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Posted on Dec 7, 2012 in Fashion | 16 comments

Fashion Friday: Snow Queen

In yet another misleading blog title, this is a makeup post hiding under the guise of Fashion Friday. Because, even though I still haven’t really figured out if makeup falls under the full “fashion” headline, “Makeup Friday” just doesn’t have quite the same ring to it. So, here we are.

I actually had a pretty interesting (and hilarious) conversation with Sean the other night regarding winter makeup looks. It went something like this:

Me: I’m thinking about doing a winter makeup post on Friday. So basically I’m thinking it’ll just be like, glitter.
Sean: Makeup provides neither warmth nor coolness, so why is winter makeup different from summer makeup? Do you wear depressing makeup in the winter because winter is depressing?
Me: You are such a boy.
Sean: I just don’t understand women.

Now, Sean’s unfortunate lack of knowledge regarding the intimate workings of makeup aside, he does make an interesting point. I mean, there’s no physical reason to sport different makeup looks just because of the weather. But I do it anyway, because I doubt I’m the only person who feels like there’s a shift in the air (and not just the temperature) when a new season rolls around. So over the next couple of months, as the weather continually gets colder and colder, expect to see more makeup looks on here that are winter appropro. Which, as stated above, essentially just means we’ll be diving further and further into the land of shimmer and glitter.

Digression: I got contact lenses in the 6th grade, which means I was 10 years old (I skipped 2nd grade, so I’ve always been young for my year in school). I had to sit through this little class thing at the optometrist’s office where they instruct you on what not to do with your contacts. One of their rules was to be very careful when applying eye makeup (a rule that I obviously disregard wholeheartedly these days, hahaha). Well, little 10-year-old me had only one question throughout the entire training session (which, it should be said, was a group of people, all the rest of whom were adults). That question: Can I still wear eye glitter? I then proceeded to pull out my grape-scented purple glitter rollerball and show it to the technician. I am really serious about glitter.

Anyway, this look is actually not very glittertastic (somewhat ironically, given that ridiculous story I just told, hahaha). But, it is super WINTERtastic. I used to think that light, shimmery makeup was retired back in high school, along with the light lipstick + dark lipliner trend (I’m looking at you, Jen Powell Robinson!), lest it conjure unfortunately dated looks like this one:

Yes, that is Katherine Heigl in the 1996 Disney Channel Original Movie, Wish Upon a Star, which was like Freaky Friday except totally awesomer. ANYWAY. As long as you’re not too heavy-handed, I’ve recently come to reappreciate the light, shimmery makeup look. And if you can look past the terrible lighting and bags under my eyes in these pics, since I took them at like, 11 PM last night, I think you might possibly be able to see why. It gives me this whole ethereal, winter-faerie-like look that I can totally vibe on.

And when paired with a subtle, shimmery lip, pink cheeks, and an icy blue eyeliner? It’s like a winter wonderland on your face, in a completely wearable, everyday way.

Eyeshadow(s): Sephora Collection Colorful Mono Eyeshadow in Aspen Summit (23), all the way from my lash line to my brow bone. Then Urban Decay eyeshadow in Toasted along the outer half of my lid and in the crease (courtesy of my Naked palette, but they’re also sold individually).

Eyeliner: Urban Decay 24/7 eyeliner in Electric, on both top and bottom lids.

Mascara: CoverGirl Lash Blast Luxe (it has glitter IN THE MASCARA!) in Black Platinum.

Brow Pencil: Too Faced Brownies

Lipgloss: I got it for free when I was trying out BeautyMint (a subscription skincare thing), but any light-colored, shimmery gloss would do.

Blush and highlighter: NARS blush in Orgasm and Smashbox Halo Highlighting Wand in Gold, as always.

Are you drawn to different makeup looks in the winter?

PS: Don’t forget to enter my giveaway for two cans of Blue Diamond Almonds’ exclusive seasonal flavors!

Posted on Nov 16, 2012 in Fashion | 11 comments

Fashion Friday: Au Naturale

Do makeup posts really belong under the Fashion Friday header? Ah well, I’m still rolling with it. We can revise later. So today, I am doing something marginally ~~daring~~ ~~inspiring~~ awkward. As someone who constantly proclaims how much she loves to put stuff all over her face, I am about to show you my makeup-less mug. I know.

BAM! This is me, completely fresh-faced, just after washing my makeup off.

Now, why am I doing this? Well, I’m really not someone who feels I NEED to wear makeup. I’m actually (shockingly?) quite happy with the face God gave me, and I know how lucky I am to have relatively clear skin and all that jazz. I don’t feel hideous when I leave the house without makeup, I just feel kind of… naked. So really, when it comes to wearing daily makeup, it’s a preference thing for me.

Which is why, on those days when I don’t feel like doing anything bright or bold or colorful or crazy (and I don’t want to spend a lot of TIME on my makeup), I go for a very simplistic, natural look. I know it sounds redundant, but I want to look like I’m not really wearing makeup, while still wearing makeup. I want the extra confidence that comes from knowing my skin’s a little more even, my eyelashes are a little fuller, and I don’t think there’s a single thing wrong with that.

Enter, my natural look kit:

My ever-lovin’ Urban Decay Naked Palette (fitting, no?), pressed powder (picture shows Makeup Forever), a brow pencil (picture shows Too Faced), mascara, and lip balm. Easy as (pumpkin/pecan/apple) pie. (Can you tell my mind is on Thanksgiving much?)

To me, natural means no shine, no shimmer, no glitter. First, I did a once-over with the pressed powder (no blush, since my face’s natural redness shines through powder). Then, I used the two matte colors in the palette, Naked (a neutral beige) and Buck (a medium brown). Naked went over my entire eyelid, and then I shaded some Buck into the crease/outer corner. After that, I fill in my brows a bit, then add mascara and some chapstick, and done!

Pre-makeup on the left, post-makeup on the right:

Voila! It doesn’t make a TREMENDOUS difference, but it’s enough to help even things out, boost my confidence, and make me feel just a little more put together. The brow shading is admittedly a new thing for me. I’ve been blessed with relatively full (and dark) eyebrows naturally, but I recently started filling them in just slightly more and I really dig the look. It gives me this whole Camilla Bell/Brooke Shields vibe that I dig. Eyebrows. So hot right now. Eyebrows.

Anyway, so that’s it! Done in 5 minutes or less. Like I said, easy.

What does your “natural” makeup routine consist of? Or do you really prefer just to not bother with makeup at all if you’re going to be wearing so little?

Posted on Nov 5, 2012 in Dear Diary | 30 comments

Favorite: Beauty Products

Hi friends!

So I have a really fun, fashion-themed sponsored post coming your way at the end of the week (involving leggings and tights, the staples of my winter wardrobe), so as a precursor to that, I thought I would spend a little time this week posting about other girly things that I love. The few times that I’ve posted about makeup in the past, a few of you have requested a post about what my favorite beauty products are. Well, ask and ye shall receive!

Male readers, feel free to X out of your browsers now. I think you’re done.

So, as you all know by now, I’m kind of obsessed with putting crap on my face. In the best possible way, of course. And I’ve posted about certain products that I like, as well as my Sephora obsession, but never really broken it down beyond that. To be fair, it’s because I really am not the kind of person who has one everyday, go-to look. I really enjoy playing around with my makeup and having lots of options. But, if I were forced to whittle down my ridiculous makeup collection into the basics, these would be it.

Now, it should be noted that this list is of predominantly higher-end makeup brands, so if you’re shocked at the sticker prices… well, yeah. Believe me, I know. But, they really are amazing! And I do use drugstore brands too (you might even see one below…!) it’s just that, well, these are supposed to be my favorites, right? Right. heh. (Oh, and sidebar: none of the links below contain affiliate links.)

IT BEGINS!

Foundation

I don’t wear foundation on a daily basis, but when I do, it’s Makeup Forever’s HD Invisible Cover Foundation ($42). I wear color #125. Though I know I’m lucky because I have pretty clear skin naturally, I suffer from a LOT of redness. This stuff really does cover my redness, and gives me a blank canvas to work with. It is fantastically lightweight, and doesn’t get cakey on me, which is a problem I’ve had in the past. It is definitely expensive, but for me, since I don’t wear it daily, one bottle lasts a looooooong time.

Blush

I’ve mentioned NARS Blush in Orgasm ($28) on this blog before, and it’s because it’s the miracle blush. I have yet to find a single person that this blush does not look amazing on. It’s a subtle, shimmery, peachy-pink, and it really is just gorgeous. As I mentioned above, my cheeks are naturally very red, so I really only wear blush if I’m wearing foundation. That said, this is the only blush I can ever imagine needing again. I threw out my other ones. True story.

Eyeshadow

Hands-down, the most-used product in my makeup box… tray… shelf… thing (…) is the Naked Palette from Urban Decay ($50). This single palette has 12 colors, almost all of which are neutral, and all of which look AWESOME. I use it for almost all of my daytime looks, and Creep + Gunmetal (the black and silver on the end) make an awesome nighttime smokey eye. The palette comes with a brush (that I don’t really use, haha) and a mini bottle of Primer Potion, which IMO, is absolutely the best eyeshadow primer out there.

Sin, the second shadow from the left, is an amazing, shimmery pink color, and Buck, 5th from the left, is a matte brown. They look awesome together (Sin on interior half of lid, Buck on outside and in crease). If you didn’t want to fork over the cash for the entire palette, but would like a couple shadows for a great daily look, I’d suggest getting those two colors individually. The individual shadows sell for $18 each.

Eyeliner

Confession: I have this eyeliner in six–yes, SIX–different shades. I love it. I love it, I love it, I love it. Yep, Urban Decay 24/7 Eyeliner ($19) glides on smoothly, stays on forever, and comes in the bessssst colors. I have it in Zero (black), Gunmetal (silver), Covet (green), Flipside (teal), Lust (purple), and Woodstock (pink). It is, quite simply the best, and I will fight you over it.

I will admit, however, that I have also been using UD’s 24/7 liquid liner, and I’m not 100% sold on it. So I’m looking for suggestions for your favorite liquid liner–feel free to pass ‘em forward if you use the stuff! I’m especially interested in trying out the marker-style liquid liner, as opposed to the bottle-and-brush kind, which is what UD’s is.

Lipstick

I don’t wear a ton of “real” lipstick, since, like 83% of the day I have something in my mouth (I’m talking about food, you gutter minds!) and it never really lasts long enough to make it worth it. In fact, one of the only times I wear lipstick-lipstick, is when I feel the occasional need to rock the red lip that I love so dearly. My color of choice? Makeup Forever Rouge Artist Intense in #42 ($19). Highly pigmented and pretty long-lasting, when I do the whole fill-in-lips-with-lip-liner-and-use-multiple-coats-thing.

Lip Gloss

Now, gloss on the other hand… gloss, I love. I have a lot of them. And they’re sticky, and they’re shimmery, and Sean hates them. And my favorite of the bunch is NARS Lip Gloss in Orgasm ($24). This gloss is actually pretty UNsticky, and the shimmer is subtle and beautiful. Along with the Orgasm blush, this is the product I used on each one of Anne’s bridesmaids when I did their makeup for her wedding, lending credence to my theory that this color just looks good on errrrrybody.

Highlighter

I’m kind of funny when it comes to my makeup. I don’t use (or even own!) concealer, but I’ll tout highlighter as a must-have from here to kingdom come. See, highlighter is one of those products that is generally overlooked. Not a ton of people use it, and it does seem a little superfluous on the surface. But to me, there’s nothing that brightens my face more than just a tiny touch of a shimmery sheen here and there. Smashbox’s Halo Highlighting Wand ($32) is my current fave, although I haven’t tried TOO many different brands yet.

I dab it under my eyebrows, along the inner corner of my eye, over the tops of my cheekbones (above my blush-line), and in my cupid’s bow (the little dip at the tip of my upper lip). It lets my face catch the light in really flattering ways, and looks great in photos.

Mascara

Hokay. So. Had you asked me like, a week ago, what mascara I would recommend, I would have proclaimed from the rooftops Diorshow Blackout ($25), no question. J’adore Dior. It is a thick formula that actually clings to my tiny, weak Asian lashes (seriously, if you catch me at the wrong angle sometimes it doesn’t even look like I HAVE lashes) and is a real, true BLACK, which is what I love. And I still love it, don’t get me wrong.

However.

SOMEBODY just HAD to have dinner with me whilst sporting the most incredible lashes in existence, to the point that I could not stop staring into her eyes during dinner. So, yes, Aileen, I am a total creeper, but thank you for introducing me to this magic.

CoverGirl LashBlast Luxe in Black Platinum ($7.50, I got it at Target) is the bomb-diggity. And yes, I’m bringing that back. It is thick, and amazing, and a third of the price of Diorshow and… it has SPARKLES. Yes, this mascara actually glitters. The bomb. It comes in a range of subtle tints, too, but I went with basic black. And I’m not sure if I’m going back. Stay tuned.

So! There you have it! Whew. Obviously, the basic lesson of this post is that I spent entirely too much money on makeup, so that I could report back to you with my faves. The things I do for you people, I tell ya.

I know I’ve basically asked this question before, but considering the topic of this post, I think it bears repeating: What are your makeup faves?

Posted on Oct 11, 2012 in Dear Diary, Fashion | 24 comments

Don’t Make Me Over

Just kidding. Please make me over. Always.

As you guys already know, I love makeup. I am totally that girl. I don’t wear foundation on a daily basis or anything, but I just love the possibilities that makeup provides. With a few dabs here and there, you can hide that zit that’s been plaguing you. You can play up your eyes, or show off your smile, with just a few minutes of work. It boosts confidence, it makes us feel beautiful, and, yes, makeup ALWAYS fits. Regardless of whether all you like to do is brush on a single coat of mascara in the AM, or you’re putting on the whole kit-n-caboodle before work, I am a total makeup advocate.

Which is (part of) the reason I am 100% incapable of not spending money when I walk into Sephora. Anne is getting married this weekend (!!) and I ran over to the mall yesterday after my haircut for what was intended to be a super quick trip. I’m doing the makeup for bridesmaids (including her MOH, my older sister, in case you weren’t aware of that connection) and had to pick up a couple of things. Important things, like waterproof mascara. Because wedding + bridesmaids + non-waterproof mascara = looking like Alice Cooper.

Well, despite having the intention of only walking out of there with 1) Diorshow Waterproof Mascara and 2) a new color-matched foundation for myself now that I’m no longer tan (cry!) I think we all know that didn’t happen.

Sephora is like Target. I can’t walk out of there having spent less than $100.

I blame the fact that you can try pretty much every product out in-store. I can play with a look I wouldn’t normally be able to do myself because it includes ridiculous and impractical colors that normal people don’t just own. And then when I find out that look is totally freaking awesome, of COURSE I have to buy the stuff to recreate it!

Par example:

Let’s take a closer look.

This is a peacock-inspired makeup look that utilized Make Up For Ever’s Aqua Creme shadows (#20, #21, and #23). [Sidenote: none of these links are affiliate links or anything, I just wanted to make sure you knew what products I was referring to.]

I obviously couldn’t take step-by-step photos in store (just taking the one self-portrait made me feel awkward enough, haha) but if you’re interested in trying to recreate something similar, its really simple.

Step 1: Turquoise-color over entire lid.
Step 2: Dark blue color in crease, outer corner, and along bottom lash line.
Step 3: Green in interior corner.
Step 4: Blend your little heart out.

I also used a little gold eyeliner on my bottom lash line, but I don’t think it’s super necessary. I put a taupe/neutral color under my brow as well, but that’s something most people probably already have? Also, mascara duhhhhhh.

You guys should be really proud of me though. Even though those are the products I used to create the look IN-store, since EACH pot of creme shadow is $23, I actually walked OUT of the store with Sephora Brand Jumbo Waterproof Liners instead (#10, #11, and #27). They’re half the price and twice as versatile for me, since sticks are easy peasy to use (and I’m not really that familiar with using creme pots anyway). The cremes had wonderful, deep pigment, but I just couldn’t envision being able to make my entire way through an entire pot of electric green in my lifetime.

Lips: NARS Orgasm lip gloss, cheeks: NARS Orgasm blush. (I already own the blush… I bought the gloss. Bad Gretchen!)

Anyway, so that was my Sephorical adventure! A zillion dollars later. Oh, and just as one last note for anyone who IS considering getting the creme pot shadows: their wear-length is outstanding. I didn’t take off my eye makeup before bed last night (but I did wash my face and everything) and the shadow was still basically perfect when I woke up. This is some serious ish.

Fellow makeup fiends, come out of the woodwork! What’s your favorite look? Product? Right now my absolute favorite product I own is Urban Decay’s Naked Palette. I do at least 80% of my eye-looks with it.

Posted on Aug 31, 2012 in Fashion | 16 comments

Fashion Friday: Red Lipped Lovah

Here is a statement that will shock you to your very core: I love clothes. I love looking at them, shopping for them, buying them, and yes, even wearing them. I just am really a very typical girl in that way. Fashion is one of my (many) passions! I mean, I basically started this whole series just so I have an excuse to take pictures of my clothes. I love fashion and I’ve got the store receipts and backlog of Vogues to prove it.

There is, however, something that I love more than playing dress up, buying new clothing (especially now that I actually sometimes like how I look in them!), and generally ogling designer duds that I will never, ever, ever be able to afford. Makeup. I love how it can transform us, perfect us, and allow us to express ourselves in endless ways. My sister is often bewildered at my intense passion for putting tons of crap on my face, since I definitely didn’t learn it from her. In fact, beyond her high school fashionista days of wearing dark lipliner with light lipstick (hey, it was the 90s!), she doesn’t really wear makeup at all. I just got her to start regularly wearing mascara!

To be fair, I don’t actually wear a ton of makeup every day either. It’s very rare that I’ll put on my full face (foundation and all that jazz), since I’ve been blessed with relatively clear skin for most of my life (except, of course, when I need to take super close-up shots of my face, sigh). But I do my eyes up almost every single day, and in general I just love the possibilities that makeup provides. You can go from doe-eyed beauty to sultry vixen to glamorous rockstar all with just a few brush strokes. And as I’m sure the saleswomen at Sephora can attest, I take this particular passion of mine quite seriously.

Doing Ashley’s makeup at HLS (photo from Theodora)

I think that in another life (or maybe still in this one!) I’d be a makeup artist. I love doing my friends’ makeup for them, and will actually be putting my skills to the test at Anne’s wedding in October when I do the makeup for her bridal party (one of whom is my sister, so I guess that doesn’t really count).

Even with my self-proclaimed love for making myself up, however, I still have my hangups. I’m really not much of a lipstick gal. In fact, before this year, I never regularly wore anything on my lips aside from the occasional gloss. I’m now trying to branch out and try different things: stains, lipsticks, and the like (thank goodness for BirchBox!) but I’m still a bit shy when it comes to bold lip looks. With one exception, of course.

The red lip.

I have got a serious ladyboner for red lips. I don’t know if it’s because of my not-so-secret desire to have been born in the 1950s or simply my devotion to the the originator of fabulousness herself — Marilyn Monroe — but I just love it. Like, in an I-am-going-to-rock-a-red-lip-on-my-wedding-day way.

While I used to confine the red lip to nights out with my manfriend or a particularly fancy event, I’ve recently come to the realization that iconic glamour like this knows no boundaries. I wore a daytime red lip to work yesterday and got tons of compliments. When wearing such a bold lip, I keep my eyes super-dee-duper minimal. So I’m bringing this particular look right to you, in both daytime- and nighttime-appropriate looks:

Since this is a rather picture-heavy post, and I’d like to save myself the humiliation of having endless photos of MYFACE! on the front page of the blog all weekend long, simply click past the jump to see more!

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