BEAUTIFY YOUR SPIRIT

RT @anasanaturals DIVA DO'S & DON'TS: Allow times of testing and trial to deepen your character and beautify your spirit.

I've learned that the true beauty of a person is not on the outward physical appearance. Working in the beauty indy, sometimes the lines become blurred; and we focus less on the inner and more on the outer.

Yes, the perfect hair cut and color can definitely lift your spirit or a Brazilian bikini wax can definitely bring a little sexy back into your long-time relationship. These are things that can bring a temporary glimmer of hope into your hum drum life; but if you are looking for something longer lasting, you will need to do some soul searching.

Take long walks - the benefits of walking are both for physical health, as well as mental.

Start a gratitude journal - After watching a special on Denmark being the country with the happiest citizens on earth, one of the persons interviewed said that one of the keys to happiness is being grateful. Journal about things that you are grateful for on a regular basis. Doing so will help you change your perspective.

Smile - Okay, so those of you that know me personally may find this last one funny. I've never been big on smiling; but I've made small concentrated efforts to smile more often, and the world is smiling back.

These are just a few of many things that can be done to beautify you from the inside out so that you can truly radiate.

ORGANIZE THIS!

Back in the day when I was a Single Lady and long before Mr. Taylor put a ring on it...I had the most organized beauty cabinet in all the land -- one that would make even Martha Stewart blush. It was brilliant... when people would open my linen/beauty closet, it was often exclaimed OMG..this is like a department store. This is so neat, and look at all of the goodies you have.

Fast forward to 2009, I have a family, work long hours, and sadly my linen/beauty closet has lost its swag. I was purchasing a few things for my daughter's hair and thought how nice it would be to have a cute train case to keep all of her barrettes and bows in instead of the coffee can that I had wrestled away from my husband. Coffee cans are a hot commodity in my neck of the woods. He and the neighbors use them for their cigarette butts versus throwing them on the ground. I am proud to say this was my idea.

Start Small
Take one shelf at at time and organize. Things that you use often should be at eye level, and items you use less often can be placed on higher shelves.

The More The Merrier
If you have several of the same used products, marry them (and then recycle the empty containers) to create space in your linen closet.

Outsource
Utilize space elsewhere in your home, like under the bathroom sink or an over-the-toilet storage cabinet to store your goods.

BEAUTY ON A BUDGET

We are being bombarded with talks of an economy gone bad. The information overload can be overwhelming, but we have to stand tall and, most importantly, look good while we wait this thing out.

Here are a few things that you can do right now to look your best.

Clip Coupons

Grab your scissors, local newspapers, and a few of those value pak ads and clip coupons to your favorite spa or for beauty products. If the thought of doing so seems daunting, add your girl friends, a few bottles of wine from Fieldstone Winery, and make a party of it. This could save you big bucks and put a little wiggle room back in your beauty budget.

Stay Connected

If you are serious about keeping yourself pampered, join your esthetician's e-newsletter, Facebook Fan Page, or follow her on Twitter. This way your ear is to the ground; and when she has an awesome special, you will be in the know.

Find a Beauty Buddy

Some spas offer packages "buy 9 and get 1 free" or something like that... Well, why not partner with a friend or foe, just as long as you are beautiful, and take advantage of a package deal. You can split the cost among you and keep yourself looking fierce while saving money.

Word of Mouth

Hey, even if you don't have a pair of scissors, a computer, or friends, you can still be beautiful on a budget. Become a glambassador for the esthy that you believe in. Send referrals her way and take advantage of loyalty programs offered by your esthetician. All is fair in love and beauty.

The squeaky wheel gets the oil. Don't be afraid to ask for what you want. Remember, this is all about survival of the cutest.

STREAKY TAN

I loved to watch Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory growing up. The Oompa-Loompas were my absolute favorites. They were awesome with their perfect timing and song and dance, all while working in the most amazing place on earth.

I have always held a special place in my heart for the Oompa-Loompas; but ironically about 12 years ago, I saw my first Oompa-Loompa in person, and she wasn't as cute as I'd remembered them in the movie. She was actually very tall, pleasant, and resembled someone that I'd worked with the night before.

In 1997 I was working at Victoria's Secret in Westland Mall. They had just launched a self-tanning line, and we were giving some a try. My co-worker went home and came back the next day a full-on Oompa-Loompa. I was horrified for her because that orange is just not natural, unless of course you are from Loompaland, which she was not.

This is pre-beauty school. I had no suggestion on how to help her, and it took a good number of days for it to wear off. If you are ever caught with the bad self-tanner, here is what you can do:

1) The most obvious, for many reasons, is prevention


Shower and use a body scrub before applying self-tanner, and avoid moisturizers with mineral oil. Mineral oil will leave a coating on the skin, and the color won't deposit evenly.

2) Choose a brown self-tanner over an orange or yellow one...the browner the better.

If the damage has already been done, then reversing it is necessary. Cut a lemon in half or use lemon juice on a cotton ball to rub on the area where you want to remove the sunless tanner. If it is on your face, however, you can try makeup remover, alcohol-free toner, or baking soda.


If it is on your body, depending on the severity, you may want to use a sugar scrub or try soaking it off in 1 cup baking soda, 1 cup of hydrogen peroxide, a tub full of water, and mix...then sugar scrub and shower when it is all said and done. Oh, and don't forget to moisturize, moisturize, moisturize. Depending on the product and your skin, plus a little luck, it could take anywhere between 2-10 days for the tan to fade away.

3) Tan Towel makes an awesome product that doesn't leave you streaky.

THE BACHELOR, QUEEN BEE & ME

As an esthetician that provides services for males, I have noticed a trend among bachelors. We will be waxing right along for several months, or even years; and then one day, he comes in with this come hither expression on his face, and he tells me that he is twitterpated (not with me). I am like what? Twitterpated -- NO!!!!

In plain English it means that he has met someone, which by normal standards, I am totally happy for him because we all need Love; but in clientese, what he just told me was that our days are numbered -- no more afternoon wax sessions, no more skin care consultations, and then Ms.Esthetician will be getting the boot because there's a new sheriff in town and she don't play.

As a matter of fact, she's going to convince him that I am useless and that he is spending way too much money on my professional services (which are really for her benefit), and that he could save money by not waxing with me anymore. Hmph! Of course, this is only a ploy so that he will turn right around and spend all that he has saved on her. The Manipulation.

Fellas, stay strong. Don't end up being the guy whose girl waxes him on the bathroom floor with the Sally Hansen DIY Kit. This = Epic Failure. Here are a few things that you can do to have the best of both worlds.

Keep It In The Closet

What happens at Ms. Esthetician's stays at Ms. Esthetician's. No, I am not advocating deception; but I am telling you the less she knows, the better off we are.

Eye of the Tiger

The cat is out of the bag, and now that she knows about your manscaping habits, fight the good fight to keep your regular grooming schedule. There are some things that are not worth compromising. If grooming is a part of who you are as a person, then be authentic and keep up your routine, and encourage her to have one, as well.

I believe that person should never sacrifice more than you can afford to lose. Be good to yourself. Wax.

WHAT'S IN YOUR BAG LADY?

There was a time in my life when I would put something in my makeup bag and it would stay there until I decided to retrieve it. That seems like a lifetime ago, but it has only been in the past two and a half years ago that the items in my makeup bag started to disappear into thin air.

Well, they don't really disappear on their own; they do have a little help. My three-year-old daughter is fascinated with makeup and has spent some time helping herself to the goodies in that magic bag of mine. Initially, I thought it was adorable that she wanted to be like her mommy, until I found myself asking for permission to wear my own makeup.

I'd had enough of asking permission to; so I took matters in my own hands, restocked, and put my goods under lock and key. We finally reached a happy medium -- a bag for me and one for her.

Here are a few of the things that should be in every bag of beauty tricks.

A Moisturizing Sunscreen With An SPF of 15 or more.
Simone France makes a deliciously light-textured sunscreen with an SPF of 15 that can be worn with or without makeup.






Under Cover Sistah
A great concealer is seen but not recognized. Depending on your blemish, your concealer should do just that -- conceal your troubles, not draw attention to them. Sue Devitt's Camouflage Concealer was voted best concealer to cover up under eye circles on About.com.






Shine A Light On This
Blotting papers are amazing pint-size sidekicks in the fight against FACE SHINE. Boscia takes beauty weaponry to the next level with their fresh blotting lines that lift away shine and deposit a powder to keep your skin fresh.




Lip Service
Pucker up. Yes, an amazing lip color is a necessity. I love lip gloss, not as much as my lip-gloss-obsessed-three-year old; but I do love it. Guerlain hands down makes the best lip gloss I have ever worn. I was given my first Guerlain KISSKISS lip gloss as a gift by a fellow classmate while in beauty school, and I have been hooked ever since.






Bat Your Eyes Like This
An eyelash curler is an essential tool in your bag of beauty, giving your lashes a little curly curl which helps to give them a little lift. They stand at attention. I prefer metal lash curlers over plastic ones. The word on the street is that Shu Uemura's Eyelash Curler is the rockingest lash curler of them all.

These are just a few things that I keep in my makeup bag...What's your must-haves? Feel free to dish.