Beauty Haul

I've decided to start switching to cleaner beauty products. While I don't have the funds to throw everything away right now and start from scratch (which just seems wasteful...), I'm going to replace items as I run out of them.

As it happens, I ran out of chapstick and eye makeup remover this week. So I trekked to Whole Foods and did some shopping!

I bought Earth Science's chamomile & green tea eye makeup remover. It has a sort of gel-like texture to it, but it's definitely not a gel. There are no artificial colors and it's fragrance and paraben free. Bonus - it was not tested on animals. I actually really love this product. It wipes away all traces of eye makeup easily and doesn't leave my eyes feeling sticky, either. A little of this goes a long way, which is really appreciated as I'm spending a little more than I usually would on drugstore eye makeup remover. But this new product is definitely better for my skin, so it's worth it!

I also bought Soothing Touch's vanilla chai lip balm. The lip balm section was a bit of an adventure...many lip balms at Whole Foods are made with coconut oil. I'm not entirely sure if I'm allergic to that or not so I had to veer away from those. But my roommate has raw virgin coconut oil, so I'll be doing a little test to see if I'm allergic to that or not. Anyway, I settled on the vanilla chai lip balm.  It's vegan, 70% organic, and has a very calming smell. It goes on very smooth and I can already feel a difference in my lips. It stays on for a long time, too, which is really great in the winter.

I'm very excited about my new beauty products and I'm looking forward to replacing more in the future!

Disney Princesses Redux

In case you haven't heard, Disney has revamped the look of their princesses. 

For the most part, the differences are minor. There seems to be a lot more glitter/sparkles, and several princesses have this slightly messed-up hair. Which is definitely a different look. Is this supposed to be a statement that princesses are real people too? That's debatable.

I would now like to bring your attention to two of the princesses: Pocahontas and Mulan. #problems

This is the revamped Pocahontas. 

This is the original Pocahontas.

Problems:

1. Her clothes becomes more elaborately decorated.

2. Do I detect blush?

3. The earrings.

These changes are problematic because they contradict Pocahontas's character. This is a woman who preferred to roll around in the grass, talk to animals, and listen to the colors of the wind. It seemed to me like she could have cared less what was dangling from her ears.

This is the revamped Mulan.

This is the original Mulan.

Problems:

1. Is it just me, or do her eyes have a bluish tint?

2. Blush.

3. A completely new outfit.

4. Whitewashing.

Mulan's new look is completely out of character. We only see her dressed in traditional women's attire in the beginning of the movie, and the story clearly depicts how unhappy she is with conforming to society's expectations of her. She is definitely uncomfortable with the clothes, makeup, and hairstyle. She actually spends the majority of the movie in more traditional male attire. Which makes sense seeing as it's difficult to train as a soldier in a tight skirt. But in this new illustration, Mulan has been whitewashed to fit our expectation and standards of beauty. 

Frankly, I'm very disappointed in these changes. I don't know why the princesses needed to be redone. They seemed just fine the way they are. 

Slut Shaming via Tumblr

So you may have seen this article on BuzzFeed, "Girl-On-Girl Crime: The 'Did You Know' Slut-Shamers of Tumblr". In case you're unfamiliar with the 'Did You Know' meme, here's a quick review of the original post and then here's a recap of the response to it.

It all originated with this extremely photo-shopped photo on Tumblr. Catch the irony here? Honestly, I think his intentions were good. But as Jezebel and Slacktory pointed out, their well-meaning message is actually one of misogynistic slut-shaming.

Why?

1. Women do not need a man's validation. See a recent post on Animals Talking in All Caps, which happens to be a fav of mine.

2. What the young man is referring to in this photo is, I believe, the "natural look". Now, speaking as a young woman, I do not go out of the house in my "natural" state. I take the time to do my hair, makeup, and put on nice clothing because that is my choice. If a woman does not want to do any of the above, or a mix of the above, then cool. Her choice. But the "natural look" that this man is referring to requires careful makeup application and styled hair. So one does, in fact, need makeup to look beautiful because that is the society we live in (see the New York Times discussion about the value of makeup for women).

3. This photo is an excellent example of girl-on-girl slut-shaming. Obviously, everyone is entitled to their own opinions regarding dress and their own personal choices of how to dress themselves. Do I walk around in low-cut tops? Nope. Not my style. Do I make fun of women who do? Nope. Whatever they want to wear, they should wear. I am not, however, a fan of a woman wearing something specifically because it is "expected of her" or to "please a man". But that's a subject for another day.


Two things need to change here. First of all, men need to stop telling women how to be beautiful. Instead, they should accept and appreciate women for being exactly the way they are. Secondly, women need to stop attacking each other. Women should be the first to support each other, no matter what. How do we change? By being more supportive, understanding, and accepting.