Category Archives: Make-up

SOS Confession: The Nail-Biter

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Zoya in "Cynthia"
I’m 24 years old and I bite my nails. It’s a horrid habit, and don’t even get me started on the germ factor (magnified exponentially by the fact that I live in NYC). Between my sister, my best friend and I, there’s enough nail polish to make a girl go gaga. So why do I bite my nails to the point where I can barely paint them? I have absolutely no idea.
Needless to say, this nail biting habit of mine needs to stop. It’s my stress-coping mechanism, so it’s going to be hard. I can’t use those pepper spray, cayenne pepper remedies because – to be quite honest – when my parents tried to get me to stop sucking my thumb, none of that stuff worked. It’s going to be a mind over matter kind of thing. Last year I tried forking over $35+ every two weeks for gel manis – that only lasted so long… I’m going to paint my nails consistently and see what that does because I’m getting increasingly mani conscious.
This week’s polish – Zoya in “Cynthia”, layered over the Sally Hansen “Hard as Nails – Hard as Wraps” acrylic gel, top coat – OPI “RapiDry.”

The Beauty of… the perfect pout

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BITE Red Lipstick in "Blood Orange"

On a regular day, I don’t wear makeup, I’m lucky if I even remember to moisturize. (Cardinal beauty sin, I know.) Every now and again I get myself into a beauty habit, it usually lasts until I realize I can squeeze out an extra ten minutes of sleep if I stop primping in the mirror.

One year, I felt particularly pale and felt the need to add a bit of color with bronzer. Another year I grew quite fond of the eye-widening powers of white eyeliner. Little known fact, black eyeliner on the inner rim of the bottom lid accentuates almond shaped eyes. Last year, I rekindled a love affair with Estée Lauder’s Sumptuous Extreme mascara.

These days I’m in love with a tube of matte red lipstick. My new lacquer of choice is “Rich Red” from Max Studio, similar here.

I Want to Feel Like… Joan Holloway

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i want to feel like joan holloway

I’ve been harboring a girl crush for Christina Hendricks and her Mad Men alter ego Joan Holloway (now Harris) for an eternity. Maybe it’s the fact that the woman runs shit over at Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce or that her real life persona will enjoy chocolate covered bacon if she wants to, regardless of what anyone else has to say.

On more than one occasion I’ve contemplated dressing up as the buxom red-headed vixen for Halloween, truth is – I’ve got more than a few pieces in my wardrobe that would suffice.  The costume designers really hit the nail on the head with the raspberry red body-con dress that clung in all the right places, cementing Joan Holloway’s character as a small screen style icon. I figure my voluptuous frame will look almost as good in the Roland Mouret, Brownlow stretch crepe dress. With that pout – her lips could seduce just about anyone, something Roger Sterling knows all too well. I’ll practice perfecting pursing my lips a la Mrs. Harris with Lancome’s sensational effects lipcolor in All Done Up. I always have a million pens on hand, and my obsession with unconventional pendants makes this vintage pen pendant a must-have Joan Holloway costume and everyday piece.  The life of an office manager or secretary in the sixties meant a typewriter was a necessity, and I love the idea of owning my own Underwood ‘portable’ typewriter. In reality, I’m not sure I could trade in my laptop for a typewriter, it may print while I type, but there’s the problem of the non-existent backspace button that will get me in trouble.

Mad Men needs to hurry up and film the next season, in the meanwhile I’ll keep watching the past seasons on Netflix.

Makeup-Monday: Mod-Eyes

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Let’s be clear, Edie Sedgwick may be the one famous for them, but Audrey Hepburn had them down pat – Mod Eyes.

To be frank, the smoky eye is getting boring and taking it back to a sixties classic always makes for a good change in pace. This makeup Monday inspiration comes from a set on Polyvore.com, so I dare you – just try and pull off-putting black eyeliner in the crease of your eye:

Coveted Deeply

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Five picks of things I’m coveting deeply.

Coveted Deeply

[1] I love bustiers, corsets or whatever you want to call them. They’re great under a blazer or paired with a barely there mini skirt, and if it’s one thing I’m glad for it’s the fact that unlike the women of the sixteenth century, I don’t have to crack my ribs or sacrifice my breathing for them. The mix of grey, light blue, dark blue, and black on the Preen Line Floral Zoe cropped bustier has the sort of cross between seductive structure and flirty spirit that I love.

[2] This sandstone stone in this ring looks like the night sky, I love it’s twilight aura, but it’s almost black hue makes it edgy yet pure. The prismatic facets lend dimension to the flecks of glitter that resemble stars, it’s the perfect little understated statement cocktail ring. I seriously can’t stop staring at this Lola Rose Sonia ring, it’s almost perverse.

[3] Louis Vuitton’s signature luggage pieces have these gorgeous engraved accents to accompany the signature LV monogram and this cuff captures all of that in a piece I can tote around effortlessly. The Louis Vuitton Save It bracelet possesses the air of Parisian style that first made their luggage famous, but there’s something more about it that I can’t quite grasp that makes me want it even more.

[4] I love this palette, it kind of looks like a face painting kit, probably because the colors are just as potent. I’m well versed in the art of face painting with Snazaroo paints, but the fact of the matter is I have infinitely more fun getting dolled up with this Make Up For Ever 12 Flash Color palette than I do drawing butterflies on little girls’ faces.

[5] I’m a sucker for bright colors, and this flaming orangey-redness of this bag, Zara is always good for finding what I like to call true fashion pieces like this, the aptly named Fashion City bag. The color is so strong it’s bound to stop people in their tracks, but that’s probably the point, it’s too gorgeous to be passed on the street without as much as a second or third glance. I’d also like to get it in the deep blue and maybe even the tan.