NARS Strawberry Fields

Hope everyone had a great weekend! :) Monday's already winding down for me, thank goodness! It's always so hard for me to get back to the daily grind after a nice weekend. But that's life!

Today marks the beginning of my transition into fall fashion and make-up. Summer is quickly fading, and as the weather gets cooler, my lip color choices get darker. It's about this time of year when I start to dream of sleek pea coats, warm scarves, and knee-high boots. Though I still love summer, now that I'm older I realize I actually like fall and winter a teensy bit more. Blasphemy, I know! But really, I love to bundle up in different layers and experiment with red lipsticks more than stripping down to a bikini and trying not to blind people with my ghastly white legs in shorts. :P I am definitely more suited for colder weather, as I CANNOT stand temperatures above 80 degrees or humid climates. Plus, there's the holiday season, heartier foods to make (chili and beef stew anyone??), snowboarding to look forward to (yay!!!), I can go on and on...!


ANYWAY, seasonal tangents aside, today I have for you the first of my fall make-up acquisitions. NARS lip gloss in Strawberry Fields, which sounds like summer but is reminiscent of autumn's rich colors.


Described as a "bright strawberry pink" and packaged in the brand's signature black and white, this is supposedly a limited edition item that came out this summer. Now, I love NARS lip glosses, but I definitely don't buy them for their bold colors. Compared to many other brands, NARS' glosses are generally sheer. However, what they lack in pigmentation, they make up for in the formula and staying power. These babies are definitely in the higher end of the lip gloss spectrum, both in price ($24 each) and quality. They go on easily without drying out your lips. And as a plus, the tube itself is sophisticated-looking. ;) I always love seeing a NARS lip gloss when I look into my purse.


Strawberry Fields strays from the NARS norm because it is quite possibly the most pigmented lip gloss that I have in my collection. It's definitely the most pigmented gloss that NARS has come out with so far.


I think it's my favorite NARS! Its typical doe foot applicator makes it a cinch to apply, and you definitely don't need very much for your lips to stand out. This color is bold, but there's nothing garish about it. In fact, I would consider it a very grown up shade to wear. Definitely different from a red lipstick, but just as pretty. Also, I wouldn't consider this a "pink"; it's definitely more of a berry.


Swatch on my arm. Look how opaque the color is!


Even when the color fades away, there's still a faint stain that stays on your lips for the rest of the day. Or if you want the look of a stain without the shine, slick on a bit of this lip gloss and blot off most of the excess with a tissue. Instant stain without having to buy another product!


The color's so rich and vibrant. It's right up my alley :)


If you're looking for a gorgeous berry shade this fall, go get NARS Strawberry Fields! Even if you're skeptical of bright colors like this, you should still try it out. I think this shade would be nice on a variety of skin tones, and it's much easier to pull off than diving into bright lip colors with red.

I hope NARS keeps this in their permanent collection! It's too good to be just limited edition!


'Til later! <3

Brown Smokey Eyes

Here's a look I did for a night out with my girls. I made my eyes the main focus and kept the rest of the face pretty bare, with a light gloss and some bronzer/highlighter. I'm not a very experimental person when it comes to my eyeshadow (instead, I venture outside of my comfort zone with lip and blush color); I tend to stick with browns and greys, but hopefully that will change the more I blog! For now, here's a little something something ;)

I started by moisturizing my face with Philosophy Hope in a Jar (my new favorite!), priming with Make Up For Ever HD Primer, and concealing small spots with Laura Mercier Undercover Pot number 2

Although I love this MUFE lavendar primer, I find that it works best with my skin in the winter, when I'm a little paler so my face matches the rest of my body. However, there's no denying that it does its job of brightening my skin!

Used my favorite powder foundation, Laura Mercier Mineral Powder SPF 15 in Real Sand, then set everything with Guerlain Meteorites in Mythic 01

Prime eyes with Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion, then put on Paul and Joe Eye Gloss in 05 on the eyelid, just up to the crease, then blend well

I used Dior 2-Colour Eyeshadow in 565 Nude Look this time. It includes a matte reddish-brown and a beige golden shimmer

Put on eyeshadow just up to the crease, then blend blend blend, concentrating on the outer corners. Keep repeating and building up color until it's the shade that you desire

Tightline and line eyes with MUFE Aqua Eyes liner in 0L

Using black liquid liner, draw a slightly winged line, flicking it up gently at the end. Not going for a cat eye here, just very subtle slant

This is what it looked like for me. You could continue adding more of the matte brown shadow if you want to go darker. I also used the shimmery shade on the inner corner of my eye and also on the browbone

Time for falsies! I used Revlon Fantasy Lengths in 91002 Intensifying. Cut to fit your eye length, then follow the directions included in the box to put them on :)

I'm actually a newbie at the whole false lash thing, so it took me a while to get this part right :x

Curl lashes to make your real lashes blend in with the falsies, apply a layer of mascara (I used Diorshow Iconic Extreme Waterproof), then darkened my brows with Bare Escentuals brow powder in Brunette. I also lined my bottom lash line with brown pencil, used the brown shadow to smoke it out, and used the shimmery shade to line the inner bottom lash line and dabbed some on the inner corner of my eye (not pictured here)

Contoured with Dior bronzer in 001 Healthy Tan, highlighted with Mac Mineralized Skin Finish in Soft and Gentle, and made my lips shiny with NARS lipgloss in Orgasm

Ta-da! (again :P)

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Now, for the outfit!

Sequined top from H&M

Belt from....I don't remember where

Studded leather cuff and leggings from Forever 21 (LOVE that cuff!)

Heels from BCBG

Full outfit in front of my parents' (kinda dirty) mirror again. Mostly black with a pop of white and plenty of gold, haha

That's it! :)

NARS Lipstick in Fast Ride

While I love summer and its fun, endless opportunities, my favorite season is actually winter. With the fall already here, winter is just around the corner. I love autumn and winter because of the prospect of a new school year and the holidays. I also love autumn and winter make up and fashion much more than the floral, less-is-more mentality of spring and summer. This time of year is all about the mixture of classiness/edginess with plenty of pea coats and motorcycle jackets, scarves and gloves, plaid and black rocker chic, to name a few . These things pair perfectly with darker, more dramatic looks, which I tend to be drawn to.

And so I present to you my first transition into this season, with a NARS lipstick in Fast Ride from their newest collection. This is described as a sheer mulberry, and sheer it is! Although it looks kinda scary in the tube, one swatch on my hand was enough to confirm that this is actually a very wearable, buildable color. I had to really layer it on to get the desired, dark lip look that I was going for. This lipstick is foolproof! One swipe will give you a pretty natural, stained lip sort of look, while a few more layers will make the color more prominent (but still not as dark as the tube would have you believe)

The close ups are not that great, since the smooth surface of the lipstick has been broken thanks to my constant swatching :x

Here are some pictures of me wearing it. Again, not the best quality since these were taken after a long day of work, at night, without natural lighting.

No flash

With flash. I like how it pairs up nicely with my nail polish! haha :) Very classy (although I plan to wear this with more edgy clothing)

If you're looking for a versatile lipstick for this season, NARS Fast Ride may be it!