Prom/Formal Hair and Makeup

 

The prom season is upon us! My favorite little prom test subject has graduated but this year she happened to have a formal banquet the same night as prom so we got her very glammed up.

This look could work for a variety of different events, she even made the hairstyle last until the next day for 2 bridal showers she had to attend. It's classy and fun and most importantly, very easy to do.

I started with her hair. I took a 1 inch curling wand and curled her entire head. After I removed each curl from the wand I kept it wrapped and bobby pinned it to her head for it to cool. Once her whole head was in pins we started on the makeup.

We didn't want anything to dramatic or "sexy", her event was at a religious school and "modesty" was requested. This girl has lashes for days and we thought we'd do a lighter smoky eye and focus on those lashes. I used:

• Estee Lauder matte primer
• CoverGirl 3in1 Foundation
• Maybelline Fit Me Concealer (great dupe for the NARS creamy concealer)
• Rimmel Stay Matte powder on T zone
• NYC Sunny Bronzer
• Tarte Amazonian Clay blush in Exposed
• BECCA highlighter in Moonstone 
• NYX Eyebrow pencil in Taupe
• MAC paint pot in Bare Study
• Urban Decay Naked and Naked 2 palettes on eyes
• Urban Decay Perversion mascara on top lashes
• CoverGirl Clump Crusher mascara on bottom lashes
• L'Oreal Pencil Perfect eyeliner in Carbon Black (not great for a precise line, but great for smoking out)
• NYX lip liner in Nude
• Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain in Precious
• Urban Decay setting spray

Then we moved onto the hair. I took all the pins out and was left with a stunning head of perfect curls. I finger brushed most of the curls loose and used Beyond the Zone texturizing powder at her roots for volume. Girl loves big hair and I was happy to oblige her :)

I then used a teasing brush for extra volume at the crown. I pulled all of her hair to one side, leaving a small section out which I fishtail braided. I worked that over to the side and began pinning sections of curls. I basically just pinned each curl to her head about half way down the length so that she had some volume but it still looked loose and "sexy messy". I finished it with John Frieda Luxurious Volume hairspray. It's very fine but SUPER STRONG HOLD without getting crispy. Kept her hair in place for 2 days but still looked soft. She has a ton of hair so this ended up being a gorgeous style on her.

Obsessions

Been a while...

No real reviews here, just a little list of a few of my latest obsessions. Like a true Scorpio, when I get into something I tend to immerse myself in it, learn everything about it and repeat it until I can't stand it anymore and these are no exceptions.

Estee Lauder Double Wear foundation. It lives up to the hype, gives flawless coverage and does not freak my skin out. Pretty much see this as a one and only in the rotation for the foreseeable future.

Tarte Amazonian Clay blush in Exposed. Flat out perfection. It's incredibly flattering, not glittery, just creates a glowy, gorgeous, natural looking flush that is flirty and sexy.

Benefit "They're Real" mascara. Holy balls. I can apply as much of this as I want without it getting clumpy and it amplifies my lashes to the nines.

Bite Beauty High Pigment lip pencils...Pomegranate is the all time perfect red for my skin tone and UGH. Just sex red. That attention commanding, makes you feel awesome when you're in it red that we are all after. It feels good on, has enough matte to it to stay put for a long time. Can't be without.

The 1975...in any form, really. I can't stop listening to them, watching interviews with Matty on YouTube or reading articles on them. So intriguing. In the depths of a massive band crush here, I need to ingest everything they do lately. Their sound is completely new, but also has enough nuances of familiarity from songs I grew up on that they are at once insanely addictive and fascinating. I can find hints of Fleetwood Mac, Peter Gabriel, Bon Iver, 90's R&B, just really good music in their songs. I love how unafraid they are to create songs they love without feeling the need to box themselves into one genre and define themselves as such. They don't really fit into a genre, they are just The 1975 and that's all you need really. Matty Healy definitely has that "it" factor, he's full to the brim of charisma and might just be the very definition of the word. You can't not listen to him or watch him, he just commands your attention and has a lot to say. If you really want to invest, watch Matty do a couple of longer interviews. This kid has words for days, really well thought out and articulate ones. I am a little older than these boys (about 9 years to be accurate) but I can still identify with what they are saying and bond with their songs. Those themes are timeless, who doesn't love a bit of romanticized teenage boredom and sex? Especially when it comes packaged in incredibly "listenable" and addictive music. We can all relate to that, forever. They don't sound how they look if that makes sense, so don't judge this book by it's cover. I recommend listening to at least 5 of their songs before you decide how you feel about them, each one can be so different. My faves are Undo, Me, Head.Cars.Bending, Pressure and So Far (It's Alright). Happy listening!

the1975.com

100th Post!! My Dream Makeup Kit

It's my 100th post here on Lovely Dalliances. YAY!

I thought it would be fitting to do a fun post. I love a lot of things, but if I had to pick only one kind of each item, these are the ones I would absolutely HAVE to have. Holy Grail, money is no obstacle kind of "Dream Makeup Kit".

1. Foundation- Make Up For Ever Mat Velvet +

 

 

 

2. Concealer for blemishes- MAC Studio Finish Concealer

 

 

 

3. Concealer for under eyes- Maybelline Dream Lumi

 

 

4. Powder- MAC Mineralize Skin Finish Natural

 

 

 

5. Bronzer- NARS Laguna

 

 

 

6. Blush- Tarte Amazonian Clay Blush in Glisten

7. Highlighter- Too Faced Candlelight 

 

 

 

8. Eye Primer- MAC Paint Pot in Bare Study

 

 

9. Eyeshadow- Urban Decay Naked Palette

10. Eyeliner- Lancome Art Liner

 

 

 

11. Mascara- Lancome Hypnose (original version)

 

 

 

12. Lipgloss- BareMinerals in Cupcake

 

 

 

13. Lipstick- Tarte Glamazon in Inspired

 

 

 

14. Brow- Anastasia Brow Wiz in Medium Ash

 

 

 

15. Brush Kit- Real Techniques (every single brush!)

 

 What's in your dream makeup kit?

Holiday Wish Lists and Gift Ideas



It's that time of year for birthday and holiday wish lists. I've been perusing my favorite makeup and girlie goody websites for this season's gift sets and found a couple of things I wanted to pass along. They would make great gifts for your best girlfriends, nice presents from the man in your life or just awesome things to treat yourself to after a long hot day of shopping for everyone else at the mall!

Happy Shopping!

1. Sephora by O.P.I. Tinsel Town collectors set. This includes 16 mini nail colors plus a full-size jewel top coat. These products are worth over $90, but this is available at Sephora for $49.50.



2. Benefit "Upgrade to Gorgeous" set. This 5 peice set contains a High Beam, Porefessional, They're Real! Mascara, Sugarbomb blush and a Laugh With Me LeeLee roller ball perfume. It also comes ready to gift in a cute floral suitcase. These products are worth over $85, but this is available at Sephora for $34.




 

 



3. Too Faced "Love Sweet Love" set. As always, Too Faced does some of the best themes and packaging with their holiday sets. This is adorable and fairytale themed. It comes with Shadow Insurance, Primed and Poreless, Perfect Eyes eyeliner, LashGASM Mascara, Face Brush, 6 eyeshadows, 2 blushes, 2 lipglosses and a travel bag. These products are worth $163, but this is available at Sephora for $46. 

4. Tarte "Carried Away" collectors set. This is probably one of my favorites just for the sheer amount of products you get. This includes an Amazonian Clay blush, Amazonian Clay finishing powder, 8 Maracuja lip glosses, Lights, Camera, Lashes! Mascara, Face Brush, 24 (yes...24) Amazonian Clay eyeshadows and a cute bag! These products are worth over $512 (!!!!), but this is available at Sephora for $54.

 



5. Sephora "Glitz and Glam" Party Sampler. This is a great way to try products from several different brands in an affordable way. This sampler includes Stila Duo Shimmer Powder,  Laura Mercier Baked Eye Color, bareMinerals Eyecolor in Good Fortune, SEPHORA by OPI Nail Colour,

Josie Maran GOGO Instant Natural Volume Argan Mascara, Nars Body Glow, Lorac 3D Liquid Lustre Gold, Bare Escentuals Marvelous Moxie Lipgloss, Stila Smudge Stick Waterproof Eye Liner. Products are worth over $133, but this is available at Sephora for $45.

 

all makeup kit photo's are courtesy of sephora.com

That's it as far as makeup is concerned, but I did manage to find a few other things I thought would be great things to put on your wish list or ideas for that hard to buy girl in your life!

 

6. Nordstrom's Make + Model Pattern Thermal Pajamas. Who doesn't like getting fresh new jammies? These ones from Nordstroms are SO CUTE. I love that they don't look like frumpy dump jammies but still look so soft and cozy. They come in 4 different patterns and are available at Nordstrom's for $48.

 

photo courtesy of nordstroms.com



 

7. Lush "Rosie" gift set: I think Rose is one of those classic scents that almost everyone likes if it's done correctly. Lush does Rose well. It's not grandma scented Rose, it's a true Rose scent. Floral, feminine and sweet. This cute set from Lush contains Rose Jam Bubbleroon, Rose Queen Bath Bomb, Amandopondo bubble bar and Ro’s Argan Body Conditioner. This is available from Lush for $29.95.

 

photo courtesy of lushusa.com

 

 8. Lemon Kissed 3 Month Jewelry Club Subscription. This girl makes some of the most awesome jewelry I've ever seen and she's fantastic. Her prices are affordable, the jewelry is amazing and I think this subscription is the cutest idea. Each month, for 3 months your friend (or you!) will recieve 1 jewelery item (of the seller's choice) sent directly to you. One suprise ring, one suprise pair of post earrings and one suprise pair of dangle earrings. For only $38. With FREE SHIPPING!! Visit www.lemonkissed.com to see all of her pretties!

 

photo courtesy of lemonkissed.com

 

9. J.Crew Wool Angora "Glittens". Anyone with an IPhone knows how important a good pair of glittens are. You need your finger tips!!!! Kind of hard to do in freezing weather. Glittens keep your hands warm and your fingertips available for your phone use. I am always on the hunt for a cute pair of these babies and these Wool Angora ones from J.Crew are fab. Not only are they practical and soft but they have a longer wrist to keep them from creeping out from under your coat. What a thoughtful little luxe gift! These come in 5 different colors and retail for $29.50.

 

photo courtesy of jcrew.com

 

10. Cherry Blossom Stationary Set. This SUPER CUTE stationary set from Papyrus comes packaged in a beautiful matching wooden box. It comes with 20 notecards and 20 matching envelopes. Who doesn't like stationary!? It's one of those things that's so lovely to have but no one ever buys for themselves. This cute gift is available in 6 different patterns, but the Cherry Blossom was my favorite. It's available for $32 from papyrus.com.

 

 

photos courtesy of papyrus.com



**I am not affiliated with any companies mentioned and was not paid for any mention of any company listed. Purely my own opinions.**