Give the Gift of Authentic Beauty

Authentic Beauty’s Favorite Gift Suggestions for the Holidays

Christmas is just next Friday & let’s face it, the malls….are a zoo. So why not stop in Authentic Beauty & get some last minute gifts for the people in your life. As I mentioned a few blogs ago, we seriously love the following:

Clarisonic (This fantastic tool is proven to gently yet effectively loosen dirt and oil to clear your pores. It uses a patented sonic frequency of more than 300 movements per second to clean, soften and smooth your skin.) Cool huh? We totally agree.

Galvanic Spa (Fab anti-aging & acne fighting products)

Ansr Photolight Therapy (ANSR was formulated to treat blemish outbreaks while helping to restore the skin’s balance of natural oils through harmless LED (low-emitting diode) photolight.)

Image Journey (Learn to authentically author your own look. Our signature service.)

True Glow Spray Tan (Non orange, back from the tropics, soft & glowy spray tan.) Make-up Therapy (Stressed out, need to vent, want to be pampered? Come to us for a little therapy, not only some girl talk, but we play with different looks on you.)

Perfect Brow Gift Certificate at Authentic Beauty (Learn how to shape your brows by moi, the brow guru of Atlanta.)

Personal Chefing from Dishes Delicious with Stephanie (No time to whip up some tasty treats or cook dinner or cook for guests, just call Dishes Delicious with Stephanie(yes, our very own scheduler extraordinaire!) at (404) 849-0443.)

If you don’t even have time to stop by, just order gifts online at Authentic Beauty website. I suggest choosing the Profaces Voluptuous lip gloss (great stocking stuffer) or the delicious Sally B Skin Yummies Lavender & Vanilla Hand Butter. Also we are selling the CRAVE Atlanta book for $19.95, which is a great book on all the fantastic women entrepreneurs in Atlanta; Authentic Beauty is on pages 24 & 25. Our one-year anniversary is tomorrow at the studio (4674 Roswell Road) from 4 to 7 p.m., so please stop by & toast with us!

It’s officially Christmastime in the city!

It’s officially Christmastime in the city!

             Ok so last week, I officially felt we were transitioning into the holiday season! I am so excited! We are booked up this week & have women all over Atlanta coming in to learn how to shape their brows, do some fabulous holiday make-up looks & go on Image Journeys. Speaking of, Northside Neighbor staff writer, Laura Braddick is coming in to take an Image Journey & write about it. The article will be in the Dec. 30 issue of the paper FYI if any of you Northsiders want to check it out. I have been so busy this week that I am just now catching my breath long enough to write this blog & then it’s off to finish decorating the house, wrapping gifts & the like.

            But let’s re-visit last week events. Last Monday, Dec. 7, I enjoyed spending time at the Reconnecting Families event in Marietta (http://www.reconnectingfamilies.org/). The event was so great & fun. I’m glad I was able to see everyone there & show my support for such a wonderful organization. Thank you to all the people who took time to sit & chat with me. You know who you are! : )

Last Tuesday, Dec. 8, I was with my dear friend & inspiration, Allison Cross of Project Authentic Beauty, who partnered with the Breakthrough House for a great event with the women staying there. The Breakthru House (http://jchilders.com/bth/) is a long-term treatment facility for women recovering from alcoholism and drug addiction. We provide a structured, drug-free environment to help each woman experience physical, mental, emotional and spiritual recovery. Allison led a version of her Body, Beauty & Bravery workshop at the house. I did an Image Journey on one woman who had not worn make-up in more than 90 days. As a matter of fact, none of the women who enter the house are allowed to wear make-up for 90 days; it’s part of the cleansing process. However it is important to note that an important component in the house is helping the women become self sufficient again, which means after they are sober, they have to go on interviews for jobs  & need to look pulled together, ie-have make-up on. Thus I think it is huge for me or a part of me team to go over & work with the women at the house every so often.

On Wed., Dec. 9, I was able to be involved with another Ambush Makeover with CBS Atlanta Better Mornings with my fabulous friend, Corinna Allen. I did the make-up & RUMM Color Studio in Alpharetta did the hair. Thanks to fabulous PR guru, Meg Reggie for setting that up! Stay tuned for the date when it will air.

The Captain Planet Foundation party (http://www.xmasparty.org/) was on Friday, Dec. 11 at the Tabernacle. I look forward to being a part of the annual event every year; this year was the 15th. My good friend & client, Laura Turner-Seydel is the founder of this incredible event that raises money for the Captain Planet Foundation, which funds & supports hands-on, environmental projects for children and youth. This year’s theme was rock star 80’s glam rock & the Authentic Beauty make-up artists did all the make-up for the models at the party. Everyone looked amazing! I was so proud of my new girls who just recently started with us, as I mentioned in my last blog. Every model looked absolutely awesome! Our own Authentic Beauty spray tanner, Julie McGee of True Glow Mobile Spray tanning (http://www.yourtrueglow.com/), was Madonna, and looked hot! Grrrrrr. We also did some other models up as the Robert Palmer girls as well as David Bowie’s posse. All the clothes were done by the fashion students at Bauder College & each outfit totally rocked! After doing Laura’s make-up, I stopped by the VIP party & saw Laura’s husband, Rutherford, her father Ted & all of Atlanta’s elite social set. Then Charlton & I socialized with many of our great friends like Ellen Harden, Leslie Koerdt, Jessica Thomas, Jenn Hobby, Suchita Valdamani, Corinna Allen & so many more. It was really such fun & I can’t wait until next year’s party.

The day after Captain Planet was a whirr of parties too. First we stopped by Shana King’s party in midtown. We noticed right away Shana’s house was by Grady High School where our love, Vincent Martinez who writes the incredible http://www.fashionado.net/, directs the Urban Couture program. Just so you know, Shana developed the pointed Kabuki foundation brush we use & sell at Authentic Beauty (http://www.myimagejourney.com/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=600_602&products_id=1100084). The unique design of this brush allows professional application of foundation in half the time. It smoothly covers large surface areas while achieving detailed results. It naturally blends cream foundations to blend around the eyes, nose and hairline. Shana recently became a new mom & left ADesign brushes (http://www.adesignbrushes.com/). Authentic Beauty loves ADesign & mostly carries the ADesign brand. Shana was brought into ADesign originally to develop brushes for professional make-up artists & she certainly made a great one with the Kabuki brush. We love it! After that, we went to the “Love at the Pub” event at the Brickstore Pub in Decatur with our friend, Mary Jane Mahan & the author of Love at The Pub: An Insider’s Guide to Craftsmanship, Conversation, and Community at The Brickstore Pub. When the book was released on Nov. 11, it climbed the list from #242,507 Amazon books to break through and land the charts as #1 Travel Regional best seller, #2 Travel best seller and #84 overall best selling books, which absolutely amazing. I suggest you get a copy at http://www.amazon.com/ or check out http://www.loveatthepub.com/. I saw my my friend, Kathleen Plate of the awesome jewelry, Smartglass (http://www.smartglassjewelry.com/). Smartglass is handmade from glass, sterling silver, and silver solder using traditional stained glass methods. Each piece is individually selected, with variations in shape and texture in the glass ensuring that every piece in the line is a truly unique and one-of-a-kind original. I have a lot of it & wear it all the time! I also saw two Authentic Beauties, or AB clients-Sheri Balzer & Leefa Roe, and I saw Nikki Nickerson who owns Cowgirl Kitchen in Rosemary Beach, FL. (http://www.cowgirlkitchen.net/).

Finally on Sunday, Dec. 13, I went to the CRAVE Atlanta book launch. CRAVE Atlanta is a book about local female entrepreneurs in a variety of fields. It was awesome networking at the event, held at the ECOEmporium on Marietta Street & seeing so many friends & colleagues who were also in the book. Check Authentic Beauty & me out on page 24 & 25. There were also some Authentic Beauties in CRAVE & we also did their make-up for their photos in the book. These Authentic Beauties are: Jessica Thomas of Jessica Thomas PR on page 203 (http://www.jessicathomaspr.com/), Jennifer Shields of Posh Tot Events on page 143 (http://www.poshtotevents.com/), Megha Rodriguez of Hire Humanity (http://www.meghasuccess.com/) & Leslie Clayton on page 42 who was featured in a recent Authentic Beauty  newsletter & is the owner of Body Awareness Studio (http://www.bodyawarenessstudio.com/). Sally B’s Skin Yummies (http://www.sallybskinyummies.com/), sold at Authentic Beauty, was also in CRAVE on page 161, and At Wisteria Salon (http://www.atwisteriasalon.com/) in east Cobb was featured on page 20 & 21. I go to At Wisteria every other Wednesday, so if you are in east Cobb & need me, book an appt. with me there by calling Stephanie at (404) 849-0443. Elaine Sterling of the Elaine Sterling School of Esthetics on page 62 & 63, is also in CRAVE; I taught at her school last year.

Additionally, I want to share another event I was involved with that is just great! I am part of the Best Buy female consumers feedback organization called the Omega Group that helps Best Buy with their marketing efforts to target women who may be intimidated or just uneasy about shopping there. Basically, we share with the execs at Best Buy how to better appeal to women consumers. We had our annual holiday gathering last week & it benefitted the Samaritan House (http://www.samhouse.org/). I was actually asked to be involved with this organization through Ladies Who Launch, a fabulous organization (http://www.ladieswholaunch.com), founded by Angela Stalcup, who is on page 207 of the CRAVE Atlanta book. Also if you need a quick holiday gift, check out our online store at http://www.myimagejourney.com/store, or stop in & get a gift certificate for an Image Journey, a brow lesson, make-up therapy or a make-up lesson. Happy Holidays!

Authentic Beauty’s Favorite Things

Phew! It’s been a crazy past week & weekend (more on that in another blog), but now I finally have some time for a new post. Leslie & I got to talking & we wanted to share with you some of the items on our Christmas list as well as talk about our favorite things along the same lines as our friends from The Bert Show do from time to time. So here goes…..

Our favorite things at the studio are:

Clarisonic (This fantastic tool is proven to gently yet effectively loosen dirt and oil to clear your pores. It uses a patented sonic frequency of more than 300 movements per second to clean, soften and smooth your skin.) Cool huh? We totally agree.
Galvanic Spa (Fab anti-aging & acne fighting products)
Ansr Phtotolight Therapy (ANSR was formulated to treat blemish outbreaks while helping to restore the skin’s balance of natural oils through harmless LED (low-emitting diode) photolight.)

Image Journey (Learn to authentically author your own look. Our signature service.)
True Glow Spray Tan (Non orange, back from the tropics, soft & glowy spray tan.)

Make-up Therapy (Stressed out, need to vent, want to be pampered? Come to us for a little therapy, not only some girl talk, but we play with different looks on you.)

Perfect Brow Gift Certificate (Learn how to shape your brows by moi, the brow guru of Atlanta.)

Personal Chefing from Dishes Delicious with Stephanie (No time to whip up some tasty treats or cook dinner or cook for guests, just call Dishes Delicious with Stephanie(yes, our very own scheduler extraordinaire!) at (404) 849-0443.)

Aly’sWish List:

Harmony Beads by Nicole Jones (They are on sale at Rhinoceros Boutique in Buckhead. http://rhinocerosboutique.com/
Flip camera (www.theflip.com/en-us/)
Tracie Hippie patina cuff (http://www.plungedesigns.com/)
A sign for the studio from Sign-a-rama
Occulus signature treatment from Occulus Skincare Center (www.oculusskincare.com/)
Personal training with Dolvett Quince (http://www.bodysculptorinc.com/)
A pair of PZI jeans (http://pzijeans.com/)these jeans are for curvy girls!!!
Shoes from Jedal (http://www.jedalitalianfashion.com/) Italian SHoes..what more could you want
Family photo session with Amy Hunsinger from Sing Photography (www.singphotography.com) Look at this woman’s work!!!

Business Acceleration Intensive with Christine Comaford, my business mentor and guru. I need one on one time with her!!! (http://www.mightventures.com/)

Leslie’s Wish List:

Smartglass Jewelry-everything from the recycled square line (www.smartglassjewelry.com/) We LOVE Kathleen (the designer)
Latitude and Longitude pendant from Plunge Designs of Leslie’s hometown of Monroeville, AL. Roll Tide! (http://www.plungedesigns.com/)
Microdermabrasion and Customized Peel from Blue Med Spa (www.bluemedspa.com/)
Cut and Color with Meri Lewis at Noland Suttles Salon (http://nolandsuttles.squarespace.com/)
So many things from American Apparel. (http://americanapparel.net/)
repurposed leather jacket from Body Politik  (http://www.bodypolitik.net/)
Silver needle tea from Teavana (www.teavana.com/)
Blog writing course with Hollis Gillespie (or me!) : ) (www.hollisgillespie.com/)
Mani & pedi from Cure Nail & Body Bar in Castleberry Hill (http://www.curenailbar.com/)

We can’t wait to see all of you this holiday season! So until next time, stay warm & happy holidays!

Remember Gift Certificates are available for Authentic Beauty!

Call us for an appointment soon. They are filling up fast! (404) 849-0443. http://www.myimagejourney.com/

Let’s decorate the Christmas tree or something like that

Let’s decorate the Christmas tree or something like that

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas. Yes I know that’s from it’s a song, but really everyone is starting to get into the holiday spirit & that makes me so excited! I love this time of year; there are so many fun & festive events that get me in the mood for the holidays. We started off last week on Wednesday, Dec. 2 with a fantastic event at Rhinoceros Boutique hosted by Atlanta Falcon Brian Finneran’s wife-Erin Finneran, Ellen Kozlowski, Robanne Schulman of Plaid Monkey (http://www.plaidmonkey.com), Karin Smithson & me. The proceeds of sales from the store that night went to Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta. And thanks to Meg Reggie, PR diva who helped put the event together!

Leslie & I did make-up & brows, Nicole Jones, the wife of former Braves’ player, Andruw Jones, had her Honesty Jewelry for sale, and Whitney Rocker had her WTR Memory Beads for sale as well (http://wtrmemorybeads.com). Nicole actually sells her line at Rhinoceros & unfortunately does not have a website, so everyone stop by Rhinoceros to check out her collection. There was this one necklace that I absolutely adored & hint to Char, I want it for Christmas! Corinna Allen of CBS Atlanta, Karina Timmel of Best Self Magazine, Wendy Babchin, Jennifer & Randy Rudderman of OH2 Med Spa & Julie McGee of True Glow Mobile Spray Tanning stopped by to join in the merriment.

Thursday, Dec. 3, Char & I stopped by the fabulous Dolvett Quince’s Dolvett’s Dish release party at Aja. The event was hosted by Dolvett (obviously) & Tom Catherall of Here to Serve restaurants (http://www.h2sr.com). Dolvett’s Dish is basically healthy menu choices that are available at all the Here to Serve restaurants in Buckhead. It’s so nice to have so many more healthy choices at the great restaurants in town. This week I am so thrilled about the annual Captain Planet Xmas Party (www.xmasparty.org). Authentic Beauty will be doing all the make-up for the models like we have done for the past few years. Laura Turner Seydel is a great client & good friend of mine, and she is the co-chair of the event, so I’ll be doing her make-up before the event. I’ll also be doing Ginair McKerrow’s make-up for that night as well. Ginair is one of 2009 Jezebel’s Most Beautiful & a philanthropist. Leslie will be doing the beautiful Smart Glass jewelry designer, Kathleen Plate’s make-up & Robanne Schulman of Plaid Monkey’s make-up as well. Also on Thursday night, Dec. 10, we are having a spray tanning party with True Glow Mobile Spray Tanning to get prepped for Xmas Party. Call us today to book your appointment. (404) 849-0443. Actually speaking of, we are filling up pretty fast for make-up applications ($50) now through Dec. 24, so if you want us to do your make-up, hurry & call us to book a time slot. And we have gotten five new make-up artists-Renee Bitting, Jennifer Merker, Andi Hill, Susan Muscari & Tatiana Jones who also does lash extensions. They are fully trained in make-up application (obviously) and the Image Journey process. We hope you come meet them, they are great! Susan is also involved with Drop Dead Gorgeous, an organization that is dedicated to preventing sex trafficking. This is very important at the studio because it goes along with our mantra at Project Authentic Beauty (http://www.myimagejourney.com/cms/authentic-beauty/project-authenticbeauty).

How to make your holiday make-up shine: Getting the gold look right

How to make your holiday make-up shine: Getting the gold look right

As I have said numerous times, holiday/party make-up should stand out and be bold. Add that extra touch of liner, added swipe of mascara and the daring lip color for even more drama. We, here at Authentic Beauty have come up with some stunning holiday looks for you to wear during this year’s party season and perhaps even into Valentine’s Day 2010 (more on those looks later). They are smoldering and they are sexy, so dig out your sexiest party dress & let the season begin with a bang!

Our signature gold holiday look is perfect for any of you who have a warm skin tone, but works well for anyone else who gets a spray tan for the big night. Note: we offer spray tans at Authentic Beauty now. Call for availability. So basically what I am saying is that this look is absolutely fabulous on anyone & everyone.

As with every look, you need to start out with a completely smooth canvas, so pick a foundation that matches your skin perfectly and add a touch a shimmer with Profaces light mineral bronzer. This is not at all orange and has a slight golden glow that makes your face look softly candlelit. This is always sexy.

While the face is very important, the eyes are really more important in this look. The soft gold shimmer, the long dark curled lashes and the dramatic black liner are key in pulling this holiday look together. First, use a white pencil on your entire eyelid & then fill it in with a brush designed for cream eye shadow; essentially blending this all the way to the brow bone. Next, use the Goddess Profaces eye shimmer loose powder ($16 at Authentic Beauty) over the eyelid.

Take a flat white shadow from the crease to the brow, being careful not to blend the white into the Goddess shimmer. I realize that this might sound a little odd, but believe me, it looks dazzling. You are then going to line your upper lash line with black powder eye shadow & eye liner sealer. The sealer will turn any shadow into a liquid liner without the catastrophe of trying to use liquid liner & messing up. Rim the lower inside lid with a black pencil & curl your lashes, adding lots of coats of mascara. To intensify this look, glue a strip of false eyelashes or just add a few falsies to the ends of your eyes.

The lips should be neutral enough to not draw attention away from the rest of the look, but make sure they pop enough so they don’t get lost. Use a Profaces Sand lip liner around the perimeter of your lips, fill your lips in with Profaces Seduction lipstick and top it with Profaces Naked lip gloss to add that extra hint of shimmer without too much color. If you’re in a bind with lip liner, try using a taupe eye pencil to line your lips. Come stop by Authentic Beauty for a full fledged lesson on this look & we’ll be posting picture soon. Happy Holidays!

You can purchase all Profaces make-up at Authentic Beauty.

There’s just glitter in our veins: Jezebel party re-cap

To say the least, these last two weeks were busy for us, but in a good way, a really good way. Going back two weeks on Monday, Nov. 16, Authentic Beauty was on CBS Better Mornings Ambush Makeover doing the make-up of the beautiful Cindy Brown who is the manager at FAB, French American Brasserie. To those of you who have never been, please try to make time to grab a bite there. The food is heavenly & the service is absolutely impeccable. This downtown haven’s menu is phenomenal. Check out: http://www.fabatlanta.com  for more info. Anyway Ambush Makeover was great!

Wednesday, Nov. 18 was a lot of fun as I got to participate in a Q-100 Jessica Shops event at Taste Boutique in Atlantic Station. This store, owned by Teresa Caldwell, rapper Bow Wow’s mother, has some super cute clothes. It’s my new hidden gem to find fashionable outfits. Speaking of, Leslie Koerdt found her glam dress for last week’s Jezebel Most Beautiful Atlantans party there. Check out: www.tasteboutiqueatlanta.com. We had a good, but small crowd at Taste. Jenn Hobby of The Bert Show stopped by on her way to the screening of New Moon, Jessica Dauler, of course, was there and PR maven & Taste’s publicist, Jamie Annarino was also present. A good time was had by all.

Later that week on Thursday, Nov. 19, we did all the make-up for the dancers in the Celebrity Dance Challenge. We did some fantastic looks and everyone looked fabulous! Also Daniel Jones of Muse Salon & Spa (www.musesalonandspa.com) did everyone’s hair, which looked equally great. I worked on the gorgeous Veronica Best’s make-up, Leslie did Corinna Allen’s fembot look & Ryan did Holly Firfer’s dramatic make-up. Nyssa Green, a make-up artist who owns the Green Agency, did the winner-Suchita Vadlamani’s make-up. Everyone who participated in the dance-off is a great friend, so I can’t play favorites! But Suchita’s dance was amazing! I will tell you that I enjoyed each & every dance though. Darling Vincent Martinez of Fashionado (www.fashionado.net) seriously rocked, in my opinion. He gets two thumbs up in my book. The dance-off raised $10,000 for a great cause-EDIN. EDIN is the Eating Disorders Information Network and is a group that is dedicated to preventing eating disorders through education, outreach & action. The event hosted more than 250 people and some of my faves were there to show their support. We look forward to being involved with this incredible event next year! Read up on EDIN at: http://myedin.org.

 Thanksgiving week started off with a bang on Tuesday, Nov. 24 with the annual Jezebel Most Beautiful Atlantans party at the W Buckhead. Before we headed over I did Beth [Weitzman’s] make-up at the studio; we also got spray tans the night before by True Glow Mobile Spray Tanning (www.yourtrueglow.com). I did my new signature holiday gold look on Beth for the party. A how-to blog on the gold look will come out Friday. Leslie started doing my make-up, but for the sake of time, I had to finish up my modern smoky eye. It’s my new favorite look for holiday. More on that later. We were fortunate enough to attend the VIP pre-party with Beth in the WOW Suite at the W. We mingled with Kelly Spikes & MaryLouise Fitzgibbon of the W Buckhead as well as Carolyn Sloss with Allied Advertising, Jezebel owners-Michael, Lou & Patty Dickey and Felicia Gentry, Sneaky Sunday’s Paul Broft & his friend, Brian Duke and Bloomingdale’s manager-Tom Abrams. Downstairs when the party started, we hung out in the VIP Suite with Corinna & Suchita; Suchita was chosen as a Most Beautiful this year and Corinna was one of Jez’s Most Eligible Bachelorettes last year.

We also hung out with Amber Salway, Authentic Beauty’s model & another Most Beautiful, Scott Leonard, one of the Most Eligible Bachelors last year, Robert Read & Kelly Basinger, two of the 2009 Most Beautiful. We walked around from the bar in the Living Room all the way to the ballrooms on the other side of the lobby, and saw the usual suspects such as Daniel Jones from Muse, Marian Goldberg, the haute manger of David Yurman at Lenox, Stephanie Fleitas from Grey Goose, Ellen Harden, Reggie Walker & James Brashears as well as another Most Beautiful Ginair McKerrow & another 2008 Most Eligible Kristen Frey. We posed for and with fab photographer, Amy Hunsigner. She is such a doll. The desserts by Tasty Pastry were delicious & there was some fun had by all, from all the W girls dancing on the check-in desk to models dancing in actual life-sized wine glasses.

After mixing and mingling a while, we settled in front & center as Leona Lewis took the stage. She is so beautiful and such an incredible singer that I was completely mesmerized by her. As a matter of fact, I actually got to take a photo with her while I was re-touching Beth’s make-up right before we went up to Whiskey Blue for the after-party. She was super sweet. I had such a great time that night & again I am so thankful I am a part of the fabulous magazine that Jezebel is & that Beth is a truly good friend of mine. I also just would like to thank my new friend, Dennis from Bebe at Lenox who outfitted me for the party. I literally walked in at 8 p.m. on Monday after a long day and said, “please dress me,” and he did. I stayed until the store closed. Speaking of clothes, we have some wonderful events coming up that have to do with fabulous clothes! First, yesterday Wednesday, Dec. 2, I hosted the Faux Fur Fete at Rhinoceros Boutique at The Shops Around Lenox with Erin Finneran, Robanne Schulman & Karin Smithson. A percentage of the proceeds went go to Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta from the Trunk Show with Whitney Rocker, WTR Memory Beads & Ucce. Authentic Beauty did make-up & we had a bunch of ladies show up on the Fur Bus! The VIP opening of the Gold Room (old Gold Club) is today & then next Friday, Dec. 11 is the annual Captain Planet Xmas Party (www.xmasparty.org)! Authentic Beauty will be doing all the make-up for the models as well as chair Laura Turner Seydel’s. We anticipate the event will be a blast per usual. The Reconnecting Families Trunk Show will be next Monday, Dec. 7 & I’m excited about that too . The private shopping night will feature specialty items from a number of local businesses, and will benefit Reconnecting Families. The program, in partnership with the Cobb County Juvenile Drug Court is set up to help families affected by substance abuse, will receive a portion of the evening’s proceeds. For more information, visit: http://http://www.reconnectingfamilies.org. But have so much going on & we would love to see everyone out & about with us, or at least come see us at the studio!

Get Your Glow On True Glow Spray Tan Comes to Authentic Beauty

Get your glow on

Julie McGee of True Glow

Now the holidays are getting into full swing and not only is Authentic Beauty offering make-up applications and brow shaping for those big soirees you’ve been invited to, but we are also offering natural looking spray tans. Julie McGee, the owner of True Glow Mobile Spray Tanning (www.yourtrueglow.com) is coming into the studio every Thursday from 12 to 7 to spray. I have been sprayed a few times now & I love it!

This spray is not at all orange & won’t leave you looking like an Oompah Loompah. Julie has been working with a chemist to create the most natural looking shades. Her spray is organic & comes in light, medium & dark. The fine mist is personally airbrushed on each person and the process takes less than five minutes. Julie has worked as a model and actress for the past 15 years and knows a lot about the various spray tan brands out there. “Being a part of the modeling industry has given me an opportunity to learn what some of the best spray solutions and techniques are out there,” she says. “We can provide a perfect kissed glow to make that holiday dress look amazing….you’ll be looking in the mirror at any chance you get!”

We welcome groups of girls to come into Authentic Beauty to get pampered & sprayed before an event or just for fun! Additionally, True Glow is donating a percentage of proceeds to the Skin Cancer Foundation. A single spray tan is $40 and if you purchase a package, they are reduced to $35 each. So just say no to the sun, like I tell you anyway! Get sprayed and stay sun safe with Authentic Beauty & True Glow. Visit True Glow on Facebook at: http://www.facebook.com/#/pages/Atlanta-GA/True-Glow-Mobile-Spray-Tanning/256705335482?ref=ts and on Twitter at: http://twitter.com/TRUEGLOWtan. Authentic Beauty also was on CBS Better Mornings Ambush Makeover with True Glow. See: http://www.cbsatlanta.com/video/21625952/index.html. Hope to see you in soon for a tan, make-up application, brow shaping or just to visit!

INTRODUCTORY OFFER: YOUR FIRST SPRAY TAN IS $35!!!!!!!!!!

OH THE PLACES AUTHENTIC BEAUTY GOES

LOTS AND LOTS OF AMAZING FANTASTIC  STUFF YOU NEED TO KNOW

As I mentioned last week, there are sure a lot of events & things going on this time of year, and Authentic Beauty tries to be at everything! Of course we will do your make-up for all the events you are going to, so keep us on your rolodex. ($50 application special FYI)

Beginning with Tuesday, Nov. 10, I was involved with the Environmental Working Group “Enlightenment Luncheon”. The Biltmore was sold out with 250 seats filled. The “official” info on the EWG is to use the power of public information to protect public health and the environment. EWG is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, founded in 1993 by Ken Cooks and Richard Wiles. I’m passionate about the organization because they really were the first ones to compile information about what is toxic in cosmetics and beauty products. This is important to me because of my stance in using non-toxic, environmentally-friendly, sustainable products. For those of you who don’t know, when I started my career in the makeup industry I was informed that cosmetic manufacturing was the 2^nd cause of pollution on the planet. EWG put together the website www.skindeep.org. You put in a chemical name in a beauty product or cosmetic, and it rates the toxicity of that chemical or product.

This brings me to digress for a minute as I want to discuss my friend and valued client-Laura Turner-Seydel who hosted the Enlightenment Luncheon. She is co-chairing the 15^th annual Xmas Party (http://xmasparty.org) on December 11th. They will be raising money for the Captain Planet Foundation to fund and support hands-on, environmental projects for children and youths. Look for our involvement in that event as we are doing the make-up for not only Laura, but all the models in the fashion show at the event. This event is the BEST party the month of December and NOT to be missed!

But bringing it back to now, on Tuesday night, we stopped by the fabulous Muse Salon & Spa event. Muse’s owner, Daniel Jones, is phenomenal with color and I am proud to say he is my stylist. Hopefully in 2010, we will have a Champagne & Shadows event with Muse and possibly some more collaboration. Wednesday night, Nov. 11, was also a lot of fun. First, we celebrated the birthday of my fabulous friend and Fashionado (www.fashionado.com) extraordinaire –E. Vincent Martinez, at Steel. All of our good friends like Ellen Harden, Leslie Koredt and Jeff Glasheen were there to ring in the great day. Then we headed on over to the 10 Degrees South anniversary party to drink a few drinks and mingle with some our favorite media like Holly Firfer and Corinna Allen who featured Authentic Beauty on Better Mornings’ Ambush Makeover (http://www.cbsatlanta.com/video/21625952/index.html). Thursday’s events were fantastic. We went to the grand opening of Genki Sandy Springs, located in The Prado. We feasted on some delicious sushi and made our rounds where we saw Justin Gray from Fox 5, Jana Hicks from Metromix and a few guys from Sneaky Sunday. And last Friday was incredible as I helped celebrate another good friend’s birthday; PR guru Meg Reggie. She had a fantastic soiree. That was the place to be as I danced to Disco in Meg’s garage with Robanne Schulman, Michelle Caplinger, and watched moves from Veronica Best, Tom Sullivan and Leslie Koerdt.

THIS WEEK promises to bring even more incredible times with incredible people! My new friend Julie McGee of True Glow Mobile Spray Tanning came into the studio today to spray some of my clients, and will be coming EVERY THURSDAY from 12-7. So listen up, Authentic Beauty clients! We now offer spray tanning at Authentic Beauty for $35. This is an awesome service and the color is natural and the formula has NO SMELL.

Authentic Beauty is also doing makeup and is part of  a SAMPLE SALE at Taste Boutique at Atlantic Station hosted by Jessica Dauler of Q-100’s Jessica Shops (www.jessicashops.com) tomorrow-Wednesday, Nov. 18 6:30-8:30. NOTHING OVER $150!!! We will be selling certain Profaces productsat a discount and EYEBROWS at a reduced rate. FIRST COME FIRST SERVE!

And on Thursday, we will be doing the make-up for the Celebrity Dance Challenge (http://www.dancingforselfesteem.org/) benefiting EDIN, the Eating Disorders Information Network (http://www.myedin.org/). Founded in 1998, EDIN is the only non-profit organization in Georgia committed to the prevention of disordered eating and promotion of positive body esteem through education, outreach and action.  EDIN exists to provide all those in need, regardless of gender, race, socioeconomic status and/or age with free educational resources regarding eating disorders, their contributors, effects and available treatment options. EDIN is such a great organization and I am honored to be a part of the Celebrity Dance Challenge! To buy tickets to the event on Thursday, visit http://www.dancingforselfesteem.org. Go to the site and vote for your favorite dancer!

Thanksgiving is coming up! What are you thankful for? I’ll tell you what I am thankful for next blog.

PS If  you didn’t see it, the download is still available from the interview with the Bert Show on the blog below.

Let’s Talk About Sex, Baby

Let’s Talk About Sex, Baby

About two weeks ago I was asked to be on the Bert Show. As many of you know I am a friend of the Show. I take care of Jenn Hobby’s makeup for her E Buzz, I do Jenn, Jessica Dauler and Stacey Weiss’ eyebrows and makeup whenever they need me.

As you can imagine, when you spend time in people’s personal space lots of personal conversation takes place. Well, every now and again I would share with Jenn about some of the conversations I was having with my 14 year old daughter about sex and about the things she was asking me. We both were dumbfounded at the way she was able to talk to me. Neither one of us had the kind of relationship where we could ask ANYTHING…and I mean anything with our mothers. After a few weeks of sharing Jenn handed me a tape recorder and said, “ I shared with Bert about you and your daughter’s conversations and we think it will make a good segment. Can you record a conversation?”

I asked my daughter if she was willing. At first she was “OH MOM!” and then she agreed.

We spent about 20 minutes on the recorder. The first question- THE FIRST was about female orgasm. “So let me get this straight, girls can have LOTS of orgasms and guys can have only one? That’s not fair!” It goes on from there.

I handed the recorder over to Jenn and a date was set for me to be on the show. I was incredibly concerned about revealing my name because I wasn’t sure I wanted the world to know my daughter knows about all this mature stuff. Was I comfortable knowing that other kids her age would find out she knew as much as she did about sex?  This child of mine looked me in the eye and said,” MOM! I am fine. I don’t care”. This girl has the best self-esteem.

I believe that it is IMPERATIVE that you talk to your kids about sex. If they are not coming to you, they are going to their friends and worse than that, the internet. What if the first exposure to sex your kid had was to internet porn? Imagine the damage. I promised myself I would educate my kids and be as open as possible. The “nuts and bolts” conversation is not enough. There is too much misinformation and you put your children at risk if they are not informed.

I am giving you all the link to the segment. Enjoy!  Make sure you comment and share this with other parents.

I will be on the Bert Show with new material next month. We have already started taping.

The resources I talk about on the segment are from Oprah.com- Dr. Laura Berman “How to Talk to Your Kids About Sex”.

Pure Romance, “Tickle Your Fancy”

Project Authentic Beauty which is Authentic Beauty’s initiative to provide workshops and education in order for girls and women to find their inner beauty in order to express their outer beauty. It all begins with self-esteem.

You want to be the one who influences your childs’ decisions. Make sure you, yourself are educated.

My Favorite saying however, INFORMATION IS NOT PERMISSION.  You want to be the one who influences your child’s decisions. Make sure you, yourself are educated.

DOWNLOAD THE INTERVIEW BELOW

http://www.myimagejourney.com/cms/uploads/File/Birds and Bees – Mom and Daughter Part 1.mp3

http://www.myimagejourney.com/cms/uploads/File/Birds and Bees – Mom and Daughter Part 2.mp3

Jenn Hobby of the Bert Show as Alice

It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year

We here at Authentic Beauty are so thrilled the holiday season is upon us! That means parties, events and all around fun! Even though the full-on party season hasn’t started right yet, we’ve had a blast at recent events. Q-100’s Bert’s Big Wicked was on Halloween, and I went with Bert and Stacy Weiss, and Bert Show host Jenn Hobby. Leslie Hines, one of my incredibly talented artists got to do Stacy & Jenn’s make-up. They looked fantastic, if I do say so myself. Jenn was Alice in Wonderland and Stacy was a vampiress. ( Make sure you pre-book Leslie way ahead of time for next year) Bert was Max from “Where The Wild Things Are,”. Speaking of the Bert Show, I was actually on Q100 on Wednesday, Nov. 4 talking about a lot of “interesting” things that will be a whole other blog!

But we had a blast at Compound at Bert’s annual bash & I look forward to it next year.

Bert as Max and Stacey as the Vampiress

We also went to the Ladies Who Launch Live Event last Thursday, Nov. 5 at the DeFoor Centre. At the event, Leslie,was fortunate enough to do Victoria Culligan’s make-up; she is the Ladies Who Launch co-founder and I did the VP and former Atlanta leader Traci Long and the current Atlanta Leader Angela Stalcup.. Also MaryLouise Fitzgibbon, a dear friend of mine & the general manager of the W Buckhead spoke at Ladies Who Launch on designing your brand. She explained that there are different aspects of branding and YOU are your brand, and that Authentic Beauty & I assisted her with developing her own personal brand. I felt very honored that MaryLouise mentioned me.

MaryLouise Fitzgibbons General Manager of W Buckhead and Traci Long w Ladies Who Lauch

 

Keep Georgia Safe’s “Shake It Up” event was also last Thursday, Nov. 5, at Urban Flats in Buckhead. Not only is this a great cause, but there were so many fantastic people at the event. Some of the celebrity bartenders were: Corinna Allen of CBS Atlanta, Vicki Locke of B98.5 (we do Vicki’s brows), Evelyn Mimms of 11 Alive & Mychael Knight from Project Runway. I always love seeing all of my great friends who were at the event as well such as, Ellen Harden, Leslie Koerdt, Vincent Martinez and Meg Reggie.

Alyson from Authentic Beauty and Leslie Koerdt at Shake It Up!

This Wednesday, Nov. 11, I am speaking at the Concierge Association’s holiday meeting. I’ll be in front of about 50 concierges from 50 major hotels to promote Authentic Beauty & share with them information about our services and most importantly, the Image Journey. Obviously, we want visitors to Atlanta to see the great services we provide to women!

But the two events I am so excited about coming up this month are: the Taste Boutique clearance shopping event with Jessica Dauler from Q-100’s Jessica Shops on Wednesday, Nov. 18 and the Celebrity Dance Challenge on Thursday, Nov. 19. Authentic Beauty will be doing the make-up for the Celebrity Dance Challenge: Dancing for Self Esteem. The competition is fashioned after hit shows like `So You Think You Can Dance` and `Dancing with the Stars.’ The event will benefit the Atlanta non-profit, EDIN- the Eating Disorder Information Network and GOAL . My friends & Atlanta celebrities like, Corinna Allen of CBS Atlanta, E. Vincent Martinez of Fashionado, Suchita Vadlamani of Good Day Atlanta, and model, Veronica Best are some of the contestants. The Taste Boutique event should bring together some of Atlanta’s most fashionable & fun, and the night should be a great time!

Also as I may have mentioned before, I’m so happy that the media in Atlanta have embraced Authentic Beauty & our philosophy. We were featured in the October issue of Best Self Magazine, in The Sunday Paper twice-in their “Best Of” issue as well as the Nov. 1 issue and my new Piedmont Review column on holiday make-up is out. If you haven’t seen Jessica Dauler gracing the cover of Points North Magazine pick one up-we did her makeup for that shoot. Also I will be featured on CBS Atlanta’s Better Mornings Ambush Makeover on Monday, Nov. 16. And lastly, we are so happy to be involved with Jezebel’s Most Beautiful issue in which we did all the make-up for all of the “Most Beautiful” Atlantans. Look for Amber Salway “the face of Authentic Beauty” !! The party celebrating them and Jezebel’s anniversary party will be on Tuesday, Nov. 24 at the W Buckhead, so look for a blog on that! Until then, enjoy the chilly weather & the Starbucks holiday cups! Cheers!

PS Schedule your appointments NOW! Brow appointments are on a two week waiting list and holiday appointments are going fast! Holiday Makeup Applications are $50!!!!!!!!