Style 344 Photo Shoot Sneak Peeks

Photo Credit: HENDO PHOTO

Hey loves! So I'm working on a ton of projects but wanted you to check out my latest shoot with Style344! Go to www.style344.blogspot.com

Photo Credit: HENDO PHOTO

Photo Credit: HENDO PHOTO

Photo Credit: HENDO PHOTO

My Adoption ❤️

Photo Credit: Divineskye Photography

Photographer: Megan Lunsford

So, I'm not going to lie, being adopted has been a very touchy subject for me and I'm here to now tell my personal story. 

I'm sure a lot of people look at me and assume that I was raised into a strict asian family who had traveled over from Asia to give me better opportunities and it's really the complete opposite of that. 

Giving up a child isn't easy but if you know you can't care and provide for a child and give that child somewhere to live a full life, that's one of the greatest things a person can do.

An Adoption Story:

On September 11, 1994 a baby girl was born who desperately needed a family that would love her, care for her, provide for her and who needed a family that would shape this baby into a person with great character. The Birth Mother wanted the absolute best for this precious life and didn't settle for less. When this baby was born, the birth mother obviously knew she couldn't keep this child and put her up for adoption and was contacted by an agency with a couple who wanted a child so badly. There were other families and couples looking into adopting this baby girl and after the birth mother was finished talking to all the candidates, the couple who wanted a family more than anything and would do anything to provide for the child stood out among the rest to the birth mother and they were given this precious child. This couple went to great lengths to have this baby's adoption finalized and legal and it involved selling a condo to pay for the adoption fees, even though this couple already had a house, it showed how much they were willing to do anything for this child.

When the baby was brought home, her new family literally smothered her with unconditional love and care, something she wouldn't of had if her birth mother would of kept her. She was given opportunities where her interests peaked, a great education, a quiet peaceful environment and room to just be a kid. This child and her Mommy's souls were meant to be together and showed the whole world that even though you might not be blood related, a Mother and Child's bond is more important than having the same blood. You're probably wondering about the Daddy, right? Well, her dad might be a little rough around the edges but don't let it fool you, this baby brought so much joy, love and sensitivity to him and finally had a buddy where he could teach everything too.

This girl lived a good, normal and enriched childhood. The key to her normality was that her parents told her when she was able to comprehend that she was adopted but that she is loved unconditionally by her parents and that would never change. This little girl didn't care one single bit that she was different looking from her parents and she 100% understood that it's okay to have a different and unique story among the sheep. This child was such an outdoors kind of kid, loved going out and getting dirty, hyper, a gymnast, musically inclined, bright and full of happiness, everything her Birth Mother wanted for this child that she had called "Tahn Mae Do." 

To this day, this adopted child loves her life and family and has become a young women who is now well on her way of being 20 years old! 

Here are a few pictures of MY precious, loving and happy family! 

Straight cheesin' after my first official photo shoot with my family right there with me and supporting me! <3

The Struggle That I Face:

My biggest struggle that I face in my life that's related to the adoption is that my Birth Mother does not want to meet me or come in contact with me whatsoever. It breaks my heart a little knowing that she doesn't want to see the baby she brought to this world whom she called "Tahn Mae Do," all grown up. The reason behind her not wanting to see me is because she was embarrassed about having a child at 17 out of wedlock and isn't accustomed to the Vietnamese culture. I understand it all, I'm just curious to see if my personality is similar to hers, if I look like her and all those normal questions when you don't know who your biological mother is. 

I'm gonna wrap it up here and leave you all hoping that I helped someone who has a similar story as mine!

XOXO

A Message To My Birth Mom, Margie Do:

Thank you for giving me a chance at life and not choosing the easy way out of things by aborting me. I have a beautiful life and I'm forever grateful for the gift of life and even more thankful for the couple you gave me too. Thank you for calling me Tahn Mae, I just so happen to absolutely love flowers! If you ever see this here is the most recent picture of me from a photo shoot I had. 

Photo Credit: Divineskye Photography

Photographer: Megan Lunsford

Location: Red Rocks Open Space Bike Park in Colorado Springs, Colorado

Hair, Makeup and Outfit of the Night for the Opening Night of the Second 300 ❤️

Get Ready With Me To See That Special Someone And For The Opening Night of The Second 300! ❤️

Hair:

Let's talk about the hair first, since it's the easiest! To achieve my hair today, I washed my hair with the Clear Strong Length Shampoo, rinsed immediately to condition my hair with Clear's Intense Hydration Conditioner since I do have bleached hair and let it set in my hair until I was done with my shower routine and then completely rinsed it out with COOL water, leaving my hair silky, smooth and smelling great! After, I towel dried my hair for about ten minutes, let it down and then putting my CHI Silk Infusion on the ends of my hair and spraying all of my hair with my It's a 10 Spray! Letting all the products set in after doing my makeup, I blow dried my hair UPSIDE DOWN to get some extra volume. Here is my end result!

I love having texture to my hair so I don't brush it out too much and tease the crown of my head and front fringe so my hair doesn't fall completely flat! 

I don't take a ton of time on my hair, just because I'm lazy, but I do believe in putting great products in your hair to keep it healthy! 

Let's Talk Makeup, My Favorite Part of this look:

Today, my makeup was based around flawless looking skin, easy eye makeup and a bold lip!  

Flawless Looking Skin:

Now, today my skin was NOT in the best of shape, it's had it's better days let's put it that way, I have a small breakout along the lower right side of my cheek due to that awful time of the month! My main focus was to feel confident about my skin and not worry about the breakout as a focal point on my face because that ain't cute! To achieve better looking skin, I started off with my Clean and Clear Daily Moisturizer (it's not my favorite but it does the job,) I prepped my skin with my Garnier BB Skin Renew Cream in the color light/medium since I did have some redness and a breakout, it evened out my skin tone and covered up a little bit of the breakout, I then went in with my Holy Grail Foundation, MAC's Studio Fix Foundation in NW15 using one full pump on the back of my hand, then dotting the product all over my face and blending it with my Sephora Prestige Luxe Stippling Brush using dabbing motions to avoid sheering out the product and then going in with a tad bit of the foundation on my CLEAN finger and patting it over my breakout. After, I set my foundation in place with my current favorite setting powder, the Rimmel Stay Matte Powder in Translucent, I get oily on my nose and chin so I absolutely have to set my foundation. In general I love having a matte face because it photographs well and I don't like being an oil monster! When my whole face is set, I go in and countour the hollows of my cheeks, temples and jaw line and then my face looks flawless! 

Eyebrows and Eyes:

Besides having flawless looking skin, doing my eyebrows has to come in second to really transforming my face! For today, I kept my brows looking natural and filling them in with my Anastasia Brow Duo in Brunette and using the lighter side to fill in the body of the brow then using the darker side to fill the tails of my brows in and defining the bottom of the brows for a cleaner edge, then setting it with my Anastasia Brow Gel in Clear!

The eyes tonight, I kept very simple, I don't think guys like a dark intense smokey eye for just hanging out and going to a movie!

It's honestly so easy to achieve this look it hurts! All I did was use my Rimmel Stay Matte Powder on my eyelids to prevent getting oily and doing a basic winged eyeliner in black using my Maybelline Eye Studio Gel Eyeliner in Black on my top lid making sure the wing, lined up perfectly with my bottom lash line! After the gel liner was done, I switched to my trusty old Avon Waterproof Glimmer Stick in Blackest Black connecting the wing to my lash line, stopping halfway because black can really close my eyes off especially having almond shaped eyelids! After, I set all the black liner with a black eyeshadow from Cover Girl on a crappy ELF Eyeliner Brush just to have a little more precision versus a pencil shaped smudger! The eyeshadow also intensified and mattified the black liner for both the top and bottom liner, which is what I love! When all the blackness was all done and over with I really needed to brighten up the inner half of my eye because it was looking a little lifeless, I must say. So, I used a yellow based nude Avon Glimmer Stick on the inner part of my bottom lash line and on my inner tear duct as a base for where I wanted to my Victoria's Sevret white with gold shimmer in it so it wouldn't budge and it automatically brought some light into my eyes!

For my eyelashes, I didn't to anything crazy, I just curled them and put two coats of my Benefit's They're Real Mascara in Black on my top lashes and one coat of The Falsies Big Eyes in Blackest Black lower lash side for my bottom lashes and that's all! 

Lips: 

I absolutely LOVE a bold lip, but sometimes it can get a little tricky! To achieve the perfect dark lip, I started off by putting some very hydrating lip balm on as soon as I started my makeup so my lips would be nice and moisturized and prepped! After doing my whole face of makeup and hair, I always do my lips! After I knew I wouldn't be drinking anything or eating and felt like my lips were moisturized enough, I lined my lips with a Cover Girl lip liner in natural and then began to do my lips that took the longest out of this look because precision is key to a dark lip! For my dark lip, I chose my favorite dark plum color which is Mary Kay's True Dimensions Lipstick in Mystic Plum and I love it because it's dark, edgy and compliments my skin tone! Anyways, I always start off with using a brush when I'm working with a dark lip, it ensures precise lines and an even application, the brush I use is a lip brush I got in a random Victoria's Secret Brush Kit for Christmas a couple years ago, it's easy to work with and the brush tip is little and narrow which is perfect for me since I do have smaller lips! I first line my lips with my brush the desired color, go back in with the same brush to fill it in evenly and then use the tube for application to build up my desired opaqueness and show the true color! After, I'm at my desires look, I take a square of toilet paper split it in half if it's two plied, set it over my lips and use my Rimmel Stay Matte powder with my powder brush and dab it over my lips to ensure a longer wear! :) 

Beauty Pointer: From what I've heard, everything matte is totally on trend this Spring season! :)

Here's The Final Look ❤️ 

My Outfit I Wore For The Night:

Brandy Melville's FANCY AS FUCK Crop Tee

Victoria's Secret Basic Black Leggings

Gilly Hicks Burgundy Hoodie

Vans Leopard/Black Sk8Hi Wedges

Love you guys!

XOXO

My Modeling Story and Ultimate Dream

Photo Credit: DivineSkye Photography

Photographer: Megan Lunsford

Taking the Leap:

My first actual big photo shoot that I had was back in 2011 with Sharon Arnoldi Photography and let me tell you, I've became a totally different person after this shoot. I began to accept myself for who I am, love myself and tell myself that I'm beautiful. 

Photo Credit: Sharon Arnoldi Photography

Photo Credit: Sharon Arnoldi Photography

Photo Credit: Sharon Arnoldi Photography 

This particular shoot, sparked my interest even more, raised my self esteem and began to really get into model for fun. 

DivineSkye Photography: 

I'm sure you've seen all my photo credits from DivineSkye Photography and after my very first photo shoot with Megan Lunsford (the owner) I had a turning point in my "career" as a model. After our first shoot, I knew that modeling as a career was my ultimate dream! 

Photo Credit: DivineSkye Photography

Photo Credit: DivineSkye Photography

Seriously, as soon as I saw these pictures, I was incredibly proud of myself for making the move to ask Megan if I could model for her and I couldn't thank her enough!

My Ultimate Dream:

I'm not going to lie, to be a model as my career is my biggest dream. Modeling, is one of the most amazing feelings ever. To be in front of a camera, wearing a cute outfit, having your make up and hair done is literally what makes me the happiest.

Ever since I can remember, I always loved being in front of a camera. My Mom took so many pictures of me and did pretty much on a daily basis to document my life. I loved posing, looking cute and when the film was developed and seeing pictures of me is one of my fondest memories. 

My ultimate and hands down the biggest dream of mine is to model for Vans, Pacsun and any big brand! Since I've been working for Vans, there are always gigantic new canvases of girls modeling the collection for the season and that's ultimately what I want in life. I want to be known as a Vans Girl and be on a canvas or magazine to see I've caught my dream. If I could do that for any brand, I'd be honored and even more honored if it was for Vans because I do work for them and seeing my face in Pacsun campaign or anything like that would be so awesome. Some day, I will achieve my dream. 

XOXO

Fashion Inspiration and Style 💋

Outfit Modeled: Creme Lace Dress from Vans, Leopard KIRRA cardigan from Pacsun, Black/Silver Tights from Forever 21, Black Glitter Belt from Forever 21, Bunny Hat used as a scarf is from Megan Lunsford's Wardrobe and Leopard/Black Sk8Hi Wedges from Vans

Photo Credit: Divineskye Photography 

Photographer: Megan Lunsford

Outfit Shown: Elephant Tanktop from Brandy Melville, Military Inspired coat from Abercrombie&Fitch, White Super Skinny Jeans from Hollister and a Brown Braided Leather Belt from Abercrombie and Fitch

 

Outfit Shown: White Dress from Hollister and Navy Authentic Lo Pros from Vans

Photo Credit: Divineskye Photography

Photographer: Megan Lunsford

Finding Inspiration: 

For me personally, finding fashion inspiration isn't hard at all. I look to what others are wearing everywhere, nature, Pinterest, Instagram, YouTube, Teen Vogue Magazines, Bloggers and my own Vans store that I work at.

In my world, I'm exposed to all things fashion. Working for Vans, I get to see the look books for each season before a collection is launched and I'm inspired by all of it to take the looks I love and incorporate it into what I wear on a daily basis. Now, I'm the type of person who will buy a shirt, cut it up into a crop tanktop and distress it. 

I know for some people, looking for fashion inspiration isn't the easiest to find. I suggest if you're having a hard time or not really sure about fashion just walk around the mall, look at their mannequins and what they're styled in and decide whether it's something you like or dislike! It's okay to not know anything about fashion but if you're looking to be more stylish, you can also go to a friend who might be into fashion and try some of her clothes on to get an idea of what you like and are comfortable in! 

Personal Style:

I love the whole "Rock n' Roll," grungy, dark, edgy look probably 95% of the time. I love my blacks what can I say?! Though, my wardrobe is very dark, I like to add jewelry for just a pop to make an outfit interesting. I love pairing gold statement necklaces with solid black pieces to add some color and trend to an outfit. 

Outfit Shown: Dark Rinse Super Skinny Jeans from Hollister, Dark Brown Leather Belt from American Eagle, Black V-Neck from Forever 21, Black Cotton Blazer from Macy's, Gold and Black Tribal Inspired Necklace from Forever 21 and the Black and Gold Braided Headband is from Forever 21

See how the gold makes it more interesting?! 

I have another side to my wardrobe, it's not all black, edgy and hardcore, it's really actually the EXACT OPPOSITE! I'm not gonna lie, I love me some Abercrombie&Fitch and Hollister. I love the beachy laid back girly style and their clothes always fit me perfectly since I am quite little to say the least! I'm not gonna lie, I love all of their dresses, pants, t-shirts, fragrance and everything because it is very feminine and that's what I love about those brands.

Outfit: Dark Rince Super Skinny Jeans from Hollister, Navy T-Shirt from Abercrombie, Brown Leather Belt from American Eagle and I don't know where this Brown Faux Leather Jacket is from :P

Fashion Idol: 

Let's talk about her outfit? Can we say perfect?! 

Hanna Beth is literally like my fashion idol, her look is dark, grungy, laid back, edgy and totally Rock n' Roll but she can also be very boho, classic and girly, that's what I love about her! I've looked to her as a role model as well as fashion idol for about 7 years and she has always stayed true to her personal style. She takes things that she loves and shows who she is as a person through her wardrobe and that's something I try to achieve! 

Advice: Your personal style doesn't have to be one specific type, mixing and matching is fun and adds uniqueness to you! Style, is showing who you are through your clothes, so make what inspires you, your own! Don't copy everything you see, just because you feel like you have to be wearing what's on the mannequins to be "cool." Just be you and wear what you love! 

XOXO 

Rock What You Love and Work it!

Outfit: Vans High Low Hemmed Skirt in Heather (now unavailable in retail Vans stores) Brandy Melville "Fancy as Fuck" Crop T-Shirt, Brandy Melville "Bitch Don't Kill my Vibe" Beanie (from www.brandymelville.com) and Vans Authentic Lo Pros Black/Black (cropped out, but are available online and in retail Vans stores) 

Brandy Melville's "Bitch Don't Kill my Vibe" tank (from www.brandymelville.com) 

Brandy Melville's "Fancy as Fuck" Crop T-Shirt and "Bitch Don't Kill my Vibe" Beanie (all from www.brandymelville.com)

I'm not gonna lie, some of my wardrobe can be very controversial as to what is "acceptable" and what is not. I have a beanie and tanktop from Brandy Melville that says "Bitch Don't Kill My Vibe" and a crop t-shirt from Brandy Melville that says "Fancy as Fuck" and quite honestly I am in love with all of those pieces in my wardrobe. 

I really don't care what parents say or what looks I get when I wear certain things. If you're a parent and telling your younger child to never wear a certain shirt, good for you for doing your job as a parent. The thing is, is that I'm not a parent, I am an adult. I make my own decisions, I love fashion, I love expressing myself and though I like to set good examples for younger girls, I need to be me and not conform into a person that I'm not, simply because others disagree with something as basic as a T-shirt. It's part of me, it's expressing myself. "Bitch Don't Kill My Vibe" by Kendrick Lamar is literally one of my favorite songs and Brandy Melville happens to be one of my all time favorite brands, so why wouldn't I wear something that I love because it's not "appropriate" to a conservative crowd?

I believe if you really love an article of clothing or really anything, rock it! It takes confidence to express yourself. At first you might feel a little uncomfortable with all the dirty looks you're getting from parents but seriously, who cares what they think. If you feel beautiful, powerful and confident in what you're wearing, then WEAR IT.

BUT, here's the catch...(there's always a catch,) 😉 If you're in High School you do have to follow the dress code, the dress code rules are set in place so what you're wearing doesn't become a distraction, which in my opinion is fair. School is not a fashion show, you're there to learn, not to walk a runway. So, for you younger ladies in Middle School and High School you all need to abide by the rules, unless you want to wear an ugly bright orange shirt that looks like you're going to jail for the whole school to see and mock you. (That's how it was when I was in High School.) 

For the ladies who have jobs and need to be business professional, sorry to say, but you have to follow your work places rules too, I abide by the dress code at Vans and I'm okay with that and it's nothing to protest against. Plus for me, I love everything I own from Vans because let's get real, it's totally my style. 

If I'm out and about, hanging out with friends, going to dinner, shopping, running errands or at a place where there is not a certain dress code, I whip out my favorite clothes and wear them and so should you! If you spend money on clothes that you love, wear them and not waste your money! I don't have one thing that I love that I don't wear, I believe in wearing what I own and getting my use out of them. Seriously, just love what you own, rock what you're wearing and feel good about yourself, whether you feel powerful, pretty, innocent or even a "Bad Bitch" then wear it, have no regrets and be confident because you're one of a kind!

Tip: If you want to be a little more discrete about your shirt, wear a cardigan over it! When I'm out running errands and want to look a little more presentable and put together, I throw on a solid cream cardigan from Abercrombie and Fitch to tone down the boldness of the shirt!

Don't forget to be smart about where you're wearing certain things, but don't forget to WORK IT HONEY 😉❤️

XOXO

50 Things About Me :)

Photo Credit: Divineskye Photography

Location: Red Rocks Open Space

Outfit: Cream Lace Dress from Vans, pantyhose from Forever 21, Leopard Cardigan from Pacsun, Leopard Sk8Hi Wedges from Vans, Bunny Hat from Megan Lunsford, Belt from Forever 21

50 Things About Me! 

1.) My full name is Kaitlin Marie McBride

2.) I was born on September 11, 1994

3.) I am a Colorado native

4.) I love video games

5.) I am a musician and play 6 different instruments. 

6.) I was adopted into a family at 9 days old

7.) My Vietnamese name is Tahn Mae Do, it means "Brilliant Flower" 

8.) I was in marching band all through out High School

9.) I'm a germaphobe

10.) My favorite color is pink if you couldn't tell :)

11.) I love that I can street race and shift effortlessly without getting nervous

12.) I get my adrenaline rush from drifting and being irresponsible 

13.) Working on cars is one of my hobbies 

14.) I never got pulled over or have gotten a ticket in my '05 Hyundai Elantra GT Sedan that was modified 

15.) I swear that cops are out to get me in my '09 Hyundai Sonata

16.) My next car is a matte black '06 STI

17.) I get road rage. 

18.) I've liked the same person for almost 2 years

19.) I love Vans

20.) I'm a hopeless romantic but also jaded

21.) I know that I want to be in the beauty, fashion and social media industry

22.) I love modeling

23.) I was told I was 100% Vietnamese, I don't know if I believe that

24.) I'm extremely goofy and weird 

25.) I always voice my opinions and don't fear to at all

26.) I'm really loud and obnoxious

27.) I usually order a Chai Cream Frappachino at Starbucks

28.) Spring is my favorite season

29.) I love to make people feel awkward to laugh at their reaction 

30.) When I think something is funny, I laugh uncontrollably for a very long time

31.) I like to pull pranks, I'm the ultimate prankster

32.) Making dry ice bombs is the best

33.) I love four wheeling with my cousins in Kansas

34.) I absolutely love blogging because it gives me a since of freedom to express myself fully

35.) I have the mouth of a sailor 

36.) I know if there is ever a zombie apocalypse, I will not survive

37.) I think I'm funny at times

38.) I love movies

39.) My diet is mostly vegetarian but I do not consider myself a vegetarian

40.) Working out is one way I release anger and stress

41.) I was raised in a church and now that I'm older I have become agnostic

42.) I love working for Vans

43.) I love to talk, I never shut up

44.) My gold iPhone 5S is awesome 

45.) A few of my favorite bands and artists are A Day to Remember, Pierce the Veil, Mayday Parade, I See Stars, Sleeping With Sirens, There For Tomorrow, All Time Low, The Word Alive, A Skylit Drive, Bobby Darin, Nat "King" Cole, Elvis Presley, Kanye West and Drake. 

46.) I love classical music

47.) I'm passionate about fashion

48.) I want to be a good role model for my younger audience 

49.) I love to make a positive impact on people and helping others 

50.) I absolutely love life 

Photo shoot with Divineskye Photography :)

Photo Credit thanks to Divineskye Photography

Photographer: Megan Lunsford

Megan's Facebook: https://facebook.com/DivineSkye

Let's start off with, I've been working on this for the past couple days! Sorry for being MIA but, this picture is so worth it, right?! Right ;)

So, modeling is literally one of my all time favorite things to do. It relaxes me and I love everything about it, maybe because I'm a tad bit narcissistic. To me, modeling is my ability to express myself in pictures and showing that yeah, I might be little but that's not going to stop me from pursuing my dreams. 

I seriously love that Megan the photographer from Divineskye Photography and I work so well together and have a lot of fun! I've had shoots where the photographer doesn't really get me and my personality and isn't really clear on a vision or direction which doesn't help me as the model know what I need to do, how I need to pose, what I need to do with my face, etc. With Megan, it's like magic and we get so many "money shots" as I call them, because she has a very creative outlook and a vision that I understand and know what I need to do, to work it! 

Since this is a fashion and beauty blog, let me tell you about what I'm wearing! For this shoot, we really went for a wintery kind of direction since it is winter out here in Colorado! So, I took inspiration from New York winter fashion with an edgy kind of vibe. I absolutely LOVE leopard print, I always have and always will! Which is why these Sk8Hi Wedges from Vans made me base an outfit around them! They're such a bold and different shoe which is why I wore them again for this shoot! 

Vans is kind of a theme in my wardrobe since I do work for them and their clothes really reflect me as a person! Classic, different, edgy, a little eclectic and definitely trendy! I can't even tell you how much I love the brand and especially this dress I'm wearing by them! Now, we got this during back to school season and I'm still wearing it, even though it's the middle of winter! I love the lace detail in this dress and the modest neckline which gives the look such a feminie feel to this overall photo shoot. Winter isn't really on my side when it comes to wanting to wear pieces that I love and that's why I paired it with these black pantyhose with silver glitter detail on the side from Forever 21 and this leopard studded cardigan from Pacsun! If I didn't have these pieces to keep me warm, I would have literally died!

I mean come on...this bunny hat pulls this entire outfit together!! So this is Megan's bunny ear hat and it's literally the softest thing I've EVER put onto my head and I love how much more Asian it makes me look! The more Asian I look, the better!

For my makeup, I kept it very simple, neutral and pretty. I felt like since my outfit was so bold, I really needed to keep my face simple so it wouldn't look so overwhelming and I'm so happy I kept it neutral! All I did was my foundation, contoured my face a little heavier as normal since I was being photographed, swiped a champagne color all over my lid, a black winged eyeliner, a nude lip with a nude lipgloss, mascara and a pair of lashes! 

I'll be back on daily with new content!

XOXO 

How To Get My Signature Eye look

This is my all time go to eye look for when I have let's say a date, an event or anytime that I want to just feel pretty! It's all about flawless skin and sexy eyes! It doesn't take too long to do either! All you need is a tinted moisturizer, your favorite medium-full coverage foundation, a bronzer for contouring, a face highlighter, a setting powder, eye primer, eyebrow powder, black gel eyeliner, a black retractable black eyeliner, a champagne colored eyeshadow, an eye shadow that is closest to your skin color and black mascara! Now, I prefer to use brushes and the brushes that I'm absolutely loving and use everyday are the SEPHORA COLLECTION Prestige Luxe Brush Set and use all of these to achieve my look! 

Okay, now that you know what you need, let's jump into it! 

Step one: Make sure you're working on a clean canvas! 

Your skin needs to be squeaky clean and moisturized! Before I start, I always make sure my skin is exfoliated with the St. Ives Apricot Scrub, toned with the Neutrogena Anti- Acne Stress toner to prevent my breakouts and follow up with my Garnier Skin Renew BB Cream in light/medium to even out my skin tone since I do have some scarring from when I had acne when I was younger.

Step two: Flawless Looking Skin Time! 

This is my favorite part! Making my skin look absolutely flawless gives me that extra boost like a good bra! I go in with ONE pump of my MAC Studio Fix in NW15 on the back of my hand, dot the foundation all over my face to ensure an even application, dip my Sephora Stippling Brush from the Prestige Luxe Set in what's left on the back of my hand and start from the center of my face blending out with a stippling motion until it's completely blended down to my neck!

Step Three: Contouring and Highlighting!

Since I do have higher cheekbones I like to enhance it with contouring, giving me that really sunken in hollows of my cheeks! I don't do a ton of contouring since I want the focus point to be my eyes. All I do is dip my Sephora Angled Brush into my Marbalized Bronzer in Peach Bronze from Avon and apply it to the hollows of my cheeks aligned with where my pupil is, dragging it back to my ears, making sure it's blended very well! I also contour my jaw bone and under my chin to have a very defined face! Now, using my MAC Mineralized Skinfinish in Porcelain Pink with the Sephora Buffing Brush patting it right on top of my cheeks. This brush picks up just the amount of product and gives me precise precision of where I want my highlighter placed. 

Steps four-ten: It's all about the eyes right?!

Alright it's time for the most time consuming part of this look! We gotta prime those eyes so you don't look like a raccoon and get greasy so use your favorite eye primer! I use Urban Decay's Primer Potion in original! Now since, your eyes are primed it's time to work some magic on your eyebrows! The Anastasia Brow Kit in Brunette is my favorite eyebrow powder and gel I've ever used! For my brows, I like to keep them fairly bold when I have a dramatic eye and fill them in with an old ELF Eyeliner Brush, brush them out with a spoolie and set them in place with the Anastasia Brow Gel in clear! 

Now we're ready to move onto my signature cateye look! I use Maybelline's Eye Shadow in Champagne patting it all over my lid with Sephora's Flat Shader Brush, blending it out a little bit with my finger and placing MACs Brule with any blending brush I have that's clean into my crease to tone the shimmer down, I don't like looking like a disco ball ;)

The hardest part is the eyeliner and that's what it's time for. I start with my Sephora Angled Eyeliner Brush with a tiny amount of my Maybelline Eye Studio Gel Eyeliner in black, marking where I want it to end on my top lid, making sure that both eyes are even! Once I'm happy with each eye, I pick up more product and with highest point of the brush I place it where the very end of my tick mark is and start to drag the brush into my inner tear duct stopping about half way, pick up more product, turn my brush the opposite way starting in the inner part of my eye connecting it to my established line, then touching up where I feel is needed. When I'm satisfied, I go in with a regular retractable black eyeliner on my lower lash line connecting it with the winged liner on top! Then going in with a smudger pencil brush and smudging it out to give me a smokier look! When all the black eyeliner is done, it's time to come back in highlighting the inner tear duct with the Maybelline Eyeshadow in Champagne and this is what ties the whole look together! After I take a step back, look at myself making sure it's all even, it's time to curl and coat my eyelashes two times with Benefit Cosmetic's They're Real Mascara in Black making my eyelashes look perfect! 

Step eleven: Don't let your hardwork slide off your face!

Sliding makeup isn't cute for anyone so let's set it all in place with powder! I use Rimmel's Stay Matte Powder in Translucent to keep me from getting oily and my foundation from transferring! 

Step twelve: Add a little bit of color back into you!

This is optional, but I love pink lips so I put some color back into my face with NYXs Mega Shine Lip Gloss in Beige to add a little bit of girlyness into the darker eye look!

Now you're all done loves! Tell me what kind of an event you'd wear this look too!

XOXO 

Cozy days and Cuddles with Cookie :)

Meet my Poodle Cookie!!

I believe you should all get to know me on a very personal level, I think y'all should know that I'm just a normal person just sharing my interests with the world. I want you guys to also see just the normal, weird, goofy, always taking selfies Katie because let's get real, that's just who I am! Every night, I plan on writing a post that breaks down my day, what I'm working on, what's on my mind and all of those kind of things, with a very not so formal way of typing and talking to all of you the way I'd talk in "real life." haha or even the way I would text some one! :P <---- (That's my favorite face to use!) But honestly, I woke up this morning, took this picture, started up my blog and really thought about what I wanted in life. I seriously thought I wouldn't have an audience at all and this would kind of be like my Facebook and within an hour I was over like 200 views. I am so so so thankful for all of you who take the time and read what I have to say and view my blog! It means so much to me and I really hope this whole thing turns out the way I hope it does! I know it's not going to be easy in any way but it's totally worth it. I'm going to pursue my dreams and so should everyone else :) Goodnight everyone! Talk to all y'all tomorrow!

XOXO

Holy Grail Product: Benefit Cosmetic's They're Real?! Mascara Review!!

I'm going to be real honest here, I've NEVER in my life have tried a mascara so life changing! I've tried Maybelline's The Falsies and pretty much every mascara on the drugstore market and they have always made my lashes droop and clump which is not my desired look or style. I'm a regular at Sephora and Ulta and I finally gave in about a year ago and have tested this mascara out for an entire year to give my personal review of it. Now, let's start from the beginning about my lashes. I was not born with long, thick, curly and beautiful lashes. My eyelashes are thin and grow straight down, which is so annoying, but it is very typical for Asians. I wouldn't say they're sparse... but they are fragile so, I definitely don't curl them everyday. In fact, Benefit's They're Real Mascara in black, does everything for me with two coats. It curls, lengthens and makes my lashes way more voluminous which is PERFECT. In this picture my eyebrows are only filled in and all I have is mascara on. Looking put together in a minimal amount of time for everyday is my kind of deal. I hope to review way more of Benefit Cosmetic's products on here and be 100% honest with all of you! I hope you guys have a great day! Don't forget to follow my Instagram @callmeekatiee it's my favorite social media site! :D