I’ve recently been plagued (yet again) by the acne monster. I saw my first pimple back when I was 13 years old and my mom actually took a picture of the momentous occasion. I still remember what I was wearing – a ridiculous midriff tee that had a stick figure, muttering “Whatever” on it. Little did I know that acne would turn out to be quite a nuisance throughout my young adult life and beyond, and my non-chalant attitude would turn into a longing for my 13-year-old face. And here I am, 11 years later, facing far worse issues than my newly-pubescent body.

Why, oh why, does acne plague us so? I’ve done countless things to try and zap those zits. From Proactiv (my face eventually became immune) to dermatological visits (I disliked that baby’s-bottom-faced evil lady) to many other over-the-counter products (the long-ish routine makes you restless after a while), I have yet to find the perfect solution.

My latest trial has been facials. And while I enjoyed them ever so much, I am now a poor student once again, who is a few hundred miles from home and her beloved esthetician. So what’s a girl to do?

I certainly can’t let new people that I meet see my horrifying face. Sure, I probably imagine it to be worse than it actually is, but my main issue is this: why, when I work so hard to keep my face acne-free, do I still have worse acne than my friends who don’t have such a regimented routine?! I refuse to have a night out and proceed straight to bed once I walk in the door. No matter how late it is, I must wash my face, tone, and moisturize.

I suppose I have to look to my parents for the answer to this question. It’s all in our genes. My parents both had horrible acne – you can still see the remnants of it on my dad’s face. But my mom swears that by the age of 24 (and she was married by this point), she did not have acne the way I do now.

I sit here and write to you, my SpaBeauties, flustered, flabbergasted, and filled with anxiety. Will I always have this issue? I know I’m not the only one. And while I do love makeup and foundation, a girl likes to be all natural once in a while. What am I to do? This question is one for my estheticians out there, professional and student, alike. Wouldn’t you like to help someone like me?? Where’s the solution?

-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.

Welcome to the seventh edition of the Beauty Smarts Blog Carnival! In preparation for back to school (yes, I said back to school) let’s take a look at some beauty routines you can perfect throughout the month of August so that you are always looking your best no matter what. These fabulous bloggers have broken down everything from home remedies to tips and tricks in order to help readers figure out what works best for them. So break out those eye pencils and beauty books — but make sure not to give yourself a dirty look!

Who knew olive oil could be so versatile? Aparna says, “Besides lemon, milk, sugar, aloe, turmeric, sandalwood and honey, olive oil is another household item that has multifarious uses as a beauty aid.” See what they are in 11 things you can do with olive oil posted at Beauty and Personality Grooming.

“Nature is the newest trend in skin and hair care,” says GreatManagement. “For years, we’ve been putting toxic chemicals into our bodies that build up and make us feel tired and sick, regardless of whether we eat them or if they seep though our pores. And people are finally catching on that natural is better.” Check out more in Natural homemade beauty recipes posted at Free Organic News.

Amir Marzouq presents some eco-friendly tools for your makeup bag. Check out Voice your Vote: Natural Beauty Products | Guffly posted at Guffly for the latest.

Don’t want to spend a fortune on facials or masks? No problem! VANYA presents 4 Easy Homemade Facial Recipes | VANYA posted at Facial masks for facial skin |VANYA: “Here are four simple, yet effective and great homemade facial mask recipes you can use in the comfort of your own home.” Banana and avocado anyone?

Do you have sensitive skin? How can you tell if this is something aggravating you daily? Spa Boutique presents Sensitive Skin: What Are Your Options? posted at Spa Girl Beauty Tips and gives us an inside look at what signs to expect for sensitivity to different beauty products.

Lately, I feel like my skin has been breaking out all over the place! But what is actually going on? Maybe I can find out what my actual problem is in eternal voyageur’s Is it a breakout or is your skin purging impurities ? | eternalvoyageur’s Xanga Site – Weblog posted at Venusian*Glow.

Do you wear makeup every single day or can you go out in public without it? What is it that makes some people feel they can’t live without makeup. Check out To Makeup or Not To Makeup, posted at our very own A Minute With SpaBeautySchools.

You can always trust your mother, right? Many of us follow the routines that have worked for our parents, but maybe we should be following a different kind of beauty regimen, due to product ingredients or just different skin types. Robin Adler presents A Misguided Trust posted at Organic beauty for hair, skin, nails.

Women aren’t the only ones who take beauty and grooming seriously. Gin G. presents Beholding Beauty posted at Sense Scribe, giving us a lesson in beauty and grooming for men.

What are you afraid of when it comes to beauty products? Find out about The Most Feared Beauty Tool and see what some Twitterers think of it. A of Makeup Lovers Anonymous breaks it all down for you.

If you’re an aspiring hair stylist, you’ll certainly want to learn from the pros. Take notes from an expert hairdresser at Lauren Conrad’s Hair Colorist Kaz Amor Shares LC’s Color Tips presented by HairBoutique.

It’s easy to forget that your teeth are actually part of the world of beauty. Wayne Hairston presents Best Teeth Whiteners – What You Should Look For in Tooth Whiteners posted at The Best Teeth Whitening System because we all should be able to flash our smile proudly!

And that’ll do it for our seventh edition of the Beauty Smarts Blog Carnival!! Thank you so much for your continued participation and remember to prepare and look your best for the back to school season (or even your Labor Day bashes!) — it’s creeping up faster than you think.

-Amanda Fornecker

• Are you a blogger? We invite you to contribute to the next Beauty Smarts carnival: Submit here.
• Readers: Let us know your favorite post here, and what you’d like to read more about in the future. Comment below!

At SpaBeautySchools, we’re all about beauty, wellness, and education. That’s why I was delighted to hear that Identity Magazine was hosting an essay competition that supports what we stand for.

In order to “Feel Beautiful Everyday”, Identity encourages its readers to “Accept, Appreciate, and Achieve” everything they are. Through their essay competition, current female students over the age of 21 (undergrad or other) can enter for a chance to win $500 toward education expenses.

All you need to do is answer one of their questions in about 500 words. To learn more about the competition, visit Identity Magazine and enter by August 1, 2009, 11:59 p.m. EST. You must be enrolled in a program (this includes beauty school and other career schools), as the winner’s check will be made out to the school. This is a great opportunity for women in school so get going — the deadline is next week!!

-Amanda Fornecker