about me

me writing a blog!

I'm a curly haired girl with a free spirit and a passion for all things beauty, fashion and adventure.   I love travel and I'm inspired by the diversity of different cultures and global perspectives on health and beauty.   My quest for great products has driven me to procure mud masks from the bubbling mud pools of Rotorua and source the perfect kohl from the bustling markets in Bombay. 

When I was young, I used to mix my mom's lotions and powders together to make new products.  Fast forward decades later, and I was living my dream working as a cosmetic chemist for a global cosmetics firm, with some of my favorite beauty brands - MAC, Bobbi Brown, Origins, Smashbox, La Mer, Estée Lauder, Clinique, you name it!  I spent my days in a color lab with swatches of different foundations all over my arms, checking the viscosity of shimmering mascaras, testing the properties of lotions and potions, adding just the right amount of sparkle in the glosses we love, and understanding raw materials and the foundations of cosmetic chemistry.  Even though I have worked as a freelance professional makeup artist for years, this experience gave me amazing first hand experience on what it takes to create a successful product.

I also worked as an industrial engineer where I managed launches and implemented continuous improvement methodology.   I worked closely with with R&D, Brand Representatives, Product Development, Packaging, Production, Quality and Operations to ensure that we had successful launches that were delivered exactly when we wanted them to be - whether it was to align with a new album launch or a TV show finale...in cosmetics, timing is everything!

Over the years, I have tried so many different products and I have my set group of favorites that I return to time and time again.  I also continuously find new products that I love.  I have learned so much about what makes a good product and I'm excited to share these learnings with all of you beautistas out there!  Please feel free to drop me a line if you have any questions or would like to see a post on something specific.  You can contact me at beautista.love@gmail.com.

Whether it's wearing a bright red lipstick that you wouldn't usually wear, or taking a fashion risk that you never thought you could pull off, I hope this blog will inspire you to try something new and different, and set you off on your own beauty adventure!