In a world where public transportation has never been easier or more accessible and our schedules just won’t slow down, you may have found yourself in a dreaded moment of needing to do your makeup on the go during your morning commute. It’s never an ideal situation, but most definitely necessary on those mornings you hit snooze one too many times. I’ve observed many people executing this task, the most impressive of which was a woman applying mascara in a crowded train — while standing. Mind. Blown. This is not a task I’d advise the average, unrehearsed gal to attempt, but there are a few morning routine tips and tricks of the trade that I find extremely helpful for moments when you’re in a commuter-beauty bind. I even took a day to travel throughout SF with our beauty photographer Kurt Andre to make sure this routine was possible on every form of public transportation. Read on for three game-changing hacks and some words of advice for doing your makeup on the go.
Hack 1: Strategically Pack Your Travel Beauty Bag
– stick foundation
– stick concealer
– stick bronzer
– stick blush
– stick shadow
– dual-ended brow pencil
– mini mascara
– eyeliner
– lipstick/lipgloss
– compact powder (with mirror)
For my travel makeup bag, I used the trèStiQue Essential 8 Set ($175), which you can custom build with your colors. This particular kit is my go-to because each product comes in stick form, which is ideal to use while traveling. Not to mention, it’s a major space saver. I ended up using a different makeup bag than the one it came with because I added more products to my travel kit. You’ll want a travel-size mascara because it’s easier to hold while in motion. I love my Benefit Roller Lash Mascara Deluxe Mini ($12). Finally, get a two-for-one by packing a powder compact with a mirror and brush built in. I’m using Benefit Cosmetics “Hello Flawless!” Powder Foundation ($34).
Real talk — public transportation is fantastically convenient for the most part, but atrociously unsanitary if you’re planning on touching your face. Make sure you have a hand sanitizer at the ready before diving into your routine. You’ll also want to have tissues to wipe your fingers between each makeup product, since you’re probably not using brushes and you don’t want to accidentally smudge the wrong hue in the wrong place.
Hack 2: Be Prepared
Step 1: After you’ve sanitized your hands, apply your foundation, followed by concealer and then bronzer. Blend in gently with your fingers. The trèStiQue set I have actually has built-in brushes on the other end of each product to help blend, which is super clutch!
Hack 3: Nail Your 5-Minute Commuter Face from Start to Finish
Step 2: Next, smile and get that sun-kissed glow by adding blush to the apples of your cheeks. I literally saw three different women on the train doing their makeup while shooting this tutorial. The struggle is real!
Step 3: Don’t skip your brows just because you’re on the go! Instead, choose a moment when you’re waiting for your ride.
Eyeliner can be a SCARY thing when you’re moving, but you
get it done. Same rules apply as above — make sure you’re at a standstill or in very slow motion before getting to this move. Listen: If I can do this on a bus, you can too!
Step 5: Apply mascara with caution! Having the travel size really does help you control the wand for this part of your routine.
Final Moves: Wait for your walk from the train/bus/curb to apply the face powder that will set your makeup. The lighting is often insane on public transportation, so you’ll want that final step done in natural light where you can make sure everything is blended and in place. Finally, add your lips, and voilà! You’re fresh faced, glowing and ready to tackle your day!
See ya out there!
Welcome to Selfmade Finance School, our new money series with Block Advisors to help small business owners with their tax, bookkeeping, and payroll needs year-round. This week, we explore the tax implications of bringing family members into your business.
The question for today is this: Does hiring your family members make sense for your business? Let me be clear. This is not a piece about whether hiring your family members makes sense for your relationships with those family members. As someone who is part of a family business, I could fill up a lot more than 600 words on my opinions about that. For today's purposes, we focus on whether it makes sense from an overall "good business and tax implication" perspective. As it turns out, there is a decent amount of tax nuance when it comes to employing your family. Let's break it down based on relationship to the employee:
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Spouses Who Are In Business Together
Personally, if I had to be in business with my husband, it would not go well. However, many couples build viable, strong businesses together and I say, good for them! Depending on how you have your business entity structured, it will make a big difference on the tax treatment of you and your spouse working as partners. Because a business jointly owned and operated by a married couple is generally treated as a partnership for Federal tax purposes, the spouses must comply with filing and record keeping requirements imposed on partnerships and their partners. The election to file two Schedule C (Form 1040) forms, (one for each spouse) permits certain married co-owners to avoid filing partnership returns, provided that each spouse separately reports a share of all the businesses' items of income, gain, loss, deduction, and credit. Under the election, both spouses will be subject to self-employment tax and on net earnings from self-employment and receive credit for Social Security earnings.
One Spouse Employs Another
If you have a dynamic where your spouse is an employee of your business, then your spouse's wages are subject to income tax withholding, Social Security and Medicare taxes. If you are self-employed (not a corporation or a partnership), your spouse's pay does not have to be included in your federal unemployment tax account (FUTA) contributions and payments. However, if your business is a corporation or a partnership you must include that spouse's pay in your unemployment tax contribution calculation.
Kobu Agency for Unsplash
You Employ Your Child
First, let's be clear. I work in my family business, but I am an adult, so I am treated just like a normal employee. However, if you, for example, run a family restaurant and want to hire your children under 18 to work for you, there are some tax benefits. But first, you should check with your state for rules on how many hours minors can work (in non-agricultural jobs) and reference the Fair Labor Standards Act for information on limitations on the kinds of work children can perform.
"This is an often overlooked or under-utilized strategy. Paying your children for true services they provide in your business can be a powerful tax-saving tool," says Cathi Reed, Block Advisors Regional Director. "If you are a sole-proprietorship or single member LLC, and the child is less than 18 years of age, the business is not required to withhold FICA or payroll taxes. The child can use his or her standard deduction against income you pay."
You Hire Your Parent
Oh dear. If you are brave enough to do this, know that you will need to pay Social Security and Medicare taxes on your parent's wages and make the appropriate withholdings, but you don't have to pay unemployment taxes. Now all you have to do is convince your parent that you are the boss. Have fun with that!
Is Hiring Family Members Worth It For The Tax Benefits?
"There are some positive tax advantages to hiring family members. It's important to treat a family member like any other employee. Hiring your children can result in substantial savings for businesses. Make sure your child has real, age-appropriate work to do and a reasonable pay rate, comparable to other employees. Consult with a Block Advisors small business certified tax pro to ensure that you are complying with all requirements," advises Reed. "Block Advisors, a team within H&R Block, is dedicated to meeting the tax, bookkeeping and payroll needs of small business owners year-round. To start working with the tax experts at Block Advisors, visit blockadvisors.com."
In my opinion, you should not hire a family member solely because of the tax benefits. You should always hire based on whether that person is right for the job and keep in mind how this hire could materially impact your relationship with that person and others in your family. Finally, as I mentioned, make sure you have a tax professional on your team when making these determinations. As you can see, things can get a little tricky!
*All details were sourced from IRS.gov and blockadvisors.com
The opinions expressed in this commentary are those of the author and may not necessarily reflect those held by Kestra Investment Services, LLC or Kestra Advisory Services, LLC. This is for general information only and is not intended to provide specific investment advice or recommendations for any individual. It is suggested that you consult your financial professional, attorney, or tax advisor with regards to your individual situation. Comments concerning the past performance are not intended to be forward looking and should not be viewed as an indication of future results. Securities offered through Kestra Investment Services, LLC (Kestra IS), member FINRA/SIPC. Investment advisory services offered through Kestra Advisory Services, LLC (Kestra AS), an affiliate of Kestra IS. O'Keeffe Financial Partners and any other entity listed herein is not affiliated with Kestra IS or Kestra AS Investor Disclosures: https://bit.ly/KF-Disclosures