Silver lining

As unorganized as my life has felt over the past 6 weeks or so (crazy illnesses that wont go away, travel, being apart from my fiance for way too long, auditions, wedding planning, "real" work, and acting work...), I've had a real craving to stay as organized as possible in smaller ways. My current purse had recently become so worn out that the now fraying straps are in danger of snapping at any moment. Rather than waiting until that happens while I'm out shopping somewhere, I decided to take the plunge and purchase a new handbag today. Always fun!

I love the color silver for a purse. Infact, when I bought my last purse, I couldn't find anything I liked in silver so I settled on a white one. It was a cute bag, but the color gets dingy so quickly, even when you try to keep it as clean as possible. I was happy to find something in a more realistic color this time around! (Purse by Croft & Barrow from Khol's, 40% off 49.99).

It's so fun "moving in." I'd actually done a decent job of keeping my old handbag pretty clutter-free, but getting a new one is always a good time to check and make sure you're not constantly carrying around anything you don't actually need.

 What's in the bag:
"Bottom row" left to right:
- My wallet, which I am still loving and showed off HERE
- I also bought the little polka-dotted bag today (Walmart, $2.97) to keep essentials like floss and band-aids (for when those heels start hurting! Or, obviously, for an actual emergency...um...yeah...) plus, some personal items and a couple medications in the main (i.e. opaque) section.
- Gum! I'd been out for a while...it's always nice to have around to freshen up while you're out.
- Hand lotion. I apply this about 60 times a day, so having some on-the-go is a must for me.

"Top row" left to right:
- Make up bag with touch-up items like pressed powder, mineral concealer and brush, eyeliner, and lip gloss.
- Check book and pen (always carry a pen with you! You'll be glad you did).
- Chapstick. If I could only have one item in my bag, this would be it.
- Aviator sunglasses.
- Hair bands in case my hair decides it needs to be put away for a while.
- My beautiful compact mirror, a gift from a friend in China!

Pink eye (the good kind!)

I have an on-and-off love affair with pink eye shadow. Right now, it's back on. It can look punk or really pretty and fresh depending on how you use it. I actually use a rosey cream blush that I've had since my days of using stage make up, so don't even ask me to try and figure out what exactly it is and where you can buy it. ;) Just use whatever works for you. For this, I think a product with creamy texture looks fresher than powder eye shadow and blends really nicely. Just make sure you powder it after applying to set it.

A recent look:

I liked the pop of pink with the black and white dress. Don't be afraid to be a little messy with the pink. It shouldn't look too calculated. You can even put it all around the eye, but I didn't do that this time.
I traced the outside of the pink with a shimmer golden powder shadow and extended it outwards (up to my eyebrows and around the bottom outer corner of my eye). I wish my crappy little camera did it more justice. It's not that easy to pick up in these photos. But, along with the pink, it created a shimmery pastel look all around the eyes. Almost "fairy"-like, but understated.
I finished with black mascara. It's not often that I don't wear some sort of eye liner, but I didn't feel like I needed anything taking away the focus of the pink and gold or making it too harsh of a look. I kept the lips light and neutral as well.

Blush always goes below my cheek bones, rather than the apple of the cheek as many people suggest. It really helps accentuate the cheek bones that way. I put a little shimmery powdered bronzer on the cheek bone to help highlight them even more.

Thoughts? Ideas? Suggestions? Share 'em!