Beauty School Series: Life Lessons

Sometimes you go through things in life not because you want to but because you have to.  They mold you into the person you need to become.  My almost 6 months in school for Esthetics taught me so much.  It also helped  me open up more, broaden my dreams and open up about my real feelings.

I graduated years ago with a bachelors degree in Computer Information Systems, but wasn't really excited as I took the classes or even when I graduated.  One of the most exciting things about my college years was pledging my sorority and the friends I met along the way.  There never was a true passion for computers, it was more about making money and taking a traditional job.



Looking at my Linkedin page I noticed that one of the jobs I have held the longest has been makeup/skincare related.  It is one of the lowest paying jobs I have held but it is connected to what I am passionate about.  It made since to broaden my horizons with an Esthetics License.

When I started Esthetics school I was so excited for my first day.  It was even exciting to go over information I already knew, such as makeup, just to get a different perspective.  Working at a counter allows me to work on all ages compared to doing fashion and editorial shoots.  School also allowed me to work on different ages regarding makeup and skincare.  Learning how to do facials and waxing opened up other opportunities to me and increased my love of skincare.  

Spa room/My Happy Place

My first two months were mainly comprised of learning in the classroom.  No hands on with clients was allowed at that point.  My teacher taught up the basic facial, waxing, makeup, and individual lashes and then we practiced on our mannequins and each other.  As we moved closer to our minimum hours to get in the actual spa room with clients we also learned body wraps and more advance facial techniques, etc.  

That first 2 months showed me I am more than just a makeup artist!  It also showed me I was still a great student.  

Nail Obsession: Gel Nails

Hello Divas,

It has been a while but I am back!  School has taught me so much about skincare and also hair and nails.  I shadowed some of my nail tech friends and learned so much from them. I wanted to grow my nails out and asked them to do them and they advised me a great way to grow them out.... Gel!  I also wanted to protect my nails while doing facials in school and after graduation.   I have been using gel on one hand since they advised me midway through school and have noticed the difference.  I use to pay $25-40 for a gel set when my son was younger and have now learned I was not getting a true gel set.  The things you learn in school.  First time I tried I had the gel cured too far on the skin but I have learned and improved.

Below shows my current nails with gel overlay.

This 2nd photo shows the nails that I have been using regular polish on mainly.  I will be adding gel overlay on these also so they can catch up with the left hand.

I love the fact that the gel has helped maintained  my length and also my polish jobs look better much longer.  I do my nails every 2-3 weeks now.

I will do an update in a few weeks of my nail growth and maybe some new designs I have been practicing. Once I get my esthetics license and start my second career, I definitely plan to go back for nails!

Back to School Intro: Beauty School No Drop Out(Grease Fan)

Hey Divas!

I decided it was time to make some more changes in my life and started school.  Instead of going for my Masters Degree, I decided to follow my passion.  Great decision for my career and life.  I dropped out of the IT world a while back due to conflicts with my true passion in life.  I have also been presented some opportunities as a makeup artist, but they wanted someone licensed.  All of these led me to Michigan College of Beauty for an Esthetics license.  Also I love great looking skin and showing people how to get and keep great looking skin.

So please join me on my journey from Makeup Artist to Makeup Artist/Licensed Esthetician.  I will be writing about my experience in beauty school for the next 5 months.  If you have any questions I will answer them also.

New Kit Products to start off 2015

Happy New Year Divas!

Revamping my kit and set up for 2015.  I ordered new products from TPG(The Powder Group) Store and renewed my membership. First time ordering from the TPG Store and I couldn't be happier.  Below are some products I picked up to up my kit game.

I love my MUFE brush holder so I decided to get the Monda Studio one also.  They look almost the same and are great for small spaces and repacking my brushes and kit.

Next I purchased the Three Custom Color Light and Medium Clarifier Pencils.  They are great multi-taskers for lining the lower inner rim of the eye for a natural look, reshaping lips and defining the brows among other uses. I have great things about these pencils from many makeup artist I admire.

Also picked up Cinema Secrets Brush Cleaner.  I first tried it at IMATS Toronto a few years back and it worked great.  I have been using Parian Spirit but thought I would give it a try.

The last two items are items I have wanted for a while but never purchase.  I have heard great things about Alcone Make-Off wipes.  I was sent the wrong ones but after realizing this TPG rectified the error quickly. Great customer service and wonderful people!  I also wanted the Twissor for my kit and picked up one.  That was a big mistake.  I should have ordered 2-3.  This is a great little product.

I also received some products due to a special they were running.  They include Eve Pearl Dual Salmon Concealer which I have loved since I was a part of her team for IMATS Toronto a few years back.  I also received Shadow Shields, Jao Refresher/Sanitizer, and 3 Pencil Me In pencils in Amethyst, Black Velvet and Char-khol.  I can't wait to try these products!

Stay tuned for reviews....   

Product Review: LUSH Lip Scrubs.... Edible, natural and worth the purchase!

My lips tend to be more dry, chapped and flakier during the winter.  I love to have a product that I can carry every day and easy to use.  I have found many products through the years that work great on the dry part but not the flaking and chapped parts.  I walked into Lush one day and found the perfect product.

Lush has some of the best lip scrubs that work great for any age.  I love that it is edible.  Many scrubs I have tried have to be rinsed, or taken off.  If you get a little of the Lush lip scrub in your mouth it will not hurt you.  Lush products are also handmade with fresh ingredients.

I originally loved Sweet Lips lip scrub.  It was discontinued and I had to purchase a new one. I wish they would bring it back.  It had the perfect chocolate taste and my lips felt smooth after using it.    I picked up the Popcorn lip scrub recently and love the sweet and salty flavor.  It also does not have any dyes and is vegan.

For the holidays Lush came out with Santa's Lip Scrub.  It has a cola flavor and has miniature hearts in it.   The flavor is not bad and thank goodness the hearts are only at the top of the jar.  The hearts really don't assist with exfoliating the lips.  They seem more like a cute decoration.  The texture is a bit softer and the I need more of the Santa's scrub for my winter chapped lips compared to Lush regular line of lip scrubs.  Also there are dyes in the Santa's scrub which does cause a small amount of red staining.

Overall I prefer the Sweet Lips and Popcorn Lip Scrubs compared to Santa's Lip Scrub.  The texture is more grainy and definitely smooths my lips better.  I will definitely go back for the Popcorn Lip Scrub once I am out of this one!

xoxox
BCB

Product Review: The Body Shop Camomile Sumptuous Cleansing Butter

The Body Shop has always had great products.  One of the products that I have continued using is the Camomile Eye Makeup Remover.  Recently they have come out with new products to the Camomile line.  I decided to try the Camomile Sumptuous Cleansing Butter.  It is great for removing makeup from the full face, but I mainly purchased it for the eye area.

I was low on my personal kit eye makeup remover and decided I would branch out from my normal ones.  I love the Camomile Eye Makeup Remover but wanted to try something in a solid form.  The Camomile Sumptuous Cleansing Butter is made with Community Trade Camomile and can be used on all skin types.

The Camomile Sumptuous Cleansing Butter is an indulgent make-up remover for the whole face.  Developed to gently and efficiently melt away make-up and impurities, and removes all types of makeup.  It leaves the skin feeling clean, refreshed and pampered.  It also works great for sensitive skin and contact lens wearers.  

I used a small dab on my eyes and it removed my mascara with ease and with no eye irritation.  You still want to use a facial cleanser to fully clean your face after using this makeup remover.  The Seaweed Deep Cleansing Facial Wash is a great cleanser to use after this product for combination oily skin people like me.    

You get 2.7 ounces in the twist top tin.  It does have a slight fragrance and is more transparent in color.   

Check out The Body Shop website for further information on the product and others from the line.  

Product Review: Bdellium Tools Bold Lip Brush #542

I have been in search of really good lip brushes for a while.  I started with disposable lip brushes but moved up to e.l.f. concealer brushes.  Those were not the standard I wanted for my kit so the search continued.  I wanted lip brushes that I could line with, angle for unique lip looks and to blend multiple colors.  I have found this with the Bdellium Tools Bold Lip Brush #542.  

Bdellium Tools Bold Lip Brush #542 is a wide, firm-bristled tip brush that helps to define all the contours of the lip with ease and precision.  It works well with all lip formulas and is made with all synthetic fibers.

As a makeup artist and makeup lover, I look for tools that work great for my clients and myself.  This a great product for a personal or professional kit.  I used the 542 brush recently to create and add more dimension to my lips with two colors and a liner.  Applying the two lipsticks directly would not allow me to create the ombre affect I wanted.  Using this brush allowed me to blend out the liner slightly with a darker color after applying a lighter color in the middle of my lips.  

The shape of the brush allows for precision application with ease.  The design and size of the brush is just right and a comfortable fit.... the way it feels in your hand as you apply the products is wonderful.  I love the smooth wooden handle and the firmness of the bristles.  In other words I love this brush and it does what I need it to do!       

Check out Bdelliumtools.com for this and other great products.

BCB LLC