Monday, April 28, 2014

ART

I saw this quote that really spoke to me because I realized I agree with it in whole. 
"I like art, and by art I mean music, poetry, sex, paintings, the human body, literature... All of this is art to me." 
I think of myself as some one who is interested in and appreciates art but to other people that translates as "Oh she likes paintings". But it's not really paintings, I love poetry, the human body, sexuality, places, drugs, taboo topics, music just really everything from an older time to what's trendy today. I think people today need to expand their mind and realize that art isn't just physical drawings. Art comes in many forms, I believe art is the way you dress, the way you carry yourself, the things you say, music, books, anything used to express feelings or a certain culture. That's why I named my blog artistic-soul-ebooks because I really enjoy all these different forms of art and I don't want to just limit myself to drawings or poetry. Art is everything, life imitates art. I believe we should all step back sometimes and capture the beauty of life and what is around us and how many different ways we can express ourselves. Oscar Wilde expanded on this topic in his essay 'The Decay Of Lying' Anti-mimesis is a philosophical position that holds the direct opposite of Aristotelian mimesis. Its most notable proponent is Oscar Wilde, who opined in his 1889 essay The Decay of Lying that, "Life imitates Art far more than Art imitates Life". In the essay, written as a Platonic dialogue, Wilde holds that anti-mimesis "results not merely from Life's imitative instinct, but from the fact that the self-conscious aim of Life is to find expression, and that Art offers it certain beautiful forms through which it may realise that energy."
The philosophy holds that art sets the aesthetic principles by which people perceive life, and does not imitate life. What is found in life and nature is not what is really there, but is that which artists have taught people to find there, through art. As in an example posited by Wilde, although there has been fog in London for centuries, one notices the beauty and wonder of the fog because "poets and painters have taught the loveliness of such effects...They did not exist till Art had invented them."
My personal favorite art forms are poetry and cinematic art. I really like vintage clips and music videos. I'll post some below, But to whoever is reading this I encourage you next time you're walking around just look  around, listen to your music, read your books, look at social culture, and realize how artistic everything is.

           








" Life Imitating Art." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 24 Apr. 2014. Web. 28 Apr. 2014.

"Lana Del Rey- Summertime-sadness/Vintage Clips." YouTube. YouTube, 08 June 2013. Web. 28 Apr. 2014.
"LSD Girl." YouTube. YouTube, n.d. Web. 28 Apr. 2014.

"Vintage Drive-in Intermission Films." YouTube. YouTube, 18 July 2007. Web. 28 Apr. 2014.
"Chateau Marmont." Chateau Marmont. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Apr. 2014.


Monday, April 21, 2014

West Coast

So last week the magnificent Lana Del Rey released her new single from her coming album "Ultraviolence". The single is called "West Coast". West Coast has this beautiful slow drugged out melody with her singing in almost a sensual whisper. It just makes me want to sway my hips while wearing a sundress in summer while smoking a cigarette. West Coast is about a lover from California and how the being in that area gives a certain feeling of how anything could happen. Lana talks about seeing her lover and being on a balcony and singing about being in love with him while observing him and his crazy personality. She goes on to describe what people on the West Coast's culture is like. 
As with all Lana songs, the lyrics to “West Coast” are both incredibly specific and obstructively vague, and here their dreamlike quality complements the druggy instrumentation. It’s a logical evolution of her prior sound. Singing about leaving a lover for the Californian promise of fame, Lana sounds more sinister and sensual than ever. “West Coast” shares musical DNA with a lot of songs that qualify for the highest West Coast title of honor: low-rider oldie. Like Lana’s first breakout song, “Video Games,” it isn’t intended for raging at the clob. It’s meant for swaying on balconies, lounging in beds, and driving real slow. Here are some of the songs I thought about during my first few listens to “West Coast,” all of which got me even more excited about the prospect of Ultraviolence. (Says grantland.com)

Down on the West Coast, they got a sayin'
"If you're not drinkin', then you're not playin'"
But you've got the music
You've got the music in you, don't you?
Down on the West Coast, I get this feeling like
It all could happen that's why I'm leaving
You for the moment
You for the moment, Boy Blue, yeah you
You're flyin' high at the show, I'm feelin' hot to the touch
You say you'll miss me and I wanna say I'll miss you so much
Something keeps me real quiet, I'm alive I'm a lush
Your love, your love, your love
I can see my baby swingin'
His Parliament's on fire and his hands are up
On the balcony and I'm singing
Ooh baby, Ooh baby, I'm in love
I can see my sweet boy swayin'
He's crazy y Cubano como yo my love
On the balcony and I'm saying
Move baby, move baby, I'm in love
Down on the West Coast, they got their icons
Their silver starlets, their Queens of Saigon
But you've got the music
You've got the music in you, don't you?
Down on the West Coast, they love their movies
Their golden gods and rock and roll groupies
And you've got the music
You've got the music in you, don't you?
You push it hard up all the way, I'm feeling hot and on fire
I guess that no one ever really made me feel I'm a child
Te deseo cariño, boy, it's you I desire
Your love, your love, your love
I can see my baby swingin'
His Parliament's on fire and his hands are up
On the balcony and I'm singing
Ooh baby, Ooh baby, I'm in love
I can see my sweet boy swayin'
He's crazy y Cubano como yo my love
On the balcony and I'm saying
Move baby, move baby, I'm in love
I can see my baby swingin'
His Parliament's on fire and his hands are up
On the balcony and I'm singing
Ooh baby, Ooh baby, I'm in love
I can see my sweet boy swayin'
He's crazy y Cubano como yo my love
On the balcony and I'm saying
Move baby, move baby, I'm in love

I really enjoy the lyrics and melody the song offers and I reccommend you give it a listen. Here is the audio video:





"Lana Del Rey." - West Coast Lyrics. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 Apr. 2014.
"The Musical Genealogy of Lana Del Rey's New Single 'West Coast'" Grantland. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 Apr. 2014.
"Lana Del Rey - West Coast (Official Audio)." YouTube. YouTube, 14 Apr. 2014. Web. 21 Apr. 2014.


Monday, April 7, 2014

How To and WHY You Should Clean Your MakeUp Brushes!

Hello darlings, Now I know I usually blog about art, music, or poetry BUT I felt like this is a topic which is necessary to know and that most girls skip out on doing because either they are not aware of the dangers or they just never thought about doing.

Did you know that your foundation brush picks up thousands of bacteria and dirt off your face daily? And if you don't fully clean your brush you are just re-applying that same dirt and bacteria over and over again which causes acne. Bristles that are caked with dust and product can dry out and become brittle, making them more abrasive to your skin.  Not only do you get your face filled with bacteria and dirt if you dip your brush into your expensive MAC or Sephora powder you're making the whole product dirty which can still be transferred to your face even after you decide to clean your brush. So I hope you now realize that cleaning your make up brushes is essential ladies.
 
 
Now you must be wondering, WELL HOW DO I CLEAN MY MAKEUP BRUSHES??!!!
Let me tell you, (This routine is from Michelle Phan, beauty guru)
You Need:
  • Basic dish soap (to disinfect and clean)
  • Extra virgin olive oil (to recondition the bristle hair after it’s stripped of oils and disinfected by the soap)
  • Dinner plate
  • A hanger
  • Chip clips
  • Brush guards
Steps:
  1. Pour the dish soap onto the plate – you don’t need too much
  2. Add a little bit of extra virgin olive oil. The ratio should be approximately 2 parts dish soap to 1 1/2 parts EVOO and should look something like this:
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  1. Take your first brush and stir it up in the mixture in a circular motion (you should see some of the makeup start to come off in the mixture).
  2. Then wipe the brush pack and forth on your hand to release the makeup from the brush. This removes all the pigments and kills the bacteria.
  3. When you’re done, place the brush on a paper towel.
  4. Repeat steps 3-5 with the remainder of your brushes.
  5. Once you’ve cleaned all your brushes, you’ll need to rinse them off under warm water in the sink. Swirl the brush under the water into the palm of your hand to thoroughly clean it off. (NOTE: do not use hot water, the high temperature will damage your brushes)
  6. Continue to do so until the water is clear when you squeeze the brush.
  7. Once they are all rinsed clean, gently wipe them dry with a paper towel and blot out the excess water. (Regular paper towels work best because they will not leave lint on the brushes
Important Note: Do NOT let your brushes dry standing up with the bristles facing upwards – this will ruin them!! Water will drip down the bristles into the brush and loosen the glue holding the hairs together. Eventually, the hairs will fall out and the handle will be ruined too.

When I dry my brushes I just put them bristles down in a glass and they're dry by the next morning!

If you're more of a visual person, here's Michelle Phan's video showing you how to clean your brushes :)
If you can't view the video, here's a link to it.
I hope this post inspires you to start cleaning your make up brushes, your skin will thank you!









Phan, Michelle. "MichellePhan.com." MichellePhancom. N.p., 17 Oct. 2011. Web. 07 Apr. 2014.
 
Williams, Mandie. "10 Terrifying Things Dirty Makeup Brushes Do To Your Face." TheGloss RSS. N.p., 19 Feb. 2014. Web. 07 Apr. 2014.
 
Phan, Michelle. "Squeaky Clean Brushes!" YouTube. YouTube, 04 Feb. 2010. Web. 07 Apr. 2014.

Phan, Michelle. "MichellePhan.com." MichellePhancom. N.p., 17 Oct. 2011. Web. 07 Apr. 2014.