Summer is here. So it is time to think about your summer beauty buys. You should never wear the same colors year round on your face. Your skin will constantly have different needs based on the climate and location you live in. I need some new summer looks, and usually I love lots of high end luxury makeups. But the truth is they are often not in my budget. When I cannot splurge, I hunt for inexpensive alternatives. I went to Walmart to try the new special priced Rimmel London collection to try out some cute yet cost effective alternatives. If you want to see the entire shopping experience you can pop on over to Google+ to my thoughts on the Walmart selection and products.

Here are the two big trends in makeup right now. Matte or Fresh Faced or Dewy skin. I happen to think that they both have their place, but either can be achieved with the tricks of makeup. I chose the Clean Finish Foundation in Warm Sand (420). I wanted something with good coverage. When looking for a foundation DO NOT test the color on your hand. Your hands are exposed to all kinds of elements that your face is not. Therefore, the colors are never the same. I traditionally like foundations that have some sort of sun protection build in, but this did not. I would recommend you find a moisturizer with spf in it. for your face I would not go any less than spf 20. The good thing about Rimmel foundation is that it has vitamin A & E. Both support healthy skin and work to clear your complexion while fighting signs of aging.
When I put on the foundation, it covered rather well. I have some dark spots that I am always looking to minimize, while I also have freckles. I like to see one and not the other.

I wanted to show with and without flash.

The Eyes Have It

I love a good smokey eye, but sometimes I am afraid of the dark. The black dark painting on look, that is. I think a smoky eye has its place in the trend category. I wanted to get a summer version of the Smokey Eye Look. I grabbed the Glam’Eyes in Smokey Brun.

Now what I LOVE about this product is that it came with a color by numbers chart on the back. Sometimes you know the look you want, but not how to achieve it, and I am no beauty professional. I can always use some direction in the best way to wear something new. The colors were cute, and they had a touch of sparkle to them which can never hurt any look.

What do you think? I think I have a future job as a color by numbers Makeup Artist! HA!
I also used the ScandalEyes Waterproof Kohl liner in nude. I don’t do a lot of waterproof anything, but as the summer is in full swing. You never know how hot and steamy the days can get. You want something that will help keep the look all day. I liked the smooth application of it. Meaning it has some wax in it, which I am okay with me. I know some of you live with liner in your waterline, but I am a blinker. I will let you have that look MMk?

Finish HER

Beyond being a great line from Mortal Combat it is the truth. I wanted to finish my look with the Stay Matte Long Lasting Press Powder. I went with nude beige 020. This press powder applied with a brush. Now I got nude beige, which in the light in my bathroom was too light. I am a little disappointed because I won’t be able to wear this powder much until fall. I should have tried the Natural Bronzer. The reason why I should have grabbed the bronze is because as the summer progresses my skin tone is going to continue to get darker from sun exposure. Something to think about when you shop for your summer cosmetics.

All in all I like what I tried. There was some great deals. When you get a chance stop by Walmart and let me know what your summer beauty finds in the comments below. Enjoy the sun and stay beautiful.

XO,

Terez

Photos are all my own.
You can learn more about Rimmel London $3.97 collection exclusively for Walmart.
Find Rimmel on the web here:
Rimmel US Twitter
Rimmel London on Facebook

It is officially summer by the calendar, but still up and down here in Chicago. I wanted to jump in to the summer spirit and try a street style nail look. I had been seeing a lot of beauty news about the new Sally Hansen lineup, but I was super excited to try it for myself. There is a fun little summer campaign going called I Heart Nail Art. I love nail art, but I didn’t have the right supplies and I don’t really have a steady hand, but I am willing to give it a go!

While at Walgreen’s I was so excited to see a great selection of not just polish, but plenty of nail health items. There were nail hardeners, cuticle creams, and serums. I have pretty healthy nails that grow really fast, but if you need to do some preventative measures the great section at Walgreen’s will have you completely covered.

Street style nails are the idea of anything goes. Colors, hues, intensity, art, patterns, embellishments galore. I am a polish fanatic and I even have a nail polish subscription which is only feeding my polish fetish! So when I went to grab these Sally Hansen items I had a hard time choosing because my collection is extensive. If you want to see more from my shop click over to Google+ to see the full shopping experience.

Remix my Digits

1. Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure in 570 (Water Color)
2. Nail Art Pen in 15 (Green)
3. Nail Art Pen in 01 (white)
4. Nail Art Pen in 10 (Black)
5. Nail Art Pen in 17 (Coral)

I feel like I found some pretty good colors. And if you hurry in you can use your rewards card to cash in on the Buy 1 items, get the second item 50% off! (offer expires 6/29) You know I love that.

Here is a super secret.
I love the at home manicure experience. I can paint my nails and let them dry under my LED light while catching up on hulu, but I sometimes miss the experience of being pampered at a nail salon. I did go to my favorite salon by the office to have them prep my nails for this post. I got a great clean up, cuticle nip, and shaping of my nails. Which will only enhance your nails. It is all in the shape!

I tried some hearts, pinstripes, polka dots. The nail art pens are easy to use and the flow of the color is great. Now I will have to rave a little about the Complete Salon Manicure, which you can grab at Walgreens to get this look at the 2 for $10 sale price (until 6/29). The best part about the color is that it is opaque with a solid color. I love that the actual brush is formed into an almond shape that allows for great nail coverage the first time. The almond angle made it easy to get closer to the cuticle for that more salon like look and feel. I wish I could show you without making a mess.

Above is the step by step shots of how I got to achieve this look.

Leave a comment below if you like. Hate it? Or will try it yourself.

XO,
Terez

Photo Credit: All photos are my own.

I am super excited to tell you about my newest project. 11 Beautiful Tools is a comprehensive social media guide for beauty professionals. Each chapter gives you a great start to getting started right now. There are tips on how to use the tools in just minutes a day, but more importantly clarity of why each tool is a good investment for your freelance beauty business.

It is all about marketing your talent using these tools to maximize your exposure. Maximizing your personal brand will get the income you want.

#11BeautifulTools will be available soon!

What excites me the most, is teaching others how simple it is to use these tools. I continue to build my brand using social media to keep my work, my business, and my service top of mind for the people who need to know it the most. People like you in the Beauty Industry.

Here is a sneak peek at the kind of great content you will get in #11BeautifulTools: The Social Media Success Guide for Beauty Professionals.

Permission

You are the expert. Did you know, that the only difference between you and a famous beauty blogger is mindset? They are fearlessly using the digital space to make you look bad. Not on purpose, but they are. You are the one with the training. You are the one with the know-how. You are the one doing the work daily. All behind the chair. I understand that this journey maybe new and different, but it is our current business landscape.
I am fully aware that even this book has a shelf life. It will not be relevant in 20 years, but it is essential today. This is the time to take advantage of what other industries are already doing. We already know Social Media Marketing works. I give you permission to be the expert online that you already are offline.
Be willing and ready to make mistakes. As a blogger, I make plenty of mistakes. There are platforms you can try and test and use. There will be some here you won’t use at all. I understand that. I am writing to you from my heart and the humanity of imperfection. These are tips, tricks, and tactics that I’ve learn along the way.

My 8 years of social media experience include trial and lots of error. It has taught me that it is okay to work it out while you are working. This text is not intended to solve all of your problems, but it will help you leapfrog and accelerate your success. I would be a liar if I said that after reading this, you are guaranteed to get a $10k a month advertising deal, or you will get you work in a major magazine in 3 months. Have these things happened for my clients? YES. It happened because they were willing and ready to do the work. They were willing to take action on the information and insight I gave. Buying 11 Beautiful Tools, means you want to be taken seriously as a beauty professional. By using the digital landscape to your advantage, will get you where you want to go.

#11BeautifulTools is for people who want to be taken seriously as #beauty pros. Get it, to win Social Media game.(Click to Tweet This)

As an independent hair and make-up artist, Monaé Everett, is best known for her talent in enhancing each client’s unique natural beauty. Her blogs, www.HairandMakeupBlog.com and www.YouTube.com/MonaeArtistry, are different from others due to her experience as a licensed cosmetologist and American Board-Certified Haircolorist, she has been a part of countless photo shoots, TV, and theatre, and is frequently invited to write and speak about beauty.

Did you catch my cute intro?

XO, Terez

Video C/O: Glossed and Found

Held at 312 Chicago the ladies commandeered the top floor with great conversation, networking, and inspiration. The speaker was the amazing editor for Ebony Magazine, Amy DuBois Barnett.

She doled out great advice that can be used by both veterans in the communication industry and neophytes in the space.
1. Your Network is important nurture it.
2. Be nice to EVERYone. You never know where someone will end up.
3. Have a great mentor.

It isn’t enough to have opportunity. You have to earn them, and being prepared it essential to your success. Her words of wisdom resonated with this crowd of go-getters who are ready to take Chicago to the next level.

The organization was created in the summer of 2011 by Lauren Wesley Wilson. It quickly grew from lunches where women could connect to a formal group in DC, New York and now Chicago.

“@terezbaskin: A great talk tonight from @ebonymag‘s @amydbarnett Great tips on networking. twitter.com/TerezBaskin/st…”

— Amy DuBois Barnett (@amydbarnett) May 10, 2013

I am so proud to be apart of this organization and share my talent and network with women who love Public Relations and Communications just like I do. I can’t wait to see what we bring to the city next.

XO,
Terez
Photo Credit: All photos are my own

We dished about how being a mother helped her in the competition and what she wanted to get out of this year. Keep reading to get the deets of our quick conversation.

Dbabetta: What has been the most fun so far since winning the Face?
Devyn: I am from New York and I was so tired of seeing the same buildings, the same subway. I needed a change. I am excited to travel the world and this year work fashion week. It will give me a new perspective to the city I love.

Dbabetta: Have you kept up with any of the other girls from the competition?
Devyn: Yes, I keep up with Ebony the other Mom in the competition; and of course Karolina.

Dbabetta: You are a mom, how has that helped or hurt you in your career?
Devyn: Being a mom I feel has helped me. My daughter has been my driving inspiration, dedication, and any other kind of “action” out there. [laughing] She is what made me decide to audition for the show.

Devyn was so personable and really down to earth. She looked great and that is a winning combination in my book. She was bubbly and fun. I like when you can see someone be warm and bright. If I were this tall and cute. I might just walk around like did you know I was The Face? haha She on the other hand was not like that at all. Very humble and real easy to talk to. Before she started tending to the line of fans and signing autographs I got a chance to chat quickly and get this cute shot!

Downtown Devyn

She did a recent shoot for Glossed and Found. You can tell hands down why she is the Face.

The jacket and skirt combo is giving me life, and she makes Chicago River look amazing.
You can see the rest of the shoot here: G&F + SPLASH SUMMER FASHION with DEVYN ABDULLAH

Your beauty Beacon is calling

Now back to this Grand Opening of Ulta Beauty shop. This is going to be my new summer hangout spot. The new West Loop location is on the new corridor with Starbucks (Yes), Mariano’s Fresh Market (Yes! Yes!) So tell me again why you would need to leave the block?

YOU Don’t

I am sure beauty angels sing when they open the doors each morning. It is located at 16 S. Halsted. You will want to go there soon. The salon in the back will give you some awesome hair love. Everyone is so knowledgeable and courteous. I got the fave new matte nude lipstick off of a recommendation from an artist in the store. She helped me choose one that wasn’t too light or dark. It also helps me look tan which is always a good plus.

I also asked for a great green nail polish and they came up with this.

How exactly was I supposed to choose? But I did. I got the Butter London Slapper.

All in all the night was super fun! In the comments below. Let me know what items are on your beauty list for this spring summer. Let’s TACO’about it. hehe

XO,
Terez

Photo Credits
Ulta Store Shots by Caroline Dixey
Devyn’s Glossed and Found shoot by Billy Rood
All other photos are my own.

It’s difficult to know who to listen to when surfing through this plethora of information. As a licensed cosmetologist with over a dozen years of experience, this is what works for me and my clients. Check out these videos on attaining hair growth and hair regimens to help retain that growth.

Don’t forget to leave your thoughts below or on the actual videos.

Here are some lipsmacking alternatives that may feel the deep sense of loss you feel. I promise you Bad Girl RiRi won’t notice.
They range in price from $32 to the low low affordable beautiful price of $5! You know you love it.

Get your RiRi Woo fix if you can. I am sure some vulture is selling it on ebay just to screw with us!

XO,
Terez
Photos Source: Mac Cosmetics