Make Up Swap – Collaboration with…..

Nope…not telling you yet, because I have to give you a little background.

Technically, this was like a Secret Santa Make Up Swap, hosted by the lovely and talented Mary from Pretty on a Dime. She gathered a group of us from Boss Girl Bloggers Facebook Group and did all the leg work. All I had to do was pick some things that I thought my blogger would like, but that still captured my personality, and make sure that it was sent by March 21.

So you can imagine that on the other side, some poor unfortunate soul had the terrible task of doing the same for me. Now the rules only state that I am supposed to talk about MY blogger, which I am assuming it’s the one I had to select items for, but I’m going to talk about both bloggers. The one I picked and the one that picked me.

I like to keep things fair. 🙂

My Blogger – Bethany from Diamonds to Crown

Now everything about Bethany is just plain ADORABLE! From her cuter than life baby and handsome husband to her 2 Maine Coon cats and her Goldendoodle. They literally belong on the pages of Family Circle Magazine. I like the way Bethany divides her blog between, family, beauty, bible journaling, DIY and just about everything in between. It’s literally got a little bit for everyone. Did I also mention that her and her husband are HUGE baseball fans and Diamonds actually refers to the baseball kind, not the glittery ones we wear on our ears?

Bethany states in her bio that she will always try to be as raw as possible in her posts and 4 paragraphs into her latest blog on Post Partum Depression and you know that she is not kidding. She tells it like it is, but from a kind place in her heart. You know that she is not writing any of this to be dramatic, but to help someone who might be suffering like she was previously.

With that being said, Bethany made it really easy for me to shop for her. I feel like we could be sisters, except that I would be like 15 years older than her. I won’t give away what I bought her altogether,  but I will tell you that I found out she loves Urban Decay (Twinsies!) and it was kismet that a certain collaboration between a famous YouTuber and UD went on sale this month, giving me the perfect opportunity to serenade Bethany with a few items that I had been dying to try and wanted to get her take on.

I did kind of cheat and ordered everything straight off of the Sephora website and had it sent to her, but that was only because I was so bogged down at work this month, that I couldn’t make it to the store to pick it out in person and mail it from the post office. Bethany, I hope you forgive me and enjoy your goodies!

Blogger who got me — Gillian from Not Just A Pretty Face

When I got a little package hailing all the way from California in the mail, I was like “I’m on a Low Buy. What could I have possibly ordered?”. I opened it up and first thing I pick out is a handwritten note from Gillian saying she was so happy to be my secret blogger.

Her handwriting was neat and meticulous and I immediately thought this person MUST be a teacher. Sure enough, I log on to her website and see that Gillian or Gu-Wee (as her little charges call her) was an Au Pair living in Southern California.

My friends, I feel like my childhood dreams came true and Mary Poppins sent me a gift!

The future Ms. South Africa is my Secret Blogger!!!

Aside from being an Au Pair, Gillian is absolutely stunning and comes all the way from Johannesburg, South Africa. Ms. Gillian is a triple threat:

• Want a beauty tutorial? Check out her latest YouTube video
• Looking on some advice on how to prepare for a job interview. Read her Au Pair series with tips and tricks of the trade.
• Want some daily inspiration? Click and like her latest Instagram Post. She has a slew of daily affirmations to conquer any doubts or fears you may have.

Needless to say, she definitely is not JUST a pretty face. This girl has got it going on!

She also has impeccable taste. When I unwrapped my goodies, I was dumbstruck because I was looking at a gorgeous golden makeup bag containing my very FIRST set of Morphe Brushes.

My daughter, Sofia, said that now I am officially a beauty blogger as no respectable Beauty Guru would be caught dead without a set of Morphe Brushes. So young, yet so wise!

Gillian also sent me a tasty treat from her home country of South Africa, but me and the kids ate it right away, so I didn’t get a chance to take a picture or even remember what it was called, but it was like strawberry Laffy Taffy, just not as sweet. Both my kids gave it thumbs up and I’m sure I will searching Amazon for more of it.

I had so much fun doing this makeup swap. I swear I would do it in a heartbeat all over again. Even though I have never met Bethany or Gillian in person, I feel like we are already friends and hope to see much more of them as I read their blogs.

Till next time, my friends!

Maritza