Deeply Superficial

You Need This: Softsoap Coconut Scrub Bar Soap

2012-01-20T13:33:00.003+10:00

Bar soaps are made for lazy girls like me (come on, the whole shower pouf and body gel thing is a pain). Unfortunately, most of the time, they're also drying and smell like plastic.

Which is why I LOVE this one!

Ok, combine the scent of coconut with a little bit of soap. This is not a beachy-tanning-lotion scent at all. More like fresh coconut, not cloying in any way.

The texture is fantastic- it's a very creamy soap (not tons of lather), but also has fine scrubby bits that feel amazing on dry skin.

Normally after using a bar soap, my skin is flaky and visibly dry. Not so with this one, although I do live on the high plains of Texas- lotion is never something I can skip.

Look, it's insanely cheap, smells fantastic, and works like a dream. Go buy it. ($3/3 bars at your nearest drugstore)

cue Boyz II Men

2012-01-18T14:22:00.004+10:00

I hate it when I realize that things just aren't working out. You can try and try, but sometimes a relationship can't be forced. It might be perfect on paper, but in the real world, it's time to let it go. End of the road.

And obviously, I'm talking about lipstick.

I wanted so much to love NARS Pure Matte in Terre de Feu. It's NARS, it's red, I bought it at the Sephora on the Champs-Elysees in Paris, come on. This was supposed to be true love, one for the books, something I could tell my granddaughter about (because I will definitely teach any future grandchildren about makeup).

There comes a time in every girl's life where she has to do what's best for her. This lipstick would be hot on me if this were 1996 and I was a member of Sleater-Kinney. However, my riot grrl days are far behind me. It's time that this lipstick found someone who really loves and appreciates it- I just can't give it what it needs.

We'll always have Paris.

(staring in amazement at some kind of duck-flavored ice cream thing at the Gordon Ramsay au Trianon in Versailles while wearing the lipstick that I just dumped)

I don't make decisions on my own.

2012-01-12T14:21:00.002+10:00

These don't fit in with my whole "What Would Grace Kelly/Audrey Hepburn Wear" philosophy, but then again, neither do my skinny jeans and faux-hipster plaids. Not to mention the tattoos and neon eyeliner. Maybe I need to admit that I take more inspiration from Courtney Love...

Anyway. These tights (up there). What do you think? Trampy or awesome? I was crazy about them after I saw the DKNY version on Cat Marnell. BA, right?

Oh, hi.

2012-01-04T13:13:00.004+10:00

I'm going to spare you the obligatory post of my favorite things from 2011, because let's be honest- I wore mascara and chapstick for most of it. That's a resolution, and if you read my blog in its last incarnation, you know I say that every year (wear the makeup, Marley, don't hoard it like Gollum).

Onto the other stuff! Pressing matters here!

Today I went a little crazy and wore a skirt *above* my knee to work. Now, I'm not especially conservative, but when it comes to work attire, I'm absolutely boring. I always say that I'd refuse to work anywhere that would require a uniform, but I wear basic trousers and a button down (maybe with a statement necklace) constantly. Next resolution- have a little imagination. Use that imagination for things other than hoping for my Hogwarts letter. I digress- what do we think? Too short for work?

(Skirt- Merona, Sweater- Loft, Flats- Gap, Grommet Belt- Gap)

And what say you to the concept of winter shorts? I'm on the fence, but I wore this to the ballet a few weeks ago (oh yeah, another resolution- blog often, and in a timely manner)

(Shorts- SEARS, ya'll, Sweater- Loft, Shoes- Macy's, Tights- Vera by Vera Wang)

And then there's this, and it's just because I love you all so very much. You're welcome. (IT OWL. IT STOMP IT TINY FEET. I'll stop now.)

It's a fine life

2011-12-20T12:01:00.003+10:00

It's CRAZY how freaking glamorous my life is.

Like tonight, I'm sitting here in my gym clothes that I've been too lazy to change out of. I'm drinking cheap red wine from an "I <3 NY" coffee mug, and swatching new eyeliners.

But you know what? I'm cool with that. Because I'm swatching this eyeliner for one of my favorite people in the whole world, East Coast Sara. My dear, your hunt for the perfect taupe eyeliner is DONE. Go get the Physician's Formula Nude Eyeliner Trio immediately. The middle shade (Pewter? Pewter my ass. This is TAUPE) is what you've dreamed of. The picture below kinda sucks, but I wanted to catch the sparkle in the eyeliner. Right now if you buy it at CVS, you get $5 in CVS Bucks back too (which I immediately used to get the new Revlon mousse foundation- not too shabby).

Now, if you'll excuse me, there's a bottle of Barefoot Cabernet Sauvignon that needs my attention.

Sugar plums

2011-12-18T08:28:00.002+10:00

So last weekend I went to see my dearest friend in The Nutcracker. As always, he was magnificent. The Nutcracker here in Texas is a fashion smorgasbord (I love using that word)- some people are dressed for prom, some are dressed for Walmart. I decided to take a stance somewhere in the middle. Unfortunately, after I took these pictures, I decided that I hated the sweater I was wearing, and changed to a camisole and cardigan with beading, and changed necklaces, but by the time I had done all that, it was past time to get out the door. So, here we go anyway.

Endless thanks to EC Sara for talking me through the makeup...It's difficult to decide a FOTD for neon colors!
Eyes- MAC Gold Dust pigment, MAC Mulch, some UD dark brown shadow, MAC Vanilla pigment, and MAC Blacktrack e/s. Absolute barrels of mascara.
Face- LM Tinted Moisturizer, MAC Refined Golden bronzer, MAC Pink Chill blush, MAC Blonde MSF
Lips- MAC Lollipop Loving l/s, MAC Venetian lustreglass

Ancient black cashmere sweater, thrifted Express skirt, black fishnets and patent heels.

I did winter shorts (!!) the next night for another performance of The Nutcracker, and pics are forthcoming. Happy Holidays, ya'll.

Lazy bum

2011-11-15T08:08:00.003+10:00

I've been (yet again) a crappy, crappy blogger. I've just not been in the mood to do things like blog, put together even somewhat interesting outfits, or do my makeup. BUT- life keeps turning and changing, and so do I, and blogging is back on my mind.

So...this is what I've been up to lately....

Halloween- HIT GIRL from Kick-Ass! My awesome combat boots didn't make it in the photo, but they were there, and they were cool. Wearing the wig made me want to grow my hair out- so this might be goodbye (for a while) to the pixie.

Two wonderful friends got married. And this is what I wore. Sue Wong dress from the lovely Sara, lace and sequin jacket by Express.

Another beloved dress (this one from a Korean brand- which means it barely fits on my linebacker shoulders) from Sara. You should really check out her store- you wouldn't believe the unique, beautiful pieces she finds!

Ok, I know. This is so Texas. In moving back here, I've adjusted a bit to the native style of my hometown- there's a lot of studs, Bedazzling, and embellishment on everything! This caught my eye at a street fair where Renegade Ranch had set up a booth. A year ago, I probably wouldn't have looked twice at it, but it made me think of Liz Taylor and I just had to do it. A proper Texan would have had more jewelry on, and cowboy boots instead of kitten-heeled suede boots, but I loved it- this outfit transitioned well from a benefit dinner to a blues show at a bar. Maybe it isn't totally my style, but when in Rome...

Night at the Ballet

2011-10-08T08:42:00.004+10:00

I look pretty good tonight, and my mom is my date. That's not a complaint. Can't wait to see my best childhood friend open in his first starring role in a ballet- he's going to be magnificent!

Dior Gold Tones quint, Lancome Miel Glace blush, EL Sugar Honey l/s

H&M Dress and jacket, awesome suede boots from some random clearance rack.

My mom saw this outfit, and said "Oh. Well, when I saw that dress, I thought of it as more Grecian and....pretty. You made it....hard?". And I take that as the highest compliment.

I'm a terrible blogger!

2011-09-26T13:24:00.003+10:00

I'm so in the mood for fall-

Eyes- MAC Genuine Treasure paintpot, Laura Mercier e/

s on top (the famous taupe...and I can't recall the name..like I said, terrible blogger)

Dana Buchman dress, Old Navy cardigan, boots from Steinmart, Target bag

Ok, this isn't super exciting, I know. But I DO have my closet renovation pictures ready, and a blog post in the works- I'm revolutionizing the working closet. (Ok, overstatement, whatever- but I'm happy about it. I'll have it up in a day or so!)

Crystal Renn is a fox.

2011-08-06T13:09:00.003+10:00

I will easily admit I struggle with the way I look. I'd love to be as thin as I was when I was 16 again. But really- I only weigh 12 pounds more than I did 11 years ago. Growing older has just changed the way my body looks and feels, and usually, I'm just fine with it. Life happens, it's cool, I like being me, and it's good. I will also admit I may have a bit of an addiction to Vogue, Elle, W, Harper's, and all the other fashion publications that would prefer that we all look like this:

I remember this model, Crystal Renn, from when I was in high school. I wanted to look just like her. And though I didn't have the gorgeous hair and killer tan, I had the bones. I looked her up out of curiosity, and she has changed too:

Crystal circa 2006ish vs. the late 90's/2000. Quite a change. She went from the Kate Moss heroin chic thing to being a "plus-size" model. And damn, she is gorgeous. Really, no matter what weight she's at, the woman is a stunner.

And this is her today. A size 8. Just like me. Same height, same dress size. I'm analyzing my own thought processes and thinking how freaking crazy it is that I don't feel secure in my skin when I think this woman looks perfect. It's kind of a wake up call- I think about bumping up the yoga/Pilates and running and dialing down the food, but for what? For my health or to fit into a standard of beauty that I don't even really like?

When it's all said and done, it really doesn't matter that much. There are much more important priorities in my life than fitting into a size 0. I just wish that it never crossed my mind.

Hoarding

2011-07-28T13:09:00.005+10:00

This has been my favorite eyeshadow for the past two years. Yeah, I said it. Two years. Dior's Elegante quint is timeless, classy, and looks good on me. And as the dips get bigger and bigger, the less I can bring myself to use it. I can't find another set of neutrals that are warm without being jaundiced, satiny and glowy without being glitter-bombs, and last through a 12-hour workday like this little palette.
What's a girl to do? Recommendations for a replacement are always welcome...although Dior, I'd really prefer if you'd bring this back and make it permanent. And cut it out with this rumor of discontinuing the duo eyeshadows- seriously, those are gorgeous and you don't wanna do that.

And so it goes

2011-07-25T12:56:00.005+10:00

Everything in the entire world has changed since I started this blog. A quick play-by-play for those who might not know...

- Last fall, my husband and I divorced after six years of marriage.

- I reacted to this in a number of ways, from refusing to leave the house or eat to dancing all night at skeezy bars and drinking way too many 7&7s.

- As I began to get back on my feet, I was on a date that turned bad, leaving me with some bruises, a sliced up hand, and a really bad attitude towards men. Oh, and a stun gun.

- Six weeks after this occured, my adopted hometown was obliterated by a tornado. Countless friends lost their homes and livelihoods, and three friends, along with one of my Girl Scouts and her little brother, lost their lives. It was the single most horrendous, life-altering event of my lifetime, and I'm sure that most of my friends in Joplin could say the same.

- Then FEMA came knocking and wanted my apartment...after all, I was only one person living there, and they had countless homeless families to house..

- And my beloved job sold the office building we were housed in. This was a good fiscal move, it just left things undecided and shaky.

- I am now back at what was once home, in Texas. I grew up here, and left at 16. I lived here for two months after my freshman year of college, and after that, was never here for more than a week. In the last ten years. I live with my mom and our animals, and I have a job that I really enjoy at another non-profit.

In my state of shock over the last 8 months or so, fashion and makeup have gone out the window. I'm doing really well to make sure whatever I wear is ironed, and that I have on concealer under the circles below my eyes at the very least.

Now that I'm starting to pick back up, I want to pick my blog back up. I need fresh inspiration and input from the incredibly kind followers who are still subscribed! Here's some of my quandaries.

- I'm in a professional job, and I'm no longer providing direct services (my work clothes don't have to be child-proof anymore). I still want to look young and fun and quirky, while still being accessible to donors.

- I DO NOT FIT IN with the general style of this area. Think blonde, tan, stacked, lots of rhinestones, lots of jewelry, just LOTS in general. Coach purses everywhere. Oh, and the pixie cut? That just wins me the lesbian question a lot. Not that I really care, but really? My sexual preferences are defined by my hair?

- I am about to enter my LATE TWENTIES. The big 2-8, to be exact. I need to be a little more age-appropriate, without giving up and buying everything from Chico's.

-The shopping sucks here. Way worse than Joplin. yes, Joplin was a lot smaller, but I could drive to Anthro, Urban Outfitters, Loft, Nordstrom, etc in less than two hours. Now I'd have to drive five hours to my nearest Nordies. NO FREAKING BUENO. I have: Ross, TJ Maxx, Plato's Closet, Dillards, Gap, Steinmart, Express, AE...that's about it.

-Um, the water here is making my skin change. I have used Clinique skincare for a million years, and all of a sudden, I have breakout. The only real change is the water. (Don't say it's stress- even when the world was crumbling around me in Missouri, my skin was freaking perfect)

So, help?

More posts to come, with pretty pictures and the stuffs I'm lusting after. Also, I will be singing sweet hallelujahs to the return of the flared hipster jean. Seriously. Amazing. Life-changing.

Adios

2011-04-21T12:18:00.002+10:00

I don't really have the time or motivation to blog about makeup or fashion anymore...but I do hate to give it up completely. I'm going to hold this spot for a while until I figure out just what I'm doing. Okay, I'm never going to figure that out altogether, but my life is very different now - so I'm just going to wait, rather than thinking of updating my blog as a burden or hassle. I'll be back, I'm certain. Until then, thank you to all my subscribers and the sweet friends who've encouraged me!