What better way to celebrate women’s history month than to recognize women who have made a tremendous impact in heath and beauty. Many thanks to the women who inspire us to be creative, stylish, and confident!

When I was in college, I had a chance to work at Bare Escentuals. I learned so much about skin care, make up, and self care in general. The CEO Leslie Blodgett originally launched on QVC and sold over $1 million dollars selling Bare Escentuals foundation. That set the tone for my passion for health and beauty. It was a life changing experience and I have great memories of working with the gals to help women look and feel amazing every day. Plus, I had a chance to work in the Atlanta airport, which was super exciting!

My female fitness instructors have also made a tremendous impact on my health and wellness habits. I used to wake up every Saturday morning to go to Zumba class. It was not only an excellent way to stay active but also super challenging and fun. My instructors were always very motivating and that’s what keeps me inspired to stay active to this day.

There are so many incredible women to mention from Estée Lauder who changed the beauty industry to Naomi Campbell who was the first black woman to grace the cover of French Vogue. It’s an exciting time to be a female and the beauty industry gives us even more ways to keep things completely flawless and fabulous.

This month and every day, I am happy to be a woman and so excited for all of the great females who are out there doing their thing!

Today’s beauty influencers have been posting some hot new looks on social media. There’s tons of scroll stopping makeup inspiration on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube, but top makeup artists and experts are saying that some of the classic looks from the good ole days are on the rise. One major makeup trend that everyone has been talking about is 90’s grunge makeup, and this throwback is an oldie but no so goody goody.

Beauty Revival

Remember Avril Lavigne, dramatic lids, and metallic bold lips? This trend is making a major comeback, showing that classic beauty is incredible even when it’s a bit smudged.

But what is grunge really?

Makeup.com says it all started with grunge fashion and was all about matte makeup, dark lips, and a whole lot of smoke.

Hey, don’t call the fire station!

Whip out that black eyeliner pencil and color your beauty beyond the lines.

Nostalgic Gorgeousness

It’s the look that 90’s beauty icons like Gwen Stefani, Johnny Depp, and Drew Barrymore used to capture our hearts. And the best part of it all was that there weren’t any rules. Grunge beauty gives makeup artists and enthusiasts a chance to explore their creativity without bounds. It’s no wonder why it’s a top makeup trend in 20223.

Get the Look

Lips – Black, Brown, or Burgundy

Eyes – Black liner, Earthy Colors, Smoked Out, Imperfectly applied, Lashes drenched in mascara

Foundation – Matte skin, Full coverage, Photo ready baking

The Makeup Wishlist

Cosmo says you can get the look with Fenty Stunna Lipstick in Unveil, Smashbox Cover Shot Eyeshadow Palette in Minimalist, Maybelline Master Kayla liner, Covergirl Exhibitionist liner, NYX Lipstick Dark Era, and TRUE COLOR Mineral Matte Crème Powder Foundation.

Don’t forget the smudge brush and a pair of combat boots!

 

 

Beauty is even better when it’s ultra-glam. That’s why the latest trend in the industry is turning heads. Everybody on TikTok is talking about coquette makeup. Glamour describes it as a hyperfeminine blast from the past dating back to the 80’s and 90’s. If you are truly a makeup enthusiast you’ll love this look that’s all about being extra fab.

Pretty Fancy

Top makeup pros create the coquette look with rosy hues, big lashes, and soft shades. According to Metro, here’s how you do it. Start with a sheer foundation, add a rose color to your cheekbones, color your lids with a pink or berry tone, and add a touch of liquid highlighter.

Beauty In All The Right Places

The go to products to get this look are pretty amazing. Fan favorite Dior has the perfect blush. ColourPop’s Fresh Kiss Lip Creme is a right fit and Gucci has the most beautiful $152 eyeshadow palette called Beauté Des Yeux Gorgeous Flora. Mac cosmetics even has a shadow named after this trend.

With just a few girly coquette aesthetics, you’ll be all dolled up and ready for selfies.

Looking for more info on Coquette Makeup? Click the links below:

Harpers Bazaar

Pure Wow

Makeup.com

One of my very first major purchases as a teenager was an eMachine computer. I would stay in my bedroom for hours keeping myself entertained on the internet. It’s amazing how what used to be a great escape is now a necessity. I remember the days of MySpace and #followfriday on Twitter. Things have most certainly changed. Through the years, I’ve been very unsuccessful at creating the perfect social media look. I’ve had tons of digital marketing makeovers. Here’s a few tips on how to touch up your social media and become a total cyber babe.

Bring on the Wow

Have you ever found that one piece of content that stirs up something in you? An article or picture that made you want to write, try something new, or make a change in your life. Aspire to wow your audience by being authentic. Create standout posts that inspire your followers and stops their scroll. Just like a touch of bright lipstick or a sparkly shade of eyeshadow, adding those extra finishes can truly reveal your unique style.

Set the Social Media Stage

Famed reality show judges like Randy Jackson, RuPaul, and Tyra Banks gave us a good idea of what it’s like to be in the spotlight. On the social media stage, we all want to get high scores. Metrics matter when it comes to understanding how your social media resonates with your audience. If you were in a beauty pageant you’d be judged on talent, evening wear, interview, and physical fitness. With social media, it’s all about impressions, reach, views, and engagement. When you know how to set your mark, you’ll be prepared to present fierce content that impresses everyone who sees your post, reel, or story.

Trust the Process

When you do your makeup for a special occasion you probably don’t just carelessly throw it on. Applying makeup is a process. It usually starts with moisturizer, primer, foundation, and concealer. Then you might add blush, highlighter, some eyeshadow and things like eyeliner, mascara and lipstick. Creating great content takes the same care. Take your time to put it all together and make something that truly shines on the web.

Here’s something you didn’t know. I used to work in a makeup store. For 18 months, I worked for Bare Escentuals, I learned the basics on foundations, eyeshadow, blushes, and skin care. I did makeovers for all different skin types and even met the founder once.

It was a fabulous experience but also a lot of hard work, but the reason why it matters most is that it helped me understand just how much beauty means. It was a great feeling to brighten someone’s day with a new glimmer eyeshadow or the perfect match foundation. I enjoyed working with “the girls” and I worked at the airport so it was always fast paced.

After many many years I still kept my beauty must haves, but this year I got a gift that helped me to look back to something I used to enjoy – makeup. I got my first fairly recent “official” eyeshadow palette. After studying tons of beauty influencers and lines and cheering on so many who had a full list of empties, I took the first step and bought a the Jaclyn Hill palette.

This was not an easy feat. I watched it for weeks online. I watched videos to confirm this was the one I wanted. I ordered and waited just a few days to grab it from the mailroom. When I went to get it it wasn’t there.

Then, I called Ulta and they were so kind to give me a refund. I ordered it again and went to pick it up in store (along with my Mario Badescu facial spray).

This was such a great gift. I left it sitting on my television stand just to open on the Christmas day and even decided to grab the brushes. I am hoping that this marks the beginning of a new and old thing and I can share my story more in the new year!

Thank you for so much inspiration!