Actually ... don't kiss me just yet! Sorry folks! I know I have been MIA for what, like 2.5 weeks now? SORRY! I don't deserve any kisses. But I have a good reason for the ghost protocol, I do. I'm saving up all my reviews, stories, and new posts for MY NEW SITE. Due to my awesome team, growth, and probably the beautiful weather, I decided - it's time for a makeover! BlushPretty.com will have an entirely different face really really soon ... please stay tuned!:) -s- Continue reading

I so wish I went to this event ... instead, Anne got the lucky breaks. :) She got the chance to rub elbows with Maybelline makeup artist Grace Lee and she got the chance to watch the preview to the new show Make Me Over, Make Me Under. I wish I was Anne. -- BlushPretty joined Maybelline Canada and fellow beauty media to celebrate Grace Lee, head makeup artist for Maybelline Canada. I stopped by the Maybelline pop-up at Luminato to see where all the beautiful people were gathering. Grace Lee was on hand giving makeup DIY lessons on the... Continue reading

Since I have many brides pass through the studio coming in to do their trial runs, or drop off deposits, or perhaps getting a skin treatment or an eyebrow wax, I thought it would be a great idea to bring in some work by local artisans and crafty superstars to help my brides along with their wedding planning. Asking A Paper Story to be a part of the boutique was a simple, no-thought-process given that her handmade paper accessories are beautifully crafted, stylish and most important to brides, custom-made. From quality paper and notions to soft and bold colours, there... Continue reading

During the summer months, sweat, oil and grime are pretty much your biggest beauty enemies. Your makeup barely stands a chance and plenty of us opt to go as natural as possible during the warmer seasons. That doesn't mean you're not fighting off the greasy grimies still. You definitely are. A great product to have on hand when you are trying to beat the heat are Kaia Natural Juicy Bamboo Facial Cleansing Cloths. A quick swipe and refresh as you go from office to beach (or patio or dog park or wherever) will leave your skin feeling soft and smooth.... Continue reading

The newest addition to our studio space is The Funk Shop by Ivana Musura. She is one of the coolest chicks I know - no lie. I met Ivana about 4 years ago now, maybe 3, (who's counting?) when she came to work as an intern at The Sewing Studio and I was the person who oversaw (sort of) interns. Fast forward to today and overseeing interns and studio management is now Ivana's role and I've moved on to events. Ivana is the uber-creative type. Served with a side of serious style. I've seen her turn what, sewn by anyone... Continue reading

This week, I wanted to spend some time focusing on all the great brands that we have at the studio, ready to be perused and purchased by my clients, my brides, you ... :) When I opened the doors of the studio, I really couldn't have imagined a better location - and as they say, location location location. Right on the corner of Queen and John, my studio is buzzing with great energy. It had always been a dream of mine to have a space, separate from home, that housed fresh.beautiful: the skin studio, BlushPretty, and The Blush Boutique all... Continue reading

Photo by Jeoff Francisco I'm a creature of habit. Sort of. Well, when it comes to makeup and stuff. For example, several other artists from the team are surprised at how "pared down" my kit is. It's like really pared down. To the point where perhaps some clients might think I'm a hack of a makeup artist with some makeshift kit. But that's not it. I've been doing this for awhile now and - through trial and error - I know what brands I have come to love, what products are universal on most skintones, and what I seem to... Continue reading

Without fail, every single bride I work with asks about fake lashes - EVEN THE MOST non-beauty-product-loving ones (do non-beauty-product-loving ladies actually exist? Blasphemous). They either a) already love lashes, b) have never worn them but want them for their big day, or c) they really could care less but a friend of a friend did them for her wedding and supposedly they look fabulous. Long story short: lashes are a wedding day beauty legend. They can do everything from make the eyes look bigger, make the lashes fuller, make you look like you lost ten pounds AND they can... Continue reading

My blooming blogger, Anne, is becoming quite a regular on the beauty scene as she had attended another event back in May 2012 to rep BlushPretty. She visited L'Occitane, located in the trendy and chic Yorkville area, to learn all about their new Angelica line. I had the wonderful opportunity to attend the launch for L’Occitane’s new Angelica range. It was an exclusive event centered on the Angelica plant (including Angelica syrup-infused bevvies!). The Angelica range has a unique scent – it’s difficult to describe but it is quite lovely. At first, you just don’t know what to think of... Continue reading

photo by Rhommel Bernardino So, um, yesterday the team and I tried something different. We stood in front of the camera. It was weird. I don't know what I could possibly say about the experience other than that none of us were used to it ... except maybe Meredith and Arianne both of whom posed like ANTM All-Stars ... But, in the end, we will be walking away with some great headshots and some behind-the-scenes-makeup-and-hair-artists-are-such-dorks pictures. A very special thank you to our photographers, all of whom put up with a lot of crap when they enter a room with... Continue reading

I don't know how Victoria's Secret models do it. I'm not talking about how they strut down the runway wearing next to nothing, or wearing million dollar bras, or cumbersome wobbly angel wings. I'm not even referring to how one model can easily date her colleagues ex-boyfriend just month's after their break-up ... (looking at you Behati Prinsloo ...). That's probably the really easy stuff ... I'm actually talking about them wearing the itsy bitsy underwear without worrying about the landscaping situation down there. I'm pretty sure they are comfortable being spread eagle in front of a bikini waxer for... Continue reading

It is not in every bride's budget to have a makeup artist follow them around all day on their wedding day to ensure that they always look picture perfect. Besides, it's really easy for a bride to touch up or do a teeny, tiny, makeup change on her own anyway! Many of my brides are creative, detailed, and open to style and glam - they don't conform to the traditional style and rules of wedding fashion and beauty. From red Converse, to sparkled Tom Shoes, to a veil that is really just yards of tulle cut straight from Fabricland ...... Continue reading

This month has been a bit busy at the studio, so I haven't had the chance to attend a lot of beauty events that are happening in and around the city. Sad Face. Luckily for me, Anne G. likes me enough to attend on my behalf. Smiley Face. A couple of weeks ago, she joined several other beauty bloggers for the L'Oreal Paris Summer Cosmetics Product Launch at the TIFF Bell Lightbox. Since I missed it, I asked Anne to spare me all the details of all the fun she had. Thank you Anne. But she did share with me... Continue reading

It's been a great year so far for the team. Like, a really great year. :) The BlushPretty team has experienced a lot of growth with respect to the number of artists we have on the team, the number of brides we work with, the number of opportunities that come our way. We've had fun with photoshoots, fun with volunteering for events, fun with hanging out at the studio. And with growth, comes need. We are doing a little bit of restructuring behind the scenes, and to accommodate the demand for the 2012 and 2013 bridal services, BlushPretty is looking... Continue reading

Admit it. As a teen, maybe even a tween, you played with hair colour. It started with a bottle of some random boxed formula ... some of us wanted to be blonder or more red (guilty!), and for some ... going dark and sultry was the key. And as we grew older ... the obsession with colouring our hair never fades. Our twenties/thirties are plagued with lowlights, highlights, ombre, and root control. And for those who may have since grown a bit older ... well, just trying to get our natural hair colour back is a colour process on its... Continue reading

Rainy days have proved me glum and surprisingly I have been wearing my makeup to match. While a gorgeous sunny day would have me digging through and trying to decide between just one from my arsenal of lipsticks, yucky gross days have me reaching for just some eyeliner ... and a thick swipe of it. Recently, as in yesterday and today, my makeup has consisted of three quick steps: 1. Swipe on and rub in some Becca Cheek Tint in Watermelon or Gauva (whatever I pull out from my bag first). 2. A layer of my new Josie Maran Argan... Continue reading

So, if you hail from South Korea, you knew about BB Creams quite possibly while still in the womb ... okay, that's an exaggeration, but it drives the point, right? On the flipside, if you reside here in beautiful Canada (or the U.S.), you might have seen an advertisement for BB Cream in your favourite magazine, or heard about it from a few blogs, maybe even seen it in passing at the drugstore or beauty department. While it has not yet reached the frenzy of that equivalent to Asia ... it is entering our market with a pretty big sound... Continue reading

I've been a bad, bad, bad girl. But in a super-fun, totally-expected, girly-kind-of-way. I've done some damage to my now crying wallet as of late. I'm talking multiple trips to Sephora, Murale, The Bay and even Holt Renfrew (and by 'even Holt Renfrew', I mean hauling a$$ on the TTC, running in loose flip flops, barging through the door at 6:55 when it closes at 7:00 just to get a lipstick). But my most exciting purchase happened just today. I went into Sephora to pick up Makeup Forever lipstick in 40 Satin (hello Orange!) and walked out with a primer... Continue reading

It's time to turn the page on your calendar and mark a couple of dates in your June 2012 social calendar. This month, actually ... this THURSDAY ... join us for Fast 'n' Easy Hair. Learn a few tips and tricks to earn yourself a few more good hair days! We'll go over backcoming, curling, sectioning, pinning - all the things you need to know to create sleek ponytails and soft updos. This workshop will take place on Thursday June 7, 2012. On Thursday June 14, 2012, we will have Dr. Jen Newell, ND hosting a fantastic seminar at the... Continue reading

I wish I could clone myself. If I were able to, I'd be able to be in two places at once. Like ... on vacation in Hawaii and also at a beauty event in Toronto. Unfortunately, that is NOT possible ... but luckily for me, I have a stellar team behind me at BlushPretty and they are always willing to do the dirty work and attend these beautiful events filled with beauty product and schmooze with fellow bloggers and industry superstars. What a tough job. The lovely Anne G. was kind enough to attend the Loose Button Spring/Summer Trends event... Continue reading

It's beginning again. That time of year when I cannot be bothered to wear a lot of makeup. Only because I cringe at the thought of putting in all the effort to look polished and professional, only to watch it melt off my face moments later. I'm that girl with THAT skin. You know, the skin that - no matter the primer, no matter the formulation - doesn't hold on to makeup in hot, sweaty, humid heat. So I forego all that. During the summer months, you can find me wearing whatever concealer remains on my face, some powder to... Continue reading

(The above photo was taken by Donna De Leon) I've started something new at the studio this month - The BlushPretty Presents Events (oohhh - that rhymes). Taking its cue from The Beauty Board, BlushPretty Presents is a way for beauty bloggers and lovers to experience and learn about new brands and/or products on a smaller, one-on-one scale. Just like a book club, I'm hoping that the BlushPretty Presents Events (I'm never going to stop saying that) become an opportunity for the beauty obsessed to come together once a month and do what we do best: um, er, obsess. you... Continue reading

Wow! May is almost done ... I really hope you all enjoyed the reviews from the past two weeks that focused on the guests reviews of the brands and companies that were large and in charge at The Beauty Board. While you were busy reading those posts, I managed to sneak away for awhile to Hawaii (rub, rub, rub it in some more!) where, even though I did answer some emails and book some dates for the team, I managed to sneak in some much needed R'n'R. And let me tell you - I totally take for granted rest and... Continue reading

Nails. It's so the in thing right now. The easiest way to get in on a colour trend. A great way to express your style and make a statement. Speaking of statements, the names of the colours from this brands are the real statement. From Camel Toe to Virginal Pink to Party Whore ... the names draw the beauty boarders in. This brand has them painting their nails over and over for weeks, months, years ... and that's a good thing because Cheeky Monkey is three free and much 'healthier' than some of the other brands out there. We really... Continue reading

I am very fortunate that Twitter has opened me up to a whole new world of friends. In the past year I've become very close to @TOBeautyReviews, or as I know her Elaine. If you hang out with me long enough in one day, I can be found responding to an email from Elaine, gossiping with Elaine, and bbm'ing Elaine. When I found out Elaine was an Avon+mark. representative, I asked her to join The Beauty Board. She agreed. We've been friends ever since. It's amazing to see the Avon brand be just as relevant to beauty bloggers and lovers... Continue reading