If life deals you broken shadow, make lip gloss!

Have you ever had an eye shadow disaster? It may look something like this...

Even if you're not an optimist, I promise there's an upside to your shadow disaster!

YOU JUST GAINED A NEW LIP GLOSS!!! 

And actually, I find that powdered eye shadow can be even more pigmented than cake eye shadow, so even the darker colors can be put to good use! More on this in a bit...

What you'll need is:  

1. Pill container that has screw-tight lids (I got mine at The Container Store for $2, but you can find them anywhere).

2. Clean (unused) contacts container

3. Butter knife or spoon

4. Vaseline (or Un-Petroleum by Alba)

5. Q-tips

**As a general rule of thumb, your lighter, peachy or pinky-shimmery colors will work best as lip gloss, and your darkest colors best as powdered eye shadow. However, it's up to you to be creative - you can even mix and match!**

 Let's get started!

To make lip gloss:

1. Fill the contacts case halfway with vaseline.

2. Carefully let your loose shadow fall into the case, and mix with a q-tip. (This takes more pigment than you'd imagine to get the desired color, so it's better to use less vaseline than you'd think).

It's that easy!!! And now you can use the other side for another lip gloss color, and it's super easy to carry in your purse! You can always add more vaseline and pigment as it depletes too.

And now for your powdered eye shadow! 

If you've never used powdered eye shadow before, it's a great product when you want a lot of concentrated color. Just wet your eye shadow brush with a tiny bit of water before dipping into the pigment, and you'll have long-lasting, WOW-factor eye make-up!

Here are the steps;

1. Carefully transport your broken eye shadow (if it's in manageable pieces) to the pill container. (If it's already powder, just spoon it out). Use your butter knife or spoon to gently smash the pieces into powder!

And here is where your creativity juices can flow! I have mixed colors, such as this brown and purple combo below, it came out so pretty!!

Now I've turned my shadow disaster into new awesome make-up products to use, at almost zero cost!!

Here is the finished product of the broken shadows I combined:

Enjoy your new products, and have fun being creative!! The possibilities are endless :)

My First How-To: Clean Your Make-Up Brushes

Quality make-up brushes are an amazing tool for putting on even and blended make-up; HOWEVER, if we don't take care of them (aka clean them!) they can hold a lot of bacteria and become a major culprit of acne break-outs. (Don't panic, read on!)

If you haven't cleaned your brushes in some time (or maybe never..) it's okay, you're going to learn an easy technique that will keep your brushes bacteria-free and in perfect shape for years! We should be thoroughly cleaning our brushes at least every two weeks!! In between you can do mini-cleansings with 91% isopropyl alcohol (found at your local drug store for cheap!).

Here are the tools you will need (besides your brushes):

1. Thin string or ribbon, and scissors (please be careful!)

2. Small rubber bands (these are Goody brand, you can find them at any drug store).

3.  You have two options to use as your cleanser:  Option A) gentle face cleanser, such as MyChelle Fruit Enzyme Cleanser

Or, option B) a combination of extra virgin olive oil and an anti-bacterial soap (these are just what I had in my kitchen).

The proportion of soap to olive oil you use should be 2 quarter-size drops of soap to 1 quarter-size drop of olive oil.

4. Lastly, you will need a towel rack or bar to dry your brushes. Why you may ask? Read on...


The best way to dry your brushes is upside down, so that no water gets held in the base of the brush which is bad for two reasons: 1) bacteria gets stuck and multiplies and 2) your bristles become loose and will eventually fall out (considering how expensive brushes are, this is not a good thing!!).

I have used tiny rubber bands connected to a piece of ribbon to store my brushes upside down on a towel rack, and it works splendidly!

Now you are ready to clean your brushes! Let's start:

First:  Cut and tie about 8" long pieces of string to your rubber bands, like so (tie a double knot so you can reuse these!):

Second:  Put some cleanser or anti-bacterial soap/olive oil combo in the palm of your hand. Take your brushes and gently swirl them in cleanser until they are soaked throughout. (Depending on how many brushes you're washing, you may need to add more cleanser as you go along).

Third:  Rinse your brushes with running water, and gently squeeze out the remaining soap as you go along. It's important to squeeze your brush in the shape similar to its natural state.

Lastly:  Put your rubber band on the base of the brush and tie to your towel rack!

It may take your brush up to 24 hours to dry, so don't do a big cleaning right before you get ready to go out! As a nice make-up break, I give myself an at-home facial treatment and do a little pampering while I take a mini break from make-up!

Now you have clean, fluffy, and bacteria-free brushes as well as very happy skin! If you have acne-prone skin and you haven't washed your make-up brushes in a while, I guarantee you'll see an improvement in your skin after a couple weeks!

Happy cleansing :). xoxo

Say Hello.

Say Hello.

Say Hello to a stranger.
Say Hello to a friend.
Say Hello to the morning sun.
Say Hello to the person at the check-out counter at Walgreens. And mean it.
Say Hello to the person you pass by every day walking to class, or work. Trust me, they've noticed you too.


Say Hello to yourself as look in the mirror. Then say it again like you're talking to the you that you know. Forget the you that anyone else knows, or thinks you should be... let it just be you, and you.


All too often we let the images others have of us get into our head and influence us in negative ways. We put too much emphasis on what other people will think... what they will say... what they will do [tease us]..... and it's time to forget all of that.


Once more, say Hello to the real you.


Only you and your Creator know the real you. He might know you even better than you, in fact. It's hard to completely ignore others' perceptions of us.. it's a natural thing in our society to wonder what others think of ourselves.


It's time to be true to yourself and the real you, and do what real you wants to do! If you want to wear a goofy outfit that fits your own personal style, or sing out loud to your favorite tune, or dance around in your living room, do it!! Forget all the negative things you may have heard or have been told! Don't think about the things people have told you that you can't do... think about all of the amazing things that you CAN do!

You've been divinely made in your own perfect way, so live your life to the fullest by being true to yourself and your passions and talents... they are inside you for a reason! Don't let anyone tell you you're not good enough... not pretty enough... not strong enough... not smart enough... no no and NO! You tell them that they don't dream BIG ENOUGH!!!!


When you feel those little tugs on your heart... the things that make your heart flutter and smile just thinking of them... those are your life dreams stirring inside you, wanting to come out!! Let them out!!! Live it out! What a waste it is to not shine your unique and beautiful light upon this world, don't let your piece of the puzzle sit in darkness! We're all here with a special purpose, so don't be afraid of what you can accomplish. For those of you who believe in God, you know that with Him, anything is possible. And your passions were given to you with a special purpose (that He wants you to fulfill!). So LIVE IT OUT! He's got your back :).


So.. say Hello. To the real you. To the you that can accomplish anything you set your mind to. And say goodbye to the fake ideals others may be putting on you. You know the real you!



Say Hello to a stranger, to the person you pass by every day... they could someday become your friend. And your friend could someday be the check-out person at Walgreens... and you'd want someone to say hello to them too, wouldn't you?

Chasing Your Dreams...

Consider the word "dream."

Things that come to mind may be sleeping, nightmares, an unfulfilled wish, or something you feel is an unattainable thing. Or, it could be the thing you're working towards every day -- to fulfill your special dream and role in this world. 

I like the word dream, but if I could give the "thing you're working towards every day" meaning a different name other than "dream" I would... and right now, you're probably thinking of one in your head that's not coming to mine. Regardless, I think that dreams that occur in our sleep should not be put in the same category or be part of the same word as a goal (ok, there's the word!) we dream about to do in our actual lives. But even the word "goal" doesn't satisfy what a "life dream" entails.

When we sleep, our dreams are usually weird or scary, uncovering all of the subconscious thoughts we've had that day. However, our "life dreams" are so much better than that! Whatever "life dream" you have is NOT weird or scary, it is special, precious, and beautiful and is there in your heart for a reason! You may not have discovered your "life dream" yet, or maybe you know what it is but don't know how to go about it and make it happen yet-- that's ok!! Eventually you WILL figure it out, and this is when I tell you to CHASE YOUR DREAMS!!! Do not treat them like fantasy nightmares that just vanish once we wake up in the morning! Just think about how much you love telling someone about a crazy nightmare you had-- well imagine how great it would feel to tell someone about a real dream you have and how you're living it EVERY SINGLE DAY!!!!

Do not let your "life dreams" be fantasies, or sit there in the back of your mind and heart unfulfilled... CHASE THEM! Do whatever you have to do to start the dream-acquiring process in motion-- even if it's as little as a to-do list on a post-it note! Start little and with the basics, because without a solid foundation even the prettiest house will fall down!

I strive to live by the motto "Chase your dreams", and every day I ask myself what I've done to work towards my dream (of becoming a make-up artist of course!!). I've taken many little steps recently, but it's all adding up to a great sum of productivity and my dream is coming true as we speak! (or as you read :) hehe).

"Never let the fear of striking out keep you from playing the game!" is a great and famous quote, and it's so true! Your precious dreams are in your heart for a reason, so if you try your best there's no doubt you'll succeed with the help of the man upstairs! You're on this Earth to succeed and bring glory to Him, and that's why that dream is in your heart!

So, go out there and chase your dreams! Right now! Ready.... GO!

Love and Hugs,
Jessica

Live it, Love it, Dream it!!

Hi Everyone! This is my first blog ever and I am so excited to share my make-up story with you!

I was the young age of four when I first discovered my love for make-up. My mom put lipstick on me for the first time, and I actually refused to talk because I didn't want the lipstick to come off! Haha, what can I say it was love at first sight :).

When I was younger and someone would ask me what I wanted to be when I "grew up," I would say "Being a make-up artist is my 'dream' job, but for real I am going to be a [fill in the blank]..." Well today I am so happy to say that I am pursuing my dream job, and being a make-up artist IS a real job! Any job that your heart desires and dreams about is real, and it will become what you make of it. Do not let anyone ever tell you that you cannot do something, whether it be make-up or anything else, just because they believe it's impossible. I say to dream it and believe it and live it!!! You can be anything you want to be because that dream and passion is in your precious heart for a reason-- the big man upstairs put it there! We all have our special place in this world, and He is the one who believes in you and has the master plan all figured out, so trust in Him and that is all that matters!

And I have to give huge credit to Kandee Johnson, a beautifully talented make-up artist, for being such an inspiration to me and playing a large part in giving me the confidence to pursue my dream job! Several months ago I came across one of her make-up tutorials on YouTube and have been following her ever since. Two weeks ago I attended her Glaminar in San Diego and actually got to meet her, it was amazing!!! And soo fun! Kandee is so sweet and caring and TALENTED!! I learned so much from her and it was the perfect way to jump-start my career :). Thank you so much Kandee!!! <3

Huge love to all of you dreamers out there! Live it, love it, dream it, and BELIEVE it!

Love and hugs,

Jessica