Tag: health

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How I Keep My Body Moisturize In Hawaii

img_2128In Hawaii everything is beautiful, the beaches, the flowers, the food, and even the people. One of the major beautiful thing here on the island of Oahu, are the fabulous bodies.

When I’m soaking up the sun on Ewa Beach I like to make sure my body is glistening and looking radiant. I love using Java Skin Care Double Shot Body Serum because I never want my boogie down brown skin to look ashes when I get out the water. Now you too can have healthy skin while looking delicious this summer.

Why I Love Java Skin Care Double Body Hot Body Serum:

  • concentrated blend of botanicals super moisturizes without leaving a greasy residue
  • locks in moisture so you only need to apply once a day
  • great for problem areas and super dry patches
  • helps prevent premature signs of aging while brightening and softening skin
  • evens skin tone, smooths skin irritation, great for sensitive skin
  • reduce inflammation, repair sun spot damage and boosts cell turnover

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All of Java Skin Care products are free from Phthalates, Parabens, Synthetic Fragrance or Color and are Gluten Free, Sulphate Free, Cruelty Free & Made in Rhode Island,

 

Hawaii Makeup Artist Brandy Gomez-Duplessis has 22 years of experience in the Beauty & Entertainment industry. Brandy is located on Oahu island in Ewa Beach but you can find her working doing makeup in Kapolei. Being a top influencer & blogger don’t be surprised to see her writing beauty articles and taking selfies for her 60K followers on Instagram on the beautiful beaches in Honolulu…and YES, there are black people living in Hawaii. 

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Celebrity Makeup Artist And Beauty Blogger Moving From The Mainland To Hawaii

 

img_1666Today is a big day for the Gomez-Duplessis Family. We have shippers coming through all day to give us estimates for our move to Hawaii. This is the most expensive part of the move and the most stressful part as well. But at the end it’s going to all be worth it. Because I’m getting my health back. This is really the reason why we’re moving. My Lupus, RA and Asthma is kicking my ass up here so I need to be in a warmer climate with better air quality.

We decided to go with Hawaii Moving Pros to ship our furniture. Our Moving Coordinator from Hawaii Moving Pros has been very efficient and accessible throughout the entire planning.

So, how do you pack a 5 bedroom home and make it fit a pod for a studio/1 bedroom home? You need lots of alcohol and you cry, shit you need an entire bottle of alcohol. Let me tell you, this is so hard purging and deciding on what to ship to Hawaii. It’s not the same feeling when we lost the entire home to Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans but it’s high on the emotion list. I tell you what, because of this move I’ve learned that we’re hoarders, no really. I think because of Hurricane Katrina that I try to keep everything pertaining to the kids, my husband and all of my achievements and awards. The great thing is I can just google myself to see things that I’ve done. So, when I look at it that way, it makes it easier to throw away things away about myself. 

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My Soul Sista Buddha, we don’t know yet if she’s able to travel with us due to her size.

I have managed to do a lot online with setting up the family lifestyle for success. Things like digital interviews with Field Executives for Estée Lauder, virtual tours of the house with Angela our Leasing Professional, getting eRenterPlan Insurance, and setting up cable/wifi service with Spectrum. The next thing we have set up is for Queen B, my car to be picked up this week.

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I’m a fan of Z Gallerie home decor and stylish chic furniture store so I have a lot of great pieces from there especially wall art and large wall mirrors. I’m not ready yet to part from any of my things from Z Gallerie but unfortunately I have to. Because it’s costing me so much to ship my really big pieces. So, on Saturday, I’m giving them away to a few families from Columbia who just moved to Connecticut. So I know they will appreciate these fab pieces but it’s going to be hard to part from them.

I’m not shipping any of our outdoor living set up either. In Hawaii we will have a nice yard to start all over with so thinking about that project make it easier to say goodbye. I’ll be able to plant exotic flowers and have more trees and even a beach to enjoy daily.

So, if anyone from the mainland wants to know how we managed to move to Hawaii just shoot me a comment and I’ll answer them for you. I’ll continue to share about our Pro’s vs Con’s of moving to Hawaii and I’ll link the companies that we used along with feedback. This is going to be a great chapter in my book.

ALOHA

 

Hawaii Makeup Artist Brandy Gomez-Duplessis has 22 years of experience in the Beauty & Entertainment industry. Brandy is located on Oahu island in Ewa Beach but you can find her working doing makeup in Kapolei. Being a top influencer & blogger don’t be surprised to see her writing beauty articles and taking selfies for her 60K followers on Instagram on the beautiful beaches in Honolulu…and YES, there are black people living in Hawaii. 

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Do You Enjoy Your Lunch Date With Hubby

img_4996Finally, nice weather in Connecticut, so you know what that mean if you follow me and know my story. I’M FREE!!!!!! I get to come outside like a normal person without problems with my breathing. I couldn’t get dress fast enough and I skipped a lot of my makeup application because I didn’t want to miss a lunch date with hubby.

As always Michael prefer for me to select where we go because of my challenge with food. I hate it so much that it drives me crazy. I’m still learning what I can and cannot eat. I actually keep a journal with me so I try to remember and write down my reactions to something. For example, if I enjoyed a dish but have a reaction I write if its worth eating again by the reaction my body have. Crazy right, but I’m not ready yet to give up everything. Ice-Cream is my favorite snack and I’m not ready to give that up so I eat it only when I’m home and nothing major is planned the next day. So that my body can rest. So my note would say; Ice-Cream “coming up, lots of coughing, lots of mucus” So worth eating again. If I’m out without Michael I’ll text him where I am, he pulls up the menu on his phone and tell me what to order. Thank God he knows my food journal better than me.

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Back to my lunch date. I selected Brio Tuscan Grille because we both love it over there. The ambience, the food, the service, and the prices. Because it was a beautiful day we knew the patio would be open to enjoy the beautiful weather we were having. In my mind this is what a gorgeous afternoon in Italy would feel like right about now. Wine was flowing, great conversation was had, and a lot of flirting was going on.

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Carpaccio

 

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Bruschetta Sampler

We both order an entree to bring home for dinner so our date continued on the rest of the evening…next, NETFLIX & Chill!

Question, do you enjoy your dates before you were married or after marriage dates?

 

 

Hawaii Makeup Artist Brandy Gomez-Duplessis has 22 years of experience in the Beauty & Entertainment industry. Brandy is located on Oahu island in Ewa Beach but you can find her working doing makeup in Kapolei. Being a top influencer & blogger don’t be surprised to see her writing beauty articles and taking selfies for her 60K followers on Instagram on the beautiful beaches in Honolulu…and YES, there are black people living in Hawaii. 

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Taking My Life Back, My Health Won’t Write My Story.

At home collecting my thoughts 💭 and thinking about this new chapter that I’m about to start. I’m not afraid about taking my life back. My husband and my 2 adult kids, 21 & 26 year old have seen me let my health win to long. This new chapter won’t cure my Lupus, Lyme, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Asthma and High Blood Pressure but it will bring me some relief. I don’t want to be laid up in a house like a 90 year old women anymore because my body is so fragile that cold weather can literally kill me. I’m tired of doing breathing treatments, I’m tired of using 2 inhalers a day, I’m tired of taking prednisone, I’m tired of sleeping sitting up when I sleep because of my lungs. I’m sick and tired of being sick and tired. Today, I fight back and do what’s going to be best for me.

January & February was rough, double pneumonia, mini stroke, flu and my everyday Lupus challenges my body has been through enough. I’m ready to do right by it. Placing it in a place positive energy, better weather, great food and exotic fruits. So much to do but I promise I will share very soon. Let me just lock a few more things down. 💪🏾💜🙏🏾

What new chapters have you started this year?

 

 

 

Hawaii Makeup Artist Brandy Gomez-Duplessis has 22 years of experience in the Beauty & Entertainment industry. Brandy is located on Oahu island in Ewa Beach but you can find her working doing makeup in Kapolei. Being a top influencer & blogger don’t be surprised to see her writing beauty articles and taking selfies for her 60K followers on Instagram on the beautiful beaches in Honolulu…and YES, there are black people living in Hawaii. 

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New Orleans Celebrity Makeup Artist Talk About Who She Is Becoming In 2019

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New Orleans Makeup Artist Brandy Gomez-Duplessis

 

Do You Like Who You’re BECOMING? Chapter 2019, I want to continue to elevate myself to becoming a Global Makeup Beauty Guru. My 22 years in the Beauty & Entertainment industry, I feel like I have so much to share especially to aspiring beauty artists (Hair & Makeup).

I’m not stopping at just doing makeup and having a makeup line, Entitled Beauty Cosmetics. I feel like I have so much more to bring to the table. Makeup for boogie down brown women, mature women, healthy makeup, creating makeup and makeup looks for women who’s going back into the work force.

I also want to bring awareness to my health challenges; LUPUS, LYME, RA, and ASTHMA. I need for our community to understand what invisible illness look like and what chronic pain can do to a person. We get chemo, we deal with hair loss, we need care takers and we need the right meds. So, my goal is to continue to speak on this issue in 2019.

She Ready! Who are you BECOMING?

New Orleans Makeup Artist Brandy Gomez-Duplessis has 22 years of experience in the Beauty & Entertainment industry. Gomez-Duplessis is a wife and a mother of 2 adult kids living in Connecticut. In 2014, Brandy was diagnosed with Lupus, Lyme & RA.

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New Orleans Celebrity Makeup Artist Talk Living With Lupus With Caribbean Posh Magazined

 

Actress Kerry Washington makeup by Brandy Gomez-Duplessis
New Orleans Makeup Artist at Sundance Film Festival

A lot of people in the Beauty Industry told me if I keep sharing on social media that I have Lupus that I would lose a lot of work. But how can I hide what I’m battling everyday. It’s my life, it’s what I’m going through everyday. So why should I hide it because it makes my peers uncomfortable and with many not really understand what Lupus is I have to educate and help bring awareness. For so long, I kept it hidden and I finally decided that I want to speak out, that I should use my platform to help bring awareness to Lupus. So I selected to share my story with Caribbean Posh magazine readers and hopefully my story can help someone who’s battling some form of an auto-immune disease.

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In 2000-2005, I knew something was going on with my body. All of my doctors kept telling me that I was just stressed because of my career, working with celebrities and traveling around the world. So, I believed them because what did I know, I’m just a makeup artist. But in August 2005, as I stepped inside the elevator at New Orleans City Hall. I received a call from my new doctor and she said, “I need to see you right away because your numbers were elevated and I’m very concerned”. I’m never going to forget that day and that call. I went in to see my doctor, she told me she wanted to do more testing on me but she was afraid that I had Lupus. I knew what it was because my mother twin sister died from Lupus complications very fast after being diagnosed. Fast forward, Hurricane Katrina happen, that I put that news far far away. I didn’t have time to deal with that. So, I went through life in extreme pain and was always exhausted as I rebuild my life. In 2014, I’m now living in Connecticut and I couldn’t tolerate what was going on with me anymore. This superwoman couldn’t bare being miserable so I went to see a doctor. After the first blood work came back she immediately said you have Lupus and I’m going to refer you to a Rheumatologist.

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Fast forward again, I learned that moving up North to an extreme cold climate it trigger a flare up that refuse to go away. I’ve had so many scary challenges from an enlarged heart, kidney problems, blood clotting, stomach problems due to the prednisone, blurry vision, lost my sense of smell and taste and now pulmonary challenges that I’m relocating back to New Orleans for a few months during the winter so that my lungs can heal and so I don’t have to use my breathing machine 2x’s a day.

In 2019, I plan to work hard at bringing awareness to Lupus. Yeah, a lot of beauty brands and companies have released me from working with them but they can’t stop me from doing makeup. I’m going to always be a talented makeup artist and they can’t take that away. No, I don’t look sick but know that living with Lupus is a lonely disease and it’s a disease that you have to be a fighter because it’s a horrible disease. The things your body goes through is hard and doctors give us meds that’s not the right meds, it’s something to help with a similar symptoms.

I launched a makeup line in 2017 called Entitled Beauty Cosmetics that keeps me busy along with loyal clients and production companies. Ladies, if you feel that something is going on with your body, something is. Fight until you find a doctor that will listen to you. If you have to lose, family, friends and co-workers it’s ok, don’t let them tell you that nothing is wrong with you. Cuz if your body is going through something you need to be stress free, so take a break from people who bring stress to your life. Cuz it’s the last thing you need.

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As a makeup artist living with lupus, I often turn to mineral makeup. My must-have items include color correctors to help with discoloration and hyper-pigmentation; a primer with a brightener to bring radiance to my dull skin; mineral mascara, which is good for sensitive eyes; and foundation and moisturizer that’s loaded with SPF. My focus is always finding great skin-care products that will not cause inflammation of the skin.

Here are 8 beauty items that as a Lupus Warrior I can wear on my skin and it doesn’t trigger anything.

1. FIRST AID BEAUTY Hello Fab Coconut Micellar Makeup Melter
2. HOURGLASS Veil Mineral Primer
3. LAURA MERCIER Mineral Powder
4. ALGENIST Splash Hydrating Setting Mist
5. TARTE Gifted Amazonian Clay Smart Mascara
6. STILA Stay All Day Foundation + Concealer
7. ENTITLED BEAUTY Spotlight Highlighters
8. CAUDALIE Vinoperfect Radiance Serum

 

New Orleans Makeup Artist Brandy Gomez-Duplessis has 22 years of experience in the Beauty & Entertainment industry. Gomez-Duplessis is a wife and a mother of 2 adult kids living in Connecticut. In 2014, Brandy was diagnosed with Lupus, Lyme & RA.

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With Lupus You Have To Eat Healthy So Here Are My Personal Food Tips

 

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I’m what LUPUS look like. When you have an invisible illness, chronic illness or any form of an autoimmune disease you look like me, regular and yet very ill. One of the many things that I had to change once I diagnosed with Lupus was my horrible way of eating. I’ve eaten bad my entire life especially with my crazy schedule traveling with celebrities, and working long hours. So now, I eat like a damn rabbit. When I’m out sometimes it can be tough finding food that I can eat. My body has such an attitude that it instantly have a bad reaction that can trigger a flare up that will last for days, so I have to be very smart about what I eat when I’m away from home. Yesterday while out I stopped in for the first time at Café Oo La La & Catering, I was pleasantly surprised to see two of my favorite new items to eat, celery sticks and carrots.

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There is no special diet for lupus, despite numerous claims on the Internet. You should try to eat a nutritious, high in fiber, and varied diet that contains plenty of fresh fruits, vegetables, raw vegetables, whole grains and a moderate amounts of meats, poultry, and fatty fish. Fatty fish can also counteract inflammation in your body. Eat foods high in calcium. The drugs we used to control our Lupus can have major side effects, such as making our bones more brittle. So, you need to eat lots of foods that are high in both vitamin D and calcium to boost our bone strength. Leafy green vegetables, like broccoli and spinach, cheese, yogurt, and low-fat or fat-free milk products. You can also take calcium supplements, but their absorption may not be as high.

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I’m still struggling with learning different food choices that I write in a journal what trigger food to avoid if I have a bad reaction I’ll know what I can eat. Every Lupus Warriors body is different so take your time to learn what works for you. What I was able to eat 3 months ago sometimes it will give me a challenge today. Be patience with your body as you know having Lupus is a challenge everyday.

See Ya Bye And Luv You Mean It

Oh, I’m wearing makeup from my own makeup line Entitled Beauty Cosmetics, a luxurious mineral makeup brand.

 

 

 

 

New Orleans Makeup Artist Brandy Gomez-Duplessis has 22 years of experience in the Beauty & Entertainment industry. Gomez-Duplessis is a wife and a mother of 2 adult kids. She also has a home in Candlewood Lake in Connecticut. In 2014, Brandy was diagnosed with Lupus, Lyme & RA. She uses her platform to help bring awareness about her health.

 

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Walk To End Lupus Now In Norwalk, CT

img_2876Will you join me on Sunday, Oct 14th for the 2018 WALK TO END LUPUS NOW, CT-NORWALK. Come rally with me by walking 3 miles, rain or shine to help bringing awareness to this brutal disease. Let’s raise money for Lupus research this weekend. Let’s make some noise for us Lupus Warriors, and share with our peers how strong we are. 
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Location: Calf Pasture Beach
Calf Pasture Beach Rd.
Norwalk, CT 06851
Check-in: 2:00 p.m.
Ceremony: 2:45 p.m.
Walk: 3:00 p.m.
Route Length: 3 miles
Contact:
Antonella Leone-Giamei
(203) 399-7305
leone-giamei@lupus.org

I’m wearing on my lips “Orchid” from my makeup line Entitled Beauty Cosmetics. I wanted a lip color that my family, friends, peers, and Lupus Warriors could wear during Lupus Awarness. Thanks in advance for purchasing one.

 

Entitled Beauty Cosmetics

"Orchid" All Nighter Liquid Lipstick

$19.00

 

New Orleans Makeup Artist Brandy Gomez-Duplessis has 22 years of experience in the Beauty & Entertainment industry. Gomez-Duplessis is a wife and a mother of 2 adult kids. She also has a home in Candlewood Lake in Connecticut. In 2014, Brandy was diagnosed with Lupus, Lyme & RA. She uses her platform to help bring awareness about her health.

 

 

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6 Items Celebrity Makeup Artist And Beauty Influencer Living With Lupus Need To Get Through NYFW

img_1874New York Fashion Week in September is always a big event that I look forward to working doing makeup and attending as media/press writing beauty articles.

Commuting on Metro North Train for 2 hours from Connecticut, going from show to show pulling a 95 lbs makeup kit and standing for many hours it can take a toll on any healthy person. Imagine living with Lupus, it’s a little harder but I have master secrets that keep me able to work without any challenges that my peers and the models doesn’t know I have an auto-immune. So that I can continue to beat a face here are my secret tools to keep me looking fabulous as well as do beautiful artistry.

  1. Biodara Immortal Mist, with aloe and anti-inflammatory ingredients. “It helps soothe and reduce inflammation in my hands — and all over my body. It also makes for a great makeup-setting spray.”

Biodara Immortal Mist

2. I’m also a fan of essential oil blend from Tata Harper Skincare to use on my pulse points. “On days when I’m really pushing myself, I put the treatment in the palm of my hands, rub them together to heat up the oils, and then I take a few deep breaths. It’s wonderful.

Tata Harper Skincare Energy Treatment3. “Because I am on my feet a great deal — like 10 to 15 hours a day — I like to wear comfortable shoes. I enjoy wearing Floafers shoes, “They are so lightweight, supportive, and breathable that it doesn’t feel like I’m on my feet.”

floafers

4. Makeup brushes that I enjoy using doing New York Fashion Week are from Royal and Langnickel. Not only do they have quality brushes, their collections of brushes feels good in my hands when I’m creating magic.

royal and langnickel revolution brush

 

5. My major secret has been CBD FX Tincture Hemp Oil. When I take 5-10 drops a day I’m pain free. No body aches and no inflammation, and on a stressful day I’m feeling relaxed backstage while everyone else is running stressed out.

cbd fx hemp oil

6. Of course my makeup kit is packed with Entitled Beauty cosmetics, a luxurious mineral makeup line that’s owned by myself and my business Johnny Luoma. But I also wear my own collection (All Nighter Lipsticks, Glamxurious Lipgloss, & Spotlight Highlighters) as much as possible so that I don’t have any flare up’s.

You can follow all of my fashion shows experience on my Instagram page at @bgdmakeupartist

 

New Orleans Makeup Artist Brandy Gomez-Duplessis has 22 years of experience in the Beauty & Entertainment industry. Gomez-Duplessis is a wife and a mother of 2 adult kids. She also has a home in Candlewood Lake in Connecticut. In 2014, Brandy was diagnosed with Lupus, Lyme & RA. She uses her platform to help bring awareness about her health.

 

 

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Another Lupus Warrior Asha Sharron Loses Her Wings

img_0490-1As I sit in bed today wheezing my ass off I’m sorry to announce that another Lupus Warrior left us on yesterday. Asha Sharron has been in the hospital for 7 months fighting to live. I have always admired her because she was able to document everything about her life of living with Lupus. Asha was definitely my kind of girl because she loved her makeup, hair and fashion like majority of us women. She was just a sweet girl you can tell in her videos. Always funny and spoke positive of what she was going through.  Even though I talk about my journey and share my hospital pics I was still guarded about how much I shared because the feedback I received was to stop if I wanted to keep working in the beauty industry.

13 hours ago everything was looking good for Asha. As you can see she was up dancing. Like many of her fans we thought that this was a sign that she was going home, but God had another plan for her. He wanted her home with him.

Just 5 days ago she was up reading her lovely cards that was sent to her by family, friends and social media friends. Even on this day she struggled with doing her physical therapy session. Her body was so weak and wouldn’t allow her to have much activities without being exhausted. It’s gotten to the point that she couldn’t go to the bathroom on her on own. Her amazing mother and caretaker had to care of her needs in the hospital bed.

 

On April 4th Asha celebrated her 30th birthday in the hospital. She made the most of her day. This is why I was such a fan of her.

 

If you would like to know more about this beautiful soul Asha, check out her YouTube page where she documented the good and the bad of living with Lupus. I promise you will be touched by her like I was. I just can’t believe shes gone, she fought so hard and it just saddens me that she couldn’t to stay with us. Please let them find a cure for us because we keep losing our good ones to this horrible disease.

To Asha mom, sisters and family, I am so sorry for your loss. Thank You for being a part of her journey. She was loved and respected by us Lupus Warriors. 

 

New Orleans Makeup Artist Brandy Gomez-Duplessis has 22 years of experience in the Beauty & Entertainment industry. Gomez-Duplessis is a wife and a mother of 2 adult kids. She also has a home in Candlewood Lake in Connecticut. In 2014, Brandy was diagnosed with Lupus, Lyme & RA. She uses her platform to help bring awareness about her health.