Author Archives: Rae Nudson

Sometimes, all your look needs to go from work to play, is a little change in your make up. Just a little bit can make you feel fresh, and give you a boost to change your attitude.

I talked a little bit earlier this week about how great eye shadow palettes can be. And it’s true. I use a purple palette from Mac just about every day. This is mostly because it’s a great palette that works for day and night and only a little bit because I like easy and consistent make up routines that take 30 seconds. Now I tried to show you on my eye, but it turns out my eyes have really small eye space, which makes it hard to see eye shadow demonstrations. I don’t know if that’s a thing, but I’m pretty sure I heard a make up artist at the department store say that once. Anyway, so instead of my eyes, I made this handy chart.

 

This works with any four shades, of any color. I like this look for daytime, it’s easy, pretty, makes your eyes pop, and it’s easy. Sweep the second lightest color all over your lids, from eyelash to eyebrow. Place the darker color in the crease of your eye, for color and dimension and all that jazz. The lightest color can be used to lighten up your eye and make it look bigger, just dab some in the corner of your eye. You can also use it under/over your eyebrows as a highlighter. For the eyeliner, I like to wet the brush, and sweep the darkest color along just the outside of the top lash line. That also helps make your eyes look bigger: dark on the outside corner, light on the inside corner. To take it to night, shake it up. Add some eyeliner on your bottom lashes or more color, go for a cat eye, or use all the colors and do a smokey eye. (Bergdorfs does a good tutorial on a smokey eye here.)

Another great thing about eye palettes? Easy to carry. Throw it in your bag and change your look on the go!

Happy Friday!

It was Christmas last weekend in the Rae/#fatcat household.

I decorated the tree, and made some cookies. The cookies have little reindeer faces on them, if you can’t tell. It’s adorbs.

And as I got into a festive frame of mind, it got me thinking: What am I going to wear to the office holiday party?

Now, the holiday office party is a pretty unique kind of holiday party. I think it calls for a little bit of a special outfit. You’ll probably be seeing everyone you work with, don’t you want to look awesome? And professional, of course. The hard part, I think, is striking a festive and uber professional balance. After all, you’ll be spending the evening with your boss and your work bff. You have to literally go from your cubicle to the party. How do you dress for both gossipy boozing and professional facetime on top of a regular work day? So I went to the drawing board.

In the comments, please vote for holiday look 1, 2, or 3 to decide what I will wear.

Just kidding, I don’t own any of those clothes.

But if there ever were a time you were afraid to wear sequins to the office, holiday party day is the day of all days you should go for it. Make sure whatever is sequined is a professional shape (absolutely no mini anything), and pair it with a knit or a chambray or plain ol’ cotton to counter the sparkle. I’m also pro colorblocking with holiday colors (bonus points if you pattern block and wear tweed). It’s ok to be a little cheesy at work and wear red and green to the Christmas party, especially when you look awesome doing it. And for the jewelry? Go glam or go home.

I’ll share what I’m wearing….once I decide (yikes).

—EDIT—

Here’s what I really wore!

Last week, you saw a peek into a holiday wish list. Because it’s Monday, and because I love lists, here’s another gift guide/wish list for any beauty item you might need to perk yourself up after partying too hard over the weekend. A few of these are tried and true products I have tried myself, and a few are recommended by people I trust. All would be great additions to any girl’s holiday party supplies.

• 1. A while ago, I found out a friend of mine liked all the same scents as me, only he was a guy and liked the guy version, and I am a girl and liked the girl version. We are fraternal fragrant twins. Sadly, there is no male cologne version of this, that I know of, but my new favorite perfume is without a doubt this lovely Oscar de la Renta Esprit d’Oscar (shop with at the links!). I got a free sample when I liked Oscar on Facebook, and, man, does it smell good.
• 2. This Nars illuminator is something I never would have tried if it didn’t come highly recommended by @oscarprgirl. I tried, I love, I pass on to you. Would be a great gift for someone who wants to play with new looks, but wouldn’t drop the dough themselves on a product they haven’t tried before. Place a small amount on your fingers (or, you know, a make up sponge if you want to be professional about it) and sweep the apple of your cheeks, bridge of your nose, right above your eyebrows, and across your decolletage to look awake, radiant, and like you really have it all together. It’s a game changer my friends, and it comes in several colors for many skin tones. 
• 3. An eye shadow palette. So many colors! So much fun! This one is Bare Minerals, because my friend commented the other day about how she can’t stop thinking about it. Mindy Kaling suggests Urban Decay. I have this one from Mac that I use pretty much every day. Later on this week I’ll show you how eye palettes can do wonders for taking your look from day to night! Get excited.
• 4. I love a cat eye. It just works for me, and I probably abuse the privilege. To make the perfect cat eye, @thisthatbeauty recommends this Stila waterproof liquid eyeliner. It comes in lots of colors, and waterproof will help it last until New Year’s day.
• 5. This Yves Saint Laurent Radiant Touch Touche Eclat comes highly recommended by @Bergdorfs. Can you tell I have a thing for looking bright eyed and bright skinned and bright everything else? I haven’t tried this yet, but always wanted to, and @Bergdorfs has never steered me wrong before. When she discovered it, it filled my Twitter feed for a solid two weeks, so it must be really good.
• 6. A make up brush kit! You’ve already heard how much I love this idea. How often do you buy fancy brushes for yourself? And how often do you hear about how much they matter in your make up routine? The answers are never and often, respectively.
• 7. For stocking stuffers, why not some great chapsticks, tinted or otherwise? If I can help it, I don’t go anywhere without Bert’s Bees’ Pomegranate lip balm. The Cut recommends Fresh’s Sugar Passion. 
• 8. For another stocking stuffer, grab a few nail polishes in fun holiday colors, and your girl will be set for manicured-New Years fun. A few of my favorites are Essie and OPI, which you can find at your local Sephora or drug store, and OPI has a killer Muppets collection that looks really fun for sparkly holiday glam.

My favorite make up gift idea, however, is to give a gift certificate on the condition you take your girl (whether its a friend, lady friend, sister, mother, aunt, whoever) into the store to get her make up done and try it all on and pick a few items you love, together. Fun day out, right?

Whew that was a long list. Hope it gave you some ideas for any make up loving friend and/or yourself. Look for more lists this month and a day-to-night eye palette post later this week!

Although I haven’t put up my Christmas tree yet, Rockefeller did light their’s last night, so let’s get in the Christmas spirit shall we? Or more specifically the present spirit. Now one of the most fun parts of Christmas that I know you’ll never admit to anyone is having a reason to think of all the cool presents you want. So here’s a sneak peak of some gift lists I’ll be throwing around over the next few weeks.

• 1. A PS1 bag. Because a girl can dream, right?
• 2. A make up brush kit. As @Bergdorfs reminds me each Sunday that I should be cleaning my make up brushes, I remember I should in fact buy some first. Would be a great gift for any makeup lover.
• 3. Craft supplies! These are coasters from the Purl Bee, think how many crafts and presents for others you could make!
• 4. A Kindle, the new touch screen. For book lovers, I highly recommend. 
• 5. Some sweet arm candy. This cuff is Dannijo. Fun and cheap arm candy knockoffs are also much appreciated (maybe even preferable).

These are few things on my list, but I’ll be coming up with a variety of lists for some gift ideas for yourself and your loved ones. What’s on your list?? Tell me please.