Halloween....

So the hubs and I are throwing our annual Halloween/birthday get together soon for my beautiful "Halloween baby" husband.  I usually work on the day of the party and then am super rushed to get ready.  This year my FABULOUS boss is letting me have the day off and I plan on having a flippin awesome costume!  I was going to go as Madonna, but since I watched "The September Issue" last night....I'm thinking of doing more of an editorial look.  As fabulous as Madge is, I almost want to go as an Egyptian queen or something like that.  I haven't decided but I think that a trip to the thrift store and the fabric store will get my creative juices flowing!  As for Zach's costume, he will probably decide the day of the party.  But so far, it's looking like Kenny Powers. haha.  I will have to post pictures from the party and let everyone know the outcome.

If y'all have any good ideas, let me know!

XOXO

Busy Day

Made some awesome progress on Lace Cosmetics today!  My awesome friend/photographer, Niki, finished the Lace product shoot for lacecosmetics.com today! SO happy that is done and out of the way!  I got all of the product pictures on the web site today which took FOREVER but was totally worth it!  The pics look amazing! I only have one more photo shoot that I will need to do with a model and the web site will be mostly done!  As for the social networking world, I got the Lace Cosmetics Twitter and Facebook pages up as well!  I have been movin and shakin ALL day.  I did wake up at 7:30 am so I'm just glad to have a lot to show for my day! lol.  The next large task will be finding labels for my products.  I am super thrifty and am searching like crazy for a company that has good prices for the many labels that I will be needing!!!  I'm sure i will find something amazing.   Wish me luck!

Below is a preview of Lace Cosmetics lip gloss collection! I can't wait for everyone to try them!!

xoxo

First Day Of Fall = Favorite Fall Trend List

Fall is here!  And so is great fashion.  Here is my list of fabulous fall trends that every girl should have!

Equestrian Boots

Sequins and Metallics

Ponchos

Sultry Eyes with Neutrals

Red Lips

and don't forget my favorite...

LACE

xoxo

 

Nothing Goes Off Without A Hitch

So I've been super excited about having my Lace Cosmetics samples in but realized today that I was sent some of the wrong products! AHH!  It was only four of my eyeshadow colors but still :(  My manufacturer is super awesome though, and is sending me the correct products right away!  My second manufacturer is also sending out my eye liners, lip liners and mascaras which will be here on Friday.  I have a shoot set up for Tuesday to take pictures of everything for lacecosmetics.com which is a flippin relief!  I'm so close to finishing the website and will be VERY happy when it is done!!  I love the whole process I have to go through for my company but it can be so exhausting.  Every day that I am off of my regular freelancing job, I am either sitting at home working on my website and making phone calls or out and about between meetings and running errands for Lace.  I will say, I am more than happy to do all of this because it will pay off in the end for myself and my family.  That is all that matters to me.
I'M GETTING CLOSER, PEOPLE!
YAY!

xoxo

ITS HERE!

YAY! I finally got in my sample order for Lace Cosmetics!!!  The line is absolutely TO DIE FOR!  Everything is so beautiful and it looks even better than I expected.  The colors are insane and I also have 16 different foundation shades(which is more than a lot of lines can say).  The only bummer is that I can't really play with anything until I get pictures taken for the website.  : (  It's like getting Christmas presents and then not being allowed to play with them!!!  ahh!  I am beyond excited and I can't wait to paint some faces with these FABULOUS products!  I want to post pictures of them on here but at the same time I want it to be a surprise to everyone so SORRY GUYS!  Next steps will be market research, photo shoots, completing the website, stock orders, planning the launch party and lord knows what else.  Wish me luck!

xoxo

Samples Coming Soon!

I have put in my order with my manufacturer for samples of all of my products!  I spent about 3 hours sitting with my representative from my manufacturer trying to figure out exactly what all would be in the line and trying on about a thousand different colors.  I am very excited about getting everything in but I'm no 100% in love with everything that I have picked out.  I found another manufacturer that has color and packaging that I LOVE so I think I am going to split the line between a couple of different companies.  Being as anal as I am, I figured I wouldn't get everything through one company but that is okay!  At least I will get everything right.  Lace Cosmetics needs to meet everyone's needs and I'm ensuring that it will!  I can't wait to try my products on everybody and get some feedback!!!!
Stay Tuned!!


xoxo

Left Coast Inspiration

I just got back from my trip to L.A. and there was SO much great stuff to see.  The colors there are absolutely inspiring.  The sky is so blue, the flowers have the most vibrant and amazing colors and even the houses are fabulous colors.  I cannot wait to take all of that and use the inspiration in Lace Cosmetics colors.    It was also interesting seeing the differences between Los Angeles and Atlanta.  There was some kind or cosmetic or beauty store on every corner in L.A. where as in Atlanta, you have to search for a store to go to!  It makes me even more proud of starting my line in Atlanta because I'm doing something more original that not every "Jane" is doing...I don't know people that are in the industry and know how to help me.  It makes me feel really good about what I'm doing.  HELLO EAST COAST! Lace will take the east by storm and then watch out L.A!...we're coming for ya!

xoxo

Get it done!

I just finished making a final decision on my logo!!!!  Couldn't have happened at a better time either because I have a meeting scheduled with my manufacturer in a little less than two weeks.  No I can be totally prepared when I go in there!  Now to trademark my logo...sheesh!  I have made progress on my website though and got my domain name transfered and about to start actually building the website.  I am literally computer stupid, so this will be a very interesting experience.  I always like to try to do stuff on my own before I ask for help but that is not the case with this website since my web hoster hears from me about 8 times a day(on a good day). oops!  But hey, if i'm paying them to help me and hear me talk....i'm going to ask for help and ask a lot of questions!
Anyways wish me luck and hopefully you wont have to read about me setting up my website for much longer!

xoxo

Who would have known?

Who would have known that creating a website would be so hard.  I have literally spent two weeks just looking for a web hoster that I like and now that I'm actually trying to develop my webpage (which has templates)....its dang near impossible!  I feel very rejected by technology.  My computer thinks it is funny to not save my work.  Not cool.
On a positive note,
I just got a disc on thursday from the fabulous photographer, Mike Colletta, with pictures from the photo shoot he and I did (which I will post below).  He takes some AMAZING pictures so if anyone needs a great photographer, let me know and I will get y'all in touch!

If anybody has any great ideas for my website or know of any support groups , let me know! :)
  xoxo

Been Busy

Hello All,
Sorry I have not posted in a while.  I have been SO busy lately!  Things are really progressing now...quickly.  Since I posted last, I have gotten all of the legal junk done and out of the way so now I am focusing on the website.  I have no earthly clue as to HOW to make a website either.  This will probably take me a loooonnnnng time to do.  The good news is my fabu friend Adrianne also just finished my logo which is completely amazing!! I can't wait to see it on the website and on my packaging!! yay! :)  In the midst of that madness, I will be placing a sample order of my entire line.  I have talked to my girlfriend Leah and she is willing to give up her house for a day so that we can have a "market research party".  We will be inviting a bunch of people to come over and try out the products and tell us what they think about it.  That will be very exciting/scary :)

As for a little extra good news,
I have already been in touch with a boutique buyer who is probably going to be purchasing my products and putting it in a local boutique in Atlanta!  This would be a huge first step for my line.  I can't wait to see how everything pans out.

As always, I will continue keeping everybody updated.

xoxo

The Best People In Life

Thank you to all of you love bugs that have sent me such nice messages since my last post.  I do have to stop and thank the best people in the world though.  

I have the most amazing parents in the world and their kind words and wisdom are what make me do what I do.  If I didn't have them cheering me on every step of the way, I probably would not have the drive to do what I am doing.  My mom has shown me how to be kind and patient and my dad has shown me how to think smart and have a great work ethic.  Without those lessons I could never achieve success.  They have also shown me how to have a beautiful marriage by setting such a strong example of  how to love and again have patience.  

I also owe my husband a big thank you.  Other than being my delicious eye candy he is very supportive and has helped me gain the courage to follow my dreams.  He and I are definitely "dreamers" but the difference between us and other people is we are determined to make OUR dreams come true!

I also have an amazing support system through all of my friends.  Without them I would go crazy!

Most importantly I have the big guy upstairs that has answered prayer after prayer and is keeping me sane.  Nobody can accomplish anything without him and he has blessed me beyond belief!

Everybody in life puts a stamp on your heart and I think life is too short to not tell everyone in it how much you love them and how thankful you are to have them.  This is my little way of saying "I Love You" to everyone.

xoxo

And The Name Of My Company Is......

I can spill the beans now!!!  As of yesterday, we got confirmation that I am now incorporated!!!!! WOOO!! I am SO excited!! I can finally tell everyone that the name of my company will be Lace Cosmetics!  why? because every woman looks good in Lace ;)  I am so excited and my husband and I celebrated last night with a bottle of champagne.  I saved the cork and wrote the date on it so that I will always remember the day that my company became legit!  Now onto deciding what all will be in the line and getting stock in place!  I'm so happy that I get to share this good news with everybody.  I am very proud of myself and my life is falling into place!  As always, I will keep everybody in the loop with the latest happenings and thanks sooooo much for all of the good wishes that y'all have sent out to me!!!!

 love always

xoxo

Ready Or Not...

I had a meeting yesterday with my AWESOME photographer, Mike, about our photo shoot on Sunday.  We sat down, went through face charts that I had made, Facebook stalked our models to see how the looks would go with each face and so on and so forth.  We got a great deal done very quickly and then headed over to H&M to get some outfits for the shoot.  I thought that this would be an easy task since "Shopping" is my middle name but I was mistaken!  We walked around for a while finding different clothes and holding my Blackberry up with the face charts on the screen and trying to picture the finished product.  Mike is actually an amazing shopping partner.  He has that photographer eye and he is very good at picturing different looks and how the lighting will make all of the outfits come to life.
We finally got all of our good and headed out of there.  Now I will be pinning face charts to dresses and hanging everything up and putting together all of the looks until my stylist (Sarah) takes over! :)  So far so good and hopefully everything will be ready by Sunday!!!!!!!  I can't wait!!

xoxo

More Products Added To My List

I have been thinking about what products I want to have in my makeup line.  I have decided that I will definitely have makeup brushes!  Brushes are something that not every line has and I am always searching for the perfect brushes.  I am in the process of talking to manufacturers right now trying to find the best brushes that I can so stay tuned!  Also, I am considering false eyelashes.  I would like to get feedback from everyone on this please!  Would you buy false lashed if they were added into my line?  I am kinda up in the air with this idea so any feedback that I can get will be VERY helpful!  Things are coming together and I can't wait to blow all of these other cosmetic lines out of the water! :)

Thanks for all the love!

xoxo

Alter Ego

Fresh, Clean and Ready to Play!

Late Night Diva.  Think Kardashian.

Rainbow Face Chart

New Face Chart...Hmmm...

I am trying to decide if I want to do this one eye leopard look for my photo shoot.  What do y'all think?

And do keep in mind, I just had to use a very large, warn down and almost empty liquid liner to make the leopard print.  At the shoot I will use a new one that is sharp and crisp!

IT'S ALMOST OFFICIAL!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I went to meet up with my dad yesterday to work on my business plan.  The smart man that my father is, things were really moving along quite smoothly.  We got a little bit of it done which was SUPER exciting!! :)  THEN we jumped onto the great and wonderful LEGALZOOM.  We filled out my application, sent it off and in about 30 days I will have the paperwork for my LLC!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  It will be official!!!!!  I am SO excited.  This is just the first step to creating my company but a very important one.  When I get the paperwork in, I will let everyone know the name of the line! :) :)  I'm so happy and THANK YOU to my dad for helping me out with everything!  I can't wait to share my line with everybody and get into stores.  My dream is coming true!
xoxo

When It Rains It Pours...

After a couple of weeks of not having extra work on the side, I finally have new work to look forward to!  Tomorrow I will be working up my first business plan for my new company with the help of a very smart man.  I am preparing for my meeting tomorrow and am so excited to get this ball rolling!  My goal is to have my launch party by the end of January so I will be getting down to business ASAP!!  Also, I am starting to organize my first photo shoot.  I have done many shoots before but this one is going to be the way I want it, I am planning everything for it, and it will showcase my work.  I will be using the shots for my new beauty blog that I will be starting soon and also for my portfolio.  I do not know how I made it this far without having a decent portfolio and the time has come to make an Amazing portfolio!  I will be working with a fabulous photographer that is a friend of mine.  His work is beautiful and he is very creative so I know everything will look great when all is said and done.  He was also kind enough to reserve a great studio to do the shoot in.  To say the least, I will be pretty busy for the next couple of weeks and if things go my way (please!) then I will be busy for a couple of months to come. :)  I cant wait to see the end result of everything and I will keep everybody updated as always with all that is going on!!!!!!!

xoxo

New Blog!

I am going to continue this blog but I will be starting a new blog soon.  This new blog is for people that have beauty questions and concerns and I will be posting answers, tips and tricks with pictures attached with before and after shots.  I always have people coming in and asking me how to fix this and that so this is a blog that people can go to and get all of their answers.  I am asking for people to contact me with their questions and concerns and for people to volunteer to let me do their makeup for the blog. I am so excited to start it and I cant wait to get it going so I can help out all of the lovely ladies that are not getting the help they need in stores and at counters. :)
Anybody that is reading me can contact me at amandaboggs@live.com
Thanks everyone!!
xoxo

One Of Those People

Ever since I have tried to start my own company I have been looking (too far) into other companies and business owners. I am the type of person who meets a business owner(large or small) and immediately wants to know their life story.  What made them want to do this?  What gave them the idea to start their own business?  Who influenced them to go on this path?  Where did the drive come from? And lastly, where did they get the money to start it?????? 

This may seem like a very simple question (get a loan or save up your money!) but from what I have learned....a lot of people that I have talked to have had everything handed to them and don't understand the concept of "financial start up".  Now don't get me wrong, most people and large companies have had to work very, very hard to get started, established, and build themselves up.  But for those whom I am talking about...do they get a since of pride in their work knowing that they haven't really worked for it?  Let me break this down really quick:

1. Building a business from loans and savings = Good

Most people get loans or save up their money to begin a business and then budget and save to accordingly to allow the business to thrive.  This is a very good thing.  It is legitimate. 

2. Having to borrow a lot of money to keep your business afloat because you don't put in the work = Bad

Help is totally fine here and there.  Many companies have to do it. Example, Automotive companies Bailout.

It is bad,though, to have people lend you a BUNCH of money because you don't know how to run a business and you are being wasteful with your profits. Example, Automotive companies Bailout. ha!

Here is my point to all of this,

Whenever I talk to an entrepreneur, I am always thinking that I am about to hear a great Cinderella story about someone who started with nothing and with faith and guidance grew to have a beautiful company.  

Sadly, I have learned that this is not the case with many entrepreneurs that I use to look up to.  They cannot successfully run their company and they always have to have help and they do NOT put love and passion into their work.

I am not going to be "one of those people" and that is a promise.  My company will have heart, and God willing, my company with be successful.

xoxo

A Manufacturer Down and a Trademark to go...

I had a meeting yesterday with my cosmetic manufacturer and my line could be up and running in just a couple of months!!  I am SO excited and things should work out a lot smoother than I had initially thought.  This makeup is going to blow your socks off!  I will be trademarking my name in the next week or so, so stay tuned because I will be announcing it as soon as everything is squared away!  I am beyond excited and I cannot wait to get my line and my name in stores.  

I will keep everybody posted on what will be happening next!!!!!!

xoxo

Come Follow Me!

Hey there everyone! I would like my friends to come and get involved in the "making makeup" process!  Please come to makingupamanda.blogspot.com and follow my blog.  I will use my "followers" for surveys and things like that (here and there) to figure out what people want for their cosmetics.  It's a great way for me to see what everyone likes and for you to see the process that I am going through to get this line up and running!! :)  Thanks for all of your support!

You can also follow me at twitter.com/amandaboggs or linkedin.com/in/amandaboggs which is an amazing site to make great business connections.

Look forward to connecting with all of you soon :)

market research shows...

I did a huge Facebook poll yesterday for my eye shadows that I am making.  The poll asked if women liked loose powder, pressed powder or both.  I had such a huge response to this question!  Many people just replied with one word answers which is what I had expected.  What I didn't expect and really appreciated were all of the people that gave explanations as to why they wanted loose, pressed or both and what other types of eye shadows they really liked.  All of the answers will really help me in the future and allow me to create a more appealing cosmetic line.  Thank you to all of my ladies that were apart of the survey and i look forward to collecting your thoughts and ideas in the future!
much love!

Chin up, Buttercup

Things have been progressing very slowly lately but I have a feeling things are about to pick up soon.  I just booked a couple of photo shoots which will be great since I can use my prints to build my resume website.  Also, I am thinking about tweaking my makeup line and making it very simple for the time being.  My boss told me a couple of weeks ago that I shouldn't try to develop my entire line and think that it will all launch at once.  I've been thinking about it and she was very right.  It would cost me SO much money to launch everything at once....and there is so much money that goes into packaging, labels, logos, patents, trademarks, websites, etc.  It can be very discouraging but I'm trying to keep my chin up and push through.  I'll make it....it will just take time :)

Happy Easter To All

Happey Easter everyone!  I have so much to celebrate today.  I won my domain name for my cosmetic line's website (i will tell y'all the name after I trademark it :)  and I should have my logo, packaging, and makeup brush line coming in very soon.  The development process is well on it's way and I'm very excited!  I will let everybody know when my website is up and running.  Also, I am already talking to some people about having an amazing launch party! It's going to be fabulous!
Thank you to all of my supporters!!!
I will blog with any new developments!!
Thanks!!

new brochures!!!

Yay! My mom is working on making new brochures for me and so far they look awesome! I'm so excited to start sending them out and doing more freelancing.  Also, for the past two days, I have been working on some new eyeshadows for my makeup line.  I have five new ones that I have made and they look awesome.  They were very different colors from what I had made before.  It's funny because in the winter I made so many cool colored eyeshadown and now that I'm excited about spring coming, I have made a lot of warm and cheerful colors.  I love spring because when flowers bloom and everything comes alive again, it gives me such amazing inspiration for new shades. 

My mom, sister and I did our own little photo shoot about a month ago with my freelancing makeup and brushes.  I finally got some pictures back today and they look pretty cool. I will post some of those pictures on the blog. 

Good things are coming and I cant wait to see everything fall into place! Fun stuff!

SOOOOO EXCITED!!

I am soooo excited about starting my new job.  My attitude is totally different(in a good way) and I'm always smiling.  The best part, though, is that I feel like I have more time and freedom to work on my cosmetic line and start getting the ball rolling!  It's been my dream to get my line off the ground and I know that it's going to happen now.  It will still take A LOT of time to finish everything, but it's time that I am willing to spend to make my dream come true. 
I'm bursting out of the seams!!!
....speaking of seams, I think I might take up sewing again....just a thought

The Big Change

I have been working for a large makeup line for a couple of years now and I finally got the opportunity to freelance for a fun, trendy line that I have been wanting to work with for awhile now.  This is going to be such a great opportunity and I am super exctied.  I will have so much more time to do other freelancing, work on my cosmetic line that I am developing and spending time with my husband and dogs.  I did a lot of praying and God answered them.  I am finally able to do what I want to do and be happy in my job.  Things are really starting to work out for me!

Also excited about ordering my things to start making lipsticks and lip gloss!