make-up

Weekly Therapy: Kickoffs and Tryouts and Health and Training

- Mel

the week:
Well, we made it through the first week of 2016 — and there’s a LOT going on! It finally snowed in Pittsburgh for real, which makes me so happy.

snow Pittsburgh 2016 new year
SNOW! This is the park in my neighborhood and it always looks so lovely in every season — but especially in winter.

I am positively excited and exhausted from my first full week back at roller derby — practices for both my home team AND two nights of tryouts for the travel teams. I was also immediately reminded how expensive this sport is when doing a needs assessment of equipment and such (especially considering that I needed to change my number and needed new scrimmage tanks, armbands, etc.). I got a call-back from the first round, so I have another round next week!

Also, THE BACHELOR STARTED THIS WEEK! The boyfriend and I watched it later in the week, and it’s always a fun source of entertainment and dating roles banter between us.

weekend:
It’s Pittsburgh Marathon Training Kick-off time! Can you believe it’s already here?! I feel like I was just training for the half. My “official” full training starts after Gasparilla, which is at an almost-halfway point of my training cycle. I also renewed my annual membership with Steel City Road Runners, which I hope to use a lot more this season. There is a lot of FUN running madness that happens in conjunction with this kick-off, so maybe I’ll see some of you there. 😀

ALSO, if playing roller derby was ever something you considered, Saturday is the LAST pre-tryout boot camp for joining Steel City Roller Derby in 2016. You need to attend a boot camp in order to try out, so this is a great opportunity to come out and see what we’re looking for and talk to some vets about your skill level, training, gameplay, etc. etc. And it’s especially helpful in meeting some of your Fresh Meat teammates who you will be progressing alongside on this new fun adventure. Feel free to contact me if you have any questions!

For your resolutions/health: Pittsburgh area Sam’s Clubs will be hosting free health screenings, open to the public, from 11-4pm this Saturday, Jan. 9. These health screenings are free, confidential and available to the public at all Sam’s Club locations with a pharmacy. Additional details on each one will be made available at SamsClub.com. Two of the free tests being offered – blood pressure and blood glucose – are two key markers of overall health. Participants will get an idea of where they stand healthwise, and what they can to do for a healthier 2016.

seven things, seven days:
1. Have you heard of/used Sweat Cosmetics? I learned of this brand over the weekend when watching the GRID league championships. And as someone who wears makeup during workouts (don’t judge!), I need to test these products out!
2. In doing additional research on “workout makeup,” I found FITGLOW BEAUTY. BONUS: they’re a natural beauty brand.
3. Somehow, with all of my current beauty choices, I have taken to shopping Ulta over Sephora. I’m definitely not a VIB anymore!
4. Every day at lunch, I’m eating at least two sticks of PLAIN veggie. Gotta start somewhere, right?
5. For a few years (not last year), I would do a dry January; the boyfriend and I are doing this again — though this year, we didn’t start on January 1 (but the 4th). Basically, it’s a sober 30 days reset. This year is already kind of wonky, so like most things… we’re adapting a bit. The importance of doing this, however, remains. {link via Huffington Post}
6. Oh, hey, fellow Browns fan: The psychological reasons why Fans stand behind perennial losers {via NYT}
7. Here’s your weekly dose of science — appropriately, for keeping your resolutions {via Greatist}

Makeup Must-Haves

- Mel

I am obsessed with make-up, Blogger, May I? followers, so I’m excited to post about my favorite daily products for today’s prompt.

I’m a subscriber to ipsy and PopSugar MustHave, and I used to regularly get Birchbox and Julep. I like to sample and try new things, but I generally wear make-up to look like I’m not wearing any. That’s the 30-something secret. WINK. Many of my MUST HAVE, CAN’T LIVE WITHOUT products are things that I’ve discovered within the last couple years because of these subscriptions.

So much lip stuff in the background there!
So much lip stuff in the background there!

In any event: I start with the AGE SMART skinperfect primer from Dermologica. I fell in love with Dermologica during a facial last year at the spa at Nemacolin and use several of their skin care products. Then, I follow up with a BB cream from Tarte (it’s the PERFECT color for my skintone, feels light but still covers) and an undereye concealer from It Cosmetics (Bye-Bye Under Eye is so amazing that I even wear while I run; I’ll pretend it’s because of the sunscreen benefit). I then brighten my lids and eye area with Well Rested powder from Bare Minerals. I seriously rarely leave the house without applying this on/around my eyes. I don’t typically wear foundation since my face is pretty oily, but if I do, I opt for LORAC Natural Performance; otherwise, I use a brush to set my BB-prepped face with a powder from Napolean Perdis (since ULTA stopped carrying it, I have to now buy from Bergdorf, which makes me feel fancy).

My lids then get a quickie sweep of color from Pacifica — it’s very neutral but a tiny bit frosty — and blush from Tarte. I’m positively obsessed with the waterproof formula from Bare Minerals: Flawless Definition. It stayed on during a 5K in a rainstorm and the Pittsburgh Half Marathon in the sweaty heat (because, yep, I do prefer to have a little make-up on when I workout). I recently noticed that I received more compliments when NOT wearing eyeliner (weird), so that’s been removed from my daily routine and I feel A-OK about it; I’ll pull out a fun bold eye for a party or something and will also draw in my eyebrows then. I haven’t mastered contouring like some of those fab youtubers (it’s so fascinating!), but I will use bronzer and highlighter for nights out.

All-in-all, my make-up routine takes less than 10 minutes. Throughout the day, I use green tea blotting linens from Boscia to blot my shiny areas and opt for Burt’s Bees lip balm when my lips are feeling dry. And that’s basically my make-up routine.

Have you discovered any fun products from monthly subscription boxes? Do you use any of the same brands?

Weekly Therapy: plan for greatness, but also don’t forget to adapt to reality

- Mel

the week:
Well, I’m glad my two new classes are rolling out slow this week, as I hit my midway point in my Coaching class (and have another paper due this weekend), AND I started my new job on Wednesday. I have a lot of nervous energy, but through my peer coaching sessions, I made some good measurable goals to take me through this transition with (hopefully) little anxiety and a lot of success and openness.

I have to say, I am loving the autonomy and flexibility that comes with this position (no more asking for bathroom or lunch breaks). But holy crap, you guys, I have been EXHAUSTED.

weekend:
I’m excited for a Trigger Point workshop hosted at the new yoga/spinning studio Urban Elements on Federal Street (North Shore) on Saturday — it’s targeted to runners and athletes with and emphasis on myosfascial techniques and work on mobility and flexibility or injury points common with runners.

Then, I’m GETTING MY HAIR DONE! (finally.) It’s also the Super Bowl this weekend, if you’re into that…

52 books in 52 weeks:
#5: Coaching & Mentoring at Work: Developing Effective Practice — my required textbook for my Organizational Coaching class, but finished the book in advance of some intense assignments coming up for the next couple weeks.

seven things, seven days:
1. Snow, YAY! LOTS of snow. Woah.
2. I tried out three different modes of commuting to work this week: car, walking, and bus. It’s certainly a benefit that I have options!
3. Is it silly that the thing that made me most nervous about my first day at work was lunch with my boss because of all my diet restrictions. (edit: it went fine — but of course I had to return my salad when it came out with tomatoes.)
4. LOTS of fancy deluxe-size sample goodies came with my Bergdorf beauty order, and my feminine side is all SQUEE.
5. Received — and LOVE — my new furniture from West Elm. Now I need to get this old couch out of here!
6. Some perspective we all need to consider: How to embrace Plan B {via Carrie Cheadle}
7. As I have been exploring more about the topic of Authenticity, I came across: The Authenticity Paradox {via Harvard Business Review}

Weekly Therapy: the final countdown

- Mel

the week:
Feeling really sleep deprived, but inspired and grateful and hopeful about a lot of things (see what some new paint and some shopping can do?!). There are three weeks left in Fall semester before a two-weekish break. I think I can, I think I can, I think I can…

We legit opened up a mini bottle of champagne and toasted the end of this construction. I slept in until 9am on my day off this week. Ahhhhh.

weekend:
Off to Buffalo to do some early holiday gathering and socializing. I’ll also be running the Christmas Story Virtual 10K while I’m up there — for the full Cleveland experience, if you will.

seven things, seven days:
1. Any one else tired of their inbox this week? UNSUBSCRIBE.
2. But definitely not the reminder email about the Naked on the Run palette. MINE!
3. Received an early Christmas present at Thanksgiving — 16 (16!!!) champagne flutes. Err, I guess we have to host a brunch or NYE party now (or maybe we should have invited the neighbors over to toast our renovation). WHO WANTS MIMOSAS?!
4. Yes, I know, YELLING. I am nothing if not emphatic.
5. StitchFix WIN this week: a winter coat, black collarless blazer, lace-sleeved blouse, velvet-flocked animal print pants and another light sweater.
6. Well I guess I picked a good activity! Here’s to growing old and awesome and active! {via NY Times}
7. Benefits of being a curious person {via Huffington Post}

On a search for a new tinted moisturizer…

- Mel

I’ve alternated between using Cover Girl and Smashbox Sheer Focus tinted moisturizers… and to be honest, I like both, but I’m not in love with either.

Smashbox changes color on me after barely an hour, making me look far too pink — but the coverage is good (I just have to use a powder over it to balance the color). I’ve used Cover Girl for years, but I’m beginning to think that their “non-comedogenic” claim is BS because no matter what product/cleanser I use on my face, my skin remains in terrible condition (read: blackheads and whiteheads EVERYWHERE). But again, that sucks because I like the coverage AND it stays put during workouts. Which is a whole other trait of awesomeness. 

So, I’m in the market to sample a few products again (sadly, haven’t received anything of this sort to try in my monthly Birchbox). I’ve been recommended Laura Mercier, Bobbi Brown and Makeup Forever (although that last one, I have only seen a foundation). But all of these leave me with big question marks attached to their large price tag…

Note: I have sensitive (eczema) skin, with severe oiliness (which I’ve curbed with using Kiehl’s oil-free lotion FINALLY!). I’m fair-skinned, with a yellow-almost-greenish undertone. Also, I have considerable sun damage on my face — no wrinkles yet, thankfully — but age/brown spots, so need something to cover those a bit (I realize that to cover completely, I need a concealer or heavier make-up, but refuse to do this daily).

Suggestions?

UPDATE: Found — and fell in beautiful coverage love — with LORAC’s tinted moisturizer.