7 Things to Make Valentines Day as a Single Woman Not Suck

A few years back I was invited to a Goth inspired Valentines Day party. Women were instructed to wear wedding dresses, dark Gothic makeup and bring things to destroy. And I thought to myself, “there has got to be a healthier way for Christian single ladies to spend their day.” So I am writing this because when you are single, Valentines Day can suck… But it doesn’t have to.

1. Exchange Cards… In my house we spent the Valentines Day around a fancy dinner. Afterwards we exchanged handmade cards to everyone. I know, it sounds like elementary school. But It was really sweet to hear what every member of the family (even the less expressive members) loved and appreciated about you. And, it was nice to spend time articulating what you loved about every member of your family. I know some of you may not have close relatives but I suspect that this can be just as fun with a group of close girlfriends.

2. Care for Someone Else… One way to get you to stop your pity party is to help someone who has it worse off. I read a blog of a lady who spent her day going around downtown Colorado Springs handing a rose and wishing a, “Happy Valentines Day” to the homeless.  There are so many people who just needed to be reminded that they are loved. Whether it is volunteering at a soup kitchen, helping at an old folks home or the simple and sweet gesture of giving out roses, you can be that reminder of love.

3. Throw a Dinner Party! Why not? I mean, I probably wouldn’t suggest a Goth themed party. But how about a party with both single men and women. Play games, have fun and celebrate Christian brotherly love between friends. There are some fun clean games here: http://www.divinedinnerparty.com/adult-birthday-party-games.html

4. Take Someone You Admire Out to Lunch… There have been so many, strong, elderly, inspiring Christian women in my life. They have learned a lot about love and life. In having the privilege of watching their walks and their everyday love for God I have learned so much. If you are lucky enough to have someone like this in your life, you should let her know. Take her out to lunch, buy her flowers, and tell her how much you really love her.

5.  Spa Day… Yeah I know its cheesy and cliché but that doesn’t mean that its not awesome! You can do this in your home with girlfriends—suggestions here, http://www.homemadesimple.com/en-US/Crafts/Pages/Host-a-Spa-Party.aspx). But if you have the funds, you should try to go to a day spa. The experience of going out and getting pampered with a couple of friends is fun and makes for special memories.

6. Father Figure Date… Also a bit cheesy, but it can be fun. When I was younger my dad used to take me out on dates to hear an orchestra, to the park, to a French restaurant, and sometimes just for pizza in the parking lot of pizza hut. Maybe you don’t have a significant other this Valentines Day but if you have a special man in your life, a father, brother, or father / brother-figures then don’t pass up on the opportunity to go out on a date with that very special guy in your life.

7. Celebrate Your Little Loves… Maybe it’s just because I have 7 nieces and nephews under the age of 5 that I think kids need to be reminded of how special they are EVERYDAY. When you are about to fall into a state of depression due to your single status, pick up the phone and call that child in your life that brings you joy. Trust me, I have tried, it’s impossible to be sad around the laughter of a child. Invite some youngsters over to make cupcakes and cards, or take them out for a picnic at the park! Whatever you decide to do will be exciting to that little one. And their parents will probably appreciate having a few hours alone too.

Have fun all you single ladies! Also, I am curious to know what you are doing this year for Valentines Day so let me know in the comments!  

Pintrest, Christmas, and Nail Art

So it's been a while since I've wrote anything on this site... But, I am back just in time for some Christmas cheer. I don't know about you but I am kinda addicted to pintrest. There are so many cute ideas on there. A while ago I saw a cute picture Christmas nail art. But, I am terrible with nail polish! Especially when it comes to painting with left hand!

I have a few Christmas party's coming up and I thought I would give it a try. If I can do it so can you. Here are a few pics, tips and tricks.

Level of Difficulty: Super-duper tough!
Level of Cuteness: Adorable
Tip: Get a friend to paint your right hand, or if your left hand (if you are left handed)
Trick: When painting the reindeer paint a rounded square, add 4 legs, a tail and a head with antlers last. I tried painting the deer a few times and had to remove it because it kept getting so sloppy! So don't be afraid to remove it and try again. :)

Professional Advice: Check out http://clumsynails.tumblr.com for inspiration like these nails!

First paint nails red. I used Essie's "Russian Roulette"

Then go for it. Using a fine tipped white nail polish brush or a pen, start drawing Christmas related designs! Christmas trees, reindeer, snow flakes, whatever you want. I wanted mine to look like an ugly Christmas sweater. Aaand, voila!

Sure there are a couple of mistakes, but, as long as you go into it with the desire to make it fun and not perfect it will turn out alright! 

  Merry Christmas everyone! Oh, and if you want to see the picture I used for inspiration you can find it on my pinterest below. God bless! 

http://pinterest.com/cassandrav24/hair-and-beauty/

A Summer Look

Natural Marisa

 Hello Summer Beauties! 
All of you have been so supportive that I have decided to make a website. It will have a lot of fun makeup and hair info as well as a lot of easy-to-follow tutorials so you can copy the looks step by step.


The website should be up by the end of July just in time for back to school looks. In the meantime, take a look at my gorgeous model and darling friend: Marisa.

Marisa with fresh summery makeup

Marisa's simple updo

Marisa's tan and olive completion makes her a perfect candidate for bronze and brown eye shadows, warm blushes and lip tones and bright highlighting. Heavy colors are unnecessary for summer day-time looks. With Marisa I really focused on bronzer and highlighter. Bringing out her natural contrasts gives her the appearance of being "sun-kissed." Marisa's eyes are lined with a plumb-tone eyeliner. This tone is flattering on brown-eyed girls especially for day wear. Give it a try!

Marisa has absolutely stunning hair! It was beautiful cascading down on her shoulders. And it is just as gorgeous pulled into a side chignon. This look takes about 10 minutes to do. Marisa's hair is still wet from her shower too; proving that this is a really easy look if you're in a hurry. I'll probably include a tutorial of this hair style in my website.

Let me know what looks and styles you'd like to see on the future site and I will try to include them.
Thanks for all your support. Thanks for reading my blog and thanks especially for trusting me to do your hair and makeup for your special events. 

Mothers Day Makeup "Do's" for Women over 50

Happy Mothers Day everyone! My mother was the first person to ever show me how to apply makeup. She was the first to show me how to blend in my foundation and where to put my blush. When I was a little girl I used to sit and watch as she applied her makeup. I always thought she looked so womanly and sophisticated. I could hardly wait for my 15th birthday; a day which in my household meant that I could finally start wearing makeup! In celebration of all the wonderful tips my mother has given me over the years, I decided to give back. Here is a list of the most helpful makeup tips for women over 50.

Do use shadows and highlights The older we become the more we feel we want to hide certain areas. The best way to do this is to draw attention somewhere else. Adding highlighter to the forehead and cheeks visually "lifts" areas. To hide areas, add a contour shade in the form of a bronzer or darker shade of foundation. This in some ways camouflages areas that you don't want to be the focal point of your face.
Do Add Some Color to Your Lips Most woman prefer their eyes to their lips. This can be especially true of older woman. As we age our lips loose a bit of their fullness. Adding a light shade keeps them looking fuller and younger. Use colored shades of lip gloss or lip stick.

Do Define Your Eyes As we age our skin begins to soften. For the sensitive skin like our thin eyelids this can mean droopy our hooded eyes (when loose skin drapes over our once defined crease). Use a neutral base color that made the eyes appear wider. Most older women use a single tone all over their lid. Betty, was using a shade of blue (as seen above). Using a neutral base tone and adding darker shades in the crease we created the illusion of wide eyes and defined eyelid. Eyeliner is a must for this look. As we age softer shades are more flattering, light browns, blues, plumbs and green shade. And remember, don't be afraid to use a little shimmer in your neutral base tone, it will really open the eye.
Do Leave Bright and Vibrant Colors Behind If you're over 50 do yourself a favor leave the bright shades for the tween-scene. Bright colors, especially shades that have glitter, age you! You don't want to look as though your prom date is about to pick you up at any moment. Stick with neutral colors, they are much more sophisticated and age appropriate. If you want to get adventurous try plumbs eye shadows, they are often considered by makeup artists to be neutral. Remember that gray is flattering on every skin tone and with every eye color, brown also is extremely fashionable. 
Do Wear Cremes The nice thing about mature skin is that you don't have to worry about getting acne from oil based products. Now that you are beyond your days of zits, you are free to try what most younger woman can't: creme based products. Cremes are heaver than liquid-based products but lighter than mouses. Cremes absorb into skin and make the skin glow. The plus side of cremes is that they don't sit in creases or wrinkles like mouses and they add more dimension than matte liquid products. Next time you're out cosmetic shopping, try creme foundation and blushes. You'll be able to see the youthfulness these textures create.
Do Wear a Little Less Remember that less is really more the older we get. Tone down your colors, and use foundation sparingly. Makeup is less forgiving on mature skin. Colors and textures tend to be more pronounced and harsher as we age. This should be a fun time to experiment a more natural look. You want people to think you look amazing at your age, not that you are overdone. 

Happy Makeuping and Happy Mothers Day!

 

Special thanks to my beautiful model Betty. She was a model in her teen years and has not had a makeover done since.  In the picture above, Betty is dawning her typical day-to-day makeup. Betty's "after photo" is her natural-look makeover. The goal: Bringing out all the lovely features of her face. Not hard to do on such a lovely lady.

Have and questions or comments? Post a comment below or email me. Don't forget to share this link with your mother or friends who are like mothers.

10 Easy Tips for Fresh Makeup on Your Wedding Day.

Today, I had the pleasure to work on bride-to-be, Melissa. She's youthful, gorgeous and has got her big day well on its way. She's planning on having a midday, outdoor wedding. I know what your thinking, "Sounds fantastic!" Right? Well, yes and no. Yes, because every bride dreams of having a beautiful summer wedding. But, if you're like most women you can run into a tricky or should I say shiny situation. Midday, is not only one of the worst times for lighting in pictures, it is also one of the harshest lighting to conceal shine and redness! If you're a bride your probably younger and youthful skin retains more oil which can make your skin red, shiny or prone to breakouts. In pictures this means you'll probably look uneven and oily. No one wants to look like that on the most photographed day of their life! So, here a few tips avoid photo shine and fight redness:

1. Choose your ceremony time carefully. If possible, try and push your wedding to a later time in the day. Most photographers and makeup artists will agree that sunrise and sunset is the best time to take pictures. If you have an midday wedding try to take pictures after the ceremony when the sun wont be the highest in the sky.

2. Use green based concealers. They to fight red toned skin. Green is opposite to red on the color wheel and cancels the tone out. This will fight the visible look of breakouts or just the red undertone of sensitive areas.

3. Use an oil absorbing primer. Primer is important on wedding days because you want your foundation to last for hours without washing off. By using an oil absorbing product like No7 "Shine Free" primer it actually absorbs the oils your face produces and puts a barrier between natural oils and your foundation.

4. Stay away from shimmer. Any product that has glitter, shimmer or a frost finish to it should be avoided (with the exception of a highlight tone in your eyeshadow). Anything that is shimmery will just make you look shinier in photographs.

5. Make powder your best friend. Powder is really the quickest way to conceal shine. Add, a mineral veil over your foundation to set it. Choose a light powder that wont look cakey.


6. Avoid cremes. If you have naturally oily skin you should avoid creme based products altogether. Cremes smear and shine. Try to get a matte texture for blushes, foundations and eyeshadow. And leave the cremes behind for photo shoots.

7. Blot it! A lot of makeup lines sell blotting paper that absorbs oils. Give a few sheets to your maid of honor and have her keep you shine-free throughout the day.

8. Use an Acne wash. Even if you're not prone to break outs, using a gentle acne wash can prevent oily skin. Be careful not to over do it though. If you dry out your skin your body will overcompensate by creating even more oils. Try to find a happy balance.

9. Moisturize. I know that sounds like the opposite to what I've been saying. But, the goal isn't to dry out skin, it's to minimize oil and redness. The best way to do that is to have healthy skin that glows not shines. Use an oil free moisturizer that will balance facial tone.  

10. If your unsure pull out your camera. If you are a DIY girl and plan to do your own wedding makeup you should experiment with different shades, colors and textures of makeup. Take pictures of your different looks. Remember that some makeup looks absolutely beautiful until the flash of a camera hits it. 

I hope those tips will help you feel as confident and fresh as Melissa will look on her big day. Happy makeup-ing!

Classic beauty without sacrificing natural beauty

"Makeup is meant to be beautiful, and beautiful makeup is all about the colors you choose and where you place them--never about how much you put on." --Robert Jones

                 It is amazing to me that in this modern day I find myself explaining the benefits of makeup to woman. I often wonder how beautiful we'd think Audrey Hepburn would've been if she didn't wear a gradually widening liquid liner--a look that now called "The Audrey Eye." I wonder how sexy we would've thought Marilyn Monroe was if she hadn't learned to contour her nose. It's true, Marilyn Monroe is often credited as the first to start uses dark shades to minimize large features, making them look more defined. And, what would Betty Davis been known for if she hadn't worn dark mascara to extenuate her eyes?

I'm going to set the record straight, so before you turn your noses up, perk-up your ears and listen. Makeup's goal is to help you identify what is beautiful about YOU and so you can show it off! It's the same thing that you and I do with our different body types. Have a small waist? Great, wear lots of belts to show it off! Have a small chest size? Never fear, shirts with volume along the bust and necklaces will take care of that. We woman have learned to find our best and show it off. We do this with our clothes and our homes, even on our resumes. Our face should be no exception. It goes without saying, that every woman is different. God made people with a variety of facial features and shapes. Our differences are often what can make us beautiful. Makeup is all about taking those differences and showing them in their best light. Not to change them. Perhaps one of the biggest reasons woman are adverse to wearing makeup is because they think it takes away from their "natural look." But makeup isn't about changing you its about intensifying the things that make you, you. Audrey Hepburn, Marilyn Monroe and Betty Davis had the right idea: captivate others with their stunning differences.

That doesn't mean you should over do it and start piling the makeup on. I believe makeup should look natural. You don't want to walk around looking as if you're wearing a mask--no matter how pretty that mask might be. Makeup uses color's hue, temperature, value and intensity to diminish flaws and highlight beauty. It's use of texture also plays a crucial role in enhancing the total look of your face. Makeup should make you feel like you, not like you pretending to be someone you're not. Makeup is not one size-fits-all. That's why it's important to discover if you have Audrey's eyes or Marylin's sharp features. Makeup can help you discover that about yourself. Makeup can transform you into a classic beauty without sacrificing your natural, God-given beauty.

 

 

 

 

I have a few questions for you readers today

Do you know what the most beautiful feature about you is?

And more importantly do you know how to extenuate it?

Also, which beauty in Hollywood do you find attractive and why?

Don’t wear makeup? Tell me why.