Cream or Powder?

When you’re at a makeup counter you can always choose between a cream and a powder makeup product. Whether it’s a liquid foundation or a powder foundation, whether it’s cream blush or powder blush, or whether it’s an eye shadow cream or powder eye shadow. Today I will be explaining what I feel is the best substance (cream or powder) to use for your makeup.

For foundations, I prefer to use a liquid foundation or a cream foundation.  Liquid foundations can do the same, if not better, job to blend into your skin tone while hiding away imperfections you have. Powder foundations can blend into your skin tone, but sometimes either cannot cover up as well or leave a cakey, dry finish to your skin. If you are scared to use foundation because it’s too high coverage, I suggest using a BB or CC cream. A BB and CC cream are foundation and moisturizer mixed into one product. Not only will you get a nice, light, coverage from a BB cream, but also have a moisturizer built in to keep your skin healthy and smooth. If you have really oily skin, I still recommend using a liquid foundation, because after you apply the foundation you can apply some translucent powder to make sure the foundation stays in place. If you have oily skin and use a powder foundation, it will not only get oily later on in the day, the oils will absorb the powder and the coverage will be barely visible anymore. My current liquid foundation is the Maybelline “Fit Me” foundation. This foundation is a medium coverage and I can either apply a lot to get a full coverage look or apply a little to get a more natural look. The Fit Me foundation not only has great coverage, but stays on all day!

For blushes, I recommend using a powder blush. While cream blushes do give off a more natural look to your face, it comes off much easily and then creates a blotchy look to your cheeks. The powder blush stays on much longer and you can really decide how opaque you want your blush to look on your skin. With powder blushes, you can also choose whether you want a matte powder blush or a shimmer blush or a satin finish blush. With cream blush, you only get a satin finish blush. For bronzer, I also recommend a powder bronzer. A powder bronzer really lets you contour your face and have control over how much you want. With a cream bronzer, you can blend as much as you with a powder.

For eye shadows, I recommend using both cream and powder shadows. I recommend using a cream eye shadow for a base, then applying whatever powder eye shadows you would like to use. The cream eye shadow base can let the powder eye shadow stay on longer, but only it allows the powder eye shadow color to be more opaque and apparent. For example, if you apply a gold cream eye shadow base and then apply a gold eye shadow, the gold powder eye shadow will look much more gold than if you only applied only the powder. For eye shadow bases, I recommend the Maybelline “Color Stay Tattoos”, these eye shadow bases come in a variety of different colors and each helps the eye shadow powder stay on all day. As for eye shadow powders, there are so many in the world that there isn’t one that I love more than the other! But I will say, I really enjoy using the Lorac Pro Palate and the Urban Decay Naked Palate.

These are only my opinions of whether to use a cream/liquid or a powder. If you really like using a powder foundation and feel that works better for you, then you do what feels best for you! Have fun experimenting!

The "Hipster" Look

Everyone has a style they describe themselves as, whether it’s classy, preppy, bohemian, punk, etc. These styles are all very unique from one another and each styles have clothing that are very up to date in the fashion industry. But one new style trend has risen in our world known as the “hipster” look. It’s known that if you are dressed like a hipster your most likely in a beanie, a flannel, a cardigan, a pair of leggings, and some Birkenstocks to top off the outfit. The Hipster look mainly features that “I just woke up and put on some comfortable clothes, but still look somewhat put together” Stores that sell clothes that features the hipster look include Urban Outfitters, Brandy Melville, Free People, and more.

While I consider myself to have more of a classy/preppy look to my outfits, I have bought several “hipster” clothing items and have incorporated it into my closet. As I am currently writing this blog, I’m wearing a flannel with a cardigan on top and paired it with light wash jeans and some white converse, the classic Hipster look if you want to call it that. I love with these types of clothing! It’s very comfortable and the layered look is perfect for winter and fall. And if I don’t want to put to much effort into my outfit in the morning, it’s so easy just to put on a “hipster” look like a flannel and some combat boots and head out of the door.

What irks me in today’s society is that when someone wears a somewhat hipster outfit you get teased with comments like “Wow your so hipster today” or “Look at that hipster beanie” etc. I don’t understand that so many people discriminate others because they’re dressed in the hipster style. No one has been discriminated because they wore a Bohemian look or a classy look, but if you ever wear something hipster, you might get a “Why are you looking so hipster today?” It’s not necessarily a huge deal, but I just want to get across that everyone should appreciate all different styles of clothing. Fashion isn’t just one style that everyone should follow. It’s because so many people have different tastes in clothing and personalities that fashion now has so many styles you can take inspiration from. There isn’t one specific style that everyone must follow to look fashion forward and they defiantly isn’t one style that should be discriminated against because it’s not fashion forward. Everyone has a different sense of what they feel is in style and that’s what makes the fashion industry so unique. Everyone can contribute something different to it.

The Controversy Over All About That Bass

It was the #1 selling song on iTunes, has stayed on the Billboard Hot 100 for 5 weeks now, received Platinum, and is pretty much on the radio every time you turn it on. I'm sure you've heard of the oh so catchy and sassy song "All About That Bass" by Meghan Trainor. Despite it's numerous awards and sellouts, there has been a lot of controversy over whether the song provides good body image for women today.

In the song the lyrics basically summarize how curvier women should be proud of their body and who they are and how men like curvier bodies over skinnier women. Some of the lyrics include,

"I see that magazine working' that Photoshop. We know that s*** ain't real"

"You know I be no stick figure silicone Barbie doll"

"Go ahead and tell them skinny b***** that"

While I support the promotion of body image, I don't think these lyrics are promoting body image. It's shaming on skinny women, which isn't helping women be confident in their own body. It’s only directing body hate towards a different body type. But on the other hand, Meghan has lyrics that can be very impactful in today’s society towards the movement of eliminating body hate. For example,

“If you got beauty, beauty, just raise 'em up

'Cause every inch of you is perfect

From the bottom to the top”

“My mama she told me don't worry about your size”

“Yeah, it's pretty clear, I ain't no size two

But I can shake it, shake it

Like I'm supposed to do”

These lyrics help women understand that whatever their body type is, they are beautiful inside and out. It states that whatever your look like on the outside, you are perfect no matter what. Because of these contradicting lyrics, this song can be very controversial and many people are debating whether this song is skinny shaming or promoting body image. In my opinion, I do believe that a part of this song is shaming on women, but then again not all songs are directed to everyone. While I disapprove of some of the lyrics in the song, I do believe that the artist’s purpose of this song was not to shame on skinny women, but to promote body self confidence. “All About That Bass” is a great song that instantly boosts my self-confidence, so while there are a few lines that are skinny shaming, it’s a great song overall. So while there is a lot of controversy over this song, I think we shouldn’t over think it too much, but just enjoy the fact that this song is not another love song, but another step towards promoting body confidence among women.

Skinny Shaming

Body image is becoming a very big issue in our society today.  Promoting self-confidence and making sure women and men are comfortable in their own skin is everywhere in America. Whether it’s Dove’s Real Beauty Campaign, Victoria Secret “Body” line, or just plus size models appearing more and more in our magazines and televisions. It is wonderful to see that our society is changing its perception of a beautiful woman. While I am certainly happy to see this change, I realized that there is certainly a negative outcome that has surfaced.

As our nation is now promoting “normal”, bigger, curvier, looking body types into our ads and commercials, what we now believe is “not normal” is a skinny body. A skinny body type is now known as “anorexic”. Models who are skinny are known for not eating or going on an extreme diet. Shaming skinny body types has become more and more prevalent in the news and no one is really taking notice. Yes, you might say that being skinny is a good thing, that people aren’t shaming skinny people, they are complimenting them. But is being called anorexic a good thing or a compliment? Anorexia is a disease that is very harmful to our human bodies and can even lead to death. This disease cause severe emotional and physical damage to our body. Being called anorexic is just the same as being called obese. Both bring harm to us. We not only need to accept curvier, bigger, body types, but accept skinny body types as well.

When I was younger, I was always the skinniest among my friends. It’s not because I didn’t eat, trust me, I ate a lot. If I saw a Hershey bar at the table, you can count on it being devoured in 5 minutes. It’s just how my body was built. I have a fast metabolism and a small body structure that lead me to a skinny body. The constant, “You are so skinny.” And “Go eat a hamburger” became a daily reminder. I was so called “complimented” for having a skinny body, but it sure felt like I was being shammed for being skinny. 

I’m not trying to say skinny women are the definition of a beautiful woman, but I’m not saying curvier women are either. I want to get across to ladies that a healthy body is a beautiful body. No matter if we are curvy, skinny, tall, short, we should never be shamed on because of our body type. Everyone is different, but as long as we are healthy and happy, who should get to tell us what is beautiful and what isn’t. I am very grateful our society is promoting curvier, bigger, models to promote self confidence for women today, but shaming on a different body type was not suppose to be the outcome. Skinny shaming won’t end fat shaming and bringing in new hate doesn’t end hate. Be proud of who you are, whether you are big, small, skinny, or curvy.

The Harshness of Heat

When I was in 6^th grade I went out shopping with my mom. We stopped by a small counter to look at hair tools and in the matter of 15 minutes, the guy persuaded my mom to give in and buy a $250 straightener. This was my first ever hair tool I ever used on my hair and ever since, my hair has never been quite the same. 

Once my mom bought me the straightener to use, I began using it everyday in middle school. My hair wasn’t necessarily curly, but it had a few waves in it so whenever I straightened it, it looked shiny and new! Little did I know that straightening my hair everyday does great damage to your hair later on. Even though we’ve all heard that using heat on your hair everyday is very damaging, we never listen and continue on to do it. I was the exact same way until I realize my hair was truly affected by it. When I was a freshman, I realized that my hair was really dry at the ends even after I got a haircut and I didn’t know why. I continued to straighten and curl my hair like I use to and then my hair got even drier. I finally realized that the heat put on it everyday was affecting my hair. I then decided to stop using hot tools on my hair. It defiantly was difficult at first because I just didn’t like how my natural hair looked. Slowly I began to style and accept my natural hair and now I barely use heat on my hair! Because I straightened my hair everyday, my hair is now facing the consequences. It is still dry at the ends and I need to put moisturizing product on it everyday and when I straighten it, it doesn’t look as shiny because I’ve straightened it so much. The heat that I consistently used on my hair in middle school has damaged my hair and still today I am facing the effects of it.

If you are in the same boat as me, do not worry, there are plenty of ways to bring your hair back to normal! If you have seen the effects of hot tools on your hair, I would advise you to slowly stop using the tools as much as possible. Start loving your natural hair! I would also buy a leave in conditioner as well as a conditioner. A leave in conditioner helps the moisture stay in your hair after you apply your conditioner. I recommend the Healthy Sexy Hair Leave in Conditioner because I saw the changes immediately with my hair! I would also recommend using penetrating oil for extra shine on your hair; any of the Moroccan Argon Oils are perfect.

Now I’m not saying that you should immediately stop using heat on your hair because it turns your hair into chards. I just recommend to use as little heat as possible, especially if you use to use a lot of heat on your hair. I usually straighten or curl my hair once a week if I’m feeling it, but if not I usually leave it natural! If I do use heat, I make sure to spray on a heat protectant on before I use a hot tool and afterwards I apply Moroccan Oil to keep it shiny and healthy! Straightening and curling your hair can totally transform your hair, but make sure you use it with caution!