A to Z: K is for Keep it Secret

Keep it secret...keep it safe.

Today's post is going to be a lot of my beauty secrets. Both good and bad. Bullets...AWAY!

• I don't shower every day. Nope. Not even close. Every other day, usually, unless I workout or spend a lot of time sweating in the sun/garden.
• I don't use conditioner. My hair gets oily and I've never found one that really made a distinct difference.
• I have only used my blow dryer twice. And I didn't own one until several months ago. 
• I frequently forget to wash my makeup off before going to bed. 
• One of the reasons I have quit a job is because the intensity of the work made me break all of my nails. In a week. No, thank you.
• I have a stockpile of egg yolks in the freezer for future beauty uses. I made meringues for a party and had about a dozen yolks left over. I use them, lumpy or not, in my hair and on my face. 
• I get more excited about my Birchbox every month than I do about Christmas. Or my birthday. 
• I own approximately 20 bottles of lotion scattered around the house. All full size. 
• Even though I run a beauty blog, my favorite type of beauty is low maintenance. I love things that are multitaskers and keep my morning routine shorter. 
• I frequently go to work with absolutely no makeup on, namely because I'm lazy. 
• I have had to throw away two or three bottles of nail polish because cat hair got inside it and could not be extricated. The dragging was just too much. Too much, I tell you!
• If I could afford it, I would go to cosmetology school just so I could do my own hair, makeup, and nails better. 
• I currently have five different coupons for five different beauty products in my wallet. Right next to the Home Depot coupons.
• When I don't wear makeup, people say I look sick. No, seriously. 
• I don't own a single lipstick. Only chapstick, gloss, and stains. I just can't commit. 
• I sometimes get ashamed when I talk about makeup in public. Like people are judging me or think that I can't possibly like makeup. I talk about it anyways. :)

And my biggest beauty secret? Food. I have discovered (for health reasons not pertaining to beauty) that what I eat directly effects how I look. Start a journal. Pay attention. It changed my life. 

I only get like...a zit a week now. lol Except when I splurge on my healthy lifestyle.

Thanks for reading through yet another text post. Tomorrow, a review. I promise. 

A to Z: I is for Intimidation

Warning! Warning! Text post ahead!

This is going to be a feels heavy text post. Namely because I don't have any products that start with I (not yet, anways). 

This is going to be about intimidation. Fear. And how it can hold you back from doing what you really want to do.

Now I could go on for days about fear. I have anxiety disorder, and while I'm learning to get it under control, it does sort of cripple some of my life. Something I've never done before, even if it sounds like lots of fun? Nope. Not a chance. Spending time with new people without a person I already no? Ugh. Sounds awful. 

But today, I'm just going to limit this talk to the beauty industry. The world of makeup, and how absolutely, utterly terrifying it can be. 

You see, when you're battling anxiety, it can be tough to walk up to a woman at a makeup counter and ask for help. You know it'll help, but it's embarrassing to need help. Not to mention, she looks like a pro. Her contouring is perfect, her mascara flawless, her blush blended seamlessly into the apples of her cheeks. Surely, she won't want to talk to someone like you, who showed up with absolutely no makeup on. (Fun fact: always go makeup shopping barefaced. That way you know that the product will look good on you no matter what.)

And what about when you want to try something new, but you know you won't be good at it, so you don't even try? Like me and that Eyeko Eyeliner I reviewed a month or so back. I still haven't touched it. I'm scared that I'm just going to mess up and look like a goofball.

But here's a secret: So what? 

Makeup isn't permanent. It's not a tattoo. Or a scar. It can be washed off. Redone. Sure, it might take some time and effort, but in the end. there's absolutely no reason to be scared of makeup. 

It took me a long time to come to grips with that little fact. It took me years to be able to shop in the makeup section without feeling like a loser. Like a child wanting to buy her first lipstick. 

It's scary. And it's tough. I'm not going to be able to tell you that it's any but. The beauty industry is full of these airbrushed models and if we don't look like them, we're not good enough. Our eyeliner isn't straight enough. Our lipstick isn't quite the right color. Our contouring is nonexistent. 

But in the end, you just have to stand up and brush it all off. Despite the pounding of your heart. Even with the eyes of Drew Barrymore and Zoey Deschanel bearing down on you from those ads. 

Cause against it all, what really matters is what makes you happy. Period. End of story. 

And who knows, maybe one day I'll get over my fear of applying eyeliner. 

Until then, I'll take little steps, like painting my toe nails fluorescent green. Or perusing Sephora even those the sales people always seem to be judging me. 

Hopefully, you'll keep going, too. Even when you're scared. Or confused. Or intimidated. Cause in the end, your happiness is what matters most.

Thanks for reading!