Friday, December 11, 2015

First Look Fridays Interview Series: Beauty Blogger Mandy of Chameleon Stampede

Chameleon Stampede, beauty blog, beauty blogger, First Look Fridays Interview Series
Whenever I discover a beauty blogger who has a knack for making me want everything she talks about, I do a little happy dance. And that's how I feel about Mandy from Chameleon Stampede. She's a great writer, she talks about tons of products I can't wait to get my hands on ... and she's from Ohio to boot, which makes this former Clevelander even happier! Read on to find out how she started her blog, the product her gorgeous curls can't live without and so much more.

Can you tell me a bit about yourself?
I currently live in Ohio and have lived in Ohio most of my life, although I’ve lived in 3 other states over the years. I graduated from The University of Akron and I would jump in a time machine and go back to college in a heartbeat. That’s where I met my husband and had the most fun memories. I love animals (especially dogs) and I’m constantly glued to iHeartDogs.com. I’m also addicted to Criminal Case puzzles. There are dogs in that game too, so there ya go. I hate being cold, love sitting on the beach, could win the award for clumsiest girl on earth and wish I was devoted enough to do yoga every day. Maybe confessing that will make me feel more accountable?

How did you first become interested in beauty, and what led you to become a blogger?
I started getting Vogue, Teen and Seventeen magazines when I was in elementary school. I’ve always had a passion for makeup and hair and fashion. One of the most special parts of being a girl is being free to express yourself in a million ways each day. Hair up, hair down, bold lip, winged liner ... whatever feels right at the moment! My friends always text me for beauty and fashion advice. My friend Katie recently called me her style queen and it made my day!

Being a blogger wasn’t something I actually set out to do. One day I found myself taking pictures of another fun mani I did and texting it to a few of my friends. All of a sudden I thought, why not put these pictures out there to find other friends who have the same interests that I do? Why not. What do I have to lose?

I love the name of your blog! How did you come up with it?
Thank you! It’s a weird name for sure and I know it probably confuses people, but I love it. Chameleons have been an obsession for me since I was a kid. They just have something so cool and unique about them and they’re always changing. I find them really inspiring. So, I knew I wanted Chameleon to be part of the name. Then I just had an image in my head of a chameleon walking across my stash of nail polish. In my head, I thought all of those colors would have the chameleon running in excitement to pick a color. And why not have a herd of them each running to a different color ... like a Chameleon Stampede!?!?! And that was it. The name made me smile and I knew it was the one for me.

What are your top 5 favorite beauty products?
Oooohhhhh ... that’s tough. I try new products all the time and keep falling in love with different ones! There are so many great options!
Chameleon Stampede, beauty blog, beauty blogger, First Look Fridays Interview Series, Seche Vite Dry Fast Top Coat
Seche Vite. It has to be on my list because I use it every other day and I can’t do my nails without it. I have zero patience waiting for painted nails to dry.

Chameleon Stampede, beauty blog, beauty blogger, First Look Fridays Interview Series, Dior Addict Lip Maximizer High Volume Lip Plumper, lipgloss
Dior Addict Lip Maximizer High Volume Lip Plumper. It’s my splurge and it’s totally worth it. I wear it under my lipstick almost every day. It makes my lips look smooth and makes the fine lines all disappear.

Chameleon Stampede, beauty blog, beauty blogger, First Look Fridays Interview Series, Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil Empire, eyeliner, eye makeup
Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil. I always have 2 in my purse and I probably have 20 in my makeup drawer. I love all the colors and never end up with raccoon eyes even though I rub my eyes all the time.

Chameleon Stampede, beauty blog, beauty blogger, First Look Fridays Interview Series, Curly Hair Solutions Curl Keeper Original
Curly Hair Solutions Curl Keeper Original. If you have curls, you have to try it. It’s awesome for keeping curls bouncy and soft and it’s water based.

Chameleon Stampede, beauty blog, beauty blogger, First Look Fridays Interview Series, Too Faced Pink Leopard Blushing Bronzer, makeup
Too Faced Bronzer. They have so many colors that you’ll definitely find a great shade that looks natural and glamorous and they last all day. That’s amazing on my skin because I’m super oily. Nothing lasts on my face.

What are your top 3 beauty tips?
1( Wash your face every night. It’s cliche because it’s true. The difference is huge.

2) Learn techniques for your features. I have hooded lids, so I made it a mission to learn the best eyeshadow application techniques to make my eyes look their best. There are tons of amazing makeup artists online to learn from no matter what feature you want to play up or diminish.

3) Have fun! If you like a bold lip, rock it. If you love the natural look, own it. Trends are fun for sure, but always come back to what makes you happy.

Being a blogger must be fun, but what do you do in your spare time?
Spare time ... hmmmm ... do any of us actually have spare time anymore? Well, I always like to spend time with my boys. I have a husband, a son and a dog that make up “the boys” of the house. I’m the only girl! That’s one of the reasons I decided to start blogging. I needed a place to talk about girl stuff! I also like to make jewelry. I started doing that maybe 8 years ago. Aside from that, I like to decorate my house and to do design work for other people. I’ve recently started doing logos and websites as a side job. I hit a speed bump with that when a number of things happened in my personal life, but I’m hoping to jump back in full force in 2016. I’m really excited to tackle some fun projects! Bringing an idea to life for a blogger or small business is such a great feeling.

In addition to your blog, how can The Beauty of Life readers find you on social media?
You can find me on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram.

13 comments:

  1. Very interesting profile about Mandy! So great to now know how her blog name came about!

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  2. You're so sweet to feature me! Thank you! Hugs <3

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  3. Great write up! I love her blog, it was fun to learn about how she named it!

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  4. I love reading these articles. The most fun is learning how Mandy came up with the name of her blog since I always wondered what it meant.

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  5. I have been curious about Mandy's blog name - thanks for sharing that!

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  6. I love Mandy's blog name and it was fun getting to know her a little.

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  7. What a great interview with Mandy! The way she came up with her blog name is fantastic! I love her blog!

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  8. Yay - such a fab interview with Mandy :D Thanks for having these, I learn so much about the bloggers I love.

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  9. I love Seche Vite too. I thought I lost mine and tore up my house until I found it. Great interview!

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  10. I love the story of her blog name, too cute!

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  11. So cute! I love learning how people come up with their blog names!

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  12. Haha, I hear ya, blogging takes up SO much time! It's cool that you're into designing.

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