If You're Blogging and You Know It

Hello, dear readers,

Welcome to the future. 

I mean...hello in 2019! It's been a whopping four—nearly five—years since I last published anything on this blog, and I recently discovered that I miss it. I miss writing about fun and perhaps frivolous subjects that make me happy. I miss spending time sharing makeup opinions, reviews, and tips with my lovely readers. I miss sharing tidbits of what's going on in my life, if for no other reason than pure catharsis.

The last time I wrote, I was finished with college but had not yet walked across the stage. Cut to today, and I'm living in a big city and working as an editor and production coordinator at a publishing house. Time is sneaky, isn't it? It slips past while you're not looking, so it's good to appreciate each moment. That's something I've learned in recent years, through all the roller-coaster days and the smooth sailing.

One thing that hasn't changed? My love for lipstick (and laughter!). Two of my absolute favorite lipstick brands now are Bésame Cosmetics and Colourpop, with Bésame coming out on top. Bésame has really gained momentum over the past few years as a brand based on recreating classic colors, centered primarily around reds. Oh, how I love red lipstick. Both brands have come out with Disney collaborations, which I haven't been able to resist. 

I really do hope to get more posts out, and something I've noticed is that it has to feel fun and not like an obligation. I make no guarantees, but I really do enjoy this space. 

For now, I'd like to know: How are you doing? Take a moment to reflect, or let me know in the comments!

I also found a fun gem sitting in my drafts from 2016. The set in question is not available, but Clinique has since done many others. For the record,  I still own and use these lipsticks. The formula is indeed a soft matte, and the lasting power is decent but not the best. (Colors are gorgeous, and I especially love the red and bright pink.)

Please follow me into the Tardis while I take you back a few years, and enjoy this never fully finished, previously unseen post:

Hello, dear readers,

I remembered I had a blog. In all honesty, I never forgot; I just had other things preoccupying my time. It's life, and I have no excuses to give you. What I can provide, however, is information on one of my recent favorite beauty items. 

I hope my blog writing skills aren't too rusty.

The Clinique Kisses set of five Long Last Soft Matte Lipsticks from Clinique was a Hanukkah gift from my mom (I, in turn, bought her one of the same. It's that good.). This set was exclusive to Macy's and limited edition around the holidays last year. I don't believe you can still get it, but these colors fortunately remain in the Long Last Soft Matte lineup.

xEsther

Clothes for Curves? Marilyn Monroe at Macy's

Hello, dear readers,

Aside from awards shows, as in yesterday's Oscars post, I generally don't write posts solely about fashion. Today I'm stepping out of my box of beauty products, tags, and life updates, to tell you about a limited edition clothing collection that has attracted my attention.

As you can probably tell from the title, Macy's has released a Marilyn Monroe inspired clothing collection for Juniors and Women. I haven't seen what they have in stores, but there are a decent amount of items on the website, with new clothing popping up every so often.

The reason I'm excited, and what prompted me to look for the line in the first place, is that Marilyn Monroe was famous for having curves. I'm throwing out a wild guess here when I say that these dresses, tops, pants, and skirts are probably meant to flatter girls with a similar body type. That's not to say that this collection won't work for anyone else, especially since the main model isn't exactly a Marilyn doppelgänger, but I have hope that it will work for girls like me who feel like they're a different size for each different area of the body.

The line is a bit pricier than I expected it to be, but not unbelievably expensive.

Here are some of my favorites from the current stock along with direct links to the products from the Macy's website:

Marilyn Monroe Juniors Dress, Sleeveless Polkadot-Print A-Line

Marilyn Monroe Juniors Dress, Sleeveless Gingham-Print A-Line

Marilyn Monroe Juniors Sweater, Long Sleeve Cropped Cardigan

Marilyn Monroe Sleeveless Peplum Top & Skinny Pants

There are around 64 pieces in the online collection, excluding the fact that many items come in multiple colors. It's not quite as exciting a collection as I imagined, but I do think the color combinations in these outfits are dynamic and the clothes are flirty and feminine with a side of fun.

Have you seen the Marilyn collection in stores?

We're one day closer to the weekend, and I personally can't wait! Enjoy the rest of your day!

xEsther

Happy New Year 2013!

Happy New Year!! Welcome, 2013!

L-R: Beth and I on New Year's Eve

Hello, dear readers,

Happy New Year to you all! It has been exactly two years and one day since I started this blog, and I don't intend to stop it now. Being the intelligent person that I am, I forgot to bring my camera home and didn't think to use my brother's camera. I'll have to do that, but in the meantime I thought I'd give you at least one photo to look at. 

After having my New Year's Eve nearly ruined by a poorly-timed delivery of bad news, I went to a party with my friend, Beth, and another friend whose name I'm not sure she wants posted all over the internet. It was pretty much the first time we'd actually gone anywhere besides someone's house for New Year's Eve, and it served to take my mind off anything negative. 

The actual transition from 11:59 p.m. in 2012 to 12 a.m. of January 1, 2013, was rather anticlimactic; it's still hard for me to process that the year went by so incredibly fast. Overall, 2012 was a good year for me, world's apart from 2011. Without going into detail, I can safely say that 2011 has been my worst year so far, and 2012 saw me enter a much better place in my life.

I don't set resolutions for the new year, but I did find a quote earlier in this year, when I sincerely needed inspiration and motivation to keep going, that I'd like to keep in mind: "Decide that you want it more than you are afraid of it." - Bill Cosby

I'll end this post with a little bit of beauty-related information: On my nails, I wore OPI Skyfall Collection nail polish in Goldeneye on my ring finger and The Spy Who Loved Me on the rest. On my lips, I wore Rimmel Lasting Finish Lipstick in In Vogue, a bright, matte, pink.

I hope you all had a fun, exciting, and/or relaxing New Year's Eve, and I look forward to starting off 2013 with you.

xEsther

25 Questions Beauty Tag

Hello dear readers,

Wow! I managed to skip an entire month. November is quite possibly busier for me than October, so I'm doing this tag while I have time. I found this 25 Beauty Questions Tag on Beauty in Balance, and I thought it would be a fun way to return to the blogosphere without taking up too much time.

And the questions are...

1. Do you apply your foundation with a brush, sponge, or fingers?

I generally apply it with my fingers, since I find it easy to blend liquid foundation that way. I do, however, own a foundation brush which I prefer to use when I mix foundations or foundation and moisturizer.

2. Do you apply your eyeshadow from light to dark? or dark to light?

I don't use eyeshadow, mostly because I don't have the patience to learn how to do it well.

3. Do you prime your eyes?

As I said, I don't wear eyeshadow. Instead, I cover up the darkness on my eyelids with concealer. I guess that's irrelevant.

4. Concealer first, or after foundation?

Concealer after foundation, because otherwise I would mess up the concealer by blending foundation over it. This way I can use less concealer as well.

5. Go for manicures, or manicure yourself?

I do them myself. I did enjoy the one time I got a manicure, but I prefer to do my own.

6. Exfoliate lips, face or both?

I exfoliate my face once or twice a week when I'm at home by adding baking soda to my facial cleanser. For my lips, I exfoliate with a damp washcloth or Q-tip.

7. On average, how long does it take you to do your makeup?

It can take anywhere from 5 minutes to 15 minutes. It only takes 15 minutes or so when I decide to spend extra time perfecting my skin and/or mixing my own lip colors. 

8. Do you wear makeup everyday and everywhere?

I don't wear makeup if I don't have any plans for the day. If I'm staying in and doing homework, exercising, going to the grocery store, or with my family on a break, I don't wear it. Generally I wear it at least 6 days out of the week.

9. What release are you most excited about? (Makeup)

I’m not sure what specific releases are coming up in the makeup world, but I always like to see the holiday collections and sets from various brands. I am excited about the Skyfall collection from OPI, though I doubt I'll get anything from it.

10. What’s your weakness? Shoes, purses, clothes, jewelry, eyeshadow, lipstick or other?

Lipstick is definitely number one on that list based on how many I have, but I also have a weakness for shoes and purses.

11. Do you whiten your teeth?

No.

12. Wax eyebrows, or pluck?

I don't really do anything to mine, but I'll pluck a stray hair if there is one.

13. What do you use to contour?

I don't actually contour. I'm so pale that I don't think I'd be able to find a color to contour with if I wanted to.

14. False lashes, or natural?

Natural. Unless they're for a costume, false lashes creep me out.

15. Favorite makeup brand?

I haven't tried enough different makeup items from each brand to be able to pick a favorite.

16. Liquid eyeliner, pencil or gel?

I've only ever tried pencil.

17. Lipstick, lipgloss or chapstick?

Lipstick, without a doubt.

18. Pigments, pressed or cream eyeshadow?

If I were to wear any, I would choose pressed eyeshadow. It seems easiest to work with.

19. If you had to wear only one thing, excluding foundation; what would it be?

Lipstick. It instantly brightens up my complexion and adds color to my pale skin.

20. Favorite color?

I'm going to answer this generally and not related to makeup: I would have to say aqua and variations of it.

21. Favorite color combination?

If this is referring to eyeshadow, I'm not really sure. I personally would just wear neutrals.

22. Natural? or Dramatic? (Eye Makeup)

Hypothetically, I would choose natural for myself.

23. Do you care more for quality or name brand?

Quality.

24. Do you enjoy using face masks? If so which ones?

I don’t really use masks at the moment. When I do want to use one, I just go for pure honey. I enjoy using it because it feels refreshing.

25. What is your current addiction? (example: lipsticks, eyeshadows, earrings..)

Lipsticks are always my addiction, but I'm addicted to researching concealers and foundations for future consideration.


That's all for the 25 Beauty Questions Tag. As always, if you're interested in filling this out on your own blog or in the comments, please do. I love reading them. The last tag I filled out was the 14 Fun Facts About Me. I will be doing a post soon explaining my absence, and I should have at least a couple of photos in that one. 

I hope you had a phenomenal October and a fabulous Halloween if you chose to celebrate it!

Until next time...

xEsther

Lazy Day Face and OPI Mermaid's Tears

Hello, dear readers,

Today has been a rather lazy day in the sense that I haven't been able to go out and about. I've mostly been inside doing homework or on the phone. Yesterday was much more fun, as I had two of my friends come to visit me at college. I plan to hula hoop this evening, so that should make me feel better about being so static today. Fingers crossed.

For no particular reason, and despite barely leaving the room, I felt the need to slap on some makeup and attempt to look more awake. After that was done, I thought, Why not take some photos of questionable quality on my MacBook and post them on my blog? So that's what I'm doing. I shall also share a couple of photos of my current nail polish, OPI Mermaid Tears.

An aside: I didn't buy Mermaid Tears when it came out as part of the Pirates of the Caribbean collection, because I was being noble and refraining from purchasing nail polish. However, that meant that by the time I got around to looking for it, it was discontinued. A journey to a nail polish/beauty supply store was to no avail, and all the bottles I found online were ridiculously expensive. Somehow, my mom managed to find one for a reasonable price and sent it to me at college. [Thanks, Mom!] I'm a little bit in love with it, and now I know not to pass up a limited edition nail polish if I'm obsessing over it. 

I tried to adjust the lighting and contrast of some of the photos, but they're honestly still pretty washed out and poor quality.  No color changes or any other sort of editing has been done besides that. Without further ado, here is my face of the day:

Products used:

1. Cover Girl Aqua Smoothers Tinted Moisturizer SPF 15 in 805 Fair/Light
2. Maybelline Dream Lumi Touch Highlighting Concealer in Ivory                                                                              (under my eyes and down the bridge of my nose)
3. Rimmel Stay Matte Pressed Powder in Transparent
4. Rimmel Moisture Renew Lipstick in 300 Rose Blush

As you can see, this isn't a flawless face. This is what I use when I want to get my makeup done quickly and efficiently, making myself look much more awake while letting some imperfections peek through. I always alternate the lipsticks, often layering more than one to create the perfect color, but Rimmel's Rose Blush is one of my go-tos for a natural, fresh-faced look. I'm almost out of the tinted moisturizer, so I'll need to bring my back-up to college next time I go home. Apparently, this is now being marketed as a BB Cream. Total sales gimmick, in my opinion.

On to the nail polish:

Despite the grainy quality of the photographs, these are pretty accurate depictions of the color. In the second, the nail polish in the bottle itself appears more blue than in real life.

What nail polish shades have you been loving lately? Are you transitioning to darker fall shades, or do you still play around with all sorts of colors?

I hope you've had a lovely weekend and have more great things in store for you during the coming week!

xEsther

Aaaaaaand...It's a Tag! What's Your Makeup Style?

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Hello, dear readers,


I've been in a bit of a blogging rut, as you may have noticed, so I'm doing a tag today. This one is newer and I found it on Elle & Blair. Here are my answers to the "What's Your Makeup Style?" tag.


1. EEK! You've got five minutes to do your makeup for a date. What's your minimum?
I can usually get some foundation on the center of my face to cover up redness, a tiny bit of concealer under my eyes, and some lipstick on in five minutes. I usually take longer, but I can do it if I'm in a hurry.


2. Pick a trend—crazy cat eyeliner, super hot pink blush, or feathered false lashes?
I wouldn't actually wear any of these, but crazy cat eyeliner would probably look the least certifiably insane of the three.


3. If you had to either give up all makeup for two months or give up your skincare for a week, which would you pick?
As much as I hate to say it, I would give up my skincare for a week. If I break out that week, I can cover it up, and then I'll proceed to be diligent about my skin afterwards. I don't wear face makeup every day anyway, so my skin wouldn't suffer too much.


4. What beauty products are always in your purse?
Lip balm, whatever lipstick I'm wearing that day, and hand cream. I do occasionally forget the hand cream.


5. Are there any beauty products that you keep coming back to throughout the years?
Almay Smart Shade Concealer in Light, L'Oreal Colour Riche Lipstick in Tropical Coral, Rimmel Moisture Renew Lipstick in Rose Blush, Rimmel Stay Matte Powder in Transparent.


6. Smoky eyes or red lips?
Red lips. I love the look of a classic red lip with my very fair skin and dark hair. I'll take any excuse to wear red lipstick.


7. Lipstick or lipgloss?
Lipstick.


8. Are there any products that you never expected to like but ended up loving?
Beauty UK Lipstick in In the Buff and Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick in Demure.


I would love to see any of you do this tag. Again, I apologize for being such a lousy blogger. I really haven't been able to think of any great ideas, nor have I had the chance to figure out what to do for an updated skincare routine post. 


I hope you've all been enjoying June; I know I have! Have a lovely start to the week.


xEsther

Bye, Bye, Betsey!

Hello, dear readers,

I know I don't usually blog about beauty or fashion news on here, but my photos for my foundation routine came out horribly, and I wanted to give you a post! This is for all you Betsey Johnson fans out there.

Allow me to explain. My cousin brought back earrings from Ireland because she thought that either my sister or I had my ears pierced. Neither of us do. My mom plans to make the earrings into pendants, so she got a couple of Betsey Johnson necklaces from a friend who sells them on eBay, thinking I could use one of the chains. I happened to really like the necklace, so I decided to keep it intact and find another chain.

Really exciting story.

Here it is, just the right balance of girly and tacky:

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The blue is more vibrant in real life.

Same source  

On to the irony: The very same night in which I received the pendant necklace, I happened upon an article online announcing Betsey Johnson's bankruptcy! I was so upset, because I loved visiting her stores in New York City and downtown Chicago. They're so over-the-top, a little too pink, and incredibly fun, that it's impossible not to like them. I would never actually wear 99 percent of what she sells, but I can't walk into one of her stores without a smile on my face.

Unfortunately, she's closing almost all of her shops. The good news is that she still has her accessories line at Macy's, as well as her activewear collection in department stores. Apparently she still plans a runway show for September, and there's a rumor that she may have a reality show in the works. I guess everyone needs to expose their lives on TV these days. Ok, ok; the title of this blog is a little overdramatic. 

I just find it funny [in a non-"ha ha" sort of way] that she filed bankruptcy the same day I received my first Betsey Johnson item.

For your entertainment, here are a couple of my photos of her design for the 2010 recycled fashion project in NYC. A number of designers were each asked to come up with one sustainable clothing item that could withstand the elements. The results were put on display in Times Square, turning the iconic location into a veritable runway. Her design completely represents her and her brand: wacky [and a bit tacky!], girly, and very, very pink! These were taken on my trip to NYC in 2010.

                                             

Fingers crossed that all goes well for Johnson and her delightfully bubbly designs.

Have you been reading any beauty or fashion news lately? Feel free to share below!

xEsther

40 Beauty Questions: Reloaded

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Hello, dear readers,

I have a new night time skincare routine [morning hasn't changed] and foundation routine coming up soon, and I'm also long overdue for a review on the Fusion of Color powder products. Because I want to take pictures for my foundation routine, I have to do it when I'm actually wearing makeup for a "Before" and "After." I literally just started my new skincare routine last night, so I'm in no position to share it with you. I can't exactly tell you anything until I get some results, positive or negative. For today, then, I'm doing a tag that I did back in September 2011, so we can both see how different the answers are. Considering September was less than a year ago, they'll be extremely similar, but I want to do it anyway!

Here we go:

SKINCARE -
How many times do you wash your face daily?
Twice. I'll use Olay Cleansing Cloths Sensitive to take off makeup after walking home from school, but I'm not counting that as fully washing my face.

What skin type do you have? (dry,oily,combo) 
Combination and somewhat sensitive [oily nose and chin, normal to dry forehead and cheeks]. Fun fact: I tend to be allergic to products like salicylic acid and benzoyl peroxide, while retinoids don't really bother me at all. It's the opposite to most people's reactions. 

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

Do you exfoliate? 
Yes, weekly.

What brand do you use?
I just use my regular face wash with baking soda. It's a great, gentle exfoliant.

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. This has remained the same! Told you it wouldn't be that different.

Do you have freckles? 
I have a few very faint freckles on my face, and a smattering on my arms. They tend to only be visible in the summer.

Do you use eye cream? 
No. I do have a sample size of the Clinique Eye Roller serum, because it came as a gift with purchase. I use it when I'm particularly exhausted in the morning.

Do you or did you have acne prone skin?
Yes. Oh, the joys of adult acne. Instead of just breaking out on my chin from hormones, I now break out there as well as on my cheeks and nose. I occasionally break out on my forehead, too! Thankfully, the breakouts aren't that noticeable, but that doesn't make them any less annoying.

Did you ever have to use Pro-activ? 
No, and I don't think I would.

MAKE-UP
What foundation do you use? 
Clinique Perfectly Real Makeup in the shade 01.

How about concealer? 
Hard Candy Glamoflauge Concealer in Light. You may have noticed that I'm always the lightest shade, unless the lightest shade is too dark. Then I try a different line!

Do you know your undertone color?
I've been told by some people that my skin looks peachy. My undertone is mostly pink, with a little bit of yellow thrown in. However, yellow-toned foundations tend to look orange on me. I'm probably one of the few people that actually wants peach or pink-toned makeup. 

What do you think of fake eyelashes?
No. The only way they're acceptable is when they're natural enough that I can't tell you're wearing them. Sorry. 

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

What brand of mascara do you use?
When I do amuse myself by wearing mascara, I've used one of the Organic Physician's Formula mascaras, or a Clinique mascara. I can't remember the name, but it is not the High Impact Mascara. I'm the worst person for that particular makeup item, because it either bleeds below my eyes, or I rub my eyes right after putting it on. Am I the only one that feels weighed down by mascara?Sephora or MAC?

I shop at Ulta, because they have drugstore and higher-end brands. If I didn't, it would definitely be Sephora.

Do you have a MAC Pro-card? 
No.

What makeup tools do you use in make up application? 
A brush for powder; flat foundation brush or my fingers for foundation; just my fingers for concealer.

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. This is still true.

For the face? 
Nope.

What is your favorite eyeshadow (color or shade)?
Like I said, I don't wear eyeshadow. I do, however, like neutral colors on other people, or a lighter wash of any color. Bright eyeshadow is great on people who know how to use it. This probably doesn't answer the question. 

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

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? 
They look harder to work with, and I imagine I would make a mess.

Do you use mineral makeup? 
I do own makeup that considers itself mineral makeup. I say "considers," because pretty much all makeup contains minerals. You know those powders you buy? Plenty of them contain talc, which is, indeed, a mineral.

What is your favorite lipstick?
I've been loving my Revlon lipsticks lately, especially ColorBurst lipstick in Carnation for spring.

How about lipgloss? 
I haven't worn it in a very long time, but Avon Glazewear lip glosses are probably my all-time favorites.

What is your favorite blush to use? 
I own a couple of blushes, but 1) I'm rubbish at using it, and 2) I don't feel like I need it. I don't have a favorite

Do you buy your makeup on ebay? 
No.

Do you like drugstore makeup? 
Yes. Every brand in any price range always has good and lousy products. There's always something to like.

Do you go to CCO's? (cosmetic company outlets) 
No. 

Did you ever consider taking make-up classes? 
No. 

Are you clumsy in putting on makeup?

No, but I can occasionally put on too much if my lighting is dim. Then I leave my room and look in natural lighting and brush off as much as possible!

Name a makeup crime that you hate? 
Corpse lips, spider lashes, orange tans, and unblended eye shadow. 

Do you like colorful shades of makeup (lipstick,eyeshadow) or neutral ones? 
I generally prefer bright lipstick and neutral eyes.

Which celebrity always has great make up?
Anne Hathaway, Kate Winslet, Rachel McAdams.

If you could leave the house using just ONE make up item, what would you use?

Concealer.

Could you ever leave the house without any makeup on?
Yes, and I often do when I'm walking to school and I know it will sweat off anyway.

Do you think you look good even without any makeup on? 
Everyone has good and bad days, but generally yes.

In your opinion, what is the BEST makeup line?
Like I said, every brand has fantastic products and terrible products. I can't choose a single brand that's great all around.

What do you think of makseup?? 
I think it's a fantastic way to minimize the appearance of imperfections so the focus is on your features. It's a nice confidence booster, too.

I guess that wasn't much of an update, was it? At least that didn't make it any less entertaining to fill out.

If you've done this tag, let me know so I can read it!

Have a splendid Saturday and Sunday!

xEsther