An inky black marker type liquid liner, versus a brush on liquid grey liner…
There is no make-up look I’ve seen more worn by women than that of the ubiquitous “cat eye” makeup. It is usually done in a combination of ways, but always involves liquid liner to produce that hard edge top eyelid line that defines a graphic “cat eye” make-up. And with a flick up in the corner, any girl can instantly get daily glam without feeling too made up. When buying liquid liner, by default I always go to black, for some reason and I get it in pen style for ease of use. Liquid liners with a brush and a bottle go on too black and thick for me and for some reason and I end up looking too hard, but pens can still be really harsh if they are very dark…like the one I use now. My eyes are like daggers lined by black ink. I accept that black is the fashion… But I recently discovered that charcoal grey is a great alternative, if you like the polished elegance of the cat-eye, want to still be in vogue, but don’t want to look as stern with super black lined graphic eyes.
So the left photo is black liner and the right photo is grey liner. All other make-ups are the same. Can you spot the difference?
So as you can see with my photos, there is a only subtle difference between black and grey. But you can see how grey liner is a lot softer, and gentler, it opens up my eyes a bit more and still is a cat eye make-up. In the black liner photo, I used all the same make-ups as the grey liner photo, but with black, you can see how my eyes are more emphasized and I look harder and edgier.
So which do you prefer? Hard edgy black, or sweetly composed grey? These days I’ve been going for charcoal grey liner since I find that sometimes, less darkness on the face can actually be appealing, and maybe even more youthful. Try it out and let me know what you think. Make-up and being a girl is all about the details and small things!
I grew up as a girl, so it was hard to avoid seeing all the fads diets, the pills, plans, everything marketed at women to buy into and believe some product that would make you slimmer. The problem with big business using vanity to dupe us and get an extra buck has always been there. It seems to be a way for companies to grab the last dollar you have at the bottom of your messy purse…As if life wasn’t hard enough with everything to juggle, but we also have to constantly weed out false marketing scams and claims of companies bent on taking advantage of the situation. What a hard sell! But I know we’ve all fallen at least once for any of these product claims. Wouldn’t it be great to find something that really works, is healthy, simple and DIY?
So recently I concocted something I believe to be the real deal. All natural, detoxifying and healthy. I’ve made an awesome tea drink with simple ingredients that can fight the bodily malfunctions that add short term gain to the frame. Things such as water retention, bloating, gas. These are huge factors in the difference between having a slim pretty day, and a bloated chubby day. And I will share this recipe with you, because, you know…we’re friends! 🙂 Best thing of all? It’s caffeine free!
It looks kind of murky, like pond water; it is greenish brown in colour! It tastes kinda bitter and spicy, but it works!
Recipe for my “Slim Down Tea”
1/4 cup of finely sliced ginger root (fresh)
2 bags of herbal dandelion leaf tea (find it at health food stores)
1.5 liters of fresh cold water
Start to boil the water in a a small/medium sauce pan
Slice up a knob of ginger finely. I like to do 1″ long thin slivers of ginger because I think the ginger really releases all its magic into the tea when it is cut finely.
Place the sliced ginger into already turned on pot of water…wait for it to reach rapid boil, then lower the heat to a gentle, but rolling simmer.
Simmer the ginger for 15-20 min. Any longer and it gets kind of bitter and burned, too soon and you don’t have the ginger spiciness in it.
Turn off the heat. Drop the bags of dandelion leaf tea into it, and cover the pot with a lid, while steeping everything for another 30 mins.
Remove tea bags and strain the tea with a spoon while pouring into a pitcher. Refrigerate and enjoy for up to 1-3 days!
Why does this concoction work? The reason is because ginger is a soothing cure all to stomach pains and digestion problems. It can also control bloating to a minimum. It is also super good for you! Antioxidants! Dandelion leaf is a natural diuretic and aids in helping your body shed excess water, discouraging water retention and also providing potassium, a mineral which many people lack day to day. Put these two plant powers together and your stomach and body will be thanking you, and you will feel a difference. I like to take this tea cold, in the afternoon to evening…and also all day before any big event! What tricks do you pull to give you an extra edge against feeling pudgy?
Yummy! I have a tendency to retain water like crazy, but little tricks help me.
This was my first summer as a single girl in about 5 years, can you imagine? I have been in a long term relationship since then that ended early this year in the spring, and I have never looked back. Not even once. How is it that I have found so much comfort in being on my own, when the whole world seems to be looking for relationships and romance? I don’t know, but the reality of it is…a relationship is a lot of work! As women, we put so much into dating and our boyfriends, and when we think about it, how productive would we be if we were single, spent our time on ourselves, our work and career, our family and friends? We could finally be the “super” women that is expected of us–to be everything and more.
I recently saw the movie “View from the Top” again, as it was playing TV, and I remembered why I liked it. It was on the W Network, which is notorious for showcasing sappy rom coms that bombed with critics and viewers alike. And the movie “View from the Top”, from 2003, was no exception. It was a critical flop, but I actually really loved this movie many reasons: It talked about beauty, ambition–it was about a woman’s journey for love and career, and it was also pretty funny (Mike Myers was in it). Donna Jenkins (Gwyneth Paltrow) is a woman with a mission to become a flight attendant, but not just any flight attendant, but to be the best. She has to choose between the man who loves her and her career destiny, and is back stabbed by her girl friend along the way, hence an over the top cat fight scene with Christina Applegate. Loved it. So much fun. (**spoilers of the movie ahead, beware…)
I like the retro glam of this movie…as it seems to make reference to the hey days of flying…
Reasons why “View from the Top” was not a turkey: (*spoilers)
It is about following your dreams. Whatever they might be. Donna wanted to be a flight attendant, and loved the glamour and worldly prestige it gave her: to be elegant, classy and well-traveled, which seemed to be the antidote of her upbringing in a trailer park in a no-where town. Even if you have no desire to be a flight attendant, it is a metaphor to go for your dreams whatever they may be…and to be ambitious about it.
A great scene from the movie with her gal pals as they try to get out of their small town beginnings…
Donna put her career before her man. Here she was, with Ted (Mark Ruffalo) telling her he was in love with her, and to stay with him in Cleveland, but she chose to go to Paris, as a first class flight attendant, because she believed it was her true calling. She put her needs first.
Mark Ruffalo before being the Hulk. Just the perfect boyfriend to tempt a gal to lose sight of her goals!
After realizing she made a mistake, Donna takes responsibility for it and fixes it. When Donna realized she loved Ted back and had proven to herself she could be the top at what she does, only then does she go back to Ted in Cleveland, and tells him she wants to be with him. It proves she is on her own journey, and not on his.
When Donna finally makes it! love the perfect make-up and hair. Gone were her tacky trailer park ways.
Paltrow gives a great performance on the eternal struggle of beauty vs brains vs ambition and is always super pretty, whether in her hicktown get ups, or in her evolution to classy Parisian lady. Fashion and make-up wise, what more can you ask for?
Go girl, you classy fashionista! What a gorgeous departure from how she used to look. What a make-over!
But back to my own thoughts of my summer on my own: I’ve loved it. I’ve launched my company selling online cosmetics with natural ingredients: dreamecosmetics.com, spent quality time with friends and family, and have just realized how nice it is to not have a boyfriend. To be my own person, trying to make a living, and trying to live in this world. 🙂 I am not saying that “View from the Top” was negative for making Donna need to be with Ted in conclusion (as so many people had complained). I respect all choices of women, but boy am I glad to be on my own and aiming for the top, with no regrets or desire to settle any time soon.
