my favorite budget finds of 2009

It's been awhile, so I thought I would let you know of a few fabulous drugstore products I am currently obsessed with:

CVS Essence of Beauty brush cleaner-I am a stickler for sanitation on my makeup tools, particularly my eyeliner brushes . This spray-on, wipe off cleaner is only about six bucks, smells nice, and is just as effective as my beloved clinique or MAC brush cleaner. Good for when you have no time to properly shampoo your brushes.

Maybelline define-a brow pencil- a great knockoff of MAC's skinny brow pencil, only almost a third the price. Super skinny, plus it has the nifty comb. the shades are really good; many time mass market brow pencils have very odd ashy undertones but this seems very high end. I love a teeny brow pencil for those precise, hair-like strokes.

Wet n Wild creme eyeliner-brilliant, $4 pot of super waterproof, non flaking, REALLY black liner. Rivals just about any high-end gel liner around, I swear! Plus, it gives you a bit more 'play' time than Smashbox jetset. All they need is a navy...

So although I am generally a big snob when it comes to makeup, there are a few diamonds in the rough out there!

Cincinnati bridal makeup/Lindsie married!

check out these great images from Masterworks photography!

hair styled by the wonderful Liz Carter!

I knew when I met Lindsie that we would hit it off. Her sense of humor was right in line with mine and we really clicked. So I brought Mollie along just to up the ante, because Mollie is like me, on two pots of coffee, and 3X more clever. Needless to say, we had a blast.

Thank you!!

We have had another spectacularly successful year here at brideface and can't wait for what's in store for 2010!

We moved into a new studio on Main St. in Covington and opened a retail shop specializing in handmade unique bridal and gift items. Our third annual Bitter Bridesmaids Bash had a totally different vibe in Mainstrasse!

We were featured twice on Style Me Pretty and won a Bride's Choice Award from Wedding Wire. Cincy Chic featured us at an event and in two of their videos; we heart them so check them out if you haven't already!

We joined the i do boutique in O Bryonville, a great new resource for brides.

We entered our second-and this time triumphant!-attempt at airbrushing. We are happy to report that we adore Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics products and thouroughly enjoying airbrush this time round.

We continue to have great amounts of fun with our fellow vendors-this year saw an unprecedented number of networking parties-and we welcomed quite a few new companies into the brideface faves.

We also launched our first charity campaign, brows for a cause, to benefit The american Heart Association. The support has been tremendous and we still have two more days to meet our goal of $1000.

Our team of makeup artists completed over 200 weddings this year; I personally had 110. We appreciate your referrals so much; we know we are not the only game in town, but our passion and expertise set us apart from the pack. We love what we do, but we also take it very seriously because we know we have been invited to take part in one of the biggest days of our clients' lives.

I have enjoyed keeping up with my former brides on Facebook and at their friends' weddings.

So what is in store for this coming year? Stay tuned for a big reveal in February!

Ana, by brideface artist Mollie

stunning photography by Tine Hofmann, flawlessly planned by Alison Wenstrup. makeup by Mollie Elliott.

finally! contest winners!

I apologize that I had no closing date for my contest and that it took me this long to determine the winners. There was a lot vying for my attention this past week, namely a complete computer meltdown.Thanks for your patience.
So without further ado:
Lindsay
impulseout
Sarah
Please email me your addresses(nancy@brideface.com) and describe your skintone. I will get these right out to you. And I hope to catch up on blogging soon too. The tumbleweeds around this place are kinda alarming.
The brows for a cause event is still going strong; we have had an incredible response, and I have really loved catching up with my brides and friends- AND you have three more Wednesdays to take part! 100% of the proceeds go to The American Heart Association. This is very near and dear to me, having lost my beloved sister to an undiagnosed heart anomaly three years ago. I also lost a dear friend almost a year ago to a heart attack. And just last month my father suffered a major heart attack and had a pacemaker installed. So I just had to do my part, one eyebrow at a time. My goal is to be able to give them a $1000 at the end of this month, so please spread the word.
You can email me for availability.

more eye candy from Kelly's September wedding

Remember Kelly? Studio 3Z has more treats in store for us from that gorgeous wedding!

So many incredible details-Pin me Up couture hairpieces on every one of the bridesmaids and all those fabulous shoes-!Sigh.

Laura Mercier GIVEAWAY!

Okay bridefaces, it's been awhile since I have had a giveaway and it I need your input!

I have three of these amazing products to give away-think liquid gold-you can mix in with your regular foundation, or use it as a highlighter, or even wear it on its own all over your face- a lightweight, buildable sheer foundation formula that delivers a youthful, radiant finish, while protecting skin from the damaging rays of the sun with SPF 20 protection.

To enter, simply comment

"illuminate me!" and give me your number one makeup pet peeve, whether it deals with applying, how a product wears, or whatever you got. It will be much appreciated by our research team.