Makeup Tip

5 Ways to Avoid Stress Before a Trip

November 13, 2010 · 2 comments

I’ve mentioned before that I’m a procrastinator par exellence. It’s what I’ve been doing best for a good chunk of my life including the crucial years I spent in university. If there was an essay worth 50% of the final mark (grr!) due the next day? You bet your MAC limited edition palette I’m still watching slapstick humour clips on YouTube the day before. Too often I would find myself near hysteria trying to cram an entire semester’s worth of information the night before a midterm in vain.

Doing things at the very last minute possible is not good. You stress yourself out big time and you often forget very important details that you otherwise would night had you just prepared in advance. Packing for a trip, regardless of the duration, tends to drive people stark raving mad enough (myself included) without the added pressure of a time constraint.

So, in preparation for an upcoming trip to the Bahamas (yeaa-uhh!), I decided that now is the time to abandon my all time favourite bad habit and for once be ahead of schedule. Here are just some of the things I did that I hope may help you.

Make list of the things you need
Sit yourself down and write an extensive list of things you might need for the trip. For this trip, I listed the essentials (e.g. Passport, extra money, wallet, identification, etc.) — basically things that are not easily replaceable at the top.
I then listed the rest of what I thought I needed after.
…And check it twice.
You would be surprised at how many things you forget to list out initially. This extra step, though seemingly tedious, helps to ensure that you don’t forget anything else you may need.
Put aside your documents before anything
Once I’ve made a list, I put all of my travel documents, a small bag containing any medication I may need (cough/cold, motion sickness, etc.) — basically whatever is on my top list — in a bag close to the door or any place in my room which is constantly in line with my view. This helps remind me that it is there so I won’t forget it before I leave.
Don’t wait until the night before or the day of your trip.
When I would pack my stuff at the very last minute, I found myself very high strung and stressed out. I also tended to forget a lot of important things (Hello, how do you forget your underwear!!). It got to be so exhausting that I just lost the excitement for the trip. Keeping a good pace and a clear mind whilst packing definitely helps save you from unnecessary stress.
Don’t take everything out of your closet
I tend to think that I need every single thing in my closet, washroom, and bedroom so I usually end up over packing. Gather the things you think you might wear and then make an audit. You’d be surprised at how many items of clothing you can eliminate. Also, I try to stick to basics; basic tee, shorts/pants, a muted cardigan, and a light jacket in case it gets a little chilly where I’m about to go — they’re all quite interchangeable and can make several different outfits.
Listen to music you enjoy
Listening to my all-time favourite songs helps make packing for a trip a more enjoyable experience. I feel like I’m in a better mood and it also makes me feel more excited for the trip. Suddenly, carefully arranging, rearranging, and rearranging some more seems less annoying.

And that’s pretty much what I did before a trip this time around. Needless to say, I was not stressed out at all and actually had enough time to share this post with you .

Do you have any tips yourself? Please share; it may help me better pack for a trip in the future .

simpletess

A Great Use for Concealer

October 23, 2010 · 2 comments

in Beauty Hacks

Isn’t it the worst when you buy lipstick that you thought looked gorgeous on you inside the store only to regret that decision as soon as you see your reflection outside in natural light?

I’ve made this mistake at least two times in the past: one red lipstick was too much on the orange side while another was a pink that was way too.. pink (I’m really picky, ok?).

Moving along. You can do two things if ever you find yourself in this life altering predicament (sarcasm alert!): 1) return the lipstick (if the store you bought it from allows returns/exchanges on cosmetics) or 2) work with it.

To take a vibrant lipstick down a notch or two, just grab your favourite liquid concealer and put a small dot on top of your freshly applied lipstick. With either your lip brush or your finger, just spread it all along your lips like you would lipbalm. Et Voilà! You’ve just made yourself nude/flesh toned lip colour!

You can go as nude-y as you like — just be sure not to over apply so as not to look anemic. If you went a little too crazy with the concealer, just dab a little bit of the red lipstick to add some colour back to your lips.

Remember:

This look works best with well moisturized lips and don’t use anything other than liquid concealer.
This look works best with bright red and orange lipstick. So, please don’t expect it to work wonders on blue/black/purple lipstick.

image

5 Sure-Fire Ways to Look (Way) Older

August 10, 2010 · 4 comments

in Beauty Hacks

I was blog surfing last night when I chanced upon a recent photo of Taylor Momsen (Jenny Humphrey from Gossip Girl) performing for her band, The Pretty Reckless. Clad in what looked like a worn nightdress, fishnet stockings, bright red lips, and really, really, REALLY, dark eye makeup. Really, this girl is JUST 17 years old — but she looked at least 5 years older. My awe turned into shock when I saw her with a pack of cigarettes rolled in her stockings a la Ponyboy Curtis and the rest of his “greaser” buddies in The Outsiders.

Seeing her photo inspired me to do a post on how to look older. So, ladies, without further ado:

Too much black eyeliner: As exemplified by Ms. Momsen above (seriously, did she forget her just forget to wear her bottoms?), lining your eyes with too much kohl makes them look a lot smaller and leaves a garish look to your face. Really, leave this look to the Hamburglar.
Makeup Overload: Kohl, strong blush, and bright lipstick. Have all three of the above? Girl, walk back to your room and wash them off. All off. I like to stick to the “less is more” philosophy when it comes to makeup. Too much of too many things going on the same time can leave you looking, well, too much.
Very strong (and DARK) Eyebrows: Unless you’re trying to emulate Joanne Crawford, then go easy on the brows. As a general rule of thumb, your eyebrows should be a shade lighter than your hair so as not to look too harsh. Neither should it be over-filled/line. Look in the mirror — too much? Trust your inner-voice.
Too much eyeshadow: See a pattern here? Too much of something is never really a good idea. So, remember Magda from There’s Something About Mary? Yeah, try not to do your eye makeup like hers. Frosty baby blues, baby pinks, bright yellows — they all look really tacky, at least in my opinion, when piled on the lids.
Not taking care of your skin: Makeup looks best on well moisturized skin. Also, concealer, foundation, etc. tend to settle in fine lines, so moisturizing your skin well is tantamount to watering your flowers. Don’t water them and they will dry up.

Have any tips of your own? Please share

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