Category Archives: the Hair stuff.

the Hair stuff., the Makeup stuff., the Review stuff., the Skin stuff.

#EmptiesChallenge Update 2

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Let’s see.  When we last talked about my empties challenge, I’d forgotten that I was doing it in the first place and got a blowout that wasn’t even worth it.  Kudos to me.  Over the past two months, I’ve managed to remember my challenge but Christmas, Sephora gift cards, and an appointment with my home hairstylist happened.  Yikes.  And I was silly and decided that I wanted to try ColourPop cosmetics, too.  I felt like I could justify it because ColourPop items are six bucks each, but add in the shipping and you’re basically at eleven bucks.  Oh well.

My main expenses, when it comes down to it, were the hair appointment and the extra money I spent at Sephora on top of my gift card.  Because you know how getting one item for free at Sephora somehow makes purchasing two more seem okay?  Yeah, I don’t know how that works in the brain’s economy, but somehow it makes sense, kind of like the real estate bubble of 2008 and subprime mortgages.  Oh and I also stopped by Lush Cosmetics and picked up their Eau Roma Water Toner, because I had a staff lunch right next door and I wasn’t sure when I’d be there next.  I’m really exercising such a great sense of self-discipline.

Anyhow, I have run out of a couple things this past month.  I’ve finished off my Origins A Perfect World Age-Defense Treatment Lotion With White Tea, A Perfect World SPF25 Age-Defense Moisturizer With White Tea, and another CoverGirl Clump Crusher mascara.  I’m closing in on the following: NARS Creamy Radiance Concealer in Custard, Unite Eurotherapy 7 Second Condition Leave-In Detangler, Sally Hershberger Hyper Hydration Super Keratin Spray, Acure Organics Argan Chlorella Night Cream, Burt’s Bees Sensitive Facial Cleansing towelettes, and quite possibly my BareMinerals SPF15 Original Foundation in Light.  Still little progress on any color cosmetics, but I have been doing better at applying more frequently.  I don’t exactly blast through stuff like this blue and purple eyeshadow duo from NARS quickly.

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So if I’m going by the ratio of the challenge (and not counting any of the things I received as Christmas gifts, because it’s just too difficult), I’ve “paid” for my hair appointment by running out of the two Origins products.  I purchased some Simple Micellar Water again too, so the mascara and one of the others that I’m almost out of will pay for that.  The two other things I picked up at Sephora and the Lush toner, however, are unpaid for until I officially run out of the rest of the almost-empty products plus one additional item.  Time to keep working.  And notice I’m just not even counting the ColourPop, I’m just that over it.  Whatever.

All this to say, it’s very easy for non-necessities to accumulate.  It happens quickly, and we tend to make purchasing decisions impulsively.  I need to learn to take my time.  It’s becoming much easier to see what I really need though, which is kind of neat.  I found I couldn’t do without the micellar water as a makeup remover after a couple weeks, and I repurchased my same Origins moisturizer with my Sephora gift card after deciding not to spend it on something more frivolous.  So, I’m learning, but I’ll keep hammering away at the color cosmetics in the meantime.

I have to say that the ColourPop decision wasn’t exactly the worst, though.  I took my time figuring out what color of their UltraMatte liquid lipstick I wanted to try and I finally landed on a shade called “Chilly Chili”.  Like the Stila kind I’ve mentioned before, this stuff does not come off but the color payoff is pretty great.  I can’t wait to wear this plum-brown in the city, and I like it with my bangs.

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All right, I’ll probably be back soon with a SAG Awards post, so see you then.    xo, MR

the Hair stuff., the Makeup stuff., the Me stuff., the Nails stuff., the Skin stuff., Uncategorized

What I Brought Home From My Vacation

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My Christmas vacation this year consisted of a trip back to southern California, where the sun shined unbelievably for the full nine days that we were there.  What a beautiful time it was.  I had flapjacks with Dad, went on a traditional shopping excursion with Mom, laughed my butt off with my family as we celebrated Christmas, stood basking in the warmth of Laguna Beach, saw so many friends that I love, managed to squeeze in quality time with a few of them, and just had an all-around great time being around people and places that I’ve missed.

But of course, me being me, I couldn’t resist listing what I got out of this trip that pertains to the nature of this blog.  Namely, what beauty experiences did I walk away with during my time in the Golden state?

A new appreciation for flying

This trip involved my first flying experience in over four years.  While the flight into California was ridiculously turbulent (as in the-captain-issued-a-preemptive-apology kind of tubulent), the flight back was actually quite pleasant.  I enjoyed a couple issues of Elle and InStyle, a Korean serum mask, and a very small glass of Bailey’s just for fun.

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Adding the tiniest bit of luxury to my flight almost made it feel like a borderline chic experience.  Hey, when you’re flying second class and your knees are touching the awkward, hungover twenty-one-year-old’s knees next to you, you kinda have to make it work, even if it means that twenty-one-year-old almost jumping out of his chair at the sight of you wearing a creepy Hannibal mask next to him.

A serious Sephora haul

Now that you’ve heard me complain a couple times about how dry my skin is over here, you’ll be glad to know that my mom-in-law came through with two products that I’m so excited for, and a couple that I picked up myself thanks to a generous gift card from my mom.

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I’d wanted to try an oil cleanser since my skin starting drying out over here, and my mom-in-law came through for me with this one.  I received Erborian’s Solid Oil Cleanser as one of my gifts.  Out of curiosity, I took home a sample of this from Sephora and it is some dreamy stuff, let me tell you.  It smells so fresh and relaxing, with a spa-like green tea fragrance.  The unique consistency is that of a thick, stiff goop, but take a minute or two to really massage it into your dry skin.  It is delicious.

According to the Korean double-cleanse method, you’re then supposed to follow an oil cleanser with a foaming cleanser (though I’m sure the oil cleanser is probably enough for most people).  I’ll be using Ole Henriksen’s Empower Foaming Milk Cleanser (once I finish what I currently have), which also smells relaxing and calming.  I’ve been so into finding scents that lift my spirits lately.  Doing little things like enjoying a smell, or listening to soothing sounds, treating yourself to a coffee, or doing a relaxing yoga session in your apartment are things I used to right off as sad, temporary attempts at trying to avoid reality and ignore life’s troubles.  Now I realize they’re just ways of enjoying your freaking life.  And another small way of enjoying life- dry shampoo.  The highly reputable Living Proof formula was also a Christmas gift, and it’s especially helpful for managing the new hairy addition to my forehead I came home with (see below).

My own Sephora picks include Alterna’s Caviar Replenishing Moisture Shampoo, Shiseido Ultimate Power Infusing Concentrate, and Origins A Perfect World SPF25 Age-Defense moisturizer.  I’ve used all three of these items before and I enjoy each of them.  After running out of my fourth bottle of Rahua shampoo, I’m choosing to give it a break and focus on intense moisture throughout the winter with my hair, especially as I grow it out.  The Alterna is great for that.  Concerning the Shiseido, I have said that I like Caudalie’s Vinosource serum better and I believe I still do.  However, Caudalie is good for intense moisture but it doesn’t necessarily help with other areas of concern like spots, etc.  The Shiseido is a little more geared toward all areas, so I’m going to see how well it multitasks.  And the Origins moisturizer is a nice one that I’ve been using for a while now.  I’ll stick with it.

My only bummer was having my new bottle of Fresh Seaberry Restorative Body Cream, a gift from my sis-in-law, detained by TSA because the bottle was too big.  Poop.  Once again Mom saves the day by sticking around just long enough at the airport for my husband to run it back to her so she can ship it out.

A super-dark manicure

Ever since growing my nails back, man, I am addicted to painting them.  I do darks, nudes, or a true red.  For my manicure that I got with my mama (thanks, Mom!!), I chose OPI’s Lincoln Park After Dark, a cult fave, for New Year’s and to go with my mostly basic wardrobe that I’d packed for the trip.  It’s a really deep purple that is barely distinguishable from black, but that’s why I like it.  Once you catch the color in the right light, you see the eggplant hue shining through.  It can work as an interesting accessory (and yes, I consider painted nails an accessory).

So, here’s the best shot I got of them, which also happens to be the best shot I got of an extremely fancy-pants bathroom at the Montage in Laguna.  Two for one.

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BANGS

Because I knew I’d be able to book an appointment with Justin at Salon 9, I had to take the opportunity.  I’ve been rocking a mid-length, rather grown out ombre’d lob since summer, and I figured I could go for a couple small-ish changes.  We darkened things a bit and went for a richer brunette while still leaving some shimmering highlights within the length.  The real addition here though, is the new arrival of bangs.  Whew.  I had forgotten what a commitment they are, but I really want to make them work this time.  I mean, really.  I want long hair down to my chest like I had before, but now with long bangs.  I want bangs to be part of my integral look for a while, so I’m in it for the long haul.  And don’t make fun of my robe or slight-smeared eyeliner here.  I’m wearing MAC’s kohl liner in Smolder, which I consider my Jack Sparrow liner because it always smears and you just have to roll with it.  A pirate’s life for me.

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What this has meant so far is styling them every day, somehow.  I can’t get away with just throwing everything up in a bun and leaving the bangs scraggly and bent out of shape after getting out of bed; they have to be styled.  I mean, there’s looking French, and then there’s looking hungover-French.  Bangs cowlicked up past your forehead can put you in hungover-French territory, so styling them is a necessity.  Sometimes this means just tweaking with a flat-iron, sometimes it means wetting and washing them and starting all over.  It’s very difficult not to fuss with them throughout the day, but you have to remember that their shape doesn’t need to be perfect.  Gone are the days when bangs needed to be precisely uniform and round brushed, so the look still isn’t as high-maintenance as it might’ve been, say, seven years ago.  You can get away with a much more laissez-faire feel now, but you still need to make sure things look cohesive.

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For me personally, I think bangs are a good exercise in self-maintenance and forming a consistent routine of trying.  I very much look forward to the care and keeping of them.  Cheers to caring more in 2016!  xo, MR

the Hair stuff.

The Haircut You Just Might Get In 2016

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As some of you may have noticed, the lob (or long bob) kind of took over the world of hair in 2015.  Everyone seemed to have piecey, collarbone-length hair with plenty of texture, and I’m talking both celebrities and women on the street.  I myself have been an enthusiastic participant, though I really had no choice as I’ve been growing out an a-line bob from the spring.  Anyhow, all the lob business from this year is actually residual from the lob’s first wave of dominance in late-ish 2013.  Which was actually an echo from its more earlier appearances in 2010.

Yes, the lob has been around for about five years or more.  Trends in hair like the lob are becoming a little bit easier for me to spot, but it does take patience as they tend not to come to full fruition for at least a couple years after their first appearance.  You first see the cut, likely on some celebrity or maybe a model on the runway, and they’re the only one sporting it.  You think nothing of it, except for the fact that you’ve never really seen it before and they’re the only one with it.  It’s their cut.  But then a year or so passes and you spot another celebrity wearing the same cut, perhaps of greater status.  The cut may be a result of growing out an older style, like a pixie or bob; a hairstyle of convenience, one might say.  But whatever, it’s just a cut and not yet a trend.  However, you’re still a bit intrigued.

But perhaps within another year or so, you see one or two more celebs rocking it, maybe with some minor variations.  It looks good, and it’s starting to crowd your Instagram feed.  The cut earns a buzzy name, like our beloved “lob”, and it starts showing up in magazines and blogs and is referred to by that aforementioned buzzy name.  This cut is now being intentionally requested at salons, and is no longer simply a result of growing out an older style.  It’s at this time that you begin thinking about what you’d look like with this haircut.  Now, if you were to book the appointment at this point in time, you’d just barely be beating the rush.  But then …

Then, perhaps within less than a year, the superstar A-lister gets the cut.  She shows up to some red carpet event with it, and the deal is sealed- this cut has now officially reached trend status and will be everywhere for the next 9-12 months or longer.

This, my friends, is the road that our next “It Cut” has been journeying on toward full-blown trend status.  And what is it?  Some may call it the “swag” (short for the “swingy shag”), but because I cannot bear to use such the word swag when referring to myself or my body, I’ll simply refer to it as “the modern shag”.

attends the 2015 iHeartRadio Music Awards which broadcasted live on NBC from The Shrine Auditorium on March 29, 2015 in Los Angeles, California.

We can blame Taylor Swift here for bringing the modern shag into “It Cut” territory in 2015.  Full of movement and body, the modern shag these days tends to be the result of a bunch of bored lobbers like myself, looking for a way to spice things up while waiting for our lobs to grow out.  The feathery texture towards the front of this cut adds lots of volume and youthfulness, but the real anchor of the whole look is in the bangs.  I know bangs are a big commitment for some and can quickly devolve into a major inconvenience, so that’s something to consider when thinking about this cut for yourself.  The bangs need to be thick and “curtain like” in order to balance out the fullness of the rest of the hair.  Thin, wispy bangs coupled with a cut that brings a lot of volume with it will look wonky and imbalanced, so keep that in mind.  You will notice in this post, however, that the bangs can be worn parted in the center or across the whole face, so there is some freedom in that.

But where was this cut back in, say, 2010?  Was the swag even a thing until this past year?  As it goes with most all hair trends, the answer is most certainly “yes”. And here’s our first celebrity to have most consistently worn the cut for the past five years-

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I can’t remember seeing Alexa Chung without a haircut that at least somewhat resembled a modern shag.  Coupled with her ever-present cat-eyeliner and Peter Pan collars, she’s been channeling the sixties since reaching celebrity status.  The volume, the curtain bangs, and the messy texture all reflect the current style that we’ve been seeing more often these days.

However, I do recall noticing a model around this same time that I daresay has had even more influence over hair trends than Alexa.

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Freda Beja Erichsen has been a hair muse of mine for years, mostly because our textures seem so comparable.  I feel like what she can do with her hair, I can also try with mine.  Freja’s hair was sort of the banner for a first round of shag haircuts around 2011.  The cut frames her incredible bone structure in amazing ways.  I actually jumped on board with this when I cut thick bangs in the fall of 2011 after my wedding, but I didn’t play with my texture enough and I never did get the bangs quite right.  I’m convinced I could do better with a second go-round, though.  Freja’s hair may not have garnered a ton of requests in salons the way ombre was at the time, but I’m convinced that her locks are actually even more responsible for this current trend than Alexa’s.  I’m betting that Alexa’s cut was actually inspired by Freja’s first.

Anyhow, the trend status of the modern shag perhaps remained under my personal radar until I started noticing Kerry Washington with the cut about two years ago.

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Again, wispy layers in front, tons of texture, and thick bangs.  This was about the time when I noticed that it wasn’t just the bangs that were making a comeback, but the “shaggy” layers that were coming with it.  Emma Stone also sported a similar cut during her press tour for The Amazing Spider-Man 2 in 2014, though her layers around her face are maybe a little longer than Kerry’s and not quite as shaggy.

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Emma’s cut has a little more of a blunt feel, though it shares the same characteristics of curtain bangs, volume, and texture.  Keeping the layers longer may be a better strategy for faces with more of a circle shape like Emma’s; too many layers around an already-round face can make your head look the size of Texas even when it’s not.

Along with Taylor Swift making things really official in 2015, one of my favorite hairstylists, Sunnie Brook, dubbed the haircut with its buzzy “swag” name in an interview with PopSugar Beauty just this past October, likely sealing my fate as the next victim of the swag.  Lord send help.

To my long-hair friends- Lest you be discouraged, don’t think that this cut is only for those with mid length hair.  You can easily acquire feathery, face-framing layers and curtain bangs with long hair, as well.  But as I said earlier, this cut will likely be most popular among women growing out lobs.  I know I’ve already posted on Dakota Johnson’s hair (which I am, admittedly, in love with), but we’ll wrap things up with yet another image of her awesome living example of a modern shag.

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I can say that this very cut has left an itch on my brain for the past three months as I’ve watched my own lob continue to grow.  We’ll just have to wait and see what 2016 holds for my hair.  And yes, that is just over a week away.  xo, MR

Image credits to (in order of appearance): Jason Merritt for Getty Images, Dominique Charriau for Getty Images, photographer unknown for GoRunway.com, Frederick M. Brown for Getty Images, Gilbert Carrascquillo for FilmMagic, and Jon Kapaloff for Getty Images.

the Fashion stuff., the Hair stuff.

The Best Of 2015

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Around this time of the year, I typically do a “best of” post that overviews the greatest beauty moments of the previous 365-ish days (in my humble opinion).  In the past, they’ve been some of my most viewed posts and they’re really fun to put together because I’m normally so excited about trends and all the surprises we’ve witnessed throughout the year.

This time around, however, I honestly had a hard time putting together a list of groundbreaking trends or happenings in the beauty world.  My Little Pony-colored hair took over the world, you can now wear black or blue lipstick without being stared at like a freak, blah, blah.  I guess what happened in 2015 was a lot of normalizing of things that were formally seen as fringe behavior.  But we didn’t have a lot of brand new, I think is what I’m trying to say.  Jennifer Lawrence grew out her pixie cut into a versatile lob, Adele also debuted an amazing lob that had me gasping and proud to be in medium-length territory, long-wearing liquid lipstick sealed its reputation as the most covetable formula on the market, and Kim Kardashian went platinum for a week.  Honestly, nothing that notable.

I only have one real “Best Of 2015” moment, but it comes heavy with significance- In 2015, Victoria’s Secret featured a black model with completely natural hair (read: no extensions, no weave) for the very first time during their annual fashion show.

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This, actually, is a huge deal.  Maria Borges, of Angolan descent, literally made history as the first black Victoria’s Secret model to eschew the famous “bombshell” waves in favor of her own hair.  And you know, when I think about it, Maria might actually be the first Victoria’s Secret model to wear her hair cropped this short, period.

One of the things that has bothered me about VS over the years is that try as they might to diversify their models by ethnicity, we still see them all with the same bodies.  But more along the subject lines of this blog, we still see them all with the same hair.  There are no other hairstyles featured on Victoria’s Secret models besides long, shiny mermaid waves.  Do I like this hairstyle?  Yes, of course.  I am constantly wearing my hair wavy, and you know I love length.  However, one hairstyle isn’t exactly a fair representation of all women and hair types in the world, or even in this country.  And yet Victoria’s Secret, in their fraudulent kind of “girl power” way, has continued to depict long, wavy hair as the most aspirational and desired hairstyle on every model, no matter their ethnicity.  Because in all our pink-infested, bow-and-lace-adorned, diamond-encrusted push-up fantasy dreams, this is apparently the hairstyle every woman should have, no matter what their hair looked like originally.

But not every girl needs to have long, wavy hair.  Not every girl can have long, wavy hair.  And not every girl wants to have long, wavy hair.  That’s why Maria’s choice to wear her own hair for this particular show is such an important move (and it was her idea, just so we’re clear and giving proper credit).  It is significant in terms of body image, in terms of race, and in terms of women (especially minority women) being able to collectively say “no thanks” when time and again we are presented with a billion-dollar business’s take on what perfect hair is.  There seems to be this underlying assumption that if the Victoria’s Secret body is what an ideal body looks like, well, then a head full of Victoria’s Secret bombshell waves must be what an ideal head of hair looks like.  For the first time, we are shown that that’s not always the case.

It’s taken way too long for Victoria’s Secret to get with the program in terms of hair.  It’s kind of pathetic that this had to be such a big deal in 2015 and not, say, 2000, that it was still only one woman, and that it wasn’t Victoria’s Secret’s own initiative (along with the myriad of other issues I may have with the company). However, this still deserves celebration .  And even if it’s just one woman, it makes a difference.  xo, MR

Image credit to Dimitrios Kambouris of Getty Images for Victoria’s Secret, 2015

the Friends stuff., the Hair stuff., the Makeup stuff., the Skin stuff.

Five (Truly) Small Christmas Gift Ideas

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I absolutely love shopping for gifts.  I love finding practical things, or things that remind me of the recipient, or items that might be trendy and push the receiver’s boundaries a little, even if they decide to take it back.

In general, I really enjoy the gift-buying process.  However, in years past, my spending has easily snowballed because of how much I tend to find or wanting to match the value of everyone’s gifts.  That can’t happen this year, though.  The gifts need to be much smaller, and yet I’d still like to have some fun putting them together.  So, what I have here is a list of five different, very small gift ideas you can give to the beauty or bath enthusiast you know that will provide them with a luxurious experience.  And the best part?  They’re all under twenty bucks (not including tax).

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Your own version of a “beauty sampler” or “beauty emergency kit”

Stores like Sephora like to sell their own beauty “emergency” kits, but they can still cost quite a few bucks even for the value they might have.  Beauty box subscriptions can also be really fun, but they certainly cost more than a flat rate of twenty bucks.  If I were to create my own version of sampler for a friend, I might think of it as a “day to night” kit and include the following: a pair of false lashes, a perfume sample, a pack of blotting sheets, a travel-size dry shampoo, and maybe a mini version of some kind of lip color I like.

The fun thing about this idea is that you can really make it your own.  And it may sound incredibly cheap, but if you’ve acquired a lot of beauty samples over the past year, perhaps you can select a few of them based on what you know your friend enjoys, package them nicely, and there you go! Done.  This is an idea that could potentially cost you under five dollars.

Three of your favorite drugstore mascaras

Come on, what girl doesn’t love opening a new, fresh tube of drugstore mascara?  Now, if you go to Target, the prices on cosmetics will be cheaper so I’d suggest shopping there (or Wal-Mart, if you can manage the chaos).  Maybe you could determine your gift recipient’s favorite kind of mascara first and include that within the three.  What I’d probably do is choose one kind I know they like, one kind I know I like, and maybe a “wildcard”, like a new kind that perhaps neither of you have tried.  If you play it right and shop around enough, you can still come out under $20.

For instance, if I swing by Wal-Mart and purchase a tube of Cover Girl’s The Super Sizer by LashBlast ($5.94), Maybelline Lash Sensational ($6.94), and Maybelline Volum’ Express The Falsies ($5.94), I’m at a total of $18.82.  Easy.

A couple Korean sheet masks

Korean sheet masks are super trendy these days, but what’s fun about giving them is that you can choose a couple different kinds for different skin needs.  For instance, Tony Moly (sold at Sephora, along with a myriad of other brands) sells sheet masks in packs of two and there is huge variety to choose from within this line alone.  They have masks for radiance, clarity, hydration, pore care, and many others.  One pack of two costs $7.50, bringing your total to just fifteen bucks if you choose to give two packs.

A sheet mask is a nice little end-of-the-day thing to enjoy with a glass of wine and Netflix, or a soothing treatment to use on a plane ride that can prevent dryness.  And, the fact that many of your friends may not have tried them makes them a fun novelty that beats another bottle of lotion.

A couple bath bombs or beautiful soaps

Now, I know that not everyone takes baths so you may want to investigate your friend’s bathing habits first, but bath bombs are my current fave form of entertainment that doesn’t involve Cheetos or spending more money (although I guess you can always eat Cheetos while taking a bath- I’m not quite there yet).  Lush Cosmetics makes fantastic, completely natural bath bombs that turn sitting in a tub into a fizzy, whimsical, almost chic experience.  They all smell amazing in their own way, leave your skin feeling great, and have their own unique qualities that makes choosing just one such a difficult ordeal.  Bath bombs, I might add, are also very Instagram-able once they hit water.  None of Lush’s bath bombs cost over $7; you could choose one of the bigger ones as a single gift or two smaller ones.

Another similar idea is to give a couple lovely soaps.  I know that Cost Plus World Market carries a huge variety of beautifully-packaged soaps for around five or six bucks each, and I personally love displaying them in their pretty packaging or on a cute soapdish to use.  Whole Foods carries a nice variety of ethically-made and ethically-traded soaps too for around the same prices.

A single, awesome candle

You can find great candles – and even better, soy candles – everywhere, for a whole range of prices.  My favorite thing for candles is to find a small business that carries a few different kinds to choose from.  The city I used to live in had an amazing old town area where you could find lots of unique ones; I’d suggest digging within your area for the small businesses and see what they have first.  However, you can always go to Target and choose a big soy candle with great packaging that your recipient will enjoy displaying.

Nowadays I get all my candles from Target (as I haven’t explored too many small businesses yet), and they’re the easiest way to make your home feel just a bit more luxurious.  Even if I don’t actually like the scent of a candle I receive, I can still burn it outside on my patio or in the bathroom when guests are over.  They are always useful, no matter what.

Let me know of any reasonably-priced gift ideas you’ve had for the beauty addicts in your life.  A great beauty gift doesn’t always have to be the latest Naked palette or a full-size bottle of perfume.  If you offer beauty services yourself, you can even gift a free blowout to a friend, a free mini makeover, or whatever you feel suited to give.  I mean, this is always an option:

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Merry Christmas!  xo, MR

the Hair stuff., the Makeup stuff.

When Getting Ready Stresses You Out

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Let me paint a familiar picture for you.

It’s Friday afternoon, maybe around 4:30pm.  In a half hour you’ll be leaving the office, or school, or studio, or kids with the babysitter soon, and today you cannot wait.  Why?  Because you have plans.  On a Friday night.  Like, maybe the dress-up-and-do-your-hair-and-like-seriously-put-on-makeup-and-MAYBE-even-nice-perfume-and-look-amazing-with-a-glass-of-merlot-in-your-hand kind of plans.  Woah.

Problem is, you have to be out the door and on your way and looking awesome by 6:30.  And your hands are tied until 5:00.

Starting to sound familiar yet?  At 4:40 you down an afternoon cup of coffee to get your engine running for the marathon ahead; you figure you need all the energy you can get.  You leave the office at 5:00 (maybe ten minutes early just to give yourself a headstart on your commute), get home perhaps by 5:20 all in a huff thanks to the traffic, and then you have to hop in the shower.  Immediately.

Oh, and none of this accounts for the possibility of having to run any errands on the way home.  Picking up kids, grabbing a gift for the hostess, you ran out of deodorant and wearing your husband’s will make you smell like an Adam Levine tryhard, whatever.  Any of those errands that you forgot to do on your lunch break or lost track of between everything else that life threw at you.

So again, like I said, you’ve just walked in the door, it’s 5:20, and you have to be out the door by 6:30.  And you want to look awesome.

Determination sets in.  You’re in the shower but you have to wash your hair, and maybe shave your legs.  You’re out of the shower maybe by 5:37 (and you’re noticing prickly spots all over your legs, maybe it’s a night for pants?) and it’s time to start drying your hair.  About three minutes in and your arms are already tired, you’re feeling slightly sweaty, your face is red, and your hair isn’t anywhere near dry yet.  You keep drying, hands violently tossing your hair about as you try to expose it all to the heat.  Methodically round-brushing it dry in sections is just too much to ask for at this point, and you always feel like you need four arms to do it.

You look at the clock.  It’s 5:50.  You have to leave in 40 minutes.  Panic sets in.  So you decide to let the hair airdry a bit and get started on makeup.  You slather moisturizer on your face, but you remember how it takes its sweet time absorbing.  You skip primer, no time.  You slather on foundation but you’re so steamy from the hairdryer and the still-moist moisturizer that your makeup refuses to go on evenly and smoothly, leaving you feeling more covered in muck than before you even showered.  You move on to eyes, but after applying shadow primer and beginning on the eyeshadow, your dramatic look you had in mind goes all to hell.  Your hands are all shaky from that last cup of coffee and trying to hurry and … your hair is getting frizzy from air drying.  So you rub some serum into your hands and hastily scrunch it into your hair.  Then you grab your eyeshadow brush again, only to have it slip out of your hand thanks to the slippery serum.  You wash and dry your hands.  It’s 6:03.

You scrap the eyeshadow and move on to just eyeliner (though not the fancy winged eyeliner you’d originally wanted to try).  Good, done.  You move on to mascara.  This takes you four minutes (unless you go for false lashes, which could take more or less time depending on your skills).  It’s 6:10.  You quickly choose a blush and apply, though your cheeks are still flushed from all the heat and you see little beads of sweat forming around your hairline.  You’d wanted to try a little contouring for a night like tonight, but no time.  Lipstick is hastily applied, without lipliner, and you look up and … your eyeliner is already smearing and you feel like you need another shower.

It’s 6:14.  The “insides” of your hair are still damp.  You flip your head upside down and furiously wave your dryer over your scalp on high heat until it feels like its on fire.  Good enough.  Curling iron!  After pulling your curling rod out from its coiled mess under the sink and plugging it in, you then get to wait for it to heat up.  Hmm.  You decide to pick your outfit.  You stare at your open closet in a frenzy, trying to remember what these particular people have seen you wear.  Curling iron is ready.  You can hear your hair hissing as you curl still-somewhat-damp sections of hair; you see the steam (or it is smoke?!  You’re never really sure!) rising off your strands.  The few quick waves you work in look haphazard and are already falling flat from all the steam in the bathroom, but it’s 6:26.

You frantically choose an outfit that neither feels right for the makeup you landed on nor was anything close to what you wanted to wear, but it’s time to go.  You snag an accessory or two, look for your phone because you’ve lost it within the past four minutes, and throw everything into your purse.  You take a quick look in the mirror and roll your eyes at what you see- something that is nothing like what you’d envisioned for the night.  Your Friday night confidence is nearly sapped, but out the door you go, with armpit stains already forming and those sweatpants sounding like a better option by the second.  You touch your hair- it’s still damp.

Oh, and you somehow managed to throw in a Trader Joe’s mini pizza for your kid’s dinner, which ended up burnt in the toaster oven.  And you forgot perfume.

Now, I don’t know about you, but I have found myself in this scenario about fifty times, and I don’t even have kids (and maybe that mini Trader Joe’s pizza is for me).  When you envision yourself getting ready for a night out, you imagine one of those old Hollywood stars sitting at their vanity, gliding through their beauty routine at a leisurely pace in some silk robe and slippers.  The entire process is refreshing, leaving you feeling like a masterpiece once you’re ready.  And yet, this hardly ever seems to be reality.  Even on a day off when you might have the whole day to get ready, plenty of things can come up.  The fact is, getting ready can be hard.  Despite what bloggers and all of social media may portray, real life is not full of daily, Instagram-worthy outfits, makeup, or hair because for most people, there simply isn’t enough time in the day and there’s already too much to get done.

Getting ready for a night out should be fun, relaxing time of little rituals we love and enjoy, but it often leaves us feeling rushed, harried, and dissatisfied with our hair and makeup.  What are some things we can keep in mind to make this process a little less stressful when dealing with real life?

 

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1. “Mise en place”

This French culinary phrase refers to having everything “put in place”, and there’s a reason why this is one of the first things you’re taught when you learn the basics of cooking.  As a chef, you need to have all of your ingredients and ware organized and arranged before you begin cooking. Otherwise, time will be wasted and you risk your creative process of slipping into disarray.

Mise en place may just as well be applied to getting ready for a night out.   If you know you’ve got an event you want to have great hair and makeup for, have your makeup organized the day before, all in one place.  Have your makeup brushes clean and laid out before you, ready to be used.  When you get home, turn your curling iron on before you hop in the shower.  And if possible, choose your outfit the day before or at least before you arrive at home, even if it means taking a five minute Pinterest break at your work desk for some inspiration.  Point is, frantically searching for things and trying to make decisions when your mind is already racing just adds to your stress, ironically making choices even more difficult.  Getting everything organized beforehand and visible to your eye will save you both time and frustration.

 

2.  Done showering?  Get out of the bathroom!

That tiny bathroom you’ve just steamed up with your hot shower?  It is no environment for getting ready in.  Firstly, bathrooms are usually just plain hot after someone has showered.  The steam will create frizz and prevent your hair and skin from drying, the heat will cause you to sweat all over again (especially if you then proceed to turn on a blazing hot blowdryer in the same space), and let’s face it- most bathrooms are cramped.  It can be stressful trying to get everything done within one small space.  Unless you have one of those beautiful bathrooms with natural light where you can spread out, bathrooms are typically poorly lit, lacking in good ventilation, and not incredibly generous when it comes to counter space (especially if you’re renting like me).  And the lighting is a concern because poor light can cause you to either apply too much or too little makeup, since some lightbulb types give off a filtering affect that prohibits you from seeing your face as it truly is.

A better setting to get ready in might involve the following: a room other than the bathroom, natural light, and a full length mirror.  A bedroom or living room with a window should work nicely.  In the same space, you can hopefully turn a fan on and cool down a bit as well.  If it’s dark out and you’re already out of natural light, try to get ready among lamps lit with warm, white lightbulbs, which will neither be too concealing or unflattering.  My research identified “warm white light” as 3200 kelvin in lightbulb-speak.  I like to sit on the ground cross-legged in front of the mirror for my makeup, and then finish blowdrying while standing in front of it.  Just be sure get out of all the steam and heat that’s trapped in your bathroom.

 

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3. Choose one area to concentrate your focus.

If you’ve only got about 45 minutes to get ready from the time you step out of the shower, it’s time to choose what you’re going to prioritize- hair or makeup.  Place all your efforts into one area so you can focus, take your time, and be fully satisfied with your work.  Choose to blow out your hair and go for that voluminous look you’ve wanted to try, or opt to go for the complicated contouring and highlighting, but don’t attempt to do both.  It’s one thing if you’ve got two hours to spare, but you won’t enjoy yourself if you’re trying to do both in less than an hour.

If you decide to concentrate more on your makeup and you’ve got wet hair, one of my easiest solutions is to sleek my hair back into a bun pinned right at the nape or back of the head.  You can do this with curly hair too, and it’ll still look put together.  If you decide you want to pay more attention to your hair instead, quickly toss mascara, blush, concealer, and lipstick or gloss into a makeup bag and save it for when you hit the road.  Not able to do makeup in the car because you’re the one driving?  Don’t worry- a nearly-bare face looks really modern and sophisticated with beautiful hair.  Just accept that your makeup will be minimal, and work the rest of your look around it.  In situations when I’ve felt confident with how my hair looks but I’m out of time beyond that, I’ve worn just a little concealer, eyebrow product, and red lipstick (and that’s it) for a more fashion-forward look.  A lot of this is more about acceptance than insisting on looking like J.Lo within 45 minutes flat.

Or better yet than all of this, you could just skip washing your hair altogether and simply rinse off in the shower.   Third or fourth day hair is pretty moldable in terms of styling, especially with the added grit of dry shampoo or texture spray.  I tend to favor some kind of intricate up-do when I have grittier hair because I find it has better staying power.  If you have a hair texture similar to mine, oily, “dirty” hair might be a good opportunity to try a pretty topknot, or one of the popular knotted styles like we’ve seen lately like this one on Kiernan Shipka.

 

4. Don’t caffeinate beforehand.

One of the biggest mistakes that I seem to consistently make when doing bridal makeup is having coffee before I get started.  My nerves are already up to begin with, but now I’ve got caffeine running through my system that’s making me extra jittery.  All those steady, fine motor skills I need to apply gel liner?  Or individual false lashes?  Gone.  My fingers are shaky, I’m anxious about mistakes, and now I’m attempting to make these teeny tiny little brushstrokes on an eyelid.  Not a time for espresso.  It’s moments like these when I’m very liable to poke a bride in the eye with a mascara wand.

The same goes for when I do my own makeup.  If I’m in an anxious spot to begin with, caffeine does not help.  At all.  It’s best to forego it completely and replace it with water, or something a little more relaxing (unless you’re driving, of course).  Music always helps to decrease my makeup-applying jitters too,  but I can’t say that a bridal party mimosa has exactly been the worst thing for keeping my hands steady as I’ve attempted a cut crease on someone else’s eyeball.

So anyhow, that’s the gist of it.  I’d say these four things have been the best things for me to keep in mind when I know I’ll have an hour at best but I still want to enjoy the process of primping (ugh, I hate that word).  Now, it’s different if you’re in Vegas and you’ve got the entire afternoon and evening to spend getting ready in a luscious bathroom in your room at the Aria, but because this is rarely the case, we have to find ways to still enjoy what we love.  And of course, try not to forget the mini pizza or Dino nuggets in the toaster over, and always have a perfume sample in your purse just in case.  xo, MR

the Hair stuff.

Top Fall Hairstyles 2015

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I remember when it was a mortal sin to have your roots showing.  It meant you were sloppy, didn’t know that white wine goes with fish, and couldn’t pay your bills.  I remember thinking that I would never be able to have highlights because the obsessive upkeep was daunting.

And then around 2008 I saw a picture of Drew Barrymore and Sarah Jessica Parker, each with maybe a half-inch of roots showing through their then-blonde hair.  Huh.  I liked it; I liked the ease and style of it.  I hadn’t realized that a certain model named Gisele, with hair that was highlighted in strategic places not reaching above her chin, had unknowingly kicked off what would probably the biggest hair trend of 2010s and I was just seeing the tip of the iceberg with Drew and SJP.

It’s funny how some hair trends can be so surprising.  I used to think I’d never have highlights because I didn’t like the perfect, stripe-ish quality they had, and I didn’t want to be back in the chair every few weeks.  A few years ago I never thought I’d see anything like ombre.  Now there are varieties of it that I don’t think we will ever not see.  Some hairstyles are odd in that they make their way back around again in a cutting-edge sort of way, even if we thought we’d never see them again (like the painfully dated bowl cut we’ve seen on Zendaya, who somehow makes it look good).  And some hair styles are just timeless and always lovely to behold.

So what’s trending in hair that I like right now?  One concerns color, one concerns texture, and another concerns cut.

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When I cut my hair short I hadn’t realized that Sienna Miller had cut her just a month or so before me.  We have been relative haircut twins for this past year, but what I actually love about her current hair is the color.  This isn’t quite red enough to be strawberry blonde; it’s more of a rose gold.  It’s playful but not veering into pastel territory.  It’s unexpected.  I would love to try this myself but I’m worried the maintenance would be unbearable and I’m not sure how well it would work with me skin.  We’ll see though.

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Serena Williams was having a pretty great 2015 until this past month when she was defeated in the U.S. Open.  Her playing season for the year appears to be finished, but hey- she championed the Australian Open, Wimbledon, the French Open, scored a Vogue cover, and she’s had awesome hair doing it.  Serena’s natural curls are so pretty.  I love her texture and how voluminous her hair is with a side part.  Serena’s hair is bigger than life and has matched her bold determination and personality this year.  Alas, I will probably never have hair like this, so all I can do is swoon from afar.

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I know, I know.  Dakota Johnson sort of irritates me on principle, just because she did Fifty Shades.  Yes, sorry, just because of that.  But that is no reflection on how fantastic her hair has looked these past couple months.  During her press tours and appearances earlier this year surrounding Fifty, I actually didn’t care for her hair that much because it seemed like she was going for a Charlotte Gainsbourg look but was somehow missing the mark.  A few months later though, and a mid-length cut with longer, thicker bangs frequently parted in the middle has me considering bangs for myself.

Ugh- I never, ever thought I would consider bangs again, for as long as I lived.  It isn’t so much the upkeep as it is getting them to look just the way I want, everyday.  And if they look wonky, I can’t through it all up in a ponytail and pretend they’re gone; I have to pin them back, which defeats the purpose of having them in the first place.  But this “modern shag” at least looks amazing on Dakota.  I’ll just live vicariously through her hair for the moment.

I’m not certain what will be happening to my own hair in the next couple months because of my spending restriction plan, so for now, I may just keep what I have and save the changes for later.  Anything different you’re thinking of doing these days?  Maybe I can live vicariously through you, too.  xo, MR

the Hair stuff., the Review stuff.

In The Market For: Drugstore Hair Masks

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I’ve probably had a pretty standard experience when it comes to what I’ve been willing to spend on beauty products over the years.  In high school, I never really ventured beyond Target except for the occasional BeneFit purchase.  Those were a big deal, and pretty rare.

In college I got a little bolder, falling hard for MAC, slowly making me way through the beauty floor at Nordstrom, and frequently finding myself trapped in Sephora.  Nothing extravagant would ever really happen, but we’ll just say that the lack of pigmentation from Maybelline eyeshadow could no longer be tolerated (though a Dior palette is probably a bit excessive, and I sadly have a couple).  Fragrance purchases were upgraded from Britney Spears Fantasy to Dolce and Gabbana Light Blue (though I still don’t understand how the cool thing to do in perfume is wear these fragrances with these strange names that no one’s ever heard of; everyone’s heard of Burberry Brit or Gucci Flora, everyone knows they’re awesome, but I hardly ever read about people wearing them).

As I’ve entered in my late twenties, what I’m willing to spend on hair, skin, and makeup has probably continued to increase.  I can’t calculate specifics, but judging by what I use now compared to what I used when I was twenty three, things have probably undergone a general price increase of five to ten dollars per item.  Sometimes it’s more, especially in the skincare area.  I’ve tried to make a plan for the future so I don’t waste my time trying too many products and so I know what kind of costs are coming.  For instance, I know that in ten years or so, I’m going to begin using Estee Lauder’s famed Advanced Night Repair, and the insanely well-reviewed Skinceuticals C E Ferulic serum.  Those are two rather hefty purchases, for grown up girls only!

However, I’ve got myself on this lovely little plan right now that involves zero new beauty purchases without finishing off two beauty items I already have first.  Annoying.  And would you believe that Allure’s annual “Best of Beauty” issue landed in my lap mere minutes after finishing my post about my empties challenge?!  Just my luck.  However, I’m committing myself to this plan at least for a couple months or until I finish off a substantial amount of products.

And yet, I’m unfortunately doing this at a time when my hair is in need of a trim to dust off broken ends (it’s been twelve weeks since my last), and at a time when I would typically pick up a pricier product to prevent split ends from reoccurring since I’m officially growing it out.  Just over a week ago, I had Alterna’s Lengthening Hair and Scalp Elixir in my hand, and I bought it only to return it a half-hour later.  I just couldn’t justify the purchase, and that return was part of what prompted me to develop my new purchasing restrictions.  In addition to a new hair serum, I’d also begun thinking of investing in a full-size Kerastase Masquintense for deep conditioning … but it costs sixty bucks.  Sixty bucks.  Look- I’d pay that if my husband and I were both working, and if I knew I’d use it once a week.  But we’re not, and I won’t.  I still have a little travel size tub of this particular hair mask, and I’ll use it to get me through the next couple months.

But say you’re browsing through Walgreen’s and want to try a cheaper hair mask.  I always advocate purchasing from salons, but say you’re on a budget and still have a hankering for something new.  A lot of drugstore hair products aren’t that great and have little to offer in terms of long-term conditioning, but there are two drugstore masks that I’ve tried that at least give surprisingly wonderful temporary results.

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Aussie’s 3 Minute Miracle is somewhat legendary.  The stuff just seems to work.  There are now four different types of this conditioner and let it be known that I’ve only used the “Moist” one, but I also hear good things about “Smooth”.  When I used this, my hair was always left feeling very soft, extremely easy to comb through, and rather shiny (which is not a common feature of mine).  Use too much of it on the scalp and your hair will be too flat, but your lengths will thank you for it.  I would let it airdry and my ends would feel smooth, pliable, and fresh, without their typically dry, rough texture.  I recall this leaving more noticeable results in terms of moisture and softness than Sachajuan Hair Repair, which costs thirty-three dollars compared to Aussie’s three dollars.  Yeah.  And it also smells like the beach!

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So, L’Oreal’s Total Repair 5 Damage-Erasing Balm is probably the best that drugstores have to offer in terms of intensive hair therapy.  If your hair is dull, brittle, overprocessed, and crying out for God’s mercy, this is probably a decent solution if you’re not able to get a trim or a more expensive mask.  I’m super bummed because they discontinued the Moisture Rush mask from this line that I really, really loved, but this stuff is pretty great too.  It gets incredible reviews on Amazon for moisture, manageability, and extending time between trims.  Remember that nothing can actually get rid of broken or damaged ends like a cut, but if a mask like this helps you tolerate the condition of your strands for a couple weeks longer, I say go for it.  This costs about ten dollars at Target and should last you a long time because a little goes a pretty long way.

For now, I’ll work through the rest of my mini Masquintense and keep working on my empties so I can get a trim, but if any of you are in the market for a cheap-but-decently-effective mask, give one of these a shot because they work!  xo, MR

the Hair stuff., the Makeup stuff., the Me stuff., the Skin stuff.

I’m Taking The #Empties Challenge!

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I’m a self-admitted beauty junkie.  My hairstylist back in California knows it, my friends know it, my family knows it, and the people in a couple local Sephora locations now know it.  I know that I don’t buy nearly as much as some, and I did manage to whiddle down my hair products to a much smaller collection before I moved to Chicagoland, but I do love trying new things seeing what other people use, and I’d choose to browse around the Bloomindale’s beauty floor or book a Friday post-work blowout over a pair of new shoes or piece of new tech any day.  I also manage to find ways to acquire things for free, whether through Sephora rewards (scored a full-size Bumble&bumble CitySwept this way at an event they held at an OC salon), gifts, giftcards, or knowing the right people.  Life finds a way.

However, with a new job starting next week, added healthcare premiums with an impending new plan, the need to save up after not having income for two months, and a general desire to be more mindful with my purchasing, I cannot … and some of you are laughing at me for this because you know how futilely I sometimes try … but I cannot be making unnecessary beauty purchases these days!  In fact, I don’t believe I can even justify acquiring more beauty products right now even if they don’t cost me anything!

However, making a vague and awkward rule for yourself of “no new beauty products” can be hard to stick with.  It can also be easy to find ways of justifying a new find when you don’t give yourself clear guidelines, or when it’s free.  So, in order to inspire and motivate myself, II’m going to try to a fun challenge involving the emptying (or finishing) of the beauty products I currently have.  It’s important that I learn to appreciate my own stash and cabinets, and that I learn to actually acknowledge and use what’s already there.  We’ll call this my own version of the #empties challenge, as inspired by the popular Instagram hashtag that I originally discovered with Eva Chen, former editor in chief at now-defunct Lucky magazine and current head of fashion partnerships at Instagram.  You can see what others are doing with their “empties” through the following hashtags: #empties, #projectempties, #emptiesmakemehappy, or #projectuseitup .

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None of these are empty.  Yet.

For my own personal challenge, I’m instating a rule of no new beauty products or services (and this includes hair, skin, makeup, nails [now that they’ve grown back], fragrance, blowouts/hair services, and even massages which I only book maybe twice a year) without fully using up two products that I already own first.  If I happen to be given a product for free (even if it’s just a free sample), I can keep it but I cannot use it until I have finished two full-size products that I already own first.  If I am given a gift card or a gift certificate for a service, I cannot use it either until I’ve satisfied the aforementioned requirements.  The only exception to any of this would be the offer of a free trim or blowout by someone I know personally that could take place in a home and not in a salon.  However, I currently don’t know any hairstylists out here so it’s likely I won’t be encountering such an offer for at least a while!

So, here are the specifics I’m putting in place.  The two empty products can be in any beauty category, but both have to be completely finished.  I cannot be sneaky and choose to give away or throw away anything and count it as an empty (which I have done before with the reasoning of “Oh, I don’t like this color anymore” or “I’ll never finish this”, unless it is clearly expired as evidenced by odor or something like that).  I have to finish off the whole thing myself for the product to count.  Additionally, I’m adding price categories to this game I’m playing.  If I use up two drugstore purchases, I can purchase a new drugstore product but I cannot purchase a new department store or specialty store product (which we’ll call a luxury product).  That can only happen when at least one out of the two “empties” is also a luxury product.  Example- finishing a L’Oreal gloss balm and a Sally Hershberger heat protectant spray from CVS will only merit a similar purchase at Target or a drugstore.  Now, if I were to finish the heat protectant spray and a $32 NARS bronzer compact, then I’d be good to purchase one item from Sephora or the beauty department at Nordstrom.  Get it?  Good.  And just so it’s clear, luxury empties will still only merit the purchase of one product- no extra rewards just because they’re more expensive!  So, using up a Davines conditioner and Rahua shampoo will still only earn one purchase or service, and if it happens that I choose to buy something for $5 from a drugstore, then that’s it.  Two empties, one purchase.

Lastly, if I desire to purchase a product at a drugstore that is priced above $16, it’s automatically bumped up to the luxury category.  So for instance, there’s a Neutrogena anti-wrinkle serum that I’ve been eyeing lately as my possible first foray into the anti-aging category thanks to some creases cropping up on my forehead.  The serum costs around $21 at Target and drugstores.  It’s therefore in the luxury bracket and has to meet the requirements for the more expensive purchases.  Same goes for the Burt’s Bees oil cleanser I’ve been eyeing that costs $17 at Target.

I’m actually very excited for this.  I haven’t given some of my makeup much of a chance because I just haven’t used it enough to see its value or versatility!  Additionally, my tastes and abilities have grown over the years so items that I got tired of a couple years ago are now met with new enthusiasm and skill.  This challenge also forces me to deal with the consequences of buying.  You wanted to own it?  Now you have to use it, all of it, and make it worth your money.  Moreover, this challenge will encourage me to be more creative with my personal styling.  Want to get rid of that tube of high-shine TIGI hair gel?  Better get used to a lot of sleek buns in the near future or experimenting with the “wet look”!  That Dior eyeshadow palette just sitting there?  Time to figure out a daytime smokey eye!  And this is all more motivation to find people here to style and use my stuff on, too!

Anyone willing to take this challenge with me?  I’ll be trying to upload pictures every time I get rid of at least two empties.  I look forward to being more creative with what I have, and this gives me less of an excuse to not use my makeup, or to not style my hair.  And in general, it’s just good for my personal economy, great for the environment as it lessens needless waste, and my hope is that it encourages me to just spend less overall.  What do you say, people?!  Time to wear eyeshadow every day!  xo, MR