Makeup: Tips, Tricks, and Looks I love

Don't forget to grab the picture for yourself!

Before getting to the meat of this post, I wanted to remind everyone that this Autumn Allure Modest Fashion Event is meant as a two-week party during this year to focus on our outer bodies. I know inner beauty is far far more important and that is what I focus on during the rest of the year. I never want you to think that I hold outer beauty higher than the true beauty of a godliness. But I also have a vision to teach and encourage other girls and women to present their bodies beautifully, as God gave them to us to be His temple. Therefore, we may proceed. :)

I never did anything at all with makeup till I was 18 and half. Even then, Mama had to ask me if I'd like to wear some...I still felt like I wasn't "grown up yet," so I hadn't asked. Over the last couple years I've been messing around with different make-up styles and finding out what looks good and what doesn't. I never wear concealer or foundation. I just haven't had the time to find that perfect shade to match my skin, and as I've gotten older my skin has cleared up till I don't need it all that much. Likewise I don't wear blush--if I'm really looking pale on a given day I pinch my cheeks and slap them and hope for the best. :D

But the thing I love to do are eyes. I love eyes--their shapes and colors and all that jazz. They are amazing! God created so many beautiful, beautiful kinds of eyes that I can't get enough. So I love eyeshadow, eyeliners, and mascara. In general, my rule is that natural-esque looks best.

This:

Is not beautiful.

This:

Is.

I don't mind going all out now and then with something astonishing, but for a blanket statement, you want to enhance the natural beauty of your eyes...not paint yourself like a china-doll.

There are many many sites on the internet that will tell you how to apply eye make-up so I'm not going to go deep into the details--I'm still learning myself! But I do want to give you a few tips I've discovered as well as discuss color..

Just like with clothing, a color-wheel is helpful in discerning what colors looks good on your eyes. There are no hard and fast rules on this--you know when you put something on if it's good or awful. I've worn awful before willingly just because I liked the color. I have. I confess. But it didn't earn me anything.

One thing that hadn't really registered with me is that you don't have to wear makeup that matches your eyes or your outfit. Instead, go for a contrasting color! I found a really neat website called makeup2enhance.com that had a page on choosing the right colors for your eyes. Here is the breakdown of the general guidelines for each color:

You have brown eyes
You are lucky because brown eye colour is darker than any other natural eye colour so attention is naturally drawn to the eyes and it seems you can wear almost any color.
If you want to experiment, the best eyeshadow colors for brown eyes are golden browns, blues, greens, greys, purples and burgundy. Avoid a yellowish brown colour.
You have blue eyes
One of those ‘Rules’ is that people with blue eyes should never wear any type of blue eyeshadow colour. Wearing blue eyeshadow will make blue eyes look washed out. Is this true for you?
Recommendations are rich warm browns, warm taupes, soft peach colors and greys. Green may not look flattering; it depends on how blue your eyes are, your skin tone and which green hue you use.
You have green/hazel eyes
Golden browns, warm taupes, deep purples, soft peaches, pink, gold and soft violets work well.
To find what brings out hazel eyes, look at the flecks of colour near the pupil. This is my eye colouring and I find that copper looks stunning as well as a navy blue or green (as long as it is not too vivid).
You have grey eyes
Grey eyes are unique and should definitely be shown off. Try black, charcoal, deep greys, deep browns, cool browns and purple to make your grey eyes stand out. 

 I have green/hazel eyes which can border on blue and grey at times, so the colors that really look best are purples and goldies and golden-browns.
Like I said, don't immediately go for matching your makeup to the color of your eyes. Contrary to popular belief, that doesn't accentuate them. It dwarves them. If you've got blue eyes, don't grab the blue--try a brown or yellow-gold to really make them stand out!

Taking these points, check on websites like Pinterest.com for inspiration! Another fun thing I found was this quiz by Totalbeauty. According to it (And these things match up!) it says: "you should wear shades from the purple family like plum, lilac, eggplant, or garnet."  The thinking behind this is that purple is on the red side of the color-wheel and red is opposite green, thus complimenting green eyes. Take the quiz yourself and then start experimenting on makeup that will make your eyes pop, not drown in shadow!

One tip if you've got smaller eyes, {or any eyes at all! ;} a way to make your eyes stand out is by paying careful attention to grooming your eyebrows--you don't want to over-pluck them--that just defeats the purpose. But bushy eyebrows will definitely distract from the brightness of your eyes.
  Another fun thing to do is to look at some famous women and see if you like any of their styles. Reese Witherspoon and Renee Zellweger both keep their makeup light and natural.

Kate Winslet too...and why are they all blondes? :P

When you put on your makeup consider one thing: Is this day-time makeup or nightime? In the daytime too much shadow will make you look down-cast and drab. You'll want to wear lighter, brighter colors. On the other hand if you're going out for the evening a bit more of a dramatic look is okay now and then. Just don't over-do it. :)
 Play around with makeup and see what looks best with your eyes. Ask a sister or your mom or a friend. Ask yourself: "Do I really want to go out looking this way?" ;) If you don't like it, remove it. Here are some of the inspiration I've started to gather on my Green eyes a'smiling pinterest board:

 

Gold and purple? Yes please!

 Love this soft peach!

If I feel daring I wear the gold my little sister bought me for my "golden birthday" :)

 The black eyeliner is applied too thick for my liking, but I love the hint of green right above! Really makes it pop! This would be pretty going out one evening.

I love this vintage-look! It's not natural exactly, but it's glamorous. :)

I like this! And the color is very very similar to my own. :)

{My Style}: Bluet

 Today I thought I'd go kinda casual-comfy and wear my favorite pair of boot-cut jeans. You'll probably see them again because though I've shrunk a bit and they're a little loose, they are downright awesome. So welcome to the "Bluet" outfit.

 Cricket came to play while I was modeling.

 Leah kindly snapped a few shots of the two of us for your amusement. I love my dear little puss so much!

 Silly pussy.

 Because of an in-coming storm the wind outside was terrible. Thus the missplaced bangs in half the pictures.

 (Oh yeah--and that's an upgrade from last-year's fashion event! I got side-bangs.) 

I put my hair up in a style inspired by this one on Pinterest--super easy. Just three different braids knotted and pinned separately in a vertical-way.

 Black on black cami and top with a half-shirt embroidered with eyelets.

Jeans: Lee's...thrift store

Cami: thrift-store

Black tunic-top: hand-me-down

Blue half-shirt: just a regular cotton shirt with the sleeves rolled to the elbows and the rest tucked up inside.

(^ This is a fabulous way to re-purpose those shirts that might be gap when buttoned but are too cute to let go! All I did was tuck it here and there and voila!) My earring were a gift from Abigail: my girlfriend-in-law...yeah. That's right. That's what you'd call your brother's gal, right? Whatever. ;) They are the perfect way to dress up this casual style so it's not too bumpkin-ish.

What were your outfits for today? 

Every-other day we'll be having a My-Style day so be sure to take photos of your own outfits and comment with your link so we can be inspired!

Announcements ;)

I will be posting my first "My Style" post later on today, but for now just wanted to let you girls know that if you leave a comment below as participating in the party,  I will put your names and a link to your blog on the sidebar so you all can see who's attending! :)

Autumn Allure Modest Fashion Event kick-off!

Dearest, loveliest, marvelous women:
      It is with great aplomb that I announce the official kick-off of the Autumn Allure Modest Fashion Event!
     I've got lots planned for these last two weeks of September, and I hope you'll join me in this event by posting about it on your blog, on Facebook, on Google+, and anywhere else you think other girls might like to hear about it!

 If there's one thing I am passionate about, it's the fact that you can dress modestly while still paying heed to fashion.

     In this upcoming event you will have opportunities to link up with a your own Autumn Allure posts, read posts by modest fashionistas, an exciting product review, learn how to dress in a way that glorifies God while pleasing the eye, and more!
     I hope you will join me in the wonderful fall kick-off party and have as much fun as I hope to! Just grab the button and add it to your blog and we'll get this party started! I know it will be one of the best Autumn Fashion events of the season, so invite all your friends. :)
                              Love,
                                     Rachel

Capering and Cookery: Double Broccoli Quinoa {otherwise entitled: amazing}

Tonight's menu included lemon-pepper chicken and homemade applesauce, but something was lacking in the menu. Mama suggested I use the quinoa (keen-wah) we've had around and find a recipe that would be both different and delicious so that we wouldn't have to go the usual round of brown rice-blah.

Enter Google-search-gone-right-for-once.

I happened upon 101 Cookbooks: a recipe journal. Frankly, the name of the site wasn't that appealing, but one recipe caught my eye: Double Broccoli Quinoa. The reason the recipe struck me was simply because we had quinoa and we had broccoli and everyone in our family {more or less} likes both. The minute I read this recipe, looked at the photo (which I've pirated. It's Heidi's--remember that!) and thought about it for a second, I knew this was going to go on the dinner menu. It. was. amazing. Even with the alterations I made to the recipe. I've included my alterations on the recipe I'm sharing here, but if you follow this link you'll get to the original. :)

Source

Double Broccoli Quinoa

3 cups cooked quinoa*
5 cups raw broccoli, cut into small florets and stems

3 medium garlic cloves
2/3 cup sliced or slivered almonds, toasted
2 big pinches salt
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup yogurt mixed with a little milk

Optional toppings: slivered basil, fire oil (optional)**, sliced avocado
crumbled feta or goat cheese

Heat the quinoa and set aside. I put cooked mine in chicken broth leftover from dinner a few nights ago.

Now barely cook the broccoli by pouring 3/4 cup water into a large pot and bringing it to a simmer. Add a big pinch of salt and stir in the broccoli. Cover and cook for a minute, just long enough to take the raw edge off. Transfer the broccoli to a strainer and run under cold water until it stops cooking. Set aside.

To make the broccoli pesto puree two cups of the cooked broccoli, the garlic, 1/2 cup of the almonds, Parmesan, salt, and lemon juice in a food processor. Drizzle in the olive oil and cream and pulse until smooth.

Just before serving, toss the quinoa and remaining broccoli florets with about 1/2 of the broccoli pesto. Taste and adjust if needed, you might want to add more of the pest a bit at a time, or you might want a bit more salt or an added squeeze of lemon juice. Turn out onto a serving platter and top with the remaining almonds, a drizzle of the chile oil, and some sliced avocado or any of the other optional toppings.

Serves 4 - 6.

*To cook quinoa: rinse one cup of quinoa in a fine-meshed strainer. In a medium saucepan heat the quinoa, two cups of water (or broth if you like), and a few big pinches of salt until boiling. Reduce heat and simmer until water is absorbed and quinoa fluffs up, about 15 minutes. Quinoa is done when you can see the curlique in each grain, and it is tender with a bit of pop to each bite. Drain any extra water and set aside.

**To make the red chile oil: You'll need 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil and 1 1/2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes. If you can, make the chile oil a day or so ahead of time by heating the olive oil in a small saucepan for a couple minutes - until it is about as hot as you would need it to saute some onions, but not so hot that it smokes or smells acrid or burned. Turn off the heat and stir in the crushed red pepper flakes. Set aside and let cool, then store in refrigerator. Bring to room temp again before using.

Prep time: 10 min - Cook time: 10 min

I was impressed with the fresh, spunky flavor of this dish--perfectly filling while still feeling light...unlike most rice and grain dishes. The toasted almonds give it a nutty flavor and the lemon juice and yogurt spruce it up. Try this recipe--I promise you won't be disappointed!

A great white silence

"Words, words words, I'm so sick of words! I get words all day through--first from him, now from you---is that all you blighters can do?"

-My Fair Lady

Words are my life at present. 

I speak words. I dream words. I sing words. Heck...if the vegetable soup comes around I end up eating words too. I listen to words, (and in a large family with 66% females, you get a lot of them.) I exchange words online, and at present I have been hard at work chasing the right words down alleys, beating them over the head, and making them behave. And as if that weren't enough, in my spare moments I read words.
Mama and I spent an hour and a half the other night searching for a few short words. We were writing a query letter to an agent and we had the thesaurus out, rummaging for that one perfect word. An hour and a half. For what amounted to a half-dozen words at best. That ended up being well worth the while as you'll see if you pop over to The Inkpen Authoress {my other lair, peoples} and read about it.

Tonight Mama was giving me some directions, filling me in on plans for the rest of the week..."casting vision" so to speak. TotNess-Boy {Levi} was babbling his own words on top of that, and I do believe my face gained a glazed expression, though I tried to ward it off. After this incomprehensible day of words I took up my Revision and Self-Editing and was reading about how to further pound my words so that they looked presentable.
This last deluge of words {though very important ones} microwaved my poor brain. I managed to extract some semblance of meaning from Mama's conversation. But through the whole, all I longed for was...what was it? And then the words came over me quietly and without being drilled as from a wedge of stone:

I long for a great white silence.

Have you ever heard a great white silence? I believe I have. At least the idea is so familiar to me that I think I ought to have heard it. Perhaps what I mean by a "great white silence" is simply a total absence of words.
Words in my mind and on my lips and pouring out of my fingertips as I frantically type and try to drag another thousand words out of a story that is turning tables on me. An absence of every thought that clamors and every background noise that needles and every song that pounds in my head even as I try to ignore it.

A great white silence.

And then I pause here a moment and realize that great white silence is outside my window right now...

 It has decorated itself with cricket-song and the murmur of laughter in the tree-boughs as the breeze blows through.

 It is cool with the flavor of autumn and dark as silk pinned here and there with stars to keep it from falling down.

It is a dark silence--merciful and enveloping and full with an emptiness that I need after this day of jargon and writing and blogging and speaking and singing and laughing and chatting and talking and reading and thinking.

It is a silence sullied by no over-eager moon, no lowering clouds, no thing that is unusual in any way, save for its rarity.

A great white silence in the pristine night.

Perhaps I ought to go out and enjoy it.

{Danceables}

Because sometimes it's fun just to listen to and dance to a whole playlist of random music that has no connection, save that it makes you smile. :)

{And by the way, I don't know anything about some of these artists--I just like this particular song of theirs. :}

Corinne Bailey Rae "Put Your Records On" 

--just heard this on Pandora--what a cute little song! Makes me happy. :)

JJ Heller's "Boat Song"...always a favorite. :)

"Waka Waka" by Shakira
{Sarah showed me this very danceable song after she did some Zumba with some friends. :D}

   

 Josh Turner "Why Don't We Just Dance" <3 

For Daniel & Abigail: "Lovin' You is Fun" by Easton Corbin

   

 Jack Johnson's "Banana Pancakes" :) 

Hee-hee! I couldn't resist. ;)

 What are you some of your fun-to-listen-to songs?