PAYING IT FORWARD...

My parents are polar opposites when it comes to their shopping habits...my mother is the avid bargain shopper, and my father is the "big spender" of the family, well at least according to her. I think I have a little bit of both of my parents' qualities in me. Since boarding the entrepreneur express, I am more conscientious of where I spend my money.

Don't get me wrong; I love me some Target' (that's French for Target), but it's a little different now. I make it a point to support local business, like yesterday when I dropped my watch off to Jay at Rizzo Jewelers to have the battery changed for $3.00.

Or when I hit up the sidewalk sales in Rochester, and stopped by Sole Sisters last week. I picked up a really cute pair of all black leather pumps for $20.00 and a super cool Made In Detroit hat that I just adore for $25.00.

So normally I would not pay $25.00 for a hat, or $75.00 for the jeans that I bought today at Bella Vita Boutique in Ferndale, but I want to spend my money with other local entrepreneurs. Since being in business, I have learned that smaller businesses cannot afford to buy in bulk the way that "big box" stores can; so the prices are higher.

To me it makes perfect sense to shop local to fuel my economy, and support the community that I live and work in. In my opinion, that is priceless.

A FLAWLESS CANVAS

To deny that great makeup looks better on beautiful skin would be nothing short of insane. In our western culture, we are negligent when it comes to our skin. In her book The Color Of Beauty, Iman said that she was taught that "the skin you take care of in your teens and 20s is the skin you inherit in your 30s, 40s, and beyond."

When I read that statement, it struck a nerve. I remembered a conversation that I had with my Aunt Sheila (my dad's sister) back in 1999 when we were roomies down in Georgia. I'd gone in her room to say good night, and there she was standing in her bathroom with a white mask on her face.

That moment opened up a ritual of weekly masks and girl bonding. We would wash our faces and put on our masks and talk. Now my aunt Sheila has the most beautiful skin I have ever seen on an individual. Her complexion is perfect, but so is her skin care routine.

Every night she cleanses her face. "I don't care what time of the night it is. I never wear makeup to bed." She learned that from her mother. She will occasionally use a toner if she feels oily and uses plenty of moisturizer and avoids her oily zones.

Now her excellent skin care habits totally rubbed off on me and played a part in my decision to add esthetician to my makeup artist resume. Flash forward to 2009 and here I am makeup artist/ esthetician with my own blog about skin care and beauty.

MY DREAM JOB AWAITS...

Bright eyed and full of excitement I put together this very simple resume...It is important to capture who you are and what you bring to the table. Combine all of your life's experiences to create a resume for your dream job.

Tiffany R. Taylor
Esthetician
123 Mainstreet Rochester Mi 48307
248-123-4567

SKILLS AND QUALIFICATIONS

• Bilingual (spanish/english) and proven team player

• Glycolic Peels

• Facials, body treatments and lash tinting and extensions.
  

• Strong esthetic and artistic abilities in design,color, and fashion wardrobe for photo, video, wedding, portfolio shots and promotional literature.
  

• Knowledge of special effects & theatrical makeup including: aging, bald caps, character development, and gender transformation.
  

• Male and Female facial and full body waxing

EXPERIENCE

Ms. Esthetician, Rochester MI
Freelance Esthetician, Massage Therapist 1-06

Satin Smooth (division of Conair) Stamford,CT
Esthetician, and Regional Wax Educator 7-06

Kasabiancca Rochester,MI
Esthetician, Massage Therapist 2-05

Advantage Entertainment Taylor, MI
Production Manager, Makeup Artist 11-03

Influential Castings Atlanta, GA
Image Coordinator, Makeup Artist 12-02

Freelance Makeup Artistry Detroit, MI
Freelance Makeup Artist 01-94

EDUCATION
2009 Dale Carnegie Troy, MI
Communications and Human Relations Diploma

2005 Origin Institute Utica, MI
Massage therapy Diploma

2004 David Pressley School of Cosmetology Royal Oak, MI
Esthetics Diploma/ License

1999 Washtenaw Community College Ann Arbor, MI
Liberal Arts

1994 Romulus Senior High School Romulus, MI
General Studies Diploma

I'M ON MY WAY

On my journey to Greatness and all of that good stuff...I've managed to stop and smell the flowers, take in and enjoy my surroundings and meet some really cool people along the way. When I hear stories of Internet stalkers, and crazy happenings...it baffles me because I've been on line since 1998, and have only great experiences to tell...Like the time...

In early 2007 I received an mail from a Mika Weaver...a local entrepreneur that was launching an online beauty guide for Metro Detroit's beauty industry Little Black Book Of Beauty...and she was looking for local writers to submit their article for the experts corner...I jumped at the opportunity and submitted several articles. That blind email has been a highlight in my career. Two complete strangers are now "sisters", and we are tackling the issues that we (beauty profs) face together as a team.

Or the time...

That I'd been searching for a local marketing company to help me with my branding and I came across Curve Detroit ...not to be confused with the workout facility...it's curve not curves...What an amazing group of people...I was absolutely blown away with the way they do marketing...So unpretentious, talented and they are MAC users (they wear jeans to work too OMG!!!)...I instantly fell in love with them.

My hubby's mouth said yes, but his head said something totally different (he suffered a mild stroke...he's a worrier that's married to a warrior...need I say more)...So I had to put my plans with Curve on hold...The true measure of a company is: How do you behave when things don't go your way?.. After not being able to hire them like I'd hoped...They didn't hold it against me. The Entire company follows me on twitter (they even respond to tweets), and they send me invitations to events that they are holding...?How cool is that...I love Curve Detroit...They are social media experts that are actually social.

WAXING @$$ AND TAKING NAMES...

Over the last few years body waxing in particular brazilian bikini waxing has gotten a bad reputation. There is the lady that lost her legs to a self wax and then the young woman from Australia that almost died from a brazilian bikini wax. Why on God's green earth would anyone want to wax putting them self in harms way?

The strongest arguments against waxing are based on misinformation and over the top exaggerations. Here are the myth revealed.

When I asked my facebook fans and twitterverse peeps, why they did not wax? I heard a resounding "Because It Freaking Hurts". So my response to that is "Duh, you are ripping hair out from the root". That is not a good enough reason to refrain from waxing. I'll say this "if you can have sex, you can wax. If you wax you can have even more sex".

"My friend told me that her cousin's, neighbor's, grandmother's, niece on her father's side had a brazilian bikini wax a few years ago and she said that no one should ever wax do brazilian waxing". Remember the childhood game telephone?...by the time the story gets to you it's really different than when it was first told. It's in your best interest to do your own research on body waxing...citysearch and yelp are resources that provide great feed back.

"Two Weeks is Too Long To Just Let Myself Go". Understood. The growout phase has been known to bring grown men to their knees in sheer agony, but it is so worth all of your efforts. Wax once enjoy two weeks of smoothness and then re-enter the growout phase a changed person.
"
"I don't want anybody looking at my yewwho". Self image is important and I take into consideration that people are sensitive when it comes to their bodies. I will offer this bit of advice. I see backs, cracks, and sacs all day long and as long as you are fresh and clean you blend in with the others. "If You've Seen One You've Seen 'Em All".

Share your thoughts on body waxing myths.

THE LOW-DOWN ON INGROWNS

Yes...Ingrown Hairs plague the best of us, and when I choose not to follow my own advice I become a walking billboard for "Ingrowns Gone Wild". Just what the heck is an ingrown... the technical definition found in my milady esthetician text book is: "Folliculitis can be a problem for many men, especially if they have very coarse or wiry beard hair." Huh?

Ok so here is my definition of ingrown hairs in Plain English..."An unsightly bump with or with out pus". Since any number of things can cause ingrown hairs...Let's talk in the terms of solutions. I have found that keeping a newly waxed area clean and "debris free"does wonders in combating these pesky little buggers.

EXFOLIATE EVERY 3-4 DAYS

The removal of dead skin cells that can cause ingrown hairs by clogging the pore. I like "¡¡¡Azucar Azucar!!!" No not the azucar Celia Cruz made famous, but a nice sugar scrub it works wonders for preventing and treating ingrowns. Bella Lucce' makes great sugar scrubs...I've been retailing their products for the past two years and clients love em. Sugar scrubs work for me...Please use what works for you.

MOISTURIZE DAILY

Use a good hearty moisturizer over you newly waxed area...This helps keep the skin soft and healthy.

KEEP IT CLEAN

Yep keeping the newly waxed area clean also helps in prevention of ingrowns. I like witch hazel...a natural antiseptic.

TOP TEN REASONS PEOPLE CHOOSE MS. ESTHETICIAN

You'll be amused:

10. I have not double-dipped since 2006

9. Other really smart, beautiful,trendy people come to me for their waxes

8. I actually went to beauty school, graduated, and have a real state of Michigan issued license

7. Growing up my mom told me "don't pick your zits" Guess what mom? People pay me to pick their zits

6. The sense of fulfillment after a days work is very life changing--Just joking I love ripping out unwanted hair

5. I have really high standards-- translation, my prices are premium and worth every penny

4. I am thorough, but not in a creepy weird way

3. I love giving advice on skin care--which fulfills my secret desire of being a psycho-therapist

2. I will wax anything, if it sits still long enough

1. I give away free thongs

MY "PINK CHEEKS" ARE ON THE LINE

An newly crowned (esthys are royalty) esthetician contacted me yesterday. Asking how does she implement no-double dipping into her salon without losing her job? Here is her email:

I just watched your Youtube video about waxing without gloves. I'm a new esthetician and gloves aren't typically worn at the salon where I work. They are available, but the other esthetician don't choose to wear them. I always sanitize my hands before working on a client, but the gloves get too messy for me when I'm doing leg waxing so I don't wear them. However, I do wear them when I do brazilian waxes.

Anyway, my main reason for writing today is to address the concerns I have about double dipping. Double dipping is allowed in the salon where I work (eww!) The owner has a huge following and has been doing brazilian waxes for years. Being the new kid on the block, It's really intimidating to confront someone with so many years of experience about such a sensitive topic. She's really set in her ways, but I'm hoping that if I present it in the right way she will see how beneficial this can be for us and our clients. Can you offer me any advise on how to bring this up without getting fired?

I was also wondering how many sticks you use for a full leg wax if you are not double dipping. I would imagine it would be a lot.

Thanks for your help!

Clients there are some salon owners that are standing in the way of your safety. Exercise your rights to safe and contaminate free services.

UNPROTECTED WAXING

Unprotected Waxing Is BAD... Really really bad...

OVER-NIGHT SUCCESS...MY FOOT

There is no magic pill...that will give you instant success...hard work+determination+FOCUS=Success. That was a tweet (twitter-my favorite form of social media) that I sent out last week. disclaimer-It generally helps if you hava a passion first, then apply the combination. Just wanted to put that out there.

I attended an informational seminar given by Mr. Michael Angelo Caruso on June 23,2009. The seminar was aswesomeass. Mr. Caruso did an excellent job in sharing the keys to his success, and there it was. My Aha/Whew-Hoo moment came slightly after the seminar say around 3 or 4 am Wednesday morning, as I was sitting at my computer pouring over my notes and tweeting my heart out.

Looking for the magic combination to send this "WAXSTAR" into orbit. That magic combo was Hard Work+Determination+FOCUS=Success. It hit me like a ton of cushioney play play bricks, you know the kind you buy your kids...yeah those are the ones, but still a ton of them. I was jumping up and down running around in circles. Thank the Lawd above my husband was at work and my daughter was with my folks.

So this was truly my moment. I then made a pact with myself to not look for the someone or something to help launch my success. I am in charge of M.E. You've gotta love the irony. On my journey to Greatness I read or heard that I needed a publicist, so I sought one out.

I had a conversation with her the week before my Aha/Whew-hoo moment in which I was critiqued to the highest form one human being can be critiqued. From the top of my "damaged hair" head (no, my hair is not damaged) to the soles of my un-polished feet"(don't tell her that she couldn't see my tootsies). I thought to myself "self, she kinda sucks".

She could have been a bull in my china shop, but I was not having that. No Way No How!!! Change this, change that, do this, do that blah blah blah. I wasn't offended or the least bit hurt. I actually laughed, because she doesn't know me very well. She shoulda asked my daddy about his baby girl that is part him, and the larger leftover portion being my mother. A 5'3" woman that won't start a thing, but believe me there won't be anything either.

For goodness sake she got the "Right One Baby". It was coupled with her critique-a-pa-looza, and Michael Caruso's seminar that I realized. "I Am Enough". That if I worked hard, was determined, remained focused than I would be a success.