This is an interactive post. I’m going to need for you to join in. I’m curious what you’re curious about. What kind of hair make up or photography and do you want to read about? Is it a video tutorials? Is it a story from behind the scenes from a photo session? I have a ton of things that I could write about, but I’m curious what would interest you the most.
As a hairstylist, make up artist, blogger, and a beauty lifestyle and wedding photographer, I have to be really careful to not allow myself to get caught up in the game of comparison. It can be very easy to fall into that trap. I allow myself to find inspiration in the creativity of other artists, however I never want to lose the ideas and perspectives that are uniquely mine. I don’t really find myself following many photography blogs. I do, however enjoy education. I find myself searching out places that I can find sound education. This always inspires me to new heights.
Creative live Live webinars and video education, of which I am a hoarder.
Jeremy Cowart Perspective with imagery
Skip Cohen University Great photographer to photographer advice
Fashion Photography Blog Quick access to good info
The Breed This is a membership based site packed with education and inspiration.
Flakphoto This is a fantastic photo community, with inspiration, and education
Wedding Five
I Love everything about weddings. I love shooting them. I love styling them. I love hearing about all the beautiful plans as they unfold for the bride. I love them so much I get married every year (to the same man). It’s just a part of out sappy love story. There’s something so magical about making promises and keeping them.
I’ll never forget our first year anniversary. He went with me to Vegas because I had to work a show.Is feeling kind of guilty that I had to work and that our anniversary would be spent in Vegas. I wanted to plan something for us that would be memorable. On a side note… I don’t really like Vegas. For some reason, when I go there, the environment feels very heavy. So my challenge was to find something to do in a city that I’m not a fan of. One thing that people do in Vegas that I do love is tie the knot. I’m an incurable romantic.
Here’s a little background to the story…
During our first year of marriage, we had this cute little endearing thing that we said back-and-forth. Instead of the common “I love you”, one of us would say “I love you, will you marry me”? The other would respond “anytime anyplace”. I decided to hold him to that promise.
At a VIP party for the show. I asked him to marry me. I had been working planning for weeks with the international cosmetic director for TIGI Cosmetics (Kevin Givens my boss ). Kevin and I had decided he was going to get me up on stage with him so I could ask Carl the magic question in front of everyone.
“I love you, will you marry me”
After I popped the question
Of course, Carl said yes. He was completely surprised that I was able to hide this secret from him. Believe it or not, I stashed my wedding dress in my suitcase. Kudos to the wardrobe department that steamed it out for me. We got married at The Little White Wedding Chapel, by Rev Love. No joke, the officiants name was Rev. Kevin Love.
I’m sure it’s becoming quite clear how fond I am of weddings/marriages. Here is my list of a couple several of my favorite wedding blogs.
Enjoy!!!
My 21 yr.old self, at 96 pounds., after my second child.
I want to share my serious weakness for fashion trends, and what sparked it.
To help you understand, I must share some history. My fascination started before my teen years. I was so super skinny as a young girl… so skinny. I was tiny when it wasn’t popular to be thin. I was 5’7″ and 95 lbs. For me to be in style I had to hand make or tailor all my clothing. I fell in love with the ability to really make my clothing “my own”. So, I’m sure you can see the potential for me to be fascinated with the world of style. I studied fashion in college, and still love the idea for creating or re-creating my fashions.
When I was young I started a fashion magazine Collection. I could never get enough fashion publications. Some Saturday mornings CNN would be running stories on fashion week and the designers. Wow, how times have changed. We are so much more connected now than we ever have been. sometimes it’s information overload. You really have to do your research to find the best resources.
Here is my list of fav’s.
These have a bit of everything
Refinery29 (some the articles can be a little much for my liking, so I pick and choose.)
For the love of candid images
Tons of cool info for the man.
Art of Manliness LOVE LOVE LOVE
Uncrate Stuff to be envied and purchased
For the beautiful wise woman of style
Window Shop and Buy
This blog is for the people who want more than just eye candy. This one is for the reader that would like to break into the biz.
Enjoy
When it comes to hair I look for style inspiration from the fashion week runways, and publications. I also love to waste hours of time getting caught up in my Pinterest/instagram addictions. This is one of the only hair blogs that I will check out.
The Confessions of a Hairstylist
So… Speaking of confessions of a hairstylist, I must confess I usually hate hair blogs. If anybody knows of any great hair blogs written by someone in the profession, please send that information my way. I feel like most hair blogs are written by people who don’t really understand the science behind hair, and the technology needed to understand styling and treating hair. I know many people want to think that there is a drug store hack for everything, but when it comes to your locks, make sure you’re getting good sound advice. There’s a couple of really important points to remember when caring for your hair.
ONE
It’s not living. What I am constantly explaining to my clients is once the hair grows beyond the follicle it’s not alive. It’s actually no different than the free edge of your fingernail. So if you want to keep those tresses looking gorgeous you have to consider how to treat them. It takes a month to grow at least a half an inch of hair. Do the math… If your hair is 6 inches long it may have taken one year to get to that length. Keep in mind all the crazy decisions we’ve all made this year that our hair had to pay for. Imagine the ombre that was covered up with dark hair color, and was later lightened with the Balayage, and likely, shampooed too often, and blow dried on a regular basis, and then styled with a hot tool of some sort.
I like to think of our hair like luxurious fabric. We wouldn’t wash your cashmere sweater, or silk dress on an old washing board, Right?
TWO
There really is something different and better about most professional hair products. Most professional hair products are made with high-quality ingredients in high concentrations. You may pay extra for these products, but it’s worth every dime. On the upside to that, less is always more. Most professional shampoos are not full of sulfates which means you won’t experience a lot of lather in your shampoo, however it’s not the lather that cleans your hair. The truth is the sulfates are fillers that aren’t even good for your hair. So, remember the next time you want a shampoo that has a ton of lather, your may not be getting what you need for your hair. Another thing to keep in mind, don’t be impressed when a conditioner leaves hair feeling super silky in the shower. Some of the less-expensive mainstream/Drugstore conditioners are full of waxes that will leave your hair feeling silky, but without the necessary hydration to keep it healthy. The waxes in some of those products will build up in the hair and actually cause your hair to dry out overtime. While I’m on the subject of drug store products, Don’t be fooled by the professional brands that are on the shelves. Every professional haircare company has strict guidelines who they will sell to. If you don’t buy those products in a salon they are not guaranteed. The stores do not buy those products directly from the brands manufacturer’s. When you see these products they may be old or even counterfeit. I was actually in C###co and noticed a shampoo and conditioner on the shelves called “Self Absorbed”. That particular product has been discontinued for over five years. Truth is, when you buy that stuff in any place other than your salon, you are not getting the professional prescribed advice regarding what to use, you were paying full price for it, and it might not even be the real deal.
THREE
To DIY or not to DIY… That is the question. I see all of these tutorials online about coloring and cutting your own hair. I’m not going to argue with anybody about whether or not they should try their hand at being a kitchen beautician. I’m just going to say when the hair gets messed up, I’m going to charge extra to fix it. I spent one year in beauty college studying bones, muscles, skin, and hair anatomy. I studied chemistry, I also studied geometry. When I was done with school I began to grow my knowledge with advanced cut and color education. It has taken me 26 years to get all of the knowledge that I have. I will continue my education as long as I am touching someone else’s hair. The art of cutting, coloring, and styling hair isn’t just for someone who is creative. This art is also reserved for the stylist who is educated and skilled at their craft. So… DIY if you like, but you might have to live with some unfavorable results until you can get into see a professional.
I like to think of the hair as a little black dress. It can be worn casual to the beach, professional for work, and glamorous for a night out. Our hair is the one accessory that we cannot take off.
Take good care of it!!!
Jacquetta Style 