Talking all things Bridal with Hello May

The wonderful magazine Hello May, just invited me to talk all things bridal & makeup over at their blog and also a little column in their current print Issue. Thank you for having me!

"Today, here we are again, introducing you to the seriously lovely Liv Lundelius, a go-to favourite in the Sydney wedding industry when it comes to hair and make up. Tell us a little about your background? I have lived in Berlin, New York and London before deciding to move to Australia, my background was in fashion design first, though my love has always been makeup.

How did you get into the hair and makeup game? I always wanted to do it, however after school I felt I really wanted to go down the more academic route, so I went to art school studying fashion design. I really enjoyed design, however after a little while, I felt a strong desire to come back to my first love. I have always done it, but I felt I wanted the time to gain professional skills, and time to practice and learn from others in the industry to get better and better. The decision was made in London, I told everyone that I wanted to retrain and then a friend of a friend sent me a link to a talent competition in which you could get a scholarship to one of London’s best makeup schools at the time. I knew this really was a one off chance, so I put everything into it…and won! A very good start for my new career. Since then I haven’t looked back. I love what I do.

Talk us through a typical day in the Liv Lundelius studio? Every day is fun and creative in its own way, yet no two days are the same as a freelance makeup artist. Rising up early, having a nice big coffee, walking the puppy, exercising or meditating and then my work day actually starts…

If I am not on a photo shoot or traveling to a wedding I will sort through my emails and reply to my clients and brides first thing. I will update my Instagram/Facebook with the latest work or inspiration and write a blog-post or beauty related article.

If I have time I do a little bit of research, I study the latest fashion advertising campaigns and editorials for makeup trend updates and browse through some of my favourite blogs and websites. Days in the studio are usually booked with consultations and makeup applications, where brides will come over to meet and we create their wedding makeup look. I will have magazines ready for inspiration and look through their ideas, we talk about the whole feel of her wedding, about skin and skin care and last about the actual makeup look that we want to create. After this I will clean my tools and makeup and prep for the next day.

Where do you find your inspiration? I find inspiration in life, real women and the stories behind people. Every makeup job is as individual and unique as the person it is applied to or the client it is created for. Anything can inspire me from a structure, texture or colour in nature to even more abstract inspirations such as character and mood.

Favourite look for the 2014/2015 season? Fresh radiant skin, softly blended defined eyes and a lip colour that brightens the skin. Simple and flawless with effortless hair!

If you weren’t a hair and makeup artist what would you be? An architect, an inventor, a car designer, a photographer, a fashion editor, a publisher, a traveler, a puppy trainer, a nutritionist, a yoga teacher, an ice cream maker, a writer or a unicorn!

All time fave beauty product? Only one? That’s tough, it would need to be an all rounder…like Avene Thermal Spring Water. Or pure organic coconut oil. Makeup wise my hero products are Nars Lipsticks, Chanel Foundations and By Terry Concealers. Fail. I can’t name only one…

Dream wedding destination? Outdoors, anywhere with sunshine. I do really love Croatia.

Favourite ceremony/reception venue? In Sydney my favourite is The Grounds of Alexandria.

Where can we see more of your work? Follow my Facebook page and check out my website.

Liv did the hair and makeup for our ‘Pedal to the Metal’ shoot that features in issue five of Hello May (which you can order online here with FREE postage) and we have included a few, never seen before, sneaky out takes of her handy work below with photos by the wonderful Lara Hotz and a rad behind the scenes video from Light Noise Films you can view here. Big thanks to Luisa Brimble for the beautiful portrait photo of Liv."

The reason I moved to Australia...

Approximately three times a week I get asked why I relocated to Australia. I don't know if there can ever be one simple clear answer to such a complex big decision. To sum it up, because it felt right, because I had a dream, a vision an inner voice that told me to come here. But then I hear myself say: Because of the coffee, the weather & the beach. And that is also true. While being big on health food and nutrition I do love one controversial drink: Coffee. I really enjoy it, it agrees with my body and makes me work well. I know there are many health benefits while others claim the risks. Everyone will know best for themselves it agrees with your body or not.

So to cut a long story short: When I heard about The Humble Bean comparing my favourite skincare ingredient Coconut Oil, with my favourite drink to create an all natural heavenly smelling and skin transforming body scrub, I couldn't wait to try it. Please check out here why I love Coconut Oil so much! And let me tell you...it reason enough to move across the globe or simply order it online, where ever you are! Fun Fact: Research has shown that just smelling coffee makes you less stressed. It's seriously good. I know how I will start my days from now on, morning showers have just gotten even better.

Hello May Issue Five rocks!

Pedal to the Metal // Hello May // Behind the Scenes from Light Noise Films on Vimeo.

They say that if you love what you do for a living you will never have to work a single day in your life ever again. I love what I do and I am grateful everyday that I am living my dream. What this quote doesn't tell you is that you will still need time for yourself, holidays and quiet time to rest, which is too easy to forget, when just being so happy about being busy and all the wonderful opportunities. Being a professional makeup artist, I sometimes have to poke myself, that this is all real. So many amazing have happened and I am so grateful to have the opportunity to travel to Bali as destination wedding makeup artist and can't wait to work again in Europe and the USA. It's always important to remember how far you have come rather on how far there still is to go. As beauty expert and beauty editor, I have had the chance to work with exciting brands lately and I have many more ideas. Of course there are always new challenges, dreams & goals to achieve, but in the meantime I am very happy to be well on my way. I am trying my best to find the balance, as I think I am a little bit of a workaholic, but heh, back to the topic:

Photo shoots like the recent Hello May Editorial in Issue Five (go and grab your copy now!!!) are just a dream to work on with an incredible team of creatives and just simply amazing, inspiring, funny and lovable people the final images of a shoot like this will always mean a lot to me. The hairstyling & makeup for this was more out there then the usual clean fresh bridal look, and it was exciting to create this wild & powerful look. Also this is one of my favourite and in my opinion the best wedding & lifestyle magazine there is. To see my work in print is a very special moment and makes me warm & fuzzy inside. And then after all that excitement, the behind the scenes video got released and reminded me once more of how much fun we had working on this.

Check out all those amazing people who made this possible: Creative direction: hellomay.com.au Photography: larahotz.com Hair & Make-up: www.livlundelius.com Videography: lightnoisefilms.com.au

Saveing Skin- The natural way!

As the seasons change Skin always does too. Be it more sensitive while adjusting to the change in , more dehydrated, dry, patchy or congested. A gentle natural support is often the best.

My current fav organic and all natural choice is People For Plants, a local Australian brand, which is really great value for quality ingredients. I have just discovered the range and pretty impressed. I love discovering new skin care & beauty ranges, and especially if they are reasonably priced too. The hydrating Mist Toner is super powerful for dehydrated skin, great for inflight too. My pro tip is to soak a tissue mask in the solution, which instantly plumps and soothes the skin. You will see the difference in 5 min, it's a little amazing. At night time I sleep in the Face Oil a highly potent cocktail of antioxidants which really replenishes the skin, while during the day I have protecting my skin with the Sensitive Moisture.

That's the hydrating all sorted. My biggest ever recommendation for cleansing your face is the Clearisonic, it is worth every cent! If you don't have one already and you want to improve your skin: Order one right now! Any gentle foaming cleanser works well with this, I am currently using the Foaming Cleansing Gel from People For Plants which is very lovely and sulphate free, but you can use any gentle cleanser with it that works for you.

And now keep up your good nutrition and your skin will thank you and glow!

Going For Gold

Sparkly, metallic, shimmery or matte... I am in love with gold tones for makeup.Blame it on the abundance of gorgeous autumn leaves behind my house...but I can't get enough of this look. So I thought I share my pro beauty tips on how to achieve this look:

From a sweep of golden shimmer to flashes of bold gold applied to the inner corners the eyes for an enhancing effect, this trend is the epitome of romantic and translates beautifully for an ethereal bride! A good quality shimmer can also be mixed in with your lotion, to enhance collarbones or shoulders. It's best to be applied with a good quality dome shaped makeup brush.

In the evening cheekbones, cupids-bow & bridge of the nose can be highlighted the same way sweeping the smallest amount along those areas with a dome shaped or contouring brush. It's important to keep glitter as an accent and to avoid too much all over use, to keep it elegant and timeless. Golden shimmer suits all complexions, although I recommend warmer deep gold and coppers for dark skin tones and light soft honey golds for fair skin, rose gold can also work wonders on fair skin too. It's good to test a little swatch of colour on your cheek to see which hue works best with your skin tone. Please refer to the inspiration images for ideas of how to have a play with the new gold makeup products. I love soft washes all over the lid, as well as more graphic statements.

A full lash line compliments the eye and the softness of this style perfectly, using several coats of a voloumizing and lengthening mascara, carefully brushed out to achieve a natural looking fullness and separation. For your wedding day I recommend using a water resistant formula. The eyes will best be finished of with a very soft and natural brow, only filled in with a light powder, were necessary. A good helper to hold them in place is stroke of clear brow-gel. The lips can be left nude or soft pink for a soft look or add a deep red lip for more drama and evening looks.

I love how this looks is catchy and captivating, yet subtle enough to work for brides too. It perfectly translates from day to evening, which makes it super wearable too.

Products to achieve this Look: Jane Iredale "24- Karat Gold Dust" in "Gold" a luxurious multi purpose shimmer with 24 karat gold content.

Jane Iredale "Double Dazzle" Dual-ended soft crayon pencil ideal for use as an eye liner or highlighter. Two tones, deep gold and coppery red gold, to achieve brighten, lighten, and lifted look.

Jane Iredale "Dome" Makeup Brush (amazing quality ultra soft professional makeup brush)

All Jane Iredale products are suitable for a sensitve skin are cruelty free and have skincare benefits! As a professional makeup artist, I like to mix and match different brands. Over the years I had the chance to work with all sorts of different brands and I carefully select those that deliver the best results and are consistent in their quality. My professional makeup kit includes for example Chanel, Nars, Hourglass, Chantecaille, Make Up Forever, Laura Mercier, Stila, Shu Uemura, Mac... I only work with the most sought after international luxury and professional brands.

All images via Pinterest source unknown