Thoughts On Wedding Planning for White Magazine

For the latest issue of White Magazine I got asked to share my thoughts on wedding planning, as an insider in the wedding world. It was really fun sitting down, pondering about it all and writing down my thoughts. You can read my final article below: And don't forget to buy the issue with many more amazing articles and beautiful imgages, as always completely honest and inspiring!

How did we handle the flood of over-inspiration that blogs, pinterest & co deliver?

Planning a wedding in the age of Pinterest & CO

Have you set a date yet? What is your dress going to look like? What sort of flowers were you thinking of getting? - Immediately after getting engaged well meaning friends and family bombarded us with questions, even before we had a chance to decide if we wanted a wedding or simply elope. We just wanted to be married and live happily ever after, we hadn't thought about a wedding.It seemed like everyone around us had pretty high expectations of what our wedding day would look like, maybe because we are both working in creative jobs and are surrounded by wonderful vendors all the time. We dived right into the abundance of inspiration, hoping to feel the same excitement about this event than everyone around us. Looking at beautiful blogs, magazines and of course Instagram and Pinterest, there was all this deliciousness from amazing fellow vendors, beautifully photographed.Lost in a picture perfect Pinterest wedding world filled with DIY projects, services and products we felt that most of it was meaningless and irrelevant to us personally. Were we over-inspired? Was all the goodness just too much to take and overwhelming? Ok, back to the drawing board...we took a deep breath, pen and paper and made notes about the things that really mattered to us. We focused on why we wanted a wedding in the first place and who we really wanted to share this special day with. We made a must-have and nice-to-have list to keep us on track and stick to our own ideas. The outcome was a clear feeling and a blurry vision of a small, intimate wedding, with our nearest and dearest including our puppy Dalston, a “on-holiday- feel” with lot's of fun, eating and dancing. We wanted it to be low key and high fun. We strongly felt less is more. No need for a theme or a colour scheme. What we DID need was a place that made us and our guests feel welcome, plenty of food, good music, drinks and some simple off-the-rack outfits. Easier said than done... Many of the “alternative” venues we contacted seemed to be colder than expected and replied with way too many rules, regulations and restrictions than my free spirited self could digest. Our must have list quickly ruled out pretty much any venue within NSW and it seemed like the only option left was camping- no wait, even the campsite did not allow dogs. (Besides that my lovely future mother in law would possibly be mad at me forever if I make her camp on our wedding.) While we really stuck to our guns with the venue and overall feel, we gave in at other points of planning. The “don't-care-ready-to-wear” dress idea turned into a custom design couture gown (whoops...). As my former fashion designer self took over and I rediscovered how much fun the process of creating it from scratch would be, there was no turning back from the quality fabrics and great craftsmanship. Turned out that overall trying to keeping it simple and real is sometimes harder than just going with a more traditional option. Letting the magic of wedding planning take over from time to time actually feels good. Now we can't wait.

... if you are planning a wedding too: Grab yourself an issue of White Magazine!

Vapour Organic: Luxury Makeup

You might have noticed a few raving reviews on here lately! As I like to feature brands that I personally like to use, I usually feature only my very fav's up here on the blog. Just in case you were wondering... it's not that I am not critical enough! It's rather that every product that makes it on here, has already been carefully selected :) I like to keep things positive and all the products or brands featured are the ones that I really like and that stand out to me. As Organic Makeup Artist I am so passionate about companies that get it all right.

I have recently already talked a little about Vapour over here and named a few faves. This brand has previously already received tremendous love from Vogue beauty editors, so I am certainly not the first to discover this outstanding organic luxury makeup brand. Well deserved. The textures and finishes are simply beautiful and up to the highest luxury makeup standards and yet they manage to stay clear from harmful toxins. If you didn't believe that organic makeup works until now (which is of course sooooo wrong!!!) this brand will instantly change your mind: Trust me! Besides that they just got the whole sustainable thing right, the products are produced with windpower and of course they are certified crueltyfree. These guys just got it all. Okay, before I keep raving I better give you some more details about the products:

And now a little more detail about the products: Atmosphere Luminous Foundation If you like dewy skin you will love Atmosphere Luminous Foundation. It comes in a stick, which is a little different, especially if you are used to liquid foundations. It super handy though, doesn't take up much space in your cosmetic bag and it travels so well, without the danger of spilling and leaking. The packaging is beautiful and the twist mechanism is properly worked out and easy to use. I warm the end of the stick on the back of my hand, before apply a few streaks across my face. Paying the most attention to areas with redness. Next I use my fingers to blend the product. It moves very smoothly on the skin. The scent is fresh and barely noticeable. The finish is what it promises: Luminous! You won't need much product: If used correctly, your skin will glow, but not shine; if there is shine, you have over-applied. Try to use concealer where you are seeking extra coverage, rather than overusing the foundation of problem areas. Of course if you are after a matte finish, have oily skin or want and all day lasting finish: This is not the foundation for you! About the colour and shades: They got the shades spot on with a variety of natural and yellow toned foundations from very fair skin to very dark skin, with 12 shades to choose from Vapour covers a way larger range than most other organic ranges, which is fabulous. On normal to dry skin, this wears beautifully and it's very silky. My skin still feels moisturized after the end of a long day in this Winter weather. The current Sydney Winter feels pretty cold and endless to me and my skin has become a lot drier. My summer go-to foundations simply don't do the trick in this weather and with all the heating. Vapour Atmosphere Luminous Foundation keeps my skin hydrated and doesn't show up dry areas unlike most other foundations. It's a dry skin saviour! I also combine it with Stratus for some extra glow and smooth the skin.

I have heard only the best about the liquid sister Atmosphere Soft Focus Foundation , which is supposed to be better suited for combination skin. I can't wait to order myself this one as well, so far I have not yet used it professionally.

Stratus Instant Skin Perfector Again this product comes in stick form or as liquid, depending on skin type. The stick is best to be used with the stick foundation on drier skin, the liquid goes with the liquid foundation on combination to oilier skin types. I used the stick and again think that's so practical and easy to use. It's a colour correcting makeup primer with the same silky texture as found in the foundation. It comes in 3 different shades to balance different skin tones, but the product itself has no colour. I warm the stick on the back of my hand and then apply were extra glow is desired and on areas that need smoothing, due to larger pores or fine lines. This magical stick perfects the skin and can be used on it's own, if you are after a very natural look and if you have already even beautiful skin. It's very moisturizing and has light reflecting properties which help to blur any imperfections.

Mesmerize Eye Colours Smolder & Embrace make the perfect soft smokey eye on the go, super fast blended with fingers, the Mesmerize Cream Eye Colours are very beautiful. Best suited for people with dry eyelids or can also be used as base with your favourite mineral eye shadow powder over the top for extra longevity. On myself they won't last on their own due to my oily eyelids, but I still like to use a light colour to highlight the inner corners of my eyes.

Aura Multi Use Blush The Aura Multi Use Blush is an easy to blend blush stick, that can also be used on eyes and lips. I love it the most as blush. My eyelids can be to oily for the product to stay put, on my cheeks however it lasts and lasts and lasts... On shoots it's brilliant and very pretty on eyes. The perfect bridal blush or every day work day blush! No brushes needed, it transforms into a silky texture that goes on easily with fingers. I love the colour "Spark" which is a very healthy warm tone. Of course you can blend it with a brush as well. Hooked!

I am currently using Vapour on set a lot, so I will also update you with some professional photos of makeup looks I have created with these products.

The Lane Makeup Artist Natural Wedding Makeup

All wedding photos by : A Bear A Dear And A Fox Beauty Photo by Stephanie Alcaino for White Magazine

Yesterday I received an email letting me know that one of the wonderful weddings I created the natural bridal hair & makeup for has been featured over at The Lane. The bride Jenna was one of the most fun ones I have ever worked with and check out all her beyond talented friends creating beautiful details for her wedding. She is also founder of the boutique natural soap business Maple Soaps, which are the most gorgeous handcrafted vegan soaps, which smell delicous and are free of any synthetic fragrance.

I was also interviewed and asked about my tips on how to create my signature natural makeup look, as seen above. I thought I share it here with you, along with with best products to achieve this look:

One of our enduringly favourite looks for bridal beauty is this supernatural face you created…how did you do it? The right prep and base is key for this minimally beautiful look. Spritz you face with a hydrating mist, I currently love Gressa Purifying Mist. Then apply a high quality skin serum oil, for example Gressa Purifying Oil for radiant, well prepped skin. A cream highlighter applied to cheekbones enhances the bone structure. A sheer foundation like Vapour Atmosphere Luminous Foundation or tinted moisturizer buffed into the skin with a soft foundation brush evens out skin without masking it. For extra radiance & colour corrections try using Stratus another great product by luxury organic brand Vapour. Use a high coverage concealer like Au Naturale Creme Concealer only to cover redness or blemishes for an invisible flawless finish. Use a completely translucent powder only through the t-zone to keep excess shine at bay.

And the eyes, they're 'enhanced' but not heavily made up…whats the secret to achieving that? Start with hydrating the eye area. Tata Harper Restorative Eye Crème is a real winner. Evening out the eyelid with a hint of a tinted eye-primer or foundation. Apply a dab of clear gloss as highlight in the inner corners or alternatively a shimmery light eyeshadow like Au Naturale Creme Eye Shadow. A nude eyeliner on the inner rim creates an open eyed fresh look. Enhance your eyelashes by curling them and coating them with a natural effect Mascara like 100% Pure Black Tea Mascara. It's important to make sure you apply the mascara right on the roots of the lashes to give that framing effect and a luscious thick lash line.

What about colour, what should brides keep in mind for a natural look but drawing on hints of colour like this? The only colour I used on this look focusses on the lips and cheeks. This is very soft matte peach tone, which will enhance the skin tone. To create the soft focus hint of colour, I recommend using the same product for lips & cheeks. RMS lip2cheek in demure is a great sublte colour. Dabbing it on with fingers will create that subtle effortless chic. It's best to carry the colour with you for touch-up's of the lips on your wedding day.

And any final, expert tips? Create a beauty ritual that you and your skin love as far out from the wedding as possible. I recommend keeping a routine that works for you and to avoid skincare changes closer to the day. Always choose quality products over quantity. I also believe that the actual beauty ritual is important: Take time to massage your skin daily or fit in the occasional professional spa facial massage, both will increase circulation and nutrition for the skin, delivering that glow from within and relax your facial muscles as well. Get used to keeping an hydrating spray on your desk and a multi tasking skin balm in your handbag to hydrate lips, cuticles and any dry areas in your face. This way your skin will be at it's best in time for your wedding or any occasion you might have coming up.

Intense Creme Eye Shadows By Au Naturale

What could be a better start to the week than dipping my brushes into some beautiful new makeup products by Au Naturale? They seem to be the expert when it comes to natural creme makeup products.

I had an extensive play and have been wearing their organic creme eye shadows and creme concealer quite a few times now, so it's about time to tell you how great they are. Intense pigments and beautiful colours make these a perfect addition to my green luxury makeup kit. They blend very easily, you can also mix different tones together to create unique shades. Another plus is that they multitask: the matte shades double as eyebrow colour or you can use any shade as eyeliner, used with an angle brush.

The creme concealer is a little miracle worker, hiding imperfections before you can count to three... And super easy to apply! I love it for redness and blemishes, some people do however successfully use for the under-eye area as well. It surely is creamy and has full coverage. The little pots with window are great to use in my kit, as I can easily see the colour, without having to open each and every one.

Although I mainly use pressed eye shadows in my kit, the little loose pigment shadows of Au Naturale apply with ease: wet or dry and come in rich shades. Really great for editorial makeup artists that are looking for some colour and also for sensitive eyes, these vegan eyeshadows are free of any nasty byproducts. Simply 100% quality pigment. I played with the Glam Eye Palette, which also included two eye brushes. With their simple and sleek design, durable quality and super soft cruelty free bristles, these brushes are very nice to use and blend those creme products to a real seamless airbrushed finish.

The lip gloss in a very humble packaging really surprised me: The colour was intense and almost opague, very long wearing (for a gloss!) and without any annoying smell or taste. Formulated without bee's wax, preservatives, parabens, fragrances, additives, bismuth oxychloride and nano-particles these suit the most sensitive flowers. Lip gloss is such a simple product, yet I find that many brands don't get it right. Most are too goopy, with strange flavours that remind me of kindergarten (not in a good way) These glosses however are pro quality. A powerful gloss in simple sturdy packaging.

All Au naturale products are professional grade, made in USA by the very inspiring founder Ashley Prange. All products are made fresh and without preservative. It's amazing to yet discover yet another 100% natural, green and toxin-free brand that really delivers professional results.

A Simple Green Beauty Routine For Everyone

I feel super honored to be featured over at the wonderful Nourish Every Day blog. You recently met the inspiring and smart Monique from Nourish Every Day already here on my blog. She asked me to share a simple routine that is suitable for everyone along with some product recommendations with her readers.

I connected instantly with Monique when she booked me to create her wedding makeup, and while I took away some awesome nutrition advice and health food shopping lists, she was really interested about my move to a toxin free makeup kit and working as a green makeup artist.

It's all about Cleanse, Hydrate, Moisturize & Exfoliate. You might know some of this already and also might already know a few of my current favourite brands. Check it out and also browse all of Monique's healthy recipes, they are amazing!