Opal Stevens' Beauty Blogger of the Week: Lisa Bensley

I'm very excited to announce this week's Beauty Blogger of the Week - Lisa Bensley! Make sure to follow her blog BeautyByBenz.

How did you get started blogging? 

Working on the business side of the fashion industry for the past 8 years has given me great experience, but I really felt like I needed a creative outlet to express what I thought was beautiful.  Growing up as a woman of mixed ethnicities in a small town, I didn't have a lot of other women like me to talk to about what "beauty" really meant.  I didn't have blonde hair and blue eyes, so I didn't feel like I fit in anywhere.  But then when I moved to NYC and met so many strong, beautiful women that all looked so different, I decided to start blogging about it.  I try to be honest about my struggles, as silly as they may seem, in finding the right foundations, or finding organic beauty products, etc.  This way people can learn from my experiences, so they don't have to spend all their money on products they don't like.  I really enjoy learning about some of the less well-known product lines as well, so that I can tell my readers that this product that they need actually IS out there waiting for them!  All of this has also led me to become a makeup artist so that I can help women feel beautiful every day. It's a great feeling.
 

New Beauty Trend you like? 

I'm really in to brights right now.  MAKE UP FOR EVER does brights in a really wearable, understandable way.  I'd pick up their Rouge Artiste Intense lip color in #40.  It's this aggressively bright orange, but if you just start slowly and build your color little by little, you can get so many different looks out of that one lipstick.
 

Favorite Fashion trend? 

I've always been a little Boho at heart, so I'm loving that these loose, feminine silhouettes are in style now.  I'll take an oversize silk or chiffon dress over a form-fitting bandage dress any day of the week.
 

Favorite Health tip? 

What's inside your body is going to show on your face.  Not that I'm the picture of perfect health, but as a former dance teacher I know that drinking water, eating right, and avoiding processed sugary drinks is good for your body AND your skin.  I don't drink soda or smoke, and I absolutely love eating fruit.  You can spend a lot of money on anti-aging products that are applied topically, but if you're eating a lot of berries, for example, you're getting all those wonderful antioxidants on the inside of your body where they're more effective.  

If you would like to be considered for "Beauty Blogger of the Week," or would like to do a guest post email me at opalstevensblog@gmail.com