Freaky Friday: DIY Halloween!

We are officially less than a week away from Halloween.

I repeat, there is less than one week before Halloween, people!

I am a huge believer in DIY costumes. It just seems like that's Halloween at it's greatest and reminds me of when my mom would put a costume together for me when I was little. It doesn't take a craft fanatic to create a DIY costume, sometimes you can even throw one together from things you already have in your closet!

Here are a few costume ideas I pulled from my "Halloweentown" Pinterest board, so if you want to see any of these costumes or find their original pinners just head to my Pinterest!
(click the follow button while you're at it.)

Pan Am Stewardess

I loved the show Pan Am, however short lived it was, so of course I love this idea of throwing on a blazer, skirt, and little white gloves to go as one of the it girls of the 60s. Super easy and super cute!

Minnie Mouse

Classic and super easy, what could be better than Minnie Mouse! Add some cute little ears to a red skirt and black shirt and you've turned yourself into everyone's favorite mouse's girlfriend. 

Get some girls together this Halloween and go with some of these fantastic group looks.

Flo and the Orbit Girl

We've all seen the commercials and we've all fallen in love with these icons so who wouldn't want to step into their shoes for a night. It's all white for these looks, just add a few touches and don't forget your insurance and chewing gum!

Pocahontas

These girls look so put together and like they are having a blast. Whether you're going with a whole tribe or just putting your own spin on a favorite Disney princess this is a go to look for sure.

The Great Gatsby Flapper Girl

These costumes are about as easy as throwing cat ears on with a LBD (see Karen from Mean Girls!). Grab some pears and a head piece and you've got yourself a Roaring Twenties look that would tear Gatsby's eyes away from Daisy in a flash!

I hope you've enjoyed these super easy DIY looks and maybe found some inspiration for any last minute costumes for those Halloweekend parties!

till next time

xo

aFm

Fall Beauty Tutorial: The Cat Eye

The Fall semester is jam packed with events from Homecoming to Halloween and everything in between. If you're like me, you're done with the smoky eye/lip gloss routine and ready for an upgrade. Well that upgrade you're looking for just so happens to be a classic look that will take you through this Fall's festivities in a glam and updated way.

The Cat Eye

For this look, we turn to the Queen of Winged Liner, Miss Lauren Conrad!

I grew up with Lauren, or "LC" as she was known as back then, from the time she was in high school on Laguna Beach all the way through to her role on The Hills and her recent engagement (eek!). Not only has she become one of my role models in life but she's also one of the first people I go to when in need of some beauty advice. See her book Lauren Conrad Beauty or her work with The Beauty Department.

I've been doing this look since I first saw Lauren rock it on The Hills so I can say from experience that practice really does make perfect. Don't stress if you don't get it right on the first try, just grab a makeup wipe and try again!

There are probably tons of ways to pull this look off but I'm going to show you my way...two different ways. The first being a dramatic line fit for a night out such as a Homecoming dance (which just so happens to be this Saturday for our university! Go Bears!) and the second is an everyday cat eye you can fit into your normal makeup routine or if you just want to dress up your look a little.

The Dramatic Look

Step One: Prep your eyes! 
I just recently picked up this tip from a friend and it has become one of my go-to tricks. Primer on your eyelid will do wonders for your makeup look! She suggested putting a little face lotion on your eyelids before doing your makeup, I've upgraded to Urban Decay's Eyeshadow Primer Potion since but both have similar results. 
For a look like this, I usually go without shadow but for extra sparkle I suggest taking a highlighter such as Benefit Cosmetics Watt's Up! and adding it to your inner corners or using a highlighting shadow in the same area. Remember to stay neutral, otherwise you will overpower the look!
Be careful with the amount of primer you use if you choose to go shadow-less across your lids, if you're not using a waterproof liner things could get smudgy.

Step Two: Line your eyes!
For the more dramatic look you want a defined line and a bold black, so reach for a liquid liner that has a fine tip and easy to hold handle to steady yourself. I use the super affordable Wet 'n Wild MegaLiner Liquid Eyeliner! 

The trick to this is to take your time, rushing will just lead to a sloppy look. Start with your liner at the inner corner of your eye and lightly drag it across your lash line toward your outer corner. That practice I mentioned early makes this step easier with time but if you're having trouble getting a steady line I suggest making 3 dash marks at the inner corner, middle of the lash line, and outer corner then connecting them to keep the line straight and bold.
Staying as close to your natural lash line as possible will lead to the perfect wide-eyed look we're going for, no one likes raccoon eyes!

Step Three: The Wing!
This is part of the line that creates the cat eye effect. For this dramatic look we're going to do a dramatic line. I start by dragging the line out and up from the outer corner then going from the top of the line started on my outer corner and make a small triangle. Fill that in and you've got your look. 
Be sure not to drag your line too far out or too far up. It shouldn't go further than the end of your eyebrow or the top of your lashes.
I'm no LC but here's the dramatic look on me (ahh!).

Everyday Look

For this look, follow steps one and two exactly the same except for a softer look I like to use a waterproof kohl pencil liner. 
Step three consists of just dragging the line slightly beyond your outer corner, just a flick. 
Finish with a coat of mascara and you've got the look, just like Lauren!

I hope you enjoyed it, for more tips on how to achieve the perfect cat eye look check out the links below.

VMA Cateye via The Beauty Department

until next time,
xo
aFm