I want to tell you a story of how I went to Sephora looking for a very specific item, left with something drastically different, and how this turned into a Clinique Cheek Pop blush review. Can you relate? Shopping Sephora as a Beauty Expert You don’t get to spend over 50 years on the planet… Continue Reading Clinique Cheek Pop Blush Review
It’s been twenty years since I’ve reported to a classroom on the Tuesday after Labor Day in an outfit carefully chosen ahead of time, but I still associate September with renewal. New classes. New clothes. New pens. New notebooks. And most welcome, a change of season. In September, the weather can reach 75 degrees and… Continue Reading A Life, Replotted: On Renewal
“If you were stranded on a deserted island and could only have one item, what would it be?” At least once a week, folks who are bored at work will ask this annoying question on Facebook. I work at home, and I’m a procrastinator. So I’m usually checking my timeline in the middle of the… Continue Reading Product Review: Urban Decay Ultimate Ozone Multipurpose Primer Lip Pencil
Growing up, I devoured Seventeen, Young Miss/YM, and dabbled in the occasional Vogue. I trusted them to show me – a middle schooler in southeastern Pennsylvania, where, even 45 minutes outside of Philadelphia, we still had 2 days off of school for the Unionville Community Fair and its Harvest Queen Pageant – what was “in,”… Continue Reading Fashion Undressed | Eyes Wide Open: The Reality of a Fashion Spread
A few weeks ago, my introverted 11-year old announced with great pride, “Mom, yesterday I really pushed myself outside my comfort zone.” “Really?” I responded, shocked as much by his announcement as his semantics. (We don’t use phrases like comfort zone in our house.) He proceeded to tell me he participated in a singing contest… Continue Reading A Life, Replotted: On Tearing Down Walls
I can count on one hand the number of times I’ve walked out of a store without having bought the new and improved or the latest and greatest mascara. Just like the last-minute candy bar I grab in the supermarket checkout line, new mascara is part of my routine. And because of that, I have… Continue Reading Maybelline Colossal Chaotic Lash Washable Mascara Review
This morning I pulled out a favorite dress for the first time in ages. It’s a loose, straight piece, nearly “shapeless.” To render it office-appropriate and add definition mimicking my body shape, I belted it. As I saw my now cinched waist in the mirror, I considered the female form, which led to me thinking… Continue Reading Fashion Undressed | A Womanly Figure: Considering the Dress Form
“You gonna come for me?” my date said more than asked, too matter-of-factly as he unceremoniously slid his hand inside my jeans. “No,” I blurted out, not giving my mind time to volley between honesty and charades. “I’m not.” As the words came out, a jolt of power rushed through my body. Or maybe it… Continue Reading A Life, Replotted: Owning the O
“It’s been done before.” If you’ve watched any of the ubiquitous fashion design shows, you’ve heard coaches, mentors, and judges critique rising courtiers, telling them that their designs aren’t new. “What goes around, comes around.” Not just life advice, those of us who’ve been around tend to roll our eyes at the cyclical versions of… Continue Reading Fashion Undressed: Plagiarism as Design Inspiration?