ESQIDO Lashes

So anyone that wears false lashes on the regular knows that Mink Lashes are the more luxurious and high end option compared to commonly found synthetic lashes so when ESQIDO false eyelashes asked me to try out some of their lashes I of course jumped at the opportunity!

Esqido were kind enough to send me two pairs of lashes:  Lashlorette and Voila Lash.  For the purposes of this review though I'm only going to talk about Lashlorette.

Voila Lash is a beautiful lash but it's VERY FULL and long...I can only imagine wearing this style for a club night or perhaps New Years Eve sort of thing...definitely not your "Go to dinner" or "Nice night out" lashes...at least on my eyes (just a bit to overwhelming to look natural.

Lashlorette on the other hand was a perfect "Night Out" lash.  Perfect amount of volume and length to add drama and definition to the eye w/out looking like a drag queen or just "too much".  As I've found w/ other mink lashes in the past Esqido lashes have a great curve to them and fall nicely on to the lash line making them very easy to apply.  And they are very light weight once on.

The great thing about mink lashes vs. synthetic is yes while they are more expensive w/ proper care you can get up to 25 uses from them.  So they are an investment but if you're spending $5-7 on a pair of synthetic Quo lashes from Shoppers that you only wear once if you wear these even for half the amount of times they say they'll actually work out to be cheaper.  And don't worry animal lovers all the mink is responsibly sourced during a natural molting/shedding cycle and they are sterilized and hypoallergenic.

One of the great things about Esqido's site is they offer a Lash Guide which asks several questions about your eyes, the occasion and your lash applying expertise to help suggest the best lash for you!

For my business purposes I do personally wish the bands on the lashes were clear not black and that they had shorter options (even the least voluminous option is still quite long).  My clients tend to be VERY natural people so even though I know how to rock a set of lashes like Lashlorette when I go out I think a lot of them would find something like that still WAY too dramatic for them.

Also when choosing a lash you have to look at the person's natural eye shape.  I personally don't have a lot of lid space therefore something like Voila Lash just sort of overwhelms my eye but someone w/ huge eyes and lots of lid space before the brow could totally pull of something like this.

Although I didn't try them out knowing my personal style and my clients I think Unforgettable and Little Black Lash would be great options!  I personally prefer the types where they enhance the eye but the average person might not even know they are fake.

They also have a PRO Makeup Artist Program so definitely something for the MUAs out there to check out!

All the pics are showing the Lashlorette Style...as you can see on my eyes they are very full and quite dramatic.  They pretty much reach my eyebrows...This is why I think anything bigger or fuller might just be a bit of overkill on my eyes.

Bomb City Beauty - Body Butter & Lip Balm

I was recently contacted by Starla - Bomb City Beauty creator to try out a couple of her organic and delicious smelling body butter and lip balm products and I'm so glad I did!  These things feel awesome on the skin and what makes it even better is that they are all natural, handmade  and good for you!

Bomb City Beauty originates from B.C. Canada and I'm all about helping out other Canadian companies and start ups...I think it's really important for us to try and support local and small businesses vs. always shopping for the big name brands.  If you're in Salmon Arm BC you can get the products straight from the source at Shuswap Health Foods and Bar but if you don't find yourself in Salmon Arm BC no worries Starla also has an Etsy page where you can buy her yummy products and she's working on a website too (she ships worldwide)!

I got to try out the Top Secret Strawberry Body Butter and the Strawberry Spark Lip Bomb...all the names have little references to bombs, spies or that sort of thing. As I mentioned before the products are all Organic, Made to Order, Homemade and Never Tested on Animals so you know you aren't getting something that has been sitting around on shelves for mths.

The body butter lists its ingredients as:  Shea Butter, Cocoa Butter, Coconut Oil, Jojoba Oil, Vitamin E, Organic Fragrance Oils & H20...so nothing we can't pronounce and no chemicals or additives...just all good natural stuff.  It melts onto the skin really nicely and feels very moisturizing but not too oily..although I would leave a few minutes for it to absorb before you put your clothes on.

The lip bomb's ingredients are also kept simple and easy: Beeswax, Coconut Oil, Shea Butter, Organic Strawberry Oil

Some of the other flavours of Lip Bomb include: Mint Explosion, Vanilla Fuse, Cinnamon Sizzle, Pineapple Pow, Licorice Wick, Mint Cocoa Charge & Orange Blast - $4.00/each

Other Body Butters: Chocolate Espionage, Peppermint Vendetta & Restraining Order (Fragrance Free) - 50ml @ $9.98 150ml @ $19.98

Definitely worth trying and they feel and smell delicious...I actually kind of want to eat them lol!

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!

The Importance of a Professional Makeup Artist for Corporate Shoots

 I do quite a bit of corporate work...I'd like to do more but overall with my experience I definitely say I understand the needs of corporate clients when it comes to makeup and hair.  Unfortunately, not everyone understands the value of hiring a professional makeup artist for their corporate head shot shoot or video production.

A lot of times people in the corporate world don't understand the difference using a professional artist will make in their pictures and videos.  It's not their fault.  Typically, their work is about business or numbers or computers etc. Not exactly the most beauty focused fields lol.  What exactly do they know about the benefits of hiring a professional makeup artist.  That's why it's up to us as professionals to help educate them.  In fact it actually holds a lot of the same principals and facts as to why brides should hire professionals are their day too!

I thought it might be smart to outline some of the important reasons and benefits as to why businesses should hire professional makeup artists for their photo or video needs.

Reasons to Hire a Professional Makeup Artist

1. Makeup Reads Differently On Camera - You may need more makeup than you typically wear day to day.  A lot of women think that the makeup they put on for work is perfectly fine for pictures or videos but the camera takes away about 30% of the makeup.  That's why you need to "up it" a bit but still look professional.  A makeup artist will know how to keep you looking like you while still enhancing your look enough that it will show up on camera.

2. They Use Professional Camera Friendly Products - I'm sure it's obvious to most but not all makeup is created equally.  A lot of consumer products are great for day to day use but they aren't necessarily "camera friendly" meaning they might create a flash back (white face) for pictures or just not be strong enough for film or pictures.  A professional makeup artist will know what products work for what situation and will have a kit stocked with camera quality products that they've tried and tested out so they know exactly how they react and what works best depending on the lighting, setting and type of picture or video you're working on.

3. They Will Be Available For Touch Ups - When you hire a professional they will typically be just off camera and ready in case you need a lip touch up, powder for shine or to fix fly away hairs.  Small things like this may not seem like a big deal at the time but they will be huge on camera and ultimately very distracting.

4. It's An Investment For Your Business - You are already investing so much into your pictures or video it only makes sense to make it the best you possibly can.  There is not point in investing all of this money into a project if you're not going to look your best in it.  If the star element of the picture or video doesn't look good it doesn't matter how much money was spent on the photographer/videographer or production value the project will ultimately look cheap and unpolished and I don't think anybody wants to have that as their last impression.

5. How Many People Will See These Pictures/Videos? - These pictures and videos will probably be around for a long time and hopefully be seen by thousands of people.  It's important that the impression you leave people with is a good one.  If you look disheveled or unpolished that's the impression you're going to leave clients or potential business contacts with.  If you're going to use these pictures or videos for several years it's only smart to make them look the best and most
professional you can.

6. You'll Feel More Confident - When you hire a professional makeup artist they come to you.  You don't have to worry about anything on the day with regards to your hair and makeup.  The convenience of it all can't be beat and it can be a very relaxing and pampering experience to get your hair and makeup done which in turn can raise your confidence and reduce your anxiety which will both show on camera.

7. Men Need Makeup Too! - This is actually a big one!  Most men don't realize the benefit of having their makeup done for photos or videos.  It's true that day to day the average man does not wear makeup and because of that a lot of men see it as something only women need for pictures or film but that's not true. As mentioned above the camera picks up small details and magnifies them.  A lot of men just like women have redness in their skin or dark circles under their eyes.  These sorts of things can make a man look tired or unpolished on camera.  Now of course the level of makeup needed on a man compared to a woman is very different but even just some concealing of redness or dark circles and a bit of powder foundation to reduce shine can make a a world of difference in photos.

8. It's More Affordable Than You Think - A lot of times budget and money are huge factors in this sort of thing but when you break it down the cost of hiring a professional makeup artist for your shoot or video is actually a small percentage of the total cost.  Plus if you think hiring a professional is expensive imagine the costs if you need to do a re-shoot because the first shoot wasn't good enough!

Now like any professional or business there are different levels of skill and quality.  It's important for people to do their research before hiring someone.  Like the saying goes - "You think a professional is expensive, try hiring an amateur" ;)