Spring is in the Air

Spring gradually creeps up and everything becomes colorful and bright. However, this gradual change does NOT happen with my makeup. It is like one day I am wearing the same dark red lipstick, then BAM, it's like pink and sparkles threw up on me. I normally wear no color at all, lets be honest, but all of a sudden I am the fairy of all things summer and all things hot (spoken in Olaf's voice..if you haven't seen Frozen what is wrong with you?!). Call it a phase. Call it costume-ing (guilty..). Either way, it is fun and I like it. Recently, I have picked up a few new products that I imagine will become summer staples in my collection very quickly.

 

 

First up, the second I saw Ingrid (MissGlamorazzi on YouTube) using this sheer coral lipstick, I was sold. It is spring in a bottle and has a nice minty feeling on the lips. Tarte lipstick in Coral Blossom will be on my lips probably non-stop in the coming season. It gives a nice coral wash, while striking that perfect balance between sheer and not-too-sheer. Give it a swatch next time you are in Sephora. I also like the price of Tarte lipsticks. I feel like some brands automatically slap $29 on everything. This baby rings up at around $16, which I like much better, thank you very much.

Also influenced by Ingrid, the Tarte Amazonian Clay Full Coverage Airbrush Foundation. Despite the complicated name, this product is pretty straightforward. In the summer, my makeup gets lazier and I look for products that are quick and not heavy. This product fits the bill feeling super light on the skin. To apply this use a buffing brush (or stippling brush for a lighter application to set liquid foundation) to apply the powder directly to the skin. It blends in seamlessly and will give you nearly perfect skin (seriously, it is scary). It is solidly medium coverage and when I tried to build it, it did not cooperate so I am not sure about it being "full coverage". Anyways, I suggest a primer underneath to really help the powder hold throughout the day and to keep oil at bay.

Lastly, Mac's eyeshadow in "Amber Lights" has been getting a lot of wear. It is a warm amber-y gold that looks perfect worn alone all over the lid.



Wearing all the products mentioned

Speaking of Spring, Forever 21's brand Love 21 has some really cute offerings right now. I am all for the high/low mix. I love higher-end brands just as much as I like browsing the clothing section at Target every time I need milk (you do it too!). The Love 21 section of Forever 21 online boasts pieces with a slightly higher price tag (don't think crazy, like $25 instead of $16.99) and nicer construction (both the dresses I picked up were lined). I love it because every single spring trend is  there. If you are in doubt about what to add to your wardrobe this Summer, just browse the shop and all the trends are right there for you to pick from. I picked up 3 dresses (2 floral) and a flower kimono that makes me so happy (see below). This one below is my favorite because it makes me feel like a mix of Mary Poppins and Sookie Stackhouse (never thought I would use those 2 names in the same sentence).

 



FLoral Kimono from Love 21

I also had to add a quick shout-out to OPI Mod About You nail polish (Sally's). I have yet to figure out how to take a true-to-color picture, but it is basically a milky opaque pink that screams Spring and makes your nails look very clean and polished (get it?! ha..).

What have you been loving for Spring?
xxChris

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

Makeup Trend: The Vampy Lip with Revlon Lipstick in Black Cherry

I love makeup trends. Just like fashion, makeup is always pushing the limits with what is considered in style. Not that you can't wear any look at any time, but being modern and on-trend is always fun. I draw inspiration from magazines, runway makeup, celebrities, etc. The vampy lip is something that just screams edgy, which I am totally into right now. I love any look that has some toughness to it. The key to achieving this look is to go light on the eyes, but add tons of mascara. This will bring balance to the face, which you need when the lip is this strong. 

Have I mentioned that I love Lily Collins....haha. Like every post.. whoops. I can't help it. The girl is on point with trends lately. Revlon Black Cherry is a very dark red-plum color. First, I filled in my lips with a plum colored liner (the colors do not have to match perfectly). This will keep your lip color lasting all day. There are a bunch of amazing lip liners at the drugstore. I would not splurge on one. I love Rimmel's lip liners. I then added a tiny bit of black liquid liner on the top lash line and tons. read tons. of mascara. If you are going to wear blush, make sure it is a very natural color. Or just sweep your bronzer along your cheeks to add a tiny bit of color without competing with the lips.

I love Revlon's vintage packaging!

Are you into any makeup trends lately?
xxChris

Trend Alert: The Lower Lash Line Smudge

The day I realized that there is more to eyeliner and shadow than putting black kohl in my waterline is the day I awoke to eye makeup possibilities. Personally, I never line my lower waterline because I find it makes my eyes look smaller. Sometimes, on a night out I will, but that is a rare occasion. While I believe that look is pretty, I think it is much nicer to enhance your lower lash line instead. The best way I have found to do this is a lower lash line smudge. This is the best way to make your eyes look bigger (read: huge). The best part about this look is that you can do it with any eye makeup you currently have. If you have a kohl or waterproof eyeliner, just run a tiny bit of color right underneath the lashes and then smudge away (I love bronze eyeliners for this, such as Mac Teddy or Rimmel Scandal Eyes Waterproof Liner in Bronze). You can either use your pinky finger or a smudge brush (Mac's pencil brush is great) to blend out the color . Do not be afraid to bring the color down pretty far as Lily Pebbles did in the above picture. Eye shadow makes this even easier. All you do is sweep and blend the color under the eye. My favorite colors to do this with are: Mac Charcoal Brown, Mac Texture, Urban Decay Darkhorse (Naked 1 palette), or really any medium or medium-dark color.

A tip to make this last even longer is to layer a powder shadow over a cream product. So you can take either a cream shadow (Maybelline Color Tattoo in Bad to the Bronze or Mac Constructivist paint pot) or an eyeliner and smudge it out with a similar colored eye shadow. This will set the cream product and make it last a very long time. This is a good makeup principle that applies to every aspect of application. And when you spend as long on your makeup as I do, you want it to last all day!

I emulated this look with Mac Constructivist paint pot with Mac Texture eye shadow over it. I also used Mac Charcoal Brown on the lower lash line (any medium tone brown works). Mac Texture is my 2nd favorite Mac eye shadow of all time (1st being Cranberry). If you have blue eyes, it will make them very bright. Any warm eye shadow will do this, so if you are blue-eyed like me, play with golds/bronzes/warm tones and see how you like it!

What is your favorite makeup trend?
xxChris