The girl with the "good hair"

I've always gotten so many compliments on my hair. I'm not even gonna lie. I am a little obsessed with my hair. I've always been super funny about it. I never got it cut because I'd go in and come out in tears and cry for days because the stylist( could I even call them a stylist for real though?) would cut way more than I wanted or it just wasn't what I showed her a picture of. So, I'm gong to give you my tips that I use.

First and foremost: FIND A STYLIST YOU LOVE. You have to have a great stylist. Don't go to great clips... JUST DON'T DO IT.

Second: THERE IS NO FIXING SPLIT ENDS! You either prevent them or cut them. Don't waste your time or money on pinterest fails.

Third: Wet hair is weak hair. After you wash your hair it's best to use a t shirt or soft material to absorb the excess water. Do not rub your hair in between the towel. it causes friction and static which cause split ends and breakage.

Fourth: DO NOT BRUSH YOUR HAIR WET! Again, your hair is weak when it's wet making it more vulnerable to knots and breakage. While a wide tooth comb is a better option I recommend only running your fingers through your hair while it's wet. That bring me to my secret step.

I use an essential oil blend to massage in my scalp after I wash it. This promotes hair strength and growth. I use the recipe below:

You will feel a little tingle and this is a good sign.

Try to stay away from heat drying as much as possible. I know sometimes we have to dry it and run and I get it. Just remember heat equals damage.

I also use a wooden brush with plastic bristles so they glide through my hair more easily. I got mine at Target.

My hair is VERY processed. VERY! I try to use all natural shampoo and conditioner as much as possible but I do have to use purple shampoo to keep the brassiness out of my blonde. My stylist has started using a more natural color as well. Here are a few older images before I took the plunge and chopped it off when I was pregnant.

And then... I did this...

And this is current... growing it back out with a shadow root.

The best advice I can give you is to find you a stylist that you love and click with. My stylist is more than my stylist.

Austin and Ronnie are MARRIED

Fall Weddings are my favorite. This cute and cozy barn wedding was perfect even with a few wrenches thrown in the mix... Including the groom losing his pants (Yes, he lost his pants for real!) the poor preacher's truck broke down so the groom (who has no pants) and a groomsman had to go find him, a snake under a table, and a little venue issue. But these love birds pushed past all this and enjoyed themselves. I had a blast and an so glad they chose me to capture their day! Their story is below in their own words.


Our Story....
Our story starts out just like many others, we met each other by chance though our paths had crossed many times. At first there was a struggle, Ronnie pretty much was in pursuit of Austin. She was busy working and planning for School and he was working too. But Ronnie eventually won her over. They settled for a dinner of Chinese food… That went on to be dinner, then Cabela’s then Bass Pro then to a second dinner with Ronnie’s cousin Mark and his family.

We went on many fishing trips, dinners and even the zoo, both falling more and more for each other as the time went on. We kept talking about family, marriage and kids. But the struggles were still ahead. Ronnie went through job changes and eventually went back to school to continue his education. Austin enrolled in nursing school. There were days and weeks that we didn’t see each other. The only thing keeping us together was quick phone calls and “I love you". But as time went on even this was a strong point. The relationship grew and quality time became so important to us both.

Then time came when Ronnie decided to pop the question. But in keeping with tradition even this was a struggle. Austin had picked out the exact ring she wanted over a year earlier… Ronnie wrote down the item number and when the time came he set out to get it. Turns out there was only one left in the country by that designer. So he waited for it to come in. With only three days left the ring came in… Damaged, almost unrecognizable. Luckily the ring got repaired and picked up the day of the planned proposal. As they say the rest is history.

Harris Family

This session was super special to me. I met Becky when I was working at the bank. We ended up expecting our baby girls a bout 2 months apart. We became more than banker/client. We realized that we are way more alike than we should be. We are both crazy. Becky listened to my moaning and complaining and we both griped about our weight gain and swollen feet. Her first and my 3rd. When she asked me to photograph her family I was honored! Her brother even welcomed a beautiful baby girl reccently! Our little girls are going to be BFF's even if they don't know it. When our first location didn't work out we decided on Maymont Park in Richmond, VA. Becky comes from a family of Brick Masons. With that being said the columns and stone work seemed fitting for her family. I delivered her gallery last week and wanted to share some of their images with you. Enjoy!

Bedtime Routines

With 3 kids in the house, ages 11, 8 and 8 months, bedtime can be a little crazy. I don't know how we ever survived without essential oils. Well, I only had 2 kids at the time so it wasn't as hectic. So I'll tell you how our routines go at night. Are they perfect? Heck no. Do we get off track some times? Absolutely! But I owe my sanity to this routine. I hope maybe this will help you mama's a little. So we actually start during right after school. My school age kids get out of school at 2:30 and we are home by 2:45. As soon as we get home, backpacks are unpacked and school papers are stuffed in the appropriate file hanger in our command center.They are allowed to have a small snack and start home work. the " After School Roller" is a must! Right now I have a 5th grader and 2nd grader. The second grader has to read for 20 minutes daily. so he reads to his baby sister while I supervise my 5th grader with her more in depth work. She is also required to read for 30 minutes daily and complete a reading log. After homework is completed they usually go out side for a little bit. When I start making dinner the older kids start their showers to get them out of the way. We start our actual bedtime routine about 30 minutes before bed.(I'm usually bathing the baby during this time) We get the diffusers prepped and turn them on in the bedrooms. We oil up topically. Brush teeth. Make sure outfits and backpacks are ready for the next day. Check the lunch menu for school to decide if they are packing or buying the next day. Then, finally turn all lights off and head to bed. My older kids share a room. That makes it a little more difficult at bed time because yes, I have to speak to them more than once to go to bed. But it's not too bad. Of course, some nights are worse than others but for the most part we have an easy bedtime. Some nights I let my 2nd grader play longer and take a bath after dinner because he is my child that likes to take relaxing baths. I will post our oily recipes below along with pictures.

*After School Roller:
10 drops of frankincense
10 drops of peace and calming.
Fill the remainder of 10 ml roller bottle with carrier oil.
These are calming and grounding oils that encourage focus for homework.

*Bath Salts: 1 cup epson salt and 10 drops of lavender. I put this in a glass jar and they can scoop it themselves for their baths. This starts the calming process.

*Diffuser Blends for sleep
(older kids)
3 drops of lavender and 3 drops of cedarwood
(baby)
3 drops gentle baby

*Sleep oils topically (older kids)
1 drop of cedarwood on forehead

*Immunity Roller
10 drops thieves
10 drops copaiba
Fill the remainder of 10ml roller with carrier oil.
Roll this on the bottoms of feet and spine for a boost in immune systems to keep the ick away. Ain't nobody got time for that!

*What's a carrier oil?*
Carrier oils are more fatty oils. They are used to dilute essential oils. Oils such as fractionated coconut oil, sweet almond oil, jojoba oil, ect are great carrier oils. Essential oils can be used neat (alone, without a carrier oil) but some oils are hot (they tingle)so you want to dilute those. Some people choose to dilute for children too. I personally only dilute on my 8 month old sometimes... I'm perfectly comfortable with my oils to only dilute hot oils.

*sidenote*
Most of the oils I use come in the premium starter kit along with a diffuser. I had a great sleep routine with only starter kit oils. I just decided to switch it up a bit once I dove in amd fell in love with ALL THE OILS. 😍

Why hire professionals for hair and makeup on your wedding day.

As a photographer I can tell you what a HUGE difference PROFESSIONAL hair and makeup make on your big day. Sure you may do an awesome job on your makeup on a daily basis and hair can't be that hard right? Think again my friends! Here are a few tid bits you will find helpful. Trust me you will not regret this decision! A hairstylist will make your hairstyle look good from ANY and EVERY angle the camera captures.  It's easy to do your own hair and make it look good from the front or the back, but there is no telling what angles the photographer will capture.  A professional will know how to make your hairstyle look amazing from any angle your photographer may hit.Your stylist also knows how to make the most of your hair type. You would be amazed what a hairstylist can do with your hair!  Having experience with so many hair types, they will make your fine hair look full and your thick hair look proportionate. you won't believe what a stylist can do with your hair!

Now, on to makeup. A makeup artist knows how to bring out your best features.  Highlighting and contouring in the wrong places can bring attention to the wrong things, while highlighting and contouring in the right places will make you look your best. A makeup artist also knows how to style for photographs.  Every day makeup looks great in person, but there are a lot of different techniques when it comes to photos. you definitely don't want to look washed out and pale in your wedding photos!

Lastly, stylist and makeup artists use the right products and techniques to make your hair and makeup last ALL day.  It's one thing to look great when you leave your house that morning, it's another thing to still look great when you make your grand exit that night.  Professional makeup, hair tools and experience will all help you to look picture perfect all day long. I want nothing but the best for my clients and for them to look amazing and look back and ABSOLUTELY LOVE their photos. Don't skip hair and makeup, I promise you will thank me! Don't miss a thing! Follow me on facebook and Instagram! @cynthiahillphotography   

Why every woman should have a Boudoir Shoot

You know you have always wanted to do one, but you are terrified at the thought of stripping down to your bare essentials in front of someone. Remember, I am a professional. I will make you feel comfortable and guide you every step of the way. I’m giving you 10 reasons right now why you should do a boudoir shoot and they all start and end with you! 1. To look back on. Why not have proof for when you’re older and catch yourself saying “I used to look like that”. 2. It boosts confidence and helps you to love every inch of yourself. The self-discovery and empowerment are only a plus!

3. Having full on hair, makeup, and photo pamper can make you feel like a queen. It might even be addictive, you’ll want to rebook, maybe even a party for you and your girlfriends! 4. The perfect way to commemorate your weight loss, and inspiration to keep going! 5. It’s an excuse to go shopping for something frivolous!  Also you’ll now have that classy lingerie set for that special someone or night out.

6. Celebrate a transitional period. Newly engaged? Just get married? Just had a baby? Milestone birthday? Anniversary? Heck, even a divorce! 7. Correct doubts! Thinking “I’m too big, or not pretty or confident enough”. Nonsense. As cliché as it sounds people come in all different shapes and sizes. I will make everyone look feminine and beautiful. That’s my job! You are a sexy woman! 8. Recently out of a relationship? What better way to celebrate being single and return confidence.

9. It’s not about sex. It’s about feeling sexy. Showing your pictures to friends or online is a confidence step in itself. It’s about not letting other people judge you and about you forming your own definition of beauty. 10. Shock your friends and yourself! If it’s something you’ve always wanted to do, be glamorous for a day and do it! I will always put my best effort into making you feel comfortable and maximize your fun experience! I also offer group party packages that include wine and strawberries – make a day of it!

ALL PHOTOS ARE COPYRIGHT OF CYNTHIA HILL PHOTOGRAPHY AND MAY NOT BE USED FOR ANY REASON.