Current Favorites

Published on January 23, 2019 by kendallshea22Leave a comment

I can’t believe it’s 2019, and January is already almost over! Where has the time gone? If you’re anything like me, you probably started this year super motivated to make some lifestyle changes, like most people are at the beginning of a new year. However, the second I mess up or put things off for another day, I start to feel like a failure and tomorrow turns into next week or next month. I hate to say this, because it seems like lately everyone has their crap together, but I am a mess. I have sat down in an attempt to write this blog post several times over the past couple of weeks, but fear and anxiety of it not being good enough, kept me from accomplishing it and continuously putting it off.

But that’s not how I want my 2019 to go. So I’m going to focus on the positives today by sharing with you some of the things I have been loving lately. These things have inspired me, motivated me, and kept me entertained over the past couple of weeks.

Beauty Favorites

Silk Scarves: Vintage Jewelry and Hair Clips: Vintage Hair Care: Ouai

Since chopping my hair into a bob, learning how to manage and style my new haircut has been a journey. I love the length and color, I think it comes off super chic and fashionable. However, my hair tends to lay flat and sticks to my head like an unflattering helmet, so movement, texture, and volume have been my biggest hair goals.

Thanks to my Sephora Beauty Insider points, I was able to get my hands on some samples from the hair care brand Ouai, and they have been life changing to say the least. The samples included a leave in conditioner that makes my hair look soft and healthy, a finishing creme that cuts my drying time in half, a hair oil that adds the perfect amount of shine, and the texturizing spray that is like my favorite dry shampoo and hair spray had a baby. A combination of these products has helped me learn exactly how to style my hair into the wavy bob of my dreams. I may have to repurchase all of these products in full sized bottles (that is if funds allow).

Speaking of styling my new hair, I have been loving the vintage touch of hair accessories lately. Whether it be the hint of glamour with a bejeweled hair clip, or the flash of pattern with a silk hair scarf. I am all about accessorizing, and hair accessories are my latest obsession. I feel like they complete a look, and add a fashionable detail to even the plainest outfits.

Last on my Beauty Favorites list will come as no surprise to those that know me. I have not been able to stop wearing them. I’m talking about the Fenty Beauty Gloss Bombs. We all know that Kylie Jenner helped add to the hype of matte liquid lipsticks. I used to wear them religiously. After a while though I got sick of the drying damage it did to my lips. Thus Fenty Beauty lip glosses walked into my life, and changed it forever. Now hardly a day goes by that I don’t have one of the shades on my lips. They are the perfect product to layer over any lipstick to add some of that glossy, moisturizing shine. Plus they give me early 2000s vibes in the best way!

Fashion Favorites

If you follow me on Instagram, the items in this category will not surprise you at all because they have been repeatedly featured in my pictures. I never used to be a hat person. In fact, growing up I would always convince my mom to buy hats for me and then proceed to never wear them because “they didn’t look good on me.” I wanted to be the kind of person that looked good in hats, but I just wasn’t. That, however, has changed now. I’m not sure if it has more to do with my new hair cut and color, or the fact that I have grown into a much more confident adult, but I love wearing hats now. My absolute favorite hats are berets, but I also love my baker boy/newspaper boy hats. They add a finished look to a lot of my outfits, whether that be through a splash of color or pattern or just covering up my bad hair day.

Another Fashion Favorite of mine, as you can probably tell by the above photos, is my large, gold initial necklace. It’s almost an exact dupe for the old Celine one that everyone and their dog had late last year, but for a fraction of the price.

Speaking of fraction of the price, I have been super into thrifting lately! Not only is it great for the environment, but it’s great for the wallet too. I snagged this colorful Lucky Brand sweater while on vacation in Florida, and it has quickly become a staple in my winter wardrobe.

Another piece I haven’t been able to stop wearing? these wide leg, leopard print pants. I never would have thought that I’d fall in love with such a wild (ha, “wild” get it?) pair of pants, and yet here we are. They are beyond comfortable, and I feel amazing every time I wear them.

Although the blazer trend has been in the forefront of runways and street style alike, I was never one to hop on the train because I simply thought I didn’t look good in them. I would buy a professional looking blazer to wear to job interviews and the like, but then when I tried to style it any other way it just looked weird. Ever since, I had been on the hunt for a plaid blazer that I could wear everyday. Then I found this one, and the rest is history.

Last but not least is my new designer baby. This purse was a Christmas gift, and I couldn’t be more in love with it. The quality is amazing, it goes well with everything in my closet, and I know it is going to be a forever item. This is the first purse that I own that I would consider “designer” and I plan to treasure it. You can definitely expect that this won’t be the last time you see her. (Side note: I’ve noticed a lot of people name their designer handbags. Is this totally weird or totally genius? What do you think I should name mine?)

Miscellaneous Favorites

This last category is for things that I have been loving lately that are technology, pop culture, or food related. Another gift I received for Christmas was a Fitbit Alta. I had been wanting a smart watch for awhile now, and when the Alta went on sale for Cyber Monday, I made sure to notify my parents. I absolutely love it, and because the style is slim and black, it goes with everything. Another technology item that has been changing my life recently is my WaterPik. I’ll admit, I have never been very consistent with my flossing. And with the advice of my dentist, I decided it was time to invest in a water flosser. Lucky for me, this particular model is cordless and relatively inexpensive. Needless to say, it has changed the game for me.

These last couple of things are pop culture related, and if you know me well you can probably already guess them because I haven’t been able to shut up about them. The first is the new movie Spider-Man: Into the Spiderverse. If you haven’t seen this masterpiece of a film yet, then run (don’t walk) to your nearest theater and buy a ticket. I truly don’t think I can put into words how amazing this movie is. It even won the Golden Globe for Best Animated Film! Let me end by saying this, the second the end credits rolled, my brother and I wanted to buy tickets again and go see it the next day.

One more to go! Well technically two. These last two are both albums, and I have not been able to stop listening to them since they were released. The first one is Trench by Twenty-One Pilots and the second one is Sweetener by Ariana Grande. If you haven’t heard of either one of these albums, then I’m sorry but you must be living under a rock. In my opinion they are both of these artists greatest work. Cohesively, each song on these albums tells a story. If you have not listened to them, then I highly recommend you do so from start to finish. It’s the best way to enjoy them fully.

Well, I don’t know about you, but I feel like it’s been a long one. If you’re still reading this, congratulations, you made it to the end! I hope you enjoyed reading about some of the things that have gotten me through this New Year slump. What are some of the things you have been loving lately? I’d love to hear about them!

And don’t worry, I have tons of content planned for 2019. I appreciate your patience, and I can’t wait to share it all with you!

Until next time!

Love, Kendall

Halloween Makeup Round Up

Published on October 22, 2018 by kendallshea22Leave a comment

Hey all you spooky ghouls and gals! It’s that time of the year again! The time of the year where I rise and take my place as the Queen of all things Halloween. 🙂

I know its been a while, but after graduation I felt that taking a break from blogging was the best thing to do for my mental and emotional well being. I appreciate you guys being patient with me during this hiatus.

But enough of that, let’s focus on the real reason we came here today: Halloween! While I know it may not be for everyone, Halloween is my favorite time of the year. I just love all the movies, candy, festivities, and overall spooky vibes that this holiday brings. This year, I decided to take things to the next level by challenging myself to do five Halloween inspired makeup looks. This was such a fun and exciting thing for me to do, and I can’t wait to share them all with you, as well as some tips and tricks for creating your own fun makeup looks.

Foundation: Fenty Beauty Eyeshadow: Kat Von D Pastel Goth palette and Juvia’s Place Masquerade palette Highlight: Anastasia Beverly Hills Moonchild Glow Kit Eyeliner: NYX Cosmetics Lashes: Ardell Faux Mink Lashes in 810 Lipstick: Too Faced Lipstick in shade Wicked

“Look it, look it! It’s freaking bats. I love Halloween.” – Iconic Vine

If you don’t recognize this quote, then you need to look it up. This iconic is definitely one of my faves, and I couldn’t help but quote it when I posted this look, inspired by one of the many makeup gurus I follow. Which is actually my first tip! Look for inspiration from makeup gurus on Instagram and Twitter. I prefer to look at smaller/lesser known influencers when it comes to inspiration, especially if you want something unique, simple, or beginner friendly. I definitely wouldn’t recommend working with special effects makeup, unless you know what you’re doing. So stick with what you know!

“You know, for someone who’s supposed to be a mad genius, I’m not seeing much of the genius.” – Shego from Disney’s Kim Possible

When I saw Snitchery on Instagram create a look inspired by Shego from Kim Possible, I knew I had to recreate it. Kim Possible was one of my favorite TV shows growing up as a kid. So getting to do a makeup look around one of its characters was a no brainer. Which is where my second tip comes in, find inspiration in your favorite TV shows and movies: especially Halloween movies (like my next look) 😉 The more obscure or lesser known the character is, the more unique the look! Try and find characters that are colorful or have distinctive features so your look is easily recognizable too!

Foundation: Fenty Beauty Eyeshadow: Kat Von D Pastel Goth palette and Juvia’s Place Masquerade palette Highlight: Anastasia Beverly Hills Moonchild Glow Kit Lashes: NYX Cosmetics

“I’ve seen the EXORCIST ABOUT A HUNDRED AND SIXTY-SEVEN TIMES, AND IT KEEPS GETTING FUNNIER EVERY SINGLE TIME I SEE IT!” – Beetlejuice

Oh the iconic Beetlejuice, which turned 30 years old this year. I just couldn’t help but do a look in my favorite bio-exorcist’s honor. Out of all these looks this one is one of my favorites, but it definitely didn’t take very long to do. Believe it or not, I think this was one of the simplest looks I did. Tip #3 is to keep it simple! I could have gone all out for this look: white face paint, facial prosthetics, the whole nine yards. But I didn’t. Firstly, because I was lacking the time, skill, and resources. And secondly, because this character is still recognizable without all that extra stuff. I kept it simple!

Foundation: Fenty Beauty Eyeshadow: Modern Renaissance palette and Juvia’s Place Masquerade palette Highlight: Anastasia Beverly Hills Moonchild Glow Kit Eyeliner: NYX Cosmetics Lashes: NYX Cosmetics Lipstick: Too Faced Lipstick in shade Granny Panties “Face Paint:” Anastasia Beverly Hills Lip Palette

“Violet, you’re turning… violet!” – Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

Okay y’all, here it is. My favorite look! This one was so fun to do, and I am honestly amazed with the results (not to toot my own horn or anything). It definitely took the longest though! For the purple ‘face paint’ I used a few shades from my Anastasia Beverly Hills Lip Palette, mixed them together, and the blended the crap out of it! Once I was satisfied with the blending, I went back in and created the ‘veins’ so that it looked more realistic and true to the movie. Could I have went to a Halloween store and actual bought face paint for this look? Probably. Did I have to? No! Here’s my next tip: use what you have! You don’t have to go out and by a bunch of special makeup to create these looks. I definitely didn’t. Now there is a disclaimer to this tip. Always be safe with your makeup. If you have sensitive skin, don’t use lipstick as face paint. Make sure you buy cosmetic grade glitter, as regular glitter can cause eye irritation. And when in doubt, research and don’t risk it! Your safety is not worth an Instagram picture.

Foundation: Fenty Beauty Eyeshadow: Kat Von D Pastel Goth palette Highlight: Anastasia Beverly Hills Nicole Guerrieo Glow Kit Eyeliner: NYX Cosmetics (black) and NYX Cosmetics (white) Lashes: Ardell Lashes Lipstick: Kylie Cosmetics in shade Pumpkin

“Sweet like Candy Corn.” – me 🙂

This look is the only one out of the five that is completely my own. All the other ones were inspired by makeup artists I saw one Twitter and Instagram, but this one was just me having fun with makeup. It was so fun to just relax and not have a guideline for this look. I just knew I wanted it to be fun, cute, and look like candy corn. So here’s my last tip: sometimes you have to just go with your gut, and be creative! I think the best things come out of creativity. All of the makeup look that inspired me were original to that artist. They created something unique, and inspired me to recreate it. When you think about it, it’s really cool how we all influence each other, especially in the makeup community. If my Halloween makeup looks inspire someone to recreate them, or even to just create some of their own, that would make me very happy.

I have been wanting to do Halloween makeup looks for years, but somehow I always put it off until it was too late. I hope you all enjoyed this post, and even if you aren’t a fan of Halloween or makeup, I hope you were encouraged to try something new. Do something you’ve been telling yourself you’re going to do but have been putting off continuously. I promise you’ll be so proud of yourself afterwards.

I hope you all have a Happy Halloween, whether you are watching horror movies with friends, trick or treating with kids, or hanging out with family. Be safe and I’ll see you guys next week for another Halloween themed blog post!

Love, Kendall

My Go To Spring Makeup Look

Published on April 16, 2018 by kendallshea22Leave a comment

Hello everyone and happy Monday! Does anyone else feel like the weekend flew by?? Maybe it’s just me, but I feel like I didn’t have much of a weekend. Either way, it’s time to hit the ground running and get stuff done this week.

Today I want to show you the makeup look that I have not been able to stop wearing.

Eye shadow: Kat Von D Pastel Goth Palette Eyeliner: Stila Stay All Day Liquid Liner Lipstick: Kylie Cosmetics Liquid Lipstick in Exposed

When it comes to makeup, I have always been a bit of an experimenter. I have always been the first one to try new colors, brands, products, and trends. But lately I’ve found myself in a bit of a makeup rut. I got too comfortable and ended up stuck in a routine of the same products, the same colors, and the same look. And you know what? I’m sick of it. So as soon as spring came around, I knew it was time to change things up and add a little (or a lot of) color to my makeup routine.

Top: H&M Kimono: Target Jeans: Old Navy Shoes: Restricted Bag: Vintage

I received the Kat Von D Pastel Goth palette as a gift last summer, and honestly I had no idea what to do with it. It was one of those things that had been in the back of my mind, but once presented with it, I was clueless. The palette itself is absolutely beautiful. From the shades to the packaging, it is very aesthetically appealing. In case the name didn’t already give it away, the main colors in the palette are pastels; yellow, peach, pink, lavender, blue, green, white, and black/gray. The pigmentation is unbelievable. And while I loved having it in my collection, it remained untouched for the better part of a year. I kept reaching for it, opening it up, and admiring the aesthetic beauty of it, but I could never bring myself to use it.

I know I said I was an experimenter when it comes to makeup, and that is very true, but I also like to have a look in mind when I’m doing my makeup. If I don’t have that inspiration in my head then I resort to something I’ve done in the past. And since I hadn’t come up with any looks that involved the colors in this palette, I continued not to use it.

I don’t remember who it was that first introduced me to this idea, but I started seeing girls on social media wearing bright yellow eye shadow with thick black liner. The contrast of those two colors is what drew me to the look, and I think it looks very editorial. I tried it out and haven’t gone back since.

I love this look, and I am so glad I have finally started using this palette. The best part is the same principal works with all the other colors in the palette too! I’ve done peach, purple, and blue eye looks with it. However I don’t see myself doing a green based eye shadow look anytime soon! This palette is definitely made for spring, and I can’t wait to use it more regularly.

Whether you love it, hate it, or plan on trying it for yourself, I hope this look has at least encouraged you to branch out of your comfort zone and try something new. So often we find ourselves stuck in the same routine, and frankly that can get pretty boring. So take this week to find something in your life that has become routine and replace it with something out of your comfort zone. I promise you won’t regret it.

Love, Kendall