Chloe.

Chloe was a princess bride from the moment I met her for her trial run.  A petite package of style, grace, serenity, and decisiveness, all rolled into one.  She is a true personification of her beautiful name.  Chloe was one of my naturalistas. . . the brides who want softness; "take it up just a half-notch" gals.   She knew from the get-go what she wanted. . . dress, face, venues, and entertainment!  I was struck by the prominence of the music of the day.  I love the recessional from the Confederate Home to Hibernian Hall. . . taking it to the streets, a la New Orleans. Wedding details below. . .  Thank you to Chloe and her wonderful family from NC.

Dress by Reem Acra

Ceremony & champagne reception at Confederate Home, Charleston, SC

Wedding reception at Hibernian Hall, Charleston, SC

Music by Lounge Cat from St. Petersburg, FL

Ashleigh Collins Events, Raleigh, NC
Photo #s 1, 2, 6, and 7 by Priscilla Thomas

Photo #s 3, 4, and 5 by Lee Hickman 

Hair by Tanesha Dupree

Makeup by Pamela Lesch

MTV's Made, "Pageant Queen"

I left my phone in the car this past March when I went into the Harris Teeter.  When I returned, there was a voice mail that said, "Pamela, this is Lee from the MTV offices in New York.  I'm a producer for the show 'Made'. . ."  My little mental voice asked, "is this really Ashton. . . and was I being Punk'd?  And so it began.

Understand, I'm a child of the 80s, when MTV was everything music-video.  So, in my karmic world, an old love was coming back around.  MTV???  Really???

My assignment: to transform the face of one female lacrosse-playing superstar at Wando High School into that of a rocker-chick.  Thoughts of Pat Benatar, Patty Smith, and Joan Jett came to mind.  I called my friend and fellow music-junkie Terry. . . "may I practice on you."  She came over in an instant.  On went the face, then came the smear of eyes and lips with the back of my hand.  Voila!  Look created.

The episode aired last Friday, October 1, and is titled "Pageant Queen."  Although my part in this process focused on the Rocker Chick photo shoot, it was an amazing experience to play a small part in this.  And I had a 2-second appearance on the show. . . AND my name appeared in the credits :)

Heartfelt thank yous:
Terry Tongate Ward for being my practice canvas and conferring with me on "rocker chic";
Lee and MaryKate at MTV;
Page Fortuna for being the beautiful girl (inside and out) and amazing WHS team mate you are;
Kenneth @ Carolina Model Project for the "formal" photo shoot;
Anna Welen, and the team from the Paul Mitchell School in Columbia; for the faux-hawk hair, and the behind-the-scenes photos.

All makeup by MAC. . . love those feather #42 lashes!!!

MTV's "Made" Airing Friday, October 1, 2010 4 p.m. EST

MTV Shows

Makeup by Pamela Lesch 

www.MakeupArtistCharleston.com

Like Clean Scents? You'll Love Philosophy's Amazing Grace

I was standing in the shower this morning, getting ready to loofah my newest fave, clean scent, Philosophy's Amazing Grace, when I read the entire script on this bottle.  I thought it was outstanding.  Having been an English teacher, I really appreciated the analogy to a classroom.  

I thought I'd share with you:

philosophy:  life is a classroom.  we are both student

and teacher.  each day is a test.  and each day we receive

a passing or failing grade in one particular subject:

grace.  grace is compassion, gratitude, surrender, faith

forgiveness, good manners, reverence and the list goes

on.  it's something money can't buy and credentials

rarely produce.  being the smartest, the prettiest, the

most talented, the richest or even the poorest can't

help.  being a humble person can, and being a helpful

person can guide you through your days with grace

and gratitude.

Wow.  

www.philosophy.com

That Last Little Somethin'-Somethin'

Brides, brides, brides!  I love them, and I adore doing their makeup on Wedding Day!

Because it's high bridal season here in Charleston, I'm in a groove, and I've been thinking about my process when I apply a bride's makeup.  It comes down to those final touches that put a makeup application over the top.  Once their "face" is on, right down to the lashes, I find that I go back and add 2 to 3 more products that ALWAYS put on the finishing touch.  Here are my tricks of choice:

1.  Clean up any stray "fall" from powder shadows, and reapply a little more concealer over the darkest areas of the under-eye (usually the areas closest to the nose).  My clean-up product of choice (and previous blog-worthy item): Make Up For Ever's Full Cover waterproof concealer.  The tiniest bit goes a long way.

2.  Highlight the tippy-tops of cheekbones with MAC's Mineralize SkinFinish in either Light Flush or Petticoat, making sure to stay away from the apples of the cheeks.

3.  If I still need a little something-something, MAC's Eye Kohl in Powersurge (a metallic gold color) on the waterline (or rim) of the lower eyelid.  This makes eyes POP without making them appear smaller.

An Oldie. . . A Goodie. . . A Splurge!

Christian Dior's DIORSHOW Mascara in Noir/Black is my new favorite.  At $25, it was a splurge, but well worth it.  It's one of those must-have mascaras that is a beauty luxury.  Not only do I get great volume and length, but this is a delicious rose-scented mascara. . . that unexpected fragrance made it even more divine to apply.  I really like the brush's pointed edge to get to my inner corner lashes.

I purchased mine at Dillard's, but you can find it at any higher-end department store that carries Christian Dior Cosmetics, as well as Sephora.

My never-ending search for a great mascara continues. . .

Pretty Preservationist, Perry

The girl's got style, vision, panache, and moxie!  All this, plus she's a BLUSH girl. . . as in "I need more blush!"

Perry is one of those brides who has made a lasting impression, much like the old architecture, books, and mementos she studies and helps preserve.  This phenomenal bridal session, by the amazing Heather Forsythe Photography, is currently making the rounds on several online wedding publications (The Wedding Row, Southern Weddings, The Wedding Chicks, etc).

Thank you, Perry, for your adventurous spirit and love of all things vintage.  You can follow her planning process and journey at PerryAnnMcKenzie.blogspot.com.

Thank you, Heather Forsythe Photography, for capturing the essence of this North Carolina gal, and relaying it so beautifully.