The second set from our Grimms' fairy tale themed shoot is now up under the Fashion section of rhiaamio.com. Rapunzel was hands down my favourite theme of that day; I loved the hair, make-up (ok slight bias!), styling and of course the finished product!! Everyone did such an amazing job while still having fun on set. I'm very excited to see what Teama Cheema comes up with for 2010! xo!

Credits to the awesome team!
Photography: Nadia Cheema
Make-up: Rhia Amio
Hair: Fabio Persico
Styling: Cisya Paramita
Model: Asha (Ford)
Furs courtesy of Pelliarts

New photos under the Beauty section of rhiaamio.com, courtesy of Mathew Wilson!

I'm always super-impressed by the maturity and professionalism of the young models that we work with, and Jenna was no exception. She was visiting Toronto from Calgary this past weekend in order to build her book. She had plenty of shoots lined up for the two days, but you wouldn't have been able to tell she was working so much from all the positive energy she brought to the set! I'm happy to have worked with this young beauty....a few years done the line into her promising future, I'll be able to say, "I worked with her when..."

Keep an eye out for this new face, folks! Awesome.

Photography: Mathew Wilson
Make-up and Hair: Rhia Amio
Model: Jenna (Elite)

Check out my latest Q&A about how to easily transition your make-up from a daytime to evening look on W Network! Enjoy :)

WCH Women by Claudia Hung
Make-up by Rhia Amio

I'll be working with my friend triple threat Tina (that's a lot of T's!) tomorrow doing her make-up for a photoshoot. The photoshoot is for headshots for promotional use and for Tina's website. In preparation for tomorrow's shoot, we've been chatting back and forth on what the look should be. In that sense, make-up for headshots is very similar to bridal make-up - you want a natural and classic look, that still looks like you, but essentially your best-you. If a casting director decides to call you in, he/she will expect you to look as your headshot portrays you.

Here are some make-up tips to help get you picture perfect for that headshot (or even just as an easy everyday look!):

1. Groomed brows.
The power of a good brow should never be underestimated! A well-defined and well-kept brow frames the face, makes it look slimmer and also means you don't have to wear as much eyeliner! Eyebrows that are too thin can make you look aged, while brows that are too thick can be distracting from your best features. Finding that happy medium? See this post for some brow-know-how.

2. Even out skin tone with foundation and concealer.
A photograph can tend to highlight and saturate any uneven tones in the skin (i.e. undereye circles, redness, etc.). For undereye circles, use a peach or a pink based concealer to lift the dark tone and then top it off with your skin tone matching concealer to blend it with the skin.

3. Set with powder and touch-up.
Set your foundation and concealer with powder to help keep it in place. Be prepared to powder the T-zone in case it gets shiny under hot studio lights.

4. Contour the cheekbones with a darker shaded powder and apply a peachy-pink blush for a healthy glow.
Use a contouring powder (or a shade of matte powder that's 2-3 shades darker than your skin tone) and apply it just under the cheekbone to define the face. Blend well. Finish the cheeks off with some blush: a little blush adds contrast and helps to make sure you don't look washed out in the finished photo. With blush, avoid shimmer textures and also blend well (blending...that's key!).

5. Avoid heavy eyeliner and eyeshadow.
Heavy eye make-up can look dated, but ultimately it draws attention away from the overall picture and what should be the focus of the shot (you!). With heavy eye make-up, suddenly your photo can become 'look at this nice make-up' rather than 'look at this pretty face'. To avoid being overpowered by eyeliner, keep any eyeliner thin and tight to the eye. You can even skip lining altogether, and instead simply push the eyeliner into the base of the lashes to define the lashline and make the lashes appear fuller. Use eyeshadow colours that closely match your skin tone and definitely avoid shimmery/frosty textures. Curl your eyelashes and apply two coats of mascara.

6. Keep the lips neutral and avoid colours that are too 'unnatural' looking.
A safe shade is always no more than 2 shades darker than your own colour. Apply your lip colour and add a hint of lip gloss to add dimension and a healthy shine to the lips.

Now, all you have to do is smile...because that's always gorgeous! :)

I first came across CoverFx BritePrep while doing wedding make-up for the mom of a bride-to-be. The mom had beautiful skin for a mature (50 years old+) lady, but also had slight hyperpigmentation that was of concern to her, especially since she felt it had recently become darker and more noticeable. She asked me to use CoverFX Brite Prep that she had in her own make-up bag, as she said it was the "only" thing she's tried over the years that has helped to brighten the hyperpigmentation.

BritePrep Fx has a serum-like consistency that quickly absorbs into the skin, without being greasy or oily. What I love about the primer is its shimmer appeal - it leaves the skin with a radiant glow that isn't too sparkly. I love using it for clients that need a pick-up from dull, sallow skin (and whose skin doesn't need a little pick-up during the cold winter?) The shimmer finish also works well to brighten dark circles under the eyes - just apply BritePrep Fx first and then finish with your usual undereye concealer.

BritePrep Fx also does the usual helping foundation to glide on and look better, but it doesn't extend the wear of my foundation any longer than other quality primers I've tried. (I typically still have to powder at my 4-hr check-in to look 'fresh' and non-shiny again). The primer boasts advanced anti-aging properties plus an SPF 50. From my own experience, the high SPF does not reflect white with flash photography (making the skin tone appear lighter on the face) as many foundations with SPF do. Mind you, I have yet to try the primer on darker skin tones than on my own (...and just to be safe, I would ask for a sample before fully investing in the product!)

Speaking of price, here we come to the product's main downfall for me -a 30 mL tube of BritePrep Fx retails for approximately $40! In all honesty, the hefty price would likely prevent me from purchasing it again for the personal vs. client kit. Yet given the testimonial of my client and how it worked for her hyperpigmentation along with it's multiple uses (priming, anti-aging and SPF!), BritePrep Fx may prove worth it for some.