Beauty Without BS

Posted on April 5, 2016April 5, 2016 by chelskers · 1 Comment

Inner Beauty: Meditation

You’ve no doubt heard the saying “It’s what’s on the inside that counts” and I believe that’s very true. I focus quite a bit on outer beauty on this site, and while that’s a lot of fun and beauty products can certainly help boost confidence, enhance physical features and disguise “flaws”, it’s time to talk about something even more important: inner beauty. The real deal. The soul behind the lipstick. (Sorry, that was cheesy).

My favorite way to cultivate inner “beauty” a.k.a peace is through daily meditation. I’m not talking about religion, I’m not talking about selling all of your possessions and living a life of silence in a monastery. I’m talking about simply setting aside a few minutes every day to do nothing but breathe. That’s it.

Sitting in silence may not sound like much but meditation can have a profound impact on mental peace and clarity, reduce stress and lead to improved overall health. (Check out this link for more info on the many benefits of meditation.) All of the makeup in the world won’t help you feel beautiful if you’re not feeling content on the inside, so why not set aside a small slice of your day to slow down the incessant thoughts and reeeeeelax? The world can be crazy; you deserve a break.

If you’re brand new to meditation, start with just 2-3 minutes of sitting silently with your eyes closed. Find a quiet place, set an alarm on your phone for 2 minutes, silence that bastard, close your eyes and listen to your breathing. Gradually add one or two minutes every couple of days until you’ve worked up to a 10-15 minute session. Or, if you’d like a bit more instruction, I highly recommend downloading the Headspace app.

The point of meditation is not to stop all thoughts or to completely clear the mind, although it is a very welcome bonus when that rarely does happen, the goal is to let your thoughts float in and out of your awareness without getting attached to them. Sometimes I find that the second I close my eyes to meditate my brain wants to start making lists of things I need to do, recall embarrassing moments, or recite Whitney Houston lyrics. Not exactly the way to inner peace.

Instead of getting caught up in those thoughts and spending the whole 10 minutes thinking, I try my best to focus all of my attention solely on my breath. The feeling of air coming into and going out of my body. The sounds my breath makes. The sensation of my chest rising and falling. Any time my mind wanders I acknowledge that I’m caught up in thinking and return my attention back to my breath. This definitely takes practice but gets easier with time.

Enough background – let’s get down to it.

Here are my best meditation tips:

Meditate at the same time and in the same place everyday.
I try to meditate for 10 minutes in the morning before work and 10 minutes in the evening. Some people like to sit cross legged on the floor on a cushion to meditate, some people like to lay down, some people like to walk. I personally meditate sitting in an old blue La-Z-Boy chair. Whatever works. Setting a daily repeating event reminder in my phone and sitting in my designated meditation chair helps keep me in the habit.
Set a timer, silence the phone, leave it alone.
Nothing will take me out of the flow of meditation faster than my phone beeping with a new Snapchat notification, so before beginning I’ll silence my phone, set an alarm for 10 minutes and leave the phone on the other side of the room so I’m not tempted to peek. Pro tip: Use the Chimes alarm sound if you have an iPhone – I find it’s the least jarring when the alarm goes off.
Let it go.
Yes, your mind is going to wander. That’s what it does. Don’t beat yourself up or get frustrated with it. Notice when you’re starting to get caught up in thoughts and gently bring all of your attention back to the sound and feeling of your breath. As long as you let the thoughts come and go without fighting them or getting attached to their story, you’re golden.
End with gratitude.
Gratitude is a powerful thing. It’s also a great way to end a meditation session. It can be tempting to jump up when the timer rings and rush back into life, but I find giving my meditation the same ending each time helps tell my brain “We’re done now” while easing back into my normal routine with positivity.

So when the chimes ring, I silently tell my inner being/God/the universe/whatever you want to call it: “Thank you. I appreciate you. I love you.” Now I know that may sound incredibly cheesy and I admit I did feel weird saying it the first few times (even though I’m just thinking it!) but I swear it helps. Give it a try.
Enjoy the benefits.
A daily meditation ritual can help you feel more relaxed overall, build better concentration, help with maintaining emotional balance and generally give you a more content, peaceful feeling during your non-mediating time. Perhaps most importantly – meditation teaches you that thoughts are just thoughts. They come in and out of your awareness all day long. Instead of getting wrapped up their endless stories, you’ll find there is always a deep inner peace underneath all those thoughts that you can always connect with whenever you need to.

Here are some guided meditations from YouTube I really like, if you’re into that sort of thing:

Namaste 🙂

Posted on March 25, 2016March 25, 2016 by chelskers · 3 Comments

Mascara Tips & Tricks

My oldest and truest love in the makeup world is mascara. It’s my “desert island” product. I have a minimum of 5 tubes in my makeup stash at any given time (stay tuned for my episode of Hoarders). I can’t live without it. Okay I could…but I don’t want to. Why? Because mascara makes a huge difference, especially for hooded eye folks like me, and there’s just something ultra feminine and Marilyn Monroe-esque about having long, fluttery lashes.

Over my many years of mascara wearing and beauty researching, I’ve learned some helpful tips and tricks to get the most out of my lashes and I’m happy to share those tricks with you. Here we go:

Right eye brought to you by the power of mascara; facial expression brought to you by seasonal allergies.

Heat It Up

It goes without saying that a good lash curler plays an integral part in making your lashes look their best. So before you start applying any makeup, throw your lash curler and/or mascara tube in your bra. Yes, you read that correctly.

Heating up the curler helps lashes hold the curl longer while heating up the mascara softly melts the formula and leads to easier, smoother, less clumpy application. Some beauty gurus advise heating up the curler with a hairdryer but I’m far too lazy for that and prefer to just stick my curler in my bra for a few minutes and let body heat do its thing. Works just as well and really confuses anyone who happens to be watching you apply your face.

Looks weird, works well

Line the Waterline

The majority of us aren’t #blessed with thick lashes but luckily it’s easy to fake them by lining the upper waterline. This trick isn’t for the faint of heart because you’ll be putting a pointy object dangerously close to your eyeball but it really does make a world of difference:

Photo Credit: beautylish.com

Run a waterproof black or dark brown liner on that tiny strip of skin to fill in the gaps between lashes and give you a more cohesive, full lash look.

Use a Lash Primer

Not necessarily a must-have for every day, but when you really want to make lashes look extra long, thick and fabulous, apply a lash primer before mascara. My favorite is the Benefit They’re Real Tinted Lash Primer:

Lash primer is also great for “no makeup” makeup looks, giving just enough color and length to make eyes look more open and awake without looking made up.

Swipe Time

Mascara application is where the real magic happens. Most important application tips:

Swipe Toward the Nose – Instead of just swiping the wand straight up, angle toward your nose to fan out the lashes and cut down on mascara transferring onto the eyelids. No one likes dealing with that mess.
Base and Blink – Set the wand as far down on your lashes as you can get, right at the base, wiggle it a bit to get mascara on the roots of your lashes, then slowly blink as you move the wand upward and toward your nose in one fluid stroke.
Coat Both Sides – Don’t forget the top side of your lashes! Once you’ve done the base and blink technique, look down and coat the top of the lashes all the way up to the tips.

Revive Old Mascara with Eye Drops

There always comes that inevitable time when a tube of well-loved mascara turns dry, clumpy and basically unusable. This is a good excuse to run out and buy another one but if you want to revive the mascara and stretch your money, add a couple squeezes of eye drops to the tube and swirl everything around with the wand. Voila! Mascara resurrection.

And there you have it, my best mascara tricks. What is your lash secret weapon? Let me know!

Posted on February 25, 2016 by chelskers · 1 Comment

Products I’m Loving Lately

Today I have a random assortment of makeup, hair and skin products I’ve been using and lovely lately. There is no rhyme or reason to this mix of products – some I’ve purchased myself and some are samples from Birchbox. There are few things I love more than beauty products AND receiving packages in the mail so Birchbox has been very up my alley and a great introduction to brands and products I might have never tried. So, let’s get to it:

Eyes

Two Faced Better Than Sex Mascara

Photo Credit: samanthalalaa.wordpress.com, amazon.com

The name is certainly…memorable, and it should be, because this mascara is excellent (and I have tried an embarrassing number of mascaras). While it is great, it can be a bit tricky to work with and quickly turn clumpy. Go slowly when applying and keep an eye on (pun, sorry) how your lashes are progressing and you’ll be just fine. This mascara will give you long, full lashes that border on looking like falsies. If that’s your thing, I highly recommend picking up a sample size at Ulta to see if you like it because it can be pricey. I’m always looking out for you.

Eyeko Fat Liquid Eyeliner

Photo Credit: birchbox.com

I received this liner in a Birchbox and at first glance I thought it would be hard to work with, but it is surprisingly easy to use. Well, as easy as applying liquid eyeliner can be. Another huge plus is the color payoff – very black, very matte and long-wearing. I had typically used brush and/or long, fine tipped liners but Eyeko has convinced me that the marker shape is by far the easiest to use and it will be my go-to from here on out.

Kat Von D Shade & Light Eye Contour Palette

Some day you might turn on Hoarders and see me, surrounded by mountains of eyeshadow palettes instead of garbage and cats, with my finger hovering over the “Add to Cart” button on Sephora. What I mean is – I have no self control and bought yet another eye shadow palette. The first step is admitting it.

But in my defense, I did my research and bought the absolute best and most useful palette I could find. Shade & Light has all matte shadows, warm and cool toned neutral colors, with fantastic pigmentation and blendability. This palette is perfect for everyday looks, smokey eyes, mature/hooded eyes….really anyone with eyes.

Here are a few of my favorite Shade & Light tutorials I’ve tried out and loved:

Lips

POP Beauty Matte Velvet Lipstix in Satin Rose

Photo Credit: popbeauty.com

Another gift from the Birchbox gods, this is a great everyday soft pink lipstick. This color looks good with everything and I imagine every skin tone. The formula isn’t too sticky or too glossy and it has pretty great staying power. Satin Rose is definitely my favorite new “my lips but better” product.

Hair

Redken All Soft Conditioner

Photo Credit: amazon.com

My hair is naturally curly and very fine. I also bleach and dye my hair monthly to be blonde which leads to the perfect storm of damage and overall terribleness. Thankfully, there are a ton of products out there to make hair like mine more manageable. One of my new favorites is the Redken All Soft conditioner.

Redken products are a bit more expensive than my regular drugstore staples so to stretch it and make my money last, I mix a small amount of this conditioner with the Aussie 3 Minute Miracle Deep Conditioner. Leaving that combination on for 5-10 minutes a couple times a week makes a huge difference in the softness of my poor abused hair.

Skin

Soap & Paper Factory Green Tea & Shea Hand Cream

Photo Credit: theoliviashop.com

This stuff smells AMAZING and the older I get, the more I seem to get into hand creams. It’s the circle of life.

All hand creams basically do the same thing, hydrate your skin, so really the only reason this cream is so great is the heavenly smell (and the cute packaging).

What products are you loving? Let me know!

Posted on February 12, 2016 by chelskers

5 Favorite Spring Nail Colors

As I type this, the temperature is currently 20 whole degrees, it’s windy AF (thanks, Chicago) and tomorrow the high is 12. Degrees. Fahrenheit. TWELVE. And I’m over it. Done with winter. Beyond ready for spring.

While the rest of my body is covered head to toe in multiple layers so I don’t freeze to death while walking to the liquor store gym, my nails are sporting some seriously bright colors. Because I’m ready for spring. Now. Have I mentioned that?

So if your nails are also very ready for springtime, I suggest picking up any of these 5 polishes:

OPI – Shorts Story

Photo credit: OPI.com, my awesome hand

This is the perfect hot pink. Not too bright, not too soft, just right. The smooth consistency dries to a shiny finish and you’ll only need two coats. Perfect.

OPI – Show Us Your Tips

Photo credit: OPI.com, my other awesome hand

A brand new polish from the 2016 New Orleans Spring/Summer collection, try to get past the ridiculous name and bask in the glow of the periwinkle sparkles. The consistency is a little on the thin side, so you’ll need a good 2-3 coats, but it’s worth it.

China Glaze – Aquadelic

Photo credit: beautyjudy.com

One of my all-time favorite polishes. Aquadelic is a bright robin’s egg blue-green that will make you very jealous of the actual robins all hanging out in the south for the winter. Bonus: China Glaze polishes are just as good, and sometimes better than, OPI polishes and quite a bit cheaper. Win.

China Glaze – Peachy Keen

Photo Credit: nailpolishcanada.com

Yet another China Glaze gem, Peachy Keen is a soft, orange creamsicle color. This one looks great on any skin tone. The formula is nice and opaque so two coats will do the trick.

OPI – Look At My Bow!

Photo Credit: popsugar.com

Everyone needs a bubblegum pink in their collection. This polish is brand spanking new from the 2016 Hello Kitty collection, perfect for spring, and takes 2-3 coats to set at a lovely creamy consistency.

Stay warm and polished, my friends.

Posted on February 3, 2016 by chelskers · 1 Comment

Super Bowl 50 Makeup

Three things I dearly love:

Makeup
Sports
A theme

In honor of Super Bowl 50, I’ve combined all three loves in 2 different eye looks using the Denver Broncos and Carolina Panthers team colors. Yes, I do have too much time on my hands.

But really, who wants to live in a world where people eat copious amounts of junk food, drink beer and watch grown men knock each other down without matching their eye makeup to the team they’re cheering for? Certainly not me.

Whether you’re Team Cam or Team Peyton (or Team Brady like me and extremely bitter), we can all agree that makeup is the real MVP. In case you’ve also always wanted to match your makeup to a jersey, here are two Super Bowl 50 inspired eye looks:

I really need to buy an actual camera and learn to pose but you get the idea

Look 1: Denver Broncos

– Lid: Roulette (Makeup Geek)

– Outer corner: Lucius (Kat Von D Shade & Light palette)

– Crease: Laetus (Kat Von D Shade & Light palette)

– Liner: Navy (Tarte gel liner)Look 2: Carolina Panthers

All shadows from the Urban Decay Vice 2 palette

– Lid: Madness

– Inner corner: Shellshock

– Outer corner: Prank

– Crease: Dope + Habit

– Liner: Eyeko Fat Liquid Liner in Black

Brows: Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Definer – Soft Brown
Lashes: Urban Decay Perversion Mascara – Black

Hope you enjoy trying out these looks and let’s all root for the one thing we can all agree on – good commercials.

Posted on January 26, 2016 by chelskers · 1 Comment

Perfume Post: Scents for Every Situation

I’m a firm believer that you’re never fully dressed without perfume. Maybe it’s just because I’m one of those weird/awesome people who tie scents to certain memories, or maybe I just like spending money on smelly water in pretty bottles. Either way – I’m a huge fan of perfume and like to switch up my scents depending on the situation, the season or how I want to feel.

I’ve amassed a sizeable collection of perfumes over the years and to me, each one sends a different message and has its own time and place to be worn. I’m definitely not one of those people who sniff a scent and can smell the notes of citrus and amber and unicorn sunshine or whatever else perfume companies tell you to make you buy their product. Instead, I categorize my perfumes by the situations I wear them in and the feelings the scent invokes.

So, here are four of my favorite scents and what they say to me. Let’s get to it:

Guilty – Gucci

Photo credit: Sephora.com

Perfect for: Night time, going out, date night, drinking, flirting, dancing, possibly regretting your decisions

Guilty by Gucci smells like Saturday night in a bottle. I affectionately refer to this scent as my “Vegas perfume” because I’ve worn it in Sin City many, many times. It’s a sexy smell that’s not too overpowering or too mature (not cloying like Chanel No. 5). The scent lasts FOREVER on clothes/skin and mixes quite well with sweat and vodka cranberries.

Light Blue – Dolce & Gabbana

Photo credit: Overstock.com

Perfect for: Day time, beach, pretending you belong to a country club, spring/summer, work, first date

If sunshine and fluffy white clouds had a smell, it would be D&G’s Light Blue. It’s an airy, delicate scent that honestly smells good on every human being. Man or woman. It’s not sickly sweet but it definitely gives you “first few days of spring” vibes. Happiness in a bottle.

Miss Dior Cherie – Christian Dior

Photo credit: Fragrantica.com

Perfect for: V. important work meetings, feeling like a capital “A” Adult, winter, fancy dinners, diamonds & pearls (shout out to Prince)

Miss Dior Cherie is expensive as hell and rightly so, because it smells like WEALTH, darling. This is a heavier scent that I tend to only wear in the fall and winter, or when I want to feel all classy and sophisticated. Bonus – smell sticks with you all day long. Cherie feels very grown up and put together. Wear it when you’re asking for a raise or to be bumped up to first class.

Alien – Thierry Mugler

Photo Credit: Sephora.com

Perfect for: Feeling feminine and mysterious, day or night, being memorable, any season, Me

I feel like a gigantic tool saying this, but Alien is my ~*~ SiGnAtUrE ScEnT~*~ and I wear it almost every day. It’s unique, moody, sultry and definitely a “love it or hate it” type of scent. I honestly don’t know how to describe Alien’s scent because I’ve never smelled anything like it. Every single time I wear this perfume, someone stops me to ask “Oooh, what are you wearing? It smells so good!” Alien truly is the most fitting name for this scent because it isn’t heavy, it isn’t light, it isn’t flowery and it isn’t musky. It’s completely unique and not of this world. Smell it and see for yourself.

And there you have it. What other perfumes do I need to add to my collection? Let me know!

Posted on January 15, 2016January 15, 2016 by chelskers · 1 Comment

Review: Aztec Secret Indian Healing Clay Mask

I’m back, it’s a new year and I have a new favorite face mask. And this product couldn’t have come at a better time. I won’t bore you with the gory details but I’ve been sick for roughly the last month (but am finally almost better, yay!) and when my body isn’t feeling well, my skin likes to go absolutely insane. Not fun.

But there are perks to spending hours in bed feeling like garbage. The universe smiled upon me and I fell down the Amazon beauty reviews rabbit hole and discovered the immensely popular Aztec Indian Healing Clay. With 4.5/5 stars and over 7,000 reviews I knew this stuff had to be good, but now I’m convinced this one pound tub of dirt has actual magical properties.

So what’s so great about this stuff? Here are the basics, per Amazon:

World’s most powerful facial
Deep pore cleaning
100% natural calcium bentonite clay
Does not contain: additives, fragrances, animal products

Photo credit: inhautepursuit.com

They forgot to mention that it’s cheap! A one pound tub will set you back $9, and when you only need one tablespoon per mask, it’s going to last you a loooong time.

Now let’s get down to business. Here’s how to make the mask:

Photo credit: labmuffin.com

You’ll need the clay, a non-metal bowl and spoon and apple cider vinegar. All of the Amazon faithful suggested Bragg’s Raw Organic Apple Cider Vinegar so that’s what I’ve got. It smells a bit like rotting apples but hey, it works.

A couple tips before you mix your mask:

Put your hair up or out of your face because, duh.
Eat or drink something if you want because once this baby is on your face, you can’t eat/talk/drink/smile for a good 20-30 minutes. That’s how intensely this mask dries and pulls the junk out of your face.

Once that’s out of the way it’s time to get started. Mix clay with equal part of raw apple cider vinegar (I use 1 tablespoon of each) in a non-metal bowl. Stir the mixture into a smooth paste. Apply all over the face. You should look something like this:

Photo credit: uk.pintrest.com

Now the fun part begins. As this mask dries, you will feel your face pulsate like crazy. This is good. Don’t be scared.

The mask will become very tight while it dries and hardens. If you have oily skin like me, keep the mask on for 30 minutes. Normal and more sensitive skin can get away with 10-20 minutes.

Pro Tip: While your mask dries, take advantage of your green face and channel your inner Jim Carrey. I suggest dancing around to this song:

Once enough time has gone by and your mask is dry, soak a washcloth in warm water and lay it over your face for a minute or two to begin loosening everything up. You don’t want to try to start washing it off right away or the chips of mud will clog your drain and no one wants that.

Apply a nice, heavy moisturizer post-facial. I usually do my masks at night in the bathtub with a glass of wine I drink through a straw and follow up with the Olay Classic Night Cream.

Photo credit: amazon.com

You’ll notice that your face is very red after the mask is off but this is normal and will go away in 30-ish minutes. You’ll probably also notice that your face is beyond smooth and soft, and that’s just one of the benefits. The others include:

Smaller pores and cleaned-out blackheads
Reduction in excess oil production
Elimination of acne. Honestly, I have not had a spot since using this mask 2-3x per week for the past month and a half. And that, my friends, is a goddamn miracle.
Softening of fine lines and wrinkles
Skin tone is more even, rough patches are smoothed
Glowing skin like the light of a thousand suns

In short, this tub of clay is the real deal. It’s definitely worth the money and I’m excited to try other uses for it – hair masks, foot soaks, you name it. If you’re a fan of face masks or just want to give your skin a detox to start 2016 off right, I very highly recommend picking up some Aztec Healing Clay.

Posted on November 20, 2015November 20, 2015 by chelskers · 1 Comment

Self-Tanning Routine and Favorite Products

As I type this post, I see that my lovely little corner of the world is expecting 4-7 inches of snow this weekend. Combine that with the fact that the sun now goes down at 4:30pm and I’m in dire need of a dose of summer. Enter one of my most treasured beauty rituals: Self-Tanning.

A golden tan can give you a healthy glow and, let’s be real, the whole “If you can’t tone it, tan it!” sentiment is very true. A good tan helps you look and feel better. Thankfully, self-tanning products have come a LONG way in the past few years, and when these products are combined with a solid pre and post application routine, you can be tan and glowing every day of the year – all without being exposed to damaging UV rays.

Here is my self-tanning routine and favorite products for face and body:

Here’s my tan, disembodied arm

Pre-Tan Application

I typically do my self-tanning routine at night so when I wake up in the morning my tan has darkened and I’m good to go.

The number one key to a streak-free, long-lasting, even tan is to exfoliate pre-application. You can shell out money for fancy body scrubs that smell like angel kisses and will take off your top layer of skin, or you can do what I do and buy cheap exfoliating shower gloves at the drugstore:

Hop in the shower, squeeze some body wash on these bad boys and scrub your whole body down – especially focus on knees, elbows and ankles as self-tanning products tend to really stick to those areas and can make them develop darker than the rest of your tan.

Don’t forget to also exfoliate your face! My favorite product that I’ve talked about before are the Skin Obsession Microdermabrasion Crystals mixed with whatever cleanser I have in the shower.

Tan Application

Now that you’ve exfoliated the top layer of your skin off (gross but yay!) and you’re out of the shower, it’s time to dry off completely and apply the tan. I know that your skin is all dry and itchy feeling and you want to dip your entire body in lotion but WAIT, we’ll get there.

If you’re using a mouse or a spray, grab some old/dark-colored towels to lay down on the floor to prevent any stains. And if you live alone like me or have the house to yourself for an hour, I highly suggest applying your tan in another, cooler temperature room – your bathroom is a humid, hot place after you’ve showered and that environment can double the time it takes your tan to dry. So if you have the option, spread out some towels in the living room and let’s get down to business:

Grab your self-tanner of choice. Lately I’ve been using a new favorite: Jergen’s Natural Glow Instant Sunless Tanning Mousse in Dark.

I’ve tried quite a few self-tanning products, from very expensive to drugstore, and I can’t recommend this Jergen’s mousse enough. It’s inexpensive ($10), has a pleasant smell, and gives me natural-looking color that lasts a good 3-5 days.

Use gloves and/or a mitt to keep your hands from getting horrifically stained. Apply a few pumps to your mitt, smooth it all over one body part at a time and keep working. I start at my feet and work upwards but it’s your world, start wherever you want.

Once you’ve applied the tan all over your body, you may want to use a product specifically made for self-tanning the face. I’ve found in the past that the body tanners do give me great color on my face but they break me out horribly, and tan pimples suck just as much as pale ones.
Instead, I mix a bit of Olay daily moisturizer with a small amount of Tarte’s Maracuja Face and Body Self Tanner and apply all over my face. Done.

Post-Tan Application

The hard part is over! Now just chill out for a few minutes (Naked! Scandalous!) to let your tan dry. Once you feel sufficiently dry (10-20 minutes), it’s time to add moisture back into the skin. I cover myself top to bottom in my favorite lotion of all time – Vaseline Cocoa Radiant.

Applying lotion every day will help keep your skin soft and extend the longevity of your tan. If you want to give your tan an extra boost when it starts to fade several days later, I highly recommend the St. Tropez One Night Only Instant Body Glow Lotion

This lotion is pricey but it’s great for giving your tan some extra color, or you if you don’t feel like going through the whole self-tan process described above, apply this for a tan that washes off in your next shower.

And that’s it! Happy Bronzing!

Posted on November 13, 2015November 13, 2015 by chelskers

10 Songs to Get You Through Every Breakup Stage

Death, taxes, breakups. They’re all inevitable. It’s a human rite of passage to have your heart blown to pieces by another person – usually a person who, once upon a time, you thought was the absolute greatest thing in the entire universe. But now it’s over, and it sucks. Shit happens.

It doesn’t matter if you did the dumping or you were dumped – the general feeling of terribleness may follow you around for quite awhile. Thankfully, music can assist with the healing process and help you work through those emotions, let out any anger and eventually move the hell on. I’ve put together a playlist to let you cry it out at the beginning and ultimately rise from the ashes like the majestic phoenix of perfection that you are.

There are many stages to post-breakup ~*fEeLiNgS*~ so let’s start at the beginning:
Stage One: Freshly Dumped – No One Cheated

Stage One sans infidelity is characterized by lots and lots of sadness. Everything reminds you of your former boo. You’re probably going through infinite amounts of ice cream, wine and Kleenex so turn on this song (or watch the video if you want to cry along with Sinead) and let it all out:

Nothing Compares 2 U – Sinead O’Connor

Stage One – Part One: Freshly Dumped – That Asshole Cheated

Stage One with infidelity thrown in is a whole other animal. How? What? Why? But? Her? Him? You may still be in shock and trying to process what the hell just happened. Enter Mary J. Blige:

Not Gon Cry – Mary J. Blige

Mary is here to remind you not to cry – don’t give that jerk the satisfaction of your tears. You’re fabulous. Keep it movin’.
Stage One – Part Two: That Asshole Cheated – Anger Edition

You’ve had some time to think about this whole mess and wow, are you mad. You’re seeing red. “Pissed” doesn’t quite do your feelings justice. You want to bust the windows out of his damn car.
Now I don’t suggest going out and actually committing said crime (although it would feel soooo good). Instead, crank up these jams:

Bust Your Windows – Jazmine Sullivan

It’s Not Right, But It’s Okay – Whitney Houston

Stage Two – Wallowing and Acceptance

Well, everything still sucks, but not as much. You’ve come to terms with the fact that the relationship is over and you’re feeling a bit blah and numb. This is the laid-back wallow stage where you process what went wrong and hopefully learn from the relationship. Stage Two music is softer, quieter, more introspective. This stage might also last you a good bit of time so I’ll give you two songs to help you through:

Almost Doesn’t Count – Brandy

Head back to the late 90s with Brandy, or head back even later to 1965 and let Johnny Cash express your feels:

Don’t Think Twice, It’s Alright – Johnny Cash

Stage Three – Back and Better Than Ever

You’ve had time to be sad, angry and numb. And you know what? You’re good now. No, you’re great. Awesome. You’re ready to get back on the proverbial horse and show yourself off to the world.

But first – some music to get your mind right and prepare you for re-entrance to the dating scene.
My suggestions:

Migrate – Mariah Carey

Freakum Dress – Beyonce

How To Be A Heartbreaker – Marina and the Diamonds

Miss Movin’ On – Fifth Harmony

You did it! You survived the breakup. Now get back out there so you can do it all over again.

Posted on November 9, 2015November 9, 2015 by chelskers · 1 Comment

Review: Maybelline Color Tattoo Eyeshadows

There’s one makeup product I hoard more than the rest. And by hoard, I mean that I have at least 10 of these awesome little pots of color in my makeup bag at any given time. Excessive? Probably. Do I care? You know I don’t.

The reason I have so many Maybelline Color Tattoo eyeshadows is because they are flat-out amazing. They’re inexpensive ($5), come in a huge range of colors, and they’re the perfect base for any eye look. Color Tattoos provide pigment and a nice, sticky base for powder shadows to cling to and stay in place for hours and hours.

My absolute favorite shade, and the one I reach for almost every day, is Bad to the Bronze:

Photo Credit: ulta.com

This warm bronze is a great base for daytime and nighttime looks. Use your finger for more sheer coverage; use a wet brush to pack on the color and shine. Bad to the Bronze pairs beautifully with any eye color so if you don’t have it yet, get yourself to CVS ASAP.

Photo Credit: ivoryavenue.com

For those of you #blessed with hooded eyes like me, Color Tattoos are a must to keep powder shadows from getting lost in the abyss that is our crease. This is especially true for brightly colored looks. I’m a huge fan of the Painted Purple Color Tattoo because it makes my blue eyes look mega, crazy blue:

Photo Credit: Maybelline.com.au

Here’s Painted Purple with powder shadow on top, in case you’d also like to channel your inner 90s neon workout Barbie:

Other shades I’d highly recommend:

Barely Branded: Creamy, champagne color for neutral looks

Photo Credit: Maybelline.com

Pomegranate Punk: Deep, burgundy color that pairs very well with the shadows in the Naked 3 palette

Photo Credit: amazon.com

Audacious Asphalt: Charcoal grey a.k.a. the only smoky eye base you’ll ever need