Friday, December 30, 2011

Inner Beauty Lessons

     Hi Guys, this has been such a crazy, fun, amazing year. I have learned a lot about beauty, and a lot about myself. Below are some of the lessons I've learned. I hope you enjoy <3

   1.  Learn what works for you and what doesn't. I spent the better part of this year trying to perfect cat eye liner. I spent hours watching tutorials. I tried everything from cream to powdered liners. I always ended up looking like an old hooker. Then I went through a phase where I wanted to create the perfect nude lip and smokey eye. I looked like an old dead hooker lol. I saw countless gurus pull off these looks, why couldn't I ?

     One day my best friend asked me "What are you doing to yourself ?" She told me that those looks weren't for me. (seriously not trying to brag here,but this is what she said.) " Your lashes are so dark the liner is over doing it, and that's why it doesn't look right. I took a long look at my heavy looking eye's and corpsey lips and threw the stuff out.  I rummaged through my makeup collection and found my own signature looks. I rediscovered a fabulous blush I'd been ignoring ( everyday minerals daydream), and started putting eye shadow in the outer third of my lower lid. I also started rocking my red lips more often.

     2. Work with the hair you've got. Okay this is sorta like the first one but I still feel it's important. When I was in high school it was all about the spiral perm lol. Here I was with naturally pin straight hair getting this coveted perm, and then putting 7 to 8 different curl boosting hair products in my hair everyday. I had the crunchiest hair in town :) No wonder a bee got stuck in my hair and couldn't find it's way out. Thank goodness that Shannon Daugherty hairstyle eventually came out. Now that I've dated myself let's get back to the present. So as I was watching all those eyeliner tutorials I also noticed said guru's had long beautiful flowing hair. I decided that I should grow my hair out( I have been wearing it short for the last 10 years). My hair is naturally on the fine side so as it grew it became more limp and straggly. I finally realized that until I can get to a salon, and or pony up the dough for luxe extentions  my hair is best short. It has more body and looks better that way.

     3. Just do it ! I am over weight, over 30, my eye's wiggle back and forth like crazy, and half the time I don't have a plan. I have a lot of reasons not to put my self out there, but the ham in me won out. If you look at one of my earlier posts you will see how I started my channel ( Having the time of my life).  I say if there is something you want to do just do it. Don't let anything stop you from doing something you love. Do it for the joy it brings you, and don't be afraid to laugh at yourself.

     4. Girls of the world unite ! I don't know where I would be without my best friend. We as women need to be good to each other, support each other. If the guy she's with is treating her badly say something. If you know she'd like that revlon  lip butter pick one up for her. If her ass looks lumpy in that skirt tell her. My best friend has been very honest with me over the years. It isn't always easy to hear, but I am thankful for the fact that she cares enough to tell the truth. A good friend can get you through anything. If your lucky enough to have a one hold on to it, and be good to them.

     5. Get past it(notice I didn't say get over). Hurt feelings leave a hole in your heart that if left un checked eventually fills with anger resentment and rage. The anger ignites like a fuel and keeps you warm. It distracts from the pain and keeps you going for a time. Anger is not entirely a bad thing, it can motivate you to make changes in your life for the better. When it boils over into rage and resentment it is counterproductive. Outwardly it makes you feel powerful, but inwardly it is keeping you from moving forward. Heal yourself, I can recommend a great book for this purpose.
http://www.amazon.com/Healing-Your-Emotional-Self-Self-Esteem/dp/0470127783/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1325301077&sr=1-1
 You need to find a way to release the anger. Once you are in a better state assess the situation. Sometimes it's better to let the relationship go, but in other cases you may be able to mend things. Either way you'll feel better :)

     6. Don't sweat the small stuff. One day I woke up and found a big scratch across my face. One of my lovely dogs must have stepped on me as I slept. The first thing I did was go out and buy the thickest concealer I could find lol (hard candy glamoflage BTW). I became obsessed with finding a way to hide it. If you see my foundation routine you can get a good look at the scratch. It has faded since then, but it's still visible through basic foundation. It became part of me. I'm not sure if it will go away or not. I just stopped caring. We all have imperfections.


                                                                     Spiral Perm

                                                                          Scratch
                             
     Well there you have it . My last post of 2011. This year wasn't perfect, but it had some really good highlights. Thank you all for reading this, and subscribing to m youtube channel. I love connecting with you, and am so thankful for all the kind things you say <3

Saturday, December 3, 2011

Splendid Holiday Gift Sets For Women and Girls

          Over the past several months I've been a busy little elf hunting around for lovely gifts to celebrate the holidays. I am so excited to share my findings with you. The following gift sets range form $5 to $36, and are amazing quality. I have tested all of these products and highly recommend them all.

          The first set is a 5 pc wet n wild mega last nail polish set that comes in a cute little bag. I love the quality of these polishes, and the application. They have a wide brush that make painting nails a breeze.




          Bite the bullet( muted lavender), Through the grapevine( pinky purple), Candy-licious(bright pink), Sugar coat(sheer light nude), Break the ice(glitt                                        ery white). This set is avalible at drugstores for $5.

          Muppet Mini Nail Polish Collection by OPI. The Muppets have been absolutely everywhere this season. This adorable set comes with 4 mini versions of their bigger collection. The packaging is so cute, and the colors are right on time with all the latest trends. You get a mixture of cream, glitter, and metallic polishes.



          Wocka wocka( a berry red), Excuse moi( a girly pink with rainbow glitter), Designer de better( a silvery tin foil color), Warm & Fozzy( a bronze with pink micro glitter). I bought this on amazon for $12. I also did a video on this collection.



          I am a huge fan of Buxom lip gloss. I was so thrilled to get this Party Central set. This lip gloss is so smooth, and feels so good on the lips. They are plumpers, so when applied you'll feel a little minty tingle. It's not painful, it just perks you up. The colors in this set are varied, 3 glittery and 1 creamy.



          Jackie( a creamy pinky nude and my favorite), Olivia( a sheer cherry sparkle), Katie( a light shimmery princess pink), Alexa( a sheer sparkly magenta). I bought this set from bare minerals for $28.  http://www.bareescentuals.com/Buxom-Party-Central-Kit/56098,default,pd.html

          Another awesome set from bare minerals is their Pretty Amazing lip color set. This product is so interesting. Not quite a lipstick, not quite a gloss. This buttery smooth creamy product feels amazing on, and lasts a really long time. This set comes with 2 creamy opaques, and 2 creamy sheers. While the buxom set is more for a night on the town, this set is more for daytime. And the applicator is awesome.



           Savvy(rosy tan), Confidence( Pink Berry), Sass(nude shimmer), oomph(barely Pink). This set was also $28.   http://www.bareescentuals.com/Pretty-Amazing-Lip-Collection/56678,default,pd.html?start=2&cgid=BM_SUB_UNDER_30

         I also did a video on the above 2 collections


         Philosophy Sweet kisses and Merry Wishes. This set comes with 4 4oz 3 in one shower gels, and 4 coordinating lip glosses. All of these in delicious holiday flavors. The 3 in 1's are a triple duty product(thus the name). They are shower gel, shampoo, and bubble bath. These are so incredibly wonderfully scented. When you are in the shower the scent engulfs you. It really makes showering fun.  The product itself is creamy and feels good on the skin, but honestly the best thing about them is the intoxicating smell. The lip glosses have sheer pigmentation, and look beautiful on the lips. They are a bit sticky, but still comfortable to wear. They are flavored and scented. Honestly I love these because they can give me a little dose of what I experienced in my earlier shower.




          Pomegranate Bubbly the scent is a fruity champagne, and the lip color is a pale sparkly wine.


          Pink Sprinkles Funnel Cake is like a frosted yellow cake with a hint of strawberry. The lip color is a sheer frosted sparkly  pink.


          Peppermint Bark The scent is a dark cocoa with a hint of mint. The lip color is a sheer crimson.


          Egg Nog the scent is a spicy vanilla and the lip color is clear. Okay I must admit that I was not thrilled about this one at first since I'm not a fan of egg nog. I was so pleasantly surprised. It smells so delicious, and is one of my favorites <3 This set is $36 from sephora
http://www.sephora.com/browse/product.jhtml?id=P297562&categoryId=B70

          Philosophy Candy Cane Trio This set is the perfect gift for a grab bag, secret santa, or co worker. It is a 3 in 1, lip gloss, and a body lotion all in an adorable round box. All the products are great, and smell delicious. This is straight up peppermint.




           Sold at sephora for $22  http://www.sephora.com/browse/product.jhtml?id=P296848&categoryId=B70


          And now for a little shameless promotion,


      Yam Yamz & Friends " Missing Daisy" This book was illustrated by me, and tells the story my chihuahua Yam Yamz who wakes up to find his little sister missing. He has to solve the mystery with the help of the rest of his friend's.



          This book is available at yamyamz.com, it is on sale now for $8
http://yamyamz.com/yamyafrmidab1.html

          I hope you will find this blog post helpful. I'm sorry about the sideways pictures lol. I figured it was better to have them this way than not at all.

                                                                      Happy Holidays
                                                                              <3 Jen