Winter Wash n' Go: 5 tips for your winter styling

Wash and go’s are such a staple for the natural hair community. People who love this style swear by it and hate to give it up during the winter. With long drying times and the risk wet hair in the cold many people opt out of this style. Girl, that’s over! If wash and go’s are your thing don’t let the winter stop you. Here are a few tips to rock a wash and go during the winter with little fuss. 

 Tip #1- If you have a day off and nowhere to go try doing your wash and go in the morning and letting it air dry through the day so when bedtime comes you can throw a silk bonnet on top and refresh in the morning. All you need is a pick 

 Tip #2- Diffuse your hair after you style your wash n’ go. This method will leave you with more volume and more tussled. I particularity love this look because I don’t like perfect curls. If you love perfect curls be gentle with the diffuser. Diffusing can cause frizz. 

 Tip #3- Remember that wash and go’s aren’t styles that have to be done every day. If you have type 3 hair you quite possibly would be able to stretch a wash and go style 3-4 days. Type 4 hair can go anywhere from 7-10 days. I personally have been able to stretch my hair to 11 days. See the picture below of my 11-day wash and go 

Tip #4- use a styler that has fast drying properties. Monat has a great styling product called air dry cream that speeds up the drying process. My hair typically takes 3 hours to air dry and this product helped cut that time in half. 

 Tip #5- Deep condition your hair the night before and do your wash process the next day. This will help with cutting your process in half. Depending on the time of the month that you 

 Now that you have a few tips for your winter ‘wash n go’ click the link below to see how I style my hair from start to finish.

 https://youtu.be/1Ofst8cU0iQ

Beautifully Devoted,

Tish

P.S: Share this with anyone you know that needs a little help with their styling routine!

(insert YouTube video link)

List of Products used in video which can be purchased through me using www.tishferguson.com/links: 

Monat volumizing shampoo

Monat volumizing conditioner  

Monat smoothing deep conditioner 

Monat curl cream 

Monat mousse 

Monat sculpting taffy

Beautifully Walking Into My Dreams

 

As we walk into the new year we have goals that we set. Some want to lose weight so the gyms are packed. Others want to modify eating habits so now they are posting every meal of the day on their social media page *inserts side eye emoji*. At midnight it was Go time for most of us but some took a moment to STOP and not Go. Sometimes stopping is necessary to be able to conquer your goals when you press Go. 

There is a song that I listen to daily to get the good vibes flowing in the morning. 'Walking Shoes' by Mali Music breathes life into me and is a very uplifting song. It gives me the motivation to push through any adversity I might be facing. As he sings the chorus he says...

"Yeah I believe, I believe

But its a dream that I ain't seen yet

Chasing a dream that I ain't dreamed yet

But I'mma meet it halfway if I keep on walking, walking, walking If I keep on walking,

Yeah I know it when I see it walking, walking when I see it walking"

These words are so profound in my life because I have moments of defeat just like everyone else. There are times I want to give up and throw in the towel because I'm not seeing the benefits I want to see in my time frame (Yes I know I sound like a brat...lol). Being a freelance makeup artist is no easy decision to make just like any dream you want to go after. Once you are on the journey you have to build an armor against all the NO's you will hear. You have to always feed your spirit positive energy so that you can continue to believe in a dream you have not yet seen come to fruition. As I walk and meet my dream halfway I also have to remember to not only go full steam ahead but also take the time to stop when God says so. We spend so much time working on the plan we had for ourselves that we forget to stop and listen for the plan that our higher power has for us. This year I'm going to take the time to be still not only in times of confusion but in all times when making decisions. Passion isn't logic based its spirit based so when making the move to chase your dream you must always be still and listen to the source of that passion which is your spirit. I always tell people "If my spirit is happy then that means it's right". So let's make a promise to ourselves to not only press Go but be able to stop when necessary! Happy 2017! 

Beautifully Devoted, 

Tish 

  

  

Beautifully My Hair

Photo Credit: Nestle Snipes www.MFKphotography.com

 

The saying "I am not my hair" has been used a lot over the years as the natural hair movement has taken the curly community by storm. It's a saying that shows the world that as a woman I should not be defined by the bend of my curl. Recently I got into a discussion with a few guy friends about the natural hair movement and how men of color view it differently. Some men think it's the most amazing thing ever. They are excited we are embracing our "naturalness" BUT and I say BUT strongly... there are men that are not into it. They don't feel it's very becoming of women as some would put it. I came to this harsh reality when a friend made the comment that he loves my hair the way it is now and wasn't into that "Afrocentric look" I had going on. (Inserts thinking emoji face here). I couldn't believe what I was hearing. I had been natural for 6 years before deciding to cut and perm my hair again so being a recent curly girl it struck a cord. Questions began to pop into my head. Why is my natural state not good enough? Was my natural hair a turn off for men? As there are many men that love the curly hair movement are there just as much who aren't fans? All these questions hit me hard. I knew I had to combat the thoughts of other natural haired sisters when I decided to perm my hair (we will get into that a little later) but to think I had to battle with my brothers as well was a point I forgot about. 

Photo Credit: Nestle Snipes  www.MFKphotography.com

The Hair Struggle

When venting to a friend I realized that I AM NOT MY HAIR but I am my hair all at the same time! To break this statement down is to break down my hair journey. I am a woman that has had a perm since the age of 5. Subconsciously I was taught that the curl of my hair was unmanageable and almost evil because it broke combs, hurt my head when being combed through and was just a big headache. How could anyone have a positive feeling about their hair with that type of agony early on in their life? There were times I remember crying in the mirror when I couldn't get my perm when I wanted and I had too much new growth. New growth meant my hair was going to look "raggedy" and that made me feel ugly. At 24 I tried the natural thing by transitioning and couldn't quite get used to it because it meant I had to take on a task I knew nothing about which was learning how to take care of my hair in its natural state. There were days I felt not cute enough, not pretty enough, not sexy enough.  When I wanted to wear a weave as a protective style I felt like I wasn't apart of the "natural girl crew" because subconsciously they didn't consider me a real natural. We say "I am not my hair" but when you place all of your confidence in your hair you definitely are your hair. When we place so much value in our hair which is a woman's adornment, our whole being is based around our hair which can be a good thing or a bad thing. 

Photo Credit: Nestle Snipes  www.MFKphotography.com

How I found freedom in my hair 

I became so frustrated with my hair in my transitioning face  that I chopped all my hair off a year later. I stood in the mirror and took scissors to the dome. I cut every piece of relaxer out of this head and when I was done I felt a sense of pride. I finally had enough courage to be ME! There was no looking back. I grew my hair for 6 years! In those 6 years I realized I was no longer my hair. If the natural hair community didn't want to embrace me because I wanted to wear a 18 inch weave down my back then that was their problem. If I showed up with a twist out that had frizz and wasn't perfect I didn't get obsessed because it didn't look like my favorite YouTube guru, I just embraced my curls for what it was. Between weaves and wigs I strutted my natural tresses and was proud of being a girl who could wear it all and be confident!

Photo Credit: Nestle Snipes  www.MFKphotography.com

 

Finding Peace in My Hair

In June of this year I decided to cut my hair after a break up. Cutting my hair is a sense of therapy for me. 2016 was a crazy year and I just felt like my hair was filled with baggage so it was time for it to go. As my hair dresser Rhonda (shout out to Vibes salon in queens) was snipping away at my hair journey I wanted to remain natural. She advised me that the  way I wanted to wear my hair it wasn't going to give me the look I wanted but I was adamant on keeping it that way. She slayed my hair but it didn't stay that way for long in the summer heat. The heat doing a number on my hair and making me look like a cotton ball at the end of the day which was not the look I was going for, I knew I had to make a decision. If I want my hair a certain way that requires a relaxer for it to stay a long period of time why am I so against a relaxer? Was it because I was natural for so long? Was it because I placed value in my natural hair? Or was it because I wouldn't be black enough to my "natural sisters" anymore? I realized I had to do what was best for me and what I wanted my look to be. The important thing was HEALTHY hair which is something we forget about.

The moral of the story is this... fellas,  who cares if her hair is curly or straight. Ladies why does it matter how you are excepted in this natural hair sorority? Why are there rules for acceptance? Why are we placing value on things that were meant to separate us? And why are we not realizing that this hair thing is deeper than the surface? Let's work harder on accepting each other for who we are and stop placing value on aesthetics that were made to break us down and break us apart.

Beautifully Devoted, 

Tish 

Cheerfully Devoted

PHOTOS BY: NESTLE SNIPES

You may realize by now that I'm not just a makeup artist. You will notice that I'm not just a 'Dream Chaser' but I'm a "purpose fulfiller". I May have just made that phrase up but it's the only way I can express exactly what my mission is. We all have a purpose but are we actively seeking it? My happiness journey that I speak about on my social media pages is what has showed me my purpose as well as revealed how much bigger my purpose really is. 

I recently had the chance to jump into a field I thought I left behind years ago and that is Coaching. No, I'm not life coach and no I don't coach track. These are both amazing genres of coaching but the sport I have chosen to coach is cheerleading! Cheerleading is a sport and anyone who wants to debate me will be in for a battle :-). With my long history in cheerleading which includes competing since the age of 7 years old and also being able to lead my cheerleading squad in high school as captain it's safe to say Cheerleading is a big part of my life. Cheerleading isn't just about Pom-poms but it's about the spirit behind it. Cheerleaders aren't just a pretty face with big jumps but young ladies with BIG HEARTS! It takes a lot of heart to pep someone up that is losing or cheering on someone that you don't even have direct relation to in the freezing cold while they play football in the rain! We go hard for what we believe in at all times because that passion and spirit runs deep. 

Being able to instill such values into a group of teenage girls is not only rewarding but the most high honor I have ever had. People tend to talk about what we need to be doing for our community but what action are we really doing? Are we taking a young woman or young man under our wing and showing them the way? Are we looking down on our youth as opposed to uplifting them because they are our future? There are some very important values that I place in my cheerleaders that I believe could help anyone who is working with the youth. 

Cheer Gifts

Cheer Gifts are my way of teaching gratitude. When the season starts once a week we give cheer Gifts. I set the tone by giving a cheer gift of gratitude. What this will do is show each and every cheerleader how special they really are. As a coach we observe our players athletic ability but I try to go a little deeper and explore how they interact with each other and what value they even put on themselves. The first cheer gift is a thank you card to each and every cheerleader on the team with a special note from me as well as an inspirational quote for them to hold on to. The objective is to help them sift through what their purpose is on the team. What their strengths are and how they can capitalize on that. 

Cheer Affirmations

Cheer affirmations is an exercise that I implement into practice. I assign each girl a day when they have to share a quote or affirmation with their squad. These quotes must be positive and breathe love into themselves as well as others around them. When introducing the importance of affirmations I like to lead with ones that will make them giggle but also teach them something. The first one in my Arsenal is "Show up, slay and make people mad"! This affirmation I came up with when my girls were having difficulty with learning that just because you don't like someone doesn't mean you quit the activity or bow out. You have to learn how to play chess. Teenage girls have a tendency of saying to themselves "I don't like her so I'm not going to work with her... I quit" and that's no way I want my girls to look at life as adults. So this affirmation teaches them that when you don't want to be somewhere because your ex best friend or ex boyfriend will be there that's when you show up in your best with a big smile because when people expect you to be unhappy your happiness makes them uncomfortable. Once that happens you have already won. Instilling this practice in them through cheerleading is a practice they will take with them into adulthood! 

Cheer Sisters

"Cheer sisters" on our squad is what we refer to as "Big sister, Little Sister". The upper class-men are the big sisters to the younger cheerleaders. They are responsible for each other and each other's success. Through this process they can also find their purpose on the squad. The best way to compare this to adulthood is using the phrase "my sisters keeper" because in the grand scope of things we are all responsible for each other. If we spent more time uplifting each other and making sure we all succeed TOGETHER we would have much more forward progress. We also ultimately have more people living in their purpose then not. 

As a coach I place high value on these three things. Through these teachings my ladies can find a higher purpose for what they initially signed up for which was to shake Pom-poms. Through them finding a higher purpose I found mine! So ask yourself how big is your purpose and what are you doing to actively pursue it? 

Beautifully Devoted,

Tish 

 

 

 

 

 

Head Wrap: Ankara Cloth

Neck Scarf: Tommy Hilfiger 

Coat: H&M

Shirt: Ralph Lauren

Glasses: Sassaries.com

Beautifully Found

Photo By Mike Kelso

 

 

Loss can be something so detrimental to our lives that we feel it could never be something we could handle with with grace. I came across a meme on Instagram the other day that stated "if you lose someone but find yourself, you won". This was a profound statement because in 2016 I dealt with a lot of loss. Not loss of people by death but loss of people by LIFE. Life happened and relationships were tarnished and done with. 2016 was originally #SWEET16 but what is so sweet about loves lost and friendships missing from your life? I will tell you what's sweet about that. The sweetness is that through that you find yourself. You find your happy! Here are a few ways I learned how to handle loss of friendships with grace and beauty. 

Photo By Mike Kelso

Mourning

I went through a serious mourning period of the friendships lost. Some feel as though it's not necessary but it is. To get through the other side I believe you must go through the 5 stages of grief. Those 5 stages are denial, anger, bargaining, depression, acceptance. You may not be on those stages long. It may be a 3 minute conversation with self that gets you through the other side or it may be a 3 month period of you going through the motions. Everyone's time table is different but it's the same process none the less. Once I learned how to identify what I was feeling and why I was then able to apply my coping mechanisms. If I'm in the angry stage I would put on music that would lighten my mood. If I was in the denial stage I would pray my way to understanding. Everyone has their own ways of coping so you must find yours. 

Photo By Mike Kelso

Show up and slay 

My motto in life is "Show up, slay and make people mad". Now I know part of this statement sound hella petty but face it sometimes the 5% (or more) of petty you have in your system can help you get through. Why not show up to an event because he or she is going to be there? Put your best outfit on and your best smile and show up! Work the room. "Fake it until you make it" as some would say. If you want to go to an activity or event but the person you lost may be there no need to stay home. You must fight through your feelings. Don't miss out on an opportunity of fun because you are in your feelings. Learn to block out certain energy and push through. You will be happy you did!

Photo By Mike Kelso

Revamp your life

Revamping is key for me to get over a loss. Revamping can include sitting and reflecting on life or cleaning out my closet. I went through a period where I would look at old pictures before a relationship and evaluate my smile, my weight and my overall presentation. If all of that was on 100 before the relationship and then I look at pictures during the timeline of a relationship and see how I was floating away that's reassurance that I made the right decision to walk away. Sometimes we don't realize we lost who we were until it is too late. But in all actuality is it EVER too late? We all have the power to get ourselves back or find a new inner strength. For me I just took my #HappinessJourney up 10 notches. I lost 20lbs and maintained it. I started focusing on my health and my presentation. I made strides in my career because I no longer put my energy into things that altered it. I went to more events and met new people that could add value to my life. At the end of the day we choose to be happy so why would I choose the latter. 

Life can get the best of us sometimes but it's up to us to take control and manifest greatness. So go ahead and mourn then show up and slay and see how the journey of happiness unfolds. 

Beautifully Devoted, 

Tish 

Beautifully Confident

 

You ever wake up and just have to tell yourself "Baby you smart... you very smart" in your DJ Khaled voice!? No? Just me? Well, it may sound sound funny when he says such beautiful words of encouragement to the ladies in his videos but to me these are small comedic reminders that we must tell ourselves beautiful affirmations to get ourselves through. I know I'm not the only person in the world that dealt with self confidence issues once upon a time and there are personal rituals and skills that I had to develop to instill to keep a positive image about myself. I even was blessed enough to find my passion of makeup artistry through while building my self esteem. I paint faces not only because I love transforming the outside but transforming the inside of a woman's worth is the main reason why I do it. Some don't know what is special about them aesthetically and brought my artistry I try my best to bring that out. Today I'm going to touch on the top 4 things that helped me push through my issues with body image and self confidence! 

 

Affirm until you believe! 

Now I'm all for being your own personal hype man. You hear people like Kanye West hype themselves up all the time. My favorite motto is "Love you like Kanye loves Kanye". Let's face it, Kanye has the self confidence that exceeds all levels of self confidence! Some think it's arrogance but in all actuality it's self motivation mixed with self validation. He doesn't need the validation of others because he has already validated himself. Validation is something that holds most of us back. For years I only felt I was doing something right or of importance if my parents consigned or if my family gave the pat on the back. This was detrimental to my sanity because what if they didn't believe in what I was doing? What if they thought I should I be going down a different path? That would leave me feeling unaccomplished and defeated. Once I built a self validation armor like Kanye I was unstoppable. If a friend doesnt support my business that is not an indicator that I'm not doing well it just means they don't feel like supporting. That has nothing to do with me and all to do with them! 

 

Faking it until you make it

Sometimes you have to put your big girl panties on and move through world "as if". Smile "as if" you are happy ALL the time. Laugh "as if" you find the humor in everything. Tell yourself your beautiful "as if" you believe it all the time. This ties into affirming believe. If you keep doing things "as if" that is how you really feel nine times out of ten you will end up feeling that way. Smiling is contagious so on those days you are feeling down go look in the mirror and smile. I guarantee after you awkwardly smile in the mirror for about 5 minutes you will laugh at how silly you look and boom you are happy! 

 

 

Show up and Show out! 

This philosophy is something my mother taught me. Always dress your best and always slay! Sometimes we wake up and just want to roll out of bed and throw on the nearest thing to us. Some sweats some sneakers and a head scarf. I find that this is a recipe for disaster. This will not make you feel better but will end up making you stay in the slump you are in. Instead, choose outfits that exude confidence. Throw on a red lip to channel your bold and feisty personality or style your hair in a way that shows a part of who you are!  I love wearing flowy dresses and even Dusters. When you walk into a room or walk down the street and the wind catches your garment you just look powerful as heck! You can almost look like your floating and I'm all about the drama of floating! 

 

Finding Purpose 

This is the practice that helps me maintain my self confidence. With the hustle and bustle of life we tend to forget what purpose we serve. I make sure that everything I do has "intention". I never make decisions just because. If I'm going out to party it has intention. The intention is to practice smiling or meet new people to build my network. When I chose to be a makeup artist and set the goals to work on television the intention was to chase my dreams by any means necessary and show others that if they put their mind to it they could achieve their goals also! Manifestation of your dreams is a powerful thing. When I speak to young girls about beauty and the power to manifest greatness it creates purpose for me. On November 19 I will be a guest speaker for the HairOnPurpose Conference in Harlem and that is going to give me an abundance of reinforced purpose! I'm planting seeds in the youth and that feeling of purpose is priceless. Find a purpose! 

 

Now that I have shared what I do do maintain my confidence. What is that you do on a daily basis? How do you stay beautifully devoted to yourself? 

Beautifully Devoted, 

Tish 

Beautifully Healing

 

Photographed: George Myrie, Tish Ferguson and Pythagore Antoine Photo by Nestle Snipes www.mfkphotography.com

 

October is the month of new beginnings. The days get shorter and the leaves start to fall representing a time of transition! As I reflect on this time of transition I can't help but to think about the beautiful posts I have seen on social media regarding Breast Cancer and Domestic Violence awareness! Beautiful stories which were filled with triumph and overcoming major obstacles. The only way you wouldn't know that October is the month for awareness on these topics is if you were living under a rock. While I am an avid supporter of the Breast cancer awareness movement I found myself paying closer attention to domestic violence more than I have in previous years. 

It maybe because of my own life experiences and my awareness to being a better me that made me gravitate towards this topic. The topic of domestic violence is filled with heart ache and pain but when I had the honor of attending the Caribbean Lilac's Hunks4Hope Gala I found it was filled with smiles and triumph on the other side of that. Lila Green is the founder of Hunks 4 Hope (H4H) which is a collaboration of designers, photographers and models to raise awareness and money for victims of domestic violence. The H4H calendar boosts self esteem for women as well as giving us some beautiful eye candy for 12 months straight! Lila finds the most finest men on the planet to be a part of this initiative and Jose Pegan photographs them beautifully! Yes, I said most finest... they are that fine!

To purchase a calendar visit www.hunksforhope.com

 

I had the pleasure of attending this gala to support my good friends known to the world as the "Bearded Dapper Gents" but to me as my loving, supportive, universe given big brothers. I felt like a proud little sister as I watched them being honored for their work with this charity and being in the 2016 calendar. Nestle Snipes even received the Leadership award which was profound. If you aren't following them you need to be! Being in the room to observe such greatness was an honor but what I didn't know was that I was going to leave with my spirit filled to capacity because of the experience. 

When I tell you I walked in the room with a halfway broken spirit because of life events in the recent weeks and walked out a whole new person it is no exaggeration. There were women who stood and spoke of their experiences and how they came out on the other side stronger then ever was so inspiring. One moment that stood out in particular was when the Hunks all came up to speak about why they were apart of this initiative. George Myrie touched on the BDG initiative, "A brothers Duty" and how programs like this are needed to help combat the issues of abuse. Another member of BDG Pythagore, mentioned a Facebook post he put up a few days prior which was a question that sparked much convo. The question was "Black Women do you feel loved by Black Men?" Many said NO and I was one of those women. My answer came from a place of feeling like my heart wasn't protected or when it came to matters of the heart black men fell short at making sure the black woman's heart was taken care of. I felt that they were amazing friends, fathers, uncles etc. but weren't the best at loving a woman on an intimate level. I had a moment of weakness where my heart and my intellect collided irrationally. I was at a cross roads. Do I walk away from the idea of "Black Love" happening for me and go down a different path? Now, I'm all for loving who you love and love has no boundaries but to come from a place of wanting to denounce all black men from my love life is not rational or fair. A decision made out of anger, hurt or pain that would discredit all based on a few was blasphemy. My intellectual knows that this problem mainly exists because of systemic issues dating back to slavery but my heart was feeling frustrated and exhausted from life experiences. When Pythagore stood up to speak about this and ended with "I'm here to tell you that WE LOVE YOU, I LOVE YOU" to all the women in the room, it was a pivotal moment for me. This moment mixed with the beautiful faces of the many survivors in the room was confirmation for me that no matter what life throws at you don't change, don't budge, just keep fighting and come out on the other side. 

Photographed: Pythagore Antoine Photo By George Myrie

 

Life is about happiness. Life is about overcoming. Life is about living to your fullest potential despite all adversity. The H4H Gala was a true testament of that and a game changer for my own life! Thank you BDG for being so instrumental with this movement and thank you Lila Green for being a light in this world! This is what ultimate beauty inside and out looks like! 

Beautifully Devoted, 

Tish 

Photographed: The Hunks from the Hunks 4 Hope 2017 Calendar

 

Fall into the Red Zone

 

 

Photo By George Myrie Instagram: @Stuylin

The leaves are falling and the chill is on! If you haven't been rocking a red lip all year long this might be the time to really experiment with different variations of red. Red lips mixed with an outfit to die for will make heads turn but you will also be surprised how a red lip can dress up any outfit!  

Today I'm going to share with you my top three favorite red lips of all time and outfits that every beauty can slay in! 

Photo By: Nestle Snipes www.MFKPhotography.com

Blood Red

My go to red lip is the red that makes heads turn which is the traditional bright red lip. You can achieve this look with an amazing lip liner and your favorite liquid lipstick. Now I know I know I say lip liner and some are thinking "do I really need this?" Yes you do ma'am! A red lip isn't complete with out a lip liner. It not only defines your lip to make your red lip pop and be perfect but it also helps the staying power of your lip product. The lipstick has something to hold on to which can keep the lip a little bit longer and keep it from smudging past your lip line. You can achieve this look with MAC cosmetics ruby woo lipstick and lip liner. A cost affective alternative is NYX cosmetics kitten heels 

                                                                     Dimensions of Red 

My next favorite is using a dark liner with a red lip like ruby woo from MAC cosmetics. The liners that can be used are NYX cosmetics nutmeg for fair skin tones to get a brown hue with your red lip or MAC cosmetics plum lip liner to bring a purple hue to your red lip. 

Deep Red

Deep reds can be the lip that is daring and bold! We are now in the season for a darker pout. MAC cosmetics nightmoth lip liner mixed with a red like Sephora's lip stain 001 or going deeper and using chestnut lip liner from MAC and MAC's liquid lip color in 'Dance With me'. This lip can be worn on all skin tones. 

Now that you have the lips for the season here are some fashion inspiration for your new beauty finds!!! Go ahead and slay beauties! 

Beautifully Devoted, 

Tish 

Lips: NYX cosmeics liquid lips in Kitten Heels found at Ulta.com Glasses by www.sassaries.com

 

 

 

Beautifully Balanced: How To Keep Your Spirit and Your Craft Aligned

Photo By: Nestle Snipes www. MFKPhotography.com

This weekend was an epic one! It was super busy and I literally only had two hours of sleep each day but it was well worth it. It was filled with my favorite things. Makeup, beauty talks, BBQ's, laughter and amazing conversations with like minded people. Some may say I did way too much this weekend but I believe I did just enough. My weekend was balanced. It was the perfect combination of family, friends, makeup clients, coaching cheerleading practice, stimulating conversations and GOD. 

 

The Connection

With everything I had to get accomplished this weekend it really had me thinking about the importance of balance when working in this industry. As a makeup artist I can have long hours and forget to pour into myself. We spend most of our time pouring into others and we don't realize how powerful that it is. It's not only powerful in a good way but in a bad way. We may be changing and affecting lives through the stroke of a brush but just as much as your energy can affect a person their energy can affect you. I will break this down for you. Have you ever noticed that most makeup artists have ongoing clients that stay with them for YEARS!? I mean literally remain their client through out their whole career. Celebrity and legendary makeup artist Sam Fine has clients like Queen Latifah and Vanessa Williams who have been with him for years. Or we have Renny Vasquez who has been doing the music artist Brandy since I can remember. These are just a few public examples but in my own career I have clients like Beatrice who I had a strong connection with when I did makeup for her wedding and 2.5 years later we are great friends and she books me every time she needs an artist. I also have clients like style expert Denise Caldwell who I have worked with since the beginning of my career. I have literally filled my TV resume because of this amazing woman. She is not only a client but she has become a big sister. These two scenarios don't happen because we are playing in makeup. It happens because when you are a makeup artist or hair stylist or anything in the glam department you are connecting with people's energy. Some may not think its that deep but it is that deep. The transference of energy in a persons everyday life happens any time you come in contact with people so why wouldn't it be 10 times stronger when I'm literally painting someones energy into a good place with every stroke of my brush? 

Photo By: Ron Specs Hair styled by: Bianca Bowman Glasses: Sassaries.com

Energy 

Energy can be good and energy can be bad so life balance is important to creating self preservation of your energy. When dealing with some clients you may realize doing that persons makeup or hair physically drains you. This does not happen because it was a lot of work but because that persons "energy" was a lot of work. It literally sucked you dry! Or you may notice you link up with a client, worked for 12 hours running around from place to place doing touch ups but yet at the end of the day you leave rejuvenated and fresh! That is no coincidence that is ENERGY! Through my 'happiness journey' I have developed practices that help me balance and center my life. I have a morning ritual which I will get into shortly. I then eat foods in the morning that create good vibrations. You might be thinking did she just say her food vibrates? Yes I did! Every single thing we put in our body has positive or negative vibrations/energy but I'm not going to get too deep on this post lol. I will break it down another day. I also pray for my clients. Before I enter into my clients home or space I pray. I pray over my hands, I pray for my client, I pray that we both learn from each other during this time spent together and I pray that I am able to lift their spirit even higher then it is when I arrive. Another practice I am adamant about is "me time". That can be going to get my nails done, going out with my friends or just simply being still. I have to do things that make me happy so I can continue to do what God has put me here to do. So if that means taking time to have dinner with friends or take a walk or go shopping I do it. "Me time" is vital to sustaining your energy.

Photo By: Alky Fennel Model: Nestle Snipes

How To Align 

My morning ritual is very simple. Wake up and pray. Then I turn on my positive vibrations playlist which is filled with Ella Fitzgerald and Duke Ellington. Their music makes my energy light and happy. Some may not realize it but music alters moods and energy so it is important to feed your spirit with good tunes. In this morning ritual that I have developed I drink tea and sit for a moment to reflect on what I am grateful for. Gratitude can put your spirit in a place of happiness and can also help you combat negative energy through out the day when life starts happening. With all these things done on a daily basis it builds my spiritual armor and I am able to pour into people through my craft with out subtracting from my cup.

Photo By: Rickey Allen

I am very connected spiritually to what I do for a living. Every single client, job, television show or wedding I am able to find my higher power working right along side me. So with me being so connected spiritually I must make sure all energy systems are well oiled and gassed up. What are you doing to make sure every client gets not only your best work but your best energy? How do you stay balanced between career and personal? What are your positive energy rituals that help you stay in a good place? Reply in the comments below so we can all help each other stay beautifully and spiritually balanced. 

Beautifully devoted, 

Tish 

Beauty Cross Roads

Photo Credit: Mazi Oyo

My Quarter Life Crisis
We all go through this. We hit a point in our lives where we ask the questions "what did I accomplish in life" or "am I happy" or "am I doing enough!?" Well, I hit that point in my life at 25. I call it a quarter life crisis. Yes I said quarter life. Most of us are familiar with a midlife crisis that happens around 40. That's when men start buying fast cars they couldn't afford in their 20's and picking up 20 year old women to hang out with them. Or  that time when women start letting it all hang out and partying until the sun comes up like they are in high school. We all know that crisis but most don't identify with quarter life. When you hit 25 especially for us 80's baby's, we look at our life and that of our parents and make comparisons. Most of our parents had whole wife's or husbands by 25! They owned homes and had one and a half children if not 5 by the age of 25. They even were fully invested in their careers and knew they had a pension waiting for them down the road. Us... Those fly, sophisticated and educated baby's of the Millenium, NOT SO MUCH! At 25 we are still finding ourselves may have just completed college and starting out in a career we went to school for or in a career that has nothing to do with the degree you paid Sallie Mae so much for. Or you could have been like me at 25... LOST.

Photo Credit: GStar

 How I found my passion
At 25 I had a mini nervous breakdown. I say mini because I'm still standing but at that time I felt way less then ok. I was battling depression in my early 20's as well as extreme anxiety. I just wasn't happy at all. I had enough of being unhappy so I went on a journey. A journey that I now call my "happiness journey". I started developing myself spiritual, mentally and emotionally. Through that personal development I found my passion which is makeup artistry. Now some may think I just stumbled upon makeup but when I actually look back on my journey I always loved making people up. I used to make my little cousins over when they would spend summers with me. I always practiced the latest hair styles and dressed them like they were my models. Then when I attended Lincoln University I joined an amazing fashion club called ZIANA. Here is where I really found my love of fashion and beauty! The resident makeup artist was a girl named Leigh and I would watch the creations she came up with for the fashion shows and always wanted to do what she did! Shout outs to Leigh because she is an amazing artist. I also met other beautiful souls in Ziana like Mush and Tobias who are still my friends to this very day. They always pushed me to be my best because they saw more for me than I saw for myself. After leaving Lincoln University, I came home and worked in corporate America where I had satisfaction for a moment but as time went by the satisfaction turned into worry. Worried if I was really living to my fullest potential, worried if I was just letting time pass me by, worried if I was becoming the "living dead". Yes I said it, the living dead. The living dead are people in society that are not doing what they love or passionate about and are dying inside over time. You become a shell of sorts. Just a person walking around going through the motions but not really living. At 25 I decided I didn't want to be that person. It was then that I dusted off my makeup kit and said "let me try this". The intention of my makeup kit was to help me make connections in the fashion world because I originally wanted to be a stylist and image consultant. But I quickly found out my passion was more than that. The first face I ever did the whole world went silent. Being a person that battles with anxiety and had constant panic attacks this was a HUGE deal. When this happened I felt a spiritual connection to what I was doing. At that moment the fear of the unknown was no longer a factor. I didn't care about "what if I failed?" The thing I cared most about is what if I never truly win at life because I'm letting fear get in the way. Once I found this feeling I knew I found my passion and I never looked back. They say the two most important days of your life are when you are born and when you discover your purpose. I can tell you first hand that the feeling of knowing what you were put here for is a feeling money can't buy.

Photo Credit: Mazi Oyo

My Happy Place
Makeup makes me happy because it's a form of expression. It's my ministry that helps women see their beauty. I don't just do makeup, I transform self image. If you follow my work you will see that I love a natural face. If you go to www.tishferguson.com you can skim through all the work and find the common denominator is natural but glamorous beauty. I believe all women have beauty locked away inside of them that they haven't quite tapped into yet because of the subconscious and conscious standards society places on us. WE ARE ALL BEAUTIFUL as long as we know that first.

Photo Credit: Mazi Oyo

My Purpose
I'm here to paint the world one face at a time and share my gifts. Through my journey I want to show others that the road isn't easy but it's worth it. I didn't just magically land on a MTV show set for Ja Rule. Houdini didn't wave a magic wand and Mc Lyte appear in my makeup chair. I achieved these things by first believing in myself. Second, not caring what others thought of my journey. Third, never giving up no matter how tuff it gets and fourth GOING HARD IN THE PAINT!


So welcome to my Blog 'Beautifully Devoted' where I am devoted to give you the good the bad and the ugly of all things beauty. This is where beauty, fashion and personal development intertwine because let's face it what we are on the inside shines outwardly to the world. With the tips, tricks and just raw truth about these topics I hope I can help you start your own happiness journey because we all deserve happiness.

Photo Credit: Ron Specs

Now that you know my story, what's yours? What got you started? What is it that passion you are keeping locked away because you are afraid of failure? Hit the crossroads my friend and choose a direction. True Happiness on earth or land of the living dead.

Beautifully Devoted,
Tish Ferguson