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Not Just A Makeover, A Soul Transformation

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When Kelly and I decided we wanted to build The Artist Groupe into a dynamic company, initially, our plan was to grow our business doing what we loved, while maintaining flexibility for us to be there for our families.

In this day, the pressures on women to be housekeepers, full time contributors to the household, keep our kiddos in extra curricular activities. Look great. Feel great. Be superior mothers, career women, sexy, polished and put together  girlfriends and wives. The expectations are intense. We work every day to do our best to fulfill it all, always feeling like we are falling short in every, single, category. We felt choosing to be entrepreneurs would allow us more of a chance to achieve all of these demands. While we want to grow a business that is sustainable, what’s become more of a focus for us is to create something bigger. To take our resources and utilize them to help build women. To create a systematic way to grow the vines of every single female we come across. To Transform. From the inside, out.

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In these thoughts, came the inspiration of Soul Transformation.

And so we held a contest called Transformed. Many entered the contest and their stories touched us all very differently. 6 beautifully wonderful women who’s stories impacted us so greatly, that we want to share a piece of their journey. To give them a week of treatments. Hair cuts and colours, brow shaping, shopping trips, makeup applications and styling. We wanted to show them a different version of themselves. A new perspective.

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A moment seeing this beautiful, wonderful, strong, courageous woman peering back at them in the mirror. To help them to build a platform on which they can stand. And hopefully finally feel like every single ounce of effort given to their family, friends, and loved ones is enough. That THEY, are enough.

Sharing this experience with the winners literally moved us to tears. Watching them see themselves again. Some, it seemed, as though they were seeing themselves for the very first time. It was extraordinarily powerful. Being able to share these moments with them was an opportunity of a lifetime. One neither Kelly nor I, will forget anytime soon. THIS is what makes the vision of our company, a reality. This is my dream. To have an opportunity to do this filled my heart.

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So here is a sneak peak into the final day of this experience.

We will be sharing their stories over the next few weeks on our blog!

Looking forward to you meeting these spectacular women & sharing a moment in their life.

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We also want to take a moment to thank every single person the helped to make this amazing collaboration happen!

Sparrow Events Company for providing their beautiful space for our photo session.

Alise Frederic Salon & Spa for pampering these ladies with brow shaping.

Lennard Taylor for lending us these beautiful pieces of your unique designs & gorgeous jewelry pieces!

Suzan Kiernicki for supplying us with amazing pieces of Stella & Dot jewelry!

Forever 21 Polo Park for working out the details to get us these great pieces we were able to dress our winners in!

Lynette Giesbrecht of Lynette Photography & Kat Harder of Harder Photo Design for your uncanny ability to bring out the very best in every single photograph you captured of these women! THANK YOU, from the bottom of our hearts!

 Our wonderful and amazing team at The Artist Groupe.

Hair Cuts and Colours by Whitney Dheilly, Chelsea Watson & Lisa Schoor.

Makeup by Harold Santos, Nancy Dutiaume & Kelly Hastman Cherewick

Styling by Nancy Dutiaume & Kelly Hastman Cherewick

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Katie’s Story

We had the opportunity to work with Photographer Jill Demianiw of Luxe Images by Jill. We were asked if we were available for a photo shoot. One where the makeup request would be dark, smokey makeup, looking as though it had been on a few days. Kind of heroine chic. Our creativity loves these kinds of opportunities, and we joined this edgy concept of a shoot!

Little did I know, when I read the story of Katie, that I would be so deeply impacted by her words. This disease can be crippling. It has affected so many people, and its story has not been told in a way that Katie so eloquently and descriptively tells it. Please read her story. It is a humbling one that is brilliantly captured by Jill. The painful journey that is Fibromyalgia.

Makeup by Molly. Hair by Katie and Jill

This is Katie’s story…

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It began with the numbness and tingling in my feet… the doctors said it was the Reynaud’s getting worse or maybe just because I was a girl… Then the headaches got worse…

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A Love Story

It’s not often you meet a couple who has a breathtaking energy as these two. We had the opportunity to work with a tremendous group of local talented vendors for this beautifully captured piece of work! And it just happened to feature a couple who’s love is not only inspiring, it’s dreamy. We are so excited to also be featured on Junebug Weddings! Such a great feeling when we are able to together and capture so much beauty! Take a look at www.junebugsweddings.com ! Hair by Laura Jane.

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Event Planning & Table Styling by Divine Weddings

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Stunning table styling by Divine Weddings

 

 

 

 

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Shining in gold. Decor & fabulous floral arrangement by The Floral Fixx

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This is musician Keith MacPherson Along with his many talents comes a soothing voice and peaceful presence. Just perfect for your wedding or event.

 

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What A Lucky Thing We Do!

Ever wonder what it’s like backstage at a Fashion Show? How lucky are we that we were able to participate in being the exclusive Makeup Artists at the Wonderful Wedding Show this year! To be able to feel what it is like to be backstage and work on beautiful faces, who get to wear such spectacular gowns! What an experience! It was amazing to see new wedding designers such as Anna Lange Bridal, as well as some wonderful options for your gentlemen as well like EPH Apparel (they do custom suits you know!) The fashion show was amazing with a new take to the presentation from previous years.  How fun to do themed make up and bring back brides of the 80’s and 90’s, as well as some stunning bridal looks of the ’50’s. Take a moment and feel the energy that is backstage life at a fashion show!

Photo Credit: BTL Commercial

Makeup Artists : Stas, Molly, Genevieve, Kelly, Shalla, Jen

All Makeup Artists of The Artist Groupe!

 

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ReVamp Your Style Makeover—Contest Winner

All those years ago when I first decided to make Makeup Artistry my career, I knew I was a different kind of Artist. I knew in my heart that I had a different purpose with having the opportunity to have faces in my hands. Ive spent years trying to put into words what it was that I had hoped to do by adding a few colours to someone’s face. My genuine belief is that makeup is an art. It is a gift to be able to take a face and change it into something and someone completely different. But my purpose was not to take someone’s face, and change it. My purpose was to change their perspective. To be able to take what I have learned, all the years of being a “brush holding” ear, and bring someone an opportunity to see themselves. To have that different perspective and feel a new happiness. All of this has come to fruition with this amazing journey. Our ReVamp your Style winner, Bonnie Diakiw.

 

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“My intention is not to change your face, my purpose is to transform your soul.”

Originally when I’d first thought about blogging about the winner of our contest, I thought I’d ask some generic questions about the experience and turn it into a story on my own. Bonnie’s owns words were so powerful and resonated so strongly with me, I’m going to let her exact words speak for themselves.

Meet Bonnie.

 

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Tell me in 4 words how you felt about yourself before the makeover experience?

Critical

Empty/Lost

Frustrated

Inadequate/Insecure

 

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What made you the best candidate for this prize?

By the sounds of it there were many deserving women that would have been an excellent candidate for this prize but I have to say I am truly appreciative and grateful that I was chosen. I think of it more of a gift than a prize, and once I received the news that I was the winner I realized how bad I truly wanted it. Every part of me was open, ready and wanting a change, but if I am to be completely honest, I was scared because I was feeling so insecure. I thought I would be judged during the process of the makeover. I was already so self-critical, that the thought of others seeing me and making suggestions seemed overwhelming. Yet each time I met a member of the Artist Group, it was one positive experience after another. At no point did I ever feel uncomfortable or judged. If anything, these ladies really had the ability to boost me up and I realize how hard I was being on myself and how my thoughts often got the best of me.

When I first told some of my friends and co-workers that I had won this prize, everyone would say,” what if they cut off all your hair, or do something that you don’t like?”.

In that moment I could confidently say that I was truly up for whatever they had in mind. I was open and ready to cut off all my hair (and did end up cutting off a good 10 – 12 inches). I knew that what I had been doing wasn’t working, and I had absolutely nothing to lose by trying out something completely new.

In that moment, I realized this was the push I had ultimately been needing for a very long time,….and who better to go through it with than the team from The Artist Group. What a fabulous bunch of women. WOW!

 

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Tell me about your daily life?

I work in an Operating Room as a Corporate Program Assistant. I work Monday to Friday and when I am not at work, I am typically a chauffeur mom for 2 boys. I spend my week days in the OR and week nights running to football or track , or doing something with my kids. Between homework and other daily responsibilities, I try to go to the gym with my wonderful and supportive husband and to a boxing class one night a week with a friend.

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