We planned this session just before Christmas as both Nicole and I love anything Christmas related so it was the perfect opportunity to create with this stunning couple! Check out Nicole’s blog post to see even more of the photos.
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Since it’s almost spring cleaning season and because most of us have started watching the Netflix show, Tidying up with Marie Kondo, and have taken the plunge on decluttering your house I thought it might be helpful to share some tips on how to know when to purge makeup items from your life and how to sanitize the products you are going to keep! I was texting with a friend yesterday and as prompted by her doctor after seeing them for a bad cold the doctor had asked if she had thought of sanitizing and decluttering expired products so that further bacteria wouldn’t hinder her recovery. She asked me for some tips and she suggested I write a blog post sharing this decluttering knowledge. Sometimes as a makeup artist I forget that everyone may not know where to find product expiry information or how to properly sanitize makeup. I hope this information helps everyone declutter their makeup collection and move into the new year with products that bring you joy and that you know are safe to continue to use. 1. General Rules for Product Expiry: Powders, like loose powder, eyeshadow, blush etc – two years Creams, like face creams, SPF, cream blush, cream eyeshadows etc – Liquids, like foundation, concealer, liquid liner etc – 6 to 8 months Mascara- 3 months Pencil lip/eyeliners and lipsticks – one year Fragrance – several years Nail Polish – one to two years ** if a product smells different/off from when you first opened it then it most likely expired and it is time to toss! 2. Finding Product Expiry Dates and Decluttering your Collection A lot of foundations or liquid products will have actually expiry dates listed somewhere on the packaging but if not then you want to look for the PAO symbol (period after opening) to let you know how long the product should be good for. Once you have gone through all your products and removed the ones from the collection that either “don’t spark joy” a la the KonMarie method then you can move to take the products out of your collection that don’t match your skin tone anymore or that you find you don’t like the formula anymore. I am guilty of keeping a limited edition makeup item but if I find that I don’t regularly reach for it then I am either going to sanitize it and gift it to…
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2018 was a really big year for Behind the Blush as our team grew with Caitlyn and Diane working on more weddings and projects with me! This past year was full of different beautiful destinations like Ireland, Tofino, Palm Springs, Los Angeles and of course the Rocky Mountains with so many amazing clients that I got to travel to with Nicole Ashley. Another high point of this year was being able to do the hair and makeup for both Kindle Workshops that Nicole Ashley and Ang from Myrtle and Moss put on to educate photographers. We also have to thank all of our local brides and clients here in our hometown of Edmonton for including us in their beautiful life events. This past year would not have been possible without the support of our clients, friends and family so thank you for following along on our journey! Photos by Nicole Ashley unless noted under the photo Photo by Laura Olsen during the Kindle Workshop Photo by Kayla Lovi during the Kindle Workshop Photos by Ang of Myrtle and Moss Photography Photos by Dianna Man and Makeup was done by Behind the Blush for Novelle Bridal Photo by Megan Kemshead Photos by Carlos Vicente Photos by Juan and Angie Photo by Katch Studios Photo by Sharon Litchfield Photos by Janine Rose during the second Kindle Workshop Photos from the Kindle Workshop round two held in Edmonton
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Last summer we came together with an incredible team of vendors to make this photo session happen and we were rewarded with the most spectacular sunset! Hopefully this summer we will get to work together with these amazing creatives again to make some magic! Photos by Nicole Ashley Hair/Makeup by Behind the Blush Florals by FaBLOOMosity Dress by Rue De Seine from the Bridal Boutique Jewelry by Shakti Jewelry Styling by Lay Holmes Models: Chris and Annikka with Mode Models Vintage VW by 5 Dogs Beetle
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In November I had the honour of travelling to Palm Springs for Jillian and Joe’s wedding in the desert. Their wedding was so relaxed and so them right down to the pool party before starting to get their hair and makeup done. The wedding was hosted at the Frank Sinatra Estate and I had to pinch myself that I was getting to work and celebrate in such an iconic home. The day after we headed to Joshua Tree where we witnessed the most epic sunset. Nicole Ashley captured all these stunning photos and then Plaid Collar Films created this beautiful video showcasing Jillian and Joe’s wedding as well as the day after session. Photos by Nicole Ashley retouched with Nicole Ashley Presets Hair/makeup by Janna with Behind the Blush Video by Plaid Collar Films Planning by The Love Riot Decor by Jesi Haack Design Wedding Dress by Jenny Packham Bridal from White Toronto and veil by Sara Gabriel Veils Custom Suit by Atelier by Ensemble Wedding Venue: Frank Sinatra Estate
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Caitlyn creates this updo tutorial to make life a bit easier when your trying to tackle doing an updo on yourself! Hope these tips and tricks help you out when trying to create this look on yourself!
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Sometimes when you get blonde hair extensions you may want them to be a bit cooler/icier in tone or in my case I needed to transform the hair extensions from blonde to pastel pink. In this post, I wanted to cover how to tone the blonde extensions to get them cooler in tone and then also how to make them pastel. I received the clip in extensions from UniWigs and I have to say I was really impressed by how soft and thick the blonde extensions were all the way down to the ends. Over the years I have been styling hair I’ve seen good hair extensions and sub-par hair extensions and I can say with confidence that the clip in hair extensions by their company are very high quality. After you have the hair extensions toned to match your current hair colour following the steps below I highly recommend taking them with you to your next hair appointment to have your hairdresser blend them with your hair so that they look even more natural. We are going to be creating some more tutorials and videos on how to place your clip in extensions in your hair and how to style them so stay tuned! Blonde Steps: Order the whitest hair extensions you can find and in my case, I ordered the 24-inch White Blonde Human Hair Clip In Extensions in the shade G-613. ** It is really important to purchase real human hair instead of the synthetic or synthetic blend version because the real hair extensions will tone without issues and you can also heat style them. Fill a large bowl about 3/4 full of warm water. Add in 2-3 squirts of the Fanola No Yellow Shampoo into the water and swish the water around with your hand until it is all mixed in and you get the water a purple colour. Add the hair extensions into the bowl and submerge them in the water. Keep an eye on the hair extensions as they turn cool in tone very fast. It took me about 5 minutes of the hair being submerged to get the tone I wanted. Rinse the hair extensions under your tap and then add some conditioner to the ends and then rinse again. Add some hair oil and detangler if needed to the mid-lengths to ends of the hair extensions and gently brush them out. I usually prefer to leave…
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Tracy and Will decided to elope in the mountains this past summer and we could not be more grateful that they chose me to come alongside Nicole Ashley who photographed their day. We’ve been looking forward to their wedding day ever since we met them in the Yukon for their engagement session last summer. They chose to make their day intimate and about their love and their pup Lola. So thankful that couples trust us to do what we do best for their big day.
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Getting to work on this couples session that Nicole shot of Ashley and Branden was an afternoon seriously well spent. They were both smitten with each other and they cuddled and giggled throughout the whole session. Does it get much better than young love? To see all the images from the shoot you should check out the full post over on Nicole’s website! Photography: Nicole Ashley Hair/Makeup: Behind the Blush Styling and Plant Goddess: Kim Wynn
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While I was in the mountains in July with Nicole Ashley for two other weddings we managed to also work with the stunning couple that is Brittney and Daniel. They drove out to meet us in Canmore and then we proceeded to watch them frolic in the meadows while Nicole did her magic, which you can see more of here! Photography by Nicole Ashley Photography Dress by Hayley Paige from Delica Bridal Florals Crown by Willow Flower Co.
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