JANUARY FAVORITES

I get asked time and time again why the name of my blog is "Killer Queen," and to clarify the situation, I'm letting you know that it's not named after Katy Perry's gross celebrity perfume (#sorrynotsorry...). It's named after the Queen song, "Killer Queen," which discusses a woman with an aura of confidence and a little danger, reminiscent of Dame Marie Antoinette herself. But her legacy is actually pretty interesting, and it's really cool to look out for pop culture notions of her.. because after all, what exactly do we remember her for? Indeed, she's known to some as a villianess, and she certainly did get what was coming to her, but there's something so decadent about her Rococo character that I can't help but covet in a way. Let it be known that I'm sharing these thoughts after visiting a time-period themed bar this past weekend, where of course, there was a room decorated head to toe in "Let Them Eat Cake" style. Ironic. Isn't it? 

Enough about my M.A. ramble. Let's get into the products I've been digging this month.

BEAUTY

01) GLOSSIER MILKY JELLY CLEANSER- Okay, if there's any product in this batch that is Marie Antoinette worthy, it's by far this one.  After much hype surrounding it's launch, I knew I wanted to try this out because I'm a huge fan of Glossier and their skincare philosophy (which is pretty much, the gentler the better). Without any surprise, I'm extremely thrilled with the outcome. This is an entirely new consistency of face cleanser (it literally is, both milky and jelly), and it smells like fresh rosewater. It's remarkably gentle, and is really perfect for everyday use. So many snaps for Glossier on this one. 

02) BOBBI BROWN MOISTURIZER- So as you very well may know if you read my blog often, I don't like to hop around with moisturizers. I have my favorites: Benefit's Total Moisturizer,  and Glossier Priming Moisturizer. So straying away is usually pretty difficult for me, until I received this sample from a VIB Rouge box (yes.. I am a VIB Rouge.. it is both sad and awesome). I love the fluffy-ness of this product the most I think. It's got that airy, whipped quality that just feels like it sinks really nicely into your pores. Again, this is super gentle as well, so it's great for every day use. 

03) BOBBI BROWN BISQUE CONCEALER- Ah. This product (which has definitely made an appearance in my favorites before). So, I ran out of this over the summer, and as things got really busy and I felt like I didn't need it immediately after, I decided to take a break from it. Finally, this month, I got around to purchasing another, and was reminded of exactly what I was missing. This stuff is AMAZING! I mainly use it just under my eyes and pack it onto my dark circles (I have pretty deeply blue-purple ones because I have severe allergies). This instantly brightens my face and literally enhances my eyes in the best way possible. 

04) MAC HELLO, THERE- Hello. It's me. (Sorry, I had to). Okay, so I've been obsessed with baby pinks for the past few weeks (if you take a look at my Instagram, you'll get what I mean), so I wanted to try a shadow that was super matte and baby pink that I could balance out with a taupey brown. And, this is it. It's super pigmented, sits really nicely on the lids, and looks killer with a sharp black wing. I'm into it. 

05) HOURGLASS AMBIENT LIGHTING PALETTE-  I literally only have one word for this one and it's super cliche so I apologize, but... OBSESSED. This palette is incredible, and I've used it everyday since I got it for Christmas (thanks Miss Amanda!)... I really like the brightest shade on my cheekbones, and then a mix of the other two on my nose and cupid's bow. This is a great investment for a makeup collection, and is also really stellar for traveling. You'll use it literally no matter where or when you are-- it's timeless. 

06) TARTEIST LIP PAINT IN FRENEMY- So I've heard WONDERS about this product, so I decided to pick it up and really test it out (after all, my collection of deep red and purple lipsticks could always expand another thousand times...). I have two things to say about this one: I am in love with the color. I adore adore adore this deep browney-red and it looks amazing for a nice night out. Second thing though: beware, because it's messy. Now, I don't like to usually call makeup messy, because after all, of course it's going to be a little messy, but this one especially is an item you need to be careful with. It looks amazing and is great for going out for drinks, but I wouldn't recommend eating (I KNOW, :( lol) with this on. Be super careful when you apply this stuff because I've been able to perfectly swipe it on my lips and then have it stained all over my phone somehow miraculously. I decided to keep it in my favorites because I'm so in love with the color and finish, but just as a note, be careful when applying this!

07) MAC ARIANA GRANDE- Yippeeeeee. I've been waiting for this color for a while! Her lipstick shade for Viva Glam is absolutely gorgeous, it's a deep purple plum/brown, and again, is an awesome color for going out at night or for a fun photoshoot, or if you wanna be bold, for a full day of work or school. I'd recommend keeping it on you at all times as touch-ups are needed, and also be careful when eating. Otherwise, I think this is a gorgeous gorgeous lipstick, and I'm so happy to have gotten my hands on it.

SCENTS 

08) VIKTOR + ROLF FLOWERBOMB- An oldie but goodie. I never actually got my hands on this perfume until this year (I know, it's literally been around forever), but I'm so happy I finally did. First off, I LOVE Viktor and Rolf as designers, so I'm already bias, but I'm very impressed with this as a daily scent. Plus, the bottle is gorgeous. It's a win-win.

&Finally, a wrap up of clips and outfits from this month: 

"My only love sprung from my only hate!"

[Romeo + Juliet 1.5]

Cheers to FEBRUARY 2016 + NYFW!

xoxo

ALL YOU NEED IS

Peep that hanger strap^. Locations to shoot in NYC are not at all hard to come by. When it comes to shooting at home, it's kind of hard to get creative, but as the weather warms up and Miss Lindsey comes back, I look forward to staking out some cool spots "upstate." No matter what though, I'll always include some graffiti ridden walls I come upon, no matter where they're at. I'm a huge fan of that more "artistic" notions of graffiti/street art, (Banksy, or Bradley Theodore anyone?) and I think a really cool mural like this one really makes the fashion pop off the page (and allows for creating cheesy titles, as such).

Like I've said in my previous post, winter is hard to dress for sometimes. This outfit centered around layers: pants + shirt + sweater + coat, and the addition of accessories that were oh so vital: scarf + hat + sunglasses + short boots. My jeans are (of course) from Pacsun, my sweater is courtesy of Wildfox, and my coat is Zara as mentioned.  I'm totally obsessed with these short snakeskin-like boots and I added the pop of army green up top on my head to really bring out the subtle greens in them (not to mention, army/olive green looks killer with unexpected colors, baby pink being one of them... if done tastefully, of course). 

♡ Photos by Avery Bart♡

"The world is grown so bad, 

that wrens make prey where eagles dare not perch"

[Richard III]

CHEERS + stay tuned for monthly favorites this weekend

xoxox

SPECTRUM

I have a love-hate relationship with winter clothing. I hate it majority of the time because I always have to pack on massive sweaters that cover what I'm wearing (i.e my inner outfit looks pretty bland here because my sweater is covering a long sleeve white lace top from Bp), but I end up loving it because I get to sport some really cool outerwear. Chic outerwear pieces are so valuable for your closet because not only will they look great in blizzarding temps, they're actually meant to be practical too. Investing in a cool coat is such a priority for a closet. This beauty of a coat is from Zara and it's completely wool (aka super warm). This happened to be a genius find because it's actually cut perfectly for a petite size, as the bottom hits that nice sweet spot on the back of my calf (not too short, not too long). Another pro tip when it comes to fashionable jackets: coats look better if they have pockets or buttons, not always both. 

Underneath I'm wearing a simply black skate skirt and a cashmere Black-Brown 1826 men's sweater (I like the cut of this one a lot-- yes, sometimes men sweater cuts work). I added a white beanie to the mix and completed the look with my Layla Oil Slick FRENDS Headphones (how freakin cute are they?!)

♡ Photos by Avery Bart♡

"O, that that earth, which kept the world in awe, 

Should patch a wall to expel the winter flaw!"

[Hamlet 5.1]

Cheers ++ STAY WARM. xxx

GRATE

I think it's actually been 10 years since I've ever worn my hair in braids in public, and the only way I'm justifying it this time around is because of my super loose Brandy Melville beanie, the center inspiration for this look. Taking a hint from BAZAAR's Five Chic Takes On Hat Hair, I decided to hit the ground running with braids, and I'm pretty impressed with the result. I paired my smurf hat (a nickname for beanies I like to use) with a pair of razor sharp grey jeans courtesy of Bullhead Denim Co. And, if you're wondering why you can't find grey ripped ones on their site, it's because I made the kneeholes myself (much to my mother's dismay). I think the rips give these pants such an edge, and with their addition, I think they suit my style wayyyy more. 

I wanted to contrast the roughness of the bottom: ripped jeans + matte black Docs with prim and proper up top: a ruffled Ralph Lauren silk blouse and a vintage velvet jacket. Kind of like, business on the top, party on the bottom. Finally, the edge is brought back with my circular Ray Bans, inspo beanie, and matte plum Ariana Grande Viva Glam Lipstick (a note on that, it photographed much lighter, it's certainly a deeper plum IRL.. I'm obsessed). 

"I had rather hear a brazen can’stick turned, 

Or a dry wheel grate on the axletree, 

And that would set my teeth nothing an edge, 

Nothing so much as mincing poetry."

[Henry IV Part 1]

Cheers, xoxoxo

QUARTZ

One of my favorite ways to style clothing is by contrast, and it's particularly interesting to put together pieces that don't necessarily work with each other off the bat. For this look, I was especially inspired by Pantone's 2016 colors of the year: rose quartz + serenity. These two shades don't necessarily appear to be compatible at first, but the more you look at the them, the nicer they look together, and the more easily they flow into one another. 

I mimicked this ode in this ensemble with these light wash jeans courtesy of Bullhead Denim Co. and this fluffy blush short jacket by BCBG. The best way to marry these lighter shades in clothing is to ground them with something darker, so I paired this look with a black velvet top from Free People, and black pointed loafers by Steve Madden. This trick is especially successful with denim, especially a lighter wash. Finally, I kept accessories simple with a headband-turned-choker from Pookie & Sebastian and Chanel sunglasses. 

"Life's but a walking shadow, 

a poor player that struts and frets his hour upon the 

stage and then is heard no more:

it is a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury,

signifying nothing."

[Macbeth 5.5]

Cheers, xxx