Blog | Page 19 of 225 | Makeup By Kim Porter

AJ Crimson Pro On The Go Tour 2015

March 2, 2015 by Kim S. / blog, Miscellaneous / 0 comments

Ever since seeing AJ Crimson on an episode of My Fair Wedding, I’ve been a fan. After meeting AJ Crimson several times in person, I’ve become an even bigger fan. He’s doing great things with his makeup artist career. Have you tried anything from his makeup line? I’ve tried his foundations, lip products, and CC cream, and love all. Now, AJ Crimson is going on tour sharing his makeup artistry skills with budding makeup artists like myself, as well as makeup enthusiasts through the AJ Crimson Pro on The Go Tour.

The AJ Crimson Pro on the go Tour will be featuring AJ himself and Eye Lash Guru to the stars, Ja’Maal Buster.

Seeing the diverse group of women interested in his products and artistry abilities, AJ Crimson decided to embark on a new adventure, and created the AJ Crimson on the go Tour.

“They wanted to be there to try the product. They may have seen it online or read the reviews, but because it’s not in every retail location, there are so many women that were just excited to get their hands on it. It was really great. To be able to educate the ladies who attended and provide them with a solution to their makeup needs was wonderful; so, I decided to go back on the road and added fifteen additional cities to the tour!”

Why you should learn from AJ Crimson?

Aside from working with celebrities, AJ Crimson has created a name for himself as an entrepreneur and makeup artist. He has been featured in fashion, beauty and music magazines worldwide including Vogue, Glamour, Marie Claire, InStyle, Harper’s Bazaar, Esquire, Essence and leading Japanese Entertainment magazines Blenda and Luire. He has also had the opportunity to work alongside some of the best in the business including Pat McGrath for Paris Fashion Week and was delighted to have a hand in creating cutting edge beauty techniques under the masterful instruction and eyes of makeup impresarios Joann Gair and Mathu Anderson.

The 2015 AJ Crimson on the go Tour dates are as follows:

March 28-29       Los Angeles, CA
May 3-4               New York, NY
June 13-14           Dallas, TX
November 7-8   Chicago, IL
December 2       Cleveland, OH
December 3       Cincinnati, OH
December 5       St. Louis, MO
December 6       Memphis, TN
December 7       Birmingham, AL
December 9      New Orleans, LA
December 11     Houston, TX
December 12     Dallas, TX

To reserve seating at the AJ CRIMSON PRO On the Go Tour and see the full product line, visit http://www.ajcrimson.com.

7 Ways to Use Your Tax Refund to Invest in and Improve Your Blog

February 25, 2015 by Kim S. / blog, Miscellaneous / 36 Comments

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It’s tax season, which means some of us are receiving tax refunds in the coming weeks. Before you go spending away on things you may not need like more makeup, after setting aside a portion of your refund, think about using some of it to invest in and improve your blog.

Using your income tax refund to invest in and improve your blog all depends on where you are currently in the stages of blogging. Is it a hobby or something you are hoping to turn into a business? Either way, I think that the more professional and clean your blog looks, along with great content are things that keep the readers coming.

Below are just a few suggestions on ways you can Use Your Tax Refund to Invest in and Improve Your Blog.

1. Use Your Tax Refund to Invest in getting your Blog a Facelift

Of course, the content of your blog is important, but it’s the look and feel of your blog that draws in your readers. You want to make sure your site has a clean look, has text that’s easy to read, is easily navigable and searchable, and has social media buttons, a contact form, and options for readers to subscribe to your RSS Feed. My advice is to use your tax refund to hire a professional designer, check Etsy for layouts, or use a theme (WordPress) from sites like BluChic.

2. Use Your Tax Refund to Invest in a New Camera and Lens

You have the content, but what about [great] images? Clear, crisp images that help tell a story keep the readers interested and engaged.

I own an iPhone 6, which takes amazing photos, especially when the lighting is great! However, camera phones are not always the best option when using them to take photographs that will be on your blog. If you rely solely on your camera phone for images, try bumping up to a digital camera with higher megapixels, or even a DSLR if that’s in your budget. I use a Sony alpha 35; however, I’m about to upgrade to a Canon or Nikon.

The lens you decide to get depend on your photography needs. If you’re taking portrait shots with smooth, blurred backgrounds, pick up a 50mm f/1.8 lens. For product shots, try a macro lens (50mm f2.8).

3. Use Your Tax Refund Invest in a Tripod & Remote

Now that you have your camera it is time to set yourself up with items that will help you use your camera to its fullest potential.

I wasn’t lucky enough to have married a photographer, which is why I invested in a tripod and a remote. Both allow me to take my own photos that aren’t shaky nor out of focus. A tripod that allows you to tilt your camera is optimal.

4. Use Your Tax Refund Invest in Lighting

No matter the camera you own, it’s the lighting that takes your photos to a whole other level – seriously. If you invest in an expensive camera, you want to make the purchase worth it, and the built-in flash is not always the best option. Also, some of us are not fortunate enough to live in areas where natural light is plentiful, which is why investing in or making your own light kit is a good idea. This way, you’re able to take awesome photos regardless of the time of day or weather conditions.

I’m going to upgrade to the My Studio MS20 Tabletop Professional Tabletop Photo Studio Kit ($179/ Amazon.com) and a Ring Light ($88/Amazon.com), but I currently own the PBL Studio photography Video Light Kit that I picked up from Amazon.

5. Use Your Tax Refund Invest in an External Hard drive

Photos and videos tend to be large files. Trust me, they take up a lot of space, and if you’re storing them on your computer’s hard drive, don’t. Use your tax refund to invest in an external hard drive. The hard drive will allow you to backup all of your files to a safe place, and prevent overloading your computer’s internal hard drive, which can slow down your computer, and in some cases cause it to crash. Yup, I’m speaking from experience.

6. Use Your Tax Refund Invest in Props

I’m new to the world of props for photos, and I see how important they are. They add a bit of pizzazz to what would be an otherwise drab photo. Props aren’t even expensive. You can pick up items like artificial flowers, foam boars, vinyl backgrounds, etc. from Michael’s, a craft store, a dollar store or Etsy.

7. Use Your Tax Refund Invest in Photo and Video Editing software

I think this is optional. There are plenty of free online photo editing tools out there like Picmonkey and Canva. I know because I’ve been using them for the last few months since FinalCutPro and Photoshop make my computer crash (yeah, I need a new computer). Both of the online photo editing tools, along with GIMP (download) get the job done, and are free!

Non-bloggers, over on Beauty and the Bump, I share 5 Smart Things You Should Do with your Tax Refund.

How do you plan on spending your tax refund? Will you use it towards improving something on your blog?

Hair Care Tuesdays: Aveda Smooth Infusion Naturally Straight Review

February 24, 2015 by Kim S. / Hair Care, Reviews / 14 Comments

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If you are anything like me, you’d love Aveda products. I am not saying this because I own an Aveda Concept Salon – rather because I love the results that I receive as well as the results that my clients achieve from the products, especially the Aveda Smooth Infusion Naturally Straight hair product.

If I had to choose one of their products to take with me on a deserted island-It would definitely be the Aveda Smooth Infusion Naturally Straight. As an “naturalista”, this is one of the few products that keeps my blow-outs looking fresh to def’ day after day. This adds a new meaning to hair “on fleek.”

When I was presented with the Aveda Smooth Infusion Naturally Straight product by my Aveda Representative, one of the claims for the Aveda Smooth Infusion Naturally Straight included that it would keep your hair naturally straight for up to 5 weeks. I literally looked at her with a side-eye – like, ‘really?!?’ But after using the product, I must say that if I did not wash my hair and wear it curly in between my blow-outs, I am sure that it would’ve held up to its claim.

I love that the Aveda Smooth Infusion Naturally Straight is light weight and did not cause a build up or weigh my hair down at all. I also felt like it made my hair shiny and a bit more full as well. I love that it has an anti-frizz component to it, which is especially important with Georgia’s weather.

I recommend that you use the Aveda Smooth Infusion Style Prep Smoother prior to using the Aveda Smooth Infusion Naturally Straight as a prep for your hair. Also, make sure that you part your hair in four sections and apply the product prior to blow drying it.

Aveda Smooth Infusion Naturally Straight retails for $28.

If you are interested in trying it out- please let me know and I will give your $5 off with code KPMUA15. I love offering perks to this community because you all are super fabulous. If you are interested, please inbox me at info@preeminencesalon.com. If you want to try a sample.

If you currently use or have tried the product, let me know what was your experience.

Achieving Red Carpet Ready Skin using the SKIN INC Get Perfect Kit

February 20, 2015 by Kim S. / blog, Skincare, The Beauty Council / 33 Comments

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Getting ready to watch the Oscars this Sunday has me thinking back on recent award shows, did you catch the Grammy’s a few weeks ago? I remember seeing Beyoncé and Gwen Stefani and thinking how beautiful they looked. Or what about Rihanna and Janelle Monae? On Grammy night, they all had one thing in common: flawless skin! I’m going to show you just how I’ve been incorporating the SKIN INC Get Perfect Kit into my routine to achieve flawless, red carpet ready skin just in time for Oscar night.

After a long work week, my skin needs a pick-me-up, which is why I save my at-home facials for the weekends. This weekend’s facial is even more special since Sunday night is Oscar night. While watching the Oscars, I’m going to revive my skin using the SKIN INC Get Perfect Kit. After staying up late watching all of the beautiful women grace the red carpet, my skin is going to need all of the help it can get to look refreshed and glowing in time for Monday morning.

Below is a step-by-step look into how I’ve incorporated SKIN INC and the Get Perfect Kit into my skin care routine.

1. Prep my skin

After cleaning my face, I prep my skin with the SKIN INC Pure Revival Peel. This non-abrasive peel gently removes dullness and dead skin cells. This is a vital step as it prepares the skin to absorb nutrients from the other products included in this kit.

The results from using the Pure Revival Peel are immediately seen after washing off. I even tested the product on the backs of my hands, which are dry and scaly, and noticed the dryness was gone, and my skin in the area was smoother.

2. Nourish my skin

Next, I apply 2-3 drops of the SKIN INC Custom-Blended Anti-Aging Serum to nourish my skin, which features some of my favorite ingredients in skincare products, like hydrating hyaluronic acid, as well as the skin repair boosting ingredient, CoQ10 (Coenzyme Q10). The serum also includes Marine-Collagen to help the skin become suppler. Once applied to the skin, these tiny blue, green, and yellow caviar-like capsules that are infused with active ingredients (SKIN INC’s patented encapsulation technology) are released.

After applying the Custom-Blended Anti-Aging Serum, I noticed it absorbed quickly, and my skin did feel hydrated afterwards.

3. Seal

Finally, I apply the SKIN INC Pure Deepsea Mask to seal in the nutrients from the other products I applied during my SKIN INC at-home facial session. This mask contains nutrient-rich Okinawa deepsea water, soya bean extracts, and hyaluronic acid, promising to moisturize, clarify, and brighten the complexion.

Have you ever used a mask that you sleep in? Neither have I, but, there’s a first time for everything, right? That’s exactly what I do with the Pure Deepsea Mask – sleep in it. My skin in the morning looks brighter, clearer, and is hydrated.

The Pure Deepsea Mask reminds me of a gel, however, it is light, non-sticky, and doesn’t pill up or leave residue. It applies smoothly, and evenly, too.

After using the SKIN INC Get Perfect Kit, I wake up with flawless, red carpet ready skin just like the stars gracing the red carpet of the Oscars. Plus, my makeup applies effortlessly, too. And the best part about using the SKIN INC products was that it didn’t take a lot of time to achieve good results.

If you’re in the market for Japanese skincare products that are pure (no added fragrance, parabens), and suitable for all skin types, even those with sensitive skin, I suggest checking out SKIN INC products.

The SKIN INC Get Perfect Kit ($65) along with other SKIN INC party-ready specials can be found at http://www.iloveskininc.com/.

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