-
Recent Posts
Recent Comments
- Leanne on Cynthia’s Christmas Wedding in Holyoke, MA
- rachellisamua on What’s the deal with airbrush, anyway?
- Liz Washer on Crystal & Matthew’s Smith College Winter Wedding
- Tammy Thompson on Crystal & Matthew’s Smith College Winter Wedding
- lisa johnson on Beauty Resolutions: Keeping Things Clean in 2013!
Categories
- Airbrush (62)
- Announcements (14)
- Before & After (14)
- Clients (61)
- Fashion (9)
- How to (33)
- Interviews (10)
- Photoshoots (26)
- Products (19)
- Published (9)
- Recommended Vendors (46)
- Special Events (4)
- Tattoos (3)
- Trends (13)
- Weddings (52)
Tags
airbrush articles bancroft bridals before and after berkshires ma birdcage veil bridal beauty brides of color bright lips color-correcting concealer do's and don'ts editorial eutopia events eyebrows eyeliner false lashes florence ma forget me not florist holyoke ma how to how to be a redhead individual false lashes jenursa lesbian weddings lgbt look park makeup tips michelle girard photography natural looks northampton ma personal style product reviews purple redheads red lips sandra costello skincare smoky eyes springfield ma step by step the log cabin trends wedding makeup wedding photosArchives
- May 2013
- April 2013
- March 2013
- February 2013
- January 2013
- December 2012
- November 2012
- October 2012
- September 2012
- August 2012
- July 2012
- June 2012
- May 2012
- April 2012
- March 2012
- February 2012
- January 2012
- December 2011
- November 2011
- August 2011
- June 2011
- January 2011
- December 2010
- November 2010
- October 2010
- September 2010
- July 2010
- March 2010
- February 2010
- January 2010
Are YOU Ready for Your Close-Up?
Learn how to DAZZLE on your wedding day – sign up below to receive a complimentary 30-page, fully illustrated bridal makeup guide plus a subscription to my biweekly ezine. It's more info & inspiration than you can shake a mascara wand at!
- 413.539.8035
- liz@lizwashermakeup.com
Tag Archives: personal style
Heather’s June Wedding at the Log Cabin in Holyoke, MA
Heather is a high school math teacher who was easily one of my most laid-back, easygoing clients of all time. Not a regular makeup wearer, she wanted to look good for photos but keep things very natural looking and not “makeuppy.” A touch of smoky eyeliner, mascara, and soft rosy lips & cheeks were all that was needed in terms of color; the rest was just subtle skin work that would be virtually undetectable to the naked eye.
Here is a before & after from our trial session where you can see the VERY subtle, but effective, difference the airbrush makeup made to her already beautiful face:
(I love sharing photos like this because so many of my brides are afraid of looking made up, and if you don’t want to, you don’t have to! It’s all about invoking the style that you’re comfortable with so that you feel like yourself on your big day, but are still camera-ready.)
Here are some wedding day photos that Heather was kind enough to share (I love the classic beauty of her dress combined with the pop of color of her shoes!)
Venue: The Log Cabin
Photography: Karen Winger
Hair: Lisa Cummings
Posted in Airbrush, Before & After, Clients, Weddings
Also tagged airbrush, before and after, bridal beauty, concealer, holyoke ma, karen winger photography, natural looks, the log cabin, wedding makeup, wedding photos
Leave a comment
Priscilla’s Hip Farm Wedding in Wardsboro, VT
I got to meet Priscilla and Dan last winter when I was in NYC for Fashion Week – she contacted me asking if we could meet for a drink, so of course I said yes! I got to learn more about this self-described pair of “Brooklyn hipsters” and their plans for a chic, laid-back wedding on a friend’s farm in Vermont.
When the day finally arrived, hairstylist Jen and I crossed the border into a beautiful rural setting. There, I did makeup for Priscilla and her sister. Priscilla opted for a very natural makeup look (mostly bare eyes and softly defined skin) – with the exception of a vivid pop of red on the lips! (To achieve long-lasting, kiss-proof red lips, I used Sephora’s cream lip stain in Always Red, which lasted beautifully throughout the day.)
Photography: Rebecca Hansen, First Mate Photography
Hair: Jenursa
Catering: Sharon Myers
Music: Goodtime String Band
Posted in Airbrush, Clients, Recommended Vendors, Weddings
Also tagged airbrush, asian, bridal beauty, brides of color, bright lips, destination weddings, first mate photography, goodtime string band, jenursa, red lips, sharon myers catering, wardsboro vt, wedding makeup, wedding photos
Leave a comment
Featured in Caribbean Posh Magazine
Pleasantly surprised to see the results of an email media query that actually took place nearly a year ago! Two photos of my work are shown as well. Here’s the paragraph I am quoted in:
Skip the Usual Tubes: Don’t like the feel of heavy lipstick or goopy gloss? Go for a soft stain, which will wash your lips with a hint of color without excess shine. “Tangerine is one of my favorite color trends in recent years,” says Liz Washer, whose makeup expertise has appeared in Essence. “It just looks so juicy and fresh, and there’s a shade for every skin tone. But if you’re not quite up for a bright orange or tangerine, try poppy or coral. You can also soften a bright lip look by patting lipstick on your lips with your ring finger, achieving a softer stain effect, or use a semi sheer gloss in the same color family.”
Full article: Brightening up Winter with Tangerine Lips
Posted in Announcements, How to, Interviews, Trends
Also tagged articles, bright lips, do's and don'ts, how to, makeup tips, orange, tangerine
Leave a comment
Karen’s backyard punk rock wedding
I’m so glad I had room on an already-booked day to squeeze in Karen’s wedding! (Wedding #2 wasn’t until the afternoon, and it was in a neighboring town, so I was pleased to be able to accommodate both brides.) Karen knew her personal style very well: she definitely loves stronger makeup looks, so we experimented with a Hollywood eye with red lips as well as a Rock n’ Roll-style blackout smoky eye with false lashes – she ultimately chose the latter, and it was the perfect look for this bad-ass babe. And thanks to water-resistant airbrush foundation (and my gel-liner-plus-powder-shadow layering technique for eye makeup), it survived a hot, slightly stormy summer wedding day!
Photography: Ian Pouliot, Nemesis Photo
Posted in Airbrush, Clients, Weddings
Also tagged airbrush, Belchertown ma, bridal beauty, false lashes, Nemesis Photo, smoky eyes, wedding makeup, wedding photos
Leave a comment
Jenny & Leigh-Anne’s purple wedding
Here’s a glimpse of Jenny, one of my 2011 brides! I arrived at the Ivy Creek B&B in Hadley on October 8th to do makeup for her and her sister, with hairstylist Jen along for the ride. We had so much fun – Jenny has a fun, bubbly personality and loads of creativity – and she was very excited about the prospect of pro beautification for her big day. (Leigh-Anne, in classic butch fashion, politely declined makeup – gotta respect the natural look!)
And then, after the ceremony, Jenny came to my apartment for a brand new eye makeup look for her reception – going from natural neutrals to smoky purples! I love a bride with a sense of adventure about makeup. Here are some captures from the day:

And here is Jenny’s reception makeup – it only took a few minutes to do and she was off to the party!
Photography: Yosra El-Essawy and family/artist candids
Hair: Jenursa
Posted in Airbrush, Before & After, Clients, Weddings
Also tagged airbrush, before and after, birdcage veil, bridal beauty, hadley ma, individual false lashes, jenursa, lesbian weddings, lgbt, smoky eyes, wedding makeup, wedding photos
Leave a comment
Boudoir Photoshoot with Michelle Girard Photo
Ooh la la, it’s time for some sauciness. As you might have guessed, we did both shoots on the same day – a lighting and wardrobe change made all the difference!
Photography: Michelle Girard
Models: Dani & Kim
Hair: Jenursa
Makeup: Me!
Posted in Airbrush, Photoshoots, Recommended Vendors, Trends
Also tagged afro-am, airbrush, asian, bancroft bridals, boudoir, bright lips, editorial, false lashes, jenursa, michelle girard photography, red lips, smoky eyes, trends
Leave a comment
Jenn’s St. Patrick’s Day wedding
Jenn’s wedding took place on St. Patrick’s Day 2012, and while the holiday theme didn’t dominate, there were definitely some fabulous little touches here and there (check out Jenn’s shamrock manicure, beautiful soft green wedding cake, and handfasting cord below!) I did makeup for her and her two teenage daughters – a natural look for the youngest, and a rock n’ roll/Hollywood look for the 18-year old to complement her piercings.
I especially love all the laughter shown in the photos. Congratulations, Jenn!
Photography: Lisa Joy Merrill
Posted in Airbrush, Clients, Recommended Vendors, Weddings
Also tagged airbrush, bridal beauty, celtic, granby ma, lisa joy merrill photography, wedding makeup, wedding photos
2 Comments
Sneak peek from a whimsical boudoir shoot
It wasn’t for a wedding present. It wasn’t for a significant other. This session was all about HER! Boudoir shoots are a chance to break loose and have fun on your own terms, and I had so much fun doing makeup for this one. Enjoy a few saucy sneak peeks!
Photography: Lynne Graves
Posted in Clients, Photoshoots, Recommended Vendors
Also tagged boudoir, false lashes, Lynne Graves lifestyle photography
1 Comment
Monica’s smoky purple bespectacled bridal beauty
Sorry, I just love the word “bespectacled.” And I’m a glasses-wearer, too (nearsighted like whoa), so whenever one of my brides wears her frames down the aisle, I invariably break out the alliteration: “Beautiful bespectacled bride!” Maybe I’m developing a new niche?
Anyway, don’t mind me – check out Monica’s rockin’ look! She told me that dark and smoky was her style, and that she loves the color purple, so I had fun creating a look that suited her. (It looked like smoky eyeliner that coordinated with her hip frames, but every time she blinked you’d also see a flash of color – fun!) Luckily, Monica has big gorgeous eyes that don’t get overwhelmed by dark eye makeup and false lashes, so I knew she could pull it off.
First, my arsenal:
One of Monica’s bridesmaids admiring her new reflection (it was so touching to see her get all emotional!)
Monica posing with one of her bridesmaids (whose makeup I also did):
Can I get an “aww”?
Posing with the groom and one of her friends (who just happens to be an aspiring hairstylist and makeup artist, and who I had a great time talking to during prep! I was very gratified that he was so impressed with my work.)
In this photo, you can see the touch-up kit that I give my brides – it’s the sassy little satin drawstring number in her left hand:
I love pictures of laughing brides:
Showin’ off the goods:
This picture cracked me up too much to leave it out (and yes, these are posted with the bride’s permission!)
More laughing awesomeness:
On the dance floor…
The (smoky) eyes have it:
Cheers! (Love the goblets!)
Photos by Rembrandt Photography
Posted in Airbrush, Clients, Weddings
Also tagged airbrush, bridal beauty, brides wearing glasses, false lashes, purple, smoky eyes, springfield ma, wedding makeup, wedding photos
Leave a comment
Katie’s seaside wedding (Rockport, MA)
I can’t believe I haven’t shared this wedding before now! Katie’s wedding took place in May 2011 in Rockport, at the scenic Emerson Inn by the Sea. Katie found me on Offbeat Bride and promptly came out for a trial with both myself and my frequent partner-in-style, Jenursa, giving us an excuse to take the show on the road and stay overnight at an adorable little motor lodge just across the bay. Waking up to the sound of waves was a real pleasure… I love when I get to travel for work (even just across the state) and as a land-locked gal in the Western Hemisphere of Massachusetts, I’ll take any excuse to go breathe some salt air!
Katie has very elegant tastes and wanted her eyes to be the stars of the show – she also wore beautiful flowers in her hair. Her wedding palette of rich royal purples called for slightly smoky, plummy earthtones that complimented the wedding colors without matching them. And I just LOVED what Jen did to her hair!
Photos by Kelly Griffith, Closed Circle Photography







































































































































