Pink Pearl POP

I LOVE winter. I love winter clothing, winter scenery, winter accessories, winter boots, winter activities, more winter clothing, and winter makeup. By winter makeup, I'm talking colors. Winter is the perfect time to break out a dark lip. Red, burgundy, oxblood, wine, you name it, winter loves it for a lip color! However, I like to switch it up every once in a while. Winter is not only for dark colors. It also screams white and pretty! I mean, mother nature dumps a coat of white all over for a few months because she knows it's pretty! What does pretty winter white need for a sidekick? PINK!

What I am about to say may shock you...

I am not a pink girl. I never have been. My favorite color is orange and my go to color for clothing is usually a neutral of sorts black. But, I do not shy away from pretty things. In this case, MAC's Pink Pearl Pop is oh-so-pretty. Searching for the right shade of winter pink was a challenge, which I totally accepted! I love this shade, and it took me a loooooong time to find.  I tried darker pink, brighter pink, nude pink, etc. Nothing was right. Then, on a random trip to NYC, a nice lady at the MAC store helped me find this shade (or flavor, as my students call it). Perfection. 

I love the pink and emerald color combination!

MAC Pink Pearl Pop
Charming Charlie Earrings (Similar here)
J Crew Necklace (Similar here)

Thank you for reading, my lovely Polished ladies!

XOXO-Courtney

For more beauty looks check us out on Instagram at @Courtney_m_b & @KelseyMKipp

Mastering the Red Lip

To wear a red lipstick or not to wear a red lipstick, that is the question. My answer now is YES, wear the red lipstick. If you asked me a couple of years ago I would have answered with a big ole negatory on the red lipstick. Growing up as a dancer, red lipstick became a sort of torture. Imagine five year old Courtney saying, "But Mooooooom,  whyyyyy do I have to wear red lipstick AND blue eyeshadow? The red lipstick gets on my teeth and on my face!" When I shuffled off stage, I could not wipe that stuff off quick enough! But my mom insisted on me wearing it for every recital and with every costume. My mother always wore a dark lip and now that I think about it, maybe she was onto something.

I found myself shying away from red lipstick in my teens and early twenties. It seemed so abrasive to me. Like "HELLO PEOPLE, HERE I AM, LOOK AT ME AND MY RED LIPS!" But, the more I began to get into makeup and beauty, the more I realized that women like Gwen Stefani, Dita Von Teese, and Christina Aguilera always look so fabulous with their red lipstick, so why can't I? 

Gwyneth Paltrow said, "Beauty, to me, is about being comfortable in your own skin. That, or a kick-ass red lipstick." You no what, I couldn't agree more! You like the way a red lip looks on a woman, wear a red lip! If you feel beautiful, you exude a sense of beauty and confidence that can't be bought. But a "kick-ass red lipstick," can be bought. So, let's make sure we are applying it correctly, shall we?

I use five products to apply my lipstick. It may seem excessive, but trust me, each one is important. My essential products are a great lip balm, pressed powder, lipliner, lipstick, and a gloss. 

Product details: Lipstick-Cover Girl Tempt 355 // Lip liner- Rimmel Ravish 057 // Gloss- Revlon Bordeaux 016 //  Balm-EOS // Powder-Clinique

First:

Apply a generous amount of lip balm. Nothing is worse that trying to apply lipstick to chapped lips, yikes.

I love EOS lip balms.

Second:

Apply pressed powder to your lips. This sets the balm and creates a matte palette to apply the lipstick. Not to mention, I find that it creates a base for a longer lasting lipstick.

Make sure you pat the powder on, not swipe. You don't need coverage just enough to create a smooth surface for your lipstick.

Third:

LINE YOUR LIPS. Ladies, I know that it seems silly because you put lipstick right over it. But please, please, don't skip the lip liner. ESPECIALLY with a bright color like a red, plum or pink. I lied before when I said nothing is worse than applying lipstick to chapped lips. There is something worse, and that is your lipstick acting like a pre-schooler coloring outside of the lines on your face. Don't feel like you need a lip liner for every shade of lipstick you own. You really just need one for the main color groups, one for reds, one for pinks, one for nudes. 

Remember when this was a trendy beauty look circa J Lo in the 90's? I love J Lo.

Fourth:

Apply the lipstick. You can use a brush to apply lipstick. I usually don't, but that is a preference.

I love this color and it just so happened to match my nail color: Essie- Bordeaux

Fifth: 

This step is optional. Sometimes I don't add a gloss. It depends on my mood.

Outfit details: Sweater (I HIGHLY recommend this sweater... it has a long fit which I love!)-Express // Necklace-Express // Link bracelet-Target // Pearl bracelet-Burlington (Similar here) // Rose gold cuff- Macy's (Similar here)

A note about color choice for reds:

Red lipsticks with an orange base are not good for me. They wash out my face and make my teeth tint yellow. I always choose a blue based lipstick. Most lipsticks will be labeled with warm or cool. A cool tone is usually a blue based lipstick. 

I love the color of this lipstick!

Voila! You are ready to turn heads with your red lipstick. Own it ladies! There is nothing wrong with looking and feeling beautiful any every day of the week.

Enjoy!

--Courtney

For more beauty looks check out mine and Kelsey's Instagram accounts-- Courtney_m_b & Kelseymkipp

Seeing Red

This season my favorite, go-to, have to have it, put it in my shopping cart, find your place in my closet, color is RED. I have never been one to gravitate toward red clothing. Probably because I change my hair color so much and red is a really hard color to wear when you have burgundy hair (that's a topic fit for a beauty post). Anyhow, this year, I have been loving everything red and you know what, I think red loves me back!

I saw this skirt at Express (for 60% off a clearance price, obviously, it was fate) and thought it would be perfect for so many reasons. First, I love the a-line cut. I am so accustomed to wearing a pencil skirts that this shape was a refreshing take on a skirt for me. Secondly, it has a buckle detail, which I can never pass up! A buckle detail adds a certain edge to any piece of clothing. Thirdly, I could picture so many ways to wear it while standing in the store. If I can create more than two outfits with a piece of clothing in a store than I am SOLD!

This look is great for a holiday or after holiday get together. The hat adds some Polish to the look, not to mention is perfect when it starts to snow! I also have paired this skirt with a button-up top and a flat boot or a stiletto and polka-dot tight. Any way you style it, you really can't go wrong with a festive red skirt! I always feel Polished when I put a skirt on, but this one makes me oh-so-happy!

Outfit details: Skirt-Express (Similar here without buckles, but adding a belt can accomplish the same look!) // Sweater-Express // Boots-Nine West (Similar here) // Necklace-Target (I found mine in store for $6!) // Hat- Target // Watch-Michael Kors // Bracelet-TJ-Maxx (Similar here) //  Lipstick -Rimmel Bordeaux

Enjoy!

--Courtney

P.S. Dont forget to check out our Instagrams for more Polished looks! Courtney_m_b & Kelseymkipp

Oh yes, it's a Poncho

Here's the thing, I live in BUFFALO, NY. Meaning, it snows (sometimes} for 12 6 months 

out of the year. So, out of necessity, I have learned to love all things warm-ponchos, vests, and, especially, boots. 

It's a must--do you see this snow!?

Poncho from Express (not available online) but love this and this // Belt from Francesca's Collections  // Pants Banana Republic // Boots Maurice's -old but love these wedges // Bag Forever 21-old but on the look out for this and this one and just found this// Earrings Target (my go to stop for everything!)// Bracelet here // Lips  Revlon-Fuchsia Fusion// Nails Essie-Berry Naughty //

How can you a poncho be Polished, you ask? Add a belt! Since my outfit was mostly black (because my ankle leopard boots have not arrived via mail yet) I wanted to break up the black with some bling. I added a belt around the "front" part of the poncho, making it more like a cape.

Now, can we talk about my newest favorite Polished piece? It's my lipstick. I, like many woman, have features I just prefer to hide not to highlight. My lips don't need any help drawing attention. But, I have just recently been experimenting with lip color and 

truly love how Polished my overall look becomes. Now, I never leave the house 

without at least a bit of gloss. 

Have you ever dreamed of wearing red lipstick? That was me too! Whenever I am on the fence about trying a new trend-try it out at home. Literally, wear the new lipstick around the house for a day. You grow comfortable knowing you are wearing it and when you steal a glimpse in the mirror--you feel truly Polished. Then, take some baby steps--where it somewhere you don't know anyone {grocery store, gas station, gym-yes, the gym}. This helps build confidence to show off your colorful lips to all of your friends! ...at least that is how I started.

Thank you so much for reading!

--Kelsey