Sunday, September 30, 2007

The Best of Some Random Things

I hope this finds you well on a wonderful Monday morning. I need to distract myself from overthinking things, and if you need to distract yourself too (who doesn't these days?) then read on.
I have compiled a best of list based purely on unscientific anecdotal evidence. Kind of like research trials for fertility drugs.

Enjoy!

Beauty Products
I will confess I don't have too many of these on my list. I don't know why, because I am a product freak. Go figure.

Best Mascara
Maybelline Great Lash. Always adds at least 2 extra hours of sleep to my tired eyes every morning. It's been doing the same for women across the world for decades. Don't think I haven't tried others - Lancome Definicils was my choice for awhile, but Great Lash drew me back. To be fair, it is a close second but only because it costs like $20 a tube. I mean it's just mascara, people. I don't care if it's spelled en francais or not.

Best Hair Shampoo and Conditioner combo
I have to admit something before you read any further. I am a shampoo and conditioner addict. I can't get enough. I rarely finish a bottle before I'm on to the next. I've tried them all from Pantene to the much overhyped Aveda line. But I always have the best results, the shiniest, bounciest hair you ever did see this side of the prairie, from Rusk Clean Shampoo and Smooth Conditioner. I do adore them so.

Best Tinted Moisturizer
Cover Girl Tinted Moisturizer in Medium. I love this stuff. It's cheap, readily accessible, and always adds a nice glow to my pasty white complexion. If I don't wear it to work, I always get "Are you sick today?" Can you say awkward when I'm all "No, I'm not wearing any makeup, ass." So, the lesson here is wear it and people will think you've been to the beach, or don't, and they will assume it's ok to ask why you look like shit.

Best Nail Polish
OPI I'm Not Just a Waitress or Innsbruck Bronze. The colors are perfect, they look good on just about everyone, and it never, ever chips or fades. Love them!

Entertainment--Movies

Best Cher Movie
Moonstruck. I love, love this movie. I've seen it about a frillion trillion times and I never get tired of it. It always makes me feel better no matter my mood. "Snap out of it!" Totally. I hear you Cher.

Best Movie That Explains Why Women Like Bad Boys
Goodfellas. The part where Karen hides the gun for Henry because she is so romanced by his lifestyle. And I would've done the same thing. No just kiddin'. I mean, the trash can? Come on Karen.

Best Movie that Exemplifies Why Mechanical Bullriding is Not Only a Sport but Really a Path to True Love
Urban Cowboy. Debra Winger. John Travolta. Lots of drinking, yelling and fighting in a trailer park and bars in 1970s Texas. Ends with Bud and Sissy realizing that after all, they are meant to be. Screw that mechanical bull.

Best Movie for Age Differences in Love and Those Obsessed With Death
Harold and Maude. Who says May-December romances are doomed? Well, this movie, but not for the reasons you might think. It's a bittersweet love story enhanced by way of one Cat Stevens.

Best Children's Movie from the 80's
Bet you think I'm going to say Goonies, but I'm not. Mainly because I've never seen the whole thing. I never sat in one place long enough to watch it. But there was one movie that held my interest. The Neverending Story. It had a main character about my age, it involved mythical creatures, a horse, a princess, and a far away land. Sign me up!

Best Movie that Illustrates the True Soul Crushing Nature of Corporate America in an Uncannily Accurate Fashion
Office Space. It is so hard to pick this movie's defining moment. Perhaps it's the destruction of the fax machine to Damn it Feels Good to be a Gangsta, or when Peter guts a fish on his desk because let's face it, he just doesn't give a fuck, the discussion of flair at Chachie's between Joanna and her manager, or Milton's red stapler. Truly, there are just too many to list here. If you haven't seen it, you must.

Music

Best Album for Wine Drinking and Making The Eyes at Someone Special
John Coltrane's Blue Train. There is just something about this album that makes me excited and relaxed and inspired and warm all at the same time. I have a feeling it makes a lot of people feel this way, hence it's continued popularity and it's place near the top in jazz history.

Best Albums for Remembering Why the Late 60's and Early 70's Was a Very Special Time, Especially for Those of Us Who Were not Born Yet
Led Zeppelin Three and Four, Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon, Neil Young's Harvest and Everybody Knows this is Nowhere. I don't think these need any explanation.

Best Album for When You Hate Men for Any Old Reason
Tori Amos Little Earthquakes. Girl and Tear in Your Hand are some of my favorites. When I first heard this album, I think I was 13 and I thought it was the most revolutionary thing I'd ever heard, never mind I was only 13 and had no idea what she was really writing about. Now, I listen and still think she is brilliant because unfortunately, I kind of do know.

Best Album for Getting Your Game Face On
Tupac's All Eyez on Me. I'm just a white girl from the South, but it gets the job done when you need it done. How do you want it? Oh man.

Best Albums for Remembering Why the Early 90s Were Not the Best Time for Music, in general
Color Me Badd C.M.B., Vanilla Ice Ice Ice Baby. They remind me of three things: bad skin, bad hair and crushes on boys who were less than desirable, even for an awkward teenager. Ugh. What a drag of a time. Oh, and they remind me of my best friend's basement, a Halloween party and turning out the lights. And kissing some boy with braces. Which wouldn't have been so bad, but I had them too. So it was just basically a disaster of crunching metal and eager tongues. Ice, Ice Baby, but that was later when I discovered my lip was swollen from all the making out.


I hope you enjoyed this little sojourn into my brain. That's all I got for you today. Hope everyone has a great Monday!

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

I am not really a movie or music person, but I am a makeup/product junkie.

I swear by Aveda deep penetrating hair revitalizer for my brillo pad curls. It leaves them soft and frizz free.

Geohde said...

I've always had a soft spot for Max factor 1000 calorie.

The only one that doesn't smudge into raccoon eyes by midday in my rather careless care.

J

LJ said...

Totally agree on the Great Lash. I swear by it. Every now and then I'll get a sample from another company - and nothing is the same. It's wonderful.

For hair stuff, you want to try Deva Curl. It's just the most wonderful stuff for my curly hair and smells delectable.

How have you never seen Goonies all the way through. GO. Get it. Now. It was my snow-day movie growing up. Love it. I can recite the whole thing...

Tori - seen her in concert quite a few times. When her songs are on, they are AMAZING. Little Earthquakes is one of those desert island discs...

niobe said...

I am carefully noting all shampoo/conditioner suggestions to apply to my own unruly locks.

megan said...

i LOVED this.
i'm so with you on Urban Cowboy. my husband thinks i'm insane, but i have a serious love for this movie. if it happens to be on the tv, you can forget plans for the night. same thing happens with coal miner's daughter. why?
also with you on aveda shampoos and such being over hyped. i was using them for a while and the next time i went to see my hair lady she was aghast. "what have you been using on your HAIR?" i promptly retired them to the product graveyard in the bathroom....

Carrie said...

I love your list.

I am a shampoo junkie too. I just stand and look at them for ages. I don't think I have ever finished a bottle. Ever.

Anonymous said...

Very good info...except...
The Neverending Story is the scariest movie I have ever seen. First the Kid gets locked in a scary attic, there is a huge flying dog, and they are trying to escape from the "nothinness". I saw this movie as a kid, and did not sleep for weeks. I still shiver at the thought of this movie!

tipsymarie said...

Megan, I am the same way about coal miner's daughter. Maybe we were separated at birth or something??

Sarah said...

i'm the opposite of Reality, not really big on products, but totally down with all the movies and music. esp nevereneding story, office space, harold and maude... oh and it sounds like the CMB days were kind of similar for us. sorry to hear it!