narcissism at its best

"beauty is observing the change in colors throughout the seasons." - gucci westman

my mind has always been affixed to beauty. it's a component of fashion, the icing on the cake. take a moment to ponder: would John Galliano's shows still be as eye-catching as they are now, if the models weren't sporting theatrical hairstyles or exaggerated makeup on the runway? and what's a color aficionado, i.e. Jeffree Star, to do without her (or his) shocking pink blush?

jeffree star, myspace pin-up queen and manic panic advocate

people of past generations famously argue that beauty is to be admired, to be taken in and cherished, before it's gone. but even so, with all my fascination surrounding the subject, you'd think i'd actually take their advice. let me fill you in on this: i have trouble remembering advice when i need it the most. i say i live the moment, embracing what is around me, but in actuality i'm busy repeating thoughts to myself, self-conscious, yet subconsciously acting as the anti-narcissist (or does that make me a narcissist?).

maybe i'll take another look around.

meanwhile, look at this and try not to drool.

it leans on me like a rootless tree

counting, counting, counting ... there's been a lot of that lately. counting down the days left until summer, the amount of money that i owe to my friends -- thankfully just a couple bucks, the number of times that i've gone to the beach this past week, the pairs of sandals that i could wear in the summer heat. the days since i last spoke to him, who i probably let down. the things that i could have done different. the number of people who are slowly coming in to my life, and yet quickly walking out. i thought april showers were supposed to bring may flowers? the tulips in my mom's garden have hardly started to bloom.

prom night was alright, i wouldn't say it was as memorable as it could have been, since the dance itself could have been way better, but my friends and i were definitely some of the best dressed people there (hey i can be conceited, right?). i'd feel really weird showing off pictures of my friends here when they don't even know i have a blog, so i won't post any (until i change my mind, at least). i'll tell you this though: our party bus -- not limo, but party bus -- was pretty fuckin' sweet.

the chaffeur took out the pole though.

and after some consideration and taking in your input on whether i should go dramatic or simple-and-sweet in regards to my makeup for prom, i was torn between the two, so i went with a look that was very similar to amber heard's, sans the red lipstick, which i replaced with a peachy nude lip gloss. i had to compromise somehow.

photo credit: glitterdarkstar.deviantart.com

shadowplay

so i've got the dress (by a.b.s.), the shoes (from bakers), the date (who's really cute), the dinner and afterparty plans, and whatever else there is all down. there are two things missing there, though: my hair and my makeup (for which i've hunted down countless photos of people with similar looks as me, namely the long, wavy dark hair and tan skin, i.e. vanessa hudgens and miranda kerr ... because i'm a dork) and i'm torn between wearing my hair straight or wavy, and my makeup neutral or dramatic. i know it's stupid, and prom is still like 3 and a half weeks away so i have plenty of time to decide, but i'm one of those people who like to know every single detail (perfectionist much?). 

i need a second opinion, care to help?

makeup: pick a number

hair: pick one (sorry i forgot to number them, oh well)

photos: bluefly, style, bakers, vanessa hudgens fansite, miranda kerr fansite, asos

a cloudy saturday afternoon

spring's off to a decent start, its been a bit rainy lately (bad) but i haven't had to wear a jacket or a hoodie in a while (good). it's not at all humid and the breeze doesn't flow too soft or too hard. the weather's near perfect right now. and i've had a good week. i went to target to see if they had any of the jovovich-hawk peasant tops in stock, which they didn't except for one in a size L, but i still bought a pair of blue acid-wash drainpipes that only cost $20. acid-wash jeans are that kind of thing that are a hit or a miss ... in this case, they're a hit, and they're comfy, too. then my mom and i decided to cruise on over to a discount store and i scored this too faced make-up palette for like, $7. i also got my driver's license =D but nope, no car yet.

and i love how the transition between winter and spring brings warm days with cool winds, and i can drink hot tea and eat an ice cold mint chocolate chip sundae in like the same hour, without feeling like its too cold or too warm for either of them.

i've also watched Hollywoodland, the Black Dahlia, and Atonement (after reading the book ... it was depressing, i even cried a little, and i don't ever cry over books) and i realized how much i love the glamour of the '40s, the red lips and the winged liner and the deeply parted hair, and i understand Gwen Stefani's obsession with that era. you know, a lot of celebrities are following suit, i.e. Christina, Scarlett, etc. but still, Gwen does it best. looks like some designers are with me (and said celebrities):

betsey johnson, christian lacroix - both fall '08

ideas for prom. sweet.

currently...

craving: a green tea frappuccino. i haven't had one in months. i'm in withdrawal. seriously.

admiring: spring beauty. light pinks and corals replace the deep red lip colors of fall, yet the winehouse-esque winged liner is still lingering; but overall, a neutral palette with natural, tousled, i-just-rolled-out-of-bed hair looks best.

wanting: clear, plastic sunglasses. the PVC/plastic/lucite trend's seen an array of accessories, from bangles to bags to shoes, but never sunglasses! while all those other clear accessories were just mere fads of the season (which is, thankfully, over), sunglasses with translucent frames have the potential to be actual timeless, classic closet staples. and they don't look tacky. tom ford is at the top of my list, so far.

photos: style, neiman marcus

seeing red

what's black, white, and red all over?

answer: who cares.

brunettes are finally having their moment (LOVE IT!) and pretty soon, we might be seeing a lot more redheads, too. again, love it.

alison sudol (a fine frenzy), lydia hearst, ashlee, olga sherer

speaking of red, i'm obsessed with ashlee simpson's wayfarers. ever since last week when i saw my friend wearing blue ones, i've been looking all over for a pair of my own. no, i lied ... ever since exactly two years ago when i saw a picture of nicole richie wearing oversize red shades, i've been lusting after them. i wonder how often she goes sunglasses shopping, she probably has like 200 pairs (and i want every single one of them!)

non-makeup

i love the natural look. that's one reason why i love spring and summer; looking like you just came from the beach is the norm. and really, no ones like when you spend 3 hours in front the mirror -- i mean, i don't.

calvin klein, stella mccartney, marc by marc jacobs

materials: a nice glow (Jergens Natural Glow moisturizer works really good), a little bronzer (M.A.C. and Estee Lauder are my favorites), maybe some rose-colored cream blush (like M.A.C. Blushcreme in Lilicent), and waterproof mascara (i sometimes use Maybelline Lash Discovery in brown, but trust me, there are better ones out there). or you could just say fuck it and slick on some lip balm.