Cheap but Good Makeup

You all know that I love e.l.f., but I wanted to tell you about another inexpensive brand of makeup that is really good. I just picked up some NYX shadows and liners. I really like this brand. The color pay off is great on the shadows and I only paid $4 for them. If you're in Fort Collins, you can get them at Angels in the mall. I also picked up one of their Goddess of Night lipglosses, which is funny because Nyx was the goddess of night. Well, it's a really nice gloss. It smells great, and it's not sticky at all. I'm thinking I'll post a quick tutorial using some of the colors I picked up. I'm wearing a lot of golds and greens this summer. If you can't get them in your town, I'm sure you can find them on ebay.

Chubby Girls Need Love too.

I don't really have anything new to write about, but I just wanted to share some of my frustration with you guys.

I've been chatting online with some people and it seems that weight is a very big issue with some people. It's not about common interests, it's about how much you weigh. I'm not a lazy slob, I don't sit on my ass all day and eat. I probably eat less than most of the people out there that I've been talking to. I walk at least 1 mile a day, usually more. I also happen to be a big girl. I've always had an issue with weight, but after my grandmother died I started to pack it on quickly. I've been trying to get it under control for a while. I've finally started to lose some of it, almost 30 pounds in the last 2 months. I'm not trying to get skinny, at first I didn't even notice. But I would like to be healthier, and have more energy, and be able to do more athletic things. I haven't change anything about what or how much I'm eating because I never really ate that much to begin with. Food really isn't my issue. My issues were with depression and a change in lifestyle from high school to adult life. I will never be a size 2, but it might be nice to be a 14 again.

So... where did this come from? Well, I was trolling the CL ads because they're usually funny, and usually unintentionally so. I came across an ad that was funny intentionally. I just emailed the person to let him know that I thought it was funny, and good luck. I'm not really looking for a relationship, I just like conversation, so when he pressed me for more info, I thought it might be fun to just chat with the guy. After 2 emails I got the "how much do you weigh" question. Seriously? You're going to as someone you've never even met that? You know what buddy? It's none of your fucking business, and you're not even cute anyway because I looked your ass up on facebook. You're short and funny looking and that's why you're on craigslist to begin with you troll. So I just deleted the email.

I know it's passive aggressive of me, but whatever he can kiss my fat ass.

On a lighter note, I've been asked to sit in on a fashion panel for a local transgender support group. It should be fun. I also thought about doing some makeup tutorials. I'm not a makeup artist by any means, but I think I'm pretty good at the application part. They probably won’t be video, but I should be able to do face charts and photos. The girdle idea was a bit of a bust, I don't really wear them because I haven't found one that really works for me, and I don't do enough fancy things to warrant purchase of a good one. I'll say this, if you're going to do it, get one that is more like a one piece bathing suit. The bottoms by themselves give me major muffin top, and the tops by themselves give me a condition that I like to call corset tummy. It's when all the fat from the upper part of your body gets shoved down and creates a large FUPA. I used to hang out in the Goth scene and a lot of big girls like to wear corsets, and most of the time it just looked gross. It's not about the size it's the way you look in it right?

I'm thinking I might have something to say about accessories, but that's more a taste thing anyway. I'll try to think up something soon.

Shellac nails... and other stuff.

Okay, so we all probably know by now that I'm a nail polish ho! Only time my nails see the light of day is between nail polish changes. My new job is really tough on my nails and I've been changing polish every other day. My sister, the stylist, suggested I get a shellac manicure. I hadn't planned on it when I went to the nail salon almost 2 weeks ago, but the lady suggested it, and I'm a sucker.

At first I liked it and thought I might buy some so I can do it myself. My problems right off the bat were that it's expensive to get done, and the colors aren't that great. My problems later are that after 5 or 6 days the shellac started to crack on my nails. I didn't really notice it at first, but then they started to change color because of dirt settling into the cracks. Then my nails started to crack underneath the shellac, this is not really the shellac's fault, but annoying anyway because I couldn't really do anything to stop the cracking because I had this shit covering. Today, I finally had enough with it and wanted to take it off, and not wanting to go back to the salon and have some lady charge me to undo the shit she did to me I decided to do it myself.

I found a video on YouTube and supposedly they have these special nail wraps you put on your nails, and since I didn't want to pay anything to get this crap off I decided to make my own. I soaked cotton balls in acetone and scotch taped them to my fingers. It's supposed to take 10 minutes for the shellac to soften and then you take an orange stick and "push" the shellac off. Try 20 minutes and scrape seemed more appropriate. After an hour I finally had that crap off and I had to cut my nails way down and file off what I couldn't scrape off. I didn't have too much of a problem with it until I tried to get it off. I figured I wouldn't do it again anyway, but now I'm defiantly never doing it again.

Now my nails are back to normal and I'm happy. I haven't been blogging lately, I had allergy related pink eye last week and the beginning of this week, and I didn't really feel like it. I'm not sure what I'm going to blog about next, but I'll try to do it this weekend. I had an idea to maybe "talk" about girdles, but I don't know. Let me know what you think, or if you have any other ideas.

Oh, and my Old Navy order came in and the jeans fit perfect! I'm really happy with that purchase. I got the Plus Dark Wash Jeggings and the Plus Dark Wash Skinny Jeans. Yes, I wear skinny jeans. They look more like straight leg jeans on me because my legs are so much thinner compared to my waist. They were on sale and they give free shipping if you spend more than $50. I generally like their clothing, especially their cardigans, and now their jeans. Photos below.

  

Jeggings                                                                                                                         Skinny Jeans

todays purchases

I bought some black skinny jeans at Ross for $9.00. I had to cut about 5 inches off of the bottom since I'm short. Now they look more like straight leg jeans on me. Personally I like skinny jeans. I'm an apple shape, so if I try to wear flares or straight leg jeans they are too big through the hip area once I've found the right size to fit around my middle. I'll take some pictures once I've broken them in.

I also got a shellac manicure today. So far so good, it's just like a gel overlay and can get thick in places. I spent $25 for it, and I'm not sure if that was too much, but it's a bit of a budget buster for me. I thought I would just treat myself to a little bit of pampering. I'll let you know how it holds up. I was a little disappointed with color selection, I went with a hot pink shade, but I was really hoping for a purple.

While at Ross I also purchased some e.l.f. eye shadows and a brush set. If you have a Ross near you, look to see if they have any e.l.f. cosmetics. I really like this brand and they are animal friendly. I got the eye shadow palate for $5.00 and the brush set for $10.00.

I went to the Body Shop today and got some new things to try. I picked up a small Seaweed mattifying day cream. I have oily skin and I just ran out of my daily moisturizer. I'll try it out and let you guys know how I like it. I also picked up a lipstick #49 Berry Shimmer. They don't smell so great, but the color is nice and sort of like an old sephora lip gloss that I loved and they discontinued. I realized that the only lipsticks I have are either bright red or frosty brown. I don't know what I was thinking with the frosty browns, but I can't wear bright red every day. So I picked up this one because it was a little more subdued. By the way, my favorite red is Red Revival by Maybelline. I've spent way more on reds, but this is the best and pretty cheap.

That's it for now, I'll play with the things I bought and let you know how they turn out. Oh, and I wanted to thank everyone who has been following my blog. I reached 300+ hits last night/this morning. That was way more than I ever could have expected. Thanks again.

Rant

So I've lost a little bit of weight and it's official, all of the pants I own are too big on me and look like I've dropped a load back there. I went to try on pants at the mall. I decided to try a 22 and an 20. I normally wear a 24 and they're too big, but a 22 was always a little too tight. I got my ass into the 20, but they didn't look good. I put on the 22s and they fit in the waist but way too big everywhere else. Being weird shapped sucks ladies. I'm going back to the mall tomorrow to look some more. I'll let you know what I buy, if anything.

edit: I just bought 2 pairs of jeans at oldnavy.com. They were on sale. I'll let you know how it goes. I've purchased from them in the past and their 24 is way too big. Trying a 22.

Athletic Wear doesn't make you look sporty.

I notice that a lot of large women have this idea in their head that if you are wearing workout clothes then you instantly look sporty and therefore more in shape. If you're actually working out, they I may agree with this statement. But I see this at clubs, walking around town, at the grocery store, getting coffee... pretty much everywhere. And I'm here to tell you ladies, you don't look sporty, you look lazy.

Yoga pants aren't attractive on anyone, and shouldn't be worn in place of slacks or jeans. If you're not going to the gym, at the gym/working out, or on the way home from the gym, don't wear them. The same goes for basketball shorts.

This goes for leggings as well. They shouldn't be worn in place of pants; they should be worn as an accessory under a dress/skirt or a long tunic. They make proper pants in all sorts of sizes, take some time and find some.

It's not that hard to find clothes that fit and are flattering. Don't be lazy, wear some real clothes, and for pity sake, wear some freaking underwear.

Friday Night Outfit

Last night I had a low key night with friends, but I felt like dressing up a little bit. I wore my skinny capris, a scooped neck black top with a fitted banded bottom, and a black blazer. I also wore black mary janes. I did a modern pin up makeup look with a bold red lip. Pictures are below. Sorry, they were a bit of an after thought, so the quality isn't great.

 

Quick review and favorites

I have to say I really like the e.l.f. tinted moisturizer. I've been using it instead of foundation for over a week now and I haven't had any major break outs, and I really like they way it makes my skin look. I haven't been using just the moisturizer. I have also been using bronzer and power over the top, but those are things I would normally wear with my foundation. It lasts a really long time. I can put it on before work, work all day long, come home and go for a walk, and right before bed it'll still be there. The concealer I have been using, but my skin has been so nice with the moisturizer that I haven't really needed a lot of concealing. But it is a lighter concealer, nice texture and it blends well. The highlighter end I haven't really been using at all because I find it's a little too matte for me, and too white. I tried using it on my brow bone and I didn't like the way it looked there.

My nail polish, well, you saw the color, it's nice. I have been using Orly Nail Defense as a base coat and top coat and that has helped to make my polish last longer. I like that so far. I used to use it a long time ago, and didn't like it as much as I do now. Likely because I work with my hand more now and can really see that it helps to make my polish last longer and my nails are stronger too.

Other products I love...
Avon Nail Polish! Colors are great and they last a long time.
China Glaze Nail Polish! Same as above
Gold Bond Healing Lotion, it's really dry in Colorado and this is a great moisturizer.
The bronzer I use is Bare Escentuals Warmth and the power I use is Bare Escentuals Illuminating Mineral Veil
I like Rimmel Glam Lash Mascara right now.
Laura Mercier brow powers rock, but since I've been coloring my hair I've been using one of her eye shadows lately. Which I also love.
I like all of the Orly top coats and base coats that I've used. So far I've used Bonder, Won't Chip and Nail Defense. What I like about Nail Defense over Won't Chip is that it doesn't get thick like other top coats. Even Seche Vete will get thick and stringy, I haven't noticed that this has, but it's not as glossy.
I haven't bought any new clothes lately because I've been too poor, but I've been wearing a lot of purples and spring greens lately. I also love wearing yellow, which is sometimes hard to pull off, but if you have a rosy undertone like I do, then it's easier.
The perfume I've been wearing a lot is La Vanille's Passion fruit Vanilla. I like to smell like food; don't know why, but there it is.
Wow, this is longer than I thought it would be, but in conclusion, BUY!! the e.l.f. tinted moisturizer!!! I got it at k-mart for $3.00 and it's as good or better than some of the more expensive ones out there.

Classy vs. Sexy vs. Dolla Dolla Bill yo!

I've been procrastinating on writing this blog post because I wasn't sure what to say without offending some people. And I certainly don't have all the answers when it comes to what attracts males/females/whatever you're into. But I did want to address some things I've seen.

In my opinion it's far sexier to dress in a way that flatters your figure than a way that shows a lot of skin. As a big girl, it's harder to "get away" with most club wear because it's short, slutty and tight. I don't think that most skinny girls get away with it either, but they usually give off the general sexy impression, while we give off the desperate vibe. So girls, I've got a couple of rules. 1. Wear some damn underwear, especially if you're wearing a skirt, and no, hose don't count as underwear. 2. Just because it "fits" doesn't mean you should wear it. Pay less attention to the size and more attention to how it looks on you. 3. Being comfortable, stylish, and confident is sexy! and 4. More is just more. You get what you give.

This was probably more of a self esteem post than a fashion post. But I see a lot of big women out there that wear clothes that are unflattering, and likely it stems from a self esteem issue. I seriously doubt that any of these women are that confident with their body shape and size, or they wouldn't feel the need to exhibit it.

I'm sure that some will disagree with me. I've seen friends wear clothes that don't flatter their bodies because they insecure and want to attract attention. And usually the attention is negative and is always sexual in nature. I want to be seen as the intelligent individual I am, and I'm not going to get that kind of attention with my ass and tits showing. Just not the way things work. I think I'm going to start taking pictures of some of my "going out" outfits and putting them up here. Let me know if you think this is a good idea, and feel free to critique me, I have pretty thick skin.

So, stay classy ladies

Facebook and other things

I just created a facebook page for this blog. If you like what I've had to say so far, and would like to keep up to date with future blog movements, please "like" Chubby Fashion Guide on facebook.

I'm also going to put together a list of chubby style icons. One of mine if Beth Ditto. She doesn't always get it right and her look is not really wearable for the vast majority of us, but she owns her size and is proud of her body.

For the past month I've being doing something I don't normally do, weigh myself. I've been walking a lot and trying to watch how much I eat. A couple of weeks ago I noticed that I had lost 10 pounds. It had been about a month since I last weighed myself. Today I weighed myself and I lost another 5 pounds. I'm not really trying to lose weight, but just to be more active and watch what I eat. I'm not on a diet or anything, I haven't really given anything up. I did start a new job and I'm on my feet a lot and like I said above, I've been walking a lot. I don't have any weight loss goals, and I'm not trying to focus on my weight, just how my clothes fit and how I feel. I'm never going to be skinny, but I can be healthier and more active. And if weight loss is a side effect, then I'll take it.

Mini review

Just wanted to let you know how I'm liking the e.l.f. products so far. I'm planning on doing a full review this weekend, but so far so good. I put the 2 products on this morning and an hour later, noticed that my face still looked nice. I checked several times throughout the day, and still liked what I saw. I'm home now and even took a little nap and it still looks nice. Not made up, but my skin tone is still even, and I don't feel greasy. I've gotten some great complements on the Sally Hansen nail color. It's still holding on strong after a couple of days and I'm really hard on my nails. This is likely the base coat and top coat I use, but I really like this color. Again, I'll use the product for a couple more days and then give a full review this weekend. Thanks!

Who do I watch?

I had a conversation with a friend the other day about YouTube makeup tutorial channels, and we found that we watched a lot of the same people. I wanted to give propers to some of the gurus out there that have inspired me.

Pixiwoo - Nic and Sam are from England, and are fabulous sister makeup artists. They have wearable tutorials, as well as the more avant garde. I really like their celeb tutorials. Check out their other channel PixiwooMadness as well.

Petrilude - Josh is a wonderful makeup artist. I love his drag Misty Maven looks as well as his Halloween looks. Check out his other channel Jerrrsh

GoldieStarling - Angie is another great makeup artist. I like that she often uses less expensive makeup and she's a fellow Chubby girl.

MissChievous - Julia is one of the first makeup gurus I started watching, she's got some fun Halloween looks as well. Check out her other channel TheThirdShift

MasqueradeMakeup - Gotta love the creepy hand. This girl is crazy and I love all the accents. What I like the most about her channel, is that she's a crafty girl and has a lot of info about making your own celeb inspired accessories.

MakeUpGeekTV - Another great makeup channel. Her vlogs about her weight loss were helpful and touching.

KandeeJohnson - Kandee is very inspirational, and she's got one of the best hearts. She always goes out of her way to make people feel special and loved. She's also one damn fine makeup artist, as well as a great singer. Check out her other channel thekandeejohnsonshow

BeatFaceHoney - This girl is great! She's also another big girl.

KatiePuckrikSmells - Perfume reviews. She sounds like someone that is reviewing a fine wine, but she's hilarious.

and last but by no means least...
ThesPNation - Honey, this man is a fool. I love the genderfucking and the NARS obsessions. He's got great taste in music and is as blunt as hell. Love you! Check out his other hilarious channel ThesPRant.

I hope that was helpful, they are all great channels and if you have any suggestions for me let me know.

Mini update

I just purchased some e.l.f. cosmetics today. I tend to like their products in general. I'll let you know how they work out. I got the tinted moisturizer in porcelain and the under eye concealer & highlighter in glow/light.

I also wanted to rave about a brand of nail color I've been using for over a year. I really like Sally Hansen Insta-dri. I just picked up Instant Iris, and I really like it. I have several different colors in this brand, and over all I love the color range and they do dry fast. All nail colors chip, and this one is no exception, but for a cheaper, fast dry polish, it resists a decent amount of chipping. Blogger isn't cooperating right now or I'd post pictures/swatches of everything. I'll probably do that in an edit once it stops being stupid.

I also wanted to thank everyone that's visited my blog in the last day. I've had 80+ hits from several different countries and I really appreciate the visits. Please be sure to say hi and let me know what you think so far. Thanks again.

edit: images of items are now listed below. ciao.

Why Chubby Women Shouldn't Wear Animal Print...

Welcome back to the Chubby Girls Fashion Guide. Today we're going to be talking about animal print, and why it's a no-no for bigger women. Well that's really a lie. It's not a complete no-no, but the line on this is so fine, that it's often hard to walk. One minute we can be cute, chic and fabulous, and then the next minute we can be this...

Yes ladies, this is the wildebeest. Say hi, cause if you go overboard with the animal print then you could be looking like her. But what if you want to look cute, chic and fabulous? Then I will try my best to help you walk that fine line of fashion forward and wildebeest.

Accessories, accessories, accessories. I can't stress this enough. If you want to spice up your outfit with animal print, work it into some of your accessories. But choose wisely and one at a time. Too many contrasting prints looks sloppy and it just doesn't work. Too many pieces with the same animal print, you're wandering towards wildebeest territory. Here are some examples of acceptable animal print accessories.

There are times, when animal print is okay in more than just your accessories. But it's really hard to get it right. I couldn't even find an example of someone getting it right. There were a lot of wrongs, but here is a close but no cigar, and I'll let you know how you can make it right.



This model is posing in my favorite article of clothing, the almighty cardigan. So what is wrong with this picture? It's, well, um, boring. Girl needs some color. I'm all for treating animal prints and neutrals, but I think she could amp up the glam with a pop of red. Yes, red!! Red works wonders with leopard. If I was wearing this outfit, I'd add a chunky red belt right at the smallest part of the waist. Bright red lips and some red pumps or flats would go great with this look as well.

So in summary... it is a fine line between maven and wildebeest. It may be too hard to walk for some, but if you're diligent and selective in your choices you can pull it off and look cute, chic and fabulous.

edit... Never wear a print that is associated with being large. So never eva eva eva.... eva wear moo cow print. ta-ta.

coming soon... Sexy vs. Slutty vs. Dolla dolla bill yo!

Welcome Bitches!

Welcome to the inaugural post of the Chubby Girls Fashion Guide. I am your host and tour guide Stephany. I see it as my duty to help my fellow chubby girls who are not as fashion savvy. Even the best of us can use a little help every now and then, myself included. But I hope to impart what wisdom I have gathered in my fashion adventures.

When it comes to our appearance, there are just some things that are beyond our control. I know skinny people will tell you that you can lose weight, but if you're like me, it would take a major life change and probably some costly, and risky operations in order to appear "normal" and "thin." And seriously skinny people, if it was that easy, I would have done it years ago. In the mean time, I work on things that I can control. I always try to make sure my hair is clean and styled, my nails are neat and/or polished, I have nice make-up and that my clothes are stylish and fit me well. I've seen a lot of big women out there who seem so unhappy with their body that they just give up. Being chubby isn't a social death sentence, but low self esteem sure as hell is.

So... this is the point of my blog. I want to show that you can be sexy, stylish, and confident in who you are and still be a big beautiful woman. If I can give you more confidence in your choices, and maybe some new ideas then I'll consider my job well done. I hope this blog helpful, funny, brutally honest, just like me. Let me know if you have questions, want advice, want me to write on a specific topic or just want to tell me to piss off.

coming soon... Why chubby girls shouldn't wear animal print.