Class Reflection:


1.) I did all the work.
I can honestly say that I am happy with how I stayed on top of things this semester in this course. After not taking a writing class since my senior year of high school, I kind of had this feeling that I was going to struggle with staying on top of things in this class. Finding the time to write papers as well as keeping up with homework from other classes and having a job has been a struggle, but I have managed to stay on top of things and I am glad with how this semester has ended.


2.) I did my best at all of it.
I believe that halfway through the semester I really got my butt in gear and tried my best at the last few assignments. At the beginning of the semester with the documentary project I found myself to be getting a little bored of my writing assignments because I felt like I kept repeating myself over and over again. I wasn't really sure how to spice it up and make it sound more appealing. My rant project seemed to go a little bit better but my attention wasn't fully into it. With the informative and surprising assignment I was really able to get into it. I wanted to get creative with the topic and I ended up learning so much more than I already knew. That assignment was probably my favorite one and I was very happy with the grade that I received because I did put quite a bit of work and time into it. With our latest assignment, I can say that I really do hope to get a good grade on it. I've also spent quite a lot of time researching and editing my paper over and over again. My process folder is ginormous and I'm so relieved to have finally turned it in! But over all I can say that I do believe I did my best throughout most of it. The beginning of the semester was sort of a slow start for me and I realized I had to pick it up a bit which is why I really tried my hardest on the last few assignments we had.


3.) Going forward...
Going forward from here, I can honestly say that I am very happy with my overall experience in this course. I learned so much and I've felt pretty confident about my assignments which doesn't always happen so often. I know that everything I've learned is really going to help me go forward from here and do well in my future classes that may have writing assignments.


     Take aways...
I learned so much more about formatting that I either forgot about or didn't even know. I know that this will help me to write much better papers in the future for other courses. I can also say that I learned so much more about summary writing than I ever thought I would know. Using multiple different resources really helped me to get a better understanding on how to make a research paper sound so much better, especially with how to use them correctly and efficiently. I also learned how to properly introduce authors with creative attributive tags to make my papers flow better. I think that taking this course really helped to give me that push I needed towards writing because writing is a useful skill that everybody needs. Being a good writer is very beneficial and I believe that this class really helped to improve my writing skills so much.


     Things to improve on...
I think that some things I can improve on are using my voice some more in my papers. At the beginning of the semester I felt like my assignments were rather boring and felt like I just kept repeating myself. But with the last few assignments I was able to really express myself as well as arguing my main points. This helped me to get into the assignment much more and have a much better experience with writing and editing. I also believe that I can use some improvement on the confidence I have in myself. I find that I doubt myself a lot which can really affect the way that I write. But I am glad to say that this course really helped me to realize what I can improve on!

Hey everyone! It's so crazy to think we only have one more class left until we hand in our papers and we're done with CW2 for the semester. I can honestly say I've made so much progress with my paper throughout the last few weeks. I just have a couple minor things to add to my paper and then it'll finally be complete. I do have a couple of remaining questions to ask before I am completely confident about turning my paper in but other than that I know it'll be 100% ready by Thursday.


Hopefully all of your papers are coming along as well! It's been a rough last couple weeks with editing and perfecting drafts but all of the hard work will definitely pay off in the end. I can also say that this paper topic has really opened up my eyes to a lot of things regarding cosmetics that I use. I know from here on out that I'll be much more aware of product names when I'm considering purchasing an item. It's easy to overlook the names which is why I've never paid much attention to them previously. Anyways, good luck with your drafts everyone! Just one day left!

Hey everyone! Only a few weeks of school left and our due date for our rational argument essay is already next week! It's almost hard to believe. I can honestly say it's been a long and tough process keeping up with the drafts and journals and blog posts, but I believe that this entire process has really helped me to feel confident about my paper and improve over all as a writer.

After today's class I spent a lot of time looking over my paper and really trying to make sure that I'm stating things that people don't already know. I want my reader to be surprised and I really want to make them think. I've spent a lot of time drafting my essay as well as researching sources that help to prove my main argument and I hope that all of the work I've put into this is enough.

I think that today's peer review and class discussion was also very helpful. I realized what I need to work on, not only for this assignment but for future assignments for different classes as well. I'm hoping after another peer review and class discussion I will be able to better improve my paper. Well I'll see you all on Thursday! :)

I can't believe how close we are to the end of the semester already. Everyone kept saying that time would fly by and they sure were right. Three weeks may seem like a lot of time to still work on our essays but I know the due date will come up super quick.


I am happy to say that I have my full draft completed and I plan to continue to keep making changes to it, tweaking a few things here and there. I also need to spend some more time on my attributive tags as well as omitting the "hit and run" quotations throughout my paper. I also need to go through and get rid of some sentences that don't belong because my paper is a little bit longer than it should be.


It's been a lot of tough work keeping up with this essay as well as staying on top of drafting,
blogging, progress reports, writing journals as well as finding and summarizing sources. And as tough as it's been I can honestly say this process has really helped me to stay on top of things and to know where I'm at and what I need to do or focus on.


Hopefully all of your essays are coming along as well. Have a good rest of your week! :)

Hey everybody! Hopefully you've all had a great weekend and hopefully you're all making good progress on your essays as well! Here's a copy of my new progress report:

Lewis University

April 14, 2015

 

To:                  Dr. Kyburz

From:             Ashley Nelson

Subject:          Progress Report of Current Status of Rational Argument Essay

 

Introduction

Background on the project itself:

Throughout my paper, I discuss the problems that arise with the beauty industry naming cosmetic products with scandalous names. Are consumers just oblivious to these names or do they actually buy them because of the scandalous names? My paper also defines the term “cult following” which is where a beauty product becomes so popular, whether it be through magazine ads or YouTube tutorials, that many people begin to form the same opinion about that product. A common way that we all hear about whether a product is good or not is usually through YouTube. Many people and beauty experts post how-to videos and their opinions on certain products. With scandalous product names like “Deep Throat” and “Orgasm,” which come from the brand NARS, how do people formulate their opinions around these names? My paper goes on to explore people’s opinions as well as how to react when a young teenage girl wants to start wearing makeup, especially if it’s from the line of NARS. Another important aspect of my paper deals with women using more makeup during the times that they are fertile throughout their monthly cycles. Two studies were done and both portray results of this being true.

Discussion of achievements since last reporting:

One of the biggest achievements I have made is finding three scholarly sources as well as two additional sources. Also, at the last reporting I only had about two pages of my essay drafted and it was just thrown together because I was still struggling on a pathway to focus on. Staying after class that day to get some opinions and help from Dr. Kyburz was very beneficial because she helped to open up my eyes to all of these different paths I could potentially choose for this paper and I was able to choose one and focus on it. After receiving that help, I was able to go home and find some new sources and draft my full paper. I know it could still use a lot of editing but I’m just glad that I have a full draft done and that I have a decent amount of sources.

Discussion of problems that have arisen:

Some problems that have arisen since the last reporting would have to be my scattered thought process throughout my paper. I noticed that I ask a lot of questions geared toward the reader and I’m not sure if this is a good approach or not. I also feel like I have a bunch of my thoughts and ideas mixed around in my paper and I know that the order of my essay could use a lot of work. I emailed Dr. Kyburz my essay and she gave me some really great feedback which I intend to use to help edit and keep drafting my paper. I know I still have a lot of work to do from here and I know I need to get my ideas arranged in a better order throughout my paper.

Discussion of work that lies ahead:

From here, I plan to use the feedback I received to help further lead me in the right direction. I need to continue to keep editing my essay and drafting consistently up until the day that it’s due. This is our last paper that we’ll be working on for this semester and I want to make it sound good. In my head I have all of these different ideas and ways that I could structure and tweak my paper but I just have to get myself to sit down and really focus on working on them. I still have a lot more progress to make from here.

Assessment of whether you will meet the objectives in the proposed schedule and budget:

I believe that I will meet the objectives in the proposed schedule. I was running a little behind at the start of this drafting process, but now I’ve caught up and I feel pretty good with the progress that I’m currently making. I’m usually always on top of getting assignments done and always have them finished in time because I don’t want to be docked for easy points that can be earned by simply just having the assignment completed. I want to set a goal for myself to do as well as I possibly can on this paper, and if I set that goal for myself, then I know I will be able to meet all of the objectives within this assignment.

Hey everyone! Here's my full rough draft of my paper. I still have a lot more work to do and am going to put a lot more time into it this weekend. Anyways, have a good weekend and see you all next week!!

Ashley Nelson

Dr. Kyburz

College Writing II

9 April 2015

Hidden Message?

            Whereas many people seem to think that makeup is harmless and just something women commonly wear, makeup industries may actually be sending out a deeper message along with their products; one that consumers are oblivious to. Product names on beauty products are something that most of us just look over. We’re more so concerned about finding the right shade or product that suits us well. More recently, the beauty industry has been releasing makeup products with scandalous names that cause their customers to blush just thinking about them. Alexandra Kozinski in “What Turns Cult Beauty Products Like NARS Orgasm Blush into Massively Coveted Products?” touches base on a famous makeup industry that consistently places scandalous names upon its products; that company being NARS, most commonly known for their blush that was recently released in the shade of “orgasm.” This product was so popular that the company ended up making a whole collection based off this blush (Kozinski). But why are people so quick to buy these products with outrageous names?

            As a woman who wears makeup on a day-to-day basis, I’m curious as to why companies allow for such names to be displayed on their products and why they’re okay with it. Recently, I purchased the Urban Decay Naked palette. Not thinking anything about the name, I was more so concerned about the shades and how well the eye shadow would work for me. But why refer to it as “Naked” if it’s actually covering up one’s eyelids? I didn’t come across the product because I liked the name, I came across it because I heard many people talking about how wonderful it was so I figured I’d give it a try. These fads are called “cult” following. When someone famous like a celebrity or a makeup artist reveals how great a product is and where to get it, people who hear about it or follow them will immediately try to find that product as well, commonly referred to as cult beauty products (Kozinski). Kozinski explains her first encounter with a cult following:

One of the first two beauty products I recall to have gained a cult following in recent years was MAC’s Angel lipstick and NARS Turkish Delight gloss. This lip combo was made famous after Kim Kardashian revealed these were the products she used to achieve her signature pinky-nude pucker. More recently, there was the explosion of the Urban Decay NAKED palette (followed by NAKED 2 and 3), which have quickly become staples in the beauty arsenals of makeup artists, bloggers, and beauty enthusiasts everywhere. (Kozinski)

The online community has a lot to do with how cult beauty products gain their followers. YouTube has thousands of channels dedicated strictly to beauty product reviews and tutorials. Wanting to know more about a product before buying it, often times women will watch a tutorial or review to gain an opinion about that product. If enough people share the same opinion then this is how the product gains a cult following (Kozinski).

            So who is the famous creator behind this NARS company with the scandalous orgasm blush? Klaudia Tirico analyzes where the NARS products get their names from in “The Man Who Named ‘Orgasm’ Blush: Francois Nars Dishes on the Brand’s Scandalous Product Names and More.” Francois Nars is the famous man behind these products as well as their names. A line that now has a massive collection of over 600 products originally started out with only twelve coveted lipsticks. Tirico explains, “Nars is known for his outstanding makeup innovations and provocative shade names like Orgasm and Deep Throat, but have you ever wondered how he comes up with all these genius offerings?” (Tirico). The details for this question are revealed in a recent interview. When asking how he came up with this creative approach to new product innovations, Nars said:

I’m very spontaneous; I try not to think too much. I follow my instincts and use everything I’ve learned over the years. I create products based on what I’m attracted to in that moment….I am always reinventing products, never settling for the same thing. We are constantly moving and looking forward, we try not to create the same thing twice. It’s important to be open minded and fresh, never boring. (Tirico)

Regarding the brand’s outrageous product names, Nars said that it was very simple in his mind. He gave the products those names as a way to bring them to life and make them seem more special. He wanted to give them a personality. Nars explained:

I wanted it to really click for women; I wanted them to remember the given product. It’s no longer just a tube of lipstick—it’s a movie or a character that you can identify with, a destination you travel to through products and colors. The names make the product ‘larger-than-life.’ (Tirico)

            Maybe what he’s saying has a point, that these product names are a form of inspiration he had at the moment. But a blush called deep throat? Really? When being asked what shade of blush you’re wearing I’m sure many women will literally blush when they say the words “deep throat.” Is this some kind of strange way for Nars to be bold and attract attention to his company products? Or is there some deeper meaning behind these names. For example, Nars also has a lipstick called “manhunt.” Is this name indicating that women who wear this bright red lipstick are on the prowl for men and that’s the only reason why they’re wearing it? Research shows that there are times where women actually do wear bold and dark makeup as a means to attract men and to feel more confident. Nicolas Gueguen in “Makeup and Menstrual Cycle: Near Ovulation, Women Use More Cosmetics” reports on two separate studies that were done regarding women and makeup. One study was done in a laboratory and the other study was performed in a real context. Once the participants for study one were picked out, they arrived to the laboratory where each participant was welcomed by a female experimenter. She informed them that they were going to be partaking in a survey on cosmetics choices. Gueguen explains the study in more detail:

The participant was first instructed to evaluate the time spent, in minutes, putting on makeup that morning before arriving at the laboratory. After that, the experiment added that she wanted to take a photograph of the participant’s face. Then the participant was administered an LH salivary test in order to determine her fertility….Based on the results of the LH test, each participant was allocated into one of the two conditions: fertile or nonfertile. Among the 64 participants, 14 were in their fertile phase whereas 50 were in their nonfertile phase (Gueguen).

The results from this study indicated that the participants estimated that near ovulation, they spent more time putting on makeup. Evaluation performed by professionals showed that near ovulation, the use of cosmetics was higher. Gueguen expands on these results, stating:

Thus, these results confirm that women near ovulation spent more time applying makeup and used more cosmetic products than women in the nonfertile phase of their cycle. This result confirms that women near ovulation displayed behavior that would increase their physical attractiveness probably to appear more attractive to men. (Gueguen)

Maybe this study has something to do with why women are attracted to buying beauty products with scandalous and outrageous names. Maybe it is because they truly believe in what the name stands for and they want themselves to be more appealing.

            Study two took place in an actual real life setting where participants were interviewed for a short survey. During the interview, the interviewee was to take note of how much and what type(s) of cosmetics each woman was wearing. Based off of this, the participant would be scored, three being the highest score and zero the lowest. The participants who took part in the interviews were asked to take an LH salivary test which would determine their fertility. Out of all the participants, 789 were in their nonfertile phase whereas 114 were in their fertile phase. In conclusion, Gueguen stated:

Study 2 showed that, in a field setting, women were likely to wear more cosmetics when they went to a nightclub or a bar on a Saturday night, two places in France typical for initiating romantic relationships. Thus, in teal life it appears that high fertility is associated with women changing their physical appearance in order to be more attractive to men. (Gueguen)

After both of these studies, the only question that remains is why women wear more makeup around ovulation. Other studies have shown that women know wearing makeup increases their physical attractiveness. Gueguen states that this explains why the women in study one spent more time putting on makeup and why the women in study two used more cosmetic products when they were near ovulation and in their fertile phase of their cycle (Gueguen).

            It doesn’t really take common sense to figure out that a lot of women wear makeup as a way to bring out their natural beauty and to make them feel prettier. It takes effort to put it on so there has to be an underlying reason for why she takes the time to apply it. Being near ovulation apparently plays a key role in why a women may wear more makeup than she usually does. This may also be a reason for why women are so willing to buy scandalously named products and become “cult” followers of them. But do companies like NARS have these product names geared toward a certain age group of women? Mothers with teenage girls that are experimenting with makeup certainly won’t want their daughters wearing a blush called deep throat or orgasm. Is this where companies are drawing the line with these appalling names? Susan Spicer in “12-14 Years: Ready for Makeup?” discusses the complications that arise when your young teenage daughter begins to wear makeup. It’s pretty normal for them to want to experiment with new looks and this can sort of help them identify with who they really are in a way. Spicer explains that rather than getting upset about the situation, it’s better to help her out and give her tips as her mother (Spicer). It is better to be a positive influence rather than to bring her down. But where do these teenage girls get the impact that they need to wear makeup; peers, magazines, TV, their own mother? Pamela Davis in “Makeup” tells the story of a little girl who watches how her mother applies her makeup. She alludes:

Here is her lipstick—Cherries in the Snow—worn flat to the rim. I swab enough to redden her mouth. She rolls her lips together spreading the color. I say we are done and hold a mirror in front of her face. She turns her head this way and that, pretending to see herself beautiful. (Davis)

This is how the journal ends and the last sentence is so powerful, hinting that the mother tries as hard as she can to feel pretty, using multiple different cosmetics, but without the outcome that she’d like. As a little girl witnessing this reaction, she may be impacted by this as she grows up through her teenage years. She may look back and think upon how upset her mother was after she’d apply her makeup. She may also feel as if she’ll never be pretty enough either. Makeup shouldn’t be used as a way to hide oneself behind, but it should be used as a way to make one feel bold and beautiful.

            Names given to products should be expressed in a way that make consumers want to buy them in a good and positive way. They shouldn’t be embarrassed to buy the product just because of the name and they shouldn’t buy it as a means to hide themselves. Makeup is a beautiful tool and it shouldn’t be manipulated.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Work Cited

Davis, Pamela. “Makeup.” Prairie Schooner, Vol. 85, No. 3 (2011): 60. Web.

Gueguen, Nicolas. “Makeup and Menstrual Cycle: Near Ovulation, Women Use More

            Cosmetics.” The Psychological Record, Vol. 62, No. 3 (2012): 541. Web.

Kozinski, Alexandra. “What Turns Cult Beauty Products like NARS Orgasm Blush into

            Massively Coveted Items?” Bustle. 23 June 2014. Web. 8 April 2015.

Spicer, Susan. “12-14 years: Ready For Makeup?” ProQuest Research Library, Vol. 26, Issue 9

            (2009): 140, 142. Web.

Tirico, Klaudia. “The Man Who Named ‘Orgasm’ Blush: Francois Nars Dishes on the Brand’s

            Scandalous Product Names and More.” BeautyBlitz. 5 Sept. 2014. Web. 8 April 2015.

 

 

                                                                                                              

Hey everybody!! I feel like I've been posting on here a lot lately but I know we're supposed to keep blogging about our progress on our essays as part of the assignment. Good news is that even though I wasn't prepared with a full draft in yesterday's class, I was able to complete my full draft today! As of yesterday I still wasn't sure of which direction to take with my makeup topic but Dr. Kyburz was a huge help in giving me different pathways I could take. And I think I picked one that'll really turn out to be a good essay! As of right now Ive drafted a full six pages and have found three scholarly articles that I used in my paper as well as two additional sources. I know I still have a lot of work to do with my paper and a lot more progress to make but it's nice to know that I still have time to work on all of that. I'm just glad that I was able to sit down and get myself to type today. I had to find a couple new articles to use which made the process take a little longer to do. But overall I can't wait to see how this paper turns out. Hopefully you all are doing well on the progress of your papers too! See you all in class tomorrow! :)