Autumn Refresh: Wardrobe & Makeup!

I love all four seasons, but for many reasons autumn has always been one of my favorites! I look forward to a change in the weather, the colorful fall leaves and Halloween. A bit of crispness in the air is the signal to pull my boots from the back of the closet, and I do love my boots! Of course living in SoCal, autumn doesn’t present itself in quite the same way as it does in other parts of the country. Our first year here, knowing I missed the changing of the leaves, Tim brought me some autumn-ish leaves and it was like he’d given me a dozen roses!

Now that I’ve lived in California for the past 15+ years, I’m used to lighter seasons and have even learned to appreciate them! Poor me, right?! In SoCal, we basically get an extended summer with a little bit of autumn, sans the changing of the leaves…

SO, even though I don’t feel like autumn is almost upon us (next week already) as I am still wearing summer attire and slathering on the sunscreen (and will be for some time), autumn is definitely in the stores and has been for a while. Good thing for me I’m seeing a lot of black, white, and denim, because that means I’m all set, however I have noticed a few things that I might need to give my fall wardrobe a refresh. Generally I steer away from styles of the moment, but in the interest of mixing things up a bit I’ve chosen a few pieces with interesting texture to compliment what is already in my closet and give it new life.

I’ve hit up the fall lines of a few of my favorites*, to add a bit of leather, smooth, fake and textured, frayed hems, fleece, cords, fresh white graphic Ts and of course a pop of color!

Current Elliot

Fiorentini & Baker

Current Elliot

Cupcakes & Cashmere

Current Elliot

Free City

If you can believe it, you probably can, I took all these fashion pics using a tripod and the timer on my camera!That’s it for clothing this season… on to makeup!

Fall Makeup!

I love makeup! Just like fashion, makeup changes with the seasons and styles come and go. This summer I tried something new and stuck with just a few neutral shades while I was busy traveling, beaching and moving all summer long.

Now that things are settling down, I’m ready for a change. Bye bye neutrals! I need a pop of color! I love color and glitter, in fact the more sparkle, color and glitter the better! If I’m feeling down a bit of makeup retail therapy goes a long way!

I always love MAC’s theme lines, but I especially geeked out on the new Star Trek line (I’ve been a fan my entire life), I picked up some shadow and two liners in back and silver, as well as two new x9 palettes burgundy and purple… the burgundy is new for me… Another new for me is the MAC brightening line. I’m trying out the Lightful C Vibrancy Eye Cream because, honestly, who can’t use a little brightening!

What do you think do my eyes look brighter? We shall see!

Happy Fall!

*Rag and Bone, Cupcakes and Cashmere, Fiorentini & Baker, Current Elliott, Sundry & Free City!

February 12, 2016February 11, 2016

Makeup To Go!

It feels like ages since I’ve been anywhere and I’m starting to get restless… lucky for me I’ve got a few trips coming up and others in the works! As soon as the itineraries appear in my inbox I’m thinking about what to pack! This doesn’t just include the clothing in my suitcase, but makeup and toiletries too!

I try to pack as light as possible, but whether I am going to carry-on or check my bags there are certain items that I like to keep in my carry-on tote, makeup and toiletries are on that list! It’s also a good idea to include a spare pair of underwear and socks too… In the event that your bags and you do get separated you will have fresh undies and your makeup bag, and you’ll be good to go no matter what!

What’s In The Bag?

I always want to feel like myself, and even more so when I’m away from home and other things are unfamiliar, so whenever possible I try to bring the items I use on a daily basis with me when I travel. Of course items over 4 oz are prohibited on the plane, so everything must shrink in size… It’s taken ages, but the makeup industry seems to have finally gotten on board. The MAC counter has a “Sized To Go” section and Nordstrom has a “Mini Must Haves” section with multiple product lines represented!

Not everything comes in convenient travel sizes, but when I can’t find what I am looking for I’ve had great luck asking for sample sizes of my favorite products from the counters I visit regularly. I love my tiny Chanel mascara and primer, and my mini eye cream!

Eyeshadows don’t come in travel sizes, but rather than bring many individual shadows, which take up lots of room and have a greater chance of breakage I bring one small palette with many colors. Recently I picked up this fun MAC palette with lots of spring colors. I love the wide variety because I can use it for multiple occasions, both day and night. I’ve even used the pink shades, as blush and cheek highlighter, which you can see are very similar in color to the larger size blush I already own.

Here I am with day and night looks using the same palette:

Daytime

Evening

While I do keep both my makeup and my toiletries in my carry-on tote I like to keep them separate. Keeping all the liquid items in one pouch and non-liquid in the other makes getting through airport security so much smoother!

I hope these ideas are helpful! I’d love to hear some of your ideas on what works for you when packing your makeup bag or carry-on. What are your must have items?

December 29, 2015November 4, 2016

New Year’s Eve! Makeup!

The holiday season is coming to a close and with it 2015, but before we say a fond farewell to this crazy year, we have one more opportunity to celebrate! New Year’s Eve!

I love makeup and I love glitter and for me no holiday look would be complete without them both. Even better why not combine the two! No matter your plans, going to dinner with friends, a fancy party, or just staying in, this look should do the trick!

The Smokey Eye

Before getting started I give my face a once over with MAC makeup remover wipes. They are great for picking up any excess dirt or oil that may be on your skin. Next up is moisturizer and I can’t stress this enough, not only is it good for your skin, but it helps give your makeup a smooth more natural appearance. My favorites which I apply in the following order are: Chanel Le Lift eye cream, Dr. Brandt Infinite Moisture, and for daytime events, Peter Thomas Roth Max Sheer All Day Moisture Defense Lotion which is an oil free sunscreen.

To give my skin a more even tone I apply Chanel CC Cream all over and then use a small amount of the Chanel Correcteur Perfection Concealer under my eyes and around the edges of my nose.

Next I apply the powder and blush. I really like MAC Studio Fix and use it everyday. When doing a heavy eye I go a little lighter with blush and for this look I used the Bobby Brown Shimmer Brick in Rose.

Now its time to focus on my eyes. My first step is to apply an eyeshadow paint as a base. My current party favorite is Chanel Fantasme which provides a nice shimmer! I bring the Fantasme all the way to my brow line. Next, my entire lower lid is “painted” with a dark blue Chanel shadow called Swing. To achieve an even darker look and also maintain better control of the shadow I wet the brush before applying. A little water goes a long way.

At this point my lower lid is dark blue and my upper lid is a shimmering white and I’ll need to blend them. To do this I used MAC Gesso Matte which is a white shadow with no shimmer and applied it to the middle area of my lid. I used MAC Pigment Powder in Vanilla to highlight the corner of my eye.

Applying dark shadow can be tricky and it makes perfect sense to do your eyes before completing the steps above. If you do experience a little powder fallout, a q-tip works great to sweep up any excess!

To finish my eyes I applied eyeliner to my upper lid using the Chanel eyeliner pen in Noir. If you’re not sure about using liquid liner this is the one for you! It’s just like drawing with a felt tip marker! For the lower lid and waterline I used a MAC eyeliner pencil in Black Swan which has a tiny bit of shimmer to it. I use a brush to smudge the shadow under my eyes.

Recently I discovered mascara primer and I love not only the length it gives to my lashes, but how easily the mascara goes on after using it. I am using Chanel, but MAC also has one available! The final touch to my eyes is Chanel Inimitable mascara in Noir.

Last but not least, lips! It’s the holiday season, so I felt red was in order, but again because I went with such a dark shadow I didn’t want it to be too over powering, so I toned it down with a gloss. I used MAC Luster in Cockney and a MAC lip gloss from the Cinderella line.