Stories – Aimee Makeup Artistry

Trial | The Classy Smokey Eyes

clean smokey eyes and tousled waves This beautiful lady was a dream to work with! My team and I did her wedding this past July and the day was filled with fun stories, dance moves and laughters from beginning to the end. Her blue eyes were so easy to glam up with a clean smokey and I kept that as the focal point for the look. She told me she would be more tan on the day of her wedding, so I airbrushed her face a little tanner than her natural tone just so we figured out the color choices ahead of time (lips, blush etc). What was so special for me was that while she was on her honeymoon, she texted me to let me know how much she loved everything about our makeup + hair services for herself, mom & her 9 bridesmaids!!! Thank you Lindsay for being the most gracious, thoughtful and fun brides to work with!

Engagement | Big Sur photoshoot

Glam It Up! J was so much fun to work with! An introvert like me, but she quickly warmed up. Her matter-of-fact stories and comments made our conversation really fun! She openly told me she loves getting her makeup done and wouldn't mind going more glam and stronger for her E-session, instead of keeping it soft and natural. However, we save the softer glam version for her upcoming city hall wedding. For this look, I did brownish smoky with a touch of golden/bronze shimmer. I would very much love to style her hair all down and wavy, but given her location will be from 4-6pm shooting in Big Sur, she opted for a side bun to keep her hair in place and not causing any fuss. She sent me some sneak peaks of the shoot right way and she looked like a model stepped out of an Ad.

Engagement | Barely there makeup and side chignon

Individual lashes and natural, barely-there makeup My beautiful client here asked for "natural" look. I've learned through the years that a simple request like "natural makeup" can mean so many different things from different people. It's not THAT SIMPLE to understand without asking more questions along the way. Some clients said "natural" because they're afraid of getting heavy colors or contour on them, but they do want to be glammed-up. Other times, "natural" was to described having little makeup with very subtle enhancement. As an artist, I love to listen and always think of a way to deliver the result my client wanted, but I also offer my thoughts and concerns as how it would photographed, and then let them decide. Here, seeing that Cindy was happy when I chose a blush color that was more like a earthy peach and yields no pink tone, I knew her "natural" request was the real natural. Cindy was very happy about her makeover. She gave me a Yelp review right away. Thank you so much!

City Hall Bride | Classy look with Red Lipstick

Early call time for this gorgeous city hall bride of mine, 5am at my studio!!! Jessica was a dream client to have, so pleasant, so easy going. Keep in mind we didn't do a trial ahead of time. When we got to the final step: lip color, she was debating between red or neutral pink and she reluctantly chose pink. Somehow I could sense that what she truly wanted was red, but just nervous. Let's be honest, wearing red lipstick can be quite intimidating as the color has to go well with the skin tone and it could enhance or ruin the whole look if the undertone is off. You can easily wipe off a neutral lip color if you change your mind, but much harder for red. So, I started with the safe color, putting a little bit of natural pink on her lower lip first, then I step back and observe. I thought to myself, "pink looks nice but it didn't give her hazel eyes and her complexion a boost." So, with her permission, I went straight for red from there. Plus, her charming smile can carry a classy neutral red! Well, after the red color was on, her eyes lit up, and we had a winner! On to her hair, even though it was really short, we managed to turn it into an updo with soft strands in the front framing her face. I can't wait to see her wedding photos!

Trial | Neutral smokey eyes

romantic smokey eyes and peachy nude lips Alice has such a sweet and charming personality and it was my pleasure to be chosen as her makeup artist for her wedding day. Working with her was so easy because she is such a joyful, calm, and happy person inside out! Alice saw me for an Engagement session, then a few months later, she met me for the trial. Why did we choose smokey for her look? Because smoky gives her eyes more depth and with neutral tones that I chose, it would not look overdone or "clubbing". With just the perfect amount of smokey, the eyes will be photographed best. Of course there are other ways to glam up Asian eyes, but personally I find a tasteful smokey eyes with the right choice lashes will always instantly glam up any women!

Bridal Trial | Smoky eyes and a sophisticated low updo for Beth

Radiant and sexy makeup paired with timeless elegant updo Beth had me at hello! She had this huge smile on her when I came out to greet her and I knew right away we'd be a great match. Our communication was so easy! It's the understanding between the artist and the client's preferences and personality that makes or breaks the final outcome. I would always try to understand where was my client coming from. Honestly it was a lot more mental work to do than me just going with what I want to do for a client in front of me. Even when I had super easy clients who told me "just do what you think is best for me," I'd still ask them questions and check in throughout the process. I love how Beth was very open minded. Here we had Beth wanting to glam up her eyes, and the rest she was happy to let me choose. Of course I'm always the type who wants more on eyes and less on face. Lashes? She said "Love!!!" Hair? She gave me few photos from Pinterest and she wasn't quite sure which style would suit her the most so I gave her a quick preview on all 3. With limited time for the trial, I told Beth I can't reach completion for each style but I could quickly sort of "put it up" for her to see the front. And it definitely wasn't The One. So, we let her hair down and did half up quickly again just to view how the front look. Not The One either. So, we proceeded with the low updo, and it was a big YES moment. We loved the low elegant yet relaxed and romantic updo on her. Her blond highlights really made my work look fabulous! (Note: the last 2 photos are the ones we tried prior to the low updo).

Bridal trial | a romantic and timeless look for Gabby

romantic waves and understated glamour makeup Gabby asked me: "I want to look glamorous for my wedding, but also natural, is that possible?" I was thinking "Hmmm... sounds a little tricky," because what it means is she wanted me to find that perfect balance where her makeup does give her a WOW factor, yet soft and understated and allows her beauty to shine through. I have to say I can't do this for every face. For some faces, it's best we go straight for smoky eyes. For some faces, it's best we keep it clean and simple. But as soon as I saw Gabby, I knew her request would be possible! She has the right eye color and depth, plus the right bone structure for that "natural glamour" as she wished for. Loved working with this very pretty, sweet and super mellow bride-to-be!