Movie Review: Django Unchained

Let's talk about Django Unchained, seen it yet? No? Go see it right now.
In case you couldn't tell, I loved it, and I'll try to keep spoilers to a minimum while telling you why I loved it, to save those who haven't seen it yet and are not following my initial instructions to go see it right this second.

I'm going to start by saying that I am a huge Tarantino fan. My favorite movie of all time is Reservoir Dogs, so much to the point I have a wall sized poster of it, and watch it at least once a month.  WIth that said, everything I've seen by him I've liked. That isn't to say that I don't agree with some critics who say "bad" things about some of his movies. I can agree with the fact that Inglourious Basterds, while amazing, was a little pretentious, or Death Proof, which is actually playing on my TV right this second, is really long and a bit boring at times. That doesn't make me love either of those films any less.

Moving on, I loved Django Unchained and had few to no issues with the movie.
The first thing that really drew me to it, other than my undying love for Christoph Waltz, is that I do love a good western movie. While its set in the south in 1858, as the title card says, its filmed a lot like a western movie.
Another thing that I really loved about this movie, is the amount of blood and gore in it. Thats a warning; if you aren't a fan of blood and gore, this might not be a movie for you. It can be fairly brutal at times, the opening scene alone sets how much blood comes out of a person when they're shot. Spoilers: it erupts out of them with a bit of a "squish" noise. Gross, but adds to the humor of the movie.
Another thing that you should be prepared for in the "brutal" category, is this is a movie about bounty hunters set during the time of slavery. Keeping spoilers to a minimum, that means a lot of shooting, a lot of death, and a lot of brutality (both physical, and verbal) towards those playing slaves.

If you can get past that, the movie is actually very, very funny. It stars Christoph Waltz as an anti-slavery bounty hunter, and Jamie Foxx as a freed slave-turned-bounty hunter. The dynamic between the two is amazing, starting out with almost a baby-sitter/mentor type relationship, where Waltz teaches Foxx how to be a bounty hunter, growing into equals.
Leonardo DiCaprio plays the villan, and let me tell you he does a wonderful job. The trailer doesn't give away too much of the movie, so I wont spoil it for you, but I will say the focus is the rough and tough pair going to rescue Foxx's wife from DiCaprio's plantation.

My only problem with the movie is the run time, 2 hours and 45 minutes. Unlike Basterds, where I thought the movie with that run time was too short, Django's run time was a bit too long. The scene before the last scene, in my opinion, was too lengthy...if needed at all. The only point of that scene was to acquire something to use at the end of the movie. I don't think they needed that scene, granted if they cut it, Tarantino wouldn't have his 10 minute on screen time.

The last thing I will say, is I loved Samuel L Jackson actually playing a character in this movie. Not that he doesn't act normally, but whenever I saw him in a movie prior, it wasn't really acting for me. Rather it was "oh now Samuel L Jackson is on a plane with snakes." His character in Django Unchained was funny, and well portrayed.

I'll leave you with this, the review my lovely boyfriend made as his Facebook status; "Django Unchained was tons of fun! None of the pretentiousness from Basterds and 100% more horses!"

And if that doesn't sell you on it, I don't know what to tell you.
Loren ♥

Top 10 Teas

Hey there blog! Its been awhile, and its not that I've completely forgotten about posting, its just things have been so hectic here at school I haven't really had time to do anything except write essays. To be completely honest I'm currently taking a break from reading Pseudo-Xenophon for Greek history, so with this time I'll write a very simple blog post.

For those of you who read my blog and know me, you know that I really really really love tea. So let me tell you about my favorite kinds of tea.

      1. Matcha iri Genmaicha

This is probably my favorite tea of all time due to the fact its highly caffeinated. The color of the tea itself is a very odd shade of bright yellow-green, which is what drew me to it when I first saw it. The flavor is very nutty, and pretty strong, which puts some people off from it. But if you don't mind the flavor I'd give it two thumbs up!

I prefer my matcha, like most of my tea, without any additions; meaning don't add milk or sugar!

Just remember to brew it for 1-2 minutes to keep it light and avoid the really nutty taste.

      2. Twinings Pure White Tea

My god do I love white tea. 

I love how light and sweet it can be, and how you don't really need to add anything to it. Unlike the previous tea, its very very light and not quite as flavorful. White tea has caffeine as well, but not nearly as much as the last one.

For the perfect cup, keep it light and don't brew for more than 1 1/2 minutes! No seriously, any more than that throws off the taste, and most tea sites and experts will tell you to not brew for more than a minute. Personally, I think a minute isn't long enough and doing that you won't get as much flavor as you want.

      3. "Rory Williams"

Let's shift gears a little here, now I know I said I prefer my teas and coffees without add-ins, but this tea in particular tastes really good with a splash of milk, and a tiny bit of sugar.
The "Rory Williams" is a signature blend named after a Doctor Who character. I bought it...well mostly because Rory is my favorite character on the show, but also because the blend involves Irish Breakfast Tea, which I do really love.

This tea is very sweet, with hints of vanilla and, strangely enough, sweet potato. I had no idea that sweet potato tea would even taste good, but wow it sure does! Highly recommended by both myself and my boyfriend (I do believe its his favorite tea so far).

      4. Green Tea

Of any kind. No really, just go out to your supermarket and grab any kind of green tea. Preferably one not mixed with any other flavors, and a decaffeinated type, because with all the other teas mentioned, you'd want a minute to relax and not feel more awake.

Now why do I love green tea? Its so simple and smooth and plain. Also it has crazy antioxidants that just make you feel super! If its caffeine free, you can enjoy it whenever without the worry of staying awake all night, or being drowsy in the morning.

Plus its good for your health! Boosts metabolism, and it can go with whatever you're eating!

      5. "John Watson"

Ok, back to signature blends; this one is named for the lovable John Watson from BBC's Sherlock. This tea is a lovely mix of Irish Breakfast, Earl Grey, and cinnamon. Be warned though, the cinnamon is not terribly noticeable which is probably why I love the tea so much! I'm not big on cinnamon and was expecting a lot more, but luckily its very light.

I personally enjoy this tea both with and without milk and sugar. Its caffeinated, and I like mine brewed pretty dark so I can get the full flavor of the Earl Grey. I know that my boyfriend prefers it with some milk and sugar, but I think its because I brew it dark to begin with. If I were to brew it lighter, it would not need sugar...or milk for that matter!

But yes, definitely recommended.

Top 5 Honorable Mentions:

1. Earl Grey. Once again, any kind will do, but I prefer the Twinings kind. Its very refreshing, and I love it.
2. Irish Breakfast, of any kind. Dark, caffeinated, tastes good with a splash of milk. Need I say more? Oh yeah I do; eat with breakfast!
3. Jasmine tea. Light, flowery, look for a kind that has green tea in it!
4. Peach and Ginger black tea. That kind in specific. Very dark, but the ginger is very nice, and, once again, does not need add-ins.
5. And lastly, raspberry tea. Now I don't normally like fruit teas, but this one when iced with a dash of sugar makes the most perfect iced tea you could ask for. So it's worth a shot!

Happy brewing!

♥ Loren

Beauty Blogging

Oh thank the high heavens that midterms are over for me. Honestly this past week I've been stressed out, sleepless, hungry, and just irritable. (Bless Johnny for having to put up with my mood swings and crying over essays and not breaking up with me!)
But they are done and I can finally catch up on my sleep. Its time to relax again.

So the first order of business I tended to after finishing my last midterm was to properly pamper myself, I am a princess after all.
This past week in my favorite class this semester, Ancient Greek History, we learned about how people in Greece bathed themselves. As my professor said "soap is a very European way to clean yourself, and its not as useful as using olive oil."And that got me wondering about using olive oil instead of soap and what not, because let me tell you there nothing I love more than being pampered, and also Greek things (she said as she poured some honey into her Greek yogurt).

I set off to Google, looking up what people used olive oil for, and how I could use it in my shower. And there are a million different recipes on how to mix it because, turns out that its good for your hair, and skin, and just about everything. But I ended up doing my own thing, so here is what I did with it:

What You Will Need:

• 1/2 Cup Olive Oil
• About a cup of standard white sugar
• A razor (or two)
• A shower
• A towel that you don't mind getting dirty

So basically what I did was I heated up the oil (20 seconds in the microwave) and 15 minutes prior to getting in the shower, I rubbed it through my hair and let it sit.

Most of what was left I poured into the cup of sugar and mixed it with my hands. I used that to exfoliate my body. Once that was rinsed, I shaved normally, and so much dead skin peeled off! It was a little gross I'll admit.

I ended up using all of the sugar scrub, and poured the rest of the oil on my hair (and washed it out of course!), and now my skin feels like butter.

After getting out of the shower, use a towel to rub off whatever residue you have left on you. Normally this goes against my belief on pulling at your skin, but its needed in this case!

Dry out your hair, and bask in the soft clean glow your skin has. Hell I walked around naked for a bit, it was that nice.

To really top the feeling of being a princess off, but on some sexy underwear, even if its just for you!

It really is the best feeling in the world.

Loren ♥

Body Image + Cosplay

Hey there blog I've been neglecting for like a month. What's up?

Ok, what we're going to talk about today is my personal body image issues and how cosplay minimized them.

I guess I should start by telling you that I am not a skinny girl, and I never was. I'm about a pant size 10-12, dress size 12-14, and I wear a bra size of 36-38 D. All through high school and middle school, I was constantly bombarded by people telling me that I should lose weight, and that the ideal woman is skinny and beautiful.
It really hurt. For awhile there I was convinced no one would love me or find me attractive because I didn't fit the ideal. And it hurt like hell.

Getting out of that high school mentality really did help with my body issues. At college I picked up rugby, and that taught me to be tough (also that exercising is actually really fun). And I met a truly wonderful boy who loves me for me, and doesn't care what my dress size is, he thinks I'm beautiful no matter what.
Okay wow yeah that was really sappy, I'm sorry.

But lets talk about cosplay for a minute. Cosplay has really helped me with my body issues, because for at least a little bit, people who don't know me look at me as a character rather than who I am.
Instead of judging me based off of what I look like, people's first reactions are "oh you're so and so, wow thats a great wig/costume/skirt/contacts!" Its makes me feel good, you know?
Sometimes, if I get so lucky, people will come up to me and say that I make a fabulous [enter character here], and once this girl even told me that I was her brand new headcanon Roxy Lalonde!

Sure there are tons of times where I want to cosplay certain characters, but I feel restricted due to body shape (its really hard for me to pull of being male, I'm curvy), height, or even ethnicity. But then I think about it and I say "well fuck that." Because in the cosplaying community, well at least the one's I've encountered, people are really supportive. They say "go cosplay who you want to, regardless of what you look like. Be happy, and those who try to pull you down aren't worth your time."

Thanks to people like that, I've been able to do cosplay's I normally wouldn't be comfortable doing/think I could pull off!
Example 1; Sis Strider who is usually drawn as skinny and fit, blonde, and super hot. Yet I still put it together for NYC Promstuck, and I received so many compliments on it!

No idea who the artist is, please tell me!

Example 2; X-23. Still a work in progress, but she is my favorite X-Men character and wears pretty skimpy outfits, but I'm learning how to translate that into my body type and comfort zone. Plus the make up was super fun to do.

Also that comic is fantastic, go read it now.

With all that being good and said, there are still a lot of people I know who don't understand my hobby of cosplaying. They write it off as being silly, or a waste of time. I guess I get that, sometimes I write off what I don't know a lot about even though I try hard not to.

Understand it or not, cosplaying has become a big part of my life, and a very important part at that. It taught me that I can be happy with how I look, and that people will always appreciate what I put on, as well as be there to support me along the way.

Also that I don't make a terrible platinum blonde! Hehe.

Loren ♥

CA: Cosplayers Anon

I'm beginning to think I might have a problem.
In case it wasn't painfully obvious, I really like cosplaying, and I really like the webcomic Homestuck.

With that said, I'm convinced I need to either find or create a "Cosplayers Anonymous," because my constant desire to cosplay everything I see is getting out of control.
I am starting to worry about my need to dress up like characters because 1.) its taking a huge chunk out of my time and bank account, and 2.) I literally pounce on any new character I see.

Let me explain; for those of you who read my blog and also read Homestuck, you'll know (assuming you're up to date on it) that a week or so back Andrew Hussie (the creator/writer) made an update that was an interactive flash where you met the ancestors of some of the alien characters.
Here we meet the ancestor to one of my favorite characters, this new girl is named Latula. Instantly I fell in love with her design and, guess what, decided to cosplay her.

Here she is! So r4d ;]

I actually had to pause the game, I was just too excited about the idea of dressing up as her. I immediately set out in search of a wig, and like that, all my money started going out the window.

Do you see why this is beginning to be a problem?

On the brighter side, I'm actually pretty glad I did decide to cosplay her. I got a really great wig, and these rocking boots. And so far the costume is coming together quite well! All I'm really missing is the shirt.

Ok, so maybe this post was not so much to "address" my problem with dressing up as characters, maybe it was more of an excuse to show off my progress shots for my newest cosplay.
But hey, can you really blame me?

Loren ♥

I saw the coolest thing ever last night.

My boyfriend is a huge Amanda Palmer fan, personally I think she is pretty cool but I wouldn't really consider myself a fan of hers, but I do love concerts. So when he got tickets to her show last night at The Theater of Living Arts on South Street in Philly, of course I agreed to go with him.

Amanda Palmer's set was pretty fun. I don't know that much about her music so I don't really have anything to base it off of. The coolest part to me was that all of the opening acts for the show were used in her backing band at one point or another.

But thats not the cool part.

The cool part was the last opening act, two guys that go by the name of Ronald Reagan 80's, Boston's Premier 80's Pop Saxophone Duo.
And its exactly what it sounds like.
They played "Don't Stop Believing," "Total Eclipse of the Heart," and "Beat It." Also one of them beat boxed.

It was really the coolest thing I've ever seen, so naturally I bought their t-shirt.
Check them out sometime, not only are they super talented, but they also are really funny.

They even deserved their own post on my blog!

Loren ♥

Oops, Its been too long again!

Hello hello!
Wow its been pretty busy the last few weeks, which is honestly why I haven't been posting.

Lets see, the last thing I blogged about was going Dog Tier. And I'm super stoked to say I get to wear that cosplay to a Phillystuck meet up this weekend! Hopefully after the meet up at some point over the weekend, or next week, I'll do another make up video.
This time I figured out how to make myself look exceedingly anime, and my eyes look huge!

Teaser photo, video will be made soon

Ok, since my last post I went to Paris, France for a week.

Moved back to college.

Learned how to make a few dinners.

Turned 20.

And started the new school year.

Yeah, I've been pretty busy.

Actually, on the subject of my birthday (which was yesterday), I have fantastic news! My amazing boyfriend not only took me out to dinner and showered me with love/adorned me with a tiara because I was the birthday princess, but he actually made the most amazing gift ever.

Which also aids the progress of one of my cosplays.

Yep, he made me a portal gun.

Side view

There is a whole tutorial he made for it, in case anyone wants to make one! I read through it, and honestly if I think it looks easy, anyone can do it!

Also its so cool, it lights up.

And thats what I've been up to really. Besides school. Also wanting to master the art of French cooking.

Seriously. French food is the best damn food I've ever eaten. I just want to move to Paris and eat everything all the time.

Ah well, I guess finishing my cosplays comes first!

Loren ♥

Today I Went Dog Tier!

Hoorah! Back to the land of the living that has internet!
In case anyone was wondering why I have been absent recently, it is because I just moved in to my new apartment in Philly. Due to complications there, I have been completely internet-less for the past week. Toughest week of my life.

Anyway, the point of this blog post isn't to whine about my lack of internet this past week. Rather, I'm here to talk to you about my new thrown together Dog Tier Jade cosplay!
I'm just really proud of it/the ears I made for it.

Basically the inspiration for this cosplay, or the base of it, is the black and white wig I own. Honestly, I just bought the wig on a whim one day and had no idea what to do with it.
Then, my boyfriend and I decided to do a Rigby/Eileen cosplay from Regular Show, which lead me to buying the ridiculous oversized glasses!

And then it occurred to me; why not use the wig with the glasses and be Dog Tier Jade?!
After all her God Tier outfit is mostly black with bits of white, and I haven't seen anyone else do it with a wig like mine! So why not?

Unknown artist, but you can buy the print from WhatPumpkin!

In case you can't see, she has white and black socks/tights, which the wig matches.

So, my Dog Tier outfit is not exactly like her outfit, rather its more "thrown together" and "inspired by." I already owned white and black knee highs and a black maxi dress (no link, sorry!).

I used this tutorial (plus my own modifications, namely a headband and duct tape) to make her dog ears. And I painted an old pair of flats I don't usually wear red.

Throw it together and add some green contacts and you're set!

I wish I had some full body pictures of it. Maybe I'll get some if I wear it to Phillystuck.

But thats that!

Loren ♥

[S] => Loren, Complain About the New Batman Movie

So I just saw the new Batman movie.
And guess what? I didn't like it. Let me tell you why I didn't like it.

Do not worry, I wont include any spoilers.
Also, this is a kind reminder that I am allowed to voice my opinions. If you disagree with me, thats completely fine, just don't be an asshole about it and come at me telling me I'm wrong. That is just rude.

I would like to take a moment to clarify, I am not a Batman fan at all. Nor am I a Christopher Nolan fan. I absolutely hated Batman Begins, I thought it was silly and a waste of my time.
However, on the other hand, I was pretty impressed with The Dark Knight, give or take the hype surrounding it due to Heath Ledger. My only issue with The Dark Knight was the brief screen time they gave Two Face. But let's not get into that.
Between my hatred for one, and my joy with the other, it seems as if this movie was destined to be mediocre in my eyes.

I guess I can start by saying I did not like Anne Hathaway as Catwoman.
Don't get me wrong, I love her normally, she's beautiful and a great actress, but as Catwoman? Yeah ok, how about.....no.
Out of her costume, she was completely fierce. She plays a bitch really well, and looked stunning doing it.
(Also correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't the point of Catwoman to be H.B.I.C. in costume, and, oh I don't know, modest out of it?).
However, in costume it was really unbelievable. While she is slim and nimble, which is ideal for a cat burglar, but her body type just made the scenes where she picked men up and kicked the shit out of them look really fake.
Also, from my 'fashionista' point of view, her costume was just ugly.

Moving on, while I did like the idea of the villain Bane, I thought he could have been...I guess the word I'm looking for is improved?
He was a cool bad guy. I liked him well enough and his face mask was really awesome, but the main problem was, he was really hard to understand. I got about 40% of what he was saying, which sucked because I'm sure the 10 minute speech with the camera circling around him, and him being super passionate about what he was saying was really important. But it was just really hard to catch his words.
My other issue with him was I found him quite funny. Maybe that was intentional, I have no idea, but I found myself laughing at a lot of his actions. Plus you can't see his entire face, just his eyebrows, which were very expressive. Cue giggling.

I will say that Joseph Gordon Levitt did a pretty good job as the cop in it. I liked him plenty. However the ending with him....? No spoilers but it was Two Face all over again. Brief screen time for something important and then the movie ended.

Really? Like...really?
You're just going to end a trilogy with an ending that open? I mean, okay, whatever makes you happy, but it sure didn't do much for me. I'm just saying.

I don't know. Clearly I'm not a movie expert or critic or what have you. But personally I found the movie boring, predictable, and very long.
Obviously you should form your own opinions about it, but don't be rude to me because you disagree. Apparently there was someone on Rotten Tomatoes that said it was an "alright" movie and received death threats.
Really pulling for that not happening.

Okay, go see the movie and form your own opinion now.
Thanks for taking the time out to read this!

Loren ♥

New Cosplay!

My boyfriend and I we're tossing around this idea of going to NYCC (New York Comic Con) in October as characters from Valve videogames. I believe if we do, he will opt to being someone from Team Fortress 2. I on the other hand, will not be from TF2.
And on that note, I am so excited to announce that I am working on a Chell cosplay!

For those of you who don't know what I'm talking about, Chell is the main character from my favorite video game(s), Portal/Portal 2. She's pretty badass.

Basically in the game you play as her (obviously), and you are a test subject for Aperture Laboratories. There you test the portal gun-device, and eventually escape to earn your freedom. Go play it if you haven't.
Seriously.

Anyway, I was thinking about how cool it would be to cosplay her some day, but never really gave it much thought, mostly due to the fact I didn't want to blindly buy and orange jumpsuit off of online. But then I went to the mall Monday night with my best friend, and I came across these fabulous pants that are both comfortable, and perfect for a Chell cosplay!

I can't find a link where to buy them.

I'm super excited about this cosplay. The rest of the costume itself is pretty easy to make/buy, I just need a blue sports bra, an Aperture tank top, and maybe a wig to make my hair longer? (I just really like wigs okay.)
The only difficult parts I'll have to make are the long fall boots, and the portal gun.

I'm not too concerned about the long-fall boots, because there are a few tutorials online on how to make them from old boots. You just have to sort through google.
The portal gun on the other hand, that seems almost impossible to make (at least for me). They do sell replicas online, but I don't think I'll have that kind of money any time soon. If it turns out I can't make a portal gun, I will probably just opt to carrying around a companion cube. Which isn't a bad alternative.

Drawing of me hugging a companion cube, by me.

They sell plushies of them. And honestly they aren't hard to make. Just get your hands on a box and some paint!
Plus, I love the companion cube.

I will keep you updated on the progress of this cosplay, and, depending on how well the boots turn out, may even make a post about them!
Until then.

Loren ♥

Oh No, She's Posting About "Naughty" Things

[Side note: Why do I capitalize each first letter in the post title? Does that look weird?]

You know what been on my mind a lot recently? Sex.
Admittedly, it is on my mind a lot, but I've been really missing my boyfriend lately, and I think that has something to do with it.
Of course, I miss him for more reasons than I miss getting laid. I miss cuddling, and kissing, and holding hands, going to movies, eating dinner together, etc. I just want to see him and do silly couple things because...well thats what couples do. Its pretty great, not even going to pretend like it isn't.

But yes, I miss him because I also miss having sex.

And all this built up hormonal frustration has put sex on the brain. Not always in a naughty way though, of course those thoughts do occur.
But all this thinking has lead me to one conclusion; sex is a fucking weird act.

I mean, if you take a moment to think about the actual physical act of it, its kind of like "you want me to do what with my what to create...what?"
What?
Honestly, I can't tell if this physicality is really beautiful or really disgusting. Obviously its a natural thing, but that doesn't help me in figuring out my feelings towards it.
And thats another thing that goes into it, feelings.
There are a lot of feelings that just kind of float around when it comes to sex. Some people are able to separate emotional attachment from physical wants, and some people aren't. I'm not really sure why some can and some can't. I guess its because some view it as an intimate thing, while others...don't.

Don't even get me started on the feelings that come with losing virginity.
Oh no, I'm getting started, here comes the ramble; obviously I know losing your v-card is different for everyone. Personally, I did the naughty before real feelings were involved. Do I regret it? No, like I said, I can differentiate physical needs from emotions. And what I learned is that Degrassi lied to me. I was told that I would have overwhelming emotions, cry before, during, and after, feel like a changed woman. Nope. All I felt was a little sore.
Thank you media for giving me false expectations for doing the naughty.

Thats the last thing I want to touch on, the idea of sex being "naughty."
I just...I don't understand. Some days I sit and think to myself "hey wow, this is an incredibly intimate act that should only be shared between me and my boyfriend/partner/whomever" and I blush thinking about it because its embarrassing.
Then other days I think "people should talk about this because its a natural thing, I don't get why everyone is so bashful about it!" Then I make posts like this on my blog.

This post alone has got me bouncing between "share/not to share." Part of me is going "hey no wait, don't press publish, what if someone important sees this post and gets all embarrassed about it?" And the other half of me is saying "be quiet, its a blog, you can post what you want. This isn't even embarrassing you just sound rambly. Plus sex is a natural thing people should be able to discuss freely."
The latter half of me also believes they should sell condoms like chapstick, available to everyone and up front near the candy bars in CVS. Not hidden away. How radical.

You know, this post was supposed to help organize my thoughts and help me figure out how I feel about this beautiful/disgusting/private/lets always talk about it, its fun, act.
And I just sound as confused as ever.
I don't know.
Its 2 AM.

I'm sorry if you actually read this post, but I'm going to bed now.

Loren ♥

Home Alone With Make Up/Trickster Roxy

No one should ever leave me alone with make up.
There is photo evidence online that proves it doesn't end.....pretty. Pun intended.

Anyway, last night I was home alone, and I thought to myself "hey, when is a better time to test drive Trickster Roxy make up?" Trick question, the answer is 'never, last night was prime.'
So that is what I did.

Trickster Roxy design by duedlyfirearms

Of course, the design itself doesn't have a set look when it comes to make up, so I created a look based off the design that I will use when I cosplay it.
Unfortunately I don't have very good photos of the final face, it was dark and I only was able to use my web cam. /Frown.

I wish I had better photos!

Besides the lack of camera, doing this look was so much fun! I was able to play around with colors that I would never wear together otherwise. Also I got to put on a lot of make up. I looked a bit drag queen-ish to be honest!
The make up I used was the following:

• Tarina Tarantino's Tokyo Hardcore eyeshadow
• Urban Decay's Heavy Metal liquid eyeliner in Catfight
• Maybelline's Great Lash mascara in Teal
• Katy Perry false eyelashes in "Oh, Honey!"
• and of course, my favorite lipstick, L.A. Colors in Black

Its not a very hard look to create. Basically you just load on a lot of the green eyeshadow, apply the fake lashes, coat (I mean it, 5 coats minimum!) your bottom lashes with the teal mascara, add glitter to the top and bottom of your eyes, and finish off with black lipstick.
Voila! Now you too can look like a cotton candy drag queen!

In case anyone also wants to cosplay Trickster Roxy, I grabbed the wig from right here, and added these extensions to it to make it look like cotton candy!

Loren ♥

A lot of my friends have recently been very upset by the way they look. I've seen their blog posts about how unhappy they are with their bodies, and I just wish there was something I could do to make them feel as beautiful as I think they are, you know?
And maybe it comes off a little hypocritical that I want to grab them and scream into their face, "you're beautiful, don't change a thing," when sometimes I have lows and feel like I'm the ugliest creature alive.
Of course, we're only human.
And luckily, as of lately, I've been feeling less and less bad about how I look.

Obviously I'm no expert on beauty, health, fitness, or whatever. But I know happiness like the back of my hand. So here are some of my tips to make sure you're the happiest you can be!

1. Look at yourself in the mirror and accept you for you.
Okay okay, so can be really hard for some people, but its a really important thing. Its hard to be happy and comfortable when you constantly are telling yourself to change. Hell, I used to think I was really fat and I hid myself behind large sweatshirts and pants, then I looked at myself one day and I was like "wait a minute...you aren't fat! Damn girl you sexy as hell!" (Okay maybe not to that extent, but you get the point.)
As a famous drag queen once said weekly on his reality TV show, "If you can't love yourself, how in the HELL are you gonna love somebody else? Can I get an amen up in here?"

Hint: RuPaul said it.

2. If you do want to change the way you look, set reasonable goals. Don't make yourself crazy.
Of course people want to change things about themselves, who doesn't? My roommate is skinny and fit, and I think she looks amazing, yet she still wants to change her body to have more curves. And girls I know with curves yearn to be thin. Unfortunately, many people wont be able to change the way they look that drastically (without surgery). So the best you can do is accept you for you, and make goals to look the best you can look.
I always wanted to be skinny, but I'm short and curvy, and its just not in my genetics to be tiny. Which is fine. I started losing weight, and now I think I look amazing, and even though I'm so far off from what I always initially wanted to look like, I'm happy.

3. Do not deprive yourself of anything.
You want to diet? Go for it. Who am I to stop you? Although personally, I think the word "diet" is nasty and sounds like a burden.
I think you should be able to eat whatever you want to, just as long as you do it in moderation. Its not that hard really. What is hard though, wanting something like cake and constantly telling yourself you can't have it. Seriously? Thats just cruel and unusual.

4. Take time out to do something you love.
As long as it isn't you know, super illegal. And I don't mean like drugs-illegal, I mean like, murder-spree-illegal. Cause thats not too cool.
But whatever you like, doesn't matter what it is. Like writing fan fiction smut? Write it! I do, its a blast. Like cosplay? Me too! How about doing economics homework? Because seriously, if you do, message me this class is kicking my butt.

5. Lastly, know someone cares about you.
Hell, I care about you and I might not even know you. Its always nice to know someone thinks highly of you.

And yeah, thats it.
Might not be much, but it was worth a shot.

Take care lovelies!
Loren ♥

Body Image Post

Alright I feel the need to post about body image now because I'm upset that I've gained 3 pounds since being home.
Hold it right there, before you go all motherly-instinct on my ass, oh Loren you are perfect the way you are, I would like to explain why this sucks the big one for me.

Okay so here it goes; I was never happy with my body in middle school and high school, I always was really convinced I was fat. And it took until this year that I realized 1) I'm not actually fat, and 2) I'm really okay with the way I look.
I mean, yeah, everyone wants to change things about them. If it were up to me, I'd rearrange my genetic code to be an inch or two taller, a bit thinner in my tummy and tits, and have a wider waist. But I'm never going to have that so I got over it and accepted this is the way I look, I mean, I'm never going to have ginger hair, or hazel eyes either, so whats the point in crying over my height?
Did comparing that even make sense? Hm.
Anyway, back to the original point. Even though I was finally happy about my body, I started birth control and gained about 7 pounds. Which sucked. And since then, I've been busting my ass to lose weight, and I was doing so damn well too!
But oh no. I can't have nice things and I gained 3 pounds.

I guess I'm being a bit melodramatic about this.
Maybe instead I should make a post about how I lost/am currently losing weight. Also maybe how I got over my self-hate.

Yeah.
I'm going to do that instead of whining.

Loren ♥

Otakon

Okay, so I am probably the worst blogger alive, but hello! I am not dead!

Hah get it? Because I'm alive and not dead. Oh that was a bad joke wasn't it.
Nevermind.

Alright so, I really want to go to Otakon. Which is basically just a convention for cosplayers and lovers of all things geeky...my life.
Also I'm looking for an excuse to break out my old Battle Royale cosplay, and this seems like the perfect opportunity!

My uniform!

Of course, I need to clean it up a bit, add the lace hem to the skirt, maybe get a different blouse and tie, but other than that, I've been dying for an excuse to wear it again!

But this brings us to point number two; can I go to Otakon? And why can't I win with my mother ever?
Sigh.
I love my mother dearly, and she loves me back, but sometimes we don't see eye to eye.

I went up to her today with my sister to pitch the idea of going to Otakon only to be answered with "NOPE NOPE NOPE LOREN U SUCK." And of course my darling little sister absconded out of there leaving me to be nope'd at. Thanks Tess.
Okay okay, she didn't actually tell me I sucked, but I can pretend because it adds humor to the story.

But then I decided, hey, lets see if we can make this less costly so maybe it'd be more likely to get a yes. So I figured out a way to avoid hotels, but instead of going to my mom with the idea, I made my sister tell her (I didn't want to risk more NOPE's being yelled at me).
Of course she gets a pat on the head and is told that she is smarter than me.
Thanks mom. It was my idea.
When I told her that, I got laughed at. I cannot win with this family.

Damnit this is why we can't have nice things.

Anyway, I'm not really bothered by it, actually I find it pretty funny.
Either way, I still want to go to Otakon. But if I can manage to go, it begs the question; what will I wear?
I have a Battle Royale cosplay down, but theres more than one day! Decisions, decisions.
The world may never know.

Loren ♥

First YouTube Video!

Hey! So fun news!
A friend of mine recently messaged me and asked how I put my, uh, face on for my Roxy cosplay. So I put this YouTube make up tutorial together.

I'm still figuring out my Mac's software so apologies in advance for the bad audio quality and jumpiness. And yes, I am aware that I am wearing a lot of make up!

If anyone wants to know the make up I used it is the following;

Too Faced Pixie Pin Up Palette

Maybelline gel eyeliner in Black

L'Oreal HIP eyeshadow duo

L.A. Color lipstick in Black

Also I got my Roxy wig from WigIsFashion.com and I absolutely love it! It stays styled the way I want it to all day.

There you have it. My very first cosplay tutorial! Hopefully it helps anyone who might want to cosplay Roxy in the future. If not, hope you enjoyed me apply a heavy layer of makeup!

Loren ♥

I saw The Hunger Games when it first hit theaters. And tonight my roommates insisted we go see it again. There were many new things I noticed this time that I failed to notice the first time.
No, I'm not going to tell you what I hated about it, but I will tell you about one thing I absolutely loved.

Effie Trinket's nails.

Now, I love a good manicure. I love a bad one as well, but good ones are preferred.
I live my life by a set of rules, one of them being "Keep your nails neat and pretty." Which means they can be colorful, fake, shiny, matte, whatever as long as they are all the same length, not broken, and have nicely kept cuticles.
Don't even get me started on my boyfriends nightmare cuticles. (Just kidding!)

Since I live my life by those terms most people know me as the girl with the crazy nails, and boy I do love crazy nail art.
However, Effie's nails in The Hunger Games were a lot simpler than what usually catches my eye. Given, the rest of her make up and outfit made up for the lack of pizzaz on her fingernails.

After spending an hour or so googling her nails, I discovered that the look she has at "The Reaping" scene is a very popular nail look.

Effie's nails at The Reaping

So, naturally, I decided to give them a try!

Its a very simple look, which I really like. I feel I can wear them around and wont be as noticeably nerdy as normal.
And its a very easy paint job.

For this look I only used two nail polishes.

OPI for Sephora "I Only Shop Vintage"

OPI's "Pink Flamenco"

First I took the "Pink Flamenco" color and painted from the cuticle of my nail to about the middle. I did this for two coats because I apply it very thinly so that it doesn't get runny.

After I let that dry, I took the bronze color and painted from the tip of my nail down and a little on top of the pink.

This color is very transparent which is good for this project. Every coat I did of it I started at the top and went down a little less far. That way the color still was vibrant at the tip, yet had a gradient feel when it was finished!

And voila! 

Fabulous Capitol worthy nails that are flamboyantly girly, yet subtle enough to wear to, oh I don't know, your 10 AM lecture tomorrow.

Loren ♥

Basic Intro Post

Well hello there! I didn't even hear you come in. Please have a seat, would you like a cup of tea? No? Well, alright.
I suppose you are wondering what you are doing here.
Let me tell you.

This is another blog I've started up. Plain and simple.
Throughout high school I, Loren, have had many different blogs, usually one per year (sometimes over the summer instead). Why? Because I like blogging, and I change a lot.
Its like an online diary for me.
I rarely delete old ones, I like looking back at who I was every time I start a new one.
Thats not weird, is it? Actually, don't answer that.

So who am I?
I'm a 19 year old college kid. From the fabulous state of New Jersey, but currently attending school in Philadelphia.
What will you be seeing on this blog you ask?
A lot of insomnia blogging, or, blogging at about 1 AM cause thats when a new idea strikes me.
A lot of nerdy things. Think, Doctor Who, cosplaying, and comics.
Probably some movie reviews/rants, nail art and make up tutorials, and other...stuff.
Also, a lot about my life here at college. Its basically an online/public diary. Sorry to say that this isn't Julie & Julia material.

But enjoy your stay!
Thank you for your time.

Loren.