outfit of the day!

So this was sort of a failure because I don't know how to pose or open my eyes wide :) but I wanted to show an outfit. There's not a ton of variety within brands here but if I do more of these, I'll try to show different styles/brands/price points/etc. Enjoy and try not to judge my cranky expressions! :)







Shirt- cropped from American Eagle- got it on clearance last summer
High-waisted white shorts- American Eagle- around $36 I believe
white undershirt- Aeropostale- buy two for $16 or something cheap :)
Belt- American Eagle, online- also around $36
Sandals- can you guess? American Eagle, it was buy one get one half off, my mom got the other pair. This pair was originally $24.50.
Cat necklace- it was a gift :)
If I could do this outfit over, I would pick a different shirt. It needs to be tucked in or shorter, but at the current length, it does not compliment the outfit like I hoped it would.
Everything except the shirt should still be available.
I did my makeup with the Naked Palette- Hustle all over lid, Buck and Toasted in Crease (Creep to define), Naked as a brow highlight, Virgin as my inner corner highlight. UD eyeliner in Rockstar for above lashline. NYX Mocha for my cheeks and Revlon lipgloss in Coral Reef for my lips. Not that it's very apparent in the pictures, but I like the way it turned out. I might do a picture tutorial soon for something similar.
Thanks to my brother Seth for taking these! Hope everyone has a great weekend. I'll try to post before the end of the month- June hasn't been a great month for this blog.

-Rhiana

Side note: I don't fake tan, ever. Like Naomi, I'm against that. Going outside provides a better effect for free! :D

My Latest Obsession and Polish of the Week

My latest obsession... Neutral nail polishes. My collection of these little beauties is growing and I just had to get a picture. In order: Revlon Iced Mauve, Milani Disco Lights, Sonia Kashuk Tauped, OPI Barefoot in Barcelona, Essie Sand Tropez, China Glaze Fifth Avenue, Essie French Affair, and Mauve from Forever 21. Love them.


Rhiana bought me this one for my birthday. OPI Barefoot in Barcelona. Love it.

And my polish of the week: Zoya Dove. With some cute little stickers :) I messed up my pinky a little bit. And this was taken a few days after I painted them so the edges are a little worn but for the most part, I loved the way it turned out.


I'll try to post again this weekend. But that's it for now. :)

Naomi

recent makeup & a latest obsession

First, just some pictures of makeup within the last month or so (I know, I've been so bad about taking pictures and updating... :/) The green is my most recent, and in my defense, I haven't been doing my makeup often at all. I really liked it for the color- I've been in such a neutral block that it was nice to experiment. I feel like it's this way for a lot of girls- getting so into makeup and wild color and then starting to only wear browns. I got the Naked palette by Urban Decay recently, and I love it :) post on that coming up soon, but I was tired of doing product reviews. The three different looks pictured are a cranberry shimmer look (Mac's Cranberry was the star of this show), which was the longest ago; a brown neutral (CS matte palette- I was a fan of this look) and the green summer-y look (mix of CS matte/shimmer palettes and the colors Virgin and Darkhorse from the UD palette.) Be warned, there's a lot of pictures, mostly of my eyes way up close, since I rarely get a good shot of my whole face. Lip colors were either Viva Glam Gaga II or Rimmel Kiss, blush in the green look was NYX Mocha. Whew, that was a lot of boring typing.
Onto pictures. . .

cranberry eyes



brown neutral eyes



and the one with the most pictures- green eyes




My forehead looks so big here, and in most pictures. Pretty sure this isn't a real life thing. I hope.



So there you have it, my most recent makeup pictures. I miss doing my makeup, I'm going to try to get more into it.
And for the mini latest obsession- toe rings! I should take some pictures of my cheap but super cute finds :) they make even my pudgy little toes bearable. I love them! I think on my list of posts-I-really-need-to-do is a fashion post- something I have been getting way more in to.
I'll try to post again, soon! :)
Hope everyone had a great Monday,

-Rhiana

Review: Mac 217 & 219

I mentioned in a blog post a while back that I had some Mac purchases on the way. I was referring to two brushes (and brush cleaner); specifically, Mac 217 and Mac 219. Both are well known and have received a lot of praise. I can't really disagree, they are two of the best brushes I've ever owned. I can't wait to get more- next on my list are the flat shader brush (239) and highlight brush (227 I believe). Onto pictures...

MAC 217:





The 217. A fluffy, large brush that is less rounded than normal blending brushes. It is dense enough to apply a gradient of color and soft enough to blend. This is, in my opinion, a must-have for anybody who has a genuine interest in makeup. It is pricey, at over $20, so I wouldn't recommend it if the buyer won't utilize it often, or is just beginning with makeup. This brush has become a part of my everyday eyeshadow process, no matter which colors I use.

MAC 219:


I couldn't get a good close up of this brush for the life of me, but it's basically a pencil brush. This is ideal for packing on color into the crease, inner corner or under the eye. I use it mainly to apply dark shadow onto my outer V, and to blend eyeliner. It picks up an amazing amount of color and allows for a lot of control with its dense, pointed shape. I would recommend it for those who like a smokier eyeshadow look.



All in all, these brushes have made doing my makeup even more enjoyable. I now know what I was missing! :) My main gripe is that they get dirty so quickly, especially the 219. (As you can easily see in my pictures...) They are expensive, but an investment in something durable and quality-made is worth it to me.
Would it be helpful for me to do reviews on other, cheaper brushes that I own? I don't really have face brushes, but I do have a lot of eye brushes.
Have a good day! More posts coming soon :)

-Rhiana

My Birthday and Some Thrift Store Purchases

This post will definitely be mostly pictures of birthday gifts and a few cute things I picked up from the Arc today :) (and a few awful things that I hope no one would ever purchase for themselves or anyone else...)


The perfect summer bag! Its so cute. And my favorite magazine, Elle. Getting my subscription tomorrow! :)

:). In order: Sun Kissed from Sally Hansen, Timbleberry from Sinful Colors, French Affair from Essie, and Sand Tropez from Essie. Soon after I took this picture, I walked outside to get more light and dropped Sand Tropez :(. It shattered and spilled all over (not in the house thankfully!) But I'm really bummed. It was the last one they had at Target when I picked it out so I hope they restock it. I'm going to buy it again.

I dont know why this freaking picture wont rotate but its the Sara Bareilles CD, Taylor Swift CD, an adorable case for my iPod and an iTunes gift card.


My makeup for church that day. Neutral eye and orange lips. My sister bought me Siren from Revlon and I love it!


My thrift store purchases. The best deal was the Converse. They were only 4 bucks and they are in great shape!And they needed laces but I bought some already :).

And then there were these... Suction cup shirts and velcro tops, hot!

Thats it for now :). Had a good birthday.

Naomi

Lime Crime Contest

The contest: Create a themed makeup look based off of your favorite animated character. Be as literal or as subtle as you like. Post your photo entry to our wall & let us know who or what it is inspired by. Best entry wins a Magic Dust & lipstick of choice! Contest ends 5/21 midnight EST. One entry per person. Open internationally. Good luck!

I told Rhiana about the contest and we decided to enter it. Our inspiration for the look was the Red Queen from Alice in Wonderland. Rhiana did the makeup. Here's how it turned out!



Even if we don't win, it was a fun way to spend a Friday night and the last night that Rhiana is in Brighton for seven whole weeks. I'm going to miss that girl. Glad we keep this blog together though :).

That's it for now. I'll post again tomorrow with pictures of birthday gifts! :)

Naomi

My Latest Obsession: Neutral Eyes

When I first got into makeup, I was really into bright colors for an everday basis. And while that's fun sometimes, I think a more toned down look is better for the daytime. (Read: no varying shades of lime green all over the lid. Because I've done that... never again) Here are some of my favorite ways to wear a neutral eye: (my very favorite way doesn't have a picture... I wonder why?)


The first way: barely there. I used to never do this, but I'm glad I tried it. It's a great way to achieve a natural sort of look and still wear makeup.






The second is one I've really liked recently. In the pictures Naomi posted from the dance, this is makeup similar to what I was wearing. It's a light color on the lid, with a more defined, dark brown crease. I use my coastal scents matte palette for this. I also have been loving liquid eyeliner with this look- I'm not the greatest, but I still like the way it turns out.

And the last, for an example of a more toned down way to wear color:

A look of greens, a color I don't wear often. Even though it has color, it was pretty neutral. I used a basic technique: light color on the lid, darker in crease and outer corner.

What are some of your favorite ways to wear a neutral eye?
More posts coming soon, sorry for the slacking. When we're on summer break, it should be much easier to update more regularly.

-Rhiana