MAC for Rodarte - A Collection Without a Conscience

There have been numerous blogs that have written about this topic beautifully, that I don't feel the need to copy or regurgitate their work. 

I was checking my email yesterday, and it included an update on beauty site I frequent, Mizzworthy's Stuff.  Her title about this topic, "MAC for Rodarte - Words Fail Me" - intrigued me to read more.  MAC has a collection on the way, with products that are offensive, distasteful, and have already caused a huge controversy in the beauty world.  Please follow the link to her website to inform yourself about this collection and to learn more about Juarez, the city that is being made a mockery of with these products.

BioSil

So lately I've been pining over long hair.  Literally anyone that has long, beautiful, healthy hair makes me stop in my tracks and say "ooh".  I was not blessed in the hair department -- my hair is baby fine ( I do have a lot of it, thankfully), and the ends split if anyone looks at them wrong, nonetheless when bleach or heat is added to the mix.

I've been trying to grow my hair out unsuccessfully for a couple of years now.  I get super close and then I decide to cut it all off, only to start the process all over again.  I'm dedicated to growing my mop out this time, though! Even if I only have two little strands that are hanging down over my shoulders and the ends are split in about 8 places, I'm still going to do it!

I read an article online about a model's beauty secrets. I can't remember who she was or where I read it, but she mentioned that she takes a product for her hair called BioSil.   This product comes in a liquid or a tablet form and it's clinically proven to help generate collagen in your body, making it beneficial for your hair, skin, nails, and your joints. I haven't found a ton of clinical information against the product, so that's was a good selling point for me.  It claims to make your hair thicker, to decrease your fine lines/wrinkles and to keep your joints functioning properly.  Those are some pretty hefty claims, so of course I had to try it.  Thick, beautiful hair that I can pull back to show off my wrinkle free face?! Sold! (I don't have any concerns with my joints, so I'll just focus on the shallow aspects of the product for the moment).

I've been taking this for about a month now, and I'm about half way done with the bottle. I opted for the liquid form of this product, just to switch it up from all the other vitamins I take in the morning.  You take a certain amount of drops per day, depending on what your goal is with the product and you mix it with juice. 

I will be honest, this stuff tastes horrible!! You really need juice to mask the flavor.  I thought I'd mix it with water one day, just to see what it tasted like, and wow, was that a mistake -- my mouth literally tasted like the smell of a petting zoo -- no joke.  Lesson learned.

It's supposed to take at least 3 months to see results, but my hair does feel a bit thicker when I pull it back into a ponytail, but it could just be my mind convincing itself that the product is a miracle.  I will give you an update in a few months and let you know if I'm Rapunzel yet. 

Oooh Baby I Like it Raaaaaaaaw

Hey y'all, it's been way too long since I've updated my blog!  I lost my camera charger and it took me about a month to just say screw it and buy a new camera all together...and then I've just been slacking!  But enough with the excuses -- I have a new obsession and her name is Kombucha. 

Kombucha is a type of fermented tea.  It apparently detoxes your liver, supresses your appetite, helps with your skin, increases your metabolism, is anti-aging, helps with digestion, basically puts your body back in balance and has even been used to treat cancer! I tried green tea mixed with kombucha back in the winter and it was okay, but after many recommendations to try this kind, (a raw, organic brand, called GT) I'm totally hooked. Because the tea is fermented, it has a very small amount of alcohol in it, and sort of tastes like a wine cooler.  It's carbonated, healthy goodness.  I have definitely noticed an increase in energy and a decrease in my appetite.  And, because it's good for me, I'm all over it -- it's not often you find a healthy addiction!

This brand has two kinds of kombucha -- one, the Synergy kind, is 95% of the good stuff and 5% fruit juice, as shown in Gingerberry here --

And they also have their regular organic kind, which has no added juice to my knowledge...I've had both of them and I can feel a little bit more of a kick to the regular, non-juice kind, but I love them equally!  They're both super tasty and make me feel great.  My body is super sensitive to caffiene -- so anything that gives me energy and doesn't make me feel sick afterwards is amazing. 

Another thing that's fun about this drink is that you can actually see little strands or blobs of the "culture"  in your drink -- this is common only in the raw stuff, and apparently this is where all of the "good for you" stuff hangs out.

I've had so much fun grossing people out by showing the bottle to them and seeing the horrified looks and exclamations that occur -- "UMMM what is that?? Did someone spit in your drink?!"  That comedy is worth the price of the tea alone!

So now that you've met my new addiction, I suggest you go out and try some for yourself.  And don't blame me when you're pacing around, waiting for Whole Foods to open, waiting to get your fix! ;) 

Before and After -- Melody

My good friend Melody, recently tied the knot with her sweetie in January.  I did double duty at her ceremony, as a bridesmaid and as her makeup artist.  It was so fun to do her makeup; she's naturally gorgeous, and she rarely wears makeup, other than eyeliner.  I was excited to glam her up and make her feel like a princess on her big day.  Her photographer, Amy Jeanchaiyaphum, took amazing pictures of Melody throughout the day and was kind enough to let me use her images on my blog. 

Here's a quick picture of the bride without makeup (there weren't any pictures of her before on her actual wedding day, so this one will have to do!)

And after

Credit: A. Jeanchaiyaphum 2010 www.eyelovephoto.com

Look of the Day

When it comes to makeup, I'm always learning new things.  One of the things that has helped me to get better, is taking pictures of my "looks".  I like to see my technique and to focus on any mistakes I've made.  It helps me to be more aware of  mistakes I can avoid in the future.  Here's a look I did yesterday:

Not that most people's makeup will be absolutely perfect on a daily basis, but I tend to make the same mistakes (like not blending my eyeshadow out evenly, and getting my false lash crooked, as you'll see above).  This might sound super nit-picky to some, and most of you might have not even noticed those inconsistencies, but it has really helped me over the years to really analyze what I've done and look for improvements.  So if you're looking to improve your skills, taking a picture is an easy way to see if there's anything you might need to work on!

Brows -- Rachel Weisz

So, it's been forever and a day since I've posted anything, sorry about that! I've definitely been inspired by things, I guess I just haven't had the follow through to share them with you. I hope to kick my laziness in the behind and keep up with my blogs from here on out!

Anyway, this has been another celebrity brow change that has been in my mind for YEARS.  Anyone remember the movie The Mummy?  I loved this movie back in the day and I remember thinking Rachel Weisz was so beautiful!  Flash forward a couple of years -- I remember seeing her, thinking, "hmm, she looks familiar....", and when someone informed me that indeed, that was Miss Evelyn from The Mummy - I realized she looked a bit off to me, and what do you know, it was her brows!  In The Mummy, her brows are super thin, much like a Jean Harlow/Marlena Dietrich look; and now she sports full, thick brows, making for a completely different appearance. 

The Mummy was recently on TV, reminding me of my long standing obsession with this woman's brows. 

As I was looking up pictures of her, I saw a lot of pictures of her with quite a few different shapes.  It's like Goldilocks and The Three Bears -- here we have too thin, too thick and just right!  See for yourself!