When Bad Days Strike!

Bad days have the potential to bring out the worst in us. Stack the deck in your favor by adopting some of the techniques professionals use to lessen the effect on your business. http://tinyurl.com/5zycfx Your future income depends on it!

Discount Cosmetics that Deliver

I have been enjoying the spoils of social networking in the form of great information! After an evening of tweeting (that's talking in twitter verse)I was guided to a cosmetics site called www.eyeslipsface.com and astonished to find really great prices for makeup. After ordering some to try out (and some for friends) I am back to share my thoughts and some discounts for you.
My personal results are what matters most to me so I’ll share those with you now. Periodically I’ll be back to share some of the results of other testers.

Therapeudic Conditioning Balm (in Vanilla Crème)- This is my new favorite! At about a buck (before any discount) I’m impressed. It compares to other brands at way more moola. I found it felt so nice on my lips that I made it part of my bedtime routine too. I have really sensitive, dry skin. Shea butter pampers my lips and makes them feel soft and silky. If I had found just one item that did what it claimed and delivered a whammo savings to my wallet, this item would have been worth the search! But read on, because the fun is just beginning.

Plumping Lip Glaze (Oasis, and Fire Coral)- Whoopeee! Previously, I’d purchased my lip plumping products from a big time cosmetics store. You know the one. They have a location in Times Square with a ginormous array of beauty products for us to lust after. I’ve been (noticed past tense)the better part of a twenty dollar bill on my lip plumper of choice. NO more, I tell you! This stuff rocks! The clear base goes on easy and tingly with a hint of shimmer. Then the color glaze glides over the top. My lips still felt moist and they looked great. I had clients in the salon commenting on my lip color. The tingly sensation wasn’t too much and felt refreshing. I would continue to buy this item over and over again. And at the great price, I can try many colors instead of having to choose one measly tube. More for me.

Moving on… remember that e.l.f. has generously agreed to give a 50% discount (up to $7.50) on orders if you use the code BeautyWriter at checkout. No, I don’t get paid for this. In the interest of full disclosure I would let you know if I did. So, go to www.eyeslipsface.com for your discount.

Shear Foundation SPF15 (Tone 2)- The shear moisturizing foundation felt great on my skin. Virtually weightless and featherlight to blend. It has a light scent of oranges that is refreshing. Not as much coverage as I like, but an awesome choice for around town, working out, or for teens new to experimenting with makeup. The color was perfect. It did quench my thirsty skin.

Eye Primer & Liner Sealer (clear)- How cool is this. The liner sealer makes indestructible eye liners from your favorite shadow! And the shadow base keep shadow in place all day without budging. It adds a step to the routine, but I’m thinking this will be a step that is worthwhile when there is no time in the day for touch ups. I probably wouldn’t use it every day, but it’s a must for when I have speaking engagements. The shadow base is simple. Twist the stick up and apply, then smooth with your fingertip. Done.

That’s it for now. I still can’t believe that this stuff will be available in places like Target. What will I tell the gal at the makeup counter when I scale back? I’ll probably lean in and whisper, “check out my blog.” She knows I’ll be back to at least try every newfangled thing that comes along…at least once.

e.l.f. has generously agreed to give a 50% discount (up to $7.50) on orders if you use the code BeautyWriter at checkout. No, I don’t get paid for this. In the interest of full disclosure I would let you know if I did. So, go to www.eyeslipsface.com for your discount.

What a BeautyWriter Does on the Weekend

People ask me what I do and I tell them, "I own a little salon spa and I'm a writer." That's all true. But what do I do? Hmmmm... The short answer is...whatever suits me!

What suited me this past weekend was far from what was supposed to be. I am in love with distance. Precisely, the distance of the marathon. About ten years ago I asked my husband, "What would you say if I said I wanted to run a marathon?"

His response was the same as always. "Whatever you want."

And so I did. My first marathon was a mass of blisters and soreness, punctuated by the powerful endorphins that pumped through my body at mile 24. I was hooked and still am. I was due to run a marathon this past weekend and had been training for months when a serious medical issue brought everything to a halt. Ever the optimist, I still registered for the half marathon.

My family made me promise that I would not be stubborn (a tall order for me) and that I would take it easy and not push it too much. I dutifully promised. So what I needed was a new agenda. The plan became to meet as many people as I could and enjoy the run.

What I found was that it was my all time worst finish time (next to last in my age group) but it was so much fun. I found so many interesting people along the way. Oddly enough, some of the folks I met were from the beauty industry and others, well, not. But did I mention how much fun I had?

I'm going to veer a bit from my beauty platform over the next few posts to share some of their stories with you. These are the stories of people like Ralph, a surfer traversing the country and raising funds for injured vets in his newly restored, red Woody. How cool is that? Check his blog out at www.SurferRalph.com and see what he's up to. I met Stacey at the Expo. She is a spa director. Small world, huh?

There was a lesson in the deviation from the original plan. In being driven to constantly improve my finish times, I was missing out on the beauty of the race. I was missing out on the beauty of the people who ran along beside me. I was missing out on the landscape and local flair. Well, I probably won't abandon my urge to improve but I will take time to enjoy the road.

So if the juice still flows to charge my laptop, and work doesn't overwhelm me, I'll be back to share some of the highlights of OBX2008. Until then, one foot in front of the other and enjoy the beauty in everything.