Keep calm and carry on…

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I could spend days — literally DAYS! — listing all of my stressors.

In fact, just thinking about the length of the list is totally stressing me out.

Right off the top of my head, there’s…

• April 15. Also known as tax day ’round these parts. This year will go down in history for me as the year of the Great Excel Spreadsheet Meltdown. And no, not great because it was awesome. It was bad, and all thanks to one accidental click. Forehead, meet desk. Repeat.
• Deadlines. They’re always looming, like dark, angry clouds… Yeah, it’s hard to put a good spin on the concept of deadlines. You know it. I know it. In general, they suck.

I’m sure you have your share of stressors, too. Finals, work projects, important things that absolutely must get done, lest you feel the wrath of your boss/co-workers/partner/children/demanding diva cat, and everything whittles away at your beauty time.

One word: argh.

It’s time to take some of those 24 hours back. By equipping yourself with more makeup and beauty products that multitask, you can get more done in less time.

Here are a few products to help you primp under pressure…

Clairol Nice ‘N Easy Root Touch-Up ($6.99)

Clairol Nice N’ Easy Root Touch-Up ($6.99)

I don’t know about you, but when I go to get my hair colored at the salon, it can turn into a half-day affair.

Well, when you just can’t stand staring at your roots in the mirror any longer (been there, done that!), an at-home coloring kit like Clairol’s Nice ‘N Easy Root Touch-Up ($6.99) can help, especially if you can’t/don’t want to spend hours in a salon. This one comes in 14-shades, so chances are there’s one for you.

COVERGIRL Outlast Stay Fabulous 3-in-1 Foundation ($9.35)

COVERGIRL Outlast Stay Fabulous 3-in-1 Foundation ($9.35)

I’m not one to shy away from multi-step makeup, but sometimes, I simply have to. If time doesn’t permit my regular primer, foundation and concealer, multitasking makeup like COVERGIRL’s $9.35 Outlast Stay Fabulous 3-in-1 Foundation saves the day.

A liquid formula combining primer, foundation and concealer in a single bottle, it shaves minutes off my beauty routine (I wear it in Golden Tan).

Oh, it lasts a long time, too, so your makeup will go the distance for you.

Olay Regenerist Micro-Sculpting Eye Cream and Lash Serum Duo ($24.99)

Olay Regenerist Micro-Sculpting Eye Cream and Lash Serum Duo ($24.99)

“As you can see, Karen’s not wearing any makeup at all…”

There I sat, feeling totally and completely naked and blinking wildly under the bright studio lights, as a layer of perspiration glistened on my forehead.

I’ve attended one-day makeup classes — sometimes called master classes — like this one before. Brand-sponsored classes usually held in large department stores. I really enjoyed the ones put on by MAC and Chanel, and yesterday’s, led by Bobbi Brown Manager of North American Artistry Marc Reagan, at the Saks Fifth Avenue in San Francisco, was just as interesting and fun.

It followed a similar set up. There’s a fee to attend, in this case $100 (my attendance fee was covered by the company), which is then redeemable toward the purchase of products at the end of the class.

Marc, a seasoned pro on Bobbi’s elite Beauty Team, has worked his magic on celebs and backstage at Fashion Weeks all over the world. At yesterday’s class, he demonstrated a bunch of different techniques and products on a model and answered questions while the attendees followed along, applying the techniques and trying the looks on themselves.

This time was a little different for me, though, um, because I was the model.

When I was asked, first thing I thought was, “FUN!” Second thing I thought was, “Oh, gawd! He’s going to have to take off all my makeup first! Holy sh*t!”

I’m the type of gal who applies concealer and gloss just to go get the mail outside, so I was a little nervous at first to be up there in front of the class without my “armor.”

But once I got used to it (as much as that’s possible), it was actually kind of liberating…akin to wearing a crazy cool shirt or something and just not giving a hoot.

The two-hour class was jam packed with tips. Marc did a two-phase makeup look on me, first walking the class through a natural, everyday look with the basics before cranking up the drama with more color, and between turning my head left and right at Marc’s direction, I typed a few notes on my phone.

1. Ramp up the wear time of your favorite Bobbi Brown foundations by layering them with one of Bobbi’s facial moisturizers

Ever notice that Bobbi’s line doesn’t include a face primer? It turns out, that’s because all of the brand’s facial moisturizers contain a primer in the formula.

So smart, right? Layering one of Bobbi’s facial moisturizers under your fave foundation not only helps to hydrate and protect your skin, but it also extends the wear time of the products you apply next.

A few of Bobbi Brown’s moisturizers from her Skin Care Luxuries travel exclusive kit

2. Keep two brushes on standby to apply under-eye concealer

When applying under-eye concealer, Marc recommends first applying with a flat brush before using your ring finger to pat and blend in the edges. The flat brush places the concealer where you want it on your skin, as opposed to just pushing it around.

Then, to set your concealer and ensure that it lasts through the day, fully load a tapered fluffy brush with plenty of powder (don’t be shy!), and gently pat that on top.

3. Bring a Bobbi Brown Foundation Stick with you in your makeup bag

Does Marc have a go-to Bobbi Brown product? As a matter of fact, he does! Bobbi Brown’s Foundation Sticks, and he says, “every woman needs one in her makeup bag.”

With the sticks, which Marc says always look natural and never heavy or cakey, you can build them up for heavier coverage, or sheer them out wherever you need less. You can also wear them alone or set them with a powder, and if you want to touch-up during the day, the Foundation Sticks even layer well atop powder.

Bobbi Brown’s Foundation Stick in Honey (for reference, I wear MAC NC42)

[Ding-dong.]

[Knock, knock, knock.] Hello?

Oh, hai! My name is Karen, and I’m here in your neighborhood today on behalf of the Inner Lazy Girls Coalition to spread the word about a Lazy Girls trick I discovered last night.

Do you have a second to chat about wayward leg hair?

You do? Great!

First, please tell me you’re not one of those lucky ladies like my mom who never, ever has to shave. Because if you are, I will pull your hair…

Totally kidding! There will be no hair pulling. This isn’t Jerry Springer circa 1995.

So, hairy legs. Last night while I was getting dressed for my Valentine’s Day dinner with El Hub, I slipped on my date night dress and realized — whoops! I hadn’t shaved my shins since last Sunday.

My hair and makeup were already done, so I wasn’t about to jump in the shower, and a sink shave with my usual EOS Shave Lotion was also out of the question because the bottle was empty (I think my husband has being using it on the down-low).

I looked around the bathroom and had a MacGyver moment when I saw this bottle of Suave Advanced Therapy Lotion ($5) sitting on the shelf.

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There was a method to the madness…

My voice is kinda gravelly this morning. It sounds like I spent the whole night eating Fruity Pebbles without any milk, and a big reason is because I spent part of last night locked in my bathroom yelling into a folded towel.

I know that sounds completely insane! — but hear me out. There was a method to my madness.

I had kind of a bad day yesterday. The morning started off fine, it was cool, lunch was fine, and then somewhere around 1 or 2, things just went off the rails. First, I realized that I accidentally deleted a bunch of pics that I took. Second, I dunno, sometimes I just have really bad writing days. As with anything, some days it’s easy, and some days it’s hard. And yesterday it was hard.

By the end of the day, I was already in tears, but then I read kind of a nasty comment from a stranger criticizing pretty much my entire outlook on blogging, and how I exhibit “too much personality” (seriously?).

That pushed me over the edge… I lost my sh*t and started thinking of prison fights and the word, “shank,” as in, “to shank someone.”

LOL! I’m obviously not really going to shank anyone, but I’m just sayin’ — the word occurred to me.

I’d come unhinged, but I didn’t want to worry El Hub or cry the night away. I just needed a way to vent my feelings.

So, I grabbed my stopwatch, set it for 10 minutes, locked myself in the bathroom and told myself that I could blow my top! — and at the end of the 10 minutes, I would let it go, put it behind me, stop crying, and move on.

In the bathroom, I folded a towel, buried my face in it and cried and yelled and cursed!!

It was very much like that scene from Footloose when Kevin Bacon/Ren is doing gymnastics in the barn and roaring at the universe (“You don’t know me!!”), except much less cardiovascular.

And you know what? It worked. The funny thing is, I yelled myself out after 5 minutes. I didn’t even yell the full 10. I guess just giving myself permission to fall apart went a long way toward helping me feel better.

A good night’s sleep with your favorite stuffed animal and your cat can also help…

The other day, I was feeling a little down, disorganized and overwhelmed by the projects on my plate, so I comandeered a big table at home, cleared it off, grabbed my biggest sketch pad and a pencil, and started putting everything down on paper.

By the end of it, I’d covered two 11” x 14” pages with mind maps and circled words and phrases with dozens of connections.

I also came up with a new productivity exercise (new to me) involving lists.

Now, you know I love me some lists.

I call this one, “Facts Versus How I Feel,” and it’s been very helpful for me. I hope you find it helpful, too.

How’d it come to pass?

I cannot recommend mind maps enough. I think they’re a great exercise when you’re faced with a challenging or difficult decision, or when you’re just completely overwhelmed.

I sat at that kitchen table for two hours, brainstorming and jotting down my thoughts, including everything I wanted to accomplish this month and over the first half of next year.

Long-term planning is not one of my strengths, but I’m hopeful that things like this will help me improve.

Anyway, one thing I realized over the course of that epic brainstorming session was how my emotions tend to color the way I perceive different tasks and situations.

What are we really talking about here?

Big surprise, but I’m kind of an artsy-fartsy person who likes to talk about her feelings.

I’m also very emotional, which can be a source of strength, but sometimes it’s also an obstacle. I’m often driven by my emotions, and if I’m feeling any sort of bad energy, like if I’m overwhelmed, frustrated or angry, it interferes with my ability to make rational decisions…

Which is a roundabout way of saying, “I become irrational.”

This exercise helps me sort things out.

What it can do for you

If your emotions sometimes also get the better of you, “Facts Versus How I Feel” might help you see a problem or situation more clearly, and maybe by changing your perspective, you’ll feel more in control.

How does it work?

When you’re feeling really agitated or fired up, grab something to write in/on (I like to use a notebook, but a smartphone or computer would also work) and a pen or pencil.

On two fresh pages in my notebook, I write the words “Facts” at the top of one of them and “How I Feel” at the top of the other.

On the “How I Feel” page, I write down all of the things I’m feeling, using short phrases like, “I’m tired,” or “I feel like crying.”

Then, on the “Facts” page, I write down all of the things I know to be true, like “I’ll calm down eventually,” and “I’ll feel better after I eat.”
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