A Hair-Removing Beauty Trend

I'd call it a "hair-raising" trend except, in this case, there will be no hair to raise. As I was reading through my Google Reader (which I still adore) and came across a post from BellaSugar about a reemerging trend, barely there eyebrows. Although from the picture they used, it really looks like the model has no eyebrows.

Eyebrows have always been a source of trouble for women. I find them quite annoying myself. I try to keep them in check the best that I can, but I'm pretty terrified of getting them waxed. I've only done it once because I really trusted the esthetician. What I'm actually scared about is having the esthetician wax off both of my eyebrows and leave me looking a little ridiculous.

Apparently, my fear might actually be the latest trend! Crazy.

Twenty-six-year-old fashion consultant Lauren Boyle told the New York Times, "There is an asexual element to no eyebrows. We are much more accepting of the ‘other’ nowadays. Removing eyebrows removes a degree of expression, which makes one look less human and more cerebral, maybe even mechanical. It’s an exercise in modernity."

Another idea, including that of makeup artist Pat McGrath who recently did the latest Balenciaga show at the 2009 Fall Paris Fashion Week, is that the no-eyebrow trend has to do with the recession. Apparently financial troubles help people open up to become more daring and try new "inovative" looks.

Nevertheless, the trend is popping up everywhere from Balenciaga to Givenchy to Vogue. You can either bleach your eyebrows until they no longer seem there or get serious and shave them off.

As for me? I think I'll be keeping my eyebrows. I don't really understand how not having eyebrows is asexual. It's not like only one sex has eyebrows; both women and men have eyebrows. Also, why would one want to look less human? I don't know about you, but I feel blessed to be a human. (Granted I wouldn't mind being a domestic cat or a bear, but that's for another post.) Shouldn't we want to celebrate being human?

And the whole recession causing the look idea? I can see why this would be attractive to high-end luxury brands (who probably aren't suffering like you and me during the recession). They have to find new ways to grab people's attentions. Although the recession does not have me running out to try new innovative looks. In fact, I think it's almost had the reverse effect. Instead of wanting to push my looks to new extremes, I've found myself being much more conservative. (But then again, maybe that's just where I am in life, which would also make another post.)

So I'm interested in your opinion. How do you feel about going eyebrowless? Would you ever do it? I guess it's easier than plucking, though. Just one swift movement from the razor!

Buy Me Some?

Article number two is up now. If you're a female, you should join the site and hang out and chat on the forum. You can also follow the site on Twitter. And there's a group or fan page on Facebook. You can find it on my profile. Read and enjoy! Thanks.

Gift Emergencies Solved

Is it just me or is everyone getting married? I guess I’m sort of at that age where marriage becomes a real possibility. Then there is graduation; the class of 2009 is now out and about. And all us “adults” are working on that whole “career” deal, whatever that’s about.

All these celebrations call for gifts, too. But what should you get them? Shopping for presents is always hard unless of course they tell you what they want. During these occasions, you generally want a gift that’s useful, too. More stress.

Well stress no more because I found the coolest site: Ms. & Mrs. (I found it on SELF’s Beyond the Beauty Pages. Elaine, the beauty director, blogged about it.) This site offers “special occasion survival kits” for things like weddings, babies, college, new jobs and random emergencies.

I like the Shemergency and Working Girl’s kit most. Check it out:

I am a Blogaholic.

Some of you may have caught my earlier post about possibly being a blogaholic. Well there is no possbility. I -am- a blogaholic. And thanks to Google Reader, my addiction gets worse and worse and worse. I'm currently at 83 subscriptions.

Ok, to make sure you don't think that I'm sitting at a computer all day, I don't necessarily read every post. I skim through a lot of it and read what interests me the most. It's so easy to do on Google Reader, too. I don't have to visit 83 different Web sites when I want to see what's happening.

Last time I got some great suggestions for new blogs. So once again, I figured I'd share a few favorites of mine and ask you about yours. What are you reading? Because here's a spotlight of what I'm reading:

Funemployed in NYC - They have a great "Job of the Day" feature where they find ridiculous job postings. It's pretty funny. They make unemployment funny, which is nice.

Save Like Me - This is SELF's money saving blog. MP Dunleavey gives you great suggestions on how to go about saving money. I like how she uses real life examples, too.

Salon.com's Broadsheet - This is my go-to blog for women's issues and current affairs. I like how they talk about serious and not-so-serious issues with a conversational, witty and amusing tone.

Almost Savvy - This blog isn't updated too frequently, but when it is, you can find some great information.

Beyond the Beauty Pages - This is SELF's beauty blog. I've learned a lot from all the women there. I love reading what they're up to and what they suggest. (I also love that my friend Ale is a regular blogger. She's awesome!)

Media-Go-Round Spinoff

Wow, I've really dropped the ball on posting, huh? Well, you can take it two ways: you can be angry at me for not posting because I've been busy or you can be happy because I'm starting to have a life again. Anyways, on top of not posting, I've also forgotten to do a Media-Go-Round post for the past two weeks. But I hope you've kept up with it on your own. Anyways, I thought I just share a few things I found interesting.

- I got my first Mine magazine. First, they didn't even get my magazine choices correct. Lame, right? Although they did apologize and extend my subscription with another issue. I also now have the secrets to Tiger Woods' swing, which I wouldn't have if the switch up didn't happen. Second, I'm going to have to say I wasn't impressed. It was a really flimsy magazine with maybe one or two articles from each magazine. (Faithful readers, remember the post about dressing for your size, and I said it was probably from Glamour? I was wrong. It was from In Style, and I just re-read the article in Mine.) On the up side, it makes for good gym reading material, and I was one of the 31,000 to get a print copy. Want to read more about it? Click here.

- There's been a lot of magazines crossing the line when it comes to ads and articles. Some magazines are getting called out by ASME. (That's the American Society of Magazine Editors, if you didn't know.) This is how ASME explains itself and it's decisions. I kind of feel like it shouldn't matter what's on the cover of a magazine. In all honest, most magazines are pretty much one giant advertisement for thousands of products. It's sad, but true. And if it helps them sell at this point, good. Let them get back on their feet.

- So French Elle decided to put stars who aren't wearing any makeup on the cover of their April issue. Or so they claim. Yes, the women look a little tired, but I don't really notice any blemishes or anything. I don't think they're makeupless at all. That's just my opinion though. I like this guy's opinion, too. You ought to check it out.

- I've already posted about the whole 55-year-old intern thing, but it still makes me want to throw up a little. They actually set up an Executive Internship Program. I think I just died inside a little.

- Jossip folded today. Wait, I mean "it's on hiatus."

- My thoughts and prayers go out to Roxana Saberi and her family.

I Want to Smell Like a Tar Heel!

I’ve been meaning to post about this forever, but I suppose now is a great time with it being March Madness and UNC in the FINAL FOUR!

Masik is a fairly new fragrance company that just can’t leave its college years behind. So what’s their solution? Collegiate perfumes and colognes! So far only UNC-Chapel Hill and Penn State have fragrances, but they have a bunch of other colleges smells on the way.

So how does one create the essence of a college in a bottle? At Masik, they consider school colors, mascot spirit, traditions and history, landmarks and architectural style, campus trees and flowers, mission statements, college town character, and themes in the alma mater and fight songs. Strange to think those things matter when making a scent, but according to them:

“Of the five senses, only our sense of smell is linked directly to the brain’s limbic system or emotional control center. Because of this link, a particular scent or fragrance can evoke memories and emotions before we are even consciously aware of them.”

So what are the deets? A 3.4 oz bottle of UNC-CH’s women perfume costs $60. (Yikes, someone buy it for me?) You can buy it on their Web site or UNC Student Stores or Johnny T-Shirt in Chapel Hill or a few random other places. (And to be honest, I don’t care much about the other scents or where you can buy them.)

Crazy, right? Do you want to smell like your college? Because I kind of want to see what Carolina smells like…

The Beauty of a Good Deal

With spring finally arriving and summer on its way, it’s time to shove those sweatpants and heavy jackets back into the depths of your closet and bust out the tank tops! And since you’ll probably be going out more, you’ll probably start to beautify yourself a little more. Well guess what! It’s a good time for that because there are so many great beauty sales happening right now!

My good friend Ale, over at SELF’s Beyond The Beauty Pages blog, has found some amazing deals just for you. (She, along with the other great gals in the beauty department, is also keeping track of spring trends, in case you’re clueless on what to buy!)

And if that’s not enough, check out this coupon for a free Signature Collection Body Care item with a $10 purchase at Bath & Body Works (good until April 12) and this coupon for a free mini body lotion with no extra purchase at Victoria’s Secret (good until April 12). You can also get a free Naturally Tote with a $25 purchase using the same VS coupon until April 6.

And if that’s not enough, get yourself ready for Spa Week, where lots of spa around the country are offering fabulous treatments for a mere $50 starting April 13. Some of these treatments are actually worth up to $300 and maybe more. Book your appointments now though!

Am I an Apple or a Pear?

Isaiah sent me a post from Jezebel (Great blog; strongly suggest you read it.) titled “In Which We Explore The Ridiculousness Of "Dressing For Your Shape.” He suggested I post about it instead of him. Personally, I’m interested in his point of view, but nonetheless, here’s my side.

The post generally explains that the names for the body sizes that many magazines use to help us readers shop for clothes are fairly ridiculous, dated and offensive. You know the body sizes I’m talking about: pear-shaped, tall, boyish, etc.

This quote pretty much sums it up: “Which is all well and good, I suppose, unless you happen to be a Pear-Shaped Busty Tall Woman looking for ideas on Plus-Size gowns, because the advice for each category is markedly different, which would lead many women to believe that there are only certain aspects of their bodies that are truly worth addressing, as opposed to concentrating on what fits and feels good.”

I have to say I completely agree. I have absolutely no idea what “size” my body is. (Although, at 5 foot 3 and a half inches, I can pretty much forget the “tall” part.) Even my beloved SELF magazine (I really do love this magazine) trips me up with their body sizes: top-heavy, thick-waisted, petite and bottom-heavy. To be honest, a lot of the time I just flip past those pages because I get annoyed trying to figure out what I am. And sometimes, I like a look that isn't for my body type (I think), which makes me a little sad inside. Should I not wear that? WHY NOT?

And I really hate it when they have articles about picking out jeans. First off, standing in front of a mirror trying to judge what my behind is shaped like and so forth is never enjoyable. (Although I do remember an article in Glamour, I think, that had a story about buying jeans from Web sites that designed—almost molded—jeans to your exact measurements, which I enjoyed.)

I also hate some of the beauty articles for that matter, too. I cannot, for the life of me, tell what shape my face is, which leads me to become a nervous wreck because what if I pick the wrong haircut and look… well, ugly.

First, I’m sad because I can’t wear the clothes I think are cute. Second, I’m sad because my behind and a mirror are not the best of friends. Third, I’m sad because the haircut I want won’t look right. Anyone else noticing the trend?

Instead of helping you feel better about “shopping for your type,” magazines really are kind of making things worse. Pointing out trends or even how to mix simple articles of clothing is cool for the most part. And I know there is a good intention behind helping us shop for our type, but it just has the opposite affect for me. So I’ll stick to the traditional shopping route. If I like it, I’ll try it on. If it looks good, then it was made for my body type. End of story.

Unibrow Be Gone!

I've never been a fan of Friday the 13th, but deals like this may possibly change my mind.

Bliss Spa will be offering free signature brow waxes to the first 25 customers to enter their city's spa next Friday. Make sure you mention you saw the special on BellaSugar (and don't forget to tip esthetician!).

Luckily, I'll be back in NY for the 13th, so hopefully I'll get the chance to pop over. My brows could definitely use a little TLC. And maybe all you spring-breakers will end up near a Bliss Spa, too!

Beauty's Going Green

I recently wrapped up an internship at SELF magazine. I worked on the 2009 Healthy Beauty Awards, which will appear in the May issue. (Make sure you check it out!)

While there, I had to work with hundreds of products--hair, bath, body, makeup, etc. I also had to unpack and unwrap a lot of those products and WOW, talk about a lot of trash. So while reading SELF's beauty blog, I was pretty excited to hear about beauty companies starting to turn green.

First, they started with the packaging. Thank goodness! Check out the hot new trends in beauty packaging (and hopefully packaging everywhere!) here. Be gone, stupid Styrofoam peanuts!

And wait before you toss out that old lipstick tube! They've even started recycling the actual packaging! MAC, Aveda and Bond No 9 have started a green movement, and I hope everyone picks up on it! Read Ale's post here about how to help reduce beauty's carbon footprint by recycling plastic and glass. And if you read more about it on the companies' Web sites, you may find way to score free stuff. Reduce pollution and score free makeup? Not a bad way to start your day.