Teal Fever

I had a fun night last night at one of my favorite spots in Tacoma, The Cobra Lounge. It's a chill hookah bar full of comfy couches, cool decoration, and dim lighting, not to mention sick hookahs. The shisha is always amazing too. Last night we tried mint... but my favorite so far has been Blueberry Dream and O.J. Kush. Anyway, this is what I wore! Please hype it on Lookbook if you like it. :)

My makeup is Urban Decay eyeshadow in Kush and Half Baked, and Sephora Collection eyeshadow in My Boyfriend's Jeans. Speaking of cosmetics, I tried out the Ciate Caviar and Velvet manicures yesterday just to see how they look. Not so keen on the velvet; it's just a weird thing to me to have fuzzy nails. But the caviar is pretty cute! I tried the rainbow, below, and it also comes in black. I may just have to buy the whole kit now!

The Pose Factory

Hello all, sorry for the lack of posts! Work has been increasingly crazy as of late. It's never fun working retail this time of year. But I did manage to squeeze in a photo shoot with a wonderful photographer I just met, Jim Nicholson of the Pose Factory! Just wanted to share a favorite shot. You can check out more of his work here and here!

Please stay tuned for more stuff coming... I've got a Victorian Gothic fashion shoot planned for this Friday, and a mermaid shoot coming this month too. :) I'm excited! Meanwhile, let me know if you like this. I had lots of fun at this shoot with Jim.

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!

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!

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 ♥

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

"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.

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!