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!

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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!