New Years Eve / Makeup

Wednesday, December 31, 2014


Yesterday I showed you my New Years Hair Look and today I'm sharing the makeup look I'll be doing for today.

It's a shimmery eyeshadow look with a strong, black cat-eye and some beautiful plum lipstick. I love how it turned out and it works perfectly with any color you'll be wearing.

1. {The Base}

Face Base

Because we're going to be staying up until well-after midnight, we want a foundation and concealer that covers well and stays all night long! I started with the Benefit Porefessional Primer so that my foundation will stay all night long. Next up, I went in with my favorite foundation, Rimmel's Match Perfection and blended it in with my Real Techniques Buffing Blush. To really make sure we're completely covered and awake looking for the New Year, I'm using a combination of concealers. First off, I took Tarte's Creaseless Concealer under my eyes, then used NARS Creamy Concealer under my eyes, on blemishes, and to highlight.

2. {Brows and Powder}

Brows and Powder

To set my foundation and concealer, I used Rimmel's Stay Matte powder on a big fluffy brush across my whole face. To add warmth back to my face, I used Too Faced 'Chocolate Soleil Bronzer' to first contour my face, then bronze up my cheek bones, temples, and down the sides of my neck. Benefit's Rockateur Blush went on the apples of my cheeks and I finished off my face powders with the Too Faced highlighter 'Inner Light' on the high points of my face. Last up was my brows; I used the Anastasia Brow Wiz in 'Chocolate' to fill them in.

3. {Eye Makeup}

Eye Faves

For my eye makeup, I kept it relatively simple. All my shadow was from a Too Faced Palette. I used 'Knockout' {dark, matte brown} and ' Fawned of You' {light, matte brown} from Too Faced to define my crease and then patted a mixture of 'Shiny Happy' {shimmery gold} and 'Mauvelous' {shimmery lavender} across my entire lid. For added shimmer, I used 'Kindness is Free' {pink shimmer} in the middle of my lid. I wanted a intense cat-eye so I first went in to create the lines with Stila's Liquid Liner, darkening it up with the Maybelline Gel Liner. I finished everything off on my eyes with many coats of the Buxom Mascara on my lashes.

4. {Lips}

Lips

For the final touch, I used Mac's 'Whirl' Lip Liner to lightly line my lips, then I went in with Bite Beauty's 'Cava'. I absolutely love this lipstick duo, it makes for a gorgeous wine/plum/berry lip, that is fantastic during winter.


I hope you all enjoyed this makeup look!

xo Emily

New Years Eve Dress Picks

New Years Eve Dress Inspiration



 I think this is one of the best times of the year to wear pretty dresses. Something sparkly, feminine, and gorgeous is appropriate to help bring in the New Year.

Here are my picks for the perfect New Years Eve dress! {from left to right}

 First up is this Scatter Sequin Dress from Warehouse. It has the perfect amount of sparkle for the Holiday, plus it fits any figure beautifully {My friend owns it and loves it!}

This bright Art Spot Dress from Oasis is a bit unexpected for the holiday, as we often go for muted colors with sparkle, but is beautiful. Pairing it with tights and pumps will dress it up for that extra oomph of glamour!

If you live in a cold climate, long sleeved dresses are a great pick. I love this gorgeous Sequined Dress from H&M. It's great all year round, but the long sleeves make it more appropriate for Winter!

This gorgeous Foil Pleated Slip Dress from Topshop has been on my wish list ever since I first saw it come on the website. It's so lovely and dainty, and perfect for New Years Eve parties and celebrations!

A bit more pricy, but beautiful, is this Limited Edition Mirror Embellished Slip Dress from Topshop. I think it's insanely gorgeous and so sparkly and glittery for celebrating the New Year!

More sparkle for the New Year is in this completely affordable Sequined Dress from H&M. It's only about $30 and is a bit different, bringing in that 20's vibe with the color and fringe!

One of my favorite picks is this Faux Leather Dress from Zara, which is a bit more sophisticated and formal for the New Year. I am definitely lusting over this!

Another gorgeous dress from H&M to add to the list is this cream, Sleeveless Dress, which adds sparkle while also being subdued and natural. 

My last pick is this insanely lovely and intricate Net Fitted Dress from Topshop. I not only want to wear this dress to any New Years Party, but also everyday of my life! It's beautiful!



What are your New Years Eve Dress picks?

xo Emily

New Years Eve Hair / How-To

Tuesday, December 30, 2014


Hey guys! Happy New Years Eve Eve! Today's post is about the hair I'll be wearing for the New Years Eve Holiday. I decided to go really wavy with it, which is a bit out of my comfort zone, but I think it turned out nicely. I also wore a variation of this hair style to one of the Christmas parties I attended and people seemed to like it!


1. First off, I comb out my hair and spray it with a heat protectant. My favorite is the Tresemme Heat Protectant Spray, it helps to protect my hair and it smells really good to boot!
2. Next up, I take my Remington Diamond Shine Slim Wand, which has a .5 - 1 inch wand, and start curling my hair. {I love this curler, and if you're interested in curlers like this there is also a great alternative from Con-Air that I love.} 
3. To get these waves, I take small section of my hair and wrap them around the wand away from my face, and hold them for about 6 seconds. This gets the curls the perfect tightness and also allows me to be able to comb them out later.

Hair Favorites

4. After I've curled my entire head, I put two sprays of the Uniq One Hair Treatment in my hands and brush through my curls with my hands, really massaging the product in. This is one of my favorite all-in-one sprays because not only does it help protect your hair, it also keeps it shiny and pretty and defrizzes everything! 
5. To add more volume, I first tease the top section of my hair {to do this, all you have to do is backcomb your hair} and then I also spray some of the Batiste Dry Shampoo to add an extra bit of pop. I love this product because it's tinted for those with Brunette hair {like me} so you don't get that annoying powdery look on your newly done-up hair!
6. Lastly, I do one more comb through my hair using a brush, to make the curls look a lot more natural and then I spray some of the Tresemme Fine Mist Hairspray in my hair, which helps keep the curls in place. 


That's it for my New Years Hair How-To! I hope this helped a bit, or gave some inspiration for your holiday hair. Tomorrow I'll share some of my dress picks for the holiday plus my makeup look :)


xo Emily

Reflecting on Christmas

Saturday, December 27, 2014

Hey everyone. Again, whether or not you celebrate Christmas, I hope you had a fantastic break and Holiday. I've been spending a lot of time with my family as of late and it's been one of the best Christmas' I've had yet. Some exciting family news and some amazing gifts have come my way and just being able to relax and snuggle up with my sister and enjoy our time together has been the absolute best gift of all. 

I thought I'd share some of my favorite photos from Christmases in the past; a bit of a reflection after such a fantastic holiday of my own!


 


xo Emily

Friday Favorites: New In Beauty Products

Friday, December 26, 2014

Hey guys! Hope you had a fantastic Christmas filled with love and happiness! I thought I'd share a few new products that I've gotten in the past week, including Christmas! 
Friday Beauty Favorites
1. L'Oreal Telescopic Liquid Liner {I recently picked this up and I've been testing it out. It's pretty nice so far, but a bit difficult to make super precise lines; I think it's the size of the felt tip that's doing this. I'll do a more in-depth review soon}
2. E.L.F. Waterproof Shadow Liner Stick {I got this my last week in New York before coming home for break and I love this. There are so many different shades of this and it works amazing as a primer for your shadow, it makes everything brighter and more beautiful}
3. Buxom Lash Mascara {I got this as a gift in a pack of mini-sized beauty items and I'm straight up obsessed with it. It's such a fantastic product and really separates and lengthens your lashes like no other product}
4. Marc Jacobs Daisy Perfume {Not really a new 'find', but I got it as a gift this year and it's been one of my favorite scents for a few years now! It's nice to finally have a big bottle and not the little rollerball that runs out quickly}
5. E.L.F. Studio Flawless Concealer Brush {Another new e.l.f. brush I picked up and this one is fantastic. It's a great shape to really blend in concealer and I also love using this to set my under-eye area post-concealer because the size of the brush pits perfectly there. Really affordable and a great product}


Do you have any new Beauty products you've been loving or trying out?

xo Emily

A Holiday Party / Festive Look

Monday, December 22, 2014

Hey guys! Hope you're all enjoying your time off for the holidays, I know I am. Sorry I haven't posted in a few days, it's been nice to just relax at home with family and friends. I'm back now, with a super cute outfit for you. It's a Holiday Party Festive Look, which I cannot wait to wear to my annual family Christmas party in the coming week! 


The dress is from Warehouse, and it's super tight and fitted, with gold accents in the form of little zippers. It's super comfortable and the red color makes it incredibly appropriate for any Christmas Party you're going to.


I paired it with black tights and black wedges, plus a gold necklace and some super cute Reindeer antlers for that added silliness :)



Dress: Warehouse (similar style) | Tights: Uniqlo Shoes: Macy's (similar style)Lipstick: Rimmel Kate Moss Lasting Finish Matte '110' | Necklace: Garage Sale | Antlers: Walgreens 


Hope you're all having a wonderful Holiday season! I'd like to give a special thanks to my wonderful friend Allie for taking photos for me the past few weeks. You're the absolute best babes <3

xo Emily

Casual + Cats

Friday, December 19, 2014

Hi guys! I thought I'd bring you an outfit post today and I'm once again living up to the 'Meow' in my blog name. I seem to go for a lot of clothes that have cats on them, even though I'm probably more of a dog person when I think about it.
Today's outfit is super casual, cute, and comfortable; three of my favorite words to describe my fashion sense. 


I just ordered the shirt off ASOS and it was only around $8. It's a gorgeous peplum top, with cute pastel cats all over it. It's a woven fabric, so it's incredibly breathable and comfortable, which makes sense because it's actually a pajama top! I know, I know, SHOCKING!? Probably not, it's a bit obvious when you notice its super casual and sleepy vibe. 


Sometimes I think it's fun to mix it up with what you wear and this is definitely a way to mix it up. A lot of the time, cute pajama tops or bottoms can double as part of your everyday wardrobe. 

I paired it with my favorite Boyfriend Jeans from Uniqlo and then my Steve Madden Espradrilles.


 It's not the most 'wintry' outfit, but I don't always want to dress in dark colors when it's cold; it's fun to mix it up!


Shirt: ASOS | Pants: Uniqlo Shoes: Steve Madden Lipstick: MAC 'Whirl' Lip Liner | Earrings: Forever 21


I hope you liked this outfit today, I know I did. Especially because this shirt is so appropriate for me as I blog on Meow Emily :)

xo Emily

My 'Night Out' Go-To Makeup

Wednesday, December 17, 2014

Hey guys! Hope you're having a lovely day.

Today I'm sharing my go-to 'Night Out' makeup look that I wear when I have parties, events, or dinners in the evening. It's a shimmery chestnut smoky eye that works with so many different skin tones, outfits and occasions. I love it because it's not as intense as a black smoky eye, but still has that wow factor that you need when transitioning into nighttime looks.


This look also doubles as a fantastic Holiday makeup look, because deep, chestnut browns with accents of shimmer and gold are incredibly appropriate for this season!


To Create This Look:

Holiday Dress Inspiration

Monday, December 15, 2014

Hey everyone! I hope your day is going wonderfully, I know mine is. Today I've got a quick post about Holiday Dress inspiration. 

I've been checking out a few different online sites for some great holiday dresses, as I've got a few family parties and friend parties that I'll be attending and have been really successful in finding inspiration. One great site, avivadress.co.uk reached out to me and asked if I might be interested in checking out their site. I was, because a lot of their dresses are super cute for the holiday season. The site has a bunch of great prom dresses, bridesmaids dresses, and wedding dresses, which I'm definitely not ready for yet, but I found my niche under their cocktail dresses and party dresses sections. There were hundreds of super cute and fun party dresses, for every single age group and personality type. The options were endless.

Finally, I figured out a few of my favorites and I'm going to share with you my picks. 

Dress Inspiration

 My first pick is this A-Line Black Deep V-Neck dress, which is perfectly elegant and appropriate for any sort of party you'd attend. It's the type of style of dress that really flatters every figure and I think it'd be perfect for Christmas and New Years parties. Next up is this gorgeous A-Line Ivory Bateau dress which kind of reminds me of Mad Men, which makes it a lot more fun.  I especially love this Strapless Soft Pink Chiffon dress in particular. Plus, all three of my picks, and most every cocktail dress is under $100 or even less!

A fun feature about the website is that there are customer testimonies at the bottom of each dress. It lets you know exactly what the wearers of the dresses think and feel about their products. It's also incredibly fun to see the clothes in action, rather than only on a model on a website. I often find that I won't know how exactly a clothing item will fit me, so seeing it on women who look like me is pretty special. It's also special to see these really cute pictures of everyone enjoying their dresses at prom and at parties. 

I was happy to see that right now, they have up to 85% off on their site plus quick 2 day shipping if you spend a certain amount. Plus, any size and color are available for all the dresses, and you can choose your preference when you order. It makes it a lot easier to get something you love. 

What's your pick from Aviva? Do you have a favorite website for Holiday dress inspiration?



xo Emily

Sunday Style: A Chunky Sweater

Sunday, December 14, 2014

Happy Sunday! I've only got a few days left of the semester and I've been studying hard for finals but today I'm bringing you another outfit, featuring one of my favorites sweaters. It's a chunky orange knit sweater and it's perfectly warm and comfortable for the cold winter, while also being casual.


The sweater is a bit out of my comfort zone, as I tend to go for very dark sweaters and cardigans, but I think the pop of the orange is exciting and something different. I also love the fact that the back of the sweater zips completely down, which makes it a bit more unique than a normal sweater. I've also worn the sweater with the zipper facing the front, with a white camisole underneath, and it looks great!


I paired the sweater with Uniqlo Boyfriend Jeans, some Steve Madden Espadrilles, and my favorite chunky Forever 21 flower earrings. 


Sweater: Warehouse (similar style) | Pants: Uniqlo Shoes: Steve Madden Lipstick: YSL Rouge Volupte 'Nude Beige' | Earrings: Forever 21


xo Emily

A Colorful Holiday Makeup Look

Saturday, December 13, 2014

Hey guys, I've got a colorful holiday makeup look for you today. I think it makes a kind of kitchy green and red Christmas look a lot more wearable and fun. I mostly used the Too Faced Everything Nice palette for this look because it has amazing vibrant colors that work perfect to create this kind of look.


To Create This Look:

Holiday Gift Guide 2014: Under $100

Friday, December 12, 2014

Holiday Gift Guide 2014: Under $100


1. A beautiful embellished mirror, like this one from Anthropologie, is a great gift for any young adult with a new home or dorm! {$98}
2. A full box set of a television show is a really great gift for the TV enthusiast in your life. I received the Friends box set a few years ago and it's one of my most valued gifts, especially because Friends will probably never come on Netflix {$80}
3. A cute jacket, like this one from Topshop, has been on my Christmas list for awhile. It's easy to dress up or down and can become a staple in your wardrobe {$80}
4. Last year, I got a Kindle for Christmas and it was one of the best gifts, ever. It's so much more convenient than carrying around multiple books and there are so many free books available at the Kindle Store as well! {$79}
5. Keds has recently teamed up with Kate Spade and it's basically the best thing ever. I love love love these sparkly sneakers for the Holiday season and I think it'd be a great gift for anyone (I want them!) {$80}
6. Dresses are my favorite thing to buy and I've been obsessed with Oasis lately. They have such a huge variety of items and I've already bought too much from here. It's good quality and so cute, especially this pretty Floral Dress {$62}
7. Little Studs are my favorite pieces of jewelry to wear and I think these Sun and Moon earrings are incredibly cute and dainty! {$95}
8. I think Rebecca Minkoff, like Kate Spade, makes some of the best purses for a budget and this little Leo Clutch would be an amazing edition to your collection or the perfect starting out clutch! {$95}
9. If you know someone, or you yourself, is getting into makeup and wants to try out a variety of different products, this Sephora Superstar Favorites Kit is an absolute must-buy. It has all the best high-end products and it's a fourth of what it would cost you normally. {$75}
10. I love Sunglasses and these Tortoise ones by Crap Eyewear are super cute and funky! {$56}



I hope this inspired some of your gift-giving or wish lists (I know I want all of these that I don't have!)

xo Emily 

The Tuesday Ten: Favorite Concealers

Tuesday, December 9, 2014

Hey guys! Today I've got another Tuesday 10 for you, this time I'm sharing 10 of my absolute favorite concealers, both from the drugstore and from high end brands.

Best Concealers




1. Sonia Kashuk Concealer Quad - This is a great drugstore concealer. It comes in a quad (either light or dark) and gives you two different concealer shades, a redness reducing concealer, and a setting powder. This is a great product to pop in your bag and it's great if you're in between shades because you can mix and match and swirl the concealers. {$10}
2. Make Up Forever Full Cover Concealer - This is one of the best concealers out there. Not only is is great for under-eye concealing, but it works fantastic on blemishes across the face. I love this for zits and pimples and redness. {$32}
3. L'Oreal Magic Lumi Concealer and Highlighter Stick - This is a favorite of mine that works both as a concealer and a highlighter. It works best under your eyes and on the high points of your face, making your skin glow and your eyes pop. {$10}
4. Maybelline FitMe Concealer - This is a dependable drugstore concealer, and it's creaminess almost matches the NARS creamy concealer. {$6}
5. Kat Von D Lock-It Concealer - Another fantastic concealer for both under-eyes and blemishes. I love that this stays in place all day long and never wears off. {$25}
6. L'Oreal Visible Lift CC Concealer - I really have been loving this concealer lately and I think it's perfect for under your eyes. It's not great for blemishes, as it's very liquidy and highlighting, but it's cool tip and the product itself work wonders on the blue and puffy tired eyes we all experience {$10}
7. NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer - A tried and true favorite of those in the beauty community, this concealer is fantastic for your under-eyes. I also love using it to cancel out redness and cover up blemishes for hours. {$29}
8. Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Under Eye Concealer - I've mentioned this a million times and it has to be my favorite concealer of all time. It's affordable, long-lasting, and dependable and is the absolute best for covering dark circles {$8}
9. Tarte Creaseless Concealer - I love this concealer for really canceling out redness under the eye and providing hydration that a lot of concealers lack. Plus, as the name suggests, it gets rid of those pesky creases you get from long-wear of concealer. {$24}
10. Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer - From the UK, this concealer has been talked about a bunch by those across the pond and I can see why. It's super highlighting, creamy, and long-lasting. I love using it under my eyes and on the high points of my face for highlight. {$5}



What are your favorite concealers?

xo Emily

Favorite Palettes for Holiday Makeup Looks

Monday, December 8, 2014

Favorite Palettes of the Moment

1. Urban Decay's Naked 3 Palette: This is a fantastic holiday palette, which I've been using more frequently lately. Every eyeshadow is warm and pink toned, which can be really great for creative festive makeup looks. My favorite shadow, Trick, is a great pink toned gold shimmer. This palette is a great bargain for the amount of product you're getting, and it will last you forever. I got mine a year ago when it came out and I'm no where near being done with it! {$54}
2. Too Faced's Everything Nice Palette: I talked in depth about this holiday, limited edition palette from Too Faced in this post here, but it deserves another mention. I absolutely love this palette because it is just a fantastic use of your money if you want to get some quality products. Plus, it has perfect warm toned and festive, shimmery shadows that will spruce up a holiday party {$54 originally, but I think it might be only available on amazon at this point}
3. L'Oreal Colour Riche Quad in 'Rose Nude': Here's another fantastic holiday palette, which goes along with my love of pink/warm toned shadows. This is super affordable and the shadows are creamy and pigmented. It's honestly the only thing you need when doing your eyeshadow! Plus, it's easy to bring along with you, unlike some of the clunkier palettes in this post!



What are your favorite holiday palettes?

xo Emily

Holiday Gift Guide 2014: Under $50

Sunday, December 7, 2014

Holiday Gift Guide 2014: Under $50


1. A cute makeup bag
for the beauty lover in your life {$45}
2. A versatile hat, perfect for dressing up during the holidays {$42}
3. The Anastasia Contour Kit, a must-have for contouring and highlighting. It's everything you need in one little palette {$40}
4. Fun personalized pillows, a great gift for friends or family wanting to spruce up their homes, dorms, or apartments {$34}
5. An external charger, one that'll power up your phone or other electronic device on the go, which is great gift for anyone {$30}
6. Cool coasters. I love these state themed ones, which are great personalized gift {$35}
7. Settlers of Catan, or any game that'll unite the whole family, this one is a favorite because it's a great game that makes you think {$40}
8. Cute ankle boots that'll go with absolutely everything {$50}
9. Coffee table books, like this one about my favorite macaron place, Laduree. These type of gifts can be found at almost any book store and you can find a specific one for any of your friends or family {$33}
10. A great backpack



xo Emily