Irresistible Me Hair Extensions

I received a set of really fantastic hair extensions from Irresistible Me. I had the chance to really put them to the test on a music video I worked on recently, and I am now absolutely in LOVE with this hair. It blended perfectly with my clients natural hair, providing gorgeous volume. One of the things that I really love about it, is that the crown section is extra wide at the base, its the size of two separate extension attached together, so you could use it alone for some extra oomph.

The hair was subjected to a LOT in this video. Essence, my lovely talent, was covered in an assortment of things through the progression of the music video, her hair, soaked and sticky by the end. The clips held on really well, there was no slipping, which was crucial as there was no opportunity to go in and fix them if they slipped down.









Here is a picture of Essence that I snagged from her Facebook to show you her look without any extensions, so you can see how her hair is naturally.








Here are some some behind the scenes photos, from the making of the video, and I will share the video itself in 2016 when it is released.

Even from a distance, you can see how much fullness the extensions gave. We didn't want added length, so I used extensions that were close to her natural length. In these pictures, there is already some liquid in the ends of her hair, so they look wet.

Candy, sugar, and whiskey, amongst other things, are progressively thrown at her.

Until she is completely covered!

The extensions washed out perfectly, no damage to the hair, and no loss of hair. Generally, extensions don't undergo so much stress, especially right off the bat, I know with what these have gone through, that they will last! The hair is still soft and shiny and full, and I have since used it again and it was just as nice.

We then used them again to shoot some promo images for her album. All but the last are also behind the scenes shots. This is the same hair, just much different lighting, so the photos look like its darker but its the same set.

I love this one so much!

I definitely will be using this like to expand my collection of extensions, as I regularly use them in my commercial work.

3 new images and an art challenge

A good friend of mine (and incredible body painter), Rich Diltz, challenged to me a 3 images a day for 5 days art challenge. I'm sharing my first one here with you, as it is new work I've not shared yet! More of the story will be coming soon, but here are 3 that I love so far. Model is Danielle Wood, modeling some of her gorgeous designs that you can find here . Photo by Jorge Novoa. Makeup and Hair by Treja

Welcome to my blog!

Hello there! I'm resurrecting my blog as a space to share all of my makeup related work, random makeup tips and reviews, and whatever comes along and feels worth sharing! This blog will probably evolve some as I get into a regular flow. I hope you enjoy and look forward to hearing your comments, thoughts, and any questions!

"Do whatever you want" Why you don't really mean it.

I can't tell you how many times I get to and one of the party members sits in my chair and tells me 'you are the artist, I trust you to do whats looks best on me, so do whatever  you want'. 95% of the time, they don't really mean it, but just don't know it.

I've just met you and because it's a wedding, I've asked you to show up with a clean, makeup free face and am endlessly grateful that you did! What this means though is that I don't know how you generally wear your makeup or dress. I don't get a big taste of your 'personal style'. Yes, I am the artist, however, because of my training, I don't look at you and come up with one look that will look best on you. I look at you, and instantly see hundreds of options. I look at your eyes and picture the different colors and eyeshadow placements that would be complimentary to your face shape. I see different ways to do a perfect smokey eye, both dramatic and natural. I see perfect clean winged liner. I see the perfect no makeup look. I look at your lips, and determine if a orange-y red or blue based red would be better. I see what berry tone would work on you, what neutral shade, and what other colors I have that I can go to. This lets me be prepared to just grab colors I have to create any look you want instantly.

When people say 'do whatever you want' whats often actually going on in their head is 'I generally wear browns and prefer a subtle look. Maybe she can alter that slightly in a way that I wouldn't have thought of but that I will still be comfortable with' but maybe yesterday, I read an article that really make me want to try out a metallic blue eyeshadow and the back of my mind is telling me how awesome your eyecolor would look with that metallic blue eyeshadow. (Ok, maybe not for MOST weddings, but you get my point right?) I'm sure you look incredible in your eyeshadow that you wear daily, and I absolutely can add something to it that you may not have thought of on your own, but it might not be where my mind goes first without some guidance from you. I do know for sure though, that I can make that blue eyeshadow look killer on you, and it might totally freak you out as you don't see yourself that way.

I pride myself on being able to take your personal style, and make that fit into the brides vision and theme for the wedding, but to do so, I do need to get a feel for your personal style. I like to ask even the bridesmaids to bring pictures and ideas of how they like to look because a picture is more clear than a thousand words.

Sure, I can do what I think will look best, but whats more important is that you FEEL like yourself, and are in love with how you look. That takes us working together! Save the 'do whatever you think looks best' for a day when you are experimenting with makeup and have time to wash things off and start over when you want to.

I happily will book a lesson with you if you would like to come up with some new makeup looks for yourself, or even just improve your own application techniques. The day of an event however, lets just make you the most incredible, picture-perfect version of yourself that we can.

How to get the most from your wedding makeup and hair trial

You are paying for it right? Maximize your wedding makeup and hair trial with these tips!

1. Follow your artists instructions! Does she ask you to bring pictures, come wearing your normal makeup, to come with a clean face? Do what she asks. All artists have a setup that lets them work the most efficiently, they will let you know in advance what you need to do to help her work efficiently.

2. Do your research. Hop online and flip through your wedding magazines. Come up with pictures of hair styles that you love. Look at makeup pictures and save some that you love. Also, know what you absolutely don't want. If you find yourself browsing and hating hard structured hair styles, make a note of that. Can't stand the cat eyeliner trend? Make a note of that.

For makeup especially, a picture is worth a thousand words.Here are two examples of my work to illustrate my point better. Both are smokey eyes, but are drastically different. When you tell your artist you want a smokey eye, they don't know if you want one of these two looks, or for it to be hot pink, or any of the other millions of variations there are.

Makeup by Treja, heavy smokey eye

Makeup by Treja, soft smokey eye

3. Don't be set on a specific look. Bring looks as inspiration only. If you come to me telling me to make you look like Kim Kardashian, I can't do that unless you are Kim Kardashian. What I CAN do is take the aspects of her makeup that you like, and make it work with your face shape and features, and the feel of your wedding. If you bring me a picture of Jessica Alba's updo, but your hair is stick straight and heavy, I can't replicate that exactly. But I can adapt the style to your hair texture and give you something with a similar feel. 

4. Don't forget who you are. If you don't wear makeup daily, and hardly put any on when you go out, if you pick a makeup inspiration photo that's got a super heavy eye look, or a bright lipstick, think about whether or not you will be comfortable wearing that on your wedding day. Some people are, some see the look on their face and freak out and need to start over. Same thing the other way. If you wear red lipstick daily, and love a good liquid liner with blush and tons of mascara, will you be comfortable with a very neutral "bridal" makeup look? You want to look and feel your best. Your artist can look at your face and instantly get a million ideas all over the scale of ways to style you, but not all of those looks will suit you as a bride. 

5. Be open to suggestions. Chances are, your artist has worked weddings at your venue before and will have great suggestions that will make your wedding day easier and help your look fit with your overall wedding vibe. If you are having an outdoor ceremony in a notoriously windy place,  having all your hair down and in your face might not be the best plan. If your veil style won't work with the hair style you have selected, your artist can offer different ideas to make everything flow together. When I do a trial, we discuss venue, dress style, wedding vibe, wedding colors, wedding theme, veil style, daily personal style, and even the bouquet before we start talking about makeup or hair. This lets me get a picture in my head of your wedding and helps me to best prepare your look for you wedding.

6. Lastly, take advantage of your makeup and hair. Book it when you have a night out planned or something else going on. You've just spent about 2 hours getting all dolled up, go show it off. It also will let you see how your makeup and hair hold up for the day.

When my clients do their homework, the trial flies by and we can usually come up with the perfect look on the first shot, or with a few slight alterations. When a client comes in with no idea what they want and we are starting from scratch, it takes FAR longer, and can sometimes lead to overtime fees or a second trial needing to be booked.

Email me to book your wedding trial today in California's beautiful wine country. 

Treja McClish

www.bridesbytreja.com

treja@bridesbytreja.com!

Now in Petaluma!

We've moved! Makeup by Treja and Brides by Treja is now based in Petaluma! This means that your Wine Country wedding is now in my home range! Now serving the Napa Valley, Sonoma County, Marin, Tiburon, Sausalito, and all other North Bay cities.

I am also still definitely taking San Francisco weddings and clients in the greater Bay Area. Or planning a destination wedding? Don't worry, I love to travel. ;)

Playboy!! Some sexy boudoir

Recently, I had the opportunity to work with Mariah Carle of www.bayareaboudoir.com doing makeup for three boudoir shoots. The best part? Playboy Latin America was featuring her as a local artist and filming the shoots to be aired soon in Latin America.

I recently got the images and am thrilled, they are stunning, she is an excellent photographer.

In addition to wanting to share because Playboy is an exciting gig to land, I also think that at some point in her life, every woman should do a boudoir shoot, and in my opinion, right before your wedding is a great time to do it. You know you've worked HARD to get in wedding shape and boudoir photos are an excellent way to immortalize it. A book of the images from your shoot also makes an EXCELLENT gift for your husband to be on your wedding day.

Not getting married? Do it anyways. Whether as a gift for someone, or just for you, boudoir pictures are a TON of fun. How often do you get to sit and get pampered while you get your makeup and hair done, then have a professional photographer help you into great poses where you can look your sexiest?

Heres a peek at some of the images from the shoot! I did makeup only, the clients did their own hair for these images.

A simple bra and panty set looks super hot!

Bright and colorful, with a playful tutu

And nothing says sexy like stockings!

This client was a contortionist! Made for some really awesome pictures!

Rock the Frock, Bridal with Lara

Post wedding bridal photoshoot in San Francisco, shot by Sweet Light Studios.

This is my favorite bridal updo's I have done in a while!

Makeup and Hair by Treja

www.BridesbyTreja.com

Tamia: Rock the Frock

Our second Rock the Frock bride, Tamia, offers a more subdued, tranquil Rock the Frock session resulting in some stunning final images at Sweet Light Studios

Contact me to book your session today! All you need is your wedding dress.

Bay Area Brides: Rock the Frock!

Those Trash the Dress shoots sure do look like fun, but you want me to trash the dress I spent HOW MUCH MONEY ON? Trust me, I know. I'm shopping for dresses right now too, and even though I haven't bought one yet, the thought of destroying it post-wedding makes me cringe.

Sweet Light Studios and I have partnered up to offer an alternative for you for a fun, creative, post-wedding photoshoot that doesn't ruin your dress. Come out to San Francisco with us for full makeup and hair and an in-studio photoshoot. Go ultra-glam wearing makeup you didn't dare to wear on your wedding day, or take it in an editorial fashion direction. The choice is yours.

Check out our first bride Casey, in her Rock the Frock shoot!

I love her giant hair flower

We added a giant veil to her flower giving her look a Bridal Editorial edge

Doesn't she just have the best smile?

Email me, treja@bridesbytreja.com for details on booking your Rock the Frock session!

Winter skin

The weather is definitely cooling off. This means, sweaters are coming out, so is the hot cocoa and the dry skin. Wait, what? No! Chilled winds and heaters being used regularly can wreak havoc on on our skin, especially our hands and faces as they are generally more exposed. Here are some tips to combat dry skin before it starts.

Water intake is VERY important. Even though you aren't sweating with the summer sun anymore, you still need to drink a good amount of water to hydrate your skin from the inside. Carry a water bottle with you. I find that if I don't have mine, I don't remember to drink any water. I recently picked up this glass water bottle with rubber around it to protect it from a grocery store and I love it. You can buy them here: http://www.lifefactory.com/adults/22-oz-flip-1/glass-beverage-bottle-with-flip-cap-and-silicone-sleeve-olive-hex.html
 I try to not buy plastic, and hate the way the metal ones make everything taste so glass is a good option for me. It saves a TON of money when you aren't buying a new disposable one all the time and is much more eco-friendly.  We also picked up this little gem recently. Its glass inside and that's bamboo on the outside, we got the combo with all these lids, so I can put water in it, or fill it with tea or coffee (non-caffeinated teas count for water intake!) It comes apart, and the glass is dishwasher safe. Its not huge, it holds an average sized cup of coffee and I drink a lot of water, so I tend to use it for hot drinks mostly.

You can purchase here: http://www.bamboobottleco.com/store/

Using a good moisturizer is also essential. I recently added Origins A Perfect World Moisturizer to my routine and I love it. It doesn't irritate my hyper-sensitive skin and was created to prevent aging. I just turned 31 and am getting a hint of eye wrinkles (Yikes!) so this is the perfect formula for me to keep them at bay. They also have several others for different needs and I really like their skin line overall. They focus on natural, skin-healthy ingredients.

Check out their other options on their website to find the right one for your skin needs: http://www.origins.co.uk/products/mpp/index.tmpl?CATEGORY_ID=CAT3858&cm_sp=Gnav-_-Skincare-_-Moisturisers

 For the rest of my body, I use several different things. Straight out of the shower, I often apply coconut oil. (Give it 5 minutes to soak in, and you won't be oily or greasy at all and your skin will be so soft).  In my desk, I keep a travel sized bottle of Aveeno Daily Moisturizing Lotion, and in the past, I have used Burt's Bees, and I loved it. There are so many options, most not very expensive. Just pick something to have on hand to use when needed and your skin will thank you.

You skin STILL needs protection from the sun in the winter. BB Creams are the new trend in skincare and most have SPF, so I recently tried a few out. The one I like the most is Smashbox's BB Cream, and it has SPF 35. They have a range of 5 colors, which is better than the other ones I looked at, and the colors look good ON the skin, where several other brands looks chalky or grey. I've heard BB creams compared to a tinted moisturizer, but while it is moisturizing, it definitely doesn't replace a separate moisturizer. I apply it after, like a foundation with a brush, and usually just wear that. It provides light coverage and evens out my skintone, and at the end of a long day, its still there, looking great. When I need more coverage, it acts as a primer when worn under foundation.

Available at Sephora

I don't wear makeup daily anymore (seems to go with the territory of doing it for a living). So the other day, I applied my BB Cream and my foundation (Makeup Forever Matte Velvet+ this time) and **gasp** Whats that I see?! Demarcation lines. My summer tan is fading, and my makeup was too dark. Time to switch to my winter shade! Going to pick my BB Cream in 'Medium-Light' this week (I wear Medium over the summer). Don't try and cling to a summer tan that's not there anymore. Make sure your foundation changes with your skin color, and if you feel like you need a bit of extra color, add some bronzer. Matte or sparkly, it can give you that sun-kissed look without making you look clueless about color matching your foundation. For matte, Benefit's Hoola is Gorgeous, If you like some sparkle, check out FACE ateliers Brazilian Blaze.

Face Atelier Ultra Bronzer, available at www.faceatelier.com in 3 colors

Benefit - Hoola. I recommend using your own brush, while Benefit's real brushes are nice ,the one that comes with Hoola is pretty awful..

Bride - Nancy

A friend of mine won a bridal photoshoot in a contest she entered while planning her wedding. She asked me to do her hair and makeup and I was more than happy to do it! I was already booked that day, so I had to do her hair and makeup and send her off instead of attend the shoot with her, so when I got the pictures, I was thrilled with how they came out as I had no idea what to expect. She looks stunning and the photographer did an amazing job!

Nancy. Those eyes!! LOVE.

I love the bouquet.

I love this wall as a backdrop! Nancy looks stunning!

Survived a whole day in the SF wind!