#wearivebeen

[wearivebeen]

#MakeupAddiction

Recently I’ve been getting really into makeup. Yesterday I spent over an hour watching Cut Crease makeup tutorials on YouTube and I am still entranced. I can’t wait to try it on myself. But I should also mention, that as much as I love makeup, I am also still really lazy and can’t be bothered to put a bunch on if I am just going to stay in. There’s nothing worse than taking off makeup, especially when it’s “fresh”. 

Super #bronzed out #futuristic #metallic #nye look: #contour stick by #nyx ✨#eyeshadow palette by #urbandecay ✨ #eyebrow kit by #elf ✨ #gold liquid #eyeliner by #NYXcosmetics ✨#chocolatesoleil #bronzer by #toofaced ✨#lingerie #matte #liquidlipstick ✨#sunbeam #highlighter ✨ and overall #inspiration shoutouts to YouTube 💋 #makeup #motd #makeupbyme #makeupaddict #newyears #2017 #curvy #makeupblogger

A photo posted by Samaa Ahmed (@wearivebeen) on Dec 31, 2016 at 10:05pm PST

This obsession started in the summer of 2016, when I was visiting my sister in Philadelphia. I had just gotten accepted to OCAD (which is an art school) and I was like, if there was ever a time to experiment with a look, now is that time. Anything goes in art school. We went to Ulta and CVS (lol), tried on all the craziest, brightest, most ridiculous shades of lipstick, and I ended up buying a few purples and blues. 

Experimenting with #makeup in #Philly w my bro @chikeziew. #makeupaddiction #lipstick #sephora #katvond #glam #mua #philadelphia #travel #travelblog #wearivebeen #makeupblog #fashionblog #plussize #blue #bluelips #curvy

A photo posted by Samaa Ahmed (@wearivebeen) on Jun 4, 2016 at 8:12am PDT

Fast forward several months to the present, and my makeup collection has grown almost exponentially. I subscribe to ipsy, I make regular trips to NYX (bless you, store on Queen St W!), I hit up Rexall for their dope sales, and sometimes I even splurge at Sephora. Sometimes.

Ummm so guess what? I found a really great #dupe! It's called Sultry Samba by @revlon - it's #matte #bright #pink #lipstick and I am in love! It was on sale at @shoppersdrugmartofficial for $4.99! Eee! #the6ix #thesix #makeupblogger #makeupbyme #makeupaddict #mua #lip #lipstickaddict #lippie #plussize #curvy #psblogger #toronto #torontoblogger #katvond #katvondbeauty #sephora #summersixteen #wearivebeen #makeup #makeupjunkie #makeupblog #fashionblog #summer

A photo posted by Samaa Ahmed (@wearivebeen) on Jul 11, 2016 at 5:12pm PDT

It’s fun, tbh. I like how a little bit of glitter and colour can totally transform your face, and enhance the good stuff, but it’s also such a fun and meditative experience. I feel so comfortable and relaxed when I am experimenting with eyeshadow and trying to make a tutorial look my own. Contouring still stresses me out, and I haven’t fully gotten the hang of darker liquid lipsticks (they never stay on my lips properly) but I enjoy the process of figuring it out.

😍 #eyeshadow by #nyx - #highlighter by #nakedcosmetics - #peach #blush by #helenarubenstein - #lipstick by #rimmel in #paradise - #eyebrows by God 😍 #Toronto #downtown #makeup #motd #makeupbyme #makeupaddict #makeupblogger #makeupartist #curvy #fashion #curvyblogger #fashionblogger #thesix #the6ix #the6

A photo posted by Samaa Ahmed (@wearivebeen) on Jan 24, 2017 at 10:59am PST

[wearivebeen]

Journaling

One of my goals for this year, in fact a goal that overlaps with a lot of my other goals, is to keep a more regular journal. 

I have been keeping a diary/journal since I was 12/13 or so, and I really enjoy it, but sometimes - especially since I have been so irregular about updating it - it is hard to find the motivation and/or inspiration to write.

I found this set of prompts online (the credit is at the bottom) and have been using this for the past two days to guide my thoughts. 

I wasn’t sure whether I would share my thoughts on this blog or keep them private, but then I decided to keep a video journal, and felt it would be best to keep my entries to myself. However, I might post some short snippets here and there.

Hopefully this will be useful to you as well!

[wearivebeen]

Works of Art

I finished up my pieces for the upcoming @factoronto show! I am really excited about showing them, and am inspired to try more portraiture.

On another note, I have actually found a really interesting reality show about art! It’s called (very originally) Work of Art: The Next Great Artist. It’s fascinating! It follows the same format as a lot of other creative-focused reality shows, like Ink Master, Skin Wars, and even project runway. I am 7 episodes deep and I am hooked! I definitely have my favorites (Abdi! Nicole!) and people I hate (Miles. Jackie) but what I find most compelling is the critiques, particularly because I am in art/design school. 

Critiques are such an integral part of any creative’s personal development, but the quality of the critique is very important. Being afforded the opportunity of a fair and “unbiased” critique is rare, and most people (artists, professionals, and professors included) are not great at it. I have learned some good skills about how to engage with art, and gotten a better sense of artistic/critical vocabulary that can help me improve my own critiques. 

Watching this show is a good way for artists to see what industry standards and expectations are at these days, assess the “competition” in mainstream art, and also brush up on your own critical skills by acting as a sort of “fly on the wall” guest judge. 

Have you watched the show? What do you think?

[wearivebeen]

I made some art

[wearivebeen]

Minimalism Is For Brown Girls

I’ve been feeling overwhelmed with the sheer volume of stuff that I own, and I want to minimize and simplify my consumption habits. I read Marie Kondo’s book, The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up, a few years ago, and that helped to set the wheels in motion. 

My quest for minimalism, simplicity, and organization has really heightened in the last few months, possibly because of the increasing pressures of school and other things. All of my excess stuff just seemed to become more salient to me during this time. 

To help guide my quest, I tried to get guidance from bloggers and lifestyle folks. I tried following a few minimalist YouTubers, like Jenny Mustard, and I listened to exactly 0.5 (half) of a podcast by The Minimalists, but there is just this disconnect that I cannot seem to bridge.

Most minimalist bloggers that I've found are white and/or men (and definitely western), and I honestly cannot relate. Like, just because I want to declutter and simplify my life, doesn't mean that can live in a bare apartment with white walls. Similarly, makeup and accessories are important to me, I don't want to dress in neutrals, and I don't want to be preached to about "slow" or more “intentional” living.

I want to still feel like myself - which is a vibrant, colourful, fashionable, chubby, unapologetically ethnic, Pakistani, woman, artist, designer - and I don’t know how to be all of those things and a minimalist. So much of minimalism is stripping away stuff, and that always seems to manifest as being a skinny white hipster. Which I am not. 

The context of me wanting to be minimal in a world that wants me to be smaller, thinner, quieter, and take up less space, is difficult to navigate. Figuring out a balance between paring down and including all of my complexities is challenging.

I cannot and will not strip away a lot of myself, because some stuff is important. I need some stuff. Physical stuff helps me with some of my emotional stuff. I need tangible things to hold on to, as memories for a third culture kid who can’t go back to where she was raised, as reference for a diasporic adult who wants a connection to homeland, as affirmation for a plus size girl who spent a lot of time curating a style and wardrobe, and as an archive for an artist who looks to stuff for inspiration.

Anyway, I am trying to figure it out. If you’re interested in following me while I try, then I’ll be posting updates here and on my YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/wearivebeen.

How have you made minimalism work for you?

[wearivebeen]

Fly Away On My Zephyr

Guess what?

I am going to take the Zephyr Train from Chicago to San Francisco with my BFF in February!

Yaay!

[wearivebeen]

Do y'all think I have enough planners tho?

Hi my name is Samaa and I might have an addiction #plannercommunity #diy #analog #planneraccessories #plannergoodies #plannergeek #plannerjunkies #plannerlove #planning #plannerporn #beforetheink #prettyplannerpages #happyplanner #plannernerd #bujojunkies #bujo #bulletjournal #bullet #journaling #journal #tracker #daily #details #organized #writeitdown #pink

A photo posted by $amaa (@wearivebeen) on Jan 1, 2017 at 7:19pm PST

[wearivebeen]

New Year New Me?

Just wanted to share an interesting and useful tool that you can use to reflect on the last year and plan for the future! 

It’s also free! 

Download it here: http://yearcompass.com/