The Back Story - Part 1 - How I became a Green Beauty Advocate

Like most little girls, I was fascinated with beauty products and cosmetics from a very young age. As a matter of fact, I am pretty sure there are pictures of a three year old Jerra in her Grandma's closet covered in red lipstick and Emeraude Perfume. I loved all things colorful, glittery, shiny, and girly! Unlike many other little girls, I also had a Grandfather who was a carpenter. He taught me to play outside, love nature, and get my hands dirty with hard work instead of taking short cuts. My Mother was also somewhat of a Hippie in her own right. She taught me about Nature's healing power, the way of herbs, Native American Beliefs and Tradition, as well as surrounded me with medical terms and information (She is an R.N. by trade.) I am sure through the course of this blog I will expound on all of those subjects and people a bit more, maybe even share some stories, but not right now. 

Through grade school and high school, I continued to love make-up and cosmetics. I wanted the newest lip gloss with the special plumping spheres and micro-glitter, even if it cost me a whole month's allowance. I had buckets of lip gloss, lip stick, eye shadow, foundation, lotions, perfumes, glitter, shampoo, and anything else you can think of in the world of beauty. I read every bottle, the descriptions, ingredients, product claims, and then would watch beauty infomercials and advertisements to glean even more beauty knowledge. 

I struggled through high school and even into my college years with sensitive skin. I had acne all over my face and back. I was forever getting rashes, dry skin, or even dandruff. I was also forever buying the next product claiming to have all of the answers for my beauty woes. The buckets of products and money spent on them continued to rack up, but I saw very little improvement in my skin or hair for more than a few uses of any product. 

I learned my way around the make-up world. I read every article I could find on hot new products. I loved QVC and "Friday Night Beauty." It was a whole show dedicated to selling the newest products from some of my favorite beauty heavy-hitters. I learned how to apply make-up from Bobbie Brown and Adrian. I read books about how to use make-up to cover flaws and blemishes. I became a beauty "Guru" in my own circles. I even did Theater make-up for most of my high school plays. I eventually ended up in Cosmetology School.