John William Waterhouse Paintings

This is a blog devoted to beauty and I haven't done a post on one of my favorite artists, John Waterhouse. My mom liked him first and had paintings around the house. She liked him because she says I look like one of his redheads! I wish I did! Maybe if I was thinner I would. I think they are beautiful! He loved to paint redheads, so I like that. He also was inspired by romantic stories, mythology, and the medieval times. I like those things too.

Here are some beautiful paintings by him, and what the paintings are depicting.

A Naiad, 1893; a water nymph approaches the sleeping Hylas. Hylas was a youth that was the companion of Heracles. He was abducted by water nymphs. This is from classical Greek mythology.

Psyche Opening the Golden Box, 1903: This is from a 2nd century latin novel, Metamorphoses. Psyche was a princess and she was so beautiful that people prayed to her instead of Venus. Venus was mad and sent Cupid to kill her, but he fell in love with her instead. She has to do a series of tasks, sort of like Heracles. One of the task is to bring a box to Venus that has something inside that will make her more beautiful. But she gets too curious and wants the beauty for herself, so she opens the box. She finds nothing inside by an "infernal and Stygian sleep" which sends her into a deep and unmoving torpor.

Echo and Narcissus, 1903. This is from the poem by Ovid, Metamorphoses. Narcissus was a beautiful young man, and all the nymphs and women fell in love with him, but he rejected them all. Echo was one of the nymphs rejected and she was so mad, she got him to a pool and he fell in love with his own reflection!

I don't know the story of this painting.

This is called Boreas. It is depicting the north wind.

This is Ophelia Lying in a Meadow. Ophelia is from Shakespeare's Hamlet.

This is the Siren. In Greek mythology the sirens lured men to their death on the sea.

This is Ariadne.

Here is another painting of Ophelia.

This is Miranda.

This is Pandora opening the box that led out all the bad things into the world. She wasn't supposed to open it, but she was curious.

This is Fair Rosamund. She was a real woman famed for her beauty and mistress of King Henry II of England. Her name was Rosamund Clifford.

This is Decameron. It is based on a collection of novellas by the 14th century Italian author, Giovanni Boccaccio. "The book is structured as a frame story containing 100 tales told by a group of seven young women and three young men sheltering in a secluded villa just outside Florence to escape the Black Death, which was afflicting the city." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Decameron

This is another painting about Hylas and the Nymphs.

This is another picture of Miranda. This is based on Shakespeare's The Tempest. There is a ship that is shipwrecked, and Miranda has lived her whole life alone on this island with her dad.

Another picture of Ophelia. In Hamlet, she commits suicide by drowning in the lake.

This is Circe's Thought.

This is Penelope and her suitors. This is from The Odyssey. Odysseus is lost at sea, and in the mean time his wife has all these suitors after her, but she is faithful to her husband and believes he will return home.

Here is another picture of a Siren. It looks like a mermaid to me.

This is Tristan and Isolde with Potion. This was an adulterous love affair that inspired the story of Launcelot and Guinevere. I love the paintings with the knights!

This is another painting of Psyche entering Cupid's garden.

I love this painting! She is wrapping her hair around the knight. This is called La Belle Dame Sans Merci. That is French for the Beautiful Lady Without Mercy. It is based on a poem.

This is one of my all time favorite paintings. It is called Lamia and her Knight.

John William Waterhouse did more paintings then this. These are just some I found that I like.

March Favorites!

Favorite Movie
Divergent: I saw this movie two times this month! That is how much I loved it. I read the first two books, and am reading the third book now. I love this story! It takes place in the future, and there are 5 factions people are placed in. Abnegation: the people value selflessness, they take care of the poor, and they rule the city. Erudite: the people value intelligence, they do all the research. Candor: the people value honesty, they are in charge of the judicial system. Dauntless: the people value bravery, they protect the city. Amity: they value peace. They farm the land, and are kind. The main character is born into Abnegation, but she has always felt out of place. When she reaches a certain age she must take a test that will tell her which faction she belongs in based on her personality, and she must choose which one she will be. She could choose from any. But her test results go wrong. She fits into 3 factions! She doesn't know which one to choose! And she is supposed to tell no one because it is very dangerous her test results. It is a very exciting story! There is also a love story, which I love of course. I think the actor that plays Four is very cute, and just like how I read in the book. I hope more movies will come out based on the books!

Favorite TV Show
Lindsay: Is a documentary series about Lindsay Lohan. She has just been to rehab, and she is trying to get her life back to order. She was a great actress, and she wants to continue to be a successful actress, but also live a healthy lifestyle. I find this so fascinating! It is on Sunday on OWN. It is also on Demand, so you can watch it whenever you like.

Favorite TV Show
The Real Housewives of New York Season 7: I know I probably should hide in the closet that I watch these kinds of shows. They are my dirty little pleasures. I think these are like real life soap operas. Women are fascinating to watch. These are wealthy women living in New York City, and you see their lives and how they relate to each other. Sometimes they get along, sometimes they fight. I was a psychology major in college, so I find people fascinating. I don't necessarily like the women on the show, but it is very interesting to me.

Favorite Book
Captivating by John & Stasi Eldredge: This is a Christian book about a women's heart. This is what the back of the book says, "Every woman was once a little girl. And every little girl holds in her heart her most precious dreams. She longs to be swept up into a romance, to play an irreplaceable role in a great adventure, to be the beauty of the story. Those desires are far more than child's play. They are the secret to the feminine heart." I feel that not every women might be described in this book, but it resonated with me. Sometimes books for women are like self help books or how to be a better woman. This book isn't like that. It doesn't make you feel bad about yourself. It shows you how wonderful you are as a woman. There is also a male version of the book written by John Eldredge and it is very good too. It's called "Wild At Heart." It will give you insight into the man's heart.

Beauty Favorites

1. Aquaphor Healing Ointment Advanced Therapy: I heard this mentioned in a favorites video on Youtube. The girl used this to treat her chapped lips. This works wonderfully! I really recommend it. I put it on whenever my lips feel chapped. It works better than a regular chapstick.

2. NYX Rouge Cream Blush in Rose Petal (left): This is a coral, matte, cream blush. I used this under my powder blush to make it last longer. It is really beautiful.

3. NYX Rouge Cream Blush in Boho Chic (right): This is a light pink, matte, cream blush. I used this under a pink blush to make it last longer. It is very natural looking on the skin.

4. Physicians Formula Powder Palette Multi-Colored Custom Blush for Brunettes (left): I wore this over NYX Rose Petal. It has fine shimmer to it. My mom got one of these blushes and she didn't like the shimmer. I barely even noticed it was there. This is supposed to be for Brunettes, but there were none for redheads. I think anyone could wear this blush. It is a peachy coral color. Good for the Spring.

5. Physicians Formula Powder Palette Multi-Colored Custom Blush for Blondes (right): I wore this over NYX Boho Chic. It is a beautiful, light pink color. It is more cool toned, so it looks nice with warm eyeshadows on the eyes. I wore the Brunette one when I had cool tones on the eyes. These are really cute blushes.

6. Milani Powder Blush in Coral Cove: I think this might be limited edition. I think this is a beautiful color for the spring/summer. It is a vibrant, matte coral shade. It is very pigmented. I also love the flower mold. If you can't find this in the store you can get it off the Milani website.

8. Milani Brilliant Shine Lip Gloss in Coral Crush: My Fred Meyer's has a whole new display of Milani products! They had these new lip glosses. I had heard about this color. It reminds me of the coral blush I just mentioned. Again, I think these are good colors for the spring/summer. It smells like vanilla.

9. Jordana 12 HR Made to Last Eyeshadow Pencil in Continuous Almond: I found this at Walgreens. This is a dupe for MAC's Painterly Paint Pot, but it is much cheaper. It looks strange on my hand, but it is my skin color and creates a blank canvas for eyeshadow. My had was red from all the swatches and me washing my hand. This helps eyeshadow last longer, and the eyeshadows are more pigmented. I still use a primer underneath it.

10. Milani Shadow Eyez 12 HR Wear Eyeshadow in Sand Dunes: This is a really pretty color. I think I am ready for it to be summer and time for the beach! I'm thinking about the sand.

11. Milani Runway Eyes Baked Eye Shadow in Beach Sand: Again another sand color! It is the right swatch. It matches Sand Dunes well, and I put it on the top. It is a shimmery sand color.

12. Elf Angled Blush Brush: This is an excellent brush for applying blush! It is not too big. I love it. It's soft and good quality yet inexpensive.

Favorite Songs

1. Demi Lovato: Let It Go
2. Jonny Diaz: More Beautiful You
3. Neil Diamond: Cracklin' Rosie
4. Grease: You're the One That I Want
5. Don Mclean: American Pie
6. Toby Mac: You Speak Life
7. Pharrell Williams: I'm Happy
8. The Mamas & The Papas: California Dreaming
9. John Legend: All of Me
10. Jason Gray: More Like Falling In Love
11. Mercy Me: Bring the Rain
12. Passenger: Let Her Go
13. Puccini: O Mio Babbino Caro from Gianni Schicchi
14. Puccini: Chi il bel sogno di Doretta from La Rodine
15. Katy Perry: Dark Horse

I hope you liked my March Favorites! What were your favorites this month?

Banish Acne!

This is how I banished my cystic acne!

These are shots of my face in September 2011.

I was curious to see what changes I had made this month, so I took another picture. This is March, 2014.

I was really amazed and encouraged by the change! I felt like I should do a blog post about it for anybody else that is trying to banish their acne. I still get pimples, but they are very tiny and I get them one at a time. They are easy to get rid of, and it is normally the same time every month (before my period).

This is the other side of my face.

I still have acne scars that I want to get rid of. My dermatologist said that I could go to specialists and have them do lasers! They would basically burn my skin off. That scares me, and my insurance would probably not cover it. I asked her what I could do instead, and she said to use a lotion with vitamin E in it. I actually already had been doing that in the morning. I found a cream to use at night as well.

I want to start from the beginning. I started out going to a dermatologist who wasn't nice and basically told me there was no hope for me. He gave me harsh medicines to use, and I ended up not consistently using them and never going back to him. I believed him that there was nothing I could do. I think I felt this way for a year! I was very upset over my skin, and I even prayed that God would heal my skin. I got to the point where I was so tired of it, I decided to find a new dermatologist.

The second doctor was closer to my house. He said the only way for me to get rid of my acne was to use Accutane. Accutane is a very serious medicine, with serious side effects. It can cause depression. I have problems with depression, so I didn't want to take the medicine. Also, it scared me all the cautions the doctor gave in a huge book to read about it. I was supposed to read the book, and sign all these papers. It gave me a funny feeling. I knew in my heart this wasn't the right thing for me. But this doctor said it was the only way to get rid of my acne! Again, I left never to see him again and feeling hopeless.

I think another year went by with me feeling helpless against my acne. I prayed about it. I add this in because I feel like God deserves credit in this acne banishment. It's only fair to let you know I included him in my efforts. I feel like he was guiding me to where I needed to go. Finally, I decided to try a third doctor. This only goes to show you don't have to see just one doctor. You can get lots of opinions when you have a problem. This third doctor was a dream! She looks like she is younger than me! She has beautiful skin. I'm in my 30's, and I struggled with adult cystic acne. She said the cause of my acne was because of internal bacteria. I needed to take an antibiotic pill every morning. She said to use a Benzoyl Peroxide face wash in the morning, and a Salicylic Acid wash at night. These ingredients have both been shown to remove acne, so she wanted to use both on my skin. She took a sample of my blood because I think with the medication they have to make sure my blood is healthy and that the medicine isn't harming me in any way. She also gave me ointments to put on in the morning and evening. She also gave me lots of samples to put on pimples, whenever they show up.

Now my acne is cleared up, but I still have scars. They are red marks on my face that I can cover with makeup, but I would prefer they were gone. She told me to use vitamin E either straight from a capsule or in a lotion. My morning lotion already had that. I had a lotion that was from the same line as my morning lotion that I wasn't using, but I had stored away. It has vitamins A, C, & E. I have read these are all good for the skin.

These are the products I use. I'm not getting paid by these companies. These are products I found on my dermatologist's recommendation.

Morning Routine

1. Clean & Clear Continuous Control Acne Cleanser: This has 10% benzoyl peroxide in it. My dermatologist just told me to find any wash that had benzoyl peroxide in it. This was the only cleanser I found in the drugstore. I love it.

2. Clindamycin Phosphate Lotion: This is the morning ointment I put all over my face. The dermatologist prescribed this for me. It is a clear, gel like formula. It doesn't sting or anything.

3. Aveeno Smart Essentials Daily Nourishing Moisturizer: My dermatologist didn't say what moisturizer I should use. I wanted something with an SPF. This has an SPF of 30. It also has vitamins A, C & E, which are all good for your skin.

4. Spironolact: I also take a pill every morning. There are no side effects. I do have to get my blood checked once a year. I also think you aren't supposed to get pregnant while on this pill.

Evening Routine

1. Neutrogena Oil-Free Acne Wash: This has salicylic acid in it, which the dermatologist wanted me to use at night. This really cleans my face. It strips it of all oils. My face feels really dry after using it. There are lots of salicylic acid washes at the drugstore. I got this one because the dermatologist specifically mentioned it to me.

2. Differin: This is the night time ointment the dermatologist prescribed for me. It is a clear gel and you put a thin layer over your entire face. This really dries the skin so it is important to use a good moisturizer after putting this on.

3. Aveeno Smart Essentials Nighttime Moisture Infusion: She didn't say what to use for a moisturizer. I decided to use this one because I already had it, and it has vitamins A, C & E in it. I want to get rid of my acne scars, and my dermatologist recommended getting a moisturizer that had vitamin E in it. I also really like the smell of this and the other Aveeno Smart Essentials moisturizer. This is a thicker cream than the daytime one.

4. L'Oreal Revitalift Eye Cream Moisturizer: I have been reading that in your 30's you should start wearing an eye cream to help with getting less wrinkles. This has Pro-Retinol in it. It is supposed to help with lines, wrinkles and dark circles. I just started using this, so I'll have to see what happens.

I hope this was helpful for someone! I thought since my skin has improved so much, I should do a blog post about it.