On a personal note

There is something I want to share with you all, something personal, something special to me.
And that is the other side of blogging, the ins and outs the ups and downs.

And I feel that I cannot do that here since this is a beauty blog, I feel it wont be right to combine the two, it may get confusing to the readers and they may not want to know about my personal journey as a beauty blogger.

So I created a personal blog to share my journey as a beauty blogger, wife, mom woman with you all.

This blog will help other bloggers with tips and advice on creating and setting up their blogs and well as all the things I go through to keep themakeupsquid.com going.

Makeupbeautyandme.blogspot.com

I would love for you to check it out and share your insight with me and also I will be able to answer any blogging questions you may have. Hope to see you there.

Thanks for reading and have a great day!

Meaningful Beauty Crem de Serum

I received the product from influenster about a month ago.

Meaningfulbeauty.com says:

This crème de la crème treatment takes a triple approach to combating the signs of aging with three powerful anti-aging ingredients: superantioxidant melon complex, anti-aging peptides and hyaluronic acid. Combining the power of a serum with the rich, moisturizing effects of a crème, this super-boost is designed to help protect, increase hydration and prevent the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. 

This product has a wonderful light melon scent that awakens the senses.

It is a thick for serum more like a gel, the application goes on smooth leaving your skin soft and silky without feeling greasy. 

I apply a thin layer and allow my skin to drink it up. They recommend applying it at night to work its magic.

I have not seen this product do anything to my current lines, but its does not claim to remove lines or wrinkles. 

This is a prevention product not a solution to an ongoing problem.

Prevention is better in my book and something I wish I would have done earlier in life.

This product is apart of a larger kit that claims to help with ongoing skin problems.

This kit retails for $39.95 on Meaningfulbeauty.com

I can say that I have not seen any new arrivals of fine lines since using the product and for me that is just as good and having them disappear. 

Thanks to influenster for the wonderful product.

So my question for you today is,

have you tried meaningfulbeauty?

Thanks for reading and have great day!

Urban Decay Naked Skin Beauty Balm

Did you ever wish there was a product that could boost the benefits of your favorite foundation?

Or maybe, just maybe make your skin look so good you didn't need foundation?

Well say hello to your new best friend the Urban Decay Naked Skin Beauty Balm.

This Formula is light weight liquid formula applies easily to the skin.

Has that familiar scent all Urban Decay fans know.

Finishes with a sheer coverage, leaving your skin feel natural.

Diffuses the appearance of pores and blemishes.

Brightens the look of skin for a more awake look.

This product can be worn as a primer before foundation to help give you that truly flawless look.

Or it can be worn alone over moisturizer to give you that nice finished look on the daily.

It does have a sheer finish, but you can layer it without feeling that caked on feeling.

Not only is this product good at hiding flaws it helps heal them over time!

• Perfects: Optical blurring pigment instantly evens out skin tone and minimizes pores, 

lines, wrinkles and redness.

• Protects: SPF 20 shields skin from sun damage and Pepha®-Protect helps inhibit DNA damage.

• Treats: Vitasource™ and dGlyage® firm skin, improve elasticity and provide measurable anti-aging benefits.

• Primes: Extremely blend-able formula creates a smooth finish so makeup goes on beautifully and stays put.

• Hydrates: Moisturizing but never greasy, Naked Skin Beauty Balm hydrates skin instantly and improves hydration over time.

This Product Deserves a Golden Squid!

Wearing

Urban Decay Naked Skin Beauty Balm alone no foundation.

Have you tired this product yet and what are your thoughts?

Thanks for reading and have a great day!

How Others See You!

So you got your makeup on and your hair is done, your pretty satisfied with the way you look, but have you ever wondered how others will see you? I am not talking about judgment, but the way they see you.

Ever do your makeup and thought is was okay or blah even, yet that day you just get compliment after compliment? And you're like what are you all seeing that I am not?
Or when you have a breakout and your friends are like we didn't notice it.

I am going to be sharing a trick my aunt taught me on how to see, what others see when they look at you.
This probably isnt even a trick maybe you all know this and I am the crazy person who thinks its real haha!

It is very simple really, to see how you look from another persons perspective and I swear it works.

Okay, Okay I will tell you!

The trick is to see a third reflection of your self. Now, I don't know why or how it works but it does!

If you are standing facing the bathroom mirror, Grab  two extra mirrors. I used a handheld beauty mirror and a large compact.

Now get one mirror to reflect the main mirror, then get the third mirror to reflect the second mirror.

I guarantee you won't see all those imperfections you notice in the main mirror.

I put together this diagram so you can get a better idea of what I am talking about.

If you're forever confused, I am truly Sorry. If not Great!
If my aunt is a crazy lady let me know!

Thanks for reading and have a great day!

Understanding Your Beauty Blogger

Beauty bloggers try out new makeup and beauty products, write a posts on the products and then sit there and wait for your comments. NOT!!

Many beauty bloggers don't just blog all day. Some have work, families, spouses, partners, pets and a million other things they do besides blogging. 

On average every beauty blogger has at least 8-10 blogs they themselves follow. 

That means 8-10 

posts they read and comment on every other day. 

Tweets that need to be retweeted.

Instagram pics need to be liked.

Facebook statuses need to be updated.

Emails need to be read including junk mail!

YouTube videos need to be watched and commented on.

And If you are associated with another affiliate site them double that!

These things are all needed to stay up to date in the beauty blogging community.

Not including the interruptions while doing all of this, the Kids, Pets, Husbands,Wives, Partners,  Neighbors, Family, Friends, heck even food can be a problem.

So If your beauty blogger doesn't respond right away don't fret! It's probably a sock that got stuck in the washing machine or the baby putting his toys in the heating vent. He or she hasn't forgotten about  you!

Beauty bloggers aren't fashion models with stacks of makeup products laying about. Wow that sounds amazing! Sadly that isn't the case.

They are everyday people just like you, who seem to have a passion for something they love writing about and sharing with you and the world. 

Posts take time to write, taking photos, editing photos, creating a header, deciding on a title, making sure all the links are correct, Trying to figure out how to describe the color green or the feeling of the newest face product.

For example this post has been in my head for over a week now. Going over, how should I word it? What is the message I am trying to send? What do I want it to mean to the reader? And so much more!

Beauty bloggers come in all shapes, sizes and colors. Find one or twelve that you feel connected with.

One who feels the same as you do about certain things. You don't like MAC products? Find a Beauty Blogger who doesn't use MAC. Your a drug store only makeup junkie? find a drug store Beauty Blogger.

You have to understand your beauty blogger. So the Beauty blogger can understand you and your wants, needs and expectations.  

So please be kind, be patient, be understanding to your beauty blogger. We are people too :). 

Thanks for reading and have a great day!

Midnight Madness

Well, I did it again. I went to Walmart at midnight, actually its the only time I like to go, its just me and the super store. My Walmart has a horrible beauty section, but its all I got for now. So I often wait till baby is a sleep and my 15 year old  and I go to Walmart. I do get the motorized cart of course, because it the only time I get to use it. I always feel there will be an old guy that needs it more then I do to get to the pharmacy.

I think I know every section of my Walmart beauty section, I go up an down those aisles like 3 times a week. Sad, but true. So getting back to this post! I bought me some goodies I wanna share with you guys, some are favorites I needed to restock and some are new and shiny!

Oldies but Goodies!

Dr Teals Olive Oil bath and body treatment. I love this after a shower. I haven't applied lotion to my skin in over 6 years since using body oils. I apply them while still wet, I squirt a hand full and split it between my arms and one more hand full for my legs and spread it around from neck to feet. I do not rub it in, but let my skin soak it up. I stay wrapped in a towel during makeup and hair. By the time I am  done I have soaked it up. I truly love this method And I highly recommend you try it and if you do Please, let me know.

Tree Hut Shea Butter Body Scrub in Coconut Lime. This is a great product and it feels amazing! Like there are a million little scrubbing scrubbers scrubbing you down. Wow, let's say that again. Scrubbing scrubbers scrubbing. ha! The smell is phenomenal, not to coco-nutty and not to limey, just clean. I use this like three times a week. If you don't like a oily feeling you should rinse this off with a shower gel afterwards.

New and Shiny!

Coty Airspun Loose Face Powder. I have never used this product before, but I have heard some awesome things about this product. This powder claims to hide fine lines, wrinkles, blemishes and softens the skin. It also claims it can be used as a foundation and not just a setting powder. I am going to be using the face powder to set my concealer under my eyes, then we shall see whats up. 

Palmers Olive Oil Formula Gro Therapy. Now I heard that Olive Oil is good for helping hair growth. I am trying to grow mine out. I am using growth shampoos and they are helping but I wanna try to boost it just a bit. I honestly cant describe the scent, but I know I like it. So I am going to try this And will let you know how it goes.

Garnier Ultra-Lift Anti-Wrinkle Firming Eye Cream. I haven't used this guy yet and for the price it wasn't to bad for an eye cream and the jar is so tiny and to cute for words. Okay, so now I have two eye creams, you know what this means! Comparison review! I have to say the truth, this guy smells amazing and feels like love on your eyes. So we will see how this goes.

And that my friends is all. Have you used any of these products before?

Thanks for reading and have a great day!

How blogging has changed my life.

A lot has changed in the short time I have been blogging, I see things differently now.

I have made some great friends through blogging, they have given me support and love that I never thought I would receive in such a short amount of time.

With my family, they have learned that Blogging is apart of my daily life.
When I wake up I check my email for updates, comments, mentions or any other kind of interaction with my blogging buddies or any one else. I actually read my emails now instead of just skimming the subject line and mass deleting them.

My Phone is always in use and losing battery life while I keep up with blogs I follow and my girls ( blogging buddies).

My brain is constantly flowing with ideas for posts and videos, but I always check to see if there is someone doing said idea, I don't want to copy anyone's work.

I am looking at other peoples videos in a different light, knowing now how hard it actually is to put up a video, there is a lot of work involved.

My family learned that there is more to me then just cleaning and cooking hehe :)

I get inspired now by things I would have just looked over before and not thought twice about it.

I see cosmetics and beauty products in a different light also. I look for textures, pigments and over all quality of the product, not just what it can do for me.

I also learned not to say things like fuck it, Shit or my favorite fuck'em, because I know people are watching me, so I learned to read what I write before I post. Inside of me is a drunken sailor waiting to get out!

Over all My life has changed through blogging and I love it. I love the fact that I can  express myself about something I feel passionate about.

This can go on for days so I will stop here.

So, how has Blogging changed your Life?

Starting a YouTube Beauty Channel: Things you should know

Hello everyone! I hope this post finds you well. Today I have some pointers for you on starting a YouTube channel. Now I am not a pro and I don't claim to know everything, but I know what I know and I am going to share what I know with you.

I started my channel Aug 14, 2013 and today being Oct 4, 2013 with 51 subscribers, So that's a Subbie a day so far :).  Now, my channel is a beauty channel, on my channel I do reviews, tutorials and Egg tests.

Whats a egg test? I apply certain makeup products to eggs to test their claims if any on covering pores and what not. This is my niche on my channel. 

Whats a Niche? A Niche is your specialty something that makes you different and sets you apart from the countless others doing the same thing on YouTube. If you don't have a niche find one! 

This can be anything, Like me and my egg. 20/30Glam is apart of the beauty community on YouTube, Their Niche? Each other as far as I have seen They are the only Beauty channel that features Two women, So they can get two views of the same product, So you get to different views, two reviews in one video! kinda like a Siskel and Ebert of beauty and if they play on this I feel they will go very far on YouTube.

Now that you have considered what makes you different from all other beauty channels lets talk Brand.

Whats a Brand? You are your Brand. What you say, how you say it and how you look while you say it is apart of your brand. Don't try to be like every one else use your quirks, the things that make you, You.

Have a southern drawl? use it! Have a cute accent? Don't hide it! Use what you got. 

Now, not everyone is going to fall in love with you, but that's okay too. Haters will come and haters will go, but like Madonna said "Any publicity is good publicity". Example Mirandasings08 from YouTube her channel has many haters, but people watch just to see her madness and see what the haters have to say to her in the comments section of her videos and she responds to them through her videos, she basically used her haters to get ahead and it worked flawlessly.

Lighting! Even if you have a cheap camera or webcam your lighting can make it look so much better.

I use clamp lights from the hardware store and GE reveal light bulbs. I cover them with a white shower cap as a light softener.

 I do not point the lights directly at me because it will make me too bright. Point them at the ceiling, light the area your filming in not just your face.

I use the Logitech C615 webcam that I picked up at Walmart for around $60 dollars. It is a good camera and I like what I get from it for now. Sure everyone wants a great camera to film with but sometimes it doesn't work out that way, so just use the best you can afford.

I have made my background using a poster board from Walmart and wrapping paper from Walgreen's, taped it to a old mop duster stick. I did this because I have a 2 year old, so I have to film when I can and not when I want. And this helps me set up whenever I need it and I don't have to worry about the mess in the background.

Time! Time is a very important factor. If you are a new channel no one wants to see 15 minuets of you blending out your eye shadow or hear about how you love the Naked2 palette. Keep your videos around or under 10 minuets. Once you gain an audience then you can do longer videos because people have subscribe and are obviously interested in what you have to say. 

When it comes to eye tutorials, this I have learned from my own experience if you are doing a whole look do only 1 eye and cut to to finished look. Be sure to record your intro after you have completed your look so they can get an idea of the finished look before the tutorial portion starts so you can get a good intro to your video.

Think of it this way, in every movie blockbuster there are at least 5 trailer scenes. This means there are 5 attention grabbing scenes in every movie, this sells the film so people will buy tickets. ever wonder why the trailer is better then the movie as a whole? But instead of an hour and a half you get 5 to 15 minuets to sell your brand e.g YOU!


So catch your audience within the first 20 seconds then go from there every so often drop a trailer spot, this could be doing something different in the look your doing or showing them a different product, if your doing a review. So don't linger. Remember you have a video bar next to your face screaming watch me instead. So do your thing to keep the viewers eyes on you! :)

Edit your videos and edit them again. Get rid of all those ums. I little trick I am working on is to say everything 3 times and space out my phrases, like this. "this is the new beauty product of the month". Then stop. Don't say "this is the new beauty product and i love um what it does um for my skin". This will be harder to edit. Think of it as a commercial, make your statements and phrases as clear as possible.

When doing a voice over there is no need to keep talking all the way through. Say what is needed and nothing more, if it is funny or pertaining to the video then its alright. Add music to the video for the times you aren't talking, this will help move the video along, make sure its copyright free or YouTube will hate you and spit on your video!

Don't save your video as MyMovie.file.  Name it! YouTube uses this file name as a guide for what your video is about so name it the same way you want it to appear on YouTube itself. 

Don't Yell in your video most people watch YouTube with head phones on and a screaming voice is a sure way to get a video closed before you get to your subject matter.

Do add tags to your video, relevant to your video. YouTube Currently only allows I think 400 or 500 characters for tags, so use them wisely.

Do add big Beauty channels to your tags I currently use Michelle Phan and Kandee Johnson in my tags to show up on the side of their videos. 

Do add your channel name to your tags, this will help your other videos show up on the side while someone is watching your current video.

Do use annotations to ask your views for likes, subscriptions and comments, engage your audience.

Always ask for Likes, comments and subscriptions at the end of every video. Kandee Johnson always mentions a hug after her videos, GossmakeupArtist Always winks at the end of his videos. I haven't found my sign off signal yet, but I will one day! So find yours :)

Most Important! Look into the camera! Not the view finder, Not the computer screen. Talk to the camera like you are talking to your friends or family. 

You don't have to be all dolled up for a video, but you should look decent.

I am currently looking for new subscribers!
Please Subscribe if you like and if you have a beauty channel I will subscribe back :)

So that's all my brain can handle for today.

I will be Adding to this series as I go, so Please follow my blog if you like with bloglovin or google+

YouTube Channels I have mentioned above :)
TheMakeupSquid
20/30Glam
Mirandasings
Kandee Johnson
GossMakeupArtist

All Items mentioned above were purchased with my own money at Walmart.

Thanks for readings and have a great day :)

The Reasons why I use a mans razor

Okay, I have been shaving with a mans razor for over 5 years now. Why? Well the truth is I shave daily no matter what the season. If I don't shave in the shower I just don't feel like I did it right OCD anyone?

It started with showering with my Venus and I needed a refill, but didn't have any, but my guy did so I clipped one in and used it. Oh My Goodness!

What a close and wonderful shave it was and I have never gone back since. I even have my Squid-let using a mans razor for legs, underarms and bikini area.

The Reasons why I use a mans razor:

1. Men shave more then the average women does, so their blades are more pronounced then a woman's razor.
2. They are made to stand up to daily uses and have longer blade life then a woman's razor.
3. They are often a dollar cheaper then a woman's razor.

facial skin is different then leg skin and a mans razor is made for a very delicate yet durable area, so it will perform better, more precisely.

Since using a mans razor I also have not found the need to use a shaving cream, I just shave at the end of my shower to make sure the heat has softened my skin and I have exfoliated my legs.

I don't need to refill very often either maybe about once a month at a shower a day.

Here is how I extend my blade life:
I only expose my blade to water when I am using it.
I thoroughly clean it after every use, running it under water, tapping it out on the shower wall and blowing it out removing any excess water.
I keep it high on the shower stall so that when other use the shower it won't be exposed to any water.

This keeps my blade clean and dry waiting for my next shave.

When it is time to renew I never buy the cartridges, I just buy a new blade.
A new blade goes for around $9 and it includes 2 blades as the cartridge refill goes for around $13
So for $9 bucks I am getting 2 months worth of shaving!
I promise you will see the difference and you will love it!

I hope this helps in anyway.

have you ever used a mans razor for a shave? How did it go?

Thanks for reading!
Have a great day :)

Beauty Battle Blog Vs. Vlog It's on!

Okay, So I Have decided to do a little experiment Using my blog and my YouTube channel which I guess is called a Vlog. I post to both of them often and put as much effort into both equally. So What I want to find out if which of the two get more of a  response/feedback/comments/follows/subscriptions. I post the results daily up on my personal Vlog. The reason why I am posting it here is to get you guys involved. I want to let you guys know what I am doing and also letting you know that any new followers/subscribers I gain will be mentioned on the personal Vlog as well as like/shares and what not. If there is anything I am leaving out of this experiment Please let me know.

My YouTube Beauty Channel is here
My Youtube Vlog Channel is here

I am including the intro video to the experiment and the 2nd day follow up.
I feel like a mad scientist Muhaha ;)  Enjoy!

Beauty Blogging, Tips and advice.

Okay, we all know that this is a picture of a beauty aisle. It can be located at our local drugstore or a super market. I know that when ever I am in one of these places I am going down that aisle no matter how big of a rush I may be in, I always make time for this aisle no matter what.

Now, I do always go For my favorites first, pick up what I am running low on or checking to see if there is a sale on any of my regular items.

But what if a new product calls out to me through the corner of my eye? What if it been something I wanted to look at before but never got the chance to give it a look/see?  Is it the way they have it displayed that is drawing me closer? Is it next to a product I already love? Is it yelling at me I can fix, Enhance or Make things easier on your beauty routine?


If you haven't figured it out by now, I am talking about blog posts. Earlier today as I was tweeting a fellow blogger Kellie at beautyeverafter.net was in a conversation about how often to post to a blog.

Now, if we see the beauty blogging community as a beauty aisle this will help to decide how often to post.
People will go for their favorites automatically, but maybe, just maybe,  you can catch there eye and get them to visit just like the new product in the beauty aisle I mentioned above.

Keep your posts coming, someone, somewhere out there, needs to hear what you have to say.
You ever noticed when picking up a product they put all the good information and key points upfront where you can see them quickly, turn it over and you have information that is even more important on the back, but lets face it the key words on the front brought me to the back of the product.

If you aren't getting feed back or views right away don't panic. Ask yourself this question. How many times do you have to see a product before you pick it up to look into it? For me this is about three to four times before I say okay let me see what this stuff is all about.

The look of the product is also important. Now I am not saying hire someone to redo your blog. But I am saying make it pleasant to look at, easy to read and most importantly only say what needs to be said.
We live in a  140 character society, so keep it short, simple and sweet :)

We read first with our eyes good photos that go along with your post draw people in. On blogger, bloglovin etc.. they show a large picture and a small caption about your post, so the pictures you use should be clear and relevant to your post, give them a reason to click through to your blog.

Oh, la lift, Watts up are great examples of a post title. Think about nail polish I can remember "I am not just a waitress" by O.P.I better then I can remember any other red colored polish. Why because I thought it was an awesome name for this red nail polish! yes, I say awesome, because its awesome :)

Make your post stand out instead of "Smokey Eye" why not "Seductive smokey eye that will drop his pants"
Silly but it made you think didn't it?

Think about beauty/fashion magazines their captions make us laugh, but we are turning the pages to find the article. I could go on but I won't. I have to practice what I preach. Wink, wink.

So to wrap this long winded post up, I am saying keep going, find ways to stand out. Your audience will find you. Hell, you found me and that means something :)

I hope this helps.
Thanks for reading :)
Have a great day!

P.S If I offended you with the word "Hell". I said it again ;)

Not just a pretty face!

I don't want this blog to be just about a pretty face. I want this blog to be about smart intelligent women who know whats up and how to back it up with the knowledge of with what they are doing. its not enough for me to know what to apply. I want to know how to apply it to my face.

So I am going to start with color. Color can be scary or fun depending on where you want to go. It can be used as an all over shade or just as a liner the choice is yours, but, what colors to choose is just as important.

I am going to explain to you color theory. Color theory isn't just for decorating or painting a canvas.

This is a color wheel.
The color wheel or color circle is the basic tool for combining colors. The first circular color diagram was designed by Sir Isaac Newton in 1666. A color wheel is used to show us what colors compliment each other as well as what colors blend well with each other. We will be using him a lot in this post so say hi to Mr.Wheel :)

As you see to your right and above Mr.Wheel has Red on top and Green on the bottom. What does that mean? It means Red and Green Oppose each other Offering the highest amount of contrast. Now I am not saying if you are wearing Red, add some Green. No, what I am saying is that they contrast each other in the highest way. Look at the Blue in this image, now look over to that yellow on the opposite side. They oppose each other in the color scheme offering the highest contrast. 

Now, if your still reading, we will move on :)

This Image shows us three colors at the bottom of Mr.Wheel.

This is called Analogous color scheme. Analogous color schemes use colors that are next to each other on the color wheel. They usually match well and Blend wonderfully together. This is what most eye shadow trios use to take the guess work out and make it easier on us.This is best for beginners as it is hard to mess up. But, what if I bought the BH cosmetics 88 color palette? Oh, No!

Still here? Good :)

Now, here we have what they call a Triadic color scheme.

A triadic color scheme uses colors that are evenly spaced around the color wheel. Using the form of a even spaced triangle over Mr.Wheel will allow you to see which three colors will work best together providing you choose your main color first. This is what most eye shadow trios use to take the guess work out and make it easier on us.With this method you will never know where you will end up in any eye look. Just make sure to let one color dominate and use the two as accent colors.

Mr.Wheel Can be divided by his warm and cool side

Warm = Open 

Cool = Closed

Thats the best way I can explain it. All of the colors will look great against a white base. But using other colors, this should help give you a better idea of where your going with your look.

If you are still confused? I apologize! I found this nifty little tool online. So you can have your own Color wheel any time! It is originally used for website design, but it uses color theory!  And I love it you can check that out here. colorschemedesigner

Well, I hope this has helped. I am not an expert but this is a theory I use when applying eye shadow.

Let me know what you think and if I went to far out there let me know hehe:)

Thanks for reading and have a great day!

Images source colortiger.com

Just to say thanks!

I just want to say thank you to everyone who has followed my blog, followed me on twitter, liked me on Facbook, Instagram, Pintrest, Tumblr and any other social network I am on.

My family and I have been going through a lot these past few months. There have been times where I have looked around and said Oh, my God, I need a break. A break from life and all the havoc it can bring in the blink of an eye to a once peaceful life. I always wanted to blog and vlog about beauty but never had the guts or the right frame of mind to do so. I love it so much I cannot even comprehend a life without it. I mean I feel that if I don't do this something inside of me will die.

Right now isn't the best time to do this, But it gives me a peace of mind and the courage to face anything that life brings my way. You guys give me that whether its in a comment, re-tweet, sub or a like. You guys have become my strength. I just want to say thanks for being who you are, because you being you helps me be a better me :)

Now, don't get me wrong I am not perfect at it. But, I know how passionate I am about it.
I know that  now, after I have started no one and I mean no one can take this away from me.
It's not only the blog or vlog that has me feeling this, it is you guys and gals.

Everyone of you inspire me to become more then where I come from, more then what I was told I could be.
This is a very big and important thing for me, to know that you support me and are there for me even though it is just makeup.

Everyday I make a new friend, learn something new from someone thousands of miles away and I love each and everyone of you for it. So the next time someone tells me "its just makeup". I will respond "No it isn't and it is sad that you don't understand".

I love all the friends I have made and cherish everyone of you and If I forget to add you to a shout out or a tweet please understand that my list of friends is growing everyday and twitter only gives me 140 characters!

Love you guys <3

Thanks for listening :)

Color and turning 40!

Earlier today I hopped over to one of the regular blogs I visit at iknowalthewords.com and she has written a wonderful review of some shadows that are lovely and colorful. After reading the review and writing a comment it hit me. I am an older gal. I am not ancient, but I am 3 years from 40. Yikes!

Now, I love eye shadow of any kind color with the exception of glitter and really shimmery kind.
But when it comes to color will I have to let go of all the colors I love? I don't mean to offend but I do not want to look like the old lady wearing too much eye shadow.

I do feel pastels and electric colors are a bit too much for my age range.  But I still can do color.

Now, I know this is an older palette, but Tarte makes some gorgeous deep toned eye shadows that are amazing. The colors are in muted rich earthy tones that can work for young and not so young alike.

They go on flawlessly and blend very well.

I obtained this palette while in Sephora with my step mom. She was picking up some stuff and while we were at the register she said "pick something", so I thought to myself  dad hasn't bought me anything in a while, like 20 years, she picks out most of our gifts and just sticks his name on them, so I quickly grabbed this palette. It retails for around 44.00.

The blushes are very nice not shimmery but they do give off a nice glow on your face.


So bottom line is, I don't have to give up color, just certain kinds of colors and I am okay with that.
Come on 40! I am ready and waiting for you ;)

What are your thoughts on age and colored shadows?

Thanks for reading :)

Everything a BBlogger should know part: 2

So you picked out a name for your blog. You got your layout and color scheme just right. But how do you get people to visit your blog and hear what you have to say about that amazing palette you just bought?

Networking! Building up a network is a great way to get your blog off and running.

Here are a few tips to help get you going.

Join bloglovin Its a good way to network with other bloggers and they can easily find you as well.

Google has a follow this blog widget that is also similar to bloglovin this will also help build an audience.

Twitter,Facebook,Tumblr, Pintrest and Instagram  are all a must. Now if you feel these are too many social networks for you to handle, I have good news! They all have a way for you to link them all together so that what you post on one shows on the other the trick is to know which one will affect all of them.

Twitter and Facebook connect to each other easily.

Pintrest connects to Facebook.

Instagram connects to Facebook,Twitter and Tumblr.

Pretty much any social network can be linked to another in some way or another. Yes you will have to keep up with them if you want to build a audience.

Add a Grab it button to you site. This way you can exchange links with other blogs. The more links you have out there the more Google Gods like you :).

When you leave a comment on another blog as a signature leave a link to your blog. When you get attached to another bloggers site you wont have to do this all the time, because now you are friends and they know where your blog lives. Good etiquette is two links max on any blog, that is for me anyway. You don't want the other blogger to feel your using them for link only purposes.

Don't be a social advertiser and spam your blog, This can become annoying and you will lose followers.
I know I hate seeing spam about someones post. Post it two times a day max along with an eye catching title
And the Hashtag  #BBloggers  has become very popular USE IT!

Now this is just me, but I don't like following blogs by email. As you go your inbox will become over loaded with other things as a beauty blogger and you might miss the blog your following during a mass deletion of emails. But this is your option.

Please know that most of your first followers and subbies will be other bloggers so don't do anything you wouldn't like done to yourself.

Add Google Analytics to your blog. This is  your real site counter. This will help you see who is visiting as well as what site brought them to your blog. You can sign up for that Here. This tool will tell you how many visits you actually have.

Now this is very important! You may see your visit count go very high right of the bat, But this traffic is not real traffic. There is a site called vampire stat that keeps hitting blogs especially blogs through blogger.
these do count as views, but its a bot and not your biggest fan! Do not click on this link, I repeat DO NOT CLICK IT. Just leave it be, it will go away once you start getting real traffic.

So, I think these tips will help you get on the right track with social networking for blogging purposes.

If you need help in any way I am here.

I also do graphic design so if your looking for a logo, banner, buttons, custom follow buttons, backgrounds email me or Facebook message me on my Facebook page!

O.k I am done!

This post was inspired by CiaoBella :).

Have a Great Day!





 

Looking away from eyebrows and posts and how important is it!

I am at a blank! I have one thousand ideas in my head and I cant get them out of there. I did everything I was supposed to do, picked up some products that I absolutely fell in love with. And after swatching and trying them out, I get on  my laptop ready to write the review of the century and...nothing.

I do find this very frustrating and annoying. So when I do find myself at a loss for words I stop what I am doing and go down a completely different path, watch T.V, Tweet, call my sisters and get my mind off it for a while then go back after a while. And find myself refreshed and ready for a good in depth post.

I learned this from my eye brows, yes my eyebrows. When I am filling in my brows I notice they get thicker, wider and weirder as I go. So I learned to Get them somewhere near where I want them and then I look away, either mess with my hair, blend my shadow some more or look at my smart phone. And after a few seconds I look back at them and adjust what needs to be adjusted. By doing this you see them from a different perspective. Sometimes to get what we want we have to look away for a few moments and see things from a different perspective.

What ever product you are using to fill in your brows remember. Your brows are sisters not twins.

I usually do my brows before I apply shadow, this way  I have a direction on where to take my shadow.
I do leave small imperfections in my brows so I look Human.

I heard it once said "never let a person with bad eyebrows give you advice". This I find amusing, for a while there I had none! Through trial and many errors I over plucked and then some.

Now, I just do a quick clean up daily and I shape them to what works for me. I have a few grays showing up here and there, but its nothing my brow pencil can't handle.

Here are a few tips on how I got my brows back:

Don't apply lotion to your brow bone. Lotions tend to be in the "lets make less hair grow" trend.
Eye creams are fine they are made for this area of you face.

Let them grow out, just hide our for a while or wear sunglasses lol.

Talk to your eyebrow tech, tell them to just clean you up, but not to shape, for a while anyway.
I know this is hard because no matter how many times I said this they did what they wanted anyway :(.

And finally, they are your eyebrows! Take care of them like any other part of you that you love!
Eyebrows are the most expressive part of our body.

I don't like a perfectly symmetrical brow, because I don't have a perfectly symmetrical face.

One of my brows arch higher then the other, one of my eyes always looks like it is thinking devious thoughts.

So If you find your at a loss for words, having a bad brow moment, don't stress! Take a breather and when you return you will write the review of the century or achieve the perfect arch.

What do you do to get a different perspective on things? 

Thanks for listening! Love you guys ;)

What's in a review? Something every BB should know!

Well, People my Muse at Ciao Bella Inspired me once again!

What's in a review? When I am looking through blogs I see many reviews and they are all great. But how many of the reviews we see are we going to act on? What Drives me to take the advice of this person writing this review?

Trust is one. I feel I have to know this person in some way, if not I feel like I am watching or reading an Ad.




Reality is the second. Is this a real person? Do they do the same things I do in my daily life?

Quality is the third. Is this just a passing phase? Or is this a normal part of their routine?

Image is the fourth. I'm not saying you have to be a size 0 and have perfect skin. What I am saying is, are you a all around person? or do you stick to one type of beauty look? (e.g Glam,Natural,etc..).

Layout is the fifth. Is your content and instruction if any easy to understand?

Communication is the sixth: I like the idea that I can ask a question and not just say, hey great post! or your so pretty!

I have made friends through my blog, some really smart and beautiful people and I am liking it. I really listen to what they have to say as opposed to Just running through it glancing at the pictures on my way down, just to get my link in the comments section.

What I am saying is, don't lose sight of why we are here. To share our thoughts, ideas and passion for beauty. Don't turn your passion into work, you will just end up hating it. If it brings in a few bucks awesome!
But even after that, Why make beauty ugly? Remember where you started and don't forget your foundation! (pun intended).

Okay, so there are just a few and as I go on with this I will add more so follow my blog to keep up with any updates I make. Please leave me some suggestions and I will give you full credit for the suggestion when I post it.

All I know is, this is how I personally feel about reviews I have seen or read.
Let me know what you guys think and if you would like to see more posts like this.

Thanks for reading!

Put your face on!

That's right ladies, put your face on!

Ancient warriors use to paint their faces before going to war, ever seen brave heart?

As women we have come a long way from using rose petals for lips stick and pinching our cheeks for a touch of color.

We have brushes, primers, tinted moisturizers, even false lashes. We can make our selves look cute and girly all the way to hot vixen on a mission. We have options when it comes to how we look.

Makeup gives us that pep in out step and that extra I can do anything boost we need even in just applying a bit of bronzer and we have a game face.

A confident Woman is something to recon with. When she has her game face on watch out she is able to overcome any situation with confidence and  Beauty.

Here's to you Ladies! and all that you do, you do it beautifully!

My confidence booster is my foundation it hides all the blemishes on my face.

What is your confidence boosting product?

Thanks for reading! May all your looks be flawless :)

Liebster Award is going around!

Well my lovely fellow blogger Liliana Ayala at beautywithlily Nominated me for another Liebster Award!
First I want to thank Liliana for the nomination and all the people who have followed and commented on my posts. You guys are amazing Liliana, Ashley, Pilar, Denine from Youtube and My Girls at TwentyThirtyGlam.
I love that we are all different and come from all walks of life, yet our common interest brings us together.

So enough before I start sobbing and ruin my mascara. I am going to answer Liliana's questions.


What blog do you follow religiously?  I follow all mentioned above, the one I visit most is Ashley's she was my first connect here on blogger.

What is your DREAM job?  OMG are you seriously asking this question? Makeup Artist or Artist as long as I am  working with color I am  happy.

Your go to makeup look? Neutrals with a glamour liner kick.

What is one beauty/fashion trend you don't like? I Cant answer this, I like them all in their own way.

Describe yourself in 3 words... LMAO!! Bitchy, Survivor, hence the bitchiness and Curious.

What is your signature scent? diaper/febreeze  aue de my son.

What are 2 beauty products you CAN NOT live without? Bronzer and Mascara.

What advice would you give new bloggers? Be yourself, people can tell.

If you could have a celebrity spouse for a week, who would it be? Antonio Banderas

Describe your blog in 3 words... arghh,  I wanna share.

Why do you blog? It makes me happy.

Lmao! that was great I love these things!

eyes that pop!

Fall is here. The leaves are turning, the sun will be going down earlier.
But does that mean everything will have to tame down with the season?

Of course not! there is a whole color spectrum for us to choose from and right now this is a color combo I am loving!

Among my treats I found this gorgeous teal color from SmashBox pallet I got a while ago at Sephora.



I Love these colors. And I think they are perfect for this time of year with summer still in the air.
In this look I used this lovely brown that has just a touch of shimmer but goes on matte, which if you know me, you know I adore mattes. Along with the Teal at the inner corner for that pop of color. I lined my eye using the MakeupForever liquid liner which I find irritates my eyes and a set of falsies from KARA.

I truly love this look and think it will look great on any eye. I used the Anastasia of Beverly hills brow pencil on my brows I love the formula and its ability
to keep my brows in place.


Let me know what you think about this look for this time of year.?