Over the weekend, I had the chance to also work with Claudia on a photoshoot for the lovely ladies of a string quartet. Check out some of the pics from the shoot below. Claud did an amazing job as always...and all from her very own living room! Good times :)

On a side note, I wish I could play the violin...

Photography: Claudia Hung Editorial
Make-up: Rhia Amio

Q: I have eczema on my face, especially above my upper lip, and around my cheeks. When I apply make up, especially powder (I use MAC Studio Fix powder plus foundation) it goes a little flaky. I moisturize my face quite well with Lancome Aqua Fusion and only when I apply make up do these parts of my face flake up. Also, sometimes when I apply eye shadow (I use Lancome eyeshadows) you can tell that they're dry. Do you have any suggestions to what I could do?

A: With eczema, (as you probably already know!) you have to be especially careful in what products you use. Look for key descriptors like "sensitive skin", "non-comedogenic" and "non-scented" when buying. The less the amount of synthetic ingredients that a product has, the less of a chance of a flare-up for eczema-prone skin. As with any type of skin, be sure to moisturize thoroughly before applying your make-up, as a great face always starts with a great base (of hydrated skin!)!

Foundation
For foundation, the MAC Studio Fix powdered foundation is likely too dry of a formula for eczema prone skin. The trick with applying foundation on eczema-prone skin is finding a formula that provides coverage without looking dry/cakey. If you use a product that's too drying in nature, you can end up drawing more attention to any irritation/dry spots from eczema.

Instead of a powdered foundation, try one of the following options:
i). mineral powder
Mineral make-up is derived from natural ingredients, which versus other foundation can greatly help to reduce the chance of a flare-up. A couple of layers leaves the skin feeling lightweight, but mineral formulas are also quite buildable so moderate coverage is easily achieved. Use a soft (and clean!) large-sized kabuki brush to gently apply the make-up on the face. Bonus: The soft bristles of the kabuki massage will feel like a well-deserved mini-massage for the face!

ii). water-based foundation
Water-based foundations are non-comedogenic, making it a better choice for sensitive skin types. You can apply a non-comedogenic water-based foundation on its own using a brush or a sponge. Use a stiple motion to build up coverage and blend evenly over face. If you only need minimal coverage, add an equal-sized drop of the foundation to a pump of your moisturizer. Mix well and you'll instantly have a lightweight tinted moisturizer. Once your base is done, set your foundation with only a light dusting of powder. For eczema prone skin, always avoid over-applying powder as too much powder will only accentuate dry spots.

Products to try: CoverFx foundations - their entire line is developed for the most sensitive of skins, and also includes skin primers, concealers, bronzers and blushes

Redness
Redness from irritation often goes hand in hand with eczema. You can easily create an even canvas by applying a few layers of foundation. But for more prominent redness, target a creamy yellow colour corrector atop the red areas to neutralize them. Follow with your skin tone foundation for an even complexion and set with a light dusting of powder.
Note: You can also use a green corrector to conceal the redness, but I personally prefer the warm finish that applying the yellow corrector gives rather than the typically white-ish cast (I know, 'white-ish' not a word!) that a green concealer leaves behind. Whichever colour corrector you choose, be sure to blend your skin tone matching concealer atop to camouflage the area!

Products to try: Physicians Formula Mineral Wear Talc-Free Mineral Cream Concealer

Eyes
Make sure you are also moisturizing your eyelids as you do the rest of your face at the start of your beauty routine; smooth skin on the eyelids is a prerequisite for blending eyeshadows with ease. For eczema-prone skin, opt for mineral-based and matte eyeshadows rather than heavy shimmer or glitter textures. Particles of shimmer and glitter eyeshadows can irritate sensitive skin, and also draw attention to to any dry spots around the eyes.

Overall when it comes to eczema, use a 'less is more' approach and make sure you always read the packaging. Hope this helps and let me know how it goes! :)

Had a great weekend including Saturday afternoon with the awesome couple featured below! Meet Melissa and Christian who will be getting married in June of this year. See more of their e-shoot with my pal and master photographer, Claudia Hung, by clicking on the pic below...enjoy!

A couple of behind the scenes photos from this past Saturday - had a great time with Karen + her bridal party of sisters! Such gorgeous ladies and all with naturally glowing skin! Just call me jealous.

See more from Karen's Big Day on artistrhi weddings! Congratulations Karen! :)

Here's a little excerpt from my latest Q & A as a W Network Beauty Expert:
Q: I’m putting in a lot of hours at the office lately. Is there a quick and easy way to cover up under eye circles?

A: The fast solution to hiding those telltale signs of a late night (a.k.a. dreaded dark under-eye circles) is to use concealer. After those long days at the office, the simple act of applying a good concealer can create the illusion that you snuck in more shut-eye the night before! Concealer works to....

Click here to view the rest of the response!

More W Network Expert Q & A!! :)

Q: I’ve heard that if you wear a strong lipstick colour, you shouldn’t do strong eye makeup and vice versa. Is this true?

A: With make-up, there really are no rules written in stone, but as trends change and the years pass, we learn that there can definitely be mishaps (i.e. think 80s make-up)! What works with make-up on a daily basis is...

Click here to read the full answer!

Top photo: Nadia Cheema

Click the pic below to enlarge the details for an awesome Cover Fx event coming up in Toronto next Thursday, April 22nd! You can get your hands on a free (that's F-R-E-E) full-size tube of CoverFx ConcealFx!!
What: Cover Fx FlashMob
When: Thursday, April 22nd, 2010 @ 12:00PM-12:30PM
Where: Yonge-Dundas Square (Yonge St. side - I'm sure you won't miss them!)
Details: All you have to do is...show a little skin. Show the Cover Fx troops that will be on-site (in camouflage print...what else?!?) your usual cover-up spots (i.e. undereye circles, redness, sunspots) and they'll make sure you leave armed with a full-size tube of the amazing Conceal Fx.
Conceal Fx is artistrhi approved - you'll find it in both my personal and client kits. Click to check out my review of it.

Will I see you at FlashMob? :)

Presenting the lovely Carol...

before

after

candid :)

This past Saturday was a beautiful day for a beautiful bride! I spent the morning helping to get Andrea and her lovely bridal party all dolled up for the Big Day.

Here are a few snaps from the day....more are available on artistrhi.com.

A huge special thanks to Joy (a.k.a Make-up Junkie) for her assistance in beautifying the ladies! To contact Joy and to see more of her stunning artistry and bridal work, check out her site Make-up and the Bride.

Andrea the bride - getting her lash on!

Make-up by Rhia

Joy adding some gloss

me doing the MoH's make-up
(with my 'desk' pictured in the forefront! ..which actually looks pretty neat here)

More weddings and awesome brides to come in May! :)

Meet Tu-Le - one of my amazing and stunning 2010 brides-to-be! Below are the before and after pics from our trial session. I had a great time during our session getting to know Tu-Le, seeing her wedding details (gorgeous dress + purple shoes!) and of course playing make-up. :) Meeting with Tu-Le for the first time was seriously like getting together with an old friend....it all (and we) just clicked!

Yes, simply awesome...and that's just one of the many reasons why I love what I do! Thank you, Tu-Le! :)

Stay tuned for more to come from Tu-Le's Big Day in August. Can't wait!

It's been a while since I did a post for my aspiring make-up artist readers - when I came across this Be Your Brand tip in my inbox, I immediately thought it would be useful for anyone working towards their entrepreneurial dreams!

The tip comes courtesy of Victoria Colligan, Founder of Ladies Who Launch - an interactive site where aspiring female entrepreneurs can find tips and inspiration on how to launch their own business. Read the full scoop by clicking on the picture below:

Key points to think about from this tip for all us aspiring freelancers:

• You are a walking business card. You represent a brand.
  Think about it - when you go for a job interview, you might practice a few mock questions, but you will always polish up your look if you want to make a good first impression. Same rule goes for when meeting with your potential make-up clients, present yourself well, as that first impression becomes associated with you, your skill level and your brand. I'm not saying to do avant-garde runway make-up to show off your make-up talent - consider your audience and what the job is for (i.e. corporate gig or bridal) - and dress (and do your make-up!) accordingly.
  
  I know it's not always practical to have the time to be the glamorous one, especially for early wake-up calls and for when you're juggling all the things you have to do in a day. But it only takes a few items (i.e. concealer, mascara, coloured gloss, blush - you get the idea!) to take you from 'just-woke-up' to 'I-made-the effort'. As Colligan states, "it’s worth it to spend a little extra time to look clean, crisp and put-together". You are your brand!
  
  
• It lends credibility to what we are doing and conveys passion around our venture
  Dressing the part helps to convey the message that you are a professional and that you take what you do seriously. Talk the walk, but walk the talk, etc.
  
  
• Customers are only human and they will subconsciously judge your inside by what they see on the outside.
  For an industry based on appearance like make-up, you can't deny that people may judge from the outside in, albeit subconscious. Your overall presentation (and yes, how you do your make-up) will be key to getting your foot in the door and eventually knocking those doors down!
  

Side note: I'm excited to finally be participating in the LWL Toronto workshop this month - anyone else signed up???! :)

I adore these photos + the couple in them! Geehae did an amazing job, but of course, it never hurts when you have such a photogenic couple to work with. See more of Nicole + Justin on artistrhi.com :)
To see what products I used to accentuate Nicole's gorgeous features, check out more from her Beauty Shot

Before I headed off for the week, I had the awesome opportunity to work with lovely bride, Nancy. The morning was filled with laughs and amazing energy - and that's always a good start to any day - especially the Big Day! Here's a sneak preview of some images courtesy of her wonderful photographers, Elementz of Fotographie.
See more of the beautiful bride and all the gorgeous details of her Big Day on the Elementz blog!

Thank you Nancy for letting me share in your Big Day! All the best to you + Derek!
xo

There's nothing like a little getaway + much needed sleep + sun that does wonders for your beauty routine!

This was my final look at the gorgeous resort lobby this morning. It was fantastic to be on vacation, but I certainly missed my laptop! Stay tuned as I have plenty of posts that I've been looking forward to catching up on!!

:)
Sent from my BlackBerry device on the Rogers Wireless Network