Liz Marie / Beauty One Stop Shop

Hello Everyone and Welcome!

We are back with another BIG Yellow Pot Interview and Recipe. We are featuring a gorgeous and strong young woman named Liz. She is a micro-influencer, beauty guru and an entrepreneur launching her lash business in the near future. She is also a proud mother of two and navigating education, business and personal growth. Whether she is giving support to other creators, slaying wigs or providing insight to influencer life through hilarious tiktok’s, Liz can be found on multiple platforms. I was first introduced to her by Shainah M. Andrews, a stunning AND humble woman (who happens to be a 5 star artist, chef and educator). She was on the blog before as well. So when Shainah shared a video of Liz on her Instagram story, I knew Liz was someone that I needed to know. I have been following and supporting her since.

In February, I decided to reach out to Liz to gather some advice for my Valentines Day Mukbang. I haven’t worn makeup (besides Mascara) since 2018. As you could imagine, I needed some serious help. She was so quick to give me multiple tips and sent me a video on an oil eraser for oily skin. If you haven’t seen my Valentines Day video, then go look. I say all this to say, TRUST HER! I looked amazing and it felt good to ask a woman a beauty question and they were genuinely excited to help. In the past, I have been left to read or given the “what works for me may not work for you” speech. Not Liz, she went above and beyond to make me feel beautiful. I will be asking her all the questions about style and makeup from this point on. Such a kind and humble soul for someone so beautiful. Overall, ever since we have been acquainted, she has been truly selfless which I personally think is something that many influencers (no matter how small) could learn from. Liz hopes to be a one-stop-shop for women to find tips on beauty, hair and so much more and I plan to be there! Please welcome Elizabeth St. John to the BIG Yellow Pot.

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Interview

What is something that sets your content apart from other micro influencers?

What sets me apart from other micro influencers is that I am me. As simple as that, being myself is my superpower. No matter what I do and don’t have could never break or make me because at the end of the day I will always be myself. In a world full of people who literally all look and act the same originality will always get me far in life… because there will never be another me!

Tell us more about your upcoming lash business? What are your plans?

I am currently at a standstill right now with my lash business at the moment because I am waiting for my eyelash technician license (because it is still processing). But my plans after I receive my license is to start off by taking clients part time on the weekends because I still do work full time and have no plans on quitting until I get a sturdy clientele.

You mentioned having two young children when we were getting to know one another, how has being a mother influenced your career decisions? Is it hard to balance that career with motherhood?

Oh boy, well let me start by saying that being a mother really never influenced what I picked for my career but influenced how and where I spend my time. You know? If there is something that doesn’t fit into their schedule or is an inconvenience in any way, I’m not doing it. Plain and simple. I recently had an epiphany that I am no longer doing anything that doesn’t make me happy. That right there is my balance. I’ve seen the women in my family, like my aunts and my cousins who are like older sisters to me, make sacrifices and bust their asses to make shit happen and not once did they ever think of themselves. I admire them for their strength and resilience because regardless of what is happening or what is falling apart - they made it happen! I took that very same sentiment and applied that same energy into how I deal with myself because my kids deserve a happy mom just as much as they deserve a happy childhood and happy life. After dealing with postpartum depression after having my second son I’ve been looking inward to deal with my inner child and making sure that I’m investing in myself as much as I’m investing into my job, my kids, my businesses, etc. I put myself first and don’t allow anyone, not even myself, to make me feel guilty for it. That is how I balance

When did you start doing hair? How difficult was it for you to learn to dye, install and create custom wigs?

I started doing hair I believe in the 8th grade! My aunt was a hairdresser and she would always do our hair but as we got older she made us figure it out and do each other’s hair lol. My first real memory of doing hair was when my older sister asked me to “help” her glue in her tracks but somehow I ended up doing her entire head lol. I wouldn’t say that it’s extremely hard to learn how to install and customize units. It truly depends on who you really are . I came from a background of doing hair so it wasn’t really hard for me. I’m a visual learner. I only need to see how to do something once and then do some trial and error- then I got it! Practice really makes perfect when doing hair.

You mentioned becoming a one-stop shop for women and beauty. Why? Where does this passion come from?

The passion I have for having a one stop shop for women and beauty stems from one knowing how difficult it is to book things at a million and one places and also because I know that how you look stems exactly to how you feel. A woman’s mood will be different depending on what her hairstyle is.

I personally struggle with confidence when trying new things with my appearance from time to time. Do you have any advice or encouraging words for women who are afraid to try new things?

The best advice I can give is girl, do it! Remember you are not competing with ANYONE! It's really you vs. you. If it makes you uncomfortable then you need to try it, whether it’s a different color hair, eye shadow, lipstick, etc. GO FOR IT. If you haven’t tried something that makes you in the slightest bit uncomfortable you’re not growing as a person. How are you going to know what you like and don’t like if you don’t try new things? Think about it! How are you going to get to know yourself more if you stay inside your comfort zone?

Who are your biggest influences? Are there any people you look up to or pull inspiration from?

I would have to say the one person who has had the biggest influence on my life would have to be my biological mother. Because of her I know exactly who I don’t want to be like. Every strong, resilient, and unapologetic black woman I have ever came into contact with or have seen interviewed or even spoken to on a public platform is who I pull my inspiration from. You know?

Do you think the world of beauty and food could be linked? Why or why not?

I think it can! When I think of beauty I don’t think of just makeup and things of that nature. I think of skin too! A big part of doing your makeup is making sure you have a good skincare routine. Your skin is like a blank canvas, it is fragile and has to be dealt with as such. You have to take care of your inside as much as you do your outside. What you eat impacts your skin because after all your skin is your biggest organ. Throughout my journey of becoming a micro influencer going into the beauty aspect I realized that I had to take better care of myself by changing some of my eating habits.

If you were a dish, what dish would you think best describes your brand and who you are as a person? Be as descriptive as possible.

If I were a dish I would have to be some type of pasta lol. It’s versatile; you can have it for breakfast, lunch and dinner. I would have to be specifically pasta salad because who doesn't love a good pasta salad? The one that has olives, cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, onions, Parmesan cheese, and a little bit of shrimp.

Anyone can mindlessly consume content on the internet but I sense a greater purpose in your skills regarding beauty and fashion. What would you want people to say or remember about Liz Marie after viewing your content and interacting with your brand?

What I want people to say when they see my content is “I can do that too!” simple as that. The impression that I want to leave on anyone that interacts with my brand is a good one. I want people to remember the quality of any and everything that I do. I want people to be able to tell how much effort that I put into building my brand because it is something that I take very seriously.

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RECIPE : Green Goddess Pasta Salad

WHAT YOU NEED:

- Rotini Pasta

- Cucumber

- Red Bell Pepper

- Red Onion

- Parsley

- Lime Juice

- Lime Zest

- Lemon Juice

- 5 Cloves of Garlic

- 1/3 cup vegetable or canola oil

- Salt, Pepper, Red Pepper Flakes

- Garlic Powder, Onion Powder

- Sugar or Agave Nectar

- Mozzarella Cheese

- Briana's Cilantro Lime Dressing

MORTAR AND PESTLE REQUIRED OR FOOD PROCESSOR

WHAT YOU NEED TO DO:

Boil pasta for recommended time. Cool in refrigerator.

Diced all your cucumber, red onion, red bell pepper and parsley. Put aside in a bowl.

Add lime juice, lemon juice and zest in your diced veggies. Mix well. Season with salt, pepper, garlic and onion powder, red pepper flakes. Stir well.

In a seperate bowl, roughly chop your parsley and garlic (making sure to remove all skin and stems). 5 cloves of garlic go into a mortar and pestle, grind until its a paste. Add in your parsley and grind until its a bright green paste. I added sea salt and canola oil to aid in the process.

Once you have your herb and garlic paste, stir into your pasta until evenly coated. Squeeze some lemon juice and add more salt. A tad bit of agave won't hurt to calm the acidity.

Add in your seasoned veggies and a 1/2 cup of cilantro lime dressing. Stir well. Taste and season accordingly for balance. This salad usually has avocado in it but I didn't include it this time. If you want max benefits, add avocado and cherry tomatoes for more skin benefits.

Cool and serve with mozzarella cheese on top and more fresh parsley. Enjoy!