The 40-Cents/Week Custom-Blend Oil Cleanser

Cleansing oils really seem to be taking the beauty industry by storm recently. Every time I look at my blog roll, it seems like I see that another beauty line has introduced their own version. The concept, based on the idea that the oils (lipids) on your face are lipid-soluble rather than water-soluble and should, therefore, be dissolved easily and gently with other oils, is really attractive - who wants to put harsh chemicals on their face if they don't have to? The prices of these cleansing oils, however, all look painfully expensive: Shiseido - $25, L'Occitane - $22, Shu Uemura - $34.

But never fear! The Oil Cleasning Method has been around a lot longer than the cleansing oil fad, and it can be implemented on the super duper cheap. All you need is 2-3 ingredients, all found at your local grocery/drug store.

• Castor Oil - $5
• Vegetable oil of choice (popular ones include EVOO - $6, sunflower Seed Oil - $8)
• Tea Tree Oil (optional) - $8

All you do is mix the oils, massage them into your face, steam your face with a washcloth, and wipe the oils away (longer explanation here). The vegetable oil helps penetrate your pores, the castor oil adheres to the excess oil in your skin, the Tea Tree Oil helps kill bacteria, the steam makes your face sweat, and the sweat pushes the oil back out of your pores. The result: bye-bye clogged pores!

The ratio of oils will vary by individual, but this is a good starting point (from the link above):

• Oily Skin: Try a blend of 30% Castor Oil to 70% Sunflower Seed Oil.
• Balanced Skin: Try a blend of 20% Castor Oil to 80% Sunflower Seed Oil.
• Dry Skin: Try a blend of 10% Castor Oil to 90% Sunflower Seed Oil.

I used to pre-measure my oils and keep them in a special bottle I found at the 99 Cents Only store, but I found it messy and restrictive - some days, my face was more oily, and some days it was more dry. Now, I just dribble out the droplets that I need onto a flat cotton pad (I worked it out to a quarter size of Castor oil, four drops of Camellia Oil (my vegetable oil of choice), and one drop of Tea Tree Oil for a normal day). This way, I don't have to bother transferring the oils to a new bottle or anything, and I can add or subtract from the formula based on current needs.

I used to struggle mightily with cystic acne, and I used to dry my skin out with ridiculous amounts of salicylic acid and benzoyl peroxide. Oil Cleansing has not only managed the cysts wonderfully, but it also keeps my skin so much more moisturized that the wrinkles that once threatened (at the ripe old age of 19 - yikes!) have gone away. Double awesome.

The best part? These three bottles of oils will last me the whole year, provided that I don't contaminate them (by putting my fingers on the dispensers, leaving them open to the air, etc). That means I spend a grand total of $21 for the hear on cleanser - a whopping $0.40 per week. Now that's a deal!

Using the Golden Mean and the Camera to Adjust Proportions

One of my favorite posts of all time is Imogen of Inside Out Style's take on the Golden Mean/Fibonacci Numbers in relation to outfits. I've no head for the math, but the gist of it is that the human eye naturally finds certain ratios visually appealing -- and, as Imogen writes, "[g]iven that we find things that use this ratio so aesthetically pleasing (fern fronds, snail shells, snow flakes) it has also been found that when we dress in this ratio we are also more fabulous."

The ratios:

1:2

2:3

3:5

5:8

8:13 etc.

 

Now, here's where I would sometimes get hung up: if I'm human, and if humans naturally find these ratios most appealing, and if my goal is to dress in the most appealing way possible, then shouldn't I gravitate toward these ratios in the first place? Totally. But haven't we all experienced the dreaded, in-store skinny mirror? They're basically toned-down fun-house mirrors, and most of our in-home mirrors are just as misleading (if not as flattering). If you don't have the cash to invest in a macho mirror supreme, you can get a more accurate image - and more accurately adjust your outfit ratios - by using your camera. Get a slightly-zoomed, straight on, mid-height shot with the camera, as crazy camera angles will distort your body, too.

Here's the outfit I started out with this morning. Because of the high neck and long body of the sweater, my belt placement, and the contrast of the skirt, I've created some very distinct horizontal lines. My bust looks unnaturally large compared to my rise, my rise looks unnaturally long compared to my legs, and my legs look quite stumpy despite my high heels. My legs (from toes to bottom line) look to have a 1:1 ratio with the rest of me (bottom line to top of head). 1:1 is not a Fibonacci number - no good!

This looks much better - my bottom half is noticeably longer than my top half, closer to falling in line with the golden ratios. But now something still feels off with my torso. The widening effect of the turtleneck, combined with my on-the-fuller-side bust and on-the-fuller-side-waistline, makes for a big, 1x1-squarish expanse of neck/shoulder/boob.

 Here's what I ended up with. The high waist line makes my legs look noticeably longer than the torso, and the diagonal lines of the blazer fool the eye into thinking that my shoulder-waist and waist-hip ratios are more exaggerated and less squarish. 


Oh! And I totally lied yesterday when I said I have no new swap meet finds to share - it'd just been so long that I'd forgotten about this $5 map-print bag and this $1 Zara turtleneck. Blazer is an old $1 swap favorite, tights from 99 Cents Only, boots from Ebay ages ago, necklace was a gift. 


To tie this all back into One-Dollar Wonderland, the point of my story is that it doesn't matter how cheap or expensive your clothes are. As long as you have a fairly accurate self-image (brought to you by way of a quality mirror or via quality camera work), you can always flatter your figure by manipulating the relative proportions created by the lines of your garments.

Faux Shearling from Forever 21!

Howdy, hep cats! Long time no blog!

I just recently started a new job, so I've been super busy getting all my ducks in a row and brainstorming on how I will adjust to a new, more relaxed dress code. I also just got sick, and it's been raining a bit here, so my swap meet foraging has been heftily hampered. Ergo, no new $1 finds right now.

Action shot from shopping trip.

Styled for cold night out to Korean BBQ

However, I thought I'd share this fantabulous deal of a Forever 21 jacket with you (second pic lightened to show more detail)! It is black-on-black faux shearling, and something about both the color and fabrication makes it look way more expensive and convincing than a lot of the faux goods currently out there. When I tried it on, one of my shopping buddies popped the collar, and I instantly saw Burberry Aviator - as they say on icanhascheezburger, "What has been seen cannot be unseen." My shopping buddies would not let me leave without it.

Burberry shearling aviator.

Mine doesn't seem to be current stock on the F21 website, but your local store might still have it. They also have other faux shearling options that look mighty cute, so I'd take a look if you've been hunting for something like this. I paid $37.80. :)

Appearance on 40+ Style!

I am happy to be catching up on my thank-you posts this week after so much craziness surrounding my upcoming job change!

I'm super excited to share that the fabulous Sylvia of 40+ Style was kind enough to include me in her recent post discussing individual style statements. I contributed a very short blurb outlining my personal style and the specific elements that help achieve it. This topic is very close to my heart, as it really helped make fashion click for me. Sometimes, even if you dress in the most fashionable outfit, you won't feel your best if you don't feel like yourself. Thanks, Sylvia, for addressing this important topic - and for allowing me to be a part of it. :D

If you don't already follow 40+ Style, please take a moment to click over and explore a really well-done blog that covers everything from clothes to hair to beauty issues. Although the blog is geared towared women over 40, a lot of the content is relevant to women of any age who want to look and feel their best!

Guest Post on Inside Out Style!

I can't tell you how positively elated I was when Imogen Lamport offered me the chance to write a guest post for her blog, Inside Out Style! Inside Out Style is one of my favorite fashion sites in general and, as far as I'm concerned, it is the place to go for in-depth articles on body type and proportions. While these topics can sometimes seem a bit fuzzy/touchy-feely/ephemeral - as in, that dreaded feeling that you either get it or you never will - Imogen lays things out with clear, easily-reproduced diagrams, pictures, and self-tests.

It's clear that I respect and admire my blogging sunbae so, if you don't already follow Inside Out Style, I'd be thrilled if you would pop over and check out my post in the Stylish Thoughts series - before continuing on to the rest of Imogen's wonderful site, of course!

E.L.F. Makeup - Before and After Review

Hello again! After my last post, lovely reader Laura asked about the coverage and color accuracy of the E.L.F. mineral products. My reply became very long-winded, so I thought I'd bite the bullet and turn it into a real makeup review. 

Before we begin, let me tell you: I am no makeup guru. Left to its own devices and deprived of its daily dose of zinc and malic/mandelic acid serum, it's sensitive, prone to cystic acne, and pretty darn oily. Add to that the fact that I refuse to spend much on my makeup, and just I can't have too much stuff on my face. I also lack the patience required to apply said stuff in anything resembling a professional - or even practiced - manner. There won't be a super-drastic change.

With that out of the way, behold: my large-scale, bangs-free, nekkid face! This photo is complete with pock marks and dark spots from where I have recently been picking at my pores (I do this when I am stressed out, and job hunting has recently left me pretty stressed). Keep in mind that the pock marks are actually indentations in my skin, and they can never fully be erased by makeup. Also note how my face is naturally a different color than my neck and shoulders - it's not that I'm too dumb to match my makeup to my skin, I swear!

 Next, we have the concealer-application shot. I use the warm shade, and I'd say the promo shot on the E.L.F. site is accurate (though I know some monitors may project the colors differently).

 

Aaaand, here I am with the concealer blended in. The spots on my nose and chin are less prominent. :)

 

Here we have a real-life shot of the the Mineral Foundation in the warm shade (for medium skin with neutral undertones, which I chose because I definitely don't have warm undertones). Clicking back and forth between these pictures, I'd say that the foundation is the teensiest smidge darker than the promo shot, and I don't know what's up with that gray-beige smudge that's supposed to show you how the product looks when blended...

Here is my face post-foundation.  Check out how asymmetrical my eyes are - this is why I wear bangs. :)

Next up: the All Over Color Stick in Lilac Petal (left) and Pink Lemonade (right) as well as the Mineral Blush in Rose (below). The color sticks go on much more silvery than the promo shots, and the blush is more pink than its peachy promo pic would let on. I left the blush out of my previous review, because I prefer the look of my 99 Cents Only store blush, but this stuff is good, too.

Here, I've applied blush, Lilac Petal to my cheeks, and Pink Lemonade to my eyelids, using the color stick as a highlighter. I usually only do this for special occasions. I tried to get a shot that showed how the shimmer in the color sticks. I've also applied LipSense lip color in Roseberry (not $1 or particularly cheap, but I bought some for my wedding, and I like how it looks under the color sticks).

And finally, here's the full effect with the Pink Lemonade Color Stick over my lip color. Pock marks are still visible, but the acne spots are covered.

Before and after. 

The shots above are all done with flash; for an idea of how this all looks in natural light (and to allow me a moment to indulge my inner bridezilla), check out a couple of photos from our kooky wedding photo session, shot by my super-talented father. :)

I am out of my Mineral Booster in Sheer, so I could not apply any above, but I did use a light dusting of that over everything for the pictures below. I Photoshopped these myself, and I did not feel the need to retouch my face - hooray for makeup! It was cheap and saved me retouching fees!

One Dollar Makeup: www.eyeslipsface.com

I've been using eyes lips face makeup - better known as E.L.F - for about three years. Now, I don't wear that much makeup, but that makes me even more loathe to shell out big bucks for it. Here are a few of my favorite, tried-and-true products! I love how E.L.F offers different price ranges within the same brand and posts lots of customer reviews.






  I know: I'm leading with products that cost more than $1! Bait and switch! Bait and switch! Sorry, the $1 stuff is coming, but I had to mention the mineral powder - my oily, shiny skin loves it. I don't use this stuff every day, but I bust out the mineral foundation, concealer, and booster when I know I'll be photographed (family events, holidays, birthday parties). If there's anything I hate, it's photo-documentation of a bad skin day. -_-



I also use the blushing brush and eyeshadow brush. I've bought other brushes and brush sets at the 99 Cents Only store in the past, and those have fallen apart after only a few uses. The E.L.F brushes stand up to their tasks, and they're so cheap I feel better about replacing them more frequently - so they are really a great investment in sanitation as well as beautification. :)

Rounding out the set, we have the All Over Color Stick. The color stick is a bit more metallic than it looks on the website, but I love it. My lips are unevenly pigmented, so a little shimmer is nice to obscure that. I use this product over my lip color, on my cheeks as a highlighter, and as an eyeshadow - three products for $1 is phenomenal! A little goes a long way, too, so it lasts forever. 

The only downside to E.L.F. is shipping - about $6 for your lot normally, but they have pretty regular shipping promotions. At the moment, shipping is just $2 if you spend over $15. 

I have sensitive skin, and I have never had a problem with these products making me break out or itch. I don't know how my sensitivity may compare to yours, but I usually cannot wear mascara or eyeshadow, even by Clinique and other hypoallergenic brands.