Coconut oil

My new love is coconut oil. My youngest daughter has a slight case of eczema. I tried everything to help even the Aveeno baby. I have to say I noticed a change the first day I used it. At this time she has no active breakouts. I have also been using it for a face cream and I have to say WOW! I have suffered from dry skin for years. I am very healthy and I drink tons of water, I just have dry skin. The coconut oil has made a huge change in the appearance of my skin.

nail

I am an educator at a wonderful cosmetology school in Little Rock Arkansas. This week we are studying nails. As I was teaching I realized that there is a lot of myths about nail care. So today I will spend a few minutes on tips to help maintain your nails at home.

1. NEVER ADD ACETONE or POLISH REMOVER to your Nail polish or lacquer! not sure where this myth came into play but polish remover or acetone will actually thicken your polish and eventually destroy the color molecules.

2. Keep Olive oil by your nightstand or in a small bottle in your purse massage it into your nails and nail area anytime you think about it. The massaging will help your nails to grow and the oil will keep nails pliable and cuticles soft.

3. When you get out of the shower use your towel to roll back your cuticles this will also maintain that manicure and keep you from having to have your cuticles cut so much by your manicurist.

4. ALWAYS use a base coat this keeps nails from being discolored and helps adhere your polish to your nail better. again maintaining your manicure longer.

5. In the winter or when your hands start looking ruff or old use olive oil and sugar as a rub. mimic hand washing with the mixture and just rinse off. This will leave hands smooth and hydrated.


ok so those are my tips for the day. I will blog more later.

pigment

So today I was playing as I do with pencil, paper and eyeshadow. As I stated in my earlier post I am now using Cory Cosmetics. So I am sitting in a dealership waiting for my car. As I am waiting I am playing with makeup...go figure lol. anyway I am in my own world playing and realize I have makeup all over me. I use my hand and arm to look at colors then I put them where I want on the paper and make notes. About an hour goes by so you can imagine the amount of colors on my arm and hand. I started to chuckle because I noted that there were many chairs by me and everyone was avoiding the crazy girl coloring on her arm LOL... there had to be at least three seats by me and people were standing! So note to all talk to the crazy girl coloring on her arm she may have something you need!

side note on hair color

When it comes to hair color most woman will try and find magic in a box. Ladies the hair color you buy at the store is not in anyway the same that you find in a salon. I know at times it comes down to money, I have been there. In times as these if your stylist is a booth renter talk to her honestly and see if you can work out a deal. If she is a good stylist she should try to work with you. Most stylist blanch at having to deal with boxed colored hair. We honestly have no idea what the hair is going to do. So I know for myself: 1 before I loose a paying guest I am going to work with him/her until they get back on their feet. 2 Boxed color scares the hell out of me. I have done WONDERFUL color on people only to have some of the hair not take because of the boxed color that is living in the hair. Some salons will go as far as to have you sign a waiver... this waiver basically says that you understand that you have a non professional color on your hair and they can not guarantee the outcome. Boxed hair color is not like going to walmart and buying a shirt for 9.00 dollars and then seeing the same shirt at a high end shop for 100.00 dollars there are only so many mills in the world so for the most part your 100.00 shirt is being made sometimes with the same cotton/satin that is in the 9.00 shirt and on the same machines. Hair color and professional salon products ARE NOT the same as what you buy in the store. Also as a side note most of the professional products that you find in a drug store or corner market are bootleg , diverted or old product and those companies will not back it up if it does damage to your hair/skin. Companies like Paul Mitchell spend millions of dollars a year trying to keep their product out of these stores, they will not guarantee any product not sold in a salon. So if you are having a money shortage before you go for that box talk to your hair care professional and give him/her the chance to work with you.

Finding make up

Are you one of those girls who has TONS of unused makeup? I know for years I was. I have a tackle box that is full of different brands. Some I love some I hate. I am always looking for the perfect mascara or liquid eyeliner. Then in my line of business trying to find that perfect eye shadow! What I hate most is to find a great shade only to put it on and it disappears. I honestly cant think of anything more frustrating. I had a competition last weekend (I placed second) The theme of the show was Mardi-gras. We had to do a mardi gras mask on our model. My model was a Mardi-gras queen. So trying to find these perfect colors that did not turn into a bruise became a nightmare for me! I literary spent over 100 dollars on different new eye shadow's. Not to mention the several hundred dollars that I had already spent over the past year on eye shadow that was already living in my kit. The night before the show I was re-drawing my mask with new colors because the colors I had just did not work. I was over tired and stressed to the hilt. My husband came home and said hey this guy at works wife makes make up....ok side note I am a name junkie. If it does not have a name brand on it dont talk to me. I will post a whole other blog as to why I am a brand junkie. Anyway! at this point I was like what could it hurt, I needed these colors! So we drove to this persons house and I was stressing and then thinking what if this stuff is just dirt with food coloring in it how to I tell this person that I would not use their make up because I had never herd of it, or because it would not do what I needed. Little did I know! so I walk in to the home and this woman gives me the best hug I have ever had and said stop stressing if I dont have it I can make it. In my head I am thinking yeah right. She takes me back to this room where it was wall to wall pigment! My eyes were overwhelmed. I was still skeptical. Ok so you have pigments but what can you do with it....so she and I started speaking about my mask and the colors I wanted. She keeps pulling all these colors out and again I am overwhelmed...The quality of these pigments was by far the best I had ever played with! And I have been in this industry for over 20 years! We finally settled on three colors and a glitter my cost...20.00!!!!!! For the best pigment I have ever had my hands on. Needless to say I slept well that night knowing that I would do well because the makeup was going to do all the work! I am now in the process of working with this wonderful woman to replace EVERYTHING!!!! in my kit to her product and her product alone. If you would like to check her out it her website is Cory Cosmetics! She has these great little samples of her shadow! they are only .47 cents! If I had to choose a few new colors for spring summer it would be Willow(a shade of blue), Frog( a shade of green), and Cleopatra(a shade of yellow)! These look great as a rainbow on the lid! she also has an amazing glitter called Love! Please understand I am not here to sell anything I am here to tell you as a professional that I would not have even placed second with the makeup I had...My talent alone may have got me third or fourth but the colors from Cory Cosmetics hands down won me the spot! Also please understand the make up in my kit is not from the drug store. We are talking high dollar makeup that I paid through the nose for. So now I have found a makeup that meets my needs does what is says it will do and the price point is so unbelievable that for about 200-300 dollars I will be able to change everything in my kit to Cory Cosmetics and have MORE then what I have now! So am I still a brand junkie...Yes! but I have now found a brand that does it all for me!

makeup first

If you are a foundation girl really take the time to find a perfect match. There is nothing worse then looking at an attractive lady and seeing two colors from face to neck. Find three shade that are close to your own tone then blend in three separate stripes on the lower jaw. the one that disappears is your color! If you are a tanner go with one shade darker for your summer coverage. If cost is an issues go to a makeup counter have them match you, and see if they will give you a sample then take said sample with you to the store with you. I personally think it is hard to find that perfect shade at the drug store. Putting a piece of plastic on my face to see when it disappears does not work for me. Plus it is just not sanitary! I have tried hundreds of foundations and have paid through the nose trying to find that perfect shade. But when I finally broke down and went with a professional brand I had luck. I do not ware a lot of foundation but I will blend a small amount into my moisturizer for a sheer color. This is nice both in winter and summer you have a hint of color without the heavy feel of foundation. It is funny to me that woman will pay hundreds of dollars on a pair of shoes but will balk at paying 20 dollars on a good foundation. Ladies this has to end. Shoes will come and go.But you only have one face!

My first blog

So I am not to sure how to do this. I want to give out simple information to woman around the world on the truth about make up. The simple things like how to apply, blend and how to choose colors that look good on you. First and foremost I think if you like a color try it! yes there are basics of what "should" look good on you. But it is not a law! I am a licensed cosmetologist. My passion is make up and style. I really don't like to cut hair! I will answer any question you have concerning makeup, color and style. Feel free to ask me. i am happy to give out my knowledge. I hope this is a start of a great relationship.!