Beauty Bytes: February 1, 2013

Say it with me: “Eyelash Jewelry” – it could be the next new thing after 3d nail art. Etsy seller Natalie Russo wanted a more colorful and sturdier alternative to flimsy false eyelashes, so she got out her craft supplies and got to work. Featuring farm animals, fish, and cupcakes, the whimsical bead/wire/polymer clay/feather creations seem like they’d be too heavy, but Natalie says they’re as wearable as false lashes. She tells Fashionista.com ,”If I can’t walk down the street wearing a specific design, it doesn’t make it onto the website.” As she’s getting at least one custom request a day, this may be a trend. Fashionista. Natalie Russo on Etsy.

• Speaking of disposability, ever wonder what happens to the fashion abominations clothes that don’t get sold? Lindsay at BlackandBlondeOne did the research and found that most unsold clothing is destroyed – to keep it from diluting the brands’ image by appearing at off-price shops. While some of it is recycled or sold in developing countries, most ends up in landfills. As even the used clothing we donate is only sold about 15-20% of the time, maybe we should think twice before calling it “fast fashion”. BlackandBlondeOne.

• Is a bad marriage fattening? Joan Oshatz waited ten years for her physician boyfriend to marry her, and things did not get better from there. She gained 150 pounds during their marriage – but after their divorce, she is finding the humor in analyzing what went wrong. Read her accounts of how she found herself being seduced into a years-long affair with “Sammy” – her Refrigerator. A Bad Marriage is Fattening.com.

• We can pretty much all agree that loving oneself is key to having healthy relationships. And that includes loving our physical selves. Then why do so many of us fear being put into our places if we do? Sally at Already Pretty examines the dynamics behind “Who do you think you are?” – one of the most deadly accusations women hurl at each other. Already Pretty.

• How much skin should you show? At what age? Does that outfit make you look like a slut? Or a desperate “cougar”? Or should you cover up – and look prudish – or frowsy? Autumn at The Beheld muses on Rosea Lake’s Judgements, a photo of skirt length cutoffs and their respective societal readings. Most women own nearly identical skirts in different lengths to deal with this very issue, and when you factor in the issue of age – what’s sexy at 22 will likely be seen as obscene at 52 – getting dressed is never that simple. The Beheld.

It seems like beauty was so much simpler back in the day doesn’t it? Well, it probably wasn’t, but everyone looks so much cooler in those old photos and advertisements. If you’re looking for vintage makeup tips, head over to Glamour Daze, where they’ve got how-to’s for every decade. This week, there’s a list of 1930′s makeup tips straight from Gabriella Hernandez’ Classic Beauty: The History of Makeup. And if the 1930′s aren’t way-back enough for you, there’s also an article about how the ladies of Downton Abbey look so fabulous. My favorite tip: “stand only in candlelight”!
Glamour Daze.