Meet gorgeous bride-to-be Vinci! Vinci's Big Day is in August of this year, and I'm thrilled to be on board for her Big Day prep! Obviously she has such beautiful features to work with that essentially my 'work' is effortless. Here are the before and after pics from our fun bridal trial together:

Vinci's before = naturally gorgeous

Look 1: Soft and Polished (perfect for daytime!)

Look 2: Evening Eyes (an evening look that's not too dramatic nor overpowering)

Evaluating Look 1 and Look 2 against each other demonstrate how when done properly, more make-up can make smaller-set eyes look bigger! Simply keep the darkest colours downward from the crease to the lashline - this will help to create the illusion of a wider lid and to brighten the whites of your eyes!

A special thanks to Vinci and her awesome Mom for such a fun girly time!! See you beauties in August :)

Welcome to a new category of posts called Beauty Buzz! In this category, you'll get the latest info on new products and launches directly from the beauty press release wire.*
The latest make-up buzz comes from MAC:
MAC's Art Supplies launches for a limited time as of April 1st, 2010 until May (or while quantities last!). The collection of grown-up/make-up crayons and markers sees the introduction of two new limited-life products to the MAC arsenal: i). Pearlglide Intense Eyeliner and ii). Pro Longwear Lipstain Marker. Art Supplies also features the popular (and an artistrhi favourite) Greasepaint Stick revisited in eight different shades. (I've already made my list of what colours I want to add to my kit!).

Check out my previous review of Greasepaint from the MAC DSquared and Style Black collections:
Lipstain Marker is another item on my 'lust' list - I smell the potential for a bridal kit essential with this toted long-lasting lipstain. I have yet to find a lip stain that I like, so here's to hoping that MAC's version works better and (at least) offer more colour selection than lip stains I've tried in the past.

Currently, I'm test-running Pearlglide Intense Eyeliner (that I received as a sample for consideration from MAC). Long-lasting and non-smudging? We'll see about that! Check back in a week's time for a review!

Here's the official word from the MAC wire:

Art Supplies is everything you need to paint the ultimate self-portrait: focus on a Greasepaint Stick in eight fabulous, limited-life shades - the ultimate inky colour payoff is an homage to the success we had with Style Black and DSquared² last season. Use as a Shadow or Liner: ludicrously long-wearing, transfer- and water-resistant, flexible and five-star comfortable. NEW Pearlglide Intense Eyeliner with an exciting new shimmering sparkle effect, will also launch in limited-life, featuring six slick, smooth, sextronic shades. NEW Pro Longwear Lipstain Marker has the doodle fun of a pen, but with sophisticated, light and long-wearing results. It’s all about artistic freedom!

*(Often times, I'll receive product that I hope to review in advance of the actual product launch, but alas the schedule doesn't always permit! Hopefully, this set of posts will help to keep me on my toes and up-to-date with my product reviews/previews, as there's no point in reviewing too late and once the product's not readily available to the public!)

My poor eyelashes (pictured above) have endured more than their share of curler torture, so I'm game for anything that will help condition them and encourage growth! Thanks to the folks at L'oreal, I've been test-running Lash Boosting Serum for the past couple of weeks, applying it twice per day while crossing my fingers each time that'll work! In their study, L'oreal researchers found that after four weeks' use participants noticed:

"lashes appear multiplied with daily application of mascara and twice daily application of serum: underneath mascara and on bare lashes overnight."

Huh?! Obviously lashes would appear multiplied after mascara is on! Call me skeptical, but I do hope to be converted. It would make this serum an amazing deal for the approximate $14.95 it retails for.

So far I've been using it as prescribed (once before I apply mascara and then again prior to bedtime), and I do like the look of my mascara applied over top of it. Applying the serum first acts like a hairspray for the lashes, helping to lock my curled lashes in place while adding a bit of thickness....and all without the usual white messiness of a mascara primer! I found this to be immediately noticeable after the first use, so hopefully there's more improvement ahead. Check back in a couple of week's time for after photos of hopefully lusher lashes! :)

Want to join the L'oreal Lash Growth Movement?
L'oreal also generously sent me a few of these babies to give away! Be one of the first six people to send an email to rhia[at]artistrhi[dot]com, and a tube of L'oreal's Lash Boosting Serum can be all yours.

The only prerequisites are you must be:
1). a Canadian resident
2). a fan of artistrhi on Facebook

I'd love to hear your feedback too on the product once you've had a chance to try it! Fingers crossed for all of us! :)

Check out the following wedding photographer's sites for inspirational pics, and of course, some of my bridal make-up work! :)

Side note: I'm really lucky to come across such amazing photographers/fellow artists in my line of work. Their talent, hard work and dedication to their craft is a definite inspiration to me!

Claudia Hung (www.claudiahungweddings.com)
One of WeddingBells.ca's Top 25 Inspirational Canadian wedding photographers, Claudia's talent never ceases to amaze me! I've said it many times before - her work obviously speaks for itself - but she's simply an awesome person to work with.

artistrhi Bride: Anna

Geehae Jeong (www.geehaejeong.com)
Geehae works frequently with Claudia, and you can easily see how their individual styles complement each other well. I love the feel of her clean, editorial style....simply gorgeous!

artistrhi Bride-to-be: Nicole

Union Photography (www.unionphoto.ca)
Union Photography, led by main photographer Jon, is also on WeddingBells.ca's Top 25 hot list! I love his creative approach to capturing the Big Day - exquisite!

artistrhi Bride: Mary

Here are the final images from a creative a few weeks back with my amazingly talented photographer pal, Nadia Cheema! Love.

See more pics from behind the scenes here and in larger resolution under Beauty at rhiaamio.com.
Credits
Models: Sara J and Allana C (ICON Models)
Photography: Nadia Cheema
Make-up: Rhia Amio
Hair: Carlos @ Spellbound
Assistants: Khalid Mutlaq and Robert Boic

Anna - she's simply as lovely a person as she looks! What an absolute pleasure getting her and her wedding party all dolled up last Saturday.

Check out artistrhi.com for more photos from her Big Day - the gallery includes the good ol' before and after shots (always a crowd fave!), along with stunning pro photos courtesy of Claudia Hung (see one example pic below). Mind you, it never hurts that we have always such gorgeous subjects to work with...right, Claud?! :)
A heartfelt thank you to Anna for letting me take part in your Big Day, and for the many laughs during our make-up dates! All the best to you and Andrew, xo!

Check out just a couple of the highlights from an artistrhi beauty-filled weekend!!

Credits: Konrad Czystowski, Cinematographer

First off, congratulations Anna & Andrew!! Awesome couple. You'll recognize Anna & Andrew from the first e-shoot with the amazing Miss Claudia Hung earlier this year. Saturday was their Big Day, and a summary of it all was captured exquisitely on video by Konrad Czystowski (see above). It was my first time meeting Konrad, but I've seen his amazing work numerous times on the wedding circuit (I'm a good little wedding vendor stalker - have to know who to recommend to my brides after all!). Konrad had to correct me that Saturday morning we met - when I saw him setting him up his seeerious artillery of camera lenses and rigs - I curiously asked "so, are you the videographer?" He politely corrected me saying he was the "cinemaphotographer" for the Big Day. Just click the link to see his breathtaking work and you'll easily understand why there's such a distinction! :)

You'll be seeing more of Anna and Andrew, as I have my own behind the scenes photos to post and hopefully some from lead photographer for the day - Claudia! Konrad turned the above video around in one day - as a same day edit - talk about making the rest of us look like slackers!!!

Side note: I should prep my own face better for 6AM call times...you just never know when there will be a camera around...and in HD!

----

Later that day, I met with lovely bride-to-be, Christina, for a bridal trial. Here's my fave shot from our session. Gorgeous lady! (Look at those lips!)

Credits: Photo and Make-up by Rhia Amio, artistrhi

Nicole...what a beauty! As you can see from her before, she has such stunning features to work with (making it basically impossible for me to make her look bad! lol!). We focused on a stronger eye look with a neutral lip for her engagement shoot today (with photography by the talented Miss Geehae!).

Here are the before and after pics from our make-up session earlier. I can't wait to see how her e-shoot pics with Geehae turn out!! ...and of course for Nicole's Big Day in May!! :)
To get Nicole's look, here are the products that I used:

FACE

Skin Prep:
Cargo HD Primer

Foundation/Powder:
MAC Full Coverage (NC35)
MAC Mineralize Powder in Medium Dark
Kett Hydro Foundation - 6 drops of O5, 1 drop of O7, 1 drop of R5 (airbrush)

Concealer:
CoverFx ConcealFx in Light
CoverFx ConcealFx in Light Medium

Cheeks:
MAC Tantone (as contour)
MAC Notable
NARS Orgasm

EYES

Eyeshadow Base:
MAC Paint in Sublime Nature

Eyeshadows:
MAC Eyeshadow in Smoke and Mirrors, Brun, Pink Freeze
Inglot eyeshadow (light peach highlight)

Eyeliner:
MAC Gel Liner Blacktrack (bottom lashline)
L'oreal Lineur Intense in Black

Mascara:
Cover Lash Blast Mascara in Black

LIPS

MAC Cremesheen Glass Deelight
MAC Viva Glam VI (Lustre)
MAC Subculture Pencil

Q: Do I apply eyeliner before or after eyeshadow? Before or after mascara?

A: The answer to this is easy....do both! I apply eyeliner as my first step and as my last step always...and here's my rationale (you can decide if it's actually rational):

1. Applying eyeliner first lets me get as tight to the lashes as possible, without having to worry about smudges that may imprint and ruin other make-up I have applied. If it smudges at the beginning of my routine - then no biggie - I can target the smudge and easily remove with a q-tip.

2. Applying eyeliner at the very end of your eye make-up routine gives the look a fresh and professional polish. When you apply it at the end, you can refine the line and fill in any gaps where the application of your eyeshadow/mascara you applied may have dulled it.

At the end of the day, the answer to this question is a really a matter of personal preference! If you only have so much time and prefer to apply eyeliner a maximum of one-time, apply it at the very end for a stronger look. If you prefer a less-is-more make-up approach, use a pencil liner first and then blend it with your eyeshadow to lightly define the eyes. If you like working with liquid liner, apply it as a last step always to preserve its intensity. (If you apply liquid liner first, make-up that gets applied over top of it tends to dull its intensity or cause breaks in your line! Always apply liquid liner last and spare yourself the grief!)

Whichever method you choose, you want the line to be continuous and smooth for a professional finish! Hope that helps!

...and so it begins!!

WEDDING SEASON!

Many thanks to beautiful bride Mary and her stunning bridal party (some of whom are pictured above) for an absolutely fun-filled morning!! Gracious people like you guys are why I do what I do...and why I love it so much! Thank you, and of course, congratulations Mary!

Looking forward to more Big Days with my brides this year and in 2011! :)

Click the pics above to see more from Mary's Big Day Prep!

Hey folks!! It's been a while! What better way to get back into things than to post some pics of what I've been up to.

This past weekend I worked on a beauty-focused shoot with the lovely Nadia Cheema. Last time we did a shoot together was way back in November, so needless to say I was excited to get back to the studio with her! The snaps below come courtesy of our wonderfully talented hair stylist for the shoot, Carlos, of Spellbound Hair Design at First Markham Place. It was great to finally meet Carlos and he didn't disappoint; he did an amazing job for our shoot this weekend, and of course, made it all look so easy! (Damn him - cue Rhia for hair skill envy!!!)

Allana from ICON (before)

...getting there

va-va-voom! Allanna's after :)

Sarah (ICON) getting primped and pouffed

can you see the Katie Holmes resemblance? Big Hair is awesome by the way!! :)

where I should be...behind the camera!

beauty!!

the uber-talented Carlos of Spellbound Hair Design and I!

I'll be posting the final pics from the day as soon as I can...stay tuned! :)

Attention brides-to-be!

If you're still on the look-out for a make-up artist and/or hairstylist for your Big Day, here are some more tips on how to prep (and make the most!) of your trials to ultimately pick who (or what's) best for you!

1. Trials. Do them.
It's always best to go for a consultation with your prospective artist. After you've deduced your choices from viewing portfolios and/or sorting out referrals from trusted sources, you'll want to meet with the person you'll be entrusting your Big Day look to. You'll be working with them closely on such an important day as your Wedding, so it's essential to make sure you're comfortable with them! The prospective artist should be listening to what your preferences are and should also be making the effort to build rapport with you.

2. Look through magazines and bring pictures with you.
Start thinking of looks. A make-up artist is not a mind reader (I wish!), so having a good sense of what you want will help your artist produce that look for you.

Choose from looks in magazines, on the Web, or what drew you to your Artist's portfolio. Show what you love and even show what you hate to your make-up artist! Pictures (versus words) will better convey what look you're after. I always remind my clients to remember to be realistic about skin tones and eye shapes when choosing pictures and looks! In the end, you'll get better results when you can predict outcomes.

3. Wear white (or off-white, depending on what your wedding dress colour is).
Lighter colours reflect light off the face and make it appear brighter, which in turn can affect how your make-up appears. Wearing a colour that mimics your wedding dress will help you see what amount of make-up you feel best in ...and if that dramatic smoky eye look may feel like too much make-up when paired with your white dress!

4. Take pictures and evaluate the make-up in different lighting.
Flash photography tends to wash out colour. Be sure the make-up still has impact (and that you like how it looks) in both natural and artificial light. See Mary's example below:

Mary's before - natural light:

Mary's after - in natural light:

Mary's after - with camera flash:
5. Invite one to two trusted people to sit in on the trial.
Opinions from others you trust can help with your decision, but too many opinions can also lead to confusion and stress. Limit your audience to a couple of people you trust, but have an idea of what you want too!

6. Schedule your hair trial on the same day. If possible, schedule a dress fitting on the same day.
There's nothing like putting the look all together that can lead to one of those 'a-ha' moments! Pairing the finished make-up and hair with a dress fitting will help you visualize if all the pieces fit well together, or if it's back to the drawing board!

..that is why they're called 'trials' after all!

Good luck and hope this helps!

Check out the wnetwork.com for my latest Q&A on eyeshadow! In the post, you'll find tips on how to work the mono eyeshadow look, which is a huge trend for Spring 2010 make-up (especially in jeweled tones and candy colours)!

Enjoy :)

To see previous Q&A's or to submit your own question, click here.

Marcelle's New Age Anti-Wrinkle Make-up Foundation is targeted towards the 35+ crowd, but after passing a recent bday and entering that next age bracket, I figured....it doesn't hurt to be pro-active, right? :)I've shied away from drugstore brand foundations in the past while, as I'm a firm believer on it being ok to splurge on quality foundation and concealer products (and of course, I've needed the more reliable stuff for my kit!). Certainly, drugstore make-up brands have come a long way and today you can get quality products at affordable prices. Marcelle is one of those lines that balances quality and value really well, and I've been pleasantly surprised by their latest foundation.

Marcelle's Anti-Wrinkle Make-up Foundation contains Dermaxyl (an anti-aging agent known to diminish the look of fine lines and wrinkles) and other key ingredients that help to improve the skin's radiance. It's definitely an easy-to-use foundation, as it blends easily and absorbs quickly into the skin. I'd recommend it more for women with healthy skin that just needs that quick pick-me-up, as it provides light to moderate coverage. Women that usually need more coverage (for blemishes, uneven skin tones) will want to try something other than this formula.

I've been using the foundation for about a month, but (unfortunately!) can't see a visibile difference in it minimizing my own fine lines ('of experience'). I do like how the lightweight formula doesn't cake into my fine lines and crepey undereye area - anything that doesn't make these areas more noticeable is an immediate winner in my book!

The one shortage of this foundation is the limited range of six skin tones. I do hope they expand the choice of skin tones, as Marcelle products seem to work great with all skin types (including sensitive skin).

Overall, a good foundation, but the Anti-Wrinkle part? Jury's still out on that one (and hopefully the prominent wrinkles will stay out with it!)....

Red Riding Hood - the final installment from our Fairy Tale series is now up under the Fashion section of rhiaamio.com!

Rapunzel's still definitely my favourite of the fairy tale looks we did...what's yours? :)

Be sure to check out Nadia's blog to see how a photo gets transformed into the finished product...enjoy!