Metrosexuals Exposed

According to AskMen.com (1) a metrosexual is many things:

·         Modern usually single male in touch with himself and his feminine side

·         Grooms and styles himself before every event no matter how small

·         He has pretty good money to spend on clothes and other beauty products

·         Is often thought to be gay but he isn’t (1)

Metrosexuals care a lot about their appearance. And are often fashion models. Metrosexual is not in the dictionary but refers to the urban male in today’s world. Metrosexuals are almost always thought to be gay, but it turns out they are not. They are just aware of their feminine side. They buy a lot of beauty creams, hair dyes, hair products, and usually tan. (1) The term actually came from early rock stars who (2) would spend time preparing for shows. (2)

Three ways to tell if you are defiantly a metrosexual are, if gay men hit on you, if you carry a purse or “man bag”, and if you use more than one hair product. To check out more ways to tell if you are a metrosexual check out howtodothings (3)

Many people don’t agree with the term metrosexual because it is being related to gay men. Of course before researching I thought the same. But by being a metrosexual that does NOT mean the person is gay. A great article I found that explains this better is:

Resources-

1-(n.d.). AskMenContributor, Initials. Are you a metrosexual?. Retrieved from http://www.askmen.com/daily/austin_100/102_fashion_style.html

2-Pollick, M.P. (2010, November 30). What is a metrosexual. Retrieved from http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-a-metrosexual.htm

3-(n.d.). Raymond, V.R. Know if you're a metrosexual: men's syles, scoks, and hair care. Retrieved from http://www.howtodothings.com/fashion-and-personal-care/a4677-how-to-know-if-youre-a-metrosexual.html

Beauty Pageants

Beauty pageants are one way boys and girls love to show off their fashion. Pageants are more common for girls but some younger boys do participate, although they cannot participate in their older years. There are two types of pageants, glits and glamour and natural. The glits and glamour is just how it sounds. For this competition you have to be willing to spend big money to win. You will need fake lashes, teeth whitening, spray tans, big hair, and very glamorous gowns. These pageants make the younger girls look much older. And the judges are seeing how much and how far you will go to show your beauty. For the natural pageants the judges are looking for the contestants’ real beauty. They do not want big makeup or hair. And they prefer simpler dresses.

[1]

I do not agree with the glits and glamour pageants for the younger girls because it is teaching them to be “fake” and that they are not beautiful the way they are now. For younger girls I prefer the natural contests.

[2]

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In these pageants you compete in many areas: talent, casual wear, beauty, hair, dress, eyes, smile, and grand supreme. Depending how the contest organizers want it, usually you have a third runner up (4^th place), second runner up (3^rd place), first runner up (2^nd place), and queen (1^st place). The grand supreme is the contestant who scores the most out of all the contestants in the whole pageant in every age group. The grand supreme is where you win the big prizes such as cars and money. Most pageants are scholarship based. Meaning if you win, you get a scholarship instead of cash or a car. Miss America is an example of a scholarship beauty pageant. 

Even though beauty pageants judge your appearance and how you present yourself on stage, for the older girls (teens and up) there is an interview that takes place. The interview gives the judges a chance to understand the contestant better and in my opinion see if they are “fake” or a wholesome person.

[4]

Many peoples’ favorite part of the pageant is watching the younger girls perform their talent. If you are a TLC’s Toddlers and Tiaras [5] fan like I am, then you see the joy that comes from watching them. It is the cutest thing. Along with all the cute performances, there is a background of hard work. Most of the professional pageant girls get a trainer and they train everyday for months before a big pageant. The trainer teaches them how to walk on stage, turn, expressions, how to flirt with the judges, and many other things.

These girls are spoiled in many ways, but they also sacrifice a lot to compete in pageants.

Resources

1- Singh, A.S. (2010, February 16). Toddlers and tiaras and tantrums. Retrieved from http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://theprereq.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/briannas20crowning20photo2.jpg&imgrefurl=http://theprereq.com/toddlers-and-tiaras-and-tantrums-3/&usg=__I8Q282vjouabTdUOwWcpB5athuo=&h=400&w=267&sz=26&hl=en&start=12&zoom=1&tbnid=Q6KMveE10Gr_QM:&tbnh=124&tbnw=83&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dtoddlers%2Band%2Btiaras%26hl%3Den%26safe%3Dstrict%26client%3Ddell-inc-rel%26sa%3DN%26channel%3Dus%26gbv%3D2%26ad%3Dw5%26tbs%3Disch:1&itbs=1

2- Beeki, Initials. (2009, August 14). Toddlers and tiaras and therapy. Retrieved from http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.advocate.com/uploadedImages/ADVOCATE/EDITORIAL/EXCLUSIVE_DETAIL/200907/TODDLERX390.jpg&imgrefurl=http://bekibaker.blogspot.com/2009/08/toddlers-and-tiaras-and-therapy.html&usg=__Dvw5bPVhrpniHwD6AriUshkUWCU=&h=285&w=390&sz=66&hl=en&start=92&zoom=1&tbnid=YyhPQnAnQN4dkM:&tbnh=90&tbnw=123&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dtoddlers%2Band%2Btiaras%26start%3D80%26hl%3Den%26safe%3Dstrict%26client%3Ddell-inc-rel%26sa%3DN%26channel%3Dus%26gbv%3D2%26ad%3Dw5%26tbs%3Disch:1&itbs=1

3- Discovery Communications Inc., Initials. (2010, July 12). Toddlers and tiaras . Retrieved from http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://image.com.com/tv/images/processed/default/50/34/326993.JPG&imgrefurl=http://www.tv.com/toddlers-and-tiaras/show/76890/viewer.html%3Fflag%3D1%26i%3D1%26gri%3D76890%26grti%3D101&usg=__q9wBdJIe4C7cd9w1wLR9Y7WVCMU=&h=640&w=480&sz=339&hl=en&start=134&zoom=1&tbnid=XH3K8xvHZ9jrkM:&tbnh=137&tbnw=103&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dtoddlers%2Band%2Btiaras%26start%3D120%26hl%3Den%26safe%3Dstrict%26client%3Ddell-inc-rel%26sa%3DN%26channel%3Dus%26gbv%3D2%26ad%3Dw5%26tbs%3Disch:1&itbs=1

4-http://image.com.com/tv/images/processed/default/63/98/326214.jpg

5- Discovery Communications, LLC, Initials. (2010). About toddlers and tiaras. Retrieved from http://tlc.discovery.com/tv/toddlers-tiaras/about-toddlers-and-tiaras.html

Bare Minerals

One of the best makeup products on the line is Bare Minerals. Bare Minerals is made with natural ingredients and also has sunscreen in it. Bare Minerals is a top of the line product in the make up business.

Bare Minerals is all natural, and is great for the skin. If you’re looking for great coverage and better skin, then look no further. Bare Minerals ingredients give great coverage, make skin healthy, and keep the skin healthy.

One secret to the great coverage is the brushes. The brushes are made to hold the makeup and spread it evenly over the skin and into the cresses.  The brushes are made from goat hair and are soft on the face. These are the only brushes that work with Bare Minerals and give you that great look. These are the best brushes ever!

There are a few other products sold by Bare Minerals such as face cleaner, lotion, eye shadows, lip gloss, liner, and mascara to name a few. All of the products have a great review. And the best thing is, these products are affordable. They may be more than you would normally spend at one time on makeup, but they last awhile and you will get your money back plus some. This is a great product and I recommend it.

Halloween!

It is time for Halloween! Many people already have their costumes but if you are like me and are a last minute person then these tips might help.

If you don’t have money for an actual costume then splurge a little on face paint and see what clothes you can’t dig out of your closet. For example, I am going to paint my face with white and black designs and wear a black hoodie. Then I’m going to braid my hair in tight braids. I did this last year and it was great! Nobody knew who I was and I ended up in the newspaper.

 [1]                                            [2]

The object of a costume is to have fun, be different, and scary. If your too cool for trick-or-treating, then try a Halloween party or costume contest to show off your great looks. But remember there will be weridos out there so you need to follow a few safety tips.[3]

For others, buying a costume may be a better idea. When your deciding what costume you want keep in mind the function of your costume. For example, if you will be walking or dancing a lot then you will want a costume that you can move around in easily. If your costume is just for looks then go crazy. There are tons of ideas for costumes, from animales, celebrities, Halloween characters, to miscellaneous objects. You can be anything you want to be.  

Resources

1. MTV Networks and VH1, Initials. (2008). Top 10 halloween couples costumes to avoid. Retrieved from http://www.bestweekever.tv/2008-10-27/top-10-halloween-couples-costumes-to-avoid/

2. 2.(n.d.). Icp face paint. Retrieved from http://i452.photobucket.com/albums/qq248/nicky72819/OOXX/1248206094651.jpg

3. Halloween Online, Initials. (2010). Welcome to halloween safety guide. Retrieved from http://www.halloween-safety.com/

The Eyes

    Fashion also goes hand-in-hand with makeup. Ladies you know what I mean! It’s not enough just to worry about what your clothes look like, but also your makeup. One part of makeup that I’m going to focus on is eye shadow. Eye shadow can help make or break your outfit. Most women like to wear eye shadow at night because it can help turn a casual look to a fancier look. But there is nothing wrong with eye shadow during the day.

[1]

Eye shadow  [2] is makeup used to shadow, enhance, lighten and define the eyes. Eye shadow comes in many forms, colors, and sizes. So, you have a wide range for choosing. If you name a color there is a shadow for that color. The different forms for shadow are (but not limited to) powder, frost, pencil, matte, sparkle, and cream. Today there are even stick-on (hyperlink:  eye shadows. You just peel the back off, stick the color on your eye, and peel away the paper. You can get really neat designs for these shadows. When applying eye shadow, you can be as creative as you want with the color and designs. Also, the more you practice the better it will look.

[3]

To create designs, smokey eyes, or just great looking eyes, you need to understand the technique or simply how to do it. First there are a few rules which are mainly tips: eye gloss can add shine to the lids but use sparingly, wet powder shadows for a better use… things every girl should know. To check them out click here  [4]. The most basic way to apply shadow is to sweep color from the lash line to the crease or all the way to brow bone. To take it a step further, add one color from the lash line to the crease, and take another color from the crease to the brow bone. If you check out the link for the picture below, it gives great steps at applying eye makeup, not just shadow. 

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A great idea for applying shadow is to match shades and colors with your skin tone and eye color, not just with your clothes. If a color looks great with your eyes and skin tone, and also matches your outfit, then totally go for it. Just don’t choose a color because it matches your shirt. A site that explains it really good is make-upusa  [6].

 

When you are shopping for eye shadow keep in mind you can buy shadow in one color all the way up to a pallet of colors. Prices in shadow also vary. Not many of the cheap ($0.50-$2.00) work really well. You might have to spend about 3 bucks for an alright shadow. But just because an eye shadow cost more doesn’t mean it will be better. If you have the right color, brushes, and also know how to put on shadow, then it will look great.

If you’re not sure about if a color will look good with your skin tone apply a little to your arm or the back of your hand and compare different colors. This comes in handy if you want to test a lot of colors but don’t want to keep whipping eye shadow off your eyes every time.

Additional links.

Eye shadow alley [7]: has information from the blog and stuff that’s not in this blog and takes it into further detail. There are also several links that you can search through to learn more about a product or product brand.

Natural-HomeRemedies [8]:Also goes into further detail about what I have stated in my blog. This site just has fewer links than the one above. I also think the information in this site is presented better and is easier to understand.

Resources

1.1.  Looking for the perfect eye shadow. (2009, June 21). Retrieved from http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://labloggergal.com/wp-content/uploads/eye_shadow-294x300.jpg&imgrefurl=http://labloggergal.com/2009/06/21/looking-for-the-perfect-eye-shadow/&usg=__G3hN-zooRDvXOoshRUAQZQEb2YQ=&h=300&w=294&sz=27&hl=en&start=19&zoom=1&tbnid=zNC3ABr1dJoUvM:&tbnh=116&tbnw=114&prev=/images%3Fq%3Deye%2Bshadow%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN%26rlz%3D1T4DIUS_enUS311US243%26tbs%3Disch:1&um=1&itbs=1

2.2.  Holetzky, S.H. (2010, September 08). What is eye shadow?. Retrieved from http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-eyeshadow.htm

3.3.  Southers, L.H. . (2009, March 6). Stick-on eyeshadow: how does it work?. Retrieved from http://www.piercemattiepublicrelations.com/beautydivision/2009/03/stickon_eyeshadow_how_does_it.html

4. 4. (2010). The cardinal rules of eye colour. Retrieved from http://www.ivillage.co.uk/beauty/makeup/eyes/articles/0,,548142_183241,00.html

5. 5. Claire, . (2009, March 22). Eye shadow application for deep set eyes. Retrieved from http://clairesbasicmakeup.blogspot.com/2009/03/eye-shadow-application-for-deep-set.html

6.6.  VanDoran, K.D. (2010). Frequently asked questions about make-up. Retrieved from http://www.make-upusa.com/faq/eyeshadow.htm

7.7. eyeshadowalley.com, Initials. (2010). Welcome to eye shadow alley. Retrieved from http://www.eyeshadowalley.com/index.php?gcp=11

8.8. (n.d.). Applying eyeshadow. Retrieved from http://www.natural-homeremedies.com/make-up/applying-eyeshadow.htm

What's the Big Deal with Fashion?

First, what is fashion? Webster defines fashion as forming something [1]. So I would say, fashion is the formation of clothing trends and customs. Fashion has been around for as long as people have been wearing clothes. If you watch one of my favorite movies, The Devil Wears Prada, it shows the impact of fashion on everyday life. Each choice in clothing you make defines your fashion choices. For example something as simple as a tee shirt can mean so much even if you didn’t have a thought in your mind when you picked it up this morning. Even if you don’t give a single care to fashion, you still attribute to it by not caring. Because, this way, you are showing the world you don’t care about fashion [2]. 

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You cannot out run fashion! It is everywhere. So why not embrace it and have fun while you are at it? Fashion can be exciting rather you are dressing up for a party or Halloween. There are so many styles to choose from along with endless accessories. If you don’t have much money to spend on making your wardrobe bigger then check out some second hand shops and Wal-Mart. You are sure to find something for a few bucks, and be able to turn it into something stylish. In fact for spirit week, I got my outfits from the second hand store and Wal-Mart. There are many stores that will offer low prices for cute stuff. You just sometimes have to have a creative eye when shopping.

[6]

Yes, some people make too big of a deal out of fashion. But it doesn’t hurt to have fun when you are getting ready for the day. If you pick out something cute that you feel comfortable in, you will see you could be happier through the day and have a high self-esteem. Fashion is a good thing. Back to the people taking fashion too far, you don’t need to compete with them. You should choose your own style and go from there. For example, the designers at run way shows often make the fashion extreme to catch buyers’ eyes. But by the time fashion gets to the store it has been toned down quiet a bit [2].

Celebrities also help make fashion the big thing it is today [3]. While the celebrities wear outfits on stage that are more like costumes, they are not really for everyday wear. But what they wear on the red carpet and out-and-about is what people go crazy over. There are some people who must dress just like their favorite celebrity and while doing this they loose sight of their own style. I think its great that celebrities help make the fashion world bigger, but I do sometimes think it can be blown out of proportion.

            Either way fashion is a part of everyday. So, why not embrace it and enjoy!

  [5]

Resources

1-(1972). Webster's collegiate new world dictionary. New York, Cleveland: The World Publishing Company.

2- Nellis, C.N. (2010). Fashion 101. Retrieved from http://fashion.about.com/cs/historycostumes/a/whatisfashion

3- What is fashion?. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.pbs.org/newshour/infocus/fashion/whatisfashion

/ 4-The Movie Mind, Initials. (2007, November 25). The movie mind. Retrieved from http://www.themoviemind.com/2007/11/25/the-devil-wears-prada

5-Lafaille, F.E. (n.d.). Fashion photography. Retrieved from http://fashionphotography.name/index.php?showimage=721

6-Dangling sale signs. (2008-2010). Retrieved from http://graphicleftovers.com/graphic/shopping-18/

Part Style

Girls remember to wear clothes that are cute, but that you can dance in all night. If you decide to wear heals but aware that your feet might start hurting half-way through the night.

Guys, make sure your clothes are not wrinkled and that you smell good. A few styles that are common around here for rodeos is: jeans, boots, and long sleve shirts. Be sure to iron your clothes before you go though!
It is always important to give the impression that you take care of yourself (though some people are sloppy). Be aware that what you choose to wear to a party needs to be comfortable enough to dance in all night and not too reveeling.