Drugstore Mascaras I'm Dying to Try

My number 1 most wanted drugstore mascara at the moment is the Rimmel Lash Accelerator. I have seen some great reviews on this product and I am itching to buy this one as soon as I can. It claims to make lashes instantly look 80% longer and, with continued use, improve the natural lash length 117%.

My second most wanted is the Maybelline Full N' Soft which claims to make your lashes look naturally full and voluptuous while still maintaining their soft, natural feel. No crunchy lashes here. I have seen this on many peoples' top drugstore mascara lists so its a must try for me.

The L'oreal Telescopic is another one that I have heard a lot of hype about. I adore L'oreal Voluminous Original and L'oreal Voluminous Million Lash so I have high hopes for this guy.

I don't know what it is about this mascara but everytime I see it in stores it's like I am a moth drawn to the light. The packaging just catches my attention and I always want to pick it up and give it a try. A name like "Falsies" kinda appeals to me as well.

Ear Stretching

Hey loves! I hope all of you are doing fantastic. I am really eager to get writing on this topic because I feel like I have a lot to say about it. If you aren't familiar with the term "ear stretching" you may be more familiar with "ear gauging." The proper way to say it is stretching but I know where I come from it is more often referred to as "gauging."

The reason I am writing about this topic is because, for me, this body modification has a lot more meaning and symbolism behind it then I think other people realize and I feel the need to rant about it. Those of you reading this who know me personally, know that I am a pretty "girly" girl. I am very conservative, polite, modest, etc. I am also very outspoken and strong-willed. And you also know that I have had a share of piercings before, my latest retired piercing being my Monroe Piercing.

I personally am not into sporting multiple piercings at once. I think it is overwhelming and it doesn't convey the message I am trying to put out there. So when I got my Monroe, I took out my nose ring, and when I took out my Monroe, I got my tragus pierced (that's an ear piercing). I adore having at least one "unique" piercing that stands out on my otherwise conservative body. I feel like it is a symbol of that little bit of rebellion and strength that only those who know me well know I possess.

I love anything unconventional because to me it is a message of acceptance. When I have a unique piercing I feel like I am making a statement that you don't have to be a "bad kid" to have piercings and tattoos. Hard-asses aren't the only ones who can rock stretched ears and inked bodies. A lot of times those people who look the most put together and clean cut can be way more shady then that tatted up guy with the septum ring at Hot Topic. It is nobodies place to judge someone by the way they look.

And to those who think Body Modifications such as tattoos and piercings are disrespectful to our bodies, I have a rebuttal for that too. My tattoo was done out of the utmost respect and celebration for my body. I made the decision to get a beautiful hibiscus flower on my body as a symbol of all things I deem beautiful in my life. Tattoos and piercings are an enhancement to your body that you have complete control of. Nobody but you can make the decision to get your body pierced or tattooed. To me this is a sign of empowerment because it gives you a sense of control over your body.

So why do some people feel the need to look negatively at body modification art? For some reason in our culture it has become taboo because of the times when tattoos and piercings were more limited to gang members and crime. Thankfully I do feel like my generation and the generations after me are becoming much more accepting of these forms of expression. We need to remember that these body modifications have been around long before gang members were wearing them, so why do they need to be looked at negatively? Saying all people with tattoos and piercings are "troubled" or gang members is like saying all Italians are a part of the mob.

I just wanted to share with you all my reasons for loving body modification and hopefully I gave you a different perspective on the art and symbolism behind it. Right now I am expressing myself through my tragus piercing and the process of stretching out my ears. And those who haven't learned their lesson yet, don't jump to conclusions. I am not seeking a dime-sized hole in my ear. I am after a 6g which is a very small gauge size that still allows you to escape the traditional earring style. The plugs for stretched ears can be more beautiful, feminine, and ornate than those dangly earrings everyone else wears and that I find EXTREMELY uncomfortable.

These are some of the most beautiful plugs I have found and ones I will definitely be purchasing when I reach my goal size. Yes, my goal size is that super tiny one lying down that you can barely make out. See? Don't freak out! 

 I also love these ones. They are so gorgeous they look like water!

 I'm a big fan of the organic materials like these wooden plugs. Very hippy chic.

 These plugs are all from bodyartforms.com which is an AMAZING site for any body jewelry you want!

My tragus and 14g ear piercing. :)

It's Been Too Long + Update on my Assisting Job

Hey guys, I am so sorry to those who follow me and enjoy reading my blog. I know that I haven't been posting as frequently. First of all, I have been a little overwhelmed by my new job. I was just starting to get into the swing of things there and I was starting to feel confident enough in what I was doing that I wasn't getting nervous "butterflies" every time I left for work but the last couple weeks I feel like I have gone backwards.

The people at my work are all extremely nice people and the last thing I ever want to do is let them down. It truly eats me up inside when I let anybody down. Unfortunately it has been made clear to me that I am struggling to keep up at the salon. Apparently, I am not quite quick enough in applying the color nor am I thorough enough. Now, anyone who knows me and how I work knows that I am quite a perfectionist, and I never submit to doing sloppy work, so the fact that I am not being "thorough" enough came as a shock even to me. I hate to be "that" assistant that nobody wants to work with because she sets the schedule behind. Now nobody has told me that I am "that" assistant but I sure do feel like it.

It truly has been hard on my self-esteem to go from being one of the more recognized students at my cosmetology school to being the slowest assistant. I get down on myself sometimes but I do realize that I can only do what I can. I try my hardest and if I can't keep up then it wasn't meant to work out. I know that I am not a slacker when it comes to work so I just have to take comfort in the fact that I am doing all I can. I am going out later to grab a color applicator bottle like the ones used at work and I am going to practice applying conditioner to a mannequin head to get my time better.

Anyways, that is just a little update and why I have been blog M.I.A. Please lend me any encouraging stories you may have had with jobs in the past where you felt similar to what I am dealing with. It helps me to keep positive that I will overcome this little bump in the road. Thank you guys and take care! <3

Revlon Age Defying Concealer Update

HATE IT!

Umm, yeah, after using this product off and on for a few weeks now I finally confirmed today how much I dislike this product. I came to the conclusion when, after wearing the concealer for less than 5 hours, I looked in the mirror and noticed clumped up chunks of product all over my under-eye area. The product wears terribly and slides around to form little clumped lines of product.

I wasn't impressed by this product at first application either. I don't know if it is just my skin tones' reaction with the color I chose or what, but I noticed right away how yellow this concealer is. And for me, my bluish under eye circles + yellow concealer = green under-eyes which means I look like a zombie.

The product also claims to be as hydrating as an eye cream which it most definitely is not! It is very thick, sticky, and hard to blend. I will say it is a very opaque concealer though.

I definitely do not recommend this product and give it a .5/5 stars. Yeah, it's that bad. At least on my skin. Everyone is different which is why there are so many products to choose from. Let me know if any of you have tried this and what you think of it!