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Gender:

Female

Location:

Bay Area, CA

Occupation:

Retail/Student

Age:

24

Member Since:

May 26, 2004

Answers:

1610

Last Update:

January 10, 2015

Visitors:

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about

Hello! I am studying esthetics at an Aveda Institute after spending years in retail. I am proof that nothing turns out how you think it will, and that's a good thing. When you think you've got it figured out, you don't. Life would be boring otherwise, right?
Makeup, skincare, and psychology are my passions and I'm also happy to give advice on relationships, particularly for teenagers (so many things I wish I could have told myself a decade ago!) I'm happy to help fellow abuse survivors as well.
I'm a diehard SF Giants fan and also enjoy watching the Sharks and Niners. Addicted to music, especially The Gaslight Anthem. Oh, and my name is Krista. :)

advice

I have problems at home and i wanna move out...my boyfriend says to move in with him...im 18 now so i would be able too...is this a good idea? or what should i do?

I can tell you from experience that it is not a good idea. I wrecked a relationship doing nearly the same thing. Maybe my story will help...I had lots of problems at home, so I started staying over my (now ex-)boyfriend's house several nights a week- to the point where I was pretty much staying there during the schoolweek. Before this, we didn't have a bad relationship or anything- we were both crazy about each other and mostly really happy. However, being together so so much was awful for us...we got bored with each other, never went anywhere or had any fun, ended up just spending all our time arguing. And I know it contributed greatly to the eventual breakup.
Keep in mind, we'd been together for over a year. If you had asked me before, I never would have thought that would happen. The majority of relationships, especially when you're young, aren't ready for something like this.

I understand needing to get out of the house- maybe try staying over once a week or so, it helps. But don't move out without a backup plan, whether it's another place to stay or not burning your bridges so you can still come home.

Best of luck.
-Krista, 20/f

is it worth it to go shopping in the mall (in general stores, not talking about waiting outside at like best buy) on black friday? are there even any real sales?

Yes, there are good sales, but if you go at a normal time, everything is sold out. And it's kinda crazy, stores are packed, everyone is pushing and shoving and not nice.
The good news is that most stores have the same sale online now.

I'm under 18 and I had unprotected sex with my boyfriend a few weeks ago. My period is a week late and I was told I could take a pregnancy test now and it might show me if I'm pregnant. Somebody said I have to be 18 to buy an over the counter pregnancy test from a store. I look mature for my age but obviously I don't have an ID to show them at the counter. So, how can I get a pregnancy test without being 18 if this is true? I really don't want to have to go to a doctor right now just to find out if I'm pregnant. :\

It might depend on where you live, as in my state, you don't have to be 18 to buy one. You could google it, maybe there's information about state laws for that online somewhere. If it does turn out that you have to be 18, you could either go to your local Planned Parenthood or similar clinic, where they can give tests, or have a friend that's over 18 buy it for you.

Usually I'm not in the mood to do it a lot. My boyfriend and I had sex a few times this month though. Now I'm 4 days late on my period and I feel really, really horny all the time. I've been having this turned on feeling for the past week now. My boyfriend said it's no big deal and keeps saying there's no way I can be pregnant since he always pulled out. I read in one place that pregnant women can be really turned on because of hormone changes. Am I pregnant? I just turned 17 and he's 16, almost 17, and we've only been together for 3 months so this is kind of scary.

If I understand what you're saying correctly, and you are having unprotected sex (pulling out is still unprotected), then yes, there is a decent change that you can be pregnant.
Pulling out is extremely ineffective, and around 1/3 couples who continuously use this method alone will become pregnant. This is because precum, which he can't feel, contains more than enough sperm to enable conception- remember, it only takes one cell!
Since you've missed your period, you should definitely take a pregnancy test, and please, please look into effective birth control options.

okay. i am 12 years old and i want to wear thongs but im scared to ask my mom. shes cool and will probably say yes but i dont know how to ask her if i can wear them.. do you have any advice?? personal stories would be helpful

btw dont answer if youre gonna yell at me that 12 is "way too young to be wearing sexy butt floss"

You don't necessarily have to ask if it makes you uncomfortable...just next time you're shopping for underwear, pick up a pair and say something like "These are cute. Is it okay if I get them?" Then see what she says.

I miss my best friend. We don't hang out anymore and we rarely talk. It sucks because she's the only one that knew all my secrets and understood me. How can we be friends again?

It depends...why don't you hang out/talk anymore? Is she just busy, or did you guys have some kind of fight?
If you update your question with that information and your age I'll be happy to help :)

Do you think love is real? Because i think it is made up and never really lasts it is just a momentary illusion....

Of course love exists, and there's actually a scientific explanation for it. (I'm going to majorly simplify it.)
The first phase of love is often referred to as infatuation. This is where you're head-over-heels about the person, thinking about them constantly, and your brain is producing a bunch of neurotransmitters that make you feel really great.
However, this phase fades eventually- it's inevitable. The good news is that it can develop into true love, where you have a more lasting, deeper bond. It's a different feeling, but it's still love.
Sometimes people do fall out of love, but that doesn't mean everyone has to.

Hi all
My ex boyfriend broke up with me 4 months ago, I still really wanted to be with him but he didn't show any signs of wanting to get back together, although he said he "still wanted to be with me" and he "still loved me" He was upset when I said I didn't want to speak anymore, I felt I couldn't move on if we still spoke. I started seeing a new guy recently, and my ex boyfriend found out. He text me saying "I know you are seeing other guys so there is nothing I can do but you never know what will happen" I said what do you mean? He said "Things change, you don't know what will happen in the future. You could break up with him and then we get back together"

Why would you say that to someone you don't want to be with????

I think he's at the point where he doesn't want to be with you, but he doesn't want anyone else to be, either. It's a possessiveness thing. Really, if he wanted to be with you, he had his chance, so he doesn't mean it.

I need a slow, beautiful song for an audition I have this weekend (saturday) NOTHING from a musical.
Here are some ideas of what I'm looking for:
I will follow you into the dark-Death cab for cutie
Gravity-John Mayor
Such great heights-Iron and Wine.
etc.

Please help :(
I will rate. Thanks!
P.S. My range is a rather low alto hence all the songs mentioned above are low. However if you do answer with higher songs I can just tune down. xxx

9 Crimes- Damien Rice (from the second verse on)
What It's Like- Everlast (you'd probably have to tune it up some, it's super low)
Shadowboxer- Fiona Apple
Slow Like Honey- Fiona Apple
Broken Strings- James Morrison
You Make It Real- James Morrison
If You Don't Want To Love Me- James Morrison
Sing for Absolution- Muse
You- The Pretty Reckless (probably your best bet)
Breakeven- The Script (or any of their songs, really)
Dreaming with a Broken Heart- John Mayer

Okay so I kind of got myself in a bad situation with 2 guys that really like me. I guess I've been leading them on but I don't like either of them. I just got a boyfriend that they don't know about yet and I really don't know how to tell them without them getting mad and not wanting to be friends. I'm the kind of person that can not hurt peoples feelings and I can't tell them straight up. When I tried talking to one guy he said he'd drive himself in the ground if he saw me with another guy. Help me please I really like my boyfriend and I don't want to him to get mad if I can't get rid of these other guys but I'm just too nice:( oh and I'm a 16 year old girl. Haah

The way to do it is to bring it up in a very casual way, without it seeming intentional.

For example, if you're talking about what you did over the weekend, you'd say "My boyfriend and I..."
Just find a way to mention him.

For the one who said he'd drive himself in the ground and whatever...well, I'm sure you know you should have just told him then. But either have a conversation, text, whatever, and let him know that you're really sorry, he's an awesome guy, but you have a boyfriend, and you're sorry for not being honest about it from the beginning and hope you can still be friends.

so my boyfriend and i have been going out for about three months and on friday he tells me that he's going out with friends for the weekend so he thinks something is gonna happen( meaning he might mess around with another chick) and he says if anything happens he will be honest with me about it so i'm like wtf is he being honest saying he cares or is he just taking me for granted
please help

I'm just gonna be totally blunt here...dump his ass. What a jerk. There is something really wrong with him if he thinks it's okay to tell his girlfriend that he plans on cheating on her. Cheating is not acceptable, much less planning to ahead of time. I'm sure you know that. No excuses should be made for him. It's not okay.

I know it's hard to do, but trust me, you will be so much better off without him. Best of luck.

My mom told me today that she isn't buying any more "crap" clothes from Abercrombie & Fitch or Hollister. She just got laid off of her job like a month ago and she says money is real tight and we have to cut back so she's stressed and, of course, I'm disappointed. I am going to have to go shopping for winter clothes still though. So, I got to wondering if there was a store (online or offline) that actually sells name brand clothes for cheap or cheaper than in stores? Does anyone know if any place like this?

If you have a Plato's Closet store near you, they do. Otherwise, you may be able to find some at a thrift store, although it requires some hard work/searching.

Honestly, I'd recommend just getting different clothes- name brands are so overrated anyway. There's plenty of stores like Forever 21 and even Target that have cute stuff for cheap.

I have tried a few different eyeliners and they all seem to be cheap or something. They end up fading off, smudging, or being smeared over and look weird and ugly at the end of the day. I have gym class this year and I don't know if it's because I have to run sometimes or what but my current eyeliner still isn't doing what I need it to do. Does anyone have a favorite eyeliner that stays on all day and doesn't look gross at the end? thanks

You'll want to use a waterproof eyeliner, that will stay on. (And if you're wearing other eye makeup, like shadow, make sure to wear a primer under.)

Cheap options: Avon makes a decent one...it's not the creamiest but it stays on forever.
L'oreal's Infallible is decent, too, as long as you don't want to do a lot of smudging or blending. This one is nice because it has a built in sharpener.
Both of the above are the twist-up kind.

If you're willing to spend a little more, a good eyeliner is definitely worth the investment.
Urban Decay's 24/7 liner is amazing. There's tons of gorgeous colors, it's creamy, blends and smudges (if you want it to), and it stays on forever! I love it. You can get it at Sephora and Ulta.
http://www.urbandecay.com/categories/247EyePencil.cfm

And if you want crazy staying power, the kind where you can go swimming, take a shower, sleep, it doesn't come off, there's Make Up For Ever's Aqua Eyes:
http://sephora.com/browse/product.jhtml?id=P35082&categoryId=B70
Available at Sephora.

No matter which liner you use, the key to making it stay is to set the cream with a powder to give it staying power. Assuming you're using a black liner, take a small angled brush or eyeliner brush and some black shadow- some people like to use Carbon from MAC, but I prefer Sugarpill's Bulletproof (www.sugarpill.net). Just go over the line you made carefully, pressing it into your lashline. This also helps even out any mistakes you may have made.

If you have problems with your makeup staying on during school or long days, you may want to try a setting spray- you just spray it lightly on your face when you're done putting on your makeup, and it will keep in place and perfect-looking until you wash it off. Model in a Bottle is what the pros use, and Urban Decay makes a great one, too. However, I wouldn't bother with this step unless you're wearing a full face of makeup.

I love makeup, so if you need any more help, feel free to hit up my inbox!

I am wondering is Beauty online School is a good idea??? I see it is very affordable but i wanted to know if its worth it and can actually learn from it.. if so.. what are good online schools??

I am by no means an expert, however common sense would say that's a terrible idea. In order to be good at cosmetology, you need tons of practice- at most beauty schools, you're required to put in a certain amount of practice hours or number of times doing things (i.e. perms). You need the hands-on experience, and you simply can't get that online.

My favorite makeup artist, Kandee Johnson, has a great blog post and video on this. She got her certificate in cosmetology (everything, including hair)- however, you can also get certified as an esthetician (skincare, facials, makeup, all that). She also includes a list of great beauty schools. Here it is:
http://kandeethemakeupartist.blogspot.com/2009/05/how-to-be-make-up-artistand-list-of.html

And here's a blog I like from someone attending beauty school (you may wanna start at the very first entry so it makes more sense)
http://adventuresofabeautyschooldropin.blogspot.com/
BUT here's the first page of entries:
http://adventuresofabeautyschooldropin.blogspot.com/search?updated-max=2010-09-16T16%3A14%3A00-05%3A00&max-results=7
Then just click on the 'Newer' link on the bottom left to keep reading in chronological order.

Hope I helped! :)
-Krista, 19/f

I have bad skin and i wanna wear make up to cover the bad parts but i dont kno what kind i should use! They said that its a certain kind that helps clear your skin also but i dont kno what its called! thanks lol

Mineral makeup is what you're looking for. It's good for your skin and looks a lot more natural than regular foundation.

What brand you get really depends on how much you want to spend.

For around 30 bucks (keep in mind that it will last you forever), you can get Bare Escentuals. It's available at Sephora, Ulta, and Bare Escentuals stores, of course. It's the best stuff out there.

For around 13 bucks, you can get L'oreal Bare Naturale. If you don't have a lot of makeup experience, I wouldn't recommend this product- it can be hard to blend.
For 8 bucks, there's Maybelline Mineral Power powder foundation. They also make a liquid if you're more comfortable with that (harder to apply, though.)

Here's how to get perfect-looking skin:
Begin with freshly cleansed, toned, and moisturized skin. Make sure to exfoliate once a week to avoid dry patches, which can make makeup look bad.
- It's always good to start with a primer, to make sure that your makeup looks smooth, natural, and stays on all day. I like Bare Escentuals' primer, especially the one for oily skin- however, if that's not really in your price range, try Palladio. (Available at Ulta)
- Next, you'll want to apply the powder mineral foundation. Most of them come in a pot with a sifter. Tap some (start with a tiny amount, you can always add more) into the cap.
Now, use a kabuki brush (Bare Escentuals makes my favorite- try Revlon or L'oreal makeup brushes for a cheaper option). Swirl the brush in the powder, then tap the side to remove the excess.
Apply all over your face, using a gentle, circular buffing motion.
You are not going to see a huge difference when you look in the mirror. Mineral makeup subtly makes your skin look better, natural, and more glowing. So be careful not to overapply, it will look cakey and gross if you do!

If you find that foundation alone doesn't cover everything::
Next, you'll want to conceal individual blemishes.
Your best option for this is using a stick concealer.
I love the super cheap one that Maybelline makes. Another option, also made by Maybelline, looks like an eyeliner pencil. It has precision application and has acne medication to heal your blemish as it conceals.
When I apply my concealer, I use 3 brushes. You don't necessarily have to do this, you'll find what works best for you as you use it.
I start with Bare Escentuals' large concealer brush. I use a liquid concealer (Maybelline's Mineral Power) on this to conceal large areas, like undereye circles and redness under my nose or on my chin.
Next, I take a smaller concealer brush (the one I use is actually a L'oreal HIP eyeshadow brush, with super stiff bristles) and stick concealer. I cover areas of redness, again under the nose, chin, red spots that aren't tiny.
Now, I use a tiny precision concealer brush for individual blemishes. This brush is great because it gets concealer right on it and not all around it.

The most important final step, whether you use concealer or not, is to set it with a translucent powder. I love L'oreal's Bare Naturale (sometimes called True Match Naturale) translucent powder. Nearly every brand sells it. Use a large powder brush all over your face.

If you want more help, please let me know- I love makeup!
- Krista, 19/f

do braces hurt when you put them on take them off.

When you get them put on, it might hurt after for a little bit- nothing that some Advil and eating soft foods won't solve.

I am a 14 year old brunette, freshman. I want to go trick-or-treating again this year but I don't have any costume ideas. I have already been a witch, fairy, hippie, pippy longstockings, and stuf like that. YOu get the idea. Do you have any ideas that aren't sluty ir trashy? THanks a lot!

Hmm it would help if you told us how involved/complicated you want your costume to be, and how much you want it to cost.
You can update with that if you want.

In the meantime, here are some ideas:
Cleopatra, Marilyn Monroe, Flapper, Disney Princess (Jasmine, Belle, Cinderella, etc), Barbie, Devil, Angel, Cowgirl, etc.

My mom always complains about me never being home. She says that she thinks that i dont love her and only want to talk to her when i want something. (im sure everyone is gonna say that their mom is like that too), but are there any ways that i can 'hang out' or spend time with my mom with still being able to be as social and hang out with my friends as much as i do? please give me some ideas to have fun with my mom (i know that sounds lame) but i know it would help me to be able to do more stuff.

You could try picking a specific day for a once-a-week hangout date. You can do things like go to the movies or rent one, get your nails done, cook or bake, etc.

What kind of facewash do u use and how mn time do you put it on?

Generally speaking, you should cleanse, tone, and moisturize twice a day- once in the morning, once before bed.
If you're using an acne wash or anything medicated, I'd start out using it only once a day, then a more gentle kind for the second time, so your skin doesn't get too dried out.
It's very important to moisturize after you cleanse.

If you don't have problem skin, Cetaphil is really great. You can buy it at drugstores and Walmart/Target.

Hope I helped! :)

how do i dump an acquaintance who just won't leave me alone. I don't want to hurt his feelings because we see each other frequently in the group of friends we share. How can I tell him that I want nothing more than to have a cordial relationship. No dinners with our spouses, no golf games, no drinks after work. We are both in our 50's.

Thanks.

If you're not comfortable flat out telling him, as the other people suggested, you could always just say no when he wants to make plans- politely, of course. Every time he asks, make an excuse- you're busy, you're too tired, etc. He'll get the hint eventually, and if he does ask why, then you can explain. It's not the nicest or most honest way to do it, but sometimes it's just easier.

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