Listen to Lena

Perfecting the Art of Conversuasion

The Not-So-Viral Picture You Loved

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There are so many buzzwords in social media today: trending, clickability, engagement, advertainment… I could go on. And on.

But the single most overused buzzword? Viral. As in, “My Facebook post went viral! It was liked and shared a gazillion times.”

Amazing! And having a “viral” post or picture is certainly a measurement of success – one that should be both applauded and respected. (Unless you’re spamming people with voting requests, “earn $100/hour” ads or funny animal pictures. Then you’re not a viral success; you’re a douche.)

Unfortunately, I’ve never experienced the high of having a viral post or image, but I have received amazing feedback and engagement from a few posts in particular. It’s a nice feeling! Of course, when I published the following picture last Thursday, clearly I had no idea it would be received so well…

It’s just a photo of me and the Director of Menu Management at McDonald’s Canada, Anne Parks – from the post They Came. They Tasted. They Savoured the Flavour. I didn’t think much about it until over the course of the next few days, my inbox was filled with questions about my hair, beauty routine, makeup and wardrobe. Er… I’m flattered, friends!

And while I would normally just respond to e-mails individually, I thought this was a great way to share the “secrets” of my beauty routine. (Prepare to be underwhelmed. Seriously – I’m pretty much no-frills and no-fuss.) Below is a collection of questions I received stemming from the photo I posted on Thursday – except the first, which I received a few weeks ago and just had to include!

Hi Gorgeous – Do you do botox?!? Your skin is flawless. Secret safe with me if its a yes – please tell me where you go! xo – R

LOL! I wish I was interesting enough to have a reason to botox, but alas, the kindergarten carpool in sweatpants does not necessitate a smooth and wrinkle-free forehead. I am, however, blessed with good genes – and I do use a “miracle” cream called Olay Regenerist Micro-Sculpting Serum. It is seriously the best thing you can ever put on a problem area; just a few dabs on fine lines and they disappear like magic.

Since I only use it from time to time (usually for big events), I’ve had the same bottle for almost three years! A little goes a looong way.

Love your orange dress! Where did you get it? – A

It’s my “little orange dress” from the Old Navy Fall/Winter 2013 collection. A steal at under $30; it originally came paired with a black belt, but I swapped it for a pink belt to add a punch of fun colour!

Hi Lena! Love your pictures! I’m desperate for a good foundation and I’ve got the same tanned skintone, though you’re a little darker. If you don’t mind me asking, can you recommend a foundation or share what you use? – J

Er… I actually don’t use foundation. (Good genes, remember?) I dab a little concealer under my eyes (my go-to is Vasanti Liquid Cover Up in V3). It’s a light formula that blends seamlessly into the skin, and because I do have a darker complexion, under-eye circles are my biggest beauty nemesis. Otherwise, I skip the foundation/powder and simply go with a little blush (CARGO Beach Blush).

Hey Lena – your eyes really pop in the photo you just posted! Tips for making eyes stand out? – V

Absolutely. First and foremost, make sure you have perfectly groomed brows. The very purpose of your eyebrows are to frame your eyes and allow them to stand out. If you have sparse, thin or wonky eyebrows, it’ll be hard for your eyes to be front and center. So, find a great tweezer (I recommend Tweezerman) and a great brow pencil (I love CoverGirl Brow & Eye Makers).

Next, I think I’ve found my absolute favourite mascara ever. Seriously, it’s true love. It’s L’Oréal Voluminous Million Lashes. I endorse this claim in its entirety: For lashes that look a million times multiplied and perfectly defined, there’s only one mascara – NEW Voluminous Million Lashes. The built-in Clean Sweep Wiping System wipes the brush free of clumps leaving the perfect amount of mascara for an ultra-volumized clean lash look. The Millionizing Brush evenly thickens lashes from root to tip. The result? Lashes look so multiplied, so clean, it’s like seeing millions. Love, love, LOVE it.

Nice picture but I prefer you better with dark hair! – A

That’s not really a question, but thank you! I know many prefer me with dark hair – including God, who obviously created me that way! The thing is, I feel better with light hair. With my highlights I speak differently, act differently, see the world differently. My entire persona changes, and I just have a greater sense of being “Lena”. I feel more vivacious, spunky and lighthearted. It’s just so me.

Hi! Love your blog Lena! Are you wearing lipstick or lipgloss in your recent pic? Where can I find it? – T

I’m wearing Buxom Big & Healthy Lip Cream in Berry Blast – you can find it at Sephora! There is a plumping element to the lip gloss, so get ready to feel a minty tingle when applied.

Thank you so much to everyone who took the time to contact me with a question, kudo or compliment. No, it’s not a viral picture… but y’all obviously loved it, so thank you! Also, for those who have been too shy to e-mail me with questions, obviously there’s no need to hold back – I receive messages all the time and am happy to chat with you! xoxo

Reader Interactions

Comments

  2. Debbie Bashford

    I have to agree with the people that emailed you, you look gorgeous, orange is your colour!

    • Lena

      Thank you Debbie :) It was actually a nice weekend – sometimes, I received e-mails from readers telling me how much I suck!! LOL, so it was great to receive so many kind notes!

  3. Alisha

    I just about spit my coffee all over the place when I read that first comment! Botox really?? Girl you got good genes! And I agree with everyone else – LOVE that dress!

    • Lena

      Thanks Alisha!!! Yeah, I totally did a double take when I read the e-mail! BUT, I suppose it’s not as uncommon as we think…

  4. Victoria Ess

    Aw, that’s so flattering that ladies are emailing to ask you for beauty tips, and with that picture, it totally makes sense! Also, I totally second the Voluminous nomination — they totally make my eyes pop.

    • Lena

      Ah, LOVE that you love Voluminous Mascara! It’s been a long time since I’ve come across a drugstore mascara that is so very awesome, and affordable! And thank you for the kind words :)

  5. Flora M

    You look good in everything you wear Lena ! Unfortunately I can’t wear orange or yellow (they make me look like I just landed from another planet – green LOL). I seriously need to check out Old Navy (or Banana Republic)more often, you seem to find the most amazing things there. :o)

    • Lena

      Thank you Flora! I’m a huge fan of comfortable, casual dresses, and I happen to find a lot at Old Navy and BR. Curiously though, never GAP! Which is funny since they’re all in the same family of stores.

  6. Ella Pretty Blog

    You look gorgeous in that photo – you always do :-)

    I’m so glad you posted the answers to these questions in a post – as I’m always obsessed with learning about everybody’s beauty routines & secrets LOL!

    Your skin is AMAZING – you have such luminous skin, and you don’t even need foundation – SUCH lucky genes :-)

    I have a question for you – what’s your skincare routine – what do you use in the morning & evening to cleanse and moisturize your face?

    • Lena

      Thanks Ella! I also love hearing about fave products, and since I received so many e-mails in a short amount of time, thought this was the perfect time to share!

      So skincare. I use The Body Shop Chamomile Eye Makeup Remover to remove my eye makeup, and swipe it over my cheeks to remove my blush. That’s it – I don’t cleanse (other than rubbing my face in the shower, LOL) and I don’t moisturize.

      I know you’re probably thinking – what??? The thing is, since I don’t wear foundation, there’s no makeup to remove. And I don’t see a point in removing the natural oils from my face… only to replace them with synthetic oils in moisturizers. So I’ve NEVER really cleansed or moisturized – just plain water every morning in the shower. And I know that may sound completely crazy to you – but I think just allowing my skin to breathe every day has gone a long way to keep it looking great! xo

      • Ella Pretty Blog

        I used to love the Body Shop Eye Makeup Remover…I should revisit it for sure!

        Your skincare routine totally makes sense for me – both my mother and sister have similar skin types – their skin actually looks better when they just leave it as is & only use water to cleanse. Neither of them need foundation and both look very youthful!

        Me on the other hand – it’s not pretty when I tried their routine LOL! Spot-city…my skin’s natural oils hate me ;-P

        • Lena

          Sounds like you know exactly what I’m talking about! I remember as a teenager, it was impressed on us to “wash, wash, wash” to have clear skin. But every single time I’d start cleansing/ moisturizing, I’d immediately break out! Otherwise, my skin was fab – so I learned pretty quickly to just leave it alone :)

          Alas, it’s all how your skin’s natural oils behave, like you said. Curious – which cleanser/ moisturizer do you use?

          • Ella Pretty Blog

            I’m currently using Spectrojel face wash & Neutrogena Oil-free moisturizer (both recommended by my derm). At night I also Clinique Take the Day Off balm to pre-cleanse – it’s amazing!

            I’ve recently started reading/following Caroline Hiron’s beauty blog – she has so much knowledge as an insider in the UK beauty industry…and her tips have really helped my skin improve :-)

  7. Tenille

    Love this post! Great advice and tips and product recommendations from an honest non-endorsed place!! ;)

    P.S. If you had been holding a cat in that photo? Amazeballs viral success. Fail, Lena.

    • Lena

      Thanks Lisa! It’s funny. When I was younger, my mom always said to me, “Keep your natural hair. Don’t mess with it, it looks best the way it is.” NOW, every time I go back to darker hair, my mom says – “I prefer you with blonde highlights”. Hahaha I guess it grew on her too!

  9. Raj @Pink Chai Style

    You look amazing in this picture and I scrolled up like 6 times when you said you don’t wear foundation – lucky girl, you have awesome skin! Love your comments on your hair, you totally own your look obviously. Have really been enjoying your blog:)

    Raj

    • Lena

      Thanks so much Raj! And yet, when I look at your avatar with your lovely, shiny, voluminous dark hair, I have a stab of uncertainly and think I want to go dark again! :)

  10. Sydney D

    I like your hair both ways. It is more interesting blonde I think if you know what I mean! :) (It’s not just a flat colour) It’s a compliment though :) I wouldn’t listen to people who say your hair looked better before.

    • Lena

      :) I do know what you mean. And the truth is, just the fact that a reader was motivated to e-mail me and tell me they prefer it a certain way actually tickles me pink – because it means they care enough to tell me, hahaha! Thanks Sydney!

  11. Soozle

    Thanks for sharing your tips, Lena! You are truly a natural beauty – both inside and out!

  12. Tricha

    Love the Old Navy dress and I do have to say that bold colours (especially orange) look great on you. It’s your complexion!

    • Lena

      Thanks Tricha! I actually just started getting into orange-y clothing – I’m usually a fuchsia girl. But I agree, bold colours are great! xx

  13. Heidi C.

    I would be petrified to wear orange but you look amazing in that dress. And I bet that Shoppers is going to see a big run on Olay Regenerist Micro-Sculpting Serum – your skin looks lovely!

    • Lena

      :) Thanks Heidi! Actually I’ve seen the serum on sale at Walmart from time to time, so that may be a less expensive option (it’s about $33 at Walmart, whereas at Shoppers it’s more like $40+).

      • Heidi C.

        Hello Walmart! Thanks for the great tip! I always forget to try Walmart because ours has a relatively small beauty section but I am always amazed at what I find at a better price!

        • Lena

          You’ll ALWAYS find the best prices for drugstore makeup at Walmart, unless it’s on sale somewhere else. Enjoy!

  14. Doris Calvert

    I was going to ask a question but then thought I would look like a stalker and it was answered, love the lip color, the rest I already knew it was because you already look that way even with no make up!! Sigh, some of us need a little make up, some a lot and then there are those like you that don’t need any! You always look good.

    • Lena

      Thanks Doris! You’re right; I don’t need a lot of make-up. But I do need: tons of de-frizzing product, a curling iron, Spanx, a firm support bra…. LOL, I’m far from a “natural” beauty!

      And you can e-mail me any time! I know you’re not a stalker :) Other fuchsia shades I use frequently: Vasanti’s “Denmark” lipstick; MAC tinted lipglass in “Pink Poodle”, and Maybelline Super Stay lipstick in “Fuchsia Forever”.

  15. Bewildered Bug

    Hi Lena,

    I love that dress – I may go look for it! And great idea with the pink belt! I’m so not that adventurous! I know how you feel about people preferring you to look one way and you feeling more confident the other way – go for it chica – whatever makes you feel your best is the way to go – after all, you cannot take care others until you take care of yourself and present the best you.

    I use the Vasanti cover up too – unfortunately I have lots of marks – but it covers them up a lot. I used either V8 or V10 – depending on the time of year….I didn’t realize you were so much lighter than I!!!

    Beautiful photo and excellent post – thanks for sharing!

    • Lena

      Thanks so much Serena! I love this: “You cannot take care others until you take care of yourself and present the best you.” << So true! One of the reasons I love V3 is because it's my PERFECT match!

  16. Holly

    I’m jealous you don’t need foundation, lol. Thanks for sharing your answers! Love the dress as well… super cute. Old Navy has some cute finds!

  20. Laird N Crystal

    LOL that is so funny about the botox, I mean what do people think….just because your have beautiful flawless skin means that you get botox? Your gorgeous the way you are :) ~Crystal

    • Lena

      Thanks Vanda! It’s a serum that fills in fine lines – it’s not so much a moisturizer as it camouflages. So, you could certainly give it a try!

  22. Jenny

    Thank you for sharing, Lena! I am definitely going to pick up the Olay serum! More beauty posts! :)

  23. Parent Club

    You have the perfect skin tone to rock orange (and I’m pretty sure I’ve seen you pull off hot pink n’est pas?!). Shows courage and comfort in your own skin. You go girl.

  27. jan

    hahaha. even though the botox question is fabulous, i love the ‘what foundation do you use?’ when you don’t. i must admit to great envy of those with skin such as yours.

  29. Susan T.

    You look great and that dress is fantastic! Isn’t it awesome to get a steal at Old Navy and have it be such a show stopper?