Gardening in High Heels

cultivate a beautiful life

Pin-up Inspired Look – The Makeup Mix-Up

I was feeling pretty good about this Makeup Mix-Up post. I had a solid idea of what I wanted to do thanks to Emily’s comment last week. So I tested the look and I was like yeah..this is it. And I did the makeup for real, shot the photos, and was getting ready to transfer them to my computer when I saw a tweet that was like, “12 Halloween looks that only require makeup!” and the photo attached was this insane iridescent mermaid scale look and that’s just going to blow my pin-up inspired look out of the water.

No pun intended. Well, maybe a little.

Anyway.. Emily mentioned that Halloween is all about being playful and sexy and suggested something like a pin-up girl. Any look that allows me to rock a red lip is cool by me.

Pin-Up Inspired Halloween Look for The Makeup Mix-Up | Gardening In High Heels

In my mind, a pin-up girl is flirty and fun and doesn’t take herself too seriously. But her lips are always on point and her eyes are bright. Instead of just a plain black cat eye, I decided to go one step further and add a little color. I chose purple because it doesn’t compete too much with the lips and it complements my eyes. I can also see this working with gold, blue, green..really anything as long as you do it with confidence.

Pin-Up Inspired Halloween Look | Gardening In High Heels

Pin-Up Inspired Halloween Look | Gardening In High Heels   Pin-Up Inspired Halloween Look | Gardening In High Heels

As much as I love makeup, I can’t do my hair to save my soul. I would have loved to rock some victory curls, but lord knows that wasn’t going to happen. So I went with a big bouffant. It totally goes with my polar-bear thermal shirt.

Pin-Up Inspired Halloween Look | Gardening In High Heels

Products used:

  • Naked Skin Foundation
  • Benefit Hi Beam Highlighter
  • Revlon Colorstay Bronzer in Bronzed & Chic
  • Sephora Baked Sculpting Trio in Sassy
  • Revlon Brow Fantasy in Brunette
  • Lorac Unzipped Palette
  • Maybelline Color Tattoo 24 Hour Metal in Painted Purple
  • Mary Kay Liquid Eyeliner in Black
  • Benefit They’re Real Mascara
  • NYC New York Color Angel Lash Mascara
  • Forever21 Love&Beauty Lipstick in Brick

What are you being for Halloween?

I’m joining in on the Makeup Mix-Up with Making Mrs. M and Miranda Writes.

Have you entered my You Guys Totally Rock so Here’s a Bunch of Things I Like and I Think You’ll Like, Too Giveaway? You should probably check it out. Like, now.

How to know when you need a blog break

Okay. So. Not to be entirely self-pitying, but I’ve had a rough couple of months. Between moving, problems with my mom, fluctuating responsibilities at work, and trying to keep personal relationships from sinking…things around here got a little quiet. Anything that wasn’t absolutely essential to keep in the air got dropped.

I really turned inward and didn’t want to broadcast my problems for the internet. Airing dirty laundry takes on a whole new level when it’s available world-wide (not that I flatter myself that someone in Paris is reading this, buuuut….)

And while I wrote about what I learned from blogging every day, I didn’t write about what I learned from not writing when my heart wasn’t there and how to know when you need a blog break.

How to know when you need to take a blog break (and a giveaway from Gardening In High Heels)

How do you know when you need a break? When you’re heart isn’t in it. It’s that simple. You need to take a step back to reconnect with what you love doing. Creatively rejuvenate yourself. That’s a post for another day, but I know my writing struggles when it just isn’t exciting me and I can bet it’s the same way for you, too.

So what did I learn from taking a blog break?

Of course, there are the practical things I’ve learned like I should have kept up with the promotion and sharing old posts through Facebook and Twitter. I mean, it makes sense. But again, my heart just wasn’t there. So do as I say and not as I do: still go through your popular posts and promote the hell out of them. Even if you aren’t producing new material, still share old material.

Find a new outlet. I turned to Instagram to document what was happening in real life. #BecauseImKeepingItReal

I don’t want to always have this picture-perfect portrayal here because life isn’t picture perfect. And while I want this to be a reintroduction to me and a hello to a new business of sorts, I also want to recognize life’s stumbles. Yes, you need to make sure you’re spelling is correct and your pictures aren’t fuzzy, but you also need to connect with people’s hearts. That’s my belief.

If you don’t have their hearts, all you have are numbers. And what good does that do you?

Another thing I learned from taking a step back is that it’s okay to change your path. You aren’t stuck in one niche forever. You can evolve. You can pivot.

I know, these are all things that are like, “Angelica, you seriously didn’t realize that??” but there’s a difference between knowing something and getting it.

So, back to pivoting on what you’re doing. Jenny Blake is the pivot queen. (She actually wrote about what happens when you try to nail your niche.) I love that we don’t have to keep doing the same thing over and over. Especially if you want to go in another path but feel like you should stay on the route you’re on. That “should” word is a red flag that you need to mix it up.

I’m redefining what I want to write about and letting this be a place for people to learn more about me and my work in a real way. I’ll still write about makeup and the trials of cultivating a beautiful life, but on a more consistent basis again. I’ll also be focusing more on letting this be my outlet and a way to highlight my writing strengths in the hopes that people hire me to write for them (because I love sharing my thoughts with you, but thoughts don’t pay the rent, y’hear me?)

As a thank you to people who have been with me through it all and a welcome for any new readers and friends I’ve made along the way, I want to share some of my favorite things (and let you win them).

How to know when you need to take a blog break (and a giveaway from Gardening In High Heels)

How to know when you need to take a blog break (and a giveaway from Gardening In High Heels)

Of course, my favorite pens, Post Its, and copious amounts of Target dollar spot stationery. My favorite balm + stain that looks great on anyone (it’s the Revlon Balm Stain in Honey) and a few other lip products. A freakin’ hilarious letterpress notebook from Sapling Press in Pittsburgh and purchased at my favorite card shop in the city, Wildcard. And this lovely scarf, of course in gray like everything else I wear. I seriously almost kept the for myself, yo. But I love you guys, so you win. And a few other things I may pick up along the way.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Can you pick out a theme? Me neither. It’s pretty much me in a box. And hopefully if you’re like me, you’ll love this all, too.

What’s your sign to know when you need a break?

PS: You guys rock. Just sayin’.

Five Favorite Fall Essentials

I am a summer girl through and through. I can wear ripped jeans, tank tops, and sandals every day of my life and be happy. Wait…as a “fashion” kinda blogger, should I really admit that? Anyway, when I was younger, fall was everything to me. I loved the start of school, the new opportunities, the pretty piles of leaves to jump in, and just about everything else that came with fall.

Since I was a kid, my list of fall essentials has changed a little bit. I still love the slower pace and the fresh feeling a change of seasons can bring, but I’ve embraced some other fantastic fall things.

Favorite essentials that make it easy to fall in love with fall | Gardening In High Heels

Dark Lipstick + Nails

I mean, really, you should have seen this coming. I’m getting more bold with what I wear to work, which means I can experiment with my lipstick a little more than I have in the past, even last year at this time. For my money, it doesn’t get any better than ColourPop’s Bossy Lippie Stix. It’s a rich red that looks great any time of day. Dazed is also a great color that’s a little richer with a berry hue to it. Revlon has some great options, too, and you can see them in yesterday’s Makeup Mix-Up post.

Of course, I also had to add in dark nails. I love OPI Lincoln Park After Dark, OPI Vampsterdam, Essie Chocolate Kisses, and Essie Velvet Voyeur.

All the Fall Coffee

I’ve been experimenting with homemade pumpkin spice syrup and it wasn’t working until I found a recipe that I love on Gimme Some Lovin’. I realized I was missing the syrup step..kind of essential, but for some reason, I figured my kitchen just magically caramelizes things on its own without heating sugar and water first. Her recipe is amazing. I’ve been adding the syrup to plain coffee and it’s lasted me about two weeks in the fridge.

I also love this list of coffee additions (that aren’t creamer) from Chemistry Cachet.

Scarves + Converse Sneakers

To me, fall is all about dressing for fashion and function..as opposed to winter where I don’t care what I look like as long as I’m warm. It’s function all the way once November hits. I mostly look like Ralphie’s little brother from then until May, so I cling to cute scarves, leather jackets, and Converse sneakers for as long as I can.

I’ve been trying to KonMari my clothes and I can’t cut down my embarrassingly large collection of jeans, sneakers, and scarves. They all bring me joy, damnit, and I’m wearing them for as long as I can.

Scented Candles

If you can’t tell, I’m all about making myself a nest in the fall so I can just stay there throughout the winter. I’ll poke my head out somewhere around February and quickly run back inside. I’m very much like Phil that way. My favorite way to make my space cozy with with candles. I absolutely adore Leaves and Pumpkin Latte and Spice. I can burn through those in a week easily. No pun intended.

I’ve had to place a block on myself this year and force myself to go through my candle collection before I buy any more. I mean, Bath & Body Works does their 2 for $22 sale and then send out a coupon for 20% off and I’m not supposed to use it? Come on.

Good Books

You can’t get comfortable at home and not have a book to curl up with. I’ve been loving Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert, Yes Please by Amy Poehler, People Over Profit by Dale Partridge, If You Find This Letter by Hannah Brencher. Up on my list next is 700 Sundays by Billy Crystal, Appetite for Life by Noel Riley Fitch, and What Would Google Do? by Jeff Jarvis. It’s quite a mix. I can’t read one genre for long without mixing it up a little.

What do you do to prepare yourself for cold weather with your fall essentials?

 

Vampy Vixen – The Makeup Mix-Up

Playing with makeup is great fun for me, but I tend to do the same thing over and over. I’m definitely stuck in a makeup rut. So I thought I would join in on the Makeup Mix-Up with Making Mrs. M and Miranda Writes. This week’s challenge: Vampy Vixen.

Vampy Vixen Makeup for the Makeup Mix-Up challenge using Urban Decay Naked 3 and Urband Decay Smoked palette | Gardening In High Heels

Now I’m not one for dramatic smoky eyes every day. I typically wear the same two styles: one all-over shadow or a simple smoke for daytime with purples/golds. So to jump in with this on Vampy Vixen is kinda like, “If I’m going to do this, I’m going to go balls to the wall.”

When I think Vixen, I think a strong cat-eye, lots of lashes, and bold lips. But when you throw in “vampy,” well, you gotta kick it up a little. When you do a Pinterest search for “vampy makeup,” it’s all dark, smoky eyes and blood red lips. That’s where I first went with this, but then I decided to do things a little differently.

To me, a vixen carries her power in her eyes. If looks could kill, you’d have already died. So I really wanted to focus on the eyes and bringing a lot of drama with a smudged out smoky cat eye.

True story, I had an entirely different look planned out, but it ended up being too dark. I need to have a little brightness to get the power in my eyes to stand out, so instead of dark all the way up to the lashes, I focused some gold on the inner corner and really smoked out the corners.

Vampy Vixen Makeup for the Makeup Mix-Up challenge using Urban Decay Naked 3 and Urband Decay Smoked palette | Gardening In High HeelsVampy Vixen Makeup for the Makeup Mix-Up challenge using Urban Decay Naked 3 and Urband Decay Smoked palette | Gardening In High Heels

Talk about if looks could kill…I’m throwin’ some serious shade here.

Vampy Vixen Makeup for the Makeup Mix-Up challenge using Urban Decay Naked 3 and Urband Decay Smoked palette | Gardening In High Heels

Vampy Vixen Makeup for the Makeup Mix-Up challenge using Urban Decay Naked 3 and Urband Decay Smoked palette | Gardening In High Heels

Products used:

  • Urban Decay Naked 3 / Smoked palettes
  • Pop Cat Eyes in Black Dahlia
  • Urban Decay 24/7 Glide On Pencil in Uzi
  • Maybelline Color Tattoo 24 Hour Metal in Barely Branded
  • ColourPop Lippie Pencil in Tootsi
  • Revlon ColorBurst Matte Balm in 215 Shameless
  • Urban Decay Naked Skin
  • MAC Mineralize Skinfinish in Light Year

What does “vampy vixen” makeup mean to you?

Next week’s look for the Makeup Mix-Up is Halloween Tease. I have no idea where to even begin with that. Any suggestions?

Sunday Lately, 42

Today…well today I’m just going to dive right into the Sunday Lately topics.  You guys know the drill by now, right?  But first, a shot of my delicious brunch from Marty’s Market in the Strip District yesterday.  Beercakes made with Shipyard Pumpkinhead, delicious Rustbelt maple sausage, and apple cider sangria.  And coffee.  Lots of coffee.

Brunch at Marty's Market in Pittsburgh's Strip District with apple cider sangria and beercakes.

Doing

It feels like I haven’t stopped doing things in ages.  The past few weeks have felt busier than summer when it comes to planned events (and ones that just pop up).  Something that I’m trying to work on is saying No to things that I either don’t feel like doing or don’t have the time to do instead of smashing it all in one day and then not having time for myself.  I came to the realization that I’m very afraid that if I say no once, people will stop asking me to do things with them.  Which is insane…right?  Also, I hate disappointing people.

Appreciating

Everything is a work in progress.  I’m really trying to embrace the philosophy, “Done is better than perfect.”  I get so wrapped up in making sure that everything is perfect and that it’s all going to turn out exactly as I planned it that nothing gets accomplished.  I get stuck in analysis paralysis or whatever you want to call it and my big great wonderful ideas never get to see the light of day.

And that’s just rude to those ideas.  They have feelings you know.  Just ask Elizabeth Gilbert.

Designing

A new media kit!  I’ve been agonizing over it for the past 2 weeks (plus two years) and I finally got so sick of complaining that I have to do it that I just sat down and did the damn thing.  I’m also working on a menu of services, but for now, I’m perfectly happy with my new Work With Me page for businesses, brands, and bloggers.  It’s still a work in progress (see above) but I’m enjoying it.

Humming

Well it seems like nothing new is on Pittsburgh radio right now (I keep hearing the same Death Cab for Cutie / Mumford & Sons singles every time I turn on the radio) so I decided to break out my iPod that I haven’t updated since college.  Let me tell you, it’s a real treat.  Florence + The Machine, Rise Against, and Katy Perry all in one playlist mix?  It’s a beautiful thing.

Expecting

I have no idea what to expect anymore.  What about you?

What have you been up to lately?

Sunday Lately is a weekly linkup with Katy, Nicole and Meghan. Use their themes or use your own. Just remember to link up with them so we can see what is happening with you lately!

Let’s Play

           

People Really Dug These

We Belong in the Garden Together