My Ipsy Glam Bag review! - October 2014

♥︎　My Ipsy Glam Bag review!　♥︎

- October 2014 -

Here they are, all of 'em out of the bag!

I get so excited!! :)

♥︎★♥︎★♥︎

Alright, first off... MICA Beauty Cosmetics Shimmer Powder

Colour:  34 Harliquin

www.micabeauty.com

So this powder eye shadow is a mineral makeup that is extremely gentle, free of preservatives and chemicals, dyes, talc, oil and other filters.  I like that all of their products are 100% natural!

My review:  I love it!  First reaction was (before unwrapping and opening the container) "Oh no, this is going to be messy!".  I have had many messy experiences with potted powdered eye shadows and they all end op on my fingers, hands and countertop rather than on my eyes.  BUT, this one! Oh, they thought well :)  This one has a second lid inside with 3 tiny little holes so the powder doesn't come out unless you tap on it upside down!  It is contained well and thanks to that, it is not messy!

Now let's talk about the pigment!

What you see is what you get!  The colour is exactly the same in the container as it is on the skin which is fantastic!  And not only that, it may be in a loose form of a powder, however, the powder stays on your brush until you place the pigment on your eye lid...and it stays put as well!  Again, not messy what so ever :)  I did not have to end up wiping away pigments off of my cheeks.

Thumbs up on consistency, pigment, quality. And to top it all off, it's all natural :) Ah-may-zing!

♥︎★♥︎★♥︎

Next up, lashes!

Now, this brand, "Kiss", happens to be my go-to-brand when it comes to false lashes for my beautiful Brides!!  Not only they look and feel natural, they are made of 100% real human hair!  So no wonder they feel great on all day!  

Here is a pic to show you my before and after this pair of false lashes.

What a difference it makes! And it looks absolutely natural!  Great for everyday wear, a night out and for weddings! :)

♥︎★♥︎★♥︎

Down to the lips!

Brand:  Starlooks...? ...Hum, never heard of it!

Colour:  LG46 Guilty Pleasure

www.starlooks.com

My Review:  OMG, yummy smell!  Picturing vanilla...cupcake...lots and lots of thick creamy vanilla icing with sprinkles!!! ....hence the name!  Consistency: thick.  Application: ...errrrr ....errrrr ....errrrr .....mkay, I'm having a hard time with this!  It's very streaky, unfortunately.  Glides on smoothly but then I have to constantly go over the same spot over and over and over and over just to get the streaks smoothed out.  And the colour went on much lighter than what it seems just by looking at it, which I understand is normal for lip glosses and lipsticks to change colour as everyone's lip colour can alter the actual pigment...however, it was surprisingly lighter than how it looks.  

I am a little disappointed with the colour consistency, however, I would give it a thumb's up on the creamy thick texture and the smell.  

♥︎★♥︎★♥︎

Brand:  Ayres Body Butter in Patagonia

www.ayresbeauty.com

Here is their description on their site:

" Enriched with plant emollients, herbal extracts and vitamins, this ultra rich creamy body butter provides relief from dry, rough skin. Vitamin E natural antioxidant provides protection to your skin while shea nut butter gives long-lasting hydration. Just drift away on a cool breeze of delicate jasmine and aromatic rosemary blended with lavender, bergamot, ylang-ylang, oakmoss, patchouli and fir. Inspired by Patagonia’s snow-capped mountains and blue lagoons, this fresh scent inspires a soothing sense of calm."

LOVE the description, no?

My review:  My very first reaction was..."It's just like Aveda!", referring it to the scent. No wonder! This body butter is also made of similar essential oil combinations as Aveda products!  Smells fantastic!!  It lingers for a good while, so for those who prefers less fragrance, this may not be the right product for you.  I, too, prefer less scented products as they make me nauseous.  However, natural essential oils are okey for me as they smell fresh as long as they are natural and real essential oils and not imitation, chemical ones.  

I can't stop smelling my arm!

Oh yeah, let's talk about the texture! lol

It's fantastic!  Very light in texture, surprising as it's labeled as "butter".  It is very easy to spread over skin. My skin doesn't feel heavy at all.  Takes a little time for it to get absorbed into the skin, however, once absorbed, the skin is left silky and soooofffffftttttt.   mmmmm

♥︎★♥︎★♥︎

Last product here, is an exfoliant.

I have not yet tested this product!  I'm sorry :)

I have been using St.Ives facial scrub to exfoliate my skin a couple of times a week, so I haven't felt the need to exfoliate my skin!  

Don't worry, I am still curious so I will try it out :)

Will keep you posted!

♥︎★♥︎★♥︎

All of these products came with this little pouch.  How cute is this!

Again, my two girls were fighting over who get's this one!
The conclusion?...My oldest won as my little one took the last pouch from September glam bag and used it as her personal pencil case.  So this one...goes to the oldest!  She is super happy as it is her favourite colour :)

My ipsy September Glam bag review!

I know, I know... it's October already!

Better late than never! ♥︎

It is only my second glam bag from ipsy so far!  Here are the products I got for the month of September! :)

★ Cute silver makeup pouch with studs on it.  Very soft, not stiff.  My 7 yr old already snatched it out of my hands and claimed it hers

★ Nourish Organic Face Cleanser in Cucumber Watercress

★ Mitchell and Peach English Growers Luxury Hand Cream in Flora N0.1

★ Pacifica 100% Vegan Cruelty-Free Nail Polish in Red Red Wine

★ Be a Bombshell Smooth Criminal Powder 100% Silica

I have been keeping this hand cream in my purse and have been using it a couple of times a day since I received it.  I honestly love it!  As most mothers may relate to this...we wash our hands constantly!  I mean CONSTANTLY!  I don't think there is a moment in my day where my hands are dry!  ( k. a little exaggeration)  And being a makeup & hair artist on top of that? I have this permanent sandpaper-gloves on my hand that just won't go away unless I scrape it off using a sandpaper...

We need to, obviously, nourish our hands with extra hydration.  We may find the time to pump some cream out onto our hands and roughly spread the cream all over...however, we do not have time for the cream to DRY!  I don't like creams that take forever to dry or to get absorbed into our skin.  I end up wiping the greasy-creamy residue off onto my pants, towels if they're some nearby.  

But this!  This creamy, easy-to-spread light white cream goes on like water as it is very fluid, and it absorbs into the skin in a blink of an eye!  It doesn't dry out, it really gets sinked into the skin leaving my hands very well nourished.  At first, I wasn't too sure as it left this sticky-like thick feeling on my hands.  As I kept using it, I realized if I  spread it over my hands and massaged it in just a little longer, that sticky feeling would go away leaving my hands feeling soft :)

And the smell!  Oh let me tell you about the smell!  I do not prefer any strong fragrance from any products as they make me nauseous!  This one, instead, has this lemony-flowery, but not too flowery, light garden scent that is very pleasant!  The scent doesn't linger around either :)

Here is their description :

" Blended with Vitamin E, Shea butter, and English Honey, this nourishing hand cream is fragranced with essential oils from the Mitchell Estate."

Oh!  The honey explains the "sticky-like feeling"!

Vegan!?  Oh la la, cooooool :)

I've had one nail polish that was vegan but never really had a change to use it and explore. So I was quite happy to receive one in my ipsy bag!

Having children, two girls but one being the fashion-diva, I cringe and walk away from putting something foreign on their skin and nails.  I don't understand parents who put nail polish on their baby's nails! To me, that's just not right...

Nail polish for my lil' 7 year old was something I allowed on a "only on special occasion" basis like birthdays, Christmas, Valentine's etc. and would only allow it to last a week at most.  

This vegan nail polish I, as a mommy, will cringe little less and feel guilty little less when putting it on my kids.  I mean, it sounds...healthier, right? 

But what does 100% vegan really mean?

I get the "Cruelty-free" part, don't need to google that, right?  It basically means it has not been tested on cutie-wootie animals. :) I'm happy about that!

But vegan...nail polish?  It basically means, without harsh chemicals that are considered harmful to your body.  The 3 main toxic ingredients are DBP, toluene and formaldehyde. DBP has been associated with birth defects (in animals...sadly), toluene is a mild skin irritant that can also be found in gasoline (yikes...) and formaldehyde...well, we all know that one from the biology class right?  The stinky liquid that help preserve organs...getting nauseous.

So yes, it is healthier and makes me a lot less paranoid when applying nail polish on my children.  I should think so for myself as well, and for my clients.

I googled this brand that was given to me...Pacifica and, get this!  Not only any of these 3 toxic ingredients are not being used, there are also 4 others that are omitted from this brand!  It is formulated without Phthalates, Xylene, Parabens, Camphor and Formaldehyde resin and no animal-derived ingredients.  Phew, that's a lot to articulate in one single breath, but definitely makes it less fearful about using them on anyone.

The rule of "only applying nail polish on special occasion" will still apply in my household, however, a ton of weight of fear, guilt and paranoia has been lifted off of my heart and I can breath a little better even if I don't remove the vegan nail polish after one week.  They can keep it on a little while longer :)

Woe!  Watch out!

Do NOT breath as you put on this powder! :P

I used a powder brush to put this powder on and, since it's a loose powder, obviously it goes off everywhere!  I was breathing normally and...cough cough cough cough!  Puwah! Arg!  Holy Schmoly!  I think I have just powdered my lungs!  

Aside from this horrific incident, the powder is great!  It has that starchy texture and it goes on very well, leaving my skin feeling silky :)  My skin was matted down and my pores did seem less noticeable.  I did a little research on this "silica" ingredient and, not to worry as I was when I first heard this word, it's not the dangerous kind of silica.  It's the safe kind to use on skin!  Silica absorbs moisture, perspiration and anything "wet", therefore it is recommended for oily skin.  It's not good for dry skin AT ALL since it will leave your skin looking dried out, cakey, wrinkled and flaky.

How cute is this word 

"Hikari" means "light" in japanese :)

This colour is called Cabernet.  It is not as creamy when applied, leaving it somewhat of a matted feel and texture, but is not a 100% matt lipstick.  The colour on my lips were true to the colour as seen in the container, which means the pigment is great :)

Couldn't tell if it was longlasting as I ate my lunch immediately after this photo was taken...as I am a person who removes all lip products before eating! :)

Felt good tho, didn't feel dry throughout the photoshoot :)

MADE IN PRC?

Both HIKARI lipstick & Bombshell powder had this written on their products and thought..."where?"

I googled it and found out that it is an abbreviation for "People's Republic of China".

Learned something new today :)

xo

Behind the Scenes: on the shoot of FYSH UK 2014 in Toronto, Canada

Here is a video of what went on behind the scenes on the last shoot I had the pleasure being a part of in Toronto, Canada for FYSH UK!

Makeup & hair are by me, with an amazing help from one of very talented Toronto-based makeup & hair artist, Boriana :)

www.fyshuk.com

Makeup artist's worst nightmare! ...a cold sore!?!

Oh nooooooooo!

Got a frikkin' cold sore!?!?!

What a makeup artist to do when a cold sore pops out... out of nowhere!!!!

Seriously, how embarrassing.

Facing a client...an actor...a model...and applying their makeup all while this ginormous oozing creature staring right back at them at an extremely close distance...

Sigh

Amongst cold sore being the worse in my book, there are other things that are nightmares for makeup artists.  To name a few, there are sore throats, bad breath especially garlic breath, runny nose, watery eyes due to allergies, pinkeye (yah, this one's bad too), ginormous "about-to-pop-and-ooze-out-puss" kind of a pimple...just about all the disgusting things that appear on your face can be both extremely embarrassing and uncomfortable as you want to show that your hands and makeup are hygienic.

I have tried many ways to conceal, protect and heal this damn creature and nothing was up to par with what I wanted and how I wanted it to conceal.
I don't want this thing to be the centre of the attention!

I have found my answer!

The saviour!!!

Introducing...

Polysporin Cold Sore Healing Patch

This is it!!

What this lil' patch does is that it...

★　Heals

★　Conceals

★　Protects

★　Conceals

★　Conceals

★　and Conceals!!!

Have I mentioned it conceals?

W　O　W　!

It sticks right over the sore, heals it while it's being protected from spreading it to others, and stops from burning and itching since it's not exposed to air!  

And get this! You can put concealer right over it so it won't make it worse and won't contaminate your makeup!  It's hidden!  It's concealed!  How amazing!!!

I swear! 

It's ALL that I wanted in a cold sore treatment!

The best one out there!

As a mommy too, I can cook and serve home cooked meals without feeling gross!  I won't have to worry about the chances of contaminating the food I make for my family :)

It's a must as a mommy and as a makeup artist!

I always have a pack of these in my medicine cabinet :)

Give it a try!

♥︎

My first attempt at making KALE CHIPS! Woohoo! Delicious! & Kids approved :)

Kale chips were surprisingly delish!

This low-calorie snack is oven baked and is super high in minerals and vitamins.
Who knew you can make crispy chips out of vegetable leaves???
Super easy to make and super healthy...seriously, can't ask for a better snack for the whole family!

Kids approved?... YES!

My oldest one (11) loved it on the first try.
My youngest one (7) did not!
I tell the girls to always give another chance at tasting new food, so she tried it again once all the kale leaves were baked.
And guess what!
She loves it!
Her hand kept grabbing one right after another and, in a blink of an eye, they were all gone!
Ta da!

So would I make these again?
Absolutely!

xo

Great customer service = a happy customer!

When an amazing customer service was presented when expecting nothing but the least, one cannot simply walk away from it without acknowledging and sharing that experience with everyone.

As a career woman myself, owning and managing my own business offering makeup & hair services to the public, it is crucial and extremely important to provide the utmost customer care and services to whoever inquires about  my services.  My name and reputation are on each and every single one of those services, and one little tiny thing can jeopardize my name and my reputation.

Now, I understand, that having my own baby (my own company) as a sole-proprietorship is a lot easier to manage with giving the best service as I am on my own and I am responsible for my own actions. I don't have any employees to worry about.  However, if I was an employee of a company where I am receiving a salary with benefits, I would think that it would be my commitment and responsibility for me to provide the best services in return.  That is what they are paying me to do, that is how it should be and there is no excuse!  

I never liked the phrase, "Customers are always right".  I'd like to think so...however, depending on some circumstances, there are some that are not.  Instead, I'd like to say, " Customers are always important".  You are running a business for them, therefore, you have a business thanks to them.  Without them, there is no business. Without them, there is no revenue.

So when I am faced with an extraordinary customer service, especially when I am least expecting it, I am astounded.  I become a student, taking notes, jotting down some important lesson so I can apply it as one of my own business etiquette.

Here's what happened...

Some morning starts with me having a very nice cup of Nespresso coffee.

It's simple.  I put the capsule inside the machine.  Press the button. Out comes deliciousness in a cup.

One morning, I placed one in like usual.  And immediately after I pressed the button, I hear a sound of something bursting, like a little explosion.  No deliciousness came out.  Boo.

I opened the lid and found that the capsule had, indeed, exploded inside the machine.

Without thinking even for a second, I threw it out and placed another capsule of a different blend.

All is back to normal.

The following day, same thing happened.

This time, frowning, I placed it aside and placed another capsule from the same blend.

Bursted again!

I then tried it with another capsule from a different blend, and all was fine.

Hum...

I decided to bring these bursted capsules to the Nespresso Boutique on Crescent St. down town.

As I presented myself to the Nespresso Boutique, the place was crowded with customers.  Looking at the long line at the cash, I hesitated and thought maybe I'd come back another day.

Then a "greeter" at the entrance asked me if everything was alright.

I told him the situation and he guided me to a representative.

I explained the whole story to this gentleman and asked to see if it was possible to replace my two defected capsules for another two new ones of the same blend.  Yes, I had three bursted ones, but I only had two to show him so I couldn't bring myself to ask for three replacements. If I was able to replace the two I had, I was happy.

The gentleman kindly suggested that I clean the machine on a monthly basis, suggesting me to use a little vinegar to let it run through the machine to clean the pipes.  He also suggested there were products (solution) to purchase from the store. Thinking to myself, uh oh, he's trying to sell me something...I'm not gonna get them replaced, am I.

I do clean the machine, actually, on a daily basis so I could\t see why the cleanliness was an issue to the bursting capsules.

He, then, apologized on behalf of Nespresso for my experience.  He then typed some information into the computer. He walked away, took out a whole box of capsules and handed it to me.  

Yes, the whole box...The box contains 10 capsules!

Stunned, I grabbed the box and said, "Really?"

He asked me if I wanted a bag to put the box in.

I said, "No, thank you", and that was....that!

I left the place feeling so great and so special.  The place was clearly crowded with full of customers ready to purchase their products, and here I was asking for replacements.  I wasn't demanding or aggressive at all, just simply there to ask if it was a possibility.  I was actually expecting to hear, "No sorry, Ma'am" or perhaps just a replacement for the two capsuled I brought in.

But a whole box!?!?

Youpiiiii!!!

Feeling grateful

So that is why, when a great service was presented, I couldn't just simply walk away without any of it being heard.  I must share!

As a customer, I appreciate the attention to detail and care.  It brings joy, happiness and satisfaction that will make me want to go back for more and, not just that, the experience will be shared among my peers. Owning a business, there's nothing better than having your customer's recommendation bring up your reputation to another level.  Word of Mouth is the best form of advertising!

And here I am, sipping on my Nespresso coffee.

A dash of warm 10% cream, allongé...

& no sugar.

Just the way I love it! ♥

Thank you, Nespresso :)

Wedding season - in full effect!

Life of a Bridal Makeup & Hair Artist:

Great communication is a key to providing the best services for your clients!

There is a great deal in discussing details when it comes to doing the makeup and hair for a Bride and her Bridal Party.  It's not as simple as: "You free on this day?" - "Yes, I am" - "Okey, see ya then!"

No no no!

There are many fine details to go over in providing the best services as a professional artist.

Here are some details that gets discussed between the Bride and myself via emails, which is my preferred method of communication as everything is recorded in writing:

*  Traditional wedding or non-traditional

*  Dress style and how many dresses

*  Desired hairstyle as well as makeup, likes and dislikes

*  Hair extensions or not

*  False lashes or not; and if so discreet or full-on bam!

*  Any allergies to the makeup and/or hair products

*  Hair accessories

*  Style of Tiara and Veil

*  Jewelry:  any accent color on the jewelry?  Silver or gold?  Pearls?

*  How many in the Bridal Party

*  Will there be a specific color scheme for the Bridal Party's look

*  Will I be needing an assistant

*  Reception makeup touch up and/or hair change

*  Makeup & hair for engagement photo shoot

*  Location of preparation for the ceremony

*  Location of the reception for touch ups

*  Booking a trial about a month ahead, take full notes and pictures for record

*  Prepare schedule; back and forth with adjustments if there are any; confirm schedule

*  Prepare Price Quote; back and forth with adjustments if there are any; confirm Price Quote

*  Keeping in touch throughout the days before the Big Day, assuring all is okey and good to go

SO MUCH goes on from months ahead in preparation of the Bride's most precious day!  

I love this season!

I love doing weddings.  The whole event from the beginning to the end, and especially the Big Day, is extremely fulfilling and rewarding.  Making the Bride and her family happy, joyful and beautiful is an amazing feeling. Having that moment where you think to yourself, "Wow, I am a part of one of their most memorable time of their life..." simply puts a smile on my face.  And when I see the Bride and/or her family cry for joy...damn it...I can't help it but to tear up myself!  I feel honored to have the opportunity to be a part of something so wonderful and magical.

Some weddings requires me to be there as early as 5 am!

Early morning wake up call do not bother me at all.  It's actually quote nice to be one of the few driving on the auto-routes at dawn.  Sipping on some coffee, full stomach as I eat a full breakfast no matter how early, and listening to my meditation music on my way to the location preps me to face the day with zen spirit and alertness.

I'm never nervous but...

What I feel most nervous about...is not waking up at all on the day of the wedding!!! Missing the alarm for some stupid reason like dismissing it in my sleep or not setting it up properly the night before...freaks me out!!  I shreak just at the thought of it!
Mind you though, that 15 years of my career and it has NOT happened to me....oh boy, I better not have jinxed it!  

Is it just me?...that I program 3 alarms by my pillow?...just in case? lol  I would do anything to avoid this tragedy.  It's my biggest fear of arriving late, or not arriving at all!

My second worse fear is forgetting my kit at home! (or even a part of it!)

Makeup and hair products are one thing, but forgetting my brushes?  oh la la!  Not good, not good at all!

Am I the only artist who double...no, triple,...no wait, octogonally (?) check their kit, inside & out, the night before the wedding? 

I get a little too perfectionistically-fanatically-crazy (!) and make sure all, including what clothing I wear, ready and good to go the night before.
Better to be safe than sorry, is how I think!  

Taking pictures

After everyone is prepared and the Bride is ready, I sneak in and take pictures for my portfolio.  I have always asked for them to send me some professional photos after the wedding, however, message gets lost in time and find myself missing out on photos to build my portfolio. Totally understandable, though!  Many couples are off to their Honeymoon straight after and it takes time for them to receive the photos from their photographer. So instead of constantly bothering them, which I feel bad doing so, I've learned that the best way was to invest in a good camera and take them myself! 

It's challenging though...to be a ninja and sneak in among their family, their friends, their own professional photographer and videographer in midst of their traditional ceremony...aye! So at times, I give up and I miss out on taking pictures!  I feel terrible for my previous Brides who may not have their pictures on my website! It was me who couldn't take the pictures!  (If you're one of them, please do send me some!  I beg of you!)

A rewarding experience

It's not just about providing professional makeup and hair for their wedding...but to me, it's a spiritual, mental and emotional connection I receive and to be able to provide that gets me to love what I do.  I pour out my 100% of my skill, attentiveness, professionalism and positive attitude for the Bride and her family on the day that is most precious to them.  Celebrating the unity and love of two individuals.  I have seen many different races being joined by marriage.  Seeing the two families come together, despite the differences in customs, traditions and cultures, is the most spiritually beautiful thing I have ever seen.  One can only hope and jump with glee for such positiveness when it comes to their future children being born into their world.

Witnessing the lovebirds, whether from the same sex or not, same race or from a different race...whatever the background,  sharing love and promising one another their commitment to each other is...by far...the most rewarding part of my career.  Brings me to tears every time.

Here is one of many beautiful experience I have witnessed that brought me to tears:

While touching up the Bride who is Chinese for her reception, she was so concerned, since that morning, to do the "right thing" for her Laotian mother-in-law when it came to the traditional ceremony that was to come during the reception.  Which traditional items to put on the head, proper color of lipstick, customary Laotian outfit to wear, customary gestures and moves for the ceremony...the Bride was clearly nervous and concerned wanting to do it perfectly for her Groom's family.  The mother-in-law comes into the room and the Bride asked her to please give her some final details to keep in mind for the traditional ceremony.  The mother-in-law, in her soft loving voice, told the Bride to simply enjoy and have fun.  "It doesn't matter how red your lips are or what traditional clothing to wear.  What matters is that you are there and you have fun!"  As I was touching up her lips, I see her tearing up, lips quivering, with a sigh or releif.  Contentment, but mostly feeling of love and kindness that she felt form her mother-in-law that made her whisper to me, "I'm so blessed to have a nice family".  

Tear jerker, right!!!!

You see!  Can you see why I tear up too!!  I still tear up!  I'm tearing up just as I am typing this!

Hey guys!  It's been awhile!

This month has been a month full of celebration!

Yes spring is finally here!  YAY!  and with it came Mother's Day, my youngest munchkin's 7th birthday and my own birthday celebration!

I love this month!  

Despite few days of rain, leaves on the trees, flowers and grass has started to come out and warmth has finally kicked in after many winter months of brutal weather.

And honestly, I don't mind the rain so much as others may do.

I find we need it to melt away the remains of what winter left us, and rinse away all the remaining icky dirt.

Interesting how much dirt and actual garbage comes out of melted snow and ice...

So yeah, rain is a nature's way of showering itself out of hibernation.

So for this year's Mother's Day, I have organized a very intimate picnic with both of our mothers.

I had prepared all the delicious knick-knacks to bring along with a nice chilled Rose wine and were planning on heading out to Oka park where we can enjoy the warm sunny weather by the water.

My lil' one gave me the greatest gift any mother can have on the day of the picnic...an early dawn wakeup call with a bucket of vomit.  Hmm lovely!
No biggie!

So we decided to do the picnic at home on our patio where we still enjoyed our time together as a family.

Any mother would take a child's well being over anything and simply make everything work out well...if not better! :)

Both of our mothers, including myself, were showered with love on this fine Mother's Day :)

Soon after that came another prep for another celebration...my munchkin's 7th birthday party!

Running around for decorations, loot bag goodies, snacks, treats, candies, cupcake ingredients, and let's not forget, GIFTS!  Making sure to send out invitation cards and forgetting to put the home address (oops), receive RSVP calls, wrapping gifts when kids are sleeping, decorating the house when kids are sleeping...

I must have gone through my "to-do" lists a hundred times over!

All this while seeing clients, doing weddings, preparing invoices, sending out quotes, cleaning my kit, testing makeup, the whole shabang.

In midst of all this, my oldest and my hubby asks me,

"So what do YOU want to do for your birthday?"

What? huh? My birthday?  Oh yeah, my birthday! Uh..Um...don't have time to think about that yet!

My priorities were to have a great Mother's Day and a great birthday bash for my lil one so my mind was not there yet, not one moment of my time alone!

And really, that was okey with me!

Once my birthday comes along, I feel rewarded.

I feel that once I have shown gratitude, love and appreciation on Mother's Day to my mother and my mother-in-law for their hard work, time and all the knowledge that they've thought us...

...and once I have demonstrated all that I've learned to my lil one's celebration of her birth, milestones and growing up on her birthday...

...that once my birthday comes along, I feel great, rewarded, and so satisfied that I feel like that is the best gift for myself as a person growing up.

Once my birthday comes along, I can welcome the event with open arms, feel truly relaxed, content and grateful.

It's weird to say.

It has definitely been a learning curve this past few months of "May" throughout the years.

Definitely looking forward to many more months of "May" in my future.

May 21st "521"

Let's see what my birthday says!

As you approach new opportunities and relationships, it's vital that you stay optimistic and use only positive words in your thoughts, speech, and writing

---"Angel Numbers 101" by Doreen Virtue

Wow!

That's quite interesting!  All these years, since I was little, my favorite motto I stood by has been the famous line from a lil rabbit known as Thumper from Bambi.

He said,

"If you can't say somethin' nice, don't say nothin' at all".

I do believe in not wasting precious energy, breath and time in saying things that hurt another being as well as yourself.  

I shall continue to so as my Angel book guides me so.

Oh look!

I opened up Chrome and found that Google has got me some cupcakes on my birthday!

Yay:)

Throwback Thursday: How I tripped and fell on Neil Patrick Harris

Oh Neil...
How beautiful, how witty, how talented and how humorous are you...
You have shown strength, confidence and self respect these past few years since your coming out and, as a big fan, I cannot be more proud than I am today.

Oh Neil...
I'd like to say that I'm sorry to have fallen, and literally, right between your legs on the set of Joan of Arc...
...but heck, yah right, pfffffft, I am not sorry one bit.

Embarrassed?  Absolutely!
Can't believe I made such a fool out of myself...








Damn me!
But then damn me and my muddy clunky winter boots and cobble stoned cathedral ground for allowing me to....I mean....making me trip and fall into your arms.
And you!  You were so kind! So sweet as to catch me ever so gently and say, "you okey?"
A gentleman, indeed.
And how appropriately dressed were you?
You in your mighty king Charles the VII costume so regal and magnificent...
studying your lines in a dusty small room inside a grand cathedral,
sitting by a window, and light of day coming in softly.

Hesitated to approach, but as your makeup artist I had no choice but to enter into your zone.
"May I do your touch up, Neil? ", I asked
You nodded as you were repeating your lines.

And then...right there..., in a blink of an eye, found myelf inside your arms.

"What the?..."

...were definitely my first words that crossed my mind the moment I tripped on a cobblestone.
What seemed so quick and sudden to others , was actually nothing but a terrible slow motioned b-rated film starring me.
Seeing my entire body, muddy, heavy and gross from working outside most of these dreadful shoot,  fall so inelegantly in direction of you...
Immediately felt hot right in my face, and hotter as I fell further into your arms
OmgOmgOmg










"I'm so sorry!", "Oh my god", "I'm so sorry!", repeatedly overwhelming him with my apologies.
And as you kept your cool, you simply considered my well being over anything.
As other crew members and actors watched over what had happened,obviously laughed out loud and mockingly congratulated me for doing what I did to get his attention...
What? No! I fell! I swear! I tripped!
"Yah, okey there" giggle giggle giggle
Noooooo!
But yah, I was smiling too so that didn't help, I guess.




So I had the honour of doing his makeup and wig application for the television miniseries of Joan of Arc shot in 1999 in Prague, Czechoslovakia.
3 months and a half of gruesome, most brutal, freezing and muddy, shooting outside 95% of the time.  Knee deep into the mud and snow and blowing wind, icy ground and runny nose... it was the most amazing experience ever, heck yah!

I got to meet amazing actors and one being Neil Patrick Harris.
He was only there for just few days.
He was Neil....from Doogie Howser and that was all anyone knew of him at the time.
He hadn't come out, nor had he had any successful film and television like Smurfs and How I Met Your Mother under his belt...and yet, I remember feeling so excited to meet him and to work with him.
Seeing him now with his amazing success, not only from all the film and television work, but his success as a human being appreciating life as a proud gay person, married to his love with two beautiful children, he exudes confidence, positivity, self respect and love of life.  He sings, he dances, he is witty, smart, clever and so funny....mind you, I can go on and on!
I love him as a person. He is so inspirational. He is glowing!

So yah, my whole event of me literally falling on him...
Can't deny it, it puts a smile on my face, ear to ear. And I can proudly say that, all awkwardness and embarrassment put aside, it is one of my greatest memories of all time.

xo



...Okey, so...
Seriously, look at him
This was taken in 1999...
Is it just me who thinks this, 
but he hasn't changed one bit!?!?!?!