Another Winter Sunday (w/FOTD)

OK, so the high outside today is supposed to be 28 or something like that (not including wind chill). COLD!! I haven't gone outside today, but here I am, looking like a dork with an old sweater, my sister's old jeans, and my lovely glasses. ("four eyes")

My FOTD is:

Hair - Scary Gwyneth Paltrow-wannabe. I wasn't trying to make my hair look like this, but I was too lazy to do anything w/it.

Face

• Prescriptives Traceless in Level 2 (too pale for me, I think)
• Rimmel Hide the Blemish Concealer in Ivory (also too pale for me)
• L'Oreal Translucide Pressed Powder in Light
• Shu Uemura Paradise Fluo blush in Pink Hibiscus

Eyes

• Stila Browset in Dark
• MAC Brow Set in Mink
• Maybelline Mix 'n Matchers - can't remember the name, but the cream e/s is a goldish color, and the liner is a dark brown with gold shimmers
• Mary Kay Endless Performance mascara in Black (by the way, it's already ended its performance... this stuff sucks for people with no eyelashes)

Lips

• Fresh Gloss Absolute in Dahlia

Have a good Sunday!

If I Were an Asian Pop Star... (w/FOTD)

I love browsing through magazines, but how much of the images that we see are really true? Probably, oh, 0.15%? I know that as a teenager, I spent so much time wishing that I looked like the girls in the mags, and when I discovered that much of what I saw was due to lovely program called Photoshop, I was distressed. These fantasy women didn't exist??

Anyway, to pay homage to this "fake reality," I've posted one picture of myself with some Photoshop enhancement (it's nice to have a hubby who is an architect)... don't I look like one of those Asian pop stars? Haha! The other is my normal FOTD pic without any sort of enhancement, taken in natural sunlight, no flash.

I am wearing...

face

• Revlon Colorstay Active Light Foundation in Buff (might be a new fave of mine, if it doesn't break me out like the regular Colorstay fdtn they had a while back)
• Rimmel Hide the Blemish Concealer in Ivory
• MAC Creme Colour Base in Hush (just got this stuff, and can't believe I waited so long to get it!)
• Stila Convertible Color in Petunia (my favorite cream blush of all time)

eyes

• Stila Browset in Dark
• MAC Brow Set in Mink (on top of the Stila powder)
• MAC Omega e/s in the crease, Vanilla on the lid, and Shroom to highlight browbone
• Stila Kajal eyeliner in Onyx with Delux Nilla Black eyeliner
• Shu Uemura FiberXtension mascara in Black

lips

• Stila Lip Pot in Fraise (my fave tinted lip balm... looks like my lips, but just a teensy bit pinker)
• Wet 'n Wild Lipliner in 664B (love the WnW lip liners)

Have a great Saturday... it's sunny and not TOO cold here, so I'm going to run some errands, and then maybe make a pit stop at the Barney's warehouse sale. BTW, I didn't post a pic of my "outfit of the day" because I'm not wearing anything interesting... just jeans and a black turtleneck sweater from the Gap. I'll probably wear sneakers, too... hehehe!

"The worst day of my life, what do you think?"

(As Napoleon Dynamite would say...)

Seriously, today was a BAD day! And I rarely have any bad days that are Fridays; however, I think today was an anomaly.

For one, I'm really, really tired. For a short week, this certainly was long. This week at work has definitely worn me out. Of course, my fatigue is usually offset by my excitement that it's Friday, but I'm too tired to be excited today.

Second of all, I am SO tired of the stupid guys on the street who think that they can just make lewd comments to me. I am wearing professional, conservative, business attire... WTF??? Between leaving the apartment, going into the office, and stepping out to grab lunch, I've been harassed by literally a dozen people. I'm tired of the, "Hey baby," and "Hey sexy, howya doin'?" What gives them the right to even speak to me, much less make those kinds of remarks??

Third of all, work totally sucked today! I really despise when I have to do bullsh*t work, like change around a report 50 million times. What I don't understand is, our two chief officers have been with the company for 30 years, and they still don't have a set format for how they want to see things, and they're constantly changing their minds from hour to hour, it seems. So disorganized!!

Anyway, I'll stop ranting!! I'll write more when I'm in a better mood.

Have a good Friday night!

Laundry Room RANT + FOTD

Can I just say that I cannot wait until we have our own washer and dryer? I just stuffed a bunch of clothes into a washer and set it on BRIGHT COLORS - COLD WASH, only to have it be washed in hot, boiling water, thereby ruining EVERYTHING!!!!! The sequins that I had on a couple of my shirts were shriveled and sad looking, not to mention everything came out STAINED (from the bright colors that were also in the load) and about 5 sizes too small, and I had to throw everything away.

And the worst part of it is how f-ing DUMB the workers in this building are. I went downstairs to file a maintenance request and notify the management that the washer needed to be repaired, and the doorman had stepped away from the concierge, but there was a facilities worker at the counter, so I asked him, instead. Here is how our conversation proceeded...

me Hi, who do I need to talk to about a broken washing machine in the laundry room?

him You need to fill out a work order.

me A work order? For a washing machine in the laundry?

him Yeah [hands me a work order form]

As I'm completing it, the doorman comes back to the desk, and then I hand the form to the doorman.

The facilities worker takes the form from him and looks at it.

him So, is anyone going to be in your apartment tomorrow morning?

me Why does anyone need to be in my apartment for this?

him Because, if not, then you need to sign off and give authorization for entry into your apartment.

me Why does anyone need to go into my apartment to fix the laundry machine?

him What do you mean?

me I mean, the laundry machine is broken. What does that have to do with my apartment? I don't have a washing machine in my apartment.

him Ohhhhh... I thought you meant the dishwasher.

me No. I meant: The WASHING machine in the LAUNDRY room. It needs to be fixed because there is a problem with the settings. Do I need to speak with someone else about this?

him No, I just didn't know. Oh, so the washing machine is broken?

me YES. It's in the work order you made me fill out.

him Ohhhhh... so which one is it?

me It's in the work order, but the machine is #1. [All of the washing machines have stickers on them with numbers.]

him You mean, the first one you see in the room?

me NO. I MEAN - the one that has a BIG NUMBER 1 on it. It's in the back of the laundry room, but it has a NUMBER 1 on it. It's NUMBER 1, and it's broken. It says NUMBER 1 on it.

him Oh, ok. What's wrong with it? [As he is reading my work order, which describes everything in detail]

me I pressed the BRIGHT COLORS/COLD WASH button, and it washed everything with HOT, BOILING water and RUINED EVERYTHING. It needs to be repaired so that nobody else has this problem when they try to use it.

him Oh, so it ruined your clothes?

me YES.

him So, do you want to be reimbursed or something?

me Well, yes, I would like to. But most importantly, it needs to be fixed.

him OK. I'll give this personally to the super. I'll give it to him in person.

me All right, you do that. Please. Thank you.

him OK, someone will give you a call.

me Thank you.

Honestly, is it THAT difficult to tell someone that the washing machine in the laundry room is broken and messed up every single item of clothing that was in there?

GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR! I wanted to slap that man!

Anyway, on a lighter note, here was my FOTD. Jarrett got jealous that I kept putting all these FOTD pics on my blog, so I'm putting his FOTD on here, too. (hehehehehehe!!)

My FOTD breakdown:

FACE

• Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer in Nude
• Dior Moisturizing concealer in 410 (A lot of "moisture" going on here... because, as Zoolander would say, "Moisture is the essence of wetness. Wetness is the essence of beauty.")
• Stila Illuminating Powder Foundation in 30 Watts
• YSL Touche Blush in #1

EYES

• MAC brow pencil in Lingering
• Shu Uemura e/s in IR Rainbow 900P from lashline to browbone
• Shu Uemura e/s in M Gray 950 in the crease
• MAC e/s in Plum on the lid and lower lashline
• Laura Mercier Eye Kohl in Black Violet along top and bottom lashline
• Rimmel Volume Flash mascara in Black

LIPS

• Chanel Glossimer in Volage

BACKGROUND

• Jarrett's painting: "Woman's Back: Study 1" 24 X 36 - acrylic on canvas (prestretched)

Jarrett's FOTD consists of:

1. EYES - Dark circles caused by sleep deprivation and long hours working on 3-D renderings
2. HAIR - A combination of bedhead and hathead
3. FACE - Unshaven, extreme 5 o'clock shadow
4. LIPS - Slightly chapped. Caused by frigid NYC weather (and the trip to "Da Bronx")

HAVE A GREAT WEEK!!!!!!!

"Long" Weekend Ponderings...

It was nice to get President's Day off from work... especially since I had to work on Saturday. Can I just say that working on Saturdays SUCKS??? It's really not fair. Jarrett worked all weekend too, but at least he got paid for it. Hmmm...

So, once again, the weekend is nearly over, and it's time to get back to the daily grind. Some funny things from this weekend...

- I went to "Da Bronx" ... that was pretty interesting. Nice Target store there, though! I stocked up on some clothes from the Luella collection... I tried to buy makeup, but everything was picked through and tested - GROSS!! We did eat dinner at the Target Pizza Hut, though... for like, $7. Don't ask me how I ended up with two personal pizzas, two drinks, and two breadsticks for that price, but whatever... I'm not questioning it. It was like 14 degrees outside, so I would've paid $20 just to stay indoors, but it was refreshing to have a cheap meal and get to stay indoors, too!

- I saw a taxi... with chrome rims! That was way weird for me... usually, you only see busted up hubcaps, but this guy really cared about his cab, I guess!

- I read THE GLASS CASTLE by Jeannette Walls. Awesome memoir/autobiography! I couldn't put it down and had to read it in 2 days. If you haven't read it, definitely check it out. I have such great admiration for people like Ms. Walls... to hear about the tribulations that she and her siblings went through, and then to see the successful person that she has become - that is truly an inspiration. Part of me is also saddened to hear about the poverty that is in our country. I'm not referring directly to the Walls family here, because I think they were far richer than any other family in some respects, but about the general population of the communities where they lived. Reading the news and seeing things on TV, we as Americans are led to believe that starving children are only in third-world countries... that we are so prosperous and well-educated and cultured... it's all such a joke. I don't know... I feel like there is so much more we, as citizens of this country, and as humans, can do for each other. I don't have a lot, and I work hard for what I have, but some of these people are destitute compared to me. What is my role in all of this? What is yours? There comes a point in life when we are cognizant enough of our surroundings to directly and significantly impact them. Choosing to ignore what our responsibilities are seems to be the norm of our society. I'll be the first to admit that I'm a victim of this selfishness. I live in the bubble called Manhattan, where everyone is wrapped up in what they look like, where they live, and how big their bank accounts are. Honestly, what is the result of our daily toiling? So that we can buy more designer handbags? Or have the latest trendy jeans?

Just some things I need to get off of my chest. I know I've been thinking a lot about going back to school... sometimes I wonder if pursuing an MBA is a frivolous thing. I wonder if I should study Public Policy and be someone who is actually out there, driving what is happening in our country, rather than trying to land some six-figure job so that my [Prada or Louis Vuitton] wallet can get fatter. As I've been doing some self-evaluation, I have also been reviewing my life purpose and priorities.

Blizzard in NYC (w/FOTD)

I think the snow has finally slowed down a little bit. We've been inundated with snow, but were able to take a little breather outside... traipsing through unshoveled sidewalks and such.

Here is a pic of me looking like an Eskimo, and also a pic of some of the snow on our street. This pic was taken by my hubby.

My FOTD is simple today:
- Rimmel foundation in Ivory
- Maybelline Line Stylist in Black Sparkle
- NARS Outlaw blush
- Stila Lipglaze in Fruit Cocktail

Hope you're getting better weather!!

Saturday - Snow! (w/FOTD pic)

Well, we are finally getting some of that winter snow that we seemed to have missed in December and January. Since the weather is not so fun to go out in, I decided to spend some time at home and play with makeup. My FOTD today is:

FACE

• L'Oreal Ideal Balance foundation in Beige (Paula Begoun gave this a smiley face in her book, but the reviews on MUA say otherwise... let's see how well it controls the oilies on my face)
• Stila Perfecting Concealer in Level C to cover up my undereye circles from this past week
• L'Oreal Translucide Loose Powder in Light to set the foundation
• L'Oreal Blush Delice in Front Page Peach (from the Photomagique collection... this reminds me of a cross between NARS Orgasm & Torrid - one of my fave drugstore finds)

EYES

• Annabelle Shadow Trio in Amazon with the beigey-tan color from lashline to brow, and the darker beige color in the crease, and the green in the inner corners
• Annabelle Shadow Trio in Haute Chocolate - just the darkest color, which is an espresso color with gold shimmers, blended into the crease and under the lower lashes. (Both of the Annabelle items are courtesy of my friend Aurelie!)
• Stila Browset in Dark - my fave - props to my friend Karen for sharing her discount
• MAC PowerPoint eyeliner in Buried Treasure - another fave of mine - beautiful dark green with subtle gold shimmers - more props to Karen
• Shu Uemura FiberXTension mascara in Black - sometimes things are better the second time around... I didn't like it too much the first time I bought it, but I just bought it again, and I think I like it better

LIPS

• L'Oreal Colour Juice lipgloss in Strawberry Smoothie - another fun d/s find

HAPPY SATURDAY!

Is Possible to Work in Fashion and Also to Have a Brain?

That is my question of the day. And currently, I want to say NO. If you don't believe me, please allow me to illustrate with a few stories. I won't mention any names (wouldn't want to shame anyone), but everything I say is 100% true. What I am about to tell you actually happened!

First case in point is a high-profile executive in charge of one of our divisions. Needless to say, she gets paid beaucoup bucks (like 4X what I make) for what she does, and I'm not questioning her competency in her role, but I do want to raise some doubt about her education. Last week, my boss and I were sitting in my office, and this exec stopped by to say hello. Since my boss and I were talking about the math questions on standardized tests, he playfully asked her, "What is an even number?"

Her response was, "Huh?"

The question was posed again, and she responded, "I don't know. An even number is just, like, even. And an odd number is just odd."

My boss asked again, "How do you know?"

And she answered, "I don't know, you just know."

Then he said, "An even number is divisible by 2."

To which she responded, "Ohhhh... I didn't know that."

I think she was quite embarrassed by this point, so she followed with, "I'm not good at any math questions."

Okay, so maybe she was having a rough day. You know, it can be difficult to differentiate between even and odd numbers sometimes. (hahaha)

If you're still not convinced, allow me to tell yet another true story about her.

My boss sent out a bogus resignation letter which he said started off as a regular letter, but in the second paragraph stated that he was leaving to become a professional pirate, and gave some details about sailing the seas and commandeering ships. He sent this letter to her as a joke, and she called him and was completely freaking.

He asked her if she read it, and she said yes. Then he asked if she read the entire thing, and she said she did. After that, he asked if she really believed that he was going to be a pirate, and she replied, "Yeah, isn't that like a finance position or something?"

Okay...

Here's another story. This time, it's about our in-house legal counsel. I sent him an Excel file in an email that said, "Here is the workbook we'll be reviewing in today's conference. There are 3 worksheets to this workbook. Please take a look at all of them, and we will dicuss this afternoon."

When I called him later that day, I told him to turn to the 2006 budget sheet so that we could look at it first. He asked me what I was talking about, and I said, "The third tab in the workbook." And then he said, "What do you mean? What tab?" (even though there were 3 distinct tabs, each labelled accordingly.) So I told him, "The one labelled 2006 Budget." And he responded, "I don't understand. I only have one sheet, and that's the one I printed out."

I asked if he had the file open, and he said yes, so I told him to look at the bottom, at the tabs, and select the one that said 2006 Budget. He still didn't get it, and said that there was only one sheet. This went one for a couple more minutes, and he started getting a bit testy.

Then, I told him that I would re-send the files with all of the tabs selected, and all he had to do was click the "print" button, and all 3 tabs would print. He still could not wrap his head around the fact that there was one file, but three tabs. I re-sent the file to him, and then he was like, "It printed, but I still only see one sheet."

I decided at that point that I would just let it slide. It did provide me a little entertainment for the day, after all. However, I was quite perturbed that he is supposed to represent the company in all of its legal issues. Scary thought, isn't it? I wonder what school actually allowed him to graduate with a law degree... and how he passed the bar exam? I am scared.

In conclusion, I believe that those who work in fashion should be less concerned with losing weight (by the way, two guys were just walking down the hall, making serious bets with each other that they would lose 8 pounds by April) and more concerned with the primary brain functions that are crucial to survival in the world. It's a zoo out there, and one subject to natural selection. Let's take off the fashion blinders.

No Thunder Yet, but Thunder Eyes (w/FOTD pic)

Hello! Well, it's been rainy and yucky all day, so I thought I'd try out the MAC Thunder Eyes quad that I picked up last week (from the Catherine Deneuve collection).
Here's what I'm wearing:

FACE

• Stila Illuminating Liquid Foundation in 30 Watts with Illuminating Powder Foundation in 30 Watts dusted over it (great combo!)
• BeneFit Hoola bronzer
• NARS Deep Throat blush (one of my faves!)

EYES

• MAC Thunder Eyes quad (Thunder all over the lid, Scarab in the crease & outer V, Rye on the browbone)
• MAC Gorgeous Gold e/s in the inner corners
• Shu Uemura Kajal eyeliner in Black with MAC Sketch e/s (also from Thunder Eyes) layered over it
• Rimmel Volume Flash Mascara in Black
• Stila Brow Set in Dark

LIPS

• Stila Lipliner in #4
• MAC lustre lippie in Sharp Beige (also from the Catherine Deneuve collection) - my fave nude lipstick ever!

Don't mind my crazy hair... I was trying to work with the humidity! :)

Have a great Saturday night!!

My Buddies Amos & Mr. Coca-Cola

One... more... hour... and then I'm out of this joint! Too bad the weather is so crappy! It's been rainy and overcast all day, and it's supposed to rain on Saturday... what the heck?? I feel like it rains one day of every weekend here. What's up w/that??

So I needed a little afternoon pick-me-up (my lingo for a vending machine raid)... I should've been deterred by the fact that the snack machine kept rejecting my brand new $1 bill, but I was determined. Luckily (or maybe unluckily?), I had change, so I got a bag of Famous Amos chocolate chip cookies (these are really growing on me -- literally!), and the ubiquitous can of Coke. Now, I feel a little revived... at least enough to finish the boring task I am working on today.

About vending machines... I feel like the one in my office should be stocked with diet suppressants or something. Throw in a little green tea, some Ephedra, even a little Hoodia, and you're good to go. Maybe even add some laxatives and a pair of rubber fingers that you can buy to gag yourself with and induce vomiting. Seriously, though... Everyone is always on a diet, including my male, married boss. Earlier in the week, he had to leave early because he had taken some Hydroxycut and thought he was going to die or something. Then on Wednesday, he started taking Hoodia, so he's been giving me the mealtime update. ("I only had a little bit of rice and a piece of meat for lunch, and I'm not even hungry!") What's up with that? Since when is it ok for guys who aren't even fat to be so caught-up with their weight? Strange...

All right, I'll stop critiquing others' weight obsession and weight-loss methods and get back to work! Talk to you this weekend!