Life Hacks: Mood Boosters

Feeling anxious? Upset? Angry? Disappointed? You don't have to stay that way. Even when circumstances in your life tell you otherwise. Here's 10 ways to get a boost in your mood and to get a new perspective.



1. Create a Vision

 What are some things that make you happy? What things do you need to be happier? Any goals you need to set? Look through magazines and cut out anything that captures your interest. Keep it in a scrapbook or make it into a collage. Or, as seen below, create an actual space in your house to foster creativity and positivity. Having a visual for your deepest desires puts them into reality and into action.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2. Gratitude Journal



Place a notebook by your bed and write three things

you're happy about before you go to bed.

Wake up in the morning and read it. Repeat.



Things to be grateful for can pile up!

 

 

3. Fridge Therapy

Ths is not to be confused with stress eating.

Instead, place photos on your fridge that you love.

Research suggests that we open the fridge as much as 27 times a day.

This is a great advertising space so you might as well look at things that make you happy.

Bonus: Put magnets with funny little sayings on them for an added mood boost.

 

Here's my fridge!

 

 

 

 

4. Challenge Your Negativity

Make two columns on a piece of paper. On the left side, list a negative circumstance and/or feeling. On the right, challenge that belief. An example is below:

Complaint: I don't have enough money.

Challenge: I paid all my bills on time.

Complaint: I'm lonely.                   

Challenge: I have a lot of friends who love me (list them)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

5. Optimize



Do at least one small thing that's new,  unexpected,

or just a little on the luxurious side. Like that extra foam on your latte? Go for it!

Novelty makes people feel good.    

   

The romance of coffee. My coffee selfie at The Cup Cafe.

6. Mark Your Calendar

Put something on the calendar to look forward to - a lunch date with a friend,
a shopping trip, a vacation, or just simply some scheduled time for yourself.
The anticipation you get from seeing the event is a mood booster in itself!

7. Look Polished
Take extra time to style yourself. Pick out a flattering outfit that's freshly pressed and impeccable. Style your hair differently and add some accessories. Get a manicure. People will compliment and smile at you all day long.


Dressing well means feeling well!

 

 



8. Write a Letter
Taking  the time to write to someone is a lost art. Get stationary in a pleasing color and/or texture or buy some postcards. If you feel crafty, make your own stationary by putting your name at the top of a page using a fancy font (you can download hundreds of free fonts at dafont.com). Writing a letter is like sending a gift to someone. Bonus: If you saved letters from loved ones, take them out and read them.

9. Reprioritize
Sometimes when anxiety levels rise, it's because things are unbalanced. Make a list of the things that worry you and list them in order of priority. Take the top three items and make plans for addressing them with specific steps and due dates. Cross them off the list. Repeat. A sense of control and accomplishment helps ease a frazzled mind.

10. Chocolate Therapy
The feel-good sensations that chocolate gives you are created by a natural chemical in cocoa called ­phenylethylamine, which ­researchers believe can cause a feeling of mild euphoria, similar to the experience of being in love. I like to have a square of fine quality chocolate after dinner or with a cup of tea right before bed.



Cheap thrill: Lindt. $3.00 a bar. My favorite!












Total splurge: Fran's Chocolate stuffed figs. $40 for eight.

Benefit Cosmetics: Review They're Real Mascara

We all know that every mascara  advertisement features models with false eyelashes. We know this and yet we buy mascara anyway. So, does Benefit offer real results? Judging by the obviously Photoshopped boobs on the advertisement, I was skeptical but still hopeful for size DDD lashes.

The mascara box made me hopeful: " They're real lengthens, curls, volumizes, lifts and separates. Our jet black, long-wearing formula won't smudge or dry out!". In a consumer panel survey, 94% saw dramatic length and volume, 90% saw base to tip curl, 94% saw visible lift, and 100% saw long-wearing results." This product retails for $23.00.

When I put it on, I noticed that upon the first application, it clumped onto my lashes. I applied about four coats in total and there was even more clumpiness. The scary litle spikey ball on the end of the wand didn't help at all. It seemed to get stuck in the clumps! It did lengthen my lashes as advertised. My husband noticed that my eyelashes looked "clumpy" but he said that I had "cute doe eyes."

Here's the result up close. You can definitely tell my lashes are longer, but they are clumpy for sure.

Overall, this mascara photographs well. I did not comb or curl my lashes. If I did, there might have been a better result. I did use a filter to adjust the lighting a bit to bring out the dark values.

 

I read some of the reviews on the Benefit web site and this one really called out how I felt about the product:

 

"Tammy Faye Baker anyone?? And what's with that picky end thing? It certainly didn't help separate the lashes & trying to cover the bottom lashes was a lost cause -- a big mess. I've been wearing mascara since I was a teenager (50+ yrs) so do know how to apply it. Plus it's so hard to remove. Don't like to scrub my eyes that hard. Even with makeup remover it is very difficult to remove. Will go back to my tried and trusted drugstore brand that looks waaaay better. Lesson learned. Won't be buying products from this company again.
This mascara ended up in my trashcan very quickly."

 

CONS: (6)

Clumpy, ineffective, overpriced, overhyped, does not separate lashes, difficult to remove

 

PROS: (1)

Lengthens lashes

 

VERDICT: Not recommended.

They're Real(ly not that good).





Young and Old

Gloria Swanson  (1897-1983)

 

"I have decided that when I am a star, I will be every inch and every moment a star." Gloria Swanson was born Gloria May Josephine Svensson in Chicago, Illinois. She was destined to be perhaps one of the biggest stars of the silent movie era. Her personality and antics in private definitely made her a favorite with America's moviegoing public. Gloria certainly didn't intend on going into show business. After her formal education in the Chicago school system and elsewhere, she began work in a department store as a salesclerk. In 1915, at the age of 18, she decided to go to a Chicago movie studio with an aunt to see how motion pictures were made. She was plucked out of the crowd, because of her beauty, to be included as a bit player in the film The Fable of Elvira and Farina and the Meal Ticket (1915). (source: IMDB). She became one of the most prominent stars during the silent filmera as both an actress and a fashion icon, especially under the direction of Cecil B. DeMille, making dozens of silent films and being nominated for the first Academy Award in the Best Actress category. She also produced her own films like Sadie Thompson and The Love of Sunya.  In 1929, Swanson transitioned to talkies with The Trespasser. However, personal problems and changing tastes saw her popularity wane during the 1930s when moved into theater and televison.

 

In her later years, Gloria was devoted to a healthy lifestyle including a macrobiotic diet. She married for the last time in 1976 to writer William Dufty until her death. Dufty shared Gloria's passion for macrobiotic diets and he co-authored the book Sugar Blues which is still in print today.  The picture on the left was taken at her New York City apartment in 1972 when she was age 75 years old. I have a picture of her that was taken in 1982 that shows her looking much older, but I wanted to include this one to show you her brilliant blue eyes.

 

 

 

Charlie Chaplin  (April 16, 1899 - December 25, 1977)

"Imagination means nothing without doing."

Raised in London, Chaplin's childhood was defined by poverty and hardship. As his father was absent and his mother struggled financially, he was sent to a workhouse twice before the age of nine. When he was 14, his mother was committed to a mental asylum. Chaplin began performing at an early age, touring music halls and later working as a stage actor and comedian.

 

Interesting fact: Chaplin was married four times and had eleven children. Interestingly, his first living child was born in 1925 and his last child was born in 1962. That's a 37 year difference!

 

Chaplin suffered a series of minor strokes in the late 1960s, which marked the beginning of a slow decline in his health. He continued to work on projects until the 1970s when he suffered from a series of strokes that left him wheelchair bound and frail. In 1975 he was knighted by the Queen of England. (source: Wikipedia)

 

The last picture of Charlie Chaplin was taken on his 88th birthday in 1977. It was used on that year's Christmas card, which coincidentally,was the day he died.

 

 
 

Elizabeth Taylor (1932-2011)

"Get yourself a drink, put on some lipstick, and pull yourself together."

 

From her early years as a child star with MGM she became one of the great screen actresses of Hollywood's Golden Age. As one of the world's most famous film stars, Taylor was recognized for her acting ability and for her glamorous lifestyle, beauty, and distinctive violet eyes. She had a much publicized personal life that included eight marriages and several life-threatening illnesses. (source: Wikipedia)

 

Taylor died of congestive heart failure in March 2011 at the age of 79, having suffered many years of ill health.

The picture on the left is the last photograph taken of her just a few months before she died. Beyond her frail appearance you can still see that defiant and powerful gaze like the one in the photo above.

Interesting fact: Elizabeth Taylor had a genetic mutation that caused her to have a double row of eye lashes. It is speculated that this same mutation also caused issues with her heart.

 

 

 

 

Joan Crawford (1904-1977) 
 

“I love playing bitches. There's a lot of bitch in every woman - a lot in every man.”

 

Crawford was born Lucille Fay LeSueur in San Antonio, Texas. Her name was changed to Crawford because  studio executieves thought LeSuer sounded too much like "Le Sewer." There was a contest in conjunction with the fan magazine Movie Weekly to allow readers to select her new name. Initially, the name "Joan Arden" was selected but, when another actress was found to have prior claim to that name, the alternate name "Crawford" became the choice. Crawford initially wanted her new first name to be pronounced "Jo-anne". She hated the name Crawford, saying it sounded like "crawfish". Her friend, actor William Haines quipped, "They might have called you 'Cranberry' and served you every Thanksgiving with the turkey!" Crawford continued to dislike the name throughout her life but, she said, she "liked the security that went with it". (source: Wikipedia)

 

 

The photo that sent Joan home.

Joan's last public appearance was September 23, 1974, at a party honoring her old friend Rosalind Russell at New York's Rainbow Room. When Crawford saw the unflattering photos that appeared in the papers the next day, she said, "If that's how I look, then they won't see me anymore." Soon after, she cancelled all public appearances, began declining interviews and left her apartment less and less. While on antibiotics for dental ailments in October 1974, Crawford's drinking caused her to black out, slip and strike her face. This incident scared her enough to give up drinking and smoking, although in public she insisted it was because of her return to Christian Science.

On May 8, 1977, Crawford gave away her beloved Shih Tzu "Princess Lotus Blossom", which she was too weak to care for properly. Crawford died two days later at her New York apartment from a heart attack, while also reportedly ill with pancreatic cancer. It was reported that the last words she said was, " Damn it! Don't you dare ask God to help me." Ah, feisty until the end. Gotta love that broad.

As part of the final curtain for Joan's place in my blog, I found footage from her last public appearance. It doesn't have any audio and it is of poor quality, but it's interesting nonetheless. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=93JmfcxUhnE



Something in Common with Marilyn

Last year, I found a Pucci dress at Buffalo Exchange with the peacock design made famous by Marilyn Monroe. It was only....get this... 17 dollars! I have to wonder if it's an authentic Pucci because the people at Buffalo know their fashion and wouldn't let this go so cheap.

My print is similiar to Marilyn's, but the print on my dress is turned upside down.  And, hers has red accents while mine has blue. I wish I had the matching rope belt (seen on Marilyn) which would accent the dress nicely. However, I have a pair of hot pink pumps with early 60s styling that would go well with this dress.

It's the little things that bring elegance and style to my life. I can't wait to find another treasure!

Besame Cosmetics: Violet Brightening Powder

As a vintage and makeup enthusiast, Besame Cosmetics brings these two passions together for me. And, Besame means "kiss me" in Spanish so I love that connotation too. The Besame web site beautifully describes the blending of makeup and vintage history best:
 
"Besame cosmetics was founded in 2004 out of a fascination with art, history and beauty; a vintage makeup brand which honors the style, spirit, and sensibility of female beauty.
 
Through a keen eye for color and historical expertise, we recreate modern reproductions of classic luxury makeup from the 1920s, 30s, 40s, and 50s, designed to make women feel elegant, inspired, and empowered by their beauty. Pairing innovative, cutting edge technology with a historical milieu, our colors and formulations are painstakingly hand-crafted to a minutia of detail (don't you just love that part?!), from our custom-designed gold compacts to our signature chrysanthemum motifs."
 
I have been using Besame since 2009 so I feel that my opinion on this brand has more weight than some of the other brands I've reviewed. Recently, I splurged a little and bought one of the newer Besame items: Violet Brightening Powder. It retails for $22.00.
 
Violet powder is a subtle color correction trick to remedy dull, sallow, or yellowish skin. Since I have VERY white skin, it is prone to being dull, especially when it gets dry in the winter. The red in the violet warms up yellow skin while the blue gives it a cool and lighter appearance. It's actually a neat little trick for bringing healthy looking skin into focus.
 
When I first applied it, I noticed that the powder does not easily come through the sifter. I had to tap it several times to get some through. This has been a consistent experience. I did not notice much of a difference when I applied it directly to my skin, but when I put it on top of foundation, it did set it well and it gave my skin a very subtle violet/pink glow. The powder is finely milled and it felt like cashmere. I did not notice a "subtle violet fragrance" as the Besame web site stated, but I won't hold this against them. The powder does not contain any minerals so there was no shimmer and it gave my face a wonderful matte finish.

I will note that while I've been satisfied with the quality of Besame products, there has been a trend of products being discontinued rather quickly. And, there seems to be a long period of time in between discontinuations and new products. Thankfully, that there has been a burst of new products in the last couple of years and when products are discontinued, Besame will sell the entire stock at very discounted prices. Be sure to sign up for their newsletter to be aprised of discontinuations, new products, and sales.

PROS: (3)
Silky/soft feel, sets make-up, color corrects

CONS: (1)
Product does not come through the sifter well

VERDICT: Gotta have it!
Besame Violet Brightening Powder is like adjusting the color controls for your face. It will even out yellow tones and bring your best face into focus. I would not recommend it for people who have reddish skin. And, I'm not sure how this product will look on darker skin. I think I will ask one of my friends with a darker complexion to try this on so I can make this review relevant to more people.

Since Besame has very few ground stores, it is best to purchase this through their web site: http://www.besamecosmetics.com/Besame-Cosmetics-Violet-Brightening-Powder/dp/B0009GI7LO?class=quickView&field_availability=-2&field_browse=8206872011&id=Besame+Cosmetics+Violet+Brightening+Powder&ie=UTF8&refinementHistory=brandtextbin%2Csubjectbin%2Ccolor_map%2Cprice%2Csize_name&searchNodeID=8206872011&searchPage=1&searchRank=salesrank&searchSize=12

Benefit Cosmetics: The Porefessional

Big and unsightly pores have nowhere to hide! The Porefessional will find them. I have been using this product for about a year now and it's a staple in my make-up bag.

This lightweight formula feels silky and it glides on effortlessly. It has a fresh powdery smell too. You can either apply it directly to your skin for those mornings when time is an issue, or you can apply it on top of foundation for best results. The best way I can describe the effectiveness of this product is that it is like Photoshop for your skin. Really! It blurs away imperfections (large pores, fine lines) and a couple of years off your face!

This product retails for $30.00 for .75 of an ounce, but a little goes a long way. I use it daily and a tube will last me 2 to 3 months. It's definitely worth the money!

PROS: (7)
Lightweight, effective, dramatically reduces pores and imperfections, one tube lasts several months, can use it alone or over make-up, not greasy, suitable for all skin types

CONS: None.

VERDICT: Gotta have it! This is a secret weapon for keeping your face young and radiant. You can buy it at your local Ulta store or online at: http://www.benefitcosmetics.com/product/view/the-porefessional#

LUSH Handmade Cosmetics: Dark Angels Facial Cleanser

During my first trip to LUSH, I focused on getting products for my face. At my age, I still have breakouts, so I really needed to get something to remedy this. I was in the midst of a bad skin day so I purchased Dark Angels Facial Cleanser ($28.95 for the larger size, $12.95 for the smaller).

That night, I added this to my nightly beauty routine. I noticed that the smell was surprisingly pleasant for what it looks like: I detected notes of rose and sandalwood and earthy tones. When I pinched  out a little to use, it was hard to keep together and it kept falling off my face. This is due to the chunky/dry quality because of the charcoal which obviously gives it that signature black color. As a reference, the organic ingredients in this product are: Rhassoul Mud, cold pressed avocado oil, powdered charcoal, black sugar, sandalwood oil, rose oil, and linalool. Sidenote: Linalool is a colorless liquid with a soft, sweet odor. It occurs naturally in many essential oils, such as ho wood oil, tangerine, spearmint, rose, neroli, mandarin, lemon, lime, lavender, cypress, grapefruit, cinnamon, chamomile, palmarossa and ylang ylang.

Here's a video that gives you an idea of how this product  looks and how it is applied:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7lGQ5XarU-o#t=27

I was able to get enough onto my face without dropping too much in the sink. As a side note, this product is best used in the shower because it makes a big, black, mess! (The LUSH web site doesn't hide this fact, so extra points for the disclosure.) Don't fear though, it rinses out of the shower easily and it did not stain the tub. 


It took me a little longer to get all of the face scrub off. I noticed that the charcoal was a little stubborn to get off of my hairline and neck. When I rinsed it all off, my face felt oily yet gently exfoliated. I resisted the urge to use my regular acne wash to get rid of the oily feeling, but I left it on to get a true sense of the product. Ultimately, my patience and trust in the product paid off because when my face was patted dry, it felt smooth and soft and not excessively oily. It felt soothed, hydrated, and had a healthy matte finish. I have now used this all week and my face has NOT broken out due to the oil-derived ingredients. In fact, it appears that my skin is hydrated and balanced.


PROS: (7)
Pleasant smell, gently exfoliates, balances skin, reduces redness, helps with breakouts, the product does what is advertised (product integrity), smaller and larger quantities available


CONS: (3)
Messy, awkward application, slightly difficult to wash off


VERDICT: Gotta have it!
Dark Angels is a versatile product that exfoliates, soothes and balances skin tone while providing aromatherapy with its relaxing floral/earthy smell.