Inner Beauty Insight

I know this blog is predominantly about beauty products and trends that are in the NOW but I wanted to post a blog about how important INNER beauty is. This is more important than any lipstick you put on or mascara you try and while that will make you LOOK pretty on the outside, what's inside is much more important.

As women we subconsciously spend a lot of our time bashing ourselves for what we see in the mirror. Society places this huge pressure on us to be skinny, have perfect hair, to never age, to look and act a certain way ALL THE TIME.  Not only is it exhausting and expensive but it's impossible.

We all have features on ourselves that we don't like, or wish we could change but these things make us unique. Remember ladies, we're not all supposed to look the same and you cannot start comparing yourselves to any other woman or women who are airbrushed in magazines or celebrities that have a whole team of people working on them before an awards show. People like this have personal chefs, personal trainers, nannies for their children and 4 hours a day to spend at the gym a day. This is not real life.

Inner beauty starts when you begin to really love yourself flaws and all. These two things go hand and hand and you can' t have one without the other. The way you feel about yourself is a reflection to others. If you feel beautiful it comes in the way you carry yourself. Loving yourself comes with maturity and experience. You learn as you go what makes you feel good about yourself and it doesn't all come from material things. It really starts from within.

Don't you love this quote! :)

Here are a few ways to improve your INNER BEAUTY! 

1) Self Confidence- Look for ways to improve your self confidence. You can achieve this by pursuing your talents, doing something you love or taking better care of your health. For example, for me personally, exercise always helps improve my self confidence. Not only does it release endorphins but it benefits every aspect of my life. Your body really is your temple and it's very important to make that a priority. If you don't take care of yourself who will? 

2) Appreciate the Little Things-There is line in my sorority's poem that says "To see beauty, even in the common things of life." Sometimes you have to stop and notice the little things in life that are beautiful. It could be something in nature or something kind someone said to you today. When I get down I think of how lucky I am to have such a great support system in my friends and family and the simple act of recognizing that always makes me feel good. Be grateful for all things big and small. There is always a way to find some joy in being appreciative of what you do have instead of what you don't have.

3) Have fun! Don't take yourself too seriously. When things get hard you have to try to find the joy in life. Do something that you know for certain will make you happy. Meet up with an old friend you haven't seen. Watch your favorite funny movie. It can even be as goofy as turning on your favorite song in your home and dancing around like a fool with a loved one.

4) Be positive- Instead of putting your focus on the bad in your life, focus on the good. Try to quit complaining. Take time to sit back and assess a good or bad situation and find the lesson in it. Everything life throws at you is to help you grow. There is always a way to find some good in every situation. With a positive attitude you also exude confidence.

5) SMILE- This one is probably the easiest.  They say that smiling literally reduces stress and can help you live longer. How cool is that?! Smile even when you don't feel like smiling, there is evidence that shows even just the act of smiling can change your mood. Flash a smile to the people your around, it's contagious!! It's also been said that smiling helps our immune system. The benefits are endless here.

6) "Find your favorite.."- Go to the hair salon and try out that new awesome hairstyle you have been eyeing for awhile. Wear your favorite pair of jeans. Strut your stuff in your favorite pair of shoes. Put on your favorite lipstick. These little things may not matter much to other people but they make you feel good about you and that's the point.


6) Daily Positive Affirmations- This is a BIG one that took me awhile to learn. DO NOT BASH YOURSELF. Do not call yourself fat, ugly, stupid or anything else negative for that matter. This is a must! It may take practice for some but it's really important. When you emit these negative things about yourself out in the world it'll set the tone for the day. Start your day by thinking of at least one positive thing about yourself. It also doesn't have to be about yourself but it could be about how you wish to start your day. You have a choice each day to decide what kind of attitude you're going to have. If you wake up and start worrying about something, I guarantee that will follow you around all day. If you wake up with a negative attitude about what your tasks are for the day it will for sure effect on how your day goes. I promise you. When you think and say positive things about yourself and situations it typically results in a better day and a better attitude.

Everyone is beautiful in their own way. Embrace it ladies! You are all BEAUTIFUL! : ) Thanks for reading.

                                                     

                                                             See ladies, even Christina says so! :)

2 Easy Nail Trends to Try - Caviar Nails & Matte Nails

Hello everyone! As you know from my previous nail blog, I'm super into all sorts of different styles of nail art lately. All the different trends I read in my beauty magazines, trends I've seen on celebs and different things my own friends have tried has been really inspiring. I personally spend at least one night a week vegged out in front of the TV giving myself a mani and pedi. While I always manage to get it on cuticles it becomes a special way to spend "ME" time and allows me to get creative. Not to mention I feel so pretty with clean, well groomed nails. That being said... let's get on to the two new and easy nail trends I tried recently.

*CAVIAR NAILS*

Have you heard of Caviar nails? This is the latest trend I've found out about last week. The art of it came from London to the states about a month ago and began selling in Sephora. It's a simple two step process that consists of painting your nails and pouring beads on top of the wet coat so they stick. Easy enough right?

NOTE: It's best to leave your nails to dry for at least 15-20 minutes and I've read that you should NOT to apply a top coat. The top coat tends to distort the color.

The brand is called Ciaté and they come in sets that contain a little bottle of beads and a base color. You can find this at Sephora. There are currently 3 colors out right now. Black and blue, Multi colored and white. See the pictures below.

It looks kinda weird when you first see the pictures but it looks so cool on. I promise you. 

Don't the muti-colored ones look like sprinkles?!?! YUMMMM!!!

Heads up if you do purchase this from sephora (like I almost wasted my money doing) it'll run you $25.00. That's a little much for any nail polish look so I did some searching online and came across a cheaper idea thanks to my favorite blogger (The PolishAholic). She found micro-beads at Michaels for much cheaper. Hooray! These are the sets of micro-beads she found that I went to purchase this weekend.  They were $3.99 for a set of 6 or you could get a larger version of 1 color for $1.99. I got the set on the left and tried the black micro-beads yesterday. I'd post a picture but my camera wouldn't take a good detailed picture of it but it looks like the pictures above. 

*MATTE NAILS*

The other look I tried today was MATTE nails. For some reason I've been in the mood to wear a non-shiny nail. I don't like super sheen nail polish as it is anymore but I wanted to make my nails look flat  and opaque. I heard about Essie's "Matte about you" nail polish which is a top coat that you can put over any regular nail polish you have to make it flat looking. 

Check out this picture below. This is a regular black nail polish with "Matte about you" on it.

This is the look I tried today. I really love white nails in the spring/summer, especially with white nails. 

And I decided to try the "Matte about you" over white. It made my nails like flat like the black above and almost chalky. What's sweet is once you put the top coat on it dries super quick and your ready to go!

Here are some pictures of matte nails in several different colors

Here are some pictures of matte nails in several different colors.

This top coat is $10.00 at Ulta but I got it off of ebay for $4.50 with free shipping.

Hope you enjoyed this blog! These are some easy and fun things to try!

Legally Bronze Kit by Benefit Review

The older I've gotten the more I'm looking for a sun kissed, natural every day look for work. I wake up everyday and have a 5 minute make-up routine which consists of eye cream, day cream, concealer, mascara and blush/bronzer. If you're lucky I throw on eyeliner and eyeshadow but I sit behind a cube all day staring at a computer and I don't really find a point in putting those on most days.

I have heard many great things about Benefit and have used a few of their products in the past but found this great make-up kit which includes:

- 0.45 oz High Beam (luminescent complexion enhancer)
- 0.28 oz Hoola (bronzing powder)
- 0.08 oz Gilded (tangerine gold highlighter)
- 0.19 oz BADgal Brown (deep brown mascara for mile-high lashes)

more

You get a whole look for $38!! All 4 products are full sized and if you're looking for a nice, easy, summer day look this is well worth it. The bronzer costs $28 by itself and the 3 other items cost around that as well so I didn't mind spending an extra $10 for 3 additional full sized products.


Part of the reason I purchased this set is because I read reviews all the time on the best bronzers, mascara's, eyeshadows and other products. The reviews on the "Hoola" bronzer were all positive on several different websites and this has become one of the most popular bronzers out right now. So thanks to all the good feed back I've heard on this product I bought the makeup kit around this product. I'm always looking for a good bronzer and I'm not really liking what I've been currently using which is NARS's "Laguna" bronzer. It's much to light for my skin tone and would probably look better on someone with fair skin.

The other reason I wanted this set is because who doesn't want a J.LO glow? I mean come on!? She always has such a pretty luminescence to her skin which keeps her looking so youthful and dewy. I have heard about "High Beam" being an amazing complexion enhancer/highlighter which gives you that look and I'm so glad I finally tried it. It comes in a little bottle and has a nail polish like brush. A little bit goes a long way. I like to use this under my eyebrow, high up on my cheek bones and a little near my temple. It really gives just enough luminescence to highlight in the light and not make you look overly shiny or glittery. I've also tried to put it on instead of eyeshadow and it looks pretty cool! Have fun with it!

NOTE: It's better to apply this BEFORE the bronzer otherwise it leaves a little bit of a streak when apply it over the powder which obviously isn't flattering.

The Mascara included in this kit is a great medium brown color, with a thin brush great for separating/lengthening. I use this on my lower lashes only and user a different mascara on top cause I prefer more volume on my eyelashes than length. I do recommend this to anyone with thick, full lashes who doesn't need a lot of volume. It's a great mascara for a day look that doesn't clump and comes off with make up remover easy which is a plus when buying a mascara.

The last product in the kit is "Gilded" which is a gold highlighter pencil. You can use this as eyeshadow, highlighter for the brow or even on the lips or cheeks to golden things up a little bit. It's not an over powering gold which is why I like it. It's a product that is very versatile.

All in all I really like this set for Spring/Summer 2012. I'm still a little pale from Fall and this is a nice day look to brighten up my face and have a sun-kissed look that I wish I had year round.

Here is a picture I took after applying the "High Beam and the Hoola Bronzer". 

It blended in beautifully and wasn't too much on my skin. 

Hope you enjoyed reading! Click this link to purchase online! Buy me NOW!

You get free shipping and 3 samples when you purchase over $50 at sephora.com. 

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Makeup Artist Spotlight-Joanna Bastermajian

A couple months back I went to dinner with my girlfriend Joanna and she was telling me of her dreams to become a makeup artist and how she was going to go to school to pursue it. I was so excited for her because hearing her excitement over it, knowing her strong work ethic, and dedication I just knew she'd be amazing.

She has learned all the necessary skills in her classes to be able to do all sorts of looks. She learned how to prep the skin, how to match foundation and concealer perfectly to the skin. Also, she learned how to properly blend eyeshadow, different methods of application, contouring, techniques, tips, and airbrush application. Below are two pictures of looks she tried in school.                                    

Color blocking

Camouflaging the eyebrow

Joanna had a few of us over recently for a girls night out and beforehand she did make-up for 4 of us. She did such an amazing job in a short amount of time. She was able to match our foundation colors effortlessly, pick the right color palettes for our eyes, faces and lips and make us look beautiful. I was so impressed that when she asked me to be her makeup model for her last makeup class I was more than willing to help my friend out not to mention flattered she asked me.

 Each girl in her class was assigned a color to revolve their makeup around and Joanna got the color green. She came over the night before the final class to play with my hair, accessories and makeup beforehand so she had a game plan in mind. 

The day of her final class a group of girls sat in this room with huge mirrors and bright lights as each make up artist transformed their friends. It was a really cool experience. Joanna handled herself with grace and once again did a great job in a short amount of time. She used several different green eye-shadows on me, foundation, concealer, bronzer, a pink gloss and threw my hair up high above my head and stuff a few peacock feathers in it. She finished with a mesh, green bow around my neck and I must say I felt like I was stepping out of a "Vogue" magazine! It was so fun!

After the makeup was finished we went upstairs to have this photographer photograph me for her portfolio. He was such a funny guy. He kept telling me to let loose and pose "like this and like that" while being super expressive. He had better poses than me! His goofiness eased my nerves a little bit and while I'm not an experience model but we were able to get some really nice shots for Joanna.

Here is one of the shots the photographer took.

I asked Joanna a couple Q&A today that I wanted to share with you:

Me: Why did you want to get into the makeup industry?

Joanna: I always was interested in playing around with new products and experimenting with colors.

Me:  What inspires you about makeup?

Joanna:  I love going out side of the typical makeup trends and discovering new or even reinventing old looks. 

Me: Where do want to be as a makeup artist?

Joanna: I would LOVE to work full time as a freelance artist, weddings, special events, photo shoots, etc. or even be represented by an agency.

If you interested in getting your makeup done by Joanna please see her contact information below-

Phone: 847-902-0592

                            E-mail: j.bastermajia313@gmail.com.






**Note to Joanna: Thank you Joanna for including me in your portfolio and asking me to be apart of  your makeup class assignment. I had a great time and know you will do great things moving forward as a makeup artist. I'm so proud of you! Keep up the hard work!**

All about Nails!!

The concept of nail polish began a long long time ago when the first groups of women to wear nail polish were the Chinese, Japanese and Egyptian who first began staining their nails with henna or other herbs to give there nails a different look. Then nail polish was born back in 3000 BC by the Chinese and made out of Arabic gum, egg whites, gelatin and beeswax. Royal Chinese woman were typically seen with painted nails that were silver or gold. Cleopatra was said to have worn shades of red nail polish. The stronger the shade of red an Egyptian woman would wear the more power she possessed. Cleopatra must have had some pretty red polish.

Fast forward a bunch of years to the 20th century and Charles Revson and Charles Lachman had the idea to come up with the idea to sell nail polish which later became Revlon. (They took the "L" from Lachman to combine it with Revson to come up with the name.) Thanks to these guys great idea, nail polishes started selling in 1932. It went from being sold only in nail and hair salons and worked its way down to department stores. Soon enough, nail polish being sold in drug stores.




Nail polish became a big trend fast thanks to Hollywood. (No surprise there.) Once colored movies and TV shows were invented women were filmed wearing red and mauve nail polished and that's when women around the world caught on to the craze of painting their nails. The trends have changed through the years beginning with reds and pinks, to more neutral colors being popular to nail polishes coming in all colors, then stickers, then press on and the list goes on. But as the trends have changed so has the economy.

During some of our countries harder economic times, women would continue to treat themselves to a new lipstick or a new nail polish to boost their mood because they were cheap and it gave them different color options to help them stay positive or feel pretty during hard times. It has even been said that nail polish is the newest recession proof trend. In 2008 it's was up 65% in sales. I specifically remember 2008 in the beauty world because I worked at a department store selling three make-up lines. I remember gas was where it's at now at nearly $5.00 a gallon and no one was shopping at the mall I worked for. It was a really sad time. But women still came even if it was a few to get there favorite lipstick color that they'd been wearing for years, or their favorite eyeshadow or face cream. Estée Lauder said it best:

"We have long observed the concept of small luxuries, things that can get you through hard times and good ones." 

(Miss Estée Lauder herself)

Now that you have had some historic background on nail polish I wanted to share with you what I've been doing in my free time. My girlfriend Joanna got me these Migi Nail pens recently and I've been playing around with funky nail art. Check out the site (http://miginailart.com/) 

If you buy these pens and sign up online you get unlimeted refills on the paint for life. How cool is that? Not to mention you can each color separately as nail polish and a nail pen. So much fun!! They come in a pack of four pens for $24.99. There are 4 different color combos to choose from as well.  

 

Check out the designs I've made on my nails recently. I've been having a blast sitting in front of the tv and painting my nails with these things and just had to share it with you. 

Here is a little slide show I created. 

For more inspiration you also got to check out this other nail blogs I love!!!

http://www.thepolishaholic.com/

http://the-swatchaholic.com/

How often you should replace your makeup

Happy New Year everyone! I hope everyone had a healthy and happy holiday season.

Now that it is the new year it may be time for new make-up as well!

I thought this would be a handy blog on how often to replace your current make-up that you are using. By replacing your make-up every so often it will help prevent extra bacteria from getting on your face and on your eyes.

First, I must mention you should be washing your make-up brushes once a week which will also prevent bacteria  from getting on your face and in your product. I use regular softsoap with my brushes and it cleans them great. 

1.) MASCARA- You should be replacing your mascara every 3-6 months. I've noticed if you wait to long to change mascara it starts to smell, dry out or clump. If yours is doing any of these things you should throw it out.


2.) FOUNDATION- If you are using your fingers in the product to apply to your face you should be changing your foundation every 6 months. If you are using a foundation with a pump you could probably get away with changing it every 8 months. Since your skin color changes from pale in the winter to tan in the summer this workouts to change it every 6 months anyway since you will need two different colors throughout the year. You will also know to throw this out if it starts to get a funky smell or change color or not work effectively.



3.) BRONZER/BLUSH/FACE POWDER- You can get away with having your face powders for a year (if they last that long).

4.) EYELINER- You should replace your liquid liner every 6 months and your pencil liner can last up to a year or so depending on how often you use it. Every time you sharpen it it's like using it for the first time with a new clean layer of liner for your eyes so those tend to last longer.

5.) LIPSTICK/LIPGLOSS- These can last up until a year or two depending on how often you use this as well.

6.) NAIL POLISH- Nail polish can last up to 2 years. It's pretty obvious to tell when they have gone bad. They get thick and gooey and don't apply on your nail right.

***It is really important if you every get an eye infection or a nail infection to throw out the products you use IMMEDIATELY and buy new ones.***

Holiday Video Make-up Tutorials

Happy Holidays everyone! 
I can't believe another year is coming to an end.

For the last two years I've been a huge fan of video bloggers Michelle Phan and Jessica Harlow. They are part of the reason I chose to start my own beauty blog. Those of you who have never heard of these two lovely ladies before need to be introduced to these awesome tutorials and I'm happy to share them with you.

They are both beauty bloggers who do beautiful online tutorials and do an amazing job at it. They are both passionate, give great make-up advice, and all their videos are well organized, helpful and it seems less than 10 minutes.

I'm going to post some great holiday video tutorials for you to try out this holiday season. I suggest watching them first to make sure you see how they apply their make-up and to get all your necessary make-up colors and tools ready to do these.

Please note these looks are achievable with the right product and practice. You don't need to buy the exact products they are using in the video. You can still achieve the same looks with what you may already have at home. 

Silver and Gold look

 This look is my favorite!

Silver, Gold, Purple look

This is very pretty and would look good on any eye color!

Gold Glitter look

Who doesn't love glitter!!?

Candy Cane Look

This is a great look for all your ugly sweater parties or winter themed parties.