You can't go wrong with a nice set of hair flowers. Orchids, roses, lilies...whatever. They all look amazing, and if they sparkle, even better. This is a set of two orange orchids, drenched in glitter and held in place with a duckbill clip. $18, pinupgirlclothing.com.
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| Photo Credits: Above and Below pinupgirlclothing.com |
Gloves are a Winter staple, to begin with, but these keep you warm and fashionable at the same time. These are vintage-inspired, with ruffle, bead, and floral trim. Available in Cream, Black, and Red. $12, pinupgirlclothing.com.
Lastly, you can't send a glamour girl out into the world with no way to fix her face. Here is a retro-inspired vinyl powder clutch. It makes me think of bowling alleys and diners--in the best way possible. $36, pinupgirlclothing.com.
Since we're on a pin-up kick today, I thought I'd share a product review of Smashbox's new kit, based on looks from the new movie Burlesque. $35, Sephora.
According to Sephora:
The kit includes one eyeshadow/liner quad in Risque (pink, pink beige, eggplant, and a cool gray cream eyeliner), one Limitless Liquid Liner Pen in Jet Black, one Double-Ended Lipgloss in Peep/Show (cotton candy/raspberry), one Loose Shimmer powder in Burlesque (golden pink), and instructions for one look.Designed to re-create theatrical looks featured in the film "Burlesque," In Theaters November 24, about a small town girl trying to make it big in Hollywood, this provocative collection of sexy shades will bring out your inner starlet.
Okay, on to the items individually:
The eyeshadow/liner quad was a pleasant surprise, actually. I have another Smashbox quad, in all matte colors, and while the color payoff is fantastic, the texture's a wee bit chalky. These colors are all shimmery (note: not glitter chunks. Just a nice gleam) with a silky smooth texture. They go on evenly, and blend easily. The liner can either be swept on for a defined look, or can be brushed on as a cream shadow for a sheer wash of color. Again, application was a snap, and the color payoff is lovely. All colors coordinate beautifully. My only warning: if you are not someone who normally wears pink and purple well, this kit is not for you. However, if you like pink and wear it well, snap this up before it sells out. It's a great price for a really high-quality product.
The liner was also a treat for me. I'm not normally a liquid liner girl. I'm a klutz, remember? I tend to do better with a cream or gel liner, where I can take my time and use short strokes. However, this one was practically foolproof! The brush is so long, you can pretty much just lay it flat across your lashline and gently glide it where you need it to go. The color is also the densest black I've seen in a while.
The loose shimmer powder is really more like a super-super-super sparkly mineral eyeshadow. It looks pink in the pot, but brushes on more of a colorless irridescent shimmer. It's actually quite lovely, and makes a great highlighter. I wouldn't use it on cheeks, though, because the glitter's a little too chunky. Keep this one strictly around the eyes.
The lipgloss is a double-ended wand with a light baby pink on one end, and a deep raspberry color on the other. Currently, I've only used the baby pink (it just came in yesterday. Cut me some slack), and it's very sheer, nicely pigmented, moisturizing, and non-sticky. It also lasted through lunch, which is a feat for a gloss. It adds just enough oomph to make your lips look polished, but not overly done-up. Basically, it's a great nude lip.
So, individually, everything's peachy, but how does it work as a whole? The kit (which has way too much packaging for my taste. Just thought I'd throw that out there) comes with instructions for one look. Today, I followed those instructions and came out with a look that was (again) suprisingly wearable. I expected it to be a little too theatrical (considering the inspiration) for the office, but I'm going out this evening and have no time to re-do my makeup, so I figured, "what the heck. It's Friday, and I sit in a box. No one sees me. Who cares?" Now, I'm sad no one sees me! It's a really beautiful look! Not too much for work, but fun enough for a night out. The look they suggest calls for a mildly smoky eye, with pink on the lid, eggplant in the crease, a sheer wash of pink beige to blend it all together, liquid liner on top, and cream liner on bottom. A little shimmer goes in the inside corners of the eyes. Finish it off with the pink lipgloss. This is perfect for everything from a holiday wedding or office party, down to dinner and a movie, on down to work or school. I didn't think that was possible.
Of course, this is not a complete kit. I look at it sort of like a cake mix. Yes, the basic ingredients are there, but you don't open up the box and pull out a cake. You need to add a few staples to get it to all gel, and then add a little icing on top to make it shine.
You'll need to add your own foundation, powder, blush, and mascara definitely. After that, you might want to add concealer and eyebrow gel, and maybe a little luminizing powder on the cheeks, to really bring it over the top, but this is a great starter or inspiration kit for the holidays.
the cake mix metaphor is FABULOUS, by the way. love it.
ReplyDeleteThank you, ma'am. :)
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