Meet the Bloggers: Makeup by Angel

Hi, everyone!  I thought I would continue the Meet the Bloggers series and feature the women (and men!) that contribute so much to the beauty community.  If you haven't already, definitely check out our first interview with The Nailpolish Addict.


Our second featured blogger is Angel from Makeup By Angel.  We met for the first time through Twitter and we've been longtime mutual followers.  She's been a great person to follow and I support her wholeheartedly, just as she has supported me throughout the years.  Her blog is great as well and provides a lot of great conversation, reviews, and tutorials surrounding makeup and beauty products.  Furthermore, her blog incorporates a personal element with the inclusion of her family.  It's a pleasure to know someone so dedicated to creating art, sharing experiences, and to her own family.  I really appreciate her allowing me to do a special feature for the blog!


Q:  Do you have any nicknames? 

A:  As a child my family called me Chicky, to this day I only have a few family members that still call me this. I have dubbed myself Froggistyle73 lol

Q:  Where are you from?  

A:  I am originally from Fremont, California but raised most of my life in Modesto, California.

Q:  What is a typical "day in the life" like for you? 

A:  Oh WOW, chaos!  I am a mother of 3 children and each have very different schedules. My day consists of shuttling kids to and from school, with a slight 1hour break by myself (which I'm taking advantage of right now) before I have to pick all the kids up again and start homework while making dinner. Then we have some family time together watching tv or playing the Wii before it's bed time and we repeat. 

Q:  Aside from beauty, what other types of things are you interested in?  Have you found that your interest in beauty has made a point of connection with any of these other interests? 

A:  Before I got into makeup and beauty, I enjoyed scrap booking.  I had a whole area in my bedroom that was dedicated for it and then it slowly got put to the side to make room for my makeup collection. LOL My husband is a photographer and that has got me more involved in photography, modeling and makeup.  Both scrap booking and makeup, even photography have all combined at one point or another. 

Q:  When did you first become interested in makeup and other beauty products?
A:  My husband started his own photography business and he needed a "model."  I hardly consider myself a model but he did need a subject to photograph. I noticed that my pictures looked dull and washed out.  In an effort to better understand why my makeup wasn't showing up in pictures, I turned to the internet to learn about makeup for photography and well...the rest is history. 

Q:  What is your personal philosophy regarding beauty?

A:  Do what makes you feel good!  In my life, pretty much everything I do is dramatic so why would I expect anything less from my makeup? LOL So take that into consideration for your life and your beauty rules. Take some risks and follow the basics of beauty, everything else you can make up as you go along. 
Q:  Who or what would you say are your beauty inspirations?

A:  I'm inspired by a lot of celebrities, it's sort of my guilty pleasure. I like to take looks they've done for promos and videos and re-create them to make them more wearable or more dramatic. I also take inspiration from nature, it's the best because nature never gets the colors wrong.
Q:  What do you believe is the worst beauty mistake that others could make and/or what are your beauty pet peeves?

A:  Beauty mistakes:  lining your lips in black and using a nude color inside the lines, wrong foundation color (too orange or too yellow), not blending your shadows. 

Beauty pet peeves: people who think there is nothing beyond MAC, drives me insane! 
Q:  How would you describe your signature makeup look?
A:  I go through spurts where I will wear a certain color all the time but I always mix up the color placement or technique. For the most part though, I would have to say dramatic looks are my signature go to looks. If I am not feeling the makeup for the day, I don't wear any.

Q:  What would you say are your "go to" products and what products are you currently in love with?

A:  Go to products: Revlon Colorstay Foundation is a must! Urban Decay Primer Potion. Maybelline Full N Soft mascara w/p formula. Maybelline Line Stiletto liquid liner. Wet N Wild Color Icon palettes!

Current loves: MAC Black Track fluid line, NYX Cosmetics blushes, lipsticks, glosses and eye shadow.  FLIRT! Cosmetics eye shadow
Q:  How did you get your start in beauty blogging and what was your main goal in starting your blog?

A:  My original goal was to have an online gallery of looks I had created or re-created of others. I eventually wanted to get my name and work out there to try and become more prominent in my community. Then I started having health issues and it became therapeutic and helped relieve stress and anxiety, so my goal changed. I wasn't needing to be known anymore, I just was doing it for me.  

Q:  Do your friends and family know about your blog?  If so, what do they think about it?  If not, why haven't you shared it?

A:  Some of my family know about it and almost all of my friends are aware of it.  My friends are very supportive and ask for my help often. My family is not as supportive and we don't speak about it.
Q:  What type of impact, if any, has running a blog had on your life?

A:  Having this blog is like having a job I actually like. It keeps me busy and also keeps me wanting more. I want to read and learn every bit of information out there so I can share it with others. I want to eventually be a MUA and put all of the knowledge to good use. I've become so passionate about it that it has become everyday life. My children are always getting lessons on skin and beauty lol.
Q:  We all know that you have a blog, but have you already or are you planning on posting videos to YouTube? 

A:  I have no plans of doing YouTube videos. I have friends that ask me all the time when I will start doing tutorials and I always say I won't be. LOL I try to keep my life pretty positive and there is so much negativity that comes from YouTube and I don't want to subject myself to that.  I know I could ignore it but there are so many great women, even men there with great informative videos that I don't think I need to join that world. I'm happy being a blogger :) 
Q:  What advice would you give someone that is looking to start their own blog?
A:  My advice would be, do it for you and make it what you want it to be! Stay true to you and be honest. People will see how genuine you are in your posts and will keep coming back. 

Q:  What do you think the future holds for you?

A:  I think with a lot of hard work and determination I will have a career with makeup.  I would love to go into business with my kids and husband one day.  My children, as young as they are, are already talking about their careers (hair, fashion and race car driver lol) and if I could combine them into a photography studio, that would be the ultimate job for me. 

Q:  What would you like people to remember about you the most?

A:  I am always me, computer screen or not it's always the real me. I'm fun, honest, passionate and there isn't 

a thing I wouldn't do for my family.

Would you like to appear on the next Meet The Bloggers segment?  Please send all interest notices to LMFAOBeauty@gmail.com.  I'm looking forward to getting to know you!

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Meet the Bloggers: The Nail Polish Addict

Hello, everyone!  I thought that I would start a new series on the blog.  No word yet as to the regularity, but I've been thinking about this for some time now and I thought that it would be a great idea.  Think of all of the blogs you follow.  How much do you know about the people that run them?  Outside of their beauty preferences and a few random things posted here and there, probably not that much.  I thought that it would be a good idea to create a way to get to know some of the bloggers that I (and some of you!) follow.  It would be a great way, in my opinion, to learn about someone knew and find a way to get in contact or network with someone that has similar interests as you.

So without further interruption, let's get to our very first blogger, Leah from The Nail Polish Addict.  I'm pretty sure that the first time we met was on the Makeup Geek forum, where we discussed how to make homemade lip balms.  Since then, we've been chatting casually via Twitter and a bit through our blogs.  She's really an awesome person with a lot of knowledge about things.  I ask a Twitter question and more often than not, she's right there to answer.  She even takes the time to explain her findings or experience to me about skincare and haircare.  All of this helpfulness doesn't even include the stuff that I get from her blog--which includes swatches, nail designs, and tips.  I'd really recommend giving it a visit (let's plug the link in again, shall we? The Nail Polish Addict) if you haven't already!  Thanks so much to Leah for agreeing to be featured on the blog!

Leah from The Nail Polish Addict

Q: Do you have any nicknames?

A: Red, Leelee

Q: Where are you from?
A: Pittsburgh - which I've learned over the years is a beautiful but very twisted city. lol

Q: What is a typical “day in the life” like for you?
A: Being unemployed gives me plenty of time to do whatever I want to do, so my days tend to be rather low-key. I spend a good deal of time with my pets and dealing with the perpetually dull and boring household chores. I've got a garden that needs daily tending, and I walk my neighbor's dog for her while she's at work. I love living a simple, quiet life. Some might call it boring, but I call it wonderful. =)

Q: Aside from beauty, what other types of things are you interested in? Have you found that your interest in beauty has made a point of connection with any of these other interests?
A: I love crafts of all sorts, but my favorites are crochet, knitting, and spinning yarn. I also do a lot of reading and I love music. I sing incessantly. I'm not good at it, but that doesn't stop me from doing it. lol Photography is my number one - I've always got a camera at hand. I have actually found that beauty does have a connection with all those things. I can get inspiration for makeup from my photos, the fibers I get to spin into yarn, descriptive passages in the books I'm reading (or the cover art!) and of course music is such an emotional thing it's bound to stir up some inspiration at some point. It works the other way too. I sometimes see pictures of the makeup other ladies have done on their blogs and I'll think about how those colors would pair nicely for a knit or crocheted piece or something else crafty. They're all forms of creativity and self-expression, so I think it's only natural there would be some connections between each of them.

Q: When did you first become interested in makeup and other beauty products?
A: I've always loved makeup and beauty products! I remember when I was little, like three or four years old, I loved Tinkerbell makeup and beauty products. Those were so fun - everyone bought me that stuff for my birthday and Christmas and I absolutely loved using the lotions and powders every day, and of course the lipsticks and glitter products. I didn't really take a serious interest in makeup until I was about 20; it was then I finally started learning proper techniques and how to apply my makeup well rather than just sort of slapping it on.

Q: What is your personal philosophy regarding beauty?
A: I think you should just do your own thing and not worry about trends or what experts say. As long as you're happy with your look, that's all that really matters at the end of the day.

Q: Who or what would you say are your beauty inspirations?
A: Nature is very inspiring for me. There are so many colors, shapes and textures in nature that can trigger creativity and inspire a new look. Celebrities that I think have great style are Jennifer Lopez, Christina Aguilera, Hayden Panettiere and Selena Gomez. I think they're all beautiful ladies with individual styles and I often turn to photos of them for inspiration.

Q: What do you believe is the biggest beauty mistake that others could make and/or what are your beauty pet peeves?
A: The biggest beauty mistake is not choosing the right shade of foundation! It just looks silly to me when I see someone with foundation that's glaringly off for their skin tone, be it too light or too dark. My biggest beauty pet peeve is when others are "brand snobs". Just because something doesn't come with a high price tag and a fancy name on the packaging doesn't mean it isn't good quality, and it gets under my skin when people look down on cheaper brands and those who use them.

Q: How would you describe your signature nail polish design?
A: Simple but fun. I love doing variations on the classic French manicure, and the one I do most often is with a clear base, soft metallic tips and ring fingers and thumbs embellished with a simple flower. I love this design because it's easy to do and it's casual enough for daily wear but also classy enough that it would be ideal for a special occasion too.

Q: What would you say are your “go to” products and what products are you currently in love with?
A: My absolute must-have is Just For Redheads Mascara Naturelle in Ginger Red for "barely there" makeup days and Ginger Brown for when I do a bolder look. I have tubes of lip balm all over the house, mostly Carmex and Lydia Marie's Bath & Body Boutique. I've always got Tee Tree Oil in my stash as well; it's great for helping blemishes heal a little faster and it helps with dry skin too. For nails, Seche Vite top coat is definitely a must! Some products I'm loving right now are Beauty From The Earth Multi-Use Minerals in Lola, Gentle and Country Blue. For nails my favorites right now are Sally Hansen Continuous Treatment Strength formula, the Milani 3D Holographic collection, Misa "Denim & Lace", and Sally Hansen Complete Manicure "Hidden Treasure". And some general beauty favorites: Suave Professionals Humectant shampoo & conditioner, Beyond The Zone Frizz Zapper, Caress Evenly Gorgeous body wash, Avon Love Blush body creme, and Curve Crush perfume.

Q: How did you get your start in beauty blogging and why did you choose nail polish as a main focus?
A: I'd already been blogging for a few years about general topics, and makeup was often one of the things I would post about. I realized over time that the posts about nails and makeup were beginning to dominate the blog so I decided I'd make a new blog to dedicate solely to beauty. Nail polish is my focus because it's my favorite. As much as I love other areas of beauty, nail polish is the one thing that I consistently use and never get bored with.

Q: Do your friends and family know about your blog? If so, what do they think about it? If not, why haven’t you shared it?
A: Oh, they know and they think I'm crazy. They aren't into beauty or the internet the way I am, so they don't really get why I blog at all, regardless of the subjects!

Q: What type of impact, if any, has running a blog had on your life?
A: I've made some great friends through blogging who I know are going to stick with me for a long time. Friendship is invaluable so that's been a huge thing for me. I've also gained confidence from blogging. I've still got a long way to go where confidence is concerned, but it does always give me a little boost when someone has something nice to say in the comments.

Q: We all know that you have a blog, but have you already or are you planning to post videos to YouTube?
A: I did have some videos on YouTube at one point, but I decided videos just aren't my thing.

Q: What advice would you give someone that is looking to start their own blog?
A: Blogging can be frustrating sometimes, especially when you're starting out. Your blog won't be a hit overnight - it takes a long time to gain readers and to get comments so you really have to stick with it and don't give up. You have to remember even if you don't get a lot of comments, that doesn't mean people aren't interested in what you're posting. And we ALL have to deal with people leaving rude comments from time to time - don't ever take those comments to heart because they are not worth it. Delete them and move on, and enable comment moderation if necessary. Most of all just have fun with it. If you aren't enjoying blogging, make the necessary changes so that you do enjoy it.

Q: What do you think the future holds for you?
A: Hopefully a lot of love and happiness! I'd love to be able to go to beauty school and become a licensed nail tech but we'll have to wait and see what the future has to say about that.

Q: What would you like people to remember about you the most?
A: That I'm sincere and genuine. I may be a hopeless dork sometimes, but I'm not afraid to let that show because it's just who I am. =)

Visit her other websites here:
Personal/Random/Photography - http://shutterbugssanctuary.blogspot.com/
Photography Shop - http://www.shutterbug.winkelf.com/


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Would you like to appear on the next Meet The Bloggers segment?  Please send all interest notices to LMFAOBeauty@gmail.com.  I'm looking forward to getting to know you!

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