Today's Fab Tip:
Unless you've been living under a rock for the past few years, you must have noticed that bold, full, Cara Delevingne-esque eyebrows are in right now. After years of overplucking, it can take a bit of time for brows to grow in enough to to look full. Brow hairs are just like any other hair and need conditioner.
"If you're trying to grow out your brows, mix castor and coconut oils to apply before bed. They contain proteins and vitamins that nourish hair follicles and promote growth."
-- eyebrow specialist Maral Balian in Starmagazine March 16, 2015, p. 55.
Apply this serum to your brows at night, and then fill in your brows with a pencil or powder to give them a naturally fuller look by day, and you'll have fabulous brows in no time.
XOXO
Gossip Ghoul
Friday, March 20, 2015
Thursday, March 19, 2015
Fabulous Tip of the Day: The Wet Hair Look
Today's Fab Tip:
To get the wet hair look:
"A light-hold mousse tames unruly flyaways and frizz -- and encourages your hair's natural bend. Apply from root to tips on damp hair, and off you go."
-- Taken from Life & Style magazine, March 23, 2015, p. 55.
This is an easy and fast method of getting the wet hair look. Just slick it back while it's damp and then add a little shine serum. Once it dries, you'll have body, and if you have waves or curls, natural texture that will look effortless. Plus it means less time getting ready in the morning and more time to sleep in.
XOXO
Gossip Ghoul
To get the wet hair look:
"A light-hold mousse tames unruly flyaways and frizz -- and encourages your hair's natural bend. Apply from root to tips on damp hair, and off you go."
-- Taken from Life & Style magazine, March 23, 2015, p. 55.
This is an easy and fast method of getting the wet hair look. Just slick it back while it's damp and then add a little shine serum. Once it dries, you'll have body, and if you have waves or curls, natural texture that will look effortless. Plus it means less time getting ready in the morning and more time to sleep in.
XOXO
Gossip Ghoul
Style Inspiration Quote #14
Today's Style Quote:
"What you wear is how you present yourself to the world, especially today, when human contacts are so quick. Fashion is instant language." -- Miuccia Prada
Source: The Little Black Book of Style by Nina Garcia, p. 5.
This quote pretty much sums up that what you wear tells the world what you want people to think of you. That's why it's important to think about what you're wearing, down to hair and makeup and accessories, since because instantly judge what they see. As the cliche goes, you only have one chance to make a first impression, so it might as well be a good one. Just keep that in mind today as you're getting ready. Of course, you also can't neglect situational factors, such as dress codes, occasion, weather, temperature, appropriateness, et cetera. A good outfit takes everything into account.
Stay fabulous, readers.
XOXO
Gossip Ghoul.
"What you wear is how you present yourself to the world, especially today, when human contacts are so quick. Fashion is instant language." -- Miuccia Prada
Source: The Little Black Book of Style by Nina Garcia, p. 5.
This quote pretty much sums up that what you wear tells the world what you want people to think of you. That's why it's important to think about what you're wearing, down to hair and makeup and accessories, since because instantly judge what they see. As the cliche goes, you only have one chance to make a first impression, so it might as well be a good one. Just keep that in mind today as you're getting ready. Of course, you also can't neglect situational factors, such as dress codes, occasion, weather, temperature, appropriateness, et cetera. A good outfit takes everything into account.
Stay fabulous, readers.
XOXO
Gossip Ghoul.
Wednesday, March 18, 2015
Fabulous Tip of the Day: Make Your Braids Stay All Day
Today's Fab Tip:
Braids work better on second day hair or hair with texture. Personally, I can't stand skipping a wash more than one day every other week because of how oily my face and scalp are (and blonde hair is the WORST when it comes to picking up oil and grime and looking disgusting), but braiding freshly-washed hair is difficult because the smooth strands slip right out. Luckily, there are styling products to help out. Dry shampoo and texturizing spray are great options. I also picked up this tip:
"Give grip to slippery strands by adding styling paste to your fingers before you start, says David Babaii, partner of Blo Blow Dry Bar."
-- Taken from People Style Watch March 2015, p. 180.
This kind of blew my mind. Styling paste can really weigh your hair down and make it look greasy, but applying a little to your fingers instead of directly to the hair? Genius! This will give your braids the grip they need to keep them from falling apart throughout the day. Add a drop of hair oil or shine serum, and spritz with hairspray, and you're good to go.
XOXO
Gossip Ghoul.
Braids work better on second day hair or hair with texture. Personally, I can't stand skipping a wash more than one day every other week because of how oily my face and scalp are (and blonde hair is the WORST when it comes to picking up oil and grime and looking disgusting), but braiding freshly-washed hair is difficult because the smooth strands slip right out. Luckily, there are styling products to help out. Dry shampoo and texturizing spray are great options. I also picked up this tip:
"Give grip to slippery strands by adding styling paste to your fingers before you start, says David Babaii, partner of Blo Blow Dry Bar."
-- Taken from People Style Watch March 2015, p. 180.
This kind of blew my mind. Styling paste can really weigh your hair down and make it look greasy, but applying a little to your fingers instead of directly to the hair? Genius! This will give your braids the grip they need to keep them from falling apart throughout the day. Add a drop of hair oil or shine serum, and spritz with hairspray, and you're good to go.
XOXO
Gossip Ghoul.
Movie Review: Big Hero 6
So the Disney movie Big Hero 6 came out on DVD a little while back. I remember when it theaters I knew I wanted to see it right away opening weekend because of how adorable it looked. Plus I really love Disney. Plus it was made by a lot of the same people who did Frozen and Wreck It Ralph, both of which I really love.
And let me tell you, Big Hero 6 was really good, even better than The Book of Life, which was also really adorable. I'll admit that it wasn't as great as Frozen or as visually stunning, but it was still heartfelt and touching and OMG I'm tearing up again just thinking about it! (T_T)
Like Wreck It Ralph, it had strong themes of friendship and identity, and like Frozen, it focused on family -- although on a pair of brothers, not sisters. Also, like many superhero films, it mixed in themes of revenge and redemption. Additionally, it was one of the most diverse Disney films I've ever seen.
Big Hero 6 takes place in an anime-esque city called San Fransokyo - a combination of San Francisco and Tokyo - where kid genius Hiro is interested only in illegal robot-fighting and gambling. His older brother Todashi urges him to apply himself in using his intellect in creating something important, something to help others, like the cuddly robot of Todashi's creation, Baymax, intended as a personal healthcare assistant to treat people who are sick and injured.
After a terrible incident, Hiro relies on Baymax and his group of friends (all racially diverse super genius scientists except comic book-obsessed Fred. I love Fred. Fred is me.), and they form a sentai-style group of superheroes in order to catch a dastardly villain. I'm trying to minimize spoilers, so let's just say I cried a lot. I admittedly also loudly exclaimed the word "Fuck!" twice in dismay. Luckily I was the only one in the theater at that showing, since I neglected to see it in 3D.
I will mention, however, that I was incredibly annoyed by all the mispronunciation of every single Japanese word and name. Every. Single. One. Why couldn't Disney have hired a voice coach to teach the cast to say names correctly?! Was that so hard?!
Speaking of the cast, however, it does include the lovely Jamie Chung, whom I have a crush on, as well as Alan Tudyk, who once again voices a devious character of suspect motivation (just like King Candy in Wreck It Ralph and the Duke of Weaseltown in Frozen -- so far from cuddly Wash playing with toy dinosaurs in Firefly). Except for all the mispronunciation, the cast did a great job.
By the way, be sure to watch until after the credits for a Stan Lee cameo! What's a Marvel movie adaptation without Stan Lee, after all?
So go on and enjoy the cuteness, and bring tissues. You're in for a whole lot of feels.
XOXO
Gossip Ghoul.
 |
| Gif from Buzzfeed. |
Like Wreck It Ralph, it had strong themes of friendship and identity, and like Frozen, it focused on family -- although on a pair of brothers, not sisters. Also, like many superhero films, it mixed in themes of revenge and redemption. Additionally, it was one of the most diverse Disney films I've ever seen.
Big Hero 6 takes place in an anime-esque city called San Fransokyo - a combination of San Francisco and Tokyo - where kid genius Hiro is interested only in illegal robot-fighting and gambling. His older brother Todashi urges him to apply himself in using his intellect in creating something important, something to help others, like the cuddly robot of Todashi's creation, Baymax, intended as a personal healthcare assistant to treat people who are sick and injured.
After a terrible incident, Hiro relies on Baymax and his group of friends (all racially diverse super genius scientists except comic book-obsessed Fred. I love Fred. Fred is me.), and they form a sentai-style group of superheroes in order to catch a dastardly villain. I'm trying to minimize spoilers, so let's just say I cried a lot. I admittedly also loudly exclaimed the word "Fuck!" twice in dismay. Luckily I was the only one in the theater at that showing, since I neglected to see it in 3D.
 |
| Pic from Buzzfeed. |
Speaking of the cast, however, it does include the lovely Jamie Chung, whom I have a crush on, as well as Alan Tudyk, who once again voices a devious character of suspect motivation (just like King Candy in Wreck It Ralph and the Duke of Weaseltown in Frozen -- so far from cuddly Wash playing with toy dinosaurs in Firefly). Except for all the mispronunciation, the cast did a great job.
By the way, be sure to watch until after the credits for a Stan Lee cameo! What's a Marvel movie adaptation without Stan Lee, after all?
So go on and enjoy the cuteness, and bring tissues. You're in for a whole lot of feels.
XOXO
Gossip Ghoul.
Tuesday, March 17, 2015
Fabulous Tip of the Day: Basic Hair Hacks
Today's Fab Tip is in video format!
Instead of a quote from a book or magazine, I decided to post a brief video I found of easy hairstyling hacks. Let me say from personal experience that these are very handy, especially the one about storing hair pins in an empty tic tac container, which is very useful for stashing in your purse and easier to deal with than a ziploc. I recommend always having a few bobby pins or hair pins, ponytail holders, mini brush or comb, a travel hairspray, and a travel dry shampoo in a small clutch within your purse for hair touch-ups. My hair always decides to stop cooperating around midday and needs messed with. These hair tips can help.
Btw, the link for the instructions (since it says "Instructions below") is here.
Have fun with your fabulous hair, ladies!
XOXO
Gossip Ghoul.
Instead of a quote from a book or magazine, I decided to post a brief video I found of easy hairstyling hacks. Let me say from personal experience that these are very handy, especially the one about storing hair pins in an empty tic tac container, which is very useful for stashing in your purse and easier to deal with than a ziploc. I recommend always having a few bobby pins or hair pins, ponytail holders, mini brush or comb, a travel hairspray, and a travel dry shampoo in a small clutch within your purse for hair touch-ups. My hair always decides to stop cooperating around midday and needs messed with. These hair tips can help.
Btw, the link for the instructions (since it says "Instructions below") is here.
Have fun with your fabulous hair, ladies!
XOXO
Gossip Ghoul.
Song of the Week: Love Me Like You Do
"Love Me Like You Do" by Ellie Goulding is my new favorite song. I've been listening to it on repeat lately. Once in a while, I find a song that just fills me with happiness, and this is one of those. I love the entire soundtrack to the Fifty Shades of Grey movie. I love the book and the movie too, but the soundtrack is particularly awesome. It's a great mix of songs with romantic stuff, Danny Elfman instrumentals, classic rock Rolling Stones, Frank Sinatra, and more, but "Love Me Like You Do" is my favorite song on there. Here's the official music video for it.
This song especially means a lot to me because it's been inspiring my writing. The love songs that I've really focused on lately I've been associating with the main romance on my current book, Hell's Bells. Usually I find a song that relates to how one girl feels or the how the other girl feels (yes, it's a lesbian romance), but there are only a few songs that accommodate both girls' perspectives. "Love Me Like You Do" is one of those, which means it's doubly inspiring to me, and right now I can use all the inspiration I can get.
What did you think of the song? Have you listened to the Fifty Shades soundtrack? What loves songs inspire you? Let me know in the comments, or tweet me @ak_gossipghoul.
XOXO
Gossip Ghoul
This song especially means a lot to me because it's been inspiring my writing. The love songs that I've really focused on lately I've been associating with the main romance on my current book, Hell's Bells. Usually I find a song that relates to how one girl feels or the how the other girl feels (yes, it's a lesbian romance), but there are only a few songs that accommodate both girls' perspectives. "Love Me Like You Do" is one of those, which means it's doubly inspiring to me, and right now I can use all the inspiration I can get.
What did you think of the song? Have you listened to the Fifty Shades soundtrack? What loves songs inspire you? Let me know in the comments, or tweet me @ak_gossipghoul.
XOXO
Gossip Ghoul
Monday, March 16, 2015
Fabulous Tip of the Day: Nude Mani Hack
Today's Fab Tip:
A nude manicure is an instant way to polish your look and make it sophisticated and modern. It's also great for balance: if your outfit is mainly bold colors and prints, your nails (as an accessory) stay neutral to keep from being over the top. This particular tip, from New York Fashion Week Spring 2015, is a new take on the nude mani.
"Use ridge filler as polish. As seen at Alexander Wang[,] Essie celeb manicurist Michelle Saunders layered a coat of ridge filler over neutral polish. It acts like an Instagram filter, adding extra brightness to your mani."
-- Taken from People Style Watch March 2015, p. 150.
Additionally, using the ridge filler over your polish means you can skip top coat, which means your mani is done faster, so this works well for a last minute touching up your nails thing in the morning before work.
Stay fabulous, readers.
XOXO
Gossip Ghoul
A nude manicure is an instant way to polish your look and make it sophisticated and modern. It's also great for balance: if your outfit is mainly bold colors and prints, your nails (as an accessory) stay neutral to keep from being over the top. This particular tip, from New York Fashion Week Spring 2015, is a new take on the nude mani.
"Use ridge filler as polish. As seen at Alexander Wang[,] Essie celeb manicurist Michelle Saunders layered a coat of ridge filler over neutral polish. It acts like an Instagram filter, adding extra brightness to your mani."
-- Taken from People Style Watch March 2015, p. 150.
Additionally, using the ridge filler over your polish means you can skip top coat, which means your mani is done faster, so this works well for a last minute touching up your nails thing in the morning before work.
Stay fabulous, readers.
XOXO
Gossip Ghoul
Downton Funk
This exists. I can't believe... I just don't know what to do with this.
I love the "dead Turks" line, lol.
Hope that made your day like it made mine.
XOXO
Gossip Ghoul
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| Gif from Tumblr. |
I love the "dead Turks" line, lol.
Hope that made your day like it made mine.
XOXO
Gossip Ghoul
Sunday, March 15, 2015
Fabulous Tip of the Day: Buff When Contouring
Today's Fab Tip:
Contouring can be hard. You don't want it to look like you've drawn a line on your cheeks. The important thing is to blend.
"To make sure your contour looks flawless, I recommend using a clean powder brush with a little transparent loose powder to buff the edges out."
-- Taken from Nylon March 2015, p. 52.
Doing so will help your contouring look natural. For me, contouring is a must to make my cheeks less fat-looking and my face less rectangular-looking, but contouring is mainly used to give your face dimension. You don't want your face looking flat, after all.
Contour away.
XOXO
Gossip Ghoul.
Contouring can be hard. You don't want it to look like you've drawn a line on your cheeks. The important thing is to blend.
 |
| Contouring done wrong, probably because Barnabas can't see his reflection in the mirror. Pic from feralintelligence.com |
-- Taken from Nylon March 2015, p. 52.
Doing so will help your contouring look natural. For me, contouring is a must to make my cheeks less fat-looking and my face less rectangular-looking, but contouring is mainly used to give your face dimension. You don't want your face looking flat, after all.
Contour away.
XOXO
Gossip Ghoul.
Blank Space
I'm staring at a blank page of my little pink notebook, with my pink pen poised to record a masterpiece, but my mind is as blank as the paper. How poetic. Not. >_<
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| Gif from Tumblr. |
Technically, this paper isn't all blank because it's lined. That makes all the difference, right? It's ready to be written on, just like my mind is ready to start writing. All I need is something to write about, something to inspire me, something to help me ignore the crushing weight of depression that keeps bringing me lower and lower and lower...
Michelle Phan's new book came out a few months ago. It's awesome and helpful, and I love it. Part of me feels so inspired. After all, Michelle Phan is the reason I started writing a blog in the first place, as well as the reason I started wearing makeup in the first place. She's gotten so much success doing what she loves, and part of me feels like if she can accomplish all that, then I should be able to do what I love.
The other part of me wonders that if Michelle Phan and John Green and Melissa Marr and Richelle Mead and Neil Gaiman and Lily Schwartz and all the other people out there (mostly writers) that I love and admire can find succeess, then there's no room for me. They've already accomplished everything first and done it better than I could. And with all these other, better people out there, how could anyone even notice me?
Probably cuz all I do is bitch and moan and go on hiatus and then complain about my depression, the nasty part of me comments.
Yes, well, everything I ever do to try to escape depression inevitably backfires. Remember the last few months? Remember all of October? I reply to myself, ignoring how crazy a discussion this is.
Furthermore, it's become increasingly clear to me lately that I need a better source of income, but there is nothing I would rather do than write.
Yet if that's the case, then why can't I?
Oh look, I say to myself sarcastically. I've filled up the blank-except-for-blue-lines page, along with a few more pages in this little notebook, with meaningless scribbles no-one will ever bother to read.
Ah, yes, I reply with a little shrug, but at least I've written something, which is more than I can say for the scene in my book that I've been stuck on. Meaningless rambles are always better than a blank space.
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| Gif from www.popsugar.com |
XOXO
Gossip Ghoul
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