Jul
03
Fall in Love with yourself in 5 easy steps…
or “how to fall in love with yourself and not feel guilty about it, not one bit”
Sounds simple doesn’t it, well it can be if we just get out of our own way! A photoshoot, whether Couture or Boudoir is a small part of the journey for self love. Makeup and beautiful images make us feel good about our selves but how do we make that feeling last long term? We do that with the small details, reminding ourselves every day how amazing we truly are.
That can be difficult, right? To say out loud “Oh I’m amazing, I love myself”… Yip! Doesn’t roll off the tongue does it? I’m not talking about the “Wow I’m better than anyone else”.. far from that, I’m talking about self appreciation.
So what can you do to help yourself on this journey? There are loads of little things but today I’m going to show you 5 simple, every days things you can do.
- Give yourself a compliment, right now… we can wait…… got it? Write it down somewhere.. read it, and again. Right today you are going to emit that quality. You will ooze this wonderfulness that makes you unique. So, once you’ve got that, repeat it again tomorrow. Try this every day for a week, then once a week, say a Monday morning. Make it a habit, write it down!
- What is your USP? (Unique Special Person). Close your eyes, think about what is your passions, your interests, what music do you love, what do you love it eat, what’s your accomplishments? Write it down!
- “WOW. I’m Awesome”… worthy of love, respect and appreciation. So start doing it! What 3 things make you awesome, it can be anything, take time to think about it and then when you’re ready guess what… that’s correct, write it down! Read it out loud, and again until it’s ingrained in your mind. Write it on a post it and place it somewhere around the house so you see it every day.
- Did anyone ever give you a compliment? How did you react? Was it by putting yourself down as you don’t want to come across vain or full of your self importance… Well stop it now! The next time someone says something, listen to it, take it on board, thank them as they took to time to say it to you. When you get the chance… write it down!
- Make a conscious decision to do one thing this week that is good for you or your soul… for example, lather yourself in a beautiful body butter or lotion, treat yourself to a manicure or massage, create something home made, eat your favourite food (guilt free). What ever you choose to do make sure to remind yourself that you deserve it and you’re doing it with love.
Imagine what we could do if we appreciated ourselves a little bit more…
Jul
04
“You are beautiful, it’s my job to make you feel it”. Whether you choose a Couture or Boudoir photoshoot I believe that all my clients should feel amazing after their session. It’s a mantra I live by so much so that today we organised for a local artist to hand paint the quote above our gorgeous throne. So anytime you visit you know that more than anything we will do everything in our skill and power to make sure you leave knowing how beautiful you truly are.
#youarebeautiful #couturesession #boudoircouture
Nov
01
You may know by now, I adore emotive portraits and I love creating images that look like paintings. Niamh won a Couture Session competition and during the pre-session appointment I soon realised the style of shoot we would be creating.
She adores Irish fashion from the 20’s & 30’s and she loves medieval architecture, literature and art. But we didn’t want to create something that looked like a costume but rather influenced by all these elements.
The artist that came to mind was Lavery, his women were always emotive but also very strong. So with this in mind we created a selection of images that were in my opinion an “Irish Portrait”.
Please if you are looking for a portrait, ask me to shoot you like this. I would be in heaven!
Eva x
May
03
I want to make something very clear... Just like all women! We are strong, beautiful and unique! Please remember that….
I know there are times we don’t feel it or see it, we may feel tired and worn out but that is the very time we need to look after ourselves, be kind about how we feel (don’t give ourselves a hard time) be gentle and put ourselves first, i know a lot easier said than done. Strength comes from knowing what vulnerability feels like.
Life does have its up and downs, but the great thing is we can choose to have more ups! Its all about how we see things. Don’t get me wrong, i have my moments but i try and work (hard) on being positive every day but it is so worth being able to choose to be happy. Happiness is real beauty, its written all over you.
What makes us unique is our own story, every woman i meet has a story to tell. We have emotional and physical scars that life has given us but these are our tiger stripes! These show us we have battled and survived.
It helps to have inspiring people around you too, look out for them, they are worth their weight in gold!
So please remember we are all strong, beautiful and unique, tell yourself, tell others xxx
Apr
05
Every day I meet wonderful people and get a small glimpse into their lives just like this family. Lorraine asked me to photograph her son Dylan for his confirmation, along with his extended family. Dylan looked amazing against our new grey backdrop both in block colour and pattern.
Not only did we shoot in natural light but also took the opportunity to photograph the whole family with the studio lights against white, which is perfect for group shots.
Next time you are thinking about getting a Confirmation or Communion portrait done, why not consider getting a family portrait done too 😀
Check out the gallery for more confirmation photography
Mar
24
Jessica Shortt is a freelance makeup artist that has worked with me many times on the beautiful Couture Sessions. I have asked her to write a few words about what to expect from the Couture Session makeup process
Your couture session come’s with professional makeup application and hair styling which will be tailored specifically to enhance your natural features and beauty. Before we begin we can discuss what makeup look you may like and what will fit with the concept of your couture session.
With this in mind, I have pulled together a guide for you on what to expect from the Couture Session makeup and styling process.
A few tips from me – Bare faced is best! If possible, I would recommend coming to the session with little or no makeup. Secondly, feel free to bring along some pictures as inspiration for make-up looks and hair styles that you like, words can sometimes get lost in translation so a picture can act as a guide for us both to work from. Lastly, relax and enjoy the experience.
Like all of the beautiful faces I paint, I will begin by cleansing, toning and priming your skin. I carry a wide selection of high-end, designer products such as the ultimate Global brands of MAC & Bobbi Brown, the artistic French labels, NARS & Makeup Forever and of course the timeless classic, Lancôme. Once your skin is prepped and primed we will continue by creating a beautiful even base, If you would prefer a light foundation base we can use tinted moisturiser or you may want to go for full, flawless coverage. I will cater to both and everything in between. Once your picture perfect base is applied we will move onto colour – vibrant pink lips, peach blushed cheeks or smoldering smokey eyes. Everything will be tailored specifically to suit you and the concept of your couture session.
Getting in front of the camera can be nerve wrecking but don’t worry, you are in the hands of professionals who will make you look and feel truly fantastic. The proof is the in the photo – Check out Eva’s gallery for past Couture Session images.
I hope to meet you soon
Jessica
Mar
21
I love meeting new people, i love learning about a person i never knew before. The reason is that everyone has a story to tell. And when you photograph someone it gives you a bit of an insight into who they are. When we do a Couture Session, this is when you learn a lot about someone usually through insecurities.
I have plenty of these insecurities myself, so when it came to put myself (and my Mum & Sister) in front of the camera, they all surfaced! Thoughts like “i’m too heavy, I don’t feel beautiful, what if i look awful in the final images…” the list goes on. I had to have a wee chat with myself, the same conversation I usually have with my clients.
Don’t put it off until you’ve lost those few pounds, you are perfect as you are today. Embrace who you are now!
Lets show our children (and daughters especially) we are strong confident women even with all our insecurities, they make us who we are.
I don’t want to regret not having that beautiful photograph of my Mum, Sister and myself to treasure forever.
Be brave and love the experience.
So the day of the shoot, the three of us with our nerves embraced the experience. I had a dual role, being photographer and client but i experienced the fun and laughter that goes with feeling a little exposed but ultimately loving it.
I don’t regret for one minute having the Couture Session done and maybe the next time I do it I might not feel so vulnerable but if i do i will still give it 100%
Mar
07
Welcome to our new home, website and blog combined. Put on the kettle, pull up a chair and enjoy 😀
