Makeup by Melanie Feeny

Dreaming of beautiful views! It was so lovely to beautify this bride on the balcony overlooking Osoyoos Lake. Can you tell I’m getting sick of winter??

Ah that’s a lot of makeup! Ever said that after an application? I’ve heard it a few times One thing I always remind my clients of is that you have to wear a bit more makeup than you normally would for an event like a wedding, where you’re being photographed. Also, it often feels like a lot at the trial appointment. Why?... Your hair isn’t done extravagantly. You’re not wearing your wedding dress. You’re not on a beautiful venue with flowers everywhere and your closet friends and family all around you, also dressed up in their best. Your makeup is one piece of the puzzle. It may feel out of place when all the other pieces are not also in place. In the photos above I’m sure you can see how even all those pieces come together they make sense. One piece of not out of place from another. They all come together to create an overall look. So what does that mean for you? You. Have. To. Trust. The. Pro’s!

This feels very surreal! I always said I’d love to pioneer again and to have Tim be my partner. I figured it’d be many years before that happened. But then the pandemic happened and opened up the opportunity for us both! Here we are now, the first day of pioneer school! Best life ever with my best friend ever!

Mom Monday If you’re wondering if your mom should be included in the wedding morning festivities, yes she should. Moments like this are special and should be had with her

Funny story about this wedding day It was during the horrendous fires happening in BC and it was so incredibly smokey. I was so stuffed up with allergies due to the smoke so I put a drop of peppermint oil under my nose to try to clear my sinuses a bit. It seemed to work as I was driving to this wedding so when I arrived I figured I’d add a drop to my mask. Big mistake! I should’ve known better. I’m not new to essential oils, but I was so sick of the smoke! The peppermint oil... in the mask was the worst! It completely overwhelmed me. My nose would not stop running, my eyes were tearing up and running. A beautiful sight I ended up going back out to my car and finding another mask that’d probably been worn a few too many times but at least was peppermint oil free. Anyways! Have a great Friday! And be careful with essential oils Photos by @jordanadickson

Here’s a good example of a matte shadow. Just the tear duct and brow bone have some shimmer eyeshadow. The main lid is all matte. It’s a simple look but packs some punch and is perfect for someone that doesn’t wear a lot of makeup daily and doesn’t want to feel overly done up. This beauty came to me for makeup for her grad portraits. Hopefully things go well and prom happens this year! I’d love to see what look I can cook up for her and her beautiful eyes!

T I P T U E S D A Y Should you wear matter or shimmer eyeshadow? Here’s a couple things to consider:... Are your eyelids starting to sag or is the skin getting crepey? Shimmers will accentuate that. Shimmers come in a variety of textures - foil, satin, lustre, glitter etc. You can really up the sparkle factor depending which one you choose. Personally, I like a subtle shimmer, like a satin finish, on mature skin. But overly shimmery textures can make a mature woman look like she’s trying to look younger, which always backfires. Mattes give a bold statement and are available in a great variety of shades, more that used to be available. @tartecosmetics and @viseartofficial have amazing options. What are your favourite brands and shadow textures? First photo by @karlarosalinphotography Second photo by @lexyparksphotography

It’s grad portrait time! This doll came in to get her makeup done for her session and she just loved her makeup Isn’t she beautiful! If you’ve never had your makeup professionally applied before, there can be some hesitation. After all, what if you walk out of there looking like __________________ (fill in the blank with your own personal fear)! I’ve heard it all and I’ve never sent anyone away looking like what they feared I might. If you are graduating this year, let’s ge...t your makeup done for your portraits. You can think of it as a trial run for prom cause we’re all being really positive that prom will happen this year! DM me or head to me website and fill out the request form. Link in bio.

Mom Monday I learned a lot of good things from my mom. One thing I appreciate about her is that she never did anything she didn’t want to do, and she didn’t feel bad about it. She was true to herself. So often we let guilt and other people’s expectations of us be the reason we do this or that. And when those are the reasons, we’re not happy to do it and the whole point of doing it is defeated. I’ve definitely done things out of guilt and feeling like I had to. But as I’ve g...otten older, and even more so since my mom passed away, I feel a need to truly make my own choices. Last week we talked about insecurities we may have learned from our moms, or at least in our youth, and how we don’t want to pass these on to our daughters. This week let’s talk about some positive things we learned from our moms. What are you grateful to have learned from her? Anything that took you a while to figure out? Photo by @dallasolgaphoto

Closing out the year with one last wedding! While I love a winter wedding, I’d love it more if it wasn’t so cold and there was no snow to haul my stuff through So basically I love a fall wedding.

This photo seemed appropriate today, considering the snow WILL NOT STOP FALLING. Seriously, this is the most snow we’ve had in quite a few years. I have my last wedding of 2021 tomorrow. So happy for them that they’re able to have it with the restrictions being what they are!

Mom Monday I was chatting with some friends this weekend about the importance of speaking positively about ourselves in front of our daughters. Negative self talk is often learned at a young age and sadly so many girls learn it from their moms. I make a conscious effort to speak well of myself in front of my daughter. I’m not dumb, fat, ugly, stupid, a loser etc etc. I tell her I wear makeup because I like it, I like how it makes me feel, it’s fun to play with, it’s an art.... I don’t wear it to cover up how ugly I am or for any awful reason. I can also leave my house without makeup on and feel totally comfortable doing that. Whatever your reason for wearing or not wearing makeup, make it a positive one. Let’s let go of the hurtful things someone said about us when we were young. Those things have more to do with the person who said them than they do about us - insecurities about themselves, low self esteem, jealousy etc. Don’t let what someone said about you become the voice in your head. Just because it was said does not make it true. Let’s be advocates for ourselves and our daughters! Let’s do better for them! Do you struggle with negative self talk? Did it start young?

Your bridesmaids are individuals and shouldn’t have a cookie cutter look. A cohesive look can be achieved while still allowing for personal preferences. An experienced makeup artist can help you navigate this as it can at times be a challenge depending on the personalities you have in your bridal party

Spa night! Has a fun night recently with my daughter, scrubbing and masking and boy does our skin feel fantastic! Here’s what we did: It started off with a lil hand scrub but we thought heck! Let’s do our faces too! Coconut oil... Sugar 2 drops lavender (optional) 1 drop peppermint (optional) Scrub scrub scrub, and don’t forget your lips I know there’s a whole thing out there that coconut oil isn’t good for your facial skin, but mine seems to love it! Next we whipped up a homemade mask that felt so great on. I want to do it everyday. 1 1/2 teaspoons water 1 tablespoon matcha or green tea 1 1/2 teaspoons honey 1 tablespoon olive oil Leave on for 10 minutes and rinse. Second photo... I was diggin my makeup last night for our zoom meeting. Products used: @smashboxcanada Contour palette - on cheeks and eyes. @maccosmeticscanada Mineralize Skinfinish Natural Powder, Mineralize Skinfinish in Refined (highlighter) and Extended Play Mascara. @maybelline Super Stay Matte Ink Lip Colour in Seductress

Are you getting married in 2021? With 2020 being the total gong show that it was, 2021 dates are filling up. Just what all you brides needed - another thing to stress about! So if you are struggling to find a Saturday where all your preferred vendors are available, perhaps you could consider a weekday wedding! Weekday weddings can quite often guarantee availability. Us in the wedding industry LOVE weekday weddings!... For one thing we’re available! And for another, if we’ve booked off a weekend, for example for a vacation, then a weekday wedding provides income when normally there wouldn’t be any. When you shop local you are literally helping families! Weekday weddings also allow the friends and family who’ve travelled to your location to have an extended vacation. If your wedding is in the beautiful Okanagan, you’re doing them a favour cause who wouldn’t want a couple more days here?! A wedding doesn’t have to be on a weekend. I realize that’s what we’re all used to. But after 2020 your friends and family are going to be there for you no matter what day you choose. So why not make it a weekday? Photo by @steshajordanphotography

Hello! Thought I’d introduce myself to those that are new here Thanks so much for following! I really appreciate your support. Here’s a few random things about me... . I’m currently on day 10 of my January @whole30. Yay me! The bloat is going down and the cravings are not screaming at me so loudly. I have 2 cats. One disappeared and was returned exactly 2 months to the day and hour later. She had been shot in the head with a pellet gun. The cruelty of people is shockin...g. But she’s totally fine and we are so happy to have her home! We started homeschooling this year and it’s going better than I expected! I’ve been doing makeup for 18 years! I can’t believe it’s been that long! Care to share something about yourself? Comment below! Photo by @bokettophotography

T I P T U E S D A Y What is the crease of my eyelid and what shadows should I put there? The crease is the space just under the brow bone, it follows the shape of that bone. So depending on your facial structure the bone may sit higher or lower, making your actual eye deeper into the socket or more prominently forward.... Applying deeper shades in the crease will create more definition to your eye. The deeper the shade the more definition. Also, the further up the bone you apply eyeshadow, meaning on top of the brow bone, the more dramatic your makeup will be. If you’re wanting a subtle look, keep the shadow to just the crease but not up onto the brow bone. If you’re going for a smokey, dramatic eye, take the shadow onto the brow bone and blend away harsh lines with a blending brush. In the photos here you can see that from the side view the eyeshadow is slightly up onto her brow bone. In the straight on photo her eyes do look dramatic but because she has deeper set eyes a lot of the shadow is not seen when her eyes are open. The full lashes also help to blend away the shadow. Photos by @danikaleephotography

Mom Monday Isn’t this photo the sweetest?! These beautiful sisters and their mom were so much fun to work with. We stuck with a similar colour palette for each of them, keeping the look natural and elegant for Jodi’s super cool backyard wedding @quailsgate.... Photo by @steshajordanphotography

My best 9. Something tells me you like when I post pictures of myself... I know you appreciate makeup tutorials. Going into 2021, is that something you’d like to see more of in my feed? Photos by:... @thriveindr @karlarosalinphotography @sararogersphotography And ME! See more

Why does a makeup application cost so much? This question is not always asked out right but it is at times implied. Here’s a break down of what you’re paying for when you hire me. Quality makeup. Brand name, high quality makeup that gives the result you’re looking for. No corners cut here!... Cleanliness. These days you don’t want to mess around with germs, or with people who don’t properly get rid of them. You can be assured that the products and tools I use have been thoroughly sanitized and disinfected between uses. Experience. I’ve been doing this for over 18 years. In that time I’ve worked with a ton of different face shapes, eye shapes, skin tones and age groups. Experience teaches you a lot about what women want in their makeup and application experience. It’s also taught me as an artist what my skills and time are worth, such a valuable lesson! My time. I’m hired for your wedding, but there are countless emails, phone calls, video chats and questions / concerns to answer in the months leading up to your big day. My being available for you to answer your questions, and quite often calm your worries, is critical to your trusting me on your wedding day. I take this aspect of my commitment to you very seriously. It’s tempting to cut costs when planning a big event like a wedding. The choices you make in the professionals you hire will reflect what is valuable to you. If the points mentioned above are ones you value, then I hope to hear from you! Photos by @joelsview

T I P T U E S D A Y Are you afraid of bold lip colours? Bold lip colours do require a certain level of skill to apply, that’s true. But they’re not only for the super artistic or steady handed.... Wanna know a super easy trick to keep your lipstick even? Put a little bit of concealer on a stiff concealer brush or a q-tip and touch up any spots where your lipstick went outside the lines. Yes it’s that easy! Photo by @karlarosalinphotography

Happy Anniversary @paigefreund You still hold the title for the coolest wedding I’ve worked on! And probably the best looking wedding party too! Photos by @karlarosalinphotography

Let’s keep it clean people! If you’re ever getting your makeup done and the artist is using products like lipstick, creams or gels, mascara, straight from the tube / applicator and on to your face, put a stop to that immediately! Lipsticks, creams, gels - these should all be scooped out with a spatula and applied. Mascara should always be applied with a disposable wand, and never double dipped in to the tube. If you need multiple coats of mascara, a separate disposable wand... should be used each time. Powder products should be wiped out and sprayed with alcohol between each application. Photos by @roycesihlisweddings

T I P T U E S D A Y For heavens sake... use a bit of mascara and lipstick. You have no idea how pretty it will make you feel. - Karen White, The Sound of Glass.... I read that recently and thought it was such a good line. With makeup we’re chasing a feeling. Sometimes we shy away from wearing makeup out of fear of not knowing what we’re doing. But even a simple routine like mascara and lipstick can make us FEEL pretty. And isn’t feeling good so important these days? Times are tough right now. Put on some mascara and lipstick and at least you’ll feel pretty despite what’s going on in the world. Photo by @kevintrowbridge

Mom Monday I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, I love when moms are included in the wedding day preparation. It makes them feel so special and allows for beautiful moments like this So many moms out there have never had their makeup done. So getting that service for your mom on your wedding day is really such a special treat.... Photo by @ellarogersphotography