Welcome to Leslie's beautiful life. Join me in an adventure to find ways to make every corner of life beautiful. Through practical beauty advice and tutorials,home improvements, fashion,and the wonderment of life.
I have always wanted to get a little tattoo of a dove. Just because it represents something religious to me. I've heard that I would regret it though and that has held me back. Have you ever watched L.A Ink? Kat Von D is so talented and beautiful. Not to mention a strong, smart business woman. She has recently launched her line of cosmetics in Sephora. One of her products is a tattoo cover up. I had been wondering how well a product like that can truly work. Kat shows us in this video and the pictures that I show below how amazing this new product can be. Most people don't have art that covers them as much as hers does, but you can see how it covers all her tattoos. So, a person with a small tat shouldn't have any trouble with coverage. In addition, I believe this may work much the same as dermaflag. A product designed to correct and conceal scars from burn victims. I am sure that you could use her cover to correct blemishes and scars as well.
Here is her video:
Here is her photo showing her artwork:
Here is a photo of her after the cover up has been applied:
Does this not seem amazing to you? I was blown away. The mind races with all the potential applications this can have in makeup wear. Covering a port wine stain, scars, age spots, sun damage. I guess the possibilities are limitless. It depends on your creativity. I really have to give Kat a thumbs up for this product. She hit a home run with it.
Have you ever thought about all the ways that makeup influences change? Well, it does. How do you think the ugly duckling turned into a beautiful swan? A makeover of course! I stumbled across an article by Gad Saad Ph.d. It had a cute behavioral study that was performed by Nicolas Gueguen. Here is the premise:
Two women go into a bar and are watched by observers. The point is to see the number of times the ladies get approached or spoken to. Whether they wore makeup or not. So, the ladies go to the bar on two different days. On one day without makeup and on the other with makeup. They sat together and chatted while two male observers kept track of the number of times men made attempts at talking to the ladies.
Here is how it went down:
This is how long it took for first contact
When wearing makeup: 17.09 minutes
When not wearing makeup: 23.08 minutes
Average number of Dudes that tried to make a love connection after one hour
When wearing makeup: 2.07
When not wearing makeup: 1.57
The final conclusion on this little test was that when the women had makeup on they were approached more quickly and more often. Go figure, right? My own little poll of the men in my life has revealed that my fellas (hubby and son) think that if a woman puts a little war paint on it shows that they care about taking care of themselves. I concur.
In another study that I read a while back children were shown pictures of the same woman with and without makeup. They were asked to tell which woman was the nice one and which was the mean one. The number of girls and boys in the study were the same. Overwhelmingly the children picked the lady with the makeup as the nice one. They had to be told that they were the same woman when the test was over, and the kids were all really surprised.
I am sure that you could find all sorts of studies to prove it further. A woman in makeup has nothing but a positive affect on the world. Men even get noticed more when they wear makeup. Don't you agree? Lol.
Leslie
footnote: The above study was written about by Guy Saad Ph.d in the magazine psychology today. The study was performed by Nicola Gueyuen in 2008.
I would like a take a moment, from time to time, to spot light some of the advertisers on my page. It was a really difficult decision to do ads at all. But when I made the jump, I wanted to be very selective. The ads were chosen based on a few criteria.
1. They had to be somehow related to living a more beautiful life.
2. They had to be companies that I believe in based on having done business with them before.
(or have wanted to do business with for a while)
3. They had to be companies that have proven to be consistent in product and customer service.
Today I would like to shine a spotlight on C.O. Bigelow. On their splash page the description of their company is this:
WELCOME TO THE WORLD OF BIGELOW...Our 168-year old apothecary tucked amid the bustling chic of New York City's West Village. This on-line catalog is rife with some of our favorite and best selling items: items that have stood the test of time, items that are designed to amuse, and some that are just plain good for you. With our belief in the highest quality products, we travel the world, scouring for items that make a difference in the way you look and feel. For decades our landmark store has been a destination spot for discerning New Yorkers. Today, Bigelow continues to draw a cross section of dwellers, from celebrities (we won't go name dropping), to fashionistas, to neighborhood devotees who cherish the rarity of our old school approach... "If you can't get it anywhere else, try Bigelow... We now ship to Australia, Canada, England and Japan! All international orders are usually shipped out within two business days.
I have not yet made a purchase from them. But as a frequent lurker on their site, I do have a deep interest in ordering the rosemary hair oil. My hair is so dry and frizzy. As a big spender on product, I have to make myself use what I have before I buy more. But as soon as my hair product is down to the last drop, I'll be all over purchasing some hair product. They sell a wide range of cosmetics, color, personal care, apothecary items. Here is a list of the top products in their cosmetics/color range.
Let me know if you have tried products through C.O. Bigelow before. Tell me what your thoughts on the products where. When I make my purchase, I will let you know how it goes, and tell you my opinions on the products, and the company service.
I hope that this post finds you all doing well. It is fridge cold in Texas. My poor puppies don't want to go outside. Maybe the weather is better where you are. Let me jump right in with my dilemma. I have just started out as a makeup artist. I haven't yet begun to work. But I would like to start building a kit to do freelance work. Many of the well known artists sites say that in their kits they have the Makeup forever 12 color flash palette. As you may know, this is pricey and only available at sephora. It comes in at a whooping $93 dollars. I knew that there had to be a comparable product available for less money. After some research I found the Kryolan 18 color shimmering visions cream palette for $53.00.
I don't know about you, but the Kryolan seems like a way better bargain. More colors for less money, and 12 of them seem like exact dupes of the Makeup forever palette. Being pretty new to the industry, I hope some of you can tell my why one would be better than the other.
top pic- makeup forever 12 color flash palette, bottom pic-kryolan 18 color shimmering vision palette
If you look at these side by side you can see the gold, silver, peach, blue, turquoise, red, yellow, green, pink, magenta, white, and brown from the mufe are also in the kryolan. The kryolan has bronze, purple, orange, cream, sea blue, copper in addition. I have heard great things about both products. They both contain the same amount of product per well. So the price difference can't be based on that. I just would really love your opinion People.
As Alice's door mouse would say ,
Thank you muchness,
I am very excited to share this with you. It is so beautiful. The colors are amazing. The names are whimsical and fun. If you have or get one of these, you will truly enjoy it.
Hey Everybody,
Here is a little tip to help you get ready for Valentines day.
Valentine's Day Early Bird Special!
This year, you can get a head start on Valentine's Day! Starting today and through February 10th only, we are offering a couple of special offers! First, on orders over $50, you can get a Free Gift Box & Free Shipping! The promo code will be VAL2. And on on orders over $100, we're offering a Free Cosmetic Case & Free Shipping! The promo code for this offer will be CASE.
This is an awesome site to check out. They have a section for sale items, and it is really fun to shop there.
Le list
1. Mood: half awake, sort of zoned
2. What’s one thing you’ve learned about love? It takes commitment and work
3. Flats or heels? usually flats, but lately I am getting into heels more
4. Coffee or tea? Coffee in a big big way
5. Eyes/lips/cheeks: Eyes
6. Do you watch many award shows? Only if nothing more important is going on
7. Favorite lipstick color of the moment? Heatherette
8. What did you have for dinner last night? A huge chopped salad with feta cheese and ranch
9. Outfit: outfit of the day is jeans and t from nasa that says "I need my space"
10. Weekly goals: My goal this week is to go to the 3 day class from Last Looks Academy being held in Dallas, and learn everything I can about makeup artistry, and to get my daughter through her S A T on Saturday.
I'm getting into the spirit of the upcoming release of Alice in wonderland. Such an amazing book to read. Followed by the second book Through the looking glass. There are some spectacular quotes from the book in the link above. I can't wait for the moving to come out. It promises to be amazing. In the true spirit of our hurried Rabbit, who is late for a very important date, I made sure I wasn't late to order the new Book of Shadows III. The Alice in wonderland pallette. This should be arriving in my mail soon. This time, I rushed to get it before it sold out. The book of shadows II went so quickly at Christmas. They were when I went to get one.
In addition to the Book of Shadows, I stumbled upon the O P I Alice in wonderland polish set. The colors are so lovely. I did a swatch that you will see above. The colors are from left to right:
Thank you muchness
Mad as a hatter
Off with her red
Absolutely Alice
The two glitters are so beautiful when you polish your nails with them. I am not a true fan of glitter polish. These have super fine glitter and go on so smoothly. They do require two coats to have even color. The resulting look is stunning. The other colors are really quite glossy and rich. There are other colors in the Alice in wonderland range. You can find them anywhere O P I is sold. Go down the rabbit hole, have an adventure with these new colors. You will be glad that you tried them. They are so fun.
This video has a little ghost story from my stay at The Skirvin Hotel in Oklahoma city Oklahoma. There is a bit more detail than I share on the video, but you should be able to track down info on the past and current events there. Also, I am sharing with you some information on where to get some discounted cosmetics from quality brand companies. Many of these products are currently available, and some are being phased out. But hey, makeup is makeup right. If you could get your urban decay liquid liner for half off wouldn't you? So, Check out what I purchased, and listen to some site recommendations. Enjoy the vid!!
Well here we are at last. The last day of an old year looking ahead to a year with a clean slate. I used to make resolutions. But they are to easy to break. Now I just set a goal. Similar but different. With a resolution, you give yourself permission to fail, and with a goal, you give yourself something to achieve. I jumped off the weight loss band wagon a long time ago. So, that would make a lousy goal. One year I set the goal to become more organized, one area of life at a time. I actually hit that goal. From my purse to my closet and hidden recesses in my home I decluttered. Now that change has become a habit. Last year my goal was to do a blog and here I am.
It's easier to set a goal that is interesting to you. Then at least you stand a chance of accomplishing it. For instance. Have you been wanting to take a trip somewhere? Start saving. Have you been wanting to try something new with you style, check out magazines and other media. See what style sparks your interests and start keeping a folder on what you like. Take it with you when you go shopping or to get your hair done. This will help you to get another step towards who you want to be in 2010. If there is something you have wanted to try or somewhere you have wanted to go but haven't write it down and make a date with yourself to do it. Do you want to eat sushi, take painting classes, have curly hair, get a puppy or kitten? Whatever you dream of in the year ahead, just think of it in baby steps and make a promise to yourself to make it happen. Unless it costs millions and you don't have that laying around, you should be able to hit any goal. Check your resolutions at the door and leave them there.
In this commercial driven time of year. When most of what is advertised is diet companies, weight loss pills, fitness equipment that promises to turn you into Cinderella or Barbie. It can be very hard not to feel a bit down on ourselves. These are things you would normally make a resolution over. You know, to join Jenny Craig, or buy a thigh master. LOL. But that's be silly. Your not silly. So, instead of doing that, just tell yourself you will park a bit further from the door when you shop. You'll add more veggies with your meal when you eat, or drink more water. Do what is manageable. As you strive for a more beautiful life, Tell that wicked voice inside saying all the negative stuff that you are cutting yourself some slack. Tell it to back off and then think of the things that you are doing right. You are wonderfully and beautifully made to be who you are, and you are working hard on being the best you. That is all one can do. Remember, Everyone is already beautiful. This other stuff is external and just adds garnish to what you already have.
My goal for this year, is to be more others centered. One step at a time. I will start by asking if anyone wants anything from the kitchen when I get up for a glass of water now. Then I will go from there. A little at a time, thinking of others as I go.
