Check out more reviews on weddingwire.com

Recently I had the pleasure to provide hair and makeup services for the lovely Priscilla and her adorable mother (I wanted to take her home with me).
I met them in their suite at Westin Key West Resort & Marina. And had such a wonderful time getting them both ready for such special occasion.

Here’s a photo of Priscilla’s hair.  A low chignon made entirely out of pin curls adorned by a stunning hairpin. Very chic.  And the perfect complement to her incredible gown.  Check back for her pro photos soon.

Thank you so much Priscilla for the outstanding review. Wishing you and your husband a wonderful life together!

Lately I’ve come across some unusual wedding details.  Remember Whitney’s bouquet?

Today I wanted to share Priscilla’s unusual guest favors boxes and a centerpiece for the guest signing table.
 

On the favor box, Cattleya orchids for the women, and cute turtles for the men all made by hand out of clay.  So different!  All the flowers for the centerpiece were created in the same manner. I’ve never seen anything like it!

Priscilla had them made by Diane from DK Designs.  Accredited Deco Clay Craft Academy Instructor Diane was the featured artist on the Martha Stewart Show where she showed Martha Stewart how to make clay hydrangea flowers! DK Designs makes handcrafted clay florals and stationery for weddings, events and your home.

Love seeing women totally rock it!

STYLISTS TO THE BRIDE

Studio Marie-Pierre Presents…

“Live Gorgeously!” Facebook Fan Photo Contest!!!

Good morning gorgeous girls, brides-to-be, bridesmaids, mothers of the bride, and anyone who loves to live gorgeously! I am pleased to announce a very special contest with a very special reward! If you or someone you know has ever dreamed of planning a tropical destination wedding in sunny Key West, I want to make it a little bit easier for you!

How about a chance to win a beautiful prize package including:

• Hair styling
• Makeup application
• Spray-tanning
• False eyelashes

All of this FREE for YOU AND YOUR ENTIRE BRIDAL PARTY! This lovely package of beauty and styling services is valued up to $1,000. Think of it as my wedding present to you!

All I need from you is a picture of you living gorgeously! This could be anything:

• A glamorous headshot
• A sweet picture of you and your soon-to-be-hubby
• A snapshot of you and your girls
• Maybe you have a great pic from your last trip to Key West?
• Whatever you choose, just be creative and have fun!

Oh yes, and you also need to be planning a wedding in Key West, of course!

ROUND 1: Now through December 2011

Every month through December, one winning photo will be selected. You’ll get mad props on facebook and the blog, a FREE spray-tanning session OR pair of false eyelashes, & be entered into the semi-finals for the GRAND PRIZE!!!

HOW TO ENTER

Step 1. Make sure you “like” Studio Marie-Pierre Key West Hair & Makeup facebook page.

Step 2. Upload your gorgeous pic to Studio Marie-Pierre Key West Hair & Makeup Wall and tag yourself.

Step 3. Spread the word to your friends! The photo with the most “likes” wins!

More details on the semi-finals round to come. In the meantime, get to snapping and posting and sharing your gorgeous pix! I can’t wait to see what you come up with!

Official Terms & Conditions

• No purchase necessary
• Must be 18 years or older to enter to be eligible to win the prize
• Void where prohibited by law
• Must stay subscribed to Studio Marie-Pierre Key West Hair & Makeup Facebook page
• Studio Marie-Pierre reserves the right to refuse any submission for any reason
• Winner will be listed on the Facebook and notified by Facebook
• Prizes are non-transferable and not redeemable for cash
• Employees of Studio Marie-Pierre, its subsidiaries, affiliates, and their families are not eligible to enter
• All federal, state and local laws and regulations apply
• Winner must meet eligibility requirements as required by Studio Marie-Pierre
• It is highly recommended that entrants reserve an appointment with Studio Marie-Pierre to guarantee availability.
• Entrants agree to give permission to use entrant(s) name and/or likeness for the purpose of advertising and trade without compensation
• Participating entrants agree that Studio Marie-Pierre, its subsidiaries, participating sponsors, their affiliates, officers, directors, agents and their employees shall not be responsible for lost, misdirected, illegible or late entries
• By submitting a photo, contestants accept these rules and agree to be bound by the results of the prize selection. All decisions made by Studio Marie-Pierre are final
• The Studio Marie-Pierre Photo Contest is intended to be fun! Studio Marie-Pierre reserves the right to remove what we deem inappropriate photos or comments along with the contestants who post such content. Bad sportsmanship will not be tolerated.

I received this sweetest most adorable card from Whitney. Just made my day!  Thanks for the love.

Dear Marie-Pierre
Just had to drop you a note and tell you how amazing you are!  The hair and makeup were unbelievable and truly made my special day perfect!  My mother and bridesmaids are still talking about how wonderful you were.  I feel I have a new wonderful friend!!
Thank you so much!
Whitney

Earlier last week I wrote about Whitney’s fabulous bouquet.  If you missed it go HERE.  Truly a masterpiece worth checking out.

Today I bring you some of Whitney’s gorgeous pro photos.

I adored Whitney, her Bridesmaids and family. And although I haven’t met Brok, I’m pretty sure I adore him too. He married Whitney, that alone makes him rock on my book!

These two love birds had know each other since preschool.  No, they weren’t technically dating at that age. That happened later in life.  SO SWEET!

 
The details in that wedding were incredible and endless. Look at the buttoniere how unique is that?
 

Whitney’s innate glamour is hard to beat. She worked it all the way and some. My kinda girl.

Huge congrats Whitney and Brok!!!

Photographer – Southernmost Mansion
Venue – Southernmost Mansion
Wedding Coordinator – Simply You Weddings
Makeup and Hair – Studio Marie-Pierre
Cake – Key West Cakes
DJ – MB Entertainment
Bride’s brooch bouquet – The Ritzy Rose
Floral – Mama Flowers
Linen – BBJ Linen
Catering – Great Events

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There are many ways to look glam on your wedding day.  False eyelashes, smokey eyes, divine gowns, fab shoes and of course THE HAIR!

One of the most romantic and requested hair styles I’ve seen over the years is partially put up hair, or most commonly called “half up half down”. The styling possibilities in this manner are endless.

One thing is for sure… The more hair you have the better it will look.

Here are 3 brides that I recently styled all sporting the half up half down do.

Melinda

Melinda was a cruiseship bride getting married in Key West early morning just a few weeks ago.

She wanted a style that would enable her to wear her gorgeous, incredibly shiny hair down, while pulled back enough so that it wouldn’t be in her face.

After curling her entire head with a large barrel curling iron I took 3 large sections that I braided using a rope braid method. The sections were then secured in place with bobby pins.  Melinda’s hairpins look perfect!

Katy

That red hair is just beautiful!  Katy was looking for her hair to be loosely pulled back with beachy waves…

To create the waves I used my flat iron making S curls pattern all over the head.  Then, with a shiny pomade I run my finger through Katy’s hair to give it a bohemian feel.  Small amount of hair was gathered at the back of her head and secured with bobby pins.

Emily

Emily also wanted to wear her hair half up half down.  She had brought in clip-ons hair extensions to make fullness and length happen.

After placing and securing the clip-ons hair extensions, I curled Emily’s hair using a medium size curling iron and alternated the curls direction.  I slightly teased the hair at the crown area for a little volume, and gathered sections of hair at the back that I slightly pushed up before pinning down.

Voila!

Which one of these 3 is your fave?

I watch American Idol just to stare at Jennifer Lopez. I swear, her makeup alone is worth tuning in.
I would love to find out what her MU artist uses on her cheekbones. And please don’t tell me it’s BODY BLING. I DON’T BELIEVE IT

Bobbi Brown Bronze Shimmer Brick ($38) could easily do the job though.

Five warm-toned shades in one compact, ranging from champagne to peach, metallic copper, golden and deep bronze. Instant Jlo glow. I’m tellin’ you.

This product can also be applied as eyeshadows.  My preferred way to use is as a highlighter, an accent on the highest point of the face.

Swipe a blush brush across all the bricks for a gorgeous blend of colors that melt beautifully into the skin.  I found that it’s best to start lightly and slowly built.  The powder is very soft so the brush ends up grabbing a lot of product.  I always tap the brush to remove excess before applying.

Overall I really Bobbi Brown Bronze Shimmer Brick alth0ugh find it pricey.

Studio Marie-Pierre rating: B+

How do you make yourself glow?

People always ask me why weddings are so special to me… where do I begin and where do I end!

• The obvious… I LOVE brides!
• Hearing how the couple met AND how he proposed. There’s been a few good ones over the years. One involving a treasure chest on the bottom of the ocean. Imagine.
• Witty bridesmaids. Giggles.
• The dress. So many divine gowns so little time.
• The bling. I’ve drooled blatantly.
• The accessories… Hair piece, shoes, jewels you name it.  The more the merrier.
• Watching Mother, Daughter relationship. Gets me all teary.
• The stories from the night before when everyone was having a good old time on Duval street. Hahahah!  The things we hear.
• The something blue. My fave to date is the groom’s name tattooed in blue glitter on the bride’s cheeky.  It was so adorable! (I love glitter tattoos)
• False eyelashes and hair extensions. Instant glam ladies. Instant.
• All the details that create the perfect day…. Details are a big one for me.

Which brings me to this

 
I recently had the pleasure to be a part of Whitney’s wedding, which had SO MANY incredible details.
As soon as her pro photos are available I will show you what I’m talking about.  In the meantime, I wanted to showcase her Bouquet.

 
Made up of antiques brooch by The Ritzy Rose, it was simply spectacular.  I was completely mesmerized — What an awesome idea and creation!!!

…the whole bouquet was made up of brooches that belonged to myself, my mother, my grandmother, and my great aunt. The 5 pennies were put on the handle for my beloved grandfather who passed away 2 years (exactly) before my wedding day. He carried 5 pennies around in his pocket everyday, just in case the opportunity came up to tell his favorite joke. I love, love, love my bouquet and would highly encourage every bride to have something like this from their special day that will last forever!

Whitney~ The Bride

Photos: Andi Grant Photography (I cannot wait to see the rest)

Marie-Pierre,
Thank you so very much for the magic you and Nat performed on my wedding day! All of my girls looked gorgeous and I never looked better!
You have such a gift for inspiring and bringing out the true beauty in every individual you touch! It was truly a pleasure working with you and I can’t imagine my wedding without your spectacular talent making us all shine!
Thank you again and keep in touch (yay Facebook!)
Love, Sara Bates

THANK YOU Sara!  What great card and lovely things to say!  You are so thoughtful!
Nat and I had such a wonderful time getting you all ready and would love to do it all over again! Wouldn’t THAT be fun!!!!

Engagement photos

You know what it’s like when you meet someone for the first time and adore them?  That’s exactly what happened when Sara first came to the studio, (over 18 months ago) to get all dolled up for her engagement photo shoot with Studio Julie.  Go here to see more photos.

Her wedding was a few weeks ago.  It was incredible. EVERYTHING!

There was so much love surrounding Sara.  I wanted to go home with her Mom and Aunt Colleen. And I SO digged Lauren, the gorgeous, super witty bridesmaid.  We shared makeup tips and I even had a breakthrough when I decided to follow her request, and use a brown eyeliner with a very cool gay. Hahaha!  Lauren if you’re reading this, KNOW that I used that combo on somebody else the other day and it was fab.

Sara’s hair had grown so much since I had last seen her, I was tickled pink!  We decided to go for a for a loose sexy chignon with a few pieces not all the way tucked in.

After curling her hair,  I loosened it up as much as possible without reverting to straight.  Then, I took sections of hair and overlapped them onto each other before securing with bobby pins.  I didn’t want to see curls just waves all gathered together.

Sara ranks right up there with some of our most ravishing brides. The eyes alone.

And check out that gorgeous glow!  She came the day before the wedding to get a spray tan.

I wanted Sara’s MU to be fresh and sophisticated. My focus was on her stunning eyes.

First I airbrushed the foundation and highlighted the highest points of her face.  I used a light peachy pink blush on her already glowy complexion.  On her eyes I used a combination of shimmery champagne and warm brown with a hint a copper.  Coppery brown always make blue eyes stand out.  Deep chocolate brown eyeliner, false lashes with just a hint of mascara.  Medium pink lipstick with a gloss and Sara is ready!

Meeting you and your family Sara was an experience I will never forget. Wishing you and Matt the best of everything!!!!XO

Hair/Makeup: Marie-Pierre Sander
Photographer: Studio Julie
Event Planner: Simply you
Flowers/Decor: Milan Events
Cakes: Key West Cakes

I’ve had this post drafted now for several days unable to get to it.  I got to finish it last night.  Along with a bag of Almond M&M.

Laura Mercier Secret Camouflage Concealer ($28) isn’t new. Voted Allure’s best concealer in 2009 and 2010, it’s one of those beauty product that can easily become a staple for anyone in need of disguising skin freak outs.

1 pan 2 shades

The concealer comes in a pan with 2 different shades. One with yellow undertone the other pink.  This enable the right match.

Super thick and dense it’s brilliant on spots and blemishes.  Use a concealer brush to pick up some of each shade and blend them on the back of your hand. Apply the concealer right on the spot where it’s needed and press with a stippling motion.

When concealing pimples I like to use very small brushes, so that the concealer is completely isolated.

I also used Secret Camouflage recently on a few clients with Melasma.  I first applied a light layer of foundation, then used the method above to cover the affected area.  It makes the darkeness pretty much dissapear. Rather impressive.

No likey (at all) as an under eye concealer

Apparently some people use this as under eye concealer and rave about it.  I tried several times and absolutely hated the outcome. It’s not creamy enough to spread and make the eye area all crinkly and hideous looking. Don’t waste your time.

Studio Marie-Pierre rating: B

It’s been a world wind of weddings around here.  So many incredible brides, families and bridal parties. We are grateful beyond belief and LOVE meeting every single one of you.

Okay enough with the mushy stuff,  have a marvelous day and don’t forget to LIKE us on Facebook.  You can ALWAYS find me there. Ha!