5 Beauty Tips For When Your Skin is in a Hormonal Blender

Hey Ya'll!

To say that my skin has completely changed since my pregnancy began would be an understatement. Not to toot my own horn or anything but I've always had pretty great skin (even as a teenager). Sure I have experienced the occasional breakout from hormones but very rarely and they never lasted long. I have also had really great tolerance to different skincare products and makeup. Now that I am in my 4th month of pregnancy, everything has changed. I mean, I even have blackheads on my boobs now...like WTF?

Over the past few weeks I have researched and tried some things personally that have really gotten my skin to tone its cray cray down a tad bit. I am also going to be trying the Oil Cleansing Method again which worked for me a few years back to see if that will help as well (I will be doing another post on that). I can no longer use regular skin care products and I rarely wear makeup now because of how bad my skin gets afterwards.

These tips are great for not only pregnant women like myself, but will also help just about anyone with hormonal skin issues.

I Owe You All An Explanation...HUGE ANNOUNCEMENT!!!

I owe you all an explanation as to why I dropped off the face of the blogging world all of a sudden one day a few months ago.  But before I explain...I'M BACK!

I have recently (2 months ago) received some seriously life changing news that basically turned my life upside down and changed everything.

About 2 months ago I noticed a serious change in my body and mind. I was super stressed out with Fall wedding season starting and I was in the middle of moving an hour away from my home and boyfriend. I noticed for about 2 weeks I was having trouble eating and I was nauseated almost every moment of every day. I was also starting to sleep a lot. Like 15 hours at a time a lot. Now, when I get stressed out I usually have issues eating and I tend to get sleepy but this was extreme. Still, I figured I was just stressed out and a tad bit depressed about moving so far away.

8 Beauty Products That Will Give You Cry Proof Makeup

Hey There!

I have kind of been absent here in the blogging world the past week and it just plain sucks. I am currently dealing with the stresses of a move and it is taking up all of my time. I am also really bummed out about it. I am moving from the town I have lived in since I was 8 (so about 15 years) to the town I lived in before that. I will now be about 45 mins from my family, boyfriend, and friends. I know 45 mins isn't very far away but I am still pretty upset and nervous about it. Although this move will save me so much time and money as it is about 10 mins from where I work during the week, I am still scared and I honestly don't know what I am going to do. My boyfriend works most weekends as do I for makeup so we are going to really have to work hard to see each other. We are going to go from seeing each other almost everyday to once or twice a week if we are lucky. Needless to say I am an emotional wreck.

Fall bridal season is right around the corner and just like me this weekend, there will be many tears shed from brides and their friends and families (hopefully happy ones though)! In honor of my current emotional state and my much happier brides I have decided to give you guys 8 makeup products that will give you cry proof makeup because lets face it, raccoon eyes and tear lines on your cheeks just aren't cute. Be sure to let me know what you think or leave some of your tips to cry proof makeup in the comment section below!

Face Primer - Smashbox Photo Finish Foundation Primer
A good face primer is the perfect way to give your makeup a solid base. This will help hold everything in place as well as keep oil production at bay. It also helps makeup go on much smoother than without a primer.

Eye Primer - Nars Smudgeproof Eyeshadow Base
An eye primer is a must even on a regular day. period dot com. This will keep your eye makeup on long past the tears and sweat. The Nars eyeshadow base is my favorite. I have some pretty oily lids and I never have an issue with my eyeshadows creasing or rubbing off.

Waterproof Mascara - Greatlash Waterproof
Call me old fashion but when it comes to a quality waterproof mascara that doesn't cost you an arm and a leg, Maybelline Greatlash Waterproof is the way to go. No one wants raccoon eyes and this stuff works. If you have a particular mascara that you love but want to avoid mascara all over your face, coat a layer or two with this mascara to make it waterproof.

Waterproof Eyeliner - Smashbox Jet Set Waterproof Eye Liner
Eyeliner can run and smudge just as bad as mascara. Find a good waterproof eyeliner to avoid a hot mess on your face. The Smashbox Jet Set Waterproof Eye Liner is a gel liner that goes on beautifully and lasts all day and night.

Eyeshadow - Maybelline Color Tattoo
This range of cream eyeshadows really do last forever. Now they claim to last 24 hours or something like that and I wouldn't stretch it that far but combined with a great eyeshadow primer you won't have to worry about your eyeshadow during the day. I love this stuff!

Waterproof Concealer - Nyx Waterproof Concealer Stick
I love the Nyx cosmetics line. Their waterproof concealer stick is no exception (especially for the price) For just a few bucks you have a beautiful concealer that will hold up through just about anything!

Waterproof Undereye Concealer - MUFE Waterproof Full Cover Concealer
Makeup Forever has a beautiful line of products that are very water/sweat proof. When applied very lightly under the eyes and down to the cheek area, this concealer will not only cover up dark circles and pigmentation but it will also help prevent those ugly lines down your face created by tears.

Foundation - Tarte Amazonian Clay 12 Hour Full Coverage Foundation
It is so hard to find a truly long lasting foundation. Tarte also has a range of waterproof cosmetics and their full coverage foundation really does the trick. This stuff has amazing coverage and won't budge. It is definitely worth the money! It also has spf in it so you get a little extra sun protection!

My Beauty Inspirations #ShareBeauty

Hey There,

Sponsored Post

I have partnered up with Regency Beauty Institute and Refinery29 to #ShareBeauty with their awesome #ShareBeautyContest. This movement has spread like wildfire it seems and it makes me super happy!!! The whole movement and contest is centered around their  "Beauty Grew All Around" video which encourages beauty makers everywhere to follow his/her dreams! I definitely encourage everyone to check it out! I have listed the contest information at the end of the post. It is not too late to enter as it is going on until August 13th! One lucky winner will receive a $2000 VIP Beauty Package!

I decided to #ShareBeauty with you guys by showing you some of my biggest beauty inspirations. These are the people, things, and words that have motivated me to become a beauty maker and to excel at it too.

"Love of beauty is taste. The creation of beauty is art." - Ralph Waldo Emerson

I wanted to start of with a quote from one of my favorite poets. This is something that really speaks to me and what I love doing. I am moving in 2 weeks and I am planning on putting this quote up somewhere in either my room or office.

Audrey Hepburn

This woman right here is my idol. I have had a slight obsession with her since I was a young girl. She is so beautiful and has such a classic look. I try to portray her regal-ness in every client I have.

My Parents

My parents are my biggest fans. They are so encouraging in what I am trying to accomplish. They inspire me everyday to keep going when the going gets tough. They believe in me and I refuse to let them down.

My Clients

Let me just tell you, there are very few feelings in this world that beat the feeling of making someone feel beautiful. It is so rewarding having a Bride, or anyone for that matter, look at themselves and smile because they feel and look great. They really keep me going. I am constantly looking forward to the opportunity to give someone the opportunity to feel even more beautiful than they already are.

Those are just 4 of my beauty inspirations. I try to find beauty and inspiration out of every moment. When you stop looking at the negatives and start searching for the positives and the beauty of life that constantly surrounds you...you will find yourself much happier!

Now on to the #ShareBeautyContest:

HERE IS HOW IT WORKS:
1. Each week during this contest (running from July 8th-August 13th) a Refinery29 editor will introduce her favorite summer beauty trend. This will be your inspiration! Show them how YOU wear this look!
2. After the contest, one beauty enthusiast will win a VIP Beauty Treatment from Refiner29 and Regency Beauty Institute that is valued at $2,000. (HOLY COW!)
3. One trend for inspiration will be revealed each Monday until August 13th.

Entering is super easy!

HOW TO ENTER:

1.Click Here
2. Try one (or all) of the trends
 3. Take a photo
 4. Post it to Instagram (make sure your account is public!)
 5. Hashtag each photo with #ShareBeautyContest

 

Thank you Regency Beauty Institute for sponsoring today's story.

Happy Monday + Weekend Recap

Happy Monday Ya'll!

 I had quite an eventful weekend this past weekend. On top of two trial runs this weekend, I also helped coordinate a fun little surprise party for my Mom's 50th birthday on Saturday. Although I am super busy right now and sometimes it seems like I just want to give up and take a nap I really am so lucky. My fall wedding makeup season is filling up and I'm already starting to get inquiries for the 2015 spring and fall wedding seasons! This means two things: 1. My 7 day work weeks will be continuing 2. My business is actually growing! How cool is that??? Although I still have far to go, I am already proud of where I am at with everything.

How to Start a Career as a Makeup Artist

Hey There!

I am a huge supporter of anyone who follows their dreams. Whether if it is to be a doctor, lawyer, or a makeup artist ;), the people who decided to fight all adversity and work day and night to make their dreams possible have my utmost respect.

Making the decision to follow my dreams and go against the more traditional career route was a very difficult one. It takes a lot of guts and faith. I have been asked by quite a few people why I am a MUA, how I decided to do it, and how in the heck did I make it happen. So many future MUA's and beauty makers in general get stuck on where to start and how to make this decision. Here are a few things to ask yourself when deciding if this is really what you want to do for the rest of your life:

Weekend Recap!

Happy Monday Ya'll!!!

I haven't done a Weekend Recap linkup with Dateless in Dallas and Showered with Design in a few weeks so I thought I would do one today!

(action shot!)

So this weekend was kind of easy going as opposed to next weekend which will be super busy and filled with tons of makeup trial runs. I did do wedding makeup on Sunday which I have posted some sneak peek pics on this post that I took of the beautiful bride. I will do a full post (and possible bridal tutorial) once I get her professional pics in. Fall wedding season is quickly approaching and I will definitely be full of wedding makeup posts! I CAN'T WAIT!!!

I've been really slammed with my full time job and I've been working late a lot. Between that, working on fun blog stuff, and doing wedding makeup during the weekend, I have been pretty exhausted mentally and physically. I got to leave an hour early on Friday and decided to take a quick nap when I got home while I waited for my boyfriend to get off work later that evening. Closing my eyes for 5 mins quickly turned into a 3 and a half hour nap. IT.WAS.AMAZING.

Once I awoke from my drooling slumber, I went to go hang out with my boyfriend. By hang out I mean we watched tv for like an hour and we passed out by 11pm. We are real party animals ya know. I guess we were both pooped b/c we didn't wake up until noon Saturday. We had planned on waking up early, cooking breakfast, and being productive but all of that went out of the window with the whole waking up at noon thing. Instead we went to Barnes n Noble like the nerds we are and looked at new books to add to our read list. I am about half way through Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand and I am debating on what to read next. It is a tie between Fountainhead by Ayn Rand or 1984 by George Orwell. I am loving Ayn Rand's writing style so I am leaning towards Fountainhead. Only problem, like Atlas Shrugged, the novel is soooo long. Atlas Shrugged on audiobook is 64 hours long if that gives you an idea. It is an AMAZING book and completely eye opening to what society is turning into. She was well ahead of her time as was George Orwell. Don't get me started on my views on society, I will go on and on. If you have already read 1984, like the subject manner, would like to hear a women's portrayal, and are willing to commit to a long read...read Atlas Shrugged. It will change your life.

We then got sushi for dinner, treated ourselves to iced coffees from Starbucks for dessert (gotta get them stars!), and I came home to work some more and get ready for my Sunday wedding makeup. Once again, I'm a really party animal!

I did the makeup for an absolutely beautiful bride on Sunday. She just so happened to be getting married 5 mins from my house which was way super convenient! She was a joy to work for and she looked dang good if I do say so myself!

This is the before picture I took at her trial run a week ago and the right pic is her wedding day makeup!

And these are some more (unedited!) pics I took with my phone of her wedding day makeup!

 She looked amazing! The lash glue on the right pic hadn't completely dried so that is why you see a little white on her lashes. I can't wait to get her professional pics in!

Well that was my weekend. Next weekend will be much more eventful so definitely look out for that weekend recap :)