My Definition of Beauty

~Beauty: n. bu-tee- 1.The confidence, health, happiness, balance, love, goodness, etc. radiating from a person. 2. The result, when living a life consistent with ones desires, values, goals and good intentions. 3. A person who looks at the world with bright optimism and hope, with a pleasant confident disposition and compassionate heart.

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With this being a blog focused on makeup and clothing {outward appearance}I thought it would be important to share my definition of beauty for two reasons, 1) it will help you to get to know me a little better and 2) I  received an email from a young lady that really touched my heart. This young lady is struggling with "beauty" and feeling beautiful in general. The email really touched me because I've been there. I didn't always think I was aesthetically pleasing, I questioned people when they told me I was pretty, I even wondered why guys were interested in me. After a lot of prayer and soul searching, I realized what I lacked was confidence and that my perception of beauty was all messed up.

As cliche as it may be, beauty really does start within. To me, being beautiful is simply just being you and being comfortable with who you are. Not conforming to societal stereotypes just because you want to fit in. Rising above the ordinary, being able to smile through adversity, meeting challenges-are all signs of real beauty to me. It has little to do with your appearance but whats in your heart.

I believe there is a difference between a beautiful person and someone I may describe as pretty. When I say someone is pretty I'm usually just describing their outward appearance. I may not know anything about them, never had a conversation with said person... so to me they're just pretty {sometimes the prettiest people can do the ugliest things}.  A person I describe as beautiful has a certain glow that shines from within. Some may even say a beautiful spirit. It really doesn't matter what they look like or what they have on. There's nothing in this world that can take away someone's beauty.

Do I believe makeup can make you feel better? Heck Yeah. That's the whole point of this blog. When you look good, you feel good {and I want everyone to feel good} but if you're lacking confidence or if your spirit isn't right there isn't enough makeup in the world that will make you beautiful.

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder so be sure to define beauty for yourself and strive to be that person.

Winter-ize Your Wardrobe

The leaves are changing colors and the weather is getting cooler, so it’s about time to trade in your favorite summer sandals and tank tops for booties and cashmere sweaters. A change of seasons also serves as the perfect motivation to take on the otherwise daunting task of organizing your wardrobe. If you prep now, it’ll be easier to get the perfect ‘I just threw this on, but I’m still totally fab’ look.

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If you haven’t worn it in a year, get rid of it. Consider donating anything that didn’t see the light of day this summer; you know one of the many rules of fashion - If you haven’t worn it in a year, get rid of it. I know it can hard to get rid of that cute little dress that we haven’t worn since college but its time.  Just think about all of the room you’re making for fresh fall fashions like a stylish new faux fur vest or a fly oversized clutch.

Organization is virtue. Organization is often the key to getting the most mileage out of your wardrobe, and its also the hardest. You can save yourself a lot of time if you’re not down on all fours looking for the match to your favorite shoe! I’ve seen that some of our fav celeb fashionistas store their shoes in boxes with Polaroid pictures on the front or hang their clothing by color or category, find what works for you. Sometimes you just need to find the right tools (hangers, shoe racks). However, an organization system only works if you take time to use it. {That last sentence was for me LOL}

Store properly. Storing summer clothes is just as important as winter clothes. People take due diligence in making sure their winter wear is protected from wear and tear, moths, whatever, but you should also take time to store summer clothing away properly.
• Be sure to dry clean or wash clothes before storing them, stains can get worse over time
• Clothing should be stored in ventilated areas and bags to avoid mold or mildew formation, and to protect against fading.
• Keep your summer whites away from direct sunlight. White clothes contain colorless dyes that can turn yellow when they’re exposed to sunlight for long periods of time.

You don’t have to put everything away just yet. Don’t put all of your summer goodies away just yet. Many of the trends that were popular this summer will translate well into the fall season. Rock your mini dress with peep toe pumps and tights or layer that cute flowy camisole under chunky sweaters and structured jackets.

Now let’s start packing!

Sleeping Beauty

Ever wake up and look in the mirror and say to yourself "what in the world!? I don't remember drinking any alcohol last night!?" Well unless you have been drinking there are a few steps you can take to make sure you wake up on the right side of the bed!

Step One: Try to get a least eight hours of sleep!

Step Two: Never go to bed without washing your faces. Whether you are wearing makeup or not, its a must!

Step Three: Drink a glass of water. When you wake up in the morning your skin will be hydrated and dewy.

Step Four: Tie your hair up. Though 'bed head' can sexy sometimes you don't want to press your luck because there's a pretty high chance that it will look a mess. (Tip: tie your hair with a satin or silk scarf. This will help retain moisture).

Step Five: Moisturize your skin. Waking up with dry cracked skin is not cute and I'm sure your boy toy will appreciate you NOT cutting his legs with your feet all night.

Super Diva Step: Do one hundred sit-ups. You'll have the flat abs we all desire in no time. (I should take my own advice :-)