Hanging out in the Beauty Blogosphere, you get to know some pretty interesting people. One blog that caught my attention simply by it's name is Champagne Taste on a Beer Budget. How many of us can relate just to that title alone? What's even better is the story behind its blog owner, Courtney Sauve, a published beauty writer and makeup artist.
On your blog Champagne Taste on a Beer Budget you call yourself Fitzgerald, for people who don't know your real name, is this your maiden name or nickname?
It's actually neither. When I started the blog a year ago and was writing more personal details about my life, I wanted to make sure that I still had a certain level of anonymity. So, I was in need of a pseudonym. And since I have always had this strange fascination with Zelda Fitzgerald, her last name seemed like a good choice. Her life was so tragically captivating, and it's sad that her talents were never fully realized because she was continuously overshadowed by her husband's success. At her prime back in the 1920's, I think she was the epitome of beauty, passion and intelligence.
You mention that the title of your blog came from a nickname your dad gave you when you are little, what were some of the things you desired that made this nickname stick?
A pink Barbie PowerWheels Jeep is what comes to mind instantly. I always wanted one of those things.
Describe your passion for writing beauty articles in magazines.
Where did it come from?
I don't remember exactly when or how I got so enamored with writing, it just seems like something I was always doing. I've kept journals since I was ten years old and as soon as my family got our first little Apple computer, I was constantly typing out ideas for stories. I do know for sure however, that I became a beauty product fanatic as soon as I was tall enough to reach the top of my mother's vanity. Most little girls played dress up in their mother's closet. But I was much more interested in rummaging through, trying on, organizing and re-organizing the eye shadow palettes, perfume bottles, powder puffs, brushes, pencils and lipstick tubes. As I became older, it seemed like common sense to combine my two loves and become a beauty writer.
What would be your ultimate writing job? Is there a magazine, that if you were asked to write a column for them, you would feel you made it or is there more you still want to do?
I will always be that person who is constantly on the lookout for the next best thing. So there is always going to be more that I want to accomplish; different avenues and topics to explore. But I do think that "Allure" has some amazingly well written articles and I'm a huge fan of how "Lucky" does it's beauty section. To be able to write for a published magazine like either of those would be a dream come true.
Tell us what you are doing now and the project you feel is the most
memorable/most proud of.
The biggest thing for me right now is trying to land a permanent position as a makeup artist, away from the counters and delving more into freelance work. As for writing, at the moment I have a few different opportunities on the table. All of them are for local Detroit magazines. I'm just trying to decide which one is going to be the right fit. The project that I am most proud of has to be the beauty spread I did for Ambassador's September issue. It was my first time being "officially" published, which is such a cool feeling. I had to contain myself from being the biggest dork ever and running around Barnes & Nobles, flashing that page to everyone and squealing, "That's me! I wrote this!"
You can learn more about Courtney Sauve on her bio page, but be sure to stop by and check out her blog, Champagne Taste on a Beer Budget.
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