A Flick of a Brush

During an editorial fashion shoot, everyone involved has a specific job to do. The stylist will determine the theme of the shoot and overall look; the photographer is responsible for capturing what the stylist envisions; and the hair stylist and makeup artist will collaborate to create the perfect look reflective of the fashion and theme of the shoot. This process is repeated again and again to create a sequence of differently themed shoots.

70’s Look by Hala Ajam

The stylist may opt for a flowery, 70’s flare for one shoot, then go to the extreme of glitter and glamour for the next! The objective is one: to shed light on a new product or a specific trendy color in makeup, which doesn’t necessarily mean that women must wear the same makeup we express. Creating a variety of looks to compliment the array of clothes and themes can indeed be a challenge. I fond it helpful to have a certain look in mind, which I can build from.

Black and White Editorial Shoot by Hala Ajam

After working for several years with the same team at Laha magazine, I have built a relationship built on trust and understanding with the stylist, Caroline Cassia. She translates the idea she has for a photo shoot into reality through bringing together all the right elements, and she totally trust me to change the models’ look from a shoot to another. The result has always been great pictures that people see every week in the same magazine for the past five years.

Editorial Shoot by Hala Ajam

Hala Ajam‘s Book-Face To Face

This text was taken from Hala Ajam‘s Book Face-t-Face

Hala Ajam

Hala Ajam  learned from the Makeup Academy in Hollywood; where she studied special effects make-up for photography, TV and movies, she worked with Glamour Shots, a top fashion photography studio in Los Angeles California, and then moved to Lebanon to work with esteemed establishments including Future Television and Laha, a weekly magazine in the Middle East.

Ajam has worked with international and local celebrities such as Queen Rania, Claudia Schiffer, Haifa Wehbe, Nawal El-Zoghbi, and Shereen Abdul Wahhab & Many more.

You can contact Hala Ajam Via Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram, YouTube, and Pinterest.

You can also check Hala Ajam’s Blog.

You can always visit Hala Ajam’s website: http://www.halaajam.com/ or call at 00961 3 679 636.

Best BB Creams Of 2012 By Lebanese Makeup artist Hala Ajam

The BB Creams have made quite some noise lately. Let’s go back to where it all started:

BB creams (short for “beauty balm” or “blemish balm”) have been doing pretty good in the Korean and Japanese markets since the eighties. Soon enough, Garnier,Smashbox and Maybelline formulated their own BB creams to correct uneven skin tone, minimize oiliness, reduce wrinkles and offer extra sun protection. Asian skin care has always sparked the interest of cosmetic companies worldwide.

Garnier BB Cream

Maybelline BB Cream

Smashbox BB Cream

Hala Ajam

Hala Ajam  learned from the Makeup Academy in Hollywood; where she studied special effects make-up for photography, TV and movies, she worked with Glamour Shots, a top fashion photography studio in Los Angeles California, and then moved to Lebanon to work with esteemed establishments including Future Television and Laha, a weekly magazine in the Middle East.

Ajam has worked with international and local celebrities such as Queen Rania, Claudia Schiffer, Haifa Wehbe, Nawal El-Zoghbi, and Shereen Abdul Wahhab & Many more.

You can contact Hala Ajam Via Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram, YouTube, and Pinterest.

You can also check Hala Ajam’s Blog.

You can always visit Hala Ajam’s website: http://www.halaajam.com/ or call at 00961 3 679 636.

Working With Top Models!

It might be intimidating to know that the models you are working with have already worked with some of the greatest most respected names in the professional makeup industry. In fact, there are so many various images of them open for comparison. But to me, the opportunity of interpreting their beauty in a more exquisite and unique way is always a welcome challenge.

 

 

Claudia Schiffer by Hala Ajam

 

I have been extremely lucky in my career to have had the opportunity to work with world-renowned names such as Claudia Schiffer, Esther Canadas and Nadja Auermann. It has given me not only recognition, but also more importantly, the chance to excel in the world of makeup and further develop my talents.

 

 

Esther Cañadas by Hala Ajam

 

Being a naturally sociable person, I was highly pleased, when these international supermodels visited Lebanon, to answer all their questions about my country. Meeting them in Lebanon was indeed an interesting and great experience for me, not to mention that taking care of their makeup was also a big pleasure.

 

 

Nadja Auermann by Hala Ajam

 

 

Hala Ajam‘s Book-Face To Face

This text was taken from Hala Ajam‘s Book Face-to-Face

Inspiration Through Nature

Working on a photo shoot is the moment when art and imagination meet. All people involved are given complete freedom to openly express their creativity. It is an opportunity to break away from the confinements we are usually conscious of, and discover how far our talents can take us.

 

 

 

Artistic Makeup by Hala Ajam

 

Often, what is most fascinating to watch is the transformation of the ordinary object into extraordinary; turning a wheat blade into an eyelash, using the sequin of an old dress on the eyebrows, or a flower petal in place of eye shadow. The possibilities are endless, as is our imagination.

 

 

Artistic Makeup by Hala Ajam

 

The art of creating, challenging the laws of nature, and breaking down visual barriers is not just for those who use paints and brushes. A makeup artist, like a painter, uses their imagination to create unforgettable images.

 

 

Artistic Makeup by Hala Ajam

 

Such creativity is expressed during photo shoots, when there is no choice but to resort to all resources, both real and imaginary. Subsequently, we learn how to create in the most inventive ways.

 

 

Hala Ajam’s Book Face To Face

 

 

 

Make Your Own Natural Look

Let’s get the natural look; a very natural style for a winter holiday evening with family. The motto is: be glamourous but do not overdo it! Enhance your eyes with a natural smokey effect in warm earth tones. Start with beige all over the eyelid, then work the curve of lid with caramel brown. Don’t forget the lower lash line! Then, with a dark brown eye kohl, line the upper and lower lash lines. Warning: do not connect the lines! Over it, apply some dark brown eye shadow and blend well. Don’t forget to also blend the dark brown to the crease half-way, trace a black eyeliner to the upper lash line as you like (All, half, or nothing).

Christmas Makeup

Apply black mascara and fill your eyebrows with a color that matches your hair’s. Then, use a raisin colored blusher: it will contour your face and bring light to its center.

Important Makeup Notes Before Your Big Day!

The wedding day is usually a culmination of dreams and visions collected over the years. In some cases, these images are simple and the transformation requires nothing more than a beautiful wedding dress. In other cases, they are more elaborate, with details such as hair and makeup.

 

Express your wishes, and how you see yourself on your wedding day. With an experienced team, working to create your look, translating your dream into reality can be made easy and far less stressful. I believe that a woman knows herself and knows what she wants. The day of her wedding is thus the moment to tell all her dreams come true.

 

 

Bride by Hala Ajam

 

The makeup artist should realize your dreams. Yet, you must be willing to listen to her advice to avoid drawing attention to less attractive features of your face on your wedding day. For example, if you have close-set eyes and want a smokey look, this will in fact make your eyes appear even closer and in some cases, almost cross-eyed. The makeup artist is always able to find a solution to give you the loom you want. Your aim is to look beautiful on your very special day, and the makeup artist is there to make sure you will.

 

 

Bridal Makeup by Hala Ajam

 

SPECIFIC RULES IN BRIDAL MAKEUP

Age, season and wedding theme, not to mention personality, should all be factored in when creating a specific look. Be sure to accentuate and cover imperfections where appropriate and highlight the areas where light naturally will hit such as the cheekbones and brow bones. This will make you look better in photos.

 

 

3D Bridal Makeup by Hala Ajam

 

 

 

Hala Ajam’s Book-Face To Face

This text was taken from Hala Ajam‘s Book Face-to-Face

 

 

Candy World vs. Exotic Makeup

Candy World

Use colors that express playfulness from childhood. The image of candy is usually a very feminine and colorful one. The following photos aim at showing it is springtime and that these are the new colors to be used. Resorting to the colors of candies help achieve the image we want, making the models look like Barbie dolls, playing like little girls or going funky with the makeup.

 

 

Candy World Makeup

 

Exotic

The natural world is reflected: island, water, flowers, butterflies, and tropical colors such as fuchsia come in to play. The working team creates the whole setting for such kind of photo. All can be brought to the studio: water, plants, etc. It is fun to create a unique atmosphere as it helps in producing new combinations for the same model.

 

 

Exotic Makeup

 

 

Hala Ajam’s Book-Face To Face

This text was taken from Hala Ajam‘s Book Face-to-Face

So, which side are you with?

The Do’s and Don’ts For A Wedding Day

• Do not apply too much foundation on your wedding night, as it will not sit well on the skin’s surface when exposed to the heat caused by dancing and excitement.
• To ensure makeup longevity, be sure to have a friend readily available to give you tissue or face paper to blot away any excess of facial oil or sweat throughout the night.
• Choose the colors of your makeup that suits you and compliments your skin tone and eye color. Do not make these decisions based on the shade of your dress.

 

 

Professional Makeup by Hala Ajam

 

• In general, the simpler and smaller the wedding, the more natural the makeup should be. The same can be said for a day wedding where the bright daylight will reveal heavy makeup.
• If you and those around you are used to seeing you in the same makeup day in and day out, try something a little different. It doesn’t have to be drastic, but subtle changes can make a lot of difference.
• Do not overboard or get carried away with too many changes and experiments. At the end of the day, you still want to look like you!
• Stop using any medication or skin treatment before the wedding.
• Make sure your skin is well moisturized before the wedding.

 

 

This text was from taken from Hala Ajam’s makeup book Face to face

Looks of the Decades: 2000’s

2000’s

The growing trend during the past two decades has been to fight the natural aging process. The miracle creams of the 90’s gave way to miracle treatments of 2000. Botox injections and collagen lip implants have become quick fix beauty staples for many. Makeup trends of past decades merge, as people start to individualize their looks to suit coloring and features. So, women are either opting for a makeup that is a mixture of all the past trends, or choosing their preferable one or the one that suits the best their own style.

 

In the following photo, I chose a nude but frosty look like in a fairytale.

 

 

2000’s Look

 

 

Hala Ajam‘s Book-Face To Face

This text was taken from Hala Ajam‘s Book Face-to-Face

Hala Ajam

Looks of the Decades: 1990’s

Makeup and science merge during this decade. No longer satisfied with just covering up the signs of aging, cosmetic houses begin presenting a more scientific approach to beauty. They started promising a more youthful appearance with ‘light reflective particles’ and ‘wrinkle-defying results’. The choices in makeup products increase, as does the continual search for hope in a jar. The look of the 90’s is still heavily influenced by the previous decades: the 50’s and 60’s for young women and 40’s, like the smoky look, for mature ones. Although colors and application are toned down, veering more towards a natural look, yet, the look still groomed. Nude lipsticks or dark red were used.

 

In the following photo, I used a natural brown eye shadow on the model, with individual false eyelashes. I applied a shining blusher on the cheekbones and a very natural lipstick color.

 

 

1990’s Look

 

 

Hala Ajam’s Book-Face To Face

This text was from taken from Hala Ajam’s makeup book Face to face

Hala Ajam