Beauty at the Diane von Furstenberg Fall 2013 Show

New York Fashion Week is in full swing, and while so many of us are talking about the clothes, I'm also taking in the beauty. I was going through the images of Diane von Furstenberg's collection, and as much as I LOVED every single look, I couldn't help but notice the 70's glam-rock makeup she had going on. The bright magenta pouts coupled with the muted no-fuss lids was a match made in beauty heaven.

The eyes were created using a champagne color to brighten the corners of the eyes and a rusted red from MAC's upcoming fall palette on the lids. The matte lip is here for another season (YAY!). The lip was created using a magenta pencil for a matte finish. I am absolutely looooving the magenta pouts. I'm looking forward to seeing MAC's new fall shades if this is any indication of what's to come.

One of the trends I've been seeing this week is this light to no mascara look. I don't know how I feel about that since mascara makes your eyes look so much more amazing, but it looks great on the runways coupled with dewey skin and bright pouts. There's something really fresh and glamorous looking about it, so I guess less really is more. For those of us though not blessed with lashes great enough to be worn naked, I would suggest a clear mascara to add some length and definition.

Photo credit: Style.com 

Now all I have to do is figure out if I'll be waiting until the fall to try this look...

Stay fab! xx

Beauty Trend to Try: BB Creams

I'm not going to lie, I've been resistant to the BB cream hype for quite some time. I already have a tinted moisturizer in my arsenal for low coverage days, so I didn't really see the point. Had it not been for a trip to Superdrug to buy mascara, I probably never would have tried it. I picked up a tube by Sleek figuring the low price tag would make it at least worth a try.

For those who don't know, BB creams, also known as Blemish Balms, are said to be the all in one facial cosmetic. BB creams are used to even out complexions, cover up imperfections, perk up dull tones, and hydrate skin. I've only tried one so far, but from what I can tell there are different BB creams available on the market to suit different needs.

So here are my thoughts on the Sleek BB cream:

It's a really creamy, highly pigmented, but light formula. I applied it with my fingers starting at my chin and jawline to make sure the tone was right.  The 'dark' formula was perfect for my complexion. Once I applied the BB cream, I applied a tiny bit of concealer to my under eyes, eye liner, mascara and filled in my eyebrows. I went for a nude glossy lip as well for an all around light makeup day.

I really liked the coverage for a low maintenance kind of day. Because I was in a studio most of the day working on a photo shoot, I didn't want to have a bunch of makeup on knowing I wasn't going to have a lot of time to be touching up red lips and a shiny T zone.

My only concern was how shiny I was at the end of the day. I didn't use a powder to set the cream in the morning, so I would definitely recommend doing so if you have oily skin.

Verdict: Love. It's so light, I almost forgot I was wearing makeup. It's perfect for a day when you want to look fresh but not overdone.

Stay fab! xx

Feeling Blue

Who knew blue eye shadow would ever make a come back? I certainly didn't, but I'm glad it did. I absolutely LOVE the rich blues I've been seeing lately.

I am not a fan of Nene Leakes by any means, but whoever has been doing her makeup lately does a wonderful job. While I was back in the states, I saw an episode of Real Housewives of Atlanta, and Nene Leakes was wearing a makeup look I had to try. It's taken me a few times to get it right, but I think this was my best attempt.

 I actually used 3 different blues to get this really deep color. I started with a navy eye crayon by Nars as a base. I then packed on a bright pale blue color from the Nars Rated R shadow duo, followed by a cobalt blue from the Urban Decay vice palette. I opted to keep the shadow on my lid only because all that blue could go from chic to drag queen really quickly. Liquid liner, false eyelashes, and a little blush put most of the finishing touches on my look. I typically choose my lipstick first since I love bold lip colors, but in my quest to try something new I've been thinking eyes first these days. I chose this pale pink color because it had quite a bit of pigment without competing with my already dramatic eye. Again, I'm not trying to do the drag queen thing with way too many colors.

I'm wearing a lipstick I bought at Superdrug here. It's a creamy pink by Sleek Makeup. I don't typically go for drug store makeup, but I figure there's no time like the present to start branching out. I actually bought a few things, so I'll be reviewing those products soon!

I love this look, and I got loads of compliments on it. I love this for a nice evening out on the town and can't wait to do it again! What do you think? Would you rock it?

Products::

Nars soft touch shadow pencil in Dark Rite

Nars Rated R eyeshadow duo (blue side)

Urban Decay Vice Palette (Chaos)

Mac liquid liner

Nars Dolce Vita blush

Mac Cherry lip liner

Sleek lipstick in Liqueur 

Stay fab! xx

Casual Weekend Makeup

Mac Diva lipstick and Nars Rouge Tribal gloss

I spent my weekend pretty low key, catching up with girlfriends and finding places to put all of our wedding gifts. I did get some time to play in my new Urban Decay 'Naked' palette, however. I just adore the warm neutral shades. I like my eyes to be a little bright for a little balance with a darker lip, so I opted for some of the lighter shades in the palette.

Urban Decay Naked Palette

Obviously, red is something like my signature shade, so I barely blinked before purchasing this vampy red from Mac. I know I'm supposed to be trying new shades, but sometimes a girl has got to go with what works. I went for a glossy look by generously applying a Nars larger than life gloss. The gloss is a deep burgundy with sparkles and it looks great alone or with other lipstick shades.

Urban Decay 'Naked' Palette, Nars 'Exhibit A' and 'Taj Mahal' blushers, Mac 'Diva' Lipstick, Nars 'Rouge Tribal' larger than life gloss

Going Nude: Nails Edition

Nude nails

In Monday's post, I skimmed over beauty's new trend of the "muted" made up look. I've been messing around with some nude lip colors, and I'm kind of digging it. As a result, I decided to dive all into nudes in this week's mani. I'm wearing 'Yummy Mummy' by Butter London. It's the perfect nude for my skin tone since it's more brownish than pinkish. I absolutely ADORE this color because it reminds me so much of 'All Hail the Queen' which is similar except that it has load of sparkles. I typically go for a little more color on my nails, but this is a refreshing change. It also kind of reminds me of spring which is all I'm looking forward to given this gloomy, snowy, cloudy weather we've been having here in London.

Look out for a post this week on my favorite nude lips!

Stay fab! xx

Style Resolutions: What are yours?

It's mid January, and I'm just finishing up my new year's resolutions. I'm late, but I spent all last week trying to overcome jet lag and the end of last year planning a wedding. I'll cut myself a break even if no one else does. 

I set some pretty basic fashion and beauty resolutions this year. I do a pretty decent job of sticking to my goals once I've written them down, so let's see how this goes...

1. Take more fashion risks: experiment with color and prints and play with some different silhouettes.

2. Wash my makeup off every night...even when I'm drunk and exhausted (I realize that at 26 I should already do this, but I'm not perfect!)

3. Organize (and keep it organized!) beauty products so I can use everything instead of what's on top.

4. Quality over quantity - shop less and splurge on more wish list items. Miu Miu glitter flats? Yes please!

5. Experiment with lip colors. I love red, but this year I'm going to play some more with pinks and nudes. I'm already loving MAC snob. 

6. Use eBay for some funky fashion finds! I'm always talking to friends who swear by eBay, but I don't have the patience to use it. We're going to find some fun things this year! I can feel it! 

7. Learn to apply individual lashes. This should be interesting...

These are just a few of the resolutions I have in mind, but who knows how these will evolve as the year goes on. 

Have some style resolutions you want to share? Leave a comment!

Stay fab! xx

How to Rock a Bold Matte Lip

Nars Velvet Matte Lip Pencil in Dragon Girl
Mac lip liner in Cherry 

Mac Matte Lipstick in Quick Sizzle

Mac Matte Lipstick in Quick Sizzle

I started venturing into bold lip colors like 3 years ago, and now I rarely wear neutrals. You have to have a certain confidence to rock a bold lip because people will see your lips before they see you. I typically go for a matte color because I love the way it pops. The thing about matte lips though is that if you don't properly moisturize, your color will look dry and start to flake. Hot mess.

To rock a bold, matte lip you need to start by making sure you lips are moisturized. Start with a lip scrub to remove any dead skin. I use a lip scrub by Bliss, but you can make your own sugar scrub using olive oil, sugar and salt if you're a DIY kind of girl. I then moisturize my lips with vaseline or lip balm. Before applying the color use a piece of 1-ply toilet paper (tear apart a 2 ply piece) to blot your lips. This will take off the excess layer of moisture without drying out your lips. I start with a lip liner. I line and fill my lips and then follow with my lip color. You can then blot your lips with a little translucent powder to set it. The translucent powder keeps your lipstick on longer. Apply another layer of color and you're good to go!

One last tip...stay hydrated all day long! Dehydration will cause your lips to dry and your color to flake. Gross.

DIY Lip Scrub:

1 tablespoon of sugar
1 tablespoon of honey
1/2 teaspoon of olive oil
1/2 teaspoon of vaseline

Mix the honey and sugar.
Add vaseline and olive oil and mix well.

Funny Face

I loooove makeup, so I don't know why I don't blog more beauty posts. I don't have any loyalty to a particular brand, but I do use more Nars and Mac than anything else. I love their vibrant colors. Anyway, yesterday I had almost a full face of Nars on, so here it is. I purchased some new shadow duos and velvet matte lip pencils which I played around with yesterday. I get a lot of compliments on my makeup so here's a list of the products I wear daily.

Good makeup starts with good skin, so I included my skincare regimen as well.

1. CeraVe hydrating cleanser

2. Simple hydrating toner 

3. CeraVe AM moisturizer 

4. Laura Mercier oil-free foundation

5. Bobbi Brown under eye corrector and concealer

Here is what I wore yesterday: 

6. Nars Brousse shadow duo

7. Bobbi Brown black gel liner 

8. Nars Exhibit A blush

9. Nars velvet matte lip pencil and Wonder gloss

I love a bold lip, and I switch up my lip colors pretty frequently. I typically wear a neutral palette on my eyes when I'm wearing a really bold lip color, and I really like this one a lot. I am also obsessed with this lip. The red orange shade gives my love affair with red a nice summer kick!