To Bangs or Not To Bangs

Every year since 2008 I've gone through this. I love bangs. I have wanted the chic, mod fringe ever since I was 14 or so. I have a super weird cowlick, though, so it wasn't until 2008 after a traumatic breakup that I worked up the courage to snip them.

(Dramatic hair changes and cookie dough are the best ways to get over a breakup in my opinion.)

Every spring I decide I'm sick of them. The cowlick gets out of hand, they won't fall straight, they won't cooperate, kill me now I'd rather be dead than deal with these FREAKING BANGS.

I'm paraphrasing and censoring, obviously.

Let the record show that I have no beef with the maintenance of bangs. I don't mind doing them every day. I DO mind the few occasions where they REFUSE to lie flat and instead create a gap on my forehead. See below. Ew. 

But then I start the dreaded process of growing them out. I feel like my face looks fatter. The cowlick is still my worst enemy. I hate the Lauren Conrad braiding back my bangs because it feel so 2007 to me. Headbands and bobby pins are a daily necessity, and I can't just blow my hair out because it looks flat - resulting in messy buns often (see below). I look ok about 30% of the time, I think.

So I'm asking for some help. My most trusted parties (The Beard and my mom) are split for bangs and no bangs, respectively.

What do you guys think? I'm sure I'll go back and forth a few hundred more times. But still - your opinion is valued here at Black with a Chance of Cheetah.

To Bangs?                                                             Or Not to Bangs?


                                    

Sometimes, Always, Never - Neon

Nothing brings out a summer tan like neon.  You can't go into stores today without walking right into a display of new neon goods. Here's my advice for the neon trends:

SOMETIMES

Start out small with accessories like a belt, necklace, and nails. But check the mirror to make sure it's a *pop* and not a *CLASH* of color.

Wear the neon BIG. Like a shirt or pants. After trying neon nails (which I love) I branched out. I got two neon v-necks from Victoria's Secret 2 for $28, which is awesome by the way, and I've been mixing it into my routine.

ALWAYS

Pare down your neon with neutrals - black is great for night but can look too severe for day, tan is very runway-chic this season, and white is the celebrated combo. I chose gray with neon pink for a casual afternoon with my family - Happy Sumo and The Dark Knight Rises. The Beard is getting sick of taking iPhone outfit photos, but he's nice and does it anyways. :)

Tone down your makeup. Define your eyes with liner and mascara and swap your blush for bronzer. Nude lipstick or a sheer gloss, take it easy on the color. Your neon is supposed to steal the show.

NEVER

Avoid your problem areas with neon. If you are worried about your BBQ belly, don't wear a tight neon tee. Yuck.

If you are wearing neon to work or church, be forewarned that everyone is looking at you and shaking their heads in disappointment.

If you are very fair, take it easy with the neon. You'll look like a Tim Burton character. See-through, green-tinged and creepy. 

Sometimes, Always, Never: Trendy

I'm kind of a late adopter of trends. I firmly believe that waiting through the first wave of a trend makes your fashion decisions much more informed. Instead of running right out and buying the hot new thing at the doorway display at Forever 21, I watch. I see how bloggers, college peers and celebrities wear it.

So here's my inspiration. This last weekend I was in Cedar City at the Shakespearean Festival with my Budge girl family. It's our little girl reunion that we try to do every couple of years. It was awesome. Anyways. My mom and I had some time to kill before the next show so we went shopping. A Downeast Outfitters was having a sidewalk sale with discount bins, so we rifled through them. I have never found anything good in a bin because it's usually ugly stuff or XL-XXL sizes. But then I pulled out something, and lo and behold. Angels sang. 

It was soft.

It was blush pink.

It wasn't XXL. (It is a size too big for me, as you might be able to tell... whatev.)

It was a knee length pencil skirt.

IT WAS PEPLUM.

And it was $10.

What do you guys think?

I've been intrigued by the peplum trend. I think it's so fun and classy.  I've seen bloggers and celebrities wearing it (thankfully no Utahns have ruined it for me. YET.) And I secretly just want to be Emma Stone. I just didn't know how I could do it. I like dressing up. I like looking formal, even if I'm the only one. But peplum? It's too much, right? WRONG.

And now, without further ado, our Sometimes, Always, Never for trying new trends.

SOMETIMES

Try something that seems scary. If it keeps catching your eye, do it. Buy it. Try it. But don't just get something BECAUSE it's trendy. It needs to be something you like.

ALWAYS

Do some research. See how people are wearing it. Type the style into Pinterest and pin some ideas. I love doing that. 

Plan at least one outfit in your head before you buy it. You will regret it if you take it home and can't even make one outfit. 

NEVER

I never buy a trendy item from a big designer or for full price. What if I don't like it? What if it is totally "out" by next season? When oxford shoes were big this last fall, I bought a knockoff pair from Payless for probably $15. It was good purchase, because they look similar to the $70+ Steve Madden pair at Nordstrom (RIP), but guess what? I wore them maybe once a month. That's worth $15 for me. Not $70.  And if you do love the trend? Upgrade.

ONE AT A TIME. Never ever ever combine super trends. Do not wear leggings, gladiators, a statement necklace and chambray all at once. Choose one. This girl looks ok for fashion week, but for the rest of us,  bright peplum + statement tee + shades + beach hair + chandelier earrings + thick ankle strap heels is overdoing it. 

Sometimes, Always, Never - Summer Face

I'm a firm believer in changing your makeup with the seasons. My skin tans very easily, and I'm also super anemic. That means I can look Latin in the summertime and Helena Bonham-Carter in the wintertime. I have 3 foundations that I rotate through and varying shades of eyeshadows for the seasons. Summertime is my biggest adjustment to my daily routine, and it's a lovely adjustment because it means LESS.

SOMETIMES

Makeup trends like bold lipstick or a smoky eye are awesome. But be careful, and adjust. It's far too sticky to rock this during the day, so stick to fun concerts and night events for your statement makeup.

Instead of a gray or black smoky eye, try green or blue. Think mermaid.

Instead of a bright red or wine lip, try a hot pink, or my personal favorite - a sunny coral.

ALWAYS

Sunscreen. Your mom was right. It's good for you. I still don't wear it on my body like I should, but I've been establishing a good habit of layering a sunscreen with moisturizer under my makeup, or using Mary Kay's tinted moisturizer with sunscreen on its own. Try Aveeno Daily Moisturizer, especially if you've got dry skin like me. It's easy to make your own tinted moisturizer by mixing it with your favorite foundation on the back of your hand and then brushing it on. You'll feel like a bona fide makeup artist.

Creme Blush. This will play up your tan just right, without caking like a powder. I like Maybelline Dream Mousse blush in Rose Petal.

Lip Balm. Duh. Get yourself a nice stick of Burt's Bees.

Exfoliate. St. Ives Apricot Scrub is a miracle product. It removes dead, dry skin and just makes you glow.

NEVER

Liquid eyeliner needs to hibernate until sweating and swimming aren't daily possibilities.

Thick foundation or powders. Switch to a light tinted moisturizer that won't cake or look weirdly matte. Your skin will thank you.

Any foundation, powder or cream that does not match your current skin tone. I think this is Paris Hilton. It's hard to be sure with all the bronzer and the fact that it isn't 2004.

Make(up) Not War

Secret obsession of Danica Budge Holdaway? Makeup. All the way. LOVE it. I've been a huge makeup fan my whole life. And how lucky am I? I've got a salon stocked with Mary Kay at my fingertips. Don't tell my mom this, but I'm starting to cheat on her. Mary Kay is great for certain things - pressed mineral powder, foundation and liquid eyeliner. But I'm not in love with their lip products, blush or concealers. They're fine. They do the job. But I've been branching out. I have the hardest time walking past the MAC counter at Nordstrom. All I want to do is buy the new Illamasqua fall products. Urban Decay eyeshadow palettes. NARS blush. Ahhhhhh my mouth is watering.


My latest purchases that I recommend:

Mary Kay's brand new I Heart Mascara. I'm a sucker for mascara.

Maybelline Dream Mousse cream blush in Peach Satin. Goes on like a dream.

Sonia Kashuk Limited Edition Brush Set. I'm SO glad I got this. It's almost perfect. I had to buy a few more brushes to add to my set in addition to these, but it's a great set. Very nice quality. And my next Pinterest project? Chic makeup brush storage. :)

Best fall trends I recommend:

Cat Eye. Never out of style. The September Allure (my favorite beauty magazine, by the way), had a great tutorial on various cat eye options. Mix it up, you guys.

Metallic Smoky Eye. I'm loving the silver and even a green metallic look.

Blue Shadow. The girls of The Beauty Department told me it's back. So much better than our first try in the 80s.

Wine Red Lips. The scariest fall trend for me. Still working to find my "right" shade. But be bold you guys.

Feeling bored with your makeup routine? Here's what you should do.

1. Watch Pixiwoo videos. All of them. Especially their Halloween and crazy makeup ones. So fun.



2. Mix up your base routine. Big liquid foundation user? Try a tinted moisturizer. My new favorite foundation routine is a little mineral pressed powder. Try a primer under your powder routine. Remember to account for a lighter skin tone during the winter. Unfortunately.

3. Buy something fun that will make you WANT to try new things. I bought a teal Maybelline eyeshadow on sale the other day. Still haven't found a good opportunity to use it, but I'm dying to. Find a new lipstick shade. Try lining your brows with a pencil or shadow.

Makeup is so fun. Never let it become a boring hoop to jump through each morning. Be a woman and enjoy it.