Czar of Curl....

Guru is a stretch. However, I have mastered the art of curly and wavy hair. That may sound a little arrogant but trust me when I tell you it is well deserved. I was raised in the land of the curly headed people. My mother and sister both had THICK, coarse, curly hair. I am well versed in the tears that accompany the " triangle cut",  the " shelf cut" and dear lord... The "bi- level cut."

I was styling my mom's hair for business meetings before I could drive. EVERY SINGLE dance my sister went to began with sobbing and putting her head in the sink. I can still hear my mom telling her that she would iron her hair ( literally with an iron) or set her whole head in Orange juice cans. You can imagine the horror that came over them when I came home with my straight hair and told them I was leaving college to go to hair school. You would have thought I said I was pregnant. Their only concern? Make sure you master curly hair or vow to never touch it.

So, I mastered it. This is my main advice to all of my clients with curl or wave.... Stop straightening it.. PLEASE. Hair looks best when you enhance what it already wants to do. Don't fight it. Embrace your curl.. I am here to tell you how..

Step one:
On damp hair first apply a generous amount of a lavender based product. Lavender boosts your curl or wave. Then apply a light hold mousse to the root and a light gel to the ends.
On Toni I used Mister Right; Lavender Spray by Deva Curl, Guts by Redken and Arc Angel by Deva Curl.

Step Two:
Twist random sections all over your head. Don't try to make them too perfect over over think them. If its taking you more than 30 seconds... You're too methodical.

Step Three:
Gently place the ends of your hair into a diffuser. The hair will coil itself around the fingers of the diffuser and make neat, smooth curls. Make sure you're not moving it all around. It should be a gentle process.

Step Four :
With an average size curling iron, make a few random curls around the hair line and any pieces that came out frizzy. You should not place more than ten curls...

 

And Just a few coloring tips:

 

1. When highlighting and lowlighting try to use a mix of both warm and cool tones. Toni has very honey tones mixed witrh very icy tones.

2. Dont forget to add shine. Whenever possible ask your stylist for a gloss or glaze. Curly hair can look dull and dry. A Glaze will help!

 

Feel free to post any questions you have!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And there you have it!! It's that simple and achievable at home.

Classic Cocktail Length.....

I love that Lindsey chose a classic cocktail length dress with a classic french twist. Lindsey is one of our make up artists and one of my best girl friends. This truly was a special day at KFI...

 Lindsey & Maurice also used one of my all time FAVORITE photographers, Erin Granzow. Whenever Erin and I are sharing a client... It makes my experience as an artist extraordinary.

You can see Erin's work at www,eringranzow.com

This is How You Do Vintage....

It's true that fashion has been influenced by the feel of the 1950's pin up era. Personally, I adore it. The problem that I have with using that inspiration is that I often feel as though it can end up making a woman look more like she is in a costume rather than having a hint of a vintage feel.

I totally understand it. It was a time of real garter belts and stockings, cocktail length dresses and heels. Fabrics were doused with soft prints and trimmed with lace. An hour glass figure was sexy. Soft, sculpted hair and a bright lip were the fashion. I LOVE everything about a vintage inspired look.... I don't know what else could make a woman feel more feminine and pretty. The trick is understating everything.

Faith Pippin and her fiance Jason hit the nail on the head in their engagement photos. I was so happy to work with Faith. She is Beautiful, smart and simply hysterical. Ladies.... If you are
Considering a vintage look, this is a shining example.

Lisa Bice - Where Do I Begin?

I have owned Kelli Fink, Inc. for ten years. It never fails that once I start a consultation with a client or  Lisa, Lindsey,  Katie or I walk into a room full of bridesmaids, one of the first questions we are asked is " What advice would you give a bride?" Honestly, we could (and maybe one day we will) write a novel about everything we have seen. All of the " what to dos" and " what not to dos" would take hours. But THIS, we know for sure.... ONCE YOU SEE US: ITS OVER. NO MORE FUSS ABOUT THE CENTERPIECES, THE FLOWERS, WHO SITS WHERE, WHO IS LOST, WHO IS GOING TO BE LATE, ECT. WE WILL BE THE LAST PEOPLE YOU SEE BEFORE YOU GET MARRIED. RELAX. LET GO OF EVERYTHING IN  THESE LAST MOMENTS AND REALLY ENJOY THIS DAY. 

Lisa Bice is the perfect example of this. In ten years, Lisa had to be one of the happiest brides we have ever met. No fussing, no panic, no bridezilla. I can honestly say that Lisa was so excited to marry the man of her dreams that working with her and her friends and family was one of our highlights this year.

And just look at their photos! This kind of happiness you can not fake. It shows in every single shot. We would like to say thank you to Lisa and her bridal party.... You reminded us of exactly why we love our jobs.

The Truth about Eyeliner .... This is SERIOUS

So... I am so excited to finally post about eye liner pots. The truth is... Eyeliner is in. I don't know if we have the Kardashians to thank, the return of the pin up or the 80's? No matter what your inspiration is, it's back. 

Our clients (and our friends) are constantly asking us which brand is the best to use. This is where it gets tricky... Are you looking for a 50's inspired heavy upper lid, ala Adelle?

OR.... Are you looking for the VERY popular... Heavy water line application?

Both require a sturdy, heavily pigmented product that stays on through the duration of your evening. If you aren't careful this could lead to that dreaded moment when you excuse yourself to the ladies room after two cocktails only to find that you suddenly look like Alice Cooper.

Katie and I thought we had found it. The BEST eyeliner pot ever made. I would even go so far as to say that she bought it for herself before I did. I ended up "borrowing it" almost everyday and had to break down and buy my own. Everything about this eyeliner was perfect. It has a velvet texture that glides on with little to no tugging or effort at all. It is not charcoal, brown/black, or muted. It is the perfect matte black eyeliner. It also come with the most perfect brush. It is the Tarte black eyeliner pot!!

And then we had a situation. Once I purchased the pot for Kelli Fink, Inc.'s make up kit. I could not go on with out it. I was on my way to a client's wedding and realized that it was not in our kit. I began a frantic downward spiral and ended up in CVS. I ended up purchasing the Maybeliene Eye Studio version. I almost passed out. It totally confirmed the urban legend.. There really ARE drug store products that you can buy at 5:30 am that are just as good as high end professional lines.

And Now... I would like to present to you the kicker: The Tarte pot dried up.. Like Sahara dried up. The Maybeliene pots have stayed in perfect condition. They last forever and I find that I am throwing them out before I use them all, just because it makes me feel weird to not replace them. Our suggestion is to save your money and buy Maybeliene's version and invest in a really good eyeliner brush. Ladies, You're welcome.

Rain, Shmain!!!

Over the last ten years we have always heard one major concern from almost every bride... What if it rains? We LOVED these pictures of Aimee and Dennis. Her hair and make-up held up beautifully with the setting spray we use and Stephanie still looked AMAZING after standing out on the dock. We love the way that Erin Granzow was able to capture the actual drops of rain on the wooden pier that day. There were a few giant black umbrellas that added as the perfect accesory! Rain, Shmain!! This wedding was beautiful!!

Less is More.

It's no secret at Kelli Fink, Inc. that we love to work with an understated bride. It was truly a pleasure to meet Allison, her bridal party and her family. We had a wonderful time and enjoyed how simple and classic she wore her hair and make-up.

My favorite product we used on Allison was Benefit's Bathina. Bathina is a light balm with a small amount of shimmer. It makes everyone glow and photographs beautifully! I think her shoulders in the picture really show what an amazing product it is.

Puff the Magic Eye Gel

There are a million reason why your eyes would be puffy on the big day. Emotions and alcohol tend to run high on the days leading up to a wedding. Julia is one of my all time favorite brides. Her morning was pretty stressed with news of an ailing family member. She called me on my way to her hotel to tell me that she was sure there was no way that I could apply her eye make up due to the swelling and puffiness around her eyes. Luckily, I knew that I had the secret weapon in my kit.

After 30 minutes of applying the Leirac Paris Diopti Gel, she looked fantastic. I swear by this product. I have been saying it for years... the French are so far ahead of us in the realm of skin care.

The next time you wake up and feel like you look like a baby hamster, have some of this eye gel handy.

Lindsay & Kevin

I loved Lindsay's ideas from the very start of her consultation. There are so many variations of bridal style... I have to admit, I love a classic look on a bride. Through the years, I have developed an "If you've seen one wedding dress you have seen them all" attitude. Lindsay's was different though. It really inspired me. The gown was strapless with long vertical pin tucked pleats. It was simple, classic and the emphasis of the dress was the flawless tailoring.

She came into Bang Salon (1612 U Street NW, DC) where I am a colorist as well. We took her light brown mousy hair to a soft honey wheat blonde. This was done slowly over a six month period before the wedding. We chose an old Hollywood style for the makeup. I did a very smokey eye but with neutral earth tones, heavily lined on the upper lid only with fanned out individual lashes. Her lips were a soft nude gloss. Let me tell you, the pictures are great but they don't do her justice.... Sister was channeling Grace Kelly that day!!! It was truly a pleasure for Lisa and I to work with her.

Kelli Has A Confession To Make....

Okay.... I admit it. After a full year of listening to Lindsey rave about Urban Decay.. I gave in. After being a stylist and make up artist for so long its really hard to impress me. Don't get me wrong, every line has their own specialty. Benefit has the best blushes, Lancome has the best mascaras, MAC is known for their shadows and glosses .... but are any of them truly unique? Not really. Meh. I have found Urban Decay to be pretty immature as far as their pigments. I have never met anyone that wanted their face THAT sparkly or THAT metallic that wasn't getting ready to graduate high school. Make-up doesn't always have to be soft, but it all cant be so in your face. Metallic, gawdy, and painfully trendy has always been my impression of Urban Decay. (Hence why I rolled my eyes at Lindsey every time she mentioned it)

And then I found it. The most revolutionary product in YEARS. I was shopping at the new Ulta in Frederick for some lashes that a customer needed. Of course, I found my self looking at the new naked palette from Urban Decay. Lindsey had just finished her first season with us and I wanted to get her a little something that I knew she would use. Next to the palette was their product called All Nighter Long Lasting Make- Up Setting Spray. I decided to try it.

Now the concept of setting spray is nothing new. There just hasn't been anyone out there that has done it well. FOR YEARS I have had clients asking me for setting spray. I never used it because it was literally like spraying someone in the face with Aqua Net circa 1987. They were sticky, glossy and you had to pray to the gods of make up that the client wouldn't have a reaction to it.

That evening I went to an event at a dance club in DC. It was hot, sweaty, packed and there may have accidentally been a drink spilled on my head. My hair was ruined... BUT MY MAKE UP WAS FLAWLESS. I am also one of those people that have the eyeliner that runs for its life. I am constantly asking "Do I look like Alice Cooper?" Haven't had that problem since I started using the All Nighter setting spray.

There are so many events involved in a wedding. Whether you are a bride, an attendant, friend or family. Most likely you will be attending an engagement party, showers, bachelorette parties, and a wedding. If you want your make up to stay put... this product holds your make up in place for 16 hours. BELIEVE ME!!

I gathered a little information from Sephora for you guys...

I hope everyone gets to try it!

Good Luck,

Kelli

What else you need to know:
All Nighter is hypoallergenic, dermatologist tested, vegan, cruelty-free, and free of oil. The sprayer, unlike others on the market, delivers a microfine mist that distributes product evenly over the skin.

Research results:
- 81.8% of customers say product gave makeup a healthy glow
- 78.8% of customers said product helped makeup avoid creasing
- 75.7% of customers said makeup looked as good at end of the day as at the beginning of the day

Blog it Out!!

For ten years, Kelli Fink, Inc. has been behind the scenes of weddings and special events. We have definitely seen and heard it all. For the last few years, I have been meaning to start a blog to start sharing with our clients what our experiences are like. We have seen some of the coolest weddings in THE COUNTRY !! There are so many tips and tricks that we have learned along the way, finally we are going to start letting you in on what we already know. This will also give you a chance to ask us questions and see how our work is coming along.

We hope you enjoy it !!!!
Best,

Kelli, Kristina, Lisa, Lindsey and Lauren.