Today I turned 30 years old — and officially transitioned into the new decade! 30 is a strange number: you are no longer in your 20s, but you’re not in your 30s, either. You’re just… 30. Whether you’ve already hit the big three-oh or just approaching the threshold, here are some of my celebratory moments that made me feel lucky to be this age.

• I know exactly who I am, why I am, and have the confidence to be it every day.

We spend our 20s trying to prove ourselves and agonizing over how others perceive us. You tell yourself you shouldn’t care, but deep inside somehow you still do. But it gets better, and by the time you turn 30, that pressure is suddenly gone. My 20s were one big experiment: personal style, careers, relationships — I’ve done it all! I’ve tried on a million and one masks to see if one fits and magically makes me, me. But what shapes you is the aggregate of all those things and experiences. Sometime during my 29th year I started noticing the ease with which I made the decisions that used to take lots of back-and-forth and second-guessing. It’s as if someone wiped the front wind shield, making the view crystal-clear. When you turn 30, you chuck a lot of uncertainties aside, stop apologizing for who you are, and just… enjoy the ride.

• I know how to dress for my body type – and make my best features shine.

Heaven knows, I’ve gone through many awful (ahem, experimental) outfits, hairstyles and makeups in my history of online blogging. It was like battling a giant, polka-dotted, neon rag monster that wouldn’t be tamed! Well, I’m happy to report that I’ve grown out of my blue-streaked bangs and ripped fishnets and graduated into a style much more befitting of my personality: artistic, color-intensive, with a retro edge.

A quote, often attributed to Coco Chanel, taunts: “If a woman is still not beautiful by the age of 35, she is probably not that bright.” Whether Coco actually said it or not, the message is clear: experiment away, you have plenty of time to figure out how to make yourself look great! A woman in her 30s has a level of confidence that females in their 20s have yet to discover — the type of confidence that is attractive to men and women of all ages. By now, you’ve either accepted and learned how to make the best of your flaws, or found a way to minimize or get rid of them altogether. I know that a good belt works wonders for my waist-to-hip ratio, long hair is always beautiful, and false lashes are more than just a luxury, they are a way of life! Here’s to finally being able to say you’re a beautiful woman — and mean it!

• I am ready for my Golden Age of creativity!

If history is any indication, mathematicians generally produce their best works in their 20s, and artists in their 30s. What happens to creativity as one gets older? The mind is already set on a definite track, we stop trying to please others and work harder than ever because we enjoy our craft. I am looking forward to reaching my fullest potential in my 30s with Lime Crime and fashion alike!

Hello, 3-0: I love you!

• I am content with my career’s trajectory.

Being named one of Top 50 Inspirational Women Entrepreneurs of 2010 came as an awakening shock. In spite of running my own business for a couple of years, I’ve never thought of myself as a serious businesswoman. It made me take what I do more seriously and strive to get better at it. I’ve learned how to command respect in a business meeting, negotiate like a pro, give an elevator pitch, and manage conflict. I am so ready to become a kick-ass businesswoman and a force to be reckoned with!

• I know how to spot a fake.

Whether it’s a handbag, a diamond, or a potential friend — I know what’s real and you can’t pull one over on me. Although I’ve always been a fairly good judge of character, my intuition now is more acute and I know I can rely on it completely. I’ve cleansed my life of fair-weather friends and hidden agendas, and surrounded myself with an amazing network of individuals I can trust and who keep me inspired every day!

• I am more financially secure than ever.

I’ve worked hard through my 20s to earn my independence. I’ve lived in a cramped Brooklyn apartment with my boyfriend, worked out of a kitchen, and mailed hundreds of packages out of my attic. I’ve learned the value of money before I had any. At 30, I am grateful to be able to afford a beautiful apartment in a central area of Los Angeles with my husband, provide a royal living for my 3 cats and still have some money left over for shoes and little luxuries. We don’t own a house yet, but that’s just something to look forward to in the upcoming years!!!

• I get to plan out a whole new vision for my 30s.

Switching decades means I get to refine my Candyfuture and reinvent myself in a whole new way. The process has already begun: my style is shifting towards more polished & ladylike, and my fashion choices become more intentional. I’m developing a taste for art and interior design, and gaining a deeper understanding of what beauty is, its significance and its limitations.

They say, 30s are like your 20s except you’re 10 years wiser. I say: Bring it on!

Here’s what Twitter thinks:

• ClassicGrrrl Happy Birthday! FYI- My 30′s have been WAY better than my 20′s!
• ashleyinfo Hell yes! Ppl respect u once u hit 30. 20somethings are still children. Your work gets BETTER rewards cause youre taken seriously.
• Oddwhims Your 30′s r better than your 20′s…u become more confident with your appearance!
• CloverisQueen I’m turning 30 this Sunday…idk how I feel bout that…specially since I work w people who are 16-22 for the most part =.=
• cherry_MUA 30 is so much better, your old enough to not let silly things bother you but still look young enough to enjoy it!
• DanaDelaneyMUA I turned 30 in Jan. As for “it” getting better? Age really is just a #. I feel no different. Maybe too soon to tell?
• x_MissClaire_x 30 is like being 20 you’re just 10 years wiser
• nici_chan nici_chan You bet, but it starts to go faster too! So live every moment to it’s fullest!
• ShellyAnnSilks hell yes! I just turned 36 and u couldn’t pay me enough to relive my 20′s!!!
• fayemarieblogs it does get better from 30 – my life suddenly got better as soon as I turned 30 :) xxx

Fashion magazines hold a special place in my heart. I’ve never seen one until I was about 14; Western magazines were a rarity in Russia, not to mention quite expensive. A friend of a friend happened to have a whole stack of Cosmopolitans — about five or six! Some issues were as ancient as half a year old, but it didn’t matter; they were a collector’s item and borrowed frequently by friends. It was something that girls shared between each other and bonded over. What struck me about Cosmo is that it was nothing like my mother’s Burda Moden – which catered to sewing and filled with boring patterns. Instead, it was young and discussed issues girls wanted to know about, not to mentioned featured a glamorous female on the pink-tinted cover! I was in heaven! Getting lost in the world of beauty, clothes, and makeup was a newfound escape and made me feel like anything was possible.

First thing I did when I moved to the US was get me a Cosmo. I must have read that September 1998 issue a thousand times. It was heavy on purples — yes, clothes and accessories, but eyeshadows and lipsticks is what I remember the most. They were all a greyish-purple hue. One article featured a list of up-and-coming models: Amy Lemons, Audrey Marnay, the Texan girl whose name I can’t remember right now… I gasped when I saw the face of Gisele Bundchen for the first time — she stuck out!

15 years later, I’m still into it as ever. Having a magazine to read means that I’m in a good place in my life; it’s a small luxury I can afford. In my new apartment, I carved out a space especially for reading magazines — a small, comfy bench with cushions and an old trunk used as a table. I’m not so big on Cosmo any more, but do enjoy a good Vogue, especially the  French or Italian variety (they seem to be more about the art and less commercial). When a package arrives at my door, a big smile comes over my face and I feel glee fill my brain — in anticipation to leaf through the glossy, perfume-scented pages and get lost in the world so different from our own.

Deerlings: Do you enjoy fashion magazines? What are your favorites?

With my friend Gulya, circa 1998. I look like a dorky version of Madonna!

I didn’t pay a whole lot of attention to my appearance until the very last month of high school. I didn’t wear makeup because I didn’t believe it could do anything for me — I had a pot of sheer gloss and maybe some mascara, but didn’t really know how to use these tools to improve my looks. I didn’t hate the way I looked; I just never thought of myself as someone who could be beautiful.

Everything changed on Prom Night. I will never forget what happened. A little back-story first: in Russia, you don’t need a date to come to the prom, everyone goes solo. It’s more of a graduation ceremony followed by an (optional) dance. I remember girls talking excitedly about what kind of a dress they’re going to wear, some even got theirs custom made. As for me, I chose a long, floral dress I found at a thrift-store paired with some funky jewelry — which was an improvement, seeing how I was a tomboy and categorically refused to wear a skirt.

Aged 16. I really liked Guns N’ Roses.

I asked my mom to braid my hair, but didn’t even think about makeup. Turns out, my mom called in a favor from a friend, who happened to be a professional makeup artist for runway and TV. Inessa was the first person to tell me I had a ‘great face for makeup’. (I wasn’t sure what that meant at the time; I know now it means a face that transforms well under makeup.) I remember her filling in my brows, dotting concealer under my eyes (Do I have abnormally dark circles??), and applying light pink and pale green eyeshadow over my lids. My eyes widened when she pulled out a tube of green German mascara and did my bottom lashes with it!!! (She wanted a more adventurous look, to suit my personality; she later gifted me the tube, which I’d held on to for years and years.) My lips were painted a light mauve shade and my cheekbones contoured slightly — “it will look really beautiful in the evening”. No one had ever used the words ‘really beautiful’ and me in the same sentence before!

Getting my fierce on!!!

The rest of the night was a whirlwind. I remember walking to prom and people staring (I kept tugging at my dress and hair, thinking something must be wrong) and hearing whistles (surely they must be whistling at someone else?!). At the prom, everybody commented on how wonderful I looked. I smiled for pictures, sipped champagne and socialized confidently. My mother later told me that other parents approached her throughout the night to tell her her daughter was ‘the most beautiful girl in class’. Whaaaa?! Just like that, I went from moth to butterfly… in one night.

When I got home, I did something very strange. I sat down with a mirror and copied down my eye makeup onto a piece of paper. I drew a diagram of an eye with colored pencils, deciphering it as best I could. I didn’t want to wash it off; I wanted to preserve it somehow. The thought of going back to being Plain Jane didn’t agree with me any more. Lucky for me, I now had a tube of  green mascara at my fingertips…

To be continued…

Russia In 3 Words

by Tom Washington, via themoscownews.com

How to sum up the vast expanses of Mother Russia? This is the challenge that Duma speaker Boris Gryzlov set the nation. He is calling upon his countrymen and women to distill the “national idea of Russia” into three words, Moskovsky Komsomolets reported.

And [sic] opening a fitness centre in the Kaliningrad region he suggested that one of those should be leadership. “For us Russians the national idea is leadership. To aspire to leadership is a trait that is inherent to Russian citizens,” he told MK.

But some of his political colleagues were unimpressed.

“You could also suggest as a national idea that you should be healthy and wealthy, and not poor and unwell…  This is utter stupidity. There is not one country in the world which is a leader in everything. What does ‘everything’ mean? Corruption?” snorted Yabloko leader Sergei Mitrokhin.

“We have already gone through all of this,” said Boris Nemstov. “Nikita Sergeyevich exhorted us all in the last century to catch up and overtake America. Why waste his breath?”

Alternative suggestions

But the idea of capturing the mysterious Russian soul in a few short words has caught on, and Moscow News readers had a number of interesting ideas.

Cold

Images of Dr. Zhivago swathed in fur have made an impression on those looking into the great land in the east. “Big, cold, hats?” suggested Lisa. “Vodka, fur hats, cold” from Nicole and “Far away, cold,” from Tim. “Cold, scary, talented,” advised Lucy.

And images from Russia’s recent history are still potent for Catherine, “Cold, big, communists.”

Mayonnaise

Visitors from Europe and America are often struck by the ubiquitous appearance of mayonnaise and dill on the dishes they are served here, and this was the first thing that Tekorei thought of. She then added trains and snow to the list.

Mafia

For some it’s as if the 90s never went away, and Mick’s three words of choice were “run by criminals.”

Mystery

For Russians, that famously elusive soul is all important. “Crazy, interesting, surprising,” said Marina. With “hard to define” from Olga.

But there were patriotic thoughts from Karina, who suggested: “Honest, strong, ours.”

And Yulia evoked the lyrics of a DDT song, which busted the word limit but offered an image of a country ‘you can’t help loving, for all its ugliness and gullibility.’

Here’s my take: resilient, loyal, entrepreneurial — at least it’s true for most Russians I know. :)

Deerlings: If you’re from another country, how would you summarize its essence in 3 words?

• 1. Always look your best.

I’ve done both, and let me tell you: it’s better to be over-dressed than under-dressed. Whether you’re at work, going to a party or at the post office dropping off Christmas gifts for your grandma, show respect for others and yourself by making an effort. As sad as it is, people who don’t know you will judge you by the way you look, so you might as well dress for success!  Don’t save that pretty frock for a special occasion — if you like it, wear it today! I like to dress a little festive — a brooch here, a scarf there, let them think it’s my birthday! ;) I can’t count the times a beautifully-dressed girl brought a smile to my face, so why not be that girl every day?

• 2. Smile!

Sometimes I feel like smiling in New York is prohibited by law. Showing your teeth in a friendly way has somehow become a sign of weakness. Nonsense, I say! There is a difference between grinning foolishly and smiling with a purpose. A confident smile shows that you’re comfortable in your surroundings and are in control of your life. Having the stones to smile will make you feel great on the inside and maybe even put others in a good mood. There is a guy on Houston St. selling antiques who always tells Mark and I that we look like rockstars (what sunglasses will do!) — this makes me smile even more. :)

• 3. Be daring.

Take a stroll on the wild side, take risks, talk to strangers! Whatever it takes to get you out of your comfort zone. The point here is to make yourself *a little* uncomfortable — not do something you’re dead-against. Throw a tea-party for you and your friends! Start a secret club! Go on Craigslist and do an apartment swap! Dye your hair an unnatural color! You get the idea.

• 4. Capitalize on your fabulous skills & talents.

Have you ever seen someone play an instrument who’s really good? Their face lights up, their eyes begin to sparkle and as if by a miracle, they become impossible not to like.  Nothing makes a person more irresistible than watching them do something skillfully. I believe that every single person on this planet has a special, unique gift that they can do better than anyone else in the world — even if it’s just one thing. Go discover yours! Hone it, love it, and share it with others.

• 5. Proceed through life as though everybody already loves you.

It may sound conceited, but it works! Believing that everyone will be receptive of what you have got to offer often makes it so, like a self-fulfilling prophecy. Just like walking into a room thinking nobody wants to know you will probably result in nothing but misery, you can project positivity and success. You don’t have to be arrogant to be confident in your abilities to charm damn near anyone, and you don’t have to act entitled to know you’re worthy of the best things in life. You are lovely — just the way you are — so go ahead and be FABULOUS!

Deerlings: Share your rules of fabulousness with us!