the stocking cap

Not only is it cold enough for sweaters, it’s cold enough for hats and gloves and wool socks and the works.

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Conventional wisdom says not to pair heavy eye makeup with a bold lip but hey, yolo. Do what you want. Conventional wisdom is often suspect.

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This is NARS velvet matte lip pencil in Train Bleu, a really dark mulberry shade, with a little red Japonesque laquer in the center. Sort of the reverse of the black ombre lip I did the other day but friendlier as putting a pink/red shade in the center provides a natural transition to that inner portion of your lip that won’t take color.

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I’ve been wanting to wear more eye makeup since Halloween, which was just so much makeup that anything else seems moderate in comparison. I was washing it off for days. Liner under the eyes I find so tricky, though. Not tricky to do, but tricky to like. It’s dramatic, sure, but also tends to emphasize circles under my eyes,* make me look especially pale, make me look older often? Tired? I wonder the extent to which it just reads as ‘she has a lot of makeup on’ rather than as ‘cool eyes’ or some more appealing effect. Not that I really have any control over that. [Ever notice how thinking hardly ever gets you anywhere?]

*I don’t like concealer under the eyes—it is too conspicuous up close, too tell-tale— and am basically never wearing it, so they just look however they look. They are eyes, in sockets, etc.

I guess you just have to go for it, like anything else, and take the bad with the good.

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Kenneth Cole coat (thrifted), J Crew Italian brushed scarf (this is gigantic, really satisfyingly massive), Free People slouchy vegan leather tote, H&M beanie, Express jeans, TOMS desert suede wedges. Hm. Seems they don’t have this color anymore, shame. Their new booties are pretty cute, though. I need some booties! I don’t know why I’m having such a hard time finding a suitable pair of ankle booties (something that goes a bit higher up the ankle than these do, which gives quite a different look. Quite, quite different, you know).

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Zoning out.

Later let’s talk about how great it can be to wear too much blush.

x

 

monochrome: camel

Clothes are never a frivolity: they always mean something, and that something

is to a large extent outside the control of our conscious minds. 

                                                 — James Laver

 

These warm, oaky leather browns and their compatriots are favorites of mine. There are elements of this shade in my hair and skin as well, so it becomes almost creepily monochromatic in a certain light.

Yes, another full skirt. This look a more contemporary take, and I think I make my point that it can look more or less ‘wearable’ with this. Maybe.

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Love the seam detail on the back of this jacket.

IMG_9089Then, because this is what I saw in my vision,* I wanted to see it with glasses.

* You know, the visions you have of future outfits and tableaux as you fall asleep. I’m sure you know the ones.

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Skirt from eBay, scuba-style leather jacket from black rivet, J Crew tee shirt, TOMS chestnut wedges, glasses from zennioptical.com. On the lips: Chanel Rouge Coco Shine in Esprit (this tinted balm formula is gorgeous). And I wore a little eyeshadow!

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