A Pretty Fat Chick

Hi there!

Initially, it took about two weeks to get my leggings. It was a lot longer than I had anticipated because I read on the website that Lotus Leggings is based in North Carolina. However, the website did say that State-side orders could take up to 2 weeks to arrive (possibly longer?), and the pants did arrive within the time range provided by the charts!

With that said, I did not have any correspondence with the customer service team directly, as with my order, I didn’t need anything resolved.

Some days, you're gonna look silly.

It's Tuesday. Tuesday's are class days, and I was pumped to show off my new hair and new outfit, consisting of black shorts I cut from old pants, Beetle Juice leggings, and pink/purple hair inspired by the Fall season, a job change, and Elly's beautiful teal and pink combination style.

After getting to the train station and on my way... My outfit fell apart from head to toe.

The very first thing to happen was my zipper refusing to stay up. I pulled my shirt down as much as possible but the fly gap was obvious and frankly embarrassing. As soon as I got off the train at Penn Station, I rushed to the bookstore to buy an emergency keychain to use the keyring trick to keep the zipper up... At which point, the zipper broke. I was stuck with broken pants for the day.

Devastated, I sighed, and resolved to simply be mindful of my shirt being pulled over my zipper (only after panic-texting Elly so she'd tell me that it would all be okay. She's a confidence-preservation life saver to be honest.)

I get to class, everything is fine, and I even receive several compliments from strangers about my leggings! Then it rains.

Though I've already showered and my hair has been rinsed several times, the colour is still bleeding from my hair. So when I walk from class to the local sushi shop, then to the train station, I look like a purple Elphaba is melting in the middle of the women's restroom.

By the end of the day, I am a wreck of purple skin, a broken zipper, and smeared mascara.

And you know what?

An adorable nurse running to catch her train ran up to me to tell me that she loved my hair regardless of the outfit fiasco of the day!

Adventures in Beauty School

It’s hard to believe I’m going on my third week of class!

I hated high school, but now, doing something I love, it’s not so hard. I haven’t dreamed yet of missing a day, and I know if I did I could very easily make it up and that makes me feel better. 

Today we did lashes. We mostly focused on individual lashes, which I’ve used before but not as much because I prefer to look super fake, so it was interesting watching them be put on and then getting to do them myself.

I put about 10 on one of my classmates and it was really fun, if frustrating. It really made me want to give individual lashes another try!. . .Not any time soon though. My arthritis does not agree with this kinda work on myself, though I’ve been known to pop a few short ones on my lower lashline once in a while.

Yesterday, we practiced waxing with cold wax. Our model was the biggest guy in the class, and the teacher waxed his arms up to the shoulder and part of his legs. It was really fun to watch! This picture was snapped right during the first strip was pulled. I even got to pull a strip.

Unfortunately, almost all of us girls had very short, fine hair which the cold wax didn’t pick up, so most of us practiced with the hot wax. I shave everywhere pretty regularly, sadly, so I didn’t get anything done, though I did some arms myself. 

Last but not least, my lash board! I had this idea recently to help keep things organized. I used T-pins to affix my lashes to this board and I can just grab whichever pair I want to wear before I leave. It works really well and also lets me show off my lash collection! 

A Change Of Pace

It’s been a busy two weeks, man. A busy two weeks that along the way ended with me getting candy hair.

There’s not much to say about it! I had a friend help me dye it. My hair was a blonde level 8 or so beforehand, toner with the classic Wella Color Charm T18. Many of you will remember how gold it was before, so I had to get rid of that first.

Afterwards I went in with a small brush and N Rage’s Twisted Teal and Ferocious Fuschia. I mixed in some of a The Beyond the Zone hair masque into each bowl. I left it on for roughly two hours to get the final color. It’s hairly even, though it did stain a lot on anything it got on, including my nails.

I only used about half the bottle mixed 1:1 with a 10 developer for each side, and I have super long, thick hair. 

I probably should’ve rinsed it more than I did, but I didn’t, and so far it’s caused minimal issues. Nothing worth noting other than a slight tinge on one of my shirts. The teal is the worst. I’ve been wearing a lot of purple with it though because it looks purple when both colors are mixed!

I put snail secretion on my face so that you don’t have to!

(This is the story, feel free to skip to the review marked below in bold!)

Yesterday I did a post describing my skin care routine, inspired by my best friend’s trip to Korea. It’s lead to a lot of beauty research, particularly into Korean skin care products, and I have loads of brands that I absolutely love! Of these are Innisfree, Skin Food, Laniege, Iope, Goodal, It’s Skin, The Face Shop, the list goes on. There are also lots of new ingredients I like, including aloe, honey, green tea, all of which are also found in tons of domestic products, but which I hadn’t actually tried until finding these products.

However, there are two masks I’ve found that I just couldn’t bring myself to try. The first is donkey milk, and there is no good reason that I have an aversion to this product other than that I cannot get out of my head that it will smell funny. I’m sure it’s packaged with preservatives and fragrances to keep the product fresh and also aromatic as most of the products I’ve tried are, but I can not shake the sour milk smell from my senses whenever I read the product description.

The second is any and all products of snail.

As a child, I used to collect snails in a little nature pail, name them, play with them, release them back into the wild. I even let them crawl on my hands! What I would not tolerate, however, is touching my face before I washed my hands. Fast forward twelve years later, and here I am, looking at a garden of snails products in sheet mask, mousse, and lotion form, all promising brightened and moisturized skin.

Needless to say, I was not sold, especially not after reading the ingredients which were “snail slime filtrate,” “snail secretion filtrate,” and in some cases just straight up “snail”. I opted to buy more honey masks.

Fast forward again, three days later.

I’m out of sheet masks. I hate the avocado clay mask because I don’t want to wait around for it to dry. I ask my boyfriend to take me to Sephora. I get to Sephora and the sheet masks are $6 each. I’m horrified because online, the most expensive I’ve seen them is $4, and the ones I actually buy are $2.75 each. I ask my boyfriend to take me to Ulta.

We get to Ulta, and I find the sheet masks and grab a handful of the brightening sheet masks for $4 a pop, still pricier than what I want to pay, but as good as it’s going to get. My boyfriend grabs a small tube of a peel mask and says I should try it out, because it’s around $5 and will last longer. Agreeing with him that it only makes sense, we hop into line, and just as we round the corner towards the check-out, I see it! Tonymoly sheet masks! But...

They’re snail.

These are the sheet masks I’ve been looking for, but to my horror “snail secretion filtrate” is listed as the number one ingredient in the pack. And yet, this seems like a sign. I’ve been seeing snail products everywhere online, swearing that they’re a miracle product, and here they are, in Ulta, staring at me.

So I take a breath, grab all eight that are on display, and bring them up to the register.

They’re $8 each. I leave with four.

I get home, go through the routine to put on the mask, and that’s when I try them.

(THIS IS THE REVIEW PART. IF YOU SKIPPED AHEAD, HERE YOU GO.)

The mask smells like vanilla and aloe, and it’s slimy, but all masks are. Even though logically I know it’s not actually more slimy than other masks, I can’t shake the irrational feeling that it’s extra slimy because of the snail secretion.

It takes a few minutes for me to work up the courage to actually put it on my face, but, I do. I squirm. I wait. Then I play a game of League of Legends to pass the 20~30 minutes the mask is supposed to sit.

The back of the package says that the formula is irritation-free, but despite that, my skin is pretty red when I take off the mask, and it stays red throughout the night.

The following morning, however, I have to admit, my skin is pretty soft and bright, just as the product promises. It didn’t smell weird, it didn’t feel weird (even though I got the creepy-crawlies up and down my back when I first put it on), and it wasn’t the pack of icky that I thought it would be.

With that being said, it worked just like a regular mask. There wasn’t anything phenomenal about it, and it was by no means a miracle product. It was an extraordinarily ordinary mask.

Would I buy it again? No. Would I use it again? Yes, I have three more and I’m going to use them until they’re gone. Would I recommend buying them? Sure! But I would highly recommend buying them online, where they’re significantly cheaper, but if you’re looking for a better mask to replace ones that you’re already using, I can’t say as this is an upgrade. Not a downgrade, either, mind you.

Snails, I am underwhelmed, but I am not unsatisfied.

Skin Care: The Whole Routine and Why It’s Important

Though I’ve reviewed some skin care products before, I think I’d like to take the time to go over my full skin care routine! Up until recently, I’ve only ever washed my face with cleanser and a makeup remover and figured that my problematic acne was just bad luck. (Please note that when I say bad luck, I mean that my acne is usually painful, not that it is aesthetically unacceptable.)

Then, my friend moved to Korea. My other best friend, her sister, went to visit her. And what was the number one thing she stocked up on?

Skin care products!

I remember her telling me before that her skin care routine was quite extensive, and I think I tuned it out... Partially because I was jealous of her gorgeous skin and simply thought that healthy skin was something that was entirely unachievable for me, and partly because I was afraid that if I actually tried out a full skin care routine, it wouldn’t work and I would be stuck with painful spots on my face for eternity without any solution. Surprisingly, that is a lot less scarier if you can attribute it to your own unwillingness to do something about it rather than being without options!

It was after I discovered Memebox that I decided to give a full routine a try, and though it was only four steps at the time, it worked wonders. My skin was starting to clear up in a matter of days! And so, after a few months, my routine has grown into a full process. It’s brought me a lot of confidence now that my skin looks and feels healthier, so I’d like to share it with you! This is the evening process:

Step 1: Makeup Remover (Skin Food Black Sugar Wash)

Step 2: Cleanser (Have A Orange Foam Cleanser)

Step 3+4: Exfoliation (B&Soap Feeling & Peeling)

Step 5: Toner (Laniege Toner)

Step 6: Mask (Usually a sheet mask, The Face Shop, Innisfree and XO Memebox are all brands that I’ve used)

Step 7: Eye Patch (Petitfee Gold EGF Eye & Spot Patch)

Step 8: Moisturizer (Laniege Lotion)

Step 9:  Sleeping mask (Goodal Firming Sleep Pack)

For the morning routine, I skin steps 3+4, 6, 7 and nine, and after applying the moisturizer, I apply sunscreen. (I do include step one just in case any residue from my mascara was left over from the night before!)

I’ve been doing the complete routine for about two months now, and I was able to order all of the products online with the exception of the moisturizer and toner which I bought from my local H-Mart.

Not only is my skin much clearer, smoother, and overall healthier, but my stress is down. Why? Because the process is something I find therapeutic. I feel like I’m taking extra steps to take care of myself, and treat myself, and quite simply, it makes me feel good.

This skin care routine has worked fantastically for me, and I would encourage anyone hoping to expand their skin care routine to research different products that will work well for their skin. But more importantly, I would encourage anyone to take at least fifteen minutes an evening to do something that completely reduces their stress! For me, it’s my skin care routine. For others, it could be reading, meditating, drinking a cup of tea, or even a low-stress video game. Though I attribute the increasing health of my skin largely to the wonderful ingredients in the products I use, I also attribute a lot of it to the stress-reducing factors of treating myself to something I enjoy.

Whatever stage of life you’re in, stress is most likely to creep in no matter how care-free we are. You are always worth the extra fifteen minutes to try and reduce it accordingly, because you are important. I sincerely hope this helped!

It’s Here! Wearing Halloween:

It’s finally here! Halloween is just around the corner, and stores are stocking up on all the fun things we love about the best holiday on the planet, Halloween.

I found these gems in Rite-Aid! The whole pack of four were $4.99 before tax, two shades are glow-in-the-dark, and they came with nail stickers. It’s BonitaColors, a brand I was not originally familiar with, but how could I say no to five dollars of early Halloween?

When I got home, I slapped a coat on... And got pretty much exactly what I expected.

The black polish is tar-like, and feels heavy on the nails. Meanwhile, the glow-in-the-dark polish is thin and after two coats still doesn’t rest opaquely on the nail. There is also a disappointing amount of glow-in-the-dark, reigning in at a heart sinking not-at-all. (To it’s credit, it’s been sitting under a light bulb and not the sun, so this could prove to be better at a later date.)

However, I like it.

I wouldn’t buy this brand again, but it’s the tacky Halloween gimmick marketing that I’m a total sucker for. The quality reminds me of the childhood glee I found in Claire’s nail polishes that I had when I was around ten, bringing the same kind of giddiness I associate with plastic jack-o-lanterns and rubber bats. I’m going to wear this polish through the Halloween season (which for me, is year-round with a heavy emphasis on the period of August 31st-Thanksgiving, the polish of which will cease after October 31st), and probably never again after that.

Surprise!

I’ve been quiet for a while. It happens. But I did get something done. As of today, I am a student at the University of Cosmetology Arts and Sciences in Texas. I’ll be attending part-time and intend to get my cosmo licence in 18 months! My ID won’t be finished until tomorrow, and I’ll likely add a photo of it then. I’ll also probably modify my page to include this.

For makeup, I wore a new liner I’m quite fond of in this Texas heat, which is the Milani Infinite Liquid Eye Liner (a tutorial on using this is likely upcoming because it was not easy!) and a Jeffree Star matte liquid lipstick. I topped off my eyeshadow and lips with a glitter from Sally’s.

Today in class we worked on corn rows and two-strand braiding on the scalp. I think I did pretty good for someone who can barely french braid! Coudl’ve been a neater part, of course, and the size is big to help with getting used to it..

Embracing Body Hair: The Journey

Body hair is a surprisingly touchy subject. On one extreme, you have some who think that shaving unwanted body hair is the pinnacle of maintaining modern beauty standards, and on the other, that body hair should remain untouched as one further step in the greater plot to overthrow the patriarchy. And then, of course, there’s the in-betweeners who are various degrees of “you don’t have to shave IF,” or, “you should shave, IF...”

But here’s the thing.

It doesn’t matter.

There is no “if” here. Want to shave your legs? Armpits? Chin? Go for it. Want to go hairy and majestic? Do it!

Your body has hair. You are a mammal. The person next to you is a mammal. Every human model that has ever modeled in the history of modelling is a mammal, and they all have hair, and they all have varying degrees of hairiness. To say that you have to shave, or don’t have to shave, and to create this giant debate over if, when, where, why, how you should shave is just... To be quite frank, stupid.

Please reference the picture above. I hadn’t shaved my legs in two weeks, and you know what happened? My boyfriend didn’t leave me, people didn’t fall over in the streets with disgust when I wore a skirt, children didn’t stop to weep at the indecency... And you know what happened when I shaved my legs yesterday, when it was simply too damn hot to have anything on my skin at all other than the air around me? Nothing! Photographers weren’t kneeling to take pictures of my newly, rejuvenated naked-leg beauty, my boyfriend wasn’t extra thrilled to have a pair of smooth calves walking next to his.

No one noticed, either way.

And you know what I would have done had anyone noticed, and said something about it?

Nothing!

Aquaphor uses

Almost everyone has a tube of Aquaphor. It’s just of of those things that’s always around. It’s advertised as a healing lotion but there’s tons of uses for it  besides just soothing the occasional burn.

Tattoo healing cream: This is why I originally bought it! I was recommended to use it on my tattoo during the first week of healing, and then my girlfriend at the time, who had many a tattoo, said I should just use it the whole time. I did and my tattoo didn’t have any fading during the healing and is still nice and sharp today, about nine months later! I would highly recommend Aquaphor over things like Tattoo Goo.

Makeup remover: Aquaphor is great for removing the occasional waterproof product. I almost always wear waterproof mascara and it is a pain to get off without irritating my sensitive eyes. The solution I found for this was a tube of Aquaphor. I use nail pads and put a small amount of Aquaphor on it and then rub it gently over my lashes. If it’s being stubborn, Q-tips help as well. I find it also keeps my under eyes from becoming dry, which is something traditional makeup removers did to me.

Lip balm: I never drink enough water but always want to wear matte lipstick. Anyone who has experience with chapped lips will know that those two things don’t go together. Aquaphor helps that; a layer before bed before a big day will help, but it can be used in just the typical lip balm manor: Apply a layer, let it soak while you’re doing the rest of your makeup, and then blot it off before applying the lip color of yuor choice.

Dry-spot cover: Though my skin is oily, acne means I get the occasional dry, scabby piece that will look flaky as heck if foundation is put over it, especially a heavy coverage foundation. For me, the workaround I’ve learned to this is to apply Aquaphor to the area after cleansing and moisturizer, rub it in so it’s a thin-ish layer, then rub off the excess with a cloth. Apply primer and foundation as normal. I find that the gel-like consistency and healing properties help keep the area from looking gross under foundation when combined with a good primer.

Cuticle cream: My favorite nail treatment for healing bitten nails is Healthy Hoof, but in a pinch, Aquaphor will work and is much more portable. Just rub it on as any other cream you would and it can easily heal damaged cuticles and nails bitten so far that it hurts. I also find that the texture can make it a bit of a deterrent for anxiety-driven nail biting. It’s gross enough that it helps me keep my polish in-tact.

Adding shine to makeup: A few months ago, ‘strobing’ was a trend. It’s an old concept, but an easy way to do it is using Aquaphor and dabbing it onto areas where you would add a highlight, i.e. the center of the nose, the top of the cheekbones, right above the lip. It’s fun to play around with and add an extra something to if you already have Aquaphor on hand, though other gels (like Vaseline) will also work.

Ripped Pants: Wear Them As a Shirt Edition

If you read our earlier review, you'd know that both Elly and I had some trouble with our pants tearing. I was very disappointed because I'd been waiting to buy the pants for about a month and was hyped for them to finally get here.

What was I to do when my precious elephant pants turned out to be entirely anti-fat person?

Turn them into a shirt, that's what!

After turning into the Harris Teeter to pick up the cheapest pair of scissors I could find, I got home and made the hole in the crotch seam slightly longer on each side, enough so that my head could get through. Then I pulled the pants on like a shirt, and it was marvelous!

The new bust area is really form fitting which I like, while the sleeves are super loose and make me feel totally whimsical. The new collar is tattered because it's just a cut against the crotch seam, so when I go home I may fold the collar under to make sure additional tears and loose threads don't become a problem, but honestly? I'm pretty satisfied with the way the shirt looks.

Feels Like I Am Walking On Air: YRU Qloud 2091 

Does anyone remember that Kerli song, 'Walking On Air’? These shoes are basically the personification of that.

The Qloud shoes are from a fairly popular alternative shoe brand, YRU. They’re clear platforms…With a twist! These have a removable sole, and inside, a secret hole where you can fill them with anything your sparkly butterfly heart desires.

Such a privilege doesn’t come cheap. I paid $100 for these shoes on Zooshoo during a sale, but they generally run between $140 and $200. They aren’t cheap, but  I personally believe that these shoes were most definitely worth the $150 asking price from the company website.

For materials, these shoes are a vegan leather. No animals were harmed in the making! They also offer variants in suede and smoked vinyl, though I don’t think these have the portal capabilities. This is something to watch for when looking for shoes, as while the plain clear platforms look amazing, there’s something extra unique about the gimmick!

There are additionally versions of these as sandals and ballet flats with ankle laces.  The sandal version, called Sunrize, is $100 through the YRU website, which may suit better for those on a budget.

As for actual wear, there are a few issues. The first is that it can be difficult to get used to them, because they have less 'spring’ than a typical platform would. While the bottom has a lot of traction due to a ½" thick rubber sole, they still feel more solid than others I’ve tried due to the plastic platform. They also do put some stress on your ankles. I would not recommend these for anyone who has weak ankles and must rely on them as they have less ankle support than either the sandal or ballet flat variant seem to have.

They also take a while to break in, especially since they aren’t the kind of shoes you would typically wear for a run to the store, especially since you definitely should not drive in them (I don’t need to say that, do I?) but once they’re broken in, they’re very comfortable. I generally wear a size 8 (around 24cm), and they fit me just fine in a US8, but if they are a tad tight, they will adjust to your feet within reason. 

It’s quite easy to find size charts for YRU with conversions to centimeters, so if you fear they may not fit, go ahead and measure yourself! It’s better to be safe than sorry when putting down a big hunk of money