I’m always really confused when I get sick. I mean, I live in California, the land of perpetual sunshine and 70 degree weather and especially since I don’t work in an office every day (aka germ infestation central), it’s odd that I would catch a bug. Well I woke up yesterday morning feeling like absolute crap; dry, scratchy throat, stuffed sinus’, watery eyes…sure, it could be the Santa Ana winds but regardless, I feel awful. Over the years I’ve developed these go-to’s for a good sick day, if that’s not a complete oxy-moron.
As I mentioned in my first post, I’m at a point in my life where I need to develop my “adult” identity—dare I say, I’m having a quarter life crisis. I am exploring all of the things that I believe my grown-up persona should encompass: how I will pursue my career aspirations, what my political beliefs are, and if I’m the kind of person who can pull off a chic crop top or not (Jamie’s note: she CAN. I’ve seen her do yoga) I know that the way that you present yourself to the world is crucial, but as a newbie to the beauty scene (you mean, there is more to a beauty regimen than eyeliner and mascara?), I have not quite figured out what that look will consist of yet. Am I a bold cat-eye kind of girl? Can I rock a hot pink lip a la Jessica Biel? Or, am I more of natural, Urban Decay Naked Palette, kinda lady? The jury is still out.
But, I invite you to join me on my Beauty Newbie journey, as I try out the latest tricks and trends (with some much needed guidance from the beauty expert herself, Jamie), discovering and developing my big girl self.
First up, contouring and highlighting—a simple but essential beauty trick. After catching a glimpse of Lena Dunham on the cover of Vogue’s February Issue, I couldn’t help but notice her gorgeous bone structure.
Now while I believe that every woman is beautiful, I think we all know she didn’t, in the words of Beyoncé, “wake up like dis.” To create a contoured and highlighted look like Lena, I followed this guide from Pinterest that provides a step-by-step on the process:
I only used two products to create this look: Josie Maran Argan Creamy Concealer Crayon in Medium 1 for the contours, and Benefit High Beam as a natural highlighter for my skin tone. I recommend using a contouring color that is one shade darker than your natural skin tone and a highlighter that is close to your skin color, with just a bit of sparkle. Because both of these products are in cream and liquid form, I just used my fingers to blend the colors into my skin to give it a super natural, ***Flawless look.
So far, I am digging what this quarter life identity crisis is doing for my “bone structure” and this is definitely one trick that I plan to keep in my beauty arsenal.
Have a beauty trend that you’d like to see me try out? Tweet me @han_cran, #beautynewbie, with your suggestion!
I’ll be honest when I say that I was certainly NOT a beauty expert back when I was in high school; in fact, I didn’t even care. I would read Seventeen, YM, Teen, Teen People, etc. and completely skip over the beauty section to go right to fashion. I mean…wow how things change, and with that said, even though I wasn’t particularly passionate about beauty, I DID have my go-to products. Putting this post together was truly a hilarious experience and I giggled at the site of these products, ALL of which I would still TOTALLY use. Just saying…
1. Herbal Essences Shampoo and Conditioner: The brand has since re-done the packaging (this is the old version) but I’m still in love with the scent, and when they say that you associate smell with memory, they are NOT lying. I had a flash memory of being late to home room the last time I used this shampoo…it was both scary and awesome at the same time.
2. Wet ‘n Wild White Eyeliner: I don’t know why on earth I ever though white eyeliner, SOLO WHITE EYELINER AND NOTHING ELSE, was ever an ok look, but I did. If memory serves, I thought the white line would make my eyes look bigger but in reality, guys just wondered why I had white lines drawn on my top eyelid. Ahhh, the teen years…
3. Bath & Body Works Pearberry Body Splash: The scent of Pearberry was my jam in high school; of course, everyone had their favorite scent, but there was something about the Pearberry scent that I just LOVED, and still do.
4. Bonne Bell Lip Smackers: It’s still a classic but it was definitely an obsession for everyone in high school and I distinctly remember having a cupcake-flavored version that made all the girls jealous.
5. Hard Candy Nail Polish: Back in the day Hard Candy was a high-end nail polish and retailed for $18 a bottle which, for a high school student, was big bucks. I had a few select shades, one of which was called “mermaid” and was teal green. #memories.
6. Avon Odyssey Perfume: My mom bought me this perfume at a friend’s Avon party and I don’t know why I asked for it but I distinctly remember LOVING the scent.
Chances are, if you’re like me, you have a bottle of tequila languishing in a cabinet somewhere left over from your last Cinco de Mayo party. Although tequila shots with the girls are fun every now and again, sometimes it’s even better to mix it up and try something new. You’ll only need a few ingredients and a few minutes to make THE PALOMA, a refreshing and delicious tequila cocktail that tastes almost like a sparkling margarita, with a great sweet-to-tart ratio.
Ingredients:
Ice
1 ½ ounces tequila (about one standard shot glass full)
The juice from ½ of a lime
Pinch of coarse salt, optional
Grapefruit soda*
Extra lime wedges or slices, optional, for garnish
Directions:
Fill your glass with ice
Add tequila and lime juice (You can add in a pinch of coarse salt if you like)
Top with soda
Garnish, if desired, with a lime slice or wedge
You can use any glass from 8 to 12 oz, and easily double the tequila, lime, or add more or less soda to fit your preference. If your glass is on the larger side, I would definitely use two shots. This style of drink is usually served in a Collins glass, which is a tall, narrow style. Here’s some of our favorites:
*Traditionally this recipe uses Jarritos, the Mexican soda, which comes in a grapefruit flavor, and which you can find at some bodegas. Trader Joe’s also carries a decent grapefruit soda, and there’s a grapefruit flavored Izze. Some recipes even call for Fresca or Sprite, if you’re desperate.
LESSONS IN TEQUILA, FROM JO:
There are two things you should know before you buy your next bottle of tequila:
1) There’s three basic types of tequila: blanco, reposado, and añejo. Blanco tequila is white or silver – clear in color and unaged, and flavors varying a lot depending on where the agave is grown. Blanco is fine for most cocktail recipes, including the Paloma. Reposado tequila has been aged in an oak barrel for 2 to 12 months, and tastes a bit more smoky and mellow than a Blanco. It’s traditionally used for sipping. Añejo tequila has been aged up to three years, tastes almost like cognac, and is the most expensive.
2) Whichever type of tequila you buy, reject any bottle that doesn’t say “100% agave” on the label – no matter the price. Otherwise you’re getting a mixto, which is a mix that usually includes fermented sugarcane. That results in a much cheaper tequila, in price and in taste.
When I met Hannah I felt like I met my 22-year-old self all over again…only she was a much better interview. Fact. I love her tenacity and enthusiasm and I can already tell that she “gets” what Queen of the Quarter Life Crisis is all about. I’ll let her fill you in on the rest…
HANNAH CRANSTON, ASSISTANT EDITOR:
Hello there, cyber world! Hannah here and I am beyond excited to join the Queen of the Quarter Life Crisis team. I’m just your average, fun-loving, sweets-craving, endorphin-seeking, 22-year-old who wants to share her love for beauty, fashion, and LIFE with the world. I was born and raised in LA and recently graduated from Duke University. As I embark into the real world (yikes!), I’m exploring who I want to be, what I want to look like, and what Pinterest recipes will look best on my Instagram. It ain’t easy navigating all that on top of trying to be a functioning woman of society–that’s why I love QueenoftheQuarterLifeCrisis.com. Jamie gets that the most attractive thing about a girl is her confidence and shares her tips, tricks, and just the right amount of sass, to help you make that shine through. I’m still building my “adult” identity, so cannot wait to learn all about the best products, trends, and treats to try and hope that I can bring my love of fitness and newbie status to the beauty world as a fresh perspective to the blog. In the words of the ever-so-profound Black Eyed Peas, “Let’s get it started…”
Jo made a the best first impression on me ever: she got to our interview before I did. I didn’t know it at the time, but Jo just so happens to be from the city in Long Island where I was born. How crazy is that?! Aside from being a New Yorker, which obviously earned her bonus points, she’s a certified yoga teacher who used to work at a law firm and just recently moved to LA. Yoga + organization/time management skills = one really awesome intern. Here’s her story…
JO WALKER, INTERN:
I’m a certified yoga teacher and I love that my job helps people find happiness in their everyday lives. I’m passionate about health and wellness, fitness and food, and I love beauty and fashion; I think they’re tools that allow us a daily dose of creativity and self-expression. We get to shape our image and cultivate our experiences by the choices we make with our clothes, our purchases, and our time, but in my everyday life, I generally have no makeup on, and when you meet me, most likely I’ll be barefoot wearing leggings. So, I’m thrilled for the opportunity to soak up all the beauty and style tips I can from Jamie. I love her Tuesday Web Candy and Weekend To-Do series, and I’m definitely in need of all the beauty product recommendations I can get. I’d love to do a series on fitness and wellness, and get the opportunity to share some of my years of yoga experience and general wellness tips. I’m also excited to share my favorite healthy and delicious recipes, and my love for food on the blog. I have almost 10 recipe boards on my Pinterest and I’m trying to make, cook and bake my way through everything on there. See some of my results on my Instagram. I just recently relocated from NY to LA, so I’m still settling in, seeing the sites, and basically shifting perspective from a tourist to a local. I think fresh food tastes better, and have been impressed by how easy it is to get locally caught seafood, locally grown produce, local olive oil and, of course, the local wine(!) here in California. I think it’s really important to value and support local food production, and I volunteered with an organic farm when I lived in NY. I’d love to investigate the new-to-me local LA food systems and feature foods grown and products made in the area for the blog. I think it might be a great excuse for Jamie to throw those dinner parties she’s had on her resolution list! I’ll be moving into a new apartment soon, and then I’ll definitely be hosting some myself. I’m starting to plan my best-day-ever party since I’m recently engaged, and I’ll be sharing that on my new blog. Follow my thoughts on my new city, my life, and see what I’m reading now on my Twitter.
I also have a pretty decent green thumb, so I’m also hoping Jamie will let me help her get the plant life going on the balcony 🙂
Editor’s note: SHE WILL. How awesome is my new team?!
It’s no secret that I like my wine and I’ve recently accumulated an entire bowl full of the used corks, and that’s also considering the fact that a good amount of wine bottle now have screw tops since there’s a cork shortage, apparently. Or maybe that’s just a rumor to scare the wine obsessors of the world, who knows. Regardless, I’ve been thinking on cool ways to recycle all of my wine cork, and here are five of my favorite ideas:
I’m still making attempts at growing something (anything, really) on my balcony, but this wine cork ID tag is pretty good inspiration (image via ShineYourLightBlog.com)
My friend Devon made me one of these awhile back and they are SO awesome, it kinda hurts (image via TrendHunter.com)
I love anything with an initial and this cork version would make a really nice addition to any mantle (image via GrowingUpGardner4.blogspot.com)
I love, love these the most. How fun would it be to have a few of these in a nice bowl (image via FaveCrafts.com)
My friend Kristen used wine cork place holders at her 30th birthday and they were a huge hit (image via Pinterest.com)
I try to always set goals for myself and, admittedly, I often fail. I blogged last year about my goals for 2013 and I mean…honestly, the list was CRAZY long, like unattainably long. Sure, I’m glad I set the bar high for myself, and I DID actually complete a good amount of my goals, but this year I want to be more streamlined with what I want to achieve. Back in November I set four simple goals for myself to do before 2014 and I’m happy to say I was successful (mostly) in achieving them. I think it makes sense to separate the action-item goals (e.g. learn how to surf) from the overarching, more general goals like “focus on the present.” What are your action-item and overarching goals for 2014? Here’s my much shorter, more attainable list. Cheers to a productive year, kids.
Travel to at least 1 new country
Learn how to really surf
Get scuba certified
Grow something (literally anything) on my balcony
Skydive (for the 4th time!)
Ask out a stranger
Finish my book
Throw a dinner party and/or game night
See my family in New York at least 4 times a year
Become fluent in Italian
Continue to grow my business and brand
Spend more time at the gym and/or being physically active (beach, biking, boxing, ballet, Runyon, etc.)
Focus on the PRESENT, not the past
Continue to be more open-minded
Use my rooftop more often (pool and jacuzzi, hello)
