Smile Self-Esteem

It's time to get real for a second and talk about some issues that are pressing and prevalent in our society. I read this article in the Daily Mail (from the UK) and it said that 75% of all British women avoid having their picture taken because they have a negative self-image. I realize this may not be where you or I live but the point is that this is a global trend, women everywhere are more and more self-conscious by the second. If we're not striving to lose 50 lbs, we're obsessed with our makeup, the way we dress, our hair, our nails, the list goes on and on. The problem begins and ends with society, what do I mean by this? I mean that I can't walk out of the house without makeup on (and I've learned this since I was in high school) without people telling me that I look sickly and pale, or asking me what's wrong. That's just my face, guys, I wasn't born clowned-up, stuffed into tights, and pushed up by a bra (and neither was Kim Kardashian, for example).

Facebook photos are so pathetic now, too. I look at my friends posted pictures and they're all posing like some hypersexed faux-supermodels, nobody is real anymore, everyone tries to be staged and perfect. In all honesty, I can't harp on others without admitting my own faults, I've done this plenty of times, I used to think that smiling made me look too young and imperfect so I would pout in every picture for years, what a goon. 36% of brides are anxious about their wedding day not because of the colossal decision they're making but because they will be the focus of attention and photographed extensively.

Despite the fact that a whopping 52% of women are scared to death of smiling in a photograph for fear of showing their yellowish or wonky teeth and smile lines, men appear to firstly be attracted by a woman's smile rather than her cleavage or legs. The article suggests that instead of saying 'cheese', women should be saying 'oats' to create a perfectly plump pouty smile, but I think this is absolutely ridiculous. If you can't even smile without faking it, whose to say you aren't faking your entire life away? I'm going to say that this issue runs so deep that it permeates every facet of our social interactions and it has got to stop with you. If we continue this deification of what a woman is supposed to be (and it's happening to men, too) we'll fall down a slippery slope where not only our mental image is warped but that of our children and their children's are going to be more disturbed than even ours.

There's no reason in the world you should try to control the way you smile, just brush your teeth regularly and see a dentist once every 6-9 months for a cleaning and you should be fine. Stay away from unhealthy things that stain your teeth such as caffeine and sodas, and bare your chicklets to the world without a care of what others will think about you. I'm going to let you in on a little secret, the most attractive thing about a person is their confidence, so if you can muster that you can pull anything else off. How could you even have time to have fun if you're always worrying about how yellow your teeth are, sucking in your stomach and hiding any sign of a blemish? God forbid we should just be who we are, right?

Style trend alert: The Neckalina

I came across this new accessory that I just have to share with you all by KaVatee called 'The Neckalina' and it combines my two loves of necklaces and scarves in one! This way you don't have to choose whether you'll wear a necklace or scarf or worry about them tangling if you pair them together. It's basically the marriage of a pashmina-looking scarf and a big, bold statement necklace. What an awesome concept. You get three looks for the price of one, it's one-size fits all and can be worn alone as a necklace, a scarf, or together as a necklace paired over a circle scarf. 

My only qualm with this accessory is that I think H&M or a less-expensive brand should remake it for a lower price because the price tag on this look is $88, which is entirely too much for my what the product is. If this was in the $30-$40 range, I would gladly spend the money on it, but for $88 I can think of many other things I would rather buy first. You can check out the different colors and styles here. 

These are the current existing looks that you can purchase online (my favorite one being the black):

Hangover cures

Did you accidentally or intentionally drink too much and get a hangover the next day? Well, here are some easy tips and tricks to get you feeling right as rain the next day so that you can go out and do it all over again. Sometimes you won't have an entire weekend with the blinds shut as if you're hiding out from the zombie apocalypse to get over what ails you. Don't let yourself feel miserable and hang out in bed all day with a scrunched-up looking face and the physique of a troll. Empower yourself and get yourself feeling fabulous as soon as possible with these easy methods.

First and most importantly, make sure you're drinking plenty of water, and I know you hear this everywhere, but it is the most important thing to drink it as you are consuming alcohol and afterwards. You should be hydrating your body even 24 hours after you finished drinking alcohol to replenish the water supply in your cells and to flush the alcohol from your body. This will allow you to avoid crashing and keep you hydrated. 

Taking a few advils with water after you've eaten a meal will reduce the inflammation and bloating that you'll feel from the alcohol. It will also help with hangover headaches and migraines, also with sensitivity to sunlight so that you may escape from your room without having to shield your bloodshot eyes as if you've emerged from living in a cave your whole life. You may also want to use a cold compress over your eyes or ice wrapped in a paper towel to reduce any swelling and puffiness you may be experiencing, it will also help to invigorate and wake you up.

Drinking coconut water or electrolyte-full drinks such as gatorade and powerade will re-energize your metabolism and allow you to ward off that icky-feeling after you're done binge drinking alcohol. Make sure to fill yourself up with plenty of bread and carbohydrates before and after you down a ton of alcoholic beverages because they will absorb the alcohol and stop your stomach from feeling upset (thereby, also reducing the chances that you'll embarrassingly puke all over yourself). Try to avoid eating anything heavy and creamy like cheese and butter or fried foods because they will only contribute to your feeling of nausea.

If you're going out to drink again the next day, make sure you attempt to consume a drink that has a lower alcohol content and not the same thing that you fell ill to the last night because you will likely become even more drunk than you did in the first place. Switch it up, go from Gin and Tonic the first night to a beer the second and don't try to be too macho, I guarantee you'll wish you were dead the next day at work when the sun is beaming in your eyes and your computer screen's radiation is urging you to be productive.

Always make sure you have a plan to get home or a designated driver friend who can take care of you. Until next time, take care of yourselves and each other <3 and I hope you're all enjoying a fresh start to this year! Happy 2012 everyone!

Using lip pencils as eyeliner

If you find that the formulation of a lip pencil is similar to your eyeliner, you can substitute your lipliner (given that it is in a neutral shade and not some bright red or pink unless you're going for a punk look) as an eyeliner. If the chosen color is too red, you will end up looking rather sickly unless you pair it with a brown or black shade closer to the whites of your eyes.

MAC lip pencils, such as Chestnut or Cork, can be very neutral and lend themselves to doing double duty as eye and lip liners quite well. They are creamy but hard enough so that they won't fall off your waterline (just above your lower eyelashes).

I came across this quirky idea when I walked into a MAC store and was looking for a lighter-toned eye pencil that was neutral and not bronze, but was different enough from Teddy and Coffee, which I already own. 'Lo and behold I see Cork and I didn't even realize that it was a lip pencil at first, but I purchased it regardless because it seems to be made of the same minerals and chemicals as their eye pencils and it was such a beautiful color.

MAC's Lip liner in 'Cork'

Normally, I would err on the side of caution when it comes to using products that are intended for one part of your body on another part of your body, specifically the eyes. However, this is a rare exception, because MAC is a well renowned company with amazing quality products and make-up products for your face tend to have the same ingredients in them regardless of whether they are for your cheeks, eyes, lips, or all over your face.

Many makeup companies make all-over color sticks which can be applied anywhere you'd like. If you think you will be irritated by it because your eyes are sensitive, simply apply the color on the area outside of your eyelashes and that should be protective enough so that you won't have any adverse effects.

Try to steer clear of anything that's waterproof or a 'stain' for your lips because these might stain your eyelid and could make it look diseased. If you invest your time and money into good makeup and are careful about what you're doing, this is a substitute that can be made easily using the right products, obviously don't put anything from the dollar-store or unknown brands on your eyes.

Also, make sure that the lip pencil that you are using isn't too pointed and hard because you can harm the sensitive skin of your eyes, go for a creamier, smooth consistency pencil. Always try these out on your hand and other parts of your body before you attempt to put them near the delicate skin around your eyes. Lip pencils are also very good for filling-in your eyebrows, so you really don't have to be limited by specific products in your color selection process.

New Breast Cancer Awareness Campaign

Super heroes have been lending their powers, attributes, and beauty to various products over the years and they have most definitely infiltrated the world of movies and imagination. Now, however, they've found a new cause: breast cancer. In Mozambique, artist Maisa Chaves (in conjunction with the Public Health Office and DDB) created these illustrations that allude to the copyrighted DC and Marvel heroines, being extremely careful to leave their faces out to avoid being sued. The women are portrayed mid breast-exam, checking for lumps over their superhero garb, it includes the infamous Storm, strong She-Hulk, mysterious Wonder Woman, and feline Catwoman.

Some believe that these ads are making light of the serious situation of breast cancer, but I am of the opposite mind. I think the artist knew right off the bat that these are iconic figures and their performing monthly breast exams proves that nobody is 'too super' for cancer and we should all be checked. The ads all have a caption that says "When we talk about breast cancer, there's no women or superwomen. Everybody has to do the self-examination monthly. Fight with us against this enemy and, when in doubt, talk with your doctor". Surely, this makes sense and rather than portraying graphic ads with women's exposed breasts having bugs crawl under them, this is an eye-catching and meaningful way of showing that we all must fight towards a common goal, starting with personal prevention. Kudos to Mozambique for such an original ad display that not only hits home to older women because of its message, but also to those of us who are younger and may be comic book fans. This ad has a target demographic that is larger than previously grotesque and gruesome shock-value ads, it is tastefully done and beautiful to look at, while the message lingers in your mind long afterwards.

Trend Alert: Peter Pan Collars

I've noticed a new trend lately that happens to be in all the stores I peruse: Peter Pan Collars. How do you define this trend, really? Wikipedia refers to it as 'a small, flat, round-cornered collar without a stand' and mentions that it is popular in children's and women's fashion as of the early and mid-20th century. A good accent to this look is either a brooch in the middle, a bow, or a dainty tie. I'm going to say that this definition should be expanded to include collars that are not necessarily round-edged, but can also be hard-edged because I found this particular dress which I believe suits the 'Peter Pan Collar' trend but isn't particularly rounded. I believe the main descriptive in the trend to be the fact that the collar doesn't have a stand and is slightly more gaped than in traditional collars, which gives it a feminine appeal.



Lately, this look has appeared in shirts, outerwear coats and sweaters, and most prominently in dresses. I particularly think it looks cute and conservative in a quirky, doll-like way. I'm a fan of this look, particularly if you're going to be showing a lot of leg in your outfit, keep the risque down below and cover up on top with this whimsical collar to draw attention one of your assets. Many times this collar comes with below-the-knee dresses, but that can look a little too much like nun-fashion, especially for a younger lady. Sleveless or cap-sleeved fashions with this collar are quite adorable and fun. I wouldn't wear this collar with completely long sleeves that go past your wrists because, again, you don't want to look too covered up, so unless the fabric is sheer, I would stick with three-quarter sleeves at the most. This fashion has even gone so far as to transfer onto shoes! That's right, they now have peter pan collars on shoes as well!


I don't know that this look would be so great on busty girls because it might make you look too top-heavy and out of balance with the rest of your body. However, I do know that petite and slim girls look tres chic in this fashion. This is an acceptable fashion for interviews if you're going for a job in fashion or really anywhere the dress code isn't too strict. Here are some more photos for your viewing pleasure:

You can purchase this style here:

Festive Holiday Hairstyles

Tis the season that you'll be going to or holding many get-togethers, for family and friends, and holiday X-mas parties. You'll be sure to wear snazzy clothing and don your best swag for the festivities, but are you looking for something to make sure you stand out from the crowd of gorgeous people? Well, you may be wondering how to wear your hair with the various outfits you have this season, so I'm going to do a quick how-to review of some simple, yet unique, hairstyles to go with your holiday garb.

Faux hawk
This trendy punk-inspired hairstyle has bled into the mainstream over the past several years and is a great option for short and long hair alike. You don't need to cut your hair any particular way to achieve this hairstyle, so do not make this a permanent mohawk change unless you are absolutely sure you're going to love it. It's easy to style, but do not do it on freshly washed or frizzy hair, you will need the natural oils from your scalp to aid in the process. Using styling gel (not mousse because it won't hold as well) pull your hair in the middle and on the sides of your head together and up, put gel in from the roots to the tips. Simply mold your hair to the desired shape you're looking for and either use pins to secure it up on the sides, or skip this step if just using a strong hairspray works for you. Either way, finish off with plenty of hairspray for hold.

French-up your braid
I love french braids and think that they are basically the classiest hairstyle you can get because their simplicity, yet perfection, is absolutely breathtaking. If you can manage to do this hairstyle at your holiday party, you will definitely get compliments! I suggest starting this hairdo in the mirror to help you out, but then as you continue your braid, you should probably try not to look in the mirror as it will confuse you and you need to keep a pretty steady track of your strands. Before you do anything, you want to make sure you brush your hair out to get any knots out. Then start at your hairline and grab hair from the top of your head to begin a normal braid, dividing into three sections (equal in size). Hold the right section in your right hand, left in your left hand and the middle one between the thumb and forefinger of whichever hand is easiest. then you want to cross the sections, going right over middle, do the same with the left, fairly tightly as you go. Then, gather a bit more hair from your right section and do the cross-over again over the middle. Repeat with the left side and keep doing this over and over until you come to the end of the braid.

Adorn your 'do
Consider adding a beautiful flower or hair clip that will really spruce up your hairdo, or maybe go as far as wearing an embellished head band to make a statement. This idea is so simple because you literally only need to clip on your hair accessory or put it on, and I am a particularly large fan of barrettes because they can add elegance to any simple hairstyle in the simplest of ways. You can wear a headband either over your forehead for that hippie-chic look or with your hair pulled slightly back to keep it away from your fresh-looking face. Either way you cut it, a sparkly hair accessory definitely will make you look like the festive belle of the ball. Try a braided headband or floral silver headband for a unique look that I can almost guarantee others will not be brave or creative enough to wear.