Tuesday, October 9, 2012

Get Positively Beautiful

So, if you know me at all, you know I am very fickle when it comes to my hair color, and extremely into makeup (and by "into" I simply mean I wear a lot of it). Now that it's fall, it's time for me to think about my new look for the new season. My hair color will change in a few weeks, as it does every 5-6, and this season, I have been made aware that maybe my makeup should change too?!! A good friend (who will remain anon... ::ahem:: Erin McP) told me that she actually has a makeup for when she's blonde, and a makeup for when she's brunette. Umm, helloo- why has no one ever told me this before?!
 
Maybe because it literally has been the ONLY thing I could think about for the last 9 days since Erin came into work with her gorgeous head of chocolate brown hair. Obsess much?? Nah.
 
So regardless of that fact, I have always wanted a "day time" look. I am one that wears dark eyeshadow colors and jet-black, liquid liner. I love it. (The sad part, that I won't say out loud, is that I actually use 3 separate black liners on a daily basis... liquid liner, a kohl pencil, and a gel black liner pencil. I have a problem). Shadow-wise, I typically go for a 3-shadow combo, always with one or two contour colors. Browns, Purples, Greens, Silvers, Sparkle and Shimmer. It occured to me recently that my look doesn't so much go from day to night, so much as just...go. We were attending a wedding and I was so excited to be able to get "done up" but then I realized that there was nothing to change! So I added more black eyeliner, smudged some navy blue eyeshadow under my eyes, and called it a day --er-- night. But honestly, I don't think it looked much different.
 
To add on to my weird obsession with my face in general (note: I sit in front of an eye level mirror all day, every day, that boasts "Who is the fairest of them all?") -- I am secretly crushing on Carmindy of TLC's What Not to Wear. She is gorgeous, A. And B. she is so super sweet, and finds something beautiful in everyone that she comes in contact with. (at least, this is what I imagine based on the show). I have 2 of her books, and am actually quoted in one of them...totally weird and freakish, I know. I actually don't often admit that out loud either. Good thing this is the written word.
 
Anyway, I wanted something lighter, something less dark.  I am hell bent on mastering her "5 Minute Face" look. I will admit, it is still a work in progress, but I am pretty sure that working off her tips, I totally have a great daytime look! She focuses on highlighting features, keeping everything relatively natural, and HIGHLIGHTING. I am pretty sure this is where I got this to begin with (because I have always used highlighter- my preference is High Beam by Benefit). Yesterday I tried her advice using chocolate brown liner, which is pretty universal to anyone's colors. However, brown liner always makes my eyes look red. I always thought I was crazy, but one of my other girlfriends who has similar coloring to mine says the same thing! SO, today I'm back in black, but WAY toned down. I have added in a little blush (so weird) and am making sure to have lip color/gloss on at all times. And I have to say, I'm thrilled.
 
While I think it still took me longer than 5 minutes (I blame this on my Bare Escentuals steps), I am thinking I have this almost down to a science...and once it is perfected, I will of course enlighten you with my beauty ritual (that won't necessarily have to change as often as my hair does... tee hee)
 
*BONUS RECIPE* And she called it...Squash
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Monday, October 1, 2012

Teenage Wasteland


Do you ever feel as if you are back in high school? As if you are stuck inside (or outside) the "mean girl" clique? As if everyone around you is a 15 year old girl? It is so sad, but true, that one never actually leaves high school. You end up in a different group, sometimes with slightly different priorities (I suppose I am not quite as "boy crazy" as I was when I was 15), but the same environment nevertheless.
 
I have a few proclamations.
  1. I have 1 month until the big 3-0 and I have officially lost 15 lbs. (woo!) - will I actually make it to 30? I am not sure. But either way, I have learned a lot about myself, healthy living, and fitness, and hope that I have a life-style change ahead of me.
  2. I am SO super-dee-duper proud of my girl Stan. She is putting her big 3-0 plan into action too!!
  3. I love my boyfriend. (ok, nothing new, but had to get it out there because let's face it, he's awesome)
  4. I still hate football (but eating chili while watching football makes it somewhat tolerable)
  5. Nothing is worse than bringing work home on a Monday night, so I am blogging instead.
It's actually really unfortunate I don't have anything witty to say on a Monday night. Even my proclamations aren't all that exciting. Maybe today's recipe will suffice. Check it out~!
 
Recipe of the day:
Miss Coleen's Cheater Turkey Chili
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