SPARK and HUSTLE

Last week, my team and I went to a conference in South San Francisco called Spark and Hustle. If you have never heard of it, definitely check it out! It is a great event created by the wonderful Tory Johnson, and there are still dates left in this year's event tour. My daughter, Krysten, and son-in-law, Jeff, attended the event in May that was held in Los Angeles, and they had an incredible time. They both learned a lot about marketing, branding and the necessities for a small business. The event is primarily geared towards women, but a few men were at the LA event. They did a drawing for an iPad (courtesy of Time Warner Cable), and my son-in-law won!! They also spoke highly of Cindy Morrison, who is a social media strategist, speaker, author and Emmy Winning TV Journalist. They came home and told me that we all had to attend the San Francisco event. I am very glad we did. 

You are never too old - I mean experienced - to learn. I have been in business for over 20 years and am still learning new things on a daily basis... especially with Krysten and Jeff on board! 

This event was a bit smaller than the LA event, but the information was just what we needed. The main things that I took from the event were from Cindy and the only male speaker, Joshua Zerkel, regarding social media. We just wish that Cindy was able to speak longer! We learned the power of muscle marketing from Alex Cavoulacos (another Greek girl) from The Daily Muse and Andra Davidson from Lifetime Moms. I learned about a website called Indiegogo, which is for crowdfunding.  The speaker from Indiegogo (sorry to have not written her name down) told a story of a man named Joseph Pulitzer (sound familiar?) who used crowdfunding to raise money for a pedestal for the Statue of Liberty (read the story here). 


I learned how to use Indiegogo so I could donate some money to a dear friend's new movie called STAR. (Check it out & donate if you can!)  

To add some icing to the cake (low fat of course!), my daughter won an Amazon gift card ($300) from one of the vendors! 

If you own a small business, check out SparkandHustle.com to see when Tory and her crew will be in your neck of the woods. You can also see Tory on Good Morning America on a weekly basis. Thank you, Tory, for teaching me some wonderful and powerful new things! 

Fashion, Earthquakes & A Yacht Club

This video was last week - I haven't had time to upload it! My daughter, son-in-law and sister and I had a fabulous day at the De Young Museum. The Jean Paul Gaultier exhibit was incredible! Then we took a short stroll across the street to the California Academy of Sciences. The Earthquake exhibit was amazing. You HAVE to check it out if you are in town. They simulate the 1906 and 1989 earthquakes. My daughter was two years old in 1989 and we flew to LA and had just landed when the quake shook the Bay Area. We were very lucky to have missed it. 

After an afternoon at the museum we went to dinner at the South Beach Yacht Club. I am so glad that my brother joined us for dinner and drinks and a fabulous view! 


If the video doesn't load, click here to watch it on Youtube. 

Favorite's Fridays: Ice Balls

If you have been to one of my offices, you would know about my famous ice balls. Many of you comment on them, so I had to share them with the world. This week, my Favorite Fridays post is about my little silver ice balls. Where do you get them, you ask? Any party store, drug store, Target etc. I don't remember exactly how I got the idea but I did. I decided to buy silver water balloons, fill them up and stick them in the freezer. It's like an instant ice pack. I give them to clients to take after their procedure to ice their lips on the way home. They have proven to be handy in other ways too. I have used them in coolers, to keep pigments cool and for icing clients. Ice balls are probably nothing out of the ordinary but because many clients comment on them, I felt the need to share my secret. 

A few tips for your Ice balls:

- Do not completely fill them up, they will expand. 

- When transporting them, put them in a ziplock Baggie in case it punctures. 

- Refreeze them for continues use! (I don't refreeze them in the office because of cross contamination)

Do You Wash Your Makeup Brushes?

Okay, here is a test... there are only two questions, and you don't have time to study for them...

1) Do you wash your face every day?

2) Do you wash your make up brushes on a weekly basis?

If you answered "YES" to both of those questions, you probably don't have to finish reading my blog... but you should anyway. If you answered "YES" to only one of the questions, we have a problem. Chances are you probably answered "YES" to the first question. If not, maybe I have to write a blog on face washing. 

If most of us wash our face on a daily basis to remove dirt, oil, makeup, and sweat, why shouldn't we wash our make up brushes? Our make up brushes hold bacteria after each and every use! It doesn't matter which brushes you use (eyes, cheek, face, lip, foundation, kabuki etc); they all have to ability to retain bacteria that can then transfer back to your skin. 

I am pretty good about remembering to wash my brushes every week to ten days. I have used everything from shampoo and conditioner to brush cleaner from a makeup counter. I think different methods of washing work better for different brushes from different companies. If you are unsure of what to use, ask the company that you bought your brushes from to see what they recommend. You can also try using this! 

If you are using a shampoo to wash your brushes, wet your brush and add the smallest drop into the palm of your hand. Roll your brush around and lather it up. Afterwards, place the brush under the running faucet with the bristles pointed downward until the water runs clear. 

Once your brushes are clean, make sure that you DO NOT put them in a cup or jar to dry! They should not be standing straight up while wet. After washing your brushes, set them out on a washcloth or towel to dry. Shape them with your fingers so that they dry properly. 

I hope that next time you are asked those questions you can say "YES!" to both! 

UPDATE: TRY USING THIS TO WASH YOUR MAKEUP BRUSHES!!!! Thanks Deborah DePiano! 

Favorite's Fridays: Recap

These past few weeks I have been so busy in both offices (Beverly Hills & San Francisco) with so many clients and events that I haven't been able to sit down and write this weeks 'Favorite'. I have also been busy training my new associate, Jeff. So, rather than add more to my to-do list, I thought I would give a recap of the past few weeks. 

My first ever 'Favorites Fridays' blog was about my favorite concealer. I think everyone should give this Estee Lauder product a try. It is waterproof and has fabulous coverage! I mainly use it under my eyes! To read more click here. 

The next 'Favorites Fridays' blog is my most popular 'Favorites' blog ever. I have received the most feedback from this blog about my favorite mascara! I promise you will like it if you give it a try! Easy! Breezy! Beautiful! CoverGirl. To read more click here. 

Neutrogena's Wave Sonic Spinning Cleanser was another 'Favorites Fridays' product. This is my first (and only at this point) beauty gadget on my Favorite's list. Though it is advertised for use on your face, I love using it on my elbows as well. To read more click here. 

Another 'Favorites Fridays' product that I just love is my gel cream eyeliner by Physicians Formula. You get three colors that compliment your specific eye color. Though my eyeliner is tattooed, I typically add this over my permanent make up for a fiercer look! To read more click here. 

The best Sun Protector that I have found is by the world renowned plastic surgeon Dr. Garth Fisher. It has always been tough for me to find a great sunscreen that doesn't burn my eyes or give me a chemical burn. Dr. Garth Fisher's Cell Ceuticals PhotoDefense Sun Protector SPF 55 is definitely my choice for protecting my skin. To read more click here. 

My first ever 'Favorites Fridays' relating to hair was 2 weeks ago. My favorite hair product line right now is the Moroccan Oil line. Though I have used both the oil and the styling cream, I prefer the styling cream for my hair. My hair feels silky, looks great and smells incredible! To read more click here. 

My most recent 'Favorites Fridays' blog was about a self tanning lotion that I have used for years! It doesn't rub off on your clothes or sheets and doesn't leave you looking orange. Remember to exfoliate, exfoliate, EXFOLIATE! To read more click here. 

Check back next week for my next 'Favorites Fridays' blog. 

Free Fallin' off of High Heels

Don't you love that feeling of taking your high heels off after a long day? I sure do! I have worn pumps for years and have tons of high heels to choose from.  I don't wear them often, but that doesn't mean I avoid wearing them all together... I pick my moments. At this point, I prefer to wear comfortable shoes most of the time... especially when I am working. 

I recently came across an article, "High Heels: Worth The Health Risk?" and had to laugh before I even continued reading. I have two friends, one a nurse and one a doctor, who have both fallen off their heels! The article is about a study that reveals that women who live in their high heels are at risk for permanent damage to their knees, back, and tendons. Heels force women to walk with all of their weight on the balls of their feet. 

The article offers tips for the high heel wearing shoe-lover:

1. Alternate Heights: If your tendon doesn't get acclimated to the same height every day, it won't shorten to a specific height. 

2. Stretch: Every day you wear heels, sit in a chair and use a yoga band or twisted sheet slung around your food. Pull the band towards you as you stretch your toes forward

3. Use commuter shoes: Especially city commuters walk a great deal on their routes to work. Use a supportive flat shoe on the unforgiving concrete of the sidewalk and save those four-inch show-stoppers for the absorbent carpets and cork floors of the office. 

4. Choose A Wedge: Any heel that offers more surface area is putting less stress on the ball of the foot, so go with a chunky heels, wedge or even platform. 

5. Add Orthotics: Even an over-the-counter shoe insole can make a tottering heel more stable -- and that can help its owner walk better

I typically take advantage of Tip #5 and add orthotics for comfort pads to the insoles of my shoes. Check out the tips and don't fall off your heels! 

My First Experience

I have been doing procedures like this for years, but this is me experiencing it for the first time as the client rather than the master. More videos to come. Enjoy! 

Favorites Fridays: Self Tanning Lotion

Everyone loves a great tan, especially one in a can... or a bottle. This tanning lotion I have used for years, and it is fabulous. I think it can be pretty hard to find a self tanning product that doesn't rub off on your clothing or sheets, and that doesn't leave you looking orange. 

My girlfriend Isabelle told me about this amazing self tanning lotion called SUN (self tanning lotion, dark sunsation, instant tint, for all skin types). It tends to leave a little residue, but in the shower it rinses off and leaves the rest of you nice and evenly tan. Most self tanners smell of chemicals and dry out your skin, but this has a light smell of almonds and doesn't take a toll on your skin. 

There are a few tricks that Isabelle and I have learned to get best use of this product. It is always important to exfoliate, exfoliate, exfoliate! Exfoliating enables your skin to become silkier and more radiant. Before you tan you should always scrub the dead skin cells off. 

Here is my routine: I shower and make sure to exfoliate, exfoliate, exfoliate! Then, using gloves, I  use the tanning lotion all over my body and sleep on a towel. In the morning, I shower the excess "brown" that is left on my skin and do this for a few days in a row to get a nice glow. Afterwards, I make sure to be very, very liberal with my body lotion to prevent the possibility of dry skin. 

Though I enjoy getting some sun the natural way, I don't always have time to lay by pool. It is also not the greatest to spend a lot of time in the sun, especially without sunscreen. I love using this product in the summer, spring, winter and fall to maintain my SUNSATIONAL tan. 

*Isabelle and I have been friends for years. We have always enjoyed sharing our beauty secrets with each other. Check out her fabulous clothing line Prance. I love her beautiful designs!*

Athena Hair Loss Solutions

I have finally launched my new website for Athena Hair Loss Solutions, and wanted you to be the first to know. Though I have been doing procedures like this for over 20 years, I have never really emphasized this side of my expertise until now. Having worked side by side with a renowned San Francisco dermatologist, I learned the artistry of hair transplant surgery. I have taken the artistry and information and applied it to the techniques that I use in the procedures I do for those who suffer from hair loss, thinning hair, alopecia, receding hair line, balding, hair transplant scars and more. 

I am in the process of training a new student, and, as apart of the process, we are looking for a few clients (male or female) who are available at both office locations. Procedures will be supervised and guided by me.  There is nothing that I am unable to fix or reverse. Although procedures will be considerably discounted, appointments* are very limited. (Appointments are subject to change. Evening appointments may be available upon request. Please call for more details).

If you or anyone you know may be interested, do not hesitate to contact me. I thank you for your confidence in my artistry. Your referrals are the greatest compliment I could receive. 

Gratefully,
Athena Karsant