It may seem a bit weird but I find a lot of psychological satisfaction from plucking my eyebrows. It’s a little thing really but does wonders at calming me down sometimes if I get a little riled up by work stuff or personal stuff or whatever. There’s other beautifying rituals I have in my life that not only make look better but also feel better and don’t require much time or effort. Painting my nails, putting on a little makeup, wearing a pretty top that compliments my skin tone – all sorts of wonderful little pick-me-ups I can benefit from. Beauty is more than just creating a pleasing surface to look at I think, or glamming it up for a special occasion – it’s found in the every day and can easily make you feel good about yourself when you look deeper.

What are your favorite beautifying rituals? How do they make you feel more than just a pretty face to behold?

Yesterday had a theme, right from the moment I woke up and that theme was BODY IMAGE.

First off on Facebook I was greeted by another giant album of family photos that my aunt furiously tagged – with every other photo of myself taken during my ridiculously awkward and self perceived ugly phase.

Then on Stumbleupon I found a particularly poignant documentary about Body Dysmorphic Disorder. I was instantly hooked by the title “Too Ugly for Love”.

When I checked my email a photo sent to me of me on a bicycle pulled my scanning eyeballs directly to what seemed to be a pooching tummy and prompted a couple paranoid thoughts to bubble up about my current weight (the heaviest I’ve ever been after years and years of being underweight). They say (more…)

In a world with cookie cutter beauty queens and glammed up reality tv starlets the idea of standing out with one’s own can seem a bit daunting. The mom’s that proudly rock there own unique look with grace are truly wonderful and give their daughters a wonderful head start in the world where image is king.

My own mom shirked a lot of tradition in the realm of beauty – not born a buxom blonde she had to work with what she had: long limbs, brown hair, freckly skin. As I was growing up I noticed her penchant for cool.  On a whim and because she could she went ahead and got a bunch of piercings. But rather than having them spread freakishly over her body she just had them all along her ears. It was quirky and weird and very unlike everyone else’s mom. She didn’t need to push her standard of beauty in everyone’s face, but was happy to show was quirky and interesting but still professional and approachable. Nowadays she’s simplified her routine a little so there isn’t as many earrings, but just the fact that she was confident enough to reclaim her own beauty in a unique way has been very inspiring to me.

My mom just doesn’t  let the rest of the world make unreasonable demands on how she looks. She cuts her hair short, dyes it red herself, and doesn’t get too fussy with the makeup. Lucky for me she hasn’t force fed her own concept of beauty down my throat – allowing for a very different expression as I take inspiration from women’s magazines and celebrity style. But her influence has definitely taken root. No matter how much I take to a mainstream trend or look I always have to shape it to my own body, infuse it with my own personality.

My mom is beautiful this way and as a result so am I.

Get your POWER GIRL on!

Apryl here – So I’m revamping the content yet again and got some goodness up my sleeve, and in the works (I just gotta get my busy butt in gear to bake it up fresh for ya :) hehe). Why stay tuned in? Cause I’m rolling out the helpfulness for sure – Dealing with your Guy (even when they drive you nuts), How to work your job like a Rockstar (whether you work at home, an office, or do it hobostyle at your favorite coffee shop), Attitude shifts and Lifehacks for the Ladies, and of course all the Fashion and Beauty goodness that is real and wonderful!

Will share soon – so I’ll see ya here for the goodness ;)

HEART!

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When I was studying being an Image Consultant extraordinaire (#ahem wardrobe stylist) someone told me that you gotta look good all the time – never trip up.

My brain gnawed on that concept for years.

It made perfect sense to me to be that way in public  because that seemed to spell success. But I knew the reality of imperfection. I also knew my passion for dressing up every day of the year as awesomely and fabulously as possible would be trumped by a few things like…the need to just take an effin nap, or get my ass out the door on time. And a lot of feedback I get from galpals and other girls is ya’ll feel the same – sometimes it’s just too much work to look like Little Miss Perfect. (more…)

photo credit: Symic

As the seasons change you can let Nature be your guide as you switch out your clothes AND your beauty wardrobe. Here’s some seasonal tips for making pretty with your makeup this Autumn: (more…)

Since I’m up to my eyeballs in “other” work projects (yes that’s right it’s not all glamor & fashion) here’s another review for ya. I created the makeup design pictured above w/ the cheap as hell “White” eyeliner pencil from Wet n Wild. Girls, I tell ya, their pencils are a must for your beauty kits since they work beautifully and don’t cost bunches. Come on we’re still in a recession right? You don’t have to blow all that hard earned cash on pricey department store eye makeup mkay? Let me save you from yourself and those creepy ladies who work the cosmetics counter. Pick these up instead at the drugstore down the street…or whatever. My suggestions? Gray is a gorgeous neutral and white is wonderfully thick making it great for fantasy details or brightening up the inner corner. And sure black is a basic.

Happy Beauty Making! Feel free to comment below and make fun of my photo ;) lol.

photo credit: έŁέ¢τяøиί¢ έγέ

No “Makeup Monday” or “Wearable Wednesday” posts this week? What’s up with that?

Don’t worry, I’ve got some great content coming up for you – I’ve just been busy with extra biz stuff and I don’t have more than one brain or 2 extra hands to type it all out (not that I’d want the extra digits…I mean, how would all my clothes fit?). I’ll get it out for ya soon and share the girly topic love :)

Meanwhile – what are you up to! Tweet me or Comment below!
Also share the blog love by checking out the posts from my fellow awesome bloggers on my Blogroll like Alyson Is Neat or True Queen!

photo credit: najjie

Do you slick on the gloss for a glamorous pout or go for the creamy stick of lipcolor?

Me? On a desert island I totally have lipgloss on hand.

Aside from that…I’m a layer girl and I use both lipstick and lipcolor daily. Why? Well a few beautiful reasons:

Dimensional Color Applying a coat of lipstick, a shimmery lipgloss highlighter, and then full coat of clear or slightly tinted gives lips glamorous dimension. The colors enhance each other and make it more a custom look overall. You can have a lot of fun mixing and matching various lipglosses with lipsticks for different looks too!

Staying Power Pout
Then there’s the fact that you’ve got more than one layer of color making it last longer throughout the day. Just don’t mash your face into a sandwich and those lips will look lush for hours and hours. If you use a lip pencil to start then you can make that color last even longer!

Moisturizing Color
I live in a desert and my skin already has the tendency for dryness so if I want my color to not look scaly after the first half hour the layer of gloss is a must. This could also be the case for you girls in the dry Midwest, or during dry seasons such as winter and summer. I’ve also found lipgloss alone has a tendency to lose it’s own color (if it’s a tint) really quickly so glossing over the thicker color of a lipstick keeps it moist & colorful.

So it’s really not much of a contest if you think about it – Use both and you’ll maximize your beauty!

Got some favorite lip products you can’t live without? Tell me about it :) My current stockpile includes an assortment of Maybelline Lip Polish glosses – cheap, pretty and complimentary. Try them out yourself and let me know what your current favorites are.