Yesterday I did a shoot with Photographer Eric Rose http://www.filmesque.com, fellow Makeup Artist, Claudine Ebel http://www.ebelartistry.com, and hair stylist, Kristen Behlings.  We had three beautiful models and clothes, jewelry and hats from Alexandra's Boutique.  It was a vintage-inspired shoot to showcase our makeup looks that will be featured at a Jane Iredale Cosmetics event on Monday.  

Claudine and I had so much fun picking out the outfits an accessories with Alexandra in her amazing vintage boutique in North Portland.  She has such a beautiful array of dresses, bridal gowns, furs, and shoes.  The walls are flanked with brightly colored hats and dripping with necklaces.  I could spend a whole week in there trying stuff on!  

At the shoot, we played with the vintage looks and coming up with makeup looks that would be appealing to bridal clientele and look gorgeous in print.  I used the latest cover of W magazine with Drew Barrymore as inspiration for the look I created for our bride, Caitlin.  Candice has a beautifully curvy figure that fit perfectly in our more 50's style dresses.  The amazing makeup in AMC's Mad Men inspired us to create a heavily lined eye with strong red lips.  Hailey was our young model who looked amazing in the pink satin gown with the mink stole.  The picture above is Hailey evoking Twiggy in a fantastic hat.  Eric chose a picture of Sophia Loren as the inspiration for her dark eyes.  

I had such a blast working with everyone to create these beautiful looks and more pictures will be up soon.

Leanne Marshall Shoot

So, last Sunday I had the pleasure of working again with Leanne Marshall, the most recent winner of Bravo's Project Runway.  It was a quick shoot of her new ready to wear line that will go into production soon.  Leanne is only in Portland until the new year when she will relocate to New York City in order to build her line.  In New York she will be spending some time with designing legend Diane Von Furstenburg who has agreed to be her mentor.  So amazing!!  It is so exciting to hear Leanne's stories from her experiences over the past year as well as her plans for the future.  

The clothes were beautiful, as to be expected.  Wonderfully tailored with structural details in gorgeous fabrics.  Cora looked gorgeous in every design, and each one fit her perfectly.  I did a clean face with soft colors and emphasized a fuschia lip that matched Leanne's fabrics and accent colors.  The shoot went surprising quick for having seven looks.  The photographer, Nate, was very efficient.  I'm excited to see the finished product.  Here is just a glimpse of some of the outfits and Leanne adjusting them on Cora.  I can't wait to see what Leanne comes up with in New York!!

Yes We Can!!!  I am so excited to be able to say that Barack Obama is going to be our 44th President!!  It has been such an intense campaign filled with strong passion on both sides.  Last night was the first time in longer than I can recall that I was proud of our country.  Regardless of who you were voting for, the country was actually united in wanting to create something great for our future and future generations.  And I do believe that even those who voted the other way will be able to join behind this man who defied all the odds to ascend to the highest position in our nation.  

I watched the election coverage with Megan at Ron Tom's last night and I have never seen it so crowded.  People were standing on chairs and booths in order to view the huge projection screen.  As the numbers started rolling in, the cheers were far outweighing the boos and the butterflies in my stomach grew as it became a real possibility that Obama would take the election.  Shortly after 8 pm, the graphic popped up on the screen that Barack Obama was elected the 44th President and the entire place shook with cheers, clapping, crying overwhelmed tears.  It was an intense feeling that I had never felt before, and I just knew that I was present for something so historic and amazing.  Everyone fell to a hush to watch McCain's humble and gracious concession speech before erupting once again when he finished with his support for our new President.  When President-elect Obama walked out to the podium in Grant Park, the entire place shook again and flashbulbs went off capturing the first images of our President.  I don't think there was a dry eye as he gave his acceptance speech that examplified gratitude, humility, strength, emotion, hope and a realistic view of the challenges ahead of him.  

I am grateful to be here to see this moment in history and I look forward to what is to come.  Congratulations to President-elect Barack Obama and to all of us!!!!

Nice post work Shaun!!!

Gorgeous work by Shaun turning miss Jenn into the always-recognizable Frida Kahlo.  Love those brows!!!  So much fun to do!  Jenn, maybe you should reconsider your Halloween costume.

Lulu Stole The Show!

I picked Jenn up yesterday for our shoot with Shaun and we decided Lulu, her adorable maltese, needed to come with us, along with 3 bottles of bubbly.  Shaun selected her first outfit of a short navy dress with Jenn's awesome criss-cross shoe booties.  I did a dark taupe eye with a nude lip and fluffed her curly hair a bit.  Once Shaun started shooting, he had little Lulu step in for a few shots and she was such a model!  I swear she was posing and smiling for the camera!

Jenn switched into shiny black leggings, grey t-shirt, and Carrie shoes for more of a rocker look complete with her oversized aviators.  Hair was made much bigger!  I love those shots!  Lulu came back for another cameo.  In the meantime, Shaun discovered that drinking champagne through red vines enhances the bouquet quite nicely.

The last look we shot yesterday was my personal favorite.  I enhanced her naturally full, dark brows, popped on a bright red lip, and threw her hair up into a high bun.  Slipped her into a vintage dress, and, voila! Frida Kahlo reincarnated!  It was perfect and I can't wait to the final edits complete with some enhancements of flowers and Frida artwork.  So fun!  Shaun is supposed to be trying to beat Ben's record of getting the first edit out within 24 hours, so we shall see.  Definitely a fun shoot with good peeps though.  Happy hour at Silk afterward was awesome too!

First Edit from Yesterday

Ben got an edit out in less than 24 hours!!  A new record.  So, here is the first look at headshots of Erin.  Fierce!!  ;)

Naked Erin

I did yet another shoot with Ben yesterday.  Kent and Ben are collaborating on a concept of shooting the model naked (well, with nude underwear on) and illustrating the dresses on her in post.  We shot with uber tall Erin who is such a sweetheart!!  

We started with some very natural makeup on Erin to play up her gorgeous red hair for some head shots.

We bumped up her makeup with some soft, dark eyes and a nude lip for the action shots.  Poor Erin had to jump and swing her hair up a hundred times in a row before moving to a reclining position trying to balance between a stool, a balance ball, and a crate.

At least she has the abs to support herself!!!  All from a 15 minute video workout!  So jealous.  I can't wait to see the illustrations that Kent comes up with!