty shots that we actually shot on my back patio and roof!  No styling, props, fancy lights...just outdoors, a couple of models and the focus all on their faces!  Hopefully next time we'll get to a full on styled shoot...but this little "mini shoot" will have to hold me over until then ;)

In recent mths Todd has been working on Asia's Next Top Model as a Lead Judge and Resident Photographer...kind of like the Nigel Barker of this incarnation of the show.  As you can imagine this is a pretty big deal b/c it's not just China but for all of Asia and they are doing the show to showcase all the different types of beauty across Asia which are varied and vast.

Anyway, Todd is thinking of putting together a book to showcase all the different types of Asian beauty...which he knows just a thing or two about after living over there all these years!  So while in Toronto he wanted to do a simple beauty shoot w/ a few of Toronto's Asian beauties.

The great thing about the shoot as I mentioned before was that it was a beauty shoot...therefore the makeup was key.  I wanted to keep things on trend, striking and clean...as I often do w/ my style but also timeless so that in a few years ppl wouldn't look at the pics and think "Oh that's so 2012" or whatever.  We were working w/ two models and I always like to think of things in terms of "stories" or "pages" for my book...I've mentioned before to new artists the importance of thinking this way when doing shoots.

I decided I would do the first model Gail w/ a very clean face (I didn't even put eyeliner on her eyes) but a very deep burgundy lip which is very hot right now.  For the second model Pem I kept the lips nude but did a very striking black graphic liner and big false lash.  For both girls I kept the skin really clean and focused more on highlight and contour for the cheeks.  Hair really natural and down.  I should give a special thanks to Spot 6 for sending us two really great, friendly and professional models!

As I mentioned before we shot both girls just outside on my deck...well technically in my bedroom doorway.  Love when I can do a shoot at my apt...makes doing the hair and makeup so easy when it's at my place lol!  It was a really bright and sunny day...and hot too!  For Pem we expanded and actually took her up to my roof which is flat and overlooks the city...really kind of excited to see these ones as I've never had anyone shoot on my roof before.  I got the idea after I noticed that some of my neighbours when up their to watch the Pride Parade this past Summer (I live on Yonge near Wellesley so Pride goes literally right down my street).

So here's some behind the scenes photos taken by Todd's lovely wife Karina...she's def. got some talent herself ;)  Can't wait to see the finished product!

 Me Doing My Thang!...With The Trademark Jessica Intensity Of Course ;)

 

Nice Yaby Macro...Even Though I Didn't Use Any Of These On This Shoot They Still Look So Pretty!

Now It's Todd's Turn To Look Intense...This Is Up On My Roof!

Todd May Start A Shoot Standing...But By The End He's Always On The Ground Lol!

End Of The Shoot!

Yves Rocher - Taking A Bit Of Summer With Me Into Fall!

Several weeks ago I received an amazing package from the wonderful ppl at Yves Rocher with a whole assortment of products from their Tribal Attitude and Monoi Collections.  As you can imagine I have a lot of makeup and tend to try out a lot of different products but overall I keep w/ the same handful of products for my everyday use.

 But I have to say I was pleasantly surprised w/ the Yves Rocher products having not had much experience w/ them before.  There are actually a couple of really stand out products in these collections that have actually worked their way into my daily makeup routine!  Trust me this is actually a big deal!

I'm not going to go into extensive detail about all of the products they sent me b/c there were a lot but I am going to touch on my personal favs and what makes them so great to me.



I'll start w/ the Tribal Attitude Collection.

Shimmering Bronzer - Terracotta - For those that don't know I'm a big bronzer fan.  In fact just a couple of weeks ago a facialist commented how surprised she was at how pale my face actually is when she took off all my makeup lol.  The thing is all the acne products I use on my skin plus my daily use of SPF (so important) has left my face quite pale and white...esp. compared to my body.  Therefore bronzer is a necessity in my daily makeup routine!  I really liked this bronzer...it's slightly shimmery but not crazy sparkly like a lot of bronzers.  It gives a nice colour..not too orange or dark and it blends really smoothly into the skin and a little product goes a long way.

Shimmering Lips - Sienna Red - As we all know I'm a big fan of Red Lips!  But in the Summer or for casual day wear I'll admit I like to keep it a little more glossy and not as matte or heavy.  I've been wearing this lip gloss non-stop since I got it.  It's really smooth, light weight, moisturizing and glossy and not at all sticky...which is so annoying w/ a lot of lip glosses but it also has a great colour pay off esp. when you consider it's a gloss.  So I can get a pop of colour but still feel moisturized and smooth!

Pearly Water - This is a golden pearly, shimmery liquid gel that's great for your shoulders, decollete or legs...esp. for a sexy night out when you want to glow and catch some sparkle in the light.  It says you can use it on your face too but I have to be honest I would use extreme caution in doing so and only use it on areas you want to highlight like your cheekbones or brow bone.  It is quite sparkly and a common mistake I see girls making is using products like this (or sparkly bronzers) all over their face...you don't want to look like a disco ball after all!

Liquid Eyeliner - Believe it or not I've never really bought a liquid eye liner before.  In the past I've always used creams, gels or eyeshadows w/ mixing mediums when I wanted to get that crisp, clean, precise look that liquid liner gives.  The reason is I can't really carry liquid liners in my kit b/c I can't use the brush from the tube one multiply ppl.  So when I got this product it was really fun to experiment and play w/ esp. b/c it's a really gorgeous, vibrant teal/blue shade...which if you've been watching the Spring/Summer 13 runway looks you'll know vibrant shades of blue esp. on the eyes have been all over the runway!  So why not be ahead of the curve and start wearing it now ;)

Nail Polish - I also got two little mini bottles of nail polish which I'm specifically mentioning b/c I love the mini size!  I don't know about you but I NEVER get through an entire bottle of  nail polish before it goes bad b/c well there are just so many different shades...so why not just get mini bottles...they are more affordable and less wasteful - Win/Win in my book!



Now on to the Monoi Collection.

Eau des Vahines Eau du Toilette  - I've mentioned this before but I'm a big fan of scents that have a sort of tropical, coconut or vacation feel to them so of course pretty much anything from the Monoi collection is right up my alley.  This is a really nice scent if you too like sensual, tropical, coconut fragrances.  It's not over powering and is definitely more on the youthful side plus it's paraben free which is always a good thing!

Traditional Gardenia Oil - Really nice oil product for things like dry hair or dry skin.  I esp. like it for dry legs which is definitely a problem for me in the colder mths!  It also helps to make your tan look deeper or more radiant so great for those trying to prolong that Summer bronzed look into Fall.

Also not part of the Monoi or Tribal Collections but still Tropical and Delightful are the Travel Size Shower Creams I got in Pineapple-Coconut Smoothie and Mango-Passion Fruit Smoothie!

Make sure to keep a look out for my upcoming review on
the Hydra Vegetal Skincare & Shower line...great for keeping your skin hydrated and soft in this upcoming cold and windy mths!

Featured On Style Me Pretty...AGAIN!

Look who's work is featured on Style Me Pretty Again...yes that's right little ol' me ;)...and guess what this time it's the main website not just the Canadian version!

Just a couple of weeks ago I had the pleasure of working w/ an amazing bride Janine for her wedding day.  I did her Hair & Makeup in Toronto in her gorgeous loft (seriously I thought it was so amazing it almost made me want to live on the East side...almost ;) ) from there she traveled to Niagara where she had one of the most beautiful, rustic chic weddings at a winery I've ever seen.

Janine wanted a very fresh, low maintenance and almost undone look for her wedding...something that worked beautifully w/ the surroundings and her dress.  I kept her makeup super clean and light and played up her beautiful natural features w/ a very neutral eye, a glow to the cheek and a bit of nude/pink on the lips.

It was also important to Janine that her hair look natural and again almost undone..which believe it or not it's actually sometimes harder to create a beautifully undone but still finished look then really styled and polished. Especially when you have to consider she was traveling to Niagara b/c I had to make the hair look beautiful and soft but still last through all the travel and time.  To help create this look I handmade a set of custom clip-in extensions for Janine like I do for a lot of my brides.  It really is the best thing when you want to create a look of full, natural and gorgeous hair...that so many of us crave but naturally have unfortunately.

I should mention the pics on Style Me Pretty are mostly focused on the decor b/c it was Mimosa Flower Studio that submitted the story...and the flowers were gorgeous as you can see!  Also a big shout out to Nataschia Wielink for taking such beautiful pictures that day!

Here's some of my favs from Style Me Pretty and a few Janine shared w/ me that feature her a bit more ;)

The Venue

Gorgeous Table Settings

Janine w/ the Flower Girls!

What a good looking couple!

Love Her Dress!

How Cute Are These Kids!

Handfuls of Irresistiful All Over The Subway!

Back in July I had the amazing pleasure of working on a REALLY COOL and HUGE campaign for Orville Redenbacher's new Ready to Eat Popcorn!  It was a two day job where we shot 3 campaigns...which meant a lot of work and long hours.  But the cast and crew were amazing and I really do have to thank my two awesome assistants that day - Ashley Readings and Jade Truscott for their help....I should also mention the catering was top notch...always a very important thing on commercial jobs in my book ;)

One of my big goals for my career is to do more commercial work so landing this job was a BIG deal to me b/c it's a big name client and it's a big campaign...NATIONAL apparently in fact!  Commercial work isn't the most glamorous or exciting but guess what it pays well ;)

So anyway, apparently the campaigns are on billboards, buses, and subways...although I've only seen the one on the subway so far :( (Ashley has seen the billboards though).

There are three scenarios:

1. A cheerleader eating the popcorn and a pyramid of cheerleaders toppling over  b/c they are distracted by the popcorn.

2. A movie star on the red carpet being ignored by the fans and paparazzi b/c they are distracted by someone eating the popcorn

3. A bride about to walk down the aisle and her family is in the front row ignoring her b/c they are too busy eating the popcorn

As you can see they are really cute, funny and creative ads!

On Sunday I was on the subway on my way to a wedding and I saw the wedding campaign ad...very exciting to see one's work on the subway!  I snapped some shots w/ my iPhone so please excuse the not so great quality.

If you're out and you see the other ads I'd love to hear where...maybe I can track them down myself!

Btw the campaign was shot by the incredible photographer team of Raina + Wilson...they have some really great work.  I really hope I get the chance to work w/ them again in the future!

I've tried the Sweet & Salty and it's Delish ;)