Tea Party!

It's cold and I'm in the mood for tea!  In India, tea is a pretty important drink, and most people drink it several times a day.  It's offered anytime you go somewhere.  It's usually black tea with spices, what most of you refer to as a chai latte.  Once you've had real chai you'll scoff at Starbuck's for even trying!  It's so good and warms the soul.  My husband and I have it on cold Sunday mornings and whenever we have a bonfire.  The usual spices are cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, and a few others.  If you have an Indian grocery store by you, go there and pick up "chai masala" and mix it into your next cup of tea.  We make ours at home from scratch, but the one from the store can be pretty good too.

Inspired by the cold and Lisa Vanderpump's tea party I thought hmm if I had a tea party...what would I wear?  Of course when I think of tea parties I think upscale and fancy.  So I'd probably dress it up a little.  Check out below the outfit I picked out.  Perhaps I would tie in gold with my decorations and have gold place settings.  Or perhaps an accent color that goes nicely with gold, like teal.  What do you guys think?  How would you dress up you tea party?  What would your theme be?  What's your favorite kind of tea?

Upscale Tea Party by karmicbeauty featuring a cable cardigan

H M cable cardigan
£30 - hm.com

Mango slim skirt
£90 - mango.com

Sofft slip on boots
$200 - zappos.com

Prada leather bag
£920 - flannelsfashion.com

Jigsaw bangles jewelry
£39 - jigsaw-online.com

Ted Baker sequin hat
£35 - houseoffraser.co.uk

When life gives you lemons...

I really like this.  It's a sign outside of a coffee shop.  It has the take charge attitude that I find very important to have.  I feel like, if things seem to be going the wrong way, you can take control and make things happen for yourself.  You are in control!  A defeated attitude doesn't benefit anybody.  Own your mistakes, be honest with yourself and others, and take charge!  I hear so many people say things like "She made me feel this way" or "so and so is ruining my day".  This is impossible.  You are allowing people to have an effect on you.  You are in charge of your emotions.  If someone is doing something you don't like.  Accept it.  That's how that person is, and you're not going to let it affect you.  Worry about yourself!  I think if people spent more time just worrying about their own business there would be a whole lot less drama.  Don't you think so?  If people weren't so sensitive all the time about what everyone else thinks and feels.  It shouldn't even matter.  That's just my thought.  I overheard someone complaining about this type of thing, where someone did something and they ruined their party.  Well, you let them, lady!  Another thing that helps is to just talk about things that bother you.  If someone does or says something, and you think to yourself "why did they do/say that? are they trying to say something else? are they talking about me?"  Before you even go down that road, just ask that person "what did you mean by that?"  I'm sure they'd be happy to clarify and then it's done and over.  Otherwise you would have been worried about that for who knows how long!  Remember your ultimate goal, don't lose site of that, and strive for clarity.  It will simplify your life!

XOXO!

Shellac Manicure

So I got a Shellac Manicure and I love the concept, but if it isn't done right, it's worse than a regular manicure.  Before you throw down your money to go get one of these, here are a few things to watch out for.  First of all, while they're painting the layers on make sure they paint them on thin and keep the overall thickness down.  The procedure is that they paint on a base coat, cure it, paint on the color, cure it, and then top coat and cure it.  Then they wipe it down with alcohol.  That's it!  It's super fast and is supposed to last for 2 weeks.  Before they even apply the base coat make sure that they go through all efforts to strip the moisture from your nail.  Any moisture will make the polish peel.  The layers should be painted on thin and if the polish is goopy looking when they go to paint your nail, stop them and pick out another color.  Shellac has a few nice colors, but they're all pretty basic.  You can paint on different effects too.  If the manicurist is skilled she can do nail art even with Shellac.  In January OPI is coming out with their version of Shellac and I'm really excited about that.  OPI is known for their huge range of colors with quirky names.  Expect the same thing with their gel polish!  My Shellac didn't even last a week and I just peeled it all off.  If you want to save your money just peel it off, it doesn't damage the nail.  Otherwise you can soak it off with acetone for a small fee or just go buy acetone and soak it off at home.  I think it's cleaner and easier to just peel it off.  Have any of you gotten Shellac?  What was your experience with it?

Skin care routines

How many of you guys switch up your skin routines based on the season?  I do!  I have combination skin and tend to be on the dry side.  So during winter time I need some serious moisture, especially living so far north!  I'm working on a video about my different skin care regimens during winter time.  Of course they're home made recipes that will save you tons of money!  Save that money for presents!  Stay tuned for those videos.  Make sure you're drinking enough water because not having enough contributes to dry skin conditions.  What are some things you guys do to take care of your skin?  Anything that's been working really great for you?  Anything that has failed?

Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween Dolls!

Here is a pin up look that is very easy to do and can be paired with many costumes!!  Here are the products I used:

UD Primer Potion
MAC Paint Pot Painterly
MAC e/s Orb
MAC e/s Tete a Tint
MAC e/s Brown Down
MAC Fluidline Blacktrack
Ardell Brow Kit
MAC ZoomLash

MAC Prep+Prime Body
MAC Studio Fix
MAC Blush Blunt
MAC Bluh Fleur Power
MAC e/s Vanilla (highlight)

MAC lipliner Naked
Makeup Forever Lipstick #36

Sorry about missing the beginning of it, but you didn't miss much :)  Also you can hear my son in the background he's playing with his Daddy!  So he's not screaming, he's squealing with joy!  Hope you guys enjoy the tutorial!  Please don't forget to check out Solshine's blog at: Confessions of a Fashionista 

Have a safe and happy Halloween!!

xoxo,
Karma

Scary Tatas!

Hey dolls!

Alright, here is my first halloween look.  I know everyone is doing characters and crazy makeup on youtube, but what about those of us who just want a look that is something extra but not so over the top.  Inspired by breast cancer awareness month, I've decided to do a vampy pink look.  Its dark and gothic with a touch of pink.  Here is a list of what I used.

Urban Decay Primer potion
MAC eyeliner Smolder
MAC e/s Carbon
MAC e/s Rani
MAC e/s Carbonized
MAC Vanilla
MAC Fluidline
MAC Zoomlash

MAC Prep + Prime Face
MAC Studio Fix Foundation
MAC Blush Fleur Power
MAC Blush Blunt

MAC lipliner Spice
Tarina Tarentino Leatherette

Ardell Lashes in Demi Wispies

I'd really love to see your versions of this look so please do a video response and show me your take on it.  Also tell me about your Halloween costume if you're dressing up!  I have class Monday night so I won't be doing anything special and I'm doing makeup on other people for "adult halloween" on Saturday so pretty much no Halloween for me!  That's OK though!  I think I'll start dressing up again when my son is old enough to participate.  Alrighty guys, be sure to check out Soloni's blog.  Don't forget to subscribe to my youtube channel, if you like what you see.  I have some plans for some other looks, skin care recipes, and nail art.  Please comment or message me if you have a request!!



xoxo,
Karma

Confessions of a Fashionista

My wonderful friend Soloni has a fashion blog where she posts inspirational quotes and fashion advice.  She's so adorable and I love her to pieces!  She is a true fashionista, always inline with the latest trends and finding ways to make them more affordable and doable.  Check out her blog...her and I will be collaborating VERY soon!  Stay tuned!

http://fashionbug411.wordpress.com/

How to be happy.

I was inspired to write this post from this inspirational picture that popped up on my facebook:

I bet most of you have heard this type of advice a million times.  How many of us actually think about it and apply it to our lives.  On top of that, how many of us encourage others to apply it to theirs.  Everyone is human and it is natural to feel jealous or angry because other people have better things or a better situation.  The thing is, that's not your life.  We are all here together on this Earth, but we are all not the same person.  Worry about your own individual situation.  What is your own personal idea of happiness, not factoring in any of your friends and what they have?  Just for you. 

When I was younger I set some goals for myself.  I wanted a beautiful little family and a home full of love.  I wanted my own business and a loving husband who supported my dreams.  I wanted to be happy while I was working and in charge of my own success.  Fast forward about 20 years.  I am happily married with a beautiful baby boy.  We have a nice home, not huge, but still nice.  I have my own business that gives me back what I put in and I'm totally happy doing it.  My husband has supported me 100% of the way.  Seemingly, I have achieved all my goals.  I like to think of that list I made 20 years ago, it makes me feel so accomplished.  If I sat down and thought about how I coul dhave a bigger house, and make more money, I'd never be happy, because there's always room for more.  The key is to live in the present.  I consider my current situation and I'm the happiest I have ever been.  A lot of credit goes to my husband, he is the most wonderful person.  My soul mate.  He works very hard to provide for us.  He craves spending time with us.  I can't tell you how many times I've thanked my lucky stars he's not a football nut.  Weekends are family time period.  We don't ever make other plans.  Especially now that we're both so busy during the week. 

Anyway, I think that not taking things too seriously also helps.  Let things roll off your shoulders.  Put it in perspective, and ask yourself 'is this really as big a deal as I'm making it?' Now when you answer, be honest with yourself.  Whether you have a solution or not, there's no need to worry about it.  If you have a solution then problem solved no worrying needed.  If you don't have a solution, then problem impossible, just stop worrying and forget the things you can't fix.  This picture might help give you an idea of what I'm saying.

So guys...here's what to take away from this.  Ba happy in the present tense.  Your journey is what you make it.  Don't look back at your life and regret that you spent most of it worrying about living and not actually living it. 

Take care!

Karma

Best Nail Care products and Tips and Tricks to making your polish last.

I have tried a million different nail products and by far I think OPI nail polish and China Glaze are the best quality.  There's a lot of gurus out there who recommend drug store nail polish and I'm going to have to disagree.  Sure it's affordable, but it's terrible!  You really get what you pay for.  Even Sally Hansen is terrible! 

Here's a list of nail products I think are great:

Nail polish remover: Any acetone remover gets everything off!  Glitter, black polish, red polish- you name it.
Cuticle oil: Avoplex cuticle oil is amazing.  It smells good and makes your cuticles look nice and healthy.
Nail Sanitizer: NAS 99 by OPI is great to disinfect the nail before you polish.  It also breaks down oils and creams that you put on to treat your cuticles.  It will help cut the oils so your polish stays on.
To Prevent Chipping: Chip Skip by OPI is wonderful to keep your nail polish from chipping.  Mine has lasted 2 weeks!
Base Coat: OPI Bast coat hands down.
Top Coat: Seche Vite - dries super fast!  Also OPI Top Coat leave a very shiny finish but it thickens up very fast.
Nail Drying:  Dip dry in the spray is amazing!  Nails dry within a minute!

Tips and Tricks:

First of all the most important thing I can tell you is to paint every layer on very thin.  I know it seems logical to paint thick so you need less coats, but even with thin coats you can get the right color with 2-3 coats.  The thing is the thicker you paint it the more likely it is to chip and peel.  Another really important thing is to make sure there aren't any oils or lotions on your nails before you paint.  That's where NAS 99 or rubbing alcohol will do the trick.  Just wipe nail with a cotton ball before you start painting.  Using Chip Skip also helps with this.  It creates an alkaline surface so the polish will adhere better to the nail.  Do not forget to do base coat and top coat.  These should be two separate products.  I don't every buy the two in one Base&Top coats.  They don't work.  Both serve different functions so how can you jam them into one bottle?!  Build your polish collection slowly.  If you're investing in OPI Colors start with colors you can wear every day and that you'll use.  If you buy fun colors try to find different uses for them or they'll just sit there and get thick.  I recommend, for those of you on a budget, just buy the neutrals and everyday colors and leave the fun colors for the nail shop.  Get them when you get a manicure.  Unless you can wear fun colors on a daily basis...disregard my advice.  Another tip: Do not cut your cuticles down, just gently push them down.  Cutting them will only lead to infections.  Only cut what is hanging off your finger.  Be sure to use something like Avoplex to keep your cuticles moisturized.  Even some olive oil does the trick.  To make applying nail polish easy work in three strokes and wait a minute before applying each layer. 

Word of advice when using Crackle polish - wait until your polish is completely dry before applying a thin coat of Crackle polish.  You'll see the best results.  For an interesting crackle paint it on sideways or in an X shape.  Use different colors underneath to get some really fun nails.

Hope this helps! 

How to pick a Cosmetology School.

So I've just finished my first week of Cosmetology school at PCI Academy.  So far I'm loving it!  The instructors are so nice and welcoming.  They seem very knowledgeable about the industry.  They're great at keeping students engaged and even though they're our mentors, they seem like close friends too.  I feel so comfortable at school!  My class is only 6 people including me!  I love that it's a small class because we get the individual attention that really helps us excel.  We are getting pretty close too.  I love my classmates!  

If you're looking for a school and aren't sure what to be looking for or asking, here's some helpful tips.

First of all, the cost is very important.  School is not cheap and you want to make sure they aren't taking advantage of you.  School will roughly cost anywhere from 15,000 to 18,000.  It shouldn't be any more than that.  They should include supplies and books.  Pay attention to their curriculum.  They should include something about business management.  Most people go into hair because they're passionate about it, but also because some day they'd like to be their own boss!  If the school isn't going to prepare you to run your business, then who is?  Try to stay away from schools that have their own salons.  Chances are you'll only work with their products and learn their techniques.  This will not help you if you want to branch off at some point.  Empire schools, Aveda Institute, or Toni and Guy are all examples of this.  If you are not familiar with mainstream products like Redken, Goldwell, or Pureology you'll be in trouble!  In the end what you want is a well rounded education.  The schools that are selling you the program cannot be immediately trusted.  At PCI, they encouraged me to shop around and offered names of different schools they thought I should check out.  That's dedication!  I've heard terrible things about Regis from instructors and students.  Unfortunately, not every school is interested in your education, rather they just want your check.  I visited Empire and totally hated it there.  The salon floor was dirty and unorganized.  The students were dressed sloppy and the whole image was pretty ghetto.  I was not impressed.  These things sound superficial, but think about it.  If you walk into a school that is dirty and sloppy, that means they are not teaching these students the proper ways to clean and sanitize.  And even if they are, they're not enforcing it.  When I went there the wax pot was left open, this can lead to unsanitary conditions and you can pass on skin problems.  The beauty industry is so personal, I mean you're touching people on a daily basis.  It is important to learn proper sanitization and be clean and diligent about keeping clean.  About the students dressing sloppy- this industry is all about image.  When you walk into a salon and you're trusting someone with your hair would you pick the stylist that is clean, nice makeup, great hairstyle, and looks professional, or are you going to pick the one with their hair thrown in a ponytail, dirty clothes, wrinkled, and flip flops on looking a mess?  To me this meant that Empire was not a professional school which meant they weren't going to teach me anything about how to market myself.  They spend  a lot of money on promotional things.  They give you this giant look book when you sign up for a tour which looks like it must have been expensive to print.  That's where the tuition money is going.  On flashy things to lure students in.  Beware of that!!  If it looks like they've spent more money on advertising than on equipment and tools in the salon...that's a problem.  So anyway.  If you have any questions please let me know!  I've researched A LOT and I've visited many schools.  My mom is a hairdresser and educator..I have the info you need!

Fusion Hair Extensions

Alright so I've had the extensions for about a week and so far so good.  I have to brush my hair a lot to make sure it doesn't knot, but it's not a big deal.  I have to becareful when I wash it.  Let me talk a little about hair extension care:

When brushing:
Start at the ends with a wide tooth comb or a brush with natural bristles.  Work your way up to the roots and avoid the bonds.  Be as gentle as possible and get all the knots out.  Tie in a braid for bedtime to keep it from tangling.

When washing:
tilt head back do not wash with head upside down.  Gently massage your scalp getting around the bonds.  Do not massage in circles, the hair will knot, and it'll be difficult to untangle.  Apply conditioner from below the bonds and to the ends of hair.  Avoid putting ocnditioner on the bonds.  It's not a big deal if you get some on them but they'll last longer if you don't.

When styling:
You can treat the extensions like your own hair and use hot styling tools.  However, try to avoid keeping the hot tool from sitting on the bonds.  The amount of heat used to melt th ebond is less than typical styling tools so they will melt and that'll be a real mess! 

What it's like at first:
When you first get the extensions it hurts like hell.  Take advil a half hour before you get them done to avoid the soreness you'll feel throughout the application.  Then take advil before bedtime to avoid the pain you're going to feel when you lay your head down.  It HURTS!  It just feels really tight.  It reminds me of when you get acrylic nails for the first time.  The tight sore feeling.

There's tons of blogs and websites that talk about care and have a whole list of warnings.  Honestly, it's common sense, don't be too worried about if you're washing it right.  The bonds are strong and they will not just fall out because you scrubbed a little too hard.  You'll know just how to wash it and brush it.  Don't worry.  Extensions are fun and can be affordable if you find the right person to do them.  Once I get my license I will be offering them as well.  I want to try to make them really affordable so that everyone can have full bouncy hair! 

What I love most is styling my hair.  It is so pretty!  My color turned out really great!  It reminds me of Traci DiMarco or Kim Kardashian.  I style it similar to how they do.  Most of all, I feel really pretty.  I will say this: if you are lazy about doing your hair, do not get extensions.  You have to wahs your hair, brush it, and really take care of it.  You can't just through it in a pony tail and leave it ratty, it looks gross.  Just make sure you find someone who knows what they're doing.

Fusion Hair Extensions

So let me tell you what I just went through to get these extensions!  So I found someone on craigslist that offered extension placement for a really good price.  I had a gut feeling that something was up, but after talking to her it seemed like she had a grasp of what she was doing.  So she tells me to go buy the hair which is pretty standard.  Some people will order it for you.  She told me what kind and what place and I pick the hair up.  It ended up being just shy of $200 and I later found out that I could get better quality hair for a little less than that!  So we schedule it for Thursday at noon and then she texts me a while later saying she wants to do it earlier so she can squeeze another person in that day.  So I say ok and bump it up to 10.  Then Thursday morning she texts me saying both her kids have pink eye and she doesn't want my son to get it (I was going to bring him).  I agree I don't want to bring my son and I say that I'll call my sitter not a problem.  My sitter is on her way to my house and she texts back saying oh I thought you meant 10 am tomorrow.  So I tell her no we never discussed tomorrow and today is the only day I can do it.  She tells me to come at 3 pm so I call my sitter send her back home and tell her to show up at 2:30.  THEN she texts me saying she just can't do it she doesn't have anyone to watch her kids and maybe another day.  Let me just say that I know that kids get sick and you can't control it.  However when you have a client that's going to be paying you money to do something, you should be a little more organized and diligent about rescheduling.  It shouldn't be back and forth and up in the air.  It's very unprofessional.  Her kids being sick is not MY problem, it's hers and she needs to handle it.  So I start calling around and find an actualy legit hairstylist who can do it for the same price.  I tell her what kind of hair I have and she tells me it's the worst hair on the market.  The bonds aren't 100% keratin which is what makes the bond strong.  The place I got them from doesn't do returns only exchanges and it was such a sketchy place I didn't want to get anything else from there.  I agree to just get these done and live and learn.  Through conversation I come to find out that the original girl that was going to do them used to come to this hairdresser and that she didn't have a clue about hair.  She also told me that she wouldn't trust her with her hair and that she got extensions with her and probably just saw what she was doing and then decided she could do it on other people.  God was looking out for me!!  I'm so mad at myself for being so gullible.  Anyway word to the wise, just go to a salon or a proper stylist.  It's usually cheaper if the stylist does it out of her home.  Now I know to go buy hair that is 100% Remy or Indian virgin hair and that the tip is 100% keratin.  I still have to go get it colored tomorrow to make it match my hair and then also get a proper cut to help it blend better.  The stylist did some cutting after she put them in, but I think it needs a full blown cut to make it work.  I had short shoulder length hair before I started so it's pretty bulky on top and a little thin on bottom.  If you guys have any questions let me know.  I'll do another post after I get my hair done tomorrow.  Ciao!

Fusion Hair Extensions

Alright so my hair got really long during my pregnancy and I was so proud of it.  However after my son was born it kept getting tangled in his tiny little fingers and it was falling out everywhere because of horomone changes.  So I chopped it all off.  Like really it was to my lower back and then I cut it above my shoulders.  It was really cute, but ofcourse, I want it long again.  I did a ton of research and decided that fusion hair extensions with Remy hair was the best way to go.  They look the most natural and last a long time.  My appointment is tomorrow to get them so let's pray that this all ends up looking the way I want it to!  I will take before and after pictures and give you the lowdown on how it all feels and looks.  Do  any of you have extensions?  Tell me about it.

Quit your cryin'!

I'm talking to myself with that title!  I really want to write more and make more videos, but I'm SO busy!  Having a new baby is not easy and totally easy all at once.  Like all I want to do is be with my son and play with him and teach him things, but I also have a million other things I'd like to accomplish.  Currently I've been pouring my everything into my makeup business.  This means late night shoots and all day conferences.  It's exhausting.  On top of that I'm starting cosmo school in a couple of weeks and that is adding more to my already crammed schedule.  It's also going to be hard because it means less time with my son.  Ultimately it's all for him!  Gotta keep trekking.  I wish I could just use my degree!  I have a Bachelors in Nuclear Medicine and it was all the rage about 10 years ago but now it's just not as popular and there aren't many jobs available.  Although very helpful, nuclear medicine is an expensive modality and doctors just don't turn to it as often as they should.  Less demand, less jobs.  Oh well!  Here's to following your dreams!

Long time no see!

Hey Loves!

After forever and a day I'm back!  It's been a long break, huh?  Just to update you I had a healthy baby boy!  It seems like there were a lot of bloggers pregnant at the same time.  I think I was due right around when Kandee Johnson was due.  It was nice to watch her journey with her baby girl and be able to relate.  Can I just express how happy I am to not be pregnant anymore?  I'll still do it a few more times, but for now I love having my waistline back!  You can really see how puffy I was in the videos I did towards the end of my pregnancy.  Gosh my nose got huge!  Everytime I gained a pound or two I would tell my husband "It's all in my nose!"  It's funny how your nose never stops growing your whole life, did you know that?  I'm just glad my nose is back to it's skinny self again.  Anyway, back to business.  I'm going to cosmetology school.  I'm supoer excited about it.  I'm thinking I'm going to post my adventures at school here.  What do you guys think?  I'll be taking pictures and sharing my experiences so for those of you considering beauty school you can have some idea what it's like.  My director is really awesome.  She seems to be taking a personal interest.  Like last night, she called me and wanted to discuss changing the schedule so that I could spend more time with my family.  I guess not that many people have signed up for my session so she thought of me first.  I am really pleased with the new schedule because it frees up some of my weekends to spend time with my little man and my big man!  Anyway I'm going to be filming a tutorial today with my mom and a nicer camera!  Stay tuned beauties!

Waiting for the winner!

Hey lovelies!

I'm just waiting on my winner to write me back with the password.  This is all so exciting!  Let's all hope she gets back to me in 48 hours.  Dun dun dun.
So just a quick fact that might help you guys...Ladies living in the northern states, take Cod Liver Oil.  It's not vegan, but it will help you get that Vitamin D that you really need to be healthy.  You aren't getting the right version of vitamin D from milk so make sure you get about 15 minutes of sun between 11am and 2pm or take a spoon on cod liver oil.  It doesn't taste the greatest so mix it into some food and take it down!  Vitamin D is really good for your bones and this is especially important for women who are more prone to osteoporosis starting at age 25.  Vitamin D is best absorbed when taken with Calcium so it's good to take a multi-vitamin daily.  Vitamin D is fat soluble which just means that it can be broken down in fat.  It also means that it is made in your body naturally when you expose yourself to the right kind of sunlight.  The thing is if you aren't getting the right kind of sunlight then your body won't make it and then you have to consume it.  So go get some Cod Liver Oil and protect your bones!!