I finally went out of my colouring comfort zone and did a beach page but I am not entirely happy with it. I like the colour palette I have going on and the sand came out alright but the sky/clouds and the sea look off to me. I need some advice on how to make those elements look better.
I started colouring about 2 months ago, and it has become the main hobby that I look forward to whenever I have some free time.
I have a decently sized alcohol marker set nothing fancy just a kit bought off of Amazon because I didn't want to invest in this hobby without knowing if it would last. Later I bought some Posca acrylic markers, a white gel pen and a metallic gel pen set to add more detail to the pages. I’m making decent progress but I would love some advice on how to improve further and what other art supplies would be helpful.
Also, a disclaimer for some pages I take inspiration from the internet (especially if I’m trying a new technique) but I never copy it exactly.
Do the shadows make sense? Not really. Does it look kinda good? Absolutely. Rip my hand tho this took a while.
As someone who used to struggle with creating makeup diy’s and has gotten significantly better at it, I made the ultimate makeup guide with tips I personally follow. I will be attaching image examples of each of my points to help visualise what exactly I mean for clarity. This took a while to make, so I hope it helps at least one person.
Certain makeup looks are staples that everyone needs in their makeup bag. In order to have a good variety, aim to have a sweet/innocent face, a glamorous face, a fantasy/alien face, an alternative face and a casual pretty face that’s versatile. Once you have those staples, you can experiment with different styles and expand your makeup bag to include an even wider selection.
To make the face cohesive, try to match the tones of all the elements. For example, if the eyes you want to use are more cool toned (think cool blues, pinks, browns), match all the other elements to be cool toned as well and vice versa. This guarantees all the makeup elements work well together and don't clash.
Try out the noses that cost makeup coupons because it's the simplest way to upgrade any makeup diy. The ones that already have shading and depth instantly elevate your makeup game. I found one nose I really like and use it in almost all my makeup looks, so try out some noses and see which ones you like the best.
If you're using elements that are highly detailed make sure to combine them with other pieces that match each other's quality. If you can, avoid using makeup that costs coins rather than tickets, because they often are flat and of lower quality. Detailed makeup pieces will have depth using shadows/highlights and pronounced textures like glitter particles or realistic hair for brows.
Add detail and dimension. When selecting blush and contour, focus on transforming the face from 2D to 3D. There are in game blushers and contours that sculpt the face, helping it look less one dimensional and flat, so experiment with them. Try out different combinations and, depending on what look you are going for, make it as subtle or severe as you want. Cuter faces will require subtle dimension, while glamorous ones will look best with more defined contour.
Zoom out to inspect the makeup. Many of my old diy’s looked great up close, but once I tried using them in comps, I wasn't happy with how it looked. That's because while creating a makeup diy, you are zoomed in, focusing only on the face without inspecting how it looks from afar with the body and hair. Utilise the zoom out feature (the eye icon in the right lower corner) when creating a face to make sure all of the elements work well together. This prevents the makeup from being too intense and work harmoniously with the rest of the body.
Here are my diy makeup tips. I would love to see your creations using this guide in the comments. Additionally, if you guys don't know where to start and want some inspiration, it helps to look at other peoples diy’s that are posted in the SuitU Discord server. The goal is not to limit your creativity rather, it’s about giving guidance to achieve the best results possible and bringing your ideas to life.
Recently I noticed some swelling between my armpit and breast area that looked as tho the lymph node was inflamed and swollen. The area was tender to the touch, and the left breast on one side had a hard mass. I had this happen before, but it usually wasn't as extreme, and it went away in a day or two, but this time it's particularly painful, and it was still swollen after 5 days of no treatment.
I contacted my doctor, who called and asked if I shave my armpits because it can stem from an inflamed hair follicle, which, to someone who isn't a doctor, didn't sound quite right. He dismissed my claim of the lymph node being swollen, saying that lymph node inflammation doesn't just appear. Without being seen in person, I ended up getting prescribed antibiotics (Flucloxacillin), and I have been taking them 4 times a day over the course of 7 days. Currently, I am on day 5 of the treatment. The doctor said that if the symptoms don't improve, despite the antibiotics, I should contact the clinic so that an in person appointment can be arranged.
On day 4 of taking the antibiotics, I noticed the swelling got worse, and the inflamed area was larger and harder. I know that antibiotics can make inflammation worse before it gets better, but this happening on day 4 makes that highly unlikely from what I researched. Now I’m getting quite worried. As a woman, anything to do with the breast area makes my mind jump straight to breast cancer, so I want to rule this possibility out as soon as possible so I don't spiral. I plan on finishing the antibiotics, and if things still do not improve, I will contact my doctor again to get it examined.
I’m 24 years old, and while there is no history of breast cancer in my family, my mom does have lupus and had cervical cancer, which has been in remission for a few years now. It could potentially be a cyst or some sort of inflammation that is not responding well to the antibiotic treatment so far, but that's just speculation. I have been to the doctor's not too long before this issue regarding an increase in near fainting episodes and blurry vision/brain tingles when getting up from a sitting position. I got blood work done to see if I’m deficient in anything, but it all came out normal. I hope these two symptoms are not related because it would make the breast swelling a more serious case, at least in my eyes.
Has anyone had similar symptoms? Is this something related to breast cancer or another underlying issue?
Recently I noticed some swelling between my armpit and breast area that looked as tho the lymph node was inflamed and swollen. The area was tender to the touch, and the left breast on one side had a hard mass. I had this happen before, but it usually wasn't as extreme, and it went away in a day or two, but this time it's particularly painful, and it was still swollen after 5 days of no treatment.
I contacted my doctor, who called and asked if I shave my armpits because it can stem from an inflamed hair follicle, which, to someone who isn't a doctor, didn't sound quite right. He dismissed my claim of the lymph node being swollen, saying that lymph node inflammation doesn't just appear. Without being seen in person, I ended up getting prescribed antibiotics (Flucloxacillin), and I have been taking them 4 times a day over the course of 7 days. Currently, I am on day 5 of the treatment. The doctor said that if the symptoms don't improve, despite the antibiotics, I should contact the clinic so that an in person appointment can be arranged.
On day 4 of taking the antibiotics, I noticed the swelling got worse, and the inflamed area was larger and harder. I know that antibiotics can make inflammation worse before it gets better, but this happening on day 4 makes that highly unlikely from what I researched. Now I’m getting quite worried. As a woman, anything to do with the breast area makes my mind jump straight to breast cancer, so I want to rule this possibility out as soon as possible so I don't spiral. I plan on finishing the antibiotics, and if things still do not improve, I will contact my doctor again to get it examined.
I’m 24 years old, and while there is no history of breast cancer in my family, my mom does have lupus and had cervical cancer, which has been in remission for a few years now. It could potentially be a cyst or some sort of inflammation that is not responding well to the antibiotic treatment so far, but that's just speculation. I have been to the doctor's not too long before this issue regarding an increase in near fainting episodes and blurry vision/brain tingles when getting up from a sitting position. I got blood work done to see if I’m deficient in anything, but it all came out normal. I hope these two symptoms are not related because it would make the breast swelling a more serious case, at least in my eyes.
Has anyone had similar symptoms? Is this something related to breast cancer or another underlying issue?
Here are some of my favourite and most recent makeup diy’s. I went from using pre-made makeup to designing ones that look even better than the sets (in my not so humble opinion).
Since watching Obsession I’ve had some theories about the movie that I would like to share and discuss.
First, there is a lot of cat symbolism throughout the movie with Bear's cat dying, the one wish Willow’s back of the box, etc. It makes me think perhaps Nikki wasn't possessed by an evil entity, but Bear’s cat Sandy. It felt as if immediately after possession Nikki behaves very unnaturally. Her dialogue gives me the impression of cautiously learning how to interact like a human being. What’s especially disturbing is how much Nikki talks about Sandy’s death and mentions a dead or dying dad. Cats possess incredible senses allowing them to detect when a person or an animal is dying, so perhaps Sandy smelled death on Bear and since she might see him as a father figure, that line might have been a premonition of Bear's fate and the first clue to this theory. Animals including cats see their owners as surrogate parents so Nikki mentioning a dying dad could mean Sandy is the one possessing her body.
The possessed Nikki waits in front of the door when Bear leaves for work, similar to a pet that has separation anxiety, she waits in the exact same spot staring at the door awaiting the owner's arrival. Also, either a myth or a fact that cats eat their dead owners when faced with the prospect of going hungry, suggests the possessed Nikki serving Bear Sandy for lunch is a cat-like display of affection. Additionally, the line “I ate a bug…I have a stomach bug” supports the theory of Sandy possessing Nikki by on the spot correcting herself to sound more human.
Sandy loved Bear more than anyone else in the world because he was her entire world so, since that was his wish, Sandy taking over Nikki’s body would make sense. All the dead bodies ended up inside Bear’s apartment (some intentional, some not) because of Nikki. We know cats for hunting and bringing their prey over to their owner. When they see you the owner as family, they try to teach you how to hunt or provide food for you by bringing in dead animals so the dead bodies at the apartment could imply Nikki bringing them in as a cat would to show love. Also, cats watch their owners while they sleep, which is a sign of affection and them protecting you, which would explain Nikki’s behaviour at night watching Bear sleep. The possessed Nikki never really goes out of her way to express her affection to Bear in a way that appeals to him or even in a human way, but rather conveys it as a cat would. She reacts very nonchalantly when Bear asks about some of her more bizarre behaviours because that's exactly how she expressed her love for Bear as a cat and sees no problem with it.
The “love” between the two of them seems more like a parent taking care of their child rather than a romantic type of love. Assuming Sandy saw Bear as her dad or simply as family, it would explain the scene, with Nikki reading part of her book at the party, which was about incest perfectly describing their dynamic. The possessed Nikki behaves both like a child that Bear has to take care of and an animal that Bear owns. In both dynamics, Nikki depends completely on Bear, which in a way is loving someone more than anything in the world, because it implies unwavering trust to have someone take care of you without the fear of them hurting you. You are giving away your bodily autonomy completely to another person which in adult human relationships would be unhealthy but in the context of a baby/pet makes perfect sense. Bear has no issue with being in a position of power within their “relationship” because, for someone so inexperienced in love and relationships (apart from the love he had for his cat), he thinks that being completely co-dependent is what true love looks like in a relationship. He has a skewed idea of love and relationships which does not excuse his actions whatsoever but it highlights the dangerous path one can take in matters of love due to inexperience and shallow infatuation mistaken for genuine love.
Another theory, or rather observation, is regarding the real Nikki in the beginning trying to warn Bear. Since Nikki and Bear were friends and she trusted him enough to drive her home at night, she probably trusted Bear to save her, or at least in the beginning, she did. She knew it was his fault, but she still saw him as a good enough person who perhaps got lost in the fantasy and would help once he snapped out of it. Whenever Nikki regained control over herself, she tried desperately to make Bear see the truth and save her only for all those efforts to go to waste because Bear is an irredeemable, horrible human being. Both his actions and inactions are entirely self-serving and impact everyone around him. This leads Nikki to, as a desperate effort of getting out of this nightmare, beg Bear to kill her which again highlights his cowardice and self-centredness.
Bear’s death was also interesting because it mirrors the beginning of the movie. He comes home and sees Sandy dead because she got into his medication and he cries over her body. Bear dies in a very similar way by overdosing on medication and the possessed Nikki cries over his body. Neither Sandy nor Bear intended to die. Sandy got into the medication cabinet and, like any animal would, ate it knowing no better (also due to the owner's negligence). Bear took the pills, but he never wanted to die since he chickened out from shooting himself at first and then tried to throw up the pills he swallowed moments ago. Bear is a coward begging to end and he couldn't even die an original death.
After years of self-discovery, digging deep into who I am, what my morals are, what my boundaries are, etc., I realised I might be a little too self-aware and too in touch with my emotions. On paper, having a high EQ and being aware of myself seem like good things, especially in a relationship where empathy and self-awareness are crucial. But the reality is that it might actually be hindering my relationship more than anything and it's becoming very mentally taxing to live with constant and often overwhelming thoughts.
I really want to avoid sounding like I’m full of myself or above others in this post, because, if anything, I am my own worst critic and I do lack in a lot of other areas. I grew up not in the best environment. I had a lot of unresolved trauma going into my teens and tried to deal with it the best I could at the time even if it wasn’t by using the healthiest coping mechanisms. I pretty much only had myself to rely on at the time and later on would refuse to burden my close ones with my own problems. I would mostly shut myself out for a bit, pretend to be ok, and in the comfort of my privacy let my feelings out and think of solutions once my judgement was not clouded by intense emotions. Often I would get frustrated because it felt like I couldn’t fully explain my own outbursts, as if I were still missing a key detail as to why I behave a certain way.
Where things really changed was after I got my ADHD diagnosis. I researched and learned about myself all over again. I understood why sometimes I have outbursts and what leads to me being irritated or overstimulated, and everything about myself finally started to make perfect sense. It’s not like I am a walking checklist for all ADHD symptoms, but it definitely completed the puzzle in terms of understanding my emotions. Even when I act irrationally, after a bit of time I can recognise what happened, what triggered it and remember it for the future so I can either prevent it or explain it clearly.
Later on, I tried both counselling and therapy for a bit, and it felt like the sessions were just repeating things about the trauma I already knew about. That is not to say that therapy is useless or that I’m so much more intelligent than a trained and educated professional, but because I look inwards so much and my brain overanalyses every aspect of my life, I have already come to similar conclusions without a paid professional. I’m a deep thinker, especially when it comes to my emotions, and I realised maybe I am too hyperaware of myself.
Being in touch with one’s emotions doesn’t seem like a bad thing in theory, but especially in a relationship, I realised it might cause quite a few problems. In a relationship, people tend to reflect on themselves a lot more especially since, perhaps for the first time in our lives, we tackle problems alongside another person who used to be a stranger. They lived a different life, had different problems growing up than ours and we have to change our approach because now you and your partner are a unit. Whenever a conflict arises, I try explaining why I didn’t behave in the best way or what caused my anger or annoyance. I try to let my partner into my brain to understand my thoughts better, but that can be misinterpreted as making excuses even after apologising. After the conflicts, we move on and go about our day together. But I fight the urge to want to have a deep conversation about the issue and unpack it to prevent misunderstandings in the future, but some people simply want to move on. Having a partner I truly trust opened me up and for the first time I was comfortable enough to want them to know what's going on inside my head, but it can be very overwhelming for the other person to deal with my conflict analysis especially right after the fight when we are trying to move on. So I’m essentially stuck with my own thoughts with no one to voice them to, and the explanations and solutions keep stacking up with no way for me to turn my brain off.
The older I get, the more I understand not everyone has deep internal thoughts that unpack all of their emotions and fears. Not everyone is used to or comfortable sitting with their own emotions and objectively looking into themselves in order to better understand their feelings. Not everyone looks back at past negative situations or conflicts and tries to understand and fix the habits that have escalated disagreements. Others mostly simply move on but I on the other hand think and analyze myself too much with no way of escaping it. Being in a relationship and encountering problems that need to be tackled together opened my eyes to perhaps me being the abnormal one. I used to think what I’m experiencing is normal and every person has a similar understanding of themselves and their own shortcomings as I do but that's simply because I had always surrounded myself with people who are similar to me. Now being in a relationship with someone who's less critical of themselves and less emotional I know the never-ending train of thought and analysing oneself is not the common experience.
My partner is a much simpler thinker in terms of emotions, which is not bad at all, and if anything, I envy them for not having to hyperanalyse everything all the time like me. Having a brain that nonstop analyses, assesses and reflects on past situations and how I can improve is incredibly tiring. Resolving conflicts is harder because I essentially zoom out and assess the situation and see how I contributed and how my partner contributed. I can’t help but talk about my “discoveries” because I become overwhelmed with my own thoughts while often the other person simply needs to hear sorry. No explanations. No behaviour analysis. Just a sorry. Even while simply enjoying a nice time with my partner, I struggle with overanalysing. I wish I could turn my brain off and enjoy the moments as they are not ruined by fixating on a small tonal change or counting how many hugs I have gotten that day. Just enjoying the present without my brain interfering.