Makeup for Mermaids (Waterproofing Your Makeup Tutorial)

If you want to look cute and fresh like Ariel when you pop ashore ready to sing to your unconscious human Prince Eric a creepy tune, keep reading! If you like looking smeared and scary like Ursula, that's totally cool too. Sometimes we all just want to the rock the hot mess. No judgement. Been there before! (Seriously.) 

I know that summer is coming to an end, but for some the hot sticky sweaty days are still ahead.  For those who will be spending their Labor Day Weekend near/on/in water, you will benefit from this post.(Unless you don't wear makeup then you really won't need this post.)

Now, I must have been a fish in a previous life because I spend some serious time under the water. 

Just look at that super attractive photo ;) 

As you can see I have a decent amount of eye make up on! It faded a bit but was still there when I made it home (six hours later). 

STARTING WITH THE EYES

My favorite eyeshadow to get wet is MAC's 'Mineralize' Eyeshadow Duo. However any powder eyeshadow will work. I've tried numerous kinds and it doesn't ruin them! 

First you get your eye makeup brush wet with water and then apply as you normally would. Just dipping the tips of the brush in some water should be sufficient. If the shadow is too thin, tap the brush to dry and keep adding the shadow. 

Boom. Set. All waterproofed and ready!

I really like MAC's Fluidline for eyeliner. I use the pot and brush, but I think the pencil is easier, especially when it comes to winging your liner! You can actually use the fulidline for a smokey eye primer. It's a good investment for your makeup bag.

For mascara my favorite since 2009 has to be Clinic's High Impact Curling Mascara. I like this because it doesn't smear, just flakes off when you gently rub your eyes with water, oil, or makeup remover. It has been my go to for every single event, it is tear proof and water proof! 

   

  Photo: Sephora 

   

Photo: Nordstrom

Photo: Nordstrom 

      

                               

FOR THE BASE 

For my foundation I use ZUZU Luxe's Dual Powder Foundation. It is my favorite coverage waterproof or not. What I do is just use a flat foundation brush and get it wet like the eyeshadow and apply. It's a bit trickier than eyeshadow because too much can make you too dark. But just play with it, and you'll get it in no time. 

For non watery events, I use the ZuZu liquid foundation and then powder for a beautiful fresh faced but great coverage.

Zuzu is Vegan and Gluten free and can be found at Vitamin Cottages and all the Whole Foods I have been at. 

For blush/bronzer/highlighter I would recommend a cream base, like RMS's lip2cheek! I have DEMURE but the one shown is SMILE.  RMS, is an all Organic Ingredient Makeup! They are pretty water resistant. However, everyone's skin has a different texture. So just keep that in mind if these products don't work for you! 

I have never tried to get MAC 'Mineralize' Blush and Bronzers wet, but I bet they work great like the eye shadows!

I also like Origins' Pinch Your Cheeks for my cheekies (on my face of course, don't be weird). I love the CoralBerry hue. And it gives you a perfect cute very natural sun kissed look. 

I have also tried just using regular powdered blush and bronzer, you just apply it with a wet make up brush.

 

 Photo: RMS

Photo: Origins

      Photo: Amazon 

LASTLY LIPS 

I use Chanel Rogue Allure, Enthusiast #74 (Which I had since 2008 and don't even know if they still make it). A little goes a long way and lasts for days! Seriously! One time I fell asleep with it on and my hand was under my lips. I woke up with a kissy mark, and it took some serious scrubbing to get it off of my hand.

Or I use Origin's pinch your cheeks, or just chap stick.   

   

Photo: Nordstrom

  

Photo Credit

   

Photo: Nordstrom

                                

I know that all of this makeup is pricey! But I have started collecting pieces over the years, and they have lasted for many years, except the powder. It lasted a year. (Is that maybe gross or unhealthy?!).  

If you have any questions please feel free to comment/email us! 

 

Have fun! Have a wonderful rest of summer! 

Kisses,

Dominique 

Choosing A Business Structure

Hey guys! We wanted to share our story in hopes that we will inspire you to move forward with your own! We will tell you how we are going about it.

Hope we don't snore or bore you to death. But this post is all about how and where to start when wanting to start your business.

(Kristen Stewart from the interview in the March issue of Marie-Claire 2014)

Startups are not easy or cheap, and there are a lot of daunting steps and confusion along the way.

But don't let that stop you! You can do it! 

(Found on Twitter)

And by no means do you have to take the exact path we did because this is your journey. 

So, you got the next big thing, the idea that's going to rock your world and make a difference in the world? Where do you begin?

In order to start your own business, you are going to need to just put yourself out there. Trust yourself, and most importantly learn from your mistakes, because you are going to make some. But the most important mistake you will make is not taking the plunge at all.

I once read, "Don't put off the business failure you've longed for; you can fail today!"

So I say, "The sooner you fall, the sooner you pick yourself up and overcome another obstacle, another lesson learned." So start failing and start learning today!

The first thing we did whenever we decided to start a business was a ton of research. In particular, what type of business structure do we want to establish?

Keep reading for business structures...

Source: STARTUPVITAMINS 

Click here for a very helpful article about the different business structures: Sole Proprietorship, Limited Liability Company, Cooperative, Corporation, Partnership, S Corporation.

After discussing with our accountant friend, she recommended an LLC. We were leaning towards the LLC and then got in touch with our lawyer, and he said go online and sign up for it.

LLC is the new thing everyone seems to be choosing this days. It's perfect for small businesses and startups, because it is a combination of a Partnership and a S Corporation.

It's very simple to set one up. Another friend, a law student was setting up her own LLC and just told us to go for it ourselves because she hired a lawyer and he charged her $1200 to fill out a form online.

Here's how to do it...you just go here and follow the steps!

In order to file, you go to your Secretary of State, it is easy to find: just type "file an LLC in (state of residence)" into a search engine and find the link that has 'sos' in the url.
From here you find the link that says Domestic Limited Liability Company and then let the paper work begin (online).
Be sure to print off all important papers. Now you are a business owner and the next step is to go to the bank!

Here are some resourceful links:
http://www.sos.state.tx.us/corp/businessstructure.shtml
http://www.sba.gov/content/limited-liability-company-llc

Remember we are not lawyers, accountants, or professional business consultants so please read our disclaimer... Good luck!

Have a wonderful Thursday! 

Love, 

DoDoDom 

http://www.amazon.com/Pure-Essence-Candex-Vegetarian-Capsules/dp/B0011865O0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1429059000&sr=8-1&keywords=candex

IN SHARK WEEK SHAPE

Work out like a Great White Shark Beast! What better time than Shark week? We personally love Shark Week and find ourselves watching it whenever we have down time. (And if you are like Dom, she uses Shark Week as an excuse to skip the gym!) So why not get in a little workout too?! 

Dominique in her running gear, "I will go for a run in ten minutes." Ten minutes later, "OOOOOOOH. The Great White is on TV, as soon as he leaves I'll go run." Working out Shark Week never happened, last year. So we created this and we're definitely doing this all week so we can Shark Week and workout! Who's with us!? 

HAPPY SHARK WEEK!

Love,
The DoDos 

Boss, Baby, and Booze

That's right, a boss, a baby, and booze all in one setting...who thought it could be so much fun?! 

Ty, my sis, and I were having dinner to catch up with a very old friend of the DoDos, Marion...who introduced Ty and I, and then I introduced Ty and my sister. And now we're all great friends! See how that works...making all of your best friends best friends makes life a lot easier and way more fun.  

I am currently working with Tripcor... a super cool travel website which Ty Co-Founded and is currently the Co-CEO. 

So Ty and I decided to meet up early and have an informal meeting over drinks.

"Are you wearing a bikini top?" Ty asked Dobie. So remember ladies to keep your belly covered at an actual meeting. 

Meet my delicious and somewhat strong little friend...

...which I cannot recall his name, not because his strong alcohol core, hidden in a fruity appealing  exterior, but because I did the finger twirl, hover, dance, point and then land tactic.

Dobie was astonished at his kick. I wasn't joking about his strength.

We had a nice run, but then I traded in my dewy glass for a nice tall studly beer. Some Oregon Porter Bronzed man. (That's not the actual name.) 

Then Marion and her family arrived! 

Then we feasted. 

I split a burger and mac and cheese with the sis. I like to spend my extra calories on alcohol and dessert. I also like to graze over the entire menu, so splitting the main entrée is a regular habit of ours! 

With business you must be proactive everyday! Even if it's only twenty minutes before catching up with friends! 

Have a great day!

Dominique 

Raw, energizing anti-aging AND chocolate! Get the glow!

You know how they say chocolate is good for you? Well this drink is better than good for you! It’s amazing! Each ingredient is not very tasty on its own, but put them together and you get a yummy chocolate drink that fills you up and keeps you looking young. And this little number will keep you energized the whole day. (It's addictive in the good way!)

It’s our secret hot chocolate recipe. The secret ingredient is actually a lack of ingredient. There is NO sugar in this. And I mean no sugar, sugar substitutes, stevia, dates, dried fruit, honey, maple syrup or other posers that sneak into most chocolate recipes.

Now for the recipe:

1 cup almond milk

1 tbsp gelatin

1 tbsp cacao powder

1 tbsp chia seeds
cinnamon

Directions:

1. Pour the almond milk in a blender bottle. Add the gelatin. Mix immediately to prevent large clumps. 
2. Add cacao powder and mix again.
3. Add the mixture to a saucepan, stirring constantly until the gelatin and cacao powder dissolve. 
4. After attaining the desired temperature, pour into a mug. It’s summer right now so you may want to heat it just enough to get the ingredients to dissolve.
5. Add in chia seeds stirring for a few minutes to prevent clumping. 
6. Top it off with cinnamon. I like a lot, not a dash.
7. Now sit back and enjoy the chocolate knowing that you are building strong bones and preventing wrinkles.

Allow me to explain how each ingredient is not only yummy, but beneficial for you.

1. Almond milk: Lower in calories than dairy milk, it’s also heart healthy. It contains 50 percent of your daily vitamin E and 25 percent of your vitamin D. It also contains the B vitamins, iron and riboflavin. You can make it yourself, but my favorite brand is Almond Breeze.
2. Chia seeds: This tiny seed packs big benefits. It is a great source of omega fatty acids, minerals, vitamins and soluble fiber. It even has more antioxidants than flaxseed. When soaked in a liquid, they puff up and take on gel-like qualities that fill you up and curb cravings. The brand used in this post is Navitas Naturals.
3. Cacao powder: This is the type of “chocolate” that is good for you. It is a natural source of antioxidants and fiber. It also has one of the highest dietary sources of magnesium, flavanols, and polyphenols. We also used Navitas Naturals. Cacao powder is not the same as cocoa powder. If you want to know about the differences, read here.
4. Gelatin: To be exact, gelatin is the purified protein derived by the selective hydrolysis of collagen from the skin, the connective tissue and/or bones of animals. I use the Great Lakes Unflavored Gelatin. Make sure you use a grass fed one so that the source comes from healthy animals. Gelatin contains 6g of protein per serving and is a good source of amino acids. 

The benefits will surprise you! The collagen is equivalent to magic when it comes to looking young and healthy. The problem is that as we age, our collagen levels decrease. But that’s why you should have this drink! The amino acids in gelatin will keep your skin looking young. You are also less prone to wrinkles due to the added collagen. It will give you stronger teeth, hair and nails. Now, stretch marks and cellulite...some of a woman’s worst fears, and often times both are very difficult to get rid of, but not anymore! Gelatin helps with that! And still the list goes on! It aides in liver detox, weight loss, digestion, leaky gut, strong bones, arthritis support, high metabolism, adrenals, hormone balance, wound repair, and allergies. I only included an overview, click here to read more.

In the picture, I included a premade cacao mix that does have a little bit of coconut sugar. I do not use this in my recipe, but my sister loves it! It has cayenne pepper and some other spices that aid in digestion. The brand is Righteously Raw Rawcholatl, if you want to ask for it in stores.