{Beauty Tuesday} Happy Holidays! Part 5

It's finally here: the Big Week. We survived the apocalypse, and now it's time to party. I hope you had a very merry Christmas, and here's to the happiest of New Years!

{FADE IN, FADE OUT}

Question 1: Are you classy?

Question 2: Is there a possibility you will be seen by other people?

Question 3: Would you like to look pretty?

If you answered, "Yes!" to one or more of these questions, this look is for you. It's a simple, impossibly quick way to fake believably full lips. Key word: Believable. There's no use in having a permanent duck face.

Apply a rosy, glittery gloss to the whole surface of the lips. In the center of the mouth, dab on a lighter pink, equally glittery gloss. Blend the edges together with your ring fingertip, then use it to tap on a loose white or pink shimmer eye shadow to the very center. Smack, but don't rub, lips together to ensure even distribution, then don't mess with it! And try to avoid an overdose - things of this nature can become very messy, very fast. Dust a matte beige shadow on upper eyelids, then finish with black mascara and soft pink blush.

{STARRY NIGHT}

I was pleasantly surprised to learn that those 3D nail sticker things actually do work, and they're super easy. For high impact without being too flashy, box the drama into just the ring finger nail on each hand.

Paint each nail with a clear base coat. After this has dried, carefully place the correct-sized sticker on your ring finger nail and press down to get rid of any air bubbles. Use nail clippers to hack off the inch of extra sticker that nobody's nails should ever be long enough to use, then file excess down to the shape of your nail. Paint all other nails with two thin coats of midnight blue polish. Once these layers have dried, apply a top coat to all nails (including the one with the sticker) and allow to dry. Touch up the end of each nail every other day or as needed.

{GOLD RUSH}

Although I'm fair-skinned, my complexion is warm and therefore I have a hard time pulling off silver. If you are cooler-toned, more blue-based shades will work better for you.

Smooth a shimmery shadow primer evenly all over the lid, from the lashline to the browbone and down to the lower lids. Then, pat (don't brush) a metallic gold eye shadow onto the lid using a slightly dampened fluffy brush or your ring finger. Dry the brush and blend shadow out past the brow. Create a wing on the upper lashline with black eyeliner, omitting liner on the lower rims. Finish with black mascara and a bit of peachy blush on the cheeks; leave lips bare.

 {GRAPE EXPECTATIONS}

If you'd prefer to wear this look with a little less intensity, you can opt to use a more sheer formula or roll your ring finger across the lipstick and pat it onto your lips instead of applying directly from the tube.

Prep lips with a sugar scrub and a layer of non-waxy lip balm. Swipe on a deep purple lipstick straight from the tube, blot with a tissue, and repeat. Add one last layer of color and clean up the edges with a lip brush and/or a little concealer. Use nothing on the eyes but curled mascara; a pinkish blush will prevent a ghostly aura (especially if you're as exceptionally pale as I am).

In the way of staying healthy and fit, I have but five highly accomplishable pointers for you.

1. Shovel the walks. If you don't have snow, mow the lawn or rake the leaves or run around the house four times.

2. Collect all the candy and treats you received for Christmas into one place, and indulge in one piece each day. This makes your stash last longer and keeps you from just eating whatever random thing you find, when you find it.

3. Consume Vitamin C and drink half your weight in water. Keep the bug away this season - it's a nasty one.

4. Dance on New Year's Eve. Burn calories + have fun + make friends.

5. Don't drink. My apologies, but alcohol is sincerely not good for you. If you must choose to partake, I personally forbid you to drive. I don't care who you are. Nobody can be physically healthy when they're dead. Just making a point here. Other than that...

Bonne année!

{Soulful Sunday} Young the Giant

I'll admit these guys weren't even on my radar until December of last year, but when I got to know them they hit me like a train. Though they have only one [unbelievable] album released, their acoustic In The Open Session videos show Young the Giant's versatility and believable talent. Anyone can sound good on a mixed record, but it takes a true set of musicians to create such a gorgeous sound without excess noise or unnecessary adjustments. James and I attended their In The Venue show with Grouplove back in the spring and I was amazed at what an intense performance they put on. Sameer Gadhia rocks that tambourine like you wouldn't believe.

{Thoughtful Thursday} The End of the World

What would you do if you were informed that your terminal illness would only grant you a week longer to live? How about if there was only one day left before the world simply collapsed? Well, tonight is supposedly the night before my last day on Earth, and I'm afraid I have nothing to show. I also hold the firm belief that no man knows the date of the Second Coming of Christ (or, essentially, the end of the world), and therefore I see no reason in getting caught up in worry or fear. I am nowhere near perfection, but I am beyond willing to work hard in the hope of achieving it somewhere down the road and I feel safe in knowing my life is [mostly] in order.

Now, I've been asked a few times what I'm going to do before tomorrow's evident apocalypse. I've decided to humor those who are so eager to know. Whether I actually do these things will remain a mystery to those concerned.

1. Converse with as many random strangers as possible within three hours' time.

2. Tell my mother what I did in the summer of 2010.

3. Go skydiving. For real.

4. Get all my money exchanged for one-dollar bills and make it rain.

5. Write an email of sincere apology to a missionary.

6. Take the Elizabethan collar off my poor neutered puppy.

7. KARAOKE

8. Write a will. Just in case someone kills me because they think it really is the end of the world.

9. Wish all my family members and friends a Merry Christmas and tell each one how much I love them.

10. Paint a gigantic picture on a brick building.

11. Explain to my manager how to successfully treat people with genuine kindness.

12. Set up two of my friends. It just needs to happen.

13. Forgive.

14. Forget.

15. Go to the temple, hoping I can get a seat before the crowds pour in.

Dear friends, the world is not going to end tomorrow. While I appreciate your enthusiasm and persistence, I am simply not convinced. Therefore, I'll wake up at 5:30, get ready, work from 6:00 to 11:00, eat lunch, finish up my Christmas shopping, and drive to Granny's to be with my loved ones. I will keep my emotions in check and my lungs intact. Solemnly I pray that you'll live your December 21st to the fullest and not regret a moment of it. When you realize how great this can be, maybe you'll continue to act upon the same principle day by day and year by year. I've wasted too many mornings sleeping in, too many afternoons doing unnecessary things, and too many nights wishing I had used my time more wisely. Here's my wake up call. Whether you're king of the hill or you're at the lowest point of your life, there is always more to be said and more to be done. It's time to shape up! The best of luck from a fellow human.

{Beauty Tuesday} Happy Holidays! Part 4

I believe that God mercifully granted us this week to relax between the hours spent at the gym bulking up to effectively war against fellow shoppers and the stamina required to translate Uncle Earl's incoherent recollections of the Christmas he spent in Nam. Therefore, I'm going to spend it cozied up in a scarf and quick, painless makeup looks. Think of it as your way to be low-maintenance and still look mighty fine.

{OH, THIS OLD THING?}

You're going to see Hobbit with your family and honestly, the only reason you're getting ready is for the off possibility that you'll meet your soulmate. At the movies. Which is not going to happen. So hours of work aren't necessary. Therefore, forget primers and precision today. The way to master this look is to make it seem a little worn-in and even allowing it to get slightly messy. This is usually taboo, but sometimes exceptions must be made.

Apart from your regular foundation, leave skin bare. With a fluffy shadow blush, blend a warm brown shade from lashline to crease and along the lower lashline, then feather outward to create a seamless gradient between the shadow and your natural skin tone. Dip a dry angled eyeliner brush into dark brown shadow and draw a soft line around the eyes for definition, then smooth out any hard edges with your fluffy brush. Coat upper and lower lashes with volumizing mascara. On the lips, a spot of tinted lip balm is just enough.

{RUSH HOUR}

Here's the scenario: You slept in way too long, woke up thinking you had no priorities, and spent the morning in your jammies and spot treatment perusing Pinterest with a cup of peppermint tea. Sounds lovely, right? Except when you find out your friend is about to leave for Christmas break and you haven't brought him his gift yet! This is stressful. The remedy...

Skip foundation and use a tinted moisturizer or BB cream all over your face. Swipe a pink cream blush on the apples of your cheeks and blend with (clean) fingertips. Dab a tiny amount of highlighter on the inner corners of eyes, then apply an olive-green pencil liner to only the upper lash line (this is less harsh than black and more forgiving of mistakes). Add curling mascara and slick on pink lip gloss as you're dashing out the door.

{PEACHY KEEN}

Adapted from Marc Jacobs' Spring 2013 runway, a glossy eye is intended to smudge and crease throughout the day. High shine keeps it from looking like you've been sleeping in a dirty T-shirt for the past three days straight.

Begin with a shimmery shadow primer. Once it has set, add a layer of goldenrod eye shadow over the entire lid, extending just past the crease and blending down below the eye. In the crease and outer corners, use an orange-peach shade and blend into the gold shadow. With your ring finger, tap a tiny amount of clear lip gloss on top of the shadow to create a satiny sheen. Line upper and lower lashlines with a black pencil and finish with thick black mascara. Leave cheeks and lips bare.

{Thoughtful Thursday} Alan Watts

Pay attention.

I was introduced to this video by a successful man who seems to have his dreams and goals in mind at all times. When I met him four summers ago, he had every one of his ducks in a row: an unbelievable talent for basketball meant a golden pathway paved with recruiters, scholarships, and opportunities galore. This guy had confidence to spare and every right to it. He was doing what he loved and being richly rewarded for it. We sparsely renewed our friendship following our first encounter, and I gathered after a year or so of infrequent text messages that his health had fallen to a critical level due to several complications. Problems compounded until he was rendered physically incapable of playing hardly at all, let alone the way he used to. He lost his scholarship and with it flew his immaculately coordinated future. At this point in our relationship, we weren't close enough for such news to impact me to any real extent. I offered my condolences and again we fell out of touch, this time leaving about a year between contact.

The next time we spoke, my acquaintance had thankfully recovered from his illnesses and begun, little by little, to piece his life back together. He regained his health, his friends, and a new found confidence that is now rife with humility. Aside from dabbling in other interests, he started playing basketball again. Satisfied with the knowledge that he was doing significantly better, I was once more alright with the both of us quietly returning to our separate lives. Recently I had the choice fortune of visiting with this long-distance friend in person. To spare ourselves from a horribly awkward silence, we played music on the drive home after I had picked him up from the airport. This music sparked between us the easy conversation of lifelong comrades, and halfway home he played the video so that I could listen. Though it was profound to me at the time, it did not remain at the forefront of my intellect for more than the few lingering minutes following its conclusion.

Over the course of his weekend visit, I came to understand my associate with a fullness generally designated only to immediate family members and the dearest of companions. Of his many striking characteristics, I found the motivations attached to his dreams to be most salient. He wants to coach. Given his firsthand experience in sports and their psychological effects - positive and negative - this desire is almost a no-brainer. He wants to have the resources to provide for his future family, but also live within his means so he can teach his children the same values.

This brings me to what I personally consider the most honorable of his goals, which is that of being a husband and father. I emphasize this word as he did when he explained it to me. So many men serve their purpose as breadwinner and physical provider for the family, satiated in the singular act of offering financial security. A husband knows what his wife likes and dislikes; he gardens and cooks eggs with her; he teases her and comforts her; he makes her laugh and loves her the most when she is truly herself. A father is involved with his children in every aspect of life. He takes them to the zoo and reads them bedtime stories; he listens to even the most irrational of concerns before responding with the advice he feels inspired to offer; he teaches them to think for themselves; he is forgiving of mistakes and truly proud of the small triumphs; he wakes up before his high schoolers just so he can be sitting at the table in a cardigan, glasses, and loafers reading the paper, ready to wish them luck on the midterm or the speech.

This got me thinking. I have always wanted to be a mother. Well, there was a difficult stage around the age of six when I realized that I had to keep the cootie-infested man who gave me the baby. Since then, though, I've come to recognize the inherent beauty of the family unit. I have such a deep-rooted love for the husband and children who one day I'll get to call mine that I can't imagine a future without them. To the world this may not seem impressive or noteworthy; people tie the knot and give birth every day! But to be a mother, in every sense of the word's true form, is a position to hold in the highest regard.

The dream of being a good parent, if its motivations are unselfish and charitable, is one that requires hard work and passion, just like any other high-reaching goal. This is one purpose I find no trouble in finding cause for.

Now, let's look at the truth right in its face: I'm not getting married anytime soon. Just get a handle on that real quick. In the meantime, I want to find my ardor. To tie my tangent back to the video, what would I do if money were no object? I wish I could tell you I know exactly where I'll be even three years from this day, but as of now I am afraid I cannot. Throughout my young life I have developed countless aspirations connected to both culminated talents and hopelessly whimsical fantasies. I'll be a singer! An actress! A teacher! A dancer! A therapist! An ambassador! A pianist! A fashion designer! A journalist! I'll be unicorn farmer, for goodness' sake. Call me a late bloomer, but I'm still searching for that one skill I wish to perfect to a science.

When I was younger, I remember being asked often what I'd like to be when I grow up. I was encouraged to be anything I wanted to be, no matter how outside-the-box my ideas were. More and more now, I keep seeing advertisements from community colleges telling me to study this or that, because "everyone knows that health care is where the jobs are!" If that isn't an open stab at the abhorrent state of our economy, I don't know what is. We all need work because we all need money because we all need to live. Go back and watch the video again. Find a way to get by doing what you love, and you won't work another day in your life. You've heard it far too many times, but "When there's a will, there's a way!" This applies here. I'm prepared to find my dream and find my will. The world may tell me no, but I won't give up hope. There is always a way.

Happy trailblazing!

{Beauty Tuesday} Happy Holidays! Part 3

It's the most wonderful time of the year! Bask in the fascination of lights, decorations, candy canes, evergreens, and hope. I'm doing all my gift shopping now to beat the nasty rush, so I need a face that stands out but is also low-key enough to run errands in. 

{THE GREY AREA}
I had a Eureka! moment upon discovering that the key to making a black smoky eye work is having neutralized skin - not too pink, not too yellow. So, use a purple-based concealer for brown undereye circles and a green-based one for reddish blemishes one minute before applying your foundation, then use your regular concealer on top.
You must, must use an eye primer if you want this look to last beyond lunch. Once it has set, apply a moondust-hued shadow (yes, that is the precise term I imagined when using my light grey shade) to the entire length of the lid from lashline to crease. Highlight the inner corner and below the browbone with a shimmery white shadow, then an angled eyeliner brush to line the upper lashes and the crease with black shadow. Blend the black shadow just above the crease and slightly beyond the outer corner of the eyes, then blend it down to the outer third of the lower lashline. Top it off with two coats of black mascara on upper and lower lashes, plus a dab of foundation mixed with clear gloss on the lips.

{THE CLASSICIST}
Lucky for those of us who aren't Taylor Swift, it isn't hard to pull off a bold cherry lip when paired with nautical stripes and a minimalist complexion.
Check out this previous post and follow the steps for perfect lipstick. This time, however, exchange the final coat of lipstick for a slick of candy apple-red gloss. Mmmph. Tasty. Blend a shadow one shade darker than your natural skin tone into the crease of the eyes to add depth to the lid, then line upper lashes with a neutral brown pencil. Heap a plentiful serving of black mascara to the upper lashes only and go flash some cute stranger a grin.

{FROSTBITE}
Whether you're aiming to look like you just walked into the lodge after a good run on the slopes or you rather prefer that sweet honey glow, plenty of rosy blush will do the trick.
Dab and smooth a drop of highlighter above cheekbones and along the bridge of the nose. Use a fluffy angled blush brush to apply a reddish hue to cheeks, focusing color on the apples and feathering back toward the ears. Dust a translucent powder to set your face makeup. Line upper and lower rims with black pencil eyeliner, then smudge it out with your ring finger or a Q-tip. Curl lashes and apply lots of black mascara on the tops and bottoms of upper lashes, then give lower lashes a quick swipe of the same mascara. Finish with clear gloss or balm on the lips.

Preparing a fancy-looking dinner doesn't have to be painstaking. Here's how to achieve delectable and good-for-you in one superior meal.

{Lemon-Herb Baked Chicken}
1. Marinate 1-2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts in a Ziploc baggie containing 1/2 cup lemon juice and 1/4 tsp each of black pepper, garlic salt, crushed basil leaves, and onion powder for 30 minutes.
2. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
3. Place chicken breast on a greased cookie sheet and pop it in the oven for 50 minutes. Halfway through cooking, re-douse the chicken in lemon juice.
4. When it's finished, [cautiously] season to taste. You might add a few fresh basil leaves and a sprinkle of coarse ground black pepper and sea salt.
5. Serve chicken atop a bed of whole-wheat angel hair pasta cooked al dente (follow directions on pasta box) with a drizzle of olive oil.

{The Good Kind of Steamed Broccoli}
1. First of all, you have to understand that I have never opted to eat cooked broccoli. I love raw broccoli, but mushy vegetables are simply not on my list of palatable objects. My mother taught me how to just barely steam veggies, and now I pine for this dish.
2. Rinse 1 bunch of broccoli and break into smaller florets.
3. Using a saucepan (preferably with a steamer, but either way is typically okay), bring 1 inch of water to a boil.
4. Add broccoli and cover. Reduce heat to medium and cook for 5 minutes. Broccoli will be done when you can pierce it with a fork. Test after 4 minutes to ensure you don't overcook the broccoli.
5. Drain broccoli. Toss immediately with small amounts of olive oil, garlic salt, and black pepper, then top with shredded cheese while broccoli is still hot.

{Varietous Green Salad}
1. I just discovered that varietous is a colloquial.
2. Slice or tear up a couple romaine lettuce leaves.
3. Toss in any or all of the following: chopped baby carrots, broccoli slaw, diced apples, alfalfa sprouts, diced tomatoes or avocados, halved grapes, olives, grated Parmesan cheese, red onions, or bell peppers.
4. Add a tablespoon of light vinaigrette dressing to the mix.

Happy bargaining!

{Soulful Sunday} Ed Sheeran

As far as I know, this UK fellow is getting his name out just fine on his own. However, I'll do what I can to help the cause. Listen to the music and you'll understand why there's more to him than just the ginger hair.