Photo: Miriam
I’m sorry for not blogging yesterday, but there simply wasn’t any time – next year I’ll write some backup posts so I can guarantee one post each day 
I’m not sure I’ll be able to write anything tomorrow, so I just wanted to wish you all a very merry Christmas today. Below you’ll find a live recording from a Christmas show I sang at two years ago, as a little Christmas present for you all: my version of the wonderful “Christmas Song”.
Filed under: Christmas Calendar, Lists, Look what I've got..., My Life, Shopping
My Christmas calendar is almost over, and the experience has been rather interesting. You all seem to like me posting every day – which is a wonderful thing to hear! – but at the same time I find it hard to come up with interesting posts that often. I feel a little silly when I write one of those today-I-did-this-and-this-posts a lot of bloggers do, but I’ve realized that, especially when it comes to daily blogging, they are pretty much unavoidable. Hence, here are todays random things:
♮I went shopping for Christmas presents today. I finished all the gifts, but I also bought a rather fantastic dress with round studs and two belts at Lindex. Yes, I am weak.
♮I’m working on an “I’m-allowed-to-buy-this-in-2010-list”, which includes quality lingerie, pants and makeup brushes. More on that later.
♮I’m still pondering over what I’m going to do next year (as in August 2010). I’ve decided I want to work since I’ve been studying for five years now, but I don’t really want to work as a music teacher full-time. This means I’ll need some time to think about what to do now, not to mention how to do it. Looks like I’ll end up in Oslo, but there are a lot of issues about where to work and how to live that are very tricky. Like how do you get a job in one city when you’re currently living in another one? And how do you get a job that isn’t in retail (I’ve done that a lot, and absolutely hated it)?
♮Only nine days until Boyfriend comes up here to spend New Years’ with me and my family. Hurry, dearest!
♮As always, I’m thinking about doing something new with my hair for the new year. Common ideas are going red (wait, have you heard that before?), bangs like Brittany Murphy in that movie I wrote about, or simply getting some highlights.
♮Bye bye, Brittany Murphy. She was wonderful, don’t you think?
Filed under: Beauty, Christmas Calendar, Hair, How-to-Guides, Lists, Makeup, fashion
Around Christmas there seems to be a new party every day – if not two or three! – but there’s hardly enough time to prepare for them all. I therefore thought I’d share some of my quick fix tips with you, in hope that you will arrive at your festivities looking fabulous without being stressed out.
♮Diamonds, darlings, diamonds! The quickest way to look ready for something wonderful without a lot of fuzz. You can also include them in your everyday outfits, of course (and you can read about how here), but somehow they always look their absolute best when they’re glowing in candlelight.
♮I always reach for a red lipstick when most desperate. I first put on a little bit of Rosebud’s Mint Balm (the round metal box in the picture), then dab on the lipstick and smooth it out with my fingertip. This way it doesn’t look like it’s supposed to be perfect, and you can get away without razor-sharp edges and lipliner. Just remember that you’ll have to freshen it up quite often, as the lip balm makes it disappear fast.
♮Creamy eyeshadow is a lifesaver when in a hurry as they blend so easily. A slightly neutral colour, such as a champagne/grey/brownish one is great for that five-second-application.
♮Nail polish in a pale colour won’t give away tiny errors as much as a dark one, and you can often get away with a single coat. I like Maybelline’s foreverstrong in colour 76 (“French Manicure”), as it’s practically transparent, but gives a more polished nude look.
♮If you know you’ll have very little time to do your hair on the day of the party, proper preparation can make things easy as pie. My favourite hair trick is to shower the evening before, applying some mousse in wet hair, then braiding my hair in two french braids. My hair dries while I sleep, and I’ll usually keep the braids during the day as well, finally letting my hair out an hour before the party. Or, I can keep the braids (which will have become a bit messy) and pin them up in my neck for a rather lovely updo. Braids are also good for days when you don’t have time to wash your hair.
♮A good quality perfume will always give you glamour bonus points, no matter how you look. Just avoid spraying yourself almost to death in panic, as perfume overload is a definite turnoff.
Do you have any tips of your own? Do share them in the comments section!
