Beautiful inside and out.

In an insdustry so fixated on outer appearance, it can be easy to fall into the trap of spending more energy into evaluating & "fixing" what's on the outside rather than what's going on inside. So. . . let's talk about something ugly for a moment. This is a topic that has been dogging me for awhile and it is ultra super stanky ugly. . . something more infectious and dibillitating than any disease. Gossip. I, for one, am inviting gossip to never again be a part of my life, and I extend that invitation to you. Let's not speculate or judge, what a waste of energy . . .let's talk about IDEAS instead.  We all see the world with different eyes and have no idea what the person we're gossiping about has gone through in his or her life, so let's clean up our act and start believing the best about people, not the worst.

To help drive the point home:

"Gossip and slander are not victimless crimes. Words do not just dissipate into midair. . . . Words can injure and damage, maim and destroy - forcefully, painfully, lastingly. . . . Plans have been disrupted, deals have been lost, companies have fallen, because of idle gossip or malicious slander.  Reputations have been sullied, careers have been ruined, lives have been devastated, because of cruel lies or vicious rumors. . . . Your words have such power to do good or evil that they must be chosen carefully, wisely, and well."  - Wayne Dosick

There is a 19th century folktale about a young fellow who went about town slandering the town’s wise man. One day, he went to the wise man’s home and asked for forgiveness. The wise man, realizing that this man had not internalized the gravity of his transgressions, told him that he would forgive him on one condition: that he go home, take a feather pillow from his house, cut it up, and scatter the feathers to the wind. After he had done so, he should then return to the wise man’s house.
Though puzzled by this strange request, the young man was happy to be let off with so easy a penance. He quickly cut up the pillow, scattered the feathers, and returned to the house.
“Am I now forgiven?” he asked.
“Just one more thing,” the wise man said. “Go now and gather up all the feathers.”
“But that’s impossible. The wind has already scattered them.”
“Precisely,” he answered. “And though you may truly wish to correct the evil you have done, it is as impossible to repair the damage done by your words as it is to recover the feathers. Your words are out there in the marketplace, spreading hate, even as we speak.” - Unknown







Have a Beautiful Day, INSIDE & OUT!

Sarah is Smitten with . . .

Aztec Secret Indian Healing Clay.

Post summer skin is nothing short of grody . . .humidity, sweating (although I claim to only "glow"), SPF build up . . .it pretty much equals dull, dingy and desperately-in-need-of-renewal complexions screaming for new life!

Indian Healing Clay is my newest go to for anti-grodiness (that's a technical term, by the way) on the skin. It is simply 100% calcium bentonite clay powder. Mix equally with apple cider vinegar (organic!) and water, and you have yourself a mask of powerful, impurity sucking goodness.

My suggestion for use:
1) Exfoliate! My fav method is Swell Seabuckthorn Soap with my Clairsonic Cleansing Brush.
2) Mix up the magical madness that is Aztec Secret Indian Healing Clay, per the instructions above.
3) Apply liberally, and let dry for 15 minutes.
4) Read the label and laugh, as I did, when it reads: "FEEL YOUR FACE PULSATE!"
5) Worry momentarily when it actually does, then relax when you realize it's only because it's actually WORKING!
6) Rinse thoroughly with warm water.
7) Moisturize . . .I'm using 100% Seabuckthorn Oil for this and it's lovely.
8) Enjoy your renewed and glowing skin!


The icing on the cake . . .for the budget conscious among us . . .is that this 1 lb. jar of 100% calcium bentonite clay will only ding you a whopping $7.99.

So for purified, glowing skin. . . RUN don't walk to Whole Foods to snatch a pound o' skin cleansing goodness.



Have a Beautiful Day!

Brush up. . . on brushes.

For my next trick, I will be explaining brushes and their individual usage . . .they all have their own special "job" to create the most sheer, dramatic, powerful and professional makeup looks . . .you just can't live without them, as they truly make the most out of every product in your makeup collection. Below are my most loved & used brushes and tips on how to utilize their application and blending powers. You can do it!

Foundation Brush
A flat, densely bristled brush designed to disperse foundation evenly creating even looking skin while creating less waste! You not only get a smoother application, but your product will last longer as well. Cheers to that.

You can do it! To blend liquid and creme foundations evenly over face, brush down and out. Dampen brush first for a dewier look!

Powder Brush
A large, fluffy brush that flares slightly at the outer edge. Use with loose, pressed or bronzing power to achieve the softest finished look without looking cakey or overly powdered.
You can do it! Dip bristles into desired product and sweep over the skin. Blend with circular motions to brush away excess product. Because excess product is . . .gross. : )

Contour Blush Brush A fluffy, slightly full and angled brush that allows you to apply blush with a soft edge and mistake proof application.

You can do it! Tap off excess color. . . smile. . .and sweep onto "apple" (the round part that shows when you smile) of cheeks blending outward and slightly upward. No triangles! The 80's are gone and so is that technique of applying blush. Hooray.

Eyebrow Brush A small, flat, hard angle design to place brow color and sculpt any sparse lines.
You can do it!  Use a matte brow powder with a shade complementary to your brows. (Blondes one shade darker, brunettes one shade lighter) Stipple color thru the the sparse areas of the brow using short feathery strokes, extend brows slightly at the ends. Follow with a setting gel if desired, to keep unruly brows in place.

Eye Shadow Brush
The short, densly packed and fluffy bristles apply just the right amount of color to the eyelid, and the soft edges blend to perfection.
You can do it!  Multi-purpose!You can use this brush with lighter colors to highlight just under brow bone OR with darker tones to sweep over lower lid from lash line to crease. Blend! Always!

Eye Smudge Brush A  round tipped sponge brush that is perfectly shaped to create the soft, sexy"smokey eye" look.
You can do it!  Using dark eye shadow, drag across lash line. Blend up and out as much as you like. You can also use this brush to smudge already applied pencil liner.

Flat Eyeliner Brush A wide, flat brush for bold or soft eye lining. Use wet or dry for endless eye looks!
You can do it! Hold brush vertically along lash line a gently “drag” eye shadow color across. Get as close as possible to lashline. For a smokier look, use with dry shadow and lightly blend outward. For a more precise application, wet brush prior to dipping into your shadow.

Concealer/Corrector Brush This flat, dense brush works with creme concealers to reach nooks and crannies of the eye area. This baby, and my favorite of all brushes, deposits just the right amount of concealer so it never looks heavy. 
You can do it! Dab tip of brush into concealer and “press” into the inner corners, under the lashline, and anywhere else you may want to conceal darkness in the undereye area.  Also helpful for around the lip line & around the nose. Bye, bye redness!


Using these makeup tools takes practice and experimentation, so don't give up! Enjoy playing with your brushes!

Have a Beautiful Day!!