Jun 30, 2011

New Wedding Hairstyles & Makeup Trends

The two most requested wedding hairstyles from my brides are Eva Longoria's loose low chignon or Kim Kardashian's loose waves.  Below are some new makeup and hairstyles that will hopefully spark your interest to try something new. Higher up-dos are making a big comeback after many seasons of loose low chignons. And everywhere you look, the new trends point to color, color, color.  Of course we don't want to try bright yellow or electric blue shadows for our wedding day.  I always believe in choosing a timeless, classic look so that whenever you look back at your wedding album, you still love what you see.  

Pay attention to details, eyebrows should be within 2 shades of your hair color. Colored shadow as lower liner looks so fresh.
Try something new, go out of your comfort zone, the purple shadow below the bottom lashes enlarge the eyes without looking like a smudge.
Classic looks are timeless.
Braids and light makeup always have a youthful appearance. 
Fresh or faux flowers make a dramatic statement.
Loose & Romantic
Clean & Polished
Casual Boho feel but the rhinestones still make it dressy.
Classic look with a modern twist, colored eyeshadow as bottom liner.
Great styles for bride or bridal party.
Tiaras look best with a sleek up do. Red flowers make a big impact.
Higher up-dos are making a big come back after seasons of low chignons.
All photos courtesy of 25ans wedding hair & beauty Vol. 9

Jun 22, 2011

My favorite makeup tools!

The perfect makeup application requires the right tools. Just like painting and drawing, having the right brushes and medium can help an artist create better artwork.  In this post, I want to share some of my favorite tools and why I like them.  Starting with my favorites, Trish McEvoy brushes and Sonia Kashuk Blending Sponge.  I love Trish McEvoy brushes for the simple reason that they work, they make applying shadow quick and easy.  Most eyeshadow brushes are flat, which takes repetitive application before you can start blending.  Trish McEvoy brushes are round and fluffy, and fit most eye shapes perfectly.  Their #29 blending brush works well because it is much shorter and slightly firmer than most blending brushes, it really concentrates on blending an area instead of pushing away the shadow.  #41 is great for applying shadow liner on the bottom of the eye.  I like using #55 for overall base color on the entire lid and for applying liquid illuminator on the cheekbones.  But my most  favorite brush is Trish McEvoy #45, it's the perfect shadow brush! Another reason why I love these brushes are because they are short, which makes them fit easily into cosmetic pouches. Next, I want to share with you the best sponge I've found, Sonia Kashuk Blending Sponge. You may find this little magical puff online or at Target in the cosmetics section. It doesn't come with any directions on the packaging, which might be a little frustrating for non professional ladies who likes to wear makeup daily.  But here's how to use it. This sponge must be used damp.  Don't try to use it dry, it'll absorb all your makeup.  It's a magical sponge because you can use it for liquid foundation, then set your foundation with powder using the same sponge, you can even apply blush and shadow with it! Don't apply with a wiping downward motion like most people do with sponges.  Instead, this sponge is to be used in a stippling motion. Use the pointed side for nose and eyes area.  If you love makeup and all things related, you must've also seen or heard of the Beauty Blender.  It's a pink egg shaped sponge.  I've also tried the beauty blender but came back to Sonia Kashuk sponge because I like the shape of this sponge better, it's much easier to hold. When it comes to tools, I always suggest to splurge a little.  Take good care of them and they will last a long time.  

My favorite brushes! From left: Trish McEvoy Brushes #29, #45, #41 & #55
Sonia Kashuk Blending Sponge, Bobbi Brown Ultra Fine Eyeliner Brush, MAC Eyeliner Brush #11 & Stila Duo Shadow Brush #15
LEFT: Stila Blending Brush # 9, MAC Blending Brush #224 & Trish McEvoy Tapered Blending #29
RIGHT: Stila Shadow # 5, Makeup Forever Professional Fan Brush, MF Professional Eyebrow, MF Professional 14S & Shu Uemura 6 OB Eyebrow Brush
Face Brushes: MAC #187, Stila #8,  MAC #129, MAC # 130

Jun 14, 2011

Very Merry Mary

I had the pleasure of styling my dear friend Mary, who is the event designer, planner and owner of Very Merry Events for a web TV interview.  She had just moved into a new office space and setting it up as a darling studio.  It was a great morning as we chatted and laughed while I was styling Mary.  Big thanks to Chung Li of Chung Li Photography for capturing these fun preparation shots for us.





Jun 12, 2011

A Rose Garden Wedding~Sheryl & Norm

Sheryl and Norm have been dating for 10+ years and finally decided to tie the knot after Norm's mother passed away last year.  They are the sweetest and most fun loving couple I've met.  Super down to earth and kind, they decided to host an intimate wedding for their immediate family in honor of Norm's mother and the union of two families.  I had the honor of styling Sheryl at the charming La Rose Hotel in Santa Rosa and attending their wedding at the Santa Rosa Rose Garden.  Sheryl performed a lovely hula dance for Norm which was so touching and brought tears to my eyes.  Here are some gorgeous photos by Chung Li.
Photography Chung Li Photography
Hotel Hotel La Rose
Beauty JBeautique






May 31, 2011

Thomas Fogarty Winery Wedding~Teresa & Brian

It was a super stormy day at the Thomas Fogarty Winery when Teresa & Brian got married.  I remember driving there and both sides of highway 35 was covered with snow.  The bad weather had prompted a closure on highway 84 and Teresa patiently called her guests one by one to inform them to take an alternate route as I was styling her hair and putting on her makeup.  Teresa was most concerned about her look being natural.  She and Brian had attended a wedding before where Brian couldn't recognize the bride because of her dark smoky makeup.  And he'd jokingly told her not to wear makeup for their wedding day.  Brian kept saying how beautiful she was when he saw Teresa for the first time when they did their "first look" photos.  It goes to show again that makeup and hairstyling is necessary for such a special occasion!  I was most impressed by how well Teresa's hairstyle defied against the stormy weather. Congrats again, Teresa & Brian.



May 29, 2011

San Ramon Engagement Shoot

What an honor to work alongside a super talented photographer three times in a month!!  I was lucky to work with Augie Chang again on an engagement shoot in Livemore near Martinelli Event Center.  The couple both loved cowboy boots, check out these awesome images.  





May 10, 2011

San Francisco Engagement Shoot

I had the pleasure of beautifying Marta for her engagement shoot in San Francisco with one of my favorite photographers Augie Chang. Marta is a model like natural beauty so enhancing that was an easy task!  I used peaches and nude tones and accentuated her eyes with lots of individual lashes.  I stay with my brides for the entire shoot and love the process of watching them goof around in front of the camera!  Although it started raining, touch up was minimal.  Enjoy these gorgeous images!




We were FEATURED on Style Unveiled!

I was ecstatic to find out that JBeautique has been featured on Style Unveiled Premier Wedding Planning Website not once but twice!  The first wedding featured was from August of last year at Villa Montalvo in Saratoga, CA. EJ and Linh were highschool sweethearts that have been dating for 10 years before finally deciding to tie the knot.  They did a superb job in picking all the beautiful details of this wedding, from the green and chocolate theme colors to finding the perfect vendors to execute their vision of their special day.
You may view EJ & Linh's feature on the link below.
http://styleunveiled.com/sfrealweddings/ej-and-linh.html
Geoff White Photography   http://geoffwhite.com
Floral Design www.nancyliuchin.com
Catering www.componerefinecatering.com
Venue montalvoarts.org/rentals/weddings/
Beauty www.jbeautique.com











































































The second wedding that was featured was from October of last year at Julia Morgan Ballroom in the Merchant Exchange Building in San Francisco.  Amanda and Steve's wedding had all the great cultural details that reflect who they were and made their wedding extra special.  The wedding theme color was burgundy and it was carried through out in a tasteful manner.  They had a special 5 lions dance when Steven received Amanda at her house.  You may view Amanda & Steven's wedding on the link below.
http://styleunveiled.com/sfrealweddings/amanda-and-steve.html
Kevin Chin Photography http://kevinchin.com
Wedding Planning www.jubileelauevents.com
Floral Design www.nancyliuchin.com
Venue www.mxbuilding.com/ballroom/page2.php
Beauty www.jbeautique.com





Jan 6, 2011

AMANDA & STEVEN'S WEDDING AT JULIA MORGAN BALLROOM


Amanda + Steven from Phillip V on Vimeo.


Amanda came to me with many photos and ideas for styling her hair for her wedding day, I'm so glad she did because we were able to incorporate most of the styles she liked (low chignon, lots of volume in the front with bangs all swept back, lots of textures on the side and in the back) into the final design.  Amanda's hair is naturally very straight and super thick,  I had to give her hair lots of curls in order to create the details that she liked.  Her hair lasted beautifully despite being in the rain and through lots of shaking and dancing (as seen in the video).  I gave her burgundy highlights the week before her wedding to make the details of the style more dimensional instead of looking like one dark bundle of hair. I always recommend dark haired brides to consider getting highlights before the wedding for that reason.  
Because Amanda is used to wearing makeup on a daily basis, she wanted a more dramatic look for her wedding.  I blended grays and plums for a smokey effect that suits Amanda's skin tones. Amanda's bridal party and herself were all very happy with the looks I created for them and I couldn't be happier for her and Steven.  Congratulations Amanda!  I can't wait to see photos of this wedding from talented Kevin Chin of Kevin Chin Photography.


~Jbeautique


Photographer Kevin Chin.
Venue: Julia Morgan Ballroom
Event Planning: Jubilee Lau Events
Floral Design: Nancy Liu Chin Designs
Photography & Videography: Kevin Chin Photography & Cinematography
Beauty: JBeautique