From squoval to oval nails

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Or are they round nails?  Oh my, this is going to take a while to get the hang of.  Back in 1993 when I worked in a department store, my friend at the Lancome counter said, “girl, you’re filing your nails wrong!” and showed me square nails.  I basically haven’t changed them since then.  Well, I just chopped 14 inches off my hair…why not get even crazier?! (Who am I kidding, nobody will notice this but me.)

  

(On the left is Zoya Daul, on the right is Sinful Colors Bleeding Heart.)

This was REALLY hard to do after not doing it in 20 something years.  Also, I have arthritis and my fingers are crooked.  Now that I think about it, not bad, eh? 😉  I think this will be great when they grow a bit more.  Better keep up those supplements!

What shape are your nails?

Bad Makeup Habits – Do you have any?

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So, I have some bad makeup habits I’m trying to break!  In 2015, it was bad brows.  I watched a bunch of tutorials and I stepped it up big time.  Thanks, YouTube!  

Next year, I have a few “resolutions” I’d like to try to remember.  

1.  STOP BLOWING ON MY BRUSHES.  OMG, you guys, I even got yelled at on a makeup counter for doing this.  I still catch myself doing it.  GROSS!  Bacteriaaaaaaaaaaa.  

2.  Placing contour and blush too damn low on my face.  Oh man, this is so bad.  It ages you and drags the face down.  Dear self, do the trick with the brush handle from top of ear to edge of mouth…then do not deviate below that!

3.  Getting eyeshadow too far out/down on the outside corners of the eyes, dragging the whole eye down.  There’s a reason some people use tape.  I mean, talk about another thing that ages you…shadowing your crow’s feet?  Let’s work on that.  

4.  Going too matte on the whole face.  Again, this is an aging thing.  We are no longer a greasy 17 year old and it’s not 1983.  Calm down with the powder explosions. 

5.  Nudes every day.  OH GOD SO BORING.  You are not boring!  Change it up.  Why do you have all that zany MAC and UD?

6.  Either get your bangs trimmed more often or grow them out, but the barrettes thing is getting stupid. 

So, do you have anything you’d like to change about your beauty game?  

Makeup of the Day – Smoky Eye + Nude Lip

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So, I finally replaced my waaaaaaay too old Beauty Blender.  I couldn’t bring myself to blow the cash on another (got the first one in a swap, anyway), so I got the Real Techniques sponge last night at Walgreens.  For 1/4 the price, I actually like it better!  Then again, almost everyone on YouTube agrees, it seems.  I got the double pack for $10.00.

Today’s makeup is a more dramatic eye and well, I needed moisture for my lips, so I chose a Rimmel Moisture Renew Lipstick and still put gloss over it.

  
FACE:  

Tarte Clean Slate Poreless Primer around t-zone, Rimmel Lasting Finish 25 Hr Foundation 010 Light Porcelain, MAC Pink Studio Finish Concealer under NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer in Chantilly under the eyes set with MAC Set Powder in Invisible, spot concealed with NC15 MAC Studio Finish Concealer, whole face set with MAC Set in Invisible, MAC Sculpt Powder for contouring in Bone Beige, NYX Cream Blush in Natural

EYES: 

Urban Decay Primer Potion, Urban Decay Smoked Palette (green shade on lid and for lower liner, dark brown in crease, pale shade for highlight), Urban Decay 24/7 Liner in Perversion for tightlining, Maybelline Master Precise Liquid Liner in black for top liner, Too Faced Better Than Sex Mascara Black

LIPS:

Rimmel Moisture Renew Lipstick in Let’s Get Naked with Lorac gloss in Rock and Roll 

Makeup of the Day – Soft Fall Look 

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Today, I kept my makeup casual and easy.  I put on my foubdation, concealer, and cream eyeshadows with my fingers and wore cream blush for extra hydration.  I just wasn’t feeling like anything too bold today.  I love this soft look!

  
FACE:

Rimmel Match Perfection 010 Light Porcelain, MAC Concealer Palette Pink under eyes w/ NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer and NW10 to spot conceal, MAC Set Powder Invisible, NYX Cream Blush Boho Chic, MAC Sculpt Powder Bone Beige for very light contour

EYES:  Bobbi Brown bone Cream Eyeshadow, Urban Decay Naked 3 palette (omg I forgot the shades?!), Maybelline Master Precise black liquid liner, Covergirl Clump Crusher mascara Very Black (let’s never be apart again), Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Duo Ebony (light shade)

LIPS:  Very light layer of Nuxe Rève de Miel lip balm under Kat Von D Studded Kiss Lipstick in Lovecraft

PS — NYX Cream Blushes are on clearance at Target for about $4!  I got “Boho Chic” and “Natural.”  I already had “Glow.”  I love these when my cheeks are dry in the winter, so I should be good to go for the cold months ahead!

Makeup of the day – Festive Red Lip

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So, I swear I’m feeling like wearing red lips for all of December!  Part of this is that I have my fancy Nuxe Reve de Miel lip balm and a sample of Fresh Sugar Lip Scrub, so my lips almost look normal and healthy.  Enough to fake it, anyway… Today I really went for that red lip and retro minimal makeup.

  
FACE: 

Tarte Clean Slate Poreless Primer in T-Zone, Rimmel Match Perfection Foundation in 010 Light Porcelain (ASOS, EBay, or Amazon for this UK-only shade), MAC Set Powder in Invisible in T-Zone, MAC Bone Beige/Emphasize for contour and highlight, Illamasqua Katie powder blush

EYES:

Bobbi Brown Cream Eyeshadow in Bone, MAC shadows in Vanilla, Kid, Brule, and Mystery, Wet N Wild H2O Liquid Liner in Black, Maybelline Super Sizer Mascara Black (blah), Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Duo Ebony (lighter shade), ELF Clear Brow Gel

LIPS:

NYX Liner in Hot Red, Maybelline Creamy Matte Lipstick in Siren In Scarlett 

Nuxe Réve de Miel lip balm – HOLY GRAIL STATUS!

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You guys, I’m a bargain shopper.  I hunt down deals like it’s my job.  I hate paying full price for anything and I love finding inexpensive, high quality items that get things done, or expensive items on mega clearance.  That’s why for years when I saw bloggers rave about this $20 lip balm, I rolled my eyes and figured this was just another item that gained cult status because it seems luxurious and special as it’s imported from France.  

I was wrong.

It’s fall in the mountains.  My electric heat is murdering my skin.  My lips looked something off the set of The Walking Dead.  All the amazing matte lipsticks I had finally been able to wear (improved creamy formulas like Maybelline Creamy Matte) suddenly were doing awful things to my lips.  I tried Eos (meh), Jack Black (fairly ok), Malin + Goetz (decent), and hourly slatherings of Aquaphor, including before bed.  I made sure my Sensodyne toothpaste was SLS free (it is).  I drank a ton of water. 

When the cracking and peeling turned to flat out bleeding into my mouth, $20 started to sound not so bad.  I mentioned the product to my husband, who works at Target, where they carry it in the import section.  Then I was like…”nah, I seriously cannot pay that much for lip balm!”  And then he came home with it the next day because he knew I was miserable.  (Did I mention he’s a keeper?  I gave him many “fancy imported kisses” yesterday!). The product is actually $19.00 at Target and double the size of most balms, at half an ounce, so that took some sting out of the price.

  
Nuxe Rève de Miel is not like any lip balm I’ve ever tried.  In the jar, it has this lovely creamy honey look.  It feels a bit stiff to the touch, but the magic happens when you warm the formula up.  That’s when the mix of beeswax, honey, and oils warms up and…what is this?  It actually penetrates into the lips to plump and hydrate them instead of just sitting on top of them!  Aquaphor and Vaseline are good for protecting, but this actually penetrates and that’s when the healing really takes place.    What’s so great about this is it lasts and lasts…hours later, even after drinking and eating, it’s still there.  I put it on before bed…still on 8 hours later!  Crazy!  And the fragrance is so light and delicate…like grapefruit and honey.  I’m extremely sensitive to smells because of migraines and this light and natural scent is delightful.  It doesn’t linger for too long, either. 

The most interesting thing about this treatment is that it has a matte finish, making it a good choice for men, as well, who need protection from the elements and don’t want glossy lips (FYI, the Jack Black balm is also matte).  The awesome thing about this matte finish is that if you use it sparingly, it makes a great base under lipstick without changing the color or finish of the lipstick.  Just try that over Aquaphor – you’ll end up a greasy mess!

At about 24 hours, the area of my bottom lip that has been jacked up for two weeks is finally healing.  I’d say by tomorrow, my lips should be golden.  This is staying in my winter dry skin arsenal along with my humidifier and Nivea cream.  Yeah…it’s that dry here! 

Nuxe Rève de Miel…I will find a place in my budget for you!  And bloggers…sorry I mocked your fancy $20 lip balm.  I admit it, YOU WERE RIGHT.  ðŸ˜€ 

So, how do you care for your skin in the winter? 

What’s on your nails?  Zoya Posh Matte Velvet Laquer

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Quick nail post!  I love this Zoya matte polish in “Posh,” because it’s not totally flat – it has this interesting velvety finish.  I did a terrible job around my cuticles because I was painting my nails in the dark by this sad little lamp while my husband was asleep, LOL!


What’s on your nails?

Rachel Cosplay

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I haven’t posted in forever, but I have to let everyone know that I’m still alive, and I can passably imitate Rachel 😂

Have you ever dressed up as your BFF? Or is that just me? I do a good impression of my other best friend, Kurt, too…

I got over a foot cut off my hair! OMG! 

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That’s right, you guys…I did it!  

After something like 4-5 years of long hair, earlier this year I had 6 inches cut off.  That took me from hip length to waist length.  Here I am at my longest length at the beginning of 2015:

  
I was also dying my hair a lighter brown shade.  I went from that length to a more manageable length between bra strap length and waist and stayed there until just last week.  However, that 6 inch loss of length didn’t really help with my chronic neck pain and migraines, so I finally decided last week to “take a load off.”

At my hair salon I found out something awesome – I was cutting enough length that I could donate to a wig charity!  AWESOME!  I didn’t set out originally to do this, but I always thought it was such a great idea.  Here I am with my 14 inch braid!! 

  
Even with having a 14 inch lop, I still have a long bob.  I love the way my stylist razored the ends a bit!  It looks best straightened, so I will have to find the very best heat protectant (suggestions welcome – I have very fine and limp hair).  

  
It’s amazing how much easier things are now! Washing hair is easier.  I don’t have to put it up in a clip when I condition it in the shower (which weighs a ton).  I don’t have to wait 6 hours for it to dry (awful in the winter).  My husband doesn’t roll over on it at night!  My cats don’t sleep on it.  It doesn’t land in my food, get caught in my coat, purse strap, seat belt…I could go on, but you get my point.  Best thing is, I think it is helping the slightest bit with neck pain.  I will always get migraines, but at least I won’t have ten pounds of hair to wrangle while I have them.  

I may grow it out again if my headaches get better – I mean, why not donate again?  It’s free to grow and a renewable resource!  So, who knows.  ðŸ™‚

I haven’t sent my hair yet, but I think I have my choices narrowed down to Wigs For Kids, Pantene Beautiful Lengths, or Children With Hair Loss.  I’ll come back and update what I decide.

Have any of you ever donated your hair?