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Sunday, April 26, 2015

The Size Dilemma


Hey guys! This week I'm going to be talking about a touchy subject that's been all the buzz lately: self-image. I am writing this because this is such an important issue, and it affects everyone around us no matter where we are.

Our society is pretty messed up for a variety of reasons, and I think everyone understands that. It has been promoting and demoting all sorts of things over the decades, but one of the biggest ones is body image. And to clear this up, the trends have gone both ways. For example, in the Victorian era, everyone wanted to be curvier because it showed that one was rich enough to eat a good amount. In the early 1900s, it was popular to be extra curvy by pulling in the waist with a corset. The 1920s started the flapper trend with very thin girls. From the 1930s leading up to the 1950s, curvy was the most desired again. In the 1960s and 1970s, it became popular to be very thin, and models in a size zero were all the rage. My point is that society has marketed off both kinds of bodies, so neither size should be able to be more upset than the other.

Bottom line - everyone is different. There is absolutely no one that has the exact same body as you do, and that's so important to understand. There is nothing wrong with wearing a size 20 or a size 0. Everyone was born with a different frame, and that is 100% okay. 

As a whole, I think everyone is trying to move in the right direction for self acceptance no matter your size, but it's being done in the wrong way. Both sides are slamming the other, saying that their size is better at the expensive of the other body type. That is so wrong and backwards. 

If the people around us aren't doing it enough, celebrities have been talking about it too in their songs and in interviews. Some of them are doing an amazing job to help the situation, but some are only making things worse. Especially when those in Hollywood start telling us that one size is better than the other, it adds to a greater problem that touches so many people every day: eating disorders. These mental illnesses are only entering more people's lives because we haven't learned to support one another. Everyone should feel support, especially those fighting these illnesses. Personally, I know plenty of people who have had them, and they need to feel safe and supported, not attacked by the media. 

This all has to stop.

Instead of only promoting one side, why can't we promote both? Why can't we all say that the curvy girls are just as pretty as the thin girls, and the thin girls are just as pretty as the curvy ones? 

Every body type is amazing and unique in its own way. The important part is to make sure that no matter your size, you are living a healthy life. One where you eat enough, but not too much. One where both sides can look in the mirror and feel great about themselves because they are healthy. Size does not and should not matter. If someone is not going to accept you for being thin or being curvy, that is their problem, not yours. They're missing out on someone special in their own way, so don't change for someone else whether it's a boyfriend, a girlfriend, or a celebrity. 

Stop reading what's on the scale and trying to get down to a lower or higher number, and start looking at yourself and saying, "I am well taken care of and healthy," because that's the part that matters. Be confident in your size, no matter what that is. Size is just a number we use to buy clothes in a shop, it is not a representation of good or bad, wrong or right. Smile and be happy with who you are, I promise you're perfect as is. 

I hope this helps someone feel better and confident in their own skin. Thanks for reading and have an amazing week!

Elegance is the only beauty that never fades.
-Audrey Hepburn 

Love Always, 
Bree x

Sunday, April 19, 2015

Prom Preparations


If you scroll through any form of social media right now, I can promise you will find countless of "promposals" with cute ideas that are being used to ask someone to the most awaited school dance of the year - prom.  

If you're going, it's, of course, important to find a dress that's perfect, the best shoes, and have a gorgeous hair and makeup look ready for that day. But with prom about 2 weeks away, it's also very important to make sure your skin and hair are ready for the event. Anyone can cake on the makeup to make sure everything is all covered, but wouldn't you rather have less on your face? I know I would! 

So for this week, I'm going to help you get your skin and your hair looking it's best before you do any touch ups, because as any good artist knows, the cleanest canvasses are the ones that end up looking the best!

Skin:

If you've read my previous blogs or talked to me, you know I have one tip that I stick to and that is drinking water. This means start downing the water ladies (and gentlemen too): at least 8 cups a day if not more. Grab a water bottle before you go anywhere and constantly be drinking it up and replenishing it. This is going to cleanse your skin and get rid of the redness and breakouts. 

Eat healthy these next few weeks too, so start eating fresh fruits and vegetables and stop with the processed junk food. The junk is just going to cause more problems. 

I would only recommend this for oily skinned people, but if you're breaking out a lot, try putting some rubbing alcohol on a Q-tip and dabbing it on your spots once in the morning and once at night. Please don't try this if you have dry skin because it will make your skin even more dry and irritated.


Witch hazel is something not many people have heard of but everyone can use. It is a healing product which can help get rid of scarring and prevent new blemishes from appearing. It doesn't burn or hurt to apply, and all I do is put some on a cotton round and wipe it around my face before moisturizer. It works really well, so give it a try and don't forget to cleanse and moisturize twice a day!

Hair:

All the things I said above about food and water also apply to help your hair. But in addition to those, think about going to get your hair trimmed before the dance so the style holds longer and looks better. There are a variety of oils you can use like coconut, Moroccan Argan, olive, keratin, and so many more. Those all will keep your hair shiny and soft. 



The week of prom, stay away from the hot tools. Your hair will look so much better if you avoid heat that week. Rock some braids and ponytails instead and let your hair air dry. Wash it every other day to help keep the oils in, and if it starts to look greasy, stick some dry shampoo or baby powder in it.  


As for the day of prom, enjoy it! Don't get stressed out, and have loads of fun with your date and/or your friends! I hope you enjoyed my prom tips and thanks for reading! Feel free to leave a comment and share the post if you liked it. Have a nice week! 

Love Always,
Bree x




Saturday, April 11, 2015

Spring Cleaning

If I told a group of people they needed outfits to go out in right now, I would bet the majority of them would respond with the same answer: I have nothing to wear.

It's quite a popular expression, and I'm guilty of using it as well, but ironically, if we look in our closets, there are plenty of clothes to last us about month without repeating anything.  So if we have so many clothes, why aren't we wearing them? There's plenty of answers, but they all lead to one basic fact: we don't like what we're wearing.  Sure, at one time, that may have been your favorite top, but it's not now. 

So what's the solution? Spring Cleaning! 

To many people, that concept is very overwhelming.  They aren't sure where to start and how to go about it.  But as a spring-cleaner who does this twice a year every year (yes, I'm that crazy), I'm going to help you clean out your closet the best way possible. 

The first thing you need to do is take everything out of your closet, drawers, etc, and put it all in one big pile.  Now, it is important not to get anxious about all the work you think you need to do, or you will stress yourself out and end up not doing the best job you could have. You're going to make 4 piles:
     1. Keeping
     2. Selling
     3. Giving Away
     4. Throwing away

The piles are pretty self-explanatory, but I'll break them down anyways. The keeping pile is everything you are hanging back up and going to wear or something that you are planning on tailoring. It also includes keepsakes, which could be a piece of clothing that is very special to you like your mother's sweater, you're favorite dress when you were younger, etc. The selling pile are things you know you could sell at a thrift store or on eBay. These will be special articles of clothing or something that is currently in style that someone will want. The giving away pile is all the clothes you plan to donate because it's maybe not the most trendy, but definitely still useable to someone who needs it. The throwing away pile consists of clothes there's no way could be kept, sold, or given away. This pile will probably be your smallest, but for those old jeans so worn out and ripped from years of wear, it's a nessisary   pile. 

Next, if there are clothes you know don't fit, get rid of them. If it doesn't fit now, it probably won't later unless you plan on tailoring it, and letting it sit there is just going to make you upset because you can't wear it. Even if it will fit someday (like if you plan to lose weight), it's very likely that it won't be in style anymore anyways. If you don't know if something fits you, try it on. If it's baggy or too tight, get rid of it. 

The next step is the hardest, but consists of you asking yourself one simple question: Does it make you feel confident? You may like something, it may be pretty, but if you're not reaching for it, it's probably because you know it doesn't look great on you. Maybe it's the wrong shape for your body or the wrong color for your complexion. Whatever the reason is, you are beautiful, and it's important that you feel that way in every piece of clothing you own! If you don't 100% love it, get rid of it!

Have you worn it in the last year? That's the next question to answer. If you haven't, you're not going to this year, I promise. Do. Not. Keep. It.

After you've gone through all those clothes and made your piles, bag the Selling, Giving Away, and Throwing away piles clearly labeled so you don't confuse yourself. The keepsakes should all go in a storage box. You can always open back up the box, but don't put it in your closet where all your current clothes should be. 

You can skip this step if you want, but I've found it helped me, so I'm going to share it: Buy felt hangers. They're amazing! You never have to worry about things falling off and getting all wrinkled, and your closet always looks really uniform (that's the inner OCD coming out)! Plus when you're putting all these clothes back in your closet, they make it much easier. 

You're done! It's a great feeling isn't it? Just think, you now have room for new clothes that you do love and will wear. The selling pile will help replenish your pocket, but in case you want tips on keeping a closet you love without spending loads of money buying clothes you don't actually like, here's a link to my article on my past column, "Avoid Spending too Much Money on Shopping":
http://canfieldcardinal.com/showcase/2014/12/04/avoid-spending-much-money-shopping/

Hopefully, that made spring cleaning a little easier for you so you can have the best closet possible. Enjoy your week!

Love Always,
Bree x











 

Saturday, April 4, 2015

Spring Makeup, Nails, & Outfit Ideas

The snow is melted and the sun is out (Took long enough)! Spring is finally here and the temperature has gone from the negatives to the fifties! The winter season is full of royal blues, deep purples, and dark reds, but it's finally time to change it up! As the weather is getting warmer, you're makeup, outfits, and nails should too! 

Spring is pastel season. From the baby pinks, to the bright yellows, to the Tiffany blues, this time of year is full of the colors you can see on the flowers that will be budding in about a week! So without further adieu, I'm going to share my spring makeup routine, my favorite nail color at the moment, and some other spring-inspired ideas!


Makeup:

Foundation: Nars All Day Luminous Weightless Foundation in Ivory 2: Mont Blac
Concealer: Mary Kay concealer in Ivory 2
Powder: (not pictured) Mary Kay Sheer Mineral Press Powder in Ivory 1
Blush: Palledio Baked Blush in Rosy
Eyebrows: (not pictured) Mary Kay Taupe Eyeshadow & Ulta Clear Eyebrow Gel
Eyeshadow: Maybelline 24 Hour Color Tattoo Metal in 55 Inked in Pink
Eyeliner: L'Oréal Lineur Intense Liquid Eyeliner in Carbon Black
Mascara: Covergirl Lash Blast Volume Mascara in Very Black
Lip Balm: (not pictured) Chapstick in Original Cherry
Lip Stain:(not pictured) Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain in Romantic

My Eyes:


Before I started my eye makeup, I first did my eyebrows.  Using Taupe eyeshadow from Mary Kay, I filled in the sparse areas and then finished with the Ulta Clear Brow Gel.
For my eye makeup, I used my finger to apply the Maybelline Color Tattoo all over my lid and crease.  In this picture, I don't have anything darker on my crease, but you can add a chocolate brown color to create depth.  Using my liquid eyeliner, I created a thin line close to my lash line.  If you want, you can create small wings which will help open your eyes further.  Lastly, I applied 3 coats of mascara to my top lashes and just a little on my bottom. 

For the rest of my face:

If you want, I can make a another blog post on how I do my face makeup everyday and the tips I use to make it last long.  Comment if that's something you'd like to see! 
For this look, all I did was apply my Nars foundation, followed by my Mary Kay concealer under my eyes and on my spots.  Then, I powdered over all of it with the Mary Kay Sheer Mineral Press Powder to set the foundation.  To finish for my face, I popped the Palledio blush on my cheeks.  I love this blush so much because besides being a beautiful color for my skin tone, it also adds a highlight, so it makes me look more awake without me having to do another step!

I also have a different foundation routine using some different products and some bronzer, which I didn't use this time, on my previous column which you can find here:
http://canfieldcardinal.com/beauty-with-bree/2014/11/03/contour-light-makeup-tutorial/

My Nails: 


My new favorite nail color is Tart Deco from Essie. It is a peachy, sunset orange that is perfect for spring.  To start and make my nail polish stay on as long as I can manage, I used the Orly Bonder Rubberized Basecoat.  After that was semi-dry, I painted on 2 coats of the Essie nail polish.  Lastly, because I am very impatient when it comes to my nails drying and because I'm clumsy and usually end up messing them up within 2 minutes, I applied the Eséncia desert oil nail polish to help it dry much faster!


Outfits:

I don't have any pictures yet since it has been very windy outside, making it hard to take pictures without becoming too cold or the wind blowing everything around.  But hopefully, I can get some outfit ideas pretty soon when it warms up just a little more! 

But just to start you off, I have a few ideas.

Skirts are, of course, a spring must. They can be worn with cute shirts and sweaters if it gets chilly, and either some converse, keds, or sandals for a casual look. Small pumps are great to dress it up a bit!

Sweaters. Yes, you've been wearing them for months on end, I know. But I'm not talking about those knitted ones that keep you super toasty. You're going to become super overheated if you wear those now! I'm referring to the lighter sweaters and cardigans that will keep you warm in the wind, but not make you feel like you're sitting in a sauna. 

Dresses are also a huge part of spring. You can wear them all year long, but now you can start to ditch the tights! 

Jeans (specifically boyfriend style). This trend is still very much in, especially on those chillier spring days, and you can roll the bottoms up to make it more comfortable and chic! Skinny and high waisted jeans are still in as well, so spring into the season with your favorite style! 

Keds, Converse, Vans, Toms, etc.  You've been living in Uggs, combat boots, snow boots, and anything you can get your hands on to keep your toes warm, I get it! Now the temperatures are escalating, so you can ditch the boots and opt for the cute, but casual, sneakers. These shoes are super comfortable, and go with pretty much any outfit. They give you a classic look and keep your feet still somewhat warm, but not on fire!  You can also wear sandals if the weather is warm enough!  


I really hope some of that helps you make an easier transition into the new season or maybe just gives you some new tips you didn't know! Enjoy this nice weather and the warm sun and have a lovely week! 

Love Always,
Bree x