October Favorites

Another month gone and I'm still constantly baffled by how fast this year has flown by. I have a couple non-beauty favorites to share with you this month, too!


My first favorite is the Urban Decay Naked2 Basics Palette. I finally got around to getting this, and I haven't worn anything else on my eyes since. I love the cool-toned, taupe-y colors included and the versatility of the palette. I've used this on minimal makeup days and also on more-made-up days. I especially love using the dark gray shade, Undone, as a liner. It gives a subtle and smoky hint of definition that I've been loving.  The formula is on par with other Urban Decay shadows - buttery, blendable, and pigmented. I'm so glad I finally picked this up.

My other three beauty favorites were things I mentioned in my Beauty Wish List post. I don't know why I ever waited so long to get the Anastasia Beverly Hills Dipbrow Pomade. I have the shade Taupe - I recommend trying a shade lighter than you think you would want (I originally thought I would need Medium Brown) because it's so pigmented. After one or two trials to get the hang of using this, I can apply it more quickly than the Brow Wiz. I've been reaching for this every morning because the color looks so natural and quickly makes my brows look so polished.

I've been all about the MAC lip products lately, and this month the Lustre Lipstick in Patisserie is a favorite. It's a sheer neutral, creamy pink color with a tiny hint of shimmer (like MAC's other Lustre lipsticks). This is a great everyday MLBB shade that I've been reaching for as I'm running out the door, but I also love it over the top of the MAC Whirl lip pencil. It just adds a little more pink to the brown-toned lip liner, making for a slightly more flattering 90s-style nude.

My last beauty favorite is the Diorskin Nude Skin-Glowing Foundation. Once I realized I had been lusting after this for almost a month, I felt a little silly, but after actually using it I've been able to justify my obsession with it. It's not a dewy foundation, but it isn't matte either. It looks exceptionally natural and somehow allows my skin to shine through while still evening out redness and covering minor blemishes. It feels so lightweight on the skin that I often forget I have anything on. It has good longevity (it always lasts me through the workday), and it doesn't make me greasy or cling to dry patches. This is my favorite foundation I've tried by far, and I don't think I'll be trying many others in the coming months.

I have two non-beauty favorites, and the first is simple and dainty rings. I usually only wear just one ring every day (one with an infinity symbol in it that my boyfriend got me for my 20th birthday), but after picking up a few sets from H&M (similar here and here) and American Eagle (similar here and here), I've really been getting into wearing stacks of them at once. I love the look of mixing silver, gold, and rose gold, so I have a mix of all three metals in my collection.

My last favorite is a book that I couldn't put down and finished in just over two days. I've been having trouble with books keeping my attention long enough to finish reading them, but that wasn't a problem at all with Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn. It was gripping from start to finish, with jaw-dropping twists and turns that I never saw coming. I'm definitely going to read her other two novels, which are supposedly even darker than Gone Girl. I also was amazed by the movie. Of course I liked the book a little better, but every actor gave an amazing performance. Ben Affleck was great, but I was blown away by Rosamund Pike, who I think played Amy Dunne perfectly. Get yourself to a theater and see Gone Girl. And read it, too!

What were your favorites in October?

Becoming Holly Golightly

I first saw Breakfast at Tiffany's on my 14th birthday. It immediately became my favorite movie and has since remained my most beloved, even as I developed a love for other old movies (I went through a phase of watching every MGM musical starring Judy Garland soon after working my way through Audrey Hepburn's filmography). Every Halloween I've wanted to be Holly Golightly, but I never had a reason to dress up until this year. So finally, I get to fulfill this 8-year-old wish.

I did my research for this look by watching the film many times, and I also found that Lisa Eldridge's Breakfast at Tiffany's tutorial was a huge help as well. I started by applying my current favorite foundation, the Diorskin Nude Skin-Glowing Makeup, over clean and moisturized skin. I then went in and concealed any blemishes with the Maybelline Fit Me concealer and undereye circles with the Marc Jacobs Remedy Concealer Pen. 

The eyes are the most important part of this look, and I began by filling in my eyebrows. Audrey Hepburn is quite famous for her eyebrows, but the look in Breakfast at Tiffany's is different from the thick, dark, drawn-on brows she sported in the 1950s. These are softer and more arched. I didn't alter the shape of mine, but filled them in as usual, using the Anastasia Beverly Hills Dipbrow Pomade in Taupe.  For eyeshadow I used the Naked2 Basics Palette, as Audrey doesn't seem to have much eyeshadow on throughout the film, and when she does it's a subtle grayish-brown. I thought the cool-toned matte shades of this palette would be perfect.  I started by applying Stark, a nude-pink, all over the lid, and I defined the crease using Frisk, a gray with a tinge of brown to it. I wasn't looking to create a smokey eye, but rather make the socket of my eye seem deeper like Audrey's. I added a little more definition to the outer third of the crease using a mixture of Frisk and Primal, a darker but still muted brown. I also took a tiny bit of Primal underneath my eyes, a few millimeters away from my lower lashline to create the illusion of wider eyes. Next I went in with the Maybelline Eye Studio Lasting Drama Gel Eyeliner in Black to line my upper lashline and extended it into a wing. I lined my waterline with a nude eyeliner (Rimmel Scandaleyes in Nude), and coated my lower lashes with the Clinique Bottom Lash Mascara. I love this stuff because the tiny little brush makes application mess-free, and it doesn't budge or smudge all over the place. For my top lashes I used a coat of the L'Oreal Voluminous Butterfly Waterproof Mascara. I thought this would be perfect for Holly's look because the brush is designed to add extra definition to the outer lashes, which would go nicely with the winged eyeliner. After mascara I applied some false lashes - the Ardell 116's were perfect because they were longer at the outer edges. 

Audrey wears a natural pink blush pretty high up on her cheeks, so I used a little bit of the Daniel Sandler Watercolour Blush in the shade Cherub. To try to accentuate my cheekbones a little more, I added a tiny bit of the Benefit Watt's Up highlighter to them.

All that was left was the iconic lip color she uses in the film. She can be seen applying it in a few different scenes, but the one that stands out most in my mind is the scene when she's in the taxi at the end and must put her lipstick on before reading a letter of bad news. The closest color I've been able to find, and I believe it's a very close match, is the Revlon Super Lustrous Lipcolor in Pink in the Afternoon (415). It's a light warm peachy-pink shade that was characteristic of the early 1960s.

All that was left was adding the earrings and necklace and throwing my hair into an updo on top of my head. I used a lot of texturizing spray beforehand to make my hair more voluminous, and I topped it off with a small crown hair accessory I had laying around. Overall I was really pleased with how the look turned out, and I can't wait to recreate it again on Halloween!

I hope you enjoyed my first tutorial-ish post! What are you dressing up as for Halloween?

Guest Post: My Sister's Everyday Makeup Routine

Hello everybody, it’s Taylor here again. It’s Taylor Tuesday, if you will (assuming Kelsey actually puts this up on a Tuesday…oh jeez.) So, for those of you who don’t know, I’m Kelsey’s 18 year old sister who’s currently supposed to be writing a paper for my Journalism midterm. My roommate thinks I’m being productive, but she’s watching America’s Next Top Model so she’s not one to judge either.

So Kelsey and I have very different skin types. Though we are both basically deathly pale (all hail Irish ancestors, right?!), her undertones are much cooler, whereas mine are more neutral/warm. Also, I’m not entirely prone to breakouts whereas her skin is more sensitive. So, I figured it is because of this that I can get away with doing almost the exact same posts as she has because we use different things, and here’s another perspective!

So, as stated, I am a college student. Stereotypically late-sleeping and sweat-pant wearing. I, however, have way too much makeup I have spent way too much money on to not put some on every morning, so I’m always sure to wake up early enough to do it (although, yes, sometimes this does mean sacrificing my outfit, but let’s also all hail the cool weather so I can wear a scarf and look like I have my life together). First, I start with the Korres Vitamin E Face Primer (doesn't seem to be available anymore, but something similar would be their Greek Yoghurt Nourishing Primer). This came into my possession because it broke Kelsey out (so if you’re prone to breakouts, beware), but I haven’t had a problem and I love this primer so much. It smells amazing and doesn’t feel plastic-y like other primers tend to. Next, I apply the holy grail of my collection: YSL Touche Eclat foundation in shade Beige Dore 10. I know the price tag of this is a little scary, but it was worth every penny. Honestly every time I wear it someone comments on how nice and awake my skin looks. Every time, I swear. I blend it in with my Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge to keep the look very natural. Next is concealer, my trusty Maybelline FitMe Concealer in shade 20 (yes the same one from the care package Kelsey sent me!), which I mainly only need under my eyes and around my nose. I use the same makeup sponge to blend this in because at this point I probably only have 20 minutes before I have to leave for class and have yet to change out of pajamas. I finish my face with a touch of the Rimmel Stay Matte Powder and a sweep of my Clinique CheekPop in Berry Pop, which I apply with a stippling brush. If I’m feeling particularly dull I’ll also dust on theBalm’s Mary-Lou Manizer to the tops of my cheeks to fool everyone I see into thinking I got enough sleep the night before.

To fill in my brows I take a bit of Nyx Nude Matte Eyeshadow in Bare my Soul (a grayish brown shade, and it was only five bucks, score.) with an angled brush and hope for the best. Then, across my eyelids I apply the Marc Jacobs Twinkle Pop eyestick in shade Au Revoir and blend it in with my finger. Next I use Benefit’s They’re Real! Push up liner to cheat and get AMAZING wings with very little actual effort (for real. It makes people think you can actually do eyeliner. They never have to know). Last on my eyes is a quick curl of my eyelashes and two coats of the Lights, Camera, Splashes mascara from Tarte. And I mean only two or it will start getting clumpy. Don’t test me on this. And to finish is a quick touch of the Mary-Lou Manizer in the inner corner of my eyes. More awake-looking tricks.

And last is lips, honestly what can make or break a look in my opinion. I’ve lately been giving my Hourglass Femme Nude Lip Stylo in shade 4 lots of love. For me it is the perfect nude, giving just enough color to not look dead. Just what I’m looking for. Plus, the packaging is absolutely to die for.

And there you have it, my morning makeup routine, which has been self-titled “How to fool people into thinking you are getting the recommended hours of sleep each night” makeup look.