First Look Fridays Interview Series: Beauty Blogger Liesl Gutierrez of Liesl Loves Pretty Things
In case you weren't aware, I love nail polish. More like I'm obsessed with nail polish. So it was fabulous to discover another nail polish obsessed beauty blogger -- Liesl Gutierrez of Liesl Loves Pretty Things. Liesl's swatches are perfect and I'm always learning about new colors and brands that I simply MUST have in my stash. Read on to discover how she started her blog, the cuticle butter she can't live without and so much more.
Can you tell me a bit about yourself?
I'm a born and raised Oregonian, currently living with my husband and two cats in the lovely city of Keizer. I tried traditional college once. It didn't stick. Back in 2006 I took an online pharmacy tech program and I've been working in that field since 2007. It's a good gig for what I put into it and you could probably not pay me to go back to school.
How did you first become interested in beauty, and what led you to create your own blog?
I've loved lipstick and fragrance for as long as I can remember. I bought myself a couple perfume minis with my blueberry picking money before my mom would allow me to wear color cosmetics and when she finally allowed that, all I wanted were lipsticks. My blog was born in a roundabout way. I'd always wanted to have pretty hands and nails but that was one thing I just didn't have the patience for -- so I had the clothes, accessories, hair and makeup and then totally utilitarian looking hands. A little over three years ago I met a gal who had just recently gotten into nail polish and we bonded over her obsession with that and mine with perfume. She taught me the basics of proper polishing and I learned that she had a nail blog and she totally inspired me to give this nail polish stuff a go. Another thing I have always loved is writing and the allure of instant publication was irresistible. My nail painting and care skills improved because I wanted to keep writing about it. Kind of backwards, but there it is. Beauty products just kind of naturally worked their way in so while the focus is nail polish, I'm all inclusive, beauty wise.
I love the name of your blog! How did you come up with it?
You're so kind! I'm the worst at naming things. I had a short-lived food blog I called Liesl Loves, and I interspersed nail polish posts with my foodie adventures. I soon decided they should be separate, so Liesl Loves Pretty Things was born as a spinoff. It wasn't supposed to be the "successful" one, either, but here we are! I found beauty blogging to be a lot more fun and a lot less work than food blogging, if you can believe that.
What are your top 5 favorite beauty products?
Top five... This is harder than I expected!
Can you tell me a bit about yourself?
I'm a born and raised Oregonian, currently living with my husband and two cats in the lovely city of Keizer. I tried traditional college once. It didn't stick. Back in 2006 I took an online pharmacy tech program and I've been working in that field since 2007. It's a good gig for what I put into it and you could probably not pay me to go back to school.
How did you first become interested in beauty, and what led you to create your own blog?
I've loved lipstick and fragrance for as long as I can remember. I bought myself a couple perfume minis with my blueberry picking money before my mom would allow me to wear color cosmetics and when she finally allowed that, all I wanted were lipsticks. My blog was born in a roundabout way. I'd always wanted to have pretty hands and nails but that was one thing I just didn't have the patience for -- so I had the clothes, accessories, hair and makeup and then totally utilitarian looking hands. A little over three years ago I met a gal who had just recently gotten into nail polish and we bonded over her obsession with that and mine with perfume. She taught me the basics of proper polishing and I learned that she had a nail blog and she totally inspired me to give this nail polish stuff a go. Another thing I have always loved is writing and the allure of instant publication was irresistible. My nail painting and care skills improved because I wanted to keep writing about it. Kind of backwards, but there it is. Beauty products just kind of naturally worked their way in so while the focus is nail polish, I'm all inclusive, beauty wise.
I love the name of your blog! How did you come up with it?
You're so kind! I'm the worst at naming things. I had a short-lived food blog I called Liesl Loves, and I interspersed nail polish posts with my foodie adventures. I soon decided they should be separate, so Liesl Loves Pretty Things was born as a spinoff. It wasn't supposed to be the "successful" one, either, but here we are! I found beauty blogging to be a lot more fun and a lot less work than food blogging, if you can believe that.
What are your top 5 favorite beauty products?
Top five... This is harder than I expected!
POND'S Cold Cream. It's the best thing for taking off eye makeup. You of course have to wipe it away with a soft cloth or tissue but it does the job beautifully and leaves the whole eye area nice and moisturized. I've used this since I started wearing mascara.
Too Faced Primed & Poreless Pure Oil-Free Skin Smoothing Face Primer For Sensitive Skin. This stuff smooths, controls oil, never feels greasy or heavy and doesn't sit thick on my skin's surface like silicone based primers tend to. I've tried many other primers but nothing compares to this one. It's worth every penny.
Lush Lemony Flutter Cuticle Butter. I slather this thick, lemon dessert scented butter nightly and wake up to perfectly cured cuticles. There's a reason this stuff is famous within the nail blogging community.
Sigma F86 Tapered Kabuki Brush. Hands down, the BEST concealer blending brush. This brush was a makeup game changer for me.
Clean & Clear Oil Absorbing Sheets. The best primer in the world does not take away the necessity of these babies. I carry a packet on me at all times. They're funny looking blue rubbery dealies but they work amazingly well, better than any low or high end paper blotters.
What are your top 3 beauty tips?
1) Exfoliate.
2) Take a vitamin D supplement.
3) Drink lots of water.
Being a blogger must be fun, but what do you do in your spare time?
I'm teaching myself to play the bass and I'm super stoked about it so that's getting more attention than the blog these days, lol. Otherwise, you can find me listening to music, watching Suns basketball with my husband, trying out or creating new vegetarian recipes, or doing some form of exercise.
In addition to your blog, how can The Beauty of Life readers find you on social media?
You can find me on Facebook, Google , Instagram, Pinterest and Twitter.
What are your top 3 beauty tips?
1) Exfoliate.
2) Take a vitamin D supplement.
3) Drink lots of water.
Being a blogger must be fun, but what do you do in your spare time?
I'm teaching myself to play the bass and I'm super stoked about it so that's getting more attention than the blog these days, lol. Otherwise, you can find me listening to music, watching Suns basketball with my husband, trying out or creating new vegetarian recipes, or doing some form of exercise.
In addition to your blog, how can The Beauty of Life readers find you on social media?
You can find me on Facebook, Google , Instagram, Pinterest and Twitter.
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