One Eyeliner to Rule Them All...

And in the darkness... bind them?

Ok, so I don't know about that last part. But I am currently on a quest to find the One Eyeliner. The one that's got a creamy enough texture to line easily, enough pigment to make my eyes bright, and enough staying power to survive through the day without making me look like I got punched in both eyes. And maybe solve world hunger as well? Or barring that, turn me invisible when I put it on?

For the love of makeup...

The Innate Love of Makeup

 

Today's post is not about a particular makeup product.  I did, however, want to share some thoughts on why I think us ladies love makeup!  I have recently spending a lot of time with my niece, who just turned 6, and is one of the awesomeist little people in the world.  Despite her being on a strict "no-makeup allowed" ban, her fascination and absolute love for makeup has made me realize that us grown-up women who giggle over new eyeshadow are likely internally programmed to adore anything makeup or beauty-related from birth.  Here is a recent conversation we had while she was digging through my makeup drawers (yes I have more than one but they are small!):

 

The Best Christmas Gift Ever!

Smashbox Studio Pop Eyeshadow Palette

So, I am coming home after a looooooong day, to find a package waiting for me.  It has Jasmine's handwriting, and it's my Christmas gift!  I have no idea what it is (she had been building the suspense for a couple weeks), but when I open it, I found this:

:o :o :o... SIXTEEN Smashbox shadows, and four cream eyeliners, all in one handy palette!  Yes, it was the best Christmas gift ever.  My husband, who was a little excited to see what my best friend got me, rolled his eyes when he saw it was makeup.  I, however, was very, very pleased. :)

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies!!

Chocolate chip cookies are one of my favoritest things in the world. I live for them. This recipe is really easy to make and more importantly, really easy to remember! It's my go-to recipe for get togethers, or for whenever I get the munchies (which is a lot).

bareMinerals READY Eyeshadow 8.0 - Review, Swatches, Looks

So, as you saw from my last Haul post, I am the proud owner of 4 new eyeshadow palettes!! The first one on the review list is bareMinerals READY Eyeshadow 8.0 in The Finer Things. I picked this one up a while back (during after Christmas sales - $25!!), but I think it's already been discontinued!! They have a new edition now, called The September issue ($40 at Sephora), which has some intriguing colors as well. But I figured I should review this one anyway, and I'm sure you can find it online somewhere if you're big on these colors. So, here goes...

bareMinerals READY Eyeshadow 8.0 in The Finer Things

Living Proof Prime Style Extender

Ladies - I know I just wrote a long post on how to improve your hair, but I must review this hair product before you go to the store to buy this seemingly latest and greatest thing.

I love hair products.  I am always on the hunt for something that makes it easier to style or manage my hair.  If something will cut down my style time, I will jump on it.  I heard about Living Proof Prime Style Extender and jumped on it.  It has RAVE reviews on Sephora.com, from people being able to hold a curl after years of stubbornly straight hair, people who were finally able to keep their hair straight after timeless struggles with curls and frizz, and those who were able to go an extra day with their style without washing their hair because their hair stayed fresh.

I was not too concerned about getting a product that will keep my hair straight or curly.  I was looking for something that would keep my hair from getting oily so I could go an extra day or two without having to wash.  This was something I am most interested in for when I straighten my hair - after going through all that trouble, I want it to last more than a couple of days and I wanted it to look good.

Recent Haul!

Sooo I've kind of been busy in the last week....

Top Left: bareMinerals READY Eyeshadow 8.0
Top Right: Urban Decay Smoked Eyeshadow Palette
Top Center: Too Faced Perfect Eyes Waterproof Eyeliner in Perfect Moss
Bottom Left: Too Faced Matte Eye Eyeshadow Palette
Bottom Right: Too Faced Natural Eye Eyeshadow Palette
Bottom Misc (From top to bottom): Ulta Pencil Sharpener, Ulta Eye Shadow #1 Brush, Ulta Crease Brush, Too Faced Perfect Eyes Waterproof Eyeliner in Perfect Brown

Banana Nut Chocolate Chip Muffins!!!

I'm kind of obsessed with food, so I will be posting recipes on here once in a while (this qualifies as one of those "anything else that makes us happy" posts from the blog description). And most of the time they'll be desserts or sweet things of some sort. And let it be known that if there's a dessert that doesn't have chocolate in it, I don't believe in eating it (as a converse to that, if it has chocolate in it, I firmly believe it should be consumed in large quantities). So, this is an example of one of the many recipes that I have found, modified slightly, and added chocolate to. It's super easy too! Bon appetit!!

Banana Nut Chocolate Chip Muffins

How to Not Be a Zombie on Travel

So a lot of us working girls these days have to travel, and as glamorous as it may sound to others, let's face it, it's rough. There's always that slightly unsettled feeling of being in an unfamiliar place, coupled with homesickness, that just leaves you feeling... well, yuck. I've had to travel a lot in the past few years (I'd guess in the last two years I've been away from home a total of 6 months). Don't get me wrong, it's always an adventure and I always learn something new every place I go, and sometimes it's a blast, but when the day finally rolls around when it's time to fly home, I can hardly contain my excitement. There's no joke in the saying that home is where the heart is.  :-)

Of course, one of the worst parts of traveling is the damage it wreaks on you physically!! The jet lag, the unfamiliar bed, the things in your hotel room that go bump in the night will undoubtedly result in little to no beauty sleep, at least for a few nights. This lack of sleep, in turn, wreaks havoc on your skin. The new climate does God knows what to your hair. Ahhhh!! It's a nightmare!! With all these things to fight against, it's easy to give in to the zombie that's trying to take over. But, over the last few years (and after some pretty rough experiences), I've learned a few tricks on how to battle the zombie apocalypse...

Bollywood Hair!

One thing all of us Indian chicks want, but may or may not admit to, is their desire for Bollywood heroine hair.  At some point in our lives, we have desired long, glorious, shiny locks, that blow in the wind during the applicable song of the moment.  We want Madhuri's waves, Aishwarya's layers, Katrina's straight locks, Shilpa's smoothness, Amisha's length, and Kareena's bounce.   But the problem that many of us desi girls face is frizzy, thick hair.  And lots of it.  I have met only ONE Indian girl that has stick straight and silky hair, and something is wrong with that concept.  I just stare at her hair whenever I see her because it is a huge paradox to me.  Silky, smooth hair just doesn't happen, unless we fight with blow dryers, flat irons, or even permanent reconditioning treatments (yikes!).

My personal hair idol is Anushka Sharma.  She has an amazing cut, length, and volume. And it's always styled well.  I always use a picture of hers when I get a haircut.

Exhibit A

So, how do we get there?  Well, first, we have to COMMIT.  It is so important I used all three methods of font emphasis.  Getting pretty hair is not an overnight accomplishment.  It will take months and maybe years to get there, and while we all love and expect instant results, you have to be ready to stick to this long term.  It's not hard, but it requires patience.

Snuffalupagus or Aishwarya??

One of these things is not like the other one, one of these things does not belong...

BUT they both have something in common!!

I'll give you one guess....

Anastasia Eyebrow Products

So I've always been one to say that the eyes are the best feature... after all, a smile isn't really a smile until it reaches your eyes, is it?? But what I have also discovered as of late is that your eyebrows, while not so impressive on their own, make a HUGE difference for your overall look and expressions. They say that the reason dogs are more expressive than cats (and why cats tend to look generally more psycho, as Lotus can attest to), is because dogs have eyebrows and cats don't. Interesting factoid, huh?