Inspiration Lately

Inspiration can be found everywhere *namely Pinterest haha...but honestly, one of my favorite things about makeup is the versatility. You can change your look to emulate anything. If you are feeling extra bold - go for a dark purple vampy lip. If you are feeling girly and fun - wear a bright pink blush. I love how you can change any one thing about your makeup and instantly translate a different vibe to the world. There are several places I have drawn inspiration from this month: magazines, runway, etc. One thing I have been loving is gold eyes. In the above photo and below, you can see a halo of gold around the eyes. I love how overt and in-your-face the glitter is. This look isn't subtle and isn't meant to be. Nothing will make you feel more ethereal than gold. To achieve this look: wet a flat brush and pack on any gold eyeshadow or pigment (I use Loreal Infallible in Eternal Sunshine) on top of your lid and sweep below the eye. Keep adding color to intensify as much as you like. This works best on top of a cream eyeshadow (NYX or Rimmel make good ones) and then top it off with the gold. And viola, princess status. 

Subtle gold shadow

Healthy, contoured skin: I have been loving dewy, healthy-looking skin with a subtle contour. Keep the rest of the makeup simple and fresh to make the skin the main focus. A little highlighter helps too!  

One thing that is not going anywhere for spring is bold lips. There has been a recent return to glossy lips, but as I tend to not wear gloss, I am side-stepping that trend. I love matte oranges, corals, and hot pinks. Can you tell I am in the mood for spring? My favorite bold lip options are: the Nars Matte lip pencils, Revlon Balm stains (matte and regular), and the Tarte Lipsurgence line. 

Color-blocking and ombre lips are two new trends that are better saved for a night out look. This can be as bold as you want or as subtle as you want. To achieve the ombre effect, just apply any favorite lipstick color (berry and red work best, but any color is fine) and then line the outside edges of your mouth only with a lip liner that is 2 shades darker than the lip color. The effect will be similar to below (Pinterest photo-cred): 

Haylee Steinfeld - the girl is gorgeous and really loves experimenting with makeup and fashion. I love when celebrities don't take themselves too seriously and try out different looks. She always looks great, but I love this look for Marie Claire in particular: natural hair with texture with smokey grey eye makeup. 

Lorde has been killing it lately. Not to even count her album (which is way better than her single in my opinion), her makeup is so on trend. She tends to go for a bold lip with neutral eyes and bold brows. I also seem to be really loving the natural hair trend. I will mimic this by letting my hair air dry, then spraying some volumizing/texture spray throughout (I am in love with Bumble & Bumble Dryspun Finish). I have the Oribe spray the Kardashians use and everyone is obsessed with and, honestly, the Bumble & Bumble one is better. It is great for days when your hair is just blah and needs some extra help. 

Can we talk about how Charlotte Tilbury makeup isn't available in the US?!? The Dolce Vita palette will taunt me for eternity. Any British friends want to do a swap? Please....I won't beg....but really....? haha

Random last inspiration: trusting God. I have some scary life changes coming up and I often catch myself falling into the trap of incessant worrying. I have this desire to control situations and force outcomes in my favor. I need to remember to just stop and trust God. I never need to worry because God's plan is greater than mine. God takes our dreams, and if we trust Him with our whole heart, surpasses even our greatest expectations. God holds us in the palm of His hand and He has a firm grip on us. I always need to remind myself that God is right here with me, going through this thing every step of the way. 

Thanks for reading! What is inspiring you this month? 

xxChris