Allergies and The Blues

My allergies have hit me full force with a no holding back smack along side the head, and I know I'm not the only one.  I wake up (that is if I can even sleep,) everyday to congestion, sneezing and devil red eyes that itch so bad that no amount of prescription eyedrops can alleviate!  Today they were accompanied with a headache, body aches and even a little fever on and off all day, typical symptoms of cedar fever which are just not quite bad enough to call into work.  So I sucked it up and went....


I love this aqua skirt and since the temperature made it's way up to the 80's today, (a bit of a luxury in January,) I figured it was the perfect day to wear it.  It's hard to see in the pictures but it has tiny pleats all the way around it and is very floaty when I walk, which sort of enhanced the the medicated haze that I was roaming around in all day.  I really wanted to wear it with a gold sequined tank but the two together were not quite right, but the texture and fit of this navy tank worked well, so I decided to keep the color theme going with the navy booties, and right on up to my eyes...

(Photo via)
Nothing like the blues to chase away the red eyes. I used Goddess Eyeshadow from Urban Decay, which I think is now discontinued.  Rumor has it that lining red eyes in navy creates the illusion that your eyes are less red...I promise you it works!  I probably should actually use (and recommend) a liner instead of a shadow that has some glitter in it while the allergies are bad, but this was what I had on hand. 

Now if it could only get rid of the puffiness and stop the constant itch...I swear it's like someone is touching my eye with the tip of a blade of grass, and it waters up so much that occasionally I have tears running down my cheeks...yeah, it's that maddening.

J.

Color Dare-Bright Pink

I've been wanting to try colorful bright lipsticks for some time now but have been a little scared. Will they read too young? Is it just too crazy? Well, today I'm taking the trend for a test drive.
I purchased Rose Hip from a drugstore line called Milani. (I figured if I didn't like it, at least I wasn't paying to much for it...) Here's how it looks on me...

BRIGHT!
But that's the whole point, right? (I didn't want to do to much more than a simple grey eyeshadow with it because truly, this is enough for day.) It's actually a really fun shade, and I can see it being a great pop of color for that LBD or just a great punch for that simple jean and tee outfit.

Actually, pink and grey ended up being the color scheme for my day...

I'm curious to see what kind of reaction the lips get! If all goes well, it maybe the basis of my summer makeup. (I normally focus on my eyes.) Who knows, maybe I'll be brave enough to try a color from the coral/tangerine family.
J.

Breaking My Makeup Rut

It's been a long time since I've played in my makeup box. But I figured since the boyfriend was busy adjusting the color on the TV, I'd adjust the color of my eyes.
Normally I'm the more natural makeup girl with a dash of color on the lids, easy and fast so I can get to work on time. But since time happened to be a luxury at the moment, I decided to take advantage of it and do something a little more intense.
So after flipping through "Making Faces" by Kevin Aucoin,

(which is a bit like a makeup bible to me as most of his books are,) I decided to try out the Glamorous look from page 60. It was actually very easy except for rimming the inside upper eyelid which took me a really long time and makes my eyes water like mad! (Anyone with ways of making this easier, please let me know.)
But the effect makes me happy...

I didn't use the recommended red lip since I was headed out to teach a ballet class and a face full of makeup seemed like a bit much but it would be nice for an evening out. But I will be trying this look (and others) again.

But this has officially taken me out of my makeup rut and I'll give myself a few extra minutes before work to try something different.
J.

In Coordination With My Closet-New Make Up

Anyone who knows me, knows I love make up! (Too much!) But I'm like Charlie from Charlie and The Chocolate Factory when I get a new product...I put the new item of lust on my desk in front of me, and for weeks I'll torture myself and not use it, sort of the way Charlie would eat that candy bar, just ever so slowly peeling back the wrapper and only nibbling at the chocolate confection found underneath. Oh, I'll peek at the color, maybe test it on the back of my hand, contemplate how I'll use it until finally I can stand it no longer! Well, I'm almost there with the Cabaret Bouquet color palate from "Pop" that I received for Xmas...

I still have it in the cardboard box, but inside is a lovely, velvet covered kit perfect for day and night looks...

The size is perfect for travel...just throw in your favorite brushes and mascara and you're ready to go!

The blush/bronzer duo on the left side will be great for those high sculpted cheekbones that everyone wants. The glosses on the right side are nice because I'm not sure I want to take on the lipstick trend yet...I love the look of the bold lip but it's something I'll have to work with. Having 2 different options for eyes is great, lovely light mattes for a clean neutral look on the right and fun deep shades full of sparkle to the left.

I have some travel coming up and throwing this in will be a no brainer, which makes the act of packing that much easier (and leave more room for shoes!) Normally I carry at least 5 shades of shadow just to go away for the weekend- I always worry I'm not going to have the exact shade (or shoes) that I need.

What's in your travel cosmetic case?

J.

Coping

Every year around this time, central Texas is under siege by severe allergies. It affects probably 98% of the local population in varying degrees. This year's bout has hit me directly in the eyes. One day I had rubbed my makeup off twice before I'd even started working...and I start work no later than 7:30 a.m. There are times when I'm scratching at them so badly that I'm forced to go to bed just to ignore my misery!

Needless to say, allergies have forced me to change my makeup routine. I like playing with fun eye makeup but smearing it all over my face ruins it. So how do I cope?

My Allergy Proof Look

1) It starts with skincare my routine. I switch from my foamy cleanser to a creamier version and dot on more moisturizer than I normally would use on my (typically) oily skin.
2) A red nose is inevitable so I use a yellow based foundation, (I find liquid foundation to be a little more moisturizing for me,) followed by powder.
3) I steering clear of the shadows with glitter, and dab a creamy highlighter on my brow bones only- I seem to miss this area when I'm involuntarily (and frantically) scratching at my lids, but it really wouldn't be too messy if it I couldn't avoid it.
4) I fill in my brows with a pencil, not powder, which could fall into my already irritated eyes.
5) Mascara is optional. I admit that I love it and am willing to deal with raccoon eyes for the day, but a good eyelash curler could easily get me through the day.
6) Finally, an area I usually ignore, I brush on a pink "as if I've been outside" blush on the apples of my cheeks which does a pretty good job of masking my "I feel like death" look.

For my lips I just use a chapstick, preferably something with a little menthol scent in it so I might have some moment of breathing clarity through my nose -even if it is for 5 seconds.

And I still recommend a pocket full of kleenex.

J.