Makeup Forever Flash Palette Lips

 It was a day to create something new. Nothing one sees ordinarily on the street, but a coming together of abstract lines and obnoxious colors. This is the creation.

Don't pretend you are immune to the creativity gene. It lives in every human and manifests itself in different ways.

Let your creativity manifest.

Makeup Photo a Day 54: Coco Rocha Inspired Smokey Eyes

 I saw a beautiful Instagram image of Coco Rocha's makeup for the 2013 Met Gala and was inspired to do this smokey eye. 

I saw a clearer image of Coco's makeup later and realized mine is a bit different, but who cares. It was inspired by, not a copy cat look. 

I have to say I felt like I was in my 30's and on my way to the Gala while wearing this look.

Some people think makeup is frivolous, a waste, or only for the vain.  That is absolutely not true!

It allows us to explore, create, alter, and play with the already smashing face (or body) we possess. 

Makeup is for the creator. 

What will you create today?

And now the funnies: 

Noooo way.

Makeup Photo a Day 32: I Can Be Beautiful Too

An ad for Pretty Little Liars popped up on Netflix right before I opened this photo of me.
Can I just admit how I began to scrutinize everything about my face and found it less than desirable. Stupid comparison gene!!!

Oh wait, that's not a gene. I have to remind myself I was made completely unique in all my dorkiness and that I too can be beautiful.

What do you do to remind yourself of your unique beauty?

Molls

Outfit Post Outtakes & Learning Vulnerability

I originally decided to post these because I was hyper and thought they were hilarious and assumed other people needed a hearty laugh too. Bring on the next morning and I was very hesitant about this post. Vulnerability is difficult, dear ones. And daytime brings about a clarity that night shoots out the window. I did not want to show these photos.

Then I heard this TED talk titled The Power of Vulnerability by Brene Brown. Please listen to it. 

Before it was even finished, I jumped on this post to write a little more.

I want to be a vulnerable blogger, makeup artist, wife, friend, human.  That doesn't mean I HAD to post these. But for me, I feel a great need to look perfect on the outside. I'm a makeup artist and aspiring creative director! It's how I'm supposed to be, right? Expect perfection.

But no, today I choose to show these hilarious photos for two reasons. 1: To allow myself to be vulnerable and 2: because laughter is extremely healthy.

>>>

I asked Nik to take some outfit shots of me and this is what ensued. I call it "Bad Day to Be a Blogger".

 Not all shots turn out well. Or even ok. But at least we had a great afternoon in Battery Park. Thanks Nik! [But I am never asking you to take outfit photos again.] I love you.

And you're welcome for these.

Molls

Painted Face: Lichtenstein Inspired

Trenton Xavier and I wanted to do a Roy Lichtenstein shoot for months and were finally able to shoot this just weeks before my move to New York City. So thankful we got to do this!

Trenton has awesome vision and I was blown away when I saw his shots. He picked out the locations and we walked all over Dickson St and The Square to try each. The stares, whistles, waves, jaw drops and slowed down cars made it all the more fun. I truly began to feel like a cartoon character come to life.

Because this was inspired by Lichtenstein's work, I took creative liberties and mildly changed the makeup. I have teal eyebrows instead of black, and I like the modernity of white hair rather than yellow. And I played with modern textures in the clothing to give it a newer feel. My hat's off to Roy for his incredible oeuvre. 

Girl Crush[es]

We all have them, girl crushes. Matchbook Magazine states it best, "that indefinable blend of adoration and envy that accompanies a crush on someone you kind of love, kind of hate, but above all want to be." I don't harbor malice toward any of the following ladies but I agree that there is a certain envy mingled in our adoration of girl crushes.

Hence, I am sharing my blogging girl crushes with you today [in no particular order]:

She's chic and gorgeous, Ms. Kelly Framel of The Glamorai. Her site looks as impeccable as she does. I love that she inspires us to be glamorous in the everyday.  

Alicia of Cheetah is the New Black is one of those bloggers that upon discovering her I thought, "she and I would be great friends." Not creepily, she just has a sweet way of seeming to be your best friend, exhibiting her great outfits and sharing cool advice.

This That Beauty's Felicia has a way of seeming like your chic older sister who shares her insider tidbits about products with you. It's as if she shares her products with you through the screen. And she's hilarious to boot.

If I could borrow have anyone's closet, it would definitely be Hanh's. Her blog Life in Travel allows us to view her stylish, avant garde outfits as she travels and picks up the zaniest pieces. She's like a more attainable Daphne Guinness.

My husband has to hear me constantly exclaim "Look what Jamie did!" I swear the adventures and concoctions she and Kelly dream up are a exactly how my friends Bri, Abigail, Jana and I live and breath our lives. We're dreamers people. I've haven't met her (yet!) but I know she is as beautiful on the inside as she is on the outside. Plus she and her beau, Kevin, are adorable.

More than a blog, this magazine curated by Jane Lily Warren and Katie Armour is a Kate Spade meets Anthropologie "field guide" to the cleverest living possible. These ladies know how to make every post a visual meal dripping in deliciousness. Are you a matchbook girl? I am :)

I've interacted with Anna a few times and she is the kindest, most stylish lady out there. In a blogging world saturated with unoriginal style, Tulip Louise is a breath of fresh air. Her closet is bursting with unique pieces that she adeptly puts together in new and fresh ways. And she's a southern gal to boot! That automatically earns one points in my book.

These girls are just hilarious. That's really all I can say. Oh and they a have a sweetastic blog.

Lisa Eldridge is my makeup artist idol. She has a giving, teacher's heart which I admire and very much desire to be. She makes makeup application look effortless and somehow when she speaks (in her uber swell Brit accent) it feels like I could be the next her.  She is very encouraging! 

Marion is one of the most genuine bloggers I have come across to date. Honest and open she puts her life out there [why is that so frightening for me?] for giggles. She has great style-the girl knows how to rock her maternity body! She is one of those women that make me proud to be a woman. Oh, and you don't want to miss out on her "Moment of the Week" posts :).

There you have it! My personal blog roll is longer than this but these ladies are very special in my blog viewing world [That came out way less creepy in my head]. Who in the blog world inspires and challenges you, all the while making you a bit envious?


Mollie 

My Life Is Cooler In Instagram

Here are a few favorite moments from Instagram of late:

{L-R}
 1. My Danny Robert's recreation for my new series, Painted Face. Not going to lie, I am uber proud of
     it and the artist himself exclaimed "awesome!" on my Instagram. #Itotallysquealedwithjoy  
 2. On set of the short film A Piece of You. Makeup by me! Such fun :)
 3. Hung my mug rack so our home is now HOME. (I have a mug collection and each one has specific
      memories attached to it. I am VERY attached to them. One has traveled around the world with me.)
 4.  While assisting on set of an Exit Magazine shoot I had the honor of meeting Debra and Joyce, two
       fine ladies of Ari's Advanced Style posse. They are the epitome of style and originality. Love
       them both!
 5. My super talented photographer friend, Mallory, visited NYC soon after my move and we had an
      impromptu shoot in Central Park. Then she posted this picture on her new and amazing site. And
      now I think of myself as a celebrity of sorts. #ImtheRealDeal (check out her sweet talents here).
 6. My alter ego is a rock star (TOLD you I'm a celebrity-in my head counts).
 7. My portfolio site is complete and up on the web! Many thanks to my dashing and talented husband
     for creating it! View his talents here, and my stellar site here.
 8. It's too cold for open shoes unless you wear socks with them. Note: must make it funky or at
     least, spunky.
 9. I'm teaching myself a few tricks with my camera and the awesome Nagela of Silver Lining Studio
     snapped a candid while we dressed up Prospect Park with dainty dishes and tableware for a shoot.

There you have a peak into my life. The curated one at least. You can find me on Instagram by the same name, StyleOfYourOwn. The other days find me like the celebrity that I am trying to keep a normal life like everyone else.

For now,

Mollie

Painted Face: Danny Robert's CANDY

Once again Danny Robert's art has me drooling and wanting to paint all over my face soooo,
here is my next creation. From his piece here, I made myself all pink and bubblicious.

The above one I mildly changed to make my lighting look more similar to Danny's version. Take a closer look at the untouched version:

Thanks for stopping by! I love sharing the new adventures I throw myself into with you :)

Mollie 

Body Image: Do I Measure Up?

I sit here less than three weeks from my wedding, I have a confession to make. I am insecure. About many things like any other broken human being, but especially about my body. In a society saturated with articles about and images of (photoshopped) bodies that "define" the "perfect" body, I look at myself and see a woman who does not measure up to those standards. Unless I begin a Olympian-like dedication to "perfecting" my body, I never will get there. Do I need to? Hell no.

Nevertheless, in a little more than two weeks I will bare all to a man and be as vulnerable to a human as I will ever be. And that scares me. What about the five hairs that grow to an inch in length around my belly button? The weird, white bumps on my chest? Those are the small things. I could rattle off a number of other things such as how much I have often despised my abdomen (and why can't mine feel more F-L-A-T than F-A-T?), my inner thighs that jiggle and how my arms never seem to look toned even when I try to make them (I know I am not the only woman to look at a photo and think "Geez, my arms look so big"). And as much as I love my fair skin, it shows EVERYTHING. Every scar, birth mark, dark spot, dark circle, blotchiness, and every other stinking imperfection on me.  It's these insecurities that mount against me and wage war in my heart. 

And yet, God made woman in His image. He did not photoshop her, tell her she must look only THIS way. He most certainly did not say she was not beautiful if she did not meet a checklist, and he NEVER made a one-size-fits all model.  

So why I am I so nervous about my future husband seeing me in such a vulnerable state? Because I have believed a lie that he expects me to look like Giselle Bundchen, Heidi Klum, Karlie Kloss, or Miranda Kerr. Being surrounded my entire life by images and movies-no matter how strongly my parents lovingly tried to shield me from these things- that portray a lie about a woman's body has slowly eaten away at my brain and caused me to think THAT is how I should look. And until I do, that no man will truly find me beautiful, alluring or sexy. It's not like I never feel beautiful, but some days build into an explosion of "I'm not good enough and I will never love my body". 

So how could a man love it? 

For many reasons I could state, but one of my favorites is that God did not make men like women. They are so entranced by the female form because God is so stinkin awesome to make them so. 

But I have to love my body. God gave it to me afterall and asked that I respect and treasure it because it his temple. One of my favorite lines about God creating us comes from a youtube video by The Skit Guys. Pretending to be the voice of God, Eddie states, "You have listened to so many voices for far too long that aren't of me...I don't make junk. What does that say about me?" 

That's right Mollie Smashingly Awesome Booth. God did not make junk when He made me. He made me to be a curvy, (some curves I could do without but I wasn't there when He made my mold so, oh well), freckled and speckled, acne scarred, lumpy in some places, and mushy in others. God made me, me. 

So in 18 days, when I invite my husband to know all about me, I can remember, I am a masterpiece. Better than a Raphael, Da Vinci, or Vigee Le Brun, I was made in God's image and I am perfectly imperfect. And that is all that I need to be. 

NOTE: I want to clarify that my future husband does NOT expect me to have a model body or look perfect, he is a gem who loves me for who I am. I am extremely blessed .

Fairies in the Cotton Field

1. Abby loves cats so of course she picked up the stray to join the shoot.

2. Beautiful lady on a rock. 

3. Teal eyeliner on the bottom lashes and cameo earrings.

4. Behind the scenes action. Mallory at work.

5. Cotton field fairy.

6. Dreamy cotton field setting.

Mallory and I collaborated (again!) for a cotton field shoot and boy, was it delightful.  Tramping through the field to the cotton, deciding we would say Tom gave us permission, should anyone question us. "Tom said we could!" Suddenly Tom became the funniest joke in the history of jokes. Now I can't remember what last name we gave him.  Maybe Abby will remember, she's my "memory" after all. 

Beautiful Things

I was listening to Beautiful Things by Gungor while posting, hence the title. God made beauty for us to explore and enjoy. Take a deep breath today and let the beautiful things of this world soak into your being.

Before you do anything else, head over to The Window Shopper and check out her 1000th post. Mallory took some shots for it, and I had the lovely pleasure of doing Payton's makeup. It was a blast! Can't wait for more collaborations with these creative ladies.


Today is simply about inspiration.

Haider Ackermann A/W '12

Victor and Rolf A/W '12

London Illamasqua

London Illamasqua. Brain child of Alex Box

Illamasqua. Love their artistic vision.

Kate Spade S/S '12 ad campaign

Kate Spade S/S '12 ad campaign

Galliano A/W/ '12

Beautiful lip color

Now for color!

Luella and June blog

Oh, Brad.

Hermes

Jane Aldridge, Sea of Shoes

via Green Weddings Shoes. Australian wedding.

Just some things that have made me smile of late. 

Cheers,

Mollie