Q + A
Hey everyone! This week’s blog is dedicated to answering some questions that you all put on my Facebook page! I copied the questions verbatim and I’m pretty sure I got them all! Yay!
Q. Emotional support? Something different to maybe help people like me that suffer from depression & anxiety out!
A. That’s a great question. It helps to have a good support system of friends who will hold space for you. Once we realize that we are in total control of our emotions, reactions and so forth, we gain immense freedom and power. It’s liberating!! Of course, there will still be ups and down but they will become less and you’ll be able to snap back to LOVE quicker. One breathing exercise that helps a lot is the 4,7,8 technique...inhale for 4, hold for 7 and exhale for 8. Do this as long as you can :) I’ve got other tips coming up in my course AND I know of a great teacher (Jade Davis) that does personal coaching. I also highly recommend meditation as well as basically any book by Gabby Bernstein.
Q. I was going to ask, if social media helps or hurts anxiety and depression. I’m a mess.
A. I’m so very sorry to hear this. I know how it feels...trust me. Taking a social media fast may be a good idea for you. Other tips: recall your own magic. Think back to a time where you felt your best and cling to that, especially when you are in a comparison cycle. Meditation, yoga and breath work really helps w anxiety and even depression so I recommend looking into taking a class or getting a coach. Baths really help w my anxiety too. Water is an amazing conduit and the warmth and pressure immediately calm my nerves. It’s like a warm hug! You can do this babe - I’m rooting for you!!
Q. Make up tips for older ladies!!
A. My biggest tips for mature skin are: exfoliation, hydration and less is more in terms of makeup.
Q. What are the best places/ways to contour and apply blush for certain face shapes (mine is square)?
A. well, you have two options really. You can go along where the natural contours of your face are located or you could try to create symmetry and balance by essentially creating new contours. Here’s a chart:
Q. How do I cover “laugh lines” and to keep wrinkles from getting worse?
A. “Covering” texture isn’t really possible but things can definitely be smoothed. It starts with skin care and then when it comes to makeup, staying hydrated and taking care to not use too much product help. Items I can recommend: skin polish, skin therapy, sotoks and one drop wonder from stephizbeauty.com - hope this helps! Oh...and there are options to “fill” lines but you would need to see a dermatologist, plastic surgeon or medical spa for that.
Q. If you got anymore fur kids what would it be?
A. Ooooooooh good one! Haha realistically, I guess another dog although I’m kind of wanting a mane coon cat. We have one that visits our yard so I put food out, but never been up close. I’m dying to pet he/she. I was really into the possibility of a hedgehog for awhile and I also really love goats! Lol can my answer just me “a farm”?!?!
Q. How do you cover scars?
A. Well that kind of depends. Most will need color correction and that will vary depending on what color it is. A full coverage foundation is a good idea as well. One drop wonder has been used to help minimize the appearance of scars actually! I’m giving that a go right now so I’ll keep you posted :)
Q. Tips for oily skin?
A. Don’t over strip! I know it’s really easy to do but you can end up producing more oil. Don’t be afraid of oils, they actually absorb really fast. Differin oil control for acne prone skin is really good and it has spf as well! As far as powders, RCMA no color powder and urban decay velvetizer are great!
Q. What have been ur top 3 vacation spots??
A. Paris, Montana and Thailand! Thailand was an incredible experience and we were so lucky to be working in Singapore right before we went so it made the travel a lot less expensive. Thailand is soooo affordable but the flights are where you will spend your money. Paris is such a special place for us. We first went for a long weekend when my husband was working in Germany. It was just a quick little flight and we were in a whole new country! I love that about Europe :) I found out last year that I have French heritage both from Western Europe as well as the Iberian Peninsula which was super cool, so when we visited Paris for the second time, it had even more meaning. I actually did a whole blog post dedicated to that trip if you want to check it out. As far as Montana goes, the mountains and lakes are my happy place. We decided to go Glamping and stayed at this place called glacier under canvas. It was so cool! Definitely a different kind of trip for us, but it was really nice and simple.
Q. What did you want to be when your grew Up? Mine changed a few times and I didn’t end up doing them lol
A. Haha same for me! Let’s see, I remember very specifically I had a plan to be a rodeo queen who had red hair and freckles, I would sing country music, but also be a veterinarian who was an occasional flight attendant and boutique owner. You know...totally doable lol This of course would happen when i wasn’t performing on broadway! Haha
Q. How do you gain the self confidence that you have?
A. Girl...I’m glad you think I do! Lol I’ve definitely improved in that area but it’s been a long process for me. It has been a life-long struggle which is why I feel so passionately about helping other women w this. I’m glad you asked!!! Okay, so first I would go on a quest of self-love, removing anything that doesn’t serve you. Start saying positive affirmations even if you don’t believe them right away. Accept that you aren’t perfect. No one is. And that’s okay. You bring something totally unique to the world and that’s your super power. The more positive you put out...the more gratitude you feel, the more joy you create. Joyful people are beautiful people!I actually talk a lot about this topic in my upcoming course.
Q. As stupid as this question may sound...I have a real problem with hair dryers/air wands/flat irons, etc...their cords have minds of their own...stiff vs. hanging fluid...do the Lange products have manageable electric cords...( the problem is like you have nice cables for your electronics and then you have others that ball up or tangle up, and am I OCD...not I said the little red hen!)
A. Lol yes the cords are nice and sturdy as well as being very long - like a salon cord.
Q. If you had three pieces of make up what would they be ?
A. Oh Lordy...that’s tough lol concealer, lip balm and mascara!
Q. What’s the best products you have found for keeping makeup from sliding off 1/2 way through the day? help?
A. Prep is key. My favorite is using cool balm then first base. I then spray setting spray throughout the makeup application and I personally use a lot of powder bc I’m oily. Cool balm, first base and setting sprays are available at stephizbeauty.com - let me know how this works for you!
Q. What is an average week in your life like? And how do you find balance between career and family life?
A. Every week is different. Every day is different actually lol but I’m a very scheduled person. I thrive in structure so I have to create it, if it isn’t given to me. I rely heavily on a planner and I do my best to plan not just my work to do’s and house hold errands, but fun time as well - date night, puppy fun, outings w friends and self-care. On the flip side, I have had to learn to just be okay with spontaneity or sudden changes to my schedule. It used to really upset me and I’d feel frazzled. It’s a very delicate dance for me but I’m doing better now than ever before which is good for both my sanity, my fam and my biz. Here’s what is working for me this month:
M - live video day
T - how to on insta
W - customer care
Th - live video day
F - catch up, other filming or projects...I also take time to watch my favorite shows lol priorities.
S - this is open. It’s the weekend so I do what I want. Sometimes I have a wedding to work but it just depends.
Sun - rest day. Blog post if I feel like it. Sometimes I have a wedding to work.
As you can see, I’ve lightened my load and given myself grace. That hasn’t always been the case. I would burn out and then be useless so BALANCE it’s a constant effort for me bc it does not come naturally. I’d rather do less and enjoy more than be so busy that life just passes me by! Hope this gives you some insight and/or help!
Q. And my question is...how do you stop lipstick from bleeding?
A. Prepping around the lip area, exfoliating and using lip liners :) i would away from putting gloss or slick products close to the lip line since those tend to move a bit more.
Q. I wear glasses, does it do any good for me to wear eye shadow and eye liner? I wear both but not sure if I should. Too much?
A. Sure!! I wouldn’t spend a ton of time doing anything extravagant but you can still do shadow liner and of course, mascara :)
