#florida beauty labs

[floridabeautylabs]

Is Sulfate-Free Shampoo Really Better? Myths vs. Facts

In recent years, sulfate-free shampoo and conditioner have become a buzzword in the beauty industry. Consumers everywhere are ditching traditional shampoos in favor of sulfate and paraben free alternatives. But is sulfate-free shampoo really better, or is it just another marketing trend? Let’s uncover the myths and facts surrounding sulfate-free shampoos to help you make an informed decision for your hair care routine.

Understanding Sulfates and Their Role in Hair Care

Sulfates are a type of chemical detergent commonly found in shampoos. They’re responsible for the lathering effect that many people associate with cleanliness. The most common sulfates used in hair care products include sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) and sodium laureth sulfate (SLES).

While sulfates effectively remove dirt, oil, and product buildup from your hair and scalp, they can sometimes strip away natural oils, leading to dryness, frizz, and scalp irritation. This is where sulfate-free shampoo and conditioner come into play.

Myth 1: Sulfate-Free Shampoos Don’t Clean Your Hair Effectively

Fact: Sulfate-free shampoos clean just as effectively as traditional shampoos. They rely on gentler cleansing agents to remove dirt and buildup without compromising your hair’s natural oils. This makes them ideal for individuals with sensitive scalps, dry hair, or chemically-treated locks.

For those who frequently color their hair, sulfate-free shampoos are a lifesaver. Using a hair color protecting shampoo and conditioner without sulfates helps maintain vibrant color for longer periods, reducing the need for frequent touch-ups.

Myth 2: Sulfate-Free Shampoos Don’t Lather Well

Fact: While it’s true that sulfate-free shampoos produce less lather, this doesn’t mean they’re less effective. The foaming effect of traditional shampoos is purely cosmetic and doesn’t contribute to their cleaning ability.

Sulfate and paraben free shampoo relies on alternative ingredients, such as coconut-based surfactants, to cleanse your hair. These gentle cleansers still remove impurities effectively, even without the rich foam. If you’re transitioning to sulfate-free products, give yourself time to adjust to the reduced lather—your hair will thank you.

Myth 3: Sulfate-Free Shampoos Are Only for People with Sensitive Skin

Fact: While sulfate-free shampoos are indeed gentle and ideal for people with sensitive scalps, they’re beneficial for everyone. Here’s why:

Moisture Retention: Sulfate-free shampoos preserve your hair’s natural oils, keeping it hydrated and soft.

Color Protection: They’re perfect for maintaining dyed or highlighted hair, as they prevent color fading.

Frizz Reduction: By not over-stripping your hair, sulfate-free shampoos help control frizz and promote smoother strands.

At Florida Beauty Labs, we offer a range of sulfate-free shampoo and conditioner options that cater to various hair types and needs. Explore our products here.

Myth 4: Sulfate-Free Shampoos Are Too Expensive

Fact: While sulfate-free shampoos can sometimes be pricier than traditional options, they’re an investment in your hair’s long-term health. Using a sulfate and paraben free conditioner alongside your shampoo ensures that your hair remains nourished, vibrant, and free from harmful chemicals.

Moreover, sulfate-free shampoos are often concentrated, meaning you need to use less product per wash. Over time, this balances out the cost, making them a cost-effective solution.

Benefits of Sulfate-Free Shampoo and Conditioner

Now that we’ve debunked some myths, let’s explore the benefits of sulfate-free products:

1. Gentle on Sensitive Scalps

Sulfate-free formulas minimize irritation, making them ideal for individuals with eczema, psoriasis, or other scalp conditions.

2. Preserves Hair Color

Using a hair color protecting shampoo and conditioner helps maintain your hair dye’s vibrancy, reducing the frequency of salon visits.

3. Reduces Frizz

Without harsh sulfates, your hair retains its natural oils, leading to smoother, more manageable locks.

4. Safe for Keratin-Treated Hair

If you’ve had keratin treatments, sulfate-free shampoos are essential for maintaining your results.

5. Environmentally Friendly

Many sulfate-free products, including those available at Florida Beauty Labs, use eco-friendly ingredients that are safer for the environment.

Common Misconceptions About Parabens

In addition to sulfates, parabens are another ingredient often avoided in modern hair care products. Parabens are preservatives that extend the shelf life of shampoos and conditioners. However, they’ve been linked to potential health risks, leading many consumers to seek sulfate and paraben free conditioner options.

At Florida Beauty Labs, our sulfate and paraben free shampoo and conditioner options provide the perfect balance of performance and safety. By eliminating these harsh chemicals, our products nourish your hair while minimizing exposure to potentially harmful substances.

How to Choose the Right Sulfate-Free Products

Selecting the best sulfate-free shampoo and conditioner for your hair type is key to achieving optimal results. Consider the following tips:

Identify Your Hair Type: Whether you have curly, straight, oily, or dry hair, choose a product tailored to your needs.

Look for Added Benefits: For color-treated hair, opt for a hair color protecting shampoo and conditioner to prolong your dye job.

Read the Ingredients: Ensure your chosen product is free from both sulfates and parabens for maximum safety and effectiveness.

Shop from Trusted Brands: At Florida Beauty Labs, we pride ourselves on offering high-quality, sulfate-free options that deliver real results. Browse our collection here.

Making the Switch to Sulfate-Free

Transitioning to sulfate-free shampoo may take some time, especially if you’re used to the rich lather of traditional products. During the initial weeks, you might notice your hair feeling different as it adjusts. Stick with it—the long-term benefits are worth it.

To enhance your results, pair your sulfate-free shampoo with a sulfate and paraben free conditioner. This combination ensures your hair remains hydrated, shiny, and free from chemical damage.

Final Verdict: Is Sulfate-Free Shampoo Really Better?

The answer largely depends on your hair care needs. For those with sensitive scalps, color-treated hair, or a preference for gentle, eco-friendly products, sulfate-free shampoos are an excellent choice. While they may not be necessary for everyone, their benefits far outweigh the drawbacks for many consumers.

If you’re ready to upgrade your hair care routine, explore the sulfate-free options available at Florida Beauty Labs. Click here to shop now.

By switching to sulfate-free shampoo and conditioner, you’re investing in healthier, happier hair. Don’t let myths hold you back—make the change today and experience the difference for yourself.

[nahimjustfeelingit-writes]

HBCU CONFESSIONS.

Erik x Valencia

Smut

Part One.

What am I going to do? I’m pregnant and it’s my freshman year. I don’t know if I should keep the baby or not. Any advice?

-Florida A&M

My stupid boyfriend cheated on me so I fucked his homeboy. Now both of them are fighting over me 🤭

-Hampton

I think my roommate has a thing for me. I’m not gay, but I’ve caught myself staring at his dick a few times. This shit is confusing me. I don’t like dick I like pussy!

-Morehouse College

My girlfriend wants me to eat her butt. She keeps begging me to do it. Who on here ever ate ass before? I need some advice because gahdamn she won’t leave a nigga alone.

-Morgan State

I already know what yall gonna say but I don’t give a fuck. My homegirl keep telling me about how her man is cheating on her. He’s cheating with me. I’m the side chick. The D is just too good. At this point I’m already too far gone. Judge me if you want I don’t care 🤷🏿‍♀️

-Clark Atlanta University

I had a train ran on me the other night. No, they didn’t fuck me. They ate me 😩 and it was a bunch of Omegas! Since they like to show their tongue so much I wanted to see which one of them could make me cum the hardest 😘

-Howard University

-I wish to remain anonymous. I’m not as experienced in the sex department and I am 21 years old. I want to hook up with someone here. Maybe I have unrealistic expectations, but I want it to be with someone I’ve been eyeing around campus. He doesn’t know I exist, but he’s so beautiful. If I could just have one chance with him…

-Texas Southern

“I did it.”

Valencia shut her MacBook Pro and fell back against her bed within her dorm room. Across from her sat her roommate, Brielle. They’d been roommates since freshman year.

“It was an anonymous submission, right? Nothing to worry about.” Brielle replied while looking over her notes for her A&P lab practical.

“I know, but what if someone figures it out?—

Her phone buzzed next to her thigh again.

“Jesus…he keeps fucking calling me.”

Brielle chuckles, “His ego is bruised. He probably wants to make sure you don’t say anything about it.”

“It’s been a week. He needs to let the shit go.”

Valencia ends the call for the eighth time that rainy evening. She’s already angry with herself for even allowing that man to have his way with her body. It was the worst experience. Worse than her first time.

“Head was trash, dick was trash…”

“So, I guess it isn’t all true that Que’s are great in bed, huh?” Brielle jokes.

“It’s definitely not true. I just wish it was with him.”

Valencia grabbed a pillow and screamed into it. Brielle simply laughed at her antics.

“Isn’t he a Que too?” Brielle questions.

“He is. Maybe he’ll be the exception.”

Valencia slowly removed the pillow from her face and blinked her eyes up at the ceiling. Butterflies formed in her belly just thinking about him.

“He’s so damn fine, Brie. Like, why couldn’t it be him that had all of this instead of Isaiah?!”

“Who is this again? Girl, you know my attention span is fucked up.” Brielle replied with a laugh.

“His name is Erik. He’s getting his doctorate.”

“Hm,” Brielle highlighted a section in her textbook orange, “How old is he?”

“I don’t know, like…thirties maybe?”

“Since when do you like them older?” Brielle asked with a shocked tone of voice.

“Since now! He’s too fine, Brie. And he’s really smart. Like a genius. He has so many accomplishments. A sexy nerd.”

“He sounds like he’s out of your league—”

“He’s also a TA—”

Brielle’s eyes went wide.

“A TA? Girl…don’t do it.”

Valencia had to admit that Brielle was right.

“It’ll never happen anyway. That man walks past me everyday like he doesn’t see me. I’ll just crush from afar at this point I don’t even know why I sent that fucking message.”

Valencia pouted in bed. Silence filled the room as she laid there staring at the television. Brielle was completely absorbed into her notes to care. Valencia could be doing some schoolwork herself, but the thought of her anonymous ask kept circulating in her mind.

Valencia sat up on her elbow and reached for her laptop again. Brielle cut her brown eyes at her and smirked playfully. Valencia checked the blog and noticed one note. Clicking on it, it was just a like. Her submission is nothing compared to the other wild confessions.

“There he goes again,” Brielle motioned with her eyes at Valencia’s phone, “Do you want me to cuss his ass out? Block that nigga!”

Valencia grabbed her phone and proceeded to block him.

“You know I have Chemistry with that limp dick fucker, right?” Brielle said.

“Just ignore him, Brie. He’ll be alright.”

“He keeps harassing you!”

Valencia sat her laptop on their shared desk. She shut off her lamp light snd slipped beneath the sheets. She had an early class tomorrow and needed to ease her mind into slumber.

“Goodnight, Brie. Don’t stay up too late.” Valencia said.

“I’ll try. You know I’m a night owl.” Brielle grumbled.

The rain seemed to flow into the following afternoon. Valencia ran as fast as she could back to her dorm after the boring lecture she had to endure. A fellow student held the door for her and she made it inside although she was drenched from head to toe. She smoothed wet braids from her face and adjusted her cropped T-shirt. The brisk air of the building caused goosebumps to form along her sepia skin. She could even feel her teeth chattering.

Removing her heavy school bag from her shoulder, Valencia took long strides towards the elevators. She waited impatiently while rubbing her wet arms to try and warm up. She silently cursed herself for not bringing her umbrella. The sunny morning and clear sky deceived her. She stared down at her black and white Adidas Campus 00s for two seconds before the elevator doors opened. Valencia took a step forward and just then a deep timbre sent a shiver up her spine.

“Going up?”

Valencia was halfway into the elevator when her chocolate orbs fell upon the one person she wasn’t expecting to see in her dorm building.

Valencia may have met her match with Erik Stevens.

“Yes,” She stepped to the side so that he could enter.

“Thank you.”

Valencia scooted towards the corner of the elevator.

“Which floor?”

“Six.”

“Bet, that’s where I’m going.”

He has a dorm on the sixth floor? She thought.

She focused on him like she was studying a passage out of one of her textbooks. First, her eyes took in the style of his hair. He kept the sides and back tapered but the rest was beautifully loc’d and braided back. His eyes were shielded with gold-rimmed glasses that complimented his face and made him like artsy. She trailed her gaze down his neck to his broad shoulders. He wore a cream-colored hoodie and khaki cargo pants. On his feet were a pair of boots and in his firm grip was a dripping wet umbrella.

“After you.”

Valencia picked herself up and slipped past him since he was holding the door for her. She could smell his cologne and it was her new favorite smell.

“Thank you.” She said.

She instantly felt warm and fuzzy. He had this effect on her she hadn’t felt in a long while truly. Not even for that lackluster lay she had a week ago. Isaiah who?

Valencia walked into a crowded lounge area with a confused look on her face. She spotted Brielle near the window sitting on a lounger. She was chatting with a few of their mutual girl friends. The grey clouds outside began to allow the sun to peek through. She walked over to them and dropped her bag to the floor.

“Cindy, Skai…”

Cindy jutted out her petite hip and smiled with her braces in greeting. Skai raised her hand and fluttered her fingers covered in various gold rings. Skai was playing in Brielle’s ginger-colored coily hair as she typed away on her tablet.

“Why is everybody sitting here in the lounge?” Valencia questioned.

“Rumor has it, Rochelle isn’t our RA anymore.” Skai revealed.

Valencia furrowed her brows and squinted her eyes.

“Really?—”

“CAN I HAVE YOUR ATTENTION PLEASE!”

The chatter amongst everyone died down to a pregnant pause. Everyone looked towards Erik. Valencia caught his eye briefly and she could feel herself squirming from that small interaction alone.

“My name is Erik. I’m sure some of you have seen your emails, and for those that haven’t, I’m here to fill you in. Rochelle had a personal emergency and she will not continue as your RA for the final months of this semester. I will take over that position from here on out.”

Whispers circulated around the room. Erik stood there with his back straight, arms folded, and poker-faced.

Elusive nature.

Mellow.

“Uh-oh…”

Valencia turned her gaze towards Brielle. Her friend gave her a mischievous smirk. Valencia suppressed a laugh and threw her hands in the air dismissively.

“I will be staying on this floor for the remainder of the semester to keep an eye on things and act as a guide. I know a lot about TSU and I’m more than happy to help. Does anyone have any questions for me?”

Erik scanned the room through his glasses intently, similar to a drill sergeant. For some reason, his presence evoked a feeling of obedience.

A quiet Alpha.

“Well, that’s all I have to say for now,” Erik clapped his hands together in finality, “You can resume studying or whatever it is you were doing. Matt, right?”

Erik pointed to a freshman sitting at a desk. Matt was tall and lanky with designer braids in his hair and dressed like he was ready for a runway. A lot of designer. Definitely attention seeking.

“Yeah. How you know me?”

“I’m a Que Dog. You still interested, right?”

Something in Matt shifted. He stood taller and raised his chin with confidence.

“Absolutely.” Matt replied with excitement.

“Your probationary period starts tonight. You got a lot of work to do.”

Valencia could sense the nervousness in Matt.

“I’m ready.” Matt replied.

“We’ll see.”

Erik walked past Matt and towards the elevators. Valencia watched him leave and when he’d finally gone she let out a shaky breath.

“I don’t think I’m going to enjoy a man being our RA,” Cindy said with obvious disdain.

“Same,” Skai stood up and pulled her tight denim skirt down over her rotund backside and generous thighs.

“Valencia is going to keep me up playing DJ hero every night since her crush is our new RA.”

Valencia glared at Brielle.

“You have a crush on him?!” Cindy questioned with a surprised expression.

“What happened to Isaiah?” Skai asked.

“Isaiah was a disappointment. He talked a big game after that party and when we went back to his room he pretty much did the opposite of what he said he was gonna do.” Valencia recalled with frustration.

“I’M GoNnA MAke YoU CuM,” Brielle mocked.

“I’Mma GiVe YoU THIs DiCk AnD HaVE YOu BeGGiNG FoR MorE.” Valencia said

“oh my fucking GOD,” Cindy giggled, “It was that horrible?”

“Cindy, horrible isn’t even the word. If I could find a word to describe how awful it was I would. Can’t eat pussy for shit, constantly tried to stick it in my ass because he couldn’t find my pussy, has a big dick but can’t fuck, kept asking me if I liked it, it was terrible.”

“I’m so sorry for you, sis,” Skai shook her head, “I really thought he was going to knock the Sonic rings out that coochie.”

“Maybe he was drunk?” Cindy said

“He wasn’t. He had a little bit of weed, that’s it.”

Valencia reached for her bag and stood up to leave.

“Let me go study, I’ll catch up with ya’ll later.”

“Sure you don’t wanna come out with us for drinks tonight?” Brielle asked with a smile.

“I have to train. I have a swim meet coming up.”

“Fine! Maybe Saturday!”

Valencia put a thumb up as she walked away towards her dorm room.

Thirty notes.

Girl if you don’t approach this man!

Who is it? I wanna know 👀

If he hasn’t taken the hint by now he don’t want you.

Valencia’s heart sank to the pit of her stomach. Most of the replies were nothing but discouraging. She wished she could take back her anonymous submission. Sitting at their shared desk in an oversized yellow Nike hoodie and her braided hair in a messy bun, she clicked on a tab on her MacBook to continue reading about Erik’s accomplishments at TSU. He’s an alumni receiving his doctorate in Computer Hardware Engineering. Summa cum laude. Pledge President. Star Football player. Leading place in various academic clubs and competitions. Tutor in multiple complex subjects such as quantum physics, chemistry, mathematics, and philosophy. Fluent in languages such as French, Spanish, Chinese, Latin, and signing.

Overly intellectual.

Valencia could go on and on about how perfect Erik seemed to be. She was infatuated past the point of no return. Far gone. The sexist fucking nerd she’d ever known. But still, it was just a reminder that he wouldn’t be concerned with a twenty-one-year-old chick with no experience and nowhere near as much maturity as him. He probably wanted a sophisticated woman. confident, in charge, and calm. A lot of experience and knowledge about the world and about culture, art, and literature. Someone who can quote Aristotle.

Studious.

Oh? He was in the Military? That explains a lot.

Valencia clicked out of the tab and back to the HBCU Confessions blog. As she scrolled the page, she wondered to herself who could have created it? She’d heard whispers around campus about how the infamous blog became active again after some years.

As she scrolled, an instant message icon popped up. She shifted her hips in her seat and leaned in to click on the message. It was probably some old man asking if she wanted to be their sugar baby or a bot. Valencia’s dark brown eyes scanned the message.

-Hi:)

It was the blog. HBCU Confessions. The owner.

-Hello ❤️

Why would they message her?

-I read your submission. Probably the most innocent out of them all.

Valencia didn’t know how to take that. Was it an issue?

-Unfortunately for you, I don’t have THAT MUCH excitement in my life lol

-Nothing wrong with that. It prompted me to message you personally.

-It was that interesting? Lol

-I’d like to understand and see if I could give you some advice.

-Thank you! I’d actually love some advice. 🥰

-Perfect. What makes it an unrealistic expectation? Because I can tell you now, I doubt it is.

-He’s on a different level than me. He’s also older than me. Idk I just get this vibe that he wouldn’t be interested.

Valencia grabbed her hot pink Stanley cup to take a sip of water.

-How much older? I know you’re 21.

-All I know is that he’s in his 30s.

-I’m still not seeing where it’s unrealistic. Have you tried anything at all? A smile? Anything?

-No. I’ve been too shy to.

-Shy or afraid of rejection?

-BOTH.

-You gotta break out of that.

-Do you know for sure if he’s single?

-I’ve seen him around campus with this professor sometimes for lunch but that’s it. I’m not sure if they are dating or just friends lol

-What school are you attending again?

-Texas Southern

-Really? 👀

-👀👀👀

Valencia made a face at her laptop screen. Did they know something she didn’t?

-Is there something I should know?

-I think I may know who you’re talking about. He’s not available from what I know…

So, this person attended TSU as well? Makes sense now why they singled out her confession.

-Who am I talking about then? 😌

-He’s 33 by the way.

Valencia’s shoulders slumped.

-This still doesn’t confirm that we’re talking about the same person.

-He’s a Nupe, right?

-No. he’s a Que. lol

-You sure? He’s about 6’0, teaches chemistry, spends time with that one English Literature professor…

Valencia considered their description of Erik but she was sure he said that he was a Que Dog earlier. And he’s a TA for quantum physics not chemistry. The only similarity is the English Lit teacher. Professor Boyd.

-I don’t think we’re talking about the same person. Send me a picture.

Valencia waited two minutes before a picture popped up in their chat.

-His name is James Parham.

-He’s cute but that’s not my crush 😂

-Well then I have no idea who you’re talking about lol.

-wait!

Valencia waited. She stood up from her seat at the desk to grab her phone from the charger. Checking her notifications, she received a text from Brielle an hour ago. Valencia opened the text thread and there was a video. She pressed play and it was a lot of motion to keep the phone steady until the video zoomed into a table far off in the corner. Valencia squinted her eyes and recognition washed over her face.

Erik.

He was sitting alone in a booth with a drink in his hand, bobbing his head to the music.

Ping.

-Is it him?

-Yes!

-😌 ohhh so Erik?

-He’s definitely single.

-Make a move before it’s too late.

-what do you suggest I do? Can you give me some advice please?

-Erik is introverted and often mistaken for being timid. He is indeed an Omega and takes pride in that. You can find him around campus reading a book or working out. He’s a homebody for sure. Sometimes you may catch him out and about. He’s a chill dude with this mysterious aura about him. That’s what I’ve gathered from just seeing him around campus.

-I would start off by playing into his interests. He likes to read so find out what books he likes. From what I know he’s big on poetry. He likes to run around campus at 6 am. Need help tutoring? See if he’s offering some study hours for that. Start there and see where it goes.

-This is really good advice! It’s very subtle and a perfect way to get his attention without being too obvious. Thank you! ❤️

-You’re welcome love 💗 I’m here if you need anything. Feel free to chat with me.

Intent listener…

“I really don’t know what to do about it, Erik…”

Andrea, Erik’s friend from college and English Literature professor at TSU walked alongside him in the early afternoon the following day.

“He’s so confusing half the damn time, I can’t even tell if he’s into me or not.”

Erik had both hands in the pockets of his slacks. Today was his day to assistant teach quantum physics. He really wasn’t up for it because he’d been up so late in the dorms trying to settle a sneaky party. Apparently, Rochelle allowed them to party and have drinks which is against the rules and grounds for expulsion. He just walked and listened. Out of his friend group, he’s the one they go to to vent because he doesn’t disrupt them, and he gives great advice.

“How long have we known James, Drea? That nigga can’t express himself for shit. Just know, he’s feelin’ you. He’s always had a thing for you.” Erik replied.

Andrea took a sip of her super green smoothie.

“Well, I’m not gonna wait around for him to speak up. What is he so afraid of?”

Erik turned his gaze onto Andrea through his gold-rimmed glasses.

“We’ve been friends for about ten years, Drea. Maybe he’s afraid that if things don’t work out with you two romantically, it’ll mess up the bond you both had as friends.”

Andrea mulled over Erik’s words. They settled in front of the school fountain and sat down on a bench facing it.

“You have a point. We’re going to a spoken word tonight. We’ll see how it goes.”

“Spoken word, huh? Wow…I haven’t done one of those in forever.” Erik replied with a smirk.

“Coming back to Texas is nostalgic, ain’t it?” Andrea said with a giggle.

“It is—”

“Oh! Guess what?”

Andrea leaned into Erik with a playful look in her eyes. Erik narrowed his eyes at her in response.

“Are you gonna guess?” Andrea pestered.

“Aight, You’re finally gonna write that book you’ve been talking about all these years.”

“No! I changed my mind about the book,” Andrea rolls her eyes, “the blog…”

Erik’s eyebrows shot up.

“Yep. It’s been so long I had to see what was going on with it.”

Erik chuckled, “Nah. You’re back on there? Drea,” Erik shook his head, “You’re a professor now! What if somebody finds out?”

“Who’s gonna find out, Erik? We never revealed ourselves when we used it. Nobody knows what school we went to or who we were. Well…I think I may have slipped up last night…”

“What the hell did you do, Drea?”

Erik surveyed his surroundings to make sure they were safe to talk about this.

“I got the sweetest confession from a student here and I just had to message them.” Andrea said.

“Okay, what did they say?”

“So, they pretty much confessed to having a crush on someone here and being afraid to approach them…”

“Who?” Erik said impatiently.

“You.”

Andrea laughed at Erik’s expression. He furrowed his brows and looked at her like she was talking gibberish.

“…Did they say who they were?” Erik asked.

His interest was peeked.

“No. All I know is she’s twenty-one, very shy, feels as if she has no chance in hell with you.”

“Why are you telling me this?” Erik fussed.

“Because I thought you’d want to know! You need some action in your life, Erik. When was the last time you had sex?”

“Aye, don’t worry about it, girl,” Erik playfully shoved Andrea, “I’m just saying, what am I supposed to do with this information? Like…I don’t even know how the girl looks.”

“You will eventually. I gave her some advice. She may pop up today…”

Erik couldn’t deny that he was intrigued. Could be fun to see how things play out.

“Okay, okay…the log in still the same?”

Andrea smirked, “Still the same. You remember?”

“Yeah…it was my idea, wasn’t it?” Erik smart-mouthed.

“Alright, smart ass.”

Andrea checked the time on her Apple Watch.

“Let me head back to my office. When does your class start?”

“In an hour. I’m gonna head over to the library and do a bit of grading to kill some time.”

Andrea and Erik stood up at the same time. Andrea opened her arms to accept a hug from Erik. She squeezed her old friend and then kissed his cheek.

“Aight, Daka, I’ll catch you later.”

“Have a good class, Drea.”

They parted ways and headed in opposite directions.

Valencia felt cute today.

She did her makeup for once. She dressed in a body con black dress that enhanced her curves. She wore her favorite Carolina Herrera perfume. Anything to get his attention.

On her way to the library after her philosophy class, Valencia entered the library with a grace that turned heads. She took the elevators to the third level of the library, her stomach doing flips because of how nervous she was. She exited onto the third level and walked further into the silent area until she was near the windows that overlooked the campus.

Valencia took a seat and proceeded to retrieve her MacBook, and textbook. She wanted to format her notes with bullet points and colors while the information was still fresh on her mind. It was Friday evening and she didn’t want to spend her weekend catching up on school work. Her cafe noir eyes would look up to see if her crush had shown up yet.

After some time, her attention veered back to the HBCU Confessions blog. She was excited to see that there was a new message from the blog.

-Any luck today?

Valencia typed.

-No 😪

Erik strolled over to a desk diagonal to Valencia. He quickly took his laptop and other work out of his bag. It was the last thing on his mind after what Andrea told him. He opened his laptop and found his way back to Tumblr. Being back sparked memories of mischief and lust. Erik started this blog for laughs and he honestly didn’t expect it to transform into what it is today. What started out as a blog strictly for TSU, expanded to other colleges unexpectedly. So many scandalous things go down at college and it sucked that our people didn’t really have their own way of connecting across HBCUs. So, Erik started the blog for fun, and it quickly evolved.

He’d known secrets about people across colleges. It didn’t matter if you were the dean, a professor, a student, or a coach, your deepest darkest thoughts and feelings were exposed for everyone to see with the option of remaining anonymous. Erik witnessed breakups and hookups. It was a guilty pleasure of his, like watching hentai. Erik had many guilty pleasures. Who didn’t?

He successfully logged back in and found himself staring at hundreds of notifications. The only thing he was concerned with was whoever this anonymous person was that had a crush on him. It’s been a while since he’d been with a woman. Being in the military as an engineer was a busy job. He worked a lot and on top of that he moved around from state to state. Hardly any time to settle down or date. He did date a few women, but it was all a dead end.

Erik found what he was looking for.

ebonygoddess1990s_-No 😪

Erik read the entire thread and couldn’t help but chuckle quietly. He was tickled by Andrea’s advice to his secret admirer. She knew him like she knew her classic literature. He was indeed laidback, quiet, nerdy, and ambitious. The more he read the messages, the more he wanted to find out who this woman was. He decided to respond to their message. Why not? It would be fun to play along. Just like the old days.

-Where are you right now?

Meanwhile, Valencia’s head shot up at her MacBook when she heard the ping of a new message. She read the message.

-Where are you right now?

-Library ☺️

-Usually he’s there around this time.

Valencia looked up and she was staring at him sitting at a table diagonally from her table. He didn’t know that she was eyeing him down since he was focused on his laptop. He wore a pair of slim fit paisley and gray pants with a white button down shirt and brown loafers.

-He’s here now 😳

Erik sat up straighter and his eyes locked with Valencia’s. She quickly averted her gaze to her laptop, tucking her braids behind her left ear. Erik took his time admiring Valencia. His eyes started at her feet. She wore a pair of black gladiator sandals with silver spikes on them. She had red painted toes and smooth, brown legs. His onyx eyes ascended further up her body, over the curve of her hip, the hourglass shape of her waist, her toned arms, ample cleavage, neatly braided hair, and then finally her beautiful face.

He really really liked the shape of her lips. Large and wide set with a plump, pouty appearance and equally full on the top and bottom. He’d seen plenty of beautiful women every day, but whoever this girl was, she was the most beautiful. It was her rich, brown skin. Her pretty doe eyes. That body. Erik was certain that she’s his secret admirer, but he needed to be sure. Excitement brewed in him as he typed a response.

-You should say hi. Get his attention.

-I’m nervous 😭

-Don’t be. Just go for it. How else will you know if he’s interested?

-I dare you to give him a flirty wave with a seductive smile. 😏

Valencia’s eyes went round with surprise. That was bold. Bolder than she initially planned to be. She cleared her throat and turned in her seat. Crossing one leg over the other, Valencia flipped her braids so that it gave her a messy look and then she made her eyes look sleepy and hypnotic like Dorothy Dandridge. She took a deep breath in and focused her gaze on Erik steadily. After five seconds, he looked up and did a double take. Valencia raised a small hand and waved at him slowly while her lips were formed in a smile.

Erik simply smirked at her and raked his eyes up and down her frame. That’s all. He just smirked at her and then he dropped his gaze back to his laptop. Valencia gripped the back of her chair to try and calm her racing heart. That slight interaction had her bewitched. He smirked at her and he checked her out. She wanted to jump up and down.

Ping.

-How did it go?

-He smiled at me and then he looked me up and down. 😭 clearly he likes what he sees!

Erik nibbled on his bottom lip to control the urge to smile with all of his teeth. This was so much fun. The most fun he’d had an a long time. It was good to be back.

Erik packed his things so that he could be on his way to the class he needed to assist. As he was getting ready to leave, he felt his phone vibrating with an incoming call. He plucked his cell from his pocket and brought it to his ear. His eyes connected with Valencia’s briefly before turning away.

“Hello? Hey…I was headed there now—really? You sure? Okay…no, no…it’s all good. Uh…I’ll just finish grading everything and drop it off later? Perfect. Alright…see you next Friday…”

Erik ended the call. Fuck it. He didn’t want to assist that class today anyway now that something and someone had his attention more. He stole a glance at her and she was reading from a philosophy textbook. He knew philosophy well. So well that he tutored for it. Erik had an idea. He took his seat again and brought his laptop back out. He opened it to the messages and began typing away.

-That’s a good thing 😌 What’s he doing now?

-He was going to leave but changed his mind. I wonder why. Hmmm…maybe he can’t get enough of me lol

-maybe 🤔 lol. What are you doing now? Are you studying?

-I am. It’s philosophy. It’s so boring but I have to do it.

-Philosophy, huh? He actually tutors philosophy.

Valencia giggled to herself and shook her head.

-Why am I not surprised. He’s so smart 😍

Erik licked his lips. She was infatuated with his intellect. He liked that.

-You want another dare?

Valencia looked heavenward. Erik peeked over at her.

-Okay. What do you dare?

Valencia’s eyes veered from her laptop to Erik again.

Ping.

-I dare you to ask him to be your tutor.

Valencia exhaled louder than she’d expected to. She brought a hand to her belly to calm the butterflies. That actually wouldn’t be a bad idea. She just needed to calm her nerves. Valencia counted down from ten in her head and stood up from her seat. She paused with her fingertips against her philosophy textbook before lifting it from the table. She pressed it against her, beneath her cleavage, hugging it with both arms like those school girls from teen dramas.

She started making her way towards him slowly. Erik didn’t look away from his laptop until she was standing next to him. Being that close to him, his features more prominent, Valencia couldn’t find the words to speak. Erik looked up at her through his glasses and gave her a friendly smile before recognition washed over his face.

“Hi.” Erik said.

“Hi…”

Valencia shifted her focus on the empty seat at the table. She took a moment to gather herself before scooting out the chair and making herself comfortable.

“Weren’t you in the elevator the other day?” Erik said.

“Yeah…yeah that was me,” Valencia smiles.

Erik nodded his head, “You look different.”

She wasn’t as dolled up and she was soaked from head to toe.

“I didn’t look very flattering,” Valencia released a dry chuckle, growing more bashful the more his eyes were on her.

“No, what I mean is…you’re not all wet.”

Valencia blinked at Erik. Heat crept up her face. The way he said wet…

Erik’s eyes fell to the book that pushed her titties up.

“Philosophy. What’s your major?”

“Psychology.” Valencia replied.

“It doesn’t matter how slowly you go, as long as you don’t stop…”

He sounded those words out so smooth like he was serenading her. Valencia furrowed her brows at Erik’s response. Her full lips parted invitingly.

“…What?” She questions.

“Confucius. Confucianism? the importance of having a good moral character?”

“Oh—oh!”

Valencia sat her textbook down and giggled.

“Right, right…I had a brain fart.”

Erik laughed.

“Uhm…do you tutor?”

Valencia leaned in, unknowingly exposing her cleavage more. Erik fought the urge to look, focusing his penetrating gaze on her face.

He adjusted his glasses very studiously, “I do actually.”

“That’s perfect actually,” Valencia folds her arms against the table, “I could use a tutor. You seem to be well versed in the subject.”

Valencia looked at Erik expectantly with those doe eyes and honestly she could have whatever she wanted if she kept staring at him like that.

“Are you asking me?” Erik quirked a brow.

“…Please?”

Valencia folded her hands and pouted her bottom lip. It was adorable.

“Are you free after five?” Erik inquired.

“I am, actually. Tonight I have plans with friends but I can meet at five.”

“Alright,” Erik shut his laptop, “We can study in the lounge at the dorms. Wait…”

Erik touched Valencia’s arm, stopping her from standing. The hairs on her arm stood up like a jolt of electricity coursed through her.

“I didn’t catch your name…”

“Oh…sorry. Valencia.”

“Nice to formally meet you, Miss Valencia. I’m Erik.”

“I remember.”

They smiled at each other. Erik stood up, placing his laptop in his bag. Valencia took her time retrieving her textbook, unsure of what else to say.

“Well, I guess this is goodbye for now—”

“Valencia?”

Isaiah.

The last person she’d hope to run into. He looked irritated with her as he approached them. Valencia fixed her face into a look of frustration and Erik noticed straight away. The tension between them was palpable.

“What it do, shawty? You avoiding me?”

Valencia looked between Erik and Isaiah. Isaiah loomed closer, draping his arm around her shoulder. Valencia rolled her eyes.

“What can I do for you, Isaiah?” Valencia quipped.

“Did you block me?”

“I did—”

“For what? Didn’t we have a good time?”

Valencia pursed her lips and shut her eyes.

“Isaiah, don’t make me embarrass you…”

Truthfully, she was the one embarrassed at the moment. Erik’s eyebrows ticked up and the corner of his mouth twitched. Isaiah cut his eyes at Erik, sizing him up initially before he recognized him.

“Oh, shit what’s poppin’, Poet?”

Isaiah raised his hand to dab Erik. Erik slowly brought his hand forward and their palms collided with a loud smack and a firm grip. Erik released his hand and watched as Isaiah discreetly flexed his fingers.

“Don’t mind us, just tryna see why my girl mad at me.”

Isaiah clearly couldn’t read the room.

“I’m not your girl, Isaiah.”

Valencia lifted his arm from around her and turned to leave. She threw Erik a furtive glance before retreating quickly.

“Valencia!”

Shhhhhhhhhh!

He was in a library after all.

Isaiah was ready to chase her down but Erik yoked him up by his backpack to stop him.

“Gahdamn, Bro,” Isaiah fixed his bag.

“She’s not interested, One Pump Chump.”

“Fuck you and that nickname. That was one fucking time. I was drunk.”

“Yeahhhh and I’m sure the same happened with Valencia?”

Isaiah glared dangerously at Erik.

“If it didn’t happen that way, it shouldn’t matter, right?”

Erik slapped Isaiah on the back and proceeded to walk away.

“I’ll catch you later, little bruh.”

Erik threw up a hook and twisted his tongue before descending the stairs with a laugh.

[dailyanarchistposts]

"Ecologist" means different things to different people. Strictly speaking, an ecologist is a scientist (usually a biologist) who studies the interrelationships between organisms and their environments. "Deep ecologists," on the other hand, may or may not be scientifically trained, and their topic is not ecology per se but rather developing a harmonious relationship with Nature, and defending the Earth against human-generated threats. Scientific ecologists, to the extent that they want to appear respectable, may be quite anthropocentric in their day to day behavior; deep ecologists, on the other hand, are explicitly biocentric (or at least they try to be). To many people, an "ecologist" is simply an environmentalist, or someone who (unlike Hayduke) picks up bottles and cans along roadsides (I've seen garbage trucks labeled "Ecology Dept."). Some self-labeled environmentalists have added to the confusion by misinterpreting what ecology fundamentally means, and using it as a buzzword for various political goals.

More distributing to me, as a professional ecologist sensitive to people's lack of appreciation of ecology, is that environmentalists are often antagonistic toward science and scientists in general, not just toward manipulative science and technology. Some openly suggest that scientists are the enemy, and have nothing positive to offer the environmental movement. For example, in planning a recent Green Conference in Florida, organizers went out of their way to assure that no scientific ecologists were involved. When I criticized the program of the conference (which featured anti-deep ecologist Ynestra King as a keynote speaker) and asked why no ecologists had been invited to speak, the conference organizer responded that if I meant, by "ecologist," the "progressional, biological scientist type," then he saw no need for that kind of person to speak at a conference for activists.

I admit I feel a little uneasy about being called a scientists...somehow that label conjures up images of little men in white lab coats playing with test tubes and DNA. But a woman or man crouched in the forest, keying-out (and admiring) a fungus or recording details of bird behavior, is every bit as much of a scientist as the experimenter in the laboratory. And the lab scientists, too, may contribute invaluable information toward our understanding of how Nature works. I suggest that science phobia is often misguided, and that ecological science is a constructive approach to knowing Nature. By itself, science may be neither necessary not sufficient to understand Nature, but it is one fo the best tools we have. Deep ecologists and other environmentalists would do well to consider more thoughtfully what the Way of Ecology offers, both as a science and as a worldview.

The science of ecology developed from natural history, the lore of Nature. Since Charles Darwin, this lore has been unfused with concepts of interdependence, interrelationship, and co-adaptation—indeed, it was Darwin's thoroughly scientific theory of evolution that made ecology possible. Evolution made sense out of natural history; facts heretofore disconnected became interacting components of general patterns that should be explained in a rational and convincing way. Furthermore, elements in Darwin's theory were empirically testable—the hall-mark of science.

Unlike religious beliefs, scientific hypotheses are designed to be discarded if they no longer accord with observations. Much hogwash persists in science, but honest scientists do their best to weed it out. The subject of ecology is Nature, which has developed in all its beauty through organic evolution and is a vast web of interactions more complex than humans can ever fully comprehend. As ecologist Frank Egler has pointed out, "Nature is not only more complex than we think, but more complex than we can ever think." It is one intricate system composed of a hierarchy of nested subsystems, with structure flowing upward and constraints flowing downward. Although ecological complexity can never (and some would add, should never) be fully quantified, the study of complex interactions—ecology—produces overwhelming respect for the whole in all who approach it sensitively.

In becoming scientific, natural history does not denigrate into mechanism, but rather matured into holism while retaining the proven techniques of mechanistic science. Establishing facts through observation, experiment, and other reductionist methods, ecology unites them and integrates them into broad, general theories, into wholes greater than the sum of their parts. The wholes (theories) are there all along, of course, guiding the collection of data and providing context for facts. As Stephen Jay Gould has pointed out, facts do not speak for themselves, but are read in the light of theory. Perhaps most important to deep ecologists, ecology and evolutionary biology demonstrate unequivocally that humans are just one ephemeral component of an interrelated and interdependent biota. Ecology and evolutionary biology place us firmly within nature, not on top of it.

Natural science is explicitly non-anthropocentric, even though many of its practitioners are still stuck in anthropocentric modes of thought. Scientists, such as Jared Diamond, who have become familiar with taxonomies developed by indigenous cultures (i.e., the way they separate and classify wild organisms into types) are generally impressed by the similarity of indigenous taxonomy to scientific taxonomy. "Primitive" people recognize mostly the same species in Nature as do modern scientists. The differences usually involve those plants and animals that are not used directly for food, clothing, ornamentation, drugs, and other human purposes. These "useless" species tend to be "lumped"; thus, fewer distinctions and fewer species may be recognized by indigenous cultures than by scientific taxonomists. Indigenous people, like everyone else, have a utilitarian bias that has been naturally selected to foster their survival. For this reason, they have developed a taxonomy that is anthropocentric compared to that of biology, which seeks to classify all organisms with equivalent precision, regardless of their utility to humans. This is not to deny that most research money in biology is channeled into anthropocentric research (e.g., medical science and genetic engineering), and that vertebrates and vascular plants have received more attention than "lower" forms.

Ecologists, as scientists, devote their lives to studying, and hopefully understanding, how Nature works. These people love the Earth. As the British entomologist Miriam Rothschild remarked, "For someone studying natural history, life can never be long enough." Other approaches to this same end (or to no particular "end") are also valid, and are not mutually exclusive. Direct experience, contemplation, meditation, and simply the ecstasy of being immersed in wilderness are equally viable approaches and, in fact, provide many ecologists with the inspiration they need to carry on. These spontaneous or mystical experiences are accessible to scientist and non-scientist alike. Nothing in my professional code of conduct as an ecologist says that I cannot run naked and whooping with joy through the desert, or sit all day and stare at a rock. When I am actively engaged in research, of course, these particular activities may not be appropriate, but only because they may bias my results (for example, by scaring away all the fauna). A whole human being is one who is equally comfortable with rational and intuitive-spontaneous explorations of Nature---one who can deal with "hard facts" at one moment and be a wild animal the next. These two approaches, complementary and intertwined as yin and yang, are both essential to holistic understanding.

Aldo Leopold, my favorite deep ecologist, was able to carry his message so powerfully because he had the sensitivity of a poet and the objectivity of a scientist. He communicated in the hard, factual language of science, sprinkled with brilliant, experiential metaphors in the finest tradition of Nature essays. Virtually every faction within the environmental, ecosophical, and resource management fields claims old Aldo for its own, yet few people seem to comprehend the more radical, biocentric notions he developed gradually through his life, and articulated late in his career. Because he could write so damn well and is appreciated by so many people of such divergent worldviews, Leopold provides deep ecologists with an avenue along which to lead others toward biocentric understanding.

If yin and yang, intuition and rationality, emotion and thought, right brain and left brain are complementary, then so too are deep ecology and scientific ecology. It may be that their relationship is mutualistic: they need each other. Don't judge scientific ecology from your experience that most ecologists (or scientists, generally) are anthropocentric jerks. Most philosophers, accountants, lawyers, farmers, and television repairmen are anthropocentric jerks, too. At least ecology, "the subversive science," has a biocentric, holistic underpinning, which cannot be said for most other disciplines. If most scientific ecologists are not deep ecologists, it is because they have yet to grasp the radical implications of their science. If most deep ecologists are not scientific ecologists, then perhaps it would behoove them to explore natural history, evolution, and ecology. You don't need a college degree to be a good ecologist, though it helps, because it compels exposure to the cumulative knowledge of others through textbooks, journals, and symposia. But the best ecology is learned in the field from observation and reflection on why Nature works the way it does; and from just being there, out of doors and away from the human-dominated world.

It is no accident that many ecologists and field biologists are somewhat crude, wild-eyes, and uncivilized, or to put it simply—"earthy." As John Steinbeck, who was trained in zoology, noted in Log from the Sea of Cortez, "What good men most biologists are, the tenors of the scientific world---temperamental, moody, lecherous, loud-laughing, and healthy...The true biologists deals with life, with teeming, boisterous life, and learns something from it." The message of the ecological worldview, in its fullest expression, is this: Get out into the woods, the mountains, the deserts, the swamps. Feel it, explore it, examine it, think about it, understand it. Rational analysis and direct intuition do not conflict—you need both and your brain is built by natural selection to do both. It is your Nature.

If science, in the form of the "new sciences" or ecology, evolutionary biology, and quantum mechanics, is capable of reinserting humans into Nature by enlarging the self to include the whole biosphere—"the world is my body" (Alan Watts)—then perhaps we have come full circle. We began as primitives, relatively un-self-conscious and inseparable from the ecosystem; we evolved into calculating, rational beings, becoming more and more alienated from our real home; we developed other-wordly religions to place us above other life-forms, and dualist reductionist science to ascribe mechanism to all of Nature; but then we developed new forms of science that put us, surprisingly but objectively, right back where we began and where we belong: as Earth-animals.

Most scientists don't want to think (or, at least, talk openly) about such things or feel they cannot do so without jeopardizing their scientific credibility and, therefore, their careers. Jobs and money are scarce for ecologists, and appearing radical or unscientific is usually a one-way ticket to poverty and obscurity. This does not excuse ecologists from active involvement in defending the Earth, but their hesitation is understandable. Deep ecologists must encourage scientific ecologists to get involved in saving that which they study. The battle to defend the Earth needs warriors who specialize in determining what the war is being fought over, what it takes to save what we have, and how we might be able to put it all back together again.

[controlledarrhythmia]

Tell me more abt Lepidopterologist Hux can’t stop thinking about it since you mentioned it 🫀

OH, ABSOLUTELY. As mentioned in the concept post, I love the idea of him as a moth breeder, but I think that’d be more of a hobby thing— like his taxidermy —so I’ll get back to it in a bit. Career wise, I’m definitely imagining him as a laboratory entomologist. Or perhaps a disgruntled children’s museum worker who may or may not have been fired from his previous job as a laboratory entomologist.

Irregardless, he loves capturing new specimens for his personal collection. Be it wandering through the woods at night in search or waiting for them to come to the moth sheet he has set up in his yard, it’s a time that must not be intruded upon.

Which is why when it comes time to clock in he leaves the field work up to his coworkers. He’ll be damned if he lets the presence of Other People taint his favorite activity. (And if a coworker happens to send a specimen to the lab that he then identifies as a new genus and he takes the credit for it… so be it.)

As for the breeding, he dreams of one day having his own sanctuary, but as of now most of his breeding is contained to an area of his office where he raises caterpillars and hangs chrysalises/cocoons before he brings the adult moths to a local sanctuary to breed.

When it comes to what he breeds, I think he’d adore the faithful beauties I mentioned in a previous post, but those are native to the area around Florida and he’d never subject himself to living there. So I think he’d love to breed meadow rue owlet moths. Though not being one themselves they belong to the same genus as vampire moths, being the only moths from the genus (Calyptra) to inhabit North America. He’d be a big fan of that. For the record I imagine him living somewhere like Virginia or Maryland.

I hope this satisfied some of your curiosities!! I’ll probably have more to say on this later and ofc my fics are still coming eventually, but I’m a little out of it right now.

[rockislandadultreads]

Libby Spotlight: Newly-Added Science & Nature eBooks

Fire Weather by John Vaillant

In May 2016, Fort McMurray, the hub of Canada’s oil industry and America’s biggest foreign supplier, was overrun by wildfire. The multi-billion-dollar disaster melted vehicles, turned entire neighborhoods into firebombs, and drove 88,000 people from their homes in a single afternoon. Through the lens of this apocalyptic conflagration—the wildfire equivalent of Hurricane Katrina—John Vaillant warns that this was not a unique event, but a shocking preview of what we must prepare for in a hotter, more flammable world.

Fire has been a partner in our evolution for hundreds of millennia, shaping culture, civilization, and, very likely, our brains. Fire has enabled us to cook our food, defend and heat our homes, and power the machines that drive our titanic economy. Yet this volatile energy source has always threatened to elude our control, and in our new age of intensifying climate change, we are seeing its destructive power unleashed in previously unimaginable ways.

With masterly prose and a cinematic eye, Vaillanttakes us on a riveting journey through the intertwined histories of North America’s oil industry and the birth of climate science, to the unprecedented devastation wrought by modern forest fires, and into lives forever changed by these disasters. John Vaillant’s urgent work is a book for—and from—our new century of fire, which has only just begun.

Slow Birding by Joan E. Strassmann

Many birders travel far and wide to popular birding destinations to catch sight of rare or “exotic” birds. In Slow Birding, evolutionary biologist Joan E. Strassmann introduces readers to the joys of birding right where they are.

In this inspiring guide to the art of slow birding, Strassmann tells colorful stories of the most common birds to be found in the United States—birds we often see but might not have considered deeply before. For example, northern cardinals thrive in the city, where they are free from predators. White brows on a male white-throated sparrow indicate that he is likely to be a philanderer. This essential guide to the fascinating world of common, everyday birds features: detailed portraits of individual bird species and the scientists who have discovered and observed them; advice and guidance on what to look for when slow birding, so that you can uncover clues to the reasons behind specific bird behaviors; and bird-focused activities that will open your eyes more to the fascinating world of birds.

Slow Birding is the perfect guide for the birder looking to appreciate the beauty of the birds right in their own backyard, observing keenly how their behaviors change from day to day and season to season.

Universe: 50 Ideas You Really Need to Know by Joanne Baker

From dwarf planets to dark energy; and from the Big Bang to the death of stars, this book is the perfect introduction to the cutting-edge science that is shaping our understanding of our place in the Universe and that could lead to the next great discovery -- the detection of life beyond Earth.

The Devil's Element by Dan Egan

Phosphorus has played a critical role in some of the most lethal substances on earth: firebombs, rat poison, nerve gas. But it's also the key component of one of the most vital: fertilizer, which has sustained life for billions of people. In this major work of explanatory science and environmental journalism, Pulitzer Prize finalist Dan Egan investigates the past, present, and future of what has been called "the oil of our time."

The story of phosphorus spans the globe and vast tracts of human history. First discovered in a seventeenth-century alchemy lab in Hamburg, it soon became a highly sought-after resource. The race to mine phosphorus took people from the battlefields of Waterloo, which were looted for the bones of fallen soldiers, to the fabled guano islands off Peru, the Bone Valley of Florida, and the sand dunes of the Western Sahara. Over the past century, phosphorus has made farming vastly more productive, feeding the enormous increase in the human population. Yet, as Egan harrowingly reports, our overreliance on this vital crop nutrient is today causing toxic algae blooms and "dead zones" in waterways from the coasts of Florida to the Mississippi River basin to the Great Lakes and beyond. Egan also explores the alarming reality that diminishing access to phosphorus poses a threat to the food system worldwide—which risks rising conflict and even war.

[nancypullen]

MIA

Yep, I've let too many days pass without posting. I've missed the opportunity to crow about how much fun Halloween was, we're already more than a week into November! We did have a grand time though. Trick-or-treating with our little miss in her fun neighborhood ticks all of the boxes on my perfect Halloween check list. I popped on my witch hat and my sweatshirt and had as much fun as the kids.

I'm trying to be better about sharing pictures of myself (ugh!) so that when I'm dead my kids can have something to prove I was here.

Yes indeed, we gave October a fantastic send off and November arrived with chillier weather and even more color in the trees. Absolutely beautiful.

I've been busy filling a big earring order, and keeping appointments. My in-person interview at the library went well ( I thought) but I haven't heard a peep. I can't worry about that. I know I'm qualified and would be helpful and cheerful to the patrons, but I still may not be what they're looking for - who knows? If not there, I'll find something else. I had a follow up appointment after my yearly physical/ lab work because my blood pressure was up. That's really unusual for me, so I had to track it for a month and then bring my monitor in and all that. Turns out I'm normal, I just don't like going to the doctor. I'm really glad that I don't have to take meds. I'm too forgetful for that.

Then, I received a call that my mammogram results were abnormal and showed a "developing asymmetry" in the left breast. Tomorrow I have to go to Easton for a diagnostic mammogram and an ultrasound. I'm 99% sure that it's nothing, probably just normal changes, but for someone who doesn't like going to doctors and/or having procedures, enough already! If this is what getting older is like, I'm not a fan. I told a friend that it's probably a lump of cookie dough that didn't make it all the way to my hips - much ado about nothing.

When I'm not kneading clay and baking earrings, or getting poked and prodded by medical personnel, I'm trying to prepare for the upcoming holidays. I love an October vacation, and Ireland was sublime, but it tends to dump me right at the doorstep of Thanksgiving and Christmas and I'm not ready for either one! I confess to playing some Christmas tunes already, just to get in the mood. I feel like I'm way behind. I've been trying to come up with our card for this year and the creative well is running dry. They just get thrown away by the recipients, why not just pick up a couple boxes of cards at Target? That would be smarter and I could cross it off my list. I know that I'm one of the dinosaurs still sending out holiday cards, but I love getting them in my mailbox and one must give in order to receive, right? So that's my quick check in, and my apology for being tardy with this post. Tomorrow I'll ship those earrings off to Florida and go get my boob smashed again, and then my schedule will be nothing but holiday madness. I'm looking forward to it. It's time to get my jingle on!

The Edgewater gang will come over this weekend and I'll have to make sure that I have a grasp on the grandgirl's list for Santa. I have a toy catalog here that should inspire her. Everyone else is getting socks and a toothbrush. Just kidding, but that sure would be easy. When am I old enough to start doing that? They'll head to Tennessee for Thanksgiving, but will be with us for Christmas. Matt is flying in for Thanksgiving, then in December he jets off to Brugge, Belgium and Amsterdam for the Christmas markets. He'll be here for Christmas week full of stories to share. I can't wait. On that happy note, I'll head of to soak in a bubble bath and then snuggle under the covers with a book. I'm pooped. Until tomorrow, stay safe, stay well...and

You better watch out You better not cry You better not pout I'm telling you why

… Santa Claus is comin' to town! 47 days!!! XOXO, Nancy

[strigops]

beautiful little a. vulgare from my florida pods culture, sadly infected with rickettsiella. they’ve apparently been slow cooking the infection for over a year and a half and it’s taken until now for them to start showing noticeable symptoms (thanks again @crevicedwelling for the help in diagnosing it!!). not surprising considering these guys were scooped out of a backyard in sarasota and lived on a diet of soil and leaves indiscriminately dug up from the front of the lab building they originally lived in, but still a bummer as they’re my fav culture :(

i have salvaged quite a few (currently) healthy individuals, hopefully the new subculture will do well and i can eventually eliminate it over subsequent generations!

[vintage1981]

Swamp Think Comes to UHD and Blu-Ray from the MVD Laservision  & Rewind Collections!

THE DC COMICS SUPERHERO COMES TO LIFE IN WES CRAVEN'S CULT CLASSIC FILM, MAKING ITS DEBUT ON 4K ULTRA HD AND FINALLY, INCLUDING BOTH THE PG THEATRICAL VERSION AND THE UNRATED INTERNATIONAL VERSION!

Releases  7/25/2023

MVD LaserVision Collection #1 TITLE: Swamp Thing (2-Disc Collector’s Edition) [4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray] SKU: MVD12567UHD UPC / Barcode: 760137125679 YSRP: 49.95 SCIENCE TRANSFORMED HIM INTO A MONSTER. LOVE CHANGED HIM EVEN MORE!

Deep in Florida's darkest everglades, a brilliant scientist, Dr. Alec Holland (Ray Wise, Robocop) and a sexy government agent, Alice Cable (Adrienne Barbeau, John Carpenter’s The Fog) have developed a secret formula that could end world hunger and change civilization forever. Little do they know, however, that their arch nemesis, Arcane (Louis Jourdan, Octopussy) is plotting to steal the serum for his own selfish schemes. Looting the lab and kidnapping Cable, Arcane douses Holland with the chemicals and leaves him for dead in the swamp. Mutated by his own formula, Holland becomes “Swamp Thing” - a half human/half plant superhero who will stop at nothing to rescue the beautiful Cable and defeat the evil Arcane... even if it costs him his life.

DISC 1: SWAMP THING 4K LASERVISION COLLECTION – SPECIAL FEATURES:

• 2023 4K Restoration (16-Bit Scan of the Original Camera Negative) of both the US Theatrical PG Version and Unrated International Version of the film presented in its original 1.85:1 Aspect Ratio in Dolby Vision / HDR • Audio: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono, Spanish Mono • Optional English Subtitles • Audio Commentary with Writer/Director Wes Craven moderated by Sean Clark (Theatrical / PG Version) • Audio Commentary with Makeup Effects Artist William Munns moderated by Michael Felsher (Theatrical / PG Version) • Collectible “4K LaserVision” Mini-Poster of cover art • Limited Edition “4K Laservision” Slipcover (First Pressing Only) DISC 2: SWAMP THING REWIND COLLECTION BLU-RAY – SPECIAL FEATURES: • 2023 HD Restoration of both the US Theatrical PG Version and Unrated International Version of the film presented in its original 1.85:1 Aspect Ratio • Audio Commentary with Writer/Director Wes Craven moderated by Sean Clark (Theatrical / PG Version) • Audio Commentary with Makeup Effects Artist William Munns moderated by Michael Felsher (Theatrical / PG Version) • DTS-HD Audio 2.0 Mono, Spanish Mono Audio • Optional English Subtitles • "Tales From the Swamp" (Remastered) with Actress Adrienne Barbeau (HD, 16:56) • "Hey Jude" with Actor Reggie Batts (HD, 14:30) • "That Swamp Thing" with Len Wein, Creator of Swamp Thing (HD, 13:19) • "Swamp Screen: Designing DC's Main Monster" featurette (HD, 20:32) • "From Krug to Comics: How the Mainstream Shaped a Radical Genre Voice" featurette (HD, 17:34) • Posters & Lobby Cards - Photo Gallery • Photos from the Film - Photo Gallery • William Munns’ Behind the Scenes Pictures - Photo Gallery • Behind the Scenes Photos by Geoffrey Rayle – Photo Gallery • Theatrical Trailer (HD, 1:31) • "REGION A" LOCKED * Special Features May Not Be Rated, Closed Captioned Or In High Definition. MVD Rewind Collection #51 TITLE: Swamp Thing (Collector’s Edition) [Blu-ray] SKU: MVD8554BR UPC /Barcode: 760137855484 SRP: $39.95

SWAMP THING REWIND COLLECTION BLU-RAY – SPECIAL FEATURES: • 2023 HD Restoration of both the US Theatrical PG Version and Unrated International Version of the film presented in its original 1.85:1 Aspect Ratio • Audio Commentary with Writer/Director Wes Craven moderated by Sean Clark (Theatrical / PG Version) • Audio Commentary with Makeup Effects Artist William Munns moderated by Michael Felsher (Theatrical / PG Version) • DTS-HD Audio 2.0 Mono, Spanish Mono Audio • Optional English Subtitles • "Tales From the Swamp" (Remastered) with Actress Adrienne Barbeau (HD, 16:56) • "Hey Jude" with Actor Reggie Batts (HD, 14:30) • "That Swamp Thing" with Len Wein, Creator of Swamp Thing (HD, 13:19) • "Swamp Screen: Designing DC's Main Monster" featurette (HD, 20:32) • "From Krug to Comics: How the Mainstream Shaped a Radical Genre Voice" featurette (HD, 17:34) • Posters & Lobby Cards - Photo Gallery • Photos from the Film - Photo Gallery • William Munns’ Behind the Scenes Pictures - Photo Gallery • Behind the Scenes Photos by Geoffrey Rayle – Photo Gallery • Theatrical Trailer (HD, 1:31) • Two-Sided Artwork • Collectible MVD Rewind Collection Mini-Poster • Limited Edition Slipcover (First Pressing Only) • "REGION A" LOCKED * Special Features May Not Be Rated, Closed Captioned Or In High Definition.

[cleverhottubmiracle]

Hello, beautiful creatures! I’ve just returned from a transformative six-week journey through the enchanted realms of New Zealand. The landscapes in NZ sing a symphony of wonder, and I’m thrilled to share my curated best makeup for travel that captured my heart along the way. This magical escapade was a serendipitous gift from my beloved Dave, a radiant blend of Yule magic and Anniversary bliss, that has forever altered our path. New Zealand’s spell has woven itself into my soul, inspiring dreams of calling this ethereal land home. We Love New Zealand Dave and I surrendered our hearts to the enchanting allure of New Zealand. We departed from sun-drenched Florida on a Monday, arrived amid the mystical embrace of this land by Wednesday, went camping on Friday, and by Sunday, its wild, untamed beauty had captured us completely. Our longing to wander this beautiful country began in 2012, though both previous times we were supposed to book our trip to NZ we had to reschedule. The first time was in 2020 because of COVID and the second time in 2023 because of my double mastectomy surgeries. Everything purchased by me except where marked PR. All opinions my own. Zuca Bags All of my makeup fit into a single Zuca bag that went into my carry-on backpack. For this journey, I embraced the art of minimalism, curating essential travel makeup without redundancy. I’ve got a very fair neutral cool skin tone, so I prefer my makeup to be cool to neutral toned. I rarely wear warm colors as they tend to turn an unflattering orange on me. I’m still searching for my perfect ‘nude’ blush, so took a few products with me to try for that. Previously theBalm Balm Beach was my perfect ‘nude’ blush, but it was discontinued. Highlighters and Blushes One Size Cheek Clapper 3D Blush Trio Palette One Size Cheek Clapper 3D Blush Trio Palette in Attention Seeker – described as a true bubblegum pink blush trio (cream, matte, and shimmer). Attention Seeker is my daily wear blush, usually the cream with the matte powder layered on top. Haus Labs Bio-Radiant Gel-Powder Illuminating Highlighter Haus Labs Bio-Radiant Gel-Powder Illuminating Highlighter in Rose Quartz– described as a light magenta. I like to use this as a highlighting blush and will layer it on top of the pink cream from Attention Seeker. Haus Labs Color Fuse Longwear Hydrating Glassy Lip + Cheek Blush Balm Stick Haus Labs Color Fuse Longwear Hydrating Glassy Lip + Cheek Blush Balm Stick in Glassy Hibiscus. This is a lovely deep cool toned nude mauve blush for my skin tone. Urban Decay Face Bond Luminizer Waterproof Glow Drops Urban Decay Face Bond Luminizer Waterproof Glow Drops in Silverlake – It’s describes as y2k frosted glaze shimmer. I like this for a neutral liquid blingy glow. Kaleidos Space Age Highlighters Kaleidos Space Age Highlighters in Moon Cruiser (rich neon lilac with a cool, moonlit cobalt shift) and Star Surfer (smooth, rosy champagne with silver undertones). Moon Cruiser is my everyday wear highlighter. I like Star Surfer for when I’m doing office professional makeup. RMS ReDimension Hydra Powder Blush RMS ReDimension Hydra Powder Blush in Crystal Slipper – Described as a sheer, sunkissed buff, this is a light beige brown with subtle pink iridescent shift. If you’re very fair complected and you’re looking for a blonzer (blush plus bronzer) cheek product, I recommend looking at Crystal Slipper. It’s great for subtle all over color. RMS ReDimension ReDimension Hydra Bronzer RMS ReDimension ReDimension Hydra Bronzer in Beachwalk Betty – Described as having the sweet kiss of sun with neutral nude undertones for fair skin. I used this a few times when I tried to experiment with a sunkissed look. RMS ReDimension Hydra Powder Blush RMS ReDimension Hydra Powder Blush in Hanky Panky – I did not take this blush with me but just received it in the mail so I included it in this set of swatches. It’s described as an iridescent magenta plum and reads as a nude plum on my skin tone in my opinion. It’s going to be perfect for layering on top of Glassy Hibiscus. In retrospect based off of what I used, I could have skipped packing Pink Mushroom, Beachwalk Betty, Glassy Hibiscus, and Silverlake in my best makeup for travel. I didn’t use these nearly as frequently as I used Attention Seeker and Moon Cruiser. Fair Complexion Perfection Products LYS Triple Fix Blurring and Hydrating Skin Tint Foundation Stick Review LYS Triple Fix Blurring and Hydrating Skin Tint Foundation Stick in LN1 Porcelain (very fair skin with neutral undertones). My friends, allow me to unveil the magic of the LYS Triple Fix Blurring and Hydrating Skin Tint Foundation Stick in LN1 Porcelain—a true treasure for my fair skin. This radiant potion is my current beauty muse; I’m so grateful to have a stick foundation that’s easy to use daily. The About Face the Performer liquid foundation is a close second for the days when I need more coverage. Why I Love It I cherish this stick foundation more than I can say, after having spent a few years without a good stick foundation that I loved. Its application is a delightful ritual: a direct caress onto the skin, blended gently with my fingertips, as the brand recommends, though a brush may also serve if one prefers. In my meticulously planned packing, my foundation brush was left behind, yet the magic of this stick foundation shone through, proving its beauty in its purest form. It liberates me from the need for a primer, for it performs as an all-in-one serum, primer, and skin tint, elegantly softening the appearance of texture and pores. Wear Test I’ve done a wear test for the LYS Triple Fix Blurring and Hydrating Skin Tint Foundation Stick, as well as the Axiology Fungdation (#3 on my best foundations list) on my IG stories prior to me going to New Zealand, and both looked great after 12+ hours of wear. If you need a new foundation, I highly recommend checking out LYS Triple Fix Blurring and Hydrating Skin Tint Foundation Stick. I love it for its blurring properties and ease of use. The artful blurring technology grants just the right amount of coverage to let one’s inner glow flourish, making it one of my top picks for the best makeup for travel. At a most accessible treasure of $25 for .25 oz and offered in a palette of around 22 shades, this marvel is both a practical indulgence and a testament to beauty’s boundless versatility. Wearing the lovely black jade necklace Dave bought me in Rotorua Haus Labs Triclone Skin Tech Hydrating + De-puffing Concealer Haus Labs Triclone Skin Tech Hydrating + De-puffing Concealer in 01 Fair Neutral (fair with balanced undertones). The Haus Labs Triclone Skin Tech Hydrating + De-puffing Concealer in 01 Fair Neutral has been my favorite concealer for the past year and it’s still going strong for me. It consistently performs well at hiding my blemishes, being pigmented, and blending into my skin tone. Rare Beauty Positive Light Under Eye Brightener Rare Beauty Positive Light Under Eye Brightener in Light (neutral undertones to brighten fair to light complexions). The Rare Beauty Positive Light Under Eye Brightener in Light is just the right amount of coverage for my under eye area to diffuse and misdirect from shadows underneath the eyes. There were a few days when I only used the Positive Light Under Eye Brightener under my eyes and spot concealed with the Triclone Skin Tech Hydrating + De-puffing Concealer around my face. Huda Beauty Easy Bake Blurring Loose Baking & Setting Powder Huda Beauty Easy Bake Blurring Loose Baking & Setting Powder in Poundcake (golden undertones brighten and disguise under-eye darkness). I love this formula so much! The only formula I’ve found that I like better is the Silk Naturals Brightening Powder, but unfortunately they don’t have a dupe for the Poundcake shade. This loose powder formula is vastly superior to the pressed formula in my experience. I feel like the pressed formula doesn’t perform well for me at all, though I’m going to try a different application method with it next time I wear it. Huda Beauty Easy Bake and Snatch Pressed Talc-Free Brightening and Setting Powder Huda Beauty Easy Bake and Snatch Pressed Talc-Free Brightening and Setting Powder in Poundcake (fair to light-medium skin tones. golden undertones brighten and disguise under-eye darkness). This is the only makeup product that I brought with me that I found disappointing. I need to try a different application method to see if that helps with its performance. While I was hoping that I could use this for touch ups and to set my foundation, I got shiny when I used this on my own instead of just the loose powder. Instead of using a makeup sponge with this product, I used the same dense brush I normally use with the loose powder version. One Size On ‘Til Dawn Mattifying Waterproof Setting Spray I’ve been singing praises of the One Size On ‘Til Dawn Mattifying Waterproof Setting Spray for the past two years and have no plans to stop. It works so well for me, no matter if I’m in hot humid Florida, humid muggy windy New Zealand, or freezing cold once in a century New Orleans snow storms. I spray this and my makeup holds all day. Glow Recipe Watermelon Glow Ultra-Fine Mist Glow Recipe Watermelon Glow Ultra-Fine Mist. I bought the mist at the recommendation of my friend Kat. It’s perfect for when my makeup is looking cakey to help it meld into my skin and remove any powderyness or cakeyness. Lip Products Buxom Power Line Plumping Lip Liners Buxom Magnetic Mauve Power Line Plumping Lip Liner – This is a beautiful cool toned mauve pink lip pencil that is my go-to for a MLBB lip pencil. I wore this pencil paired with VE Innocent gloss the most during my trip to New Zealand. Buxom Hush Hush Henna Power Line Plumping Lip Liner – Hush Hush Henna is a nude pink pencil that functions as a neutral warm hue for my skin tone. It looks great when paired with Half-Magic Frosty B*tch Magic Drip Gloss. I used Hush Hush Henna with Half-Magic Half-Magic Y2K Cherub Magic Drip Gloss during this trip. Buxom Recharged Ruby Power Line Plumping Lip Liner – I always need a cool toned red in my life and this pencil is perfect for it. I used this with Kaleidos Penthouse gloss the most. Kaleidos Blue Agave Softening Lip Mask Blue Agave Softening Lip Mask – The Blue Agave Softening Lip Mask was my go-to lip treatment to help my lips stay hydrated. Kaleidos Untamed Glow Glossy Lip Glazes Untamed Glow Glossy Lip Glazes in Freefall and Penthouse. Penthouse is described as a diamond shine shifting from fuchsia to rose to gold. Freefall is described as semi-translucent shimmer, like sparkling diamonds. Essence Super Peptide Glossy Lip Treatment Essence Super Peptide Glossy Lip Treatment. I bought this to see how I liked it as a another way to hydrate my lips on the trip. It’s ok but I greatly prefer the Kaleidos lip mask. Half Magic Magic Drip Glitter Lip Gloss Half Magic Magic Drip Glitter Lip Gloss in Y2K Cherub. I adore the Half Magic Magic Drip Glitter Lip Gloss formula, especially Y2k Cherub (bubblegum pink with periwinkle and pink reflects), Problem Child (black with multicolored reflects) and Frosty B*tch (icy peach with multicolored reflects). I love the iridescence in this formula. Ve Glamour Magic Gloss Ve Glamour Magic Gloss in Innocent (PR)(Use code CORDELIA to save 10% at Ve). I love the multichrome iridescence of Innocent! The shimmer and finish are so eye catching and the color shift is strong. Even a very minimal layer of gloss gives gorgeous shine and dimension. I wish this had a red and blue version with the gorgeous iridescence. Black Moon Liquid Lipsticks Black Moon Liquid Lipsticks in Sorrow and Armageddon. Sorrow (blackened deep blue with flecks of artic blue) and Armageddon (blackened metallic red with flecks of copper and lavender) are two of my favorite lipstick colors and formula that Black Moon has created. I only ended up wearing Sorrow once while in New Zealand, but felt like I had to bring liquid lipstick with me. Flower Bitten Lip Stain Flower Bitten Lip Stain in Sass (blue pink). I wore this lip stain a few times while I was in New Zealand. I’m not sure I get the appeal of lip stains as they do wear off, but I love this specific cool toned blue pink hue. It’s a great color for me. Based on what I wore, I should have only packed the following lip products: Buxom Magnetic Mauve and Recharged Ruby lip pencils, Ve Innocent gloss, Kaleidos Penthouse gloss, Flower Sass lip stain, and Black Moon Sorrow liquid lipstick. Eyeliners and Eyeshadow Pencils I wanted to share swatches of the liquid eyeshadows, eyeshadow pencils, and eyeliners I brought with me. I also included swatches of 3 of my favorite Urban Decay eyeliners which did not go on the trip with me – Reflect, LSD and Alkaline. Silk Naturals Tour Loose Eyeshadow Silk Naturals Tour loose eyeshadow (use code CORDELIA to save 10% at Silk Naturals) is the perfect sheer black matte that is a dream to work with! I dye my brows blue black these days and use Tour on a slim angled brush to fill in any gaps in my brows. While Tour is also beautiful as an eyeshadow, it’s become my go-to product for filling in my brows. Kaleidos Sea Sparkle Epiphany Glow Melt-On Eyeliner I love the Kaleidos Epiphany Glow Melt-On Eyeliners (PR). Sea Sparkle, which shifts through silver, icy blue and denim blue, is gorgeous, especially when paired with other grey eyeshadows. Nyx the Brow Glue Nyx the Brow Glue in Clear. Now that I’m regularly tinting my eyebrows blue-black, I only need to fill them in minimally. I find they look best if I just use a clear brow glue to hold them in place. Nyx Epic Ink Liquid Liner Nyx Epic Ink Liquid Liner in Black. I love the look of a big black wing and iridescent eyeshadow with a bright red lip. Nyx’s Epic Ink Liquid Liner makes it easy to create that look. REM Midnight Shadows Lustrous Liquid Eyeshadow REM Midnight Shadows Lustrous Liquid Eyeshadow in Fembot. I love this liquid eyeshadow in specific. Fembot is a gorgeous shade that shifts to pink, blue, and violet from a mauve beige base. It gives a wet look that is eye brightening. I don’t know if these liquid eyeshadows are being discontinued or not, but they’re currently on sale at Ulta. Sigma Eyeshadow Primer Base in Bubbly Sigma Eyeshadow Primer Base in Bubbly. Bubbly is described as pinky peach champagne shimmer, and I find that highly accurate. It’s great for a minimal makeup look or as an eyeshadow primer. Fun Cosmetics Holo Boss Eyeshadow I love this eyeshadow so much! I brought it because we went to a festival while we were in New Zealand and the holographic rainbow effect was perfect! Just this eyeshadow all on its own plus black liquid liner was stunning. Julep Eyeshadow 101 Crème-to-Powder Waterproof Eyeshadow Sticks Julep Eyeshadow 101 Crème-to-Powder Waterproof Eyeshadow Sticks in Sand Shimmer (light beige champagne shimmer) and Vanilla Matte (light yellow beige matte). Sand Shimmer is the one I used the most. I like using these eyeshadow sticks as tinted eyeshadow primer bases and they look great with multichromes. They’re currently on sale right now and I’ve picked up Mint (cool-toned pastel green matte), Marigold (yellow gold matte), Periwinkle (blue-violet matte), Black Cherry (burgundy matte), Midnight (blackened blue), and Evergreen (blackened green). Please let me know if you want to see swatches. Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Waterproof Eyeliner Pencils Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Waterproof Eyeliner Pencils in Faux Doe, Cool Coyote, Space Cowboy and Perversion. I’ve purchased a few of the newer Urban Decay 24/7 eyeliners recently. Space Cowboy was disappointing to me because it’s too dark to use as an eye brightener, and I really can only use it as an eyeshadow or eyeshadow base. Cool Coyote pulls more brown than grey on me, which I did not expect, but is great for more subtle makeup looks and if you’re struggling for a color to put on your lower waterline that will enhance blue-green eyes without overwhelming them, it’s a good option. It’s a nice neutral-cool for me. Faux Doe is beautiful and perfect for eye brightening on my lower waterline. Perversion is perfection for matte black and great for tightlining at my lashline to make the most of my lashes.. Urban Decay Reflect (multidimensional golden green), LSD (deep navy blue with turquoise reflects), and Alkaline (deep wine matte) are three of my favorite UD 24/7 eyeliner pencil shades and they don’t get enough love from me! Thrive Causemetics Liquid Lash Extensions Thrive Causemetics Liquid Lash Extensions in Brynn. It’s no secret that this is my favorite mascara ever! It’s vegan, cruelty-free, tubing, and comes in lots of lovely hues including Black, purple, hot pink, green, and blue. I need them to make a burgundy wine shade! Singles Palette I brought this singles eyeshadow palette along to have a few of my Devinah shades with me. I needed Fairy Fire and Frost Bane, as I wear those two the most. Half-Magic Cheek Fluff Soft Blur Cream Blush Half-Magic Cheek Fluff Soft Blur Cream Blush in Pink Mushroom. I adore this hybrid cream to powder formula that is blurring on the cheeks and easy to blend. I wish it was more cool toned but it functions as a neutral warm blush for me. Devinah Pressed Eyeshadows Wearing Flower Beauty Sass lip stain with Devinah Fairy Fire on the eyes Devinah pressed eyeshadows in Fairy Fire, Frost Bane, Starfire, Lucius and Ethereal. (use code CORDELIA to save at Devinah) Here are the shades I had to take with me: Fairy Fire – yellow beige base with green to blue to turquoise shift Frost Bane – iridescent lavender pink with pink blue violet shift and iridescence Starfire – burgundy, violet pink, coppery orange, magenta Lucius – cool toned mauve plum matte Ethereal – cool toned muted nude taupe plum matte Fairy Fire and Frost Bane are eyeshadows that I wear weekly because they make me happy. I love the color shifts and how they catch the light. I love to use Starfire as an accent at the outer lid.  Ethereal works as a cool-toned muted nude taupe plum shade, which is a great crease color to make my blue green eyes pop. Lucius is a lovely berry mauve crease shade too. I always pack a singles eyeshadow palette made up of my favorite eyeshadow singles whenever I’m packing my best makeup for travel.  I always need shades like Fairy Fire and Frost Bane with me. BellaBeauteBar Morally Grey Palette Morally Grey Swatches on Fair Skin The BellaBeauteBar Morally Grey palette had to come with me because of the beautiful cool tones and iridescent shades. (use code CORDELIA to save at Bellabeautebar) Not a Villain, Moral Compass, Ambivalence, Indecisive, and Bittersweet were the eyeshadows used the most. See my Bellabeautebar Morally Grey Palette review here. Wearing Dead Roses Palette For the multiple video interviews that I did, I kept my makeup very minimal and neutral, using the BellaBeauteBar Morally Grey palette. Morally Grey is definitely one of the best makeup palettes for travel for neutral and smoky makeup looks. Bellabeautebar Dead Roses Palette I used the Bellabeautebar Dead Roses palette the most! Friend Zone, Not Yours, As If, Drop Dead, U Wish, Thank U Next, and UR the Worst were my most used shades. See my Bellabeautebar Dead Roses Palette feature. I wore the Bellabeautebar Dead Roses palette the most because of all the beautiful multichromes in it. It’s very easy to create a quick, eye catching look with a multichrome on the lid and crease, then using a matte shade to add definition at the outer corner. Jet Lag Jet lag has been brutal on the way back. Despite meticulously planning our return flight to get in around 9pm, our flights were delayed by several hours, pushing an already long 22 hour travel day past 24 hours. It’s taken me a week to get to where I feel something close to normal. I was sleeping for 12 hours at a time but never feeling truly restored. Main Difference Between New Zealand and the USA I’m so grateful to be able to visit New Zealand and experience what everyday life is like there. The easiest way I’ve found to describe the difference is that American culture is very ‘me’ focused, while New Zealand culture is very ‘we’ focused. And I prefer the ‘we’ focus, to make society a better place. That’s probably why I loved both Scotland and New Zealand, is that they are more ‘we’ focused with their cultures. Not enough people care about community, their neighbors, and people who are not like them in the USA. The lack of empathy is a real problem. I’m tired of having to explain to people why they should care about others who are not exactly like them. I’m exhausted that people don’t understand that we need to take care of the environment and not pollute it. It’s disgusting that there are individuals who think that those with chronic illness should just die and that vaccines don’t work. I’m #TeamScience all the way and horrified at what’s happening right now. Final Thoughts Unrelated, I’ve drastically cut back on my time on social media platforms. I check in on the Facebook Group five days a week and I’m on Reddit, but took all social media off my phone for my sanity. I’ve not been updating Instagram daily like I used to. Instead I’m reading as many books as I can manage so that I’m not doom scrolling. What are you doing for self-care and to protect your health? Are you part of a local community? More to See Source link

[floridabeautylabs]

How Hair Color Protecting Shampoos and Conditioners Maintain Shine and Softness

Maintaining vibrant and healthy hair color is a priority for many, especially those who invest time and effort into achieving that perfect shade. Color-treated hair requires special attention to preserve its shine, softness, and integrity. Hair color protecting shampoos and conditioners are key to maintaining the vibrancy and longevity of your color.

Why Hair Color Protection Matters

Coloring hair involves altering the structure of the hair cuticle, allowing color molecules to penetrate. However, this process can leave hair vulnerable to damage and fading. Without proper care, the shine and softness of freshly colored hair diminish over time. Hair color protection is essential for:

Preserving Vibrancy: Color-treated hair tends to lose vibrancy quickly due to UV exposure, heat styling, and harsh chemicals.

Preventing Fading: Frequent washing, sun exposure, and environmental factors can cause color to fade. Protecting shampoos and conditioners form a barrier, extending the color’s lifespan.

Maintaining Softness: Hydrating products like Keywest Professional Color Protect Shampoo and Conditioner restore moisture to keep hair soft and manageable.

How Hair Color Protecting Shampoos and Conditioners Work

Specialized hair color protecting shampoos and conditioners are designed to meet the needs of color-treated hair, helping it stay soft, shiny, and healthy:

1. Gentle Cleansing Without Stripping Color

Hair color protecting shampoos, such as Keywest Professional Color Protect Shampoo, cleanse the scalp and hair without removing essential moisture. The milder ingredients in these shampoos preserve color vibrancy while keeping your strands glossy.

2. Moisture Retention and Hydration

Color-treated hair is prone to dryness, but conditioners like the Keywest Professional Color Protect Conditioner replenish moisture, ensuring a soft, silky texture. They nourish and seal the hair cuticle, preventing frizz and dryness.

3. Protection Against Environmental Stressors

Shampoos and conditioners like Keywest Professional Color Protect Shampoo and Keywest Professional Color Protect Conditioner protect hair from UV rays, pollution, and harsh weather, which can cause color to fade. These products form a protective layer around the hair, maintaining vibrancy throughout the day.

4. Enhanced Shine

Color-treated hair often lacks natural shine, but with the right products, you can restore a glossy finish. Both the Keywest shampoo and conditioner smooth the hair cuticle, reflecting light for a shiny, sleek look.

5. Strengthening and Nourishing the Hair

The coloring process can weaken hair, making it more prone to breakage. Color-protecting shampoos and conditioners, such as those from Keywest, nourish the follicles with strengthening ingredients like keratin and vitamins, preventing damage and breakage.

Keywest Professional Color Protect Range: A Must-Have for Color-Treated Hair

Investing in high-quality color-protecting products is essential. The Keywest Professional Color Protect Shampoo and Keywest Professional Color Protect Conditioner are formulated to preserve your hair’s vibrancy while keeping it nourished and soft.

Keywest Professional Color Protect Shampoo 250ml: This 2-in-1 shampoo retains pigment while nourishing the follicles, keeping your hair vibrant and healthy. Buy now

Keywest Professional Color Protect Conditioner 250ml: This conditioner locks in moisture, leaving your hair soft, shiny, and frizz-free. Buy now

Together, they create a perfect duo that helps maintain color vibrancy and the health of your hair.

Conclusion

Coloring your hair is exciting, but it requires care to preserve its vibrancy. Using a quality color-protecting shampoo and conditioner like Keywest’s ensures your hair stays nourished, shiny, and soft while protecting the integrity of your color. These products protect against environmental damage, restore moisture, and provide essential nourishment, giving you long-lasting, salon-worthy results at home. Visit Florida Beauty Labs to shop for these essential products and maintain your beautiful hair color.

[norajworld]

Hello, beautiful creatures! I’ve just returned from a transformative six-week journey through the enchanted realms of New Zealand. The landscapes in NZ sing a symphony of wonder, and I’m thrilled to share my curated best makeup for travel that captured my heart along the way. This magical escapade was a serendipitous gift from my beloved Dave, a radiant blend of Yule magic and Anniversary bliss, that has forever altered our path. New Zealand’s spell has woven itself into my soul, inspiring dreams of calling this ethereal land home. We Love New Zealand Dave and I surrendered our hearts to the enchanting allure of New Zealand. We departed from sun-drenched Florida on a Monday, arrived amid the mystical embrace of this land by Wednesday, went camping on Friday, and by Sunday, its wild, untamed beauty had captured us completely. Our longing to wander this beautiful country began in 2012, though both previous times we were supposed to book our trip to NZ we had to reschedule. The first time was in 2020 because of COVID and the second time in 2023 because of my double mastectomy surgeries. Everything purchased by me except where marked PR. All opinions my own. Zuca Bags All of my makeup fit into a single Zuca bag that went into my carry-on backpack. For this journey, I embraced the art of minimalism, curating essential travel makeup without redundancy. I’ve got a very fair neutral cool skin tone, so I prefer my makeup to be cool to neutral toned. I rarely wear warm colors as they tend to turn an unflattering orange on me. I’m still searching for my perfect ‘nude’ blush, so took a few products with me to try for that. Previously theBalm Balm Beach was my perfect ‘nude’ blush, but it was discontinued. Highlighters and Blushes One Size Cheek Clapper 3D Blush Trio Palette One Size Cheek Clapper 3D Blush Trio Palette in Attention Seeker – described as a true bubblegum pink blush trio (cream, matte, and shimmer). Attention Seeker is my daily wear blush, usually the cream with the matte powder layered on top. Haus Labs Bio-Radiant Gel-Powder Illuminating Highlighter Haus Labs Bio-Radiant Gel-Powder Illuminating Highlighter in Rose Quartz– described as a light magenta. I like to use this as a highlighting blush and will layer it on top of the pink cream from Attention Seeker. Haus Labs Color Fuse Longwear Hydrating Glassy Lip + Cheek Blush Balm Stick Haus Labs Color Fuse Longwear Hydrating Glassy Lip + Cheek Blush Balm Stick in Glassy Hibiscus. This is a lovely deep cool toned nude mauve blush for my skin tone. Urban Decay Face Bond Luminizer Waterproof Glow Drops Urban Decay Face Bond Luminizer Waterproof Glow Drops in Silverlake – It’s describes as y2k frosted glaze shimmer. I like this for a neutral liquid blingy glow. Kaleidos Space Age Highlighters Kaleidos Space Age Highlighters in Moon Cruiser (rich neon lilac with a cool, moonlit cobalt shift) and Star Surfer (smooth, rosy champagne with silver undertones). Moon Cruiser is my everyday wear highlighter. I like Star Surfer for when I’m doing office professional makeup. RMS ReDimension Hydra Powder Blush RMS ReDimension Hydra Powder Blush in Crystal Slipper – Described as a sheer, sunkissed buff, this is a light beige brown with subtle pink iridescent shift. If you’re very fair complected and you’re looking for a blonzer (blush plus bronzer) cheek product, I recommend looking at Crystal Slipper. It’s great for subtle all over color. RMS ReDimension ReDimension Hydra Bronzer RMS ReDimension ReDimension Hydra Bronzer in Beachwalk Betty – Described as having the sweet kiss of sun with neutral nude undertones for fair skin. I used this a few times when I tried to experiment with a sunkissed look. RMS ReDimension Hydra Powder Blush RMS ReDimension Hydra Powder Blush in Hanky Panky – I did not take this blush with me but just received it in the mail so I included it in this set of swatches. It’s described as an iridescent magenta plum and reads as a nude plum on my skin tone in my opinion. It’s going to be perfect for layering on top of Glassy Hibiscus. In retrospect based off of what I used, I could have skipped packing Pink Mushroom, Beachwalk Betty, Glassy Hibiscus, and Silverlake in my best makeup for travel. I didn’t use these nearly as frequently as I used Attention Seeker and Moon Cruiser. Fair Complexion Perfection Products LYS Triple Fix Blurring and Hydrating Skin Tint Foundation Stick Review LYS Triple Fix Blurring and Hydrating Skin Tint Foundation Stick in LN1 Porcelain (very fair skin with neutral undertones). My friends, allow me to unveil the magic of the LYS Triple Fix Blurring and Hydrating Skin Tint Foundation Stick in LN1 Porcelain—a true treasure for my fair skin. This radiant potion is my current beauty muse; I’m so grateful to have a stick foundation that’s easy to use daily. The About Face the Performer liquid foundation is a close second for the days when I need more coverage. Why I Love It I cherish this stick foundation more than I can say, after having spent a few years without a good stick foundation that I loved. Its application is a delightful ritual: a direct caress onto the skin, blended gently with my fingertips, as the brand recommends, though a brush may also serve if one prefers. In my meticulously planned packing, my foundation brush was left behind, yet the magic of this stick foundation shone through, proving its beauty in its purest form. It liberates me from the need for a primer, for it performs as an all-in-one serum, primer, and skin tint, elegantly softening the appearance of texture and pores. Wear Test I’ve done a wear test for the LYS Triple Fix Blurring and Hydrating Skin Tint Foundation Stick, as well as the Axiology Fungdation (#3 on my best foundations list) on my IG stories prior to me going to New Zealand, and both looked great after 12+ hours of wear. If you need a new foundation, I highly recommend checking out LYS Triple Fix Blurring and Hydrating Skin Tint Foundation Stick. I love it for its blurring properties and ease of use. The artful blurring technology grants just the right amount of coverage to let one’s inner glow flourish, making it one of my top picks for the best makeup for travel. At a most accessible treasure of $25 for .25 oz and offered in a palette of around 22 shades, this marvel is both a practical indulgence and a testament to beauty’s boundless versatility. Wearing the lovely black jade necklace Dave bought me in Rotorua Haus Labs Triclone Skin Tech Hydrating + De-puffing Concealer Haus Labs Triclone Skin Tech Hydrating + De-puffing Concealer in 01 Fair Neutral (fair with balanced undertones). The Haus Labs Triclone Skin Tech Hydrating + De-puffing Concealer in 01 Fair Neutral has been my favorite concealer for the past year and it’s still going strong for me. It consistently performs well at hiding my blemishes, being pigmented, and blending into my skin tone. Rare Beauty Positive Light Under Eye Brightener Rare Beauty Positive Light Under Eye Brightener in Light (neutral undertones to brighten fair to light complexions). The Rare Beauty Positive Light Under Eye Brightener in Light is just the right amount of coverage for my under eye area to diffuse and misdirect from shadows underneath the eyes. There were a few days when I only used the Positive Light Under Eye Brightener under my eyes and spot concealed with the Triclone Skin Tech Hydrating + De-puffing Concealer around my face. Huda Beauty Easy Bake Blurring Loose Baking & Setting Powder Huda Beauty Easy Bake Blurring Loose Baking & Setting Powder in Poundcake (golden undertones brighten and disguise under-eye darkness). I love this formula so much! The only formula I’ve found that I like better is the Silk Naturals Brightening Powder, but unfortunately they don’t have a dupe for the Poundcake shade. This loose powder formula is vastly superior to the pressed formula in my experience. I feel like the pressed formula doesn’t perform well for me at all, though I’m going to try a different application method with it next time I wear it. Huda Beauty Easy Bake and Snatch Pressed Talc-Free Brightening and Setting Powder Huda Beauty Easy Bake and Snatch Pressed Talc-Free Brightening and Setting Powder in Poundcake (fair to light-medium skin tones. golden undertones brighten and disguise under-eye darkness). This is the only makeup product that I brought with me that I found disappointing. I need to try a different application method to see if that helps with its performance. While I was hoping that I could use this for touch ups and to set my foundation, I got shiny when I used this on my own instead of just the loose powder. Instead of using a makeup sponge with this product, I used the same dense brush I normally use with the loose powder version. One Size On ‘Til Dawn Mattifying Waterproof Setting Spray I’ve been singing praises of the One Size On ‘Til Dawn Mattifying Waterproof Setting Spray for the past two years and have no plans to stop. It works so well for me, no matter if I’m in hot humid Florida, humid muggy windy New Zealand, or freezing cold once in a century New Orleans snow storms. I spray this and my makeup holds all day. Glow Recipe Watermelon Glow Ultra-Fine Mist Glow Recipe Watermelon Glow Ultra-Fine Mist. I bought the mist at the recommendation of my friend Kat. It’s perfect for when my makeup is looking cakey to help it meld into my skin and remove any powderyness or cakeyness. Lip Products Buxom Power Line Plumping Lip Liners Buxom Magnetic Mauve Power Line Plumping Lip Liner – This is a beautiful cool toned mauve pink lip pencil that is my go-to for a MLBB lip pencil. I wore this pencil paired with VE Innocent gloss the most during my trip to New Zealand. Buxom Hush Hush Henna Power Line Plumping Lip Liner – Hush Hush Henna is a nude pink pencil that functions as a neutral warm hue for my skin tone. It looks great when paired with Half-Magic Frosty B*tch Magic Drip Gloss. I used Hush Hush Henna with Half-Magic Half-Magic Y2K Cherub Magic Drip Gloss during this trip. Buxom Recharged Ruby Power Line Plumping Lip Liner – I always need a cool toned red in my life and this pencil is perfect for it. I used this with Kaleidos Penthouse gloss the most. Kaleidos Blue Agave Softening Lip Mask Blue Agave Softening Lip Mask – The Blue Agave Softening Lip Mask was my go-to lip treatment to help my lips stay hydrated. Kaleidos Untamed Glow Glossy Lip Glazes Untamed Glow Glossy Lip Glazes in Freefall and Penthouse. Penthouse is described as a diamond shine shifting from fuchsia to rose to gold. Freefall is described as semi-translucent shimmer, like sparkling diamonds. Essence Super Peptide Glossy Lip Treatment Essence Super Peptide Glossy Lip Treatment. I bought this to see how I liked it as a another way to hydrate my lips on the trip. It’s ok but I greatly prefer the Kaleidos lip mask. Half Magic Magic Drip Glitter Lip Gloss Half Magic Magic Drip Glitter Lip Gloss in Y2K Cherub. I adore the Half Magic Magic Drip Glitter Lip Gloss formula, especially Y2k Cherub (bubblegum pink with periwinkle and pink reflects), Problem Child (black with multicolored reflects) and Frosty B*tch (icy peach with multicolored reflects). I love the iridescence in this formula. Ve Glamour Magic Gloss Ve Glamour Magic Gloss in Innocent (PR)(Use code CORDELIA to save 10% at Ve). I love the multichrome iridescence of Innocent! The shimmer and finish are so eye catching and the color shift is strong. Even a very minimal layer of gloss gives gorgeous shine and dimension. I wish this had a red and blue version with the gorgeous iridescence. Black Moon Liquid Lipsticks Black Moon Liquid Lipsticks in Sorrow and Armageddon. Sorrow (blackened deep blue with flecks of artic blue) and Armageddon (blackened metallic red with flecks of copper and lavender) are two of my favorite lipstick colors and formula that Black Moon has created. I only ended up wearing Sorrow once while in New Zealand, but felt like I had to bring liquid lipstick with me. Flower Bitten Lip Stain Flower Bitten Lip Stain in Sass (blue pink). I wore this lip stain a few times while I was in New Zealand. I’m not sure I get the appeal of lip stains as they do wear off, but I love this specific cool toned blue pink hue. It’s a great color for me. Based on what I wore, I should have only packed the following lip products: Buxom Magnetic Mauve and Recharged Ruby lip pencils, Ve Innocent gloss, Kaleidos Penthouse gloss, Flower Sass lip stain, and Black Moon Sorrow liquid lipstick. Eyeliners and Eyeshadow Pencils I wanted to share swatches of the liquid eyeshadows, eyeshadow pencils, and eyeliners I brought with me. I also included swatches of 3 of my favorite Urban Decay eyeliners which did not go on the trip with me – Reflect, LSD and Alkaline. Silk Naturals Tour Loose Eyeshadow Silk Naturals Tour loose eyeshadow (use code CORDELIA to save 10% at Silk Naturals) is the perfect sheer black matte that is a dream to work with! I dye my brows blue black these days and use Tour on a slim angled brush to fill in any gaps in my brows. While Tour is also beautiful as an eyeshadow, it’s become my go-to product for filling in my brows. Kaleidos Sea Sparkle Epiphany Glow Melt-On Eyeliner I love the Kaleidos Epiphany Glow Melt-On Eyeliners (PR). Sea Sparkle, which shifts through silver, icy blue and denim blue, is gorgeous, especially when paired with other grey eyeshadows. Nyx the Brow Glue Nyx the Brow Glue in Clear. Now that I’m regularly tinting my eyebrows blue-black, I only need to fill them in minimally. I find they look best if I just use a clear brow glue to hold them in place. Nyx Epic Ink Liquid Liner Nyx Epic Ink Liquid Liner in Black. I love the look of a big black wing and iridescent eyeshadow with a bright red lip. Nyx’s Epic Ink Liquid Liner makes it easy to create that look. REM Midnight Shadows Lustrous Liquid Eyeshadow REM Midnight Shadows Lustrous Liquid Eyeshadow in Fembot. I love this liquid eyeshadow in specific. Fembot is a gorgeous shade that shifts to pink, blue, and violet from a mauve beige base. It gives a wet look that is eye brightening. I don’t know if these liquid eyeshadows are being discontinued or not, but they’re currently on sale at Ulta. Sigma Eyeshadow Primer Base in Bubbly Sigma Eyeshadow Primer Base in Bubbly. Bubbly is described as pinky peach champagne shimmer, and I find that highly accurate. It’s great for a minimal makeup look or as an eyeshadow primer. Fun Cosmetics Holo Boss Eyeshadow I love this eyeshadow so much! I brought it because we went to a festival while we were in New Zealand and the holographic rainbow effect was perfect! Just this eyeshadow all on its own plus black liquid liner was stunning. Julep Eyeshadow 101 Crème-to-Powder Waterproof Eyeshadow Sticks Julep Eyeshadow 101 Crème-to-Powder Waterproof Eyeshadow Sticks in Sand Shimmer (light beige champagne shimmer) and Vanilla Matte (light yellow beige matte). Sand Shimmer is the one I used the most. I like using these eyeshadow sticks as tinted eyeshadow primer bases and they look great with multichromes. They’re currently on sale right now and I’ve picked up Mint (cool-toned pastel green matte), Marigold (yellow gold matte), Periwinkle (blue-violet matte), Black Cherry (burgundy matte), Midnight (blackened blue), and Evergreen (blackened green). Please let me know if you want to see swatches. Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Waterproof Eyeliner Pencils Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Waterproof Eyeliner Pencils in Faux Doe, Cool Coyote, Space Cowboy and Perversion. I’ve purchased a few of the newer Urban Decay 24/7 eyeliners recently. Space Cowboy was disappointing to me because it’s too dark to use as an eye brightener, and I really can only use it as an eyeshadow or eyeshadow base. Cool Coyote pulls more brown than grey on me, which I did not expect, but is great for more subtle makeup looks and if you’re struggling for a color to put on your lower waterline that will enhance blue-green eyes without overwhelming them, it’s a good option. It’s a nice neutral-cool for me. Faux Doe is beautiful and perfect for eye brightening on my lower waterline. Perversion is perfection for matte black and great for tightlining at my lashline to make the most of my lashes.. Urban Decay Reflect (multidimensional golden green), LSD (deep navy blue with turquoise reflects), and Alkaline (deep wine matte) are three of my favorite UD 24/7 eyeliner pencil shades and they don’t get enough love from me! Thrive Causemetics Liquid Lash Extensions Thrive Causemetics Liquid Lash Extensions in Brynn. It’s no secret that this is my favorite mascara ever! It’s vegan, cruelty-free, tubing, and comes in lots of lovely hues including Black, purple, hot pink, green, and blue. I need them to make a burgundy wine shade! Singles Palette I brought this singles eyeshadow palette along to have a few of my Devinah shades with me. I needed Fairy Fire and Frost Bane, as I wear those two the most. Half-Magic Cheek Fluff Soft Blur Cream Blush Half-Magic Cheek Fluff Soft Blur Cream Blush in Pink Mushroom. I adore this hybrid cream to powder formula that is blurring on the cheeks and easy to blend. I wish it was more cool toned but it functions as a neutral warm blush for me. Devinah Pressed Eyeshadows Wearing Flower Beauty Sass lip stain with Devinah Fairy Fire on the eyes Devinah pressed eyeshadows in Fairy Fire, Frost Bane, Starfire, Lucius and Ethereal. (use code CORDELIA to save at Devinah) Here are the shades I had to take with me: Fairy Fire – yellow beige base with green to blue to turquoise shift Frost Bane – iridescent lavender pink with pink blue violet shift and iridescence Starfire – burgundy, violet pink, coppery orange, magenta Lucius – cool toned mauve plum matte Ethereal – cool toned muted nude taupe plum matte Fairy Fire and Frost Bane are eyeshadows that I wear weekly because they make me happy. I love the color shifts and how they catch the light. I love to use Starfire as an accent at the outer lid.  Ethereal works as a cool-toned muted nude taupe plum shade, which is a great crease color to make my blue green eyes pop. Lucius is a lovely berry mauve crease shade too. I always pack a singles eyeshadow palette made up of my favorite eyeshadow singles whenever I’m packing my best makeup for travel.  I always need shades like Fairy Fire and Frost Bane with me. BellaBeauteBar Morally Grey Palette Morally Grey Swatches on Fair Skin The BellaBeauteBar Morally Grey palette had to come with me because of the beautiful cool tones and iridescent shades. (use code CORDELIA to save at Bellabeautebar) Not a Villain, Moral Compass, Ambivalence, Indecisive, and Bittersweet were the eyeshadows used the most. See my Bellabeautebar Morally Grey Palette review here. Wearing Dead Roses Palette For the multiple video interviews that I did, I kept my makeup very minimal and neutral, using the BellaBeauteBar Morally Grey palette. Morally Grey is definitely one of the best makeup palettes for travel for neutral and smoky makeup looks. Bellabeautebar Dead Roses Palette I used the Bellabeautebar Dead Roses palette the most! Friend Zone, Not Yours, As If, Drop Dead, U Wish, Thank U Next, and UR the Worst were my most used shades. See my Bellabeautebar Dead Roses Palette feature. I wore the Bellabeautebar Dead Roses palette the most because of all the beautiful multichromes in it. It’s very easy to create a quick, eye catching look with a multichrome on the lid and crease, then using a matte shade to add definition at the outer corner. Jet Lag Jet lag has been brutal on the way back. Despite meticulously planning our return flight to get in around 9pm, our flights were delayed by several hours, pushing an already long 22 hour travel day past 24 hours. It’s taken me a week to get to where I feel something close to normal. I was sleeping for 12 hours at a time but never feeling truly restored. Main Difference Between New Zealand and the USA I’m so grateful to be able to visit New Zealand and experience what everyday life is like there. The easiest way I’ve found to describe the difference is that American culture is very ‘me’ focused, while New Zealand culture is very ‘we’ focused. And I prefer the ‘we’ focus, to make society a better place. That’s probably why I loved both Scotland and New Zealand, is that they are more ‘we’ focused with their cultures. Not enough people care about community, their neighbors, and people who are not like them in the USA. The lack of empathy is a real problem. I’m tired of having to explain to people why they should care about others who are not exactly like them. I’m exhausted that people don’t understand that we need to take care of the environment and not pollute it. It’s disgusting that there are individuals who think that those with chronic illness should just die and that vaccines don’t work. I’m #TeamScience all the way and horrified at what’s happening right now. Final Thoughts Unrelated, I’ve drastically cut back on my time on social media platforms. I check in on the Facebook Group five days a week and I’m on Reddit, but took all social media off my phone for my sanity. I’ve not been updating Instagram daily like I used to. Instead I’m reading as many books as I can manage so that I’m not doom scrolling. What are you doing for self-care and to protect your health? Are you part of a local community? More to See Source link

[ellajme0]

Hello, beautiful creatures! I’ve just returned from a transformative six-week journey through the enchanted realms of New Zealand. The landscapes in NZ sing a symphony of wonder, and I’m thrilled to share my curated best makeup for travel that captured my heart along the way. This magical escapade was a serendipitous gift from my beloved Dave, a radiant blend of Yule magic and Anniversary bliss, that has forever altered our path. New Zealand’s spell has woven itself into my soul, inspiring dreams of calling this ethereal land home. We Love New Zealand Dave and I surrendered our hearts to the enchanting allure of New Zealand. We departed from sun-drenched Florida on a Monday, arrived amid the mystical embrace of this land by Wednesday, went camping on Friday, and by Sunday, its wild, untamed beauty had captured us completely. Our longing to wander this beautiful country began in 2012, though both previous times we were supposed to book our trip to NZ we had to reschedule. The first time was in 2020 because of COVID and the second time in 2023 because of my double mastectomy surgeries. Everything purchased by me except where marked PR. All opinions my own. Zuca Bags All of my makeup fit into a single Zuca bag that went into my carry-on backpack. For this journey, I embraced the art of minimalism, curating essential travel makeup without redundancy. I’ve got a very fair neutral cool skin tone, so I prefer my makeup to be cool to neutral toned. I rarely wear warm colors as they tend to turn an unflattering orange on me. I’m still searching for my perfect ‘nude’ blush, so took a few products with me to try for that. Previously theBalm Balm Beach was my perfect ‘nude’ blush, but it was discontinued. Highlighters and Blushes One Size Cheek Clapper 3D Blush Trio Palette One Size Cheek Clapper 3D Blush Trio Palette in Attention Seeker – described as a true bubblegum pink blush trio (cream, matte, and shimmer). Attention Seeker is my daily wear blush, usually the cream with the matte powder layered on top. Haus Labs Bio-Radiant Gel-Powder Illuminating Highlighter Haus Labs Bio-Radiant Gel-Powder Illuminating Highlighter in Rose Quartz– described as a light magenta. I like to use this as a highlighting blush and will layer it on top of the pink cream from Attention Seeker. Haus Labs Color Fuse Longwear Hydrating Glassy Lip + Cheek Blush Balm Stick Haus Labs Color Fuse Longwear Hydrating Glassy Lip + Cheek Blush Balm Stick in Glassy Hibiscus. This is a lovely deep cool toned nude mauve blush for my skin tone. Urban Decay Face Bond Luminizer Waterproof Glow Drops Urban Decay Face Bond Luminizer Waterproof Glow Drops in Silverlake – It’s describes as y2k frosted glaze shimmer. I like this for a neutral liquid blingy glow. Kaleidos Space Age Highlighters Kaleidos Space Age Highlighters in Moon Cruiser (rich neon lilac with a cool, moonlit cobalt shift) and Star Surfer (smooth, rosy champagne with silver undertones). Moon Cruiser is my everyday wear highlighter. I like Star Surfer for when I’m doing office professional makeup. RMS ReDimension Hydra Powder Blush RMS ReDimension Hydra Powder Blush in Crystal Slipper – Described as a sheer, sunkissed buff, this is a light beige brown with subtle pink iridescent shift. If you’re very fair complected and you’re looking for a blonzer (blush plus bronzer) cheek product, I recommend looking at Crystal Slipper. It’s great for subtle all over color. RMS ReDimension ReDimension Hydra Bronzer RMS ReDimension ReDimension Hydra Bronzer in Beachwalk Betty – Described as having the sweet kiss of sun with neutral nude undertones for fair skin. I used this a few times when I tried to experiment with a sunkissed look. RMS ReDimension Hydra Powder Blush RMS ReDimension Hydra Powder Blush in Hanky Panky – I did not take this blush with me but just received it in the mail so I included it in this set of swatches. It’s described as an iridescent magenta plum and reads as a nude plum on my skin tone in my opinion. It’s going to be perfect for layering on top of Glassy Hibiscus. In retrospect based off of what I used, I could have skipped packing Pink Mushroom, Beachwalk Betty, Glassy Hibiscus, and Silverlake in my best makeup for travel. I didn’t use these nearly as frequently as I used Attention Seeker and Moon Cruiser. Fair Complexion Perfection Products LYS Triple Fix Blurring and Hydrating Skin Tint Foundation Stick Review LYS Triple Fix Blurring and Hydrating Skin Tint Foundation Stick in LN1 Porcelain (very fair skin with neutral undertones). My friends, allow me to unveil the magic of the LYS Triple Fix Blurring and Hydrating Skin Tint Foundation Stick in LN1 Porcelain—a true treasure for my fair skin. This radiant potion is my current beauty muse; I’m so grateful to have a stick foundation that’s easy to use daily. The About Face the Performer liquid foundation is a close second for the days when I need more coverage. Why I Love It I cherish this stick foundation more than I can say, after having spent a few years without a good stick foundation that I loved. Its application is a delightful ritual: a direct caress onto the skin, blended gently with my fingertips, as the brand recommends, though a brush may also serve if one prefers. In my meticulously planned packing, my foundation brush was left behind, yet the magic of this stick foundation shone through, proving its beauty in its purest form. It liberates me from the need for a primer, for it performs as an all-in-one serum, primer, and skin tint, elegantly softening the appearance of texture and pores. Wear Test I’ve done a wear test for the LYS Triple Fix Blurring and Hydrating Skin Tint Foundation Stick, as well as the Axiology Fungdation (#3 on my best foundations list) on my IG stories prior to me going to New Zealand, and both looked great after 12+ hours of wear. If you need a new foundation, I highly recommend checking out LYS Triple Fix Blurring and Hydrating Skin Tint Foundation Stick. I love it for its blurring properties and ease of use. The artful blurring technology grants just the right amount of coverage to let one’s inner glow flourish, making it one of my top picks for the best makeup for travel. At a most accessible treasure of $25 for .25 oz and offered in a palette of around 22 shades, this marvel is both a practical indulgence and a testament to beauty’s boundless versatility. Wearing the lovely black jade necklace Dave bought me in Rotorua Haus Labs Triclone Skin Tech Hydrating + De-puffing Concealer Haus Labs Triclone Skin Tech Hydrating + De-puffing Concealer in 01 Fair Neutral (fair with balanced undertones). The Haus Labs Triclone Skin Tech Hydrating + De-puffing Concealer in 01 Fair Neutral has been my favorite concealer for the past year and it’s still going strong for me. It consistently performs well at hiding my blemishes, being pigmented, and blending into my skin tone. Rare Beauty Positive Light Under Eye Brightener Rare Beauty Positive Light Under Eye Brightener in Light (neutral undertones to brighten fair to light complexions). The Rare Beauty Positive Light Under Eye Brightener in Light is just the right amount of coverage for my under eye area to diffuse and misdirect from shadows underneath the eyes. There were a few days when I only used the Positive Light Under Eye Brightener under my eyes and spot concealed with the Triclone Skin Tech Hydrating + De-puffing Concealer around my face. Huda Beauty Easy Bake Blurring Loose Baking & Setting Powder Huda Beauty Easy Bake Blurring Loose Baking & Setting Powder in Poundcake (golden undertones brighten and disguise under-eye darkness). I love this formula so much! The only formula I’ve found that I like better is the Silk Naturals Brightening Powder, but unfortunately they don’t have a dupe for the Poundcake shade. This loose powder formula is vastly superior to the pressed formula in my experience. I feel like the pressed formula doesn’t perform well for me at all, though I’m going to try a different application method with it next time I wear it. Huda Beauty Easy Bake and Snatch Pressed Talc-Free Brightening and Setting Powder Huda Beauty Easy Bake and Snatch Pressed Talc-Free Brightening and Setting Powder in Poundcake (fair to light-medium skin tones. golden undertones brighten and disguise under-eye darkness). This is the only makeup product that I brought with me that I found disappointing. I need to try a different application method to see if that helps with its performance. While I was hoping that I could use this for touch ups and to set my foundation, I got shiny when I used this on my own instead of just the loose powder. Instead of using a makeup sponge with this product, I used the same dense brush I normally use with the loose powder version. One Size On ‘Til Dawn Mattifying Waterproof Setting Spray I’ve been singing praises of the One Size On ‘Til Dawn Mattifying Waterproof Setting Spray for the past two years and have no plans to stop. It works so well for me, no matter if I’m in hot humid Florida, humid muggy windy New Zealand, or freezing cold once in a century New Orleans snow storms. I spray this and my makeup holds all day. Glow Recipe Watermelon Glow Ultra-Fine Mist Glow Recipe Watermelon Glow Ultra-Fine Mist. I bought the mist at the recommendation of my friend Kat. It’s perfect for when my makeup is looking cakey to help it meld into my skin and remove any powderyness or cakeyness. Lip Products Buxom Power Line Plumping Lip Liners Buxom Magnetic Mauve Power Line Plumping Lip Liner – This is a beautiful cool toned mauve pink lip pencil that is my go-to for a MLBB lip pencil. I wore this pencil paired with VE Innocent gloss the most during my trip to New Zealand. Buxom Hush Hush Henna Power Line Plumping Lip Liner – Hush Hush Henna is a nude pink pencil that functions as a neutral warm hue for my skin tone. It looks great when paired with Half-Magic Frosty B*tch Magic Drip Gloss. I used Hush Hush Henna with Half-Magic Half-Magic Y2K Cherub Magic Drip Gloss during this trip. Buxom Recharged Ruby Power Line Plumping Lip Liner – I always need a cool toned red in my life and this pencil is perfect for it. I used this with Kaleidos Penthouse gloss the most. Kaleidos Blue Agave Softening Lip Mask Blue Agave Softening Lip Mask – The Blue Agave Softening Lip Mask was my go-to lip treatment to help my lips stay hydrated. Kaleidos Untamed Glow Glossy Lip Glazes Untamed Glow Glossy Lip Glazes in Freefall and Penthouse. Penthouse is described as a diamond shine shifting from fuchsia to rose to gold. Freefall is described as semi-translucent shimmer, like sparkling diamonds. Essence Super Peptide Glossy Lip Treatment Essence Super Peptide Glossy Lip Treatment. I bought this to see how I liked it as a another way to hydrate my lips on the trip. It’s ok but I greatly prefer the Kaleidos lip mask. Half Magic Magic Drip Glitter Lip Gloss Half Magic Magic Drip Glitter Lip Gloss in Y2K Cherub. I adore the Half Magic Magic Drip Glitter Lip Gloss formula, especially Y2k Cherub (bubblegum pink with periwinkle and pink reflects), Problem Child (black with multicolored reflects) and Frosty B*tch (icy peach with multicolored reflects). I love the iridescence in this formula. Ve Glamour Magic Gloss Ve Glamour Magic Gloss in Innocent (PR)(Use code CORDELIA to save 10% at Ve). I love the multichrome iridescence of Innocent! The shimmer and finish are so eye catching and the color shift is strong. Even a very minimal layer of gloss gives gorgeous shine and dimension. I wish this had a red and blue version with the gorgeous iridescence. Black Moon Liquid Lipsticks Black Moon Liquid Lipsticks in Sorrow and Armageddon. Sorrow (blackened deep blue with flecks of artic blue) and Armageddon (blackened metallic red with flecks of copper and lavender) are two of my favorite lipstick colors and formula that Black Moon has created. I only ended up wearing Sorrow once while in New Zealand, but felt like I had to bring liquid lipstick with me. Flower Bitten Lip Stain Flower Bitten Lip Stain in Sass (blue pink). I wore this lip stain a few times while I was in New Zealand. I’m not sure I get the appeal of lip stains as they do wear off, but I love this specific cool toned blue pink hue. It’s a great color for me. Based on what I wore, I should have only packed the following lip products: Buxom Magnetic Mauve and Recharged Ruby lip pencils, Ve Innocent gloss, Kaleidos Penthouse gloss, Flower Sass lip stain, and Black Moon Sorrow liquid lipstick. Eyeliners and Eyeshadow Pencils I wanted to share swatches of the liquid eyeshadows, eyeshadow pencils, and eyeliners I brought with me. I also included swatches of 3 of my favorite Urban Decay eyeliners which did not go on the trip with me – Reflect, LSD and Alkaline. Silk Naturals Tour Loose Eyeshadow Silk Naturals Tour loose eyeshadow (use code CORDELIA to save 10% at Silk Naturals) is the perfect sheer black matte that is a dream to work with! I dye my brows blue black these days and use Tour on a slim angled brush to fill in any gaps in my brows. While Tour is also beautiful as an eyeshadow, it’s become my go-to product for filling in my brows. Kaleidos Sea Sparkle Epiphany Glow Melt-On Eyeliner I love the Kaleidos Epiphany Glow Melt-On Eyeliners (PR). Sea Sparkle, which shifts through silver, icy blue and denim blue, is gorgeous, especially when paired with other grey eyeshadows. Nyx the Brow Glue Nyx the Brow Glue in Clear. Now that I’m regularly tinting my eyebrows blue-black, I only need to fill them in minimally. I find they look best if I just use a clear brow glue to hold them in place. Nyx Epic Ink Liquid Liner Nyx Epic Ink Liquid Liner in Black. I love the look of a big black wing and iridescent eyeshadow with a bright red lip. Nyx’s Epic Ink Liquid Liner makes it easy to create that look. REM Midnight Shadows Lustrous Liquid Eyeshadow REM Midnight Shadows Lustrous Liquid Eyeshadow in Fembot. I love this liquid eyeshadow in specific. Fembot is a gorgeous shade that shifts to pink, blue, and violet from a mauve beige base. It gives a wet look that is eye brightening. I don’t know if these liquid eyeshadows are being discontinued or not, but they’re currently on sale at Ulta. Sigma Eyeshadow Primer Base in Bubbly Sigma Eyeshadow Primer Base in Bubbly. Bubbly is described as pinky peach champagne shimmer, and I find that highly accurate. It’s great for a minimal makeup look or as an eyeshadow primer. Fun Cosmetics Holo Boss Eyeshadow I love this eyeshadow so much! I brought it because we went to a festival while we were in New Zealand and the holographic rainbow effect was perfect! Just this eyeshadow all on its own plus black liquid liner was stunning. Julep Eyeshadow 101 Crème-to-Powder Waterproof Eyeshadow Sticks Julep Eyeshadow 101 Crème-to-Powder Waterproof Eyeshadow Sticks in Sand Shimmer (light beige champagne shimmer) and Vanilla Matte (light yellow beige matte). Sand Shimmer is the one I used the most. I like using these eyeshadow sticks as tinted eyeshadow primer bases and they look great with multichromes. They’re currently on sale right now and I’ve picked up Mint (cool-toned pastel green matte), Marigold (yellow gold matte), Periwinkle (blue-violet matte), Black Cherry (burgundy matte), Midnight (blackened blue), and Evergreen (blackened green). Please let me know if you want to see swatches. Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Waterproof Eyeliner Pencils Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Waterproof Eyeliner Pencils in Faux Doe, Cool Coyote, Space Cowboy and Perversion. I’ve purchased a few of the newer Urban Decay 24/7 eyeliners recently. Space Cowboy was disappointing to me because it’s too dark to use as an eye brightener, and I really can only use it as an eyeshadow or eyeshadow base. Cool Coyote pulls more brown than grey on me, which I did not expect, but is great for more subtle makeup looks and if you’re struggling for a color to put on your lower waterline that will enhance blue-green eyes without overwhelming them, it’s a good option. It’s a nice neutral-cool for me. Faux Doe is beautiful and perfect for eye brightening on my lower waterline. Perversion is perfection for matte black and great for tightlining at my lashline to make the most of my lashes.. Urban Decay Reflect (multidimensional golden green), LSD (deep navy blue with turquoise reflects), and Alkaline (deep wine matte) are three of my favorite UD 24/7 eyeliner pencil shades and they don’t get enough love from me! Thrive Causemetics Liquid Lash Extensions Thrive Causemetics Liquid Lash Extensions in Brynn. It’s no secret that this is my favorite mascara ever! It’s vegan, cruelty-free, tubing, and comes in lots of lovely hues including Black, purple, hot pink, green, and blue. I need them to make a burgundy wine shade! Singles Palette I brought this singles eyeshadow palette along to have a few of my Devinah shades with me. I needed Fairy Fire and Frost Bane, as I wear those two the most. Half-Magic Cheek Fluff Soft Blur Cream Blush Half-Magic Cheek Fluff Soft Blur Cream Blush in Pink Mushroom. I adore this hybrid cream to powder formula that is blurring on the cheeks and easy to blend. I wish it was more cool toned but it functions as a neutral warm blush for me. Devinah Pressed Eyeshadows Wearing Flower Beauty Sass lip stain with Devinah Fairy Fire on the eyes Devinah pressed eyeshadows in Fairy Fire, Frost Bane, Starfire, Lucius and Ethereal. (use code CORDELIA to save at Devinah) Here are the shades I had to take with me: Fairy Fire – yellow beige base with green to blue to turquoise shift Frost Bane – iridescent lavender pink with pink blue violet shift and iridescence Starfire – burgundy, violet pink, coppery orange, magenta Lucius – cool toned mauve plum matte Ethereal – cool toned muted nude taupe plum matte Fairy Fire and Frost Bane are eyeshadows that I wear weekly because they make me happy. I love the color shifts and how they catch the light. I love to use Starfire as an accent at the outer lid.  Ethereal works as a cool-toned muted nude taupe plum shade, which is a great crease color to make my blue green eyes pop. Lucius is a lovely berry mauve crease shade too. I always pack a singles eyeshadow palette made up of my favorite eyeshadow singles whenever I’m packing my best makeup for travel.  I always need shades like Fairy Fire and Frost Bane with me. BellaBeauteBar Morally Grey Palette Morally Grey Swatches on Fair Skin The BellaBeauteBar Morally Grey palette had to come with me because of the beautiful cool tones and iridescent shades. (use code CORDELIA to save at Bellabeautebar) Not a Villain, Moral Compass, Ambivalence, Indecisive, and Bittersweet were the eyeshadows used the most. See my Bellabeautebar Morally Grey Palette review here. Wearing Dead Roses Palette For the multiple video interviews that I did, I kept my makeup very minimal and neutral, using the BellaBeauteBar Morally Grey palette. Morally Grey is definitely one of the best makeup palettes for travel for neutral and smoky makeup looks. Bellabeautebar Dead Roses Palette I used the Bellabeautebar Dead Roses palette the most! Friend Zone, Not Yours, As If, Drop Dead, U Wish, Thank U Next, and UR the Worst were my most used shades. See my Bellabeautebar Dead Roses Palette feature. I wore the Bellabeautebar Dead Roses palette the most because of all the beautiful multichromes in it. It’s very easy to create a quick, eye catching look with a multichrome on the lid and crease, then using a matte shade to add definition at the outer corner. Jet Lag Jet lag has been brutal on the way back. Despite meticulously planning our return flight to get in around 9pm, our flights were delayed by several hours, pushing an already long 22 hour travel day past 24 hours. It’s taken me a week to get to where I feel something close to normal. I was sleeping for 12 hours at a time but never feeling truly restored. Main Difference Between New Zealand and the USA I’m so grateful to be able to visit New Zealand and experience what everyday life is like there. The easiest way I’ve found to describe the difference is that American culture is very ‘me’ focused, while New Zealand culture is very ‘we’ focused. And I prefer the ‘we’ focus, to make society a better place. That’s probably why I loved both Scotland and New Zealand, is that they are more ‘we’ focused with their cultures. Not enough people care about community, their neighbors, and people who are not like them in the USA. The lack of empathy is a real problem. I’m tired of having to explain to people why they should care about others who are not exactly like them. I’m exhausted that people don’t understand that we need to take care of the environment and not pollute it. It’s disgusting that there are individuals who think that those with chronic illness should just die and that vaccines don’t work. I’m #TeamScience all the way and horrified at what’s happening right now. Final Thoughts Unrelated, I’ve drastically cut back on my time on social media platforms. I check in on the Facebook Group five days a week and I’m on Reddit, but took all social media off my phone for my sanity. I’ve not been updating Instagram daily like I used to. Instead I’m reading as many books as I can manage so that I’m not doom scrolling. What are you doing for self-care and to protect your health? Are you part of a local community? More to See Source link

[chilimili212]

Hello, beautiful creatures! I’ve just returned from a transformative six-week journey through the enchanted realms of New Zealand. The landscapes in NZ sing a symphony of wonder, and I’m thrilled to share my curated best makeup for travel that captured my heart along the way. This magical escapade was a serendipitous gift from my beloved Dave, a radiant blend of Yule magic and Anniversary bliss, that has forever altered our path. New Zealand’s spell has woven itself into my soul, inspiring dreams of calling this ethereal land home. We Love New Zealand Dave and I surrendered our hearts to the enchanting allure of New Zealand. We departed from sun-drenched Florida on a Monday, arrived amid the mystical embrace of this land by Wednesday, went camping on Friday, and by Sunday, its wild, untamed beauty had captured us completely. Our longing to wander this beautiful country began in 2012, though both previous times we were supposed to book our trip to NZ we had to reschedule. The first time was in 2020 because of COVID and the second time in 2023 because of my double mastectomy surgeries. Everything purchased by me except where marked PR. All opinions my own. Zuca Bags All of my makeup fit into a single Zuca bag that went into my carry-on backpack. For this journey, I embraced the art of minimalism, curating essential travel makeup without redundancy. I’ve got a very fair neutral cool skin tone, so I prefer my makeup to be cool to neutral toned. I rarely wear warm colors as they tend to turn an unflattering orange on me. I’m still searching for my perfect ‘nude’ blush, so took a few products with me to try for that. Previously theBalm Balm Beach was my perfect ‘nude’ blush, but it was discontinued. Highlighters and Blushes One Size Cheek Clapper 3D Blush Trio Palette One Size Cheek Clapper 3D Blush Trio Palette in Attention Seeker – described as a true bubblegum pink blush trio (cream, matte, and shimmer). Attention Seeker is my daily wear blush, usually the cream with the matte powder layered on top. Haus Labs Bio-Radiant Gel-Powder Illuminating Highlighter Haus Labs Bio-Radiant Gel-Powder Illuminating Highlighter in Rose Quartz– described as a light magenta. I like to use this as a highlighting blush and will layer it on top of the pink cream from Attention Seeker. Haus Labs Color Fuse Longwear Hydrating Glassy Lip + Cheek Blush Balm Stick Haus Labs Color Fuse Longwear Hydrating Glassy Lip + Cheek Blush Balm Stick in Glassy Hibiscus. This is a lovely deep cool toned nude mauve blush for my skin tone. Urban Decay Face Bond Luminizer Waterproof Glow Drops Urban Decay Face Bond Luminizer Waterproof Glow Drops in Silverlake – It’s describes as y2k frosted glaze shimmer. I like this for a neutral liquid blingy glow. Kaleidos Space Age Highlighters Kaleidos Space Age Highlighters in Moon Cruiser (rich neon lilac with a cool, moonlit cobalt shift) and Star Surfer (smooth, rosy champagne with silver undertones). Moon Cruiser is my everyday wear highlighter. I like Star Surfer for when I’m doing office professional makeup. RMS ReDimension Hydra Powder Blush RMS ReDimension Hydra Powder Blush in Crystal Slipper – Described as a sheer, sunkissed buff, this is a light beige brown with subtle pink iridescent shift. If you’re very fair complected and you’re looking for a blonzer (blush plus bronzer) cheek product, I recommend looking at Crystal Slipper. It’s great for subtle all over color. RMS ReDimension ReDimension Hydra Bronzer RMS ReDimension ReDimension Hydra Bronzer in Beachwalk Betty – Described as having the sweet kiss of sun with neutral nude undertones for fair skin. I used this a few times when I tried to experiment with a sunkissed look. RMS ReDimension Hydra Powder Blush RMS ReDimension Hydra Powder Blush in Hanky Panky – I did not take this blush with me but just received it in the mail so I included it in this set of swatches. It’s described as an iridescent magenta plum and reads as a nude plum on my skin tone in my opinion. It’s going to be perfect for layering on top of Glassy Hibiscus. In retrospect based off of what I used, I could have skipped packing Pink Mushroom, Beachwalk Betty, Glassy Hibiscus, and Silverlake in my best makeup for travel. I didn’t use these nearly as frequently as I used Attention Seeker and Moon Cruiser. Fair Complexion Perfection Products LYS Triple Fix Blurring and Hydrating Skin Tint Foundation Stick Review LYS Triple Fix Blurring and Hydrating Skin Tint Foundation Stick in LN1 Porcelain (very fair skin with neutral undertones). My friends, allow me to unveil the magic of the LYS Triple Fix Blurring and Hydrating Skin Tint Foundation Stick in LN1 Porcelain—a true treasure for my fair skin. This radiant potion is my current beauty muse; I’m so grateful to have a stick foundation that’s easy to use daily. The About Face the Performer liquid foundation is a close second for the days when I need more coverage. Why I Love It I cherish this stick foundation more than I can say, after having spent a few years without a good stick foundation that I loved. Its application is a delightful ritual: a direct caress onto the skin, blended gently with my fingertips, as the brand recommends, though a brush may also serve if one prefers. In my meticulously planned packing, my foundation brush was left behind, yet the magic of this stick foundation shone through, proving its beauty in its purest form. It liberates me from the need for a primer, for it performs as an all-in-one serum, primer, and skin tint, elegantly softening the appearance of texture and pores. Wear Test I’ve done a wear test for the LYS Triple Fix Blurring and Hydrating Skin Tint Foundation Stick, as well as the Axiology Fungdation (#3 on my best foundations list) on my IG stories prior to me going to New Zealand, and both looked great after 12+ hours of wear. If you need a new foundation, I highly recommend checking out LYS Triple Fix Blurring and Hydrating Skin Tint Foundation Stick. I love it for its blurring properties and ease of use. The artful blurring technology grants just the right amount of coverage to let one’s inner glow flourish, making it one of my top picks for the best makeup for travel. At a most accessible treasure of $25 for .25 oz and offered in a palette of around 22 shades, this marvel is both a practical indulgence and a testament to beauty’s boundless versatility. Wearing the lovely black jade necklace Dave bought me in Rotorua Haus Labs Triclone Skin Tech Hydrating + De-puffing Concealer Haus Labs Triclone Skin Tech Hydrating + De-puffing Concealer in 01 Fair Neutral (fair with balanced undertones). The Haus Labs Triclone Skin Tech Hydrating + De-puffing Concealer in 01 Fair Neutral has been my favorite concealer for the past year and it’s still going strong for me. It consistently performs well at hiding my blemishes, being pigmented, and blending into my skin tone. Rare Beauty Positive Light Under Eye Brightener Rare Beauty Positive Light Under Eye Brightener in Light (neutral undertones to brighten fair to light complexions). The Rare Beauty Positive Light Under Eye Brightener in Light is just the right amount of coverage for my under eye area to diffuse and misdirect from shadows underneath the eyes. There were a few days when I only used the Positive Light Under Eye Brightener under my eyes and spot concealed with the Triclone Skin Tech Hydrating + De-puffing Concealer around my face. Huda Beauty Easy Bake Blurring Loose Baking & Setting Powder Huda Beauty Easy Bake Blurring Loose Baking & Setting Powder in Poundcake (golden undertones brighten and disguise under-eye darkness). I love this formula so much! The only formula I’ve found that I like better is the Silk Naturals Brightening Powder, but unfortunately they don’t have a dupe for the Poundcake shade. This loose powder formula is vastly superior to the pressed formula in my experience. I feel like the pressed formula doesn’t perform well for me at all, though I’m going to try a different application method with it next time I wear it. Huda Beauty Easy Bake and Snatch Pressed Talc-Free Brightening and Setting Powder Huda Beauty Easy Bake and Snatch Pressed Talc-Free Brightening and Setting Powder in Poundcake (fair to light-medium skin tones. golden undertones brighten and disguise under-eye darkness). This is the only makeup product that I brought with me that I found disappointing. I need to try a different application method to see if that helps with its performance. While I was hoping that I could use this for touch ups and to set my foundation, I got shiny when I used this on my own instead of just the loose powder. Instead of using a makeup sponge with this product, I used the same dense brush I normally use with the loose powder version. One Size On ‘Til Dawn Mattifying Waterproof Setting Spray I’ve been singing praises of the One Size On ‘Til Dawn Mattifying Waterproof Setting Spray for the past two years and have no plans to stop. It works so well for me, no matter if I’m in hot humid Florida, humid muggy windy New Zealand, or freezing cold once in a century New Orleans snow storms. I spray this and my makeup holds all day. Glow Recipe Watermelon Glow Ultra-Fine Mist Glow Recipe Watermelon Glow Ultra-Fine Mist. I bought the mist at the recommendation of my friend Kat. It’s perfect for when my makeup is looking cakey to help it meld into my skin and remove any powderyness or cakeyness. Lip Products Buxom Power Line Plumping Lip Liners Buxom Magnetic Mauve Power Line Plumping Lip Liner – This is a beautiful cool toned mauve pink lip pencil that is my go-to for a MLBB lip pencil. I wore this pencil paired with VE Innocent gloss the most during my trip to New Zealand. Buxom Hush Hush Henna Power Line Plumping Lip Liner – Hush Hush Henna is a nude pink pencil that functions as a neutral warm hue for my skin tone. It looks great when paired with Half-Magic Frosty B*tch Magic Drip Gloss. I used Hush Hush Henna with Half-Magic Half-Magic Y2K Cherub Magic Drip Gloss during this trip. Buxom Recharged Ruby Power Line Plumping Lip Liner – I always need a cool toned red in my life and this pencil is perfect for it. I used this with Kaleidos Penthouse gloss the most. Kaleidos Blue Agave Softening Lip Mask Blue Agave Softening Lip Mask – The Blue Agave Softening Lip Mask was my go-to lip treatment to help my lips stay hydrated. Kaleidos Untamed Glow Glossy Lip Glazes Untamed Glow Glossy Lip Glazes in Freefall and Penthouse. Penthouse is described as a diamond shine shifting from fuchsia to rose to gold. Freefall is described as semi-translucent shimmer, like sparkling diamonds. Essence Super Peptide Glossy Lip Treatment Essence Super Peptide Glossy Lip Treatment. I bought this to see how I liked it as a another way to hydrate my lips on the trip. It’s ok but I greatly prefer the Kaleidos lip mask. Half Magic Magic Drip Glitter Lip Gloss Half Magic Magic Drip Glitter Lip Gloss in Y2K Cherub. I adore the Half Magic Magic Drip Glitter Lip Gloss formula, especially Y2k Cherub (bubblegum pink with periwinkle and pink reflects), Problem Child (black with multicolored reflects) and Frosty B*tch (icy peach with multicolored reflects). I love the iridescence in this formula. Ve Glamour Magic Gloss Ve Glamour Magic Gloss in Innocent (PR)(Use code CORDELIA to save 10% at Ve). I love the multichrome iridescence of Innocent! The shimmer and finish are so eye catching and the color shift is strong. Even a very minimal layer of gloss gives gorgeous shine and dimension. I wish this had a red and blue version with the gorgeous iridescence. Black Moon Liquid Lipsticks Black Moon Liquid Lipsticks in Sorrow and Armageddon. Sorrow (blackened deep blue with flecks of artic blue) and Armageddon (blackened metallic red with flecks of copper and lavender) are two of my favorite lipstick colors and formula that Black Moon has created. I only ended up wearing Sorrow once while in New Zealand, but felt like I had to bring liquid lipstick with me. Flower Bitten Lip Stain Flower Bitten Lip Stain in Sass (blue pink). I wore this lip stain a few times while I was in New Zealand. I’m not sure I get the appeal of lip stains as they do wear off, but I love this specific cool toned blue pink hue. It’s a great color for me. Based on what I wore, I should have only packed the following lip products: Buxom Magnetic Mauve and Recharged Ruby lip pencils, Ve Innocent gloss, Kaleidos Penthouse gloss, Flower Sass lip stain, and Black Moon Sorrow liquid lipstick. Eyeliners and Eyeshadow Pencils I wanted to share swatches of the liquid eyeshadows, eyeshadow pencils, and eyeliners I brought with me. I also included swatches of 3 of my favorite Urban Decay eyeliners which did not go on the trip with me – Reflect, LSD and Alkaline. Silk Naturals Tour Loose Eyeshadow Silk Naturals Tour loose eyeshadow (use code CORDELIA to save 10% at Silk Naturals) is the perfect sheer black matte that is a dream to work with! I dye my brows blue black these days and use Tour on a slim angled brush to fill in any gaps in my brows. While Tour is also beautiful as an eyeshadow, it’s become my go-to product for filling in my brows. Kaleidos Sea Sparkle Epiphany Glow Melt-On Eyeliner I love the Kaleidos Epiphany Glow Melt-On Eyeliners (PR). Sea Sparkle, which shifts through silver, icy blue and denim blue, is gorgeous, especially when paired with other grey eyeshadows. Nyx the Brow Glue Nyx the Brow Glue in Clear. Now that I’m regularly tinting my eyebrows blue-black, I only need to fill them in minimally. I find they look best if I just use a clear brow glue to hold them in place. Nyx Epic Ink Liquid Liner Nyx Epic Ink Liquid Liner in Black. I love the look of a big black wing and iridescent eyeshadow with a bright red lip. Nyx’s Epic Ink Liquid Liner makes it easy to create that look. REM Midnight Shadows Lustrous Liquid Eyeshadow REM Midnight Shadows Lustrous Liquid Eyeshadow in Fembot. I love this liquid eyeshadow in specific. Fembot is a gorgeous shade that shifts to pink, blue, and violet from a mauve beige base. It gives a wet look that is eye brightening. I don’t know if these liquid eyeshadows are being discontinued or not, but they’re currently on sale at Ulta. Sigma Eyeshadow Primer Base in Bubbly Sigma Eyeshadow Primer Base in Bubbly. Bubbly is described as pinky peach champagne shimmer, and I find that highly accurate. It’s great for a minimal makeup look or as an eyeshadow primer. Fun Cosmetics Holo Boss Eyeshadow I love this eyeshadow so much! I brought it because we went to a festival while we were in New Zealand and the holographic rainbow effect was perfect! Just this eyeshadow all on its own plus black liquid liner was stunning. Julep Eyeshadow 101 Crème-to-Powder Waterproof Eyeshadow Sticks Julep Eyeshadow 101 Crème-to-Powder Waterproof Eyeshadow Sticks in Sand Shimmer (light beige champagne shimmer) and Vanilla Matte (light yellow beige matte). Sand Shimmer is the one I used the most. I like using these eyeshadow sticks as tinted eyeshadow primer bases and they look great with multichromes. They’re currently on sale right now and I’ve picked up Mint (cool-toned pastel green matte), Marigold (yellow gold matte), Periwinkle (blue-violet matte), Black Cherry (burgundy matte), Midnight (blackened blue), and Evergreen (blackened green). Please let me know if you want to see swatches. Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Waterproof Eyeliner Pencils Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Waterproof Eyeliner Pencils in Faux Doe, Cool Coyote, Space Cowboy and Perversion. I’ve purchased a few of the newer Urban Decay 24/7 eyeliners recently. Space Cowboy was disappointing to me because it’s too dark to use as an eye brightener, and I really can only use it as an eyeshadow or eyeshadow base. Cool Coyote pulls more brown than grey on me, which I did not expect, but is great for more subtle makeup looks and if you’re struggling for a color to put on your lower waterline that will enhance blue-green eyes without overwhelming them, it’s a good option. It’s a nice neutral-cool for me. Faux Doe is beautiful and perfect for eye brightening on my lower waterline. Perversion is perfection for matte black and great for tightlining at my lashline to make the most of my lashes.. Urban Decay Reflect (multidimensional golden green), LSD (deep navy blue with turquoise reflects), and Alkaline (deep wine matte) are three of my favorite UD 24/7 eyeliner pencil shades and they don’t get enough love from me! Thrive Causemetics Liquid Lash Extensions Thrive Causemetics Liquid Lash Extensions in Brynn. It’s no secret that this is my favorite mascara ever! It’s vegan, cruelty-free, tubing, and comes in lots of lovely hues including Black, purple, hot pink, green, and blue. I need them to make a burgundy wine shade! Singles Palette I brought this singles eyeshadow palette along to have a few of my Devinah shades with me. I needed Fairy Fire and Frost Bane, as I wear those two the most. Half-Magic Cheek Fluff Soft Blur Cream Blush Half-Magic Cheek Fluff Soft Blur Cream Blush in Pink Mushroom. I adore this hybrid cream to powder formula that is blurring on the cheeks and easy to blend. I wish it was more cool toned but it functions as a neutral warm blush for me. Devinah Pressed Eyeshadows Wearing Flower Beauty Sass lip stain with Devinah Fairy Fire on the eyes Devinah pressed eyeshadows in Fairy Fire, Frost Bane, Starfire, Lucius and Ethereal. (use code CORDELIA to save at Devinah) Here are the shades I had to take with me: Fairy Fire – yellow beige base with green to blue to turquoise shift Frost Bane – iridescent lavender pink with pink blue violet shift and iridescence Starfire – burgundy, violet pink, coppery orange, magenta Lucius – cool toned mauve plum matte Ethereal – cool toned muted nude taupe plum matte Fairy Fire and Frost Bane are eyeshadows that I wear weekly because they make me happy. I love the color shifts and how they catch the light. I love to use Starfire as an accent at the outer lid.  Ethereal works as a cool-toned muted nude taupe plum shade, which is a great crease color to make my blue green eyes pop. Lucius is a lovely berry mauve crease shade too. I always pack a singles eyeshadow palette made up of my favorite eyeshadow singles whenever I’m packing my best makeup for travel.  I always need shades like Fairy Fire and Frost Bane with me. BellaBeauteBar Morally Grey Palette Morally Grey Swatches on Fair Skin The BellaBeauteBar Morally Grey palette had to come with me because of the beautiful cool tones and iridescent shades. (use code CORDELIA to save at Bellabeautebar) Not a Villain, Moral Compass, Ambivalence, Indecisive, and Bittersweet were the eyeshadows used the most. See my Bellabeautebar Morally Grey Palette review here. Wearing Dead Roses Palette For the multiple video interviews that I did, I kept my makeup very minimal and neutral, using the BellaBeauteBar Morally Grey palette. Morally Grey is definitely one of the best makeup palettes for travel for neutral and smoky makeup looks. Bellabeautebar Dead Roses Palette I used the Bellabeautebar Dead Roses palette the most! Friend Zone, Not Yours, As If, Drop Dead, U Wish, Thank U Next, and UR the Worst were my most used shades. See my Bellabeautebar Dead Roses Palette feature. I wore the Bellabeautebar Dead Roses palette the most because of all the beautiful multichromes in it. It’s very easy to create a quick, eye catching look with a multichrome on the lid and crease, then using a matte shade to add definition at the outer corner. Jet Lag Jet lag has been brutal on the way back. Despite meticulously planning our return flight to get in around 9pm, our flights were delayed by several hours, pushing an already long 22 hour travel day past 24 hours. It’s taken me a week to get to where I feel something close to normal. I was sleeping for 12 hours at a time but never feeling truly restored. Main Difference Between New Zealand and the USA I’m so grateful to be able to visit New Zealand and experience what everyday life is like there. The easiest way I’ve found to describe the difference is that American culture is very ‘me’ focused, while New Zealand culture is very ‘we’ focused. And I prefer the ‘we’ focus, to make society a better place. That’s probably why I loved both Scotland and New Zealand, is that they are more ‘we’ focused with their cultures. Not enough people care about community, their neighbors, and people who are not like them in the USA. The lack of empathy is a real problem. I’m tired of having to explain to people why they should care about others who are not exactly like them. I’m exhausted that people don’t understand that we need to take care of the environment and not pollute it. It’s disgusting that there are individuals who think that those with chronic illness should just die and that vaccines don’t work. I’m #TeamScience all the way and horrified at what’s happening right now. Final Thoughts Unrelated, I’ve drastically cut back on my time on social media platforms. I check in on the Facebook Group five days a week and I’m on Reddit, but took all social media off my phone for my sanity. I’ve not been updating Instagram daily like I used to. Instead I’m reading as many books as I can manage so that I’m not doom scrolling. What are you doing for self-care and to protect your health? Are you part of a local community? More to See Source link

[oliviajoyice21]

Hello, beautiful creatures! I’ve just returned from a transformative six-week journey through the enchanted realms of New Zealand. The landscapes in NZ sing a symphony of wonder, and I’m thrilled to share my curated best makeup for travel that captured my heart along the way. This magical escapade was a serendipitous gift from my beloved Dave, a radiant blend of Yule magic and Anniversary bliss, that has forever altered our path. New Zealand’s spell has woven itself into my soul, inspiring dreams of calling this ethereal land home. We Love New Zealand Dave and I surrendered our hearts to the enchanting allure of New Zealand. We departed from sun-drenched Florida on a Monday, arrived amid the mystical embrace of this land by Wednesday, went camping on Friday, and by Sunday, its wild, untamed beauty had captured us completely. Our longing to wander this beautiful country began in 2012, though both previous times we were supposed to book our trip to NZ we had to reschedule. The first time was in 2020 because of COVID and the second time in 2023 because of my double mastectomy surgeries. Everything purchased by me except where marked PR. All opinions my own. Zuca Bags All of my makeup fit into a single Zuca bag that went into my carry-on backpack. For this journey, I embraced the art of minimalism, curating essential travel makeup without redundancy. I’ve got a very fair neutral cool skin tone, so I prefer my makeup to be cool to neutral toned. I rarely wear warm colors as they tend to turn an unflattering orange on me. I’m still searching for my perfect ‘nude’ blush, so took a few products with me to try for that. Previously theBalm Balm Beach was my perfect ‘nude’ blush, but it was discontinued. Highlighters and Blushes One Size Cheek Clapper 3D Blush Trio Palette One Size Cheek Clapper 3D Blush Trio Palette in Attention Seeker – described as a true bubblegum pink blush trio (cream, matte, and shimmer). Attention Seeker is my daily wear blush, usually the cream with the matte powder layered on top. Haus Labs Bio-Radiant Gel-Powder Illuminating Highlighter Haus Labs Bio-Radiant Gel-Powder Illuminating Highlighter in Rose Quartz– described as a light magenta. I like to use this as a highlighting blush and will layer it on top of the pink cream from Attention Seeker. Haus Labs Color Fuse Longwear Hydrating Glassy Lip + Cheek Blush Balm Stick Haus Labs Color Fuse Longwear Hydrating Glassy Lip + Cheek Blush Balm Stick in Glassy Hibiscus. This is a lovely deep cool toned nude mauve blush for my skin tone. Urban Decay Face Bond Luminizer Waterproof Glow Drops Urban Decay Face Bond Luminizer Waterproof Glow Drops in Silverlake – It’s describes as y2k frosted glaze shimmer. I like this for a neutral liquid blingy glow. Kaleidos Space Age Highlighters Kaleidos Space Age Highlighters in Moon Cruiser (rich neon lilac with a cool, moonlit cobalt shift) and Star Surfer (smooth, rosy champagne with silver undertones). Moon Cruiser is my everyday wear highlighter. I like Star Surfer for when I’m doing office professional makeup. RMS ReDimension Hydra Powder Blush RMS ReDimension Hydra Powder Blush in Crystal Slipper – Described as a sheer, sunkissed buff, this is a light beige brown with subtle pink iridescent shift. If you’re very fair complected and you’re looking for a blonzer (blush plus bronzer) cheek product, I recommend looking at Crystal Slipper. It’s great for subtle all over color. RMS ReDimension ReDimension Hydra Bronzer RMS ReDimension ReDimension Hydra Bronzer in Beachwalk Betty – Described as having the sweet kiss of sun with neutral nude undertones for fair skin. I used this a few times when I tried to experiment with a sunkissed look. RMS ReDimension Hydra Powder Blush RMS ReDimension Hydra Powder Blush in Hanky Panky – I did not take this blush with me but just received it in the mail so I included it in this set of swatches. It’s described as an iridescent magenta plum and reads as a nude plum on my skin tone in my opinion. It’s going to be perfect for layering on top of Glassy Hibiscus. In retrospect based off of what I used, I could have skipped packing Pink Mushroom, Beachwalk Betty, Glassy Hibiscus, and Silverlake in my best makeup for travel. I didn’t use these nearly as frequently as I used Attention Seeker and Moon Cruiser. Fair Complexion Perfection Products LYS Triple Fix Blurring and Hydrating Skin Tint Foundation Stick Review LYS Triple Fix Blurring and Hydrating Skin Tint Foundation Stick in LN1 Porcelain (very fair skin with neutral undertones). My friends, allow me to unveil the magic of the LYS Triple Fix Blurring and Hydrating Skin Tint Foundation Stick in LN1 Porcelain—a true treasure for my fair skin. This radiant potion is my current beauty muse; I’m so grateful to have a stick foundation that’s easy to use daily. The About Face the Performer liquid foundation is a close second for the days when I need more coverage. Why I Love It I cherish this stick foundation more than I can say, after having spent a few years without a good stick foundation that I loved. Its application is a delightful ritual: a direct caress onto the skin, blended gently with my fingertips, as the brand recommends, though a brush may also serve if one prefers. In my meticulously planned packing, my foundation brush was left behind, yet the magic of this stick foundation shone through, proving its beauty in its purest form. It liberates me from the need for a primer, for it performs as an all-in-one serum, primer, and skin tint, elegantly softening the appearance of texture and pores. Wear Test I’ve done a wear test for the LYS Triple Fix Blurring and Hydrating Skin Tint Foundation Stick, as well as the Axiology Fungdation (#3 on my best foundations list) on my IG stories prior to me going to New Zealand, and both looked great after 12+ hours of wear. If you need a new foundation, I highly recommend checking out LYS Triple Fix Blurring and Hydrating Skin Tint Foundation Stick. I love it for its blurring properties and ease of use. The artful blurring technology grants just the right amount of coverage to let one’s inner glow flourish, making it one of my top picks for the best makeup for travel. At a most accessible treasure of $25 for .25 oz and offered in a palette of around 22 shades, this marvel is both a practical indulgence and a testament to beauty’s boundless versatility. Wearing the lovely black jade necklace Dave bought me in Rotorua Haus Labs Triclone Skin Tech Hydrating + De-puffing Concealer Haus Labs Triclone Skin Tech Hydrating + De-puffing Concealer in 01 Fair Neutral (fair with balanced undertones). The Haus Labs Triclone Skin Tech Hydrating + De-puffing Concealer in 01 Fair Neutral has been my favorite concealer for the past year and it’s still going strong for me. It consistently performs well at hiding my blemishes, being pigmented, and blending into my skin tone. Rare Beauty Positive Light Under Eye Brightener Rare Beauty Positive Light Under Eye Brightener in Light (neutral undertones to brighten fair to light complexions). The Rare Beauty Positive Light Under Eye Brightener in Light is just the right amount of coverage for my under eye area to diffuse and misdirect from shadows underneath the eyes. There were a few days when I only used the Positive Light Under Eye Brightener under my eyes and spot concealed with the Triclone Skin Tech Hydrating + De-puffing Concealer around my face. Huda Beauty Easy Bake Blurring Loose Baking & Setting Powder Huda Beauty Easy Bake Blurring Loose Baking & Setting Powder in Poundcake (golden undertones brighten and disguise under-eye darkness). I love this formula so much! The only formula I’ve found that I like better is the Silk Naturals Brightening Powder, but unfortunately they don’t have a dupe for the Poundcake shade. This loose powder formula is vastly superior to the pressed formula in my experience. I feel like the pressed formula doesn’t perform well for me at all, though I’m going to try a different application method with it next time I wear it. Huda Beauty Easy Bake and Snatch Pressed Talc-Free Brightening and Setting Powder Huda Beauty Easy Bake and Snatch Pressed Talc-Free Brightening and Setting Powder in Poundcake (fair to light-medium skin tones. golden undertones brighten and disguise under-eye darkness). This is the only makeup product that I brought with me that I found disappointing. I need to try a different application method to see if that helps with its performance. While I was hoping that I could use this for touch ups and to set my foundation, I got shiny when I used this on my own instead of just the loose powder. Instead of using a makeup sponge with this product, I used the same dense brush I normally use with the loose powder version. One Size On ‘Til Dawn Mattifying Waterproof Setting Spray I’ve been singing praises of the One Size On ‘Til Dawn Mattifying Waterproof Setting Spray for the past two years and have no plans to stop. It works so well for me, no matter if I’m in hot humid Florida, humid muggy windy New Zealand, or freezing cold once in a century New Orleans snow storms. I spray this and my makeup holds all day. Glow Recipe Watermelon Glow Ultra-Fine Mist Glow Recipe Watermelon Glow Ultra-Fine Mist. I bought the mist at the recommendation of my friend Kat. It’s perfect for when my makeup is looking cakey to help it meld into my skin and remove any powderyness or cakeyness. Lip Products Buxom Power Line Plumping Lip Liners Buxom Magnetic Mauve Power Line Plumping Lip Liner – This is a beautiful cool toned mauve pink lip pencil that is my go-to for a MLBB lip pencil. I wore this pencil paired with VE Innocent gloss the most during my trip to New Zealand. Buxom Hush Hush Henna Power Line Plumping Lip Liner – Hush Hush Henna is a nude pink pencil that functions as a neutral warm hue for my skin tone. It looks great when paired with Half-Magic Frosty B*tch Magic Drip Gloss. I used Hush Hush Henna with Half-Magic Half-Magic Y2K Cherub Magic Drip Gloss during this trip. Buxom Recharged Ruby Power Line Plumping Lip Liner – I always need a cool toned red in my life and this pencil is perfect for it. I used this with Kaleidos Penthouse gloss the most. Kaleidos Blue Agave Softening Lip Mask Blue Agave Softening Lip Mask – The Blue Agave Softening Lip Mask was my go-to lip treatment to help my lips stay hydrated. Kaleidos Untamed Glow Glossy Lip Glazes Untamed Glow Glossy Lip Glazes in Freefall and Penthouse. Penthouse is described as a diamond shine shifting from fuchsia to rose to gold. Freefall is described as semi-translucent shimmer, like sparkling diamonds. Essence Super Peptide Glossy Lip Treatment Essence Super Peptide Glossy Lip Treatment. I bought this to see how I liked it as a another way to hydrate my lips on the trip. It’s ok but I greatly prefer the Kaleidos lip mask. Half Magic Magic Drip Glitter Lip Gloss Half Magic Magic Drip Glitter Lip Gloss in Y2K Cherub. I adore the Half Magic Magic Drip Glitter Lip Gloss formula, especially Y2k Cherub (bubblegum pink with periwinkle and pink reflects), Problem Child (black with multicolored reflects) and Frosty B*tch (icy peach with multicolored reflects). I love the iridescence in this formula. Ve Glamour Magic Gloss Ve Glamour Magic Gloss in Innocent (PR)(Use code CORDELIA to save 10% at Ve). I love the multichrome iridescence of Innocent! The shimmer and finish are so eye catching and the color shift is strong. Even a very minimal layer of gloss gives gorgeous shine and dimension. I wish this had a red and blue version with the gorgeous iridescence. Black Moon Liquid Lipsticks Black Moon Liquid Lipsticks in Sorrow and Armageddon. Sorrow (blackened deep blue with flecks of artic blue) and Armageddon (blackened metallic red with flecks of copper and lavender) are two of my favorite lipstick colors and formula that Black Moon has created. I only ended up wearing Sorrow once while in New Zealand, but felt like I had to bring liquid lipstick with me. Flower Bitten Lip Stain Flower Bitten Lip Stain in Sass (blue pink). I wore this lip stain a few times while I was in New Zealand. I’m not sure I get the appeal of lip stains as they do wear off, but I love this specific cool toned blue pink hue. It’s a great color for me. Based on what I wore, I should have only packed the following lip products: Buxom Magnetic Mauve and Recharged Ruby lip pencils, Ve Innocent gloss, Kaleidos Penthouse gloss, Flower Sass lip stain, and Black Moon Sorrow liquid lipstick. Eyeliners and Eyeshadow Pencils I wanted to share swatches of the liquid eyeshadows, eyeshadow pencils, and eyeliners I brought with me. I also included swatches of 3 of my favorite Urban Decay eyeliners which did not go on the trip with me – Reflect, LSD and Alkaline. Silk Naturals Tour Loose Eyeshadow Silk Naturals Tour loose eyeshadow (use code CORDELIA to save 10% at Silk Naturals) is the perfect sheer black matte that is a dream to work with! I dye my brows blue black these days and use Tour on a slim angled brush to fill in any gaps in my brows. While Tour is also beautiful as an eyeshadow, it’s become my go-to product for filling in my brows. Kaleidos Sea Sparkle Epiphany Glow Melt-On Eyeliner I love the Kaleidos Epiphany Glow Melt-On Eyeliners (PR). Sea Sparkle, which shifts through silver, icy blue and denim blue, is gorgeous, especially when paired with other grey eyeshadows. Nyx the Brow Glue Nyx the Brow Glue in Clear. Now that I’m regularly tinting my eyebrows blue-black, I only need to fill them in minimally. I find they look best if I just use a clear brow glue to hold them in place. Nyx Epic Ink Liquid Liner Nyx Epic Ink Liquid Liner in Black. I love the look of a big black wing and iridescent eyeshadow with a bright red lip. Nyx’s Epic Ink Liquid Liner makes it easy to create that look. REM Midnight Shadows Lustrous Liquid Eyeshadow REM Midnight Shadows Lustrous Liquid Eyeshadow in Fembot. I love this liquid eyeshadow in specific. Fembot is a gorgeous shade that shifts to pink, blue, and violet from a mauve beige base. It gives a wet look that is eye brightening. I don’t know if these liquid eyeshadows are being discontinued or not, but they’re currently on sale at Ulta. Sigma Eyeshadow Primer Base in Bubbly Sigma Eyeshadow Primer Base in Bubbly. Bubbly is described as pinky peach champagne shimmer, and I find that highly accurate. It’s great for a minimal makeup look or as an eyeshadow primer. Fun Cosmetics Holo Boss Eyeshadow I love this eyeshadow so much! I brought it because we went to a festival while we were in New Zealand and the holographic rainbow effect was perfect! Just this eyeshadow all on its own plus black liquid liner was stunning. Julep Eyeshadow 101 Crème-to-Powder Waterproof Eyeshadow Sticks Julep Eyeshadow 101 Crème-to-Powder Waterproof Eyeshadow Sticks in Sand Shimmer (light beige champagne shimmer) and Vanilla Matte (light yellow beige matte). Sand Shimmer is the one I used the most. I like using these eyeshadow sticks as tinted eyeshadow primer bases and they look great with multichromes. They’re currently on sale right now and I’ve picked up Mint (cool-toned pastel green matte), Marigold (yellow gold matte), Periwinkle (blue-violet matte), Black Cherry (burgundy matte), Midnight (blackened blue), and Evergreen (blackened green). Please let me know if you want to see swatches. Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Waterproof Eyeliner Pencils Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Waterproof Eyeliner Pencils in Faux Doe, Cool Coyote, Space Cowboy and Perversion. I’ve purchased a few of the newer Urban Decay 24/7 eyeliners recently. Space Cowboy was disappointing to me because it’s too dark to use as an eye brightener, and I really can only use it as an eyeshadow or eyeshadow base. Cool Coyote pulls more brown than grey on me, which I did not expect, but is great for more subtle makeup looks and if you’re struggling for a color to put on your lower waterline that will enhance blue-green eyes without overwhelming them, it’s a good option. It’s a nice neutral-cool for me. Faux Doe is beautiful and perfect for eye brightening on my lower waterline. Perversion is perfection for matte black and great for tightlining at my lashline to make the most of my lashes.. Urban Decay Reflect (multidimensional golden green), LSD (deep navy blue with turquoise reflects), and Alkaline (deep wine matte) are three of my favorite UD 24/7 eyeliner pencil shades and they don’t get enough love from me! Thrive Causemetics Liquid Lash Extensions Thrive Causemetics Liquid Lash Extensions in Brynn. It’s no secret that this is my favorite mascara ever! It’s vegan, cruelty-free, tubing, and comes in lots of lovely hues including Black, purple, hot pink, green, and blue. I need them to make a burgundy wine shade! Singles Palette I brought this singles eyeshadow palette along to have a few of my Devinah shades with me. I needed Fairy Fire and Frost Bane, as I wear those two the most. Half-Magic Cheek Fluff Soft Blur Cream Blush Half-Magic Cheek Fluff Soft Blur Cream Blush in Pink Mushroom. I adore this hybrid cream to powder formula that is blurring on the cheeks and easy to blend. I wish it was more cool toned but it functions as a neutral warm blush for me. Devinah Pressed Eyeshadows Wearing Flower Beauty Sass lip stain with Devinah Fairy Fire on the eyes Devinah pressed eyeshadows in Fairy Fire, Frost Bane, Starfire, Lucius and Ethereal. (use code CORDELIA to save at Devinah) Here are the shades I had to take with me: Fairy Fire – yellow beige base with green to blue to turquoise shift Frost Bane – iridescent lavender pink with pink blue violet shift and iridescence Starfire – burgundy, violet pink, coppery orange, magenta Lucius – cool toned mauve plum matte Ethereal – cool toned muted nude taupe plum matte Fairy Fire and Frost Bane are eyeshadows that I wear weekly because they make me happy. I love the color shifts and how they catch the light. I love to use Starfire as an accent at the outer lid.  Ethereal works as a cool-toned muted nude taupe plum shade, which is a great crease color to make my blue green eyes pop. Lucius is a lovely berry mauve crease shade too. I always pack a singles eyeshadow palette made up of my favorite eyeshadow singles whenever I’m packing my best makeup for travel.  I always need shades like Fairy Fire and Frost Bane with me. BellaBeauteBar Morally Grey Palette Morally Grey Swatches on Fair Skin The BellaBeauteBar Morally Grey palette had to come with me because of the beautiful cool tones and iridescent shades. (use code CORDELIA to save at Bellabeautebar) Not a Villain, Moral Compass, Ambivalence, Indecisive, and Bittersweet were the eyeshadows used the most. See my Bellabeautebar Morally Grey Palette review here. Wearing Dead Roses Palette For the multiple video interviews that I did, I kept my makeup very minimal and neutral, using the BellaBeauteBar Morally Grey palette. Morally Grey is definitely one of the best makeup palettes for travel for neutral and smoky makeup looks. Bellabeautebar Dead Roses Palette I used the Bellabeautebar Dead Roses palette the most! Friend Zone, Not Yours, As If, Drop Dead, U Wish, Thank U Next, and UR the Worst were my most used shades. See my Bellabeautebar Dead Roses Palette feature. I wore the Bellabeautebar Dead Roses palette the most because of all the beautiful multichromes in it. It’s very easy to create a quick, eye catching look with a multichrome on the lid and crease, then using a matte shade to add definition at the outer corner. Jet Lag Jet lag has been brutal on the way back. Despite meticulously planning our return flight to get in around 9pm, our flights were delayed by several hours, pushing an already long 22 hour travel day past 24 hours. It’s taken me a week to get to where I feel something close to normal. I was sleeping for 12 hours at a time but never feeling truly restored. Main Difference Between New Zealand and the USA I’m so grateful to be able to visit New Zealand and experience what everyday life is like there. The easiest way I’ve found to describe the difference is that American culture is very ‘me’ focused, while New Zealand culture is very ‘we’ focused. And I prefer the ‘we’ focus, to make society a better place. That’s probably why I loved both Scotland and New Zealand, is that they are more ‘we’ focused with their cultures. Not enough people care about community, their neighbors, and people who are not like them in the USA. The lack of empathy is a real problem. I’m tired of having to explain to people why they should care about others who are not exactly like them. I’m exhausted that people don’t understand that we need to take care of the environment and not pollute it. It’s disgusting that there are individuals who think that those with chronic illness should just die and that vaccines don’t work. I’m #TeamScience all the way and horrified at what’s happening right now. Final Thoughts Unrelated, I’ve drastically cut back on my time on social media platforms. I check in on the Facebook Group five days a week and I’m on Reddit, but took all social media off my phone for my sanity. I’ve not been updating Instagram daily like I used to. Instead I’m reading as many books as I can manage so that I’m not doom scrolling. What are you doing for self-care and to protect your health? Are you part of a local community? More to See Source link

[thoughtportal]

Everywhere she goes, Michelle Buteau has a rapt audience. On a Wednesday afternoon in January, we’re at a double-­duty gay bar and gastropub in Brooklyn, talking over shoestring fries and coffee about her most recent stand-up special, which dropped New Year’s Eve on Netflix. Titled A Buteau-ful Mind, it was the first comedy show ever filmed by a woman at Radio City Music Hall. “It’s like going to church,” she’s saying of playing to the venue’s nearly 6,000 seats. “You gotta let the people in the back feel it.” But her eyes keep darting to a table nearby. A small dog is panting and straining at its lead to reach her. “He’s been staring at me this whole time,” Buteau says, blowing kisses his way. “Also a fan.” 

She quickly pivots the conversation to the “big, black, beautiful bitches” she has waiting for her at home, a black Lab-mastiff mix named Lola Falana and a Lab-pit-greyhound named Whitney Houston. When I show her a pic of my own pup, Katsu, she coos, “I’m gonna breastfeed Su.” It’s trademark Buteau: whip-fast, unfiltered, and a little raunchy — exactly as she is onstage and in her Netflix original series Survival of the Thickest, which returns for a second season March 27. 

The show is very loosely based on Buteau’s celebrated 2020 essay collection of the same name — a memoir of growing up in suburban New Jersey, her early jobs and comedy beginnings, dating, meeting her husband, and conceiving her kids, after much struggle, through IVF. In TV form, the story centers on Buteau’s Mavis Beaumont, a down-on-her-luck stylist who is forced to move to Brooklyn after a devastating breakup, only to find a wide breadth of friendship and community there (and also a lot of sex). Sex and the City it ain’t. This is real New York for and by real New Yorkers, all gentrification and shitty radiators and quirky roommates — something that Buteau says was top of mind when the series began production and filming on location in Brooklyn. 

“I wanted to show what it’s like to say yes to a life that’s not really yours,” she says. “So, the hot guy that’s on the come-up in TriBeCa with 30-foot ceilings and shit? He cheats on you. What’s your money gonna get you? It’s the one-and-a-half-bedroom in Crown Heights.…

“Which is a lovely neighborhood!” she adds, an outstretched hand preempting my defense of my home base. 

‘What is the work version of horny?’

Buteau’s comedy is rooted in self-empowerment with an eye toward silliness — relatability that never veers too far into self-­deprecation. She often calls herself “Beyoncé for government workers.” When I ask if she considers her work self-help, she responds, “Brené Brown Titties?” referencing the renowned expert on feeling feelings. “Yes!” 

While her comfortable perch on our Netflix menus may make Buteau seem like an overnight star to some, this moment has been years in the making. As Buteau puts it, “I’ve always been this freckle-faced bitch. It’s just that people are meeting me for the first time.” 

Buteau, 47, never planned for a life onstage. Growing up with an extremely religious Haitian father and a Jamaican mother, she says she felt like she wasn’t allowed to have a voice at home. Creative expression was not encouraged. She calls her mother her “ride-or-die” now (“The garden ain’t gray yet, but we out here”), but there was conflict when she was young, including an unfortunate incident with a few facial piercings that she paid for with her mother’s emergency credit card. 

She studied journalism in college at Florida International University, but it took less than three days working the overnight shift at a local news station in New York immediately following 9/11 for Buteau to pick up a microphone and try stand-up. She needed to feel something. The answer was making people laugh. 

She took a class with the American Comedy Institute, where she learned how to write a joke. (Her first effort, as she recently told Stephen Colbert: “Lines at Disney World remind me of my ex-boyfriend. Three hours of waiting for a two-minute ride.”) Then she booked gigs wherever she could get them — including doing a set as the opening act at a male strip club.

“The beauty of comedy is that it was this ragtag motley crew of fuckery,” she says, almost wistfully. “In the back of the room of any comedy club, one [person] is a lawyer. One works at Chipotle. We’re from all different walks of life, and we all have this common goal of getting up there and trying to make our dreams come true.” 

An onscreen career that started slowly, with credits on shows like Key & Peele, The Eric Andre Show, and Broad City, turned into a parade of sassy best-friend parts in rom-coms like Isn’t It Romantic, The Happiest Season, and Always Be My Maybe, with fellow comedian Ali Wong. Then there was the 2019 BET remake of First Wives Club; her first Netflix special, 2020’s Welcome to Buteaupia; a hosting gig on the pandemic-­favorite reality series The Circle; and finally, Survival of the Thickest, which she produces, writes, and stars in. It’s a lot, mostly because Buteau really loves working. 

“What is the work version of horny?” she says when I ask how she feels before it’s time for her to perform. “Excited — like, ‘Put me in, coach.’ It’s an eagerness, a productive anxiety, a second home.” 

All that work also has to fit alongside Buteau’s family life uptown in a bucolic neighborhood in the Bronx. Her twins with husband Gijs van der Most, Otis and Hazel, just turned six, and she’s currently trying to plan a birthday party that makes them both happy — hence the stress-reducing massage and facial she got before we met up. (“I had my sixth birthday party at a McDonald’s in Jersey, where we all got to go into the kitchen and make fries,” she says. “You couldn’t tell me shit. I was like the Blue Ivy of my fucking school.”) Compared to that monumental task, showrunning and filming and developing new material and doing interviews all seem downright relaxing. In fact, Buteau says, if she’s home for more than four days in a row she turns into “a Puerto Rican Kathy Bates” — see Misery — “like, ‘I’ve been in overalls for four days now. I have to go.’”

So, as usual, Buteau’s eye is already on to the next thing. In fact, she’s focused so far ahead that she keeps starting to mention new projects during our chat, and then realizing they’re not announced yet. The most she can safely divulge is a hint about the new episodes of Survival of the Thickest, which, she says, will see “a lot of elevating” for Mavis. “It’s giving bougie dreams with a bodega budget.”

While audiences eat that up, she’ll have her head down on something else. “I love it,” she says of her frenzied multitasking. “There’s nothing better than working a 16- to 19-hour day. Well, they’re not 19 hours anymore — thank you, strikes. But the whole point is you don’t want to feel like you’ve given your soul away. You want to feel like it’s feeding you.” 

[evoldir]

Fwd: Graduate position: UCentralFlorida.EvolutionParasiticWasps

Begin forwarded message: > From: evoldir@evol.biology.mcmaster.ca > Subject: Graduate position: UCentralFlorida.EvolutionParasiticWasps > Date: 10 November 2024 at 05:42:44 GMT > To: rdmpage@gmail.com > > > > University of Central Florida (UCF) > > The Sharanowski lab at the University of Central Florida is seeking > a Ph.D. student to work on comparative genomics and evolutionary > genomics projects, focusing on parasitic wasps in the superfamily > Ichneumonoidea. This research will be largely computational, working > on full genomes, and thus a strong background in programming would > be ideal, as well as course work in genomics, genetics, evolution, > molecular biology, and several courses that would provide a strong > statistical background.  Students with a biology, math, or a computer > science degree are highly encouraged. Students with Masters degrees and > previous publications are preferred. > > PhD students are supported via a graduate teaching assistantship (GTA) > from the Biology Department and are supplemented with summer salary > from the Sharanowski Lab for full support including health insurance > benefits. Interested applicants are encouraged to email Dr. Sharanowski > by November 15th with a > > a CV outlining research experience with 3 names of references > included please include your GPA on your CV > > and a short description of research interests including why you want to > join the Sharanowski Lab. > > Dr. Sharanowski will only contact suitable applicants for a zoom > interview to assess a good fit between the project and student and > advisor. Applications to UCF are due Dec 1st, 2024. International > applicants are welcome. The University of Central Florida is a large > university and a designated Hispanic serving institution. Students > from all backgrounds are encouraged to apply. Orlando is a diverse > and beautiful city and the department, campus and city have supportive > communities. > > Dr. Barbara Sharanowski > Professor, Department of Biology > University of Central Florida > barb.sharanowski [at] ucf.edu > > Barbara Sharanowski