FOTD: Strawberry Fields Forever

Just a little face of the day I whipped up for Powder Doom, the makeup blog I run! A very simple, retro inspired look that is comprised of drugstore products exclusively.

Maybelline Dream Fresh BB Cream
What I wear when I’m too lazy to put on foundation, this bb cream is dewy without looking oily and has an SPF 30!

Revlon Matte Lipstick in Really Red
Here I’m wearing Really Red, a gorgeous strawberry red, and paired it with Maybelline Color Elixir Lip Color in Signature Scarlet for a glossy finish. I’m kind of obsessed with the lip elixirs and just might be taking advantage of the sale to get more… *cough*

NYX Liquid Black Liner
NYX ‘Milk’ Jumbo Pencil

What's on your face today? n__n

♡

Label Love: Samantha Pleet

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I was introduced to Samantha Pleet through Tara Violet Niami and Hannah Metz last year, and with spring in the air, I keep thinking back to her gorgeous Spring 2014 collection - with which I've been smitten with since I first saw it!.

Images by Erin Hagstrom

Images via Samantha Pleet's Official Website

The mixture of gorgeous prints, quiet sophistication, and attention to details makes her one of my favorite designers right now and the dreamy fashion films Pleet creates with her group of bright young talents is like icing on the cake! I think my favorite pieces from the collection are the gorgeous foliage covered matching top and bottom, the airy seafoam Tabernacle dress and Scout Dress in Fauna! ♡

Heroine by Hana Haley

I'm not exaggerating when I say being able to work with Hana Haley is an absolute dream come true! She will be cracking jokes and telling cute antidotes before suddenly falling silent as she starts visualizing a shot, considering the location and weighing how the sun will fall on a face while looking through her film camera's viewfinder. She has a strong vision and a very talented, trained eye but is still willing to listen to my silly suggestions.

Shot with failing light and my collection of frothy vintage (or retro inspired, in the case of the milkshake one!) dresses in a Foresty theme park, I am in love with how these turned out. Hana's photography always look like film stills that immediately bring to mind story lines about nostalgia and candy colored adventures.

My friend Bertha's description of what these remind her of is my favorite:

"They (look like stills from a movie about a) lost ghost princess who’s been cursed out of her kingdom and is left wandering the earth, searching for another doorway in, another way back."

You can see more pictures from this shoot on Hana's Facebook and Portfolio ♡

Introducing Powder Doom

In case you haven't noticed me blabbing about it literally everywhere else, Arabelle recently handed over the reigns to me as editor-in-chief of Powder Doom, a makeup blog she created with her friend Chi-Chi.

I have been toying around with creating a beauty blog for months, so Arabelle's offer was an absolute godsend - as I was already a huge fan of Powder Doom (having illustrated their sidebar portraits last year!) and their mission of bringing makeup tips to everybody. So many beauty blogs feel very samey to me, so I wanted to offer a blog with multiple perspectives and one that feels very community driven with guest posts and submissions from readers.

I brought together some of my very favorite bloggers to be regular contributors (take a look at our staff page!) and encourage people to submit, submit, submit! So far, two weeks and ten posts in, I am incredibly happy and proud of the result and very excited!

See the posts so far here and if you want to be featured on Powder Doom, please send your pitches to hellomermaidens@gmail.com. We are looking for beauty/hair DIYs/how-to's/tutorials, reviews, "Get The Look: (insert celebrity/runway makeup here)", "Makeup of the Day" (which would just be a selfie and a list of what products you are wearing), and we are also looking for Beyonce themed posts for our upcoming Beyonce Week special!

♡

XO

DRESS: ℅ Missguided TIGHTS: Target (similar) SHOES: Kohls (old - similar) PURSE: ℅ Kling

When I first saw this dress on Missguided, I was utterly smitten, but in the back of my mind I did worry a bit about whether or not I would be able to ""pull it off"". However, once I put it on, my fears immediately vanished - even with the figure hugging shape, this dress is absolutely darling and made me feel beautiful and confident; which is definitely not something I would expect with a bodycon dress! Plus, just look at that dainty white collar - hearts in my eyes!

Sometimes I just need to remind myself who cares if it's "flattering" - if you think you look good, you look good, and don't let anybody tell you otherwise! ^__^

Anyhoo! I would like to introduce you to my new everyday bag by Kling! I'm a sucker for shoulder bags, and I'm loving the fact it actually has a super sturdy closure - no worrying my favorite lipstick is going to slip out and be lost forever!

So, how was your weekend? I was so, so happy to watch Lupita Nyong'o win this Oscar Sunday, and she looked absolutely dazzling doing it - g u h ;__;

Until next time - xo!

Pretty in Pout by Hana Haley

With coffee and donuts in hand, the dreamy Hana Haley and I braved the a chilly January day in Portland, Oregon to shoot this photo series of a pouty schoolgirl outfitted in Peter Pan collars and delicate laces. Seeing your own face in the work of one of your very favorite photographers is the most incredible feeling and I couldn't be more pleased with the results!

You can find more of Hana's phenomenal photography on Tumblr, Facebook, and Flickr ♥

Thank you so much Marlena for making me this detachable collar!

You can see more photos from this set on her Facebook!