'Tis the season for color! I know what you're thinking: "When is it not the season for color for you?" And you're right, I'll take color any day, any season, any time! And when you're feeling grey, even if all you're wearing is grey, you could just swipe some blue eyeliner on, and voila! You're colorful. But seriously, there's a lot to be said about remaining colorful during the New York City winter. Shit gets tough. The caribbean girl in me will never get used to it. I should also admit that I do not dress very colorfully everyday. My favorite office uniform lately has been throwing on my husband's grey sweats and denim shirt. But I still find a way to dress them up with colorful tassel earrings or printed loafers, and if I'm feeling sassy, I go for a bold lip or fun eyeliner.
I've been loving blue eyeliner a lot lately. Perhaps a little too much. I'm not big on eyeshadow, and I like to spend as little time on my makeup as possible. I find that blue eyeliner adds a little spice to an everyday look. The color stands out beautifully on brown skin, and it makes any basic makeup interesting. I enjoy pairing cobalt blue eye liner with purple or red lipsticks, but I'm sure it would also be a fantastic complement to a nice nude, soft pink or bright orange lip. Let's just say blue is the new black for me!
M.A.C recently collaborated with Diane Kendal, a British-born makeup artist who is a product consultant with Mark Jacobs Beauty and Calvin Klein Cosmetics. I had no idea who she was until I went to the 125th Street store for an eyebrow pencil, and the colorful crayons called out to me. I picked up the Flourish Me Bold and Flourish Me Vibrant from the collection, and I just love how smooth the pencils run. To create a cat-eye look, I recommend using a slanted brush for more precision.
When I went on the hunt for a new facial serum at Sephora, the Make Up For Ever lip paints in the colors 500 and 501 and Laura Mercier's face illuminator in the shade Seduction were quickly added to my basket. The formula for the lip paints is moisturizing without compromising color and pigmentation. I also love the applicator - it makes the product runs smoothly without wasting it. The face illuminator makes me feel like I glow and bring light wherever I go. I know it sounds dramatic, but just a slight brush of it on my cheeks make me feel a lot better about this damn winter.
I also picked up Bobbi Brown's Skin Foundation Stick in Warm Walnut recently, and I've been using it a lot more frequently than I expected. It was definitely an impulse purchase. I've never used a foundation stick before. I'm definitely a liquid foundation gal. I find the stick more compact, and for some, it may be easier to apply than liquid. It's packaged similarly to a tube of lipstick, where you twist the product and apply a few strokes. The foundation stick is more full coverage than I'm used to, so I'll say that a little goes a long way. It also seems to color correct my dark spots effortlessly.
PS, HOW FUN ARE THESE FREAKIN' SHOP BANDO STICKERS?!
A couple of months ago, I collaborated with Refinery29 on a series of #shortcuts videos. Despite the brutal December snow storm, the whole day was just warm and magical! The entire crew consisted of bad-ass women. Being in the studio as a talent inspired me beyond anything I could imagine. I loved that they considered my ideas while I had the full benefits of a "talent". The studio was a fun, open atmosphere where we created a few fun looks that involved glitter, color, nude lipsticks, and of course headwraps. When I posted the nude lippy video (posted below) on my page, many of you reached out to ask me which lipsticks I used. I also noticed the same feedback on the Refinery page, which of course prompted this post!