Lashes & Lingerie

Recently, I realized just how much I love bustier style bras and bikinis. In fact, a few weeks ago, when my school did this big end of the year celebration that we call Beaux Arts, I wore a bustier bikini as a top! The celebration was Rio Carnival themed, so we got to have lots of fun and dress up (luckily, no one showed up in anything too revealing). However, after wearing my less-than-modest outfit all day and night, I realized just how confident bustier bras made me feel, which is why I think they're perfect for any day when the sun is hot and you want a little extra confidence boost!

After reading this post, you should go check out Adore Me, which is a lingerie website full of sets that range anywhere from cute and innocent to sexy and daring!

For this look, I was inspired by the summer music festival outfits that I've seen all over Tumblr and Pinterest. While boho chic isn't exactly my style, I can definitely appreciate just how cute it is, and this outfit gives a subtle hint of boho without going full on hippie chick.

This lacy Daisy Contour balconette bra is a long line with lace, and reminds me a lot of the bustier bra style. It's from Adore Me, the lingerie website mentioned above. To keep the midsection covered, I chose to go with these simple, high waisted denim shorts from H&M. For when it gets chilly, I would throw on this flowy, oatmeal colored cardigan from Forever21, and I would add a hint of edginess with this geometric layered necklace, also from Forever21.

For this look, I would go with simple and natural looking makeup. Of course, with some bold lashes to amp it up a bit! On my lips, I would wear my MAC Lipstick in "Shy Girl," and on my cheeks, I'd go with a subtle peachy glow and use Milani's Baked Blush in "Luminoso." To finish everything off, I'd use these amazing lashes from Ardell, the Curvy 415 Black false lashes!

Shop the Look:

Daisy Contour Bra :: High Waisted Denim Shorts
Oatmeal Cardigan :: Edgy Layered Necklace

Ardell Lashes :: MAC Lipstick

Milani Baked Blush

How would you style lingerie to be worn every day?

- D.

Sporty Chic

Everybody loves a good baseball game. For this post, I decided to come up with a sporty chic look just early enough to prep your look for the pre-season! I know a lot of women struggle with ideas on what to wear to the big game, especially if they don't already have a jersey. Hopefully this gives you some inspiration!

After reading this post, I definitely recommend checking out Fanatics, the online store that inspired this post, to help you get ready for game day. They don't only sell baseball hats -- they sell anything from collegiate sports to NASCAR merchandise, and you can certainly find something for you or any sports fanatic in your life!

So for this look, I didn't do the typical jersey-style shirt and sneakers that most people think of when they thing of "Sporty Chic." Instead, I leaned more toward the "Chic" end, and came up with a look I'm pretty happy with! My favorite part about this look is that it's so relaxed and comfortable, but it still looks put together, and it's definitely perfect for a day at the ball park. And in case you're wondering, I used Polyvore to help create this collage!

Obviously, I chose my home team, the San Diego Padres, to inspire this look. I went with this Padres hat style from the 1990s, which I remember always seeing as a kid -- in fact, I think I had a hat very similar to this one! According to the official Padres online shop, this was the style the Padres wore between 1991 and 2003.

For the rest of my look, I went relaxed. To show lots of team spirit, I chose to stick to blue tones, with a pop of a coral to add a modern twist on the old school orange logo. For my top, I chose to go with this easy-going striped tee from Charlotte Russe. I loved how the contrasting texture of the faux leather pocket really helps amp up the look, and ties in well with the leather combat boots. If you go on the website, you can see it also has a really fun sheer back! To go on top, I chose a classic chambray boyfriend button up, from Wet Seal. This chambray top could easily be tied around the waist to show off the sheer back of the striped top, or thrown on as a cover up on a cool summer night at a ball game. For my jeans, I went a simple distressed dark wash jegging from Aeropostale, which would be tucked into these fun, relaxed combat boots by Steve Madden. For a pop of color, I added a coral leopard print scarf from Express, to help really make everything look put together, and to add more variation in terms of patterns!

Shop the Outfit:

San Diego Padres Fitted Hat :: Striped Tee with Leather Detailing

Chambray Button Up :: Distressed Dark Wash Jegging

Combat Boots :: Coral Leopard Print Scarf

I hope you enjoyed this look! This summer when I go home, Andrew and I are planning to go see the Padres play the Rockies, which is his favorite team, and I will probably wear an outfit similar to this one. I hope you can draw some inspiration from this!

- D. 

Fall Lookbook

The leaves are starting to change here in North Carolina. This is the first fall I have had away from home, and it's the first REAL fall I think I have ever had at all! This past weekend, Andrew came to visit for my school's fall break, and we went exploring and sight-seeing here in this little college town of mine. I definitely live in a beautiful town, but it gets pretty chilly here, especially compared to what I'm used to! As the cool weather sets in, my wardrobe changes quite a bit, so I thought this would be the perfect time to do a quick fall look book to help inspire you!

This first outfit is perfect for a lazy school day, without looking like you just rolled out of bed (even if you did). The color scheme of this cozy thermal sweater is perfect for the fall weather. Something you can't see, though, are the adorable red elbow patches! For me, you can't go wrong with moto boots, especially ones that you can just slip on, zip up, and head out. I also paired a gunmetal watch with this outfit, so I'm never late to class! And of course, to tame your mane on a windy day, a cute beanie is a total must.

Beanie: Charlotte Russe - I actually bought this beanie years ago, so they no longer have this exact color, but here is a link to a very similar style!
Sweater: JCPenney
High-waisted Jeggings: Aeropostale
Moto Boots: Target
Watch: Charming Charlie - unfortunately, they no longer sell the gunmetal color, but they do still have this style!

This outfit is great for a cool night. It's perfect for when you want to look a little more dressed up, without being over the top or freezing! The girly floral print of the dress is balanced by the edgy flair of the black faux leather jacket, and of course, you can't go wrong with some tights to keep you warm, and some chunky heeled lace-up booties! To pull everything together, I added some dainty cream rose stud earrings.

Faux Leather Jacket: Aeropostale - I bought this years ago, so they no longer have this exact style, but Aero does some great high quality faux leather pieces that I have linked.
Dress: Target 
Booties: Forever21 - they no longer sell this specific style, but you can find a very similar pair at Target
Earrings: Forever21

This last look is great for anyone who wants to channel their inner 90s chick on one of those strange freezing-in-the-morning-but-scorching-in-the-afternoon days that I know places like California are notorious for. I went with a warm flannel shirt that you can easily just wrap around your waist when it gets warm for that laid-back 90s style, plus a basic white v-neck, some black shorts, and black tights, to keep everything else simple. To complete the look, I added some rings and some chunky cut-out boots!

Flannel Top: Aeropostale - another piece I bought years ago, but flannels are so in style right now. The most similar one to this that I have found is from Hollister, but of course you can always look at places like Forever21, Wet Seal, and American Eagle, which all have great selections.
V-Neck: Forever21
Shorts: Forever21
Tights: Walmart
Rings: H&M - their website has a terrible selection, so I would definitely suggest going into your local H&M and checking it out in person!
Boots: Tilly's

Of course I had to stop to pet a cat, and this photo is the only one that had a good shot of these boots!

I hope this helped inspire you and get you in the mood for fall! Halloween is just around the corner, then of course the holiday season comes up right after that, which I am so excited for.

What is your favorite fall trend?

- D.

Pin-up Inspired 4th of July Makeup, Hair, and Outfit

Hey everyone! The other day I was playing with my hair, and I found out that my hair is long enough to do victory rolls again, and I was super excited. For the longest time, my private Twitter photo was a picture of me with victory rolls, and so many people have asked me how I did it. So here's how, along with a full makeup that would be perfect for the 4th of July, and a pin-up inspired outfit.

Starting with the hair, victory rolls are actually a lot easier than you may think. All you really need are lots of bobby pins, some hairspray, and a comb!

First, I take the section of hair that I want to style into the victory roll. For me, I usually just take a rat tail comb and go from right about the ear and toward my part, and make the roll out of that section. Most of the time, especially if you have bangs, you can't go wrong doing that! Then, I hairspray the entire section to give it some hold, especially because my hair is pretty slippery most of the time, and separate the section into two horizontal sections (think of "horizontal" as "from one ear to the other"). I clip the front section out in order to keep it from getting mixed up with anything else, and then backcomb (or tease) the back section in order to give the bobby pins and the front section a proper base to hold onto.

I'm not very good at explaining exactly how to do this, so here's a diagram that will hopefully help.

After you've teased that section, all you have to do is take the front section and slide it over the section behind it. I usually like to wrap the hair around my finger and then loosen my grip to create the perfect rolls, 

but honestly, the key to this look is practice and bobby pins. I only really place bobby pins in the roll itself, and sometimes in the back if they need a little extra security. 

Another thing that might make this easier is to take a 1" curling iron and curling the hair upward and away from the face. That will give the roll a direction and a mold to go into, as opposed to just falling right back down. After I've secured all the bobby pins, I always spray in my hairspray and then smooth over it all with a comb. If the back of your roll looks a little messy, you can always add some kind of hair piece for some added flair, and no one will ever know that it is messy!

The makeup for this look is very simple but always classic! I won't be explaining how I did the winged liner, because I already did a tutorial for that here. 

Starting with the face, I used my trusty L'Oreal True Match Foundation with my Beauty Blender to give my skin a flawless finish. My skin has been acting up a bit lately, so I took my Rimmel Wake Me Up Concealer over any of my blemishes as well as on my lids, and my Maybelline Dream Lumi Touch Concealer to highlight under my eyes. I then took my Anastasia DipBrow Pomade and filled in my brows, making sure to keep them super defined to really get that pin-up look. Then of course, I used my Anastasia Clear Brow Gel to set the brows into place.

For my eyes, I first took my Makeup Geek shadow in "Beaches and Cream" and put this all over the lid and up to the brow bone. I find that this shade is perfect as a starting point to make sure everything blends nicely. Then, I took "Unexpected" and ran this in the crease, making sure to keep it defined yet blended. I really wish I had this shade for when I did my Karlie Kloss look, because it would have been perfect in the crease! Then, I took "Shimma Shimma" and used that on the browbone, making sure to blend it out so it wouldn't be harsh, as well as in the inner corner. 

After finishing the eyeshadow, I took the Milani Liquid Eye Twist Up Pencil in "Blue" and created a pretty substantial winged liner. It wasn't over the top, but I made sure it was thick enough to be noticeable. While this set, I ran my Rimmel Scandaleyes Kohl Kajal in "Nude" in my waterline to really open up my eyes. After that, I curled my lashes and used my Maybelline Volum' Express Mega Plush Mascara, focusing especially on the outer corner to really help give that cat eye effect. I also did a very light coat of this on my bottom lashes, just to help define them a bit more. 

After setting my face with my Revlon Photo Ready Translucent Powder, I took the middle contour shade from the Anastasia Contour Kit and contoured my face. I did a whole post about how I contour here, and let me tell you, this palette makes contouring so easy! After that, I used my Morphe Blush Palette and the upper mauve shade to give my cheeks a very subtle color.

Finally, on the lips, I just took my OCC Lip Tar in "NSFW" on a lip brush and carefully filled in my lips with this perfect pin-up red.

Of course, you can't have a fun summery pin-up look without cute high-waisted shorts! These shorts are very basic high-waisted black shorts that stretch to fit my every curve and I love them! They no longer sell these exact shorts, but they do have a very similar pair at Forever21. For my shirt, I bought this chambray shirt a few years back and I still absolutely love it! I tied it up around my waist and rolled up the sleeves. Chambray is super popular right now, so you can get it pretty much anywhere, but I know I got this specific one from Target. Of course, I had to throw on my classic red Keds, which when great with my red lips! For my jewelry, I just wore simple pearl stud earrings. I got my white flower hairpieces from Charming Charlie a few years ago, and they also have little pearl accents!

And that's it for this super long post! I hope that you all have a wonderful 4th of July (even if you aren't from the US)!

- D.

Collective Summer Fashion Haul + Try On

To kick off the summer, lots of stores have started having some fantastic sales. Since I'm moving soon to a much more humid environment than I'm used to, I need some different clothing to better suit my new weather conditions. On top of that, I've recently realized I need to stop fighting my body type, and I have decided to kind of re-vamp my wardrobe to better suit my shape. (Look at me, justifying my shopping addiction as always). Here are just a few things I have picked up in the couple of months to add to my summer wardrobe! Also, please excuse my dead grass. We're having a drought here in San Diego!

At Aeropostale, they've been having one of their awesome "Up to 70% off" sales. With this sale, a lot of the clearance stuff gets even cheaper. I mean, come on, you can't beat crop tops for less than $5! I really love boxy crop tops and stripes, so I picked up a striped cropped tank for only $4.99, and a striped cropped burnout tee for $5. Plus, Retail Me Not currently has an exclusive 25% off online/20% off in-store coupon (expires 6/25/14), so take advantage of it while you can!

Since I am leaving for school soon, I needed to pick up a good laptop/school bag. I didn't want to get anything that was obviously a laptop bag, and I needed something big enough to also carry my books. After hunting for a little bit, I decided on this cute faux leather tote bag with zipper detailing from Forever21. In addition to the bag, I picked up these basic high-waisted cuffed denim shorts. I have been on the hunt for the perfect pair of high-waisted denim shorts that were a medium wash with no distressing. Apparently that's a hard thing to find because it took ages, but it must have been meant to be, because these were the last pair and they fit me perfectly! I also needed some basics, so I picked up two v-necks in white and black, as well as a black racerback tank. I got these a size up from what I normally would because Forever21's basics almost always shrink for me.

Because I recently donated quite a few of my old cardigans, I also picked up this oatmeal cardigan from their Love 21 line, which I think will be absolutely perfect for cool summer nights or when the weather is transitioning into fall. It's super cozy and incredibly soft!

Lastly from Forever21, I bought two pairs of sunglasses. One pair of thick-rimmed ombre sunglasses, and a pair with a square frame and gold accents. I purchased two different pairs because I've had some horrible luck with sunglasses lately. Recently, I broke one pair of sunglasses, and then managed to lose another pair within two weeks. The fantastic thing about Forever21 sunglasses is that they are so affordable, and I won't feel so guilty if something bad happens to them!

This next piece is something a bit trendier than I would normally buy. Recently, I've been seeing kimono cardigans every where, and I love how they dress up any lazy day outfit! If you follow me on Tumblr, you'll know I had some drama with a kimono that I bought from Cotton On (never again), so I ended up going to Charlotte Russe and finding this navy floral kimono which I love! I think kimono cardigans make outfits so easy. Just some jeans or shorts and a basic tee, a kimono on top, and you're all set. I'm a sucker for anything that makes my lazy outfits look a little more put together, and this definitely does the trick.

From H&M, I picked up two pairs of pants. The first pair is just a basic pair of black high-waisted skinny jeans. I know these jeans are going to be a staple in my wardrobe year-round, and they make me feel so confident! The second pair I picked up is a pair of khaki mid-rise twill skinnies, which were on sale for $10. They're definitely quite a bit different from what I would normally wear, but with all the dark colors I tend to wear for tops, I thought they would be perfect to help lighten up my wardrobe a bit!

Of course, I had to stop by Target, but here I had two very specific items in mind. I needed a new pair of basic black flats, because I ripped through my last pair after wearing them to work every day for over a year, and a new bikini top. These basic black flats by Merona were not my first choice in style, but they were so comfy and looked better on my feet than they did in the box (plus, nothing bothers me more than toe cleavage, which these shoes didn't have. you know, when the front of your shoe doesn't quite cover your toes all the way and you see the little lines between your toes?), so I settled on these. I've also been wanting a vintage-style swimsuit for a very, very long time. Probably since I was a junior in high school, actually. With the summer on its way, and with my upcoming move to a warm and humid climate, I have a feeling I'm going to be spending a bit more time in the water than usual. I picked up this basic black bikini top, which I plan to pair with some high-waisted bikini bottoms from Unique Vintage.

Last but not least, of course, I could help but stop by PINK to check out their Love PINK Sale, which is essentially their version of the VS Semi-Annual Sale. PINK and Victoria's Secret are the only stores where I can find my size (having a small rib cage with a bigger bust sounds like a blessing, but I promise you it's not), so every time they have a sale, I have to take a look! PINK's Wear Everywhere Lightly Lined bras are my absolute favorites, so I scouted the sale bins to find these two bras. Unfortunately, I can't find the sale price online, so you'll have to go in store to see what you can find! The black and white bra cost $15.99, and the muted lime green bra cost $14.99. If you have a hard-to-find size like me, I definitely recommend checking out this sale before it ends! 

And just for kicks, enjoy a photo of my boyfriend attempting to walk my cat on her leash in my backyard ;)

Let me know in the comments if you decide to hit up any of the awesome summer sales that are happening right now. I'd love to see your picks! 

- D.

p.s. On Sunday, June 29th, I will be at PHAMExpo in Pasadena! If you are going to be there, let me know in the comments! :) 

Casual Spring/Summer Fashion

Recently I had the idea to step a little bit out of my comfort zone, and into the world of fashion. I'm a costume designer, not a fashion designer, so I'm not always comfortable talking about my style (or lack thereof). Most days, I'm a jeans and an easy top kind of girl. But lately I've been trying to step out of comfort zone and play with my wardrobe a little bit more! I have a closet full of clothes, and I'm constantly buying new things, so I thought I would have a little fun and see what I could put together that I thought would be great for spring and summer.

 

I think this first outfit would be really great for a day in the sun. It was pretty warm when these photos were taken, but I was at a marina (as you may be able to tell by all the boats), so it did get a bit chilly when the wind came in. This outfit is perfect for layering, and you could add some tights for a cool night on the beach! I kept everything pretty neutral, and this outfit would look great with a bright lip. Since I went a bit natural with the makeup, though, I added a pop of color with my red Keds!

Crop top: Bethany Mota for Aeropostale
Cardigan: Hand-me-down from my mom (and it's become a staple piece in my wardrobe year-round!)
Belt: Aeropostale - This isn't the exact same belt, as I've had it for years! Aero has some great high quality belts that last a long time.
High-rise shorts: Forever21 - These shorts are no longer available. I purchased them last year, mid-summer. If you would like to get a similar look though, I'd check out H&M, which has an incredible selection of high-rise and high-waisted shorts!
Shoes: Keds
Bandana: Walmart

This next outfit is really easy and carefree. It's definitely for great those warm days where you want to look put together, without putting in a ton of effort. That's the beauty of dresses, right? I love that I'm seeing denim just about everywhere this year, and I feel like it's just a great way to take an ordinary dress from simple to stylish! For shoes, I think this would look great with white Converse, but I only had my black ones, which I think looked great as well. It would also look great with a cute pair of wedges!

Dress: Target
Denim Vest: Target - yes, it's a child's size. I'm a fairly small person and can fit into some large and extra large children's tops. However, I've seen some really great denim vests in just about every trendy clothing store.
Mini Affirmation Bracelets: BCBGeneration - Fearless and Tough - They no longer have the "Tough" affirmation bracelet in the color that I purchased it in, but they still have it in a cute pastel blush color!
Shoes: Converse

And just in case you're wondering, my sunglasses are from Target! I love Target for sunglasses, because it's so inexpensive and they have a ton of different styles. I'm very picky about sunglasses, but I absolutely love the slightly-oversized wayfarer shape mixed with the very subtle cat eye angle. On my nails, I'm wearing Essie Bikini So Teeny, which I mentioned in my February favorites, and I'm still absolutely loving!

Which of these two outfits do you like best? 

- d. 

ps. enjoy a picture of the adorable baby ducks we saw while at the marina!

Face and Outfit of the Day -- Job Interview Edition

So today, I had my second interview at Sephora (woo hoo!)

I thought that, because Sephora is such a fun place for makeup, I would show you the makeup I wore for the interview, as well as the outfit (which is significantly less exciting, but it may help some of you who are looking for some good professional attire!)

I'll start with my outfit.

We'll go from head to toe! My headband is from Icing. I bought it a few holiday seasons ago so I'm sure they don't have it anymore, but it's just a simple bow headband. It is pretty similar to this headband, though, which is also from Icing. Around my neck is my beloved bow necklace that I actually haven't worn in quite some time. I got it from eBay, a few years ago, and can still be found here! It is a gorgeous gunmetal color, and the photos online definitely do not do it justice. My shirt is a basic black t-shirt from H&M, which is tucked into a slitted pencil skirt from Target. This is another one of those items that I bought quite some time ago and is no longer available at Target, but black pencils skirts are a staple and can be found just about anywhere! My shoes are also from Target, and definitely aren't as cute in the picture as they are on my feet! Plus, they are SO comfy, and wear really well. I tend to walk with my toes up (from a few good years of marching I assume), so a lot of shoes wear out around my toes really quickly. My belt is the same belt I wore in my last OOTD, which actually belongs to my best friend, so I am not sure where it's from.

My nails were inspired by +leighannsays, and I used my L'Oreal Color Riche Nail Color in "Eiffel For You" with my N.Y.C. Longwearing Nail Enamel in "Plaza Plumberry" for the triangle accent. It's the first time I've ever done a manicure like this, so it's anything but perfect, but I think it turned out pretty well for a first time try! 

The look I wore today was definitely a fall-inspired look, with some oranges and wine colors. Unfortunately, my camera was going crazy today and didn't seem to want me to be able to get a very good photo of it. Also, please excuse my crazy hair. I am in desperate need of a good hair mask. 

First, I used my Too Faced Primed and Poreless face primer, and over that, my L'Oreal True Match Foundation in the shade C2. Then I went straight into the brows, with Inglot 358 Matte and my Ardell Brow Sculpting Gel (not pictured). Then, I ran my Rimmel London Scandaleyes Waterproof Kohl Kajal in "Nude" to help shape and define my brows just a bit more. Then, I applied my Urban Decay Primer Potion (not pictured) to help my shadows stay put. Then I went in with my Coastal Scents 252 Ultimate Palette. 

This palette comes with three tiers of shadows: one with cools tones, one with neutral tones, and one with warm tones. I used the warm tier, and applied a shimmery peach color on the inner third of my lid. I then took a matte plum color and rocked it in my socket as well as the outer corner, being careful to blend it out really well. I then used a bright matte orange to add an extra pop of color on the center of my lids, as well as a matte brown to deepen the plum in my outer corner. I also ran the shimmery peach color along the inner corner. 

After applying my eyeshadows, I went back in with my Maybelline Eye Studio Lasting Drama Gel Eyeliner in "Blackest Black" and created a defined winged liner. It's a bit difficult to see in the picture, unfortunately. I then took my nude Rimmel pencil and ran it in the lower waterline, as well as under the wing to give it some extra definition. 

After all this was applied, I went in with my new holy grail concealer, the Rimmel London Wake Me Up Concealer in Very Fair. I applied this to the undereye area, as well as down the bridge of my nose to add a bit of highlight. This concealer is amazing for my dry-combination skin. I then went in and powdered with my Revlon Photo Ready Translucent Finisher, and contoured with the same Inglot powder I used on my brows. On my cheeks, I used my favorite blush (of all time), Wet 'n Wild Color Icon Blusher in "Mellow Wine," and on my lips, my Wet 'n Wild Megalast Lip Color in "Sugar Plum Fairy." Finally, I used my Maybelline The Mega Plush Volum' Express Mascara. And of course, I spritzed some Mac Fix+ to add a lovely finish to the skin!

- d. 

p.s. in case you were wondering, I got the job!

L'Oreal Color Riche Nail Color Update

About ten days ago, I posted about the two new Color Riche Nail Colors that I bought. They make a claim that the polish lasts 10 days, and I decided to put it to the test.

Okay, so I didn't really put it to the test, because my nail OCD unfortunately didn't allow me to. However, since that post, I have tried both shades that I purchased, "Eiffel For You" and "Charmed, I'm Sure." I can certainly say that "Eiffel For You" has impressed me. It is a gorgeous taupe creme color that is perfect for fall. It goes on so smoothly, and I wore it for 5 days before it started to barely chip. The chipping in the polish was barely noticeable and rather minor, but I had a job interview on what would have been the 6th day, so I removed the polish and in it's place applied two coats of "Charmed, I'm Sure," which is the rose gold polish I purchased.

In the photo, it doesn't quite appear as a rose gold, and that's because it's definitely a bit of a nude rose gold. It is much pinker in person than in photos, but it is absolutely gorgeous. I have said countless times that I look awful in rose gold, and I always wished I could jump on board with this trend, and now I finally can! 

Unfortunately, it isn't quite as opaque as "Eiffel For You." It does apply a bit unevenly, and I almost feel that two coats isn't enough for full coverage. It also definitely highlights the awful ridges in my nails, something that creme polishes typically don't do. However, this polish also lasted 5 days before it began to slightly chip. This time, I felt I was ready for a good manicure anyway, and took it off. But right after I was done with my nail regimen, I reapplied "Charmed, I'm Sure" all over again. It's definitely a gorgeous color and I'm so excited to finally be able to jump on board with this trend!

I think the #1 thing for me is that it lasts about a week before starting to chip. The reason I don't wear polish often is that I don't like having to deal with it after a couple of days when it has already begun to chip. L'Oreal's Color Riche Nail Color line is definitely a low maintenance nail color that comes in a huge variety of colors, and I definitely would recommend trying it out!

- d. 

Makeup and Outfit of the Day!

So today was a bit of a special day for my guard. It was the first time that the marching band has ever been allowed to perform for a football game. Weird, right? Most schools have their bands play halftime shows normally, but at the school I teach at, they have never performed. Anyways, it was also senior night, and two of my girls are seniors. One of them asked me and Kiyoshi to be her escort for senior night. Basically, we came out on the field and met her and walked with her. It’s just kind of a high school tradition kind of things to honor the marching band, colorguard, cheer, and football seniors. 

I figured since I was getting dressed somewhat nicely for this, I would do an outfit of the day! Plus, I would show my makeup for the day as well.

So on the left side was my outfit for before the sun set, and the outfit on the right was for the actual football game, since I knew it would be cold.

My sweater and skirt are both from Target. The sweater was a recent purchase and it is SO soft. If you can get your hands on a couple, snag them! It comes in a ton of different colors and is totally worth the purchase. My watch is from Charming Charlie, and was featured in my October Favorites. My super cuteroll-down boots are the Dr. Marten’s “Stratford” boots. They have this adorable floral pattern on the inside, and can be rolled down for a girlier look, or laced all the way up to create a combat boot style! These boots are great for me, because my last pair of combat boots lasted about a month or two with all the wear I put into them. I expect these Nappa leather boots to last and last and last. As for my jacket, it is faux leather from Aeropostale. But it isn’t that plastic-feeling leather. It is SO soft and comfortable and one of my autumn staples. I bought it last fall, so they don’t have it anymore, but they did come out with a red version and a quilted version. My scarf is from Walmart, and I believe I bought it for about $6, which was a total steal, especially because I’ve been wearing this scarf everywhere! It has sequins weaved into the fabric, which gives any outfit just a little extra punch. Oh yeah, and my studded black belt belongs to my best friend, Christine, so I have no idea where that came from! I think it’s from Target, though.

Now for the face! On my skin, I mixed my moisturizer with my L’Oreal True Match Foundation in the shade C2. Yeah, I’m pale. I mixed it with my moisturizer because I have dry-combination skin, and with these chilly autumn nights on the football field, I need the extra hydration. Then I went on to my eyebrows, which I filled in with Inglot 358 Matte, and sealed that withArdell Brow Sculpting Gel. I also used this shade in my crease, and then Inglot 397 Pearl on my lid and in my inner corner. I did not use a base, because for me, these shadows do not crease at all. To each her own! For my liner, I usedL’Oreal Carbon Black Lineur Intense, which was also featured in my October Favorites. Then I ran Urban Decay’s 24/7 Glide-On Eye Shadow Pencil in Delinquent along my lower lashline, using an angled brush to create a double wing under the liquid liner. For my undereye concealer, I used Maybelline’s Instant Age Rewind Dark Circle Eraser in the shade Fair 110, and blended it out with my ring finger. I used my Revlon PhotoReady Translucent Finisher to set my foundation and concealer. Then I mixed the two colors in the e.l.f. Studio Contouring Blush & Bronzing Powder in St. Lucia (total dupe for Nars Orgasm/Laguna duo, by the way), to add some color to my cheeks. And finally, I used MAC Fix+ to add a lovely, dewy finish to my look! Special shoutout to my Revlon ColorBurst Lip Butter in the color Creme Brulee for adding just a little something extra to my lips! 

I’m sure some of you are wondering why I didn’t use mascara. Today, I chose not to wear mascara because I knew it was going to be a long night and that it would begin to irritate me. I wear glasses. Sometimes I don’t wear mascara simply because I can feel it against my glasses and it drives me absolutely insane.

Hope everyone had a great Friday! 

-d.