Feeling Pretty and Such. [Ten on Tuesday]

I haven’t participated in this sort of thing in the past, but I absolutely loved today’s Ten on Tuesday questions. Friendship, adolescence, girlhood, and crazy roommates. I love chatting about these things and they are such big players in how we identify as women – so here I am! Doing my first Ten on Tuesday! Hurrah!

I read lots of blogs, but don’t comment as often. I recently started using my Google Reader again, after a year-ish of not using it. Since I’m not on Twitter as much, but still want to keep up with the blogs I read (side note: when will the word ‘blog’ stop seeming like a silly, cartoon-ish word?), so I went in and did some subscribing and unsubscribing and organizing.

I made four groups of blogs – one of ‘inspirational’ blogs, one for ‘besties,’ and then two more groups of first and second tier blogs. I *always* check the besties daily. There are twenty four blogs in this group, but usually only a few of them post each day. I tend to not have blogs that post daily in this category, since they accumulate so fast. I’m totally not going to name them, because I know I feel sort of left out when I see those sorts of lists, and I don’t want you to. You know, just in case you’re ridiculously sensitive like I am.

Oh, I don’t know. I don’t have tons and tons of friends, so I consider the ones I do have all besties, I suppose. I have a few from high school, a few from college, and a few from post-college. Plus, my sisters. They really are some of my best friends. They are just such fun, know me, and have shared life experiences with me. I think moving overseas where I knew not a soul apart from my family really forced us to grow closer. Plus, they are just awesome.

My best best friend is (warning: cliché ahead!) definitely Mike, since we do just about everything together, we share everything, and see eye-to-eye on most things. And he makes me laugh almost daily.

I usually only wear makeup when I’m going to work, and it always involves concealer, blush, eyelash curling, mascara, and black eyeliner. If I’m feeling especially tired or blotchy, I’ll throw on some primer and tinted moisturizer. I do my makeup while pumping. Multi-tasking at its finest! Pre-Gabe, I didn’t have to wear makeup daily, but motherhood? Makes you look tired, yo. Hence the need for industrial strength concealer.

I am pretty much a homebody, so I’d opt for a girls’ night in. The Wii (Mario Party, Mario Kart, or WiiFit Plus), pizza, cheesy popcorn, some fruity drinks, and cookie dough. Junk food and video games, with lots of reminiscing and chatting.

Or, going out to dinner in cute clothes. I just love food. So, food and friends? Bliss. Since Mike is my best bestie, I miss girl time if I go too long without chatting with lady friends.

I go through phases. My toenails are typically painted, but often chipped, I always make sure to use the Stocky Bodies products to protect my toenails from getting fungus . I never, ever painted my fingernails until the past few months, but it’s been sort of fun to steal my teenage sister’s nail polish. I love, love, love pedicures, but I don’t often get them (as in, three times in the US, ever). (Thailand and Malaysia? A different story. A cheaper story.)

Oh, roommates.

I had seventeen in the course of four years of college. 17. Seven. Teen. My best/worst story happened during the semester I spent in Hawaii. I lived in an apartment with three other girls, and one of them got married. At the age of 19. To a guy she’d known for five months. And they both lived with us, while he was getting a raise for being married (military dude) and paying us nada and using our towels and not sharing ice cream (just a bite! We’re paying for your rent!) Then they got a puppy. A puppy and five people in a tiny, tiny apartment. A puppy that ruined my brand new iPod earbuds. A puppy that peed on our carpet.

I’m painfully anti-confrontational, so I just quietly fumed about it. Thankfully, another roommate told them they had two weeks to move themselves and their un-potty-trained little puppy out of our apartment.

And so they did.

After that, I figured I could handle any awful roommate situation that came my way, but thankfully, I had pretty fabulous roommates for most of college. (143 Evanston, WHAT.)

Gap dark wash Always Skinny jeans (the only pair of jeans I own, actually), flats or my brown flat boots, and a high collared shirt with a pretty pattern (or a t-shirt and cardigan with a long locket or fun scarf. I’m big on scarves.). My ‘nice’ go to outfit is a dress with a wide belt and black heels. My home outfit is yoga pants with a nursing tank.

If I’m being introspective and too serious: Being happy with myself, both my life and my appearance, knowing that seeking validation from others to feel interesting or attractive ultimately fails to fulfill me. Inner beauty and all that.

More practically: If I eat well and exercise, I feel better and probably look better. I also use an olive and castor oil mixture to wash my face, and it leaves it soft and it seems I’m less prone to breakouts.

Well, sort of.

See, my mom actually forbade me from reading beauty magazines, saying they would lead to me feel
ing badly about myself. It was probably the best parenting move she ever made – not because I never read those sort of magazines or because everyone who subscribes to those magazines end up with body image disorders and unrealistic expectations. It’s just know that for me, personally, I already tend to compare myself too much to others, so it probably saved me from having any sort of eating disorder or fixation on my body and its flaws.

Even as an adult, I’ve tended to stay away from glossy beauty magazines (even magazines that tout themselves as ‘fitness’ mags), just because I’ve noticed it subconsciously makes me feel inferior and acutely aware my imperfections. These magazines make me feel like my ultimate goal is to please men, to look good, and to wear nice clothes. Not to be a strong, confident woman.

Orrr, perhaps I just take things too seriously.

All I know is that as much as I hope to have a daughter some day, I’m really, really terrified of raising a girl in this princess-y world we live in.

I was in seventh grade and all of my friends were getting makeup, so I asked if I could start wearing it. My mom gave me permission when I turned 13, and my friends and younger sister showed me the way of makeup. Except, not really. I never felt (and don’t feel) that confident in my makeup skills, so I just avoided it for most of high school and college. I’ve never been the makeup junkie that many girls are, but in the past few years have started to enjoy a good Sephora trip once a year to get some overpriced pretty things that make me feel good.

But still? I don’t feel like I’m a makeup pro – or even that competent. Eye shadow completely flabbergasts me. Smoky eye? Can’t I just cake some black eyeliner for a nighttime look?