Danica & Alfred {St. Ignatius Church/Legion of Honor San Francisco Wedding}

Makeup & Hair: Skyla Arts {Liz & Carolyn}
Photography: Nightingale Photography {Christina & Richard}

Please meet my "shimmy shimmy Bride" Danica! Special thanks to Christina from Nightingale Photography for sharing these beautiful images with me. This awesome video highlight is from Christina's blog, where you can see MORE beautiful photos of Danica & Alfred!!!!

I love this video by Nightingale Photography!! Makes my eye water a little every time! I love their story, and I love the editing here!

I was introduced to Danica via my bride Jill! They were co-workers, and when Danica saw Jill's photos on her handheld digital camera, Danica decided to sign the contract with me right away, even though her wedding was almost a year away at the time! I thought that was awesome....! But even more crazy is I received over 11 more inquiries for Danica's date!  It's fate I guess that we got to do Danica's wedding! :)

I felt even more honored when I found out that Danica wanted a more glamorous look, something that I didn't already showcased in my portfolio.  She trusted in me in my artistry enough to know without a doubt (without seeing any glamorous makeups, without trying me out!) to send me the contract and retainer fee!!!  During our consultation, we did a smokey eye, but Danica realized she wanted more, and on the day-of, she requested 2 sets of faux lashes, and asked Carolyn to add the hair extensions!  Even my teammate Carolyn was surprised because she has never seen me do a glamorous look like this before, after working with me for so long!

Carolyn and I also 'glammed' up her mom (who also wore 2 sets of faux lashes!), and a few of her bridesmaids; the rest of her bridesmaids were glammed up by her family members! It was a lot of love and positive energy in the getting ready suite at the Hyatt, and....I will never forget this...! After Danica got in her dress and Christina was snapping away, I looked over to snap some photos of her with my phone, and I see Danica doing the Shimmy!  This is why I call her my shimmy shimmy bride! She was feelin' the whole thing!!! She was feeling great, and her happiness was so contagious!!!  Carolyn and I left with a huge smile on our faces, all the way until we drove home!  :) Just wanted to emphasize that even though a glamorous style is not 'my' personal style, it doesn't mean I don't find it beautiful or I don't know how to execute it! What's MOST important is that the client, the bride, looks & feels the most beautiful!!!!  Brides that Shimmy = unforgettable! <3 p="">
Please enjoy a few highlights from Danica & Alfred's wedding! 

 

Mindy and Steven {Capitola D.I.Y. Wedding}

Makeup & Hair: Liz 

Photography: Pascale Wowak

I had a great pleasure working with Mindy + Steven for their big day last March in Capitola, CA.  Mindy, with the help of the mother of the bride + mother of the groom really put everything together - they decked out her mother's beautiful backyard/garden in Capitola. 

When I met Mindy for the consultation, she said to me (paraphrased) "I am so lucky to marry my best friend." It is always a joy to see two families become one! Mindy is a successful blogger & book author.  It was really fun to listen to her share with me her experience as a professional model! It's no surprise to me that Mindy was working full-time as a model, (she is gorgeous!) flying to Germany and Japan! I also got to work with Daphne, Mindy's beautiful daughter, who requested an elegant french twist.  I was also thrilled that Steven was open to receive Groom's grooming services! :) Trust me...it's very subtle. If I didn't tell you, could you really tell he had a little bit of concealer and some powder on? A little goes a long way for those wedding photos! 

Please enjoy the beautiful photos taken by Pascale Wowak!  Special thanks to Mindy for sending me and sharing her beautiful photos! Congratulations again to Mindy + Steven! 

Sara & Conrad in San Francisco...or Paris? {Summer 2012, photographed by Matt Edge}

Photography: Matt Edge

Makeup, Hair + Men's grooming: Elizabeth Chang (me!)

Styling: Matt + Allison

Models: Conrad @ Stars, Sara @ Scout

Last summer I posted the teaser for the "Behind the Scenes" from this shoot and discussed some of the Fall Trends on the runway.  Even though the photos were up on my portfolio (wink wink...I have updated my bridal website's slideshow + commercial print portfolio) but I post more images on the blog! Enough babbling!! 

We were going for a Parisian vibe, but it was shot in the beautiful windy San Francisco! 

I am so pleased with this set! All of the photos were shot on film photography - the colors and richness!      To my knowledge, most film photographers do not spend a lot of time in photo shop, so I try to make the subjects look as perfect as possible for every frame. I love the film look and I am thrilled with how the hair/makeup/grooming turned out too! Woohoo!  ^.~ The middle to last part of 2012 I had a lot of men's grooming jobs, either working on CEOs or for print work on male models ages 20-40.  I am quiet enjoying it more than before!  While men 'take less time' or could be thought of as 'easier' compared to woman, I have to say it's definitely a balance making it look like they are not wearing any makeup at all, and their hair natural but 'well groomed.' It's actually a lot of fun styling men's hair - it kind of feels like 'molding clay' or something into a mini sculpture, but it's actually hair! Fun! 

Matt posted the photos on his blogs - I selected a few different ones to highlight because I'm trying to showcase my makeup/hair work but I really love how he put it together! The wonderful thing is Matt moved from LA to the SF area, and so we'll be working together again! Very excited to work with Matt again!  Previously I had to go to LA to work with Matt, or wait for him to come up to the SF area en route to work a wedding in Napa/Sonoma! 

P.S - Matt shoots beautiful weddings as well as fashion/commercial/lifestyle work {Matt Edge Wedding Photography} so if you are a bride-to-be for 2013/2014, please check his work out! 

 

Contemplating for an exciting 2013!

I hope everyone is having a great January so far! I thought long and hard about what to blog about as the first post of the year! I think blogging is like exercising; once you've stopped for a while, it is so much harder to get started again! I took an entire week off work over the Holidays, and that was really lovely! Last October, my husband and I FINALLY made it to our honeymoon (it only took us 3-4 years of marriage to finally go on vacation/honeymoon!).  I figured if I worked majority of the year, I should take Christmas and New Years off!  For a week, I felt like a normal person - going to the grocery store, cooking, spending a lot of time with friends and family, regular exercise, de-cluttering my home, spending time with my husband.  It sounds terribly mundane, but these moments are precious to me because strangely, it doesn't always happen, and definitely not in such a peaceful manner!  You could say because of work-aholicism (admittedly, my partner and I are both workaholics) or...a more neutral yet accurate way to say it is "I'm a small business owner." I prioritize my work over a lot of things and I've been gradually working towards having a more balanced lifestyle!  Reflecting back on 2012 and how it buzzed by, I am determined to work on that balanced lifestyle in 2013! 

I shared with my close friend outside of my industry that I have March-Dec 2012 weddings to catch-up on my blog, and he said: "Liz, you better get to it!! Do it now!!!" I'll be trying my best to put those up, but I'm not making any promises!  I thought about it over the holidays - my purpose of having a blog is to give the reader (or potential client) a glimpse to who I am/who I am as an artist (they are not mutually exclusive!), who I am as a business owner, and a sample of my personal aesthetic. I find that while I do want to showcase my work (Look what I've done!! yipee!!!), I think that it's more important for my future clients to know that my personal aesthetic is actually not as important as my clients' personal aesthetic! 

I really just want to make my client happy.

On occasion I would get into deep conversations about beauty with people I encounter, about the visceral impact it has on us.  People outside of the fashion/beauty industry and don't care much for it would be surprised to learn how up-close and personal a hair and makeup service can get.  It's visceral, emotional - it can trigger something that affects them in a way they never thought a simple makeup/hair service could!  It can be anything...I compliment the client's lips while doing lipstick, and she says: "they are just like my grandmother...I miss her..." I enjoy meeting different types of people, but what's even more enjoyable, is if I can help them reach their goal with their hair and makeup!

I sometimes ask myself: Who am I to decide what you "should" look like?  What gives me the right to be a "taste maker" with your makeup & hair? When I was little, art teachers would say: "You really have an artistic eye" and I knew it was meant to be a compliment and felt joy hearing it - thanked them politely, but I never felt like what I saw was necessarily unique or "better" than my classmate next to me - my vision and interpretation is divine, and sacred - to me! The same way my classmates' interpretation is sacred to them.  However, I understand when my clients come to me, they generally do want my input and opinion, which I do share, but I end up either following the clients' preference, or meeting in the middle!  Why? Because my goal is not  to impose my aesthetic; my goal is really that the client looks in the mirror and loves what s/he sees, feels beautiful, and their day is "uplifted" in some way! Sometimes my clients' preference follows my personal aesthetic to the dot!  When that happens, I feel like: "Wow! you really 'see' like me!!" and that's a lot of fun!  But not my primary objective!  When I see how fabulous they feel, I cannot help but "see" them as simply "Beautiful" - even if the up-do or the shade of lipstick is not one I would normally choose. I see beauty as being beyond a person's subjective interpretation of their reflection.

Earlier today, my client from last fall used g-chat to let me know that she had written a review on yelp for me! I immediately went to read it, and it really made my day! Immediately I was reminded of an inspirational book, "Life of a Daymaker" by David Wagner, owner of the Juut Aveda Salons.   I loaned that book to my mother-in-law who brought it with her to Seoul {who also is still holding onto my copy of "The Philisophy of Andy Warhol"! Hey Omeoni! I want my books back! ;P} but if I still had my copy, I would be opening up a passage randomly, and find a paragraph to inspire me. After reading Life of a Daymaker, I love my job even more! I want to be my client's Daymaker, and that's my goal - but when my clients tell me I made their day, they actually become MY daymaker! ♥ I highly recommend reading the story that changed his life, and the rest of the book! I loved the part where described how he got into his career, one that his family did not support, and that he started humbly as a valet car parker for the clients who went to the Aveda salon. He made sure he was the BEST car parker and worked his way up and was determined to become a hair dresser!  If my goal in life was to make a lot of money, I probably would have opted for a career in finance - but alas, that is not my goal for my life!  I love being of service to someone who needs my service, and I love making someone's day.  As makeup/hair artists, we don't have the easiest job nor the hardest job. There are parts of it that I am sure we all do not LOVE doing - just like any other job in the world. For us, we feel like we have the best job! I truly feel grateful to have worked another year in this industry, doing what I love - Hopefully many more years to come!! But as my friend says, cross the bridge when you get there! Take it one year at a time!  

If you managed to read all of this rambling...then...! In conclusion, I am very excited for 2013! I'm looking forward to all the new people I will be meeting, seeing their vision of beauty with the "inspiration" images they will be bringing me, and just doing lots of makeup/hair!!! Yay!!!

A blog always looks better looking with a photo! I'll have to do a full credit later, but for now, Makeup, hair, men's grooming by me in June 2011! Photo by Christine Le. Florals by Indelisa @ Royal Bloom Boutique, hair piece by Bonnie @ One World Design, Jewelry by Yael Designs, gown by David Tutera @ BoLee Bridal Boutique!

Z-life Magazine Publication{winter 2012}

Photography: Laura Tillinghast
Photography Assistant: Rebecca Herem
Makeup & Hair: Elizabeth Chang (me!)
Model: Hannah + Jana @ Stars Model Management

I've been meaning to try Zumba for a while, more so after these two assignments for Z-Life Magazine!  Coincidentally, I received these photos today, and I also received my Zumba Fitness Xbox game in the mail!!  Now that my husband and I FINALLY installed curtains, I won't have to feel self conscious about my neighbors looking in while I attempt to work out a sweat in my living room! ;)

I was very very excited to get an opportunity for a tear sheet that features "beauty" work and we got to do 2 different features (one for the serum, the other for the hair chalking technique!!!)  I was pleased to see that it was also the first story in the issue!!! yay! I look forward to work with this magazine again and of course, trying Zumba!  For the serum shot, my left hand is in the shot (lol! my first shoot as a 'hand model'! lol!!!) and Rebecca was holding the serum droplet!!  It was a lot harder than it looked but we were able to get the shot under Laura's expert guidance!!  Laura did an amazing job with...everything!!! Planning the shoots, casting the PERFECT models, and then - the beautiful product shots!!! Bravo bravo!! I can't feel more proud of the spread!!! Not shown here, but there was a product shot that featured a REAL LIVE SNAKE!!!  Click to see it! I think that is pretty rad!  :) :) :)

On the personal note....

I'm heading to LA next week for a job, and the job continues the following week here in the Bay - and  after the job completes, I head to NYC for a destination wedding!  I don't know...my goal of catching up with blogging doesn't seem to be a realistic one...! You may also notice that I seem to prefer to blog the commercial/print work that I do, versus the 37+ weddings I haven't gotten around to!!! I hope you don't think that I prefer one type of work over the other because of this!!! The truth is, blogging about my lovely brides and their handsome grooms requires more time commitment, and also I am still collecting the photos from spring/summer weddings. My beloved iMac is also reaching the end of its rope....! And I'm having trouble updating my gallery on my bridal page...which brings me to... my new bridal website that will launch Spring of 2013!  I will begin working with a webdesigner/developer this coming month!  It's very exciting but wow...I was thinking Nov/Dec will be a nice down time for me, but it didn't end up happening that way.  I hope I don't sound like one of those people who goes "I am just SO busy...SO busy" and it gets annoying.  You know the type!!!  :P  But I have to say my plate is quite full, and I feel very blessed to be busy (even though I do whine about it when it gets a little overwhelming!!), working in an industry that I love.  In the meantime, if you would like to see sneak peaks of bridal photos, please like & follow the Skyla Arts Facebook Page.  I also have a Commercial Facebook Page, Elizabeth Chang | Makeup & Hair, dedicated to sharing commercial/print/photoshoot work.  Lastly, I'm active on Instagram and post behind the scenes snapshots and of course...my cat Skyla, and occasionally the food I'm eating :)

Yesterday I did a bridal preview/consultation with a lovely bride-to-be, and she asked how many weddings I did/am doing this year, and I said: "I think it's 40 or 41" and she thought that was a lot!  Definitely a lot more than last year!  But I know of colleagues that do 60+, or 100+! I had a conversation with them about it...I ask them..."How do you manage??!!"  Next year I will feel so lucky & honored if 40 brides choose me for their big day! I'm just hoping that next year will be even better than this year!  And by that I don't mean I hope to get more than 40 brides! :P Truly truly...to my clients who hired me, if I haven't said it enough, THANK YOU! Yes yes...This is a belated Thanksgiving post! :P :P 

Until next time!!! *smiles*

I just wanted to post this bec

Makeup & Hair for Pottery Barn Teen 2012 Holiday {Sleepover!}

 

I seem to find my work through Instagram a lot!  Karyta, the beautiful model on the left (from Brazil & represented by Scout SF) had posted the photo of her for the Sleepover sale on her Instagram account! Eventually, with her assistance, I was able to locate where the full size image was through the PB Teen website (I clicked on the product, and this photo was the last 'view' of the product!), and I also the spread of the catalogue!  The other beauty on the right, is Alina at Cast Images!

I'm always excited to see my work, whether it is bridal or the commercial/print stuff! I love my job! ;)

Makeup & Hair for Tart Collections Winter+Holiday 2012

It finally feels like Winter here in the Bay Area! I am excited to share these images that I did the makeup & hair - I worked on the on-location ones and not the in-studio photos of the look book.  It took place in a beautiful historical home for Tart Collections Winter/Holiday 2012 look book.  I was pleasantly surprised that the above image from our shoot also ran as an advertisement, first in September's Collector's edition of Harper's Bazaar, then again in the 40th Anniversary Edition of W Magazine! I found out about Harper's Bazaar in August through Tart Collection's facebook/instagram page, but the W Magazine was the huge surprise for me - like a shock wave.  I was just browsing my magazine casually...and BAM it was there! I know and understand that having an ad run in the print is not the same as having the cover & cover story or a full-blown editorial featured in W or Harper's Bazaar, but seeing it in print was still an emotional experience for me, particularly because I actually subscribe to these two magazines and of course, aspire to be featured in it! It is particularly surreal because I am so used to seeing the glossy ads, and I was admiring the perfect ad for Dolce & Gabbana makeup ad featuring Scarlett Johansson and showing my husband how perfect it looks...It really is shocking to be in the same magazine, printed really really big!  The gorgeous model is Larisa from Stars Model Management SF.  

You can see the entire lookbook here - and also found on the website is a little behind the scenes video of the on-location day. If you look closely you will find me combing her hair and watching the set.  I'm truly grateful for the people who are willing to give me a chance and do work that I love doing....! Hopefully I will get to do more soon...! ;) 

 

I have 2 weddings left for 2012, and I'm excited to take it easy (well, easier...!) and prepare for an exciting 2013 ahead.  I do plan to catch-up on everything I missed blogging in 2012...! We'll see how well I do! 

In the mean time, if you follow me on Instagram, you can find out what I've been up to! Some behind the scenes, snapshots of recent brides, cat photos and other funny captures.