“The way I look is just part of it. It sounds affected but I do see myself as a piece of art. People do accuse me of being just decoratve or an escapist. Well, I am. That’s what I do. So long as they realize that I am other things as well.” – Klaus Nomi
Today as sitting eating snickerdoodles with Blue Mayhem soaking on my hair. I thought about all us women go through everyday between makeup, hair to create an image of ourselves. I personally lurve cranking up the stereo, heading to the bathroom and creating new versions of myself through makeup or hair color, I feel almost a sense of therapy as I brush a bright new color onto myself. For many years now, I have been personally fascinated by cosmetics and makeup art. Every time I see someone with amazing facial bone structure and strange features I want to kidnap them and make them up a’la Klaus Nomi. I believe that EVERYONE has something beautiful about them.
In my search for the perfect visage for myself, I have tried out endless amounts of beauty products to find some of the best ones that would be worth my money spent and give the best results. Some of these products may seem expensive, but in the long run could save you time and money of not having to try a bunch of products that don’t work.
Now, I know many of you guys are going… “Argh Miss D! This has nothing to do with me!” Well, hold your horses… read on for you many find great gift ideas for any of those females in your life. A great present for any woman would be a gift card to Sephora.com or to her favorite hair salon.
Now on with the show…
Hair
- Styling Tools: CHI Iron- I’ve tried the all the rest, this is the best straightener out there!
- Hair Dye: Special Effects- Great color selections and lasts the longest compared to other brands such as Manic Panic and Raw. Since I have had a spectrum of different wild hair colors, I have used many different combinations of their dyes. In the future I’ll do a post on hair color and how to’s sharing some of my dying tricks and favorite colors!
- Conditioner: Aussie Three Minute Miracle “Deep”- Since put my hair through so much after all the straightening (im naturally very curly!) and dying I need a powerhouse of a conditioner to fix the damage. It’s cheap and three minutes with this and my hair is saying THANK YOU!
- Deep Conditioner: Coconut Oil! It may sound strange but it works so well, if you want to get that high gloss shine. Set some of this on your head for a few hours and then rinse out with some clarifying shampoo! So soft and shiny!
Makeup
- Powder/Foundation: Mac Studio Fix- After a search for the perfect powder MAC Cosmetics once again proves to be the best, a tad bit expensive but worth it due to it’s amazing coverage, matte/non oily formula and almost photo shop like results….it’s a wise investment with a wide range of shades with names like C3 (that’s me!) and NC15 sounds like I should be looking for John Connor but it’s a technological wonder than should not be feared! Use a kabuki brush for best results.. plus it’s fun to say kabuki.
- Concealer: Benefit Boi-ing- Party hard? No worries…Best under eye concealer!
- Moisturizer: Nivea Creme- Just can’t get enough! Use a little to put on before makeup application, helps keep skin plump and powder set. Can get at any CVS or drugstore!
- Mascara: Max Factor Volume Couture-Waterproof and give you doll like lashes without the clumps and mess. Fake lashes in a tube!
- Matte Powder: Coastal Scents Silica Powder- I’ve tried that expensive HD powder and this works exactly the same. Stops all shine, all night. $4 for a huge jar.
A must have for Florida humidity!
- Primer/Sealer: Mehron Barrier Spray- For all you folk that do performance or for ANYONE who wants their makeup to last ALL day. I HIGHLY recommend Mehron Barrier Spray, first introduced to me by a female impersonator. I have used this spray for years now on the most humid, sweaty days and hottest Florida nights. It’s awesome, non pore clogging and keeps all that hard work from sliding off.
- Eye Primer- Coastal Scents Eye Primer- Light, cheap and works like a charm!
- Stage Makeup: Kryolan- When I went to Berlin (where Kryolan has their HQ) it was the mecca of amazing makeup. My favorite is their UV creme eye shadows that glow under black light, always sure to get complements and come in BRIGHT neon colors. Just make sure you get a pack of nylon brushes from any art store to apply these cremes since they can be quite tricky to apply with normal natural bristled brushes. You can buy these in America from Shrinkle over on Ebay.
- Face Wash: Shea Moisture Black Soap- I am bananas for this soap, it’s done a miracle for my skin. It’s made from plaintains, tar, ash and shea butter. It’s not only cleared my skin up but has toned it and shrunk my pores. I don’t know but if I could get a gallon of this I would never stray. It’s amazing and you can pick it up at Target for $5!
Do you have a beauty tip you would like to share? I would love to hear any of your tips, tricks or favorite holy grail products and might feature it in a feature Destructo Deviation post. I am still looking for an awesome hairspray and color care shampoo! Let me know your recommendations!
Polish up those claws!
One of my passions is nail art, back in the community college days I used to grow my nails out long (yes, those are my nails!) and paint them up the most detailed designs and brightest colors. There wasn’t a day I didn’t get comments on my nails, and I used to do alot of the fellow students nails during lunch breaks at school. However, I learned by doing this that it was much easier to do my own nails than others, so I never perused a career in nail art. Over the years, I have learned some helpful tricks to get the most unique nail designs to work!
With Halloween only a few days away and many ladies scrambling for the most ghoulish, glam or goth nail designs out there. I wanted to give you all some tips on how to get your Halloween (or year round) nails to be the talk of the town.
How to Get Naturally Long Nails!
- Eat some grass. No, really…. Wheatgrass is incredible for making nails grow in a short amount of time. Legend has it King Nebuchadnezzar grazed on wheat grass, making his nails and hair grow to beastly lengths. I can attest that it really does help grow your nails out quickly!
- Ace of Base. Use a good strengthening base on your nails, it’s usually clear and helps from your nails splitting or breaking.
- Get in shape! Shape your nails and keep them free of snags, rips or tears. I love using those cheap battery powered nail shapers to achieve a round or pointy shape. If you really want to vamp it up, you can make them extra pointy, but be warned they do get sharp and are easier to break.
Pick your Poison
- Paint it Black. Every goth gal has her favorite black polish. One that is shiny and purest black is China Glaze’s- Liquid Leather another good cheap black is made by Sinful Colors (available at Walgreens).
- Make it Glow! If you are going to a party with blacklights, White or Glow in the Dark polish is great for details! Or look for UV or Neon colors that really stand out. (I know this isn’t nail related but Kryolan makes the best UV makeup!)
- Glitter isn’t always gold. Glitter nail polish often looks pretty in the bottle, but turns out to be a chunky mess in the end. The best thing to do is find polishes that have fine glitter. However, in most cases a coat of the thick Seche Vite top coat usually smooths things out.
- Orly? Yes, really. Some of my favorite polishes are made by China Glaze and Orly…. they have a great selection of bright colors that only take two coats to produce true to bottle color results. These can be found at Sally’s or your local beauty supply store!
Finish them!
- Dry it up! Use a fast drying top coat, my favorites are Out The Door and my uber favorite Seche Vite, not only does it dry your polish fast but it’s super shiny.
- Devil is in the details! Alright, now here comes my top secret nail art detail. You can easily draw on any designs such as spiderwebs, tiger stripes, or whatever you can imagine. With….something you already OWN. That’s right folks the secret to my nail designs is Sharpie Markers…. you can get them in black or ANY color even metallic silver and gold. Just add a coat of top coat and you’ll be good to ghoul it up.
- Nails for Males: Guys, you can also rocker it up with some matte black polish or if you are going for a vampire look, take a little wine red polish on a paper towel and rub it around the cuticles of your nails to give that undead look.
Best place to buy nail polish online is: Head2toebeauty.com (Fast shipping and lowest prices!)
I would love to see your Halloween inspired nail designs! Feel free to post them as comments to inspire others!
I can fondly remember back to my senior year of college at the University of Tampa, I was like any other upcoming graduate…SCARED of “THE BEYOND”. Very scared of what the future held because I knew I would soon be in debt with student loans and out in “the real world” looking for a job in a tough economic time.
I put this in the back of my mind until one day when I was making the daily route to the student mail room, I passed a job fair in progress. There was a very well dressed gentleman at the door who I passed on my way to the mailboxes, he stopped me on the way with the comment “Hey, I love those shoes…”
I was wearing my beat up old, bright red cordoroy converse knock offs which somehow triggered a long conversation on his own collection of odd shoes. Half deep in a comment about my past in event promotions and how I was graduating soon, he said “I’m actually starting up this graphic design company and would love to have someone like you on board to help out with… no need for an interview”
Speechless, here I was standing among a huge crowd of sharply dressed fellow future graduates, all with polished resumes in tow and the tall, lanky gal with bright red hair and matching shoes is getting an on the spot job offer. I ended up not taking the job, but I made a friend that day and the priceless, new knowledge on how to beat my fears of “THE BEYOND”.
To conquer the feeling of the “Beyond” you have to be “Above and Beyond”…. If you look at the most successful people throughout history, most have something uniquely special about them that makes them stand out….
Find out my secret tips on how to stand out at Barrymoltz.com
Who called me a party pooper!?
You all know at least one… the person who always talks about how much their LIFE sucks, or how much PEOPLE suck, or how much YOU suck.
Until you want to scream…”Stop sucking the life out of ME!”
We’ve all heard the saying don’t let the bastards get you down, however when those bastards are surrounding you daily whether it be in the online realm or some of your closest friends and family… it can be pretty tough to deal with without making you seem like the party pooper.
If you’ve been noticing that negativity has been running a little more rampant (okay, it’s been more like Godzilla) recently, you aren’t the only one! It’s common for people at this time of year to experience Seasonal Affective Disorder (Otherwise known as S.A.D.) this isn’t an excuse for the negativity but is a good way to ask someone who is being negative… “Hey, is everything okay?” maybe they just need an outlet for the inner S.A.D, however some of them are just really good at taking it out on others. I suffer from S.A.D. during this time of year as well, as it always reminds me of when I lost my mother to cancer many years ago.
Before I get all Stewart Smalley on you guys, I’d like to share a few helpful tips to beat the autumn time blues.
- Turn off the damn computer and go outside. Fresh air and sunshine is key to getting oxygen and Vitamin D to your little negative thinking brain cells.
- Not only does your personality stink… but you do too. Smell can really make a mood sour, essential oils such as peppermint and pink grapefruit can really do wonders to brighten up your personality. I am loving my Peppermint Vanilla candle by Method!
- Sick of New Media Douchebags? (You have to watch this video!) Start following positive people in your social networks online, I know you may just want to hit that block button. Two wrongs don’t make a right, so best thing to do before giving them the boot is funnel them into a group and then see who is just having a bad day or is just a constant Debbie Downer, remember this key term… shape up or ship out.
- Please Be Kind… Rewind. Always before speaking, typing, tweeting… think about it. Yes, there is a screen in front of you but ALWAYS remember the fellow human being behind it.
My dear photographer friend mentioned in my last post JacenK was just today given the boot from his job in Chicago. This was really hard news to hear knowing the living costs in that city and that he was already currently struggling just to eat there with a job. Things like this can seem like you will need to start looking for a cardboard box, but no worries for Jacen and all the other newly unemployed. It seems the world is on a transitionary path right now, lots of things turned upside down but you can turn your world right side up if you just follow these steps.
1. File for unemployment
It’s really not hard, you may be able to do it online and you can get about $300 or more a week depending on location and income.
2. Apply for foodstamps
You get a cool card and about $170 a month for food.
3. Get rid of small bills
Netflix, Internet (if there’s a wifi source nearby) and brew coffee at home. Get a powerful room fan instead of using air all the time in the summer.
4. Network your butt off on Twitter
Use Tweetdeck and look for people who are looking for you! Put in a search for in Jacen’s case “photographer chicago” to catch any tweets about people looking for photographers in that area. Another great thing is to add people from news or magazine sources. Anyway to get buzz generated about you is good for helping you get your foot in the door.
5. Help others while you are searching!
It may just help you if they find jobs and can return the favor.
6. Use discount sites
I like Publix4Pennies.com (I saved $28 dollars last night at Publix!) and Slickdeals.net for bargains. Don’t forget places like thrift stores for getting a new interview wardrobe!
Do you have any unemployment tips for Jacen or for others? Leave a comment and feel great about helping someone that may not have anywhere else to turn.
Are you looking for a unique, flexible photographer that is easy to work with in the Chicago area? Find out more about him and his photography at Flickr or his blog www.jacenk.net and JacenK’s extensive photography portfolio or contact him on twitter at @jacenk
Always remember to bring a towel,
