It was rough.

Today was just a crummy day. It started off with a tiny poisoned baby raccoon near my bus stop (seriously, who the fuck does that? If you don't want raccoons in your garbage, keep your bin sealed tightly. If you are worried about them messing with your pets, keep your pets inside. It is safer for your pets anyway — it is a busy road, animals get hit) I know that it was poisoned and not hit because there was no damage to the body, and the poor thing was just laying on someone's driveway.

It ended with me finding out that someone who I thought was a friend doesn't like me and can barely tolerate me.

There was a bunch of other messy stuff during the day — family drama and other issues.

I'm a bit sad tonight, not gonna lie. Not going to go too far into it because I'm not trying to be whiny, and it really is just a bunch of first world problems. Tomorrow should be better.

Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure Malt Review/Swatch.

I posted about this line here, and I guess that I was hoping that this would be better. They really have some beautiful colors in this line, and I was hoping that my last bottle was a dud, a one-time fluke. Unfortunately, it wasn't. I ran into the same issues, and the most annoying aspect of it is the shrinkage that leads to chips. 

I work at a desk, very sedentary. I actually don't do much in the way of typing — more clicking the mouse. Nothing to cause the chippage I experienced, especially because the nails of my left hand chipped just as much as my right. I'm very right handed, so if the chipping were related to use, my right hand would show more wear. It didn't.

I have to say that this is one of the most disappointing lines of nail polish that I have tried, especially when they had such potential. I love the colors, hate the quality. 

Overall? I don't recommend this product.

The Perks of Being a Wallflower: A review.

This is, as we all know, one of the most quoted books on the internet. I read it as the first of my 50 books for my 20 by 20 goal, and found it to be a resounding "meh." It was good, but in a general way. You know how there are books where the main character is so nondescript that you know they are trying to make it so anyone can put themselves in their shoes? This was like that. 

The plot basically follows this shy/emotional kid's first years of high school. He reads a lot, and there is a ton of book mentions in it. I am kinda contemplating picking out a few of the books that I've not read yet to read as a part of my goal. He is a watcher, hence the title of the book. He watches the people around him live, and has a sort of running commentary on their lives, which are ultimately his own. The book is written as a set of letters to an unknown person. 

The ending was incredibly predictable, at least for me, and that was a bit of a downer. My major concentration may have played into that, so I wouldn't be overly concerned. 

In the end, I'm glad that I read it, but it wasn't a major life changing book. It wasn't even a top-twenty fluff novel. It was a decent read, and if you have the chance to read it and a couple hours of spare time, pick it up! It is a quick and easy read. 

(I'm really too old for it, and that probably played into my mehness.)

Make Up For Ever Rouge Artist Intense Mat 8 Review and Swatch

Wretched picture, I know. I was just so excited to show you my new lipstick!!!! 

I bought this on Sunday, wore it for the first time on Monday, and today was the first day that I had access to a camera. I love this lipstick! I am definitely coming back into my red lipstick love, so prepare to be inundated with pictures of awesome reds. 

This is a creamy, bright, blue-red. Definitely a true red, and perfect for someone with a cool skin tone like mine. It is a rather odd texture in the tube, and it is a bit surprising when applied. Because it is so firm and applies with such incredible pigmentation, I expected it to not want to blend out at all when I smudged my lips. It did. 

Let me say here and now, it passed my sustainable red test. I don't like a red lipstick that has to be applied and kept up with a brush. I don't like to carry a lipstick brush, so if the lipstick has to be brushed on, it will rarely be worn. Red lips require upkeep, and this one makes it super easy. 

It also wears off well. I ate lunch, and then went to the restroom to see how it fared. It had worn off, but in an even enough way that I could have thrown a bit of gloss over it and made it look like a bit of a stain. 

The packaging is nothing to write home about, but is smooth and fits into my bag well. 

I do want to say that it seals well. Nothing annoys me more than a lipstick that pops open in my bag. Seriously, why do makeup companies sell lipsticks with crappy tubes? I mean, if my lipstick pops open while I'm carrying it, I'm not going to be able to finish the tube, nor am I going to be like "Man, I want another one to open up and get all over my makeup bag, causing me to have to clean everything and probably purchase a new bag." Yes, it has happened before, and no, it does not make me a happy Kat. 

Overall? I highly recommend this lipstick. 

On a personal note, I might be getting a dog. I was looking at Petfinder, and I found a dog a few hours away from me that may be put down on Thursday, for no reason except for overcrowding at the shelter. I don't know that I will be approved, because we live in an apartment, but I would love this girl. Her name is Bunches, she is a year old, and she is a boxer mix. I really hope that we are able to get her. 

The best sort of exhaustion.

I took a half day today, which is so out of character for me. I am not the half day type, usually too dedicated to the job to leave without being violently ill. Today my mum texted me while I was on the bus to work, and said that they were going canoeing with my grandfather. I knew right then and there that I wasn't going to stay at work all day.

See, my grandfather is turning 88 in less than two weeks. Going canoeing with him is important. Spending time with my family is important. Spending 4 hours getting screamed at to earn $42 before taxes is less important. I know that I won't miss the money, but will always want for more time with my grandfather. It is a small price to pay.

This job is killing my soul. One of the women is gunning for me, and I have started dressing down to avoid looking good. Every time I look decent, she comes after me. I don't mean sleazy decent, I mean "mid-calf length black sleeved dress with collar from the mid-fifties" decent. I'm not big into short dresses (the one dress picture I posted? It was the first and only time I wore the dress. Too uncomfortably short.)

This woman is quite short and quite heavy. I don't know why she enjoys coming after me, because I'm literally no threat. I get on well with everyone, am good at my job, but will be going back to school in the fall. This is a seasonal job, and I'm thrilled for the chance to gain experience/get paid, but I have no desire to make it a forever thing. I am completely, mad passionate in love with my boyfriend. I'm not dressing in a way to get attention, nor am I dressing in a way that is offensive to my male workmates. I have one person there who I consider a real friend, and he is in a very committed relationship as well. (With a blonde, so not only are we not flirting, I'm the exact opposite of his type.)

Ultimately, I go to work, do my job to the best of my ability, and come home. I was kind of enjoying it until this woman decided that I'm a good target.


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: From someone who hasn't read the books

I know, the idea of someone not having read or seen any of the Harry Potter books/movies seems a bit odd, especially at my age. Let me just say I have religious parents who are semi neurotic about that stuff. (They managed to leave me an atheist.)

Moving onwards...

I am fairly well aware of the story and characters, because I've not been living under a rock for the last ten years. My boyfriend wanted to see the movie, and I didn't have the heart to tell him that I hadn't been allowed to read any of the books. I went along with it.

We saw the movie in 3D, and that was awesome, when they actually used the technology. There were only three or four scenes where I actually noticed that it was 3D — the rest of the time it was largely unnoticeable. Overall, the movie was good. It was very much action based, and it seemed like it just sort of ended in a rush. I've ordered the books, and maybe the ending is better in book, but it just seemed like she was tired of writing the series and was just ending things in a rush. I will post a more in-depth thought post in a month or so, when I've had a chance to read the books/see the rest of the movies. I just couldn't get past the feeling that she was just ending things for the sake of ending things.

In other news, I bought MUFE lipstick #8 today. Pictures tomorrow?

Amy Winehouse

I have to admit, I was quite surprised by some people's reactions to her death. The tragedy in Norway is horrific. Completely and utterly disgusting. But this woman was a human being. Enormously talented, and yes, she was troubled. It may have been an overdose, yes. But it could have been something else. If her addiction is what led to her death, it is still a tragedy. Drug addiction is not easy to break, and it seemed like she wanted to get better. 

This woman was loved. This woman was a human being, and what people are saying about her is sad. 

Show respect for the living by respecting the dead. 

20 by 20

• Read 50 ebooks, five of which in French.
• Climb a mountain 
• Make a massive purchase or decide against one.
• Get to and maintain a weight of 120 lbs. (Am currently about 155, look/dance my best at 120)
• Maintain my skin care routine for 90 consecutive days. 
• Maintain my tooth whitening routine for 90 consecutive days
• Weigh myself daily for 90 consecutive days. 
• Go on two vacations — a weekend at the beach counts. 
• Save $1000 — and put it in a legit savings account. 
• Be able to do 40 pushups with perfect form.
• Run three miles in less than 28 minutes. 
• Perfect my eyebrows — they are the one aspect of my beauty routine I can't seem to work out. 
• Find one more volunteer opportunity that I am very passionate about. 
• Post real, quality posts here every day for 90 consecutive days.
• Get a tattoo. I have so many ideas, one of which I have wanted since I was 15, and I keep chickening out. When I get to my goal weight, I will get my tattoo.
• Study for and pass into an advanced math class by winter term. 
• Meet my beloved's father and spend the holidays with his family. (If asked.)
• Take at least one ballet class per week. They can be expensive, but are so worthwhile. They make me happy. 
• Send for my passport and set up summer plans. 
• Do five stupid, irrational, beautifully fun things. 

These are the things that I am going to do before my twentieth birthday. I set up the page, and will be ticking things off as I go. I'm super excited! 

Rimmel London Fix & Perfect Pro Primer 002

I saw this at my local Wal-Mart while killing time, and had to try it. I'm always on the search for the next awesome primer, and I like Rimmel products, so I had been hoping this would be good. 

It says it does five things in one:

Smoothes

Resurfaces

Brightens

Mattifies

Protects

It also says that you can use it alone as well as under makeup. Being the slightly literal person that I am, I took them up on their word. I don't tend to wear much makeup, and my skin is pretty good right now, so I figured that I wouldn't have any sort of problem. 

Yeah. No. 

Wearing this along is probably one of the biggest makeup crimes I have committed in a long time. It didn't mattify, smooth, or resurface, and I have no idea what it is supposed to protect. However, it most definitely did brighten a few specific areas of my face: any sort of redness, blemish, or irritation. 

Whatever you do, DO NOT wear this without makeup. For any reason. Whatsoever. Trust me. Having nothing on would be better than using this. Even if you think you have fabulous skin, this will have a way of bringing out any sort of issue you may have. 

Under makeup it is okay. As a primer, it sort of reminds me of that drugstore tip to use anti-chafe ointment as a cheap primer. They are similar in texture, but this is a bit more runny/white. I usually use MAC Prep+Prime SPF 50, and in comparison this is a .5 star out of 5. 

Under makeup, and not compared to MAC, it is 2 stars. Not amazing, but not terrible. I wouldn't recommend it to other people unless they needed something in a pinch. It smells okay and does make a cream foundation blend out better on semi-dry skin, but doesn't do much beyond that. Plus, it doesn't have so much as a measly SPF 15, which is a must.

Also, my internet issues/personal issues have all been resolved, and I'm back to posting/commenting as usual. I'm going to post my 20 by 20 this week! 

Someone I once knew

We have all had that moment when we see someone who looks just like someone we knew. They may not look all that much like them, or they may not act like them, but for one moment you feel every aspect of that relationship come back to you. Then you get closer, and you realize that this is not your person. They are older/younger or are nothing like the one you love. And you feel somewhat sheepish having experienced all of that emotion, but you spend the rest of the day in a bit of a daze, thinking of them. It is equally strange being on the receiving end of it. As I mentioned before, I'm currently at a women's retreat, and there are only a handful of men on the site. I was walking down to set up the tables for dinner, and I saw one of the men who run the site. I smiled, and he got that look on his face, that one people get when they are looking at one person but seeing someone else. I kept walking, not really thinking much about it. He came in to the dining room and asked if I was from a certain city. I said no, and then he said "of course not. You are much younger than me" (he is in his early 40's probably) and began walking away. He then turned around, and almost as an afterthought turned around and said "well, there is a woman from (insert town name here) who is older than you, but looks just like you."

It just made me think. Who was this woman to him? Was she a friend? A lover? Or just an old acquaintance? Was she a major part of his life, or just someone he went on a date with?

He is married with kids, so I doubt there is any sort of regret, but I always wonder.

It has been ages! And my iPad won't let me post pictures... Even with the blogpress app.

I'm currently working at a women's retreat! It is the first year that I have done this part of it on my own, and I've been working my butt off to make it perfect. It isn't, of course, but it isn't too bad at all. I am by far the youngest person on the committee, so I feel like I have to work really hard to be perfect. I think it will work out! I will post pictures of the event on Monday, and will probably do a few other little posts between now and then. The setup was the hard part, now I just ldo a bit of physical work today, enjoy tomorrow, and then take down on Sunday. Not difficult at all! 

I'm quite excited to resume commenting on everyone's posts as well. I haven't had the time to read anything, and I have missed it so much. Expect to be inundated with comments, because I'm feeling chatty.

Fear Makes the Wolf Look Bigger

I am not a fearful person. I just tend to avoid things that I know won't be pleasant. I have finally come to the conclusion that dreading the unpleasantness is almost worse than the thing itself, and I have been working towards avoiding things less. I have stopped letting myself dread going to work, and instead am trying to be more productive while there. I also met with a friend who I had been semi-avoiding today, and am looking at meeting the boy's parents. 

♥

I had intended to post daily this month, but I have had some petty life annoyances that had put me in a funk, and I had no desire to post. I'm also fairly certain that my posts would have been semi-negative, and I didn't want to share pointless negativity here. I would rather post more irregular posts that are high-quality than post daily crap. 

♥

Creeper guy from the coffee shop/library and bagel store found me again, and tried to hit on me while I was waiting for the bus and while I was on the bus. I no longer feel bad for him. I feel angry. I understand hitting on someone, but people need to be willing to take no for an answer. When he stopped respecting my right to say no, I stopped feeling pity for him.

♥

I ordered Illamasqua Cream Foundation in shade #115 from Asos. I can't wait to receive it!

Things I'm using and reviewing in July.

I'm not going to review as much this month — I'm quite busy, and will be away for about a week. I will be using:

• Essie Millionails roughly twice a week in an attempt to strengthen/lengthen my sad nails.
• L'oreal Go 360 Facial Cleanser
• Garnier "The Brusher" facial cleanser thingy. 
• My Fitness Pal, both the mobile app/website to help meet my fitness/weight goal for this month.

OOTD/FOTD: I didn't have work today. It shows.

I'm double dipping: Meeting my outfit of the day goal and one of my face of the day goals all at once! 

I was so lazy today. I just threw on comfy clothes and base makeup. I'm wearing Bobbi Brown stick foundation in porcelain, Bobbi Brown SPF 15 lib balm, and a mix of a cheap Revlon eyeshadow/Shiro Cosmetics Master Sword on my eyes. I finished it off with a bit of MAC Fluidline in Blacktrack and the best mascara ever... The review is coming! (Grow Luscious FTW!!!!)

I put an amazing deep treatment on my hair, and shoved it in a bun. Messy, but nice smelling and it made my hair look decent. 

The outfit is the most comfortable, awesome, amazing thing ever. It looks good in motion, but terrible in photos. The grey top? Soft and amazing, and has this fantastic knitted back that I forgot to grab a picture of.

Yeah, I'm sexy. Not. 

But, really. I went grocery shopping. How hot does one need to look while getting paper towels and watermelon? 

Products I used in June: In one fell swoop.

I know I usually post these reviews separately, but I didn't really use anything that is epically life-changing/requires its own post, so I'm lumping it all together. I'm going to post a list of products I plan to use/am using this month either tomorrow or the day after.

I tried tretinoin cream, and it is the most fantastically amazing product ever. Seriously. Let me show you a few horrifically unflattering photos to really drive this point home for you:

This is the before. With makeup/concealer/flattering light, and you can still see blemishes. Bonus: My mum's exceedingly obese cat sleeping on the back of my chair. He weighs about 23lbs and half of his belly is hanging off the back of the chair. He is the sweetest, most loving cat you could ever meet.

With no makeup. Or sleep. In terrible light, with odd shadowing making it seem like I have a mustache. I don't. 

In short: Tretinoin=awesomeness. However, you must be consistent and use it daily. I missed a few days/10 maybe/I'm ashamed, and my skin has broken out again, a bit. 

Olay Night of Olay Firming Cream is worth the money. I used it over my tretinoin at night and didn't get any sort of dryness like I did the first time I used tretinoin. I recommend it, although it isn't anything amazingly special and has a fairly strong scent.

Crest 3D White Advanced Vivid Stain Protection toothpaste: Meh. Not a real, noticeable difference. I deeply miss the Vivid White toothpaste that they used to make. I haven't been able to find it for a while, and it actually worked. 

Rembrandt Whitening Mouthwash: Fantastically awesome, if you remember to use it. For some reason I am obsessive about brushing/flossing twice a day, but terrible about remembering to use mouthwash. When it is used regularly, my teeth look fantastic. 

Body Brushing: Amazing. I body brush before showering, and moisturize after, and my skin has looked and felt a lot better. It is one of the few cheap, easy ways to exfoliate and work on cellulite. 

Weight Watchers: I was forced to quit. I moved to a new location, and they refused to honor the membership that I had. I actually would have been willing to pay the weekly fee, but the woman was quite rude to me when I tried to attend the meeting. How was I to know that the monthly pass I used in a city an hour away, that I was told would work here, was not accepted? I wasn't trying to cheat them out of their fee, and I was in a good mood, but the woman was demeaning and snarky to me. I don't like public humiliation.

Instead, I have joined My Fitness Pal, and am tracking my calories there. Feel free to add me! My username is beautifulcold. 

Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure Without a Stitch: Review.

I am currently suffering from a beige/nude/cream nail polish addiction. I don't know what put me in this phase, but for some reason I have been completely ignoring all the fun colored summer lines and going for the neutrals. 

I was sadly underwhelmed by this. It was thick, goopy, and quite frankly, a bitch to apply. You have seen how much I curse here, so for me to go into less clean language should mean something: It really is quite terrible to apply. 

I like the overall coverage, but the application was awful. 

I have been painting my nails every other day/every two days for years, so I have a lot of experience/have used a lot of different polish formulas. This was one of the worst simply because it was so thick. The brush itself was massive, and while it had a nicely curved tip it was very difficult to use. If I didn't remove a lot of product from the brush, it would ooze onto the sides of my nail beds. If I removed too much from the brush the coverage would be terrible and my nail would be bare in places. 

The idea behind this polish is to be time-saving, but this was one of the longest art-free manicures I have ever performed. It took me ages to apply it and then clean up my cuticles.

Also: HOLY SHRINKAGE! I wish I had a close up on my nails, because my tips were practically bare within three hours. I removed it a day after I applied it. 

I'm going to try one more polish from this line, just to give them the benefit of the doubt, but at this point I would NOT recommend this to anyone, unless they have hours to do their nails and enjoy having bare tips. 

But... the color was pretty? I guess? Maybe one plus?

I love my job.

I work as a Reservation Sales Agent at a large rental car company. I have to say, I love my job. The people are amazing, the pay is great, and the work is good. 

However, I feel the urge to let everyone know a few things. As many of you know, the 4th of July is an enormous holiday in the United States. People like to go on vacation during this time. Here are a few things to think about while on the phone with the rental car company:

• The person on the other end of the line really does want to help you. Really. We do not benefit from being rude or unhelpful, so when we say something is unavailable, we aren't hiding a car somewhere. I will do my best to find you a vehicle. 

• Proper Prior Planning Prevents Piss Poor Performance: a lovely military adage that is so very true.

 Book a reservation as soon as you have the date you will be arriving/departing. It is free — we just take a name and a phone number. It will hold a car AND a good rate for you. Like a flight, the price of a vehicle increases the closer you get to the day you need it. At this point, the cars are all booked up/sold out for the holiday weekend and much of the summer holidays. Yelling at me about how we are a rental car company and should have cars is pretty much pointless. Again, it is like yelling at the person working at the reservation desk at an airport. Do you think that they are going to be able to get you a seat on a sold-out flight... in five minutes? No.

I'm not paid per reservation I make. I'm paid my hourly wage whether or not I book any reservations — no commission involved. I'm offering to hold these vehicles for your sake, not mine. 

• I understand that you want the best rate possible. Times are tough and I completely understand your asking me if I have any discounts to give you. However, when I mention the two that I know of, and let you know that you must access the website for the code because I literally do not have access to that information, kindly refrain from yelling at me. It is policy that you must provide the discount code, and I have no way to access that information. I don't even have access to Google, seriously. I have no web access whatsoever. 

Also, I understand that you may find our rates to be high. Screaming at me does not help, because I have no control over our rates. 

• Please arrive on time to pick up/return your vehicle. If we close at, say, 6 pm, and you arrive at 6:30 or 6:45, we will not be there. You have to put in a pickup/return time to book a vehicle. The system will not allow you to input a pickup/return time when the office will be closed. You know what time you should arrive. Please do not call me and demand that I "get someone down here to open the place up" so you can either pick up or drop off a vehicle. If it was an emergency/act of nature that caused you to be late, and you have some sort of proof, we are very understanding. 

If you overslept and have to wait for/keep your vehicle for another day, I cannot help you with the fee/lack of vehicle. Again, if you overslept a flight departure time, the pilot isn't going to make a u-turn to come back and get you. 

• When you call my office you dial an 800 number, and you have called a location that books reservations internationally. We reserve cars for people and locations in multiple countries. Telling me that you want to get a vehicle from the location on Main street does not help me, and I'm going to ask you for your zip/postal code or some other identifier. I am not trying to be rude or redundant, nor am I slow or especially stupid. I'm trying to make sure I'm giving you a rate from the Ontario, California airport, not a random location from Ontario, Canada. Saying MAIN STREET again, loudly and slowly, does not help me at all.  

• Which brings me to my final point: I'm fairly intelligent. Not brilliant, but average with a dedication to being the best I can be. I'm not a genius, but I get good grades and am a year ahead in school. I'm fairly well-read. I can hold my own in many realms of discussion. I run a minimum of 2 miles a day, along with dancing and walking a total of 3 miles a day to get to/from work. When you call, I'm dressed in business casual clothing with my hair done, nails manicured, and wearing tasteful heels. I'm not some idiotic dropout that you have gotten stuck with. Treating me like a moron isn't going to make booking a reservation easier for you or me, and really just shows how narrow-minded you are. 

Truth be told, I love my job 99% of the time. That one percent makes my life miserable. Following these guidelines will keep you from falling into the misery percentage. 

Really, a majority of this is common sense and basic kindness. If you realize that the person on the other end of the line is a human being and not a complete and utter moron, things will go well for you. 

Plans and Goals for July.

June was a long month for me! I have set up a bit of a plan for July though:

• I am going to post daily. I really love to post, and I miss posting when I am unable to. I want to start setting aside a bit of time each day to sip my coffee, relax, and post. 
• I am going to post the reviews of each product that I planned to review last month at some point this week, and post a list of the products that I am reviewing this month either tomorrow or Sunday. 
• I am going to work on my diet and exercise. My diet/exercise regimen has been nonexistent since I started my desk job, and I slowly put on a bit of pudge. Not much, but about 5 pounds. I have another two months at this job, and I would rather not put on another ten pounds. I want to eat right, exercise 2 hours a week, and hopefully get back to 135lbs. 
• I am going to start posting weekly outfit posts and biweekly fotd posts. 

I am also contemplating starting a youtube. I'm crazy chatty and would love to start doing a few tutorials, but I almost feel like I'm late to the party. We will see. 

Also... I'm wondering how weird it would to be sort of "Day in the life" type of post? I have read a few blogs that are dedicated to those posts, where you take a photo an hour from the time you wake up to the time you go to bed. I might try that this month! My life is pretty boring, but I would love to show people around my little town here.