Lashes for days...

I get asked all. the. time. about my lashes. Yes, they’re REAL, but I’ve had a little help enhancing them.

In the last 5 years or so, I’ve really noticed a change in my lashes. I’ve always had naturally long lashes but I’ve noticed they aren’t as thick and long as they used to be.

I came across an eyelash enhancing serum called Babe Lash and decided to try it out. After just a couple of weeks of using it every night, I could tell a difference in my lashes and others were noticing as well.

Several of my clients have also used Babe Lash serum and their lashes appear dramatically longer and thicker!

I am so happy to share this little beauty secret with you because I also have a special offer for you as well! Because I love Babe Lash so much and am confident in the product, I have partnered with them to offer my friends a 20% off promo code! Click HERE to go to the Babe Lash website and use promo code: AMOTHERINSPIRED for 20% off your order!

As a beauty blogger, it’s important to me to only recommend products that I actually love and believe in so it excites me so much to get to partner with this company and help you all get a discount on a great product!

Happy Friday, friends, and happy belated valentines day as well! Have a safe and happy weekend!

Disclaimer: purchasing this product gives me a small commission. Think of it as me getting paid for doing the research.

Stephanie's makeover

This is my gorgeous friend, Stephanie. Stephanie has like THE BEST skin and look at those eyes! I had so much fun “painting” with her natural beautiful features. Below is what I used on Stephanie.

Everything I used was from Maskcara Beauty except for what I used to fill in her brows.

iiid foundation

Highlight: Sunlit

extra highlight: linen

contour: ash

blush: hollywood

lips: plum

eyeshadow colors : On Wednesdays, Sabrina, trust.

brows: Brow Pow by The Balm cosmetics in light brown

Here’s my website to shop Maskcara Beauty! Email me for help finding your perfect colors for iiid foundation!

A grown up skincare regimen

Let me start off this post by saying that I have terrible skin. I’ve had terrible skin since maybe the 9th grade. So, why should you listen to me about skincare? Bare with me.

Through my jr high years, I realized I had very oily, acne prone skin but so does everyone else at that age. It didn’t bother me too much then but as I got older, my acne began to get worse and worse and occasionally covering my entire face with RED, inflamed, deep pimples. I tried everything on the market, even accutane and nothing would clear up my skin. Accutane worked for me but only when I was taking the medication. After finishing the accutane process, my acne came right back. I’ve taken it twice.

As adults, we need to be taking care of our skin in different ways than we did when we were young. In your teenage and college years, you may not have even washed your face. I remember having friends who had flawless skin. They would never wash their face, sleep in their makeup, and wake up the next morning and put more makeup on. Flawless. I would spend 20 minutes in the bathroom removing my makeup, washing my face, using a special scrub my dermatologist had given me, and apply zit cream all over and then wake up in the morning with a bright new zit in the center of my forehead. (insert eye roll) Wether you never washed your face as a teen or spent so much time catering to your skin in the bathroom each night, you should NOT be using the same regimen that you used in those teen/ college years. In our early adulthood, our skin’s oil production was different than it is now and wrinkles were a myth. It’s time to move out of the Clearasil aisle and into the department store…or the Olay aisle. Whatever fits your budget. ;)

Like I said earlier, I do have terrible skin. Don’t try to sugar coat it, it’s just a fact. I love myself and am fine with my skin as it is so don’t feel like you need to lift my spirits. Trust me, I’m good. I may have pock mark type scarring on my face from previous acne but I think I’m pretty and am comfortable in my skin. Anyway, I can’t do much to change my skin now because the past has taken it’s toll. Some of the scarring is permanent and I continue to get acne, despite the fact that I’m 30 years old. What I can do though is protect the skin that I have now. I want to use products that give my oily skin a deep cleaning, hydrate my skin, keep new wrinkles from forming, and exfoliate to keep this skin looking as youthful as it can for as long as it can.

Here’s my personal night time skincare regimen.

Remove makeup

Every evening I remove my makeup by wetting a microfiber face cloth with warm water. These babies remove makeup better than makeup removing wipes and are reusable! You simply wash and reuse! These wash clothes that I have linked are the exact ones I have. I bought two of the 6 packs to have 12 on hand for morning and night face cleaning. Have you ever used a microfiber mop to clean your floors? All you need is water and the microfiber sucks up all the dirt right off the floor. Microfiber works the same when used on your skin. Love.

Cleanse

Now this next product might surprise you but hang with me. I have a good reason for it. To wash my face I use good ole Cetaphil. Like I already told you, my skin is very oily and it’s hard to find a cleanser that really deep cleans my face. Cetaphil leaves my face feeling really clean and gives me a little bit of acne fighting ingredients. I do not recommend Cetaphil to people with normal or dry skin because it is very drying. I wash the cleanser off with the clean side of the microfiber cloth that I used to remove my makeup. I’m telling you, microfiber face cloths are amazing.

MILK Toner

Tone

Next I use a skin balancing toner. This is my secret ingredient. This amazing toner helps reduce redness and inflammation as well as balancing your skins ph. It is this MILK toner by Maskcara Beauty. The vitamins in this toner help keep your skin smooth, hydrated, and even. It is alcohol free which is fantastic because alcohol is really not good for your skin. It dries your skin out too much which makes normal to dry skin too dry and oily skin even more oily because your skin will produce more oil trying to overcompensate for the moisture loss. Why use a toner you ask? Toners close the pores (or should be closing your pores) and calm your skin down after cleansing. They prep your face to be ready to absorb your moisturizer, and yes, everybody needs moisturizer. Take it from the grease ball. I have never met anyone who’s skin is as oily as mine and I moisturize almost every night. This toner helps to keep my skin balanced despite the fact that the cetaphil cleanser is so drying. If I use Cetaphil and don’t apply my toner and moisturizer, my face gets an itchy burny sensation and that is not ok with me.

Moisturize

MILK Creme

The final step in my nightly skin routine is this MILK creme. (my moisturizer) This creme contains 16% natural milk components and can moisturize the driest of skin. With it’s lactic acid and vitamins A and E, it helps promote skin cell turnover and reduces fine lines and wrinkles. I use this all over my face and neck as well as around my eyes rather than using an eye cream. With it being winter, my skin feels so dry after cleansing but smoothing this milky creme over my skin instantly replenishes that moisture and feels like giving my skin a nice big drink.

That is what I do every night for my skin. if nothing else, at least remove your makeup every night. When you remove your makeup, you’re letting you skin breath and giving it a light exfoliation. Exfoliating is important for aging skin because it helps the skin shed old skin cells and create new skin cells. As we get older, our new skin cell production slows down, thus, wrinkles. Exfoliating keeps the skin thinking it’s young and keeps it creating new skin cells.

I personally prefer a good, deep exfoliation so I give myself microdermabrasion once a week using the PMD Microdermabrasion tool. Microderm is the process of using tiny crystals to exfoliate the skin and then draws out dead skin and impurities by using suction. It’s basically like sanding you face down with a table sander and then sucking it clean with a shop vac. Ha! This results is fresh, rejuvenated, healthy skin. I love that I can do this at home and do it so often. To have this done weekly at the spa would cost you $300 a month minimum! Below is the PMD Microderm tool that I have.

I’d love to hear what you use on your skin and why! Do you have any secret ingredients or amazing products that you will never part with? Tell me about them in the comments! Have a great weekend, my friends!

love,

Disclaimer: Clinking on the links provided may result in me making a small commission.

Another Amanda Makeover

I posted the before and afters of my sister, Amanda last Monday and this Monday I have another Amanda makeover to show you! Same name, different Amanda.

View fullsize

View fullsize

Amanda is so cute and youthful looking. She looks great in her “before” and in her “after” pic, I think she is looking kind of bridal. She’s wearing soft, natural tones, giving her that sweet, romantic look that can work for a day or night look. Read below to see what I used on Amanda S.

Maskcara Beauty iiid foundation

highlight: Aura

extra highlight: linen (under eyes, bridge of nose)

contour: Stone

cheeks: baby watermelon

lips: desert sunset

eyeshadow colors: On Wednesdays, Mi hija, Sabrina, and Coco

Everything listed above is available here.

Eyebrows: Brow Pow by The Balm cosmetics in light brown

Happy Monday, friends!

Makeup Do Not's

Being in the beauty industry, I often notice common makeup mishaps. Makeup should be used to enhance your natural beauty but when applied incorrectly, can take away from your God given gorgeous features. Here are some makeup mishaps that I frequently come across.

Eyeliner on the bottom only.

The purpose of eyeliner is to bring out your eyes. You can make them look bigger, make them “pop”, and make them look dark and sultry. When eyeliner is placed only on the bottom lash line or water line, it drags your eyes down instead of lifting them up, making them appear droopy and bottom heavy which can make the brightest of eyes appear saggy and tired and I don’t think anyone is trying to go for that look. When applying eyeliner to the top lash line only, you make your upper lashes look thicker and heavier and therefore magically making the eyes appear to be more open. Putting liner on both top and bottom lash line/ water line can really make the eyes pop and stand out. No liner at all accompanied by mascara also makes the eyes look bright, youthful and doe eyed. See if you can see the difference in my eyes in the photos below.

Too heavy on the bottom, almost making eyes appear to be upside down.

No liner, just shadow applied in outer corner of upper and Lower lash line.

Upper eyeliner not touching lash line

When putting liner on your top lash line, there should be no gap between the liner and your lashes. As crazy as it seems, I do see this a lot. Eyeliner is not a crayon to just color on your eyelids with however you please. Like I said above, it is a tool to accentuate your beautiful peepers. If you don’t have a steady hand or your eyelids are aging and it’s hard to get an even line of liner, you could try lining your eyes with eyeshadow and an angled brush or invest in a smudging tool to help you smooth out your liner after applying. Matte shadow colors like Filly, Trust, Cole, and Salem are great for using to line your eyes. I highly recommend this angled brush for all your powder liner needs as well as for filling in your brows with powder brow filler. Not sure what color of liner is right for you? Read below for my eyeliner color recommendations.

Eye color Eyeliner color

brown black, brown, dark brown, charcoal

hazel dark brown, brown, charcoal

blue dark brown, brown

green dark brown, brown, amethyst, dark green

These are simply my recommendations and obviously you can do whatever you want. I always prefer dark brown liner over black for anyone with the exception of liquid liner. If you like to play with a lot of color when dolling up your eyes, refer to my blog post, “What colors are right for you?” This will help you know what colors will complement those baby blues…or browns… or greens. Ha!

Eugene Levy brows

I know you’ve all seen the ladies with sharpie eyebrows. Sometimes I even feel that way when filling in my own brows. It’s important to always look as natural as possible when filling in your brows. Start by going to a store like Sephora or Ulta and trying on different shades of the brow filler of your choice. I prefer brow powder like Brow Pow by Benefit cosmetics. Trying on different shades will help you figure out what color looks the best on you. Then, if you don’t want to spend the amount that Sephora /Ulta products cost, take a pic of the shade you liked and try to match it to a drug store product. Light strokes over your brows are so much better than heavy, thick, magic marker swipes.

Your face doesn’t match your neck

Whatever shade of foundation you choose should effortlessly blend into the skin on your neck. The neck is usually a bit lighter than the face because your face tends to cast a shadow onto your neck and thus keeps your neck from getting much sun exposure. Finding a foundation to match your neck may mean that your face will look washed out and ghostly and that’s why contouring and/ or bronzing are key to achieving a healthy looking complexion. I use Maskcara Beauty IIID Foundation. It is an easy to use highlighting and contouring foundation that provides your skin with different shades of foundation to accentuate your skin’s natural highlights and shadows.

If using traditional foundation, it’s always best to figure out what color is right for you when in direct sunlight. I can’t tell you how many times in the past Iv’e been “color matched” at Ulta or Sephora under the department store florescent lighting only to realize that I looked like a spray tan gone wrong when in outdoor lighting. You can take home samples of multiple colors and either try them on in front of a sunny window in your house or even in the car. This will ensure that your makeup looks correct in all lighting. No orange lines of demarcation between face and neck. ;)

I hope you found this helpful! As always, please feel free to message me any questions you may have about these tips or about your own makeup routine.

Love,

Maskcara Beauty

This is the beautiful Cara with a couple of her cuties. Total smoke show, right?

Never heard of Maskcara Beauty? You’re missing out! Maskcara is a makeup and skincare company that was created by fellow mom and beauty extraordinaire, Cara of the Maskcara beauty blog. If you don’t already follow her, you totally should. I’ve learned so much about makeup from her over the years and she is just as beautiful on the inside as she is on the outside.

Being one of her “groupies”, I was quick to purchase the foundation that she created when it first became available several years ago. It was called IIID Foundation and was supposed to create the perfect amount of warmth and brightness that we all want by highlighting and contouring. These words, “highlighting and contouring” meant nothing to me back then. The Kardashians makeup artists hadn’t yet shared their secret of this phenomenon.

The trick to this IIID Foundation (that I love and wear every day!) is to apply multiple shades of foundation to your skin in the right areas to create a perfectly bright and contoured complexion. Think paint by number.

This is just to give you an idea of what colors go where.

IIID Foundation has a buildable coverage with no need for concealer. Each shade comes in a small tin of it’s own which can be stored in a magnetic compact that comes free when you buy 4 tins! If you’re the kind of girls who gets excited by cute packaging, you’ll really appreciate the cute tins and compacts from Maskcara. ;)

For the easiest, most basic look, you will only need 3 colors with the option of an illuminator to add extra glow.

You will need a contour, highlight, and blush of your choice. The contour color goes under your cheek bones, around your hairline, the sides of your nose, and on your jawline. The highlight color goes everywhere else; your under eye area, over your eye lids, forehead, jaw above the bone, above your upper lip, chin, and bridge of nose. The blush obviously goes on your cheeks but can double as a lip color as well.

For our novice makeup gurus, you may like 2 contour colors and 2 highlight colors. I like to use a lighter contour for my initial base and then a darker contour after applying my highlight to “chisel” certain areas to look more defined. I also like to use a lighter highlight color under my eyes for extra brightness to make my peepers look more awake. Watch this video to see how I apply my IIID Foundation.

When Cara developed this makeup, she wanted to make it easy for us basic Betty’s to be able to experience the glam of Hollywood and to do it in 5 minutes because we’re busy mommas!

I't’s definitely different from any other foundation I’ve ever tried so it does take some time to get used to, but once you get the hang of it, this stuff is such a help in shortening your morning routine and I swear the bright look you get from wearing it is unmatchable. Love it!

As a plus, these products are cruelty free, paraben free, gluten free, and are made with a bee’s wax base. It’s nice to know that your makeup is free of nasty stuff.

Check out my Maskcara Beauty website to browse all the amazing products! Please comment below if you have any questions or feel free to email me. If you’re wanting to try IIID Foundation for yourself and you’re local, let’s set up an appointment to try it out on your skin! If you’re not local, no worries. Simply message me a picture of yourself with no makeup on (and in good lighting. preferably facing a window or in the car) and I can help you choose the colors that would be right for your skin tone.

Until next time,

Are you wearing the right makeup colors for your skin tone?

Have you ever been told what colors you should or should not wear? Take the quiz below to figure out what colors will flatter your coloring!

1. Look at the inside of your wrist. Can you see your veins? What color do they look?

A. Blue B. Green C. Blue and Green or cant see veins

2. What color are your eyes?

A. Blue/ blue green B. Green or hazel (greenish brown) C. Brown

3. What color is your hair?

A. beige or ashy blonde/ cool or ashy brown/ grey-silver- white B. golden blonde/ golden brown/ red C. black

Results!

• If you got all A’s, cool tones are your jam. You can rock blue like nobody else! Stick with blues, greens, violets, silver, and all those icy cool tones as well as black. (Colors on the right side of the color wheel pictured below)

• If You got all B’s, you’re a warm girl all the way. You can paint your face up like a sunny desert day with plenty of bronzer. (Reference colors on the left side of the color wheel below)

• If you are all C’s, you are the lucky ones! You can simply wear whatever colors you want and rock them all. We hate you. Just kidding! ;)

• Combination of letters- This is where things get more technical. The basic rule of wearing warm or cool colors comes down to your skin tone. If you see blue veins on your wrist, you will look best in cool tones. If you see green veins you will look best in warm tones. If you see both or see no color, you can wear both warm and cool.

• If you are both warm and cool or a combination of A’s, B’s, and C’s, and you want to know what makeup colors to choose, you can go off of your eye color. Using the color wheel below, find your eye color. Now what is the color that is directly across from your eye color? For example, my eyes are brown with a hint of green. Directly across from the dark greenish brown color on the color wheel is a deep blue violet. When I use colors on my eyes with a violet base, it really makes my eyes pop! You can also use the color of your eyes or colors in the same family (the colors directly around the color of your eyes on the color wheel) for your eye makeup and clothing. Next to the browns on the color wheel are pinks and golds and I love to wear those as well.

• Lip stick and blush can be tricky. Let’s say you’re wanting to choose a red lipstick. If the quiz says you should wear warm tones, you want to find an orangy red rather than a violet or blue-ish red. For blush if you’re supposed to wear warm tones, use a peachy, golden pink, or coral color. If you’re a cool toned lady, use a berry or plum colored blush. Our friends at Ulta or Sephora would be happy to help direct you toward warm or cool toned makeup colors.

Complementary colors- Complementary colors are colors that are directly across from each other on the color wheel. These colors “compliment” each other, meaning that they look great together.

Examples: If you’re wearing a hunter green sweater, wear violet toned makeup to make that sweater really flatter you. Do you have super green eyes? Try a bold red lip and watch how the red on your lips pulls out the green in your eyes! If you have gold toned hair or even some caramel highlights, try adding some royal blue into your life. You will be amazed at how pairing these colors together can really trick the eye. It’s like having a built in instagram filter. haha!

If you’re totally confused any you need some help figuring this out, just message me with your answers to the quiz and I’ll help you. :)

Now that you know what colors you should be wearing, I’m pretty sure you have a free pass to go purchase a new outfit or at least some new makeup! ;)

Happy shopping!

love,

Meet Melinda

If you just happened upon my blog and you have no idea who I am, Let me tell ya! I’m Melinda. I’m a 30 something mommy to 3 girls and am married to my best friend, Jared. I’m a part time hairstylist and work from my home in my cute little in-home salon. Guess what?…I also have clinical depression and anxiety. No secrets here. I do my best each day to be the best version of myself to best serve my family despite the weight of living with depression. I love God and do my best to love like Jesus. Equality and justice are very important to me but I also love all things hair and makeup. On my blog you will find posts on a number of different topics. I am inspired by many things.

Not too long ago I was trying to make it as a social media influencer and beauty blogger but I just have way too many topics that I care about to be only a beauty blogger. Also, I realized that being an influencer (or trying to be) was not for me. I’d rather share ideas, thoughts, and products with my readers without pushing any products. I miss the days of girlfriends getting together and naturally sharing outfit and beauty tips rather than the influenced, impulse purchasing of today. If I somehow make a buck or two from blogging, so be it but this is solely a hobby blog. I love writing and I especially love writing about the topics that inspire this mother. Hence the name, A Mother Inspired.