Halloween -- Last Minute, Budget-Friendly Glam Cat!

I know that the title of this post sounds ridiculous. However, I know a lot of girls want to look cute for Halloween, so I came up with this look that I think would be great for parties! My favorite part about this look is the ears, because you don't have to go out and purchase cat ears, which makes it perfect for a super last minute costume. Throw on some black clothes, this hair and makeup, and no one will question what your costume is!

Let's start with the hair! About a year ago, I was working at Sephora, and I saw a girl walk in with her hair styled into cat ears. While I was brainstorming for some Halloween looks, I remembered her, and decided I would show you guys just how quick and easy it is!

The first thing I did was part my hair down the center. You can do this however you like, but I left my bangs parted as they were (because I promise you don't want to see my hair in a center part...it isn't cute). From the root of my part, I took a small section and spritzed some hairspray through the hair to add some grip. Then, I began to braid! Make sure the braid is tight, otherwise it won't hold its shape. Then, I pinned the end of the braid about 2 to 3 inches below where it began, to create a little cat ear! I added more hairspray, and pinched the braid to create a point. Repeat on the other side, and you have super quick DIY cat ears! To finish it off, I pinned my bangs to the side and curled my hair, teasing to add some volume and a wild-like appearance.

The makeup itself is glamorous, but pretty simple. I started with the eyes, priming my lid with the Lorac Behind the Scenes Eyeshadow Primer. I took some ordinary scotch tape and pressed it on the back of my hand to remove some of the stickiness, and placed it under my eye at an angle to ensure a crisp, clean line. I took my Lorac Pro Palette 2 and used the color "Black" all over my lid, pulling it out to create a cat-eye effect. I then took a mix of "Cool Gray" and "Light Brown" and used these two shades to really blend out the edges of the black shadow. Luckily, these shadows blend together beautifully, making my job so much easier! 

From here, I carefully pulled off the tape, and smudged "Black" along the lower lash line, really blowing the color out. I then applied "Liquid Gold" pigment from Makeup Geek on the center of the lid. I used "Beige" on my brow bone as well as the inner corner, to brighten everything up, as well as NYX Liquid Crystal Liner in "Crystal Gold" along the inner corner of the lower lash line. To finish off the eyes, I lined my waterline with Milani Liquid Eye Liner Pencil in "Black." To further enhance the cat-eye effect, I applied Andrea 53 Lashes.

For my foundation, I just did my normal routine, as well as for my eyebrows. I also covered my lips with my foundation, to get rid of some of the color and provide a base for the nose! For the nose, first took a mix of "Cool Gray" and "Light Brown" from the Lorac Pro Palette 2 and heavily contoured my nose, from the eyebrows to the tip of my nose. I made sure to keep the contour pretty dramatic. Then, I took my Maybelline Eye Studio Gel Liner in "Blackest Black" with my Real Techniques Silicone Liner Brush and drew a heart shape on the end of my nose, making sure to fill in the nostrils as well. It feels pretty weird, but it only takes a minute. Then, from the septum of my nose, I drew a triangle shape down through my cupid's bow, to create the little cheek pads that cats have! To further enhance the shape of the cheeks, I again took "Cool Gray" and "Light Brown" and contoured my cheekbones, going all the way in to the corner of my mouth. Finally, I just drew some dots above my upper lip, and added some whiskers!

From here, I threw on a cute black dress and a leopard print scarf to really pull the look together, and you are party-ready!

Keep an eye out for more of my Halloween looks, I have a few easy looks prepped that will hopefully give you some inspiration if you have yet to find a costume and don't have much time to find one!

- D.

August Favorites!

Today, the first day of my second week of school, and I'm laying in bed, sick. Leave it to my horrible immune system to put me out by the second week of school. I thought I'd at least try to be a bit productive, though, and bust out a blog post. You might notice a bit of a recurring theme with my favorites this month. I've absolutely been loving The Body Shop! But let's go ahead and get started and I'll let you know why.

Also, please excuse the weird lighting in these photos. Because I did just move, I'm still trying to figure out the best place to take photos!

The Body Shop Brazil Nut Body Butter. Okay, so I'm hopping on the late train. But earlier this month, The Body Shop was having a sale where, if you bought $30 worth of merchandise, you received a full-sized body butter for just $5! Which is a total steal, seeing as their body butters are normally $20. I was already at $28 anyway, so I decided I would just purchase a single-use mask for $2.50 and grab a body butter as well. I'm hooked. First of all, the brazil nut scent is absolutely amazing. It isn't overwhelming and it doesn't smell cheap or artificial, and it just makes my skin feel so soft! I've been using this body butter almost every day after I step out of the shower and my skin has never felt softer.

The Body Shop Seaweed Pore-Cleansing Facial Exfoliator. Since moving, my skin has been doing all kinds of weird stuff. Something I noticed is that my skin was doing this weird peeling thing. I figured maybe it needed to be exfoliated, so while I was at The Body Shop, I talked to the woman at the counter about the problem I was having. I told her I wasn't sure what my skin wanted to do, but that normally I have dry-combo skin. She recommended this to me, and I've never loved a facial scrub more than this! It leaves my skin feeling smooth and refreshed, but definitely not at all stripped.

The Body Shop Tea Tree Body Wash. This isn't a new discovery by any means, but I never really appreciated it until I moved some place that was truly humid. Since moving, I have found that ordinary body washes just don't make me feel refreshed when I get out of the shower. I often find most of them to be too hydrating. For a long time, I only used this body wash on areas that were prone to breakouts, but since moving, I find that this body wash helps keep me feeling refreshed and squeaky clean!

CoverGirl Outlast Stay Fabulous 3-in-1 Foundation. I haven't been this impressed by a drugstore foundation in ages. Not only does this foundation match my skin perfectly, but it really does outlast any of my other foundations! It can easily be built up to a full coverage, but I prefer to apply it lightly with a Beauty Blender. It stays on all day without slipping and sliding, which is a huge deal in 90% humidity!

Better Homes and Gardens Dual-Scented Wax Cubes in Spiced Apple Pie. Unfortunately, because my apartment is owned by my school, I have to follow similar rules to the dorms. Which means no candles. However, I have discovered a love for wax warmers because of it, and currently these are my favorite wax cubes! It is a pack of two scents, and together, they smell absolutely amazing. It reminds me so much of my so-loved Leaves candle from Bath and Body Works, and I think I might go out and buy some of my favorite candles to break up into wax chunks for my wax warmer!

What have you been loving this month?

- D. 

p.s. Also, I would like to make a shout out to my dear friend Sarah. About a week ago, she tagged me to do "The Cat Tag," after having finished it herself. I'm sad to say that Sarah's beloved kitten, Claflin, passed away this past weekend, after being hit by a car. Sarah needs a lot of support right now, and I know she would love it if some of you would head over to her blog and let her know she has your support!

R.I.P. Claflin

11/7/13 - 8/31/14

The Cat Tag

What a freaking cat lady I must sound like right now... But Sarah tagged me, and I can't say no to any excuse to post pictures of my cat, who is sadly on the other side of the country right now :( This is probably one of the silliest tags I've ever seen, but I can't help it! Sarah is on a tag frenzy!

1. Breed or stray?

Preferably a stray. I have nothing against bred cats, I just hate the idea breeding animals and charging insane amounts of money to buy them, when there are thousands of cats in shelters that are being put down every single year because they couldn't get adopted, for a much smaller fee than a breeder would charge!

2. Regardless of your previous answer, what would your favourite breed be?

I think I would have to say Persians or Maine Coons. My first kitty, TJ, had some Maine Coon in him, so that might be why I love long haired breeds.

3. Any cat-themed clothes or accessories?

An excessive amount. My backpack even has cats on it.

4. What's your kitty's name?

Alice! I had another kitty named TJ, but he unfortunately passed away back in December. He was a very old man though, we had him for 15 years, and even when we got him, he was full grown!

5. Favourite toy?

Alice really loves the like feather fishing pole thing. She also plays fetch (well, she runs to it, but she doesn't bring it back, so does it really count as fetch?), and loves the laser pointer!

6. What's your kitty's favourite food?

Weirdly enough, she absolutely loves Purina Cat Chow Healthy Weight. I don't like her eating it because of all the fillers and whatnot, but she absolutely loves it.

7. Lazy or Fierce Hunter?

Mostly lazy. There's a reason I have her on weight control cat food at all times.

 

8. Favourite activity?

Biting everyone. Rolling on the ground. Screaming to go outside and explore.

9. Does your cat have any strange habits?

Well, like I said with the last question, when she wants to go outside and play, she will howl. I've never heard anything like it. She also does this funny chattering noise when she sees a light that she can't reach, but I've read that's just a cat's hunting instinct kicking in! She also runs to the door whenever ANYONE gets home, and she likes to wake me up by biting my lower lip. Oh yeah, and if I leave the door open when I am going to the bathroom, she will sit on my lap. Every single time, without fail.

Since moving, I definitely miss my kitty. I can't wait to see her again in the winter! I promise I'll be back to my normal blogging soon. School started this week so everything has been crazy! Keep an eye out for both my August favorites and my Apartment/Back to School favorites!

- D.