December 26, 2009

Winter Skin 911

It's the end of the year and the cold dry weather is taking its toll on my skin...again! Luckily this year I am ready and not struggling as I did last year. It was a nightmare really - nothing could quench my thirsty face. Plus everything I tried either had a horrible perfume-y smell or had lots of anti-aging stuff thrown in that ended up irritating. Then my product-loving friend gave me this sample of Atopalm, a thick, creamy, yet surprisingly not greasy (and NO SCENT) cream that can be used on the face or body. Talk about "saving face"! It's made specifically to replenish lipids in the skin but is ideal for super sensitive skin, including those with rosacea and eczema. This was a great discovery for me and I am still using it in winter (too heavy for other seasons). If you're interested, just google it because a lot of sites have free shipping.
Every winter my husband and I would get chapped lips and then our house and car and bags would be littered lip balms. I counted seven different ones on the night stand once. Then I did a wedding where the bride (Brenna, where are you girl?) and her mother were completely obsessed with Blistex Lip Medex. They had them everwhere, including the bridal emergency kit, and could not stop touting its amazing qualities. They were so adamant that I buy it but now I can see why. I put a little on before bed as a preventative measure but if your lips are severely chapped, this will help give immediate relief. It has that cooling feel and a medicinal smell but it works. It may take two or three days depending on how chapped but stick with it.

If the skin on your body is super dry, even after using thick creams or body butters, it's time for Aquaphor Healing Ointment. Like many makeup artists, I have a small one in my kit for various uses. I only recently realized that this would be perfect to put on my arms and legs and feet as a moisture treatment. It's so thick and heavy that you have to scoop it out. It feels like a thicker cleaner version of vaseline. You would think it would be unbearably greasy but it absorbs completely within minutes. It's almost magical! I'm still wondering how it's possible...

December 25, 2009

Happy Holidays!

I just wanted to take a moment and wish everyone Happy Holidays. I have enjoyed meeting so many new people this year and re-connecting with old friends. Thank you for your support of this blog and for all of your wonderful ideas. Looking forward to 2010! Love, Cassandra

p.s. Here's a picture of my guys (Kai, Sho, and Takeshi) choosing our tree. This was a big decision that needed serious discussion :)

December 10, 2009

A Knot for Tying the Knot

I had so much fun hanging out with Jenna and her man during the wedding trial. He played a great mix of tunes for us and kept us entertained with his comedic style. We looked at several pictures she had for hair and makeup inspiration, including this really cool one (pictured here) of hair tied half up in a big knot to the back and slightly to the side of the head. She wanted to keep her hair's natural texture and curl for the most part but just de-frizz the "jew'fro" as she lovingly referred to her mane. We added in a few straighter pieces for fun and re-curled as necessary. For her makeup she wanted pale shimmery lids, brown liquid liner, and nude glossy lips. For the month following the trial I obsessed over it and lost sleep at night thinking about her makeup. I looked at the trial photos over and over. I liked what we settled on at the trial but I often think something better is right around the corner. About a week before the wedding it hit me - this MAC pigment (cream colored that has a hint of pink in certain light) would be absolute perfection on her. I also thought of the perfect gloss for her from Rouge Cosmetics that had a nude look but with a touch more pink. I was afraid her lips were at risk of looking too washed out in photos.
On the day of the wedding I showed her the alternate colors to see what she thought and she loved them. We added a beautiful hair ornament made by her cousin who also did the wedding flowers. When I was all finished and she saw herself in the mirror, she was overcome with emotion. "This is what I wanted," she cried, "I just didn't have the words." Moments like these mean everything to me. It's what I love, it's what I hope for (that every bride loves her looks!), and it's why I lie in bed thinking about things like eye shadow at night. The groom also had to wipe away the tears when he saw her for the first time out on the balcony of their suite. Sharing a private moment together like this is really a fabulous idea. It would be hard to explain this in a blog post, but these two were made for each other. I would like to wish them a long and happy life together. You guys rock! Thank you very much to Stephanie Violette Photography for several of the lovely pictures shown. You can see a cool picture of the crazy matching purple shoes this couple wore on Stephanie's website.