Started From the Bottom, Now I'm HAIR!

Hey, guys!  And so... without much fanfare or ballyhoo... my hair has quietly decided to reward me for my efforts.  After keeping a diligent regimen of cutting, trimming and "soft styling", I have finally reached the personal hair length goal I set for myself a little while back.  Boob-wise, my hair no longer rests on the "peaks", but rather in the "valleys", if you will.  I am officially a couple of inches past bra strap, which I think is pretty neat-o!  Now, to all you waist-length Rapunzels out there, this may sound like no biggie.  But for me, it's quite a feat considering I started off with hair that just touched the tops of my shoulders a few years ago and had to make significant chops many times along the way!  It feels pretty darn good to set a goal and reach it.  And I must say that I am very pleased with the results...   

I wanted to take a pic in a light shirt so that you could see the thickness of my hair.  Thickness, to me, is way more important than length because it denotes your hair's overall health.  Maintaining a consistent thickness throughout instantly makes your hair look longer no matter what its actual length is.  Working from the middle outwards, my hair goes from blunt to lightly layered, forming a flattened out "U" shape.  And below is a pic in a dark shirt so you can better see the shine.

 

 

Well, there you have it!  And to think... my journey to healthier, longer hair pretty much started after I had gotten the shortest haircut I'd ever gotten in my life!  Led by a strong referral, I walked into a salon some moons ago and gave the stylist carte blanche with my hair.  My only request was that it would be long enough to put into a ponytail.  I originally went in there for color, but she - instead - opted to cut it all off, shearing my mid-back locks to shoulder-length.  The haircut she gave me was the bomb, though!  I rocked it proudly for a while and did not bemoan for a single minute my missing inches.  But then she all of a sudden closed up shop and disappeared.  And so I let it grow out, this time with a serious determination to maintain its health AND gain length at the same time... on my own.

So now that I've attained my desired hair length goals, what's next?  Well, believe it or not, I may cut it.  I mean, I guess I can try for waist length since I'm almost there, but I dunno.  I may get too antsy to wait that long; someone may have to hide the scissors from me!  And I still want some color!  A light caramel of some sort.  But we'll see.  In the meantime, I'm happy.  I've come a mighty long way, baby!  I started from the bottom... and now I'm HAIR, y'all!  Growing it out has been a modest labor of love, but it's been soooo worth the effort.  #MISSIONACCOMPLISHED!  (And how!)  

Barbie: My Scene

You know, there's nothing wrong with changing things up once in a while.  Exaggerated eyes with a profusely plumped up pout, she's an obvious break from the traditional Barbie aesthetic.  Upon their novel debut some years ago, Bratz dolls - with their overplayed facial features and funked out fashions - rode an overwhelming wave of popularity as the new "IT" girls.  Armed with youthful bravado and sass, they let their presence be known with a rebel yell.  As a response, the line of My Scene dolls was born, giving direct notice that Barbie (and friends) could be just as hip as the "new girls" on the "doll block".  Out of the many iterations that came from the line, I did grab a few.  But right now, if you're at all interested, I'd like to tell you a little bit about one of the originals.

No stranger to the elements of funk, Barbie decided to take it "old school", getting totally "funkdafied" in a burgundy leather jacket with a faux fur core and split flared sleeves.  Underneath it all is a gauzy, printed tee.

She decided to match the "up top" funk with something just as groovy "down below":  cream leather bell-bottoms with a serious set of split flares as well.  Burgundy wine seams with thick trimming at the waist earns her a few extra notches on the groove-o-meter.

On her feet are a pair of chunky heeled, over-the-ankle platform boots.

And hanging from her shoulder to help keep her unmentionables from being mentioned is a brown leather satchel.  A mean throwback to the 60s, it has a snap closure with whipstitching along the edge of its flap.

Her remaining accessories (in addition to the scarlet red shades perched atop her head) are a pair of silver hoops...

... and a silver belly chain.

Not only does she come sporting a groove-tastic outfit, but she comes with one to spare!  Perfect for a quick change without the fuss, she has a printed bandeau, "barely there" leather mini and flower-printed go-go boots to round out the surplus ensemble.

With her water-blue eyes and cushioned lips already on the bold and overly expressive side, Barbie decided to keep the makeup slightly more subtle.  However, that doesn't totally rule out the use of frost in her mind as she adds a little pink pizazz to both to help up the ante without going too overboard. 

So there you have it!  The My Scene dolls were a whole new visual take on Barbie (spurred on by a dose of healthy competition) and, for me at least, I think it worked.  I don't think they still make the line here in the states, but may have some editions available overseas.  Whatever the case, I'm just glad I was able to get my hands on the ones that I do have and am overjoyed to have them, including this saucer-eyed beauty, as part of my collection!

Friday Flashback: Packed To Go

You know, usually if I'm not totally in love with something - or at least in strong "like" - I have no problems with promptly returning it.  However, I have to admit that this little palette kept me emotionally hostage in a saga-sized quandary for a very long time.  Oh, all the back and forth!  Should I keep it?  Can I make it work?  Should I make it work?  Ugh!  I just couldn't take it anymore!  So I ended up keeping it... in a drawer... kinda out of sight.  But, as you guys are already aware, I'm not too keen on keeping stuff just for the sake of having it.  I've got to use what I got; I refuse to have a "makeup museum" of sorts.  And so I have unpacked the Packed To Go palette (Warm, Smoky edition) from MAC and decided to make a concerted effort to show the palette some love. 

Packed To Go was a limited edition release from MAC that compiled six eyeshadows into one palette.  Color coordinated to create smoky eye looks, there were two versions: Warm and Cool.  Since the latter had shades of berries/purples (of which I have an abundance), I opted for the former, which includes MAC staples Shroom, Tempting and Naked Lunch.  Housed in a simple black case, it came equipped with a mirror as well as a handy little brush to use on the go.

(Top Row, L to R: Shroom, Naked Lunch, Tempting)

(L to R: Shroom, Naked Lunch, Tempting)

(Top to Bottom: Shroom, Naked Lunch, Tempting)

(Bottom Row, L to R: Greensmoke, Stormy Love, Showstopper)

(L to R: Greensmoke, Stormy Love, Showstopper)

(Top to Bottom: Greensmoke, Stormy Love, Showstopper)

I thought perhaps after many moons of not even giving it a glance that swatching Packed would incite some type of creative fire in me.  Maybe "hope" is a better word.  But, to the contrary, it has only awakened my ambivalence for the sextet of shadows.  Outside of Greensmoke (a gritty, iceberg green) and Stormy Love (a slightly more saturated version of MAC's duplicitous green/brown Club), there are no standouts for me.  And the color payoff left me pretty unimpressed, especially from Shroom and Naked Lunch. 

Technically, MAC does not have a a time statute on returns (at least that's what the customer service rep told me over the phone).  And although I am not totally in love or "like" with this palette, I'm going to tough it through and make it work.  Showstopper's brown is, no doubt, universal and I can definitely see Greensmoke as an overlay atop another, so there are options.  I just wish it had lived up to its hype for me.  If only...

But I'll make it work.  You'll see.  I'll pair it with some superstars... get the right bases underneath.  Oh, yes, you'll see.  I will definitely make it work!