You ever know that one person who apparently knows all the answers even when you don’t want them to be right?  Yeah, that person for me is my little sister.  She’s always freaking right!!!  Ok, don’t get me wrong, I love and adore her, and she’s right about the best things, but damn it, she’s my baby sister!  She’s not supposed to tell me what to do!  I’m supposed to tell her what to do!  But, once again she is right!

Ok, so I have always been borderline anemic, but it got a lot worse when I went vegetarian eleven years ago.  Then in 2012 I started donating platelets every two weeks with the occasional whole blood donation throughout.  Because of this my iron levels were always in jeopardy.  Seems like whenever I ate, it was a quest to find enough protein and iron.  I was doing pretty good to, or so I thought, with supplements.

When you don’t have enough iron in your blood you’ll find you have some really annoying side effects, not the least of which is lethargy and exhaustion.  You can also experience shortness of breath, dizziness, irritability and unexpected weigh loss (though I highly doubt we’d complain about the weight loss!).  Iron is not made in your body; you have to get it through what you eat.  So if you aren’t eating iron rich foods your in big trouble!  You need iron for Proper immune function and it’s and essential element for blood production, especially hemoglobin which gets the oxygen from your lungs through your body.

I had this whole routine to keep my iron high enough so I could donate and still be healthy.  I took 1-2 iron supplements a day, plus calcium, vitamin C, a multi and a bunch of other vitamins.  This combined with my quest for protein seemed to do pretty good.  Well, that was until I had a talk with lil’ sis.  She said that I should switch over to a cast iron skillet.  She said with that alone I would get all the iron I need and not have to struggle so much trying to keep my iron up.

I poo, poo’d her suggestion, not believing something that simple would actually do anything.  Besides, cast iron skillets are hard to use, everything sticks, they get really hot so you burn yourself and they are EXPENSIVE!!!  But she just shook her head and said, you really should.  So I decided what they hell and decided to keep an eye open for a cast iron skillet next time I went to Goodwill.  Hopefully I would find one there without spending too much.  I love thrifting so it would be a win-win.

Well, I found one.  Rather I found a set of 4 really awesome cast iron skillets.  Right about the time I went in for a round of Platelet donations.  At that appointment I barely squeezed by at a 13.2 iron level when the minimum is 12.6 and this is with taking iron supplements every day.  I started cooking with the skillets.  Yes, it was a little bit of a chore getting used to how they worked, but all in all I began to really like them.  Two weeks passed, I ran out of iron supplement pills somewhere right at the beginning so I didn’t have iron pills for quite some time before my bi-monthly platelet appointment arrived.  I was very worried that I wouldn’t have high enough iron since I was in the middle of my monthly ‘visit’ which does drop your iron reserves.

You could have knocked me over with a feather when my count came back as 14.2!!  14.2 when I hadn’t been taking anything?  Could Abi be right?  I verified by checking out a few sites and I’ll be damned but she was right.  According to UC Davis medical, using Cast Iron Skillets to cook with can add 80 percent MORE iron to your diet.  80 percent!!!  I know, I was blown away.  But I had to give my sis her props.  She was right and yes she smiled a very ‘I told you so’ smile.  But she had a right to.  So if you’re struggling to keep your iron levels high, do what I did (without being told by your little sister!) buy a cast iron skillet at Goodwill.  You’ll be surprised.

Some foods rich in iron include:

Meat and Poultry

• Lean beef
• Veal
• Pork
• Lamb
• Chicken
• Turkey
• Liver (except fish liver)

Seafood

• Fish
• Mussels
• Shellfish

Vegetables

• Greens, all kinds
• Tofu
• Broccoli
• Sweet Peas
• Brussel Sprouts
• Kale
• Bean Sprouts
• Tomatoes
• Lima Beans
• Potatoes
• Green Beans
• Corn
• Beets
• Cabbage

Some Useful Links:

http://www.ucsfhealth.org/education/hemoglobin_and_functions_of_iron/

http://www.nytimes.com/health/guides/nutrition/iron-in-diet/overview.html

Method Makeup Academy, Sacramento’s Makeup School

Recently one of my brides asked me what eyeshadow she would wear with her blue eyes and brown hair.  In my opinion if your eyeshadow is properly applied any color can be worn on any eye.  But some shadows definitely enhance certain eyes colors and certain features.  Those folks who are blue or green eyed, may find that some colors seem to overpower them, or they want to make those baby blues pop a little bit more.

My advice?  Choose a warm copper.  This color is absolutely amazing.  And I will confess it is one of my favorite go to shadows, mainly because it makes everyone’s eyes and skin color pop very nicely.  It especially will make blue eyes appear warmer and bluer, green eyes absolutely glow and make dark eyes rich and warm.

Applied over the full lid and blended up into a darker brown crease with a dark brown or black liner will make even the lightest blue eyes pop.

For brown eyes I’m still really fond of copper, though bronze and gold are also a great go to.  They will help bright and warm up dark eyes of all shades.

I think every artist has their favorite go to colors and mine is definitely copper.  I hope these tips help you in your makeup adventures!

Method Makeup Academy, Sacramento’s Makeup School

We’ve all done it.  We’ve stood in the cosmetics department of Rite Aid, Walmart, Target, even MAC and Estee Lauder and searched for that right color of foundation.  We’ve even asked for help and still we’ve gotten home to find it’s just not right.

So frustrating, so annoying and so damn expensive!

What is a girl to do? Well, first off, trying to match ourselves in florescent lighting at a Walmart is never easy.  And second most of us are matching the wrong part of our body!

At makeup counters you tend to test foundation colors on your hand.  Big mistake.  Your hands tend to get more exposure to the sun and to the elements than our faces do.  So they are not the same color as our face, or our neck or our décolletage.  So how on earth would the color that matches the back of your hand match your face?  But it’s not like we were ever taught how to really get the right match, right? RIGHT???? (Damn hippy mom who never wore makeup!)

So, then we do the time tested holding it up to our cheek test only to get home and find we have become a floating head.  God I hate floating heads!  Or worse we find that nasty line of demarcation.  That thing will kill the best makeup in a heartbeat.

So the answer?

The best place to match your skin is your collarbone, first because your face, chest and neck all tend to be a little bit different from each other.  2^nd you won’t be comparing color to sun damage that can develop on your chest.  So if you are matching your collarbone and blending your foundation nicely from your hair line, down your neck and feathering to a finish at your collar bone you will end up, most of the time, with perfectly matched foundation.

One more bit of foundation advice:  The color you use in the winter is not going to be the color you use in the summer, so don’t feel bad about having two colors on hand.  You can use the two either by themselves or by combining them to create your own custom color match, no matter what time of the year it is.

Well I hope this helps.  Have fun out there shopping.

Method Makeup Academy, Sacramento’s Makeup School

White Teeth Tips

It’s hard to keep your pearly whites, well, white!  What with soda, coffee and just life.  So here’s a few tips to keep your pearlies shining!

1. Drink a glass of water after drinking your morning coffee, tea or soda.  Doing so will keep those morning drinks from staining your teeth.
2. Eat strawberries.  Yes, it’s true, strawberries will act as a natural teeth whitener.
3. Add lemon to your water.  The natural citric acid in lemon juice when added to your water will help keep your teeth white.  And it adds a nice Vitamin C boost to your diet.
4. Baking Soda.  Brushing your teeth with a paste of water and baking soda will whiten and clean your teeth.  This tried and true method is a quick, cheap and easy way to maintain bright white teeth.
5. Change your Brush.  Replace your tooth brush every six months.  New brushes clean better.  It’s a simple as that.

So, there you go!  Keep smiling and let the world be dazzled.

Method Makeup Academy, Sacramento’s Makeup School

These are my favorite makeup tips, little tricks I use both daily and professionally. Enjoy!

1. Use waterproof mascara. It won’t smear or run beneath your eyes by the end of the day like most regular, non waterproof mascara will.

2. Red Lipstick with a blue undertone will make your teeth appear whiter. Blue counteracts yellow and will give the illusion of brighter, whiter teeth.

3. Set your foundation with powder. Powder over your foundation will help it stay all day. It will absorb the natural oils and moisture in your skin prolonging the wear of your makeup.

4. Light before dark. Apply your light shadows first, then the dark, as this will keep the light from being muddy.

5. Lift your Brow. When applying your eye liner, lift up your eyebrow to get a flat line. Doing so will tighten up the skin on your lid for smooth application without any “skips”.

6. Clean your brushes. Clean brushes will apply your makeup quicker and smoother. It will also keep your colors bright and true. So wash your brushes at least twice a month.

7. Don’t Powder your eyelids. Leaving your eyelids moist from your liquid foundation or cream concealor will make your eye shadows wear longer. The moisture will “grab” the shadow and make it stay.

8. Use blush. Blush adds healthy color to a face, giving the impression of youth, life and health.

9. Blend. Blend, blend, blend your eye shadows. Un-blended shadows can leave hard lines and make your eye shadow appear unfinished.

10. Do your eyebrows. Even if you have naturally dark brows, adding a little bit of powder or pencil to them will help define and finish off your face.

Method Makeup Academy, Sacramento’s Makeup School

One of the main contributors to healthy winter skin is proper hydration. Not just in what goes onto the skin, but also what goes inside.

In some ways it seems it is easier to stay hydrated during the sweltering heat of summer than it is when things cool down to brrrr. In the summer nothing is better than a nice cold glass of water. but in the winter, it’s just the opposite. We tend to order drinks that will warm us up from the inside, like hot tea, spiced cider, coffee and cocoa. It’s true all of these feel great when the wind is rushing about at a furious pace and sending those leaves skittering down the street. But they tend to leave our bodies sorely lacking in hydration. Yep, big problem.

So what are we supposed to do? You ask.

Well, it’s a scientific fact that the body absorbs water better when it is room temperature than when it is ice cold. However none of us are usually keen on the taste of lukewarm water. So that leaves us with a few options:

1. Carry a reusable water container since there is no need to clutter the landfills just to stay hydrated. Besides, this will save you money in the long run, since a bottle of water can run from $1 to $5.
2. Add a few drops of lemon juice to the water. This will make it much more palatable, even when it isn’t ice cold and will also give you a nice little boost of Vitamin C. A vitamin we could really use more of during the cold and flu season.
3. Avoid Sodas and other drinks that are high in sugar. These only serve to dehydrate you more and add more junk and chemicals to your body that none of us really need.
4. Avoid Caffein. I know, I know. You are screaming, BLASPHEMY! at this point, but just bear with me a moment longer. Ok, caffeine tends to curb your appetite, which is good, but it also curbs your thirst impulses. So if we don’t feel thirsty, why would we want to force ourselves to drink? So, if at all possible, avoid the caffeine.

So raise a glass of crystal clear water and make a toast to beautiful skin, YOUR beautiful skin.

Method Makeup Academy, Sacramento’s Makeup School

Halloween is a day that gets mixed reviews.  Its a day when some believe the spirits roam the earth, a day for fun and frolic and for some, fear.  Whatever your personal belief there is definitely something about this one day of the year that intrigues and inspires the world.

Its true that this day was once celebrated in ancient times, a pagan holiday filled with mystery and fire.  A day that the early Christians feared for its power and the darkness that seemed so close at hand during this time of year when the sun begins to wane.  But today, even so many years later, this holiday has survived, taking on a new and glamorous face, that barely hides its ancient origins.  What is it about Halloween that fascinates and thrills the world?  That thrills young and old alike?  Why do we like Halloween?  Because we get to reinvent ourselves, re-imagine who we are, unleash our alter ego and revisit our childhood.  We get to be whomever we want to be.

So light the fires, break out the paint and be whomever you want to be this year.  For one day, you are free to be…you.

Method Makeup Academy, Sacramento’s Makeup School

So, you’ve finally decided to try loose pigments, the rainbow of bright colors have cast their siren song over you and you finally bought them.  Now there you stand in front of your mirror with those pretty colors and have no idea how to use them!

Don’t worry, you are not alone.  Pigments can be very frustrating, but they are so worth learning how to master.  No other piece of makeup can give you those brilliant shades that sparkle and flash that pigments can.  So, don’t get discouraged, we’re here to help you learn how to use all those amazing pigments.

First, you need to have a few essential items.  I recommend using MAC’s Cream Colour Base Luna.  This versatile and multi-purpose, Cream Colour Base can be applied directly to bare skin, or layered over foundation, moisturizer, or powder.

Apply it to your lid prior to your pigment.  This creates a smooth and light colored base with some moisture.  The pigments will cling to the moisture in the base and the light color of Luna will make the color in the pigment really pop.

Second, your application is important.  First apply your foundation, powder, etc, as you normally would.  Second, apply a heavy layer of translucent loose powder beneath your eye.  This will keep the pigment from sticking to your cheeks and discoloring under your eye.

Pigment is loose powder and it is going to fall down onto your cheeks, so the extra layer of loose powder under your eyes will catch the pigment that falls and all you have to do at the end of your shadow application is sweep it away with your powder brush!

So, now that you have your loose powder under your eye, take a flat shadow brush and apply Luna to your lid.  I suggest applying it from the lash line all the way up to your brow bone.  Now apply your highlight shadow.  I recommend using a normal matte shadow at this time, then switch over to your pigments.

Now, you can NOT really blend pigments, they will go everywhere!  And I do mean EVERYWHERE!  So instead, use a firm, flat shadow brush and pack the pigments over the lid in the pattern you desire.  Start with a little bit at a time, patting and fanning it out into the areas you want.  Once you have them over the areas desired you can go back over with more pigment and pack it into place. You can NOT blend pigments, you have to pack and feather them to get the right level of coverage.

The last thing I usually do when I am applying pigment is take a clean, dry, soft blending brush and very gently slid if over the lid.  This will soften the lines of the pigment and help blend the colors all together to give it a clean, finished look.

Well, there you have it.  Beautiful, fabulous eyes!  So get out there and rock that pigment!

Method Makeup Academy, Sacramento’s Makeup School

False lashes are a fun addition to any makeup.  Here are just a few tips to help you get the long lashes you want and not an eye full of glue!

First, it’s important you have the right tools.  That means no cheapy plastic lashes, get real, 100% human hair false lashes with a nice small band.  This does not mean you need to spend a fortune on your lashes.

I don’t spend more than $2 per set!  Most the time not even that since I was turned onto the amazing www.ikatehouse.com! You can get amazing lashes by Miss Adoro, JLash, Crème, you name it.  Not to mention the iKate House brand lashes are darned good!  They are human hair, high quality, reusable and they offer a huge selection ranging from $1 and up. These brands are good quality, can be worn at least three more times and won’t break the bank.  I love MAC but I’m NOT willing to pay $10 or more for a set of lashes.

Next you need to have a pair of slant edge tweezers; these will help you place the lash to your lashes.

And strip lash glue, clear.  The best brand for lash glue in my opinion is Ardell.  It’s Cruelty Free, dries quickly and holds all day.  For those of you however who are Latex sensitive I would recommend the Kiss brand lash adhesive.  (Small warning though:  Kiss does NOT pull off easy like your usual lash adhesive.  So remove carefully with warm water or baby oil.)  Avoid black glue as this can show up more than the clear.

The last thing you will need for your lovely lashes is a pair of scissors.  You need scissors because one size does NOT fit all in the lash world.  Lashes are supposed to be cut to fit your eyes.

The way you would measure this is from slightly out of your tear duct.  Do NOT take it all the way to the inside of your eye, because this will make it lift and poke you in the nose.  Not fun.  Start them where your natural lashes start.  The small end of the false lash goes towards the inside of your eye, while the fuller end goes outward.  Trim off any excess lash that extends past where your own lashes end.  If you leave false lashes too long they will start to lift AND they will make your eyes look droopy.

Once you have all the tools and your lashes are trimmed you are ready to apply your lashes.

1. Trim your false lashes to fit your eyes.  Each eye is unique so measure them separately.
2. Do NOT apply mascara to your lashes.
3. Apply a little bit of lash glue to the band.  Just a little bit is needed.  Let stand for a count of 30 before applying.
4. Apply lashes from the inside towards the outside.  Apply to the lashes themselves NOT the skin.  Slid up your lashes until they touch the skin, but are NOT on the skin. (Remember, false lashes shouldn’t be applied to the lid, instead just at the edge of the lashes where the lid and your natural lashes meet.)
5. Allow to dry with your eyes closed.
6. Open your eyes, apply mascara from roots to tips, wiggling back and forth to blend your natural lashes with your false lashes.

And there you have it!  Beautiful lashes!

Method Makeup Academy, Sacramento’s Makeup School

It may seem silly, an article about how to properly clean your face.  I mean really?  Isn’t this something we learned when we were toddlers?  Well yes and no.

Yes we can keep the dirt off our face, but most of us don’t know the proper way to keep our skin from clogging with comedones or worse having acne!  God forbid!

So, here’s a few steps that will keep your skin clean and clear and looking amazing!

First there are the tools, of course.

One of the best face washes, the most bang for the buck has got to be Cedipil, and you can find it at Wal-Mart for under $10!  Get the one for Oily Skin; it works wonderful for all skin types, I kid you not, have yet to find anything better on the market.  It doesn’t lather, so don’t use too much try to get suds.  This is a real face wash and not body wash, no suds is a good thing.

You also want to have an exfoliant, a manual one, so no apricot scrubs or muds; I am talking a good manual cloth.  Wash clothes work, but the best thing you can get is a Japanese Wash Cloth.  You can find them at most oriental markets or even import stores like Cost Plus World Market.  You can also find them online I am sure.  If you can’t find one you can use a good old fashioned wash cloth or you can finally make use of that darned Kabuki Brush!  Yes, Kabuki brushes can be used as exfoliators.  Strange huh?

Ok, now for the steps:

1. Pre-wet your face with warm or hot water.  This opens up the pores so the exfoliant and wash can work.
2. Apply face wash directly to your skin.  Do not put on your washcloth/Kabuki Brush, as this will waste product.
3. Vigorously exfoliate, this does not mean taking skin off, this just means a nice healthy scrub that will get all the makeup/oils/etc. off.
4. Then rinse your face thoroughly with warm water.  Then one last rinse with cold.  The cold water will now close your pores so that nothing gets back into them now that they are all cleaned out.

When you are wearing makeup, you may wish to wash your face twice.  If using liquid foundation three times is even better to make sure all of skin is cleaned.

Well there you have it.  The proper way to wash your face!

Method Makeup Academy, Sacramento’s Makeup School