Opie, one cool photog, contacted us to help her out with one of her personal projects. Heres a couple shots. You'll have to visit Opie's blog to see the rest. Thank you Opie for trusting us with one of your very own.

Enizio Artists are available for test shoots for any photographer. If your interested in shooting for your personal pleasure, educational purposes or for S&Gs, we'd love to be a part of it.

I feel really awful that I haven't been the best at updating this blog. I have also slacked at doing before and after photos which I realized today people actually like to see! My apologies. I promise to do better. Today, I thought I would share a couple of fun projects we've been on recently...

RYAN AND ASHLEIGH'S PHOTO-SHOOT

As some of you may know my "brother from another mother" was on So you think you can Dance this last season. Just after the show wrapped, Ryan and his wife were casted for Burn the Floor as the principle couple for their 2010 world tour. I had the privilege of doing the hair and makeup for their tour pictures along side my good friend Heidi Uhl behind the lens. This was such a pleasure for me because Ryan and I grew up together. It's been fun to see his career advance and to be able to participate in a small portion of it was a real honor. Look out for these two because I know America will be seeing a lot more of them.

VAMPIRED

I am a huge fan of Mark Andersen who is known for his amazing stock photography company, Rubberball Productions. Just recently Mark started a production company and I had the honor to be a part of Mark's first short film called Vampired. Mark wrote, produced and directed this short film. I have to admit that I was a little intimidated because I am such a big fan of his work. I had such a blast on this film. His lead actor was a riot to work with. He kept everyone laughing on set and watching him work with Mark was an unforgettable experience. Heres a small clip I caught on my phone of him goofing off with Mark. It just gives you an idea of how much fun this project was.

MASK

I got to team up again with my favorite mother/daughter team Laurie and Tiffany of Naturesknockout.com for this film. Stephanie and I came on as day players and I ended up pulling a 36 hour day working on this show and a couple other photo-shoots. I love working with Tiffany and Laurie! This film takes place in 1905 and was filmed at Lagoon. I'll tell you that walking from base to set in a dark theme park by myself at 3 am is a bit creepy! Because of the time period of this film, the hair was so fabulous and fun to do.

SOUL 41 PRODUCTIONS FOR DENTRIX

I got to take part in my first comedy type film project this last week. I laughed my head off taking part in this commercial for Dentrix. Will Rubio has got to be one of the funniest actors I have ever met. If your not familiar with Will Rubio you have to check out his work here. You'll laugh your head off! This spoof on clients who forget to show up to their dental appointments is sure to make a lot of people laugh! Im excited to see the final cut.

And of course, wedding season is in full bloom. Heres a couple trial sessions I captured plus some behind the scenes of our latest photo-shoot with Heidi Uhl. (Those are always very eventful). Last time we teamed up, she walked us out on to the Great Salt Lake in the freezing cold. I have to admit, it was the most fun shoot to date. Morgan and I laughed our heads off as we froze to death. Poor model. She was such a trooper!

I just want to thank everyone who follows our blog. Its fun to be able to share our projects with you!

7 things to avoid for perfect skin

photo courtesy of fitsugar.com

1. SUN - Exposing your face to the sun is the quickest way to age your skin. When ultraviolet rays hit the skin's surface it produces molecules called free radicals which destroy healthy cells. They're particularly fond of collagen and elastin, the two ingredients that help keep skin firm and elastic. The more collagen and elastin degrade, the faster wrinkles appear on your skin. Use a teaspoon of SPF 30 on your face. Apply it before going into the sun. Reapply every 9 hours. Avoid sunlight between the hours of 11 am and 3 pm. Even the strongest sunscreen can only filter out so much during this time which will cause damage to your skin.

2. SMOKING- Nicotine in cigarrettes constricts the blood vessels of the face, making your skin look gray or sallow. An ingredient called acetaldehyde goes to work, attacking the fibers in your skin that hold it together. Finally a chemical reaction occurs creating a protein that causes the destruction of collagen and elastin. Add this to the constant creasing of the face while due to smoke irritation and the wrinkling of the skin while you inhale, its no wonder women who smoke look around ten years older than a non-smoker of the same age.

3. ALCOHOL- Alcohol dilates the blood vessels and in sensitive skins this can lead to broken veins . Alcohol also contains acetaldehyde which attacks skin fibers, reducing firmness and elasticity. As little as 2 drinks a day will dehydrate the skin enough to make wrinkles. Alcohol destroys all vitamin c, one of the most important nutrients for skin functioning.

4. STRESS- Stress increases the level of adrenal hormones like testosterone, which have been linked to the triggering of acne. In fact, stress is being blamed for the increase in so called adult acne in career women. Stress hormones cause blood flow to be directed away from the surface of the skin to your limbs and major organs. This means that your skin doesn't get all the nutrients it needs. To add insult to injury, you can't repair these problems with skincare as effectively when your stressed. Studies show it doesn't absorb products as well as relaxed skin. Learning to relax will help your skin survive.

5. LACK OF SLEEP- Nighttime is when the skin repairs itself. You build new cells and replace collagen and elastin damaged by the day's exposure to sun and pollution. The skin is also more absorbent at night which means it takes in treatments more effectively. Research shows that up to 25% more of some vitamin treatments enter the skin at night compared to during the day. Lack of sleep is responsible for dark circles, sallowness and fluffiness under the eyes, as the skin diverts blood to fuel the tired brain and other organs.

6. POLLUTION- Not only is air pollution bad for your face but so is taking in toxins to your bodies. On average we breath in 2 grams of pollution and eat 11 lbs each in food additives. Avoiding pollution is tricky. You can help fight pollution by eating better. Increase your intake of fresh fruits and vegetables and avoid salty foods, caffeine and hydrogenated fats.

7. LACK OF EXERCISE- Physical activities will help boost skin tone by increasing the amount of oxygen in your blood and reducing the amount of toxins that build up under your skin, it will also boost your skin health by increasing your tolerance to stress and help you sleep. For optimum skin health, try to do 3 sets of 20 minute exercises a week.

information curtesy of Helen Fosters "The Beauty Book"

Meet Kumari..the most beautiful girl I've ever seen

I met Kumari on the set of the last movie I had the privilege to work on. The moment I saw her I practically begged her to let me put some makeup on her. I called Heidi and well, heres how it all turned out. Assisting me on this shoot was Morgan. Working with her and Kumari and Heidi, makes this the best day of my job to date. I hope you enjoy these photos as much as I enjoyed helping to create them.

How to have a successful salon visit

image courtesy of treassuringtresses.com

Finding a hairdresser is like the search for a significant other! Hairdressers have a different approach to the way they dress hair, the way they communicate and the things they feel are most important. It can be overwhelming but at the same time very exciting. In order to help you through this process, here are 5 simple tips to help you get the most out of any hairdresser you visit.

1. Visit the salon or do some research before scheduling and appt. Check out the age, style and hairdos of the staff and clients. Does what you want fit in with their approach and image?

2. Take a picture with you. This will help your artist visualize what is in your mind. Use the pictures as a guide but be open to hear what the artist has to say as your hair texture and length will play a major role in making your vision a reality.

3. Be open to the care and maintenance of your desired look- Your artist should explain to you what products it will take to recreate this look as well as regular salon visits to maintain the look at its best. If for some reason they don't explain this to you, ASK! Once you hear their professional recommendation, think about your commitment to doing what it takes. If you feel like it will be too much work, or too expensive to maintain, then you may want to think twice about the service your going to receive.

4. It's important to feel like you can communicate with your artist. Find descriptive words to help explain to your artist your frustrations with your hair as well as the things you love. Share with your hairdressers things that have worked for you in the past, concerns you may have as well as the absolute do-not's. Communication is the most important thing to a positive experience in any salon. A good hairdresser will understand that you know your hair better then anyone else.

5. And lastly, always have an open mind when visiting a new salon. Comparing your new stylist to your old one will just set you up for disappointment. Ask questions to help you feel at ease. There is more than one way to achieve something so if they aren't doing it exactly like your past hairdresser, it doesn't necessarily mean they don't know what they are doing.