Daily Dose of Inspiration

Everyone who knows me knows how much I love Quotes. Well here a few that give me a daily dose of inspiration

Mobile App Life Hacks : Photography

For the second installment of my new series, Mobile App Life Hacks, I will focus on all things photography! I use a lot of photography apps for work and fun and have discovered that these apps make my life easier when I need to post an image on the fly. So let''s jump right in!

Photo Apps
My Life Hack Photo apps are PhotoWonder, Picstitch, Camera +, and Instagram. By now, I'm pretty sure everyone has the gist of Instagram so I won't go into detail about that. But for photo effects, Instagram changed the game on how big social networks like Facebook and Twitter allowed users to upload their pictures.

PhotoWonder is my one stop photo editing shop. It has EVERYTHING, and even things you really don't need at all. This app is a creation from Japan which you can definitely tell with the sticker option additions and other features. But outside all that, you get the best photo editing techniques I have ever seen outside of Photoshop. Just upload your picture and you can adjust the lighting, eliminate unnecessary imperfections using the makeup tools, and choose lighting effects and frames you'd find in Instagram. After saving it to your camera roll, your pics are ready to rock. I use this all the time when pics out with friends have bad lighting or I need to feature products from our stores for work on our social accounts. What I like best about this app for work is when snapping pictures of food there is always a stray crumb I forgot to move out of the way and using the makeup tools under beautify you can remove it like it was never there. Here's snap shot examples featuring my lovely dog.

Beauty Fixes even removing dark circles! 

Lighting Fixes

PicStitch is my go to storyteller. For social media, one simple post tells the brand story. When covering events or talking about new products, stitching pictures together to tell the story is very powerful. This app makes it so easy and it's free. Just pull the pics from your camera roll, choose the layout design you prefer, and you have your image! Here's an example of what I did when celebrating a work event:

Camera+ is one of the best camera apps I have found to make up for the lack of camera function upgrades apple has made to their iPhone. This app costs $1.99 but in the long run it has been worth it for me. When it comes to dark shots needing a flash, this app always delivers. And when you want to capture that selfie with your best friend in dark lighting AND be able to actually see what your taking, this app has a flash that reflects off the screen to capture the image. I don't know how it does it, but I'll chalk it up to simply magic lol. Examples while at two different concerts:

Mobile App Life Hacks

So as you will learn from this blog, I am a Social Media Specialist. Which means a lot of things, but mostly I spend my days involved in all things digital and social. Personally and professionally. Since my job is highly mobile, I have become very picky about the Apps I keep on my phone. I've also had time to research and find the best of the best. I was inspired to put together some of the best apps I've found after an all day meeting with some of our vendor partners at work. People always seemed fascinated by my job and want to know my opinion on apps I use so I decided to compile them for you to enjoy in a new series for my blog:

Oh! Keep in mind, I'm an iPhone user so these apps will be Apple Store Specific.

GPS

These days, GPS apps are pretty much a staple on any smart phone. I will indulge in the Google Maps app but my go-to for the past 3 years has been Waze. I have introduced many co workers to this app over the years as we have traveled to our different markets for events. When road tripping, this app will be your new best friend. You can save your frequent locations like Home, Work, or a favorite address location (like I did when I would go visit my bestie in Nashville all the time). One click and it begins to route your way while offering a variety of versions to go. You can choose based on shortest time, distance, and of course traffic. But the biggest reason why I love it is the Police Notifier. Now granted, Waze crowd sources this info so it's not always accurate but when users report in a cop has posted up on the side of the highway, it will alert you of it. I also like seeing the real time traffic. Users can not only communicate with other drivers on the road about why traffic is at a standstill, but they can also snap a picture of it. Here is actually a snap shot I remembered taking of my favorite 'waze experience': 

While visiting Nashville for work, the President happened to be in town. A normal ten minute drive downtown to meet co workers for dinner turned into a nightmare because Air Force One was taking off. I took a screen shot of what we were dealing with and sent it to our Regional Manager to let him know we would definitely be late for dinner lol. If you click on the notifications with the numbers on them, you'd see conversations and comments on the report. This time around, they weren't so friendly lol. 

Weather Apps

I travel to multiple cities fairly often for my job and all my family lives in a completely different city than me, so I always try to keep a few cities saved on my weather apps. I have used a variety weather apps to keep me up to date on what the heck I'm getting myself into on the daily because I have definitely been in 3/4 different cities in one day by car. So the clear winner for me was Yahoo Weather Apps. This app is ridiculously beautiful (because apparently weather apps can be beautiful lol) It shows different images that represent the city your in. 

 

(Sorry for the Winter Storm Warning, but such is current life :) 

Louisville has a beautiful shot of the Derby Hot Air Balloon Races and Lexington shows beautiful farm scapes. No matter what time of day, or the current weather condition, the app will show images of what's currently going on. These aren't the best examples but it's all I got to work with right now lol. After you scroll down though, you get the forecast, radar, wind conditions, etc. It's definitely efficient while being aesthetically pleasing. Who even knew we wanted that in an app? I also use AccuWeather who has recently stepped their game up. I like Accuweather because I like the weather alerts it offers when bad weather is on its way.


Stay tuned for the next installment in my Mobile App Life Hack Series: Photo Apps.

The Game Changers

My friends ask me all the time.... what is actually worth the splurge? I have tried out all kinds of makeup... from drug store to high end. Through my search, I have labeled these guys The Game Changers (worth the splurge)

Let's start with the Face. 
Everyone's complexion is different obviously, but with my career in Social Media there have been times I've had to suck it up and be the face on camera for videos. When I found out I had to do live updates from a work conference for the Fan Page, I panicked. Not only do I despise everything about seeing myself on camera, but I knew every imperfection I obsessed about with my face would be in full view. Since this experience, I have found a few items that have made me feel confident wearing no matter what kind of environmnt I get thrown in.

Foundation

When I found out I would be reporting live from the work conference via web videos, I never wore foundation at that point, just bronzer and concealer. (Thanks mom for the awesome skin!) So after going to Sephora and telling the sales associate my dilemma, she suggested Nars Sheer Glow for a foundation. I was ready to pay whatever so that the bags/dark circle under my eyes wouldn't show up on camera and it definitely worked. Apparently Makeup Forever HD is what the Newscasters use, but for this amateur forced into the spotlight it was Nars Sheer Glow that did the trick. I felt like it was Photoshop for the face. Completely covered and evened everything out. Because of my complexion I use Sante Fe, but of course everyone will be different.

Eyes

Benefit's Erase Paste has been my saving grace. Ever since I was a kid, I've had bags under my eyes. As family legend has it, once I learned to walk I never stopped from there. So because of that and dark circles that I've had for what seems like forever, my room mate got me this for my birthday one year and I never turned back. This little pot will last you FOREVER. 2 1/2 years after getting this for my birthday, I actually had to get more. A little bit will go a LONG way. I have learned that putting it under your eyes in a triangle shape instead of a crescent moon gives the best coverage. Also, I have found that going a shade darker will prevent you from looking like white raccoon eyes. I'm usually light, but Medium really helps even out my color and blends with my foundation.

Luminizer

Benefit's Watt's Up! Is one of the biggest game changers I've ever found. I received this as a sample from Sephora one day and fell in love. I have suggested this to many friends since and everyone has become obsessed as I have. Once I started wearing it, I got compliments from so many people about how my skin glowed or how illuminated I looked lol. I usually just use my finger and rub it over my cheeks, over my brow bone under my eye brows, and across my forehead. I just blend it in with my finger and watch the illumination take place! This is another product that a little will go a long way. I bought the regular size a year and a half ago and it's still going strong.

Setting Spray

Urban Decay All Nighter Makeup Setting Spray is one of my newest game changers. I received this in a 500 point perk Urban Decay Sample Box and fell in love. I just found out that there's a medium size version for cheaper than the original size for $14 at sephora in their checkout lines and I snatched it up instantly. This little spray has worked wonders for me. My typical morning routine of waking up and getting ready for work each day begins around 7am and with the amount of traveling for work I've done lately, I pull many 12-14 hour days. I spray this twice across my face to cover all the bases and my makeup stays looking like I just applied it an hour ago. This was proven to me when I went to work at normal time on a Friday, drove down to Nashville afterwards (2 1/2 hour drive) to visit my friend and without her knowing I still hadn't even gotten ready for our night out, complimented how good my make up looked. I was like seriously? This is 7 am makeup, 1 time zone ago! I thought I was going to have to freshen up at least my eye liner or mascara but this setting spray definitely did it's duty!

Now the eyes! 
I have done extensive research to find the best eye shadow base, eye liner, and mascara and these three will forever be my makeup game changers.

Eye Shadow Base

Benefit's Stay Don't Stray has definitely stood the test of long hours for me. If you couldn't tell, there's a trend with me discovering my new favorites from getting them as samples from sephora. This one was no different. I always liked Bare Minerals Prime Time eye shadow primer and will even suggest E.L.F.'s eye shadow base as a cheaper alternative. But Stay Don't Stray was definitely a winner because it's also a great under eye concealer. That double duty benefit is key for me since I'm always on the go and not always able to do my full beauty routine every morning.



Eye Liner

Buxom Hold the Line Waterproof Eyeliner in Call Me - Jet Black is my holy grail. I have been looking for YEARS for an eyeliner that will stay all day without disappearing on the waterline after a days work and this one finally accomplished that. Again, I received it as a freebie from Sephora in December and have never turned back. I normally don't like pencil eyeliners because I hate to sharpen them but with the results this one gives, it's worth the effort. I have tried every version of eye liner from liquid to shadow based and I have never found another one that will last all day on the waterline without rubbing away. Even after a late night out on the town and waking up the next morning, this eye liner is still in tact. It could be the eye liner or could be the makeup setting spray, either way, these two together are a killer combo.

Mascara 

Too Faced Better Than Sex Mascara is the best Mascara I've ever used hands down. I always used Benefit's They're Real Mascara and loved it, but after my sister introduced this to me a few months ago, I've never turned back. I have never had fuller lashes than with this product. Just a few swipes and I have the longest lashes I've ever accomplished. (I've never done falsies and prob won't ever lol) This past weekend I was visiting my best friend and she tried this to see what my hype around it was all about. Sure enough, we went straight to Ulta that afternoon and by that night, she was shocked when her boyfriend said, "Your eyes look brighter tonight, did you do something new?" To me, when a guy notices that, it's the ultimate seal of approval. So if I had to suggest one beauty product for the rest of my life, it will always be this mascara.

So these are my game changers. I have tried a variety of make up over the years. Whether they were free samples from Sephora or my sisters passing them down to me after finding something better, I can finally say I have found my go to staples with these. Hope they change your daily routine as much as they have mine!