Saturday, November 30, 2013

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





Thursday, November 28, 2013

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 

Wednesday, November 20, 2013

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

Saturday, November 16, 2013

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

Thursday, November 14, 2013

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