Week 31: Inspired by the Supernatural

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I recently watched the Guillermo Del Toro movie Mama. Once I stopped trying to hide my face in my dog’s tummy, I noticed that all the movies that creep me out most feature big-eyed waify pale ghosts with lots of wild dark hair. That’s a trope used so often it’s cliche now, but never fails to freak me out. I used to train martial arts, and sometimes worked with a skinny girl with long, dark hair that she used to let just hang over her face. Because I outranked her, she had to line up behind me, and although she was really a sweet young woman, I would catch her out of the corner of my eye and get creeped out, especially since I had recently watched The Ring. Poor kid.

Omg get a scrunchie!

Ole Henriksen: Truth Is In The Eyes

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Photo courtesy of Sephora’s website.

The only feature I like about my face is my eyes, but they’re marred by these deep purple circles under them. Several things put those circles there.

  • Genetics: my mom and sister have them too. Mom’s developed into serious bags as she got older, but she had them surgically removed and looks freaking amazing. No one would ever guess she’s in her seventies.
  • Allergies: I have seasonal, dust, mold, and probably other allergies, but the worst for me is that I’m allergic to animals. All animals, including my own dog. I decided I’d rather have a dog than be able to breathe. 🙂 My system adapts to him over time, but I still suffer some effects, especially when he gets wet or licks my face (so, like, every day).
  • Lack of sleep: I get four hours of sleep on a good night. I have so many issues here, I can’t even go into them all.

So one day, I noticed how awful I looked, and started my hunt for chemical help. Serums are expensive, so I needed to explore in the mid-range — I knew drugstore brands just weren’t going to be powerful enough to do the job. After some research online and in stores, I decided to try Ole Henriksen’s Truth is in the Eyes serum.

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Day two of my new regimen
Makeup: Loreal True Match in Natural Ivory
Liner: Stila Smudge Stick in Lionfish
Shadow: Stila In the Know palette (desert and earth)
Cheeks: NARS Orgasm
Mascara: No.7 in brown-black
Hair: a hot mess

Ugh, look at those bags! The darkness, the crepey texture! I look ten years older than I am, I think. I started applying Truth is in the Eyes twice a day: once in the morning under all my makeup, and once after I got home from work and washed all the makeup off my face. I’m still experimenting with eye creams on top of it for extra moisture to get rid of those crepe lines, but I think I used Algenist for the past week. I also tried yellow concealer under my eyes and went on a search for full coverage foundation. I’m still working on that.

One full week later, I snapped another picture and sent it to Becca for an independent opinion, and she says there’s a huge difference. What do you think?

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Day nine of my new regimen
Makeup: Revlon Colorstay in Sand Beige
Liner: Julep Kajal in black
Shadow: Stila In the Know palette (ebony); Cover Girl Flamed Out Shadow Pot in Red Hot
Cheeks: NARS Orgasm
Lips: BITE fig and NARS Turkish Delight
Mascara: Elizabeth Mott in black
Hair: still a hot mess

Ole Henriksen Truth is in the Eyes retails for $42 at Sephora.

Week 27: Autumn

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Autumn is my favorite season. I’m lucky to live in New England, where the changing foliage is stunning and dramatic. Even on my daily commute to and from work over the last few weeks, I’ve noticed the previously green trees turning gorgeous shades of yellow, orange, red, and russet. I love the crisp bite to the morning air. Apples are my favorite fruit, caramel my favorite candy, and Halloween my favorite holiday. And the fall collections of nail polish are some of my favorite colors!

Click here to see more pics!

Week 26: Jessica Lange

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So Becca and I are big fans of American Horror Story. Each season tells a new tale of creepiness and woe, with some actors re-appearing in new incarnations. One of the major stars is Jessica Lange, an award-winning film and TV actress whose perfect portrayal of the selfish and murderous neighbor in season one, Murder House, won her an Emmy and made the show a must-see. In season two, Asylum, she held the plot together as a nun with a tragic incident in her past, trying to hold onto her sanity on a lunatic ward. With season three, Coven, starting in a couple of weeks, we decided to pay tribute to the actress who makes AHS unforgettable.

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Week 25: Camouflage

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Ok, so trying to get back on track with my posts, here’s my themed mani from a few weeks ago. I am really, really bad at camouflage, which seems strange since it’s just squiggly, random lines, but there you go. Ugh. I must have spent about four hours trying to get this right, including dying time. Bleh. After this, I went out and bought a nail wheel for practice. 😀

Click here to see better pics!