Rougeography: Party

{Fig. 1 Image from personal collection, 2011}

Eye Shadow in Toast 14 [$20]

'Stay All Day' Liquid Eye Liner in Black [$20]

Velvet Matte Lip Pencil in Damned [$24]

A winter scarf [$75 via Chelsey]

Sturdy suede & leather heels [$370 via Chie Mihara]

A pair of gold bobby pins [$14 each via Emily Elizabeth Jewelry]

It's a bit mind-boggling how rapidly the months transition this time of the year, but I take solace knowing I will have a few, intimate holiday parties with friends and family to look forward to - much like the wonderfully sumptuous Thanksgiving dinner I attended a couple weeks ago courtesy of my cousins across the Golden Gate. I'm always keen on parties where we'll readily indulge ourselves in L.L. Bean wool sweaters, our hands wrapped around toasty mugs of cocoa as we congregate in front of a crackling fire, the cold snap patiently awaiting our reluctant venture outside...

Okay, perhaps the gatherings I share with family and friends are not exactly this Rockwellesque.¹ Still, I nevertheless stand firmly by the notion that any holiday party can be as equally charming and cozy - crackling fire or not - and getting ready for one is a vital part of the fun. 

A winter palette draws from and delights in blunt contrasts: deep red wines juxtaposed against sparkling honey ciders; frosted sugar plums paired with warmed cinnamon sticks or creamy white eggnog. Makeup looks for these chilly months are incredibly flexible, and as usual, I composed a simple yet classic holiday scheme.

Eyes are polished with a liberal application of Bobbi Brown's Eye Shadow in Toast 14, a warm, light taupe with peachy undertones and hints of orange. Toast 14 blends seamlessly onto skin, and its feathery-soft texture renders it foolproof to initially tap on. This shade is one my favorites for quick, everyday eyes.

To complement the eyes with just a smidge of definition, I thinly line the entire length of the lids with Stila's Waterproof Eyeliner in Black. As I've mentioned in a previous Rougeography, applying this eyeliner is a breeze. Its matte finish never smudges and even lends an oddly natural feel to lines thickly pressed upon.

The gorgeous pièce de résistance of my holiday scheme is Nars' Velvet Matte Lip Pencil in Damned. Nars' series of matte lip pencils are versatile in color range and never drying. Damned's finish is particularly a velveteen sheen, a dark cranberry red with a layer of neon magenta peaking through. Swipe one or two layers onto freshly scrubbed lips and enjoy color that lasts nearly six hours. 

Tightly wrap up in a traditional scarf, slip on nicely-constructed suede heels, and slide in gold pins to side-swept hair to complete an unfussy look wearable for any holiday party. I'll definitely don a cheery lip for both my grandmother's get-together in Palo Alto and my sister's Zainichi White Elephant party in Berkeley. I just know the color's wear will last as I nosh on latkas or sushi! 

¹I don't even own anything by L.L. Bean, hot cocoa tastes weird, fires are hot, and the cold can just shush.

Reassurances

{Announcement: The title of my beauty reviews has been revised. I recently discovered a similarly named series from lovely blogger Dain of Ars Aromatica, and out of respect to her content, I became determined to create an original title that best fits my work. Many crumpled scraps of paper haphazardly strewn about my floor later, I can now present my portmanteau: Rougeography. Changes to navigation buttons are to soon follow...}

I've been terribly busy with editing, tutoring, and writing lately, and the lack of blog posts at A Fevered Dictation appropriately reflect this increasingly nutty schedule. I am still here however, and more Rougeographies are on their (slow, if not steady) way! If you'd like, as a token of my appreciation for your utter and eternal patience, here are some goodies to coo over and stuff.

{Fig. 1 Image from personal collection, 2011} 

Drew this lil' beast as a creative writing prompt for my 5th grade pupil. I had him write the creature's origins, general disposition, and its likes and dislikes. It was quite good. Made me yearn for a real Sniffledorbl. *sniff*

{Fig. 2 Image from personal collection, 2011}

From left to right: Deborah Lippmann's 'On a Clear Day' High-Gloss Top Coat, Deborah Lippmann's 'Ridge Filler' Base Coat, and Strangebeautiful's (unnamed) nail polish in a dark, olive brown.

{Fig. 3 Image from personal collection, 2011}

The result of my manicure after four days. The minimal wear and tear attest to how well Deborah Lippmann's Ridge Filler works because it truly acts as a stubborn glue to Strangebeautiful's color. I'm infatuated with the watery yet opaque quality of Strangebeautiful polishes, so I purchased two more colors at Anthropologie when they went on sale for $4.00.

{Fig. 4 Image from personal collection, 2011}

{Fig. 5 Image from personal collection, 2011}

This gorgeous, intricate hamsa pendant is 14K gold with a turquoise dewdrop in the center. I picked it up from a little Judaica jewelry shop in Jerusalem, and when I came home, I immediately bought a 14K gold plated chain and constructed it into a necklace with tiny iolite gemstones as subtle accents. The wire work on the stones was a tad difficult to manipulate, but definitely worth the effort to appear seamless. Along with my Magen David charm choker and ruby pearl necklace, this piece is on constant rotation.

Note: OWS & Veterans

In light of the recent mess the Oakland Police Department incited at Occupy Oakland - where Iraq veteran Scott Olsen was hit on the head by a police projectile, subjected to a flash grenade while unconscious, and is currently recovering slowly at an undisclosed hospital - I think it's worthwhile to consider this growing trend of Iraq veterans acting as a tool of endorsement for the movement, especially within a larger framework of questioning authenticity and defining social awareness.

A search for "OWS Marines" or "OWS Veterans" on YouTube alone retrieves over 600 results. These videos usually feature Iraq veterans collectively protesting ineffectual government practices, vocally supporting OWS through interviews on traditional news media platforms, or even getting brutally arrested at OWS demonstrations.

Take, for instance, the viral video above. In it, Sgt. Shamar Thomas verbally engages a stone-faced and silent NYPD, insisting that his ribbons "don't lie" and admonishing the idea of police "hurting U.S. citizens". While his remarks are gut-hitting, Thomas should nevertheless be taken to task for what he is implying: that it is permissible to "hurt people" in Iraq but not "U.S. citizens"; that fighting in Iraq trumps police experience; that non-U.S. citizens or undocumented immigrants do not have a right to be "left alone". Sigh, and so forth.

Some veterans have pointed out that Thomas' ribbons actually signify his rank as a POG,¹  a detail negating any combat experience and subsequent credibility Thomas builds his impassioned arguments from. I don't agree with nor invest in any derailing pissing contests over whose voice is "real" and thus counts, but they exist anyway and sometimes for good reason. Hence, I do acknowledge that important details marking the presence of authenticity and expertise (or rather the lack thereof) are too often swept aside for their larger symbolic potential to serve an edgy soundbite.

But what is most troubling about digitally mediated narratives like Thomas' or Olsen's is this common script from producers and consumers alike that reads more like a tactic than a trend, and one that hinges on this patronizing element of surprise: an about-face² of veterans who were once dumb, trigger-happy drones and have finally become enlightened and socially aware.

Troubling because it's often not true. Many veterans had entertained abstracts like patriotism and duty when signing away four years, but were already well-aware of the material realities that plagued, and continue to plague, their neighborhoods, schools, and homes. For those who chose the military as an escape from domestic or gang violence, as an exit from poverty, or as a path towards a mostly subsidized healthcare system and education, the notion that veterans were hoodwinked and now realize the "truth" is, frankly, an insulting and pervasive stereotype, best portrayed here in this video that has nearly 25,000 views on YouTube:

This parody attempts to unveil the gritty, not-so-rosy picture of military life the Army obviously neglects to disclose in their own recruitment commercials, but it pathologizes veterans in the process. Its tone drips with condescending lines like "Side effects include sociopathic behavior and loss of ability to love", and though many servicemen and women have endured profoundly violent and terrible events, and that, as a result, will continuously grapple with it emotionally and/or physically for the rest of their lives, they are still goddamn humans. Veterans are not permanently broken, mindless, and heartless.

This parody doesn't mock the military industrial complex. It mocks those suckers who sign up and don't know any better and need edumacated folks to guide them to the "right" path. The video's producers fail in capturing the incredibly complex, nuanced experience of what it means to be in the military in a time of war - and especially in a war most, if not all, the international community considers illegal.

In this age of augmented reality, Iraq veterans hold this uniquely precarious position in which their status can be framed in myriad ways, and it all depends on who's framing. Thomas, to some, and perhaps to a sizable portion of the same kind of groups that occupy Wall Street today, had once essentially occupied Iraq. Upon his return to the states, however, he now occupies the 99%, succinctly demonstrated when he proudly itemizes the great military sacrifices in his family history for the camera.

But I'm not interested in what veterans like Thomas or Olsen did in Iraq or Afghanistan or choose to do politically after their stints in the military. Who they identify and work alongside with is, of course, entirely their decisions. However, watching those same veterans not only participate in a movement overwhelmingly and inherently defining itself against U.S. military policies (and by proxy, in resistance to those who carry them out as well) but also risk tokenism, complicit or otherwise,³ makes me uncomfortably wary.

In other words, it is unsettling to witness veterans - those who have earned the right to be active agents freely expressing political opinions and ideas after service - shift to mere slogans for the camera instead, their real cool fatigues and ribbons the appointed star of the show.


¹POG stands for "Person Other than Grunt", in which "grunt" refers to the infantry. It is often used pejoratively.
²Pun totally intended.
³Safe to assume Olsen didn't ask to be hit in the head.

Rougeography: Vichy & Clarins

{Fig. 1 Image from personal collection, 2011}

I used to abhor eye creams. At best they felt decadent, at worst they resembled snake oil. Eye creams meant an additional step in an already complicated skincare routine, and every brand I purchased would consistently result in teary eyes with blurred vision. When I first noticed faint crow's feet  a couple years ago, however, I begrudgingly acknowledged a need for a product specifically targeted to treat the delicate skin around my eyes, complicated skincare routine notwithstanding. After conducting a thorough research,¹ I arrived at two excellent products: Vichy's Reti-C Eyes Intensive Corrective Care ($38.50) and Clarins' SPF 30 Sunscreen for Eyes Wrinkle Control Cream ($28.00).

Encased in a dense, clinically white tube, Vichy's Reti-C Eyes is formulated with Vitamin C and Retinol, two featured ingredients aimed to minimize and prevent lines and dark circles. Its fluid, white cream weighs in at 0.5 fl oz., and the skinny nozzle at the tip allows a perfectly controlled amount to be dispensed for both eye areas (approximately the size of a large bead). Although Retinol is generally mild in especially tiny doses,² and despite Reti-C Eyes advertised use for daytime, I nevertheless take precaution for possible sun sensitivity and wear this only before bed. To apply, I gingerly massage Reti-C Eyes with the pad of my ring finger until the white gradually disappears into my skin. The cream never travels during sleep, and the contours of my eyes always feel soft and nourished when I wake up.

When I do wake up in the morning, I promptly use Clarins' Sunscreen for Eyes to prep and shield my skin from any further sun damage. I bought this award-winning cream when a popular beauty editor recommended it herself, applauding its infusion of Senna, Olive, Pea, Plane Tree, and Baobab extracts to help soften wrinkles. Sunscreen for Eyes feels slightly heavier than Vichy's (I suspect it's their mineral filters), but their textures and coloring are otherwise the same. At 0.7 fl oz., its sunny orange bottle drives the message home, and I love how the finish of Sunscreen for Eyes is smooth and matte after patting an even, small dollop around the perimeter of my eyes. It takes a minute or so for full absorption, and I never feel any irritation from or migration of the cream.

While both products are expensive, keep in mind that they last an astonishingly long time. Despite daily, consistent applications from each, my first tube of Vichy's Reti-C Eyes gave out after a commendable ten months, and my first bottle of Clarins' Sunscreen for Eyes stayed on my shelf for exactly one year. Needless to say, I've got my eye³ on both! 

¹My methodology consisted of voraciously reading beauty blogs, of course <3.
²Jennifer Barnes, "Start with Vitamin A," www.skindeeplaser.com.
³Eh, eh, wink, wink? No, too much? Okay.