For me, there’s always one sure fire way to spice things up in my life.

CHANGE MY HAIR! 

Being a makeup artist and hair student, it is only natural that I have matching “artsy” hair! So I ditched my long tresses and went punk with a touch of class (yes, it’s possible).

So internet… I present you with my before and after photos.. let me know what you think!

I’m not so sure why it photographs blue but it’s actually PURPLE! I love it!

Sometimes I get weirded out by the stares outside of the salon atmosphere but it’s a conversation starter, a testament to my art and being true to myself.

What can I say, I guess my heart bleeds purple and I’m more than okay with that.

Cut: Sarah Cox…..Color: Joycelynn Kane

Let me begin with this: Wedding season was an amazingly busy experience for me this year and for that I am TRULY blessed! The lives I have been touched by these last months have helped me grow both professionally and personally. For that, I would like to thank all of my 2010 Brides and clients! Without you, I would have smiled less, laughed less and would not have had the privilege of falling deeper in love with what I do.  

Fun fill in fact #2: I am mere MONTHS away from becoming a LICENSED COSMETOLOGIST!!!  Ohhhh ya! Yours truly will be doing makeup AND HAIR for my already Fab Brides! Oh how I am so lucky to have two loves! I am currently building my Bridal Hair Portfolio so be on the look out!

Fill in facts 3-? : I have two amazing new jobs (when I am not making Brides up, that is). One position is at a “Five Diamond property” that I can not name but trust me.. It’s very exciting to be a part of such a beautiful location. Here I act as their Bridal Makeup Artist and Special Event Artist (insert girly scream here!). The other position I hold is Makeup Artist/Salon Assistant for the cutest and  hippest Salon in my area, Salon Bliss! Once licensed, you will find me behind the chair there, doin’ my thang.

         WPPI this year my big sis landed me a gig to do the hair and makeup for Jacksonville Photographer, Scalett Lillian. Type my name in the Search Engine and you will be able to see the lovely model, Erin Wade.           

         My sister, Mirelis (BrownEyedPhotographer), shot the 2010-2011 FIREFIGHTER CALENDAR… and GUESS who got to act as makeup artist for the shoots…. OH YA!               

         This April, two of California’s VIP photographers, The Bui Brothers, were in town for a lighting workshop, and I was asked to do the makeup for their models! (another girly scream)

         My parents have just completed 28 years of marriage and two very special women in my life are now MRS.! What an honor to have been a part of their days!

         All but 2 of my “Service Friends” are back in the states from their deployments, safe and sound. Thank the Good Lord!

        New business cards are on the way along with some new promotional/advertising print work I am excited to release!

There are so many wonderful things that have happened ….. I hope this catches you up a bit! 

 I will be writing more frequently, but until then….I leave you to my year in photos

Scarlett Lillian’s Vegas Workshop. Erin was a pleasure to work with! Hair and makeup by yours truly!

Photo By Erin’s Handsome Hubby, Gavin! Thanks for the beautiful shot!

Bui Brother’s Miami Workshop.. Photo Credit:The INSANELY talented, Lydia Shannon.

She was the brains behind the workshop and found time to raise over $10,000.00 for Breast Cancer this year! Pretty much the coolest girl I know

Three model Photos By BrownEyedPhotographer.



2010 Fireman Calendar shot by BrownEyedPhotographer ….. YES , this WAS my job. The boys needed to look oiled and dirty so, naturally, I accepted the challenge.

CLICK here to see the final images from the calendar

Photog “Trash The Dress” workshop I did hair for! First addition to my hair portfolio. Thanks to John Tharp for setting up the shoot!

I am not sure who exactly shot this photo but I would LOVEEEEE to give credit, so please, if this is your work- shoot me a comment below and I’ll be sure to name you!

Makeup By fellow Artist McKenzie Ramirez

One of my Bestest friends wedding…. I love her!

Beautiful Bride, Beautiful Friend. Hair and Makeup for Mrs. Prugh!

Professional images to come.

 Annndddddd lastly, the images of my new business cards!

I have ONE more VERY new thing that has happened to me, I will be posting those photos soon.

Later internet!

“The one in the corner? Yes, and I have a feeling we have that shoulda/coulda been twins thing going on right now” I responded, camera still affixed to my face.

Sometimes, I swear, my sister and I were meant to be twins. We have this…. ability to have the same thoughts and feelings even though we were no were near each other at the time of thought conception. It’s that ESPN thing they say twins have (yes I meant to place the N there… its sports talk- Mirelis loves me for it)- you know, that thing that connects them on a level they will never reach with any other human being. It can be as simple as having the same meal during the day even though we are not lunching together, or capturing the same shot at a wedding and discovering it in post-processing. Whatever it is, we have it! And I thank God that we do, because (I’m totally tooting our horn here) we come up with some SICK ideas.

She caught our eye at a wedding…. and with good reason… Maria is a Highschool Senior and one of the faces of BrownEyedPhotograher..SENIORS. These aren’t your usual Senior Photos- for more info go to Www.BrownEyedPhotographer.com and click INFORMATION

Thank you, Maria, for making me feel like a more than stellar makeup artist. Your excitement and love for my work is what pushes me to do what I do! You’re epically sick!

Mirelis, thanks for being my 2.5 years apart twin. You complete me!

My personal favorite shot of the day…. I just love the juicy back lighting not to mention Ms. Maria looks fierce!

Get her look:

Eyes: I primed her lids with Too Faced Shadow Insurance- I love this for when I want long lasting shadow with a base that does not alter the color of the eyeshadow I am placing over it (Sephora carries this product for $17.00 and it’s worth every penny in my opinion). For her base I used a butterscotch pigment with a dark brown crease and outer V.  She already has some amazing lashes but adding Ardell 109 lashes really made her eyes pop. I used my MAC Fix Plus to create a liner using a combination of my black shadow and brown shadow from Krylon on her upper and lower lashes.(Trick: To take this look from day to night, simply amp up the amount of liner you place on the eye and a darken the outer V. Also, a darker lipstick and extra gloss will really draw attention to your lips. )

Face: As a side note, I’ve fallen in love with Temptu Airbrush Foundation! Because it gives the ability to choose light to full coverage and, as a bonus,it keeps the skin looking flawless and youthful. With Maria, I used light to medium coverage, her AH-mazing skin didn’t need my help. I used this on her in a shade number 6.  Setting her with a translucent powder and a little  bit of MAC’s sunbasque blush and contoured her with MAC bronzer finished the face.  This look can be created with a light red blush that has a hint of bronzer. The goal is to get a tanned but blushed look.

Lips: To keep the lips neutral, I used Stila lip gloss in Gleam. A glossy nude pink would work for this look.

If you have questions or comments, please don’t hesitate! That’s what the comment box is for.

As photographers, the reality of our situation is this- when that perfectly lit, dreamy, starry-sky type shot comes along, you have to jump hurdles to capture it. Sometimes, this means doing some not so lady like things. In fact, sometimes, the things we do are just down right wrong. But with smiles on our faces and passion in our hearts we will skip into the ocean, cameras in hand. To me, these photographs are more than just amusing, they put into perspective how determined we are to get the shot. Even if it means rock climbing, hiding in bushes or just plain actin’ a fool.

But you know what, that’s me- I’m girly with a pinch of spice… and I’m totally cool with that.

Today, I urge you to put yourself out there in all your glory. Laugh at yourself before others and embrace who you are … even if being you today means picking sand out of your hair.

Just days before we set off on our trip to WPPI, my big sister caught wind of a photographers need for hair and makeup for their workshop. Miss Scarlett Lillian needed someone to beautify her model and I was going to be in Vegas for WPPI.

Sure I’d seen the same tweet floating around but thought to myself- “there’s no way she’s going to want me?! I’m IN school for hair.. but could I?! No… well, maybe……… nahhhh”- and with that, I left the message unanswered certain of the idea that she would find someone. Little did I know, Mirelis was having thoughts of her own. She responded to Scarlett with my website and contact info! Within the next 26 hours, it was planned and I was packing my makeup for the trip!

The models, Gavin and Erin ,were so incredibly sweet and made the experience so much fun! They are a newlywed couple with a photog business of their own- be sure to check out their work. Thank you both so much for showing me a wonderful time and for letting me take over of your hotel suite with all my girly stuff May you continue to be blessed in both your personal life and business.

These images were taken by Gavin- He’s so in love with his wife

And now for the images from the shoot taken by Scarlett and the other photographers that participated in the workshop. I’m sorry I couldn’t give credit to all of the photographers….. but if you took any of the below images, shoot me a comment and I’ll be sure to give credit where it’s due

Image below by Scarlett Lillian: Click her name to see all of her images from the shoot.

A special thanks to my sister, who believes in me and my talent when I don’t. For loving me when I’m less than lovable and for being my rock.

And now for the stuff you really wanna know….

For her face:

-DinAir airbrush foundation combination of “Light Golden Olive and Olive”

-MAC eyeshadow in “Starts ‘N Rockets” on her base and in the crease I used “Espresso”. For a little added drama, I created a wedge on her outer corner with “Typographic” which is a deep black matte shadow- ( any dark matte brown and black will do for this look)

-On her cheeks I used “Blushbaby” by MAC on her cheeks and cheekbones. Then I hit her with a touch of “Melba” at the apples of her cheeks for a little added punch

-For the contouring I used a bronzer by Organic Wear… color is not listed on the compact but it can be found at CVS or pretty much any other drug store.

-Highlight I used Mary Kay’s highlight duo

-Lips were lined with NYX “810 Natural” (a nude lip with a light gloss works well for this look) and Erin had a personal gloss she took with her to reapply throughout the day

-Erin had a pair of MAC lashes she wanted to wear and I applied them using DUO lash glue in black to match the black “HIP” liner I applied

-I used Maybeline Colossal “glam black” mascara

For her hair:

-1.5 inch ceramic curler was used throughout the hair. Working from root to end.

-Height and body was created around the crown of her head with back combing (teasing) and hairspray (Big and Sexy “Spray and play”). With this look messy was okay, so I didn’t try hard to create a clean look when pinning up the hair half up. When pinning the hair back, if you find that you lose some height, you can use the tail of your comb to pull hair up out of the pins. Be sure to spray once you’ve gotten the desired height. Erin has some beautiful side swept bangs that I left loose.

-I sprayed the curls with hairspray and then ran my fingers through them from root to end for separation and to create a looser curl

It started when my sister mentioned the possibility of attending WPPI 2010 in Las Vegas.  At first, the thought was a mere twinkle in the hopeful eye of a budding photographer and her second shooter…. but with much prayer and the advice of a complete stranger, our dream was coming true! Within a few days, our tickets were booked and we were set to leave. Talk about having an idea and running with it! 

During the madness we soaked up as much information as we could. We planned out what our schedule was going to look like and what tourist attractions we were going to hit up.  We paid close attention to our twitter accounts so we could stay updated on the latest  Gray Photography  news, and [b] school happenings. We couldn’t miss our beloved Dane Sanders or Mike Colon speak! Twitter was our friend! I mean come ON, we were going to be within a 15 foot radius of some of our favorite photogs and most influential people in our industry. We didn’t want to miss a beat! We were like kids at Disney World seeing Mickey and Goofy for the first time!

Here are a few shots of us with some of the wonderful people we met, the blessed things we did and some fun touristy stuff we did along the way.

A special thank you goes out to Dane Sanders for making us feel so welcome. He is such a  good-hearted, funny guy who actually took the time  not only learn our real names, but to build a solid foundation for friendship. We <3 This guy

Oh, sweet, Mike Colon. We are truly blessed to have met you and thank you for your inspiration. We are looking for ways we can contribute to this wonderful planet.  I still think we are related in some form.

He thought he’d get on my sisters level ha,ha.  How cute is he?!

The wonderful photog couple of Gray Photography, Zach & Jody. You two were an absolute pleasure to meet. We look forward to getting to know you better and hopefully bring you two down to SoFl to share your talent

Did I mention… I MET JASMINE* ?! Oh the Boriqua Love!

We made it in time for [b]eckers headshot shoot out… he is way too much fun. And perhaps slightly inappropriate in the best way possible You’re pretty hot too, Mr. Becker

We also ran into our oh so sweet South Florida photog friend, Mrs. Lydia Shannon, toooooooooo. Love this girl!

 Internet, meet Pete. He is one of the most incredible men you will ever meet in your life! He’s more than a cousin to us… he and his brother, Cesar, are the brothers we always wanted. Protective and all

We are truly blessed to have had such a wonderful first WPPI experience anyone could ever hope for. Can’t wait for next year!

You didn’t think this was the end of my March, did you?!….. although Vegas is pretty mad… that’s not the only reason my March is MADDD! We are fresh out of the car from our weekend trip to Tampa! Why Tampa you ask??… well, SPRING TRAINING of course! What’s the start of baseball season without our annual trip out to see the Yankees play! We pretty much landed from Vegas and jumped into the car and headed to Tampa. Ok, not really… but that’s how it felt!

This photo was taken on my iphone so please excuse the quality ha, ha.

 And some good ones my sister took. Check her out.. her name is Mirelis and she’s pretty stinkin good at what she does!

She’s also pretty good at making her way up to the players! She’s My Idol!

WPPI….Yankees… next up, a wedding! Our super sweet couple Brian and Mallory are set to wed this weekend! We are counting down the days! My sister and I are lucky enough to be shooting this wedding and I will be “dolling up” the girls pre-ceremony! Makeup and photos- what more could a girl ask for! 

I also have a special post I’m working on that I’m truly excited about…. I got the opportunity to show off some of my “madd skills” while at WPPI!!!!

Want a hint?! It has the color purple.. and a super fab Jacksonville photographers workshop!!!

‘Til then, later internet!

Recently, I was approached by a fellow photog based in Southwest Missouri regarding makeup. He wanted advice regarding creating a basic kit that might be useful for his business. A “go to kit” his ladies would fall in love with and remember him for. I was humbled that he came to me for this advice and was happy to oblige!

Of course my mind went a million miles a minute! “Butterschotch , woodwinked, melba, mineral ?! no, yes, AHHH!”

While constructing a list for him, I realized how wonderful it would have been if I had someone around when I was building my kit. Someone who could tell me what they run for when a client or bride gives them creative freedom, answer my questions and learn from.

With this I give you the edited list of what I gave, Brent. Edited to include a more detailed list for those of you who are really interested. This is not everything you need, of course, but a basic starter kit that makes me smile.

*First off, you’ll need a few different shades of liquid foundation. Ranging from mahogany to alabaster. By having multiple shades to choose from you can be sure you have what you need to create a custom color for your client. (I will be writing soon regarding undertones as well as tips for matching foundation and creating flawless skin, so please keep checking back).

Note: my personal, every day, go to foundation these days is the almay smart shade. It gives me that glow I crave without the heavy feeling and moist look other foundations give. And it really is “smart”, it takes the guess work out of matching founcation. I use light to medium and it gives a good amount of coverage. I, personally , do not need heavy coverage (THANKS MOM!) so for those who need more coverage be sure to start your face with spot correction using a concealer.

*You’ll need some translucent powder to set the foundation. This is done BEFORE any other power is added to the face. If translucent powder is not available, a powder close to your skin color will work fine. But translucent is your friend! You won’t have to correct for color if you go with translucent This step ensures you have long lasting, smudge resistant foundation, and as this lovely added bonus- using a big fluffy brush firmly will smooth out any lines you may have created on your skin during application.

*Concealer in different shares is also needed in your kit. Different shades to customize for each client. I tend to grab my salmon colored concealer and mix with a yellow based concealer. I use Cinema Secrets concealer palette and it works great.

*I love love LOVE blush! You’ll need a few different colors in order to work with clients with different tones. MAC’s Melba, Blushbaby, and dessert rose are three of my loves.

*eyeshadows: I suggest different shades of brown. Both matte finish and some with shimmer. This will give you the option to go natural for every day and pump it up a bit if you’re heading out to a late movie with your honey. Men LOVE shimmery eyes- But be careful not to put too much shimmer on… you wouldn’t want people wondering if you got into a fight with Tinkerbell before you left.

Purples, pinks and golds I use alot on my clients. Lilac with a brown crease is one of my ” go to ” looks. To name a few of my faves: Hush , Swish, Fig 1, Stars N’ Rockets, and Espresso acts as my sweet crease companion.

Eyeshadow tips: Purples make green eyes pop and brown eyes look playful. Shimmery golds and browns look great together and purples work well with browns as well. Also, when choosing a color what you want to do is test it’s potency if possible before you buy. Take your finger and take a swipe at the color. If it gives you a good solid color then you are good to go. This means the shadow is actually going to show with less product. Since you will be needing less product to achieve the color you are looking for, you’ll get more product for your money!

*You must also have an eyeshadow base. Eyeshadow primer, cream base or concealer placed on the eye lid prior to shadow application keeps your color lasting longer! Two Faced Shadow Insurance and MAC Prep and Prime are great but can be pricy. Using the same concealer you use for spot correction will do a good job as well.

*You will use different shades of natural lip liner and lipstick. As well as some fun pink shades and nude lips are good. Add some gloss and you’re set. Some girls just use a simple nude liner filling the lips and a gloss over it.

* Mascara: I keep a few different types ranging from lengthening to full and flirty. You can get CVS types for these. I use colossal lashes by maybeline for both myself and clients.
Fake lashes can be added as well but that’s something that’s determined by your clients. I suggest Ardell lashes with Duo lash glue. Just make sure you girls know how to apply them properly!

*Black and brown liners are kit essentials! Black gives you the fashion liner girls crave and brown gives you the option of a natural clean liner. Colors are optional but can be a lot of fun!

Of course, this is not the only items you should or could have in your kit, they are merely my essential items I wish I knew were going to be my favorites right when I came out of school. I have a ton of things in my kit that I thought I could not live without and products I heard someone say was good once. But what I found to be my favorites are products I picked on my own and learned from trial and error. So don’t be afraid to try new products or the not so expensive brands… they may end up being your loves

And because Blogs are just better with pictures… Here are some Before and After shots of a few of the girls that participated in the Boudoir Marathon I talked about in the last post! Taken by the lovely Mirelis of BrownEyedPhotographer.

The O-So Beautiful Miss Mallory! We will be shooting her wedding this month so a giant YAY for that! And makeup will be done by yours truly! Photos will be posted, no worries!

Ohhhh Mandy! One of our former brides and one of the sweetest girls you’ll meet!

And lastly, the ever exciting Melissa! This girl will keep you on your toes and doubled over laughing. Don’t let this sweet face fool ya!

‘Till we meet again

Sometimes, it can be difficult to let loose and allow yourself to marvel in the beauty that is your own body. So here’s something that might force you out of your shell. BOUDOIR PHOTOS! Its intended use it to make women feel powerful and beautiful…. making men melt is only an added bonus…

Yep! That’s yours truly!  The above photo was taken by my ever so talented sister at www.BrownEyedPhotograhper.com

I just love doing makeup for these shoots! It’s about simple and clean beauty with a punch of sex appeal! My sister and I are hosting another Boudoir marathon for the last weekend in January and I simply CAN NOT wait!! There are still a few slots open for the weekend so let me know if you are interested!

Here’s shot of the last session we did.

The model in these photos is a real woman, just like you and I. She requested a smokey eye so I used pigments from MAC’s Holiday set to create her look. DinAir airbrush foundation, MAC’s Melba blush and Krylon’s tan for her contouring! Tossed on some Ardell  false lashes and she was in LOVE!

 For more info visit www.peek-a-boudoir.showitsite.com

Hey all! My name is Giselle and I’m new to the wonderful world of blogging  I hope to use this as a forum for my thoughts, complaints, critiques and excitement on my journey through my cosmetic obsession! Please join me in my learning and feel free to comment with your experiences, thoughts and life lessons.

Here’s a little about me:

-I have the most amazing family in the world…

-My puppy is beyond adorable! Keep an eye out for photos at some point… I’m sure he’ll make a cameo

-I am a Christian and God has truly blessed me with love and opportunity.

-I have a passion for photography and I second shoot for my sister on weddings, engagements, and more! Go check out her work… www.BrownEyedPhotographer.com

-Baking = LOVE

-My sister and I are partners in ” www.Peek-A-Boudoir.showitsite.com ” photography! She’s the Lead photographer and I’m the lead artist! Need a reason to feel sexy?? HOW ABOUT JUST BEING A WOMAN! Embrace it ladies and love who you are right now, not the you after losing 5 lbs.

-I love Michael Buble, his voice calms my heart

-Don’t ever ask me to water your plants while you are out of town, I have killed almost every plant I have ever owned

-I make and sell handmade jewelry

-Once upon a time, I wanted to be an actress and work along side Jim Carey

-Photoshop is one of my “hobbies”

-Black and white photographs have a way of speaking to my heart

-I love the sound of thunderstorms in the middle of the night and windchims singing in the wind.

-I live in Sunny South Florida but half my heart is in the mountains of North Carolina

-There’s nothing quite like getting all dolled up to meet with old friends

-I believe chocolate solves any problem

-I could eat icecream every night and not get tired of it

-I love laughing even if it means laughing at myself.

-I’m really not much into astrology but I am a Gemini

-I have a series of nicknames which include (but are not limited to): Chencha, GiGi, Goofy, and Kerselll

-I have some of the most fab friends in the world! I grew up with them and won’t trade them for the world!

-I am a certified deep sea diver

-Some of my favorite movies are: Because I said so, The Notebook, P.S. I Love You, The Little Mermaid and Into the Blue

-My Hollywood crush goes by the name of Paul Walker…. I have a thing for blue eyes

-My weaknesses are: sweets, a nice red wine, those few minutes just before the sun kisses the earth at dusk, the beauty of a mans embrace, my daddy’s bbq ribs, forehead kisses and the smell of freshly washed sheets.

-I Love Love LOVE country music

-I went to a University in Florida and have a BA in Sociology and a minor in Psychology

-I am a full blooded Puerto Rican but I do not look it

-My online portfolio can be seen at www.GsMakeupArtistry.com                 

                Always,

                    Giselle