A collection of articles, interviews, fashionable musings, and photos from the adventures of sci-fi author, interviewer and fashionista Kendra L. Saunders.
This blog celebrates body positivity and body diversity!
There haven't been too many makeup products in the last couple years that have truly surprised me... but Color FX managed to do exactly that! It's pricey, but this product is something special and new, and I truly believe all makeup lovers need to try.
In a variety of colors, the mostly golden-toned drops make all skin tones look fabulous, glowy, and young... and even better yet? All it takes is a drop. Really! A small drop of this, mixed on my oval brush with my foundation, and wow. It makes your foundation go further, and it makes your skin look perfect! 10/10, would recommend. Buy at Sephora: http://www.sephora.com/custom-enhancer-drops-P409765?skuId=1904820&icid2=products%20grid:p409765
What
made you fall in love with makeup and beauty? What made me fall in love
with the beauty industry (makeup and beauty) is the fact that it allows
so many people to truly be themselves. However you feel that day you
can create a look that perfectly represents what you are feeling at that
exact moment in time.
What
is your go-to moisturizer? Allure Medical Spa's Face Silk. It is an
amazing moisturizer that I purchase at my plastic surgeon's office in
Shelby Township, MI.
Matte
lips or lip gloss? Matte. I like a glossy lip once in awhile but I need
longevity in my line of work (professional Hairstylist\Makeup Artist).
What
time period in beauty do you most wish you could live in for a few
days? I would love to go back to the 60's and 70's when the mod look was
really in. Big doll eyes, intense graphic winged liner, simple flawless
clean complexion, just a touch of color to the cheeks. I love those
looks.
Favorite beauty IGs to follow: @mua_underdogs @jamiegenevieve @jaclynhill @itslilchaos
Best
way for fans to keep up with what you're doing? To follow all my social
networks. I try really hard to update all of them, so my
followers and subscribers know what is going on in my life right at that
moment. I upload my YouTube once or twice a week, but I'm constantly posting throughout the day to my IG and Twitter
What
is your advice for plus sized fashionistas who want to look and feel
fabulous? Be comfortable in the skin you're in. I may not be plus sized
but I am a size 8/10 and I do crossfit. Being a girl with thicker thighs
and a voluptuous booty really can make me feel like I am on the outside
of what is acceptable. I do feel now, any size, shape, and color
is acceptable and if you are confident in the skin that you are in and
love yourself, the entire world is going to love you back. Be
unapologetic about who you are, because being you is what matters most.
What
can we do, right now, to make the world a better place? Let go of being
so judgmental. We are sadly a world right now that will take something
so small that someone said or did and cut them into as small of pieces
as we can. We need to stop doing that. We need to come together as a
community and build each other up. And always give constructive criticism to help people become better and grow as a person, instead of
beating them down and making them go back into their shell. We have created
so much hate, and it's time to create more love and support.
What's your favorite...
Red lipstick? Jeffree Star Cosmetics Designer Blood
Song, currently? Lukas Graham You're Not There
Website
for buying beauty? Sephora, Ulta, and a lot of the smaller independent
brands like Lime Crime, Gerard Cosmetics, and Jeffree Star Cosmetics
Nail polish? Harmony Gelish Gel Polish in the shade Twinkle
What
made you fall in love with makeup and beauty?
I fell in love with the
art of makeup when I was about 8 or 9 years old, and I was watching my
mother apply makeup to herself and her friends. I loved the creativity
it allows you to have, but even more, I love the empowerment and
confidence you feel knowing you've artistically expressed yourself. To
me, makeup even in its simplest and purest form can evoke an emotion. And
the community surrounding makeup artist is so encouraging and
bountiful. I fell in love with the art, the community, and the soul
behind makeup.
What
is your go-to moisturizer?
My all time favorite is Purpose, it's my
hidden secret! Hypoallergenic, non-scented, and very light spf gives me
everything I need, and even blends great with my foundation palette for
my clients.
Matte
lips or lip gloss?
Ughhhhh so hard!! I'm from Miami, FL, so clear gloss
is EVERYTHING to some of my Latina friends and family. As I've grown as
an artist, I have an equal appreciation for a fierce matte lip and
mayyy apply a quick shine at the end. Can't get enough.
What
time period in beauty do you most wish you could live in for a few
days?
Although I love the NOW of makeup, as we as a community have
evolved and become so progressive with trends and support different
ideas of what is "beautiful", I do wish I could spend a few days in the
mid-century era, the 1950's. With one of my all time favorites, Ms.
Marilyn Monroe, and the love of a fuller body image on the big screen.
Favorite
beauty IGs to follow:
I just LOVE Huda Beauty!! I follow many, so it's
hard to pick a true favorite, but bold and glamorous and then clean and
modern are my favorite style to follow.
Best
way for fans to keep up with what you're doing?
I'd love for fans to
follow this amazing journey through my instagram, @makeupbynkc and my FB
page @makeupbynkc. Website launch coming soon!!!
What
is your advice for plus sized fashionistas who want to look and feel
fabulous?
BE FABULOUS!!!! I AM a plus size fashionista and I say in
order to feel beautiful, you have to believe that you ARE beautiful !
Embrace the curves; imperfections in our lives are what make us
unique. Slay no matter your size and charge the rest to the GAME!
What
can we do, right now, to make the world a better place?
We need to be
compassionate. In this day, so many emotions and opinions are shielding
the ultimate golden rule- do unto others as you would want to be done to
you. Have compassion for those who are less tolerant, as fighting combat
with combat will lead us nowhere. Stand for what you believe in and
remember the change comes from within, and starts with just one person.
What's your favorite...
Red lipstick? CHANEL ROUGE ALWAYS.
Song,
currently? Flute Down, Karl Denson- it's so random but a big dance
party. Imagine Ron Burgundy meets Bruno's instrumental band!
What made
you fall in love with makeup and beauty?
When makeup was first becoming
popular on social media 6-7 years ago, I spent all my time watching
videos and practising! This is what brought me to get a professional
education in the field!
What is your go-to moisturizer?
CeraVe
Matte lips or lip gloss?
Matte lips
What time
period in beauty do you most wish you could live in for a few days?
1920, but I appreciate the now so much more since we have the freedom to
try pretty much anything in a far more accepting world!
Favorite beauty IGs to follow:
dominiquedlr is forever my inspiration!
Best way for fans to keep up with what you're doing?
My IG :)
What is
your advice for plus sized fashionistas who want to look and feel
fabulous?
There are some amazing plus sized creators on IG who rock
their beauty and style! Beauty and confidence doesn't have a body
type!
What can we do, right
now, to make the world a better place?
Share positivity with people! We
are always so focused on criticism, especially in the beauty industry,
but complimenting and focusing on what you find beautiful can have a
huge positive impact
in your own life, but also in the lives of others! I challenge you all
to compliment a stranger at least once a day!
What's your favorite...
Red lipstick? Drop Dead Red by too faced
Song, currently? Go off, MIA
Website for buying beauty? Sephora or indie brands
Nail polish? I do my own nails and I'm loving the chrome powders right now!
What made you fall in love with makeup and beauty?
I really don't have a moment
when I thought that I should do make up, I have loved it always. Even
when I was a little girl I looked up makeup videos and copied them on my
friend; I was about 10 and she was 8. I did things such as
smokey eyes even though I did not have the right stuff, but I
enjoyed doing it. Then I had a boyfriend (when i was
16) who didn't like it, so I didn't do it anymore. After a while I
started following more makeup accounts, and really liked how
they do contouring and all, so I thought, lets give it a
try. I found out I was
pretty good at it, so I kept doing it. My bf didn't like it,
and after a while we broke up. Now I am 2 years further and I've
improved my makeup skills, and I love it more now. I've been doing
makeup on that same friend I mentioned before, and it's really nice to see
how I've improved. I love the reactions people have when I do their
make up.
What is your go-to moisturizer?
A moisturiser from Yves Rocher with calendula. I LOVE it
Matte lips or lip gloss?
I prefer matte lips over glossy lips because I don't think (glossy) suits me.
Favorite beauty IGs to follow:
My fave IG's to follow are: @hudabeaty (bc she's a legend) and
@fiercesociety (obv) and @bretmansvanity because I just love
that page.
Best way for fans to keep up with what you're doing?
My Instagram
What is your advice for plus sized fashionistas who want to look and feel fabulous?
My advice for plus size fashionistas is just to not give a f. Like, what
is plus size?! I just like food. Just put on makeup and gloooww.
Be fab, no advice needed.
What can we do, right now, to make the world a better place?
We can do nothing. I believe
the world is f'd up and we can't change that ever, but you just gotta
make it the best for you, and the people you influence/hang with, and your
family. And for the rest of the world, you can't actually do anything. Whenever I can make someone's day better, mine's automatically better
too. I just try and be nice to everyone; my rule to life is just give what
you get. And on social media, if I get negative comments, I won't look
after it, because people will always be jealous or negative. You can't
really do anything about it.
What's your favorite...
Red lipstick? Deborah Milano atomic red matte lipstick in shade "07"
Song, currently? m.A.A.d. city - Kendrick Lamar
Website for buying beauty? Sephora
Nail polish? I don't wear nail polish because it's not allowed at school. I'm in school for health care, so I can't wear nail
polish :'(
Your IG: Personal: @inspiringcamelsofmilwaukee, Business: @classbytiarnaellen
Your Twitter: @inspiringcamels
Where are you from? Originally the Riverland, South Australia but currently in Adelaide.
What made you fall in love with makeup and beauty?
Having
been involved in dance lessons since I was six, I guess I've been
wearing makeup from a very young age. I just love the creativity of it.
Anything creative, I'll give it a go.
YouTube reignited
my love for it. I think the first video I watched was from Lindy from
BubzBeauty, soon followed by Pixiwoo, who I still watch regularly. I truly am inspired by YouTubers who are in the industry
themselves and have been for years, like Sam and Nic, as well as Lisa
Eldridge.
What is your go-to moisturizer?
Body Shop Seaweed Oil-Control Gel Cream for the face, and Physiogel Hypoallergenic Daily Moisture Therapy Cream for body
Matte lips or lip gloss?
It
depends on the look you are going for. If it's bold, I like it matte so
it doesn't move. If it's nude, I think glossy is a lot more flattering.
My favourite matte shades are Australis' Velouorlips Matte Lip Creams
in N-Y-CEE (Red), DOO-BAI (reddish plum) and SHANG-HI (a dark,
blue-based pink) and my favourite glossy lip is Anstasia Beverly Hills'
Ligloss in "Vintage" over the top of MAC's lip pencil in "Spice".
What time period in beauty do you most wish you could live in for a few days?
I
think the 40's had the most beautiful makeup. Rita Hayworth is a makeup
icon for me! She was so beautiful, despite what she went through to look
that way! She looked beautiful, naturally too.
Favorite beauty IGs to follow:
@zukreat, @spiffdup, @brianchampagne, @briannahlongo_mua, @keilidhmua plus many more.
Best way for fans to keep up with what you're doing?
Either
follow my personal IG, my twitter, or you can subscribe to my YouTube channel,
Tiarna Ellen. I make beauty videos and sometimes vlog if I've got an
important event, or am on a weekend holiday.
What is your advice for plus sized fashionistas who want to look and feel fabulous?
Well,
as someone who's not exactly thin myself, I just try to find what sits
right on my bodyshape and try and rock that! It's your own individual
style! x
What can we do, right now, to make the world a better place?
STOP THE HATE! Constructive criticism over put-downs. I think that'll make everyone's lives a lot easier.
What's your favorite...
Red lipstick?
Australis' Velourlips Matte Lip Cream in N-Y-CEE
Song, currently?
I'm
a bit of a theatre nut. One of my favourite songs is "Self Indulgent
Ballad" by Scott Garnham for the tongue-in-cheek humour and all the
references. For mainstream, I love "Thinking Out Loud" by Ed Sheeran.
Either that, or "Don't".
Website for buying beauty?
Sephora, Mecca Maxima or Beautylish
Nail polish?
The Sinful Colors (colours, because I'm Australian 😅) range. I usually like to have SNS nails, because my nail polish always chips quickly, otherwise. That's when I can afford it!
The
versatility of makeup made me fall in love with it. The power that it
can make people feel empowered, and show their beauty, also has been a
major factor in my obsession with makeup.
What is your go-to moisturizer?
My
go to moisturizer is Nourish and Shine by Jane Carter. My skin is very
dry and it gives me a lot of moisture and a silky feeling to my skin.
Also it doubles for hair, and thats a wonderful bonus, because of my
natural hair!
Matte lips, or lipgloss?
Matte Lipstick is everything to
me. I like when I can wear it all day and it doesn't feather on my
bottom lip. And it is non-transferable !
What time period in beauty do you most wish you could live in for a few days?
I
will always say I wish I could've lived in the 1700's era of Marie
Antoinette and King Louis. I absolutely love the pastel colors, the
art and the SUPREME BLUSH! It's such a staple, along with the beauty
mark. I know it's way different but I love studying that era in history!
Favorite beauty IGs to follow:
My favorite Beauty IG's to follow are @celia_leslie, @aaliyahjay & @goldenbih
Best way for fans to keep up with what you're doing?
Through my instagram @cocobeatit_ and my youtube which is @LifewithCourt.
What is your advice for plus sized fashionistas who want to look and feel fabulous?
Find
the silver lining in everything that happens. I love and accept who I
am . I love to stay positive even when it doesn't seem like there is
anything to smile about. I just do it. Stay fearless!
What can we do, right now, to make the world a better place?
To
make our world a better place, we should uplift ourselves. I feel that
we should change the way the younger generation perceives us. I use my
social media platform to show that there is more to me than showing my
body. I believe as women we should be better role models and think
before we act and change the perception that we only care about our
outer features, rather than what's inside of us. Encourage each other more. Implementing positivity is always a must, and I feel we sometimes
lack that whether we are male or female. It's essential that we all reach
for higher standards for ourselves and do not settle for less than we
deserve.
Favorite red lipstick: BeautyByRudy Wildfire; it is perfectly
pigmented and glossy lipstick.
Favorite song: Team by
Lorde, I honestly keep her whole album Pure Heroine on repeat everyday.
Favorite website for buying beauty: No website, I prefer to be at a
store seeing the product and swatching it. I don't like ordering online
for any beauty related products unless I really have to.
Favorite
nail polish: Currently chrome. Any color chrome, by the way. It's my
favorite and it lasts so long without chipping, if done the right way. I
get so many compliments too!
What
made you fall in love with makeup and beauty?
I fell in love with makeup
because of all the possibilities. I love transforming myself from an
average joe to a flawless beauty.
What is your go-to moisturizer?
Elf daily moisturizer
Matte lips or lip gloss?
Definitely matte lipstick!
What time period in beauty do you most wish you could live in for a few days?
Most definitely the 50's
Favorite
beauty IGs to follow: trendmood, mannymua, nikkituotials, makeup by
jack, amichellebeauty there's so many more, but too many to list.
Best
way for fans to keep up with what you're doing?
I'm starting my YouTube
channel soon!! Simplyaddicted will be my name! I plan on uploading a
video a week and blog everyday I'm so excited but other then that, Instagram.
What
is your advice for plus sized fashionistas who want to look and feel
fabulous?
Considering I don't see size, color, or gender when I think of
someone looking fabulous I encourage all to just be confident in who you
are.
What can we do, right now, to make the world a better place?
What made you fall in love with makeup and beauty?
I absolutely love the
confidence that makeup can give you and for me, it's time for yourself.
Kind of like therapy. I had always had an interest in beauty so I went on
to train in beauty as a profession. I love how you can make someone
feel beautiful
and confident.
What is your go-to moisturizer?
I actually really love Mario Badescu or Bravura moisturisers.
Matte lips or lip gloss?
Definitely matte lipsticks. I can't stand my hair getting stuck to the lip gloss.
What time period in beauty do you most wish you could live in for a few days?
1950's - I love the effortlessness look.
Favorite beauty IGs to follow:
Carlibel
Ccclarkebeauty
Froartistry
Evelina
Best way for fans to keep up with what you're doing?
My Instagram page
What is your advice for plus sized fashionistas who want to look and feel fabulous?
Size doesn't matter, there is beauty in everyone. The thing that
you might not like in yourself, might be the exact thing that somebody
loves about you. Embrace your differences.
What can we do, right now, to make the world a better place?
Be kind, be positive and when you meet someone, find something to compliment them on.
What's your favorite...
Red lipstick? Gerard cosmetics immortal liquid lipstick
Song, currently? Bruno Mars - Finesse
Website for buying beauty? Beauty bay!
Nail polish? I use Gel polish, so I'd say The Gel Bottle. Inc
Recently my friend was kind enough to gift me with the Rock the Runway eyeshadow palette by Mary Kay in exchange for an honest review and demo. I was a bit unsure at first about using a blue color, as I very rarely wear blue tones, but I agreed to give it a try.
Happy to say that not only did I like the blue, but I LOVED it! The color payoff is good, the color stays well throughout the day, and the two blue shades are both very flattering on pale skin types. I can't say how it swatches on darker skin, but I'm impressed how it looks on very very fair/pale skin like mine! It's not easy to find blue tones that look good on someone as pale as I am.
Here's some pictures of Rock the Runway, worn with Moonchild Glowkit over it, at New York Fashion Week!
Summer 2016 has been the year of Anastasia Beverly Hills for this girl.
A couple months ago I started seeing hyped posts about the Modern Renaissance Palette from ABH. The photos on Instagram looked gorgeous, no matter the lighting or the skin color of the people wearing the warm swatches. This excited me immediately.
As a very pale with blue undertones in my skin, I have to be careful about wearing muddy colors on my face. The browns, golds, and bronzes I see suggested for bringing out blue eyes usually just translate badly on my skin. After years of trying and failing to find "my colors", I finally stumbled across a fabulous red color in a Sephora palette that a friend gave me. That tiny red tin became my favorite color to wear, and I knew that I'd use it up before long. Finding another suitable red shadow wasn't as easy as I'd hoped, and it led me on a journey on par with the greatest fantasy stories of all time. If you've ever been on a hunt for JUST the right shade of eye shadow, you know what I mean. After checking Ulta, Sephora, Target, NYX, and a million brands online, I was close to giving up.
And then, there it was: the Modern Renaissance Palette.
The colors in this palette are rich and the payoff is incredible. The shadows blend beautifully, and, perhaps most importantly for me, they stay put where you place them. I've taken to spraying a bit of hairspray over my eye makeup when I'm finished applying it (eyes CLOSED, of course), but even when I don't do that, the colors really stay. All in all, it's not only my favorite palette I've ever used, but also pretty much the only one I've used since purchasing it. It's completely worth the money if you like to wear warm, earthy reds, oranges, and (flattering) bronzes. And it even looks amazing on pale skin!
And then there's the Moonchild Glowkit. O. M. G. Basically this is a must have if you want to look like a magical creature. The payoff is great, and the sparkle is surprisingly subtle given how bright and exciting the colors are. It can be worn alone, over makeup, under makeup, on your chest, shoulders, across your forehead, or all over your damn body, if you feel so inclined. It's magic. MAGIC. It turns you into the unicorn emoji in seconds. I 100% recommend.
Note: The Moonchild Glowkit is ONLY available through ABH's website. It is not sold in stores, or through Sephora or Ulta. Get it while you can!
Finally, I need to mention the Sad Girl liquid lipstick from ABH. With its Lana Del Rey-esque name, incredible staying power, matte finish, and subtle gold sparkle, it's one of the most gorgeous and comfortable dark liquid lipsticks I've used. I wear it alone, or with a lighter color layered over top for a more voluminous, textured look.
Self image has never been an easy topic for me. As a child, I was always a little heavier than other children, and my struggles with low confidence started early, as chronicled here.
Over the years, I've dealt with an eating disorder and countless days of low confidence. Very, very low. Depression tends to make low confidence even worse, and the two issues can spiral into an ugly, overwhelming mess. You feel you have nothing to dress up for, and then you feel that dressing up is too much work. In turn, you feel bad about yourself, and it continues on and on. You lose all hope of having a red carpet day again.
After all, the bad thoughts say, you have nothing to celebrate, and no one will want to celebrate you. If you were a stronger/smarter/better/more beautiful person, you would have the strength to put yourself together. Look how easy it is for other people!
But sometimes you need to break out your favorite lipstick or mascara, even when you don't plan to go anywhere, or see anyone. Sometimes there's magic in the physicality of setting out your favorite 'getting ready' tools. Sometimes there's magic in the right black eyeliner.
Lately I've fought back at low confidence and depression through a variety of means, but one of them has been busting out my favorite makeup and jewelry and getting red-carpet ready. Any day can be a red carpet day, if you feel like you need one. Get dressed up. Take some great pictures. Wear your amazing outfit just for sitting at your computer to write, or draw, or meditate, or bake a pie, or watch your favorite movie.
You can have a red carpet day at 2am or 6am or noon or 7pm. You can do it ANY time you want.
Here's a few pictures from recent "red carpet days."
It's not every day that you get to speak with a woman who is not only an artist, but also a business owner- and a marketing genius! Lyn Vargas has built her brand of colorful, highly-pigmented lipcolors from the ground up; she dreams the colors, creates them, sells them, and markets them to the fashion-savvy around the world. Instagram stars from England and Sweden post selfies wearing House of Beauty, right along with girls (and boys!) all over America, the company's country of origin.
House of Beauty is a joyful company that offers a riot of colors that will look beautiful on dark and light skintones alike, and all skintones in between. They even offer opaque gold lip colors, the likes of which you're seldom to see anywhere else!
Just as importantly, House of Beauty rejects the secretive business model of brands who separate themselves from their customers like royalty behind a castle moat. HoB not only allows all reviews, positive or negative, but they encourage them, and promise never to delete or hide any negative reviews. That's strong belief in a product!
Below is my interview with Lyn, where she talks some very in-depth suggestions for women considering opening their own business, how she creates her lip colors, and her relationship with beauty bloggers the world over...
1. Why did you decide to create such bright and memorable colors?
I wanted to have a broad range of colors to cater to every personality and all walks of life. When I use to be a beauty blogger, one of my favorite things to do was create lip art, but found that I could not really find lip colors to use for my art. So I would make my own mixtures using lip pencils, eyeshadows, NYX milk pencil, and clear gloss to create my own creamy paint. I also loved being able to create different looks and get into character, so as an artist, a lot of this is what inspires me now. I want to create colors that are your standard wearables, but I also really wanted to offer unique colors for artists that they can use so the possibilities would be endless. Like paint to a painter. My lip hybrids are so versatile and that's the beauty of it. I also love the idea that people are stepping out of the box, wearing colors that they wouldn't normally wear.
I also must give credit to my ex manufacturer. Some of the colors that are bold and colorful that you see in my line have been reformulated from when I carried her line when we had a partnership. So in truth, colors such as Aquarius and Taboo for instance were colors she manufactured to me prior with her lip creams, but when I became an independent company, many of my customers asked for those colors to come back and I made a new and improved reformulation using my own recipe.
2.When did you first decide you wanted to go into business for yourself?
I always wanted to but in March 2015, I was kind of forced into it. I started my business with a silent partner and before it was House of Beauty, my old line was called Premium Vanity. My ex manufacturer ended our business relationship abruptly. I had quit my full time job to focus on my business, so when she no longer wanted to do business with me, it was either sink or swim. I could not risk not being able to put food on the table or a roof over my kids' heads. So I worked hard. Through constant trial and error, I did not give up until I finally created a lip formula I was in love with. This was the birth of House of Beauty and (of me) being the sole owner and sole creator of my line. Everything started to fall into place. One door closed and three more opened. I was blessed with GOD guiding my hands and also the support and help I got from my husband, my company PR Kathryn, and the help of Courtney that created my website, even my promoters. Everything fell into place and led me to where I am now.
3.What is your advice to ladies who have a dream they want to turn into a business?
My advice is to motivate yourself to achieve your goal. I see a lot of girls that say I dream about this and I dream about that, yet they don't make any effort in trying to make their dream come true or they try a little and at the first sight of trouble, they give up. Unless you won the lottery or something, your dream is not just going to fall on your lap. You have to want it enough and actually do something about it to make it happen. Dedicate yourself and your time and take that step after step closer to your goal until it happens and if it does not do well, then at least you tried! So have that drive and be strong because the beginning is always the hardest part.
Secondly, based on past experience, it is best you work on your own. If not, then make sure you have contracts. If you're getting products from a private label or private manufacturer, make sure it is done in a professional manner. Even contact a business attorney or a business savvy friend who has a lot of knowledge on how to start your own business the right way. Educate yourself and believe in yourself. You won't know unless you try.
4. Bold eyes and bold lips at the same time... yes or no?
As a makeup artist, usually the answer is no. Usually, you would tone down your lip color when pairing with bold eyes and visa versa, but when doing editorial looks or you feel a bit dramatic why not? As long as it compliments each other.
5. What is your personal favorite lip hybrid from House of Beauty?
That's like asking me what my favorite food is. I have so many. Really it just depends on my mood. I can't answer that, they're my babies I love them all.
6. How does it feel to see bloggers around the world wearing your products? Is it still exciting?
I love it!! Yes it is exciting to me. I'm still in awe when I see orders from all around the world!
7. You create House of Beauty products by hand. Where do you draw inspiration from when you are creating a new color?
I am not really the type of person to stalk companies and be like, "Oh let me see if I can dupe that". No. To me it is like the art of cooking. Being a mixologist. I see ingredients in front me and I am like ohh I wonder what I would get if I mix this and that together? Or ideas will just pop up in my mind. Sometimes my own taste in colors inspire me, the season we are in or I may even have customers suggest a color and I try to satisfy that. Majority of the time, my imagination gets the best of me.
8. In the past, there were not enough colors formulated to fit women of color, and many women were frustrated about the small amount of choices they had. Are your colors rich enough for women of color to wear confidently?
Absolutely!! They love my colors and leave amazing reviews on my review page @hob_reviews on Instagram. I carry a broad range of colors, almost 75 and growing! Many of them are so rich and pigmented that they will compliment darker skin tones.
9. That's amazing to hear! So... you feature pictures of fans wearing your products, via social media. How can fans get featured on Instagram?
They can simply use my hashtag #houseofbeautyco and/or tag me in the photo for a chance to be featured. Just a little hint, I love swatches, product shots and clear photos :)
10. What is the most memorable thing a woman has told you about life?
I must apologize, I honestly can't remember off hand anything memorable. Life itself has taught me about life.
11. Who are your female heroes?
First and foremost, my mother. My grandmother and my aunt.
12. What do you do on days when you don't feel confident?
Sometimes, I fix myself up because it makes me feel better and puts a little pep in my step, or I speak to my close friends/family to help ease my insecurities.
13. Fun questions:
If you could make up Heidi Klum or Jennifer Lopez, who would you choose and what House of Beauty products would you use on her?
Definitely Jennifer Lopez. I saw her rock a yellow color, so I would definitely use Kill Bill. Also Fusion, Seductive, Dragon, Spank My Pank, Nude Brulee, Kathryn and Chiffon.
14. If you could spend a day with Jon Snow (Game of Thrones) or Han Solo (Star Wars) which would you choose and why?
I would love to answer this but I do not know who they are because I have not watched either. So sorry! Maybe if you asked which out of the two brothers from Supernatural lol.
15.Finally, what is your current favorite:
Mascara: Maybelline Blackest Black Mega Plush Volume Express
As a very pale with blue undertones in my skin, I have to be careful about wearing muddy colors on my face. The browns, golds, and bronzes I see suggested for bringing out blue eyes usually just translate badly on my skin. After years of trying and failing to find "my colors", I finally stumbled across a fabulous red color in a Sephora palette that a friend gave me. That tiny red tin became my favorite color to wear, and I knew that I'd use it up before long. Finding another suitable red shadow wasn't as easy as I'd hoped, and it led me on a journey on par with the greatest fantasy stories of all time. If you've ever been on a hunt for JUST the right shade of eye shadow, you know what I mean. After checking Ulta, Sephora, Target, NYX, and a million brands online, I was close to giving up.
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