Inspiration Monday : Jon Reyman

This monday morning i was watching this video with top stylist and  it was absolutely everything i needed to hear.

"MOVE mountains to be HAPPY" 

One of my favorite interactive speeches I have heard in a while because he sees our industry the way it is. Not sugar coated and with the emphasis that if you are happy doing what you love , money will follow.

When it comes to choosing your tribe, be surrounded with people that will want to grow you and serve a purpose in your life. Wether is an employer, a friend, a coworker in jon reymans words 

" If you are not NICE, go away" 

HAPPY MONDAY !

+
ENJOY

Saturday Inspiration: GOOD VIBES SASSY CLUB

In the creative world there is so much competition, we all want to be the best at what we do and sometimes that creates this anxiety and friction within our industry. 

We often forget our focus is working on other people, lifting them up and making others feel good. 

I often come across stylist that are self absorbed and making everything about themselves, which is the most annoying thing ever.

Our industry is polluted with a lot of hairdressers that think this way, some students even come out of beauty school with this inflated egos and this hostile attitude. Its just a pollution of negativity and overall bad vibes. 

Since I know a lot of new cosmetologist are in tune with me, I just wanted to mention this, I mean nothing wrong if you want to be mean or you just suffer from resting bitch face. However I do want to touch base on the fact that the experience we have with our career we make for ourselves. 

 As you have come to realize I am a child at heart which helps my creativity but sometimes makes me way too receptive, to the point of  making me picture who I'm up against as this monsters of the underworld. ha! Thankful I've developed some tactics to navigate around. 

Aside from each others point of view ,dealing with people, reading between the lines and figuring people out .....

I have learned 3 main things which are harsh realities but have helped me navigate this PRO world with a more open mind, save a ton on heartaches and disappointments:

1. ITS NOT ALL ABOUT YOU

We came to the industry to care for others and fulfill our creative dreams.

2.Talent is not always a one way ticket

You might thing you have the talent and your boss really will pick someone with tenure, just because thats how the world works i guess.Don't take it personal. However, Make sure your talent is GREAT eventually it will matter. Don't sweat it. NEEEXT!

3. Have a mission statement for what you stand for

When tricky situaions are presented and you debate wether you want to be part of a project or not. Make a mission statement for what you stand for. For example I heard  Sherri Jesse (editorial stylist) say hers is: "Do pretty hair and be nice to people" If at the end of the day you accomplished your mission...it was all worth it. Trust me it will help you make decisions and save you a ton of trouble. 

4. Be part of the solution

If you sit around trying to pick a club to belong to, make sure its not the one that is tearing people apart. Set your standard HIGH to be with people that fit your criteria. ITS OKAY to be picky in this, good people need to stick together. There is more of us and we can change dark vibes in our industry.

Be part of the solution, uplift free thinkers, creatives and hungry hearts. 

HAPPY SATURDAY!

Thoughts? Comments? 

reach out and touch me!

ROOKIE2ROOKIE : Where do I start? Part 1

In the past couple of days i have been receiving questions via social media about my path so far, 

my career and how i have managed to get things done. 

In this section called "ROOKIE2ROOKIE" i want to touch base on the questions you have about anything and everything. It is called rookie to rookie because sharing with you my thoughts and journey doesn't make me an expert, however in the road to discovery i will be glad to help someone along the way. 

I got the opportunity to be part of a panel with PBA and BEACON  during NAHA and beauty week last week, it was amazing! I got to meet incredible beauty people and students on the road to success. It was very inspiring and since then as most of you promised...my email has been flooding with love mail but, also tons of questions about my career.

I've split up the content in two parts so I can answer the questions as I go along. 

Starting with the first question i get a lot...

"How do i get to do what you are doing? How did you get there?" 

I believe rather than wondering how to walk in someone else's shoes you REALLY need to ask

What is my passion? and  WHERE do i start?

It often hear i want to be LIKE so and so.... or i would like to OWN a salon like THIS ONE. 

if you think about it, that i a lot of pressure on yourself because you are building a path based on someone else's life not your own. 

You can put a lot of pressure on yourself because your path MAY NOT necessarily unfold like the person next to you. 

There is a lot of beauty in finding passion for what you believe in and making your path as you walk along.You might think you want to be an educator but your passion is photo styling..then maybe education isn't your main focus and its okay , pursue what makes your heart sing. 

The best way to start is to plan for short term goals and really great ones so you can work on attaining those first, this is the best way to find out what you are passionate about. I first thought all i wanted was to have my own salon, but the minute i explored taking clases, working for someone that teaches me etc my mind set changed. I wouldn't have known if i didn't put myself in a situation of exploring and learning.

Paul Mitchell School  student Hair Show 2011

WHERE DO I START? 

 lets start from the beginning. Start where you are right now.   if you are still in school: SHOW UP, BE PRESENT, GO THE EXTRA MILE and TAKE IT SERIOUSLY. 

 The moment you start school your career starts, you start building your brand and letting people know what you are about. 

I personally always did that extra activity, extra time, stayed late, took that really challenging color correction.. all the things other people didn't want to do. That built my brand as a student. 

It all starts where you are, the path might seem blurry and the road a little tricky but when you focus on the task at hand and do it right, it will take you to better places in the future. Don't take your school time for granted. Enjoy the place where you are because it is shaping you to become great at your craft. 

Hope this helps answer some questions and helps give you some relief if you are in this cosmo school frenzy every over achieving hair dresser sure goes through. 

We are all walking this path, might as well walk together and keep each other inspired. 

FOR MORE QUESTIONS LEAVE A COMMENT OF REACH ME VIA CONTACT ME PAGE 

NEWS: New Comer Stylist of The Year Finalist Adventure

It has been a crazy and hectic month!

I am thrilled to let you all know i have been selected in the prestigious competition North america Hair Styling Awards as a New Comer of the year Finalist!

It has been such a journey and i am completely humbled and honored to be part of such an amazing competition and group of professionals. If you have been reading this blog in its many stages , you must have seen me be part of the student competiton 3 years ago for Beacon. 

It definately sparked a fire in me to grow and gain skills to be able to produce a NAHA worthy photoshoot. I am very proud of the fact i have been able to accomplish such shoot and be part of the finalist this summer in Las Vegas, NV

check out all the other finalist here : 

NAHA FINALIST 2015

I cannot stress enough how important it is to expand your skill out of beauty school, beauty school is a great place to find your calling and learn basics but it is definitely not ALL you want to know.

Make attainable goals and do a little something each day to take you there, gather your tribe, make your team of people be the ones that encourage your creative nerve and you will be surprised how soon you will be on your way. 

My collection and vision came from a New comer point of view, i wanted to show beauty coming through the cracks of a wall. I have heard a saying "life always finds a way" i wanted to portrait beauty and talent finding a way as a new comer. 

so this is what i came up with :

 It is with great HONOR to be a real Beauty ROOKIE in the world of beauty and be able to showcase my work in front of thousands of hair dressers from all over the globe. 

This little victories and stepping stones in my career is what makes the hard work worth it.  

I also chose to change my blog into a ROOKIE blog to have that window to connect with people in the same path i'm in. It is the new talent and the young professionals that need inspiration, we need to lift each other up and inspire each other!

A quick note on that, I have been very cautious in what and how i celebrate this huge accomplishment being scared of sounding over confident, but i realized this really doesn't happen often for me and i do want to celebrate with everyone and enjoy this!

I have always been last choice for almost everything in my life,not great at sports, not good at math,  i've almost always been the underdog.  This experience has boosted my confidence not in the professional field only but as a woman. It is my turn and it is okay to be proud. I am not an underdog at this moment, i am a confident girl that found something she is GOOD at with dreams and goals seeing them unfold right in front of her eyes. 

What if a few think you are too confident? what if a few try to tone your mood down? SMILE and say THANKS but i will keep doing my thing this way and give them some shades if your sparkle bothers them.

we can all reach that north star if we keep inspired focused and believe in the beauty of our everyday work. 

Read more about my inspiration on BANGSTYLE

Thanks for featuring me!

for more daily inspiration and adventures in the beauty world please follow me on 

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lets connect!

Are you a young professional on the creative field and would like to share your story with us? please contact me, we all would love to hear your journey. 

BEAUTY ROOKIES AND ALL OVER ROOKIES UNITE!

Beauty Rookie : Action Packed

I have decided to make a transition on the content i publish due to the lack of resources where i can network with people that are basically into the same stuff i am. 

I have opened up a space that is welcoming of all people on the rise to doing great things, dreamers of all kinds , doers and thinkers and creatives from all sorts. 

My main focus and expertise is beauty hence the blog title, however i feel that rookies all around play a big part in each others growth and progress. 

There is no such thing as success if it is not shared. We are all responsible for cheering on each other and keeping that creative vibe flowing. I have come to realize there is no accomplishment that can be done without the support of the people you surround yourself with. 

This past week i was able to be a part of the University of Texas at Austin Fashion seniors look book. It was an amazing experience that allowed me to realize that fashion is a collaborative effort and specially for up and coming artists in this case "fashion rookies" and "beauty rookies" uniting to create great work and images. 

isn't this what we live for as creatives? 

Here's a few pics of the day. I will try and interview some of the designers so we can get an insight of the nervousness, passion and fuel it takes to be a true creative rookie in the real world. 

Story boards are the base of EVERYTHING.

Me doing a Braided Top Knot. Status: feeling myself

water, coffee and a lot of tools! 

team work. 

Thoughts? 

Welcome to the Rookie world!

Cupcake Nail Tutorial + GIVEAWAY!

Today i have an easy way to do your own cupcake nails at home.

 Nail art is often seen as this new art for the beauty world however we have a misconception about doing it yourself. I have a lot of people tell me " how did you do that?! i could never do that myself.." I love / hate when people say this because #1 i love it because i can do it for you if you can't. and #2 you can do anything if you are willing to try! 

The nail art nowadays is a lot of fun and it takes for you to set aside 30 min of your day and have fun with it. It doesn't have to be perfect and it doesn't have to be done with expensive tools!

why don't you give it a try? 

post your best version of cupcake mani or whatever nail art this post inspired you to do on INSTAGRAM #bqnailart 

One of YOU lucky readers will get one of my favorite polishes in the mail!

Can't wait to see your art 

love,

Cindilu 

Summer Ice DREAM shaving cream!

hey ya'll as every summer i have found an alternative to the common shaving cream

i don't know if i have mentioned before how much i hate shaving my legs, specially in those awkward moments when your friends plan an impromptu trip to the pool then you shave all in a hurry then as you gracefully enter the pool OUCH! mother burnnnnnnnnnnnn! 

well since i am totes talking from experience I indeed had to shave for an impromptu trip to the pool last week,  so i grabbed my honey mango CREAM SHAVE i had just bought in my last trip to TJ's

I  quickly shaved and as soon as i got in the pool i was surprised that i had NO ITCH or BURN at all!

Just like heaven in a bottle + it smells amaze balls! 

it is also 100% vegetarian! WIN-WIN!

Eventhough shaving is one of my most dreaded tasks...at least my bathroom smells like ice cream

<3

Four EYES unite + Special Giveaway!

HELLO my name is Cindilu and i am a 4 eyes

ha!

I remember the days when being a 4 eyes was a major bummer and it was NOT cool at all

to be part of the 4 eye club , but now things are looking up for us. 

We are now part of the IN crowd.

we are the original cool kids. whoa! who would've thought 15 years later people would actually get frames with no prescription?! yeah welcome to 2014!

Don't get me wrong i love the whole trendy aspect of it and i have always worn mine with a lot of pride. 

Frames give you tons of character and an opportunity to make a special statement in the world. 

I have been currently looking for new glasses and well it is not an easy task it might take months before i can find the perfect pair. 

When it comes to finding glasses you need to take in consideration 3 things

1. your face shape : Round, oval, diamond shape you need to make sure your frames enhance your features rather than emphasizing them. 

2. material/cost  : Depending on the use you will give the frames you need to pick your lens, material of the lens and diameter of the lens. It is important to discuss with your ophtalmologist so you know if you need a thicker lens or not and you can make a good choice in your lens and know how much you want to spend. You don't want to be that person with a thick nasty lens and your eyes looking like bugs eyes you know what i mean? 

3. Color: You might thing omg how superficial are you?! well hold that thought. The color of your frames is important if you are only having one pair you want to have a neutral color that goes with everything like for example black or gray. However if you are cool with wearing pink frames daily more power to you. (you go girl) 

This are my top 3 things i look out for when I'm shopping for new frames

You can also find them online there are amazing websites like firmoo who provide frames and lenses so you can definitely send your prescription and have them deliver to your door step also super duper affordable!

Since i know the pain of looking for frames i am going to treat you today to an awesome deal 

our friends at FIRMOO.com have sent me gifts for you and that is 30 dlls off any pair of frames from this one exclusive COLLECTION they have available 

lucky for you and me they are treating us to some Vintage Cat Eye frames! 

contest picture #4eyescoolkids

How you can win this 30 dlls off is simply by following me on instagram and writing a comment in the give away picture with the hashtag #4eyescoolkids

The first lucky 3 will be sporting some very cute frames this season!

Ready ? GO!

Thursday ? it can't be thursday!

well guess what? it is!

what can make the almost weekend more bearable you might ask? 

MUSIC 

always , always, always

sometimes i feel I'm writing to an empty space of talking to a wall  and i get discouraged... really. 

but then i get the visitors numbers and i see you guys are there

(phewww! what a relief)

so i get back on the blogger boat and share what I'm up to

ITS FiNAlly MAY! 

and we can finally stop with the justin timberlake picture 

( I KNOW, i know it never gets old)

i have been obsessing over this colors and NAILS 

Im working on doing more videos on nails and hair to bring on the site but for now..

what do you think of this!?

Anyway MAY is a great time for Austin fashion scene because its the official 

Austin Fashion Week 

it is my first time attending and doing hair which is super duper exciting and thats what ill be up to this weekend. I hope i don't get too caught up and forget about taking pictures. 

So this is my life in a playlist it might be a little off but it is guaranteed to kick your mood UP! 

im so excited to listen to this today!

                                  

Spring Mix from cindiluv2 on 8tracks Radio.

THURSDAYS don't have to be gruesome 

Sunday Fuel Day

i know, i know its already TUESDAY but i thought there is really no harm in sharing

what my sunday ritual consists of and how i make it through the rest of the week.

in case you didn't know i spent TOO much time at Half price books and well…i do it every so often to just clear my mind and get inspired! So thats what i did this weekend. 

This haul of items i did this weekend has pretty much set the mood for my entire week. You know…what they say… cute things lead to another and then another. 

If you follow me on instagram you sure know my adventures on a daily basis…if you are not..then what are you waiting for?! 

what is your fuel day ritual? 

Style me?

For the longest time i have struggled and fought with the idea of style. Not because i am not in love with my closet but because i have always find it pretentious to be in front of a lens claiming to have style. A lot of style and vision depends on the person like. Lets not even go into branding. I believe style is what you put together not what brand you pair up. Maybe i've just been too much around people that believe spending 100 dlls on shoes make them PRETTY. Hate to break it to you but there are expensive TACKY shoes. Anyway.  With that being said i have dared to be in front of the lens not to dictate style or to expect recognition of some sort but just to share how i make my every day fun.

I am a stylist and you all know that so i need to wear black on black on a daily basis so i have to be really creative to look different everyday wearing the same hue and sometimes with a splash of color or shape i change the whole game!

A friend took a picture of me this past week and i thought ok...i might be able to do this avoiding becoming the" style" show off i really dislike. 

My favorite boots remind me of my old witch boots. lovee!

why is it still cold?!