Embracing Savvy with Rotasha Lewis

Hey friends! If you've been following along, you know I've been interviewing some fun oily ladies about either their journey with oils or an area of oily life that they really love. This post is focused on Savvy Minerals with my girl Rotasha Lewis. Just the thought of her makes me smile. She just glows you guys. I love her so much!

A: Hey Lady! What’s up?!?!? Thank you so much for taking time to do this with me! I am so excited to chat Makeup and Oils with you. I know you are in the car on your way home so let’s just cut to the chase and get down to business so we are done by the time you get home. Sound good?

R: Listen I’ve got a long drive.

A: Awesome! Ok, so to get us started Rotasha, would you just tell us about you? Who is Rotasha?

R: Okay, well I am a wife of almost 11 years. I have 4 children. 3 from a previous marriage and 1 from this marriage. My husband has adopted my 2 girls as well. I am a nurse, I have been a nurse for about 14 years. I am relatively new to oiling. I got my starter kit about a year and a half ago. At the time, I was lonely and the person who introduced me to Young Living was really nice and I was willing to get a kit and host a class so she’d be my friend. As much as I‘ve fallen in love with her I’ve fallen in love with the oils and the company as well. That’s me in a nutshell.

A: I had no idea that you were so new to oils!

R: Oh totally new, but you know I don’t half do anything. So, when I went in, I went all the way in. I actually got my kit a month or 2 before convention and Savvy was the first non oily product I tried. When I saw all the info from convention I was so excited as I had used mineral makeup for decades.

A: We’re going to talk about some of that later. So that was the convention where savvy was launched?

R: Yes

A: Awe cool! I had been blessed as I had used Savvy when it was still Melissa’s company. I got to learn it first hand from her and others at large and small events here in MN.

R: So that explains how you got to be such an expert with it. I was just blown away and loved watching your tutorials. You were just so fun and relaxed and funny. Who knew I’d be talking to you now.

A: I had no idea that you watched my videos.

R: I did. I got kind of star struck. I think the first time you messaged me I almost passed out. I was like "oh my gosh she liked my Savvy post!"

A: I am just taken aback. I don't even know what to say. Gosh! (laughing)

R: I was so tickled. I am sure I called people and told them. I had really no concept for how many people were really paying attention to what I was doing. So, when I went to convention last year and there were people coming up to me from all over the world talking to me, I was surprised. I had no idea people were watching the videos and watching me. It was just me ad my daughter when we started our group.

A: I think it’s crazy how we influence people way more than we think.

R: I agree.

A: Ok so, before we dive into makeup. Would you do me the favor of sharing your oily story more specifically? What really made you take the leap into the essential oil world?

R: I met Natalie at a craft fair. I was having a terrible day and just needed to get out of the house. I think it was the day before mothers day. I went to the bathroom and washed my hands and was like, I need this soap. It was the thieves hand soap and Natalie had put her card on it and it said to come check out her booth. I went to buy some soap and just hung around talking to her. She had all these fliers about classes and I said I’d have one. I invited all the people I knew but no one was coming. I tried to cancel the class and I felt so bad. My 17 year old gave me the riot act and so I called Natalie back and she still came. AND I ended up with 5 or 6 other guests and we had a sip and sniff with wine and cheese. I don’t normally drink but since it was a social situation I drank a little more than normal. I have a heart issue and alcohol can cause it to act up. I went outside to breath and try to slow my heart rate. My daughter came out. I was like I have a house of guests and I need you to get your dad so I can go to the emergency room. My daughter said I should ask Natalie if she had oils to help. Natalie looked up some information and gave me a drop of oil to put over the left side of my chest. I was wearing my apple watch and I literally watched my heart rate slow down. I was sold. I bought the kit having no idea what I'd do with anything else. So, I got my kit and began experimenting with diffuser blends, making skin care and hair care products and it just started this new way of life.

A: I love that, what an awesome story. I love how you ended that story with skin care and hair care products. AND DIY, it shows we can do this in cost effective ways. And what a perfect transition. So, all of us gals have a different approach to beauty or skin care. I am currently in a season where basically washing my face and getting a serum and or moisturizer on is what I can do. I go in phases of being able to do more but with a toddler in the house, sometimes we are tucked in bed before I can even do the basics. I look forward to the day I can pamper myself a bit before bed. So, would you tell me a bit about your skin care or beauty protocol? Like what do you follow on the daily basis

R: I will tell you first of all my skin care regimen is like meditation. Getting ready in the morning is really the only time I get alone in the quiet. I get up extra early so I am not rushed. I usually use the Mirah cleansing oil. Then I spray my face with Lavaderm. Next while my face is a little damp I apply Manuka essential oil with my finger tips and let it soak in. If I feel like I am irritated or my skin is irritated I follow with peace & calming or chamomile. I then follow with Sherlume and I put on sandalwood moisturizer afterwards. I always put the Sherlume and Sandalwood into the palm of my hand to soak up any residual essential oils first. And then, I start my Savvy.

A: When you say irritated. Do you mean you are irritated or skin is irritated. Could that mean emotionally irritated?

R: Yes either emotionally irritated or if my skin is irritated. Even if I apply to my skin I get the aromatherapy benefits.

A: Nice! So lets go through your basic daily Savvy routine.

R: After I have moisturized which is really really important to me as my skin is so dry. Savvy does not like dry skin. Oh and some times I do the primer, sometimes I don’t as I haven’t noticed a huge difference. Then I have some areas of darkness on the bridge of my nose, so while my skin is still fairly moist, like while it’s still damp I will bake on my Warm 3 on those dark areas on the bridge of my noise and under my eyes. Then I go get dressed and let that set. I come back and finish up. I have a saucer I use as a palette. This keeps the lid from looking gross and because Savvy is applied with moisture we end up putting moisture back into the savvy container and that begs bacteria to grow. So I sprinkle onto my saucer and apply from there instead.

A: I loved this idea when you shared it in Jen’s group. I don’t use a saucer I just use old container lids. And I only do for my foundation right now. I’d like to get a cute paint palette for this.

R: That’s a good idea.

O.k. so on most days I wear foundation, so I come back and do this and sometimes that’s all I do. I often line my lips. I use rose ointment and then Multitasker dark. I can use to color my whole lip too or I can add lipstick. I am very mood driven with my Savvy. When I first started I used the makeup dry. Now I sue the Misting Spray. I think there is a bit of a learning curve with this. When I am done, I leave my brushes open, I don’t close into a case as that would encourage bacteria to grow. I am just learning how to really work with eyeliner and eyebrows. I’ve gotten some tutoring on it and so I now use the savvy liner and I do that wet. I use an old eyeshadow container to put my Jet Setter in and spray with Misting Spray to make like a gel. Oh! And I have even used my jet setter to cover my gray hair!

A: I think I saw you do that on a video.

R: Yes I have seen lots of people to do this.

A; Is there anything else in your Savvy routine you wanna share?

R: UM, I don’t think so. I’m thinking about my routine. I think that’s kind of it in a nutshell.

A: Fabulous!

R: It’s been really good for me to go find and watch other peoples videos on how to use Savvy. For example I know nothing about contouring because I know nothing about contouring.

A: Well that I can teach you that.

R: Oh yay!

A: Now if I remember correctly you didn’t wear makeup until well into adulthood. It’s so different from my story, because gosh, I started wearing makeup when I was 12 and I didn’t go anywhere without my face. And now many years later… I wear it basically when I feel like it - often for church. Now my girls are even beginning this journey a little bit. Would you tell me the story behind this and what made you start wearing makeup?

R: Sure! I actually went to a really kind of strange and wonderful HS and was part of Future Business Leaders of Los Angeles and one of the things they taught us was how to apply makeup. It was just one of those things I learned. My mother however was not willing to buy me makeup. When I got older I would buy it but I never really used it unless it was a special occasion. I have never really felt like I had to wear makeup. I don’t like the idea of applying a mask so any makeup that was heavy on my face I didn't like. And I don’t want people to see me wearing makeup and then not recognize me. It is just not me.

So anyway, I go to work at 5 in the morning. And 4 or 5 years ago I was probably 50 and this woman came in to interview for the clinic and she looked so put together, even in her scrubs. Her makeup was perfect, her accessories matched her scrubs, her shoes matched. I felt like a slob. So I decided to start wearing makeup. I started putting it on every morning.

Oh! I’ll tell you a funny sorry. My son who is 10 now was 6 or 7 then and he said to me "Mommy you look so much better with makeup on."

"Oh Ok, thanks for letting me know."

So one day I put it on and asked him how I looked.

"No mommy more makeup." (laughing)

A: (laughter) Thats funny! Years ago when I did extra makeup, like eyeliner and eye shadow to make my eyes stand out, my girls would tell me I looked scary.

R: Oh How funny! That's funny!

A: IKR

R: Kids perceptions are an interesting thing. So does your mom wear makeup?

A: Yes. My mama was a trained cosmetologist.

R: Ok Ok

A: She never practiced cosmetology while I was growing up though.

R: Except on you?

A: No um. My sister regularly jokes how I got all the teaching and she got none. But basically my mom bought me a book on beauty, where beauty comes from and how to apply makeup. Then she would kind of praise me when it looked dewy per say. She really didn’t teach me either unless I asked questions, then she helped. I actually remember the cover of the book… it taught how makeup was to enhance, not to replace your beauty and that your beauty comes from within.

R: Maybe you need to write a book like that

A: That ‘s a thought I would probably really enjoy that, hmmm.

A: OK so tell me, what has it been like as a woman of color trying to find the correct color match? I know this is a concern for some…. Were you concerned about this or was it hard?

R: Yes. So I wasn’t concerned when I bought my Savvy. As I say I don’t do anything half way. As soon as it was launched I ordered everything. So, the problem when I put it on though was that I hated it. I looked ashy. As a woman of color you do not want this. I was like what am I going to do? So I was like "I guess I won’t be wearing Savvy". But then I said "no, I have invested a lot I need to figure this out". I didn’t see a lot of women of color using it and there was a lot of negative feedback online. That’s when I started my group with me and my daughter who was also trying to use the Savvy. So I don’t know why I began mixing the colors but then I realized the color I was using was perfect match but it did not take into account my yellow undertones. So I needed something to not make my yellow undertones look ashy; that’s when I added Warm 3 and it worked amazing. I have continued to try different things and ways to apply it. And then a couple months ago I happened to come upon Melissa’s invite for posts for color matching. So I posted on her page and found out I was doing it exactly right. So I have just kept going and I have branched out to use more colors. I often will think a color will not work and then after being gifted some things that were colors I wouldn’t normally use, I learned that really anyone of any skin color can work with the Savvy colors. So if I think something seems to look too light or too dark I can mix with Multitasker or other Savvy products and it makes it work better with my skin. So I don’t think it is difficult, but I think you have to be willing to make mistakes to get it right. I really wanted my skin to be a uniform color all over my face. Then I realized that when I did that it gave me the appearance of wearing a mask because I had removed the depth. So now I accentuate those differences and I have been much happier.

A: Wow that’s awesome! My favorite thing about Savvy is the versatility. As I have been running out of things and needing to reorder, the ability to take other colors I have and mix them has been amazing. Lately I noticed my bronzer was gone and I want to contour so I took Residual eye shadow and my Multitasker Dark and made a color to contour.

R: I love it. I took a selfie and did my entire face using my foundation palette and mascara, even lip color! That to me is so much fun. I can take any color and put it wherever. If you are 'savvy' there is no rules. If you want to use your lipstick as a blush then why not!

A: I evolve that. That’s how makeup should be. I love that our creative side can really come out if that’s in our personality. I definitely know some that want way more simple.

So, initially I thought Savvy had been your first makeup experience but I was wrong. You did say you used other minerals makeups. What have you found that is the most different with Savvy?

R: Yes. I would say the weightlessness of Savvy foundation is like nothing else I have every tried. Even with other mineral makeup. You just cannot feel that you are wearing it. I don’t feel like there is anything clogging pours or settling into wrinkles. I love how it feels. I feel like my face can still breathe. My skin looks better than when I started using it. Can I say it's only the Savvy? No. When I started using Savvy is also when I started removing chemicals from my routine. My skin has never looked better.

A: I couldn’t agree more! My favorite part of Savvy is the weightlessness. I hate feeling like I am wearing makeup. I love that I forget that it’s on my face.

R: Uh huh Exactly!

A: OK, I love that Savvy is so incredibly clean. It’s a makeup that not only works but it nourishes our skin and doesn’t have any of the harsh chemicals in it. I know about this, but I'll say I'm not miss science girl and still have to look up all the details, shame on me. But I know I can trust it. What can you tell us about this?

R: I think it’s really important what’s not in it. For instance the brand I was wearing before had microscopic metal shavings in it. This makeup had to be buffed so much to get those shavings into your skin to fill in the nooks and crannys to have a smooth appearance.

A: EWE

R: Yeah oh my gosh. The things we do to our bodies when we don't know better. This is not in Savvy. In addition it does have kaolin clay. Think of this like kitty litter, it provides a protective layer by absorbing all the toxins in your environment. So if you weren’t wearing your Savvy, these toxins would go straight into your skin. It’s free of fragrance. I have yet to find anyone that has had a reaction to using it. I know a lot of people who have sensitive skin, including me. Oh and I like that there are no parabens.

A: Yes! And no phthalates and more. It's so clean!

So to finish us off Rotasha, if there was anything you’d tell to our readers today. What would it be?

R: I would say, the most important thing in regard to Savvy is that you just need to get into it and not be afraid. The worst thing that can happen is you have to wash your face and start over. Just have fun with it. It’s really not that serious!

A: Love that!

A: I’m so grateful you joined me today to do this! I just love you and your happy energy! God has truly blessed me by putting your smile and love in my life. Thank you. I see your face on social media and I smile every time

R: Ahh I’m glad I get to be a part of it. I feel the same way about you.

Thanks for joining us friends! It was such a joy to chat with Rotasha about Savvy Minerals and how she has embraced it. Remember friends, your beauty comes from within, so love yourself and shine brightly for the world to see. And, a little mascara never hurt either!

To learn more about Savvy Minerals go here: Savvy Minerals by Young Living

To get started with your own set of Savvy Minerals with Amanda go here:

Get Started with Savvy with Amanda

To get started with your own set of Savvy Minerals with Rotasha go here:

Get Started with Savvy with Rotasha

To connect with Amanda on Facebook amanda.j.meyer, business page amandajeanmeyer or Instagram @mandajmeyer or @amandajeanmeyer.growwithgrace

To be connect with Rotasha on Facebook @rjanine.lewis.9 or Instagram @rotasha_lewis

Much Love & Blessings

XOXO