Wondering

A couple of things, actually.

• Can you recommend me a good sunscreen?  I have been using Natio products for the past month, and I really like them. They are relatively cheap, but feel much more expensive. (I got a cleanser, mask and mousturiser in Life Pharmacy’s 20% off sale for $45 and a free gift.) Plus my skin looks and feels lovely. But the problem is, hardly any of their day creams have sunscreen. One does, but it is only SPF 15. My “porcelain skin” (thanks Jo!) requires higher protection than that. So. What do you use? Bearing in mind, it needs to be high SPF (30+), light enough to wear over moisturiser, but also good under foundation (and primer). And not to expensive, because in summer, I go through A LOT. Am I asking the earth?
• What do you use for dry lips? I have horribly dry lips at the moment, due, I think to the change in seasons. I got this, but it’s not great. What do you guys recommend?
• Have you got your tickets to this yet? If not, why not?

The gospel according to me.

Miss Hubris is touting me all over town as some kind of red lipstick expert.  Which, while untrue, is quite flattering, and good blog fodder.  So, ladies (and any gentlemen who think they can pull it off): Megan Wegan’s rules of red lips.

1. Find a colour that is right for you.  This is the most important thing.  There are blue reds and orange reds, and one or other of them will work with your complexion.  If you get this wrong it will be disastrous.  Every red lipstick I have owned has been sold to me by a make up artist, at either MAC or Napoleon. And I’m not shilling for either of those two, but seriously, MAC has the greatest colours, and their staff, while I understand they can be scary, will help you find a colour that works for you.  Seriously. (That one to the left, is probably my favourite, Napoleon Perdis’ Aphrodite.  I got it when I was having my makeup done, and I said to the artist, ‘I don’t really mind what you do, but I want harlot’s lips’.
2. Lip Liner: Use it.  It helps keep everything in place, makes your lippie last longer and makes it look more crisp.  And red lipstick needs fuller lips, so you can use a bit of artistry to make your lips appear bigger. Whatever you do, make sure your liner matches though.  There is nothing tackier than visible lip liner.
3. And if you have one, use a lip brush.
4. Red lips requires good skin.  If you your skin is not cooperating that day, use good foundation.
5. Keep the rest of your makeup light.  No stripey blusher, no smokey eyes.  Little bit of contouring and just a little mascara is all I usually wear.
6. A little bit of clear lip gloss in the middle of your bottom lip.  I’m not sure what this actually does but it looks cool.
7. Confidence.  Bright red lips takes some balls, and you are going to feel a bit like a clown.  It takes some practice, but a few nights out, a few compliments, and you will never look back.

Monday Morning Questions

1. Is a bridal shop charging a $50 fee to try on dresses the cheekiest thing ever?
2. Or is that a bar saying they don’t charge a venue hire, but they do charge a $300 non-refundable booking confirmation fee?
3. After seeing roller derby in real life for the first time, is it nuts that I now really want to do it?
4. Or is it that I want to be just like Pamie?
5. Or is it actually that it is an awesome mix of girliness, staunchness and athleticism?
6. Have you read my guest post over at The Pretty yet?
7. How long is this gorgeous Autumn weather going to last?
8. And have I just jinxed it by saying that out loud?
9. Is it weird that I have been for about 3 weeks without drinking more than a glass of wine?
10. Where would be the best place in Wellington to get my boot fixed (Wellingtonians?)
11. Can my Tarheels go all the way?
12. Should I write to L’Oreal to complain that the colour I dyed my hair is waaaay darker than was indicated on the box?
13. Would the coolest thing about doing roller derby be coming up with an awesomely puntastic name like “Rita Anguish” (seriously, best name ever)?
14. Or would it be being able to say “that’s how I roll” with a whole new dimension?

Why I never have any money

What you are looking at is the makeup from my everyday cosmetics bag. MAC foundation and bronzer, 4 MAC lipsticks, a couple of lip glosses, eyeshadows, Napoleon lippie and shadows, a lip brush that cost nearly $50.  Probably the cheapest thing on there is the bronzer brush, which was about $10 from the chemist (and it isn’t good – I need a better one).

I don’t want to think about how much money is contained in that little bag that I carry around every day.  And even less do I want to think about the 2 drawers full of hair and face products I only use on “special occasions.”

On Hair and Eyelashes

So, um, I cut my hair.  And I don’t mean I had a trim.  I mean, I cut off half of my hair.  My hair, my curly, frizzy, difficult hair, which used to be halfway down my back, is now chin length.  I did this advisedly*.  I knew shorter hair was going to be difficult to wrangle.  I knew it would mean getting up earlier, to put product in my hair, and straighten my fringe.  I intended it to be long enough to still go into a ponytail, but it isn’t quite.  It’s um, interesting.

I would never have let just any hairdresser do this to me.  I’ve had 2 great hairdressers in my life.   Erin, at Glory in Wellington is one of them.  I have suffered, for much of my 30 years, hairdressers that don’t understand curls.  That don’t get that however long it is when it’s wet, it will be much shorter when it’s dry. That there’s an angle at which to cut curls to make them sit better, that if it’s all the same length, my hair will turn into a triangle.

But Erin, and before her, Steve in Christchurch get curly hair.  So I trusted her to do something to my hair that frankly petrified me.  There are problems.  The aforementioned getting up early.  I can’t hide behind a thick curtain of hair anymore.  It just won’t go into a ponytail – but that will be fixed in a couple of weeks.  And I can hide behind my fringe now.  And I can wear dangly earrings AND wear my hair down, something I’ve never been able to do before. Straightening my hair will be sooo much quicker.  My hair is cut FOR my curls, instead of against them. It is going to take some time to get used to, because it is different to the hair I’ve had for years, but hey, Change is GOOD.  And hair?  It grows.  Fast.

Last night I went to a 20s party, (which I am sure the lovely Amy will write about soon) and the new hair was perfect for it?  Also perfect?  False eyelashes.  So many people commented on my lashes.  With half of htem asking if they were real, and the other half asking what mascara I use.  So ladies, I have a beauty tip for you.  Get yourself along to a MAC counter.  Buy a $24 pair of false eyslashes.  Have the girls apply them.  They’ll do it for free, several times. They are inexpensive, make such a difference. And are simply, completely glam.  Love.

Now, here’s the hair.  Taken from my phone, with barely any makeup on, and I am not really that ginger.  There’ll be a better photo eventually. The thing that has really surprised me is how many people have not noticed. Oh well, that’s the price I pay for always wearing my hair up.

Three different version: Emo/coy/smiley.

*Any men reading this are going “advisedly?  It’s just a haircut!  Calm down Wegan.”  To which I respond “Have you ever met a woman?”

Bits and bobs

Oh my god you guys. I had a facial yesterday, and you should too. It was incredible. It was the monthly special at Bodyscape. They describe it like this:

Self Renewal Face and Body Experience: Far more than a facial, this is the ultimate Aveda signature treatment. Our customised facial rejuvenates the skin while the upper body, hands and feet are massaged with Ayurvedic techniques to relieve stress and restore balance. Achieve a state of renewal and relaxation with this luxurious 90-minute treatment for only $80 this month (normally $120). Add our Total Eyes experience for another $20 (normally $50), and enjoy a wonderful two-hour treament for just $100. Total eyes involves an eyelash tint and an eyebrow shape and tint.

I would describe it thus:

“Snore”

Seriously. I was so relaxed I fell asleep. Which, for a person who has trouble falling asleep on a couch in her own home, is impressive. Falling asleep, half naked, under a towel, with a stranger touching you is, well, um unusual. And that I drifted off while said stranger was touching my feet: nothing short of miraculous.

The only bad thing was the excessive use of lavender (which I hate) in the Aveda products. And that 24 hours later and my skin still feels slightly oily – though I haven’t broken out like I often do after facials. And the eye plucking and tinting is good.

Seriously. You should ring them now and book. No, right now. There’s only a week left of the special. And you neeed to have this facial.

The other thing that is making life good this week (because this week, I really want to drink) is Puhoi Valley yoghurt. Seriously, so so good. So good I am scared to look at the nutritional information, because i think it must be so bad for me. But it’s yoghurt and I need calcium. Or something.

The other thing is that I seriously love the weather in Wellington at the moment. I know I’m in a minority, and everyone else is wet and windswept and grumpy, but I love stormy weather. So there.

Right, that’s all from me today. An update tomorrow on dryly – a week to go! and a frock.

Beauty Tips

Not to toot my own horn, claim that I am particularly beautiful (if at all), or to stomp all over Amy and Jo’s territory, but I thought I would share some things that make my morning routine a little easier, and .

• Brush your teeth in the shower. It’s faster, you use less water, and it’s an excuse to stay in the shower that little bit longer.
• Always take your makeup off before bed, and before you exercise – or just once you don’t need it. I don’t actually do much to my skin – i moisturise when I remember, I cleanse if I notice my cleanser in the shower, I always wear sunscreen, and I always take my makeup off. No matter how drunk I am.
• Instead of expensive cleansing wipes, use baby wipes – fewer perfumes, soft cloth, and about 1/3 the price. They also make taking off nail polish much easier (and you use less remover) for some reason- even bright red.
• Get your clothes ready the night before. Saves time in the morning, and means you don’t run the risk of looking like you got dressed in the dark because of morning clothing-related rushing mishaps.
• Wear clothes that fit.
• Elizabeth Arden 8 hour cream, Kerastase heat protecting cream stuff, Origins Never a Dull Moment scrub, and Have a Nice Day mousturiser and Paul Sebastian (i think) curl stuff, MAC concealer, and Napoleon “Dallas” lip shine are my go-to products
• Headbands hide a multitude of hair sins, and have the added bonus of being cute. Or make you look like a ballerina, as I was told the other day. Which made me laugh loudly.
• Wear whatever the hell you want. Seriously. Someone once told me that hoop earrings bigger than a 50c piece make you look like a slut. The earrings I’m wearing right now – much bigger than that. Because who cares – if you like it, and you like how you look in it, wear it.
• Which leads me to my only real hint. When it comes to cosmetics and makeup – use whatever you like. I’m not sure that expensive cosmetics are any better than cheaper ones. But, for me, I love the ritual that goes with buying my make up from MAC and Napoleon (and I do believe that Viva la Glam is the best lipstick). I love the smells and the packaging, and the haughty staff. And thus, putting my makeup on makes me feel good. And what makes you feel good and confident, will make you look good. If that’s supermarket cleanser, vaseline and Maybelline Great Lash, fantastic. If it’s Clinique, and Estee Lauder and gold flecked eyeshadow, and you can afford it, more power to you. Beauty magazines only exist to sell you things, and if they make you feel bad about yourself, what’s the point. Experiment, practice, find what works for you, and remember – makeup and hairstyles are meant to be fun. Makeup is basically painting on your own face. How can that not be fun?

And because my friends are ever so pretty (even if they do disagree with me on some things), I canvassed them for their tips:

From Em:

Wear sunscreen. If nothing else, wear sunscreen because it stops you getting wrinkles. If only I could take my own advice.

Also, don’t listen to people who tell you not to wash your hair everyday. If you need to, then do it. Better than looking greasy.

From Nadi:

ummmmm get lots of sleep? no so likely in this job. I dunno how well it works, but i put bio oil on my face at night, and my skin always feels very soft in the morning….yeah, i got sucked in by their low-rent ads, clearly.

From Carla:

My beauty tip is to invest in good skincare products rather than make up, but that may be because I can never be bothered faffing around with foundation or whatever. Ooh, and cleanse, tone and moisturise twice daily (sorry that was 2 tips. Choose your favourite!)

Laura says:

well, I cleanse, tone and moisturise every day and i wear an spf moisturiser during the day and an eye cream.

i also exfoliate once or twice a week and i mask, depending on how my skin feels i either use a clensing, hydrating or exfoliating mask.

in winter i sometimes add a bit of rosehip oil on dryer areas.

bodywise i use a sugar/salt scrub once or twice a week and use bodyoil.

Claire filled up my inbox with the following:

My beauty tip was passed to me by my Mum: do not scrimp on the quality of the make-up you use, no matter if it’s pricey. Good make up makes a difference – it looks, feels and lasts better.

.. and can I add, my Mum always looks awesome!

oh and Mum also recommends wearing make-up in general (when it’s appropriate) even if you can’t be bothered applying it, because it’s good when people make an effort to look nice.

And then Gilly and Caroline carried on a whole conversation:

Gilly: Oh dear…I don’t think I’m the best person to ask!

I guess my tip would be trilogy rosehip oil – it’s a cheap night
‘cream’, seems to do what it says, and smells real nice

Caroline: My two faves are

Elizabeth Arden 8 Hour cream. I have had my tube for about 3 years and it still hasn’t run out. Cures everything from dry lips to flaky cuticles to dry heels

and

Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant. Gets rid of oily build up, blackheads and tired skin, leaving me feeling polished and fresh.

Gilly: oh yeah that microfoliant is awesome!

I also love my l’occitane shea butter hand cream (cute travel size good for handbag) and trilogy everything balm (which is kinda like 8 hour cream )

Caza: i love balms

Thanks you guys!

And while are on things pretty, I thought I would share some cupcake porn. Gilly and I gave Carla a dark Chocolate and raspberry cupcake from tempt. So pretty (sorry about the photos, I had to take them from my phone). I love that they come individually boxed, and are just so pretty! Carla’s reaction: “cupcake is off the heezy”

And then, for her birthday, Clare and I sent Gilly a dozen cupcakes from the cupcake parlour. Around $65 to send a dozen cupcakes from the South to the North Island. I’d give you an exact price, but I’d have to check my credit card statement, and that’s something I studiously avoid doing. Anyway, so pretty, and so many! Gilly reports they were really good.

Right, I’m done pimping bakers now. Go buy someone (preferably me) a cupcake and tell them they are beautiful.

Oh, and one last beauty tip: Smile. That’s it, just smile.