I had the pleasure of working with Jasmine N. in December on a photo shoot and I was so excited and honored when she asked me to be one of her sponsor for the Miss Yosemite Valley pageant. I started with coloring her hair to a honey blonde 3 weeks before the pageant. On the week of the pageant, we collaborated on creating different looks for her outfits at her Stanford dorm room. We started off the day of with a casual business look for her interview. I put Stila's Launey and Sun eyeshadow for her eyes and individual lashes to make them bigger but not too dramatic. Instead of a blush, I chose a bronzer for her cheeks and the color looked fantastic on her. After her initial interview, we let her hair down and created soft big waves and added more shadow and lashes for an on stage look. I added a dark brown shadow on the crease and a white shadow under the brow bone for highlighting. I finished her look with a dust of Guerlain's Meteorites Powder. She looked amazing but more importantly, her performance for the night was stunning. For her talent category, she played Vivaldi's Four Seasons: Summer 3rd Mvt. on the violin and you can hear her passion coming through the music. I was so proud when she was crowned Miss Yosemite Valley 2010. Next, Miss California 2010, here we come!
I started off the new year exhibiting at the San Francisco Wedding Fair at The Four Seasons Hotel in San Francisco. It was the ultimate bridal show with 75 exhibits showcasing the elite of Bay Area professionals. I had so much fun designing and setting up for the show but the best part was meeting all the brides-to-be. Talking with and getting to know each bride has always been one of the most enjoyable part of my business. I'm looking forward to a great year ahead and cheers to all the attendees for coming to the wedding fair.
Many brides love to get a manicure and pedicure for their wedding day. But too often we see the same old French manicures. I'm a huge fan of nail art and gel nails so I figured I'd post some photos to inspire brides to try doing something special for their wedding day. Nail art or gel nails doesn't have to be unnatural, in fact, one of my favorite design is gel French manicure with one rhinestone placed along the white edge. There are many, many designs that are appropriate for wedding day. A beige polish with white lace design looks beautiful against an ivory gown. I also recommend gel nails because it lasts so much better than regular manicures and stays very shiny. Gel nails are not much different from acrylic nails, technicians may tell you it's different but gel IS a type of acrylic, it's liquid acrylic so it's softer and easier to remove. 
Who wouldn't want to look like a princess on their wedding day? We all dreamed as children to grow up and marry the Prince Charming in our lives in a puffy ball gown and a sparkling tiara. The prestigious French jewelry house Chaumet, established in 1780, has been the appointed French royal tiara maker since the crowning of Queen Marie-Antoinette. This year, the jewelry house created a collection Le Grand Frisson that's superbly stunning and modern. Within the collection is a bridal tiara that has matching earrings, ring and necklace which all brides would love to walk down the aisle with.
Since the economy has gone sour, many brides have been on a budget watch. For those that are reluctant to splurge on hair accessories, I recommend a visit to Forever 21. The hair accessories come in a wide range of style including many pins and headbands in ivory that would go well with a wedding gown.
