A friendly reminder from the United States Transport Security Administration:
Pack an organized carry-on bag using layers – a layer of clothes, then electronic, more clothes, and then any heavier items. This will help transportation security officers see what's in your bag. Innocent items can actually appear to be potential threats in an X-ray image, simply by the way they're packed. (Source)
If only you guys can see how this works in real life...
The gloss: Tarte Rise and Shine Lip Gloss and Stain ($21 for full size; available at tartecosmetics.com)
What Sephora Says: The page for this product is not available at the Sephora site as of this writing. We'll go with the ad copy from the Tarte website instead:
The gel-based lip tint imparts a natural rosy glow that stays all day, while the lip-enhancing gloss gives the appearance of fuller lips, for a pout that's pretty and polished. So even after gloss wears away the lip tint remains!
First impressions: I worked with the tint first, which I thought would give me a nice, deep stain. (My standards for stains are pretty high: the first one I ever used was the original BeneTint, and that stuff really did a number on my lips and cheeks - and clothes, and teeth - for years.) This one, I found, was a little too timid; the color was perceptible, even on my usually stain-product-averse lips. So I thought, why not layer the red gloss on top of that? One swipe of the thick red gloss, and I was sold.
Texture: Shiny. Almost syrupy. And yet, not even a hint of sticky-tacky.
Color saturation: Here it's almost looks nude... but in real life? POW! Sheer maraschino red. (The fun part: I wore this one to work, too. Hello, students!)
Minty fresh factor: None.
Hydration capacity: Not exactly as super-moisturizing and creamy as the Vitamin Infused Lip Gloss, but my lips were certainly not dried out with this one - not even after three straight hours of lecturing, plus cracker-eating and water-guzzling.
This product will remind you of: "Cherry Lips (Go Baby Go!)" by Garbage.
(Aside: I never liked anything else from Garbage after their first album. Shirley, Shirley, Shirley: love you, enjoyed you in Terminator, wish you'd hang out with Craig Ferguson more often... but I still think this song, and everything else, is weak sauce compared to "Stupid Girl.")
The person you'd want to smooch while wearing this is: Hard to say. Too sheer for the porn-star look; too shiny for the rockabilly type, too earthy for any period drama, especially after ranting about... Wait, did I just say period drama?
Should've thought about it sooner.
My recommendations: First, there's no two ways about it - the only way to wear this is with the stain AND the gloss, together. It's a lot of work compared to the swipe-and-go ease of other glosses, but trust me - the more effort you put in, the less corners you cut, and the payoff is definitely worth it. I would save my tiny tube for special red-lippy occasions, but I do recommend getting the full-size if you're looking for a sheer, user-friendly red that you can wear almost every day.
Both pictures taken at the Cleveland Botanical Garden.
Good news: The new Domesticity spin-off is finally here! Check out the travel-related narratives on our new blog, Domestic Travel. (That's thejourneyofmei.blogspot.com, if you prefer.) Right now we have a few entries on standby - and a few more to post for our Holy Week special - but this will also be the new home for more than a few new pictures from my trip to NZ and Australia... which will be updated sooner, rather than later. Andiamo!
In geographical terms, an antipode of a place is its diametrical opposite on the surface of the globe. According to Wikipedia, however, the same term is often used in the British Isles to refer to Australia and New Zealand, even though the exact geographical antipodes of both places are often far from general British territory:
Geographically the antipodes of the British Isles are in the Pacific Ocean, south of New Zealand. This gave rise to the name of the Antipodes Islands of New Zealand, which are close to the antipodes of London at about 50° S 179° E. The antipodes of Australia are in the North Atlantic Ocean, while parts of Spain, Portugal, and Morocco are antipodal to New Zealand. (Wikipedia.org)
What does this have to do with the Polyvore set seen below? Well, for one thing, this outfit describes my dream wardrobe for my upcoming trip to Australia and New Zealand.
The coat: Okay, so I'm not really wearing a Burberry trench coat on the plane - in fact, I'm sticking with a blazer and stashing the Burberry sport jacket next to that parka from The North Face in my suitcase - but it's nice to fantasize about running around in a coat like that, looking like Kate Middleton on a latte break. And considering the other items in this set, the coat is mere icing on a particularly tasty cake.
The sweater and the scarf: My in-flight staples are usually the same: serious blazer, simple top, colorful scarf, and sensible pants. When I'm out on the town, however, I tend to ditch the blazer for a nice sweater, like this pink J. Crew number, and wear it over a simple tank or T-shirt. Considering that the weather forecast for Auckland and Sydney are in the low 60s, it's nice to know that my tropic-conditioned self can still stay warm without looking and feeling suffocated.
That said: Can we talk about scarves here? I'm the type of person who could never seem to get enough scarves - the more colorful, the better, if only to perk up the face a little bit. The scarf that I plan on wearing on the plane ride to Auckland, in fact, is one of those hipster/bandit tasseled deals (similar to the one on the left) that I've seen practically everywhere for the past school year. The scarf that I picked has more of a batik print - pink with purple flowers - instead of the traditional plaid orblack-and-white check, to avoid looking like I could be up to no good in an unlawful manner.
The pants: I never wear jeans on the plane. Ever. (It's an unspoken Hacienda rule, what with certain politically incorrect implications vis-a-vis how certain people are perceived when they get on a flight to or from Manila while wearing denim.) I like to be comfortable, though, so I'm more inclined to stick with khakis instead. It's also good for running out and about without looking the least bit sloppy.
The shoes: Clarks brogue-style booties. Heeled, so they're gorgeous. Padded, so they're walkable. Just what I need.
The suitcase: Again, this isn't exactly what I'm traveling with - both of my suitcases are soft-shelled deals - but I'd be remiss if I didn't want to travel with Rimowa luggage. Again, a girl can always dream. :)
Confirmed: In a matter of weeks, I will be on an airplane on my way to Auckland, to visit my family in New Zealand. And not only that, but I will also be spending a few days in Sydney afterwards for more recreation time before flying back to Manila.
Also confirmed: I can totally fit into THIS.
Ladies and gentlemen, my Dad's vintage Burberry jacket, which I've been trying to pull off for the last ten or so years. Not only does it fit me now - after years of not being able to button it over my paunch - but it's actually a little roomy for me.
...Really, Beyonce? I mean, I'm sure your new fragrance smells gorgeous, and this is coming from somebody who loves the last two JenniferLopez fragrances.
But... really, did you have to sample Cindy Crawford's tub scene from "Freedom '90" for this one? And haven't you done enough by covering "You Oughta Know" in concert?
Now that I think about it, you might as well sample the rest of my record/tape/CD collection from the Nineties, anyway. In fact, why don't you just go ahead and do that? I was already an awkward teenager back then; I probably don't even need the music to be reminded of the fact at all.
Let's start with this one, shall we?
You have no idea how many times my friends and I wore out Our Time in Eden and found it so profound. Now I see this, and I think of how self-righteous Natalie Merchant turned out to be. It's not for nothing that she has inspired the "have met/was bitch" meme on Tomato Nation.
Speaking of self-righteous and off-putting...
Sorry, Paula, but I needed to say it.
Which reminds me:
Of all the epic dance-floor anthems that came out in the Nineties, nothing says "Meimei at 16: drunk, underaged, and desperate for attention" like this one.
And finally, in the event that neither Shakira nor J.Lo are available to perform this song in public...
Happy April First, everyone!
Edited to add: Holy crap, I still can't believe that Jennifer Lopez has actually sampled "Lambada" for "On The Floor." Really.
. Shirley, Shirley, Shirley: love you, enjoyed you in Terminator
, wish you'd hang out with Craig Ferguson more often... but I still think this song, and everything else, is weak sauce compared to "Stupid Girl.") 
That said: Can we talk about scarves here? I'm the type of person who could never seem to get enough scarves - the more colorful, the better, if only to perk up the face a little bit. The scarf that I plan on wearing on the plane ride to Auckland, in fact, is one of those hipster/bandit tasseled deals (similar to the one on the left) that I've seen practically everywhere for the past school year. The scarf that I picked has more of a batik print - pink with purple flowers - instead of the traditional plaid or black-and-white check, to avoid looking like I could be up to no good in an unlawful manner.
. Heeled, so they're gorgeous. Padded, so they're walkable. Just what I need.
Lopez
fragrances.
