Dancing Beauty

I’m over 40 (45 now) and I returned to dancing 2 years ago!  I NEVER thought my body could move like it did 25 years ago when I was a pro dancer.  SURPRISE.. muscle memory is an amazing gift!

I started back in the ballroom after a 15 year break (that’s another story).  I tried to remember all my syllabus steps from American style ballroom aka “social” dancing.  AMAZED that this time around I would start competing – strictly for the exercise + JOY of it all.

A few partners, instructors & coaches later THIS HAPPENED!

Click link below for FULL video

“KNOWN” Dance Video

After 6 months of changing coaches and starting International Rumba from scratch, this was just my second time dancing with my AMAZING coach Nikolai Voronovich.

I am on a dancing journey now..  with the goal of competing in International style with Nikolai within the next year!

I invite you follow my journey, share my struggles, injuries and joys.  PLUS, I always have a bag FULL of BEAUTY musts.  I am always ready to help any and all dancers at events with their BEAUTY NEEDS & LASH applications (there will always be behind the scene moments).  I share my story, journey, life lessons & beauty tips/picks with you..

I hope to INSPIRE you, make you LAUGH & ENCOURAGE you to try something on your BUCKET LIST!

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Lesson:  Finding a good “coach” in any sport takes some time.  Once you find someone with the same passion, higher technical skills and a good connection – YOU WILL KNOW IT!  I dance for the pure sport, enjoyment & exercise now.  I want to see how good I can get BUT have fun in the process.

I KNEW I found the right coach & partner when he saw the potential in  me and was able to bring it out!  PLUS the fact that I can laugh WITH him at all my frustrations, mistakes and struggles along the way! (I had NO IDEA who he was before I started dancing with him.. I only figured it out when we began attending events & everyone was stopping him for photos!) So grateful to have found such a pro & well respected coach. (Crazy list of titles right?!?!?)

Beauty Tip:  My BEST pick for performance “body” makeup or summer leg makeup is Sally Hansen airbrush leg makeup.  Once it dries it is water & sweat proof.. I actually usually have it on long after event (even AFTER a shower for 2-3 days).  I apply it with my hands, directly on my legs before I get dressed and it sets very quickly.  5 stars!

Thanks for reading and stopping by.. I will be back next week talking about my love of KT TAPE.

Michelle xo

New Year, Let’s get real!

There is nothing like browsing gorgeous pictures online or in magazines, especially during award season. I want. I wish. I wonder. Sigh..

Having a makeup artist, hairstylist, great lighting and photoshop editors makes EVERYONE look great – trust me, I KNOW. At the start or end of my day, I don’t even come close to seeing a semblance in my mirror. Do you?

I hate to be Debbie Downer, but those people in the photos aren’t recognizable in their mirror at home after the event – once everything is off.  Good news: They are just as normal as you and I – only they have a BEAUTY TRIBE.

So it’s a new year.. I want to help you with real beauty concerns, questions & frustrations.  I want to give you real solutions, hope and inspiration!  So let’s GET REAL! Who’s with me?

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Here is your first Beauty “TO DO” for 2016.. schedule in #MeTime this year & regularly!  Whatever you have to do; add it to your calendar, phone, schedule an alarm or  stratigically place sticky notes – DO IT & be consistent!  Here’s list to help start you off.

I will be back with more TO DOs for YOU and your perfectly, perfect (and annoying) imperfections!  Together we will GET REAL and feel more BEAUTIFUL by the end of 2016..  Cheers!!!  ~Michelle

Vitamin C is good 4 You

And your skin. Are you using it?

Anti-oxidants protect skin from future sun damage as well as repairing cells of past damage (those darn free radicals). Let me say that again, Vitamin C helps the skin repair itself!

It helps stimulate the production of collagen and elastin which slows down with age – hence the wrinkles.

Internal consumption is extremely good for skin as well. Buffered Vitamin C has always been recommended as a good choice for better body absorption.  Vitamin C is water soluble so you if it’s not absorbed by the body, it leaves.  We need to replenish daily because look at all the health benefits..

3 of my favorites are:

Dr. Spiller Vitamin C Line (serum, day & night cream)

Rodan + Fields Reverse Line (vitamin c & retinol combo) and the Sunscreen is the most hydrating I’ve ever used!

Avalon Organics Vitamin C renewal (lip balm)

So whether it’s finding a skincare line with Vitamin C, throwing an orange slice into your tea/water, munching on C based veggies (bell pepper, cauliflower, broccoli, spinach, collard greens, tomatoes) or supplementing your diet with buffered C (especially during cold & flu season) – start rev-ing UP your anti-aging routine today.

Your skin & body will THANK YOU!

Fall M/U trend #2. Flushed cheeks

Flushed cheeks… what comes to your mind?

For me I think of a blushing bride, a chilly afternoon, a brisk, fall walk, a pilates class or a happy approachable person. Color “coming from within” that’s the goal of this look. Not that you’re embarrassed, doll-like or injured but when you’re flushed, good circulation, a beautiful glow & healthy.

Sometimes the benefit of a bright cheek allows for a quick swipe of mascara (I also like to swipe the blush along my brow bone for the illusion of a natural eyeshadow application) and that is all.  Natural beauty.  The flushed cheek is usually using a PINK/MAUVE or PEACH tone color.. not Bronzer. Watch my quick video on powder application tips:

Gels and tints/stains are also a great option but take a bit more practice.  Powder is easy to blend and wipe off.. a stain is not.  Cream blush and a tint are a great way to layer color.  I use my fingers to apply a swipe of a cream or a gel on the “apples” area of my cheeks and then follow with a light layer of powder color on top.  Blending is always the key!  Remember if you don’t like it, wipe it off and start again.

My Product Picks:

1. Tarte “Natural” cheek stain
2. Nars “Orgasm” Blush
3. Cinema Secrets “Natural” blush
4. NYX blush
5. Naked Illuminating Shimmer 
6. Smashbox soft lights shimmer

Application Tips: 

1. Tap off the end of your applicator before applying to eliminate any “splotches” of too much color at the first point of contact on skin.

2. Use the end of a sponge (“the butt”) to the blend edges of your blush application as well as to remove excess product.

3. Keep color within the triangle of your cheek and do not apply too far down under your cheekbone.  This is where it starts looking like you were punched in the cheek.

4. Take a selfie and see how it looks. Then add a swipe of a light shimmer powder across the top of both cheekbones to finish the look with a little glow. (Alittle goes a long way.)

5. Not working for you? Use the temporary tried and true methods: pinch your cheeks & exercise!

Stop by each week In September for tips on how to incorporate the 5 Fall Runway Trends into your every day look.

Fall M/U trends: #1. Red

Runway trends don’t always translate into every day wear, but this year there are 5 great trends that would work and really jazzed up your every day make-up look.

Each week In September I’ll give you some examples of how to incorporate each trend into your look as well as my favorite product picks.  Let’s start with #1 = Red lips.
Every year when I think of the Fall & holiday season, the first thing I think of is bright, rich, bold lips!  And I get excited.. I have dark hair and pale skin so I love reds, dark fuchsia, bricks, crimson and wine.. and every year I add a new color.  This is one of the trends from the runway this season.

The trickiest part is choosing the right undertone for your skin tone. Here’s an example and a guide from The Beauty Bookends : Choosing The Perfect Red Lip.

My TOP 5 all-time favorite pics are these:

1. Avon Slick Tint in Wine
2. LipSense in Blue Red (The best contact for LipSense: lisaderoma@netzero.com)
3. MAC LadyBug or RubyWoo Gloss
4. Revlon Black Cherry
5. Loreal Pro Infallible Red (long lasting not too drying)

Basic rules: 

1. Red isn’t for everyone, but it doesn’t hurt to try.

2. Clear lip liner helps it stay in place & not bleed.

3. Keep your eyes simpler with a really bold lip. 

4. Take a selfie and see how it looks but make sure your whole face is made up not just your lips.

5. Have fun! Aren’t you thrilled that the fall is finally coming? Go out and try something new it’s make up remember, you can always wipe it off.

Do YOU have a favorite RED or have your eye on a new one for Fall? Please share with me in the comments below.. I’ll be shopping soon.

Always wash your face before bed?

That’s what my mother always told me.. So do you?

Confession: I feel asleep last night without washing me face!! Eeeeeeeek! I can hear my mom now! 

Yesterday was a “beauty day”. Hair, color, waxing, facial – so I didn’t wear any makeup. Good news. Bad news, I was so tired I fell asleep (yes, beauty is exhausting), without cleansing my face (which I do religiously every night) and woke up with three breakouts on my chin. Shoot! Point made.. clean the day off my face before falling asleep even if I didn’t put on makeup. (Love using the Norwex cloth for this & in the mornings – Just add water).

Here is a great article for why sleeping in your makeup is bad for your health in a 30 day experiment blog post. http://dermrf.com/2015/07/the-risks-of-sleeping-in-your-makeup-run-more-than-skin-deep/

We live in a dirty world (insert your favorite theme song). I’m in Los Angeles, known for smog and desert dirt!  Just a light wipe of a toner over your face at the end of the day is proof (try it after cleansing to freak yourself out). I wipe with toner, Hydrosols or astringent – And still can’t believe what still comes off.

My picks:

I love a toner that is a treatment as well: https://michellebouse.myrandf.com/Shop/Product/AATN125 (R+F “spankz for skin”

Great hydrosol: http://amzn.to/1IKjLyA (love the rose & lavender from EvanHealy)

If you like an astringent: http://amzn.to/1M7ZEQ4 (rose petal witch hazel w/aloe from Thayer)

So here is your friendly reminder.. Wash your face before hitting the pillow. Start the rejuvenation process with the cleanest skin possible. Nighttime is the most important time for your skin and body’s renewal process. Even if you fall asleep first, get up, clean your skin and go back to sleep!

A New Year, let’s review..

Happy NEW YEAR!  I would like to introduce myself to you.  Some of you are new and I would like to say HI!:

I’m Michelle Bouse.  I am a reformed Jersey Girl (born & raised), who followed her heart & moved to California in 1998 – but I’m not your typical California girl.  I am a retired professional dancer over 40 who’s second career is Beauty.  I love giving back, inspiring others, chocolate is my weakness and I’m addicted to tea & newly found love – Yoga.

I have the gift of seeing beauty in everything, everyone & making people feel good.. and feel it’s my job to share.

2015 is a BIG Beauty year for me.. I am celebrating 15 years (what?! how is that possible) as a industry make-up artist and 10 years (is this even possible) as an esthetician.  I can’t believe it.  These days people call me a beauty expert.

Last year I was on The Doctors tv show twice, my second Lifestyle Lift commercial aired as an expert with Debby Boone and I finished my final certification for Volume Lash extensions.  One of my clients won her second emmy, a bunch of clients got married, had babies and appeared all over TV!  I also expanded the boutique with certifying Linda as a OUIDAD Curly hair expert, carrying the product line exclusively and introducing the boutique closet, carrying clothing.  (Not to mention my Boys and Girls Club team won a trip to Nationals for their 4th year in a row).

One of the BEST beauty introductions was THE BEAUTY BOOKENDS with my beauty best friend & fellow celebrity make-up artist, Dia Dibble.  We started shooting short YouTube videos for anyone over 40 looking for beauty tips.  We have had a wonderful response and requested live appearances.. so we will continue the videos every month in 2015.

But why should you stop by here and say Hi? (hmmmm)  Well, I like meeting new people, like to talk and have a bunch of beautiful things to share.  I hope to see you here again and would love to hear about your beauty successes, questions and inspirations.

Here’s to a New Year filled with beautiful possibilities..

Michelle

A Day in the Life: m/u artist to beauty expert

So 12 yrs. ago I was waking up at 4am to leave for a call on a Hollywood set to do make-up.
Today I’m driving myself to the airport to fly to make a TV appearance as a Beauty Expert on ShopNBC! WOW!

They say you have to live in the moment.. We work so hard to achieve our goals & dreams, but do we pause to look back and appreciate how we got there?

This project has taught me a few things:

1. When planning to do m/u on plane don’t forget to add compact mirror to your bag. In a pinch the backside of a biz card holder works! (I should have downloaded the free mirror app)
2. Don’t open liquid liner on a plane.. Splat all over from cabin pressure. A mess!
3. Certain types of clothes do flatter & some do not
4. Spankz are a must for every woman no matter how thin you are
5. Preparation ahead of time is key
6. Always remember to SMILE (best anti-aging)
7. If you don’t enjoy it, don’t do it

Don’t forget the journey you made to get to where you are today. Then enjoy the moment!

And NEVER stop shooting for the stars..