Ange shines for the Womama shoot

Hi Hil


Ange, as you know is brilliant - she made me look 20 years younger - no mean feet. We would love to work with her for all future shoots if she is available.
Next shoot will be early June.

Regards  
                                          
Heidi Holbrook          
Director
WOMAMA LTD   

Our lovely Ange ( without the dreads)

A simple way to make your eyes pop with one tool !!!

I have the best tip to get some real eye brightening going on in your eyes and trust me, it is a girls best kept secret.  I have a picture below which really makes it easy to see where to highlight to get these fantastic results.  If you don't have the famous YSL Touch Eclat eye brightener, try this method out with a cream or  powder eyeshadow, in a very light tone with a shimmer.  The results are remarkable!

I would love to see before and after pics if you try it out, and I am sure our readers would too. Send them to hil@hilcook.co.nz and i will post them on :)


Enjoy.  Hils x

Christina Hoey's wedding day. Hair & makeup by Hil and Ange



Today was a lovely day getting stunning bride Christina Hoey,  her 3 bridesmaids and her mum ready for a fabulous sunny Sunday wedding.
Ange and I were at Christina's mother n law's house at the crack of dawn, getting the gorgeous bridal party ready in hair and makeup.  Everything went without a hitch and was a nice calm day.
Check out the pics below.  Apologies for the camera work, today I forgot my camera and only had my dinosaur cell ph.  Hil




Christina wears Richard Kavanagh tong curls  in her naturally straight hair






Ann smiths wedding today- Hair and makeup by Hil and Lea

Today Lea and I did a lovely bride, Ann Smith and her gorgeous bridesmaids.  They were all such lovely girls and all looked amazing!!!  A+  in fact.
Ann wanted everyone to look soft and and effortless with the hairdos, just imagining you could pull out a hair pin and it would tumble down their backs. Reality is, they could have been spun around on the "Dancing with the stars" dance floor, and that hair would have held, but it sure looked soft, effortless and girly.  In fact we even added hair extensions to our gorgeous brunette bridesmaid who had quite short hair, but it was undetectable once Lea had worked her magic!

The bridesmaids had a touch of silver in the inner corner of their eyes to tie in their silver shoes, then smouldering vintage rose colours on the lid and teamed with peacock greens in the contour. Outer corner single lashes were the flavor of the day and a vintage rose lip. Result... STUNNING

Ann looked like a Gorgeous petite princess in her beautiful gown. She was absolutely breathtaking. We did Ann's beautiful Burmese eyes in soft vintage roses, smokey purples and silvers along with several single lashes applied to her outer eye for the doe eyed effect.  Check out the end results below.








Whats happened for the week...

Well another flat out week with bridal trials, shoots and Balls.  Our French powder room has seen all manner of beauties this week, I cant show you the bridal trials as we don't want any grooms snooping around seeing how hot their ladies are going to look, but i will show you a few of our latest pictures.

We had most of our team alternating freelance work for Bobbi Brown this week as they are flat out with Christmas, then racing back to our studio to fit in trials and shoots.  Oh the joys of the silly season!

Kerrin Erskey. The latest bride
Matisse Rendal  - Gorgeous for her 1st School ball
Magdelena, Latest Voon Clothing shoot


Gorgeous hair and makeup by Ange for some fun drama with this sister of the bride

Homemade Cat litter mask for all skin types! For real... try this one!





We got this recipe off a TV show a while back. The beauty expert (Diane Irons, the author of several beauty books) swore cat litter is made of the same ingredients as special clays found in $100 spa facials. Our team tried this and loved it.



Ingredients:


1 bag cat litter (must be marked '100 Percent Natural Clay')
Water
Drops of your favorite essential oil
Preparation:
Mix in a couple tablespoons of the cat litter with water and drops of oil (we find the oil helps make the experience somehow less kitty litter-ish)
Apply mask to face
Wash off after 15 minutes.

"At
To be honest I was pretty doubtful about this mask but I decided to bite the bullet and give it a try. Its easy to make, the smell isn’t bad and the end result is AMAZING!!! It worked better then most of the expensive over the counter clay masks Ive bought at Kirks even!!. I will definatley use this again and again!

 A+++ 5 stars 



Finalist for HER Wellington Businesswoman of the Year 2010' Awards

I am truly stunned!! This evening I have just been rung to be told that I have made it to the finals in 
HER Wellington  Businesswoman of the Year 2010' Awards

I had been told that I would hear who were finalists on Sunday the 21st which was yesterday, so I figured that our business had not made the top but were very lucky to be nominated.   But this evening I got the phone call saying they were very sorry for the late call, but the caliber had been so high that it had taken longer than they thought it would.  We are in the Top 4 for a new business!!!!

All I can say is that if it weren't for my amazing team and Ange who has stuck by my me through thick and thin, we would never be going for this award.  Thanks team, I LOVE YOU GIRLS X
Hils x

Another Fantastic reference for one of our team, Natalie.

Hi There Hil
I wanted to email a BIG thank you to Natalie who did a wonderful job on my hair and makeup for my 30th on the 13th.
I had one happy boyfriend who walked in and was like OH MY GOD – So that was perfection!!!
She just did a wonderful job of making me look and feel stunning.
So please pass my thanks to her.
But again thank you so much  - what a great way to get ready for a big event!! Totally using your services again and recommending you guys

Very professional.

Thanks
Sorrel

Fish head shoot. Latest Mag out now! Hair and makeup by Hil Cook and Ange Duncan

Ange and I did the most fantastic shoot at the Trentham races for the latest Fishead mag. We did both hair and makeup, Samantha Hannah was doing her normal fantastic stuff with styling, as was Tim watson with his amazing photography.  Great fun day! Check pics below. Hils x




Hil x

A Sneek peak of whats to come ( and our work). Fishead Out Monday

Issue 5 of Fishead - Wellington's Magazine is out on the Shelves on Monday.
For all fashionista's here's a couple of sneaky pics from the Editorial!

To see the full editorial, fashion & beauty news plus page turning articles on the Wellington crafters, Wairarapa wines and more grab yourself a copy of the magazine on Monday!

Jane & Nina from Kirsty Bunny Model Management - Jane wears Starfish Dress, Gold belts worn as necklaces from Bauble, Red gloves from Bijoux Moda, Crochetta hat from Bijoux Moda, Nude Shoes from Ultra; Nina wears Kuku bow dress, Crochetta pink hat from Kirks, Nude raffia wedges from Ultra, Black Crystal necklace & Cocktail ring from Bauble. 
Hair and makeup by Hil Cook and Angela Duncan from Hil Cook makeup artists, Styling by Samantha Hannah, Photography TimWatson


   

Our Beautiful Polish bride

After a week of full on work for the team and killing my lungs airbrushing at Weta, we finally have the day off tomorrow Yippppeeeee.  But not before showing you the beautiful bride of the day, Magdalena all the way from Poland.  She was an absolutely charming and stunning bride and a pleasure to work with.
I gave her Richard kavanagher curls and twisted it up softly on one side with fresh Fresia's.

Magadalena the beautiful bride

The lovely bridesmaid

Project Born Trailer

This is the trailer of some the body art  Nat and I worked on over the past couple of days at Weta Workshop.   Hopefully I will get some pics to post up soon. Hil x

We worked at Weta's body art show "BORN"

Today was an amazing day that Nat and I had, back in my old stomping ground, Weta Workshop.
It was great to see all the old faces again, just like de ja vue only everyone is older and has kids now.

Nat and I worked on Weta's body art show, "BORN", which is raising money for Neo natals, a charity that I am quite passionate about being a mum.  We spent the whole day air brushing amazing creatures that would be rithing around in weather balloons, representing a birthing sac. Our airbrushed creatures would be covered in KY jelly and goop and eventually be born from their membrane sac in front of the audience, after being inside the opaque sac for around 5 mins.

I couldn't take any pics as we signed our lives away, but we did take a pic of us outside Weta at the end of the day.

Tomorrow we get to do it all over again. Yay.  I love my job!
Hils x

Do and Don't Makeup tips for the day

Do

Get the right tools for the job. Investing in some good quality brushes, sponges and applicators will mean you get the most out of the make up you buy.
Get advice from a professional. If you’re not sure what makeup suits you, a one-off session with a beautician or make-up artist could open up great new ideas and colours to try, or simply help you to streamline your daily technique.
Go for long-lasting options. Look for long-lasting mascaras, lip colours and foundations – modern formulas are designed to stay put all day, and save you hassle of constant retouching.
Keep it light. Nothing looks more clumsy than thick, caked-on makeup, clumpy mascara and greasy smears of lipstick. It’s quicker in the end if you work gradually, too: you can always add a bit more as needed, but if you’ve started by piling too much on, you’ll have to cleanse it all off and start again from scratch.
Focus on one feature. For a subtle look concentrate on one of your face’s finest assets and then add just a hint of cosmetic support elsewhere. For example, smoky, emphatic eyes should be teamed with barely-there lip colour, while a glossy, come-hither pout needs little more than a quick flick of mascara for company. Go too heavy on making up all your features at once and it can be overwhelming.

Don’t

Overdo shimmer. What makes an impact on a cleverly lit magazine cover will look tacky in normal conditions, even in the evening. Take care if choosing a metallic eyeshadow that it doesn’t make your lids look crepe-y, and remember that superglossed lips can look great, but overdone lips might also be sticky.
Be afraid to experiment. Even if you’ve never considered blue eyeshadow, or you just don’t ‘do’ red lipstick, there’s no harm in re-evaluating your assumptions every now and then. A touch of vibrant colour – just a touch, mind – can lift your face and your mood, while switching from a brown/beige palette to something soft and pink – or vice versa – might take you in a whole new direction.
Forget blusher. It’s easy to focus on eyes and mouth because they’re the first things you notice when you look in the mirror, but judicial use of a subtle blusher on the apples of your cheeks works wonders to banish tiredness, winter blues and even the odd late night.
Hang on to outdated techniques. Dark lipliner was once considered essential to stop colour ‘bleeding’ round the edges, but hard outlines have no place on a modern face. The same goes for bands of blusher underneath your cheekbones.
Leave home without concealer. It’s not just for eyebags and spots, either – dab it lightly over any blotchy area before you put foundation on, to even out your skin tone.
Hil x

A little energy test thanks to my friends at "THE CHEMISTS"

Today I went to Sort out one of my favorite customers that sell our Solution buds, Sonya and Margaret from "THE CHEMIST" in Masterton. The Chemist, is a hive of activity with the most exquisite gifts, makeup, healthcare products and wonderful advice! The service is like no other, everyone is greeted with a warm friendly smile, but biggest thing, they go the extra mile which is why I decided I wanted to blog about these guys.

Now those of you who know me, know how I truly burn the candle at both ends, not from being a party princess (sadly), but from being a work aholic.

 This is why I love these guys at THE CHEMIST, I walked in today, had a chat about what what our team had been up to, how busy things have been and how shattered I felt. The ladies suggested something to help my energy levels and decided it was high time for me to get some Multi Vitimans in my system to help with fatigue and boost my immunity.  Pills and I dont usually mix but I really have been shattered lately so decided to take the ladies up on their 1 month challenge. I will keep you all posted as to how I am feeling.

The Sonya and Margaret put me onto 2 different tablets, 1st one being Go Healthy Multi everyday which should support energy levels and maintain health and well-being.
The second being Thompson's Co-Enzyme Q10, Co-Q10 is energy producing, antioxidant, boosts metabolism, promotes healthy heart and gums and sorts out the immune system.  Often referred to as nature's spark plug tablet because, like a car engine, the body cannot function properly without the initial spark from Co-Q10.
Antioxidant
Enhance Energy
Gum Health
Heart Health

So I intend to take these 2 miracles in tablet form, and monitor the results for a month. I will try to update you daily on the side bar, these will entail mood swings, energy levels, how many hours work that day and of course my bed time.  Lets see if I become bouncing with energy!

Hil x

Pics and Goss of what we have been up to this week

The start of the week was lovely with several brides in our french powder room all having their trials.

Wednesday we did a shoot for Bernina  with savvy photographer Lance Lawson and all the winners of the Bernina Young fashion awards.  The young girls ranging from 12 - 17 did the most remarkable designs and there sewing techniques were outstanding.  Check out the link to see their amazing garments.

Lea did the Wayward Heir Look book shoot for Rembrandt and I think she may have had trouble keeping from not tripping on her tongue!  You will understand when you see the handsome men that she had to work on.  Hard job that one but someone had to do it!!

Thursday the whole team worked doing makeups and hairstyles at the Adorn Jewellery event. If you read a bit further down the page you will be able to catch up with photos and goss of the event.

Friday was an Epic night shoot for Fishead which sadly I cant even reveal pics until the mag is out but further down the page is a wee bit of info about what we did and the amazing jewels that were used.

Saturday Ange and I got up at the crack of dawn and did the lovely Vicky Nelsons wedding.  She was simply stunning and had the most amazing skin with beautiful freckles .  Such a lovely day with her and her family.
Beautiful fresh faced Vicki the Bride


VICKI'S EMAIL TO US BELOW...

You girls are a credit to the industry, you are so warm and friendly...you put us all at ease from the minute you arrived, and of course, we felt and looked FANTASTIC after a couple of hours with you!!

What an awesome job you do...

A big THANK YOU for being part of my dream day :-)

Warm regards,
Vicki Bulmer (Nelson)
Vicky's Sister and bridesmaid
Rebecca wrote
"Thanks for the link Hils, the day was just magic, you and Ange did the most amazing job- it was not only the makeup but also your awesome personalties you are both just so lovely!  Thank you both so much."


The gorgeous mother of the bride





Then Saturday arvo back at our French powder room we had two gorgeous sisters having their makeup done for Sue's ( blonde) 30th birthday event that night. The girls had such a giggle and could not stop looking at themselves once done up to the nines. Hot Hot Hot!!





Natalie saved the day on Sunday with the Circus dance troupe needing a strong teenage pop look for their routine. Sounds like it went off with a bang and the dancers looked amazing!



And sunday for me.... Gin Wigmores hair and makeup for her rocking Concert!

time to rest.

Hils x

We worked on the latest Fishead shoot and I found treasure!

Friday night was an all night shoot for Fishead magazine. I did the hair and makeup for beautiful Zoe and Micheal from  Kirsty Bunny Agency and they looked sooooo Hot!  I cant go into to much detail to be honest as that would spoil the fab treats to come in the Autumn issue, but trust me... A- MAZ- ING.
Savvy Samantha Hannah was doing her amazing styling job on our Hot models, and  Photographer Tim from studio62 was working him magic with the camera.  The Dream team were on FIRE!

Anyway what I did want to mention is Sam brought along the most incredible jewels I think I have ever seen and so I need to shout to the world about them!!!! Check out this website and the work of the very talented nga waiata.
 I have never seen such beautiful chunks of crystals, each crystal both powerful and special, is set in in a stunning wooden based ring that feels so naturally right with nga waiata's name carved in the bottom.  I am soooo in love with these stunning rings that it is my treat to me for Christmas!

The rings will soon be available at Zambesi Wgtn 



Hils x