Tag Time! "The Child in You"

Yes, that is me! Aged 9 or 10, in a class play.
 Wearing leggings as pants way before that  
 trend [unfortunately] became popular.        

Hello, dear readers,

I just couldn't go another day without making another tag post, could I? Don't you just dig my costume and the full bangs [fringe] I'm rocking in the photo? My hair used to be so straight.

Anyway, I saw this tag on Evelina's Youtube Channel, and I believe she created it herself. I thought it would be a fun tag to do, though I'm still a couple months shy of 20 [yikes!] and realize that I'm still quite young.

Here are the questions:


1. As a kid, what was your dream job? 
I can pick more than one, right? I wanted to be a teacher, an author, a singer, a ballerina, and I think that about sums it up.

2. How old were you when you found out that Santa wasn't real and how'd you find out?
Besides the fact that I'm not Christian and don't celebrate Christmas, I was also one of the logical children who knew that the tooth fairy wasn't real and would stay up waiting for her parents to come in. They eventually started leaving me gifts in the dining room or on my kitchen chair. So regardless of religious beliefs, I never once doubted that Santa was another parent-enforced imaginary character. Sorry children.

3. What was your favorite Halloween costume as a kid?
I tended to wear all costumes my mom made me, so I kind of loved them all. The one I actually liked the most was the one I was embarrassed by most as well. It was Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz, and my mom had worked very hard on it for me. When I got to school, and this must have been somewhere around the age of 12, a boy in my class decided to tell me that his little sister had the same costume. Ouch. I also enjoyed dressing up as a gypsy in kindergarten and a ballerina in elementary school. I did ballet at the time so that was easy.

4. What were your favorite cartoons/shows as a kid?
I didn't have cable TV, and still don't, so I loved shows like Arthur. In middle school [between the ages of 11 and 14, for those of you in other countries than the U.S.] I loved That 70s Show and What I Like About You.

5. Was there a band/musician you were completely obsessed with growing up?
I was never "hip" to the current craze in bands or musicians, so I couldn't really have a favorite until I was slightly older. I also tended to copy my siblings in their taste. That has changed by now. In middle school, I was obsessed with The All American Rejects and The Fray. I probably also liked Green Day and Fall Out Boy. Very emo and strange compared to my taste today, though I still really like certain songs from each of the groups.

6. Do you still watch any cartoons? If so, which ones?
My dad is still very much a kid at heart when it comes to cartoons, so I watch the ones he has on DVD, from companies like Warner Bros. Of course I still watch Disney cartoon movies.

7. What's one habit from your childhood that's stuck with you till this day?
I cannot finish one book at a time. If you've read earlier tags, you'll know that since I was quite young I've been unable to start less than five books at once. I always have them on rotation until I finally finish one. The rare exception is usually a really good historical fiction or girly book, like those by Philippa Gregory or Jane Green.

8. Let's be real, do you have jam sessions in your car and go wild dancing?
Yes. With my best friends. While one of them is driving. Until I freak out and tell whoever's driving not to kill us all.

9. You're at a hotel - do you steal the shampoos and conditioners from your room? 
Obviously. They're there to be used. Also for us to get more the next day and take several samples home. My mom recently scored a Peter Thomas Roth sample bottle of conditioner at a hotel and sent it to me at college. I was quite excited.

10. Looking back at things now, what advice would you give to your younger self?
Honestly, I'm still trying to give myself this advice now. I think I would [and do] tell myself to take comments/ compliments for what they are and not let them cause you to obsess over whatever it is was said. For example, when someone said I was petite back when I was nine or so, I obsessed over my weight and it contributed to a fear of weight gain that I still have today. See how bad it is to overanalyze? That's it: I'm still telling myself to stop overanalyzing everything anyone says and to not let others define me.



There it is: The child in me is still "very much alive". [Anyone get the Harry Potter and The Chamber of Secrets reference to the scene in the chamber with Tom Riddle? No? *Hangs head and keeps writing*]

Please feel free to answer these questions on your blog. I think it's a great tag, and something as yet unseen on the world wide web.

Hope your weekend was lovely!

xEsther

Blog Award from Stacey : )

Earlier this week, I was delighted to find that I had received this blog award from Stacey of Ace Stace Beauty- Thank you so much!

I believe I now get to give this award to five other bloggers with less than 200 followers. I've tried to give this to blogs that didn't already receive this from someone else. I didn't know if this was for strictly beauty blogs, so it's a bit mixed here, but here they are:

1)Evelina Barry

2) Tarav

3) The Budget Beauty Book

4) The Science of Beauty

5) Beauty and Brains

These blogs are all worth a read, and their authors make them entertaining and interesting!

xEsther

Emmys' Best Fashion: 2011

Hello, dear readers,

That's right: It's time to cover the fashion at another awards show. I didn't actually get a chance to watch the 2011 Emmys, but I certainly took time to research the fabric of the stars. Red was a huge trend on the red carpet, so much so that gowns I normally would find stunning merely blended in with the crowd. Here is my take on the best fashion at the Emmys. This is based on whether I like the dress and whether it suited the actress, just to be fair.

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My favorite of the reds: Nina Dobrev in Donna Karan. The dress fit very well, and I even like the weird drapery at the bottom. It's really quite stunning. Not much more to say here.

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Claire Danes was a standout in Oscar de la Renta. I love the shine and multidimensional aspects of this gown. It definitely stood out in the sea of red, and in a very good way. I like, too, that Danes, or her stylist, chose not to accessorize, letting the dress shine in its own right.

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Sophia Vergara looked fantastic in Vera Wang. The gown flattered her curves nicely, and proved refreshingly unrevealing and tasteful.

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Amber Riley shone in Simin Taghdiri. Though her "Glee" cast members Lea Michele, Dianna Agron, and Naya Rivera received much more buzz for their clothing choices, I actually think Riley chose a dress more figure-flattering and beautiful than any of theirs.

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Sarah Hyland, in a one shoulder Christian Siriano gown, looked age appropriate and gorgeous. I love the belt and simple but sparkling accessories.

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For some reason, I keep returning to pictures of Julia Stiles in Georges Hobeika Couture. This dress reminds me of Mila Kunis's Oscar dress, but I prefer Stiles's take on lavender and lace. Perhaps because the dress is cut higher and leaves more to the imagination than the previous incarnation worn by Kunis, but I just prefer it. This isn't my favorite of the Emmys fashion, but I think it deserves a mention because Stiles managed to look very classy and glamorous in it.

There you have it. That's my take on this year's Emmys fashion, and the handful of dresses that stood out as I was browsing through the pictures.

What were some of your favorite dresses? Did you watch the Emmys? Any surprise wins?

Let me know what you thought if you tuned in at all.

Have a sparkling day!

xEsther

The Lipstick Tag

Hello, dear readers,


"Another post so soon?" you ask?


Why, yes. I just couldn't resist another tag, especially when it deals with my favorite makeup product. I found this one on Eyelining Obsessions. Now on to the questions:

How many lipsticks do you have?
I only have fifteen with me here at my university [only! ha! my friend thinks that's extravagant] , but I have somewhere between four to six at home, given I didn't throw any out when I cleaned out my makeup bag this summer. So somewhere around 20, but I may have to update this number when I get home.

 What was the first ever lipstick you bought?
I bought a few lipsticks around the same time, aka my mother bought them for me, back in seventh grade, but I do believe it was Rimmel Sheer Temptations lipstick in Sparkle Shine. I bought it at a dollar store, and I wore it to death. I still have it, I think, for posterity. 

What is your newest lipstick?
Besides a couple of older Clinique lipsticks that my friend gave me from her mother's reject-free-Clinique-gift-with-purchase pile, I think the newest is Beauty UK lipstick in In the Buff, from Funky Makeup Junkie's giveaway.


What is your favourite lipstick brand?
Am I supposed to choose here? As far as the whole package (lasting power, texture, feel, and color) I really like Maybelline. However, to be honest, I like almost all of the lipstick brands I've tried. Clinique covers those bases as well. However, I'm really not super picky about lipsticks meeting absolutely all those criteria, as dryness can be fixed with a balm and reapplication isn't a problem. I also only own one each of these brands.

Favourite pink?
It's funny how my collection isn't huge, but I can't pick just one. I would have to say Maybelline ColorSensational in Pink Peony, Rimmel Moisture Renew in Latino, and NYC Ultra Last Lip Wear in English Rose.


Favourite nude?
I don't actually own a nude. Nude to me isn't something that should erase your lips, but rather mimic your own natural lip shade.


Favourite peach/ coral?
L'Oreal Tropical Coral, which is, ironically, one of the closest to my own natural lip shade. My mom didn't realize I was wearing lipstick when I first tried it. It's definitely not the same, though.

Favourite red?
I have yet to find the perfect red, but for now, I do like \Rimmel Moisture Renew in Rosette for a very sheer, wearable red.


Favourite unusual shade?
I think Beauty UK In the Buff is unusual, because it looks like such a bright coral pink on. It's much more unusual than what I'd normally pick up, and hard to describe how it looks on, but I love it.


Favourite dark shade?
Clinique High Impact Lipstick in Extreme Pink, which shows up dark and almost vampy on my lips for some reason.


Favourite texture/ finish?
I like creamy lipsticks with a bit of a sheen, no glitter or shimmer.


Other favourites?
NYC Ultra Last Lip Wear in Air Kiss, and Revlon Super Lustrous in Gentlemen Prefer Pink.

I'd love to see any of my lovely readers do this tag, if you'd like. I had a great, if difficult, time answering these questions.

Love, lipstick, and laughter!

xEsther

Mini Review: Clinique Moisture Surge Tinted Moisturizer SPF 15

Hello, dear readers,

I haven't done a mini review in ages, so I think it's about time for one now. Yes, I do realize that "mini review" in When Life Hands You Lipstick language is actually "extremely wordy review," but "mini" just sounds friendlier; don't you think?

Anyway, let's see what Clinique says about this product in the product description:

NEW Moisture Surge Tinted Moisturizer SPF15

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Smooth on an instant moisture boost with SPF protection and a hint of skin-perfecting colour. Refreshingly lightweight formula provides a no-makeup look and feel, yet covers imperfections with a natural, hydrating touch. Oil-free.

• Skin Types: All
• Formula: Liquid
• Coverage: Sheer

I've had this product since the end of May, as I mentioned in this post, and the reason I neglected to review it sooner will become clear rather soon. If you have the patience to continue reading, that is.

This moisturizer comes in six shades, so don't be deceived, as I was, when you see that they all look like a neutral light to medium color at the outset. That's just the packaging, so you can't really see the product until you open it up. Your best bet would be to have someone at the Clinique counter help you find your shade, which is what I did. It came as no surprise that she chose the lightest shade, Shade 1, for me.

The color looks frighteningly peachy when swatched on my hand, but blends out well on my face. It definitely is slightly darker than my skin tone, as all tinted moisturizers are, and therefore gives more coverage than expected. I can't speak to all the shades, as I've only tried one, so if you have darker skin you may want to look to another reviewer to get a better idea of your color.

This product is sheerer than a foundation, but gives more coverage than your average tinted moisturizer. It also provides good broad spectrum sunscreen with titanium dioxide, a great physical, mineral sunblock. If you've read any of my previous posts on skincare, you'll know that I prefer this type of sunblock as it lasts longer, expires later, and physically protects skin better than chemical sunscreen. It's also the best type of sunscreen for sensitive skin, so it's safe for everyone.

I find the consistency to be a bit watery, and I don't need much to cover my face adequately because it blends out quite easily with just a small amount. It definitely helps to even skin tone and covers impressively for a tinted moisturizer, but any darker discolorations or blemishes will still need some concealer to completely hide.

I don't find that this feels moisturizing, though I know that other reviewers of this product disagree. It gives me more of a matte finish for some reason, though throughout the day it starts to make my skin look more "glowy," and it's not because my skin is oily.

Overall, I love this product. Correction: I would love this product if I didn't strongly suspect it breaks me out.

I used it only a few times earlier in the summer, and each time I broke out. At first I thought it was because I forgot to wash my face one of those nights, or maybe it was that time of the month, so I gave the product the benefit of the doubt.

Over the past two weeks I decided to get scientific. I used this product every day, and washed it off every night. I now have breakouts on my chin and nose, where I'm most prone to breakouts. I also have a few blemishes on my cheeks, where I never break out, and in between my eyebrows. Lovely. I definitely suspect this product.

[Note: I was too stupid to take a picture of myself during the "experiment," hence the lack of personal photos. I was actually planning on putting some on this time. There's always next review.]

The only reason I can think that this breaks me out is because it contains menthol, a known skin irritant. Menthol can interrupt skin's ability to heal itself, which may aggravate acne. I'm no scientist, but I do like to do my research, and this is the only possible reason I can think of that this product would be breaking me out. If you'd like, you can consult Beautypedia to understand a bit better why menthol isn't a great ingredient. I don't agree with everything on that website, but I do trust the science behind it.

If you don't have sensitive or very dry skin, this is really a great product. Because it contains an irritant, try it at your own discretion. Unfortunately, it happens to break me out, but I'm sure I'll pull it out on special occasions when I want a bit more coverage than my regular tinted moisturizer.


So there you have it: another extraordinarily long mini review. I hope it was informational and helped at least one person, or at least was somewhat interesting to read.

Thanks for stopping by! I do hope you'll come again.


Have a lovely weekend.

xEsther

40 Beauty Questions

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Hello, dear readers,


At a loss for creative ideas today, I decided to recycle this very old tag from YouTube. When I say "very old," I mean about a year and a half ago, give or take. I know that's ancient in internet terms.


On with the questions:



SKINCARE -
How many times do you wash your face daily?
Twice. The only time I'll wash my face more than that is if I shower in the afternoon, because I'll still wash my face morning and night as well.

What skin type do you have? (dry,oily,combo) 
Dry/combination and sensitive 

What is your current facial wash?
Olay Foaming Face Wash Sensitive Skin

Do you exfoliate? 
Rarely. The reason for this is because I use baking soda with my cleanser to exfoliate once a week when I'm at home, but I don't bring it to school. It would look a little strange mixing that concoction in the dormitory communal bathroom, so I skip out on it until I get home.

What brand do you use?
The face wash I mentioned with whatever baking soda we've got at home!

What moisturizer do you use?
In the morning I use Olay Complete Daily UV Moisturizer SPF 30 Sensitive Skin; I use SPF 15 in the winter. At night, I use Neutrogena Oil Free Moisture Sensitive Skin.

Do you have freckles? 
I have very few on my face, and they're hardly visible, but I have several on my arms. My arm freckles aren't extremely visible either.

Do you use eye cream? 
No. My moisturizer is gentle enough to use in that area at night, and I don't own an eye cream.

Do you or did you have acne prone skin?
I do, but I mainly break out on my chin due to hormones and who knows what else! I believe one of my makeup products may be breaking me out as well, and I'll update you on that when I know. I definitely break out if I touch my face too much, but for the most part my skin is clear.

Did you ever have to use Pro-activ? 
No.
MAKE-UP
What foundation do you use? 
I don't. I use Covergirl Aqua Smoothers Tinted Moisture most of the time, but I'm currently using Clinique Moisture Surge Tinted Moisturizer.

How about concealer? 
Hard Candy Glamoflauge Concealer. I will have to repurchase soon.

Do you know your undertone color?
I find it quite hard to tell because my face has a lot of pink to it, but that might just be from redness. Then again, I get freckles and I do tan slightly which is common for warm tones. I would say I'm somewhere close to neutral.

What do you think of fake eyelashes?
I really don't like them. Apologies to anyone who loves them. Personally I don't need them and I don't think they're necessary, but I do understand how they could be fun.

Did you know that you are supposed to change your mascara every 3 months? 
Yes.

What brand of mascara do you use?
I don't actually wear mascara! I do own a Clinique one, though, but it gave me raccoon eyes when I wore it as it bled during the day.

Sephora or MAC? 
I've never bought from either store, because I don't like to spend a lot on makeup. I'm more of an Ulta girl, but, if I had to, I would probably choose Sephora for the variety.

Do you have a MAC Pro-card? 
No.

What makeup tools do you use in make up application? 
A brush and my fingers.

Do you use make-up base/primer for the eyes? 
No because I don't wear eye makeup. I tend to put concealer on my eyelids, though, to neutralize the darkness and brighten the eye area.

For the face? 
Nope.

What is your favorite eyeshadow (color or shade)?
Like I said, I don't wear eyeshadow, just concealer on the lids. That may seem weird, but it really helps to brighten the face. I always wear a brighter lip anyway, so it balances out.

Do you use pencil or liquid eyeliner? 
I don't wear eyeliner, but I own both pencil and felt tip.

How often do you poke your eyes with an eyeliner pencil? 
The few times I have used it, I think I poked my eyes maybe once.

What do you think of pigment eyeshadows? 
Again, not really relevant to me, but I'd imagine they're harder to work with if you're not so skilled in eye makeup application.

Do you use mineral makeup? 
No, but that's just a coincidence. The products I've looked for and bought just haven't been mineral. Though I think I own maybe one mineral tinted lip conditioner, or something of the sort.

What is your favorite lipstick?
It is so hard to choose, but the one I've been reaching for all the time lately is Maybelline ColorSensational in Pink Peony.

How about lipgloss? 
Avon Glazewear Shine in Tickled Pink, or any of the pink ELF Hypershine Lip Glosses [Thanks, Lyuba!].

What is your favorite blush to use? 
I don't wear blush, mostly because I already have a bit of color in my cheeks, but I own a Physician's Formula Shimmer Strips blush.

Do you buy your makeup on ebay? 
No.

Do you like drugstore makeup? 
Yes indeed. The only higher end makeup I've ever owned was Clinique, which I do enjoy, and an Estee Lauder lipstick, which was the wrong color for my lips and skin tone! I can't really compare, therefore, my drugstore collection to anything else. I count Avon as drugstore as well, just because of the price. All makeup is hit or miss, honestly, no matter how much you pay for it. I just like to do my research before I buy anything.

Do you go to CCO's? (cosmetic company outlets) 
No. I don't know if there are any near me at home.

Did you ever consider taking make-up classes? 
I'm not extremely artistic, so I've never considered it. Makeup is more of a personal hobby than anything else. And I'm mostly a face makeup and lipstick girl. 

Are you clumsy in putting on makeup?
No, thankfully. Besides my awful green powder concealer phase two years ago, I've been pretty good at working with whatever I've had available.

Name a makeup crime that you hate? 
Too-nude lips; too-orange tanners; and heavy eye makeup during daytime and morning classes. It just looks a little too "skanky sorority girl" when people have that much makeup on in class. Not to say all sorority girls are skanky, because they aren't, but you know the type. I hope.

Do you like colorful shades of makeup (lipstick,eyeshadow) or neutral ones? 
I like to keep a clean face and brighter lips, generally. I don't like to go too neutral on the lips, because I keep the rest of the face extremely neutral. I like a neutral lip as long as it has color, and a neutral [bare, really] eye.

Which celebrity always has great make up?
Anne Hathaway, Zooey Deschanel.

If you could leave the house using just ONE make up item, what would you use?
Tinted moisturizer, just to add a slight bit of life to my face.

Could you ever leave the house without any makeup on?
I did several times in the summer, and I don't mind walking around the dorm without makeup, but at the moment I have to put makeup on to go out. That's probably because I'm on a college campus. If I was at home grocery shopping, I definitely could.

Do you think you look good even without any makeup on? 
Yes, especially because I'm slowly gaining a higher opinion of myself. I prefer to go out with makeup, but I think I look just fine without it.

In your opinion, what is the BEST makeup line?
I can't really judge entire lines, because I've only gotten lipsticks or glosses from most brands, and perhaps a concealer, tinted moisturizer or powder from others. I have like everything I've gotten from Avon except a concealer, and I think I have the most products from there. Honestly, though, I just can't answer that. 

What do you think of makeup?? 
I'm constantly surprised by how I can completely wake up my face with the smallest amount of makeup. I think it's transformative, but not in such a way that it actually changes your appearance. It's just a nice pick-me-up.


That's all, folks!


I hope you enjoyed this tag. I'm sure you've already had the opportunity to do this one in the past, but if not, feel free to do this yourself. I'd love to read it. Or, if you've already answered them, why not leave me a link?




Thanks so much, dear readers. Hope your week is off to a good start.




xEsther