After being a makeup artist for MANY years, I found every time I would meet a bride for a bridal trial, I would recommend the same products for the same concerns over and over. I also found when a bride invested in my recommendations, I could see the difference on wedding day. The products below are my top six products that I feel every bride needs to prep their skin for clear and glowing skin wedding day! 

IS Clinical Active Serum-I love products that are multitaskers! It does it all!
Acne, Redness, Anti aging, and Brighting, there really isn’t anything it can’t do! Press a few drops into the skin at night time and you'll wake up with brighter and fresher skin! 

IS Clinical Youth Eye-Again a multitasker! Fine lines, wrinkles and dark circles, it addresses every eye area concern! You see immediate and long term benefits with this holy grail of eye creams. Eye cream is the number one product all brides need! It is so important the eye area is hydrated for beautiful eye makeup (and no concealer creases!) Use this miracle day and night. 

Avenue-Thermal Spring Water- The perfect prep for makeup or hydration. You can use to prep your skin before moisturizer and over top of your makeup for glowing skin. I takes down redness and calms skin immediately. It is so effective, its often used after laser treatments or chemical peels. I have used it on a sun burned bridesmaid and it completely calmed the redness. Spray and lightly pat into the skin

Elta MD UV Daily- Hydration and protection. Meet your new everyday moisturizer! Broad Spectrum UV proaction and super light weight. Apply in the morning.

Glossier Super Bounce Serum- The miracle that is Hyaluronic acid! Hyaluronic Acid helps the cells hold on to water and plumps the skin. This serum is that extra drink of water for the skin.  it instantly smooths the surface and creating makeup perfection! A few drops pressed into the skin day or night. 

Bite Beauty Agave and Weekly Lip Scrub. Hydrated lips hold lip color better!!! This once a week treatment is all you need for perfectly hydrated smooth lips on wedding day. Apply once a week!

I have made it easy to shop for all this products in one place on my shop list!

​https://shoplist.us/rouge9makeup

If you don’t have an opportunity to meet and have a trial with a makeup artist before booking here are some steps to help you find the right artist. 


Step One - Asking your wedding planner for recommendations is  logical, but ask your photographer. Photographers spend hours editing wedding photos and they see the makeup artist’s work the most. Your photographer will always know the best makeup artists working in the vendor community. 

Step Two- Once you have those recommendations, ask to schedule a phone call with the artist. Talent is important but so is energy. You want to create a beauty team around you on wedding day that is fun to be around and works well together. A short phone call will tell you if this person is someone you want to spend your wedding day with.  If an artist is unwilling to schedule a short call with you to discuss details, you may want to consider other artists. 

Step Three- Some questions you should ask on that phone call. 
“What products do you carry in you kit?” 
Some brides don’t care about this, but if you are someone who purchases luxury products for yourself, you may be disappointed if an artist does not use luxury products. 
“How do you clean and sanitize your kit?”
Every artist should have sanitation protocols in place and should be able to speak to that. 
“How much time do you usually need for a group our size?”
It’s important to ask an artist how they work. The amount of time needed will vary for different artists. Make sure you feel comfortable with their work style and that it works for your timing on wedding day. 

I hope you find these steps helpful!

When I sat down to write out my personal and business goals for this year, I knew there would be challenges. There always are, but THIS? Never would I ever have predicted this! I always try to take the good out of everything and this time has provided insight. I will never take for granted the chance to hug my family, being in good health, spending time with my friends, traveling to new places or getting to do the job I love to do. In light of everything everyone has been through, talk of makeup seems frivolous. What is not frivolous is beauty. In all forms, art, poetry, blue skies, music, where ever you find it, I think it is mandatory right now. 

One of the benefits of being out of wedding season is to have a little fun in the studio and just get to play with some makeup! It honestly feels like I'm 10 years old again and stole my mom's makeup bag and did all my friends makeup! On a cold winter day beautiful Emi came in the studio and Jen Fariello and I worked our magic!

Really loving the Makeup Forever Reboot Foundation on Emi in Y315
Other products used 
Dior Backstage Contour Palette 
Nars Radiant Conceal in Custard
Charlotte Tilbury The Icon Pallette
Buxom Liner in Ring My Bell
NYX Lipliner in Beige 
YSL Rouge Volupte in 44 Nude Lavalliere





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So many couples struggle with the idea of doing the first look. I think for some they feel they sacrifice that romantic moment of seeing each other when the bride walks down the aisle for the convince of getting portrait photos out of the way. However, I will say this in favor of the first look, the first look gives the bride and groom the opportunity to have a special private moment with each other before the whirlwind of the wedding day. For many of my brides nerves seem to disappear after having an opportunity to see their groom before the ceremony. 

Is there anyone these days that is not lash obsessed, including me?! Lashes are amazing and make a huge difference in any look, but like most things in the beauty space, when done wrong it can be so wrong. But when done right, it's nothing short of magical! When it come to bridal makeup I almost always use individual lashes. They look the most natural, are the most comfortable to wear and you can really vary the look. Individual lashes can be more dramatic or subtle. Also if you lose one or two they will still look fabulous. When it comes to the most beautiful,  natural looking, wearable lashes on your wedding day, individual lashes will not disappoint! 

​At almost every wedding I do, there is someone who sits in my chairs and starts to run down the list of preferences and things she does not want me to do.
“I don’t like a lot of makeup”
“I wear very minimal makeup”
“I don’t like to feel like I’m wearing a lot”
“I don’t want a lot of pink, I wear more bronzes”
I always know why there is apprehension. At one point they sat in a makeup artist chair and didn’t voice what they wanted and ended up with a look that was completely not their style. I’ve heard all the horror stories. Bridesmaids washing their faces in the bathroom after the makeup artist left, orange airbrushed foundation, monstrous fake lashes and the list goes on and on.
Of course, after an experience like that, one will be gun shy. It’s hard to trust after a really bad experience and its OK. It’s all OK. Be clear about what you like and don’t like. It helps a makeup artist to know you feel naked without eyeliner or you hate pink blush. However, after you make your preference known, try and relax and trust your artist to create for you. If you trust, you might just be pleasantly surprised. 

Whenever I’m working, there is a lot of curiosity about what is in my kit. My kit is constantly evolving as I find products I love. There are always some favorites, of course, so I thought it would be fun helpful to share what I’m using that are top performers. So, I decided to start a series of posts sharing what is in my kit.
 
I'll start with my favorite mascara. Peter Thomas Roth Lashes To Die For
 
 
This little gem has been in my kit from the beginning. It covers beautifully, does not clump, is not waterproof, but wears better than one and honestly is the most underrated mascara out there! If they ever discontinue it, I'm gonna cry.
 
From Peter Thomas Roth website
 
Quick-drying, smudge-proof, long-lasting, water-resistant mascara delivers soft lashes with clump-free volume, even separation, dramatic length, enhanced curl and buildable drama.

It has a 5 star reviews on their website, so I'm not alone in my admiration