Spring time festivities

Spring is almost here and lets rejoice its arrival with a look that is fresh, bold and uber glam!

Makeup by Saman Ansari on her self!

The outfit is pearl white with crystal details and here is the makeup to compliment:


All makeup by MAC unless stated other wise:
Face- Oil of Olay moisturizer
Studio Tech NC 40 applied and blended with foundation brush.
Medium Dark Blot powder dusted with a large fluffy brush.


Eyes- Prep n Prime Eye
Entire Lid- VEX applied with a wet brush for max impact
Socket- Wedge layered with sushi flower
Outer crease and lower lash line- Knight Divine
Browbone- Vanilla eyeshadow (the pigment is too gold for this look)
Inner Corners top and bottom- Silver Ring applied with an angled liner brush.
Black Track Fluid line on the water line (top and bottom lids)
Engraved eye pencil on the top lash line.
Custom made falsies & Loreal Voluminous mascara in Blackest Black on top and bottom lashes.
Shimmering white glitter NYX glitter Palette on the inner and outer corners of the eye.


Cheekbones & Jawline- Shadester applied with a contouring brush
Cheeks- Poesey creme blush dotted with index finger, blended upwards towards the temples and layered with desert rose
Highlight- Hyper Real powder in Lavendar FX


Lips-
Outer line- Burgundy, Inner line and blending Beet, Lipstick Girl About Town.


Finishing touch- the attitude to carry it off with elegance and oh yes, Glamor!
Stay Beautiful!
XOXO
Saman Ansari

The most gratifying session!!!

Thanksgiving 2010 was energized with weddings for Saffron Affairs, me playing hostess for a feast for some of my dearest friends, the better half coming down with a nasty cold, getting gifted with the Dyson of my dreams (yes I dream in cleanliness!) but most importantly, was the highlight- the most gratifying styling session of the year!


My dear friend and International Cinematographer extraordinaire' Mili Ghosh (http://www.memoinmotion.com) was visiting Austin from her windy city home town- and to mark her anniversary she had a themed photo-shoot in mind (what a delightful idea for all couples!!!). I got the unbelievable opportunity to style her hair (which my goodness is any hair artist's dream come true, trust me, it curls in 5 secs and holds the curl & shines without any products!!!) and to do her makeup for her 40's vintage inspired shoot!


Undoubtedly her skin was flawless, doe eyes that could melt or pierce your heart with the slightest change in glance and oh did I mention the amazing hair already?
:)


So we worked together, amongst a lot of laughter and chit chat, catching up in person after almost 3 years and Mili trusted every stroke of my brushes, every dab of pigments.... and about 2 hours later, here stepped out Mili exquisite from head to toe, from her meticulous selection of her dress, to the shoes (jaw on the floor alert), her perfect accessories and oh yes the perfectly defined RED matte lips to offset her winged carbon eyeliner, wispy falsies and the undone bun!


A little nudge here for her darling and partner in art Sid for a bit of gel to take his upward sculpted hair style to a 40's sleek one and the couple was all set for a fun shoot in Austin with Nessa K Photography.


Here is a classic memory of Mili & I from that most artistically precious session for me just as they were ready to head out the door for their shoot.

Thank you my dearest friends and I cannot wait to work with you soon at some exotic location, half way around the world~


To all my readers- Stay Beautiful!
XOXO
Saman

Product Review

For those of you who emailed me regarding the super oil I used while styling the last blog for Maharani Weddings 


http://www.maharaniweddings.com/maharani/2010/11/studio-sila-thanksgiving-maharani.html


here are details!


So the amazing dry oil is called Moroccan Oil and it is primarily created from Agave Oil. Being a dry oil, it leaves no heavy, sticky, oily feel to the hair when used properly.


So what is proper, well, you are to use a drop (literally no bigger than the size of a penny) in damp hair and focus more on the length of the strand and the ends. If your hair is bleached, highlighted, chemically relaxed, permed or very curly you will need a tad bit more. Hair that is virgin to all chemical processes will need less. Remember it looks like a drop but it goes a long way and after the first use, you will know if you need to go up or down with the amount applied. You rub the drop of oil between your palms and smooth it down the shaft of the hair, remember the inside area also near the nape of the neck :)


It works both to naturally smooth the hair and is amazing for styling too. I use it prior to applying curlers for the softest large curls, its amazing as a serum prior to using the flat iron and if you make loose braids in almost dry hair after applying the oil 10 minutes later you have the perfect finger waves!


Here is the product- worth every penny and it is available online at Amazon!

Stay Beautiful!

XOXO

Saman Ansari

A recap of some beauty this summer

Hello gorgeous people!
Its been an artistically fulfilling yet hectic summer as I took on the role of Aesthetic Director for Saffron Affairs. My passion of makeup has not been neglected I assure you :) and here are some of the faces I worked with- Each hair and makeup look was custom created to best suit their desire and compliment not only their outfit but the theme of their event too.
Enjoy!

The Princess on the Lake

The first weekend in April was truly the most highly anticipated wedding weekend of early 2010- nestled in the exquisite hill country of Austin, overlooking the magnificent lake Travis, lined up were 3 events that came together as a grand production by the finest vendors of Austin! 

My bride, with her flawless complexion, chiseled features and the highest standards of artistic preferences gave me the opportunity to express my creativity of makeup artistry, hair design and styling for her Sangeet, Wedding and Reception Events.

Mint green and yellow were the colors of the Sangeet outfit and we worked with smokey lime & moss green  with custom set eyelashes and lavishly lined eyes, muted lips, flushed cheeks on a contoured bone and lots of large soft waves in her hair with extensions and diamond accents.

Soft white with crystal accents and a hint of burgundy was the look of the wedding outfit and the makeup was extremely refined with a hint of old gold, vanilla and bronze, soft black liner, custom set eyelashes, highlighted cheekbones and an enhanced blush and warm nude lips. The hair was lifted at the crown and set with an updo to provide a graceful drape to her veil.

Lush royal purple with copper, soft gold and crystals was the fantastic color of the reception outfit. The bride wanted 'Kim Kardashian' style eyes and that is what we worked with. Purple, violet, plum, shimmering lavender and mauve created diva like bold, sensual eyes complete with lots of black eyeliner and glamorous custom set eyelashes. Defined brows, glowing cheeks accenting the cheekbones, and soft warm mauve lips with just a hint of sheen. The hair was coiffed with an elaborate up do and finished with a crystal hair clip asymmetrically.

Intensely elegant, flawlessly glamorous- my signature style!

XOXO

Saman

From Punjab to Texas- A Debutant Reception

Sunday was a dull, gray rainy early March day but got brightened up very soon as my session started with a Newly wed bride who recently got married in Punjab India, and came over to get ready for her Reception in Austin!

Accompanied by her sister in law, our session was full of chatter, laughter and lush brilliant colors that not only reflected the essence of Punjabi culture but were perfect for the bride's grand debut in her new Austin friends and family.

The SIL wore a lovely deep plum sari with green, copper and gold accents we replicated the look with vibrant magenta, old gold and green eye shadows, flushed berry cheeks and soft muted lips. Her hair was teased at the crown and curled with three sizes of curling irons to create a full, soft yet elegant evening look.

The bride wore a very unique lehnga outfit that had a champagne shirt, emerald green and hot pink lehnga with traditional punjabi phulkaari embroidery & mirrors. We created an eleborate updo with a partial beehive and then exxagerated coils, barrels and curls that diminished Sarah Jessica Parkers updo at the Oscars last night! The hair was completed with two white thai orchids on one side.

The Makeup was created with heavily Kohled eyes with black track fluid line, emerald green eyeshadow on the lid, champagne eyeshadow on the inner corners, hot pink on the crease blended to a nude at the brow. Black liner on the top lid, emerald liner on the lower lid, Diva style false eyelashes & two coats of mascara. The primed face started with Studio Tech Foundation, some spot concealor,  a spritz of Fix Plus hydrating spray and mineralize face powder. The cheeks were sculpted with Sound Trip and Shadester. The full lips had a neutral look with raw refined lip liner and half n half lipstick. 

Perfect for her debut and a night full of bhangra and Punjabi style celebrations!

 

XOXO

Saman Ansari

The Beauty of Contrasts- My Jain wedding session

Sunday was a picture perfect day in Round Rock as I headed over to the lovely Casa Blanca on Brushy Creek wedding venue. Despite the unpredictable weather we had earlier, from 78 degrees to below freezing with snow in 48 hours, the location was lush with foliage, an exquisite setting for the outdoor Hindu Jain wedding ceremony and reception.

With her makeup style being only face powder and sheer lip glaze, my bride request a soft glamorous look that would be appropriate for her events. After a trial session and working on her desired colors we came up with what made her truly happy!

My bride choose a white lehnga with silvery gold embroidery and a red dupatta for the ceremony. Her rich espresso skin tone created a wonderful canvas to work in the golds and reds to create her traditional ceremony look. Healthy, thick, layered hair was a joy to work with for her updo and here is how the makeup was created:

ALL PRODUCTS BY MAC:

Prep n prime skin

Mattifying gel (my bride had uber oily skin- which is great cause she wont get wrinkles for a few more decades)

MAC skin and body foundation C5 custom blended with Studio Fix NC 50 to get the right match. Under eye and spot concealing with Select Cover Up in NW 42 and NC 40 blended.

Blot Powder- Dark

Eyes- Vanilla and Melon Pigment foilded with Fix plus spray on the lids. Basic Red pigment and bronze blended into the crease with carbon. Upper lid lined with Black track fluid line, lower lids lined with georgous gold applied wet. Custom made lashes and two coats of Fibrelash.

Cheeks- Revenge and Mystic

Lips- Mahogany liner, Diva and Dubonnet lipstick, blended.

For the reception the outfit was a vibrant blue and cotton candy pink with silver and gold kundan accents. My bride did not want to incorporate any blue so we kept the monochromatic pink scheme of the makeup as follows:

Foundation refreshed with spritz of Fix Plus, reapplied to areas where the kumkum/sindoor had left its red mark from the wedding. Matted down with blot powder.

Mineralize skin finish powder in Dark applied to natural highlight areas and the collarbone.

Eyes- Pink Opal foiled with fix plus on the lids, vex on the inner corner, lower lash line applied wet and as a highlight. Fuschia pigment with Nocturnal blended into the crease.Liquid black Eyeliner applied to the upper lid.

Cheeks- Fever and Breezy

Lips- Currant liner, immodest, captive and capricious lipsticks blended together.

The hair was changed to a soft pin curl updo with some strands framing the face (she wanted to take her hair down after the first dance). And oh did i mention we had one hour fifteen minutes to change the hair, makeup and dress her up again :)

Here's to the beauty of working with contrasting colors.

XOXO

Saman

A sweet living doll!

October 11th 2009 brought gray skies, freezing rain, a teasing cold front and the opportunity to brighten it all up with a wedding look for a darling bride in Austin!

A Jain Gujarati Indian wedding with a fantastic combination of tradition with modern individual touches- An intimate wedding at the Holiday Inn North West and a fun reception at Cafe' Blu at the Lake!!

For the morning ceremony we started at 9:45 a.m at the Renaissance at the Arboretum- The outfit was a lush emerald green and deep red chiffon sari with dull gold embroidery. The desired look was natural with the 'Saman's signature touch' of accentuated eyes and chiseled features... For the evening reception, the lehnga was a unique patchwork inspired piece with embroidered and woven panels in hues of magenta, emerald green, mustard and more with a gold and mustard blouse and an emerald green dupatta. And the bride with her sweet demeanor and soft features looked just like a doll!

This is the look for the morning which was tweaked for a bit more drama with the hair down for the evening and these are the before and after pictures for you to enjoy!

I am back!

Dear Ones!
I am sorry for disappearing for quite a while but ooh have I returned from exciting trips and such wonderful learning experiences from my travels :)
Lots of weddings this summer, will post the images very soon- Till then, stay beautiful~
XOXO
Saman

The Nail Story

Mehndi is an adornment of the South Asian bride that is both a marvelous piece of art and is one amazing aphrodisiac :)
So the nail design and mehndi are two parts of the wedding look that carry over to the post wedding and honeymoon and many brides for this reason choose the french manicure as their nail design.
While the french manicure may look extremely neat and very classy on a day to day basis, it doesn't always work out with the mehndi. Mehndi gets darker 48 hours after its initial application and the more your body temperature rises, the deeper it appears! And that can become too stark a contrast with the white tips- Here are my recommendations for nail color and design-
If you are wearing a red, maroon or orange theme that has gold accents and wish to stay away from those colors for the nails good alternates are:
1. Champagne or light sand shimmering nail color
2. Taupe color with copper tips (shorter nails only)


For pink, blue, green outfits that may have silver detailing
1. American manicure but with pearl tips (no white or creame please)
2. Sheer silver nail polish (it doesnt look tacky)
3. Diamond dust or very subtle glitter solars

Airbrush design on the nails is a personal preference but can some times look a bit too busy with the intricate mehndi design on the hands.

If getting solars or acrylics, do request a slightly rounded square tip and get them done atleast 4 days before the wedding event start as the cuticle area can throb or hurt the day after the nails are put on!

Happy nail styling!
XOXO
Saman

A garba/ sangeet session

Good friday, traffic like it was thanksgiving and a windy spring day all came together for the Garba/Sangeet night session for a beautiful bride!

As we travelled all over town from her Parents house in Round Rock, to lunch at Madras Pavillion, switching luggage and cars and into South Austin towards the hotel braving the traffic chaos on I-35, it was music and chit chat and time just flew by.

Every one kept asking, Saman are you her friend? From College?

:D

Once at the hotel we took over the suite gently moving the groom's family out of there and in 2 hours we created an elegant look for my dear bride in shimmering nudes and green for her red and burnt orange outfit.

Hope the photoshoot at the botannical gardens was a good one girl- and I cannot wait to work with you for the wedding and reception looks!

XOXO

Saman

Some tips (From experience)

Here are some tips and tried and true recommendations for all brides to be as well as those preparing for a big event-
1. If prepping your face for a hair free look, please take care by scheduling facials, waxing and threading at least a week prior. Any less than that and you can have bumps, pimples and scars on your face that will be harder to conceal.
2. Hair works with gravity & weather- If you desire a down do with large curls, remember that they need to start as smaller curls which will open up and get looser as time progresses. Use too large a barrel for curling and the hair will go straight too soon. If the weather is dry and static, the hair will get fly away distorting those large curls again. If its humid, the large curls will stick to your neck and face and look like un-styled hair! So trust your artist and let them do tighter curls and enjoy them through the event as they slowly get looser and bigger.
3. Do not fixate your self on one portion of the face to make it perfect. Look at the entire face, from an arms length (how many people will see you from 3 inches away?) The complete look should be pleasing :) Visual balance is achieved when you stand 2 feet away from the mirror and it all looks good.
4. Do your part and get some good sleep before the event. Hydration and rest are essential and even with the finest makeup techniques nothing can compare to the real, fresh look of well rested eyes and nourished skin!
5. You know your skin and how it behaves best. So if its oily, do not go for a shimmery glowing look as it will go overboard after an hour when your natural oils come through the makeup. And yes, flash photography where the flash faces you, will enhance any shine so unless you want hot spots on your T zone that look neon- keep the shimmer/fairy dust/glitter/shine/glow/bronzer to a minimum please.
6. Don't over moisturize your skin, it will cause the foundation to slide. Don't layer on chapstick before the lip color, it will cause it to bleed!
7. Trust your experienced artist (that is why you chose them right?) You are the essence of beauty and when enhanced with makeup should look elegant, divine and diva like, so stay away from the untouchable, too perfect, too polished, too porcelain a look and have a lovely event!

XOXO Saman

Why so long?

Every now and then i will get a bride who at the consulation will ask, wow Saman your session is 3 hours long at a wedding? I know of artists who do the whole look in an hour and makeup counters are done with a full makeup look in 30 minutes!

Yes i know, it seems like a long time and here is what those 3 hours include from me. With over a decade of working at weddings, i know there is always 'something' that comes up- we need to have time to accomodate that surprise. Friends want to come in to take a peek, that takes up time as they all ooh and aah and create excitement. A distraught family member may think you are the source of every solution and keeps asking you about random things...

Then there is the stress of the big day, of course you are nervous, its a huge change in your life! Would you rather feel rushed with an artist who goes at lightening speed to get your hair, makeup and dressing done and is out the door?

I arrive early, i help organize and layout all your jewelry, clothes, and details. How many forget that putting ironed clothes in a suitcase causes them to get wrinkled all over again! So i iron them again for you. We start with the hair, we talk , you laugh and smile, wiggle your toes... Then we proceed to the makeup, you close your eyes and relax as i pamper you through the process. I answer every knock at your hotel room door and assist taking unwanted visitors out of your room. I dress you up, put on your jewelry, help you wear your shoes :) Your photographer arrives for getting ready shots, i help you enjoy that session. He/She leaves to capture the arrival of the baraat- you get nervous, excited, realize you need to run to the ladies room- i help you get settled again.

We look in the mirror together, you enjoy the total vision of beauty, we make any desired tweaking changes.... I stay with you till your family comes to take you down for your grand entrace.

It's the quality of service my dearest bride to be... you are in good hands because i love what i do and my commitment to pampering you is what makes it a 3 hour session!

XOXO

Saman

What joyous excitement-

This weekend i was part of a grand Indian wedding of the Maharashtran & Tamil cultures! As i made my way to the Rennaisance at the Arboretum in Austin at 5:00 a.m, the windchill was nippy. But soon the cold melted to the warmth and hustle bustle in my brides suit as we got company from her brother, mother, aunt, uncle, the photographer father, the PRIEST :), another brother, his son and lots of friends- soon there was barely enough space for me to get her ready but hey that is the fun of a true desi wedding.

As i put on her final touches i even got a suggestion or two by the priest on how she should look for the wedding :)

I headed back to the studio at 9:00 a.m and was back at the hotel at 3:00 p.m to get the reception session started. As i undid her updo there was a shower of rice that turned the carpet white, no kidding, that is the most generous amount of rice shower i have every seen come out of a hair do! As we proceeded to covert her hair style into a lush cascade of big curls, I met the groom for the first time then, lounging in his UT shorts and T with the remnants of the wedding with Turmeric color feet and a black spot on his cheek to ward of the evil eye- what a darling he was too, the next time around he looked so handsome in his tux!

From a very traditional Maharashtran bride (with some Tamil accents to accomodate the new family ) to a glamorous Bollywood diva- how divine- all in a days work.

XOXO

Saman Ansari