Gardening in High Heels

cultivate a beautiful life

Summer-izing makeup

It is officially summer.  That means it’s time to summer-ize the ol’ makeup routine.  Usually I wait until it’s too late and I’ve already broken out more times than I can count from not lightening up for summer, but not this year!  I’m only mildly in troubled skin water.  I think it’s due to my massive love of face masks and Rodan + Fields products when I need to perk up my complexion.

Anyway.

I fully believe summer is the time to go lighter.

I’m looking forward to wearing very little makeup except for lashes and lips.  Let’s face it, those are the only products that don’t entirely melt off my face in humidity despite priming underneath like I’m painting over a dark wall with a light color.

No matter what I end up putting on my face for the day, it all starts with SPF.  I have a few different day moisturizers depending on what I feel like, but I always put on something with SPF.

Summer makeup must-haves that hold up to the heat and humidity.

Now that the SPF PSA is over, some other things that I always have in my arsenal in the summer includes:

Primer for eyes + face

Even if I’m just putting on concealer, I always put some primer on my face and around my eyes.  Gotta give everything a fighting chance to stick around, right?  Right now I’m using samples of Smashbox face primer and Lorac Behind the Scenes eye primer.

Waterproof eyeliner and mascara

Let’s be real, most days I wonder why I even bother with eye shadow because within about an hour of being out of the house, it’s breaking down already.  Typically I’ll do a wash of a gold or copper and focus on eyeliner and mascara.  Use liquid or gel liner because it has the most staying power.

Sometimes I’ll try to be fancy and put on a colored liner for some fun, but when I have to get out the door, it’s a quick cat-eye look.

Eyeliner and mascara you need this summer.

Mary Kay Liquid Eyeliner for a dark black line.  NYC New York Color Big Bold & Precice Eyeliner.  I know they say it’s bold, but I don’t think it’s as intense as some other black liquid liners.

And for lashes, it has to be Covergirl Clump Crusher, especially on the lower lashes.  I used to get smudges under my eyes with anything I put on, but this is the cat’s pajamas.  NYC Big Bold Angel Lashes Mascara has been a nice surprise.  It very rarely will it transfer.

Bright, statement-making lipstick

Classic glamour in a red or orange-y red.  Fun with a bright pink punch.  Daring with an orange.  I’m not afraid of color on my lips.  I welcome it.

Bright lipsticks that are perfect for summer.

Almay Smart Shade Butter Kiss in Pink Medium, Laqa & Co Lil’ Lip in Ring of Fire, MAC lipstick in Sail La Vie (LE, I’ve heard Revlon Vibrant Mandarin and Wet n Wild Purty Persimmon are close).

Light-coverage powder

I haaaate feeling like I have a ton of dirt on my face in the summer.  Let’s face it, with the humidity and the sweat and the wind whipping up things…there’s a lot of dirt stuck to our faces.  Enter: light coverage powder.  Anything that will blur imperfections but not add the feeling of “stuff” on my skin is just the ticket.

Lightweight summer face products that every girl needs to have.

I love MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural (I’m Light Plus when not super-duper tan which I haven’t been since..college?)  I’m also experimenting with Laura Geller Balance n Brighten.

Light reflecting powder

I know, I said I wasn’t putting a lot on my face, but light reflecting powder or some other highlighter is necessary to brighten under the eyes and add a little lightness to the face.

Laura Mercier Secret Brightening Powder is what I’ve been using for years (almost daily) and I still am not done with the pot that I have.  One of the best beauty investments.  I also light Hourglass Ambient Lighting powders.  I have the palette that came out and it adds a little extra glow.

Blotting sheets

You know that 2pm skin feeling?  The one where you’re like…ugh I am a shiny hot mess and I just want to wash my face?  That’s why I keep some blotting sheets around.  Coffee filters work in a pinch.  So do napkins.  Just anything to get that shine and oil off of my face (and out of harm’s way of developing breakouts).

I’ve always carried Mary Kay Beauty Blotters with me and I instantly feel more presentable when I use them.

Summer makeup must-haves that hold up to the heat and humidity.

What is in your summer beauty arsenal?

Be a Better Blogger is a weekly link up dedicated to helping you be a more intentional blogger. Want to be a better blogger but don’t know where to start? Head over to the Be a Better Blogger page for daily prompts and a weekly linkup to help get the creative juices flowing! Oh, and use #beabetterblogger on Twitter/Instagram/Facebook to keep the fun going even after you hit Publish!

Sunday Lately, 25

I don’t know what the weather is like in your little neck of the woods, but in Pittsburgh, it is rain.  Constant rain.  That’s the only thing on the menu.  Sometimes we get a fun side order of  oppressive humidity to go along with it.  So that’s been fun.

Have you entered the $300 Delta Airlines giveaway? Go do that now!

Jackmanii Clematis

Completing

I’m working towards completing Molly Mahar’s The Joy Equation and Propelle’s Summer Camp assignments for the week.  It isn’t going to be too bad.  I hope.  I’m just not in the mood for writing and reflection.  After I get home from a day at work, I just want to be quiet and not really think too much.  I’m the kind of person who needs to sit and be alone after a large output of time spent with people.

Propelle Summer Camp is underway and it's just what you need for a summery business breakthrough.

Visiting

I don’t know if I’m doing much visiting.  On Tuesday, I got together with Marissa from Ampersand Creative, so I’d call that a visit.  It was great to catch up and hopefully next time we can talk a little bit more about blog things.

Repeating

I feel like I’m repeating myself a lot lately.  I’m sure I’ve said this before and probably will say it again, but it seems like there’s a pocket of people I deal with at work who don’t listen, so I repeat myself over and over and over.  I like routine, but repetition is just not a fun time.

Applauding

The cast of Mary Poppins yesterday.  I haven’t seen the musical before, by Jonathan’s mother loves it and sees it when it comes through Pittsburgh.  I was lucky enough to get to join them and I loved it.  Mary Poppins requires suspension of disbelief, naturally, but I love how easily it was to get sucked into the show.  It was very well done – the costumes, music, cast..all of it was great.  See it if you ever get the chance!

Scheduling

I need to schedule in summer plans with Jonathan.  We have a bucket list of what we want to do, and we both know we won’t do it unless we have set plans, so I really need to jump on that bandwagon.

Also, I’m already dreaming of next year’s planner.  Get To Work Book looks amazing and I want one right now, but I don’t want to go middle of the year to middle of the year; I’d like one calendar year in one book.  She’ll be doing that, but not just yet.  Patience is not my strong suit.

Climbing Jackmanii Clematis

What have you been doing lately?  Link up with Meghan, Katy, and Nicole and share!

Be a Better Blogger is a weekly link up dedicated to helping you be a more intentional blogger. Want to be a better blogger but don’t know where to start? Head over to the Be a Better Blogger page for daily prompts and a weekly linkup to help get the creative juices flowing! Oh, and use #beabetterblogger on Twitter/Instagram/Facebook to keep the fun going even after you hit Publish!

Wax…off?

If you don’t like embarrassing personal stories, this post is not for you.  If you don’t like talking/hearing about sensitive subjects, this post is not for you.  If you enjoy laughing at with other people, read on!

But first, don’t forget to enter this ah-mazing giveaway!

I will never go back to  European Wax Center.  Never.  Why?

I went in to get a sensitive area waxed.  Now, I used to work at a spa.  I’ve had hair ripped from all kinds of areas.  I know what I was getting myself into, pain-wise.  That isn’t a problem for me.

But you have to be completely comfortable with the person ripping this hair from you body with molten wax.  I am sorry to say, I wasn’t.  That should have been my first clue.

What can happen when a bad wax goes really bad. Watch out for European Wax Center, and above all, be comfortable.

There I was, laying on a table.  Just hoping the person who’s only been on the job for six months knew what she was doing.  Right off the bat, I was a little more nervous than usual.

I also wasn’t sure if the hair was long enough to be successfully eradicated.  I know if the hair is too long or too short, you’re SOL.  Kinda like Goldilocks.  It has to be juuuust right.

I’ll own it here that I didn’t ask if it was a good length.  But it isn’t my job to assess the situation.  I’m not the pro here!

Step one: make sure the person you’re waxing actually has enough to wax off.

A few strips came off, with a lot more trouble than normal.

“When was the last time you waxed?”  She asked me.  It’s been a while.  I don’t believe in paying money for something I can do myself, like Dwight Schrute says about tipping.  “Well, that can really affect how easily it comes off.”

Hm…  Okay, I’ll give you the benefit of the doubt here, but I’ve never heard that one before.

A few more wax strips were laid down and unsuccessfully yanked off.  I was getting sweaty. I was trying not to twitch when she came near me to pull off another strip.  I was almost in tears.

People, I don’t cry in public and I have an unusually high pain tolerance.  I was visibly uncomfortable by anyone’s standards.

And she didn’t stop to ask if I was okay, she wasn’t communicating throughout the service to make sure everything was still kosher, nothing.

Step two: make sure the person who’s being waxed is, oh what’s the word, comfortable.

So I made her stop.  I just couldn’t fathom going any further.  It was painful, it was unpleasant, and the result was unsatisfying.

My waxer walked me up to the front desk and I was trying to make a joke so it wasn’t painfully awkward.  My pain tolerance was maxed out.

She didn’t say anything, so as the receptionist was getting ready to charge me and close my ticket, I mentioned casually to her, “Yeah, the hair was a little too short so she couldn’t really do much.”

“Oh, so you didn’t get the full service?”

I explained that I didn’t, I had to stop, and she went to confer with my waxer about how much to charge.

She came back and explained, “We’ll only charge you for a bikini, it’s going to be a much better deal!”

I wanted to laugh in her face and not pay at all.  I’m sorry, basically only two strips were removed with any success.  I had less than a bikini wax.  And what about the poor customer service?

Sadly, I’m the kind of person who knows exactly what to say after the moment.  I paid my “bargain” bikini rate plus a tip (I shouldn’t have given her anything, but I know what it’s like to work for tips..) and left.  Inflamed and enraged.

That’s my experience with European Wax Center.  I have had successful waxes so I know what this should have been like.  The experience I was given was just terrible.

Ladies, a wax can be done successfully and mostly comfortably.  I’ve had three experience at EWC and only one of them was anything positive.  And that was only because the waxer had been doing this for years.

Pro tips:

  • Speak up
  • Be an advocate for your safety
  • Find someone experienced
  • Be reallllly wary of EWC

Have you ever had a bad experience at a salon? What did you do?

Be a Better Blogger is a weekly link up dedicated to helping you be a more intentional blogger. Want to be a better blogger but don’t know where to start? Head over to the Be a Better Blogger page for daily prompts and a weekly linkup to help get the creative juices flowing! Oh, and use #beabetterblogger on Twitter/Instagram/Facebook to keep the fun going even after you hit Publish!

TV Time

There’s something so fantastic about a good show.  You get sucked in.  The characters are dynamic.  The story lines are captivating.  The scenery is vibrant.  You want to live in the show.

I’m going to preface this by saying I don’t watch a lot of TV.  My set is from college and I’m pretty sure I have purses bigger than the screen.  So when I live for a TV show, you know it has something magic about it.

A lot of these shows are from years past when I did have more time and the luxury of a bigger screen.  They’re still favorites and shows I’d love to live in.  Do we have any favorites in common?

The five best TV shows I wish I could be a part of

Sex and the City

When I was younger, I would watch SATC on HBO until my mom came home from work.  I thought I was being so slick and she had no idea that I was developing a deep attachment with this show.

Well, she knew.  She’s a mom – she always knows.  And she started to watch it with me.

This is my number one if I could live in a TV show, it would be this one pick.  Everything about it from the friends and clothes to the themes and the Of course, I’m a Carrie.  Hello, I love writing and shoes.

Gilmore Girls

I slightly based my decision to attend Penn State based on Rory and her beautiful, old, ivy-covered campus.  I was no Rory in terms of books smarts, but I could have my own, less trust-fund version!

I love that while Gilmore Girls is mostly happy, fun, and upbeat, there’s a real dynamic with the characters.  It isn’t all sunshine and roses, even though Lorelei and Rory are basically inseparable (expect for that one season that was just a waste of our time.)  There is a real view of relationships here.

And Stars Hollow is just so dang cute.  Many thanks to Meghan for sharing that link!

Parks and Recreation

Back when I was working at Sharp Edge, I had the idea of hosting a Waffle-Off (like a bake-off but with waffles).  I even pitched it as a possible Yelp Pittsburgh event idea.  No further proof needed that I am Leslie Knope in spirit.

What I love about this show is that it all seems plausible.  I know, it’s a caricature of a small-town governmental agency, but it seems really real.  The relationships, the characters, the whole thing is very identifiable.

Plus, Ron Swanson has the best lines ever.

On giving your all: “Give 100%.  110% is impossible.  Only idiots recommend that.”  On crying: “Crying: acceptable at funerals and the Grand Canyon.”  On small dogs: “Anything under 50 pounds is basically a cat and cats are useless.”

Imagine what he’d say when cameras aren’t around?

Royal Pains

This for me is all about living in the Hamptons.  If I could live in this show, I would want to be Paige.  She has the best clothes/hair/makeup.  And she’s living her dream job as an artist.  I mean, what could you want more of?

Oh, so you think you want more?  How about beautiful shots of summery beaches and brilliant-blue Hamptons water?  Yeah.

The Office

I think I’d like to be a fly on the wall of this show and not so much in the show itself.  It isn’t anything against the hijinx that everyone gets into, it’s just fun to watch everyone interact.

I think more than anything, I’d want to know what’s happening in the background.  They got a little into this in the later seasons with more of a personal look at the characters, but I want more.  What Dwight is like when he gets drunk?  What do Pam and Jim do on Saturday morning?  That kind of thing.

It’s no wonder that Parks and Rec and The Office are both on my list.

What TV show are you just so obsessed with, you wish you could live in it?

Be a Better Blogger is a weekly link up dedicated to helping you be a more intentional blogger. Want to be a better blogger but don’t know where to start? Head over to the Be a Better Blogger page for daily prompts and a weekly linkup to help get the creative juices flowing! Oh, and use #beabetterblogger on Twitter/Instagram/Facebook to keep the fun going even after you hit Publish!

Be a Twitter Chat Rockstar

Last night, while participating in the #CreateLounge Twitter chat, I got to thinking about what makes for the best chat experience.  I don’t do a lot of Twitter chats, but I try to attend the ones I know and love as faithfully as I can.

Why tweet and chat?  It’s a fun way to interact with like-minded people, learn some new view points and/or techniques, express your opinions, and grow your following on Twitter as an influential user.

In the process of tweeting and chatting, I’ve learned a lot about what makes for a good experience and what needs a little work.  Here are a few essential things to make sure you’re doing during a Twitter chat to be a gracious guest.

Twitter chats are so much fun! Love these tips for being a great chatter.

Make sure you’re using the hashtag

So you sent out a tweet without the chat hashtag.  That’s okay.  It’s a rookie mistake, but it’s still okay.  I’ve done it, the best Twitter chatters have done it, you’ll probably do it.  But use it because it allows the host and other chatters to easily find your tweets in the sea of lost message.

Oh and keep an eye out and make sure you have enough space to include the tag when you’re done making your brilliant point.

Also, don’t forget to number your tweets.  If you’re responding to Q1 (question 1), write A1 (answer 1) before your tweet.

Jump right in

Twitter chats aren’t the place to be shy.  Sure you can lurk around for the first few times while you get the hang of it, but the fun in chats is participating with everyone!

If you have something to say, hit reply and type away!  It always makes me feel good when someone starts a conversation with an answer I provided.  If a tweet does un-replied-to, does it ever get tweeted?

Try Tweetdeck

Native Twitter is hard to participate in Twitter chats.  I like seeing a running list of all tweets using the chat tag, my notifications, and any new topics coming from the host.  For this purpose, I use Tweetdeck when participating in chats.  It keeps me organized.

The only catch is that if you make a new stream (to track the hashtag perhaps) and the account you’re using isn’t the primary Tweetdeck account, make sure your favoriting tweets from the right account!  There was a chat I participated in where all my favorites came from the wrong handle.

You could also use your phone.  It’s convenient because it auto-fills the hashtag and handles, the favorites are always from the right account, and it’s easy to follow your new friends.

Follow interesting chatters

Like I mentioned before, you get the most out of a Twitter chat when you can interact with everyone.  Keep that momentum going after the chat by following the people you had a great conversation with!  I’ve met some great people from participating in Twitter chats.

And you know that you have similar interests because you’re participating in the same Twitter chat.  So if you’re in a blogger chat, most of the people are bloggers….with whom you can create a support network, find and share new content, etc.  See where I’m going here?

Some of my favorite chats are Kayla Hollatz‘s #CreateLounge on Wednesdays at 8p ET, CoSchedule‘s CoChat on Thursdays at 3:30pm ET, Megan‘s #TipsyChat on Tuesdays at 8:30p ET, and Blog Elevated‘s #BlogElevated chat on Tuesdays at 10p ET.

What are your tips for participating in Twitter chats? What’s your favorite to participate in?

Be a Better Blogger is a weekly link up dedicated to helping you be a more intentional blogger. Want to be a better blogger but don’t know where to start? Head over to the Be a Better Blogger page for daily prompts and a weekly linkup to help get the creative juices flowing! Oh, and use #beabetterblogger on Twitter/Instagram/Facebook to keep the fun going even after you hit Publish!

Let’s Play

           

People Really Dug These

We Belong in the Garden Together