Simply Mek!

My dear friend of over 20 years came into the beauty bar because for the month of July, she was celebrating her birthday!  Jimeka Katherine is a beautiful and phenomenal woman. A full time Masters Program student at Howard University School of Divinity, full time wife, full time entrepreneur holding down 17 companies (lol), my friend has got it going ON, do you hear me?!! So I feel so honored each and every time she comes to me for a special occasion. 

On this occasion, Jimeka Katherine planned on having professional photographs taken of her and her best friend, hubby Gene for her birthday. They were going to a beautiful spot in Annapolis to do so. Jimeka Katherine has been lifestyle conscious for over 2 years now and her new outlook has really paid off. She wanted a new look to go with her “new look”, so she came to The Beauty Bar!

Mek arrived to the Beauty Bar with tea in hand ready to work. Having already consulted with her on her look, I showed her the two choices she would be choosing from. From there, we were able to come up with a personalized look all her own. Mek expressed that she had an affinity for the line Bare Minerals because of their campaign of honoring the everyday woman, so that’s where Mek drew her inspiration from. However, Mek said that although she wanted a natural everyday look, today, she wanted her eyes to pop and she also wanted a little lip. Knowing how fabulous Mek is, I knew what she wanted.

Mek’s flawless complexion and doe eyes and mile long eyelashes made my work very easy. While Mek got business calls from her coined term; “Mobile Oval Office”, I was at work trying to make sure Mek felt calm, and didn’t worry about what her makeup was going to end up looking like. Mek agreed to go with “Bootycall” on her lid and  from the Naked Palette. Her cheeks took from the Mehron palette and on her lips Sugar Cookie from Bare Minerals and C-Thru overtop from MAC.

When Mek was finished, just as her calls started to try to take her out of her tranquil Beauty Bar zone, she looked into the mirror and screamed! “AWWWWWWWW, I LOVE IT!!”  Mek seemed very pleased with her new look, which she now calls; “Simply Mek.” I hope you like it as much as we did.

What was used:

Golden Sunset - Graftobian - (Foundation)

UD - Sin from the Naked Palette (Eye lid)

UD - Buck from the Naked Palette (Crease)

NARS - Eyeliner in Black

Mehron - (Blush)

Sugar Cookie  - Bare Minerals - (Lips)

C-Thru MAC - (Lips)

Thank you for your time!

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*Stay tuned for more Beauty Bar adventures.

The Birth of the Bar

The Beauty Bar

Mission: The beauty bar was initially designed to create a relaxing atmosphere

to service each client and allow them to have a complete beauty experience.

The purpose turned into a goal to have each client have the ultimate beauty

experience for the mind, body and soul. Thank you for going on the

journey with me and my lovely clients as I help them naturally transform

broken pieces into powerful, lovely masterpieces!

My YouTube Video

Labor Pains

I knew 2012 would be the year that I would move forward on my journey to

realize my dreams and operate in my purpose. But finding your purpose is

no easy task. I am a Professional Makeup Artist from the DMV area and a

mommy to a beautiful 7 year old boy. I am also a legal secretary. I am

many things. I am a Cancer/Leo. Those who know me know I am an

introvert. Conversely, I like to stand out. I like big ornate jewelry and

colorful, sky high heels. I am silly and love to laugh but I can be very quiet.

I am the gatekeeper of my emotions. Because of all of the hills and valleys

life brings I am often told I look mean and need to smile more :) Yet, I am

the person strangers often come up to and reveal their struggles, and triumphs to.

Why? I haven’t quite figured that out yet, but I guess I can also add to my list that I

am an open ear and at times a shoulder to cry on.

Since I have come to learn that everything happens for a reason, I began to

look closely at the things that have happened in my life and continue to

happen, and try to figure out how it all fits together.

Growing up, I always knew I wanted to be in the fashion world in some

aspect. But my brother got the drawing genes. I couldn’t draw a dress on a

stick figure. But I didn’t let that stop me. I got fashion stencils! But my

stencil set didn’t come with a set of confidence; just a lot of “who would’s

and what if’s?” Since I always aiming to quietly stand out, I eventually

gravitated to eye shadows and eyeliners. People took notice. They actually

thought I did a good job at it too. So I thought, makeup? Why not?

My first job at the M.A.C. Makeup counter was unnerving at first. I had not

had any formal training, just the love of making people instantly feel really

good about themselves. I also had the desire to help people fix their

problems. Lucky for me, most of their problems consisted of if we still

carried Ruby Wu or did we have any more Oh Baby!?

M.A.C. Ruby Wu

As the years went by, life happened, and if you’ve been living on this earth,

not all of life has been pleasant. Sometimes life has gotten extremely

challenging. People have lost, friends, family and jobs. Unfortunately,

everyone didn’t have the opportunity today to tell someone “Good

morning!” But one thing never changed, my desire to help women find

instant confidence and happiness. That’s what I search for myself;

confidence and happiness. Sometimes a boost of confidence is what

someone needs to help them get through to the end of their day. When

people are excited about something, it’s amazing how things that were just

weighing them down a second ago, seem not so life altering.

I have come to realize that because I like to quietly stand out, I am making

myself approachable. Whether people want to know where I got my

outrageous boots, or if my extremely long eyelashes are real? (shout out to Amazon.com) 

Because I love to help people, I am open and respond honestly and then dialogue

begins. And somehow, the curious stranger has ended up sharing some

really personal aspect of their lives with me. Although it seems a little out

of the ordinary, I actually feel honored. It’s hard to trust people. However,

sometimes people really need to get things off their chest. It's also much

easier to offer help to someone when you are able to empathize with them.

So, what does beauty have to do with any of this? And why a Beauty Bar?

Some people go to bars/lounges to eat, drink, to get away, to de-stress and

some for medication. Some people just wanna go where everybody know’s

their name. lol OK. I know I’m corny, but who didn’t love Cheers? It was

like a place of refuge. Upon entering the Beauty Bar, all of your senses will

be tangibly and lovingly met with pleasing sights, sounds, smells and tastes.

I personally understand that something people really fear is being

uncomfortable. Whether it is with a stranger, a situation or themselves.

Relaxation allows you to feel like you are safe and accepted. The Beauty Bar

is designed to be a relaxing place of refuge. And besides, who doesn’t like the

idea of feeling like they’re being pampered?

Inside The Beauty Bar

Whether people want to admit it or not, there is an overwhelming feeling

you get of confidence after you have undergone a transformation process:

like you can now take on the world! And guess what? YOU CAN! Everyone

is naturally beautiful, simply because they were fearfully and wonderfully

made. But natural means that you have undergone little or no process.

Having lived as long as we have, at some point you have had to go through

some sort of a process in order to make you into the person you are today.

We should all embrace the transformation process. As a Makeup Artist in

my Beauty Bar, I want to make sure that you learn to take all of the natural

pieces that make up you and learn how to arrange them in a way that you

become a powerful and lovely masterpiece. Works of art can only become

such through actual work. So makeup is not something to be afraid or

ashamed of. It’s just a step in your transformation process.

Model: Jasmin

Photographer: AWJ Photography, MUA: nicciricciThe MUA

We were all put here for a reason; to love others, to be the best US we can

be and to help others do the same. I would love to help as many people as I

can achieve those things, through the loving act of service through beauty

and transparency. So, yes, I am many things; a mom, a daughter, an aunt, a

friend, a business woman, an artist, a shoulder to cry on, a listening ear, a

personal cheerleader, a fashion adviser, etc. In the words of one of my favorite authors,

Marianne Williamson  “...I am powerful beyond measure.”

And so are you! Let me show you how.

See you at the Beauty Bar!

Love,