#LiveAspireBlog #2 + How Alison Morgan & Connie Chapman build and grow their online businesses

Can you believe that we are already 1/3 through the second quarter of 2013? Unbelievable. After a shitty 2012, I am determined in making 2013 a better one and hoping to cross out at least 70% of my lists of goals by the end of this year..

Hence, spending an entire Sunday with a bunch of inspiring women, churning out random ideas and connecting random dots together over martini is exactly what I needed after my pretty damn hectic weekend which started since Thursday. (More on that in my next #ThroughBeautyEyesSocialDiaries wrap up).

That being said, I attended the second #LiveAspireBlog event at IKU WholeFoods in Darlinghurst.

(You can read about the first #LiveAspireBlog event HERE)

As opposed to merely just a networking meet up, the second #LiveAspireBlog was even better with inspiring speeches from Alison Morgan, the Director of Relauncher, an Australian destination that encompasses all areas of the expanding health, beauty and wellness industries and Connie Chapman, a certified Life Coach on how they build and their grow their online businesses.

Here are a few takeaways from the amazing ladies for those of you who have missed it (because I am awesome like this :P):

IF YOU WANT IT, YOU GOTTA WORK HARD FOR IT. 

It wasn't an overnight success for both Alison and Connie. They were once amateur too. They are where they are today through hard work, dedication and passionate about what they do. 

"If someone tells you it is easy, RUN" an epic quote from Jack Delosa. 

See what these successful entrepreneurs have in common? YOU JUST GOTTA FUCKING WORK FOR IT! #period

Alison Morgan

BE FLEXIBLE.

Just because you have a million-dollar business plan, if you aren’t flexible, it is not going to work. With the dynamic and everchanging business environment, you need to be able to adapt and follow your heart. Alison’s business today is a complete 180degrees change from her original business plan.

CUSTOMERS, CUSTOMERS, CUSTOMERS

Always strive to provide great customer services, connect with your readers and customers and listen to what they want. Isn’t that what the whole new media/ digital marketing is all about? You really have no excuses not to engage with your customers. Fun fact, a substantial portion of Relauncher’s sales is made through Instagram.

Connie Chapman

TAKE THE RISK AND TAKE THE LEAP 

There will never be the “right” time for you to quit your comfortable 9-5 job and be your own boss. It’s all about taking chances. If consistent income is your main concern, take up a casual or part time job as your safety blanket! “You will never arrive”, said Connie.

ONLY TAKE ADVICE AND SHARE YOUR IDEAS WITH PEOPLE WHO ARE ON THE SAME PAGE AS YOU ARE 

If you are sharing your new ideas/ light bulb moments with a co-worker who’s happy with his/ her 9-5 corporate job and has no interest in entrepreneurship, chances are – your potentially great idea Is probably going to get shut down.

Damn straight, sista! In this recent post, I vowed to get rid of the negative people in my lives and surround myself around with more inspiring people and it is going great so far! TRUST ME, it really helps when you’re feeling unmotivated and on the verge of giving up!  I have taken my first steps by being part of #LiveAspireBlog and also dedicated an entire Saturday to The Entourage Unconvention to learn more about entrepreneurship. I hope you have taken your first step out of your comfort zone too! If you are naturally shy or getting butterflies, Katherine from Through My Looking Glass has some pretty good tips for you on how to network #likeaboss. 

Jess from LiveHealthySimply, Connie Chapman, Alison Morgan & Ursula from The Aspirer.

Thank you for yet another inspiring and lovely weekend ladies!!! 

I am already looking forward to the next event! 

Looking to more of these networking events in Sydney but you missed out on the first two due to commitments? Fret not! Jess & Ursula had release the  #LiveAspireBlog dates for the remaining of the year!

The dates are: 26th May, 30th June, 11th August, 22nd September and 24th November! 

 Start bookmarking your diary now just so you aren't missing out! 

PS: Remember how I said my enthusiasm for make up isn’t as strong as before? Well, I lied. I got myself a few goodies during Priceline 40% cosmetics sales! (More on that in the next post :P) 

Hope you had some useful takeaway from this wrap up of mine!

HAPPY FRIDAY LOVELIES AND HAVE A LOVELY WEEKEND! 

(Having to go back to work after a Thursday public holiday is just plain cruel.)

XOXO,

A

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Through Beauty Eyes 2.0 and #LiveAspireBlog

HOWDY!

As mentioned in my New Years Resolutions post , 2013 is about figuring out the direction of my career, this blog and life in general! I'm proud to say that it's going well thus far. I have been spending more time reading coaching, inspirational self help, careers (mainly women focus) blogs (all of which I used to think was bullshit) and they really help and my perspectives have changed so much since then! While I'm still a LONG way to go but I am definitely closer to where I want to be! 

So, I don't think I have ever went through my history of blogging. 

ThroughBeautyEyes is turning 3 this April, but I started blogging back in 2006 - being the rebellious 18 year old I was, I need a place to release my teen frustration and rants. Then, it evolved into a VERY personal blog throughout my university life, which talks about everything from my exam & assignment stress (PFFFT, those were NOTHING compared to the quarter life crisis I'm facing now) to issues with my room mate when I first moved out on my own, heartbreaks & crushes, crazy parties and events I attended (Looking back at those photos, I wonder how did I cope with partying for 3 consecutive days) and my battle with food, losing weight, fitness, bullemia (all of which will be revealed at Eat This Burn That soon! Head over to my ETBT FACEBOOK PAGE and "Like" it to keep yourself updated!) - just anything under the sun really!  

Through Beauty Eyes was born approximately three years ago when I decided to shut my personal blog with the fear that my potential future employer is able to track down all my crazy shenanigans, my hot crush of the week, my angry moments...on the World Wide Web. Yet, I wasn't ready to give up blabbing about random stuff online. And BAM - ThroughBeautyEyes was created. It became a platform for me to express my passion and love for make up/ beauty products and to share my cheap and awesome finds (who doesn't like the #winning feeling of snatching a good bargain?) - hence, the name "beauty". I talk, blog, rave about my favourite lipstick colours (which changes every couple of days. I know.), my new FOTD, the new dupe I discovered - all things related to beauty. 

However, beauty in my eyes has now gone beyond just lipstick, eyeshadows and blushes. Don't get me wrong, I'm still very much in love with my beauty products. Heck, I even painted my nails despite a broken finger (much to the amusement of my physiotherapist and many friends). Beauty in my eyes consists of appreciation of simple pleasures in life such as a good brunch spot, a cup of good coffee, a bottle of good wine, cool pubs and bars, fashion, health and fitness (@EatThisBurnThat) - just anything that makes me happy! 

So, do expect new features and more beauty unrelated stuff in this space! Its going to be a slow evolution as I'm still trying to "soul search", reevaluating stuff and tweak what's right for the blog! This is probably why my updates have been sporadic and inconsistent over the past few months. I could blame it on my injury, my work, being "flat out"...But these excuses are getting stale and IF I really want to, I would have been able to find time for to update. 

Ok, enough of babblings!Me thinks its time for some visual and fun stuff! I mean, a blog post is incomplete without pictures, don't you agree?

So, as part of my "branching out from beauty" initiatives, I decided to RSVP to the Blogging & Entrepreneurs #LiveAspireBlog Meet Up organised by the lovely and inspiring Jess from Live Healthy Simply and Ursula from The Aspirer last Sunday after finding out about it from Katherine of Through My Looking Glass!

 Definitely something new and never been done before.

 On the contrary to popular belief, I can be shy at times and maybe a tad socially awkward when it comes to networking events. #truestory

 Hence, I dragged along my partner in crime - Miss An Ly who has a lovely blog at Lemon Lime Glitters! 

The meet up was held at a vegan friendly cafe at Bondi Junction - Earth To Table which serves raw treats and superfoods! My advice is - don't underestimate these superfoods. A little go a LONG way! I could barely finish half a glass of my Raw Chocolate Superfood Smoothie with Maca, Goji and Lucuma (I think I will stick to #eatclean for now - superfood is a whole new level for me! Lol).

DELICIOUS & GUILT FREE treats!! 

Truth to be told, I was THIS close to bailing because weather was absolute rubbish on Saturday and the event starts at 9:30am (Yes, its almost unheard of that Adeline will be seen at 9:30am on a Sunday morning.) I am glad the angel side took over me that morning and rocked up instead. THANK GOD I DID. After meeting and speaking to the ambitious ladies with the same goals and objectives, I left feeling more inspired and recharged! 

"Do not expect positive changes in your life if you surround yourself with negative people" 

That statement could never be more accurate and spot on! I used to think it is bullshit and it's just another "life quote". But trust me, once you start hanging around like-minded people who strive towards the same direction as you, you will more motivated and hungry for success. 

The two lessons that I have taken away with me from that quick meet up were:

1. Never say never. You just gotta believe in yourself, believe that you can succeed and take the plunge. There will never be the right moment. So JUST DO IT.

2. Start screening the people you have been hanging around with and stay away from the negative people. They do more harm than good to any goals you have. You know those who doubt you the instant you tell them your ideas/ plans instead of providing constructive criticism? YES, THOSE. 

Being surrounded my inspiring people is simply amazing! It keeps me going whenever I am on the verge of giving up or having self doubt! Trust me, it really makes a difference! :)

I hope you guys are as excited as I am about the changes in the future! 

Let me know if there's any new features that you would love to see on Through Beauty Eyes! 

PHOTO CREDIT: Lemon Lime Glitters AND Through My Looking Glass

XOXO,

A

FOTD - HARAJUKU INSPIRED FT ILLAMASQUA HUMAN FUNDAMENTALISM COLLECTION

Happy hump day lovelies! 

As you may have noticed, ThroughBeautyEyes have been lacking posts in the beauty department as of late - as far as I can recall, the past few posts were update-related kinda pictureposts. It's time to bring the beauty stuff back, don't you think? I mean who am I kidding, one of the main reasons this space was created was to accommodate my never ending musings about beauty related stuff.

Without any further babbling ado, lets move on to my "Harajuku" inspired FOTD created using the Human Fundamentalism Collection by Illamasqua as the "main theme".

Before you start painting images of yours truly strolling down the street with some funky Harajuku outfit, STOP RIGHT NOW! Japanese fashion and I were never friends and I don't think we will ever be. The closest I can possibly get is probably "gyaru-inspired" make up. So, when Fashion Hayley needed someone to help her with her Harajuku - inspired shoot, I turned into my best friend - Google and Google told me "outrageous" and "out of the ordinary" were the key. So, BAM, a little mix and match here and the look is created. :)

Human Fundamentalism Collection by Illamasqua. 

The products used from this collection were:

*Skin Base Foundaton in Shade Au (which I mixed with it with my Skin Base Foundation)

*Fundamental Palette

The Fundamental Palette - used to express your alter ego. 

From Left to Right: 

- Powder Eyeshadow in Hype

- Matte Cream Pigment in Mint Green

- Powder Eyeshadow in Inception

- Liquid Metal in Molten Pewter

*Precision Ink in Scribe (anti-liner that acts a highlighter)

Scribe - The Anti-Liner. 

And also, someone outside of the Illamasqua family :P

The INGLOT Custom Eyeshadow Palette used to complement the Fundamental Palette.

STEP TO STEP TUTORIAL TO CREATE THIS HARAJUKU LOOK:

STEP 1: After priming your lid with your favourite eyeshadow primer (I used Urban Decay Primer Potion), apply Cream Pigment in Mint Green all over your lids.

STEP 2: Apply Hype on the 2/3 of your lid and a dark green/teal colour (I used my INGLOT Custom Eyeshadow Palette) on the remaining 1/3 of my lids. Use a blending brush, blend the 2 colours together to remove the harsh edges. 

STEP 3: Using an angled brush and Inception, gently draw a line along your crease, where your eye socket sinks in. 

STEP 4: Apply a matte coral-red eyeshadow (Once again, I used my INGLOT Custom Eyeshadow Palette) along your crease and blend it with the purple eyeshadow drawed earlier. 

STEP 5: Apply Precision Ink in Scribe on your lower lid.

STEP 6: Then, apply any purple gel/ liquid eyeliner you own ( I used Youngblood Incredible Wear Gel Liner in Black Orchid) under Scribe. Set the gel liner using Inception. 

STEP 7: Finally, using Milani Liquif'eye Metallic Eyeliner Pencil in Blue to line my lower lash line. 

You can either leave it as it is like the first picture above or you can add a final touch by adding a blue liquid eyeliner. Personally, I think the look is incomplete without lining my upper lash line. But whatever floats your boat really :D

 And finally, add a few generous coats of your favourite mascara. (I used Australis Voluptulash Mascara and Australis Killer Curves Mascara here - my all time favourite combo!) You may add some dramatic lashes here for a better effect but I was running out of time so I decided to give it a miss. 

V-O-I-L-A! The Complete Eye Look! 

Products on my FACE:

Illamasqua Skin Base Foundation in Shade 11

*Illamasqua Skin Base Foundation in Shade Au (the reason behind the dewy-bronzy look)

Illamasqua Powder Blush in Hush

Maybelline Instant Age Rewind In Nude

MAC Mineralised Skin Finish in Medium

*Jane Iredale In Touch Highligher in Complete

On my LIPS 

*Illamasqua Lipstick in Atomic 

Circle lenses worn here were from MUKUCHU* - EOS 201 2-Tone Toric Lenses in Blue. 

Here are a couple of outfit shots "styled" by Fashion Hayley:

It looks pretty "kawaii" in my opinion but definitely not something I would wear on a daily basis!

(Accessories are my own)

The entire outfit! :D

Got these burgundy booties from ZU for a steal of $30 when they were on sale! One of my best buys to date! Who says pretty stuff gotta be exy? :P

Hope you girls enjoyed this Harajuku inspired FOTD tutorial. 

It has been a while since I have a tutorial that sways away from the usual "safe" neutral colours. 

Do let me know if you would like me to do a detailed review or swatches on any of the products above! 

Are you a fan of the Japanese fashion? 

Have you created any "Harajuku-inspired" FOTD? 

Please share them, I would love to check it out. :)

Disclaimer: Products marked with asterick (*) were provided to me for consideration. I am in no way affiliated with any of the brands above, nor am I being compensated for this post or any sales made. All opinions stated are 100% honest. For more information, please review Through Beauty Eye's disclosure policies. 

XOXO,

A

FOTD Challenge - Mermaid Inspired Step-by-Step Tutorial

Finally, a FOTD post after my last FOTD post, which was over a month ago. #FailBeautyBlogger right here. And to be honest, these FOTD shots have been sitting in my Picasa Export folder for quite a while, probably growing fungus. And when I saw Sara-May's FOTD Challenge 1 - Mermaid Inspired on her spanking new site - Make Up Utopia (Go check it out ladies if you haven't already! It's fantabulous! :D), I knew straightaway that I no longer have any excuse to procrastinate further, even though I am still on vacation. #Dedication

So, before proceeding to a series of pik-chas, what first comes to your mind when you think about mermaid? For me, its something within the pink and purple family (the mermaid's top) with a hint of aqua blue (which represents the ocean).

Here is my take on the Mermaid-Inspired look I had on Melbourne Cup last year - with a combination of coral-red, violety-purple and aqua using my trusty INGLOT palettes. 

My beloved INGLOT palettes purchased during IMATS/ABBW2011

#1 - Matte coral-red 

#2 - Matte taupe-ish shade with purple undertone

#3 - Matte violet-y purple

#4 - Shimmery Champagne Pearl

#5 - Matte Aqua 

My apologies for the # identification as I do not have these palettes with me at the moment. Just leave me a comment or tweet me (@ThruBeautyEyes) if you would like the exact code for any colours above (This is WHY I absolutely hate number coded beauty products!)

Of course, natural-looking falsies to give a more dramatic effect. I know its an obvious contradiction there - I want the luscious lash effect without looking like a drag queen ( I had to work before lunch and hence over-dramatic make up is a big no no!) You wouldn't want an extremely dramatic, doll lashes which will probably steal the thunder of your eye make up by covering majority of them, would you?

So, HOW TO RECREATE THIS LOOK?

STEP 1: First and the most important step - PRIME YOUR EYE LIDS & LOWER LASHLINE. It ensures your eyeshadows stay on all day without creasing and increases the intensity of your colours, appearing more vibrant. [Urban Decay Primer Potion]

STEP 2: Apply a creme shadow base (of the similar colour you intend to apply all over your lid). This step is optional. However, I like to apply a layer of creme shadow of my lid colour to further increase the intensity of the colours. [MAC Paint Pot in Coral Crepe]

STEP 3: Apply Colour #1 over the 2/3 of your lid. (I gently pack on this colour rather than brushing it all over to avoid excessive fall outs as matte eyeshadows are generally chalkier than shimmery colours.)

STEP 4: Apply Colour #2 on the outer corner of your lid, creating a "V" shape and bringing it into the centre of my crease. 

STEP 5: Gently pack on Colour #3 at the "cross section" of Colour #1 and #2 to create a gradient, transitioning effect. 

STEP 6: Using a fluffy, blending brush, blend the three colours together to blend away all the harsh line. Feel free to go back and pack on the colours if the colours faded from the blending. Keep repeating until you reach the intensity you want. [Rae Morris #7" Deluxe Precision Shader]*

STEP 7: Once you're happy with Step 6, using a smaller blending brush, apply colour #4 on the inner corner of your crease and blend away. Don't forget to apply the same colour on the inner third of your lower lash line to brighten up the look. 

STEP 8: Line your lower lash line with a creamy aqua pencil liner and apply colour #5 to set the liner. [Milani Liquif'eye Metallic Eyeliner]

STEP 9: Don't worry, you're almost there! Line your upper lash line with your favourite gel liner, apply your favourite mascara before applying a natural-looking falsies. [Maybelline Studio Drama Lasting Gel Liner in Black]

It should look something like that now =P

PRODUCTS USED/ MENTIONED: 

EYES

Urban Decay Primer Potion

MAC Paint Pot in Coral Crepe

INGLOT Freedom Palette (Colours used as mentioned above)

Milani Liquif'eye Metallic Eyeliner

Maybelline Studio Drama Lasting Gel Liner in Black

Revlon Grow Luscious Pumping Mascara in Black*

Falsies

Shu Uemura Eyebrow Pencil in Hard

FACE

Maybelline FIT ME concealer in Light

Illamasqua Skin Base Foundation

Nude by Nature Mineral Powder in Medium*

Illamasqua Powder Blush in Lover*

Nude By Nature Mineral Bronzer*

MAC MSF in Candlelight

Nude By Nature Finishing Veil*

LIPS

Australis Colour Inject Mineral Lipstick in Hokey Pokey*

FINAL LOOK :D

Feather-y fascinator I wore that day along with my "cheating-put-your-hair-up-in-a-bun" curls.

A close-up of my fascinator. :)

Hope you enjoy and like this look! Let me know if you decide to try something similar! :)

What's YOUR interpretation on mermaid?

Have you created any mermaid-inspired look lately?

Do share below and on Make Up Utopia FOTD Challenge 1 - Mermaid Inspired. 

PS: Don't forget to enter my Kiwiberry Giveaway for a chance to win circle lenses, falsies and a 50% voucher HERE. 

PPS: My vacation is coming to an end soon. :( Missing Sydney but definitely not missing work! 

Disclaimer: Products marked with asterisk(*) were sent to me for consideration purposes and/or received as a gift from an event or in goodie bags. 

XOXO,

A

Holiday Special: TWO-TONE LIPS ft FoA Lip Quench & Lipliner Mechanical

Hey lovelies!

I am sure all of you are super excited about the upcoming Christmas and New Years. A much needed break – checked. Scrumptious meals – checked. Pressies – checked. Spending time with the loved ones – checked. There is really no reason not to be excited or looking forward to! J In terms of the make up department, bright, bold colours is almost essential to match up this jolly festive season! Whist I am a fan of both colourful and sultry, smokey eye looks, I am not particularly fond of overly-done eye looks in summer (albeit the term “summer” is highly debatable in Sydney right now, with the excessive rainfalls and lack of sunshine). Think: sweaty, make up melting and more sweat. GROSS.

Does that mean we gotta compromise and go with simple make up during Christmas and/or New Years? Heck, no!

All you need is a bright, bold lips to spice up the entire look. BAM!

Bold, red lips has always been a classic statement, regardless of the seasons. With a tad makeover and a little twist this season, the red lip is reinvented on the runway - from Givenchy’s Scarlet “Sparkle” to the 2 toned lips shown by Nanette Lepore to the dip-dyed lips. And today’s “Holiday Special” on Through Beauty Eyes is none other than the two-tone lips.

(Image credit: http://www.refinery29.com)

Two-Tone Lips — A red lip done with two complementary shades makes for a high-impact pout that's a surefire conversation starter. The trick to this look is picking two shades that are similar and have the same undertones, like a cool-toned red and a bright fuchsia. Swipe the darker color on your lower lip and the brighter hue on your top lip. To keep the colors from bleeding into each other, dust a bit of transpent powder on top, to finish.(http://www.refinery29.com)

Here is my take on the two-tone lips using Face of Australia Lip Liner Mechanical and Lip Quench Moisturizing Lipstick.

FoA LipLiner Mechanical in Pink

FoA LipLiner Mechanical in Red

FoA Lip Quench Moisturizing Lipstick in Malibu Barbie

FoA Lip Quench Moisturizing Lipstick in Power Surge

(I absolutely adore the Lip Quench Moisturizing Lipstick range!!! A more detailed review and swatches will be coming up on a separate post. :D)

The two-tone lips will definitely give you a twist to your usually red/ fuchsia lips, which is perfect for this festive season!! Why not step out of your usual comfort zone and try something different? You’d be surprised. :D

What’s your take on the two-tone lips? Is this your cup of tea?

Leave a link below if you have tried the two-tone lips. I would love to check it out.  J

XOXO,

A