Sick and Tired of Taylor Swift

I'm really digging her shirt.

At this point, I’m thinking you’d probably have to be dead to not know who Taylor Swift is.  The girl is everywhere, I can’t turn around and not see her tiny squinty eyes looking at me.  I just can’t escape it, and I’ve been thinking over a restraining order. 

My main beef with Ms. Swift is over her music.  It’s become incredibly too easy to guess what her next single will be, will she be the cute bespeckled high school loser in this particular piece?  Or the lovelorn princess who can’t get her Romeo because Daddy forbids it?  Or the boy who did her wrong and she wants to tell the world how mad she is, all in a precocious manner that still tries to show off a childlike innocence? 

Another irk of mine is that in one of her songs, she calls a rival a “mattress gymnast.”  Really, honey, you have to resort to calling someone names to try to win over a guy?  All that does is show off your insecurity!

Since the singer in question is now 21, I’m wondering how much longer she can still pull off the high school diary lyrics.  She can’t much longer, look at what happened to Avril Lavine:

Avril’s around my age, the 25/26 mark, and she still looks exactly the same as when I last looked at her, probably around my senior year of high school (2003).  She probably still wears neon colored hoodies with the skulls who have bows on head, a la Hello Kitty.  Avril’s career is currently in the crapper, while Taylor’s on top of the world.  However, Ms. Swift, look on.  Avril was once upon a time at the top of the world, too.

Mapping Your Wedding Decor

Your wedding day is going to be hectic.  It will also be beautiful, goregous, amazing, wonderful, etc., but it will still be incredibly hectic.  You’ll probably wake up at 7 AM, even if you’re having an evening wedding.  One of the things a bride loves to do before she starts getting ready is making sure the reception hall is ready to go before everything starts for the day.  Often the bride, along with some friends and family, will decorate the reception before heading to the ceremony (unless you get lucky and can do it the day before!).  Even if you’re planning on hiring a professional wedding decorator (like me!), mapping out your wedding decorations is an amazing time-saver, and a savior of sanity. 

Before you decide on your decorations, take a good long look at your reception hall.  I can’t think of a hall that wouldn’t let you take an additional tour to decide how to layout your decorations.  While you’re there, make a mental map, or a simple sketch of the layout of the hall, where the entrance is, where your bridal party table will be, where to put the buffet, and so on.  When you get home, draw a map out of where everything will be.  It doesn’t have to be drawn to scale, or anything fancy.  By now, you’ve probably figured out that you want tall floral centerpieces for the tables, medium-height floral arrangements by your cake, and candles on the bridal party table.  Make a list of all your decorations, and assign each a number or symbol.  Take your map, and place a blue dot wherever you want tall candles, or a pink dot where you want short ones. 

The following is a very bad sample of a wedding decor map for a reception hall (My Walcom tablet is acting up and I can’t find my laptop mouse, thus forcing me to use MS Paint and the touchpad on my laptop.  Not fun).

With a decor map, it really helps make the decorating go much faster and with much less headache.  Make a few copies, have everyone look over it, and there should be no questions about what goes where.   If you’re unable to see the reception hall decorations before your wedding, a map is even more important so you know whoever may be doing the decorating will be following your wishes. 

You can also a decor map for everything from parties to your own home’s decor.

Fretting Over Wedding Favors

One of my coworkers recently asked me a question that’s been popping up quite a bit due to the economy:

“Do I really, absolutely have to have wedding favors?”

Typically I tell them, it’s your wedding, do what you feel like it.

But wouldn’t it be considered rude not to have them?  Everyone else had favors at their weddings and it seems rude if I don’t provide them.

Again, honey, it’s your wedding. 

Personally, I don’t see the big fuss with wedding favors.  Back in 2006, when a huge chunk of friends got married, I remember a fist fight damn near broke out because two mutual friends wanted the same favors.  Another wedding I went to (also in ’06), I got an ice cream scoop with hearts on it (and yes, the reception was ice cream themed.  Not that I cared, seeing as I love me some ice cream).  I will admit the ice cream scoop was cute, but it broke after a few months. 

If you really want to leave your guests a souvenir, the one item that I keep hearing repeated is the wedding invitations.  Everybody saves the invitation.  Belles like to put them in the scrapbook, while the gents like to put them in a memory box/drawer (a majority of my 20-something guy friends admit to having one).  

While I’m thinking about my guy friends, one of my absolute dearest friends Alex (we’ve known each other since the third grade), asked me to pass along a question:

What’s up with the personalized wedding glasses?

The personalized wedding flutes/steins/whatever came up as one of the reasons why people didn’t see the need for favors.  Several friends mentioned they never bothered to take the personalized glasses home, usually not knowing what to do with them, or afraid kids or pets would knock them over.  I will openly admit to having mine in a box in my storage unit.  However, I do have everyone’s wedding invitations saved in my scrapbook, along with photos from the wedding.

The favors that folks seem to like the most are anything edible, and CDs that have songs special to the couple.  I’ve gotten several of these over the years, and I really enjoy them.  One of my favorite things to do with the CDs is to add them to my iPod, underneath the album of “Friend’s Wedding!”   The song my sorority sister danced with her husband to for the first time is a better reminder of the wedding than an ice cream scoop. 

(I will also openly admit to putting the songs in a playlist on iTunes named “Nostalgia.”  This includes songs from the weddings, songs that really remind of times in college, a song my sorority may have danced to for a Greek Week skit, etc., and when I’m feeling down, I’ll listen to it.)  (Don’t laugh, I know others who do it too!)

In the end, if you want favors, go for it.  It’s your wedding!  But if you’re worried about money, don’t worry about them, put it somewhere else.

Latest Beauty Craze: Argan Oil

Somewhere in the past year and half, maybe two years, you probably starting seeing something called Moroccanoil ($29)  popping up in magazines everywhere.  This was a supposed hair miracle, made with argan oil, was for every hair type, color, length, texture, style, etc., signing its praises.  I’m a bit of a doubting Thomas when stuff is so widely praised, particularly hair products.  I have very oily hair, and I don’t color it or have highlights.  While colored and dry hair get all the hair care aisle love, I get maybe three selections of clarifying shampoos. 

Last year, about this time, I was in Sally’s Beauty Supply and they were selling wee bottles of argan oil, the main ingredient of Moroccanoil.  It was $.99, so I said why not.

I’m glad I bought it.  The hype is utterly true.

It makes my hair shiny, bouncy, and the softest it’s ever been.  If I use it when my hair is damp and then blow-dry my longish thick hair, it cuts the time by almost a third.  And the bottles last forever, My hair is a little past my shoulders, and is super thick, and I use about a quarter-size dallop.  Warm it between your hands and work into your hair much like you would a serum. 

It works on my hair, it works on my little sister’s hair (she has curly, dry, thick hair). 

As I mentioned before, I found my argan oil at Sally’s, with Morrocanoil is only sold is certain salons (last I heard, the only place in Huntington where it was available was El Haij).  Sally’s Beauty Supply sells a 3.4 oz bottle for about $9.50.

Aragan oil can also be used with your regular body lotion.  Just mix in the same amount you’d use on your hair.  It’s also being used in a line of make up from Josie Maran:

This set includes mascara, a highligher, eyes-lips-cheek color stick, and argan oil for the hair, all for $25 at Sephora. 

The only downside some may find to argan oil is the smell.  Personally, I love it, but I can see it causing problems for others.  It’s hard to describe the scent; I’ve heard everything from an Indian spice market to a cigar humidor.  I can smell vanilla in it, a hint of cinnamon, and the rest is some sort of spice. 

Overall, argan oil is probably one of my top, if not number one, of my beauty purchases this past year.  It really works.

UGG Boots and Black Nailpolish

With the exception of Netflix (“such a great idea!”), my grandma tends to avoid the internet.  “Too many dangers and whiners,” is her thought on the whole matter, so I’m pleased as punch when she reads my little blog.  She recently asked me to discuss the following questions, so I shall oblige.  Hi Grandma!

What is the obessesion with UGG Boots? 
For the record, my grandma’s thoughts on UGGs is that they’re too boring to be such a big fashion trend.  Some Belle’s love ’em, some Belles hate them with the power of a thousand buring suns.  Personally, UGGs don’t bother me.  I do think they’re on the plain and boring side style-wise, but I understand the arguement that they keep your feet warm and go with everything.  For the record, though, don’t wear them with mini skirts.  That, and mini skirts worn with leggings, is one of the stupidest looks that have been worn in the past five years.  Ahem–

To get back on track, the biggest issue I have with UGG’s isn’t actully UGG’s fault.  The knock-offs I’ve seen are just really poor quality.  Most people wear UGG’s or the knock-offs in the winter, so you’re probably going to want something with a decent traction to keep you from sliding around on the ice/snow.  Most of the knock-offs have this weird foamy sole on them, why, I do not know.  That will not help you from landing on your tailbone and causing one of the most painful injuries known to mankind (true story, only I wasn’t wearing UGGs). 

In the end, Grandma, my feelings pretty much mirror yours.  They keep your feet warm, and go with just about every outfit, but they lack  majorly in style or practicality.  For style, I like J. Crew’s riding boots, and for snow, Columbia snow boots.

Why on earth is black fingernail polish popular?
Unlike UGG boots, I’m very guilty of wearing black nail polish.  Up until a few years ago, black nail polish was basically worn by certain social groups as a fashion statement.  About 2004-ish, Hollywood got tired of “conventional” polish colors and stars (like Lindsay Lohan) starting popping up everywhere wearing it.  The trend then spread across the nation, and became so big and common place, black polish is now considered a neutral polish. 

And before you ask, Grandma, you can wear it to work. 

When I was in high school (I graduated in 2003), bright and sparkly colors were popular.  Then, in college, everyone was wearing reds, pinks, roses, or maybe a lavender to be slightly daring.  I think what made black become so popular was because it was something else.  We didn’t want to wear those bright and sparkly colors again for fear of looking several years out of date, but we also wanted something neutral that wasn’t a shade of red or pink.  Joke’s on us, though, bright and sparkly nail polish is back in style.

Color Forecast for Fall/Winter 2010

For some reason, Pantone (the company that makes the scentific formulas for making colors)  likes to announce what the trendy colors are going to be for the fashion season.  For this summer, it had been a medium-tone turqouise.  Here’s their list for this upcoming autumn:

So, pretty much most of these colors fall into my favorite colors of all time.  And Rose Dust (I’ve always seen it called “blush”) and Oyster Gray (better known as “dove gray”) are two of my recent color loves.  And I’m still trying to figure out that color Endive is exactly.  A light orange with hints of green?  Some sort of off white?  If you happen to find something in Endive, let me know.

I think the top colors out of this collection will be the Purple Orchid, Chocolate Truffle, Oyster Gray, and Rose Dust.  Maybe Golden Glow.  I really haven’t seen anything in the Lipstick Red, Living Coral, or Lagoon.  If you want to focus on just one color, go for any of the purples.  All shades of purple (not including lavender) are hot for this fall.  I, however, will be focusing on the gray and blush, as I’ve been in love with those two shades for sometime. 

 

 

Beauty Guinea Pig: eos Ultra Moisturizing Shave Cream

After I feel in love with the eos Smooth Sphere, I was eager to try out their other products.  I found their ultra Mositurizing Shave Cream at Target, and opted for the Pomegranate Raspberry, which smells like a fruity Pez candy.  The scent isn’t very strong, which isn’t a bad thing in my book (my rant on the “need” to have everything scented coming later). 

The first thing I noticed right off the bat was that this is a lotion,  not a foam.  Since I’ve now used both a lotion and a foam to shave with, I really can’t say I have a preference between the two consistencies.  As it is a lotion, the eos has been wonderfully mositurizing.  My legs really don’t have dry skin, and I’ve been getting away without putting lotion on them while using the eos.  The eos also makes my legs feel a lot smoother than using a foam. 

I used the eos shame cream with both the Venus Embrace and the Soleil Bella razors.  While both razors do a good job, I noticed the Bella has considerable “drag” with the lotion that is usually doesn’t have with a foam shave cream.  I didn’t notice the drag with the Embrace.  I normally use the Bella razors (have you noticed the price of the Embrace refills lately?  $14.49 (at Walmart!) for a three pack?  Are you kidding me?) and while my shave job was okay, I’m not sure if I’d keep pairing the cream and the razor together.  I’ll make a final decision when the eos runs out.   Does the shave last any longer?  About the same as a foam.

According to the bottle, you only need 2-3 squirts to shave with.  Um, no.  Not my experience.  The bottles states you only need a thin layer, and to cover  just the lower leg it probably took almost twelve.  However, I’m almost 6′ tall, so if you’re shorter it won’t take nearly that many squirts.  The  bottle seems to be last about the same amount of time a regular bottle of a foaming shave cream would last.  A few other setbacks are cost and where to locate it.  A bottle costs $3.40, and I’ve only been able to find it at Target, which is on the other side of town for me (and completely out of my way).  The cost isn’t too bad, because I wouldn’t have to buy lotion as much, but finding eos products has proven to be difficult. 

Would I buy this product again?  Only if it becomes easier to find.  While the eos is a really great product, it isn’t impressive enough to go out of my way to purchase it.  If they stock it at Walmart or Kroger’s, I would purchase it over my usual shaving cream, Pure Silk.

Battling Seasonal Acne

Maybe it’s just me, but it seems once Sept. 1 hit, the temperature dropped twenty degrees, you needed a sweater to do anything after sundown, and the humidity has fled the scene.  While I’m thankful for not being roasted this summer (now sing it with me…”Man, it’s hot one…”), with this beautiful weather comes all games like skin likes to play. 

In the summers, I could take all the oil off my face and put it in my Mazda, saving me the trip to visit the cute trucks at the NAPA store (the trucks wear baseball caps!).  However, once the humdity drops and I’m not sweating like I’m in a bikram yoga class, my skin is dry.  Dry, dry, dry, like the Sahara.  Oh, and I also have acne-prone skin.  So you can probably imagine my dry, itchy hell.

Adding a moisturizer just isn’t enough, you need to take more steps.  I was finally able to come up with a strategy that keeps me acne-free all year long, not just when the seasons change. 

Every Day:
AM: Wash face (using soap, or more commonly, a face wipe).  Use toner.  Moisturize.
PM: Wash face with face wash, using a facial brush.  Use toner.  Moisturize if I remember to.

Once-Twice a Week:
Exfoliate with a simple sugar scrub:
Using 2-3 tablespoons of sugar (just plain sugar, not Splenda), add drops water
until it forms a paste.  It should be of a medium thickness.  If you have sensitive skin, add more water and let
it sit for a minute or two.  Use as you would any other exfoliant (I typically use mix mine with my face soap).

Sugar is not only the best exfoliant I’ve ever used, it has anti-bacterial properties.  And it makes your skin soooo smooth!

The Aresenal:

Facial Brush, $5, Sephora
(I bought mine from Sally Beauty Supply for around $2)

Biore Makeup Removing Towelettes, $7, Walmart
(I couldn’t find a picture, but I prefer Walmart’s Equate brand makeup removal wipes.  You can get two
refill packs for around $7 and  I use them for everything.) 

Noxzema Foaming Blemish Control, $4, Walmart.
Specially formulated for adult acne! 

Clinque Dramatically Different Gel Mositurizer, $24, Macy’s

Before finding the Noxzema at a great price, I used philosophy’s On A Clear Day foaming wash ($25, Sephora) which worked very well.  I’ve also had great results with Clinque’s Acne Foaming Wash ($18, Macy’s).  It’s hard to go back to either of those two products when a $4 one works so well. 

If you have any skincare tips you’d like to share (or have questions), please do so in the comments.  You never know, you may be able to change a Belle’s life!

Getting Into the Fall Fashion Swing

Labor Day 2010 has left us, and it’s now officially the Fall fashion season.  Frankly, with temperatures still in the mid-80s if not flirting with 90, it’s really hard to get into the swing of sweaters and boots.  There are a few ways to start incorprating a more autumn-ish feel into your clothes without pulling out the cable knit sweaters.

Here are a few quick ways and–most importantly, they’re FREE– to get your wardrobe ready for fall.

Pack up all neon/flourscent/tropical colored clothing
The easiest way to announce Fall is coming is to pack away anything that is lime green, hot pink, or flourscent yellow.  Those colors don’t convert over easily to the traditional colors of the fall pallette (think greens, reds, browns), so there’s no point in keeping them around. 

Pack up all tropical/beachy/nautical themed clothing and accessories
It’s fall, Belles of all sorts are heading back to school, and nothing is more of a kick to the teeth than someone wearing a tee with a beach scene on it.  Ditto on the hibiscus print sun dress.  The season is over, pack them away for next year.  I know I just said to pack nautical themed items away, but some of it can still be worn.  Pack away the sailboat prints, but anchors and rope prints are appropiate through Halloween, as many people won’t put their boats away until snow flies (boat rides in the fall on the Ohio is probably one of my favorite things to do on a lazy Sunday). 

Say buh-bye to rubber flip flops.
As far as I’m concerned, rubber flips are best left to the pool and beach.  Anyways, though, they’re not apprpoiate for fall wear.  Leather or fabric sandals are fine until it hits freezing.  Also: put away themed flip flops.  For example, flip flops with flower charms, or seahorses on the straps. 

Don’t pack away your white just yet!
Forget what your grandma’am says about wearing white after Labor Day.  You can still wear your favorite white jeans and dresses, just with a few modifcations:
1.  Only one white piece at a time.  If you’re wearing white jeans, don’t wear a white top, white accessories, or carry a white purse.
2. Do put the white shoes away.  White purses and white accessories are okay to wear. 
3. Don’t wear summer colors with white clothes.  While there are many colors that you can wear in both the summer and fall, such as coral, don’t wear just white and coral.  It screams too summery.  Now, white jeans, a coral tank, and a brown cardigan is perfectly acceptable. 

Clean out your makeup drawer.
Ever wonder why bronzer looks funny in the fall?  In the fall, the sunlight changes, due to the Earth’s tiliting that causes the seasons to change.  The best way I can describe this is that the sunlight in the summer resembles those super-bright GE Reveal lightbulbs that make the room bright enough to land airplanes.  In the fall, the sunlight changes to a soft white bulb.  That’s why the fashi0n colors change with the seasons.  While your bronzer looks great in the bright light, it looks off in a softer light.

Pack away bronzer, bronze/tan shades of lipstick and gloss, and coral lipstick/gloss.  A general good rule of thumb for eyeshadows and nails is that if it’s a color of a shirt you should’t be wearing (like hot pink or electric blue), don’t wear it on your eyes/nails.  Hot pink was a hot spring/summer trend, but don’t wear it now. 

Retire the hole-y jean once and for all!
One of the biggest trends this year for fall, and one that I foresee lasting for some time, is the classic prep trend.  This isn’t the pink-and-green-cutesy-argyle “prep” that you see sold to tweens.  Look around your uncle’s house (you know, the one with no fewer than four types of beer in the fridge) for his old copy of The Official Preppy Handbook that came out in the 80’s.  Read it.  Study it.  Watch Mad Men, and you’ll get the idea. 

That being said, I would be willing to bet money (or some cupcakes) that the rocker trend will be ending soon.  If you have jeans that have holes in them, pack ’em up.  Ditto for clothes that have studs, paint splatters, or Ed Hardy designs on them.  In the case of Ed Hardy, just give them away or sell them cheap at a yard sale.  Skinny jeans and mildly distressed (but no holes) jeans are still good to go. 

Let go of leggings.
I also forsee leggings falling out of style.  Like guachos (remember those?) they’re comfortable and easy to wear, but only look good on a few chosen folks.  I don’t see jeggings be worn past next summer.  Also, if you’re over the age of 13, you shouldn’t be wearing them under skirts.  That trend died easily 2-3 years ago. 

Easy on the black. 
Ever notice that most fall collections have lots of brown?  Due to the sunlight thing I talked about above, black looks funny in autumn light.  I’m not saying you should stop wearing it, just ease up on it.  Browns and navy blue are great neutrals, and charcoal is a fun alternative to black. 

A few last thoughts…
You shouldn’t be wearing bikini tops underneath shirts anymore….nor swimsuit coverups…giveaway anything you’ve purchased this year from Charlotte Russe, Forever 21, Wet Seal, 5-7-9, or any other fast-fashion store…trust me, it won’t be in style, nor will it hold up…if you still have summer clothes that still have tags on them, dig up the receipt and take ’em back to the store before they discount summer stuff anymore…Speaking of summer sales, hit ’em up now for amazing deals…

If there’s anything else you have questions on, let me know!

What Rush/Recruitment Are You Going Through?

I got asked by a reader to explain the difference between informal and formal recruitment.  I can give a general idea of what a certain type rush/recruitment will be like, keep in mind it might be slightly different on your campus.

I’m going to start with informal rush first because it’s simpler to explain:

Informal Rush/Recruitment:
In a nutshell, formal rush is very structured, and typically runs a week, sometimes two if the school spaces the events out.  In informal rush/recruitment the time is much more spread out, such as recruitment events will be spaced over several weeks to a month.  Events are usually low-key and laid back. Usually, each sorority on campus will hold its events at different times, and not as one big unit.  Informal rush is also known as COB (Continous Open Bidding).  This basically means the sorority will do rush events usually over the entire semester, and usually will have multiple Bid Nights and New Member Pinning ceremonies. 

Formal Recruitment:
As I mentioned above, formal recruitment can last a week (with events every day) to two weeks (holding events every other day or so).  It is very structured, and all the sororities on a campus work together during the week.  This is the type of rush people see in movies and TV.  There’s going to be whole a post dedicated to a sample formal rush week, so they’ll be a lot more information there.