Jill Stuart Cosmetics

Since it's first debut in 2005, Jill Stuart has become one of my favorite brands of cosmetics.  With its feminine, playful yet elegant design and packaging, to its array of shimmery color collection, it has capture the hearts of many cosmetics lovers around the world.  It was love at first sight when I first spotted this line at a Japanese department store back in 2005.  Some of my favorite products from this line are the Eye Jellies (sparkly water based eye colors that don't crease on your lids like creme products do), Lip Luster (which is a lipgloss and lipstick combination that gives more color than a gloss and isn't sticky), and I absolutely love their quad eyeshadows.  But this is not a line for people opting for a matte, natural finish because every product has sparkles and shimmer.  While I was on vacation in Hong Kong last month, Jill Stuart cosmetics launched a bridal line which included a handheld mirror decorated with flowers, shimmery creme eyeshadow pencils in 4 colors and a nail set with a ring pillow and nail decorations stickers.  Picture of the flagship boutique at the Hong Kong Times Square Mall.


~JBeautique

Spring Makeup Trends

This spring it is not about bright and playful colors as one might expect but lots of nudes, golds and pastels. I personally LOVE nudes and golden tones as they are very versatile in creating different looks. When applied lightly, it gives off an aura of goddess-ness and by increasing the intensity, the look can be easily transformed into absolute sexiness. Here are some of my favorite spring looks!
~JBeautique

The Wedding of Elaine & Edmond

When Elaine's sister in law first contacted me about being Elaine's stylist for her wedding day a month before the wedding, she had already warned me, "Elaine never wears makeup and she's just had a haircut so her hair is quite short. But she would like an up-do and very, very natural makeup." I took the advice to heart and gave her a very natural look, without using any shimmer to the eyes but opted for natural highlights throughout her face. I dusted a highlighter on top of her cheekbones, brow bones, bridge of her nose and chin. I'm glad that she and the groom were both very satisfied with the results.


~JBeautique

Miss Yosemite Valley 2010

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!

~JBeautique

San Francisco Wedding Fair @ The Four Seasons

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.

Wedding Day Nails

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.

A Tiara Story

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.

Chaumet Tiaras 1907-2009

Mikimoto Tiara for Miss Universe Pageant

Economical Bridal Hair Accessories

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.

Autumn Bridal Look

Strolling through the park, I began to notice the changing colors on the leaves of many trees.  Champagne, golden poppy, and burnt umber amidst luscious forest greens.  The beautiful setting gave me an idea of a bridal look for fall.  I'd chosen a shimmery peach shadow as the base, then added a persimmon color shadow at the end of the crease and followed with a bright mustard on the front of the crease and blended with a shimmery champagne to soften the entire look.  The brow bone was highlighted with a white pearl to give definition to the eyes.  For the cheeks, a rosy peach accented the model's fair skin.  The look was finished with a nude lip color and golden pearl lip gloss.  The outcome was soft but the bright mustard made the look quite unique. It gave a sense of what brides today look for, natural yet modern.