I wish all of you the best in your businesses this new Seminar year! Speaking of Seminar, I am going this year. For the first time in 5 years I am going again. I’m giving Seminar a second chance to make a first impression on me. This year will be different because my director will be there this time around. I’m happy to announce that my  Mary Kay sales money paid for it! It paid for the registration and the plane ticket! Woo hoo! That makes me very happy!

What are YOUR goals for the new year and what actions are you taking now to reach them?

Anyway, enjoy your holiday, everybody!

I guess the best place to start is with the definition of concealers and highlighters. It’s important to know the differences. Some people may have a misconception that the two are synonymous and provide the same function, however, this is not true. Concealers do just that. They conceal. They cover up what you don’t want to have visible. The do not highlight or brighten. At least, they are not meant to do so. Highlighters, on the other hand, draw out creases and lines to make them appear less defined.

Concealer

When applying concealer, always be conscious of the area that is being covered. This is the area to be concealed. The concealer should be applied only to the area meant to be covered. Failure to do this will only defeat the purpose. By putting concealer on the entire area, the dark area will still be visible. The best way to apply concealer is with a concealer brush. If you don’t have one, you can always use your ring finger or a sponge. A brush is best, though. Tap the concealer directly onto the dark area.

Concealer is to be applied before foundation. Allow concealer to dry for about two minutes before applying foundation. This gives it time to set up. This way, when foundation is applied, it won’t move the concealer with it.

Concealer comes in different colors. The colors we work with in our company are yellow, ivory 1, ivory 2, beige 1, beige 2, bronze 1 and bronze 2. It is important to know when to use which colors. When working with darker discolorations such as dark bruising, birth marks, “port wine” (red) markings, etc. it is best to start with yellow. Yellow pulls the dark area closer to neutral. In some cases, yellow may be enough and then you can put foundation over the yellow. For darker markings, start with yellow and then apply the color that matches the skin tone over the yellow, followed by foundation and powder if desired or necessary.

1. No concealer. Dark circles city (mine aren’t as dark as they used to be thanks to Targeted Action Eye Revitalizer):

2. Concealer only. Hopefully, the area that is concealed is visible.

3. Add liquid foundation in full coverage.

4. Add mineral powder. I’m so bold. Revealing my face sans makeup!

Can you see the dark areas? I hope not!

Commonly Concealed Problems

Dark Circles. When concealing dark circles, conceal just the dark circle. Never put concealer on puffy areas (commonly referred to as bags under the eyes). Putting concealer on puffy areas will only accentuate the bags.

Scars. An important thing to remember about scars is this: they are nonporous and therefore, they won’t hold the product. Before applying the concealer, first dab a bit of moisturizer on the scar itself. Then dust it with powder to create an adhesive. Then apply the concealer just to the scar.

Highlighter

The highlighting pen is to be used on top of foundation. It brightens and draws out. It makes lines appear less defined by pulling them forward. Lightening and brightening pulls forward while darkening pushes back creating a shadow. Areas to use the highlighter include creases near the mouth (smile lines) as well as the nose. I also put it over dark eye areas after concealing circles. It brightens the area.

Another great highlighting product is the highlighting mineral powder available in matte (Pink Porcelain) and shimmer (Pink Stardust). I’m a shimmer girl so I use the Pink Stardust. I use this instead of the highlighter pen. This is because I use the Targeted Action Eye Revitalizer and as a result I do not need to use as much concealer (if any) and I also don’t need to use the pen. They look a little harsh because my dark circles are not so dark anymore thanks to the eye revitalizer.

To use the highlighting powder, I first apply the white powder to the dark area. I use the eye defining brush. I have an old one from my older brush set. I just use that brush for the highlighter powder now. Next, I blend the pink powder so the white isn’t gleaming on my face. It blends it nicely and I have a nice healthy glow.

And then I apply makeup. Of course I’ll share the finished result.

MK4ME, you don’t know this, but your daughter gave me an idea. I don’t typically use black liner. I haven’t used it since leaving the world of dance and even then I only used it on stage, but I really liked the definition it gave her eyes when she added that to the blue liner. So, I tried it, too; but since she did it with the Coastal Colors, I wanted to implement it with a different look. So, I revisted those colors from last year.

I started with Vanilla Eyecicles® as I always do as a base. Then, I applied the Lemongrass to the entire lid. Next, I blended Amber Glaze to the middle lid to outer corner. I put Silky Caramel in the browline. I lined my eyes with Black liners. I only did the outler lashline so as not to create too harsh a line. Then I applied the Bahama Blue pencil. Next, I smudged in Denim Frost with the lash brush. I should add here that I used the eye definer for the Lemongrass, Amber Blaze, and Silky Caramel. I finished with Ultimate Mascara in Black. This was my result:

I like it. I think it makes a nice evening look for sure, but I am not above wearing it during the day. I may try it with either no liner or the Tahitian Gold liner underneath for a less dramatic lower lashline.

Once the falsies are applied, guests put on their color look. Much attention is paid to the eyes. To best be prepared, I recommend planning a look ahead of time for guests. I use the Create-a-Look application on InTouch. It’s so easy and a sure thing! Or use the Coastal Collection. I’ve taken guests to two of these events so far. The first time was in February and I did a Create-a-Look and the second time was in April and I used the Coastal Collection. Both were huge successes for me in sales and in fun. When I invited my guests I invited them for the makeover and added that as a bonus, if they were feeling really daring, they would have a chance to try false lashes! I really was surprised when they all lit up and said how funny yet FUN that sounded and they wanted to try them! One of my guests even brought her own! It was awesome!

Now, the lunch part is healthy. We served a healthy salad and light sides like breads and such. We hold these events about once a month at a director’s home meeting space. She provides the salad and we provide the other sides. It’s just how we arrange it. Of course if you choose to do this yourself, you can do it anyway that works best for you. As for the lashes, consultants provide those for their guests. They are pretty inexpensive at Sally Beauty Supply.

Once everybody’s made up we take after shots. It is a blast and everyone has fun!

The event was very good. I was impressed. It featured some of our prominent NSD’s and our Vice President of Sales Force Intelligence. There were times when you could tell it was a first time attempt. Our VP was amusing. He was trying to keep everyone interested. There were moments when we would have a drawing or something and he would pause and then say, “wasn’t that fun?” or “Wasn’t that exciting?” Kind of like a game show host. I thought it was funny.

On a more serious note, the NSD’s hit a very good point in the training. At one point they talked about working with new team members and the fears they have as well as other objections there may be. Basically, what it came down to, is this; when you strip away the time, the money, the people, etc. it comes down to raw fear. Fear is what holds us all back. And once you can own up to the fear and face the fear and work through the fear, you can move forward in this business. I thought it was profound and it has helped me immensely not only in working with my team; but in working my own business.

Fast forward to May 18! Last night was our second SEE and this one had a different twist. We could bring guests! It was designed for team building and giving those toying with the notion of starting their own business the chance to see and hear NSD’s and Corporate in action. The event was scheduled from 7:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. in all time zones. I’m not sure how it worked. I don’t know if it was prerecorded or if it was shot live on more than one occasion. I’m thinking the former. This event had three key speakers including Allison LaMarr and Gloria Mayfield Banks.

In addition to the speakers, there were brief inserts of interviews with consultants and directors at all levels of the career path from new consultant to NSD. They did a good job of featuring a sampling of different types of women that someone can relate to. This event was the first opportunity I’d had to see or hear Allison LaMarr at all. I’m not familiar with her other than she’s young and has broken lots of company records. Listening to her speak, I found her to be pretty down to earth and relatable. I would have to say I like her. Gloria Mayfield Banks was amazing. I have heard her on cd’s, but have never seen her in action. I really do plan to be in my Red Jacket for Seminar so I can be in her training class this year. I think she teaches that level (Star Recruiter/Team Leader). For safe measure, my goal is to be a Team Leader. Hehehe.

In case you were wondering, I did take a guest with me. A friend of mine from work has been thinking about signing up for some time so I invited her to this event. I figured she may as well see what it’s about to help her with her decision. If she wants to do it great! If not, at least she is making an educated decision. My director is going to talk to her, too; so we’ll see and time will tell.

Did anyone else go to the SEE (either the one in February or the one in May)? What did you think?

Hopefully, that will be the last time this happens. Many apologies to those who posted comments.

I’ve decided to try the different eye looks featured in each issue of The Look. Today I’m featuring Urban Bazaar. I’ve been wearing these colors for a few days now and I really love how they look. I used to think Navy Blue was too dark for me, but when blended properly it’s not that dark at all.

So, here’s how to get this look on your eyes. At least, this is how I did it. I went by doing what I saw in the picture rather than going online to see the application tips. First of all, here are the colors you’ll need:

• Vanilla Eyecicles® (optional)
• Moonstone
• Lemongrass
• Vintage Gold
• Navy Blue
• Steely liner
• mascara

If you’re like me, eye primer is a little too drying. Eye primer make my crease flaky and dry. Instead of using that product, I use Eyecicles® instead. It makes a great base and keeps the other colors on all day. So, I start by applying Eyecicles® Vanilla on my entire lid. Then, using the eye defining bush, I apply Moonstone in the browline. Next, Lemongrass is applied from the inner corner to the middle of the lid and also beneath the lower lashes. Still using the eye definer, I apply Vintage Gold from the outer corner to the middle of the lid and blend it with the Lemongrass. The Vintage gold also goes just above the crease and blends with the Moonstone as well. Now I switch brushes and use the eye crease brush to apply the Navy Blue along the outer lash line and lightly tap it into the out corner and into the crease about midway, blending it with the Vintage Gold and Moonstone. I also lightly line the lower out lashline stopping just short of the center of the eye. Next, apply Steely liner to top and bottom lash lines. I never outline the entire eye. It just looks to harsh on me. I line to the middle. It give the eyes a more open appearnance. Lining the entire eye can close the eyes and make them appear smaller.

The look finishes with Tanned lipstick and Gold Rush gloss. Lately, I’ve been using Hawaiian Sunset gloss instead. It looks just as good as Gold Rush. I don’t use blush. Instead, I use bronzing powder. Right now I used the discontinued bronzing powder because I still have it. Once it is gone (which will be awhile) I will figure out which of the new ones is best for me. Anyway, I just really want to start showing application instructions to allow a guide for anyone wondering how to achieve some of the looks and because I’m really thinking I want to get some type of cosmetic license. It’s also nice to see the colors on real life people instead of models. I also think it’s important to wear what is in the catalogs because customers may ask about them and want to know how to do it. It’s good to have experimented with it to answer those questions and provide the service they require.