Lo & Co. Blog

Big is beautiful in Mauritania!

Last week on Oprah, correspondent Mara Schiavocampo revealed beauty secrets that she discovered on her travels throughout 5 continents.  Armed with her camera, tripod, and laptop Schiavocampo interviews real women in their living rooms and kitchens as they discuss beauty.

The most attention grabbing beauty ideal was found in the West African country, Mauritania which celebrates fat, stretchmarks, and divorcees!  Young girls are sometimes force fed to become bigger while men are supposed to be thin.   The more divorces you have the sexier you are perceived and the bigger your butt the better.  Oprah started to sing "There's a place for us!".

I encourage you to visit the Oprah site where you can read more and view the videos.  There is no one type of beauty in this world and we really form that ideal from our peers.  I have noticed a big difference just in makeup styles among women in the NYC area depending on their peer group.

Maybe by understanding that beauty is flexible and diverse we can appreciate our own a little more.  What if the thing you hate the most about your body was considered attractive in your community?  What if we all walked down the street with pride and confidence no matter our shape, size or color?  What if we actually accepted and believed every compliment we received?  Let's try it.

If all else fails I will see you in Mauritania!!!

Bridal Makeup on Blush - Tuesday 10pm Lifetime

The new reality show, Blush (Lifetime TV)  is my new obsession and tonight they are having the artists tackle a real bride on her wedding day.  I am curious to see how the diva makeup artists handle a "real" person with their own personal taste and style.  In the shows past challenges, I have cringed as artists let their huge egos override the instruction and advice of photographers and experts.  No matter what you do with makeup - it is always a collaboration.  I would love to hear what all of you think about how they treat the brides tonight.  I will be watching!!

  

Natural LOoking Makeup

When I met Heather she was a little apprehensive about having her makeup done professionally for her wedding.  Heather rarely wears makeup and was afraid that she wouldn't look like herself. This is a common issue with brides and I work with them to add enough makeup for definition without making them feel uncomfortable.  Heather has great skin, full lips, and naturally pink cheeks, so I could go really light on those areas.  We kept the eyes light yet defined by adding false lases with a soft eyeliner and shadow. You can see in the photos that her skin looks very bare, but we did use a tinted moisturizer, concealer and a little bronzer.  You can't even see the false lashes and liner in the photos and in real life she looked amazing and felt like herself.  I think the best thing about Heather's beauty is her smile.   She lights up the room with her smile (her tall sexy blondness doesn't hurt either).  Please remember, just because you can't see makeup - doesn't mean it isn't there - it is just applied correctly.   Congratulations, Heather!!!

Craig Paulson Photography www.craigpaulson.com

Quote of the Week 11/21

I met with a prospective bride this week at Sarah Merians studio for an engagement photo session. As we were finishing with makeup her fiance showed up and we briefly chatted about their wedding. The bride stated, "we are going to be a mixed marriage!" I was caught off guard since I didn't see any obvious racial differences and I knew they were the same religion.  Seeing my confusion, her fiance explained that "I am a democrat, she is a republican".  That really could be a problem :-)

 

Modern Bride Magazine - 50 Top Wedding Web Sites

And, one of them is mine!!! I am so thankful for the shout out from Modern Bride (I guess bribery does work!) 

Some of my other favorites are in the list such as www.weddingbee.com (real bride bloggers with great local references) and www.stylemepretty.com.  Please check out new sites that I have found such as www.projectwedding.com for great local vendor reviews and www.missmeghan.com which is a shoe expert blog - need I say more. Please click picture to enlarge.

 

Bridal Trial Dos

A bridal makeup trial is a must if you are hiring a pro makeup artist for your wedding day.  Don't risk being stressed out and unhappy by foregoing this important step.  Try to plan meeting a friend for dinner after your trial so you can get her reaction. You should feel comfortable in your makeup but also look special enough for your hair style and wedding dress.  So many of my brides ask for a little more makeup on their wedding day than we had originally planned  during the trial. 

When attending a makeup trial here are a few things keep in mind:

1. Be prepared.  Bring any photos that inspire you. Even if you don't know exactly what you want, think about which celebrities you think look good on the red carpet.
2. Do you feel comfortable? Do you like their personality? This is the person who you will be staring at right before you put on your dress.
3. A bridal makeup artist should take an interesting finding out what you think is beautiful.  There is no "one size fits all" in beauty. You want to look great in person as well as photos.
4. Do they seem professional and dependable? Is there makeup clean and organized? Were they punctual?
5. When concluding the trial a pro should take photos and/or write down what they used on your face?
6. There should be a contract and a discussion about what you will need on the day (i.e. lip color and pressed powder)
7. Discuss timing.  Be very careful if an artist has another bride on that day.  There should be ample time in between and traffic must be taken into consideration.
8. Be realistic. Don't expect to look exactly like you will on the day of your wedding.  This is a trial and you aren't in a gown with your hair styled.
9. If you don't like something tell the artist.  That is what a trial is for.  Be as specific as possible. The eyeliner is too thick/thin, the blush is too pink.  These are easy changes.
10. If the artist isn't open to change, find someone else.

Good Luck!

Holiday/Occasional Makeup Special!!

Hello everyone.  I think that we are all thrilled that the election is finally behind us and we can start focusing again on more important things like makeup, hair, and shoes. We may not have a job, 401K, or a place to live but, the holidays are upon us and a girl needs to look good.  We are offering a special on Holiday/Occasional makeup.  Schedule an appointment to have your makeup done for any event and feel like a celebrity.

$100 - makeup application at Lo's studio (Financial District)
$150 - makeup application at your location

Applications take approximately an hour.
contact Laura at 917-225-6421 or laura@loandco.com

My Niece, The Artist!

Much to my sister and brother-in-law's chagrin, I started to apply shimmer and lip gloss to my niece, Emma when she was only three years old (she would say  "gipgoss") . Every Christmas I would style her hair and makeup in a festive theme.  My favorite was an Asian inspired look including a berry stained stained lip and cheek with hypericum berries tucked into a messy chignon. Puh- lease, anyone can do pink and a bow!!!! The following year when she was 7 - I was going for a 40's retro look when she complained that my hairstyling was hurting her head.  With my creative impulse stunted, I hastily replied "beauty isn't without pain". Of course, I realized that I was whisper away from a beauty pageant mom and apologized to my dear Emma.  The next year I gave her a  makeup kit with a lighted mirror and I could see that my craziness notwithstanding, Emma still enjoyed makeup and spent the entire day layering her face in makeup.  I must tell you that Emma is a stellar student and is at the top of her class.  I always encourage education, but you can look good while being valedictorian (snap). 

I am extremely proud of my smart and creative niece because she won an art award in her hometown of Hampton, VA.  She beat out hundreds of other students and I am so proud.  Below is her "Dream House" which has a pool, balcony with hot tub (the circle below the plants) a hammock suspended from a pineapple and coconut tree, and a secret room and entrance (the colored in window and door). I interviewed my niece about her work:

Lo:  what was the inspiration for the secret room and entrance?
Emma:  I wanted a room where Jake (pesky older brother) couldn't get in and I could have all of my stuff there.

Lo:  What was the significance of the tropical trees?
Emma:  I like coconut and pineapple.

Lo: Why do you think you won the contest?
Emma:  Probably the balcony

Lo:  Where is aunt LoLo's makeup studio?
Emma: in the secret room.  (smart girl)

Congratulations Emma - I love you!

Why Hire A Professional Artist?

Who was the highest paid person on Sarah Palin's staff this October? Well, according to the Federal Election Commission, it wasn't her foreign policy adviser, nor her chief communications officer.  It was her MAKEUP ARTIST. Yes!!

 

While I am thrilled by the validation of my chosen profession, even I don't believe that great eye make-up will influence a vote at the United Nations Security Council. But if even the stodgy RNC recognizes the importance of professional makeup, there must be something to it!

 

On your wedding you are the center of attention, just like in a political campaign, it is all about you looking and feeling great. Why worry about where and how to use your makeup when the  pro has tons of experience and kit full of tried and true products. A pro will also know how to get your look to last all day and tricks to enhancing your best features in person and in photos.  On top of that it's a blast to get beautified with your closest friends and family.