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.

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

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

Downton Funk

This exists. I can't believe... I just don't know what to do with this.

Gif from Tumblr.

I love the "dead Turks" line, lol.

Hope that made your day like it made mine.

XOXO
Gossip Ghoul

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.

Contouring done wrong, probably because Barnabas can't see his reflection in the mirror. Pic from feralintelligence.com

"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.

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. >_<

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.

Gif from www.popsugar.com

XOXO

Gossip Ghoul

Fabulous Tip Of The Day: The Perfect Denim Jacket

In Style UK's fabulous tips for this spring and summer fashion staple:

"1. The fabric: Look beyond classic denim and opt for interesting details. The painted texture of this number gives it a fresh twist. 

2. The fit: Stick to the easy vibe of summer and choose an oversize jacket. Turn up the cuffs for a 2014 update. 

3. The outfit: Pair with slim tailored trousers, a light knit, and a pair of pointy flats. Chic daytime dressing made easy!"

--Taken from In Style, UK edition, April 2014, page 89. 

Denim jackets are a lifesaver on these days when the weather keeps switching from cold to too hot to rainy to going inside with the air condition in set at arctic. It's also easy to throw on a denim jacket over a sundress for an easy work look.

Stay fabulous, readers!

XOXO

Gossip Ghoul