Searching for a dupe

I love the movie The Breakfast Club. I have seen it many times. And every single time I do, at the end, when they do a close up of Claire's (aka Molly Ringwald) hands, I think "boy, I really love her nail polish."

So although I own a whole rainbow collection of polishes, every once in awhile, namely whenever I watch the movie, or it comes up in a conversation,  I think "I wish I owned Claire's polish."  (Also - who the hell gives away diamond earrings like that?! I might be slightly obsessed with those too.)

I actually saw the movie on TV a few weeks ago, and once again became fixated. It just looks like such a nice lady-like shade, flattering, and not too pink. (I'm really not a big fan of pink.) I thought, now is the time: I need to start actively looking for this polish.

Although what was used in the film was probably some Wet N Wild polish discontinued in 1987 or something, whenever I have actively tried to look, I have never come across what looks like a dupe. It's not something I look for every time I'm buying polish or anything, but it is something I become fixated with every now and again - always without success. Whenever I find something, it's either too sheer, too frosted, too pink, too mauve...basically, NOT the right thing.

So after having seen the movie twice in the span of a few weeks, I had the polish on the back of my mind, and coincidentally Zoya, one of my favorite polish brands, had a promotion a few weeks back that involved getting free things, and they had this one new polish, called Brigitte, that looked very promising, in terms of being that long searched for dupe. So I ordered it, along with a few others. Unfortunately, although a perfectly lovely shade, it turned out to be not quite what I was looking for - too mauve, not pink enough. So here I was, once again fixated, with no success.

BUT THEN - on a random trip to the drugstore on Friday to buy other things, I decided to look for something that might match. And I came across an Essie polish called Eternal Optimist. I think I have FINALLY added a polish to the collection that I think may come close to duping this shade I have never owned, and have had my eye on for over 20 years.

Now all I need is a pink shirt, brown pencil skirt and brown boots, and I can finally dress up like Claire for Halloween. (But I'm keeping both of my "diamond" earrings.) 

Family courier

Every time I announce a visit to my parents, I will get one or more lists of "encargos" - basically a wish list of things they want to bring with me. I live in the US and they don't, so they always want me to bring things that are hard for them to find, or ridiculously expensive if available. Over the years, that list has included a hodgepodge of items - from QTips to foot powder, kitchen gadgets, foods, clothes, water filtration systems, and very memorably, a pair of men's size 14 camouflage rain boots (memorable both because they were huge and ultimately never worn, and because when customs officials took a look at them and a matching jacket in my bag, warily and suspiciously asked if I was in the military.)

Sometimes the list of items is so long I have to bring 2 suitcases where I would normally take one. My father is a tall guy, and I've often been tasked with taking him clothes to refresh his wardrobe, since finding clothes his size can be a challenge. Let me tell you, 2 pairs of shoes for my father is basically a full suitcase. Throw in a few shirts and pants, and I definitely have to put anything I plan on wearing during my visit in a separate bag.

This past weekend I had to go shopping for the last few things on the latest wish list, and I was struck by how random the things I had to take with me was: basket-style coffee filters, men's underwear, a specific multivitamin, poultry seasoning, a DVD of a TV show's latest season, and a stand mixer bowl. Thankfully, the list is relatively short this time because family was just in the US visiting about a month ago.

Anyone who has family who lives in a different country knows all about having to serve as a mule -  I'm sorry, let's say courier instead. (Although don't couriers get paid for their services?) It's a fact of life when you have family living in different countries - you long for items that are hard to get.

My favorite courier story was actually the time I naively offered to make the wedding cake for one of my cousins. She was basically having a destination wedding, and thought the expense of a cake was ridiculous, so I offered to make one - you can't not have cake at a wedding!  She took me up on my offer - so I basically had to pack a mixer, bowls, pans, various kitchen gadgets and quite a few of the ingredients in my suitcase, then start panicking about how the hell I was going to do it. Many of us were all staying in the same apartment, and I remember everyone laughed when I opened my suitcase, since it was basically a change of clothes, baking supplies, and makeup. (I ended up serving as the bride's makeup artist too. I loved that part.) Thankfully, my uncle served as the other courier for this cake, since he hand carried some beautiful sugar flowers that really made my simple cake look somewhat matrimonial. The bride and groom liked the cake, so the combined efforts of two couriers coming from two different countries was a success.

The courier stories I remember less fondly usually involve non family members. Anyone else get saddled with a duffel bag full of letters from a group of American nuns living abroad that they requested you transport and mail from the 'states? Have you had to go on wild goose chases to 2 different states to track down that one extra special cake mold someone just had to have, and would be heartbroken if you couldn't find it? (You're a good courier, so you did in fact eventually find it.) No? Just me?

I'm with my family now, and I know they always appreciate my efforts as a courier, so it makes it all worth it when they give me a hug and say thanks.

Unless they are late picking me up from the airport. ;-)

Clear eyes, full hearts, can't lose

This is my first post of 2014, so let me wish everyone a happy new year!

The past two years I gave myself the goal of seeing 52 new movies over the course of the year, which is all well and dandy until you start getting towards the end of the year, and time is running out, so you end up watching crap you originally had zero interest in seeing. So this year, I have given myself a new goal. I will still watch movies, because I love them. I will try to get through the backlog of hundreds of movies currently in my Netflix queue. But for the once a week average yearly goal, I'm going to try to be better about posting on this blog. So I've given myself the goal of posting something at least once a week. I enjoy talking about and sharing things I love, so let me sit down and actually write about them.

For this first post of the year, I've decided to write about my love of the TV show, Friday Night Lights. Maybe it's because I keep seeing commercials for Devil's Due, starring FNL alumnus Zach Gilford (a movie I probably won't see, because horror is not in my wheelhouse), maybe it's because several of the movies I enjoyed last year starred or featured FNL alumni (Fruitvale Station, The Spectacular Now, The To Do List), maybe it's just because I came across some FNL posts on Tumblr. Whatever the reason, I hope that if you're reading this, you end up giving the show a chance. Or sharing what you love about it.

Friday Night Lights is one of my favorite television shows of all time. I own every season on DVD, often decide to do mini marathon viewing sessions, and will probably continue to refer to the actors from that show as their character names for years to come. I want to marry a man like Coach Taylor. I aspire to be as awesome as Tami Taylor, what with the constant great hair days and the fabulous advice (we already have a love of wine in common.) And Matt Saracen still breaks my heart.

It is a great mystery to me why so few of my friends have listened to me when I have recommended/pleaded/insisted they watch the show because it is awesome. I have to admit I was a bit slow to warm up to the show myself - I didn't tune in from week one. I thought it was a show about football, and that did not sound appealing to me, at all. (I'm not much into sports.) But a lot of the TV writers I love kept going on and on about how great it was, and somewhere in season one, I caught a mini marathon of the first couple of episodes. And from the first episode I watched, Matt Saracen broke my heart, and the Taylors warmed it, and....um, I had to IMDB Tim Riggins because he stirred up some possibly inappropriate feelings....and phew, Taylor Kitsch (the actor who portrays that character) is well within the +/-10 age window. I quickly grew to care for these characters - as well as Smash, Landry, Tyra, Jason, and the rest. The show was about various people living in a small town in Texas, it just so happened that football was what brought them together.

Perhaps what I love most about the show, and there is much about it I love, is that the relationships felt real. The Taylors seemed like a real couple who argued and made mistakes but also loved and supported each other. Actions had consequences. Yes, championships were won - but games were also lost. The relationships on the show, like in real life, had ups and downs - they were lovely and messy. Season two had a big miss with a plot that felt like it belonged on a daytime soap instead of this fabulous show, but it also had some gems. Like a the scene between Tami Taylor and her older daughter Julie, where they have a talk after Julie's parents have discovered that she is having sex with her boyfriend - Matt Saracen, the boy who breaks my heart. It's a lovely little scene in which Tami gives a speech I wish every teen girl heard from her mother.

Anyway - if you haven't watched the show, I recommend it. You can watch all five seasons (4 of which are shorter, cable-style seasons) on Netflix. They are also airing the show on some sport channel I came across one day on accident, but I don't know which one. One of the ESPNs? NBCSports? Not sure...I don't have that cluster of channels memorized. (As I mentioned, I'm not into sports.)  And if you do, let me know if Matt Saracen breaks your heart too. 

A Year in Movies: 2013 edition

Much like I did in 2012, this year I gave myself the goal of seeing 52 new movies released in the U.S. in the current calendar year. Thanks to the fact that movies get released on DVD and VOD much faster these days, I did do a better job of staying on track this year - I even wrote about some of my favorites a few months ago.

When it came down to it though, I once again cut it close to the deadline in terms of reaching my goal, and became less discerning in my selections in order to ensure I reached my objective. Honestly, I found it hard to keep up with new movies as well as TV shows and book reading and web shows and hanging out having quality time with other human beings. (And unfortunately, I don't get paid to watch movies, so my job took up some valuable time as well.) Let me say completing my goal would have been much, much easier if I had allowed myself to count cable movies, thanks to my compulsion to watch horrible holiday movies every year. Plus, I could count Behind the Candelabra as one of my favs. But despite that handicap, I did it! And before the December 31st deadline! I even went OVER, movie marathoning two weekends here at the end.

Below is a summary of the 2013 movies I have seen up to this point, sorted alphabetically (although I did a simple computer sort so all the movies that start with "the" are clumped together) and a short summary of my impression on each. (A review of each would make this post even longer - so if I mention a movie you've never heard of, I encourage you to look up to learn more. I also linked to the trailers of several.) My favorites are in bold.

Responsible consumerism

I try to be a responsible, ethical consumer. I love a good bargain as much as the next person, but I also look at the label to see where things are made. I buy fair trade coffee and chocolate, free range meats, organic fruits and vegetables, never buy tuna without the dolphin safe label. I both recycle and buy products made from recycled products. I shop at my local farmer's market.

Look, I could definitely do a lot better, but I do try. It's probably a safe bet that some of my clothes were made in factories I would find appalling, and that children picked some of the vegetables I eat. But as much as possible, I try to support companies that pay fair wages and are sustainable and generally don't make me feel like I'm supporting Dickensian villains.

As a makeup and beauty product junkie, for as long as I can remember, I've tried to make sure to look for the "not tested on animals" label on products. I have avoided buying anything from a specific department-store brand of cosmetics for decades because I heard back in the early 90s that they were one of the few high-end brands that still tested on animals. According to a list from PETA, they're still doing it.  But here's where my world was rocked a bit ago - although a company can claim they don't test on animals, if their products are sold in China, chances are the products have been smeared on some poor bunny. The sticking point here is that the Chinese government reserves the right to conduct animal testing with cosmetic products before the products are approved for use by Chinese citizens. So basically, any cosmetics brand that sells in China has probably been tested on animals.

So what to do as someone who tries to be a responsible consumer? Well, you start doing a little research on what companies not only claim not to test on animals themselves, but also don't sell in China, so their products aren't tested on animals by others, or get their ingredients from companies that might test on animals. And then you get depressed, because the list of cosmetics companies that sell products that have been tested on animals includes most of the brands you can easily find at drugstores and quite a few high end favorites too.

Thankfully, there are a few that don't. Here's a list of drugstore brands I use regularly, and plan to use exclusively from now on:

• e.l.f. - the brand as a whole can be pretty hit or miss, but they have some good stuff that is very affordable. I like their Studio blushes, mineral lipsticks, and baked eyeshadows. I'm also quite a fan of their makeup wipes, which I buy in bulk when they are sale. I stay away from their mascaras though: for me, a total miss.
• Physician's Formula -kind of pricey for drugstore brand, but I really like a couple of their concealers, their blushes, and their powders in general. They also make a mascara I really like.
• Jesse's Girl their liquid eyeliner pen is awesome. Haven't tried anything else really, but that one thing is very good.
• Jane - I remember this brand from years ago, and it's back. I think they're sold exclusively at Ulta and online now. They make some great eyeliners. I had heard good things about their concealer too, but the lightest shade I could find, "light", was much too dark for my pale face.
• NYX - makers of some of my favorite lip products and blushes, and pretty good eyeliners too. I've listed them in some of my favorites posts. Love that they can be found in more stores now.
• Wet N Wild - makers of some of my favorite drugstore eyeshadows, and some good blushes too. 
• Milani/Jordana - although they aren't included in PETA's list, I did some digging because these two (separate lines owned by the same company) make some of my favorite affordable makeup products. They don't test on animals nor do they sell in China. 

Things get harder when it comes to skin care. I guess there is a reason I don't really buy lotions or cleansers from the drugstore anymore. Thankfully my beloved (and very inexpensive) Queen Helene Mint Julep Masque in on the good list.

Anyway, thought I'd share what I've discovered, in case you too are interested in making a change to your consumer habits, and shop from the nice list instead of the naughty one. Feel free to research the brands you currently use, and perhaps get a bit depressed, like I did. Maybe we can all make a New Year's resolution to be more mindful of our consumer habits.

Favorite budget beauty: 2013 edition

I haven't expressed my love of makeup products in written form in awhile, so I thought I'd do a short post on some of my favorite budget-friendly beauty finds of 2013. I have put myself back in the no-buy zone, so I'm hoping that by looking at my current stash and writing about it, it will help curb the junkie cravings to go get more. Also, I'm focusing on drugstore brand products honestly because my favorite higher-end finds of 2013 were limited edition and are no longer available except probably at even more jacked-up prices online. And why tease like that?

Of the following list, some are products that were new releases this year, some were just products I "discovered" thanks to sales and/or recommendations from other blogs. All have gotten plenty of love and use from me. I think all would make nice stocking stuffers for others, or an inexpensive beauty gift for yourself.

I challenge these titles

As I write this, it is currently Banned Books Week in the U.S. Banned Books Week is the national book community's annual celebration of the freedom to read. Libraries and bookstores around the U.S. draw attention to the problem of censorship by hosting a variety of events during this week.

Going through the list of most challenged books, it's fascinating (well, it is to me at least) to see so many books that I love, so many books that are classic works. I usually try to "celebrate" by reading one book that has been on the list of most challenged titles. In 2012, that list included a personal favorite, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie, and one that I thought was total crap but is a best-selling phenomenon, Fifty Shades of Grey by E. L. James. The reasons for challenging the latter title were offensive language, and the fact that it is sexually explicit. I challenge it because it is poorly written, and I felt I lost IQ points by reading it. In fact, I will never again trust a recommendation from the person who told me it was "great, and a fascinating character study."

Also on the 2012 list is Looking for Alaska, by John Green (Reasons: Offensive language, sexually explicit, unsuited for age group.) Since I read and loved the author's The Fault in Our Stars earlier this year, I decided Looking for Alaska would be one of the banned book I read this week. (I am almost done, and I have a feeling I will be re-reading it. Thumbs up from me.) The other book I chose was The Giver by Lois Lowry - not on the 2012 most challenged list, but it was one of the most challenged books of the 1990s, and I've never read it. Given my weakness for dystopian future young adult novels, I thought I should fix that oversight.

Anyway, thinking about why I would challenge Fifty Shades of Grey started me thinking of other books I've read over the years, some of which I had to read in school, some which were recommended by friends, many of which are considered classic works of literature, and why I would challenge them. Not ban them, but challenge a recommendation. I'm not one to talk about offensive language or unsuitable for age group - I read The Thorn Birds when I was like 12, TOTALLY unsuitable for me at that age -  it's more like I am challenging popular opinion. Here are a couple I thought of right away, but I'm sure there are more. If you are among the many that really love any of these, I hope we can agree to disagree. If you're not a fan of them either - please let me know so I don't feel so alone in my disdain. (I feel the need to clarify that although I didn't like these books and wouldn't recommend them, they are at least well written, and won't leave you feeling dumber for having read them, like the aforementioned Shades.)

• Wuthering Heights, by Emily Bronte. I remember having to read this in high school, and being flabbergasted that so many of my classmates thought it was such great romantic story. Catherine and Heathcliff, although friends as children, grow up to be horrible to each other and everyone around them, their jealousy and vengefulness was totally destructive...how is this romantic again? Why is Heathcliff considered a romantic hero? He seemed like a crazy stalker ex to me.
• Romeo and Juliet, by William Shakespeare. While I'm on the topic of classic romances I don't get, tell me again why the story of two horny teenagers who stir up a big brawl, have sex and then wind up dead is such a great love story? I mean, I guess I did really enjoy it retold as the musical West Side Story, but that's mostly because I have a weakness for musicals, not because I thought the story of these two crazy kids was super romantic.
• The Catcher in the Rye, by J.D. Salinger. So many people I know and like list this as one of their favorite books, but I am just not a fan. I read it as a teen, didn't get the hype, revisited a few years later, still hated it. I know Holden is supposed to be an anti hero, but I didn't find him or his story compelling. (Maybe you have to be a guy to love it? Any ladies reading this a fan of it?)
• The Time Traveler's Wife, by Audrey Niffenegger. A man with a genetic disorder that causes him to time travel starts to drop into the life of a young girl, keeps doing so periodically throughout her life, he becomes her dream man, she grows up to become his wife. I'm simplifying here, but it's kinda creepy, right? He time travels throughout his life, but he doesn't start showing up in her life until he's an adult, married to her adult version. But he meets her AS A CHILD. Basically molding her into the woman that becomes his wife. There are other things going on, but I couldn't get over that creepy part. I wasn't swept up in that whole soul-mates interconnected throughout time thing some of my friends really liked, I couldn't get over the fact he was a grown-ass man being all flirty and charming with a child.
• A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius by Dave Eggers. I didn't find it engaging...nor heartbreaking or genius.