Wednesday, December 17, 2014

How to Care for Short Hair

Hello loves!
 
I thought I would write a post about hair care, specifically caring for very short and/or shaved hair.
 
The general principles for caring of short hair versus long hair are basically the same. You should cleanse your hair, moisturize it, and brush it... etc.
 
These steps differ as in HOW you execute them depending on how long your hair is.
 
So without further ado, here is a list of hair care steps for extremely short/shaved hair:
 
1. Cleanse. Just like long hair, it is important to still wash your hair even though it's very short. (I understand that this is a given.) With short hair, however, it is much easier to go longer without washing it. This is mostly because short hair looks better messy generally and washing it regularly is not required to style it. Long hair often requires being washed anew in order to freshen the style, especially if you like to give yourself  a blowout with a blowdryer. It is healthier for your hair if you don't wash it every day. In my case, I'd say I wash my hair every three days. For some people this may seem crazy, but my hair is only four inches long or so and it really only needs to be washed every three days! I also do this because it is so much healthier for my hair to keep its natural oils longer, especially since my hair is colored. The way you cleanse your hair (and the products you use) will largely depend on the type of hair you have as well as your scalp. My hair is very thick, with medium texture, and my scalp tends to get dry easily. So in my case I always use a moisturizing shampoo (usually infused with some type of oil) or cleansing conditioner. Sure, moisturizing shampoo is cool...but using conditioner to cleanse? YES. There are conditioners made that do the cleanse and moisturize step all in one.
 
Products I recommend:

-WEN cleansing conditioner http://www.wen.com/
 
2. Moisturize. Just because you have short hair doesn't mean you shouldn't moisturize/condition it. Yes, you can probably get away with not conditioning it as much as someone with long hair, but in my professional opinion conditioner is more important for the integrity of your hair than shampoo is. This is especially the case for people like me that have chemically treated hair. Your hair is stripped of its moisture when you wash it, dye it, and style it with hot tools... so conditioning it and replenishing the moisture that was stripped of your hair is an extremely important step in anyone's hair care routine. Moisturization of your hair doesn't stop at conditioner, either. Conditioner has its benefits, but it can only do so much in the few seconds/minutes that it has in your wet hair before you wash it out. It is also very important to use leave in products after you've towel dried your hair. I personally love using hair oils for my hair, but any type of leave in moisturizer will work in this situation. (cream based or otherwise) Once your hair has been towel dried, work in a quarter sized amount of oil and /or leave in product into your hair. For people with fine and thin hair, I recommend only using a dime's worth of product. Most people will want to blowdry their hair as the next step. I personally let my hair air dry, but if you must blowdry your hair it is critical that you use a heat protectant. Either spray or work it into your damp hair before blowdrying.
 
Products I recommend:
-WEN cleansing conditioner (see above section)
 
3. Brush. Please don't stop brushing your hair just because you don't have any. I know, I know... this sounds crazy. Let me explain. Brushing your hair is also an extremely vital part of taking care of your hair. Not only is brushing used to detangle and style, but arguably more important is the use of brushing for scalp stimulation and the distrubution of natural oils/moisturizing product. My hair is only 4 inches long on top with the rest of my head pretty much bald. You would think that I wouldn't need to brush my hair at all. In a way you'd be right. I don't necessarily need to brush it. I could usually just run my fingers through the top and be done with it, but I actually brush my hair too. I brush the top, where my hair is longer, and I brush the rest of my head where it's nearly bare. My scalp needs brushing too. Brushing your scalp and short hair like this stimulates blood flow, helps remove any dead skin on your scalp (exfoliates), and helps distribute your natural oils through your hair, as well as any leave in product you put in. My recommendation for brushing short hair is that you brush before you wash it, while it's still dry, then again after you've washed it and put the product in it. Then brush once more at the opposite end of the day. For example, if you shower in the morning, brush your hair before and after you shower and then again that night before bed. This kind of routine brushing really helps your hair stay as healthy, shiny, and soft as possible.
 
Products I recommend:
-for when your hair is wet: Tangle Teezer (I LOVE using this brush to stimulate my scalp, distribute leave in product/oil, and give scalp treatments.) http://www.sephora.com/tangle-teezer-compact-styler-P386485?skuId=1620004
-for when your hair is dry: WIGO boar bristle brush (this brush is great on the scalp and also adds wonderful shine/cleaning properties when used on dry hair) http://www.ulta.com/ulta/browse/productDetail.jsp;jsessionid=xsrG7LLol1S3bD5v8Gdee94I.pr-a3-app1?productId=xlsImpprod4440041
***the key to picking a brush to use on your dry hair is boar bristle. Any boar bristle brush will work perfectly.
 
OKAY.
 
So, there you have it! If you have any questions about this post please feel free to ask in the comments below.
 
Love,
 
BKL
 
 

Thursday, November 27, 2014

Vegan Recipe: Tame Tepache

Happy Thanksgiving!
 
Tepache Recipe
 
For those of you who don't know what traditional tepache is, let me break it down for you. Tepache is essentially a type of Mexican "agua fresca" ...which is basically a juice beverage. I compare the taste of tepache to a pineapple version of apple cider. It is a very sweet, very spicy (as in spices, not spicy like hot peppers), very fruity drink. A traditional tepache recipe usually calls for fermentation of the beverage, causing it to become slightly alcoholic. It is then usually served iced and sometimes mixed with beer. My version is a bit different. Instead of fermenting it and serving it with ice, I prefer mine made more like a cider. It's served hot, in a mug, and non-fermented.
 
The recipe itself is very simple, assuming you have the ingredients available to you.
 
My recipe calls for:
 
.1 ripe, whole pineapple
.2 cones of piloncillo
.whole cinnamon sticks
.whole star anise
.whole allspice
.whole cloves
.water
.1 or 2 limes
 
Fill a big pot with water, about 3/4 of the way full. Add in all the spices and piloncillo. Cut the limes in half and squeeze the juice into the pot, then add the limes in as well. Wash the outside of the pineapple very well. Cut the leafy part off, discarding it. Now cut the rind of the pineapple from the flesh. Put the flesh aside for eating later... you won't be using it in the recipe! Add all of the pineapple rinds into the pot. Give the pot a good stir if you'd like. Set the stove to high, and cover the pot with a lid. Allow the brew to boil. Once the brew is boiling, turn the stove down to low/medium. Allow the brew to cook like this for at least two hours. The longer the brew cooks, the stronger the flavors. Make sure you taste test the brew as you go. Once the flavor is to your liking, pull it off the heat, strain it, and serve it hot like apple cider!
 
 
 
RECIPE SUBSTITUTIONS/ALTERATIONS:
 
.If you don't have piloncillo or can't find it, regular dark brown sugar will work just as well. Piloncillo is basically just a Mexican version of dark brown sugar. You can find piloncillo at Vallarta or any other Mexican grocery store.
 
.There are a few extra things I like to add to my tepache to change the taste slightly. You can also add cut up apples, apple sauce, and apple juice to sweeten the brew. I find that the extra sweetness goes great with the pineapples and spices.
 
.Whole spices really are a must in this recipe because you have to be able to strain them easily. I would not recommend using ground spices. I found mine at Vallarta, and they'd be easily found at any other Mexican grocery store. You can sometimes find whole spices in regular grocery stores too if you look hard enough/ask someone. Not every regular grocery store will carry whole spices.
 
 

 
 Thanks for reading!!!
 
BKL
 

Friday, November 21, 2014

Vegan Recipe: Creamy Basil Sauce

This is a lovely little recipe that I pulled out of my ass.
 
It's completely vegan and very healthy.
 
Creamy Basil Sauce:
 
1 organic avocado
5-10 fresh organic basil leaves
garlic salt
1/2 cup hemp milk
2 tbsp olive oil
pepper
blender/magic bullet/blendy thingy
 
I love this recipe because it is so incredibly easy to make! Start by cutting the avocado in half and scooping out the insides into the blender. (discarding the seed of course) Add the fresh basil, olive oil, and hemp milk. Blend until smooth. Add pepper and garlic salt to taste. I prefer a lot of garlicy goodness in mine.
 
This sauce makes a great pasta topper. I didn't bother warming my sauce before putting it on the pasta because the pasta warmed it for me, but of course you could heat your sauce in a pan over the stove top.
 
Recipe Substitutions:
 
.I used pasta made completely from whole wheat with no other added ingredients, but any vegan pasta would go great with this sauce! Quinoa pasta adds extra protein.
 
.Instead of using garlic salt, try sauteing fresh minced garlic with chopped onions in little bit of olive oil. Once golden brown, add to blender to be blended in with the rest of the ingredients. This is a healthier alternative to using garlic salt.
 
.Instead of hemp milk, any non dairy milk can be substituted. I used hemp milk because it's what I had on hand. Unsweetened soy, almond, rice milk etc would do just fine.
 

Thursday, November 20, 2014

Animal Abuse Really Needs to Stop

Animal abuse really has to end. I mean, seriously. There is no reason any creatures should be going through pain... not for milk, meat, labor, OR fur. None.

***WARNING: GRAPHIC VIDEOS THAT DEPICT VIOLENCE***

Now then. If you'd take a few moments to watch the following videos... they'd change the way you saw the clothing industry. Countless animals are going through torture for their fur. Please watch the following videos and do something to help these animals by signing the online letter asking for the end of angora and fur.

sign the petition:
https://secure.peta.org/site/Advocacy?cmd=display&page=UserAction&id=5737&utm_campaign=1114%20Join%20Kalel%20and%20peta2:%20Ask%20BCBG%20to%20Stop%20Selling%20Angora%20and%20Fur!%20tweet&utm_source=peta2%20twitter&utm_medium=promo

watch the videos:
Kalel vs. Angora Wool: http://youtu.be/IKGxkVAllMI
Do You Know Where Angora Wool Comes From?: http://youtu.be/WcUmOkXUSyQ

Wednesday, November 19, 2014

Purple Hair!

My hair is purple! Not just purple purple...but, PURPLE. Like, SUPER PURPLE. I love it. No, that's an understatement. I'm in love with it. Bless the hair color gods!
 
So, you wanna know how I did it?
 
No bleach, permanent color, lightening, or damaging dye was used at all to achieve this.
 
Before the purple, my hair was bright orange, pink, and purple. You can see it in my previous posts. My roots had grown out about an inch, so I had an inch of dark brown roots, and then the other colors.
 
Basically, I had to lighten those colors before adding the dark purple to ensure that it didn't end up looking muddy. There are lots of ways to lighten semi permanent hair color without using bleach. Mostly just washing it a lot will cause the color to fade quite a bit. You can also mix a paste of baking soda and warm water and put it in your hair. Let the mixture sit for quite a bit to allow it to pull as much color from your hair as possible.
 
After your old hair color has faded, you can add the new color over it. This only works well if the new color is darker than the previous color. In this case of course, my purple was much, much darker than the previous colors I had. The second color has to be dark enough to cover whatever was left over from the washing/baking soda.
 
Also, make sure you condition the crap out of your hair after rinsing the new dye out to ensure that you keep the integrity and health of your hair.
 
Oh, and in case you were wondering, yes, my roots are technically still there. When I put the purple in my hair, it tinted my brown hair purple as well. No bleach needed here!
 
*makeup deets below*
 
 
Makeup:
 
*Tarte tinted moisturizer
*Anastasia dip brow in Chocolate
*Nars matte lip pencil in Cruella
*Tarte mascara
*Urban Decay Naked 2 palette for eyeshadows
*Urban Decay liquid sparkly eyeliner for inner tear duct
*Sephora Collection blush
*Becca pressed highlighter in Opal (MY FAVORITE)
 
 

Saturday, November 15, 2014

Fall Hues Makeup

I created this look with mostly warm neutral tones, keeping the season in mind. The look is slightly avant garde, with an eyeshadow scheme that I wouldn't usually do and an ombre lip.
 
The eyeshadow is a soft smokey eye with taupes and a little bit of metallic shimmer. From that smokey eye, I put an orange brown transition up from the inner corner of my eyes all the way up to my eyebrows. I actually really like how it came out.
 
For my lips, I outlined them with a burgundy lip liner and then filled them in with a bright orange lipstick. I then blended with my finger.
 
products used:
.Urban Decay Naked 2 palette
.Anastasia dip brow pomade in "Chocolate"
.other shadows
.Benefit Cosmetics "They're Real!" mascara
.NYX lip liner
.Kat Von D lipstick
.Bobbi Brown foundation
 
Kisses,
         BKL
 
 
  

Thursday, November 13, 2014

Places to Check Out: Romancing the Bean

Move over, Starbucks! This coffee shop in Burbank was so insanely cute, and of course, the coffee was to die for.
I don't usually go for black coffee, but in this case I got my own little French press with my coffee inside, and the flavor of the coffee itself was subtle. It wasn't bitter or too strong. I drank the whole thing without adding any sugar or cream at all!


Besides the great coffee, this little coffee shop offers excellent decor and ambiance, free wifi (every coffee shop customer's dream and necessity), a variety of foods to try, and an overall laidback feel that I greatly appreciated. 


Stop by Romancing the Bean in Burbank for a truly awesome coffee experience!

Besitos,
         BKL

Friday, November 7, 2014

Hiking Above The City of Angels

This new transition to living in Los Angeles has given me a second chance for everything: a fresh start if you will. Among starting a new job, starting a new school... (which neither will happen for a few months anyway) I also have other goals that I want to accomplish now that I'm living here. 

I want to get into shape. Now, by "in shape" I don't mean buff and muscley. I just want a healthier lifestyle. I want to eat well and exercise often.

Today marks the beginning of my journey into a healthier lifestyle. This past year I've been way too focused on my career/school to focus on my health. I'm going to make more time for myself.

This morning I did a simple and very short hike up a mountain behind the city of Burbank in Wildwood Canyon Park. You could see all of Los Angeles from the top of the mountain. It was truly beautiful! It took only an hour to do the hike and due to the elevation gain I was huffing and puffing like crazy.

I'm hoping I can do things like this every morning right when I wake up. If not a hike, anything physical like: yoga, walking, gym etc.

Even when I have a job and I have to be at the salon at 8 every morning, I can wake up early enough to get a workout in and then get ready for work.

Much love,

BKL

Wednesday, November 5, 2014

Ulta Haul


 I picked up a few things from Ulta that I'd like to share with you guys. Me being the hair nerd that I am, most of the things I got are for my hair. I try to keep my hair really healthy and take good care of it, especially since I dye the crap out of it.

1. Redken diamond oil shampoo and conditioner: I picked these up mostly because I was trained with Redken in my cosmetology school, but for some reason we never carried the diamond oil line. It's probably because it's a newer Redken product. The shampoo and conditioner are described as perfect for dry and damaged hair. They're formulated with oil for extra hydration. I tried these on my hair and I have to say I really like them! The smell was really nice, and my hair was really soft afterwards.

2. AG "the oil" extra virgin argan miracle hair oil: Well, the name is kinda a mouth full... but the oil itself is great. I love using oils on my hair. Anything that's going to moisturize my hair and make it shine is my thing. This oil also has a great scent. It's moisturizing without being greasy, which is very important for my hair. My hair can get greasy easily if I use the wrong products.

3. Not Your Mothers Beach Babe texturizing hair cream: Pomades, creams, and pastes are all great for someone with short hair. I picked up this texture cream to try. It smells like coconuts and it's super light. It doesn't have much hold, but I think it could be used well as a primer for texture, applied to hair while still damp, then styled.

4. Tweezerman tweezers: Basically I just picked these up because I needed a new pair. Tweezerman makes the best tweezers out there.

5. butter London nail polishes: I chose two in the shades Scouse and The Black Knight. They both reminded me of winter... dark, cool hues throughtout...
Scouse is a shimmery royal blue/purple. Depending on the lighting, it changes from blue to purple and back to blue again. The Black Knight is the one I tried first. It has a grey base color with pink and blue glitters mixed throughout. I could see this color being used as a perfect holiday party nail color. Both colors are very festive and perfect for the upcoming holidays. Another thing to note here is that butter London uses no Formaldehyde, Toluene, or DBP in their polishes, making them a healthier choice for those concerned with carcinogens.


Sunday, November 2, 2014

Halloween DIY (a little late)


HAPPY HALLOWEEN!! I know, I know... Halloween crafts on November 2nd?! Well, in my family Halloween lasts certainly through October 1st - November 5th, sometimes much longer. 

Either way, Halloween is fun! So why not enjoy it more than one day? 

Pumpkin carving/decorating is a Halloween craft classic.

In this case I chose to carve one pumpkin, and decorate two others!

The blue/purple pumpkin was extremely simple to do. It would be easy for little ones as well. You can find crafts like this one at many pumpkin patches.

You'll need Elmer's glue, water, paint brush, bowl, mini (or large) pumpkin, and many colors of tissue paper.

Mix the glue with a bit of water. You don't want it too runny.

Paint the glue onto your pumpkin and place the tissue in any fashion you desire!

The last pumpkin I did is mostly paint. 

You'll need: pumpkin, tape, red paint, black and red Sharpies, green temporary 
hair color or green spray paint

Basically you're going to use the tape to create the face you want on your pumpkin. Then you can spray your pumpkin with the paint. Make sure you let it dry completely. When  you remove the tape you'll have the perfect base for your pumpkin face. Use the other materials to add more detail!


 But what to do with all these pumpkin guts we just carved out?! Definitely do not throw them away!
Separate the seeds from the guts and put the seeds aside for later. 

Use the pumpkin flesh to make a fresh face mask!

You'll need the pumpkin, milk, sugar, green tea, and a blender/magic bullet type deal.

Put 2 cups worth of pumpkin guts into the blender, along with a 1/4 cup of milk and a 1/4 cup of green tea.

The pumpkin is a natural source of antioxidants and enzymes. Milk contains lactic acid, and green tea is also a source of antioxidants. 

This is why combining these ingredients into a mask is great for your face. Once you've blended it into a paste like consistency, add a cup of sugar. The sugar will act as a natural exfoliant.

I made mine on the thinner side, so it was more of a wash. The sugar exfoliated my skin perfectly.
 

 Now, onto the seeds! Start by prepping them in a bowl with warm water. Swish them around with your hand to loosen any pumpkin that may be left over on the seeds.

Strain the seeds and allow to dry on a paper towel for a few minutes.

Place the seeds on a cookie sheet and drizzle with olive oil.

Now add garlic salt, dried basil, and even fresh basil if you have some. Mix the seeds lightly together in the pan with your hand. Make sure they lay in a fine layer on the pan. You don't want them overlapping.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Put the seeds in. They should cook for 15 or more minutes. Stir them around on the pan every 5 minutes, checking to make sure they don't burn.

They're done when they're lightly brown in color.
 

Happy Halloween, (AGAIN)

Please let me know if you try any of these fun diy projects or have any questions!

Lots of love,

BKL 

Places to Check Out: Hollywood Farmer's Market and Dia de los Muertos

vegan cheese stand at the market




  Today I spent my morning and midday at the Hollywood farmer's market at Sunset and Vine and Dia de los Muertos at Olvera Street! There was a woman at the farmer's market that was giving out samples of vegan cheese. Of course, I had to try it! The "cheese" was absolutely fantastic! I tried both the chia cheddar and herb cream cheese. I couldn't leave without some. I can't wait to try it out. 

The herb cream cheese has a really light herb/creamy taste. I'll definitely be buying from this brand when I go fully vegan! (The brand is Nary Dairy fyi)

vegan cheese from the market!

 I also had some tofu pad thai while I was there. Yeah, it was 8:30 in the morning, but I'm not a huge breakfast foods person and I couldn't think of a better thing to eat than Thai food. Thai food always wins.

Vegetarian tofu pad thai from the market.
All in all the farmer's market was just the place I like to be. They had fall flowers and gourds everywhere! ...not to mention the amazing food.
Amoeba Music was right across from the market
After the farmer's market I headed to Olvera Street in DTLA where they were celebrating their annual Dia de Los Muertos...

Even though I am not Mexican or Hispanic in any way, I am Californian, and Mexican culture is very dear to my heart. In fact, every culture fascinates me. Just because I'm not a member of a certain culture doesn't mean I can't celebrate and appreciate the diversity in my country. That's one thing I love about America. There is so much diversity in cultures. I love being surrounded by it. 

Tamarindo holds my heart.

The traditional Dia de los Muertos dancers were so beautiful!

 
Pan de Muerto, sugar skull, and tamarindo and chile apple



By the time I was ready to leave Olvera Street, I had accumulated quite the array of Mexican dulces.
I picked up some pan de muerto, a sugar skull, and a tamarindo apple. All of these are traditional Mexican sweets, especially for the day of the dead.

The apple is my favorite. It's a green apple covered in tamarindo candy and then rolled in red chile. It doesn't sound like it would be that good .....but trust me, it is!

I hope you all had an amazing Halloween!

             Warmest wishes,

                               BKL

Friday, October 31, 2014

Halloween Glam

Finally Halloween is here! Today I wanted to post about the makeup I did. It's not for a costume per se, but it's great either way. Definitely a bit dark and glamorous.

I paired a smokey people eye with a matte lip, which if not done carefully, can be too heavy. Usually you'll want to stick with heavy colors only on either eyes OR lips, but in this case, it's Halloween! Halloween is the day to break rules. (Especially the rules of what society deems acceptable or not. ) **DISCLAIMER: I said rules not laws.

Alrighty then. Let's get into makeup.

My face is a mixture of Becca foundation and Bobbi Brown, mostly because the shade I have in Becca is too light for me. I used the Bobbi to warm it up a little. I set my foundation with Laura Mercier translucent powder. I then added Sephora Collection blush in a nice berry color (perfect for fall) and contoured my face with a bronzer. The next step is one of my favorites because I'm a makeup nerd. I used my Becca pressed highlighter in Opal to highlight the tops of my cheekbones, bridge of my nose, anywhere I wanted to gleam... which in this case was a lot of places.

I used Anastasia dip brow in chocolate for my brows.

Eyes: The eyeshadow I used comes from all sorts of brands etc. I have a purple and mauve color on my lids, blending out to a smokey gray. I lined my eyes with black pencil eyeliner and applied falsies and UD mascara.

My lips are Nars matte lip pencil in Cruella, my favorite. 

I hope this was helpful! Please feel free to always ask any questions you may have.


Spooky blessings,

BKL


Wednesday, October 29, 2014

Veganism and the Politically Correct Activist

From time to time something will catch my eye (usually on social media) that really grinds my gears. I want to make sure I note that I'm usually not upset over the fact that others have a different opinion than mine. I'm usually just upset over the fact that people are arguing over (usually political) topics on social media.

Sometimes these arguments can really affect me in a negative way. They really do bring me down.

In this case I got the lovely opportunity of witnessing an argument on Twitter about veganism, vegetarianism, and omnivores.

Personally, I am vegetarian. I have been for a year and a half now. I'm going to make the transition to veganism as soon as my time and finances allow it.

That being said, I do not judge those that still continue to eat meat etc. It is absolutely their choice what they do with their own bodies/morals/etc. In fact, all of my family and most of my friends still eat meat. It doesn't bother me in the slightest. I pay it no mind.

This argument on Twitter started when someone tweeted a cartoon about the hypocrisy of people who say they are against murder, yet eat meat. Of course, this started a huge sh*t storm. The vegans were mentioning the fact that cows are raped in order to ensure that they produce milk and veal. The meat eaters came back with "You can't possibly compare milking a cow to rape!!!"

This is the problem...

The reason vegans compare the production of milk to rape is because cows must be artificially inseminated constantly in order to continue making milk, not to mention babies.

When I explained this on Twitter to one of my friends who eats meat, she took back what she said about rape not being an accurate label for it. She explained that she simply didn't know that cows had to be pregnant and/or postpartum in order to produce milk.

I find that arguments over things like this (especially on social media) are usually started because a lot of people simply aren't educated over the topic at hand. This is not to say that they are uneducated. I'm simply saying they misunderstood something about the topic that naturally leads to arguments.

 This is why I get so sad sometimes over these arguments. On one hand, I simply want the fighting to end. I've never liked when people argued or fought. It's always made me unhappy and nervous. On the other hand, I truly want to educate the people that don't understand veganism and its foundation. My purpose for wanting to educate is not to turn people into vegans. This is a very important part of my personal belief. I don't want to convert anyone. Absolutely not. I simply don't want meat eaters to think poorly of me because I choose not to eat animal products. Hopefully education would enlighten other as to why some people choose not to eat animals, and arguing like this would stop.

The world would be such a happier place if we would just learn to tolerate each other a little better.

To meat eaters, vegetarians, and vegans alike, I hope you'll take this post to heart. Stop the fighting. Despite what we eat, we're all still the same: human.

Warmest wishes,

BKL

Monday, October 27, 2014

Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice

Fall brings me so much happiness. The weather...the colors...the smells...tastes... all of the senses are used to their extent during fall. Vivid colors and angry clouds are seen, baking pie and rain are smelled, cold wind and pumpkin guts are felt, hot chocolate is tasted, and laughing children (or screams from a haunted house) are heard.

Fall is truly a time for me to unwind and let my senses take me wherever they please to go.

When I created this set on polyvore, these images of fall were on my mind. 

The striped trousers immediately made me think of Beetlejuice, which of course is a Halloween classic. The heels are great. They reminded me of a much more chic version of witch shoes...and of course, the accessories were picked with the colors and leaves of fall in mind. I just love the look of a deep red with bright orange and yellow colors. The necklace reminded me of a sunflower, which is another fall staple in my mind. I also really enjoy the contrast between the green in the center of the necklace and the reds.

Check out my polyvore for more details on this look.

Pop Art Makeup

As I'm sure you're all aware, Halloween is upon us! Fall and Halloween are my favorite time of year. I just love the color palette, weather, and artistic freedom that comes with this holiday season.

I decided to play around with some pop art makeup. The best thing about this look is it's fairly simple and quick to do, with great results. It only took me 45 minutes to complete the look, compared to other Halloween looks that can take anywhere from 1  hour to 4. I had someone ask me on my instagram what I used for the white dots on my face. I used a nyx cosmetics jumbo eye pencil in milk. It's super easy to do. You just place the pencil against your skin and twist, creating an almost perfect circle... certainly good enough for this look. :) The black lines are just black liquid eyeliner. In this case I used They're Real eyeliner from benefit, but any liquid black eyeliner would work just fine.

Feel free to ask if you have any questions about this look.

P.S. Excuse the crappy photo quality. <3

BKL

Saturday, October 18, 2014

Lookbook

I'm on lookbook! In case you didn't know, lookbook is a website where people post their outfits and where they found the items they're wearing. I thought it would be a good idea for me to start one since I love fashion so much and I want to branch out into the fashion world eventually. Feel free to check out my looks at:

http://lookbook.nu/kayekaye

Much love,

BKL

http://lookbook.nu/kayekaye