You Don’t Have to Try so Hard

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Picture of Colbie Caillat from her Instagram @colbiecaillat

Colbie Caillat’s music video for the song “Try” has recently gone viral for all the right reasons. You’ve probably seen links to Buzzfeed articles on your Newsfeed titled things like “These women took off their makeup for a music video and you won’t BELIEVE what happens next!!” It’s not all that dramatic though, the women take off their makeup and Colbie takes out her weave and they looked like what every girl in the world looks like when she wakes up.

Through all forms of media we are bombarded with images of flawless looking women. If you scroll through your instagram feed I’m sure between all the pictures of scenery and delicious looking brunches there are bound to be women who appear to have huge hair, huge lashes, and flawless skin. When this glammed up image has become the norm, it’s hard to look at yourself fresh faced in the morning and like what you see. Hell, it’s hard to take a picture of yourself all glammed up and like it enough to post on Instagram because it always just seems not quite good enough. I have absolutely fallen into this trap. A few months ago I was bored and killing some time by putting all the makeup I own on my face and I decided to capture it for Insty:

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#TBT

The photo above shows me on the left in a natural wedding makeup look with my mom.

I just want to start this blog off from a place of truth and honesty. I have no credentials. I’m not a makeup artist, but I do love it and that is why I have started Blushing in Hollywood. Some highlights of the path that led me here:

  • My first foray into writing was in Kindergarten when my school had a book publishing lab. We all made our own hard cover stories complete with graphics which is actually pretty cool.
  • In Elementary school I wanted to be an artist when I grew up. I loved creating. I would go to those pottery painting places and paint a kitten in a different pose every weekend with my BFF. Somewhere during this time I came to the conclusion that I was not actually talented enough to be an artist.
  • For my 10th birthday I requested a makeup artist come and give all my friends makeovers. She put all of us in crazy vampy dark lipstick and eyeshadow, put feather boas on us, and essentially made us into baby prostitutes.
  • My parents let me have those mega Costco makeup kits starting around age 9 or 10. You know, the ones with like 100 different eyeshadows? Makeup was never forbidden for me and I’m happy for it.
  • In middle school I create Zine (online magazine) that I e-mailed monthly to my over 800 subscribers. It was called Komet and I enlisted my girlfriends and girls I met online to write articles about top 10 songs of the month, how to talk to guys, and the best makeup products.
  • In high school I blogged in a Live Journal and started following a bunch of girls who posted amazing pictures of their MAC makeup looks. Freshman year in college I got my makeup done at MAC and so began my journey and large financial investment into high end makeup.
  • In 2010 my best friend from Florida (Annabelle) brought me to LA for my birthday in a plan to convince me to move to LA . It worked and a year later I was here. I work full-time at my dream job that has nothing to do with beauty. I can (and do) show up with no makeup on at all.
  • Here in LA I have some friends with some incredible blogs. I have many who express their creativity in so many different ways (comedy, art, writing, singing, etc etc) and totally inspire me.
  • After months and months of “research” watching hours of youtube beauty videos and reading many blogs and watching my friends work towards their creative pursuits, I have finally pulled the trigger and started my very own creation 🙂

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Me today 7/17/14 Un-retouched in the name of honesty