Check it out:
http://lifehacker.com/331405/fold-a-t+shirt-in-two-seconds-redux
Tuesday, February 12, 2013
Sunday, February 10, 2013
Maternity
As it turns out, I am pregnant again. I didn't want to say earlier because I didn't want to jinx it, but it's getting harder to fit in my pants. I'm still in my first trimester, but my belly is already bulging out and it's gotten uncomfortable wearing my pants. Unfortunately, I am loathe to buy new clothes too, so I'm in a bit of a quandary.
I started looking at maternity clothes online and found that I didn't like most of the styles. The other problem was that most of the clothes were made out of man-made materials like polyester or rayon. I don't understand why there aren't more styles made in a simple cotton jersey fabric. The other problem is that many of them are unimaginatively plain and unstylish.
So while I ponder the dilemma, I bought myself a belly band to hold my pants up and to hide the fact that I'm now wearing my pants unzipped. I'm going to try to avoid buying maternity pants for as long as possible. There are actually a lot of tutorials on how to make your own belly band, however, the one I bought has some advantages that the homemade stuff doesn't have. First, I didn't have to take the time and effort to make it. I am lazy so this is a plus. Second, the one I got has a non-slip band running around the edge of one of the openings. This grips the pants and also keeps the band from riding up. I wear this thing every day now and I am so glad to have purchased it!
The other part of me that's grown to the point where I had to purchase something is my... uh, chest area. This was a bit unexpected for me since I've been washboard flat all my life and expected that I would always be that way. So when my bras started pinching me, I was forced to purchase new ones that didn't have underwires. For sleeping, I am now using stretchy sports bras, which work surprisingly well. In any case, if my boobs get bigger, I may have to purchase a couple more, but I hear that's not unexpected.
In any case, my extra mass takes getting used to. I can only hope that I won't grow too big!
I started looking at maternity clothes online and found that I didn't like most of the styles. The other problem was that most of the clothes were made out of man-made materials like polyester or rayon. I don't understand why there aren't more styles made in a simple cotton jersey fabric. The other problem is that many of them are unimaginatively plain and unstylish.
So while I ponder the dilemma, I bought myself a belly band to hold my pants up and to hide the fact that I'm now wearing my pants unzipped. I'm going to try to avoid buying maternity pants for as long as possible. There are actually a lot of tutorials on how to make your own belly band, however, the one I bought has some advantages that the homemade stuff doesn't have. First, I didn't have to take the time and effort to make it. I am lazy so this is a plus. Second, the one I got has a non-slip band running around the edge of one of the openings. This grips the pants and also keeps the band from riding up. I wear this thing every day now and I am so glad to have purchased it!
The other part of me that's grown to the point where I had to purchase something is my... uh, chest area. This was a bit unexpected for me since I've been washboard flat all my life and expected that I would always be that way. So when my bras started pinching me, I was forced to purchase new ones that didn't have underwires. For sleeping, I am now using stretchy sports bras, which work surprisingly well. In any case, if my boobs get bigger, I may have to purchase a couple more, but I hear that's not unexpected.
In any case, my extra mass takes getting used to. I can only hope that I won't grow too big!
Friday, February 8, 2013
Turn about is fair play
Whenever I hear about some confrontation between paparazzi and famous people, I thank my lucky stars I'm a regular, uninteresting, unknown person. In the video linked below, one famous person decided to turn his camera on the paparazzi and the ensuing interaction was actually kinda interesting.
http://gawker.com/5981401/pictures-of-assholes-joseph-gordon+levitt-points-his-camera-at-the-paparazzi-and-they-dont-care-for-it
http://gawker.com/5981401/pictures-of-assholes-joseph-gordon+levitt-points-his-camera-at-the-paparazzi-and-they-dont-care-for-it
Monday, January 28, 2013
Random chain of kindness goes on for hours
I know this is old, but it's still a goodie!
http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/random-chain-of-kindness-at-tims-goes-on-for-hours-185398352.html
http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/random-chain-of-kindness-at-tims-goes-on-for-hours-185398352.html
Friday, January 25, 2013
Men try out labor pains
Maybe if more Republican men did this for 8 hours straight, they would feel differently about being against contraception and abortion.
http://www.neatorama.com/2013/01/21/Men-Try-Out-Labor-Pains/
http://www.neatorama.com/2013/01/21/Men-Try-Out-Labor-Pains/
Wednesday, January 23, 2013
Flu season
This year, the flu seems to be particularly bad. After realizing just how bad it has gotten, and how many people in my own office around me were sick with it, I got myself a flu shot for the first time ever. Unfortunately, I'm reading that the shot takes two weeks to take effect, and plus there's no guarantee that the shot will keep you safe from this year's strains of flu.
Aside from taking the flu shot, I've been making extra sure to wash my hands exceptionally well. I usually wash my hands well, so I now fear that perhaps that's not enough. My company was kind enough to issue everyone a small bottle of hand sanitizer, so I think I'm going to start using that every time I touch something on the subway that other people tend to touch, like poles and handles. If I could, I'd stay home and self-quarantine myself, but that's probably going a bit too far.
Normally, I would not be so paranoid. However, this year sounds like it's pretty bad, and there are other circumstances that make getting the flu now a particularly bad time. So hence, the paranoia. I really don't want to come down with anything debilitating for the next several months.
Aside from taking the flu shot, I've been making extra sure to wash my hands exceptionally well. I usually wash my hands well, so I now fear that perhaps that's not enough. My company was kind enough to issue everyone a small bottle of hand sanitizer, so I think I'm going to start using that every time I touch something on the subway that other people tend to touch, like poles and handles. If I could, I'd stay home and self-quarantine myself, but that's probably going a bit too far.
Normally, I would not be so paranoid. However, this year sounds like it's pretty bad, and there are other circumstances that make getting the flu now a particularly bad time. So hence, the paranoia. I really don't want to come down with anything debilitating for the next several months.
Saturday, January 12, 2013
Violence against women act
Things like this make me feel depressed:
http://gawker.com/5974873/whatever-happened-to-the-violence-against-women-act
http://gawker.com/5974873/whatever-happened-to-the-violence-against-women-act
Friday, January 11, 2013
Composting
Late last year, I bought the Envirocycle mini compost tumbler to start composting in my urban home. It's quite small and can fit on top of a table, but I just set mine on the floor. It's been a little over a month since I started dumping stuff into it on a weekly basis and it's getting full. Unfortunately, because it's winter, there is not much rotting going on. :-(
Once it fills up a bit more, I'll have to stop putting stuff into it. At first, I tumbled the thing every week, but since it's been so cold and nothing's happening, I've given up on doing that until the weather warms up. Because it is so cold, I am unable to tell if I'm putting in enough "browns." I tried sniffing it, but I can't smell anything, especially since everything is probably frozen. Then there's the issue of whether or not I'm keeping the stuff wet enough. Again, moisture is just freezing up in there so I'm not sure if it's at the consistency it should be.
In any case, it looks like I'll have to wait until it's warmer to know for sure how to proceed and facilitate rotting. I am pretty excited to see it rot! I can't wait!
Once it fills up a bit more, I'll have to stop putting stuff into it. At first, I tumbled the thing every week, but since it's been so cold and nothing's happening, I've given up on doing that until the weather warms up. Because it is so cold, I am unable to tell if I'm putting in enough "browns." I tried sniffing it, but I can't smell anything, especially since everything is probably frozen. Then there's the issue of whether or not I'm keeping the stuff wet enough. Again, moisture is just freezing up in there so I'm not sure if it's at the consistency it should be.
In any case, it looks like I'll have to wait until it's warmer to know for sure how to proceed and facilitate rotting. I am pretty excited to see it rot! I can't wait!
Wednesday, January 9, 2013
Maintaining a home is hard work!
This is not news to anyone, but maintaining a home is hard work! I find it is especially difficult to keep up with housework when working full time and dealing with long commutes. If only I didn't need to sleep!
When we first moved into our new place, my first priority was settling in, getting furniture and finding a place for everything. I'm still not completely happy with the way the kitchen is organized and the basement is still a mess because we're using it as a storage/staging area. There is still too much clutter on the small table in the dining room and the office needs reorganizing as well. A house's work is never done.
Eventually, big projects aside, I settled into a more regular cleaning routine. At first, I was too ambitious and if I did everything on my checklist every day, I would have no time to sit down or relax. So I started spacing tasks out more. After all, do I really need to dust the whole house every other day? I also took the advice of Scrooge McDuck to "work smarter, not harder!"
Here are some things I've started doing that I find beneficial:
1. When I am about to use the tub or sink, I first spray a vinegar spray on the surfaces and let it sit for a few minutes. Then when I brush my teeth or shower, I wipe down the sprayed surfaces with a cloth. This allows me to keep the bathroom presentable all the times.
2. Washing and prepping veggies on Sunday saves me lots of time on weeknights. Prepped veggies means I can come home, heat up the wok and toss the food in right way and start cooking. It definitely saves a lot of time!
3. Hubby and I used to waste a lot of food, though we certainly don't mean to. Planning out meals is a great way to avoid wasting food. When I know what I'll be making, I can have a more efficient shopping trip, buying only what I need that week. Not only am I saving money, but time as well.
4. Shopping at the supermarket is a horrible experience, unless I go late. During peak hours, the place is so crowded that I can bare move 2 feet before having to stop and wait for someone else to get out of my way. Either that or I'm the one in someone's way. Going late avoids the crowds and allows for a much more pleasant experience. I can actually take time to focus on what I'm buying, rather than fuming at the old lady pushing her cart into me.
5. Getting stuff delivered can be a good thing! I have stuff delivered to the house all the time. At times I feel guilty about all the shipping, gas and cardboard boxes that I'm using up, but the bottom line is, I simply don't have the time to devote to going to all the different places that have the things I need. Some places have what I need, but are not of good quality. I am lucky enough that I can get most of my daily needs delivered right to my door - from groceries, to pet supplies to air mattresses. I like buying certain things in bulk, and not having to lug a year's worth of sugar across several blocks is a good thing!
6. Freezer meals are great! Some days when I come home, I really don't want to touch the stove. I just want to pop something into the microwave or oven and voila! Food is on the table! Every so often, I'll make a big batch of tomato sauce, veggie soup, lasagna, pumpkin pie or chickpea patties. We'll eat some and freeze the rest. The night before I plan to eat it, I take it out of the freezer and put it into the fridge. If it's not fully defrosted by the time I come home, I stick it in the microwave. I like freezing my food in single serving portions inside of freezer and oven safe containers that come with covers. For instance, I bake the lasagna in an oven and freezer safe container. When it cools, it goes into the freezer. Later, it gets defrosted in the fridge and when I come home to eat it, I warm it up in the oven. I love functional containers!
7. Doing a few chores every day means feeling less overwhelmed on the weekends. In the beginning, I tried to do all my chores on weekends, which meant for very busy weekends! Often, I either didn't finish or just got frustrated with all the work I was making myself do. These days, I find that if I quickly clean areas during the week, I don't have to do them during the weekend, which saves me a great deal of frustration and keeps the house clean. Some people recommend setting a timer for 15 minutes and just do as much as you can until the timer is up. What works for me is a list of tasks for each day and checking them off when I get home. Daily tasks include wiping down the dining table after eating, wiping down the kitchen countertops and stoves, and loading and unloading the dishwasher. Every other day, I dust, check and water the plants, and add to the mini compost tumbler. Ideally, I should also sweep and mop the kitchen and dining room floors, but I just can't get my energy up enough to manage that. Cleaning the floors remain a weekend task
So that's all I got for now! Later!
When we first moved into our new place, my first priority was settling in, getting furniture and finding a place for everything. I'm still not completely happy with the way the kitchen is organized and the basement is still a mess because we're using it as a storage/staging area. There is still too much clutter on the small table in the dining room and the office needs reorganizing as well. A house's work is never done.
Eventually, big projects aside, I settled into a more regular cleaning routine. At first, I was too ambitious and if I did everything on my checklist every day, I would have no time to sit down or relax. So I started spacing tasks out more. After all, do I really need to dust the whole house every other day? I also took the advice of Scrooge McDuck to "work smarter, not harder!"
Here are some things I've started doing that I find beneficial:
1. When I am about to use the tub or sink, I first spray a vinegar spray on the surfaces and let it sit for a few minutes. Then when I brush my teeth or shower, I wipe down the sprayed surfaces with a cloth. This allows me to keep the bathroom presentable all the times.
2. Washing and prepping veggies on Sunday saves me lots of time on weeknights. Prepped veggies means I can come home, heat up the wok and toss the food in right way and start cooking. It definitely saves a lot of time!
3. Hubby and I used to waste a lot of food, though we certainly don't mean to. Planning out meals is a great way to avoid wasting food. When I know what I'll be making, I can have a more efficient shopping trip, buying only what I need that week. Not only am I saving money, but time as well.
4. Shopping at the supermarket is a horrible experience, unless I go late. During peak hours, the place is so crowded that I can bare move 2 feet before having to stop and wait for someone else to get out of my way. Either that or I'm the one in someone's way. Going late avoids the crowds and allows for a much more pleasant experience. I can actually take time to focus on what I'm buying, rather than fuming at the old lady pushing her cart into me.
5. Getting stuff delivered can be a good thing! I have stuff delivered to the house all the time. At times I feel guilty about all the shipping, gas and cardboard boxes that I'm using up, but the bottom line is, I simply don't have the time to devote to going to all the different places that have the things I need. Some places have what I need, but are not of good quality. I am lucky enough that I can get most of my daily needs delivered right to my door - from groceries, to pet supplies to air mattresses. I like buying certain things in bulk, and not having to lug a year's worth of sugar across several blocks is a good thing!
6. Freezer meals are great! Some days when I come home, I really don't want to touch the stove. I just want to pop something into the microwave or oven and voila! Food is on the table! Every so often, I'll make a big batch of tomato sauce, veggie soup, lasagna, pumpkin pie or chickpea patties. We'll eat some and freeze the rest. The night before I plan to eat it, I take it out of the freezer and put it into the fridge. If it's not fully defrosted by the time I come home, I stick it in the microwave. I like freezing my food in single serving portions inside of freezer and oven safe containers that come with covers. For instance, I bake the lasagna in an oven and freezer safe container. When it cools, it goes into the freezer. Later, it gets defrosted in the fridge and when I come home to eat it, I warm it up in the oven. I love functional containers!
7. Doing a few chores every day means feeling less overwhelmed on the weekends. In the beginning, I tried to do all my chores on weekends, which meant for very busy weekends! Often, I either didn't finish or just got frustrated with all the work I was making myself do. These days, I find that if I quickly clean areas during the week, I don't have to do them during the weekend, which saves me a great deal of frustration and keeps the house clean. Some people recommend setting a timer for 15 minutes and just do as much as you can until the timer is up. What works for me is a list of tasks for each day and checking them off when I get home. Daily tasks include wiping down the dining table after eating, wiping down the kitchen countertops and stoves, and loading and unloading the dishwasher. Every other day, I dust, check and water the plants, and add to the mini compost tumbler. Ideally, I should also sweep and mop the kitchen and dining room floors, but I just can't get my energy up enough to manage that. Cleaning the floors remain a weekend task
So that's all I got for now! Later!
All Glory to the Hypnotoad!
This past holiday season, I did not just shop for others, but I also shopped for myself. For the most part, I am happy with my purchases, except for one. It is the Hypnotoad. On an impulsive whim, I bought the figurine (doesn't actually move its eyes or make noise - it's just cute!) and now I have no idea where to put it. It lived in the bathroom for a while and now it has moved into the bedroom.
Despite its adorable charm, I would rather not have yet another object in the house to dust and maintain. This is especially true since he doesn't actually wobble his eyes or make the Hypnotoad noise. After all, he's just a figurine that I got for fun, and now it seems, I am over it.
Still it seems like such a waste to get rid him considering the fact that I've had him less than 2 months. So alternative that I am considering is bringing him to work as a desk toy. He can sit on my desk where I can stare at him staring at me. With him at work, I can not feel guilty about getting rid of him, but he is also out of the house when I'm trying to dust and wipe everything.
Despite its adorable charm, I would rather not have yet another object in the house to dust and maintain. This is especially true since he doesn't actually wobble his eyes or make the Hypnotoad noise. After all, he's just a figurine that I got for fun, and now it seems, I am over it.
Still it seems like such a waste to get rid him considering the fact that I've had him less than 2 months. So alternative that I am considering is bringing him to work as a desk toy. He can sit on my desk where I can stare at him staring at me. With him at work, I can not feel guilty about getting rid of him, but he is also out of the house when I'm trying to dust and wipe everything.
Monday, January 7, 2013
Saturday, January 5, 2013
Brewing your own Kombucha
My first taste of kombucha did not leave me wanting more. In fact, I disliked it. However, I had heard so many good and miraculous things about it that I thought I would give it another shot and bought a bottle. It was a hot summer day and I was craving something sweet and fizzy and that bottle totally hit the spot! From then on, I loved kombucha! The only problem is, they're so expensive!
So one day, I decided to make my own. I didn't bother buying a scoby (kombucha mother). Instead, I grew one from a store-bought bottle of kombucha. You can read how to do that here:
http://www.paprikahead.com/2009/07/how-to-brew-your-own-kombucha-from.html
Now that I have a healthy scoby going, I brew and bottle every 2 weeks and I make it with green tea. Hubby likes his fizzier so he likes to keep the bottles at room temperature to continue fermenting for a while. The longer they ferment in the bottles, the fizzier it gets. I don't mind drinking it as soon as it tastes right.
Now, I don't put much stock in the reports of how kombucha cures stuff and does all these miraculous things. I just like the taste and I do think it's healthy because it has live cultures in it that helps digestion. Other than that, it's also fun to know that I can make something so yummy at home!
So one day, I decided to make my own. I didn't bother buying a scoby (kombucha mother). Instead, I grew one from a store-bought bottle of kombucha. You can read how to do that here:
http://www.paprikahead.com/2009/07/how-to-brew-your-own-kombucha-from.html
Now that I have a healthy scoby going, I brew and bottle every 2 weeks and I make it with green tea. Hubby likes his fizzier so he likes to keep the bottles at room temperature to continue fermenting for a while. The longer they ferment in the bottles, the fizzier it gets. I don't mind drinking it as soon as it tastes right.
Now, I don't put much stock in the reports of how kombucha cures stuff and does all these miraculous things. I just like the taste and I do think it's healthy because it has live cultures in it that helps digestion. Other than that, it's also fun to know that I can make something so yummy at home!
Thursday, January 3, 2013
A new year, a new start
Happy 2013 everyone!
This coming year, I have many resolutions and many plans. Most are the same ones I had last year. Haha! However, that's not a bad thing as it shows that I'm still trying and haven't given up. In any case, my goals are all related to living healthier and more frugally. Some of my resolutions are:
1. Cook most dinners and pack most lunches. This not only allows me to live healthier, but also saves a lot of money. This is a repeat from last year as I lost sight of this goal halfway through the year.
2. Create a household cleaning schedule and share chores with hubby. Since hubby works late, I'm not expecting an equitable division of labor here. However, I do like to have the option of saying that I'm too tired to do the chores and just point to the list so hubby can step up. The way I see it, in order to keep the house spic and span, certain things need to be done regularly.
3. Grow more food. Last year, we planted two heirloom tomato plants, some store bought scallions (ate the tops and just planted the bottoms) and some store-bought celery (again ate the tops and planted the bottom). The scallions and celery were miserable though the celery is, amazingly, still alive and green in our back yard. The tomato plants were planted too close together and tried to kill each other, resulting in only a handful of tomatoes. This year, I'm going to do things differently. I'll plant two tomato plants farther apart and also put tomato cages around them. I also have garlic growing on the side, some mint growing in a pot and a horseradish root buried in a big planter. I currently have a couple of citrus trees under grow lights, but I don't think they're going to make it through the winter. :-(
4. Take more breaks from staring at stuff. I spend all day staring. I stare at my computer at work, I stare at my phone when commuting, I stare at the TV when I'm relaxing and I stare at my iPad before bed. That's a lot of staring and my eyes are always feeling dry and strained. It's time to give them a break by taking hourly breaks every day. So this year, I'm going to try to break away from backlit screens every hour by taking a walk around the house or office floor, even if it's just to pet the cat or get a drink of water.
5. Run 5K by the end of the year. I want to exercise, but I can never keep it up because I'm super lazy and always tired. So I figure if I have a concrete goal in mind, I can be motivated to keep moving. So the goal is to run 5K by the end of the year. Yeah, I'm taking it easy, but it's better than doing nothing!
So that's it! My 2013 resolutions. I wonder how many I'll be able to keep!
This coming year, I have many resolutions and many plans. Most are the same ones I had last year. Haha! However, that's not a bad thing as it shows that I'm still trying and haven't given up. In any case, my goals are all related to living healthier and more frugally. Some of my resolutions are:
1. Cook most dinners and pack most lunches. This not only allows me to live healthier, but also saves a lot of money. This is a repeat from last year as I lost sight of this goal halfway through the year.
2. Create a household cleaning schedule and share chores with hubby. Since hubby works late, I'm not expecting an equitable division of labor here. However, I do like to have the option of saying that I'm too tired to do the chores and just point to the list so hubby can step up. The way I see it, in order to keep the house spic and span, certain things need to be done regularly.
3. Grow more food. Last year, we planted two heirloom tomato plants, some store bought scallions (ate the tops and just planted the bottoms) and some store-bought celery (again ate the tops and planted the bottom). The scallions and celery were miserable though the celery is, amazingly, still alive and green in our back yard. The tomato plants were planted too close together and tried to kill each other, resulting in only a handful of tomatoes. This year, I'm going to do things differently. I'll plant two tomato plants farther apart and also put tomato cages around them. I also have garlic growing on the side, some mint growing in a pot and a horseradish root buried in a big planter. I currently have a couple of citrus trees under grow lights, but I don't think they're going to make it through the winter. :-(
4. Take more breaks from staring at stuff. I spend all day staring. I stare at my computer at work, I stare at my phone when commuting, I stare at the TV when I'm relaxing and I stare at my iPad before bed. That's a lot of staring and my eyes are always feeling dry and strained. It's time to give them a break by taking hourly breaks every day. So this year, I'm going to try to break away from backlit screens every hour by taking a walk around the house or office floor, even if it's just to pet the cat or get a drink of water.
5. Run 5K by the end of the year. I want to exercise, but I can never keep it up because I'm super lazy and always tired. So I figure if I have a concrete goal in mind, I can be motivated to keep moving. So the goal is to run 5K by the end of the year. Yeah, I'm taking it easy, but it's better than doing nothing!
So that's it! My 2013 resolutions. I wonder how many I'll be able to keep!
Tuesday, November 20, 2012
Current makeup collection
Since the Great Makeup Purge, I've given a lot of thought to streamlining my makeup routine. I want to reduce the number of steps and the time it takes to apply. I also want to buy new makeup, but I only want to purchase stuff I'm going to use.
So going back online, I discovered the newest makeup rage - BB Creams! Apparently in Asia, they're already using something that combines moisturizer, SPF, primer and foundation. Beauty balm, or BB creams are now being sold in the U.S. and I really wanted to try it out. I ended up getting a really expensive tube of Dr. Jart+ Premium Beauty Balm with SPF 45. This tube does have titanium and zinc oxide so at least some of the SPF is an actual physical sunblock rather than the less effective chemical block.
So since getting this tube, I've used it a few times and here's what I think so far. When it first goes on, it feels clammy on the skin, but that goes away. It really does smooth out the skin tone, but it's not a concealer if you've got really dark under-eye circles. The pigment does not settle into lines or creases. It does not look caked on or shiny. A little goes a long way. It really does last all day, and I really like it! I am throwing out my face primer and foundations. Still keeping my dusting powder though as I'm not sure how shiny I'll look in the summer. I'm also keeping my Urban Decay Primer Potion for my eyes, since the BB cream doesn't keep my eye makeup from straying. I am throwing out my blush since I have red cheeks and this cream doesn't cover that up, but keeping my Neutrogena bronzer for contouring.
Now that my face is moisturized, primed and even, I can add colors. I threw out pretty much all of my eye makeup and lipstick, so at first, I thought I should get a combo palette. That way I only need to go to one item for colors. However, none of the combo palettes really included everything I wanted or needed. A lot of combo palettes included what I wanted and needed plus a lot of stuff I didn't want or need. I never did find the perfect combo palette for eyes and lips. So I decided to get separate palettes.
For my eyes, I considered getting something small with only 4 coordinating colors, but I like having more choices. I also wanted neutral colors, suitable for any occasion. However, the colors can't be so neutral that I can't add drama if I wanted to. I decided on getting Urban Decay's Naked2 palette. It comes with 12 colors, a 2 ended brush and a small tube of lip gloss. I tossed the lip gloss, but I love everything else in it! The colors are beautifully saturated and go on smooth. I love the shimmer colors and the fact that a really black pigment was included in this. Although 12 colors is a lot to choose from, the palette is very neutral. I may supplement later with a couple of colors in my favorite shades of purple and wine.
Aside from eye shadow, I also got a waterproof liquid liner. I really suck at applying liquid liner, but I seem to be having good luck with the ones that come in pencil form with a stiff, pointy brush. The one I have is Stila All Day Waterproof Liquid Liner. I also have a regular pencil liner because I am more confident in my skills with that, but unfortunately the pencil always smudges for me so I may toss this eventually. As for mascara, I have to say I haven't found one that I really like. I have short, sparse lashes that resists curling. I also have sensitive eyes and they water a lot. Right now, I'm using Blinc mascara because I got a sample of it and it doesn't irritate, flake or rub off. However, it doesn't do anything impressive for my lashes and doesn't hold curl. Previously, I tried using Fiberwig, which does a great job lengthening, but nothing else. I've tried random other ones from the drugstore as well but so far, nothing really sticks out.
Next, I thought about lip color. The problem with lipstick is that it's usually gone after my first cup of coffee. The problem with long-lasting lipstick is that it dries your lips out like crazy! Most long-lasting lipsticks come with a gloss to keep your lips moisturized. However, the whole point of getting long-lasting stuff is so I don't have to do touch-ups. Still, my experience with long-lasting lipstick has been good as long as my lips are hydrated to begin with. So I have one shade of the long-lasting stuff, the Revlon Colorstay Overtime Lipcolor. This thing does dry my lips and it feels a bit sticky, but it really does last and last. In my makeup trials, I have also tried Max Factor Lipfinity, which has beautifully saturated colors, goes on matte, but it dries out my lips more than anything I've ever used! As for regular lipstick, I have my all-time favorite Clinique Almost Lipstick in Black Honey. I discovered Black Honey in high school and I just never fell out of love with it.
So in total, here's what I have:
BB Cream
Matte bronzer (for days when I actually think I might learn to contour my cheeks or something)
Translucent Finishing powder
Eye primer
1 Eye palette
1 black waterproof liquid eyeliner
1 black eyeliner pencil
1 waterproof mascara
1 long-lasting lipstick
1 regular lipstick
A note on makeup remover:
I wear waterproof makeup on my eyes because I tear a lot and my eye makeup tends to smudge, fade and flake off. The easiest way to remove makeup, including waterproof makeup and falsies, is to rub extra virgin olive oil onto the skin and lashes, wait a few minutes, and then gently wash off with soap and water. You can use a cotton ball to apply the oil or you can use a reusable makeup sponge. I used olive oil as my makeup remover after all my makeup trials for my wedding, as well as after my wedding. It works like a charm and it doesn't leave your skin feeling stripped the way some makeup removers do.
Final note for this post:
For a while, I wanted to make my own makeup from ingredients I can pronounce. I did have some success with tinted lip balm, some eye shadows and a loose powder foundation. However, it takes a lot of experimentation to get a likeable formula. Plus when I ran out of something homemade, I had to take the time to make it again. At this point in my life, I am too lazy, unmotivated and busy to take the greenie route when it comes to makeup. I still make my own lotions and my skincare routine is pretty simple and free of weird chemicals. Given that, I think rubbing a little toxic artifice onto my face isn't the most terrible thing in the world as long as I limit my purchases and always wash the stuff off at the end of the day. :-)
So going back online, I discovered the newest makeup rage - BB Creams! Apparently in Asia, they're already using something that combines moisturizer, SPF, primer and foundation. Beauty balm, or BB creams are now being sold in the U.S. and I really wanted to try it out. I ended up getting a really expensive tube of Dr. Jart+ Premium Beauty Balm with SPF 45. This tube does have titanium and zinc oxide so at least some of the SPF is an actual physical sunblock rather than the less effective chemical block.
So since getting this tube, I've used it a few times and here's what I think so far. When it first goes on, it feels clammy on the skin, but that goes away. It really does smooth out the skin tone, but it's not a concealer if you've got really dark under-eye circles. The pigment does not settle into lines or creases. It does not look caked on or shiny. A little goes a long way. It really does last all day, and I really like it! I am throwing out my face primer and foundations. Still keeping my dusting powder though as I'm not sure how shiny I'll look in the summer. I'm also keeping my Urban Decay Primer Potion for my eyes, since the BB cream doesn't keep my eye makeup from straying. I am throwing out my blush since I have red cheeks and this cream doesn't cover that up, but keeping my Neutrogena bronzer for contouring.
Now that my face is moisturized, primed and even, I can add colors. I threw out pretty much all of my eye makeup and lipstick, so at first, I thought I should get a combo palette. That way I only need to go to one item for colors. However, none of the combo palettes really included everything I wanted or needed. A lot of combo palettes included what I wanted and needed plus a lot of stuff I didn't want or need. I never did find the perfect combo palette for eyes and lips. So I decided to get separate palettes.
For my eyes, I considered getting something small with only 4 coordinating colors, but I like having more choices. I also wanted neutral colors, suitable for any occasion. However, the colors can't be so neutral that I can't add drama if I wanted to. I decided on getting Urban Decay's Naked2 palette. It comes with 12 colors, a 2 ended brush and a small tube of lip gloss. I tossed the lip gloss, but I love everything else in it! The colors are beautifully saturated and go on smooth. I love the shimmer colors and the fact that a really black pigment was included in this. Although 12 colors is a lot to choose from, the palette is very neutral. I may supplement later with a couple of colors in my favorite shades of purple and wine.
Aside from eye shadow, I also got a waterproof liquid liner. I really suck at applying liquid liner, but I seem to be having good luck with the ones that come in pencil form with a stiff, pointy brush. The one I have is Stila All Day Waterproof Liquid Liner. I also have a regular pencil liner because I am more confident in my skills with that, but unfortunately the pencil always smudges for me so I may toss this eventually. As for mascara, I have to say I haven't found one that I really like. I have short, sparse lashes that resists curling. I also have sensitive eyes and they water a lot. Right now, I'm using Blinc mascara because I got a sample of it and it doesn't irritate, flake or rub off. However, it doesn't do anything impressive for my lashes and doesn't hold curl. Previously, I tried using Fiberwig, which does a great job lengthening, but nothing else. I've tried random other ones from the drugstore as well but so far, nothing really sticks out.
Next, I thought about lip color. The problem with lipstick is that it's usually gone after my first cup of coffee. The problem with long-lasting lipstick is that it dries your lips out like crazy! Most long-lasting lipsticks come with a gloss to keep your lips moisturized. However, the whole point of getting long-lasting stuff is so I don't have to do touch-ups. Still, my experience with long-lasting lipstick has been good as long as my lips are hydrated to begin with. So I have one shade of the long-lasting stuff, the Revlon Colorstay Overtime Lipcolor. This thing does dry my lips and it feels a bit sticky, but it really does last and last. In my makeup trials, I have also tried Max Factor Lipfinity, which has beautifully saturated colors, goes on matte, but it dries out my lips more than anything I've ever used! As for regular lipstick, I have my all-time favorite Clinique Almost Lipstick in Black Honey. I discovered Black Honey in high school and I just never fell out of love with it.
So in total, here's what I have:
BB Cream
Matte bronzer (for days when I actually think I might learn to contour my cheeks or something)
Translucent Finishing powder
Eye primer
1 Eye palette
1 black waterproof liquid eyeliner
1 black eyeliner pencil
1 waterproof mascara
1 long-lasting lipstick
1 regular lipstick
A note on makeup remover:
I wear waterproof makeup on my eyes because I tear a lot and my eye makeup tends to smudge, fade and flake off. The easiest way to remove makeup, including waterproof makeup and falsies, is to rub extra virgin olive oil onto the skin and lashes, wait a few minutes, and then gently wash off with soap and water. You can use a cotton ball to apply the oil or you can use a reusable makeup sponge. I used olive oil as my makeup remover after all my makeup trials for my wedding, as well as after my wedding. It works like a charm and it doesn't leave your skin feeling stripped the way some makeup removers do.
Final note for this post:
For a while, I wanted to make my own makeup from ingredients I can pronounce. I did have some success with tinted lip balm, some eye shadows and a loose powder foundation. However, it takes a lot of experimentation to get a likeable formula. Plus when I ran out of something homemade, I had to take the time to make it again. At this point in my life, I am too lazy, unmotivated and busy to take the greenie route when it comes to makeup. I still make my own lotions and my skincare routine is pretty simple and free of weird chemicals. Given that, I think rubbing a little toxic artifice onto my face isn't the most terrible thing in the world as long as I limit my purchases and always wash the stuff off at the end of the day. :-)
Sunday, November 18, 2012
Makeup purge
For many years, I had a Kaboodle box that housed all my makeup, or at least it tried to house all my makeup. Like a lot of other women, I like to wear makeup sometimes. Personally, I am more of a shopper of makeup than a wearer of makeup. I love going to Sephora and drug stores to look through the makeup aisles and imagine the product's potential on my face. I can't tell you how much money I've spent on makeup I've never used up, but I can tell you it's a lot!
So one of the things I've done recently is to clean out my makeup collection. First, anything that was really old and expired got thrown out. I never wear nail polish anymore so I threw that stuff out next. Then came the hard part. I had some lip colors that I love, but rarely wear. Same with eye shadows. It's almost as if I enjoy the idea of wearing these colors more than I like actually wearing them. Sort of like being in love with the idea of being in love more than actually wanting to be in love. Anyways, it took some time to sort through the colors to figure out which ones I would actually wear and which ones I would not wear but like to think that I would eventually wear one day. These are usually very saturated colors like metallic green and iridescent blues.
The truth is, I don't know how to apply makeup well. Since I normally don't wear makeup, I don't get a lot of practice. So in trying to figure out which colors to keep, I ended up considering which ones I actually had the skills to apply without making myself look like a clown. So most of my eye and lip makeup ended up in the trash. Once I got into the groove of throwing stuff out, I was tempted to just tip the whole box of makeup into the trash and swear off makeup forever, but I knew that wasn't going to happen.
Anyways, then I had to look through my foundations and brushes. Yes, I bought brushes because I imagined I would one day practice enough to learn how to use them. What I realized is that my sucky skills aren't helped with brushes. However, I like brushes because I can clean them and reuse them, unlike a lot of sponge applicators. Anyways, I had a couple of bottles of foundation, plus primer, finishing powder, eye primer, plus mineral powder foundation. I almost never use this stuff. I keep it around for fancy events or when I actually feel like I have time to put on makeup.
So just to note, I have all this stuff because in the past, makeup always either ran, smudged or faded really fast. Reading makeup tips online (thank you internet!) I found that if you put on primer first, then foundation, then dusted with some kind of "finishing" powder, the makeup will last longer. Apparently, there is also a separate primer for the eyes. So yeah, on days where I had to put on makeup, I'd spend almost 30 minutes just putting crap onto my face. A full blown routine would look something like this:
1. Moisturize
2. Primer
3. Foundation
4. Eye Primer
5. Eye shadow (this could take several minutes depending on the look you want)
6. Eye liner
7. Dust face with powder
8. Mascara
9. Blush
10. Lipstick
Then of course, you gotta do your hair, which I usually just tie back and call it done. Lol!
So going through my makeup collection also made me really want to streamline my makeup routine. I would wear makeup more often and waste less of it if it were less of a hassle to put on. So after throwing out so much stuff that I barely had any makeup left, I thought about how to acquire makeup more wisely going forward. That's in the next post!
So one of the things I've done recently is to clean out my makeup collection. First, anything that was really old and expired got thrown out. I never wear nail polish anymore so I threw that stuff out next. Then came the hard part. I had some lip colors that I love, but rarely wear. Same with eye shadows. It's almost as if I enjoy the idea of wearing these colors more than I like actually wearing them. Sort of like being in love with the idea of being in love more than actually wanting to be in love. Anyways, it took some time to sort through the colors to figure out which ones I would actually wear and which ones I would not wear but like to think that I would eventually wear one day. These are usually very saturated colors like metallic green and iridescent blues.
The truth is, I don't know how to apply makeup well. Since I normally don't wear makeup, I don't get a lot of practice. So in trying to figure out which colors to keep, I ended up considering which ones I actually had the skills to apply without making myself look like a clown. So most of my eye and lip makeup ended up in the trash. Once I got into the groove of throwing stuff out, I was tempted to just tip the whole box of makeup into the trash and swear off makeup forever, but I knew that wasn't going to happen.
Anyways, then I had to look through my foundations and brushes. Yes, I bought brushes because I imagined I would one day practice enough to learn how to use them. What I realized is that my sucky skills aren't helped with brushes. However, I like brushes because I can clean them and reuse them, unlike a lot of sponge applicators. Anyways, I had a couple of bottles of foundation, plus primer, finishing powder, eye primer, plus mineral powder foundation. I almost never use this stuff. I keep it around for fancy events or when I actually feel like I have time to put on makeup.
So just to note, I have all this stuff because in the past, makeup always either ran, smudged or faded really fast. Reading makeup tips online (thank you internet!) I found that if you put on primer first, then foundation, then dusted with some kind of "finishing" powder, the makeup will last longer. Apparently, there is also a separate primer for the eyes. So yeah, on days where I had to put on makeup, I'd spend almost 30 minutes just putting crap onto my face. A full blown routine would look something like this:
1. Moisturize
2. Primer
3. Foundation
4. Eye Primer
5. Eye shadow (this could take several minutes depending on the look you want)
6. Eye liner
7. Dust face with powder
8. Mascara
9. Blush
10. Lipstick
Then of course, you gotta do your hair, which I usually just tie back and call it done. Lol!
So going through my makeup collection also made me really want to streamline my makeup routine. I would wear makeup more often and waste less of it if it were less of a hassle to put on. So after throwing out so much stuff that I barely had any makeup left, I thought about how to acquire makeup more wisely going forward. That's in the next post!
Thursday, November 15, 2012
The Backfire Effect
Very interesting piece on why some people, when confronted with facts disproving their beliefs, they only get more entrenched in their beliefs rather than alter their perception.
http://youarenotsosmart.com/2011/06/10/the-backfire-effect/
http://youarenotsosmart.com/2011/06/10/the-backfire-effect/
Monday, November 12, 2012
Friday, November 9, 2012
One of my all-time favorite happy videos!
I love watching this fox with his precious marshmallows!
http://jezebel.com/5954306/adorable-fox-loves-marshmallows-we-love-adorable-fox
http://jezebel.com/5954306/adorable-fox-loves-marshmallows-we-love-adorable-fox
Tuesday, November 6, 2012
Election Day!
Hubby and I went out and voted today. I feel good having exercised my right as an American citizen. We decided to go early in the morning to beat the lines. Since displaced people are able to vote at any polling station, we figured our polling station might get pretty crowded. I honestly do not know how Floridians can afford to wait several hours to vote. I certainly would not have had the patience nor time for that, but that is probably what the Governor Scott is betting on. Every citizen should be given the opportunity to vote.
It does trouble me a little that there were positions on the ballot that I had no clue about. Some small local offices and court positions were apparently on the ballot and many of the candidates were running unopposed, probably because nobody knew to run against them. I've never paid a lot of attention to these small offices, but maybe I should. Honestly, the only offices I tend to pay a lot of attention to are the President and the Senate. Not even the State Senate or House. Maybe for the next election, I'll do more research and stay more informed.
On a different note, I wonder what people tend to put down when they decide to put down a Write-In candidate...?
It does trouble me a little that there were positions on the ballot that I had no clue about. Some small local offices and court positions were apparently on the ballot and many of the candidates were running unopposed, probably because nobody knew to run against them. I've never paid a lot of attention to these small offices, but maybe I should. Honestly, the only offices I tend to pay a lot of attention to are the President and the Senate. Not even the State Senate or House. Maybe for the next election, I'll do more research and stay more informed.
On a different note, I wonder what people tend to put down when they decide to put down a Write-In candidate...?
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