Beauty

Goth vibes

Posted on by carlybe

I never really outgrew that racoon eye makeup look since high school. Id like to think that I have refined it since my younger years, but who knows if thats true 😉 One of my favourite makeup combinations is a darkly lined eye with a darker lip. For the past while I have been really into the mauve and crimson lip colours. Pretty much any colour that reminds me of red wine is a winner. I purchased a dark mauve colour from MAC called Media. I really love it, but it is a bit high maintenance. It doesn’t always blend well, and it requires a very steady hand, or it bleeds around your mouth. Other than that, I love it. I am going to try going around my mouth with a little foundation to see if that locks in the colour, I’ve heard this is a good trick! I always think I have a bit of a gothic makeup vibe when I rock this style – but I love it.

IMG_2918

Braided Crown

Posted on by carlybe

Thank goodness for YouTube. I swear, if it wasn’t for all of the good hair tutorials that are posted I would have NO idea what to do with myself. I recently scanned through some videos on doing a braided crown and realized that it is actually super easy! I was able to complete the look on my first try, which is not something I can say about most hairstyle attempts. I used this Video in order to get the perfect crown. I found her video really straight forward and easy to follow along with. I love the bohemian vibe that comes off with this hairstyle. It always reminds me of fairytales. Check out her video if you want an explanation of how to achieve this style!

IMG_5235

Elegantly Dishevelled

Posted on by carlybe

I used to think that the messy look was a literal concept. You took your hair, threw it in a ball, and voila! Perfect windswept look. In actuality, the messy style takes a little more finesse.  Im not a hair expert, nor do I care enough to do a proper messy style, so my take on it is the scaled down lazy version. When my hair is greasy and I need it up and out of my face, one of go to looks is the messy pony. I part my hair to the side, and then scoop it up to make the pony tail. This helps to give a little extra volume on top. I position my ponytail really high up, so that it kind of puffs around as I walk. Im not sure if that makes any sense, but that is the best way I can describe it 😉 Lastly, I pull out some pieces around my face and loosen some hairs that are sitting too close to my scalp. Thats it! I always pair a messy pony with a nice lipstick and some big earrings. I feel like this helps to make the look a little more sophisticated. If you want easy peasy in the morning, I think this look is a great option!

Photo on 2014-09-02 at 11.18 AM #3

 

Easy Breezy

Posted on by carlybe

Photo on 2014-08-22 at 12.11 PM #3

When it comes to my mornings, hair is a very low priority on the list. I like quick and easy styles. This of course means that the ponytail is a frequent visitor in my my hair routine. I like to find cute ponytails to spice up my usual boring styles, and I have stumbled across one that I am a big fan of! I found a few great ponytail ideas on a website called Fashion Diva Design, and I tried out the one called “knot your average pony”. I skipped out on the texturizing step because I was too lazy, and I still think it came out pretty chic! Took a couple minutes to figure out the right way to tie the knots – if you don’t you end up with a big hole in the back. Once I had that down it literally took seconds to put this together. Perfect for busy mornings and greasy hair 😉 

Mandatory Purchase

Posted on by carlybe

I like to think of myself as a lipstick professional. By this point, I know the types of colours that suit my skin tone, I understand which textures are best for my lips, and where my brand allegiance lies. MAC is my go-to lipstick brand. It is reasonably priced, has a great selection of colours, and is constantly releasing limited addition lines, which keeps things interesting. My most recent purchase from MAC is probably the best colour I have ever bought. It is the messiah of lipsticks. Seriously, it suits every single skin tone on the planet. I have personally seen it worn on my skin, a Mediterranean skin tone, and one of my Indian friends wore it as well. It was perfect on all of us. The colour is called Hang-up and its part of the cremesheen line. It has a bit of a glossy look to it, but wears similar to a matte. Im actually obsessed. Its a dark raspberry hue, and it really brings out my eye colour. I urge you to purchase this product!! At the very least, make a quick stop by MAC and try it on. I promise you positive results 🙂

IMG_9230

photo

Beauty

Brow success!

Image | Posted on by carlybe

Success!

I have been dancing around the idea of fixing my brows for a long time now. I finally decided that I would stop being lazy, and go check out some makeup options for revamping my brows. I won’t lie, I’m kinda obsessed. I know this sounds silly, but I had no idea how much your brows bring out your face. At first, I was concerned the colour was a little too dark for me, but then it completely grew on me. It was soo simple! the lady in the store sampled a medium brown tone powder on my brows, and it seriously did wonders. Im going to go back soon and look for a slightly cheaper version of what she sampled on me. The product she used was 30 euros, and I think thats a tad excessive. Im going to go experiment with some different products to see if I can recreate the same look. If you have any suggestions of what to try, feel free to let me know!

Beauty

Twice the fun?

Image | Posted on by carlybe

Twice the fun?

Can the double side bun make a comeback? I have always been of the mentality that pig tails are fairly weird on adults, yet I have always loved the look of two side buns. I don’t know what it is, but I just think the hairstyle is fun, easy, and cute! I really love changing up my hair, and I am always on the hunt for new styles to work into my repertoire. Adding some nice earrings and the right makeup can really make this hairstyle go from juvenile to chic, at least in my opinion. Maybe I’m totally off base with this one. What do you guys think?

Beauty

Boho chic

Image | Posted on by carlybe

Boho chic

My hairdresser recommended cutting down on washing my hair. He said it locks in the natural oils, and helps to keep it healthy. The down side, is greasy locks. I am constantly looking for new hairstyles that look cute, and keep my greasy hair out of my face. Milkmaid braids are the perfect option for medium-long hair. Your hair is completely off of you, and you end up with a chic bohemian inspired look. It is honestly the easiest hairstyle to do. All you need is some small elastics, the ability to french braid, and a ton of bobby pins 😉 (one day ill learn how to use less bobby pins) Youtube has some great tutorials if you aren’t familiar with how to do the milkmaid braids. I think this style is the perfect homage to my temporary home in the Netherlands. I hope it helps me blend in!

Get me some Delevingne brows.

Posted on by carlybe

I have always been drawn to Cara Delevingnes brows. They are just too fabulous. Try as I may, I cannot seem to reach any sort of brow perfection myself. My eyebrows grow straight across, and thin. Ive tried waxing them a few times, but they just end up skinny straight messes. What I really want, is a thick brow line. I recently stopped by a benefit shop in London, and the lady working there recommended tinting. She said that it will bring out the blond hairs around my eyebrows, so I can use them to help shape a nicer arch. I am seriously contemplating tinting my brows, but I’m always a big chicken with new beauty products. I don’t think the tinting lasts too long though, so I figure its worth a shot! If it will get me any closer to brow perfection, I think I have to try it.

Beauty

Mani Mania

Image | Posted on by carlybe

Mani Mania

Words used to describe my nails after I have painted them include, sloppy, streaky and juvenile. I think the mixture between impatience, and unsteady hands is a real killer for the at home manicurist. Im ready to embrace a new trend, and I think the nail pen is the right alternative for me. Im hoping it will keep my lines clean and my hands a little steadier. Luckily the kit I purchased from Laqa & Co included remover pads, since im bound to screw up 😉 The set is called If you leave, and it included a pink nail pen, a top coat nail pen and a fat lip crayon. The lip crayon is a vibrant pink, im hoping its more wearable than it looks in the tube! One nice surprise was the interesting artwork on the boxes. I loved the unique way that the goodies came packaged. They are done by aspiring young artists, and you can go check out their profiles here, if are interested. So far the set seems promising! I hope the colors suit me.