Products I Love

The following products are some of my all-time favorites. They range from styling aids, to treatments, to color maintenance. Most of them are Paul Mitchell products, and honestly there aren't very many products made by Paul Mitchell that I'm not a fan of.

1. Paul Mitchell's Super Skinny Serum

This serum is perfect for a sleek, shiny and frizz-free look. It can be applied to wet, damp or dry hair - before or after styling. It's great for both blowouts and for air drying hair. It l leaves hair much softer and adds shine. It can be purchased anywhere Paul Mitchell products are sold, including Target, Ulta, Supercuts Salons, and Paul Mitchell Schools among other places.

2. Moroccan Oil 

Not only does this stuff smell fantastic - I've heard of clients using it as a lotion because they couldn't get enough of the smell - it prevents split ends, eliminates frizz, and makes hair super soft. You can find Moroccan Oil products in Regis Salons, and Sephora as well as online.

3. Paul Mitchell's Quick Slip

This styling cream provides manageability as well as reduced drying time. It is ideal for blow drying and works really well when mixed with Super Skinny Serum before either a blowout or just a quick blow dry at home.

4. Beyond The Zone's Turn Up The Heat 

This thermal protection spray goes a long way; too much can make hair oily, but just a few spritzes and you're good to go. This product is a great value and can be found at any Sally Beauty store.

5. Paul Mitchell's Forever Blonde line

I went pretty blonde in cosmetology school - and my hair is naturally very dark. This line kept my hair SO soft and healthy. I particularly like the Dramatic Repair spray. The shampoo is colored purple - this counteracts brassy yellow tones and keeps blond hair bright. These products can be found in Ulta as well as at Paul Mitchell Schools and online.

6. The Regis Design Line

The Regis Company owns Supercuts, Famous Hair, Smart Styles, Regis Salons, and many other well-known salon brands across the globe. Their line of hair care products is top notch and comparable to any professional line out there - and I'm not just saying that because I work for them. These products can be found at any of the salons mentioned above.

7. One 'n Only Argan Oil Products

These products are essentially the off-brand for Moroccan Oil products, but they're still really awesome. I've personally used them for years and have found them to be really effective. They carry a full line of products including shampoo, styling products and treatments. You can find these at any Sally Beauty store.

Beauty and self-care

I can usually gauge how I'm feeling by wether or not I'm doing certain things: listening to music, wearing makeup, and writing. These are things that I generally do when I'm feeling well. When I don't feel well, I'm doing good to wear mascara. 

I've seen some low points, and I've realized that taking care of myself should be a constant - not just something that I do when I get derailed. It's absolutely essential to prevent bottoming out as a routine. 

Beauty plays a key role in this, as it is not only an indicator of health, but a healing process of nurturing yourself.

Here are some of my favorite ways to care for myself that involve beauty:

- Pamper, Pamper, Pamper yourself!

Nail polish, baths, your favorite lipstick - buy a bar of nice soap! Mostly, just treat yourself like you would your very best friend on their birthday :)

- Move

You don't have to run a marathon - just stretching in the pool works wonders on your mood- and smiling is beautiful.

- Dress

Wear what you like. Period. Even if someone else might consider your look "out", "eccentric", "edgy", etc. Dress the way that makes you happy.

- Create Beauty

Painting, photography, crafting, even pinning beautiful things to Pinterest!

- Rest

Sleep, indulge in quiet moments, and take a few deep breaths because everything really is ok.

Most of all, treat yourself kindly, and learn to see and appreciate the beauty all around you.

odds and ends/tips and tricks...

1. Tea Tree oil.

     I've somewhat recently become an independant distributor of Young Living essential oils, and I've made a ton of discoveries so far, one of them being the amazing benefits of Tea Tree oil for the skin. It helps maintain a healthy complexion and is uselful for break outs. I've been using it on my face daily after washing it, and it has helped me a great deal. I apply it directly to my problem areas, without dilluting it.

2. Nervous? Cut down on caffiene!!!

     I just came thorugh a period of being really anxious and agitated in the mornings. Some days it lasted well past noon. I had a hunch that maybe I was drinking too much caffiene - mainly in the form of coffee - and so I cut 90% of it out. Wow, I feel about 100% better! Now I'm getting really into decaf tea...

3. Green Tea.

     ANTIOXIDANTS - Green Tea has TONS of them. It's also great for weight loss and stress.

4. NYX lipstick.

     Inexpensive, huge selection, gloss/matte, widely available (I go to Ulta) - GET SOME!!!

It's Definitely An Art!

       In all seriousness though, this picture is EPIC. Maybe I'm just a little too into makeup, but this is both hilarious and deep (hear me out). The Mona Lisa, that iconic smile created by Leonardo da Vinci, contoured into a sexy modern version of herself. That classic face, photoshopped 500 years later into our standard of beauty. Art on top of art, and a fascinating and humorous statement.

       As I've stared at this, I've been amazed at how true to the original image the artist was; they literally just shaded and highlighted the picture! (and added eyebrows, lol) At first glance the two images look worlds apart, but I promise that if you glance back and forth for long enough, you'll see what I mean. It's like you're looking at this woman the way she'd present herself if she was alive today. Granted, some of the effects like the thinning of her neck couldn't have been achieved with makeup alone, but with our culture's obsession with photoshop this isn't even that extreme.

     So yea, this blew me away and got me thinking about beauty standards, the nature of art, and how much I love contouring, lol. What does this say to you? How would you describe the sentiment that it portrays? Let me know in the comments!

       

Quick Basic Tip!

Bright red lips are a show stealer, a focal point, the whole enchilada of a look if you will, and should be paired with minimal eye makeup! Trying to draw too much attention to both your eyes and lips creates a garish, overdone look. Stick with lining your eyes and applying mascara.

Here are some more examples of this timeless beauty concept:

The Best Way To Start Mastering Makeup For Yourself

     During my training to become licensed as a Cosmetologist, I took classes in basic makeup application as well as creative makeup artistry. I've also learned from pros (both formally trained and self-taught) outside of my initial cosmetology training. I say this not to suggest that I'm in any way a pro myself, but to give a background to my opinion that one of the best ways to learn to do makeup (on yourself that is) is to seriously play around with it. Find a space with lots of natural light, a good mirror, and take as long as you can to try everything out that you can.

     If you think about it, lots of things work this way. I've even heard that as a child, Jim Carrey would spend hours in front of the mirror contorting his face and trying out all kinds of humorous gestures - prompting his mom to threaten that his face would stick that way. Just as you can learn the basics of beauty in a classroom and how to create an esthetically pleasing visage with makeup - you can also discover it for yourself with practice. It's my opinion that pretty much all of us know when we look good - and when we don't. We've all been tagged in unflattering photos, and learned how to take flawless selfies haven't we? To a certain extent this all comes naturally.

     So this is my advice: experiment! You can find what works for you. Now, all of this isn't to say that you can learn absolutely everything by yourself, or that you can properly learn to make anyone else looks fabulous without some training. Doing other people's makeup especially requires that you have knowledge of things like facial structure, color theory and a good foundation of product knowledge. Becoming a true makeup artists takes time, experience and training. I'm still working on my makeup skills, and would hardly consider myself an expert. Having said that, I would like to share some insights that I've gleaned thus far in regard to doing your own makeup and discovering it for yourself:


- First of all, we all pretty much know what our assets are and where we fall short. I have big blue eyes that I love, but chubby cheeks, weight around my chin, and teeny tiny lips. So I play up my eyes! I spent a lot of time playing around with my eye makeup in the beginning, and tried to focus on that. Maybe you have fantastic cheek bones, or luscious lips. Work with what you've got!

- Name your colors. Do you have a warm, neutral or cool skin tone? (Warm skin tones show yellow, neutral would be what we call an "olive" complexion, and cool skin has a lot of red/pink in it) Knowing this will point you toward your best colors. I have a very cool skin tone, so I shy away from orangy colors, yellows and warm reds. I also looks fabulous in pink and cool purples.

- Remember that makeup washes off, and don't be afraid to try all kinds of crazy looks. It's all trial and error.

- Watching youtube videos is very helpful, but maybe try putting a spin on looks that you learn - and make up your own!

- There are rules, but not so many that this isn't essentially a wide open art form. Avant garde looks are just as fun as making someone look classically beautiful.

- Like I said above, this is ART - have fun with it, and don't be afraid or intimidated by the process!

How To Make Vibrant Color Last

Vibrant, unnatural colors are fun, bold and an amazing way to express yourself. I'm particularly partial to pastel shades and faded tones reminiscent of chalcedony stones or faded tie dye. I've always been drawn to delicate shades of purple, green or blue that almost glow, as if hinting at something more - something undefinable and not able to to be fully categorized or tamed. The opal with it's hidden colors that reveal themselves in the sun has always been inspiration for me. 

When an amazing and one-of-a-kind color is achieved, fading is the last thing you'll want to happen any time soon - and although ultimately it's inevitable, there are definitely things that you can do to slow the process way down. Below are my keys to keeping awesome color vibrant for much longer:

1.) Invest in professional shampoo made specifically for color treated hair. My personal suggestion would be the Paul Mitchell Color Protect line - and try and buy it from a salon or licensed professional to ensure authenticity and quality.

2.) DON'T was your hair every day! Aim to wash it every other day.

3.) Use cool water to wash and rinse your hair. It doesn't have to be freezing. Try and use water that's a little warmer than room temp to wash, and room temp or cooler to rinse.

4.) Use a deep conditioning treatment once a week. My recommendation is the Paul Mitchell Color Protect Reconstructive Treatment.

5.) Sun exposure is BAD. If you're headed to the beach in summer, I would highly recommend Paul Mitchell's Color Locking Spray (it's like sunblock for your hair)... or a hat.