Staunchly, vol. 62: Feed Yourself
6/29/18
The world continues to burn and Anthony Kennedy is a coward.
On a very different note, I went to Spahn Ranch for the first time on Tuesday.
If you don’t know, Spahn Ranch was the old abandoned western movie ranch near Chatsworth where the Manson Family took up residence in the late sixties and plotted their eponymous murder spree. The creepy parts, like the cave where members of the Family crouched and smiled for LIFE Magazine in 1969, can be found at the northeast corner of Santa Susana Pass Park (with a bit of luck, hiking, and a willingness to expose yourself to poison oak).
The structures and sets are long gone, destroyed by a wildfire in 1970, which feels like a merciful bit of cleansing. I myself brought crystals, like shimmery blue goldstone to deflect unwanted energies, a lighter and a bundle of sage to clarify my energy before I got back in my car—to reject, as my friend Maddie advised, any unwanted “gifts with purchase.”
I couldn’t burn the sage until I got home because I was in a fire zone and to light a smudge stick, even for the purpose of exorcising the spirit of Susan Atkins from my person, would have been illegal. Also, the scariest thing I encountered was a man in white cowboy boots with greasy hair playing really terrible acoustic guitar at the entrance to Manson’s cave, proving yet again that the lesson in Manson and in all of his detritus and I think with life in general is that white men who believe they can play guitar but cannot, in fact, play guitar ruin everything.
If you know me, you know my dad met Charles Manson in the park nearly 50 years ago (it’s my only story). Riding his bike with a friend he stumbled upon a filthy man who offered him a Coke, which he rejected. He never forgot the face.
In DC, I once had lunch with an older woman who had been friends with one of Manson’s victims in college. She and the victim had bonded during trips to the bathroom to make themselves throw up. I remember how Manson liked to keep his girls skinny, hungry.
The woman and I picked at our salads like sprites. We talked about our dads, Manson, the type of men who watch your fork.
I remember thinking: you can’t control a woman who is sustained. There’s nothing more threatening than a girl who knows how to feed herself.
Anthony Kennedy destroyed his legacy this week. No one gets to opt out of this moment, certainly not a Supreme Court justice whose vote, though inconsistent, made the difference in so many rulings on basic human rights.
I know this meme is tired and a cop-out but it's all I can muster right now.
1. I can’t stop reading profiles of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. Her campaign video still gives me chills.
(P.S. this is the lipstick she wears).
2. I watched Nanette this week and I am nowhere near ready to talk about it. The impact is just too huge. It shattered me, as it has every woman I’ve spoken with who has seen it.
Every woman I know has been storing anger for years in her body and it’s starting to feel like bees are going to pour out of all of our mouths at the same time.
— Erin Keane (@eekshecried) June 28, 2018
3. The most important question of our time: do you have BDE?
4. Lili Loofbourow on Junot Diaz and the pathetic emptiness of the male self-apology:
The story of a man who’s done terrible things and sincerely repented is enormously romantic.
Cardi B’s baby shower was a “Bronx fairytale,” complete with a Bardi Baby Bodega, which is my dream aesthetic (though I’d never attempt it because that would be very appropriative). Her event planner described the creation, replete with 26,000 pink and white flowers, as “a magical, whimsical land, but for the culture!” These truly are the best of times and the worst of times.
Also, the photo of Senator Tammy Duckworth protesting family separation with a baby strapped to her chest is a big MF mood. Let it power you through the week.
I hate when beauty editors call something super obvious a “trick” or a “hack.” Like, “Have you tried this crazy beauty trick? Curl your lashes!” “Add color to a sallow face with a bright lipstick!”
At the risk of committing that sin myself, here are three—dare I say—tricks to optimize the beauty products you already have. They’re all incredibly simple, and perhaps not new to you, but I myself have learned them recently and they’ve made a noticeable difference in my makeup routine, so I thought I'd share.
1. Backcomb your brows to make them extra fluffy. Take the little spoolie from a tinted gel or pomade (like Boy Brow) and comb your brows in the wrong direction (from ears to nose), then brush them straight like the normal girl you definitely are. This is basically like teasing them. And it coats the back and front of your brows with product, ensuring peak lushness and distinction.
2. Keep your eyes open when applying eyeshadow to your crease. This was a game-changer for me. I’m not sure why I never thought of it? It always felt natural to close my eye entirely while painting the lid. But I’ve found it’s much, much easier to find the natural crease of your eye (and avoid over-applying shadow) with your eyes open and looking straight ahead.
3. Pat—don’t rub—your primer into your pores. Ok, this is another obvious one but it’s fine because I warned you up front. Pretty self-explanatory but I’ve started patting my primer into my skin (I’ve been using this one for years), focusing on the pores on my cheeks and nose, and I’ve noticed that it makes my foundation look smoother and last longer. Feels like I’m really pushing the product into my skin and encouraging it to be its best. I think there’s a sponge metaphor here but I can’t quite grasp it. Regardless, it works!
Staunchly yours,
Carey