Beauty Is Her Name
I gained a friend, I was able to photograph a beautiful person, and learn more about this up and coming beauty brand. BrittKBeauty…
It’s November, y’all! I blinked and the entire month of October is gone! Can you believe that soon, we will be celebrating Christmas, then the New Year?? WHOA!!! I know. I’ve been so busy working on re-branding, my Christmas EP and just being more present in my family, I almost forgot to write! I haven’t forgotten about you! I’ve been taking in some cool experiences to share with you.
If you know me, you know, I never meet a stranger. I’m as cool around a celebrity that I’ve met, as I am with my cousins. But let me tell you, I was so excited when I saw Ms. Britt Knight standing on her porch. Her face was flawless and her smile was just as inviting as it is every morning around 6 am, when she gets on FaceBook live to give us the daily beat. Beauty is her name; and it is fitting because that’s also her brand. BrittKBeauty is just that; Britt and beauty.
Beauty and the beat..
When I messaged Britt about a collaboration interview and make up session, I wasn’t sure what to expect. The truth of the matter is, she has a family, job, beauty brand…when would she have time?? Let’s not forget, we don’t know each other… in real life. Well, fast forward and magic happened. I gained a friend, I was able to photograph a beautiful person, and learn more about this up and coming beauty brand.
This is what sisterhood and working together looks like for ladies this day and age. There are so many avenues we can take to comparison, discouragement, false sense of failure, and lack, but If we work with each other, the only option is success. BrittKBeauty stands for all of this, to me. After spending time with Britt, I’m convinced that her heart is set to make us ALL better, including herself. She truly wants to encourage us all to be beautiful, encouraged and free to be ourselves. She’s as uplifting as she is beautiful and I am so thankful we connected.
Passion, beauty, legacy and encouragement. That’s what we share. We talked about our kids, our families, some of our struggles, issues and dreams. There are so many things that we look for in friends these days and with social media, the word “friend” is relative. When I met Britt, in person, I knew there was something about her that was different. She wasn’t just another YouTuber or Instagram or FaceBook famous person who was all about themselves. You can automatically tell that the minute she pops up on Facebook live everyday. Britt genuinely wants to help ladies love their beauty. She’s a sweet soul. A wife, mother, full time employee, has over 19k followers on instagram, a beauty page on FaceBook that has over 30k people who follow and she still manages to be one of the sweetest, most patient people I have ever met.
We literally hung out for hours. She did my makeup, I asked questions, got the rundown of all the beauty brands she has been contacted by and we literally talked like we had known each other for years. I kept As we spoke we learned that we have so many similarities to our lives and personalities. Britt gave me the inside scoop on her next steps in this beauty game as well as her ultimate goal for BrittKBeauty. By the time our girl time was over, her beautiful family came and that is when I met the fabulously famous Miss Em, who helped herself to her own make up session. Em makes her presence felt most with her little voice in the mornings during Britt’s FaceBoook live videos. Her family was so sweet. On my way home, my makeup was so good, I had to take a selfie at the gas station! I couldn’t stop staring at her artwork on my face. It was incredible.
As I looked around the room that was dedicated to all things beauty, I was in awe of who this person was. She was real, genuinely sweet and creatively brilliant. Going to meet with Britt, I was unsure of what she would be like in person. Would she look the same? Would she really be nice? Is she going to be crazy…? Honey, you just never know. Turns out, inside this room with beautiful artwork, cool music and every make up item, brush and spray you could ever imagine, there was an equally beautiful person waiting to share her heart with me. She was incredible! Britt allowed me to photograph her space, her look for the day and I was able to get shots of Miss Emily! We had an amazing time. The best part of the night was that I gained a legitimate friend. What Britt didn’t know is that I’m also doing a new thing with photography and this meeting was my first lifestyle/brand shoot. I am forever grateful to her for allowing me the opportunity.
With the hustle and bustle of our social media driven life, it’s hard to see true beauty in people. Everywhere we look, you see a new trend, new fad or new technique used to get the perfect look. Meeting with Britt gave me hope that there are still people out there who are authentic. Before I left, Britt shared her heart with me regarding the impact she wants to make on the beauty industry. With a new website launching soon, family, different events and her daily wake up and slay routine, Britt is a busy woman. With the number of followers and supporters accumulated in such a short time, you would think that she would be self-centered or focused on what she could gain to get ahead, but she’s not. Britt is super intelligent, kind hearted, down to earth and she loves what she does. We talked about make up application techniques and tips on how to care for your skin. Despite seeing absolutely nothing but perfection on her face, Britt was so humble. I’m so grateful to have gained a true friend.
The obligatory selfie after the magic. We had so much fun!
The beauty industry, like most things in life, is a constant competition. Collaboration is the key to making moves no matter what you do. It’s biblical. In the Bible, Matthew 18:20 clearly tells us where two or three are gathered, God is in the midst; and we know wherever He is, we win! That’s why we need collaboration. When we take hold of that principle, we, personally and as a community will literally be able to move mountains. Sadly, many of us have the “crabs in a bucket” mentality. We must have the mindset that builds a platform where we all win. No matter what, we should never step on our fellow sister to catapult us forward. Instead, we should reach out, grab her hand and say, “ Come on, girl! Let’s do this thing together!”
Britt is one of those girls. Her heart is set on continuing to teach this craft that she so passionately loves. She doesn’t want to hold all the pieces to this puzzle of success, instead, she wants to share everything she knows in order to have all of us who watch her daily, complete it with her. There are so many things that are on the horizon for this new brand, BrittKBeauty, but this is just the tip of the iceberg. Britt Knight is an amazing, gorgeous, pure hearted soul who just so happens to love a good lash, bold lip and highlighter that can be seen from the moon. She is my friend.
Stay tuned to Britt. In such a short time, literally 2 and a half years, Britt has started building a legacy that started with her grandmother’s love of makeup passed to Britt, who, in turn, passed the passion to her youngest daughter. It’s beautiful to watch and even better knowing the type of person she is. She deserves it. I hope you enjoy the images. It was amazing to be able to capture just a small piece of her life. Britt is good people, as my North Carolina family would say. She’s the real deal in life and art. There is no limit for her brand. I’m just glad I have been able to watch it grow.
You can catch her Facebook live every morning, 6 A.M-ish (as she says), Eastern Standard Time. Her social media is BrittKBeauty on FB and @BrittKBeauty on Instagram.
Beauty is truly her name….
BrittKBeauty
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Happy For You
Ladies, (gentlemen too) we’re in the relay of life, not the 100 meter race. Each one of us pass the baton to the other in order to finish. We need each other from start to finish to win. If we drop the baton, we’re disqualified. Never forget that.
My summer has been super busy. I realized it’s been a while since I last wrote. So much to share! I’m back, folks. I’m back! A few weeks ago I was asked to sing and be a part of an absolutely gorgeous wedding ceremony. Not only were there so many beautiful personal touches, but the artistry was captured to perfection by the amazing couple of David and Drew Photography. The day was wonderful and the connections made were unforgettable. Everything was stunning. When Amanda asked me to sing at her wedding, I was honored. Singing in a wedding ceremony is amazing. It’s a time that you’re able to share your gift with the couple that they’ll have forever. As I sat and waited for the ceremony to start, I looked around and smiled at the thoughtfulness and love that went into each detail. The space was a family homestead, transformed into an oasis of love for this couple. The photography was so tastefully done and I truly believe that Amanda and Brandon will have memories for a lifetime and generations to come with every image.
David and Drew Photography
When I’m attending an event and I see photographers work, it always peaks my interest what the final result will be. I get excited to see how they tell the story; even when it isn’t mine. On this day, watching the crew of David and Drew was magical. Not only could you tell they were capturing the essence of the day, but they were beautiful people as well. They were beautifully dressed, polite, thoughtful and passionate.
When Whitney (Drew) asked if she could take my picture, I was shocked and thankful. Usually, the wedding singer doesn’t get a photo in the album; but today was different. Like I said, this crew was thoughtful. We spoke and briefly made a connection. We talked about our names, their photography, my blog and collaborating. Since meeting, we’ve spoken and Whitney has given me tips on photography. No competition, just love. I can’t wait to work with them again.
As women, we find a way to use our gifts to help each other. This day was no different. We used what we had to celebrate Amanda and Brandon. Everyone, especially my little one, was so happy, encouraging and excited for them. My daughter couldn’t wait to hug our life-sized Barbie, Amanda, after the ceremony.
David and Drew Photography
Plenty of room
Don’t you wish life could be like this more often? Too many times, I’ve noticed that people generally have a hard time truly being happy for one another. Behind the smiles, there is always an sense of comparison or slight resentment, maybe even sadness. Surprisingly, I’ve experienced sharing dreams and aspirations for a new skill or platform with ladies (some I called friends) who were already in that particular profession or using that platform and having the awkward moment where I could tell they didn’t want to help or want me to do it. It’s the strangest feeling. I’ve also had the opposite happen where my friend would say, “YES!! There’s room for you!!” Sometimes it makes you question your friendships…
I wonder why we struggle to be happy for each other. Is it because we don’t have the level of accomplishment we want or we feel we’ll suffer from someone else’s success? I know I’m not the only one who feels this way. Other ladies tell me about similar situations with longtime friends or acquaintances who were afraid or hesitant to help. It’s unfortunate and hard to understand. Ladies, (gentlemen too) we’re in the relay of life, not the 100 meter race. Each one of us pass the baton to the other in order to finish. We need each other from start to finish to win. If we drop the baton, we’re disqualified. Never forget that. We have to make sure we’re constantly lifting and loving one another. It’s literally one of the 10 Commandments. Mark 12:31:
“… 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'
There is no commandment greater than these.”
Could it be we have difficulty loving and being happy for ourselves? Could it be that we’re actually living the second Commandment? It tells us to love our neighbor as ourselves, and because we struggle to love ourselves, we do a poor job of loving others. We struggle being happy for others because we struggle to be happy for ourselves. Seems strange, but its true. When we begin to see God in everything we do first, then we’ll be able to boldly acknowledge and be grateful for the good in our own lives. If we can get to that point, We can love others the way we’re supposed to love. We can truly love as the Commandments require us.
I want to leave you with this thought: find the good, better yet, the great in what you do; large or small. If you have the opportunity to help someone grow or get started in your field of expertise, do it. If you’ve got a friend who is interested in doing what you do, help them. They need encouragement, and in their eyes, you’re one of their best resources. They look up to you. Don’t fear their success. Be a friend. Remember, your gift makes room for you, (Proverbs 18:16) and there’s plenty of room for us all. Let’s develop a deep love for ourselves so we can truly love others. When we connect, we grow. This ceremony reminded me of that very thing. Together we can literally do anything, most of all, love. We can help each other connect, celebrate and truthfully say, “ I’m happy for you.”
David and Drew Photography