The Girl With The Purple Pen

Lipstick and Revelations

The best Sephora I’ve ever shopped at was in Nice, France.

Nearing the end of our senior class trip to Europe last spring, my friend Gina and I headed straight toward Avenue Jean Médecin during one of the rare breaks in our jam-packed schedule. Located in the heart of Nice, The Avenue, as it is known by residents, houses the main shops of the city. I was Holly Golightly, staring longingly into the windows of outlets to the likes of Hermès. Down the line we found ourselves in front of Sephora, and well, we just couldn’t resist.

I felt like a child walking into a candy store. I know that’s an awful cliché, but with all the different products, brands and colors, Sephora really is a divine, tempting store to me and FIT-student Gina. We were playing amongst the makeup until we came across the Dior Addict lipstick collection. Brand new at the time, it was advertised on Kate Moss’s perfect pout. Typically I don’t spend too much on makeup; I love it, but with my limited budget, I tend to splurge on clothes and accessories. But I was drawn to Riviera, a gorgeous coral fit for every occasion. Gina and I each walked away with the $30 tube.

As silly as it might sound, I felt powerful and glamorous purchasing the new Dior shade. Yet for some reason I couldn’t bring myself to take it out of its shiny black case.

Fast forward a year to this past Saturday. As I was getting ready to go to a Gainesville Fashion Week event downtown, my friend Jenny assured me that my all black outfit (read more on my blog post) looked chic and Carrie Bradshaw-esque, but it was missing something, even after accessorizing with a chunky citrine necklace. I froze when she suggested I swipe on my prized Dior lipstick. It was just lipstick; what was the big deal?

This made me look at the bigger picture. To me, the lipstick represented the life I always dreamed of. A wonderful, exciting life in the fashion industry where I could express myself artistically with writing in addition to clothes and makeup. To do this, you have to be bold and take risks.

It was time to be honest with myself: I was scared. I was afraid to continue with this blog for fear that it wasn’t relevant or interesting. I was afraid of participating in class for fear of looking stupid. I was afraid to run outside for fear that it would hurt too much. And I became afraid of speaking to new people, especially guys, for fear of rejection.

I don’t know where this crummy attitude came from! It’s just not me. I must have realized this subconsciously because I had already begun making adjustments. Last week I largely contributed to my group discussions. I started running outside a few mornings a week and finished 5k Saturday afternoon. I mingled with other interns throughout the entire Gainesville Fashion Week event and even got up the nerve to invite the attractive bartender to our modeling casting call. And clearly I’ve come back to the blog, deciding that I need to find my voice again. Get excited for pretty spring posts!

If you have big plans, you need to act big. There’s no reason to hide behind the scenes.

As I smoothly applied the Dior lipstick yesterday afternoon, something clicked. I’ll be the first to admit that this connection is strange. How does lipstick make one realize that they’ve been shriveling up? I haven’t a clue, but I’m done questioning it. It’s time to enjoy the rest of the semester – my last of freshman year.

I’m just thrilled that I’m not too much of a cliché and reevaluated my life after Jan. 1.

A DIY Day To Remember

Fast forwarding through calculus, college applications and newsmagazine pressure, I’m finally a second semester senior. Though, I don’t have to wait the five months until graduation to get more experience in fashion or journalism. 

I’ve learned in the past few weeks that connections are everywhere, even in the most unlikely of places. I met Olivia Smalley while she teased my hair to perfection for a prom-themed fashion show at my high school on January 12. As I sat in her chair, I watched my avant-garde look come together, prompting me to gush over my love for editorial fashion. This eventually led me to mention my dream of becoming a fashion journalist, something Olivia took interest in. Long story short, I’m the new blogger for OMG! Artistry.

We were perfect for each other: She was a makeup artist/hair stylist looking for a blogger/stylist and I was the Editor in Chief of my high school’s newsmagazine who was looking for some styling experience and clips. Now I’ve joined her team, where I tag along on photo shoots, do a little styling and tell all of you about it after. You can check out my posts at http://www.omgartistry.com/blog. 

Things have been happening pretty quickly. I went to my first photo shoot Friday, where I met the beautiful and talented photographer, Erika Delgado (http://www.erikadelgadophoto.com/). The DIY bridal-themed shoot made me rethink the wedding plans I’ve had since I was a little girl. Erika manipulated the hard, rocky field and to look like the model was getting married in the romantic wheat field in the Estée Lauder commercial. Holding a handmade bouquet of baby’s breath and wheat-like plants from the field, the model smiled playfully at the camera, looking stunning in a vintage-inspired Francesca’s thigh-length ivory dress with embellished petal sleeves. The whole effect was simple and intimate yet elegant and special. For even more details on the photo shoot, check out OMG! Artistry’s website.

The afternoon wrapped up with glitter and a golden setting sun. I had a blast being a part of it all and meeting such talented people who’s dreams were as big as mine. Now I can’t wait to see what Olivia and I are going to do next!

Photo by Olivia Smalley

Behind The Scenes:

 

(1)

(2) 

(1) Model Naomi in the boots she “never takes off.” They worked well with the shoot’s natural vibe.

(2) Erika used many unique, rugged accessories like the chest as little details to inspire those who want an intimate, DIY wedding.  

Biggest problem of the night:

I don’t know what to wear tomorrow.

I can’t believe I’m starting my senior year of high school tomorrow. Where did the last three years go? 

My biggest problem should actually be that the school messed up my schedule, but as long as I look good, I know I’ll feel good. 

Look at me all optimistic. Hopefully it sticks.  

Just another lazy, rainy day

The last three weeks have been depressing. Not only am I still suffering from post-cherubs syndrome, but also I’ve been surrounded by a bleak, rainy sky. 

The weather has definitely taken a toll on my mood, which is reflected through my clothes. I’ve been sluggishly hanging out at home in tank tops and exercise shorts. When I finally decide to leave the house, I find that I’m never fully prepared for the weather, which made me think of my summer in Evanston. They advised us to bring a raincoat, but I didn’t own one (something everyone found shocking since I live in South Florida). It didn’t rain that much, but when it did, it poured. 

But honestly, I didn’t want to buy a large nylon raincoat, so I chose to brave the rain with an umbrella. It wasn’t too effective. Though, I found that there are some alternatives. My future go-to place for coats will undoubtedly be Burberry, who make some of the most gorgeous coats I’ve ever seen. Edgy and sleek, they’re everything a coat should be. That’s why I wasn’t surprised when I saw the raincoats. They are what I have been envisioning myself wearing as I wander the rainy yet chic streets of London.

Unfortunately, with incredible quality comes an unbelievable price tag. I fell in love with the camel wool coat with an oversize rain shield, but the $2,795 price made my heart sink. 

With a deep breath, I opened a new tab, destined to find an attractive raincoat for a reasonable price. I’m still searching, but I think the best places to check would be H&M, TJ Maxx, Marshalls and stores of that sort. I’ll have to keep an eye out for one before my trip to London and France in March. 

Just because the weather is bleak doesn’t mean our outfits have to be.

The Cutting Class: Exquisite Details for Givenchy Couture

Treasure Hunt

Yesterday I went on a treasure hunt. I stormed into American Thrift with the mindset of a fashion pirate, ready to uncover something interestingly and unconventionally beautiful. 

You know what they say, one man’s trash is another man’s treasure.

I had been begging my friends to go thrifting with me for some time now, and since I’m leaving on Sunday (!), they made sure it happened. This was my first time consignment shopping and for some reason I imagined a huge store full of old, yet amazing clothes at insanely low prices. Well, there were definitely old clothes at insanely low prices.

Some of the things they had were just tragic. But then again, most of it was originally worn in the ’80s and ’90s, and some even before that. 

Though, it was my duty as a fashion pirate to find the beauty in some of it and turn them into cool, modern outfits. 

And that’s exactly what I did.

I felt my closet wasn’t complete without a pair of high waisted denim shorts, so I looked high and low until I found just one in my size. As I wandered around, I found an ancient ivory Ann Taylor’s Loft billowing button-down dress shirt and a sheer white billowing dress shirt with these interesting rectangles sewn into it with gold thread from an unknown brand. From a distance, these clothes looked old lady-esque; my friends (who don’t necessarily share my love of couture and fashion pirating) were appalled at first, and my mother needed me to try them on (after washing them of course). But on me, they become the perfect silhouettes. I paired each outfit with a $1 brown braided belt and created two outfits for about $5. And then later we ventured to Target for last-minute Northwestern supplies, but naturally I left with a pair of brown platform wedges for only $25. And as you will all soon find out, shopping for shoes is no easy task with abnormally wide 8.5/9 size feet, so there was no way I could leave them. They definitely topped off the outfits, making it a very successful shopping day. 

I wish I took pictures of my finds before I packed them…

Anyway, to end this extremely long post, thrifting is perfect for finding unique ensembles at practically criminal prices, and I’m currently making a list of new places to go when I get back from Northwestern. But trust me, I’ll be scouring Evanston and will without a doubt return home with my suitcase heavier than when I arrived.