Get to Know Me: The Beauty Blogger Tag!

Hello, dear readers,

I was browsing through my favorite blogs earlier in the week and stumbled across the Beauty Blogger Tag on The Beauty Broadcast. This is the first tag I've seen specifically directed at bloggers and not vloggers, so I was excited to fill it out. I like the fact that these questions are different than the ones on the various other tags I've filled out. 

Here goes:

1. Is your hair naturally curly or straight?

I consider my hair to be curly, but I have looser curls that fall into waves as my hair grows.

2. Do you dye it yourself or go to a salon?

I have never dyed my hair, and I don't plan to do so. 

3. Do you wear the same style everyday, or do you change it?

It's generally the same style, because I prefer to wear my hair down. The only creativity, if you can call it that, comes from my love of experimenting with products, but the look is always nearly the same. The extent of excitement is when I throw it in a low bun, but the bun always looks tiny and I appear not to have much hair. That's my opinion, anyway.  

4. Do you do your own mani/pedi or go to a salon?

I do my own manicure. I find it relaxing and enjoyable, and I don't love having other people mess with my hands. I'm weird that way. I have gotten a manicure with a friend once, which was a fun experience, but besides that I prefer doing it myself.

5. How often do you change your nail polish?

 I've worn nail polish anywhere from one or two days to three weeks. It depends on how the polish wears and how bored I am in my classes. I tend to peel off all my nail polish during my three hour night class and repaint it later, even if it's not chipping. Yes, I throw the peeled polish in the garbage. Not to worry.

6. Do you polish your toes in the winter or just the summer?

I never paint my toenails. I don't like dealing with feet, but it's cute on other people. 

7. How long does it take for you to put on makeup?

No more than 10 minutes on average. I use foundation or my own self-mixed tinted moisturizer, concealer, powder and lipstick at most. Only if my face is really red or has stubborn breakouts or flakiness does it take longer.

8. What do you do first? Face or eyes?

I like to focus attention on lips, so I don't really do eyes. The most I'll do is a light champagne shade if I'm looking extra tired that day. So, it's face by default.

9. Do you collect makeup or just buy what you need when you need it?

I buy foundation, powder, and concealer on an as-needed basis, but I collect lipsticks.

10. How often do you wear false eyelashes?

Never.

11. Do you do a full face of makeup everyday?

No. I almost always have at least concealer, powder, and lipstick on. I don't wear foundation every day, especially because my skin has been annoyingly flakey; I have yet to find a foundation that doesn't exaggerate flakes. 

12. Do you wear makeup when you're home alone or with family?

I answered that above. The only time I'll wear makeup home alone or with family is if I'm bored and want to play with my makeup.

13. Will you leave the house without makeup?

If I'm running errands or taking a walk with a family member, I don't wear makeup. If I'm hanging out with friends and having a good skin day, which seems to be a rare occasion lately, I'll go makeup-free.

14. How many high-end products do you have?

I have one Estée Lauder lip product, and the rest of my higher-end products are from Clinique. I have Clinique foundation and several lip products, many of which were gifts with purchase. I don't know how high-end Clinique is considered to be, but it's department store makeup in any case.

15. Do you plan your OOTD every night or decide when you're getting dressed?

I tend to decide when I'm getting dressed. I generally check weather.com in the morning and then pick out clothes based on the weather. If I know I'm going somewhere the next day, or if someone is visiting me at college, I often have an outfit planned the night before. I take forever to get ready [I blame you, problem skin and all your products!], so it helps me save time and not keep people waiting too long.

16. How often do you change your handbag?

I used to change it seasonally, but I've used the same Charming Charlie's cross-body bag since last summer. I suppose I change it based on how much I need to carry with me that day and what size purse that requires. Or I switch them out on a whim.

17. What time do you wake up and go to sleep?

I truly do not have a set schedule. It's almost the end of the school year, so my sleep times are all over the place.

18. How often or when do you workout?

Again, because the year is ending and the work is piled on, my schedule is irregular. Right now I work out a few times a week, but ideally it would be 4-6 days a week.

19. Left handed or right handed?

Right.

20. How tall are you?

5'3" 

21. Do you speak any foreign languages?

I've taken Spanish every year since I was 11, besides last year, so I can read, write, and understand it pretty fluently, but my speech is a bit rusty. I'm a bit shy about speaking Spanish, too, since the classes I've taken in college haven't involved too much conversation. Fun fact: I signed up for free subscriptions to Siempre Mujer and Latina through some rewards website, and I read them cover to cover, if that gives you an idea.

22. How many pets do you have?

None.

23. How often are you on Blogger?

My posting is quite sporadic, but I'm on Blogger every day to catch up on the many blogs I read.

24. Do you read comments posted on blogs?

I hardly ever get comments, so of course I gladly read every single one. I occasionally read comments on other people's blogs, usually only if I'm checking to see if the blogger responded to my comment.

25. Do you keep a list of products to try as you see other posts?

I definitely notice the products that keep popping up on various blogs, and I tend to do my research on them. I particularly like to use Beautypedia, a website I wrote about here. I keep track of products, but I don't write down the names.

26. How did you come up with your blog name?

I wanted it to have something to do with lipstick, my favorite cosmetic item, and I wanted it to be a cute phrase or a play on words. For some reason, the quote "When life hands you lemons, make lemonade" popped into my head and refused to budge, hence "When Life Hands You Lipstick." I'm sure I was subconsciously thing of "Live, Laugh, Love" when I came up with the URL lovelipstickandlaughter.

27. What kind of camera do you use for your photographs?

Lately I've been lazy, and I've used my MacBook webcam. The camera I own is a Nikon Coolpix, which I received before I went to Peru. It comes in handy when I put effort into my pictures. It's not the number one best quality camera in the world, but it works fine for me. I've recently figured out how to use all the different settings. 

28. How often do you clean your house?

Since I live at home, I'm not responsible for cleaning the entire house. Besides my desk, which my mom says is going to fall into the basement because of how many magazines perch atop it, I try to keep my room fairly clean so I don't have to do an overhaul on a regular basis. At school, I do the same thing in my dorm room. My desk tends to suffer slightly from clutter, much less so than my desk at home, but the rest of my room stays pretty neat and organized.

29. What's your favorite color?

Aqua 

30. Do you swear?

If I'm really frustrated with or angry about something, yes, but that's not extremely often. More often, the cause is that I'll walk into a chair or drop something. I'm a klutz, so most of my cursing happens because of clumsiness.

31. What are you doing with the rest of your day?

I have three essays due this coming Monday and Tuesday, so that's going to take up most of it. 

There's my Beauty Blogger tag. I hope you enjoyed.

xEsther

Now on my Nails: Estee Lauder's Purple Passion

Hello, dear readers,

On Wednesday this week, I decided to change my nail color from Avon's Ballerina to Estee Lauder's Purple Passion. This came as part of a set of four miniatures that I received as a gift from my mom for Valentine's Day. I've noticed that even though I don't particularly enjoy wearing purple clothing, I like purple accents such as nail polish or shoes. 

I love that this color isn't a traditional, true purple, but rather a vibrant shade with some pink tones to it. That's the best way I can [poorly] describe it. It's been on for four days so far, and I have yet to see any chipping. It doesn't go on 100 percent evenly, but any unevenness is unnoticeable. It's fairly bright and opaque in one coat, but I believe this was two coats. I hardly ever leave nail polish with one layer of color; it seems wrong.

I used to wear nail polish for two weeks straight before changing colors, but I find myself with so many nail polishes that I want to switch up the color often. How else will I get to use all these beautiful hues? The photograph is true to color but somewhat duller and less shiny than the actual shade. I'd say it's a fairly accurate representation, though.

I hope your weekend is off to a great start!

Now on my Nails: Avon's On the Go Pink

Hello, dear readers,

I'm doing a very quick post today. I have my mom to thank for this, because she asked me to email her a picture of my nails after I painted them. I thought, Hey, now I have a decent shot of nail polish on my computer; why not show it on my blog? Because I don't paint my nails daily, I can't call this my "Nails of the Day," so "Now on my Nails" it is.

UPDATE: This is actually called On the Go Pink. I don't know where I got Ballerina from!

Here is Avon Speed Dry Nail Enamel in Ballerina:

Please excuse my gross veins. I can't really get rid of them. And I
promise my pinky nail isn't chipped; I accidentally got polish on the cuticle.

This is the pastel perfect polish for an understated but chic look. I once tried a Sinful Colors polish in a similar shade, but found it showed up chalky and almost white on me for some reason. I gave it to one of my friends, and I don't believe she had that problem. This polish, however, stands out enough from my super pale skin to give some contrast. My fingers are for some reason the darkest part of my hands [yes, I know. You're thinking, That's dark?], and this polish makes my hands look slightly tanned. That is a feat all on its own. This is one of those colors you can wear year round: sophisticated, pale pink that can masquerade as a neutral. I think I'm definitely going to love wearing it as the weather gets warmer.

What's on your nails now?

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

An Afterthought: 2013 Oscars Fashion Best

Hello, dear readers,

A few weeks have passed since the Oscars, sufficient time for everyone to have finished reading the Oscars issues of People and Us Weekly. In other words, no one is all that interested in talking about the Oscars anymore. Except I am. I saw the Oscars the day after they aired on an ABC-approved website, but I was able to watch Red Carpet Live because it aired on live stream.

As I watched the stars arrive, I took down the names of the best dressed ladies at the awards ceremony. Because this post is so late, I'm not going to have my usual detailed explanations. Instead, I'll have the pictures below with captions saying who they're wearing. You could call it The Lazy Girls' Guide to Oscars fashion.

Here are my favorites:

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Jennifer Lawrence looked elegant in Dior Haute Couture [the only dress she tried on prior to the show], Roger Vivier Bag, Brian Atwood Shoes, and Chopard jewels.

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Queen Latifah wowed in Badgley Mischka

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Octavia Spencer looked like Cinderella in a gown by her trusty designer, Tadashi Shoji.

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Naomi Watts shimmered in a silver, science fiction-like, Armani Prive dress, Neil Lane Jewels, and Jimmy Choo shoes. [Not a fan of the messy hair. What's going on there? Nevertheless, she looked radiant]

Those were the gowns that stood out to me at the Academy Awards this year. All of them are simple and flattering with an added element of interest, like Watts's cutouts and the infamous train on Jennifer Lawrence's dress.

I hope you don't mind that this is posted so late. Life happens, and I didn't make time for blogging among the other things I had to do.

Let me know which dresses you liked the most, and have a wonderful week!

xEsther

2013 Golden Globes: Black, Pastel, and Red All Over

Hello, dear readers,

As many of you may know, the Golden Globes aired this past Sunday. However, and I'm looking at you here, you can't pretend you weren't paying just as much, if not more, attention to the fashion on the red carpet. Everyone know half the fun is picking out your favorite and least favorite outfits. I don't watch the Golden Globes, but I do look up the award winners and, let's face it, pictures of the stars in their couture. This awards show didn't afford me the chance to write a best-of post, because none of these dresses stood out to me as particularly stunning. Instead, I'm commenting on some of the big trends I noticed and showcasing some of the photos I found that best display these patterns.

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Let's start off with the ladies who chose to match the red carpet. I'm not sure what's going on with Marion Cotillard's tomato-hued, asymmetrical dress and not-quite-matching heels. Zooey Deschanel kept it classy with a sweetheart neckline and pearls, not to mention the coordinating lipstick. Jennifer Lawrence seemed to be one of the biggest hits of the night, but I can't say I love how pointy the top is. As for Claire Danes, she looked timeless in an orangey-red number.

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Plenty of celebrities chose to grace the red carpet in pale blush, a shade that can wash out pale skin all too easily. Amanda Seyfried and Amy Adams are lovely ladies, but this hue drained the color from their complexions and did nothing to complement the colors of their hair. I'm not really sure what I think of Megan Fox's  dress, but she did manage to carry off the pinky-nude better than the aforementioned stars. I think Hayden Panettiere was the most successful at pulling off this tricky pastel. I'm not a huge fan of the mermaid tail, but the dress was flattering. Her skin tone worked the best with this trendy color.

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Another fair hue to hit the carpet was the lightest of blues. Honestly, I don't like a single one of these dresses. That's all I can say. Better luck with your fashion selection next time, girls.

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Oh, look! More pastels! From peach to pale green to washed-out lavender, the carpet was littered with pastels. Jessica Alba's gown suited her, but Rosario Dawson could have used a lower neckline. I have nothing to say about the other two, except that they were not at all flattering.

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Then there was the abundance of black: The little black dress, little black suit, etc. Everyone was raving over Katharine McPhee's dress, but I think she needed some more fabric up top. None of the other styles were particularly exciting. Most were fairly boring and/or weird.

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Please excuse the multiple shots of Taylor Swift. The last trend that I noticed was a tendency towards deep burgundies and everyone's favorite oxblood shade. Poor Lena Dunham looked frumpy in a gown that was all wrong for her proportions. Jennifer Garner and Naomi Watts flashed smiles to accessorize their deep crimson dresses. I don't know what to think of Taylor Swift's outfit. It was very different than her typical sparkly, girly style, and I'm afraid she might have been taking herself too seriously.

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Last, but not least, I'm sharing what I believe to be one of the night's biggest hits, which doesn't happen to fit into any of the trends. Anne Hathaway shone brightly at the Golden Globes in an embellished Chanel gown, keeping accessories minimal and hair perfectly swept to the side. This isn't my all-time favorite red carpet dress, but Anne looked radiant.

I apologize for not listing designers as I usually do, but I wanted to get this post out while the Golden Globes were still in the [somewhat] recent past.

Hope you enjoyed this overview of the prevailing 2013 Golden Globes fashion trends.

xEsther

'Tis the Season

Hello, dear readers, 

Today I thought I'd search for a winter-related tag to do so that I would have something to give you in between now and my winter break (I started writing this last month! It's now the end of my break. Oops!). I struggled to find one that wasn't strictly about Christmas, as I realize not everyone, myself included, celebrates it. Luckily, this 'Tis the Season Tag is more neutral! Warning: This will be wordy! Let's get into it:

❄ Top 2 Winter Beauty Essentials 
Moisturizers for face and body, as my skin gets very dry and flaky. My face is dry/combination, but it gets drier in the winter, and my hands get chapped and red. Specific products: Any of the Avon Moisture Therapy hand creams are great and have either little or no fragrance. For my face, I use Neutrogena Oil Free Moisture Sensitive Skin. It's not rich, but it does the job. 

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Moisturizing lip color. I just received the Clinique Taste of Honey holiday gift set for my birthday [Thanks, Mom, if you're reading!], which contains four Almost Lipsticks: Luscious Honey [a sheer deep red], Shy Honey [a sheer baby pink], Flirty Honey [a sheer bright pink], and Black Honey [sheer deep wine/burgundy]. These are moisturizing enough that I don't need to wear a lip balm underneath, and the sheer color is definitely buildable.  Other good moisturizing lip colors are the Clinique Chubby Sticks and Revlon Colorburst Lip Butters.

❄ Top 2 Winter Fashion Essentials

Cardigans/sweaters. Throw on a cute top from the warmer months, top with a cardigan, and you have the recipe to my cold weather wardrobe. I do have to say, though, that I've been loving throwing on pullover sweaters, because they're so comfy and easy to wear.

A cute winter coat. I've struggled with bulky, puffy, coats before, and I've also found myself matching both toddlers and moms in my Columbia jackets. I now have a belted, longer winter coat from Victoria's Secret that is both functional and [I'd like to think] fashionable.

❄ What shoes do you tend to wear the most in the winter?
This year, I've been wearing my riding boots from Alloy. There hasn't been a lot of snow yet, so I've been able to get away with that.

❄ Favorite Winter Accessory
To be quite honest, I don't really have winter-specific accessories. I don't wear scarves or hats or anything like that.

❄ Favorite Winter Nail Polish
In the winter, I always love a good red nail polish. Hands down, my favorite red this season is OPI The Spy Who Loved Me. It's a gorgeous bright red with red and gold shimmer.  The other two polishes from my OPI Skyfall trio are great cold-weather colors as well. Goldeneye is the perfect glimmering, warm gold. Skyfall is a strange brownish burgundy, which isn't usually my cup of tea, but I love it for the winter. 

❄ Hot Cocoa or Apple Cider?
Hot cocoa. No question.

❄ Favorite Winter Candle?
I don't ever buy scented candles, but I did receive a Slatkin & Co. mini candle in an Influenster Beauty VoxBox a couple of months ago. The scent is pumpkin cupcake, and it smells delicious enough to eat. 

❄ Snowboarding or Skiing?
Neither. I'm terrified of both.

❄ Have you ever gone Ice Skating? Are you any good or do you FAIL miserably?
I've only gone a few times in my life, and none recently, but it takes me a while to get my footing. I was never very good.

❄ Does it snow where you live?
Yes.

❄ Have you ever made a snowman?
Yes.

❄ What holiday do you celebrate?
Hanukkah.

❄ Favorite Christmas/Holiday song?
My favorite is actually technically not a holiday song at all. It's "Winter Wonderland," particularly Jason Mraz's version. 

❄ Favorite Christmas/Holiday movie?
I never saw all of A Nightmare Before Christmas, but I feel like I really enjoyed what I did see. As a child, I love A Christmas Story. Now, the only holiday movie I watch with any sort of consistency is Elf.

❄ What is your favorite winter treat? (candy cane, gingerbread, etc...)
Hot cocoa is my favorite. I can't think of a dessert that I particularly favor over any other in the winter.

❄ If you were to ask Santa for one thing and you were guaranteed to get it, what would it be? (even if you don't celebrate christmas)
A guarantee that my next semester of college goes well. Is that cheating? I don't think so.

❄ Do you have anything fun planned for this winter?
Since I'm filling this out after the holidays, I've already fulfilled plans to see movies with friends and family and have a holiday party. As for the rest, I'm not sure.


That's all, folks. I hope you enjoyed this tag!

xEsther