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Wednesday, October 7, 2015

#BEAUTY WITH GUEST AUTHOR STEPHANIE QUEEN

USA Today bestselling author Stephanie Queen lives in New Hampshire with the trees, rocks, her cat Kitty, and some brave squirrels. Somehow she finds inspiration to write stories filled with romance, intrigue and a dose of humor. Learn more about Stephanie and her books at her website. 

Beauty Tips by Stephanie Queen (not a beauty queen!)

I may not be a beauty queen—and I’m definitely not like the gorgeous heroine in my latest novel, Shana George, who like most romance heroines, may as well be a beauty queen. But I’m just like the next girl in real life, and we all want to look our best—especially when we’re out somewhere special or in front of scads of people. On occasion, we all want to go out and stun the world—or at least a few people in our immediate vicinity who may have forgotten their eyeglasses at home. Kidding. We all have it in us!

Here are 5 Tips to Maximize the Bloom—even for those of us (theoretically) past our bloom:

1. Get a GOOD night’s SLEEP – 7-9 hours. No more and no less. And it’s okay if you wake up in the middle of it—just roll over and go back to sleep until you put in your time. Poor Shana George never gets to sleep in Beachcomber Baby!

2. Get a GOOD face powder to layer over the moisturizer and the foundation – but very lightly. I use Lancome. It’s pricey, but noticeably better than the drug store brands. I don’t think Shana has applied makeup once in the entire Beachcomber Investigations series. Luckily she works in the dark a lot!

3. Pay MOST attention to your EYES when deciding on makeup! Light them up! Experiment until they look glamorous and gorgeous and like you, only brighter! I use eyeliner and highlight the brow bone with a lighter shadow or even a concealer to give extra depth and pop. Shana has fabulous green eyes but she scowls a lot—mostly at her lover-nemesis Dane Blaise. Don’t scowl in real life!

4. Wear EXCELLENT undergarments. Wear comfortable undergarments designed to fit your figure, whatever it is. No bulging, cutting or even squeezing! Enhancing is okay! (It goes without saying that all your clothes should fit correctly—nothing too tight and nothing too loose or baggy!) Shana shamelessly ignores this rule and has been known to wear tight dresses and bikinis. No wonder Dane can’t remember that she’s forbidden fruit!

5. Wear your COLOR!  If you haven’t had your colors done, you might want to try it, or at least read up on what your best colors might be. They might not be the colors you like best, so you might not be able to tell for yourself. Some people look good in lots of colors, but you want to find the one that’s the BEST! And run with it! Shana’s colors are beach colors, teal and aqua and cool blue like the ocean at State Beach on Martha’s Vineyard.

Although there’s a million other tips and tricks, these are my top five because they’re high impact and mostly easy. These are things you can do at any age and any condition.

So if you see me out in public, as author Stephanie Queen, signing books or speaking—feel free to grade me on the 5 Tips to Maximize the Bloom!

Also feel free to check out my latest novel, Beachcomber Baby and soon-to-be-released Beachcomber Investigations, now on pre-order. This romantic detective series features the perpetually beautiful detective, Shana George, who’s paired up with her perpetually dangerous partner in crime solving, Dane Blaise. It’s all about this couple of crazy in love-hate private investigators on Martha’s Vineyard!

Beachcomber Baby - Beachcomber Investigations series book 3
A romantic detective series

Dark and dangerous Dane and shamelessly sexy Shana team up like oil & water on a mission to save a baby while they wage a personal war of love & hate between them.

Ex-special ops legend Dane Blaise doesn't like cases involving babies. In his experience, they always end bad. Really bad.

When Father Donahue hands Shana a baby and the mission is to find the baby's mother, the ex-Scotland Yard detective can't resist taking the case. She convinces Dane to help her with only because it's not the baby that's missing--it's the baby's mother.

But they discover the priest dragged them into the tip of an iceberg full of trouble with an ex-Russian KGB operative turned-criminal and his comrades. Things look bad. Really bad.

To keep Dane on the mission, Shana will need to uncover the dark secret of his terrible past baby case. Can she convince him to forget his past to save this baby--and save their partnership?

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23 comments:

Stephanie Queen said...

Lois, thank you for graciously hosting me as a guest on your blog today.
I'm open to comments and all your suggestions about what your favorite beauty tips are, so comment away.
I should add that I'll be giving away a prize to one lucky commenter!
SQ

Stephanie Queen said...

By the way, I just wanted to make sure we all know that those gorgeous and eyes pictured above are NOT mine (wish!).
They are a perfect example of how to make up your eyes, though. (I know what you're thinking--"SQ, I'm not a make-up artist for Pete's sake. Get real." But you only need a little practice and a good mirror--honest!)

Tell me what your make-up pet peeve is--and I'll tell you mine!
SQ

Linda said...

Great tips - especially #5. I wear glasses and have started making sure my frames are in my color palette. The right frame can make your eyes look better even without makeup.

Carol said...

Great tips, Stephanie! Good luck with your new book! Shana sounds like a great character.

Kristy said...

I never thought of tying beauty tips to my character. It's a fun idea. Thanks for sharing!

Judy Baker said...

Thanks for the great tips Stephanie. At my age I need a little color on my face. Your books sounds like a fun read.

Judy Baker said...

Thanks for the great tips Stephanie. At my age I need a little color on my face. Your books sounds like a fun read.

Susan R. Hughes said...

I agree that sleep is important to look and feel your best. It's so hard to get enough!

Jill James said...

A good night's sleep can't be overvalued. I feel like a million bucks after a great rest. Now, just to get one. LOL

Anonymous said...

Sleep and hydration...great tips from a pretty and great author...
Kathleen Bylsma h5apby@yahoo.com

E. Ayers said...

Stay out of the sun! I've reached that point in my life where so many of my friends are dealing with skin cancer - it's scary! So far I've been lucky. But it's a serious issue.

Angela Adams said...

Thanks for all of the tips. If I don't get a good night's sleep, I'm yawning all day. It's very unattractive (smile).

Melissa Keir said...

I use a moisturizing sunscreen which is a plus for my skin with my skin. Of course, I love a nap too!

Wish I looked that good in a bikini!

Stephanie Queen said...

Linda, you're so right about eyeglass frame colors! I wear all kinds of crazy colors but since your eyes are the first thing people look at, I should be more thoughtful about it!
Thanks!
SQ

Stephanie Queen said...

Thank you Carol and Kristy! I really appreciate your support--always!!

Stephanie Queen said...

Judy, I agree--I'm at THAT age! We used to take everything for granted and now even a simple thing like color has to be just right! Thank you for commenting.
SQ

Stephanie Queen said...

Susan and Jill, I'm with you on sleep--it's so much harder to get those hours of rest these days!
Thank you for commenting. As always, I really appreciate your support.
SQ

Stephanie Queen said...

Kathleen, you are so kind! What would I do without a wonderful supporter like you--you always make me smile!
Thank you1
SQ

Stephanie Queen said...

E. you're so right about the sun--I'm glad you added that tip - it's super important. Too much sun can add years to your face--not to mention the skin cancer;=\.
Thank you for chiming in and for all your support!
SQ

Stephanie Queen said...

Lol, Angela! I know what you mean about yawning.
SQ

Stephanie Queen said...

Melissa, you're smart to use the moisturizer with sunscreen. Hydration is almost as important as sleep. (not quite though!) Keep up those naps!
SQ

Stephanie Queen said...

Oh--and Melissa--I'm totally with you about the cover girl in the bikini! I don't think I ever looked THAT good!
That's one reason why I create all these fabulous heroines--to live vicariously. Forget the cat with 9 lives--I'm an author with 9 (hundred) lives!
SQ

Stephanie Queen said...

Angela Adams is the winner of the $5 Amazon Gift Certificate!
Please contact me at stephaiequeen at rocketmail dot com!