Soft glam, a sunny sky, and a love story eight years in the making.

When Amparo first emailed me, she was halfway around the world in California, planning an elopement in New Zealand from her laptop.

No bridal trial. No in-person consultation. Just a collection of romantic bridal makeup photos and few email messages to work out the details.

When we met in person on the big day, this line stuck with me:

"I looked through your portfolio and all the brides looked flawless, without being overdone. I knew I could trust you to do my bridal makeup without a trial.”

I was humbled by her trust in me, and that trust means everything.

Amparo’s not a full-glam, fake-lashes-every-weekend kind of girl. She wears makeup rarely and lightly, and her one big request for her wedding day was to feel like herself. Elevated and flawless, but still unmistakably her.

Let’s rewind a little.

Amparo and her fiancé had been together for eight years.

Every year on their anniversary, they take a trip to mark the moment. But this year, they decided to make it official and planned an elopement at Mt. Cook National Park, the kind of rugged, jaw-dropping landscape that makes you feel like you’re standing in a postcard.

They booked a photographer (and me!), packed their wedding outfits, and planned to hike 40 minutes in full wedding garb to say their vows surrounded by mountain peaks.

Epic doesn’t even begin to cover it.

The morning of, I drove into Mt. Cook with my kit riding shotgun in the front seat.

Amparo met me with that mix of nerves and excitement most brides carry, but when we started her makeup, she relaxed as we chatted about her love story and plans for the day.

We went for a soft glam bridal look that brought out her beautiful bone structure and warm skin tone, smokey definition on the eyes, and a radiant base that could hold up to wind, sun, and a whole lot of happy tears.

Then she looked at herself in the mirror: “Yes. I love it.”

After her glam, Amparo tried out her cathedral length veil, slipped into her dress and hiking shoes, and set off into the mountains with her love.

Under a sunny, clear Mt. Cook sky (relatively rare for that area), they said their vows. The two of them in nature, just like they like it. With eight years of shared history behind them.

No crowd. No pressure. Just love, adventure, and one radiant bride who trusted the process.

I think about that day a lot.

It reminds me that bridal makeup doesn’t have to be dramatic to be powerful.

It’s not about transforming you into someone else.

It’s about reflecting who you already are—and helping you feel confident, grounded, and utterly yourself in one of life’s biggest moments.

Whether you’re eloping in a national park, saying “I do” in your parents’ garden, or dancing the night away in a ballroom…

You deserve to feel like a radiant, elevated version of you. And you deserve a makeup artist who listens, adapts, and shows up ready for anything.

If you’re planning your own big moment—near or far—and want a makeup artist who gets it…

I’d love to be that person for you.

→ Book your bridal trial or elopement glam here.