Eyeshadows – Depth and Vibrance

I’ve struggled with the particular subject of eyeshadow application for years. Because my eyes are fairly small, the usual makeup tutorials didn’t work very well for me and I couldn’t figure out why for a loong time.

It wasn’t until I found out that there are different eye shapes and the purpose of eyeshadow is to create illusions that bring out the better parts of your eyes that it clicked for me. I was pretty happy with that discovery and have been experimenting with different techniques since.

This eyeshadow pallete is perfect for finding natural balances while maintaining a good variety of shades to find the ones that work best with your eye and skin colors. I find that the dark browns and beiges disappear fastest for me because they’re safe and guaranteed to remain subtle, but I love experimenting with the different colors on braver makeup days.

e.l.f. Essential Little Black Beauty Book – Eye Edition – $8.00

Survival Strategy #10 – Pilates

A challenge faced by many of us sedentary individuals is how to get an adequate amount of exercise within the day, particularly exercise that can give us the most benefit for the shortest amount of time. Running has been a great form of exercise for me for a while – it’s great cardio and it works most of the major muscle groups.

However, I can’t run all the time due to weather, location, or time constraints. In such cases, I’ve been forced to look for alternatives. One of these that I’ve found so far that I’ve enjoyed a lot and can do almost anywhere and anytime is pilates.

What I appreciate about pilates is that they can be done without any major prepwork – just make sure you have a mat or a carpeted floor, and you’re good to go! The variety of exercises also work a wide range of muscles that you don’t normally access on an everyday basis, which in itself is great and a benefit that running doesn’t always provide. Stretching and flexibility is also a big part of pilates, which have a huge list of benefits all on their own.

Pilates is a form of strength training using your own body, which results in toning. There’s a lot of different workouts that can be done, but my favorite so far is a full body move that requires both flexibility and strength and that I have the most trouble doing at the moment: The Pilates Kneeling Side Leg Raise.

Business Casual Layering: Camis

When it comes to layering with blouses, blazers, sweaters, or almost any other top type, one of the easiest and fastest ways is with a good cami. A ready collection of four or five different colored camis will help alleviate a lot of challenges that come with picking out a matching and versatile outfit. I usually stick with the classic white, black, beige, and blue colors to even further eliminate any color mismatch pitfalls.

Camis are great because they not only help provide some underlying professional wardrobe security that is usually implied in a business setting, but also because they add some welcome warmth when you’re sitting for hours in an office building with the AC turned to tundra temperatures.

Unfortunately, for a piece of clothing that will almost never be directly seen, I’ve often run into the issue that they tend to be kind of expensive by that comparison. That is, until I found some incredible camis at Forever 21. They’re very comfortable, stretchy but still form-fitting and flattering, and have a fantastic price.

Classic V-Neck Cami – $1.90