JoChowMakeup

Client featured on "The Knot" (Eeeeeeeks!!!)

2012-02-07T18:21:00.000-08:00

To say that I'm beyond stoked doesn't even begin to describe how excited I am! I found out yesterday, that one of the weddings I did a couple summers ago was featured in the current The KNOT Magazine Spring 2012 edition!!! I cannot stop smiling! Praise God! He is so good :)

Needless to say, I went and purchased the magazine as soon as I could get my butt out the door.

...and, here's the page!

... yes, it IS the most bizarre feeling to open up to a page in a magazine and recognize the gorgeous happy faces, see the beautiful photo, and think... wait, hang on, holy cow, I did their makeup!

That's Joyce in the middle, and her two sisters, Effie and Jessica. Boy, did I have such a fun and great experience with them. I'm so happy that they were able to get featured in the magazine! You can click on their names for the link to my previous blog entries about their makeup sessions.

Praise God for reminding me in such a spectacular way that He is always in control. Last year, due to my pregnancy and birth of my son Isaiah (love him!), there were quite a few inquiries that I had to turn down. Fewer inquiries, along with this being a side/part-time job = less word of mouth and opportunities for my business to grow.

It has been a reminder for me to go to God and ask for His direction and will. Is this something He wants me to continue with? Will I let the business/financial aspects of this business to determine success or failure? Am I a good enough makeup artist? It's a constant lesson for me to let go, and give it to God. It's such a humbling experience, and I pray that God will continue to allow me to trust in Him in all things big and small.

What a way cool reminder huh?

Okay, so really, call me if you need a makeup artist or know of someone who does! :)

Anita's Wedding!

2011-12-05T20:07:00.001-08:00

Who: Anita

What: Bridal Makeup Application

When: Saturday, Nov. 19th

Where has the time gone? I can't believe three weeks have already passed since honey and I drove to Anita's home to help her prep for her wedding day. We had a lot of fun, and Anita was definitely a trooper even though she was fighting a cold! It also JUST so happened to clear up that day with some nice sun. The days surrounding that Saturday were cold, dark, and rainy! I love when the weather cooperates :)

Before and After

Setting with powder foundation and starting on the eyes

About a third of the way through Anita's makeup application, her florist came to deliver her beautiful bouquet.

Anita wanted a lot of drama with her eyes, and I had a blast with extending the gel liner out and under her eyes.

Applying the falsies!

Closed lids

Anita was really good about prepping her face for the makeup application. A couple items we had discussed beforehand based on the trial were:

1. Regrow brows and have them reshaped for more evenness

2. Moisturize ALL parts of her face, including lips

Because Anita was on top of these items, the makeup application process was so smooth and easy.

I love Anita's natural smile here :) Almost everything was done except for her lips.

Here I'm just doing a bit of cleanup under the eyes for any loose fallout.

Before and during lip color application

Yay for a beautiful a healthy looking bride!

Anita! I hope you completely enjoyed your wedding day and are having a great time this holiday season with your new family. Congrats to you and Joseph :)

Valerie's Wedding Makeup Trial!

2011-11-06T20:45:00.000-08:00

Who: Valerie
What: Wedding Makeup Trial
When: Saturday, November 5

This past Saturday sure was a blast! My friend Valerie came in for her wedding makeup trial. Yay! We've known each other for a very long time and I've always admired how Valerie is so calm, honest, and easy going. It definitely made for a super enjoyable session!

There were a couple of things that I kept in mind as we created Valerie's look:
1) She had a previous bad experience with false lashes, where they were uneven and made her look like a "crazy person" all day :)
2) She normally doesn't wear any makeup at all

On to the photos!

   Before and After #1
   Yes, I am extremely jealous of Valerie's jaw line!!!

   Before and After #2
   We went through two rounds of after shots, one with Valerie's hair up, and another
   with her hair down.

   Before and After #3
   I very lightly drew Valerie's brow shape using a brown pencil liner, then used a
   brown/black powder to fill in any sparseness. I would really recommend any bride
   to have their brows shaped prior to the Big Day, since the brows help so much in
   framing the face.

Before and After #4

Before and After #5

   Before and After #6
   The false lashes definitely don't make Valerie look like a crazy person :) Different
   eye shapes require different types of lashes varying in length, thickness, and
   shape. The pair that Valerie has on are a great fit!

   Before and After #7

   Hair Up vs. Hair Down

   Lashes! (Closed Lids)

   Lashes again! (Profile)

   Glamour shot! :)

   Thanks so much for coming in yesterday Valerie! Can't wait to celebrate with
   you and Kevin on your Big Day!!!

Anita's Wedding Makeup Trial!

2011-10-09T18:00:00.000-07:00

Who: Anita
What: Wedding Makeup Trial
When: Saturday, October 8

After slowing down a bit with the makeup business due to the birth of my son, I realized how much I had actually missed working with other people on creating a look that makes them feel beautiful! This past Saturday, I had the pleasure of meeting Anita and her sister Cristina for a makeup trial. Thank you Jane for the referral :)

Here are the before and afters!

Before and After #1
I really enjoyed working with Anita and Cristina because of all the honest feedback they gave me with creating Anita's bridal look. We definitely reworked a few things like eyebrows and liner, and the end results were something that all of us were excited and happy about!

Before and After #2
Cristina suggested for Anita to put her hair up since it would be up for the actual wedding day. Good call!

Before and After #3
A look at the false lashes

Before and After #4
We also tried two different lipstick colors. The original color was more natural. Anita decided to go for the darker color which brightened up her face and created more drama for a more complete bridal look.

Before and After #5

Looking forward to working with you on your wedding day Anita! Best wishes to you and Joseph on all the remaining wedding plans that need to get done.

Charity's Makeup Application! [Bridesmaid]

2011-07-19T18:03:00.000-07:00

Who: Charity
What: Bridesmaid Makeup Application
When: Saturday, July 16

I had the pleasure of meeting Charity this past Saturday as I helped her prepare for her cousin, (and my friend) Carmel's wedding.

Good thing Charity reminded me about taking photos! We were trying to complete the makeup application in time so that she could get back to the hotel and finish getting ready. Unfortunately, I had forgotten to take the "before" photos. Shucks! Anyhow, we did get some good "after" shots before Charity had to run off :)

For Charity's lipcolor, I used two lipliners of my own to fill in her lips for a strong stain. After moisturizing and blotting, we were ready to use the lipstick color that Charity had brought along with her. Staining the lips is a great step to include so that if the lipstick wears off throughout an event, the stain is still there underneath. You won't be caught on camera with the pale fish-lip look! :)

False lashes, filled in brows, and blush finished the look!

I used a neutral color on Charity's lids, but created slightly more drama with the darker shading on the outer corners.

Great meeting you Charity! I enjoyed our conversation and definitely think anyone who works with children and promotes anti-bullying is AWESOME. Again, best of luck this year with all your upcoming shows!

Carol's Wedding Makeup Trial!

2011-07-08T13:15:00.000-07:00

Who: Carol
What: Wedding Makeup Trial
When: Saturday, July 2

Wow, it's been a while since my last post and I am so excited to share about my next client, my dear friend I love like a sister, Carol! Where do I start! We've been friends since we were zero (I'm sure), and boy have we had our share of laughter and heartache. God has blessed our friendship to this point in our lives and I cannot be happier for her and Neil as they prepare to join their lives together.

Most of my clients are strangers until we meet for the first time during the trial. It was so different this time with Carol. I still remember so long ago giggling and being silly together about who we were crushing on and how we were never going to marry Chinese guys. Ha! We were so wrong! Fast forward a good number of years, add a dose of super good reality, and here I was, applying false lashes on her lids in preparation for her possible wedding day look. It was definitely a sweet experience :)

Here are the before and afters:

Before and After #1
After seeing pictures of her wedding gown, I got the feel for something romantic to reflect the style of the dress. We went for a cool lilac colored lid with thin liner.

Before and After #2
I had also filled in the brows to balance out the eye look and the rest of her features.

Before and After #3
Added some blush...

Before and After #4
and neutral lip color for that healthy glow.

A look at the lashes

The eyes!

Ga! You're a beautiful person and I'm so happy you found a life partner in Neil.You both compliment each other so well. I wish you both the smoothest wedding day and an even more blessed marriage for years to come. No drama!

luvyou,
jo

Wendy's Wedding!

2010-11-29T18:31:00.000-08:00

Who: Wendy
When: Saturday, Nov. 6
Where: Morgan Hill, CA

Thinking back to that early morning Saturday several weeks back, there was actually a lot of seat hopping that happened! Wendy and her mom Sherry were really good about switching back and forth whenever the need came up.

... Start the hair first, then hair and makeup together, switch!, makeup, switch!, finish a bit of hair, touch up makeup... sometimes it just happens :)

Before and After

Hair by Margaret

Hair and makeup at the same time

Wendy and her mom are hilarious together!

Switch!

Shaping the brows

Switch!

Letting down the curls

Switch!

Mousse blush, powder blush, blend and contour

Additional shots

Lips

Switch!

Maintaining lip color discussion + veil lesson

Beautiful! ...and almost ready to go!

Best wishes to your new family Wendy! Just in time for all the Holiday festivities :)

Sherry's Makeup Application [MOB]

2010-11-28T17:52:00.000-08:00

Who: Sherry [Mother of Bride]
When: Saturday, Nov. 6
Where: Morgan Hill, CA

I hope all of you have had a wonderful Thanksgiving with lots of time spent with loved ones! I can't believe how quickly time flies and am finally getting a chance to blog about my experience from several weeks ago.

Having an early morning wedding is always interesting because I never know how the lighting is going to be. We started at 6am, so the sun hadn't made it's way out yet. Luckily, Wendy's house had plenty of bright lights! Yay!

I started with Wendy's mother, Sherry. She was great! Take a look at what we came up with:

Before and After
(By the time Sherry's makeup and hair was completed, the sun had started to shine through)

Working on Sherry's makeup application, while Margaret worked on Wendy's hair

Shadow and lash application

Lining, then filling the lips

Profile with false lashes

Blush!

Makeup done! Onto hair with Margaret.

Stay tuned for Wendy's wedding makeup application!

Wendy's Makeup Trial

2010-09-25T14:02:00.000-07:00

Who: Wendy
What: Makeup Trial
When: Saturday, Sept. 9

Several Saturdays ago, Wendy came in for her makeup trial. So very sweet and down to earth!

Here's the look we came up with:

Lashes!

Looking forward to working with you Wendy! I hope all the rest of the wedding planning goes smoothly for you :)

Karen's Wedding!

2010-09-24T19:37:00.000-07:00

Who: Karen [Bride] + Jeana [Bridesmaid] + Gail [MOB]
Where: The Los Gatos Hotel
When: Saturday, Sept. 4

Sept. 4th turned out to be another 2 wedding Saturday! After spending the early morning with Meredith and her ladies, Honey and I headed over to the lovely Hotel Los Gatos for Karen's wedding prep :)

I started first with the Mother of the Bride, Gail.

Shadows and blush

Karen had just gotten her hair done and came to take a look at the progress :)

Finished!

Next up was Jeana

She wanted a very natural look. I paired a shimmery gold/champagne lid with her turquoise dress.

Finally, I get to start working on the bride, Karen! We had just finished putting on the false lashes at this point :)

Adding the gel liner for some definition

Taking a break partway through and reviewing the vows

Done. What a happy and glowing bride!

The location was beautiful, with it's Mediterranean feel. Very cozy and warm atmosphere. Karen was also so thoughtful in asking the hotel for a bar stool/chair. This provided the perfect height for makeup applications!

Karen, wishing you a wonderful marriage with lots of laughs and learning. God bless!

Meredith's Wedding!

2010-09-15T22:08:00.000-07:00

Who: Meredith
When: Saturday, September 4th
Where: San Jose

I'm sooooo excited to finally be able to sit down and blog about my visit with Meredith! Just about three weeks ago, Honey and I drove to Meredith's place early in the morning to help her and her bridal party get ready for the special day.

It was pitch black outside! It was really neat to go through the morning with Meredith and her girls and see how everyone kind of slowly rose out of their sleepiness. Meredith was great! So easy to get along with and totally a positive thinker. Thanks Sue for the referral!

Before and After

Action shot!

I worked on Meredith's flawless complexion first, then Magaret got started on her hair.

Once Meredith's hair and veil were done, I was able to complete her look.

Blush!

Happy bride :)

I first used a rosy/nude lipliner to line and fill Meredeith's lips, then I took a brighter and bolder color to add some impact.

Balancing out the intensity of the eyebrows with the overall face.

Done, and beautiful!

Happy wedding day Meredith! Seeing your wedding photos on FB brought a smile to my face. Wishing you a blessed marriage!

Sue's Makeup Application [Bridesmaid]

2010-09-06T17:15:00.001-07:00

Who: Sue
When: Saturday, Sept. 4
Where: San Jose

Remember Sue!?! I can't believe it's already been 1o months since I last saw her for her bridal makeup application! It was awesome seeing her and being able to work with her again for her friend Meridith's wedding. In fact, that's how Meredith knew about me...it was through Sue's referral. Thanks Sue!

Before and After

Sue opted to go for the false lashes...yay! They look beautiful on her!

Here, I'm lining her upper lids with gel liner after I had placed the false lashes on.

Sue is so photogenic!

Sue, thanks again for giving Meredith my contact info! It was so nice to be able to catch up with you...and work with you again :) I just saw some of the photos you posted and it really looks like everyone had so much fun!

Kristy's Makeup Application [Bridesmaid]

2010-09-06T16:54:00.000-07:00

Who: Kristy
When: Saturday, Sept. 4
Where: San Jose

This past Saturday started super early for Honey and I! We got to Meredith's place when it was still pitch black outside, and got started right away with the bridesmaids. I worked on Kristy first. I must say, for such an early wedding start time, Kristy (as tired as she must've been), was so laid back and full of laughs! It made for a very smooth morning :)

Before and After

Evening out the complexion. I like to use a sponge with a little bit of water sprayed onto it before squeezing the MAC mousse foundation onto it. I find that it helps to even out the product as it's being applied onto the skin and helps it not dry out so quickly while blending.

After Kristy's makeup was completed, she popped on over to Margaret to get her hair done.

Gorgeous curls!

I like this shot because the light was JUST starting to come in through the window. Also, you can see how Kristy's bangs really had to be tamed! :)

It was great meeting you Kristy! I hope you enjoyed the day with Meredith. Looks like you guys really know how to enjoy each other's company :)

Tissue's Makeup Trial!

2010-08-31T21:23:00.000-07:00

Who: Tissue
What: Makeup Trial
When: Saturday, August 28

Congrats to Tissue and Jacob! I loved hearing their story of how they became a couple, and more importantly, how God had such a wonderful hand in it. He is awesome! I had a lot of fun with these two this past Saturday and can really see how much they love and care for each other. I hope God continues to do great things in both your lives and that you continue to live for Him!

Tissue wanted a very simple and neutral look...here's what we came up with!

Before and After #1

Before and After #2

Before and After #3

Before and After #4

False lashes

Glam shot

Tissue + Jacob

Thanks for sharing your story again you two! I know God has wonderful things planned for you :)

Gail's Makeup Trial!

2010-08-30T20:00:00.000-07:00

Who: Gail
What: Mother of Bride Makeup Trial
When: Saturday, August 14

Several Saturdays ago, Karen's mother came in for a MOB trial. I loved seeing the two dresses she brought in and had a lot of fun imagining the different color palettes we could try on Gail depending on which color dress she ended up choosing.

Here's what we came up with!

Before and After #1

Before and After #2

Before and After #3

The berry lips and false lashes look great on you Gail! Looking forward to seeing you again this Saturday :)

Debbie's Wedding!

2010-08-27T22:26:00.000-07:00

Who: Debbie
When: Saturday, August 7
Where: Mountain View

I had been looking forward to Debbie's wedding for a while ever since I had met her last year during the trial. She is seriously one of the sweetest people I've ever met! We ended up having only 1 hour to do her makeup, but everything worked out nicely. The makeup session was pleasant and super enjoyable, largely due in part to Debbie's calmness throughout the short morning.

Sometimes, when there are multiple girls to do, we'll figure out a schedule where everyone takes turns, rotates, and switches. Here, Margaret and I are working on the other ladies while Debbie gets to relax.

Debbie + Mom

Hair with Margaret (great job Mags!)

Debbie got her hair done first, then came over for her makeup

Onto the before and afters!

Before and After #1

Before and After #2

Action shots:

It was awesome seeing Jen again! If you're looking for a photographer, check out her blog to see her photos.

A visit from Mel...I forgot what she had said, but it was funny!

Eyes and Lips

Lashes and Cheeks

Taking photos through the window :)

Glam shots

Debbie, I had an awesome time with you and your wedding party! Thanks so much for allowing Honey and I to be a part of your special day. Wishing you and Brian the best as you start this new chapter in your lives. God bless!

Mel's Makeup Application [Bridesmaid]

2010-08-23T21:42:00.000-07:00

Who: Mel
When: Saturday, Aug. 7
Where: Mountain View

We decided to work on Mel outside in the patio since the lighting was quite nice. It was so relaxing! We were perched outside on the 2nd floor in our own private area and it was the perfect setting for makeup and conversation.

I'm still amazed at how wonderful God is and how He works in different people's lives. It was so encouraging to meet Mel and hear about her positive attitude towards her current situation. What a Godly woman! We had some great laughs and I can see why Debbie and Mel get along so well with one another.

Before and After #1

Before and After #2

Filling in the brows

I'm loving the rollers :)

Blush and powder

Lips! (I don't know why I like this shot so much... maybe it's the calmness in Mel's expression)

Mel, thank you for allowing me to see God so clearly through you. I'm know that He has a great and wonderful plan for you!

Bethany's Makeup Application [MOH]

2010-08-21T17:51:00.000-07:00

Who: Bethany
When: Saturday, Aug. 7
Where: Mountain View, CA

Hi Everyone! What an amazingly busy and full two weeks it's been since I worked with Debbie and her wedding party two weekends ago. The school session has just started up again, and the normal craziness of the new school year has definitely taken a toll on me.

Anyhow, it's nice to finally be able to sit down and have some much needed blogging time! Two weeks ago, I went to Mountain View with Honey to work with Debbie and her wedding party. I had met her all the way in December when we had our trial! She was an absolute sweetheart...and it seems it runs in the family!

Bethany is Debbie's sister, and boy did I have a relaxing and enjoyable time chatting with her while her makeup was being applied. The conversation just flowed and Bethany is so down-to-earth and laid back. Onto the before and afters!

Before and After #1

Before and After #2
(You may have noticed the change in colors from the before to afters. We actually switched locations shortly after the initial photos since the natural lighting from the windows weren't being caught quite as nicely. Before = yellow, lightbulb lighting, After = natural, outdoor lighting)

Getting that flawless face

The, "Okay fine, I'll close my eyes" shot.

Blush and Lips

Doesn't this shot look totally posed!?! ...it's not! haha, I love Bethany's dimples :)

Happy mom, looking on. (Congratulations Mrs. Ho!)

Bethany, I completely enjoyed the time spent with you and wish you the best with your nursing career! Congrats on passing your nursing exam :)

Makeup Workshop for Philip!

2010-08-14T22:56:00.000-07:00

Who: Philip (Student) + Maggie (Model/Guinea Pig)
What: Makeup Workshop
When: Friday, August 6

My past two posts with my Transformation models actually all happened because a brother from church had asked me to teach him some makeup techniques! We decided to make a day out of it, and had so much fun :)

The morning and afternoon sessions were devoted to Ivan and Jaime, where I applied the makeup, explained the techniques and the reasons behind them, explored different products, and took before and after photos. The late afternoon session was saved for Philip to actually use what he learned on his model/wife Maggie. What an awesome student! It was cool to see how Philip would take what he saw and heard, and transfer that into action. It was also fun to prance around taking photos while Philip concentrated on his masterpiece!

Take a look at his work!

Before and After #1

On a side note, when Philip first started on Maggie, there was still daylight coming into the studio. By the time he was finished, there was barely any more light coming in. The after photos you see have a completely different lighting source.

Before and After #2

Being really careful with evenness and symmetry

The look of trust. Maggie, you're so brave.

Too cute! Good job Philip for working hard and being a great student!

Transformation: Jaime --> JPOP Princess

2010-08-09T23:40:00.000-07:00

What: Transformation
Who: Jaime --> JPOP Princess! :)
When: Friday, August 6

So for those of you who know my sister Jaime, the logical, straight to the point, no-nonsense Jaime, this transformation into a JPOP Princess is hilarious! I'm so excited that this was a success!

I was looking through some Japanese magazines and inspired by the big eyes, false lashes, voluminous hair, cute outfits, and of course, the cheesy poses. JPOP refers to the Japanese Pop culture and music that has been making their way into the scene. Here are the before and afters!

Before and After #1

Before and After #2

Before and After #3

Before and After #4

Here are some of the key steps we took to get this look:
1. Super bold eyeliner all around the eyes! (Yes, it looked really drastic at first, but it all came together well and actually looked quite natural once we all got used to it)
2. Extreme false lashes
3. 4 layers of different lipcolors (I know, I wanted to get the color just right)
4. Curled the hair
5. Added a silky white ribbon I found in my craft drawer as a headband
6. Rummaged through earrings to find these super-girly white rose earrings
7. Change into a white top Jaime brought from home

I had a couple Japanese Magazines on hand during the transformation session and was able to reference back to it to make sure I was on the right track. As I was taking Jaime's after photos, I reminded her to:
- think of super happy thoughts
- not be afraid to be completely girly/cheesy
- be cute!

False lashes at different angles

Jaime's so cute :) Oh yeah, I also loaded on the blush and contoured her nose with some matte bronzer.

This shot isn't so typical of a Japanese photo, but I liked it a lot, especially how the hair looks.

And... I'll leave you with this winning shot. You will never see Jaime like this again :)

Thanks for letting me play with you Ja!

Transformation: Ivan --> Ivanna!!!

2010-08-07T21:40:00.001-07:00

What: Transformation
Who: Ivan --> Ivanna
When: Friday, August 6

I had soooooooo much fun this past Friday during our Transformation session! So a photographer friend from church (Philip) had approached me earlier on in the year about getting some makeup lessons. We agreed to bring on a few models where I could show and teach him some techniques.

I had my eye out for potential models...and then Ivan came into the picture :) Oh Ivan. I LOVE Ivan :) He has limitless energy, a constant smile, a heart for God, and the craziness to let me do whatever I wanted to him! Yay!

Our day started out early with some before shots:

And then the fun begins!!!

Before and After #1

Before and After #2

Before and After #3

Before and After #4

A few extra things we did to get this look:
1. Take off glasses and put in contacts
2. Plucked a few brow hairs
3. Super concealed facial hair
4. Borrowed a wig from my friend Kristen to put on Ivan
5. Pulled a couple items of clothing from my closet for Ivan to change into
6. Lots and lots of makeup!

Glamour Shots:

Closed eyes

So pretty!!! Ivan knows how to "smile with his eyes!"

Thanks Ivan! I hope you had as much fun as I did :)

Stay tuned for our next Transformation: Jaime --> JPOP Princess

Crystal's Makeup Trial!

2010-08-05T22:12:00.000-07:00

Who: Crystal
What: Wedding Makeup Trial
When: Tuesday, August 3

Let me tell you a story about a friend named Mike!!! Once upon a time, there was a nice fellow named Mike who really deserved to meet a super girl that he could happily spend the rest of his life with. BAM!!! Tadaaaaa!!! Yay, Crystal came into the picture :) Fast forward past the praying, dating, courtship, and engagement... and now we're here at Crystal's makeup trial for the wedding!

I had so much fun with these two :)

Before and After #1

Before and After #2

Before and After #3

Before and After #4

Additional shots:

A look at the lashes

I loved it when Crystal looked up!

Have fun with the rest of wedding planning you two! Can't wait to see the invites... (no pressure Mike!)

Meredith's Wedding Makeup Trial!

2010-07-26T10:32:00.000-07:00

Who: Meredith
What: Wedding Makeup Trial
When: Wednesday, July 21, 2010

One of the really cool things about having a makeup AND hair trial on the same day and location, is that you really get to see a more complete bridal look! I'm so glad everything worked out for Meredith's trial :) Mags and I had a lot of fun with her... we're all in the education field as well!

Before and After #1

Before and After #2

Before and After #3

Meredith came in all prepared! I loved seeing her dress and some of the accessories she was planning on wearing. This always helps so that I get a better idea of my client's personality and style.

After we got the makeup done, Mags came and started working on her hair!

I think the purple flower will actually be a white/ivory one :) We got a good idea of placement though.

After shots with makeup and hair complete

Meredith with the veil on!

Looking forward to working with you on your big day Meredith! I hope the dress fitting went well :)

Joyce's Wedding!

2010-07-20T14:38:00.000-07:00

Who: Joyce
When: Sunday, July 11
Where: San Jose

I've had to save up everything I've been wanting to post about Joyce and I finally get to put it all out here on my blog. Yay! This girl made me laugh!!! Really Hard!

She was one of the most down-to-earth brides I've met. And she was sooooo great about trusting me with the makeup look we had created during her trial. As a makeup artist, I always try to connect with my clients... Joyce just made it super easy :) Joyce's husband (Alex) is a very blessed man to have found such a beautiful woman to live his life with!

Before and After

Eyes open and closed

Here, I'm connecting Joyce's natural lashes and false lashes together with mascara. Sometimes, that involves curling the two together to ensure a smooth little flip.

Cleaning up loose shadow under the eyes

Taking a break with a good 'ol technology fix!

Before I finished Joyce's makeup, she went over to get her hair done. Irene So from StyleItSo, did a great job with the hair! Click on her name if you would like to see more of her work or to get in contact with her.

Hair done! Working on finishing the lips.

Done :)

Other shots:

Relaxing with Janny

Helping with pinning Effie's hair up

Too cute with Jessica!

Joyce, what a wonderful time I had with you and all of your girls. It was so apparent how much you all love each other and support one another. You made me feel like I had known you forever! Best wishes to you and Alex! You truly show God's character.

Effie's Makeup Application [MOH]

2010-07-17T12:00:00.003-07:00

Who: Effie
When: Sunday, July 11
Where: San Jose

I absolutely LOVED LOVED LOVED working with Effie! We had first met when she came with Joyce for Joyce's makeup trial. I noticed right away how close they were and how Effie really took care to support her sister through all the somewhat daunting details of wedding planning. In the time between the trial to the actual wedding date, Effie was the one who corresponded with me and communicated the wedding day schedule, sending me photos of the other bridal party members, as well and different ideas for makeup looks.

Effie wanted a look incorporating coral tones, as well as putting more emphasis on blush. Here's what we came up with!

Before and After

Action shots

Blush! At one point, I told Effie that she was going to look like a clown for while! :)
(Which she took surprisingly well.) In order to capture that blushed emphasis look, I had to put several layers of the colors on. After letting that set and concentrating on other areas of the face, I then went back with a powder to blend and tone it to the desired shade.

This shot reminds me of a phone commercial :) Effie had to keep her eyes closed the entire time she was talking to her friend because the false lash glue was still drying. I like this because you can get a glimpse of how happy the atmosphere was.

Eyeliner after the false lash application

I first lined Effie's lips with a nude color and slightly filled her lips using the same color. We then used the MAC lipstick Effie had picked up to finish coloring in her lips. The coral color worked really well with Effie's skin tone.

Shot of the finished look with closed lids

Effie, you were an amazing MOH to your sister Joyce, and super wonderful to work with! I still smile every single time I think back to some of the conversation topics that came up :)

Janny's Makeup Application [MOH]

2010-07-15T20:49:00.000-07:00

Who: Janny (BTW- That smile in the photo above from Janny is BEAUTIFUL)
When: Sunday, July 11
Where: San Jose

Let's meet our 2nd gal from Joyce's wedding party, Janny! Yay for fellow teachers :) It's amazing how easy it is to strike up conversations with other teachers, especially with all the changes happening to our education system and consequences of the budget crisis.

Janny also opted to go a day without her glasses so that she could wear the false lashes. Here's what we came up with!

Before and After #1

Before and After #2

Oh yeah! You might also notice that all the makeup applications were done in the kitchen!!! Yes, that was a first for me :) Whenever I go to a new location that I haven't been to before, I'm always looking for the place with the best lighting. Normally that would be natural lighting like right in front of a window or doorway of some sort. Since the fog hadn't really burned off yet, the best place turned out to be in the kitchen! We had a lot of fun in there!

Action shots:

After working on Janny's flawless face complexion, I filled in her brows according to her brow shape. For Janny, I used a brow pencil first, then went over that with a dark brown/black brow shadow. (I actually do that for my own brows too...cause I don't have any!)

Getting ready to apply the false lashes. This can be traumatic for some people, especially if your eyes are very sensitive. No worries! We take it slow and there are plenty of opportunities for breaks. For Janny, I would let her eyes take a rest while I would work on another part of her face... for example, putting on the blush.

Lining the eyelids after the false lashes have been glued on.

The last and final step, setting with powder. Janny was so nice to help me hold back her hair while I was doing this :)

Janny, it was a pleasure meeting you! It was fun listening to how you met your husband...and how you met Joyce too! And, two thumbs up for Eye on the Bay!

* Stay tuned for more posts from Joyce's bridal party

Jessica's Makeup Application [Bridesmaid]

2010-07-14T22:28:00.000-07:00

Who: Jessica
When: Sunday, July 11
Where: San Jose

These next few posts will be dedicated to the utterly hilarious and completely welcoming bridal party I met when helping out with Joyce's special day. I was sharing with Honey as we were driving off that this was probably one of THE most fun experiences I've had as of yet :)

I absolutely LOVED meeting these girls and am so in awe of how down to earth and friendly there were. Everything clicked! Yay!

Here's Jessica, Joyce's youngest sister! Super sweet and completely trusted me with her look. Here's what we came up with!

Before and After #1

Before and After #2

Action shots:

When we first got started, I had asked Jessica if she had planned on wearing her glasses or not. This is important if you want to wear false lashes. Although all cases are different, if glasses are to be worn during an event, I would normally suggest not to have false lashes applied. They often are much longer than normal lashes, and can cause some disturbance to the wearer if they are constantly brushing against the glasses lens.

When the time came for the false lash application, Jessica opted to go without her glasses! Brave girl! :)

Hope you had a wonderful day Jessica! Good luck with pharm school! :)

* Stay tuned for more posts with Joyce's bridal party

Anna's Wedding!

2010-06-28T15:57:00.001-07:00

Who: Anna
Where: Sunnyvale, CA
When: Saturday, June 19, 2010

Yay for two wedding Saturdays! Anna was the bride for the 2nd wedding Honey and I were able to be a part of. It is so amazing how many details go into planning a wedding. It can get crazy...fast! It's typical to have some scrambling happen on the day of, no matter how perfectly we try to plan everything out. Even though there were some issues that came up during the morning of Anna's wedding, she was still able to keep a smile on her face. Hope everything worked out Anna!

Onto the photos!

Before and After #1

Before and After #2 (with the added lashes)

Prepping for flawless skin
Anna was really flexible with the order of the makeup application which ended up working out really well. I worked on her brows and flawless skin look first, then she went over to Margaret to get her hair in curlers. Between that time and when she came back to finish her look, I was able to work on Jane's makeup application.

Reading a letter from soon-to-be husband!

"Okay, are you ready?"

Working on the eyes

Cheeks!

Lips

Superglam with the curlers!

Flowers created by Anna's mom!

Let's take a look

Thanks for letting me be a part of your special day Anna! Best wishes and God bless your new marriage :)

Jane's Makeup Application [Bridesmaid]

2010-06-25T17:00:00.000-07:00

Who: Jane
When: Saturday, June 19
Where: Sunnyvale

So it turned out to be another 2 wedding Saturday for Honey and I! After we packed up at Jenn's SF location, we headed on down to Sunnyvale for Anna's wedding. What's neat is we even had some time before we needed to be at our next location and had a chance to stop by for some yummy McDonald's breakfast! Yay!

Heading to do the makeup applications for Anna and her bridesmaids was actually much easier since I had already seen them beforehand for a fun makeup trial. I was more familiar with all their facial features and was able to tweak a few techniques to better suit their looks for the day. Generally speaking, the more opportunities I have to work with a client, the better the makeup application will be :)

Here's Jane! I absolutely enjoyed working with her and would hope to have another opportunity again ;) So sweet and open, PLUS she let me have so much freedom with what I did with her look...super-awesome!

Before and After #1

Before and After #2 (Ooh look, my hand looks scary)

Action Shots:

Plenty of natural light...the BEST for makeup applications.
(And yes! That's Margaret working on Anna's hair. She did a great job!)

False lashes are THE best!

Applying Bobbi Brown's Gel Liner

Mags prepping Jane's hair. So Cute! Jane seriously could've gone out with the curls still rolled up.

The eyeshadow colors (copper and plum) that were used on the bridesmaids were such an amazing match with the dresses.

Thanks Jane! I hope we'll get the chance to see each other again :)

---------

Look for the next post coming up soon: Anna's Wedding!

* And thanks Honey, for taking some great shots :)

Jenn's Wedding!

2010-06-24T00:29:00.000-07:00

Who: Jenn
Where: San Francisco
When: Saturday, June 19

Last Saturday, Honey and I took an early morning drive up to San Francisco to help Jenn get ready for her special day. Amidst girls in hair curlers, hair spray flying around, makeup brushes flicking, and conversations that flowed, one thing completely stands out to me...Jenn's contagious laugh!!! It's like a real, quality, laugh. One that comes from the gut!

Okay, onto the photos:

Before and after

No crying happening in here!

"Is that okay?"

For those of you who are allergic to lipstick, Jenn found a solution! If I remember right, she found this brand: http://www.gabrielcosmeticsinc.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=product.display&Product_ID=8 at Whole Foods? It does not contain a certain ingredient that could cause allergic reactions. If you haven't been able to wear lipstick because of sensitivity, you might want to check the Gabriel Cosmetics line out.

My nose flares when I concentrate :)

Almost done!

Let's check for evenness.

Finally! The sun started to peek through the window.

Congrats again Jenn! I hope you enjoy married life...and keep on laughing! I love it!

Cindy's Wedding!

2010-06-14T13:23:00.000-07:00

What: Cindy's Wedding Makeup Application
When: June 5, 2010
Where: Fremont, CA

A couple of Saturday's ago, Honey and I drove to Cindy's home in Fremont to help her prep for her special day. We ended up meeting at just the right timing as she drove up from getting her hair done! Cindy was calm, happy, cheerful, and waaay cool with us doing the makeup outdoors. Yay!

Before and After

A few action shots:

Trimming the false lashes

The "Don't move, it's like a permanent marker..." part.

Concealer time

Blush for that healthy glow

Powdering to set makeup

Starting to get warmer :)

Howdi-doodi!

I love how Cindy's face lights up whenever she smiles and laughs :)

See what I mean?

Cindy, what a wonderful time we had spending with you in getting ready for your special day :) I wish you and Derek a blessed marriage with lots of laughter and growing!

Joyce's Wedding Makeup Trial!

2010-05-02T19:17:00.000-07:00

Who: Joyce
What: Wedding Makeup Trial
When: Saturday, May 1, 2010

Superfun!!! That's the word that comes to mind when I think about the trial with Joyce this past Saturday. Thank you to Jenny, a former client, who was so cool to pass on my info when she heard Joyce was looking for a makeup artist.

What a riot it was with her and her sister. Joyce had made this sound at one point that completely reminded me of one of my best friends (Hi Erinn!).

"Doot-di-doot."

Hahahahaha! Okay, well onto the before and afters.

Before and After #1

Before and After #2

Before and After #3

Open and closed!

Here are the key ideas I got from Joyce as we discussed the look she was going for before we got started:
- Warm
- Sunny
- Young
- Glowing

I think it worked!!! This look matches so perfectly with Joyce's personality :)

Additional photos:

I thought this shot was cool.

Hope you enjoyed the session as much as I did Joyce! You and your sister are so funny together :) Happy wedding planning to you and Alex.

Anna's Wedding Day Trial!

2010-03-18T17:59:00.000-07:00

Who: Anna
When: Saturday, March 13
What: Wedding Makeup Trial

As I mentioned in my previous post, I had the privilege of meeting three wonderful friends for the first time on Saturday. Hearing their story of how they all met and the connections they have in each other's lives reminds me so much of how true friendship is such a blessing. It was like straight out of a movie script or something!

Okay, onto Anna, our bride. I just have to say this...Anna is by far the tallest bride/client I have ever worked with! Standing along with her was her other bridesmaid Grace, who is also super tall! It's so rare to have tall Asian girls, and here were two right on my doorstep. We always want what we don't have :) Unfortunately, I don't have height.

Before and After #1

Before and After #2

Before and After #3

Anna was the first one up for makeup application on Saturday. What's great about my home studio in the morning is the natural light that comes in. If you look back on the photos, you can really see the makeup in more of that natural light vs. having the flash with the shadows in the background.

Additional shots (Courtesy of Honey) :)

Focusing on the eyes, blending and lining

Makeup application in progress

The gals!

Welp, that was truly a fun Saturday morning. I can't wait to work with these ladies again! Hope you have a great time picking up your wedding dress this weekend Anna :)

Jane's Makeup Trial

2010-03-15T17:48:00.001-07:00

Who: Jane
When: Saturday, March 13
What: Makeup Trial

Last Saturday, I had the pleasure of spending some time with three very cool gals! Anna the bride, and her two bridesmaids came in for a morning of fun and beautifying :) I'll start with one of the bridesmaids, Jane, first.

Working with Jane was really easy. After taking a look at the bridesmaid's dress and getting an idea for the color, I suggested a two tone eye look with copper and plum. Jane gave me the green light, and here's what we came up with!

Before and After #1

Before and After #2

Before and After #3

I had mentioned it during the trial, but I have to say it again... the false lashes we used on Jane worked and complimented so well with her eye shape! I'm so pleased with the way the overall look came together :) In addition to the false lashes, we also did some slight contouring along the nose. I didn't feel any other contouring was necessary since Jane's facial structure already lends itself so well to light and shadows.

Thanks Jane! The experience with the three of you ladies was lots of fun!

Thanks to Honey too, for helping me take the before and after shots. Can you tell these pictures are a lot better than the ones I take?

Additional shots:

Looking forward to seeing you again this summer!

Photos from Jenn!

2010-03-09T18:12:00.000-08:00

Last month, Jenn came over for her makeup trial and we were able to do quite a bit of experimenting with layering different colors and shadows! I still remember how easy it was to try different looks and options with her.

Here are some of the photos Jenn sent over taken by Denny Hidayat on the day of the makeup trial. The makeup turned out beautifully for these outdoor shots!

Gorgeous landscape shot. Something about the clouds in the background is so beautiful.

Where was this taken? I'm in love with the tropical background and the casual/comfortable pose.

What a cute couple! You two look really happy together. Best wishes with all the wedding planning Jenn :)

Photos from Sue!

2010-03-08T17:41:00.000-08:00

Several months ago, I had the wonderful pleasure of working with Sue on her wedding day. It was a pretty cool surprise getting an e-mail from her the other day with her new last name! Super fun stuff, although I remember the process of changing last names was quite tedious.

Here are some photos she shared with me from her wedding photographer of the day:
http://www.davidgenegallery.com/

Enjoy!

All the ducks, I mean brushes lined up in a row

I LOVE Sue's smile

My favorite shot

Jenn's Makeup Trial

2010-02-08T17:31:00.001-08:00

Who: Jenn
What: Makeup Trial
When: January 23, 2010

Having Jenn over was really fun. She was very open to adding on different layers of colors and depth to her eyes through shadows and lashes! Here are the before and afters:

Before and After #1

Before and After #2

Before and After #3
We tried two different looks with Jenn. The first one, in this before photo is with false lashes, light shadowing, and nude colored lips. In the after photo, we switched to a more plum-wine lip color with more dramatic eyes.

Natural/Nude look: This look would suite a few brides who are really, really shy about makeup, but still want to look finished for their wedding day. If you don't normally like to wear makeup, and are already hesitant about makeup on your wedding day, this look might match your needs. However, this look is also quite casual. It's almost even more appropriate for a daytime look, rather than a wedding look. Just my two cents! :)

Final look: I added more definition to Jenn's eyes by choosing a darker brown shade towards the base of her eyelids and blending a charcoal color onto the outer corners of her lids. We switched the nude colored lips out with a plum-wine color and came up with a look that was more appropriate for a special wedding event.

Good luck with all the planning Jenn!

Debbie's Makeup Trial

2009-12-27T01:49:00.000-08:00

Who: Debbie

What: Makeup Trial

When: Nov. 7, 2009

Hello from Hong Kong! I've been meaning to post this blog for such a long time, but I just couldn't find the opportunity to until now! I can't believe it's been almost four weeks since I met Debbie for her makeup trial.

Debbie was an absolute sweetheart and I enjoyed every single minute I spent with her in creating her wedding day look. (Brian, you are a very lucky and blessed man to have found such a joyful woman to spend your life with!)

Onto the before and afters:

Before and after #1

Before and after #2

In this after photo shot, you might be able to notice that Debbie's hair has been pulled forward for a smooth sweep. It really helped frame her face shape nicely and draw attention towards her facial features more.

Additional shots:

I can't emphasize enough how important false lashes are for helping to open up the eyes and creating that depth that is captured in photos. It might take some getting used to, but it's soooooo worth it! In this profile shot of Debbie, you can see how nicely the lashes play up her features.

So Debbie was my first client to sit in my new home Makeup Studio!!! Yes, it was very exciting! You may have noticed that the background and photo shots have been different in comparison with the other photos in my blog. The Makeup Studio is not completely done yet, but I can't wait to show you photos of the studio once it's finished.

Unfortunately, the lighting in the studio hasn't been installed yet, so you can see a huge difference in the photos taken with my camera (no flash), and with Debbie's camera (with flash). She was kind enough to send me some photos. Here's one last comparison to show you how different cameras can capture the same look.

I can't wait to work with Debbie again. She's a beautiful person on the inside and the outside and anyone that meets her would be able to see it :)

Happy New Year everyone!

Sue's Wedding!

2009-11-15T13:24:00.001-08:00

What: Sue's Wedding
Where: Sunnyvale, CA
When: November 1, 2009

A couple of weeks ago, I had the pleasure of working with Sue on her wedding day. She was calm, relaxed, and so hospitable! (Thanks for the sandwiches Sue!) We came up with a beautiful look that I'm excited to share with you.

Before and After (I don't know why these photos are showing up blurry on blogger...they're actually very clear otherwise. Arg.)

Beginning processes of prepping the face and evening out skin tone:

Eyes:

Once the initial makeup is applied, I normally ask brides to take a look in the mirror to see if they would like any changes. In Sue's case, she asked for an extended line for her eyeliner. Here, you can see that her makeup is almost complete. I'm just adding the final flick of the eyeliner to the edges of her eyes.

Adding the blush to the "blushing" bride:

I start with a mousse blush, then put powder blush on top of that. This helps with staying power so the bride looks fresh, radiant, and healthy all throughout the wedding day.

Lips:

Other photos:

I had a blast Sue! I wish you and Gil a blessed marriage...and rock on with the bass!

*** Photos from Sue***

Day and Evening. The makeup lasted ALL day. Yay!

Cindy's Makeup Trial

2009-10-14T15:45:00.001-07:00

Who: Cindy
What: Wedding makeup trial
When: Sunday, Oct. 11, 2009

It was great seeing Cindy again after so many years! Well, I take that back. Honey and I had actually bumped into her and her boyfriend at the time (now fiance), on a run to Sweethearts. I loved Cindy's enthusiasm for the makeup and was so happy how the look all came together, especially with her beautiful turquoise dress! I hope you two had a great engagement photo session :)

Before and After #1

Before and After #2

Before and After #3

The natural bridal look fits Cindy very well! Congrats again you two :) You both looked very happy together. God bless, and happy wedding planning!

Stacy's Wedding

2009-08-28T17:17:00.000-07:00

Who: Stacy
Where: Monterey, CA
When: Saturday, August 22, 2009

Last Saturday, Honey and I had the pleasure of helping Stacy prep for her wedding. We drove to Monterey and met Stacy at the Hyatt Regency. Very nice place! We'd never been there before, and I was surprised by the way the hotel had remodeled everything.

Working with Stacy was super easy and enjoyable. Here are some photos for you!

Before and After

It's so weird...the bathroom is a place I've worked in a lot :)

Stacy was a good sport with getting up to go back and forth between the bathroom and the window for better lighting.

Cool sequence shots

Close ups

Thanks for being such a great bride Stacy! Enjoy married life with your high school sweetheart!

* Janet, if you're reading this, thank you so much for the referral! Stacy mentioned you had gotten your business cards printed. Yay! I would love to have some on hand. Good luck with everything! I heard you did a beautiful job on the flowers :) *

Stacy's Makeup Trial

2009-08-10T21:15:00.000-07:00

Who: Stacy

What: Wedding Makeup Trial

When: Saturday, August 8, 2009

It was great having Stacy come in this past Saturday! It's amazing how some wedding traumas can be so common with brides. Turns out both of us has our wedding dresses sized incorrectly (from a local store which shall remain unnamed). Imagine our shock and disappointment when the dresses arrived and we had our first fittings. Yikes! It is not fun to see those toes poking out when a dress is made too short.

Anyhow, no bridezillas here :)

Before and After #1

Before and After #2

Before and After #3

Stacy! I loved chatting with you and look forward to working with you on your BIG DAY :)

Sue's Wedding Trial!

2009-08-07T11:29:00.000-07:00

Who: Sue

What: Wedding Makeup Trial

When: Saturday, August 1, 2009

Sue had sent me photos of her wedding dress prior to her makeup trial. This was super helpful, as it gave me an idea for the makeup look that would match well with her dress design. She had also sent me the link to her wedding website and I was able get an even better idea of who she was. When I saw that she and Gilbert (fiance) were bass players for their church, I was ecstatic! We definitely had some similarities there as I play the bass for my church as well!

Sue arrived last Saturday with some photos of looks she liked. We first started out with her original idea of a more neutral lip color. Here's what we came up with.

Before and After #1

Before and After #2

Before and After #3

Additional shots:

When Sue first came, we spent some time discussing the look she wanted. I also shared what my thoughts were on the look I envisioned for her after seeing the picture of wedding dress. What was even better was when she pulled out the fantastic blue flower accessory that she was planning to wear. That was a complete match! Here are the photos with the final look we came up with. I used a much darker, plum/wine lip color to balance out the look. It really seems to fit with her personality and the overall effect of the dress and accessories she'll be wearing that day.

Photo sequence from Before to After

Looking forward to your special day Sue!

Eli's Getting Married!

2009-08-05T13:00:00.000-07:00

Yay for brides who want to do their own makeup on the wedding day! Eli and her mom came in last week for some lessons. I hope they were informative and helpful for Eli in having more confidence with makeup application techniques!

Before and After #1

If you look closely, you might be able to see that one of Eli's eyes are more dramatic than the other. We practiced two different eye looks using different shadows. Although both fall under the "natural" category, Eli's right eye is definitely more neutral while her left eye has a bit more of a color pop.

Before and After #2

Before and After #3

I showed Eli how to apply false lashes...but only on one eyelid! :) Here's a profile shot:

Good luck on on the wedding day Eli... I know you'll look beautiful no matter what!

Summer Makeup Event Entry #10: Leslie (Retro 50's Glam)

2009-07-31T10:26:00.000-07:00

This past year, both my grandmothers passed away. Although those were sad times, I praise God they were both believers... I look forward to the day I can see them both again in heaven. When my PauPau (Mom's mom) passed away, one of my cousins was able to compile old photos of her to show during a slideshow at the memorial service. One of the photos stuck to me, and it was always easy to bring that image back up in my mind.

This last entry for the Makeup Event is special to me because she was my inspiration for this look.

All photos taken by Alex Chow, Pato Man, and Jennifer Quen

(* Excluding old photos of my grandma)

Here's my PauPau (Wasn't she beautiful?)

I knew I wanted to try this look on my cousin Leslie, but I didn't tell anyone WHO my inspiration was, I just mentioned the Retro 50's Glamour look. I guess I was somewhat intimidated and wasn't sure if I would be able to succeed with this look. I think sometimes, I'm my hardest critic, especially when it comes to things I really care about.

Before and After

Here's a black and white comparison with Leslie and my PauPau

To get this look, one of the most important features to get down was the eyebrows. Because Leslie's eyebrows were already pretty light, it was easy to change the shape of her brow with pencil and shading. I drew a much thinner straight line for her brows, pulling them out towards the temple instead of going down for that arched look that is more common for today.

Additional steps for creating this look included bigger bold red lips, super contouring, extreme lashes, and a fake mole added on with a dark brown eyeliner. For the eyeshadow, I used a bone and cork shade to enhance Leslie's eye shape.

I had asked Margaret to give Leslie that finger-wave 50's hairstyle. She came up with a perfect addition of adding the white flower.

What an experience! I loved every moment of it and was extremely pleased with the results. I'll leave this post today by sharing a couple more photos of my PauPau.

My granparents...when they were really, really young in China

Summer Makeup Event Entry #9: Rhena (Natural Modern)

2009-07-30T14:56:00.000-07:00

The look we went for with Rhena is a pretty natural look. I wanted to give her a slightly more updated look to balance out her features. Instead of staying with the brighter burgundy lip color where the focus went, I opted to play up her eyes and tone the lips down slightly. Here's what we came up with!

All photos taken by Alex Chow, Pato Man, and Jennifer Quen

Before and After

Additional shots

I like this one where Rhena is smiling nice and big!

Stay tuned for tomorrow's model: Leslie (Retro 50's Glamour)

*Tomorrow will be the last entry for this yeat's Summer Makeup Event!

Summer Makeup Event Entry #8: Mona (Asian Monolids - Smokey Purple)

2009-07-29T17:07:00.000-07:00

If you have asian monolids, you're just like me! No deep crease, maybe a more pronounced double lid on one eye depending on how tired I am that day. Anyhow, the makeup application and techniques for monolids are a bit different than the for the eyeshape we normally see in magazines and ads. When my cousin Mona signed on for the Makeup Event, I knew I would like to play up her eye features!

All photos taken by Alex Chow, Pato Man, and Jennifer Quen

Before and After

Margaret worked on Mona's hair first. Here are some close ups of the progress

Here's a great shot of Mona's hair! She was done and waiting for her spot on the makeup chair.

One of the most important steps for opening up the eyes (especially asian eyes), is the blending. It's super important! For this smokey purple look, the darker purple/eggplant shade was applied closest to the lashline. From there I added two additional purple shaded colors in succession from medium to light up to the brow bone. Finally, a charcoal shade was brushed onto the outer upper, outer corner of Mona's eye to give it a "lifting" effect.

To finish off the more dramatic eye look, I gave Mona a nude colored lipcolor with a bit of gloss.

Additional outdoor shot

Oh, one thing that is really important that often gets forgotten are the eyebrows. Many Asian brows tend to be really light and sparse. If you find yourself nodding your head in agreement, find some time to practice filling in your brows. You can do that with a pencil or with brow shadow filler. They frame the face and really help to make it all seem right :) I have to do mine everyday, otherwise, I look browless...hahaha.

Stay tuned for tomorrow's model: Rhena (Natural Modern)

Summer Makeup Event Entry #7: Tiffany (Grecian goddess)

2009-07-28T17:21:00.000-07:00

So Tiffany was the only girl that came in where I didn't know what she looked like :) Tiffany is a friend of Margaret's, and I'm really glad she was able to join us for this event!

I had started an album compiled of ripped out magazine pages with makeup, hair, and color themes that I would eventually want to try out. When I flipped through the pages with Margaret before everyone showed up, we stopped on the one picture that eventually inspired this Grecian goddess look. I got so excited when Margaret said Tiffany would be able to pull this look off (yay!), plus she had been wanting to try the hairstyle out for a while (double yay!).

All photos taken by Alex Chow, Pato Man, and Jennifer Quen

Before and After

I have to totally give it to Margaret for her neat work on Tiffany's hair! I loved everything about it from the tucked in curls, to the whimsical effect of the golden sash/ribbon, to the added volume at the crown, to the loose ringlets around the face...everything! This was a good one :) Good job Mags!

Here are some additional hair shots taken prior to makeup application

Needless to say, I was super excited to complete the look when Tiffany sat down in my chair for makeup. I was aiming for that innocent and lit-up goddess appeal. For that, I went for a golden eyeshadow color to bring out the golden ribbon that was in Tiffany's hair. I placed false lashes for added eye-openage (is that a word?), and used several tones of blush/bronzer for that lit-up look.

Close up with eye work in progress

Close up with eye work complete

Additional shots

This one's cute huh?

Jennifer, one of our photographers, had a great suggestion of possibly having outfits that would match the looks better. I completely agree. I hadn't thought that far into if for this first Makeup Event, but it'll definitely be something incorporated for the next one. I know this Grecian goddess look would have been sooooooo much better with an outfit that really lent itself to the look.

Anyhow, it was great meeting you Tiffany!

Stay tuned for tomorrow's model: Mona (Asian monolids - Smokey purple)

Summer Makeup Event Entry #6: Regina (60's Mod)

2009-07-27T21:49:00.000-07:00

I remember looking at my mom's senior graduation photo. I loved it. It was black and white, she had shoulder length hair that she had flipped out. I used that first as inspiration for Regina's 60'd Mod look. It developed from that photo taken long ago to what we came up with during the makeup event!

All photos taken by Alex Chow, Pato Man, and Jennifer Quen

Before and After

Action shots

I really emphasized the eyeliner around Regina's upper and outer corners of her eyes. It looked drastic at first, but really came together for the look we were trying to achieve. I finished that up with some nude colored lips.

I love this black and white profile shot!

"Snuffaluffagus lashes!"

Stay tuned for tomorrow's model: Tiffany (Grecian goddess)

Summer Makeup Event Entry #5: Lissa ("Warm and Glowing Mommy to be" inspired)

2009-07-26T15:51:00.000-07:00

Do any of you recognize Lissa? That's right! She's my friend who got married in Hawaii! Click here to read my post about that event last September. Anyhow, Lissa is now expecting and looking forward to motherhood :) I wanted to give her a healthy, soft glowing maternity look.

All photos taken by Alex Chow, Pato Man, and Jennifer Quen

Before and After

Lissa started out getting her hair done first with Margaret. To help achieve this soft look, I asked for loose, wavy curls that framed the face. Check out the work in progress!

Once Lissa's hair was done, she came over to the makeup chair for some neutral/warm tones and contouring. I decided not to add false lashes for this look since I was going for a more subtle enhancement vs. an extreme one like yesterday's Glam Rock.

Outdoor shot

Indoor shot

Beautiful! Looking forward to our first "Lucky baby!"

Stay tuned for tomorrow's model: Regina (60's mod)

Summer Makeup Event Entry #4: Bo (Glamour Rock)

2009-07-25T16:12:00.001-07:00

The Glamour Rock inspired look is one that I have wanted to try for a looooooooong time! The only thing is, it would take someone who would be able to take the extreme look and pull it off. Yay for Bo! :) Out of the nine models, this look took the longest to finish up.

All photos taken by Alex Chow, Pato Man, and Jennifer Quen

Before and After #1

Before and After #2

Looking back at the photos now, there would probably be a few changes I'd make to it. One of them would be to alter Bo's eyebrow shape to line up more with the drawn in black arch. However, this look was super fun to do nonetheless and I would love to practice more of this on anyone brave enough!

Margaret working on Bo's glam rock hair:

Eye look in progress:

Close up of the green blending into turquoise (I'm fitting the false lashes on):

I love this shot of Bo with Cody :)

Additional shots:

Me n my sis, Bo!

Stay tuned for tomorrow's model: Lissa ("Warm and glowing mommy to be" inspired)

Summer Makeup Event Entry #3: Ruth ("Please don't make me look old!" inspired)

2009-07-24T14:20:00.000-07:00

I knew the look I wanted to do for Ruth the second I heard her traumatic makeup story :) Apparently, she had gone to get her makeup done at a salon prior to a wedding where they "made her look old." As she was describing her experience, I knew just the perfect title to give her look: the "Please don't make me look old" look!

While Ruth normally does not wear any makeup, I still wanted to give her a good experience with the products and final outcome, where she'd feel comfortable and beautiful in her own skin.

All photos by Alex Chow, Pato Man, and Jennifer Quen

Before and After #1

Before and After #2

To accomplish this look, several steps I focused on were to even out her skin tone, add more definition to her brows, and give her healthy, rosey looking cheeks. For Ruth's hair, I asked Margaret to make a deeper side part with a front sweep of her bangs and give her some framing volume around her face. It turned out great!

I hope you enjoyed this experience Ruth! You look fresh and YOUNG! :)

Stay tuned tomorrow for our next model: Bo (Glamour Rock!)

Summer Makeup Event Entry #2: Carmel (Audrey Hepburn inspired)

2009-07-23T14:19:00.000-07:00

Prior to the girls coming in for the Summer Makeup Event, I had some ideas about the "looks" I wanted to try on them. With Carmel, I leaned toward an Audrey Hepburn inspired look. Check out what we came up with!

All photos taken by Alex Chow, Pato Man, and Jennifer Quen

Before and after #1

Before and after #2

I applied thicker eyeliner than normal on Carmel's eyelids with super-neutral shadow to contour her eyeshape.

Applying false lashes was also key to openening up Carmel's eyes. Yes, they definitely feel heavy at first, but once you get used to them, they feel like they've been a part of you from the very beginning!

Additional shots during makeup application

What really brought it together was putting Carmel's hair into an updo (think Breakfast at Tiffany's). Margaret, good job!

I wish I had prepared early enough to have a tiara ready! That would have really tied the look together :) Oh well, next time!

I love this picture! You get an idea of how the Summer Makeup Event went. Everyone was going in an out of the different stations set up and checking out each other's progress :) Here, Carmel was looking on as Melissa was getting her hair prepped by Margaret.

That was fun!

Stay tuned tomorrow for: Ruth ("Please don't make me look old") ..... haha :)

Summer Makeup Event Entry #1: The Beginnings

2009-07-22T15:52:00.000-07:00

Entry into event

Photos by Alex Chow

Who: A whole bunch of girls...and a couple of guys :)

What: Jo Chow Summer Makeup Event

Where: San Jose, CA

When: Saturday, June 20, 2009

Yay! I'm finally getting to start posting entries about my first Summer Makeup Event! This was soooooo much fun and I can't wait to share with you in the next few days about everything that went into this and everyone involved that made it happen.

So what exactly was it?

Well, I had swimming in my head a ton of ideas that went something like this:

a) Practice techniques and skills on different faces, features (especially eyes), skin types, and skin colors

b) Figure out how the makeup would be captured on film

c) Have a chance to connect with other possible vendors for future opportunities for collaboration

d) Incorporate different iconic styles and hair

e) Include friends and family who have been supportive as models

f) Must have food and music

g) Have lots of fun

Sign with information for models

Who was involved?

1. Me: Makeup artist and host

2. Margaret: Hair

3. Pato: Photographer

4. Jen: Photographer

5. Honey: Supporter, Photographer, host, cook, + a lots of other things :)

6. Nine wonderful girls who let me do whatever I wanted to do with them AND let me document the process with photos (thanks ladies!)

Various products found on the makeup counter

How will these entries work?

Each day, I'll post photos of one of the models we worked on. It will include before and after photos, along with shots taken inbetween. Some turned out exactly as I hoped for...others reminded me I still need a lot of practice! :) Hopefully, these next entries will inspire you to be open to trying a new look, or just experiment with being creative!

Oogah-Boogah! Food!

I'd love to hear from you! Feel free to contact me if you would like to come in for a makeup application or lesson.

Thanks again to my other vendors who helped make this Summer Makeup Event happen! If you'd like to get in touch with any of the vendors listed above, you can click on their names and it should provide you with their contact information. Or, you can go to my website: www.jochowmakeup.com and click on the vendor link. That will also provide you with their contact information.

Dog of the house: Cody (Teehee - I just want to hug him)

Come back tomorrow for our first model: Carmel (Audrey Hepburn)