It is almost time to vote thank GAWD!  If you can vote and you choose not to because you think your vote will not count, come up with a better reason than that!  Do you really want to listen to soccer mom VP speeches for the next four years?  Do you want to watch an aging republican war lover with baby arms crack jokes before our eyes for the next possible eight years?  I certainly do not.  If you feel compelled to vote for McCain/Palin, make sure you do your research before you make that decision because it is not one you can take back.

If you are a republican, do some research before you just go vote republican.  Have you not stopped to think about Sarah standing there by her puppet string fumbling for words?  She fancies herself a common woman with a family.  A hockey mom that is so down to earth… okay.  I do not necessarily want to relate to the President or Vice President.  They are supposed to be the best person for the job and should we expect that they would be categorized with average people?  If you are a woman reading this, don’t fall for her silly simple woman updo and red leather zip up early 90’s leather jacket.  Read between the lines.  Consider what is best.  Ever election says “it is time for a change.”  This time is it time for a BIG change.  Don’t be persuaded by a woman or the republican party.  Don’t shy away from the word democrat or from skin color.  It is easy to see who is the best candidate for the way the world is shaped today.  Think about it.

Being an expert at applying makeup does not have to be an all day affair or even require twenty different products.  I have a chest full of sparkley shadows, creamy foundations and hot lipsticks that would last me the rest of my life if their shelf life could only be as long as mine.  The every day staples that I utilize are not costly or high maintenance.  There are times when you need to be more dressed up and this is when you should delve into different options, but for everyday wear and tear, most of us are in a hurry.

I look for products that say “oil free” and “non comedogenic.”  I have more of an oily complexion and don’t need the added oils.  You may have a different complexion with different needs, but if your skin is sensitive like mine you should look for those things as well.

Things I never run out of:

Neutrogena Acne Prone oil free cleanser.  This does the trick.  Cleanses, rinses nicely and treats blemishes.

Neutrogena oil free toner.  I like using an astringent because it creates a nice canvas for my makeup to play on.

Aveeno spf 55 lotion.  Never underestimate the sun- or absence of sun.  I tanned for years and now I truly regret it.  It is extremely aging to your skin and an spf should be applied daily.

Aveeno eye treatment to brighten dark circles.  Why?  Because this moisturizes under the eye where many wrinkles are possible and also because I never get enough sleep

Primer.  Most brands now are coming out with what they call a foundation primer.  It is not just an excuse to get you to buy a new product.  I have tried it and this actually helps conceal imperfections before the foundation gets to it, it also creates a beautiful canvas for the foundation to lay upon and helps your makeup last longer throughout the day.  Ever been out all day and felt like your makeup was melting or evaporating?  This actually helps.  I have tried a few brands.  Rimmel has a primer that is decent.  If you want to spend a little more money and buy the best, Makeup Forever has a great primer and it is completely worth it.  You can find that at Sephora.com.  I apply primer with clean fingertips, gently patting the primer onto the skin.  Do not rub this and massage it into your face.  It is makeup not massage oil.

If you use the primer, you can then go directly to the Foundation.  Don’t bother with a concealer.

Foundations vary and you should always have a nice one.  If you use a shitty foundation, don’t expect great results.  The finishes also vary.  Some are more shiny, some more sheer, some more matte.  Some you can apply sheer, but achieve a studio finish.  If you are buying from the drugstore, I like Neutrogena acne treatment.  If you are spending more, try Trucco Sebatian (my favorite) or Makeup Forever.  When you are applying foundation use a makeup sponge.  Do not reuse these!  Buy a package of them at the drugstore and after each use dispose of them.  They are inexpensive and there is no need to use bacteria ridden sponges which can irritate your skin.  Dampen the sponge with a little water (I use a spray bottle) and apply foundation with light patting motions sweeping upward.  Imagine trying to give yourself a face lift.

Do not ever underestimate your eyebrows.  To have none would look ridiculous.  Many people overpluck them and my preference it a tailored more prominent brow.  Tweeze hairs that are out of place, but remember when you pluck or wax, the hair will not always come back.  I have an aunt who has no eyebrows from consistently plucking them all away in the 60’s and 70’s.  You can use a pencil, cream, or wax, or shadow with wax.  Pencil gives a definite line so you have to be careful when blending otherwise you could look too Mommy Dearest.  If you have a shadow that is a nice shade you could use that for your brows- not just eye shadow.  I always choose a color that is either the color of my hair, or a little darker.  Fore example, even when my hair was blonde, I still opted for a darker shade because it just framed my face better.

Eyeshadow come in many forms.  There are pressed powders, pigments, creams, liquids and more.  I like powders and pigments.  I hate creams and liquids because even when they promise to not crease, they still do.  I like a light shadow with a little shimmer for my brow bone and for a basic every day face.  Mac Vanilla is my choice because for it’s cost, it lasts forever and only a little is needed.  It is lovely by itself or you can layer it and it transforms into a nice evening shadow that you can add darker colors to.

Liners are one of my favorite tools.  A little lines the eye and gets you notices, but you can really make a dramatic statement with liner.  For everyday use I like Prestige liquid black liner, but black is a dramatic and harsh statement especially past a certain age.  Browns are very forgiving and very complementary to most people.  If a liquid liner is difficult for you to use, try a soft pencil, but don’t skip it all together.  Coppers are nice for most eye colors as well.

Mascara comes in many different colors.  I am a basic black kind of girl.  Browns are forgiving and navy blues really help the white of your eye stand out.  Waterproof or regular?  I like waterproof for the bottom lashes and regular for the top.  If I am in for a long day or evening I use only waterproof.  It took me a long time to get used to using waterproof because it is a little more work to get it off.  The plus of using this, is you don’t have to worry about it creeping down your face later in the evening.  Ever looked in the mirror after being out for a few hours and wondered how those black lines appeared under your eyes without liner?  Well, give it a shot.  There are a million mascaras out there that promise to do many things.  There are also a million models with gorgeous fake lashed modeling mascara.  Hmmm.  I go for the fake upper lash and Mabeline waterproof mascara.  Very basic.

I love blushers.  I think a lot of people skip blush because they think it will make their face look fat, but if you are having a drab day this can really bring your face to life.  I make a fish face (to find the hollow of my cheeks) and lightly apply with a brush a warm tan color upwards towards the outer edge of my eyebrows.  This will make my cheekbones stand out a bit more than they would on there own.  Then i choose a color like a soft pink or peach and apply that to the apple of my cheeks.  You can also use highlighters, but be careful because shimmery powders and liquids can help flaws stand out.  I like powders more than creams because I already have an oily complexion.  If you have more of a normal skin type opt for a cream and play around with it.  A nice liquid blush is by a brand called Benefit.  The product named Benetint is beautiful and you can also use this is a lip stain.  Genius!

Lips should always be moisturized!  Don’t let them go crusty and chapped.  Who will want to kiss you then?  I like to go with either a dramatic eye with a neutral and understated lip or a understated eye with a dramatic lip.  Glosses are nice to help plumpen up the lip.  Wet N’ Wild has a nice plumping gloss- the best one I have found from the drug store and it is cheap!  In other words, I will not have on false lashes with black liner and green shadow with gold flecks and wear a serious red lip.  It looks so over done and will take away from the eye.  If you go with an understated lip, you can find shades that are matte and so neutral it will almost look bare.  For an instant pick me up red lips always make me feel glamorous and there are so many different shades that there will be one perfect for you.  Be careful if you are going for a glossy red lip because you don’t want bleeding to occur.  I sometimes you a liner and sort of smudge it into my lips as opposed to using a red lipstick because I know it will stay without me touching it up or worrying about it.  Prestige has a nice red/orange called Poppy.  Super bright and not for everyone, but I love it.

Do have fun with your makeup and see what a difference it can make.  The idea isn’t to look really done up, but to shine a light on your best features.  Don’t let it do the opposite because that is possible as well.  Keep your makeup clean and always dispose of your makeup sponges daily.  Keep your brushed clean.  Cleanse your face each night from makeup.  No matter how tired you are never ever skip this step.  Use eye makeup remover to rid the liner and mascara and a cleanser and toner and moisturizer for the rest of your face.

Obviously when it comes to color, I have tried many many different brands and approaches.  There is almost no one answer to which one is the very best because this really depends on your hair and the design aspect, also the color you are trying to achieve.  Many people ask me what pink I use on my hair.  The answer varies depending on the photo you are viewing.  I have tried many pinkish colors.  I wish there was a permanent version of this hue, but it does not exist at this time.  Perhaps in the future, scientists will invent a color that lifts the level of hair and deposits a lovely shade of magenta with the vibrancy and shine of pink nail polish, but for now we must all settle for bleaching and depositing in to separate steps to achieve a semi permanent look.

What you should know before you start a project like this is IT WILL NOT LAST.  Obtaining an artificial color of this nature will only stay vibrant like this for about five (or less) shampoos.  What you are left with is a lighter stain with much less vibrancy.  This is very high maintenance.  If you are having this professionally done  (which being a professional I would recommend) be prepared to have it decolorized (bleached) in the area you want to be the artistic color.  Then after that, the color is usually applied to damp towel dried hair.  The reason to apply this damp is to help achieve an even coverage.  When you bleach the hair it chemically alters the strand and puts little holes into the hair.  The dampness of the hairs acts as a “filler” and will sit in the little holes in the hair that way when the color is applied it will be more of an even effect instead of possibly looking splotchy or lighter and darker in different areas.  Some colors look pretty as they fade such as different blue tones.  They appear light and almost silverish which can be pretty and allow more time in between applications.  I apply my color about once a week, at the very least once every other week.  This is what it takes to maintain vibrancy.  Also be prepared to use shampoo and conditioner for color treated hair otherwise you will waste all of your efforts.  I wash my hair on average once or twice a week.  If you are not used to something like this, you will feel like it is dirty at first, but this is actually better for your hair and your color.  If you wash it everyday your color will be faded by the end of the week.

I have tried Joico color, Manic Panic, Wella Blondor Creative Color, Jeans Color, Paul Mitchell Inkworks, and Rusk Scream just to name a few.  I have achieved beautiful results from each of these, but did not find that one of them faded more or less than the other.  Which is the best for you?  Well, it depends on which shade you like best.  For a dark blue I like Paul Mitchell Inkworks.  For more of a matte blue I like the Wella Blondor Creative.  For a more greenish blueish teal, I like the Joico color.  So, it really just depends.  My search for the perfect pink has been fearless and thorough, meaning I have tried countless brands, but this was to find the perfect shade for me.  My favorite is Paul Mitchell Inkworks hot pink.

For the record, I have not abandoned this site.  My power was out for a week because I live in Michigan and it is gay.  Currently, I am trying to use as much electricity as possible to make up for the loss of the week.  I will be posting more today.  Have any questions for me, let me know.

This is not a how to sight.  I do hair professional so my advice would be to have your color done professionally.  I will tell you this, I have tried many many many colors and brands in my little lifetime.  I am an experimental girl.  Vibrant artistic colors are achieved by prelightening (bleaching) the hair first, then applying color.  When you see color swatches they are also on prelightened hair so do not expect to get similar results unless you are doing the same.  Everyone has their favorite and if you are experimenting, you will probably find yours as well.  I have tried all of the ones that are not considered professional use only and their results were not as beautiful as the other ones.  Don’t kid yourself or settle for some shitty product because you don’t want to spend money.  I’ve tried Rusk Scream, Paul Mitchell Inkworks, Joico colors, Wella Blondor Creative Colors, Jean Colors, they all produce similar results, kick ass color and instant attention.  Don’t expect any of them to last long.  These colors are semi permanent and they only last a few washes.  After that, they will be very faded.  I am not the type to go around with faded hair, so with these colors, I was washing my hair very VERY minimally (this is a must) using great products and doing my hair every two weeks.  It is extremely high maintenance.  If you are not prepared for that, don’t do it.  Any of these work great and though one may promise to last a little longer, it won’t.  It does not exist at this time because if it did, I would be using it.  As for the nature of the colors itself, I like the Inkworks.  The colors come out gorgeous.

Each day I wake up and know exactly what I am dealing with.  I am not unhappy being me.  Of course there are my dark insecurities that I try to keep at bay because I know they are insignificant, but at times they creep up and I begin to dwell.  Most of the time though, I feel pretty damn good.  Since I spend a lot of my time in an industry based on illusions and outward beauty, it is easy to notice all of the shortcomings that others believe they have.

Day after day I spend with girls of all ages and they each share just one thing in common… there is something physical about themselves that they hate.  One particular girl that is a real beauty, believes that she is fat.  When I hear her say this, I quickly look around to see if there is actually anyone standing around that is in fact obese.  If they were to hear her say this, they would probably think she has a serious problem, which maybe she does.  If she were to lose any weight she will almost disappear altogether.  Other girls are looking forward to saving up money to get breast implants.  Is there not something better to spend money on.  At 18 or 19, is this the largest goal for you?  Some girls get nose jobs at 16 years of age, like it is a right of passage.  I saw an 8 year old getting a highlight.  Something just does not seem right.

I love beauty and the industry.  It feels good when you know you look good or others are telling you that you are gorgeous.  It just seems like kids are starting out so young these days.  If I were 8 when I had my first highlight, I probably would not have any hair by now.  If I were 16 and had a nose job, it would probably just make me thing there could be other permanent improvements.  If I lost a lot of weight I would lose my curves that I believe are feminine and inviting.

Some days you just wake up and and know that it will be a day that you are not feeling like a goddess, but those are usually days where there are also internal conflicts.  It would be nice to see other girls appreciating themselves more and appreciating other females more.  Instead of being so harsh on ourselves, or other females, we could try a little kindness instead.

This week, check the gallery for new photos.  I am getting ready for post new ones of my current style of blond with black dimension.  Who doesn’t need a change once in a while ?

Have you ever witnessed someone doing something questionable in a public bathroom? Something that maybe you would only do at home, in your own bathroom, or something you would never think about doing in a bathroom? Well, I have. I see it every day and I have been noticing it for years. Things I have seen in the bathroom are both baffling and enlightening.

In public bathrooms, girls are known for traveling in teams right? When you are out for the night do you ever witness two girls going at the same time? Well, here are some of the things that are happening while behind closed doors. Make-up, potty, smoking cigarettes, drinking alcohol, making out, making fun of the guys they are with, talking about the guys they want to be with, or talking about going home with the guy they just met, doing drugs, bitching about other girls exactly like them, one pisser and one stander/starer conversationalist, throwing up, eating food (yeah), doing the dirty. Yes, I have actually seen all of that. Personally one of the worst things that happened to me in the bathroom (get ready for the baffling) was at a bar that I went to all of the time. I was attempting to escape a jerk and also use the bathroom. I heard someone come in, but I assumed they were just standing there waiting (since there was only one stall), when I heard giggling and I looked up to see the jerks face hovering above the stall. He was actually standing on top of the sink to watch me. I stood up (because I had to pull my pants up) and kicked open the stall door, but he was standing in the way trying to kiss me. This is another reason girls travel in teams. It was an unpleasant experience to say the least- and most unpleasant a few years after the fact when I saw him working at a bar that I went to all of the time (when I was still on the drink) and had to relive the experience through awkward conversation. That was baffling.

And then there is enlightenment… I once sat in the same bathroom (when I was sober) as I did for the peeping tom experience and read the graffiti on the walls. Layers upon layers of things that made so much sense for a night- to never be understood again, or legible for that matter. Right before my eyes, in tiny little writing (it’s almost unbelievable that I noticed this) I saw “_____ ________ is a dick face predator.” I was actually sort of dating the dude at the time, but we were more or less just friends. It was enlightening because it was something that I could never get out of my mind and I knew if someone was passionate enough to write this on a bathroom wall, there must be something to it. It saved me some trouble because I imagined him to be riddled with std’s and a rapist wit, after that. It turns out that he doesn’t have std’s and he is not a predator or even a dick face, but he really pissed someone off and I do not like being that pissed.

Five days a week, seven hours a day, I am around females and see their bathroom behavior. Some are eating food, maybe a new way of multi-tasking. I can hear the sound of chips crunching and wrappers crinkling as I quickly try to make the best of the situation. People talk on cell phones, pick at their faces, paint their nails, sit and talk, talk about other people, toilet text message, and draw pictures of phallic symbols on the wall because what else would you do in a bathroom.

• I was born in later summer/early autumn and I was a little tiny kitten.
• My mom named me after a Hall and Oates song- insert barf sound here.
• When I was little, I had four alter egos… Linda Carter Wonder Woman (had to be the whole name), Cinderella, Evita and Hanna. There were periods of time when I would only answer to these names.
• I was a ballerina- tiny dancer
• I loved Jell-O Pudding Pops
• I can play the Oboe, Flute, Clarinet, a little bit of Trumpet and I know my way around a Piano. I can also sing, but I get embarrassed.
• I was a cheerleader
• I was the Homecoming Queen in High School, but I thought I had like two friends and my guy friends, the geek squad.
• I am a recovering alcoholic with three years of sober life.
• I love nerdy things.
• I love kewl things.
• I was once known as the “kissing bandit.”
• Music inspires my mood.
• My breasts are real, as well as my lips, and teeth.
• I just had scrambled eggs with cheese for dinner because I’m f-in punk.
• I’m either such a combination of everything that I mesh well with everyone, or I am in my own world and everything is superficial.
• Teachers once told my mother that I was very intelligent, but I seemed to be in my own world most of the time.
• I love animals and if I could have a farm I would start buying animals right now.
• I used to be an artist and I was really good at what I was doing, until my dad told me I had to choose something else to do because I could never make a living doing it.
• Now I am doing hair- a different form of the art I originally started many years ago.
• I have lived more than you- even if you are older than me.
• I have had the most amazing things happen to me and literally the lowest of the low.
• I was in the slammer.
• I may have squirted a cop with mustard before. That’s what you get for saying “nice tubes.” Moron.
• Super Mario Bros. is my all time favorite game. It doesn’t matter if something cool comes out in the future. Mario will still be my fave.

There are so many, but I will now take a break and get back to this another time. Fun Facts are cramping my brain.

That doesn’t mean that you should wear shorts when it is fifty degrees outside.  I really don’t understand this phenomenon.  It’s like this idea that people have that it is spring, therefore, shorts must be worn!  Don’t you have pants?  I was almost dressed in winter gear today.  Dude, just save them for when it is really nice out.  It will happen, just wait for it.