Monday, October 29, 2012

Pink Dr. Martens!

I'm happy! I just ordered some pink Dr. Martens, and they arrived yesterday. So of course I had to wear them. These are Dr. Martens Pascal in Raspberry. They're a lot like the classic 1460 style, but these are made of a softer, more flexible leather. I love them! So comfy and cute at the same time. I also just got these cute heart tights from Forever 21 that went with it perfectly! And for those of you who read my last post about Maybelline ColorSensational lipstick, this one is the coral I was talking about, Coral Crush. My favorite. :)

Please hype my outfit on Lookbook if you like it!

Monday, October 22, 2012

Maybelline ColorSensational Review

Most of the time I gravitate toward designer names and department stores when it comes to makeup. I feel that it's okay to buy cheap clothes and accessories, but when it comes to your face you just cannot skimp on the quality. And in the world of cosmetics, good quality is often synonymous with expensive. But at the same time, I don't want to be a brand whore so I try out products from drugstores every now and then. Which is how I found this little gem... Maybelline ColorSensational lipstick!




All the colours in this line are categorized into pinks, reds, plums, and nudes. They also have "pearl" which is basically clear and very pale shimmery lipsticks. I chose a pink, red, and plum to try out.

From left to right: Pink Me Up (pink), Coral Crush (red), and Deepest Cherry (plum).

First things first - if you're looking for a matte lipstick, this is NOT it! These are almost lipgloss/lipstick hybrids with a high shine. I actually quite liked the texture because most lipstick leave my lips feeling dry and cakey. These feel luxurious and moisturizing. I wore one to work and it still had a pretty sheen to it when I left eight hours later!

I really love the colour of Deepest Cherry (yes, I jumped on the oxblood bandwagon :P). But it seems like it was actually too shiny. The formula is more slippery than the other two and the colour looked uneven after I applied it. A few hours later, it had feathered out of my upper lip. Not cool! Maybe I'll try a lipliner with it next time.

Coral Crush is amazing in every way! I wish the photo was true to its colour though - it is definitely a pink based coral, while in the picture it looks more red. The colour is so pretty and it lasts for hours. I used to be scared of coral (hello... old lady territory), but this one is perfectly shiny and bright. And the colour stayed put!

Pink me up is a purple based mauve pink. It's the least shiny of the three, with a teensy hint of shimmery pigment in it. Very natural and pretty on, and the colour doesn't bleed at all.


In these swatches (in the same order as picture above), they appear to be a little shimmery but that is actually just the moisture. Coral Crush and Deepest Cherry have zero shimmer. I'm happy with these lipsticks, and I can't wait to try a nude one and a pearl! Have you tried Maybelline ColorSensational? What do you think about them? Comment below!

Saturday, October 20, 2012

Golden Beauty Giveaway!

Real quick post (and a freebie for you girls!) 

I just landed a modeling job with The Golden Beauty, an up-and-coming company that specializes in high quality tanning products made in the US and Canada. I know, it sounds ironic if you have seen my porcelain skin. But for pale girls like me, they have GORGEOUS body shimmers, self-tanners, cellulite-combating skin firmers, and more awesome stuff. What I really love about Golden Beauty products is that they have a high content of natural oils and botanicals. The highly penetrating and non-greasy formulas are fortified with natural ingredients like pomegranate extract, red grape seed extract, green tea, hemp seed oil, avocado, antioxidant vitamins A, C, D, and E, and omega-fatty acids... what's not to love?

As a spokesmodel I got a ton of gift cards to give away... but I'll give you guys the code here ;) Go to http://www.thegoldenbeauty.com and for a free $15 gift card enter the word "GOLD" at checkout. They make it easy and uncomplicated, you don't have to make an account or anything to buy something and it always ships in 2-4 days.

I live in Washington State (aka vampire region) so I'm sure this company will be a big hit here in Seattle. But you can say you saw it here first! Let your friends know about the gift certificates - they expire on November 30.


P.S. If by chance you totally fall in love with this stuff, The Golden Beauty gives you a free clutch every five purchases. (And they're really cute!)

Let me know what you think of their stuff!

xx, 
Sugar 

Monday, October 15, 2012

I'm a Mermaid! (Make a Sea Princess Headdress)

I have a mermaid shoot planned out for this month which I am VERY excited for... my inner little girl is still very much alive, and what little girl wouldn't want to be a mermaid?

I already found the perfect mermaid gown, and now I am trying to figure out what to do for accessories, hair, and makeup. Last night I was looking at an old hairband and wondering what I could do with it, then I remembered I had some seashells... and a shell crown was born! Just wanted to share, because I'm so happy with the way it turned out.
First I wrapped the headband in a burlap-texture ribbon and glued it in place (it was originally black satin). Next I just took sturdy raffia-wrapped craft wire and bent it into the shaped of a tiara, and twisted it around the hairband. Then I used a hot glue gun to attach the shells... Simple! Oh, and the pearls were beads from an old costume necklace I had lying around. They added a pretty touch to it, I think. This only takes half an hour to make and you don't need many materials... if you're a crafty person you probably already have half the stuff around your house!

I can't wait to shoot with this! Now I'm going to try to find some pretty mermaid makeup ideas. If anyone has suggestions for makeup, or ways to make this mermaid costume even better please leave a comment!

xx,
Sugar


Saturday, October 13, 2012

"Not a Model"

Just a brief note... I took a modeling hiatus for a bit to try to figure out the direction I wanted my work to go. Now that I am back into it again, someone made a comment that I'm not a "real" model. Apparently, real models make hundreds or thousands a day and appear on the cover of Vogue and Harper's Bazaar. I, however, make up to sixty dollars an hour for a shoot, and sometimes I don't get paid at all. I am most often the one to do my own hair and makeup and provide wardrobe. I've never been a cover model or done commercial work. Does that mean I'm not really modeling?

I'm not trying to defend myself by making what I do sound better than it seems. Modeling is not always glamorous, professionally or as a hobby. But the payoff - the outcome of my work - is worth it to me. I love having ideas and being able to capture that in a photo, or convey emotions and thoughts. I love making fantasy seem real. Dressing up and making costumes and doing crazy makeup is awesome to me! And when the shoot's done, I have something cool that I'm proud of in my portfolio. To me that's what modeling is about. I do it for the fun, creative side it brings out of me. Not to be a clothes horse for commercial photographers dictating what I'm supposed to do. I once ventured down that road, and realized it didn't make me feel happy or proud of what I was doing.

I love the wonderful freelance photographers and models I have met through my work, who are on exactly the same wavelength as I am regarding what modeling should be about. I'm sure I'd enjoy strutting down a catwalk in designer duds, making thousands a month, but honestly I don't think it could give me the same type of satisfaction as my unpaid artistic collaborations have given me. So if you're a model working for free, forget about agencies! Take advantage of the creative opportunities you have by working for yourself, and dream on! You are your own boss.

On a more positive note, I have a few more shoots in the works along with the ones I mentioned in September... involving dolls, mermaids, and dia de los muertos (not all at the same time :P).

If you'd like to see a small portfolio of my work, unpaid and otherwise, please visit my Model Mayhem profile: https://secure.modelmayhem.com/1774242  And if you're an aspiring model (or photographer, fashion designer, makeup artist, or anything else in the fashion industry) you can apply for a Model Mayhem account. It's a great way to connect with like-minded people.



Thursday, October 11, 2012

Oxblood

Dark red has many names... bordeaux, merlot, burgundy... this year it's oxblood! This version is a deep blood red with various amounts of plum and chocolate undertones. It also happens to be my personal favorite colour, so I am very excited to be seeing it all over the runways and in the streets!

The deep crimson hue is perfect for the upcoming wintery days. That rich red just gives you a holiday feeling, doesn't it? :) I've added a little inspiration below. This gorgeous peacoat below is only $75 at Miss Selfridge! 

Don a bow for a subtle nod to the trend!



Blake Lively gets it right in a
sparkling minidress.
Selma Hayek opts for drama
in a pretty pleated gown!
Model-off-duty look: leather
skinnies, booties, and a
slouchy  sweater in
complementary colours
do the trick.


Oxblood nails are vampy and classic! For lips, just add some dark mascara and  keep
everything else simple and clean.
And if you're really brave, try the colour on your eyes! Again, keep everything else simple!

Monday, October 8, 2012

Secret Garden

I have this secret garden I found a while ago, and I visited it the other day to see the dahlias. I was happily surprised to find that there are also still roses in full bloom. In October! Just wanted to share the prettiness with you :) Click the photo to see full size.





Sunday, October 7, 2012

NARS x Andy Warhol Pop Collection

Yesterday I went to the NARS and Andy Warhol launch party event at Sephora to try out the new palettes inspired by Andy's pop artwork. I must say I am quite besotted with them!
First we have the Debbie Harry eye and cheek palette, based on Warhol's piece by the same name. It includes four eyeshadows in Twinkling Purple, Sparkling Turquoise, White Shimmer, and Starry Black; a blush in Shimmering Pink Champagne; and a highlighter in Brilliant Cream.



Then there's the Kiss Mini Lip Gloss Coffret featuring five 0.11 ounce Larger Than Life lip glosses in new shades (from left to right, below): Silver Factory, Chelsea Girl, Drella, Blue Movie, and Myths. I love the little Andy Warhol soup can it comes in (perfect for holding makeup brushes)! The glosses are ultra-shiny and thick. Some might not like them because they are a bit sticky, but they definitely stay on for hours, which is always a plus. The only negative thing I have to say about these is that the applicator brush is too tiny to work with - just use your finger - and the once the gloss is on, the colours are not as vibrant as they look in the tube.





























Next is my personal favorite, the Flowers compact. They come in three different colour groups, simply titled Flowers 1, Flowers 2, and Flowers 3. They each contain black and grey shadow, and then three other shades. I decided to be brave and try out all the colours in Flowers 1, which includes a bright mustard yellow, purple, and orange-y red. The others are more neutral; Flowers 2 being a pastel blue, white, and grey; and Flowers 3 being deep chestnut brown, soft fawn, and white.


One detail I like about these palettes is that they each have a little Andy Warhol quote inscribed on the mirror. 

Flowers 1: "If you can convince yourself that you look fabulous, you can save yourself the trouble of primping."
Flowers 2: "You need to let the little things that would ordinarily bore you suddenly thrill you." (my favorite Warhol quote!)
Flowers 3: "All is pretty."


Here's my eye look the Sephora makeup artist gave me using all the colours from the Flowers 1 palette! They are very blendable and complement each other so they are wearable - all in all, not as scary as they might look.



The Walk on the Wild Side set includes an illuminator in Silver Factory, nail lacquer in It, and lip gloss in the classic Orgasm shade. The lip gloss is in the Larger Than Life ultra-shiny formula, rather than the classic formula. It is a mini at 0.11 ounces, although the illuminator and polish are full sized products.

The illuminator is EXTREMELY glittery, so I would suggest not wearing it on your face. The photo does not do it justice. It looks great on your shoulders, back, and clavicle for a night out though. The nail polish is a lovely deep violet in the same formula as other NARS nail lacquers.

It comes in a lovely keepsake box featuring Warhol's piece "Flowers."











Friday, October 5, 2012

socks & sandals

I know, I know... the first thing you thought of when you read the title was your dad. Or airport fashion. Or those boys in high school who wore Nike slides and tube socks (I still will never understand...). So, socks and sandals are a fashion pairing that have gotten a bit of a bad rap. But now that October chills are in the air I decided to figure out ways to incorporate socks into my wardrobe while extending the life of my cute summer shoes! I bought a pair of satin platform sandals the other day and began experimenting with outfits to get a little wear out of them before it is too cold.

Then I went online to get ideas on how to style them without looking like a seasonally challenged slave to fashion. Turns out I'm not the only one who thought this could be a cute idea! Here's some of the lovely ladies I discovered who have stylishly paired socks with sandals.




And here is my version, both with knee socks and with the socks scrunched:

The verdict? Socks and sandals can be a totally cute, stylish pairing for fall. Go and and rock your open-toed shoes into winter months ahead! A word of advice: stick with heels and platforms, flats can lead you dangerously into airport dad territory. Also, if you're not loving the socks so much but you want to wear your summer shoes, you can get a similar, more classic effect from wearing warm winter tights instead of socks!


PS... if you want these sandals, they are the Harper sandal by Metaphor, only $6.99 on clearance at Sears right now! They have a satin finish so you could even make them work with dressy outfits for the holidays coming up.

 Let me know what you think of this style, or if you are going to try it! I'd love to see all the outfits and ideas you come up with.







Wednesday, October 3, 2012

Photo Shoot with Bre Z Photography!

I got the opportunity not too long ago to collaborate with the wonderful Bre Zinter on a fashion shoot! We decided to shoot with a rabbit mask which definitely added a creepy element to the shoot, and which was exactly what we were hoping for. Here's a few shots we got... let me know what you think :) I am very happy with how it turned out!