My name is Sonya & I am a beauty junkie!

There! I said it & yes, it's true. Outside of making others beautiful, I sometimes go wayyyyy overboard when it comes to jazzifying myself. I LOVE mani/pedis, but hate to get my fingernails polished. Why? Because, I wash my hands a lot and by day 3, I'm chipping & reaching for the polish remover.

I just ran across some amazing nail art and naturally, I'm tempted to try it!

The young lady's name is Spifster Sutton and she's turning out amazing nail art in Chicago.

http://spifster.tumblr.com/ and for a menu of her services & operating schedule-http://www.styleseat.com/spifstersutton

Below is some of her amazing work. 

I.

AM.

GAGGGGGGING!!!!

I can't wait for her to get her hands on my hands and do work! Yes!

I'll be checking in, shortly, with MY nail art.. next week.. if I'm lucky!

Stay tuned..

Balling on a budget- The Fragrance Edition!

There are few things I'll cut corners on; my makeup, my fragrance & my shoes are just a few of those things. I don't cut corners with my makeup, because.. well.... IT'S HOW I MAKE A LIVING and I wouldn't dare cheat my clients by beating their faces with drugstore foundation & powder.
I wouldn't cut corners with my fragrance, because I'm a child of the eighties and I remember the "Primo" fiasco! I was a Giorgio girl and there were all of these people walking around smelling like... PRIMO! Yuck! I've always had an issue with impostor fragrances and vowed I'd never be one of those chicks who perused the beauty supply's "fragrance oil department".
That is until a very dear friend of mine who happens to be a fellow fragrance snob (she lives for Frederic Malle's Carnal Flower) told me about this little fragrance shop in Huntington Village, NY. They custom blend whatever scents you want and they have fragrances that are IDENTICAL to some of our favorites.
Two of my favorite all-time favorite scents are Prada and Blonde by Versace.  I went to their website back in 2007 and looked around; that's when I discovered they had their version of Blonde, called "Doll". I was soooooo freaking happy, because unfortunately for me, Blonde had been discontinued and was very difficult to find. I ordered 8 of their samples to try before I buy and "Doll" was spot on!
Still, my vanity got the best of me and I refused to order it. I'd visit the site and hover over the "add to cart" buttons, but never went through with it.

Thennnnnnn, last year, I ordered some more samples to see if maybe that first batch was a fluke and it really didn't smell like doll. I also ordered their version of Prada, called "Portia" and I ordered their version of Petit Cherie by Annick Goutal, called "Petit Chou". They're both fantastic!!! I still have the vials a year later and the scent is just a vibrant a full year later. I've had strangers stop me when shopping to ask what I'm wearing! That pushed me to just go ahead and purchase the scents from Scentsational.

Yesterday, I ordered Doll and Portia in the body wash and body oil. After they arrive, I'll be back with another post.
In the meantime, check 'em out and order some samples! I think you'd be pleasantly surprised.

Carmex Skin Care

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Carmex®. All opinions are 100% mine.

I recently received a shipment of  Carmex® Healing Lotion and Carmex® Healing Cream and wanted to share my thoughts about them.

I love, love, love the creamy texture and I love how long the moisturizing properties last. I am a bit concerned about the scent, though. It smells faintly of Carmex lip balm and I'm simply not a fan of that smell. If this product came in a fragrance-free/uncented variety, I'd definitely add it to my on set makeup kits. I had a couple of other people try the cream and the consensus was the same; works very well on extremely dry skin, but the smell is off-putting.

The packaging is definitely easily recognizable, so I suggest you look for it in your local drug stores if you're in the market for skincare that actually works.

Carmex Healing Lotion, Pt. 2

This is the follow up to what I started a couple of weeks ago.
While I do love the cream's moisturizing properties, I'm not in love with the scent. It smells like Carmex lip balm and that smell is just not very pleasant for me. I think there should be an unscented/fragrance-free option for those of us who are sensitive to smells.
There was a second person who also used the lotion and that person has wicked dry skin. They've been using the lotion for the last 2 weeks and they've definitely noticed a change in their skin's texture. They say that the lotion's moisturizing benefits last longer than typical lotion and they don't see the ashiness/flaking that would normally show up about an hour later if they were using their regular lotion.
All in all, the lotion and the cream are great for people with moderate to very dry skin. I just really wish they'd work on an unscented version.

Carmex Healing Lotion

I just got a shipment of Carmex Healing Lotion and I'll spend a few days trying it out before I give a review.
So far, I like it.. at night when I'm getting ready for bed. The smell is a faint Carmex lip balm smell and that's a bit bothersome when I'm trying to rock my sexiest perfume!
I also have a couple of others trying out the lotion and the cream. One has extremely dry skin and the other lives in an apartment where the water is HARD.
Check back in a couple of days for a full report!

Fall & The Fading Tan...

Yeah, yeah.. I know I made it sound way more dramatic than it actually it, but this is a serious matter for me!

I get very, very golden in the summertime and wouldn't have it any other way. I live for sunshine!

I start to get a little misty whenever I look in the mirror and I see that I've lost a little more color!

A couple of years ago (after moving to Chicago from L.A.), I started experimenting with different self-tanners and moisturizers to extend that lovely golden glow for a few more months.

Below is a list of my favorites; I hope they work just as well for you guys.

Clarins Self Tanning Instant Gel

L'Oreal Sublime Bronze self-tanning gel

Jergen's Natural Glow moisturizer

Brides & why I love them...

A lot of my sisters (and brothers) in paint have told me that they don't see how could love doing brides/weddings as much as I do. I love it so much, that for the last year weddings have been my focus. I haven't done any print work or any production work.
Back to the "why": I love the look on a woman's face who either doesn't wear makeup on a regular basis or who has never worn makeup. Not so much as a flavored lip gloss.. after her makeup & hair is finished and she turns around to see herself. I've had some cry and then apologize and then show amazement, because the makeup stayed in place. I've had brides who can't stop looking in the mirror. I've been actively pursuing wedding work since 2006 and I can honestly say that I've had ONE bad bridal experience. I don't like misunderstandings when it comes to my career, because my reputation is ALL I have in this industry. That was truly a horrible experience and like I said, it was the ONLY one. *knock on wood*
My specialty has always been flawless & chic, but natural looking makeup. I will always give my brides what they want and it will always have my signature .. Flawless & Chic.