NYE 2014 // DRESS 2 KILL

NYE is maaaybe my favorite holiday because it's the one holiday we get to dress to the nines (no matter if you're in a scummy bar) and you'll magically never feel over-dressed!  Normally I don't plan things until the last minute, so if you're like me I thought I would give you and idea of what I'll be wearing tomorrow and some tips on how to stay in the spotlight on a glitter-bombed night of attire.

I love sequins...I have 3 completely-covered-in-sequin dresses in my closet and of course NYE is pretty much the only occasion they can be worn.  But I'm always trying to be the show stopper, and on New Year's I've come to realize one thing....EVERYONE will be in sequins. So my look for this NYE is SANS sequins....LET US ALL GASP

My thoughts and ventures have led me to experimenting with texture more than anything.  Also, jewel tones will have you killing the game amongst the silver, gold, and black sea.

I am going to be back in Lawrence, KS for NYE.  I know you may be asking,  "why the heck would you not want to be in the city for this?"  I am going to be back in Lawrence, KS for NYE because my Bear Club Boys will be doing the night right, exactly how I like-- great music, great humans, and great dancing.  I want to be dancing...which leads me to my outfit of choice:

a Teal Velvet One-Shoulder Romper.
it's got the feels, the uniqueness of not being a damn dress....and i can DANCE in this (i shudder at the thought of trying to have fun in a strapless number)

the trouble with a romper...a one-shoulder romper...a velvet one-shoulder romper...is pairing accessories, like, how do i do this??

My advice is to keep it pretty simple to keep it stunning.  Black tights because it's stupid cold this time of year, and simple black heels or boots to match.

**The important thing with statement dresses/jumpsuits for anyone that does decide to stick with a mass of sequins or sparkles is to keep your accessories pretty tame, you will get lost under the lights so fast!**

With such a neckline you just can't do a necklace (maybe a choker, if you must). Also bracelets may look a little stiff with the one-shoulder (dear lord, why did I choose this?) But, alas!  I find the drama can be best brought to your ears with some really sparkly, long/big earrings.

To complete the overall look you must weigh your makeup and hair into the equation just as equally as your apparel.  Lately I've been SO very interested in the "glossy eye".  I've recently tried it out for a few photo/video project shoots.  It catches light in such an interesting way (with all the other girlies wearing cakes of glitter on their faces, you will feel incredibly superior).

To do a glossy eye:

IT'S STUPID EASY.
1. Put some eyeshadow on ya eyes...stick to a fairly light color at least for your first outting (if you touch this or have more hooded eyes it will smear pretty quickly!  I've experimented with mostly orangey brown and red tones.  If you're worried about making a mess of it consider a light gold or pearly pink
2. Don't do much on eyeliner (if any) and stick close to the lash line. It will smear and crease and as you can tell in the above photo after not even an hour of wear it's getting weeird
3. Get some clear lip gloss or a liquid kind of chapstick and gently dap it on top of your eyeshadow. Test this before you coat your whole eye and make sure your eyes don't feel irritated.  To make it more dramatic...coat with a thicker layer of lipgloss!  I used this kind without any bother
4. Mascara shouldn't affect your gloss, just be careful when applying!

I like a bold lip pretty much all the time but if I'm trying to keep my lids in check and my lipstick from getting all over the place I'm going to be so high maintenance to be around UGH.  I would consider using the same gloss on your lips and leaving things neutral.  If you still want a little more drama, go bolder with your bronzer or blush.

Let's also consider our nails in this NYE plan of attack--
NOW IT'S TIME TO SPARKLE!

With our nice jewel tone base of the teal, I'm drawn to a nice olive green tone to pair.  A nice warm topaz or deep ruby would be interesting as well.

For my look I used Wet 'n Wild's Sage of the City as a base with Nabi's Dark Green Glitter.

 I then used some small craft glitter I had in my arsenal and applied while the nails were still wet.  A bunch of top coats are a good idea to keep things intact. (I'll need a chisel to get this off!)

Finally for the hair I chose to keep things up and out of the way.  I wanted a more casual accompaniment and a high pony works wonderfully. For a more classic, pulled together look so a high doughnut bun also seems fitting. With this neckline (as it loves to cause problems) hair is best kept up off the shoulders.  If down, I suggest swooping it behind the shoulder entirely or over in front of the shoulder with the strap.

So we've got texture from the velvet, texture on the glossy eye, rough chunks of stones on the ears, and 3D sparkle on the nails but I am missing the biggest component of the season.  FUR!

I bought this coat at Ragstock down the street from where I worked in Wicker Park.  It was down in the basement with a random assortment of some (i'll say it) "pretty hideous fur coats" and I didn't need it but what can you do when you find the most perfect rabbit fur coat for a 20 dollar bill??

So I hope you look fabulous tomorrow evening! If you are in Lawrence and need a place to have fun, meet me at the Taproom, we will bounce with the goombas into 2014--

THREE-FER FOR THE PRICE OF ONE POST

To make up for lost time, today's post in a three-fer and lucky for me not really about outfits so I didn't even really have to dress myself today...MISSION ACCOMPLISHED.

First off I have a bit of a beauty post, one I've been meaning to try out for months now and just finally attempted (with actual success, surprisingly)--

what is it, you ask?

THE TWO-TONE LIP has been pinned multiple times on my pinterest beauty board. Most tutorials say to use lip stains or the OCC lip tars.  I decided to dig in my treasure trove of lip products and see what would work.  I ended up using these:

Apparently I'm a Revlon rep, but their lip service is pretty on point.  For the top lip I used the ColorStay Ultimate Liquid Lipstick in Ultimate Orchid.  This stuff is really cool and I knew it would be perfect for this two-toned effect because it's very liquidy but dries quickly and stays put (just make sure you're lips are VERY moisturized before you put it on because it'll look crumbly in a hot second, if not). I opted for the Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain in Romantic for the bottom lip.  I have posted before about this series of balm stains and can't get enough--they're the only lipwear I want to wear during these brutal winter months because they are very moisturing but still allow you play with fun colors! I must say, however, for the two-toned lip you may want to stick with a more traditional stain so that it doesn't smudge as much as the balm stains.

OMG I LOVE IT (and hey, if it smudges a bit, you get an ombre effect so that's just a bonus in my book!)

As well, if you are wondering my polish on my nails is from American Apparel in the color Parakeet!

Let's move on the second part of this blog post...

THIS WINTER WEATHER...THIS CHICAGO WIND....IT IS NO JOKE.  As a Kansan my whole life I was like "shut up all you Chicagans (is that the correct identifier?) the weather is pretty much the same as Kansas."  But no, there is this nasty wind here that will eat your insides and rattle your fragile bones as you walk to and from your bus stop each morning and night.  So, against my redheaded stubborness I caved and became a big ol baby who needed some warmer winter wear. (Thankfully, winter apparel is "practical" so I didn't feel bad when I found these BEAUTIFUL items of warmth at H&M last week:

Nope, not a color balance issue...these bad boys are NAVY

There's something so fresh about the color navy this time of year and lately I've been into the idea of mixing things people have always told you not to mix--- like black and navy and even things like off-whites and whites. Although maybe not practical if you're in and out of places during your day, rings on the outside of your gloves (if they're pretty slim-fit gloves, such as these) looks like a million bucks.

These leather gloves are from H&M.  Also, be sure to get a pair that are a smidge tight on you because they're stretch out quite a bit after a little wear!

Thirdly, just a bit of a show and tell because I couldn't help myself:

This little beauty of a clutch magically appeared before me at the resale shop I work at last week, and you can bet your bottom dollar I put that on hold for myself the second I set eyes on it.  Normally, I'm a little hesitant to scream and shout to the world that "HEY GUYS, I'M A PHOTOGRAPHER" with camera related gadgets and apparel, what-have-you, but this is the exception....let me nerd out, okay.

In closing, I would like to thank my window for giving me the loveliest of light today and making my skin look wayyy less scaly than it actually is.  Let me know if you try out the two-toned lip and what colors or products you use, I will continue experimenting, too!

WINNING THE GAME W/O PLAYIN'

To begin let me make excuses as to why my posting has been prolonged:

a. I have no free time because I started rewatching 30 Rock on Netflix from the beginning
b. I don't wear anything but grey and black and white and I wear the same 3-5 outfits to work
c. I thought my camera lens was in need of repair but it was just reeeally dusty
d. I'm LAZY
e. all of the above

correct answer: E. ALL OF THE ABOVE, FOLKS

Moving onward and forward to the topic of today. Let's focus on a few important things going on in my life like how do I survive winter and not look like I'm just roaming around in clothes fit for hibernating? Another important factor to discuss today is "How to Be a Baller"/"How to Win the Game"

As you may recognize, I'm introducing a well seasoned player from previous blog posting experiences today- this sequin jersey.  I decided to not be stupid just wearing the tank top jersey and finally put some damn clothes on...since it's apparently December already. And to put more clothes on means that beautiful thing called layering.

 LAYERING IS REALLY HARD THOUGH, EVEN THOUGH THEY SAY IT'S EASY.

Am I right? My thought process stemmed from "okay, a turtleneck under this? no? *shudders*" to "i only have one cardigan and i wear it too much, people definitely notice"

GOD SAVE THE LONG SLEEVE BUTTON DOWN:

swish for the win

The button down dresses up the more casual qualities of a sportswear piece and add some complexity to a before now, pretty basic idea. 

Also on a side note I saw this photo (below) on the internet a few weeks ago and wanted to be as cool as her:

(she's so much better as being cool though, let's be honest)

To complete the look, I didn't want to overwhelm an already dazzling "star athlete" of a jersey so black jeans were the obvious choice.  Footwear, however, had to provide some stability and interest to the look.  And lucky for me and my lack of blogging lately I have, indeed, gained a new member in my closet: SOME HEFTY ASS TIMBERLANDS~

and I guess I'll end on that note.

xx your favorite goon, Alex