look of the day - A HAIRCUT, FINALLY

I haven't had an actual haircut in at least 8 months, likely more, and I finally went to the salon today.

Some things to note!

a) My bangs are doing weird things because my hair dried in a part too close to the center.

b) Obviously, there's a bit of a curl in my hair, but the actual length is at least two inches shorter.

c) I took this on my phone camera because it's a ton better than my point-and-shoot camera.

Kate requested a simple look for a regular high school day, so I've tried my best to replicate something and will provide cheaper dupes for products if I know of any.

For face products, start out with a BB cream if you need coverage all over your face. Generally, BB creams tend to be multipurpose, blurring imperfections while covering redness. I've used a Dr. Jart+ BB cream, but Maybelline makes two formulations (depending on skin type) that seem to work well. Take a concealer and cover up anything else you'd like to cover that the BB cream didn't. Maybelline Fit Me concealer is one that I quite like. For cheeks, a cream blush is quick and easy and can be applied with your fingers. Try one of Revlon's cream blushes or L'oreal's mousse blushes.

For eyes, take a shimmery pinky-nude eyeshadow and use it over the eyelid. This gives a wash of colour without complicating the process. If you want to take the extra step, use a taupe or purple-toned eyeshadow in the outer corner of the lid. Eyeshadow can actually be skipped if you're feeling lazy or you don't have that much time to get ready. The brown eyeliner is the most important--draw a line across your upper lid. Brown is softer and more forgiving than black. (If you have oily eyelids, consider using an eyeshadow primer and a translucent powder to make sure your eyeliner doesn't smudge.) Finish with a coat of mascara--brown for lighter eyelashes, black for darker.

For the lips, use a pinky-nude lipstick. There are so many good ones out there--Lipstick Queen makes a universally flatter shade but it's definitely pricey. Revlon lip butters are a good place to start, but their balm stains are really good if you don't want to keep touching up throughout the day. The glossy part of the product might fade but it leaves a stain behind that will last several hours. Honey is a really good colour.

BROWS
Anastasia Beverly Hills Beauty Express brow kit in Brunette
Anastasia Beverly Hills Tinted Brow Gel in Granite

EYES
Too Faced Shadow Insurance
Inner half of lid - Laura Mercier eyeshadow in Guava
Outer half of lid - Laura Mercier eyeshadow in Kir Royal
Upper lash line - marc jacobs highliner gel crayon in brown(out)
Lashes - ck one mascara in 800 black

FACE
Korres Quercetin & Oak Antiageing Primer
Dr. Jart+ V7 Beauty Balm
Benefit boi-ing concealer in 01
stila convertible color dual lip & cheek cream in peony (I THINK. This was a sample and I can't find the shade name on it.)

LIPS
Lipstick Queen Jean Queen lipstick

looks of the weekend - simple summer look + helena (bonus blonde hair!)

I wasn't even going to post anything because this is just a transition hair colour until I get the rest of the dye put in next weekend, but I couldn't pass up the opportunity, really.

First, here's what my go-to summer look has been.

Yes, I am wearing the garland I bought at the nearby Renaissance Faire the first time I went! And hello, blonde hair. My hairdresser didn't want me to be stuck in a chair for 4-5 hours getting all the dye in, so my next appointment is next weekend. This time next week, I'll have purple + pink + orange hair!

Since it's summer, I don't really bother with foundation or any sort of face product except for sunscreen. I'd rather protect my skin than try to bother covering anything up. That being said, I did use tiny dots of concealer where I really needed it. Sometimes I use an under-eye concealer, but I didn't here.

For the eyes, take a simple nude-pink shimmer eyeshadow and swipe it across your lids, and then use a liquid eyeliner to draw on a slight cat-eye. Often, I skip eye makeup entirely because it'll crease like crazy in the summer with my oily lids. Brows are a must for me, though! Lately I've been using Anastasia's Dipbrow Pomade, which has been a lifesaver.

Summer is the time for bright lips so I slapped on a long lasting liquid lipstick so I wouldn't have to worry about touch-ups. This stuff lasts through everything.

BROWS

Anastasia Beverly Hills Dipbrow pomade in Dark Brown

Anastasia Beverly Hills Tinted Brow Gel in Granite

EYES

Stila eyeshadow in Kitten (shimmering nude pink)

Sephora Colorful Waterproof Eyeliner 24 HR Wear in 01 Black Lace (matte black)

FACE

Maybelline Fit Me Concealer in Fair 15

LIPS

Kat Von D Everlasting Love Liquid Lipstick in Bauhau5 (deep raspberry)

I know I did Helena's makeup once already, but since I have blonde hair for a brief window, I had to try it again.

The eyeshadow looks a little less red in the picture than in person, but I used a lighter hand this time. The band shirt isn't quite The Clash (sorry Sarah!) but Company of Thieves is the only band I have a shirt for, so it'll have to do.

BROWS
Anastasia Beverly Hills Dipbrow pomade in Dark Brown
Anastasia Beverly Hills Tinted Brow Gel in Granite

EYES
Urban Decay Naked Basics Palette: Faint (warm, dusty brown matte)
It Cosmetics Naturally Pretty Matte Luxe Transforming Eyeshadow Palette Vol. 1: Soulful, Sunrise, Sunset
Saucebox Cosmetics Etude palette: Biscotti, Caramel, Cream Dream
Lorac PRO To Go Eye/Cheek Palette: Café

FACE
Urban Decay Naked Skin liquid foundation in 1.0
It Cosmetics Bye Bye Under Eye concealer in Light

LIPS
NYX Cosmetics Soft Matte Lip Cream in Cairo (matte pure nude)
Urban Decay Revolution lipstick in Naked (nude-pink)

look of the day - cream + gold + green

This morning, I went to get a physical because I have a big girl job (!!!) and my arms are currently quite sore because I had to get a vaccine in each arm. I'm also piloting the Crimson Typhoon so no matter how much I try with my makeup, all of my photos make me look exceptionally ill. How is it possible for me to look any more pale?!

Now that I've given you too much information about my life, onto the look for today! My darling friend Livy requested a look with gold, green, and cream eyeshadow. I'll admit that I skipped the cream eyeshadow because every colour I had close to that was invisible on my skin, but I'll let you all know how to incorporate it into the look.

I was experimenting with overdrawing my lips here, too, so that's why my mouth looks different. (Note to self: don't try overdrawing with lip tar again.) Obviously, red lipstick is not a requirement for this look! I'm just sort of obsessed with the colour, plus Valentine's Day is coming up and even though I personally have no interest for the holiday, a red lip is suitable for any day.

Time for a mini-tutorial! After priming the lid, take a gold eyeshadow from the inner corner to about 1/3 to 1/2 across the lid. You can use a brush/sponge applicator to do this, or use your fingers like I did. I have a particular distrust of brushes for some reason, but I'm working on it. Take a medium green eyeshadow and pack it next to your gold eyeshadow, keeping the colour a bit further back from the outer corner of your eyelid. I used an olive green colour (aptly named Up All Night to Get Loki, as Livy is obsessed with Tom Hiddleston) but any green will do.

Take a black eyeliner or eye crayon and colour in the outer corner of your lid. Blend this like crazy--you're not getting a close-up of the look because I forgot to do this and it looks terrible. Whoops! After you blend this really well, take your green eyeshadow and pat it lightly onto the black base to give the shadow some depth. I happened to use a darker green eyeshadow than the Loki one, but I happened to have one on hand.

Go wild with black eyeliner. I chose to do winged liner with a liquid liner that has somehow yet to die, but you can just use a simple pencil and smudge that around your eyes. The sky is the limit! I also took a green liquid liner to my lower lash line, but that was me being ~fancy~.

You should use blush with this look so you're not washed out, especially if you do red lipstick! Somehow, even with blush I still look like Casper's ghost friend who learned how to paint her face, so um... Yeah, watch how you balance your look. I think a nude pink lipstick would look great, or if your lips are naturally quite pigmented like mine are, you can get away with some lip balm and call it a day.

If you have a cream eyeshadow and you're not a ghost like I am, you can place some in the inner corner of your eyelid to open up the eye, or blend it into the crease of your eye up to your browbone for a sick highlight.

Other possible combinations of cream + gold + green:

• Cream over the lid, gold on the outer corner + crease, green along your lash lines
• Green all over the lid with gold patted smack dab in the center of your upper lid
• Cream into the inner corner, green all over your lid, gold along the lower lash line
• Smokey eye! Green along the lash line brought up halfway on the lid, gold from there to the crease, and cream from the crease to your browbone

Since these colours are rather different from each other, make sure to blend like crazy, whatever you choose to do.

BROWS
Benefit Instant Brow Pencil in Deep
Anastasia Beverly Hills Tinted Brow Gel in Granite

EYES
theBalm Put a Lid On It! eyeshadow primer
Inner lid - Urban Decay eyeshadow in Half Baked (golden bronze)
Outer lid - Shiro Cosmetics loose eyeshadow in Up All Night to Get Loki (olive green with gunmetal shimmer)
Outer corner - Ulta Eye Crayon in Black Tie + Sugarpill Chromalust pigment in Junebug (forest green shimmer)
Upper lash line - Maybelline Line Stiletto Ultimate Precision Liquid Eyeliner in Blackest Black
Lower lash line - Stila Stay All Day® Waterproof Liquid Eye Liner in Moss (forest green)

FACE
Urban Decay Naked Skin liquid foundation in 1.0
Benefit boi-ing concealer in 01
rms beauty lip2cheek in diabolique (dark burgundy)
LUSH Cream Eyeshadow in Happiness (sunset copper shimmer)

LIPS
Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics Lip Tar in Vintage (deep burgundy)