Adventure at Vanessa V's

The other day I had the pleasure of going into one of our local boutiques with one of my very best friends and spending the entire day picking out and putting together outfits! FUN!!!

Doesn't sound too unusual, so far, right?

Nope...

But, what's a bit different here, is that we were invited by the boutique's owner, Vanessa V. Rothschmitt, to do so and then take pictures of each other MODELING said outfits!!!

Whaaaaatttttt?!?!

Me?!

A Model?!      

HA!!! Not by a long shot, lol!

And while I did feel a bit self conscious, as we were outside some of the time for all the world to see; I have to say it was REALLY fun!!  AND a LOT of work!!! 

Anyway, I wanted to write a bit of a review on this particular boutique, not just because she invited us there to "model," but because I was actually really impressed with the boutique itself.

Most boutiques in our area, I find (aka my OPINION), don't actually have a large selection.  

It's not even about the size of the store, per se, but that they're just not typically "filled" with clothing or merchandise; which really confuses me when the store is of ample size and the clothing is on the up scale end of the spectrum.

Vanessa V's was FULL of clothing and accessories! There was merchandise from one end of the store to the other.

Also, I was really impressed with the variety in selection and sizes.

Even the mannequins at the front of the store in the window were varying sizes. 

THAT.IS.REFRESHING!!!

Sometimes it's nice to know that a particular store owner is thinking of EVERY woman...Thick, thin, young, and well-seasoned ;)

There were items in the store that my 20 something year old daughters would LOVE; and there were items in the store that my 60 something year old mother would LOVE...PERFECT!

Prices ranged from low ($10-$15 for some accessories and sale items) to $188 (for the most perfect pair of ultra skinny ankle jeans).

I was able to witness the girl working at the store interact with customers of different ages and personalities, and she was kind, patient and helpful. In addition to helping customers, and the normal, everyday clothing boutique duties, she was putting together outfits and taking pictures of them to be posted on the store's social media sites so that potential customers would have an idea of how to put the different items together to form a "look". 

GENIUS!!! 

These put together looks were also posted throughout the store where the customer could see them and be inspired by them.

GENIUS!!

How many times have I heard someone say that they really liked a particular piece of clothing, but weren't sure what to pair with it, or how to wear it, or what accessory to wear with it?!

These put together looks are VERY helpful for the average woman who, perhaps, doesn't study the internet or the pages of Glamour magazine, but wants to look up to date and well put together.

GOOD JOB, VANESSA V!!!

So, I will leave you with a few of the pictures in which my friend, Janie, and I are "modeling"; and I will encourage you locals to check out Vanessa V's in Lafayette, Louisiana.

DON'T LIVE NEAR LAFAYETTE, LOUISIANA?
NO PROBLEM!!!

YOU CAN VISIT VANESSA V'S ONLINE AT www.vanessavboutique.com and place your order there!

They also have pages on FaceBook (Vanessa V. Boutique) and Instagram (@vanessavboutique) on which you'll see all of the looks that they have put together to help their customers have a better idea of what looks good with what, so that they (the customer) can look up to date and trendy.

Enjoy!!

This was my ABSOLUTE fave top! I can't help it guys, I just LOVE black!!! I also LOVE the cut of the sleeve. It is comfy and classy, and even though it is "roomy" it is definitely flattering to the figure. 

And see those black jeans? THOSE my friends, we're the most perfect black jeans I've ever had the pleasure of wearing. I am only barely 5'3", and so finding skinny jeans that actually stop at the perfect ankle length is almost impossible for me.

They are CJ Jeans by Cookie Johnson, and they are available in sizes 0-18.

Do yourself a favor and invest in them!!

Coral linen pants for $28 and a bright cobalt comfy tee from Allen Allen for $48.

Black and white printed cotton tunic $58, sizes XS-XL available.

(LOVED this tunic!)

LOOK OF THE DAY 03/27/15

Today's look is featuring @stay.beautifful 

Go check her out on Instagram!! And don't forget to go check out my Instagram page, @lets_talk_hairandmakeup 

HOW TO GET THE MOST FROM YOUR FOUNDATION

Foundation is the...well, it's the foundation of good makeup.

All to often we see women who appear to be wearing a mask on their face because their foundation is either not right for their skin 

OR

because they are putting it on waaaaaayyyyy to thick (aka not blending properly).

Now, I'd like to stop right here to say that this is a free country and we all are free to do as we please in regards to our makeup; I am simply offering advice based off of my personal experience and off of expert advice from professional make up artists....just sayin'...Moving on.

Ok, first, there are a couple of things that we should consider before purchasing our foundation.

1. What is our skin type?  and

2. What are we expecting from our foundation?

To know your skin type, make a few observations.

Is your skin mainly dry all over? (sometimes you have flakey skin bc it's so dry) aka DRY SKIN

Is your skin mainly oily all over? aka OILY SKIN

Is your skin oily on your forehead, nose, above your lip, and chin; and then dry/normal everywhere else? aka COMBINATION SKIN

Is your skin neither too oily or too dry and just "normal"?  aka NORMAL SKIN (in which case I am extremely jealous of you)

Once you figure out your skin type, you're one step closer to "flawless" looking skin...

Okay, well, maybe the above statement was a bit extreme, but, you know what I mean...You're one step closer to finding the "perfect" foundation for you. 

Now, you know your skin type and there are a million (another exaggeration) foundations for you in regards to that, so how can you further narrow the selection down?

Know what you are expecting your foundation to do for you.

Do you want a matte finish, which means no shine?

Do you want a dewy finish? Which means you want to appear moisturized.

Do you want full, medium, or sheer coverage?

Typically, if you have oily or combination skin, you're going to want a matte finish...You don't want to ADD to the oiliness--You want to combat the oiliness.  Here are a few foundations that fall into that category:

With dry skin, you'll want a more moisturizing makeup, which will give you a dewy finish. And here are a few foundations that fall into that category:

In regards to coverage, a full coverage makeup will typically be a thicker, heavier consistency foundation. Those who have fine lines and large pores or what we call "textured" skin, will want to be careful with these types of foundations.  

DISCLAIMER: As a rule of thumb, to look younger, you want to wear a less heavy foundation.  This doesn't necessarily mean less coverage, but you may have to sacrifice one for the other.  I have discovered that to look younger, I have to go a bit more sheer...Not a problem for me...It's a no brainer. I don't use a sheer coverage foundation, I use a medium coverage and apply it in such a way that the finish is more sheer...In other words, it's how I apply my foundation and what I use to apply it with that helps it become more sheer. (whew! why did that seem exhausting and difficult)

I always recommend a foundation primer, as these help with multiple "problems" such as filling in fine lines and large pores so that the foundation will not "settle" into these areas and accentuate them; however, it has to be noted that there is no such thing as a foundation that will make you look completely flawless, unless of course, your skin is completely flawless.

*NOTE* Rant begins now....

When you see these pictures on Instagram of flawless faces, you have to understand that the majority of these women are using editing apps and filters...Very rarely are these women just flawless...VERY rarely.

Also, even the videos on YouTube don't show you all of the tiny imperfections that we see in our own skin up close.  If you're watching a reputable, down to earth makeup guru on YouTube, she'll be honest about her own skin imperfections (if she has any) so as not to mislead you.

Rant over...

Ok, so where was I? Oh yes, full coverage foundations...

They are thicker and heavier and can settle in fine lines and pores after a while if not applied properly (we'll get to that in a minute).

Just to reiterate what I mentioned above, I always recommend a good primer for your face BEFORE foundation.

Next, medium to buildable coverage.  This is what I prefer, as it's great for evening out skin tone, covering some imperfections, aka zits, etc; yet you can wear it heavier if you need to, or even make it a bit more sheer if necessary.  

Aaaannnnnddddd, sheer coverage.  This is really just so that you can, perhaps even out your skin tone but have a more natural finish.  Like, basically, you want to have a more "no makeup" makeup look, if that makes sense.

In my opinion, sheer coverage foundations tend to be more "dewy" so with my combination skin, it just makes me look more oily in my oily areas.

There is the option of wearing a powder as a sheer "foundation" for those of us with the oily/combination skin type.  I use MAC Mineralize Skinfinish powder.

Ok, let's talk about application, because, honestly, that's going to make or break you in regards to how the finished product will look.

There are foundation brushes, beauty sponges, and of course, your fingers.

Now, I do NOT recommend the paint brush type foundation brushes, simply because you don't get good blending with it. It just sort of lays the foundation on the top of the skin and can leave streaks...Nope...not good.

Then there are the Kabuki type foundation brushes such as the holy grail kabuki brush used by SO many of the YouTube makeup artists, the Sigma F80.

I personally own this brush and it's awesome.  It provides pretty full coverage so you really have to buff, buff, buff, blend, blend, blend with it.  If used correctly, it's awesome.

My FAVORITE foundation applicator, however, is the Beauty Blender!

This thing is FREAKING AWESOME!!!

You can find them in Sephora or Ulta or order it online.

It's $20, which some may think is a lot for a "sponge", but....you don't understand...

It has changed the way my foundation looks on my face!

It is meant to be used damp, and that freaked me out a bit, but I'm telling you...It's just the perfect thing to put on your foundation....

Okay...Okay...More on WHY I love it.

You use it in a blot, dab, roll type motion and it just blends the foundation perfectly...Gives sort of an "air brushed" look.

If you have large pores or fine lines, it's awesome for helping the foundation to cover and get into these areas to fill them in so as not to accentuate these things. And God knows we don't want to accentuate fine lines and large pores!

I have even used my Beauty Blender to put on my finishing powder. It works wonders.

I also have a mini one for under my eyes.

It is my FAVORITE makeup item (mark that down).

Ok, so let's wrap it up with some facts about foundation application:

Foundation is not meant to make you look "fake", it is to give you a blank canvas to work with in regards to makeup. Think about an artist trying to paint on a canvas that is discolored. His final outcome may not look as good as it could have, had he a blank white canvas to start off with.

Never, and I mean NEVER, stop your foundation at your jaw line.  No, no, no...Blend just past it.

YOUR FOUNDATION SHOULD MATCH YOUR NECK SKIN COLOR, NOT YOUR FACE. Match your neck color to the color of foundation you'll buy...You'll thank me later.

A yellow-based foundation is best for evening your skin tone,

and

a pink or peachy-based foundation is great for covering redness.

Concealer convo is a whole other blogpost, but try putting your concealer on AFTER your foundation. (But it's too light; it shows too much) Then get a shade darker concealer, for your face imperfections, and save that lighter one for under your eyes and your eyelids...Just a thought.

I fully intend on seeing some foundation improvements after this post, lol!

Don't worry, I KNOW I'm not miss perfect when it comes to my foundation...I know...

Just this past Sunday, I got home and realized I had a HUGE section of my foundation wiped clean off on the side of my face...Awesome...Oh well...No one died.

I WOULD like to add as I'm wrapping this up, that if you prefer drugstore brands, but are scared to buy and not like, check the stores return policy when it comes to makeup. Some store will allow you to return if you don't like it.

AND, if you prefer high-end makeup products, you can get samples either in Sephora or at the brand's makeup counter.  That way, you can use it for like, a week, to see if you like it before making the investment.

And when I say investment, I mean it.  Good foundation is a MUST HAVE investment...if you care, anyway ;)

Now go out there and storm the gates and figure out what foundation is YOUR foundation!

Peace,

New Talent Alert! 03/24/15

CONFESSION:

I stalk Instagram...

I stalk Instagram for beauty and talent.

I decided not too long ago, that when I would have my blog, I would feature those makeup artists or other beauty industry talents, that were up and coming. 

I think it's important to give exposure to those who are working so hard for it and deserve it because they ARE talented.

My very first feature is @HiliJeen-MUA . 

She has been doing makeup since she was 14 years old and has always had a love for makeup. In fact, she put on her first lipstick at 6 years old!

She is a MAC Pro Makeup artist now, and has been doing makeup professionally since she was 25 years old.

Her favorite products are the Urban Decay Naked palettes,  (she is anxiously awaiting the release of the Naked 4 palette), Pore Minimizer Primer from Smashbox (she calls it her holy grail), and MAC lipsticks, especially the color Ruby Woo. Last, but certainly not least, Anastasia Beverly Hills eyebrow products are also on her "favorites" list.

If you find your way to Instagram, go check out her page, and give her a "follow".

She's a very sweet and talented person!

LOOK OF THE DAY 03/24/15

Today's look of the day (lotd) is from @tianacosmetics

She is only 17 years old!! Wow! She's super talented. 

Go check her out on Instagram and don't forget to check out MY Instagram, as well, @lets_talk_hairandmakeup 

Latest Hair Trend - The Half Up Top Knot

Let's be honest...

Hair now-a-days has strayed from being perfectly fixed...

Using an entire can of hairspray is not the norm...

And I'm pretty excited about that.

It seems today is the day of the #lazygirl in regards to hair...

Not hatin'

In fact, it's pretty nice that I can show up for a social event with hair that looks like I actually fixed it; when in reality....I didn't...or at least, only barely "fixed it".

As 3 of my daughters are in their 20's, I am kept a-post on all of the latest hairstyle trends.

The most recent I've been exposed to....

The half up top knot.

I have mixed feelings...

However, I will say, if done the "right" way, it can be super cute.

I, personally prefer it a little more messy.

The cool thing is that it's not just for people with long hair....

Or for girls!

But that's a whole other post.

In terms of "how to" fix this half up, half down top knot, it's pretty self explanatory.

Pull up half of your hair, from the ears up, and secure it with an elastic tie or bobby pins to look like any of the above pics.

You can wear it straight, wavy, curly...Whatever!

And you'll look like you really tried.

And, of course, you'll be super trendy :)

Peace,

BEAUTIFUL TO LOOK AT - BANFF, CANADA

They say beauty is in the eye of the beholder...

Banff, Canada.....

Beautiful...No matter WHO the beholder is!

These are pictures that my husband and I took when we went on a short trip there.

It was, literally, one of the most beautiful and surreal places I've ever had the pleasure of seeing in real life.

We went in June and the weather was PERFECT!

We visited Lake Louise and Lake Moraine and went horseback riding.

It was literally breathtaking.