turquoise + stripes

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Striped dress from American Apparel, sash from American Apparel, TOMS suede wedges, Skagen watch, Pearl Paradise studs, Solange Azagury-Partridge ring, eBay faux pearl bracelet, eBay fox ring (do we not love this ring? We love this ring). On the lips: Rimmel Apocalips in Big Bang. On the nails:  Sally Hansen Jaded.

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It’s incredible how lopsided my lips and nostrils are. Even more incredible that I only notice in photos/video. Actually the entire right side of my face seems to have a slightly larger version of everything. This is standard, I know, nearly everyone has asymmetrical elements in their face and body. It is even a little disturbing when someone doesn’t, or when all of the asymmetry has been photoshopped away. Still. It looks so strange, this unmirrored version of myself. I don’t look like that.

Only of course, I do look like that. That is what I really look like. And to others I would look strange in a mirror, or possibly they wouldn’t notice either way.

I understand that I can fiddle with the lipstick to balance my lips out, but I honestly can’t even see it in the mirror, my face looks so familiar and normal to me. I keep trying to remember which side is which, which side is more rounded and which more flat on my top lip, but looking in the mirror I guess wrong about half the time. I suppose this is also a testament to my poor memory.

Start taking a bunch of pictures of yourself and you learn about all of these strange things you do with your face.

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Here, for example, is this thing I do with my mouth evidently all of the time. I am forever making this kind of dubious face. And often lifting my already lopsided lip into a kind of sneerface. Not ideal, face. Not ideal.

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[Side view. Sneerface omitted.]

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And finally you see why I like this dress.

x

gold & taupe

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Gold and taupe are so good together. Take, for instance, China Glaze polish in Fast Track.

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[Observe my semi-competent nail painting, which is all about advanced clean-up, it turns out. The China Glaze is layered over Revlon’s Elegant, which is nearly the same shade only without gold flecks.]

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A comparable combination was, I thought, Urban Decay’s 24/7 liner in Baked and Rimmel’s Scandaleyes pencil in Taupe. On the lips, Rimmel’s Spotlight Beige lipstick. The pearl studs are from Pearl Paradise, the pearl and jade ring is an antique, the other a class ring. The shirt is from the Gap (thrifted).

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Taupe is a kind of unusual eyeliner choice but I like these muted, tawny shades so much. The taupe on me hovers on the verge of lilac and the cool tone is entirely distinct from something like a light, warm brown, though I would put that in the same easy, wearable category. The effect is definite yet understated, at once casual and polished.

These are combinations I appreciate.