Vampy Lipstick, Day to Night

I can't get enough of deep red and berry lipsticks this Autumn, and it is definitely the perfect season for it. Though I am not too shy to rock a vampy shade during the day, even I have to admit that it can sometimes be a bit overpowering. Taking a vampy lipstick from day to night is easy, and makes me feel like I am doubling my makeup collection by creating different looks with just one product.

You can do this with most any red, dark wine, plum, or berry lipstick of your choice. Here, I am using MAC Musky Amethyst (Semi-Precious collection), but I also love to do this with Revlon Black Cherry. 

Day
A dark, vampy shade can easily be transformed into a subtle, sheer lip stain. I do this by first coating my lips with a light layer of moisturizing lip balm and then dabbing on a bit of the lipstick on my pout straight from the tube. Using my finger, I blend out the lipstick and pat on more color until I achieve the shade I am looking for. Although I paired this with very natural makeup below, you could certainly go darker on the eyes since the lips are not overwhelming.
 


 Night
MAC Musky Amethyst  looks completely different when applied opaquely. For this vampy night look, I applied the lipstick with a lip brush to achieve the greatest precision. I have only seen a few people who can actually pull of a dark eye and a statement at the same time, so I played it safe by allowing to focus to be on my lips and paired it with natural, slightly defined eye.

What are your favorite vampy shades this Fall?


Zoya Marina- The only blue I've ever loved...


I don't do blues. 
Though it looks fine on other people, I am actually really anti-blue for myself.
No matter how I work it, I look like a playboy bunny (and not in a good way) when I wear blue eyeshadows. 
I can't think of a single blue article of clothing in my closet.
I own 2 other blue nail polishes, both of which have only been touched once. 
No matter the shade, it just simply isn't a color I gravitate towards.


But I am about to eat my words. 
Zoya Marina, a shade recently released in the Mirrors Colelction, is the only blue I have ever loved.
Just look at this shade! How could I not love this metallic, steely blue?
Recently I have been really feelin' an early 90's biker chick vibe and this polish reminds me of motorcycle chrome.

Zoya Marina is opaque in two coats. I found the formula easy to work with, and unlike some metallic polishes, it was streak free.


NYX Circe (MAC Viva Glam Gaga 2 dupe?)

Shortly after New Years, MAC will be discontinuing my first ever purchase from the brand and one of my favorite lipsticks of all time, Viva Glam Gaga 2. As of now, you can still buy MAC Viva Glam Gaga 2 on the MAC website, and it is also available in a holiday gift set called Viva Glam Melt Your Heart Lip Bag, which also includes the pink Viva Glam Gaga 1 shade. Instead of stockpiling multiple backups and breaking the bank in the process, I went on the hunt for a more affordable comparable shade and stumbled upon NYX Circe. Is it dupe worthy?


NYX Circe vs MAC Viva Glam Gaga 2

Price
NYX- I bought this off of Cherry Culture during a sale and spent less than $2. 

MAC- This gem will run you $14.50 on its own, or $36 for the Viva Glam Melt Your Heart Lip Bag which also includes the pink Viva Glam Gaga 1 shade.

Formula
NYX- The formula is ultra creamy, but to the point of being slippery. Though it provides decently opaque coverage, I can feel the product sliding around my lips when I wear it. In terms of scent and taste, neither are too strong or unpleasant.

MAC- As an Amplified Creme, this lipstick is incredibly opaque and I find it quite creamy as well. However, it doesn't have the slip of the NYX formula. Of course, MAC is notorious for its vanilla scented lipsticks, so applying this one is a real treat.

Staying Power
NYX- I can get an hour or two of wear out of this lipstick- more if I layer it over a liner or a touch of concealer, less if I top it with a gloss. 

MAC- I get considerable more wear out of this one, but I wouldn't say it is especially long lasting. A few hours at best, less if topped with a gloss.

Shade
The two lipsticks are remarkably close in shade, but I wouldn't call them exact dupes. 

NYX- Slightly deeper in shade, less pigmented, a touch less glossy of a finish.

MAC- More of a 'milky' appearance because it is ever so lightly paler, more pigmented, a touch pinker, and glossier.



All in all, I highly prefer MAC Viva Glam Gaga 2 for its superior formula and shade. NYC Circe, however, is nice to have around for when I want to create similar look without depleting my precious tube of Gaga 2. And we can't deny that price is a biggie here- because NYX Circe cost me less than $2, I don't mind reapplying often as much as I would with a more expensive shade.


Bare Faced Beauty: Flaunting my Makeup-Free Face and Thoughts on Cosmetics

Today, Franca of Oranges & Apples is hosting the Friend Friday Roundup on the theme of no makeup. See her post and links for all the other contributors here.

Never shy to sport a statement lip or dramatic eye, this blog has served in part to archive and share my makeup adventures. However, the look that makes me most hesitant is actually the most natural one. No, not the 'it took me 15 products to look natural' kind, but a clean, makeup-free face. So here it is, my boldest look yet in all of it's naked glory:


As beauty bloggers, many of us appreciate cosmetics in ways that the average person would find ludicrous. We lust over limited edition items, build museum worthy collections, race across town on the quest for a particular lipstick, swoon over unique packaging, and research a particular shade for hours. But for how many of us does this appreciation transform into a feeling of need? Especially in a culture that often values women for their beauty as much as (if not more than) her brains, it is pretty easy to feel this way. Wearing makeup makes me feel confident about myself, sure- but it would be just plain idiotic to think that this didn't have anything to do with these cultural values and how people respond to me. Knowing this, I have been trying to be consciously aware of my relationship to cosmetics. 

My relationship with cosmetics has been a bit of a pendulum swing. When I was in middle school, I had absolutely no idea what shades worked for me or how to apply products. Thinking that more was better, I was chided by my parents for trying to look more mature than I was with my crappy blue eyeshadow (oh yes, I was that girl!). By high school and through college, my makeup routine had simplified to a handful of neutral shadows, a brown liner, a mascara, and pressed powder. I was a busy, self-confident bookworm who had little interest in changing up my daily routine.

 It wasn't actually until two years ago or so that my interest in beauty culture really kick started, and it was like middle school all over again. Loving the transformation cosmetics enabled, I frequently spent more than half an hour doing my makeup each morning and gravitated towards bold shades. I figured if I was going to wear makeup, I might as well look like I am wearing it, right? Somewhere during that time, I went from liking makeup to feeling like I needed it to look not just beautiful but just plain average. 

Thankfully, I have started to mature out of that phase. Though I still appreciate a sexy red lip or an artfully blended eye, I am discovering that I actually look better the less makeup I wear. Realizing that my skin is actually quite nice, I have recently swapped my full coverage foundations out for more medium coverage ones and tinted moisturizers. While it is rare that I forgo cosmetics all together, some days a little concealer, mascara, and lip balm is all I have time or effort for.  And I certainly don't wear makeup while just relaxing at home, and I can bare running to the grocery store with my face naked. I feel less depend on cosmetics and though I prefer to wear makeup, I know I don't need it all of the time to look like a normal, presentable human being. 

That being said, I am still excited by makeup (what a boring blog this would be if I didn't, right?). Most of all, I love how I can transform my look with makeup in a way that allows me to consciously construct, channel, and exude different expressions of femininity. My inner drag queen revels in this sort of gender play. What kind of woman am I today? An Old Hollywood starlet with matte red lips? Or how about a bad ass 90's biker chick with kohl rimmed eyes? Or maybe I am a powerful Grecian goddess with ethereal, glowing skin? Or maybe I am just lazy me, chillin' on the couch, watching Buffy the Vampire Slayer reruns with my friends, with not a stitch of makeup on at all.

Do you ever bare it all or do you wear makeup everyday? 
Do you ever feel like you need makeup? 
Do you use makeup to consciously present and play with your gender expression?



Fierce Femme FOTD: Really Red

One of my favorite bloggers, Mandy over at Prettymaking, posted a review today on one of my recent monthly favorites (see here) and top lipsticks ever, Revlon SuperLustrous Really Red. There is a lot to love here- it is really matte, really red, really long on wear time...generally really phenomenal. This is one of the only statement lip colors I feel confident rockin' for a full day because I know it can go a really long while without a touch up. Mandy reminded me that I had a FOTD featuring this gem in queue from when I wore it out bowling last week- check it out! 

Face
Maybelline SuperStay Makeup in Natural Beige
Hard Candy Glamoflauge Heavy Duty Concealer in Light
Maybelline Dream Matte Powder in Sand

Cheeks 
Physicians Formula Happy Booster Glow & Mood Boosting Blush in Rose
LORAC Perfect Lit Oil Free Luminizing Powder in Spotlight

Eyes
UDPP
LORAC Perfect Lit Oil Free Luminizing Powder in Spotlight- dusted over lids
Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Eyeliner Pencil in Zero
wet N wild ColorIcon Eyeliner Pencil in White
Loreal Voluminous Millions of Lashes

Lips
Revlon SuperLustrous Lipstick in Really Red



October Sayonara Products

This month I finished up a whopping fifteen products; more impressive than that,eleven are cosmetic items! I have mentioned in other posts that I have really buckled down on makeup spending, buying only the products that I need, have thoroughly research, and/or have been really craving for a long time. As such, I am hauling less and focusing on and using up what I already have more! Here are the products that I said goodbye to this past month:


Revlon PhotoReady Concealer in Medium Light
As far as drugstore concealers go, this is one of the best that I have found. It is really creamy, has nice coverage, and lasts all day when set with powder. It works best on blemishes but this wouldn't be my first pick for dark circles- it tended to cake up a little and crease under the eyes, and doesn't have the peachy undertones to really cancel out the blue. I have a few other concealers to use up, but I would consider purchasing it again.

Urban Decay Primer Potion in Original, minis x2
I received both of these mini PPs in palettes and have bee amazed by how long they have lasted me! UDPP is the only primer I have ever used or tried, and I haven't felt the need to look elsewhere because it does what it is supposed to do- make shadows more vibrant, prevent creasing, and prolong wear time. I replaced these two empties with a full-sized version in Eden, as seen in my recent Sephora Haul.

EOS Smooth Sphere Lip Balm
Remember when everyone was raving about these? There is a lot to love here- all natural, organic, fun and unique packaging, tasty flavors. I wouldn't say this lip balm provided the most hydration to my lips, but it certainly got the job done! I used this until the sphere was flat, and then using a toothpick I dug out the rest of the product and mixed it with sugar to make a lip sugar scrub.

Almay Makeup Erase Sticks
My mom gave these to me to throw in my purse, but I found that these were most helpful in the mornings to clean up residual eye makeup that transferred to my lower lash line. The stick of the q-tip is filled with makeup remover, and when you snap one of the cotton buds off the liquid saturates the other end. These were nice to have, but not an essential for me. 

Dickinson's Original Witch Hazel
This is just plain ol' witch hazel in a convenient squirt bottle. After washing my face I would load a cotton pad up with witch hazel and clean off any residual makeup, especially in my hairline. This did the trick, and it also did a decent job of shrinking my pores. I'll buy witch hazel again, but to save a few pennies I will just get the generic bottle.

Bath & Body Works Midnight Pomegranate EDT
I picked this up in one of my mad hunts to find my signature scent, and it just didn't work out. Although I always received compliments when I wore it, I personally found it too sweet and fruity.

Physicians Formula Powder Palette Multi-Colored Press Powder in Buff
I kept this in my purse to touch up throughout the day, and it was fine for a quick blot. However, as a setting powder this was pretty low performing- my skin was shiny within a few short hours, and reapplication lends itself to looking cakey.

Cover Girl Professional Natural Lash Mascara in Clear
I used this to set my brows, and it served me just fine! However, I have found another affordable clear mascara (Maybelline Great Lash) that has a smaller brush that is easier to tame my brows with, so I won't be repurchasing.

NARS Orgasm Illuminator
As a highlight and gel blush, I personally found this product pretty pointless. The gel was too thin, and once applied the pretty pinky gold shimmers were all but blended away. However, I did like this mixed with my foundation. I typically opt for matte finishes because they control oil better, but for a little luminosity I liked to mix this in. I did purchase a full size of this in Copacabana after falling in love with the color and reading that the formula was thicker than Orgasm's. Updates on that soon!

Estée Lauder Double Matte Foundation in Cool Dusk
While researching Double Wear the SA provided me a sample with Double Matte as well. In short, this was a let down: though it gives excellent coverage, it fails to control oil, it looks mask-like, and leaves you white cast in photos. Read the full review here.

Sephora Perfecting Tinted Moisturizer in Medium Peach
On its own, this is not a superior product. It is a little oily and provided almost zero coverage. However, I liked to mix this with my Revlon ColorStay for a more natural finish. I recently replaced this with Tart'es Amazonian Clay Tinted Moisturizer, which I am loving so far so expect a review soon!

philosophy vanilla birthday cake shower gel
This was my birthday gift from Sephora, and it really did smell like cake! I enjoyed this while it lasted, but I don't want to smell like cake all the time. 

LORAC Perfect Lit Oil Free Luminizing Powder in Spotlight
This little deluxe sample lasted me almost a full year, and I vacillated between love and ambivalence. At times I wouldn't think it wasn't anything special, but in comparison to other, lower-end highlighters I can tell how soft, smooth, and natural it applies to the skin. No big shimmers here, just a nice lit from within glow. 
 
Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Eyeliner Pencil in Zero
This liner is among many bloggers' favorites, and I enjoyed it, too. Zero is very black, and the formula is incredibly creamy and easy to apply yet sets quickly and is long lasting. The only problem I had with this is that it didn't last on my waterline as long as I expected. I would repurchase this, put the price is pretty steep. I am testing out the Milani LIQUIF EYE Metallic Eyeliner Pencil in Black to see how it compares.

Phew! That's a lot!
What did you finish up this past month?


October Favorites (no flunkies!)

 Please excuse my tardiness in posting this month's favorites a few days late. I have been insanely busy this month (such is the life of a grad student), and thus my makeup routine has really simplified. My main concerns have been concealing dark under eye circles and adding some color to my cheeks to mask just how sleep deprived and crazy I feel. These past few weeks I have forgone eyeshadow almost completely, but have discovered that the trick to fooling people that your look is really put together is a quick swipe of red or berry lipstick! No flunkies to report this month, because I have really buckled down on spending.


Yes to Tomatoes Daily Balancing Moisturizer
Using this again after a few months of being out has reminded me of why I adore this moisturizer so. It is a must for oily skinned folks, but is moisturizing enough to suit normal skin as well. This soaks in quickly, making for a great morning moisturizer. Read my full review here.

Maybelline Dream Matte Powder in Sand
Bloggers the world wide web over have raved about this product, so when my last setting powder was nothing but pan I picked up this budget friendly powder. I have been really impressed so far- it sets my foundation without making me look cakey, and adds a little extra coverage on days when I opt for just a tinted moisturizer. I still need to blot every once in a while and I don't think this is heavy-duty enough for my super oily summer skin, but for the cooler months it is fitting the bill. Review coming soon.

Revlon SuperLustrous Lipsticks in Black Cherry & Really Red (matte)
There is no better time than autumn to bust out the berry lippies, and this month Black Cherry has been my pick. I picked this up because I heard this vampy, glossy burgundy red shade is a MAC Media dupe, and I have been loving this for evening looks. During the day, I have been gravitating towards Really Red, a true red matte shade, for a clean and classic pop of color. See Really Red in a lineup of some of the other Revlon matte shades here.

Maybelline SuperStay Makeup in Natural Beige
A friend of mine passed this along to me after she accidentally selected a shade too dark for her, and this baby has been sitting in my makeup collection untouched and unloved since then. Now that the weather is cooling off, my typically oily skin is balancing out (dare I say it is almost normal?!) so this foundation has replaced my usual matte finish formulas. SuperStay is a creamy, natural finish foundation with a great wear time.

NYX Cream Blush in Natural
Last month the shade Boho Chic made it on to my favorites, but this month I have really been reaching for Natural. It is a no-brainer shade that goes with every look, and it gives me that 'I'm alive although I only got 2 hours of sleep' flush that I need. Check out swatches of this shade and other NYX Cream Blushes here.

wet N wild ColorIcon Eyeliner Pencil in White
To keep my tired peepers looking bright, I have been applying this liner to my lower waterline. There are tons of white liners on the market, but this one is creamy, easy to apply, opaque, and best yet, super cheap! It also was essential in my Adele inspired look.

Urban Decay Glide-On 24/7 Eyeliner in Whiskey (on double-ended liner from Naked Palette)
Since I have been enjoying more natural and subtle eye looks this month, brown eyeliner has been an October staple. I loved it so much, in fact, that I used it all up!

Zoya Yara (not pictured above)
I am usually not into green that much, but this polish blew me away. How could you not love this olive green with gold flakies?! It was also a perfect base for my Frankenstein nail design

What have you been loving this month?


Fierce Femme FOTD & OOTD: Someone Like You (Adele inspired)


One of my favorite songs this season has been Adele's "Someone Like You." Not only is Adele a vocal powerhouse, but she is also absolutely, breath-takingly gorgeous. Additionally, I love seeing thick girls in the spot light, flaunting their talent and curves. This FOTD isn't a copy-cat look, but it is definitely heavily inspired by Adele's signature winged liner, white accents, and nude lips.


Face
Revlon ColorStay Foundation in Medium Beige (probably mixed with some illuminizer or lighter coverage foundation- I don't recall, sorry!)
Maybelline Dream Matte Powder
Hard Candy Glamoflauge in Light

Cheeks
NYX Cream Blush in Boho Chic
LORAC Spotlight Powder

Eyes
UDPP
UD Virgin (from Naked Palette)- on lid
Milani Infinite Liner in Everlast- winged liner on top
Wet n Wild ColorIcon Eyeliner in White- lower lash line and water line
NYX Eyeshadow in matte white (from a palette)- to set white liner
Loreal Voluminous Millions of Lashes


Lips
Revlon ColorBurst in Soft Nude
Revlon SuperLustrous Lipgloss in Peach Petal


Burgundy cami- Wet Seal
Fringe Crotchet Crop- PacSun
White Denim- Wet Seal (after Labor Day?!?!?!)
Boots- DSW

Do you like Adele? What is your favorite song by her?


Galaxy Nails


After seeing several gorgeous galaxy nail design floating around on nail art blogs, I had to try to recreate it for myself. Here is my first attempt- I think it is pretty, but nowhere near as mesmerizing or multidimensional as some others I have seen.

Polishes used:
Sally Hansen Diamond Strength in Black Diamond
Zoya Dove
Zoya Creamy
Wet n Wild Blazed
Milani 3D Holographic High Res
Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear in Strobe Light
Sally Hansen Hard as Nails in White Tip

Here is the tutorial, by youtuber CUTEPOLISH, I followed to create this design:




Trick or Treat! My Biker Zombie Costume

Happy Halloween, my creepy ghouls!

I am totally obsessed with Halloween, and Alex and I had a fantastic time coming up with our costumes this year. We are attending this year's Halloween festivities as biker zombies! Our back story is that we were on a ride and got into a crash. While at the hospital, the town was taken over by zombies. When the hospital was infiltrated by zombies, we failed to escape and we now walk the night and feast on brains!

I did our makeup to look freshly dead, sallow, banged up, and hungry for human flesh. Here are a few shots of our costumes!


Happy Halloween! What are you dressing up as?


Zombies, Vampires, and Sluts-oh my! Some Thoughts on Sexy Halloween Costumes

All Hallows Eve is the one night of the year that the spirits of the dead can walk the earth, and women can wear lingerie in public without ridicule. 

Remember the film Mean Girls? New kid Cady arrives at a party in her frightening bride costume, only to discover that the other girls were using Halloween as an opportunity to wear as little as possible: 


The film humorously highlights a trend that I am sure most all of us are familiar with. But what is going on here? Why do women put on fishnets and bunny ears and call it a costume? What is going on in our culture that encourages this? Is it "slutty"; is it liberating? In this post, I would like to sketch out the debate and offer my own thoughts on the phenomena of women's hypersexualization via Halloween costuming. 

My friend Grace, who blogs over at Grace & Beauty, first got me thinking more critically about this issue. Grace posted a  video to youtube and her blog imploring women to ditch the "slutty" Halloween costumes. With Grace's permission, here is her video:

The comment responses to Grace's video have been heated- some slammed Grace for what they perceive as her anti-feminist, slut bashing position, and others celebrated and aligned with her opinions. My own critique falls somewhere in between. 
 Like Grace, part of me is saddened and disgusted when I see young women in lingerie and kitten ears prancing around on Halloween. It angers me to see women participating so uncritically in the systems (I'm looking at you, patriarchy!) that serve to limit our options and punish us  for not conforming to gendered norms. Part of me looks at these women and sees them as brainwashed dupes of the patriarchy. On the other hand, I can't help but think about how our culture has produced the very conditions in which young women would want to do such a thing. Who gets to determine what is sexy? Who does this image of "sexiness" serve? I am all for women expressing themselves as sexual beings, but it strikes me that the very parameters for doing this are actually quite limited and narrow, and have been established and defined by a male gaze. Basically, what is considered "sexy" comes out of a male-dominated pornographic imagination. This definition of sexiness does not come from women who are consciously and critically considering how they want to express their sexuality for themselves. In our discussion of this issue, Grace made an astute observation that it can actually be challenging for women shopping at a Halloween store to find a costume that isn't sexualized.
Moreover, women we reap real benefits, such as male sexual attention and social status, for conforming to these sexist standards of beauty and behavior. When we resist this norm and express our sexuality in a different way, we are called dykes, butch, prude, and so forth. Our culture still operates within the virgin/whore logic regarding female sexuality. If we express ourselves as people with sexual desires, we are called sluts; but if we don't put out, or we don't present ourselves in a way that our cultures sees as sexy, we are called prudes. Halloween is supposedly the one night where this doesn't apply. A combination of the narrow definition of "sexiness" and this pervasive virgin/whore logic might help explain why women might take Halloween as a "free pass." Reminding myself of these things helps me to be more sympathetic and understanding. It prevents me from perpetuating the problematic, misogynistic slut-bashing that I want to challenge.

Another issue I would like to breifly consider is how women who do go the "sexy cop" route on Halloween are demonized as inviting sexual assault. Some responders to Grace's video lamented that young women who dress as "sluts" for Halloween are walking rape targets. First of all, women never ask to be sexually assaulted. I don't care if you are trick or treating naked, that never gives someone the right to touch you without permission. Also, this type of victim-blaming negates the fact that women, regardless of how they dress or behave, can and are sexually assaulted by friends, family members, dates, and strangers all the time. That said, I do think women have a responsibility to be aware of the culture we live in. Though I would never, ever say that a young woman asks for or invites sexual assault or general creepiness, I do think that women must be realistic of how other people who are totally complacent with our culture's messed up views of gender and sexuality might interpret and misread our actions. Us ladies are in a perpetual bind, really. Ideally, we should be able to do and be and dress as we want, but in reality we also have to be attentive and practice risk management.


I would encourage us to resist the urge to look at this trend of sexy Halloween costuming as all good or all bad, as totally slutty or totally empowering. Hopefully my brief discussion of it helped to highlight the complex cultural issues at work here. Let me know what you think about this issue!

Have a happy, creepy, and safe Halloween!


Sephora Friends & Family Sale Haul

Here are the items I picked up during the recent Sephora Friends & Family Sale. I resisted the urge to splurge, hauling only three "must have" products and one that I have been lusting after for a few months.



The "must have" products are:
Tarte Smooth Operator Amazonian Clay Tinted Moisturizer
I adore Tarte's Amazonian Clay products, and read a bit of hype on this product, which is supposedly more like a light to medium coverage foundation than a tinted moisturizer. My oily prone skin has actually been, dare I say, more normal and balanced lately, and I have looking to branch out from matte finish, full-coverage foundations to let my well-behaving skin show through. I am so excited to see if this fits the bill.  I bought the shade Agent 004, which is deigned for light skin with neutral undertones.

NARS Copacabana Illuminator
I had a deluxe sample of the Orgasm Illuminator, and I found it to be a great multipurpose product. However, I wasn't wild about the shade.  Copacabana is a pearly pinked beige, and I plan on mixing this in with my foundation and using it as a highlight.

Urban Decay Primer Potion in Eden
My makeup life changed when I discovered eyeshadow primer, and I recently ran out of the various mini versions I had of the Urban Decay ones. I selected Eden, a matte tawny beige primer, to also help conceal discoloration on my lids.

My nonessential treat:
Illamasqua Blush in Katie
I have been lemming for this blush for months after seeing it featured on various blogs, namely Golden Glow and Getting Cheeky. Katie, a matte milky pink, is not a shade I typically gravitate towards but there is something about this pale, creamy color that I found irresistible.

Did you haul anything during the Sephora Friends & Family Sale?


Frankenstein Nails ft. Zoya Yara










Happy All Hallow's Eve weekend! 
To get into the holiday spirit, I recreated this Frankenstein design that I have seen floating around on some blogs lately. Despite the fact that my cuticles are a mess, I totally adore this mani. I used two coats of Zoya's Yara, a phenomenal olive green with gold shimmer, and a Kiss nail art polish for the design.






Breast Cancer Awareness Month- FOTD & Self-Exams

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and bloggers have been doing their part by posting information and inspired FOTDs. For me, the standout post has been Jessica's from Getting Cheeky- not only was her FOTD simple and elegant, but she also reminded me of the importance of performing monthly breast self-exams. As Jessica argues, we spend countless hours a month applying cosmetics, yet often forget to take 15 minutes or so a month to focus on our health. 

It occurred to me, though, that I didn't even know how to properly perform a monthly breast exam. After a bit of research, I discovered  some helpful information. Although the Susan G. Koman Foundation does not endorse breast self-exams as a screening or diagnostic tool for breast cancer, it is nonetheless important to become familiar with your breasts. Doing so will allow you to detect changes and warning signs early. Of course, if you notice any changes, contact your doctor. For more info on breast self-exams, check out the Susan G. Koman Foundation's page on the subject. Moreover, here is a step-by-step guide on how to perform monthly breast self-exams. If you don't do them regularly, I implore you to start. I know I am. 

Here is the pink inspired FOTD I came up with for Breast Cancer Awareness Month. I wanted this look to be bold (the goal is awareness, after all!). However, the look is much more subtle in pictures for some reason. I assure you that in person, this look was much more dramatic.

 Face
Revlon ColorStay in Medium Beige
Benefit Boi-ing Concealer in Light
Benefit Erase Paste in Medium
Maybelline Dream Matte in Sand
e.l.f. Cool Bronzer

Cheeks
NYX Cream Blush in Boho Chic
Hard Candy Face and Body Luminizer in Doll Face

Eyes
Urban Decay Primer Potion
Benefit Lemon-Aid
Wet n Wild I'm Getting Sunburned trio- pink on lid
Wet n Wild Spoiled Brat trio- bright pink in crease and along lower lash line
Tarina Tarantino Sparklicity Pure- inner corners
Urban Decay 24/7 Glinde-On Eyeliner in Zero- upper lash line, tight line, lower water line
Loreal Voluminous Millions of Lashes

Lips
Revlon SuperLustrous Lipstick in Primrose
Tarina Trantino Gem Gloss in Disco Nap


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