Chatter

Flight Routine

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Flight Routine - Skincare, Beauty, etc.What do you mean, “Flight Routine?”

I’ve seen a lot of posts and videos about ‘flight routines.’ They usually consist of a person going to the airport in full makeup to board the plane. Once seated and in-flight, they proceed to wipe away their facepaint and slather on a veritable ton of skincare goo.

We all know flying is stressful not just on our minds and bodies but also our hair and skin. Could you imagine sitting next to someone who sets up a vanity on their tray-table and slaps on a sheet mask? Ack.

Because this particular itinerary is for business it is important to look as professional as possible at virtually all times. For one, I am travelling as a representative of my employer and two, I am traveling in the company of both my immediate manager and a mentor of mine. So no, no sheet masks, no thick balms, or notions of lotions and potions.

My travel has me in the air for roughly 6.5-7 hours each way with a layover in between and probably not nearly enough water or good food. It isn’t really nap-friendly.

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TSA Approved Quart Bag

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Tomorrow, I board a plane to the other side of the country for a business trip. Being as that I have not been on a plane for something like eight years and I’ve never traveled for business, I’m left a bit reeling. The trip is short, so everything’s coming as a carry-on.

And having a carry-on means analyzing what liquids you need and stuffing the most important ones into a TSA approved quart bag to follow their 3-1-1 rule.

TSA Approved Quart Bag Contents

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MAC Select Loyalty Program

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MAC Select Loyalty

Lipstick addicts, brace yourself. MAC Cosmetics started a rewards program, MAC Select Loyalty.

Being in the US, MAC isn’t available at Sephora or Ulta so until now you couldn’t reap BI or UltaMate rewards from your purchases of Ruby Woo or Candy Yum Yum. That was kind of sad, because the only customer loyalty options you had when it came to purchasing MAC was maybe Macy’s Plenti or Nordstrom’s offerings. And believe me, MAC customers are loyal.

MAC Select features three tiers of perks, all of which include membership exclusives, an expanded Back-to-MAC program, a Back-to-MAC tracker, free samples, and varying degrees of free shipping. The tiers are as follows:

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Feeling Put Together

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I think it is a fair assumption that many of us have something that, regardless of everything else, makes us feel more put together.

For some women, it’s their hair. A good hair day means they can take on the world. I don’t blame them.

For some, it’s a badass pair of shoes. Pumps, boots, whatever makes your heart sing.

For others, it’s flawless makeup or a certain fragrance.

For others still, it might be a particular handbag or other accessory.

Maybe it’s just that first coffee of the day; it doesn’t have to be appearance-oriented.

Feeling Put TogetherA good manicure always makes me feel put together – polish or not!

For me, it’s a manicure. At one point that meant polish, always. Now it doesn’t necessarily. It’s a DIY beauty ritual – I don’t often get salon manicures. If my nails are in good order, I feel better. Having great hair helps, though I’m admittedly content to clip it up or throw it in a messy bun (I should be better than that, but styling just isn’t in my skillset).

What makes you feel put together? Think about it, and then treat yourself to it!

Meeting Expectations

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This is going to come across a bit rant-y, and that’s because it is. This was inspired by recent events but is not exclusively in reference to them.

When content creators (bloggers, vloggers, etc. for whom such creation is what pays their bills)…

  • fail to meet the expectations that they set for their readership, viewership, subscribers – whoever consumes their content
    Maybe they stopped publishing consistently. Maybe they are heavily deviating from their schedule. Maybe they promised content by X time and didn’t deliver.
  • subsequently make (shoddy) excuses for not doing so
    Especially when a pattern of not meeting expectations develops
  • get upset and play victim when someone (gently) questions the excuse
    Such as perhaps claiming a thing happened or did not happen (when that is not necessarily true), but that thing is readily available, public information.

…it vexes me.

As a part of that consumer base, do I feel personally insulted or cheated? No, but I do think it is lame to make a pattern of failing to meet the commitments you set for yourself for, you know, doing your job. Acting like a victim and getting defensive is never professional.

So, before I continue, let me explain what this is not. It is not:

  • Saying people cannot have lives or adjust their publishing schedules or expectations.
    If you need to adjust those expectations, do it! If you published content twice a week but could only manage three times per month simply state that due to your workload, this is what will be going on for the foreseeable future. You can share the reason if you wish to, but you don’t have to. We all have busier or more-stressful seasons of life!
  • Applicable to those who have other careers. If your blog is a hobby, side- or passion-project, yeah; other things come first. The job that keeps a roof over your head and its workload, your health, etc. come first.

Moving on – then, when fans go, “Wait, the reasoning you (voluntarily) provided doesn’t quite add up, am I misunderstanding?” Others defend these individuals say, “They don’t owe you anything! You aren’t paying them!”

Au contraire.

Allow me to cure you of your naïveté.

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Why Cuticle Oil Is Important

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Cuticle Oil

I don’t share many anecdotes on the blog, but this was a little funny and bizarre – so here’s a bit more on why we should make a practice of regularly using a cuticle oil. Although my skin, hair, and lips are expressing their dismay at the cold, dry weather, my fingers and nails have actually seemed fine with the level of care I was providing.

I’m at work a week or two ago, typing away. Definitely, “in the zone,” as far as being productive. My finger slips off a key – odd, but whatever. I keep typing.

It happens again. I look down and notice there’s blood on my keyboard.

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