False Eyelashes- The Comprehensive Guide

Eyelashessss!!!!



I avoided false eyelashes for a long time. In college, I bought a pair from MAC to wear with my Playboy Bunny halloween costume (yeah, I was that girl.) I found them horribly uncomfortable, and couldn't wait to rip them off my eyelids the entire night. I'd only worn them on a handful of other occasions over the years, and I regretted it every time. Always the same- they were uncomfortable, they looked fake, and I didn't know how to put them on right.

Last fall, however, I started trying again. I was determined to step up my game in the style post department, as I'd seen so many lovely fashion bloggers donning the falsies with such grace. I did some googling. I did some youtube-ing. I tried a few more times, and now I'm a total convert. I even use them for daily wear- running around to get my groceries and whatnot.

It turns out you just need a few tricks and some practice before you can really rock them to their fullest potential. And while I don't claim to be an eyelashes guru, I do think I can give some tactical advice!

So I've devised a a three part series about how to choose them and rock them-

Part 1- Styles and brands
Part 2- Types of glue, and finally
Part 3- How to put on the suckers

I was going to make Part 1 a part of this post, but the whole thing started to run very long. So I'm making it it's own post instead- it will go up tomorrow. So get ready!

And believe me, I never thought I'd have this much to say about false eyelashes, but evidently I do.

Hope you all have a lovely day. xx




♥ watch my new video for "just the way you are" on youtube!! ♥

Peanut butter cocoa cookies (and how they can benefit your social life)

How many of you out there like cookies? Let me guess... almost everyone. Well, recently I was possessed by a crazy cookie-spirit and made these. This recipe takes me allll the way back to my tween days. Can you picture that?




Now, you might not believe it (or maybe you will), but life as a tween Chantilly was a lonely one. I was socially awkward, constantly worried about my weight (I was normal and healthy), and my biggest embarrassment in life was that I'd never had a boyfriend. I spent a lot of time by myself... singing in my private space in the attic, making up cheering routines (yeah, I was a cheerleader), or spending time with my family. Dreaming of a time when things could be different.

At some point, I cultivated baking as a hobby. I was making a lot of cookies, and getting pretty experimental in my recipes. I added some cocoa to one particular batch of peanut butter cookies, and I remember they tasted exactly like butterfingers.

Now, getting back to the socially awkward stuff for a second... in Chantilly-tween-land, getting invited to "go over" someone's house, or a friend "coming over" yours was a big deal. At least to me it was. I had basically no friends at that point, and was always overhearing the popular girls talking about being at each other's houses. I was mortified that I didn't have anyone to share this special friend-bonding ritual with.

Until one day... another loner/ cast-off like myself invited herself to my house... and it felt pretty awesome, even if she wasn't one of the "cool" girls. I remember her coming over... and she couldn't stop eating these butterfinger cookies I had made the day before. I took it as a compliment, and felt a sense of pride for my baking skills. We had a nice chat in my kitchen, and ended up being best friends for about five years.

We laughed, had adventures together, talked about sex, and physically faught once or twice. The friendship ended badly... but the experiences we had were worth it. And it all started with some cookies :) That hour spent in my kitchen getting to know someone new is what I was reminded of when I bit into this fresh batch in the here-and-now.


So the moral of the story is... bake cookies, and you will attract new friends :P Here are my super-secret tips to make the best friend-attracting-peanut-butter-cocoa cookies:

1~ Start with your favorite PB cookie recipe. For this, I used the one from the Fannie Farmer Cookbook.
2~ Substitute butter-flavored crisco for butter. It might not be healthy, but this makes the cookies more delicious than you can believe. Trust the girl who did nothing but bake cookies for a solid year.
3~ Add cocoa powder liberally. I didn't use an exact measurement... I just kept adding and taste-testing until it was to my liking.


That's it! Enjoy :)









♥ watch my new video for "just the way you are" on youtube!! ♥

White on white

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New wig time! I tried doing a blowout yesterday, like my hairstylist had done last week, but I just ended up with a frizzy mess. Guess I need more practice.

Either way, I got this new one from an ebay shop that carries Clair Beauty wigs- my diligent team of researchers (aka, my typin' fingers) told me that these ones were good. Not the best- but good. And thusly, I have some mixed feelings about it....

When I first put it on, I immediately loved it and it totally made me feel like a rock star. In my indie musician dreams, this is how my hair would look every. single. day. Long, bed head-y, mullet-y, and lookin' like I just don't give a WHAT. Plus it's close to my real color, and it actually feels like real hair.

However, it's a thinner and less sturdy than my other wigs by Gabalmania. I really don't mind this, because that means it's more manageable and easier to wear. I feel like I could walk around, and not feel like I have a sack of potatoes weighing down my head. But, the dealbreaker- it doesn't photograph as well as the Gabalmania one. This could just be due to my lack of styling... but in some photos, it looked like a mop and didn't hang as nicely.

I still think I'll still wear it/ photograph with it, and I already ordered another one as soon as I got this and tried it on, soooo.....





So enough about wigs, this is the dress I got at Lulu's style studio the other weekend! I know it's a little difficult to see, because of the background is white and so is the dress. But it's crochet-y and fancy- a dress you would normally wear to a wedding or a fancy-dancy dinner. Not my usual style. But I don't have a dress like this. My usual style categories: casual/ artsy/ twee/ hipster (yes, I said it.) So I thought, what the hell. Try something new. Take a chance.

When I put the dress on along with the wig, it inspired me to get a little punky rather than more adorned. I kept imagining Courtney Love, in her beautiful ballgowns, smeared lipstick, and ripped stockings. I don't think I completely succeeded in creating the grunge princess look of my dreams, but I loved adding the belt, accessories, and the fishnet thigh-highs that We Love Colors sent to me last year. (They'd been sitting in my drawer all that time, so glad to finally put them to good use!)

I wanted to further the pretty/ dirty effect with a beat-up pair of combat boots, but Matt said they were no bueno. Looks like we didn't even get a shot of my feet, so I totally could've rocked them anyway- haha. I guess it didn't turn out grungy, so much as... I don't know what. But I do like the result!


Dress- c/o Lulu's/ necklaces- F21/ thigh-highs- c/o We love colors/ Belt- thrifted





♥ watch my new video for "just the way you are" on youtube!! ♥

Blue & dots

Got my hair cut on Sunday, folks! Celebratin' time.




My hair looks so unnaturally good here, because of the talented Miss Clara at Fox and Jane in the East Village. I got a haircut from her at a different salon last year, and it was the best haircut of my life!!! She really gets my hair. I know you know what a transcendent experience this is. She's ~*the one*~ of hairstylists. But when I tried to book her again, she'd moved on. I had to Yelp-stalk her to finally figure out where she's at now.

Speaking of hair, I really, really wish I had some blowdrying skillz. I usually just let it air-dry. Maybe run the flat iron through it, and put in some product. Though I think having a haircut that I actually like more will help. Why does nice hair always make a person feel so much better about themselves?







Also- I picked up these lovely jeans at the Urban Outfitters sale the other day. I saw the high waist. I saw the polka dots. I knew I was taking them home. Most clothing nowadays is definitely not made with my body type in mind. So when you find a shape that actually flatters your figure, you get it whenever you have the chance!

However, most UO jeans I've had have been a little stretchier than these ones. I got these knowing this, choosing the size that was a little tighter on me. So now I'm in that awkward phase of trying to stretch them out and mold them to my body. They are soooooo tight right now! But they look sooo awesome.

I was actually thinking of exchanging them, because I never sacrifice style for comfort. But then I saw these pictures... and I was very pleased. Guess I'll give them a little more time to do their thing.


Scarf- F21/ Shirt- thrifted/ Necklace- Foxwoods/ Cardi- Tulle/ Jeans- UO/ Belt- Lulu's/ Socks- Show your legs on ebay/ Shoes- Easy spirits





♥ watch my new video for "just the way you are" on youtube!! ♥

Skytown

A new cafe opened up in the neighborhood... and big surprise! I've totally been creeping around, doing my coffee-and-journal thang there. It's called Skytown... isn't that a gorgeous name for a cafe?

I first discovered it last fall, when my friend Maeve and I made plans at a different place to meet up for coffee/ brunch. The original one we picked out was packed, and I happened to walk by Skytown along the way. So we went there instead, and that's how I came to have a new neighborhood cafe in my collection of favorites.

The weird thing about it though, is that's one of those awkwrd places that's a bar, but also a coffee shop with wifi. But it also serves food. But there are no servers. ... Well, there are servers, but only when it's evident that people are coming there to eat. I never know where I should order, or who from. Or if I can stay for three hours, or if I'm taking up someone's table.

Anyway, I ended up hanging out here the other night. It was interesting to note the bar crowd, as I was doing the more typical daytime-activity of writing and peppermint tea drinking. Either way, I'm looking forward to getting to know the place better :)







♥ watch my new video for "just the way you are" on youtube!! ♥

Sunday Songs ~ Joy Ike

I'd like to introduce everyone to Joy! What's cool about doing a Sunday Songs post about her is that we've been internet pals for a long time, and she might even be my first blogging friend. She runs a music blog called Grassrootsy that I started following a few years ago. She also guest-posted on the blog once for my online album release. Well, I preordered her album, and I finally got it a few weeks ago, and it's gorgeous!

She released this video along with the album, and I'm completely smitten with it. I'd say if you like my music at all, check out Joy. We even shared the same producer :)







♥ watch my new video for "just the way you are" on youtube!! ♥

Happy Valentine's

I spotted this heart lollipop the other day at a store called "Party Glitters" while refreshing my tissue paper supply (needed for mailing cd's.) I tried to take a few cutesy pictures with it... but sadly I had about five minutes, and the sun was fast disappearing. Wrangling the light is such a pain sometimes. Guess I'll try again tomorrow. (Get ready for a week's worth of heart lollipop photos, everyone!!! .....J/k.)

So any plans for tonight? I think there might be a tapas dinner in our immediate future, and I'm pretty excited. I'm not usually one to care much about this particular holiday, but I'm sort of looking forward to it this year, for some reason...


Also, because I'm feeling in the spirit, I wanted to give you guys a little something in celebration of the day. So today and tomorrow, you can get a download of my first album 'caught light' for 95% off. Yes, that is 45 cents, people. I originally wanted to make it completely free, but also wanted to generate a code just for blog readers :) And they don't let you go cheaper than 95%. So that special code is valentine95. Treasure it, enter it at checkout, and feel free to pass this info along :)

Have a happy day, pretties.






PS, one more Valentine's day gift... the winner of the knitted scarf giveaway from By the Porchlight is JellyBones! Congrats, and I'll contact you shortly. xx







♥ watch my new video for "just the way you are" on youtube!! ♥

DIY ~ Cornstarch as Face Powder

I have a problem with face makeup... mainly, that I don't like to wear it. I hate the feel of foundation, and usually hate the way it looks, too. Of course when I take photos for the blog, it's the complete opposite. The more makeup I wear, the better I look. Makeup is so weird.

Anyway, I used to wear foundation for a brief period when I was in high school in order to feel more "mature." But that's the thing... a lot of times, when I wear any kind of face makeup, I think it makes me look older than I actually am. Not what I'm looking for at this time in my life :P I feel like a natural look for my skin suits me better for day-to-day. But sometimes (all the time), I want a more even skintone, and wish there was SOMETHING I could use.

Enter this neat little trick I learned recently...

Red & Yellow

Hope everyone enjoyed their weekend! I had a happy one, and was feeling quite good about myself actually. So good, in fact, that I felt like my hair was lookin' sexy enough to take photos without the wig on. The wig is super fun, but when you have a good hair day, girl, you've gotta let the world see its glory. How sweet it is...




So, if you remember the recent post when I was wearing my little red beanie, you might like to know that I'm wearing the same one in yellow! I loved it so much that went back and ordered more. I got yellow for me, and a green one for Matt (which of course I will steal whenever possible.) Seriously. These type of hats are totally my steez, and now I'm almost feeling like going back and ordering ALL the colors. What the hell! Also, I meant to mention... my cats ate my red one!!! Or rather, they destroyed the pompom on it. Right after I took the style photos. I'll be sure not to make the mistake of casually leaving this one on the coffee table. (Hmmmph!)

(Some people were asking where to get the hat last time, and i purchased it from this auction. Worth it!!)

Oh yes, and this blouse... I'm kind of wanting to get more into blouse-wearing. I'm usually much more of a casual-shirt-wearer, but this blouse is looking good... I feel more polished in it! Like the cardigan I also have on, I got it at an online Tulle clothing sale for silly cheap. When I first pulled it out of the shipping box, I thought it looked exactly like a clown's shirt (imagine me in white makeup and a big red nose.) It took me awhile to realize that it looks that way on its own, but is really pretty when paired with other things :)




I just can't stop loving/ posting these dorky little shots of myself...

Cardi- Tulle/ Blouse- Tulle/ Hat- Ebay/ Skirt- Anthropologie/ Tights- c/o We Love Colors/ Booties- Thrifted




♥ watch my new video for "just the way you are" on youtube!! ♥