I have always been fascinated by photography. I have spent countless hours studying photographs of people, while considering the angles, the lighting, and the editing the photographer used. I love the fact that photography has the amazing ability to transport us to a different time, or place with one single shot.
It was not until I started blogging that I decided to take photography more seriously. With camera in hand, I started experimenting with photographs of my apartment, of friends, and family. It was after experimenting in this way that I realized my passion for photography. I have no formal training or background in this field, but I realize that passion can open your eyes to the impossible, so not only did I invest in the proper equipment I also spent the necessary time to learn everything I could to enhance the skill it takes to be proficient with this passion.
I enjoy, and appreciate the opportunity to photograph bloggers, couples, influencers who make an impact in their profession, families, and also lifestyle type setting. I take an individual approach to each person I photograph. I make every effort to embrace and highlight the focus of what they are trying to convey to their audience with each session.
I look forward to working together and capturing the potential magnificence of your moments through my eyes and the lens of my camera.
After months of traveling with different climates, shampoos, and waters my hair is completely out of whack. I can’t even begin to describe the texture of what it is now. Possibly somewhere between straw and frizz. I had no idea the importance of knowing what kind of water is in which city. For example, in Dallas we have pretty soft water (great for skin and hair), in Paris the water was so hard you couldn’t help but take three minute showers to avoid pruning and dry hair, and in Nantucket the water was soft (which meant oily hair). Through all of these hair trials and tribulations I turned to one product I knew would handle the mess I was dealing with – Living Proof Humidity Shield. Before trying this product I read the reviews, which were mixed. Some said it made their hair feel weighted down, while others called it the, “miracle they had been waiting for.” I tend to agree with the latter. I actually used it when my hair was wet as a semi dry-shampoo situation and then sprayed it again when my hair was dry. It not only left my hair feeling amazing but it also tamed the crazy and lasted for days. And let me tell you, when you are dealing with unfamiliar circumstances the less you have to wash the better!
I am not sure if you battle the same hair fiascos when traveling but if you do this is one weapon I recommend throwing in your bags! I can’t explain the difference it made while plane hopping!
I battle with my skin. It is a love/hate relationship. I actually receive a handful of compliments regularly about my skin but deep down I feel completely different than what others must see. I see dry skin that is riddled with sun spots. And the older I get, the dryer it gets! My 13 year old self would have loved dry skin, but my 27 year old self hates it! And I know all too soon I am going to look back at my 27 year old skin and only wish I had it! Since I know the importance of skin maintenance (thanks mom) I wanted to make sure I am doing all I can to protect it.
When I travel my skin goes bonkers. And it doesn’t help that it is summer (which already brings other issues) and that the water in Paris is extremely hard (drying my skin out further). Because I believe I can’t be the only one with these issues I decided to interview Julie Lata, Chief Beauty Officer at Skintastic (my favorite Dallas beauty spot). Since Skintastic has transformed my skin over the past few months to dull and lifeless to radiant and glowing (dying to get back to Dallas for my microderm) I thought it was only fitting to get her to spill some beauty dish. And she did not disapoint! Wait until you read #3, #10, and #11!
What SPF do you recommend to block sun? Do you have a favorite brand? You need at least an SPF of 30 but, I recommend SPF 50. My favorite brand and our top selling sunscreen here at Skintastic are by Elta MD 50 SPF sport.
Is it a myth that past SPF 30 you aren’t blocking any more sun? There is much debate over this, here at Skintastic we do believe more is better because it gives longer protection. It is proven that SPF-30 protects against 97% of UVB rays however the duration is just as important. We educate our patients on how important it is to reapply to get the best SPF. This is more crucial than just concentrating on one number.
My skin is always dry in the summer, any at home remedies? For those who are tired of spending so much time and half of their income on cosmetic products, banana and yogurt are nature’s gifts. Mix mashed bananas with yogurt to form a paste. Apply this paste on the dry patches for half an hour and then rinse off with warm water. The mixture not only moisturizes the skin, but also exfoliates dead cells.
What would be your favorite product to add moisture to summer skin? Hands down Teoxane RHA Serum. It hydrates my skin like no other. Backed by 10 years of research, Teoxane’s patented RHA Resilient Hyaluronic Acid technology uses a process to create skin Hydrostasis, a long lasting hydrating matrix on the skin’s surface. This allows the skin to maintain hydration while delivering nutrients to the skin and reduces the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.
Do you recommend an eye cream if you are under 30? Yes, it is never too early. The earlier you start fighting against the aging process the easier it will be in the future.
What is your must have product this summer? Tan-lines and uneven color are always an issue in the summer for me so my must have product this summer is Laura Geller’s Baked Body Frosting. Baked Body Frosting is for whenever you want to show a little skin, and your skin deserves to be polished to perfection. A moisturizing, silky smooth powder that adds the warmth of bronze or pearly luminosity, to the body.
I also suffer from sun spots. Any tips on helping them and not making them worse this summer? The best treatment for sunspots is Fotofacials. This is an Intense Pulse Light laser (IPL) that brings up the darks spots and they literally flake off. Amazing treatment for sun spots!
What would you have told yourself at 27 about beauty products or routine? Use sunscreen every day. This is the easiest most basic way to combat the aging process. Studies show that 80-90% of onset aging is from sun exposure.
Stranded on an Island, what is one beauty product you can’t live without and why? I am going to go back to the Teoxane RHA Serum….It provides the hydration my skin needs to look bright and polished. I CANNOT live without this stuff! It has truly transformed my skin. It not only provides the much needed hydration, but the resilient Hyaluronic acid helps to plump my skin reducing fine lines and wrinkles. People ask my age all of the time and when I say I’ll be 40 this year they can’t believe it. I credit this product with my youthful look. This is something I never get tired of hearing.
If there was one treatment (non-invasive) you could get this summer what would it be? Cool Sculpting. Even the most active people have those stubborn little problem areas that they can’t get rid of on their body. Cool Sculpting’s unique technology uses controlled cooling to freeze and eliminate unwanted fat cells without surgery or downtime. The procedure is FDA-cleared, safe and effective. The best part is it only takes an hour in most cases.
Any fun or quirky beauty secrets you have or can share? Keep misbehaving brows in check. Let’s face it brows are everything this season. A trick I like to do for my new thick brows is spritz an old toothbrush or a clean mascara wand with hairspray then brush brows and style them as desired. Even the most hard to tame brows will fall in line with this trick.
There are two little known facts about myself which those closest to me know: I am extremely honest and if I want something I find a way to get it. I have never been afraid to try something and/or experiment. I still remember wanting a certain type of hair treatment and finding it on groupon. When I arrived at the salon the owner greeted me and proceeded to chat about weed and the art of cornrows for the duration of the treatment. While this wasn’t an experience I would recommend to you all, there is one I would. A few weeks ago I decided I wanted a fuller upper lip. Actually this was something I had thought about for a while. I have great lips but always wondered what a little bit of a fuller upper lip would look like. There is always something we want to “fix” and seeing first hand people over-do it had me scared, so I left the idea alone. However, the more I thought about it and the more I debated it, I finally decided to just do it. After I came to the decision and chatted about it with others I have been shocked by the number of people who said, “I have always wanted to do that but…” Literally every single woman I spoke with had some excuse or reason why she couldn’t fill her lips but had always wanted to. While this usually isn’t something I would discuss on the blog I thought since hearing so many women’s fears I thought I would take one for the team, be honest, and share my experience. Discussing such topics has become so taboo for women. Like we are lesser of a person for wanting to try something new. While I am not a fan of overdoing any type of plastic surgery I do understand wanting to try something new (especially temporary). And when it comes to this type of thing moderation is key!!!
You have heard me chat about my microdermabrasion from Skintastic for the past few weeks. I have absolutely fallen for the Skintastic team! They are so fun and helpful with all of my questions and have done a fabulous job with my skin. At my last microdermabrasion I started talking to Karen about lips. Her and I had a great time and after the session I decided I would try them out. The day the appointment arrived I was a little nervous but my fears were settled once I started talking to everyone there and we decided on a very natural look. We were all on the same page and I felt relieved. The process itself is easy and only takes about 20 minutes. There is minimal pain (thanks to numbing cream) and a touch of swelling after (depending on how much filler you get). I would recommend doing it on a day you don’t have any afternoon meetings! After a few days the puff goes down and everything settles in really nicely. Mine are very subtle but enough to make me happy! They say it should last about 6-9 months and gets easier each time.
While they are something I am really happy with now, I am happy they are temporary. I think having a permanent “fix” would really make me nervous. I look at this entire experience as something I wanted to try, I did, I loved it but am not married to it, and I can always return to “normal” shall I decide to. That is the joy of temporary fillers and the team at Skintastics. It is always win/win!
