Tuesday, January 5, 2016

Smoky eyes and red lips

Good evening, beauties! I hope you had a wonderful Tuesday. Today was my day off, so I thought it would be the perfect day to do my first fashion post of the month! Like I said in my 'New year, new traditions' post, I'm going to try and do a fashion post every single week, and they'll likely show up on Tuesdays since it's my free day. I was lucky today that it was nice and crisp out, and just slightly sprinkling. I came into the house after shooting some photos just freezing my butt off. I heated up my rice pack, made a cup of tea, grabbed my big fuzzy robe, and cranked up the space heater.

Since the weather was so dark and gloomy today, I was in the mood for a darker makeup look, and a black on black outfit, with the top that I've been loving recently (hint, you guys saw it in my NYE post). You guys know that I've been experimenting with eyeshadow, brushes, application techniques, and some different looks and palettes. This is the first time I've ever done a smoky eye, and I'm beyond stoked about how it turned out! I'm loving the super sleek look.

The look

This ribbed black turtleneck from H&M has had me oohing and awing the past few weeks. I want to wear it with everything. I can't stand the way fitted turtlenecks feel, it makes me feel like I'm being choked (yeah, weird, I know), so I love that this top is more of a mock neck, so not at all constricting. It's really comfortable to wear, and the height of the neck with how fitted it is just looks so nice. I paired it with some black high-waisted H&M crop slacks. I've had these for ages, I got them for the job I had over 2 years ago, and I still wear them quite a bit. They're so comfy, they have a slit on the cropped leg, and the fake pockets and the band on the top are lined with fake leather. To add a little pop of color, I put on my ALDO Sorbara heels (and no, I didn't pay even close to the price tag on these, even just looking at it makes me cringe). They are bordeaux suede, which is the most beautiful deep burgundy, and they tie at the ankle, which makes them easier to walk in (and, good thing, because these babies are insanely tall). I just love that this look is so nice and simple, but so sleek at the same time, and the makeup adds the perfect bit of bling, no jewelry needed. The leopard clutch adds a little flair while tying together the whole look.



Top: H&M // Alternative
Bottoms: H&M // Alternative
Pumps: ALDO
Clutch: Sole Society

The hair & makeup

Since the outfit for this look was nice and muted, with just a hint of pattern and color pop, I wanted my makeup to be deep and dramatic. I also really wanted to experiment with a smoky eye, since it is something totally new to me! I dipped into my Urban Decay Smoky Palette (beware, tons of fallout with a few shades in this palette, I regretted having done my face makeup before my eyes). I put on my NARS Audacious lipstick in 'Charlotte' for a dark red lip that would deepen up the look even more. I love the NARS Audacious lipstick because it is so creamy, great for those days with sensitive or chapped lips because it feels moisturizing and it doesn't settle into fine lines or cracks like matte lipsticks do. It isn't something that lasts all day long if you're eating or drinking a lot, but just a few touch ups in the center of your lips is all you'll need throughout the day. I suggest buying a lip precision brush if you purchase a dark color of this lipstick. It can be hard to perfect because the formula is so creamy, so I collect product from the top of the lipstick with my lip brush to perfect the corners of my mouth and my cupid's bow. 

I parted my hair in the middle first (which I'm really digging lately). I brushed my hair back nice and tight into a low ponytail, making sure everything was straightened with my flat iron first. I pulled out a couple front strands and very slightly twisted them around my flat iron for a natural wisp.

I included a very short 10 second clip at the end of this post so you guys can get a real feel for how my makeup looked, with the light shining different ways. 

Outdoor lighting

Indoor lighting



Eyes: Urban Decay Smoky
Lips: NARS Audacious 'Charlotte'

What is your go-to night out look? What do you think of my experiment with a smoky eye? If you guys would like to see an in depth step by step tutorial of this look when my camera comes in the mail, let me know below!

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