Wednesday, July 31, 2013

Chronicles: Last Day of July

I haven't done a Chronicles: A Day in the Life of the Misnomer for some time (read: in two years.) so I've decided to do one now. I want to do one today because I had a flawless day, for the most part, and I just want to tell all my followers (read: Isabel) all about it.

Tuesday, July 16, 2013

A Very True Quote From a Writer I Loathe

Like anybody can tell you, I am not a very nice man. I don’t know the word. I have always admired the villain, the outlaw, the son of a bitch. I don’t like the clean-shaven boy with the necktie and the good job. I like desperate men, men with broken teeth and broken minds and broken ways. They interest me. They are full of surprises and explosions. I also like vile women, drunk cursing bitches with loose stockings and sloppy mascara faces. I’m more interested in perverts than saints. I can relax with bums because I am a bum. I don’t like laws, morals, religions, rules. I don’t like to be shaped by society.
Charles Bukowski (taken from tumblr via aeloquence)

My Top Five Favourite Fashion Blogs

Wow! It's been awhile since I posted about fashion! Lately I've been into skin care and make up quite heavily and my blog has reflected that. However, I wanted to make a really quick post on my favourite fashion bloggers and say why I like them so much.

5. Walk of Fashion - My blogger friend Isabel had to make the list, even though she doesn't blog strictly about fashion. She's also really excellent as reviewing make up products and at detailing her skin care routine and stuff of that nature. However, when she does talk fashion, she does it really well! My favourite feature from her used to be the Interview a Fashion Blogger (Girls of the Blogosphere) segment which was unfortunately discontinued quite a while ago. Still a lovely blogger to follow though - and she covers a wide variety of topics such as lifestyle, skin care, make-up, bags, royal fashion (she's really on point with this one!) and nail polish!

4. Crack Cosette - I just never know what is coming next with this one, and thats what keeps me interested. I also love how she stays so true to the European aesthetic and palette. Like, some European bloggers try too hard to be urban or edgy or ethnic, and its just really embarrassing when you know that that is not what are about naturally or even what they genuinely feel comfortable in. She sees that there is still a lot of unexplored beauty in woolly fabrics, and pastel colours. I guess I just like how she resists trends but still manages to do new things with a very classic style.

3. The Sartorialist - At least one street blogger had to make the list and it had to be Scott Schuman. What a legend. The blog of his beau, Garance Dore, is more than a little wonderful as well. But Scott, Scott is amazing. He has the keen eye for detail that a great street style photographer requires.

2. Karla's Closet - I think I actually love this girl. Her style is just so...flawless. I know that word is bandied about a lot, but her attention to detail, to texture, and her fearlessness to adjust pretty clothes demands the word flawless. Since I started following her blog in 2010, this girl has been on point with every single post, and she only started in 2008! As in she took two years to perfect blogging, while others (me) never quite get the hang of it! The camera work is flawless, the editing is down... The whole blog just has such a uncluttered, stylish layout. For me, an aspiring minimalist, her blog is just so clean. That's the word! Clean. Her approach to fashion blogging is just so clean.

1. Style Pantry - If you are considering becoming a beauty blogger, don't go on her personal style page, because you will be discouraged. She can't be topped. Its just not possible. Just throw in the towel and walk away.
No seriously, her bravery with bright colours, ethnic prints and massive, billowing maxi dresses is to be revered. She is just so bad-assly excellent at all things fashion. Plus, as I'm a Caribbean girl, I can really appreciate all the bright colours and light, airy maxi dresses. I feel like if I were to live in the USA and I had all the resources and shops and everything, I'd have a style that was very similar to hers. Her style speaks to me on a very personal level.

Bonus fashion blog:
Style Tao - I really love Miray. She's a phenomenal street blogger. I actually think she might be as good, if not better than Scott, but her blog doesn't seem to get nearly as much flow for some reason, so I plugged her here. Guys, please check her out! She's photographed for Vogue and everything! :)

Monday, July 15, 2013

My Make-Up Routine


Disclaimer: cr. slimmer_jimmer according to Creative Commons terms of use

So my make-up routine has changed significantly for two very particular reasons: 

Friday, July 12, 2013

I Want! I Want! I Want! (But that's Crazy)

So, I am not rich. And now I'm trying to finish up my education, I haven't been working for most of this year, in order to finish my studies as quickly and cleanly as humanly possible. So actually, I am not just not-rich, I'm pretty close to poverty as I haven't been working since March. Anyway, the problem with this is that I have very expensive taste, especially when it comes to skin products and cosmetics. My wishlist is very extensive and includes correcting serums, night creams and a mud mask, but my immediate concern is mascara.

My L'Oreal Lash Architect is on its last legs. Because I am not the sort to dutifully change mascara every three months, I just wait till all the product is definitely gone. I have been using this mascara for so long that the Lash Architect has since been discontinued (and replaced by Lash Architect 4D.) Anyway, a new mascara is long overdue for me. And I have had my eye on Chanel Inimitable for YEARS!!Here's proof:

My old twitter
So yeah, that tweet is from 2010. I wasn't joking when I said I've wanted it for years. I could have saved for it and bought it ten times over in the past 3 years but I haven't for the following reasons:
1. I can't find Chanel cosmetic products for sale anywhere on my island.
2. Online shopping is a no-no for me as I'm a former shopaholic and I still don't trust myself with a credit card.
3. Mascaras that cost US $30 or more give me anxiety. In my currency, that's double, $60! I have real trouble justifying that price for mascara.


Anyway, because of my expensive mascara lust, coupled by my lack of dinero, I will probably sadly compromise by buying a drugstore mascara, but a nice drugstore mascara! L'Oreal makes really good, reasonably priced mascaras, and I see one with my name on it! Their original Lash Architect was really good to me, so now its my favourite drugstore brand.
Now I've got my eye on their L'Oreal Voluminous line, but they have so many products with such confusing and eerily similar names that its hard to choose! I think I've narrowed it down to Voluminous False Fiber Lashes and Voluminous Million Lashes Volume Excess (what a mouthful!).

I also think Maybelline might do the job, but I am scarred by their Lash Stiletto Voluptuous that I bought years ago by them which I hated. To date the worst mascara I've ever used was by Revlon, but I don't even remember what the exact name of it was. I probably blotted it out of my memory because it was so bad. Anyway, Maybelline's Lash Stiletto Voluptuous wasn't much better.

I realize I am talking about mascaras as though you guys even know what the needs of my lashes are, shame on me! Everyone's lashes are different. I haven't even said if my lashes need a mascara for volume, or one for length! Well, my lashes are naturally curly and quite long, but they are extremely thin and rather sparse, so I definitely need a thickening, volumizing mascara. However, many volumizing mascaras seem to clump a lot, and there is nothing more I hate than clumpy lashes; they look so fake!  I think the problem with volumizing mascaras is that they tend to have very thick wand bristles, in order to deposit as much product as possible on to the lashes for super thickness. What I liked about the Lash Architect was that even though it's mainly for length, it also made my lashes look much thicker, and even better that hat, it really separated and organized them really cleanly and beautifully.

Honestly, though I need volume, I'd give up volume for length if length meant better separation and no clumps. For that reason I might go ahead and get the Lash Architect 4D, even though its for length and not volume, in hopes that it is as good at separation as the original Lash Architect was (my old HG, I am devastated it was discontinued).

Anyway, enough about me! What is your HG (Holy Grail) mascara and why do you like it so much?

Monday, July 1, 2013

Sensitive Skin: Morning/Night Skin Care Regime

I have the most sensitive skin in life. 

Everything reacts with it. And I do mean everything. It scars extremely easily. A pair of sunglasses I wore several years ago still has its dark scars where it rested on my nose. I have long since misplaced those shades but thanks to my nose, I will never quite forget them. I have also been wearing standard spectacles since I was eight and every pair of glasses has marred my nose. Now when I get a new pair of spectacles I make sure that they are 1). plastic frames, and 2). rest on the already scarred part of my nose, because I figure if I already have the marks, they might as well rest on them and not create new ones.

Anyway, the point is, that caring for skin this reactive is not an easy task. I have learnt the hard way that while other people can venture outside and return completely unscathed, if I do the same I will return with five more freckles and new sun spots. Living in the tropics with this skin means copious amounts of sunscreen, no lower than SPF 30, must be applied before I go outside. And reapplied every two hours, just to be safe. 

This skin has led to a certain sort of paranoia and a negative reaction to the sun. I basically try to avoid the sun at all costs, and when I do go out into it, I ready my skin like a fighter suits up to go off to war. I regularly take a hat with me and I never leave home without my umbrella. The good thing about this paranoia is that it has led me to a skin care regime that is not only pretty darned effective for myself, but which might help others out there. 

So let's get started. I don't like to use a lot of products, so I try to keep it simple.

   Its a gentle scrub that I use as an exfoliant. I know its described as a daily scrub, but if you have super sensitive skin like me, I wouldn't advise scrubbing your face every single day. I try to use this two to three times a week. I like this product because its the only scrub I found that did not irritate my skin. Its microbeads are small enough that its gentle, but densely-packed so it is still effective.
And on the weekend I also do one of those DIY steam facials which is a fancy way of saying you hold a towel over your head above a hot bowl of water and use that to open the pores to get the excess oil and sebum (yuck!) out of your pores that you might have missed during the week. Hey, you gotta go through the ugly to get to the pretty. I figure as its a natural procedure, it can't do too much damage.
And by the way, I've noticed people here use St.Ive's apricot scrub with the reverence usually ascribed to a sacred ritual. Personally, I do not even think people with normal, flawless skin should use that. The grains in that thing are massive! There's a reason dermatologists use that thing as a foot scrub.
Oh, and with sensitive skin I'd avoid harsh procedures at the spa like chemical peels. Just a word of advice.

  Are we noticing a theme here? Yes, Aveeno is a favourite brand of mine because its products are actually gentle enough for my skin. I don't think I'm getting across how big of a deal that is for me. Even Simple is too harsh for my skin - I'm sorry, but Simple's products are so drying! On the other hand, its as if Aveeno was created with sensitive skin in mind. It's actually more due to the fact that they are all about natural solutions to skin care, but it works for my sensitive skin and for that I am thankful!
Anyway, this face wash cleanses your skin without stripping everything away (unlike Simple, cough!) and is really creamy and moisturizing. It feels like milk!!

  I don't even know if this thing is legit brightening my skin; all I know is that it feels so freaking good. Its one of the few toners that does not dry out my skin, and thats a big deal. I would actually buy it again just because of the soothing effect. I only apply it at night because I figure the skin repairs itself the most at night, so it would be most effective then. And I swear when I go to sleep with this thing on, I sleep more peacefully.

Moisturizer - I have two moisturizers right now (I don't use them simultaneously!). Both are old classics and personal favourites of mine. 
  The first is Clinique's Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion. Its step 3 in Clinique skin care system. Now personally, I found the first two steps (a cleanser and toner) to be mediocre. The toner especially I found to be rather drying. I mean, if you want a drying toner, witch hazel is way cheaper. The moisturizing lotion however is the piece de resistance of that skin care trio. It is so moisturizing. Its like my skin breathes a sigh of relief when I apply it. And it definitely brightens complexion and makes skin look awake.
  The second moisturizer is Pond's Clarant B3 - I don't understand how a drugstore product that contains ingredients as harmful as parabens can be this amazing. But it is. And honestly its the only product that lightens my sun spots, treats the hyperpigmentation and treats the sun damage. And the best part about it is that its cheap!! It's less than ten dollars at all the stores I've checked.
  Another reason I find it so amazing is that it has this matte effect that is so necessary when you live in the tropics. One of the problems I have with Clinique Dramatically Moisturizing Lotion is that it can leave you feeling greasy because its so creamy. Clarant B3's matte effect means that you don't get all oily and greasy during the day because of the heat.
  A word of advice when using this product: I've noticed some people saying they tried it for a week and it had no effect. This product is slow-acting and needs five-six weeks before you see any real improvement. You also need to use it religiously day and night for it to work properly. 

Sunscreen - Clinique's SPF 30 Face Cream. War-paint. For some people war-paint is their make-up. For me, sunscreen. I do battle with the sun with it on. I rarely win, but at least it gives me a fighting chance.

Finally, at night, after toner I sometimes use Olay's Complete Plus Ultra-Rich Night Firming Cream (Possibly discontinued). 
I only use this when my skin is feeling particularly tired or dry. I know I should use it every night but some nights I just don't feel like it. Its so rich that it feels rather heavy. And I can't sleep with a heavy face on. And I swear it only made my smile lines more prominent. I'm on the lookout for another night firming cream, something lightweight.

I don't know if this rates as part of my regime because I hardly ever wear make-up, but when I do I always take it off with Pond's Cold Cream. I swear by it. It even takes off waterproof mascara like a dream. Such a classic. Its rather creamy and rich though, so afterwards I deliberately use one of those drying Simple cleansers to get rid of the greasy feeling.

Some products I want to add to my regime are After sun care lotion, a correcting serum, and maybe another night cream because I'm definitely over Olay. And I'd like to try a mud mask. If anyone knows of one that I can use on my sensitive skin, please let me know! I also wanna try MAC's volcanic ash but it looks too harsh and stripping for my sensitive skin. Ah well. C'est la vie.

Whew! That was intense! Off for a nap! In the shade or inside of course!