I'd kind of forgotten about attempting to blog, until I posted a comment on a friend's blog and it said my most recent blog post was something from almost 2 years ago. *sigh*
So now I'm back at it. Maybe I should be chronicling my search for the perfect foundation or the way to streamline my life by, in part, streamlining my makeup routine. Or maybe my attempts to save money by trying inexpensive cosmetics and my realization that spending to try a bunch of different products is counterintuitive.
I think I'll jump right back on with a confession: I am a makeup addict.
Not in the "stealing from others and pawning things to have money" way, but in the "I think about it, research, and plan" way. The good news is that this addiction is not only not diagnosable, but it also lends itself to helping others with their makeup.
So if you're feeling like you need help figuring out your makeup routine, finding colors that work for you, finding the right products and tools, etc., I'm only a comment away. I offer up my addiction to serve all the women out there who'd like guidance in using makeup on a daily basis, for special occasions, and anything in between.
Sunday, May 29, 2011
Thursday, September 3, 2009
"Beauty" Musings
I've had this sitting in my queue to review & post for a while. I feel like I need to get this out to move forward with this blog.
One thing I don't mention in my profile is that I'm a feminist. Partially because for many, that's a big scary word that connotes all sorts of awful things and partially because it seems that makeup and feminism have very little in common. I'm sure there are some out there who would call me a hypocrite for being makeup-obsessed and a feminist. But to me, wanting social, economic, and political equality for the sexes has nothing to do with makeup the majority of the time. Then I get an e-mail from glamour.com (I get daily beauty tips that are honestly pretty worthless) about "the perfect transition nail polish" and on top of this fabulous post I read on my friend's blog the day before something in me just snapped a little. This stuff that we do, the selling of things, is meant to make us all feel inferior. I know that, most of us know that. But that doesn't mean we're aware of it all the time or that we are always able to resist its effect on us.
So here's what gets to me: we, as women, get messages from all around us that we need to spend mental energy on our appearances, down to every last detail. I will admit to being tempted by Latisse for a little while, but the side effects aren't worth it and honestly, my lashes are pretty darn nice the way they are. But the e-mail about the perfect polish color to wear from summer into fall just drove me up the wall. I have a few things to say to that. One, we have better things to worry about than "transition polish" unless we're beauty editors and that's how we make our money. Two, polish is changed pretty frequently, especially on fingernails. Is there really a NEED for a "transitional" polish? Shouldn't we wear whatever color we want, regardless of season? And if our polish lasts a week or two, does it really need to transition between the seasons? It's not a cardigan!
The overall message is that we direct our energies into trivial details and spend time focusing on our appearance. If we do that, what mental energy do we have left over for our other pursuits? I honestly need to spend more time focused on treatment planning than outfit planning. The very idea of something like transitional polish or even transitional makeup (hypocrite alert!) is somewhat foreign to me because I prefer to wear what I like, when I like. I do transition colors by season, sort of, but I don't let that stop me if I want to wear a dark lipstick in summer or bright colors in winter. I don't put a whole lot of effort into figuring out what makeup I should wear for which season.
Clearly, I love makeup. I wear it almost every day. I enjoy playing with different colors and textures, finding new uses for products, and having fun. But I don't think anyone needs to be thinking about it in the minute details that are suggested by marketing such as the previously-referenced e-mail. Unless, as I said above, they're beauty editors and that's what they are paid to do. Let's be honest: most women have one or two looks that they do over and over and over again. I include myself in that category, because it's easier than being adventurous on a day-to-day basis. Plus it's less expensive. I think it's important to make ourselves feel beautiful and even sexy, because caring for ourselves makes us feel good. But that beauty should not be at the expense of other parts of our lives. Making ourselves beautiful may have nothing to do with makeup and everything to do with clothing, hair, or inner beauty through good deeds. My thoughts get a little jumbled at this point. Let me say that this idea of not spending excessive amounts of mental energy on appearance leads to a business opportunity, something I'll be introducing and promoting as a way to help women streamline their lives to make time for everything else they want to do.
Like I said, I'm makeup obsessed and think it's important to feel good about how we look. But I think that needs to come from inside, not from external validation like magazine articles or e-mails about how to look our best. I'll post again soon explaining my service and what I want to help women accomplish with it.
One thing I don't mention in my profile is that I'm a feminist. Partially because for many, that's a big scary word that connotes all sorts of awful things and partially because it seems that makeup and feminism have very little in common. I'm sure there are some out there who would call me a hypocrite for being makeup-obsessed and a feminist. But to me, wanting social, economic, and political equality for the sexes has nothing to do with makeup the majority of the time. Then I get an e-mail from glamour.com (I get daily beauty tips that are honestly pretty worthless) about "the perfect transition nail polish" and on top of this fabulous post I read on my friend's blog the day before something in me just snapped a little. This stuff that we do, the selling of things, is meant to make us all feel inferior. I know that, most of us know that. But that doesn't mean we're aware of it all the time or that we are always able to resist its effect on us.
So here's what gets to me: we, as women, get messages from all around us that we need to spend mental energy on our appearances, down to every last detail. I will admit to being tempted by Latisse for a little while, but the side effects aren't worth it and honestly, my lashes are pretty darn nice the way they are. But the e-mail about the perfect polish color to wear from summer into fall just drove me up the wall. I have a few things to say to that. One, we have better things to worry about than "transition polish" unless we're beauty editors and that's how we make our money. Two, polish is changed pretty frequently, especially on fingernails. Is there really a NEED for a "transitional" polish? Shouldn't we wear whatever color we want, regardless of season? And if our polish lasts a week or two, does it really need to transition between the seasons? It's not a cardigan!
The overall message is that we direct our energies into trivial details and spend time focusing on our appearance. If we do that, what mental energy do we have left over for our other pursuits? I honestly need to spend more time focused on treatment planning than outfit planning. The very idea of something like transitional polish or even transitional makeup (hypocrite alert!) is somewhat foreign to me because I prefer to wear what I like, when I like. I do transition colors by season, sort of, but I don't let that stop me if I want to wear a dark lipstick in summer or bright colors in winter. I don't put a whole lot of effort into figuring out what makeup I should wear for which season.
Clearly, I love makeup. I wear it almost every day. I enjoy playing with different colors and textures, finding new uses for products, and having fun. But I don't think anyone needs to be thinking about it in the minute details that are suggested by marketing such as the previously-referenced e-mail. Unless, as I said above, they're beauty editors and that's what they are paid to do. Let's be honest: most women have one or two looks that they do over and over and over again. I include myself in that category, because it's easier than being adventurous on a day-to-day basis. Plus it's less expensive. I think it's important to make ourselves feel beautiful and even sexy, because caring for ourselves makes us feel good. But that beauty should not be at the expense of other parts of our lives. Making ourselves beautiful may have nothing to do with makeup and everything to do with clothing, hair, or inner beauty through good deeds. My thoughts get a little jumbled at this point. Let me say that this idea of not spending excessive amounts of mental energy on appearance leads to a business opportunity, something I'll be introducing and promoting as a way to help women streamline their lives to make time for everything else they want to do.
Like I said, I'm makeup obsessed and think it's important to feel good about how we look. But I think that needs to come from inside, not from external validation like magazine articles or e-mails about how to look our best. I'll post again soon explaining my service and what I want to help women accomplish with it.
Thursday, August 20, 2009
Autumn Trends?
One of the things I love about the change of seasons is the accompanying style changes. I think one of the reasons I love Autumn is that I enjoy breaking out the cozy sweaters. It also reminds me of that excitement and hopefulness at the beginning of a new school year. But since I live in Southern California and I'm not in school anymore, I have to find other substitutes. The best way to bring the spirit of fall into my life is to change my makeup. I love the colors of Autumn makeup, the jewel tones, the berries, the soft greys...
So, to celebrate, here are the Autumn makeup trends I'm most looking forward to:
- Dark (but not Goth) lips. Think burgundies, deep reds, rich berries, deep magentas...
They can be satiny, matte, or glossy. I love slightly glossy lips because I think it adds more dimension.
- Grey lids. I like matte and shimmery. A lighter grey looks good during the day and a darker grey for the evening, especially with shimmer. It's an especially good look for green eyes.
- Shimmery bronze and brown lids. I love shimmer. Bronze is one of those shades I think of as universally flattering when done right.
- Olive green liner or shadow. Love the olives and the khakis right now!
- Plums. If you have green eyes, like me, and you really want them to pop, dust a medium grey matte shadow on your lids, thin plum line at the base of the lashes, then some plum mascara (Diorshow has one!). To amp it up some more, add a glossy berry-colored lip.
So, to celebrate, here are the Autumn makeup trends I'm most looking forward to:
- Dark (but not Goth) lips. Think burgundies, deep reds, rich berries, deep magentas...
They can be satiny, matte, or glossy. I love slightly glossy lips because I think it adds more dimension.
- Grey lids. I like matte and shimmery. A lighter grey looks good during the day and a darker grey for the evening, especially with shimmer. It's an especially good look for green eyes.
- Shimmery bronze and brown lids. I love shimmer. Bronze is one of those shades I think of as universally flattering when done right.
- Olive green liner or shadow. Love the olives and the khakis right now!
- Plums. If you have green eyes, like me, and you really want them to pop, dust a medium grey matte shadow on your lids, thin plum line at the base of the lashes, then some plum mascara (Diorshow has one!). To amp it up some more, add a glossy berry-colored lip.
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