I've found myself feeling some pretty negative emotions lately in response to actions by people close to me. Feelings like hurt, anger, sadness, frustration, contempt and even hate. These are all normal emotions. Part of life. I know. What I also know is that you can't change other people, only how you react to them. Let me repeat that. You can only change the way you react to others.

You've probably heard this before. It makes sense, theoretically, but how do you stop yourself in the middle of negative feelings and turn your emotions around? It takes conscious effort, but it is possible. You can take your life back, get control of your emotions and move past the destructive path we often allow ourselves to go down when dealing with toxic people in our lives.

Understand That Their Issues Are Their Own

When people lash out at you, say things that are hurtful or push your buttons, consider the reasons behind their behavior. In my personal situation, I had a recent online, public dispute with someone close to me. Immediately, I let old instincts kick in. I felt furious that this person couldn't just leave well enough alone and had to push her ideas and opinions on me. After some time, I put things into perspective. Yes, these are old patterns, I realized. It's not likely that this person's views and actions will change, so I took some time to consider why she took the steps she did. I can see that she felt the issue was an important one to push. I decided to appreciate her passion for her stance, but not to let it affect me. If anything, I've decided to look more into why I took the position that I did.

Take the High Road

It's so tempting to let your emotions get the better of you when dealing with negative people. However, the consequences of doing so can be steep. If your instigator is a co-worker, you could lose your job. If you allow a loved one to bait you on a regular basis, you could lose your sanity or your sense of self. It's just not worth it. Take a moment to consider the worst case scenario of walking away from the situation or simply relenting and allowing the person to believe their behavior is right. I'm not saying it's good to constantly give in, but it can be the best decision to make until you can get some distance to think. Sometimes, however, you have to take a stand.

Stand Up for Yourself

Taking a stand for your position and letting the other person know the reasons for your actions can be very empowering. Sometimes we get in a pattern of allowing others to tell us who we are or have their say simply to avoid confrontation. We may let our wants and desires to take a back burner to those of someone else for any variety of reasons. If you're starting to feel that you've given too much, take a moment to contemplate what might happen if you stop giving in and start standing up for what you want and for your own rights. It's okay to do so, as long as you're not infringing on the rights of others or letting yourself feel out of control. No one likes to get to the point where they snap and say things out of frustration or anger. That's not helpful for you or for the other person involved. But it's more than okay to tell someone why you feel the way you do. It's good to set limits and inform them of what you'll tolerate and what you won't. Put some of the power back in your hands, and you'll feel worlds better. And stronger.

Live Your Life

If you've tried everything, and your interactions with the negative person haven't changed, try just living your life despite their influence. At least to the best of your ability. If the person causing you strife is your boss or someone else of heavy influence in your life, it's probably not feasible to just do what you want. However, you can move forward with your life in many ways and make proactive decisions that work for you and make you feel good. Let the other person have their feelings, do what they want. For lack of a better phrase, you just do you. Give it a try. I bet it'll feel great!

Know When to Let Them Go

All the self-help experts say get rid of toxic people. Purge them from your life. Sometimes that's just not very realistic. It's unlikely you can just quit your job on a whim, get a divorce without a thought about it or just cut a familly member out of your life for good. I get it. That's why I always try to implement the above strategies. But if you're hurting, really hurting. Or if your health is suffering or you just can't take anymore...You know what that last straw may be. Only you know. If you've determined that it's time, let that person go or at least take a break. Sometimes we have to do it for our own good. Sometimes we have to do it for those we love most.

I hope these tips have been helpful. I've learned some the hard way through personal experience. Others I've learned through my professional counseling background. Please feel free to share your best strategies for dealing with toxic, negative people in your life. Let's share, so we can live less stressful lives.

Okay, gals, here's a real quick video showing what I do to combat frizzy hair. Some products were provided, but all are loved. Please let me know in the comments what you do to deal with the frizzies.

Here are the products I used, including my affiliate link.

This is an article from Anna De Souza, an in-the-know beauty and style reporter. As a beauty junkie and a former career counselor, I can personally vouch for all of these tips. The Skindinavia Makeup Finishing Spray was provided to me for review, and it is remarkable! It helps your makeup to last all day without fading, and it really does give you a smooth finish that takes years off your appearance. I won't be without it from now on. Seriously love it! Here are Anna's tips for a beautiful job interview.

Pound the pavement with the right base. Begin your beauty regime with a primer that fills in fine lines and pores for a flawless finish! Give Smashbox's Photo Finish Foundation Primer a try.  It helps to inhibit the destruction of collagen so you can look flawless for years to come at your corner office.

Sleepless night from nerves? Cover up those under-eye bags, puffiness, or any other perfections with Tarte's Dark Circle Defense. The finely milled light refracting minerals actually brighten skin to help camouflage dark circles, puffiness, refness, fine lines and wrinkles. And there's 56% reduction in eye puffiness after 4 weeks--but we know you'll nail that interview the first go-round!

Sparkle and glitter aren't office appropriate. Opt for a matte shadow in a natural hue on the lids. We love Revlon's ColorStay 12 Hour Eye Shadow in In The Buff. Better yet, go for a thin line of smudged pencil eyeliner. Sue Devitt's Eye Intensifier Pencil is great. Nylon and a number of other ingredients lock in moisture and  expand and contract with facial movements without creasing to create a long-lasting, luminious eye.

Stop fussing with and reapplying your makeup! Ditch the trips to the ladies' and mist on a product that holds concealer, foundation and eyeshadow in place for up to 16 hours. Skindinavia Makeup Finishes creates a flawless look so there's less touch ups throughout the day. Since it resists heat and humidity, the mist is also great for when that mid-interview perspiration occurs!

Now go out there and ace that interview, feeling confident and beautiful!

Here's a video I did on applying bronzer to add a nice glow to your face. Look below for information on the tools and products I used from e.l.f.

Here are before and after photos of me. Can you see a difference between my makeup without bronzer (on the left) and with bronzer (on the right)? It is kind of hard to tell in photographs.

Here are the products I used from Eyes Lips Face.

The Studio Warm Bronzer is only $3.00! And the Kabuki Brush costs only $5.00. Can't beat those prices.

Feel free to use my affiliate link below to get Studio products at 50% off for the next two weeks using the code STUD50.

What's your favorite brand of bronzer, and how do you use it? I'd love to share tips!

Valentine's Day is Monday, so you probaly have yourself a hot date this weekend. If you've made the dinner or theatre reservations and picked out the perfect outfit, but you're wondering how to make your makeup special for this "love'ly holiday, here are some tips from makeup artist, Christopher Drummond.

• To feel more romantic, use naturally scented lip products.
• If you are hesitant to wear bright red lipstick, wear a soft red gloss instead
• Valentine’s Day is all about kissing the one you love. Be sure to keep your lips hydrated with shea butter. This natural ingredient keeps your lips smoother longer than petroleum.
• Use your lip liner on top of lipstick. This helps to avoid the oblivious line around the lips when your gloss comes off. Lining after your lip color also allows for easier application and blendability.
• For fuller lips, add shimmer (try: apply Christopher Drummond Beauty Relache Ice Eye Shadow to the inner lips to create the illusion of fullness)

These are some great tips for fabulous lips! In fact, Christopher is currently offering a free Ruby Slippers Lip Gloss with the purchase of any Women's Gift Set. You know my philosophy on gifts - it's wonderful to receive a gift, but you can ALWAYS give one to yourself.

So what are you plans this Valentine's Day? Will you be spending it with the one you love or do you have plans to show yourself some nurturing? Let's hear it.

I recently made the simplest change to my makeup routine, and I'm absolutely loving it! At my e.l.f. makeup at home party with my girlfriends, I got to try some fabulous products, colors I wouldn't ordinarily choose. I discovered a new passion - colored eyeliner. I'm a brown eyeliner girl. While I use different shades of brown depnding on the look I'm going for, I rarely strayed from my favorite neutral. Occasionally, I'd use a green liner because I wear a lot of green in my wardrobe, but mostly I stuck with my blah browns. Not anymore.

What a difference a little color makes. I've had so much fun experimenting with different eyeliner colors. One of my favorites is actually e.l.f.'s midnight. It's a dark, navy blue. I pair it with my neutral tan and taupe shadows, and it really pops. The contrast of the liner really accentuates my eyes and makes such a difference in my look, without being over the top. I love it! I'm also having fun with plum eye liner. I think it looks really nice with my red hair. For a neutral shade that's different than my tried and true browns, I like e.l.f.'s ash. It's a pretty light gray color. So different.

Why not give it a try yourself? What an inexpensive, easy way to shake up your makeup routine. Just a change in eyeliner color can brighten your whole face. We could all use a little pick-me-up to chase away the winter blues. Hey, you might even want to try a blue eyeliner! Check out this article for some awesome, in-depth tips on using colored eyeliner.

What do you think? Are you experimental with your eyeliner color or do you stick to your basic brown or black? Do tell.

It's holiday party season! Gotta love that, but sometimes we moms barely having time (or energy) to make it to the party after working a long, hard day. Don't stress out about getting ready for the party. There are some simple ways you can take your makeup from everyday to dramatic.

1. Everyday makeup doesn't necessarily mean just neutral colors. Use a light dusting of an accent color for day, then deepen it for your night time look.
2. Just darken your existing eye liner by using more of the same daytime shade, adding a darker color, or using dark eye shadow to add a smoky look.
3. Add an extra coat of mascara for dramatic eyes. Consider adding a coat of a darker shade or fun color. Colored mascara is in again. (Think jewel-tone, not '80's)
4. Wear a totally different color for your lips. Lipstick usually wears off by the end of the day, anyway. Go for darker, vibrant lipstick colors or add a sparkly gloss for impact.
5. Add glow to you face with a touch of bronzer along cheek bones and decollete.
6. You can also use a highlighting product on your upper cheek bones beneath the eyes and along smile lines to freshen and brighten your look.
7. Add more of your daytime cheek color or a complimentary darker shade as a final touch.

We're about midway through the summer. Does your hair feel like mine, coarse, dry, and dull? I recently realized that I should have been taking better care of my locks from the very beginning of summer. After swimming at the pool and playing outside, the damage from so much chlorine and sun is really starting to take its toll. But it's not too late to repair the damage. Here are some things you can easily add to your routine to bring back your hair's shine and vitality.

Wear a Hat

Your mom probably told you to wear a hat in the summer to protect your scalp from sunburn. This is still a good idea, but it's also smart to cover up your hair to protect it from sun damage. While SPF is great for protecting your skin from the sun's damaging rays, it doesn't work the same way with hair. A sun protectant in hair products like shampoo and conditioner would only be washed away when rinsed out. Therefore, the FDA has not allowed for hair products to display an SPF level on their packaging.

Moisturize

Though you won't find an SPF hair product, you can look for ones that contain a protectant like sunflower oil. Also, check for moisturinzing and conditioning ingredients to help restore moisture lost to sun and surf. You'll want to apply protective products liberally and regularly in order to maximize their benefits. I use KMS California Solperfection After Sun Shampoo, which contains coconut oil, grapefruit extract, and caffeine, all beneficial to hair health. I recently started using Healthy Sexy Hair's Soy Renewal. This product came in My Pretty Pink Box and has sunflower oil and argan oil to protect hair. Since adding these to my regimen, I have noticed a difference in the condition of my hair. You may also want to try using a leave-in conditioner containing natural ingredients like keratin, wheat germ protein, or jojoba oil to condition your hair. The product's effectiveness wil be enhanced by the summer heat.

Give It a Soak

Rinse hair with clear water before and after swimming. Wet hair will absorb less chlorine than dry, and it makes sense to rinse away as much of the chemical as you can after taking a dip. Bring along a bottle of fresh water with you expressly for this purpose. I usually fill a bottle or two with water to keep us hydrated throughout the day, anyway.

Take a Break From the Burn

You may want to take a few days off from your electric styling appliances like blow dryers, curling irons, and flat irons. That kind of heat just strips away moisture and damages your hair's cuticle. I recently got a cute new style that requires lots of straightening, but it also looks nice with my hair's natural curl. So I skip the iron at least every other day, which helps to mix things up a little, too.

Good luck keeping your hair in tip top shape this summer and have fun. Stop by Total Beauty and check out their quiz to find out what's the best shampoo and conditioner for your hair for a little help on deciding which hair product to buy.

Do you have hooded eyes, also known as "bedroom eyes"? Madonna does, and so do I. Hooded eyes refers to eyelids that are not easily seen because the upper lid "hoods" or obscures the lower part the eye lid. Applying makeup to this kind of eye shape can be tricky. Before learning the technique I'm about to share with you, it always seemed pointless to even put eye shadow on because you could hardly see it. Do you have this problem too?

I learned how to make my hooded eyes stand out as a consultant with Mary Kay, so I'll first point you to a great demonstration video on the Mary Kay website. Go on and check it out (press the blinking green play button beneath the illustration to start the video), then come back here for a little more in-depth explanation of the application technique.

Did you learn anything from the video? Basically, the main point to remember is that you want to concentrate the darkest or accent color toward the outer part of your eye lid. You'll notice that you'll use very little of the lightest or highlight color. That's because you want to maximize the darker shades of the midtone and accent colors to make the lid appear to recede. This makes your nonexistent lids appear more noticeable.

Watch the video a few times to get the hang of it, then give it a try. If you're anything like me, you'll be so excited to be able to see your pretty eye shadow that you'll want to explore with tons of new colors! Don't be afraid to play. It's exciting to see the possibilities. Let me know how this application technique works for you.