Bookworm Moments

When I was growing up, particularly between the ages of 8 and 14, I was a huge bookworm. I read just about everything I could get my hands on, particularly historical fiction novels. The Royal Diaries series was a particular favorite of mine:

 

source: abclocal.go.com

 By the time I was in 5th grade, my class aide was bringing in books her 15-year-old daughter had finished with so I could read them, too. I'm sure my mother dreaded the days I came home from school with the book catalogue distributed to the classes because every other item was circled, and there's no way we could possibly buy them all. I read in the car, at dinner, at family parties... essentially I preferred to live in my literary fantasy world than the real one.

Once I hit high school, however, part-time jobs, friends, boyfriends, etc. all took up my extra time and reading fell by the wayside. Finding the time, even for really good books, was too difficult. I didn't really start reading for pleasure again until a few months ago.

I still don't have the time to be as much of a bookworm as I'd like, but I'm burning through a book every 2-4 weeks. I'm in two book clubs, and with a library less than a block from my apartment, I have a huge stack of books to get through soon. There are no fewer than seven books sitting in my apartment all from the library. 

Sunday mornings have become reading time, complete with a comfy blanket and chair, tea, and pajamas. There's nothing better than curling up with a book and a warm drink and falling into a completely different world. I really can't express how much I'm enjoying reconnecting with my childhood and literary life.

None of this has anything to do with outer beauty, of course; but I sincerely believe that reading and education are important to become a well-rounded person. If you'd like me to do reviews on the books I read in the future, please let me know. I'd be happy to share my thoughts!

My Average Day

Here's a quick rundown of my day:

I get up at 6:20 and take a shower. You can see here what I use in the shower:

Then I go through my morning skincare routine. This is a slightly older version of my skincare routine, but it contains morning and nighttime routines.

 

On Sundays I pick out all my outfits for the week, down to shoes and accessories, so after my shower I take out my outfit for the day and get dressed. I eat breakfast while watching YouTube videos and doing my makeup. Here's my current foundation routine:

By this point it's about 7:40, at which time I catch the bus to get to work at 8 am. I bring lunch with me, usually leftovers from previous dinners, and I eat lunch at 12. I get off work at 4 and I arrive back at my apartment around 4:30 pm. I work out for an hour or so in the gym on the first floor of my building, then put away anything that needs to be cleaned up in the apartment. After examining what's remaining in my fridge and coming up with a meal plan, I put dinner together and settle down on my couch. I generally watch TV while eating: Gilmore Girls is always a fall back, but I've been watching Reign lately as well. After dinner I catch up on editing, watch YouTube, knit, blog, or catch up on my to-do list and go to bed around 9:30 pm.

Some nights, of course, I have plans, in which case this routine alters to fit that. This is just my average routine when I don't have much going on.

What's your routine like?

Audrey Hepburn Tutorial

Who doesn't love Audrey Hepburn? The famous actress, probably best known for "Breakfast at Tiffany's", was an inspirational style icon of the 20th century. I personally love "Roman Holiday" in addition to "Tiffany's." I took this picture of Audrey:

and filmed a makeup tutorial inspired by her look. You can watch it here:

Hope you enjoy!

REVIEW: Maybelline Color Elixir

After all the hype over the Maybelline Color Elixirs I simply had to try them. Essiebutton has been particularly obsessed, if you watch her channel or read her blog. Soon after deciding to try them for myself I found a printable coupon for any Maybelline lip product, so I decided fate was telling me to give them a go.

I picked up the color XX, which is a nice sheer mauve tone. To be honest, I was a bit scared that it would be too opaque. I love mauves, but they sometimes clash with my skin tone. This one, thankfully, is a bit sheer and not too violet, so looks beautiful on my lips. My natural lip color shines through a bit but mixes well with the tint of the Elixir.

My bare lips 

With the Elixir on

The formula isn't too thick and definitely isn't sticky. It goes on a bit wet but dries a little bit as time goes on. It's the perfect amount of glossy, in my opinion- shiny, but not the equivalent of a disco ball on your lips.

My only complaint is the lasting power of this product: I can't even make it through an hour without having to reapply. The Elixir leaves behind a little bit of a stain after the gloss has faded, but even that doesn't last long. I realize it's a gloss, but for some reason I had the impression that it would be a bit longer-lasting. I think this is partly my own fault, for not doing all my research, but also partly the fault of Maybelline- I really didn't understand exactly what this product was from their advertising. How should I know what an elixir is? Is it a gloss? A stain? A glossy stain? Etc.

Overall, I really enjoy this product and will definitely go back for more, especially now that I'm aware of how sheer they actually are (some of the colors don't look so scary any more!). But, if you're looking for long-lasting glossy color, I'd point you instead towards the L'Oreal Color Riche Caresse Wet Shine Stain.

Having to make do

Sometimes life throwing curve balls makes you re-evaluate how you do your makeup and what work-arounds are best.

When I had two cold sores in a month, I learned to focus on perfecting my skin and playing up my eyes, usually with darker eye colors to keep attention off my lips. I also kept Chapstick on my lips so they had a bit of sheen.

The other night I got half a ripped contact lens in my eye (I know- ouch!) and have had to wear my glasses for the last few days. Again, my skin became a major focus, because my glasses have dark frames and contrast is key. Playing up my lips was another key component to balance out the dark frames and the lack of eye makeup. Finally, I still curled my eye lashes to look a little more awake.

While these kinds of things are always annoying, sometimes the things they teach you are worth it. Experimenting with new methods can produce fantastic results and expand your knowledge. Plus, it will definitely get you out of any makeup ruts you may find yourself in.

So I guess the message is that before bad luck, remember that it can be an important learning opportunity.

Winter to Spring Transitions

Springtime is possibly my favorite part of the year. I love warmth, and flowers make every day brighter. So it's no surprise that I'll hurry spring here through transitioning makeup, nails, and clothing.

On my nails recently I've been loving winter colors with a springtime twist, like Avon's nail color in Mulberry, which is a nice maroon color but with a hint of lilac, to signal springtime. I'll take advantage of dark colors while I can, but downright deep shades no longer seem appropriate.

For makeup, I've been loving pastel eye colors and bright lips. Anything peach-colored is my go-to for lips and cheeks, like Maybelline's Color Whisper in Pin Up Peach. I'm using more brightening foundations, and really layering on the highlighter. A bright complexion is my favorite springtime accessory.

Fashion is tricky, because cold weather will not stand to be ignored. If I wear a dress, I opt for thick tights in taupe or green instead of the traditional black. I'm transitioning away from fleece and heavier scarves toward medium-weight ones in brighter hues and patterns. Skirts make appearances more often, and instead of bulking up in sweaters I layer lighter shirts under cardigans or blazers. Flats are also back on my feet almost daily instead of boots, except for when snow makes an appearance.

I realize that February is a bit early to talk about springtime, but it's 50 degrees here today (with snow expected tomorrow, though). It may just be a fluke, but spring seems to come to Washington, DC earlier than my native Massachusetts. I love winter fashion and the holidays, but once we hit February I'm anxious for dresses, bright lip colors, and sunshine.

Spring, can you come quicker? Please?

Contact Lenses and Makeup

Wearing contact lenses and makeup is not an easy task. Bacteria gets trapped under the lenses so easily that any mildly irritating makeup product suddenly becomes the most painful experience of your life.

I have recently been inundated with products bothering my eyes, resulting in far too many days over the last month where I had to wear glasses instead, sometimes even the day after because my eyes were still painful.

In the past, I found that the Milani Liquif'eye, as good of a liner as it is, irritated my eyes beyond belief, to the point that I had to switch contacts even after I ceased using the eyeliner. It's black, creamy, long-lasting- everything you could want in a liner. Except one thing: it smudges. It never fully sets. So regardless of where you place it around your eye, it will smudge at the lightest touch and find its way into your eye.

The Rimmel Scandaleyes mascara also doesn't get along well with my eyes. It's guilty of flaking, not only all over my under eye area (so attractive!) but  also in my eyes, irritating them and wreaking havoc for days.

I thought I had put it all behind me, had an idea of what to avoid, etc. and proceeded with trying a new product: the original L'Oreal Voluminous mascara. And what I discover? NOPE. FAIL. I tried it for the first time and noticed my eyes were mildly irritated. The second time, it was the early afternoon at work when it hit- full on pain. My eyes were watering, my contacts were moving around, I couldn't see straight, and I was in pretty intense pain. I considered taking my contacts out but as I didn't have my glasses with me, getting home would have been pretty difficult. I got them out as soon I arrived home, and still spent the entire evening in pain. Putting in eye drops stung horribly, and I couldn't find anything else to relieve the pain. I was still in pain the next morning, so I had to wear glasses and no eye makeup that day.

Suffice to say that contact lenses have to take extra care with eye makeup products. And sometimes it hurts our beauty addict self on another level- the mascara is so good! Or the liner! But it has to go back into the drawer, or into the trash, because we simply can't use it.

Have you noticed any products that irritate your eyes? Let me know, so I may avoid them in the future!