Some beauty favs

I have a bunch of different things I've been meaning to write about - like does anyone else want to join me in raiding Cookie's closet on Empire?  (Where can I get a leopard hat that will fit my huge head?) And do I really need to say more about how much I hated the book Fifty Shades of Grey, and how I don't plan to see the movie, no matter how attractive I find Jamie Dornan? (For the record: I think he's FIIIIIINE. So much so that it creeped me out to watch the series The Fall because I was attracted to him playing a cold-as-ice serial killer.) Instead of any of that, I think I'll start with a little post about my forever weakness for pretty/shiny/lotions/potions.

I was just lucky enough to spend a few days with some friends in New Orleans, and have some genuine girlfriend time in the process. There is nothing quite as good for the soul and for the ego as spending time with good friends. We gossiped, laughed, window shopped, ate some good food, daydreamed, watched some TV, gave each other makeovers, and I think ended up feeling better about ourselves and the world around us. Of course being told I had the skin of younger woman and that my hair was fabulous did not hurt this overall outlook. :) With that in mind, I thought I'd write about some of my current favorites in the world of beauty - some of the things that have kept my spirits up and my skin looking better than it has for awhile during this long cold winter. Feel free to share/recommend some of yours back.

Other 2014 favorites

I have already written about my favorite movies, books, and some beauty loves of 2014. Since I'm on a roll, I thought I'd wrap it up with some of my other favorites/recommendations. I know I'm forgetting some greats, but unfortunately I did not do a good job of recording my loves as the year progressed - this is all coming from the top of my head. Feel free to share your loves with me as well.

TV/Internet:

• Orphan Black - Folks, I am obsessed with this show. I am in awe of Tatiana Maslany's chameleon-like skills in portraying about half a dozen different characters on the regular - fully formed, unique women, who happen to be clones. Love the little bits of humor mixed in with the big mystery (that has to do with science!), and really appreciate Paul's abs. (I am very shallow.)
• Parks and Recreation - I love this little show, love the cast, am sad it is ending. It never fails to put me in a better mood. Three words: Treat Yo Self. 
• The Good Wife. I have been a fan of this show for years, but they really shook it up and knocked it out of the park in 2014. (And not just because they added Matthew Goode to the cast, which was a great move as far as I'm concerned.)
• Jane the Virgin: I did not expect to like this show. The title, the premise (about a virgin woman getting accidentally artificially inseminated), and the fact that it was on the CW did not add up to a winning formula for me. But then I watched it, and it turns out it's funny, smart, and sweet, as well as a clever send-up of telenovelas. I'm a fan.
• Mamrie Hart/You Deserve A Drink: This woman cracks me up on the regular. Love her quirky/weird improv-y Mametown videos, and her punny/funny You Deserve A Drink series, which besides a good laugh, provides some interesting cocktail recipes. Plus she wrote a movie, Camp Takota, and actually got it made, co-starring herself along with two of her best friends (who are also very funny ladies on YouTube.) I have much respect for a woman who will use just about any excuse to bust out a costume and a funny pop culture pun

Music:

• Betty Who - I've played her Slow Dancing EP countless times this year. Feeds my love of catchy pop music that is a pleasure to listen to, no guilt involved.
• Taylor Swift 1989 - I admit it, she got me. 
• Sia 1000 Forms of Fear - loved this album. Chandalier was the hit, but Elastic Heart was the one I kept listening to on repeat. 
• Sam Smith In The Lonely Hour - Had never heard of him until I saw his performance of Stay With Me on SNL, but after it I immediately pre-ordered this album. Happy with my decision.
• Tori Kelly's Dear No One is one my favorite songs of the past year - I perhaps related too well to this one. 

Food/drink/other

• Copperworks Distillery As I've said before, I'm a fan of booze tourism. Although I did get to visit some vineyards with much prettier views this year, my visit to this distillery in Seattle provided me with the most pleasant surprise: a gin I like! Their barrel aged gin was so good I had to buy a bottle despite the price tag, and I have been savoring it slowly since. 
• While talking about food/drink in Seattle, I have to say the crab and shrimp tator tots I had at the Steelhead Diner are one of the best things I've eaten this year. 
• Taco Bamba it took me awhile to finally try this excellent taqueria in my neighborhood, but now I'm a superfan. The "El Beso" taco is my crack.
• Tortilla soup in Phoenix. I've had it at several different places, including various hotels, and it has always been spicy deliciousness. 



View from WNYC Transmitter Park.

• Paulie Gee's really liked this pizza place in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, and my culinary trip to NYC this summer in general. Enjoyed international cuisine in 3 boroughs in 2 days. I highly recommend it. :)
• Another great meal with a view I had this year was at Restaurant Montealegre in Valparaiso, Chile. The food and the view were both absolutely fantastic, and I just remember it being a super fun time with my parents. Highly recommend.

Some makeup favs

As a beauty product junkie, I own A LOT of products. I mean A LOT A LOT. Not quite to the level of a YouTube beauty guru, their makeup collections more closely resemble a small Sephora, but definitely more than one woman who isn't a professional makeup artist and doesn't earn a living related to the beauty industry should. The worst part is that I'm always wanting to try new things, so I often have multiple types of the same thing. For example: I own about 10 different black eyeliners. (Pencil, liquid, gel, gel pencil, felt pen, kohl, etc.) Not to mention various other liners in shades of brown, purple, green and blue. I own more nail polishes than some small spas, and enough eye-shadow to make some professional makeup artists jealous. My collection of sample sized products has my travel bag of toiletries solidly stocked for countless trips. In short, I have amassed quite an impressive/ridiculous collection for someone who doesn't get paid to do anything beauty related.

For someone who owns so much makeup, I usually don't wear a ton of it, nor do I necessarily wear it every day. I saw a great video the author John Green made earlier this year about his love of makeup that summed it up perfectly:  "It's like really beautiful armor, because it makes me feel more confident and somehow kind of protected as I go through my day. It's sort of like wearing my favorite outfit except I can do it everyday." Sitting at my little makeup desk, figuring out my "look" for the day, is relaxing and fun, and is one of my happy places.

Because I've amassed such a ridiculous collection, I rarely use up makeup items. More often than I'd like, I have to toss products because they have gotten old way before I ever use them up. Or by the time I finally finish them, I can no longer get a replacement because it has been discontinued. But some things I love so much I actually use up, and repurchase to make sure I'm never out of it. I thought I'd share some of those, since I've been into making year-end lists these last couple of days, and these are basically my makeup/beauty favorites of 2014. I highly recommend them all, in case you're in the beauty buying mood. :) For other favorites, feel free to check out some of my previous posts.

2014 Books

I haven't  been doing a hell of a lot of writing this year, so obviously my goal of posting more regularly on this blog went out the window months ago. I've decided to overcompensate by taking advantage of some free time now in these last few days of 2014 and just sharing a bunch of lists about what I've been loving.

While writing my post with thoughts on movies, I noticed that a lot of the ones I saw this year were based on books I had read. And it really hit home that I spent quite a bit of my free time in 2014 reading not just magazines and things on the internet, but actual books, many of them digitized. The following are my some of my thoughts on what I read this year. Not everything was released in 2014, but they were new to me. :) I've put my favorites in bold.

2014 Movies

I haven't written a blog post in forever, but I have found myself talking a lot about movies lately, and since I have a bit of free time, I thought I'd write a little something about it.

I didn't give myself a movie goal this year - good thing because I am NOT on pace to match the last two years at all. But just in case you were looking for something to watch during some free time in these last few days of the year, or were wondering what my thoughts were on some 2014 releases, or like to see me make lists, I've jotted down my thoughts on the non-Hallmark/Lifetime movies I've seen this year. My favs are highlighted. (I have linked to the trailers for all, in case you're interested.)

Silver celebration

I call it birthday fish stew.

Today is my stepmother's birthday. I'm not going to out how old she is or anything - that would be rude, but I will say that this year marks the 25th anniversary of our relationship. Coincidentally, June marked the 25th anniversary of her marriage to my Dad. Funny how that happened. Anyway, feeling inspired in honor of her special day, and a very fruitful visit to the farmer's market, I made a variation of the Brazilian fish stew she loves and taught me to make, moqueca. And after that deliciousness, I decided I needed to write this post.

My stepmother came into my life when I was a teenager. I don't think I was particularly horrible, I wasn't super rebellious or much of a troublemaker, but I was a teenage girl: adults just didn't UNDERSTAND, change was THE WORST, and UGH YOU ARE EMBARRASSING ME. Also: I was an only child, and the "princess" of a man who was widowed when I was less than a year old.  So you know, she had her work cut out for her.

Our relationship was a bit rocky at first - when my father told me they were getting married, I acted out the only way my not-all-that-rebellious-or-tortured-self knew how: I got up from the table and walked over to the cheap jewelry place to get a third and fourth piercing on my right ear. (Conveniently, my father had taken me to an eatery at the mall to break the news.) Being a moody, hormonal teenager, I kept vacillating between trying to like this woman who my father so obviously cared for, and wanting to kick her to the curb. There were a lot of ups and downs at first since she and I are both opinionated and strong-willed and were marking our territory, but even early on, a lot clicked. We both like to cook and love kitchen gadgets. (We can spend hours in a Sur la Table.) We both love makeup. (I need to introduce her to the wonders of Ulta.) We love to sing along (off-key) to our favorite songs. We have a similar sense of humor. And we both love my father.

Me moving away to college and growing up helped our relationship A LOT, but you know what I think finally bonded us for life? Our crazy families. Maybe one day I will feel comfortable enough to post on the internet some of my wacky family stories, but let's just say, there is comedy GOLD to be had. I mean, my grandmother alone could be a sitcom. (It would have to be on cable though, because we're talking dark comedy here.) Anyway, her horrified reaction matched mine upon finding out that my grandmother sneakily set me up to go see a nun shrink (and by that I mean a nun who was a therapist - long story, worthy of more that one episode), and I knew definitively that my stepmother cared for me. Shared tears/outrage over less-than-happy family reunions solidified the two of us as family. Not by blood, but by choice. So although she didn't raise me from birth, she is my parent. I seek and value her advice and approval. Her opinion matters to me. (Except perhaps about politics - we agree to disagree on a lot there.)

My stepmother is a fabulous lady. She has a fantastic fashion sense, along with a collection of shoes, that I envy. She has great taste, is generous, is fun to travel with, has a sweet tooth that rivals my own, and a go-getter energy level that can be exhausting to watch. I hope she has an awesome birthday today. We live in different countries and I won't be seeing her for a few months - but I do have a little something for her in honor of our silver anniversary when I do.

With my fabulous stepmother earlier this year. (She's the one
with a normal sized head that can wear hats.) ;-)

Beauty hacks

A friend's recent FB post recommending using oil to cleanse your face reminded me of all the "non-traditional" beauty items I've heard about over the years - items you normally find in your kitchen, or perhaps your medicine cabinet. She mentioned it would be nice to have a page with all these beauty secrets, so I thought I'd quickly jot down a post of all the ones I have tried, and recommend.

• Oil cleansing: I use jojoba oil I buy at Trader Joe's for removing makeup - it's great, especially at melting off eye makeup. Extra virgin olive oil works too. (And it's something you may likely already have in your cupboard.) I have super oily skin so the idea of rubbing oil on my face seemed counter intuitive, but it really works, and does not break me out. If anything, I think it has helped normalize my oil production. I simply put oil in a pump bottle, and use a pump or two to rub all over my face, gently going over eye area, then rinse with water. I still use a mild cleanser after though - the oil is just for makeup removal. 
• Other uses for oils: I use coconut oil as a hair mask on the regular - just put on dry hair and leave on for about 20 minutes before washing hair. (Kind of makes you crave an Almond Joy while you're wearing it though.) I also mix coconut oil with granulated sugar as a body scrub - works well, and leaves skin moisturized. A little jojoba oil is great to smooth dry/frizzy hair as well, and works wonders smoothed into cuticles. 
• Non traditional mattifier: Bear with me here, but I'm recommending milk of magnesia as a beauty product. I don't know who first got the brilliant idea of putting a digestive aid on their face, but they were on to something. I have found it to be an excellent oil-control primer, and whenever I use it under makeup not only am I less shiny, but my makeup lasts much longer. If you're going to try it though, make sure to use the plain unflavored variety. I don't think cherry flavoring will work well with foundation. ;)
• Non traditional face primer: If you thought the milk of magnesia was a weird recommendation, I have an even weirder one: chafing cream as primer. Yeah, I know. I'm not sure who the brave soul who first tried this was, but I know I got the tip from a YouTube beauty guru I enjoy watching, Tati. I like to use primer to smooth out pores and make my makeup last longer, but the high end stuff that really works can be really pricey. Monistat Soothing Care Powder Gel costs $8-$9 at most drugstores, has the same ingredients as face primers that cost triple that amount, and it really works. You just have to get over the fact that you're putting Monistat on your face.
• The many uses of baking soda: make a paste with water and use to cover insect bites - helps control itch and dry up the bites as well. You can also mix in with your regular cleanser to make it an exfoliating cleanser, or use 3 parts baking soda to one part water to make your own exfoliant. You can also sprinkle some in your shoes to avoid stinky feet, add some to your toothpaste to help whiten teeth, and use it as a mouthwash to neutralizer halitosis in a pinch (just one teaspoon in a small cup of water.)
• Foods as beauty products: 
• Avocados are very moisturizing, and make a great hair mask (mix in with some coconut oil for a hair mask that will leave your hair SUPER shiny), and a great face mask (2 tbsp of mashed avocado, 1 tbsp honey, 1 tbsp yogurt and 2 tbsp mashed cucumber make a very nice refreshing mask that is quite cleansing and refines pores.)
• Cool cucumber slices really help de-puff eyes. 
• Manuka honey is like a super food (which I was happy to see sold for awhile at Trader Joe's, and online and at health food stores at a higher price.) It has all kinds of uses: as a digestive aid, to treat infections...but for beauty purposes, it is great as a mask. You can use in the avocado mask I mention above to really help reduce redness and treat acne breakouts (it has antibacterial properties) or use it on its own. (Smooth all over face, leave on about 20 minutes, then rinse off.) I think it tastes a little medicine-y as a sweetener in tea, but it really works wonderfully as a lip balm, mixed with some coconut oil as a intense moisturizer (rub honey/coconut oil mixture on your feet at night, put on some socks, and wake up to soft tootsies), and it makes a great face scrub mixed with milk, sugar, and a little olive oil. (I've read that milk & honey was Cleopatra's beauty secret.)

So those are some of the ones I have tried and recommend - what are some of yours?  I'm sure that there are many, many others - and I welcome any tips/hacks that others have to share. I'm all about multi-purpose!