ATE- Trends for Fall

Q: What are the top beauty trends for this fall season?

A: The leaves are changing, the air is getting crisp and this season’s trends are cooler than ever. Trends this season are taking a color cue from nature with bright orange and yellows, dark purples, warm browns and deep greens.

Eggplant-purple eyeliner is a great way to draw attention to your beautiful eyes. Try EmphasEYES Aqua-Gel liner by Tarte Cosmetics in plum. The purple is deep enough to look subtle and the aqua-gel formula glides on easily.



If you’re feeling more daring, try Maybelline Eye Studio gel liner in eggplant. It comes with a small brush so you can apply a thin line along the lashes or sweep the line out for a winged effect.



Nails will sparkle this season with emerald green nail polish fit for a royal. Choose a super dark shade with a hint of glitz like O.P.I Nail Lacquer in Here Today…Aragon Tomorrow.



A second option for nails this fall is a neutral taupe that looks polished and sophisticated. Try out polish from Essie in Merino Cool.

All these products can be found at ULTA.
http://www.ulta.com/

Beatiful Thing Today: Inspiration!

If you haven’t picked up a copy of Allure Sept. issue, I highly suggest you do! It’s full of gorgeous trends, brilliant skin tips and a very motivating and powerful story of weight loss and self-discovery. Oh, and did I mention Kim Kardashian is on the cover (I know people have many mixed feelings about her, but the girl is a business genius. She could sell tires and make them look sexy.)



The inside story is about Jen Ramey, one of the world’s top model managers, and how she went from unhealthy and obese to healthy and slim. With the help of Angelo Sorrenti, a seventh-degree black belt and health/fitness guru, she starting shedding pounds and gaining muscle at hyper-speed.

Ramey talks about her Sorrenti designed personal fitness plan that addressed her unhealthy lifestyle mind, body and spirit.

This article, written by contributing editor Rory Evans, is one of the most inspirational articles I have read in a beauty magazine in a while. I have been struggling with my new paleo-lifestyle change (I fell off the wagon a couple of days ago) but I feel rejuvenated and ready to continue on my journey.

I am trying to look at food as fuel, not therapy, and desserts at special treats, not after meal snacks. The biggest issue was carrying containers of food to school every day because even though they were in my Tiffany’s shopping bag (the thought of using a lunchbox was too much), I still felt watched and judged by people.



No longer! If a top model manager in NYC can still be seen as glamorous with her GladWare, so can I!

ATE- Covering Up

Q: I have acne scars, blemishes and dark circles! What’s the best way to cover them and keep them covered?

A: It seems to never fail. The morning of a presentation, interview or first date you look in the mirror and staring back at you is a huge zit. Now you have two options, try to pop it or try to cover it. The best decision is to cover the blemish.

If you try to pop a pimple too soon you will cause redness and inflammation, making the blemish that much harder to cover.
The first step is to apply a nourishing moisturizer and then wait a few minutes before applying any makeup. This gives the moisturizer time to be absorbed into the skin. Next, apply your foundation. Your foundation goes on first because if you apply it over concealer, you will end up wiping off the makeup.

Now you are ready for concealer. Apply a yellow-based shade under the eyes to help counter-act dark circles. Apply a highlighter under the circles to help reflect light up.

For the face, choose a concealer that matches your bare skin perfectly. Using a small brush, gently apply and blend concealer on the blemishes and scars. To make your cover up last all day, you need to set your makeup with powder. Instead of a loose translucent powder, use a pressed powder that matches your skin tone because translucent powders will make you look washed out and powdery. Use the compact sponge to gently press the powder onto your skin.



If the blemish is not fully covered, repeat the last two steps only to the problem area. However, you want to be careful how many layers of concealer you use because you don’t want to make the area look dark and cakey. Repeat these steps three times at most.

Another clever technique to help take the focus off your blemish is using color strategically. If your blemish is on the bottom half of your face (from the nose down), create a dramatic eye with this seasons eye shadow colors and keep the lips neutral. If the blemish is on the top portion of your face, try a sexy red lip and remember to keep the eyes light and natural.



You may need to do a quick touch up during the day, especially if you have oily skin, so keep your compact, concealer and brush ready to go in your makeup bag.

The most important thing to remember is confidence. I know it feels like the blemish or scar is the only thing people will see when you go out, but you think it is worse than it really appears. Keep a big smile on your face and remember this too shall pass.

Beautiful Thing Today- Getting Over a Sugar Withdrawl

Yay! Sweet potatoes have been approved!! (But that’s later ….)
These past few days have been hard for me and Kathleen. We didn’t realize how dependent we are on sugar and how many products have sugar in them. Yesterday and today have been the hardest days. I have felt so tried and mentally foggy…

Last night I picked up some food at KFC for Kathleen…a grilled chicken breast and green beans. I was trying to be a good friend so I opened the container to get rid of the biscuit that is so tempting. Instead, I sat at a traffic light smelling the biscuit and imagining the taste! I felt so silly sniffing food that I rolled down my window and threw it out as I was getting on the interstate. That has been my lowest moment!

That brings me to today…today has been exhausting! Maybe my body is still in shock from all the exercising and diet changes, but I feel like I could sleep for years. I made it though work this morning and all my classes this afternoon but still had to make it through boot camp with Rachel.

Kathleen assured me the boot camp class wouldn’t be too intense, “similar to the Jillian Michaels DVD” she said….she was mistaken. This boot camp was like Jillian on crack…like kick boxing in hyper speed…it was HARD! But, somehow (through sweat and tears) we finished the class.



After class we talked to Rachael about how rotten we are feeling and she said that is normal for a few days. She told us to be sure we were getting enough calories and suggested we write them down in a journal. Then the best news ever….she told us we could have sweet potatoes! Finally, I feel like I can survive this “lifestyle change”…I know I CAN DO THIS!

BTT- Healthy Starts

The beautiful thing today is saying goodbye to bad habits and hello to a fresh, clean start! After my doctor suggested I lose weight because of a family history of high cholesterol and heart disease, I decided it was time to rethink not only my diet but also my lifestyle.

I am 23, hardly ever sick, I love fruits and veggies and yet my doctor is concerned about my cholesterol levels. This is a stark dose of reality. If I don’t change my bad habits not, I may never change.



So, my roomie and I have decided to try a paleo-diet combined with daily exercise. A Paleo-diet, also called a caveman diet, consist of fresh fruits, vegetables and lean meats. No dairy, no sugar and no processed food…so basically all my favorite things.
Tonight we had our “last super” so to speak and tomorrow begins withdrawals…it’s like being a drug addict and my drug is food.

There will be bad moods, tears and lots of venting (some of which may be on here) but I know a month from now I will feel 1000 times better and never look back! (well, maybe once for my birthday cake…)