Beauty Story with June & Rummy [Part 2]!

Model: June Huang (City Models)

Makeup & Hair: Elizabeth Chang (Skyla Arts)

Photography: Rummy

Photo-Editing: Elizabeth Chang (Skyla Arts)

 

The above 3 photos are edited by me - Rummy will also edit some but I just selected these because I wanted to take a stab at'em myself and also brush-up on my photoshop skills.  I also wanted to print them out for my portfolio.  I don't think doing more creative looks is really my thing because I am fond of clean, natural makeup.  Believe it or not 2 weeks ago I lost a gig because I don't have examples of super glamorous makeup in my portfolio.  Although it's not my thing to try to work for a men's magazine, at this point I'm concerned about getting published so I'll jump at the opportunity to get published.  Sigh.  It's OK, I'll try to get published elsewhere, hopefully, a more appropriate magazine for my interest.

I've also started the process of reorganizing my picasa gallery as well as my Facebook Fan Page! I know it's silly, but I'll be happy if you follow my blog and also my facebook fan page! :)

That's it for now! I'll be uploading the photos edits that Rummy edits soon! Until then, have a great weekend!!! :D

Preview & Behind the scenes from Beauty Story

Model: June Huang (City Models)

Makeup & Hair: Elizabeth Chang (Skyla Arts)
Photography: Rummy
Professional fan holder: Elizabeth Chang (Skyla Arts) J/K J/K! I did hold and controlled the wind with the huge fan - it was very heavy!! my arms hurt

Above is a preview of the shoot we worked on last night!  Rummy (the Photographer) sent me the preliminary edits to check if I'm OK with his edits.  :) Super nice & considerate of him!

I am sorry for not updating in so long! I've just been really really occupied; there are some other posts I have yet to post! I should get crackin' on those~! But no worries, I will when I'm able to! ^^"  So this beauty story was shot in my home studio! (Which REMINDS ME, I need to post photos of what I've been doing to my home studio! ^^ I guess...check back soon!) This is the first time I "hosted" a photo shoot with another photographer, Rummy, in my apartment! It was a last minute arrangement, as the model who I had arrangements with "cancelled" which left me frantically seeking a replacement. Thank goodness June swooped in and saved the day!  I especially enjoyed June singing along to my playlist I had going - that's something I would do and have done while working - when I'm less stressed out.  I was like: "Wow you like this song too? Yay!!" I went right into working and forgot to take the BEFORE & AFTER photo - we were kind of pressed for time...Sorry!  June said she will send me a mug shot of her. 

So I had originally planned just clean beauty looks, but Rummy was interested to do a second look that involved more "extreme makeup" and so yesterday afternoon I did a face chart like a good girl (or shall I say, good makeup artist!).  This face chart is from drawn by makeup artist Jordon Liberty! I printed it out and photocopied it onto watercolor/aquarell paper, and sat down to plan my makeup look.  I used color pencils for the face chart, but MUFE Flash Colors for the face.  I double-checked and triple-checked that June is not allergic to the red pigments (Carmine, Red 4, cochineal etc.), and she assured me she used it before and had no reactions - I do not want to be liable or send her to the E.R!  But after her assurance, I went ahead and did this - I filled in the products used afterward.   
 

After I was done with the 2nd look! I had her hold it up to her face!! :D Actually, in the end I added 2 gem stones on the antennae. It was my first time doing this kind of look, so I was very nervous~ but I think it went OK! So I'm proud of myself! :D

Above is Rummy changing the lights - we used the wall in between my bathroom/stairways and kitchen! We moved Skyla's treehouse and a mirror~ All in all, I had a great time, and definitely got some great shots for my book (portfolio).  More to come soon!  Till then! Have a great weekend!

Skyla Arts x Shasha

Client (and Model): Shasha

Makeup, Hair and Photography: Elizabeth Chang (Skyla Arts)
The Wardrobe was provided by the Model.

I have to say...When I picked up my camera to shoot Shasha, honestly I was a bit nervous, because it's been a while since I was behind the camera.  In the past, I've received inquiries about opportunities to "model for me" for my portfolio in exchange for some "free head shots" but while I am not a top photographer or anything to not 'test' at all, I am open to provide 'testing rates.' instead of going through the motions, since I am passionate about what I do. I haven't done makeup/hair/photography all in one since August or so, so while rusty, I got more energized as the shoot progressed! I am very happy with what we were able to achieve in an afternoon - I like more emotive portraits instead of straight off 'glamorous' looks.  I am happy that Shasha was super excited about the results as well! Enjoy the photos! :)

Black Story - Final photos!

Photography: Laura Tillinghast.
Makeup: Elizabeth Chang (Skyla Arts)
Hair Styling & Wardrobe styling: Michelle Tan (MicheStyle)
Model: Mackenzie Drazan with Stars Model Management.

Hurrah! The final photos from this shoot is here! I am super proud of the work we produced as a team! I can't wait to work with them again! I'm a little backed up with my posts...! life is a bit crazy....but I hope I don't lose my visitors! *fingers crossed*

For more photos, please visit my website, Skyla-Arts.com and click Makeup>Fashion/Editorial or Beauty! :) Enjoy!

Acne-prone skin [Part I: Skincare]

I've expressed before that once my website is up, my Skyla Arts blog will also include posts/articles about skincare products and makeup product reviews (and my personal blog will have more entries about my boring life!) I have been occasionally commenting on bride-oriented beauty forums recently and one of the most frequently recurring threads have been focused on products that help heal acne (many questions about ProActive) and whether or not bare minerals/bare escentuals is a good choice for wedding makeup - oftentimes the two themes occur together!  I divided this topic into two parts: Part I will focus on skincare products and Part II will discuss makeup products (and more bare minerals!) While I am not a dermatologist, I've been "battling" acne skin for 11 years or so and have tried an array of products. None of the products I mention are sponsored or provided; I have no commercial relationships with these companies! As a makeup artist, I am also concerned with this because it is my responsibility to select the best product for each skin type. Even if you don't have adult acne regularly, perhaps stressful situations (like Wedding Planning!)  or a women's menstrual cycle can also cause breakouts!  If you are interested in reading short reviews on the products that I have tried, some tips to take care of your skin, and also what I think about mineral makeup or ProActive for acne-prone skin, please click to continue reading!

Laura Tillinghast x MicheStyle x Skyla Arts featuring Mackenzie

Photography: Laura Tillinghast.
Makeup: Elizabeth Chang (Skyla Arts)
Hair Styling & Wardrobe styling: Michelle Tan (MicheStyle)
Model: Mackenzie Drazan with Stars Model Management.

This is my first time working with the amazing Laura but I worked with Michelle on the shoot with Yifei Gu and I am happy to be able to work with her again! Michelle had the outfits planned and told me she was going for a teen vogue girly punk look. I thought the clothes looked great and the accessories were very cool! Mackenzie is 5'10, and with the shoes, she was 6'4! It was awesome! To think that Mackenzie could keep growing taller was cool too! I love to admire tall people! lol~ i'm weird huh?

The first photo is Mackenzie getting her hair and makeup done. The second is when she was studying some poses on Laura's computer. We did 4 outfits, 2 hairstyles, and 2 makeup looks! :) Mackenzie was awesome, and with Laura's professional posing pointers, I was thrilled and inspired on set! I am so happy for the 2nd "Beauty" look with the red lips, inspired by Alexis Bledel. When I saw Mackenzie's blue eyes, I was so excited to put some bold lips on her! I can't wait to see the photos, and special thanks to Laura, for being a great leader on set. I can't wait until the next time I work with either Laura or Michelle. :)

By the way, I added a Cbox on the right hand side of my blog, so if you get a chance or have any questions, please leave a comment or a shout out! :)

For more photos, please visit the Behind the Scenes gallery! :) Enjoy!

Jeah & Jay's Wedding Photos

You might remember Jeah from here and here. The images posted here are a courtesy from dK Weddings! I apologize for the delayed posting of the images! I was just caught up launching my website, and with a few things here and there that I'm a bit backed up with my postings! On the last photo of this post, you can also see Jeah's mother-in-law and her step-mom, whom I also did makeup on but didn't get to capture the before & after. I really love the photo of Jeah and her father; Actually there are many photos that I loved but I didn't want to bug Jeah to send me so many! Can't be too greedy! I'm very happy to be a part of Jeah's special day. Enjoy the images, and you can see a few more at theBridal gallery! :) Enjoy!