Stef

July Favorites

Right now we are at our busiest with wedding season and traveling so much for work so we thought we would share some of our favorite products to get our hair styled quickly with the Apse Adorn hair accessories as well as the Davines OI products that have saved our hair and skin these past hot months! Apse Adorn Hair Accessories – Hayley from Apse Adorn was kind enough to send two of their amazing hair pieces in time for our trip to Europe and we haven’t stopped wearing them since!! Sometimes we have to get up super early for work and having stylish hair accessories makes styling our hair in a short time so much easier. I also really love this company because all the accessories are locally made and they donate 10% of all their profits to several non-profit organizations which you can read more about here. – Review by Janna Davines OI Range – I don’t know if it’s this summer heat or the lack of the humid European air but for whatever reason this summer all I feel is dry! I have switched up my routine since my hair, skin and nails have been so dry. I know I have talked about the Davines Oi Milk before, but today I’m talking about the entire Oi Range that includes a shampoo, conditioner, body wash, milk, oil and lotion. Maybe its the fact that Davines is an Italian born family owned company (or the amazing smell and hydrating characteristics) but the Oi family has been my jam this July! Here’s what they have to offer: OI Shampoo and Conditioner– Perfect for all hair types. Milky-smooth OI Shampoo and Conditioner is infused with nourishing Roucou Oil is the perfect daily shampoo and conditioner to maintain soft, shiny and voluminous hair. OI Body wash- Bubbles perfectly and smells amazing… with its natural active ingredients Glycerin and Roucou oil. OI All in one Milk– Read all about it in our January Favorites here. OI Oil– For anti-frizz and extra shine, perfect for all hair types and an amazing aid with Hot Head Hair extensions. OI Hand Balm – this special formulation protects skin from damage caused by sun, wind and cold with its long lasting hydration effect. – Review by Stef

Tips for Traveling as a Pro Aritst

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We recently attended an amazing event hosted by Kit and Ace featuring four different professionals in creative fields who have businesses that have them traveling a lot for work and that got us thinking of what our travel tips would be! For Behind the Blush, 2017 is the year of travel as we go across the globe to places like Montreal, Italy, Nice, Croatia, London, Banff, Jasper, Emerald Lake, Whitehorse, Vegas and Palm Springs! So we thought we would talk about some of the tips and tricks we we live by when traveling for work! When we are traveling for a clients wedding or any kind of hair and makeup booking we always have to check our bags. We have so many products that we bring along with us including liquids that make a carry on only nearly impossible. Any of our more fragile items of our kits like powders we bring in our carry on to ensure they end up at our destination without any damage. The amazing duo of Fieldwork Co. created the perfect carry on kit bag as it can convert from a messenger bag to a backpack and they customized the size to fit a small makeup kit bag. We couldn’t recommend them enough to create a bag or accessory for you! Pro Makeup Kit Packing Tips If you haven’t met your client yet have them send a photo of themselves as well as any inspiration photos of what kind of look they want. From there you can ask them what their skin type is and if they have any skin concerns and that should help you decide what to pack. If it is for a destination wedding with only one or two clients you can also ask your client to bring their own personal favorite foundation and concealer. I still bring a few foundation and concealer options that I can mix in case if I find maybe they got tanned while they’re on vacation. Primers: Hourglass Veil Mineral Primer and the Cane + Austin Prime and Protect Mattifying Primer with Broad Spectrum SPF 50. Foundations: MAC Pro Longwear Nourishing Waterproof Foundation in shades NW20 and NC35 (the shade that I am and then a darker more yellow toned one to mix with it). The MAC foundation was also featured in our May favorites post here. Cover FX Custom Cover Drops in N20 and G60 to mix in with…

Our 2015 in Review

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2015 was such an amazing year! We are so blessed looking back at all of our clients, and friends. So many memories shared, and experiences. Here are some of our weddings from the year, it really was an extraordinary wedding season ❤️ Kelly Redinger Photography Nicole Ashley PhotographyGabe McClintock PhotographyEarl Grey Images Nicole Ashley PhotographyAmy Oligny photography Eternal Reflections Photography Nicole Ashley Photography Styled shoot with Aeris Photography Sharon Litchfield Photography July was a busy month with us heading to Iceland for Schimine and Stephen’s wedding. Check out our posts here and all the photos on Nicole Ashley’s site as well as our feature on June Bug weddings. The same week we got back from Iceland our best friend Kristina of Inspired by Lynne married her love Ryan and we had the amazing privilege and honor of being bridesmaids. We also did hair and makeup for her and the bridal party along side of Sarah from Cazoo Artistry. Kelly Redinger Photography We love love and we really loved being part of so many boudoir, couples boudoir and engagement sessions this year Nicole Ashley Photography Tricia Victoria Photography Jessica Leanne PhotographyTulle and Tweed Photography Nicole Ashley Photography Tricia Victoria Photography Nicole Ashley Photography In 2015 we got involved more in the “Local Edmonton Scene” with attending events for 204 park and Poppy Barley and several with Kit and Ace. One of the highlights was winning time slot to use in Project Loft which we used to celebrate Kristina’s 30th birthday and later collaborated with some amazing girls to shoot some winter content. Another highlight was attending the opening of the new faBLOOMosity space in Edmonton. We also taught a few classes in our busy year and we loved sharing our knowledge with our amazing students. This years Halloween was eventful with working the Haunting at River Lane Ranch at Carmel Baird’s house and also doing our clients makeup as well. Here are some of our favorite looks of the year. Carmel Joy Baird is a greatly loved psychic medium in our amazing city, and someone who I am lucky enough to call a friend! Laughing Dog Photography Charleen Raschke is Stefanie’s mom!! So so proud of her, for writing her very first book, ‘A Season of Ashes’. Should be released early 2016, and can be found on Amazon! Way to go mom! Nicole Ashley Photography Janna and I had the pleasure of working with some of…

San Francisco elopement

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On October 5th I had the privilege of attending a dear friends very secluded San Francisco elopement. With only 5 people including bride and groom, Nicole and Jon tied the knot in Sutro Forest, right in the heart of the city. I have never been a part of something so honest and beautiful as this ceremony. Thank you Jon and Nicole for giving me the privilege of attending your wedding- it was an honor! Here are some shots from the connection session, and finally the ceremony. The full blog post of the connection session is now up on Gabe’s site! Do yourself a favour, and check it out! It will take your breath away! <3 Photography: Gabe McClintock Hair and Makeup: Stefanie Carlson

LA IMATS 2014

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What have we been up to: In January Stefanie and I travelled to the sunny state of California to attend IMATS in LA. For those of you who don’t know, aka most of the non-beauty obsessed world, IMATS is “the worlds biggest makeup gathering”. At IMATS you can purchase makeup from hundreds of brands at a discount as well as they had classes that you could attend ranging from makeup for drag queens to makeup kit basics. Just walking around the building we got to see seriously spectacular makeup. Here are some of the photos we took from our day at IMATS. One of the best things about this trip was that we got to go with Stef’s husband Drew and good friend Dan. We explored Santa Monica, Huntington Beach, and other LA hot spots. For the first day we were there we shopped until we dropped! Nightlife in LA is so different than in Edmonton in that we were able to go to live shows at venues like the Viper Room and El Rey Theatre. Every night there were dozens of bands playing that we could pick from to go see. The last morning we went up the canon to try and take photos with the Hollywood sign but once we were up there we couldn’t figure out where the sign was… true blonde form. Going to LA in January was the best escape from the frigid winter we have been experiencing in Edmonton.

FAQ for brides

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So often we receive emails from brides starting with the phrase ‘I’m new at this bride thing’- and that’s the case for most of our brides! Unless you happen to have a career where you are very involved in the wedding industry, been a bridesmaid 17 times, or you’ve been married before, you really don’t know the ins and outs of booking hair and makeup for your wedding day. Hopefully, these tips will help you out a bit! Q. How far in advance should I book my hair and makeup team? A. We recommend anywhere from a year to 5 months prior to the date of the wedding. If you have decided to get married on a long weekend, or during the popular months (July-September typically book up the fastest!) book as soon as possible to ensure you are booking with your favourite artists! Q. How long will makeup take? A. Depending on the skin surface of the client, desired look, and amount of coverage needed we will book each client 30-60 minutes. Q. Do you offer airbrush makeup? A. It depends on which artist is booked how they prefer to apply the makeup. Q. How long will hair take? A. Depending on the amount of hair, desired look (up or down), use of any extensions or headpieces, Hairstyling should take anywhere between 30-60 minutes per client. Q. Can I use my clip-in extensions? A. We can curl and place your own clip-in extensions for a fee of $40. Just let us know beforehand that you or anyone in your bridal party is going to be using them so we can budget a bit more time. Q. Do you offer day rates, for optional touch-ups or look changes throughout the day? A. Yes! Any add ons such as touch-ups, or look changes can be discussed with the professional when booking. Q. Is there a fee for any early morning appointments? A. Yes. Any weddings that require a start time before 7 am will result in an additional charge. Q. What if I have an allergic reaction to the makeup you are using? A. The client is required to tell the makeup artist of any allergies that they are aware of. The makeup artist/hairstylist will not be held responsible for any allergic reactions. We can always use your own trusted makeup products on you…