Wednesday Poll (snagged from Phyrra)
1. How has your week been so far?
Pretty good for the most part. Monday saw an awesome mail delivery. Monday night/wee hours of the morning, there was a thunderstorm that I was actually awake to enjoy. Yesterday, I got a lot done at work (I like the really productive days), and then last night Greg and I went to see bellydancing at the Pinhook, and it was rad. And then we got to hang out with our friend Jay for a bit, and celebrate his birthday. That was all fun. Unfortunately, I was up way too late last night with a nasty panic attack, that started when I was driving us home from the Pinhook. I think it was probably EMDR shit plus my social phobia being aggravated by the bellydance event, and then having to drive while I’m panicking only made it worse: I feel trapped, and like I have to stop driving *right then*, but because I’m already in panic mode and not thinking rationally, I feel like there’s nowhere for me to stop the car. But Greg reminded me that I could just pull over on the shoulder, so I did that, and calmed down enough to finish getting home. (I love bellydance, and all the bellydance peeps at the Pinhook last night were super nice, but there was a pretty big crowd, and at one point we were right next to the stage and it was just too much for me.) So anyway, I ended up having to take some klonopin, so lack of sleep plus meds equals staying home today. Which isn’t so bad, actually. I’m just taking it easy and taking care of myself.
2. What’s your favorite mindless distraction?
Probably television, except some of my favorite shows require alot of attention (Lost, I’m looking at you), so I don’t know if that’s really “mindless.”
3. What’s on the nails?
Evil Shades’s Rainbow in the Dark.
4. Have you ever seen a UFO?
Only in movies, tv shows, and a Ripley’s museum. But never in “real life.”
5. Do you eat seafood?
Nope: vegetarian. There are some fake seafood products out there, but I haven’t really liked the ones I’ve had. The best was fake fish, which was kind of meh. (Although, to be fair, we used it in a recipe that was WAY too spicy for me, so that might have thrown off my impression.) The worst was some fake shrimp I had at a vegan restaurant in Greensboro – the rest of the dish was fine, but the fake shrimp SQUEAKED against my teeth. Barf.
6. Ever taken a photography class?
Two or three. And we had a darkroom in my house growing up.
7. What was your least favorite subject in school?
PE.
8. What was your favorite subject in school?
Everything but PE, basically. I was a nerd. Probably my favorite favorites were science, math, and then classical guitar (10th grade). In college, comparative lit and women’s studies.
9. Do you wear scarves?
Yes, quite a bit. Hip scarves in bellydance class. Head scarves, usually on bad hair days, but occasionally just to be cute. And neck scarves when I’m feeling sassy.
10. Have you ever used LUSH Lemony Flutter? Was it good?
I am a LUSH virgin. But I’ve been thinking it’s time to change that. I don’t know about Lemony Flutter, but I hear Angels on Bare Skin is wonderful.
Copy and paste:
1. How has your week been so far?
2. What’s your favorite mindless distraction?
3. What’s on the nails?
4. Have you ever seen a UFO?
5. Do you eat seafood?
6. Ever taken a photography class?
7. What was your least favorite subject in school?
8. What was your favorite subject in school?
9. Do you wear scarves?
10. Have you ever used LUSH Lemony Flutter? Was it good?
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Sunday’s FOTD: Mina’s Hot Venom
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-Physicians Formula Healthy Wear SPF 50 Powder Foundation in Translucent Light
-Too Faced Shadow Insurance
-Aromaleigh Valentine 2009 Mineral Eyeshadow in Hot Stuff (lid and crease)
-L’Oreal HiP Color Truth Cream Eyeliner #905 Black (upper lashline and wings)
-CoverGirl Perfect Point Plus Eye Pencil #200 Black Onyx (lower waterline)
-CoverGirl LashBlast Luxe #845 Black Cabernet
-Aromaleigh Bete Noir Nourishing Color Creme in Mina
-Evil Shades Lip Gloss in Venom
Today was an AWESOME mail day: I got my Hi-Fi Cosmetics order, my Meow Cosmetics order, my Cherry Culture haul, and – what I’ve been looking forward to for about a month – my load of Sea-Monkey stuff from Transcience! My Sea-Monkeys are going to be soooo happy! And huge! (I got the special growth food and red vitamins for them! And the banana treats!) And I looooove the makeup I got! But it is late and I need to get to bed. So I owe you today’s FOTD and Goth Monday outfit, but I’ll post it later. (Hopefully tomorrow, but we’re going to the Pinhook to see some bellydancing, so I may not get around to it.)
Le Serpent Rouge kicked ass!
Greg and I took Friday off to go to Asheville. Our friends Eric and Eva very graciously put us up for the night. It was great getting to see them! And we got to putter around Asheville a bit. Got some coffee at Green Sage, and some delicious gluten-free chocolate carrot cake. For dinner, we all went to the Laughing Seed, and it was AMAZING. We started with their Harvest Chips, and the bleu cheese dip was scrumptious. I had a Reggae Mojito, and was drunk. (Yay for low tolerance.) Greg got a Bloody Mary that he said was delicious, and it was the brownest Bloody Mary I’ve ever seen. (I think it was the spices and maybe some vegetarian Worcestershire?) I got the pistachio-encrusted tempeh with rice (orange rice, IIRC) and an incredible miso-butterscotch sauce, and kale with a chipotle vinaigrette. It was sooooo good. (And that reminds me: I swore to put miso-butterscotch on everything until I discovered the proper proportions. I need to get on that.) Greg got the Pappardelle Bolognese (“bolognese” with mushrooms, soysage, and tempeh), and let me try it, and it was insanely delicious, too. Also, at the Laughing Seed, we ran into four ladies who also take bellydance with Sara – they were up for the show and the workshops. (I didn’t do the workshops because I’m pretty sure they would have whooped my ass.)
After dinner, Greg and I went to the Rocket Club, to see Le Serpent Rouge, featuring The Indigo, the Crow Quill Night Owls, and the Gallus Brothers. It kicked so much ass! I was too busy watching and wiggling and smiling so hard my cheeks hurt (seriously), so I didn’t take any pictures. And Greg got me a shirt!
Since I didn’t take any pictures, here are a couple youtube videos from other Serpent Rouge performances:
Friday’s FOTD: Black Crickets
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-Physicians Formula Healthy Wear SPF 50 Powder Foundation in Translucent Light
-Too Faced Shadow Insurance
-Aromaleigh L’Orchidee Mineral Eyeshadow in Cricket (lid and foiled on lower lashline)
-Aromaleigh Indelible Eyeliner Sealant (used with Cricket on lower lashline)
-Aromaleigh Rocks! Sonic Eyes Mineral Eyeshadow in Black Diamond (crease)
-L’Oreal HiP Color Truth Cream Eyeliner #905 Black (upper lashline and wings)
-CoverGirl Perfect Point Plus Eye Pencil #200 Black Onyx
-CoverGirl LashBlast Luxe #845 Black Cabernet
-Nyx Diamond Sparkle Lipstick DS23 Sparkling Flower
I was pretty careful not to blend any of the Black Diamond down below my crease, but the Cricket on my lid still turned out darker than I expected. So, either I had some fallout or overblended or something, or I should have foiled it across my lid, too.
FOTD: More mattes
THE INDIGO TOMORROW!!! SQUEEE!!!
Ahem.
Now that that’s out of my system: makeup and blathering. This morning I grabbed a L’Oreal HiP Shadow Duo I’d gotten a while ago but not used yet. What I failed to notice was that it’s actually “L’Oreal HiP Matte Shadow Duo.” Matte. I’m not that comfortable with mattes. I also didn’t think to grab any extra brushes, since there’s a sponge in the base of the container already. So I got to blend with my finger, on top of the trouble I have blending mattes to begin with (since I almost never use them). But given all that excuse-making, I actually like how it turned out.
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-Physicians Formula Healthy Wear SPF 50 in Translucent Light
-Too Faced Shadow Insurance
-L’Oreal HiP Matte Shadow Duo #917 Dashing (pink? pinkish? peachy-pink? whatever on lid, black in crease)
-L’Oreal Waterproof Voluminous Carbon Black
-Smith’s Rosebud Salve
-Aromaleigh Bete Noire Mineral Colour Creme in Violetta
I’m watching Supernatural right now (yay for it being back!), and sweet mother of God, I love Jim Beaver. Especially as Bobby Singer. And the wall of phones! I love it, and I’m so happy it gets another appearance.
When I got home today, my Evil Shades order was waiting for me! Yay! I ordered Rainbow in the Dark nailpolish (how could I not, with that name?!), and six glosses. It came in a supercute bag (that unfortunately I tore opening), and also included a heart-shaped lollipop and a generous free sample of 13th Hour eyeshadow. I love it all so much!
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Gloss swatches:
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-Top row, left to right: Diana’s Bow (just barely visible, but very pretty light pink), Lillian’s Light, Sasha’s Heart
-Bottom row, left to right: Sinister (green, hells yes!), Venom (black gloss, another hells yes), Deadly
Did I mention I love them? I’m painting my toenails with Rainbow in the Dark. I don’t know if I’ll be able to get a picture that does this polish justice. It’s soooo pretty! But so dark, and the glitter is so delicate. There’s alot of it, and it catches the light, but I don’t know if a still picture could catch that.
Now for the blathering. Or, really, further blathering, on a different topic. My anxiety seems to be pretty much through the roof. It’s awesome. (That’s a sarcastic “awesome,” by the way.) All my tics and triggers are getting worse. And I’m anxious in cars to begin with, especially on long trips, especially mountain roads, and so I’m thinking tomorrow’s drive is going to be extra fuuuuuuun. Blecch. Whatever. So, my spots are almost certainly stress/anxiety-related, and I think I’m getting a cold sore. Ugh. And last night, I dreamt that I flew on an airplane to the moon (which was populated and alot like Earth, actually) – with my family. And by “family” I mean my actual birth family, the one I’m currently estranged from; not my chosen family, and not Greg.
Interruption, sorry – Supernatural just used the sound effect from Lost, that plays with the word “Lost” in the opening credits. Huh. I kind of thought that effect was…proprietary?
Anyway, in my dream, I’m on the moon with my family, and they’re being horrible, as per usual, and I’m miserable. So I get away from them, and text Greg, only he won’t respond. 
So, yeah, I’d say there’s some anxiety going on. Boo. Whatever. This time tomorrow, I’ll be watching kickass bellydancing.
Nice blood splatter on the camera, Supernatural.
Jen/Camellia Rose over on the Meow Cosmetics forums suggested some foundation matches for me, so I ordered a bunch of samples today. Looking forward to trying them out – and apparently my eyes aren’t that bad when it comes to figuring out undertones, and I *do* have beige/yellow undertones. Go my eyes. I also got a haul from Cherry Culture – they were having a sale on Nyx that was too good to pass. I got some stuff I’ve been lemming*, and already know I’ll like, but I also picked up some stuff that’s not what I’d normally consider, but looked pretty and interesting. Warmer colors, browner/oranger/yellower colors. So I’m excited about getting to try that out.
And now I’m going to meet Greg at the Pinhook. Woo woo.
*Let me translate this for those of you who aren’t familiar, since I only just came across it this week myself. “Lemming” is when someone else uses/gushes over a product, and then you want that product. Also, to “read [someone] for filth” is to tell them off (for being nasty, dressing trashy, acting like a dickhead). I don’t really understand the etymology behind “read for filth,” but the phrase amuses me.
Hmm…
Just tried Smokin and Radioactive. (And just realized it’s another purple/green combo.) Not sure if I like it or not. Right after applying it, I didn’t like it. But when I saw it in the mirror (from a distance, with my glasses off, so it was a little less clear) when I went to remove it, I kind of liked it. And then I decided to try adding some glitter on top. Still not sure.
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-Too Faced Shadow Insurance
-Aromaleigh Retro Hi-Fi Matte Mineral Eyeshadow in Radioactive (inner)
-Aromaleigh Retro Hi-Fi Matte Mineral Eyeshadow in Smokin (outer)
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With Aromaleigh Rocks! Sonic Glam Glitter in Prettyplease patted on top.
What do you think? Does it work? Or is it a little…too too?
Bleah
Just tried Hoity Toity and Tangleroot. Did not quite like. I think I would have liked it if I’d done the placement differently, so I might have another go at making those colors work, but I’m trying something else now.
FOTD: Meh
I was tired as shit this morning, but wanted to wear makeup, so I thought I’d do something simple with some new eyeshadow I’d gotten. It ended up not terribly impressing me – but maybe I need a stickier base? So I’m not giving up on it, but I felt kinda “meh” about the look. I mean, it’s cute, but after looking at all the awesome color combos on other blogs, it’s a little…meh. Maybe I’ll try something else later tonight. Or, since I’m still pretty tired, maybe I’ll just go to bed early.
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-Physicians Formula Healthy Wear SPF 50 Powder Foundation in Translucent Light
-Too Faced Shadow Insurance
-Milani Runway Eyes Shadow #06 Royalty (lid and crease)
-CoverGirl Perfect Point Plus Eye Pencil #200 Black Onyx
-L’Oreal Waterproof Voluminous Carbon Black Mascara
-Nyx Mega Shine Lip Gloss LG157 Chandelier
I am not into the weather lately. It’s changing too much, which usually means I’m going to get sick (stupid allergies). Today? 36 when I checked the weather right before we left for work, and the high was 72. WTF. It’s a huge pain in the ass to dress warmly in the morning, and then lug around all my extra clothes in the afternoon. Lame.
I asked Greg what color I should paint my toenails, and he suggested orange. Orange is definitely outside my comfort zone, so I thought I should give it a try, but also thought I’d sort of ease into it. So I picked up China Glaze Coral Star. And then I picked up China Glaze Love Letters for my fingernails, since it kind of looked nice with the Coral Star. I’m not really sure how I feel about Coral Star. It’s still a little too orange for me, I think. I don’t know, I’m still getting used to it, though. Shit chips like a motherfucker, though, even with a topcoat. (I put on Milani Purple Pop Art Saturday before last, and it hadn’t chipped at all when I took it off Monday. Very little tip wear, too.) Love Letters is nice, I just wish it was more opaque. It’s lovely in the bottle, but I don’t want to paint a gajillion coats on my nails to get that color.
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-1 coat Barielle Nail Rebuilding Protein
-2 coats China Glaze Coral Star
-1 coat Cina Top Coat
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-1 coat Barielle Nail Rebuilding Protein
-4 coats China Glaze Love Letters
I also seem to be breaking out or something. Except it doesn’t look like my normal breakouts, which actually aren’t that bad – like one spot at a time.I guess “breakout” is kind of a misnomer. But this time I’ve got three spots in one day. It could be allergic, I guess, but I doubt it. Probably just stress from EMDR and shit, but I’m getting all self-conscious about it. Ugh. Ah shit. I just realized I might be having more spots since I’m not taking birth control anymore. Oh well, fuck it.
I’m watching Hitman right now, and so far, I’m enjoying it. Olga Kurylenko is so pretty – but that fake labret is obviously fake. Just lazy. It looks like they glued a rivet on; I know they’ve got better faux piercings than that. Whatevs. I love her makeup, though. Although I’ve never really been able to do a good raccoon eye. Maybe that’s something to add to my to-practice list. Tightlining is definitely on that list already. And contouring. And a bajillion other things. Back to Hitman – I’m about 45 minutes in, they’re in the train station. I swear they just changed Kurylenko’s lipcolor in the middle of it. From a dark, matte-ish crimson to a glossy caramel shade. Don’t they have like a continuity editor for makeup?
Speaking of makeup, time to go play.
Goth Monday/FOTD 3/22/10
FOTD 3/22/10: Violet’s violets
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-Physicians Formula Healthy Wear SPF 50 Powder Foundation in Translucent Light
-Aromaleigh Shadow Base Light
-Aromaleigh Spring Solstice Mineral Eyeshadow in Bellflower (lids)
-Aromaleigh Spring Solstice Mineral Eyeshadow in Ondberry (crease and outer vee)
-L’Oreal HiP Color Truth Cream Eyeliner #905 Black (upper lashline & wings)
-CoverGirl Perfect Point Plus Eye Pencil #200 Black Onyx (lower lashine & lower waterline)
-L’Oreal Waterproof Voluminous Carbon Black Mascara
-Morgana Minerals Vegan Lipstick in Violet’s Kiss
The second full face shot was the best of several attempting to get a shot in natural light in front of a window. Pretty sure the flash went off for all of those. So I will probably go back to bathroom, fluorescent lighting, at least until it’s brighter around 5:30, 6:00ish. I like how the eyeshadow came out. Unfortunately I am used to having a mirror to check the positioning of the camera, and I didn’t for that one, and cut off my chin. Oh noes.
Goth Monday’s outfit was maybe a bit boring: black tshirt, black pants. But the necklace is utterly lovely, and I got it from Eyescream Jewelry. I’ll have to get a closeup so you can fully appreciate how beautiful it is. But for now:
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Dear BBCAmerica, what the fuck. How you gonna show me “previouslies” for Survivors that I haven’t seen, even though the dvr is set to record all episodes? Boo. Apparently the dvr somehow missed episode 1 of season 2. And you better not kill off Paterson Joseph’s character. Hmph.
So I was poking around L’Oreal’s website, and noticed that their Colour Riche Star Secrets Lipcolor seems to have been renamed “Aishwarya’s Beige” (which I have, because I love Aishwarya Rai; and it’s actually a very wearable beige, which is a plus!) as “Linda’s Beige.” And Aishwarya’s not listed as a spokesperson. WTF.
I’m still working on the pictures from Williamsburg and Wilmington (ages and ages ago), and between all those and the recent FOTD posts, I’m wondering if I should start putting the bulk of my photos behind a cut. What do you think?
More blathering later, no doubt. But as I didn’t sleep well at all last night, and not so hot a couple nights before that, it is WELL past my bedtime.
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Wipes!
I went to Sally’s a couple nights ago, and picked up some makeup brushes, some synthetic clip-in extensions, gloves, and got a free pack of FaceSecrets Make-Up Brush Cleansing Towelettes with a coupon and the brushes. I usually use their Professional Brush Cleaner or Johnson’s Baby Shampoo to clean my brushes, but it was free with two makeup brushes, and I was buying the brushes anyway, so I thought I’d give it a try. The towelettes feel barely damp, but seem to do the job, so…cool. It took less time and effort to clean my brushes – but it doesn’t take that much time or effort to clean them with the cleaner or the shampoo anyway. I mean, I’m lazy, but these aren’t saving me so much time that I’d switch to using them only. But they will probably be great for travel – less to pack.
On that note, we’re going to Asheville Friday to see THE INDIGO!!! Hells yes! I am so excited!! We’re crashing at our friends Eric and Eva’s house. I wanted to do heavier eye makeup for the show, but probably won’t want to spend the time after the show properly taking the makeup off. But sleeping in it…also not an appealing option. And I don’t want to have to pack a bunch of stuff for one night. So at Target the other night, I grabbed a pack of Pond’s Wet Cleansing Towelettes (original clean, because even though the microdermabrasion *says* it can be used on the eyes, I don’t believe it) to try out. Um, they are FANTASTIC. Why haven’t I tried these before? It takes me like fifteen seconds to remove all my makeup. Unless I’m wearing that Voluminous Black Carbon mascara, and then it still takes only like a minute. (That Black Carbon is not fucking around, let me tell you.)
More importantly: I’M GOING TO SEE THE INDIGO FRIDAY!!!!!!!! (jumping around like a joyous little kid)
