Don't Buy Sucky Products

I bought something at Sephora for the first time a few weeks ago with a gift card from Christmas. And it's kind of awesome because as expensive as their stuff is, you can try all of it for free. I know drugstore stuff is cheaper, but if you buy the wrong things and can't return them after trying them, you might spend the same amount of money trying to find good stuff. The drugstore has great stuff, but it's really tricky. I needed a new foundation after running out of Almay's TLC one (which is okay, and in February it's color is totally wrong for me but I didn't care) and was in search of a new one. I didn't see the need to buy fancy foundation, so I researched a little and hear that Maybelline Dream Matte mousse worked well for oily people like myself. So I got it in the second lightest shade because I'm pale in the winter...

And this stuff is gross and completely the wrong color and still makes me oily and broke me out and doesn't blend well at all. Do not buy this. I wasted $10 on this junk.

The Revlon Colorstay is working out really well as its replacement. I bought the lightest shade for oily skin (I was kind of bummed I was the lightest shade--skin vanity!). It smells not so great, but the color is right for me and it feels so much better on the skin. We'll see how long it lasts at my formal tonight!

Failsauce.

So, since I'm home for the month, I thought I'd break out my sewing projects that I'd started and never finished. So I took out my Butterick 5250 that I'd cut the basic pieces out of already and got started on it once again. Now I know why I never finished it.

It's a quick pattern to sew up--it'd prolly have only took part of the day to sew all the pieces together--but I'll never finish those pants. I gave up on them an hour ago. They win the award for most disgusting fit ever. Maybe it's my body that is so out of proportion, but that crotch is ungodly. The zipped fly went in easily for my first time taking a crack at it, and the waist portion might have actually fit quite well if I'd have finished the other side of the jeans, but there was nothing that could help that poor crotch. It was like down at my knees, and there's not a lot to help a saggy crotch because there's no fabric other than the seam allowance to lift it up! I know I'm rather petite and all, but no one would look good in those jeans.

EWEWEWEWEW

 

So I abandoned them. And I will not touch them again until I dismantle them and make them into a rag rug or something.

Note to self: make sure any chosen pant pattern has a crotch that will not make people confused about your gender.

Father, I Have Sinned

I'm addicted.
Absoluetly Hooked!
What the heck am I raving about? Sinful Colors nail polish, only at Walgreens. The color quality is insane, it's incredibly long lasting, and the names of the colors make me smile? Would you like some Mint Apple or Big Daddy, ma'am? I have bought at least 10 bottles in the past month. Everything else is out the window.
But wait! You get all of this wonderful product for $1.99!! It's an incredible value and I cannot speak enough about it.

By the way, I am wearing Sinful Colors on my nails here, in Blackest Black and All About You. Black with gold glitter for last night's football game! Go Panthers!

White Girl Fro, Yo.

Hey all. This week is absolutely insane, I'm at school for NHS and marching band basically all day, and I needed something to relax after I got home...

I have my chamomile tea, a hot shower, and this:

Organic Root Stimulator Hair Mayonnaise.

I've heard rave reviews about how soft it makes your hair (always my problem) and it seemed like a nice way to chill. Off to Walgreens I went, bought some and some of my new favorite nail polish (I'll post a ton about this brand. It's absolutely amazing) and went home.

I don't exactly fit with the normal clientele of this brand, i.e. I ain't black, but my mom always jokes that I have black girl hair. If I'm swimming or it's windy, I'll get all the hairs shooting straight up; that's the white girl fro. And it needs all the moisture it can find, and it is really curly. So, that leads me to the reason for purchasing it. 

Now it's up in my hair right this second, and the kinda minty smell is a great alternative to actual mayo. Real mayonnaise makes your hair silky smooth, but the smell is volatile. We'll see. White girl say what?

Red Like Regina

So basically, my orthodontist is a jerk. He never stands behind his work.

So I stopped at CVS on the way home to calm down, and I bought two of these:

These are Revlon Just Bitten lip stains. Mine are in "Flame" and "Twilight"...they're totally playing up the vampire mania, but hey, that seems to be working. I had a Covergirl lip stain in some pinkish shade...It was awesome how non goopey it was, but it wasn't that great of a shade and it does dry out your lips. These do too, but come with a lip balm on the other end. They're quite useful.

When this says stain, it means stain. The colors are incredibly pigmented, very dark, but if they're anything like my other one, the colors will be a little more subdued after a few uses. I really like them though. I think this one was "Flame." It's bright red, almost pink.

They make my green eyes pop with just a little bit of mascara, and it makes me look more like Regina Spektor. My cousin says I look like her anyway...what do you think?

My All-Important Opinion: BurdaStyle 12/09 and 01/10

The Burda Review: December 2009, January 2010

Ah, the beginning of an age: my very first sewing magazine was sent to me for free (!) thanks to those nice Germans across the pond. It came in the mail, and in my hands I felt such power--so many patterns in one little package! It was seemingly impossible; I was probably drooling. Though my excitement was a tad overboard, the 12/09 issue didn't completely disappoint.

Some of the "party" clothing was a bit, how do you say, raunchy? Hoochie? Stuff that you haven't seen in ten years, and even then was on someone of "questionable" taste? Yeah, there was some of that. For example, Exhibit A:But for the most part the other stuff was just "not my style" if I didn't like it. There was one that was quite pleasing, the 106. It's in petite sizes [rawr!] but I'm sure I could figure out how to finagle it. It's just too good: the one-shouldered goodness is too much!

This one was cool, but wearable? Unlikely.

I need this cardigan. So badly. I have a cozy sweater knit picked out and everything! So simple yet so...usable! (It's the 119)I dunno, this jacket is really cool. The length would be awkward on me but I don't really care. It's still cool! You'd have to be a top stitching god to get it perfect though. (Burda 111)
And so, I was eager to see the next issue, and it just so happens I got a year subscription as a Christmas present! Heck to the yes.

The whole white on white thing was weird, and you couldn't see like ANY of the clothing, but I really liked this dress (103).

Ah, then we leave Miss All White with blonde wig-looking hair and instead follow the newsgirl reporter in her fab, home-sewn olive/black wardrobe. This shirt (113B) looks super low (!!) but the mix of jersey and poplin is so clever. Of course, I'd change it to poplin and satin, but no matter. It says "Hello, I'm a German model-gone-news reporter who does indeed sew her own clothes!"

I don't care how tall or skinny you are: these pants probably look good on .01% of the population. Ankle length: impossible! Pleats: unnatural! WHY then, do I still find them attractive? I must love this color far, far too much (It's the 106C). Obviously I don't have corporate meetings with my student body of guys who wear their pants at their ankles and girls in the land of the yoga pant (though I do adore yoga pants, I feel so conformist), I think that this blouse, the 121, is awesome. The collar, French cuffs, really spiffy in a stripe, too (I'm jealous of their fabric choice!).

Plus Size gets all the fun! Look--how adorable is this girl?! Freakin' adorable, that's how much. Any size would be freakin' freakin' adorable if they had this top. Seriously.

It seemed Burda 01/10 could do no wrong, but then I realized they hired the Crafty-DIY-Demon-From-Hell. He or she can take perfectly classy items and incinerate everything they stand for with just a snip here or there. I give you....the horror!

Letter to the photo editor: please attempt to choose flattering pictures of children when they are smiling without balloon strings in their faces, even though no child would look happy in that costume. Thanks ever so much.

Ohh, this was so much fun! I'm sure to do more soon.