Warming up

So here's the deal... I'm absolutely obsessed with wearing reds or warm colors all over my face--eyes, lips, cheeks. I'm feeling really inspired by the boldness from the 80s--red eye shadow and pink lips or vice versa. Most people look back and kinda think "gross...I hate 80s makeup--it was all too much in all the wrong places," but I kinda look back and think "I actually kinda like it like it...minus the frosted eyes and cheeks, I like it." 

Obviously, I'm not going to apply and wear it exactly like the 80s, but I'm definitely inspired and am wearing similar colors but with a modern twist. How do you make it modern? Everything should be matte--not a single frosted anything or shimmer to the look. 

For starters, apply everything lightly--you can always add more if needed or wanted. My current look includes, a matte golden yellow on the eyes followed by either a brick red or a coral shade--all matte (loving MAC's small shadows in "red brick" and "goldenrod") ...dust it all over the eyelids. 

Then I add a light rouge gloss to the cheeks (really diggin' Anna Sui's rouge pot). Finishing it off with a red lip stain (MAC's new Versicolour lip stains are perfect--resilient rouge is what I'm wearing) or a matte pink lipstick (my go to is MAC's Flat out Fabulous)--choose one or the other. That's it. Very simple. Straightforward. No tutorial needed. Just put the damn colors on lightly--never heavy. 

Face time

Soooo I've had quite a few people ask me about my skincare regimen lately and first of all, thank you--I'm flattered, but also, I spend a good amount of time trying to keep my skin healthy, so if it still looked shitty, I'd be really concerned. One of the main things I'm still struggling with when it comes to my face are the dark spots from former pimples--I have exactly 2.5 on my forehead, one above my lip, and one on each cheek and one dot on my nose...all of which are fading--thank God!

The first step in taking care of your skin is to make sure you're hydrated inside and out along with using decent products. I'm not blessed with perfect genes to have perfect skin, so if you're anything like me, you'll have to work a little harder just as I do to keep things smooth and even toned. For starters, DRINK WATER--a glass of hot water with lemon is good when you first wake up and a glass of room temp water before bed is great. 

Next, make sure you are removing your makeup before you go to bed (or once you get home) and if you don't wear makeup, make sure you're washing your face and moisturizing before bed--keep your face clean. When I run out of Simple's Micellar Water Wipes, I use Origins Clean Energy cleansing oil to remove makeup--sometimes I use it in the morning too as my face cleanser. Then I use Glossier's Mega Greens Galaxy Pack  face mask (about 2-3 times a week). Other times, I'll use those Tony Moly sheet masks--I've tried them all, but I particularly like the tea tree and the rice ones. After that, I'll apply the Darphin Aromatic Purifying Balm (every other night--not everyday) and gently pat on the Amaki Jasmine & Rose Nourishing Oil. If I have a pimple, I'll put Uncle Harry's Hemp Blemish Salve on it. That's it for nighttime. Also, once I save up my coins, I'll buy the Folie's Prickly Pear Face Serum because that thing works wonders--I've tried the sample and I'm obsessed. My other next purchase is going to be the Klurskin Hyaluronic + Vitamin C Serum because I know that thing also works wonders.

In the morning, I wash my face with Skinfood by AB's Charcoal Cleansing Bar and then I'll apply the Amaki oil (very lightly) along with Klurkin's Rosemary & Willow Oil Control Serum and Glossier's Balm Dotcom and then I'll wait a few minutes and begin applying makeup. That's it for morning/daytime. My next purchase will be Little Barn Apothecary's Rosewater Face Toning Mist.

Braided

On Halloween, I decided to get box braids for the first time... I had no idea what to expect or how my hair would react to it. I was hesitant for months and would set up appointments and then cancel because I'd chicken out--needless to say, it was a lengthy process beforehand and during me getting them done. It took 17 hours with maybe less than an hour break all together. My entire Halloween was spent getting my hair done. Now, I can say I've had them and I probably won't get them again any time in the near future. I really loved having them in and not having to worry about doing my hair, but the weight took a lot for me to get used to and when I took them out, my hair was pretty tangled. However, because I kept them super moisturized during the entire 5 weeks of wearing them, my hair was in decent shape after I took them out (minus the tangles). Check out some of the styles below (all of 3 styles, haha) and see what products I faithfully used everyday to keep them fresh and healthy. I was so inspired by all these natural and protective hair style blogs and IG pages and I just had to try them out. I do think everyone should try braids at least once.

 Yup--I used Carol's Daughter Black Vanilla products on them everyday. I would spray them with the leave-in conditioner and hair sheen and then wrap them with a scarf at night before going to bed. In the morning, I'd use their edge control smoother when necessary and once a week, I'd put their pure hair oil on the root of the braids. This stuff was really a blessing for keeping my hair in great shape while I had the braids in.

Chattin' with Cri Gabriele of Heart & Noble

I met Cri Gabriele of Heart & Noble last year at NYFW at her Croma presentation and she was by far one of the nicest and chicest designers I've ever met. She was so welcoming and totally passionate. Her designs speak for themselves—super futuristic/modern, but very wearable. All of her jewelry designs are statement pieces, so they definitely add that extra "oomph" to any outfit. I was especially drawn to her necklaces because when worn they feel more like a crown—they give off this majestic and bold feeling. If you have the pleasure of owning one of her designs then you know what I mean. It's something that just makes you feel so adorned. Back in September, I attended Cri's recent presentation for her Fanatic collection at Seaport Studios. I'm obviously late with posting this, but once again, she amazed me from her designs to the execution of the event—everything was just pristine. See a few pics from the event below followed by my interview with her...

Also, I had her answer a few fun questions, take a look:

For a quick translation (in case you can't see the small writing), read her answers below:

1.) cri gabriele

2.) the L.E.S.

3.) coffee +++

4.) all vedova (venice)

5.) perler beads

6.) "you're not supposed to give people what they want, your supposed to give them what they don't know they want yet." - diana vreeland

7.) sleep

8.) christopher walken, 100%