Behind the Scenes, SXSW Photo shoot for Bella Salon & Spa

Sunday February 16th 2014 was a beautiful day for a photo shoot. We had such a great crew!

Photographer Ainslee Virdell

Models:
Alyssa Jimenez
Hannah Santibanez
Leo Salvador
Lexi Solon
Laura Price
Maria Blandin
Miranda Borreggo
Nicole Zuehl

Stylists:
Ashley Adamez
Charlene Clark
Dow Anderson
Keith Patillo
Kelsey Hansen
Nicolette Nielsen
Rachael Dunn
Raquel Hurtado
Steven Taylor

We had 3 hair looks and 1 makeup look

I found these photos from http://www.sammknight.com in his get the look tab. He breaks down individual styles from different runway shows in a way that makes sense and sparks inspiration.
I discovered Sam McKnight on an extreme surfing wave on Instagram. He has my dream job. His portfolio consists of Chanel Haute Couture, Louis Vuitton advertisements, and Session Stylist of the Year from Hair Magazine.

At Bella, before the stylists went hands-on with their own models, Keith and I demonstrated 2 of the 3 looks.
We also featured two products for each look. I talked about L’anza Design Foam and Keith talked about L’anza Molding Paste. What I like about the Design Foam is that it is a creamy, light-weight, medium hold mousse. It gives body and bounce to the hair whether you are using it on wet or dry hair, curly or smooth styles, or drying with round brush or diffuser. It has heat protection up to 500 degrees Fahrenheit. Keith loves the Molding Paste because it gives lots of texture, volume and grip for braiding. It heals seals and protects the hair, and it has L’anza’s signature Polynesian Rainforest Botanicals in it. So you do your hair a favor while you style! A unique fact about the Molding Paste is that Sweden is obsessed with it. It is one of their highest sellers and they can barely keep it in stock!

We prepped the models at Bella Salon and Spa and then hopped in our cars and drove about 5 minutes to meet the photographer at Castle Hill. Castle Hill Graffiti Wall is sensational. If those walls could talk, huh. It is an ever-changing landmark and public space that has become an expression of street art over time. Every inch is a million different brain-babies from one day to the next. So you can see why this would be perfect for a SXSW Photo shoot backdrop.