“Mommy, will you pleeeeeeeaaase open the garage door so I can play Barbies?!  I want to meet Kimmie, it’s 8 o’clock!”

Yes, 8 o’clock was the magical time that our neighbors and my parents had established as a time that was “okay” to ring each others doorbell so the kids could play together outside. Now as an adult, I think that is waaaaay too early!  But as a kid, I can pretty much promise I had already been pacing the house for an hour and a half dying to get my hands on that Barbie doll and play with the neighbor kids.

I still remember stepping out onto the cold concrete while my mom opened the garage door, wrapped up in her robe, and seeing Kimmie’s garage door open…”YES!” GAME ON, it’s Barbie time!! We would be so excited, running to meet up with each other and plan our Barbie day. Hmm, should we set up the pool today or have them go to school?! Big decisions. Kimmie ran her Dream House out of her garage, and my sister and I had a Dream House in our garage. This allowed our Barbies to “drive” to each other’s house!  If we were REALLY lucky, Jennifer would be home too and we would have THREE houses on our cul-de-sac with Barbie houses going on!  (Come on, you know you wish you lived on our street!)

I would pretty much claim my Barbie passion growing up as an obsession. Yep, it was. And I’m pretty sure I’ve yelled at my little sister for ripping Barbie’s head off…or worse yet, cutting her hair ((GASP))!  But honestly, as a kid, I never really over-analyzed Barbie’s body, or gave it much thought. She was my toy…nothing real.  But now as an adult, and after seeing the images in this post, I realize how crazy the whole Barbie body phenomenon is.  Check this out…it is too crazy to not share!

Image source: Imgur

Can you believe the Barbie proportions drawn on this gorgeous girl?!  Our bodies were never designed to look like a Barbie doll…it’s just not physically possible.  The Barbie figure is not real, girls.  It’s a total myth and an unattainable beauty standard!  So please don’t think Barbie has it all…she may have a Dream House, but they forgot to give her a waist!  And I can promise you this…you wouldn’t WANT to look like Barbie.  I mean seriously, look at that photo above one more time!!  Honestly, I think we could all agree that this model is 1,000,000 times more gorgeous than the Barbie doll figure would ever be.

Bottom line, Barbie is a doll…and it was not created with real life proportions!  If Barbie were real, she might look a bit like this…which just really makes me laugh, really hard.  COULD.YOU.IMAGINE passing a girl with these proportions on the street?!  Yes, I’d be giving her a double look…but for all the wrong reasons!

Image Source: Huffington Post

Galia Slayen created this life-sized Barbie for her high school in support of the first National Eating Disorder Awareness Week (NEDAW).

If Barbie were real, Galia gives us some facts to keep in mind:

• At 5’9″ tall and weighing 110 lbs, Barbie would have a BMI of 16.24 and fit the weight criteria for anorexia. She likely would not menstruate.
• If Barbie was a real woman, she’d have to walk on all fours due to her proportions.

Don’t believe the hype girls; we aren’t supposed to compete with Barbie!  But she sure was fun to play with as a kid–even if I never had the chance to be the proud owner of the Barbie RV!

xoxox,

It completely humanized her…she is just like us! Blemishes and all!! It was so refreshing to see her Twitter pic…  It’s almost like we can all take a big sigh of relief when we see such a gorgeous actress post a photo that makes her just like us.

Photo courtesy of AnnaLynne McCord’s Personal Twitter Stream.

Serious props, AnnaLynne.  I bet you gained a few new fans by humanizing yourself as well.

xoxox,

To be honest, I was a fairly lucky girl in high school and had the occasional outbreaks, but nothing bad.  Then it caught up with me when I got older.  A couple years ago I finally went to the doctor and said, “Look.  I’m breaking out more now than when I was 16.  What is up?!  I shouldn’t have to go through this!  I don’t even want to see anyone with the way my chin looks!”  I should have made an appointment A LOT sooner.  I had tried every over the counter product you could imagine, and it JUST.DIDN’T.CUT.IT.  So the doctor referred me to a dermatologist that started me on a prescription regime.  THANK YOU SWEET BABY JESUS!  It actually helped!  First piece of advice, if you suffer from acne, go to your parents and tell them you are done dealing with it and want a doctor’s appointment to see if there is anything that can be done.  I’m so grateful I went and wish I had not waited as long.  There are solutions out there because no one should have to go through that.

On my quest to beautiful skin, I’ve learned three important things that everyone should do.  These three tips will help you girls out, and they are really simple.   Your skin is your largest organ (yes, there is my fact to help you with your SAT prep), so we should really do our best to take care of it.

Tip #1:  Drink Water…seriously.

It sounds so basic.  And yes it is.  But it has so many benefits.  Most of us don’t drink enough water every day; we are supposed to have 6-8 glasses a day.  Let me guess, you’re lucky if you have two?!  Okay…one?!  But if we did drink those 6-8 glasses a day, our skin would thank us.  It helps flush the toxins out and makes our skin more fresh and alive!  Have you ever had your lips peeling or a bit cracky…yep, more water.  That’s it!  Not more ChapStick…more water!  Your skin will be more radiant and not as dry.  And your skin won’t be the only thing to benefit…you will physically feel better and chances are, stay healthier.  Drinking water will help clear your skin and give you a healthy glow…what a simple solution!

Tip #2:  Use Sunscreen.

My guess is, your mom may have already told you this one.  I get it…you want that awesome glowy skin (go drink water and it will be more glowy).  But the damage that the sun causes on your skin now will wreak havoc on your skin later on.  First off, you have the potential of skin cancer.  And no, you are never too young to start protecting your skin.  And skin cancer is never cool unless you don’t mind a doctor scalpeling a chunk of your nose out because you thought you didn’t “need” sunscreen.  Trust me, you need it!  Secondly, I know you aren’t thinking about when you will be 30 years old right now…but once you hit 30, you can tell the girls who wore sunscreen or not!  If you haven’t, your skin will just look older, more leathered, it will have sun spots all over, and you will be looking like you are pushing 40 instead of 31.  If you wore sunscreen…people will not believe it when you tell them you are 30 because they will think you are still 23!  For real.  Use the sunscreen girls!  There are sunscreens made just for your face!!  Make sure you choose a sunblock that is non-comedogenic…this means it “won’t clog pores.”  The one I use?!  Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Dry-Touch Sunblock…and you might even think I’m in my twenties (hahaha…insert my evil laugh)!

And if you still want that glowy look, there are a ton of tinted moisturizers out there that can provide a sunkissed look to your skin…without the damaging rays!  Or give mineral makeup a try.  But DON’T forget the sunscreen, even on an overcast day!

Tip #3: Exfoliate.

Basically, exfoliate is a fancy word for “let’s take the dead skin cells that sit on the top of our skin off.”  Automatically, your skin will look healthier.  Exfoliation also helps minimize pores so they don’t look so big.  AND it will help minimize those blackheads.  My favorite way to exfoliate is by using my Clarisonic.  Girls, wish one of these fancy things for Christmas or a birthday…whatever!  It will be worth it.  I didn’t know how much mine helped until I went in for a recent facial and my esthetician said, “Have you been exfoliating?!”  It was one of those moments like when you are at the dentist and they ask if you’ve been flossing.  I hesitantly said, “Well, I have to be honest, I’ve become lazy and stopped using my Clairsonic…maybe that is it?!”  And she said, “Oh yes honey…that is one of the best things you can use for your skin.”  So there we have it…it actually really DOES work.  And LAZY DOESN’T GIVE US GORGEOUS SKIN GIRLS!!  So don’t get lazy…there is your lesson learned through me!
But you don’t NEED a Clarisonic to do the exfoliating trick.  Try out the St. Ives Apricot Scrub.  People RAVE about this product.  I remember using it when I was in High School.  It’s a classic that exfoliates the skin and helps clean those pores and limit breakouts.  When you don’t remove the dead skin off the top of your face, dirt likes to get trapped underneath and then causes those nasty noticeable poors…or blackheads that are compacted on your skin.  Just don’t rub the exfoliant into your skin hard!  The goal is not to rub sandpaper on your skin…just gently massage it into your face and rinse it off.  It will feel like your skin took a big deep breath when you rinse it off!

Believe it or not, there are also simple homemade exfoliants.  Simply mix a little sugar and honey and rub it gently over your face and remove it with a warm washcloth.  Or try oatmeal and honey…perfect for sensitive skin!  Just watch the eyes…oh yes…please avoid the eyes!

I hope you enjoyed these few little beauty tips…now seriously, go grab that glass of water and drink up!

xoxox,

So this year, we hit up Coldplay.  It was amazing.  There is something about their music that makes me want to spin around with my arms open wide, looking up at the sky, with my eyes closed…and of course a huge smile on my face.    I don’t know what it is, but their sound just consumes my soul and takes it to another place…I feel their music to my inner core.

The two things I loved most about the concert…

1.) As you entered the arena, they gave everyone a wrist band…this wristband lit up at different times throughout the concert.  And it was all controlled by them!  It brought a complete sense of unity to the audience as every single one of us in the crowd had blinking arms!  It made you feel a part of something bigger than just a concert; it brought us all together as one…and truly made it an experience.

2.) Chris actually messed up on a note while singing and playing the piano at the concert and immediately stopped playing.  Laughed at himself, asking, “What was that?!”…possibly throwing in a bad word after that.   And then tried to find his place and pick up where he left off.  You could tell the poor guy was embarrassed.  One might find it funny that this was a favorite part of the concert.  But you know what, it humanized him.  I loved seeing his error!  And it proved there is no lip-syncing whatsoever at their shows!

I can’t wait to see them again at a future concert.  Actually, I sort of have it on my bucket list to go to a concert in Europe.  For some reason, I have this idea that Europeans know how to have a good time and really let go at a concert!  Fingers crossed, next time I’ll be standing in Europe with the confetti falling all over the arena.  And I will surely have my arms spread high in the air, taking in the moment again.

And if you are wondering if I love Coldplay more than my NKOTB, NKOTB has a place in my heart that will never be touched…just sayin’.

Thank you for the amazing Christmas present, Ryan!

xoxox,

This is the one piece of makeup I can’t live without for my eyes.

M.A.C. Paint Pot

For those days you don’t want to put eyeshadow on, simply swipe a little of this Paint Pot on your finger and smooth it over your lid.  It instantly smooths out the tone of the skin, which is usually weird around the eyes anyways because the skin is so thin.  I use the shade Painterly, and it is so close to my natural skin color that it doesn’t even look like I’m wearing any makeup, but it brightens my face up by smoothing out any discolorations on the lid.  It applies nice and smooth and never looks thick.  And as a second tip, it’s great to wear as a base on the days you ARE going to wear eyeshadow.  It smooths all the color out and gives you a beautiful canvas!

Enjoy the Monday Makeup Tips,

How many of us have exited the freeway, seen a homeless person on the corner, and locked our car doors? 

Not Cassidy.  She recognized the despair in their eyes at an early age and is determined to make a difference.  As far back as she can remember, she has felt the need to help the homeless.  When her family drove past a homeless individual at a freeway exit, she was the little girl that begged her parents to help in some way.   By the time she was 8 years old, she had a stash of granola bars in her parent’s glove compartment box to hand out when she saw someone in need.  Then in middle school it grew to carrying cases of water in the car to pass out to those in need.  And now she carries little zip lock care package in her car for the homeless, filled with necessities such as water, imperishable foods, toothbrushes, toothpaste, and soap.  How does Cassidy want to leave her mark in this world?

“My goal is to launch a non-profit organization in support of showing love to those in need before the end of my senior year of high school.

I want to start a rally.

I want to spread hope, faith, grace, and LOVE.

I want to make a difference.”

Cassidy, you are truly and inspiration and a fearless role model.  Many adults could learn a thing or two from you, seriously!  YOU inspire others to not be self-centered and find a way to make their own difference in this world.  The world is really a better place with you in it.  And I can’t wait to see the amazing things you accomplish.  I have not one doubt that you will do amazing things…things that make ME want to be a better person.

Let’s learn more about Cassidy and her fierce tennis skills…

 “I am fearless because I strive everyday to use my God given talents and faults for His glory and make every effort to do better today than I did yesterday.”  -Cassidy

If you had one superpower, what would it be and why?

“Have you seen the movie Jumper? I would be a transporter, free to travel anywhere I wanted in the blink of an eye. I would see the world and immerse myself in other cultures.”

(Psst…when you figure out how, I want to go with…PRETTY PRETTY PLEASE!)

“The one thing I know for sure is beauty is found deep within.”  -Cassidy

What is your favorite thing about yourself?

“Honestly, I have never thought about my favorite thing about myself…I guess it would be the fact that I’m a klutz and I can heartily laugh at myself.”

(Girl, if you can laugh off your quirks, you are definitely ahead of the game.)

If you could give other teen girls one piece of advice, what would it be?

“Follow your dreams…even when it gets tough…especially when you fail over and over again…continuously get back up! Most importantly, always be yourself…non-uniformity is more fun!”

Who inspires you?

“My mom inspires me to be a strong and confident woman of God.  She inspires me to want to be a better person.  She is wise, brave, full of support and a woman I hope to one day be like.  She encourages me to work hard, to live every day with a purpose, and to always remember that today could be my last.  She inspires me to love my enemies, to be myself, and to turn the other cheek when it gets hard to cope with life.  She is a beautiful and pristine image of what a wife, a mother, a woman should be like through the thick and thin.  I do not know where I would be today if I had not had her by my side this whole time.  She is my best friend and no one will ever know me better than her.”

Fearlessness defined by Cassidy:

Fearlessness smells like…a freshly opened can of tennis balls.

Fearlessness looks like…an ace to close an epic rally when you’re down Love-40.

Fearlessness tastes like…sweat.

Fearlessness sounds like…silence, when you toss that first serve.

Fearlessness feels like…numb focus, when everything else disappears and you’re left with your opponent.

As you could tell by her definition of fearlessness, she LIVES AND BREATHES tennis.  By living and breathing tennis, I mean this is the girl that watches YouTube videos studying shots.  She is the girl that researches proper health routines for athletes and the psychology of a tennis player.  She is the one that will give up a social event if she has a chance to be on that court.  How many of you have received a FB message from her dying to set up a match?!

She plays club tennis with the Murrieta Tennis Club and is on the team at her high school where she has had the honor of being the Team Captain.  Cassidy is a definite talent out on the court.  She has been the MVP, awarded All-League 2nd Team, and the #1 singles player ALL YEARS at Murrieta Mesa High School.   Outside of her involvement in club and the high school team, she also competes in USTA (United States Tennis Association) tournaments.

Cassidy wants to continue playing tennis when she hits college.  She will be a huge blessing to whatever team she chooses…what an inspiring and good-hearted individual she is.

If there was one thing she could do if she knew she would not fail, she would want to represent the USA in the Olympic Games.

Cassidy, you are a gem.  Your potential is endless.  Go after what makes you happy in this world and fills your heart with pure joy.  It was such a pleasure to meet you, and I wish you nothing but the best.

Do you know a Fearless Girl?!  We all do…think about it.  Make her day by nominating her here!  And to all you teen girls, in the top left portion of this blog is now a link for a newsletter!  Sign up now!!  I will be sending out a monthly newsletter with tips, advice, teens that I’ve spotlighted, and upcoming fun events for all my seniors!  And of course, be the first to know by clicking like on my Facebook page…it’s a fun hangout spot, better than the mall!

Much love and many aces Cassidy,

I was incredibly honored when asked to photograph the ambassador photos for the new showroom in downtown Carmel.  I have always been a Lululemon fan…I remember the first time I saw their clothing–I think I drooled.  Going into this experience, I was a big Lululemon fan.  After this experience, I’m their number one fan (yes, I am cuddled up at my computer wearing my lulu at this very moment).

Lululemon is such an amazing brand to work with…a brand that promotes healthy living and a strong sense of community by creating community legacies.  And don’t even get me started on their employees…the friendliest individuals, guaranteed to put a smile on your face.  Marina, Jenna, and Sterling…you were all so incredibly wonderful to work with.  Marina…your personality exudes leadership, and I’m so grateful our paths have crossed.  I can’t wait to work with you again in the future.  Jenna, you just MAKE THINGS HAPPEN.  The way you seamlessly got things rolling for our shoot was incredible.  Thank you for your hard work in coordinating everyone to make this happen.  And Sterling…I had so much fun with you and the ambassadors down at the beach.  Your personality uplifts everyone you are around.  You put an instant smile on my face, and with your quick wit, you had me laughing a majority of the time–I think we fed well off each other’s humor!  Then there are the Lululemon ambassadors…such inspiring women from our community promoting healthy lifestyles and carrying forward the Lululemon mission.

During a really dreary week, the sun peeked through the clouds and blessed us with wonderful weather the day of our shoot.  We met down at the end of Ocean for a day of showing off the ambassador’s personalities through their  photographs and making new friends.  I think I had a smile on my face constantly while meeting all these lovely ladies.  And you’ll see why…

Presenting the Carmel Lululemon Ambassadors…

 Kimberly (Kimbe) of Yoga Center of Carmel…

And YOU…(tap, tap, tap) the one behind the computer…read the following and really listen to her amazing insight; seriously, amazing advice.  I love the very first sentence and want to remind myself of it every day when I roll out of bed.  Thank you for the amazing words that you share with us Kimberly.

“Dear 17 year old self:  

Each Day is a Blank Slate, What do you want to fill it with.   Notice how you spend your time.  Notice where your joy comes from, where your heart & your body light up.  Intend more of that.  There will be set backs, two steps forward, one step back possibly.  Keep the dreams alive.  Thoughts become things.  Keep them focused on the intentions.  What we give, we get.  Give, Receive and circulate wealth, love, kisses & hugs, prayers and chocolate.  :)  May help to think in thirds, one third about you, one third about others and one third for future intentions.  That can include any dollars you may have earned, one third for you to spend on you, one third to spend on another and one third in bank for future intentions.  To a Happy You!  Love.  BE.”

-Kimberly

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Our next ambassador we have is Michael of Monterey Yoga Shala…I love this image so much.  It just EXUDES confidence and a peace with her “self”.

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And below, we have the adorable Mia, owner of Studio-Mia.

I seriously wish we were neighbors…I really enjoyed my time with you Mia.  She is now offering paddleboard yoga…SERIOUSLY?!  How cool is that?!  I honestly think I need to sign up.  Here are some photos of her paddleboard yoga class.  I can only imagine that must be the ultimate core workout.

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Sarah an instructor and owner of Om Oasis Yoga
She is so incredibly sweet…I know “sweet” can be a word that is overused. But I promise you, the kindness and warmness of her soul defines it. There.is.no.way.she.has.one.enemy.   She is the type of person we should all strive harder to be like.

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Our next ambassador is Brie.  She is an instructor at Yoga Center of Carmel  AND the founder of Love the Skin Your In. Phenomenal…and inspiring.  If you battle demons in your head about body image (this means I’m talking to at least 70% of you) go to Love the Skin Your In.  Read through the amazing journey she has embarked on and the inspiring lessons she is teaching girls all around the world.

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Our next inspiring ambassador is Tesia of Carmel Pilates…her smile and laugh are contagious! I mean, can you not tell by the photo alone?!

Tesia was able to rehabilitate injuries through Pilates which made her a firm believer in the practice.  The results have inspired her to educate others.

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And our last ambassador is Christianna.  She coordinates the 7am Run Club for Lululemon of Carmel and is also a certified personal trainer.  Good luck in your TWO FULL MARATHONS around the corner.  And I hope to see you in a few weeks at the Big Sur Marathon…although, I’m only half crazy! (all of you runners out there will understand that comment)

What an amazing experience and an inspiring one.  Ladies…you are incredible.  You are a true example of a fearless woman.  Our time together was an absolute pleasure, and I look forward to photographing you all again.

And for those of you that are inspired and want to come work out with some of these amazing people, join Lululemon Carmel on the beach this Saturday for some Beach Bootie Camp at 9am.  It’s the perfect way to kick off your weekend…I hope to be there myself!  And if you can’t make the Beach Bootie Camp, stop by their new location.  The showroom is on Dolores St. in downtown Carmel between 5th and 6th.  I’m pretty positive it will put a smile on your face!

xoxox,

So…who read it?!  And who went to see it this weekend?!  I have to admit, I remember reading what the books were about and thinking to myself, “Why in the world would I ever want to read about teenagers being put in an arena to fight to their death?”  Well, it sounds so incredibly twisted, but I’ve been SO HOOKED on this book series.  I’ve been so engrossed in the world of Panem, that all laundry has been put on hold for a good week and a half.  I’m on the third book right now and can’t wait to finish it.  I’m not going to lie, I even sneaked out to the theater in between photo shoots on Friday so I could see it!  And I was really happy with the movie.  I thought they did a much better job with this book-to-movie translation than my other favorite book series, Twilight.

So fess up, who is addicted?!  And if you haven’t read it…seriously, just read book one.  And I’ll be amazed if you can actually put it down.

“May the odds be ever in your favor,”

Go ahead…click it, watch it.

This week, Israel took a big step…a step that is really against the grain of the fashion industry, but they did it to protect their girls.  According to Reuters, “The law, passed late on Monday, says women and men cannot be hired for modeling jobs unless a doctor stipulates they are not underweight, with a body mass index (BMI) — a measure expressing a ratio of weight to height — of no less than 18.5.”  According to the World Health Organization, anything below 18.5 is considered underweight and indicates malnutrition…and many argue anorexia.  Another favorite facet to this new law is that advertisements need to disclaim if there has been significant Photoshop manipulation to an image.

“Beautiful should not be anorexia.” -Legislator Rachel Adato

I absolutely agree with the law and applaud them for standing up for something that is being so overlooked in many societies.  The impossible standards set forth by the fashion industry are driving so many girls to the extreme…a deadly extreme.

I’ve heard some argue that this new law may discriminate against naturally thin women; however, I believe they have the BMI set low enough to avoid that.  I’m going to let it all out of the bag here girls…I’m 5’6” and 140 pounds.   For fun, I calculated my BMI and found I’m a 22.6…happily right within the normal BMI zone.   I also calculated how low my weight could be in order to still be able to model in Israel with the new BMI restriction…I could technically be 115 pounds and they would still allow me to model.  Y’all, that means if I weighed 25 pounds LESS, I could still fit within the 18.5 BMI requirement.  Umm, have you seen my picture…I couldn’t (and wouldn’t want to) lose 25 pounds if tried!  5’6” and 115 pounds…seriously?!   And even if I was 5’6” and 115 pounds, under the new law, if I was looking too underweight in an image, they couldn’t use the image (ex: the image of the girl in the video with her ribs showing…yikes).  I know everyone has their own build; I know there are many healthy girls that are my height, yet weigh less than me.  But I can also tell you that anyone of my height and being any less than 115 pounds would look horribly underweight, no matter what their build was!   So no, I don’t think it will discriminate against naturally thin woman…bottom line, they need to have a healthy BMI indicator.  However, it will keep the ultra thin models out of the advertisements…and hopefully save some lives in the process.    You can calculate your BMI here!

It makes me happy that Israeli lawmakers are taking the steps to focus on healthy images of men and women in their media in order to promote a positive body image.   One problem Israel will face is the selling of American magazines in their country; the law does not apply to foreign publications sold within their country.  The U.S. is a major player in the fashion world and our media messages transcend more borders than possibly any other country.   American magazines are riddled with underweight models and many do not sell the ideal of a healthy individual.  This makes me feel America needs to make a change as well, arguably more than Israel, if we are distributing an unhealthy message to not only our own girls, but to girls around the world.

At a local gym in Monterey, outside they have a banner waving proudly that says, “Healthy is the new skinny!”  I love it!  YES, healthy should be the new skinny…and I believe Israel has figured that out!

What do you think of the new law?!  Would you be supportive of a similar law here in the United States?

Love YOUR Version of Beautiful,

Let’s get to know this Big Sur native a bit more! And you won’t be disappointed…she gives some killer makeup tips for all of you girls out there!  Anathea has been a makeup artist professionally for three years now, although her love for the craft extends much further back than that!  She attended the Makeup Institute of San Francisco when it was still located in downtown Union Square (how cool is that?!)…from Big Sur to the big city, watch out!  Now you can find her at the ultra-cool Oya Salon, voted the best salon in Monterey County in 2011!  And for you Fearless Girls and those of you that are applying right now to be an IT Girl, Anathea and I have some fun plans in store for you!  (Ah-hem…get on it and nominate your friends to be a Fearless Girl and get those applications in for the Class of 2013 IT Girls…you won’t want to miss the event).

Lets start out with some fun questions to get to know her…and then we will get to the amazing tips! What is the greatest song ever written?

There is no way I can fairly answer this question, There are so many greats!  But I will say this…”Music is what feelings sound like.” -Anonymous

(Love that quote, Anathea)

If you had one superpower, what would it be?

-To fly, but of course!

What is your favorite thing about makeup artistry?

-This is a tough question…There are so many things..I have such a passion for this artistry. It would have to be the combination of making the client feel beautiful while being able to express myself creatively.

(Here is Anathea in action for some of our sessions at Oya Salon and on-location.)

What is your favorite makeup tip?

-Step outside of your comfort zone.  Try a fun red lip!  NEVER try to mask or hide what you have.  If you have freckles, compliment them with a dab of peachy blush.  Got big blue eyes?  Try a coppery shadow to really make them pop.  Embrace your features and have fun with them!  Also..Maintaining your brows can be very important.  Never underestimate the power of a groomed brow; they can make your face look fresh and well polished, very important!

Matte or shimmery makeup, and why?!

-Both!  They are beautiful in their own ways.  Each brings something different to the look.  I love dabbing just a bit of highlighter on the cheekbones and above the brow bone for that dewy-glow-from-within look.
If your skin is feeling dull or lackluster this tip always delivers.  A Matte foundation gives that look of porcelain skin that is always timeless.  Also, when I do makeup that will be photographed, I always stick with matte shadows, shimmery or metallic shadows can cast unwanted light in photos.

Finish the following prompt…”Dear 17-year old self,”

-Be present in these moments, time flies by much quicker than I ever would have imagined.  Life is truly about the journey and not the destination.