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!

L'oreal Voluminous Million Lash and Revlon Age Defying Concealer Review

Before Million Lash Mascara and Revlon Concealer

 After

As you guys can undoubtedly tell from the pictures that speak much louder than words, these two products are pretty damn good! I was blown away as soon as I began applying the Million Lash Mascara! It was instant love, I am telling you!  This product did exactly what it claimed. It defined my lashes, truly making it look like I had a million of them, while volumizing them to the max. It was a smooth, easy application and one coat was all I needed to make my lashes look fabulous. One thing I loved was that my lashes felt soft and pliable to the touch, not hard and crunchy. I also feel the need to mention the scent of the product. I noticed in a lot of other reviews, girls complained about the scent like it was the most horrific thing in the world. Those girls need to calm themselves down because the scent is nothing obscene whatsoever. It smells better then straight up chemicals which normal mascaras smell like. And you can't even smell it unless you stick your nose to the bottle and who does that? Overall I love, love, love this product. It is definitely my HG (Holy Grail) drugstore mascara!

Now for the Revlon Age Defying Concealer. Again, a wonderful drugstore product that performs and feels like a high end product. As you can see from the pictures, this product worked wonders on my dark circles. With this product you need the tiniest amount and the product is super opaque. The product was also very moisturizing on my eye area which I loved. I will definitely recommend this to you guys if you are looking for a good under-eye concealer.

Hauling!

Hey loves! I have been being bad and spending my money lately! I bought a couple new makeup products last weekend and it is kind of like once I start, I can't stop. I am so addicted to trying and reviewing new products!

Okay, so product number one is the newly launched L'oreal Voluminous Million Lashes Mascara. You better believe I will be reviewing this in a later blog post! I have been on a mascara frenzy lately, I bought myself the new Diorshow last weekend and I am liking it so far but not fully sold on it. I have the hardest time finding a mascara that volumizes without clumping! Am I asking for the moon here? Well, the Million Lash promises no clumping so it enticed me into trying it out. I will be letting you all know what I think of it.

Next product is the Age Defying Concealer by Revlon. Concealers are always a must for me because I have dark under eye circles that need to be covered up everyday to keep me looking fresh and alive. What drew me in about this concealer was that is promises to be moisturizing like an eye cream while providing coverage.

The final product is one that I actually can say I sort of "needed." I haven't been using bronzer for months and months now but because the weather is getting more and more grey, I was feeling like I needed something to give my skin a healthy glow throughout the cloudy fall/winter months. Nars is a company that I already hold in high regards. Their Orgasm blush is a product I wear every single day and I have had it for nearly a year and have not yet hit pan. These products may be expensive, but they last! I had the associate at Sephora try the Laguna bronzer on me because I wanted to make sure it wasn't going to be too dark and it wasn't. The color was GORGEOUS on my fair skin and gave me the warmest, healthiest looking sun-kissed glow!

Tomorrow I will post reviews and pictures of these products on me so keep a look out for that. Love y'all!

Rachel Bilson Think Pink Makeup

As soon as I saw this picture of Rachel Bilson I had to copy it! The look was originally done my makeup artist and blogger Troy Jensen. I love his blog and his work by the way! I know my camera quality sucks so I'm sorry you can't see the makeup as well. I am working on getting a better camera option but for now this is all I have.

Products Used:

Coastal Scents original 88 palet

Nars Orgasm Blush

Fresh Supernova Mascara

Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer

MAC Mineralized Skin finish in Medium

MAC Studio Finish Concealer in NW20

Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer Review

If you haven't heard of this product already, then you are missing out on the holy grail of all tinted moisturizers and it is about time you read a review on it. After receiving a sample of this TM from my local Laura Mercier counter and using it for a couple weeks, I was hooked and head over heels in love! 

It took me some convincing to purchase this product, at 42$ it is not something to pick up on a whim, but as soon as I tried the sample I knew I would be back to buy the full size. My shade is in Nude and there is quite a selection of shades to choose from so I am sure everybody could be matched to their perfect color.

The texture of this product was a bit different then other TMs I have tried, and at first touch I was skeptical of how easily this product would be applied. The product, being water based instead of oil based, is quite a bit thicker and stickier feeling than I expected. When it is in your fingers you just can't imagine it going onto your skin so smoothly. I prefer to apply TMs with my fingers because its quicker and, especially for this particular TM, the heat from your fingertips really helps to melt the product right into your skin.

Despite the fact that the product feels thick in your fingers, it applies fairly well. The application isn't as smooth and simple as smearing a moisturizer onto your face. It does require a bit more massaging with your fingers to spread the product around but the product itself blends into your skin so seamlessly it's amazing! You get a truly, flawless natural look.

The moisturizing capability of this product was also a huge deal for me. I was concerned the oil free would not provide enough moisture for my combination/dry skin and like I have said before, I enjoy TMs specifically because they are supposed to be a 2 in 1 product. I do not want to have to apply moisturizer under a TM. The consistency of the product in my fingers, again, concerned me. I urge you to try the product on your face before judging it because this product was surprisingly very moisturizing. After applying this product on my freshly rinsed face, my skin had no tightness to it and it felt refreshed and hydrated.


The other factor to this TM that amazed me was the level of coverage it gave. The coverage is what I would call light/medium. It is super light by nature but this TM is very buildable. Wherever I have some problem areas i.e. redness or dark circles, I apply a bit more product and the coverage definitely amps up. This TM has the most coverage of any other tinted moisturizer I have found without it feeling heavy like a foundation.


The staying power of this TM is also outstanding. I have no need to apply a primer or a setting powder with this tinted moisturizer and I swear it lasts all day on my skin. I love this because it definitely saves me time in the mornings not having to take those extra steps.


This product is definitely a holy grail item and I give it a 10 out of 10!