Beauty

I happen to love makeup, hair & clothes.  Makeup specifically.  Similar to playing w glitter crayons & sequins as a kid; I now play w makeup.   So I buy a lot of it, whenever there’s something new, pretty, or interesting; I try to add it to my collection.  BUT, I know that’s not for everyone.  I spent a lot of time on YouTube copying & learning from all the real makeup artists while I was in Dubai – but I’m fully aware ain’t everybody got time for that.

This list is a makeup starter kit OR it can be a makeup refresh kit.  So if you’re not totally into makeup, but want to have your basics covered, this list is for you!  Or, if all your make up is 37 years old & in desperate need of a refresh, this list has you covered!  Full face, start to finish, products.  I thought about this a lot.  I had trouble in the beginning of my makeup journey because I would buy all the glittery & colorful eye shadows (they’re the prettiest, so obviously).  But I could never make a full face come together.  Or I didn’t know what product goes where.  I either looked 198 years old or 3 years old.  Needless to say, it wasn’t working.  I wasted a lot of money.  Which is why I came up w this list!  I would’ve found it helpful before the dozens of glitter pink, purple, and blue purchases I made in the past.

I also didn’t want this list to be too expensive or overwhelming.  Anything that is a little more money, is simply because I think it’s worth it, for your starter kit.  You feel me?  It’s the same things I would save my precious pennies for while I was in Dubai, so trust me, if I could do it then – you can do it now.

Better late then never sharing all my favorite things of 2017.  We shall call this a mix up, because why limit ourselves to one category of favorites?  These products were not all created in 2017, rather things I used through 2017.   Weird but true, I typically don’t like something right when I get it.  I put it down.  Stare at it.  And on one random day pick it up & use it consistently after that… or throw it out.

CHANEL Soleil Tan De Chanel

The obvious.  Bronze anything will make my list, just be happy I’m not talking about my at home spray tan.  I try not to wear a lot of makeup most days & bronzer is one of the few products I need daily.  I ditched powder bronzer most of the year for this cream bronzer.  I take a medium sized brush & blend it on my cheekbones to look alive everyday.  Because it’s creamy I don’t feel like it drys me out & I like how it blends into my skin.  I’ve had this one jar of bronzer for 45 years, used it every single day & am just now at the point where I need to repurchase.

ColourPop Echo Park Satin Lip

I’ve had this lip color for a long time & used it almost every day in 2017.  I realized using a natural color on your lips, even without anything else on your face, makes you look like you’re trying.  It’s such a cheat to looking ready, that or a nice lip gloss.  (My fav: here)  This one in particular keeps my lips super moisturized which is hard to do, and doesn’t rub off in 1 mili second.  I put the smallest amount on my lips in the morning after I apply chapstick, and then use my finger to smudge it around.  Au naturel.

With the last few weeks feeling like my eyes were wide fucking open, I decided I have to get my shit together.   I always feel this way, like I really need to get my life wrangled in, but this time the feeling felt focused.  Small changes had to start happening, now.  A few weeks ago I discovered The Container Store.  Damn, for people that already knew of this beautiful secret of a store, congratulations.  I bought one small organizer for all my hair clips, I think it was $2.99.  I brought it home, and felt changed.  Organized and proud.  But I left it at that.  Every once and awhile I would brainstorm ways to organize my makeup but didn’t follow up.  So… after this slam dunk of events happening and being woke the F up, I decided no more waiting – I need to act!

Clear drawer trays: (here)

I chose clear because I can leave notes under them // Clear drawer trays: (here)

Super cheap but super valuable hair organizer: (here)
So that’s what I did. I went to The Container Store and bought pieces that I thought would help organize my room.  I didn’t think about what someone else would use to organize, I didn’t think about what made the most sense, I didn’t think about what a fancy organizer person would do – I only thought about how I wanted to organize my shit… and I proceeded.

The reason I’m even bringing up The Container Store is because it’s a one stop spot to knock out all of your organizing needs + most of the items are affordable. I’m obsessed with this store now. So let me tell you how I started.  I bought this tiny box organizer that looks like a children’s fishing tackle box and decided to separate all my hair clips into the dividers.  Before, they were all in one location, but in a small plastic box mixed together. I had no idea how many ponytails I had, where the other shiny blonde bobby pin was, or what clip I was looking for.  This $2.99 organizer made it so simple, and easy to store!  (Full disclosure, I left it out on my bathroom counter for a week just so I could stare at it).

For my makeup,  I started with different sized drawer organizers.  I went back and forth about where I wanted my makeup… On the counter or put away in drawers.  What do you think? I’ve seen it on counters lately as like a decoration? But I wasn’t feeling it for myself… so I went for these drawer organizers.  I decided on clear plastic organizers because they’re shiny, and I put little notes underneath them to reference.

I’m doing a throwback post today.  I’ve been editing prior posts & came across this Olive Oil + Hair story.  I died laughing because I vividly remember smelling like a kitchen & trying desperately to convince myself that I could NOT walk around all day/w olive oil in my hair.  Way too much alone time.  But the post made me laugh so I figured I’d repost it today & hopefully enhance your day w/a little humor – Enjoy!

I saved my life.  More like my hair’s life.  I have super long, thick, blonde hair that has been severely neglected since my move to Dubai.

I rarely wash it. I try to go as many days as possible in the most extreme ways not to wash my hair. (The key is finding different ways to wear your hair the second & third/fourth/fifth day without a wash.)

The problem happens on the days I choose to wash my locks.  I’ve been using shampoo that I believe physically assaults my hair. I’m nearly positive my hair is crying when I put the shampoo through it & it continues to cry until it gets oily again. In truth, my hair has probably been crying since I landed in Dubai.

I used to buy expensive shampoo + conditioner because I spend a lot of money highlighting & want to stretch the color as long as possible. I don’t want to waste the money I spent highlighting, by ruing my hair with bad product. Miss High Maintenance, Hiiii

That all went out the window when I got to Dubai. I RARELY do my hair. And when I do put in effort, it  means half blow drying it & leaving it down. Most often I braid it or put it up in a bun.

The neglect started when I ran out of my good ol American shampoo & couldn’t find the one I was previously using. Shortly after that, I found a few pieces of my hair that I think missed my last trim, so I cut them myself..?   I’ve never done that before.  Between nasty shampoo and a self trim, I  thought my hair was treacherous.  I started putting it in a ponytail every single day, which again I don’t think is good for your hair. The color started fading (probably just in my head) and it turned into Rapunzel length.  In a bad, ratty way.

So I booked an appointment to get my hair cut & highlighted.  BUT, I was completely terrified to show up to a nice salon with my hair being dried out, self cut & brassy. I went to Pinterest in last minute efforts to find a solution that could fake maintained looking hair until it was fixed.

Olive Oil.

I have Rapunzel hair.

And as much as I would love to explain how I planned it that way & have spent years & years growing it long, that’s not 100% the case.  My hair grows like a weed.  Having short hair isn’t an option because it would take way too much effort to maintain.  Long hair is easy for me, I go to the Salon approx twice a year.

I get asked about my hair more than anything else. You know?  Like instead of “where did you get those granny Sketcher slide ons?” people ask about how I did the bun in my hair today.  I don’t know why…

3 Long Hair Tips For The Lazy

1.Don’t wash it.  I don’t wash it because I’m lazy AF.  I know it’s almost trendy these days to say how many days in between washes you are for your hair.  “I haven’t washed my hair in 5 days!”.  Well, I haven’t washed my hair since I was a child.  Once a month my mom had to force me to wash it, and I don’t think she wanted to either but as a mother you feel like you have to enforce rules.  It takes an hour to brush out & another 3 days to air dry.  I see no interest.

I feel like I haven’t shared my favorite things in forever!  We’re in the process of moving to a bigger space so my mind has been full on designing & decorating…  Bringing Wafiq to Ikea on a Friday evening after work, or even better a busy Saturday afternoon “just to look around” has been really pushing the limits of our relationship.

I had to participate in an outdoor sand Volleyball tournament last Friday & almost melted to my death.  Of course it was the hottest day we’ve had so far at 90 degrees.  I couldn’t drink enough water to keep myself hydrated & went home with a huge headache Friday.   On the plus side, 1 of the 4 games was a personal success in my book.  The other 3 had a few errors that I’m choosing to ignore.  I’m very competitive so I hate sucking at things.

I’ve been reading beauty blogs & watching beauty YouTubers for a few years now.  They suck me in & before you know it I’m 10 videos deep with a long list of new products I NEED.  Then, I get to the store & notice the first item on my long list is .5oz of face cream that’s $90… and I have no money left for anything else.  Story of my life.

I used to think makeup was important at work because it helps you look awake, alert, professional, clean, put together, on time – but I’ve had a shift in mentality recently.  I don’t want to put shit on my face when my computer screen & a few people are the only ones reaping the benefits.  Most of the time I don’t even look in a mirror so I’m not even able to marvel at my artwork.

I love investigating peoples routines & what they do every single day, meaning they’re obsessed.  For a long time that was Target for me.  Not a product, but a place.  I went to Target all the time & it was the one thing I desperately missed when I was out of the country.  I’ve gotten it together since then.  (*Amazon Prime*)

My spray tan story starts with stupid tanning beds.  I hated using them but I hated being white more, so I fake tanned or sat in the sun – both of which my inner self hated, whether I would admit it or not.

My favorite category, beauty! And while you’re dusting off the glitter & metallics from your New Years parties, make sure your make up collection includes these favorites….