Wednesday, October 29, 2014

How to Afford Beauty Blogging

Happy Halloween Post Shine and Sparkle Readers!

I know lots of bloggers are doing scary make-up looks and costumes.  However, I could think of nothing scarier than tackling the financial aspect of having a beauty blog.  Sometimes I look at other beauty bloggers and youtubers and think "how do they afford to buy/review all that stuff?!"  This inspired this post about some tips about how I balance things support my blogging hobby and perhaps offer some advice to bloggers who are just starting out.  I also wanted to provide you with some perspective on the big name bloggers/youtubers out there.   And most of all, I want to stress that if you are passionate and dedicate time and love into what you are doing, it will be far more successful than if you simply pour tons of money into it.

Like all my images, (such as Squiggle's hat) I'll gladly give someone credit for their image or take it down if someone throws a hissy fit.

As a quick disclaimer:  I am NOT a financial professional.  I am also NOT the world's most successful blogger (though I hope to be some day!)  I am just telling you what works for me and my opinion.  Take my advice with a grain of salt.

1. Post Smart:
Views are money.  The more views, the more likely someone will click on one of your ads (which generate revenue).  I like to think that if it is something I'm interested in, someone else might be too.  This means that other people might be searching the internet for it.  If your post closely matches what someone is looking for, search engines are more likely to display it.  Search optimization is important! Also, most of my posts about something I was going to do/buy whether or not I planned on posting about it.  There are some bloggers/youtubers that will buy lots of things, do posts on them, then return the items.  Others also stretch their budgets way too thin to buy products.  I think it is much more economic to do posts about things you actually want, rather than what you guess other people might want to see a post about.  I think that if your posts reflect who you are as a person, you will be more successful than if you are trying to be a certain mold.  Most importantly, you can blog about things that don't cost you money but that you think someone will find interesting! Be creative and think of things like DIY's, informational posts, tips, and tricks. or a post about how to afford beauty blogging...

2. Budgeting:
This is really important in all facets of your life.  Look at the total amount of income you have.  This can be anything from a paycheck from your day-job to allowance from your parents.   Then come up with a list of priorities for your spending.  When I know I'm going to want to get some beauty products that are a bit more of a treat (like my recent Make-Up Geek Shadow Haul)  I make sure to save some money for that item.  All kinds of small things like bringing lunch to work/school, or skipping that extra latte in the afternoon can free up cash that you can put towards your blogging hobby.  Side note, please don't go into debt for your hobby.  It will stop being fun, and just be stressful.  It's not worth it for something that should bring you joy.

3. Promoting Your Blog Smart:
Before you spend hundreds on a custom page, custom domain name, fancy equipment or advertising,  I'd say take a look at your content.  If you were someone else, do you have enough content that would inspire you to subscribe, like, or tweet about the blog?  If not, it's not the time to advertise yet!  As far as blog design goes, before you spend buko-bucks getting a page designed, try DIY-ing it.  There are so many great resources out there for how to style your blog yourself.  Also, services like blogger make it quite easy to learn by trial and error.  I also think it is vital to connect your blog with as much online social media as possible.  It is a lot to maintain, but by using social media and hashtags, your can get a lot of viewers for free!

You can also try applying for blogger networks.  I'm super proud to be a member of Her Campus Blogger Network.  May great opportunities have come from my membership in this group.

As far as paying for advertising, I think a great first step to advertising is to get business cards.  They are relatively cheap (see how I got my business cards in this post).  You can get a bunch and leave them with your hair stylist, your manicurist, random people you meet who might be interested.  Especially make sure to give a bunch to friends and family.  You know grandma likes to brag about your accomplishments right?  Perfect!  There is nothing like personal interactions to start getting viewers.

The last promotion thing I will suggest that might be worth the money is facebook advertising.  Once you have exhausted all free/cheap promoting options, I suggest adding viewers through facebook.  It has worked well for me!  

4. Sponsored Posts:
There are many avenues by which bloggers/youtubers might come across the opportunity to try things for free.  They are given the products and asked to review them.  A disclaimer should be somewhere on that post, indicating that the review is sponsored.  This is one way that bloggers/youtubers get things to generate content.  I have only had this chance 2 times so far for Venus Embrace Sensitive Razors and Hujan Skin Care.  That being said, this normally occurs when you have a pretty substantial viewership already.

5. Ad Revenue
It is easy when using a blogging site like blogger to put ads on the side of your page.  When you are just starting out, I'd keep it to one ad or none at all.  Without viewers, you have nobody to click your ads.  I highly suggest building a fan base before trying to generate money from your blog.  While it is great if eventually you can pay for your blogging hobby with your blog itself, I think it is most important that you enjoy blogging, nurture it, and let it grow.  The less annoyingly covered in ads your blog is, the more likely you are to build your fan base.


I know, money is scary! Boooo!  Spooooky right?!  Anyway, here is my post for today, and as always,

Shine & Sparkle  

Wednesday, October 22, 2014

Make-Up Geek Shadow Haul + Reviews

Hi Shine and Sparkle Report Readers!

There are quite a few more of you than in the past and I wanted to give a warm welcome to all of you!  I'm very excited that over 1,550 of you have liked S+SR on facebook!  In honor of all my new potential readers, I decided to do a full report post for you!

I'm also excited to share with you my latest eye shadow haul!  I actually purchased 17 eye shadows from Make Up Geek (MUG)*.  This line was started by a YouTuber and they are absolutely outstanding quality for the money.  Each full-sized pan of shadow is only $5.99USD.  I actually go the 9-shadow starter kit ($49.99USD), the 6-shadow Vegas Lights Palette ($37.99USD), and 2 additional shadows for the regular price.

I was super impressed with the shipping and packaging of the items.  A lot of love and thought clearly went into it.  I LOVE that the person packing my stuff bothered to hand write my name on the thank you card!  How adorable!  I love supporting small local-ish businesses.  That being said, they do ship internationally, so everyone can get some. Hurzah.

All of MUG shadows are cruelty-free and do not test our products on animals.  They are also Talc and Paraben-Free.  I also love how their website has tons of video tutorials done by the founder/creator of MUG, great swatches and lots of other resources.


I instagramed, facebooked, and tweeted this picture, so maybe this isn't a new picture to you.  If you follow me on these social media outlets, you will be first to see things like this!  You know you want to see this early right?  

While the Vegas Lights Palette comes with a case (and is easy to remove the pans of shadow since they are only lightly magnetized), the other shadows only come as pans of shadow.  They sit perfectly in my customizable Z-Palette*.  I have the extra-large one that holds up to 35 standard-sized, round pans.  I also labeled the other eye-shadows in my Z-Palette in the picture below because I know I would want to know that as well.   The shadows I didn't label, it's because I have no earthly clue what they are called/where I got them.  I know I pulled them out of bulky containers.  And don't worry, I'll be using the beautiful Vegas Lights container to customize my own travel palette for when I only want to bring 6 shadows.



As you can see,  I love Urban Decay shadows.  I use their Naked 1 Palette ($49.99-not shown) as well as the shadows from a Summer Palette and a few individual shadows (as seen in picture above) all the time.  I think they have bold and innovative colors with great pigmentation and blend-ability. That being said for a lot less shadow in the palettes, and full sized pans of shadow running you around $18-20USD a pan, Make Up Geek is obviously the more affordable option.

In addition, I truly think that the MUG shadows are just as high quality (if not higher in some cases) as Urban Decay.  All the MUG shadows are very unique, buttery soft, and gorgeous.  I really think it is going to take a lot to get me to buy other brands of eyeshadow now.  Not that I'm going to need it, I kind of went crazy with this haul (which totaled no more than the cost of 2 smaller quantity of shadow Urban Decay Palettes I might add).  I'm so great at justifying my purchases. 

Colors Included In The Starter Kit -The mattes and shimmers in this are all fantastic.  This really is a great starter kit.  I'm not sure if there is a look you can't do with this.  From bold smokey eyes to soft romantic purple/pink looks, I'm sure this set can get it done.  And the black "Currupt" color puts all black shadows I have to shame (This includes blacks from Urban Decay, Lorac, Too Faced, and numerous drug store shadows).
- Cocoa Bear –  Matte golden brown
- Mocha – Matte Warm medium brown
- Glamorous – Bronzy, shimmery gold
- Creme Brulee – Medium sand color with a soft matte finish
- Shimma Shimma – Shimmery highlight
- Drama Queen – Densely dark purple with a shimmery finish
- Prom Night – Pale purple with hints of grey and a shimmery finish.
- Unexpected – Light and subtle pink matte purple blend
- Corrupt – Intense matte black with small bit of sparkle

Colors Included in the Vegas Lights Palette -These super unique warm-tones are possibly my favorite out of all the shadows I got.  They add a bit of pizzazz to my starter kit.  I'm so in love with how rich and luxurious all 6 of these shadows are! Even the matte color is super creamy and soft. I suggest grabbing this ASAP since it is special edition other than "Bada Bing" and the colors might never be seen again.  
- Casino - Shimmery saturated metallic gold with orange undertones. 
- Sin City - Shimmery Golden Apricot/ Golden Medium Orange. 
- Roulette - A rosy, burnt shimmery sienna. 
- Mirage - Pale matte beige with yellow undertones and a silky finish. 
- Desert Sands - Matte, medium terra-cotta.
- Bada Bing - Deep brown with flecks of gold

Other Colors I Purchased -I chose these colors because I didn't have a good matte white and the blue was just so pretty and unique.  Both are very buttery and blend-able,
- Peacock - Matte deep teal blue
- White Lies- Matte pure white  


I hope you have enjoyed this review/haul and as always,

Shine & Sparkle!



*I am not paid or contacted by any of the companies mentioned in this post.  These are my honest feelings and opinions.

Wednesday, October 15, 2014

How To Properly Remove, Clean, And Care For Your Fake Lashes

Hi Shine and Sparkle Report Readers!

Today I have a quick tip on cleaning your fake lashes so you can re-use them.  Lashes can be quite pricey, up to $15-$30 a pair.  It's no fun to throw away something you spent money on before you have to right?!  I'll quickly start by telling you that my favorite lash brand is Ardell Lashes*.  They are super comfortable and I love that most of them are made of 100% sterilized human hair.  I also like how affordable they are (around $3-$4USD).  I learned my lesson and do not suggest the 10 pairs for less than $5 sold online from unknown sources in China.  These are epic in their lack of comfortableness.

Second, I want to tell you that my favorite lash glue is Kiss Ever EZ Lashes Strip Lash Adhesive* because I love the application wand and the easy removal of the glue from your face and the lash band. I find the oh-so-popular Duo lash glue too strong.  It cements lashes to my face and inevitably pulls out real lashes during removal.  Eek.

Like all my images, I'll gladly give someone credit for their image or take it down if someone throws a hissy fit

Removing Lashes:

DO NOT PULL OFF THE LASH!  It will be like ripping off a band-aid...on your eye.  Eek again.

To properly remove lashes, saturate a cotton pad with good quality eye-makeup remover.  Place it over a closed eye (you don't want to get make-up remover in your eye, trust me...oh the stinging...) with false lash on it.  Let the pad sit on your eye for at least 30 seconds, then wipe the pad down towards your mouth.  If the eye-make up remover has broken down the glue sufficiently, the lash should simply slide off and be attached to the cotton pad.  If the lash is still on your eye, let the cotton pad sit on the eye longer, maybe add more eye-makeup remover.  Repeat this process for your other eye.


Cleaning Lashes:

Step 1:  Remove and Make-up/Extra Lash Glue
I place the lashes on a tissue and then pour over some eye-makeup remover onto them.  I gently use the wet tissue (a good make-up wipe could work for this as well) to remove as much excess glue and make-up on the lash as possible.  Wiping from the base of the lash to the tips.  This prevents ruining the shape of the last as much as possible.

Step 2 (optional):  Re-shape the lashes with a flat iron or curling iron.
If your lashes seem to still be a bit out of shape, you can try to quickly reshape HUMAN HAIR ONLY lashes (unless you love the smell and mess of burnt plastic) by quickly running the lash part (NOT THE BAND) through a flat iron or place the lashes on a thick dish towel and press a curling iron over the lash part in very quick movements to try and reshape them.  It might help to hold the lash with a tweezer.  If your hot tool has heat settings, the lowest setting should be sufficient.  BE CAREFUL not to burn yourself! I am not responsible if you are not careful and burn yourself or your house down.  Do this step at your own risk.

Step 3: Sterilize the Lashes
Nobody wants an eye infection, so place the cleaned lashes on a new tissue, and pour over some regular drug-store rubbing alcohol until the lash is saturated.  Let the lashes sit in the alcohol for about 30 seconds to 1 minute.  You can squeeze the excess alcohol through the lashes by folding the wet tissue over the lashes and pressing gently to ensure it is sterilized as possible.

Step 4: Sterilize the lash case.  
If you put the sterilized lases back in the case without wiping the case down with alcohol as well, you might as well have not bothered sterilizing the lashes in the first place.  Make sure to rub down all surfaces of your lash case before returning your sterilized lashes.

How Many Times Can You Re-Use Lashes?

Ardell suggests that your use your lashes no longer than 3 weeks.  That being said, I'm not sure if they mean 3 weeks of everyday use or not.  Since I do not wear fake lashes every day and I'm good about cleaning them, I tend to just use judgement.  I tend to throw away my lashes as soon as any of the following things happen:

  • If the lash is falling apart or looking ratty no matter what I do to it. 
  • Make-up and glue are caked on there and won't come off easily.
  • If the lash has any sort of smell.


I hope you have enjoyed this quick tip and as always,

Shine & Sparkle!



*I am not paid or contacted by any of the companies mentioned in this post.  These are my honest feelings and opinions.

Wednesday, October 8, 2014

Healthy Berry Crumble Breakfast Smoothie Recipe

Hi Shine and Sparklers!

I had some good feed back on my Healthy Green Breakfast Smoothie recipe and thought I would share with you another of my go-to smoothie breakfasts!  Like the last smoothie, this one is still is packed with vitamins, protein, and whole grains to make it a really great and well rounded breakfast.  I love how you can play with smoothie recipes so easily.  It also keeps your belly full all the way until lunch!


Can you tell I'm excited about football season?  Thus the beer glass of smoothie! This smoothie is way healthier than a beer...as much fun as a beer?  Maybe not.

The Shine and Sparkle Green Breakfast Smoothie Recipe:

Ingredients
1 cup Fresh Spinach (you can also use kale or other mild leafy greens)
½ cup Non-fat Plain Greek or European Style Yogurt
¼ cup frozen banana or about 1/2 a fresh banana (using frozen fruit gives it a nice texture in my opinion, but both work)
¼ cup fresh or frozen berries (fresh apples work too)
¼ - 1/2 tsp of cinnamon
1 tbs peanut or almond butter  
¼ cup unsweetened vanilla or plain almond milk
¼ cup of classic rolled oats
Water (about ½ a cup is what I like, but more or less determines how thick the smoothie is).

Directions:
1) Add ingredients to blender.  If storing overnight in a magic bullet* cup, make sure the wet ingredients and oats are at the bottom of the cup. Then add the fruit and spinach on top.  This prevents the spinach from wilting and lets the oats absorb some of the liquid over night and get soft and easier to blend.  If making right away, just throw everything in a blender.

2) Blend.

3) Drink.

Easy Peasy Pumpkin Squeezie.  The oats, nut butter and cinnamon give you the feeling of the top of a fruit crumble as well as fiber and protein.  There are also good health benefits of cinnamon (however it is never a replacement for professional medical advice! Common sense folks).  The spinach and fruits provide great vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and a great sweet taste.  The yogurt provides dairy calcium, probiotics, and protein.  The almond milk adds a lovely creamy element to the smoothie. This smoothie is not as low in calories as my Healthy Green Breakfast Smoothie, but it is still a great option for those concerned about their weight because it packs in so much nutrition, fiber, and protein that it is easier to stick to healthy eating later in the day.  

I strongly feel that people need to take care of their bodies.  When you have all the necessary nutrition you have more energy and can live a longer and happier life.  Part of why there is a recipe section on my blog is to help promote good (and YUMMY) nutrition to aid people in their own journeys to shine and sparkle! 


As Always,

Shine & Sparkle!


*I am not paid or contacted by any of the companies mentioned in this post.  These are my honest feelings and opinions.