Tuesday, April 24, 2012

Guest Blogger: Jackie Clark

Good morning!!! Today I have a very special post for you all. I was recently contacted by a lovely woman by the name of Jackie, who wanted to share a bit of insight with us all about Mesothelioma and the powerful, and positive effects a bit of makeup can have when facing an illness. I can remember watching my own grandmother blossom when I would make her up while she was fighting her battle with cancer, and can personally attest to how important it is to find a way to still feel desirable, womanly and simply YOURSELF when you're dog tired and your body seems to be failing you. It truly is amazing how something as simple as a little pop of color can do wonders for the mood. So with great pride, and without further ado, I give to you my first guest blog post!
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Putting On Your Beautiful Face
By: Jackie Clark

When women talk about makeup, they sometimes speak of it as putting on their face. At first blush, this notion seems cute and a bit silly. But when you think about it, it can be an incredibly true notion. We have the faces that we are born with, and then we have the enhancements that makeup can give us. While we weren’t born with a perfectly clear complexion, cherry red lips or malachite-green eyelids, we can surely give ourselves these things. In many ways, makeup is about exerting our power over the rest of the world, and you will find that it is very effective when you need a pick me up.


It is a well-known truth that women live stressful lives, and that a life altering event can occur when we least expect it. For example, a woman can be completely healthy one day, and in the next learn she has been diagnosed with mesothelioma cancer caused from asbestos exposure. When these things happen, women can be left feeling tired, depleted and unsure of how to push forth during or after a chemotherapy or radiation treatments. The thought of looking beautiful with a touch of color to her cheeks is the last thing on her mind. However, if life has recently knocked you for a loop, you can do wonders for your esteem and mood by simply putting your game face on. The face that you paint on is just as much yours as the face that you were born with is. So, what options are open to you?
 
If you want to release your inner strength and look as though you own the world, start with the eyes. A dark line drawn directly above and below your eyelids can make a huge difference to how sultry and deep your gaze is. A little bit of mascara can thicken your lashes and makes your eyes look larger and more vibrant, while a simple sweep of mushroom eyeshadow can give you a fantastically mysterious look. If you are someone who is inclined to color; such as jewel tones, consider giving yourself a tempestuous three-layer, blended color look. Imitate the peacock and use blue, green and purple, or create a feline tiger look with a layer of bright orange sandwiched between two layers of black.
 
Don’t forget to work with your lips as well. If you want to make sure that you stay professional, a small amount of tinted lip gloss adds the perfect look for your ensemble. On the other hand, if you want a more vampy night time look, choose a deep red that absolutely looks artificial and put a high gloss on top if it. This is perfect if you love a more vintage look, and if you are very bold, consider a purple or even a deep dark blue. 


video courtesy of April Capil via YouTube
 
When you do your makeup, remember that there are plenty of tutorials online to help you. From the woman who never learned to do makeup properly and is worried that the end results will look clownish or silly, to the professionally trained makeup artist, the truth of the matter is that everyone had to start from somewhere. A little bit of practice can go a long way towards helping you get the look that you are after. Take a moment to really figure out what you want to do, and then take the time to learn how to do it. While this may not be easy, all you need to do is to be patient with yourself in order to achieve great results. 
 
If you are interested in finding your own strength and realizing how strong and beautiful you really are despite your prognosis, makeup is a wonderful way to teach you how to rebuild your confidence. Different people use different tools, and if you find that your tool is makeup and how well you can put it on, by all means use it as best you can. Choose the colors that make you feel powerful and gorgeous and remember that a small amount of effort can change the way that you think about yourself and your obstacles at hand.  
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 I would like to give a great big THANK YOU to Jackie Clark for her tireless work in the cancer community and wonderful message of uplifting. If you would like to know more about Mesothelioma and see tutorials from actual survivors, I strongly encourage you to click on the links in this post. And if you have a story you'd like to share about how you pick yourself up when you're not exactly feeling your best, please do not hesitate to leave a comment. 

And have a VERY happy Monday!!!!

-Miss Brina 

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