Please Listen To Your Body

I went to a rehearsal at Wildwood. My stomach hurt a little, which was normal as I had gorged myself in anticipation of the day to come. As the rehearsal progressed, the pain got worse. I just thought I had a hard time digesting until the lower portion of my chest felt like it was on fire. This made it difficult to breathe and sit correctly. Multiple people corrected my posture during this time. I complied, not wanting anyone to mistake me for a malingerer.

Every accent felt like fanning the flames. The rest of the rehearsal left me in some awful pain. I didn't care about musical quality at that point, just making it though the rehearsal without vomiting or making a scene. When the rehearsal ended, I had to lie down, drink water, and wait for it to go away since there were no antacids available. I ended up learning my lesson about listening to my body the hard way--and I learned to limit my intake of orange slices.

Musicians, please listen to your bodies. I regret not leaving rehearsal earlier. If you feel too sick to continue with a rehearsal, please ask for a break. You are not lazy or less of a musician for asking for a break if you feel ill. If it occurs during a performance, give yourself a moment during intermission or in between songs. Use your trusted remedies if possible. Drink water at your desired pace and make sure you are truly okay to get back. If you will actually vomit, get off the stage as discreetly as possible and and find the trashcan backstage. (There usually is one.)

Yes, this is a beauty blog, but beauty is more than skin-deep. Health is the foundation for beauty. If you do not take care of yourself, it will show eventually. Especially since music is a heavily body-related activity, you should take care of your health as much as, if not more than, a non musician. The same goes for your mental health as well, which some people often forget is a subset of your physical health. The brain is a physical member of the body that undergoes physical processes that control the rest of your body's physical processes.

It is easy to forget your health as a musician due to the nature of such a field. However, please realize that health is the key to many things. Without it, you will suffer many losses.

Peripera Lip Water and Benetint Comparison

Peripera (Strawberry Juice):
Bright pink (Cherry Juice is close in color to Benetint.)
Flexible doe foot applicator
Very pigmented and buildable
Not super drying
Very few (if any) allergic reaction horror stories
Bright, sweet floral/candy scent
Does not transfer onto my flute
Ingredients are:
Water, Butylene Glycol, Alcohol, Glycerin, Carica Papaya Fruit Extract, Butylene Glycol, Portulaca Oleracea Extract, Arnica Montana Flower Extract, Artemisia Absinthium Extract, Achillea Millefolium Extract, Gentiana Lutea Root Extract, Glycolic Acid, Peg-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Lactic Acid, Sodium Lactate, Salicylic Acid, Disodium Edta, Methylparaben2, Propylparaben, Fragrance 
$6-9 depending on the shade, but Candy Juice is around $25. (Prices vary from place to place.)

Benetint:
Sheer red
Nail polish applicator
Not as pigmented, but buildable
Very drying
Lots of allergic reaction horror stories
Smells like roses
Ingredients are:
Water, Polysorbate 20, Phenoxyethanol,Sodium Hydroxide, Carmine (Ci 75470), Methylparaben, Fragrance, Tetrasodium Edta,Geraniol, Linalool, Hexyl Cinnamal, Citronellol, Maltodextrin, Benzyl Salicylate, BHT, N° 00n12802.
Does not transfer onto my flute
$30

I hope this helps you to invest in a water tint that suits your needs. Let me know which one you prefer.

How to Rock Horrible Concert Attire

I'm sure we've all had to wear something unflattering in a concert setting at one time or another. For example, I had to wear plain black separates (9782AA and 509AA on Formal Fashions) with an awkward slit in the back of the skirt. They were drab and many of my friends said they looked like nuns whilst in them. Not only that, they were tight in the shoulder area. I hated these clothes as did many of the other female ensemble members. However, I had a few tricks up my sleeve for dealing with it.

1. Commiserate with other ensemble members. Chances are it's not only you who hates the overall drabness, tightness in the wrong places, unflattering cut, or whatever you hate about the chosen attire. Venting your frustrations to your peers will most likely prevent you from taking them out on the director.
2. Accessorize--within reason. A pretty headband or an elegant necklace can make all the difference. Just make sure you check with your director on rules regarding accessories and don't go overboard.
3. Consider different sizes. If you can fit different sizes equally comfortably, pick the size that you feel looks best on you. You may like getting the skirt a size larger for the swishy feel it has with the extra fabric or getting the top smaller to define your figure a little more if you can get separates.
4. Remember your role as an ensemble member. You are not the director. Do well with what you have and, if you don't like it, deal with it. You do not have to like it, but you must comply with the director's rules. If you don't like them, leave the ensemble and find another one.
5. If there is a real problem, address it. There are issues that override the director's authority such as the health and safety of the ensemble and yourself. For instance, if multiple musicians are getting heat sick at an outdoor summer concert from performing in long-sleeved dresses and/or full tuxedos, voice your concerns to the director. Work out a compromise and, if your director is unwilling to do so, leave the ensemble and warn others about the director. 
6. Display confidence. Good posture, eye contact, and a smile are your go-to accessories for every outfit. They can elevate every look--and I mean every look. 

Idea: Accurate Mental Illness Lipsticks

I was appalled at seeing shades named "Manic" (dark red) and "Psycho" (true red) in a Vice palette. However, it inspired me to think of some new shades. Who wants Urban Decay to make these a reality?

Anhedonia-A pale pinky nude that will make your lips look as dull as a lack of pleasure

Confused-Is it a plum? Or a fuchsia? Is it matte? Cream? Demi-matte? This lip color will baffle you and is universally unflattering.

High-Functioning-A true red that projects the confidence you wish you (still) truly had

Mindfire-An orange as fiery as what your head feels like with a million things swarming through it each and every day

Rolling Girl-A rather innocent-looking pearly pink to disguise all the inner turmoil

Heartbroken-The blue undertones of this red make it resemble blood...and the tinge of sadness now present in your life.

Irrational-A galaxy vamp shade (purple, gold metallic streaks in a dark brown matte base) that makes absolutely no sense, just like your current state

Fear of Failure-Vivid coral as fun, refreshing, and invigorating as everything you want to be, but can't

Not Just-This demi-matte brick red shade is not just a cream or not just a matte, just like how your illness is not just a bad mood.

Sheer Exhaustion-A sheer peachy shade which is more of a tint than a stick that will hide the fact that you're exhausted

Useless-Metallic brown/white swirl that looks pretty in the palette, but is utterly useless in reality

Internal Screaming-A very dark and matte metallic red to color your lips before releasing your tornado of problems

Alienated-A very out of place lavender demi-matte for this collection, the odd one out in the bunch

I Hate Myself-A deep satiny plum for the days when you want to look as unrecognizable to yourself as you feel

Diversion-A sheer, shimmery fuchsia for distracting you from your inner demons

Recovery-A fun, shimmery warmer-toned pink for good days

How to Prevent Lipstick Transfer Onto Your Instrument

1. Use non-transferring products. Lipstain markers and water tints are always safe bets for this. From what I've heard on Bustle, the Topshop Beauty Velvet Lips lipstick is non-transferring. (Remove it with an oil-based makeup remover or coconut oil. You can use olive oil too.)
2. Set your lipstick with a powder. Just take some powder onto a brush and sweep it across your lips.
1. Baby powder is an inexpensive, easy solution for this. Your lipstick will look more pale, and the finish is a bit chalky.
2. Eyeshadows are a good option. You might wind up altering the color of your lipstick if you do not use an eyeshadow of the same color.
3. Translucent powder is the "best" option for a good finish that is true to color. If you apply too much, it will feel gritty on the lips. 
3.  Use a matte-ifier.  Smashbox Insta-Matte works for this. (I tested it at Sephora.)  However, it is rather expensive ($24.00 for 0.34 fl oz) and I understand that most musicians do not have huge budgets. The Maybelline Baby Skin Pore Eraser is a well-known dupe for this as are other matte-ifying primers (basically, anything with dimethicone in it).
4.  Do a "kiss test" to make sure you have eradicated all transfer. To do this, kiss your palm and press it into your face as hard as you can. Add more powder/matte-ifier until NOTHING comes off during the kiss test. 

Now you have a perfect pout as well as a perfect part for your concert! Here is a picture of me wearing Benetint for an audition. (I used two coats to achieve the look below.)