Makeup Nashville

New York Fall 2011 Fashion Week Top Beauty and Hair Trends

noreply@blogger.com (Sherita Leslie) — Mon, 28 Feb 2011 16:14:00 +0000

From bodacious buns to playfully parted hair, this season's "it" girl is anything but meek. Not afraid to experiment and express her individuality, she wears bold makeup that colors outside the lines and drops intense pigment on lids to complement the equally fierce designs we saw hit the runway.

And just when we thought we had seen it all, caviar nails and poodle bouffant puffs rocked our world.

Backstage at L.A.M.B., Gwen Stefani's longtime hairstylist and BFF Danilo summed up what he says is an overall theme emerging from his celebrity clientele:

"I'm calling it the Gaga Effect. Gaga's craziness has allowed everyone else to fully express themselves. Everyone can just let loose and not be judged for it," Danilo told StyleList.

So get ready to unleash your inner Gaga as you browse the standout hair and beauty trends from New York Fall 2011 Fashion Week -- and if you're a less-is-more type of girl, we promise we've got a couple fresh new looks for you to try too.

Pomp It Up

The bold makeup trend from last season has seemingly warped into the bold bun of next season, with voluminous piles of hair set atop the crown. Unstructured and playful in design, buns seen at shows like Ruffian and Luca Luca displayed a sense of levity.

Pompadour hairstyle at Ruffian Fall 2011. Photo: Jennifer Graylock/jpistudios.com

"Whenever you place hair high up on the crown, it communicates attitude and youth. It's flippish, both literally and figuratively," said Danilo backstage at Gwen Stefani's L.A.M.B. show, where her "buffalo girls" flaunted a frizzy half-up ball upon their heads, with the rest of the thick plumage trailing down the back.

At Luca Luca, lead stylist Teddy Charles said that sexy, slightly disheveled updos are a great complementary choice for the high collars and fur necklines often found in fall clothing. Charles brushed locks up to the top of the head, creating a standing-up circular bun that was both elegant and approachable.

The Chinese opera influenced the sculptural updo at Vivienne Tam, which Cutler stylist Leon Gorman kept in place with the help of a hairnet, pins, lots of hairspray and an ornamental large black lace barrette secured just above the nape of the neck.

The most dramatic take on the hair-raising trend was seen at Isaac Mizrahi, whose "Poodles & Cake" collection translated literally into the hair with a custom-made pom-pom attached to the top of the head. "I was up working on these until 3 in the morning!" moaned lead Wellastylist Eugene Souleiman.

Red Eye

There was a raging case of pinkeye backstage at New York's Fall 2011 Fashion Week -- and we're not talking about the infectious kind.

From Honor to Ruffian, bright magenta eye shadow threw all caution to the wind with opaque applications of shocking shades.

Red eye makeup at Thakoon Fall 2011. Photo: Leigh Vogel/Getty Images for Kerastase

Technicolor '80s dream girls like Cyndi Lauperinfluenced the color choice at Ruffian, whereMAC makeup artist James Kaliardos built up Vibrant Grape eye shadow in layers for the most dramatic effect, starting at the lashes.

Meanwhile, a London punk-rock kid inspired a more fiery rendition of the shade at Honor, asNARS makeup artist James Boehmer blended Taj Mahal and Exhibit A blushes together to achieve the bursting hue -- which was further accentuated by a winglike application on the inner-eye area.

A toned-down, appropriate-for-reality version was shown at Zero + Maria. Revlon makeup artist Gucci Westman blended shades of purple, pink and terracotta to achieve the look of a sunset setting across the eyes.

Outside the Lines

Coloring inside the lines was old hat, as backstage beauty looks from Betsey Johnson toDerek Lam and Alice + Olivia boldly stroked lines and shadow where makeup doesn't usually venture.

Crazy lined eyes at Victor de Souza Fall 2011. Photo: David Lance Bismuth/Getty Images

A '20s flapper girl flirted with a touch of trademarkBetsey Johnson grunge, with frosted aquamarine color that striped straight across the eye area and glimmering gold highlighting the lid. Jeremy Scott used a similar palette to blanket eyes in shocking yellow, lining the lower lid in turquoise, and adding Twiggy-like false lashes to both top and bottom lash lines.

Cleopatra continues to influence the art of dramatic eye makeup, with exaggerated cat-eyesinked in thick liquid lining at Alice + Olivia. A softer, more ethereal rendition forewent liner in favor of smoky charcoal shadow at Derek Lam, where MAC makeup artist Tom Pecheaux commented, "I wanted the eyes to be really iconic."

A creative variation on the cat-eye was seen atVictor de Souza, where structured black eyeliner brought to life the designer's continuing fascination with aliens, with pencil tracing around the tear ducts and lid crease in outward-sweeping motion that appeared otherworldly.

Playing the Part

When designers wanted to lend a sense of elegant femininity to their beauty look, stylists relied on the classic deep side part.

Carolina Herrera's always-ladylike collection was enhanced by a side-parted updo that swept sleekly from the front to a rolled-up chignon pinned just above the nape of the neck.

Deep side part at Carolina Herrera Fall 2011. Photo: Peter Michael Dills/Getty Images for IMG

Elsewhere, side parts gave way to long, flowing manes of hair. Flatirons sleekened locks atTadashi Shoji, where lead stylist Rodney Cutler fastened the part into place with the ornamental use of three bobby pins slipped in side by side.

The thick volume created by a deep side part atCharlotte Ronson was balanced out by two thin cornrow-style braids that kept the part separated down the back, and swept over the shoulder.

The part was in its most natural element atCynthia Steffe, with a dab of foaming mousse at the roots and a traditional blowout being all that it took to achieve the flowing manes of models showing off the earthy, safari-inspired collection.

Center parts were also well-represented at shows like Naeem Khan and Adam, where they were slicked to the head with gel to invoke a Latin American feel to the style. AtProenza Schouler, the stark center part alluded to the Native American imagery that imbued the collection.

High-Effort Effortless

Any woman who has tried the "natural look" knows the process can, surprisingly, take even longer than your usual "face" and 'do, since all attention focuses on the perfection of your features.

Simple and sophisticated hair at Marc by Marc Jacobs Fall 2011. Photo: Jemal Countess/Getty Images for Advanced Academics

At Marc by Marc Jacobs, a seemingly bare face and untouched hair was simplistic in presentation, yet was anything but in preparation. Skin was swirled in a base of night cream, topping of loose translucent powder, and blending of luminous coral, pink, peach, white and gold powders in order to achieve a completely nude yet glowing complexion. The deceptively simple hair required a blowout, pin-curl setting and final wide-tooth-comb brush-out to achieve the "natural" volume at the crown and flowing movement.

Models who flaunted similar au naturel faces atTadashi required what MAC makeup artist Luc Bouchard termed "blurring" with blended layers of cream foundation, concealer and pearlized powder highlighter to create a Photoshop-like effect. Touches of matte bronzer gently contoured to create natural-looking shadows under the bone structure of skin.

I-don't-care-hair looked the part at Michael Kors -- that is, until you looked closer. "The hair is a little bit '90s, when it was cool not to have really 'done' hair and makeup. We did a loosely tied twist with a few bits sticking out here and there," explained T3 lead stylist Orlando Pita. Those stray pieces transform what is really a complicated knot worthy of a boating license into a casual-looking pin-up.

The Tipping Point

Nails used to be an afterthought, but designers are increasingly seeing polish as an extension of their collection and another venue through which to conjure the imagination.

A modern take on the French manicure at Jason Wu Fall 2011. Photo: Jennifer Graylock/jpistudios.com

"It's not just about throwing on a neutral nail color anymore. The designers want us to get more creative, to have a lot more fun!" Butter LONDON founder Nonie Creme told StyleList.

Outrageous was the word on the street atCushnie and Ochs, with black polish immersed in black beads and glitter for a caviar-like finish. At Ruffian, designers Brian Wolk and Claude Morais turned their trademark moon manicureon its head with nails outfitted in polish tuxedos of pearlescent lavender shirts, black buttons and black bow ties.

Variations on the classic French manicureoozed sophistication at Jason Wu andVivienne Tam, though without such unimaginative colors as white and beige. Instead, chocolate-cherry nails tipped in gold accented Wu's Versailles-inspired collection, which dripped in the metallic hue, as clear nail beds dipped in glittery fire-engine red created alternative chic at Tam.

And most creative of all, Creme painted bands of chocolate, mauve and orange polish rings around models' fingers at Vena Cava, instead of on their nails. "I'm inspired to push the boundaries of what people do with nail lacquer. I want to encourage people to go beyond the usual," Creme told StyleList.

Braid-y Bunch

Braids aren't just for hippies. Looks seen at shows as diverse as Erin Fetherston to Halstonused the traditional pattern to make outspoken beauty statements, most often with material woven in as ornamental accent throughout the hair.

Braided headbands at Erin Fetherston Fall 2011. Photo: Marc Stamas/Getty Images

A thick braid intertwined with metallic thread framed models' faces at Fetherston in crownlike glory before sweeping into a carefully tucked chignon at the nape of the neck. Ted Gibson also used fabric in a milkmaid braid set atop of the head at Rachel Roy, interlacing pliable silk to draw the hair into the sumptuous fabrics used in the collection.

Meanwhile, simple was the keyword at Halston, where a clean ponytail secured into a basic braidreflected the streamlined silhouettes of the collection. The trick? Spritz a hairbrush with hairspray, and then work through hair before braiding, said Catwalk by TIGI stylist Bob Recine.

Sleek was also the look at Carlos Miele, as reflected by the thickly braided plait bun lead stylist Rodney Cutler secured with a clear elastic and pins in order to create an updo that wasn't "too busy."

The great thing about braids is they also serve a second styling purpose; just undo your creation, spritz some dry shampoo at roots, and you've got some fabulous day-two hair.

Finally, something we can rock without garnering public stares.

Something for Your Hair

noreply@blogger.com (Sherita Leslie) — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 15:14:00 +0000

I absolutely love hair accessories for bridal hair. Maybe it's the glamour girl in me. But once you add a flower,beautiful pins or a headband it just takes your bridal glam up a notch. It's also really great for the reception once you've take out your veil. It just gives people something to look at. Here are some examples of some really great styles with some beautiful accents. If you are having a hard time finding the right hair accessory my favorite place too refer my brides is Etsy.

Free Wedding Dresses For Military Brides

noreply@blogger.com (Sherita Leslie) — Sat, 31 Jul 2010 06:08:00 +0000

Imagine yourself wearing a wedding dress made by well-known designers such as Vera Wang, Carolina Herrera, Simone Carvalli, among others for FREE! Yes that's right, it is for FREE! Brides Across America is giving away free wedding dress to show support to American troupes and their families. When marriage and military is brought together, many would claim it as a marriage made in heaven which is true in many sense. It is also good to know that these wedding dresses comes in size 4-22, so there is definitely a gown for everyone qualified.

The funds where this wedding dress came from is believed to be from the joined efforts of bridal salons in America. Heidi Janson, founder of Brides Across America, came up with the idea in giving away free wedding gowns to help the military bride find the perfect wedding dress of her dreams, also to lessen the financial burden of the couple accompanying with their belief in making a difference in someone else's life.

It is known to many that military brides don't always get their dream wedding, some even give up getting married due to the fact that their loved ones will soon be deployed in no time. Others put up with having just a civil ceremony and then wait for a couple of years until their fiancee returns and finally get married. So to pay tribute and show support to the ones fighting for our country, Brides Across America was born.

But this is not for everybody, there are certain qualifications that should be met in order to obtain such a precious dress. And what are these qualifications?

You must be engaged and planning a wedding
You were deployed or will be deploying to either Iraq or Afghanistan, or have a fiancee on active duty in either Iraq or Afghanistan.
You may qualify even if you got married by the Justice of the Peace and are planning an upcoming wedding.
All military brides must show proper ID, copy of deployment papers for you or your fiancee, orders or other qualifying proof must accompany the bride on day of event.
There is no registration just show up the day of the event. Please check with the individual stores for date and time.

Note: Each store has selected a certain number of gowns to giveaway. Once the limit has been reached the store will put you on a wait list for upcoming events. Gowns are given on a first come, first serve basis. Times and dates vary from state to state.

As an individual, or a bridal salon owner you too can make a stand and support this advocacy by participating in the annual nationwide military bridal gown give-away. How to join?

Host an in store event along with other bridal salons across the country on one of the nationwide selected dates.
Donated gowns are provided by each store or bridal designers.
Donate your gowns to the nationwide event.

By participating in this event, you can reap personal rewards by gaining loyal customers, reduce you inventory while helping others realize their dreams; Brides Across America will recognize your individual territory; and most importantly you are honoring our heroes who have chosen to live in the foreign land so that peace will be preserved.

To date Brides Across America has handed out 3,000 gowns across the country for FREE in the last few years.

A Great Five Minute Hairstyle

noreply@blogger.com (Sherita Leslie) — Sat, 31 Jul 2010 05:35:00 +0000

HALF UP
Ashley Greene
This style elongates the face and shows off long hair.

GET THE LOOK
1. Spray volumizer on hair and blast at the roots with a blow-dryer.
2. Sweep the front of hair up and back. Pin.
3. Pull loose some faceframing strands.

Courtesy of OK Magazine

How to Hire a Bridal Makeup Artist

noreply@blogger.com (Sherita Leslie) — Tue, 29 Jun 2010 16:20:00 +0000

Hiring someone to apply your wedding day makeup will help complete your look. You spent a lot of time picking out that dress and your accessories. Makeup artists are trained to not only find colors that look good on you, but to find a look that compliments the style of your dress. If your dress is romantic, for example, you may opt for a softer look. If your dress is modern or unconventional, you’ll probably want a makeup style that will fit the same description.

Many brides, especially those on a budget, make the mistake of hiring an amateur makeup artist or use the services of a friend for their bridal beauty needs, but to achieve the stunning results you desire it goes without question that you should stretch your budget and hire an experienced and talented makeup artist do the job. Only a professionally trained makeup artist will have the experience and expertise to beautify you, sculpting and transforming facial features, concealing flaws, giving you styling, dieting and well-being advice (beauty does start from within!) and using hir or her charm and charisma to calm your nerves on your big day.

How to Look For the Right Makeup Artist for your Wedding

1. Use your connections. Asking the person who cuts your hair if he or she does wedding hairstyles is a good idea because you are already comfortable with their work. Even if he or she does not perform this service, they should be able to make a recommendation.

2. Check with your wedding planner. Because he or she is constantly in contact with other brides and wedding vendors, your consultant should have several suggestions of hair and makeup artists to try.

3. Visit bridal shows and wedding expos. Wedding vendors of all kinds attend these events to book new clients. Meeting with stylists at an expo gives you the opportunity to learn their personalities without committing to an appointment. As a bonus, the vendor may offer a discount to anyone who attends the show.

4. Ask for referrals from your local beauty school. Although you would never want to trust your wedding day look to a novice, the school may provide contact information for recent graduates who excelled at wedding hair and makeup.

5. Go to the mall. Over the course of a few weekends, get makeovers from the different beauty counters. If you are pleased with the results provided in the middle of a department store, find out if the stylist is available to do your makeup on your wedding day. One benefit of this tactic is having the full selection of the makeup counter to try different looks.

6. Get references. Anyone doing hair or makeup professionally should have a list of clients ready to sing their praises. Unless your stylist is new to the business, the failure to provide references is a major red flag.

7. Most make up artists will have comprehensive websites where you can view their work and find out more about the services they have to offer and what their clients have to say about them.

Makeup artists can initially be assessed on the following criteria:

• Experience and qualifications are the most important factor to consider while selecting the right person. He or she must have expertise in their field and show evidence of professional training.

• Look carefully at the photographic output of their work. A good makeup artist should be thoroughly familiar with how the camera "reads and translates" different colors and the photograph should look as stunning as the makeup application.

• Do not let your decision making be swayed by photographs taken on bridal magazine shoots. These will have been re-touched to perfection using advanced graphic design packages and are often far from a true reflection of the makeup artists actual skills. Moreover the models, clothes, accessories and stunning looks all come together to create an impressive tapestry that sometimes masks fairly mediocre makeup skills. Photographs of "Real Brides" with before and after shots should form the basis of your assessment.

• The make-up artist has to be an expert in highlighting and shading techniques to bring out your best features and minimize flaws. Corrective make-up art is a prerequisite because you need to look perfect on the most important day of your life.

• Look for recent testimonials from actual brides on the website. It's all very well choosing a makeup artist who is very skilled, but this should be backed up by excellent customer service, she should turn up on the day and have a pleasing personality; remember you will be spending your last and most probably most stressful hours of single life with her!

• Make sure that the make-up artist is up to date with latest colors and looks as well as your particular cultural traditions and the requisite look for your wedding.

• If prices are indicated on the makeup artists; website or brochure make sure these match your budget to ensure you do not waste the make up artist's time.

Why I Love Etsy

noreply@blogger.com (Sherita Leslie) — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 04:16:00 +0000

Whenever one of my brides is looking for something unique to wear in their hair on there wedding day I refer them to the site Etsy. Etsy is a great site to find beautiful handmade accessories. Here's a few my new favorites that are listed on the site.

vintage earring hair pins--purple 15.00

small cream silk fascinator 45.00

pearly hair pins set of 2 7.00

Full Bloom Hairclips Set - 3 Fluttery White Silk Organza and Salmon Pink Tulle Hairclips retail 20.00

austen - natural hair comb 30.00

How to Pick Your Wedding Veil

noreply@blogger.com (Sherita Leslie) — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 03:51:00 +0000

Your veil is one of your most important accessories on your wedding day. Here is a great YouTube video on how to pick your veil and how to place it.

Naturally Glamourous

noreply@blogger.com (Sherita Leslie) — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 21:26:00 +0000

My favorite wedding day look is naturally glamourous. All of your favorite features are accented but you still look like you. Here's a few examples of wedding day looks that will leave you turning heads.

Add a Braid

noreply@blogger.com (Sherita Leslie) — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 21:04:00 +0000

One great way to make your wedding hair fun and edgy is to add a few braids.

Skindinavia Makeup Finishing Spray

noreply@blogger.com (Sherita Leslie) — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 20:37:00 +0000

Skindinavia Makeup Finishing Spray 4 oz

One of my must have products for summer weddings is Skindinavia Finishing Spray. It's one of my tricks for making wedding day makeup last all day long. It is also great because it cools makeup down in hot temperatues to prevent makeup meltdown. All you do is mist your face when you are all done with your makeup and you are set to go.

Bridal Hair Ideas-Updo's

noreply@blogger.com (Sherita Leslie) — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 19:53:00 +0000

One of my most requested styles right now is a messy updo. Here is a few pics I found of messy updo's that I love.

Tears of Joy

noreply@blogger.com (Sherita Leslie) — Thu, 07 May 2009 15:53:00 +0000

I get all emotional and teary eyed when I watch old movies. So when my wedding day comes I already know there are going to be some tears of joy. Only problem is after you have your makeup done those tears of joy turn you into a smudgy mess. Here's a tip that will leave you looking flawless after you have gotten all emotional. The trick is to-Cry Cute!

I'm sure everyone has told you to wear waterproof mascara. But here's something you might not have known: No mascara is completely smudge proof. So you should never mash the tissue against your mascara. Always allow the tears to roll out from the inner corner of your eyes and onto your cheeks prior to blotting. Keep word BLOT never wipe away your tears. This will help keep your makeup in place.

Photo Credit: Click Photography

Bridal Beauty Trends for Spring/Summer 2008

noreply@blogger.com (Sherita Leslie) — Mon, 04 May 2009 01:11:00 +0000

Most people during the bridal season get excited about the new trends for dresses. For me, it’s all about the new beauty trends with hair and makeup. I love watching the bridal runway shows to get a glimpse of what’s going to be hot for the upcoming season. Here are my top 4 picks of beauty trends to look for.

Accessorize Your Hair

You can never under estimate the power of accessories. Here I took a simple side ponytail (which is also going to be big this year) and made it into a really fun and elegant style. This season brides will be wearing everything from brooches, silk flowers,feathers and hair vines made with crystals or pearls.

A Fuchsia Lip

I love this trend from designer Carmela Sutera she felt that a fresh face with a colorful lip was a simple way for women to look chic and pretty. I totally agree with her. Because a stronger lip complements a bride’s healthy glow and looks amazing in pictures

To read the rest of this article visit my contribution on Ashley's Bridal Guide

Makeup Nashville's Myspace Page

noreply@blogger.com (Sherita Leslie) — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 19:42:00 +0000

Whenever I'm working with my brides sometimes the hardest part is finding just the right look for there wedding day. So I recently created a Myspace page filled with photos to give you inspiration for your wedding day looks. I am currently adding dozens of photos daily.

Visit Makeup Nashville on Myspace.

Valentine Wedding-Fonda Patton

noreply@blogger.com (Sherita Leslie) — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 21:48:00 +0000

I was contacted by Rhonda Patton( an amazing wedding designer)to possibly be the makeup artist for her lil sisters wedding. I was so excited than Rhonda called and asked me to be apart of her sister's wedding. Mainly because Rhonda is very knowledgeable about weddings and I know that she knows alot of vendors.

When I met with her sister Fonda she stressed to me that she wanted a very natural look for her wedding day. She's normally just a lipgloss girl so she did not want anything dramatic on her wedding day. After talking with Fonda at her consultation. I decided to give Fonda a look that is "naturally glamorous". Which is my fav wedding day look. It's where I pick colors that really highlight and bring out your best features but it's done in a subtle way.

With Fonda I chose to go with alot of golds and bronzes.

Visit www.sheritaleslie.com for more bridal pics.

I Love My Brides!!

noreply@blogger.com (Sherita Leslie) — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 20:49:00 +0000

I found out last month that I was voted one of the best wedding makeup and hair artists in Nashville!!! I actually won in both categories. A girl's wedding is usually the only day where it's ok for everything to be about her. That's why I love being apart of that day and bringing out the brides natural beauty. I want to say THANK YOU THANK YOU to everyone who voted for me. Here's a testimony from one of my most recent brides.

Sherita is not only an amazing makeup artist but she is also a great person! I had 100% faith that Sherita would make me look like a model/rockstar on my wedding, and she did just that. I was so happy with how my makeup looked, and how well it stayed on throughout the day.She also gave me a cute red bag with wipes and lip gloss that came in handy during the wedding! She is so flexible, thoughtful, professional and fun. I highly recommend her to any bride wanting someone who is willing to make you look as beautiful as humanly possible and will make you smile as she does it. During a stressful day of getting ready for the wedding, I was able to smile and have fun while getting my makeup done. :)

Welcome to my bridal blog!

noreply@blogger.com (Sherita Leslie) — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 01:44:00 +0000

My name is Sherita Leslie I am a makeup and hair artist in Nashville,TN. During the week I'm busy working with TV shows,recording artists and magazine shoots.But on the weekends my time usually spent making up beautiful brides. So much time and energy goes into planning your wedding day. This is my place to share tips with you to make sure you look and fill your best.