Thursday, October 30, 2014

All Hallows Eve


Look 1: Grungy Vampire



Look 2: Classic Cat




Look 3: Wednesday Addams



I always loved dressing up for Halloween when I was younger, and that has obviously not changed. I wanted to do a quick tutorial for a few easy costumes because I have definitely been in the position where I am scrambling for a costume last minute, so I hope these will help.


Look 1: The vampire is always a go-to costume for me, just because of how easy it is and the variety you can add to the costume. So many movies lately have been about vampires, so it makes the costume easy to change-up and make a little more modern. I drew inspiration for this look from The Vampire Diaries with a tousled hair look, and fake fang teeth (I got a pack of 8 for a $1 at Target!). On my lips I'm wearing MAC's "Rebel," and made sure to blot it slightly to give it a more berry red look than deep purple. On my eyes, I smudged NARS Larger Than Life Long-Wear eyeliner in "Via Appia." This gives the eyes the more grungy look. 
MAC "Rebel"-X NARS Eyeliner-X Fake Fangs-X

Look 2: The cat has always been to favorite costume of mine, especially when I was little. To make this look, I got ears that came in a pack with a tail, and a slightly scarily-real mask (Also both from Target). On my lips is MAC's "Rebel," but with no blotting to achieve the deep purple. I finished it off with a dramatic winged eyeliner, where I used Stila's Stay All Day Waterproof liquid eyeliner in "Intense Black."
Liquid eyeliner-X Cat Ears-X Cat Mask (similar)-X

Look 3: For my final look, I had to go with Wednesday Addams. She practically embodies Halloween with her eerie attitude and cool stare. For her classic braids, I used Goody ouch less elastics for my hairstyle. To achieve her intense stare I used Makeup Forever's Aqua Eyes waterproof eyeliner in "Matte Black." On my lips I used MAC's "Pure Zen" for a nude peach color to bring attention to my eyes. 
Elastics-X Eyeliner-X MAC "Pure Zen"-X


Also as a bonus here is me on my second Halloween in none other than a cat costume. Typical.



Thanks for reading, and Happy Halloween!
-C




Tuesday, October 28, 2014

Daily Beauty Routine

                                                                     From L-R: Tinted Moisturizer- Laura Mercier  Eyelid Primer-MAC 
                                                                       Brow Pencil-Anastasia Beverly Hills Mini Blush and Bronzer Duo-NARS
                                                                   Mascara-Marc Jacobs Eye shadow-Stila Eyeliner-NARS Perfume-Viktor&Rolf                         
                                                                             Eyelash Curler-Revlon Face primer-bareMinerals Lip Stain-YSL
                     

For my first post, I just wanted to share some of my usual go-to beauty items for my daily makeup routine. I start off with a face primer from Bare Minerals, which works quite well because my skin really absorbs products quickly, so this helps things stick. I then use a tinted moisturizer that I apply with a Beauty Blender sponge (it is not pictured because it is actually quite dirty, but I will link it below). After I have evenly applied the moisturizer, I use my paint pot from MAC as an eyeshadow primer. These really work, and prevent my eyelids from getting too oily. Next I put on one of my favorite eyeshadows, Stila's kitten (yes, it is worth the hype), which I love because it makes my face seem brighter overall. In my experience, it can also double as a highlighter for the inner eye and for the brow bone. My eyeliner is next, which is by NARS. I got this about  a year ago, and I was hesitant at first because it's almost a metallic bronze, but I absolutely love it. For some reason it makes my eyes seem to be a shade of green. My eyelash curler is old (I've had it for about 2 years), but it has held up, and I will probably be repurchasing one in the near future. I pump it at the base of my eyelashes about 5 times, and then towards the middle to make the curl last longer. My mascara is a newer addition that I got with a summer set from Sephora, and I love it. It is a gel base, which I have never used before, but really have enjoyed because it doesn't smudge under my eyes. I usually apply about 4-5 coats of that, and then apply a little more to the corner lashes to make my eyes pop. I fill in my eyebrows with a brow pencil, and only do so in the areas needed. I got this mini one in a kit, and will be upgrading to a full size soon. For my blush and bronzer, I use the duo by NARS. I have repurchased it several times, and it works really well for me. The blush is a shimmery pink, which sounds flamboyant, but really isn't and gives a nice rosy glow to the cheeks. The bronzer is great for contouring and providing a sun-kissed look. One of my favorite lip-stains is my YSL lip stain in a very neutral pink color. It's amazing that it doesn't dry out my lips for hours on end, and isn't too shiny. Finally, I will usually apply my rollerball perfume, which I was cautious to wear in the summer because of the woody undertones, but am definitely going to be using more often with the fall weather close approaching. 
Thanks so much for reading, and I hope you have a wonderful day!
-C

beauty blender sponge-X