Season 3 of Tabatha’s Salon Takeover is here to help you whip your salon back in shape.  The Deadline for applying is May 7. Visit Casting Duo to download your application.

Do you have a stock pile of beauty products that could win the war on U.G.L.Y (I’ll leave that to your imagination), single handed?  I know I do.  Hey I am in this business, and I am still suckered into buying things that I don’t really need.  It’s like we are trained from the cradle to the grave that the fair maiden with the largest product collection wins.

Beauty is really pretty simple.   It is in the eye of the beholder, void of boundaries, and not a ton of unnecessary products.

I would define it as: a state of being that starts from the inside out, but I’ve noticed that we generally pay more attention to our outside.  So let’s start there.  Here are a few suggestions to help simplify your beauty routine.

1. Milk Cleanser- Guinot and Simone France make really awesome milk cleansers.
2. Mineral Makeup- I am new to the world of mineral makeup. Actually I avoided it because I thought it was messy, and that the color didn’t last very long. That was until I was discovered by Niko Papadatos of Niko Cosmetics while shopping at America’s Beauty Show (it’s  a funny story).  They’ve silenced the naysayer in me.  Way to go Niko Cosmetics.
3. An eye treatment system.  Guinot’s youth boost for eyes offers a 14  day solution to those pesky fine lines around your eyes.
4. A good mask goes a long way, and Aveda’s intensive hydrating mask is no exception.

The days of complicated beauty routines are long gone.  What products do you use to simplify your life?

Is it just me–well this week it probably is–but has anyone else noticed that companies large and small are building brand awareness and creating a culture for their business at the same time?  For instance they have their own vocab that’s unique to their brand, some awesome tees that the staff wears, they may even have out-of-this-world email marketing campaigns (that are just too funny), and a way to make you feel right at home (by letting you throw peanuts on the floor).

It’s All Good

Since I started my journey as an entrepreneur I’ve found myself paying close attention to things like branding.  I’ve gotten pretty good at predicting who will do what, and how.  I know that when I call Moosejaw Mountaineering to ask a question, any question, the person on the other end is going to answer the phone something like this:   Thanks for calling Moooooooooooooooojaw (I lose it every time).

Or if I go to Texas Roadhouse one time or three hundred times in a row  they are going to ask me the same silly question:  Is this your first time here? I don’t know, it could be a PMS thing, but as of yesterday I think I’d had enough of that. Why shouldn’t a brand recognize that I’m a repeat customer?  That is very annoying to me, and this could possibly be the reason why…

I have a natural gift for remembering small and obscure details about people, and let’’s mention the fact that I make a concentrated effort to listen to the other person as they speak, pay close attention to what makes them tick, and that I really truly am a people person, most of the time. Now there is the zero tolerance for caca-de-vaca, which adds a little extra spice to the mix, but all in all,  I really enjoy interacting with people.

Back In The Day

For those of you who don’t know,  I am a former sales associate, turned server, turned esthetician. I tried my hand at pushing papers back and forth, but my real passion is the consumer.   I am no saint, and yes there are consumers I’d rather not deal with, but all in all I find real happiness in helping people.

Being in the service indy has been very good to me.  It has afforded me many opportunities.  I’ve met really cool people, traveled to nice places, and made some decent money along the way.  Let me give you an example: I was able to pay off all of my debt including my car while waiting tables in Atlanta, attend cosmetology and massage therapy school, meet and marry my hubby* (poor thing married the help, lol), travel to a few cool places, ohhh and meet Mr. Cuba Gooding Jr. (when I bartended/waitressed at the Bucket Shop Cafe, in Atl).

Brand New

The companies that I gravitate towards have a few things in common, and exceptional customer service is one of them. Oh, and they are fun.  Here are a few companies that I really like:

Moosejaw Mountaineering: I am not even an outdoorsy person, but they make me consider it.

Schedulicity: They make it easy for clients to do business with me.

Sole Sister Shoes, Rochester: Diane is a Shoeologist, and accessories expert.

Jacobson Department Store: If only for a moment to go back in time.  This is where I got my start in retail.

Are there brands that you love? Feel free to post them.

Oh, and this list may grow throughout the day;)

*Before my hubby I’d never ever dated a customer. Some wise person once told me “You don’t eat where you take a dump” (I know I can’t make stuff like this up).  So after we started dating, to keep it strictly business he stopped coming to the restaurant where I was working.  I just thought it was better that way.

I thank the lawd above that I  am an open minded esthetician,  and because of my willingness to try new things I was introduced to the concept of sugaring on twitter by the rock star sugaring experts @myshoba.  If you don’t know by now, I am made up of a 84.5 percent skepticism, and the remaining 15.5 percent is I love being in the know.  Yes, I am a walking contradiction, but who isn’t?

Something else you may not know about me is that, great marketing makes me weak in the knees, and  Shobha is a very well marketed product.  They are clear on what they provide and give you a ton of information on their services and products.  I couldn’t resist trying out their sugaring gel, after they won me over with their kick-booty brand.

What’s the Big Sticky Deal?

Sugaring aka sugar waxing is also a form of hair removal.  It is very similar to strip waxing in that is applied to unwanted hair and is removed with a strip.  In this case I was given super cute denim strips to remove the sugar gel.  Surprisingly enough it worked  for removing the hair on my lower legs, and they were very, very smooth.

The Skinny: I did notice that when sugared the hairs on my mom’s chinny chin chin, they were less impressed and were rather defiant to the entire sugaring process.  So I had to revert back to waxing those bad girls.  After about 3 weeks of smooth legs it’s was time to re-sugar.  I wax my lower legs every 6-8 weeks.

Mind Over Pain

Sugaring still stings just like waxing does to me, but may offer a less irritating experience to those that are allergic to the pine resins that are in traditional wax.  It’s all natural you can make a sugaring paste using these ingredients sugar, honey, lemon juice and water.  Consistency is key, and since I am anti-DIY I recommend buying your sugaring gel from a reputable company like Shobha.

It was fun trying something different, but as far as Ms. Esthetician is concerned I am going to stick with wax.

I’ll leave you with this video of sugaring done by one of Shobha’s experts.

America’s Beauty Show lived up to every ounce of its anticipation.  I was not disappointed; actually it made me really proud to be a part of such an amazing industry.  I had the wonderful opportunity to listen to Scott Cole of Paul Mitchell speak at the student assembly.  After, as Desiree and I were walking down the hall, we stopped and had a chat with him and took a pic.  How cool is that, uh totally.

I first saw this on Anderson Cooper 360, and thought it was pretty darn funny.  I tried it, but it’s not as easy as it looks.

Mineral Wrapping really works.

With everything going in and out of style quicker than you can blink an eye, including makeup.  It can be quite confusing to make choices that are flattering to you, and still be in style.

In my very unsolicited professional opinion, rules are there for a reason.  They lovingly help guide us along the way, and avoid awkwardness of seeing yourself in a picture, and thinking why didn’t anyone tell me?

If You Are Breaking The Rules, You Better Have A Darn Good Reason

I’ve done makeup for over 16 years. It started out as something to do in the girls bathroom before classes started, and then progressed into something else.  Something that I was actually pretty good at, but as any makeup can attest I didn’t knock em out of the park every time.  Sometimes it was stunning and other times it was quite the eyesore.

Since I was self taught mostly through books and magazines, and didn’t initially receive formal training, I did not realize that there were rules to makeup, go figure.  I went absolutely crazy with the smoky eye look in the late 90′s early 2000′s, any and everyone that would sit still long enough had a pair of the smokiest eyes.

When I saw a picture of WDIV Local 4′s darling Ms. Rhonda Walker on the cover of Ambassador Magazine. I had an unpleasant flash back, ahhhh! Now I’ve seen Ms. Walker in person and I think she is absolutely stunning.

Her skin is beautiful, hair is always perfect, Ms. Walker’s makeup is impeccably flawless, and her smile is captivating.  She is a natural beaute (be-yoot), as my daddy would say. I personally was not a fan of this look on her.  What do you think?

A Picture is Worth A Thousand Words

If you want to know what you look like, good, bad or indifferent.  Grab a camera, stand as close as possible to a natural light source and strike-a-pose.  By doing this you will see what others see, and make the needed adjustments.

What’s The Big Idea?

A rule of thumb when it comes to wearing makeup is to  K.IS.S. it (keep it simple Shirley).  Makeup is to enhance our best features, and minimize our less than flattering ones.  If this seasons trend does not tickle your fancy, and flatter the heck out of you, don’t do it.

If you still lack confindence seek professional help, when it comes to your makeup.  I am partial to the freelance MUA vs. the Makeup Counter MUA, I have my reasons. With the first being I started out as a freelance MUA, and then worked briefly at the Cardeaux counter at Hudson’s Department store in Southland Mall.  Second freelance MUA’s have more experience with makeup  in general, and can recommend quality product vs. a counter MUA that is only versed in their counter’s makeup.  Not to mention 9/10 times they are on a commission (there in lies an ulterior motive).

Sure some of the biggest names in makeup started at a counter, and yes there may be that one MUA that is very talented. Personally I’ve had more bad experiences and mis-matched colors at the hand of a counter MUA then I care to recount.  This is just my opinion.  I’d like to hear your experiences. Freelance vs. Counter.

If you are in the Metro D give Ms. Stephanie Ford of Designs By Ford a shout.  This Ms. Missy is going places, she is humble, hard working and talented…the stuff true champions are made of.

Nose waxing is all the rage, and surprisingly it is more popular among women than men. I found this video on youtube for your enjoyment. As with anything this service is not recommended for everyone, but if you are a perfect candidate, go for it.

Nose waxing is not recommend if you: Smoke more than 1 pack of cigarettes a day, have asthma, are prone to nose bleeds, recent rhinoplasty, a getting over a bad cold or the flu.  This service is amazing.  Give it a try.