Being the makeup + hair crew for YouTube star, Colleen Ballinger’s Secret Wedding

August 27, 2016August 23, 2016 LunaBella Makeup & HairLeave a comment

When we received the news that we were going to be Colleen Ballinger’s hair & makeup crew for her wedding day, of course we did the happy dance. It was quite amazing because the couple wanted to keep the wedding as private as possible. With that being said, the location amongst other details were all kept secret from the 3.5 million fans of hers. When we arrived that day, you could feel the energy and the buildup of such a big production. Not only was her day being documented by videographer Jay Diaz, but it would also be captured and able for viewing as a big release after the actual wedding. Such a buzz! We began working on Colleen’s awesome family first before taking the bride. The kick-ass bridal party included Rachel Ballinger, Gwen Ballinger, Jessica Ballinger, and Cristina Bentley.

Colleen was such a gem on that day because she truly fell in to a zen zone and was probably just really ready to be married to her handsome beau, Joshua Evans. So how did she look? Let’s put it this way. Josh had a tear in his eye for her on that day. Simply stunning! Be sure to check out all of the details from their wedding and why it was such a success to pull off secretly! The wedding was just featured on one of our favorite blogs, Style Me Pretty , where you can view their full gallery and wedding video. But just in case you’re impatient like me, you can just check out the video below. XO

Behind the Scenes :: Working the UGG Australia Fall 2015 Show

March 2, 2015March 2, 2015 LunaBella Makeup & HairLeave a comment

photo 5 (4) — Our GIRL and industry bad-ass makeup artist , Crystal Tran making some last minute additions to the models before hitting the runway.

Every year, myself, Ashley, and our team of hair and makeup artists work with about 23 female and male models for the UGG Australia Fashion Show, at the Bacara Resort in Santa Barbara, Ca. Our mornings usually start bright and early, around 5am, and then we’re off to our designated stations to set up for the day’s looks. Session spray, faux lashes, dramatic eyelines, and big hair are just some of the commonalities for these shows. Every show, there’s a theme or look that were given to recreate on our models.

This season, the look was sort of a ‘casual glam’. For the hair, tossed up ponytails, and hair down with volume and body were just enough pop for runway, but didn’t take away from the clothes. The makeup look was both a soft smokey eye with a nude lip or a neutral eye with winged-eyeliner and a bold, berry lip. Loved it all! Check out some of our Behind-the-Scenes shots from our workday. XO

The Makeup

_DSC4172 — Although different artists use different products, the majority of us are former MAC cosmetic artists, so we have that product knowledge in our back pocket. However, we all love to dabble within other lines like NARS, Make Up Forever, Chanel, Dior, SMASHBOX, and plenty other amazing lines out there. Doesn’t mean that you have to stay inside the box to play nice. XO

_DSC4179 — LASH ME! Lashes are definintely one of those token items that take your makeup look from glam to BAM! It’s a great tool for makeup artists to make that statement look on the runway with their models, when adding lashes to the canvas. We had so many lash boxes that day, we were practically flying out of there! BLINK, BLINK. XO

The Berry Lip

Wink, Wink !! Two of our gorgeous models rocking the velvet-berry lip color that we did on most of the girls for Day 1 look. Perfect fall lip! Whether it’s a matte lip (with no shine) or something with a little sheen to it, the berry lip is always a classic.

My amazing wife powdering-noses backstage. The curls were definitely in the house!

The Hair

The hair that we were doing on the models had to be casual, but still runway glamorous. This involved the messy ponytail, big, soft curls, volume for days, and wind-blown tresses. For many of the models, we had about a 25-30 minute window with hair, so that definitely helped us keep the idea of ‘casual’ in our heads. Sometimes when you have too much time on your hands, you over-think it , and it begins to look overdone. For the big volume with soft curls, we prepped the girls with either a session spray or flexible hold spray first. This gave time for the product to dry in the hair without risking the heat damage of hot irons on damp hair. We then used a volume powder at the roots of all of the models. This gave us the lift all over the hair, without the ‘rat’s nest’ look. Controlled volume. We then grabbed random and big sections of hair and curled the hair away from the face. Once cooled, we’d shake it all out and used the blow dryer for the wind-blown effect. LOVE IT!

Even our male models were enjoying the pampering. Actually, they’re use to it. No big deal. XO

photo 3 (5) — All dolled up and ready for the show. The guys were so damn chill. XO

photo 5 (5) — He’s my dude doppelganger, with way more swag. XO

Had such a blast this year, just like every year. It was actually crazy because Ashley and I just got back from Australia and to see the UGG Boots over there, the ads, the stores, it was pretty awesome. Can’t wait until next year. XO

photo 2 (9) — Backstage snap of the screen that the audience sees. Even though it’s reversed for us, it was still cool to see the clouds rolling through the room.

Thank you to the Bacara Resort & Spa for being our 2nd home throughout our work year lol. XO

:: Thank you for helping us achieve “The Best of 2014” in Hair + Makeup ♥

June 30, 2014June 30, 2014 LunaBella Makeup & HairLeave a comment

After almost 6 amazing years of outstanding clients and passionate work, we’re thrilled to say that we’ve made the quintessential and sought out “Best of 2014” list in Santa Barbara Magazine for the 3rd consecutive year. Without the support from our clients, wedding planners, word-of-mouth referrals, and biggest fans local as well as out of state, this wouldn’t have been such a big success. Since 2009, we’ve dedicated ourselves to placing our best foot forward every time we get to work with someone new or returning. Whether it’s a photo shoot or a wedding, makeup lesson or curly hair cut, we strive to make the lasting impression with our clients the best impression.

We thank you for choosing us as your local and destination hair and makeup team here in Santa Barbara. We will continue to improve and hone our education and expertise to provide our clients with the best versions of ourselves. Thank you for your continued support!

XO,

The LunaBella Team

Best of 2014 in Hair & Makeup

Best of 2013 Hair & Makeup

Best of 2012 Hair & Makeup

Best of 2012 in Hair & Makeup

Cover Hair and Makeup by LunaBella

Hair and Makeup by LunaBella

Cover Hair and Makeup by LunaBella

Cover Hair and Makeup for Style Me Pretty Book Cover by LunaBella

Style Me Pretty Feature, Hair & Makeup by LunaBella

Hair & Makeup by LunaBella , Style Me Pretty Feature

Cover Hair & Makeup by LunaBella, Actress Maika Monroe

Wedding Feature in Montecito Journal

Wedding Hair & Makeup by LunaBella, Montecito Journal

Feature in Flutter Magazine

Feature in Flutter Magazine, Hair & Makeup by LunaBella

Campaign photo Shoot for Workhorse Jewelry, Hair & Makeup by LunaBella

The LunaBella Studio

The Engagement, makeup by LunaBella

The Wedding, Hair & Makeup by LunaBella

Oldie, but Goodie : Working w/ model, Giglianne Braga on the show "If I Can Dream"

The Wedding, Hair & Makeup by LunaBella

Hair & Makeup by LunaBella, Singer Colbie Caillat

Hair & Makeup by LunaBella

Campaign for DIANI co. , Hair & Makeup by LunaBella

The Wise Once Said. . .

April 2, 2013April 1, 2013 LunaBella Makeup & HairLeave a comment

I had a lot of dates but I decided to stay home and dye my eyebrows.
Andy Warhol

Our work featured in ‘Flutter’ Magazine with Joy de Vivre + Jose Villa

February 19, 2013 LunaBella Makeup & HairLeave a comment

Working with such talented artists like Joy Proctor of Joy de Vivre and Jose Villa is always a magical experience full of creative energy. If you haven’t seen the images yet or this issue of Flutter Magazine, be sure to check it out at www.stylemepretty.com or click here for Flutter Magazine.

Elegant Beach Photo Shoot with photographer Christianne Taylor, Make-up by LunaBella

August 15, 2012November 8, 2012 LunaBella Makeup & HairLeave a comment

Honestly, I’m just going to let the art speak for itself here. Christianne Taylor’s work is always so whimsical, romantic, and effortless. Simply stunning. Anywho….enjoy. XOXO -makeup by Ashley Kelly, LunaBella

Thank You for making us the Bride’s Choice 2012

March 6, 2012November 11, 2012 LunaBella Makeup & HairLeave a comment

After officially becoming a “destination business” in Santa Barbara in 2009, four-years later we’ve continue to receive rave reviews, testimonials, and clients from all over the country. We appreciate you choosing us year after year, as your “Bride’s Choice” in make-up & hair. This award is not only for us, but it’s for you as well. We thank you for believing in our talents and continued support in making our dreams a reality, everyday.

From the bottom of our hearts,

Christin & Ashley , Owners of LunaBella Make-Up Art

Spotlight : ‘ The Bald Beauty Collection’ by Photographer Hoda Amel Abdalla & ‘LunaBella Make-Up Art’

February 27, 2012January 22, 2013 LunaBella Makeup & HairLeave a comment

When we were initially asked to be a part of this project with photographer, Hoda Amel Abdalla, we were honored. The preface of this project was to convey the beauty and empowerment in women who are survivors of cancer, more specifically, breast cancer. The Bald Beauty Collection was done over the course of two days, both in Los Angeles and Santa Barbara, Ca. with 25 female models requiring both beauty make-up & bald caps. Many of these professional models have never been placed in a bald cap for a , so this was an eye-opening and life-changing experience for them as well. Not only because of the reason behind the project, but many of the models and artists, like us, have or have had family members affected by the illness. Below, Abdalla gives her own preface to this project :

“The Bald Beauty Collection stimulates my desire to show that the beauty of women lay within their attitude. This collection was created to empower women as a way to step back and appreciate their beauty in the state/ condition its in. As the photographer, I focused my attention toward the women, who I feel take on one of the most courageous battles in life by struggling with their hair loss from illness and treatment. These women have a large struggle in overcoming the norms of physical beauty with the acception of their changing physical state, with hair loss. A special thank you goes out to the twenty-five models, their agencies, and LunaBella Make-Up Art for providing me with such amazing talent in making this collection possible. “

– Hoda Amel Abdalla, photographer

And just a reminder, these models all have hair. In fact, many of them had long, full hair which did make it a challenge to get the caps as smooth as possible. If the cap were to rip or split anywhere, we would have to toss it out and start from scratch. The key to getting the bald cap as smooth as possible is to make the hair underneath as sleek as you can. The more sleek and smooth the hair is underneath, the smoother the cap will fit to the head shape. Very important. We applied a bald cap on each of these ladies and concealed with different make-up mediums to make it look ‘as close to skin’ as possible. That also means mimicking skin texture, moles , and freckles. It was an amazing shoot. Here are a few of our favorite images from the shoot that we’d like to share with you.

The Wise Once Said . . .

January 26, 2012February 22, 2012 LunaBella Makeup & HairLeave a comment

Whether you are sixteen or over sixty, remember, understatement is the rule of a fine makeup artist.
– Helena Rubinstein

Behind the Scenes: Diani Boutique Holiday Shoot

January 15, 2012November 11, 2012 LunaBella Makeup & HairLeave a comment

Artists/Owners Christin and Ashley w/ Photographer Shannon Jayne Miller

This past holiday, we had the pleasure of working with the oh-so-chic Diani Boutique and talented Photographer Shannon Jayne Miller. Diani owner Caroline Diani wanted a magazine worthy photo shoot of the clothes she sells in her boutique, along with the ladies who help sell them. When she told us about the shoot, she asked for us to transform her and her employees into Fashion Models. She asked that everyone look unlike themselves and that their inner sexy be brought to light. We excitedly said yes and the rest was history in the making. With the the help of lashes, airbrush and killer hair artistry, we made it happen. We managed to do 10 girls in an 8 hour span and everyone was jaw dropping gorgeous! It was so much fun transforming these beautiful canvases and the pictures came out amazing! Check em’ out, with the behind the scene Hipstamatic shots. Love!