Ashley Readings Hair and Makeup

Tell me the truth.

2011-06-17T09:29:00.000-04:00

Where have you applied makeup, outside of your home?

I'm not saying I'm proud. I'm just saying it happens.

Any guesses where I attempted to discreetly apply a touch of foundation this morning?

Mereadesso - Face and Neck Toning Gel

2011-06-12T06:05:00.000-04:00

A few weeks ago I found myself at my very first gifting lounge at the Stylus Awards. To be clear, I was working, but it was a gifting lounge none the less. While there, I was introduced to Mereadesso, a skin care line that boasts 'one step, one product, for every woman.' In the spirit of a one step process, even the company's name, which translates to Mother Now, is a nod to the time crunched mum who created it.

Linda Stephenson, the creator of Mereadesso, a chemist from U of T and a 22 year veteran of the beauty industry (MAC and Estee Lauder). But looking at her skin, you would have to assume she started working at the age of six. Nothing is a better business card for Mereadesso than Linda herself. Besides her flawless skin, this lady knows her stuff and doesn't hesitate to talk about it.

Let's be real, guys. When someone starts talking to me about their new miracle cream my brain shuts off and my eyes start to roll. I've worked in cosmetics and I know the reality between what is said and how it works. I am a skeptic.

So let's get this out of the way right now - Mereadesso is different. Within three minutes of meeting Linda, I knew I had to have the Face and Neck Toning Gel.

The Mereadesso girls told me about the globally sourced ingredients. The botanicals. The antioxidants. They promised me a 'wow' in 5-10 uses. I expected to like it but, again with the eye roll. I'm young. I take care of my skin. You know I'm not one for bragging... but I don't need that much 'work!'

Five days later? Yeah. That's a wow.

Pores? Tighter. Makeup? Lasts longer. Redness? Neutralized.

Just before I started using Mereadesso, I thought I had reached my personal pinnacle of skin perfection. I was wrong. I have never liked my skin as much as I do now.

Things I love most?
- Check out the ingredients list. The chorophyl is not to knock you out. It's to knock out redness. True story.
- I pump in a bit of my Anna Sui foundation for the sweetest, lightest and longest lasting tinted moisturiser. EVER.
- My skin feels tighter. And somehow, younger. I keep touching it to see if it's dry but it's not. It's kinda perfect.
- I'm so thrilled that Mereadesso is now replacing MUFE's elixir and Embryolisse in my makeup kit.

And lets not even talk about how cute their videos are!

It's been a long day.

2011-06-10T23:21:00.000-04:00

#timeforanap

xoxo

Long train rides and pushing old ladies to get a seat

2011-06-10T05:58:00.000-04:00

I'm not saying I've done it... I'm just saying I could understand how you sink to that level.....

I've been taking the subway from all the way in the East end to all the way in West end for two weeks now and I gotta be honest; long subway rides spent standing with a very full lap top bag can bring out the worst in people. Like the shovey, aggressive, intolerant worst. It's not that I've knocked down an old lady per say... it's just that I think if I'm forced to stand the entire way there again, it could happen. So don't judge me? K?

However, I've had a streak of luck this week as last night and this morning, sans shoving, I actually managed to snag a seat. Though I thought that would greatly improve my day, in reality, it's been the stellar magazines accompanying me on these long rides that has truly lifted my spirits.

Exhibit A:

A/W 2011 IN BEAUTY - My semi-annually magazine love. At $50/pop it's a good thing they oly come out twice a year because I'll be honest - I would buy 10 copies a year if they were there. This is the it magazine for all things hair and makeup. Next time you see it - grab it! It's a limited yet very popular magazine. Just make sure I've already got mine before you go taking the last one. K?

Enjoy my shots below!

xoxo

Shellac Attack

2011-06-08T17:11:00.000-04:00

A few months ago my mum and I decided to give Shellac a try. We headed to Luxe in Yorkville for the most expensive and stellar manicure of my life.

And now I am unfortunately hooked.

The manicure itself at Luxe is fantastic. They boast a waterless treatment that saves the nails from the damage of soaking in water. Using Love Fresh products that smell and feel wonderful, I experienced none of the complaints that I've had with Love Fresh in the past (greasy and colour staining) which makes me think that I've just come across bad batches of the stuff. My manicurist was truly gentle and made my cuticles and skin look great for weeks. Normally I find manicurist's can get carried away with the cuticle trim and then two days later my hands are red and peeling. Not so cute. Not to mention how quiet Luxe is. Lets be honest; I spend all day talking to clients. When I am one, it's my time to just keep quiet and turn my brain off. I appreciate when someone allows me to do that.

Here's the DL on Shellac. It's a UV cured nail polish. Applied only in salons. And the big deal - it lasts two weeks. As in, it stays on your nails. Your nails don't become weak. And it doesn't chip, nick or scratch off. Oh yeah... and as soon as it's cured (which takes like... thirty seconds!) it's dry. Like super hard dry. Like stick your hand in purse to get your wallet dry. Like do the dishes that night dry. Not that I would know about that last one....

The downside, and the reason I consider myself unfortunately hooked, is the cost. I'm not a regular manicure type of girl. I do way more mani's at home and I do a decent job. But Shellac is only available in salon which makes it cost more.

The second time I had shellac on my nails was a week ago (and it's still just as glossy and beautiful as it is in the pictures) was at a salon in Scarborough and only cost $35. The didn't even charge me for the reverse french mani! Woot woot Scarborough!!!

So go do it? K?

xoxo

I love Sundays. And organising.

2011-06-05T21:45:00.001-04:00

I have been working less Sundays recently... not quite sure how that happened but I'm enjoying it all the same. Now that all the craziness at my house is over and done with (for now) I'm actually able to appreciate these Sundays off. Which has perfectly coincided with the beautiful Toronto weather.

This morning started off sweet and slow with a spot of brunch with the Mister. Followed by a big ol' waffle cone filled with a giant scoop of chocolate peanut butter ice cream. Nothing is better than chocolate peanut butter ice cream. Nothing. K?

My favourite gal, Heather, and I had plans to check out cross stitch supplies for a blossoming new hobby but once we set foot in the local Michaels, my mind wandered elsewhere.

Here's the thing... I love love love organising. That is not to say I am always organised, but please know, my intentions are good. Whenever I get to a Michaels (which is seldom) I head to the little bins that hold little things and think of ways to fill them with the little things I have. Which is often makeup or hair related. The scrapbook section always has the nicest looking little thing holders!

Today I picked up a little acrylic box with little acrylic jars in it that is meant to hold beads. As soon as I saw it, I knew I had found my loose colours a new home.

Here's the other thing... loose pigments, though I love them, never join me on jobs because they make such a terrible mess. Without fail, one lid will be loose and the next time I open my kit, everything is green. Or gold. Or some other form of way too shiny. I only take them on specific creatives and I generally keep them in a closed bag, in a plastic bag, in my purse. Far far away from the trappings of my kit.

But now... they have a home.

See?

Yes. I have four different shades of white. And no. For some reason, I have zero purples. There are five more spaces that will be full or purples/ blacks. Realistically, the jars are the same (just smaller) as the OCC jars. But it's the box that they are contained it which holds the magic. Because now when I absent mindedly screw a lid on without ensuring it is tight, the rectangular box lid won't close. And if it does, it will hold the exploded colour within it. No green kit.

Oh yeah. Then Heather and I got pretzels.

Too Late Update.

2011-06-04T23:56:00.000-04:00

May has been absolutely bonkers. Photo shoots. Wedding Shows. BRIDES BRIDES BRIDES. Sweet girls for prom and so much work at blo. Mega changes at home which have seen me move into my parents basement for the month of June. Burritos. School. Night classes. More writing. Shellac nails!!!! UNITE at blo - amazing products. Sleeping on a couch. Waking up too early. Working too hard. Staying up too late. Doing nothing on a Saturday night. And that's a good thing.

xoxo.

So This is Love... introducing Hair Romance

2011-06-03T08:17:00.000-04:00

I stumbled across Hair Romance this morning as I browsed the interwebs and I seriously fear that I will not get any work done until I 1. read every single post ever written on here and 2. buy and devour her e-book.

These are troubling times my friends; I have a lot of work to do.

So do yourself a favour, hope on over to Hair Romance and buy her book, read her blog, and send her some internet love. Because any girl who can come up with 31 hairstyles in 31 days for herself, has earned it, in my opinion. And, no big deal because her book is SO well priced, but there is a 20% discount for the month of June. Check it out. K?

That time I wore a face mask....

2011-05-26T16:18:00.003-04:00

Ok... those times... I love face masks.

I obviously need to make more time for myself. Because multi tasking eating noodle soup and wearing a face mask just doesn't seem like a good idea....

My go to's are Clarins Hydraquench Mask

And Body Shop's Seaweed Ionic Clay Mask.

That Time Hilary Curled My Hair...

2011-05-19T11:02:00.001-04:00

...and I looked like a lady.

That time I wore fake nails...

2011-05-05T00:56:00.005-04:00

...and they never really looked that great.
And my nails are still recovering over a month later. Why oh why don't I learn?
Leave it to the professionals.

I'm Back. This time for good.

2011-04-27T23:44:00.000-04:00

I took an impromptu break from this blog when I left for London. I intended to update and I didn't. Then I got home and I thought I'd drop a line and it never happened. Things have been going on but I don't know... it has been a mix of feeling not excited enough about some things and downright overwhelmed by others.

-----

Then tonight I got back from my first night at a freelancing course at Ryerson. It's directed under the journalism continuing studies certificate but is really aimed at anyone who makes their money freelancing. I can tell already I am going to love it. Within the first hour it reminded me of where I really want to be. I somehow get so sidetracked. It's so easy to see those patterns I fall into looking back and so difficult to see when it's happening. But this time... I see it. Go go gadget hindsight.

So without further adieu, I present to you my first in class assignment: A 300 word biography written in 15 minutes with the starting point of "I was born."

I was born screaming and wet, covered in goo. And, as the story goes, post McDonalds pit stop, where my father ate a Big Mac as my mum waited in the car for my arrival.

At two we moved from our coastal home in Halifax to a hotel in downtown Toronto where my father accepted a job. I ordered room service on the daily and finally got my ears pierced. It was a pretty big time in my life. We eventually settled in Scarborough where I eventually grew up. Good parents, little brother, school, friends, sado jobs with a slice of angst. Like, a big slice. The usual.

A stint in Italy, a Bachelors degree and a failed attempt at a career in art later and my life is substantially simpler today. I live in downtown Toronto with my dog Tonka. He spends the day sleeping in my bed while I put food in his bowl keeping up the hustle working in hair and makeup.

My focus is on commercial and beauty work and basically, I'm obsessed. When I'm not braiding hair, perfecting brows and finessing a red lip, I'm writing, talking and thinking about beauty. I can't get enough and I've never been happier. I have no plans to stop and while I don't know how to get to the top, my general strategy is to just keep going. If I can't out preform, I'll just outwork the competition.

Oh, and I'm no longer gooey.

London!!!!

2011-03-17T13:31:00.002-04:00

I'm coming to see you sooooooooon.

You know, as long as I actually get on the flight this time.

Billy B - Makeup Artist Extraordinaire

2011-03-11T11:34:00.000-05:00

Billy B is a hero of mine. I love hearing what he has to say about makeup, freelancing and in this case, even Lady Gaga. He owns my heart.

Type + Makeup = True Love

2011-03-08T10:25:00.000-05:00

This was posted over on visual news and I can't get over how awesome it is. I love the stark white and the crisp black. And seeing font reminds me of my days in printmaking. So much <3 <3 <3.

Illamasqua S/S 2011

2011-03-04T00:08:00.000-05:00

After ignoring my google reader for too long, I finally perused through only to discover Illamasqua's Spring/Summer Collection, Toxic Nature.

It is unlike anything I've seen before from the line. Though their promotional images are always impeccable, it can be difficult to connect with some of the imagery because it so unlike how people wear makeup. This collection is different and somehow the same as previous seasons.

Toxic Nature is immediately more accessible because of the colours. The pinks and peaches are approachable and easily worked into anyone's existing makeup bag. The eyebrows, lashes and liner are a nod to shapes from the 20's and the 60's.

The highlights and overdrawn features are the defining element of what I have come to expect and love from the brand.

Enjoy below! I'm over the moon knowing I'll be in London to check out Illamasqua at their new flagship store in less than two weeks!

Happy Valentines Day Little Bunnies.

2011-02-14T10:33:00.002-05:00

Skip the reservations and don't go out to dinner. Forget the cheap heart shaped candy and ridiculously packaged chocolate. But do most definitely tell someone how much you love them.

A naked baby with wings has nothing to do with me being in love but I do so enjoy this song.

xoxo

For my sweet.

2011-02-14T08:54:00.003-05:00

And that's how you do Valentine's Day.

brap brap.

30 Days Later...

2011-02-10T23:55:00.000-05:00

I started this year looking forward to a break and the second week of January, that's what I got. Four beautiful, consecutive days at home. Time to sleep, work out, cook and breathe, breathe, breathe. But before exhaling, I was back at work, meetings with photographers and planning plans for bigger plans. I feel like this year is going to be a lot about work. I'm consistently busy. Since starting freelancing, this month, a February at that, will be my busiest month to date. I'm elated, overwhelmed and can't decided whether to make arrangements for the best or the worst. I'm finally learning and proving to myself that the amount of freelance work I receive is directly related to the work I go after. In the time following my last post I have been involved with Kizmi Tea's Valentine's Day video, an amazing Boudoir Shoot with Michelle Belksy (with another one on the way). I've begun (well, B has begun) redesigning my business cards. I'm participating in a wedding show. I have four wedding trials this month and so many more to come. There have been hair lessons and blow outs and burnt fingers and hand made extensions. Coffee with amazing photographers and lunch with the three makeup artists in Toronto I admire most. Life is good and busy and hard and slightly messy but still very very good. I regret not keeping better track of it because I think that this time next year, I will want something to look back on. So here's to renewed commitment. And to my coffin; to be made of hundred year old oak, from the tree which I shall plant tomorrow. Chin chin.

Reasons to be grateful.

2011-01-23T12:55:00.001-05:00

It's cold out but my jacket is warm. I have to work on a Sunday but I'm not unemployed. I'm tired but I can buy a coffee and go to bed early in my big comfy bed. The salt from the ground will not stop making my hallway dirty, the kitchen floor is always dirty and there is dog hair everywhere but at least I get to go home. I'm grateful for jobs and mess and weather and the bf that keeps me up too late.

I'm so glad I woke up to this post on Daniel Laporte's blog this morning. Perspective is everything.

Have a wonderful Sunday little chickadees. Even if it's cold, enjoy the sunshine.

The Sticky Situation that is Self Promotion

2011-01-21T17:25:00.000-05:00

For ages I've toyed with the idea of being completely freelance. But time and again, I find myself working for other businesses part time because frankly, that shit is scary! The thought of being 100% responsible for all the work I get... well, that's the stuff horror films are made from.

I spend a lot of time creating my six month/ 1 year/ 5 year I'm-going-to-freelance-only plan. I read about it incessantly, mentally taking notes on tricky clients, freelance finance but the thing that scares me most seems to be the least approached topic... how the eff am I suppose to talk about myself to potential clients?

Here's the deal, that whole 'if you build it' thing is fooey. They don't always show up! Many people before and many after me will build what no one will come to see. So, if you build it and don't talk about it to anyone, no one will come. Not even your mum.

The answer and the thing I tell anyone starting out, is to talk about yourself at every opportunity. Which is hard and not that fun and pretty confusing when trying to decide what's an opportunity and what is you being a pain in the ass. It's hard to to decide what will lead to clients and what will lead to your friends blocking you on facebook. When does self promotion become shameless?

Look, I don't know. I'm sorry because I bet it seemed like I started out this post with the intention of answering questions but I tricked you. But check out this wicked post on Jezebel because they put together some amazing tips that will lead you, and subsequently, me, in the right direction. I'm all over the books they recommend in it, because I'm still working on the six month/ one year/ five year freelance plan.

xoxo

My nail polish collection

2011-01-14T11:34:00.001-05:00

I have very limited storage. In fact, I have 1.5 bookshelves in my room that serve as basically the only storage I have. And they are kinda full of a whole lotta' books.

A few years ago I decided to colour code my books instead of trying to decide on genres etc. This way, whenever I get a new book, if it doesn't fit, I have to get rid of a book. That's the rule. Though I see that rule changing in the near future as I recently acquired two orange books that I'm forcing onto that shelf come hell or high water.

I digress.

The nail polish found its way onto my book shelf so that I could see it and is always organised by colour. Here are a few shelves. I realised I skipped the white, grey and black shelves. C'est la vie. I received two fantastic gifts from my parents and awesome Heather of nail polish this past Christmas and I'll have to show them off in a separate post. Sephora by OPI from the 'rents and Barry M (all the way from England!!!) from Heather.

Anyway, enjoy!

Daria... you own my heart.

2011-01-12T22:22:00.001-05:00

I loved watching this vid of Daria Werbowy shooting the Salvatore Ferragamo campaign for spring. The glimpses of the makeup artist at work make my heart pitter patter.

Working for Free

2011-01-12T18:57:00.000-05:00

Lets talk for a second about working for free. Because in this industry, it comes up a lot.

While I was in school, they warned us, you'll do it. You'll have to work for free, likely your entire career but almost exclusively in the beginning. I expected it and to this day still welcome pro bono opportunities. But once I graduated, the emails started and they haven't stopped. Makeup for school theatre productions. Fashion shows. Sponsored Events. To this day, I still get emails at least once a week referring me to a job for the grand day rate of $0. Take a look on craigslist. For free. For credit. We'll refer you work later. We're a great new start up.

No worries, I called my bank and told them I would recommend everyone to Bank of Montreal for their mortgages and they were totally cool with letting my payments slip.

They just said they would take my house away.

Ok, I'm getting carried away with sarcasm. The thing is, working for free is great and nessecary but often misused. It gives you guilt free first time experience in the beginning from people who you aren't burning bridges with because they were never going to hire you anyway (hello, school plays). Later on, it has the potential to open you up to great contacts, build your book and meet tons of awesome people (hence, creatives). But you will see the most ludicrious offers come from all sorts of people who are taking advantage of eager people looking for their big shot.

I took a long hiatus from hair and makeup freelance work after I was tricked into doing a lookbook for free. I was under the impression I was filling in on a last minute creative with a team I was interested in checking out. Imagine my surprise when I found out I was shooting a campaign for a local designer. I'll check the story, sparing you the acrimonious details and leave you instead with the easiest solution to addressing offers for free. Consider this, ways not to get burned:

Think to yourself, why is there a budget for everything else BUT hair and makeup? How did they create a line of clothing with no money? Why can a charity pay for a venue or a marketing campaign? How will a start up company with no budget lead to future paid work?

I think this is the best article I've read about working for free and why you should/not do it. And even better than that, this flowchart from swiss miss' blog will lead you in the right direction.

Review - Body Shop Nail Polish

2011-01-10T23:29:00.000-05:00

It's always easy to tell when I REALLY love a nail polish. I wear it on it's own. As in, only one shade on my nails at a time. Take a look at my past nail photos - I obviously have colour-commitment issues.

Just before Christmas, following drinks and too much laughing, B's friend Adrianna pushed a bag full o' Body Shop products into my hand as I was walking out her door. She is way too sweet and is to thank for an upcoming giveaway (which, sidenote, I'm totes excited about! Check back the third week of January for my first giveaway!!!!). In that bag were two nail polishes; a light sparkle pink and a sparkle black.

I opted to try the black first. Starry Night, here I come.

First thing I noticed, as this is my first nail polish by the Body Shop, it has a great consistency. I like nail polishes just a touch thicker. One of the reasons I can't get on board with China Glaze nail polish is that it's far too runny. The Body Shop polish on the other hand has good stick. It dries super fast and before the top coat was even on, I was in the kitchen chopping and preparing dinner. Right after the top coat was dry I was back in the kitchen cleaning up. So far, no dents and no smudges. I'm impressed. I may paint my nails a ton but I'm relentlessly impatient. This stuff is great for quick dry (which typically dents hours after it should be long dry).

Their website promises four days chip free which frankly, I think is silly. Lifestyle contributes more to a perfect manicure than great polish. I'm open to being proved wrong, but doing hair and makeup, washing my hands the way I do, I never time frame my mani's. Let it dry and hope for the best is the way I roll.

Anyways, check out the photos below. I used an actual camera today! No photobooth!

Oh gosh. I'm cringing looking at pictures of my hands.

Excuse the rough shape my hands and nails are in.

The cold weather and constant washing have taken their toll.

It's time for mittens and hand lotion. Stat.

Ok, you need this book. Makeup is Art!

2011-01-06T11:01:00.001-05:00

I declared to my mother just before Christmas that surely, I had enough makeup books and would not need anymore. Any new acquisitions to my book shelf would have to be food, fiction or business based.

Then Thursday, on my way home from blo, I passed a Chapters and decided to check for the new In Beauty (more on that later) and saw Makeup is Art: Professional Techniques for Creating Original Looks for 60% off!!!!! Well, 60% for irewards members. No big deal, but I'm a member. So, it was $8 something and I threw it into the pile and went home. I didn't really get a chance to take a look until this evening.

I have been poring over this book for the past hour or so. The photography is excellent, the writing is clear and concise and the product recommendations are all totally reachable. The makeup ranges from contemporary takes on period looks, to outlandish bejeweled creations, to wearable, tangible faces. I haven't finished reading all the text but I can tell, this is going to be one of my favs.

Aside from the oh-so-right rhinestones, the book includes a great Q+A's for newbie's and finishes with a comprehensive list of suppliers. The list of makeup and hair products used, hair and makeup artists and more (complete with websites!) has given me hours more of drool-worthy inspiration.

My most important client yet.

2011-01-04T12:16:00.000-05:00

Two weeks before Christmas I had, to date, my most important client yet. Here's the thing. I tell everyone that. But it's not all fooey. I treat everyone like their are the most important too.

But this was different. This client was my mum.

I don't know that I've said too much about my mum on this blog, but let me give you a bit of a rundown on who she is and what she's about.

For one, she's the best. She is kind and giving and tough and challenging. She expects more from me than anyone else but believes in me like no one else can. Two: If I do anything good with my life, it will be because of her.

The reason for her photoshoot is that she is starting a project, that I'll detail another day, and I figured she should have some great head shots to accompany said project. My fantastic friend and photographer, Carla Silva took the photos and we had a blast. She's so amazing at directing people who aren't used to being infront of a camera. I'm really excited to see the finished photos.

One of the reasons that I am doing makeup today is because of my mum. This isn't the 'I used to watch my mum apply lipstick blah blah' story because she's never been much of a makeup lover. But after I finished art school and felt hopeless and lost and stupid for not doing makeup five years earlier, she encouraged me, and made sure whenever I sucked (which was often. seriously, I was BAD when I started doing makeup) I kept going. She was never one for blind encouragement. My mum still holds me accountable for getting the things I want in life.

As she sat in front of me on that day, and I was blow drying her hair, I kept thinking of Billy Collin's poem, Lanyard. There is so much thanks, love and overwhelming debt that I want to express to both my parents but there is never a way to make it... big enough. Watch the video below, look up the poem; Billy Collins says it better than I can.

Side note: Also, my mum is a babe. She just is. But following the crashing of my computer, none of my pictures are on my hard drive. So uh, this is all I've got. But trust me, she's not always blurry. Or far away.

What I do have, are pictures of her cat, Eleanor Rigby. She hates me because I always try to play Lion King with her.

xoxo.

Nails... and Tonka.

2011-01-02T19:33:00.001-05:00

2011 - Resolutions

2011-01-02T01:19:00.000-05:00

I've been trying to write this post for awhile and I've since completely flip flopped on the idea of resolutions and then flip flopped right back to where I started. So, in the words of my dearest Emily, here's the thing.

New beginnings? They happen every day. Every night I go to bed with the opportunity to wake up and change my perspective. Start a new habit. Quit an old one. Lose one thing and find another. Every single day, I can do that.

To me, starting something on January 1st, is kind of like setting myself up for failure. It's the new year, and everyone is talking about it, so it's easy and natural to make a long list of things I wish were different and plans to change those things. But the holidays are hectic and crazy and the first few weeks of January, when I'm planning to make over my whole life, are often spent playing catch up. There's laundry and grocery shopping to do. I need to mop the kitchen like you wouldn't believe. And Tonka? He looks like he could use a shower and that is a whole other drama. In between of my regular chores and duties I'm exhausted just thinking about including a whole new list to do that are completely out of my routine. Whew.

What I think the end of the year is great for, is, reflection. I reflect to find things to change but I'm not going to give myself a list and a due date because if I had a list, the first thing on it would be STRESS LESS. People change, and I am no exception. But this year, that change is welcome to come on it's own, as it seems fit. Not all within the first month of the year.

January is just another month and 2011 is just another year. I'm pumped to keep going forward in my life and career. Instead of stressful expectations, I just want to keep on keeping on. I'm planning for more in every aspect of my life. But it's not a goal for the year. It's a continuation of my life.

xoxo

ok. also, I did totally make a resolution to learn more about food in an effort to eat better. Than I ate oreo's with whip cream. So uh... maybe I should resolve to grow some will power.

2010 - year in review

2010-12-31T23:55:00.001-05:00

January was cold. Like really cold. I would wake up five minutes before work, hit snooze again, roll out of bed and onto my bike and ride to work. In January. Seriously. I hated waking up, sitting at work and lost interest in a lot of things. It was a bummer month and now I am sorry that I was so unpleasant to be around. In February, with $258 in my bank account, I withdrew $250 for a hair course and prayed, to Tonka, that it would be worth it. I started working at blo. It was worth it. Handing in my notice at Clarins felt like approximately 1 million lbs had been lifted from my shoulders. But I wasn't done... March rolled around and I was working eight days a week between Clarins and blo. Clarins and blo. Clarins and blo. Clarins and blo. Come April, it started to rain, but not much. I split my time between four blo locations and Clarins. I booked off time with blo to dedicate to Clarins. Then Clarins decided they didn't need me. I was pissed but now I see it wasn't that big a deal. In May I stopped spreading myself so thin and worked only at blo bloor west. I was relieved. I was exhausted. I finally knew that it was possible to love a job. I started a writing course and remembered that school is awesome. There were drinks on patios, friends birthdays and general celebrations for the fast approaching summer. In June I did prom and high school graduation makeup and remembered what it was like to be so awkward and so difficult and so so so so. One set of 17 year olds left pot underneath my coffee table. When I finally found it, I yelled at my roommate. I don't have clients over now. B and I saw Tune Yards and I felt inspired and grateful and elated. July marked the middle and the rush of wedding season. It was hot and hot and hot. After one wedding I got so hot I threw up and it was really embarrassing. Now I know to bring cold drinks and snacks. B and I went to snake island and I fell in love again and more. August was still hot. Hot. Photoshoots outside, free time inside. I found a new love in Dior pressed powder compacts. B and I had slushies. So many slushies. Tonka couldn't go on walks. At the end of the summer I was grateful for time off. September saw B and I travel through Germany with a stop in Prague. Frankfurt - Munich - Prague - Berlin - Hamburg - Frankfurt - Home. We ate the best food this mouth has ever seen. We layed in grass while B drank beer. And Damien Jurado owned my heart. October was my birthday. And the best I've ever had. B and I saw Sufjan Stevens and my brain exploded. I took it easy. But when I worked, I worked hard. I dressed up for Halloween and my greatest Halloween fear came true - no one else dressed up. Turns out that's not such a big deal either. November came and the makeup show was amazing. My kit became complete. B had a birthday. I reconnected with a bestie and forgot that other things were going on. December was difficult and I lost my grandfather. I am still afraid to go back to England because I don't think I can be there if he's not. I spent my first Christmas without my mum but B spent his first Christmas with my family which will always be special to me. Tonka got a red jacket that looks like a cape. We both looked forward to New Years Eve and 2011. Happy New Years, friends. xoxo.

Priscilla Queen of the Desert

2010-12-30T11:37:00.000-05:00

When I found out that Priscilla Queen of the Desert was coming to Toronto I 'eepped.' That is to say, I shrieked, rather loudly, in excitement. I don't know if I've mentioned this before but I've always felt like I was meant to be a drag queen. Seeing the movie years ago, and I felt like I found my family. That is to say, my drag family.

Here's a bit of a confession and side note: I get so weepy at theatre productions. Even happy ones. Sometimes, even at music concerts. The thing is, when I see people doing what they love and feeling like they've made it or their successful or they've really achieved something, I lose it. I get so overwhelmed with happiness for them and I start thinking about what the pinnacle of my career would mean to me and I'm in tears. It's so embarrassing.

So, just before Christmas, my mum and I went to see the show at the Princess of Wales Theatre. It was sold out and our seats were fantastic. Perfect view of the stage and the crowd on the first balcony; audience members decked out in feather boas, holding LED martini glasses.

The costumes were fantastic. The makeup was amazing. The hair was unbelievable. It's only playing until the 2nd of January so if you get a chance to see - GO!

(not my photo)

Rule #76

2010-12-29T22:54:00.001-05:00

No excuses. Play like a champion.

What I've been up to.

2010-12-28T23:07:00.000-05:00

Merry Christmas friends. I hope you're all enjoying the season.

xoxo

At least her hair looks good.

2010-12-21T12:28:00.000-05:00

Lets hold out on my opinions about Country Strong for a quick sec.

Her hair... it looks great. I'm gonna guess she's got extensions in her hair and I love how great they blend. Pony tails, while they look low-maintenance and quick can sometimes be harder than expected. The shape is great and the curls look good. It can be a big pain when trying to blend extensions into real hair in a pony tail to stop those shorter pieces from curling strangely.

And that is why I managed to watch this video for 27 seconds. It was over after that.

Now for my opinion. Ok, rant.

Two weeks ago Heather and I went to see Burlesque. A preview for Gwenyth Paltrow's new movie, Country Strong, came on and I screamed. Well, I whisper-screamed. And when I got over my shock here is the exchange of words between Heather and I:

Me: "That is the worst casting for a role I have ever seen."

Heather: "Who do you think would be better?"

Me. "I would. I would be better. Or maybe Tonka. Tonka would be a more believable country singer than Gwenyth Paltrow."

For reference, Tonka:

Here's the thing. I pretty much love country music. Loretta Lynn, as previously discussed, is my hero. But I just don't know about this movie. Will we every be able to separate Gwenyth-GOOP-Paltrow from the decent-ish actress she can be?

I won't be lining up on opening night. I'll wait to see what the critics have to say.

xoxo

Makeup Movie Monday - Kanye West

2010-12-20T10:28:00.001-05:00

I'll admit it. I'm not up to date on all things Kanye. I don't dislike him or his music, I just don't pay attention. I had heard this video was coming out and I kept seeing the shorter, music video version with subtitles at the gym. Last weekend Gala posted this on her blog and lying in bed on Sunday morning, I expected to turn it off. Ten minutes later I told myself I would get up to shower. Thirty minutes into the movie and I conceded. I stayed for four more minutes and finished the video.

Now it's your turn. Shut off the world for thirty minutes and check it out. Sans interruptions, qui?

Visually, there are parts I really love. The birds eye makeup is beautiful and the way her hair is styled with the colour dusted over it tugs at my heart. I love the texture created in pulling her hair back which has the potential to be severe or unnecessarily clean. This however, is beautiful.

xoxo

Christmas nails!

2010-12-18T16:27:00.000-05:00

Friends, this week has been rough.

So I did what I always do when I'm bummed and I painted my nails.

I used Mettalic Top Speed from Revlon. It stays nicely, dries quickly and barely chips. The gems... well, I was just feeling a little tacky.

I also found this picture in my photobooth and I have absolutely no recollection of painting my nails this white. I love white nail polish but only when it's super shiny and glossy. This is Sally Hansen Insta Dri in white. It looks great as soon as it's on and then gets dull and looks like white out. Ick.

Any recommendations?

I'm off this afternoon to a Christmas party of sorts. Holiday gatherings.

I'm actually really excited. I love Christmas.

xoxo

Makeup Movie Monday - Black Swan

2010-12-13T09:42:00.002-05:00

Yesterday evening the bf and I went to see Black Swan. Thoughts on the movie aside, it was two hours of vacuous commentary from women behind and beside me. I won't go into too much detail but a direct quote from the evening includes: "sorry about the smell. It's my infection." The show we went to see was sold out so we hung around for a second screen thirty minutes later. I don't think I've ever been to a theatre so packed.

I digress.

The film? Were you wondering what I thought? Well... I loved it! L-O-V-E-D. The costumes, the makeup, it was so beautiful. Initially, I was expecting something really graphic, beautiful and slow. Every review told me how psychological it was.... And it is. Sorta. I don't think I can be descriptive without concern of ruining it. Please see it.

Here is an interview with the head of makeup, Margie Durand and Judy Chin. I hope my career finds that kind of success... it would be a dream to put together the makeup for an entire movie like Black Swan.

Alas. One day.

Where have I been?!

2010-12-10T22:43:00.000-05:00

At home.

Hunched over a table preparing for a beauty shoot

with a focus on nails.

I'm excited. And tired.

New Work

2010-12-01T11:37:00.000-05:00

A little while ago I took a break from creatives and testing with photographers because frankly, it was hard! Not like math is hard where if you study and perservere it will pay off in the end. But hard like models kept showing up hours late with hickeys and the photographers were over photoshopping and I was embarrassed of the crappy work that kept getting put out with my name on it. That kind of hard. And while I'm no quitter, I'm definitely a take a break and gain perspective-er.

I had been thinking recently that I needed to return to model work but wasn't sure how to go about it. It's very nerve wracking when you feel like your book is crap and you don't think you know anyone and everyone is better than you and oh-woe-is-me. Then last week, Michelle Belsky, a photographer I worked with almost two years ago said she was looking for a makeup artist and I jumped.

Soooo worth it.

The model, Janel from Ford, was stunning. STUNNING, did you hear me? Hair that makes men cry, legs up to her face, professional and charming. Oh, and a year older than me. Sometimes working with 14 year olds is a challenge. Just sayin.'

I don't have all the work but here's a shot. Just to get your pallette wet and wanting a little more.

It was dandy to break out my new Yaby Dramatically Neutral palette. I loaded her lid with the most gorgeous bronze shadows and topped it with body gloss so it looked a little greasy. I covered her in baby oil and made her skin glowly and shiny. The highlight on the shoulder absolutely kills me.

That night I made a million notes on all the things I wanted to do and all the looks that needed to be tried. It's so grand to feel motivated and inspired again. Working with clients and women that aren't models is amazing, and the reason I love hair and makeup. But fashion and models and beauty work... it's just so different.

Playing harmonica, getting things done.

2010-11-29T23:36:00.000-05:00

If you've been following me on facebook you will know that I've had some computer troubles as of late. Last week I had the disc drive (reader...? The place where discs go) replaced, the case and keyboard replaced and the harddrive wiped... and it is still running like a computer from the early 90's. Steve Jobs and I are not friends right now.

So in my down time, my super roommate and I have started a harmonica band. Here were are covering the beatles. Well, a few notes from Love Me Do because frankly, that's all I could figure out. And I'm barely doing that well. But trust me, we're going to be huge.

Enjoy.

xoxo

Makeup Movie Monday - Christina Aguilera

2010-11-29T09:12:00.000-05:00

With Burlesque having come out on Friday I thought it would be appropriate to showcase one of my guiltiest of pleasures, Christina Aguilera. (Side note: still haven't seen it. Heather and I are planning a most special

A lot of her videos and appearances often have her showing off some questionable (at best) makeup choices. I'll be honest, I don't love her makeup most of the time. But I love that I know what to expect from her and that it's always done perfectly. Her eyeliner, lipstick and skin: gaudy - yet flawless. It's not my style but it's hers and that's all that matters.

Her video, Not Myself Tonight, was like a 2010 'Dirrty.' I can't get enough of it. A bit of Madonna and Gaga and a ton of Chrissy A.

Speaking of Burlesque, I broke my OPI buying ban and picked up a bottle of their super sparkles from the collection for the movie. The shine and texture is amazing but it is otherwise just another bottle of OPI and chips at every opportunity. But it looks so good on that I've been religiously retouching for three days.

xoxo

I was featured on WeddingGirl.ca!

2010-11-28T21:11:00.000-05:00

This week I had the pleasure of blowing (with my hair dryer... don't be gross!) Mary, a wedding planner from Toronto.

She came into blo to check out our services and find out more about how awesome we are. Later that very day, she wrote all about it on her blog. She's also giving away a free consultation for a lucky Toronto bride. You can check it out here. So spread the word.

Makeup Movie Monday - Elizabeth

2010-11-22T11:20:00.000-05:00

It seems as if it is too easy to follow up last weeks post with another historical film. What can I say? I'm a sucker. Elizabeth came on TV on Monday night and I knew what I had to do.

My last year of school, I remember locking myself in my room one weekend to do work and had a lineup of historical dramas to watch. Including Marie Antoinette, Elizabeth I and II, Goya's Ghosts etc. There is a scene at the end of the first Elizabeth; Cate Blanchette has her hair chopped off and as she raises her head and - gasp. It is phenomenal.

Side note - the best thing about writing/talking about historical films is that you can't ruin anything or give something way. It already happened!

Jenny Shircore was responsible for the hair and makeup of both films. She was also behind Girl with the Pearl Earring, Clash of the Titans. Historical seems to be her thing. Historical and being awesome. She won an Oscar for Elizabeth.

Anyways, I can't find that scene that breaks my heart when I think about it, nor a picture, so here are the trailers.

/object>

My Kit!

2010-11-19T23:01:00.000-05:00

And here I am, Friday night. My entertaining self, chillin' at home with a puppy.

The evening began with me cleaning my kit before seeing a client tomorrow, but honestly, there is nothing I love more than playing with makeup and organising. Break out the label maker - it's going to be a wild night.

All finished!

After IMATS I picked up some new palettes.

Some wicked new brushes.

Makeup Forever Aqua Colours.

And my fav - Yaby Liquid Foundation.

Top left:

skin palettes.

From left to right, top to bottom.

Yaby cream foundation, yellows; Yaby powder foundations, light

Yaby concealor; Yaby PF, medium; Yaby highlight

Assorted cream colours (cinema secrets, mufe flash); Yaby PF, dark; Assorted blushes

Bottom left:

A few liners

Face Atelier liquid foundation

Assorted glues

Inside the box:

MUFE HD powder, MUFE Aqua colours, MUFE Elixir

Benefit Shellac, MAC and Smashbox liners

Loreal Voluminous

Bottom right:

Colour palettes

Disposables

Left to right; top to bottom:

Assorted lipsticks, light;

Assorted lipsticks, medium; Yaby Dramatically Neutral shadows; Assorted pink-based shadows

Assorted lipsticks, dark; Yaby Pearl Paint shadows; Assorted brow and shadows

Top right:

moisturiser, nail polish remover, brush cleaner etc.

Yaby liquid foundations.

OCC Lip Tars

I'm really excited to work with the Makeup Forever Aqua Colours. I detest not being able to palette them but they are a pretty cool product. I picked up a red, pink and dark silver/grey (as well as the matching liner). I swipped them all over my hand at IMATS and kept showing Jessica exclaiming 'they really don't budge.' Which is what she had been telling me for ages.

A few people have asked me about the Yaby palettes, which I am obviously, a big fan of. To keep them clean I use makeup remover. Shocking, right? But seriously, that comes up a lot.

I had other eyeshadow palettes but after picking up the dramatically neutral and pearl paints the others became redundant. And seriously, Yaby trumps everything in quality.

If you're looking to start a Yaby collection, my only regret is that I didn't stick to just freestyle palettes. Buddy-o Jessica did that and got 35 lippies to one palette instead of 20. The white space is pretty, but the thought of condensing my kit even more makes my heart skip a beat.

I'm still trying out this new silver thingy. I love being able to work out of it and not needing to open things up to get to things but I hate carrying it around. I feel like a tool (haha - because it's a tool box!). Also, it doesn't fit on my bike. Chances are I'll switch it up come spring time.

By no means is this it, but this is generally what I carry around with me. When I need extras there is a space on the lid or I just throw a to-gosie in my purse.

So there it is. My kit.

Marie Antoinette - Makeup Movie Monday

2010-11-15T11:05:00.000-05:00

After last weeks departure into sensitive town with my feelings for Loretta Lynn, I decided to return to something purely visual this week.

It is nothing new to say that Sofia Coopola's film, Marie Antoinette is slow. It is not based on accuracy but instead, beauty. And while it won't keep you on the edge of your seat, it's definitely worth a watch. And since visiting Versailles with my special someone last year, it only means more.

Below, some clips. Enjoy the decadence, finessed skin, perfect lips and over the top hair.

Just can't get enough.

2010-11-12T15:58:00.000-05:00

Of Halloween that is.

While scoping the ol' f-book this week the bf and I came across a website called Clubbing Republic. To sum it up, those people that take approximately 1 million photos every night at clubs across Toronto, then post their photos online for the world to see. Well, the world or the very people who are in the photos. Bf and I are stay-at-home-rent-movie-make-dinner-types so the world of clubs are very very new/strange to us. We had a good laugh at all the ways girls have found to make costumes slutty on Halloween. Ie. Slutty Chilean miner. Slutty Swat Team. Slutty camo/army girl.

Anywhoo, what sparked my initial f-book hunt was to find the zombie girls I made over for This Is London on Oct. 30th. Here are the results.

I only made over Randi. The blonde.

She and I both work at Blo during the week.

And lord love her for pulling off that Madonna bra.

I did the cops makeup. Not the blonde's.

Cannot for the life of my recall her name!

Sorry!

I did both of these girls makeup.

Only a few went for the full zombie face.

The rest just did the ever present smokey eye

and some gorey cuts/bruises.

For the face makeup I used Ben Nye Character Cream Base as well as their coagulated and stage blood. I also busted out my trusty MUFE Flash Palette. I topped with a fine dusting of powder and finished with the MUFE Fix It. I also used the Fix It for those black metal boys. The stuff is like face glue. I L-O-V-E it. The lips were all OCC Lip Tars. I outlined all the lips with the black and filled them in with a variety of colours, depending on the girl. At the apartment, it meant that the girls looked like they had terrible liner but before they got to work the lips had blended and they had a dynamic lip colour with rich colour in the middle that transitioned to black. Wish I had a close up. Either way, give it a shot. It's a good look.

xoxo

blo hearts parties part two

2010-11-11T22:15:00.001-05:00

A few weeks ago I posted about a party taking place at work last weekend. It took place last Saturday after the IMATS. Oh lord. What a day.

The Thursday before the party I got to work to find the entire sidewalk ripped up. In August we got a letter telling us that there would be road work in September. I guess it was delayed a little while....

I never expected to have such a great time. It was so fun to dress up and see all the other blo girls dressed up. Ronnie, Euni and I did dry styles for awhile. We drank. We shook hands. There were air kisses and raffle tickets.

My friends and roommates came which was so awesome. We had all worked so hard to pull that party together and it was so amazing to share that with my friends. I know they definitely have other things to do on Saturday nights so it was really nice that they came.

Here are a few snaps from my camera. The professional pictures are obviously much better but those won't be up for another few days.

This is Cristina!

She's a babe.

She's another blo boss.

My darling English friend, Allen.

Yes, he always looks this impressed.

And Sir Dru.

Roommate Extraordinaire.

The Heathers.

I love these ladies.

I teased both of their hair to the heavens.

Big hair always wins.

xoxo

IMATS Recap

2010-11-10T18:00:00.000-05:00

IMATS!!!!

I finally have a moment after an unbelievably crazy weekend.

Saturday morning I met my first client at 6am. She was entering a body building competition (her first) and was an absolutely fantastic client. I had a lot of fun with her.

Jessica met me just after 7am and we were off. I was giddy. I am always excited for IMATS. This was my fourth (or fifth?) in as many years (I'm counting the years when Toronto hosted the Makeup Show and not the IMATS). It's so nice to see people doing what you want to do. To reconnect with friends. And really, to just talk about makeup for two entire days and not having any give me grief about it!

This year Jess, Mary and I helped out Liz at Yaby. Liz is always so much fun. The conversation has a tendency to turn towards the racy but its always entertaining. Hence the saucy cucumber photos.

It is not often that I get to be taller than someone.

Jessica bought me this awesome scarf on her recent trip to Paris

And I turned it into a turban.

Because frankly, I look great in turbans.

Again with the inappropriateness.

Liz and Jess getting a little too close.

The biggest bummer about working the show is that I miss all the presentations. I walked by while Enkore was presenting on the side stage. I really like his demeanor. And we were so close to the main stage that we heard all of Kandy Johnson's appearance. Which was... nuts. There were so many people there to see her. The line up for her signing was so long. And she is a trooper. Very pregnant, she sat and signed every single autograph that was requested of her.

This year was so different from past shows. Saturday saw a very obvious presence of beauty bloggers. Everyone had a camera, a video camera and there was a lot of chatter about who recommended what on which youtube channel/blog. It's a strange shift for me. Definitely makes me feel a little older and little out of touch.

But one consistency that exists year after year... holy bad makeup batman! What is with all the makeup enthusiasts with TERRIBLE makeup. Terrible. T-E-R-R-I-B-L-E. Am I making this clear enough? Year after year, Jessica and I remark to one another how a little bit of blending can go so far. Friends. Let me offer you an everlasting piece of makeup advice. If you are ever unsure about the look you're trying out, blend. Then blend some more. Then for good measure, a little more.

There were some new faces at the show. MAC PRO wasn't there last year and had a booth just for the purpose of signing people up for their pro card... which I think is... kinda icky. They used to have an entire booth at the Makeup Show and their products were pro discounted but now they just buy the space so they can present. Like I said, ick.

Stila was there. Which was cool because Sephora doesn't honour pro discounts. But they are doing some really strange things. Their makeup case/ video player is so gimmicky. They have a lot of products that rely on clever marketing that overshadow their fantastic products like their lip stain, liquid luminizer and convertible colours.

I'll finish off the week with a new post about my kit so you can see all the rad things I picked up.

xoxo,

ashley.

I will tell you a secret.

2010-11-08T10:45:00.002-05:00

Well, it's actually not much a secret. Especially if you've ever snuck up on me while I'm singing to my ipod. In which case, you already know that I'm a huge Loretta Lynn fan.

Huge.

Wikipedia will give you more information that I can succinctly but, I think she's tops. Loretta didn't even pick up a guitar until she was 24 and had been married for nine (9!!!!!) years. I used to think about that a lot when I was changing my life and suddenly studying makeup and hair. Also, I love country hair.

If you want a crash course in all things Loretta, the Definitive Collection is the way to go. Then pick up one of her books (I recommend Loretta Lynn: Coal Miner's Daughter) and watch the movie by the same name.

So, for this makeup monday, I present to you, one of my idols. Aptly named not only for her looks, but for her life.

And now you know too much.

xoxo
a.

Little love.

2010-11-08T01:28:00.000-05:00

Here is my puppy. He is four.

Happy Birthday little one.

This Weekend!!!!!

2010-11-06T00:05:00.001-04:00

Friends!!!!

I'm sooo excited. I love love love this time of year.

And I'm going to be honest, my shopping list this year might be pretty big.

mascara spoolies

sponges

foundation brushes (I'm always searching for best one)

occ compressor!!!!!!!

MUFE waterproof pencils

And lets not forget how much Yaby I'm going to pick up. Oh lord.

aaaaahhhhhhhhh.

I'll be at the Yaby booth if you want to say hi and give me a high five and share a pepsi (one can, two straws!).

xoxo,

Halloween!!!!

2010-11-05T19:38:00.000-04:00

I know it's a little late but I was hoping to get more pictures back. Alas, my zombie muses have not provided images so I'm just going to share what I've got. And take a hint that I need to start taking more pictures through out the day... I always forget.

My day started at Blo. The night before another blo boss and I discussed dressing up. I rarely dress up but decided to be a good sport. The next day, I was the only one in costume. And lets be clear, this is 8am... I'm covered in blood and feelin' a fool. A lady at the bank asking me if I was alright was probably the highlight of the morning.

I made our front desk girl dress as pippi. Danielle has long gorgeous hair that I fish tail braided and ran some wire through it. And those freckles? Smashbox gel liner.

After blo I hit up a pre-work zombie party for a gaggle of girls who work at a club in Toronto as servers/bartenders. I made up over ten+ girls into sassy zombies. Well, partially clothed, over sexed, zombies. It was a blast.

The zombie party ran late making me tardy for my final stop of the evening. And possibly the most fun. My dear dear friend dru, and two friends were going out as black metal... boys? black metal dudes? bmbff (black metal best friends forever)??? They had inspiration and tons of fun.

btw - that graffiti appeared on the school

opposite our house the 29th of October.

Too perfect.

This picture of dru kills me.

He carried that horn around... it was sooo loud.

Enjoy!

xoxo

Dove Commercial

2010-11-01T11:28:00.000-04:00

Sometimes I think we just need reminders of what it takes.

blo hearts parties.

2010-10-28T22:44:00.000-04:00

I would be ever so delighted if you joined me at blo on the sixth of November for some drinks and dancing and do's. Grab some pals and rsvp at blobloorwest@blomedry.com

xoxo,

Makeup Movie Monday

2010-10-25T23:27:00.000-04:00

When I worked in an office as a production coordinator I found the best way to motivate my staff (I had one. There was me and one boy in the office) was to watch tv shows online while we worked. It was a great plan.

We started the week off with Mighty Mondays (we watched the Mighty Boosh). And Wednesday was (naturally) the Inbetweener day.

So, I guess I'm following that up with Makeup Monday. Makeup videos I think are awesome. Starting with the video Illamasqua put out last week. Enjoy!

What are you going to be?

2010-10-25T10:21:00.000-04:00

New Set Up

2010-10-24T01:10:00.000-04:00

Last year at IMATS, I worked at Yaby's booth with Liz Yu, Jessica/Babetron Jean Meyers and Seema Haider and we were discussing how we carry our makeup about. At the time I was using a Betsy Johnson rolling lap top bag; which is great. Though recently, while strolling through Home Depot I found a silver case like the one that Seema said she preferred. On a whim I bought it.

And I have to say... this is what organization heaven feels like.

My concern was that it was going to be too heavy. In my excitement I purchased one without a shoulder strap - so I will definitely need to correct that in the near future. And I'll be honest, it is heavier. But I'll take a few extra poundage (trust me - I can handle it) for the ability to finally be able to work out of my case.

I have made a few modifications. I cut out some of the holders on the brush compartment. I acquired a piece of foam for the bottom as everything moved around too much with just the adjustable pieces. And I added on some additional brush storage. But it looks great and not as ghetto as I just made it sound.

I'll give you a sneak peak, just because I'm so proud. But I'm planning a bigger kit post for after IMATS when I've fully restocked for the year. woot woot!

Sometimes when I'm alone...

2010-10-21T22:55:00.001-04:00

I pretend to be a drag queen.

Or a Disney Villain.

Regardless, my eyebrow blocking skills need some work.

I can't wait for Halloween.

Nail of the Day

2010-10-19T23:48:00.000-04:00

I picked up some American Apparel nail polishes this weekend after reading so many fantastic reviews.

I bought butter, mouse and peacock. That evening I put butter on before bed and before noon the next day it was chipped. I was so bummed.

Sunday night I gave it another shot with a base coat and a top coat and I'm still proudly wearing mouse with a peacock stripe. The nail polish has a wicked consistency and is totally opaque in two coats (light shades like butter took three). It holds up well and looks great. Woot woot.

I Love Your Laugh

2010-10-19T14:01:00.000-04:00

One of my gorgeous clients has just released a book!

In this hilarious memoir, Jessica Holmes, a fan favourite on the hit shows The Holmes Show and Royal Canadian Air Farce, offers her witty observations on everything from her eclectic upbringing by a right-wing, Mormon father and a feminist mother, to her experiences as a missionary in Venezuela, to her own trial-and-error adventures in childrearing. Delving into personal experiences never discussed before, Holmes reveals her struggle to find laughter off-stage and spins comedy gold from her fumbles. The combination makes for an inspirational, heartwarming, and thoroughly side-splitting treat.

Willow Smith is kind of my hero...

2010-10-18T14:47:00.002-04:00

I don't know where to begin.

The super kawaii nails? The silver lashes? THE SPLATTER PAINT HAIR FLIPPIN'!!!!

I don't care if she enunciates like a dog with peanut butter on the roof of it's mouth, this video is uh-maz-ing (though in all fairness... the speakers are bad and 10 year olds generally don't make great music so I was barely listening).

Enjoy.

I want to be this kids friend. Or her baby sitter. Or her makeup artist. It's hard to say where I fit in her life....

Making Mistakes.

2010-10-17T13:23:00.009-04:00

She walked on stage, taking her place on a too-high stool and I saw it. Flyaways. Not just any flyaways. Her fringe had parted leaving a piece sticking straight up. STRAIGHT UP. I clenched the can of aero-gel in my hand but it was too late. We were live. I couldn’t yell, “stepping in” and fix my mistake. The cameras were rolling and there were no second chances. I sat back and watched what would’ve otherwise have been an enlightening interview but I was transfixed on that piece of hair. Surely my career, and probably my life were over.

In the beginning particularly while I was building my portfolio, clients or talent would get out of my chair and I would think, “I wish I had a redo.” It wasn’t just during moments of big slip ups either. Days after shoots I would see images of my work and tear it apart. It took me ages to build a portfolio because I trashed everything. I had an amazing ability to find fault in anything from the smallest eyebrow hair to the slightest shadow crease.

If, from time to time, you feel like you’ve come down with an over active case of the crazies, I have some advice. While I still have the tendency to ignore any merit in my work, I have learnt to relax. Whenever I think I have failed myself, the entire production crew and possibly the world, I stop. Take a breath and reassess. I will always by my own worst critic. But at least I’ve learnt to build a bridge between being critical and being realistic.

First things first, consider the situation, If you’re seeing the proofs from a photo shoot you’re in luck. The magic of editing might be able to save you. You should never rely on it but appreciate its existence when needed. If an error occurred at a live event, well photoshop can’t save you. But before you end it all, consider this; your client, whether a bride or talent, got out of your chair seeing exactly what you did. Chances are, the negative thing you are fixated on is not something that means as much to them. Of course, you should strive for perfection but you also have to let go and realise a misplaced bobby pin doesn’t make the memories. The bulk of my job has less to do with perfection and more to do with confidence; confidence which exists in spite of flyaways.

Part of being realistic is realising that some things are out of your control. Following a final spray of aero-gel, you have little say over your client putting her hair behind her ears out of habit. And some people, despite countless warning, can’t keep their fingers away from their face; lipstick be damned. You can’t beat yourself up over these things and you have to believe that your clients won’t either. You are, after all, working with humans; habitually imperfect beings.

Keep in mind, not all mistakes are bad. You can easily find the silver lining in most errors. After all my world didn’t crumble around me following the great hair spray disaster of 20-10 and you can bet that I won’t make that mistake again. Every time I’ve done something that made me cringe, whether a case of being neurotic or not, I’ve gotten better at my job. Lets not get it twisted. Don’t run around making mistakes to see what lessons and epiphanies come from it. But remember to relax, accept what happens and get it right the next time ‘round.

Illamasqua and Mizz Worthy Art of Darkness Part Three

2010-10-16T19:58:00.000-04:00

I'm not sure if this counts as one entry or two... because there are two faces... but only half of them count.....

So, my third and final (or perhaps third and fourth) entry to the Illamasqua and Mizz Worthy competition are the Siamese Twins.

When coming up with characters for a dinner party I immediately though that there needed to by a story teller. But I also wanted to provide a set of twins. And I couldn't decide whether the story teller should be reviled and reveled. So become the Siamese Twins; one a charlatan and the other a raconteur, neither will admit which is which and who is who.

My fabulous roommate Dru and his wicked hot girlfriend, Heather, posed for these photos and I couldn't be more grateful to not have to take images of myself. These two are super babes.

One of my favourite books, is Geek Love. And when I saw the Art of Darkness collection, I pictured parts of this book. I won't give too much away, but I have to add, my inspiration for the characters, the siamese twins, came from this book. Even though, again, without giving too much away, the twins in Geek Love are totally different. Anyways - get the book. It's awesome.

Illamasqua and Mizz Worthy Art of Darkness Part Two

2010-10-16T19:44:00.000-04:00

And here my sweet ones, is my second attempt at the Illamasqua and Mizz Worthy Art of Darkness competition.

My second character is, the fortune teller.

Travelling from city to city with the Queen of the Gypsies, the Fortune Teller earns a living manipulating peoples futures for the worst with her dishonorable glass ball readings.

Again, trying to continue the colours used in the Art of Darkness collection I was totally lured into my colour choices with OCC pigments and Lip Tar.

It's so strange to see my face so done up! The advantage is that I'm going out tonight and plan to thoroughly enjoy wearing a fortune teller inspired face.

Illamasqua and Mizz Worthy Art of Darkness Part One

2010-10-16T19:21:00.000-04:00

Well friends, this is a first for me.

Illamasqua has had several contests online and everytime Mizz Worthy posts about one, I star it in my reader, tell myself I absolutely must enter, and then promptly forget until the date of submission has passed.

But not this time. I'm sneaking in right before the doors close.

Here is the first of a few submissions to the contest. The premise was to create a character that could join the cast of the Art of Darkness for dinner.

Without further adieu... Mistress Menthe.

A secret lover to Hades, Menthe is like the colour and the scent of her namesake. I've always seen mint green as a royal colour; it is rich and deep but delicate. When I began the look I picked up colours from the Art of Darkness collection; rich golds, blues and reds but through out the application I kept picking up a mint green pigment from OCC and I couldn't put it down. So I let the colour influence the character.

I have to say... I feel like a giddy teenager right now. I'm so accustom to pampering clients that I forget what makeup used to be about for me. The days when I would sit on my bedroom floor, a picture of Marilyn Manson in front of me (oh Paul Starr, you brilliant man, you. RIP), trying to emulate his makeup.... wow. That was revealing.

But boy oh boy; that was hard. Forgive the terrible lighting/ pictures. Turns out, I am definitely not meant to be a photographer. Or a model. haha. Wish me luck!

Nail of the Day

2010-10-15T21:52:00.000-04:00

Here's what I got up to this evening between naps, veggie tacos and the new episodes of The Office and Inbetweeners.

Do Not Want.

2010-10-14T11:32:00.001-04:00

Good news Beiber freaks.

The little Ontario-born man is branching off into the adventurous world of nail polish with Nicole by OPI. Word on the street (by which I mean, online....) is that come December 2010, little Bieb's will have some chunky sparkly goo available at Wal Mart. The following year... even better news... it'll be widely available, shipping to Ulta and Target in the states as well.

With names like Step 2 the Beat of My Heart and One Less Lonely Girl (pictured below) you know this is going to be... well, like every other celebrity collaboration. Celebrities are awesome.

Next up... Ashley Readings brand carburetors.

I'm turning older.

2010-10-09T11:05:00.001-04:00

October 10th is my 25th birthday.

I intend to spend the morning eating crepes, smothered in sugar and lemon. The afternoon will be spent lounging on the couch with the bf by my side and the puppy at my feet. That evening, I will eat large quantities of Indian food with my family and kindest of friends followed by cake and an evening of wii. In hula hoop, I will be a calorie roaster. And perhaps, my roommate will let me win, even though we all know he hula hoops like a champion.

The next morning, it won’t be my birthday anymore. When asked, I will tell people that I am in my mid twenties as it will then be official. I will make decisions with consideration to the future as well as respect for the past. There will be more neutrals in my closet and less sparkle in my eyeshadow. I will no longer be able to fool myself into believing that a chocolate bar is part of any meal. I will, at long last, have to consider myself an adult. Much to my dismay.

If you have read this blog for awhile, you will notice, everything has changed. Just as everything always changes. Only this time, it’s different. I am hoping to infuse this blog, just as my life, with a little more focus and dedication.

Please keep reading. I promise there will be just as many pictures of the puppy as always.