Eastside Career Chic in The Daily Muse: Is Your Hair in Between Washes? No Problem!

We all have those days when our hair just won’t do what it’s supposed to. Or when we’re so busy meeting deadlines (and, let’s be honest, friends for happy hour) that spending an hour shampooing and blow drying in the morning just isn’t going to happen.

Truth is, we could all use some tips on how to deal with a bad hair day that don’t involve hiding out in a cubicle. So we turned to YouTube’s best beauty vloggers for some inspiration, and found seven styles that’ll spruce up your look and let you get out the door with plenty of time to still grab a latte. But be warned: They’re so awesome, you may want to wear them on good hair days, too!

1. The Simple Updo

This everyday updo, courtesy of Wendy’s Lookbook, requires only a few hair clips and a few minutes! It works best on medium-long, fine hair that hasn’t been washed in a few days—the oils in your hair will give the style more texture, and that “I look cute but didn’t try too hard” look.

Perfect for: Those mornings when you hit the snooze button one too many times.

What You Need: A hairbrush, 2 hair clips, a few bobby pins, and 2 elastic hair bands.

 Read the rest of this article at The Daily Muse

Movie Review: What We Can Learn From Girl in Progress

Thanks to Latina Bloggers Connect I received an invitation to attend a screening of “Girl in Progress.”  It had been a long time since I was so moved by a film and so immediately invested in the characters.  The story demonstrates the complex nature of mother/daughter relationships but it also demonstrates how our relationships with family, friends and ourselves are constantly evolving.  Eva Mendez and Sierra Ramirez gave life to beautifully written characters under the direction of Patricia Riggen.  As a Latina I cannot help but feel incredibly proud of this movie, but the message it leaves the audience with transcends ethnic boundaries.

The movie focuses on a young girl and her desire to separate from her mother by eliciting her “coming of age” experience.  I promised this post would contain no spoilers so I won’t delve into too many details!  By the end both of the women in the film have made progress, but just like in real life, things aren’t perfect.

Looking back, I relate to the naïve precociousness of the daughter in the film. I once thought that life transitions could be uncomplicated and that the ties that bind us to those we love could be easily broken. I  thought that my “coming of age” would bring an end to the confusion, messiness and uncertainty of life. I now know that even when we have experienced our “coming of age” and have transitioned out of our adolescence we never stop learning and we never stop growing.  

This movie allowed the main characters to be flawed, vulnerable and even unlikeable at times which is a rarity these days. A lot of us struggle to achieve a false ideal of womanhood because we are afraid of the imperfections, and flaws lurking just underneath the polished exteriors we work so hard to maintain. I know many times I held my own mother to a very high standard and even now constantly berate myself for all of the things that I am not.

Living up to our own false expectations of what life should look like is sometimes the hardest thing to let go of. When we realize that we are never really complete, that there is never an end to our growth perhaps we will start to appreciate the beauty of being women in progress.

I for one know that I will always be a woman in progress. Watch the movie and you may have an epiphany of your very own.  Take your mom, your sister or your best friend, you won’t regret it.

Xoxo,

Betsy Aimee

Cinco De Mayo Special: Being Mexican is Awesome

Today is Cinco de Mayo and based on the promos and paraphernalia at Party City you would think that Mexican culture is all about Coronas, mustaches and sombreros. Well yes, those are elements of the culture. But there is definitely more to it than that! As a first generation Mexican-American (well technically i'm half as my mother is Guatemalan) I never felt the need to learn about my culture as it was all around me, in fact I spent a good part of my life trying to escape the elements of my culture I disliked or didn't identify with.Now that I am older I have learned to appreciate my Mexican side a lot more. Here are some reasons why Mexican women are awesome:

1) History of Strong Women- I really reject the notion that Mexican women are submissive and bow their heads to their men. Thus I had to search for different role models of what being a Mexican woman was all about and thanks to my mother I discovered Frida Kahlo.

Frida Kahlo: 

Frida sufferred a terrible accident at a young age that could have destroyed her spirit but her will to live, love and succeed was stronger than the pain she lived with as a result of the accident. She managed to seduce and marry Diego Rivera, a man who could have easily overpowered her physically and professionally. Even after his infidelities, Frida stayed true to herself and got even (watch the movie or read this book to know more), she wasn't afraid to live on her own terms, have controversial beliefs and be sexually liberated at a time when most women didn't dare to. While she loved Diego in the end her she got the last laugh as she eclipsed her famous husband and has become the most well-known and revered Mexican artist. LOVE HER!

Maria Felix: 

The biggest star of Mexico's Golden Age of Cinema, Mari Felix, was the Mexican Liz Taylor. She married 4 times, and always personified a strong, indomitable women on film and in real life. She also happened to be incredibly beautiful and proud of her Yaki Indian ancestry. She also wore Christian Dior and was featured in best dresses lists throughout the world.

Her personality and spirit are demonstrated in this quote: 

"I cannot complain about men. I have had tons of them and they have treated me fabulously well. But sometimes I had to hurt them to keep them from subjugating me."

2) Fearless Fashion Sense-Have you ever watched a Latin award show? Mexican women are not afraid to flaunt their curves and bring on the color and the bling. Look at Friday Kahlo and Maria Felix (above) does it look like they were afraid to accessorize?  Here's one of my favorite Mexican actresses, Jacqueline Bracamontes in Oscar De La Renta. She's the epitome of refinement on every occasion and she has the most amazing hair. It's also always great to see a red carper filled with with women that are not primarily thin, blondes. 

What do I wear on Cinco de Mayo? Now that you know why Mexican women are awesome. Here's a Cinco de Mayo Outfit for you to flaunt out on the town tonight! Notice the bold color in every piece and the statement necklace. The point is to incorporate elements of the colors associated with the Mexican flag, not to actually look like a flag. Of course these pieces are versatile enough to be worn after tonight too.  All of these items can be found at Forever21.com

So let's not forget that I was born and raised in the U.S and like any real American I will be celebrating Cinco de Mayo tonight with a shot of Tequila. Being bi-cultural provides you with SO many drinking opportunities. How do you observe the day? What are your favorite things about Mexican women? 

Feliz Cinco de Mayo! 

xoxo

Betsy Aimee