this past weekend i got the chance to work with an extremely talented group of individuals styling a test shoot for ford models at salon sessions in pasadena. it was an extremely good time and such an honor to work alongside such creative, talented peers. angela le and paul awh were responsible for the amazing hair and makeup looks while john agcaoili and his team captured the stunning images. i cant wait to show you the finished photos, but in the meantime heres a sneak peak behind the scenes. you can also check out johns facebook for more behind the scenes photos.

a few weeks ago, i paid a visit to salon sessions in old town pasadena to visit my cousin aka my amazing hair stylist, angela le. we use to be roommates, but ever since i moved out, my hair has been suffering...severely! it is no secret to everyone that knows me, that i have extremely fine, thin hair. ive tried everything from thickening shampoos to thickening sprays to volumizing gels and mousses. nothing worked. it wasnt until last year that angela finally convinced me to try extensions, assuring me to disregard all the negative notions that i had about them (painful, uncomfortable, uncleanliness etc.) fast forward to present day...i LOVE having extensions and literally dont know how i survived without them. although i dont always have them in my hair, i love it when i do. theyre super comfortable and give my hair the volume and fullness ive always wanted. they usually last about 3 months and since angela uses premium quality human hair, i am able to curl, tease and straighten my hair as much as i want.

i decided i wanted to share this experience with you all. the hair looks so natural and real that no one ever thinks twice. check out angela's website to see her extremely talented portfolio, not only is she an amazing hair stylist, she is a make-up artist as well and has worked on many weddings and photo shoots. we also worked on a tutorial for sexy beach waves that i will post soon!

before

the extensions tediously being put in

after

here are the final shots from the clout magazine feature i styled with model tia tanaka shot by john agcaoili with hair and makeup artist angela le. it was a challenging day in santa monica with rain and chilling winds, but we made it work and tia toughed it out. i love the soft "sun-kissed" lighting of the photos, it gives tia's edgy tattoo's a feminine contrast.