Love A Good Before & After!

Mari

Lauren

Amanda

Alicia



Neysa



Makeup Artistry all By Lori Nansi Of Le Mariee' Makeup

Interested in scheduling a Makeup Trial run? Email me at lemariee@ymail.com today!

Have Yourselves A Merry Lil Christmas!

Photographer-Brian Landis

Model-Jessica Boughers

Makeup-Lori Nansi Of Le Mariee Makeup

How to contact Lori!

Hi Everyone!

Lately, I have noticed that in quite a few blogs, my blog rather than website is listed in the credits, so I wanted to let you know how to contact me for wedding or event makeup!

Email- lemariee@ymail.com
Website http://www.lemariee.org/
Cell-240-320-3232

Hope to hear from you!  Happy Hollidays!

The 10 Commandments of Lipstick

Step aside, gloss. Lipstick is back in a big way, making mouths look strong, rich, and thoroughly refined. Here, the rules for doing lipstick right, right now

1. START FRESH


Start fresh. Exfoliate lips once or twice a week
 
2. AVOID TOO MUCH SPARKLE


"Shimmer can look cheap," says makeup artist Troy Surratt. Look for lipsticks with a creamy finish. "Light reflection should come from moisture in the formula, not metallic pigments
 
3. FIND THE RIGHT BRIGHT


Choose a bright shade based on your lips' natural color—not your skin tone. Women with pale lips look best in cherry red or coral; for naturally reddish lips, try hot pink, orange, or cranberry; for dark lips, brick red and burgundy are ideal
 
4. LOOK GOOD NUDE


The prettiest nude lip color is slightly brighter or deeper than your skin tone. If you're pale, look for something with a hint of pink, like Burberry Beauty Lip Cover in Nude Rose. Those with yellow or olive undertones or dark skin look best with sandy beiges, like CoverGirl LipPerfection Lipcolor in Delish.
 
5. AVOID THE VAMPIRE EFFECT


Blue- or black-based shades that are too dark can be severe, aging, and even a little scary. Look for lipsticks with berry undertones instead. (Try Elizabeth Arden Exceptional Lipstick in Wild Winterberry or Rimmel London Moisture Renew Lip Colour in Burgundy Lustre SPF 18.
 
6. DON'T WORRY ABOUT LINER


Liner is no longer a must—today's lipsticks don't bleed," To enhance your Cupid's bow or add symmetry, use a pencil that matches your lips, not your lipstick.
 
7. SOFTEN THE EDGES


Careful application is good; clinical precision isn't. Just smudge the border of your lips slightly
 
8. START IN THE MIDDLE


When applying any shade of lipstick, start at the center of lips and blend color out toward the corners of your mouth. (Never apply it directly to the corners of your mouth—it will look clownish.)
 
9. DON'T OVERDO IT


Prevent a strong lipstick shade from looking heavy by swiping it on just your bottom lip, pressing lips together, and using your finger to distribute the color over your mouth
 
10. BLOT, BLOT, BLOT


To make your lipstick last longer, apply it straight from the tube, blot with a tissue, then swipe it on again. "Blotting will create a base, and the second coat adds shine and coverage

Bridal Makeup Inspiration

How To Maximize Your Bridal Makeup Artist and More

Eyes By Lori Of Le Mariee' Makeup

So , Thank you for stopping by! Lets chat about how to maximize your makeup artist on the big day! I think I am def right on target with this advice, And  since I happen to work on location with bride every weekend, I feel qualified for the job :)

1.Make sure you have plenty of counter space or table space! Do your homework ahead of time, scout out what your hotel or venue, will actually have in your room way ahead of time, if your having hair and makeup, this means you need double the outlets and 2 to 3 tables...Now if you have been to my studio for a trial run, you will have noticed, I have alot of makeup! And I  pack up alot of makeup when I come to you the day of. If your having makeup at your home, you have plenty of time to figure out which tables and counter space will work best for everyone, afterall you know where your outlets are and mirrors ect. the best lighting.. places in you home with the best tables or counter space. Imagine the look on your makeup artist's face when you welcome them into the spot you picked out just for makeup! Your on the fast track to setting the tone for some awesome artistry, and thats what you want!

2.Chairs!  Most of the time you will need a couple of regular chairs for the hair folks and one nice size bar stool, or tall chair so your makeup artist can you see your face at eye to eye level., also if your makeup artist has to bend down during makeup services, she will wear out very fast! And you dont want that do you? maybe due to back issues or ect she may feel like she has to rush or take a break or two . Make sure your comfortable with a cushy seat and a back on the chair as well. Again request your hotel or venue have a tall chair for you, or if you have a wedding planner DOC they would help with this. difficult for the makeup artist to pack a rather large makeup case and a chair..I know some do it..for me it depends on where we are doing makeup, if we are at your home and I am literally in your drive way, I can go back and get mine..but if I am parking far out in a hotel lot or valet parking..my hands are full..and the chair wont wait down at valet for a second trip.

3. Lighting!  Make sure you have both good natural light (mother nature permitting) and artifical light as well, for maximum color matching/shading/detail work and all of that fun stuff. If your having makeup in the dark it can be bad news. seeing it in both natural light and artificial is wise since the majority of weddings are in the daytime and reception is evening/artificial lighting. wrong lighting can mean either too much color or not enough..very important!

4.Water Please!  Ladies dont let your makeup artist  or hair stylist dry up and shrivel on you ! She may be with you anywhere from 2 to 4 hours..Common courtesy to offer a bottle of water, before she has to ask. :) fortunatley most Brides and bridal parties are quick to offer the minute you walk in the door but sadly enough there are some who are so busy or it slips there minds..kindly remember to water to artist's ! :)

Room Temp. with all of the bodies .excitment..and  not to mention possible hair dryers irons ect can make for a hot room! Not good!  sometimes a small hotel room came become very hot even in winter... having a spacious getting ready area benefits you as staying at room temp will allow your hair and makeup to last much longer and your makeup and hair folks will work much better in a cooler room. not to mention you wont have everyone bumping into eachother left and right..sometimes bridal party members who arent even getting hair and makeup are there just to join in the fun, but it can get very and I mean very crowded..if your artist bumps into someone every time she turns around or there is too much going , not only may you feel nervous or anxious..so will the artist and not perform as well as usual. Just sayin...


5.Payment.  Confirm the wedidng day balance witht he makeup artist ahead of time, if she hasnt already sent and email out confirming the final count for makeup, start and end time , location as well as balance..better ask! Have the final payment in an envelope ready to go, so you dont have to hurry around gathering money while your trying to get ready and relax. If your collecting from bridal party members, you can even do this the evening before after the rehersal dinner.


6.Gratuity. Please remember that gratuities are usually not included in pricing and Greatly appreciated as a mobile salon is all that much better than your usual salon, this is your big day, and you didnt have to step foot out into the weather, traffic and chaos. And especially if you Loved the final look and service :)  Also consider you may need to utilize the services of these artists again, for a special event or you may even have a friend  or family contact them for their wedding,  they may be more flexible with newer pricing aka increases with these referrals or throw in extras like touch up lip shades or false lashes for mom ect.

7.Finally, you are the one who reaps the rewards of following these steps more than you know!
Your artist will feel refreshed and ready to go with a workable area, good lighting, water :) comfortable room temp..Your sure to get maximum results for yourself and your bridal party!

Love This Look!

Amber chose a gorgeous Bridal Look, wearing a dark Grey/plum eye to give a little drama with a light peach check and lucky Bride had great pigment in her lips, so just a hint of peachy gloss was perfect!

Brides To Be, Please have your Hair Stylist Come to you!

Photograph Courtesy Of Ricky Chung Photography
On Site Hair styling provided by Kristen Foster of Kristen Foster Hair Artistry
Makeup By-Yours truly :)

Hi there!

Ok this has been on my mind for a little while, And I just need to get it off my chest so to speak :)
So bare with me!

During the 2011 season especially I have had the unfortunate experience of  arriving on the scene to provide makeup artistry, timeline in hand, everything mapped out, only to find there is Noone there for makeup services!

Yes you heard me, no Bride, no Bridal Party....


Can you take one guess as to where everyone was?

Well , incase you cant figure it out, I will help..drum roll.... THE HAIR SALON!

While, I myself go to the salon for cuts,styling ect from time to time and we all have our fav stylist.. your
wedding day is not and i repeat NOT the day to visit the salon!

Why ?

1. why would you want strangers aka onlookers watching you and your bridal party getting ready and sharing this special experience?

2. Most times you have to wait for the salon to open, which may be 9am, say for example you have 5 for hair services, and you have a 1or 2 pm ceremony with photos before hand, it doesnt leave you any wiggle room for travel/parking/ makeup/dressing ect.. get the picture?

3.Location location, how far away is the salon from the venue or hotel? if its downstairs great! but chances are its back in your home city, which may mean traffic coming back, dont forget it takes time to party ect.

4. salon interuptions, such as phones, walk ins, ect...

5. Is is raining outside or snowing perhaps, or majorly windy? well have fun on the way out to your car and then out of your car and back into your venue or hotel..you may lose half of what you paid for already.

6. If you have a makeup artist or other vendor waiting for you at your venue/hotel/home they may be waiting for you, and charge a wait time, or worse yet, they may have a second wedding after yours, and if you are 1 our more hours late, they may have to leave without finishing the schedule or be late for the next wedding and charge an overtime fee.


With all of this being said, request that your fav hair stylist come to you the day of! If they cannot or aren't willing to take off the morning or day from the salon, then hire a pro hair stylist that specializes in Bridal Hair, which I think is always a huge plus! They create seamless timelines, understand what brides are looking for, use products that hold up to the long event ! Normally the pricing is comparable, and at times a few extra dollars is def worth it to  have a gorgeous updo and enjoy the time with family and friends aka bridal party while you sip your mimosa's and giggle in the comfort of your suite/home/venue. why risk the traffic, the parking, the hassle and the chance of messing up a gorgeous style in the sometimes crazy weather we have in the dmv!

For  a list of my favs visit my website homepage and click on the vendor friends link
http://www.lemariee.org/

Breathtaking Bride AnnMarie

                           Working with AnnMarie was a dream! she is gorgeous inside and out!

                            I Loved her hairstyle who was provided by Bridal Hair By Remona, who  is a genius!

                           The Bride's mom is so beautiful, and so much fun! loved creating her makeup style.

                AnnMarie's bridal party were gorgeous, from left her cousin and her two sisters, (and little niece in the oven).

AnnMarie even shines in a black and white photo! she is dreamy!

Photos Courtesy Of the Bride

Photographs taken by L.Hewitt Photography

Laura & Matt Woodend Sanctuary Wedding

I wanted to share a peek of Laura & Matt's July 2cd 2011 wedding at Woodend Sanctuary.
I had a ball working with Laura! She is beautiful, sweet and has a great sense of humor!
And I admire her attention to detail and organization!!!
Photos were captured by uber talented Photographer Patrick McDermott http://patrickmcdermott.com/blog/2011/08/woodend-sanctuary-laura-matthew/

Enjoy!

Should The Groom See Your Pre-Bridal aka Makeup Trial Look?

Lets Have a little chat Ladies :) It has come to my attention once again that Some Brides are allowing the grooms to be to have a sneak preview of their makeup trial aka Bridal makeup look or even hair trial/bridal hair. For some of you, it may bring peace of mind? reassurance? approval perhaps?

For some of you it can be a real let down of sorts..Can confuse the look you had planned on. make you question your taste. Or just plain burst your Bubble.

I do understand trust me :) Back in the olden days (smile) actually a few years back, when I was traveling out to brides for trials, it was not uncommon to see the groom hanging around, catching some sports or having dinner while catching up on a book ect...

The Bride would just love love her final makeup look, proudly walk into the other room with almost a skip..all to hear the dreaded words.. Are those fake lashes? With a tilt of the head. Or perhaps silence.. awkard silence. There was the occassional, isnt that lipstick kinda bright? Or wow I am not used to seeing you with makeup, you look so..uhhhmmm different :)

Here is the deal ladies.Your Bridal gown is no doubt a secret, yes? Why would you show off your hair or makeup style? keep that top secret as well! besides the reasons above, let me name a few more.

1.He is seeing your bridal makeup without your Gown on/hair style/jewels/flowers/among other details.. this can really confuse as you may be in your jeans and white t shirt. Ofcourse the makeup is going to look like its too much and out of place. why? because it is! lol

Once everything comes together, you will look nothing short of a beautiful romantic bride, right off the pages of an Estee Lauder perfume commercial. Trust me! have seen this a million times over!

2.Doesn't He like you most with a pony tail,clean face and yoga pants? So this can be a bit of a shock. And lets face it, your priority is too look beautiful and not washed out in 600 plus pics that will be coming your way shortly after your wedding. It may be something that never even cross's his mind.

So think of this as a top secret piece of your wedding, save it for the big day! You will be sooooo glad you did!

Credits
Bride-Courtney
Photo Courtesy Of  Ricky Chung Photography
Hair Style Courtesy Of Kristen Foster Hair Artistry
Makeup Artist-Lori Of Le Mariee' Makeup

Bridal Makeup Bliss

Beautiful Bride Candice taking a first look at her makeup!

Awesome Photographs courtesy of Andrea Jae Photography
Hair Stylist-Devon Baltimore aka the award winning updo specialist
Makeup-Lori of Le Mariee' Makeup

My Favorite Things Of Summer

My fav style of summer dress the "Maxi" you can find these at TJ Maxx,Marshalls/Ross Dress for less among other places at affordable prices!

So relaxing, comfy and stylish!

REPORT 'Hartley' Sandal can be found at Nordstrom.com

Love this hat! Sweet looking but still sexy!

Ippolita 'Jet Set' Rosé Hammered Earrings  .find these at Nordstrom.com

Nothing like a fresh White Summer Bag! This one is a Jessica Simpson Bag

Narciso Rodriguez 'For Her' Anniversary Set (Nordstrom Exclusive) ($73 Value)

Laura Mercier Lip Stain-Shade-"Mulberry"

Mally Beauty Believable Bronzer

Skin Warming Powder Trio, Glowing Golden Bronze 0.4 oz (11.4 g)

Fav summer time treat! Watermelon is my fav! You can find these at Giant Grocery store..yummy

A Little Change Of Pace

Last weekend I had a little change of pace, from time to time I collaborate with local photographers/models and designers. Last weeks collab took place in DC with Photographer Magnetic Images http://www.magneticimages.net/  ... Dwayne is a class act! and oh so talented!
Model  Amanda Crawford, who is such a sweetheart and i totally expect to see great things from her in the modeling world!  And last but not least Designer Tim http://www.modelmayhem.com/timbrocollection who is so talented! incredibly fun to work with and trust me when I say, his designs are the kind that any woman would love to wear! I am still thinking of one of his pieces, and so would of taken it home!  Infact its right here in this photo!  And then there is the Makeup... I love this style, I must admit..its clean/sultry/sexy and I used all earth tones with a bit of bronze.. Enjoy!

New Year's Eve Wedding 2010/2011

About this time every year I start looking forward to winter again, I know, sounds crazy, but there is something so magical about a winter wedding, the hollidays adding to the anticipation, the thought of snow fall. so romantic!!!!!! These are a few photos courtesy Of Renee Cobb Photograph of Judy's NYE wedding in China Town, DC. She was a lovely bride to work with, beautiful and relaxed..and as you can see a natural beauty!

5 Tips To Maximize Your Bridal Makeup Artist

Hello Brides to be!

I wanted to give you 5 ways to maximize your bridal makeup artist... Hope this helps!

1. Schdule your makeup trial the same day as a special event! maybe you are a guest in a wedding that day, or have a night out on the town planned, or maybe an egagement session? This way you are able to meet with your makeup artist, have your consult for the big day and you can always have her tone down your makeup,  or better yet, switch up your lip color , or fool everyone and add something you wont have at the wedding. ect so its not your exact bridal makeup. Note- not all makeup artists like makeup trials to be the same time as an engagement session, so find someone felxible.

2. Make sure that you have adequete space for your makeup artist to set up, be it your hotel room, home or venue.. an artist needs their working space, good lighting, natural lighting works best or I personally love working in natural light but having access to artifical lighting so I know what your makeup will look like in the evening in reception lighting. without these 2 important things, you wont get your maximum results... your artist will struggle to work and wont be able to color match properly.

3. relax and enjoy and stay off of your cell phone! :) this may likely be the only time in your life you actually hire a makeup artist, so try hard not to let distractions like cell phones, and visitors get in the way of enjoying this fun and relaxing hour.. not to mention turning your head, talking ect..makes it very hard for an artist to work on your face, especially with eye makeup! remember get the most out of your artist~

4.Bring along your inspiration photo, it may of been 6 months since you saw your makeup artist and she hasnt seen your inspiration photo since then, or maybe you are tanner? changed ur mind on your look? so its very helpful to bring one along! bridal party members can as well, its a time saver and a visual is always helpful!

5. Even though its your big day and the makeup artist is there working for you, you wouldnt want him or her feeling thirsty would you? make sure to at least have bottled water on hand..alot of artist's appreciate this more than you know and it helps them to feel good and work at their maximum potential.

Hope these tips helped!

Happy 4th Of July!

Photography courtesy Of Tinywater Photography 

http://www.tinywater.com/

 and Style Me Pretty The Ultimate Wedding Blog

July 4th 2010 Bride Erin and Her Groom Ben Photographed By EyeWonder Photography

NOT Your Grandma's Eyeliner! Or is it?

I love testing out new products that come out! Anything that claims to be long wearing peeks my curiosity and I am always on the look out for my brides!

Another good find! Straight from Estee Lauder, who by the way is such an amazing line!

And YES this could possibly be your Grandmother's fav makeup line! Who doesn't know Estee Lauder? I worked behind the counter for the company years ago inside of Dillards and then became one of their free lance artist's I have to say...from experience that, the packaging is beautiful, the products are long wearing, wide shade variety and finding an Estee Lauder counter is pretty easy, since most fine department stores carry the line.

This is the Double Wear Stay In Place gel eye liner, easy to apply, dries in lightning speed time and stays put! great for long events such as weddings, especially if your in a humid climate!  Give it a try.. I did..and I give it 5 out of 5 stars! The pigment is wonderful ..note make sure to smudge or  blend right after applying since it drys so fast!  I think you will love this!  let me know what you think!

I tested out the shade "limited Edition" -Violet.. a shade like this is good for a defined look, yet brightens the eye!

Bravo to Estee Lauder for keeping up on the latest trends as well!





NEW!


Double Wear

Stay-in-Place Gel Eyeliner

http://www.esteelauder.com/product/1848/13704/Landing-Pages/Double-Wear/Eyes/Double-Wear/Stay-in-Place-Gel-Eyeliner/index.tmpl

Alicia & Rob Married!

I recently had the pleasure of providing Makeup for Alicia and her bridal party as she married the love of her life, Rob...Here is a peek!

WeddingWire Rated!