Friday, April 29, 2016

PREPPING FOR YOUR PHOTO SHOOT


It is a model’s obligation to arrive prepped and ready to go for every booking and photo shoot, from hair, skin and nails, to mental attitude. It's
the true sign of a professional model. 

Don't leave things until the night before the shoot but maintain your beauty routine at all times so you are ready to go when the agency calls to say  “you’re booked!”.

  • I recommend shaving fuzz and fine hairs from arms and face. To learn about this technique check out a previous post Women's facial shaving {Here}. If waxing do so at least two days before any shoot and really moisturize your body skin, to avoid redness


  • Avoid alcohol the night before so you don’t have a puffy face that goes for any salty foods too


  • Never try a new product the day before a shoot in case you have a reaction to it! Trust me!  This happened to me from a facemask and I had to shoot a jewelry campaign the next day! Not good.



  • Wash your hair the night before, not the morning of a shoot.  Hair stylists prefer hair slightly dirty as it holds product and style better.  That does not mean having any product already in your hair, or greasy hair.



  • Make sure your haircut, hair color, and hair condition are maintained regularly so you don’t arrive on set with a birds nest for the stylist to deal with



  • Make sure you have clean nails and no colored nail polish and that includes your toes



  • Get a good night’s sleep – woe to the model who parties all night and thinks she can pull off a great booking in the morning – no one is that beautiful – or irreplaceable



  • Pack your bag the night before with nude lingerie including a nude thong, bring your toothpaste/toothbrush, and don't forget energy bars, water, and your phone charger. Even if you are arriving with clean face because a make up artist is booked, always bring the basics - foundation, powder, mascara ... Once I went to an early morning booking and the makeup artist was deathly ill and couldn't make it to the shoot and it the location was far from town in the middle of no-where. Thankfully I had enough to makeup with me to make the job still happen for everyone.



  • Check the call sheet for any other specific things they might ask you to bring - always bring 2 choices if clothing or shoe requests



  • Eat breakfast!  Do not starve!  Models who don’t eat before a shoot because they want a super flat stomach or are just nervous, are fooling themselves.  They have no sustainable energy to last through the shoot and clients and the creative team never have patience for low energy from the model.  Eating a normal breakfast will not be an issue by the time you are shooting, after hair and makeup.



  • Arrive with a clean, moisturized face, without any makeup - sometimes this appears on the call sheet as "clean - clean"  (clean hair, clean face, clean nails



  • Sometimes it will be written on the call sheet "arrive bikini ready" - that means waxed and without any fake tan streaks


Being prepared is in your own best interest in helping create beautiful images which can get you re-booked in the future.  Never assume that the photographer or client will be willing to retouch your roots, shaving stubble or lack of proper hair removal maintenance, ragged nails or cuticles, or the dark circles under your eyes from lack of sleep.  The makeup artist and hair stylist are there to enhance your look and are not there for your beauty upkeep.

  
My first agent told every model to always arrive fifteen minutes before your call time in case you are lost or can't find the location, or need to use the washroom, or whatever.  When you arrive on set, greet everyone, be respectful, polite, and engaging.  Always ask the protocol regarding social media, selfies on set, and posting.  The booking is not about you but about the client and the project, so be professional.  It's business.  When the shoot is finished, thank everyone on set before you leave.  Remember: today's assistant stylist, editor or photography assistant could be tomorrow's client! Have a great booking!


Thursday, April 28, 2016

Clip In Hair Extensions What you MUST read Before Buying ... a bit of a scam!

Clip in Hair Extensions - Weighing in with some facts you might not know.



Clip in hair extensions have become an easy, no-brainer way to add length and volume to your hair at home. However, buyer beware! When a clip-in hair extension company tells you that you are buying 120 grams of hair they are usually adding in the weight of those darn metal clips! And there are a lot of them in a set of extensions. Never mind the risk of setting off metal detectors at the airport. One well-known brand sells a starter set like this below with 16 metal clips ... which weigh in at 33 grams. So do the math:

120 gram set of clip in extensions
minus
33 grams of clip weight
_______________________

Leaving only 87 grams of hair.



For an easier alternative than clip in extensions with NO DAMAGE to your own hair choose Hidden Crown Hair Extensions. 140 grams of real Human Hair on a weightless wire, affordable priced that you can put on in less than a minute. Get yours here www.hiddencrown.com






Monday, April 18, 2016

How to Look Better in Pictures and Selfies!




Get in the Best Light
Forget filters, if you can get yourself in the perfect light your photo will sparkle. Ditch direct sun - the magic hour, as far as light is concerned, is the sunset. Otherwise, look for what photographers call "open shade" underneath a porch or archway where the shade is completely even. A light source that is over your head like the sun or canned ceiling lights will cast shadows underneath your eyes. Sunset light is beautiful because it can light up the shadows underneath your eyes, making you look younger. If you find yourself outdoors in the middle of the day, place yourself to the edge of the shade so the sun is not directly on you and force your flash on to try to fill any of those shadows. When you are inside try to find natural light from an open window, or soft light. Face toward the light.


Angles are your friend 
Angles can be flattering to make your face appear thinner or to disguise a big nose, but think of twisting at the waist to look 10 pounds thinner - one shoulder toward the camera and the other back with the twist in the middle. And don't forget to suck in the tummy!




Turtle time neck. 
To get rid of a double chin and to elongate your neck, for your next photo imagine yourself as a turtle coming out of his shell. This feels awkward but it really works! And while you're at it remember posture - stand tall like a ballerina - shoulders back and then down.



Big hair
Hair is the one thing that is almost impossible to photoshop or fix in any app so it's important to get it right. Flat hair can make your face appear wider. Fuller hair will make you appear skinnier! Fluff your hair, shake it up and add some hair extensions like Hidden Crown Hair Extensions - they are the easiest extensions that you could every use and take a minute to put on. A whole head of hair on an invisible wire with NO clips and NO damage to your own hair. Get yours here: www.hiddencrown.com



Show your best side
We all have a better side! Studies have shown that for most people it's their left side. Look through your old photos on your phone - the ones you don't post. You will quickly see there is  one side that is the most flattering. 


Sunday, April 17, 2016

Mindy Kaling Outs Hollywood's use of Hair Extensions !





Mindy Kaling has a new book out WHY NOT ME ? and I have to give her a Big shout out for talking about the truth of looking gorgeous, especially her exposure of how prevalent Hair Extensions are in her industry. 

Mindy says, " The real trick to having gorgeous hair is quantity! Piles of thick, cascading My Little Pony - style hair signifies youth." 


She goes on to reveal that "everyone uses hair extensions, and I mean everyone. The stenographer who doesn't speak in that judge show you watch. The Long Island Medium. Clooney. EVERYBODY on the Today Show... the entire family getting a new house on Extreme Home Makeover, including the kids. Charlie Rose. The obese woman on My 600 lb Life." 


You might remember in my past postings seeing the not so secret tables and tables of hair extensions that is used in those  Victoria Secret Runway Shows, in order to achieve supermodel status.

Now you know the WHAT: Hair Extensions ... but here is where I can help you... clip in extensions are only great if you have professional installation and don't need to wear them very long. The reason? Those clips are metal, heavy and can be damaging to your hair and weigh a ton! One full set of clip in extensions has about 20 clips that are dug into your scalp and adding weight to your head in addition to the added hair. 


The solution is so  simple ... Hair on a wire that takes a minute to put on yourself, with no clips, no glue and no damage to your own hair. They are called Hidden Crown Hair Extensions and they truly are the Easiest Extension Ever!
1. Place them on  your Head. 
2. Pull your hair over to hide the invisible wire.
3. That's it! The gravity of your own hair holds the extension in place!


You can get yours online at www.hiddencrown.com


Trick to making Small Eyes Look Bigger



When you are creating a smokey eye, keep in mind that what defines your eye and makes it appear larger is having darker tones surround lighter ones. You can see here how this makes  the eye pop. Having darker tones surround a lighter one gives shape and definition—the light on the eye makes it pop!




One of the best ways to make your eyes look bigger - especially for girls with not quite as much lid space is to Tightline. It is a simple technique to use and Wayne Goss does a great job showing you how in this video below. Just remember to use a waterproof liner and not to pull hard when you apply. Doing this alone and nothing else will make your eyes standout. Think of it as the lazy girls way to look great.