Beauty Interview with Jennifer Nicole Lee

When I started this blog over 10 years ago, one thing I always wanted to do, but never had the chance, was interview people! I was interested in talking to models, makeup artists, product developers, photographers, and other beauty addicts, much like myself. At the top of my list to interview was Fitness Expert Jennifer Nicole Lee! I’ve been following her career for years, and over the past year, she and I have had a chance to connect and get to know each other. She’s created this amazing VIP group on Facebook that’s full of women from all walks of life. I recently attended her world conference and it was truly amazing! More on that in a future post.

At the 2020 World Conference!

Always, always follow your dreams. I wasn’t sure if Jennifer would be as excited as I was about the possibility of collaborating to do this interview, but she was!

All you have to do is ask! Some of this interview took place over the phone, but most of it was done via email. We’re hoping to team up again in the near future either in person or on a video chat to share with all of you.

This was a lot of fun, coming up with these questions, and even more fun to read her answers! Read on, and enjoy!!

1.       You have naturally curly hair. What’s your secret/process to straightening your hair? I know how hard it can be to get it so smooth on that texture. Do you use a certain product, or is there a salon treatment that you get for lasting smoothness? Both! Heehee! I live in Miami, so with this humidity I need all the help I can get. I love Deluge shampoo, conditioner. My faves are the Argon Oil shampoo & conditioner. I am obsessed with their Mask, I use it every wash, even though it’s a mask. Just a touch at the end to seal in all the moisture. I also did a treatment called “The Apple Stem Cell” to make my hair smoother & shinier. Its not a Keratin Brazilian blow out treatment that can harm the hair. It actually is an anti-aging hair treatment to help it be stronger, grow longer and be shinier and more controllable.

2.      To clarify, you’re not getting paid to endorse any of these products, but I’d like to know and I think others would like to know, what products you can’t live without.  Love this question. One of our VIP sistas Andreea in Austria gifted me with an Hour Glass Highligher palette. I kid you not, I use it every day! On my cheeks and lids. It’s the Ambient Strobe Light Palette. I am also in love with the Natasha Denona Beauty Eye Shadow Palette! The Metropolis Palette is so bold! I also love the Gold Palette, great for brown eyes, as the greens in the palette make your eyes look like hazel. I swear by Katie B Cosmetics for her foundation and her Green Tea Mineral Baked powder. Been wearing those for years! I’m also in love with Tatcha Primer. It’s a little thick, so I blend it with one pump of Lancome La Base, to make it a little more pliable. That combo seals in my face from the humidity here in Miami. Its sweat and humidity proof!

3.      Let’s play Survivor. You are going to a remote island and you can only take 3 beauty products with you. What are they? Besides sunscreen, of course.  Great question. I love the Deluge Firm My Figure scrub, as it’s a 2 in one: exfoliant for face and body, and also a moisturizer. I would then of course do the Deluge Hair Mask. Not selling or plugging, I really love their products. And gotta look cute, so a super glossy fuchsia lip gloss that screams “tropical paradise”, my fave is Rimmel Stay Glossy 6 Hour Gloss in the color Candy Floss

4.      How old were you when you first started wearing makeup? Who taught you to apply it? TRUE STORY! I have two older sisters. My earliest memory of makeup is that my two oldest sisters put makeup on me for my first day at Kindergarten! I remember it clearly! I’m laughing now, but something didn’t feel right when I went to my first day at the big elementary school and all eyes where on me. Couldn’t figure out why I was getting all of the stark stares, but now I know! I had blue eye shadow on my lids and my lips were hot pink, with a swipe of blush on my cheeks. I was their “doll” I guess and I think they wanted me to make a “good impression” on my first day of Kindergarten! LOL!

5.      Favorite beauty trend? I have a lot! Highlighter! The more the better! I want to make sure the aliens see “glow” in outer-space.

6.      What’s a beauty trend you regret? Thin eyebrows! Geeze, looking back I think we were all taking out our stress on our eyebrows and plucking them to death.

7.      When you apply your makeup, do you start with face or eyes first? Why? Love this question. I always start with the canvas, the skin. I need to lock that down first, flawless. I know that some artists do eyes first and then “clean up” around any fall out of eye shadow with base, etc. I cant do that! Drives me crazy. I must do face first then move to eyes, and then lips are last.

8.      What’s in your beauty bag? Reach into the purse closest to you, grab your bag, dump it out if you’re feeling ambitious, and tell us what you’ve got! Oh Lordy! I’m scared! Ready! A powder puff for my powder application (that I really need to wash!) sugar free gum, breath spray, Katie B Cosmetics Mineral Baked Powder. Too Faced Born This Way Concealer, Wet n Wild MegaGlo Highlighting Powder, and a Wet Brush (Even though I wont use it while my hair is wet, I love how easy it is on my hair)

9.      What’s your favorite high-end makeup brand? Great question! Depends! Natasha Denona for eye shadow. Lancome for Mascara, Tatcha for Primer, Chanel for Perfume, Greek Goddess Lashes for false eyelashes.

10.  What’s your favorite drugstore brand? Geeze! A lot! I love Maybelline, Cover Girl, I have worn them all! Actually Wet n Wild has gotten really good! Great prices too.

11.  Do you like trying new skincare products or do you stick to a routine? I love to try new products! I feel like your skin can always use a “JOLT” with new products and trying new things that can either work or be a dud! You never know until you try. And companies now are always doing so many give-aways. That’s the fun part.

12.  If you could create a makeup or skincare product, what would it be? WOW! Love this fantasy. It would be the VIP Line! For women who dare to push the envelope. Bold colors. Striking lips, lids, cheeks. Power looks for sure. We both remember the 80’s, I think that was the best hair and make up! Bigger the better! Twisted Sister anyone? Heehee! I loved watching Ru Paul and he really was over the top in his hair and make up. I love me a good drama look. Smokey eyes, red lips. 80’s all the way! Of course we would do a “Wedding/Natural Look Division” but it has to be glam in some type of way.

13.  You’re known for being a fitness expert, and a wonderful coach! Training women all around the globe on how to be the best version of themselves. What’s your best non-beauty related beauty tip? Confidence, I know that when you rock your confidence, no matter what you are wearing, or what type of make up you have, you have that “it” factor. Not being cocky, or highfalutin, but just a warm spirit that invites others in to also feel genuine in their skin. A smile always works! That little twinkle in your eye of pure joy and happiness. Those are my every day must-do beauty tips to evoke that feeling of being beautiful no matter what!
THANK YOU BROOKE FOR THIS INTERVIEW!

Here are a few more pictures from the conference. It seemed like any time there was a microphone nearby, it was in my hand! I need to host my own entertainment/beauty show!!

Interviewing Jennifer at the World Conference

Again, with a microphone in my hand. Somebody stop me! Or give me permanently… Love it!

I hope you enjoyed Jennifer’s answers as much as I did! Thanks for checking in, and if you would like to be interviewed for my blog, reply to this post and let’s work something out!

As always, You’ve Been Beautified!!

P.S. Looking for something to read? Check out the first 2 books in the Heart & Soul series by yours truly!!!

Beauty From The Inside out…Days 20 & 21

Well, my challenge is over today. Thanks to all of you who encouraged me to do this, and to all of you who followed my days!

Day 20: Not a bad day. I did get hit by the snack monster on this day, but I’ve realized this is a huge sign of boredom. I get bored, I snack, I feel like crap when I’m done. A clear indication that I have to get a hobby and keep my mind and my hands busy!

Day 21: Today has been a good day. I had my chocolate/almond breakfast shake to start my day, did day 4 of my new workout, and only snacked a little on some Special K popped chip/rice cake things. Big victory for me when I passed the box along to share with my kids instead of inhaling the whole thing!!

I haven’t checked yet to see if there was any weight lost with this challenge, but I have noticed that taking care of me on the inside has affected what’s on the outside when it comes to hair, skin, and nails.

My hair looks healthier…shiny and it doesn’t feel lifeless. My nails look great. I keep them pretty short for a few reasons: #1 long nails get in the way of typing, and #2 I tend to be a biter! (Horrible, I know!) But they keep growing, and they haven’t been splitting or peeling.

I noticed the biggest improvement in my skin. It feels less oily because I’ve been drinking so much water, it’s been pretty clear of any breakouts, and it just has a healthier glow than it did 21 days ago.

The biggest thing I’ve noticed is, how fast 21 days goes by! I’ve looked at challenges in the past and thought there was no way I could do something consistently for 21 days or more. Well, I proved myself wrong! I did it, and that’s a victory in itself!!

So, what’s next? Well, I’m doing a new workout and it starts with a 28 day challenge and I am 4 days into it. It’s fun, but it’s hard! I won’t be documenting that on a daily basis, but I will mention it every now and then. Now that I finished 21 days of paying attention to what I’m eating, 28 days of following a workout program doesn’t seem so daunting.

Other than that, it’s back to product reviews! Once I started this challenge, I was truly amazed at how many people told me to get back on those reviews. Well, I have a bathroom full of products I can’t wait to tell you all about! Thanks again for all the kind words and encouragement!

You’ve Been Beautified!

Beauty From The Inside Out…Day 13

Today was a good day, but I’m wishing I was more active so far this week. I’ve been taking it easy, and I need to get moving more. I know eating right and exercising go hand in hand, and I know that those two lifestyle changes make for glowing skin, shiny hair, and healthy nails, but sometimes it’s hard to get moving.

I want to share a really good recipe with you! We went meatless today. My youngest has become a pescatarian and I’m doing my best to support her in this new way of eating. Tonight we had Greek Spinach and Feta Lasagna. It sounds a little odd, but it was really good. Here you go!

1 – 15oz. container of fat-free ricotta cheese
1 – 10 oz. package of frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
2 cups shredded fat-free mozzarella (the recipe calls for fat-free, I could only find low-fat)
4 oz. reduced fat crumbled feta cheese
8 kalamata olives, chopped (the recipe calls for 8, my daughters love them, so they requested double that next time)
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 – 24oz. jar fat-free tomato-basil marinara sauce
9 oven ready no-boil lasagna noodles (If you can’t find these, you can prepare the dish an hour or so before you bake it, giving the sauce time to get into the noodles and make them moist and then they’ll cook thoroughly when you bake it)

Preheat oven to 375, spray a 9×13 baking dish with nonstick spray.
Combine ricotta cheese, spinach, 1 cup of the mozzarella cheese, feta cheese, olives, egg, oregano in large bowl and mix well.
Spread one-fourth (about 3/4 cup) of tomato sauce over bottom of baking dish. Top with 3 lasagna noodles. Spread half (about 2 cups)of ricotta mixture over noodles. Spread one-fourth more tomato sauce. Repeat layering once more with 3 noodles, remaining half of ricotta mixture, and one-fourth more tomato sauce. Top with the remaining 3 noodles, the last of the sauce, and 1 cup of mozzarella.
Lightly spray sheet of foil with nonstick spray; cover baking dish with foil, sprayed side down, and bake for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake an additional 10 minutes until cheese melts and lasagna is heated through and bubbling.

This serves 8 and is 6 WW points per serving. We loved it! Let me know if you try it, and what you think!

You’ve Been Beautified!

Beauty From The Inside Out…Day 12

You know what is challenging me right now? No, not chips and popcorn! Drinking enough water. I know how important it is for you, but it seems like such a pain to make it happen and I don’t like to chug it all day. I like seltzer water and I wonder if that’s ok to drink in place of regular water. Not sure, but it’s what I’m doing most of the time. I try to do things to make water more appealing to me, and sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn’t.

Have any of you tried those water enhancers? Some of them come in powder to make your water a juice, and the trendy thing now is the flavored drops that you squeeze in your water. I’ve tried them, and I’m still not a fan! The ones I’ve tried leave a strange feeling in my mouth and have a funny aftertaste.

Staying within my points range has been good, now that I’m back home. I can’t believe how many obstacles I was faced with while I was gone. It’s amazing what getting out of your comfort zone can do to you!

I’m halfway through this challenge right now, and I feel good about it. I haven’t stepped on the scale to check if there has been any progress in that area, but my skin looks really good, and when I do drink enough of that darn water, I notice I have a lot less oil to deal with on my face. I’ve told people for years that oily skin is a big sign of dehydration, and now I’m seeing that first-hand. I’m not dehydrated internally, so externally that’s showing. Also, my nails seem to have grown pretty fast in the last 12 days and they’re not peeling or chipping. Victory!

So, tell me what you do to get more water into your body!

You’ve Been Beautified!

Beauty From The Inside Out…Days 8-10

Weekends are hard…very hard! When I first started this challenge, I started it on a Friday, so going into the weekend was a challenge, but I was still motivated and driven to get through the weekend.

Let’s fast-forward to this following weekend. I found myself in a situation that I hoped wouldn’t make me fall off the wagon, but fall off, I did!

I made a very fast trip back to Colorado to see my family for the weekend. For those of you who know me personally, please understand why I didn’t mention I was coming back to Colorado. My time there was very short, and when you throw a snowstorm in the mix, it was even shorter. So, here’s the recap by day:

Day 8: (The calm before the storm) I had a very small breakfast because I knew I would be eating lunch out, and I really didn’t do too bad at lunch. I shared an appetizer and then had a chicken and shrimp entrée, so I had the confidence that I was still on track. Here’s where Friday went Kaput! I met with my sisters for dinner at a very nice restaurant. Originally, we had a family dinner planned for Saturday, but we were pretty sure that white crap that falls from the sky had different plans for us, so to make sure I saw everyone in my family, the sisters went to dinner. It was decadent, it was yummy, it was way too much! I found myself feeling like it hurt to take a deep breath! I felt bad physically, but emotionally I felt satisfied…maybe it had to do with the wine, laughter, and yummy desserts.

Day 9: The snow came in as expected and didn’t let up all day. When I had planned my trip to see my family, we had planned on a big family dinner. Knowing the Colorado weather is really unpredictable, we went ahead and made our huge meal, hoping it would let up. It didn’t let up, but here we had a ton of comfort food that had been prepared all day, so what were we going to do? Eat it, of course!

Day 10: I slept like crap overnight before heading out of Colorado and back home to California (Yes, CA is home now). I had eaten too much the night before, and I was anxious about getting home and hoping nothing would be cancelled due to crappy weather. (FYI, I don’t care if CO needs the moisture, I HATE snow, and I didn’t care to see it, and I sure as hell didn’t miss it!) I met my kids at the airport because they had been with their dad, and we started our 5+ hour journey home. Again, I didn’t eat breakfast, I had a mediocre, yet horribly expensive airport lunch during a layover, so when my husband suggested McDonald’s for dinner when we finally got home, there was no argument from me.

The lesson learned this weekend was this: I am human (I’ll say that a lot!), I let stress and inconvenience get the best of me, and I felt like 100% crap that I had put all this indulgent food into my body. My skin looked bad, and felt extra oily, there were bags under my eyes that I could have packed my luggage in, and my stomach was in constant turmoil.

I am completely looking forward to getting back on track tomorrow and having some clean meals. I also really noticed how much traveling dehydrates you.

Word of advice, remember your fruits and veggies, drink water, and get your rest! Although I felt bad physically because of the weekend, I don’t feel bad emotionally. I’m learning how to do this! Plus, it was really good to see my family, even for a short time.

Have a great start to the week!

You’ve Been Beautified!

Day

Beauty From The Inside Out…Day 4

I always believe that a Monday gives you a fresh start! As much as Monday seems to be the most-dreaded day of the week, I try to look at it as a new beginning. I love to wake up to a new day and a new set of challenges.

Here I am, on day 4, and I had a big challenge today. I caved, and gave into my love of potato chips. The great thing about WW is I can have the chips, but I have to keep it to the serving size…that’s the challenge. There are certain foods that some people just can’t stop at the serving size, and this is the food for me. I do not have a sweet tooth, I have a salty-crunchy-fat-tooth!

Potato chips are 4 WW points per serving. When you look at it that way, you think 4 points is not such a big deal. But, those darn little points add up and before you know it, you can be near your daily points range before noon. (Yes, I speak from experience!) Today’s lunch was tuna (2 points) dill relish (0 points) mustard (0 points) 1 tbsp. of mayonnaise (1 point) 2 slices whole wheat bread (3 points) potato chips (4 points) side salad with fresh lime juice as dressing (0 points). All together, this makes for a 10 point lunch. Not a bad lunch…if you don’t count all those chips that somehow made their way down my throat as I was preparing my lunch…so I’ll count 2 servings and eat my points…literally.

One thing I absolutely LOVE about WW is, almost all fruits and veggies are 0 points. Avocado, potatoes, and some other ones I don’t know off the top of my head have points, but for the most part fruits and veggies are 0. I could eat raw veggies all day, and sometimes I do, so this helps me out a lot.

I have my dinner planned for the night already, and I’ll go over my daily allowance by a few, but that’s ok. I’m human, I am trying, and eating all the extra fruit and veggies has me feeling really good. Can’t wait to see what it’s going to do for my skin and nails.

Lesson today: Keep the damn chips out of the house! Sorry family, I know you love them too, but they are going to sabotage me!! I asked this on Facebook today, but in case you didn’t see it, I’ll ask again…what food do you have to break up with? Obviously for me, it’s chips…stupid, stupid chips!!!

You’ve Been Beautified!

Beauty From The Inside Out…A Self-Challenge

Ok, I’ve decided to do a self-challenge for 21 days. I want to see what eating right will do for my appearance, so I’m titling this: “Beauty from the inside out.”

They say “you are what you eat” and I’ve read many articles stating that what you put inside your body will show on the outside. Well, this has been proven in certain areas of my body, but I have never paid attention to the effect of nutrition on my skin, hair and nails. So, that’s what I’m going to focus on…any weight loss is a side benefit for my body (and my ego).

We relocated in August, and the stress took its toll on me in the form of 10 pounds…10 EXTRA pounds on top of the one million I was trying to get rid of anyway. So, I decided to join Weight Watchers (WW) for 2 reasons. #1 to give me some motivation to get my body to a normal weight once and for all, and #2 to meet people. I’ve been blessed with the fact that I don’t have to find a job immediately, but it’s also sometimes a curse because I don’t know a soul out here. So, while it’s nice to not have the stress of working full-time, I’ve come to feel like I’m in prison sometimes because I get lonely and bored, and that leads to over-eating.

I don’t endorse WW, I’m not being paid by them, and I’m not trying to recruit anyone to start WW. If you do start, that would be great because I am always looking for friends to lean on. I don’t get anything if anyone decides to join because of me. Please know that my intention is not to sell you ANYthing. I am just journaling this experience and questions and feedback are always welcome. Unless it’s mean feedback, then you and your comments will just get deleted.

Since I joined WW in August, I’ve lost and regained the same 4 pounds, and I’m sick of it. It’s not WW, it’s me. I know this, and I hate admitting it. It’s because some days I just don’t feel like tracking my food. It’s because some days it’s just easier to eat carbs and fat and not have anything resembling a fruit or a vegetable. It’s mostly because I just simply believe that I should NOT have to track my nightly wine.

I’m usually an all-or-nothing person, and WW is teaching me moderation. I can get the same satisfaction from a single cheeseburger that I could from a double, and yes, on the rare occasion, a triple (I wasn’t alone on the triple…you know who you are)! I find I enjoy healthy foods (love all veggies, except for green beans!), and knowing I can indulge a little here and there is good for me. Also, drinking the amount of water I should every day is a challenge. Forgive me for being tacky, but I hate water because I hate running to the bathroom to pee all the time!

This challenge for myself begins on March 1st, the day after tomorrow. If you want to start a challenge of your own alongside me, feel free. We can compare notes. I will journal about my 21 days, sometimes a few days may be in one journal, it will depend on how I’m feeling. I will share my meals, and recipes if you want, and I will also be completely honest and share my mishaps.

So, stay tuned. I hope I can inspire you, and keep myself motivated. Thanks for reading!

You’ve Been Beautified!