How are you all, mes chéries? Have you gone through tissue boxes? Felt unproductive? Had some miscommunication mishaps? Or maybe you’re just deep in your feels for no good reason? Well. Hope you’re enjoying Pisces season! And if that wasn’t enough, Mercury is in retrograde during Pisces season this year of ALL seasons… We’ll get into that later in the post.

This post was supposed to come out 10 days ago, but thanks to Mercury in retrograde, a lot of issues happened that prolonged me from posting it. Nevertheless, we’re here now. Let’s dive into the deep end with our fish friends, the Pisces.

Pisces: February 19 – March 20

Symbol: The Fish
Element: Water
Quality: Mutable
Color(s): any shade of purple, sea green
Ruling Star: Neptune
Greatest Overall Compatibility: Taurus, Virgo

Pisces is the last sign in the zodiac. It is probably one of the most beautifully mystical signs. People born under this sign are the daydreamers. They have a young spirit but an old soul. They’re highly introspective which makes them either intriguing and mystical or seemingly boring. They’re known for being romantic, compassionate, receptive, tolerant, wise, gentle, and spiritual. They are often very friendly and surrounded by the company of a wide array of characters. You’ll also notice that many Pisces are very artistic or creative in nature, although nothing they do will ever live up to what they can imagine in their minds. Pisces are also known for their intuitiveness. They live in a brilliant inner world of their own that they rarely ever share with anyone else which makes them sometimes lose touch with reality. They’re highly emotional beings and value bonds with others very strongly. Pisces also care so deeply for others that it kills them to see loved ones unhappy or suffering. They are naturally very kind and love to help others and the less fortunate. I related to this on a personal level as my Venus (which governs relationships and love) sits in Pisces.

Those born under this sign are very sensitive and delicate. Since they’re so fluid, they’re highly malleable and susceptive to the people and world around them As a result, many put up a very strong and dominant shell to protect themselves when in reality they need a lot of love and encouragement to get things done and reach their full potential. Otherwise, they spend their time imagining and failing to take action. That doesn’t mean they won’t accomplish their goals, but rather it takes them time to find the inspiration they need to push themselves towards reaching a milestone. However, their great ideas and sensitive natures makes them great teachers.

As a mutable sign, Pisces are adaptable albeit emotional. Even when it’s hard, they understand how to let go and go with the flow (although sometimes too with the flow). Pisces are also generous and quite selfless which sometimes in turn can make them very vulnerable, too tolerant, and overly trusting. This means they are easily pulled into unpredictable situations or taken advantage of. If they don’t focus on themselves, their constant worrying about others or the drama around them can cause them to burn out and self-pity.

One of the biggest critiques about Pisces is that when they’re the victim or martyr of a situation and need an escape, they can easily become addicted to living inside their own head full of vivid fantasies. In the case of fight or flight, they will almost always choose flight to the safe world they create for themselves, much like a fish in a fishbowl. This makes them escapists who can be unrealistic.

In the workforce, Pisces are some of the most loyal and dedicated workers. They often stick with their company for ages. They quietly do work and never share unless necessary which can accidentally comes off as self-absorbed. They’re not necessarily the best leaders but are some of the best team workers and teachers or guides. They work best with team support. They don’t work well with tough love or harsh critiques, but rather constructive criticism delivered in calm and encouraging manner that shows the manager’s sincere care for the Pisces employee. Occupations that fit Pisces are architect, veterinarian, musician, social worker, or anything in the creative field (like a designer).

When it comes to friends and family, Pisces are deeply impressionable and often find it hard to create boundaries. They can be manipulated by others who don’t have the best intention and need to keep a safe distance between loved ones to ensure healthy relationships. And when it comes to love and romance, these guys give their loved ones everything and more. They prefer long-term commitment over short flings and crave an unconditional love and connection with their partners.

HOW TO GET THE LOOK

Pisces are notorious for being as in their feels as Drake is, so I created a look to match the moodiness of the sign. I played with four colors: aqua, blue, mauve, and eggplant. I dotted the corner of my eye with a dash of silver and added dramatic false lashes for some artistic flare.

NOTE: The base for all of these looks is going to be the same as I’m mainly focusing on the eyes for this lookbook series. The only real change will be the blush or highlighter I use for certain signs. I’ll be skipping the base from now on and going straight to eyes. If you’re curious to see what my base routine is, check it out in my Capricorn post.

The Eyes

Always prime your lids to start. For me, that’s covering my eyelids with foundation. For others, that’s using actual eyeshadow primer. I used my Morphe James Charles Palette, and the colors were so vibrant I wanted to cry…which could be fitting for Pisces season.

Since we’re transcending into a dream world, I started the base with the top left light beige, Canvas, so that all the colors would stick and stay vividly. I didn’t choose to use the white shade Flashback because I usually only use white bases for brighter and lighter colors. I wanted these tones to be more muted. Next, I dusted Punch Me (the shade below Canvas) into my crease.

Then, I dipped into the matte aqua shade second from the bottom left called Jada. I put this in the inner 1/4 of my eyelid as a pop of color. The central 50% of my lids are covered in the blue shade called Cola from the James Charles Palette bottom row, fourth from left. The outer 1/4 corner of my eyes share the second and third from right shades in the bottom row of the James Charles Palette called Escape and Single.

 

Afterwards, I blend the colors into the cool-toned shade in the crease with a fluffy brush until the edges by my crease are blurred softly. Then, I go back and add the shimmer version of each shade on top of the matte shades on my lids. That means Pool Party from the Jaclyn Hill Palette (bottom left corner shade) on top of the inner 1/4 of my eye, Twerk (second from left in second row from bottom) from the Jaclyn Hill Palette on the center region of my lid, and Royalty (leftmost from second row from bottom) from the Jaclyn Hill Palette on the outermost corners of my eyes. On top of Royalty, I patted Artistry, the third from right shade in the second to last row in the James Charles Palette. Once all the shimmer tones were on, I carefully blended each shade into its neighbor. I mirrored this on my lower lash line but only with the matte shades.

To finish it off, I dabbed Beam (second shade from left in the first row) from the Jaclyn Hill Palette into the corners of my eyes for a little pop. Then, I added false lashes for an artistic flare (yes I’m aware I rushed these selfies before the glue fully dried…). And you have it!

About Astrology: Mercury in Retrograde

Last post we talked about sign compatibility. This season, let’s talk about this infamous retrograde.

Mercury is associated with communication, transportation, and logic. When Mercury is in retrograde, a list of things go awry: technology, communication, transportation, logic, and information. All of these are easily and almost always disrupted and leaves everyone anxious and constantly frustrated. Productivity levels decrease significantly due to obstacles that create that frustration. Things might break. Projects stall. You might get thrown off schedule. You fight with friends or break up with S.O. maybe because of a fight sparked by breakdowns in communication.

So when they say Mercury is in retrograde, it doesn’t mean the planet is actually moving backwards. It means that the way it orbits causes it to look like it’s moving backwards from our viewpoing on earth. During its perceived backwards motion, anything related to what Mercury governs can get majorly delayed or screwed up. Some say this is the stars way of telling us to stop every few months and take a step back to reevaluate everything. Things break. Projects stall. We lose things. Breakups happen. Schedules are thrown off, we get frustrated, we lash out and more breakdowns in communications follow. The effects of Mercury retrograde aren’t all in your imagination – but it isn’t all bad news either.

To avoid letting your stress or anxiety skyrocket causing sleepless nights, here are some ways to take preemptive steps. Mercury retrogrades three or four times a year, so start jotting these down for the next shitstorm:

1. Brainstorm more frequently so you have many solutions at hand when you run into problems.
2. Think carefully before you speak.
3. Stay alert for any possible issues. Make sure your tank is always filled and that you’re extra on top of your schedule and deadlines.
4. Play it safe and always have back up plans. Don’t be idealistic.
5. Try not to be in a rush and give yourself extra time.
6. Be flexible and patient. Think broadly and don’t tie yourself to a comfort zone.
7. Don’t pull yourself into negative thoughts. This will be counterproductive.
8. Don’t exaggerate. Just ride it out and attack the problem at the source as quickly as possible.
9. Don’t plan important trips or draft papers or contracts.
10. Get away from technology more. Don’t rely on it
11. Surround yourself with others who can help you through any possible road bumps during this time.
12. Let the brain rest. Get as much asleep as you can so you can attack any possible issues.

Good luck, mes chéries. I’m going to be drowning in Mercury mishaps and all my moody feels until it turns into my season on March 21… Wish me luck. My health, work life, and personal life desperately need it. Until next time, bisou biosu…