I love reality television. It’s my guilty pleasure. Depending on the type of show, I can be interested in both competitions and shows that document people’s lives. The ability to appeal to an audience is probably best-suited for a brand new idea for a show. We’ve all seen the same old beauty competition shows. Shear Genius had hair stylists vying for a chance to win the title, money, and a career takeoff; Blush got us all interested in makeup careers. But there must be something else.

Here’s where “Beauty School Drop-In” (working title) comes in to play. I think this is a fabulous idea. The proposed show will follow around a few beauty students at the Hoss Lee Beauty School in Citrus Heights, CA. The students won’t necessarily be competing for anything on the show, but we will get to see their real lives. It will document what they actually go through as beauty students and even show their home and work lives. We will get to see what a truly exciting and challenging experience beauty school can be. I think this will be a great way to interest many more people in getting their beauty school degrees, certifications, and licenses. You don’t really know what a particular career involves until you’ve seen someone in action.

The show won’t air anytime soon, as there are still casting calls taking place. However, I do hope it makes it to the air so we can all learn something from beauty school and better understand how our beauty school stylists and cosmetologists get to where they are.

For more info check out: Local Reality Show Hopes to Make the Cut.

-Amanda Fornecker

Every day I tell myself I’m going to go to the gym. I really want to get into shape. But for some reason every day passes and I come up with some sort of excuse not to go. Why could this be? I know I’m not alone in this mentality, but I can’t help but think that if I were a personal fitness instructor that I’d be in tip-top shape.

I actually like working out. It gives me a sense of accomplishment and makes me feel good about myself. It’s also a great way to have some alone time and kind of do my best thinking. In fact, I come up with many blog ideas while I’m working out!

It must be extremely interesting to be a personal fitness instructor. You get to deal with people who are trying to better their lives and feel better about themselves. Once they get to their goal, it must be so exciting!

It seems that the recession has created an increase in the people who go to the gym. If they’ve been laid off, they may take this time to do something to feel better about themselves. So there’s never been a better time to be a personal fitness instructor.

What does it take to become a personal fitness instructor? Find out more in Beat Recession Blues at Fitness Schools.

-Amanda Fornecker

Taneil Britton knows what it takes to make people feel good about themselves. That’s why she went to beauty school and has become an expert in foundation application with the camouflaging brand, Cover FX. She’s extremely dedicated to her makeup career, signing each email she sends with: “I can change someone’s life with the stroke of a brush!” Here, see what brush strokes she needed to take in order to get where she is today and apply yourself to your own makeup career.

What is a day in the life of Taneil like?
It depends on the day. The days when I’m in town (NYC and PA) things are great. My job is to go into my stores and educate the employees on the products, teach them how to become foundation artists, and show them how to grow their businesses to reach productivity.

When I’m out of town, life is a little more intense. I have limited time with my outreach locations so when I’m with them I have to really make it count. We all know traveling is not FUN!!!! But I love the experience and I would not trade it for the world.

What’s your educational background?
I graduated high school and then went into beauty school to study and master the art of makeup, skin care, and hair care. I have a license to do all three skills. Makeup has always been my passion. I change people’s lives everyday with something that I Iove and enjoy doing.

How did you get your start?
After I graduated beauty school, I worked in Nordstrom as a manager for the advanced skin care department. I came across Cover FX at a seminar and instantly fell in love with the brand. Cover FX launched in my location and in three months I sold so much of it that they came out to meet me.

I met with Jenny Frankel and she asked what I was doing to have such great sales. I told her it was amazing I could sit someone down and whatever the concern was it disappeared once the makeup was applied and it looked like real skin. The client was a new person — they looked younger, held their head higher, and they even walked away differently. I couldn’t believe it! Soon after our meeting I joined the Cover FX team.

Have you ever worked with celebrities? If so, who was your favorite celebrity client and why?
Yes, I have worked with some celebrities. My favorite hands down is Lee Thomas, news reporter for Fox in Detroit. He has a skin condition called vitiligo, which deals with the pigmentation of the skin. I recently did his makeup for his documentary on TLC and it was so amazing to work with him. He has a book and a website about “Turning White.” Take a look at his stuff – he’s great.

Please tell us a little bit about Cover FX.
Cover FX is a brand with a purpose! We are the foundation authority and global complexion experts. Our goal is to educate people to become foundation artists. It is the foundation destination. In my years of working with complexion products I have NEVER found anything close to what Cover FX is. I don’t say this because I work for them; I work for them because I can say this. The foundations are the truth in what foundation should be.

Tell us one of your beauty secrets.
Skin Prep FX is an amazing product that nourishes and hydrates the skin, has vitamins and antioxidants, and is a makeup primer. Nothing can take its place in my eyes.

What’s the best part of your job?
Changing peoples lives. I always say it, but nothing is more rewarding to me than making someone feel beautiful. When you look good, you feel good and like you can conquer the world.

What’s the most challenging part of your job?
Recently, traveling has been challenging for me.

What’s your advice to aspiring makeup artists?
Practice make perfect. Be playful and think out of the box. There are no rules in makeup application. Try it — you might like it.

You learn a lot about product, methods, and the ever-so-persistent resistance to change when you do personal grooming services on hundreds of strangers. It’s enlightening, inspiring, and ultimately wonderfully rewarding.

Here are the things I have learned about foot and hand grooming through experience.

1. Dry skin and callus are two different things. Cracks come from having both. You cannot get rid of cracks in heels by filing them. They need to be hydrated and allowed to heal. Once the dryness is dealt with, then you can deal with the callus. They will not go away by getting a pedicure once or twice a year. Consistency with hydrating twice daily and filing 2-3 times a week is the ideal. If it’s really bad, you can get a pedicure and have the esthetician do the hard work.

2. You can file callus wet or dry. Wet will get rid of more buildup, and dry will give a wonderfully smooth finish.

3. People always use too much product! Most spa brand products are more concentrated and should last a long time. Start the application where the skin is driest and then massage it into the rest of the foot. Foot lotions/foams are designed for the thicker skin on the bottoms of feet; they don’t need to be applied to the knee. The size of a dime of lotion and a walnut for foam is all you need per foot.

4. Soaking in water weakens the polish. Nails absorb water when they are soaked. Think of it like untreated, painted wood. The swelling and shrinking make it hard for the polish to adhere to the entire surface. So keep those manicures out of the dishwater! Alternatively, soak hands and feet before removing polish to make the process easier.

5. Neutralize the nail before polishing. If a base coat is applied on the nail overtop of lotion or oil, it won’t adhere properly and will chip off. Give those nails a little swipe with polish remover before you start to polish. Nails also produce their own oils so even if you think they’re fine, do it anyway!

6. Yes you do need Base and Top Coat. If you want the application to last. When you paint anything else and want it to last, you always prime and seal. This is no different!

7. Avoid the skin. Polish on skin will peel off as soon as it’s dry. It will also pull off and chip any polish on the nail that it’s attached to. Take an orange wood stick with a small amount of cotton wrapped around the end and clean up the edges with polish remover before it dries.

8. Polishes have personality. White polishes will always get goopy quickly — it’s something about the pigment that’s used. I’ve never gotten through a whole bottle. Blues, greens, and pinks usually need three thin coats as opposed to two. Glitter polishes last much longer, but are also harder to remove. Red is messy when removing. Hold a polish remover-soaked cotton ball on the nail for 30 seconds and then wipe towards the end of the nail. Don’t scrub back and forth. Let the remover soak through the layers and dissolve the varnish.

9. People will continue to use a product even if it doesn’t work because “They’ve always used it/My mother used it/TV said…” If after consistent and proper use for a month there is no change at all to the condition that you are dealing with, the product doesn’t work for you. This is ok. It doesn’t mean it’s a bad product, you just need something else. It makes no sense to continue paying money for something out of habit when you’re not seeing results.

10. Be consistent, patient and realistic! Manicures do not last as long as pedicures. The beach will destroy the polish on your toes. Yes it does take as much as two hours for polish to dry enough to wear shoes.  Let it be fun! Enjoy those bright colors and soft feet, but remember that everyday life also leaves marks. If estheticians could control physics and chemistry, believe me they would.

Have fun with your fingers and toes, let them be beautiful and pampered. These tips will help you get the most out of your maintenance at home, meaning that when you go for a pedicure, they’ll be able to focus more on the fun parts; perfect toes and lots of yummy massage.

-Sheena McCallum

Sheena has traded in years of working as an esthetician to become a Beauty Blogger for the Canadian online retailer of spa grade skin, hair care and makeup — Spa Boutique. They can be contacted at www.spaboutique.ca, on Facebook and on Twitter.