under a rock

New desktop background courtesy of Kenny Powers.

“I ♥ Zelda” by some dude who really likes Zelda. It’s like sophisticated fanart…. totally *stares*

hello, world!

hi, lauryl!

o_O

The NARS Fall 2010 Collection went online this morning. I garnered just two pieces for myself: eyeshadows “Daphne” & “Mangrove”. Daphne is named after the heiress Daphne Guinness, who I really couldn’t care less about, but the color looks sensational! I ordered these online so I can’t wait until they show up to my doorstep. Unfortunately, the lacquer from the collection won’t be making an appearance until the actual fall. Zulu is a dark, poisonous green that will be a re-released from years ago - back by popular demand. I’ll be getting myself a few bottles, since the color itself is one of my favorites and harder to find amongst nail varnish products. However, there is one line that concocts their own dark vial of emerald ooze. They are some French company called “Nfu-Oh”, and I own three bottles of their magical no. 569 lacquer. It’s like concentrated Nyquil or Creme de Menthe on my nails … totally sick.

The above graphic I’ve thrown together perfectly conveys my rage towards the licorice plant. Mr. Yuck is befitting on top of that heinous (in subject, albeit beautiful composition-wise) illustration. Its extract is just revolting in taste. It fills my nasal cavity like a noxious gas, as if I just snorted a little yellow packet of Splenda.

I hate that there are certain teas that I want to buy, but when observing the packaging & ingredients I find that they’ve been “sweetened” by licorice root. I just can’t wrap my head around it. They idiotically think they need to “mask the harsh taste of the herbs”? I don’t need my tea to be sweet! Why should it be? Maybe I enjoy the bitterness of some herbs (I do)! I can’t stand the taste of licorice! It nauseates me and my tastebuds construe the aftertaste in my mouth as identical to the flavor of artificial sugar. Totally disgusting.

I like to buy prepackaged teas because they are generally cheaper and easier to use. It’s such a pain to find some without goddamned licorice root included. Vomit! Here’s how Wikipedia describes the plant … way too innocent sounding, in my opinion!

Liquorice (pronounced /ˈlɪkərɪʃ/ LIK-ə-rish),^[2] also licorice, is the root of Glycyrrhiza glabra from which a sweet flavour can be extracted. The liquorice plant is a legume (related to beans and peas), native to southern Europe and parts of Asia. It is not related to Anise, Star Anise or Fennel, which are the source of superficially similar flavouring compounds. It is an herbaceous perennial, growing to 1 m in height, with pinnate leaves about 7–15 centimetres (3–6 in) long, with 9–17 leaflets. The flowers are 0.8–1.2 cm (½–⅓ in) long, purple to pale whitish blue, produced in a loose inflorescence. The fruit is an oblong pod, 2–3 centimetres (1 in) long, containing several seeds.^[3] The flavor of liquorice comes mainly from a sweet-tasting compound called anethole (“trans”-1-methoxy-4-(prop-1-enyl)benzene), an aromatic, unsaturated ether compound also found in anise, fennel, and other herbs. Additional sweetness in liquorice comes from glycyrrhizic acid, a compound sweeter than sugar.^[4]

Yuck, I’m gagging just reading about this. The extract is anything but innocuous in my book. I really can’t understand how people can enjoy the taste that comes from this plant. *shudders*

lol fo reallss???? ima celebrate by listening 2 Kylie Minogue’s Aphrodite leak!