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Dating a Woman with a Dream

What exactly does that mean? A woman with a dream is someone incredibly ambitious and an over-achiever at heart. As an entrepreneur, I am certainly a woman with big dreams. Those dreams seek a delicate level of attention and reciprocity. Dating can be a challenge when you can’t relate to or rely on your partner in a supporting and encouraging way. Our conversations must be different. Energy levels must be positive and balanced. We must be met with the perfect amount of empathy and yet still challenged by a man who wants to see us succeed equally as much as we do.

SIGNS. If you’re with someone who is all this to you, you are blessed. I’ve come across so many women who tell me that their man is always on top of them telling them to “go for it” and stop being scared of achieving their goals. This is incredible and should be cherished! Not every man can support their women in this fashion. I like to believe that if you find someone that can be this rock for you, take it as a sign that you should pursue what is in your heart. God placed someone in your life to be an encourager. How could you ever question your path when He connected you with someone who wants to walk it with you and nurture that craving to succeed every step of the way?!

ACCOUNTABILITY. Every woman needs an accountability partner. Someone who is going to hold you accountable for what you said you’d do and “check you” when you’re slacking off because you’re afraid. Being afraid is not an excuse, go for it anyway. Your accountability partner will “keep you honest” about what is holding you back. 9 times out of 10 they will see something in you that maybe you didn’t see in yourself and that will be the thing to help you overcome it all. Listen to them. Let them help you help yourself.

RESPECT. What’s sexier than someone that believes in themselves and uses their God given gifts? You gotta respect it. All the advice, accountability and challenging must come from a place of love and for your own best interest. When someone shows you and tell you that they respect, you can truly thrive off of their constructive criticism and feedback. If you’ve got respect, YOU’VE ALREADY WON.

TIME. It’s precious isn’t it? When your dreams, your passion or your business are all you think about, anyone who gets an ounce of your time must be worth it. Men must understand that if you really want to date a woman with a dream. We need more. Call it being vulnerable, I call it fearlessly compassionate. There is nothing wrong with needing that sort of companion.

Never dim your light for someone who doesn’t “get it”. The right one will and when you get him, work as hard as you can for your dreams and lean on him for the support when it gets rough and when you WIN.

–with love

The Truth About Choosing Your Bridal Makeup Artist

Engaged and ready to start scouting out the makeup artist best suited for you on your big day? Maybe you’re not ready, so I’d like to offer some advice. The number one thing to note is that not every makeup artist that is great, is great for YOU. Make sure the fit is right and your expectations are explicit and understood. It is NOT all about if the artist’s work is good. Is that artist going to give you the aesthetic that you want? Is that artist timely and professional? Is that artist someone you would want around your family and closest friends on one of the most important days of your life?

Don’t
1. Solely Rely on a Bridal Trial to Choose – Evaluate your ENTIRE experience with that makeup artist from the moment you contacted them. First, did you contact them through the appropriate channel? If so, did they respond within 24 – 48 hours? Multiple typos in their response? Schedule a consultation, trial or appointment and they cancelled/rescheduled on you? Did they show up to your trial early, on time or late? How they treat you from the beginning, is how they will treat you on the big day in the end!

2. Book Cheap and Expect Luxury – Just don’t. Are their rates “too low”? If so, consider their skill level, professionalism and bridal clientele exposure. (Cheap is whatever that means to you btw) Are their rates average? If so, expect average or nothing above and beyond. If they still go above and beyond for you, GREAT, but manage your expectations. Are their rates well above your budget? If so, ask very specific questions or pay attention to what they are doing more than any other artist. Consider how it’s worth it and the trust you have in them to do an exceptional job. Consider the clientele you would be keeping them from if they were to be the makeup artist exclusively for you on your day.

3. Let Them Rush You – Did they tell you they need 30 mins per face? Every makeup artist spends a different amount of time on their clients and every makeup artist knows that 30 mins for a bridal look is aggressive. Do they allot more time for you, the bride or the same time as your bridesmaids? You’re paying more than your bridesmaids, expect more time for you. Did they tell you they could handle your party of 10 by themselves? Be very very afraid or just be prepared to start BRIGHT and early.

4. Contact Your Favorite Artist When You’re Not Ready – If you are not ready to drop a deposit that day, hold off till you’re ready. Reserve the “scouting around” with other artists. The artist you really truly want to work with may not be able to wait on you and you risk the unfortunate scenario of losing your date. You got your hopes up for nothing. Some artists may even give you a discount when you act promptly (pssst: I do!). You wouldn’t apply to your top school choice with a half baked application, come prepared!

5. Expect to Pay $50 a Face – That goes for you AND your bridesmaids. That number is the bane of my existence (Thanks, MAC). But I get it, many women have that number in mind as a reference because of makeup brands in the mall. Please consider the following things and why that is not a realistic rate if you’re working with an amazing artist: freelance artists come to you, they must know about a MULTITUDE of products and not just one brand, well versed on diverse skin types, well trained and equipped for ALL skin tones, creatively understands the appropriate bridal look for all women of all ages and they invested significantly in their training in order to be able to execute the look YOU want. Once upon a time I charged less than this. I also had ZERO experience, no legitimate training, mini sized drug store makeup kit that may or may not have had everyone’s foundation shade and no true confidence if I would be able to deliver exactly what the client wanted upon request. Every makeup artist has a starting place, consider if you want to be their starting place. [Please note that this is indicative of the Northeast PA-NJ-NY metro area market]

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Photography by Fola Lawal

Do

1. Ask How Many Weddings They Did Last Year – That maybe why they are charging so low or so high in comparison to your budget. Get an understanding of their clientele.

2. Make Sure You Like Their Particular Aesthetic – I feel like you see 4 main types of artistry on social media nowadays: 1. Barely There makeup. When you said you wanted to look like yourself, you really did. You look like you just have mascara, blush and lipstick on. It’s clean, truly natural beautiful makeup application 2. Instagram Makeup. Extremely defined and bold, clean brows. Highlight, contour, thick eyelashes, nude lip and major shimmery highlight on your cheeks and tip of your nose. 3. Reality Show Makeup. Similar to Instagram makeup but bring on the bold eye and lip color. Color, color, color and detailed eyeshadow application! 4. Red Carpet Makeup. You’re definitely wearing makeup but the highlight and contouring is more subtle. Nude glossy lip. Soft eyes with little detail that are still impactful. It’s all about skin. Your brows look like brow hairs that are well groomed and gently sculpted. Please note ALL 4 styles of makeup are GREAT and require skill. My only point is, don’t go to the Instagram makeup artist and ask for Barely There. Match what you truly want with the artist that creates that particular aesthetic consistently. You can feel more assured that they will give you what you want and they will be happy to leave their signature look on you. Win, win.

3. Look for Inspiration on Women with Your Skin Tone – It makes a world of a difference in giving you a true expectation of what you aspire to look like. Baby girl, if your skin tone is rich in melanin, leave the Kim K photos alone. Lean on Kelly Rowland, Kenya Moore or Gabby Union for inspiration!

Because 8 is my favorite number, so I’ll stop here. I really could have kept going but it’s already long and besides, you can always contact me directly via my Bookings page if you’d like to know more or if you’re interested in having me as your makeup artist on your wedding day. I truly love bridal so I’d be honored, head over to that tab and drop me a line!

— with love

You’re Ready to Quit Your Day Job

This post will not be adorned with stock photos or intermittent images to keep you engaged. If you’re serious, you’ll keep reading. If you could care less or you’re simply not interested, you can just stop reading now. No love lost!

Most people that gravitate towards me have that feeling, but most don’t know the ‘HOW’ or the ‘WHEN’. Of course those two things are the most difficult to deliberate. I will offer this core advice: be strategic. Analyze the following carefully and strategically:

1. Support – Family, friends, spouse, business partner etc. Who will be the person or people supporting you mentally, spiritually and financially. Notice I did not say “who will you depend on”. These people will not be able to “save you”, they should simply lessen your burden and be a constant strength. They might let you live rent free for a certain amount of time, reduce your expected contribution towards rent/mortgage, be an encourager and prayer warrior when you doubt yourself most, hold you accountable to sticking it through to achieve your dreams no matter how discouraging it will get, be an active listener and sound board for your best and worst experiences offering engaged feedback and tough (yet respectful) criticism. YOU WILL need these people deep rooted in your life.

2. Personal Expenses – Get ready to start cutting back, significantly. Go through your bank statement and take a look at how you spend. What are your monthly recurring costs? Do you really need your $8 monthly Netflix account or can you create a shared profile on someone else’s account and get your binge fix there? Is it warm enough outside to workout outdoors so you can put a temporary freeze on your monthly gym membership? Must you get your hair and nails done at the salon or can you learn some protective styles and other ways to be creative with your mani and pedi DIY style? Would it be best to meal prep so you can curb impulse food cravings and dining out? Could your new passion turned profession benefit from a uniform of sorts to reduce clothing shopping? It’s not all about the money you make, but how much you can keep.

3. Travel – Just get it out of your system NOW. Dropping $1000+ on vacations will likely come to a screeching halt if you’re being fiscally conservative. Consider short domestic trips if you can’t live without a suitcase ready.

4. Health – Are you covered? Going back to school as a full time student can prove to be beneficial for quality health care insurance coverage. If not, look in to the Obamacare and private marketplaces. Please do not neglect your mental and physical health and wellness during what will end up being a stressful rollercoaster ride of ups and downs.

5. Children – Can you or the child’s parent still sustain their lifestyle and providing? We all want to chase our dreams, but if you brought someone in to this world – put them first.

6. Money – At least 6 months of your salary saved? Are you going to be in the red for a while or are you already turning a profit? Make sure you have a proven record of legitimate revenue for at least 6 months before you take the leap. Everyone’s business model is different but DO NOT forget to factor in busy season vs. slow season. The last thing you want to do is bleed yourself dry.

7. Relationships – No not the romantic kind, that would fall under ‘support’. I mean the relationships you are leaving at your current day job. LEAVE RESPECTFULLY, not hastily. Offer the right transition plan and knowledge transfer to your team or whoever will fill your position in the interim. You never know if you will need a contact, recommendation or an opportunity from people you worked with at that job. DO NOT BURN BRIDGES. If you deem appropriate, be honest about why you’re leaving — chances are, there’s someone at your job who wishes they had the courage you did to do the same. Give co workers a personal email to stay in touch, you’ll be so surprised to find out who will still be rooting for your success and reaching out to see how your journey is going.

I have sooooo many other tips and things to consider before you take that leap but I will end saying this. Align your purpose with your passion, once you find that – never be afraid to JUMP. You know why? Because if God set you on that course, He will see you through and equip you with everything and everyone you need to succeed. NEVER – EVER – FORGET – THAT.

When you do leave, if any of these 7 principles helped you, drop me a line. I’d love to hear from you and the start of your journey!

— with love

Revitalized Skin from the Dead Sea

Another one. I’m such a product junkie when it comes to skin care! I discovered yet another array of skincare products that do wonders for your skin. Take heed to the beautiful and natural elements of the Dead Sea. The Dead Sea is famously jam packed with minerals and salts hence why it is called the Dead Sea because animal life cannot survive in the severe salt environment. The minerals prove to be extremely beneficial in skincare and cosmetics and behold, my love for AHAVA products.

Dead Sea products are rich in minerals that tend to penetrate the skin deeply and leave your skin intensely supple and hydrated. I’m absolutely obsessed with how smooth it makes my skin feel and so happy I don’t even have to travel all the way to Israel to get it! Yup, you can order these products on line, even from Amazon!

If you have dry skin, psoriasis and other skin conditions and you’ve tried everything, try Dead Sea products. You. Will. Not. Be. Disappointed. I love the science behind these type of products and of course, the amazing results!

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You Are Welcome | Post 1 of …

I’m sure some day I will write a book giving away the most sought after beauty secrets. I will share unique business and sales strategies to make major $$$ being a makeup artist. In that book, I will motivate someone to break away from their safe job in order to make a profit off of their passion. But that book is still in my thoughts being nurtured creatively through essential life experiences. The good news is, I believe this sharing platform will be a nice prelude.
Welcome to Sisi’s Shared Space.

This creation came about because I believe I have more to offer than perfectly lit Instagram selfies, staged photos of my clients and 10 second clips strategically taken on the most eventful days of my life via SnapChat. I am much more than that. So get ready and excited if you choose, because I will periodically release a mash up of what I’ve been researching, working on and inspired by. I hope this is a resource for information and motivation for all that stop by my page. Here’s an opportunity to share a part of my world that I don’t get to show on social media!

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And so it begins..

Make It Beautiful

Get in touch with me!