Ice Queen

Wednesday, February 25, 2015

 Happy Hump Day!

This makeup look was a bit out of my comfort zone today, if only because I'm wearing so much of it! I wanted a really highlighted, bright-eyed makeup look and then a vampy lip look. The face makeup started with high-coverage foundation and then I took a highlighting concealer under my eyes in a triangle shape, down my nose, up my forehead, and on my chin. 

I tried to go for a super icy-bright eye look which I think I achieved. I used a mixture of 'Silver' and 'Snow' from the Lorac Pro Palette 2. These shadows are both super shimmery and bright. I made sure to bring the shadows into my inner eye and down to my lower lash line to really open up my eyes. I finished the eyes with liner and mascara.


The real star of the show was this lip look which I've so creatively titled 'Magenta Ice'. I used MAC's 'Cyber' on a makeup brush and then went in and painted my lips in an ombre type style. After I did that, I went in with 'Snow', the same shadow I used on my eyes, and patted it on my lips. 
I'm actually really digging this look, I think it's fun and way out of my comfort zone. I might try to do some more 'icy' looks soon :)



xo Emily

Oscar Inspired Golden Glam Makeup Look

Sunday, February 22, 2015

Hello everyone! I'm so excited that it's finally Oscar Sunday! Award season is one of my favorite times of the year because the fashion, beauty, and artistry of films and television are so exciting and memorable. For today's post I thought I would do a special Oscar themed makeup look. 


In honor of the golden statues, I'm doing all things golden and glam on my face. The face look I'll be doing is incredibly glowing and I have a shimmery gold eyeshadow makeup look to pair with the red lip I'll be sporting. To see how to do this look, keep reading! xo

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Because this is going to be a eyeshadow heavy look, I'm actually going to start out with my eyes today. Here's how I did this....

1. Prime your eyelids with your product of choice. I used Lorac's Behind the Scenes Eye Primer all over my lids. 
2. To start out my eyeshadow look, I placed a mixture of 'Nectar' and 'Light Brown' from the Lorac Pro Palette 2 into my crease. After it's built up enough, I'll start in with that beautiful gold shadow. I'm packing Tarte's 'Caipirnha Cocktails' shadow across the entire lid, steering clear of placing it above the crease. Pack it on pretty heavily, we want it to glow. To finish up the shadow and darken up the crease with more shimmer, I'm using a dark bronzey brown 'Tropical Sunset' from Tarte.

{Tip: Use post it notes to help you make a more precise eyeshadow and eyeliner look}
3. Bring the same gold we used before and place it on the lower lash line near the tear duct. Bring the bronzey brown we used and darken up the farthest end of the lower lash line. This will balance out the look. 


4. I want a very intense eyeliner look so I'm using my favorite, Stila's Liquid Liner to create an intense and black wing. 
5. Because this is a totally 'Glam' look, I'm using my fanciest and most luxurious mascara, Dior's Iconic Overcurl Mascara to create dark, lengthened, and voluminous lashes.
6. For a final touch to my eyes, I'm using The Balm's 'Mary-Lou Manizer' to highlight my inner corner and brow bone.


7. Since we did our eyes first, now I'm going in to finish off the face look. As always, I start out with primer. For the glowing skin, I'm using L'Oreal's Magic Lumi Primer. It leaves your skin looking healthy and glowing without looking wet and slimy.
8. I'm using a heavier coverage foundation, L'Oreal's True Match Lumi Foundation, because I want to keep it glam. The great thing about this foundation is that it offers great coverage without looking cakey and unnatural. It's also got the added bonus of what the Magic Lumi Primer does, leaves you looking glowing and healthy.
9. I wanted a very strong and heavy brow so I used a heavier hand with Anastasia's Brow Wiz


10. I wanted a bit of powder on my t-zone so I didn't look overly shiny but kept it light. {Of course, I used Rimmel's Stay Matte}
11. I contoured and bronzed using NYC's 'Sunny' Bronzer and then used Benefit's Rockateur blush on the apples of my cheeks because it has a great gold undertone. To finish off the face, I went in with my favorite highlighter, which has a great gold shine to it. I put that highlighter, The Balm's Mary-Lou Manizer, on the high points of my face. 


12. The absolute last step is my lips. Now this is a Oscar themed makeup look so I went all out with a red lip. I lined my lips using a random red lip pencil I had around and then using Sephora's Cream Lip Stain in 'Always Red', a matte classic red color, I finished it up.

The glowing golden glam ingredients




xo Emily 

Current Everyday Face: Lorac Pro Palette 2

Wednesday, February 18, 2015

I've been busier than usual lately and that means a bit less time to go all out on my makeup. For the past month and a half, (ever since I got the Lorac Pro Palette 2) I've been doing a really simple and pretty makeup look that I love. I only use four shadows from the Lorac Palette along with some of my standard face and eye favorites to fill in the gaps. 


As usual, I start with primer (the Benefit Porefessional, obviously) because being so busy means no time for touch ups! Then I go in with concealer, Maybelline's Instant Age Rewind, where I need it (on blemishes, under my eyes, and around my nose where I have redness). I set that concealer with Rimmel's Stay Matte and then dust my cheeks with Benefit's Rockateur Blush. Finishing up face makeup is the Anastasia Brow Wiz on my brows and voila!


 To get the subtle and fresh eye makeup look I've been loving lately I buff 'Cool Gray' into my crease and then soften it up with 'Nectar'. I continue to build those colors until I'm satisfied and then I do a layer of both 'Beige' and 'Rose' on my lid to get that shimmery shadow look I have in these pictures. For liner, I use my standard Stila Liquid Liner and then take 'Cool Gray' to my lower lash line to balance it out. To complete my eyes, I use Dior's Iconic Overcurl Mascara. I find that this mascara, although expensive, holds my curl and stays the longest. 

For the final step (one I sometimes skip), I first put on NYX's Matte Lipstick in 'Street Cred' and then go over it with YSL's Rouge Volupte Shine Lipstick in #1 'Nude Beige'


This is my standard go-to look as of late, using the Lorac Pro Palette. I absolutely love it! Do you have a favorite Lorac palette or shadow?


xo Emily

NYFW Day 2: Nicole Miller

Sunday, February 15, 2015

Greetings from the absolutely frigid New York! Todays post is all #NYFW and I'm so excited about that fact. I was lucky enough to get to go to Nicole Miller's AW15 Show on Friday Night at Lincoln Center. I got to sit second row so the view was incredible. 

Photo: SIPA/WENN
My View!
I really liked the show, which was entitled 'Midnight Forest' and took its inspiration from mythic arts illustrations (scenes from folklore and fairytales, etc.). 


 

I loved the elements of darkness and fantasy, which really made her collection stand out among other designers who did similar things. The collection was full of shearling coats, ripped stockings, wide leg pants, and embellished blouses and dresses; making for an absolutely magical show. Check out all the looks in HQ here.


The finale dress, so breathtaking
She embraced the trends of wide leg pants that's sure to be a staple for Autumn.

Me post show
Post-Show, a friend and I explored the tents at Lincoln Center and were lucky enough to see some of our favorite bloggers and celebrities!




xo Emily

NYFW Essentials

Thursday, February 12, 2015

NYFW Essentials

Happy Fashion Week lovelies! I'm so excited for this year's season of shows. I'm also so pumped because I'll get to attend a show or two because of my job. Here are a few essentials that I'll definitely be bringing along with me. The first are makeup essentials; matte powder (to keep the shine away if you're running to shows), concealer, and mascara. Next up are my fashion favorites. I think that black boots are such a great addition to my wardrobe for NYFW because they're so versatile. Paired with a big floppy hat, they'll go perfectly. Lastly, be sure to pack a scarf since it'll be cold and pop your favorite sunglasses in a across the shoulder bag (plus your wallet, obviously).



Which shows are you excited about seeing?

xo Emily

Brunch Done Right

Monday, February 9, 2015

Quintessential American comfort that comes in the form of fluffy pancakes and creamy tomato soup is worth its price tag, especially coming from delicious Sarabeth's. 

As a self-proclaimed brunch aficionado, I knew it was time to try out Sarabeth's, a popular brunch destination in New York. A friend and I started our brunch journey at Lincoln Center and were happy to learn that the nearest Sarabeth's was a short walk away, nestled on Central Park South. 


As expected from one of the most popular brunch spots in the city, there was a wait for us to get a table. The thirty minutes we had to endure weren't as hard to handle once we decided to sit in the park and chat.


After the thirty minutes were up, we entered Sarabeth's. Even though it was a dreary day outside, the inside was warm and bright, flurrying with activity. It had a charming feel to it; wicker chairs and mint green walls make it seem like you're dining at your Grandmother's rather than a restaurant. The food is charming too. Standard brunch eats like omelets and French toast are interspersed with exciting combinations like lemon ricotta pancakes and toasted coconut waffles.


Once seated, our waiter was attentive and kind. He took our drink order immediately and gave us a suitable amount of time to peruse the menu before taking our order.

I opted for breakfast, ordering eggs benedict, my friend choosing the autumn vegetable salad. We love that the restuarant was loud enough that we didn't feel uncomfortable talking and laughing, but quiet enough so that we didn't have to raise our voices to understand each other.


It only took 10 minutes for our food to arrive. After waiting so long for a table, it was nice to have such quick delivery of our food.

My dish, eggs benedict, exceeded any and all expectations I had. The English muffin that acted as the base for the eggs was extra light and fluffy, toasted enough for the muffin to brown without getting too hard and difficult to eat. Atop the muffin sat a slice of Canadian bacon, surprisingly thick and substantial. The eggs were poached perfectly, the yolk spilling out beautifully when I cut into it, mixing with the hollandaise sauce in the best way. One the side was a light arugula salad, nicely balancing out the rich flavors of the eggs. The portions were generous and I found myself perfectly full after finishing the two halves of English muffin and argula salad that it came with. My friend and I finished our plates, satisfied and happy.

Overall, Sarabeth's was a lovely dining experience, better than any brunch I've had before it. Even though certain things on the menu can lean towards the pricey side, there are affordable choices as well. The cost and wait were well worth the delicious outcome of brunch at Sarabeth's.

It's always been my favorite brunch spot in the city and you'll love it too!


xo Emily

Snow Day

Tuesday, February 3, 2015

There's honestly nothing more beautiful than snowy weather. As soon as I see snow falling or snow on the ground, I'm instantly 100 times happier. I was lucky enough to get my second Snow Day of the year yesterday which was absolutely wonderful. I got to sleep in and then went and did some special shopping because...

TODAY IS MY BIRTHDAY!!!!!

I'm so excited for today because I'm finally 21 and ready to take on that official grown-up life! I thought I'd share some photos from yesterday's snowy wonder as I celebrate my own birthday today! 

Enjoy the snowy Central Park photos!

 
 



xo Emily