the tuxedo blazer

IMG_2096

One of the trends I like is that of the casual tuxedo blazer, especially with worn-in boyfriend jeans.

IMG_2093

IMG_2129

You know how there’s this kind of transition area between the lips and the not-lips, maybe 1-2mm? I was experimenting with coloring that area in (I usually don’t), to maximize the lip territory. It had a pretty dramatic effect to me, a little weird (unfamiliar) but not technically overdrawn (which nearly always looks off), just… bigger. This reminds me of my thoughts about pearl stud sizes, and how 1mm can make such a difference in the appearance of the size. Faces aren’t very big, was the conclusion; small changes have an amplified effect.

I went to the grocery store after this and an 8 year-old boy actually craned his head as far as it would go to watch my lips walk by, his mouth slack with distraction. This speaks to makeup being both arresting and slightly scary. I get a lot of positive feedback from this 8 and under demographic – the younger the child, the more bright lipstick seems to delight them. I’m right there with you, kids. What will those wacky giants do next? I don’t know either!

IMG_2142

Wool tuxedo blazer from Isabel Marant for H&M, AG jeans (thrifted), J. Crew cardigan, Old Navy camisole, Adidas Spezial sneakers, Pearl Paradise golden akoya studs, scarab necklace. On the lips: Revlon matte lipstick in Really Red (I’m sure I’ve mentioned before how much I like these Revlon matte lipsticks) with a dark red Avon pencil…Cabaret or something? And this is the NARS Exhibit A blush again, which I like as much as ever. I find it quite youthful, not a sophisticated tawny shade but a true blood-in-the-cheeks, fresh-from-the-cold shade.

IMG_2145

AND: Hurrah for daylight savings.

x

 

lipstick: keeping things organized

top row: Maybelline, NYCbottom row: NARS, Lancôme, Shu Uemura, MAC, Lancôme
top row: Maybelline, NYC
bottom row: NARS, Lancôme, Shu Uemura, MAC, Lancôme
Rimmel, Revlon, Origins, Korres, Clarins, Victoria's Secret...
Rimmel, Revlon, Origins, Korres, Clarins, Victoria’s Secret…

I’d been sticking all of my lipstick in this drawer from a stackable set I got at Target (in a manner not quite but something close to higgledy-piggledy) but at a certain point it was more than a drawer is inherently designed to handle.

One night I got out the scissors and came up with this setup. It’s not the sleekest thing, using chopped up cardboard, but it was free (I am totally cheap about certain things), and it is effective.

Can you tell that I really like the Kate Moss Rimmel collections and the Revlon matte lipsticks? Ditto the Wet 'n Wild semi-mattes.
Can you tell that I really like the Kate Moss Rimmel collections and the Revlon matte lipsticks? Ditto the Wet ‘n Wild semi-mattes.

I’m pretty pleased.

I’ve seen instances of people standing everything up and being able to get at the individual bullets that way, but the drawers would have to be just the right height to avoid wasted space, and it sounds kind of troublesome to keep everything in a grid, not everything is the same height/size, etc. You can get those quite nice looking acrylic grids, but those cost the money.

I briefly considered organizing by color but that’s not how it works in my mind, so I went roughly by brand/price point and consistency. Is this quite dull? I can never tell with this kind of thing. I never tire of seeing how people organize stuff.