#he's beautiful I love brown palettes I want more than this color pencil set can give 😂

[ishizu-ka]

🐶 Sunni doodles!

[animeniacss]

A Palette of Emotions - Artist! Taehyung x Teacher!Reader - Chapter 27- Dreams Come True

Synopsis: Taehyung dreams of being a professional and famous artist one day, but finds that the sea of creativity can be lurking with blood hungry sharks, as well as bland, motionless starfish. Swimming through the sea of opportunities somehow washed him up onto the shore of Bright Star Preschool, as an art teacher. This wasn’t where he expected to be 4 years into his career, but anything to get his big break though, right?

Feat. BTS, TXT, ITZY, Jisoo (BlackPink), Taeyong (NCT)

Genre: Romance, Slow Burn, Love Triangle, Drama, School Setting, Working!AU

Length: approx. 5k words

Chapter 27 - Dreams Come True

Kim Taehyung had only visited the Korean National University of Arts once. He was 18, hair rebelliously dyed a light coffee brown, clinging to Jimin’s arm as if he was a koala. The excitement was clear on the teen’s face as they strolled across campus, Taehyung commenting on every work of art on display, every building, everything that he came across. It was glorious, the idea of coming to that school back then seemed like nothing short of a dream, one that felt just a little closer to the realm of reality with every step he took onto the campus. Just thinking about it had Taehyung brimming with excitement.

            But that was almost 7 years ago, and Taehyung had never gotten into the school, despite sending in even more than what the application process required. Despite the defeat he felt in that moment, he knew one day the opportunity would come back full circle, and as he packed his weekend bag, that burning sense of opportunity rushed into his lungs as if it were meant to be air.

            “You excited?” Jimin asked Taehyung curiously, watching his friend zip up his bag and toss it by the door. His friend looked up, offering a boxy grin as he turned towards the closet one last time.

            “Of course! I’ve only dreamed of something like this for my entire life!”

            “You said that about the Ilsan Art Festival too. And about every other art show I’ve gotten you in.” The boys laughed a bit.

            “Well, this one takes the cake, and will continue to take the cake for as long as I live and breathe on this earth.” Jimin watched as Taehyung slipped past him, heading into the living room. “I need to finish packing my works.”

            “Do you know what you’re bringing?”

            “I have a few ideas, but there’s one I know I’m bringing for sure.” Jimin watched Taehyung walk towards a large canvas covered by a blue tarp. Curiosity piqued him, and he walked over towards his friend. Taehyung turned to Jimin, immediately catching the curious look in his eye, and he grinned. “Oh, you want to see?” he asked.

            “No, I just find the blue tarp covering it to be truly mesmerizing.” Taehyung laughed a bit at his friend’s sarcastic remark, but instead of revealing the work, he simply walked it towards the door, setting it down against the wall. “I can’t see?”

            “I’m revealing it at the art show. So no, you can’t see until we get there.” Jimin pouted, crossing his arms. That didn’t deter Taehyung though, and he stuck his hands into his pockets. “Jimin, don’t look at me like that.”

            “All I do to get you here, and I can’t see what could be your magnum opus ahead of time?” Taehyung huffed, shaking his head. “If I was pretty, you’d let me see.”

            “Jimin, you’re very pretty.” The boys had to laugh as Taehyung patted his friend’s shoulder.

            “…Okay, thank you.” Jimin grinned. “Let’s get some of this stuff downstairs. I rented a little trailer for us to fit all your stuff safely.” Taehyung nodded, and with that squared away, he scooped up his painting and quickly carried it downstairs. Presenting this work at that art show, the idea that this was no longer a distant dream, but instead a reality, Taehyung found himself heading to the elevator with a spring in his step.

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            Jung Hoseok was conflicted as he sat across from you at your dining room table. You both were cutting up some new activities for the students this upcoming week, as you were continuing to talk about colors. The idea you had for a poster had you beaming from the store all the way back home; a large rainbow, each color-filled not just with colored pencil, but also with drawings of different objects represented by each respective color. Red had apples, hearts, firetrucks, yellow had bananas, blue had the ocean and bluebirds, the list went on. The background was not left as white either. Anything on the picture was colored in, and colors outside the rainbow were added as well. Trees showcased the brown color, pink sprinkled along the light grass as variously shaped flowers. You were hunched over the table, hair pulled back tight as to not get in your eyes. Your eyes. Hoseok watched as your eyes fixated on the poster sprawled out before you. What was once a blank white canvas with limitless possibilities has now become an eye-pleasing set of various colors and words, just enough for the preschool children to enjoy looking at, as well as understand. Your eyes darted back and forth on the paper, before lifting your head in order to get a higher-level view. When you looked up, you saw Hoseok looking at you.

            “Everything okay?”

            “Hm? Oh, yeah.” He smiled. His eyes fell back to his work, and he continued cutting up some of the worksheets and paper, stacking them into individual piles. A moment of silence crossed between you both again, until Hoseok decided to speak up once again. “Taehyung’s going to that weekend art show today, right?”

            “Oh yeah. I meant to text him good luck in the workgroup chat.” You stated. “He’s probably preparing to head out so I’ll send it after I finish this; won’t expect a response for a while.”

            “Yeah,” Hoseok said simply. When he looked back up at you, you had already gotten back to work, coloring in the green section of the rainbow, showing grapes, grass, frogs, and anything else the both of you decided would make quick and familiar connections with the students. “Taehyung told me he wanted to go to that university when he was younger, so he must be pretty excited.”

            “Oh?” you hummed. “That’s awesome. I think that’s exactly what he needs to get his career going.”

            “Do you think he’ll stay at the school if his career takes off?” When Hoseok asked that question, your hand immediately stopped on the poster, the tip of the green-colored pencil resting firmly against the paper. You hadn’t thought about that yet. With every question swimming aimlessly in your mind, that was one you didn’t allow yourself to get to yet. Would he be able to stay? No, there’s a better question that should be asked right now.

            Would he want to stay?

            “Well…” you began, sitting back in your chair. “He only has this job to make money while he tries to really start his career, so…”

            “You don’t think so?”

            You shook your head. “I don’t know…”

            “…Have you made your decision yet?” Hoseok said. You looked up at him. “You know what I’m talking about.”

            “I didn’t consider the idea that Taehyung possibly wouldn’t be in the area. I never factored in long-distance relationships…” Hoseok nodded.

            “Well, remember that I don’t intend to leave,” Hoseok said simply. Even though he shot you a playful grin, you seemed less than amused. “What? Don’t look so upset, it hurts my feelings.”

            “You’re not helping me at all by making comments like that, Hoseok, and you damn well know it.” Hoseok hummed, his head dropping in defeat as he continued to work. Setting the colored pencil in your hand down, you sighed. “He and I kissed when I went over to check on him.” You admitted. Hoseok’s hands froze, and he looked up. “After his concussion…”

            “Oh?” He hummed.

            “Mhm. I didn’t mean for it to happen, but it did. But after it happened, I…couldn’t stop thinking about it. I get more nervous whenever I see him now, the butterflies in my stomach won’t stop. I feel like I’m turning red just talking about it now.”

            “You are.” Hoseok smiled.

            You covered your cheeks, unable to control the breathy laugh in your chest. “I thought about it so much afterward, I even called Bong-Cha to talk to her about it. He told me he wanted to kiss me and…I told him yes.” Hoseok blinked, eyes focused solely on you as you continued to talk. “I didn’t even think of Namjoon or anything else at that moment. I just…really wanted him to do it.”

            As Hoseok listened to you speak, he felt his heartbreak in two. He knew the day would come where you made a decision, and he felt pained to know he lost the race to your heart. Though a part of him knew the outcome, another part of him was hoping it would all be a dream, and somehow, he would be the one to cross the finish line. But how could you win a race you were never apart of, to begin with? When he realized he had yet to speak up in response to your confession, he coughed into his hand, leaning forward to rest his hands out on the table, palms open, and motioned towards your own. You glanced at him but gently placed your hands into his for a moment. Hoseok squeezed your hands tightly in his own, lifting them and bit and planting a small kiss on your knuckles. You smiled a bit, watching as Hoseok looked up at you, and an ever-so welcoming heart-shaped grin flashed onto his face.

“It seems like you’ve made a decision, hm?”

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Taehyung and Jimin had finished setting up and unpacking in the hotel they had gotten for the weekend, a five-minute walk from the campus. As Taehyung finished unpacking, he walked towards the window, opening the curtains and staring out into the distance, eyes beaming as he stared out at the view. The view from the campus must be just as beautiful. He thought to himself as he watched people below pass by, the sounds of city-life filling his ears. He was so excited, knowing in less than 24 hours, he was going to be setting up his art at one of the most prestigious art colleges in South Korea. He could barely wait, he wanted to run and do it right away! When he turned around, Jimin was sitting at the desk in the room, shuffling through papers most likely needed for his assignment as an ambassador of the company.

“Tae, post a picture on Instagram saying you’re unpacked and ready. Get everyone excited and make sure to tag the college.” Jimin hummed, his eyes not even once looking up from the papers stacked before him. Taehyung walked past his friend, messing up his hair and earning a frustrating groan from his manager.

“I’ll do you one better,” Taehyung said. Once he got his phone from the bedside table, Taehyung quickly opened the video camera up, pointing it in his direction. He spun around the room, stopping when Jimin was in the frame. “Say hi, Jimin.” He cooed. Jimin finally looked up, it took a moment to adjust to what Taehyung was doing, but he was quick to adapt, waving at the camera. “We’re getting ready for the art show tomorrow. Hope to see you there~.” Taehyung was quick to flash a peace sign, and a grin to the camera before shutting it off. He then shuffled towards the artwork he had stacked by the closet, snapping a picture of the one still covered by the blue tarp. He snapped a photo of the scenery out on the balcony, and one of him holding up his official badge to get into the show the next day. With these photography skills practically on fire, Taehyung was ready to post. He plopped himself down on the bed, humming to himself as he set everything up on his Instagram, the photo dump showing every aspect of his excitement. “Now, for a caption.” He hummed to himself, pursing his lips. It had to be good!

So excited for my work to be shown at @KoreanNUArts this weekend. I’m hoping to see some people there! One of my newest works is going to be shown there! O.O

            “Done.” Taehyung grinned, tossing his phone beside him on the bed. He lied back, his badge still in his hands as he held it up by the lanyard. It wasn’t anything amazing to look at, just a white card with his name and the campus logo on it hanging off a campus lanyard. However, to him, it was one of the best things I have ever seen. “I still feel like I’m dreaming.” He admitted.

            “Have you tried pinching yourself?” Jimin asked curiously.

            “Several times, and now I’m bruising on my arm in several places.” Both of them laughed. “I can’t wait to tell everyone back home how it goes.”

            “I’m sure they’re excited for you.” Taehyung sat up, pulling his legs close to his chest and resting his chin on his knees.

            “You think this is it?” he asked curiously. Jimin, curious as to what his friend meant about that, turned his head to look at him. “The entire drive here, and the entire time we were unpacking and stuff, I kept thinking something crazy is going to happen.”

            “Maybe it will. This is a big deal.” Jimin smiled. “I wanted the guy to look at your work, I never thought he would invite you to participate in the art show so quickly. That itself is a sign of good luck.” Taehyung smiled, nodding his head in agreement with his friend. “How about we rest a bit then go find something to eat for lunch? I’m starving.” Tae nodded his head in agreement, flopping himself back on the bed. He grabbed his phone, looking at the flood of Instagram notifications he had already started to receive. Quickly, he swiped through a few to see what they were.

            So happy for Oppa! Wish I could go!

            I know what school I’m applying for if handsome Tae-Oppa is there uwu.

            You get even more handsome every post. Is the mystery artwork you? <3

            Taehyung hummed, closing the app down after giving a few comments like, and responding to others with a smiley face or a heart. Just as he was about to set his phone down and rest, his phone vibrated one more time, and the Instagram notification came up once again. When he took a good look at it, he felt his heartbeat just as a bit faster when your username was attached to the comment.

            Good luck at the show! You’ll do great! Also, beautiful view over there 😊

            Taehyung sat up, looking at the post for a moment in silence. For a moment, his body was at war with itself. His heart knew exactly what he wanted to say in response, a cool response that would hopefully have your heart thumping on the other end of the line: It’s nice, but definitely not the prettiest view I’ve ever seen 😉. However, his logical brain sent a thought through his mind: Do you really think that’s appropriate to say right now? Especially on a public platform like this?

            Taehyung pursed his lips in annoyance, but ultimately, knew his brain was right. Regardless of the absolute brilliant response he had, he knew it could lead to bad things. Still wanting to reply, he simply sent her the response: It’s even better in person, you should come to see one day! :D and tossed his phone on the bedside table, burying his head under his pillow.

            Jimin glanced over at his friend shuffled constantly under the covers. “…You had a really good pick-up line for her, didn’t you?” Taehyung’s eyes poked out from under his pillow, watching as his friend lifted up his phone, and pointed to the comments of the post, your comment in particular. Taehyung groaned, hiding his face as if it would also hide his shame, but it didn’t, and Jimin had to laugh. “But if it’s any consolation, whatever you were going to say most likely would have worked.”

            “Thanks.” He said softly. After a moment of silence, Taehyung added. “I don’t know what she’s thinking after she came to my house…but I hope she makes a decision soon. I want to at least know. It’s killing me inside to wait, but I don’t want to push her.”

            “Well based on what you’ve told me between you two, it’ll only be a matter of time. For now, get some rest, and let’s focus on this show tomorrow.” Taehyung nodded, nestling his head deeper into the pillow in hopes it would help him fall asleep.

            It didn’t.

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            Before Taehyung knew it, Jimin was waking him up bright and early the next morning, shouting that they were going to be late if he didn’t hurry up and get dressed. Taehyung practically flew out of bed when he remembered where he was, rushing into the shower as he shouted behind him: “Call for room service! I’ll pay!” to a snickering Jimin. The days had turned to hours, the hours to minutes, and if Taehyung didn’t scarf down his breakfast when it arrived, those minutes would turn into fleeting seconds before they had to leave. Any moment now, he was going to be up in the biggest art college in the country, something he never thought he would get to do. It filled him with excitement, and he practically skipped out of the shower and got dressed.

            “You know we won’t be late now that you’re up, right?” Jimin asked. He was sitting on his bed, watching as Taehyung ran back and forth, tossing his pictures onto the cart he was using to move them around.

            “Well, you got me hyped up. You asked for this, you know.” Taehyung said. With the final painting sat securely on the cart, Taehyung hummed, satisfied. “It’s all ready.”

            “Good. Now eat. It’s getting cold.” Jimin motioned to the food room service had brought, placed on the desk where it waited patiently to be eaten by the artist. He slid into the seat, nodded his head, and quickly began to chow down. Whether it was because he was rushing, or because he was starving, neither Jimin nor Taehyung knew, but Jimin only chuckled in amusement as he finished up his own meal.

            Before the duo knew it, they were headed down the block. Then, they were already inside, Jimin signing the duo in and pinning their name tags onto their jackets. He patted Taehyungs as it rested on his chest, and blurted out a remark along the lines of “So official”.

            Before Taehyung knew it, Taehyung was being led to his spot, a blank wall that was right in the middle of the floor. It was only half of the wall that he had access to, the other half designated to a student. However, he found himself beaming regardless as he began setting up paintings. As he did, he overheard Jimin chatting to someone, most likely about his job. When Taehyung overheard the words: “We’re very grateful to have this opportunity. We’ll work hard.” Slip out of Jimin’s mouth, it reminded him he only got this opportunity due to Jimin, due to his job, due to his ambition.     

            Would I still have gotten this spot if I were on my own? He thought. Doubt it.

            “Don’t start doubting yourself now,” Jimin said. Taehyung looked over and saw Jimin fixing his blazer, grinning kindly at his friend. “I see those ‘My art isn’t good enough for this’ eyes. Get your smile on. We wouldn’t have gotten such a good opportunity for the company if it wasn’t for your art.”

            “…Yeah?” Taehyung asked.

            “Yeah! If I didn’t have your art and your status as a bargaining chip, we would have had to think of another way to get him to agree so quickly. Mr. Kim and I owe you our lives.”

            “The way you phrased that sound very, very manipulative in your case.” He said, and Jimin laughed a bit. Taehyung scooped up his phone, seeing the surge of support coming in through his social media from the fans. Some comments praised his hard work, others praised his face in the video of him spinning around in the hotel room, but instead of rolling his eyes at those, each and every comment made his heart skip a bit. He turned back to the final painting left on the cart, the one he had been waiting to showcase until the very last minute. Lifting it up, he set the tarp aside and quickly placed it on the wall. Jimin looked up, running a hand through his hair as he examined the painting for the first time, only moments before everyone else.

            “Wow.” Jimin grinned. Taehyung turned to his friend, seeing the sparkle of intrigue in his eyes. A small smirk formed on his face, and he nodded.

            “I know, right?”

            It wasn’t long before the doors opened to the public and people began coming in.

            Taehyung watched as Jimin spoke with college students and other individuals who passed by, a warm smile on his face as girls and boys alike swarmed him. They may have no interest in a future with the company, but they had plenty of interest in the two handsome men before them. Taehyung shuffled around, scanning every person that passed by. He was kind of nervous. No, scratch that, he was incredibly nervous, the most nervous he had ever been. He didn’t need to necessarily talk people into buying anything today, it was only for show, to get his name out there and show even more people his art. Despite this, each person that glanced his way, he wanted to go up to and start chatting up.

            I have to keep calm. Taehyung thought to himself. He put his hands in his pockets, walking slightly deeper into the room in hopes to get a better look at the artwork of those around him. Paintings decorated each white wall, each one like a blank canvas in its own way, allowing for the paintings to decorate them in order to tell a story. Small podiums held any statues or pottery made, placed directly onto the floor in order to allow people to get a 360 degree look at each one, to admire all of its features in any angle they chose to. Taehyung turned on his heel, staring up at a large painting, one that commanded the presence of anyone that turned in its direction. It looked to be about two times the size of Taehyung’s largest painting and decorated with just as many colors if not more. Taehyung’s eyes darted every which way, from one corner of the painting to another, trying to take in. Each section of colors told a different story, slowly blending into one another until they met in the middle, forming a cohesive story. It was truly a sight to behold, and Taehyung felt his heart swell just by looking at it. It was then he truly knew he was at one of the top schools for the arts in Korea. When he turned back around, hoping to call Jimin over for a moment in order to show him what he had found, something, in particular, had caught his eye. Jimin, once again, was chatting with someone at his little booth. This time, however, it was not a couple of typical college students, but instead a middle-aged couple, the woman turned towards Taehyung’s paintings while Jimin spoke to the man. Taehyung stepped a bit closer, watching as Jimin motioned to the centerpiece, Taehyung’s newest work of art. Taehyung, now fully invested, headed over to the man, pulling his hands out of his pockets. Jimin caught sight of his friend approaching and grinned.

            “Oh, there he is! Taehyung, there’s someone I want you to meet.” Jimin motioned to the older man, who was smiling. “This is Mr. Oh Jihoon and his wife.”

            “Pleasure to meet you, at last, Mr. Kim.” The man beamed, reaching out to take Taehyung’s hand. The boy quickly took it, giving him a handshake while also nodding his head.

            “Yes of course.”

            “I saw you were walking around. Did you enjoy what you saw?”

            “Very much, yes. That painting over there had just caught my attention.” Taehyung motioned to the painting on the wall that had just captured his full attention for a solid 2 and a half minutes, and he heard Jihoon laugh.

            “I’m not surprised. That was made by one of our seniors, Miss. Kang Areum. She’s very talented, remind me to introduce you before the day ends.” Taehyung nodded. “However, I came to make sure I introduced myself, and I wanted to see what I agreed to include in the art show in person. I wanted to make sure they were as captivating in real life as they were on Mr. Park’s slideshow.”

            A sheepish smile crept on Taehyung’s face, and he nodded. “Thank you very much. I appreciate the opportunity, Mr. Oh.” Jihoon motioned to the paintings one more time, pointing to one in particular; Taehyung’s newest work. It was a simple, minimalistic picture, the dark silhouette of a young woman from the chest up with a high ponytail that cascaded freely down her back, but the small details of hair strands sticking out making it much clearer where the hair begins and ends. The silhouette was colored black, with the only visible feature being a flashing white smile shape on the face portion. The only other noticeable features of the paintings were words. Words of encouragement decorated the background in black, and if they overlapped onto the silhouette, they transformed into white words. The words were beautifully written with a steady hand and flowed eloquently from one color to the next.

            “I didn’t see this picture in the presentation,” Jihoon admitted.

            “It’s a new one. I managed to finish it just in time for this and so I thought I could reveal it here.” Jihoon smiled, nodding once again as he turned to his wife, who looked up at the picture. Taehyung watched her for a moment, that same spark that twinkled in Jimin’s eyes only a few hours earlier just as apparent now, if not more so. “My wife has taken quite a liking to it.” Taehyung watched the older woman walk towards him, gently taking hold of his hands and smiling.

            “I think that is such a cute painting. It looks like it was truly made with love.” Taehyung’s ear heated up for a moment, and he only chuckled shyly. “I knew it. Whoever inspired that painting is a very lucky individual.”

            “Thank you…” Taehyung said softly. He watched Jihoon gently put a hand on his wife’s shoulder.

            “Why don’t you go look at the painting Taehyung said caught his eye over there?” he hummed, pointing down towards the other side of the room. “I’ll meet up with you in a few minutes, I need to talk to these two men.” Jimin and Taehyung shared a glance, watched as the woman said her goodbyes, and headed down the hall to another part of the show. When she was far enough away, Jihoon turned back to Taehyung, and only for a moment, he noticed a serious gleam in the man’s eye, one that sent a shiver down the young artist’s spine. “I have a few questions for you.”

            Taehyung gulped. “Yessir.”  

            “Do you take commissions?” Taehyung blinked. “My wife really seems to like this new painting for yours, but it is clear that a specific woman inspired this one. It wouldn’t be right of me to buy it for my wife. So, would it be possible for us to communicate and work out a deal for you to commission one for my wife as a surprise gift?” Taehyungs hands slipped behind his back, Jimin quickly noticing but keeping his gaze as subtle as he could. From the corner of his eye, he saw Taehyung’s hands form fists behind his back, and it looked like they were trembling. “We don’t need to discuss prices just yet; you find out what you need to do and throw a price at me. Is that something you’d be able to do?”

            “…Yes,” Taehyung said simply. “I would be honored to do something like that. Are you sure my work will suffice as a gift for someone as important as your wife?” Jihoon grinned, immediately letting out a belly laugh that attracted the attention of those around him.

            “My wife said it herself, she really liked that painting. When we walked past, she tugged my arm and pointed right at it. I was on my way to talk to one of the planners of this event until she caused that detour. So yes, I’m absolutely sure.”

            “…I see. Then, yes. I’d love to.” Jihoon smiled, patting Taehyung’s shoulder as he handed the man his business card. Taehyung glanced at Jimin, who quickly extended a hand to take the card since Taehyung’s clammy, shaking hands were still currently indisposed.

            “Thank you, Mr. Oh.” Jimin grinned.

            “Of course! Call me in the next day or two, name your price and I’ll send over anything you need.” The boys nodded. “Well, I need to go now. I see my wife eyeing up a few other works as well. Gentlemen.” The boys nodded, bowing slightly as they watched Jihoon stroll away, hands in his pockets. Taehyung stood there for a moment, Jimin examining the business card in his hands as silence fell over them. When he turned to Taehyung, he gently passed the card to his friend.

            “Taehyung? You okay?” he said. Taehyung took the card gently into his hands, staring at the name of the man he just spoke to, his phone number, and his business email. Taking a deep breaths, Taehyung gently sank down onto the chair behind Jimin’s little booth, allowing every muscle in his body to finally relax. Jimin couldn’t help but smile, watching as Taehyung stared at this card intensely, eyes beaming. He felt this was finally his moment, finally, he was the one given the opportunity he damn well deserved.

            Finally, he was the one with a sparkle in his eyes. 

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[penny-p-pen]

Simon

Knowing Eyes

They say eyes are the windows to the soul, I first fell in love with his eyes, so I guess also quickly fell in love with his soul. Those eyes of his, so warm yet so bold, they always seemed to be wanting something, wanting something more out of everyone, more out of life, he just wanted more.

No. More isn’t the right word; he wanted something better, more acceptances, a greater willingness to change. Those eyes wanted to see people grow, watch them make decisions that would better someone else’s life, better the world, and yet, they were never demanding, never glaring or cold. Those eyes of his looked at you, looked past the physical you and looked at your soul. They pleaded with it, yearned for that soul to be a beautiful one, one that caused change, he wanted that from everyone, but I think he wanted it from me the most.

           He saw into me, saw the timid little mouse of a man I was. Saw that there was something more I wanted from life. Those mesmerizing eyes looked into mine and somehow knew I was here for something important. That I held a far greater purpose then I would ever allow myself to believe. His eyes knew from the beginning, they needed no convincing, he knew I was meant to be something more. His belief in me was confirmed before I could even allow myself to dream that I could believe in myself.  

           So much had led us to that moment, allowed us to be there, staring soul to soul, heart to heart. Somehow time’s plan allowed us to be there, together and in that moment on that snowy night, that moment of bliss, I was finally free. Lip to lip he set my soul free and gave me the courage I thought I could never have. I pulled him in closer and smiled into it. I was finally free.

But I’m getting ahead of myself, a big event can only happen because of smaller ones, ones that a set a ball in motion without anyone knowing. Those small events called life are important, to me and to him…

 A Latte and a Laugh

We met in a coffee shop, both of us were laughing as the barista messed up name after name, saying strange variations of names that shouldn’t have been too hard, K-all for Kyle, Laura turned into Bora and m’lady was supposed to be Melody.

Marcus was the first to talk, first to start the ball rolling, he started the first conversation we’d ever have, started our connection.

           “I’m lucky; they can’t really mess up my name. Well I suppose they could say it in an odd way but Marcus… pretty hard to mess up.”

           I admired how easily he started up the conversation, I was a stranger, he didn’t need to talk to me, but he did. My mouth opened before my brain could spiral into self-doubt. “You are lucky. I’ve had a few uh…. Interesting… mess ups on Simon. Gotten Simone, Siman and uh… heh… seamon…”

           He turned to face me, blinking in silence, my mind raced, ‘stupid,’ I thought. ‘I’m so stupid, why did I just tell a him all th-“

           He burst out laughing. His nose crinkling as his laughter came out louder, a warm and genuine sound. “They messed up Simon? SIMON? Damn man, I am so sorry.” He set a light brown hand on my shoulder, bending forward, trying to get over his fit of laughter. He dried those tears you get from laughing from his eyes taking a deep breath. “I am so sorry man.”

He was about to say something more when the barista called out the next name, “Mareus? Is there a Mareus?... Grande vanilla cappuccino with skim milk?”

I couldn’t help but chuckle as Marcus let out a small huff, “guess I spoke to soon, they canin fact mess up Marcus.”

She called another name, “Simon?  Peppermint latte for Simon?” Marcus and I looked at each other, shaking our heads and smiling; they got my name right for once and oddly enough messed up Marcus’s. We stood there for a minute, not wanting to part ways. Marcus shrugged, “well enjoy Simon, I’ll see you around.” He walked off, leaving to continue his day.

I stood there, grinning like a goof, maybe this was what happiness was like, and maybe this was what confidence was like.

 Sketches

Days passed and those days turned into weeks, I didn’t see Marcus again until I went back to the coffee shop.

I sat in the back corner, soft chairs with large fluffy pillows that faced a window, I loved this back corner. It was always warm and always empty. It was like a little nook, a private place for me to relax. I sat there, watching people walk by, pulling out my sketch book; I pressed my pencil’s eraser to my lips, looking for inspiration. There was an elderly couple across the road, sitting on their usual park bench. He always held her hand in his; he looked like he did it so gently, as if she was an old china doll that needed to be treated with care. Her cheeks were always rosy and her eyes always bright and full of love, full of life. I glanced down the blank page and back up at the couple and started sketching.

“…That’s really good.”

His voice startled me. I looked up, not knowing my eyes had gone wide in fear, not realizing my hands had tightly latched onto the book and pencil. He took a step back, raising his hands in front of his chest. “Hey… hey it’s okay.”

I blinked a few times, “Marcus?”

He nodded, smiling a little, “thought you almost forgot who I was. Sorry if I startled you.” He sat down next to me, still looking at my work. “It really is nice Simon, you like drawing?”

I nodded, “sort of. I’m really no good at it but it’s always been a fun hobby.”

He snapped his fingers, causing me to jump slightly, “you should come to the art class I’m teaching at the Rec Center!”

“Wha’?”

“The art class I teach! It’s a beginner level painting class; we’re starting the new course next week. The first one seemed to be really popular but there’s still room in this one! Come on Simon, please.”

His eyes were sparkling, two emeralds, two dazzling orbs that sucked me in and would never let me go, and I felt myself nod, “okay…” Those eyes gleamed brighter, drawing me closer, slowly melting my fears while building up my confidence.

“That’s great! We meet on Thursday’s at 6:00! If you paint half as good as you sketch- well you’ll be a natural!”

As quickly as he came into my corner of the world he left, leaving me blinking in silence, ‘what had I just committed to?’

   Art and the Heart

           I stared up at the large brick building, gulping slightly. The place had always intimidated me, it seemed too large, too imposing, and someone like me couldn’t make it in there. Sure it was a ‘community cente’r; sure anyone could go in but someone like me… I knew I would be eaten alive by people who were better than me. I was about to turn around, about to jump back into my car and drive away, go back into me little home and hide, but I walked right into him.

           “Hey Simon, you ready?”

           “I- I uh… well Marcus maybe I shouldn’t-“

           “You’ll be fine Simon, come on!”

           He took my hand and pulled me in not allowing me time to protest. I couldn’t think, I was running on auto pilot, just following where he pulled me. His hand felt like it could manage a strong grip but the flesh of his palm was so soft. I shook my head, “nuh”, ‘you can’t be falling for him Simon.’

           “You say something Simon?”

           “N-no- I uh… I-“

           “Hey, you’ll be fine; no one is expected to be perfect their first time painting!”

           He pulled me into a large room, gesturing me to sit at a table near a large window. “Best seat in the house. Even at night that window can provide you inspiration.”

           I nod, sitting down and waiting for everyone else to file in, waiting for the class to start, hoping that I’d just be able to blend in. They soon did, Marcus started teaching, telling us to paint from the heart, to not question our instincts, to believe in ourselves and then he set us free, told us to just, paint.

           I hesitated with every brush stroke, even with his words fresh in my mind I couldn’t seem to let go of my fears and just let my brush move freely across the canvas. Marcus walked around the room, stopping at every canvas, giving advice and praise, but never criticism. He came to mine, watching my motions with curious eyes.

           “Having trouble getting a certain color?”

           I nodded sheepishly, “yeah, I want to paint the sky, it’s well… it was an inky black but a black that looked blue with… with silver from the stars… I’m sorry that probably doesn’t make any sen-“

           His hand was next to mine, gently taking the palette knife out of my hand, mixing black and blues. “Try that.”

           I blinked a few times, looking at the color; it seemed perfect on the palette, so hesitantly I dip my brush, closing my eyes as I let it sweep across the canvas. I peak at the canvas, hesitantly cracking one eye open. The color was exactly what I wanted. I turned to see Marcus smiling at my expression. “That the color you wanted?”

           I nodded, “yes, its perfect thank you.”

           “I’m glad, now for that silver; mix a little grey with a lot of white. We have an almost clear color that leaves a shine, which should work.”

           I nodded again, “th-thanks.”

           I’m smiling, the rest of the painting seems to come naturally, I’m so transfixed by watching it progress in front of me that I’m startled when Marcus addresses the class again.

           “Alright guys, 8:00, we have to start cleaning up now. If you didn’t finish don’t worry. Leave you canvas where it is and you can cover your paints with the lid the palettes came with.”

           “Simon?...”

           I jump as I turn around, not expecting to hear anyone other than Marcus call my name, My heart seems to jump and sink at the same time. “…Daniel?”

           “Surprised you still remember me.”

           I hate it, his voice is cold, his eyes, once full of joy were now a stormy grey. They now held so much sorrow, a sorrow that as much as I wanted to, I could never understand and never take away.

           “What do you mean? We dated for like- five years, I- I really can never forget you.”

           “Yeah,” he rolled his eyes. “Seems like you’ve moved on though.”

           He glanced towards Marcus, making his point painfully clear.

           ‘Is it that obvious?”

           “Have to be pretty damn blind to not notice. Finally getting comfortable with your sexuality? Finally gonna actually show love when out in public?”

           I let out a small growl that sounded more like a whimper, “Danny, you know that’s not fair I-‘

           “First,” I notice his hands ball into fists, “don’t ‘Danny’ me. And second, it is fair to bring up that you never wanted to be affectionate with me when we were in public!”

           I couldn’t argue, I was terrified to even hold Daniel’s hand when we were out together, and now here I was blushing when Marcus walked by. “And for that I’m sorry Daniel. I really am, I- I was scared, both for my safety and for your own.”

           “Why did you leave me then? We could’ve handled the hatred together.”

           “We- we were going different ways Danny. You wanted to leave this town, go make a better life in the city and I- well you know I like the familiar, I wanted things to stay stable. You were so set to leave and all I wanted to do was stay…. Why didn’t you leave?”

           He didn’t answer; we were silent as people started filing out. Daniel finally shrugged, “things just- didn’t work out. Place I was gonna stay fell through, couldn’t find work and then the... my… I- well things just got fucked up. So why are you here Simon? You never wanted anyone to see your art. So why take a class where it’s likely a lotta people will see it?”

           “Marcus sort of convinced me, he... he told me I was good… told me I should come and I… He pulled me in before I could chicken out. What about you? Thought you were never one for anything creative”

           “My fucking housemate made me join up. Thought I needed to get out of the house and do things. Said it was bad for me to just sit at home. Connor’s such an idiot, an art class isn’t going to help me with anything.”

           ‘Come on Danny I bet he isn’t that bad, and I’m sure this class will help you.”

           I reached out to comfort him, but he quickly slapped my hand away. “DON’T TOUCH ME! AND DON’T CALL ME DANNY! That part of us is gone Simon! Don’t start bringing what’s dead back to life!” He pushed past me, fuming and angry. I watched him leave, watched his back as he headed for the door, watched as he seemed to limp a little with every few steps. “…Daniel.”

           Marcus walked over to me, “hey, no tears, it’s alright.”

           I blushed, mumbling as I dried a tear, not realizing it had fallen.

           Marcus sighed, “Daniel doesn’t mean to be like that. A lot has happened in the last few years.”

           “How… How do you know?”

           “Connor and I are pretty close,” he laughed, “actually dated for a few months. Didn’t work but we remain close… Daniel doesn’t want to hurt you Simon. And I promise I won’t hurt you either.” He took hold of my hands smiling warmly, silently convincing me that I would be okay.

He walked out with me, heisting to leave. “You’ll be okay?”

           “Yeah… Yeah I’ll be okay. I’ll see you next week Marcus.”

           “I’m looking forward to it Simon.” He smiled as he got into his car and drove away.

[spinachdrum]

Day 4 - Myeongdong!

Hi guys welcome back to my channel!

Today was super fun!! It started off kind of rough (I started my period like right away this morning when I woke up, so 🙃) but luckily Nichole came STRAPPED with 800mg ibuprofen tablets. Seriously, I take ibuprofen on my period like candy; I’m sure that’s terrible for my body and I’m sure my liver is a shriveled up raisin but hey, better than having cramps.

Anyway, a lot of places in Myeongdong don’t open until a little later in the morning, like maybe 1pm or so? So we lazed around for most of the morning (which was nice for me because period pains knock me on my ass @__@). But finally we got up and got ready and headed out! 

Seriously, there’s something about the subway in Korea that I just love so, so much. I can’t explain it. I love the stations (hate the stairs, lol), I love that cold breeze that blows down the steps in the winter time, I love the noise, I love that feeling of satisfaction when I figure out the path and don’t get lost. It’s strange and I know a lot of people don’t like the subway but it was honestly one of the things I was so looking forward to coming back to. Excuse my love poem to the Korean subway, LOL.

So first, when you get into Myeongdong station, finding the underground mall is super easy cause it’s like, right in front of your face. LIKE BAM. There’s a lot of clothing stores, some teeny tiny restaurants, some souvenier shops, and of course there’s a few k-pop stores! This is where I usually go to buy things I don’t have, like some older releases, although they have new releases too! This is where I bought Arrival when it came out while I was here in 2017. 

Of course I didn’t take any photos in the mall because my eyes were falling out of my head at all the GOT7 things I could buy that I didn’t have, lol. But I made the smart decision of not buying all of that stuff until we were on our way back so I didn’t have to carry it. 

We came out of exit six, which will put you right near an entrance and right by the giant Nature Republican that is really recognizable since it’s got the greenery on the walls and is on the corner. It’s a good starter point and a rendezvous point of sorts since there’s lots of streets to walk down so it’s a good way to remember where you started. 

Or first stop: ARTBOX. I love ARTBOX. [chipotle is my life vine voice]. I love ARTBOX, ARTBOX is my life.

This ARTBOX in Myeongdong is three stories! THREE! THREE STORIES!!!!!! 

Seriously there is literally everything you could possibly need in this damn ARTBOX. Need school supplies? ARTBOX. Need bathroom decorations? ARTBOX. Need a wireless keyboard? ARTBOX. HOTEL???? TRIVAGO!!! 

Like I could honestly write a love song to ARTBOX. Instead, you can have this photo dump of the inside of the store!! 

The first floor is mostly stationary and beauty stuff! Like seriously there is the BIGGEST sticker collection here!! Stickers as far as the eye can see. I bought like... 5? Packs of stickers? Just because they have sooo many cute ones! They have a lot of really cute stationary sets and birthday cards. 

Even the elevator is cute!! We decided to take the elevator to the top floor and then walk back down through the other floors to see everything! 

I don’t know how good this will look on Tumblr but here’s a panorama shot of the second floor! This was mostly electronics and stuff but still there’s SO much cute stuff to look at!! They had wireless keyboards that were sooo cute and I was really tempted to get one but since I’m lazy I almost never sit at my desktop computer and am always performing some contortionist act on my bed with my laptop, lol.

There are so many little cute places to take pictures in here, too! This was on the third floor. Also, personal sidenote, but I literally LOATHE having my picture taken since I hate how I look... but I don’t have any photos of me from my first trip in Korea and I really wanted to change that this time around. It’s so hard to get over and I am still anxious about posting these kinds of photos of myself where I can’t control the angle but it really does make me happy to see myself in these places and to have this memory of being there, so it’s progress, I think.

Okay, dumb personal thing over. MORE PICTURES OF ARTBOX YAAAAY

PLUSHIES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Top floor! Lots of stationary and luggage up here.

The cutest decorations! 

CAPSULE MACHINESSSSS. I got an Adventure Time watch that you can’t change the time on, LOL. It just said 12:00 on it and I haven’t figured out how to change the time yet, but it’s of Tree Trunks and it’s cute so I ain’t even mad.

After we left ARTBOX (and I bought 944e9934985 stickers and a singular $6 pencil (but it’s PENTEL and it’s super fucking nice and no one is even going to breathe on that pencil if they aren’t me) we went to the LINE Friends store!! I had serious tunnel vision for ARTBOX and ended up walking right by it when we first arrived, but we doubled back and went to it. It was nice going during the week and kind of early because there was ZERO line for taking a picture with the giant bear!! 

Stupid cute. Love it. 

This was so cute!! There was a fucking SHITLOAD of BT21 stuff here, the whole top floor was BT21. It honestly made me wish I was into BTS cause they were so cute, lol. They did have some ugly ass shoes though and now I wish I had taken a picture of them because one pair was like....HAIRY.

The whole wall of the stairs was made of this and it was sooo pretty! 

Brown’s room!! I could have pet that bear all day, tbh. So soft.

After we left the LINE Friends store, we just walked around for a little bit! We went to go eat first, and we went to this place called Golden Farm and I had sundubu jjigae and ugh, so good.

We hit a lot of the beauty stores but I didn’t buy much (except at Etude House a little later), since there was honestly just... SO MUCH TO LOOK AT. I want to buy everything I look at but I’m really wary about buying skincare stuff without trying it, because I’m anxious about breaking out :( I found the Soojung line and I really wanted to try it but I am trepidatious about branching out without being able to try first. 

I also didn’t take a ton of pictures on the street or in the beauty stores but mostly because the employees were standing UP my ASS. I’m not mad about it, of course, but it was a little weird at times because I just wanted to look at stuff and they’d be standing at my elbow like 👀. But when we did go to Etude House later, I ended up buying the Peach Farm Play Color Eyes palette, a pretty liquid eyeshadow, a lip tint, and a mascara! 

I didn’t get a picture of this or a video and I’m so mad about it becaues it was so funny. But there was a guy in this really janky dog costume that was advertising for a dog cafe (!!!!!!) and he was being SO WEIRD!! He was doing this really weird thing with his legs and I started laughing so he high fived me and handed me a flier, LOL. And then he walked right behind me for a little bit until it was obvious I was not going to the cafe. Sorry manpup!! 

I wish we had stayed just a tiny bit later since as we were walking back a ton of the street food vendors were starting to pack up. However there was this one cart right outside exit 6 where we came out that had a few things like cheese on a stick, sausage and rice cake, sausage and cheese in bread (so basically a corndog with cheese lol) and even MANDU!!! So we stopped for a snack and omg honestly it was soooo good. There’s nothing like Korean streetfood! 

We went back down into the station and that’s when I bought all the GOT7 things I wanted to buy earlier. RIP my wallet. 

Gazing at my bags in shame. SHAME. That DAISO bag actually has an ass load of snacks in it for part of one of my classes! 

My flat lay of shame.

Coming back was crazy since it was starting to be rush hour. Omg the stations were SO busy it was insane. We only had to transfer one line but one of the trains was sooooo full that we decided to hang back and wait for the next one--this lady leapt in right as the doors were closing and they almost closed on her leg!!! Also, this little tiny old lady in front of me when we were walking up the stairs was trying to pull a wheeled cart up the stairs behind her, so I lifted up the back of it and helped her carry it up the stairs. Her smile when she turned to thank me was soooo sweet. ♥️

The sun going down through the window. The pollution was really bad but it was still oddly pretty..

Our classmate Gaby is actually here, too! She came for Spring Break to visit her boyfriend, but he had to go to his academy tonight so we made plans to hang out and get dinner. Originally we were going to Hongdae but she wasn’t going to be free until later like 8pm and I was so tired (my period is soooo draining, it sucks) so we agreed to hang out at our AIRBNB instead! And honestly, I’m so glad we did. When she got here she suggested we try this place called Pizza School that she loved a lot while she lived here and omg, she was right. It was soooo good! 

So we ate and we sat around and talked and laughed and joked around! It was so nice, I love her and it was such a fun bonding experience to get to know her a little better! I love my friends and I love even more that we got to hang out here together. It was such a nice way to end the day, so relaxing and sooo much fun. ♥️

Until next time, y’all! 

♥️

[woobaejin]

WANNA ONE ♡ “DOES MY VOICE OVER” CHALLENGE

PART 1 » “BF DOES MY MAKEUP” CHALLENGE

Scenario: You’re a rising fashion/beauty YouTuber and decides to let your boyfriend to your voice over.  

Yoon Jisung

“Alright so hi my name is (Y/N) and  I love makeup–not as much as my boyfriend Jisung though”

“I have a bunch of palettes and they’re all the same but I like buying the same thing over and over to waste money” 

“This looks expensive but you see all this?? I only buy it because it’s cute and I use it once before throwing it into the drawer and never see it ever again” 

“What is this okay spritz spritz WAIT OH IT’S SETTING SPRAY YES I LOVE TO DRENCH MYSELF IN SETTING SPRAY AS IF SOMEONE THREW A BUCKET OF WATER ON ME.” 

Ha Sungwoon

“Hi, everybody! Welcome back to another tutorial —sips some water and twirls hair.”

“Okay so we have two eyeliners–oh you’re going to shake it and.. okay just kidding you’re going to put it on your hand.. wait what?.”

“Now you’re going to contour the foundation around your nose and... right under the hairline with a fat paint brush and then use the beauty blender and basically punch right under your eye..” 

“Now I'm going to put on pink lipstick and think of my boyfriend as I do this because he’s very handsome and I love him a lot and I love pink.”

Hwang Minhyun

“Hey everyone. Welcome to my tutorial and this how I do my makeup.. so I’m just putting on a lot of face foundation and what is this other tube.. eye foundation? Okay it looks the same.”

“Now we’re taking this brown shade and we’re going to put it onto my eye ball socket... and then we’re going to be really dangerous and go underneath— basically under my eye bags” 

“Touches brush oh man I should listen to my amazing boyfriend and actually clean my brushes before I stab my eye and get infected.”

“Uh here we have more powdering and contouring and now we’re going to brush the neck area, ear and more on the neck..” 

Ong Seongwu

“It’s ONG MUA in the HOUUUUSE! Here to do (Y/N)’s voice over because I know you love hearing my voice more than hers.”

“BROWS GOTTA MAKE THEM EXTRA THICC WITH TWO C’s AND EXTRA DARK”

“BLEND BRUSH BLEND GOTTA BLEND BLEND! BLEND THAT FOREHEAD.”

“MY LIPSTICK SNAPPED OFF? JK it’s under control guys”

“And here’s the finished ‘I LOOK LIKE A BURNT ORANGE’ LOOK! Just kidding she’s looking super fine... Not as fine as me though—”

Kim Jaehwan

“Hello everyone! IT’S ME JAEHWAN! YOUR FAVORITE MAKEUP GURU!” 

“Okay, so first you’re going to grab your concealer and make a triangle and blend it with this stress ball okay so DAB DAB DAAAAB” 

“Time to fill in my non-existent brows with this brown color gel.”

“Then you take some of this shiny stuff IDK what this is but going for that super 3D look” 

“FINISHED! THANKS FOR WATCHING! LIKE FOR JAEHWAN AND SUBSCRIBE FOR MORE JAEHWAN AND COMMENT ABOUT JAEHWAN! 

Kang Daniel

“What’s up everyone! Going to do a glam tutorial look for you all today so let’s get started!”

“Wow, I look cute. Super cute and I know it. Hair flips and more hair flips. Anyways, we’re taking this white cream and putting it all over the face because my skin is thirsty for moisture..”

“You see Rooney in the back everyone? Why don’t we just focus on her instead. Rooney is more important right now.” 

“She’s putting on a lot of lipstick.. how does it not get onto my lips when she kisses me...”

Park Jihoon

“Hi everyone! This is Jihoon speaking and today I'm here to do (Y/N)’s voice over so shall we get started?”

“Okay so take this neutral color from the first palette and then put on this eye primer protein—i mean potion”  

“Then you’re going to blend it together and then color your eyeshadow with Steela?? Stilla??”

“You’re going to pat pat pat the skin and you can use anything that’s soft like this square looking sponge. 

“Now we’re going to open this other tube and draw some small dots and triangles—this looks like clown makeup.. sorry baby..”

Park Woojin

“H-Hello this is Park Woojin..” (whispers babe.. do I look awkward on camera?) 

“Why do girls say they’re going to “beat” their face with makeup..”

“Next you have to keep on rubbing your face until your hand gets tired and now onto eyeshadow..”

“We’re going to take this purple color and put it on the eyes.. like an upside down Nike sign” 

“What is that? Baby powder? Then you have to put it under your eyes and chin. What is this even for...” 

Bae Jinyoung

“So I’m Jinyoung.. (Y’N)’s boyfriend and yeah..we’re going to dive right into the look.”

“Taking a clean brush, we’re going to take this light brown color and swirl it all over the eyelid.. and then we’re going to take another brown color.. the colors look the same..” 

“Grabbing this black crayon.. pencil... I'm going to put it onto my eyelashes.. have to draw inside the lines like a coloring book” 

“The eyes look really pretty.. super pretty..wow..”

“Powder the tip of your nose and the mustache area and then you’re done! Oh just kidding not yet—”

Lee Daehwi

“Hey what’s up everyone! This is (Y/N)’s boyfriend Daehwi and we’re going to go straight into this pretty look she has going on!” 

“Gotta make sure your lips aren’t dry and chapped so hydrate your lips, everyone.”

“So first we’re going to conceal everywhere that’s problematic.. like this pimple under her chin.. what is this... Tarte Shape Tape! ”

 “Now gotta make sure those brows are filled in because you know.. NO BROWS NO LIFE” 

“Oh my god she’s so fire.. even more, fire if she actually did her make up this fast though. YES, I’M CALLING YOU OUT.” 

Lai Guanlin

“What’s up everyone. I’m Lai Guanlin and I was forced to do this video for my girlfriend... I love you, (Y/N).” 

“Looks like she’s going to put on a bunch of colors now. This bottle looks like nail polish though..”

“Put some liquid thing onto this red egg ball and punch the makeup into your pores.. wow that’s a lot..”

“Why is she so extra.. okay so next you’re going to overline your lips. Want to make your lips bigger than they are because big lips are in..”

“And this is the final look..  Wow, my girlfriend is really attractive.. and here she is being extra again.” 

[dazombi3fari3]

Hey doll hey!! How’s your day/night going? Great I hope. I didn’t sleep very well last night. I pulled a muscle in my rib area and couldn’t get comfortable.

I’ve had a few days of rest so I am back at it making face masks today.  Since I pulled a muscle and am in pain… hubby gave me the day off from cooking and is treating us to some Chinese food today… super stoked, I haven’t had take away food in about a month now … and I love Chinese food so it’s a win/win.

Today I am wear Kate Spade Live Colorfully perfume… and let’s jump into this Face of the Day….

Base:                                                                                                                                                Today I primed my face using L’Oreal Infallible Glow-Lock Illuminating Primer ($12.99 at Ulta) and Tarte Clean Slate Timeless Smoothing Primer ($39 at Ulta and Sephora) to fill in the pores on the cheek area. My foundation today is Bobbi Brown Skin Foundation ($50 at Sephora) in the shade 3 Beige. I color corrected the under eyes using Believe Beauty Brighten Up Color Correcting Concealer ($4 only at Dollar General) in the shade Light/Medium and concealed my under eyes using The Balm Time Balm Concealer (originally $18 but on sale for $9 right now on their website) in the shade Light/Medium. I set my full face using Believe Beauty Matte Blur Loose Powder ($5 at Dollar General) in the shade Translucent. I warmed up my face using Benefit Boxed Bronzer ($30 at Ulta and Sephora) in the shade Hoola. For touch up powder today I am using Milani Conceal + Perfect Shine Proof Powder ($10.99 at Walgreens) in the shade 02 Nude.

Eyes:                                                                                                                                                         I primed my lids using P.Louise Base ($10 pound sterling/ $12.08 USD on their website… can also be found on the Morphie website for $15) in the shade Rumour 0.5. For today’s cool toned smokey taupe eye look I am using BH Cosmetics Love in London palette (originally $16 but on sale right now for $12 on their website). I used the shade Scone (cool toned nudey taupe matte) from lash line to brow bone. I deepened my outer 1/3 of the mobile lid and the outer v of the crease with the shade Crumpet (cool toned deep taupe/brown hybrid matte). On the remaining 2/3 of the mobile lid I used the shade Palace (a light cool toned nudey taupe metallic) and then I went in with the shade Prestige (a cool toned rose metallic) and patted that over the middle 1/3 of the mobile lid to blend the inner and outer 1/3 together. For the lower lash line I smoked out the lash line with more of the shade Scone and than decided that it wasn’t smokey enough and went back over the lash line with more of the shade Crumpet. I then wanted some dimension to the lash line so I went back over the drop shadow with more of the shade Prestige. I highlighted the inner corners using the shade Cheeky (a champagne metallic). I lined my lower and upper waterlines using Inglot Gel Eyeliner ($17 on the BEautylish website) in the shade 90 Brown. I created a baby wing on the upper lash line using Benefit Roller Lash ($25 at Ulta and Sephora) in the shade Brown. I set my brows using Believe Beauty Eyebrow Styling Gel ($4 at Dollar General) in clear and then filled in my brows using Believe Beauty Brow Defining Pencil ($4 Only at Dollar General) in the shade Dark Brown. I carved out my brow line using the BH Studio Pro Brow Highlighter ($5 on their website) on the shimmer side and set the brow line using L’Oreal 24-HR Infallible Eyeshadow ($7.99 on their website) in the shade 899 Endless Pearl (a creamy vanilla matte). I coated my upper and lower lashes with Milani Dangerous Lengths Mascara ($9.99 at Ulta).

Cheeks and Lips:                                                                                                                                For blush and highlighter I am using shades from the BH Cosmetics Glowing in Greece palette (originally $16 on sale for $12 right now on their website). For blush I used the shade Mykonos (a pinky orange matte).  I highlighted my the tops of the cheeks, Cupid’s Bow, center of the chin, bridge of the nose, and high points of the brows using the shade Athens (a delicate nude champagne). I lined and then filled in my lips using Flower Beauty Petal Pout Lip Liner ($6.99 at Ulta) in the shade Rose (a rosey pink). I topped the lips off using ColourPop Creme Lux Lipstick ($8 on their website) in the shade Layover (a medium rosy beige creme).

Final Thoughts:                                                                                                                                      I forgot I had this Believe Beauty Brow Defining Pencil! I freaking love this pencil so much. It’s a plastic, sharpen yourself pencil but it’s so pigmented and so creamy that it almost applies like a pomade. It was so freaking easy to use. The only thing I don’t like about it is the spoolie … it’s wide and chunky … I would have preferred to have a skinny and thin spoolie, but that’s not a deal breaker for me since I have disposable spoolies on hand.

My curls are starting to spring back to normal after dying my hair …. my hair still feels soft and fluffy … I so wish they would come out with the deep conditioner that comes with the hair dye as a stand alone product… I totally would purchase heaps of it.

I checked on the status of my April Beauty purchases … the only one that has shipped is the large order I placed with Beautylish… it should arrive by Monday … but my Ulta orders (1 have 2 orders) still haven’t been processed and I ordered them 4 days ago…. they must be on 1/2 staff right now because they normally ship within 2 days of purchase. I also purchased a new vanity chair… the one I have is over 4 years old and the hydraulic pump that lowers and raises the chair has officially given up… I’m too short for it to remain in the lowest setting so I ordered a new one off the Walmart website (which should be here by Friday of next week) and I am giving this one to my husband since he is much taller than me.

Well that’s all for now dolls. I hope you have a great rest of your day/night and that you are in good spirits and health. Remember dolls … Save a spoon for a bit of lipstick.

XOXO

Cool Toned Taupe Smokey Eye Face of the Day Hey doll hey!! How's your day/night going? Great I hope. I didn't sleep very well last night.

[rachelvalente]

The Big Beauty Sale

Over the last year, I employed a new method of purchasing beauty products & it’s ended up saving me so much money in the long run.  I used to just wait until I ran out of something & then have to run over to Sephora or ULTA at the last minute in a frenzy to buy more.  I knew there had to be a better way to plan ahead, so I decided to start buying the things I use regularly when they’re on sale (whether or not I currently need them).

In some cases, this means that I will have 3-4 of the same pencil in my drawer just waiting to be used (and I do have to take shelf life into consideration).  But, this not only ensures that I have backups to use when I run out of my current products, but it also means that I never have to pay full price!  Because a lot of the brands that I wear end up being excluded from usual promos & coupons, I’ve gotten pretty good at learning when the big sales are and stocking up.

Right now, one of those sales is happening that I will personally be taking advantage of, so I decided to do a round-up of my top picks so you can also shop & save!  I’m only sharing the products that I use on a regular basis & love, so these all have been tested by me, purchased with my own money (read: not sponsored) & have my full endorsement!  Everything is on sale now (15-20% off) with code VIP + you’ll get free shipping when you spend $49.

FACE I recently discovered this enzyme peel & I fell in love with the way it made my skin feel! This is a gentle peel, which makes it perfect for my sensitive skin – I noticed a marked improvement in softness & radiance after using regularly once a week. I’m a big fan of the Elemis brand, but I don’t own a lot of their products because they are a little pricey – so this is a great time to grab some skincare from their line for less.

Before applying makeup, I always prep my skin with primer – I’ve used this one for years because it creates a smooth base & helps everything stay put. It’s worth noting that there are several different formulations of this primer & they also come in travel sizes, so you can test them out first & find your favorite – see them all here.

I’ve been wearing this CC Cream since it first hit the market & it’s still my favorite for everyday wear.  I wear Light or Light Medium during most of the year, but switch to Medium in the summer months.  I love that it gives me a natural look with buildable coverage & that it has the SPF50 built-in.  This also comes in a travel size, which I took with me when I went to India. I apply mine with this beautyblender & finish it off with this setting spray – this is a game-changer for those hot summer days or events when I need my makeup to stay put (travel size here).

I’m one of those people who doesn’t go “all out” with my makeup every day, but I have started adding in a little contouring & it makes such a big difference!  I have tested lots of products & this palette gives the most natural effect of all the ones I’ve tried.  I use the Soft Contour color in the hollows of my cheeks and just under my jawline/chin & then I apply the Radiance Highlight on my cheekbones.  You want to blend it really well so the definition is subtle and not too severe – I use this brush to smooth everything out & I use this one to apply the highlighter.  Once I’m done, I’ll add a little blush to the apples of my cheeks (because otherwise I look too pale!) – this one is a cult favorite for a reason…the color looks good on every skin tone.  Also highly recommend this brush cleaner if you don’t already have one – it’s great to use in between deep cleans & it dries really fast!

EYES After a significant amount of trial & error, I’ve finally come up with a 3-step process for effectively covering my dark undereye circles without looking like I’ve caked a bunch of product on.  I start with this magic wand (in Radiant Light), which has a creamy consistency & gives an illuminated look.  After blending it in well, I warm up a small dab of this full coverage concealer (in Light Amber) between my fingertips and apply conservatively (a little goes a long way).  Then I set it all with this brightening powder (in Shade 1). But, for what it’s worth, I also have some friends who found the It Cosmetics concealer wasn’t moisturizing enough – I’ve heard from makeup artists & beauty influencers that this one is a better option for those with dry or aging skin.

There’s nothing worse than spending a ton of money on an eyeshadow palette to only end up using a few of the colors.  And while I do own both of the popular Urban Decay palettes (here & here), I actually found that this one has all the pretty neutral shades I want and it’s so much cheaper!  These blend like a dream with very minimal fallout – this is a $61 value for only $20!

If you’ve never tried this volumizing mascara, this is the perfect time to order!  I suggest getting the travel size first to test it out, but I know you’ll love it because everyone who I’ve recommended it to has converted for life!  I’m ordering more while it’s on sale, because this brand is usually excluded from promos.  And I’m also stocking up on my favorite brow pencil (I wear Soft Brown) – even though my brows are microbladed, I’m long overdue for a touch-up so they’ve faded quite a bit.  This pencil has a super-fine tip that allows me to create tiny strokes that mimic the look of real hairs to fill in any sparse areas & give more definition.

LIPS You’ve heard me rave about this lip overnight treatment before & it really is magical – I actually prefer it over the Laneige lip mask that everyone swears by!  I love the smell & appreciate that it’s 100% natural and uses fair trade coconut oil as one of the main ingredients.  After falling in love with it, I decided to also order their tinted lip treatment to use during the day – this has SPF30 & keeps my lips baby soft all day long.  I wore the Naturally Nude all summer long, so now I plan on ordering Touch of Berry, which looks like it will be the perfect hue for fall & winter.

HAIR This seems random, but a question I frequently get asked is what type of hairspray I use.  Truth be told, on most days, I don’t use any at all – I think the overuse of AquaNet in my teen years has me a little gun-shy.  But, there are times when I do need it like when we’re shooting photos for the blog & it’s windy out; when we’re headed to a special event or when I create an updo that I need to stay put.  This one has been my go-to for years because it has great hold, but doesn’t leave a sticky residue or make my hair feel stiff.  My husband actually uses this more than I do (ha!) and he loves it too.

I can’t remember where I first read about this hair treatment, but the before & after pictures were so amazing that I felt compelled to give it a try.  Let’s just say, there’s a reason why it’s won so many beauty awards – I’ve only used it once & I couldn’t believe how it completely transformed my naturally curly hair to be so sleek & shiny.  I applied it to my towel-dried hair, combed through & then blew-dry as usual – not only was my hair softer than ever before, but it didn’t get frizzy after walking my dog in the afternoon heat & humidity.  This is definitely going to be a new staple product for me!

NAILS As most of you know, I’m pretty neurotic when it comes to my nails looking nice.  Growing up, my mom had the most beautiful long almond-shaped nails – she always did her own manicures at home and taught me from a very young age how to care for & paint my nails like a pro.  I like to change my color weekly, although I can get my polish to last for 10-14 days if I’m careful.  Essie is usually my brand of choice because I prefer their brush, plus they have every color under the rainbow.  This is a great time to scoop up a new polish (or two) for the coming season – my fall favorites are Angora Cardi, Merino Cool & Bordeaux.  If you have a harder time making your manicures last, I recommend trying out their Gel Couture line – it doesn’t require a special light to cure, but you will need this top coat (colors I love: Spiked With Style, Bubbles Only & Caviar Bar).

The post The Big Beauty Sale appeared first on Penny Pincher Fashion.

The Big Beauty Sale published first on https://skinalleyupdates.tumblr.com/

[latestnews2018-blog]

There Were Zero Things Better This Week Than Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s Victory Face

New Post has been published on https://latestnews2018.com/there-were-zero-things-better-this-week-than-alexandria-ocasio-cortezs-victory-face/

There Were Zero Things Better This Week Than Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s Victory Face

Welcome to Good Shit, HuffPost’s weekly recommendation series devoted to the least bad things on and off the internet. 

This is obvious, but the best thing I saw this week was NY1’s video of 28-year-old Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez realizing she had beaten out Joe Crowley in the Democratic primary for the 14th Congressional District of New York. The results all but assured that she will soon become the youngest woman ever elected to Congress, and they set off a predictably nauseating period of 24/7 news coverage.

Challenger @Ocasio2018 toppled one of the top Democrats in Congress, @repjoecrowley, Tuesday night in their primary in the 14th District. The victory stunned even her, live on our channel. #NY1Politics https://t.co/fnK1O0bacz pic.twitter.com/RjuqHJpn1p

— Spectrum News NY1 (@NY1) June 27, 2018

But the particulars of that moment were mesmerizing: the way she convulsed just for one second when she saw the results; her widened eyes and covered mouth, first with two hands, then with just one; when she shook her head exactly once and replied “Nope” after an interviewer asked Ocasio-Cortez to put what she was feeling into words; and then when she composed herself and told the world that the victory belonged not just to her but to everyone who was with her. It was something wholly foreign to 21st century American politics: pure, uncorrupted joy, and we were right there with her in the bar to witness it. What a shocking delight. ― Maxwell Strachan 

Gucci Mane In Iceland

If you love yourself, watch this video of Gucci Mane in Iceland. Then you should mention BET, VH1, HGTV and the Travel Channel on Twitter, and petition for him to have his own show in which he travels the world and talks about how it makes him feel. Fuck, I love Gucci so much it hurts. ― Julia Craven

World Cup Tequila Shots

Re: Korea defeating Germany, thus allowing Mexico to progress to the next round–this video of Mexican fans bumrushing the Korean embassy in Mexico City to thank the ambassador personally, and forcing him to down tequila shots is so beautiful and perfect 😂 #KORGER pic.twitter.com/E1GeZCRrlK

— Very Stable Genius (@Rantaramic) June 27, 2018

Mexico got thrashed by Sweden in its final World Cup group stage game on Wednesday, but South Korea’s improbable win over Germany allowed Mexico to advance to the next round anyway. So, after the game, Mexico fans swarmed the South Korean embassy in Mexico City, mobbed the ambassador and other consular officials, and all but forced them to do shots of tequila with them. Then they chanted, “Korean, brother, you’re Mexican now!” The videos brought me genuine joy, even though the week was otherwise mostly awful. Mexico, which has had a pretty fun ride through this World Cup so far, plays Brazil in the first round of the knockout stages on Monday morning. It’ll be worth a watch. ― Travis Waldron

New Books!

Amazon

If you want to deftly thread the needle of unplugging from the horrifying news cycle while still thinking deeply about all the political, social and economic factors that have combined to make it so horrifying, allow me to humbly suggest two electrifying debut novels that were published this month.

Confessions of the Fox by Jordy Rosenberg takes the hoary tale of an 18th century folk hero ― the infamous English pickpocket and jailbreak Jack Sheppard ― and transmogrifies it into a wildly entertaining epic featuring a trans hero and a London underworld as diverse in race and gender identity as the real 18th century London was. 

Set in Oakland, California, There There by Tommy Orange weaves together the stories of urban-dwelling Native people grappling with the consequences of white colonization that has disconnected them from their heritage. All the while, the plot builds inexorably toward a shocking conclusion. ― Claire Fallon

“Salvage Dawgs”

For anyone who wants to escape the madness of the news cycle, turn off the worrisomely relevant “Handmaid’s Tale” and flip to the DIY Network ― where you can peacefully watch Robert, Mike and the rest of their Black Dog Salvage team carefully extract architectural elements from private homes, historical properties and crumbling mills across the eastern U.S. states. I first caught on to “Salvage Dawgs” four years ago (as an HGTV fanatic), and with a new season currently airing on Sundays at 9 p.m., I’ve been thoroughly enjoying it again. ― Leigh Blickley

“Demolition Man” Nacho Fries

Taco Bell

Is it a coincidence that in “Demolition Man” ― a movie depicting a world of peace, love and Wesley Snipes with bleach-blond hair ― every restaurant is a Taco Bell? I think not. Now, in honor of the 25th anniversary of this cinematic masterpiece, in which Sylvester Stallone says “Heads up” before literally kicking Snipes’ head off his body and people clean their butts with seashells, Taco Bell is bringing “Demolition Man” nacho fries to San Diego Comic-Con. And as if this partnership could get any more perfect, the fries are supposedly free.

So even if you’re not into “Demolition Man” (but, really, who even are you?), it’s still enough to make you say, “Aw, bell yeah.” Anything else happening in your life is nacho problem. But just remember: This is still Taco Bell we’re talking about, so keep those seashells ready. ― Bill Bradley

Some Hedonistic Art

Irena Jurek

“Strawberries Wild,” 2018, acrylic, graphite, colored pencil, glitter and collage on paper.

Fuck self-care, “Alive With Pleasure!” ― a new group show at Asya Geisberg Gallery in Manhattan ― seems to suggest. These dire times require unabashed hedonism, stripped of nutrition, intention or good sense. Curated by Irena Jurek, the exhibition takes its name from the playfully seductive Newport cigarette ads from the ’70s and ’80s. The works on view ― by artists including Caroline Chandler Wells, Raúl de Nieves and Melissa Brown ― are united by an excessive energy that oozes from their materials, style, palette and subject matter. Strawberry orgies, sprinting nipples, smoking birthday cakes and rainbow horses with serious BDE populate the gallery space, manifestations of self-indulgence far more strange and satisfying than bubble baths and goat yoga. ― Priscilla Frank

Kieran Culkin In “Succession”

Listen, I do not know how I feel about “Succession” on the whole. It is a longish HBO show filled with rich white men whose business dick swagger is very sad emoji, pretty frightening and a little funny. But I do know how I feel about Kieran Culkin in “Succession,” and that is that Kieran Culkin in “Succession” is very hot. He is the media conglomerate sex idiot I never knew I needed. He is the entitled son of a Rupert Murdoch avatar that I would otherwise hate if he weren’t so good at sick sibling burns and fast talking. He is Igby Slocumb, if Igby had just gone ahead and Jeff Goldblum-ed himself. That scene where Kieran Culkin in “Succession” is wiping his own semen off the window of his high-rise office window is exactly how I imagine Wall Street Men behave, so maybe this is a documentary. I don’t know. Watch it for Kieran. ― Katherine Brooks

Music For Your Ears

It’s always been difficult to get a handle on Deerhoof’s noise pop. It’s both artful and art-damaged, heavy metal and wistfully melodic. On a recent episode of the great podcast “Essential Tremors,” drummer Greg Saunier explains at length how the band’s sound is rooted in an unlikely source: Burt Bacharach’s orchestral pop. Saunier is a captivating storyteller, unwinding his tale much like his band’s twisty songs bouncing from a nostalgic remembrance of his mom’s love of soft rock to dissecting the essential genius of the 1968 hit “Do You Know the Way to San Jose” to karaoke singing. “People have rarely agreed with me on this, but I pretty much think of Deerhoof as being a soft-rock band,” Saunier said. ― Jason Cherkis

Freaky people, clap your hands! You’ll hear that command on “The Now Now,” the latest LP from sprightly synth cartoon band Gorillaz. We could use a freaky handclap or two right now, especially if it’s filtered through baroque bops like “Humility” (a summer jam if there ever was one) and “Magic City.” This album? It’s sunshine in a bag. ― Matthew Jacobs

A Movie About Aliens

This week I’m all over “How to Talk to Girls at Parties.” Don’t be fooled by the “Dude, Where’s My Car?”-esque name, this is an entirely precious, entirely new, entirely weird movie about growing into love in the most outlandish of circumstances. Enn is a punk boy in the ’70s who likes nothing more than scaring old ladies on his beat-up old bike and eating tomatoes that grow in the sewer, but his life gets shaken up when he meets Zan, an alien girl from a clan of introverted extraterrestrials touring Earth. I loved the subversion of expectation, like when he leans in to kiss her and she vomits on him. Somehow this is still cute. Elle Fanning is a great alien, and Nicole Kidman makes an appearance as an aged punk, which is worth it just to see her done up in the requisite 3 inches of eyeliner. The special effects are really campy and kind of jarring, but fun if you just go with it. And Mitski (!) even makes an appearance on the soundtrack to round it all out. Upon watching it, my mother said, “What in God’s name did you just show me?” Great fun. ― Anna Krakowsky

Maeve On “Westworld”

The best thing for me this week was, hands down, the subtle power of Thandie Newtown’s performance as Maeve on the Season 2 finale of “Westworld.” There’s this one, glorious shot of her toward the end of the episode, defiantly using her powers to hold off a horde of crazed hosts in order to protect her daughter. It’s brilliant on many levels, foremost because it’s the instant where the show fully crystalizes something that, all season, it had only been half-committed to acknowledging: Maeve is basically every black woman who has had to save herself (and everyone else) because no one else would. In light of the dumpster fire that has been this week and quite frankly this entire year, there’s something cathartic in seeing that visual metaphor on screen. ― Zeba Blay

The Passionate Experts On “Ologies”

My evergreen podcast recommendation this summer has been “Ologies,” a delightful science series. Each episode features a different expert, or -ologist, who can expound on all the cool shit to do with topics including death, birds, fear, squids, even postcards (!!!). Host Alie Ward is a true delight and basically asks all the weird questions I’d want to ask. It’s educational without feeling too heavy. Listening to people who are passionate about things is kind of the best thing? I’ve yet to come across a dud episode, and there are nearly 40 in the back catalog to work through on your journeys this summer — or simply your journey ~through life~. ― Jillian Capewell

And Finally, This Photo

received a very promising tip today pic.twitter.com/UaAJGwoVWz

— Ashley Feinberg (@ashleyfeinberg) June 28, 2018

This photograph was DMed to me by a stranger with absolutely no words or explanation. It is beautiful and makes me want to die, which is all you can really hope for with art. ― Ashley Feinberg

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[valerybrennan]

Sephora Haul + Mermaid Inspired Makeup Look

Disclosure: The items showcased in this post were purchased with a gift card from Sephora that was provided to me for the sake of this post. Thanks for supporting the brands that help make this blog possible!

I don’t think I’ve ever had a harder time spending a gift card than I did at Sephora this week. I had such a long list of products and narrowing it down to a few “must haves” was difficult, but I think in the end I made the right decisions. I tried to mostly buy practical things but…of course I ended up with one “fun” purchase that inspired my mermaid makeup look. Let’s dive right into the mini haul, y’all!

Make Up For Ever Ultra HD Invisible Cover Foundation

Oh boy. I knew when I walked into the store that I wanted to get color matched. I’m so sick of just grabbing whatever foundation I *think* works for me and then being unhappy. Thankfully getting your Color IQ at Sephora is SO quick and easy, y’all! I couldn’t believe it! I walked in, asked to be matched and Tanner, a Sephora employee, helped me right away. At the Color IQ kiosk, he took three photos of my skin and the computer instantly spit out my Color IQ with a list of foundations that would be a perfect match. After scrolling through the options, MUFE was probably my best bet so Tanner grabbed it for me, and swatched it on my cheek so we could see if it was a match. It was! He offered to apply it to the rest of my face and since I wasn’t wearing any foundation, I happily obliged. Did I mention this whole process was free?! 

Honestly, this foundation really hits all the major points for me – it covers my redness, has a natural finish, it’s buildable (medium coverage with one coat, full coverage with two) and it applies flawlessly with a beauty sponge.

Anastasia Beverly Hills Dipbrow Pomade (Ash Brown)

Honestly…..I don’t even know how old my other Dipbrow Pomade is but it is DRY and has been in need of replacing for quite some time now. Even though my brows are microbladed, honestly they still need some work (don’t even get me started on that), so a brow product is a must for me. Sometimes I’ll use a pencil but this product is still my ride or die – I feel like it gives you a really defined brow without looking too blocky or intense. 

Kat Von D Lock-It Setting Powder

My foundation moves a LOT if I don’t set it with powder and I’ve never been thrilled with the powders I’ve purchased before so I decided it was time to just splurge. If it can keep my makeup looking great all day, it’s worth it. I’ve worn this powder a few times and so far I’m REALLY happy with it! There’s no scent or color and the finish looks VERY natural. It sets my foundation without making me look too dry and powdery and it doesn’t settle in the dry patches on my cheeks, even after wearing it all day. So far, so good!

Kat Von D Alchemist Holographic Palette

Ohhhhh y’all. This was NOT something I had planned on purchasing and I’ll be the first to admit it was 100% impractical. I already have plenty of highlighters, including the Anastasia Moonchild palette BUT I swatched this on a whim (along with a lot of other similar highlighters) and I couldn’t say no. There’s NO hint of glitter in this palette, people. It’s sooooo beautiful on the skin and honestly, I like it even more than my Moonchild palette! A little goes a LONG way which makes me feel a little better about the pricetag. Also, if I’m being honest, most drugstore powder highlighters I’ve tried don’t look great on my skin so it’s something I’m willing to spend a bit more on. 

For this mermaid inspired makeup look, I am wearing everything I got on this trip (plus a few other things, of course!) The Kat Von D Alchemist Palette was used as a highlighter and I also patted it over black eyeshadow on the middle of my eyelids – GORGEOUS, right?! I seriously just applied black shadow all over lid, blended it out with a medium brown shadow and patted Emerald on top. Super easy! So glad I bought that palette. Don’t forget strong brows, lots of colorful highlight and an iridescent lip.

I just started using the brand new Sephora Community and I’m *really* loving it so far! Don’t get me wrong, I love following my favorite bloggers, but sometimes it’s nice to ask direct questions to people who are active in the beauty community. They have different groups you can join (based on skin concerns, beauty interests, and more), which really helps narrow down where to post and where you’ll want to be active. My favorite part is it’s a place for everyone! You don’t have to be a beauty guru – even if you’re someone who is just starting out with makeup, it’s a perfect place to get active and chat with others about beauty! Next time I need suggestions, I’m definitely heading to the Sephora Community – hope to see you there! Join the community and then follow me here!

What beauty purchases have you made lately?

What’s on your Sephora wish list? I still have a few things I want to buy (yikes) but I’m always open to suggestions!

xoxo Valery

The post Sephora Haul + Mermaid Inspired Makeup Look appeared first on Valery Brennan.

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[studiobowesart]

Plein Air Painting With Bill Robinson

by Cory Godbey

Plein air painting is one of those things I've been interested in but truthfully never really tried. 

The reality is, for me, painting is enough of a challenge without the whole natural world getting involved. I'm envious of those artists who can set up shop seemingly anywhere and pull together a painting! Bill Robinson and I go way back (we first met in 2009 when I was curating a Maurice Sendak tribute art blog called Terrible Yellow Eyes). He has a decorated career in children's books and animation and currently works as a visual development artist at Sony. I thought I'd invite Bill over to share a little of his experience and expertise with plein air painting. Enjoy!

How and when did you get started plein air painting?

A little over a year ago I moved to Los Angeles and was working at my first job in feature animation with some very talented painters. When I started nosing around and asking them how they got so good, they mentioned that they go plein air painting as often as possible. I had seen plein air and even done a couple of workshops years ago, but the practice never really cemented for me. Lucky for me, we formed a little group of people who would go painting every day at lunch, setting up on the streets of Santa Monica near our office. Being able to see the gear, subjects, handling of paint...and doing it every day finally got me over the feeling of, “I have no idea what I’m doing” and made the whole process much more enjoyable.

What makes a good location for plein air painting? Do you decide where to go and then choose a spot or is there something in a particular landscape or place that you set out to find first?

I find myself more attracted to nature than architecture or cityscapes, which for me comes down to where I like to paint and what I like to spend hours staring at. I would usually rather be out on a sunny trail or near a stream than in a busy industrial area, though there is plenty of beauty to be found in factories, train yards, etc. and I think it’s a good idea to mix it up every now and then. When I head to to my general location, the first thing I look for is the lighting. If there’s a really beautiful shadow pattern or the light catches my eye and holds it, I will stop and consider that place for a painting. Subject matter itself doesn’t matter all that much, I’ve found that a tree or a rock or a flower or a mountain can all be painted in beautiful ways. When I’ve been to an area enough times I start to keep a mental log of spots I want to paint, which makes it easy the next time I’m there.

What sort of materials do you take with you on locations?

I’ve found that everyone has a different plein air setup, but the main thing for me is finding stuff that is lightweight and very portable. Here’s a look at my current setup:

Paper Towels, Spray Bottle, Artists Tape - These seems like add-ons, but they are essential! Paper towels especially, for getting the right consistency when mixing gouache. Too much water on your brush and you’ll be struggling. Spray bottle is good for keeping your palette wet.

Brushes - I mostly use 2-3 brushes on a painting. Mainly a 1” flat and then maybe a ¼” flat for details. Once in awhile I use a round for smaller details. I love my cylindrical brush carrier, which keeps them from getting bent bristles in my backpack.

Palette - I use a Sta-Wet palette for and it changed my life. I used to hate working with gouache because it dries out so quickly, especially in heat or direct sunlight. The Sta-Wet palette has a wet sponge and a special palette paper that keep your paints full of moisture, even days later. I also use a small spray bottle of water to refresh the paint if necessary.

Paper/Pencils/Eraser - I work on a variety of surfaces, but mostly either cold press watercolor paper or hot press illustration board. I have started to prefer illustration board, mostly because you don’t have to worry about buckling or warping. I’ve always got a pencil and kneaded eraser in my kit for laying in quick sketches. The boards in the photo are from Cottonwood Arts.

Water - I use an old pill bottle with a screw on cap to hold my water. It’s tiny, lightweight, and watertight.

Masonite board - If you are using a small painting surface, it’s good to have a board to tape it down to.

Pochade Box - I bit the bullet and bought a fancy STRADA easel. It’s lightweight, strong, super portable, and easy to use. No complaints. There are definitely cheaper options (including many homemade ones) for people just getting started.

Tripod - I’m using a cheap old tripod I had lying around the house, but it would probably be a good idea to use something a little more sturdy. Just be careful of how heavy it might make your pack.

Travel Toiletry Hanger/Paint - I had this old toiletry carrier and found that it is perfect for holding my supplies. It has a hanger hook up top, which I can hang on to my easel for easy access. I use gouache for my plein air paintings, mostly because it’s waterbased, opaque, and dries quickly. Also, the tubes are very small and easy to transport! I am fond of Holbein and Winsor & Newton, though there are other good brands out there.

Backpack  - This Kelty Redwing bag is huge, with tons of zippers and pockets for all your supplies. It’s a serious backpacking kit, so you trade off a little more weight to use it. Sometimes I switch this out for a lightweight gym knapsack if I don’t need all the gear.

Current setup in action:

Walk us through your process.

Step 1: Once I’ve selected a subject/area to paint, I take a few minutes to think about composition. This will depend on the format of my painting surface (sometimes it’s square, or wide, or tall, etc) but I tend to work rather small. This particular painting is about 5" x 7”. Once I’ve got a composition in mind (considering the rule of thirds, focal point, etc) I will do a very quick sketch. This is going to get covered by paint in a moment, so I keep it rough. I just want the key things like the telephone pole, the house, and the wall at the bottom in their basic positions.

Step 2: Basic Block-In. I do this as quickly as possible, mostly working wet-in-wet. Don’t expect this phase to look good - if it does, you’re probably getting bogged down in detail. Sometimes I will work on white, other time I will ground my canvas with burnt sienna or something similar. In this case I kept it white for the sky. The thing about gouache (and watercolor) is that you will never get a paint as white as the original paper...so be careful with preserving it when you need to!

Step 3: Tightening Up - Here I’ve got my colors blocked in and am paying more attention to local color. I want the greens to have the right temperature and the browns and yellows to feel like they are in either light or shadow. It still looks very rough.

Step 4: Values: Now I’m starting to pay more attention to value. I lay in some of the darkest darks and try to get more key details locked down. I pay more attention to color variation, like adding in some purples to the dirt trail and some blues to the sides of the house.

Step 5: Finished! Here I’ve added the fine details, the lines on the bricks, the fence posts, the telephone wires, small leaves and flowers. It’s amazing how much these little details bring a painting to life, but they would not work if the rest of the foundation had not been laid down.

I'm curious, do you find that people want to see what you're up to or do they give you space?

I have gotten pretty mixed reactions, depending on where I am set up. Most people are very friendly and just excited to see what you’re working on. I’ve painted in big cities, where people have made jokes about how they wish they could spend their day painting instead of working. (Reconsider your life choices!) I’ve painted at Disneyland, where kids get super excited to see an artist doing something. Mostly I paint out on nature trails where I get to meet dogs and chat with their owners!

Thanks so much for sharing your expertise with us, Bill! Where can people find you online?

My pleasure! I share my plein air paintings and a lot of my process shots on my Instagram:

http://ift.tt/2omqcZg

I’m also on Twitter, Tumblr, and Facebook.

Also, I understand that you have a show coming up as well, where can people find that?

Yes! I am very excited to announce that I will be having my first solo show of my pleinair artwork at the Light Grey Art Lab in Minneapolis. It opens April 21 and goes through May 20. The artwork will also be available online after the show opens. 

Check out http://ift.tt/1m7FPeY for more info as it becomes available!

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