12 Things to Know Before You Start a Beauty Blog

If you’re as obsessed with beauty as we are (hint: we can’t get enough of it), you may have considered starting a beauty blog of your own. Blogs are a great way to share your experiences with new products, explain how to use your favorites, and connect with other beauty junkies.

Before you put on your blogger hat, though, there are a few things you should know. We talked to 12 beauty bloggers who’ve paid their dues in the industry, and each of them shared their best pieces of advice for aspiring bloggers.

“You should really identify your goals before starting. Are you doing it for catharsis, free lipstick, to be a business? Whatever it is, make sure you fulfill that goal, otherwise you’ll have a time, energy, and money dump on your hands. Also, make sure you aim to spread some positivity. Make women feel good about themselves. The world needs more of that.”
— Bryce Gruber, TheLuxurySpot.com

“No matter what your goals, always put your audience first.”
— Jeannine Morris, BeautySweetSpot.com

“It’s important to understand that most skin care products take weeks to test and a beauty blogger must be committed to the process in order to truly give a credible write up. I fear that people jump into this game thinking only about the free samples and not about what it means to provide accurate content for their audience.”
— Vera Sweeney, Lady and the Blog

“The main thing I would say to new bloggers is find your niche! Decide what you want to focus on. If you are too broad you won’t stand out from the masses. When I started there were very few sites for ‘older’ women and I stepped into that space. It’s easier to get noticed when you are focused.”

— Paula Wade, oldergirlbeauty.com

“Follow and talk to other bloggers in the business that you admire. Leave comments and engage you never know where a relationship like that might lead you.”
— Lianne Farbes, TheMakeupGirl.net
 
“Make sure you have a clear voice and unique point of view. There are literally thousands of beauty blogs so if you want to be successful, you need to make yours stand out.”
— Jamie Stone, QueenoftheQuarterLifeCrisis.com

“When starting a beauty blog, make sure your passion and intentions come from a place of sharing knowledge, and advice. If you are looking to simply review free makeup, than you will be lost in the big sea of beauty blogs. You need find your voice, include video and great pictures. It needs to be unique. Beauty blogs are no longer about product reviews. Think of your site as an online magazine.”
— Christina Farrell, Themakeupblogger.com

“It will take over your life. Reviewing products requires days of testing, not to mention finding the right images and writing plus editing a piece you are pleased with.”
 — Marina Klimasiewfski, Makeuplovesme.com

“Before starting a beauty blog, you really need to know that it is a ton of work and it’s not all about samples. Between email, social media, testing products, shooting products and then actually blogging, I spend at least eight hours a day on my beauty blog. I am privileged to work with some amazing brands, but I have been beauty blogging for over 12 years. I still don’t even get all of the samples I want; they are extremely limited. For you to start a beauty blog to think you will get all of the makeup you want is the wrong reason to start. And yes, sometimes, there are beauty mishaps too. I have burned my skin, broken out my skin, fried my hair and turned it orange – all for the love of my beauty blog.”
— Teri Cosenzi, beautifulmakeupsearch.com

“Find your niche! In some industries imitation is the ultimate form of flattery, but beauty blogging is not one of them! Unless you have a unique perspective or angle, you will always be a mile behind the blog that’s already doing it (and will likely only annoy the existing blogger). It’s a saturated market so make sure you’re bringing your unique edge to the equation.”
— Alexis Wolfer,  TheBeautyBean.com

“To stand apart from the thousands of beauty blogs that are already well established and have significant numbers, be creative, and consider what your individual voice will be on beauty topics. If you have zero training as a writer, take a course on how to blog or join a networking group of bloggers to get the basics down. And always check your facts, spelling, and proper brand names and websites to maintain your professionalism.”
— Wendy Lewis, BeautyintheBag.com

“Don’t be a sample whore. That’s what gives bloggers a bad name and sends a red flag that you’re in it for the wrong reasons. Be selective when you request a product and make sure having it in hand will make a difference in your coverage.”
— Liesa Goins, freelance beauty editor

False Hopes & Broken Promises!

Hey Beauties! This blog is basically a Carrie Bradshaw inspired piece. I love watching The Carrie Diaries and every time that I get to watch it, I get inspired to write something. Ever since I started watching this series, Carrie herself is wanting to make me a better writer. So, this is just a little something that I've been feeling for awhile.

In the words of Walt, "I'm pretending to be something I'm not!" Going from a basket case to a princess because that's what the world wants to see. Wrong! I am who I am and I'm not going to change because I don't fit into your perfect little society.

How can we change? Do we change for the better or worse? Don't make promises you can't keep. False hope can lead to a broken heart and your brain telling you, "I told you" is something I rather not hear from my brain. It feels like the two are always in a battle with each other, my heart wants to be vulnerable and wants to love but my brain says otherwise. Let's break this apart shall we? It seems like that my parents are my brain and guys/girls are my heart. When I fall for someone, they are telling me, "No, they are wrong for you, they don't care for you, they want to hurt you or my personal favorite, they just want to get you in bed and never talk to you again!" So, in this case, who do you trust and listen to?

False hopes and broken promises seems more like a guide line; well more like a bad pick up line that guys seem to use quit frequently. Telling you what you want to hear and then once they got you right were they want you... BAM! They don't need you anymore, unless they come crawling back to you to do the say thing to you all over again. But how do we stop from getting hurt when our brains and hearts are always at opposite ends fighting against each other?

How-To Accessorize Jewelry

How do you accessorize with jewelry?

Well, there are probably 101 different ways to answer this but a post that detailed would take about 3 days to read. so I'm going to share with you my TWO favorite ways to accessorize.

The first way is what I like to call “stacking” or layering. I basically put on ALL the jewelry I own and just leave the house. Joking. There actually is a science {of sorts} to it. Here are some tips:

1. Try it on. Take it off. Try it on. Take it off. Rinse and repeat. In other words you have to play around with it a bit. Try on a combination of pieces check it out and see how it makes you feel. If you aren't sure about it take a few pieces off or add something new.

2. If you are stacking tons of bracelets take it easy on the necklaces and rings. You don’t want to over-do it or come off like you’re trying to hard. A simple necklace will compliment stacked bracelets.

3. Don’t be afraid to mix colors and textures. You don’t have to wear ALL silver. silver bangles, silver rings and silver earrings. That can be a little boring. Add in a braided leather bracelet and a bright colored necklace. Or wear three or four high contrast rings. It may feel weird but I promise it looks H-A-W-T.

4. Stacking jewelry also is a fun way to spice up a flannel or t-shirt!

Okay, onto my second favorite way to accessorize. Statement pieces.

5. Wearing a statement piece is pretty much the complete opposite of stacking. You pick one piece that stands out all on it’s own. This would typically be a large colorful necklace, a pair of stunning earrings or maybe a striking watch.

6. When you wear a statement piece you typically want to take it easy everywhere else choose one or two simple bangles to go with an over the top necklace. Or a very simple necklace to go with stand-out earrings.

My number one tip for accessorizing with jewelry is HAVE FUN WITH IT! Get out of your comfort zone and try something fresh and new.


Overall, Have at least one bold statement piece in your assemble. When wearing jewelry you want to have at least one bold item and play down with the rest of  your pieces with dainty jewelry.

Jamba Juice Recipes

With over 150 locations in 24 states, Jamba Juice is one of the top smoothie chains in the country. And yes, these smoothies are big, so rustle up a 24-ounce cup, or get ready to share.

 These are free recipes for Jamba Juice Smoothies. All you need is a blender which can be purchased for around $30. Just pour the ingredients and blend until you see a swirl. That's why the Jamba Juice logo is a swirl! These are recipes found on the web so they may not turn out EXACTLY the same.

If the smoothie is thick, you can add more juice
If the smoothie is too watery, you can add more fruits/ice

Fruits should be frozen to give a thicker / Jamba Juice like texture. Make sure to put in 1/2 cup of ice in every smoothie for the icy texture.

 

Ingredients: 

Berry Bitten- 2012
1 cup mixed berry juice
1 scoop raspberry sherbet
1 scoop frozen yogurt
1 scoop frozen strawberries
1 scoop frozen blueberries
1 cup ice

Banana Berry

3/4 cup apple juice

3/4 cup Kern's strawberry nectar

2/3 cup frozen blueberries

1 banana, sliced

1 scoop raspberry sherbet

1 scoop vanilla nonfat frozen yogurt

1 cup ice

Orange-A-Peel

1 1/2 cups fresh orange juice (fresh squeezed)

2/3 cup frozen whole strawberries

1 banana, sliced

2 scoops vanilla nonfat frozen yogurt

1 cup ice

Cranberry Craze

1 1/2 cups cranberry juice

1/2 cup frozen whole strawberries

1/4 cup frozen blueberries

2 scoops raspberry sherbet

1 cup ice

Citrus Squeeze

1 cup fresh orange juice

1/2 cup pineapple juice

2/3 cup frozen whole strawberries

2 scoops orange sherbet

2 or 5 cup of frozen banana

1 cup ice

 

Peach Pleasure

12 ounces Kern's Peach nectar

1 cup frozen peaches

1/2 ripe banana

2 scoops orange sherbet

1 cup ice

Strawberries Wild

3/4 cup apple juice

3/4 cup Kern's strawberry nectar

2/3 cup frozen whole strawberries

1 sliced banana

2 scoops fat-free vanilla frozen yogurt

1 cup ice

Aloha Pineapple
0.75 cup of pineapple juice
0.25 cup of plain yogurt
1 cup of frozen strawberries
0.5 cup of banana
2 scoops of pineapple sherbet

Caribbean Passion
1 cup of Passion Fruit Mango Juice
1 cup of frozen strawberries
0.5 cup of frozen peaches
1 scoop of orange sherbet

Mango A Go Go
- 1 cup of Passion Fruit Juice
- 1.5 cups of frozen mangoes
- 2 scoops of Pineapple Sherbet

Orange Dream Machine
0.5 cup of orange juice
0.5 cup of milk
2 scoops of orange sherbet
2 scoops of non-fat vanilla frozen yogurt

Peach Pleasure
1 cup of Peach Nectar Juice
1 cup of frozen peaches
2 scoops of orange sherbet

Razzmatazz
1 cup of Cranberry or Raspberry Juice
1 cup of Frozen Banana
1 cup of frozen strawberries
2 scoops of orange sherbet

Strawberry Surf Rider
1 cup of Lemonade
1 cup of strawberries
0.5 cup of peaches
2 scoops of lime sherbet

Strawberries Wild
1 cup of Apple Juice
1 cup of frozen strawberries
0.5 cup of frozen banana
2 scoops of non-fat vanilla frozen yogurt

White Gummy Bear (Secret Menu)
0.75 cup of Peach Juice
0.5 cup of sweet Soy milk
0.5 cup of Mangoes
1 scoop of Lime Sherbet
1 scoop of Raspberry Sherbet
1 scoop of Orange Sherbet
1 scoop of Pineapple Sherbet

Acai Super-Antioxidant Smoothie Recipe (Jamba Juice Pre-Boosted)

½ cup frozen blueberries

½ cup frozen strawberries

½ cup acai juice

½ cup soy milk

1 cup raspberry sherbert

1 cup ice

Antioxidant Power Boost (*see Jamba Juice boost chart below)

Aloha Pineapple Smoothie Recipe (Jamba Juice Classic)

½ banana, sliced

½ cup frozen strawberries

1 cup pineapple juice

½ cup pineapple sherbert

½ cup plain nonfat frozen yogurt

1 cup ice

Apple ‘N Greens Smoothie Recipe (Jamba Juice Fruit & Veggie)

½ banana, sliced

½ cup frozen mangos

½ cup frozen peaches

¼ cup apple juice

1 cup green vegetable juice (carrots, spinach, bell pepper, kale, spirulina, lettuce)

¼ cup strawberry juice

1 cup ice

Banana Berry Smoothie Recipe (Jamba Juice Classic)

½ banana, sliced

½ cup frozen blueberries

½ cup apple juice

½ cup strawberry juice (Kern’s Strawberry Nectar works nicely)

½ cup vanilla nonfat frozen yogurt

½ cup raspberry sherbert

1 cup ice

Berry Blend Smoothie Recipe (Jamba Juice Fit ‘N Fruitful)

1 cup frozen blueberries

1 cup frozen strawberries

½ cup mixed berry juice

½ cup soy milk

1 cup ice

Lean Advantage Boost (*see Jamba Juice boost chart below)

Berry UpBEET Smoothie Recipe (Jamba Juice Fruit & Veggie)

½ cup frozen blueberries

½ cup frozen mangos

½ cup frozen strawberries

½ cup mixed berry juice

1 cup red vegetable juice (carrots, beets, broccoli, spinach, kale, lettuce)

1 cup ice

Caribbean Passion Smoothie Recipe (Jamba Juice Classic)

½ cup frozen peaches

½ cup frozen strawberries

1 cup passion fruit-mango juice

1 cup orange sherbert

1 cup ice

Chocolate Moo’d Smoothie Recipe (Jamba Juice Creamy Treats)

2 cups chocolate milk

1 cup vanilla nonfat frozen yogurt

1 cup ice

Five Fruit Frenzy Smoothie Recipe (Jamba Juice All Fruit)

½ banana, sliced

½ cup frozen blueberries

½ cup frozen peaches

½ cup frozen strawberries

1 cup mixed berry juice

1 cup ice

Mango-A-Go-Go Smoothie Recipe (Jamba Juice Classic)

1 cup frozen mangos

1 cup passion fruit-mango juice

1 cup pineapple sherbert

1 cup ice

Matcha Green Tea Blast Smoothie Recipe (Jamba Juice Creamy Treats)

1 tsp matcha green tea powder – Find the best price on Amazon

1 cup soy milk

1 cup plain sorbet

1 cup vanilla nonfat frozen yogurt

1 cup ice

Mega Mango Smoothie Recipe (Jamba Juice All Fruit)

1 cup frozen mangos

1 cup frozen strawberries

½ cup orange juice

½ cup pineapple juice

1 cup ice

Orange-A-Peel Smoothie Recipe (Jamba Juice Classic)

½ banana, sliced

1 cup frozen strawberries

1 cup orange juice

½ cup vanilla nonfat frozen yogurt

1 cup ice

Orange C-Booster Smoothie Recipe (Jamba Juice Pre-Boosted)

½ banana, sliced

½ cup frozen peaches

1 cup orange juice

1 cup orange sherbert

1 cup ice

Antioxidant Power Boost (*see boost chart below)

Immunity Boost (*see boost chart below)

Orange Carrot Karma Smoothie Recipe (Jamba Juice Fruit & Veggie)

1 banana, sliced

1 cup frozen mangos

1 cup carrot juice

1 cup ice

Orange Dream Machine Smoothie Recipe (Jamba Juice Creamy Treat)

½ cup orange juice

½ cup soy milk

1 cup vanilla nonfat frozen yogurt

1 cup orange sherbert

1 cup ice

Peach Mango Smoothie Recipe (Jamba Juice Fit ‘N Fruitful)

1 cup frozen mangos

1 cup frozen peaches

1 cup peach juice

1 cup ice

Lean Advantage Boost (*see Jamba Juice boost chart below)

Peach Perfection Smoothie Recipe (Jamba Juice All Fruit)

½ cup frozen mangos

1 cup frozen peaches

½ cup frozen strawberries

¼ cup apple juice

½ cup peach juice

¼ cup strawberry juice

1 cup ice

Peach Pleasure Smoothie Recipe (Jamba Juice Classic)

½ banana, sliced

1 cup frozen peaches

1 cup peach juice

½ cup orange sherbert

1 cup ice

Peanut Butter Moo’d Smoothie Recipe (Jamba Juice Creamy Treat)

½ cup banana, sliced

½ cup peanut butter

½ cup chocolate milk

1 cup soy milk

½ cup vanilla nonfat frozen yogurt

1 cup ice

Pomegranate Paradise Smoothie Recipe (Jamba Juice All Fruit)

½ cup frozen mangos

½ cup frozen peaches

1 cup frozen strawberries

1 cup pomegranate juice

1 cup ice

Pomegranate Pick-Me-Up Smoothie Recipe (Jamba Juice Classic)

½ cup frozen blueberries

½ cup frozen strawberries

½ cup mixed berry juice

½ cup pomegranate juice

1 cup raspberry sherbert

1 cup ice

Protein Berry Workout Smoothie Recipe (Jamba Juice Pre-Boosted)

1 banana, sliced

1 cup frozen strawberries

1 cup soy milk

1 cup ice

Whey Protein Boost (*see Jamba Juice boost chart below)

Razzamatazz Smoothie Recipe (Jamba Juice Classic)

½ banana, sliced

1 cup frozen strawberries

1 cup raspberry juice

½ cup orange sherbert

1 cup ice

Strawberry Raspberry Banana Smoothie Recipe (Jamba Juice Fit ‘N Fruitful)

½ banana, sliced

½ cup frozen raspberries

½ cup frozen strawberries

½ cup apple juice

½ cup strawberry juice

½ cup soy milk

1 cup ice

Strawberries Wild Smoothie Recipe (Jamba Juice Classic)

½ banana, sliced

½ cup frozen strawberries

½ cup apple juice

½ cup strawberry juice

1 cup vanilla nonfat frozen yogurt

1 cup ice

Strawberry Surf Rider Smoothie Recipe (Jamba Juice Classic)

½ cup frozen peaches

1 cup frozen strawberries

1 cup lemonade

½ cup lime sherbert

1 cup ice

Strawberry Whirl Smoothie Recipe (Jamba Juice All Fruit)

1 banana, sliced

1 cup frozen strawberries

½ cup apple juice

½ cup strawberry juice

1 cup ice

Tropical Harvest Smoothie Recipe (Jamba Juice Fruit & Veggie)

½ cup frozen mangos

½ cup frozen peaches

1 cup passion fruit-mango juice

1 cup yellow vegetable juice (sweet potato, carrot, butternut squash)

1 cup ice

Jamba Juice Secret Menu

Did you know there is a Jamba Juice Secret Menu? The secret menu contains smoothies that were created by Jamba Juice employees acting on the down-low in an unofficial capacity. The secret smoothies tend to be very flavorful, but not healthy enough for inclusion on the regular menu. Most Jamba Juice employees know the secret menu recipes because they are so popular, so all you have to do is ask … or use the recipes below to make them yourself at home.

Pink Starburst (Jamba Juice Secret Menu)

½ cup strawberries

½ cup lemonade

½ cup soy milk

½ cup lime sherbert

½ cup orange sherbert

½ cup pineapple sherbert

½ cup raspberry sherbert

½ cup ice

Instructions

Combine all ingredients for the smoothies of your choice in a blender and blend on high speed until all the ice is crushed and the drink is smooth.

Makes one 24-ounce drink.

Jamba Juice Boosts and Supplements

Find the best price on Amazon

3G Charger Boost

A blend of ginseng, green tea, and guarana.

Antioxidant Boost

A blend of vitamins A, C, and E.

C & Zinc Boost

A blend of vitamin C, zinc, and all natural plant extracts.

Chia Seed Boost

A blend of chia seeds.

Daily Vitamin Boost

A blend of 22 essential vitamins and minerals.

Energy Boost

A blend of B vitamins and botanicals. Surprisingly, there is no caffeine in their Energy Boost.

Flax & Fiber Booster

A blend of Omega-3 fatty acids and 7 grams of fiber.

Greek Yogurt Boost

A blend of cultured pasteurized nonfat milk containing the live active cultures l. bulgaricus and s. thermophilus.

Lean Advantage Boost

A blend of conjugated linolaic acid (CLA) derived from sunflower oil.

Probiotic Boost

A blend of probiotic cultures.

Quaker Whole Grain Boost

A blend of oat flour, calcium silicate, natural mixed tocopherols, and enzymes.

Soy Protein Boost

A blend of 8 grams of soy protein.

Whey Protein Boost

A blend of 10 grams of protein with essential amino acids.

For much more recipes, please go to: 

http://www.secretmenuholic.com/ 

Fake Alias

 Hey Beauties! In this blog I'm going to be talking about is fake alias.

This is something that I've been thinking about for a while.

I'm an artist so I do have an alias, manly because I've had people in the past who've stock me.

But I'm going to touch on a more personal subject here.

I hope that some of these questions will help answer any concerns you might have on this topic.

Why do some people need them? What are they hiding from? What's the difference between normal people and famous people, that use an alias?

Many famous people, including myself use a fake alias to hide from potential people who can stock use or can do harm. So, we keep our real name hidden from the world.

Now, normal people that use an alias, they could be hiding from something that other people don't want them to know about.

So, the real question here is... What are the truly hiding from and why?

That is an easy answer to this question but there are 2 answers though. The first answer is, someone could have gone into witness protection because they fear for their lives and their family. The second answer is, someone one who is convicted of a crime but doesn't want anyone to know what they did, so they change their name.

I know, this isn't easy but to the normal people (I'm taking about the convicts) why, change your name in the first place? You went to jail for a reason and were convicted for your crimes that you committed. So, deal with it.

For us famous people, I already mentioned it, its for our protection as well as the folks who undergo witness protection.

I ♡ Candles

Hi Beauties! This blog is going to be about some of my favorite candles. I give all products 5 out of 5 stars because I'm in love with Bath & Body Works Candles. Here is a brief summary of what the candle scents are.


Mahogany Teakwood Candle by: White Barn
"The scents of fine woods - mahogany, cedarwood and oak - highlighted by delicate lavender and geranium notes conjure up an escape to a cozy library on a chilly fall day."

Pumpkin Caramel Latte Candle by: Slatkin & CO.
"Gather with friends and celebrate the season with this warm, rich blend of creamy pumpkin, spiced caramel and sweet cream."

Cider Lane Candle by: Slatkin & CO.
"As sweet as the trip to the local apple orchard each year, a delicious fall blend of mulled cider, warm caramel and sweet cinnamon."

Cinnamon Frosting Candle by: Bath & Body Works Holiday Traditions
"Top off holiday celebrations with the scrumptious scent of granted cinnamon and cloves, vanilla bean and whipped buttercream."

Holiday Candle by: Slatkin & CO.
"A fragrance that captures the warmth and spices of the holidays with a special blend of cinnom and clove highlighted by sprightly bergamot."

Merry Cookie Candle by: Bath & Body Works Holiday Traditions
"A bowl full of cookie dough made from the very finest ingredients was the inspiration for this simply magical holiday scent - pure vanilla, butter and sugar."

Toffee Crunch Candle by: Bath & Body Works Holiday Traditions
"A merry medley of crunchy toasty English toffee, salted pretzels and decadent caramel drizzle combine to create a mouthwatering scent."

Cinnamon & Clove Buds by: White Barn
"A warmly spicy scent that recalls beloved family holiday traditions - classic cinnamon, simmering clove buds and exquisite vanilla."

Japanese Cherry Blossom by: Bath & Body Works
"Rare Japanese cherry blossom with Asian pear, mimosa petals and cedarwood."

Fresh Balsam by: White Barn
"The invigorating aroma of evergreen woods on a clear fall morning features crisp eucalyptus, fir needles and cedarwood musk notes."

♥ Re-use your old GlossyBoxes ♥

Hi Beauties! I found this really amazing idea to recycle your old Birchbox/Glossy Boxes.

You will need: 
1. 4x Glossybox-es or any Gift Box
2. 2x Superglue
3. Scissors that can cut through hard cardboard
4. Decorations (I used the Ribbons that came with the GlossyBox-es)
**You may want to rearrange it first before cutting anything up!**

So...the drawer consists of a lid which is the open top part, 3 boxes which are the drawers (which means your left with 3 more lids and a box), 2 of the lids will be the sides of the drawer. I used the last box as the base of the drawer and the last lid the back of the drawer. Hope that makes sense!

Anyway...let's start with the base of the drawer. Cut up the seams inside the box which will be laid out as the actual cardboard cut-out, then cut out the flaps leaving the rectangle in the middle. The rectangle bit is the base.

Now...moving on to the sides of the drawer - you will need 2 lids for this. You only need to cut out 2 seams...not all four!!! and make sure it's the longer side that you cut out..so basically, you cut out the long strip at the side and that enables you to insert all 3 drawers at the end. Also make sure that the other lid is the same but opposite.

Put the lids up opposite each other leaving a gap in the middle where the base should be and the long strip that has been cut off should be facing towards you. Then glue the bottom side of one the lids first and stick the base onto it.

Then using the last lid (which is the back of the drawer). Cut all the seams off which lays into the cut-out. Next step is to cut out ONLY the shorts flaps. Then make sure that the cut out fits into the sides & base of the drawers. Cut off excess - I just cut out the pink part of the other 2 flaps. Then glue the cut-out for the back of the drawer onto the first lid and then glue onto the second lid along with the base.

It now should look something like this. Then glue the 2 parts that is sticking out on the top and stick the lid onto it. This is the open top part of the drawer. It should be coming together now!! Make sure the drawers fit in properly.

I just decorated the drawer by using the ribbons that GlossyBox provided. So any holes or any cardboard that has been cut where is visible; I just cover it by sticking ribbon along that side. I stuck a bow to make it look pretty, but you can also personalize it with rhinestones of even stencil your name on to it. Creativity is endless here!!

I used excess ribbons to make it into a loop so that i can open the drawers. And TA-DA...finished product!!! :D

I placed all my regular skin-care products on the open top part of the drawer...the rest of the drawers is just make up that I daily use :) But of course, you can put anything into the drawers!!

I hope you like this and hope you can understand my explanation on this DIY. LOL I'm really bad at explaining things >.<

Let me know if your making your own drawer because I want to see the finished results!! Also let me know if you have any other ideas on how you re-use your GlossyBox-es!!


These are the two links that I found all of this information at. Both of these blogs have pictures to go along with the instructions.

Lauras All Made Up - Beauty, Nails, Lifestyle Blog ♥: Re-use your old GlossyBoxes ♥: 

http://sorjanban.blogspot.com/2012/01/re-using-glossybox-es.html

From S8R Boi to Punk Princess?

That's right its none other than Avril Ramona Lavigne.

The Punk Princess has made her debut when she was just a little kid but now after working with country singers like Shaina Twain, her big break finally came.

The 29 year old Canadian Musician, already has 5 albums.


Let Go (2002)
Under My Skin (2004)
The Best Damn Thing (2007)
Goodbye Lullaby (2011)
Avril Lavigne (2013)

She also did some film work.

Filmography

Year	Title	Role	Notes
2002	Sabrina, the Teenage Witch	Herself	Cameo; performed "Sk8er Boi"
2004	Going the Distance	Herself	Cameo; performed "Losing Grip"
2006	Fast Food Nation	Alice	High school activist
	Over the Hedge	Heather	Voice only
2007	The Flock	Beatrice Bell	Suspect's girlfriend
2010	American Idol	Herself	Guest judge (L.A. auditions)
2011	Majors & Minors	Herself	Guest mentor

But, for more information on this punk princess. Please go to:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avril_Lavigne

Contacting the God and Goddess

Contacting the God and Goddess

1. Find some private time. The God and Goddess are always watching and listening, but setting aside some time to personally contact them is great.

2. Find a good space. Usually Wiccans who practice Witchcraft have an altar (but it isn't always necessary to have one). You may pray outside near your favourite tree, in your room, or in your backyard. Anywhere you feel comfortable is best.

3. Close your eyes. Try to invision both the God and Goddess. How do you think they look? The Goddess is often portrayed with long hair and a silver disk all around her forehead like a tiara. The God is portrayed as a bearded, muscular man with a horned helmet (this is why he is referred to as the "Horned God"). These, however, are all examples, and you may see them both in your own personal view.

4. Communicate in prayer. Talk to them both once you feel that you have made a strong connection. Tell them your problems and worries, as for their help. Honour them.

5. End it off with a thank-you. Thanking the God and Goddess is essential, they need to know that you honour and respect them.

Consider leaving an offering. Although prayers and conversations with the God and Goddess are enough, offerings are good to keep for constant daily connections with the God and Goddess. Usually an offering bowl is kept in the middle of an altar for daily offerings, but if you do not have an altar, simple place a bowl outside in nature nearby a tree or a brook. You may also keep the bowl on a shelf. Leave offerings that are true to you, share them with the God and Goddess. It shows that you share your bounty with the Creators, and it will strengthen your bond with them.


Finding Your God & Goddess Deity

How to Become a Wiccan

A practitioner of Wicca is called a witch, but the idea many people have of witches is a bit off the mark. Most people think of a witch as a warty woman who lives in the woods with her cat, bewitches innocent travelers, and rides her broomstick across the sky at night.

Now certainly, some witches do like cats and some have broomsticks for purposes other than just cleaning, but broomsticks have obviously never been used in an attempt to fly.

Symbolically, the broomstick actually represents the union between the God and the Goddess in Wicca and is used in magic to “sweep away” negative energy. There are many more misconceptions surrounding Wicca, and we hope to clear up some of them below.

Wicca is a spiritual practice as well as a religion. This blog explains the basic spiritual principles involved in being a Wiccan. This is a general overview, and does not cover specific Wiccan practices. Just Note: Witchcraft was first discovered back in 2000bc, it could predate sooner then that. Also, June 10. 1692 was the first Salem Witch Hanging.



Steps
1. Study the Wiccan faith as much as you possibly can. Set aside at least 20-30 minutes of study time. It is often said that the only way to become a Wiccan is if you are initiated by a High Priest or High Priestess. This is true, in the strictest sense of the word Wiccan, but there is nothing to stop you following a similar path on your own if you want - only you can judge your feelings of spirituality! There are many Wiccans who are solitary and follow all kinds of traditions, and get different sorts of information from varying sources, whether this is from websites, pagan pamphlets, books etc.

2. Honour the Wiccan Rede and the Threefold Law. Be conscious of the results of your actions. Avoid consciously harming anyone. Avoid consciously harming animals, unless you also give back to them. {Some Wiccans are against eating meat, but some don't share this view. Those that don't share this view may offer food to two or more animals for every animal they consume... or at least create an offering to the God and/or Goddess.} And when you receive good, remember to share it, thus maintaining healthy balance.

3. Celebrate Sabbats and Esbats. These Sabbats represent some process in Nature, like the coming of the spring or days of harvest. Wiccan new year is on Samhain or like in its commercialized version Halloween. Sabbats are holidays or days of worship and celebration. In other religions, modern celebrants might call them Sabbaths.

• Esbats are the celebrations based on a lunar cycle. Some Wiccans celebrate waning, waxing and full moon but there are some that celebrate only full moons. An esbat is a coven meeting other than one of the Sabbats. Esbats have been described as an opportunity for a "love feast, healing work, and psychic training." Many confuse the esbat with the ritual observance of the full moon.

4. Understand the magick. Magick is not something that all Wiccans do. Some Wiccans choose not to practice magick, but focus on the spiritual aspects of the religion instead. Magick is never done with a purpose to harm someone but to help yourself or someone you love. Spells to make someone fall in love with you are not done. It is a form of mind control and it is strictly forbidden by the basic moral code of Wicca : "An it harm none, do as ye will." Mind control harms people.

5. Write in your Book of Shadows. It is your magickal journal in which you record all your thoughts, spells and rituals. Never let anyone but yourself read or open your Book of Shadows under any circumstances.

6. Accept your responsibility for all your actions, words, and thoughts. Blame no one.

7. Understand the moral codes of Wicca. "An ye harm none, do as ye will" is the basic and the most important statement of Wicca. It is impossible to never harm any living thing, as millions of bacteria die with each breath we take. Don't seek to harm others wantonly.

8. Understand the Threefold rule: Whatever you do comes back to you threefold. This is just to be a balance of a positive and negative energies in the world.

9. Understand the deities view in Wicca. Wiccans see the deity as a dual energy in the universe, the Lord and Lady It has masculine and feminine energies in itself.

10. Respect others' choices. If everyone is sacred, this means that no one has the answers for anyone else. There is no one truth, or best way. DO NOT try to convert other people into practicing Wicca, because we must respect people's choices and beliefs, and they are free to worship who they want.

11. Honour your Mother Earth. The Earth is sacred ground. Nature is magick in action. And the cycles of life on Earth hold secrets of the Universe. So celebrate the Earth in all Her seasons and rhythms.

12. Spend time with whatever aspect of Divinity speaks to you. Wicca involves an intimate, personal relationship with your Source, and every relationship requires care. Develop a friendship with the Divine: talking, listening, sharing things. You need no one and nothing else in order to create close connection with your Source. You are your own priest/priestess.


13. The Wiccan Rede. While a Wiccan can choose to be part of a coven, they can also practice on their own and decide what’s best for their own spiritual journey. Even covens vary wildly in how they go about things. However, many people may not realize that Wicca still has a very strong moral foundation despite those differences. The main laws of Wicca come from a poem called the Wiccan Rede. The poem was only published recently, but some Wiccans claim it has been handed down for generations and has ancient origins. While the entire poem is a bit long to reproduce in this article, you can read the full text here. The most important lines of the poem make up the main laws of morality in Wicca. The first law states “Mind the threefold law ye should, three times bad an’ three times good.” This is usually called the law of return or the threefold law and is similar to the idea of karma. The second comes at the end and states “An it harm none, do what ye will.” This law bears some similarity to the golden rule. So if you come across a true Wiccan, you don’t need to worry about them casting an evil spell on you—-it goes against their moral code.

14. Casting The Circle. Sadly, many people’s idea of Wiccan rituals is very far removed from the truth. Wiccans do not sacrifice people and animals or commune with demons. The way Wiccans actually prepare a ritual is first to cast a circle twice about. The symbolic purpose of casting the circle twice is to honor both the God and Goddess of Wicca. After the circle is cast, prayers will often be said to the lord and lady. Candles can then be placed at the cardinal points of the circle to represent the four elements. After this, an altar is prepared in the exact middle, to represent the element of spirit. Wicca is very much a religion of fertility, placing importance on life continuing through the sacred bond of man and woman. In fact, two of the most important magical tools in Wicca are a ceremonial dagger, called an athame, which represents the phallus, and a chalice, which represents the womb. In rituals, the dagger is often dipped in the chalice to celebrate the union between man and woman.

15. Book of Shadows. Those who practice Wicca usually have something called a book of shadows. This is sometimes referred to as a sort of Wiccan bible, but it doesn't really compare because there isn't one textbook that all Wiccans follow. A book of shadows is actually more like a diary of a Wiccan’s own spiritual journey and is thus very personal. If you sneak a peek inside, it might not even be all that interesting. In fact, depending on the Wiccan, you might mostly find musings on all of their various dreams and attempts at magic, with very little in the way of spells to perform. Of course, when a Wiccan first begins training, their book of shadows may include many different bits of information taken from other practitioners, but as time goes by it will evolve into something uniquely their own. In modern times, the book of shadows isn't even necessarily an actual book. For the sake of convenience and security, some witches choose to keep their books in digital form.

16. Earth Religion. As we mentioned before, the Wiccans have both a God and a Goddess, but some Wiccans also believe in multiple gods and goddesses. While this may seem confusing, all of these beliefs share something in common. Wiccans are an earth religion, so the God and Goddess are in a way a representation of the Earth itself—where all magic power comes from. While some Wiccans may disagree on the number of deities, most agree that the genders need to be kept in balance, as they are representative of the balance of nature. Since Wicca is an earth religion, its practitioners believe in a cycle of new beginnings, and many Wiccans believe in reincarnation. However, unlike some religions where you might go backward if you don’t live properly, Wiccans simply go to Summer-land when they die. Wiccans can stay in Summer-land for as long as they like and return when they are ready to continue their path. For this reason, Wiccan funerals are referred to as a crossing and are more about celebrating the life of the one who has passed on. A Wiccan will be sad to lose someone they love, but they also believe that, just like nature, it is all part of a cycle of death and rebirth.

17. Herbalism. Many people have a picture of witches and herbs that comes straight out of Shakespeare’s Macbeth, complete with a bubbling cauldron and all sorts of ghastly things being thrown in. However, the common perception of the ingredients in a witch’s herbal concoctions has less to do with Shakespeare and more to do with a simple misunderstanding. Many ingredients have folk names that would sound quite alarming to most of us but which actually just describe herbs. For instance, wild vanilla was sometimes referred to as deer’s tongue, and dandelions were referred to as lion’s tooth. But according to Wiccans, the misunderstanding of herbal medicine and the healers who use it goes back much further. Herbal medicine was very popular during Roman times. One method of healing was to create a small doll called a poppet, that was then filled with whatever herb was needed to help the afflicted person. Eventually, Christianity took hold and some Wiccans feel that the church unfairly persecuted them for their healing methods because it was competition for their miracles. However, despite the legal ramifications of performing healing magic, the practice continued, and has survived to this day.

18. Black Magic. Many people are under the impression that Wiccans use black magic or worship demons, but this is absolute nonsense. At its core, Wicca is very much a neo-pagan religion. In other words it is built on the ideas of the old pagan religions that died out around the time when Christianity became popular. Most people’s idea of black magic has nothing to do with Wicca whatsoever. The Wiccan concept of black magic is not summoning demons or performing black masses. On the contrary, many Wiccans would simply call it negative magic and consider it any spell that hurt someone else, or attempted to help someone against their will. Now, some Wiccans might occasionally attempt negative magic, but most Wiccans are strongly against such practices and would remind them of the Wiccan Rede (stating that whatever you do comes back to you times three). In other words, if you perform negative magic you might enjoy the results now, but it will not be worth it in the long run. It is also important to note that not all Wiccans even practice magic at all.

19. Warlocks And Witches. You just met your new Wiccan friend and everything seemed to be going well until you called him a warlock. Now he seems offended, but you don’t understand why. He is a male practitioner, so what gives? As it turns out, the word “warlock” has very negative connotations, and Wiccans actually use the word “witch” to describe both genders. “Warlock” has a long history and several meanings, but the old Scottish meaning the Wiccans are thinking of is “oath-breaker.” Some people believe the word came to mean that because it was used to refer to men who had “broken their oaths to God” by practicing witchcraft. While this might make the name somewhat less negative, it still seems unlikely that anyone would want to be called an oath-breaker. On the other hand, the word “witch” is almost always seen in a negative light, but it derives from the word Wicca and simply means to “bend or turn.” This is a completely neutral meaning and can apply to anyone who would use magic, whether good or bad. It is important then to point out that while all Wiccans are witches, that doesn't mean that every witch you meet is a Wiccan.

20. The Pentacle. The pentacle is the most important symbol in Wicca. It is sometimes mistakenly referred to as a pentagram, but that name is only correct if it is drawn or inscribed on something. Unfortunately for Wiccans, this has caused many people to become confused and conclude that Wiccans worship demons, but this couldn't be any further from the truth. You see, the pentacle’s star has five points to represent the five elements of Wicca: air, fire, earth, water, and spirit. These five elements are usually drawn from densest to least dense, with spirit on the very top to show the importance of the soul above the elements. The circle is then drawn around it for protective purposes. Satanists do use something very similar, but they have perverted the Wiccan imagery for their own purposes. In the 19th century, an occultist named Eliphas Levi declared that an inverted pentagram was symbolic of a horned goat of lust, and it has since been associated with Satan. Hence when the Church of Satan was founded in the United States, they chose to use an inverted pentacle with a goat head on it as their most important symbol. So unless you see an upside down pentacle with a goat head, you aren't dealing with a devil worshiper.

21. Wiccan Rites. Wicca is a religion of fertility, so of course babies are considered a great blessing. To welcome a new baby into the world Wiccans have a rite called a wiccaning. It is suggested that new Wiccan parents perform the ceremony when the moon is waxing or full and aligned with the child’s astrological sign. A practitioner would then cast a circle, like they would for any magic, and light a candle inscribed with the child’s name, astrological sign, and date of birth. While there are many possible variations to the ceremony, the main idea is that the child is blessed and prayers are offered as the parents celebrate their child’s entrance to the world. It is important to be clear that while a wiccaning may sound like the Christian rite of baptism, Wiccans do not have any concept of original sin. It is not a ceremony meant to purify the baby, but simply to bless them. Hand-fasting is the Wiccan version of a traditional marriage ceremony, but it has some key differences. The first rite of hand-fasting is “for a year and a day, or as long as love shall stay.” This can be considered a sort of trial union for very serious couples. If a couple is still serious after this, they may go through a second rite of hand-fasting, which usually involves a legal marriage agreement. There is also a third rite, called a hand-parting, that is the Wiccan version of divorce. However, unlike most divorces where the couple are fighting over who gets what stuff, Wiccans are meant to remain friends when parting, and always be open to being together again if they choose.

22. Skyclad Practice. (This practice isn't for everyone! I don't practice my craft this way but my friends do!) Perhaps one of the most controversial practices of Wicca is skyclad worship. For those who don’t know, skyclad means “complete nudity.” Many people might find the idea of naked worship strange, but it is not a particularly new religious practice and dates back at least as far as the Roman Empire. Neither has it been confined to pagans—there have been branches of Christianity as far back as the Middle Ages that observed such practices. More important is the misunderstanding most people have of naked worship. Those who practice it in a religious manner are not doing so as a form of sexual deviancy, but rather to bring themselves closer to their gods. Skyclad worship often features in Wiccan rituals because Wicca is a fertility religion. It is fairly rare for actual sexual acts to be performed as part of a public ritual; instead the union of the athame and the chalice are used symbolically. It is also important to know that many Wiccans do not practice skyclad, and those who do are generally very respectful of others who are not comfortable with the practice.


Tips
-Be open minded and don't judge the people there and you'll be fine.
-You never have to follow a format in Wicca, do what you believe and follow your heart and instinct .
-Look on websites for more information, and adapt things to suit your circumstances.


Warnings
-Don't try to force Wicca on other people.
-Never do spells on or for someone without their consent, even if it is intended to be a healing spell.

My Pagan Beliefs

Wicca & Parents

7 Makeup Mistakes Making You Look Tired

It’s hard enough to look awake in the morning, but it’s even harder if the makeup you’re applying is making you look even more tired than you already are. There’s no need to look like you’re running on no sleep if you don’t need to, and by avoiding the makeup mistakes below, you’ll look more awake.

Monotone Color: Creating definition between each of your facial features helps to make you look more awake. Instead of going for plain, one-dimensional color all over your face, define your brows, eyes, cheeks, and lips, just subtly, to help make yourself look more awake.

Wrong concealer color under your eyes: Regardless of whether you’re wearing a concealer too dark or too light for your face, the wrong concealer color will only make you look tired (and possibly like you don’t know what you’re doing with makeup). Make sure you’re doing your makeup in a well lit room and if you’re testing out a new product, go into a few different rooms with different lighting and a mirror so that you can see what the makeup looks like from different perspectives.

Not using a primer on your eyes: This one’s especially true if you’re using a dark eyeliner underneath your eyes, but make sure that you’re using a primer to prevent any dark color from smudging and drooping underneath your eyes, giving you a raccoon look. Also, using a waterproof eyeliner is ideal if you’re lining the bottom lash line.

Over-powdering: Dry, powdered skin tends to look older and more tired than clean, smooth skin, so be wary to not over-powder your face. Go with a translucent powder to take away shine and blend well.

Not using moisturizer first: Please, please, please never apply your makeup without first putting on a moisturizer. Bonus points if your moisturizer contains SPF! Applying any makeup on dry, flaky skin can make you look incredibly tired and dried out.

Using the wrong eyeliner color: Bronze or gold eyeliner will make you look tired and sickly if you’re cool toned, while silvery liner can make you look that way if you’re warm toned. Figure out your skin undertones, then choose an eyeliner color based on that.

Gray-colored makeup: No matter what your skin tone, if you wear makeup with gray undertones, you’ll bring out the grey coloring in your skin, which will make you look incredibly tired and probably a lot older than you want to look.

10 Amazing Beauty Tips You Can Only Learn Backstage at Fashion Week

Season after season, we head backstage at New York Fashion Week to chat with the lead makeup, hair and nail artists to learn about the looks at the shows.

While we’re there, we pick up a few of their best tips and tricks (whether it’s seeing them working their magic or they straight up tell us how to actually do something, better).

Keeping their best tips and tricks to ourselves would be just rude, so we’re sharing all of the best backstage beauty tips with you below.

1. Mix orange in with your concealer under the eyes for a more natural color. It corrects color and warms up the skin, because regular concealer typically looks quite white under the eye. When you add in just a pinch of orange color, you buy that finished product as real. It gives you more of a freshness. — Kabuki, Makeup Artist


2. For doing a half moon at a cuticle, get a nail art brush. The brushes in the bottle just don’t bend the right way, but a slimmer brush will give you the precision you need. If the color goes into your cuticle, it’s because you have too much polish on the brush. — Rebecca Isa, Manicurist


3. To look better in pictures, powder just the center of the face for the simplest play on highlight and contour, making the biggest difference. Just that slight technique puts everything into place and has a nice effect without looking like you tried too hard. — Lyne Desnoyes, Makeup Artist


4. To make graphic liner really stay on, powder over liquid liner with a black powder shadow. — Val Garland, Makeup Artist


5. For perfectly dewy skin, mix a pearlized color (like MAC Cosmetics’ creme color base in pearl) with a little bit of lip balm and blend all over the skin to highlight for balmy texture to your skin, and powder in strategic places (like down your nose or side of your face) so it doesn’t look too greasy. – Lucia Pica, Makeup Artist

6. The mistake people make is that they try to paint their opposite, non-dominant hand in the air. What you need to do is brace your non-dominant arm half way up the forearm flat on the table, then brace the hand you’ll paint with by putting the forearm against the table perpendicularly. Also, remember that your fingers rotate, so you can move to give the angle you need. — Deborah Lippmann, Manicurist


7. For getting the perfect sleek braid, use a styling paste and work that into your hair as you go with a braid to catch all of the flyaways. — Mark Hampton, Hairstylist


8. When you need to refresh the front of your hair or bangs in the morning after sleeping on them, use Bumble Prep to wet the hair and restyle it. The chemical makeup is different than water, so it dries faster and it gives you just a little tiny bit of hold. It doesn’t ruin your hairstyle, it just loosens up the hair quickly so you can just style your hair in a second. — Jimmy Paul, Hairstylist


9. When you’re trying to get a perfect line on your nail, hold your polish brush straight over your nail and move your nail (instead of the brush) to apply the line. – Jin Soon Choi, Manicurist


10. To highlight your face and really catch the light with your makeup, add an iridescent illuminating product high on your cheekbone, high on the bridge of your nose, on your cupid’s bow and on the tip of your chin – the sparkle will create lift. – Aaron de Mey, Makeup Artist