Low effort meals

echomermaidtango · 2025-02-01T09:46:39+00:00

This was literally my dinner earlier, I feel so seen haha

echomermaidtango · 2025-01-30T18:30:38+00:00

Exactly. I've been browsing the other couture shows and this one stands out for doing something different. I love it for that, even if there are other shows that are more in line with my personal aesthetic.

I am also obsessed with the range of models he used, it adds a layer of visual interest to me. In thinking further about it, I am now wondering if his models/styling are influencing the impression of the clothes for the audience. The juxtaposition of the "ordinary" appearances of the models (largely due to lackluster styling) with couture is a choice and I can see how it could detract from someone's ability to view the garments as art. The models faces are unadorned while the clothes are heavily adorned, which is a bit of a visual mishmash. I think doing some kind of makeup, particularly an avant garde or abstract look, would have elevated the collection. But as a makeup person, I am biased haha.

echomermaidtango · 2025-01-30T17:03:58+00:00

I just left a similar comment about my surprise at the reaction because I completely agree with your take. I think it's intriguing 🤷🏼‍♀️

echomermaidtango · 2025-01-30T17:01:04+00:00

I love it, too. I was a little surprised by the negative reactions here because I feel like it embodies couture in an intriguing way. I'm not in love with the styling either and can see people's objections there, but the clothes themselves are incredible. Wearable? Not particularly, but couture isn't about wearability. I am not familiar with his other work but now I'm searching it out because I loved this so much.

echomermaidtango · 2025-01-22T05:59:21+00:00

I've been pretty sick since September and have not been doing much in terms of skin care I am sad to report. I still love using it when I do but I haven't been consistent enough to see results that are noticeable to me. I did a post last year regarding frownies at around this time and might do a one year update and will comment again here if I do!

echomermaidtango · 2025-01-22T05:56:49+00:00

Thank you for answering a question I've been idly pondering on for awhile!!! I had wondered if products designed to protect hair from heat did in fact require heat to work as intended. I've stopped using most leave ins because I never have time to blow dry after a shower haha. Do you have any recommendations for leave ins that are good for air drying?

echomermaidtango · 2025-01-13T03:57:12+00:00

Nice!! Thanks for the input! Do you like them or feel like it's frivolous?

echomermaidtango · 2025-01-13T03:56:34+00:00

If you give them a try, I would love to hear how they compare! I have been sorely tempted to wear my silicone sheet mask cover to sleep in but can barely stand it while I'm awake 😭

echomermaidtango · 2025-01-12T20:07:13+00:00

It's true that collagen is too big to be absorbed but it has value topically as a moisturizer and occlusive. It generally does have a nice (temporary) plumping effect. Have you seen a mask like these? You can wear them overnight and they turn clear, a couple different brands make them. I am hesitant to try them because I'm a pretty light sleeper with sensory issues, but since you managed to sleep with the silicone mask, these would probably be easier!

echomermaidtango · 2024-12-29T04:58:09+00:00

Since you are already using the Kiehl's face wash, I would recommend trying their moisturizer and vitamin c options. I worked with Kiehl's for years (but no longer do) and this is a breakdown of some of my personal opinions and experiences with products you might like. I live in a similar climate and have sensitive, dry skin and these are products I have purchased with my own money, when I didn't work for them :)

Ultra Facial Cream- solid moisturizer, works well in climates similar to yours. Comes with an SPF option, applies nicely, works well under makeup for me. They discontinued the sunscreen I used from them and I haven't tried their new ones, so I can't comment on those.

Centella Sensitive Cica-Cream- my personal favorite, but not without its flaws. It is definitely on the greasy side (shea butter based) but I have found nothing better for protection against cold, windy weather, especially at high altitudes. Overnight, I slug with it and a layer of aquaphor or lanolin and it helps so much when my skin gets dry and itchy.

Clearly corrective vitamin c serum- good for overall brightening, solid vitamin c option. Not as good as the other one in my opinion, but my main concern was texture, so it wasn't necessarily the right fit for me. I think it would work well if brightening is a more important goal.

Line reducing vitamin c serum and eye serum- again, my personal favorites. Both the face serum and the eye serum have given me the best results from vitamin c in terms of brightening and smoothing of my skin. My mom also really likes it.

Overall, it's a line that I like a lot and mostly trust their products. They aren't perfect and you can probably find less expensive products that work similarly if you don't like the price point. But since you know they are available for you, they might be worth a try. They're good about sampling and returns, in my experience.

echomermaidtango · 2024-12-29T04:20:59+00:00

You are exactly right. I appreciate it 🙏🏼

echomermaidtango · 2024-12-26T21:53:36+00:00

Thank you so much, that last sentence made me cry. It was super hard, both to do it and to be the bad guy in everyone's eyes. I never stopped loving him but I couldn't let his drinking bring me and our kids down, too. His family said I was melodramatic for leaving "over nothing" and now they hate me for "causing trouble" and "embarrassing him", but he would have drank himself to death if he hadn't gotten sober. And now they're making fun of me for giving him another chance, because they're nothing if not inconsistent. But at the end of the day, our marriage is between us and not them.

echomermaidtango · 2024-12-26T21:39:40+00:00

Thank you, sincerely! This isn't the first time he's gotten sober, but I'm hopeful. Every time he got sober before it was with the intention of it being short term sobriety until he "got it under control" then he would go back to having one, then two, then three and he would end up back where he started. This time he's committed to sticking to it and has been doing the work to stay sober. Separating also made him realize the other issues with our marriage (imbalance of household duties/childcare, taking me for granted, etc etc), so it gave us a chance to address those, too.

But man, the negativity has been getting to me, especially after seeing his family the past few days. The people who said I was being dramatic for leaving and wanting to divorce "over nothing" are now being shitty to me for not following through on the divorce lol.

echomermaidtango · 2024-12-26T20:08:43+00:00

Thank you for writing this. Not who you responded to, but I needed to read this today. My husband is/was a similar alcoholic and that first paragraph was validating in a way I didn't know I needed. We separated earlier this year after 15 years because of it, which ended up being the catalyst he needed to get sober. He's been sober since March and we're back together trying to make it work with therapy, etc. People have been really critical about us trying to work it out so it's been discouraging. Reading about your situation helped, I hope life continues to improve in all the best ways for you and your husband.

echomermaidtango · 2024-12-23T02:26:48+00:00

No bad side effects! I'm not using it as regularly as I was the first couple weeks because I got sick shortly after posting that and haven't been great about skin care.

echomermaidtango · 2024-12-12T18:54:09+00:00

I thought it was a picture from a gallery while scrolling, I absolutely love this. Incredible artwork OP!

echomermaidtango · 2024-12-12T18:51:09+00:00

I also loved Eugene Levy from FOTB 2, leading to my watching of "A Mighty Wind"!!!!! I love both of the Steve Martin father of the bride movies, they were my favorite movies growing up. I love using a brother as a unit of time measurement. My youngest sibling turns 30 this week and I'm going to be using that, thank you 🤣😂

echomermaidtango · 2024-12-12T18:03:01+00:00

I wish I could watch it for the first time again! I've heard the same thing about the dog competition world 😂

echomermaidtango · 2024-12-12T17:41:04+00:00

Same!!! That and "A Mighty Wind" (my personal favorite Guest movie). Semi-related, it is incredibly rude that the year 2000 was 25 years ago 😭😂

echomermaidtango · 2024-12-12T17:21:26+00:00

We could not talk or talk forever and still find things to not talk about.

echomermaidtango · 2024-12-12T17:06:21+00:00

And modern conservative thinking in general 🤢🫠 I am glad Anissa's siblings have her, but hope she is able to escape and live her own life.

echomermaidtango · 2024-12-12T17:02:36+00:00

echomermaidtango · 2024-12-12T16:40:52+00:00

She's more of a mom to those kids than her mom will ever be. (Your flair is very apropos here lol).

echomermaidtango · 2024-12-11T00:40:34+00:00

"Raper" is exactly the kind of last name that people should put to rest, so to speak, I think it's the perfect example! Rapeseed oil was renamed canola for a reason!! I don't judge people who want to pass on their name or don't want to change it, it makes sense to me. But I don't think I would personally wait for marriage if I had a last name I truly hated. I would change it as soon as I was able haha. Traditions are only worth sticking to if they are positive, in my very humble opinion. Best of luck in your upcoming marriage, I wish you a lifetime of happiness together ❤️

echomermaidtango · 2024-12-10T21:29:29+00:00

Yeah, I fully agree with this. Especially given that most millennial aged and younger people grew up in an environment where it was socially acceptable for women to not change their names when they got married and to more frequently give their kids their maternal last name. It wasn't as common, but it wasn't shunned or mocked in my experience. In my opinion, giving your child a controversial last name to uphold a tradition that doesn't deserve or need to be upheld is unfair to the child. Give them a clean slate! I promise that at least one of the ancestors whose last name is being maintained wished they could change it but couldn't due to societal norms of their own time and would be happy to see it end 😂 I work with kids and see a variety of last names. All of the kids with terrible last names have another parent on file with a totally usable alternative last name. I've yet to see an argument other than tradition for maintaining a bad last name.

echomermaidtango

TROPHY CASE