I have followed Jenna Mourey, better known as Jenna Marbles, for a while now. She is original, irreverent, and cusses like a drunken sailor, which I totally dig. If you don’t know who this YouTube sensation is by now, I STRONGLY suggest that you look her up on YouTube. You will be amazed. One of her videos has gotten over 64 MILLION views. That’s crazy.
Since I have recently indulged in different lash enhancements like professional lash extensions and Latisse, I was pretty amused when I stumbled across Jenna’s video on what a girl’s eyelashes mean. Check it out and enjoy the laughs!
Ever since I was a little girl, I have loved rings. They were always my favorite items of jewelry, and would always catch my eye. My mother was aware of my fascination for rings, because every time we went to one particular toy store in a local mall, I would make a beeline for the collection of costume rings which were always by the register. Occasionally, she would tell me to pick one out, and she would buy it for me. I treasured those rings, and still have one crafted of faux aquamarine in a box of collectibles to this day.
My two core teachers during first through third grades (at Montessori, I had the same core teachers for the three years I was there), Miss Umholtz and Mrs. Austin, also loved rings. Miss Umholtz would change things up every week, so that a different group of unique silver rings would adorn her long, slender fingers. On my last day of school at Montessori, Mrs. Austin gave me a gift: a tiny cloisonne heart ring. That ring also sits in my collectibles box, along with the faux aquamarine ring.
As my own personal style began to emerge over the years, I discovered that I preferred wearing many rings at one time over just wearing one or two. By the time I was 20, I adopted the habit of wearing at least 3 rings at a time. The only exception to this was when I was married. During those years, at the stern suggestion of the man I married, I only wore my wedding ring on my left ring finger, and I wore my college ring (which was given to me by my mother) on my right hand. Once my marriage was over, however, my habit of stacking and adding rings slowly but surely crept back.
I now wear between five and seven rings at a time. At one point, before I got married, I wore ELEVEN rings on my fingers. I love the feel of silver or platinum around my fingers. Interesting or unique designs will always catch my eye, especially if they showcase a beautiful stone or crystal. Some of the rings in my collection have such powerful stones in them that I have to be in the right frame of mind to wear them. I also love wearing rings on different digits, like my thumb, or above my knuckles (aka midi rings).
It’s amusing to note that midi rings have become popular recently, because I have been wearing them since the 1990’s, when it was considered a bit odd to wear one. What is a midi ring? It is a ring that is worn between the first and second knuckles. I’ve got news for those of you who think this is a new or relatively new trend: midi rings, or above knuckle rings, have been worn since the Middle Ages. During Renaissance times, wealthy people wore midi rings to indicate that they didn’t have to perform manual labor.
Bernhard Strigel, Portrait of a Woman, ca. 1515
I am such a creature of habit that I will wear the same group of rings everywhere. That includes the midi rings and the ring I wear on my left thumb. It doesn’t bother me that some people think I wear too many rings. I very rarely wear earrings, so I make up for it with embellishments on my hands. My rings have become little pieces of armor for me, and I am so accustomed to how they feel on my fingers that I feel strange when I have to remove them for a photo shoot or other event.
Here is an image from a shoot I did with Blue Line Efex on February 3rd. I rarely get headshots taken, but I like the softness of this one, and I also dig how I look so young in it too, without edits.
People still ask me, “When’s your next show?”, despite the fact that I haven’t competed in close to two years (my last event was in June of 2014). Somewhere along the way, I lost the desire to allow every square millimeter of my body to be scrutinized by judges onstage, and decided to shift my focus to other goals and projects. It can be pretty brutal to put oneself on the chopping block all the time, to be analyzed and judged on the basis of balance, symmetry, and conditioning, especially when the IFBB Pro Bikini pool is teeming with spectacular physiques which seem almost superhuman.
That being said, I wouldn’t trade my experiences for the world, and I feel so blessed to have competed for the six years that I did. As a matter of fact, I still feel that competing is very much in my blood. I am also so grateful for all the opportunities which came to me while I competed. I even have a few suits in my armoire (one of which I am still trying to sell), and the tangerine suit which I won my Pro Card in will never be sold.
Part of me doesn’t want to abandon the idea of possibly stepping onstage again. However, it has become increasingly more difficult for me to get the razor sharp, shredded look that is necessary for the stage, and I lack the time to hit the gym for three to five hours each day in preparation for a contest. The drive to compete has been replaced with a fierce desire to make a bigger name for myself in the world, and I truly believe that if I clutter my world with contest prep strategies, I will dilute my energies too much and will lose the forest for the trees.
I know the question still remains: “When’s your next show?”, and I really can’t provide a clear answer. Despite the fact that each passing day pushes the notion of competing further and further away, I might just decide to grace the stage again at some point.
The kelly green and black silk jacket is a vintage item from my mother’s 1960’s collection and is one of my favorite pieces. I am so glad I got to shoot in it!
I love the look of lush eyelashes. Whenever I see someone who is blessed with a full, dark, thick fringe of lashes, I become quite envious, because although I have a head of hair which inspires envy in others, my lashes are skimpy and sparse. I was even more cursed when I was younger, because every time I would wear mascara, my lashes would fall out in clumps. Only in the last year or so have I been able to wear mascara regularly without my lashes jumping ship.
My Japanese heritage has asserted itself by making my lashes stick straight, yet oddly, I don’t have thick, glossy, dark lashes. The color is dark, but the hair shaft on my lashes is positively anorexic. Because of this, I need to do SOMETHING to beef up the appearance of my lashes. I have tried lash primers, mascara with fibers, professional lash extensions, and Latisse. Oh, and a lash curler is a MUST. I am hoping to find a long-term solution which works best for me, and I think the answer may be with Latisse.
I had tried Latisse a few years back, using it for about eight months, and I absolutely loved the results. Then I got lazy, and no longer wanted to continue applying the magical solution, so I stopped using it. My lashes quickly returned to their pathetic, wimpy state. Though I love the effects of Latisse, it is definitely not cheap, and I am reluctant to budget a lash booster into my regular pampering budget.
Before and After images of Latisse Treatment
This year, I tried lash extensions, which I loved…for two weeks. After that short period of time, the extensions began to orient themselves in a haphazard pattern, splaying in all directions despite all the brushing I did to try to keep them in place. The extensions suddenly fell out in clumps, and in the process pulled out my natural lashes, leaving unsightly bald spots on my lash line. What a disaster. This wasn’t what I wanted! I also grew very tired of the fact that I could not rub my eyes (not like I do this, but just saying…), wear mascara, false lashes, or waterproof makeup. What was initially liberating became cumbersome. Once I saw that the extensions were pulling out my precious little lashes, I snapped. Now I have to deal with the agony of patchy lashes until my body grows out new lashes.
Before and After images of Lash Extensions
I guess it’s back to Latisse. Once the lash extensions are removed, I will continue to use Latisse, and I will also use RapidLash® Eyelash & Eyebrow Enhancing Serum. I mean business this time!
Don’t you love how social media platforms like Instagram pander to our urge to post images of ourselves for the world to see? It’s a veritable paradise for exhibitionists and voyeurs alike. Yes, I know that many of us use social media to share our interests, advertise products or services, or build our personal brands. But there are enough scandalous images which make it onto the news feed that I wonder what they are really trying to sell.
There are evenings when I will peruse the Explore page on Instagram. The vast majority of featured posts which show up on my phone are of cute animals, which is completely appropriate, since I am such a huge animal lover. However, I will often be in the process of scrolling down, when a random, bare-assed image shows up.
I’m not talking about images in which a woman is showing off her conditioned glutes in a sexy bikini or a snug pair of workout pants. I’m not even talking about a professional aesthetic nude shot which is tasteful. I am talking about a bare-assed, naked, in a slutty bent-over pose selfie. How does an image like that show off a woman’s gains at the gym? Something like that only shows that she has no self-respect, and is willing to show the world her goodies and contribute to an online spank bank. My reaction is always to shake my head in disgust, then keep scrolling down.
What blows my mind is that many of the people who are posting these images are fitness people who want to expand their following. I’ve got news for every single person who does this: you are only making yourself look like a slut! Sure, some sex-crazed jerks will click on your “look at my ASS!” pic, like it, and possibly follow you, but do you really want someone to follow you because he saw your bare bottom and wants to tap it? Those followers can even be downright dangerous if they are mentally unbalanced.
The queen of the slutty butt pics has got to be Kim Kardashian, whose bold butt photo blew up the internet in 2014:
Do you really want to be known as a spectacle, someone who is only known for having a hot body or for being willing to bare all on a regular basis? A good filter to use when you are thinking of posting an image on social media is to ask yourself, “Would I be okay with my dad/mom/daughter/son/brother/sister/grandpa/grandma seeing this image?” Try not to rationalize the response, but really pay attention to what the image conveys, as well as what kind of audience it will draw in. Another good filter is to ask yourself, “Will I be proud or embarrassed about this image in 5/10/1/20/25/30 years?” Don’t forget that everything will follow you, whether you like it or not!
Though I like the colors featured in cosmetic lines like MAC, and have a massive collection of makeup which includes over 80 pro eyeshadow pans, I am really not a makeup person. Those rainbow hues sit in my giant train case, and are rarely used. I admit that the artist in me was drawn to those shades, and when I get a creative itch, I can create some lovely makeup looks. The problem is that the itch only strikes about once a year.
For the most part, I think daily application of full makeup is totally unnecessary. It looks phony, it’s a waste of time, it clogs and irritates the skin, and it can get pretty pricey.
I LIKE the look of clean skin with no makeup on it, even if the lack of contour makes my face and nose look wider. I don’t really wish to obsess over how perfectly applied my highlighter is, or if my blush will clash with my handbag.
I appreciate the power of contour, but as this image illustrates, this seems awfully extreme and mask-like:
I cannot let go of the notion that black eyeliner and berry lipstick are the only important color cosmetics for me to have access to on a daily basis. It’s not that I walk out the door looking like I just rolled out of bed…though most mornings I literally roll out, quickly apply translucent powder and a thin line of eyeliner, throw on gym clothes and am out the door.
But you won’t see me rock ten tons of makeup to go to the gym, the grocery store, work, meetings, or even a nice dinner with friends. If I grab more exotic colors, that means a fancy event is coming up, and my five minute makeup routine suddenly expands to fifteen to thirty minutes, every minute of which I can’t stand. If false lashes are involved, you can be sure that I will be cussing up a storm at some point as the glue refuses to set or the lashes are applied unevenly. Not fun.
I hate the feeling of being encumbered by makeup, and I certainly don’t want to look “different” when I apply more than usual. I am a huge believer in allowing a woman’s natural beauty to come through, and think that makeup should ENHANCE a woman’s beauty instead of being corrective or somehow creating a mask which makes her look like someone else.
If you don’t believe that makeup can make people look very different, check out this video:
I love the freedom of light or no makeup. I love the fact that I never have to worry about smearing something during the day, since I really don’t pack on the paint.
What’s weird is that I can apply a small amount of eye shadow, and it looks like I have a ton on. It stems from the fact that I have large eyes, with a lot of lid. I have also noticed that if I apply black liner to the waterline, I get an instant super sultry eye look, so I have to be careful.
During a recent fitness expo, I had lash extensions on, so I didn’t even wear mascara or false lashes. Despite skipping those steps, my makeup ended up looking rather glam, all because I applied a small amount of eyeshadow and eyeliner.
Don’t get me wrong, I actually enjoy having my makeup done for photo shoots and events. It’s fun for me, because I get to be a living doll. But I will never sign up for a daily makeup routine that enslaves me to my bathroom and has me gazing into my makeup mirror for lengthy periods of time.
The past several months have been fun for me with respect to my personal style, because I have been changing things up. However, everything I do with respect to putting outfits together tends to be a bit more understated, with neutral colors favored over bright colors, and solids over prints. I reserve the wilder expressions in smaller elements like jewelry and nails.
After getting French manicures for six years straight, I got completely sick of the look, despite the fact that it photographs well. I guess you could say I got a bit tired of being constrained by a certain look, even though the work I do requires it. I have been rebelling completely, turning to dark polish shades like eggplant, espresso, navy, black. I was a bit concerned when I got a last minute call for a cover shoot a couple of weeks ago, but it turned out that the look was dark, sultry, Goth-inspired, which meant that my black and pewter nails lent themselves quite nicely to the whole vibe of the project. Phew!
I have never been comfortable with the idea of changing things up on a permanent or semi-permanent basis, which is why I have no tattoos or pierces (nope, not even my ears). That’s why I prefer the idea of changing the look of my nails, wearing different pieces of jewelry, exploring a different color in a cosmetic (maybe deep eggplant and black in a lip look?), or maybe even wearing small clip-in hair extensions in a wild color.
My wardrobe has also undergone a bit of a shift. I just got so bored with items which had been in my collection for so long that I had to shake it up a bit with a few new tops. I also was so fortunate to get two pairs of SquatPants from Beleza Brazil Fitness, which makes the most amazing pants ever! I cannot stop wearing them, because they are so comfortable, the colors are vibrant and distinctive and work well with other wardrobe items, I can work out in them or wear them for my day to day activities, and they make my booty and legs look AMAZING! I am not kidding when I say that I am completely obsessed with these pants.
First off, I want to apologize in advance to every woman who wears foundation or BB cream on a daily basis. I definitely don’t mean any disrespect to anyone, especially to women who experience a big boost in self-confidence when they cover birthmarks, scars, or other blemishes with makeup. However, I honestly don’t like foundation at all. I dislike it so much that I never wear it in my regular daily life. Here are the only instances in which I will wear BB cream or foundation:
1. Photo shoots
2. Public appearances
3. Auditions
4. Video or TV shoots
5. Formal affairs
I can’t stand the feel of anything cakey or heavy on my skin, and that is why I only use translucent powder on my skin on a daily basis. I know that I am very fortunate to have good skin, with no unsightly breakouts or other blemishes (though the freckles on my cheeks have always driven me nuts ever since I had them as a young child), so I can get away with avoiding foundation. Could my skin look smoother if I used foundation? Yes. But it is not worth the feeling of discomfort I get from having my skin suffocated with a liquid or cream cover. I don’t want to have to worry that part of my face might look different if a dog licks my face, or if I sweat profusely and wipe my face.
One of the most prominent memories I have of poorly applied foundation which solidified my aversion to the stuff occurred when I was in high school. One of my classmates had such a love affair with makeup, especially foundation, that she would cake it on every day before coming to school. Her foundation was so thick that it looked like she had applied it with a palette knife, yet the effect was nothing close to an exquisite oil painting, but more like a tribute to Bozo the Clown. If she scratched her cheek to calm an itch, her nails would leave deep gouges in her foundation.
To me, foundation looks like a mask, and to an extent, it is a mask. Though it creates a flawless finish (particularly if it is full coverage), it still covers up the skin’s natural beauty. I realize that a flawless finish is important on-camera, but in regular daily life, it seems a shame to suffocate the skin. Since I truly think that skin is beautiful, it bothers me that the majority of women in developed countries find it necessary to cover it up. The luminous quality of unadorned skin is lost when it is covered by even the lightest of foundation. I guess I just don’t want to look “done” in my day to day life.
I want my skin to breathe. I don’t want to have to worry about my foundation melting off my face, or about leaving makeup marks on my ivory sheets from an incomplete makeup removal. My mom always told me that eventually, I would have to start wearing foundation daily, but at this point, I have made it half a century without having to do so.
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