Dazzling Inside and Out

I've touched on this on my Facebook page Racquel Guess once or twice before, but since this is a blog about all things beauty....

I know i talk/write a big game about Razzle Dazzle and being outwardly fabulous here, but i do know that packing on the paint, dying the doo and making statements through fashion is not for everyone. I'm also very aware that many people don't find those things important at all. (Shocking right? I know!) But what i don't get is this...

Why is it that there are so many people who claim that all the makeup and hair styling and flashy clothes don't make a person beautiful... but are willing to bash a person's beauty because of it? If those things don't make or break a person's beauty... if beauty is found within (which i totally agree with)... then why not let the dazzlers be? Why not stop assuming that the decor is a cover-up for insecurity and ugliness and start getting to know people for who they are.
I've met many real, beautiful, down-to-earth people who loved to dazzle with a beat face, a good weave, and an immaculate wardrobe. I've also met some real, beautiful, down-to-earth women who just don't feel comfortable adding too much to their appearance... and we've all met an ugly, bitter, judgemental person who sat on a pedistal of their own... that were either, simple in their "earthy" "natural" "i don't need makeup" ways... or that were wrapped in faces "beat to the gawds!" "Weaved up" hair, and desiner clothing from head-to-toe.

The point i'm trying to make is one that constantly needs to be beaten into people's heads (apparently).. You CANNOT judge a book by it's cover! You can't determine that a person is not genuine by the amount of effort they put into their appearance. A love for variety and change in one's look does not mean that they are phony at heart. And the bare-faced person is not guaranteed to expose their true feelings or intentions... it's just looks folks! If i gave you 2 boxes, one wrapped in a beautiful bow and sprinkled with glitter, and the other made of unpainted cardboard and each held diamond rings of the same value... does one suddenly become more precious than the other?.....

And that's all i'm saying people.

No makeup... still alright lookin if i do say so myself (and yes i am nursing.. get over it if you're under it)

full face using BB cream instead of foundation... not my heaviest makeup

Early morning, leftover brows and mascara from the day before... no other makeup (check those dark circles)

Fullllll face! Foundation, highlight, contour.. everythang!

What doesn't change is the fact that these are all me. Same mind, same heart, same flaws... it's all just dressed differently.

Ps: Stop assuming that a person's love and want for makeup is a feeling of inadiquacy and need to cover up... we don't necessarily need underwear but some ppl won't leave home without it.

For more of me...
Instagram: @RacquelMUA
Facebook: www.facebook.com/YourMK

For Booking...
RacquelMUA@gmail.com

Keep In Mind That I Know The Rules...

It's like, rule number one in the makeup/skin care book of... life that you DO NOT sleep in your makeup! It's bad for your skin cell regeneration, it clogs pores, causes breakouts and is just... no.

Having said that... everyone (i'm assuming here) has had a night where your makeup is just soooo pretty that u didn't want to wash it off before bed. Whether it's because u want to see if u can re-wear it the next day or if u want to be super glam before... bed  (wink wink). Whatever the reason, it's been done a million times and i am no exception to that fact.

Why am i telling you this? Well... i just want to point out that my Mary Kay finishing spray is like holding spray for makeup... and after a night of sleep and/or sleep , i have been blown away with how amazing my face looks in the morning.. considering that it's hours and hours after applying the makeup and tossing and turning all over my face.

For example...

The top two are before and after of my last blogpost's makeup. Yes, it is not exactly the best my face has ever looked and not exactly the same as the freshly painted version.. and my eyebrow is... different. But i mean, look at how the makeup is exactly where i put it the night before!

The bottom 2 are from Valentine's Day. I had an uneventful night due to... kids, and i refused to wash my makeup off after not getting to take it anywhere! Well, i didn't have the most uneventful night (and i'll just leave it at that.. wink wink, again) and this after photo is litterally minutes after waking up... and singing to myself "i woke up like dis..." i mean, yes, it's shiny from my oily skin tendencies.. but c'mon son... it's not too shabby.

Now, am i suggesting that you sleep in your makeup NO! But i am saying that the Mary Kay Finishing Spray is the truth and if you use it, your makeup will last longer than before and if u book me to do your makeup and i use it on u, your makeup will last even longer! 

Anyhoo..

Instagram: @RacquelMUA

facebook: www.facebook.com/YourMK

bookings: RacquelMUA@gmail.com

She Will Always Have My Heart...

A while ago, i started this blog with the intention of growing my Mary Kay business, not only my makeup artist business. Well, along the way, i fell more in love with experimenting with what different cosmetic companies had to offer. I've always been a bit of a rebel at heart.. even against my own rules. (Which is really not as productive as i'd sometimes like it to be, but that's neither here nor there) So i ended up getting away from my original lover, Mary Kay. Now, don't get me wrong, just about EVERY makeup look that i've done in the last 2 or 3 years has included Mary Kay product, but i stopped doing the full Mary Kay looks... and that's wrong.. Because Mary Kay will always have my heart.
I know what ur thinking. You're thinking that this must be the intro to me posting a top-to-bottom Mary Kay look... Well, no. BUT, this look i'm posting is a majority Mary Kay look. It's got the staples that i always use, (foundation, mascara, blush, bronzer and finishing spray), as well as Mineral Eye Colors (which i had gotten away from using... for no good reason at all).

Here it is folks...

 Fairly classy right? Yea, i was definitely a fan of the end result! Let's get started on a product list, shall we?

On the Eyes: I started by priming the area from the top of my crease up to my brow with Wet n Wild eye primer from the Fergie collection. Then on the brow bone i applied Mary KayMineral Eye Color in Gold Coast. Next, from the top of the crease to meetup with the Gold Coast, i applied Mk Mineral Eye Color in Chocolate Kiss. Next, i applied the primer to my lid. At the outter corner of the lid and a third of the way inward, i used MK Mineral Eye Color in Copper Glow. To the center of the lid (and blending with the copper glow) is Amber Blaze. The inner third of the lid is MK Mineral Eye Color in Lime. Along the crease, i used a dark brown wet n wild iconic eyeliner, then i used a dark brown matte shadow to smudge that line and blend the brown upward. Dipped a shadow brush in Chocolate Kiss to help with the blending. I used a baby wipe (because i always have those on deck) and cleaned up any eye shadow on my face, as well as creating a crisp line from the outter corner of my eye to the outter tip of my brow.

Liner time! Normally, i use Mary Kay Limited Edition Gel Liner, but i'm running extra low so i tried Wet n Wild's cream liner and i really like it! So yea, winged that liner out, slapped on some Ardell Demi Whispies (lashes) and moved on to my face.

I primed my entire face with Revlon Photo Ready primer then i used my knock-off beauty blender sponge that i got on ebay (don't hate) to apply my Mary Kay Time Wise Matte Wear Liquid Foundation in Bronze 5... i will never use another foundation.. like, ever! I used my Coastal Scents Camofladge pallet for highlighting and contouring. Mary Kay Mineral Cheek Color in Golden Copper and Mary Kay Mineral Bronzing Powder in Canyon Gold and then i moved back to my eyes.

I lined my lower lash line with the same dark brown pencil and smudged that with the samedark brown matte shadow used in the crease of my lid. I used wet n wild iconic black eyeliner on my water line, Mary Kay Ultimate Mascara on both top and bottom lashes and Mary Kay Mineral Eye Color in Honey Spice at the inner corner/ tear duct of my eyes.

I lined my lips with a brown liner then blotted that. Then i mixed wet n wild lipstick in Bare it All, Sonia Kashuk (sp?... idk) gloss in an orangey color.. can't remember the name of it and this sally hensen gloss that is a super pigmented coral pink... obviously there's more of the Bare It All, but yea, mixed those on the back of my hand and applied to my lined lips with my finger.

Finished with Mary Kay Finishing Spray (Seriously a MUST HAVE) because it makes my makeup stay put and stay fresh like nobody's business!

And there you have it!

For more of me:
Instagram: @RacquelMUA
Facebook: www.facebook.com/YourMK

For Bookings: RacquelMUA@gmail.com

It Started With a Dark Lip

Yea, yea, i know, i've been slackin on my mackin. But i'm back in effect with a request from a friend! So, it started with a Pin call "dark lip" the look was beautiful, totally something i'd rock and my friend, Jenn (a fellow Pinterest maniac), obviously knows my style because she sent me the link and asked that i do a STEP-BY-STEEEEEP *blows air horn*.
I'm not gonna post the pin because.... the pin is neither here nor there. Lol! Let's just say i nailed it. So here's the finished product....

Pretty fancy right?! Well, i can't just break it down from here (well i could but that doesn't make it very easy to duplicate)
So here goes folks, photos and description of the steps i took to achieve this look...

 So, i NEVER paint my face before my eyes because i usually go for a clean line from the outter corner of my eye to the outter edge of my brow... but this particular look seemed to be a little softer along the edges so... i defined my brows, applied a thin layer of foundation and then highlited and contoured my face. I've posted blogs with step-by-step pictorials on how i do my brows as well as how i highlight and contour my face... But i will be posting updated versions soon.

 Allllrighty! Steps are going from left to right, top to bottom... like how you'd read a book... nothing difficult...
1)After applying primer from the crease to the brow (not the lid) i took a fluffy yet tappered crease brush and used it to sweep a matte brownish-burgandy shadow along the top of the crease
2)I highlighted my brow bone with a pale gold shimmery shadow using a short-haired shadow brush.
3)Next i dipped the tappered crease brush from step 1 into a matte lavendar shadow, tapped off the excess and used it between the two colors from steps 1 and 2 to blend them together.
4)Apply primer to the lid now. Using a dark brown eyeliner pencil, i... well u see what i did. Lol!
5)I used a different short-haired shadow brush lightly dipped in a matte dark brown shadow a smudge the pencil outline out and into the crease.
6)I used the crease brush and brown-burgandy shadow to blend the dark brown into the crease.
7)I used a regular shadow brush and a tiny bit of black shadow at the inner and outter corners of my lid to darken the brown shadow.
8)Lined my lower lash line with the dark brown pencil and then used a short-haired shadow brush and a teeny bit of black shadow to smudge it out. (I didn't take a photo of the smudged line... don't judge me)
9)Patted a little more primer into the center of my lid and then used a flat shadow brush to pat on a champagne colored shimmer shadow....

Nope, we're not done
10)Using the same flat shadow brush, i patted on some gold shimmery pigment.
11)Used a liquid liner to create a thine line along my lashes, no wing today. Then i applied my lashes
12)Since i only have silver glitter shadow, i had to improvise.. I  used my e.l.f. glittler liquid liner and spread it evenly over the gold shadow.

A little black liner on the water line and a teeny bit of shimmer at the inner corner and it's alldone!...

A little bronzer and a coppery blush on the face, then i lined my lips with brown lip pencil and applied one of my favorite lipsticks, Mary Ksy Cream Lipstick in Rich Fig.

And there u have it!

For more of me and my work:
Instagram: @RacquelMUA
Facebook: www.facebook.com/YourMK

For Bookings:
RacquelMUA@gmail.com

Does It Get Blonder Than This???... well yea, but shh

Alllllrighty folks, I've posted about this blonde journey before... plenty of times... and my last post said that I had decided on Superblonde and I was SOLD... until I googled even more reviews and realized that I'd have to do some extra things to my hair after using the product... no.. I wanna buy 1 box and be done.
Fast forward to about 6 weeks ago, my googling had led me to this..

Preference Extra Light Ash Blonde! I read amazing things about this! The $2 off had nothing/a lot to do with this purchase. Ha! Anyhoo, I was ready and set for the attack of the non orange roots!... these were my results..

This is immediately after rinsing the post-color conditioner out.. I look happy right?.. because I was! It wasn't SO orange and honestly, the uneven appearance within my roots was expected since that's the usual outcome. (There's not much method to my hair dying maddness). But yea, totally satisfied, shouting from the rooftops about this haircolor..Yea!

This is me a week or so after.. pretty good right? Still a little yellow at the lightest part (the front) and u can see at my temples that my roots, while not as orange as I had previously experienced, are still not very close to my hair color. But this was still the best thus far.. this was my fav hair color!!! 

Cut to yesterday when I was in heaven.. I mean at target and shopping the hair dyes, looking for my beloved and stumble upon this little gem...

I thought to myself "what's holding me back from just buying the hardsest, lightest, platinum looking dye? Y not just dive right on in?" I grabbed the box and threw it into my cart... then I googled reviews. Ha! But no service in the store meant I'd have to just buy and hope for the best.... so when I got to my car, I googled reviews. Lol! Great things being said!Especially about its effect on roots and virgin hair. SOLD.. u know... again. 

Well I got the hooligans fed, bathed and asleep and got ready and set to get blonder!

I don't exactly follow all directions that come with my box dyes, I like to feel my way through the coloring process. 

So I put the gloves on, mixed the color exactly how instructed then I took a hair color brush like this one...

Starting at the center of the front of my hair, I use the pointed end to part my hair from the hairline to about the top center of my head. I squeeze the color out along my roots on either side of the part and then use the brush to spread it from scalp to the end of my new growth.  I repeat that process spacing the parts about a half an inch apart... then the back... is a mess. Ha! I do my roots in the back by blindly poking the nozzle of the applicator bottle into my hair, squeezing color out in spurts and rubbing the color in with my fingers.... ridiculous, I know but so what. Anyhoo, after that, I make sure the edges are covered all around my hairline then I put the rest of my hair in bun on the top of my head and throw on a plastic cap. 30-40 minutes later, I take the cap off and then apply the color to the rest of my hair. I wish I had gotten 2 boxes because I felt like my hair wasn't saturated enough. But whatevs,I got it covered as best I could, piled it at the top of my head and the put the plastic cap back on for another 20-30 minutes. The end result was grand! I rinsed the color out then applied the anti-brass conditioner that came in the box for a few minutes. After rinsing that out, I put some leave-in conditioner in my hair and let it air dry. Pretty simple right?...

Boom! Amaztastic right?! Well, I'm all too familiar with my hair drying and the orange becoming more noticable, but even after it dried, this hair of mine is WAY lighter and less yellow/ orange than ever! WOOHOO!!! And now here is my hair all dry and extra bright...

What's that you say? It's orangey on the sides?... let me tell u, I don't take pics of my head allover because Iit's usually much more orange at my roots in the middle. Very happy with these results and can't wait to actually DO my hair... this is my hair after falling asleep on it wet. 

And there you have it folks!  I have found my new fav hair color and will hopefully be getting more and more platinum... without my hair falling out.. wish me luck!

For more of me

Www.facebook.com/YourMK

Instagram: @RacquelMUA

Contact: RacquelMUA@gmail.com

Blogs Are Like Showers...You Know?

So I was working on a client/friend's makeup yesterday and she asked a great question.. "So, how's your blog going?"...
Heavy, right?... Because I haven't posted since the Great Depression!!!
Well folks, we all know that I am anti-frumpy mom.. and we all know that I'm an advocate of daily *clears throat* DAILY RAZZLE-DAZZLE!!! But um... yea.. I DO have five thousand kids (3), and that does put a damper on my blogging abilities. Today, my friends, I took a shower (like real one) and I came to the conclusion that blogs are like showers!  When u have a million kids (3 or more), showers get shorter and (don't judge me) rarer....
For instance, it is 3 days after starting this blog and I'm just getting to finish it. 
Anyhoo... my blogs started out like my showers, a lot of attention to detail, subject (getting all around fresh and clean), witty oppinions (washing my hair and conditioning for a bit), photos (shaving all three main areas of shave-ccessity) and even some info on how to contact me (scrubbing my feet)... Gradually my blogs have become less detailed. The hair is only getting rinsed sometimes, the 3 areas that need shaving are getting cut down to 1 or 2 and the leftovers have to wait until the next shower, my feet aren't getting hit up with the lava rock everytime... it's a less polished blog for sure. So... I'm going to devote my time to getting at least 1 blog post clean, shaven, scrubbed and conditioned once a week. Because, after all,  it's about quality, not quantity right?.... right. We'll see how this goes.

For more of me...
Facebook.com/YourMK
Instagram: @RacquelMUA
Contact: RacquelMUA@gmail.com

The Hair Journey is Never Ending...

So, since I've been totally preoccupied with kids and other people's makeup, I haven't done any blog post or photo worthy makeup on myself... Poop on that!!!
Anyhoo, I also found myself neglecting my hair's health and it paid me back with a billion split ends, tons of breakage and a straw-like feel and appearance. So, since I'm looking forward to taking my blonde up a notch and going lighter, I figured I may wanna get my hair's life and stop acting like my head is invincible. So... I got a haircut! Just a trim of the dead ends, but since they were so bad, it's a major difference. I had started using the Wen cleansing conditioner and... Yea... It's not bad,but... I'm not paying $30 for results that are not phenomenal. I'll finish the bottles and be done with that. I want to try the Carol's Daughter Moi set from hsn next. Anyhoo, I got a haircut and as we speak am deep conditioning with coconut milk, honey and olive oil!

I can't wait to feel and see the difference in this maine of mine!

Fast forward to later in the evening.....
So... Ok, I had planned on washing my hair with Wen and seeing what I was working with... But my dad got some shampoos and whatnot from a friend of his who had recently begun and endeavor in selling hair care products for black ppl. The brand is Taliah Waajid Curls, Waves & Naturals. So, like  an awesome person, I try the shampoo meant for moisturizing curls, then I user the Wen cleansing conditioner, rinse that out, add 1 pump of the Wen to leave in, then I use the Curl Sealer from the TW brand which is said to define curls, dry soft, and moisturize.... POOP ON ME FOR TRYING NEW THINGS!!!  UGH!!! After my hair air dried (because I don't blow dry my hair) parts of it are kinda hard (like I used some sort of gel) and it feels totally dry! POOP! POOP ON THIS BRAND AND THEIR PRODUCTS!!! Needless to say, I'm rather pissed and I am very fond of saying poop instead of my usual foul language. Lol!
Anyhoo, my hair is dumb and I am seriously contemplating throwing my deep conditioning concauction back in and leaving it overnight.... I think I'll just load it with olive oil, throw on a shower cap and call in a night.... *sigh* it truly is a journey.