J.V.W BEAUTY: Q & A / GET TO KNOW ME

 

Hello Again!,

Last week I said I would devote a post to my readers and asked you guys to send me any random questions about beauty or my life in general. Thanks for everyone who sent me questions, I got quite a few!

I love getting to connect with all of you aside from my weekly posts, so please keep the questions coming! You can slip them in my “Questions/ requests” tab or send me a direct message.

So here it is! Your questions answered~ some are more short answer type questions while others are a little more in- depth. I split them up into two categories: 1.) Lifestyle  & 2.) Beauty

L I F E S T Y L E

1. I saw that you’re studying P.R, what made you get into it? 

I’m a super indecisive person, and when it came to choosing a college major, I found myself jumping back and forth from a lot of different things.

All my life, I thought I would go to school for music- I studied piano pretty aggressively throughout school and my whole identity seemed to be somewhat centered around practicing and preforming. It was a lot of fun, but in my senior year of school, I realized I enjoyed piano more as a hobby and less of a structured study.

After eliminating “music major” from my list, I had to really think. I was always pretty good at writing so I began as an english major. I soon felt like it wasn’t for me though, as I wanted to study something creative and flexible (not that English wasn’t- it just didn’t feel right).

I didn’t really know much about P.R my freshman year of college but after a little research, I noticed how awesome it truly is. Not only can you work in any facet of the arts with P.R, but it is a study that focuses on writing and vocal communication. You can put on events, re- brand a company, you name it. I can work in music for lets say, the Met. opera P.R dept. or in fashion OR IN BEAUTY.

The flexibility of my major is unlimited. Plus, I’ve met some really cool people along the way. Honestly, I couldn’t be happier with my choice.

2. What music do you listen to? 

This is a super loaded question for me because my music collection is endless and really random. I’m really into jazz though, 90s hiphop and next level music like from Flying Lotus. I really can’t categorize what I listen to though because on any given day I can go from classic hardcore punk like the Bad Brains to Béyonce– you can’t get more polar opposite from that haha.

3. Room tour?

Yeah maybe! I’m moving back into my college house now, so I’m in transition mode. Probably when I’m settled, I’ll do a little something.

4. Really random, what are your favorite shows to watch?

Anything on HBO basically. Oh, and I really like shows on AMC, like MadMen- I have this crazy obsession over Joan

5. What are your other interests (besides makeup)?

I love collecting music, vinyls especially. I also love interior design and thrifting~ I like to repurpose a lot of things and give them a new life.

B E A U T Y

1.) How did you get started with getting into makeup?

I always had a fascination with makeup to a certain extent but I didn’t really start to get deeply into it until the end of high school. I think it was my senior year when I bought my first high- end piece of makeup- it was a Givenchy lipstick. I don’t know- something just clicked when I started to use it. It was like this really cool feeling trying something on that was so luxurious.

From there, I wanted to try it all, but of course that comes at a price. I figured if I was going to spend money on such products,  I better know how to use them properly, so I did some research. I read beauty columns in magazines like Marie Claire, InStyle and Vogue (amongst many others), and started watching YouTube beauty bloggers like crazy. My interest only grew from there and soon it wasn’t just a curiosity of mine but a full blown hobby.

I started to realize how deeply influential makeup has been through the decades and started to appreciate the great artists in the makeup industry throughout history from Whitey Snyder from the 50s (you may know him as Marilyn Monroe’s makeup artist) to current influencers like Lisa Eldridge and Charlotte Tilburry who create looks from editorial work to a wide spectrum of celebs.

To sum it all up- It all started with that Givenchy lipstick and then my obsession grew. As I learned more about the art of makeup, I got the wild idea to start a blog, and I’m so happy I did!

2. Where to you like to shop for makeup the most?

Well, I go to different places for different things~ If I have to choose though, I’d say Sephora because they hold the majority of the brands I use most. (Plus, they have this awesome points reward system that gives you a bunch of free stuff every once in a while). The only downside to Sephora is they don’t carry products from houses like Chanel or Tom Ford, but that is a first world problem if I ever heard one.

3. Would you ever consider starting a YouTube channel? 

In the future, absolutely. I’m still new to the whole blogging thing so I’m going to wait a little while until I can get a solid following. YouTube is an amazing creative platform and I would love to experiment with it- once I get a good video camera of course (I’m thinking about a Canon T3i!) .

4. Do you work as a makeup artist?

I’ve done makeup for a lot of people, but mostly for my friends and family. At the moment, my main focus is finishing college.

5. If you only could choose 1 makeup brand to wear for your entire life, what would it be? 

hmmm… that’s tricky. I’m gonna go with Tarte because their prices are fair, the quality is fantastic and their products are all natural.

6.

I have a 14 year old daughter who is interested in using makeup. She has some forehead breakouts she’d like to conceal and just wants a natural look for the rest of her face. Any products you recommend to someone just delving into the makeup world that won’t agitate her skin but give coverage? 

A tinted moisturizer applied cohesively with a nice, creamy concealer is a great combination for young skin because it looks incredibly natural plus feels light and comfortable on the skin.

A lot of young girls who just get started with makeup have trouble getting used to the feeling of having a full application of foundation on their face so a light- weight tinted moisturizer is a great starter product. I’ve always loved the “Laura Mercier” tinted moisturizer (~$20) as well as the quality “Bobbi Brown” tinted moisturizer ($40) that I’ve used for years.

For a cheaper option, the “Neutrogena Healthy Skin Enhancer” is very nice and only around $8 and is available at most drugstores as well as the “Aveeno Positively Radiant Tinted Moisturizer” ($13).

For concealer, I find that reasonably priced products like the “Maybelline Color Stick” ($5) or the Sonia Kashuk Liquid Light Concealer ($9) work wonders. For the ultimate coverage concealer, go for “Laura Mercier Secret Camouflage Concealer” ($32)~ It’s my go to concealer for tricky blemishes.

As for application, tinted moisturizer can be applied by simply using your hand because they are so light. Conceal any blemish either using a concealer brush or finger, either one works. Work both products into the skin with a light hand and you’re good to go!

In case your daughter wants to try a full- coverage foundation, I would go for the trusted “MakeUp Forever HD” foundation ($42) or the “Tarte Amazonian Clay” foundation, made with organic ingredients ($38). As for a drugstore brand, I’ve always liked the “Revlon Color Stay” foundation ($10). All these picks should be gentle on the skin while giving that full- coverage look.

“Nars Sheer Glow” foundation ($45) is also workable as it is in between a full- coverage and light- coverage foundation.

7.

What daily makeup combo would you recommend for someone who is very active? I’m talking school, class, gym, and work all day and in any order. I find a good mascara also very difficult to find, one that doesn’t run and doesn’t get in the way of my contact lenses.

So when you’re super active, I would go very simple with the makeup routine. Tinted moisturizer is a fantastic option because it’s sheer and won’t seep into your pores when you sweat. It also looks incredibly natural~ almost like a second skin. There are many good moisturizers out there and you don’t really need an expensive one as most tinted formulations are fairly simple.

For mascara, I really like the “Clinique High Impact Waterproof” mascara~ It doesn’t clump out and won’t budge during the active day. For working out, this is my go- to mascara choice.

If you want to add a little shadow, I really like the creme shadow option because it lasts all day and is extremely easy to apply. “Bobbi Brown” makes fantastic creme shadows and for a cheaper option, I really like the “Maybelline Color Tattoo” creme formula. You can just use your finger for application too, they just glide right on your lids.

As for the rest of the face (this is a totally optional step), a nice highlighter applied at the inner corner of the eye, at the top of the cheek bones and brow bone add a little extra life to the skin. There are many good highlighters out there, but for you I would try the “Benefit Watt’s Up!” highlighter because it has a creme base which will not budge when working out.

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Like I wrote before, I’d be happy to answer more questions, keep em’ coming!

For now, thanks for reading.

-JAX