Finding Your Best Look by Getting Real

Metaphorical show of hands: how many of us look in the mirror every other day and think "I'm too fat" or "I can't believe how awful I look today!" Yes, you do it, I do it, and almost everyone else you know does it. It's normal, right? It's too normal, really, and we all know what it does to our self-esteem. While whittling your self-image away slowly is bad enough (because even if you're saying those things in passing, that's what you're doing), you're also wasting precious time with the mirror. No, we can't stand in front of it all day, and most of us don't. We all want to look good and none of us have unlimited time to do it... so why don't we use our mirror time constructively instead of insulting ourselves half-heartedly?

I think the truth is that all of us are willing to deprecate ourselves for general, transient things like weight, hair, makeup, or skin. Very few of us are willing to give ourselves the constructive criticism necessary to take our appearance to the next level. This is because it's very hard to realistically assess our imperfections without having anyone around to defend them: for example, I'd often lament about the size of my nose, but only loud enough for my significant other to hear and refute it. I wasn't willing to look in the mirror and accept that it was better to accept my nose was large than to constantly hope my image of it was not what the rest of the world sees. Yes, it takes a lot of self-esteem and love to actually accept and embrace your flaws--it took me over two decades!--but when you do, you have a blueprint to drastically improve your look.

Here's my critical study of myself: my nose is wide and long. The length is fine, the width (often enhanced by allergies) is not fitting for the rest of my face. I know that, without makeup and with sunglasses, my cheeks lead me to be mistaken for an awkward teenage girl. What does this mean? I need to play up my brown eyes to draw attention away from the middle of my face. I may even have to break the eyes-or-lips rule to achieve that goal. And I certainly needed to learn makeup contouring.

While it sounds harsh, it's important to understand that beauty is, obviously, relative. The so-called "imperfections" of today were desired years ago, and today's standard of beauty will inevitably be replaced as society changes. We should be proud of how we look, but willing to conform our appearance to our times-- but only transiently. Beauty is transient, after all.

Review: Wet N Wild Liquid Eyeliner (Black)

In my arsenal of makeup, black eyeliner is my weapon of choice. My eyes are the feature I know I should be playing up: the more striking they look, the less my baby-fat cheeks and big nose get noticed as my primary features. With my dark hair and brown eyes, I am one of those rare people who benefit from the black eyeliner look (I recommend a soft black or deep brown to most people--more on that another time). While pencil liner is easy to apply and easy to remove, nothing is as gorgeous, as striking, or as precise as liquid eyeliner. Yes, liquid eyeliner is my weapon of choice, but it's also most likely to backfire; using tips like Little Miss Makeup's can help draw the perfect shape, but you've still got to find the right product. After all, the wrong liquid eyeliner can fade quickly, smudge easily, and have an awful applicator... and those are the problems you run into within the first five minutes. A liquid eyeliner that avoids fading and smudging all day? There aren't many, and believe me, price is no indicator.

Of course, in my younger days, I thought price was an indicator, which is why I was so hesitant to purchase Wet 'n' Wild Liquid Eyeliner in Black for just $2.99 at CVS at full price. I should note that I had tried the H2O Proof version before and hated it-- it was difficult to apply, had a weird consistency, and hardly lived up to its name. Alas, I had read good things about the regular liner, so I was sucked back into the Wet 'n' Wild drugstore-price vortex. And I am so glad I was.

Never again.

The eyeliner is super easy to apply: one dip of the brush is sufficient for seamless lines on both your upper and lower lid. The brush itself is durable and precise, leaving lines about 1-1.5 mm wide depending on the angle and pressure you utilize. After about fifteen seconds, the eyeliner is dry enough for your lids to bat against the skin above your eye without leaving reside behind. (Am I the only one with that problem?) The liquid's smooth application leaves the final product looking both striking and professional. It easily lasts eight hours without smudging... at least for gals with oily skin like me. Of course, it isn't rub-proof, but are there really many eyeliners that are?

So, let's go to the summary, shall we?
Pros: Smooth application, deep color, durable brush, and a little bit goes a long way
Cons: Few color options, H2O liquid liner is awful.
Price: $2.99 at drugstore.com
Bottom line: As an eyeliner aficionado, I truly believe you can't find any better for the price! 

How Not to Do Homemade Beauty: Waxing

One of the big reasons I started blogging was because I spent so much time researching natural and homemade beauty solutions that it only made sense to condense and share it with others. I've tried a lot of things: olive oil on my hair and skin, going shampoo-free, and utilizing baking soda as an OTC skin care solution. These things were easy to do while I was away at school: they require minimum preparation, materials, and clean up (really, most natural beauty solutions do). One thing I was waiting to get home to try is homemade wax for leg hair removal... and while I'm glad I waited to do it until I came home, I'm annoyed with myself for choosing to try it in the first place!

Yes, natural beauty can be messy. So can natural eating. But, usually, it's worth it. I'm a big proponent of that concept of "don't put anything on your body that you wouldn't put into your mouth." While I don't always follow it (makeup and sunscreen are my exceptions) I have made a major effort to try. For hair removal, I cut out shaving cream (tough but worthwhile) and forced my skin to adapt to water and Gillette Razor Blades alone. While it gets the job done, the idea of waxing has always been a seductive one for me; the fact that waxing lasts longer than shaving is especially alluring for ladies with dark body hair. So, with no obligations to fill my day, I decided to attempt a homemade wax using the following recipe that I found here.

I want to stress that I am not insulting the recipe or methods of the authors. The good thing about homemade beauty advice is that bloggers are typically not sharing recipes for personal gain. There are usually pictures and testimonials in the comments section that can help you decide whether or not to do it. Of course, being so excited about the DIY project, I neglected to read that no one in the comments had actually tried it themselves, and that even the author did not testify to doing so. This, obviously, was an enormous mistake.

To make a long story short, I started by slightly burning my finger in the hot wax (my fault), made a mess of my bathroom while fruitlessly trying to spread the wax (price of doing business), and managed to achieve only minimal results despite trying both suggested methods to the best of my ability. Honestly, I lost more of my nail polish as the wax hardened to my fingertips than I lost leg hair. After practically peeling my fingernails off, I got to spend another thirty minutes cleaning the wax out of the container and off the spoon I had attempted to spread the wax with. Yes, it was an unmitigated disaster, but it was also a learning process.

The moral of the story is this: consult multiple blogs that contain testimonials before you try any potentially messy or dangerous homemade beauty products/projects. YouTube videos are best for any marginally complicated processes. Yes, the waxing worked to a certain extent for me, but now I realize that no matter how good I got at it, the results for this particular recipe wouldn't be worth my effort. It's not as if I won't try it again... I'm thinking of using a recipe like this, which includes intricate step-by-step directions vital for success. I'll let you know how it goes, but you should consider looking for a few more reviews before you try it for yourself... trust me.

Free Sample Gift Pack from BeautySage!

BeautySage, an almost-ready-to-launch online shop for beauty and wellness products, is providing a box with five free samples to those who sign up before they launch (find their promise here on Twitter). All you need to do is go to this link and submit your email so they can contact you when it happens. They claim to only support proven products (although, who doesn't?), so let's see if it's worth a look.

(Note: You can find an important update on this sample here)

Best Giveaways of the Week: 4/16/12

A Hawaiian vacation for four

Just provide your email and fill out a form--there is a great instant win game too. There are tons of great prizes for runners-up!

Whirlpool Duet® Washer and Dryer Pair plus a year's supply of Purex detergent
Just fill out a form


Eureka Suction Seal Pet Vacuum
Just leave a comment-- there are chances for additional entries as well


Free gas for a year!
Just "like" Autozone on Facebook and provide your email.


$50,000 from Lenovo
Just fill out a quick form. By answering a few questions, you can unlock the awesome instant win game


L'Oréal Paris Revitalift Double Lifting Treatment
1,000 bottles are being given away. A $16 value.

Which Concealer is Best for Your Spots?

How many of you have clear skin? I mean perfectly clear skin, the kind that you wear without a makeup mask when you walk out the door? The kind of skin that looks more photoshopped than a L'Oreal or Armani ad? I'm guessing 99% of you reading it A) don't have this sort of skin, and B) don't know anyone over the age of fourteen who does. And guess what? It's okay. Even with a flawless beauty routine, our skin is the victim of our lifestyle, our genetics, and our environment. Acne, lack of sleep, sun, and age all work together to make our skin look less than its best. Luckily, one of makeup's many tricks is covering the spots and pigment inconsistencies on our skin. While a simple foundation can do the trick for the most minor of blemishes, sometimes we want a little (or a lot) more coverage. Not all of these 'imperfections' are created equally, and for a really perfect look, they shouldn't all be correctively covered equally. So, what kind of concealer works for what problem? To answer this problem, we use the color wheel.

To minimize redness, go with a green concealer

I have awful acne (and awful acne scars), so I can tell you this from experience: foundation (or neutral concealer) usually won't give you the coverage you really want. For bad redness, nothing beats a mint green concealer like Physician's Formula Conceal Rx™ Physicians Strength Concealer. 

To warm up bluish-purple spots, pick a yellow concealer

Bruises, dark acne scars, and dark circles under your eyes can really throw you off your game. A yellow concealer can really help, but make sure it's not too bright; try to pick one with a slightly orange tinge to achieve the best results.

To perk up sallow skin, grab a light purple concealer

Sure, putting purple on your face seems a little weird, but as long as it's a light color it can REALLY even out those yellow tones. Think of it as the converse of yellow concealer. It can take care of those yellow bruises with no problem! A lavender concealer is especially important for those of us with yellow or olive skin colors; when your skin is looking sallow or those under-eye circles are more yellow than bluish, this is your best answer.