As I have mentioned in a previous post...I was off to the Carolina's for EASTER with my family and ALSO to pay a visit to (my girls) six fabulous beauty queens (I am their director) to help them with hair/makeup for photo shoots, coaching for interview and stage, and wardrobe consulting for all the PRE-PREP before nationals in JULY! For a Makeup Artist, there is NO place like hanging with BEAUTY QUEENs to get up on ALL the NEW trends! In previous posts I have always brought back the BEST tips, and its like I have been in BEAUTY boot camp, when I come home from a 'pageant' trip! I took  photos of my ENTIRE day so you can see some behind the scenes fun! ....mind you this all happened JUST on MONDAY-for the most part!

I arrive in Tega Cay South Carolina around 6pm (after leaving the Easter family fun in Greensboro, NC), where I am staying with beautiful Chelsea Gregory, Miss SC International and her family! (Sunday night) I BEG to go to the BARN where they own a BEAUTIFUL Quarter HORSE (JOY fact: I owned a Sorrel and White 3/4 Arab named Kalee... years ago). I inhaled with great joy the barn and horse smells and my soul was filled with the tranquility of what horses bring, smelling hay, and feeding her horse MINTS! HORSE MINTS! HA!

OMG! This is SO FUN!!!!!!!!!!!!!

BACK on my mission.....early the next morning at 6:30a, I race out of bed and into the shower for the day I have been looking forward to! Meeting with all six of the Carolina International Titleholders!

I first meet with Elizabeth Malvasia, Mrs. South Carolina International. We have planned to get her photos from Pageant Photographer Lenn Long in Charlotte NC!!  This is Elizabeth at 8:00am! ain't she cute?

After I get my hands on her HAIR!

 AND after I got my hands on her FACE.......Lenn did the rest.....

Isn't the lighting totally striking with her black dress and hair and features? love this!

After we finished up here mid morning.... we were off to Elizabeth's DANCE studio 20 min away!! Elizabeth and her Husband own two Dance Studios in North Carolina and they are on a BILLBOARD! Check out Carolina Dance Sport!

Elizabeth's STUNNING Studio!

TEEN SC -Multi Tasking with her mom Debbie chatting behind her!

Avery Close-Teen South Carolina International!

Morgan Bright, Teen North Carolina and her beautiful mom, Robin (they traveled 8 hours from the beach to be with us!)

there she is.... Miss SC International- Chelsea Gregory

Miss North Carolina International- Brittney Clark

Pictured center Mrs. North Carolina International- Janet Risner Bolin (Elizabeth far R) Mrs. Gregory L

By 6:00p Lenn Long arrives to work his magic and get us some GREAT GROUP photos! Thus all the ladies get in the Crowns and start to STRIKE A POSE!

Even beauty Queens get a little help, notice Brits Shirt Clips in the back! LOL

Yesterday I was asked a really cool question!? Would I be the official Sponsor to one of the Official preliminarys in Virginia for the 2012 MISS VIRGINIA USA® and MISS VIRGINIA TEEN USA® Pageants. So today I am proud to shout to the world that Faces by Joy is the official Hair & Make-up sponsor for the MISS NORTHERN VIRGINIA USA & MISS NORTHERN VIRGINIA TEEN USA pageants!

What is a preliminary you may be wondering?  A state preliminary pageant gives the contestant the opportunity to enter a smaller pageant at a reduced price. If they win, their entry is paid to the Virginia USA State pageant(which is much more expensive to enter outright)! PLUS it gives the contestant a good opportunity to test her stage and interview skills on a smaller scale before reaching the big State pageant!

In addition, I am also offering the 2 new prelim winners a two- 2 hour makeup application sessions and a bag of beauty goodies to take with them to the State Pageant! Course Ed Ip and I will be sponsoring photos/hair/makeup as well!

So I am pretty excited to say the least! I will be seeing them July 10th! visit:
http://www.novapageants.com/ for more info!

I spent this past Saturday and Sunday heading over to Innsbrook in Richmond Virginia to prepare Sarah for the Miss Teen VA US pageant being held today in Richmond. Yesterday I created some beauty magic for hair and makeup for the Interview portion of her competition. Interview makeup should be natural and pretty. I wish I had my good camera but here is Sarah from my "camera" phone.. for Interview....

Today I headed back to make her over for the Stage portion of the pageant and brought along my Canon, so you could get a little 'behind the scenes' look at the making of a FBJ beauty queen! Stage makeup is heavier with lots more of everything. Its very enhanced with darker makeup and full eyelashes. I love doing stage makeup since its so much fun to dip my brushes into different hues. I thought I would use Graphite, black, and Swiss Chocolate in today's makeup with Sarah! The Swiss Chocolate from MAC pulls out the more of a Purple with Sarah's skin-exactly what I was going for with the Graphite mix. LOL!!! (fyi...these are all un-retouched photos.....)

Enjoy!

getting the "goods" ready to go

Just getting back from rehearsal

Rollers into the hair....

getting ready for airbrushing!

Airbrushing done...adding the colors....

Add some stage Lip Stain....with a little gloss....