Viva Glam Gaga + Cyndi Lipglass

Back when the Viva Glam Gaga lipstick came out, I was sooo pumped. I loved the light, bluish pink. I also loved the Cyndi one, but I already had 2 red lipsticks so I thought I could pass.

Now, on September 2nd, they're coming out with Viva Glam Gaga and Cyndi Lipglasses. And I am sooo excited.

I've never used MAC lipglass before, but if their lipsticks are any clue as to what the lipglass is like, I don't think I'll be disappointed. The shades are identical to the lipstick colors, and I might get both =]

But there's more to this than just makeup. What I like about these is that with all Viva Glam products is that they benefit the MAC AIDS fund. So, what happens when you buy a tube of lipstick or lipglass?

The donation resulting from the purchase of a single MAC Viva Glam lipstick or lipglass is enough to provide…

• One school stationery starter pack for a child orphaned by a parent with AIDS
• One month of public transportation for a woman to travel to and from a doctor’s office
• One monthly medication planner to help a person manage their treatment regimen
• One HIV-prevention workshop conducted by a peer health educator
• One pair of school shoes for a child orphaned by AIDS
• One counseling session for an HIV+ woman
• 15 copies of a “Tips to Eating Well with HIV/AIDS” booklet
• Two emergency boxes filled with non-perishable food
• 14 blood glucose monitoring strips
• One rapid oral HIV test

http://www.macaidsfund.org/#/glam/howitworks

So if you like the colors, go out and buy them, and don't worry about buyer's remorse. You're be looking good, and doing good.

A New Brother?

I mentioned earlier in the month everything that happened with my brother's friend, Tyler. Well, now it's time for an update.

He lived with us for about 10 days. He seemed to get somewhat comfortable, and everyone really got used to him being around. He's a great kid, very nice and very funny. We had been urging him for a while to tell his family that he wanted to stay with us; not only was it what we wanted, but it was what he wanted too. He didn't want to go live with one of his aunts. He didn't know them. He felt awkward. But despite this, he said he didn't want to start a confrontation. Then one day, his mind was made up for him.

Out of the blue, his Aunt Delight, a heavy woman with spiky blonde hair and a fuzzy husband, pulled up to our house. She told Tyler he was going with them. With little resistance, he helped them pack his stuff into their pick-up truck. We all watched, disappointed, and cringed a bit when they flopped his expensive TV into the bed of the truck. Tyler walked in one last time, mumbled goodbye, and they were off.

It was a pretty somber few days after that. He wasn't with us for long, but it sure felt like it. He was beginning to feel like part of the family. Then four days later, when I was spending the night at Taylor's, I got a phone call. It was my mom, telling me that Tyler was back.

In the four days he spent at Delight's house, they didn't feed him. The night before, he went to a friend's house, and was supposed to be back by 10:30. He decided he wanted to stay the night, so gave his aunt a call. She didn't answer, so he decided to leave a quick voicemail. When she returned his call, she screamed at him, saying that if he didn't come back that night, he wasn't welcome back. By this time, the friend's parents couldn't drive him, and his aunt sure as hell wasn't offering a ride. So he stayed. That morning, he had his friend drive him straight to my house. He's been here ever since, and he's adjusting. He asks permission for everything; if he can use shampoo, if he can have more food, if he can turn on the air conditioner. We just laugh and tell him he doesn't have to ask. It's crazy.

Since then, his Aunt Delight and Aunt Dawn have been at our house twice. Starting arguments, yelling, accusing my mom of saying Tyler's mother is better off dead, accusing Tyler of being a liar and being on drugs. One thing, even more unexpected, was the return of Tyler's father. Tyler hadn't spoken to him since he was 9.

We're aiming to get temporary guardianship of him. Tyler's father signed the papers, and we have his consent. DCF did an inspection, and told us that we have their recommendation. There will be a hearing on August 12th, because Delight is going for full permanent guardianship. She'll never get it. She's a horrible woman, and her house looks like something out of Hoarders. If all goes well, I might technically end up with a new brother before the end of the summer. I'm looking forward to it.

Multitasking with Stila

I'm currently waiting around for my mom to get home, so we can set up the payment plan for my tuition (which is due tomorrow). So with the free time, I figured I'd make a post I was thinking about.

I commute to school, and this September I will be facing every commuter's greatest nightmare: 8 am classes.

What happens with those? It means I sleep as late as I can, until about 10 minutes before I absolutely HAVE to dash out the door, or I'll be late. Which doesn't leave much time for makeup, now does it?

That's where Stila comes in. I've never seen a brand with so many multitasking products. Here, I'll show you just one (please bear with me on the photos, my camera isn't exactly the best):

Stila's Lip and Cheek Stains ($24 each on Sephora.com for .08 oz):

Left to right: Mango Crush, Cherry Crush, and Pomegranate Crush.

Left to right: Pomegranate, Cherry, Mango.

I like these a lot. Really. They make life so much easier. The colors of the packaging look a little menacing, but they're very wearable. My favorite one is mango crush right now. You might not be able to tell from the picture, but it's a little more opaque than the others, and it's shimmery. Pomegranate is a plummy-pink, Cherry is red, and Mango is a shimmery coral. There are also several other colors to choose from.

They look like lipglosses in the picture, but that's because of the way I globbed them on my wrist. When you put them on, they settle completely into your lips, and voila! Your lips, just better. No glossy mess, no cakey lipstick look. Just blot them a bit, and it doesn't feel like you're wearing anything. Used as a blush, they blend quickly and easily into your cheek. So here's my run down:

Likes-
-Quick application
-Very long lasting
-Not sticky
-Versatile
-No nasty felt-tip pen crap to deal with

Dislikes-
-Slightly drying (though easily remedied with a swipe of lip balm on top)
-The slightest dry spot or unevenness on your lips gets highlighted
-The price tag (although I got these in a bundle, for about the price of one!)

Bottom line, I love these. They're a bit pricey, but worth it to me. Lip stains are lip color in its finest (in my opinion) and few do it better than Stila.

Direction?

So I've been thinking a lot about this blog, and what I want to do with it. I'm still going to use it to talk about my life from time to time, but I want it to have a POINT. Because let's be honest, my life isn't very exciting right now. I spend a lot of time trying to waste time.

So the first thing that came to mind? Makeup. Makeup is something I've loved for a while. It's a pick-me-up to get a new eyeshadow or mascara in the mail. I love how you can manipulate yourself--and others--with just a sweep of something sparkly.

I figure I'll just do lots of reviews and stuff. We'll see how this works out. If anyone has any ideas, let me know!

EDIT: I'm thinking of gearing this blog toward poor-college-girl beauty. I've used a lot of expensive designer makeup, and perhaps I can use that experience to see how drugstore products compare. Hmmmm....

OPI

Om nom nom?

I'm not really huge on nail polish, mostly because I'm lazy, and because I'm pretty bad at applying it. And even when I DO apply it nicely, you can guarantee I will fuck it up somehow. But when I do want a bit of color on my nails, there's only one brand I go to--and that's OPI.

With things like Wet N' Wild, or NYC, I've found you REALLY get what you pay for. 99 cents will give you about 6 hours of chip-free nail polish. On the other hand... the fact that NARS charges $15 for one bottle of (not-so-rave-worthy) nail polish is a crime. OPI gives great performance, AND a decent price; What is it, about $7 per bottle? But OPI offers something other brands don't.

Russian themed colors. Oh yes.

Because of my love of Mother Russia, I have officially decided to collect all of the Russian themed shades. So far, all I have is Russian Navy. But I guarantee you, these following beauties will be in my possession soon as well:

-Vodka & Caviar
-St. Petersburgundy
-Siberian Nights
-Midnight In Moscow
-Suzi Says Da!
-An Affair In Red Square

Then, after a Google search, I found out about these shades. I'm pretty sure they've been discontinued, but SOMEONE might have them:

-Boris And Natasha
-Catherine The Grape
-Kreme De La Kremlin
-Cosmo-Not Tonight Honey
-Ruble For Your Thoughts

Kind of a weird and silly post, but I love me some Russia.

Everything Can Wait.

A lot has happened in the past 24 hours. Although really, it's only been one thing, it just felt like a lot.

Yesterday, at 4:30 in the afternoon, my brother's friend Tyler found his mom dead. He woke up around 4:30, and saw her on the couch. He didn't have a phone to call 911, so he messaged Tony through his Xbox 360. Tony didn't know what to think at first, I guess, but he sprinted over there with Amber nonetheless. When they got there, Tony used his phone to call the police. I didn't find out until later, that Tony and Amber also saw the body. That kind of upset me.

After Tony called the police, he called my mom. Me and her went over there. We got there just as the first cop pulled up. They asked Tyler and his grandmother a lot of questions. Tyler wasn't crying, he was just kind of sitting on the ground. But he still didn't look good.

Tyler's mom was a drinker. A really bad one. But that didn't make this any easier, or more expected. His grandmother was really a mess. Because of this, my mom offered to let Tyler stay over our house for the night.

We brought him to Tony's baseball game. Amber talked to him the whole time. Will came to the house after, and spent some time with everyone. Anything to keep Tyler occupied. They all ended up going to see The Last Airbender.

I guess the one thing Tyler's really worried about is what's going to happen to him. He doesn't want to live with his grandma, and he hasn't spoken to his father since he was young. Honestly, he might end up living with us. He really might. I don't think anyone would mind, either. He's a really nice kid, and one of Tony's oldest friends.

I guess this really took a toll on both Amber and Will. Amber's mom also drinks a lot, and Will's dad is addicted to pain killers. It made them both realize that their parents could end up the same way, I guess. Will was really a mess.

I don't know how the next few days will unfold, but hopefully things will look up.

"Okay, But You Have To Hold My Cup"

My brother, receiving the Sportsmanship award for his team. Coach Dave on the left, and Ken on the right.

I know, I know, I know. I blog about my brother's baseball team a lot. A LOT. But it's hard not to, especially when I'm so close with my brother, and they're doing SO well. And man, what a fantastic day.

It all started at about 10:30. I got up, and went downstairs to help my mom chop fruit/vegetables for the team picnic we were having at my house that afternoon. When I was finished, me and Tony went down to the field to watch the game before his--Lou's team against Rich. We went to cheer Rich on, because if Lou lost, he'd be out of the tournament, and as I've said before Tony HATES Lou. When we got there, the field was bare. It would've been only 30 minutes into the game. Turns out, Lou had to FORFEIT because he didn't have enough players. It was awesome.

Then they had their game. And we won, 11-9! It was close, but everyone was so pumped. Especially since Dazon (Day-Day) came back, after being gone for like 2 months. Even after he got hit by a TREE a few days ago during the tornado that hit Bridgeport! Despite that, he pitched great. It was nice to have him back. And Kyle Canfield break-danced! Amber made him promise he would if we won. Amber started ragging on him about it, so he said, "Okay, I'll do it, but you have to hold my cup." After a lot of apprehension, he did this really cool no-handed cartwheel thing.

After that was the party. It was unbelievably fun. Both the kids and parents had a great time. While there, Ken handed out trophies for the team. It was there that Tony got the Sportsmanship award. It was a unanimous decision between the coaches. I was so proud.

About 3 hours later the boys decided they wanted to watch the Florida vs. Alabama game (the winner is who they'll be playing next). After much discussion over who would go in what car, (they thought they could pack 6 kids in my car, including Mike and Amir... NOT happening) I took Tony, Amber, Kyle Carriero and Kurt. The whole way there, they boys danced to Crystal Castles in the backseat (Tony has become fond of "Vanished"). We laughed the whole way there.

Once there, we hopped the fence of the little kid's field and me, Tony, Amber, Kyle, Kurt, Adel, Amir, and Mike played baseball with a tennis ball. Well, THEY did. I decided not to embarrass myself, despite their insisting. I said that I'd be Lou, so I threw my purse on the ground and bitched about every strike. When Amber went up to bat, I yelled, "AMBER BE FRANK!" She complied by watching every strike go by, and yelling, "THOSE WEREN'T STRIKES! YOU SUCK!"

The night ended with Alabama beating Florida, which was shocking but good for us. We cheered on Alabama while playing catch. I really feel like I got to know all the kids better. They're all really great. Right now, we're undefeated in the tournament, and when we beat Alabama on Thursday, we're going to the championship. It was an amazing day.

No one deserves it more than these kids.

Tony with his award. Amir to the left, Mike looking over the fence behind him, and I believe that's Logan's head poking out behind Tony's shoulder.

L'Oreal Go 360 Clean

So I'm about 2/3 through a bottle of L'Oreal's Go 360 Clean Deep Facial Cleanser (the green one), and I have to say, it might be one of the better facial cleansers I've used (and the little scrublet thing is just too cute).

I've always had nice skin, so I never really saw the point in using a face wash before, or having a skincare routine. Then I started using a combination of this in the shower in the morning, and Pond's Makeup Removing Wipes at night. I noticed today, that my skin is GLOWING.

I decided to go out and buy the similar deep exfoliating scrub (orange container) for several reasons:

1.) I loved the facial cleanser, and the bottle is getting empty.

2.) I have dry skin, so I NEED to exfoliate.

3.) An exfoliating scrub in a plastic container that I can wash out and recycle is a rarity.

I have high hopes for it. Amber has it, and she said it smells like apricots. Interesting. The only bad thing I'd say about these face washes is that the scrublet, despite being pretty cool, could be a bit firmer. When I bought the cleanser, I wanted something that I could remove eye makeup with, and figured the scrublet would also exfoliate. Well, don't expect that. And of course, as with most exfoliating scrubs, you can't use it near your eyes.

On top of these two, there's also a cream cleanser and one with lotion for sensitive skin. I suggest giving them a shot! :D

"15-3 and you guys are runnin?!" "YEP."

Left to right:
(Top row): Coach Ken, Kurt, Tony (my brother), Macho, Todd, Mike, Amir,
(Bottom row): Adel, Kyle Canfield, Kyle Carriero, Logan, Brian, Coach Spadaro, Coach Petrucci.

15-3. Fifteen to fuckin' three. And this is against the number one team in the league. It was a pretty fantastic game, to say the least. Now the question is, WHY didn't we do this well last night?! But that was the past, and on Monday, we're playing against the Orioles for third place.

Had we won last night, we'd be playing for second, according to Ken.

During the last inning that we were batting, those kids played as hard as they could. They didn't let up. Then, Macho ran to steal second. The coach on the other team FREAKED OUT. "15-3 and you guys are runnin'?! Really?!" he shouted at us. Ken just looked at him and said, "YEP." The other coach didn't like that, and like charged halfway across the field at Ken. The umpire had to step forward, and quiet them, and apparently Todd said something too and almost got in trouble.

"Oh they're just bitchin' because the tables have turned. TOO FUCKIN' BAD," remarked Tina, Todd's mom, oh so eloquently.

And so, the game ended during the 6th inning--because of the 10 run rule. After that, we all headed off to Scoopy Doo's, where Ken bought everyone (including me!) ice cream. It was loads of fun. They're the nicest kids, and Ken's a really great guy. Mike gave a big speech, telling him what a father figure he was to everyone, begging him to coach next year. Needless to say, I won't be missing a single game.

Tonight

Tony's baseball team is having their last game of the season tonight at 7. Expect pictures. Meanwhile, I'll be expecting a win after the failure of a game last night. If they lose, I might have to start knocking heads together (and Mrs. Spadaro might have to slash some tires haha).

Goals For The Summer

1. Find a job of some sort.

2. Spend time with as many different people as possible, because I hate growing apart from people from school over the summer.

3. Keep track of how many times my mom threatens to throw me out (right now we're at 2 since the end of May.)

4. Watch every episode of Pokemon, ever, including the movies.

5. Watch every episode of Sailor Moon because I'm on a roll with it and it makes me happy.

6. Write something. Anything.

7. Six flags?!?!?!

8. Find a few decent books and read them.

9. I dunnoooo I'll probably add more later.

Lipstick and Baseball

Sure, there might be a thousand degrees of separation between me and Lady Gaga, but at least I can wear her lipstick. Viva Glam Gaga. I don't usually buy MAC products, but I loved the color, the money went to AIDS research, and it looks just like the pink she wears. It's one of my favorite lipsticks, despite the fact that your lips have to be perfect to put it on; it highlights EVERY little flake or dry spot.

On a different note, my brother's last baseball games are coming up. I'm pretty bummed about it. They play a makeup game on Friday, and their final game is on Saturday... against the 1st place team.

Now, let me just say, my brother is awesome. Really awesome. He's one of the top 3 players in the league. The Stratford teams don't know him by name--just by the nickname they give him, "Pinkie", as a result of his signature pink helmet. It's supposed to be good luck, or some shit like that. But I lose going to those games. Not just to see my brother kick ass, but because his team as a whole is pretty good, and they're the nicest kids. The mothers are awesome, too. Baseball moms are so much more badass than soccer moms.

But now I should probably go figure out what I'm doing for the day. But see? I said I'd keep up with this! And I've decided I don't really give a damn whether people read it or not (although it would be nice =]).

Grandpa, Grandpa, Grandpaaa...

Boo. I'm really bored, and I swore I'd keep up with this thing. I hate making new accounts on websites and just ignoring them after a day or two.

Anyway, I visited my grandfather today. And when it was time to leave, I got this awful feeling in the pit of my stomach to stay. I felt so guilty leaving so quickly. We went to his house for like 45 minutes, then he took us all out to dinner. He paid a fortune, and on top of that, handed everyone $20. And after we walked out of the restaurant, we went home.

I haven't spoken to my Dad in over a year. From time to time, he'll send us cards with scratch off tickets in them or texts to make him feel better about himself. Meanwhile, my grandfather spent nearly $200 on us total, in just one night. It was so nice of him, but I don't want to do that again. I want to go back to us cooking him a big dinner and spending a few hours at his house.

He's 79 years old now, walks without a cane, and still plays golf 3 days a week. His only problem is that he has a defibrillator. Besides that, he's in perfect health, and totally unafraid of dying. He knows he's old. He's okay with it. I, on the other hand, am not. It's been a long time since someone I know died, and it really affected me. And despite his health, I'm becoming more aware that he's older, and could die soon. And it scares me. I love my grandfather. He's my last grandparent. The only other grandparent who I was as close to was his wife, my grandmother. And losing her messed me up as a kid for a while.

I'm trying to be optimistic, though. He's happy, and therefore, I should be too. Seeing me, my sister and brother today MADE his day. I just want to go more often. Especially since I have so much free time.

I Feel Like A Traitor.

I didn't expect to make one of these. Kind of caught myself off guard.

I was debating between this and LiveJournal. I have loyalties to LiveJournal. But ehhh... I'm not into that whole "paying for stuff" thing that LJ is pulling. Plus, I'm actually loyal to GreatestJournal. But they pulled the plug on that back in '08.

So here I am, because I am devastatingly bored, and because Facebook and Twitter don't give me enough room to vent about ideas and thoughts and whatnot. They're shallow. You add someone, just because you might get bored in the future and feel like doing a little stalking to pass the time. You don't get to know people. You do sometimes, but it's a rare occasion and often short-lived. Back when I was on GJ, I actually made legitimate friends. I met the wonderful Miss Jill Botti there! And also some not so great people. Like Sue. Puke.

But this is just kind of a "tester" post. Not positive if I'm gonna commit to this, but it's worth a shot.