Lazy Perfection

Introduction

THIS IS A BOOK FOR WOMEN WHO LIKE MAKEUP, BUT DON'T necessarily like to wear a lot of it. One sentence in and I'm sure you're already wondering why in the world I've bothered to write a book about beauty for women who aren't huge makeup wearers, but this is not really a "makeup book." This is a book about Lazy Perfection, and Lazy Perfection is about how you can put in minimal effort with your beauty routine and still get results that will make you look and feel lovely. Sure, you probably enjoy makeup and wear a little of it, or at the very least are intrigued by it, but if you've picked up a book with the title Lazy Perfection, I'd say the chances are good that you're not operating at YouTube Beauty Guru level, putting in forty-five minutes on false lashes and contouring every time you have to leave the house.

I've written this book for women who like makeup, but don't wear a lot because they don't feel like they know what they are doing, or who have never really worn makeup, but want to give it a try, or who don't like the way their makeup looks and want to make some adjustments, or who want to learn how to streamline their routine so that they can get out the door faster, looking and feeling great, or who, most of the time, pretty much just can't be bothered to put any on. This book is about easing the anxiety that comes with not knowing how to choose the right makeup, answering the questions you didn't even know you were supposed to ask, giving you the tips and tricks you had no idea existed, and walking you through a few simple steps that will put you on the road to a gratifying, flattering, and stress-free beauty routine.

So, What is Lazy Perfection?

Maybe we should start off by talking about what Lazy Perfection isn't. First and foremost, Lazy Perfection isn't about being actually lazy. I hear women talk all the time about the improvements they'd like to make to their appearance—they aren't happy with their skin, they have dark circles, they don't feel like their eyes "pop"… but then in the same breath, they tell me that they don't enjoy applying makeup and don't really want to take the time to deal with it. Ladies—you cannot have it both ways. If you want to make an adjustment to your beauty look, some effort will be required. The extent of that effort is up to you. Lazy is a totally relative term, but no matter how much time you're willing to put into it, it's going to take a commitment. Five minutes, ten minutes, twenty-five minutes… One woman's fast-and-simple is another woman's holy-crap-that's-a-lot-of-effort, so you are the only one who can decide what it means to you.

Secondly, Lazy Perfection is also not about being perfect. Perfect is a myth. Very few women have completely symmetrical faces, or features that conform to some unattainable standard of perfection. We are real, human, flesh and blood, some of us with one eye larger than the other or one brow thinner. We can totally enhance or improve our appearances, but true perfection does not exist. Perfection is a reflection of our own personal beauty ideals, our own standards of beauty, so this method should really be called Lazy Whatever-You-Think-Is-Pretty, but the name isn't as catchy.

Get to the Point… What is Lazy Perfection?

In my Lazy Perfection approach, I take a holistic overview to beauty. Which means the makeup we use has to work not only with our facial anatomy and coloring (obviously), but also with our personal style, lifestyle, and technical skills. Everything has to be in harmony so that you always look and feel like just a more put together version of you. That's when you'll feel the most confident, natural, and at ease… and, in a nutshell, that's Lazy Perfection.

I want the Lazy Perfection girl to always feel like herself, not as though she's been given a full America's Next Top Model makeover, opening her eyes at the end and being totally flabbergasted. The Lazy Perfection version of "natural" is when you look like you… only a bit more polished, refined, and chic… no matter how much makeup you are wearing. I can't tell you how many celebrities and social media-ites use makeup to create features on their faces that don't exist in nature, but that's not how I approach beauty. Lazy Perfection ENHANCES what you have; it isn't a do over.

With every client I see, I strive to give them a look that they can easily replicate at home, to set them up for success. If eyeliner is so frustrating for you that you have given up and just don't wear any, I would never suggest an advanced technique like a liquid liner cat eye. That's not Lazy Perfection approved. If you live in yoga pants or jeans and a T-shirt, I am not going to suggest metallic eye shadow and full coverage makeup. That's not in Lazy Perfection harmony. And if you only want a ten-minute makeup routine, I am not going to recommend a fifteen-step makeup program. Because that's not Lazy Perfection, either.

Too often in these days of reality TV and social media, women have a preconceived notion that makeup needs to be totally TRANSFORMATIONAL and LIFE-ALTERING. I know this isn't going to make me super popular among my retail beauty friends and colleagues whose careers depend on the belief that makeup is terribly important, but really, when you think about it, it's just makeup. What I mean is, if you are sure that the newest eye shadow palette is going to CHANGE YOUR LIFE, or that if only you could find the IDEAL red lipstick or achieve the ULTIMATE cat eye, you'd reach nirvana then Lazy Perfection isn't going to be for you.

Zen and the Art of Lazy Perfection

To be Lazy Perfection, you must first understand that makeup is not the destination, it's the journey. Wow. I'm starting to sound pretty hippie-dippy here, but let me tell you what I mean. Makeup isn't going to alter the path of your destiny, and it's not going to drop luck and eternal joy in your lap. It's not a life raft we have to cling to for our very survival. It's more like a good pair of floaties that can prop you up and make you feel more secure.

What makeup can do for you is bring you feelings of self-confidence and empowerment. It can make you want to make eye contact or smile when you didn't feel good enough to do it before. It can put the spring in your step that comes from feeling great about how you look. And the admiration you get from others can make you feel like the most successful woman in the world.

TPW

That Perfect Woman. Everyone crosses paths with her now and again. She's the girl in high school who was a cheerleader AND valedictorian. She's the full-time working mom who makes homemade cookies and goes to every soccer game. The colleague who kills it in presentations with her clever wit and beautiful smile but still crawls under your desk to help you find your missing earring.

That Perfect Woman always looks terrific. She has lovely skin, beautiful hair, and a wardrobe that's appropriate and chic at all times. She finishes a yoga class looking even lovelier than when she started. Not a blotch, frizz, or a smudge in sight.

Sigh. I know, I know. It's not very "girl power" of me to admit that other women can inspire feelings of inferiority, because we're adults for goodness' sake, and we're supposed to stick together, and support each other, and not compare ourselves, and blah blah blah.

But on days when the giant zit on my chin could launch its own hashtag (#jennysgiantzit) or my hormone-inflamed pores could double as an overhead storage bin, it's hard not to feel a little shaky in the self-esteem department. Those are the times I am in awe of TPW. It's never jealousy or envy. I admire her.

So you're probably wondering… How in the world does she do it? Was she touched by the wand of the Perfection Fairy? Does she have to set her alarm for ridiculously-early-o'clock to get herself ready? Did she whip up a batch of Polyjuice Potion using a strand of Cameron Diaz's hair? None of the above. TPW simply understands how to harness the power of Lazy Perfection. And in this book, I'm going to share with you all the things you can do to make it work for you, too. So let's get ready to saddle up.

Sheriff of Lazy Perfectionville

Bet you're wondering how I earned my Lazy Perfection gold star, so let me give you a little backstory. I have always loved makeup, but I didn't even consider making it a profession until I was almost forty. Look up late bloomer in the dictionary. There'll be a picture of me.

In my late twenties, I got married, had kids, and settled into ten years as a stay-at-home mom. I had three daughters in less than four years, so makeup wasn't a big part of my life, to say the least. But when my youngest daughter was in school full-time, I knew I was ready to get back in the workforce.

I was volunteering at my daughters' schools and with other local organizations to keep the bored-mommy-blues at bay when I met a wonderful artist who recognized my raw makeup abilities and encouraged me to do some professional training. That's when it all started to gel. I did my training, and three weeks later I was signed by a huge international artistry agency and jumped right into the industry.

It became clear to me very soon after, that working with models and celebrities wasn't feeding my soul. As much as I love creating beautiful looks on young, unlined, taut faces, it was my friends who really helped me get some clarity on what my next step should be.

They would say to me:

"I never learned how to do my makeup."

"I don't want to wear a lot."

"I hate shopping for makeup."

"My mom didn't wear any makeup, so I never had a role model."

"My face is changing; I need to figure out how to wear more flattering makeup."

"I have no idea what I'm doing, can you show me how?"

It became crystal clear that these women didn't need more makeup; they needed more education. And that's when my Lazy Perfection philosophy came together.

It's what led me to develop my own line of handmade makeup brushes, which are now sold all over the country. It brought me TV appearances and professional beauty expert gigs, which I now travel for all the time, talking about makeup, skincare, and Lazy Perfection; it brought legions of clients to my door asking me to give them the Lazy Perfection Look; and it inspired me to open my Lazy Perfection Beauty School where I teach women in a private setting how to achieve their ideal makeup look.

Getting Schooled

At my beauty school, I work with women of all ages, showing them what I am going to show you here in this book:

How to clearly identify your beauty intentions and objectives

How to reduce the clutter in your bathroom and cosmetic case

How to sync your beauty routine with your lifestyle

How to identify the beauty looks that will suit your personal style

How to select the products that flatter your facial anatomy and coloring

How to stay current with the trends without looking trendy

How to look youthful and fresh

How to shop for your makeup without stress, anxiety, or guilt

And how to do it all efficiently and easily

What I have found in working with my private clients is that MORE WOMEN WANT TO WEAR LESS MAKEUP.

So many women want a simple, clean look, but the beauty industry doesn't focus on them because, well, it's not as lucrative to sell a customer one lipstick when you can sell her a lipstick, a lip liner, and a lip gloss. Beauty is a business, after all.

When it comes to makeup and beauty, there's just SO MUCH. So many brands and products, so many ads, so many videos, so many blogs, so many magazines, so many shows. Even as a professional makeup artist, I've been overwhelmed walking into a beauty department or specialty store; my senses so bombarded that I literally have turned around and walked out.

Makeup isn't something we're born knowing. For some women it comes instinctively—for others, not so much. But you can learn how to do it. Maybe you won't end up being Monet, but you don't have to be a scribbler for the rest of your life, either. Sure, it requires some practice, but so does cooking, driving, or tying your shoes. Learning how to do anything new takes time.

Like any other education you undertake, it expands your horizons and your choices. Still want to go barefaced? Great. That's your call. Want to bump up your eyeliner one day? You can do that, and do it with confidence. And if you want to have a professional makeup artist apply your face from time to time? That option never has to be taken off the table. The point is, by learning and practicing, you get to take control of how you look, and ultimately of how you feel about yourself. By the time you're done with this book, you are going to be living in TPW's world.

What's the Lazy Perfection Look?

I know lots of you are probably already thinking to yourselves, "Jenny, I am no good at applying my makeup. I am never going to be able to get it right." But I don't want you to listen to that inner voice.

Know why you can do it? Because Lazy Perfection isn't a cookie-cutter, five-minute makeup plan. It's not even a makeover plan at all. It's your guide to discovering what's going to work best and look best on you—you and only you. You can customize it however you want. I'll tell you one thing that's for sure—the Lazy Perfection Look is never, ever overdone, overworked, or heavy-handed.

The Lazy Perfection Look is a whisper, not a shout. It's small details, not grand gestures. And it's about working with your natural features instead of struggling against them.

In learning the Lazy Perfection Look, you'll discover the ways in which smudging softens and enhances the features, small movements give more control in the application than big ones, and how to use less makeup to look fresher and younger.

Lazy Perfection isn't about CHANGING how you look, it's about using subtle details to enhance the loveliest features on your face so that they can be the star of the show, while the rest of your features are a strong supporting cast.

Lazy Perfection Cover Girl

TPW is lovely. It's not just that she's wearing makeup. She's wearing the right makeup. Her clothes don't look great by accident. She knows what colors and styles work for her. And her hair doesn't gleam and bounce the second she rolls out of bed. She chooses the products that are going to give her the best results.

Here's the bottom line. Makeup is wonderful and fun, and it can make us feel confident, empowered, and beautiful. But despite all the messages we get from magazines, movies, television, and one another about how we should look, what we need to buy, and how we have to do it, makeup isn't going to alter who we fundamentally are.

TPW isn't That Perfect Woman because she has pretty hair and clear skin. She's That Perfect Woman because she clearly feels good enough about herself that she doesn't need to make anyone else feel bad. She's secure and happy with how she looks so she can cheer you on until you feel great, too.

I promise you, by the time you're done reading this book and putting my Lazy Perfection methodology into place, you'll be someone's TPW, too.