Old Habits

As the end of the year comes to a close and the stress of the holidays starts to lessen something beautiful happens... clearance. Growing up, I was homeschooled and learned my math at the sale rack. "What is 30% off of $45? What is 65% off of $80?" I have to say, my mom was a genius, because to this day I am a great bargain hunter. The idea of buying something full price sends my into a frenzy, knowing that if I am patient I can pay a fraction is always looming in the back of my mind.

 

It seemed like finding the perfect cream cable knit sweater this season was impossible. I found this one at the Gap in early fall and could not justify spending $70 on it, knowing that they always have random 50% percent off sales. So I waited, and waited. I looked at other stores but none filled the requirements. I am 5'2 with a baby neck, turtlenecks are not an option! But alas, the weekend after christmas there was my sweater, not marked down once, but twice! 

So here you are; oversized cream sweater, black skinnies, the most perfect black booties ever and disheveled hair. 

Jimmy and I were going on a brunch date that morning, so I thought I would be extra fancy with some gold bobby pins. I mean, not fancy enough to actually brush my hair, but more like a "Here hold these overgrown mall bangs out of my face so they don't end up in my polenta," fancy.

Outfit details: Sweater- The Gap, Pants- H&M, Booties- ZARA, Necklace- a gift from my mom.

I hope everyone has a fabulous new years,

Madi

Pajama Party

These pants, lady and gentleman, are party pants! With a stretchy waistband and silky material they may fall into the category of jammies, if you are my grouchy old dad, but to me they are the perfect addiction to my mainly black closet. The best part is that they were a whopping $7.50 on ultra clearance at Target! 

I paired them with my favorite denim shirt and Russian Red lipstick from MAC. I haven't worn this lip color in years, due to it being lost in the makeup abyss, but I grabbed a new tube at a recent mall trip. The texture is "vintage matte" which is ultra dry, so i topped it with Fresh Sugar lip treatment.

Outfit details. Chambray- Nordstrom, Necklace- Nordstrom, Watch- Marc by Marc Jacobs, Pants- Target, Shoes- BCBG

This outfit was comfortable and fun, which was great for a ten hour work day. I will definitely be keeping my eyes peeled for some more pajama party pants!

Madi

Dynamic duo

In leaving my previous job, I was so excited to get to explore different aspects of the hair world. Being in a salon consists of days of cuts and colors with the occsional wedding or party updo. Don't get me wrong, I absolutely love my everyday job, but styling is my passion! So with my makeup artist sister at my side I got to style a model for a fun photo shoot this weekend. I can't wait to see the final photos, but here is a little sneak peek for now. 

My lifesaver tools for this style were my trusty duckbill clips and my Kevin Murphy Session Spray. 

Enjoy! 

Twist and shout

With all of the craziness surrounding the holidays, the last thing I have time for is getting fancy! So myself and my good friend Sarah decided to put together a couple of quick holiday inspired looks to save not only time but also all of your photo ops. My favorite of the three looks we did was a spin on the classic French twist.

Tools: tail comb, bobby pins, hair pins, dry shampoo (I prefer Kevin Murphy's Fresh Hair), and a great hair spray ( I just love Kevin Murphy, and I used his Session Spray).

Step one: Spray dry shampoo throughout the crown to give extra texture and create a shallow side part (meaning it only goes back an inch or so).
Step two: Back comb from the side part through the crown to give a beehive effect.



Step three: Create an anchor to pin your rolled twist into by smoothing the hair on the opposite side you are twisting. Place bobby pins vertically up the back of the head to hold smoothed hair in place.

Step four: Holding all of the hair to the opposite side of your pins, roll towards the pins tucking the ends in with your tail comb as you roll. Once rolled tightly to the head use bobby pins vertically inside the twist and hair pins on the outside to secure to the anchor.

Step five: Spray the heck out of it with your favorite hairspray and let it dry. When it is no longer tacky use your fingers and tail comb to rough it up a little, pulling out a few hairs around the hairline to make it a little softer and add some whimsy.

Once Sarah's upstyle was finished, I created an ultra matte beige eye with just a little shimmer under the brow and in the corner of her eye.

Paired with a dark berry lip, the whole look had a very modern Jane Austen feel.

I hope this little tutorial makes the holidays a little less stressful and puts a new light on an old classic. 

Enjoy,

Madi

All Photos were taken by Abby Williamson

Embracing color

This is definitely one of those outfits that will have people questioning "is that a baby bump?" No people, it is not! It's an extra large cozy sweater and some low rise jeans (that never happens) to embrace the swollen belly full of mashed potatoes and turkey I will be rocking later. 

Ok end rant. 

(Outfit details- sweater- Max Studio, jeans- Paige, flats-Sam Edelman, vest- f21, earring- an estate sale)

This outfit is a bit of a stretch compared to my normal uniform of blue jeans and some form of heather grey tshirt, but I really enjoy it. I've been trying to burst my black bubble, but it is so hard. Black is slimming, it goes so well with anything and it compliments my ultra paleness. But alas today I am wearing cranberry, forest green, and maybe just a little bit of black. 

I paired my ensemble with a Joan Crawford inspired wave because it is a pretty easy version of fancy. All it takes is curling all of your hair the same direction, letting it cool and then brushing it out. Voila! Throw on some black liner and a berry lip and it's holiday dinner appropriate! 

I hope everyone gets to spend this thanksgiving surrounded by all of their loved ones, happy and full like I am so blessed to be doing. 

-Madi 

Behind the scenes

Here are a few photos from a 70s boudoir themed shoot I did this weekend. All hair is by me, make up by Rachel Ervin( yes, my sister), and shot by Alana T photography. 

 

A fun Bridgette Bardot inspired updo.

A 70s playboy bunny inspired wave.

I was rocking a major half up bouffant.

My sister and I double teaming. 

To know a little more about the inspiration behind the shoot go to bamdamseled.blogspot.com

I will be showing the finished product soon, 

Madi

A few necessities

There are some things that at this point in my life I don't know if I could live without. Being a hairstylist and make up artist for the last 8 years has made me quite the product junkie. Being a mom has forced me to be more of a minimalist. It's not that I can't make the time to get fancy, in fact Jimmy is pretty good at keeping Elliot corralled, I have just realized I would much rather snuggle and play before a long day at work.

 1. Diorshow Iconic- My sister(way more of a make up artist than myself) first turned me onto this mascara about a year ago, and I haven't used anything since. I have pretty sparse, short lashes and this mascara elongates and thickens without looking cakey or spidery. It doesn't flake or smudge throughout the day, in fact I have to use eye make up remover for the first time ever!

2. Fresh Cannabis Santal- yup, cannabis. I've never been one to have several perfumes. For the most part I don't like perfume. This scent is warm and spicy without so much as a whisper of alcohol .

3. Fresh Sugar Rose- I'm a huge fan of lipstick. I love reds, oranges, corals, purples, pretty much every color under the sun. However, I hate the dry chapped lips that typically goes along with it. This lip tint has just the slightest hue to its velvety textue. At $28 it's an expensive Chapstick, but it's worth every penny. I shed a little tear at the end of every tube.

4. CND Vinylux Top Coat- This clear top coat is amazing. I'm pretty sure God parted the clouds and handed on down to the geniuses and CND. Having my nails in the sink constantly at work and home, my nails stay shiny and chip free for at least five days.

I hope you enjoy my necessities as much as I do,

Madi

Big changes

So here it begins, following blogs has been my decompression for a long time, but I have been avoiding it knowing it was a bigger commitment than I was ready for. Things have changed. After almost 6 years with the same salon I decided it was time to move on. There were a few things that sparked that motivation, but the biggest thing was the lack of time for anything but work. I didn't have time for my husband Jimmy, or my 16 month old son Elliot, there were no Saturday birthday parties or dinner with the girls, so there was definitely no time for blogging.
Today marks two weeks since I left my job, two weeks that I have been able to breathe, and two weeks that I can say I have truly been happy. I still get to do what I love, I am just in a more relaxed environment and my time is my own.
So my goal for this blog is to share my favorite things, my shortcuts to great hair, and of course copious amounts of pictures of my cute family:) I hope you enjoy.
Madi

 

Photo copyright Jaquilyn Shumate Photography