Beauty Products that are Not Worth Your Money: Episode 1

Hey Guys,

I almost always write about products I LOVE. However, over the past few months I have tried a few products that were less than satisfactory. I think it’s important that I share these with all of you so you don’t end up wasting money! I really want to make sure that everything I write about is helpful and honest.

Keep in mind that the following are my opinions, and others may not have had similar experiences with these products. I hope you find this entertaining, funny or helpful!

Thank you so much for watching!

Love,

Lauren

 

 

Letting Go of Perfection: A Happy and Healthy New Year!

Hey Guys,

It’s been a while. I took quite a bit longer off from blogging than I planned. But it’s the new year, and I’m back and am going to be going to be blogging and video blogging at least a couple times a week! So, be sure you are subscribed to my blog, youtube channel and  Facebook Page so you don’t miss anything! 

Today I made a video on the topic of “perfection.” The obsession with being perfect. Since it is a new year, and everyone’s making resolutions and goals I wanted to have some input on this topic. Hope you enjoy the video! I can’t wait to share more with you guys this year.

Ecclesiastes 7:20- There is no one on earth who is righteous, no one who does what is right and never sins

1 Samuel 16:7 – …….the lord sees not as man sees; man looks at the outward appearance but the lord looks at the heart.

Love, Lauren

Must Read This Book : Girl Perfect by Jennifer Strickland

I’ve always wanted to write a book…to tell my story that I hope would help encourage and lift up girls everywhere. I’ve been through a lot in my 25 years. I know, I know, I sound like an old lady telling you how much I’ve experienced in my life. But, I’m not ashamed, I do feel that way.

Never in my life have I heard a story so similar to mine. One that touched me so deeply it made me bawl my eyes out. I recently finished reading Jennifer Strickland’s book ” Girl Perfect”. It is a true story about her life as a model and how she found God, accepted Christ as her Savior and changed her path. While some thought she was living a luxurious, dreamy life of a model, she was dying. She was dying because of her lifestyle and the things she was choosing to fill her time with. After finding out the true perfect one, God, and trying to stop being perfect herself and live up to everyone else’s desires and wants she FREED herself and found happiness and fufillment. All she wanted was to be loved.

I think so many of us can relate to feeling like we are not good enough, we are not perfect enough, we’re always chasing the ideal IMAGE of beauty, but instead we should be looking to the one who is truly beautiful and who created us, GOD. He will fufill all of our needs, he will make our paths perfect, he will guide, protect, love, and care for us. We just need to CHOOSE HIM!

This book is a MUST READ. It is truly one of the best books I’ve read and so similar to all of the feelings and experiences I went through while I was modeling in New York. Her story has differences than mine, but her reasoning was the exact reasoning I left the industry as well. It was a destructive life; a life I would have never found happiness. I was sick of living up to other peoples expectations, being picked apart for each aspect of the way you look ALL the time, only being known for my pictures, the way I look. I was struggling from an eating disorder and knew I was dying in the process, knowing that if I stayed in New York and kept up all of the same habits, I would die. I was not living. I was trying to be perfect.

I had to completely turn away from it all and start new. I wanted something normal. I wanted to feel FREE TO BE ME and not constantly called on castings to be rejected and accepted, up and down; I was on a roller coaster.

Please read this book…it will really make you think, hopefully inspire you and also share with you SO MANY TRUTHS. You can find it on Amazon here: http://www.amazon.com/Girl-Perfect-imperfect-perfection-confessions/dp/1599793431/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1344995803&sr=8-1&keywords=girl+perfect

Someday, hopefully soon… I will write a book. My story..a very true and honest story.

Love,

Lauren

Lashes by Lauren: New Before and After Silk Lash Extension Photos

 

Hey Guys!

Here are some new before and after silk lash extension photos:

Yersterday, with some spare time I had I put together a lash board with a collage of some of my work. I titled it “Lashes by Lauren” (hence the title of this post and what I am going to call my lash extensions when I post before and after photos).

Hope you all have a wonderful weekend!!

“This is not Eden- there ain’t no perfect here. Perfection comes in heaven alone. In surrendering to that truth we can find freedom here on Earth, freedom from all the lies that trick us into believing we are less than, because we are all less than perfect.” – Jennifer Strickland

Love you all- Lauren

 

Tribute to Kandee Johnson & Appreciating the People in Your Life

Hey Guys,

Hope you all had a great weekend and Fathers Day…I hope you spent time with your dads (if you were able). I wanted to write about something today that has been on my heart and that is, appreciating the people in your life.  You may not believe what I believe but I think God places people in your life to help you get through your time on earth…we are given families, friends, and are meant to have loving people around us.

One of the “beauty guru’s” that I have looked up to since I started blogging was Kandee Johnson. If you have never seen her amazing Youtube videos or seen her Blog, you should DEFINITELY check it out. She is not only an amazing make up artist, and all around beauty expert, but…she’s seems like an amazing woman. She has 4 children, and is always so bubbly and happy and spreading lots of love and inspirational words in everything she does. 

She lost her dad a few days ago. Just a few days before Fathers day. And, words can’t even describe how that made me feel. I have never met Kandee , nor seen her in person…but through her videos and posts she puts out, I FEEL like I know her…and have always admired her. So, this Fathers day, I really wanted to just spend TIME with my dad because I feel like time is really the most precious gift we can give someone. 

I can’t imagine going through what she must be feeling right now. And, her recent post on her blog was about her relationship with her dad and how she doesn’t know when or how she will continue to write about beauty. I’d love for you all to see her blog and her post she wrote about her dad: http://www.kandeej.com/2012/06/most-tragic-day-of-my-life-i-love-you.html

Just appreciate the people in your life, spend TIME with them…and love them. <3

Love,

Lauren

Inner Beauty Devotion- Let the Beauty of the Lord Be Upon Us

Hey Everyone!

I was prompted today to give you all a little inspirational video about inner beauty. I wanted to discuss my thoughts on feeling beautiful, as well as share some insight from a devotional book called, “Reflecting the Beauty of the Lord”. I encourage you to watch this short video and hope that it expresses my desire to give all of you insights on inner beauty as well as outer. 

My main job is focused around outer beauty,make up and lashes,  but I know that I can encourage people to feel beautiful in the inside as well. Hope you enjoy this short video and look forward to more like this. 

 

Talk to you all soon , with more fun posts! Subscribe to see more of my posts like this one. 

Love,

Lauren

Charm is Deceptive and Beauty is Fleeting…

Image via Wikipedia

Hey!

A scripture verse I love was in my mail inbox today….as well as a VERY good explanation of it.

I hear it everyday… a woman complaining about her wrinkles, or uneven skin, small eyes, small lips, acne, sensitivity, etc. But, the reality is we ALL have things we don’t like. I have never talked to anyone who’s told me that they are completely happy with everything about their physical appearance.

We only have one life, this is our body, this is our appearance, respect it, embrace it.

Proverbs 31:3

Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.

What it means: Beauty fades with age, so if you are more concerned with your outer appearance, you will be unhappy when the wrinkles come and the number on the scale goes up. In fact, did you know that your body may show the beginning signs of aging as early as age twenty? That is why God wants us to “fear” Him. That doesn’t mean to be afraid of Him but rather to be in awe of Him and all that He has done. Let me put it to you this way. If you stand two girls next to each other and one is Miss Teen USA whose beauty is limited to physical beauty, and the other young lady is a more average-looking girl who loves the Lord more than anything, she is the more beautiful girl in the eyes of God.

I found this explanation at:

http://www.focusonthefamily.com/parenting/sexuality/preventing_the_sexualization_of_your_daughter/what_the_bible_says.aspx

Love,

Lauren

Kenya Beauty…

Image via Wikipedia

Hi Everyone!

I need to get back into the swing of things with writing posts. I have been meaning to share with you all some things that I learned about “beauty” while I was in Kenya.

I had a wonderful opportunity to talk to several women. But, one woman in particular I got to have a sit down interview with and we talked about all things “beauty” Kenya style. Here are bits and pieces from our interview. Enjoy!

Name : Molline Mwangi

Education: Graduated from Daystar University in Community Development and a minor of Psychology. Went on to start a fashion school and is currently enrolled there.

Molline seemed to really have an interest in beauty, fashion and designing. She told me that many of her inspirations for clothing and designs come from nature. She also get’s inspiration from magazines, tv, internet, current trends and other things around her. One of the main goals at the fashion school she goes to is to create pieces that are comfortable, stylish and yet suitable for an African climate.

When I asked her “in her opinion” to place these three in order of importance for a Kenyan woman out of makeup, hair, fashion she said:

1. Fashion

2. Hair

3.Make-up

(Molline also listed “skin” and how the skin looks is more important to most women she knew than make-up was.) I find this very fascinating.

I had an extensive talk with Molline about skin. She told me that many girls/women are turning to lightning creams and lotions to try to get their skin-tone the shade that they’d like it to be. I asked her where she thought that these women get the ideas to change their skin color. She said, “t.v, internet, music videos, celebrities.” It’s very interesting to me how women in western culture like to “tan” their skin to make it look darker, and in Africa and other countries women are trying to “lighten” their skin. (We all should be happy with what we were given!)

Molline said many women will pay pretty good money to get weaves, extensions etc done to their hair and that make-up was not as important or desirable. The popularity of make-up in Kenya did not seem to be what it is here in the U.S.

I don’t know a lot about beauty and fashion in Kenya or in Africa on a whole. But, it was very fun to talk to several women while I was there. It was a pleasure to interview a fashion student Molline and I will continue to be interested in beauty culture around the world.

Love LO

Nairobi Church Services and Inspiring Faith

Hi!

One of the most amazing things about this trip was to be amongst great people. Almost everyday we met between 5-15 new people. So each day we were communicating from people from all over. Some of the students that go to Daystar are from surrounding places, Uganda, Congo, Tanzania, Etc.

A special thanks to Jan Korbel and Frank Msambya who work for Daystar U.S in Nairobi. They were amongst the first people we met and the last people we were with before we left. They helped us feel welcome. Jan drove us around, planned our meetings and invited us into her home for dinner. We were very blessed to have such wonderful company.

I think the thing I was most excited about was meeting so many Christians in Kenya. Many of those that we met with had a real LOVE for Jesus and a real passion to do his His will. I was inspired by the dedication, commitment and zeal the students and alumni of Daystar had for going to school and doing really great things throughout Africa.

When we asked current students about their dreams and goals after college they were all very courageous , heart tugging dreams. I could tell that most of these students were very sincere in how they wanted to do good things in their home countries and were very thankful for their education

We attended 2 church services and 2 chapel’s while in Kenya. One thing I truly admire is the music! So much vigor, so much life, excitement and passion is behind a lot of the praise music in church’s in African culture. I love that!!! Singing, dancing, lots and lots of praise and excitement. I wish more churches in the U.S had that much “life” in their praise music!

Little boy who danced in the isle through the whole worship!

LOVE LAUREN.

 

 

 

 

Kibera Slum, Nairobi, Kenya

Hi Everyone,

I think yesterday was one of the most difficult days since we have been here. We spent the day going into the Kibera Slum which is in Nairobi, Kenya. Kibera is one of the largest slums in Africa and within it live about 1 million people. It’s size is only about 1 mile long by about 1 1/2 mile wide.

Small tin “homes” line the streets crammed side by side, dirt street paths, trash thrown in mounds and mounds and people, animals and livestock everywhere. The smell is such that burns your nose it is so strong of garbage and air pollution. I found this to be the hardest part about being there.

Trash piles in the Kibera Slum, Nairobi

We went to spend time with small kids from the slums. We went to watch and spend time with these children, to just be with them. And, we brought bibles for each student above 6 .

Porridge food for kids at school.

The whole reason we got to go to this school is a man named Peter Karanja who is a Daystar school graduate. One of the wonderful things Peter is doing with his education is helping these children in the Kibera slum. It was a blessing to get to witness God’s provision through watching these children laugh and play together, get a good lunch,  clap and sing.

Peter Karanja in the front of classroom

I think pictures can say many things words can’t. And, I’d love to show you all the many many photos of Kibera and the children I took. But, I will have to do that when I get back.

Out of the many things I experienced in Kibera the Kids are what will stay in my mind. The young 11 year old girl who came up to me and wanted to shake my hand…asked politely my name, and exclaimed , “You came all the way from the U.S to Kibera! Thank you Thank you, you are good people”. I tear up thinking about that.  Or, the way the kids ate so quickly and so determined as if that might be there last meal of the day. Or, the many scripture verses , songs, and praises they had memorized and sang for Jesus. Or, the excitement in receiving their own bible.

At a later time, I’d be happy to write more about our experience.

Royce and I with some of the children...

Love,

Lauren