I recieved the most delicious jimmy johns bacon lovers breakfast this past week and I'm so excited to share with my fellow moms! At first I was like, how good can this truly be in all of its prepackaged glory right? Let me tell you!!! It took all of 60 seconds and was delicious! I'm not saying this is going to replace every day fresh breakfast..... or am I? Lol!!! What I am saying is this is perfect for those busy mornings. You know what I'm talking about! The kids are dragging, you are dragging and the thought of making eggs and bacon just exhausts you! Boom this is our morning savior ladies!!! I hope you guys try it and let me know how you like it!

Dark circles crises!!!!!

This week has been pretty rough! I have a teething 6 month old that won't let me sleep more than 4 non consecutive hours A DAY and this had been going on for a week! I'm starting to feel under the weather and that means ...... Dark circles under my eyes! I've had to try different products to see which works best and here is my outcome!!!! 

- I started with my go to Chanel éclat! 

Although this product does brighten on my normal days, and is a standard in my kit, it was not enough for my mommy dark circles! It brightened but the coverage was awful! I need a two in one product! 

Next I tried well rested from bare essentials 

It was pretty good. Brightened and gave pretty good coverage all around. Stayed on well. Over all it's sleep deprived mommy approved! 

I also tried Elf's brightner 

Yes it may be a little less expensive but save your target dollars! This is so drying! Over time it starts to crack! Eek! Showing lines that do not exist! So now I'm a dark circled early aging mommy! Yeah this is going immediately in the no not ever again bin! LOL! Immediately!!!! 

Last but not least I tried an old favorite by Benefit!

I was pretty pleased even in my dark circle state. Went on creamy, brightened and covered all the scary! Stayed on all day and made me look like I was human again! 

2 out of 4 successful products is pretty good! I'm really hoping this helps other sleep deprived moms, college students, or just anyone who is running with the bad dark circles luck!  But in the end I wouldn't trade it for the world!!!!!!!!!!!

Hope you guys are being blessed with peace, love, and sparkles!!! I promise to post more once I start to FEEL human again! 

Love, 

Paulina

www.paulinaperez.com

We had an amazing time at our company team builder swimming with manatees!!!! Sometimes makeup artists need to unwind and have fun!!!!! I seriously love my team!!!! We managed to have the best time while helping some of our team face their fear of water!! We always need to work on helping each other live life to the fullest!!!! <3 p="">www.paulinaperez.com

Face Contour Tutorial

Aaahhhhh!!! The art of contouring!!! Most people want to..... but don't know how! Others still don't know how Hollywood is achieving those amazing cheek bones and facial sculptures!!! Are the born with it? Did they go under the knife? Can you achieve it with the right makeup tools????? Why yes yes you can!!!! Lol!! Check out my tutorial on contouring to stay up to speed on how hollywood is staying thinning out their face sans diet!!!!

A recap of the sparkly world in 2012!

As I say bye to 2012 and hello to 2013, I can't help but to look back on what I didn't realize was an amazing year! I say this b/c this was the year I wrote a note for every amazing adventure in 2012, and rereading these notes at the end of the year was the best way to remember the good times to end the year! I think this is an amazing tradition to start, and one to open your eyes at the end of the year and shows you how amazing 365 days can be!
    The year started out with a bang when MBPP was asked to do hair and makeup for the Republican Debate in January of 2012. Getting to meet and work on Romney/Gingrich/ Santorum/and Paul and the anchors and reporters for CNN was an amazing experience. Honestly that feeling of being where the only other two people in the room are a presidential candidate and CNN legendary anchor Wolf Blitzer is just unreal. I even got interviewed about my experience which was pretty cool to get to share that with my town!

  2012 was the year I got edumacated in sports.... that's right I said edumacated!! LOL!! Getting to work on sport icons like pro golfer Jim Furyk and his wife, NFL quarterback David Garrard, and the NFL Hall of famers that make up the show Thursday Night Football on the NFL network have really helped my game! LOL! Watching them play while we worked together or them being sweet and taking the time to teach this crazy girl the game that they love so much has helped me understand this sports world! One of my favorite moments this year was when Marshall Faulk of Thursday Night Football noticed I wasn't following the game and sat me down and TRIED to teach me the rules of the game! I think it would take weeks to teach me everything there is to know about football BUT this non sporty girl had a blast with sports inviting me to be a part of their world this year! Hope to continue my edumacation this year! ;)

    The sports world was not the only one showing MBPP some love in 2012, the music world welcomed us as well as we had amazing opportunities working for and meeting some music icons and newbies alike! Whether it was spending the day with 80's rockstar Geoff Tate from Queensryche or LL Cool J, or doing makeup/hair for a country music video for the movie Flicka country pride

 it was surreal to be asked to be involved with and being married to a dj I love any opportunity to get to work with musicians! Probably one of my favorite all time moments of 2012 was when Entertainment Tonight called and asked me to work the LL Cool J show and even asked me to do their own reporter Christina McClarty. The fact that I was able to bring one of the girls on my team that is obsessed with LL Cool J was pretty awesome! Getting to sit ON STAGE during his performance with her was pretty awesome! It was a pretty cool moment for our team!
     Working in the Fashion industry was also AMAZING this year! Our best year yet! Being able to work for and attending amazing shows like Miami Beach international and Mercedes Benz Fashion Week was an honor!I am now spoiled with pop up shops and am saving my money through out the year to shop pop up shops for spring's fashion weeks! lol!  Getting to see what is coming out in fashion a year before it hits stores is pretty frieking awesome and being able to share that knowledge with my followers is just the icing on the cake! This is the portion of my business that I just melt with overload of happiness when I get to do it! Runways aren't the only way to work the fashion industry, this year we got our fair share of editorials for magazines, and even got written about in one of my favorite magazine's Lucky magazine's blog! We even got to mix our love for reality shows and fashion when we did an editorial for premier bride and Bad Girl's Club Amy Cieslowski was a model! We can confirm that she is a sweet heart! I could not imagine her being "the bad girl's club" Amy in real life because she was such a sweet heart with us!
        Last but not least some of the most memorable things that happened in 2012, was personal accomplishments! Winning "Best of Makeup Artist" for Jacksonville Magazine the third year in a row was an honor! It's one of my favorite local magazines and the fact that it's the people's vote that decides the winner makes this award extra special for me! Also winning the city's 30 under 30 was just......awesome! I never think of myself as a leader but the fact that my city does is so unbelievably uplifting. It makes work so rewarding to see people appreciate what you do. Another uplifting event in 2012 was becoming a US Citizen this summer! Becoming a citizen of this country is something most people take for granted, but having to study the history of this country to become a citizen really taught me how amazing the place we call home is! It truly is the melting pot of the world I can officially say I am part of that!!
     So..... what to expect in 2013? Much more of all the above, PLUS now that I am starting 2013 having just turned 30, my goal is to mature my company a little while keeping the fresh young attitude I am known for! I hope to grow my new bridal launch in Savannah that I started in September of last year, and I hope to
 uplift everyone I encounter, after all, we survived the Mayan Apocalypse, so there is no excuse to not make 2013 even better than 2012!
      Here's to saying goodbye to an amazing 2012.... and saying hello to Chapter 2013 and 365 pages that should be filled with nothing but love and good will!!!  xoxoxoxoxo

MY FAVORITES FOR 2012!!!

I wanted to say THANK YOU SO MUCH TO EVERYONE WHO ENTERED MY HUGE GIVEAWAY!!!!!! It was so much fun collecting all of my favorites items to give away!!!! As you know we could only pick one winner, whom I just met last friday when she picked up her basket!!!! Congrats Chelsea!!!! It was so nice meeting you!!! Although I stuffed her bag with ALL of my favorites, I wanted to do a video of my top picks, especially as we go into the holiday season! Just a fun haul for you guys in case your stumped on what to give people for the holidays.... or yourself! ;) Hope you have as much fun watching as I had creating!! xoxoxo

If you have any questions please comment on here/youtube/or our fanpage!! Hope everyone is enjoying the holiday spirit... and as always... peace, love, and sparkles!!! xoxoxo
www.paulinaperez.com
Facebook Fanpage: Makeup by Paulina Perez

Crazy Busy Summer.... coming to an end!

How to organize your makeup like a pro!

LOVE LOVE LOVE how organized all my makeup is!!! i hope this video tutorial helps!!!! I am so happy i took the time to do this!!! Let me know if you try this at home! Peace, Love, and Sparkles!! xoxoxoox
www.paulinaperez.com
fb: Makeup by Paulina Perez

#4 of inexpensive sweet things to do for Valentine's day week!!

Hope everyone had an amazing Valentine's Day yesterday!!!! As most of you guys know from yesterday's video blog..... I surprised Skip yesterday morning when he woke up to a room full of valentine day balloons!!! It was really sweet! We spent most of the day working.... but later in the day/evening took time to just relax and be sweet to each other, something we do everyday, but it was just somehow different yesterday! I swear holidays make me mushy!! LOL! Skip got me a day of relaxation at a resort here locally called One Ocean. It's a beautiful boutique hotel right on the beach, and the relaxation day includes an ocean view Japanese massage that is suppose to leave you SUPER relaxed..... I'm drooling already!!! LOL! He says he wanted to pamper me because I spend my days pampering everyone else! He is so sweet!

So this morning I thought, why does Valentine week have to end? I can do another unexpected surprise!! So I made his favorite scrambled eggs with ham and cheese, and use the same heart shaped cookie cutter we used for sunday's blog placed the cooked egg in there to mold my eggs into a heart shape! here is what you do!

1.) Make your favorite scrambled egg recipe

2.) Place the heart shaped cookie cutter on the plate you will be eating off of.

3.) place the eggs in the cookie cutter until it fills up, than pack it down with a spatula or spoon.

4.) CAREFULLY remove the cookie cutter and repeat!

5.) Make it extra fun and include bacon!! We used Turkey bacon! Just as yummy and more healthy! ;)

Hope you guys enjoy this one tomorrow with your loved one!!

As always, Peace, Love, and Sparkles!!!! xoxoxo

www.paulinaperez.com

Day #3 of inexpensive things to do for valentine's day!!!!!!

This has got to be THE CUTEST IDEA ever!!!!! I went to Party Land ( but every party store has them) and ordered 2 dozen heart shaped balloons!!! They were 89 cents each so it was about $20 for the bundle. I woke up earlier than usual and filled the room with the balloons on Valentines Day! When my hubby woke up the room was filled with balloons!!! Super fun!!!! Check out the video of the process!!!!! Super cute!!

www.paulinaperez.com

Day #2 of inexpensive things to do for valentine's day!!!!!!

So simple yet so sweet!! I was at Target and at the DOLLAR BIN I saw heart shaped ice trays...... Perfect for Valentine's Day!!!! This one is really easy...... cut up lemon wedges, place them in the ice trays and fill them up with water! Put them in the freezer and BAM!!!! You have yummy lemony heart shaped ice for you to share with your honey! Best part is I get them in THE DOLLAR BIN!!!!!!!! If you want a yummy drink, take a shot of tequilla.... fill the rest of the glass with Fresca, with the lemon ice it makes a yummy refreshing drink!!! Not responsible for what may happen after consuming!!! LOL!!! ENJOY!!!!! ;)

www.Paulinaperez.com

Fun in-expensive way to celebrate valentine's day #1

I LOVE Valentine's Week!!!! It's not really about the expensive gift for me.... but more about the little things we do for each other that makes this week so fun!!! They say I way to a man's heart is through his belly... so... tonight I wanted to make dinner with a fresh raw honey I got last week! (I HIGHLY RECOMMEND!!!!!!) It's not processed, actually straight from the hive! I can make out a floral taste when I eat this honey!! it's amazing! It inspired me for the 1st Day of Valentine week to COOK WITH HONEY FOR MY HONEY! I made a tasty honey and lime Fish that was pretty easy to make, and served it with one of his favorites.... black beans and rice! Then for dessert (while I was still inspired by the honey) I made individual heart shaped baked brie and raspberry with the raw honey drizzled over it! You start to get created with a heart shaped cookie cutter! LOL! It was a yummy success!!!! I am excited to share the recipes with you guys!!!! If your looking for raw honey or want to try the one I bought.... It's called Neptune (for Neptune beach) and their number is 904-246-8628! You will never buy honey from the grocery store ever again! <3

Honey~Lime Fish recipe:

Honey Lime Tilapia
Adapted from How Sweet Eats
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

For the fish and marinade:
4 (4-5oz) tilapia fillets (thawed if frozen)
Juice and zest of 1 lime
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 1/2 Tbsp honey
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp garlic powder

For dredging and cooking:
1/2c flour (I tried both white flour and whole wheat pastry flour with good results)
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1-2 Tbsp olive oil

Directions:
Assemble marinade by combining lime zest, lime juice, olive oil, honey, salt, pepper, and garlic powder in a gallon-sized zip-top bag or shallow container with a lid. Add fish and marinate in the refrigerator anywhere from 1 hour up to 24 hours*.

When ready to cook, combine flour with salt and pepper on a plate. Remove each fish fillet from the marinade and dredge lightly with the flour on both sides (just a light, light coating).

Heat 1-2 Tbsp olive oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Cook fillets 2 at a time for 3-4 minutes per side or until opaque and browned (this works best if you don’t disturb the fish much while letting it cook).

Serve with lime wedges or peach salsa.

Serves 4.

*If you want to plan this meal in advance, you can prepare the fish and marinade in a large freezer bag and keep it in the freezer. Move frozen fish and marinade to the refrigerator the morning you plan to serve the fish and allow it to thaw in the refrigerator. It will marinate while it thaws!

BAKED BRIE RECIPE:

2 sheets puff pastry, thawed but still cold

1/2 wedge of brie, cold

1/3 cup raspberry jam (or any flavor you fancy!)

1 large egg, beaten

splash of milk

All-butter, store bought puff pastry usually comes frozen and folded into thirds. We’re going to use these folded thirds to our advantage. Cut the puff pastry into thirds along the creases. Cut each panel into four pieces. They’ll be 2 1/4-inch tall and 3-inches wide. One sheet of puff pastry will yield 12 rectangles. Cut each rectangle in half. You’ll have 24 little rectangles that will create 12 little rectangle pockets.

Combine beaten egg and splash of milk. Brush 12 of the small rectangles with egg wash. If you’d like to make brie bites on sticks, now is the time! Place a popsicle stick halfway up the puff pastry and press in gently. Place a small sliver of brie (rind and all) on top of the egg wash (and stick). Top with about 1/2 teaspoon of raspberry jam. Take another square of puff pastry and press between your fingers to make the rectangle slightly bigger. Place puff pastry on top of the cheese and jam. Use a fork to press the edges together. The egg wash will act as a glue. Make sure to seal the edges well by crimping with the fork.

Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Place prepared brie bites on a parchment lined baking sheet. Brush with egg wash. Sprinkle with a touch of coarsely ground sea salt. Bake for 12 to 14 minutes or until golden brown.

Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly before serving.

Brie bites are best served warm, but are also delicious at room temperature.

Hope you guys share these yummies with someone you love!!! xoxoxo

www.paulinaperez.com

Chicken Soft Tacos

Just had one of the BEST taco dinners of my life! Another successful night of cooking through pinterest! Had to share!!!!!
New Mexican Style Soft Tacos
Ingredients:
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 pounds chicken
Salt
3 tablespoons ancho chile powder
1 large yellow onion, thinly sliced
4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced (4 small spoonfuls)
1 ancho chile, coarsely chopped
2 New Mexican chilies, coarsely chopped
4 cups chicken stock
6 sprigs cilantro, plus more chopped, for garnish
12 flour tortillas, warmed
Salsa Verde
Heat oil in a large, deep pan over medium-high heat. Season chicken with salt and ancho chile powder. Sear, skin-side down, in the oil until golden brown. Turn over and brown on the other side. Remove the chicken to a plate.
Add the onion to the pan and cook until lightly golden brown. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute longer. Add the chicken back to the pot, add the chiles, stock, and cilantro, and bring to a boil. Cover and cook on low until the chicken easily falls away from the bone, about 40 minutes or more. Remove the chicken from the pot and strain the cooking liquid into a bowl.
When the chicken is cool enough to handle, cut or shred the meat into bite-sized pieces. Place the reserved cooking liquid into a medium saucepan and bring to a simmer. Add the shredded chicken, turn off the heat and let warm, covered.
Divide the warm chicken among the warm tortillas, top with Salsa Verde and chopped cilantro.
OPTIONAL:

Salsa Verde:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium red onion, coarsely chopped
1 jalapeno, coarsely diced
8 tomatillos, husked and coarsely chopped
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons honey
1/4 cup chopped cilantro leaves
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and jalapeno and cook until soft. Add the tomatillos and cook until soft, about 10 to 15 minutes. Transfer the mixture to a blender, add the lime juice, honey, and cilantro, and blend until smooth. Season with salt and pepper. ENJOY!!!
~ www.paulinaperez.com

Favorite products starting out 2012

THANK YOU SOOOOOOO Much Hollywood Fashion Secrets and Too Faced Cosmetics for sending us products to try out..... products that we will forever keep in our kits because we FELL IN LOVE with them! I want to point out that the deodorant removing sponge works great for removing deodorant but soooooo glad I found what else it is great for!!!! Hope you guys try these products out and love them as much as the team does!!!!

Peace, Love, & Sparkles!!!!!! xoxoxoxoxo
~Paulina Perez
www.paulinaperez.com

Pinterest Cooking Adventures

So..... I have joined the phenomenon of pinterest and I can't help but get intrigued by all the amazing food recipes!!!! Keep in mind up to a WEEK ago I had NEVER cooked anything beside a grilled cheese sandwich! This site has made me want to get in the kitchen! My hubby Skip being the amazing cook that he is has never had me cook a single dinner for him.... and we have been married for almost 5 YEARS!!! So far I have made 3 recipes and everyone has LOVED everything I have made.... which encourages me to keep going! (Part of me wonders if the encouragement is to keep him from having kitchen duties.... but considering I just cooked for our sunday family dinner which includes my whole family, and my dad had 3 servings I am starting to believe it!!!) Anyways I want to share my latest find for a different version to your taco night!!! Check out the REAL pepper in the middle of the dish filled with salsa!!! The two dishes outside of the taco dish are fake peppers I used just because I already had them but the one in the middle is a real pepper... super easy to do and super cute!!! Anyways.... here is the recipe!!! Let me know how you love it!!!! http://pinterest.com/pin/188869778092550666/

Happy eating Sparkles!!! Peace, Love, & Sparkles!!!!

~www.paulinaperez.com

Super excited to announce we will be at art walk tomorrow!!! What's art walk you ask? A great festival every first wednesday of the month in the heart of downtown Jacksonville! My little sister (who has the art bug like me) has been a busy bee creating gorgeous fun jewelry and hair accessories! Every time I wear her pieces I get stopped and complimented! We applied for art walk and got accepted.... So we started getting really crafty creating wine glasses, iPhone covers, and tons of sparkly girly goods!!! We are really excited to be a part of the local art community and exited to see everyone out tomorrow!! Please stop by our tent!!!!


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
www.paulinaperez.com

Suwanee River Photo Shoot

Hey Sparkles!!!! Wanted to share a super fun (yet oh so hot and humid) day I had a few months ago at the Suwannee River! MBPP's Beauty Guru Nicole Wiley joined me and we went out to the nature shoot to represent our team! It was well...... quite an experience! hahahahaha!!!! Watch the video to see what you get when you stick a bunch of makeup loving girls in the middle of a nature park! Oh and you get to see me and my gorgeous little sister model for amazing designer Jennifer Chabri! All of these dresses can be purchased by contacting her at Chabri.etsy.com! Hope you enjoy the video as much as I did making it!!! xoxoxo

Peace, Love, and Sparkles!!!! xoxoxoxo

~www.PaulinaPerez.com

Paulina Perez - Professional Makeup Artist: Christmas

Paulina Perez - Professional Makeup Artist: Christmas: I hope everyone's Christmas break was amazing! I really had such a great time with my mini break! Being Hispanic we have always celebrated t...

Christmas

I hope everyone's Christmas break was amazing! I really had such a great time with my mini break! Being Hispanic we have always celebrated the 24th as a family, and waited till midnight to open presents (as kids of course we had to wait till the next morning.... not waiting is def a perk of being older!! lol) This year was no different! It was really wonderful to spend time with my friends and family the 24th!!!! The cuban food we had was so delish i will be dreaming about it for weeks! Then there was the 25th with Skip's parents and we went out to the Hard Rock to eat a crazy amount of food! The best part is I actually put my business on hold and truly enjoyed a full day on the eve with my family, and a full day with skip's! I even got the cutest video of my mom singing in the morning! Hope everyone's Christmas was fun and full of lots of magic!!!! Happy Holidays Sparkles!!!! Peace, Love, and Sparkles!!!! xoxoxoxo

www.PaulinaPerez.com

~Paulina

Sharing the LOVE

Although I haven't written a blog in what seems like AGES because I was wrapped up in graduating, I thought my birthday would be the best time to restart! I have been thinking a lot of where I am at, and where I was even a few years ago and it amazes me how fabulous life is. To think how much my business has grown in only a few years...... now I own a spa in the best central area for Jacksonville, Florida, I have a group of fabulous women that work for me and share my drive and inspiration and to think I wasn't sure if i wanted to branch out on my own.... ONLY a few years ago! This and so many other aspects of my life have me feeling so thankful this holiday season. For instance my husband! I posted a video yesterday on my facebook (click here to see said video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u-yLGIH7W9Y) and it cracks me up b/c that is me with Skip! He is such a HUGE part of my life and keeps my head screwed on!!! He is the support system that I need in my life on top of being the amazing hubby (and excellent cook lol)! He is what kept me going when times were tough and I wanted to give up. Someone else like that is my sister! My sister to me means more than she will ever know. Fun fact about us is that we were born on the same day.... 9 years apart! Crazy huh? My mom and dad had excellent planning on having cool December babies! She is my spiritual partner, the person I have since little been able to open up and sing praises to Jesus.... and although I do that with Skip as well, Marian and I have a special sisterly bond about it. we are actually celebrating our joint birthday tonight and going to an amazing service called sub 30 (for people under 30). That's what I love about her! She wants to share our birthday singing and praising Jesus.... but still being giggly goofy girls like we always are there! My parents really raised us so well and I hope to be the parents they were one day. Marian and I have learned so much from them. My dad has been such a hard worker all his life and I try every day to imitate that, while my mom was always there to pick us up from school and was with us every second of the day taking care of us. Married 35 years..... yeah that's definitely what inspires me! I guess what I am trying to say is I have so many amazing people in my life and so many blessings around me, that this birthday/Christmas I find myself wanting........ nothing. I am so content with everything that I actually can't think of one thing that I want! I was so down in the dumps just a few years ago when it seemed that my life was nowhere where I wanted it to be..... and life amazes me how if you keep going you realize nothing is forever. I see so many kids now a days break my heart when I see they committed suicide over something that was said at school. It breaks my heart b/c we ALL go through hard times.... even the bullies! Actually MORE SO the bullies... that's the reason why they are being hateful! They are so unhappy with themselves, but if you keep driving the journey of life you will wake up one day and think... "how lucky am I to be here on earth, with Jesus smiling down on me, amazing friends and family, amazing LIFE!" I want to keep reminding people that crappy times are NOT forever! I am hoping to fill this season with random acts of kindness to others. I really hope you will join me! The littlest thing can make someone smile..... and to someone in pain, a smile may be worth more than you know. Even if ONE person reads this and makes a random act of kindness it will make me the happiest girl in the world!!!!!!!!! Please share the LOVE!!!! PEACE, LOVE, & SPARKLES!!!!!!!! xoxoxoxoxo

www.PaulinaPerez.com