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Thursday, August 26, 2010

Beautiful Bride ~ Shannon!

Talk about a classic beauty... Shannon is timeless!
It was my absolute pleasure to get Shannon ready for her Wedding. The rain did not cloud her shine!

It's always a HUGE bonus when I know the wedding photographer and in this case Shannon had one of my FAVES (and closest friends) Nancy of nbphotos!

I was speechless when I first saw these images of Shannon, they truly encompass the feeling of old Hollywood glamour... not to mention they're killer shots for my portfolio! lol

All the best to Shannon & Chris for a wonderful life together!!!

Big Hugs... Crystal xo

Photography by nbphotos

Linda & Ryan Engagement session w/ Bassem

Hi Everyone!
I was so excited to finally meet Linda and get her ready for her engagement shoot with photographer extrodinaire Bassem (and of course Ryan!).
This was my first time going to the Distillery District in Toronto for a shoot and can I just say it did not disappoint!

As you can see Linda is stunning! We all had a blast (as pictured below) either watching Linda & Ryan ham it up for the camera or Bassem and I being foolish behind the camera!

Not only were these two absolutely adorable and sweet, Linda is an absolute trooper for doing the entire shoot in her fantastic 6" heels!
We ended the day in a very appropriate manner.... burgers and beer (Caesar for me!) at Mill St. brewery! Best Kobe beef burger EVER!!!
I absolutely love being able to chill with my Brides (and their Grooms) lol after shoots! So much fun!

I cannot wait until I get to see this beautiful couple again for their October Wedding!

Big Hugs... Crystal xo

Photography by Bassem

Monday, August 23, 2010

"In My Humble Opinion"... Covergirl: the Good, the not bad and the UGH!

WOW has it been a busy summer! This is definitely not a complaint, I've had a wonderful time with all of my brides and photo shoots!

I finally got the chance to sit down and do a product review. I have decided to "dub" these reviews "In My Humble Opinion"... 'cause that's exactly what these reviews are!

For any of you who know me, I am a firm believer that any criticism should come sandwiched between two layers of positivity!
So in that spirit.... here it goes!

First is the NEW CoverGirl "Lash Blast Fusion". This product promises the best of both worlds with great length AND volume.... well, it's not bad. I have medium length, thin lashes and I found that the coverage was good with multiple coats and performed better at lengthening than volumizing.
I was hoping to be blown away by this product, instead I was just pleased to find that it didn't completely suck. One big downfall for me is that it is probably one of the fastest clumping mascaras I've come across. I didn't notice it for about 2 weeks ( a friend of mine had purchased hers about a week before me) and low and behold, about a week later came the thick clumpiness.
Overall, if you've got pretty good lashes to begin with and don't mind getting a new mascara every month then this might be the one for you!
Ok... here comes the UGH! I'm not holding back here, just be prepared! lol
Smokey ShadowBlast... this will be the last time I waste breath talking about how terrible you are!*
I purchased this product (in Bronze Fire) for a few reasons. First, it was on sale (thank God). Second, I'm a sucker for great packaging. Lastly, I'm an eternal optimist!!!
I'm pretty sure that I said to Heather (fantastic cosmetics Manager at my local Shoppers Drug Mart) "I can't believe I'm buying this, I'm really hoping to be proven wrong". Alas...no such luck!
It is definitely not meant for those with oily skin! I don't have oily skin and it was slipping, creasing and looking like a$$ within 30 min.
This product is supposed to make the smokey eye easy for everyone to achieve.... OOPS!!! Probably one of the most user unfriendly products I've encountered. I even tried to apply it using cream eyeshadow brushes, better application results but product quality was still disappointing!
Overall, FAIL! I'm a professional who had a difficult time getting the advertised results... it upsets me that the general populace is going to put their hopes of a killer smokey eye on this product and be VERY disappointed... sad but true.
Finally some completely great news! While not a new product, the CoverGirl original "Lash Blast" (including the LUXE which has sparkles!) is a great mascara with an awesome price point! If you're looking for the best bang for your buck, give this one a try! I found great volumizing (which is always my first priority) and fantastic coverage that lasts all day.
If you have any product that you would like to see reviewed on my blog just send me an email...
crystal@crystalizedartistry.com
In the meantime... Big Hugs!
-Crystal xo

*All reviews both positive and negative are my personal opinion and are not meant to be a substitute for your own opinions, thoughts or common sense! =)