Christmas Eve Make Up Experiment

New Post Up on Tumblr Because the blogger app on IPad sucks!

Make up obsessed

Lately I've been just slightly obsessed with make up blogs and trying new brands, here's a few pics of the latest damage over the holiday weekend :-)

10 Things I Learned On My Honeymoon

Things I learned from my honeymoon in Hawaii:

1.     Nothing works better than calamine lotion for bug bites… NOTHING!

2.     If I brush on a bit of my Mary Kay lash primer over my brows, after I fill them in, my brows stay put and filled even through a down pour hike in the rain forest, snorkeling with the fishes, and laying out at the beach all day.

3.     I always pack too much stuff, but never everything I need.

4.     It’s okay to eat whatever I want on vacation, especially if you stay active.

5.     Wellnessformula and raw garlic does wonders for the immune system.

6.     Hotel shampoo and conditioner is just never the same, but it will do its job. Use the conditioner as a shaving lotion as well in a pinch.

7.     Having a washer and dryer in our hotel room is amazing and wonderful, now if only I had one in my apartment.

8.     Nothing is as good as a great skincare routine, it keeps your skin from looking exhausted and worn out from travel. I use Mary Kay’s Time wise Miracle set; it even comes in travel size!

9.     I love my Mary Kay travel bag, it has 4 removable compartments and a hanger, no unpacking toiletries ever, and it keeps the counter space clear.

10. I don’t care what people say, my roots travel bag (fanny pack) is the way to go on vacation. It’s actually stylish too! I have it in brown and black. 

You may notice I've listed a bunch of Mary Kay products, well it's because I started selling the products after I was introduced to it in June. While I was a huge skeptic at first, I became a fast fan after realizing how wonderful the products really are and how affordable it is, especially compared to the other products I was using. More on that later. 

Advice From a Stranger

Recently I was given a piece of wisdom; “never take advice from someone you wouldn’t want to switch places with.” It was like the universe heard all my fears and frustrations and gifted me with these words at a soon-to-be dark hour.

I was feeling a bit sad and doubting some of my decisions that I had made, even though I feel the happiest I’ve been in years. You know how sometimes, when everything is going well, great things are happening, and you’re busier than ever (but in a good way), somehow doubt manages to sneak up from no where? Well that was happening. Some people in my life, while I’m sure meant well, were making me doubt my actions.

It’s funny how when you’re happiest and passionate about something, people who are not as happy or are insecure, start to put their doubts and fears onto you. Normally I’d put on the old sweats, grab a bag of Ruffles Sour Cream and Cheddar, a coke, and plop down on the couch in front of the T.V., claiming that I was re-evaluating my path. Instead, I walked into a meeting for the first time where I didn’t know anyone and the woman leading the orientation gave me the words of wisdom, “never take advice from someone you wouldn’t want to switch places with.” This is so simple and phrased so beautifully. While I had grasped the concept, it was much clearer hearing these words from a complete stranger.

I’m the happiest I’ve ever been. I’m marring the man I love in 2 months, I feel proactive and in control of my destiny. There are so many great things happening in my life. So while I may have occasional problems and hiccups, I wouldn’t want to trade my life for anyone else’s right now.  Things are good.

Things are good
At my bridal shower

The wonderful woman that gave me the piece of advice that I keep reminding myself with for the last few weeks is Menena Givens. She is my adopted sales director for Mary Kay. Now I know there can be a lot of stigma that goes along with Mary Kay, but I also have met a lot of women in the past 3 weeks who have used the products for years and love it. I had looked into selling Mary Kay back in college, but found it too confusing. However, when I was really stressed last month about my upcoming wedding and worried about my new business venture, I was given a free facial with a bridesmaid by a Mary Kay Independent Sales Consultant.

My fist skincare party

She didn’t sell me or try to recruit me. She just gave my friend and I a wonderful experience. I was shocked at how much better my skin looked and what high quality products they offered, then my friend said, “you would be really good at this.” I laughed it off. But the idea kept popping into my head for a week.  I thought about how much fun it would be to give other women the same wonderful experience I had and help them feel beautiful on a different level. So I e-mailed Vicki, my Mary Kay Independent Sales Consultant…now recruiter and have met some amazing women in the last 3 weeks.  I figured worse case I’d just pay the $100 for my starter kit and play with the products and use the discount for myself, but the more I read about Mary Kay the more I wanted to share it’s legacy with others. I was inspired and felt passionate and full of possibilities.

I started to actually wear make-up, just because I could.  I felt prettier and better about myself.  My skin has never looked better either! My sales director encouraged me to attend the weekly meetings, so I did, feeling insecure and scared. What I found at the meetings were a bunch of inspiring, passionate, and motivated individuals. I’ve never encountered so many positive attitudes. Everyone was so welcoming and helpful. The problem was, not everyone in my life was super supportive about MK. Some questioned why I would do this? Don’t I have enough going on? MK?! Really?! So I walked into my first meeting already starting to doubt myself, but then I heard a few of the women’s stories and became inspired again. MK isn’t just about cosmetics and sales. MK is about women empowering women. Taking control of your life and goal setting. Mary Kay is helping me to see the positive side of things, plus it’s really fun and It’s helped me catch up with friends I haven’t seen in awhile.

So next time someone starts to make you feel doubtful about your life and your choices, think about it, would you want to switch places with them? Odds are…probably not.