I Put Lipstick On My Forehead

If you’re facing down the worstbad ahead… don’t feel ashamed for doing so

Haven’t had many new Word Nerds in a while but I feel so truly motivated by the friends here that… It’s the most “for the right reasons” job possible?

You know what I mean? I am not doing this for “likes” or “views” or applause-hands in the audience, or any other reason we are often told to pursue things (or that I, as a sometimes-ballerina, am oft to focus on by accident).

I am used to not being All About That Paycheck in my line of work (I refused to have one for most of the 8 years I ran a nonprofit, just to push the point home)… But there is something so imporant-about-being-earnest about just writing here because I feel like it’s my friends, and that these words are safe, and that value is found in more than just numbers…. That makes everything feel like more than just numbers

I hope to keep being worth your energy and time!

I’m keeping my Every Weekday Promise and it gives me so much to keep striving for, even with the anticipation of some tricky times ahead.

“It’s all going to be okay”… okay?

Okay.

Yours,

B

PS: Read this and then scroll to the bottom to watch the final Before and After. I think it’s kinda cool? Is it just me?

PSS. This video is clearly from my last surgery recovery (winter), as my eldest daughter is enjoying times in it (as pretty much all my footage, and photos, and every-everything)- but she is on her own journey right now while embarking on her future…

So enjoy the memory because my nest does not currently look like this, but you can’t edit your nest-memories, you know? This was our happy winter nest.

PSSS. I hope the video edits are hitting the spot too.

I have been experimenting with skincare during my last surgery recovery… and it means breaking a major “rule” lately when it comes to makeup.

I started wearing shimmering products on areas I don’t want to draw attention to.

The age old advice about aging beyond 25 is always “don’t put shimmer or glitter on lines that you don’t want to draw attention to”, but the other day I conducted a thorough experiment with 1) drugstore no color blurring balms, 2) fancy tester blur sticks, and 3) even blur powders… and zero made my expressive-*ss forehead look as happy as when it was shining.

(My youngest daughter was the approving scientist on this project at the time it ‘twas filmed.)

I love anything with the word “blur” or “balm” in it, so was super shocked to find that after a handful of photos and hours, we found that the average forehead smoothers look great at first…  but dehydrated later. (It was a long medical day so we needed a beta testing distraction.)

So I put lipstick on my forehead.

Not joking.

It’s this Sephora brand clear lippie called “Werk It” (twas $5 on sale) which distracted instead of attracting (or so our photo play propagated?). I’ve also been obsessed with trying to figure out the “2023 Paris Hilton soft matte effect” that is not appreciated enough in the makeup hall of appreciations.

So since I was gifted a couple legit fancy products thanks to Vanessa Myricks brand and a few well-savored gift cards throughout the winter, I tried to perfect the soft-matte-cheekbone concept for fancy days.

This includes 3 products I’d never normally be able to afford and probably will never own again (see if you can spot them) and a lot of delicious enjoyment at distractions and fancy-free futility.

Said fanciness aside: I have been super into making my own products too.

I mix things together that I don’t want to waste in cushion compacts (the best) and thin them out with skincare so it’s a soft effect.

If anything involves needing brushes or sponges or more than just a schmear and a swipe: I don’t have time for it.

I am not being dramatic when I say that hyperfocusing on skincare experiments leading up to recent multiple surgeries, and the anticipation of more down the road- and planning two “Go To” blurred glowy makeup looks for when I heal (the irony being I won’t be wearing these for a long time?) - can feel like the BESTbad decision you could possibly make.

Find the best bad distraction that takes your mind off medical bills and work and pain, now and again, and celebrate the menial, if you will.

If you’re facing down the worstbad ahead… don’t feel ashamed for doing so.

We all need a little glitter to distract us from what we don’t want to see.

THANK YOU for caring and thank you for your time!