(This picture is PRE-pandemic when I was set up to work with an actual client face to face for a photo shoot. Those days are temporarily gone.)
Well hey there friends. How are you doing?? This is my 1st blog post since all of this Covid19 – pandemic- stay-at-home-wash-your-hands-constantly broke out.
I just have to address this new not-so-normal way of life before I can even talk about makeup or skincare. Typing my feelings out is quite therapeutic and allows me the ability to face the changes going on, which then allows me to move on and figure out how to make the most of theses changes. Anyone else feel the same??
**However, if this topic doesn’t interest you because maybe you’re just plain tired of hearing people talk about this virus and you want to get away from it, I get it. Feel free to click through my previous posts and get caught up on all things beauty! You won’t hurt my feelings at all.**
So it’s been such a wild ride over the past two weeks. And I started out having a little (okay a BIG) pity party over here if I’m being honest.
As a working makeup artist, ALL of my clients for March and April have had to be cancelled. All of them. Wedding parties, private makeup sessions, a 3 day video shoot, all of them gone. This April was actually on schedule to be one of my most lucrative months to date work wise. Not anymore.
No client work = no income = scary + depressing.
You can’t really follow CDC guidelines of social distancing of more than 6 feet apart AND continue to work as makeup artist whose livelihood is based on working in people’s FACES! Considering the circumstances of how easily this virus spreads from fingers to eyes, nose, and mouths, it’s just not smart to continue on with work as usual because I literally touch ALL OF THOSE THINGS in my job!!
Working face to face with my clients is one thing I now realize that I have truly taken for granted. I thoroughly enjoy making real PEOPLE feel pretty!! I guess the old saying, “You never know what you’ve got til it’s gone,” completely rings true now.
I’m a southern girl who loves being social, walking over to a neighbors house, girls night outs, even hugging friends I see walking the aisles of Target!! And none of that is happening at this moment. So what is a mom, small business owner, beauty blogger, and wife to do during a pandemic shut down??
Glass half full.
Like I mentioned, it was pretty depressing when this all hit like a ton of bricks. But after the first week of being confined to my house with just hanging around with my 3 kids and husband, my mood has gradually started to shift.
We are hanging in there. Here’s the good :
- We have *forced the kids to take a mile (or two) walk around our neighborhood with us every single day. It’s gotten to the point, where I think they actually really look forward to it now that the temps are starting to warm up and they can ride their bikes! I also enjoy it because I have been snacking more being home so much and thus the walks helps me to stay in my same pants!
- We have been making lots of meals together and obviously getting less fast food. I’ve always known food brings people together but especially when you involve everyone in the cooking and preparation part!
- We have rented multiple movies and even been playing more board games like Scrabble than usual. Less devices, more people time. My vocabulary has improved.
- I tried my hand at my first virtual consultation with a bride via zoom who I couldn’t work with on her big day last weekend. It wasn’t perfect (a few audio and visual hiccups) but we did it and now I know it’s a very viable business option in the near future I can do.
- We busted out a string of Christmas lights and displayed them on our front porch after seeing the trending hashtag #lightsforlife on Twitter. It’s to show that people are staying positive during the coronavirus and bringing a little joy and light during this dark time. I didn’t need to think twice about doing this bc I LOVE twinkling lights.
Here’s the not so good :
- The homeschooling we have gotten into is very different and a bit nerve wracking when you have elementary and middle school aged kids asking you how to do their math. Their math is verrrry different from the math I grew up with. And I seem to have blocked out how to do school work all together!
- I’m convinced more than ever that teachers do not get paid enough. I hope that changes after this.
- The makeup inquiries coming into my inbox have slowed down extremely.
- I miss my mom friends and our occasional happy hour meet ups and dinners. I’m longing to get back in someones den with a bottle of wine and chatting about anything and everything.
Get Ready!
In the beginning of self quarantine I noticed that I had gotten into a 3 day slump of no makeup or hair. Then I realized that the lack of effort to get ready was actually making me feel WORSE!!
I don’t do casual very well, so just getting up, showering, putting on real clothes (even tho these $25 yoga pants are the jam) and swiping on mascara + lipstick is just what my soul needs now more than ever. And it’s such a simple act that makes a huge difference for me mentally.
Changed my way of thinking…
So I may not have my face to face client sessions anymore, for now. But guess what, I DO HAVE? My READERS of this blog. My FOLLOWERS on my social media channels of Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, and YouTube.
Instead of complaining about having no clients to work with, I can switch that into now I have plenty of time and ability to create and share more content with my virtual clients!! I’ve always wanted to do more blogging, but the actual freelance jobs and admin work took up most of my time.
Now, there’s NO excuse to not fit in more time for writing and creating videos. So that’s just what I’m going to do.
Keeping up with my Pretty Powerful Podcast during the Pandemic.
I even did my first podcast recording via Zoom with my friend Beth who created the 6 year old southern inspired candle line, Little Light Co. In the past I have told myself I would only record in my studio with someone face to face, but at this point, you gotta pivot and make it work when social distancing is a thing!
I think our episode turned out REAAALLLy good and her story couldn’t be more timely about how a dark place is actually what urged her to jump into creating her own candle line. You can listen to our fun conversation here. Beth even made herself a “quaran-tini” to drink during our talk which was totally hilarious!! (I believe it was a mix of prosecco, fresh orange, and one of those Emergen C packets!!)
What I’ve come to realize.
I have come to realize that these social media channels, that a few weeks ago had started to annoy me for petty little reasons, have now become part of what is help holding me together.
Watching a good informative YouTube video by another creator and watching different IGTV’s have helped to encourage, inspire, and even teach me new things.
Right when this really got heavy, I began to think that no one would even care about my makeup and beauty content because it seemed so trivial compared to what is going on in the world.
But then I asked the question on Instagram if people thought my blog content should change so as to be sensitive to our current state of crashing small businesses and scary infection tolls….and much to my delight, 99% said NO – we like the distraction of business and beauty as usual!!!
So that’s what I will give you – real approachable beauty advice to keep you feeling pretty during a pandemic. Because hey, now that face-timing is bigger than EVER , you might as well look good on it because your face is the only thing people are really seeing!
Leave a message below on how you’re feeling about things, I’d love to hear from you.
(Honorable Mentions : My Rolling Stones lightweight sweatshirt, our tile lock Scrabble game, smart phone pocket yoga pants for stay at home life, dependent on this delightful smelling dry shampoo.)
