Maternity Session with Nina Mullins Photography!

  Nina Mullins and I met while working a wedding back at the beginning of this Summer, and after talking with her, I thought she was the coolest person, and crossed my fingers that we would work together again. Then, the photos came out.. Oh my gosh! They were absolutely stunning. I had only been in Louisville for a few months, and every wedding seemed to be a new photographer, so it was neat to see every one's different styles. Nina's definitely clicked with me, and she's now way up on the top of my list. :)

    Awhile back, she contacted me regarding a maternity shoot she was going to be doing, and of course, I was all about it! For those of you not friends with me on facebook, little Grote #2 is arriving in June (sorry to all of my potential June brides, but I'm taking the month off :l).. Babies and pregnancy are definitely part of my world at this phase in the marriage game! Having the opportunity to work with another soon to be mommy was such a blast, and by the time one reaches the 8 month mark, they are definitely all about being pampered. Who doesn't need it by that point?!

   Nina blogs really quickly, so her gorgeous photos were up the next day! I'm so excited to show them to you guys. Anyone in need of a phenomenal photographer, check her out! Click HERE . Nina, thank you so much for thinking of me, and for sharing these incredible photos. Lindsay, thank you so much for letting me play makeup with you and for being a great model! You are going to be the most precious mommy. :)  

          (As an added teaser, I'm only giving you two!
                    There are so many more that you can see if you click HERE)

  

Congratulations, Mrs. Abell!

  On 10/15 this year, I had the honors of doing makeup for Jill and her bridal party in Lexington. Jill was such a sweet bride, and one of my first trial runs when I moved here to Louisville in January. I love it when brides book so far in advance! It gives us an opportunity to really get to know each other and work through "the look" that they are going for. Jill really wanted a natural, glowing makeup look, but something that still had a little touch of glam. Doesn't she look beautiful?! Photos courtesy of Schmidt Studio and Gallery. You can check out more of their work by clicking HERE or HERE. Thank you all so much for sharing these amazing shots with me! (this is just a teaser...clicking on the second link will bring you to their facebook page which includes Jill's sneak peak) Jill, thank you again for allowing me the pleasure of working with you. You ladies were a blast to work with! :)

  

Congratulations, Mrs. Agee!

  On October 21st, I had the pleasure of working with Monica and her bridal party. This was my first time working out of the Louisville Glassworks Building loft, and my goodness, what a cool space! Monica and I met for the first time the night of her rehearsal dinner for her trial run, because she was in from out of town. I had the best time getting to know her, and she had one of the most fun/unique makeup looks for the year. She was going for a "Betty Draper, Mad Men-esque, Old Hollywood, Glamour look". My interpretation after talking with her a little more, meant a very glam red lip and some super winged eyeliner. When we met up for her trial, it all came together so beautifully, and my first bride to dare bright red lips this year looked absolutely stunning, don't you think? :) Monica, thank you so much for the honor of working with you all. Congratulations again, and best of luck to you both! 

                                  Photos courtesy of Monica and Meagan Jordan Photography

           Monica also has a fantastic blog with more wedding photos and lots of other fun stuff!
                                                      Check it out by clicking HERE

Congratulations, Mrs. Seagle!

    A few weeks ago, I met up with Kathleen at 7:45A to do her makeup for her big day! When we say airbrush makeup lasts all day AND night, it really does! I had such a great time getting to know her, and LOVED all of the unique touches she added to her wedding. I had to attach a photo of her stunning vintage inspired wedding dress! Thank you so much for the honor of working with you on your most special day. :) These beautiful photos are part of a set that can be viewed by clicking HERE. The photographer that Kathleen and her hubby worked with is Jessica Fey Photography. Doesn't she do some fantastic work? :)

  

Congratulations, Mrs. Kuntz!

  A few weeks ago, I had the pleasure of doing makeup for Amanda and her bridal party at the Seelbach. I loved all of the unique handcrafted pieces that she used. The clay flower bouquets were stunning and so lifelike! She was such a beautiful bride and I really enjoyed getting to know her. I was married a couple of years ago, but with all of these weddings lately, I keep finding ideas I wish I could have used! I definitely would have added her programs and etsy finds to my "idea bank" ;) Amanda, thank you so much for the opportunity to work with you.

     Wedding Photos courtesy of Josh Meredith with Bella Grace Studios

Just A Teaser...

   Met one of my brides booked for next year a few weeks ago when I did her engagement photos.. The full set isn't up yet, but here is a teaser! Doesn't she look beautiful?! We had a lot of fun playing with earth tones and some greens..Nothing crazy though ;) Sarah's photographer is Jason Coobs, and his port can be viewed by clicking HERE

  

Congratulations, Mrs. Buhts!

  On 9/10/11, I had the honor of doing Katie's makeup for her big day. She and her mom were such a blast to work with, and I still think it is just the coolest thing how close the two of them are! Makes me miss my mom :'( (she lives in Florida) She and her brother were really close too, and she even made sure to include him in her bridal party! How awesome is that?! Katie, thank you so much for allowing me to be a part of your sweet day, and for sharing these beautiful pictures with me! Josh @ Bella Grace Studios did some incredible work as usual! :)

Check It Out!

One of my beautiful brides from this past Summer is going to be featured in this issue of Kentucky Bride Magazine on news stands everywhere! Congratulations, Emily!

Congratulations, Mrs. Stivers!

     This summer, I had the honor of doing makeup for Katie and her wedding party. Katie and I actually worked together 4 times in preparation of her big day! By the time her wedding came around, I had made a great friend. :) You might recognize her from an engagement posting awhile back. I was so sad when we wrapped up, because we wouldn't be seeing each other again for awhile (until her friend's wedding and a makeup bag spring cleaning). So excited to see you again soon, Katie! Thank you so much for sharing these photos with me. It was such a pleasure working with you. :) Hugs! :)

   Photos taken by RedTree Photography - Courtesy of Katie Stivers -


         Isn't she just gorgeous?!

Congratulations, Mrs. Smoot!

  Last weekend, my assistant and I traveled out to Carlisle, KY to work with Leanna and her bridal party. The girls were such a joy to work with, and we LOVED seeing the beautiful countryside. Leanna, thank you so much for allowing us to be a part of your special day! You were such a gorgeous bride! Credits to Rob Mould Photography.. Check out more of their beautiful work by clicking HERE

Videos Up!

Hey Ladies! Videos added to my new Youtube Channel! My plans are to start adding favorites and eventually doing my own tutorials as well. For now though, enjoy the makeup!

Congratulations, Mrs. Delaquis!

  I had the opportunity to do makeup for Laura for her wedding back in May. She was such a sweet bride, and it was so neat to be able to do makeup for her mom and her daughter as well! Laura just made an album of makeup for me on facebook with the photos that she just got back from her wedding. I'm always so excited when my clients love their looks and feel beautiful! Thank you so much for sharing, Laura! Here are a few for you all to check out! Doesn't she look fantastic?! (If I do say so myself :p ) She used Zimmerman Photography, who you can check out by clicking HERE. Laura and Laurent were married at St. Francis of Assisi here in Louisville.

Artistry HD

Time to link up! Just ignore this post ladies. sorry. Time for maintenance. I have a link from my site to the blog, but not the other way around, according to google. Check out the official Artistry HD website at www.artistryhd.com

Check out this video!

Hey Ladies!


   Here is a video I found of Emily, one of my recent brides and her wedding party! (I did all of their makeup) She used ICVideo. Didn't they do an amazing job?! She really was such a beautiful bride :) You can see the whole article and view more about ICVideo by clicking HERE

It's Here... Wen Hair Care Review!

 Back in May, I met up with one of my brides for a trial run. She had some of the most gorgeous hair I had EVER seen, and I had to ask her what she used. She told me that she had bought into the as-seen-on-tv WEN Hair Care System, and was addicted.

   It instantly got my wheels turning.. I had already heard of WEN, and knew that it was sulfate-free. I figured that must really be what made it special, so I decided to try using another brand of sulfate-free shampoo called Hairtrition, that I reviewed several weeks ago here on my blog. I was impressed, but I wanted so badly to try WEN for the heck of it, that while we were on vacation in NC, the infomercial was running on the tv guide channel, and my hubby ordered it for me! Not going to say I'm not a little spoiled ;p...Love you, honey! 

   When I got home, it was waiting at my doorstep. I couldn't wait to try it out. I followed all of the instructions in the little booklet, and by the time I combed through my hair after washing, I could already see a dramatic difference. My hair has been color treated since I was 14, so it's been damaged to say the least. Brushing through my hair has never been a pleasant experience, until now. 

   I didn't really use the styling products, as I'm used to air drying my hair, and putting it up. I was impressed with it though. I don't plan on re-ordering anything other than the cleansing conditioner and mask though. They are really incredible. :) 

   Okay, so I'm about two weeks in, and I'm hooked for life. The 30 day trial kit was $30 w/ free shipping, but the price of the replenishment shipments are quite a bit higher, even if you only order shampoo. Being the "frugalista" that I am, I shopped all around online figuring out the absolute best price per ounce. 

   If you want to try WEN, here is what I would do.

•  Order it through here CLICK and after your shipment arrives, register online and change your auto ship date from 4 wks to 12. 
• When you run out of the 30 day, if you like the whole system, order the $40 family trial. Once you get it, you can decide whether to keep or cancel your membership
• The best place to order individual products, especially the cleansing conditioner, is off of QVC.. click HERE. Their cost per ounce is dramatically lower than ordering it through the WEN site. (even with shipping) :)

  So there you have it! Try it out. It's totally worth the $30! One thing I have noticed, is that you can use a little less than they suggest, and still get amazing results. For my hair, I should be using 16-20 pumps, and usually 10-12 will do the job. If I use all 20 pumps, my hair is a little too oily the next morning, even if it is well conditioned..


  List of celebrities that use WEN: The cast of "Desperate Housewives," Alicia Keys, Ellen Degeneres, Paula Abdul, Laura Dern, Charlize Theron, Jenny Garth, Christina Applegate, Hally Berry, Holly Robinson Peete, Neve Cambell, Julianna Margulies and the list goes on.

      

  Thanks to Becca Quinton for getting me hooked! 

Congratulations, Mrs. Reilly!

  Last weekend, we had the opportunity to work with Stephanie and her whole bridal party at the Hyatt Regency Hotel here in Louisville, KY. She was so sweet and all of her bridesmaids were so supportive and helpful. One of them even fed her while I was applying her eye makeup! lol. I love how weddings bring everyone together, and seeing that tight bond between girlfriends. :) Stephanie, thank you so much for allowing my assistant and I to be a part of your special day and for sharing your photos. You made such a beautiful bride! We were honored to be there and really enjoyed working with every one of you!  Check out the rest of their photos on Facebook HERE - David Lee Photography

          

                       (Photos courtesy of Stephanie Pieper-Reilly and David Lee Photography)

      See More Images By Clicking HERE  - Thanks for sharing!

Interview with Ferenc.Biz

Hey All!

  I just had an interview with Ferenc.Biz (a company that links artists/photographers/models) and thought I would share it with you! :) Check it out by clicking HERE

    He asked a series of questions regarding how I got into makeup artistry and what types of products etc. that I love using. It was a lot of fun, and I'm grateful for the publicity! ;p

    Have an awesome week!

                                  

 P.S. Day 3 of WEN, and I'm growing more impressed.... Bet you can't wait for the review! ;)

The search is over... My official #1 FAVORITE Eye Makeup Remover!

For years I have searched for the absolute best eye makeup remover. I've tried a gazillion different ones from both drugstores and department stores, and could never find one that didn't leave tons of residue or pull at my lashes. Unlike the other ones I've tried, this one seems to literally "dissolve" the mascara and eyeliner right off of my lashes and lash lines... ARE YOU READY FOR IT?!!

     DRUM ROLL PLEASE.......


   Mary Kay Oil-Free Eye Makeup Remover!!!

  I know... Mary Kay?? I'm not going to bash the line, but I will say that I didn't expect this to be the place I ended up finding my "dream come true" eye makeup remover.. lol. I remembered trying it when I was a freshman in High School, but back then, I didn't wear a ton of long-wearing makeup, so I didn't have anything to compare it to. I had a chance to try it again a few weeks ago through one of my brides, who's mom sells it. I ended up buying 3 bottles because I loved it so much. I'm a convert. :)

      I remember the old bottle with the white cap, but I think the new packaging is so much nicer! Here is a picture of it. The bottle is 3.75 oz for $15.

    

COMING SOON... WEN review! I am so impressed, and this is only my second day using it.. :)