No woman is defined by a single part of their life—and nobody knows that better than Vanessa. A mother, stepmother, grandmother, retired software consultant, and visionary human being.
She sews. Gardens. Cooks. Vanessa embraces every part of her womanhood and this beautiful season of life.
"Back when I first started using a makeup mirror... you really still couldn't even see yourself in the mirror. The Makeup Light really is light!"
Vanessa's Eyelight from The Makeup Light helps her to see—not only her complexion, but also the full picture of who she is.
Vanessa Interview Transcript:
[Please introduce yourself.]
Well, my name is Vanessa Baker Swatek. I guess I should throw Siljastrom in there now that I'm married to, married to a beautiful man, Ted Siljastrom. So I'm a stepmother to his two children, but I'm also a mother of some grown children. And I have three grandchildren by those two lovely children that I have.
I am a retired software consultant. In that industry for 30, 40 years, perhaps, and now I'm working part-time for my husband and his auto collision repair shop. So that's fun, but keeps me kind of in the biz, but also a lot of free time to do some gardening and cooking and sewing and being a mother all over again and a grandma. The kind of a weird thing, but it's been lovely.
[Well, thank you for joining us today, Vanessa. How did you hear about The Makeup Light?]
Well, my baby sister is the famous Vivian Baker, and of course, she's an Emmy and an Oscar winner and BAFTA and all other kind of things. And her husband, based on her need many, many years ago, started this awesome company to help her with makeup light in her lighting business as she was trying to do makeup for work in the light was so poor. And he's such a genius that came up with this, "The Makeup Light." And that's how I heard about it. But straight from my sister.
[Do you own any HTML products?]
I own the most lovely Eyelight, which I love using. I mean, it's honestly just a beautiful, beautiful product. Not only is it stunning in its appearance and quality. It's just a wonderful addition to my vanity. I just wish I had another one.
[How has The Makeup Light and the Eyelight? How is it different from other makeup lights that you have used in the past?]
It is vastly different. I mean, there is honestly, there is no comparison because the others are all these. And back when I first started using a makeup mirror and they had those lights, they had indoor and outdoor, and then they then they began to have other settings and it was really just like pink light or blue light or. And you really still couldn't even see yourself in the mirror.
I mean, the light didn't even matter was more just a gimmicky thing than anything else. The Makeup Light really is light. It is like turning the sun on. In fact, my husband says every morning when he's ready to shave, “Would you turn the sun on for me, please?” So he loves it, too. That's why I need another one so fast.
[What do you like about the Eyelight for your personal use?]
Well, I mean, it certainly helps me get my makeup on so much better and I feel like I mean, I used to, I would always have to go to the hotel window or to any window in the house where I knew the sun was coming in good, to finish off the makeup or to check what I had done in that dark bathroom or wherever you were putting on your makeup.
So you have to go somewhere where the light is good to do that final check and adjust at the mirror, you know, with your little mirror in your hand. And so now I know that is going to be true and right with that light on. Plus, the light is so great and it's right there on my vanity mirror. And I can tilt it any which way I want.
I have to get up so close to the mirror because I wear glasses. So putting your makeup on with your glasses off, you know, you're like right in the mirror. So it's very helpful to have that bright light right there. It's just awesome.
[So do you travel with the Eyelight?]
I by the time I got my Eyelight, I was already done traveling business-wise, but I've been on a few trips where I have taken it, and it's been really easy to just stick up in the hotel room or take it wherever I need it, but I haven't needed to travel so much so
[So when you traveled with the Eyelight, what accessory, what mounting accessory did you use to attach the Eyelight to the mirror?]
I used the Magic Mount.
[What is the biggest challenge you have overcome as far as makeup is concerned by using TML lighting?]
Probably getting my eye makeup on. I think that's always been the hardest thing is to get the coloring of the shadows right and feeling like I'm blending OK. I don't wear a lot of makeup. And now that I'm getting older, I'm trying to wear less and less.
But still, you know, just trying to get the eyeliner on so I can really see exactly that it's gap here or whatever is so much better. So probably the eye makeup, I would say.
[Is there, would you say there's a feeling you get from using TML lighting to do your makeup when you walk out the door? How you feel about yourself after you do your makeup using TML lighting?]
Yeah. No, I'm not going to look like a clown. I mean, honestly, a lot of people, even my granddaughter said to me one day as I was putting on makeup, “You know, where you just going to look like a clown with that.” And I'm like, no, because a lot of times you're putting on and taking off at the same time, you know, you're you're putting it on and then you realize it's too much. But with with TML light, you don't put on too much.
Maybe you're actually saving money on your makeup because you're not like putting it on and they're wiping half of it off because you're seeing what you can put on. You know, so that's probably a really good tip, I guess. I never thought of it. But yeah, thanks, Gretchen, for the clown comment.