Sunset over the prairie in the Big Sky State

Hiking (and Mooses!) in Red Lodge, Montana

We went hiking in Red Lodge last summer and it was amazingly beautiful.

When we came into town, there was rain and fog drifting through the mountains. I had checked the weather, but when you’re in the mountains, it can change on a dime. We had to stop into Moosley Tee’s to grab some sweat shirts.

The sun came out right as we started hiking.

We saw this big rock and it had a face in it!

That’s a weird looking horse…

It’s not a horse! It’s a moose! Most likely a cow, because this one was huge, and it didn’t have the cylindrical antlers they’re known for.

Note: Moose are very territorial and will attack to kill if threatened. A man was killed by a moose in Red Lodge a few years ago. Treat with extreme caution. These animals are large and very powerful. We were taking photos on the other side of the river, so we had a barrier between us and this cutie. Wild animals can be, well, wild and unpredictable. Be sure to observe them from a safe distance.

Another note: I am not an animal expert, so ask a park ranger or some other professional for specific safety information.

Zombie Tools- Made in Montana

Looks like WordPress not longer supports MP4? That’s too bad, because now the featured Zombie Tools documentary is not showing. If you want to watch it, please click the hyper link! My production partner Keith Hensley and I made this for PBS’s Made in Montana documentaries.

I have a downloaded version on my computer, but I can’t even upload the raw file.

¯\_(ツ)_/¯

The guys at Zombie Tools also got a shot a Discovery Channel show. They made 2 episodes so check those out on their website here!

How many mascaras does it take?

These are a handful of mascaras I took out of my travel bag. I many have a problem. I’m always on the hunt for that illussive mascara that must exist. That one magical concoction of the perfect bristles and formula combing to make my eyelashes look like something Katy Perry would be proud to wear. But alas, the search continues. However, said search may be getting a little out of control. All this from one bag? The sad part is that most of them are the same type of mascara. The two turqoise tubes are both Maybelline Volume Express the Mega Plush. The two yellow tubes are variations of Maybelline Colossal Lash mascara. One is the original formula, the other is a “cat eye” version.
It’s not like I’m buying these randomly, with little thought. I used to work for a large, high end make up supplier. I know EVERYTHING there is to know about mascaras, and here’s what I know:

1. All mascaras are made with the same basic formula- wax and dye. No matter how much money you spend or what brand you buy, the main ingredients very rarely differ from many others on the shelf.

2. Mascara only lasts about two months. After that, the shelf life runs out, exposure to air and bacteria mess with the formula and it also dries out. A good rule of them is to replace your mascara as often as you would your toothbrush (which is also about every two months).

3. Size matters. Brush size that is. The shape of the brush will also greatly influence your results.

So now, the main question- what all do I have and why?

First up, Urban Decay Big Fatty Mascara

The packaging has changed since I bought this. It’s not all 60’s groovy anymore. It has a more streamlined look and a different type of brush, but they still have the main ingredient in it- hemp oil! Overall, the mascara is not great, however, I do notice my eyelashes are soft and moisturized after I take it off. It has to be the hemp oil because no other mascara has this effect. I like the brand Urban Decay and recommend trying it out for yourself before buying it.

Next on the list is Too Faced Better Than False Lashes Nylon Lash Extension System

Long name, kind of complicated application. It comes with two things, a black base/top mascara tube that could probably be a mascara on it’s own, and a little white tube with pieces of nylon fibers in it. What you do is you put the black primer coat on, then brush on the nylon fibers, then top it off with another coat of the black base/top mascara coat. It’s a good system if you want really out there lashes, but can’t quite get the hang of falsies. The only thing is that for it to make a noticeable difference, you have to do 3 coats or so, which weighs down your poor little lashes. I was told this system works better if you do a base coat of your favorite mascara. The cost is $35 and you don’t get too many of the little nylon fibers, so it’s best reserved for special occasions.

Then the two Maybelline Volume Express the Mega Plush mascaras. I like this formula because it’s light and doesn’t make my lashes brittle. It also makes my lashes look longer, if not super thick. It’s about $6 at any drug store and I keep coming back to it, so it must be pretty good.

Next is a great disappointment. Maybelline The Rocket mascara. I really can’t do a better job of explaining this so I’m going to leave it to this image I found on Pinterest. I think it sums it up pretty well.

Well. That was a great review of this horrible mascara that I tried to love. I tried to get the Maybelline Rocket Mascara to work. I tried to love it, but it was just horrible. I threw it away after a few uses because it was just disgusting.

Next on the list is Besame’s 1930’s mascara. It supposedly is made with the same ingredients used during the 1920’s-1930’s. It’s an alright mascara. Nothing to rave about. However.. The smell is awesome. I don’t go around smelling mascaras, but this one is wonderful. It’s made with cloves so it smells spicy and romantic when you put it on. The ingredients are similar to that of Tarte’s Lights Camera Lashes! mascara, which means there’s no bee’s wax (one of the main ingredients of modern mascaras). This clove scent is especially nifty because Besame touts the clove ingredient as being an antibacterial agent. This is good because mascara tubes can be a breeding ground for germs. After using mascara, the want just goes back in the tube with the rest of the product so it just kind of sits there and ferments. Ew…. It’s a great mascara for everyday wear, and if you like the smell of cloves it’s a good pick me up.

Next is my personal fav- The Colossal. I have tried many mascaras and I keep coming back to this one. It gives major volume and makes my eyelashes look like I’m wearing fake eyelashes. When I worked for a certain beauty supply corporation, I would slyly put this on everyday. Clients would come in and ask if I was wearing falsies. I would humbly reply “No.. Just mascara.” Then they would demand to know what mascara I was wearing that produced such amazing results. We didn’t sell a mascara cheaper than $15, so I would reply “You can get similar results with this mascara” and show them a $25 tube. The expensive mascara that I most referred people to is coming up next. I’m skipping the little tube of Lancome’s Hypnose Doll Lashes because it sucks. I think it’s the tear drop shaped brush. There’s just something about it where instead of coating the inner corner lashes like it claims, I just wind up stabbing myself in the eye. So I would not recommend that to anyone.

Now for the final mascara- Benefit’s “They’re Real!” mascara. I love love love Benefit Cosmetics. I was lucky enough to have my first experience with the brand in their hometown of San Francisco. I love almost everything they make, but this mascara is really the cat’s meow. There’s something about the formula that elongates the lashes. Even using tester mascara wands, which are just plain basic bristles, you still notice a difference. The lashes are long and separated. There’s no clumping, even without it’s assigned wand and bristles.  Another selling point is it doesn’t smear, but neither is it an endeavor to get it off like was referenced in The Rocket review. It’s not water proof, but it will stay on very well. It will also come off with regular makeup remover. The brush has different length rubber bristles that get every lash- the long ones, and the short ones. The real appeal is the ball at the tip of the bristles. Reminiscent of Givenchy’s Phenomen’Eyes (which sucks, but I give them points for innovation) this little ball makes you hold the wand at a vertical angle, so you can go in and stroke the inner and outer lashes in an upwards motion. I thought this brush was so ingenious that I even cleaned it and tried to use it with some different brands of mascara, hoping for the same effect. Close, but no cigar. “They’re Real!” is in a class all it’s own and I highly, highly recommend it for people wanting a falsie look with a fraction of the time and effort.

I buy The Colossal mascara most often because it works great and is easier on my wallet, however, I do think that Benefit’s “They’re Real!” is one mascara worth splurging for. Fortunately, many stores that sell Benefit Cosmetics have mini versions of “They’re Real!” so one could probably try it for half price.

The best way to find a mascara that works for you is to just try a bunch from the drugstore, because, remember, they all have the same basic ingredients. Through a little trial and error, you can find a mascara that works great by itself, or with other products. Very rarely do I think brand name mascaras are worth the price tag, but for a select few it is worth it.

If you have a mascara you love or hate, let me know. I love my Colossal, but I am still on the hunt for that mascara that will make cherubs come down from heaven and kiss my eyelashes.

One day… I will be fierce!

Why? Because Yoni said so…

I recently interviewed Yoni Wolf of Why? for Noise and Color Magazine. I’m super excited to see it up on the blog. You can check it out on the Noise and Color blog.

I was rather start struck to speaking with the front man of Why? I first heard their album Alopecia when my friend’s car broke down on the Butte Pass in Montana. We were stuck at the top of the Continental Divide for 3 hours waiting for help, and this album was on loop. When I told Yoni about this, he said apologized and said that it must have driven us nuts. I told him it was probably the only good thing about that trip. We rocked out to that album until a nice man replaced our fuses and then we were on our way.

Why? will be performing at the Railyard on Feb. 27.

Franz Nicolay has an awesome mustache

Here’s the article I wrote on Franz Nicolay for the holiday issue of Noise and Color Magazine. It ran in the holiday issue shortly after he came to town for a show. I saw Franz when he was with the Hold Steady. They came to Billings a few years ago for a Myspace secret show. I still have the wrist band. It was quite a thrill talking to someone who is so talented. Franz is involved in so many musical projects it’s hard to keep up.

Since it’s Valentines Day, I’m guessing many people are curled in ball with heart-shaped chocolates they bought for themselves, or horribly disappointed by the last-minute cliché gifts their boo gave them.  I figured today would be a good time to post one of Franz’s new singles “Did Your Broken Heart Make You Who You Are?” off of his new album, Do the Struggle.  It’s a great song with an old vinyl sound to it. The message is great, too. No matter how a relationship turns out, good or bad, everyone is always a little different for the experience.

BY Courtney Donovan

 

National Break Up With Your Ex Day

February 13 is the official Break Up With Your Ex Day, a holiday dedicated to deleting ex boyfriends and girlfriends from your life. Our generation could really use a day devoted to sucking the poison out of our social media lives. It’s usually considered bad form to delete someone from your list of Facebook friends, or unfollow someone on Twitter. The fear of being branded a bitch or a petty asshole can keep people linked to an old flame long after it should have fizzled out. New technology has brought people together on a whole new level. This is great if you want to keep in touch with your best friend from 5th grade, or your sorority friends from college, but if you need to get over a relationship, social media can hinder the healing process.
A break up used to involve a talk (“I’m breaking up with you”) then a trip home for an alcohol fueled cry in the tub, you would take the pictures off the wall and try to move on to a new and brighter relationship.
The new millennium has basically stunted our ability to move on from bad relationships, and the siren call of social media often proves too hard to ignore. According to a study conducted by the love website yourtango.com 67% of people surveyed say they can’t get their ex off their mind. 48% of those surveyed admitted to repeatedly checking up on their ex’s activities through face book.com. Obviously, we have a big problem letting go. Perhaps people who follow their ex’s every move on social media are hoping for some cyber affirmation that the pain of the break up is two-sided. However, logging onto your ex’s Facebook page to see if they’ve posted any status update about the soul crushing despair of heartbreak often back fires. Most people will not air their true feelings on a public forum. Cyber stalking an ex is like giving yourself a compound fracture. It’s not a clean break and the pain is self-induced. Seeing an ex boyfriend cuddling with a strange girl at a party, or finding out that your ex girlfriend just got engaged to be engaged. So how does one resist the siren song of Facebook stalking an ex, or drunk texting them? Break up with your ex, of course. This means deleting their phone number from your phone, unfriending on face book, and inflowing on twitter. Delete any old pictures you have of your romantic time together, as well as phone numbers and IM addresses. Nothing screams crazy desperate like a late night drunk phone call or text message barrage. It may seem scary and like you’re cutting off the last strings of attachment you have with them, but it will be healthier in the long run. Don’t worry about being mean about unfriending or unfollowing them. The relationship didn’t work out, so you don’t owe them any explanations for your actions. It’s not possible to get over the past when one is obsessing about a future with someone they may never have. So break off your digital relationships so you can focus all your attention on new opportunities. Stop face book stalking and go find yourself a real life Valentine this year. Happy Break Up With Your Ex Day, folks.

BY Courtney Donovan

Sources: http://www.yourtango.com/201168659/announcing-first-annual-break-your-ex-day

First article for Noise and Color, ft. Myke Bogan

Zombie Tools

Metal forgers in Missoula, Montana prepare for the zombie apocalypse. My R-TV partner, Keith Hensley, and I produced this short documentary for PBS annual “Made in Montana” segment.

Out with the old…

This used to be a blog for my International reporting class at the University of Montana, but I’ve decided to reuse it as a daily blog. I’m updating so early in the morning because I caught a cold and my sore throat woke me up in these wee hours. Oh, my throat! But my dad had a bug too and he recovered in a few days so there’s a light at the end of the tunnel. In the meantime, I’ll be in bed switching stuff over from my blogspot blog. Both of these used to be online blogs for professors get assignments, but I’ve graduated so I’m just going to keep it going. I’ll post the radio-television packages I’ve produced for posterity, but then I will be focusing on other things, like Mitt Romney and glitter. I’m just kidding… I really don’t know what I’m going to be posting about but that’s the fun of it!