Creating the Life I Want

It's been over two years since my last post.  There are so many excuses that I could give you as to why I haven't shared any posts on here, but my real answer is going to be that I was living.  I was making successes and failures.  I uprooted my world and moved, changed my career path and most recently my relationship status and moved back to my hometown.  

If that is not living, I don't know what is!

But, I'm not here to share the negative details, I'm going to share the positive changes that I've made to move forward towards the person that I want to be.  To hit you with a cliche I am "becoming my best self" or "living my best life".

Last year, I met my new creative "partner in crime", Michael Serine.  He approached me when he was in need of a makeup artist to collaborate on a shoot.  We didn't know what we wanted to shoot and then I found the #collaborationmastered free Master Class.  We did a huge production shoot where he and I built sets, made costume pieces, and styled our models ourselves.

We've since worked on some other creative and experimental shoots.

As well as some commercial shoots.

At the beginning of this year, I was signed as an artist for the beauty agency Dollface by Jules.

As well as a Beauty Ambassador for JMTM Cosmetics.

And a Beauty Blog Contributor for Jules Loves. Me

And that is just what has been developing in my career sector!

Now that we're past my career... Let's dive into the personal.  I've been cultivating a series of rituals in my life that include working out doing T25, Yoga, Meditation, and Journaling.  It sounds all new age and hippie, but it's what calms my "brand of crazy". 

I've lost 15lbs, my anxiety has been lowered, I've overcome a lot of my body image issues, and if I'm being honest.... I'm less of the person that I used to be and more of the person that I want to be.

Overall I'm in a better place and truly want to share more with y'all!

So what's coming up for my blog..... there will be Beauty Posts, DIY, and Integrative Lifestyle posts!!!

Stay Tuned!

Love,

Heather

Neal's Yard Remedies Review

 

A little over a month ago.... A friend of mine wanted me to try a skin care line that she was promoting not only for home use, but also for her spa.... She's a Licensed Esthetician aka Skin Therapist....

She sent me a link to the website and sent me a digital copy of the new catalog so that I could do the research on it.... and even came to visit me and my classmates in the Esthetics Program that I recently graduate from to tell us about the line....

 

It was really good timing for me because I was running out of my current skin regime products and needed new everything...  I like to stay more with the natural and more holistic skin care lines because so many of the products on our shelves, whether Prestige or Drug Store have so many added chemicals and harsh chemicals.....

 

So....

 

The line is Neal's Yard Remedies....and they believe in SAFE Cosmetics.

*No Sythetic Fragrances

*No Silicones

*No Mineral Oils

*No Parabens

*No GM ingredients

*No Pthalates

*No Propelene Glycol

*No Animal Testing

*No DEA

*No EDTA

*No Acrylates

*No Nano

*No BHT

 

I got pretty excited about the fact that this was the kind of line that I was looking for... with the ethics that I would love for all products on the market, but like all products I like to do the research....

 

So I bought a few of the Starter Kits...

 

The Award-Winning Skincare Kit

-Revitalizes -Replenishes -Recharges

 

Contains:

*Wild Rose Beauty Balm- the one-pot skin savior: Cleanses, Exfoliates and Deeply Moisturizes

*White Tea Facial Mist: carry with you for refreshing bursts of antioxidant-rich moisture.

*Beauty Sleep Concentrate: moisturizes and fights lines and wrinkles as you sleep.

*White Tea Enriching Facial Mask: use weekly to help restore skin's moisture levels.

 

 

Age-Defying Skincare Kit:

-Helps to: -Rejuvenate -Tone -Reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles

 

Contains:

*Rejuvenating Frankincense Refining Cleanser: sweeps away grime and make-up while gently exfoliating.

*Rejuvenating Frankincense Toner: Removes last traces of cleanser and prepares skin to better absorb moisturizer.

*Rejuvenating Frankincense Facial Oil: add a few drops before moisturizing for an extra deep moisture boost.

*Frankincense Hydrating Cream- moisturizes, firms and helps keep skin feeling soft and fresh.

 

 

Because I spent on the 2 kits I also got a Free Full Size Rehydrating Rose Daily Moisture Moisturizer:

*Replenishes and rehydrates

*Lightweight and easily absorbed, skin drinks it in

*With ultra-moisturizing hyaluronic acid.

 

 

I've been using these products for over a month and I'm In LOVE:

 

I have a Combination/Dry skin and it can be a pain to fine the right products to take care of my skin ...  What I Loved is that I can mix and mingle the products to customize my regime to my needs...

 

Since I've been using these products on a regular basis my skin feels smoother, fine lines have slowly started to fade and I look forward to washing my face twice a day instead of being completely lazy about it....

 

I get to pamper myself every morning and at night....

 

 

 

 

 

The Biggest Stand Out Product that I got was the Wild Rose Beauty Balm:

 

I've decided it's my Holy Grail Product because it has so many uses:

*It has totally replaced my eye makeup remover

*It's an awesome cleanser

*It also works really well as a hydrating mask

*It even helps with chaffed skin.....

 

All in All: I Love Neal's Yard Remedies

 

Some other things to note about these products.... If you are used to synthetic fragrances in your products.... These are going to smell unfamiliar to you because they don't use synthetic fragrances ....they use essential oils in their products.... So it can take some getting used to....

 

You can only get these products in the US through a Neal's Yard Consultant... If you want to know more about these products or if you want to try any of these products you can go to:

 

us.nyrorganic.com/shop/heatherashberry

 

Heather

 

 

Detox Tea Recipe

 

I've been wanting to do a detox for a while.... to give me more energy, fight bloating, and help boost my metabolism.....

 

So I did a lot of research for different recipes and let me tell you there are ALOT.... and tweaked my own recipe using the typical ingredients in these detox drinks...... because a lot of them can be pretty strong.... and not very tasty....

 

*Disclaimer: I am not a doctor, I am not claiming that this will heal you nor am I saying that this will work for you..... this is something that I've tried and that I actually like. *

 

 

 

*Detox Tea Recipe*

*Ingredients:

* Green Tea or Black Tea : 12-16oz

(I use Green Tea for the caffeine in the morning and Decaf Black Tea for the evening)

* Cinnamon: 1 Teaspoon

*Lemon Juice: 2 Tablespoons

*Apple Cider Vinegar: 2 Tablespoons

*Honey: Use desired amount to sweeten

 

*Directions:

1) Brew desired amount of tea:  I brew enough tea to fill a pitcher.

(for mine it was about 7-10 teabags)

 

2) Sweeten tea with honey and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

 

3) In 12-16oz glass or travel cup: Mix Apple Cider Vinegar, Lemon Juice and Cinnamon.

 

4) Mix in Tea and Ice

 

5) Enjoy

 

*Benefits:

(These are just a few for each ingredient)

 

*Apple Cider Vinegar: Improves Complexion, Boosts Immunity, Promotes Digestion, Balances pH in the body, Reduces Inflammation, Promotes Weightloss, Good for Constipation, Whitens Teeth, and deals with cramps.....

 

*Cinnamon: Regulates Blood Sugar, Helps with Heart Disease, Helps with Diabetes, Anti-bacterial & Anti-fungal, Improves Digestion....

 

*Lemons:  Helps with Constipation, Digestion, Anti-aging, Weightloss, Blood Pressure, Blood Sugar, Flushes Bacteria, Suppresses Appetite, Improves Skin.......

 

*Honey: Immunity Booster, Energy Booster, Anti-fungal, Full of Antioxidants, Helps with the growth of Beneficial Bacteria, Blood Pressure, Digestion, Blood Sugar.....

 

*Green Tea: Helps lower Cholesterol, Heart Disease, Helps Boost Metabolism, Diabetes, Body Circulation, Oral Health, Full of Antioxidants........

 

*Black Tea: Helps with Arteries, Blood Flow, Full of Antioxidants, Helps lower Cholesterol, Bone Health, Oral Health.....

 

 

I'm doing this for a 7 day detox to start....combining with healthy dieting and lots of fluids....Pilates and Yoga.....

 

I'll update with how it makes me feel by the end of the week.....

 

Heather

Building a Pro Kit.....on a Budget...

 

 

 

 

Makeup Artistry, like any artform, requires special tools and products......

 

Building a pro-kit is not cheap, but it can be done on a budget.....

 

I've built one before when I first started doing makeup on clients last year, but now I'm starting over and it's that time again....

 

Tips:

*Research every product....Not all brushes are equal, not all brands are going to give you the same desired effect( Bridal, Special Events, HD, etc.), Sanitation products for all products are important and skincare that suits a lot of different skin types. It's crucial for you to be knowledgeable and make educated decisions vs. "This looks cool, I'll get it!"  (Sometimes this works out, but you waste a lot of money when it doesn't)

 

*Value Sets: These help you to get a lot of products at once, help you try many types of products and who doesn't love a good value..... Most companies have these types of sets....You can find them at Ulta, Sephora, and the Brand Sites themselves....

 

*Palettes vs. Singles:  Palettes are my favorite way to get more bang for my buck.... Palettes are better for travel because the packaging allows for better storage... Singles take up so much space, they are more likely to break when traveling vs. most palettes...

 

Examples: *Urban Decay Naked Palettes: Basic (has many of the matte colors you will need), 1,2,and 3 are perfect because they are versatile.

*BH Cosmetics has great deals on eyeshadow palettes, blush palettes, and even foundation palettes

*Coastal Scents, like BH Cosmetics, has similar products that are affordable and the pigment payoff is awesome.

 

*BOGO deals:  I've gotten great deals on my brushes this way.... Nice brushes can be expensive, but BOGO deals really help me out when building my kit....

Example:  Real Techniques Brushes come in singles or you can buy the starter sets.... Ulta is really great about having BOGO's that include the sets so you can save up to $20 or more...

 * You can also get great makeup products this way: Ulta, CVS, Walgreens.

 

 

*Utilize local beauty stores: I get the best deals on lashes for my kit this way.  Unlike the bigger stores like Sally's, CVS, Walgreens and Rite Aid the selection for lashes can be somewhat limited.  I recently shopped at a local store and got great deals on 100% human hair lashes, both strips and individuals.  They also tend to keep specialty lashes like the Kiss Lash Dress( seen in the pic) on hand.

 

*Check the Clearance:  Beauty stores always have a clearance section.  Certain styles of lashes go out of season (Halloween) or Collections get discontinued or Makeup gets Repackaged.   I recently went to Sally's and found the Cirque de Soleil Collection on sale for less than $2 and I know they are extreme, but to have on hand for conceptual makeups they are awesome.

 

 

 

*Outlet Stores: TJ Maxx is one of those stores that I tend to have decent luck finding tools.  I've found so many great brands of brushes, beauty blenders there and sometimes you'll find eyeshadow palettes from brands like E.L.F. that are great for practice.

 

 

 *Disposable: For sanitary purposes for your kit you will need disposable lip wands, sponges, mascara wands and the like....

 

And after the Adventures to find all of the basic pieces to your kit....

 

 

You'll have set up tables that look like this....

 

I hope these tips are helpful to you...

 

Heather

 

Dirt Therapy: DIY Hanging Herb Garden

I've been so busy with school and work lately and I needed something to do or create that would get my mind off of all the things bogging me down.  I'm always inside during the week whether it be at school, then work, then at home and I don't really get to enjoy being outside.  I remembered that a  friend of mine is always talking about how relaxing it is for her to get out in the yard and get down with some "dirt therapy", so I thought I'd try that.
 

My boyfriend and had been talking about making a herb garden for a while, but living in a 2nd story walk up makes that just a little tricky, there's no backyard, there's no real porch for a box garden either. 

So, we did the next best thing.... We repurposed a  canvas shoe organizer to hang over the terrace....

 

Supplies:

* Repurposed Canvas Shoe Organizer

*Eyelet Punch

*Large Eyelets

*Zip Ties( you can use hooks in place of these, but these were the best for our project)

*Gardening Soil - (you can use compost instead, but we just purchased soil from the hardware store)

* Assortment of Herbs / Peppers

(Make sure that you read the labels on the herbs to know about how much sun/shade each plant needs before purchasing)

 

 

 

1) When choosing the shoe organizer: you want to test the drainage of the fabric.  You want to pour water through to see how fast the water drips through.  Just to be on the safe side... I used the eyelet punch to put some small drainage holes in the bottom of each section.

 

2) For the eyelet placement, I just placed two eyelets per section about 2 inches apart and 1-2 inches from the top of each section....  You have to take into account how much weight is going to be on the fabric with the soil, plant, and water.

 

3) When hanging... make sure that you've secured it well and that the weight will be distributed equally. 

 

4) We just layered soil and mixed with water as we went and placed each plant in the desired pockets based on how much sun and shade they need.

 

 

We planted Lavender, Sage, Rosemary, German Thyme, Spearmint, Sweet Mint, Parsley, Basil and also pot planted Habanero peppers and Jalapeno peppers....

 

Here is the progress a week later:

 

*Lavender

*Sage

*Rosemary

*German Thyme

*Spearmint

 

*Sweet Mint

*Parsley

*Basil

*Habanero Peppers

*Jalapeno Peppers

 

 We're already seeing new blooms :)

 

"Dirt Therapy" truly does work. 

 It lowered my stress and I get to watch the progress of these "garden babies".

 

There is no telling what I might use some of the herbs for, but I have a few ideas:

*Cooking

* Soap Making

* Lotions

 

Heather