Hire me! Or at least my picture. An application-ready makeup look.

Tags

application picture, beige, black, Blanc Type, brown, coral, Feeling Younger, grey, Groundwork, Lush, MAC, NARS, Orgasm, Paint Pot, Painterly, Paul Suha, peach, pink, Primed & Poreless, Razor Sharp, Too Faced, Urban Decay

Yesterday, I went to get a picture taken. An application picture. I’m in the process of hunting for a job and I’m sending out resumés and CVs left and right these days. So far, I’ve done so without attaching a picture of myself. Ideologically, I very much subscribe to the anglo-saxon way of thinking, where how you look in no way reflects upon your ability to do a job. You know, unless you’re a model. In anglo-saxon countries, the norm is not to attach a picture to CVs because it encourages discrimination.

Of course, we live in the real world and a quick Google search of anyone will usually turn up a picture of the applicant, if a company is really hell-bent on knowing what your mug looks like before the interview. But, ideologically, this is definitely the right way to approach this situation.

However, I too live in the real world. And my world includes Germany and the European Union, where attaching a winning picture is part of the application. The lady at the jobcentre encouraged me (A LOT) to finally add a picture to my portfolio in order to increase my chances.

So, I did. And here’s what happened.

 

I picked a photographer whom I knew would be able to get a decent shot of me. Not an easy task. In my selfies, I’ve somehow developed a strategy to make myself look okay but when someone else takes my pictures, I usually end up looking like those Aileen Wuornos’ mug shot. Except I look like Aileen Wuornos ate herself half to death, had to be cut out of her house and then got a mug shot taken. Yeah, it’s not a pretty sight. All my ID pics looks like I’ve killed at least five people.

After picking a photographer I thought I might be able to trust, it was makeup time! Because the camera adds 10 pounds (or in my case: 110), I geared the entire look towards slimming my face down. It was very contour-heavy!

 

I decided to contour in grey, not in brown or dark beige. It makes for a heavier contour and with my skintone, I can actually pull it off fairly well if I make sure to add some blush.

For the eyes, I decided to define and enhance. I stuck to neutral colours. No need to scare a future employer with turquoise and pink!

The lips were painted with a matte peachy pink lip liner and topped with a peachy pink lipstick and some peachy gloss, dabbed just in the middle. I wanted them to be visible, appear as luscious as possible but not be an agressive red. I would really only recommend red in your application picture if it’s something you’re never seen without and it belongs with you.

 

Picture time!

 

I used the grey to contour below my cheekbones, all along the jawline (I turned my triple chin into a double, yay!), along the sides of my nose, up on the temples and a teensy-weensy bit below the tip of my nose. I then added a coral pink blush (like NARS’ Orgasm) on the cheeks and let it mix with the grey for a seamless transition. Then some pearlescent highlighter on the top of my cheekbones for more defition (I used my favourite: Lush’s Feeling Younger), some of which I also dabbed over my lips’ Cupid’s bow. I went for a matte highlighter on the bridge of my nose because I didn’t want to risk having it look oily in the picture. I dabbed the same matte highlighter on the highest point of my chin and in the middle of my forehead.

If you do this, you want to make sure you blend everything to perfection! The only thing that should be applied with precision after the initial blending process is the pearlescent cheek highlighter. It shouldn’t travel down or you’ll have it bulging out areas that need to receed.

After everything was applied, I topped it all with translucent powder (I used a favourite again: Urban Decay’s Razor Sharp, a dream!). This helps to take the edge off any remaining harsh lines and gives a soft focus effect I love. If you tend to have dry skin (like me), top that off with a setting spray to re-introduce some moisture, make the skin look dewy and not powdery and make the look last longer. Just spray on your face, pat in slightly, done!

 

 

I also want to say the following: I did not use foundation over my entire face to get this look. I patted some on a few areas that had redness and that was it! What I did do was start the entire look by putting down my favourite face primer, Too Faced’s Prime & Poreless and I wasn’t skimpy with it either. Adding a lot of primer is crucial when you contour with grey, because it will smooth over fine lines and pores and keep the grey from settling into said pores (especially on the nose!) and looking like a million blackheads.

 

Now for zee eyes!

 

 

I went ultra matte and minimalistic. I applied MAC’s Painterly Paint Pot all over the lid, up to the brow bones and below the lower lashline. Then I applied Groundwork Paint Pot (a matte, light cappucino colour) on the outer V and blended it well with my fingers. With some MAC Blanc Type eyeshadow (but you can use any super light, matte beige), I went over the entire lid, except the part where I had Groundwork. I also patted it under the lower lashline.

With an angle brush, I picked up super dark brown (I have a no-name one that’s almost black and intensely pigmented) and applied it very carefully – VERY CAREFULLY – along the upper lashline. The idea here is not to create a visible liner line, but to thicken and define the lash line. Only at the very edge did I thicken the line once, so as to give a more cat-eye appearance without actually doing a wing or extended line. Under the lower lashline, on the outer corner, I put down what was left on the brush in a little triangle shape that I blended so it wouldn’t have sharp edges. This is a trick Marilyn Monroe used. It gives the illusion of the upper lashes casting a shadow on the lower ones, thus making them look longer and fuller. Yep, those bedroom eyes weren’t a thing she was born with, she painted those iconic suckers on!

Then, a thick coat of mascara on the upper lashes and a coat on the lower ones with a lengthening mascara and you’re done. Phooey!

 

This is what the final picture looked like, courtesy of Paul Suha in Munich (click here to find his site if you want to hire him).

 

Trust me, this is better than any other picture someone besides me has taken in recent years. I want to add that this is photoshopped mildly (he smoothed out a bit of skin, adjusted the lighting and took away the 10 pounds the camera had originally added – I totally understand Madonna’s obsession with the Holy PS now). However, I do feel like it looks like me. Which considering I was coming from Aileen Wuornos territory is a vast improvement.

By the way, all my pics were not ‘shopped or altered in any other way. I maintain that I take the best selfies in the world. But unfortunately, they don’t let you use those in applications.

 

I hope this will help some of you with your application pics or just inspire you to try a new contour colour (grey) or give you another neutral eye look option!

 

Stay beautiful, inside and out,

 

Anna

Beauty on the Inside: Barbie’s Dreamhouse in Berlin, Alexanderplatz

Tags

Alexanderplatz, Barbie, Berlin, The Dreamhouse Experience

There’s a new visitor in Berlin and her name is Barbie. She has set up her Dreamhouse on the famous Alexanderplatz and she’ll be hosting gals and guys of all ages and persuasions until the 25th of August 2013. Then, she’ll visit another city.

 

There have been a lot of negative reactions towards what’s officially called “Barbie – The Dreamhouse Experience“. Protests, people having to be forcibly removed from the premises for disturbing the exhibition – it seems they just stopped shy of burning bras and throwing a Molotow cocktail through a window. The protesters argue that Barbie, and now the Dreamhouse, propagates impossible beauty standards and are therefore harmful to girls. Girls who will eventually grow up to be unhappy, body-image-issue-riddled women. Women who will pass on their neuroses to their own daughters.

 

This is what they object to:

 

(all three images are sourced here)

 

I happen to disagree.

 

I grew up with Barbies being my favourite toys. And let me tell you, they were a lot more garish and boobtastic in the 80s and 90s than they are today! I never had that innate motherly instinct that drew me towards baby dolls or the like, even though I did have some of those. No, Barbies were my thing. I could spend hours simply setting up their apartment (I never actually had a house for them, my Barbie furniture was all separates and I preferred it that way) before I’d even get to the play-with-the-dolls part. Today, I actually see a continuation of that in my love for playing The Sims, where my favourite part is also creating and decorating living quarters.

My Barbies were never mothers or housewives. I had very few Kens (as opposed to about 25 Barbies of all types), one lonesome Skipper and no Shellys. My mother has worked hard all her life and she’s always been a working woman and a homemaker all wrapped into one amazing human being. Women on both sides of my family have done the same, for the most part. And so my Barbies were high-powered career women with fabulous homes. They were everything from cat burglars, doctors, super spies, CEOs all the way to students, coffee shop keepers and horse breeders. The fun part for me was this: they could be all that and have a costume change every ten minutes.

I don’t recall ever envying Barbie her surreal body, her perfect hair or her high heels. In fact, I can’t remember a single instance in which I actively reflected on how she was beautiful because she was busty and skinny. As a child, I was tall, big-boned and fairly athletic. I wasn’t skinny but I was a normal, healthy weight. This changed around age 12 but even then, it never occurred to me to go to Barbie for escapism, although I only really stopped playing with them when I was around 13 or 14. I’ve never felt the need to wear high heels (they hurt my feet) even though I can appreciate their beauty. I don’t particularly subscribe to The Dreamhouse Experience’s interior design philosophy, but I do think it’s outrageous and fun in a good way. Just because Barbie offers up a way of doing things, doesn’t mean children or adults need to follow her playbook to the T. The protesters, in my opinion, are actually calling both children and adults dumb and incapable of making their own choices. Frankly, I protest against such a view of humanity.

 

Barbie did not influence my play or my thinking. She didn’t project her impossible body and pink superficiality on me. I projected who I wanted to be when I grew up on her. Barbie, to me, was and is a symbol that you can be anything you want and have it all: career, smarts, looks, your own home and an incredible wardrobe to boot.

 

The problem isn’t Barbie. She’s a piece of plastic, not the devil. If we have problems, issues and neuroses, they come from our upbringing, our socialisation and some crazy “beauty” standards perpetrated mainly by the fashion industry. If a parent gives their child a Barbie doll and emphasises how that doll is perfect physically, that will impact the child’s thinking. If a child is praised or loved on for physical attributes only, that will impact the child’s definition of beauty and tie it closely to its sense of self-worth. If a child sees that only severely underweight runway models get to wear what’s really new and fashionable, that will impact the child’s goals and feelings.

My parents never harped on the physical. In fact, they only gave me Barbies to play with because I wanted them so badly. Personally, I think they probably thought she was a bit much.

 

Again, I want to emphasise this: I projected my wishes for the future on Barbie, not the other way around. I made every Barbie piece of furniture, clothing and accessory my own. I had oodles of stuff that wasn’t just pink (a colour that left me fairly cold, I usually got excited for turquoise!) and in addition to having the store-bought Barbie things, I made my own and my Mum even knit me some incredible Barbie clothes. I wasn’t less creative or less empowered as a human being in general and as a female specifically. On the contrary, I was more creative and more empowered. My two favourite Barbies ever were the Princess Jasmine Barbie (I loved her long dark hair, her beautiful eyes and the fact she didn’t just let herself get married off) and a veterinary Barbie, who had a real lab coat, stethoscope and operating table!

 

Would I love to see a plus-sized Barbie? Or just a normal-sized one? Of course! I’m all for diversity and introducing more of it into the Barbie universe certainly can’t hurt. In the end, however, Barbie is just a humanoid puppet. And with the right upbringing, upon which all else hinges, children will be able to use her to dream big, just like I did.

 

Stay beautiful, inside and out,

 

Anna

Not So Hot: essence’s 01 Hello Summer waterproof eye pencil review

Tags

01 hello summer!, essence, eye pencil, glitter, gold, orange, sun kissed, waterproof

I just hate it when I really, really want to love a product and then I have to accept that it’s a disappointment. Sadly, this is the case with this eye pencil.

 

I have problems with a lot of eye pencils, namely smudging and fading. I have hooded lids and if a pencil hasn’t got super staying power, I will have transfer within instants of applying it, no matter how much care I took to let it dry. So, anything that comes with the label “waterproof” is usually a better bet for me. When I stumbled upon the eye pencil in essence’s new Sun Kissed limited edition, I was really intrigued! I love that they came out with an orange and an electric blue eye pencil, instead of sticking to boring neutrals. I’m not much one for blue, so I decided to get the orange (I was lucky, it was marked down to 0,95€!), because I thought I’d be able to create a lot of different looks with it. It’s called 01 Hello Summer!

 

Here’s the product and a hand-swatch:

 

(picture courtesy of essence)

 

 

Right off the bat, you can see several problems with the pencil. The tip is a twist-up, which I generally approve of, but there’s not self-sharpening feature, meaning you’re always working with a rounded tip. No precise lines possible. I tried picking some of it up on an angled brush, but the product wouldn’t transfer properly and frankly, the tip really is too small for that kind of trick.

Pigmentation isn’t great either. It looks like an opaque, matte orange when you twist it up but it applies with difficulty. It’s patchy upon application and drags the skin, which made application on the eyes a bit painful. Layering is nearly impossible, as the drag of the pencil catches on the product that’s already laid down and actually lifts it off again! And once more, this leads to patchiness. Not good. No opacity either. It’s semi-opaque in my opinion, as it applies much lighter than it looks in the stick. Matte? Nope, not that either. It’s got very visible, large particles of gold glitter in it. On the eye, these made for somewhat rough wear. The stick also crumbles and breaks very easily. You can see a couple of crumbs on the “M” in the picture above and I won’t lie, I broke pieces of the stick twice just trying to get swatches on the hand and eyes.

 

Now for the eye pics:

 

 

Yikes, right?! As you can see very clearly, there is no chance here to get a precise line, let alone a symmetrical look on both eyes! In the pic with the closed eye, you can see how the pencil dragged and skipped, creating a really jagged edge. Making a fine line is completely impossible with 01 Hello Summer!

 

I will say this for essence’s Sun Kissed waterproof eye pencil: the colour, despite being sheerer than advertised, is gorgeous and the staying-power is great. It dries down very quickly and doesn’t budge, flake or transfer. The glitter and the consistency of the stick, however, made both application and wear slightly painful. I could really feel I had something on my eyes and I don’t particularly like that.

 

All in all, I can’t recommend this waterproof eye pencil. Even at essence’s low prices, it’s still a complete dud. There’s so much wrong with it that the few pros just can’t make up for the pain it is to use. I hope this review helps spare you some money and eye-ache!

 

If you do already have it and it annoys you as much as me: Try using it just for the lower lashline and smudge it a bit. That’s the only way I found to make it work. I think I’ll keep it just for that.

 

Stay beautiful, inside and out,

 

Anna

New haircut for a new life

Tags

Anja Kurzmeier, bob, brown, Munich, plus-sized women, short hair, undercut

Sometimes, hair isn’t just hair. Sure, it’s still the stuff that grows out of you up top, but it can also be so much more than that.

I haven’t been to the hairdresser’s in 18 months, due to an unfortunate combination of low funds and little time. This has all been changed as of last Sunday. Last Sunday, I moved away from Switzerland and back to my hometown of Munich, in Germany. This huge change is also the reason why I haven’t posted in so long. Moving is no piece of cake in any event, but when you also move from one country to another, it can be (and was) a full-blown nightmare.

What got me through, once again, were my friends. My bestie Jenny who let me stay at her flat and play my way through the newest Tomb Raider game on her PS3 (spoiler: it’s really different from all the other games but I absolutely LOVED it all the same). My soul sister Rebekka and her lovely husband JP who came to Zurich to treat me to a goodbye dinner at my favourite restaurant. My buddy Massimo who cooked me a four-course-meal and entertained me with Georgette Dee recordings, a wonderful transvestite cabaret artist with a wicked sense of humour. And my amazing family, who helped me move when the day came and without whom none of this would’ve been possible. I’m truly blessed.

 

My new room is still a mess, my funds are still low but in Munich, as opposed to Zurich, even I can afford a haircut here. And I have the best stylist in the world to make it happen. Her name is Anja Kurzmeier and if you live in or around Munich, you need to experience her magic. Her prices are great, her service excellent and her attitude is lovely, happy and supportive. My entire family loves her and goes to her for haircuts and even though my last one was ages ago, I’ve also gone to her for years.

What makes Anja special is that she truly listens and then makes the right decisions for your personality and appearance.

 

I went to Anja on Friday with several pictures of short haircuts that I loved. We picked them apart and I showed her what I liked about each one and told her I wanted something short, sexy and, above all, feminine. I didn’t want to go short and butch again (although when I did a few years ago, I did thoroughly enjoy it). After we’d spent a good 15 minutes talking it all through, I relinquished control and told Anja I trusted her and to do whatever felt right. I feel it’s very important to let a stylist work from their instincts. After all, they’re the expert, not you.

 

And the results were…

 

… sensational.

 

I started off with blah, grown-out hair and ended with a versatile, funky bob-style.

As we went along, we tweaked and perfected details here and there.

Anja gave me an undercut at the temples (a patch of super short hair) to give the style an edge and then layered a side-sweep in the front. The whole cut is designed in such a way that it can look classic, punk, rock ‘n roll and anything in between. It’s also crafted very smartly because I can wear my part on either side of my head and change up the look. In the picture above I have the part on the right (I used to always have it left) and that makes for a more classic bob. When I wear it to the left, more of the left-side undercut is revealed and it looks more rocker chic.

After the cut was done, we stood there and pondered whether colouring my hair might not add more vavavoom. We decided it would! So, Anja dyed (with a semi-permanent colour) the undercut and the entire bottom section of my hair a dark chocolate brown and then free-handed highlights around the crown to give it all more dimension.

 

She then proceeded to dye my eyebrows the same dark chocolate colour, so it would look like my natural colour wasn’t a blah honeyed-blonde but that rich, yummy gloriousness (is that even a word? guess it is now!) Anja turned it into. I’ve never been one to fill in my brows with pencils or powders – it always looks too harsh and my brows are quite full as it is – but this dye-job really helped tie the look together and give my face better framing. Of course, she also tweezed them back into shape, something I’d shamefully neglected the past two weeks. And my brows go from amazing to Yeti in 0.6 seconds flat, which is a real hassle when I don’t get around to tweezing. But my lovely Anja took care of those bad boys in no time!

 

Once she was close to my brows, she said “You know what? I’ll just dye your lashes too. Might as well do this right!”. I agreed immediately. I’ve had my lashes dyed before and loved it every time. It’s a luxury I’d pay for regularly if I could! Especially in summer, it’s really nice to have dyed lashes because you can skip mascara and still look like you have some on. The dye also slightly thickens them. Plus, my lashes are blonde on top and no mascara ever seems to really be able to cover that up.

 

Top to bottom: detail of the undercut, clean brows and dyed lashes!

Finally, we were done. And I felt like a new person. I’d grown fed up with my horrible long hair, but at the same time I was also sort of accustomed to it being horrible. Seeing the difference before and after was incredible. When I got home, my parents, who are usually quite critical, especially towards dyed hair, said they loved it and that it is the best haircut I’ve ever had. I tend to agree!

I feel a lot more confident moving forward in my new old city, looking for a job in journalism, getting things done. I finally know what to do with my hair again and I don’t have to worry about it either. And as with all short hair, it’s so quick to dry and style!

 

More pictures? MOAR PICTHUAHS!

 

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: short hair can look good on big girls! On me, it elongates my neck and shifts the focus towards my prettier features: my lips and my eyes. You just have to find the style that fits you best.

 

If you are in the Munich area and want an appointment with Anja the Amazing, just leave a comment or send me an email (see the contact section) and I’ll make sure to give you her digits. She will change your life, I promise. I paid 65€ for the whole shebang: cut, blow-out, dye, eyebrows, lashes. I do have a feeling she gave me a couple of treatments for naught though, so a big thank you for that! A normal women’s cut usually comes in at around 20€-30€, depending on what she has to do. If the hair is very long and needs more than just a trim, it might be slightly more. But, Anja is always fair and will adapt according to the circumstances. My father pays 20€ for his haircut, just as a reference for the gentlemen out there who might be reading this. For a highly trained and skilled stylist like Anja, who has worked with some of the best in the industry, these prices are a real bargain!

 

So that’s it for today! As I’m getting settled in my new place, I’ll be ramping up the regular posts on Makeup by Anna again. So far, I haven’t unpacked my makeup collection yet, but I will have soon! In the meantime, I’ll be posting reviews, looks and tips centred around the stuff I already have out. I’ve got a few super cool items to show you!

 

Stay beautiful, inside and out,

 

Anna

Get to know me: the beauty blogger tag!

Tags

Chanel, Dior, essence, MAC

I have a lot going on right now and it’s been kinda difficult to do looks, photograph them and post them. My skin has been horrible for the past 8 weeks and is just now beginning to go back to normal, which has also made it a pain when I did do looks to get them to look presentable on camera.

There’s a lot of big changes going on here at MbA headquarters, so for now I thought doing a tag might actually be fun! Fun to do for me and hopefully fun for you to read. I expect to be back to more looks and products in about 3 weeks, but will definitely try to post more in the meantime. Sometimes life just gets in the way, you know?

Anyway, here’s the Beauty Blogger Tag. It’s kinda detailed (lots of questions) but I think it’s entertaining. I hope it’ll give you a bit more insight into a beauty enthusiast such as myself!

 

1) Is your hair naturally curly or straight?

 

It’s naturally wavy and always has been. The few times in my life I’ve tried to curl it, the curls fell flat within half an hour. And that was coming out of a salon! I remember when I was about 16 or 17 I had hair almost to my waist and decided I wanted it to look like Shakira’s wild blonde locks. Initially I wanted to perm it but my stylist said I should first have it done with a curling iron to see if I even liked the curls on me. Turns out she was very, very right in advising this! It looked nothing like Shakira and would’ve been a disaster if permed. But, three hours at the salon and half an hour outside later, my hair was back in its normal shape. I haven’t really tried changing it since then.

 

2) Do you dye it yourself or go to a salon?

 

The few times I had it dyed I went to a salon, except a single time last year when I dyed it eggplant myself. I can’t say I have a big preference in the results, except it’s obviously more convenient to get it done by a pro. I usually don’t dye my hair at all, though.

 

3) Do you wear the same style every day or do you change it?

 

When my hair is long(ish) like now, I change it up almost daily. When it’s short I have to wash it every day because I look like a hamster who licked an electric outlet and no amount of combing is enough to tame it. So, washing and restyling it is. I vary it quite a bit when it’s short too, depending on my mood. I actually really like a mohawk or, when longer, a pompadour style on me. My parents hate it but my friends love it. Weird, right?

 

4) Do you do your own mani/pedi or do you go to a salon?

 

I’ve gotten a manicure once in my life and it was a disaster. I’ve never done it again since. The most amount of mani maintenance I do is trim my nails and a few times a year paint them when the mood strikes me. I don’t get pedicures either, at least not in the traditional sense. I have to see a podologist for a couple of toes every 4-6 weeks but that’s medical, not cosmetic.

 

5) How often do you change your nail polish?

 

Maybe two or three times a year I’ll wear polish. Mostly clear one too. I’m not a big nail polish afficionado, I think my favourite beauty product are eyeshadows. Though Illamasqua did recently release some speckle polishes in an LE that were to die for. I wish I could’ve bought them. It was the first time in over a decade some polishes really caught my eye and made me long for them. Oh well!

 

6) Do you polish your toes in the winter or just in the summer?

 

If I do, it’s only in the summer. And then I choose a cherry red with a slight sheen to it because it makes my toes look like candy. I know that sounds a bit crazy but I have pretty toes, so gotta play them up right!

 

7) How long does it take for you to put on makeup?

 

Depending on the time I have, I can take five minutes or thirty. If I do a proper look, I’ll usually clock in at around thirty. If I do something more involved, it can take up to an hour! But these are usually more costume-y looks.

 

8) What do you do first, face or eyes?

 

Since I do very little to my face, I tend to do the eyes first. My looks are almost always built upon the eye look, since I love shadows and the colour possibilities so much. I also find it much easier (and quicker) to decide what colour of lipstick and blush to put on when I already have the eyes finished.

 

9) Do you collect makeup or just buy what you need when you need it?

 

I don’t see myself as a typical makeup user, at all. I have this blog and I have a personal collection that’s grown since I was 15 years old. I have shadows older than I am because they were passed on to me by my mother! Yep, that’s true. Dior and Chanel shadows hold up 30 years without ever going bad. Generally, I think I am a collector. But, I’m also good at spotting deals and saying no, especially since I’ve been on a really tight budget for the past 18 months. But yeah, I’m definitely not just a necessity buyer. To get an LE item I really wanted, I’ve been known to sacrifice some of my food budget (we’re talking 5 CHF or so, not 50 CHF!). What can I say, some essence blushes are really worth it!

 

10) How often do you wear false eyelashes?

 

Not to sound too hipster, but I wore fake lashes before they became so hugely popular again. Back around 2005-2006, I used to buy them, trim individual pieces of and apply them individually to the outer edges of my lashline. Then I sort of got over it and was quite surprised they’ve made such a comeback. I like some falsies but if there’s one thing my budget really doesn’t allow for right now, it’s that. Also, falsies aren’t as big a thing here in Europe as they are in the US. I have a feeling European women tend to go natural a lot more than American ones. A few years back, I bought a pair of falsies at MAC from their Wonder Woman collection and wore them during the day and I swear every third person in the street stared in disgust like I had three heads with tentacles growing out of them. They were applied properly (by a MAC sales lady) but Switzerland is just a very… non-flashy country.

 

11) Do you do a full face of makeup every day?

 

No, absolutely not. I do my makeup when I feel like it or on occasions where it’s really required. Doing it only when the mood is right keeps my creativity flowing and keeps me having fun and being interested. I do read about makeup every day though and not a week goes by that I don’t experiment and test stuff.

 

12) Do you wear makeup when you’re home alone or with family?

 

I do! I actually often reward myself with makeup. “Ok, I’ve finished writing this / working on that, so now I can do that awesome mask I’ve been dreaming about all day!” I’ve been known to whip up a look at 1am because I felt inspired and to open the door to handymen in full costume makeup.

 

13) Will you leave the house without makeup?

 

Yes I will. I do it very often. There’s nothing wrong with that. Actually, one of the weirdest things that happen to me regularly is that I come across a MAC counter without a molecule of makeup on my face. I’ve started calling it my “MAC Curse” because it invariably leads to the sales people to take me less seriously. But when I’m there spontaneously just to swatch things or look at stuff, I haven’t planned ahead! Then I get into these very technical, involved conversations with the sales people and they look at me like they’re wondering if I’m scamming them.

 

14) How many high-end products do you have?

 

A fair few, lovingly collected over many years. I couldn’t say how many but I’d guess they make about 40% of my collection.

 

15) Do you plan you’re OOTD (outfit of the day) every night or decide when you’re getting dressed?

 

I actually don’t plan my outfit first and certainly not the night before! I tend to have an idea of what I want to put on my eyes and then build the outfit around that. The eyes completely set the tone for me and often, I’ll decide what kind of eye look I want to rock and then make the clothes work with it.

 

16) How often do you change your handbag?

 

Often! In my teens and very early twenties, I collected handbags and so now I’ve got a lot of them. I have one that gets used a little more often, a big black floppy bag I got at H&M years ago, but that’s just because it’s so practical. Usually I’ll make sure my handbag goes with my outfit though (notice I did not say “matches”).

 

17) What time do you wake up and go to sleep?

 

That changes almost daily and it’s something I’m working on. Ideally I’d love a 10-11pm bedtime and 8am wakeup time).

 

18) How often or when do you work out?

 

I’m not a sporty person. For a year, my bestie and I went swimming twice a week but my pass expired and I wasn’t able to renew it. So now I try and work out with some dumbells once a day. I put on music and do some exercises for about 3 songs. It’s not ideal yet. Another thing I’m working on!

 

19) Are you a lefty or righty?

 

Righty. But I wear my watch on my right. Apparently that’s weird.

 

20) How tall are you?

 

175cm or 5’9”.

 

21) Do you speak any foreign languages?

 

I do, although once I know a language I tend not to consider it “foreign” anymore! I am fluent in English, German, French and Spanish. I also speak a little Arabic, but I can only read the numbers. I know enough Italian not to get lost or starve to death and a tiny bit of Japanese. Over the years I’ve picked up a little Polish and Czech too (basically I can say stuff like “hello”, “how are you”, “goodbye”, “my name is”, “water”, “please” and “thank you”). I actually really enjoy Czech because of the KRRR! 70mm Film Festival that I’ve gone to twice. I’ve made some dear friends there and I try and make an effort to learn the language wherever I go, even if it’s just a little bit. I find it exciting and it shows you respect your hosts.

 

22) How many pets do you have?

 

My parents say that technically she’s theirs, but I count her as mine. One, Babette! She’s a little border terrier and is just the sweetest dog the world ever saw. I’ll see her again soon!

 

 

(she’s the one thing I couldn’t not show in here!)

 

23) Do you read comments posted on blogs?

 

I read my own comments (OBVIOUSLY!) because I love them and they delight me. I try to answer each one when I can. The only other person whose blog comments I read are The Bloggess’ aka Jenny Lawson. That’s because her commenters are just as brilliant and nuts as she is and when you’re sad that her post already ended, the hilarity goes on a bit in the comments, which is always nice.

 

24) Do you keep a list of products to try as you see other posts?

 

Absolutely. I have a list in my iPhone of drugstore dupes for high-end eyeshadows and blushes that I still want to get (the dupes, although I wouldn’t reject the real thing!) and one I call my makeup wishlist. These get updated and changed fairly regularly.

 

25) How did you come up with your blog name?

 

I wanted something descriptive enough to make sense but vague enough to leave me a lot of leeway in what I’d do here in terms of beauty products. I also wanted something short, sweet, to-the-point and (hopefully) memorable. Since I do and create all these makeup looks myself, it kind of made sense to call Makeup by Anna, well, Makeup by Anna. (Although I’ll admit I went through a phase of “The Rainbow Factory” and “Big Girl’s Makeup”. You be the judge of whether I chose the right name!)

 

26) What kind of camera do you use for your photographs?

 

For the longest time I only had my iPhone camera. The 3GS, which doesn’t even have a flash and of course no features whatsoever! Considering that, I don’t think I did too bad! In February, my friend David gifted me with the HTC One X smartphone which has an incredible camera in it (better than some actual point-and-shoots!) and since then I’ve been using that. Thank you David!

 

27) How often do you clean your house?

 

As often as necessary but I’m not overly anal about it. I have a sort of rotation set up that makes sure I hit the areas that gather dirt quickly more often and the other areas at longer intervals. I guess by Swiss standards it’s a pigsty, but I’m neither Swiss nor able to reach that level of cleanliness! It’s a cliché for a reason!

 

28) What’s your favourite colour?

 

I have two and no, I won’t choose: turquoise and burgundy.

 

29) Do you swear?

 

Yes! I wouldn’t do it around children but in general, I don’t feel a need to greatly censor myself. I tend to hold back a little on the blog but that’s because this is supposed to be a very happy place for all of us and usually there’s no need for cussing here anyway. But I do like my swearwords and I do use them without shame. My favourite one is “cocksucker” for the simple reason that one of those in a US movie gets it an automatic R-rating. That’s so ludicrous in my mind (remember, I’m half French, that’s a lot of innate cussing in my veins!) that when I first heard that, I immediately loved it the most.

 

30) What are you doing the rest of the day?

 

Things pertaining to the aforementioned big changes but I can’t discuss that here yet. I will in due time.

 

I hope you have a wonderful rest of the day, stay beautiful inside and out,

 

Anna

Gorilla Scentfare: Bring on the LUSH perfumes!

Tags

Breath of God, chartreuse, Devil's Nightcap, Euphoria, Feeling Young, Flowers Barrow, Fruit Punch, Furze, Gorilla perfumes, Hellstone, Karma, Lush, Lust, Milani, perfume, pink, purple, Sikkim Girls, The Bug, The Sun, The Voice of Reason, Vanillary, Vol. 1, Vol. 2

Last week, I was invited to Lush Switzerland’s launch event of the Gorilla Perfumes, Vol. 2. It was amazing, there’s no other word for it.

 

Lush has had perfumes for a while now, in all kinds of different styles and textures. The first official Lush perfume selection was (to my knowledge) Gorilla Perfumes Vol. 1. Those include classics like Karma and others like Lust, Breath of God and Vanillary. Lust was my first Gorilla and I bought it because I love the Yuki-Hi bathbomb and Flying Fox shower gel. Lust smells like those. My second was Vanillary, which is a delicious, scrumptious vanilla scent mixed with white blossoms. It’s sweet but not sickeningly sugary because the blossoms give it an edge.

 

I love perfumes and fragrances of all kinds. I used to only have one winter and one summer perfume, but in recent years I’ve diversified a lot and I’m happier for it. My main thing with any kind of fragrance is: it can’t smell artificial. I want nothing but the best possible ingredients and real aromas in my fragrance. I can’t stand most perfumes because most of them use artificial aromas and those reek. They also don’t develop on the skin pleasingly, at least not on mine. Perfumes made from real and original ingredients tend to cost more, but I find that they are worth it. And I’m not talking about Dior crap that costs a lot because it says “Dior” on the bottle and otherwise smells like any cheap celebrity drugstore scent (don’t even get me started on those). There are a few cheaper brands that get it right though, like Fruttini and Sephora. I love those!

 

But back to Lush. Lush has recently released its second batch of perfumes and they are wild! While the Vol. 1 Gorillas were creative and agreeable, they were certainly quite safe. Vol. 2 marks Lush going completely off the reservation – in an incredible way! Created by Mark and Simon Constantine (Mark is the founder of Lush, Simon is his son), Vol. 2 takes the wordplay of gorilla-guerilla literally and they went and created scents which are utterly nuts, strange and full of stories. No playing it safe, just pure, unadulterated creativity and, I suspect, a lot of cackling maniacally over new concoctions.

The aim of the Gorilla perfumes is to evoke emotions, above all. Lush is working hard to connect memories, art, literature and music with what is nose-art: perfume. There’s a comic to go with the perfumes and the Constantines were inspired by everything from geographical landmarks to poetry. The results are liquid masterpieces of fragrance.

 

No, I have not been drinking the Lush Kool-aid for too long. What I say here are the conclusions I drew after being presented with the concept and, more importantly, experiencing that concept first hand.

 

 

The Gorilla Perfumes Vol. 2 contain a lot of crazy ingredients, like cumin, herbs, tea, blackcurrant, galbanum, black pepper, Buddah wood, furze and many more. They’ve been arranged in highly original combinations, making the perfumes something I can guarantee you’ve never smelled before.

 

The main thing I need to note about the Vol. 2 Gorillas is this: try them before buying them! Experiment, experiment, experiment! Just sniffing at the bottle will get you nowhere with the Gorillas. They are designed in such a way that your skin is the final ingredient. As a result, they smell and develop differently on each skin. You need to be aware that straight out of the bottle, you will most likely hate a lot of them. This is due to the high concentration of natural oils and ingredients (these are perfumes, after all, not eaux de toilette) and probably something else I don’t quite grasp. I spent an evening sniffing my way through these and the only one I found appealing right away was Furze (pronounced like “furs) and even that seemed way too strong for my liking at first.

You only need a drop of any of the Gorillas for two wrists and then maybe an additional drop for behind both ears and the space between your collarbones.

 

My recommendation is to read the ingredients, then take a whiff at the bottle and then try it on your skin. Only then will you know if you like it and if it smells good on you.

 

This was truly the most magical part of the evening: getting to see (well, smell) how each scent reacts differently on a person, as soon as they put it on. Hellstone and The Voice of Reason were the first two I sampled and at first, I was horrified. They were so strong, so out there, I couldn’t really picture them smelling good on anyone. Then Sarah sampled one on each arm for me and I was blown away. They smelled heavenly on her! Hellstone, true to its name, developed a smokey, hot stones kind of aroma on her and The Voice of Reason was the perfect mix of mysterious forest meeting a Parisian café with a bit of incense burning in a corner. They fit her perfectly and now I don’t think I’ll ever be able to think about The Voice of Reason without seeing Sarah in my mind.

Euphoria, The Bug, The Sun, Devil’s Nightcap and Flowers Barrow did the same thing. In the bottle, I found them unappealing because they were so strange and then I smelled them on people’s skin and each and every one transformed into something otherworldly and delicious. Like some paintings need to be looked at for hours, the Gorilla Perfumes Vol. 2 need to be tried and worn and given a chance to develop their unique beauty.

 

Another great selling point here is that most of these perfumes qualify as unisex, in my opinion. Especially Hellstone, The Voice of Reason, The Bug and Devil’s Nightcap would fit men well. The only really “girly” ones are The Sun, Furze and Sikkim Girls. Although I could totally imagine someone like Lenny Kravitz rocking Sikkim Girls or Russell Brand sporting The Sun.

 

After thoroughly sampling all the perfumes they had at the event, I found myself going back to Furze, again and again. Furze smells coconutty and vanilla-ey in a very “real” way but it’s not cloyingly sweet because of the blossoms that seems to give it a bit of an edge (like in Vanillary, only crazier!). Furze started off on my skin with a powerful coconut note, which made way after several hours to the vanilla. About 12 hours later, you could still smell it but it had changed into something more spicy with almost-burned-caramel notes. All the while, there was this undercurrent of blossoms, giving it more of a plant-based edge, which I really enjoyed. Furze was also the one I got to take home with me and which I’ve been wearing ever since then. I can’t get enough of it!

 

(my darling Furze and beneath it, the accompanying Gorilla comic book)

Gorilla Perfumes Vol. 2 come in three different sizes: 7g, 25g and 43g. Each size bottle is a little different but all are made of glass. They retail at varying prices. For instance the 7g Furze costs 16 CHF but the 7g Devil’s Nightcap costs 29 CHF. My guess is that this is due to the ingredients used being more or less costly at the manufacturing level. You can check the Swiss Lush shop’s Gorillas here.

This site will give you all the information you need about all Gorilla Perfumes.

 

I couldn’t be happier that there is a brand out there like Lush who seizes its freedom to make such precious, original and creative perfumes. The Gorillas are unapologetic and wild and that’s what makes them so incredible. I can’t recommend a particular one, I can only recommend you try them and let the right Gorilla find you!

 

Finally, speaking of unapologetic and wild, I’d like to share the makeup look I wore at the event. I knew the scents would be crazy and I wanted a look that would capture that spirit. I was inspired a little by Batman’s Joker (Jack Nicholson era) and guided by wanting to wear my new Milani lipstick in Fruit Punch. Here’s what I came up with:

 

Eyes are a mix of acid chartreuse, purple and pink. Lips are Milani’s amazing Fruit Punch lipstick (a gift from reader Missionista, as is the chartreuse eyeshadow, thanks!). You can’t see it in the pic because this was makeup for real life, not for a photoshoot, but I wore Lush’s Feeling Young highlighter on my cheeks. I just love that stuff.

A big thank you goes out to Tanja, Livia, Doris and Sarah from Lush Switzerland who put this event together. It certainly was smart to present the perfumes in such a way that we’d get to experience their chemical magic on others’ skins in order to ascertain that Lush wasn’t just hyping the perfumes. I’ve truly never met a brand who has been so honest in the appraisal of their products and that’s a rare thing these days.

Extra bonus gold star shoutout to Sarah, who was by my side a lot during the event. She was so smart, knowledgeable and beautiful both inside and out. A waify young woman, full of energy and sparkle, with black and green hair, dots painted between her brows and, thanks to the Gorillas, scrumptious smelling skin. She helped me a lot and she embodies all that is great about Lush.

 

Stay beautiful inside and out,

 

Anna

Monday, Shmonday

Hello my lovelies!

Just a little post to let you know what’s going on right now. I’m currently quite busy and I need a little break but I’m not gone!

 

HOWEVER: I’m invited to an event by Lush this Wednesday and will do my best do attend. A post covering it (don’t want to reveal too much yet) will follow as soon as I am able. I’m also working on a review of Lush’s Easter soap (little spoiler: it’s gorgeous, so colourful and pretty!) and this will be up as soon as I can manage it as well.

Several days ago, I created an eye look especially for the blog and even photographed it, but I haven’t been able to publish it. If I can crop the pics in a satisfactory manner, I might still be able to release them at a later date.

 

As I said, I’m not gone but I will be publishing fewer posts these upcoming weeks.

 

Take care of your beautiful selves,

Anna

Beauty on the Inside: Help find a home for Molly! (UPDATED WITH WONDERFUL NEWS!)

Tags

Find Molly A Home, Joseph, Molly, Tamara

This blog is dedicated to all things bright and beautiful that we can paint on our faces and pamper our bodies with. But I also often talk about being beautiful on the inside. Why? Because that is what will always shine through and there is no point to outer beauty if the inside doesn’t follow suit.

So today, I would like to help us all do something for our inner beauty.

 

My friend Tamara who lives in Athens, Alabama, recently rescued a labrador-pit mix puppy which she’s been calling Molly. At first she wanted to try and adopt her into her own family, but Tamara’s dog Sally had difficulties coping and so she’s decided to re-home Molly and find her a family that will be able to embrace her fully.

 

This is Molly:

 

Molly is about 10 months old, she’s house-trained, knows the “sit” command and is sweet as can be. Tamara found her in bad condition, with her paw pads all rubbed off from being on a harsh road for so long! Molly gets along great with Tamara’s 4-year-old daughter, so a home with kids wouldn’t be a problem for her. Tamara and her awesome husband Joseph are currently in the process of giving her basic medical care. So far, it’s been determined she is free of heartworms and intestinal parasites!

I know this blog has a lot of US-based readers and so if you live in Alabama or you can get to Alabama and want a new pet, please give Molly a thought! If you can’t adopt her, maybe you know someone who can! Pit mixes are known for being strong, super smart and sweet when given the right upbringing. Molly is already all those things, but she needs a forever home. Tamara and Joseph don’t want to give her over to a shelter, because all the shelters they have access to could potentially euthanise Molly. She deserves better. She deserves the love of a good home.

 

If you want to help with Molly’s search for a home or want to adopt her, you can go to Facebook at Find Molly A Home, like the page, share posts, get in touch with Tamara. She’s also on Twitter as @FindMollyAHome Of course, you can also email me (contact info above) and I’ll make sure to put you in touch, if that’s what you prefer.

 

Let’s find this darling puppy a forever home!

 

Stay beautiful, inside and out,

 

Anna

 

UPDATE: Molly has found a home! She will be moving in with Peggy Mayhall of Athens, their son and their two other dogs! Isn’t it amazing what miracles the internet can produce? We are so blessed to have it in our lives!

 

UPDATE 2: Tamara will keep Molly’s Facebook page open in order to help coordinate rescues and the fostering of new animals in her region, so that more pets can find their forever homes, make people happy and keep from being euthanised in shelters that don’t have any other option (this isn’t a judgement on those shelters, I know it’s tough!). So if you find a pet and need to re-home it or you want to adopt one, go to Find Molly A Home on Facebook and get in touch with Tamara! Let’s make this world a brighter place with lots more happy pets and happy owners out there!

Sunday Tidbits

Tags

aloe, Eve Rudschies, hand sanitizer, Süßes Gift und bittere Orangen

It’s Sunday for 10 more minutes while I type this, so let’s get to it!

 

* I’ve finally come up with a birthday look dedicated to my amazing bestie, who turned 26 mid-February. My skin’s been acting up, I’ve been ill a lot and I couldn’t get the look done so far. But now, I actually came up with the perfect design that I want to gift her with and it’s coming next week! Hopefully, some more of my skin will clear up again by then.

 

* I downloaded an ebook on making your own cosmetics with natural ingredients. It seems quite conservative, all in all, but there’s a few things in there I might still try. If I’m successful, you can bet your sweet patootie I’ll post the results here!

 

* My Mum’s newest book is finally out! It’s a historical crime novel centering on food! My Mum’s an awesome cook and gifted writer and if you speak/read German, then go get yourself a copy! Bookstores who haven’t got it stocked can order it without a problem and you can get it on amazon both as an ebook and as a paperback! Click here for the German amazon link! She will also be opening a blog soon to complement the book, where she will talk about history and food! When it’s up and running (with the help of her trusty tech sidekicks, my Father and yours truly), I’ll let you know!

 

* I hate the hand sanitizers you can get here. They all smell like hospital. Even the one that says “aloe vera” smell like cough medicine. I use a lot of hand sanitizer because of my weakened immune system (there aren’t always bathrooms around or the time to find one) and I wish it didn’t smell so bad. In the US, they have them in all kinds of scents and I’d much rather have those! Maybe one day, when my budget allows for extravangant items, I’ll order some scented hand sanitizer online.

 

* I’ll probably see my parents for Easter! Yay!

 

Have a wonderful start into the week, stay beautiful inside and out (even on a Monday!),

 

Anna

Makeup on a Budget: Dealing with limited editions

Tags

Andy Warhol, essence, MAC, NARS, Wonder Woman

They’re always so enticing, so sparkling, so beautifully packaged and you can NEVER EVER get what’s offered here EVER AGAIN!

That’s limited editions (LEs) for you. As you certainly know, makeup brands across the board regularly put out LEs to keep things interesting and customers buying!

But what if you’re a beautista on a budget? What if you can’t afford every limited product a collection has to offer, what if you miss out?

LEs are a great complement to a brand’s permanent range, in my opinion, but they can be a bit of a trap too if you’re not careful.

LEs are designed to make us think they are better than anything else and that if you don’t get it NOW, you lose out forever. That’s how they get you to snap up those coveted, often-hyped products (for instance, I’m thinking about the Andy Warhol NARS collection which was catastrophic yet they tried their best to make you think it was the best quality products ever).

If you’re on a budget, like me, it can quickly get depressing to see all those LEs and think that you’re missing out on so many great products. There’s no need for that. Here’s how I cope with limited editions. And you can click here for my post about Makeup Math.

 

Really new or repromoted?

Several brands, MAC chief amongst then, put out so many LE collections a year that they can’t come up with brandnew, quality products every single time. So, very often, they will sneak in repromoted products. These may be products that have appeared in previous LEs or products belonging to the permanent or pro range, all of which are merely packaged differently to fit into a particular collection.

If you already have it from a different LE or from the permanent range, it’s not worth buying it as part of an LE unless it is/was an absolute holy grail product that you failed to buy a backup for. Remember that you are more likely to pay more for an LE product than for a regular item! As for the pro range stuff that occasionally gets new clothes for a LE collection, it depends on whether or not you are able to get pro range things normally. Here in Switzerland, there’s no such thing as a MAC pro store and I personally don’t have the possibility (never mind the budget right now) to get pro products via the internet. So, when MAC puts out a pro product in a LE, I might like to have it if it’s something I’ve been coveting for a while (the matte marine blue pigment is a good example for this, it’s pro, I could never get it and finally got a chance to have it when they released it within the Wonder Woman collection).

 

Do I already have it?

You may not have that exact product in that exact packaging, but ask yourself: do I already have that shade? Depending on the size of your makeup collection, you very well might! If you do have a reasonable dupe for an LE item you’re eyeing, it’s not worth getting! I always, always, always ask myself whether I already have a particular shade when I purchase something new. If I do, it’s hands off for sure! This goes for lipsticks, eyeshadows, blushes, anything at all!

 

Size does matter!

LE can be weird when it comes to products’ sizes. Some may make items bigger, others smaller than the permanent range stuff. Here, it helps having an idea about the prices (more on that in a second) and being able to compare and contrast products in your head. 3,5g of pigment for 3€ is a great deal when usually 4,5g cost 12€! You know, that kind of thing. Ask yourself how much product you’re really getting for your buck and whether or not that’s worth it to you.

It’s happened to me several times over the years that I’ve bought LE eyeshadows at MAC that where much bigger in size than their regular ones and not always more expensive. Actually, I think I may own more LE eyeshadows than permanent range eyeshadows (talking all brands here, not just MAC).

 

Educate yourself!

Reading reviews is essential when you’re on a budget. They can give you guidelines and they will tell you exactly how much product you’re getting for how many gold dubloons (you know what I mean). LE collections that look fantastic design-wise may be real letdowns quality-wise and if you read reviews beforehand, you spare yourself a lot of time, money and heartache.

My approach is this: If I read a bad review about a collection, but still really want it for some reason, I will then go and swatch it in person. Sometimes, a bad review is not applicable to you, for any number of reasons. But, they are a good guideline and will give you an idea as to what to look out for in a particular LE.

 

Know your brand!

No brand is good in all areas. It helps your decision-making process if you know what a brand’s strengths and weaknesses are. For instance, essence tends to make sub-par eyeshadows in their permanent range, but decent to great ones in their LEs. MAC tends to have amazing permanent blushes but very hit and miss ones in their LEs. This kind of knowledge comes from your own experience and from reading up on stuff that interests you.

 

The ultimate question

When everything inside you wants that cute quad with the beautifully engraved compact and embossed eyeshadows but you know you shouldn’t, what do you do?

I ask myself these two questions, in this order: Will the world end if I don’t get this product? Will my world end if I don’t get it? So far, my experience has been that the answer to both questions is “No.” There will always be another LE, another time to get that shade, a better way to spend that money (especially if the choice is food or makeup!). You are in control of your buying decisions, not the advertisers trying to entice you. They will never stop trying to lure you in, it’s how they keep in business. But you are not responsible for keeping them in business singlehandedly.

 

I hope this helped some of you! I know it can be soooo hard to resist or make the right choices, but don’t despair.

Stay beautiful, inside and out,

 

Anna