Hi Makeup Geeks!

I hope you all are enjoying the start to your summer   Since you all know California gets hotter than you know where… I live in maxi dresses all summer long.  But it can get boring wearing the same dresses the same way, so I’m giving you 5 different ways to wear them PLUS my favorite dresses and where I got them.

I do more fashion posts for fun on my Instagram, so check me out there if you want.  My username is makeupgeektv  :)

Maxi Dress &  Leather Jacket:

Dress:  Bebe

Jacket:   Express

Shoes:  Aldo  (bought a couple years ago)

Maxi Dress & Scarf

Dress:  Ross  (found some cute ones on Amazon though!)

Scarf:  Charming Charlies

Flat Sandals:   Aldo

Maxi Dress & Denim Jacket:

Dress:  Bebe  (they aren’t selling right now )

Denim Jacket:  Guess

Wedges:  Charlotte Russe

Maxi Dress & Vest:

Dress:  Bebe

Vest:  Styles for Less

Shoes:  Aldo  (bought 2 years ago)

Maxi Dress &  Blazer:

Dress:  Bebe  (they don’t sell anymore )

Blazer:  Forever 21

(forgot to take pictures in this outfit, but here’s some from the Makeup Geek Open House where I wore this outfit!  I’ll post a video soon showing a tour of my new California office space and pics from the Open House )

Me and Cocoa Bear

Me and Odette

Me and my mom

I’ve been looking forward to sharing this video with you all

XOXO

I know it’s been quite a bit since I’ve updated my personal blog, but there’s been SOOOO much going on.  I’ll get into that more later.

I hope you all are enjoying the start to your summer!  To escape from the craziness of life, Cocoa Bear (he’s a bit iffy with my “public” life, so I’m just sharing my pet name for him instead of his actual name) and I went to the beautiful Monterey, California!  It was a short trip for us as I only had a few days to spare, but we had such a great time!

This was our view of the ocean- pretty huh?!

We love to bike ride, so we took our bikes down and road the trails along the ocean.  It was AMAZING!  If you love to bike ride, you have to try the trails by Monterey as they’re all paved and the scenery is gorgeous.

Cocoa Bear taking a pic

I love living in California as we’re just a drive away from so many places.  San Francisco, the ocean, Lake Tahoe, Yosemite, the Redwoods.  I can’t imagine living anywhere else!  (except Paris of course as this is my other home city now  I swear I’m going to have a place there someday!  A girl can dream, right?!)

I’ll give you all an update next week on what all has been going on here.  Lots of personal stuff as well as upcoming things for Makeup Geek.  It’s been a crazy year so far!

LOTS of love,
Marlena  (and Cocoa Bear)

Outfit 1

Jacket:  Can’t remember    (Similar on Amazon)

Dress:  Cache   ($158)

Wedges:  Charlotte Russe  ($32.50)

Necklace:  Express  (Similar on Amazon)

Outfit 2

Skirt:  Nordstrom Rack  ($30)  (similar ones on Amazon)

Camisole:  Express

Cropped Denim Jacket:  Macys  ($30)  (similar on Amazon)

Belt:  Target 2 years ago  (I like this one from Amazon)

Shoes:  Last year from Charlotte Russe  ($32.50)  Similar ones here at Charlotte Russe

Outfit 3

Pants:  Not Your Daughters Jeans ($110)  (Amazon)

Camisole:  Express ($19.90)

Green Blouse:   Cache  ($98)

Shoes:  Aldo ($80)

Purse:  Michael Kors  (I bought from Macys and can’t find the style as I’d like to buy in black! If anyone knows name of this style, please post in comments )   I found some cute ones on Amazon for cheaper than I bought mine

Thank you everyone for your sweet comments and your support!  These fashion videos I do just for fun as I love being a girly girl and dressing up  Plus it’s nice to show ideas for us girls who aren’t a size 2 and have curves, as we tend to get overlooked in the fashion industry sometimes…  I’ll stop before I get on my soapbox!

XOXO,
Marlena

It’s true: I weigh roughly 165 pounds.  (it’s taken me months to even muster up the courage to share my weight)  For some of you 165 may be heavy, for some it may be light. For me it’s a number I thought I would never see, as just 4 years ago, my number was 289.

I can’t even honestly say how I got up to 289, but it doesn’t matter as again- it’s just a number. My main reason for losing weight in the first place was because I was tired of all my great qualities being overlooked because I was “fat”. I wanted everyone to see that I was a kind person, a hard working woman, and a girly girl who loved makeup and just wanted to live a happy life. I didn’t want to be known just as the “chunky girl with the pretty face”. OH, and most importantly, back then I was carrying around a bottle of pepto bismal in my purse because my stomach was constantly upset regardless of what I ate. I knew that I couldn’t live my life anymore in poor health and just feeling miserable. I wanted to be happy AND healthy.

My goal weight is to be 150 pounds, and honestly, I don’t know if I’ll reach it in a few months, a few years, or may never reach it at all. Every single pound I lose is a battle, but I keep on chugging along.  I stay optimistic as I’d love to be able to say for the FIRST time in my life “I weight 150 pounds!!” But then I step back, take a hard look at myself in the mirror, and realize my life can’t evolve around what a stupid little scale says. What matters most is that I feel healthy and am genuinely happy. And you know what, I am!

I’ll continue on my journey of eating healthy and staying active, so we’ll see what happens. The main goal is not to carry around pepto bismal in my purse anymore

LOTS of love,
Marlena

Yes, yes… I am a bit behind on this tag that’s been floating around youtube.  But better late than never, right?  It is the “Most Worn Tag” where I share my favorites things- hair stuff, nail polish, clothes, etc…  Let me know what you think of these are share what your most worn stuff is!  I like hearing about new things that I haven’t tried yet (gives me an excuse to shop- hehe)

Essie Nail Polish- “Muchi, Muchi” – (eBay) (Amazon)

• This nail polish is the perfect pink for everyday as it’s light but girly.  This is my go to color!

Bumble and Bumble Hair Powder - (eBay) (Amazon)

• If you have not tried this, YOU MUST!  It makes my hair fuller, gets rid of the oiliness after skipping a day (or three- haha) of shampooing, AND it hides my roots when I need a touch up of color.  It is FREAKING amazing stuff.  Seriously, go buy it- you’ll thank me later.

Bumble and Bumble Surf Spray – (eBay) (Amazon)

• I swear I’m not sponsered by Bumble and Bumble.  I just love their stuff!  This surf spray smells like the beach (in a good way- not like seagulls or rotten seaweed) and gives so much texture and volume to my hair!  All I do is spray this on my roots, then blowdry it and it makes my roots va va voom.  You could probably use this all over for that messy beachy look this summer too.

Michael Kors Purse Jet Set Tote Bag in Black – (Amazon)

• This is my first “big girl” purse and I absolutely love it.  It has been dragged across the car floor, on every airplane, smooshed in my closet, and whatever other abuse I put it through and still looks brand new.  I am now a devoted MK fan.

Jessica Simpson Pumps – (Purchased awhile ago at Marshall’s)

• I have always loved her shoes as they’re comfortable, not too expensive, and come in lots of styles and colors.

Guess Gold Hoops – (Any gold hoops will work great)

Forever 21 Bracelet – (Any funky, chunky jewelry)

• I also love jewelry from Charming Charlies- it’s similar to Forever 21 but they have TONS of stuff!  If you have one near you, make a day of it and check them out.  Their store is huge and have jewelry in every color possible.

Gray Jacket by Express – (Express) not the exact jacket but one close to it

Scarves – I buy a lot of mine from Target or Charlotte Russe

Revlon Colorstay Foundation – “360 Golden Caramel” (eBay) (Amazon)

• This foundation has always been one of my favorites as it is full coverage and comes in tons of shades.  Just apply it lightly as it can cake up if you put on too much.  The color 360 is close to NW/NC35 just for reference

Tarte Amazonian Clay Long-Wear Blush – “Tipsy” (eBay) (Amazon)

• I LOVE Tarte’s blushes as they’re smooth, pigmented, and matte finish.  Tipsy is the perfect coral color that brightens up my skin.

NYX Mega Shine Lip Gloss – “Tea Rose” (Makeup Geek Store)

• Again, another one of my long time favorites.  I haven’t found another lipgloss that beats this one yet, and the price is amazing.  Tea Rose is the perfect color for anyone- fair to dark.  It’s a beautiful rosy pink.

L’Oreal Voluminous Carbon Black – “Carbon Black” (eBay) (Amazon)

• BEST thickening mascara out there.  It’s super dark so my lashes look amazing once this is on! Can’t beat the price either.

Makeup Geek Eyeshadow – “Beaches & Cream” (Pan Version / Compact Version)
- “Prom Night” (Pan Version / Compact Version)

• Yes, I’m slightly biased as this is my own brand.  BUT, I am 100% honest in saying our eyeshadows are better than MAC’s and the price is waaaaayyyy better.

True Religion – Hippie Chic (eBay) (Amazon)

• I have 2 bottles of this, lotion, and some shower gel.  I would dip myself in a big bucket of this because it smells that amazing.  Nice and fresh, slightly fruity, and heavenly.  LOVE it.

Here’s just some bullet points on what I did- I know it can be overwhelming, so I promise to do more videos soon.  Give me feedback on what specifically you’d like a video on, because I want to help!

DIET:

• Start off by ONLY changing one thing in your diet.  For me, it was my drinks.  I switched from cokes to diet cokes, then to ice tea.  If your daily lunch is a cheeseburger with fries and a regular coke, do not change anything but the coke.  I know this is totally contrary to what every other “expert” says to do, but if you want this healthy eating to be permanent, you have to do it gradually or you will give up and go back to your bad eating habits. How many times have you woke up and said “Today is the day!”  You had egg whites for breakfast, a plain salad for lunch, and fish and broccoli for dinner then the next day you said “screw this!  I’m eating a cheeseburger for lunch- it’s been a rough day”.   Then you’re feeling guilty and go through the vicious cycle… I’ve been there, so I get it.  PLEASE just change one thing at a time.  It takes a bit longer to lose weight this way, but I swear the weightloss will be permanent as your eating habits will be more permanent.  
• After a couple weeks of drinking healthier drinks, take out the sugars in your diet.  Replace anything sweet with fresh fruit bowls or jello cups or sugar free pudding cups.  Again, don’t change anything else in your diet (except for the drinks, then the sugars)
• The next 2-3 weeks, cut out the bad carbs:  breads, pasta, crackers, etc…  Replace them with rice pasta or shredded zucchini.  This was the hardest stage for me as I LOVE pasta!  I snack now on low fat string cheese, fruit, and freshly sliced turkey or chicken meat instead.  Here’s my post on healthy snacks:  Top 10 Snacks to Help you Lose Weight
• The next 2-3 weeks, eat as much salads and veggies as you can.  Just be careful of dressings as they’re high in fat and sugars.  I have a recipe for the BEST taco salad ever and I use salsa for dressing and half an avocado.  It tastes so good that I eat this 3-4 times a week and never get tired of it  It has tons of protein, fills me up, and gives me all the veggies I need.  Also, find the best veggies that you like and eat them all the time.  For me, it’s garlic green beans.  (I hate most other cooked veggies, so I eat these yummo green beans at least 3 times a week)

EXERCISE:

• This is where it gets tough:  the exercise.   Can I just tell you how much I HATE going to the gym?  I feel like a hamster in a wheel every time I get on that dang elliptical.  And don’t get me started on being next to the skinny girls who run on the treadmill with the wind blowing through their hair like it’s actually fun, while I’m huffing and puffing and wheezing like I just ran a 5K marathon.  BUT, when I remember how much healthier I will be, and how I’m helping prevent heart disease, diabetes, and a whole other host of ailments, going to the gym doesn’t seem like a bad option.  (but still, I loathe going.)   
• You HAVE to make exercise a priority, and you HAVE to choose something you like.  For me, it’s step classes.  If I have a scheduled “date” where I go to class, then it’s easier to get my butt to the gym.  And once I’m inside, it’s like “oh, I can do the elliptical afterwards or maybe 30 minutes of weights”.
• Also, get outside!  I found that if I get outside and exercise, I love it 100 times more.  When spring and summer hits, I go bike riding, walking/jogging, or climbing stairs.  It puts me in a better mood as I get some sunshine while I’m at it.  Whatever you have to do to motivate yourself, do it.  Grab a friend, your husband, your dog, the mailman- doesn’t matter.  Just get outside

Lastly, make your weightloss number 1 priority for awhile.  I’ve actually held off doing a TON of things for Makeup Geek as I had to put my health and exercise time first.  If I’m in bad health, work or anything else doesn’t really matter.  YOU are your priority, so do whatever you can to just feel better and healthy.  We only have a limited number of days in our lives, so gotta keep the days we do have, good ones

Be healthy and happy!!

xoxo,
Marlena

Yep, this is my current weight:  164.6.   I know this still is pretty heavy for some of you, but I’m 5’5″ and not a thin framed girl.  I don’t want to be a size 2- just healthy  My goal is to be 150, so we’ll see if that happens!  It may be a few months from now, or a year, or maybe never but I’m going to keep plugging away!

I’m on a fashion kick lately (gotta love Pinterest), so wanted to do a fun tag to go along with my current obsession! I get so many different questions concerning my style, even though I don’t consider myself a fashionista.  I am just a girl who loves all things girly- makeup, hair, nails, AND clothes. OH wait! and shoes!!

I had fun taping this for you all

How would you describe your style? – I’m not sure how to describe it as it’s not a defined style. It’s a combination of girly meets classic, combined with a little funk and slightly over the top. I love big, bold jewelry, makeup (of course) accessories and high heels. So I am definitely a girly girl!

What are your wardrobe staples? – Accessories! I love big bold earrings, scarves, heels, and jackets. I love structured pieces like jackets that cut in to help accentuate my waist. I also love v-neck sweaters. These are great for showing a little cleavage and adding length to the neck so you don’t look cut off.

Most expensive item in your closet? – I really don’t buy a lot of expensive things simply because I change things up so much. However, I do have a couple of Michael Kors purses that live up to my abuse and are great quality.

• Michael Kors Handbag Jet Set Chain Ring Tote - (Amazon)

Most wanted item? – I am trying everywhere to find a green vest. I have seen so many cute outfits on Pinterest where someone is wearing a stripped shirt with a green vest over it. Unfortunately I can’t find one that doesn’t look like I am going camping. So, if anyone knows where I can find one please let me know in the comments below.

Favorite designer? – I really don’t have one since I don’t buy a lot of designer items. If I had to choose I would pick GUESS and Jessica Simpson for their style and then of course Michael Kors for his purses, shoes and accessories.

How much do you spend on your clothes? – It really depends but it’s usually about $300.00. Some months it may be a little more, and then some months like this month it’s not near that much.

What are your favorite places to shop? – This is hit or miss for me as I have a hard time finding things that fit me well. So I have to go to very specific stores for specific pieces. My jeans of course are “Not Your Daughter’s Jeans” and come from Nordstrom or Norstrom Rack. I love Charlotte Russe for their scarves and accessories. Some other places are Styles For Less, H & M, and sometimes Marshall’s and T.J. Max.

• Not Your Daughters Jeans – (Nordstrom)
• Scarves – (Charlotte Russe)
• Accessories – (Charlotte Russe)

Whats your favorite way to do your hair? – They way I am wearing it now. My hair is very fine and lays flat to my head so adding some curl gives it volume. To get the look I use a 1 1/2 inch barrel and curl it away from my face and finish with a side swept bang.

What is your go-to outfit when you have no idea what to wear? – Jeans, v-neck sweater, usually in black since I like to add scarves and accessories. If I want to mix it up I will add a different color sweater and accessories or scarf.

One fashion trend you wish would come back or stay? – The 90′s glam look. That would fit in perfect with my big gold hoop earrings I love to wear.  I would be Jenny on the Block if I could.  Yeah, I said it

Show us your most prized possession in your wardrobe. – They are two necklaces. The first one is one that was given to me by my Dad on my 21 birthday and the other one is one that was given to me by my boyfriend last year for my birthday.  They mean a lot as there’s sentiment behind it.

So that’s my fashion tag! Hopefully you all found something useful in this that you will be trying. If you have done a fashion tag of your own post it below so I can see what you all have. I love getting ideas from you all as well.

xoxo,

Marlena

Hello my stunning Makeup Geeks, this is second part to my Bohemian Inspired Style (see the makeup and hair here). The Boho style is free spirited and fun and is the reason I wanted to try this striking and care-free look.  The great thing about the Boho style is adding your own personal touches to make the look your own. You can add or substitute any pieces to make the look your own. Have fun and let me know what you think of this unique style.

NAILS

OPI Nail Polish – ‘Sweet Heart’ – (eBay) (Amazon)

OUTFIT

Coral Dress (Styles for Less) only online in blue

Cropped Denim Jacket (Styles for Less, any denim jacket will work great)

Pendant Necklace (Styles for Less, any chunky matching pendant will be wonderful)

Braided Sandals (Styles for Less)

Wooden Bangles (Styles for Less, but any wooden bracelts will work)

Headband (Charlotte Russe, but any headband you will have works)

Hello my beautiful Makeup Geeks. This is just a casual “get to know me” video. I recently realized in the last five years of me taping I haven’t done a video like this explaining who I am and how I came to be on YouTube. I guess on some level I have purposely done that since my life on YouTube is so public I keep the personal side of my life to myself for sanity’s sake. At the same time many of you have to be wondering who this person is doing makeup tutorials and makeup education?

I started doing videos five years ago after being a full time music teacher. I owned a piano studio and then went into the public school system for middle school and high school where I taught band, choir and group piano. I was also a church music director but decided this was not what I was suppose to be doing with my life even though I loved what I did and loved my students very much. As a side “job” I decided to begin doing makeup tutorials and posting them on YouTube. After a short time, my subscribers grew and I realized this could be a part time job which quickly became a full time job. Not long after I made the decision to start my own makeup line. Everything feel into place and I truly believe GOD had a specific plan in my life which I am beyond blessed for. I know it is because of you all that I have my dream job and I am always so very grateful for that.

If there could be a tag line for my life in general it would be”the girl who’s gone through a lot of transitions”. I went from living in California to Michigan and back to California. I had my degree in music education to running a cosmetics company. I have went from married to divorced and now dating again and as most of my followers know I have went through a dramatic weight loss. I am a complete girly girl from head to toe. I love makeup, wavy hair, jewelry and of course my favorite color Raspberry Pink.

I have three dwarf hamsters that are so cute. There names are Chewie, Spock and Snuggles. I am a very sweet girl until I get behind the wheel of a car. I get very impatient with slow drivers. I could never have a job where I had a long commute! My best qualities are that I am very caring, very giving very hard working. My not so good qualities are that I am not so patient and can be stubborn at times. My hobbies are scrap-booking, tennis, playing the piano (I actually can play four instruments; piano, flute, cello and guitar. Most of these I’m just OK with the exception of piano which I do very well) I am an only child although I did have an half brother who I didn’t know very well and passed eight years ago. My immediate family now is just me and my Mom. My Dad, whom I was extremely close to, passed away last year. That is what the tattoo on my wrist stands for. He was a musician as well and it’s musical notes with his initials inside. I have two tattoos the one on my wrist and one on my foot in Italian. It’ reads “The beautiful life” and since I am half Italian I got that as something special for myself.

My dream for my life is to make women feel beautiful. If at the end of my life I knew I had helped make just a few women feel more beautiful about themselves I would be completely happy. I know as women we tend to put ourselves down and to put other people down as well. I feel it’s important to help women feel more confident in themselves and love who they are. My other dream is to live in Paris one day because I fell completely in love with it when I was there. I connected with it so much and loved everything about it.

So that’s a brief review of who I am and and how I got to where I am now. It can be hard when you are trying to describe yourself to others so if you all have any questions you would like to ask then feel free to and I will do another video like this in the future and answer some of your questions. I hope this helps you know a little more about me and why I do what I do and why I love this so much. I am also going to leave this open for video response so you can make a video and I can get to know my amazing Muggies!

I truly hope you all are staying happy and healthy and are doing great!

Marlena