My Vegas Looks

Christina Clark - Miss Washington

Boos, Betting, and Beauty Queens-

What to wear and my style in Vegas...this trip is some work and some fun. I will be doing make-up for Christina Clark our very own Miss Washington representative...I blogged about that before, and lots more to come!   It is super hot in Vegas but we are inside for 90% of the time....sooooo that leaves some challenges with trying to figure out what to wear and how to do my make-up and hair.


Best of Miss USA



First of all...I am a fan of some make-up at the pool and lightly styled hair.  I am not a fan of baseball hat and bare face.  (Not at 34 years old unless you have completely flawless skin and stand out features).  Here are the few things that are a beauty must for me before a trip to Vegas...

1. Flawless Airbrush Tan - obviously
2. Tinted Brows - mine are super blond so I need them to be darker to frame my face
3. Threading - I get my whole face threaded because I don't like the little baby blond hairs
4. Brazilian - obviously
5. Hair Color - I am bleach blond so I always get the same kinda color, but if you are more brunette you may want to get very subtle highlights
6. Lash Extensions - I wrote about this in my last blog..they are necessity for me
7. Pedicure - never go on any vacation without getting your toes done...and if you are too busy go to the airport early and get them done in the airport.  Butter London!



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Nude Shoes from Michael Kors



That is my list of beauty treatments that I will be scheduling over the next week before my trip.  Now there are a few fashion requirements too when you go down there...


1. Nude Shoes - any kind, wedges, strapy heels, peep toe patent leather, whatever but you need nude heels




Sun Qt Zebra Long



2. Flowy looks - dress or shirt or skirt...something in a silk chiffon style fabric
3. Sunglasses - as my girl Chanel told me not white, but a beige or light pair of glasses (everything is very light and breezy this year)


4. Swimwear and Cover -up - You know I will be bringing 1 swim suite and probably 3 cover-ups because they are my favorite part of being at the pool!!!  And I finally get to show them off.




All White



5. White - I love all white outfit, anything shorts and a button down top, dress, pants and a tank.  Anyting all white and then accessorize with color

Here is a list of the must buy or bring for my skin and hair...

1. Bronzer Bronzer Bronzer - I like to have a face bronzer with no shimmer in it for my cheeks and hair line and a bronzer for my body with a a little shimmer for my shins and color bones
2. Self Tanner - even though I get a spray tan before I leave I usually touch up the tan before I go to bed each night just on my decollete and shins and face
3. Peachy lip moisturizer - this will keep my lips hydrated and give me a little color
4. Sunscreen - you need sunscreen all the time when walking around or at the pool
5. Moisturizer - I even shave with hair conditioner to keep my skin hydrated...all of that recycled air conditioning and alcohol will dry out all your skin

There will be more blogs about some of these products and services that I get done as I get prepared.  Make sure to check out the blog about Lashes..it is the best one to see a before and after!

Sun Qt Full Skirt

New Team Photos

The Flawless Team recently did a photo shoot witht he fabulous Jerry and Lois Photography.  I had an idea of what I wanted, and of course since Jerry and Lois are mind readers as well as fantastic photographers they got it just right. 

Just wanted to share them with my Flawless Family first.

Our first shot was an attempt at the "Real Housewives" pose...what do you think? You all now know what a huge Real Housewives fan I am since my recent introduction to Gretchen Rossi!   It is a toss up now with my favorite RH...Beverly Hills or OC?   I relate way more to OC because Kirkland is a little tiny OC!

Our attempt at this similar look is done with our gold compacts and I liked the mirror facing out since we are all about doing make-up the way our clients want it done, not what we love or think is beautiful.  Not that we are against giving advice and suggestions, but we are strickly about making a "Flawless You".   I am really happy with how it all turned out, and I cant wait for all the branding to be done so I can have my parties and introduce all of what we have done to our fabulous clients.

Real Artists of Flawless Beauty Bars

The next shot was my own creation. Origionally I was thinking that I wanted it to be "Charlie's Angels"...but it turned into something a little differet, but it is by far my favorite!  Make sure to like us on Facebook, you will be the first to know all the details about the upcoming parties.  Three major events are on the books and we want you to be there!

The Flawless Beauty Bar Team

Lash Extentions - What I really think

Full Face

Lash Extensions...to do or not to do!  Well for me they are a must, I am totally addicted!  However, having said that, they are extremely expensive and a luxury that I would probably not be able to justify if I was not in the beauty industry.

I  have been going to Eye Candy in Kirkland for over a year now, and what I love about them is that I can call almost last minute to get in (that tends to be the state of my schedule).  I don't like needing to schedule too far in advance and then have to cancel...so since they have several people there who do great work I can almost always get in with someone same day or next day.

Lashes Before

There is a new place in Bellevue that lots of people are talking about ...Noir Lash Bar.  They are very inexpensive and from what I understand they do a good job.  Here is what I found out about their system...they will do a full set of lash extensions and then after just two fill appointments they require you to take off your extensions (I guess they do it for you) and get a brand new set.  So I don't know that the cost is really that much less.  Plus if you happen to get a fill somewhere else and then come into Noir they will make you get a full new set of their lashes.  For me it is just not worth the time it takes to remove my set and get a new one.

• New set around $75
• Fills $40

I pay a little higher price in Kirkland for the convenience and their willingness to continue to just do fills or half fill if I am going out of town and just need a touch up.  I love that option.

• New set around $150
• Fill $65
• Half Fill $35

Lashes After

So today as I am in need of almost a full new set of lashes, I have taken before and after pictures for you to see just what they look like.

I have also found out from the lash technicians that it depends a lot on your own lashes.  Often you must have good lashes for the extensions to bond and lay properly.  I don't have long natural lashes but they are fairly full and they are even so the extensions go on well.  I also get mine done very very long, because I am a "more is more" kinda girl!  I request 13 and 14 length lashes...I don't know what that refers to but I know that is how they tell the size.  Most people would do 10 and 11 for a natural look;)

As always follow me on Twitter and I will report any specails I find at any of the businesses I blog about, as well as my reviews of new places.  If you want to check out the videos reviewing or trying different products as well as "How To" Video's make sure to sign up for our You Tube Channel.

Best Happy Hour

Favorite Kirkland Happy Hour Spots...

"These are a few of my favorite things"... Happy Hour with my girlfriends in my lovely town of Kirkland on a sunny day, good wine with a beautiful view, and delicous food near a warm fireplace when its raining.

I thought about this today because it was such a beautiful day and I cant wait to go sit outside with a crisp glass of Sauvignon Blanc and some Ahi Tuna and a Hummas Platter. So I am going to list a few of my favorite spots where and why.

All of these go perfectly after you get your Happy Hour Flawless Make-up Application any Fridays!


Bin on the Lake -
A fabulous deck on the water with soft seating (that is my absolute favorite). Bin is upstairs from the Woodmark Hotel in Carillon Point and has an amazing view of the Marina as well as delicous food. The prices are a little high so I wouldn't go unless it is Happy Hour...but I love the atmosphere.

All wines listed below are 50% off during Happy Hour
Sunday – Thursday 4-6 PM & 8-9 PM
Friday – Saturday 9-10 PM**

***My Favorites - Cloudy Bay, Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough, NZ $16

Bar Bites
50% off all Bar Bites during Happy Hour
Sunday – Thursday 4-6 PM & 8-9 PM
Friday – Saturday 9-10 PM*
***My Favorites Bin House Ground Beef Sliders
Harissa Ketchup, Pickles, Lettuce, Red Onion $14


Milagro Cantina -
Amazing Mexican food with a twist...not typical Mexican food, but delicous with some lighter options available. My favorite is the Mahi Mahi Taco and the Apple Shrimp Salad. It is a perfect size and still filling. The fish taco isn't on the Happy Hour Menu, but the chicken, beef, and sweet potatoe options are and they are just as fabulous. They have a huge selection of Tequila...I am not a huge Tequila drinker so I always go straight to Patron...but for those of you who are they have a ton!

Happy Hour
Seven Days A Week: 3p - 6p | Late Night: 9p to close

CHILE SPICED PAPAS FRITAS
Seasoned fries with chipotle jalapeno aioli and spicy ketchup

GUACAMOLE
Avocado, roasted poblano peppers, garlic, tomatoes & cotija cheese

SINGLE TACOS
Select from pork al pastor, beef barbacoa, chicken verde, or butternut squash

BACON WRAPPED SLIDER DOG
Pico de gallo, pickled jalapenos, & crema

CHORIZO STUFFED WINGS
Housemade chorizo stuffed chicken wings with spicy mojo aioli

CRISPY BATTERED SHRIMP
Fried shrimp with green chile aioli and chipotle jalapeno mayonnaise

MILAGRO CAESAR SALAD
Grilled romaine, pickled jalapenos, chile spiced croutons, cotija cheese, & ancho caesar dressing

CALAMARI
Fried masa crusted squid with crispy fried jalapenos and green chile aioli

PENN COVE MUSSELS
Steamed with dry-cured chorizo, shaved garlic, habanero chile, cilantro, crema, & grilled bread

AHI TUNA TOSTADAS
Chile spiced seared ahi tuna with guacamole, cucumber, jalapeno vinaigrette, and toasted pumpkin seeds

HAMBURGUESA MILAGRO
Chorizo spiced burger with crispy bacon, jack cheese, guacamole, pico de gallo, lettuce, and chipotle jalapeno sauce on a grilled bun. Served with chile-seasoned fries


Hectors new patio area -
I am not really a huge fan of Hectors food, so honestly I just go for a bite and a drink. I really love the patio area tho because you can people watch ALL of Kirkland. They have a decent drink selection and a few options on the menue that are work...pizzetta. You absolutely cant beat the patio people watching tho...and it looks like they might even be expanding it further for the summer.

HAPPY HOUR AT HECTOR'SMonday - Friday: 3:00 pm to 6:00 pm

$4.00 OFF
Any of the
ALL DAY STARTERS

Those are my favorite hot spots during this upcoming summer. All of them very close to Flawless...so you can always get your make-up done first and then head over to happy hour at one of these Kirkland Favorites, and after I am done with work. I will see you there!!!

My upcoming trip to Miss USA. I have never been to a national beauty pageant and of course what better place to go to for your first one then Vegas!

How it all began...a good friend of mine the darling Christina Clark I met thru Sea Gal Auditions back in 2007. She was so sweet and beautiful that I should not be surprised that she was chosen to represent our State on a national level! We have remained friends even after her Sea Gal carrer ended. She has done many amazing things since then, one of which was win Miss Washington...her very first pageant ever! She came to me asking for sponsorship for Miss Washington USA pageant. I dont know much about the Beauty Pageant industry so I didn't get back to her in time so when she went on to win...she gave me another chance to sponsor her and be involved Since then we have been doing the tanning and make-up and some of her attire for the Road to Miss USA.

The sponsorship basically means that I get the opportunity to do her make-up and sunless tanning during her reign as Miss Washington as well as when she goes down to Las Vegas for the main event!

Since I also have a line of Swimsuit cover-ups Sun Qt...soon to be available on Etsy but right now in Flawless Beauty Bars exclusively (I have talked about them before) shown here....she will be wearing some of them at the pool and getting some photos taken in them. I am so excited to see those pictures and that she has chosen our attire to wear at such a special event! We will be picking out the perfect ones later today.

I was thrilled with the chance to work with her again and excited to see what it is all about. I am tired just thinking about all the things she has to commit to doing just as Miss Washington, so I cant imagine all her obligations once she is Miss USA (and I know she will win)! Christina has been kind enough to do many photo shoots for me some even with her crown on:)!!! (I got to see it in person it is quite sparkly) She has tweeted about me and posted countless times on Facebook for me. I cant wait for my trip and I will of course be bringing you all my photos and a video blog during the entire time I am there.

The Miss USA Pageant starts May 30th in Las Vegas at the Planet Hollywood Hotel and Casino. There is a preliminary round and then the top 10 go on to compete in the finals that is broadcast live world wide on Sunday May 3rd.

Everyone must vote for her as much as 10 times per day on Miss USA Official Website! We need our state to finally be recognized for the beauty we have here (both inside and out).

Keep posted as I fill you in on all the other exciting stuff that she will be doing as and how Flawless will be involved. Watch our Flawless You Tube Chanel for videos of my time with Tina at the upcoming Pageant. As well as other tips and tricks of the trade.

Gretchen Rossi comes to Flawless!!! I am such a huge Real Housewives fan...you will see this in my next blog when you see our new team photos;) Anyway, this past Saturday was such a busy busy day for us and I was off site at weddings, Mothers Day events, among other things. I got a call from one of our fabulous tanning technicians (Mieka, you will meet her and her mom soon)...she said that a client called asking if we would be willing to use a tanning solution that they bring in with them??? Strange! But, of course our number one priority is to make sure our clients are happy and taken care of so, "of course we can" Mieka told the client. When we went to book the client and take her name she said Gretchen. Mieka is such a huge "Real Housewives" fan that she didnt even have to ask her last name she just put her in the books and said "thank you we will see you soon"!

I was super dissapointed that I was not going to be there when Gretchen came in for a tan, but I knew she would be in good hands! Gretchen came in our studio with Slade and decided to give our fabulous One Hour Tanning Solution a try. She had to shower and be ready for her event that night in just a few hours. She loved the color and the application!!! I saw her later that night and she looked gorgeous as always and was thrilled with her tan! While Slade chatted with our high school seniors getting their make-up done for Prom that day.

I got my chance to meet Gretchen and thank her in person later that night at the fabulous event, Firefighters Lifeline Charity! I have been to this fundraiser before, and actually a few years ago we agreed to airbrush tan all the firefighters who were in the calendar (that was a fun evening). Firefighter's Lifeline Foundation is a newly formed charitable organization established to raise funds for a large number of local and national charities as well as provide financial assistance to families in need within the State of Washington.

FLF has partnered with a local winery and they have agreed to produce a high quality wine and put photographs of local firefighters on each bottle. I love this idea!

I feel so lucky to have such an amazing team and we are thrilled to now have Gretchen Rossi as part of our Flawless Family! Gretchen normally travels with her own airbrush tanning system and solution (Slade carries it on the plane for them...note to Ryan my husband). She usually only trusts her own solution and Slade's application (we all know airbrush tanning can go terribly wrong if done poorly)... however this trip she had forgotten her gun and she trusted us and our team to apply it this time!

Thank you, Real Housewives...we are lifetime fans now!

Proper Way to Contour

Contouring the Face -

I have so many clients coming in to get their make-up done and all they want to know is how to give themselves more contoured or angled features. Popular features to contour are the Nose, Cheek bones, and Jaw line.


THIS IS NOT THE SAME AS BRONZING!!! (A post all about Bronzing will be coming in the near future) You should not use your bronzer to contour! You should also be very very careful with highlighters. We will discuss Highlighting in this blog post too!

There is a video up on our You Tube Chanel showing exactly what to do. Step by Step.

Step 1.) Moisturize the face any of your favorites...but I love Strobe Cream by MAC it gives my skin a fresh dewy look!

Step 2.) Prime the skin...my favorite I have talked about before is Smashbox Photo Finish Primer

Step 3.) Foundation, of course we use Temptu Airbrush Foundation...but there are a lot of amazing products out there...we recommend NO MINERAL make-up. It tends to reflect funny in light and on camera

Step 4.) Find the area below your cheek bone! This will be where you want to start the cheek contour. Start at the hairline and lay the angled brush (thick side at the hair line) and follow down to below where your cheek bone naturally ends....Blend and Blend and Blend

Step 5.) Contour the side of the nose if desired. Use the same medium color contour and pinch the brush together so that it has a very small thin surface. Start at the inner corner of the eye by they eye brow and follow the side of the nose down...then repeat on the other side...the Blend Blend Blend

Step 6.) Highlight...dust the shading color off your brush and start with the highlight color. Apply above the apples of the cheek blending from the apples up to the outer corner of the eye...below where you would do concealer but above where you would put blush.

Step 7.) Highlight the top of the nose using the same technique as the sides, pinch the brush so that it is narrow surface and trace right down the very top of the nose with the highlight color.

Step 8.) Continue to blend out the Shading and the Highlight...apply the rest of your make-up like normal

Everything about Highlight and Contour should be where there are natural shadows and natural light on the face...you are just enhancing those areas!


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Allure Magazine!

Flawless Beauty Bars will be featured in Allur Magazine this June!

And you are going to be the first to see what might be the photo chosen for the feature! We are thrilled to celebrate that Flawless Beauty Bars was chosen by a random secret shopper to be featured as the premiere place in Washington to get a Sunless Tan (airbrush tanning, spray tanning...whatever you want to call it these days).

I got an email from Allure, sort of suprised I didn't delete it right away because I though it was probably junk-mail. However, I read that we are going to be featured in the June edition and "please send us photos of you doing the tanning or your tanning room/equipment". Well....I did a little research and I realized that the photos they choose as the ones featured in the magazine are of really pretty girls getting the tan done (my favorite model, Shelby). I had less than 2 days to pull this together so I contacted one of my go-to photographers Jerry and Lois Photography (they do great work) and they came over the very next day. We waited for my lovely model to be out of high school...hahaha. And we got to work. It only took about 15 shots to get the right ones and we sent them off the next day. (Jerry and Lois edited and uploaded high resolution shots over night!) WOW!!!

I got an email about 2 weeks later that one of our images was chosen for the article. So coming this June along with our big Name Change and Re-Branding comes an amazing feature in Allure Magazine and our lovely model Shelby.

You get to see the photo here first! Make sure to pick up June edition of Allure Magazine to see the review!

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New Business Name and Logo

Our new name, logo, and branding!

I have had this business for 4 years now, and finally realized that I can't do all of this myself. Weird! To take my business to the next level I was going to have to hire a team to put together the plan and put it into!

How in the world am I going to pay for all of this?

Who am I going to hire and how do I know they will do a better job then I can on my own?

What if it doesn't work?

These were all questions that were keeping me up at night...but I have finally put my fears to rest and started down the path of rebranding my business using actual professionals who know what they are doing!!!



Step one bring on my SEO (Search Engine Optimizer), this is a person who knows what Google is thinking, how it works, and how to make it work for you! I of course thought that when I put up a website that all of a sudden my phone would start to ring...ummmmmmmmm Nope! The search engines are a confusing maze and require constant attention and manipulation. So you really need an expert working for you specifically to be able to keep up at the front of the pages. Nobody and I mean nobody goes past the first page of Google looking for beauty services or products in their area! It is crucial I am at least number 1 (I am now number 1, 2, 3, and probably more depending on the word choices). Thanks Rob!!! Find out more about how to make your business #1 on Google with Rob Walzer.


Step two bring on a Branding Expert. I choose a friend of mine of course. Not only do I want to support my friends and small businesses, but she is also amazing at her job! I had always chosen what I liked....not what my clients liked or wanted in terms of branding (that includes wording, names, logos, colors, and images). Great idea if I am the only client! Fae helped me hold a branding workshop with clients and friends to find out what people actually want to see. I will have an entire post about the branding workshop later next week as we roll out all the brand changes. Basically I found out a lot about my business and what people want to see. It was a fun event, very informative and I found out that my business fits in the Archetype of "Innocent" along with famous brands such as Coca-Cola and Dove! Crazy. Find out more about Fae and all her projects and then hire her! Facebook her!


Step three, hire a social media manager! She will make you do things like blog everyday!!! She will also help manage and teach you how to manage your Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Pinterest, and Blog accounts. Making sure that all these sites are working together to drive internet traffic to your website or wherever you want people to go. Genius! I started out doing all of this myself just like my website, and quickly realized that if I was going to stay married and sane I was going to have to figure out another way! Queue, Devani Freeman...whenever I mention her name someone says "oh ya, I think I know her or I see her stuff on Facebook"...BINGO! That is what I want to hear when I mention my social marketing manager and coach. Bad sign if no one has ever heard of of your "social" media expert! Another posting later about Devani and how amazing she is and what she can do for you...if social media is taking over your life, you need to watch for that positing. Find Devani at Devani Freeman.




Last Step...Introduce the team and the new business name and logo to the world! We are so excited to actually get to the fun part. Introducing the logo and new name to our clients and then of course throwing parties to celebrate it!!! More posts about our upcoming parties and events soon too! Stay tuned!


Here is the new and improved "Flawless Beauty Bars"

New Makeup Obsession

My new obsession....Coral! I can not seem to get enough coral in my life right now. Maybe it is because we live in grey Seattle ad it is a pop of color or maybe it is because blonds look really good in coral when they have a tan. For whatever reason my favorite thing for summer is coral, in fashion as well as make-up and nail polish. So when you are trying new summer looks, try a coral/ peechy blush not the normal pinks for summer time. It tends to look best with a tan, so of course find you favorite sunless tanning studio...get a little glow and then use a beautiful coral blush and peech lip gloss. A few of my favorite products are...

MAC Blush - Style

Bronzer - Norvel Bronzz (it has it's own brush too!) I have used Nars Orgasm for years...but it was very shimmery and in my 30's (mid 30's now) and shimmer is not good! Especially when I have large pores oround my nose and cheeks and anywhere near wrinkles arond my eyes. Ladies...be very very careful with the shimmer. A much better option is dewy opalecent effect that something like

MAC Strobe Cream has on the face. It is so much softer and it can be used as a moisturizer as well.

Pop on some lovely peechy lip gloss, my favorite right now is Watermelon by Smashbox. Add a little mascara and you have an amazing summer look with flawless glowing skin!
You can get myy favorite make-up tips of the day by following me on Twitter. See some of my work and my "How to" videos on Flawless You Tube channel.