Porn Stars and Big News.

I saw a link to this Instagram account that is this make-up artist who does make-up for porn stars and she shows how they looked before and after. (Here is the link- I'd give it a PG-13 rating, just so you know. Sometimes they are a little scandalously dressed, but you know, not in a way that would make you burn your eyes out. More like a fashion magazine, honestly. I just want to reassure you that I am not linking you to porn.) It is crazy and a little sad. Most of the time they look like completely different people. I was just fascinated by how much hair and make-up can transform a person, so I decided to document me getting ready. It was fun. Sometimes I like to think about what I would write if I had a lifestyle blog (the perfect way to burn your popcorn?) and I finally felt like I could write something pseudo-lifestyle-ish! Hooray!

Disclaimer- I really like make-up. I don't really care about clothes and I am simply hopeless at hair. Make-up is the only girly thing that I feel like I am ok at. I don't even wear that much,  I just really enjoy doing  it. I stock pile it. I do my friends make-up at their weddings and then I despair for years over the bad job I feel like I did. I think it'd be fun to be a make-up artist, but I don't pretend to be anywhere near that talented. I just like it. It makes me feel feminine and creative. 

This is me with no make-up at all. I chose an unflattering non-smile, severe bun and  natural lighting for consistency. Also, I'm aware that my neck seems to be much lighter than my face in the pictures. I'm not sure why. I promise it's not really- that's something I try to avoid. Oh, well.

This is after using some BB cream. I really like BB cream- I totally recommend it. I usually don't wear any sort of  coverage on my face, because my skin is fine, but sometimes if I want a light coverage I just wear BB cream. It just really evens things out and your skin just feels better, which is kind of something you have to experience to understand. I use the Loriel kind.

This is me after putting on some concealer (and a wee bit of foundation on the side of my nose). Concealer is my number one make-up must. I very rarely leave the house without it on. I often leave the house with only it on, but I really feel uncomfortable without it because of a life-long tendency towards dark circles. I use a Clinique concealer and foundation. Since I don't wear foundation very often, I haven't bought a new one in probably about 2 or 3 years. I buy new concealer  about every six months. I'm fine with cheaper foundation, but I will only use Clinique concealer. I just can't find any other kinds that I feel secure in. They stopped making the one I like, but I'm ok with this one, so I keep going on. I am open to new suggestions, but I have to say that it's probably one of the only things in life that I am really picky about.

Lined my eyes. I only use eyeliner rarely and I only every line the top lid. I'm trying to incorporate it more, because I realized that Jeff seems to like when I wear it, but I think it's often overdone. I used a Covergirl one. I have no strong feelings about eyeliners.

Put eye-shadow and a wee bit of bronzer on. I'm not too particular on either of those things. I don't think I'd ever get fancy bronzer- the cheap ones work fine. I do notice a quality difference in more expensive shadows, but I don't think it's that much. The eye-shadow was purchased about 2 years ago with a gift card.  I'm glad I got it. It's really been a good eye-shadow palette.. All of the names of the colors are ridiculous ("sexpresso"), but it has lasted well. I couldn't even tell you where the bronzer is from. I've had it for years and years and the labeling is gone. I think it's from Target.

Put mascara on. Mascara is my other beauty must-have. Most days I only wear concealer and mascara. I think I look fine. Anyway, mascara is another one of the things that I only rarely find satisfaction with. I like trying new ones, but my favorite is this one. Honestly, others don't really seem to compare. I like trying cheaper mascaras, but I feel like they don't look nearly as good and that I need to buy them so much more frequently. In my opinion, it makes better financial sense to just buy the Clinique mascara because it lasts that much longer. But I am actually not wearing that one in this picture. I'm wearing Benefit's mascara, I heard earth-shattering things about it, so I treated myself to it when my go-to conveniently ran out right before my birthday. It's nice. I still think I prefer the Clinique.

I put on a little bit of highlighter under my brows (I got it as a free gift when I bought the mascara. Yowza. Like it, but would not pay that price for it.) and some lip gloss. I got the lip balm as a birthday gift from Sephora last year (meaning, if you sign up for their email list, they give you a free gift on your birthday, but you have to walk in and awkwardly ask). I really really like it. I almost never wear things on my lips, but it's just so soft. Adam ate some of it, so it's almost gone. It's really nice, but it's just a lot for some lip balm that Adam will probably eat.

Here's the before. 

And here's the end result. I changed out of my huge shirt and let my hair down and found a cute baby accessory and smiled. (Smiling and looking happy is just a bazillion more times effective than make-up, in my opinion.  If I have any advice in the world, it's to smile in your pictures. I'm always surprised by how often people don't. I know I sound preachy, I just really believe that smiling makes you look pretty- pouting makes you look like a myspace page.) Anyways,  I don't really think it was anything near as drastic as the porn stars, but I had fun documenting my steps. It took about fifteen minutes to do fully do my make-up, which seems like not that long. How come I never do it???  

And for all of all of my Amish friends who don't have Facebook (hey- why are you reading this blog?), yes, it's true- we are moving to DC. Jeff is going to be a Foreign Policy Analyst. It is exciting and we are excited. It is a huge raise in pay and we hope to afford an apartment where at least some of our neighbors don't smoke weed all day. Fingers crossed!