NYFW 2015

Ah, the week we all look forward to, New York Fashion Week. I was super lucky this year to have been invited to attend some events, shows and parties!

Needless to say, I had an amazing time and blogs for each even are to follow. 

Big thanks to Daniel Silverstain, Paul Frank, Alterre Shoes, Aveda & Chiara Boni and my good friend Jon Harari for an amazing, full of fun, busy week!

Birthday Makeup

Hi!

So last weekend, August 29th was my birthday, and as many of you, I like to go all out (on my make-up of course!)

My outfit I chose to wear was cobalt, navy and white striped culottes with an off-white crop top and my strappy metallic louboutin sandals. 

I wanted to make my eyes dramatic because I wanted a nude lip since I knew I'd be a eating a lot and I get lazy to reapply 😇. 

So I decided to go for a blue smoky eye!

I've only ever done a blue smoky eye one other time, and I decided to go for a lighter blue mixed with gold. For my birthday I wanted an intense eye so I reached for my Borghese Five Shades of Cool palette, my Lorac Pro 2 Palette and my colourpop super shock shadows from the Metamorphosis palette called Kindness. I have been wanting to use Kindness for months now and never knew how, so I figured it was the perfect opportunity. Kindness is a duo chrome blue, purple black green shadow, I will show it below! 

The Look:

1. I primed my eyelids with my Lorac eyeshadow primer. 

2. I then set it with Buff from the Lorac Pro 2 palette

3. Then on my sigma E40 brush I took Nectar and Soft Brown from the Lorac Pro 2 Palette and started blending it into my crease, building the color up slowly just to get a nice natural transition color. I like the nectar and warm tones in the cream for a cool toned eye because it gives it a nice balance. The wariness brings out the blue more and makes it look more vibrant. 

4. I took Navy from the Lorac Pro 2 palette with a smaller blending brush, Morphe and put it directly into my crease and just under it so that there's a nice gradient from crease to lid. Being careful not to go above the crease. 

5. I took borghese's Eclissare ColorEdge eye pencil in graphite night and put that all over my lid as a base for the colourpop shadow. 

6. I then blended out the edges to make it not as harsh with Navy from the Lorac Pro 2 palette and with Shiver and Chill from the Five Shades of Cool palette. 

7. The fun part!! I took Kindness and dabbed it all over my lid with my finger, building it slowly until I was happy with the intensity. 

8. Continuous blending! I went back into the Five shades of Cool palette and directly into my crease I kept blending with Chill

9. To intensify the look, I took Numb from Five Shades of Cool and put it only in the outer corner for a more smoky seductive look. I used a pencil brush for this. 

10. Keep blending!

11. Then I put snow from the Lorac Pro 2 palette in my inner corner and on the highest point of my brow bone.

12. Moving on to the lower lashline, I started off with the Graphite Night pencil liner and smudged it out with Chill from Five Shades of Cool palette. Then to add gradient, I blended with Shiver from Five shades of Cool as well. On top of that I added Blue Ice for some shimmer and a bit of Kindness to make the lower lashline pop.  

13. I finished the eye with a winged liner, mascara and falsies. The falsies I used are Koko Lashes in the style Misha. 

 

On to the face:

1. Of course I had moisturized prior to doing the eyes 

2. I used L'Oreal Infallible Pro-matte foundation in N3 and used a beauty blender to stipple it on. 

3. I then went in with my borghese hydrating concealer in naturale and concealed under my eyes in a triangle shape, a little on my forehead and on my chin. I blended out with my beauty blender

4. I set my concealer with my NYX contour palette mixing the banana shade and beige shade. 

5. I used that contour palette to bronze up my temples, under the cheek bones and jaw line. I use basically all the bronzers in it

5. I added a little blush for this look, I used borghese's Thrill blush from the Eclissare ColorRise blush collection.

6. For highlight I used my all time favorite highlight, colourpop's Lunch Money highlighter on the tops of my cheekbones, above my brow arch, on the tip of my nose and Cupid's bow 

7. For lipstick I used MAC's posh mineralize lipstick and added NYX's butter gloss in Tiramisu  

7. Finally I set my face with NYX matte setting spray!

Here is how the look turned out:

Products Used: 

Eclissare ColorStruck Lipsticks

Guys, I must say that Borghese's new Eclissare collection is amazing. Their lipsticks are super fun, they're glittery, sparkly yet smooth and creamy. I know many people aren't fans of shimmer lipsticks (because I never was either) but for the summer they're so cute and as a nice fall transition, they're PERFECT

Below you will see swatches on my arm. Names will be below. 

Left to right:

Swoon: glittery coral

Edge: dark nude

Halo: creamy copper

Cusp: creamy earth toned pink-red 

Departure: glittery cool toned pink with lavender undertone

Release: creamy cool toned deep mauve

 

Far side: shimmery blue toned hot pink

 

Escape: shimmery red with gold flecks

Threshold: creamy berry

Dare: shimmery deep fuschia 

Verge: creamy dark burnt orange

Beyond: creamy Deep berry/ wine

Fourth of July Makeup featuring Borghese

I decided to put some looks together with Borghese's Eclissare Collection because everything is BEAUTIFUL. From the eyeshadow to the eyeliner, from their blushes to their lipsticks. Every single shade is so pigmented, with multidimensional Pearl and shimmer, super creamy and long lasting. Just amazing 😍

Here is look one: 

For this one I used:

Eyes: 

Eclissare Color Eclipse Five Shades of Desire eyeshadow palette for the shimmer gold wash of color on the lid 

Eclissare Color Eclipse Five Shades of Cool eyeshadow palette for the lower lashline for the pop of blue. 

Cheeks:

Eclissare ColorStruck Blush in Flight, a warm deep bronze with golden flecks, to warm up the face

Lips:

Eclissare Color Eclipse lipstick in Escape, which is a true red with golden shimmer. Because you need that glitter for Fourth of July ;)

Then I decided to switch it up with some blue liner:

Micellar Water - The new "it" product

I don't know about you, but micellar water has taken over my life... there is nothing else that I would use to take my makeup off.

It all started back at IMATS in April where I stumbled upon Bioderma and immediatey purchased it before the worker had even finished taking off water-proof gel liner so smoothly with a cotton pad soaked in this amazing water. It was that good. I cut her off mid-sentence and said "I'LL TAKE IT!"

I had heard about it before and thought is it really that good? and in fact, it is, it is that good. Even the chairperson from my major has been using it for years; she would purchase a good amount in France and then brought it home (fancy.)

Back to IMATS, later on that night I used Bioderma to take my makeup off and WOW, it worked wonders. Nothing has ever taken my makeup off better than that. I hate the tugging and rubbing to get off pesky mascara and honestly, this takes it off so easily. And that is when I fell in love.

There are a few Micellar waters on the market now a days and if you don't know about micellar waters I shall explain:

First off lets start with micelles. "Micelles are spheres of lipids that form in aqueous solutions." AKA oil (in this case, ester) molecules suspended in water. The molecules grab on to and trap your makeup and/or impurities and wash them off your skin, dissolving them and cleansing your face without using anything else. How cool?

           Micellar water originated in France and has now come to the US.
           Micellar water has the ability to remove makeup and impurities without using water, so it comes in handy!
           It also is used to cleanse, tone and hydrate the skin.
           It is said that water can rough out your skin as well as age it, so micellar water is a better bet if you're trying to stay young!
Micellar water AKA fountain of youth?

One thing to rememeber, although there is oil in this solution, it does not by any means feel oily or leave an oily film on your skin, it literally feels like water and evaporates quickly, leaving you feeling refreshed, clean and happy (cause we're lazy and the less steps it takes to take off our makeup the better, amirite??)

I currently own two different micellar waters: 
Bioderma ($13.95 for 250mL) and Borghese's Fango Active Mineral Micellar Cleansing Water. ($30.00 for 130mL)

Both are very very good and get the job done. In my opinion, bioderma doesn't burn my eyes but borghese's does, but that may just be me..

But both are great, really. If you've been doubting micellar water, DON'T! Go out now and buy them all go!

Give them a shot, and let me know what you think!

Night Routine / Taking off your Makeup

Yes that is me...

Taking off your make up and moisturizing your face is just as important as brushing your teeth, washing your hair and even as putting your makeup on beautifully. Make cleansing your face and taking your makeup off every night a goal for 2015!

I admit, I've had a bunch of nights where I was too tired to move and too lazy to wash my face, we've all been there. When I was much, much younger, around 15 years old, I would wear eyeliner and some mascara, and the way I'd take it off was by rubbing my eyes and going to bed. NO! NO NO NO, that is literally the worse thing ever. How could I do that? no idea, but I woke up every morning with raccoon eyes and just no. DO NOT follow in my 15 year old footsteps!

Since then, I have been 921438 times better to my skin. I take my make up off every night, and sometimes I can't even wait until night, I get home from work and go straight to washing.
I like to feel fresh-faced when heading to bed. I like to feel hydrated, refreshed and soft, not grimy, oily and greasy.

If you're lazy, makeup wipes are a godsend, really. Invest in them!!! They're easy and affordable and you can lay in bed while you take your make up off, does it get any better? Seriously if you or someone you know suffer from laziness, WIPES!!

My night routine depends on the day or how I am feeling, it can be quick or take forever, BUT I never skip the important parts:

1. First thing first, put your hair in a bun or pony tail because I HATE getting my hair wet or when it gets in the way. It pisses me off... anyway, yes. So after your hair is up..

2. If I wore lots of mascara, heavy liner (especially NYX's Studio Liquid Liner that peels), or lashes that night (especially do this if you wore lashes) I like to take a Q-tip with some coconut oil and rub it over my lashes and lashline to make sure I get rid of that first. If I had a bit of liner and some mascara, sometimes I skip this step or I just use a wet Q-tip to moisten the mascara to make it easier to take off.

3. I like to dampen my face with warm water before I use my facial cleanser. I have a few different cleansers: Neutrogena Cleanser + Make up remover, Aveeno Positively Radiant Cleanser, Kiehl's Facial Cleanser and Noxzema. The exception to the rule is Noxzema, I like to apply that on a dry face and work it into my skin, leave it on a bit and then rinse with warm water. For the rest of the cleansers, I apply them on a damp face and using circular motions with my fingertips work them onto my skin removing the makeup. Rinse with warm water and pat face dry.

4. This is a step I don't do all the time, only on days where I'm not as tired or when I feel like I need a little extra cleaning. I use my Witch Hazel Astringent, pour a bit on a cotton ball and once again using circular motions, rub it all over my face. This takes off some impurities that were left over. I like to use this more on the nose to help lift the dirt and help loosen the black heads, also if you have acne, Witch Hazel is good for it, it is a natural "antidote" which cleans and shrinks pores and helps acne.

5. After all this is done, and after my teeth are brushed, I go for my Burt's Bees Hydrating Night Cream. I love this stuff because it has Clary Sage, which is an herb that grows in the Mediterranean and is known to retain moisture, therefore being a great addition to a night cream: it helps your skin retain moisture as you sleep. Remember that when it is cold, your skin can lose moisture quickly, so opt for a thicker cream or a cream that contains Clary Sage. Also remember to stay hydrated! Anyway, back to the night cream!! I use that stuff and I LOVE it I have to say, when I wake up my skin feels super soft and you can still feel the cream on it, you know that creamy greasy (in a good way) feeling? Its still there when I wake up, therefore proving to me that it works!

6. I then apply a lipbalm, because it is important to keep your lips moisturized as well! *See Lipblam Post* I use either ones I mentioned in my previous post! But I usually go for the DCT and sometimes the Moisture Melt. Give your lips a nice thick coat!

7. Lastly, you can't forget your hands! My hands are the third thing that dry out quickly. First, face, then lips and then hands! Before heading to bed, I love to use Lubriderm, a big pump of it for my hands and arms and I work it into the skin. Lubriderm is great because it works well on sensitive skin and it also keeps your skin hydrated for long. Sometimes you put cream on and after 10 mins your hands feel cracked and dry again, Lubriderm keeps the smooth, supple and moisturized until morning!

That's it for my night time routine! PLEASE remember to take off your make up and take care of your skin. Take care of that beautiful face, taking off your makeup and moisturizing helps your skin on your face stay young and hinders from becoming aged, dried out and prevents premature wrinkles!!! ;)

Goodnight!!

New Year, New You ?

     Ah, Auld Lang Syne. It's the beginning of the new year and as we all wonder where the heck the time went, we all, in the back of our heads, are contemplating making New Years resolutions.
Now don't say you haven't thought about it, because YOU DID. As did I. But I will say I am done with "this year I'll go to the gym" no I won't and I accept it, "this year I'll be skinnier and rich" ok, but that means I have to work for it right?

     Well anyway, over this winter break I had many aspirations: exercising, doing yoga to strengthen up my muscles again, eating better, going on adventures, being creative... and all I have done was rot in my bed and not be productive at all! UNTIL TODAY!
I figured I'd write a post on how to NOT be a lazy bum until school starts up again because I woke up this morning and realized I was doing absolutely nothing with my life and that had to change! I was getting lazier and lazier by the day that I was even too lazy to go get my nails done. Enough is enough, Ariana. and No, this won't last until school starts, but will (try to) last for the year, make the best out of it, as we always tell ourselves.

So here are some of my easy-to-keep-up-with New Years Resolutions that you won't break by next week :)

     1. No More Shots! That is number 1 because after a New Years Eve of heavy drinking followed by a New Years Day of death, I never ever want to see Fireball again. Who thought of making a cinnamon flavored whiskey that tastes like Big Red anyway?

     2. This is an add-on to #1, cut back on drinking. I've realized that when I'm bored, I usually go out for a drink and not just ONE drink, more like five and that is no good. Drinking on the calories is super easy, and that's exactly what I've been doing. If I wanna lose some weight, gotta cut down on drinks! You'd be surprised at how sugary and high in calories they are. Plus, cutting back to having 3 drinks MAX is a good start, and drinking, at most, only once a week should be even better. Seriously, though can they ban Fireball?

     3. Eat Breakfast! I love breakfast, unfortunately I either never have time to make it, or I just don't (told you I've gotten lazy) And as much as you've heard this, breakfast is the most important meal of the day! Seriously, it gets your metabolism going, your juices flowing and your brain running. Even if you start out with some oatmeal, you'll be great!

     4. This may be a given but, keep a positive attitude. Remember you attract what you radiate. Sometimes it's hard, and I know it is it gets hard for me, but try to just try, even if its one thing a day. one step at a time! Plus, it'll give you a better outlook on things as well as a pep in your step to take on resolution #5 with no problem ;)

     5. Clean. No one likes to do it, but you have to. Make cleaning more enjoyable, put on your favorite record, dance some salsa, put on an audiobook. You'll realize the time will go fast. If you live with your parents, help them out. My mother always takes one whole day to clean, teamwork makes it faster; she'll tackle the bathroom while I'll tackle the living room and kitchen. Help clean and she'll appreciate it and you will too. Clean more often so when you do, it isn't one big mess, its only a small one. I am definitely going to try to clean my room once a week and most definitely putting a day aside to help my mother clean the house.

     6. Do more things that make you happy. I mean it, if you want to go see a movie no one else wants to see, go alone. If you get cabin fever in your house, take a walk in the city. Paint, write, dance. Do whatever you want and enjoy your own company because alone time is more important than always being with someone. I always complain im so bored I want to go here I want to go there. So next time i'm just gonna go. You'll be surprised at how peaceful and relaxing it is, take your time, take pictures, be happy.

So as I sit here and write this post at 1 am, I have already become more productive than I was earlier today! Try to give these a go, they're simple and easy to keep up with! Let me know what you try or if you've got any others you suggest :)

Happy New Year!