This post is dedicated to all of my friends who are on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Flickr and those who have blogs or have any sort of online presence.

My first question is this:

Is your profile (on whatever social media platform you are using) private?

My second question:

If it is not private, are you posting information you should probably not be posting for the public to read and/or see?

I know that most people these days are pretty good at making their Facebook profiles private. Good for you.  Why did you do that? Because you don’t want those you don’t know (including employers) to see your photos, wall posts, private information and the like.

What I want to focus on is Twitter.

I know that about 95% of my friends who are on Twitter do not have a private profile. I don’t have a private profile; I don’t want a private profile. I use Twitter to promote my name and my career. I  know what is and isn’t appropriate to post.

I also know that about 90% of my friends who are on Twitter without a private profile SHOULD have a private profile.

It kills me when I see some of the tweets you are all posting for the world to see.

Do you not understand that social media is one of the most popular ways potential employers decide whether or not to interview you, let alone hire you?

If you don’t understand that, you probably should.

This article on About.com ‘Top 10 Social Media Do’s and Don’ts‘ provides a brief overview on the ways Social Media can help you as well as backfire against you when applying for jobs.

[And this doesn't only apply to jobs in the media industry]

So please, read this article… then go and change your privacy settings. Oh, and follow me on Twitter! @Stephanie_Ruth

I’m only trying to help

xo,

A ‘virtual pinboard’ where you share things you love (food, fashion, DIY projects, etc) and browse others’ pins!

Follow me and request an invite to join!

xo,

xo,

xo,

To my friends attending MBFW – not NYFW, as noted by DKNY PR girl – and my friends who will be attending Toronto’s fast-approaching LGFW, here is some great advice from my favourite fashion tweeter @dkny

DKNY PR Girl’s Guide To Surviving Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week

You’re welcome.

xo,

Does it really work?? I’m hesitant to find out because of the attachment and love I have garnered towards my current mascara. It’s name? DiorShow by Dior.

Before DiorShow I switched mascara’s every time I had to buy a new one. Why change something you love and something that makes your eyes look 100x better (in my personal opinion)?

I’m committed and loyal…. I think.

A girl can only ignore the abundance of in-her-face ads and reviews for so long.

xo,

And part of the reason is because I have the best girlfriends in the world. I think a lot of people say that, but let’s be real here, I actually do. They were there for me during one of the hardest things I have ever had to go through and they put up with my endless texts, my requests for girls nights..every night.. and my back and forth emotions that I always vented about.

They literally were my lifeline and I don’t know what I would have done without them.

My girlfriends are also the kind of girls who avoid drama at all costs. This is something you could call rare. We never fight and if there is something on our minds we speak the truth to each other. It’s easy to understand why this is, because I have chosen to surround myself with these kinds of girls. Why stay friends with people who bring the worst out in you, want to bring you down or talk about you behind your back? Definitely not me. That’s something my girlfriends and I pride ourselves on. We have been friends forever, and those are the reasons why.

We each bring something to our small circle and we’re all so different it works out perfectly. The differences are what make us unique and are what make us love each other. And even though we’re all unique, we know that we have the most important thing in common: we’re each other’s soul mates. They’re ‘my girls’, ‘my loves’, ‘my babes’.. I could go on. They’re everything, and I hope every other girl in the world has the same thing I have. And if not, don’t be jealous – be glad that it actually exists!

I’ll like my girls forever, I’ll love them for always, as long as I’m living my girls they’ll be ♡

xo,

It was a great event where we were all able to network and chat with friends — I brought my beauty of a girlfriend @DanaMcC5.

We got the opportuntiy to listen to a panel of fashion, beauty and lifestyle industry experts, including:

Ben Barry // @benbarryagency

Melanie Cruickshank // @dalishcosmetics

Jo-Ann James // @Vital_Steps

Wesley Badanjak // @lovasfashion

An amazing group of people who spoke and answered some questions throughout the night [To learn more about them, simply click on their name].

I was also able to meet Women’s Post editor-in-chief, Murtaza Adamjee with @shotbyphil. Murtaza was great to chat with [especially about the new Buick Regal Turbo he'll be driving soon from General Motors of Canada's media fleet].

Overall, it was a great event. I won my tickets via Twitter, through a contest held by Women’s Post – and I will be sure to purchase more tickets to the upcoming Courage to Lead events. The next one, Courage to Lead: 15 bits of Fame, takes place June 15 and explores the fast-paced and ever-growing world of Online Marketing. Be sure to purchase your tickets now, because they’ll sell out fast!

[photos of panelists via Women's Post Magazine.com]

xo,

Lemon Aid, also known as a colour correcting eyelid primer, is my go to makeup product any day of the week. Whether I’m prepping myself for work, going out to a bar, or applying some simple makeup for a family get together, I always use Lemon Aid.

The great thing about it is that you can use it on its own, or you can use it as an eyelid primer for your eye shadow. Alone, it makes me look awake and helps when I only get about three hours of sleep the night before. As a primer for eye shadow, it ensures my shadow lasts a full day at work or a night out dancing.

It’s compact, has a mirror, and can be applied with your finger! No sponge or brush needed! What can be better than that?

I thought I’d recommend this product to my female friends, because from what I have heard it works wonders for every kind of skin tone!

Visit Benefit Cosmetics’ Lemon Aid page to learn more about this product and their other amazing concoctions! (I’m a Benefit addict). And if you have Twitter, follow them at @BenefitBeauty.

xo,

More to come, once the editing is complete.

xo,