Weekend Reads 30-09-2012

      Hi everyone, first of all I want to give a big big thanks to those of you who replied to my Response To Criticism post. I can't even express what these comments meant to me! Thanks, all you lovely people.

     And as usual, here are some great reads to sweeten your weekend:

* Home: lovely home styling tips!

* More Home: how to see hidden clutter

* Bras: So everyone has heard about bra band extenders. But did you know that bra band tighteners exist too?

* Cosmetics: I like this DIY nail polish storage idea.

* Smarts: those of you in school / university will like Study Hacks.

Beauty Around The World -- Pakistan

    Today's instalment of Beauty Around The World Series takes us to Pakistan, written by the lovely Abeeha. I have

And if you're interested in writing about your country / city / culture for the Beauty Around The World Series, drop me a line at eternalvoyageur (at) gmail (dot) com.

   Assalam-o-Alaikum, guys! That’s how we say “Hello” in Pakistan! It’s Arabic for “May peace be with you”, although our official languages are [British] English and Urdu, in that order! Today I’ll be going over four major categories; beauty obsessions, beauty rules and theories and products as well as homemade recipes. Let’s begin!

Beauty Obsessions

image courtesy theperson12353

image courtesy Ingrid92x

    Although the most common impression of Pakistanis in the media is that they are pretty much brown all over, that is hardly the case. Pakistan, as a result of being a geographically significant location (for trade and such), contains many ethnicities. In fact, every single ethnic group in the world can be found here. Most of us fall under the umbrella of “Caucasian”. In the northern provinces, most gals have a light sort of coloring, and I’m pretty sure that our northern provinces has more natural blue eyed-blondes than the USA does! In the south, most of us can pass for Filipino, Mexican, North African, and such. Our coloring and facial figures vary wildly, and so do our heights! I’m a mixture of north and south Pakistani, my father being 66 inches tall and my mother beings 63 inches tall. I fall right in between, but we’ve got big and small people in our family! (It is worth noting though, that a US size 4 is a Pakistani size L; as many gals here have small frames) 
    Sadly, with the worldwide depiction of the perfect women being, well, a Barbie doll, many Pakistani girls have been trying to achieve this look. They use things like BB Creams, hair dye, contacts, etc. And to make matters worse, the men here only go for white women. Which isn’t bad or anything, it’s just that not many men have a preference for Pakistani women. To summarize: we have a lot of sad, really well educated bachelorettes. 

Beauty Rules and Theories

via beautifully-invisible.com

via RenassanceHenna.com

     In Pakistan, there are three types of makeup; no makeup, eyeliner, and so much makeup that you can’t breathe. Thankfully, the latter of those three options is usually reserved for parties and weddings. Most of the time for married women, the only ones who wear makeup in our culture; Kohl is the way to go. Also known as Kajal in Urdu, it is applied soon after an infant’s birth to protect its eyes from the harsh rays of the desert sun, and regularly afterwards to ward off evil spirits.
    Another regular application is Henna, or Mehindi in Urdu, which we put in our hair. In addition to giving it a healthy glow and tint, our hair becomes moisturized.
    Fun fact! In Pakistan, everyone is nice to cats, as it’s an ancient belief that if you care for cats, they pray for you. I really hope my cat likes me.

Products and Homemade Recipes

 

image courtesy Ingrid92x

   One of the most popular creams in Pakistan is Fair and Lovely. It’s a lot like BB creams, with a high SPF and whitening properties. We use this cream in addition to homemade remedies, like:

• Yogurt/Lemon/Egg/Honey face and hair masks. It’s literally just all that mixed together and applied liberally.
• Dried orange peel masks. Super easy to make and super cleansing. Just let the orange peels dry for a day or two, powder them, and mix with equal parts milk, rose water, or regular water.
• Mint water: leave a glass of water with mint leaves in it out overnight, and drink regularly to help relieve acne. 
   

Thanks for reading and have a great day!

XOXO, Abeeha     

   Any lovely readers from Pakistan or have been there? Do you have questions for Abeeha or comments about beauty in Pakistan? Anyone else tempted to try out the orange peel mask?

Response To Criticism To My Big Boobs Rock Post

Hello everyone,

    So I didn't even manage to share with you that I have guest posted for the lovely Full Figured Chest, when it caused quite a bit of outrage. I'll quote the criticism here (actually just one mail) and try to answer it explaining my point of view. The author has raised some serious topics which made me think. I'd like to thank her for writing me and letting me know about her thought.

    Also, pardon if my post is not terribly coherent -- I am sick with a cold which so thinking clearly is a bit of a struggle.

    First of all: actually most of the stuff I write on my blog is actually irrelevant and shallow; and I know it. In an idea world, we wouldn't be bothering with makeup, fashion and hair. We would be learning, teaching, doing, sharing, experiencing. Nobody, least of all ourselves, would pay attention to what we looked like, whether our hair is frizzy or not, whether our skin is clear, whether our upper lip is full of hair or whether we wear black or nude bras under white shirts. We would cultivate physical health, fitness, and well-being; things like body image wouldn't even exist as an issue.

    That said, unfortunately I am not that woman yet, as I admitted in this post. I pay attention to figure flattery and proportions, my skin and makeup and the way bodies can be beautiful in so many ways. I am also rather ashamed of all these interests of mine because I know that they are shallow, and a big part of this illusory (or rather fake) culture of ego-worship, materialism and consumerism that the modern world lives in.

    So basically -- my post obviously doesn't exactly set very high standards of feminism. In fact, probably the whole blog doesn't -- the very fact of being a beauty blog excludes it from that.

   About my post: all these statements are from big-chested women. These are their personal and subjective thoughts. I basically asked what they like about having big boobs -- which is not an intellectually stimulating question. If I would have asked them their views on big boobs and feminism / life philosophy, I would probably have gotten different responses.

    Second: I wrote this post because I hear too much complaining about big-chested women -- both from themselves and others. In fact when I googled for a similar topic, I found only one article that admitted that there could be something positive about having bigger boobs -- all the others only saw downsides!
    I have also realised that I assumed that all the readers of the above post would be full-chested -- something to do with the blog title maybe? If I had run the post on my blog I would have started out by sending the smaller-busted ladies to the post about appreciating small boobs post.

  

"concerning body image

5. Full breasts distracts from an imperfect figure.

9. Even a big belly doesn’t look big because the breasts stick out more.

Basically: "You're ugly (by our standards), but hey you got big boobs, so we have something else to look at. Thank God."

Men are supposed to be successful, women are supposed to be pretty. I find it sad that craving to follow the ONE beauty ideal of slim, proportionate, perfect reflects so much in those points. A lot of girls and women still struggle with the common beauty ideal on one side and loving themselves on the other... I don't think mentioning these reasons are helping. "

    Even Sally from Already Pretty, who is a body image warrior blogger, believes in dressing for flattering the figure (and has posts about minimising your tum). It's all about proportions. Just because I like my shoulders and feel that they balance out the lower part of my body, doesn't mean I think other parts of me are ugly. Also, I wrote in my post on small boobs that beauty is not related to the size of anything -- there are hundreds of different ways to be beautiful and a big-chested figure has it's own aesthetics that is worth noting.

   I don't think that I am "supposed" to be pretty as a woman; nevertheless in the words of a wise and strong woman I know "I am an aesthete". I find certain kinds of clothes, makeup and jewellery aesthetic for me -- that's why I wear them. It could very well happen that I develop a different interest in a couple of years and my looks could be the furthest thing from my mind.

"8. Feel feminine, like a grown woman.

Basically: "I got boobs, you got none. Therefore I'm grown-up and feminine what a real woman should look like and you're just a fashion doll / anorexic / tomboy!"

I think some of the curve-loving folks go to far promoting this claim. Of course, it's a (natural, fully understandable) reaction to the thin, androgynous look that's promoted in the fashion industry, and it's great if people appreciate the curve! 

But is it really good to grant only those with the "proper" amount of body fat the status "feminine" and "grown-up"? It's the same mechanism of defining a beauty ideal and just because it's now on the other end of the curviness spectrum it has pretty much the same side effect every beauty standard has. There are people who naturally match this standard (and like it, promote it because of the good feeling they get out of it), and some that don't look that way but would really like to and can get into the weirdest of thought/activity patterns to achieve it. Some will hate themselves for not looking like they are supposed to (like a "REAL" woman). It's the same problem all over again :/ Also: not every female would like to be categorized as feminine."

    See my post about small boobs. I do believe that feminity is not about the size of anything. Small, medium and big busted ladies can be stunning in completely different ways -- and in this post I wanted full-bosomed women to appreciate the beauty of their shape. However, I do see that growth of breasts is a big part of puberty for girls, and the bigger-busted ones are less likely to have issues with feeling like a woman when growing up -- and they should appreciate this.

   

concerning female empowerment / feminism / whatever

11. You always have a strong argument in your favour (actually two!) when negotiating with guys.

15. You can strongly distract men and even make them collide with random objects on the street.

Basically: "Hey yo, this is so funny, because actually nobody will interact only with your boobs and reduce you to your bodily features in real life, right? RIGHT? *wink wink*"

Srsly? I know (hope!) that this was just meant as a joke. Nevertheless it contributes the view that women are to be gawked at, that they can and will use their bodies to get advantages (because well, we all know that they wouldn't get far otherwise). But it also wrongs all those guys who WILL look at your face instead of your boobs and who won't treat you like a piece of meat, not like you (the sexy bitch with the low neckline) WANT it (and deserve it). Not every guy is a walking penis that willfully obeys your every command (or give you what you want) just because you have boobs. I'm not even starting with how there are not only heterosexuals on this planet... 

If I can joke about it, it can't be so bad, right? Oh yes it can be bad. As bad as racist jokes, rape jokes, ... joking about a subject tells the people who do these (bad) things that it's okay what they do, because hey, we can all have a laugh about it afterwards...

    I think that most of us have used our appearance to our advantage one way or another (consciously or unconsciously) -- whether it's muscles, body size (whether big or small), age or anything else. I know elderly people who use the fact they look elderly to their advantage. Small kids often realise that they can use their cuteness to get away with stuff. Even I know that I get treated a certain way because I look "young, nice and harmless" -- and I will be treated very differently several decades later only because my physical appearance will change. In an ideal world people would not be influenced by how other people look -- but can any of you honestly say you have never judged people by the way they looked? That you have not tried to look your best for things like job interviews (even though obviously you were going to get hired for your skills and not your looks)? That you have never been influenced by a physical feature you found attractive?

    Another thought -- the biggest objectification of women actually happens in countries where women cover their body completely. The women try to hide all traces of their sexuality (in clothes and behaviour) and yet they are reduced to bodily parts and harassed on the streets in public. In other countries women wear very revealing clothes and are treated by men as normal people. (I am not theorising here, I have actually lived in both kinds of countries). So, I think that whether men objectify women or not depends on how the men have been brought up to think, than with the women themselves. (I do think that women could play a much more important role here as mothers in the upbringing of their male children).

   About non-heterosexuals -- of course they are not the only ones on the planet, but unfortunately the women who I talked to happened to be all heterosexual -- it would have been nice to talk to a homosexual big-busted lady, but I didn't happen to have one handy at the moment.


   So, what is my bottom line? I'm actually not sure. I will probably be much more careful when wording posts of this kind. I am also wondering -- how to write about other topics that I cover on the blog about style and beauty and avoid appearing to hint at stereotypes that women are supposed to be pretty, or want to look feminine or hourglassy or whatever? Do I sound more unfeministic that I think I do?

   Dear readers -- what do you think about all this? Also, why do you think that my post on small boobs got a different responses? I'd love to know your thoughts, comments, criticism.

Review: Sweetscents Green Tea Minerals

   I really wanted to try out Hide-A-Pore from Sweetscents after reading so much great stuff about it on forums. So I mailed Joan the Sweetscents lady, and she not only agreed to send me a bit of Hide-A-Pore for just the shipping costs, but a bunch of other goodies as well!
   I had a lot of fun trying everything out, and I want to share my impressions with you because Sweetscents Green Tea Minerals are really great. This is the first time I was trying out mineral makeup that had ingredients that took care of the skin. Green tea is an amazing antioxidant, and is great for oily skin and impurities.

    So, here are my impressions:

Hide-A-Pore

    Sweetscents Hide-A-Pore is a concealer and treatment in one: it declogs the pores and it optically hides them. It's meant to be used below makeup, on top of moisturiser. I found that not only does Hide-A-Pore gloss over my skin and make it look smoother, it also makes a great mattifier. Unfortunately the pore-hiding effect is lost when another product is applied over Hide-A-Pore; so I have used Hide-A-Pore as a finisher too. It's also an amazing mattifier -- I don't have oily skin, but it was the only thing that could mattify over-doses of my sunscreen oil.
   I used a Dark, and it fitted my skin tone well (I'm a medium in Lumiere).

Green Tea Overnight Rejuvenation

    This product has very similar ingredients to Hide-A-Pore, but is only a treatment, not a corrector. The Green Tea Overnight Rejuvenation doesn't have a skin-tone colour (it's greenish) so I wouldn't wear it during the day;  when I put in on in the evening it disappears by the morning. Unlike the Hide-A-Pore, the Green Tea Overnight Rejuvenation doesn't contain sericite -- the ingredient that reflects light in a way that reduces pores (and fine lines).
    I tested out both the dry skin version and the normal version, and found that they do just what it says on the label -- the normal version was too drying for the spring (when my skin is dry) but fine for the summer (when my skin turns normal). It's also great apply on any place that looks like a breakout happening. One night I came home after a night of partying at 4:00 AM with an imminent breakout on my forehead. I removed my makeup and applied the Green Tea Overnight rejuvenation. Six hours later I woke up with a clear forehead!

Green Tea Primer

  Again, I don't have an oily skin, but tests on my sunscreen oil show that the Sweetscents Green Tea Primer great mattifier. I'm not an expert on primers, but was pretty satisfied with it.

Green Tea Finishing Veil

    The Green tea finishing veil is a nice finishing powder, adds a very subtle glow to the face.  Good at absorbing oil!

Green Tea Concealer

   I was a bit stumped with this at first. I have only used two concealers in my life, both creamy! The Sweetscents Green Tea Concealer is a powder, and it took me a bit to get the hang of it. I love it on my undereye circles -- it applies evenly and doesn't collect in the creases. It is also great for the dark discolouration on my upper lip -- cream concealers look awful there. I found that foiling (mixing with water) is the best way of using it to spot-conceal small stuff.

Rice and Bamboo Silk

   These are both meant to be used as primers, and are actually nor minerals but powdered plants. I found the rice silk to be a bit smoother and glossier, but both do the job of smoothing the skin and absorbing oils quite well.

Star Struck Finishing Glow

   I love this highlighter. It has the most teeny subtle sparkles ever! Huge sparkles in makeup are my pet peeve, so I really appreciated this highlighter. It's subtle enough for an invisible makeup for the daytime -- I like to put a touch below my eyes and on my cheekbones. Here is a swatch:

Green Tea Foundation

    This way way too light for my skin tone. It looks like everything turns out lighter on Sweetscents than it looks. Maybe at the end of winter I will be pale enough to use it.

Bottom line:

   I love the idea that my makeup contains skin-care ingredients! My favourites from the Sweetscents Green Tea Minerals were Hide-A-Pore and the Green Tea Overnight Rejuvenation -- in fact I ordered full-sized jars yesterday! Along with samples of foundations -- I heard they are nicely "creamy" in comparison to other mineral foundations.

   You can buy all the Green Tea Minerals and much more at Sweetscents.com -- especially lots of coloured stuff. Don't let the website layout put you off -- many mineral makeup brands have clumsy sites because they are usually run by one or two persons. Sweetscents makes great products and has lots of fans on the internet.


   Have you ever tried anything from Sweetscents? Are you tempted to now? What looks most interesting to you? Do you know any other mineral makeup brands worth recommending?

Where To Buy Ingredients For DIY Cosmetics + Online Store Database

A part of my small home lab :)

    Hyaluranon, jojoba oil, flower-waters, --- where to buy all this stuff I write about on this blog? Here are some suggestions -- online as well as real-world. Personally, I buy mostly from Hobbythek since they happen to have a story in my city; I also love Zrob Sobie Krem for their ready sets. But I have also got this and that ingredient from very different places. If you are looking for a brick-and-mortar store, here are some ideas:

DIY cosmetic stores

   Many big cities have one! Try Googling.

Your local pharmacy aka drug store

   Always start here, you might be surprised at what they have! They usually have stuff like soy lecithin, vitamin E (in tablets), and pH measuring strips.

Health food stores

   Quality plant oils and essential oils, butters, hydrolates, clays and the like.

Laboratory supplies store

  Great for glass beakers that you can heat up on your stove, precise scales, droppers.

Ebay

   I have found many small sellers that sell cosmetic ingredients. Also, many "regular" small online shops also sell on Ebay. Read the product description carefully to see what you are getting.

Online stores:

   Usually the best sources for all kinds of cosmetic ingredients. A good DIY cosmetics store should not only have a big range of products, it should also have recipes as well as detailed product descriptions (that tell you whether an ingredient is water or oil soluble, it's properties, the highest concentration that can be used, etc.)

I have added online stores that are in languages that I speak. Obviously I have not tried most of them myself, so please do your research before ordering. Many of these stores ship internationally, and sometimes it may be cheaper to buy certain stuff from abroad.If you know any good ones from your country, let me know in the comments!

AU

New Directions
Nikita Naturals

Asia

Skin Essential Actives (Taiwan based)

US and Canada

Ingredients To Die For Well-described ingredients. Ship internationally and accept paypal.

From Nature With Love Loads of ingredients with useful descriptions, recipes. Ship internationally and accept paypal.

Making Cosmetics.com Inc. Informative product descriptions, ship worldwide and accept paypal.

Lotioncrafter. Minimum order of $12.50. Credit card and Paypal only. Ship internationally for +$5
DIY Cosmetics. Great selection of equipment and some raw ingredients.

New Direction Aromantics + Canada

Garden Of Wisdom US and Canada only. Accept Paypal. Ingredients are under "raw ingredients"

Do It Yourself Cosmetics International shipping, well-described ingredients.

Bulk ActivesSkinActives.com  Ship Worldwide, accept paypal.

Mountain Rose Herbs Mostly oils and ready products, not much "labolatory" ingredients. US and Canada only.

The Herbarie Formulary Nice recipe database, but products are not well described. US and Canada only, no Paypal.

Texas Natural Supply  Accept paypal and ship internationally.

The Personal Formulator
WholesaleSuppliesPlus
Formulator Sample Shop

Europe

UK

Aromantic Ltd

Gracefruit Ship within Europe
Fresholi ship internationally
Active Formulas
Essential Oils Online
Bristol Botanicals - Home Ship within the EU
Of A Simple Nature Paypal accepted, Worldwide shipping
Laboratory Chemicals

Poland:

Zrob Sobie Krem They are working on their english language page. Do not accept paypal.

Mazidla  Ship internationally
Biochemia Urody

Germany: 

Hobbythek also have brick-and-mortar shops in many German cities
Kosmetische Rohstoffe
Hobby Kosmetik
Cosmopura
Spinnrad
Essence: the biggest variety of hydrolates I have ever seen! Most are organic :)
Olionatura
Behawe

Austria: 

Kosmetik Macherei
Art of Beauty

Switzerland:

Allerlei Praktisches

Denmark:

Urtegaarden

Netherlands

Helena Cosmetica

Spain

Umakeitup specialist supplier of all the ingredients needed to make your own mineral cosmetics. Based in Spain, ship throught Europe/ USA.

   If you know of any other great stores that sell cosmetic ingredients, let me know in the comments and I will add them to the list!

Weekend Reads 23-09-2012

      Hi everyone, hope you are doing well. I am half asleep but happy -- I went clubbing last night and it was so much fun! I even wore UV-reactive nail polish but the club didn't have blacklight.

Here are some lovely links:

* Style: Guidelines for tucking

* DIY: super easy eyeshadow primer!

* Bras: What to expect in a bra fitting and when your bra fitting goes wrong is a must-read before getting your first fitting.

* Love: if you like flowers, you will love this blog. I loved her post about container gardening in Amsterdam.

* Smarts: Why you should not buy a Mac.

* Food: Nuts are less fattening than you think. This very important stuff, people, because nuts and seeds should absolutely be eaten every day but most people are scared off by their calorie myth.

Grown Women Also Wear Small Bra Bands. Also, Sofia Vergara's Real Bra Size

      The gorgeous Sofia Vergara revealed that she wears a bra size 32 F on none other that the cover of the September issue of (US) Allure. She looks radiant in a Tamara bra from Parfait Affinitas, which she loved so much that she kept it after the shoot. My first reaction was: kudos for her being comfortable to talk about her bra size, and knowing enough about bra sizing to not be terrified of cup sizes like F or insist that she is a double-D. However, the comments on the internet to her bra size revelation were a story of deep, dark ignorance: many stated that "she must be a 34 or 36" and  “32 is doubtful" because "that  (32) was my size when I was a bony 11 yr old.”. I wanted to bang my head against the wall!

     First of all, the comments confuse boob size with band size. Just because someone has fuller breasts, it doesn't mean they need a bigger band size. Because the band doesn't go around the boobs, it goes (gasp) below them. Sofia Vergara may have bigger boobs, but that doesn't have anything to do with the size of her ribcage!

       Now, breaking news: small bands aren't reserved for teenagers, petites and those with eating disorders. I wear a 28 band and I haven't been a teenager for a decade. At 168cm and 55 kilos, I'm not a petite even by a stretch. I wear size S, not an XS; I have full thighs and hips and a belly and don't look anorexic or fragile. The reason my underbust measurement is small side is that I'm quite small-boned (for example my wrists are very slender), but I have quite a bit of fat and muscles on those bones.

       I do have a petite friend – her head comes up to my shoulders, she wears a size XS or smaller and has a hard time finding shoes tiny enough for her. And guess what? She needs a band a size bigger than me. For all her tinyness, her rib cage happens to be a bit broader than mine in the under-bust area.

       I have another friend who wears the same clothes size as me, we often swap clothes. She is a bit shorter though. Her band size? A 32. Oh, and I have personally measured both these ladies, so I'm quite sure of their band sizes.

      So, you see that the band size a woman needs has nothing to do with her height, age, weight, clothes size or curvyness level. It is simply about the measurement of the ribcage at a certain point. A band size like 26, 28 or 30 sounds so unusual and tiny because most women wrongly add inches to their under-bust measurement and are wearing band sizes like 36 and 38 when they should be wearing much smaller ones to get proper lift and support.

   Here is a great image from Thin and Curvy demonstrating what difference just one band size can make to lift and support. You will notice one thing here – she goes up one cup size as she goes down a band size – this is because cup sizes are relative to band size, so a 30GG is the same cup as the 28H or 26HH.





   And now, back to Sofia Vergara. A 32 is not a surprising band size anymore, is it? Interestingly, I happen to know that the Tamara by Parfait she is wearing for the shoot is in the size 34DD. The bigger band makes sense since Parfait bras run small in the band, but I wonder why the stylist sized down in the cup -- is it to get that overflowing-cups effect? (Looks lovely in the shoot but don't try this for every-day, ladies). Or maybe the style runs big in the cup?

    I think Sofia looks really gorgeous in this shoot, and I love black lace so much. I want whatever it is that she is wearing on this picture, including the Parfait Tamara. I have actually started watching Modern family after writing this post, and am enjoying it :)


    Do you watch Modern Family? Or have a thing for black lace? Do people act surprised when you tell them your band size?

A Begginer's Makeup Guide For A Makeup Novice

"Hi! I am a makeup novice!! Please help!! I need to know the basics of applying the make up... I don't even know what stuff is included in basic makeup!! Can you do a post on that please?"

   Hey, hello there! I have put together this post for you.

First, a few notes:

* Makeup basically does two things: hides flaws and accentuates your beauty. It's all about you -- not about what's trendy right now, what someone else looks good in, or what others (read = guys) like. The goal of makeup is to look "like you, only better" -- not to transform you into somebody else. So do only things that you feel are right for you.

* How much or how little makeup to wear is entirely up to you. You will see many makeup gurus telling you that you absolutely must wear a hundred different products at all times -- this is not true. It's fine to wear just one or two products, or ten or fifteen. It's totally up to you. If you are a teen, less makeup will usually look better on you -- the freshness of your youth is a huge asset and should not be hidden!

* Don't buy anything expensive at first, since you are just starting out and might want to throw it all out and buy different stuff a year from today. Exception: tweezers. And probably foundation, if you find something that really works for you. And brushes -- a good brush makes everything much easier and will last a long time! Good doesn't mean expensive, look for reviews online before you buy.

* Less is more: a tiny dab of concealer, one layer of mascara. Start small and subtle, you can always add more later on.

* If you have never worn makeup before and feel anxious to go out with it, first try wearing in around the house first. Soon it will feel like second skin.

Start here:

   First, examine your face in the mirror and identify your problem area(s). Maybe you have undereye shadows, or uneven skin tone, or very sparse eyebrows, or maybe your eyes and eyebrows are almost invisible. Just pick whatever jumps out at you. Work on just that one thing today (choose out of the list below).

   The next day, choose the feature you'd like to highlight. Either a feature you like best, or something you get complimented on. Maybe you like your eyes, or have lovely lips, or great skin. Try using makeup on that part!
    Over the next days, weeks or months you can try out all the stuff that I have included here. Go at your own pace, look up youtube tutorials when in doubt.


    Here are some basic instructions for makeup of different parts of the face. You don't need to do all of these. Pick just one or two at first, when you are comfortable with it you can try the next step.

Eyes:

Under-eye Concealer: to hide dark circles under the eyes

    If you have dark circles under the eyes, concealer should be the one thing you use every day. It will make you look fresh and not tired.
You will need: a concealer that is a bit lighter than your skin colour. Again, Makeup Alley is a good place for reviews and recommendations.
How to: dab on a little concealer under your eye, smudge it with your little finger till it's blended in. Use it only on the spots that need it: areas that are dark, not all over the area!

Mascara: for gorgeous lashes

   Think of mascara as dark paint on your eyelashes -- it makes them look bigger and fuller. It looks good on everyone as it brings out the eyes and makes you look more awake.
You will need: mascara. Get one that says something like "natural effect" on it, since the "million times lengthening and thickening" kind might be too theatrical for a beginner. Here is a nice video tutorial on how to apply mascara, here are extra mascara tips from me.

Eyeliner: drawing a line along your top lid makes your eyes look more intense

   If you want to do more with your eyes, try eyeliner. Here is a nice video that explains how to draw it on. I personally prefer kajal (kohl) pencil to othe kinds of eyeliner because if it is uneven you can smudge it with a q-tip and it look great!

Eyebrows:

   Most women look way better when their eyebrows are tidied up a bit. It really brings out the eyes! Unfortunately, shaping the eyebrows is not the easiest thing if you are a beginner -- if you don't have an eye for proportions you can end up with very weird eyebrows. The best thing to do is go to a professional salon once and let them do your brows -- they will pick whatever flatters your face best. take a photo of the effect, and simply pluck out the hairs that grow back each day (with the photo as a guide).
What you can do at home: tidy the eyebrows by plucking the hairs that are clearly outside the eyebrow area. First between the eyebrows and way above / below the eyebrows, then try tidying up the general outline a bit (don't try to change the shape of the eyebrow). Here is an interesting method of shaping the eyebrows.
You will need: tweezers. Please invest in good ones, for example tweezerman (here are other recommendations) -- this is important, since crappy tweezers are impossible to use! Oh, and a magnifying mirror: 5x is a good magnification.
How to: numb the area with ice. Grab hair with tweezers near the root, with the other hand hold the skin taut. Pull out in the direction the hair grows in. It will hurt, but it will hurt way less over time. Think twice before you pluck out each hair -- over-plucked brows look terrible! You might want to pluck just a little on the first day, scrutinise your reflection and maybe pluck a bit more tomorrow.
    While you are about if, you might want to take a look at your upper lip. Most darker-haired women have visible hair on there, which doesn't look very good. You could try plucking it, after numbing the area with ice.
   If your eyebrows are invisible, you might want to learn how to fill them in. Here is a simple tutorial that I like.

Face:

Face concealer: to hide discolourations, scars, blemishes on the face

    Concealer is great if you have stuff on your face that you want to hide, like weird brown patches, red veins, spots, areas that have a weird colour. If you don't have any of those (or any that are very visible), you can skip the concealer and be happy about it. For the rest of us, concealer can make the face look cleaner and brighter.
You will need: concealer in a colour close to your skin colour.
How to: dot a very small bit of concealer in the areas that need it, blend with your finger (or a cosmetic sponge or brush).
 

Foundation: making your face look flawless

   Foundation is basically a skin-coloured cream / powder / liquid, that makes your skin look even-coloured. If you are already blessed with even and smooth skin, you don't need foundation. If you do have stuff you'd rather cover up,foundation is great.
What you need: foundation. Now, the problem with typical foundation in stores is that it's really hard to pick out a colour in that artificial light! You could try asking a salesperson for help in picking out a shade that is closest to your skin.
    Personally, I love mineral foundation because it comes in lots of shades and is good for the skin. For me it's much easier to apply than cream foundation; and the result is very smooth skin that doesn't look made up. If you have a Sephora near you, you could try the Bare Minerals they have there -- I don't like Bare Minerals because they are pricey and have an ingredient that may irritate some people's skin -- but it's a great place to try out mineral makeup before you order some better and cheaper one online. Go to the Lumiere minerals site and pick shades that are most likely to match your skin (you can order 5 sample baggies for 0.01$). Test them out at home! If you are really bad at colours (like me), finding out that a warm tone (or a cool tone, or... ) suts you best will make it so much easier to pick coloured makeup in the future!
  You will also need a Kabuki brush -- Lumiere doesn't have any at the moment, but this one from Everyday Minerals is great, and Eco tools make some great ones too.
How to: First, apply concealer on the places that need it. Then, the foundation; for mineral makeup, follow these instructions. For cream or liquid foundation, this is a good how-to video. Remember that less is more!

Blush: colour for the cheeks

    Blush can define the face shape very prettily and add colour to a dull skin tone.
You need: A fiber-optic blush brush. This kind of brush pick ups only a teeny bit of blush and distributes it evenly over your skin -- so you will end up with a very soft and natural effect even if you are using a terribly intensive blush colour. I love mine to death, without it I cannot apply blush without looking like a clown. I got mine from Lumiere, but I also found some on Essential Beauty Supplies, Meow and I've heard good things about the Duo fiber brush from Eco Tools.
You need a blush too, the pressed powder kind (as opposed to the cream kind in tubes).
How to: Here is a great tutorial.

LIPS

Lipstick, lipgloss etc: make your lips vibrant!

   Lip makeup is probably the most easy and fun.
You need: clear or coloured lip gloss, or a coloured lip balm (I love the ones from Burt's Bees) are great for a delicate look.
How to: Apply on lips, press lips together, voila! You can't do anything wrong here.


     I hope I have helped you and that my post was not very confusing. I'm no expert -- though I have been plucking my eyebrows and using eyeliner since ages, things like mascara, blush and foundation are very new to me! Feel free to ask more questions in the comment section!



Dear readers, have any tips for our makeup novice? Do share!

I'm Versatile, yay!

I was pretty stoked to find I have been given the versatile Blogger award by Mel from Coffee With Mel. Thanks so much! This is my first award, and first tag.

This award has its own rules. And these are.

• thank the person who gave you this award
• include a link to their blog
• select 15 blogs/bloggers that you've recently discovered or follow regularly
• nominate those 15 bloggers for the Versatile Blogger Award
• Tell the person who nominated you 7 things about yourself.

So, first 7 things about myself. I'll try to keep this interesting:

1. I pick up accents -- it's really weird! I've had British, Israeli, Italian, Spanish, Indian and Chinese accents when I hung around with people from those countries. When I'm by myself, my accent is a bastard mutt of every accent imaginable.

2. I can speak 5 languages; and me, my guy and the kids speak four languages at home -- I'd say that each family member can speak three out of these four.

3. I absolutely love reading and can read pretty fast -- I breezed through War and Peace and was pretty surprised others found that impressive.

4. I'm really really crazy about chocolate. During Christmas time there are many half-broken chocolate Santas in the supermarkets, and I can't resist eating the broken chunks. 

5. I don't understand what people talk about when they say they are home-sick, even though I have moved very far several times. I often feel very strong Fernweh -- a beautiful German word which means "the feeling inside you when you are at home and you want to visit another countries" -- sometimes it's so strong it's almost a physical pain. that said, I always get a major case of stomach-churning nervousness before every trip!

6. I'm a pretty shy and timid person, but I like gently pushing my limits by trying out new stuff that scares me a bit. Like Israeli dancing, couchsurfing or starting conversations with strangers. I've had a cobra around my neck once -- quite proud of that, although it was defanged.

7. My big love is theater. As in acting. I'm not terribly good at it but it has changed me in more ways than I can say. Oh, and I love dressing up in the costumes!

 Aaand I'm supposed to award 15 people. Well, I ended up choosing five lovely blogs:

Fuller Figure Fuller Bust

Braless in Brasil 

Into the Palette 

Pearl Squirrel 

This is Glamorous 

                     Congrats, dolls!

     Anything else you'd like to know about me? Ask away! I'll answer anything that isn't terribly personal or inappropriate.

Weekend Reads 16-09-2012

      I wish the above were tue, but the truth is I'm a summer girl (at least I am when I'm in central Europe). Sundresses, sandals, tanned skin, evenings where it's so warm you can wander around in said sundress and sandals till midnight -- that's life! But autumn also means gorgeous colours, creative layers of clothing, adorable accessories like legwarmers and wristwarmers, and of course the crisp air. What are your favourite things about autumn?

   And here are some great links:

* Style: Boot height and leg flattery

* Cosmetics: Beauty in Sobriety is an amazing piece.

* Bras: Breast tissue migration and armpit rolls, scientifically.

* Ha ha: Google street view takes privacy seriously, even if you are a sphinx.

* Smarts: 21 days of tips about willpower is great stuff.

* Bra Ninjas: I love it when bra bloggers go undercover! In this post Undercover Lingersita goes incognito to get fitted at Boux Avenue. 

* Giggles: The History Of Music

Beauty Around The World -- Germany

    So I managed to bully convince Katrin to write the Beauty Around The World Post is about Germany! Enjoy! And if you're interested in participating in the Beauty Around The World Series, drop me a line at eternalvoyageur (at) gmail (dot) com.

    Hey everyone, I'm happy to be writing this post about beauty in Germany. First thing I want to say is that it's myth that all German girls are blond, blue eyed and powerfully/heavily built. Well, maybe in the north you will find some such examples, but most Germans are brown-haired or at least dark blonde. Most German friends that I asked saw Heidi Klum as the best example of "typical" German beauty, but I think it's more Diane Kruger. Also, modern Germany has a quite large number of immigrants, which means ethnic diversity and many different types of beauty.
 
   I will try to write about what beauty means to the German women based on my experience and observation. Hope you like it!


* Natural beauty is valued in Germany, and most women see beauty as a matter of "Ausstrahlung" which means 'glow' or being radiant -- it is the internal beauty and inner poise that shines out. Beauty surgeries are not very popular here, nor is overdone makeup.

* Beauty is closely connected to Wellness -- a concept that combines cosmetic care with a woman's alone time for the relaxation and rejuvenation of both the body and soul. If a Germany woman makes a wellness evening for herself it means she wants to take time for herself in her own home spa -- probably a scented bath, candles, facial treatment, hair masque, exfoliation with natural salts, a foot massage, herbal tea and a good book.

* Makeup is discreet -- most German girls prefer to err on the side of too little rather than too much makeup. Makeup should look polished but natural.

* The commonly-seen makeup is a subtle layer of foundation, a touch of blush or lip gloss and eyeshadow. And of course mascara -- German women love accentuating their eyes with mascara and kajal. If German girls want to go crazy with their makeup, they will apply tons of mascara. Most eye makeup is done in neutral colours, even when it is very dark and intensive.

* When it comes to skin care, women don't go fancy but instead like to get the basics right. Most women's skin care routines are very basic and don't involve a million products: cleansing, moisturising, and under-eye cream for elder women. German girls love to use face masks and exfoliate their face and body. Oh, and they like perfumes quite a lot.

* German women don't spend a lot on cosmetics. Their practical outlook on beauty means there is no shame in buying inexpensive cosmetics from the local drug store. And for good reason too -- often supermarket brands have nicer ingredients with less toxins than cosmetics from multinational companies.

* Organic cosmetics are booming. German women understand how natural ingredients are much better for their skin. There are so many certified organic brands to choose from for both skin care and makeup, from cheap to expensive. Favourite brands include Weleda which is an anthroposophic cosmetic/natural medicine brand, and the dirt cheap Alnatura from the DM stores.

* Hair salons are expensive in Germany so women end up spending quite a bit on haircuts and colouring -- even if the results are not terribly good. I have travelled a bit in Europe and must say that German hair stylists are not very talented (often people that have not made any othet job training get ained as hair stylists!). On the positive side is that women are very careful to always have their hair clean and neatly styled.

* Some women choose not to remove body hair -- this is not terribly wide-spread but doesn't rise any eyebrows. Even women who religiously shave or wax in the summer often don't in the winter. Removing body hair is seen as an aesthetic choice, not a matter of hygiene.

* Cared-for hands are quite important, but nail salons are pretty costly. At home manicures are popular. Most women will at least have a decent self-done manicure.

* Clothes are usually on the casual and comfortable side, yet stylish. A casual outfit for a younger girl might mean combining jeans and sneakers with more fashionable stuff. Even women who dress in a more stylish or elegant way will usually not sacrifice comfort for fashion.

* Women do sports regularly -- or at least try to. Most go to a fitness studio, jog or do classes at least semi-regularly. They like to go hiking and swimming, and often leave their cars at home and bike to work in the warm part of the year. Being physically active is a strong part of the German culture. The motivation is partially vanity (a good figure), but also being healthy and strong -- a part of the ideal of an independent person (every German wants to be an independent person).

* Germany is the country of beer, so I cannot forget to write about the beer hair rinse! EternalVoyageur has already written about that here.

* If you are looking for nice Germany beauty products, try Lavera, Weleda or Dr Hauschka. If you have Rossman drugstores in your country, you are lucky -- there are so many inexpensive great products there! And of course Nivea -- we Germans are proud of our Nivea. Oh, and Essence mascara and nail polish.

   Hey German girls, would you add anything to this list? To everyone else -- what comes into your mind when you think Germany + beauty? Any German products that you would recommend?

Shallow Breasts With a Broad Base

   Shallow breasts are broader at the root but don't stick out much. Their base is much bigger than the depth. They often start very high up, at the collar bones; so they cover more chest area than other breast types. Most of the breast tissue stays close to the ribcage. Such breasts are are usually small. From the side some look like triangles, some however are fuller at the bottom, some look like like an oval cut legthwise (or a paranthesis mark). For one example of such breasts, check out these photos on Smallcup.
    Actually, I will use the term "shallow breasts" for breasts that are broader at their base than --- and stay very close to the ribcage. But shallow breasts is not a category of its own, shallow breasts may also broad, narrow, close set, far set, and so on. However, all breast kinds that are also shallow have the same fitting issues: they usually need smaller cups than the table suggests, and they find that most bra cups are either too deep or cut off the top part of the breast (or both).

    Shallow breasts are often hard to pick a bra for, but have many advantages otherwise -- they are self-supported, usually firm, don't go all over the place, and look great in all kinds of swimwear.

Not to be confused with:

* Full-on-top breasts -- these are simply breasts that are not-bottom-heavy or tear shape.
* Wide breasts -- these are breasts that need broad underwires. Of course SHallo breasts may also be wide (or narrow).

Bra model suggestions for breasts full at the root: 

    The cup should not be to deep (it should be shaped kinda like a wok), and the top of the cup should be "open" (it should not cut into the breast).
    Cups with vertical seams are more likely to be "open" at the top.
   Usually low-cut half cups and balcony styles work well, especially the ones with vertical seams. Also "open" plunges (where the inner edge is looser and doesn't cut the breasts in half).
    Bras for implants / post-surgery bras are usually perfect for these kind of breasts.

Here are some brand / model recommendations. Remember that not all will work for you, because shallow breasts come in many different shapes.

All Le Mystere bras (post-surgery)
Most Masquerades, especially the older models. Inca, Maia, Pandora, Georgiana, Antoinette, Delphi and Rosetti, Anise, Orla
Ruby Pink Fifi Padded (highly recommended, but hard to get)
Gossard Esprit Balconette Halfcup (try Ebay for this one)
Gossard Reverie
Audelle (Lepel) all padded bras, especially Rosa, Fiore
Freya Retro, Deco half-cup (not the plunge!), padded halfcups with the vertical seams like the "Summer cut" , longlines. Don't even think of trying the unpadded Freyas.  Panache Confetti Balconette, Panache Harmony Balconette - Panache Andorra Fullcup only for larger sizes above E/F-cup.
Ewa Michalak PL or 3D please, HM and HP work too but are often too narrow.
Fauve India Half cup, Isobel Padded Plunge, Merissa Padded Halfcup, Mia Padded Plunge, Bethany Halfcup, in general anything padded and seamed by Fauve
Cleo Roby, Marcie, Lucy, Juna (plus all related cuts of the Juna ) Don't try the Cleo Jude, it is very shallow but the rim is too closed on that, ditto for the other plunges like Sally  Rigby n Peller Isabella half-cup
Pour Moi? Opulence Plunge
Curvy Kate halfcups, the Tease Me/Thrill Me /Entice/Fleurty line and the TemptMe/Wild plunges. Don't try the unpadded Curvy Kates except maybe the Romance.
b.tempt'd by Wacoal, especially the Ciao Bella
Some bras by Chantelle, especially the unpadded halfcups like Chantelle Rive Gauche halfcup bra, Chantelle Icone halfcup bra
Affinitas and Parfait by Affinitas
Change
OnlyHer

Triumph Amourette Halfcup
Some bras by Betsey Johnson, especially Stocking Stripe Lined Demi and Eyelet Lace Demi
Ultimo Ella, Ultimo Embrace
Some M&S bras tend to work, it is a bit like playing the lottery with them though, I would only recommend M&S for those who are in the UK and can try them on

   If any of these bras is not available in the online stores anyomer, do check on Ebay (especially British ebay), that's where bra collections go to die as well as the bra sale / swap pages of Bratabase, reddit/ABraThatFits or the bra fiting community in your country.

   Do you have shallow breasts? Do you have any other term for them? Know of any good bra for such breasts? I'd also love links to any bra bloggers with shallow breasts. Let me know in the comments!


Sources: Smallcup, Lobby Biusciastych