Keep On Hangin' On...

We've all been there. Work is piling up, deadlines are coming, errands to run, the bag of salad you purchased is starting to look dodgy and you don't even remember your last shower.

I like to think of myself as something of a pro at handling stress. I have no qualifications to back up my dubious title but there are plenty of others on the Internet with even less expertise than me, so I figure I might as well chime in. 

1. Get Help. If you think you aren't coping well and find yourself unable to deal then please don't suffer in silence! Talk it out. Call a friend, your grandmother, your dad, call your plumber if you have to. Just stop being a hero. If you are really struggling go to your doctor, if your anxiety is preventing you from being productive you might benefit from pharmacological or psychological intervention. 
2. Work Hard, Play Hard. Not just a motto for vanilla OkCupid profiles anymore, guys! When you need to work just put your head down and do it. Learn to recognize the need for a break. There's nothing worse than sitting down to work and 4 hours later finding yourself deep in a Wikipedia k-hole reading about the plight of Aboriginals in colonial Australia (not that that's ever happened to me...). If you need a break just acknowledge it and unplug completely. For me that means walking away from my computer, putting down my cell phone, and reading something by Jilly Cooper. If I don't disconnect completely my brain won't recharge and then I'm vulnerable to distraction again. Other options for disconnecting that are slightly less fun but pretty emotionally rewarding are doing laundry, tidying the kitchen, or throwing away all that nasty-ass food you bought when you vowed to be healthy last week which has now gone off because you keep eating cereal for dinner instead. It'll only take about 10 minutes but it's surprisingly more meditative and easier than actually learning to meditate. Note to self: must learn to meditate. 
   
3. Exercise Exercise Exercise. Ugh I know, how obnoxious am I? Look, we all hate exercising. People who claim to love it are lying to themselves and to each other. But the endorphin high afterward and the pure sensory pleasure of a well-deserved shower makes it totally worthwhile. It's hard to find the time to work out, especially when you're being pulled a million directions. Lately I am relying on a Pilates DVD (mine is by Gaiam and it's only okay so I won't link you to it, lest you find the instructor's voice grating and then question my taste forevermore). I also get a kick out of doing 15 minute HIIT sessions on my balcony. I pick three or four tough exercises (burpees, squat jumps, pushups... anything that sucks) and then do a 30 seconds on, 30 seconds off routine in a circuit. By the fifth circuit I'm completely spent and I always wake up the next day satisfyingly sore. The HIIT routine really saves me on days when I just can't drive forty minutes round trip to the gym plus work out for an hour. It also serves as a nice break from work while still feeling productive. 
4. Don't Be "That Guy." You know who I mean. The guy who works all day then collapses into bed at night for days and weeks and months on end, before eventually waking up at age 60 ready for his nervous breakdown. Put something between work and sleep. It can be exercise if that's your thing, or cooking, or home brewing, or reading. I am reluctant to use the word "hobby" because it conjures up images of crappy DIY Pinterest fails, but cultivating an interest outside of work will not only prolong your life but can give you something tangible to link you to the world. Working or studying nonstop can be very isolating so finding a hobby you can share with others (even if the "others" are just YouTube people) will keep you grounded and give you some perspective. 
5. Indulge. Whatever that means to you, now is the time to do it. In general I try to limit my intake of sweets to the weekends but today an almighty migraine was looming around 2 pm. My friend texted asking if I felt like running out for coffee at that exact moment and I gratefully accepted. I entered the cafe planning to order a sensible black Americano but felt the siren call of the pastry cabinet. The tempting array of muffins, cakes, and tarts called to me. "You want us, Caitlin. You need us. Get outside us." I gave in. I ordered the Maple Pecan Bar and savored every delicious bite. I certainly won't be making a habit of afternoon pastry time and I confess that I felt a brief twinge as I considered the number of burpees it would take to work it off. Within moments, though, I found myself not caring as my teeth sank into the chocolate-y, maple nectar of the Gods. Other indulgences include the nights I treat myself to an extra-long shower or spend five extra minutes in the morning to actually style my hair instead of sighing and putting it in a ponytail. Those brief moments of self-care rapidly become the best part of my week and I thank my sun and stars that I still feel alive and human. 
6. For God's Sake, Take A Shower. Showers take 10 minutes. Just do it. You're losing friends. 
7. Indulge (again!). You know what comes with stress? Rage. Road rage. Roommate rage. Frustration. Anger. Don't bottle it in, that will give you wrinkles. Instead just allow yourself to get mad. Try not to get mad verbally towards your loved ones, but by all means take twenty minutes to beat the shit out of a punching bag or a piece of hanging meat. It'll make you feel better and you may surprise yourself how much aggression you're holding onto. I love the high that comes after a good boxing training session; I leave the gym with excessive swagger and pray that someone, anyone, will attack me so I can practice my new moves on them. 

Rocky Balboa ain't got nothing on me

Perhaps just as important as a list of things to do is a list of things to avoid. Everyone has different ways of procrastinating and different websites that keep them distracted. If you use Chrome definitely install the extension called Stay Focused. It blocks all the fun websites during working hours that you set and prevents you from whiling away the hours looking at pictures of cats. I also avoid reading anything too navel-gazing or depressing when I'm stressed, I feel like the misery of others makes me emotionally labile and generally droopy.

I think I'll leave the list at 7 because 7 is the most magical number and I find myself growing tired. I started this post expecting to write a lot about the benefits of lavender essential oils etc. but found the words taking me in a completely different direction. I'm sorry for anyone who suffers from tension headaches who came here looking for a cure. Try playing Jimmy Buffett songs and wearing shorts in your house so you can pretend you're wasting away in Margaritaville, I guess.

What are your stress-busting tips? 

Catch you on the flip-flop,

xo Caitlin

Korean Beauty Buys

Recently I went a little crazy reading every single article and blog post about the latest Asian beauty products. Our friends in the Far East are evidently way ahead of us in terms of skincare technology, new trends, and adorable packaging. Obviously I, a functioning beauty addict, needed to get in on the game lickety-split. My options in Dublin were somewhat limited, I poked around the Asian markets a bit but mostly found haircare products. Fine, but my hair is more or less acceptable to me as is. I was yearning for experimentation! Luckily for me KollectionK ships worldwide and had the things I needed. After more meticulous research than I've ever done in my academic career I selected my favourite goodies to try. Shipping took about 3 weeks but it was well worth the wait because now I have some new toys to play with, write about, and change my face!

Ordering beauty products online is always a gamble because I'm never certain the colours are going to work. My skin has both yellow and pink undertones, so I am particularly reluctant to order things like foundation or concealer without testing them first. I was really hesitant about picking a BB cream without getting to try it out first but apparently most BB creams are formulated with a "one shade fits most" principle so I was willing to give it a shot.

So what did I pick up?

My preciousssss...

1. Tony Moly Cristal Blush in "Emo" - initially I was tempted by the pale lilac and bright coral shades but landed on this bright pink. It's quite a lot of product for the price ($5.99) and the colour payoff is phenomenal. I'd say this shade could work on most skin tones and I'm particularly excited to see how it pops against a tan this summer! *obligatory doctor's warning: don't tan. Seriously* I limited myself to one because I'm trying to institute a "1 in, 1 out" policy in my makeup collection. Obviously now I regret that massive error and wish I had splurged an extra $12 for the lilac and coral shades too. The blush itself has a nice velvety texture, blends easily, and goes with every makeup look I've tried. I can see this becoming my new go-to blush for spring and summer, especially with a bit of bronzer to really nail that "Miami babe" vibe.

Meowww that's sparkly

2. Holika Holika "Hello Holika" Blush & Highlighter - this bad boy is marketed as a highlighter but I'd caution interested parties to beware because it is straight up glitter. Not strictly hospital-appropriate ("Hi my name is Dr. Sprinkles Fairy Princess, I'll be doing your surgery today") but I'll be swiping it on my cheekbones for music festivals, holiday parties, and probably on my eyelids during the work week. Plus look at that adorable cat! I don't even like cats and I am totally on board.

3. Holika Holika Pig Nose Pore Cleaner 3 Step Kit - I've never seen anything marketed for blackheads that looked quite so charming. My nose is actually doing pretty well right now thanks to my good friend Glam Glow SuperMud Clearing Treatment which sucked all the gunk out of my pores last week and then slammed the door shut to other nasty invaders. Alas, my skin is totally predictable and I'm sure it won't be long until I get to try the Pig Nose Cleaner out. I only bought the 3 step kit because my skin can be a little sensitive and I want to test it out before I buy the full size products.

4. Missha M Vita BB Cream Matte - I know I know. I'm just as tired of reading gushing reviews about BB creams as you are. There is probably nothing left to say about BB creams so I, a practiced skeptic, waited for the trend to pass. Now it's 2 years on and the trend is still going strong so I decided to cave and see what the fuss is about. BB creams claim to combine cosmetics with skincare and allegedly improve the appearance of skin over time. I decided to try out one of the original Asian manufacturers of BB creams rather than the Western versions that are just tinted moisturizers by another name. I'm coming from a place of privilege here because, as an Asian gal, most BB creams will work for my skin tone. If you have any concern at all about colour matching I'd advise picking up a drugstore brand or getting matched at a department store. This one wasn't expensive ($15.99) but I'm not about to throw cash at futile endeavours. I'll give it a few weeks before I comment on any improvement on my skin tone. Right now work stress plus changing seasons plus excessive caffeine intake isn't making for controlled experiment conditions.
I chose this BB cream because of the matte texture, in the summers my skin can get excessively "dewy" so I wanted something with a bit of oil control if possible. It's also SPF 20 which isn't too bad but I'll still be layering another sunscreen with it.

5. Missha M BB Boomer - This was described on the Kollection K website as a BB cream "enhancer" which seems to be a fancy word for primer. I have combination skin and a bad habit of touching my face excessively so I wanted to give the BB cream the best possible chance of holding on to my skin and making me prettier. Further details pending, see above re: controlled experimentation. BB Boomer is made with pearl, antioxidants and mysterious moisturizing ingredients that are meant to enhance the appearance of skin and contribute to its overall health. One of my goals this year is to learn more about the ingredients in the cosmetics I use and educate myself (and you, my darling readers) about what ingredients actually work for me and are worth the investment. So stay tuned for that!

I'll be doing in-depth reviews once I've taken them for test runs but I wanted to share my excitement first! I highly recommend Kollection K for anyone who doesn't have access to Asian beauty stores nearby. Everything there is adorable but very dangerous for your wallet. I only stopped at 5 new products because the other things I wanted were sadly out of stock. I'm sure I'll be hearing the siren song of the website soon and will be adding to my collection with some new eye makeup products and more shades of that TonyMoly blush. Kollection K also very nicely threw in some samples of their face mask sheets and a cleansing oil.

Have you bought into the BB cream hype? Or are BB creams over and we've all moved on to something else now? Share your secrets!

Signed,
The Tragically Un-Hip

Nails So Pretty I Want to Eat Them

Another Easter has come and gone, bringing with it memories of egg hunts and pastel frothy dresses and little baskets full of candy. This year I spent Easter on my own (working, alas) but I wanted some way to get into the Easter Bunny spirit. I love pastel colours but for whatever reason tend to shy away from them in my wardrobe choices. My solution? Manicure time, of course!

Sunday afternoons always bring a certain ennui and occasionally the pre-Monday Blues. Douglas Adams referred to Sunday afternoon as "the long, dark tea-time of the soul." Yesterday it was rainy and gloomy and I could feel the long dark tea-time coming on. I cranked up the heat, turned on NPR and got down to business painting my nails.

Initially I wanted to do some kind of Easter egg nail art that I have been seeing around the web (here and here) but those felt sort of literal and also require some fine dexterity that I do not possess. Instead I opted for three pretty pastel shades and at the last second decided to go over them with a thin coat of gold glitter. The finished product actually reminds me of a box of Laduree macarons, which isn't quite what I intended but I dig it all the same.

Note: my cuticles are totally busted from a very violent manicure I had back around Valentine's Day. They are just now starting to recover so I didn't push them back much. I also keep my nails short for work. Ain't nobody got time for MRSA under their nails, amirite?

Deliberately mismatched too! 

Midi rings by Topshop, crooked lines by Caitlin

I sort of love that you can see my reflection in the Chanel bottle caps. So arty, much skill. 

The base colours are :
Nouvelle Vague by Chanel - discontinued now, try China Glaze's For Audrey and Essie's Turquoise and Caicos
She's Picture Perfect by Essie
Lilac Sky by Chanel

For the gold glitter I used a Revlon polish called Sequins that I received free with a magazine purchase (hence the enormous free sticker on the bottle. I wanted to remove it for the photos but that would mess up my manicure #struggle).

I hope everyone had a happy Easter! How did you treat yourself this weekend?
xo Caitlin

The Perfumed Court, for your inner (French) commitmentphobe

Many moons ago (okay, last month or something) one of the commenters over on xoVain started a thread about finding your "signature scent."In theory I'm all about the signature scent because it evokes memories of my ultra-glam high school French teacher who trailed a wake of Chanel No. 5 so thick you could choke on it. However reading the thread made me realize that I'm not ready to commit to a signature scent just yet. Lately I'm partial to either Stella in Two (apparently discontinued, thankfully I buy in bulk) or anything by Jo Malone but life is short and I'm still young - why settle down before I have to? I'm on the hunt for some more grown-up scents that convey a bit more sex appeal. I'll probably rotate them and layer them depending on my moods. Identity crises are tres chic, mark my words.

A bit of Internet detective work (okay, a quick Google search) led me to The Perfumed Court, a cool website that sells decanted samples from a variety of brands. I always love getting perfume samples with my Sephora orders so The Perfumed Court takes me to a new level of pleasure heretofore unexplored. I spent hours clicking around the website picking out the perfect samples and I'm sure I'll be writing about them in more detail as I experiment with them. For now, here are the new fragrances that made the cut. All are readily available at most department stores, Sephoras, or airport duty free shops (my preferred beauty destination).

1. Mahogany by Demeter
2. Salt Air by Demeter
3. Paperback by Demeter
4. Flower Market by Maison Margiela
5. Lazy Sunday Morning by Maison Margiela
6. Beach Walk by Maison Margiela
7. Addict by Christian Dior
8. Le Baiser du Dragon by Cartier
9. Agent Provocateur

Since it's exam season I think I'll be wearing Paperback by Demeter to the library tomorrow, maybe layering it with Agent Provocateur to create a sexy librarian vibe. In a few weeks I'll be sunning myself leathery in Turkey and plan to wear Beach Walk on the daily to help me channel my inner surfer babe. I wish someone would make a beach-themed perfume that smelled like sunscreen, coconuts, and Spam musubi to take me back to my misspent youth in Hawaii.

Do you have a signature scent? Or, like me, are you still finding yourself and therefore not ready to settle down yet? What makes a signature scent The One?

Also - can I market my Sunscreen As Perfume idea? What is your inner surfer babe named?

A demain, mes petit freres! 
xo Caitlin 

Springing Forward

Spring fashion - is there anything more typically yawn-worthy? Every year I browse Grafton Street hoping for inspiration and feeling like Meryl Streep in The Devil Wears Prada.

Instead I've spent my time looking elsewhere for ways to up my fashion game without breaking the bank or getting caught up in the endless cycle of fast fashion and waste. How am I putting my little grey cells to work, you ask?

1. I finally caved and signed up for GlossyBox. I spent ages hemming and hawing over whether I really needed more beauty products but today I bit the bullet and subscribed! My friends in the States are very spoiled by the likes of BirchBox, Nature Box, and Wantable but as far as I can tell GlossyBox is the only option for us on the Emerald Isle. No matter! I look forward to sampling everything I can get my paws on and enduring the judgmental looks from the postman.
2. I've been looking in new and unusual places to get my sundress fix. Right now I'm obsessed with the maternity styles from Seraphine even though I'm not pregnant (unless we count the Food Baby, but shhh let's not). All the dresses are comfy, stretchy, and will easily transition to summer. I'm pairing mine with leather jackets, black tights, and ankle boots now but can't wait to upgrade to sandals and sunglasses. 
3. Can we talk 90s for a second? The 90s are clearly having A Moment, much in the way the 80s had A Moment when I was in High School. I've been using my study breaks to revisit my love for Buffy the Vampire Slayer and I'm digging Buffy and Faith's tremendously inappropriate makeup and fashion looks for school. I'm thinking this spring I'll bust out some mini skirts and Clinique Black Honey Almost Lipstick (available here you lazy bums). I might skip the crop tops though, due to aforementioned Food Baby. Watch this space for details on biting Buffy's 90s style. 
4. Speaking of the 90s - remember Cher Horowitz's amazing closet that was run by some sort of robotic witchcraft? Every girl my age dreamt of a closet like that. I am still waiting for Microsoft to develop the technology with the dry-cleaner railings and remote control functions. In the meantime I've been playing with Stylebook, an iPhone app that lets you catalog your closet, create looks, and then keep track of when you wore everything. It feeds my obsessive compulsive tendencies but does tend to bring out the worst in me when I realize I've worn the same black dress pants for the last 12 days. My style resolution for spring is to retire anything on the "Top 25 Most Worn" List (a depressing list of sensible ballet flats, black dress pants, and pearl studs. Oh, the shame) temporarily and revitalize my outfits and soul with some of the items on the "Never Worn" List. For those interested, the Never Worn List is a very upsetting visual reminder of my impulse buys. We must destroy it immediately. 

How are you updating your wardrobe for spring? Ponder that and weigh in! 

Also, let's play a quick Shag/Marry/Kill...

Is it obvious that I would probably kill Angel? 

Controversial, I know.

Till next time!

xo Caitlin

On General Inspection...

Hello and welcome to my shiny new blog! My name is Caitlin and I started this blog because I felt like my life was becoming a little too work-oriented and I wasn't pausing to enjoy the simple pleasures at all. Cliche alert! I hope you enjoy sharing in the minutiae of my life. Blogging is an inherently self-centered act and it feels horrifically presumptuous to think that anyone might want to read the random musings that kick around in my head. I'll be blogging about fashion (mainly things I want to buy), beauty (things I've bought and loved), and medicine (things I do to pay for things I buy).

I call this my "new haircut" derp-face

xo Caitlin