Beauty / Daily Makeup Routine

April 22, 2015April 22, 20152 Comments

I get quite a few questions about what makeup I use, or how I do my insert word here ,so I thought it was about damn time I share. Originally, and the reason I had been holding off is, I wanted to make this in video format. But, I’m kind of a perfectionist and I watch a lot of amazing youtubers, so I sort of got in my head that I don’t want to make a video unless it is good quality. So one day, I hope, I will have the means to do that so you can hear my lil’ voice and we can connect in a different way. In the mean time, here is my daily makeup routine in picture format.

PRODUCTS Skin
+ Maybelline Dream Fresh BB cream light 100
+ MAC Studio Fix NW15
+ Rimmel Wake Me Up concealer in very fair
Cheeks and Lips
+ Revlon blusher in Melon-Drama
+ Revlon Photoready Skinlights face illuminator in 200 Pink Light
+ Burt’s Bees lipgloss in Evening Glow
Eyes and Eyebrows
+ Marcelle eyebrow pencil in Blondine
+ Lise Watier eyebrow shadow in blonde
+ Revlon Illuminance Cream Shadow in Skinlights
+ L’Oreal Telescopic Shocking Extensions Mascara
+ Revlon Colorstay liquid liner
Brushes
+ Zoeva 102 silk finish
+ 142 concealer buffer
+ 106 powder
+ 317 wing liner
+ 231 luxe petit crease
+ 127 luxe sheer cheek To start (and my favourite part), I squeeze about a nickle size of my Maybelline BB cream on to the top of my hand and with my zoeva 102 brush I apply in circular motions all over my face, making sure I get as much coverage as possible and so it blends thoroughly. Next, I apply my concealer under my eyes and on any blemishes I may have (which I always do), blending with the 142 brush. I usually blend under my eyes with my fingers first, and then use my brush to buffer. To finish it off I use my MAC studio fix powder with the 106 brush all over my face to create a matte finish, which diminishes the shine that the bb cream causes. I have to say, I do like the dewy look that the bb cream creates, but I find my face feels incredibly greasy to the touch, which annoys me.
For my eyebrows, since they are pretty invisible (a ginger’s life), I first lightly outline my natural brow shape with an eyebrow pencil and then using my 317 brush and brow shadow I fill them in. To finish them off, using the brush on the opposite end of my brow pencil, I brush through my brows, evenly distributing the colour throughout, giving them a less harsh and more natural look.
Recently for my eyes, I’ve been using a cream shadow palette, which I like because it has all the neutral colours I enjoy wearing for a more natural look (and I also wanted to give cream shadow a go…my report, it is decent). Unfortunately, they don’t have a name for each colour in the palette (but the palette I’m using is called skinlights), so if you go off my third product photo, using my 231 brush and the second shade in, which is a light cream colour, I apply it right under my brows to give them a more lifted, awake look. On my lids I do a base of the fourth shade in, which is a flesh tone, and starting in the outer corner of my lids and blending inward and into the crease of my lid, to give an ever so slight smokey eye, I use the first colour, which is essentially brown with some golden tones.I’ve been doing a cat eye for years. I’m talking yeeeeears. I first learned how to do it when I was just a wee one because it was essential for stage makeup (I’ve been a dancer since I was 3, in case you didn’t know), so I feel at this point, I’m pretty well versed in the art of the winged liner…so I’ll share my secrets with you. To have my liner stay on as long as possible, I first use a pencil liner and then go over top of that with a liquid liner. This is also great because you can really straighten up those lines when going over it again with liquid. I start from the middle of my lid going outward and when I reach the outer corner where my two lids meet, I wing the liner up a bit, having it become even with my brows. After I will go to the inner corner of my eye, and turning the pencil on slight angle so I’m less heavy handed, I will make a thin line that joins to the line I have already made. From there I go over top of what I have just done with my liquid liner, in the same sort of process, only this is the time I really pay attention to steady my hands, and I’ll also play around with the thickness of the liner, ie., a thin line at the start that gradually becomes thicker near the end. And to finish my eyes off, I apply my mascara to the top lashes in an up and fanning out motion, creating that sort of doll-like effect, and I put a slight amount on my lower lashes just in the outer corners.
Next, using my 127 brush (my favourite one because I like the way white and pink look together) I apply my blusher. Because I don’t do any true contouring, I use blush as a sort of contour. So, I apply the blush on the apple of my cheeks, as well as my cheek bones (you know when you suck in your cheeks? ya, right in that spot). And to give my face a nice, bright look, I dab my liquid illuminator right above my blusher, on the cheek bones, which makes me feel angelic and wonderful.And last, but certainly not least, lip colour. Now, when I do really want to give my lips a punch, I use a true red lipstick (usually So Chaud by MAC), but since this is an everyday look, and I can’t be bothered to wear lipstick on the regular, I’m using my Burt’s Bees lipgloss. To be honest, I’m not a huge fan of glosses, especially strongly pigmented ones. I have quite thin lips, so a more pigmented shade of lipgloss I tend to steer away from because it just doesn’t look right, but since I like this colour a lot, I make it work for me. I just dab the gloss on with the applicator, and from there I blend it in with my finger, so instead of it looking like I added a glossy colour to my lips, it gives a more flushed sort of look, like hey, my lips are just naturally this rosy. how cute of me.
And that is my everyday make up. Sorry if there was a lot of writing…man is it ever hard to explain in writing how you apply make up! Also, all of this takes me about 15 minutes, so if you think this is too much work for everyday, think again. And if you have any other questions or things that need clarifying, please let me know. I may do a post that is more in depth about my favourite products I use regularly, so let me know if that is something you would be interested in.

Millay Vintage SS ’15

April 21, 20154 Comments

Millay Vintage is a Philadelphia based online vintage shop run by Mary Spears, who also offers interior design services, as well as prop/fashion styling (in other words, a busy, busy, talented woman). They just recently released their SS ’15 lookbook and it’s filled with gracefully soft, muted tones, perfect for welcoming the buds and greenery back into our world. Millay Vintage is the shop to head to if you’re looking to add some modern day nobility and romanticism in your life.

Photography: Joe St. Pierre
Model: Katarina Pavic – Reinhard Agency
Art direction, prop styling, wardrobe styling and hair: Mary Crowder Spears

Have you guys ever heard of Millay Vintage? What are some of your favourite online vintage shops? I’d love to hear.

One Leg At A Time

April 20, 20157 Comments

I think this could be the very first time I am wearing trousers in an outfit post. While my wardrobe is predominantly skirts and dresses, I do actually own a few pairs of trousers, one pair of jeans (which I bought recently and are flared highwaisted 70s dreams) and some other pants I’ve had for years that I’ll wear, say, when I’m walking the dog, cleaning the house…etc. I own these things, and yet they often collect dust or are my ‘I don’t care if they get ruined’ clothes. This is mostly because I don’t really feel much like myself when I wear pants, so they often get ignored as a viable option for outfits. But every time I see that sort of cool, late 60s look of cigarette trousers and a casual untucked fitted top (Mad Men, I’m talking about you…), I wish to myself that I owned more pairs of that style, because those pants actually feel like me – casual, but not lazy, dresses down and yet still pulled together. These pants I’m wearing feel pretty darn close to that style, although I do wish they were a bit higher waisted, but meh, we can’t win em all I guess.

What about you guys?! Do you have an styles you avoid? Things you are hesitant to wear? Garments that collect dust?
Blouse: vintage via Local 23
Trousers: H&M
Shoes: Sylvie and Shimmy

Into It, Intimates / Unmentionables

April 17, 2015Leave a comment

Unmentionables, a brand based on the South Coast UK, has an undeniable bohemian feel, with interesting twists and details added to your typical vintage styles. I think my favourite part – and what initially drew me into this brand – is the floral appliques adorning bralettes and knickers. I could see some gals sporting these at something like Coachella, especially the fringed halter crop. They are clearly pieces mean’t for show and not so much practical everyday wear, but I think that’s the fun of intimates. There is so much to find for all sides of yourself – the practical and the frivolous, the sexy and the sweet, the naughty and the nice. I think Unmentionables has most of these covered.

My favourites: Folking Florals highwaist panties, Hang Loose playsuit, Eve mesh bralette, Folking Florals strappy bralette, Not So Basic mesh bodysuit, Eve suspender belt

Beauty / Pre-Raphaelite Hair & Makeup

April 15, 20156 Comments

I quite often get compared to the women in Pre-Raphaelite paintings, solely based on the fact that I have long red hair and pale skin (I’ll take it though!). So it only felt like a natural and fun challenge to really and truly try to emulate the beautiful women from those paintings. This actually ended up being extremely enjoyable for me. When I was a teenager, I absolutely loved makeup ( I still do) – I’d try out different styles, colours, you name it – the crazier the better. But as I got older I fell into a routine with my makeup, and rarely change it up, so it was fun for me to look at images from Brotherhood’s art and recreate the hair and makeup.

If you are interested in recreating this look, I have written a wee tutorial at the end.
To get this look:

Hair
The wavy, crimpy red hair is probably the most discernible feature of the Pre-Raphaelite look. To achieve the waves I used my hair straightener. I sectioned my hair with an elastic, working from the bottom of my head to the top to ensure I get all the hair as wavy as possible. Take a section from your hair and using you straightener, clamp it near your scalp and turn the straightener towards your head and hold for a few seconds, then pull the straightener down the hair ever so slightly and this time turn the straightener away from your head. Your hand should be doing a sort of rocking motion that is folding the hair under itself and over itself. Repeat this all the way down, until all of your hair is done and wavy baby. Also, to keep the look as authentic as possible I center parted and crimped my fringe since most of the girls from the paintings do not have a fringe.

Makeup
The Pre-Raphaelite look is a pale one, with glowing skin and slightly dark, sunken eyes with a rosey-red lip. I used this image as my guide. To create this look I did my normal bb cream/concealer/pressed powder routine, and instead of adding blush, I used a light shimmery cream shadow on my cheek bones with my finger in a dabbing motion. For my brows, I tried to make them a bit thinner than usual (although maybe not successful) – I use an angle brush and shadow for my brows and a pencil to sharpen them. For the eyes, I used a mix of a neutral flesh tone shadow and a white shadow on my lid to create a light, glowing base. To create the sunken look I used a mix of brown shadow and blush pink shadow and blended around my top the lid and under my bottom lid, creating a sickly, but striking look. I finished off the eyes with my angle brush and black shadow along the top lid, creating a faint eyeliner. For the lips I used my favourite red “So Chaud” by Mac, although a little less tomato red and more rosey red colour would feel more authentic, but we work with what we got.