I Feel Pretty.

When I was about 15, I got into modeling.  I loved it.  My sister joined me about a year or so later, and it was a blast.  The instructors with our agency loved us.  We were tall (we're both over 6 feet) and we weren't the skinny stereotype.  I stayed involved with it all throughout high school, and my last paid gig was in 2003 when I was in college.  Those were good times.  It did wonders for my self-image, and the experiences I obtained are ones that will always be with me.  I miss it on certain days - especially if I'm watching marathons of America's Next Top Model, or if I see an ad for a local fashion show, or a flier that says "MODELS NEEDED".  But I decided years ago that my education, and a family of my own were where my heart was.  So the modeling dream came to a slowly fading end.  In all the things that I took from my mini-modeling career, one of the biggest (besides the whole self-confidence thing) was makeup - how to apply makeup, what were the basic necessities of makeup, what shades of makeup to use, which brands of makeup are the best, etc.  I mean everything makeup!  I had makeup coming out of my ears!  Okay, not literally, but you get my point.  And with 15 years of practice, I've gotten pretty good at sticking it on my face every morning.  I've tried about every brand imaginable - Covergirl, Revlon, Clinique, MaxFactor, Maybelline, AVON - I've used it all.  I have a few staple brands that have consistently made their way to my makeup bag over the years, like Almay and NYC, but I'm always on the prowl for new brands, new colors, new beauty.  Well, this past weekend, on a hunt for some new eyeliner, I discovered something new - eyes lips face, or e.l.f. as they are more popularly called.  As far as I know, this company is fairly new to the makeup world.  But after using their products, I have to wonder where they have been all my life.  They're fantastic! 

This is the ingenious compact!

Eyeshadow is my weakness, but there are two things I hate when it comes to buying a new shade: 1. Buying a compact of four different colors, when two out of the four are hideous shades, and 2. Buying a compact of one color that costs as much as the compact of four colors.  Grr!  Well, no more - e.l.f. has helped changed that!  They offer a compact with four empty compartments (notice the picture on the left), so that you - the beauty consumer - can customize it to the shades you want!  It's straight up, brilliant.  I paid $3 for the compact, and then for each eye shadow pallet, I paid only $1.  I only bought two colors this trip, so for $5 I got a reusable compact and two colors that I wanted and love!  The entire e.l.f. line offers an array of beauty supplies, and it's pretty inexpensive.  Definitely something I would recommend to busy, beautiful mom's on a budget.  And one last tidbit of beautiful information - on their website, e.l.f. has an email list you can subscribe too.  They will send you information on special offers for their products.  Currently, they've got a fantastic deal on any purchases of $25 or more, you can get an 83-piece beauty kit for only $3.50.  The best part about it?  Sixty four of those eighty three pieces are eyeshadow.  Goodbye old makeup, hello e.l.f.!

Just for fun, I thought I'd throw this in.  Me (left) and my beautiful sister.  This was taken earlier this year, way post-modeling days, but we still had a lot fun doing the shoot.