The Daily Beauty Break

So it’s probably not surprising that I (literally) cut my baby teeth while my mom watched The Young & The Restless...now 33 years later (yikes) here I am…Tivo-ing the action in “Genoa city” everyday.  Probably not a surprise that  “Y&R” is about powerful, rich and  beautiful families  that run rivaling cosmetic companies!!!

I have to say I get daily beauty inspiration watching The Young and The Restless…their on-set makeup artists must have so much fun!!!! What I really love about soaps is that (for the most part) the actors are not afraid to GLAM IT UP!!! These women wear some color, let me tell you……and needless to say I am always on the lookout for fast, easy and inexpensive ways to add to my beauty repertoire!

So (of course) I had to try the new Covergirl Eye Enhancers 4-Kit Shadows($6) when I saw them hit the drugstores.  When experimenting with your makeup I highly recommend trying drugstore products…..Covergirl has really upped their game since they hired one of my favorite celebrity makeup artists, Molly Stern to lead the way for them….

I have been having so much fun with these shadows y’all! They have just the right amount of pigment and smooth on perfectly without tugging at your lids or depositing un-even color. Pick one up next time you are at your everything store…..I recommend the blues for you blond more fair-haired beauties and the purples for you dark beauties…But don’t forget…there are NO RULES in beauty….so HAVE FUN!!!!

Be Beautiful Ya’ll!

PS. Don’t forget to say Hi and enter my YBF Skincare give away girls!!!!

So I am blessed to have nails that grow SUPER fast, but are SUPER peel-y and weak….last time I tried to wear artificial nails my sweet nail tech was all “You nail grow too fast- you no have acrylic nails no more- you get manicure!” Bless her heart, she was basically having to redo my entire set of acrylics every two weeks!

So I gave up…but I still like to keep my nails painted and pretty…and I don’t think it is too much to ask that my base coat/top coat keep my manicure chip-free for at least a week…and after trying out everything I found my nail hero….Nailtiques Nail Protein 1($17.50)!

Nailtiques is THE natural nail care authority. (I wish I would’ve tried their products after I got my falsies off…OUCH that hurts…if you are like me and have ever ripped off a set yourself, you know what it feels like to be DE-clawed!)

Anyhoo- their Nailtique Nail Protein 1 is all you need…it’s your base coat, your topcoat AND your nail strengthener…(I have a devoted nail polish BOX…and it can get out of control)….so I really like that I don’t have to use 4 different bottles anymore…… Bottom line, I noticed WAY less peeling and my polish stayed chip-free all week!!!

Nail Tip: I keep Protein 1 out on my kitchen counter and give my nails an extra coat every 2-3 days….it dries SUPER-FAST and is an easy way to keep nails chip-free and glossy!

You can purchase Nailtiques at better salons and spas, Ulta and their website.

Be Beautiful……

PS. If you are new to my site, be sure to introduce yourself and enter my skincare give away!

So I’ll be honest ladies…you aren’t gonna get Angie’s lips without doctor intervention. BUT you can get her eyes….I have done this eye makeup technique on myself the last few days and my girlfriend Amy came over and thought I had falsies on!!! It is super easy and super fast (once you get the hang of it) to get Angie’s eyes. I am going to include product recommendations as well…feel free to improvise with other products (of course) and if you need help…email me at my website!!!

First off you will need two things to get Angie’s eyes:

1. You need a small angle brush…my favorite is the Eye 5 ($18) from @design brush company..(pictured above)..I found these bad boys when I was in NY a few months ago and fell in love…their brushes are definitely keepers…..amazing artist-quality (and good for newbies too…)! Makeup brushes are one of the times it’s okay to splurge…some of my best makeup brushes I have had for 15 years!!! Yikes, date yourself why don’t you, Josi……….

2. You need black gel eye liner….my favorite is (surprise, surprise) MAC’s Fluidline in Backtrack ($15)...this smooth and creamy gel liner is in my makeup drawer and makeup kit…it goes on totally smooth and once it dries down refuses to budge…perfect for all day wear or under hot lights at a photo shoot.

Okay….now here’s how you do it…….dip your brush in the gel (be sure to wipe excess product on the sides of the jar so that you don’t make a mess). Once your brush is loaded, line the top lash line starting at the middle of the lash line. Get the brush as close in to the lashes as possible…..using the brush, wedge it into the lashes.

NOW, load up your brush again and line the bottom 1/4 of your lash line…just like on the upper lashes wedge it into the lashes as close as possible. Now heres where it can get slightly tricky….extend the line straight up from the bottom lashes to meet the top liner…I’ve found that it’s easier to get “the wing” from this angle…whenever i try to get the “wing” from the top lashline the liner can be uneven.

Once you have your “wings” quickly take the brush and line the inner rim of your bottom lashes (I don’t do this for day-to-day but that’s what they did on Angie in the above picture). Lining the bottom inner-rim is a celebrity staple because it quicky and easily adds INSTANT DRAMA to any eye makeup look. I personally would never do this for day (it usually requires some touch-ups thorough out the evening as the eyes water)…I just can’t do anything that needs to be touched up too often for day (I’m lazy like that….).

Lastly, go CRAZY with the black mascara….do several coats focusing on the outer corners of the eyes…..I think because the black mascara blends into the eye liner this is what give you that “falsie-look”.

And probably my best weapon for this look? Q-tips…..practice makes perfect…..don’t be afraid to make a mess..just keep some Q-tips by your side to clean up any mistakes…..

That’s why I love makeup…it isn’t rocket science….anyone can do it….AND your eyeliner will never “change size” (THANK GOD).

Remember to HAVE FUN…and when you get complimented on your new beautiful eyes be sure to credit Josi..lol!

Be Beautiful Ya’ll………

P.S. Don’t forget to introduce yourself and enter my drawing for FREE Your Best Face Skincare……Click me!

So what do these two celebrity beauties have in common? Their best friends are their makeup artists…OF COURSE.…I find it no surprise really. Let’s face it…you’ve got to have SOME smarts to get famous…and what better way than to make your makeup artist your best friend!!!………

I am TOTALLY exposing myself here because I say that, “I’m not a reality tv fanatic!” and here I am…Tivo-ing Denise AND Kimora.…I just can’t help myself! And I have to say..the makeup is fabulous…..Denise’s dear friend and makeup artist, Kim has a bio that reads like any makeup artists dream…the girl has worked on EVERYTHING…..

And Kimora’s makeup artist goes with her to take her girls to ice cream, to the park..(in fact she makes him do errands…sorry I’m a makeup artist, not a personal assistant)..but whatever floats your boat, I guess.  It’s hilarious on the show because he (and I couldn’t find him online) is constantly telling her “not the blue eyeshadow today Kimora”….Of course, he does the blue eye shadow on her beautifully and it really works…but I can tell you that blue eye shadow can make us makeup artists work (lots of blending to get it just right).

But Anyoo-that’s my beauty rant for the day. I just know that a lot of women are constantly comparing themselves to these beautiful stars….but stars have a STAFF to keep them beautiful…..and bottom-line, if I have learned anything by watching these reality shows (is that possible?) it’s that celebrities are REAL people…..you know how pumped up you feel after getting your makeup done? Well these smart cookies maintain that feeling by making their makeup artists their friends.

Famous or not, it is such a RUSH for me when I do someones makeup and watch the metamorphosis….it’s not just the makeup I apply…it’s the confidence I get to help build. I LOVE to watch my friends and clients start to stand a bit taller after their makeup is done…how they just get that *twinkle* in their eye…….and remember…you don’t have to be a celebrity to look like one…( especially here in Dallas, baby….)!

I have the best job in the WORLD!!!!

Be beautiful y’all…(and call me if you need your makeup done..lol)!

Wait a second…(I have to smell my hands). Do normal people go out of their way to find hand lotion for their bathroom counter-top? ‘Cause I do…but then I guess what the hell is normal? I’ve been looking for a couple of weeks for a good one. I am so sensory and when you have kids you are constantly washing your hands…

This Avalon Lemon Hand and Body Lotion (>$10) smells DIVINE…like rubbing yourself with Lemon chiffon pie..but without all the stickiness…lol!

And Avalon is becoming a lot more readily available…I want to say they are even in Walmart now (I know Sharon…it sucks). Anyways, I got mine at Whole Foods.

If you have to wash your hands constantly, give yourself a treat and buy a yummy moisturizer!

Be Beautiful….

As some of you know I am a guest author at one of the web’s most established and popular beauty blogs…TheMakeupGirl. Lianne (Editor in Chief) is my partner in beauty crime (home girl knows how to hail a cab in NYC…let me tell you!..lol) ….and she’s a former model. Lianne is also an active makeup artist in the DC area who knows what works for women of color.

Check her out and show some love…….I’ll still be writing for Lianne from time to time, so I highly recommend adding her blog to your beauty arsenal y’all!

Be Beautiful………….

So…as some of you already know.. I LOVE ALLURE MAGAZINE…I literally cut my beauty teeth with this mag as a teenager. I consider Allure to be “my beauty authority” and have never taught a makeup lesson without making sure my client goes home with a copy…(not MY copy…I save each one like some people save Vogue)!

So, I’ve decided to devote this entire column to this amazing magazine…each month when it arrives on my doorstep my mouth waters a little bit….I mean, after all these years in the beauty biz (13+ to be exact) it never fails to amaze me how there is always some little beauty tidbit they share that I just HAVE to try…if it’s new and hot in the beauty world you will read about it in Allure…before it hits anywhere else!

And this month I was so happy to see Victoria Beckham on the cover. Everything I’ve ever read about her I like…she considers herself to be one of us…she isn’t afraid to embrace her inner girly-girl….(shut up and just embrace it girls…beauty is as beauty does)…..and let Allure magazine show YOU how to channel your inner-Victoria…

Unfortunately, sometimes getting pretty can be dirty. This month check out thier article, “Celebrity Skinny: The Pill that has Hollywood Hooked”…and guess what that pill is…..ADDERALL. It’s an ADD drug ( ie: amphetamine, speed, upper, whatever you want to call it) that scores of young children use to “focus” and get good grades everyday….and now Hollywood starlets are using it “off-label”… because the one major side effect is ZERO appetite and weight-loss.

Well, I’m not gonna lie….. I’ve been on my fair share of mind-altering, mood enhancing prescription meds and was SHOCKED when my psychiatrist wanted to add Adderall to my medication cocktail last visit (ps. she is no longer my psychiatrist)..I mean, she had me on SEVEN different meds already for my mood…. (thank god I found a new doctor and am on only ONE antidepressant now, thank you very much). Unfortunately, I’m not only a beauty addict..I’ve had my own issues with food, cigarettes (you’d think vanity ALONE would be enough to get me off those), and shopping…and now my doctor wants to crack me out with Adderall?

Long story short, I just thought this article was very timely for me……if there is pill out there, there is a doctor that will prescribe it. And how sad that people can be so obsessed with vanity that they will do anything it takes to “be beautiful”….I’m just glad I never got hooked on the junk! Leave it to Allure to publish something close to my heart.

So that’s my pearl for the month…yeah, it’s not a makeup tip but STAY TUNED ya’ll….I’ll be reviewing products from their FREE STUFF issue as soon as I get my box ( oh, yeah did I tell you they give away TONS of free product daily?)….Click here to enter to win your OWN Free Stuff….Pick up a copy next time you are in the checkout line….(because it’s okay to get hooked on a magazine).

Be Beautiful (and please don’t take Adderall to do it)!

xoxoxox

Confession. I KNOW that every time I get out of the shower I need to slather my dry body with SOMETHING…moisturized skin just looks so much BETTER…especially during tank top and short season…but sometimes (unless I’ve just discovered a new body lotion) I just don’t want to take the time.

Well look what I found….Nude Skincares Hibiscus Monoi Body Oil ($68).….this wonderfully luxurious organic body oil is PERFECT for slathering on immediately after you get out of the shower….and SUPER FAST….and the key to maximum moisturization is this….don’t towel off first….I’ve been using this hibiscus-infused, Tahitian coconut oil right after I get out of the shower to lock in the moisture and my skin feels awesome!!! And what a nice break from the daily GRIND of body lotion…….and the smell? My first thought was, “MAUI in a bottle, baby”…anyone that is into tropical floral scents MUST have this oil!

If you haven’t heard of Nude skincare before the company is AWESOME…their packaging is all made of 50% recycled plastics…they don’t use any of those scary petrochemicals or preservatives and- Get This! Their company is CARBON-NEUTRAL….wow…(right now our home probably lets out enough air conditioning to cool the entire neighborhood, old houses….talk about a love/hate relationship).

Anyways…I feel really great about Nude skincare…I am finally at a point to where I don’t mind paying more for a product if I know it comes with good intentions, you know? (and it helps that a little bit of this stuff goes a long way….)

Nude Skincare is available at Sephora, Barneys and at their website.

So be beautiful today ladies….you deserve it!!!

xoxoxo

Confession…..I was a total 902010-head in the 90’s. I’ll never forget the season-finale….my hubby was in the emergeny room with a bust appendix and my best friend Angie and I had the nurses running around looking for a tv for us to wheel in so we wouldn’t miss it!!! (these were the days before Tivo for you youngun’s…what ever did we do before it?) PRIORITIES….(hubby was fine btw…)

So anways…my general opinion is that tv sucks…and I am not a TOTAL shameless reality-tv head, but I love Tori’s show…Tori&Dean Home Sweet Hollywood. Tori is amazingly sincere and lives her life in front of the camera with amazing candor.

But the main reason I love the show so much? Tori is a total girly-girl.…..and is not afraid or apologetic at all about embracing her inner beauty addict. She is not afraid to wear some makeup girlfriends….and she looks so amazing doing it…(I need to find out who her makeup artist is)…..and is a TOTAL glamour-puss when she hits the red carpet (red carpet beauty is my favorite….”natural” just seems so boring sometimes…esp when I am working….I mean, what fun is it really, for me, when someone tells me to do thier makeup so it will look like they aren’t wearing any? COME ON)…..

But seriously, so if you are hard up for tv shows…check her out..(I love to paint my nails while watching in tribute)…….LOVE,LOVE!!!

Watch Beautifully….

So I went to pick up my second tube of Ziana yesterday at the pharmacy….although I don’t know why. …my cystic acne has really been a thorn in my side….and while I am the first to tell you that I am probably one of the most vain human beings on the planet….these zits hurt!!!! And it sucks even more since mine is hormonal, they are always by my mouth…so I am SUPER self-conscious when I talk (no, not right this second….knock on wood).

No really, prescription Retinoids are proven to fight acne and now that I am 33 luckily they also work for wrinkles,sun spots, hyper pigmentation, etc. Retinoids accomplish this by actually increasing the rate at which the skin creates and sheds new skin cells..studies have found that they can even prevent skin cancers! I am CONVINCED that the only reason I don’t look twice my age is because of this stuff. I am a serious sun-worshipper ( albiet a very careful one now…we HAD to get a pool when we moved to Texas or else we would probably never go outside it’s so damn hot)….But since I spent my formative beauty years in Seattle, I did some serious tanning bed-hopping when I was a teenager. Seriously, one of my best girlfriends worked at a tanning salon and I would go in after the shop closed and lay in the beds for HOURS………..

I would have to say if you are serious about your skin and want to avoid costly and painful cosmetic procedures down the line… then(once you reach a “certain” age) make an appt. with a dermatologist. I would love to say that those $300 creams work (and they do…) BUT no over-the-counter product you can buy (no matter how expensive) will contain the levels of retiniod that you REALLY need too see maximum results.

I’ve tried all the Retinoids, although my girlfriend Dixie (one of DFW’s finest up and coming fashion photographers) just told me about a  new product that she recently got that she is in love with….Obagi. She said her skin has never looked better..(although she is a member of the under 30 crew). I told her that I will for sure check it out next appt.

But back to Ziana…it’s supposed to be better than plain-old Retin-A because it combines Clyndamicin (an antibiotic) with retiniol to alleviate acne and the resulting infection it creates….resulting in (supposedly) less inflammation, redness and pain.

I don’t know..I’m not convinced. The deal is that you have to use these bad boys for a few months before you see optimum results……and patience is not my best virtue. I want what I want and I want it NOW!!!

If you’ve read this article and have experience in prescription beauty, tell me YOUR thoughts…….

Be Beautiful Ya’ll!