A Beautiful Wedding at the Ritz Carlton, Laguna Niguel

Just a few months before August, we were contacted by the very talented coordinator Natalie from A Good Affair . Her client, Lewina was very clear that she wanted to book our Grace to be her bridal makeup and hair stylist for her wedding day. Lewina was getting married at the Ritz Carlton in Laguna Niguel and everything about her wedding was about the details and so unique. She had 2 ceremonies, a traditional Chinese tea ceremony and an American ceremony. Her dress was one of a kind, not your typical white wedding dress! For her hair and makeup she chose to go pretty natural, just enhancing her beautiful features. Her photographers, Derek and Sarah from Frenzel Photographers did an amazing job capturing the day. Take a look for yourself and enjoy!

Contact Us for more information about our makeup and hair services. 

Rainy Day Hair

It's raining today and if you are like me, spending time on your hair is an effort and having it get wet is no fun. However, who said you still can't look cute in the rain. Here are some cute weatherproof styles that will be safe in the rain, wind or humidity. 

Braids are an easy solution when the weather is wet and icky. It keeps the hair from frizzing and stays in place.
Start by parting your hair in the center or on the side, depending on your preference, and then separate your hair into pigtails. Braid each side and secure it with a metal-free, fabric-covered elastic band (this reduces damage done to your ends). Next, take the braid on your right side and wrap it across the top of your head, using two to three bobby pins to fasten it directly behind your left ear; repeat the steps above with the opposite braid.

This cute, casual bun is great for wet and humid weather. It's really simple to do... just follow these steps:  

1. Use some serum to smooth your hair of any frizziness

2. Pull it up into a ponytail on top of your head using your fingers or a comb to smooth out the hair.

3. Secure with a snag-free ponytail holder

4. Twist the ponytail in a circle and secure with bobby pins

5. Finally spray it with a strong hold hairspray to make sure it stays 

This is an easy style that can be achieved anytime, anywhere.  Caught in the rain? As long as you have an elastic band you're set!
First, bring your hair to either the left or right side of your head so it lays on your shoulder. If you're all about volume at the crown, tease hair until you've reached the desired lift using a comb. Then, begin braiding your hair and secure it with a rubber band. Voilà! 


Here's another quick and easy updo you can do if you are caught in the rain. 

Just create a  side part, and using a boar-bristle brush  smooth your hair and gather it to one side. Then, start braiding your hair down to the ends, securing it with an elastic band.  Finally, wrap the hair around itself (into a bun) against your head. Secure with bobby pins and U-pins to keep the braided bun from unraveling.

I hope you try these fun hairstyles and let me know if you have any questions or comments! 

Love,

Yana 

Your very own personal makeup and hairstylist 

Shayla Wedding

Shayla got married last summer at the beautiful Shutters on the Beach hotel in Santa Monica. She had wedding brunch BBQ, which I thought was so different and fun. Also, what a great way to save some $$ and still have a beach wedding at one of the top venues.
Her photographers, Marlin and Marlene Munoz were fabulous and I just love working with them. Here are some photos of Shayla on her wedding day:

Davee with Shayla's sister

Having a laugh while doing Shayla's makeup

She is ready to walk down the isle

Getting in the car to go to the ceremony site

A candid shot

Kathy and Alex Get Married

I just got some pictures from one of my favorite photographers, Ala Cortez  of one of the most gorgeous brides I have worked with and I am so excited to share them with you!
Kathy and Alex got married on June 23rd at Cicada restaurant in downtown. They are such a sweet couple and are so in love. Kathy was calm and collected as I was getting her ready. She chose to go for a natural makeup look and a very glamorous hair do. She had a lot of hair, so it took a while to achieve the result... however, airbrush and hundreds of pins later I think we achieved the look she was going for :)

Spotlight Bride: Sepideh

The amazing photographer Roberto Valenzuela just shared some photos of a bride I worked with back in September and I just had to share her gorgeous photos with you! First of all, she is a beautiful girl... so it wasn't hard enhancing her natural beauty. But, I have to admit that I am very proud of the hair and makeup I did on her. Her face is glowing in all of the photos and even when you look at photos of her cutting the cake at the end of the evening, you could see that her makeup and hair is still perfect! YAY! Mission accomplished :)

Venue: Beverly Wilshire Hotel
Photographer: Roberto Valenzuela
Video: Moziko from Wind Productions
Coordinator: Maryam from Delicate Details

Fresh Ways to Style Short Hair

I love Keira's messy do

Halle Berry rocks this pixie cut

You just got a new edgy look, now what? How do you style it and still look glam? Here are some styling techniques. On damp hair spritz the roots lightly with a volumizing spray. Then, use a round brush to blow-dry hair up and away from the face. As a finishing touch, use a styling wax by warming it in your palms and applying it over the tips of the hair for definition and hold. Make sure you don't use too much product or it will weigh down the hair. Spray some hairspray if you choose and voila!!!

Some of my favorite products for short hair:

Phytovolume Actif Volumizer

Magic Move Hard Pomade

My Wedding!!!

Hello all of my lovely ladies. I have been MIA for a while now. And as you might know (or not) I got married myself! So, if you are a bride to be or have been a bride you know how much time it takes to plan a wedding. So, I wish I had more time to blog but honestly between my wedding and all of the weddings I have the opportunity to be a part of... there was not much time to write.
I got married on September 24th, 2011 at Malibou Lake in Agoura Hills. It was truly the BEST day of my life. It was absolutely perfect. Since I get to be a part of so many weddings I have always thought about and imagined what my wedding will be like. I thought about all of the details and about how I am going to feel on the day. Well, I am so glad to say that not only every details turned out beautiful, I was so happy and excited and actually very calm. After talking to my friends and family, everyone said a different version of the same thing, 'There was so much love and joy'. I feel so blessed that all of our closest family and friends were a part of this day.
I was a bit nervous about my hair and makeup, since I am a perfectionist myself... but I can say with confidence that I had the absolute perfect look I could have imagined. On of our very own Yana Beauty Studio Artists, Davee did my hair and the makeup artist that trained me, Vera did my makeup. I was very pleased with the outcome and
best of all, everything stayed on ALL NIGHT (thank God for airbrush!)

So, here are some photos of our beautiful wedding (wish I could re-live it all over again).

We were running a bit late, so Davee and Vera were both in action

My clip was my 'something borrowed' from a dear friend

I had to put on my own lipstick

The final look

Our first look... 

With my beautiful girls

Some posed

Beautiful flowers were done by Butterfly Floral 

Our yummy dessert bar

First Kiss as husband and wife!

With the bridal party

I made these cute signs myself

Dancing the night away

There were a lot of people that helped me put this event together and I would love to give them all of the credit... so here we go:

Venue & Catering: Malibou Lake Mountain Club

Floral Design: Butterfly Floral Design

Event Coordination: Rita from Events Boutique

Photographer: David Crane

Video: Andreas Wood and Raphael Del Toro

Invitations: Kot Design

Photo Booth: Mojo Photobooth

Cake and Desserts: Designer Cake Gallery

Hair and Makeup: Yana Beauty Studio (but of course :) )