Local Wedding Vendor Colloboration Photo-Shoot

They`re ready! They`re ready! (Jumps up and down)

From the initial idea, to the planning, gathering of props, emailing and messaging other vendors, discussing dates and to the final product, it has been one heck of a ride.

For as long as I can remember, I have always enjoyed planning events and coming up with creative ideas. Being a make-up artist I love the chance to work on photo sets. Not only are they fun, but they are fast paced, energetic and very rewarding. To see all of your hard work portrayed in a photo is one of the most gratifying feelings.

Hayley Rae Photography, not only is she a highly talented photographer, she is also a good friend of mine and my husband. When the idea popped into my head to do a collaboration photo-shoot, she was the first person I asked to help with it. She said YES! Pardon the pun. Considering this idea came to me in the summer I knew it would have to wait a few months as both her and I are quite busy with weddings ourselves. It also gave me a great opportunity to brain storm a little more, extra time to gather props and time to get a hold of some other vendors that would be interested in contributing to the shoot. Hayley was able to help point me in the direction of some fabulous vendors. All local, all amazing. We decided on doing two themes, to cover a wider range of customers. Rustic bride and Glam bride. Both classic yet unique, just as any real Bride is. Here are some of my favorite photos from the shoot.

 

 For this particular photo-shoot we had a videography team capturing all of the behind the scenes footage to show just how much goes into a shoot like this. Lucky Ones Media is an up and coming local videography team specializing in weddings, but not limited to. They also dabble in promotional videos, and music videos as well. Make sure you contact them for your future wedding. Not only is your wedding photographer important for your big day but I do not know how many times I have heard women that have just been married say... `I wish I had my wedding on film`. Don`t be that person. I can not tell you enough how happy you will be to have those memories captured for a lifetime to enjoy. Lucky Ones Media can do just that for you! Many of their wedding videos I have seen have brought me to tears, and I do not even know the couple in the video...shows just how great they are. Very personable, with an artistic flair, can`t beat that!

Please view the video here. I am so happy with how it turned out, the hard work they put into filming and editing really paid off.

A Bride isn`t complete without her accessories! First off, we had a gorgeous bouquet donated to us from Carly of Blooming Aisle Floral Design. Her and I had discussed the theme and color palette and I just simply let her come up with something that showed off her own style. I was blown away with the outcome. Not only was this bouquet perfect for our shoot, it was at top notch quality, the flowers were fresh and smelt amazing, the intricate placement of each flower was immaculate and the overall bouquet was stunning. I would highly recommend anyone getting married to use Blooming Aisle as your florist. From bouquets, boutonnieres, centerpieces and floral décor, she does it all!
Here are a few photos that show off this amazing bouquet I speak of...




 See! I don`t lie. Just simply beautiful.

Next up for accessories we have Davie & Chiyo, who supplied a handmade earring and necklace set. As well as, a custom clutch. They were more then happy to help us out with the photo-shoot when I contacted them. I got a chance to meet them in person and check out their cute little studio in downtown Vancouver. They have become quite a popular business for handmade accessories. Just recently they have launched a Lifestyle Line of items. They can customize your order too. If you are in need of an idea for your Bridesmaids, they will make the clutches in the almost every color you can imagine, which would be a perfect accent to their dresses for the wedding. I wish I had of known about this for my wedding! You can shop for all of their items on the website or Etsy. Take a look at the items they leant out for our collaboration shoot below.

 

 For every wedding you need decor. No decor is like a cake without icing. A ring without a diamond. Chips without dip. Ok, I may be a tad hungry, but you get the idea. Spotlight Event Planning + Design was with us to help with details. Paige (owner and head planner and designer) helped bring the shoot to life. I had many ideas running through my head and Paige was able to make it a reality. She had so many great ideas herself. From small touches such as mason jar candle holders to a silver candelabra with hanging diamonds, she had all bases covered. The rustic portion of the shoot included items such as a vintage vanity and luggage (borrowed from my in laws, thanks guys), a burlap runner, DIY lamp with shade and matching seat cushion, wooden crate, a handmade fabric flower bouquet (which I spent endless hours making myself...endless hours), romance novels and of course the classic pearl necklace. The glam portion of the shoot included a handmade custom silk organza table linen, hurricane vases with crystals and candles, rhinestone encrusted champagne glasses, a candelabra, wooden letters to spell `LOVE` and two wooden ladders. Both painted white to fit the style better. The ladders were also borrowed from my father in law and he is happy to have gotten them back painted a nice white compared to what shape he gave them to me in. Our location for the shoot was Port Moody in the Ambleside area and also Buntzen Lake. While taking photos at Buntzen, there was a wedding going on. Many were confused as to why there were TWO brides... luckily ours wasn`t actually getting married or that may have been a disaster.










And last but definitely not least... our amazing model Kelsey! Not only is she gorgeous she is a dream to work with. Always up for anything. Never complains. Such a natural and a total sweetheart. Kelsey and I have worked together once in the past for a Fashion Island photo-shoot and I was so happy when she was able to help out with our collaboration shoot. She is a talented model with a lot of potential. I hope all the best for her career as a model. I also look forward to any future jobs we get to work together on.

Thanks for taking some time out of your day to read my blog and view the video and photos that came from our collaboration photo-shoot. I can`t thank the vendors who contributed enough. I am always thinking of the next thing, the next job, the next idea. If you or anyone you know is ever interested in taking part in something like this in the future please send me a message, I would love to hear what you have to offer or contribute. I appreciate all the support from everyone and I can`t wait to do this all again in the future!

One last shout out:
Hayley Rae Photography
Lucky Ones Media
Blooming Aisle Floral Design
Davie & Chiyo
Spotlight Event Planning + Design
Caitlin J Make-Up Artistry

Cheers,

Caitlin J

Boudoir Photo-Shoot

 

I was asked by a friend for a favour... this favour just happened to be doing some boudoir photos for her. Doing her make-up and styling her hair. My answer...OF COURSE! When and where?

Ok, I am not a photographer. A make-up artist yes, professional photographer no. That doesn't mean I don't like to snap some shots of my own every once in a while. I was luckily able to borrow a camera from another friend to do these photos (which was very much appreciated). All throughout high school I excelled in Photography. Awards, A+'s, Competitions etc. Photography was the reason I got into make-up to tell you the truth. From photography, to videography I gradually opened my mind to make-up artistry. What a great choice. Now I have the knowledge and background in each of these fields. I put make-up first, but I still love the art of photography and I am sure one day once my children are older I will dabble in more photography ventures and invest in a fancy camera of my own. I dream. No harm. Right now I am more then happy doing small side jobs for good friends such as this one.

For this boudoir shoot I obviously had a gorgeous model to work with. We were granted use of her close girlfriends condo in Port Moody for the photos, which ended up being the perfect location. Thank you sunshine for coming out that day, your beautiful light made for some great shots!

With a sexy, smoky eye and voluminous curls in her hair we were ready to take some photos.
It didn't hurt that we were all very comfortable with one another, which really helps to get amazing shots. Having a relaxed model is the best!

Here are some of my favorites from the photo-shoot... some of these photos have been edited for discretionary purposes.

 

 

 

 

Can you say gorgeous?! I look forward to all of the projects I get to do and be apart of in the future. There is only up from here :)

 

Thanks for reading.

 

 

 





 





Transformation of a Wedding Dress

A wedding dress can mean many different things to a woman...

A symbol of purity, grace and love. A gown can represent her personality. A dress that will allow her to feel her very best on one of the most important days or her life. A chance to feel like Cinderella for the day. A little girls dream come true.

For me, the dress symbolized something else. Creativity.

My wedding dress was not my first choice. Actually, it was the first wedding dress I had ever tried on but thought I wanted something different, so back on the hanger it went. After numerous dresses and stores later I came back to the original dress and fell in love. In this case I guess it wasn't love at first sight...but love at second glance.

I wouldn't class it as over the top or simple. Nor would I class it as ultra glamorous or modern. My dress would fall into the classic yet spruced up category (yes, I made this category up, just go with it).

 

Ya ya, pretty dress. Truth is, I knew I always planned on "trashing" my dress from the get go. Don't get me wrong, I loved my wedding dress but I also wanted to utilize it to the fullest. As a generous wedding gift to myself and my husband, a friend of ours gave us a photo session. A "trash the dress" photo session of course. Hayley Rae Photography came with us to Derby Reach in Langley, which runs along the Fraser River. This is the location where the magic happened...

 

I have never and will never regret what I did to my dress. These photos are more meaningful to me then the dress ever was. Some think I am crazy, others understand the artistic side in me can not go unheard. The dress was diamond white (this is the whitest white you can get a wedding dress) and I was able to turn it a slight yellow down the front from laying flat in the mud. No harm, just a little discoloration. To tell you the truth, I didn't even have my dress professionally cleaned afterwards. The cleaning process went a little like this: I hung my dress in the shower, sprayed it with some spot cleaner, waited, scrubbed it with a scrub brush you wash pots with, then rinsed it off with water. Good as new...sort of. The only issue I had was the ground in dirt underneath the train, I still took this cleaning as a win and called it a day.

 

You would think at this point I would be satisfied with the use I got out of my wedding dress.

 

Wrong!

 

Next up, my creative juices continued to flow. With the idea to get a bunch of wedding industry vendors together to collaborate a mock bridal photo shoot, the dress would be needed once again. This time a model wore my dress for a "rustic" bridal portion of the shoot. I took off the rhinestones on the front and replaced them with a burlap sash with silver embellishments. With the help, once again from the very talented Hayley Rae Photography, we achieved our goal and created gorgeous shots!

 

 

 

 

Two months of planning was well worth it!

 

Ok, this dress has seen more things in life then many others have, but there was just one item left on its bucket list.

 

Halloween...it has to be one of my favorite holidays. Being a make-up artist I am allowed to come up with costumes that are a little out of the ordinary and have the ability to do my own make-up for it. Sugar skulls seem to have taken over Pinterest lately, thus inspiring my costume this year. If you have never heard of a sugar skull picture a skeleton with pretty colors and designs. The fact that I was able to incorporate rhinestones into my costume made me very excited. Originally, I had decided to wear a black lace dress for my costume, one I have sitting in my closet, because I am a firm believer that you can use what you have and create it into something different. Is this classed as recycling?

I have high hopes. The idea then popped into my head, bride and groom. I always like doing couples costumes so this way my husband could be apart of the fun too. Perfect, one more use for the my wedding dress, score! This time, I did it. I cut up my wedding dress. Yes, cut it! No going back. The train I once had that was repeatedly stepped on at my wedding was chopped off. Surprisingly I wish I had of done it on my wedding day. The dress was so much lighter and would have made dancing much easier to do. Keeping the back long, I cut the front of the dress short. Up to just above my knees. I added some hand made fabric flowers (a chore in itself) and black spiders. With a sash, a necklace, earrings, lace stockings and a feather hat, my costume came together perfectly. I had a girl ask me "how much did you pay for your dress?" My answer was, "you don't want to know"...

 

 

 

We got many compliments on our costumes, so it made me thankful that the cutting of my dress wasn't for nothing.

 

I will continue to change this dress into different things down the road, and as long as it fits me I will find some reason to put it on again and again. Who else can say that they have used their wedding dress four times?! Don't take me as someone who doesn't value my marriage because my husband means everything to me. Rather, take me as someone that loves their marriage so much that I can not bear to leave my dress just sitting in my closet collecting dust. I am reminded of my wedding day every time I get to put that dress on, I get to relive that feeling of having it zipped up over and over again. No, that feeling does not fade...

 

$900 for a wedding dress, $250 for alterations, $50 for new dress accessories, four different ways to get use of our your gown...priceless.





What Have I Been Up To...?

After a busy wedding season I thought I would share why I have been blog MIA lately...

First off, I just want to thank everyone for all of the referrals. I get excited to meet new people and share my skills with them. Making up a Bride on her wedding day is one of the most gratifying feelings. To see her radiate on her special day, to be apart of the festivities that come with "getting ready" in the morning before the wedding and to hear all the wonderful stories shared about the bride and her groom. Priceless.

I had the pleasure of working with many Brides, Bridesmaids, Mothers of the Brides, Mothers of the Grooms, Emcee's, Grandmothers, Grads, and Models this summer.

Here are a few photos of the people I got to meet and make over, enjoy!

With every wedding I had book, I also had a photo-shoot booked as well. From headshots, to fashion shoots, to family photos. I love giving someone that extra bit of confidence to allow their best features to shine in the photos. You spend good money on photos that you will be able to keep forever, and I only have a small part in the process but I know my tiny touch helps a lot! "Look good, feel good", it is so true.

A shout out to other vendors that were involved with many of the events I was apart of this summer include:
Crystal Marie Sing Photography
Carla Elaine Photography
Fashion Island Clothing

I look forward to everyone I will get to work with in the future!

2014 bookings have been coming in already and it looks like it is going to be another amazing year.

Thanks for reading,

Caitlin J

ps. Please contact me via email, caitlinjmakeup@gmail.com or check out my website for more information, photos and pricing.

What is ugly?

Let's look at the word UGLY.

We've all used it one way or another. Many, many times in our lives.

Have we been using it correctly, is the question. Overhearing a conversation on the skytrain a mid to late twenty year old girl was having with her mother and friends went a little something like this:

Mom - Bruno was such a great concert, so entertaining!
Girl - Ya, he is a really good singer but he grosses me out. I think he is funny looking and ugly.

I stopped listening to the conversation at that point because I was afraid what I might say if I did.

Now, we've all done this at some point in our lives. Judged someone else's looks, criticized their features, clothes or make-up choices. I can not sit here writing this and say I am perfect, but I can say that I have gone through a significant change in my life over these past few years and realize how awful the word UGLY really is. In the example above, here is a talented artist making his living by entertaining the world, doing what he loves and doing it well. To be shot down because he isn't "hot" in the eyes of this woman, which seems completely irrelevant if you ask me.

Why should we waste our time focusing on the negative and maybe try to find the beauty instead. Yes, you may not find someone or something "attractive" but it does not mean that is isn't. UGLY is an adjective, not a noun. UGLY describes a person judging another. UGLY describes someone who is racist. UGLY describes a rude behaviour. The UGLY list goes on...

If you come across someone, or something you may consider ugly, try a new tact. Do not view it as ugly but try to find the beauty or reasoning behind it. That person that is wearing a tad too much makeup may be covering up a scar on their face they got when they were very young. The women that is wearing neon colored clothing may relate bright colors with a fond memory of a loved one that has passed. The worn out hat that man is wearing could have been passed down from his grandfather whom he admires. The girl with the bright red Mohawk may be wanting to make a statement. Just remember she did it to her OWN hair, not yours, so don't let it bother you.

We can only control our own words, thoughts, remarks, statements and feelings. Why not make these positive ones. Bad habits are hard to break, but there is always a reason to break them.

Being a make-up artist I can see beauty that many would otherwise overlook. Doing a clients make-up is meant to make them see the beauty I see. I try to remind myself on a regular basis that even if a person can not hear an ugly remark made about them does not mean it doesn't effect someone along the way. Again, ugly is a characteristic. We see ugly everywhere in the world. Be more beautiful on the inside and it will shine on the outside so much more then anything else. Try it out for yourself. The next time you begin to judge something in a negative way...stop...turn it into something positive. You will feel better about yourself and others will feel better around you.

It is contagious.

My Road to Make-Up

When asked why I chose to go to Blanche Macdonald for Make-Up Artistry my answer would normally be "I love being creative, artistic, and working with people one on one". This is the best short and sweet answer I can give.

My love for make-up must have began in high school because when I attended elementary school I did not wear one speck of make-up or care what my hair looked like from day to day. I was a kid being a kid. I took photography classes in high school and immediately excelled in all my projects. I took a photography class every year from grade nine to grade twelve immediately showing myself that I am very interested in art and beautiful things in unexpected places, and finding the beauty in anything I lay my eyes on. I also took a Videography Co-op in grade eleven (for anyone that does not know what this is, it is basically one class for an entire semester consisting of Videography, Social Studies, CAPP and Work Experience). This is when I was able to test out the "make-up" world. I did a short work experience at Flesh and Fantasy, a special effects studio in Burnaby. Back then they were known for their work in Scary Movie and Andromeda. It really opened my eyes to the world of film and television and it verified that it was definitely what I wanted to do in life at that point. I was also placed in the cosmetics department of London Drugs for a few weeks. It was great learning the products and helping customers choose the perfect color of lipstick. I highly recommend work experience to all high school students. It can really lead you in the right direction in life.

After all said and done, I graduated high school...then what!?

Many friends took the summer off, others were enrolled in college or university for the upcoming fall. I made my move and jumped feet first into the process of enrolling into one of the best schools for Make-Up Artistry in the world, Blanche Macdonald. There, of course, was a waiting list because it was on high demand. This course was not cheap in the least. I am lucky enough to say that my parents were able to help put me through school, and I couldn't have done it without them.

I began my eight month course in April of 2005...which feels like FOREVER ago. Thrown into a classroom with sixteen girls. Some from BC, some from Alberta and others from Japan and China whom spoke little English. It was a great bunch of girls and a beginning to a wonderful experience. Courses ranged from Fundamentals, TV & Film, Special Effects, Airbrushing, Job Skills, and Freelancing. Every class contained a new teacher and a new adventure. Some classes were extremely difficult but fun at the same time. I got up at the crack of dawn three days a week and got my butt onto our good old public transit and made my way down to the campus on Cambie and 12th Avenue. Large black rolling luggage in tow. I have to say, I do not miss that commute at all! The other four days a week I worked at a retail store in the mall called Dog's Earm making custom t-shirts. No comment.

I graduated with honors from Blanche Macdonald in December of 2005.

Since I've graduated I have had the pleasure of working with many Brides, Bridal Parties, Grads, Photographers and Models. I did a part time position with a Photography company while freelancing on the side. Now, strictly freelancing on the side, is where I am at. From first wanting to work in films making aliens and zombies and now spending most weekends making over a bridal party, my views have completely changed. I bring back my experience with gore on Halloween of course but I am happy I chose the route that I did. It enables me to do make-up when I want. My love. My passion. But I do not have to sacrifice my life and family for it.  A happy medium, I like to call it. I am proud of myself for sticking with it. Many students do not end up in a field of make-up once they graduate, for reasons of their own.

I still look back at all the photos from when I was in school and realize how far I have come. No, I am not a famous make-up artist. No, I do not work on films and television, but I am a passionate, experienced and talented artist that is honored to do make-up for someone on their special occasion. The women I have had a pleasure of working with up to this point are all wonderful. I have yet to meet a Brideszilla (knock on wood) and I love to work with the client until they are completely satisfied. When someone wants something changed I am not offended, it is make-up, it washes off. You are a paying customer, you get what you want, no compromise.

My road to make-up never seemed so long until I wrote it down.

I hope this gives all who reads this a better view on where I came from. My journey.

Fashion Island Photo-Shoot

I have had the amazing honor of working with a very talented photographer lately. Hayley, of Hayley Rae Photography. Hayley and I met over seven years ago through our boyfriends, on a planned road trip down to Seattle to be exact. We got to know each other quite quickly. From our many adventures together, to sharing a toilet bowl after having a few too many. Yes, we got VERY close. My, how things have changed since then.

Her parents own a clothing store called Fashion Island which supplies and sells clothing lines to boutiques. I am fortunate enough to be able to be apart of their annual "look book" by making up the models. I have done two photo-shoots with them and have to say, they are extremely fun! Working with Hayley is always a blast. She doesn't mind when I jump in every once and a while to poke and prod at the model to make sure they are photo ready. As well, she doesn't mind when I shout out positions for the model to try either. All in all, the photos always turn out gorgeous.

The most recent shoot was done downtown, mainly in Olympic village and in the back roads off Terminal Ave. Hayley was going for a more "not so typical" beauty shoot. I think her choice on backgrounds worked out perfectly. Here are a few of my favorite shots taken that day...enjoy!

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks for stopping by!

 

-Caitlin J

 

 

Tan Lines + Wedding Dress = Tacky

Tanned skin looks glowing and beautiful...

Tan lines look tacky and distracting.

A make-up artists worst fear is the attempt to cover up those dreaded tan lines on your chest or back, or even the raccoon eyes from wearing shades in the sun. First off, sometimes it can't be done. In addition, we don't like getting make-up too close to your WHITE wedding dress for the same reason you wouldn't want a sticky fingered child touching your dress. We don't want to muck it up! Bronzers look great on your skin, not so great on your dress. Even with the steadiest hand, we can't help your dress from rubbing against your chest and some foundation rubbing off. So let's avoid having to put make-up on your chest to cover those nasty tan lines and take care to stop them at the source.

Sunscreen, sunscreen, sunscreen. Not that 15 SPF bull, but the 45 SPF or higher. Don't take a chance. If you are getting married in a destination location your best bet is to make sure you avoid any bathing suits with straps, so if you get some color it will be even across your chest and no unwanted tan lines, hurray! In addition to tan lines, the next worst thing would be a burn. You could end up with sore, peeling skin that no moisturizer or make-up artist in the world could help.

Why risk investing all that money into a high end photographer for your wedding day if you have a red face, red skin or tan lines taking away the attention from you as a blushing Bride and focusing on your skin literally "blushing". No lighting could help with getting rid of those pesky lines going up and over your shoulders. Even black and white photos will show tan lines, sorry. Summer brides should pay attention to their skin that much more, as you are more exposed during the summer months. The sun shines year round though, so even winter brides should take care to use sunscreen on their face everyday.

Sunscreen isn't just for the skin cautious brides. Any women that doesn't wear a foundation that already contains SPF, you should be protecting your skin with some type of sunscreen. Be it a BB cream, tinted moisturizer or facial sunscreen, you need to take care of the delicate skin on your face at all times. It is the first thing people see, and why not blow them away with how gorgeous your skin is!

Want a glow but don't have the time to lay in the sun all day, or want to risk getting burnt. You have options of course. Spray tans, tanning beds, or even a tanning/moisturizing cream that gradually darkens your skin. I recommend testing out a spray tan a few months prior to your wedding so you know the color your skin will be, all skin types react differently to spray tans. Salons also carry different products for spray tans so if you do not like the color from one salon you may wish to try a different location for your next spray tan.

That is my rant for today. I'm here to help you feel the most beautiful you've ever felt on your special day. Don't let tan lines or burns ruin it. :)

Into The Water We Go

Let's take a dip in the lake...in our clothes...

Sounds like a GREAT idea to me!

This was the inspiration for the most recent photo-shoot to show off some of my make-up work. Teaming up with Hayley of Hayley Rae Photography is always a blast in itself, but put us at a lake in the evening with two gorgeous models and a new flash system, makes it that much better!

Seeing a sneak peek of the photos on Hayley's super fancy Nikon camera simply wowed me. It is amazing what she can do.

I decided with this shoot I would ask two ladies to model for me that aren't only beautiful but also up for anything thrown at them. So asking them to get into a lake in the evening, at the beginning of June with their clothes on and some over exaggerated and a little less then normal make-up, they didn't hesitate. Brave. Or crazy... I haven't quite figured that out yet ;)

I knew I didn't want to do the normal "pretty" make-up for this shoot. I also didn't want "ugly" make-up either. I found a happy medium. Dramatic, intense and something you don't see from day to day...on the majority of women at least. My main focus was the eyes. False lashes, dark contouring, bright colors, intense black eyeliner...I had fun!

Being a make-up artist at a photo-shoot you are normally in charge of perfecting the model. Moving strands of hair, fixing the models dress so the photographer can capture a perfect shot. In this case, I was forced to join the models in the water. Not a problem, it wasn't too cold. That is until I lost my footing and fell into the water a little farther then I had planned. Comes with the territory I guess, I am not complaining. It was a blast!

Not only was it a beautiful evening, we found an exceptional spot to take the photos. Only a few onlookers and a couple guys that we made feel good by taking some shots of them with the models. Hope they enjoyed themselves. The lighting of the sun setting was gorgeous and the movement of the water (created by yours truly) made for an unbelievable backdrop. If the gates didn't close at 9pm I am sure I would have stayed all evening.

Unplanned but very fitting, Hayley and I happened to be wearing identical outfits. Down to the sock buns on top of our heads. It was hilarious and perfect as it made us look like a team, and a great team we are! I was able to thank her for taking the photos by doing her make-up for her very own headshots which will be used for her blog. Can`t wait to see the final product.

All in all, it was a wonderful evening of creative, talented, beautiful, outgoing girls that I am happy to call my friends. Thanks ladies, you rock!

 

 

Thank you to my beautiful and outgoing models, you're the best!

Thanks for stopping by,

Caitlin J