July 21, 2015

What's In My Bag

July 21, 2015/ Alexandra Evjen

As you may have read in my last post, I'm traveling this week with my family. We spent this past weekend celebrating the wedding of one of my cousins, and the remainder of our vacation is going to be lakeside soaking in some sun and rest. Woohoo! With the wedding came a rehearsal, rehearsal dinner, bridesmaid duties the day of the wedding, and, of course the ceremony and reception. There even was a brunch Sunday morning, so our weekend was definitely busy. It helps to be able to pack all of your go-to makeup with you in a very chic bag like this one by XO Monica Lee. It's high quality leather with a detachable strap so you can use it as a clutch or a purse.

I put it in my oversized tote bag for the day, and just used this clutch for the rest of the night. So, what's inside my bag that I would use for bridesmaids makeup? Here you go:

1. Benefit's boi-ing concealer. It easily blends and I have been using it for about three years. 2. Benefit's Erase Paste. It's an under eye brightener that I swear by. It always helps me look more awake than plain concealer. 3. Lorac's natural eye shadow palette. It has every color you could want for a natural glowing look. 4. NARS Pure Radiant Tinted Moisturizer. It actually has enough pigment to be full coverage without the weight of a foundation formula. 5. MAC Pro Longwear Paint Pot. I have gone back and forth with eye shadow primers and I still find MAC's paint pots to be the best. 6. Bare Minerals Touch Up Veil. It's great setting powder to keep everything in place for a long day. 7. Revlon Colorstay Eyeliner. I've spent money on expensive eyeliners and they aren't half as good as this one.

All of these products I use on an everyday basis, for photo shoots and for weddings. I swear by them. Go try!

Outfit: dress from Motherhood Maternity; Clutch by XO Monica Lee. Photos by Gina Meola.

February 03, 2015

Celebrate Galentine's Day

February 03, 2015/ Alexandra Evjen

This is a sponsored post by Memebox.

Galentine's Day is the new Valentine's Day, didn't you hear? This Valentine's Day make some room for the gals in your life and celebrate how much you love and care for each other. In my mind the perfect girl party has dresses, flower crowns, flower petals, makeup, wine and candy. What about you?

For the perfect makeup look, Stephanie of SN Makeup Artist and my dear friend, created an EASY makeup look for you. Simply apply Memebox's I'm Lip Tint Balm #2 in Flash Neon Pink and you have the perfect lips. Done! That's right. A DIY with one step. That's what I'm talking about! Get 10% off your lip tint when you use the code AVE10.

Malori Maeva of Hoot and Holler created giant pink and red crowns for us to wear, and I dressed Steph and I up in dresses from Frances Vintage. Put some wine and chocolate out and turn on some girl tunes, and you got yourself a lovely, memorable Galentine's Day.

Photos by Michelle Herrick; Art direction and styling by A.V.E. Styles; makeup by SN Makeup Artist, florals by Hoot and Holler.

January 29, 2015

Perfect Makeup for Valentine's Day

January 29, 2015/ Alexandra Evjen

I remember it wasn't until I was 19 year's old that I finally had a Valentine. I never had a boyfriend in high school, so it was really special when Ryan, my husband, was my first Valentine. I will never forget that date. It was our second one and first official date because long story short our first date was a bust when Ryan's car got stolen. No joke! haha. (I'll be sure to tell you that story later).

I still have the J.Crew red skirt that I wore on our first official date, and I remember how embarrassed I was when he opened the front door wearing a red shirt and black pants, almost my exact outfit except flipped. We looked like a walking checkerboard. When we got to the restaurant we sat down only to find his sister and her husband just a table away. It was still romantic nonetheless.

Do you remember your first Valentine? Do you remember getting dressed up for that special someone? Well, I hope you have a Valentine this year, and if you do I really hope you get to go out since it's on a Saturday night. Here's a gorgeous makeup look created by Stephanie Neiheisel of SN Makeup Artist using Memebox's "I'm Lipstick #5" in pink fuchsia and then adding "I'm Lip Crayon #4" in Juliet on top. For a total of $14 you could have Valentine's Day ready lips and get many more uses after that. Use code AVE10 for a 10% discount of any lip product purchase.

Pair this makeup with a classic LBD and loose curls and you've got yourself a show stopping Valentine's Day outfit! Have fun!

Makeup by Stephanie Neiheisel, Photography by Michelle Herrick, Styling by A.V.E. Styles; Florals by Hoot and Holler and makeup products from Memebox.

January 26, 2015

Date Night In

January 26, 2015/ Alexandra Evjen

Whether you can't find childcare or you simply want stay in your comfy clothes, date nights at home can be just the ticket to celebrate Valentine's Day. You don't have to get all dressed up and kill your toes in heels for you special someone to find you sexy. In fact, studies have shown that men prefer women with less makeup and natural lip colors. And though they may love beautiful lingerie, on the outside, skinny jeans and a t-shirt can be sexier than a tight red dress. In light of that information, I have created a date night and a makeup look with Memebox and SN Makeup Artist to show you how to look great for a date night in.

1| Think like a Hepburn. Audrey Hepburn was adored by men just as much as women. She was the epitome of the classic, girl next door. Wear you black skinnies, a button up shirt or turtleneck and a pair of flats. Maybe even plan to watch Roman Holiday with your beau.

2| Vintage inspired makeup. Forget the eyeshadow and just apply a black winged eyeliner. A pale coral lip is a great complement because it gives you some color, but not too much. I love Memebox's giselle lip crayon. Simply apply around your lips. It goes on smooth and has a bit of gloss to it. It's only $7.00 and you can get it for an additional 10% off when you use the code AVE10 at checkout. This applies to any lip crayon, lipstick or lip tint product.

3| Coffee or wine, please. I don't know about your guy, but my hubby loves a great glass of wine or cup of coffee more than food. Granted, there needs to be food, but spend some thought on what you will be drinking just as much as what you will be eating.

There you have it! A simple, cute date night look that's comfy and sexy. PS - don't wait for Valentine's Day to have a great date night in. You can do it anytime with ease. Just don't forget your lip crayon and use your AVE10 code at checkout.

Photos by Michelle Herrick; art direction, styling and modeling by A.V.E. Styles, makeup by SN Makeup Artist.

December 09, 2014

Wear Your Gym Clothes All Day and Look Stylish

December 09, 2014/ Alexandra Evjen

This post is sponsored by Mountainside Fitness.

Let's be honest...Sometimes what can keep us from the gym is simply the fact that we have errands to run before and after our workout, and we don't want to look a hot mess. I totally get it, and getting sweaty and stinky can definitely be an inconvenience, especially when you're in a time crunch. So, I thought I'd share with you how I wear my gym leggings and sports bra while running around before the gym. To help, I've included before and after photos. After this post you won't have an excuse not to hit the gym!

View More: http://sarahgray.pass.us/avemtnside

When I wear my gym leggings I also choose boots and a tunic top to wear along with them. You could also choose a long sweater as well, and look fall ready in a snap. I don't wear too much makeup because I don't like to workout with a ton of product on my face. So, I simply wear tinted moisturizer, concealer, blush, eye primer, mascara and lipstick. You are set for the day and in style.

When I get to the gym all i have to do is change my shoes and my top.

After my workout I'm all sweaty, but I don't always have time to take a shower and do my hair. This might sound really gross to you, but I blow dry the sweat out of my hair. It acts as natural sea salt spray and gives me a ton of volume. I just go back through with dry shampoo to make sure I'm not too stinky. If you carry face wipes with you, just go ahead and wipe your face, armpits and chest with them and then apply some body spray and deodorant. Then apply your 2 minute face like I mentioned above.