April Favorites ♡ Twenty Fourteen

I cannot believe the school year is coming to a close.. it feels like yesterday that I was still a high school senior. This month has been a nice wrap up of my sophomore year, however, and I've put together a few beauty and fashion items I've been adoring. As for the new addition to my monthly favorites : remember those "new and fun things" I had coming for KQ? Well it's finally here. Each month, I will now be doing a lookbook collection of outfits I've worn throughout said month (some already featured on KQ and some not) as well as fun clips of things I've been doing here in NYC. You'll now be able to find these lookbooks on my youtube channel, which you can locate here. I'm still new to this>> so be weary of my youtube expertise! [but, every video coming your way will be in HD, have no fear..]

let's get into the favorites for this month:

beauty 

01. Anastasia Brow Wiz- I was in search of a more compact method of doing my brows because I'll soon be traveling for about a month in Europe (more deets to come on that...;]), and I happened to hear some good things about the Brow Wiz so I thought I'd give it a shot. And, I love it! This is perfect for the warmer months because you still get a nice fill in without using too much product. One end houses the pencil and the other is a spoolie (a very good one, at that). I would recommend this for traveling, as well as everyday use, I'm really digging this! (More so than Benefit's Gimme Brows in comparison).

02. theBalm's Hot Mama Blush- What an absolute gorgeous peachy-corally pink for this spring and summer! This blush is not only super pigmented, it's super shimmery and could probably be used as a merely a highlight as well. I really like those two in one kind of face powders, that can be used as a blush and highlight, for summer and traveling. It makes everything a bit more compact and user friendly for all you makeup fiends.

03. NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream in Copenhagen- Love Mac's Diva or any other deep plummy-red lipstick? You'll be obsessed with this stuff. I love soft matte lip creams by NYX after trying a few of the lighter shades, and once I became obsessed with darker lip colors this winter and fall, I've been eager to get my hands on one of the deeper colors. I love the formulation and pigmentation of these, but warning: apply them on exfoliated and balmed lips! The color will clump up if your lips are chapped and won't have as nice of a pay off and look. Otherwise, I really love the concept and execution of this stuff, I really would like to see more brands coming out with this type of lip product.

04. Mac's Heroine- As for actual lipstick, I've been loving Heroine for this month and spring. I really love how it's incredibly eye-catching as well as the face that it is in the same color family as those deeper popular Mac shades like Diva or Rebel. This purple looks pretty crazy, but it's a really nice change from the typical coral/pink spring and summer lipsticks, and will suit many different skin tones.

05. UO's Slime- Loving green nail polishes this month (don't be fooled by my latest chipped manicure of Essie's Luxedo). Ranging from mints to limes, green is such an unexpected color to be sporting on your nails and I think it compliments spring makeup and colors very nicely. (As well as neutrals and blacks, which is what my wardrobe mainly consists of at the moment...)

06. Elizabeth+ James NIRVANA White & Black Roller Balls- I'm essentially in love with these you guys! The scents are amazing, and the rollerballs make it easy to apply and ensures that the scent lasts long. These will most certainly be coming on vacation with me!

fashion

07. Sunnies from Necessary Clothing- Super round and reflective sunnies are so in for this season! I'm in love with these I got at Necessary for 10 bucks. They add a sweet flair to every outfit and will most certainly turn heads.

08. White Pumps by Chinese Laundry- This has to be my favorite purchase of the month! Obsessed with the white leather and steel pointy toes...

Highlights/ Outfits

[WATCH IN HD!]

Here's to MAYYYY!

"I shall the effect of this good lesson keeps as watchman to my heart"

[Hamlet 1.3]

Cheers, x

Cookie Monster ♚ Twenty Fourteen

For a nice weekend stroll and trip to Levain Bakery, I put together a fun dark outfit. My black tee is from Brandy Melville and my skirt is from Forever 21. My black knee highs are c/o Urban Oufitters, and balance out my gorgeous 'Lydia Deetz' Hat from Forever 21. 

I've turned this three strand necklace into a choker-necklace and this is a borrowed piece from Miss Lindsey. My cardigan from Urban Outfitters makes this look a bit lighter and kept me a little warmer on this 60 degree day.

These RADDDD camo oxfords were a gift from one of my dear friends, Avery, and are Bass & Co.

@ Levain Bakery - West 74th

 Happy Spring ! (and happy munching on those crazy cookies... check out Levain's site)

♡ Photography by Jack Walsh ♡

"The attempt and not the deed confounds us"

[Macbeth 2.2]

Cheers! x

Blossoms ♚ Twenty Fourteen

Today I chose to play with some darks and lights. I sported my BDG light denim shorts c/o Urban Outfitters and one of my dark tees from Brandy Melville. Since it was a bit chillier today, I decided to pair this with dark tights and my dark short boots from Forever 21. I popped on this gorgeous statement necklace from Forever as well. Loving the mix of the dull silver and turquoise. I chose to add a bright lip with my Mac's Sail La Vie which gave a nice contrast to the necklace.

Location: The Lake @ Central Park

Jack and I ran into this awesome dude during our walk in the park as well....

And he had great advice at that: Don't quit your day dream.

♡ Photography by Jack Walsh ♡

"I was adored once too"

[Twelfth Night 2.3] PS: HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO SIR WILLIAM SHAKES!

Cheers, x

PS

Check out my latest post for Ulala Campus HERE!

Glitter + Eyelet ♚ Twenty Fourteen

glit·ter - to shine brightly 

eye·let- a small hole used for decoration

Happy Easter everyone! Today I'm sporting one of my favorite Free People smocks that's decked out with embroidery and eyelet. The smock itself is pretty shapeless, so I opted to adding a belt from Abercrombie + Fitch along the small of my waist. 

This really cute windbreaker is also from Free People, and the crochet details pick up and compliment the eyelet of the dress. My shoes are Deena + Ozzy, c/o Urban Outfitters, and I thought they added a bit of modernity and sleekness to the overall look. Plus, I love the contrast of the stark shoe with the pleated bottom of my dress. 

Another detail I love about this dress is the cut-out in the back. It breaks up the shape a bit and lets some skin show in a nice manner, which I love. 

My makeup is pretty neutral today, and I'm sporting Mac's Diva on my lips (per usual..)

I hope everyone has an absolutely lovely Easter!

"Or to be wise and love 

exceeds man's might; that dwells with gods above"

[Troilus and Cressida 3.2]

Cheers, x

Collarfull ♚ Twenty Fourteen

Collarfull (coll-ar-full): a really good song by Panic! At the Disco, as well as what I'm calling this look.

I decided to play with black, white, and print for this look. It's still spring, (although it hit an awful low of 45 degrees yesterday) so I wanted to keep it light but not freeze my bottom off while walking through Manhattan. I opted for this gorgeous vintage wool sweater (sewn together by my own great-grandmother) and this light cream pleather jacket from Forever 21. My leggings are from BDG c/o Urban Outfitters and my booties are Bucco, c/o Hautelook. 

I had the most fun pairing this cream ensemble with my high black collared button down from Forever 21 and my vintage Black Gem Pin. I think the studs of the color and the pin really give the sweater and jacket a bit of character that really suits my personal aesthetic. 

Location: New York Public Library @ Bryant Park

I wanted to let you know that from now on, KQ is taking a bit of a turn to focus more on fashion (yaaay). I've been wanting to challenge myself with this for a while, and with the christening of my new Canon Rebel T5i, I thought, why not start jumping right into more fashion related posts immediately? Don't fret, I will still be posting monthly beauty/product favorites, but I have more fashion/exciting things coming for KQ very soon... so stay tuned. 

Get Collarfull!

♡ Photography by Lindsey Marie ♡

"Words without thoughts never to heaven go"

[Hamlet 3.3]

Cheers, x

PS, here's that song I was talking about before...

Sunnies and Laces ♡ Twenty Fourteen

Sunnies: Necessary Clothing

Top: Brandy Melville

Shorts: c/o Etsy

Knee Highs: Urban Outfitters

Boots: Dr. Martens

♡ Photography by Jack Walsh ♡

"They say miracles are past"

[All's Well That Ends Well 2.3]

Cheers, x

Five Fun Spring Lip Trends ♡ Twenty Fourteen

I have been super busy this week, but fortunately, I was able to take a break and put together a post for you guys on bold spring lip trends that I'm super excited about for the upcoming months. These looks range from super soft to super bold, and should work for daily occasions to wild looks for spring/ summer parties and events.

Just a slight disclaimer, all of the lip colors I've chosen are from Mac, but I am indeed focusing more on the color and finish (as opposed to the fact that they all happen to be Mac products). These are just some trendy colors that I feel are super appropriate and fun for this season. Lezgo..

01. The Kissable Soft Peach- Looking for an everyday trend for this spring and summer? You've got it. Mac's Costa Chic is a brilliant soft and timeless shade for the warmer months. This shade compliments many makeup looks, both neutral and neutral with some color on the lower lash line (as seen above).

02. BOLD ++ Two Toned- As introduced to me by Miss Lindsey, this is a bold upcoming trend for late spring and summer. It involves pulling off two different hot colors on the top and bottom lips. For this combo, I used a hot orangey-red and a hot pink: Mac's Sail La Vie and Mac's Impassioned. This creates a gorgeous and extremely unique look for any wild event you have coming up.

03. The Deadly Red- I'm love love loving a super hot red-orange for this spring and summer. It takes on a new twist for the red lip, and I think it honestly suits everyone no matter what skin tone, hair color, or eye color you have. I'm sporting Mac's Retro Matte Dangerous for this one, it's honestly a super sexy color if you're daring to be bold.

04. The Ravishing Red Satin- A light satin-y red is also a super in shade for the next few months. It will add a touch of sophistication to any look, and I'm sporting Mac's Viva Glam Rhianna. This is a radddd color, I really love it for day and night.

05. Alluring Orchid- In honor of Pantone's Color of the Year, ORCHID, I of course had to throw in a pretty bold pinkish-purple for this post. Mac's Heroine looks pretty intimidating, but it's honestly such a cheerful and interesting color. Don't be afraid to try a shade out of your comfort zone, especially an orchid!

Happy Lip Trending! (fully aware of the oddness of that statement.. haha..)

♡ Photography by Avery Bart ♡

"Faith, there hath been many great men that have 

flattered the people who ne'er loved them"

[Coriolanus 2.2]

Cheers, x