Lippie Layering Madness

I don't know how many people I have consulted (whined to) about this, but I have been on a mission for years. The goal: to find a lippie that makes my lips look like all those models/actresses/etc. in magazines in the early-to-mid 90's. That brown/pink with the barest bit of shimmer, almost natural, not quite nude or MLBB ("my lips but better"), but something just beyond that.

I've mentioned my "color issues" here before - not only am I color-blind/weak, but my skin tone is surprisingly tricky. I'm a Little Brown Gal (sans grass skirt, shack, island wonderland locale): brown hair, brown eyes, and brown skin - though the skin is a much paler version this most recent decade, since I started freaking out about skin cancer and my crazy dark childhood tans. But I'm cool toned. Also, my lips are slightly pigmented - enough that if I didn't have an inherent desire for darker colors, I could throw on clear chapstick or gloss and look just fine. These things - plus scarring along the edge of my lower lip that limits formulation possibilities - make it ridiculously difficult to find exactly what I'm looking for.

But I have! Well, assuming what looks delicious tonight holds up in daylight, anyway.

I recently re-embarked upon my mission. My first stop was MUA; more specifically, the makeup board and then productville. I also consulted my good buddy Marta, who is as OCD about cosmetics as I am. After this, I headed on over to ebay. I hate paying retail.

Some of the lippies arrived yesterday, and I have a winning combo! I bought MAC's Viva Glam V (VGV), thinking it might potentially be a winner all on its own. The pink is great, and the pearly shimmer is dead on, but overall it's too pale. Also arriving was MAC's Slimshine lipstick in Funshine. I bought that knowing it would be horrendous on its own - too pale, too peachy - but figuring that it might be just what I needed if I had to break down and layer. And I did.

My go-to lippie for layering is MAC Slimshine in Prudeaux. It applies too unevenly and a tad too dark on its own, but it is glorious over my HG, Lorac's Gloss Stick in Sheer Berry. Once it was clear that neither new lippie would work as a stand-alone, I first tried applying Prudeaux and topping it with Funshine. Total bust. I got that tacky "dark lip liner with pale lipstick" look. I reversed the application order (Prudeaux over Funshine), and it was gorgeous! So I decided to try layering Prudeaux over VGV and it was almost exactly what I wanted! To the point where I emailed Marta and told her I had a winner.

But I can never leave well enough alone. My brain kept going, and a few hours later, I decided to try VGV + Prudeaux + a swipe of Funshine. Perfection! VGV gives the pink and shimmer, Prudeax gives the red/brown, and Funshine adds that suggestion of gold without actually being gold that pulls it all together!

Of course, I still dream of a single lippie that does all this in one tube. But I don't have to find that lippie, at least for the time being (*knock on wood*)!

This, plus my recent HG mascara discovery, means I'm free from cosmetics obsessions for at least the next few months! Maybe I'll go back to Weight Watchers?

The New Romance

I'll admit it with no shame: I am a voracious reader of romance novels. More specifically, historical romance novels. Ye Olde Bodice Rippers, if you will. I love reading about the falling-in-love process, especially when the author is good and there are believable roadblocks to make the story more enjoyable. And I won't lie - the sex is frequently quite awesome!

But, apparently, a new era has been ushered in! Echoing the timeless "lord falling for the governess" and "Duke enchanted by a bluestocking nobody", we now have the digital age paradigm: "Blogger falls for a commenter".

The meeting of minds was made first - a new order in and of itself - in that he found her blog and decided to follow it and comment regularly. He made several overtures, the main one being a date invitation including his Social Security Number so that she could check him out and feel safe. The date occurred, but she still held herself aloof. He persisted, and eventually they came together and embarked on an actual relationship. There was much back-and-forth on the blog, and numerous hints were dropped. In the end, the revelation was that he proposed and she accepted!

Maybe not the most whirlwind and epic love story, but definitely one for this age! I couldn't be happier for them.

And for those reading further, here is the blog post breaking down the NYT story as it actually was on her blog:

http://althouse.blogspot.com/2009/04/let-me-supply-missing-links-for-that.html

All the best, you two!

Seth Rogen: die in a fire.

As an actor, you have been blessed to be included in some truly fucking hilarious movies. I have no notion as to how much of that is your own doing, how much credit belongs to Judd Apatow, and how much is blind luck. I have been amused by you, emotionally drawn in by you, and - yes - even a little bit attracted to you.

But making fun of eating disorders? NOT cool. Do NOT play like your recent weight loss is due to bulimia (you're a fucking actor - your JOB is to mold your body to the next role), and do not make jokes about being thin with messed up teeth.

You should be ashamed of yourself, and you owe a gigantic apology to the millions of people out there with eating disorders. Yes, myself included. I may be self-serving, but I'm not making a buck off of mocking the horrific emotional pain of others. Bulimia is NOT a joke, and it is NOT a freaking punch line. It is a painful daily struggle, one that many do not come back from.

And Jon? Laughing and playing along? I expected better. My heart is hurting tonight, and I hope someday the two of you realize what asses you were. Though not at the expense of you or anyone you know or care about. Unlike you jackasses, I know the cost of an eating disorder, and I wouldn't wish it on anyone. Not even someone you know, a stranger to me, in order to teach you a lesson.