Living your dreams

WARNING! Super long post but worth the read!

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I am so excited to share some news that my heart feels like bursting! A small stepping stone to bigger and bigger things! I have recently signed my own studio and I have been working hard to get everything set up. My stress levels have been through the roof as I prepare everything for the grand opening. However, I have to remind myself that I am creating a basis for future opportunities.

My journey began as I toured the new Sola Salons Powell. I immediately felt at home and quickly realized that the private studio life is the perfect fit.

Today, I am sharing something a little more personal on the blog. Some background and inspiration of my dreams and watching them reach fruition! Also, proving why you should listen to you inner voice!

I don’t know if this is a shocker to anyone, but I have dreamt of moments like this since I was in high school. I knew I wanted to be in the beauty industry since high school and dreamt of having my own place, but I didn’t know how I was going to get there. I wish I could find my senior project from high school where we had to submit a piece answering “Where do you see yourself in 10 years.” My project had a picture of me holding up a makeup brush against my face and smiling. In my project I wrote something along the lines of “In 10 years I envision myself as a makeup artist or having my own place for beauty services.” I even went as far as describing how it would look like with tall frosted glass doors.

It all started from my earliest days as a sixth grader wearing chunky glitter all over my eyes and face to school everyday. It gave me a rush and I wanted to share my glittery contraband with my classmates. My teacher told me multiple times I could not wear this glitter nor share it with my classmates, however I continued with my rebellious ways. I always went off to school with my little backpack full of small jars and roll on glitter for all! It was how I expressed myself as I attended a school where uniforms were a requirement from Monday to Thursday. Basic navy blue paired with pure white attire. Friday was called “Casual Fridays” where you can sport jeans and whatever floats your boat! Of course I remember the type of jeans I requested my mother to have prepared for me on Fridays. They were these extreme bell bottoms with reflective multi-dimensional graphic smiley face by the slits of the jeans. I was covered in glitter from head to toe, sporting bell bottoms and don’t even get me started with my hair! When I entered middle school I was wearing a pretty advanced winged liner for a middle schooler, LOL. From a young age, I feel like my life has been stepping stones to pushing towards my calling.

For many years I saw my vision of what I wanted, but again I did not know the steps to get there. In High School I felt lost, while constantly seeing my classmates choose paths where they were confident in. From doctors to teachers, and lawyer, etc., I knew I had to discover my own path. My heart pulled me towards a beauty career, but I let exterior voices fog my inner thoughts. Even the closest people to me projected their own fears on me with their career advice. I had to quickly realize that if you listen to others, you will not live the life that is unique to you. Despite having a burning passion for making beauty a career, I forced myself to attend college. I went to The Ohio State University with a exploring major then transitioned into business. I then went on to switch to dental hygiene, until finally I listened to my inner voice and enrolled in Esthetics School. I often wonder why it took me so long. Maybe I was still having a hard time accepting that a creative career was respectable to my family.

As the years went on and I gained more confident in my skills and choices the wheels were turning in my head. Generating small actions and steps towards my dreams. Because I gained more confidence, I then gained more clear thoughts. I discovered you have a choice! It may sound silly, but you do have a choice on what you want out of life. Often times we let doubt, fear, and anxiety prevent us from following our true path. I call this living in a rut. Sometimes we manifest our own thoughts to reality even before anything even happens. We create illusions in our minds that stop ourselves from doing something before a single step is taken. Why do we continue to go against ourselves and doubt your outcomes? Is it because we are all secretly fortune tellers and we can predict our own futures? No, it is because we let exterior noises cloud our judgment and weaken our thought process and mental strength.

Finding inner peace has been the biggest catalyst for me. I have had to learn to be happy with my own path and to end the comparison of myself to others. Inner peace has propelled me forward to achieve my goals. I was not happy with my previous situation that it led to the feeling of depletion. Years and years of energy were emptied, with loads of stress catching up to me. I was acting out on fear, anxiety and anger. I lost my shout in life. I have always loved the quote “What if things are happening for you and not to you.” I find this to be so true. I am truly grateful for the experience from my previous life events, as I have discovered my great mental capacity and strength. Life is not about the big break. It is about taking small steps towards enlightenment. One small step at a time!

 

 

 

 

My Top Makeup Removers

 
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Don't get me wrong I love wearing makeup, but I also LAUV taking it off! Today I am sharing my all time favorite Makeup Removers and Cleansing Oils. I will be breaking down why I love each products and be linking them for you! I am never out of these because I truly believe in the power of these makeup removers.

(From the top to bottom)

  1. Neutrogena Makeup Remover Cleansing Towelettes - I love these towelettes for both my pro-kit and myself! These are seriously convenient when you are sitting on the couch bingeing on Netflix, while removing your makeup, basically multi-tasking! These are excellent for prepping your clients skin and also perfect for mistakes. They remove any makeup with ease. Get yourself the Costco size!
  2. Target Up&Up Oil-Free Eye Makeup Remover - OMG! This is the best ever! These are the end all be all of eye makeup removers, while being extremely affordable. Shake it up and use it with a Q-tip to fine tune your winged eye-liner or to clean up any mistakes. You can literally get this in your eye and it will not sting! I also pair it with the below cotton wipes
  3. Intrinsic Petite Cotton Wipes (linked here)- I use these so much that I buy two bags every time. Not only do I use these to remove my eye makeup (superb for detail removal), but I also use these with my toner, which has been a game changer for my skin! These are amazing for a gentle exfoliation and removing residue after a full day of wearing makeup. You will be surprise how much dirt left over on your skin even after precleansing and cleansing! I Also got Kelvin using these so we are always stocked!
  4. Dermalogica Precleanse - I LOVE a cleansing oil because it creates less tugging on the skin. I use a pump in my hands and massage over dry skin, while adding a little water as I go, turning it to a milky emulsion. It melts everything off, even waterproof makeup! The feel is so luxurious on the skin with a very light scent. Simply rinse off and continue with your cleanser. Try not to get this in your eyes, as it does burn a bit.
  5. Boscia Makeup-Breakup Cool Cleansing Oil - Another cleansing oil I love! I have got this in my eye and it does not burn (Clearly I want to open my eyes a lot when I wash my face, pssh I watch too much Investigation Discovery lol). They both do a excellent job at removing makeup and are used the same way. If I had to pick the between number 4 or 5, I would pick Dermalogica (#4) because it travels better due the locking cap, while being essentially the same price as Boscia.
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Benefits of getting a Bridal Trial Makeup

(Below photo) : First Trial

With Bridal Season in full swing, I wanted to create a blog post about the "Benefits Of Getting a Bridal Trial Makeup" for both The Bride and MUA. Included in this post is a chat with one of my destination brides, Elaine from this past January. I had the opportunity to get her insight on her experience with having a Bridal Trial and how at ease she felt after we pinned down the look.

The Bridal Trial begins with the following points before I even start applying makeup:

  • Discussion of expectations with bride
  • Skin type evaluation insight into current skin care regimen (This determines how I prep the skin and any recommendations I may have for skin care)
  • Any pictures/pins they want to share (pictures give a good example of what they want however sometimes a second trial is needed if the first look they went with was not what they were expecting)
  • Discussion of overall make up coverage/finish they want (face, eyes, lips, and false lashes) I want the Bride to feel their most beautiful while being comfortable!

Following the consultation I start doing my thang! Usually taking about 60-75 minutes. After the look is finished I take some pictures so we have a reference. I then exam the picture with the bride under zoom in to view the details and confirm that we are both elated with the outcome. If there are any changes that are needed, I will make adjustments on the wedding day.

Through my experience with Elaine (former Bride), we both agreed the first trial look was beautiful, however  we wanted to do a second trial. Elaine wanted to feel more in her makeup comfort zone, but more elevated. Because of the second trial, we nailed down the look and she loved it! I want to share that if you are a bride getting hair and makeup trials done don't be afraid to speak up to your professional if you are not 100% about the look. Honestly, most professionals would love it if you gave them your honest opinion as they want to do a great job and make their Brides happy! That is what trials are for! I wanted to chat with Elaine and ask her some questions about her trial makeup experience and what she found most helpful.

Emily: Did you have an idea of what look you wanted for the trial run?

Elaine: I sort of had an idea. I brought a few pictures to Emily and she suggested that we schedule a trial run make up session to see if I liked that look in particular after I had it on.
 

Emily: Was the trial look what you ended up with?

Elaine: No! I liked it, but after the trial run I realized I wanted a smokier look with less shimmer than I had originally thought.
 

Emily:Did you feel like the trial was necessary

Elaine: 100%. I’m so glad I did the trial because what I had originally thought I wanted ended up not being what I went with at all, and I would have been stressed out on my wedding day!
 

Emily:What did you find helpful during the trial session?

Elaine: Emily asked about my skincare and make up routine before starting the trial session, and during the trial she talked me through everything she was using for my look. She taught me tips and tricks that I could incorporate into my daily routine which I loved. For example, I was worried about my skin being dull so she gave me recommendations as to what services or products I should be using in the months leading up to my big day to get perfect glowing skin. 
 

Emily: Would you recommend other brides to do a trial?

Elaine: 100% yes!
 

Emily: Did you feel like the day of went smoothly because of the trial?

Elaine: Yes. There were no surprises. First of all, I already knew what I was going to look like once she was done, and second I knew exactly how long it would take. I’ve known brides who opted not to have a trial make up run and they ended up not liking their wedding look as much as they thought.
 

Emily: Did you feel at ease after the final look was decided?

Elaine: Yes! One less thing to stress about! I was so happy and really felt like a bride.

 

(Above Photo): Second Trial and Final Look