nymphette

MAC will forever be one of my top favorite makeup brands, even if they churn out new collections far too often for my wallet's taste. One of my favorite things I've posted to tumblr recently was a photo from the Vivienne Westwood Red Label show during London Fashion Week. Too impractical to recreate in real life sadly, but I'm in love- and MAC has just posted a breakdown of the products used. 

• Eyes: Cyan Paint Stick, Electric Eel Eye Shadow, Bitter Eye Shadow, Juxt Eye Shadow, and Lime Eye Shadow were blended over eyelids, with High Def Cyan Chromagraphic Pencil used as an eyeliner.
• Lips: Kissable Lip Colour in Woo Me
• Cheeks: Well Dressed Powder Blush, Azalea Powder Blush, Salsarose Powder Blush

To see the look and shop for items on the MAC website, click here. Just click on "London" then "Vivienne Westwood Red Label."

captain america

Can I say how awesome this movie was? Oh, someone already did it much better than I could? Okay.

The Escapist : Escape to the Movies : Captain America

And for the nerdy few who enjoy finding the links between Marvel's movies, this article provides a good breakdown.

To try and maintain a shred of the beauty/fashion-ish theme I normally go for (if 12 posts is enough to establish a "normal" theme), let me just say that:

1. I love the female outfits, hairstyles, and makeup in this movie, and 
2. Haley Atwell sported the most perfect matte red lips I've ever seen, proving that red lipstick is the perfect complement to a girl's M1928A1 Thompson submachine gun. I will unabashedly admit that I was staring at her lips every close-up we got of her.

 Seriously. Just look at that cupid's bow.

The movie had amazing action scenes, a solid story line, great use of humor, and like the article above explains, did a brilliant job connecting bits and pieces to the rest of the Marvel universe. Sorry Harry Potter, this was my movie of the summer.

friday favorites

I kinda like this type of post. Won't do it every Friday, probably just when there's new stuff to add or as a weekly recap. Anyways, here are some of my favorite things from the week:

1. A Song of Ice and Fire by George R. R. Martin- This series was in last week's favorites post, so sorry to repeat myself, but I haven't been able to put these books down!
2. CoverGirl NatureLuxe collection- I have the foundation in the color Maple (mentioned here) and the gloss balm in the color Marble. I use the foundation with my fingers as a light coverage/tinted moisturizer-like product, perfect for summer. The gloss balm is an affordable alternative to high-end "shine" lipsticks that gives the tiniest hint of color and lots of moisture.
3. MAC Double Feature 4- Available July 29th from the MAC Colorizations collection or now from the Nordstrom Cinematic collection (yeah, confusing), I love the colors in this duo. I haven't been brave enough to use them together yet, but separately this teal-green and ochre brown are unique to my collection and fun to use :)
4. Homemade Whipped Cream + Strawberries- My last post inspired me to be a bit more "culinary," which to me means whipping cream myself instead of buying a tub of Cool Whip. Hey, everyone has to start somewhere, right? Several pinches of sugar and one sore arm later, I (literally) whipped up a batch of delicious, lightly sweet cream to drizzle over my favorite summer fruit, and I'm never going back!
5. Apartment Hunting (sorta)- Fingers crossed, I found a place! Apartment hunting isn't a favorite per say- actually, it's kind of a pain in the ass- but I'm loving it for the part that will come after: deciding how I'm to decorate my new home, and a big trip to Ikea. Also, Pottery Barn sent my father a coupon for 10% off his next entire purchase, in a brochure that said "welcome to the neighborhood!" even though we've lived in the same house for 8 or 9 years now. Totally a sign.

friday favorites

Here are a few things I've been loving lately!

1. Sony PRS-350 Reader- My e-reader! Barely bigger than the size of my hand, incredible battery life, touch screen, foreign language dictionaries, and best of all, it's pink.
2. Laura Geller Blush-n'-Brighten in Honey Dipped- From last month's Birchbox, this baked blush is amazing. I've been reaching for it the past month more than anything else in my makeup kit.
3. Couch to 5K- I'm trying to get into the habit of working out somewhat regularly, and running is becoming, well, not completely awful. The iPhone app is a godsend. I post my progress to twitter.
4. Glittery Nail Polish- Not Deborah Lippmann necessarily (though the two of hers I have I absolutely adore), I'm just loving anything sparkly on my nails lately.
5. Game of Thrones- Season one is over, but I got really into the show! After some cajoling from my boyfriend and his friends, I've started reading the series on my Reader. I highly encourage anyone who likes stories of kingdoms and dragons to check them out :)

summer makeup essentials

As my amateur collage says, summer is upon us, and this year that means bronzed skin, bright lips, coral cheeks, and golden eyes.

Face:
I really like CoverGirl's new Natureluxe Silk Foundation. I apply it with my fingers for light coverage that feels like a tinted moisturizer. It also gets bonus points for having SPF 10! When I'm done with my makeup, I brush on Rimmel Stay Matte Pressed Powder. I don't have oily skin but in the heat I can go from 0 to greasy in under 10 seconds. :\ However, this does what it says and helps keep shine under control. 

Lips:
Bright colored lips are a trend this summer (though when isn't it a summer trend, really?) and my lips are reveling in the neon pinks, fiery oranges, and playful (rather than vampy) purples I've managed to come across the past several months. My favorites: MAC Candy Yum Yum (Limited Edition, Quite Cute collection), Revlon Siren, MAC Bust Out! (Limited Edition, Surf Baby collection). 

Blushers and Bronzers:
I have quite a lot in this section, and that's because I couldn't narrow it down! I've been gravitating towards all of these products a lot lately. I'm typically indecisive when trying to select a blush from my over-sized stash, but Illamasqua powder blusher in Lover has been stealing my gaze. It's a true peach that is super pigmented and buttery soft. I'm NC40 and peach blushes typically give me a nice glow but not much color, but this shows up amazingly well on me. It is matte though, so if I'm feeling in the mood for some shimmer I lean towards a combo of Hard Candy Blush Crush Baked Blush in Pin Up with Jane Blushing Cheeks Powder Blush in Blushing Glow on top (found mine at Nordstrom Rack). For the bronzer-as-blush look, Laura Geller Blush-n-Brighten in Honey Dipped is perfection. As for actual bronzers, I've been switching between MAC Bronzing Powder in Solar Riche (Limited Edition, Surf Baby collection) and Chanel's Soleil Tan de Chanel (formerly Bronze Universel). 

Eyes:
I've given myself bright lips and glowing skin, so this summer I'm complementing it all with simple and neutral eye makeup. I'm loving golds more than usual, so MAC eyeshadow in Woodwinked is a staple. I like putting it all over the lid and adding MAC eyeshadow in Bronze (not pictured) to the crease for a bit of dimension. For a highlight or a sheer wash of color all over the lid, MAC pigment in Naked is something I reach for year-round. MAC paint pot in Rubenesque is a beautiful golden-peach that is gorgeous on its own or as a base. Then for more variety there is the much-coveted Urban Decay Naked Palette which, if you enjoy neutrals, is just as amazing as the hype makes you believe. It's going everywhere with me this summer, come rain or shine or airport security checkpoints. Last but not least, my favorite mascara to top everything off: CoverGirl Lash Blast Waterproof Mascara in Very Black.

What are your summer makeup essentials?