2014 in a nutshell

This banner year came with such amazing highs and yes, some not so amazing lows. Originally I wanted to make an achievement list to cannonize this as my best year on earth ever. And it was, truly. But a true retrospective must capture the good and the bad. And in remembering 2014, it will be critical for posterity alone, to be honest that while it was AMAZING, it also had some challenges. For those of you starting businesses in makeup, anyone self-employed, working in the wedding or production industry or dreaming of doing it- you must know that even when we reach what we always dreamed for, reality is that nothing in life makes you immune to things like health scares, family problems or difficult clients. That being said, I want to draw MORE attention to the good and great things that I am so grateful for in 2014!!

I had the pleasure of working on about 70 wedding parties, 15 senior photo shoots, 10 engagement shoots, 6 rehearsal dinner looks, 5 bachelorette looks, 4 wedding shower looks, 5 prom attendants, 4 commercials, 4 corporate videos or days of photos, 1 infomercial. I was the personal artist for 2 high profile people, 16 promo/headshot/modeling pics, 10 live television segments for national news, 1 fashion editorial for a magazine, had brides on 2 major wedding blogs (wedding chicks and style me pretty), developed and taught my first ever bridal beauty group class alongside my dear friend and colleague Kelli Ramey (beautimarkedbykelli), held individual training for various makeup artists, worked with several photographers on more than a dozen boudoir shoots, taught 15 makeup lessons to clients, and did the grooming/makeup for a major label band's promotional pics (Warner Brothers Band Family Force 5). That was just in 2014! And I want more, always. More weddings, more commercials, more photo shoots.....
For those who ask if I "stay busy" being self-employed as a makeup artist in Columbus, Ohio....there you have it. It gets better year after year.
To cap the year off, I found out that I won the "Best of the Knot" for the 4th year in a row, which means I'm in the coveted "Hall of Fame" for The Knot! That is something I have dreamed about for years. I am so so proud and happy to have that honor given to me.
And just when you sit back and breathe it all in and feel a little mighty and perhaps....cocky, you get a call to find out that 2 people (same wedding) wrote negative reviews on another site. I don't want to dwell on this, but know that I think sometimes having someone say to you that they weren't happy with you makes you rethink how you approach clients. Was I taking them for granted? Did I perhaps become a little too big for my britches? Hey, I'm human and part of that is failing. And I'm putting attitude in check big time in 2015.

 I cannot say how much it means to me that someone chooses to work with me with all the choices that are out there. I love what I do. I love almost everyone I have the privilege to work with and the fact that I get to do something so connected to a person's most special day should never be taken lightly. I am not bulletproof, no matter how many years I do it. No matter how many awards I get, clients that adore me etc. Someone can get on the internet and tear me apart. And I have to be ok with it, learn and adapt to make sure I stay humble. I'm not a robot, I'm not a guarded person without opinions. Anyone who has spent any time with me can tell you that. And I don't want to lose what sets me apart. And I'm not even sure that I could if I tried. But we are all a work in progress and I always want to be a better version of myself.

Most of you who know me won't think it's valid since I go above and beyond for my clients. This year alone I helped a bride find a new photographer the week of her wedding when hers went AWOL and I lent a dress to a client who was in my home studio about to go to her bridal shower when her own dress's zipper broke. I return emails 24 hours a day so clients don't have to wait for answers to their questions.  I can and will do almost anything to make clients happy and I hope to continue to do that as well as stay grounded and open to criticism when necessary.

All this being said, outside of my work, I also hit some milestones and saw some great places through the year. I turned 40 (eek!!) in August and decided I must go to France to celebrate. I spent 12 days in Normandy, Paris, Toulouse and other little areas of the South Central parts of France in late August with my husband and good friend. I also got a chance to see parts of the US that I hadn't before: The Grand Canyon (by way of Vegas) in January, Arkansas (by way of road trip with a friend) and Washington DC (if you don't count a brief 8th grade trip!). This year was my 5th opportunity to attend the Makeup Show, this time in NYC and also spent a couple extra days visiting my dear friend.

Through the 2nd half of the year, I had a long and drawn out health scare that turned out to be a very small issue after many tests, surgery and an MRI. I don't do well with any of that, so in a way, it was a hurdle to get over and I'm proud of myself.

I started doing light running and participated in my first 5k. I NEVER thought that would happen. The high that felt afterwards was awesome and I know that it won't be my last.

I lost my last grandfather. We were fortunate that he lived into his 90's and to have a Grandpa in your life for 40 years is rare. So I'm mostly grateful to have gotten to know him as an adult. He was sharp as a tack, funnier and wittier than most comedians and someone whom I will always have as a sort of guide post. Would Grandpa Garblik be proud of me?  Then I'm on the right track, because he would definitely be the one to tell me otherwise. He knew everything...did I mention that? ;)

Finally, I had several opportunities to volunteer with Harmony Project and Dress for Success. In Harmony Project I got to visit the Women's Reformatory in Marysville, Ohio and sing with the women. They are so grateful to us for doing something that we all love to do and therefore, it is the most heartwarming thing you can imagine. Dress for Success also brought me to jail....to do a fashion show. And the women who were about to be released got to dress in strong fashionable clothing and have hair and makeup done and strut a "runway". I think I cried the entire day. More gratefulness.

In November I decided that I had enough time in my life to take in a foster dog. In came Harvey, a shihtzu mix. He's still cuddled up to me as much as he possibly can and I can't believe that I have to let him go soon. I'm sure this little love will be adopted soon and I will have to do the selfless thing and let him go so that this time next year, I can take in another little one.

December rounded out with a Harmony Project performance at the Ohio Theatre to 2000 people where I had a solo that fronted the choir of 230 people. What a feeling!

Soaring highs and crushing lows. That's life. I hope to continue to have the opportunity to soar in 2015 and that the lows of 2014 fade into the background more quickly.

Some moments in pictures.....

Jay and I before a friend's wedding in February. Jay was the officiant.

A new headshot taken by Rachel Figueroa

Stay beautiful, inside and out.

bb, cc, dd...and so on.

By now you've probably heard about bb creams. Otherwise known as beauty balm or blemish balm, they give medium coverage generally, moisturize, prime/smooth, and protect from the sun. Some of the them have healing ingredients, anti-ager ingredients and more. To piggyback on that craze, some companies are now creating "cc creams", otherwise known as color correcting creams. These clearly gimmicky creams have very sheer coverage and are intended to even out the skin only a bit while working on lightening spots and such. Now there are also dd creams, dd concealers and more. I guess dd stands for deliberate duplicate. Har har, "they" say it stands for dynamic do-all (via Julep, a mostly nail brand that has launched this product).

I'm open to trying it all, but who can keep up? I have tried a handful of bb creams and here is my take thus far:
1. Lioele Triple the Solution: This is truly a balm. It is quite heavy and gives full coverage, however, it's only one color- SUPER pale. If you're super pale and want a lot of coverage, go for it. I have had good luck mixing a TINY bit with a darker foundation. It gives great sun protections, covers ALL evils and evens out the skin nicely. Find it here at http://www.amazon.com/Lioele-Triple-Solution-Cream-SPF30/dp/B00356UHT0
2. Skin 79: I thought that I got a bad pump on mine until I tried for the 40th time and something came out. This was an ebay purchase and I have suspicions that it was a knockoff brand. Very light coverage, not very balmy. I may try it again in summer to see if I like it better...but as of now not recommending it.
3. Stila bb cream: This is more of a face cream meets a tinted moisturizer. Its about the same coverage as a sheer tinted moisturizer, but it's creamier. But my skin felt great with it on. It has similar ingredients to most primers, so this would work for combo or normal to dry skins. I've started using it in my kit to prime drier skins for airbrushing as it gives such a flawless canvas. It's pretty light coverage, but perfect for someone who is low maintenance by itself. And the color seems to match everyone I've used it on so far. To be fair though, I have not used it on a dark skintone. Find it at the State of Face Studio now!! I liked it so much that I started to stock it!
4. Rimmel light bb cream: This feels just like a sunscreen and smells like it too. The coverage is medium and the weight is a bit heavy, but for summertime I am liking it a lot. The color selection is decent (4 shades) and it feels like it helps my makeup stay on as well. But for those who don't want or need fuller coverage, you could definitely wear this solo. And at about $7, what's to stop you?
5. Dr.Lewinn by Kinerase bb cream: It has a very primer-like feel, yet not too slippery or heavy. Gives more coverage than a tinted moisturizer and is more balmy in texture too. It feels similar to the Stila BB Cream. The color is supposed to be universal, but seems like it would be best for light, medium and possibly tan skin. If you are ivory or dark, you may be out of the range. In that case, try the lightest or darkest shades from the Rimmel bb cream. I really like this one and carry it in my kit too!
6. Olay cc cream- I find it to be more like a moisturizer that is a bit gel-like. The coverage is super sheer, so it's only enough for me to run errands. It may lighten up spots, there is nothing noticeable happening with them.
7. L'oreal magic skin beautifier- This comes in 4 shades and is definitely more of a light tinted moisturizer than a beauty balm. There's no balmy texture. It's actually a lotion with beads of color suspended in it. I actually like it for combo skin as a light moisturizer to prep it for makeup. So...you guessed it: I carry this in my kit too :)

And if I try a DD cream, I will post something about it too.

This summer try something that will make your life easier. Whether it's a bb cream, lash extensions, or cutting all your hair off- you'll feel free of the extra steps and enjoy your time at the pool, patio, beach, or air-conditioned home.
I cut my hair off this week and I absolutely LOVE it. I do feel a little bit like Justin Beiber since there's a deep part and bangs are swinging in the eyes. :)
Happy Summer, my favorite season....