Published on TwentyTen Magazine: Issue 8, 12 page spread!

Photography: Pam Sta Cruz
Styling & Design: Phuong My
Makeup & Hair: Elizabeth Chang
Model: Lauren Fletcher & Christin Mills

Woohoo! Published in Dutch-based fashion magazine TwentyTen! To see the full size magazine web version, click here!  It was published July 2011 (yeah I didn't find out until now!) but I'm still psyched! It's a 12 page spread with my name on it! *jumps up and down*  On the day of the shoot last year, the hair stylist that was supposed to come could not make it.  And...so I had a Tim Gunn "make it work" moment where I used the 1 hair spray, 1 brush, and a few bobby pins that were "backups" in my makeup kit and whip it out!  I am really proud of my work in this set, and also proud to be a part of an amazing and inspiring team! 

Today started off a little rough, but seeing this makes me feel all better! ^o^ And my hubby and I went to celebrate by eating Korean BBQ!!! Weeeeee!!! ;D

Maternity Session @ Holbrook-Palmer Park | Klodjanadervishi Photographer

Makeup & Hair: Elizabeth Chang
Photography: Klodjana Dervishi Photographer

Congratulations to beautiful new Mommy & Daddy!!!! They recently welcomed a beautiful baby boy.   It was an absolute pleasure working with my client, K!  K found me on Yelp! and told me that she decided to go with me after seeing the maternity photos on my Skyla Arts page (under Photography&Portraits!).  I was especially honored that she chose me to do her hair and makeup after she told me that she modeled for Benefit Cosmetics/Sephora before - since doing makeup for a cosmetic campaign is one of the things I hope to do in the near future!  

I was delighted to learn that from where her father is from in Ethiopia, her darker rimmed lips (as if she was wearing lipliner) and gums would be the epitome of what a Beautiful Woman would look like!  This is why she prefers lipgloss - to show off her beauty!  I really enjoy learning about what is beautiful from different cultures - like big, round, watermelon, jiggly booty is viewed as beautiful in parts of Brazil.  I loved the whole setting, and I love their dog!! Oh what a super model dog! 

You can see a few more from this family session on Klo's blog~! 

Published on Style Me Pretty - California 09/26/2011!

I stopped whatever I was doing because the bridal inspiration shoot I did makeup & hair for just got published TODAY on Style Me Pretty California!  Check it out!!

Special thanks to Karen from New Sunrise Events & Erica B from Erica B. Photography for thinking of me for this amazing project!  I truly enjoyed working with all the STRONG women on-set! I say strong because we had to carry all the chairs & tables and everything you saw in the photos back onto Karen's and Erica's car in the end!  Also - flowers are super heavy!!!! No wonder Jeeryn from Tanjeeryn Designs have super toned arms! ;) Jeeryn also did the lovely chalk-board art featured!  I also loved eating all the pretty packaged Madeline cookies at the end of our shoot!  

For the hair and makeup, Erica described the theme as whimsical, garden.  I was REALLY happy with the results - I loved how Drew (our gorgeous model for the day) hair looked like cotton candy! Paired up with Bonnie's [from One World Designs] hair piece, we definitely got whimsy/romantic in there! Her skin was airbrushed to perfection, and I used individual false eyelashes to complete her makeup look! I reposted a few of the images here, but for the complete gallery, check out more photos on the actual Style Me Pretty blog! :) WOOHOO!!! 

Here is the complete list of amazing team that made it all happen:

Coordinator: New Sunrise Events |  Photography: Erica B Photography | Venue: Kohl Mansion | Rentals: Classic Party Rentals | Florist: Tanjeeryn Designs | Stationery: Cards de Luxe | Make-Up Artist: Skyla Arts |  Headpiece: One World Designs Jewelry | Baker: Thorough Bread + Pastry | Cake Topper: Better Off Wed | Dress: J.Crew | Shoes: Bebe

Website updates...major work in progress!

Yay! new photo from Bridal Editorial we did!

Makeup & Hair: Elizabeth Chang | Skyla Arts
Makeup & Hair Asst.: Erika Taniguchi
Models: (above) Alana | Look & Natalya | Scout
Photography: Mark & Tammy | Memoire Studio
Venue: Kohl Mansion
Hair Accessory: Bonnie | One-World-Designs
Gowns: BoLee Bridal Couture 

*Special thanks to Christine at Christine Marie Events for helping me pick up the hair accessories! I couldn't have done it without you!! <3

My Bridal site is in dire need of a facelift...! I wish I could write about my first NYC trip, but sometimes I don't know which blog should come first!!! I've been working at this on and off for 9 months now - separating my Bridal from my commercial/fashion page, and I'm going towards the finishing line, but not quite!!!  Other than that, there's still tons of other stuff to do...Mark & Tammy just launched their new website: Memoire Studio - And I think I nearly died in envy~! I loved it and man someday I'll be able to afford hiring someone to make something like this for mee!  :)

I've been reprinting my print book, kind of holing myself in my office, organizing photos, updating website, etc etc.  I feel like I haven't been able to catch my breath since Spring time! Ao much updating to do! So many blogs to write! I just wish that there was a global gallery to update - like...all the photos would just Sync to each other!Can somebody please invent that? And all the resolutions will be exactly the same - I want my bridal site to sync to weddingwire+yelp+facebook, my commercial website to sync with my iPad Portfolio app+facebook.

Another major project I've been working on is separating my Bridal from my Fashion/Commercial work...And my photography page lol...That has yet to be created...I have to completely re-do my bridal page (and all I've done was the splash page so far! Oh dear. . . . )

Another necessary division is my facebook...! If you would be so kind to "like" both of my pages, that would mean a lot to me - considering I only have 22 likes on one, and 210 likes on the other! ;(  I realize how unpopular and sad I am when I go to other people's Facebook pages with like 1000 likes!!!!  I'll be posting more on my facebook if people respond to me lol!!  I'm interested in offering tips & even great deals - Facebook only!  Will the updating ever end??? is there a light at the end of this tunnel??!

Lol ok ok no more whining~~~!  I'm super excited about the fact that FALL is here~ it's my favorite season!!  The only thing about fall...is that the leaves around where I live really pile up - I feel like I can swim in it! But...it's so nice...seeing the leaves falling~

I turn 25!

I've lived a quarter of a century! lol I wrote this blog post the day before the 'big' 25 ! Okay it's really not a significant number, but I find that it's actually more significant than 30 or something, which to me seems arbitrary, other than the biological/time to have kids significance!

I feel like this is the right opportunity to share one of these personal reflections that I don't know if anybody reads because it's so text heavy!  But it's my blog - who cares - you can just skip it!!  ;)  I've shared part of the story before - but the major turning point I've omitted.

The death that inspired me to live
My big sister decided she wanted to be a physician at age 6, so when I was born, because my sister played 2 instruments, early on my sister discovered I have a "perfect pitch."  This fueled my mom's aspiration for me to live life as a concert harpist and pianist - something desirable for a women because your students just come to you for class, you can take care of your kids, and you make $100 per hour. Oh and I believe if my mom could be in my shoes, she would have chosen that as her own dream.  Growing up impoverished, even touching a piano key/banging on it was a rare privilege and my mom just can't imagine why I would not want to play my instruments.  We were living in San Jose Costa Rica at the time, and I was tricked into going to Piano class (before turning 4 yrs old) - OK not tricked, but I didn't comprehend that the word "piano class" was an actual class! Then at 6, I too started Harp classes.  The struggle continued...I would practice the bare minimum, but seem to still get decent results and applause, which made it even more difficult because my mom said I was lazy and ungrateful for the opportunity. "Look at so and so practicing for 1 hour. You should do it too."  Even my teachers said so..."She reads music so fast and talented, but she is lazy."

*continue after the jump*

Underwater Photo shoot & Top Model Attributes!!

Photography: Chad Riley (Chad Riley Photography) @ Look Artist
Makeup : Elizabeth Chang (Elizabeth Chang | Makeup & Hair)
Styling : Katie Quinn (Q the Stylist)
Model: Allie D. @ Look Models
Photography Assistant: Antonio Fernando

You may vaguely remember the Underwater Photoshoot Behind the Scenes blog nearly a year ago! It was a long wait for these images, but I'm really excited to share them with you!

As mentioned in previous post, it was my first under water shoot and also the first time I needed this degree of waterproofing (completely different from the typical sweating, humidity or longevity of makeup wear for bridal).  From the sneak peaks I was very worried that the makeup wouldn't show up, but alas, I was just nervous over nothing.  Allie and I were joking that it's called "Makeup Forever" because it stays on FOREVER. For this shoot, I had specifically purchased a few items from MUFE that I didn't own at the time, and that combined with the tricks Liz Yu from Yaby Cosmetics showed me, the makeup actually showed up under water!! woohoo!!!  The star makeup brands for this shoot that saved the day are: Yaby Cosmetics, Makeup Forever, and Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics! Also very funny, was that after the first look, I adjusted her blush way stronger after receiving feedback from Chad so that it will show up under water and I showed Allie the mirror and we were like omg Clown! lol! But yeah, we did 3 makeup looks that day to go along with her outfits, and it was quiet an experience, doing the makeup changes while the model is still under the water!

For the green dress, I actually tried to apply false lashes to see what will happen- it's not the glue that's not waterproof, it's the force of the water when the model goes up and down for air - it makes the lashes flop and go crazy, like a clam shell!

Allie blew us away with her underwater posing skills.  Katie and I were just gawking in amazement at how graceful and gorgeous she looked ABOVE water! We could only imagine what was going on under the water! :P

I know this is only my 3rd year working as a makeup artist (2 yrs and 3 months in!) but out of all the agency models I've personally had the pleasure to work with, there's only a handful (I can count with one hand!) of Fashion models who really just blew me away! Ahh please don't misinterpret~~! No offense to the other wonderful models I've worked with, but Fashion to me is a very specific category, attributes and skill set - some models belong in more than 1 category (ie: Fashion/Runway & Commercial, Fashion & Beauty, Fashion & Swimwear etc etc etc endless combinations) and of course you can also be a TOP Beauty model or Top Commercial model.  What I am trying to express is,  Fashion models are very rare to come by, which is why when they become the top models, they get paid the most money.  I really got to understand this after watching Allie under the water.  Before, I just didn't have what you call first hand experience.  I never thought modeling was easy, but just in case anyone thought modeling was EASY as long as you are a certain height, weight, beautiful girl, you can be a model - that is sooo not true...!

Qualities of a Top Fashion Model (according to liz...from my experience...lol)
- Intelligent, educated, articulate & cogent
- TALL + extremely fit & physically healthy
- Beautiful body & limbs (you can be super tall, but not have proportional limbs or odd legs)
- Understand your body
- Unique facial features & strong bone structure
- GREAT skin, GREAT Hair
- Versatile/Chameleons
- Independent & Adventurous
- Super professional (shows up on time, completely prepared for the shoot, positive attitude)

Some of these you can learn & acquire with experience, but others you are born with. You need the perfect combination!

Allie - you are amazing!

Green dress look features OCC Lip Tar in Pageant!!

Linda & Richard, Villa Montalvo/Saratoga Wedding May 2011

Photography: Junshien International Photographers | Junshien Lau + David Lok/Assistant Photographer
Makeup & Hair: Skyla Arts |  Elizabeth Chang/Makeup & Lead Stylist
     + Carolyn Jean/Hair Stylist & Assistant Makeup Artist + Erika Taniguchi/Assistant
Coordinator: Just a Party Girl | Kathy Chen
Caterer: Cafe Primavera | Kathy Chen
Bakery: Satura Cakes, Pamplemousse Patisserie, and Linda (bride)!
Florist: Pico Soriano Designs | Pico Soriano

Ahhh I am skipping around for my blog posts and wedding chronology! But that's OK, I am just waiting for the photos - but my April bride is a nurse and she is busy saving lives and taking care of her beautiful family and I think that's way more important than my blog being in chronological order! ;P These photos were published yesterday on Junshien's blog and I didn't see it until this morning, which definitely made my morning! Normally (people who worked with me know this...) I like/need to crop my Portrait images so they are perfectly at the same width, but today I'm just happy to be able to post the photos! In the freelance world, you face a lot of rejection (ie: when the client doesn't hire you lol) and sometimes it eats me alive by filling me with self-doubt. I'm still learning how to not take rejection personally, but it's much harder when the service you provide is personal.  What is more personal than somebody's hair and makeup on their wedding?  We're touching you, pulling you, twirling you, we are there with you until the last minute where you need to go get married or take photos - and take the next step in your life!    

I love looking at my client's wedding photos...even though I only know them very briefly during the trial and emailing back and forth, I can't help but feel happy and touched (and a little teary at times) that they feel and look beautiful on their wedding day - oh and of course, an International Photographer, to capture these moments, definitely adds to the estrogen stimulus lol....   These photos will stay with you forever! That's why your photographer and your hair and makeup vendor should be decided FIRST, right? right? :P  When one of the pretty BMs Sirinya shared that she is getting married in Santa Monica in September and she hasn't found a makeup/hair vendor I was like @o@ OMG! Get one now! lol...She later emailed me for referrals and I believe one of my colleagues in LA will be taking good care of her! :)

That day, we did 7 additional services - 6 makeup apps (4 BMs and 2 lovely moms), and 1 blow-out (the beautiful BM with straight hair)! I loved that all the BMs left their hair down and that they were excited about their makeup and false lashes! Carolyn helped me prep and prime the skin, and we were a well-oiled machine! ;)  It was Erika's first time coming with us to a bridal gig, and we were happy to have her help clean our brushes & monitor our schedule.  We stayed on schedule on the DOT *high five girls!* We are a great team~! :)

What a beautiful wedding & beautiful couple! Congratulations again to Linda & Richard! I'm happy that you will have a room for all of Richard's computers! ;)

P.S. You can check out more photos on Junshien's blog and oh he made a beautiful slideshow! Watch in 720P HD! :) 

LOVE this idea! So cute!!! 

*tear*  Linda's mommy is so cute!

I love this image...! It sounds like her BM is saying something really <3-ing! 

I don't know which ones Linda baked but they all look DELICIOUS

cuteness overload!

aww mother and son dance!

<3