Halloween 2013

Hi everybody!

This year for Halloween, my brother and I went trick-or-treating. It's been our tradition to go out solo while our parents hand out candy, and I'd be lying if I said I didn't look forward to the occasion. My brother went as the grim reaper, and even let me do his eye makeup for an extra frightening effect. I've been indecisive about my costume the entire month, but yesterday I finally decided to go as Minnie Mouse. I had the ears, and the signature red skirt, so I was good to go! We had a really good time, and it's been awesome seeing more and more kids in our neighborhood participate every year.

Also, this is the last day of Blogtober! It's been a great time, and I've thoroughly enjoyed the month. It went by so fast! I'm definitely looking forward to this next year.

I hope you enjoyed!
<3 Lucero

Song of the Day: This is Halloween from the Nightmare Before Christmas

Bold in Burgundy

Hi everybody!

Today's outfit is something I'd wear out shopping. It's stylish and comfortable to wear, which is the perfect combo! The lovely burgundy skirt is actually a dress, I chose to throw a knotted tee over top of it. I like the dress because it is really silky and single layered, so there isn't too much fabric floating around. The accessories are almost all black, because when in doubt I elect to go dark.

I hope you enjoyed!
<3 Lucero

new grunge top - Zara | burgundy dress - Forever 21 | bracelet - Baublebar | black oxfords - Aldo | black bag - Forever 21

Song of the Day: Blue Monday as sung by Flunk

Bad Hair Day

Hi everybody!

Do you ever have one of those days where your hair flat out refuses to cooperate? Usually, I just begrudgingly stick my hair in a ponytail, but today I decided to switch it up and throw on a gray knit beanie. It keeps everything in place, and is really comfortable to wear. I kept the rest of the outfit really casual, since I didn't want the cap to look too out of place on my head. I also added red lipstick, to distract from my hair failure.

I hope you enjoyed!
<3 Lucero

knit cap - Banana Republic | oversized tee - American Eagle Outfitters | jeggings - Express | sandals - Target | bag - Louis Vuitton

Song of the Day: I Believe by Simian Mobile Disco

Black to the Fuschia

Hi everybody!

Today's outfit, besides being pun riddled, makes for a nice transitional autumn ensemble. It's not quite cool enough yet to really need a sweater, but a scarf can now be added as a complementary piece. I really like this scarf, because the bright hue means the rest of my outfit can be laidback and muted. It also pairs perfectly with my favorite messenger bag!

I hope you enjoyed!
<3 Lucero

gray V-neck shirt - Target | black pants - American Eagle Outfitters | black flats - Zara | fuchsia scarf - Armani Exchange | pink bag - Rebecca Minkoff

Song of the Day: Bruises by Chairlift

All Dolled Up With Nowhere To Go

Hi everybody!

Today I pulled out a lovely old dress I haven't worn in ages. I think it's only been worn to one or two events, such a shame it hasn't seen more action! It has a distorted paisley print that uses lots of autumnesque colors. I really like the cut, because it hits right at the floor and makes me look much taller than I am. Any added height I can get, I will take! I added dark accessories, but nothing too bold. The dress is stunning in and of itself. Also, this is my 100th post on this blog! Here's to 100 more!

I hope you enjoyed!
<3 Lucero

floorlength dress - Kohls for Girls | bag - Louis Vuitton | beaded necklace worn as bracelet - Target | black sandals - Target

Song of the Day: Sleepyhead by Passion Pit 

DIY SpiderWeb Nails

Hi everybody!

I'm back with another easy and fun Halloween themed nail tutorial. Today we're doing spiderweb nails, with an accent spider on the ring finger. You'll need about three or four colors, depending on the color scheme you want. I chose opaque black and gray for the spiderweb nails, and green and sparkly black for the spider nail.

Begin by applying one to two coats of your base colors. I chose green for the accent nail, but purple or blue would also look really nice.

Using a bobby pin as a striping tool, I've dipped it into the gray and begun making the stripes needed for the spiderweb. Then, it was just a matter of connecting them with perpendicular lines.

With the spiderweb nails finished, I moved on to the spider nail. I dropped a dot of nail polish onto the very center of the nail, and drew 8 little sticks pointing outward. You can create bends in the legs, I simply don't have enough room on my nail bed.

Ta-da! You're done!

I hope you enjoyed!
<3 Lucero

Song of the Day: Re - Stacks by Bon Iver

Friday's Fall Favorites

Hi everybody!

With Dubai finally feeling a little bit like autumn, I've made the transition into all of my favorite fall things!

Makeup: On the left, I have the Eyeko Magic Mascara that I received as a sampler in my monthly Birchbox. It adds lovely volume and length to the lashes, which I really enjoy. This formulation is waterproof, which I usually don't wear, but it isn't difficult to remove at all. Next is Rimmel London's lasting finish lipstick in Amethyst Shimmer. It's a wonderful wine color, perfect for fall! I also am really enjoying the Diorskin Nude skin-perfecting concealer. It's lightweight and highly pigmented, perfect for covering up undereye circles. Maybelline's Lash Stiletto liner has been a favorite product of mine for months, because it makes winged liner a breeze. Finally, I've been loving the Urban Decay Naked Skin foundation. It gives a lovely natural finish and is longlasting.

Books: Technically, Allegiant by Veronica Roth isn't a favorite yet. I've just started reading it, but it's the last in the Divergent trilogy, which is one of my absolute favorite book series to date! It has a similar to feel the Hunger Games, with the futuristic dystopian society and inklings of romance.

Food: I love pumpkin spiced flavored foods and drinks. Oddly enough, I actually am not a fan of actual pumpkin pie, but will gladly ingest pumpkin spiced lattes. When I can't make a Starbucks run, I like to make Green Mountain Pumpkin Spice coffee at home. I also really like the pumpkin flavored Hershey Kisses. Be warned, they are incredibly sweet! The fun-sized Kit Kats aren't pumpkin flavored, but they are dyed orange, which is just as good!

Fragrance: Now that fall is upon us, I am thrilled to break out my cooler weather fragrances! My favorite at the moment is Bath and Body Works' Twisted Peppermint, since it smells like candy. I also like the holiday themed hand sanitizers, because there's nothing like killing germs with flair. I like the scents Vampire Blood, Rudy's Cocoa Mint, and Dasher's Apple Mint.

Fitness: My mom and I are planning to run in the Dubai Women's 10k run in November, so I've been training in order to keep up with her. What makes running the most comfortable for me is the proper footwear, as my feet are flatfooted. I am a big fan of Brooks Adrenaline GTS 13, but I can't necessarily recommend it for everybody. It's a quality shoe, but you should choose based on your own foot needs. I also like the Garmin Forerunner 10 GPS watch. Since I do most of my training outdoors, it's helpful to have this watch tell me my total distance and time. Additionally, if you plug it into the computer, you can upload your runs to your Garmin account, where it also tells you other facts about your run such as weather and elevation.

I hope you enjoyed!
<3 Lucero

Song of the Day: Dark Horse by Katy Perry

DIY Heatless Waves

Hi everybody!

I really enjoy having curls in my hair, I feel like it's a nice change of pace. However, I don't like putting too much heat (or effort, for that matter) onto my hair, as I like to keep it as strong and shiny as possible. Heatless headband curls are the perfect solution for me, because it's easy, effortless, and provides amazing curls.

For this look, you'll need a hair brush, a thin elastic headband, and a few bobby pins. Start out with damp hair and brush out any tangles. If you want, you can add a texturizing spray at this step.

 Next, push your fringe area forward and slide the head band on top of your hair. Try to keep your hair as smooth as possible, it helps with both rolling up the hair and taking it out.

 Start out with a small section in the front, roll, it and pull it up and over the elastic band. Grab another small section of hair, combine it with your twist, and pull it over the elastic band.

Do this on the side until you reach the back, then start on the opposite side. It helps to use bobby pins to keep the hair in place as you roll and pull through the elastic.

Once you have rolled all the way to the back, take the the last few strands and pin them up in a curl. You can also tuck the little curl into your headband in the back, whichever is easier.

Now that your hair is all in place, hairspray to keep the flyaways down. You can sleep in this overnight, or just wear it for a few hours as your hair dries.

Once you're ready to take out the curls, undo your steps starting in the back. Don't yank on the headband, it'll only create tangles.

Tousle your curls with your fingers, and you're good to go!

I hope you enjoyed!
<3 Lucero

Song of the Day: Wake Me Up by Avicii 

5 Halloween Makeup Ideas

Hi everybody!

Halloween is just over a week away, so I thought I'd share some of the Halloween looks I've done recently in case you're in need of inspiration. They all come with accompanying video tutorials, so if you're interested in a look, just click the title to learn how to complete the look for yourself!

Rosie the Riveter - This is an iconic costume that is easily recognizable. If you already have a denim shirt and some red lipstick, you're already halfway there! Be ready to shout "We can do it!" at any point during the night.

Pop Art / Comic Book - This look is a really fun one to do, especially if you want to combine this with a superhero costume. It takes a little patience, but the end result is exciting. Just be careful not to get wet or sweaty, because the dots will melt off!

Cracked Porcelain Doll - What's creepier than an old porcelain doll? A broken old porcelain doll, of course! This look features cracking porcelain to reveal a human figure underneath. You could adjust the perimeter so that one half of your face is porcelain, and the other is human. Your call!

Deer / Fawn - This is like the overly ambitious woodland version of your stereotypical cat costume. If you don't have the rest of the costume for this deer look, some tan clothes and a cotton bud taped to your rear end will suffice. The plus side to this one is you can follow around the Von Trapp children for a riveting round of "Doe, a deer!"

Snow White - Who doesn't love a Disney princess? Taking inspiration from the original fairy tale, this look features blood red lips and hair as dark as a raven. This look also may or may not include the dress I wore when I was Snow White the first time - when I was ten.

I hope you enjoyed!
<3 Lucero

Song of the Day: Million Dollar Bills by Lorde