Maleficent Makeup: A Dark Bridal Beauty

I had already shared the Maleficent editorial that was posted on the Green Wedding Shoes blog, but I though I would share some of my favorite shots and explain the choices I made in interpreting our version of Maleficent as a love story.

For our Maleficent, I wanted it to still have a wedding/bridal feel. Maleficent is such a fantasy character that I wanted to not be cartoonish and humanizer her a bit more. Her ultimate goal was to be beautiful - a dark beauty - so I still wanted her to be beautiful. Rick Baker had a similar idea when he was creating the makeup look for Angelina Jolie's role as Maleficent. In the original animated film Maleficent's face is green but Rick wanted her less cartoonish and more realistic. So ultimately I wanted my interpretation of her to still be very beautiful, an edgier but wearable bridal look that could be worn to perhaps, a fall wedding!

I had pictured her as a scorned lover - someone who had struggled with many failed love relationships, low self-esteem and vain. I imagined that's why she was "crashing" Prince Philip & Princess Aurora's wedding.

For Aurora, I wanted to create a soft, warm, romantic look. Very fresh, effortless and bohemian-esque but classically beautiful. I imagined her to be young, pretty, and a little naive. 

photography: Meg Sexton // venue: Castillo Hillside Shire Winery Morgan Hill, California // florals: The Petal Company // rentals: Milk Glass Vintage Rentals // cakes: Sweet Tooth Confections // hair + makeup: Lisa Teller | Makeup + Hair  // paper goods: Paper Bloom Studio // jewelry: Haute Bride // wedding dress: Aurora dress by Jinza, Maleficent dress by Matthew Christopher

XOXO,

Lisa Teller | Makeup Artist

Lisa Teller is a professional makeup artist specializing in airbrush makeup and luxury makeup services for bridal in the San Francisco Bay Area, throughout California, and destination weddings. She is extremely passionate about each of her bridal clients and is currently booking for 2014/2015!

For more information, services, bridal portfolio, or to book her for a session, www.lisateller.com

Stay connected:

FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/lisatellermakeup

PINTEREST: http://pinterest.com/lisatellermua/

INSTAGRAM: @lisatellermua

Spring Wedding at Elliston Vineyards in Sunol, CA

It was such a pleasure to work with Crystalynn on her wedding day! She's one of those people who just radiates love and carries a lightness about her - we hit it off from the beginning when I met her and her sister for for makeup preview! Not only did she hire me to do makeup for her and her bridal party and family but she also added on my Touch-up/Personal Assisting services, so I got to spend the entire day with her and her family! For the additional services, during the "pre-production" portion, I was able to collaborate with her family photographer prior to the wedding to help create a timeline for photos in addition to coming up with some "fun", non-traditional poses as Crystalynn requested to reflect her and Jose's personality! 

The wedding morning arrived and I got started at the hotel with the bridal party doing makeup. Once we finished I packed up and headed to the venue where I met my assistant to help me with timelines, photos, and touch-ups. During the day-of assisting services, I was able to help with everything from makeup touch-ups, to help Crystalynn get into her dress and corset it (we posed for a funny photo of me corseting her with my foot and teeth as seen below! haha), securing her garter (we had to use some double sided tape from my bridal emergency kit!), making sure our photo timeline was running smoothly, helping the photographer with additional lights/reflectors, posing, fluffing her very large dress so it looked perfect in photos, facilitating the "first look" with groom, opening the champagne bottle (I knew all those years of serving would come in handy!), working with Donna (event coordinator at Elliston), securing her veil, all hair and makeup touch ups, breath mints & fluffing her dress as she walked down the aisle, corralling the family for post-ceremony photos, and SO much more! 

She was even so kind to offer my assistant and I to attend dinner at her reception - such a sweet bride and we truly enjoyed working with her!

This was Crystalynn's testimonial:

"Lisa is AMAZING! Not only did she do a fantastic job on my make-up and others in my family, but she was our support throughout the whole day! She was very thoughtful to apply the make-up on me and my family in a way that was flattering to our faces and based on our feedback/comfort factor. Her extended services for photography placement and idea generation were a monumental part of the success of my day! She reacted so quickly to situations that came up and made it fun to pose for pictures! Bless her heart she even helped me get into my wedding dress, figure out my garter and professionally laced-up my corseted dress in minutes (my friends and sisters were too nervous to do it). She and her assistant were so careful to always keep me in mind and make sure that not only did I get what I wanted as far as pictures went, but they constantly checked in on me, made sure I was comfortable and helped calm my nerves. Prior to the wedding Lisa was extremely organized and helped me and my photographer keep day-of timelines and was very flexible as different challenges came up. All-in-all, Lisa was hands down one of the best decisions that I made for my wedding day. Her professionalism was only out-beaten by her skill set and positivity. I'm seriously SO GLAD she was there for me and highly recommend her full services to any bride out there who wants to feel and look beautiful on her wedding day, needs extra attention to detail, and is looking for the comfort of having help to execute the day-of plan."

Crystalynn + Jose

April 11th, 2014

Elliston Vineyards in Sunol, CA

Photography by Curt Nordling

Venue: Elliston Vineyards

Hair: Jen Hatcher

Makeup/personal assisting: Lisa Teller

Makeup/PA Assistant: Melissa Ortiz

Congratulations to Crystalynn & Jose! They are truly a couple I'll remember forever!

Cheers!

XOXO,

Lisa Teller | Makeup Artist

Lisa Teller is a professional makeup artist specializing in airbrush makeup and luxury makeup services for bridal in the San Francisco Bay Area, throughout California, and destination weddings. She is extremely passionate about each of her bridal clients and is currently booking for 2014/2015!

For more information, services, bridal portfolio, or to book her for a session, www.lisateller.com

Stay connected:

FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/lisatellermakeup

PINTEREST: http://pinterest.com/lisatellermua/

INSTAGRAM: @lisatellermua

Get lippie: Homemade Lip Balms and Scrubs!

With more and more harsh ingredients being put into our skin care and cosmetics, many people are turing to more natural solutions by creating their own while saving money too! Even if you don't feel like the crafty type these easy DIY lip care products are super simple to make at home! The fun of it is creating your own recipe too to create exactly what you're looking for!

We've compiled our favorite recipes and our own versions of our favorites so you can get inspired and start experimenting too!

Simple Sugar Lip Scrub

Ingredients:

Sugar (white or brown) - I've used white in this recipe

Vitamin E Oil

Coconut Oil

(Optional) vanilla extract or you can use another "flavor" like adding pulpy grapefruit juice (yum!)

Directions (for smallish batch):

2 Tbs. Sugar

2 Tbs. Coconut Oil

Few drops of Vitamin E Oil

Few drops of your optional "flavor"

Depending on what consistency you like you can add more or less oils - you can eyeball the amount of ingredients too. For a smaller batch for personal use you can cut the recipe in half or make even larger batches to hand out as gifts! You can even alter the recipe to create a sugar body scrub!

Lip Balm Basic Formula - with Beeswax

From here the world is your oyster - add essential oils, or make it a tinted lip balm as we show you also below, be creative!

Ingredients:

Beeswax

Coconut Oil

Vitamin E Oil - or swap it out for another essential oil like Lavender or Peppermint!

Basic Ratio:

2 parts coconut oil

1 part beeswax

Few drops of oil

*You can really do any measurement you'd like depending on how large of a batch you are making - for a small batch or enough to make one container I use a teaspoon.

Directions: 

Put oil in bottom of heat resistant container (i.e. glass bowl)

Add coconut oil and beeswax (I like to grate the beeswax for easier melting)

Heat the mixture to melt together. You can do this by microwaving in short bursts and stirring frequently or the double boiling method on the stove on low/med heat.

*Melting together isn't necessary (if you'd prefer to mix the ingredients well together by hand) but it makes it easy to pour into container and the end result looks more like a traditional balm!

To make without beeswax you can substitute it for vaseline or petroleum jelly

Tinted Lip Balm, Flavored Lip Balm, & Other Creations

Using the recipes above you can create many different colors, tastes and types of lip balms - never purchase them again!

For tinted lip balm you can use:

• Leftover lipstick - you know when the tube no longer goes up any higher there is still 1/4 left of good lipstick! Use a Q-tip to take it out to add it to your formula! *Note: If you are using lipstick make sure to use less beeswax as the lipstick will already have a wax base!
• Old blushes/eyeshadows - ever drop your favorite blush to find that it was shattered in pieces? Just use the powder of any colored eyeshadow or blush - use a combo of colors to create your own!

For flavored lip balm you can use:

• Honey - great for softening lips and will taste oh so sweet!
• Strawberry or Mago essence (or any other edible flavor essences)
• Vanilla Extract
• Kool-aid powder - will also be a tinted balm as well!

I love to create new colors with my old blushes and eyeshadows and always receive so many compliments - they even make excellent gifts! Have some fun with the ingredients and create your own custom colors and flavors - Soon your friends will all want one too!

XOXO,

Lisa Teller | Makeup Artist

Lisa Teller is a professional makeup artist specializing in airbrush makeup and luxury makeup services for bridal in the San Francisco Bay Area, throughout California, and destination weddings. She is extremely passionate about each of her bridal clients and is currently booking for 2014/2015!

For more information, services, bridal portfolio, or to book her for a session, www.lisateller.com

Stay connected:

FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/lisatellermakeup

PINTEREST: http://pinterest.com/lisatellermua/

INSTAGRAM: @lisatellermua

Gorgeous Wedding at Castlewood Country Club in Pleasanton, California

It was such a pleasure to meet and work with Heather on her wedding morning! My assistant and I arrived to do Heather and her bridal parties makeup just as it began to rain, but she had such a great attitude about it! Luckily the rain had passed for the most part by the time they arrived at Castlewood, but since the ground was still too wet they moved the outdoor ceremony inside, but Heather & Nick still had a beautiful day! 

This was Heathers testimonial:

"Lisa was an absolute dream to work with! I hired her to do my wedding makeup as well as my 5 bridesmaids. She is extremely professional and seemed genuinely excited to work with me even during our initial phone conversation. She is personable and easy going. She brought along an equally friendly and talented assistant to help her the day of the wedding. During my consultation appointment, Lisa brought up so many key details to help her achieve the perfect look. We discussed the venue, time of year, my dress details, and my bridesmaid dresses color and style. She used all of this to create a flawless and timeless look for me. 

I worked in the beauty industry for 7 years, and hands down she is one of the best. I haven't received my photos from my photographer, but the pictures I've gotten from family are fantastic- my skin looks flawless! My makeup held all through the night (with a little help from blotting papers that Lisa recommended). She was able to offer recommendations for hair stylists and spray tanning. Although I already had my hair stylist, I liked that she is able to offer this and would definitely trust her recommendations. Any bride would be lucky to have Lisa!"

Heather + Nick

September 21st, 2013

Castlewood Country Club, Pleasanton Ca

All photos courtesy & property of Kelly Boitano Photography!

Kelly Boitano did an amazing job of capturing all of the special moments at this wedding! For more information on Kelly Boitano's wedding photography visit, www.kellyboitano.com

Want to look amazing in your wedding photos like Heather does? Let's collaborate together on your bridal makeup look! I now offer hair services personally, as well as through my bridal hairstylist Jen Hatcher. For additional information, www.lisateller.com

Cheers!

XOXO,

Lisa Teller | Makeup Artist

Lisa Teller is a professional makeup artist specializing in airbrush makeup and luxury makeup services for bridal in the San Francisco Bay Area, throughout California, and destination weddings. She is extremely passionate about each of her bridal clients and is currently booking for 2014/2015!

For more information, services, bridal portfolio, or to book her for a session, www.lisateller.com

Stay connected:

FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/lisatellermakeup

PINTEREST: http://pinterest.com/lisatellermua/

INSTAGRAM: @lisatellermua

Bridal Prep Timeline: The secrets to a stress-free wedding morning!

The secret to a stress-free wedding morning lies in the prep and scheduling! Make sure to talk to your specific vendors as their ideal timeline may vary!

Morning Prep: When you wake up take some time to organize your things while you make some coffee. If you've stayed at a hotel with some bridesmaids, you'll want to make sure everyone has a pile of their things. Pull out everything you'll need that day too, including your veil, shoes, and accessories. You'll also want to pull out your wedding dress from it's bag and hang it up to air out and release some wrinkles. For the bride, pack a bag of emergency items to take with you along with anything you may need at the venue later, i.e. change of shoes, second outfit/dress, and anything you'll need for your wedding night if you aren't returning to the same room. Taking some time to organize early in the day will make it less stressful later and you'll also know early in the day if you are missing anything and need someone to run out and pick something up before it's too late. It will also create a de-cluttered space for your photographer when they arrive!

Breakfast: Don't forget to schedule some time for you and your bridal party to get a good breakfast meal in! You have a long day ahead of you and you'll need the energy.

Bride's Makeup: 45 - 60 minutes

Bride's Hair: Approx. 45 - 60 minutes - Depending on the hairstyle you've selected your stylist may want to prep your hair by curling and pinning them up to cool and set in the beginning.

Bridal Party Makeup: 30 - 45 minutes each. I personally schedule 40 minutes per person, however, am usually done closer to 30 minutes and I always over schedule time in the beginning and end! It's better to be done early!

Bridal Party Hair: 30 - 45 minutes each.

Bridal Parties of more than 4: If you would like to cut down on the prep time your stylists should be able to bring assistants to help speed up the getting ready portion of the day! This will be an additional cost, however, is well worth it if you have a tight schedule or a large bridal party! Generally, if the bridal party has about 6+ I will require an assistant to come help.

*If you are traveling to a salon for these services, schedule at least DOUBLE the time and include travel time just in case!

The order of services: The bride should be as close to last as possible for hair and makeup. It's best to prep the bride first for hair(as mentioned above) and makeup and then let her relax with everyone and allowing the final two hours to finish styling. This is also ideal for photographers if you will be having any "getting ready" shots done, see below.

Lunch? Don't forget to eat or at least snack! This might be your last opportunity to eat before the reception at dinner! Even if you have butterflies eating a little something is better than your stomach growling at the altar! 

Getting Dressed: Don't forget to schedule time to get into your dresses! I usually schedule 30 mins (especially for corset back dresses, they are a bit tricky!) for dressing time for the bride and her bridesmaids before the time they need to leave for the church/venue. Having that extra time can be very helpful when a bridesmaid can't find her shoes and gives everyone else not returning to the room a chance to finish packing up their things!

"Getting ready photos": Each photographer has their own style and operates differently so I can't speak for each one, my advice is based on my experience and has worked out well with our beauty timelines. If you are planning to have the photographer do any "getting ready photos", ideally as hair and makeup artists, we know it's best for the photographer to arrive during the bride's hair and makeup session. When the bride is closer to being finished is the best time to capture the moment and makes for more flattering photos. This also gives your photographer plenty of time to capture the details — gown, shoes, jewelry, etc. — including the moments of mom helping the bride with her dress, the hustle and bustle of the room, and the often emotional interactions between the bride and her bridesmaids and parents! 

The veil: You'll want to secure your veil after your dress is on (or before for some great shots!) and you may want to ask your hairstylist to stick around to help you secure it.

Travel: Don't forget to schedule travel time to your ceremony space! Depending on the location, it can be 10 mins away or sometimes it can take 30 mins or more to reach the location! You'll also want to make sure that if you'll be arriving before the ceremony for photos that you have time to get tucked away before guests start to arrive!

Pre-ceremony photos or First looks: A lot of times photographers will want to do some pre-ceremony photos on location! Usually they are in smaller groups, i.e. bride with family, bride and bridesmaids, bride alone, etc. Recently, many couples opt to do a "first look" where the groom is surprised by his bride before the ceremony and reactions are photographed! This also gives an opportunity to do some pre-ceremony photos of the bride and groom and cuts down on the photos left to do during cocktail hour! Again, each photographer varies in style, so always ask how your photographer operates! 

Again each vendor's specific timeline and ideas may vary, but this is a great example on how to create a stress-free wedding morning!

XOXO,

Lisa Teller | Makeup Artist

Lisa Teller is a professional makeup artist specializing in airbrush makeup and luxury makeup services for bridal in the San Francisco Bay Area, throughout California, and destination weddings. She is extremely passionate about each of her bridal clients and is currently booking for 2014/2015!

For more information, services, bridal portfolio, or to book her for a session, www.lisateller.com

Stay connected:

FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/lisatellermakeup

PINTEREST: http://pinterest.com/lisatellermua/

INSTAGRAM: @lisatellermua