Icon of the Week: Karen O

are we all in agreement that karen o is amazing?

yes?

good.


my girl crush on her stems from years (i'd say at least 4, if you want a number) of being a total yeah yeah yeah's fangirl, but her sartorial choices are equally worthy of a liftetime of devotion. amidst a sea of unconventional clothes and bright, daring eye makeup, her signature bangs and red lips remind us that she is, as always, 100% karen.

get the look!!
necessities-

1. Red Lipstick
my personal favorite is M.A.C. Russian Red, however there are many other options out there. find the one that works best with your skin tone! i've found that reds with blue undertones work best with most skin tones.
and remember! when dealing with such vivid pigmentation, prep your lips with balm and lipliner before you apply.

2. Black Eyeliner
karen's eye makeup when not performing is usually something along the lines of kitten liner (think majorly toned-down amy winehouse).
have you ever tried to do kitten liner with a pencil? i did. it didn't work. unless you are much more talented than i (and if you are, do share your wisdom), black liquid eyeliner with a few coats of mascara works best. i like Lancome Artliner in Blackest Black


3. Sleek Hair
to go off on a meaningless personal anecdote, i had my hair just like hers up until about last year.
there, i'm done.
if you're like me and you're really bad at blow drying your own hair, the flatiron is your friend!! as is smoothening serum. i love Biosilk and John Frieda Frizz-Ease.

by keeping her hair and makeup fairly simple, karen's glorious fashion choices are given that much more visual impact. i hope you find as much inspiration in her as i do :)

School Things

High school may be the absolute peak of your suffering, but it's also a period of great freedom when it comes to hair and makeup. I mean, no one's going to turn you down for a job because your cat eyes and choppy layers are just too fierce! Save the professionalism for grown women. Now is your time to sparkle! (or glitter, or shimmer, or whatever other finish you like

NYX Glitter Cream Palette

i picked this up at Urban Outfitters the other day (for pretty cheap!) and wore the gold shade to a party. i really love the dark purple too! with primer and a corresponding shade of eyeshadow underneath, it adds a bold, girly pop of color to your evening makeup.

my eyelashes are naturally pretty thick, so i usually only wear falsies when they're colorful, like these. they're great for parties or fun evening events, where it'll probably be dark and you want to draw attention to your eyes. there's this tiny little discount beauty store i go to that has them in every color and style imaginable, but since you probably don't live where i do, you can buy almost any kind you like here.

Nars Pure Matte Lipstick in Carthage

excuse me while i state the obvious, but it's sooo PINK!! the color is just beautiful, and Nars always makes such quality makeup. i've found that when you're buying lipstick with such strong pigmentation, it's best to buy higher quality brands. it'll stay as strong as when you first applied it, and it's not as likely to bleed all over the place. hot pink looks great with a black cat eye and a few swipes of mascara for a subtle way to draw attention to your lips and your eyes without overpowering your face with too much color.

youth is a wonderful thing to embrace! have fun with it!!

life moves pretty fast. if you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.

Adventures in Cosmetics

my first revelation came in seventh grade when my mother bought me a compact and mascara at the drugstore.

real makeup!!!!!! :o

all of a sudden, i found myself in a brand new world where two hours of sleep could be erased by concealer and clever use of sparkly gold eyeshadow, where impossibly long lashes were indeed possible, and brick red was an acceptable color for one's lips! the possibilities were endless.

so if you find me to have an unhealthy addiction to beauty products, blame my mother.

of the many products i have tucked away in various drawers and makeup bags around my room and bathroom, i have found five that seem to get used up faster than the others. these are:

1. L'Oreal Colour Riche Le Gloss in Peach Fuzz

i've read some unflattering reviews about this product, but i honestly don't know what they're talking about. the texture is indescribable. it's like... vanilla scented cashmere you can smooth on your lips. pure heaven. plus, it has ingredients like Omega-3, vitamin E, and argan oil, which are incredibly good for your skin.

i picked this color because it seemed like a nice, wearable shade that was still energetic. it's very creamy, and not sticky at all. 

it's pretty much my go-to whenever i'm too lazy to apply lipstick.

2. Lancome Le Crayon Khol eyeliner in Black Coffee

despite the fact that i own at least 6 from 3 different brands, i can't stand eyeliner pencils. that being said, i am devoted to this one.

seriously, it's the only one i use. i'd throw out the others, but that would go against my hoarding tendencies when it comes to makeup.

it delivers intense pigment in one swipe and smudges beautifully, and it's great for applying on your waterline, which i do a lot. i tried it in black once, but i like the dark brown better. it's not so severe.

3. Neutrogena Ageless Intensives Tone Correcting Tinted Moisturizer

i am a teenage girl. teenage girls do not have problems with wrinkles. therefore, teenage girls do not have to use anti-aging products, right?

whatever.
i rarely use liquid foundation. oh, i own it. i even use it once in a while. mostly for evening looks. i just can't find one that looks natural. this lovely little bottle strikes an excellent balance between cake-y foundation skin and my natural skin (which is, while not hideous, a bit on the oily side).
it gives my skin a nice dewy finish when i wear it alone, and adds some depth and glow when i wear it under compact.

4. Clinique Almost Powder Makeup SPF 15 in Light

i actually don't own this one anymore...
i've gone through a ton of drugstore brand powders, but none of them have been the same. it has great coverage and a nice matte finish, but unlike most matte powders, it doesn't dry out your skin.
most importantly, it doesn't make me break out! unlike others that i've tried *cough cough maybelline cough*
maybe i can convince my mother to take me to the clinique counter this weekend...


lastly,

5. M.A.C. Matte Lipstick in Russian Red

presenting! the most intense cosmetic product i have EVER owned!
i squealed (just a little) when i bought this one, causing the saleslady to look at me funny.
it's like ruby woo, but creamier (necessary, when your lips dry out as fast as mine). the blue-red goes great with all kinds of skin tones.
when applied correctly, it looks stunning, even with my 50 cent lipliner pencils.


so there you have it, my essentials.

i'd close with something cheesy, like "beauty is only skin deep", but i'm sure you've heard that before, so

"I want to be a guy, but I want to wear a lot of makeup."
-Gwen Stefani