Unedited

 

| Behind the Scenes: Photography by Ashley Nicole |

 

There is something to be said about raw, natural beauty. About letting people see, and even capture, the 'naked' side of you, exposed for all to behold and to welcome whole-heartedly. Letting people see what lies just beneath the surface is not always easy, but I feel it is important to see the beauty of a naturally raw you.

 

I recently pushed myself to do something that I have always wanted to do; to create images in a studio with a professional photographer that shares a passion for his craft, just as I do. Someone to help me not just take a pretty picture, but to capture a character and to tell a story. To put myself out there in this fashion was a little nerve-wrecking as I am allowing an almost stranger to capture me through his lens and in his eyes. I don't think I had more than five hours of sleep the night before, as my mind was racing nonstop with ideas and concepts. To truly experience the non-traditional side of life, you have to have the confidence to face your fears and even sometimes to feel uncomfortable. As nervous and maybe even as embarrassed as I felt, I walked into the studio with my head held high and my heels even higher. By the end of the shoot I felt confident, powerful, beautiful, and grateful that I was able to experience something so raw and with so much room for creativity.

 

The images for todays article were actually taken behind the scenes of my latest photo shoot by my lovely twin of oh so many talents. Turns out my makeup artist of a sister also has a knack for capturing the raw side of me in a way that makes me feel beautiful and confident, thanks sis! However, as much as I loved these images and what they represent in my eyes, I cannot wait to see the girl professionally captured through the lens of another. Stay tuned!

 

xoxo - Heather Marie

 

Follow our Fashion and Beauty Adventures through the eyes of twins on:

INSTAGRAM: Heather Marie - http://www.instagram.com/1heather_marie

Ashley Nicole - http://www.instagram.com/1ash_nicole

TUMBLR: http://www.tumblr.com/marienabymarienicole

 

 

 

 



 



Lady Godiva

 

 

 

 | Photography by Ashley Nicole |

 

It is quite interesting that as the New Year approaches we often find ourselves looking back at all that has occurred over the past year. My favorite part is seeing how myself and even how my twin sister have changed and grown into whom I believe are even better creative beauties. Change may not always be easy, but I feel it is a necessary and often exciting part of life. Not only has my style changed over each passing year, but it seems that so has my visions for the content of each Marie Nicole article. 

 

Today I find myself with a more editorial eye and a need to create articles that tell a story in each photo. In these images, I adore the way my shadow acts as almost a second body - the heroic and powerful ego within everyone. Behind every kind, delicate and beautiful woman is a strong, passionate and determined soul. And together, this woman can evoke a revolution and reign over all who underestimate her.

 

Nothing says strong and beautiful like a sleek, black and gold ensemble. Drawing inspiration from an elegant and captivating bottle, I found myself drawn to the timeless trend of the seductively, simple black jumpsuit embellished with gold accessories and polished off with an elegant low pony. More and more I have been drawn to this hairstyle. I love the high-fashion look of it and it radiates the strength and confidence of a woman to be reckoned with.

 

xoxo - Heather Marie

 

Follow our fashion and beauty adventures on

INSTAGRAM - Heather Marie: http://www.instagram.com/1heather_marie

        Ashley Nicole: http://www.instagram.com/1ashley_Nicole

YOUTUBE: http://www.youtube.com/thetwinsuntamed

TUMBLER: http://ashleynicolemua.tumbler.com

 

 





 



When I look at you

 

 

| Photography by Ashley Nicole |

 

Lately I have been thinking a lot about perception; how even a simple photo and the message portrayed behind the theme of the shot can be perceived in many different ways. One of the greatest tools we have is the ability to decide how we, and the choices we make, are to be perceived. This is not always easy as our idea of who we are and the passions that drive our every action are constantly changing and growing into something bigger and usually always better; but the beauty of it all is that the choice is ours.

 

When Ashley and I are planning our next article or video, we always consider what it is that we want our readers and viewers to see, to think, to feel. And for this shoot, I wanted to stand out and inspire the daring to do the same; which is why I chose a minimalistic makeup and an eye catching, Kat Von D lip to add beauty to an otherwise ugly construction site - the backdrop of today's article. The images created for this article definitely fall into their own category, for these shots are not like any I have shot before. With so many trends and content concepts that flow through this interesting and beautiful platform that is the fashion world, it is almost too easy to blend in. But to fall in line to the steps of the crowd is to deprive yourself, and even others, of the joys that come about when you create something uniquely beautiful and different. After all, who wants to be just another brick in the wall?

 

xoxo - Heather Marie

 

Take a dip in my daydreams

 

 

| Photography by Ashley Nicole |

 

To indulge in daydreams is probably one of life's greatest pleasures. To me, daydreams are a way of seeing your future, a future that you can create, for daydreams are just a future reality waiting to be lived. On my journey I find myself always seduced by the charm of my imagination. With so many possibilities and opportunities waiting to be discovered, it is hard not to succumb to the fantasies of your heart. Daydreaming is more than just an escape, it is the realization of our imaginative potential or the threshold to unleashing our creativity.

 

While discovering what it is that inspires you and what desires give rise to the passion that compels every decision you make, you can often get distracted by the responsibilities of a 'normal' life. It is often hard to dedicate your full self to the journey of creating a reality that was once only a dream. It is important to find that balance between what you have to do and what you want to do to bring your fantasy out of the shadows and in to the light for all to see.

 

 I have been thinking a lot about what and who inspires me and every time I am lucky enough to witness and experience a passion of creativity, I find myself awakened with a craving to dedicate myself to my own passions. I feel that we have only really brushed the surface of all that Ashley and I can do; and with so much vision and imagination waiting to be uncovered and embraced, I can't wait to see the visionary revolutions we will bring to this life. So if you want a shelter from reality, you can take a dip in our daydreams. - Arctic Monkeys.

 

xoxo - Heather Marie

 



black and white.



| Photography by Ashley Nicole |

 



When did things become so complicated? When man first began, life was so simple. Survival reigned over all else and instincts and loyalty were what you lived by. There were no mind games where your feelings become casualties, no actions or hidden messages behind spoken words to be deciphered, life was just simple. And I am starting to realize, that it is us who complicate our own life.

 Life itself has not really changed from what it was when man lived in caves. Sure our arsenal of survival tools have evolved, but when you really think about it, life is, or at least can be, as simple as it once was. We overthink things and try to decipher signs that most likely have no hidden meaning behind them, but why? I believe we over analyze certain moments in life as a way of trying to make sense of an undesirable situation. But maybe, things would be a lot easier and a lot less painful if we just accept things as they are in black and white. Sometimes, things  really are as simple as they seem.

Take these gorgeous gold necklaces for example. So simple and small, but yet they make their own statement. Without even having to try, these necklaces exude a subtle elegance and an undeniable beauty that requires no second thoughts. That is how life should be. We need to remember to live for the small moments in life because they truly are what matter most. We need to learn to stop playing games and letting our own thoughts and insecurities ruin good moments because those are the moments you cannot get back and those are the moments that you will long for most once they are gone. Maybe, if we live life in black and white and stay away from the grey areas that only complicate something that would otherwise be so simple, we can live the candid and beautiful life that I believe was intended for us.

xoxo - Heather Marie

To the grunge and back

 

 

 

| Makeup by Ashley Nicole |

 

Hello my loves! It is a very exciting time here at Marie Nicole as Ashley and I are literally seeing before our very eyes our vision of what we want the blog to portray evolve into something more fearless, daring and full of inspiration. It is hard to describe how amazing it feels to watch as your baby grows and progresses each day. The journey has not always been easy, but we finally feel that us and our blog are coming into its own with a flair and fierceness to be reckoned with.

 

It seems that Ashley has been doing my makeup much more often than she probably imagined. But in my defense, I told her from the start that if she continues to open her beauty chair to me, I will never again sit in my own. My sister has not always felt like she has had a prominent place on the blog, but she truly is becoming an inspiring creative mind behind what is to come.

 

For this post, we had a futuristic vision that my talented twin was able to achieve spot on! We wanted to create a look that showed the alluring edge of grunge and the timeless strength of mod. And when we think mod, we think sleek, straight hair and the classic black and white combo. But by adding mesh into the look, we transformed the debonair trend of mod into the futuristic, yet vintage mess of grunge. The nude lip and the almost messy black liner satisfy todays modern thirst for sleek grunge.

 

xoxo - Heather Marie

 

To see this full look, visit our YT channel at http://www.youtube.com/thetwinsuntamed

 

 



The darker side of me

 

 

| Makeup by Ashley Nicole |

 

Bonjour Beauty Lovers! For this post, I had the great pleasure to take a seat in my talented twin's makeup chair! My secret beauty weapon. Ashley and I made the choice to return to our natural brunette roots, but with a hint of darkness. Blonde was fun, but as you can probably see, darker hair is much more our style.

 

For this makeup look, we gave into the darkness of our hair and craved an edginess that Ashley was able to achieve with a few strokes of her brush and the Naked 3 palette from Urban Decay. The rebellious beauty has always been a style of Ashley's, but for me this look is a bit new. And for some reason that I don't care to question, my new hair is bringing out the darker side of me and I love it!

 

Makeup is a passion of my talented twin, and after spending some time in the bubble of her beauty creativity, I am starting to see why. We had a character in mind, a personality with a rebellious dark passenger within her, and with a simple color combination, precise eyeliner placement and a dark shade of lipstick, a new persona was created. It is truly inspiring. All I can think now, is who can Ashley Nicole and I create next? Stay Tuned.

 

xoxo - Heather Marie