pop culture
The intersection between beauty and pop culture; all about beauty icons, trendsetters, top makeup brands and beyond.
Unpolished Toes
"Oooooooohhh, girl, getting a mani-pedi is a necessity." Is it, though? I mean, really, people. We, women, are brainwashed into thinking spending over thirty five dollars once a month keeps us looking 'sexy'. Here is the truth. Are you ready for some real talk? Are you? I am about to get very real here. Beauty comes from our inner spirit. The crevices of our inner selves we like to bury, buff over, deep cleanse away, and glisten with a new, hot shade of fuschia or ruby red or Morticia green. And yes, these words sound like a self help chapter from Brene Brown's new book, but take a moment and think about feet. Human Beings are lucky because we look different than other species, and we look different from each other. The reasons most people want a manicure and a pedicure fall into these categories: maintenance, a self-care treat, and pleasing others. I understand wanting to maintain a level of cleanliness with your hands and feet and treating yourself once every few months. My beef and lack of understanding is with friends and loved ones, even colleagues, who get their nails done as a bonding experience. What an expensive outing! Hear me out for a second. How often do we really look at our feet? I don't about y'all, but I look at my feet twice a day, if at all. Once in the shower when I am washing my toesies, and at night before getting into my house shoes. My footsies are clean and isn't it true the goal of personal hygiene is to wash and moisturize your body? I think treating yourself to a bath is as much of a treat, if not more, than paying a total of forty+ dollars for gleaming toenails and smooth feet. For one thing, my bath once or twice a month (quick showering saves on your water bill) is way less expensive than a pedicure, and I get the same satisfaction. We need to be grateful for feet because not every person has the luxury of moving on their feet or even having feet. I think the hidden reason people like pedicures is to maintain an external image of beauty for others to admire in them. The problem here is the 'admire in them' part of this philosophy. Being natural means without the artificial layers of makeup, and isn't nail polish makeup for our feet and hands? Before I moved to Texas, I had no idea what these little buggers called Chiggers were in the insect kingdom. Let me tell you, Chiggers are nasty little insects that crawl into your skin, pop out and can crawl back into your skin again. Did you know nail polish kills Chiggers? Oh, yessirrreee. Those little f*&$ers die by suffocation after you dab a few layers of nail polish over your chiggerbitten skin. The next time you look at nail polish, think about how a tiny bottle of artificial beauty saves our skin. Enjoy your next mani-pedi, people.
Karen J. ImasPublished 4 years ago in BlushTattoos & Ties
There was a strange time, say, back in the fifties or sixties, that a person with a tattoo would somehow be linked to a life of crime. That seems almost ludicrous considering fifty years down the line almost everybody and their great aunt had one. But, for a long period of time, tattoos were not only visually offensive, but also chained to a collective group of people who supposedly favoured the tainted road. Now, whether that is true or not we'll never really know. But, the likelihood of every tattooed grandparent living dangerously in their heyday? Now that's laughable, to say the least.
By Snook: The Queen of Wondrous Hair Art
Lauren Snook, the braid artist from Bristol, has been making quite a footprint on the creative world these days. Unlike a lot of artists that dabble with a braid or two, our girl Snook has managed to snatch the attention of every eye in the market, with her unique styles and products. And, to be honest, there's a whole lot more to By Snook than we seemed to realise.
9 Shocking Beauty Trends
Beauty trends come and go. The good ones stay, the bad one vanish and leave those who tried them wishing they never did upload that photo on their Instagram. So here are the list of beauty trends that are silly and were taken a little bit too far.
Amy RoslanPublished 5 years ago in BlushFinding My Color
No Lipstick When I was a child, my mom didn’t allow me to wear make-up. My family often said that make-up aged you, and that I didn’t need it. Yet these same people would gift make-up to me. So I used it to draw and create artwork. I’d make beautiful faces, and put all sorts of colors together indiscriminately. I did notice however that little white girl’s parents would let them wear whatever makeup they wanted. Even if they looked like little clowns.
Olivia W.S.Published 5 years ago in BlushWhy You Need the 'Game of Thrones' x Urban Decay Collection in Your Life
Girl, winter is coming... well, not really, but you are definitely going to want to get your mitts on this new collab! With everything from an eyeshadow palette to glide on liners, this collection has it all. I guess you could say Urban Decay really went hard in the... snow. So, let's go ahead and dive in!
Chelsea WinonaPublished 5 years ago in BlushAre Beauty Anti-Hauls Negative?
Disclaimer: I simply use Anastasia Beverly Hills as an example here. Whatever I say is applicable to most brands. ABH simply is the best known. No need to hyperventilate.
Heeta JoshiPublished 6 years ago in BlushJuvia’s Place: Time for a Change!
Disclaimer: I love everything that Juvia’s Place represents and what the brand is all about. I love their quality, hands down. I love their price (disliked the shipping, though). However, nothing is perfect. Therefore, I may or may not have a problem with the colourstory. But that is not what this post is about today. The point being that makeup is NOT essential, you may feel that way, but it does not change the fact that makeup does not equate survival. MU is always a want and never a need. If you are sensitive to constructive critique, please leave.
Heeta JoshiPublished 6 years ago in Blush10 Dangerous Makeup Hacks You Should Never Try
From the infamous Kylie Jenner Challenge to spraying your face with hairspray as a makeshift setting spray, the most dangerous makeup hacks might be tempting to try out, but we suggest you stay far away from them.
Kelsey LangePublished 6 years ago in BlushWorst Makeup Trends That Need to Go Away in 2018
2017 was an incredible year for the makeup industry, and brought on tons of new trends, some better than others. Before we get into the worst makeup trends that need to go away in 2018, I'd like to remind you that I am not here to tell you what to do with your makeup, that's entirely up to you.
Kelsey LangePublished 6 years ago in BlushMost Unusual Lipstick Trends of All Time
Ever since cosmetics became a huge part in the beauty industry in the past few years, makeup artists and lovers all around the world are getting really creative with it. They've started coming up with ways to make makeup more of an art form than just pampering the face. Through cut creases, contouring, sharp wing eyeliners, and ombre lips, these artistic people really enjoy playing around with makeup and coming up with unique trends that soon inspire other makeup lovers to do the same on social media.
Rachel BlanchardPublished 6 years ago in Blush