Welcome to my blog!

This is my blog. I have waited to launch a blog in order to be ready for it. I feel like at this point in my business and life I am ready for anything… so watch out bloggers, here I come!

I have been doing makeup for almost 8 years. During those 8 years I have been able to be a part of some incredible experiences. I worked for MAC for many years, traveled and trained by some of the best makeup artists, participated in MAC Chinese Dress Event in San Francisco, and got the Resident Trainer position for the Seattle market. Whoa! I realized through all of the chaos that training people how to do makeup is truly one of my biggest passions! I have participated, as well as organized, many fashion shows and I have to say there is no better thrill than watching a model walk down the runway in your work!

Makeup artistry with MAC led me to start my own business doing makeup and styling for weddings! I love my brides! When I first started working with brides I thought that it was too good to be true. I had such a blast working with them. I hear people say “BRIDEZILLA”, and I say, “No, they just want their day to be perfect… you can have an ugly wedding if you want to, but not me, and not my brides!”. After that statement, usually people will agree! I commend my brides, and after how scary venturing in to freelance make up was, I couldn’t live without every fabulous one of them!

I recently stumbled, and I mean seriously, stumbled, on to an extremely exciting part of my career…hair pieces! Beautiful wedding hair accessories! I started making hair pieces and veils about a year ago. This whole adventure began with little feather headbands, and turned into designing bridal veils and custom hair pieces. Who knew? When I sit at my creation desk behind the sewing machine I am filled with a feeling I cannot explain. I absolutely LOVE making each and every single piece. I am inspired by everything I see, touch and experience. I finish each piece with a vintage female name. Sort of like leaving my mark, if you will. It’s like putting the topper on the wedding cake for me!

This journey has also blessed me with some incredible photographers as friends and associates. There is so much passion and inspiration that comes from working one on one with a photographer. I look forward to posting work from some of Portland’s finest that I have already met, and to future connections that I meet along my way.

Anyone who knows me can tell you that I put a personal touch into everything that I do. I want to tell you all a little bit about my personal life, so that you know who you are reading about. I come from the most loving family who I cherish very much. I was raised in the small town of North Bend in Oregon, with the beach, the fog, big trucks, country boys, and the big green bridge.

I recently gave my life to Jesus Christ and my heart has been filled with a love I cannot put into words. I look back now and I don’t even know how I ever made it without him. Being a Christian in the Business I work in is very hard. It’s like having a million dollars and sitting in the middle of a shopping mall, but you can’t buy anything... HARD! We live in a world that everything you do is looked at under a microscope. Everybody has some other opinion or wisdom on how things should be done. My mission in this life is to love people for who they are, and serve them in a way that I know Jesus did. I am working to follow in his footsteps.

Lastly but very importantly, I was recently married to a man named Justin. It’s impossible to describe the kind of man that he is. I have never met a man like him. He has my heart somewhere that I will never find, and I know that he will always cherish it as his own. We don’t

have any children yet, however, we do have a fish that Justin’s little brother Mac gave me for Christmas last year. His name is Raaazzzzllleee Dazzzle, and I swear he is immortal! He cannot die! I will forget to feed him for a week, not change his water, and he is still alive! He does glare at me whenever I look at him, although he is a beta and they are awfully ugly little creatures.

My sister just had a beautiful little boy named Weston. He has graced our family with the most wonderful spirit, and we are so excited to watch him grow up to be just like his daddy. For those of you who have not met me, I love to talk! For some of you, I know that this will make you laugh because we probably met through me talking to you in some random place about some random thing! I love to read, and yes I am a HUGE twilight fan. I am also a firm believer in being nice. Being nice is probably one of the hardest things for people to do consistently, especially in the business I work in. I believe if you are nice you will succeed far more than anyone else working next to you that is not nice. Simple, but very true!

With all of that said… I love what I do, I believe in it, as well as positive, uplifting relationships, and I look forward to knowing and working with you in the future!

Austie Eckley