Trials and tribulations

The last time I had my hair and makeup done was at my aunt's wedding twelve years ago.  The stylist (a s0-called "pro" from Neiman Marcus's salon) spackled on a jar's worth of foundation three shades too light for my skin tone (I think she didn't get the "I'm Asian" memo), put a shade of lipstick on me that only a Bratz doll could love, and gave me a hairdo that was a lopsided hairdon't.  (Those caterpillars above my eyes, however, are entirely my fault; I don't think I understood the concept of tweezing yet.)

I looked pretty hot . . . for a hairy drag queen.

I was therefore somewhat anxious about my makeup and hair trial with Lin Breller and Rachelle Luczynski of Joyce Luck Style, though I probably wasn't as anxious as Lin and Rachelle must have been when I rolled into Lin's place after a two-hour typical LA-morning traffic nightmare looking like this:

Oy gevalt.  You can put a week's worth of groceries in those bags under my eyes.

I'm pretty low maintenance about makeup (I'm a lots of moisturizer and Bare Minerals kind of gal), so I had no requirements for my style beyond a request for Lin to make it look natural. Okay, I also might have pined out loud for her to make me look like a supermodel sans makeup.  Hey, a girl's gotta dream, right?

A light sweep of foundation with the airbrush and a soft dusting of fairy dust (or whatever is in Lin's crate of makeup goodies) later, I emerged from Lin's chair looking like . . . well, a blushing bride.

The makeup looked impressively natural photographed both indoors and outdoors, and I really appreciated the fact that I looked like myself, just softer, glowier.  (Of course, Mr. HC will still probably think the makeup is too heavy.  He hates makeup with a passion: I had to train him over the course of many years that it's not okay to wipe off my makeup with his fingers after I'd spent a ton of time primping in front of a mirror!)

While Lin was working her magic, Rachelle gave me bouncy, loose, romantic curls, which I'll wear off on the side (as in the photos above) for the ceremony and take down for the reception.  My hair is pretty thick and tends not to hold a curl well, so I was shocked that it lasted all day . . . and looked pretty darn saucy the next day too.

Joyce Luck Style also recently styled Mrs. Bee and Weddingbee Pro Angel Swanson, both of whom gave glowing reviews.  I'm definitely with them.  To be completely frank, JLS's services don't come cheap, but given my past experience with so-called "professional wedding hair and makeup," I am willing to trade a few weeks of eating ramen for the assurance of not looking like I sashayed off the trailer to Paris is Burning.  

Do you have any wedding makeup/hair horror stories?  Come on, tell me.  After all, I showed you my caterpillar brows!