September Favorites!

I feel like I'm a bit late on this post, but the last week has been pretty busy for me, so you'll have to excuse the late-ness of this post. September has been a pretty good month for beauty, so let's jump right in!

Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick -- Black Cherry & Milani Color Statement Lipstick -- Sangria. So this is actually a color combination that my friend Jas introduced me to, and I am obsessed. Together, these two lipsticks make the perfect deep oxblood color. I keep looking for a color like this, and it seems that I can only find the perfect shade when I mix these two together! I always apply Sangria first, then Black Cherry on top, to ensure maximum opacity. And of course I had to include pictures from Tumblr of when I first tried this combo on.

Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics Nail Lacquer -- Black Dahlia. Obviously, I've been loving the oxblood colors this month. But this color is absolutely incredible. If you are looking for an almost-black red nail color, this is the perfect color! The formula is incredibly creamy and fast-drying, and it has a pretty decent staying power. Keep in mind that most nail colors don't last on me because I work with my hands so much, so if you don't spend every day sewing for 4+ hours, then this will probably last even longer on your nails!

Maybelline The Rocket Mascara & Maybelline The Mega Plush Waterproof Mascara. This is another combination I've been wearing nonstop this month, and when I try to go for each of these mascaras alone, I notice a definite difference. I always apply The Mega Plush first, then The Rocket second. What I love about this combination is that The Mega Plush really separates my lashes, and acts almost like a primer for the super volumizing effects of The Rocket!

Too Faced Chocolate Bar Palette -- Triple Fudge. So being brilliant as I am, I forgot this palette at home back in California before moving out here to North Carolina. Go figure. Andrew sent a big care package to me, and he sent me my beloved palette in the box! Of course, I've raved about this palette for almost a solid year now, but I didn't realize how much I missed the shade Triple Fudge until I was left without it for almost two months. This is my go-to brow shade, and my brows are definitely loving having it back!

Mossimo Harmony Combat Boots. I featured these boots in the Fall Lookbook I posted not too long ago, and the reason is because I wear these boots almost every day. They are so easy to wear, and they don't do that weird sock slipping thing that a lot of boots I own tend to do. When I first saw these boots in Target back in August, I fell in love with them completely. I love the strappy studded detailing, and they're super easy to slip on because they zip right up!

What have you been loving this month?

- D.

Karlie Kloss' MET Gala Look + Birthday Outfit of the Night!

Yesterday just so happened to be my 21st birthday, so me, my boyfriend, and a couple of my friends went out for dinner and drinks. I decided it was the perfect time to do the Karlie Kloss MET Gala look that Sarah (Diary of a Beauty Padawan) has been requesting! I based the look mostly off of these two photos from Instagram:

Her look is definitely 60s-mod inspired with a modern pinup twist. After doing a little bit of hunting, I found that her lip color is Marc Jacobs Lovemarc Lip Gel in "Moody Margot," which honestly would be a horrific color on me since I don't have Karlie's beautiful golden undertones, so I opted for MAC's Shy Girl instead! For the eyes, I used my Too Faced Chocolate Bar Palette, but the Urban Decay Naked2 would be a perfect palette for this look!

For my skin, I have been testing and loving the Bare Minerals bareSkin Pure Brightening Serum Foundation. I used 2 drops on each section of my face (my cheeks, chin, and forehead, with one drop on the nose), to give me a sheer-to-medium coverage. Karlie had absolutely flawless skin at the MET Gala, but since I was planning on going out, I wanted some of my own skin to show through. Then I let the foundation sit, while moving on to my brows. For Karlie's brows, she had a very natural yet defined look. I went in with the "Triple Fudge" shade from the Too Faced Chocolate Bar Palette and filled in my brows the way I normally do. Then, I brushed through with the Anastasia Clear Brow Gel to keep all the hairs in place.

From here, I moved onto the eyes. First I went in with my MAC Studio Finish Concealer all over the lid and up to the brow to even out my lids. I then took "White Chocolate" and used it to set the concealer as well as create the cream colored base that Karlie has in her look. From here, I took a mix of "Triple Fudge" and Inglot 358 Matte on an angled brush and precisely ran it through the crease, flicking upward to create a cut crease that would be easy to blend. I used a clean pencil brush and blended up the line, making sure to keep it crisp along the bottom. After blending it, I continued to build the colors into the crease. I avoided blending into the outer corner of my lid, because her crease color is concentrated specifically in the crease. After the color was built up to an intensity that I was happy with, I went back in with "White Chocolate" on a flat shader brush and cleaned up on the lid, making sure it was crisp, as well as along the brow bone.

From here, I moved onto the liner, which was the Maybelline Eye Studio Lasting Drama Gel Eyeliner in "Blackest Black." I won't go into detail about how I did my liner since I already did a post on that here. I used my MAC Studio Finish Concealer on a very small detail brush to create a crisper finish under the wing. Then, going in with an angled liner brush, I lined my lower lashline with "Triple Fudge," doing a soft wing on the outer corner that mimicked the strong liner on my upper lashline. I then lined my waterline with Rimmel Scandaleyes Waterproof Kohl Kajal in "Nude" to brighten up the eyes. 

For my upper lashes, I skipped mascara altogether, and used the Ardell Natural Lash 110 to create the full and flared out lashes that Karlie has in her look. On my bottom lashes, I used a single coat of Maybelline Volum' Express The Rocket Mascara. Then, after the falsies dried, I curled them to blend them with my natural lashes! The great thing about these lashes from Ardell is that they have an invisible band, which makes them so easy to blend into your liner without having to take a million steps to hide the band. They also look super real and make you look like you have the longest natural lashes!

Back to skin, I took my Maybelline Dream Touch Lumi Concealer and applied this under my eyes, to the tops of my cheekbones, and down my nose, and blended it out with my finger. Then I took my Sonia Kashuk Undetectable Cream Bronzer and contoured under my cheekbones and along my jawline. I topped it with my Inglot 358 Matte to give me an even more defined look. For blush, I used the NYX Rouge Cream Blush in "Natural," which is probably my new favorite cream blush! Of course, I then set all my cream products with my Revlon Photo Ready Translucent Finisher, and very lightly blended "Champagne Truffle" on the tops of my cheekbones to really make them pop. To finish off the entire look, I used MAC's Shy Girl, which is the perfect nude lip color for my skintone. 

For my outfit, I actually used a basic black dance leotard from Bloch, which I have found serves me just as well as a fashion piece as it does a dance outfit! Leotards are pretty much everywhere nowadays, so you don't have to find a specialized one for your wardrobe, but it's just what I had in my closet. My skirt was a piece I picked up in Chicago at a little boutique called Akira, and unfortunately, they no longer sell it on their website. However, I found an almost identical skirt at Forever21, except it is all black as opposed to black and tan. For my shoes, I had some basic leather flats with a subtle pointed toe that I got ages ago from a little shoe store in our local mall, and my chunky chain necklace is from H&M. 

I promise I fixed the edge of that false lash before going anywhere ;) And of course, I couldn't talk about my 21st birthday without showing you a picture from last night at the restaurant with my first legal drink!

- d. 

Bronzed and Smokey with the Too Faced A La Mode Eyes Palette

I originally wanted to do this look as like a super easy wash of color type of look. But as I started getting into it, I found the look getting smokey and dramatic, and I decided I really liked it that way! +Andrew and I were playing with lighting and angles in a lot of these photos, so the quality of the photos may not be the best, but hopefully they're good enough that you can tell what I did!

I started out with the skin. I wanted to go pretty light in coverage, so I used the Rimmel Matte BB Cream all over my face. Something I've recently been trying out is using the Maybelline Fit Me Shine Free Foundation Stick in "Cappuccino" as a contour/bronzer. What I learned after the first time trying is, though, is to use a light hand when applying this as it can get out of control pretty easily. I applied it straight from the stick in small lines -- along the hairline, jawline, and under my cheekbones -- then blended it out with my fingertips. This product is very buildable, so like I said, use a light hand. So far I think I'm liking it. I got this idea after seeing the new Nars Matte Multiples in "Altai" and "Vientaine." From here, I let my skin sit while moving onto the brows.

For my brows, I took the color "Triple Fudge" from the Too Faced Chocolate Bar Palette and filled in my brows, starting at the arch to give it a really defined appearance. Then I set it with my Anastasia Clear Brow Gel. I find that "Triple Fudge" is kind of like the powder version of my Anastasia Dipbrow Pomade in "Dark Brown," but applies more lightly for a more natural-looking brow. I then applied my MAC Studio Finish Concealer with an angled brush under the brow to help give some extra definition. I also applied this concealer in a very thin layer all over my lid to help get rid of any discoloration, before applying a light dusting of my Revlon Photo Ready Translucent Finisher. 

From here, I moved onto the eyes. The first thing I did was take "Salted Caramel" from the Too Faced Chocolate Bar Palette and rocked it in the crease, just to help everything blend a bit more easily. Then, with a pencil brush, I took "Soleil" from the A La Mode Palette and carefully placed this color in my crease and along the upper lashline, connecting the two with a C-shape in the outer v. I then took a clean blending brush and blended the product in the crease to get rid of the harsh line. I then took "Cannes" on a flat stiff brush and very deliberately applied it on the bare section of the C, as well as the center of the lid. Then I took the same blending brush I used in the crease and blended "Soleil" and "Cannes" together. Something I noticed about these two shades is that they do blend together extremely well, but they are also easily overblended. Since I didn't want this look to be overblended, I went back in a few times and reapplied the colors to make them appear more intense.

After I felt that my two bronzier colors were intense enough for my liking, I took my NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil in "Milk" and highlighted my inner corner. Since this is a very thick product, you only need a little bit. I took it from my inner corner and blended it through the inner third of the lid. I applied this only to make the next shades pop a bit more. On the inner third of the eye, I mixed "St. Tropez" and "Riviera" together to make a natural yet shimmery highlight shade. I also applied this mix under my brow. Then on the very inner corner, I lightly applied "La Croisette," just to add even more brightness. 

For the liner, I took "De La Mer" on an angled liner brush and pressed this into the lashline, creating a subtle wing. On the outer corner, I flicked the angled brush upward, to blend the navy blue with the bronze shades while still creating a defined wing. I also took "De La Mer" on a pencil brush and made sure that it all blended well while still adding a smokey effect. I also applied this to the lower lashline, blending inward and stopping about halfway. 

Once I got to this point in the look, I had planned on using false lashes, as it just kept becoming more and more dramatic, so I applied a very, very thin line of black liner using my Maybelline Line Stiletto Liquid Liner in "Blackest Black." Then I applied a few generous coats of mascara with the Maybelline Volum' Express The Rocket mascara, on both my top and bottom lashes. Interestingly enough, I actually really liked using this mascara for this look, even though in my last favorites post I said I hated it. It seems to me that this is a good mascara for more dramatic looks, where you want super black dramatic lashes. At the very least, I will use up this tube. Then I tightlighted using Milani Liquid Eye Eyeliner Pencil to add extra drama. 

Now that the eyes were done, I moved back to the skin. To conceal any imperfections and darkness under my eyes, I took my trusty Rimmel Wake Me Up Concealer and applied it with my clean fingers to really melt it into the skin. From here, I lightly powdered with my Revlon Photo Ready Translucent Finisher, and took my Physician's Formula Happy Booster Glow and Mood Boosting Translucent Powder on a small fluffy brush just on top of the cheekbones for an added glow. For blush, I used Milani Baked Blush in "Bella Rosa," which is INSANELY pigmented. I used a duofibre brush to very lightly apply it, and I still had to really blend it out with a kabuki brush, to keep from looking like a clown! To finish it all off, I applied Rimmel Show Off Lip Lacquer in "Nude Eclipse." 

And that's it! For a full review on the Too Faced A La Mode Palette, you can click here. Are you planning on buying this palette? 

Where would you wear this look? 

- d. 

REVIEW: Too Faced A La Mode Eyes Summer Eye Shadow Palette

I recently received my Ulta catalog in the mail, and saw that they are doing their Spring 21 Days of Beauty this month. As I was browsing through the pages, one palette really caught my eye: the Too Faced A La Mode palette.

It seems to me that Too Faced is on a roll lately. Not too long ago was the Chocolate Bar palette, then the Sweethearts blush released just in time for Valentine's Day, and now, they are releasing their summer collection! As a part of their summer collection, they've released an eyeshadow palette, a limited edition bronzing palette, a set of lip colors, and a brow kit.

As soon as I saw the A La Mode eyeshadow palette in the catalog, I knew I had to have it. I went into Ulta and didn't see it, but it looked so gorgeous in the catalog so I had to do more research! Turns out that up until March 19th, it was an Ulta.com exclusive. But luckily, I ordered it from their website about a week ago, and got it just in time for the official release!

This palette definitely has a very summery, nautical feel, which I love. The packaging is bright and vivid (and unfortunately, mine got slightly scratched). It is metal packaging with a magnetic closure, just like the Chocolate Bar palette, and inside it is set up just like traditional, look-based eyeshadow palettes that Too Faced is best known for, with 6 smaller shades, and 3 larger highlighting shades. I'm not a huge fan of the magnetic closure, because I wish it was stronger. I always feel like it's going to pop open easily because it just doesn't feel very sturdy. However, you open it up, and you see a collection of gorgeous, vibrant colors.

All of these swatches are without primer. 

St. Tropez: A sparkly, yellow-toned nude color, with nude microglitter. Very subtle on a skin tone like mine. 

Riviera: Warm satin peach color. Incredibly smooth texture and wears very well.

La Croisette: Frosty white with intense color payoff. This would make a great, bright inner corner highlight.

Cannes: Chunky orangey copper shade, with what looks like a ton of orange and peach microglitter. This shade is a bit grittier in texture because it has so much glitter in it. You'll notice in the photos that this shade looks a little weird in my palette -- that's because when I received it, the shadow had popped out of its home. Nothing a little super glue couldn't fix! 

Jardin: Pearly coral shade that would be perfect for this look. Very smooth application, and very buildable. This would be an easy shade to brush all over the lid for a subtle wash of color, or to build up into a very intense coral.

Monaco: Probably my favorite shade in this collection, although I'm not sure how I'll wear it. It's a vivid fuchsia, with an almost-matte, almost-satin finish.

Soleil: This shade is almost like they took "Semi-Sweet" from the Chocolate Bar palette and added a satin finish. Kind of like "Semi-Sweet" and "Haute Chocolate" had a baby. It's a coppery brown color with a satin finish.

Cote d'Azur: Probably the most unique shade in this collection, at first it appears as a cool-toned brown, but in the right light, you'll notice a very slight muddy green duochrome.

De La Mer: A little bit chalky, but a very intense matte navy blue with matching microglitter. This would be great as a subtle blue liner. 

Collectively, this palette has intense pigmentation and all the shades blend beautifully together. These shades wear evenly and are extremely high quality. However, I will say it's not a palette you could really get a complete look with. 

Final Thoughts? This palette is definitely up there in quality, just like all of the other releases Too Faced has recently come out with. This palette will be a fun addition to anyone's collection, especially with shades like Monaco that I normally wouldn't buy on its own. For $36, you definitely get your money's worth. 

This palette is currently available on the Too Faced website, as well as the Ulta website. No word yet on if/when it will become available at Sephora, but I will keep an eye out and let you guys know!

Will you be purchasing any of the Too Faced summer collection?

- d.