How I Wear It + DIY: Eyebrows Tutorial

FINALLY! I know. This post has been in the works since the request. To the dear person who requested this tutorial, I am so so sorry for taking a million years to write this. Trust me, I've been writing many drafts of this particular post. Thank you so much for not giving up on me. I will do my very best to be as detailed as possible with this written tutorial.

If you haven't checked out my eyebrows tutorial clip, then I suggest you watch it here. Fair warning, I am known to have a RBF. :P

First things first, before applying any make-up product, I highly recommend you to get your eyebrows groomed. You can get them waxed or threaded; it doesn't really matter. Once you get them groomed, the process of filling in your brows becomes easier as your natural brows act as a template. Although my ends are missing, I still get my brows threaded every 2-3 weeks and I maintain them daily to keep them clean. Your natural brows, even if they are lacking, are a great guide to transition from natural to drawn on brows.

 

To achieve this look, you only need 4 items: NYX Cosmetics' microbrow pencil, ELF Cosmetics' eyebrow kit, foundation or concealer of your choice, and angled brush of your choice. That is all.

1. Using the NYX Cosmetic's microbrow pencil, brush out your brow hair in its natural direction with the spoolie end.
• I love this step because it helps keep my brows clean. After I brush out my brow hair in its natural direction, I am able to trim off any strands that are too long.
2. Using the NYX Cosmetic's microbrow pencil, use the other end to trace out/outline your desired eyebrow shape using your natural brows as a template.
• I use the microbrow pencil in the color, Black.
• The NYX Cosmetic's microbrow pencil is my holy grail. I love the consistency of the product and how it is twistable. It's a great dupe for the Anastasia Beverly Hills' Brow Wiz.
• Since my ends are completely missing and they won't grow back, I also fill in my ends with the NYX Cosmetics' microbrow pencil to increase their pigmentation.
3. Next, using the ELF Cosmetics' eyebrow kit, apply a conservative amount of eyebrow gel/pomade with the provided angled brush to fill in the outline.
• I use the ELF Cosmetics' eyebrow kit in the shade, light.
• You should start from the end and work your way up to create the gradient effect since the brush is most concentrated at the beginning of application. We do not want the sharpie look, although I am guilty for rocking that look when I first started doing my eyebrows.
• Since my ends are missing and I have to fill them in with the NYX Cosmetics' microbrow pencil, I blend in the eyebrow gel/pomade to maintain a consistent color.
4. Pump out a small amount of foundation or concealer of your choice on the palm of your hand.
• My foundation of choice is Urban Decay's Naked Skin in the shade, 4.0.
• I recommend a foundation or concealer with a light consistency because it will glide along the eyebrows better.
5. Using the angled brush of your choice, apply foundation or concealer of your choice along the drawn on brows.
• My angled brush of choice is Ecotools' Angled Eyeliner Brush, which came with the brush set.
• This step is crucial to achieve the "eyebrows #onpoint or #onfleek"  look. Before this step, the applications of the NYX Cosmetics' microbrow pencil and ELF Cosmetics' eyebrow kit do not need to be precise.
• After cleaning up your eyebrows shape with this step, use your pinky to blend out the harsh foundation or concealer line between your eyebrows and the rest of your face.
6. Using the NYX Cosmetic's microbrow pencil, brush your brow hair with the spoolie end to blend out the products.

Tada!

My Ten Cents #45: Keep in mind, like most things, this takes a lot of practice. I mean, I've been doing this for about a year with a ton of trials and errors. In fact, I am still learning and tweaking my eyebrows shape. Eyebrows do wonder as they frame your face, so a little eyebrows-loving is recommend but definitely not necessary! 

How I Wear It: Bodysuits

The answer is confidence. That is how I wear bodysuits. Bodysuits make me vulnerable as they highlight both flattering and unflattering parts of my body. I feel completely transparent in bodysuits. Ironically, I am the most confident when I am vulnerable because that is when I feel free.

Initially, I didn't plan on writing a post about this particular outfit because, as you can see, it's quite risqué. Some may say that I look like I'm trying too hard to gain attention. Some may say that I look like I'm insecure. Some may say that I look like I'm asking for "it." And for those reasons, I am writing this post to address those judgmental looks that I get when I wear bodysuits.

First of all, believe it or not, I am not trying to gain attention with this outfit from anyone but myself. I am not seeking for compliments with this outfit because there is no need for compliments when I am already complimenting myself. I feel beautiful in bodysuits. They hug me in all of the right places. They tuck in my muffin top. They help me channel my sultry side that I didn't even know existed in the first place. I feel beautiful in bodysuits. I rarely feel that way about myself, so I take full advantage of that feeling when it happens. I wear bodysuits to gain my own attention.

On the contrary to what people may generally think about those who wear risqué clothes, the act actually requires one to be as secure with one's body as possible. I mean, I am exposing my whole body's silhouette when I wear bodysuits, and that requires me to use every ounce of security in my body to own it. And once I own it, the confidence just oozes out of me and that feeling is liberating, especially for a timid gal like myself.

Lastly, I am asking for nothing with this outfit... just like any outfit that I wear. That is because not everything is about [you]. Everything that I wear is for myself as I use clothing to express myself. It is not a subliminal message or an invitation of any sort made out to [you]. It's my body. It's my canvas. It's my being. I don't understand why people feel like they have the right to tell me what to do/wear with MY body, MY canvas, and MY being.

/endrant

I was watching "Never Been Kissed" the other day, and the script at this scene really hit me:

"All the world´s a stage,...and all the men and women, merely players." Does anyone know what Shakespeare meant by that? Anyone? It´s about disguise. About playing a part. And that´s the theme of "As You Like It." Now, does anyone know where we can see this?

Well, Rosalind disguises herself as a man,...and then she escapes into the forest.

Right. And it´s when she´s in costume...that she can finally express her love for Orlando. See, the point Shakespeare is trying to make...is that when we're in disguise, we feel freer. We do things we wouldn´t do in ordinary life. See, disguise changes all the rules.

I disguise myself as a sultry and confident person when I wear bodysuits, but ironically, that is when I am the most exposed and vulnerable. That is also when I feel the most free.

Cut-Out Bodysuit--Windsor: ~$37

Forever 21 Maxi Skirt--F21: $10

Total: $37, PPW (Price Per Wear): ~$15

My Ten Cents #44: Don't you dare feel guilty for looking and feeling beautiful. You have every right to feel like so.

080415: Tomboyish Tuesday

Hello loves! Oh my, it has been 2 years since I posted a "OOTD" post; it goes to show how much this blog has evolved. As much as I love doing reviews and "How I Wear It" posts, I decided to go back to my roots and post this bad boy up with a full on commentary.

You would think that I have established my personal sense of style after all of these years of blogging about fashion as a self-proclaimed fashionista, but I am nowhere close to narrowing down my sense of style. In fact, my style changes on a daily basis, depending on what I want to portray for the day. I literally play dress up every day with my clothes, and that is why I have a lot of it. Yesterday, being Tuesday, I wanted to play with my tomboyish side. I am a girly girl, but I think I know a thing or two about boys given that I grew up with two brothers.

One of my fashion guilty pleasures is dressing up androgynously. I love men fashion, so I like to incorporate a piece of article that is inspired by menswear. With this look, I wore my newly favorite: Forever 21 pointed faux leather loafers. They are casual enough to wear with a pair of skinny or boyfriend jeans (with the latter emphasizing the tomboyish factor), but they are fancy enough to wear with my beloved UNIF pleather overall dress.

As for the rest of the outfit, I wanted to go for a minimalistic look because I was on the go yesterday. I threw on my "Sad But Rad" tee that I got from Wear Your Label and tied a small knot to tease a tasteful amount of midriff. This tee is probably the most expensive shirt that I own, but that's because I fully support the brand and its philosophy of self-care. I highly recommend you all to check it out! In addition to the top, I slipped into my favorite light wash jeans that I got from Crossroads Trading & Co. Lastly, to tie the outfit together, I wore my Coach vintage leather crossbody and hamsa choker that I got from Hot Topic as black accents to match the shoes.

I guess my sense of style is a bit of girliness with a splash of tomboyish and a sprinkle of grunge and a lot of self-care/love.  

"Sad But Rad" Tee--Wear Your Label: $35.80

Forever 21 Ripped Skinny Jeans--Crossroads Trading & Co.: $8

Forever 21 Pointed Faux Leather Loafer--F21: $12

Coach Vintage Leather Crossbody--Garage Sale: $2

Hamsa Choker--Hot Topic: $6

Total: $63.80, Price Per Wear (PPW): ~$7.00

 

My Ten Cents #43: Life is too short to wear boring clothes, so play dress up with me!