Hi World! First off I want to say Happy New Year!!!

I gave the blog a little makeover, and in my hastiness realized I put up the wrong logo. Greeaat. But as I work that out, I have a lot of great announcements coming up so if you can forgive the time I took in between posts (it hasn’t been a  year, I just erased a bunch of dated stuff in between this and my last thread) then I promise you will get some info that will be timely!

First things first…

I’m pleased to announce since we’ve last talked I have started a company with my husband called “elevate artists”.

elevate artists is a concept that was thought up and brought to fruition by myself and my photographer husband, Luis Aragon. (With the coaxing of some amazing artist friends). Throughout both our careers we’ve met and become great friends with incredibly talented and in demand artists in every genre of the fashion and commercial industry including other photographers, digital retouchers, makeup artists, stylists, models, and more. When we opened the doors to our Washington DC based studio, Studio400, we invited artists to hold workshops at their studio when noticing a trend of top quality education bypassing the area. The workshops that took them up on their invitation included in demand names such as The Powder Group, Billy B., Deshawn Hatcher, Sean Armenta, Suzanne Patterson, and more.

elevate artists is another chapter in what started inside the doors of Studio 400, and has grown into its own entity.

our purpose…
is to provide artists access to guests artists who are currently doing big things in the industry…allowing artists to feel comfortable they are getting the most up to date information and techniques being currently used on sets around the world, without having to go far from the comforts of home. We understand and agree that you can never stop learning in your field and elevate artists looks to be a reliable source of the fuel you need for your career to elevate to the next level.

our goal…
is to not only provide classes that are in demand nationally– but also to provide exclusive appearances by internationally known artists who do not regularly hold classes. This gives you, our student, a chance to choose the education that is most beneficial for the path you want to take in your career.

our vision…
is to keep the event lineup fresh by bringing you different options of classes on a regular basis. No one knows your truest career desires more than you, so what may work for someone else may not work for your own path. We will always be open to suggestions on the types of classes you are seeking.

our promise…
is to serve your education needs with integrity. The artists and students who teach and learn with us do so because they trust us to offer the workshops without any mishandling. If there are any unforeseen circumstances that causes one of our classes to cancel or reschedule, our students will be given the choice to have their deposit refunded or held for the rescheduled date, or even another class entirely. Integrity is important to us so everyone can feel comfortable they are taking a workshop that is being run with the utmost care and respect for your time.

To see what artist’s have graced us with their presence, and to see current workshops scheduled please visit us at www.elevateartists.com and join our mailing list!

Tags: billy b. makeup, daven mayeda, dc studio, deshawn hatcher, hair workshops, kevin james bennett, lottie, makeup workshops, photography workshops, sean armenta, studio400, The powder group, washington dc artist

I pride myself in keeping my blog personal to my experiences and to reviews of things I have tried and come to love. I try not to report on a brand new product or company that is out unless I’ve tried it myself to give you my honest opinion on it.  So, in having adapted this philosophy, it doesn’t surprise me when big news slips through my radar, but I am finding that news worth reporting somehow brings itself right into my face, such as with star stylist Ted Gibson!

During Inauguration Pre-ceremonies I had the pleasure to do makeup for Amy Brenneman, the beautiful actress from the show Private Practice. I came a bit early, chit chatted with her amazingly talented husband about how things have been in D.C. thus far while setting up and waiting for Amy to arrive. A few minutes later Amy came in with a hairstylist followed by  two videographers. I figured she was going to be doing an interview of some sorts while getting ready. It turns out the two men were actually following the hairstylist, who introduced himself to me as Ted Gibson. The two men had been collecting footage of the events he was doing including an earlier shoot he had with Ted and Caroline Kennedy for Vanity Fair.

When first meeting Ted I instantly loved how polite and sweet he was and how easy it was to work with him. He completely worked around me and what I needed even after I was insisted that he be comfortable and in good spot  for him to work in. It was such a nice experience that I didn’t even mind the two video cameras taping me do makeup while he was doing hair. I truly had no ideal what a big star he was until his story started to unfold about his salon in NY and the new one he just opened in DC. When I asked him about the beautiful pink and brown boxed product  in front of him he proceeded to take out a few “Styling Hair Sheets”  wrapped in a shiny silver foil, embedded design, and his name on the front. He told me I could get his line at Target now and gave me some hair towelettes to try out in the future. Upon talking more about what they did and how I could use them for my own fine hair he then decided that his “Building Spray”  would work great for me followed by a blowdry and/or hot rollers and gave me a bottle of it to take home with me.  

He held himself in such a great manor and complimented everyone throughout the time we were there. It’s no wonder celebrities and his client’s alike  fall in love with him even before seeing the final result of the guaranteed gorgeous style!  Ted proceeded to give Amy an elegant hairstyle with a slightly off centered part with hair that swooped down both sides before cascading curls began to fall.

He told me he had just opened his new salon in the Washington D.C. metro area called Ted Gibson Salon & Hela Spa. It has already been visited by great celebrity names on the first day, like Anne Hathaway and Tatiana Ali.  He also told me how it sat atop of a Louis Vuitton store at The Collection in Chevy Chase, MD., only minutes away from downtown D.C. How much more fabulous can  you get?

Already, not even a week since we worked together I have heard Ted’s praises being sang repeatedly. While working on a model for Elite in NY yesterday I started taking out the Styling Sheets to use on her. When she saw them she shouted out and proclaimed “Ted Gibson! I love him! I just worked with him on an InStyle magazine shoot!”. It’s obvious you don’t have to be around him long to become completely smitten with the man, his talent, and with the fact he is living his dream out loud. I look forward to visiting his salon, trying out all of his haircare line at some point, and costaring with him on some random footage floating out there of us working together!

You can find Ted Gibson Salon & Hela Spa at  The Collection in Chevy Chase 5481 Wisconsin Avenue, Level 2 Chevy Chase, MD 20815 Contact: 301.951.4445

You can also find his complete haircare line at Target stores nationwide: Ted Gibson at Target as well as other select products at Sephora.

Tags: Amy Brenneman, celebrity hair, Chevy Chase MD, Hela spa. Washington DC, Inaugural Ball, Inaugural Hair, Kathy Aragon, makeup artist, Private Practice, Ted Gibson, Ted Gibson hair, Ted Gibson Salon

Natalie's NYFW S/S09 Showcard I did makeup/hair for.

It’s not that often you get to witness a friend’s career go skyrocketing to the moon within a few short years, but for Natalie Hockey, that is exactly what has happened. Natalie is a 16 year old model from Maryland who I met when she was 13 and just starting out in the modeling world. Her fresh and innocent look, perfect model stats,  and polite demeanor definitely made her stand out in castings and made her an instant hit on the home turf jobs. It wasn’t long before Natalie was being represented in New York and traveling back and forth between castings, school, jobs, and events.

Cut to a few short years later and Natalie is now signed with one of the most profound top model agencies, IMG, and it’s hard to not notice her! She walked for NYFW S/S09 and got picked up by many designers to walk for their collection including Zac Posen and Rodarte! I even had the opportunity to bump into her backstage at the Cho Cheng show she modeled for that I worked on under makeup artist Lottie S. Her streak continued on as she was whisked away to Milan and then Paris Fashion Week directly after her first New York debut with IMG.  On that whirlwind tour she got picked up to walk for many of the greats such as D&G ,Dolce and Gabanna, and Miu Miu,  just to name a few!

 It didn’t come to a pause when Natalie returned from overseas as she quickly went on to shoot for Teen Vogue, Elle, and German Vogue, some of which are out on stands this month! Here is a sneak peek at Natalie’s Elle editorial in the Feb. 09 issue.

It’s so sweet to see success rewarded to such deserving people. Natalie and her amazingly supportive family are always kept close to our hearts and our family is more than ecstatic of the great things coming her way. Keep a look out for this one folks! She is going places…fast!

Tags: Elle editorial, German Vogue, IMG, Natalie Hockey, NYFW, SS09, Teen Vogue