Beauty: An Autumn Makeup Tutorial

October 12, 20167 Comments

Get The Look

My favourite, however fleeting, season is here, and with that comes out golden shadows, plum coloured blushers and berry red lipsticks. While the style of my makeup generally stays the same year round, it’s the colours I change up with the changing seasons, so I thought today I’d share a tutorial oh how to achieve this autumnal look I have been wearing recently. Let get to it, shall we?!

Products used in order of appearance
Primer: Rimmel Stay Matte Primer
Eyeshadows: Teeez Cosmetics Spectrum of Stars in Vanilla Bunbeam, gold shade from NYX Beauty School Dropout palette, Teeez Cosmetics Spectrum of Stars in Sepia Shine, dark orange shade from NYX BSD palette and matte white shade from NYX BSD palette
Eyeliner: Revlon Color Stay Liquid Liner in Blackest Black
Mascara: Benefit Cosmetics Roller Lash
Bronzer: lighter brown shade NYX BSD palette
Blusher: Plum shade in NYX BSD palette
Highlighter: NYX Bright Idea Illuminating Stick in Chardonnay Shimmer
Lipstick: Teeez Cosmetics Sealed with a Kiss in Dash of Plum
Larkspur Vintage | Autumnal Makeup Look 1. Prime lids and sweep a gold shadow along the top and below your lid; this part doesn’t have to look perfect, we are going to clean up the shadow with some blending later.2. Pack a shimmery orangey brown shade to your crease and the outer corner of your lid and then blend blend blend. This will create a subtle smokey eye. Finish it off with a matte white or cream shadow highlight underneath your brow and in the inner corner of your eye. Larkspur Vintage | Autumnal Makeup Look 3. Line your upper lash line with a cat eye/winged style.4. Add mascara to your upper and lower lashes.
5. contour cheek bones, jawline, temples and forehead with a bronzer.
6. Sweep blusher along your cheek bones and apples.7. Smooth a shimmery highlight along your cheekbones. Larkspur Vintage | Autumnal Makeup Look 8. Apply a berry red shade to lips.And you’re done! You have become a dreamy autumnal princess ❤

Do you think you’ll try this look out? What autumnal looks have you been wearing this season? And of course, if you have any questions, do no hesitate to ask in the comments below.

A Perfect Match

September 28, 20165 Comments

in miss patina

I’ve avoided midi length anything for what feels like ages. I used to absolutely love midi skirts and dresses (any of you that have followed me since the start know this), but at some point minis called to me more and then any time I tried something longer I didn’t like how it looked. So when I decided on this dress I wasn’t really sure how I would feel in it. Aesthetically, and in theory, it’s everything I like in a dress – 70s inspired, a beautiful colour with a fun (matchstick) print, high gathered neckline, pleated voile sleeve cuffs and a flowing skirt – but while it may sound appealing, it doesn’t necessarily mean it will actually be something I am happy and comfortable in. However, I took a chance on it for whatever reason (well actually, for the reasons I listed above) and after twirling about in this fluttery number, I am absolutely sold.

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Sometimes shooting can be aggravating and I walk away dissatisfied. Other times it feels fresh and inspired and I walk away feeling like I made something I am proud of. For this set it was the latter. Naturally I can thank myself for that, but I think it’s also due in part to the dress. Clothes often have this magical way of bringing a part of yourself to the surface that sometimes feels tucked away.

-WHAT I WORE-
Dress c/o Miss Patina | Hat & Belt: vintage | Boots: Zara via CS
Larkspur Vintage | A Perfect Match

One Woman’s Trash…

September 20, 20162 Comments

Baby’s first denim jacket!

One of the things I love about my day job as a second-hand clothing buyer is having amazing – sometimes one of a kind – clothes fall into my lap, figuratively and quite literally. Take for example this vintage Wrangler denim jacket and page boy hat; two pieces I knew I would like in my closet after seeing others wear similar ones, but pieces I would likely never actively seek out on my own. Thing is, neither of these things are essentials (is anything other than one of something ever essential though?), so they become something left to fate…if I happen upon it one day, certainly I’ll purchase it (as long as it’s not too expensive), but if I don’t, that’s okay. However, I am damn pleased these two came into my life, especially this denim jacket. I love this jacket! Love it. To be honest, I’ve never even owned a denim jacket. I’ve tried on my fair share of them in my life, but I never truly fancied any…until this one. The second I saw this one, before even trying it on, I knew it was what I had been holding out for – the indigo colour, the 70s cut (to the best of my knowledge it is from the 70s), the slightly worn, however sturdy denim…it’s just the best. I hope to be able to carry it with me throughout my life, so it kind of baffles my mind that someone decided to give it away. But as they say…one woman’s trash is another woman’s treasure and whatnot.

Beauty: Styling a 60s does 20s Messy Bob

August 31, 2016August 31, 20164 Comments

Yes, I got a haircut…

I realized I forgot to mention that here! I did share my haircut (that I got a couple weeks ago, actually) on insta and snapchat (pushyspence), but not all of you may follow me there, so it was a bit silly of me not to share it here as well. Better late than never I guess.

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I thought today I would also share with you one of the ways I have been styling my bob. It’s funny, you’d think having short hair would be less maintenance, but actually, it’s been more maintenance, at least for me. I did very little to my long hair each day – I could always just get up and go – but now I have to do something to it or (like my boyfriend lovingly called it) it will look like “mom hair”. Prior to getting this haircut, I had pinned and looked at tons of images of gals with the cut I wanted so I would be able to reference that when styling it myself. Because really, you can ask for a haircut from an image, but you certainly cannot expect it to look that way unless you learn to style it. So this is one of the ways I have been styling it, which is a traditional 60s does 20s bob style, but a bit more messy because sleek hair scares me. Larkspur Vintage | Beauty: Styling a 60s does 20s Bob Pre-style: Because I have pretty straight hair that doesn’t love to do anything (except the opposite of what I want it to do), I have to will it a bit to get that dishevelled look. To make my hair more malleable and tousled looking, I spray some salt water spray (well this one is actually a salt-infusion…whatever that means) evenly throughout my damp or dry hair. Salt water spray just helps to give you that kind of beachy feel and look to your hair. Larkspur Vintage | Beauty: Styling a 60s does 20s Bob Styling: Parts of my hair do actually naturally curl into my face, but other parts don’t, and since I’m not all that good with a round brush/blow dryer combo and since I don’t wash my hair everyday, I’ve been using my flat iron to get my desired look. Sadly, my amazing flat iron that was given to me as a gift like 11 years ago (thanks Mel!) finally bit the dust last week (it was honestly so good! it lasted 11 years for goodness sakes!!), so I went out to the drugstore, doing very little research, and bought the Chi Air Expert – it has been working well so far, but I doubt it will be 11 years working well. Anyways! I seriously digress! Styling! Parting my hair and starting with the bottom layer, I take a section of hair, pull my iron down it and guide it towards my face at the bottom. I do this all around my head, pulling down a new section, until everything looks nice and curled into my face. I still style my fringe this way, so I won’t repeat that here. Tip! Make sure to only start turning your iron toward your face near the bottom, otherwise your going to have much too much of a mushroom look. Unless that’s what you want. It’s your life, of course. Do what you want! Larkspur Vintage | Beauty: Styling a 60s does 20s Bob Finishing touches: At this point my hair is pretty sleek looking (oOoOo scary!) since flat irons have a tendency to make everything look perfecto, which is both a curse and a blessing, really. So from there I’ve been using a matte hair wax (which is Zach’s and I don’t remember the name. Sorry!) or this Fructis matte cream (that is branded as surf hair, which I find annoying, but I still bought it, so you tell me!). I use a little of the wax or cream, rub it into my fingertips to warm it up and then twist parts of the end of my hair with it, tousling it here and there, all throughout my hair (like a Dr. Seuss rhyme, apparently)…this is where you can manipulate your hair the way you want to achieve your desired messy look. Larkspur Vintage | Beauty: Styling a 60s does 20s Bob And, c’est fini! Surprisingly, this doesn’t take all that long. The other way I have been styling my hair (which I will share later) takes a little longer, so I’ve been doing this one more frequently.

Do you have a bob? Tell me the ways you have been styling it! Thinking of getting a bob? Tell me about that too, in the comments below, as always 🙂

Coffee Time

August 29, 2016August 29, 20169 Comments

…Comfort time

Working at Starbucks when I first moved to Toronto 8 years ago is likely the reason coffee became a regular part of my morning routine (or afternoon, if I have a bit of a lie-in), and it’s now rare I go a day without having a cup. I often frequent local cafes – The Abbott, Capital or Boxcar Social – to grab a cup or make some at home (if I’m being honest, Zach usually makes it for me…). Sure, caffeine addiction may be a real thing, but it’s not the adrenaline and general awakeness coffee leaves me with, but the comforting feeling it brings me that keeps me coming back to it.

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And just like coffee is a comfort to me, so is an outfit like this. It’s such a simple one, but this type of outfit always make me feel alright. I’ll be the first to admit (that’s a weird saying. I don’t know that anyone is the first to say anything anymore) that I often have days where I am having trouble putting together an outfit or thinking I am happy with the one I chose and then realizing once I am at work that I just don’t like it. But this type of outfit – button up a line mini, comfy tee/blouse and loafers/oxfords – always brings me a sense of re-assurance and comfort. It’s nice to know what those outfits are for yourself. On days when you are just not feeling it, it’s good to know what to put on that takes little thought and time, and always gives you that ‘alright’ feeling.

What are those outfits for you? Let me know in the comments below!