Vendor Spotlight: Skyla Arts

As part of my ongoing blogs, I have decided to add a segment highlighting vendors I have met in my professional experience.  Today I'll be showing you a little bit into the world of hair and make up with Liz Chang of Skyla Arts based in Mountain View.

Name: Elizabeth Chang
Company: Skyla Arts, Harmony Skin Solutions
Price range: $500+

I cant remember exactly how I happened to stumble across Liz but the moment I met her at Starbucks for the first time, we just hit it off.  She has such a passion for what she does and you can really feel that when she discusses it with you.   Liz specializes in make up facials, and chemical peels and can also provide hair services and portrait photography.   So not only can she take care of your day of wedding beauty needs, she can prepare your skin to make it the best it's ever looked months before.

Liz at work putting lashes on a bride

Liz started doing makeup for theater and school events when she was still in elementary school and realized it was her gift.  After a very successful make up session for her sisters wedding and some encouragement from family, she knew it was what she really wanted to do with her life.  After finishing college, she bought her first kit and started assisting at a high-end salon in LA.  Her dream was becoming a reality.  About 2 years ago, Liz moved up to Mountain View and is continuing her business here in the Bay Area.  We are truly lucky to have her around.

Here are some excerpts from my interview with her last week so you can get to know Liz like I do:

What kind of events/weddings do you love to do?  

All kinds! My preferred makeup style is very clean and chic. My specialty to do the no-makeup-makeup look aims to add polish and sophistication by emphasizing a person’s best features. I love it when a bride or my client looks in the mirror and loves her look without feeling like it does not look like herself.

How do you keep up with current trends in the industry?

I work in the fashion/commercial side of the industry as well, so I always keep up with the fashion magazines and try my best to pay attention to the styles on celebrities, because most people will identify themselves with a style icon/celebrity, and knowing those references, for example: Taylor Swift curls, or Gossip Girl hair, is equally important.

What’s the first question you ask a potential client? 

In person I usually like to know what they like to do for fun during down time, kind of get a feel of their personality, taste, and what their comfort level is for their look, like how “dressed up” would they like to strive for, or maybe more bohemian.  The other thing I ask is whether or not they have any allergies or sensitivities.

What’s your favorite part about what you do?  

Making my clients feel and look beautiful!

What’s the biggest challenge about what you do?  

My client last night commented how it must be hard for me to do my job because there is no way I could know what the client has in mind, especially if they themselves don’t know what they want.  Other times, it’s hard when the client wants to look like a certain celebrity, but the celebrity most likely invests a lot of time and money in skin care, and what you see is her beautiful skin, and not necessarily a special kind of makeup. I responded that yes, it is challenging, because I cannot read your mind; sometimes it’s a trial and error process, and the results are always rewarding! 

Another challenge is sometimes my clients come to me as one of the last vendors for their wedding, and most of their budgets were spent on the wedding venue, and expect to spend a fraction of the cost for my services. That is why it is important to hire an experienced wedding coordinator, who will help you navigate your budget and get the most bang for your buck, and educate you on how much to budget for your beauty vendors.

What’s been the most unusual request you’ve had from a client?

The event was unusual but the request itself was fairly normal: My client here in the Bay Area had found some random photos of makeup she liked on the internet after the consultation to show me a better idea of the “glow” she had in mind, and popped on the computer, was photos of my former co-worker and my mentor’s work from at the high-end salon in Los Angeles.  I had goose bumps!! What a coincidence…! She probably picked up that my style and my mentor’s was very similar (or else I would not be her assistant), and that even though there are tons of Asian makeup examples on the internet, she found the ones from my mentor in LA!?! What a small world. 

To find out more about Liz visit her website: http://www.skyla-arts.com/
or read her blog: http://skyla-arts.blogspot.com/