Flash Rave....the power of the people!

So I am still signed up to receive my old college's newspaper. I check my email and open up the link to find this....

http://kykernel.com/2009/04/29/%E2%80%98flash-rave%E2%80%99-ends-in-library-evacuation/

Why couldn't these things have happened while I was there? What a mess!!!

Make-Up Tip Monday!

Good evening ladies and gentlemen! I hope the start of your week has been a wonderful one, cause I know mine has been. I started my work-study program at school, which was wonderful, and I also had an INTERVIEW!!! I was soooo excited to out in the job world again. I did have a few hesitations though.....the job I found and applied for was from Craigslist...eek! Anyone heard of the Craigslist Killer???? I was soooo nervous as I continued drive into the middle of nowhere to find my interview location. The interview was held in a warehouse.....I know what you might be thinking, trust me. I thought it too. But everything was great. The warehouse was their temporary home because they are getting a brand new facility!! Sweet!

The interview was a dream. I was amazed at how the job/job description was made just for me!!! My hopefully soon-to-be co-workers were lovely and I can't wait to hear back from them. I just had a feeling about it. I couldn't stop smiling, I was so happy!!

Now on with the make-up tips!!!

Over the past few weeks we've been working ourselves up from the beginning of make-up applications. We've talked about skin prep, choosing the right foundation, and now we will discuss foundation application!

To me, proper application of foundation is just as important as the make-up its self. Most foundation wearers are stuck in the era of the sponge....


I cringe when I see these things. Now they are good for cleaning up eyeshadow flakes after application, you know, the little sprinkles you get under your eye after you've put your shadow on? But I do NOT recommend using these sponges for foundation, whether it is for powder, cream, or liquid. Why? For these reasons:

-if you are using a liquid or cream, the sponge soaks up your product and doesn't give it back!! You are wasting anywhere from 25-50% of the product you paid hard-earned money for!! Stop! Thief!!

-the purpose of a sponge is to absorb....so its going to absorb anything on your face that it can. The sponge will soak up all the oil and bacteria on your face and the give all that yummy stuff a home to reproduce! YUCK!

-a sponge will not lay or place product on your face like a brush will. Like I mentioned before, the sponge wants to soak up the make-up, so its not going to give you a smooth, even application.

-when you use a sponge with a powder foundation, do you ever get a dark crusty layer that appears on the top of your compact? Well that is the oil from your face that the sponge drank up and spewed out on your precious make-up.....more yummy bacteria! Yes!

"What do you recommend, Meagan?" you might be wondering...

BRUSHES

That's right ya'll, BRUSHES! There are a variety of brushes available to you that will help with your foundation application.

For liquid and cream foundations you can use any brush you want. The more compact the bristles on the brush, like the brush third from the left in the picture above, the more product you will be able to pick up. This brush will give you a lot of coverage. The proper way to use the brush is not in a paintbrush motion. Paint-the-fence, Paint-the-fence, up and down, up and down.....NO, no no no no no no, NO!! All this is going to do is move the make-up around and give you a streaky finish. What you want to do is pat the skin with the brush to place the product on the face.

You can also use a fluffy brush to put a liquid or cream foundation on. Yes, I said it, a fluffy brush like the brush you've put blush or powder on with your whole life can be used as a liquid foundation or cream on your face. I love the result of using a fluffier brush. You place the make-up on in a circular motion, working the product on little by little. This will give you a more diffused look, an airbrushed finished. Flawless skin!!! Ooh La La!

When it comes to powder foundation, I would stick to the brushes on the right side of the picture. As you can see, there are a variety of sizes of fluff brushes. This gives you the choice of light, medium, or heavy application. The fluffier the brush, the less product will be placed on the face.

So that has it. Use brushes! I know I'm partial to MAC brushes because they last forever, but if you cannot afford to splurge on a full set or even one brush, stop by your local drugstore and pick up a few to try. I really like the make-up brushes at Target. The Sonia Kashuk make-up tools. They are the closest to my beloved MAC.

Things to remember when using your brushes:

-wash your brushes once or twice a month. More if you apply make-up daily. Use a small amount of make-up removing facial soap or an antibacterial soap diluted in water to wash your brushes. RINSE THOROUGHLY! Make sure you get all the soap out, gently squeeze excess water out, and lay on a paper towel to dry over night.

-don't get discouraged if you are first starting to use the brushes. Just like anything else new, you have to practice. It will come to you and you will notice the biggest difference!

Good luck and let me know if you have any questions.....PLEASE!!?? I haven't heard from very many people on my little posts! :( I love your comments and especially your questions!

Peace out!

Saturday Shenanigans

Saturday was such a wonderful day. I had my last lecture class of the semester, finding out that I barely have to pass the final and I will still have an A in the class!! Never did this happen in the first round of college. It just shows that it pays off to study hard during the semester :) As soon as class was over I headed to an outdoor music festival with J and his best friend Bologna! It was a great time. From the pictures I've had up, I'm sure you can tell J isn't a little guy. And being the football player he is, this festival is a great way to for him to get out some aggression. Get out aggression?? you might be wondering. It was a Rock/Metal festival! This was definitely a new experience for me, but I had a great time! I was on sensory overload. So many things to see, I felt like a kid with ADD in a room full of shiny things! I spent the beautiful day with my best friend and it was great! Here are a few pictures from the day...



I hope everyone has had a wonderful weekend. I know I have! It's always great to spend your free time with the ones you love. I have a busy week ahead of me and I pray that everything goes well. I start my work-study at my college tomorrow and as soon as that's over I have an INTERVIEW!! I'm so excited. Hopefully the job will be legit. I will be back tomorrow evening to let you know how it went and to give you your make-up tips for the week! Get excited!!!
P.S. I want to thank Katie @ Such a Loverly Life... and TheLuckiestMrs. for tagging me in there posts. Be looking for some awards that I will be passing on soon!!

Big Dreams

Today has been a day. Just when things were looking bright, the hammer falls. I had just a little breathing room for the summer, but that's been sucked up like the air out of a space saver back. Good googalie-moogalie! I can't catch a break here. I have to remember that every cloud has a silver lining and my time will come. Just breath Meagan, just breath.

For now, I can dream...

a new digital camera for my photography fix...

a new handbag....doesn't even have to be real :)

with a wallet to match...still doesn't have to be real. I like to call them designer replicas!
Having a matching purse and wallet is like having matching panties and bras....so much fun but not always tangible.
a place to call my own....a little country home with a yard and a wrap-around porch.

bedroom furniture to be proud of for that house that I dream of having :)

We all dream...why not dream big. One of these days I will have these things, hopefully sooner than later. What do you dream of?

Quick update

Thank you to all of those who said a quick prayer for J yesterday! The interviews went perfectly. He's already received a call to schedule the second half of the interview process, which is extremely exciting!! The second half of his interview is tomorrow morning, so if you don't mind, just a few more prayers would be amazing! Its J's turn for a break.

And more good news to add....I found out yesterday that I got a scholarship and grant money for this summer's classes!! I'm so excited. God is helping me out, knowing I don't have that job yet :)

I'll be back later with some more juice, but in the meantime, please keep us in your prayers and also say a little prayer for my friend and blogging buddy Brittany is at the end of her pregnancy and having a few complications. Just pray that she has a sweet baby girl and that her health gets better.

Have a glorious day and I'll talk to you soon!!

Family is such a great thing!

Good morning lovelies! How is everyone on this beautiful day? I am running on zero sleep and a bowl of rice crispies and feelin' fabulous!!! Last night was a very restless one....it is a very big day for J and I guess I couldn't stop thinking about it and praying for him. J has a full day of interviews!! We are very excited about this and I would really appreciate if you kept him in your prayers. Its been a struggle since we moved finding work and this would be a great opportunity for him!

Yesterday was an awesome day as well. J and I went to see my grandfather before he heads back to his "summer" home! He's my little Goose....:) Heading south for the cold, wintry months and then back north for the summer! It has been such a blessing to be close to him and being able to visit. It has really brought us closer together and helped us form a special bond. I don't know what I'd do without that man!!!


I'll leave you with a story, in honor of Earth Day....about the little plant that could! So I have this plant....it is nothing extravagant, its just a small little clover plant. My mom got a part of the plant from my grandmother and then once it grew big enough, she split the plant and started growing me one of my own.

Now let me tell you, I don't have the best of reputations with plants. My thumb is purple.....very far from being green. While living in KY I did my best to take care of the innocent plant, but not really paying it much attention. On my move down, I made sure to carefully transport the plant to not cause much stress.....but let me tell you! My little budding bundle of joy did not like it one bit, and got very angry with me.

Slowly, one bye one, my clover plant began to lose leaf-by-leaf....


until there was none.....
These aren't my actual plant, but I was so devastated by the situation I couldn't bring myself to take pictures of my seedling's slow death... :(

After a little research, counseling, and tender love and care, I have become the mother of a full-grown sassy sprout!! I don't know why, but I love this plant. Sounds a little crazy, but I get a kick out of waking up every morning and visiting her out on the back porch, having a little conversation and counting the clovers and baby sprouts!



And for the first time ever, its starting to grow tiny little white flowers. I'm sooo excited! Ha Ha....the littlest things make me happy :)

So I'm headed out to wait on my prince's return. Hopefully things have gone well and I will have good news to report soon! Have a great day and I hope the sun's shining where you are! Have a great Earth Day!

P.S. What are your feelings on the new phenomena of Twitter?? I'm lost. I don't get it.

Make-Up Tip Monday.....and much, much more!

Wow....that's a lot of M's! Just wanted to grab your attention....so I could introduce myself. Hi, my name is Meagan. Remember me? I didn't know if you would, seeing as its been FOREVER since my last blog. I apologize and hope to be able to get you caught up on what's been happening in my neck of the woods, well not the woods....maybe I should say, what's been happening under my umbrella on the beach :) There, that's better.

Well loves, I took a bit of a sabbatical to try and reorganize and regroup. School was starting to get a little hectic and I was getting a little overwhelmed, so I decided that I would take a little breather, gather my thoughts, and hope for a little peace! It definitely worked. My class is almost over, my grades are better than ever and the stress is no more! Woo Hoo! I've decided that being stressed and worrying is definitely overrated. God has had a plan for me since before I was born and I need to trust in that and in Him and it will all be just fine!

Since the last time we've "chatted" lots and lots has happened. I'm most excited about the fact that I won my bracket in the NCAA tournie against my family. My brother decided the family should compete and a prize should be awarded. I went along with it, thinking I would come up dead last, but low and behold....I WIN! :) My prize...a plane ticket back to Texas to visit! I'm so excited to be going home again so soon. I haven't gotten to spend this much time home since I was in high school.

Speaking of my brother....we had a little scare. He has been studying abroad for this semester and during his spring break he was traveling to Italy. He happened to be there when the lovely earthquake shook the town of L'Aquila to its core. I woke up to a phone call from my mom telling me about the earthquake and that my parents had yet to hear from my brother. I was in shock. My heart was so scared and then I remembered the message from church just the day before. Our senior pastor preached about trust. It was a hard pill to swallow but it was so true, about the fact that God has a plan and His will be done. Whatever the outcome of the event, it was because it was what God wanted to happen.

As I prayed that day, I tried to not be selfish, asking for God to be with the families that were suffering and that had lost everything. I prayed that His will be done. The day stretched on and it wasn't until dinner that evening that my family finally heard from my brother! The earthquake had woken him up that morning, but he didn't think anything of it and went on about his sight seeing and traveling. I was so happy to find out he was ok, and that my parents nerves could be at rest. God was good that day, like he is everyday. I just know he has big plans for my brother and He kept him safe that day.

Easter came around right after this. This year's Easter was a little different for me. I was with a new family, in a new state, at a new church.....and it was wonderful! The family went to church on Saturday night, a sacrifice we made to allow others to attend on Sunday morning, and the celebration was amazing. I am the kind of person that loves to worship through song and the musical performance for the Easter service was absolutely amazing!!! We have such a gifted worship team at our church and it is wonderful that God has brought that group of people together!

Sunday was a day for us to celebrate the resurrection and be with family. We were blessed with the most beautiful day and planned our events outside to enjoy the weather. I had a blast decorating Easter eggs....


and watching J construct a giant, big kid friendly, slip-n-slide......

and playing with the kids....

It was such a great day!

That's all I can think of that was important while I was gone....if I remember anything else I will let you know!!

Moving on...

Make-up, make-up, make-up!!

Our next step in the process is foundation!! How exciting!? That sounded a little sarcastic, but it wasn't meant to be. I love foundation and telling everyone my little secrets about it. As we talked about before, prepping the skin for make-up is very important. Make sure you read about how to do so here and here!

We'll start our lesson today with some of the myths about foundation. When I worked at a make-up counter I had hoards of people telling me how much they hated foundation and that they would never wear it and when they left the counter.....foundation was their best friend. It is all a matter of knowing your skin, knowing what you need, and knowing the proper techniques for application. We should already know about our skin types, so we are going to talk about what kind of foundation you need.

Foundation can be a scary thing, if you don't know what you're looking for. Foundation is a product that is used to correct discoloration in the face and create a blank canvas that is ready for color application and enhancement. You want to make sure you are using a quality product for best results. And remember quality doesn't mean most expensive!!! You can find some great products at your local drug store!

Ok....here's the low down. There are several types of foundation to choose from. You have options of coverage and formula. Here is a list of the different options and their descriptions:

Coverage Types

Sheer - This foundation is very lightweight with minimal coverage. It is used for those who don't need a lot of color correction on the face and is the least noticeable.
Medium - This foundation is the standard coverage formula. Not to much and not too little. This foundation is usually buildable, meaning you can have anywhere from a light to medium coverage in one foundation depending on how many layers are applied.
Full - This is the most coverage one can get. I don't like to use the term "heavy" because people mistake this for the weight of the make-up. Many full coverage are heavier than a sheer foundation, but aren't much different. This foundation will completely cover the skin and create an opaque canvas.

Foundation Formulas

Liquid - Liquid foundation is one of the most popular types of foundation. It comes in a wide variety of colors, coverages, finishes. Can be used for all skin types, especially dry.

Cream - Great choice for those who have dry skin. Medium to full coverage. Many people ask for a "cream-to-powder" but my experience with those aren't the best. They tend to be a little more drying to the skin. Instead you can get a cream foundation with a matte finish instead of one that leaves you looking shiny.

Powder - I love a good powder foundation. Make sure to note the difference in a powder foundation and a setting powder for oil absorption. A powder foundation gives more coverage and does NOT need to be placed over another foundation unless you are looking for extremely heavy duty coverage. Good for normal to oily skin.

Mineral - Mineral make-up is great for all skin types. If you are looking for a lot of coverage, this might not be the product for you.

Hopefully this information will help you figure out just what you need for your skin type! If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to ask! I will answer as best I can. I had one question from my first make-up blog that I wanted to answer.

"This is a brilliant post! I love St Ives Apricot scrub as well. The primer tip is great though - I'll have to try that! What do you recommend as a good long lsting foundation? I am currently running about 4 trying to find the perfect one! I find Bobbi Brown Luminous comes off by lunch time and is shiny and makes my skin look sallow, Double wear is great but too heavy ... Look forward to hearing your tips! ~ Europafox"

For a long lasting foundation, first use the primer. What this does is prevents the face from absorbing all your make-up. When you go through your day and it seems like your make-up is wearing "off", it is really disappearing into your pores! So use your primer! I have used several foundations on the market and I am hooked on M.A.C. they have a ton of great foundations that match every skin color and are long lasting. I would recommend a foundation that isn't a satin finish. If you like liquid, try studio fix fluid. It is a medium coverage, natural matte finish. It won't add excess shine and pairs well with the primer. If you like a cream, try studio tech. It is also a medium coverage, natural skin finish. It wears a little heavier than the studio fix fluid. And lastly, if you like powder, try just plain studio fix. It is their powder foundation that is amazing! It has great longevity if paired with the primer.

Another thing that might be causing the make-up to come off is how you are applying the foundation. It is very important to use a brush to put all color on the face. It reduces oil production and allows for proper placement of the product. I will talk more next week about the proper application of foundation, but for now, I hope this helps! Thanks so much for the question, Europafox!!

So there you have it! Hope you enjoyed this long post....please let me know what you think! Have a great Monday and see you soon!!