What's In My Kit? Take a Peek with Pinterest...

A few weeks ago, I sat back and jotted down some ideas for blog posts. I was feeling uninspired and unmotivated. Hence my silence for a while there. So I looked to good old-fashioned brainstorming on paper. I looked at my list, and while some are definitely ideas that will show up here in the coming months, some were so vague I didn't know where to even start.
I'm sure many of you turn to the internet to look for inspiration just like I do. I am constantly reading blogs and pinning things to my boards on Pinterest to keep track of everything. Fashion, hair style ideas, home decor, etc. I've been using Pinterest for a long time now, and am so happy to see it growing in popularity. It's so community based, and I love seeing what inspires my friends and fellow artists on there.

It finally donned on me that it would be a great place share what products are in my kit and why I love them! And I am finally getting around to setting this particular board up.

So check out my "What's In My Kit?" board, and take a peek inside my makeup kit to see what I am using on my clients, and why I love these products. And if you are not already using Pinterest, what are you waiting for?!

I Love My Brides & My Brides Love Me!

Thanks to the great reviews from past clients, I got this little gem! Word of mouth is so important in this industry, and if it weren't for the kind words my beautiful brides have left for me on sites like Wedding Wire and Yelp, I wouldn't be able to keep doing what I am doing. I've been busy getting my ducks in a row here in NYC. It's overwhelming to say the least. But this city has so much to offer. I'm trying to break into more film and TV here. It's a long process. But I love my brides, and will always be honored to share these special days with them, no matter what direction my career heads in. More blog posts soon, I promise. And I can't wait to share some New York weddings with you this season! I have a feeling it's going to be great!




"New York, New York – April 2, 2012 – WeddingWire, the nation's leading wedding Marketplace, is excited to announce Morgan Gates Makeup Artist has been selected to receive the prestigious WeddingWire Bride’s Choice Awards™ 2012 for Beauty and Health! 

The esteemed annual awards program recognizes the top local wedding vendors from the WeddingWire Network who demonstrate excellence in quality, service, responsiveness and professionalism within the wedding industry. While many industry awards are selected by the organization, Morgan Gates Makeup Artist was selected based on stellar reviews from past newlywed clients. 

Morgan Gates Makeup Artist is recognized as part of the top five percent of wedding professionals in the WeddingWire local vendor community, comprised of over 200,000 wedding professionals throughout the United States and Canada. The Bride’s Choice Award recognizes  the best local wedding vendors across 20 service categories, from wedding venues to wedding photographers, based on their overall professional achievements throughout the past year. 

“WeddingWire is thrilled to honor the success of the top-rated wedding professionals within the WeddingWire Community,” said Timothy Chi, CEO, WeddingWire. “Since the launch of the Bride’s Choice Awards™ program four years ago, thousands of outstanding wedding professionals have been recognized by the bridal community for their supreme service and dedication to the wedding industry. It is with great pleasure that we congratulate Morgan Gates Makeup Artist for continued professionalism and commitment to enriching the wedding planning experience for engaged couples.”

We are happy to announce that Morgan Gates Makeup Artist is one of the very best within the WeddingWire Network, which includes leading wedding planning sites WeddingWire, Project Wedding, Brides.com, Martha Stewart Weddings, and Weddingbee. We would like to thank past clients for taking the time to review her business on WeddingWire. Thanks to their positive feedback she was able  to receive the WeddingWire Bride’s Choice Awards™ for 2012. 

For more information, please visit her WeddingWire Storefront today at http://www.weddingwire.com/biz/morgan-gates-makeup-artist-brooklyn/ff6eb08b2eda95f6.html. 

To learn more about the Bride's Choice Awards™, please visit www.WeddingWire.com. 

About WeddingWire, Inc.
WeddingWire™, the nation's leading marketplace serving the $70 billion wedding industry, is the only online wedding planning resource designed to empower both engaged couples and wedding professionals. For engaged couples, WeddingWire offers the ability to search, compare and book over 200,000 reviewed wedding vendors, from wedding venues to wedding photographers. WeddingWire also offers a comprehensive suite of online planning tools for weddings, including wedding websites and wedding checklists, all at no charge. For wedding professionals, WeddingWire is the only all-in-one marketing platform for businesses online and on-the-go. WeddingWire offers one simple solution to build a professional network, improve search visibility, manage social media and reach mobile consumers. Businesses that advertise with WeddingWire appear on WeddingWire.com, ProjectWedding.com and other leading sites, including MarthaStewartWeddings.com (NYSE: MSO), Brides.com and Weddingbee.com. "

Modelove

One of the most in-demand models of the moment, Karlie Kloss, started a Tumblr. Add Kloss Gloss to your feed immediately. I certainly did. I look forward to seeing her editorials, behind-the-scenes photos, and more. A peek at my own Tumblr page clearly gives you a peek at the sort of stuff floating around in my head at any given moment.

 I am loving this video of her Dec/Jan Numero cover shoot. Undeniably gorgeous and makes me want to start testing with killer models and other creatives out here in NYC.

1, 2

A Present For You, Times Two!

Life has been pretty crazy since picking up and moving across the country. I was blessed to work on a really fun indie film all of November that I still need to tell you about! I will fill you in on that, and the rest of what I've been up to soon. I booked another film for January too. I love writing, and I love having this place to really share and connect with you all. But sometimes I am just without motivation and I can't put a paragraph together to save my life! So why force it!
I do want to say thank you for your constant support, love, and interest in my world. And I hope you all are having the very best holiday season and are setting concrete goals for the new year. Follow your heart, and your dreams. The happiness that will follow is priceless.

I feel lucky for the opportunities I've had this year, and the generosities that have been bestowed upon me. And I'm passing a little of that onto you. I have two gifts to give away to two of you guys! I recently reviewed a few accessories that Stilazzi sent to me. Now I have two of those goodies, brand new, to give to you!

First is the Clear Travel Bag. Perfect for holding your toiletries during that trip around the world you are taking in 2012, or even to organize part of your makeup kit for all my fellow artists out there.

And second is the Portable Kleenex Holder. This is probably more useful to makeup artists. I fill mine with a pack of makeup wipes and hang it off the back of the makeup chair. But this would also be great to just keep in your car. A constant cure for winter sniffles!

All you have to do is make sure you're following my blog with Google by clicking the blue "Join this Site" button over on the right.
"Like" me on Facebook.
"Like" Stilazzi on Facebook.
Easy!
Leave me a comment here to let me know by 01/01/12 11:59pm (EST), and you just might win! Two winners! So I'd say you have a pretty good chance.


Have a great New Years! Take is easy on the champagne and make sure you wash your face before you go to bed!


XO

Paige & Kyle's Wedding

I often find that when I get home from a day of doing makeup for one of my wonderful brides and her wedding party, it's like "where did the day go?" It's a whirlwind to say the least. Here's how it tends to happen:

• Wake up.
• Double check kit, make sure I have everything I need.
• Plug my destination into my phone for accurate, current directions.
• Pull up reference photos and breakdown of my bride's look on the iPad.
• Triple check kit (and still forget something as silly as tissue, always).
• Hit the road, usually grabbing a coffee along the way.
• Sing in the car, thinking how lucky I am to do this for a living.
• Arrive, figure out where to park.
• Walk in to the lobby, guesthouse, grandma's living room, or wherever the bride and her gals are getting ready.
• Set up my station while chatting with everyone.
• Marvel at the sheer joy and excitement that fills the room, every. single. time.
• Look at my timeline to see who is first, and start the first makeup.
• Everything after this is a complete blur! No kidding! All of a sudden, the bride's dressed and everyone is rushing out the door. And I'm back in my car driving home.

Sometimes I get to see photos of the big day and my beautiful clients. Sometimes I don't. And sometimes, just sometimes, I am lucky enough to witness the magic of my clients wedding day, as seen through the eyes of other creative & talented vendors.

I could write about Paige & Kyle. Or I could just show you. I've actually had this post in draft form for over a month now, but I've been gone. So on the heels of this event being featured on Green Wedding Shoes, I figured it was time to finally share. Studio Castillero of San Diego, CA captured this day at Condor's Nest Ranch in Pala, CA. There's a saying that every picture tells a story... so as if their still images weren't enough to tell this story, Crafthouse Productions of New York City created a beautiful film to capture their day in all its glory. I have no qualms about telling you that these made my eyes a little misty. And it reminded me that even though working through a whirlwind of a wedding day can seem like a blur, it's really important to stop and take it all in. I am so lucky to be a part of such a beautiful day in my clients lives.

Please visit Studio Castillero's blog and the Green Wedding Shoes feature to see even more photos of this magical day, and more information about Crafthouse Productions can be found here.

Stilazzi Review

Greetings from Warwick, New York! Since the beginning of November, I've been away working on an indie feature film! I'll be sure to fill you in on all that soon. My first day off I headed home and discovered a package from Stilazzi waiting for me. I was recently invited to be part of their beauty blogger program, and was so happy to have some goodies to take back to set with me! I've had some time to play with them while working during the last couple weeks. The products are great, and their customer service is stellar! But best of all, they are having a sale this entire weekend. 50% off everything, no promo codes needed. Just shop! So good.

While working on set, it is so important to not only have an appropriately stocked kit, but also great tools and accessories to help get the job done! Needless to say, I was more than happy to play with these goodies in the best scenario possible, on location for a film.

First up is the Makeup Tool Belt. It has a great waist belt, and multiple pockets of all sizes, some open, and some with velcro closures.
I'll be totally honest with you. I really like this. But, I'm not a huge fan of makeup/tool belts in general. I have two others, and I never use them. I actually have a set bag I bought at IMATS that I adore, and that has been the best thing to happen to me on set. But I will say I love how simplistic this is. I could see this working really well on a photo shoot with one or two models. Or even great for a hairstylist, to hold pins, combs, brushes, spray, etc. But for me, I have had multiple actors each day, and I don't find the pockets in this versatile enough for my needs on a film. I will utilize this in the future however, when I don't need to carry as many different things with me to set.

Next is the Portable Kleenex Holder. What you see is what you get! It has velcro on the back so I'm assuming this can attach to some other Stilazzi bags. The size however only fits the skinny tissue boxes. I only had the jumbo boxes with me. So I slipped a pack of makeup wipes in there instead! This came in really handy while on set. I used the waist belt to slip over the back of the makeup chairs most of the time. Rather than always wondering where they have been tossed after I or an actor used one, they were always right where I needed them. I also slung them over my shoulder for easy clean up during some scenes with bloody special effects makeup.

Last up is the Clear Actor/Travel Makeup Bag. Initially I was excited to organize the skincare, and face products in my kit into this. Then realized I really needed something to organize MY stuff while away on location. So it quickly became my spot for shower goods, personal makeup, etc. It is so versatile because you can really do whatever you want with it. I packed this puppy full! Pictured is only the start of it though. It has one big zippered pocket and two removable inner zippered pockets. And since it is completely clear, you can quickly and easily know what's inside without taking apart and opening it all up. Out of the three things I got, this is a stand out for me! A total must have.

Make sure you head to the Stilazzi website and check out their inventory. They have some great products for makeup artists and hairstylists, as well as the beauty savvy consumer. And with a 50% off sale going on til Monday, now is the time to snag some goodies for yourself or someone on your holiday shopping list!

Happy Halloween & Happy November: Thankful Thoughts

Happy first day of November! And a happy Halloween! Time is flying by! Our spooky holiday will be a little drawn out during the rest of this week as we had some unseasonably snowy weather over the weekend. You may have seen some news footage about the snowgrinch who stole Halloween. Snowloween. Snowtober. Oct-snow-ber (credit to Jay for that one). Snowpocalypse. It was record breaking weather for this time of year, and many folks who are used to this kind of thing have never seen anything like this. Welcome to the east coast right? I hear it was in the 80s back home in San Diego!

The powdery stuff began falling around 10am Saturday and just. kept. coming. Jay and I thought it would be the perfect time to get him done up in zombie makeup, and take some photos out in the cold. We weren't sure what we were going to do on Halloween, so we wanted to get something scary in no matter what! And fake blood on crisp white snow? Yes please! I rolled up my sleeves and got down to it, and filled up a squirt bottle with a blood mixture to spray around for effect.

So we cleaned up the mess outside and headed in for a dinner not consisting of brains. We were nearing the end of our meal, and gearing up to carve pumpkins and watch Trick 'R Treat. And poof. The lights went out. We bundled up as temperatures dropped through the night, and were crazy enough to go out at one point and assess the damage. It was eerily quiet as we tried to walk around all the fallen trees and mess, up past our calves in snow. We stopped to build a snowman and then headed home. The night progressed and we loaded up the blankets, hoping the power might be back in the morning. Instead, we woke up to the news that it was "likely" to not be back on until Friday. Friday! Over a foot of snow will do that to ya! Or rather, to trees still full of foliage, weighed down and breaking on thousands of power lines. So we grabbed a few essentials, and headed a bit south to stay with family (who got just a couple inches of snow) and stay warm.

Well, what a way to start November. A month when we start feeling the holidays creeping up on us, and  stuff our faces and remember to be thankful for the things we have. I can tell you we were very thankful to find out power was back on at home! I know thousands are still without but we were among the lucky few to get back on the grid early in the week. So very thankful! So we are home now, and Halloween was technically yesterday, but we are going to keep it going this week since we missed out. Tonight will include the scary movies we wanted to watch, and tomorrow will be the pumpkin carving. Too bad a squirrel already carved mine!

I bet he was very thankful to find such easy access to food in the snow though! Happy November everyone!