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	<title>A Girl&#039;s Gotta Spa! (sm) Top beauty blog, spa, hair care, makeup, beauty trends, skin care &#187; beauty blogger</title>
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		<title>HOLD THE PRESSES! There is a teenaged YouTube beauty guru!</title>
		<link>http://agirlsgottaspa.com/blog/2012/01/teenaged-youtube-beauty-guru/</link>
		<comments>http://agirlsgottaspa.com/blog/2012/01/teenaged-youtube-beauty-guru/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 31 Jan 2012 18:18:20 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Shannon Nelson</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[beauty]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Makeup]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[beauty blogger]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[beauty guru]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[youtube]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://agirlsgottaspa.com/blog/?p=6910</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[That&#8217;s sarcasm of course. Normally I wouldn&#8217;t make fun of a PR pitch here on my blog (I use Twitter for that.) But the one I received this morning had me going both WTF? and is it April 1st today? I&#8217;m going to re-post it here (with my own commentary in bold), but since the [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="socialize-in-content" style="float:left;"><div class="socialize-in-button socialize-in-button-left"><a href="http://twitter.com/share" class="twitter-share-button" data-url="http://agirlsgottaspa.com/blog/2012/01/teenaged-youtube-beauty-guru/" data-text="HOLD THE PRESSES! There is a teenaged YouTube beauty guru!" data-count="vertical" data-via="agirlsgottaspa" data-related="agirlsgottaspa"><!--Tweetter--></a></div><div class="socialize-in-button socialize-in-button-left"><iframe src="http://www.facebook.com/plugins/like.php?href=http://agirlsgottaspa.com/blog/2012/01/teenaged-youtube-beauty-guru/&amp;layout=box_count&amp;show_faces=false&amp;width=50&amp;action=like&amp;font=arial&amp;colorscheme=light&amp;height=65" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" style="border:none; overflow:hidden; width:50px !important; height:65px;" allowTransparency="true"></iframe></div><div class="socialize-in-button socialize-in-button-left"><g:plusone size="standard" href="http://agirlsgottaspa.com/blog/2012/01/teenaged-youtube-beauty-guru/"></g:plusone></div><div class="socialize-in-button socialize-in-button-left"><script src="http://www.stumbleupon.com/hostedbadge.php?s=5&r=http://agirlsgottaspa.com/blog/2012/01/teenaged-youtube-beauty-guru/"></script></div></div><p><a href="http://agirlsgottaspa.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/20120131-beauty-guru.jpg"><img class="alignleft  wp-image-6913" style="margin-left: 4px; margin-right: 4px;" title="beauty-guru" src="http://agirlsgottaspa.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/20120131-beauty-guru.jpg" alt="" width="249" height="249" /></a>That&#8217;s sarcasm of course. Normally I wouldn&#8217;t make fun of a PR pitch here on my blog (I use Twitter for that.) But the one I received this morning had me going both WTF? and is it April 1st today? I&#8217;m going to re-post it here (with my own commentary in bold), but since the girl I was pitched about is only 16 years old, I&#8217;m going to remove her name/YouTube name, et al.</p>
<p>Philadelphia, PA, January 31, 2012 – Vlogger&#8217;s  love affair with makeup and beauty products started long before she reached her teens. <strong>(Sign one from above that you are meant to be a guru.)</strong> One of her first words, spoken at 9 months, was “lipstick.” <strong>(Since that is practically impossible for a baby to pronounciate, why are we not calling her a freaking PRODIGY?)</strong>  By age 9, she had a critical eye. <strong>(Because she is the Tim Gunn of beauty.)</strong> Her mother, she confides, was not good at applying her lipstick. “I had to put it on her,” Vlogger says. “She didn’t know that it would last longer—and look better—with lip liner as a base.” <strong>(Insightful.)</strong></p>
<p>Today, the 16-year-old is dispensing makeup advice via her video “channel,” on YouTube. <strong>(I love how the PR person puts channel in quotes. I can see her rolling her eyes and saying out loud &#8220;quote unquote channel&#8221; with a big sigh.)</strong></p>
<p>A high school junior in the Philadelphia area, Vlogger started doing videos in 2010. “I knew kids in school who made great videos of themselves singing, but I wanted to teach people a skill,” she says.  She liked makeup, and since she also knew a few application tricks <strong>(that she likely learned from the beauty counter of her local department store)</strong> and do-it-yourself makeup recipes <strong>(Dr. Google is also good for this too)</strong>, she decided to specialize in beauty application and products. <strong>(This is where I want to put specialize in quotes. She knew a handful of tricks so at 15 she wanted to &#8220;specialize&#8221; in beauty.)</strong></p>
<p>In a single month, she gained more than 850 subscribers <strong>(i.e. everyone in her high school and their friends)</strong>. To date, she has over 215,000 uploaded views and over 5,800 subscribers. Her goal is to top 10,000 subscribers. “When I reach 20,000, I want to open an online store with my own makeup line,” she says. <strong>(So knowing a handful of beauty tricks + reaching 20K subscribers = the ability to have the skill and know-how to launch a business. DUDE sign me up. If that&#8217;s all it takes, why didn&#8217;t I attempt that sooner?!)</strong></p>
<p>Vlogger, who with other beauty gurus was featured in a <em>Wall Street Journal</em> article on teens who make makeup, initially faced some skepticism from schoolmates. “Some of them thought it was weird,” she says. But then a girl on the bus told her she loved the videos. “She said, ‘Keep doing it—don’t care what anyone says,’” she recalls. <strong>(Advice from A GIRL ON THE BUS = Lucy setting up shop to dish out advice for 5 cents to Charlie Brown.)</strong></p>
<p>An attractive brunette with long, wavy locks and dark eyes, Vlogger has an easy conversational style. “Don’t mind my little frizzy hairs,” she says in a video made on vacation. “It’s, like, legit really hot here.” <strong>(Too legit to quit, in fact&#8230;.Hammer time!)</strong></p>
<p>Made with the camera she bought herself, the videos are fun to watch.  The camera zooms in to show the products and her expert application.  <strong>(As opposed to a camera her mom bought her that does not zoom. )</strong> The action is quick and MTV-like <strong>(OMG I didn&#8217;t know MTV-like was a camera style now)</strong>, often with a voiceover instruction. She frequently takes a whimsical approach. A video on New Year’s Eve makeup, for instance, begins with an eye-catching graphic:  a clock and then a countdown. <strong>(A creative genius!)</strong> It takes her three to five hours just to plan the tutorial and pinpoint the camera angles.<strong> (because that&#8217;s how it is for all gurus, dontchaknow?)</strong></p>
<p>Her tutorial on how to tackle blackheads has landed more than 44,000 hits. “Every single teenager has blackheads,” she notes. Tips for making your eyelashes longer have garnered more than 21,500 views. Other topics include pumpkin masques, summer nails and “How to Make Press-on Eye Shadow.”</p>
<p>Her YouTube fans would approve. As one watcher commented: “i just want to say that you inspire me so much. you are amazing in everything you do and i love how much effort you put into your videos just to please us. thank you for being by FAR the best makeup guru on youtube. love, your greatest fan.” <strong>(like, omg, you are the bestest!)</strong></p>
<p>Ok, before I die from laughter&#8230;this was a SERIOUS press release sent to me and a bunch of my fellow beauty bloggers. It also completely falls in line with how this generation seems to think that if you slap up a YouTube channel you are suddenly entitled to three things: 1. the title of guru, 2. free stuff  and 3. a PR-blitz on just how awesome you are. No, that comes from hard work, longevity and being truly amazing. I&#8217;m a veteran beauty blogger and have been doing it for 7 years now&#8230;and I am NOT a guru. I&#8217;m not sure why this was newsworthy enough for someone to pitch to me, but I think I am more appalled at the pitch itself.</p>
<p><em>Have your say&#8230;</em></p>
<div class="wp-about-author-containter-around" style="background-color:#fef5d7;"><div class="wp-about-author-pic"><img alt='' src='http://1.gravatar.com/avatar/32c608fdf71784ba1d9805d0eedb18b7?s=100&amp;d=http%3A%2F%2F1.gravatar.com%2Favatar%2Fad516503a11cd5ca435acc9bb6523536%3Fs%3D100&amp;r=G' class='avatar avatar-100 photo' height='100' width='100' /></div><div class="wp-about-author-text"><h3><a href='http://agirlsgottaspa.com/blog/author/admin/' title='Shannon Nelson'>Shannon Nelson</a></h3><p>Shannon Nelson launched A Girl's Gotta Spa! in 2005. She currently works with beauty brands as a social media consultant, freelance writes for magazines and is a public speaker at beauty industry conferences.</p><p><a href='http://agirlsgottaspa.com' title='Shannon Nelson'>Website</a> - <a href='http://www.twitter.com/agirlsgottaspa' title='Shannon Nelsonon Twitter'>Twitter</a> - <a href='http://www.facebook.com/agirlsgottaspa' title='Shannon Nelson on Facebook'>Facebook</a> - <a href='http://agirlsgottaspa.com/blog/author/admin/' title='More posts by Shannon Nelson'>More Posts</a> </p></div></div>]]></content:encoded>
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		<title>7 of the Top Bloggers: Where Are They Now?</title>
		<link>http://agirlsgottaspa.com/blog/2011/10/7-top-bloggers/</link>
		<comments>http://agirlsgottaspa.com/blog/2011/10/7-top-bloggers/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 19 Oct 2011 12:30:48 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Shannon Nelson</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[beauty]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Makeup]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[a girl's gotta spa]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[beauty blogger]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[top beauty blogs]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://agirlsgottaspa.com/blog/?p=6252</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[As you know, this month marks 6 years that I have been writing A Girl&#8217;s Gotta Spa! To have not only survived the blogosphere, but weather many personal and professional ups and downs all these years seems like a major feat in and of itself. One thing I feel very blessed about, is that I [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="socialize-in-content" style="float:left;"><div class="socialize-in-button socialize-in-button-left"><a href="http://twitter.com/share" class="twitter-share-button" data-url="http://agirlsgottaspa.com/blog/2011/10/7-top-bloggers/" data-text="7 of the Top Bloggers: Where Are They Now?" data-count="vertical" data-via="agirlsgottaspa" data-related="agirlsgottaspa"><!--Tweetter--></a></div><div class="socialize-in-button socialize-in-button-left"><iframe src="http://www.facebook.com/plugins/like.php?href=http://agirlsgottaspa.com/blog/2011/10/7-top-bloggers/&amp;layout=box_count&amp;show_faces=false&amp;width=50&amp;action=like&amp;font=arial&amp;colorscheme=light&amp;height=65" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" style="border:none; overflow:hidden; width:50px !important; height:65px;" allowTransparency="true"></iframe></div><div class="socialize-in-button socialize-in-button-left"><g:plusone size="standard" href="http://agirlsgottaspa.com/blog/2011/10/7-top-bloggers/"></g:plusone></div><div class="socialize-in-button socialize-in-button-left"><script src="http://www.stumbleupon.com/hostedbadge.php?s=5&r=http://agirlsgottaspa.com/blog/2011/10/7-top-bloggers/"></script></div></div><p>As you know, this month marks 6 years that I have been writing <strong>A Girl&#8217;s Gotta Spa!</strong> To have not only survived the blogosphere, but weather many personal and professional ups and downs all these years seems like a major feat in and of itself. One thing I feel very blessed about, is that I am still in contact with many of the beauty bloggers from <em>back in the day</em>. I consider them good friends and often turn to them for advice or for an objective opinion. I am so proud of all that they have accomplished over the years and wanted to be able to spotlight just how far we&#8217;ve all come.</p>
<p>From earliest year launched, here they are:</p>
<p><a href="http://agirlsgottaspa.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/20111015-kathryn-finney-the-budget-fashionista.jpg"><img class="alignleft size-full wp-image-6254" style="margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 5px;" title="kathryn-finney-the-budget-fashionista" src="http://agirlsgottaspa.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/20111015-kathryn-finney-the-budget-fashionista.jpg" alt="" width="198" height="313" /></a><a href="http://www.thebudgetfashionista.com/about/" target="_blank">Kathryn Finney</a>: <a href="http://www.thebudgetfashionista.com/" target="_blank">The Budget Fashionista</a><br />
<strong>Began</strong>: 2003<br />
<strong>Life changes</strong>: People recognizing me at Disney World (which is awesome, except when you just came off Splash Mountain) and being listed as a famous Minnesotan (along with Prince).<br />
<strong>Career Advancement:</strong> One of AOL&#8217;s Top Women in Money. Listed by everyone from WWD to Wall Street Journal to Instyle to People as top blog for women. First fashion blogger (and one of the first women bloggers) to receive a major book deal, over 1000 press mentions and profiles from New York Times to Essence to USA Today, lots of TV segments (Today Show, GMA, etc), keynote speaker (Blogher, SXSW, etc), head of my own TV production company, TV development deal (as star and Executive Producer), adviser to cool start ups, and only independently owned top ten fashion blog.<br />
<strong>One thing Learned Along the Way:</strong> To Thine Self Be True.<br />
<strong>One Goal I Still Want to Meet:</strong> To find the perfect pair of red pumps.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.product-girl.com/about/" target="_blank">Carla Maganinho</a>: <a href="http://www.product-girl.com/" target="_blank">Product Girl</a><br />
<strong>Began</strong>: 2005<a href="http://agirlsgottaspa.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/20111019-carla-product-girl.jpg"><img class="alignright size-medium wp-image-6286" style="margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 5px;" title="carla-product-girl" src="http://agirlsgottaspa.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/20111019-carla-product-girl-249x300.jpg" alt="" width="194" height="232" /></a><br />
<strong>Life Changes</strong>: The biggest change in my life is the traveling. In the last few years I’ve made an effort to visit New York and LA a couple times a year to attend things like NYFW and shows like The Makeup Show. It’s really important to me because it gives me a chance to see my other beauty blogging friends as well as keep in touch with important people that allow me to keep doing what I do. Otherwise, beauty products now take over my life more than ever. Almost every surface of my apartment has some sort of product on it that I need to devote some attention to. Things definitely did not start out that way but it’s fun to play with everything.<br />
<strong>Career Advancement</strong>: I’ve always had a day job in a completely separate industry for years now. For most of the last 6 years, I’ve worked at a small door company in their A/R department handling their billing and collections. This week I’m making the leap to a completely new industry and my day job will finally align with my passion. On Thursday, I will be starting as a beauty social media specialist for Nordstrom tweeting as <a href="http://twitter.com/nordstrombeauty" target="_blank">@nordstrombeauty</a> and engaging with customers on Facebook as well. I would never be able to much such a career change if it wasn’t because of my blog and I’m so grateful that fate led me in this direction.<br />
<strong>One Thing I Learned Along the Way</strong>: This isn’t really something I learned, but more of something I gained along the way. I am a bit of a shy person when I’m in unfamiliar territory and through the blog, I’ve had to speak up and be more vocal than I normally would be. This gets me out of my comfort zone a bit and has given me more self-confidence than I’ve had before. It’s a good feeling to look back and think of how I’ve put myself out there in ways that I wouldn’t ordinarily have done before I started Product Girl.<br />
<strong>One Goal I Still Want to Meet</strong>: One day I’d love to see a product I helped create on store shelves. That goal was almost within reach earlier this year with the MAC Blogger’s collection but sadly it wasn’t meant to be. Although, the ladies who did work with MAC on the Bloggers Obsession collection had some amazing shades. I’ve dreamt of having my own perfume since I was a little girl but now I’d also love to collaborate on makeup; either with eyeshadow or lipstick. I’m hoping one day I’ll get a chance to make that dream come true!<br />
<a href="http://www.agirlsgottaspa.com/aboutshannonnelson/" target="_blank">Shannon Nelson</a>: <a href="http://agirlsgottaspa.com/blog" target="_blank">A Girl&#8217;s Gotta Spa!</a><a href="http://agirlsgottaspa.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/20111015-331884-271063396251273-139370676087213-1005545-1595115379-o.jpg"><img class="size-full wp-image-6255 alignleft" style="margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 5px;" title="Shannon Nelson A Girl's Gotta Spa!" src="http://agirlsgottaspa.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/20111015-331884-271063396251273-139370676087213-1005545-1595115379-o.jpg" alt="" width="188" height="273" /></a><br />
<strong>Began</strong>: 2005<br />
<strong>Life Changes</strong>: Being ingrained deep in the social media world helped me create a job for myself when I needed it the most and now I have an incredible social media career. As a single mom of 4  boys, I&#8217;m proud to be an example to my kids that you can do anything you want to in this life if you put your mind to it. Being a positive role model to my boys is really the most important thing and highest honor I can ever achieve.<br />
<strong>Career Advancement</strong>: Guest speaker at the HBA Expo 2009 and 2010; guest speaker at Cosmoprof North America 2009 and 2011. Freelance articles written for American Spa and Times-Tribune.  Hired by a <a href="http://www.piercemattie.com" target="_blank">NYC PR firm</a> and feel incredibly blessed that they have taught me so much and continue to allow me to work towards my dreams and support me along the way (Thank you Pierce!) Became an independent <a href="http://www.agirlsgottaspa.com/social-media-consulting/" target="_blank">social media consultant</a> working with both well established beauty and fashion brands, as well as start ups. Named both a Top 50 and Top 20 Beauty Blog, nationally and globally (Hello Australian VOGUE)&#8230;most recently by <a href="http://www.shape.com/lifestyle/beauty-style/shape-best-blogger-awards-20-top-beauty-blogs-active-chicks?page=15" target="_blank">SHAPE Magazine</a>. Social Media expert for <a href="http://pahomepage.com/palive-details/?nxd_id=205286" target="_blank">PA Live</a> (being on TV is awesome.) Being recognized at events and seeing people get excited to talk to me really makes my lifetime.<br />
<strong>One Thing I&#8217;ve Learned Along the Way</strong>: Fail forward. The most successful entrepreneurs are the ones who made mistakes on their journey to the top.<br />
<strong>One Goal I Still Want to Meet</strong>: To create my own bath &amp; body line or partner with a brand to do so. I&#8217;d also really like to meet Kathy Ireland. She inspires me.</p>
<p><a href="http://themakeupgirl.net/" target="_blank">Lianne Farbes</a>: <a href="http://themakeupgirl.net/about-lianne-farbes/" target="_blank">The Makeup Girl</a><br />
<strong>Began</strong>: 2006<a href="http://agirlsgottaspa.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/20111015-lianne-farbes.jpg"><img class="size-full wp-image-6266 alignright" style="margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 5px;" title="lianne-farbes" src="http://agirlsgottaspa.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/20111015-lianne-farbes.jpg" alt="" width="171" height="257" /></a><br />
<strong>Life changes</strong>: Being recognized in places (I was mobbed at The Makeup Show! LOL) and traveling more (being away from home is hard but she works hard for the money honey!)<br />
<strong>Career Advancement</strong>: I always feel like I have 14 jobs and in a way&#8230;I kinda do. My career as a blogger has taken on many different forms and I love them all. Being listed in InStyle was a huge moment for me&#8230;.it was like YES validation!! I have also created a thriving Social Media/Online Marketing practice for myself in the process. By doing so, I kind of created a job for myself when there were none available &#8211; that feels really great to have accomplished that. This past year I was honored to have been chosen to create an eyeshadow shade for MAC cosmetics in a capsule collection entitled &#8220;Bloggers Obsessions&#8221; I honestly didn&#8217;t realize what a huge moment it was for me and that the experience was something that I actually wanted for myself and my brand. It was a priceless experience that I will always remember. Then there is Cocktails and Couture, my social media networking event. I love that people look forward to the event each season for fashion week and I LOVE bringing new and interesting brands to the table as sponsors. All in all&#8230;I have to say I love my job! (or jobs&#8230;.LOL)<br />
<strong>One thing I Learned Along the Way</strong>: Be Yourself, love yourself and everything else will fall into place.<br />
<strong>One Goal I Still Want to Meet</strong>: I already made the perfect smokey eyeshadow so now I want to make the perfect nude lipgloss.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&amp;source=web&amp;cd=4&amp;sqi=2&amp;ved=0CCsQjBAwAw&amp;url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.afrobella.com%2Fabout-afrobella%2F&amp;rct=j&amp;q=afrobella&amp;ei=CZ-ZTvLcFab30gHi96i7BA&amp;usg=AFQjCNFRu3YJN7JNWIU5x91Td_LpTbmpjQ&amp;cad=rja" target="_blank">Patrice Yursik</a>: <a href="http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&amp;source=web&amp;cd=1&amp;sqi=2&amp;ved=0CBoQFjAA&amp;url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.afrobella.com%2F&amp;rct=j&amp;q=afrobella&amp;ei=CZ-ZTvLcFab30gHi96i7BA&amp;usg=AFQjCNEI4cYKcI3lK3M3RYINxV4Fa04XtA&amp;cad=rja" target="_blank">Afrobella</a><a href="http://agirlsgottaspa.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/20111015-patrice-yursik-afrobella.jpg"><img class="size-medium wp-image-6257 alignleft" style="margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 5px;" title="patrice-yursik-afrobella" src="http://agirlsgottaspa.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/20111015-patrice-yursik-afrobella-300x200.jpg" alt="" width="264" height="176" /></a><br />
<strong>Began</strong>: August 2006<br />
<strong>Life changes</strong>: Being a blogger changed my life in every way! Putting in solid work blogging enabled me to quit my job to work for myself full time, it&#8217;s allowed me to move to a more advanced city where more opportunities are available. Because of blogging, I&#8217;ve been able to write for just about every magazine or website I&#8217;ve ever wanted to write for &#8212; my blog makes a great virtual resume! And now I need to make sure I look super cute before I leave my apartment because I get recognized pretty often. And it&#8217;s always done with love and admiration, which just makes me realize I was meant to do what I&#8217;m doing!<br />
<strong>Career Advancement</strong>: I have a career, first of all! I&#8217;ve won more than ten online awards for my blog, including Best of Beauty from Glam Media and I&#8217;m now officially in the Black Weblog Awards hall of fame because I won so many times. Because of my blog I am hired for speaking engagements and appearances, I&#8217;ve freelanced for a wide variety of publications, and dreams I never even had before, have come true. I was part of MAC&#8217;s Blogger&#8217;s Obsession collection and my lipglass All Of My Purple Life sold out twice, I did an online ad for Lancome, and I&#8217;ve appeared in a variety of magazines in both featured articles and advertisements. My blog has put me on a path to greatness, but it isn&#8217;t a predestined path. It&#8217;s amazing how much my life has changed and how much my career has advanced. Almost every day I am told that I&#8217;m a role model or an inspiration to someone, and that means the world to me.<br />
<strong>One Thing I Learned Along the Way</strong>: It is always a good look to be gracious and sweet and welcoming and kind. The person who you dismiss today could wind up being your best possible contact tomorrow! Also, beauty shines from within, so if you live your life in a beautiful and loving way, only beauty and love will come back to you.<br />
<strong>One Goal I Still Want to Meet</strong>: I dream of collaborating with a brand I love on a full makeup collection, and of finally finishing and publishing my book!</p>
<p><a href="http://agirlsgottaspa.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/20111015-julia-coney-all-about-the-pretty.jpg"><img class="size-full wp-image-6259 alignright" style="margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 5px;" title="julia-coney-all-about-the-pretty" src="http://agirlsgottaspa.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/20111015-julia-coney-all-about-the-pretty.jpg" alt="" width="196" height="253" /></a><a href="http://www.allaboutthepretty.net/about-julia-coney/" target="_blank">Julia Coney</a>: <a href="http://www.allaboutthepretty.net/" target="_blank">All About the Pretty</a><br />
<strong>Began</strong>: 2006<br />
<strong>Life changes</strong>: Having my name called in the DC subway. Crazy.<br />
<strong>Career Advancement:</strong> Being blessed to have press from the Washington Post, Washingtonian magazine, Glamour Magazine, Ebony Magazine, Essence Magazine, a Top Ten Beauty Blog from WWD, and Australian Vogue. Travel writing for my blog, <a href="http://www.blackatlas.com" target="_blank">BlackAtlas.com</a>, and a others.<br />
<strong>One thing Learned Along the Way:</strong> Know who you are and write from the heart.<br />
<strong>One Goal Still Want to Meet:</strong> Just one! Attend Paris Fashion Week and visit Antarctica and Australia. Only 2 continents I haven&#8217;t visited.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.temptalia.com/about-us" target="_blank">Christine Mielke</a>: <a href="http://www.temptalia.com" target="_blank">Temptalia</a><a href="http://agirlsgottaspa.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/20111015-christine-mielke-temptalia.jpg"><img class="size-medium wp-image-6260 alignleft" style="margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 5px;" title="christine-mielke-temptalia" src="http://agirlsgottaspa.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/20111015-christine-mielke-temptalia-300x237.jpg" alt="" width="213" height="167" /></a><br />
<strong>Began</strong>: 2006<br />
<strong>Life Changes</strong>:  I didn&#8217;t know what I wanted to do before, but now I&#8217;ve found my dream!<br />
<strong>Career Advancement</strong>: Graduated JD/MBA from Santa Clara University.  Speaker at beauty conferences like Cosmoprof and The Beauty Social.  One of the top ten beauty blogs.  Named Most Influential Beauty Blog by Konector. Part of MAC Cosmetics Blogger&#8217;s Obsession collection.<br />
<strong>One Thing I Learned Along the Way</strong>:  Readers are #1, which means honesty, credibility, and integrity are core to success.<br />
<strong>One Goal I Still Want to Meet</strong>:  To be better tomorrow than I was yesterday.</p>
<div class="wp-about-author-containter-around" style="background-color:#fef5d7;"><div class="wp-about-author-pic"><img alt='' src='http://1.gravatar.com/avatar/32c608fdf71784ba1d9805d0eedb18b7?s=100&amp;d=http%3A%2F%2F1.gravatar.com%2Favatar%2Fad516503a11cd5ca435acc9bb6523536%3Fs%3D100&amp;r=G' class='avatar avatar-100 photo' height='100' width='100' /></div><div class="wp-about-author-text"><h3><a href='http://agirlsgottaspa.com/blog/author/admin/' title='Shannon Nelson'>Shannon Nelson</a></h3><p>Shannon Nelson launched A Girl's Gotta Spa! in 2005. She currently works with beauty brands as a social media consultant, freelance writes for magazines and is a public speaker at beauty industry conferences.</p><p><a href='http://agirlsgottaspa.com' title='Shannon Nelson'>Website</a> - <a href='http://www.twitter.com/agirlsgottaspa' title='Shannon Nelsonon Twitter'>Twitter</a> - <a href='http://www.facebook.com/agirlsgottaspa' title='Shannon Nelson on Facebook'>Facebook</a> - <a href='http://agirlsgottaspa.com/blog/author/admin/' title='More posts by Shannon Nelson'>More Posts</a> </p></div></div>]]></content:encoded>
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		<title>Shannon Nelson to Appear on PA Live Thursday October 13</title>
		<link>http://agirlsgottaspa.com/blog/2011/10/shannon-nelson-pa-live-thursday/</link>
		<comments>http://agirlsgottaspa.com/blog/2011/10/shannon-nelson-pa-live-thursday/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 12 Oct 2011 23:40:28 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Shannon Nelson</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[beauty]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Pocono Spas & Salons]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[a girl's gotta spa]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[beauty blogger]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[PA Live]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Shannon Nelson]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[social media]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://agirlsgottaspa.com/blog/?p=6227</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[That title feels weird talking in 3rd person like that, but I am excited to say that on Thursday, October 13 I will be appearing on PA Live. I know I&#8217;ve been talking a lot lately about PA Live, but that&#8217;s because back in August Michelle from NEPA Blogs alerted me that WBRE was launching [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="socialize-in-content" style="float:left;"><div class="socialize-in-button socialize-in-button-left"><a href="http://twitter.com/share" class="twitter-share-button" data-url="http://agirlsgottaspa.com/blog/2011/10/shannon-nelson-pa-live-thursday/" data-text="Shannon Nelson to Appear on PA Live Thursday October 13" data-count="vertical" data-via="agirlsgottaspa" data-related="agirlsgottaspa"><!--Tweetter--></a></div><div class="socialize-in-button socialize-in-button-left"><iframe src="http://www.facebook.com/plugins/like.php?href=http://agirlsgottaspa.com/blog/2011/10/shannon-nelson-pa-live-thursday/&amp;layout=box_count&amp;show_faces=false&amp;width=50&amp;action=like&amp;font=arial&amp;colorscheme=light&amp;height=65" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" style="border:none; overflow:hidden; width:50px !important; height:65px;" allowTransparency="true"></iframe></div><div class="socialize-in-button socialize-in-button-left"><g:plusone size="standard" href="http://agirlsgottaspa.com/blog/2011/10/shannon-nelson-pa-live-thursday/"></g:plusone></div><div class="socialize-in-button socialize-in-button-left"><script src="http://www.stumbleupon.com/hostedbadge.php?s=5&r=http://agirlsgottaspa.com/blog/2011/10/shannon-nelson-pa-live-thursday/"></script></div></div><p><a href="http://agirlsgottaspa.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/20111012-img-0686.jpg"><img class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-6228" style="border: 10px solid white;" title="Shannon Nelson and Dave Kuharchik" src="http://agirlsgottaspa.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/20111012-img-0686-208x300.jpg" alt="" width="208" height="300" /></a>That title feels weird talking in 3rd person like that, but I am excited to say that on Thursday, October 13 I will be appearing on <a href="http://pahomepage.com/palive" target="_blank">PA Live</a>. I know I&#8217;ve been talking a lot lately about <a href="http://agirlsgottaspa.com/blog/2011/10/pa-live-nepa-blogs-feature-girls/" target="_blank">PA Live</a>, but that&#8217;s because back in August Michelle from <a href="http://www.nepablogs.org" target="_blank">NEPA Blogs</a> alerted me that <a href="http://pahomepage.com" target="_blank">WBRE</a> was launching a new show and was looking for local talent to appear on TV. So I contacted one of the hosts, Dave Kuharchik, and he had me do a phone interview, which turned into me going down to the station and doing a screen test. After my 3-minute test run, I was told I did great and could come back.</p>
<p>YES!</p>
<p>I won&#8217;t be talking about beauty though. I know, that makes me sad because I really want to be able to talk about beauty trends&#8230;BUT I will be talking about my second love, <a href="http://agirlsgottaspa.com/blog/social-media-consulting/" target="_blank">social media</a>. So for that, I am very grateful! Those who know me know that it has been a goal of mine to be on TV, so I am excited that WBRE is giving me the chance to do that. Plus now my kids think I am a celebrity, but I had to remind them that it won&#8217;t get them out of doing homework no matter what. <img src='http://agirlsgottaspa.com/blog/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_smile.gif' alt=':)' class='wp-smiley' /> </p>
<p>My first topic will be something that is a passion of mine: <em>music</em>. I&#8217;ll be featuring <a href="http://www.spotify.com" target="_blank">Spotify</a>, so if you want to learn about it or just want to support my first time on TV, please tune into PA Live between 4pm-5pmEST or you can watch the live stream from <a href="http://pahomepage.com/palive" target="_blank">PAhomepage.com</a>.</p>
<p>xx ~Shannon</p>
<p>Ps. This is me and Dave at the WBRE studio back in August.</p>
<div class="wp-about-author-containter-around" style="background-color:#fef5d7;"><div class="wp-about-author-pic"><img alt='' src='http://1.gravatar.com/avatar/32c608fdf71784ba1d9805d0eedb18b7?s=100&amp;d=http%3A%2F%2F1.gravatar.com%2Favatar%2Fad516503a11cd5ca435acc9bb6523536%3Fs%3D100&amp;r=G' class='avatar avatar-100 photo' height='100' width='100' /></div><div class="wp-about-author-text"><h3><a href='http://agirlsgottaspa.com/blog/author/admin/' title='Shannon Nelson'>Shannon Nelson</a></h3><p>Shannon Nelson launched A Girl's Gotta Spa! in 2005. She currently works with beauty brands as a social media consultant, freelance writes for magazines and is a public speaker at beauty industry conferences.</p><p><a href='http://agirlsgottaspa.com' title='Shannon Nelson'>Website</a> - <a href='http://www.twitter.com/agirlsgottaspa' title='Shannon Nelsonon Twitter'>Twitter</a> - <a href='http://www.facebook.com/agirlsgottaspa' title='Shannon Nelson on Facebook'>Facebook</a> - <a href='http://agirlsgottaspa.com/blog/author/admin/' title='More posts by Shannon Nelson'>More Posts</a> </p></div></div>]]></content:encoded>
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		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
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		<title>Parents Magazine Best Blog Awards: A Girl&#8217;s Gotta Spa!</title>
		<link>http://agirlsgottaspa.com/blog/2011/09/parents-magazine-best-blog-awards-a-girls-gotta-spa/</link>
		<comments>http://agirlsgottaspa.com/blog/2011/09/parents-magazine-best-blog-awards-a-girls-gotta-spa/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 29 Sep 2011 12:04:20 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Shannon Nelson</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[beauty]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[a girl's gotta spa]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[beauty blogger]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[best beauty blog]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://agirlsgottaspa.com/blog/?p=6155</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Right now Parents Magazine is holding a Best Blog Awards contest and thanks to A Girl&#8217;s Gotta Spa! reader, Madeline, I was nominated in the Best Mom Fashion Blog category&#8230;there was no category for beauty (gasp!) So although I don&#8217;t consider this blog a mom blog by any stretch, I am indeed a mom (of [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="socialize-in-content" style="float:left;"><div class="socialize-in-button socialize-in-button-left"><a href="http://twitter.com/share" class="twitter-share-button" data-url="http://agirlsgottaspa.com/blog/2011/09/parents-magazine-best-blog-awards-a-girls-gotta-spa/" data-text="Parents Magazine Best Blog Awards: A Girl&#8217;s Gotta Spa!" data-count="vertical" data-via="agirlsgottaspa" data-related="agirlsgottaspa"><!--Tweetter--></a></div><div class="socialize-in-button socialize-in-button-left"><iframe src="http://www.facebook.com/plugins/like.php?href=http://agirlsgottaspa.com/blog/2011/09/parents-magazine-best-blog-awards-a-girls-gotta-spa/&amp;layout=box_count&amp;show_faces=false&amp;width=50&amp;action=like&amp;font=arial&amp;colorscheme=light&amp;height=65" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" style="border:none; overflow:hidden; width:50px !important; height:65px;" allowTransparency="true"></iframe></div><div class="socialize-in-button socialize-in-button-left"><g:plusone size="standard" href="http://agirlsgottaspa.com/blog/2011/09/parents-magazine-best-blog-awards-a-girls-gotta-spa/"></g:plusone></div><div class="socialize-in-button socialize-in-button-left"><script src="http://www.stumbleupon.com/hostedbadge.php?s=5&r=http://agirlsgottaspa.com/blog/2011/09/parents-magazine-best-blog-awards-a-girls-gotta-spa/"></script></div></div><p><a href="http://blog-awards.parents.com/blog-awards/mom_blogs/1146-a-girl-s-gotta-spa" target="_blank"><img class="alignleft size-full wp-image-6156" style="border: 10px solid white;" title="best_mom_fashion_blog" src="http://agirlsgottaspa.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/20110929-best-mom-fashion-blog.jpg" alt="" width="150" height="105" /></a>Right now Parents Magazine is holding a <a href="http://blog-awards.parents.com/blog-awards/mom_blogs/category/2027?sort=name" target="_blank">Best Blog Awards</a> contest and thanks to <a href="http://www.facebook.com/agirlsgottaspa" target="_blank">A Girl&#8217;s Gotta Spa!</a> reader, Madeline, I was nominated in the <a href="http://blog-awards.parents.com/blog-awards/mom_blogs/1146-a-girl-s-gotta-spa" target="_parent">Best Mom Fashion Blog</a> category&#8230;there was no category for beauty (gasp!) So although I don&#8217;t consider this blog a <em>mom blog</em> by any stretch, I am indeed a mom (of 4) who blogs. So if you don&#8217;t mind the registration process that Parents.com requires in order to vote, I would really be grateful for a vote from you. Just click the pink Parents 2011 nominee badge in this post and it will take you directly to <a href="http://blog-awards.parents.com/blog-awards/mom_blogs/1146-a-girl-s-gotta-spa" target="_blank">my voting page</a> (voting ends on October 15th.)</p>
<p>Thanks in advance! xx<br />
<em>Shannon</em></p>
<div class="wp-about-author-containter-around" style="background-color:#fef5d7;"><div class="wp-about-author-pic"><img alt='' src='http://1.gravatar.com/avatar/32c608fdf71784ba1d9805d0eedb18b7?s=100&amp;d=http%3A%2F%2F1.gravatar.com%2Favatar%2Fad516503a11cd5ca435acc9bb6523536%3Fs%3D100&amp;r=G' class='avatar avatar-100 photo' height='100' width='100' /></div><div class="wp-about-author-text"><h3><a href='http://agirlsgottaspa.com/blog/author/admin/' title='Shannon Nelson'>Shannon Nelson</a></h3><p>Shannon Nelson launched A Girl's Gotta Spa! in 2005. She currently works with beauty brands as a social media consultant, freelance writes for magazines and is a public speaker at beauty industry conferences.</p><p><a href='http://agirlsgottaspa.com' title='Shannon Nelson'>Website</a> - <a href='http://www.twitter.com/agirlsgottaspa' title='Shannon Nelsonon Twitter'>Twitter</a> - <a href='http://www.facebook.com/agirlsgottaspa' title='Shannon Nelson on Facebook'>Facebook</a> - <a href='http://agirlsgottaspa.com/blog/author/admin/' title='More posts by Shannon Nelson'>More Posts</a> </p></div></div>]]></content:encoded>
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		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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		<title>Speaking at Cosmoprof North America 2011</title>
		<link>http://agirlsgottaspa.com/blog/2011/07/speaking-at-cosmoprof-north-america-2011/</link>
		<comments>http://agirlsgottaspa.com/blog/2011/07/speaking-at-cosmoprof-north-america-2011/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 29 Jul 2011 16:11:32 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Shannon Nelson</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[beauty]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[a girl's gotta spa]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[beauty blogger]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://agirlsgottaspa.com/blog/?p=5872</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[In about 24 hours I&#8217;ll be heading out to Las Vegas for Cosmoprof North America. If you are a fellow beauty blogger, editor, PR/CMO or beauty brand, I hope you&#8217;ll stop by the panel I am speaking on regarding social marketing (my topic is social shopping) on August 2nd at 11:00am. Cosmoprof is exciting to [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="socialize-in-content" style="float:left;"><div class="socialize-in-button socialize-in-button-left"><a href="http://twitter.com/share" class="twitter-share-button" data-url="http://agirlsgottaspa.com/blog/2011/07/speaking-at-cosmoprof-north-america-2011/" data-text="Speaking at Cosmoprof North America 2011" data-count="vertical" data-via="agirlsgottaspa" data-related="agirlsgottaspa"><!--Tweetter--></a></div><div class="socialize-in-button socialize-in-button-left"><iframe src="http://www.facebook.com/plugins/like.php?href=http://agirlsgottaspa.com/blog/2011/07/speaking-at-cosmoprof-north-america-2011/&amp;layout=box_count&amp;show_faces=false&amp;width=50&amp;action=like&amp;font=arial&amp;colorscheme=light&amp;height=65" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" style="border:none; overflow:hidden; width:50px !important; height:65px;" allowTransparency="true"></iframe></div><div class="socialize-in-button socialize-in-button-left"><g:plusone size="standard" href="http://agirlsgottaspa.com/blog/2011/07/speaking-at-cosmoprof-north-america-2011/"></g:plusone></div><div class="socialize-in-button socialize-in-button-left"><script src="http://www.stumbleupon.com/hostedbadge.php?s=5&r=http://agirlsgottaspa.com/blog/2011/07/speaking-at-cosmoprof-north-america-2011/"></script></div></div><p><a href="http://agirlsgottaspa.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/20110729-shannon-nelson.png"><img class="alignleft size-full wp-image-5873" style="margin-left: 4px; margin-right: 4px;" title="shannon-nelson" src="http://agirlsgottaspa.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/20110729-shannon-nelson.png" alt="" width="140" height="163" /></a>In about 24 hours I&#8217;ll be heading out to Las Vegas for <a href="http://www.cosmoprofnorthamerica.com" target="_blank">Cosmoprof North America</a>. If you are a fellow beauty blogger, editor, PR/CMO or beauty brand, I hope you&#8217;ll stop by the panel I am speaking on regarding <a href="http://www.cosmoprofnorthamerica.com/visitors/Education.aspx" target="_blank">social marketing</a> (my topic is <strong>social shopping</strong>) on August 2nd at 11:00am. Cosmoprof is exciting to me because as a <a href="http://agirlsgottaspa.com/blog/about/" target="_blank">beauty blogger</a>, I will be standing in awe of 750 beauty brands. I&#8217;m pretty sure I will be like a kid in a candy store stopping by each booth to hear what&#8217;s new and upcoming from these brands, but also have the opportunity to meet the people behind them. As a <a href="http://agirlsgottaspa.com/blog/social-media-consulting/" target="_blank">social media consultant</a> with a focus on the beauty industry, it&#8217;s exciting to get to meet people face to face who are looking for help with their online efforts.</p>
<p>There are three people I am really looking forward to meeting while at Cosmoprof&#8211; <a href="http://www.deborahlippmann.com" target="_blank">Deborah Lippmann</a>, <a href="http://www.zoya.com" target="_blank"> Zoya Reyzis</a> and <a href="http://www.alchimie-forever.com/" target="_blank">Ada Polla</a>. It is so exciting for me to be able to meet three female entreprenuers. If you haven&#8217;t already posted on <a href="http://www.facebook.com/agirlsgottaspa" target="_blank">A Girl&#8217;s Gotta Spa! Facebook fan page</a> your questions for Deborah, Zoya or Ada, please be sure to do so and I will try my best to get them answered for you.</p>
<p>If you&#8217;ll be at Cosmoprof, please let me know. Otherwise be ready for a recap of the beauty products I discover while I am there!</p>
<div class="wp-about-author-containter-around" style="background-color:#fef5d7;"><div class="wp-about-author-pic"><img alt='' src='http://1.gravatar.com/avatar/32c608fdf71784ba1d9805d0eedb18b7?s=100&amp;d=http%3A%2F%2F1.gravatar.com%2Favatar%2Fad516503a11cd5ca435acc9bb6523536%3Fs%3D100&amp;r=G' class='avatar avatar-100 photo' height='100' width='100' /></div><div class="wp-about-author-text"><h3><a href='http://agirlsgottaspa.com/blog/author/admin/' title='Shannon Nelson'>Shannon Nelson</a></h3><p>Shannon Nelson launched A Girl's Gotta Spa! in 2005. She currently works with beauty brands as a social media consultant, freelance writes for magazines and is a public speaker at beauty industry conferences.</p><p><a href='http://agirlsgottaspa.com' title='Shannon Nelson'>Website</a> - <a href='http://www.twitter.com/agirlsgottaspa' title='Shannon Nelsonon Twitter'>Twitter</a> - <a href='http://www.facebook.com/agirlsgottaspa' title='Shannon Nelson on Facebook'>Facebook</a> - <a href='http://agirlsgottaspa.com/blog/author/admin/' title='More posts by Shannon Nelson'>More Posts</a> </p></div></div>]]></content:encoded>
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		<slash:comments>4</slash:comments>
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		<title>What is your Power Color? Revlon + A Girl&#8217;s Gotta Spa!</title>
		<link>http://agirlsgottaspa.com/blog/2011/04/what-is-your-power-color-revlon-a-girls-gotta-spa/</link>
		<comments>http://agirlsgottaspa.com/blog/2011/04/what-is-your-power-color-revlon-a-girls-gotta-spa/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 14 Apr 2011 13:00:44 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Shannon Nelson</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Makeup]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[mascara]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[a girl's gotta spa]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[beauty]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[beauty blogger]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://agirlsgottaspa.com/blog/?p=5201</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[This past February I attended Lucky Magazine&#8216;s FABB conference where Revlon was there in full force with makeup artists on hand to touch up our makeup before a photo shoot and on camera interview to discuss our power color. (Did I mention I met Joan Rivers?) If you saw my recent Travel Beauty post, it [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="socialize-in-content" style="float:left;"><div class="socialize-in-button socialize-in-button-left"><a href="http://twitter.com/share" class="twitter-share-button" data-url="http://agirlsgottaspa.com/blog/2011/04/what-is-your-power-color-revlon-a-girls-gotta-spa/" data-text="What is your Power Color? Revlon + A Girl&#8217;s Gotta Spa!" data-count="vertical" data-via="agirlsgottaspa" data-related="agirlsgottaspa"><!--Tweetter--></a></div><div class="socialize-in-button socialize-in-button-left"><iframe src="http://www.facebook.com/plugins/like.php?href=http://agirlsgottaspa.com/blog/2011/04/what-is-your-power-color-revlon-a-girls-gotta-spa/&amp;layout=box_count&amp;show_faces=false&amp;width=50&amp;action=like&amp;font=arial&amp;colorscheme=light&amp;height=65" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" style="border:none; overflow:hidden; width:50px !important; height:65px;" allowTransparency="true"></iframe></div><div class="socialize-in-button socialize-in-button-left"><g:plusone size="standard" href="http://agirlsgottaspa.com/blog/2011/04/what-is-your-power-color-revlon-a-girls-gotta-spa/"></g:plusone></div><div class="socialize-in-button socialize-in-button-left"><script src="http://www.stumbleupon.com/hostedbadge.php?s=5&r=http://agirlsgottaspa.com/blog/2011/04/what-is-your-power-color-revlon-a-girls-gotta-spa/"></script></div></div><p><a href="http://agirlsgottaspa.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/20110414-shannon-lucky-magazine.jpg"><img class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-5202" style="margin-left: 4px; margin-right: 4px;" title="Shannon-Lucky Magazine" src="http://agirlsgottaspa.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/20110414-shannon-lucky-magazine-225x300.jpg" alt="" width="225" height="300" /></a>This past February I attended <a href="http://www.luckymag.com">Lucky Magazine</a>&#8216;s FABB conference where Revlon was there in full force with makeup artists on hand to touch up our makeup before a photo shoot and on camera interview to discuss our power color. (<em>Did I mention I met Joan Rivers?</em>) If you saw my recent <a href="http://agirlsgottaspa.com/blog/2011/04/travel-beauty-spruce-creek-pa/" target="_blank">Travel Beauty</a> post, it had a few of the Revlon items I picked up and fell in love with while at the conference.</p>
<p>I&#8217;m only in the video for 5 seconds, but I essentially said my power color is black. To me black is <em>bold, sexy, powerful, strong, slimming</em> and <em>alluring</em>. The product I grab in this power color is mascara. <em>Always</em>. Mascara makes your eyes stand out and draws attention to them. Your eyes speak volumes&#8211;joy, sadness, flirtiness&#8230;</p>
<p><em>What&#8217;s your power color and which product do you reach for in it?</em></p>
<p><iframe title="YouTube video player" width="560" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/DGY0D5RbIPg?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></p>
<p>Here&#8217;s Joan Rivers and I!<br />
<a href="http://agirlsgottaspa.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/20110414-shannon-nelson-joan-rivers.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-5204" title="Shannon Nelson-Joan Rivers" src="http://agirlsgottaspa.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/20110414-shannon-nelson-joan-rivers.jpg" alt="" width="454" height="331" /></a></p>
<div class="wp-about-author-containter-around" style="background-color:#fef5d7;"><div class="wp-about-author-pic"><img alt='' src='http://1.gravatar.com/avatar/32c608fdf71784ba1d9805d0eedb18b7?s=100&amp;d=http%3A%2F%2F1.gravatar.com%2Favatar%2Fad516503a11cd5ca435acc9bb6523536%3Fs%3D100&amp;r=G' class='avatar avatar-100 photo' height='100' width='100' /></div><div class="wp-about-author-text"><h3><a href='http://agirlsgottaspa.com/blog/author/admin/' title='Shannon Nelson'>Shannon Nelson</a></h3><p>Shannon Nelson launched A Girl's Gotta Spa! in 2005. She currently works with beauty brands as a social media consultant, freelance writes for magazines and is a public speaker at beauty industry conferences.</p><p><a href='http://agirlsgottaspa.com' title='Shannon Nelson'>Website</a> - <a href='http://www.twitter.com/agirlsgottaspa' title='Shannon Nelsonon Twitter'>Twitter</a> - <a href='http://www.facebook.com/agirlsgottaspa' title='Shannon Nelson on Facebook'>Facebook</a> - <a href='http://agirlsgottaspa.com/blog/author/admin/' title='More posts by Shannon Nelson'>More Posts</a> </p></div></div>]]></content:encoded>
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		<title>A Girl&#8217;s Gotta Spa! Welcomes Gail Lewis to the Team!</title>
		<link>http://agirlsgottaspa.com/blog/2010/12/a-girls-gotta-spa-welcomes-gail-lewis-to-the-team/</link>
		<comments>http://agirlsgottaspa.com/blog/2010/12/a-girls-gotta-spa-welcomes-gail-lewis-to-the-team/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 22 Dec 2010 18:23:35 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Shannon Nelson</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[beauty]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[a girl's gotta spa]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[beauty blogger]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://agirlsgottaspa.com/blog/?p=4192</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[We have a new blogger here at A Girl&#8217;s Gotta Spa! (sm). Please help me in welcoming Gail Lewis, who&#8217;ll be jumping right in posting reviews here. Here&#8217;s a little more about her, in her own words&#8230; Born in Guyana, South America, my family relocated to Minneapolis, MN (in the dead of winter) in my [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="socialize-in-content" style="float:left;"><div class="socialize-in-button socialize-in-button-left"><a href="http://twitter.com/share" class="twitter-share-button" data-url="http://agirlsgottaspa.com/blog/2010/12/a-girls-gotta-spa-welcomes-gail-lewis-to-the-team/" data-text="A Girl&#8217;s Gotta Spa! Welcomes Gail Lewis to the Team!" data-count="vertical" data-via="agirlsgottaspa" data-related="agirlsgottaspa"><!--Tweetter--></a></div><div class="socialize-in-button socialize-in-button-left"><iframe src="http://www.facebook.com/plugins/like.php?href=http://agirlsgottaspa.com/blog/2010/12/a-girls-gotta-spa-welcomes-gail-lewis-to-the-team/&amp;layout=box_count&amp;show_faces=false&amp;width=50&amp;action=like&amp;font=arial&amp;colorscheme=light&amp;height=65" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" style="border:none; overflow:hidden; width:50px !important; height:65px;" allowTransparency="true"></iframe></div><div class="socialize-in-button socialize-in-button-left"><g:plusone size="standard" href="http://agirlsgottaspa.com/blog/2010/12/a-girls-gotta-spa-welcomes-gail-lewis-to-the-team/"></g:plusone></div><div class="socialize-in-button socialize-in-button-left"><script src="http://www.stumbleupon.com/hostedbadge.php?s=5&r=http://agirlsgottaspa.com/blog/2010/12/a-girls-gotta-spa-welcomes-gail-lewis-to-the-team/"></script></div></div><p>We have a new blogger here at <a href="http://www.agirlsgottaspa.com" target="_blank">A Girl&#8217;s Gotta Spa!</a> (sm). Please help me in welcoming Gail Lewis, who&#8217;ll be jumping right in posting reviews here. Here&#8217;s a little more about her, in her own words&#8230;</p>
<p><a href="http://agirlsgottaspa.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/20101222-gail-lewis.jpg"><img class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-4194" style="margin-left: 4px; margin-right: 4px;" title="Gail Lewis" src="http://agirlsgottaspa.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/20101222-gail-lewis-215x300.jpg" alt="" width="177" height="246" /></a>Born in Guyana, South America, my family relocated to Minneapolis, MN (in the dead of winter) in my teens&#8230;at which point I was assaulted with my first beauty challenge: dry skin, dry scalp, hair that would give out mini volts of electricity, and the list goes on.  Like it or not I was forced to start my research into haircare and skincare appropriate for my &#8220;new climate&#8221; as well as current make-up trends (hoping that if I wore the right make-up, fitting in on a completely different continent would be a breeze.) **Side note, I also just relocated to Florida so have been researching beauty products suitable for my new climate again&#8230;so far so good.  <span id="more-4192"></span></p>
<p>I come from a multicultural background which has posed a few beauty challenges for me throughout the years, and still does. For instance, finding foundations and concealors that match my skin tone (this normally requires blending different shades, so I&#8217;m still on the hunt for the one perfect shade), keeping my naturally curly hair hydrated enough so it does not resemble a jerry curl minus the juice  &#8230;and finding that ever elusive ginormous round brush so I don&#8217;t have to devote an hour in my pursuit of straight shiny hair (or plead with my hairstylist boyfriend to assist.)</p>
<p>Besides studying International Relations at the University of Minnesota  (which allowed me to live in Spain for a semester and along with my eye shadow addicted roomate, visit as many spas, salons and make-up counters in Madrid as we possibly could&#8230;while of course diligently focusing on our studies,) I&#8217;ve also modeled for the past 15 years in Minneapolis for locally based companies such as Aveda, Target, ShopNBC etc. Nothing like having make-up and skincare applied, removed and applied again for twelve hours straight while smiling to cover up your fear of just how raw your skin will look at the end of said twelve hours! This is where befriending and stealing, by which I mean &#8220;borrowing&#8221; tips and tricks from make-up artists pays off in a major way.</p>
<p>I am obsessed with skin that requires little to no make-up (not because I have an aversion to make-up, but simply because if I cannot dip my fingers in it and apply, I become faced with a challenge tanamount to achieving a flawless &#8220;no make-up look&#8221; with GASP!&#8230;no make-up) and as a result am constantly on the hunt for the next &#8220;miracle&#8221; product that will give me flawless, blemish free, even toned skin. Just a swipe of tinted lip balm and I&#8217;m good to go&#8230;sigh. But until that day arrives I plan to have an absolute blast trying any and everything that promises me a better any or everything!</p>
<div class="wp-about-author-containter-around" style="background-color:#fef5d7;"><div class="wp-about-author-pic"><img alt='' src='http://1.gravatar.com/avatar/32c608fdf71784ba1d9805d0eedb18b7?s=100&amp;d=http%3A%2F%2F1.gravatar.com%2Favatar%2Fad516503a11cd5ca435acc9bb6523536%3Fs%3D100&amp;r=G' class='avatar avatar-100 photo' height='100' width='100' /></div><div class="wp-about-author-text"><h3><a href='http://agirlsgottaspa.com/blog/author/admin/' title='Shannon Nelson'>Shannon Nelson</a></h3><p>Shannon Nelson launched A Girl's Gotta Spa! in 2005. She currently works with beauty brands as a social media consultant, freelance writes for magazines and is a public speaker at beauty industry conferences.</p><p><a href='http://agirlsgottaspa.com' title='Shannon Nelson'>Website</a> - <a href='http://www.twitter.com/agirlsgottaspa' title='Shannon Nelsonon Twitter'>Twitter</a> - <a href='http://www.facebook.com/agirlsgottaspa' title='Shannon Nelson on Facebook'>Facebook</a> - <a href='http://agirlsgottaspa.com/blog/author/admin/' title='More posts by Shannon Nelson'>More Posts</a> </p></div></div>]]></content:encoded>
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		<title>Beauty Blogger&#8217;s Charity Auction to Benefit Doctors Without Borders</title>
		<link>http://agirlsgottaspa.com/blog/2010/11/beauty-bloggers-charity-auction-to-benefit-doctors-without-borders/</link>
		<comments>http://agirlsgottaspa.com/blog/2010/11/beauty-bloggers-charity-auction-to-benefit-doctors-without-borders/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 01 Dec 2010 03:19:43 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Shannon Nelson</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[beauty]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[holiday]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Makeup]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Philanthropy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[a girl's gotta spa]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[beauty blogger]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Charity]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Cosmetics]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://agirlsgottaspa.com/blog/?p=4095</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Last week I donated a bunch of unused beauty products to my local domestic violence shelter, VIP. This month I also teamed up with 40+ bloggers and beauty brands for a charity auction to benefit Doctors Without Borders. My auction includes some items from Estee Lauder&#8217;s Extravagant Holiday collection. And I am pretty excited that [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="socialize-in-content" style="float:left;"><div class="socialize-in-button socialize-in-button-left"><a href="http://twitter.com/share" class="twitter-share-button" data-url="http://agirlsgottaspa.com/blog/2010/11/beauty-bloggers-charity-auction-to-benefit-doctors-without-borders/" data-text="Beauty Blogger&#8217;s Charity Auction to Benefit Doctors Without Borders" data-count="vertical" data-via="agirlsgottaspa" data-related="agirlsgottaspa"><!--Tweetter--></a></div><div class="socialize-in-button socialize-in-button-left"><iframe src="http://www.facebook.com/plugins/like.php?href=http://agirlsgottaspa.com/blog/2010/11/beauty-bloggers-charity-auction-to-benefit-doctors-without-borders/&amp;layout=box_count&amp;show_faces=false&amp;width=50&amp;action=like&amp;font=arial&amp;colorscheme=light&amp;height=65" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" style="border:none; overflow:hidden; width:50px !important; height:65px;" allowTransparency="true"></iframe></div><div class="socialize-in-button socialize-in-button-left"><g:plusone size="standard" href="http://agirlsgottaspa.com/blog/2010/11/beauty-bloggers-charity-auction-to-benefit-doctors-without-borders/"></g:plusone></div><div class="socialize-in-button socialize-in-button-left"><script src="http://www.stumbleupon.com/hostedbadge.php?s=5&r=http://agirlsgottaspa.com/blog/2010/11/beauty-bloggers-charity-auction-to-benefit-doctors-without-borders/"></script></div></div><p><a href="http://www.beautybloggers.org/?p=107" target="_blank"><img class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-4097" style="margin-left: 4px; margin-right: 4px;" title="BeautyBloggers.org" src="http://agirlsgottaspa.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/20101130-101-0779-300x247.jpg" alt="BeautyBloggers.org" width="219" height="180" /></a>Last week I donated a bunch of unused beauty products to my local <a href="http://agirlsgottaspa.com/blog/2010/11/project-beauty-bloggers-for-good-a-domestic-violence-donation/" target="_blank">domestic violence shelter</a>, VIP. This month I also teamed up with 40+ bloggers and beauty brands for a charity auction to benefit Doctors Without Borders. My auction includes some items from <a href="http://www.beautybloggers.org/?p=107" target="_blank">Estee Lauder&#8217;s Extravagant Holiday collection</a>. And I am pretty excited that it is already getting bids!</p>
<p>When <a href="http://www.karlasugar.com" target="_blank">Karla Sugar</a> asked me to get involved, I decided that this was a great cause marketing campaign because 100% of the profit from each winning auction goes to charity. That means all products were donated and all of the beauty bloggers involved have agreed to pay for shipping the items.</p>
<div>Here&#8217;s what you need to know:  <span id="more-4095"></span></div>
<ul>
<li> The auction can be found at <a href="http://www.beautybloggers.org" target="_blank">BeautyBloggers.org</a></li>
<li>The auction is live now and will close on Monday, December 20 at 5 pm CST</li>
<li>You need to register before you can bid. This is simply to  try to discourage &#8220;spam&#8221; bids. Usernames will be public (because the  auction shows the username of the current highest bidder), but first  name, last name, and email address will be private.  They will only be  used to contact the winning bidders.</li>
<li>Yes, international bidders are welcome, too!</li>
</ul>
<div>When the auction ends, Karla will contact the winning bidders, and they will be asked to make a donation (i.e. pay for their winning products) through this secure site: <a href="http://www.firstgiving.com/beautybloggers" target="_blank">www.firstgiving.com/beautybloggers</a></div>
<p>Here is the complete list of all of the beauty bloggers and brands involved:</p>
<p><a href="http://www.afrobella.com/" target="_blank">Afrobella</a>, <a href="http://www.agirlsgottaspa.com/blog" target="_blank">A Girl&#8217;s Gotta Spa!</a>, <a href="http://AlyWalansky.com" target="_blank">AlyWalansky.com</a>, <a href="http://www.giorgioarmanibeauty-usa.com/_us/_en/home/index.aspx" target="_blank">Armani Beauty</a>, <a href="http://bayareastylefile.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Bay Area Style File</a>, <a href="http://beaute-cosmetics.com" target="_blank">Beauté Cosmetics</a>, <a href="http://thebeautyalchemist.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Beauty Alchemist</a>, <a href="http://beautyinfozone.com/" target="_blank">Beauty Info Zone</a>, <a href="http://www.thebeautylookbook.com/" target="_blank">The Beauty Look Book</a>, <a href="http://www.bobbibrowncosmetics.com/" target="_blank">Bobbi Brown</a>, <a href="http://cafemakeup.com/" target="_blank">Cafe Makeup</a>, <a href="http://www.cargocosmetics.com/" target="_blank">Cargo</a>, <a href="http://chinaglaze.com/" target="_blank">China Glaze</a>, <a href="http://www.enkoremakeuponline.com/Home.html" target="_blank">EnKore</a>, <a href="http://www.esteelauder.com/" target="_blank">Estee Lauder</a>, <a href="http://www.fashionstylebeauty.com/" target="_blank">Fashion. Style. Beauty.</a>, <a href="http://for-the-love-of-beauty.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">For the Love of Beauty</a>, <a href="http://www.frmheadtotoe.com/" target="_blank">From Head to Toe</a>, <a href="http://www.givenchybeauty.com/" target="_blank">Givenchy</a>, <a href="http://www.glossmenagerie.com/blog/" target="_blank">Gloss Menagerie</a>, <a href="http://gouldyloxreviews.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Gouldylox Reviews</a>, <a href="http://www.stylelist.com/all-posts/bloggers/grace-gold/" target="_blank">Grace Gold for AOL StyleList</a>, <a href="http://www.illamasqua.com/" target="_blank">Illamasqua</a>, <a href="http://jeweledthumb.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">JeweledThumb</a>, <a href="http://karlasugar.net/" target="_blank">KarlaSugar</a>, <a href="http://www.kraseybeauty.com/" target="_blank">KraseyBeauty</a>, <a href="http://www.lancome-usa.com/" target="_blank">Lancome</a>, <a href="http://leonorgreyl-usa.com/" target="_blank">Leonor Greyl</a>, <a href="http://themakeupgirl.net" target="_blank">The Makeup Girl</a>, <a href="http://www.misswhoeveryouare.com/" target="_blank">Miss Whoever You Are</a>, <a href="http://www.musingsofamuse.com/" target="_blank">Musings of a Muse</a>, <a href="http://mylipsbutbetter.com/" target="_blank">My Lips But Better</a>, <a href="http://nadinejolie.com/blog/" target="_blank">Nadine Jolie</a>, <a href="http://thenonblonde.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">The Non-Blonde</a>, <a href="http://www.oldergirlbeauty.com/" target="_blank">Older Girl Beauty</a>, <a href="http://www.opi.com/" target="_blank">OPI</a>, <a href="http://outinapout.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Out in a Pout</a>, <a href="http://www.pinksith.com/" target="_blank">Pink Sith</a>, <a href="http://www.primebeautyblog.net/" target="_blank">Prime Beauty</a>, <a href="http://www.product-girl.com" target="_blank">Product Girl</a>, <a href="http://www.pursebuzz.com/" target="_blank">Pursebuzz</a>, <a href="http://www.reneerouleau.com/" target="_blank">Renee Rouleau</a>, <a href="http://www.retrodivasbeauty.com/" target="_blank">Retrodiva&#8217;s Beauty</a>, <a href="http://sasquatchswatch.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Sasquatch Swatch</a>, <a href="http://sickathanaverage.com/" target="_blank">Sicka Than Average</a>, <a href="http://spoiledpretty.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Spoiled Pretty</a>, <a href="http://www.talika.com/" target="_blank">Talika</a>, <a href="http://threecustom.com/" target="_blank">Three Custom Color Specialists</a>, and <a href="http://www.votrevu.com/corporate/public?page=/jsp/home.jsp" target="_blank">Votre Vu</a></p>
<p>Happy bidding! xx</p>
<div class="wp-about-author-containter-around" style="background-color:#fef5d7;"><div class="wp-about-author-pic"><img alt='' src='http://1.gravatar.com/avatar/32c608fdf71784ba1d9805d0eedb18b7?s=100&amp;d=http%3A%2F%2F1.gravatar.com%2Favatar%2Fad516503a11cd5ca435acc9bb6523536%3Fs%3D100&amp;r=G' class='avatar avatar-100 photo' height='100' width='100' /></div><div class="wp-about-author-text"><h3><a href='http://agirlsgottaspa.com/blog/author/admin1/' title='Shannon Nelson'>Shannon Nelson</a></h3><p></p><p><a href='http://www.agirlsgottaspa.com' title='Shannon Nelson'>Website</a> - <a href='http://agirlsgottaspa.com/blog/author/admin1/' title='More posts by Shannon Nelson'>More Posts</a> </p></div></div>]]></content:encoded>
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		<title>Project: Beauty (Bloggers) for Good; A Domestic Violence Donation</title>
		<link>http://agirlsgottaspa.com/blog/2010/11/project-beauty-bloggers-for-good-a-domestic-violence-donation/</link>
		<comments>http://agirlsgottaspa.com/blog/2010/11/project-beauty-bloggers-for-good-a-domestic-violence-donation/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 25 Nov 2010 13:00:58 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Shannon Nelson</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[beauty]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Philanthropy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[beauty blogger]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://agirlsgottaspa.com/blog/?p=4069</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[For a while now beauty products have been piling up in my office, in my bathroom and in my garage. You see, when beauty companies and PR firms send me products to try out for a review, they often send multiple products. So maybe an entire hair care collection&#8230;but I only end up using the [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="socialize-in-content" style="float:left;"><div class="socialize-in-button socialize-in-button-left"><a href="http://twitter.com/share" class="twitter-share-button" data-url="http://agirlsgottaspa.com/blog/2010/11/project-beauty-bloggers-for-good-a-domestic-violence-donation/" data-text="Project: Beauty (Bloggers) for Good; A Domestic Violence Donation" data-count="vertical" data-via="agirlsgottaspa" data-related="agirlsgottaspa"><!--Tweetter--></a></div><div class="socialize-in-button socialize-in-button-left"><iframe src="http://www.facebook.com/plugins/like.php?href=http://agirlsgottaspa.com/blog/2010/11/project-beauty-bloggers-for-good-a-domestic-violence-donation/&amp;layout=box_count&amp;show_faces=false&amp;width=50&amp;action=like&amp;font=arial&amp;colorscheme=light&amp;height=65" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" style="border:none; overflow:hidden; width:50px !important; height:65px;" allowTransparency="true"></iframe></div><div class="socialize-in-button socialize-in-button-left"><g:plusone size="standard" href="http://agirlsgottaspa.com/blog/2010/11/project-beauty-bloggers-for-good-a-domestic-violence-donation/"></g:plusone></div><div class="socialize-in-button socialize-in-button-left"><script src="http://www.stumbleupon.com/hostedbadge.php?s=5&r=http://agirlsgottaspa.com/blog/2010/11/project-beauty-bloggers-for-good-a-domestic-violence-donation/"></script></div></div><p><a href="http://agirlsgottaspa.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/20101123-101-0734.jpg"><img class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-4072" style="margin-left: 4px; margin-right: 4px;" title="Beauty Bloggers for Good" src="http://agirlsgottaspa.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/20101123-101-0734-300x221.jpg" alt="Beauty Bloggers for Good" width="258" height="190" /></a>For a while now beauty products have been piling up in my office, in my bathroom and in my garage. You see, when beauty companies and PR firms send me products to try out for a review, they often send multiple products. So maybe an entire hair care collection&#8230;but I only end up using the shampoo and conditioner, or 6 eye shadows&#8230;but I only really need to try out one to know if it&#8217;ll crease or how it looks. All of the extras find a way into a box and then my family likes to &#8220;shop&#8221; my office.</p>
<p>This year after reading Renee Rouleau&#8217;s post <a href="http://blog.reneerouleau.com/2010/10/beauty-is-truly-more-than-skin-deep/" target="_blank">Beauty is Truly More Than Skin Deep</a> about domestic violence and her ongoing initiative to donate unused or gently used beauty products to local shelters, I decided that I wanted to put those boxes of unused products to good use.  So I rounded up some of my beauty blogger friends who also committed to donating their unused products as well.</p>
<p>So this past week, my three oldest sons ages 11, 8 and 6, and I gathered 2 boxes packed full of beauty products and a bag with several pairs of unworn women&#8217;s shoes and brought them to a place here in Northeast PA called VIP (<a href="http://vipempowers.org/" target="_blank">Victim&#8217;s Intervention Program</a>.) VIP gives women and children of domestic violence and sexual assault free counseling, support groups, food pantry and emergency shelter. I asked my sons to carry in the boxes and explained to them why we were donating them. And it made an impact&#8230;<span id="more-4069"></span></p>
<p>My way of giving thanks this year was to be grateful for what I have and to give the extras to women in need. If you have unused beauty products or hotel minis, I encourage you to do the same.</p>
<p><a href="http://agirlsgottaspa.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/20101123-101-0735.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-4073" title="Donated beauty products" src="http://agirlsgottaspa.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/20101123-101-0735.jpg" alt="Donated beauty products" width="448" height="248" /></a></p>
<p>Here&#8217;s a list of the other beauty bloggers participating in this project:</p>
<p><a href="http://www.afrobella.com/" target="_blank">Afrobella</a><br />
<a href="http://AlyWalansky.com" target="_blank">AlyWalansky.com</a><br />
<a href="http://www.beautifulmakeupsearch.com/" target="_blank">Beautiful Makeup Search</a><br />
<a href="http://www.beautybloggingjunkie.com/" target="_blank">Beauty Blogging Junkie</a><br />
<a href="http://beautyjunkiesunite.com" target="_blank">Beauty Junkies Unite</a><br />
<a href="http://www.beautystat.com " target="_blank">BeautyStat</a><br />
<a href="http://www.mischobeauty.com/" target="_blank">Mischo Beauty</a><br />
<a href="http://www.product-girl.com" target="_blank">Product Girl</a><br />
<a href="http://www.retrodivasbeauty.com" target="_blank">Retrodiva&#8217;s Beauty</a><br />
<a href="http://themakeupgirl.net" target="_blank">TheMakeupGirl</a><br />
<a href="http://www.productpasha.com" target="_blank">The Product Pasha</a><br />
<a href="http://thisthatbeauty.com" target="_blank">ThisThatBeauty</a></p>
<p><em>Happy Thanksgiving!</em> xx</p>
<div class="wp-about-author-containter-around" style="background-color:#fef5d7;"><div class="wp-about-author-pic"><img alt='' src='http://1.gravatar.com/avatar/32c608fdf71784ba1d9805d0eedb18b7?s=100&amp;d=http%3A%2F%2F1.gravatar.com%2Favatar%2Fad516503a11cd5ca435acc9bb6523536%3Fs%3D100&amp;r=G' class='avatar avatar-100 photo' height='100' width='100' /></div><div class="wp-about-author-text"><h3><a href='http://agirlsgottaspa.com/blog/author/admin1/' title='Shannon Nelson'>Shannon Nelson</a></h3><p></p><p><a href='http://www.agirlsgottaspa.com' title='Shannon Nelson'>Website</a> - <a href='http://agirlsgottaspa.com/blog/author/admin1/' title='More posts by Shannon Nelson'>More Posts</a> </p></div></div>]]></content:encoded>
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		<title>A Girl&#8217;s Gotta Spa! HBA Expo Beauty Blogging Panel Recap</title>
		<link>http://agirlsgottaspa.com/blog/2010/10/a-girls-gotta-spa-hba-expo-beauty-blogging-panel-recap/</link>
		<comments>http://agirlsgottaspa.com/blog/2010/10/a-girls-gotta-spa-hba-expo-beauty-blogging-panel-recap/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 08 Oct 2010 16:59:38 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Shannon Nelson</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[beauty]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[beauty interview]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[a girl's gotta spa]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[beauty blogger]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://agirlsgottaspa.com/blog/?p=3987</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[(Left to right: Mary Palmieri (HBA Honest Beauty blog), Shannon Nelson (A Girl&#8217;s Gotta Spa!), Nadine Jolie (NadineJolie.com) and Lianne Farbes (TheMakeupGirl) Do you know what I love just as much as beauty blogging? Speaking to beauty brands and marketers about beauty blogging.  And I did just that alongside fellow beauty bloggers Nadine Jolie and [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="socialize-in-content" style="float:left;"><div class="socialize-in-button socialize-in-button-left"><a href="http://twitter.com/share" class="twitter-share-button" data-url="http://agirlsgottaspa.com/blog/2010/10/a-girls-gotta-spa-hba-expo-beauty-blogging-panel-recap/" data-text="A Girl&#8217;s Gotta Spa! HBA Expo Beauty Blogging Panel Recap" data-count="vertical" data-via="agirlsgottaspa" data-related="agirlsgottaspa"><!--Tweetter--></a></div><div class="socialize-in-button socialize-in-button-left"><iframe src="http://www.facebook.com/plugins/like.php?href=http://agirlsgottaspa.com/blog/2010/10/a-girls-gotta-spa-hba-expo-beauty-blogging-panel-recap/&amp;layout=box_count&amp;show_faces=false&amp;width=50&amp;action=like&amp;font=arial&amp;colorscheme=light&amp;height=65" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" style="border:none; overflow:hidden; width:50px !important; height:65px;" allowTransparency="true"></iframe></div><div class="socialize-in-button socialize-in-button-left"><g:plusone size="standard" href="http://agirlsgottaspa.com/blog/2010/10/a-girls-gotta-spa-hba-expo-beauty-blogging-panel-recap/"></g:plusone></div><div class="socialize-in-button socialize-in-button-left"><script src="http://www.stumbleupon.com/hostedbadge.php?s=5&r=http://agirlsgottaspa.com/blog/2010/10/a-girls-gotta-spa-hba-expo-beauty-blogging-panel-recap/"></script></div></div><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://agirlsgottaspa.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/20101008-mdr-1690.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-3988" title="Beauty-Bloggers-HBA-Expo" src="http://agirlsgottaspa.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/20101008-mdr-1690.jpg" alt="Beauty-Bloggers-HBA-Expo" width="449" height="298" /></a><em>(Left to right: Mary Palmieri (HBA Honest Beauty blog), <a href="http://agirlsgottaspa.com/aboutshannonnelson/" target="_blank">Shannon Nelson</a> (<a href="http://www.agirlsgottaspa.com" target="_blank">A Girl&#8217;s Gotta Spa!</a>), Nadine Jolie (NadineJolie.com) and Lianne Farbes (TheMakeupGirl)</em></p>
<p>Do you know what I love just as much as <strong>beauty blogging</strong>? Speaking to beauty brands and marketers about beauty blogging.  And I did just that alongside fellow beauty bloggers <a href="http://www.nadinejolie.com" target="_blank">Nadine Jolie</a> and <a href="http://themakeupgirl.net" target="_blank">Lianne Farbes</a> moderated by Mary Palmieri of <a href="http://www.hbaexpo.com/blog" target="_blank">Honest Beauty</a> last week at the <a href="http://www.hbaexpo.com/" target="_blank">HBA Global Expo</a>. It was a great Q &amp; A panel about 90 minutes long where we spoke about our relationship with you, our readers; how we decide what to write about, how to send us information to consider, as well as starting a blog from scratch.</p>
<p>Below are some pictures&#8230;I even included some I thought I was making funny faces in. And as for the above picture, yes I am aware of how very short I am. :/  <span id="more-3987"></span></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://agirlsgottaspa.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/20101008-mdr-1661.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-3989" style="margin-top: 3px; margin-bottom: 3px;" title="Shannon Nelson-HBA Expo" src="http://agirlsgottaspa.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/20101008-mdr-1661.jpg" alt="Shannon Nelson-HBA Expo" width="451" height="299" /></a><em><br />
At this point in the panel a photographer was walking up the aisle. I literally stopped what I was talking about and said, &#8220;Oh wait, he wants to take my picture,&#8221; and proceeded to smile. Lianne got a kick out of that. Additionally, when CEO, <a href="http://www.beautystat.com/site/about/" target="_blank">Ron Robinson</a> from <a href="http://www.beautystat.com" target="_blank">BeautyStat</a> entered the room, I also interrupted myself by saying, &#8220;Oh hey Ron!&#8221; causing the whole room to turn around and look at him. That&#8217;s just how I roll. ha.</em></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://agirlsgottaspa.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/20101008-mdr-1662.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-3990" style="margin-top: 3px; margin-bottom: 3px;" title="A Girl's Gotta Spa!-HBA Expo" src="http://agirlsgottaspa.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/20101008-mdr-1662.jpg" alt="A Girl's Gotta Spa!-HBA Expo" width="451" height="299" /></a><em><br />
I love this picture because it captures me really getting into what I am talking about. I am so passionate about beauty blogging and social media. I feel blessed to be in the position to educate beauty brands on the topic.</em></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://agirlsgottaspa.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/20101008-mdr-1663.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-3991" style="margin-top: 3px; margin-bottom: 3px;" title="Shannon_HBA Expo" src="http://agirlsgottaspa.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/20101008-mdr-1663.jpg" alt="Shannon_HBA Expo" width="451" height="299" /></a><em><br />
I laugh when I look at this picture. I don&#8217;t recall what was being said, but obviously Lianne and I were like, &#8220;Umm, no.&#8221;</em></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://agirlsgottaspa.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/20101008-mdr-1697.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-3992" style="margin-top: 3px; margin-bottom: 3px;" title="HBA Social Media Lounge" src="http://agirlsgottaspa.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/20101008-mdr-1697.jpg" alt="HBA Social Media Lounge" width="451" height="299" /></a><em><br />
Taking questions in the social media lounge. At my table were ladies from <a href="http://www.merlenorman.com" target="_blank">Merle Norman</a> and <a href="http://www.myskin.com" target="_blank">mySkin</a>.</em></p>
<p style="text-align: left;">If you read <strong>A Girl&#8217;s Gotta Spa!</strong> and happened to be in the audience of the panel, please leave a comment and say hello!</p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><em>What&#8217;s next for me?</em> Speaking at <a href="http://www.cosmoprofnorthamerica.com/" target="_blank">Cosmoprof North America</a> in 2011. (Go me!)</p>
<div class="wp-about-author-containter-around" style="background-color:#fef5d7;"><div class="wp-about-author-pic"><img alt='' src='http://1.gravatar.com/avatar/32c608fdf71784ba1d9805d0eedb18b7?s=100&amp;d=http%3A%2F%2F1.gravatar.com%2Favatar%2Fad516503a11cd5ca435acc9bb6523536%3Fs%3D100&amp;r=G' class='avatar avatar-100 photo' height='100' width='100' /></div><div class="wp-about-author-text"><h3><a href='http://agirlsgottaspa.com/blog/author/admin1/' title='Shannon Nelson'>Shannon Nelson</a></h3><p></p><p><a href='http://www.agirlsgottaspa.com' title='Shannon Nelson'>Website</a> - <a href='http://agirlsgottaspa.com/blog/author/admin1/' title='More posts by Shannon Nelson'>More Posts</a> </p></div></div>]]></content:encoded>
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