That's a Wrap!

Happy Holidays!

It feels great to be back. To catch you up to speed, the last couple of weeks or so have been quite hectic due to work and the flu. Luckily, things seem to be looking up, and I am back on track. I feel focused again, and am starting to resume some of my favorite hobbies (one being blogging of course). Hooray!!!

Since Christmas is approaching in a few days, I thought that it would be good to reflect on the year. Overall, I feel blessed to have my close friends and family always by my side. I honestly don't think that I could get through this year without them. They have been my biggest support through thick and thin, and they always inspire me to become a better person each day. Despite having to work through this holiday season, I feel at peace knowing that we are in constant contact with each other and that we will see each other when we get the chance.

On another note, I am looking forward to going to mass and embracing the spiritual side of Christmas. I love seeing the community come together to celebrate this special day, and celebrating the true meaning of Christmas. (Hint: It's not about the presents either.)

Also looking back, 2014 was a year a huge self-development and improvement for me. For starters, I went on my first cross-country trip to Orlando with my best friend. That was something that had both dreamed of doing forever, but never got around to doing. We made a vow to ourselves to be doers, not sayers. So we packed up our bags and spend a relaxing week at Walt Disney World this past February. 

Secondly, this was the year that I got my first salaried role. It challenged me that if I wanted something really badly, that I would have to work really hard for it. Three jobs and an internship later, I got the job of my dreams. Honestly, it has one of been one of the biggest blessings I have received this year. It's taught me the value of hard work as well as how important it is to come out of your shell. Before this job, I was a very private and low-key person. I was extremely introverted, and kept a lot of my ideas to myself. Since taking this role, I have been a lot more extroverted and brave to share my ideas publicly.

Thirdly, 2014 has taught be to love myself more. I used to care a lot about what people thought about me, my ideas, and my beliefs. Now, I stand up for myself when I see injustice, and I love my body more. Body image is not as big of a deal as it used to be, and my health takes more precedence over six pack abs, thigh gaps, and all of that other nonsense.  

Looking forward, I can't wait until New Years Eve. It's also another time of reflection of the past year, as well as a time of new beginnings, goals, and dreams. Oh boy, you best bet that I've got a lot of big things I'd like to achieve next year. Embarking on my 25th birthday, there's so much I'd like to do. I want to continue to travel and see the world, as well as grow in my professional development and learn new things. I would love to learn more about video production, vlogging, photography, the fashion industry, and marketing management as a whole. I am constantly curious, will always find a way to pursue things that interest me.

Alright, that's all for now. I hope you all will have a happy holiday season and an even better new year! If you would like to connect or keep up with my daily shenanigans, you can find me on Twitter or Instagram via @tran_gerine. Talk to you all again soon! 

xoxo

Melissa

Vintage Vibes

Happy November!

It's finally Friday, and it feels so good! I hope everyone's week went well! Today, I spent my day off running errands and getting my hair cut. It was quite a productive day! My outfit of the day is a lovely dress that I purchased from One Of My Kind Vintage.

Funny story...

I came across this lovely shop by accident while browsing Instagram. From the moment I visited the page, I fell in love with their clothing. Every piece is carefully curated, and the clothes are in excellent condition.

This particular dress quickly caught my on Instagram. From the high collar neckline, to the lace detailing, to the beaded fastenings on the back, this dress was nothing that was short of perfect. I immediately put it in my cart, without any hesitation. I have to say, this is probably one of my favorite vintage pieces that I've purchased. It came in the mail well packaged, and did not resonate with that "old smell" that usually accompanies most used clothing items. The dress was in good condition, and fit quite well. Overall, I am very happy with my purchase.

If you like vintage clothing like I do, I encourage you to check their blog out at One Of My Kind Vintage. If you are feeling more ambitious, you can also visit their ebay page here: http://stores.ebay.com/One-Of-My-Kind-Vintage. That's all for now! I hope that everyone will have a wonderful weekend! Until next time...

xo

Melissa

"Inner Beauty"

Hello again!

Today, I thought that it would be really fun to get into the 'spirit' of things and start brainstorming ideas for Halloween. I know what you're thinking, "Melissa, isn't it over a month away?" Well, coming from a work background where Halloween time begins about halfway through September each year, I would say that I am pretty much on track.

If you've taken a peek at my Instagram today, you might have noticed my pale complexion and sunken cheeks. Today's look is inspired by a fusion of one of my favorite holiday themed attractions, Haunted Mansion Holiday, and Dia de los Muertos. I've always been fascinated in intricate details of the attraction as well as the unique costume pieces of the Cast Members. I will say that the Haunted Mansion maid costume one of my favorite ensembles in the in the park (after Indiana Jones Adventure of course). I also love the sugar skull look of Dia de los Muertos. It brings back fond memories of decorating sugar skulls in middle school.

I wanted to recreate the maid look without necessarily breaking the bank. If you're interested in how I did it or would like ideas for your next Disney bounding date for Mickey's Halloween Party, here's how I did it:

MAKEUP:

1. First, I made sure to wash my face to ensure a clean palette for the makeup.
2. Then, I used a disposable foundation sponge and ran it under the sink with a little bit of water, making sure to squeeze out any excess water. (Tip: You want your sponge a little bit damp but not soaking wet.)
3. Next, I used the white cream makeup that I purchased from Target for $1.00 and applied it all over my face. Once it dried, I repeated the process two more times.
4. Then, I used a clean thin paint brush with some Maybelline gel liner to outline (and fill) the hollows of my eyes, contour my face, and outline (and fill) the tip of my nose. I also added a bit of medium purple eyeshadow from the Wet 'n' Wild palette below to the hollows of my eyes for more color definition.
5. After that, I used a new, slightly damp foundation sponge, and dipped it in a little bit more white cream make up and blended out the the lines that I created with my gel liner to create depth and dimension to my face. (Tip: Keep blending outward until you get the desired gradation to your face.)
6. Next, I used my Wet 'n' Wild lipstick in Sugar Plum Fairy, used another clean paint brush to create petals around my eyes. I also used the lipstick to add a hint of color in the gradation areas by dabbing the product to those areas and blending the color out with my clean fingers.
7. Lastly, I created some cobweb and teeth designs to the lower portion of my face with my Maybelline Master Precise Liquid Liner. (Tip: You can do whatever designs you'd like. Have fun, and be creative!)

HAIR: 

To be honest, that I just pulled back my hair into a messy bun. I think it was pretty appropriate for the emaciated, dead maid look, don't you think?

CLOTHES/ACCESSORIES:

• For my "dress", I wore a white buttoned up blouse, and wore a dark green sleeveless top over it. To cover my arms even further, I also wore a long, black cardigan that I had around the house.
• My bow tie was created using a pair of torn knitted leggings that I had. I merely took scissors and cut it into a jagged strip, and tied it around my neck.
• For my headband, I actually purchased it at Disneyland. They were selling it at Port Royal, so unfortunately, I did not make this item. I wish it did. It looks so easy to make! 
• I wore a pair of white gloves. They're pretty inexpensive and cost about $1.00.
• Lastly, I couldn't forget the lantern! I purchased this at Target for $3.00. (Tip: If you want to be on the safe side, use battery operated flickering tea candles instead of the real thing.)

There you have it, my 'spooktacular' Haunted Mansion maid look. I hope you enjoyed it, and will give it a try, whether you will be dressing up for Halloween or attending Mickey's Halloween Party. If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to leave a comment below or tweet me via @tran_gerine. You can also follow me on my Instagram at tran_gerine. Have a great night, and I will be back next time with another post! :)

xo 

Melissa

DIY: Over the Moon

Hello!

I apologize for the long hiatus, but I am back with another DIY inspired by one of my favorite boutiques, Miniola Vintage! Fuchsia has been a really hot color trend this spring, and I absolutely fell in love with the color combo. A couple of months ago, I saw this vintage inspired, half-moon spring nail photo on their blog, and thought I would give the DIY a go! Here is their blog link: http://miniola.tumblr.com/post/77477516316/http-petarudd-com-photography-by-peta-rudd. Although there was not a tutorial on the blog, I decided to use my interpretative skills to try to recreate the look. How did I do?

HOW I RECREATED THE LOOK:

• NAILS:
• WHAT YOU WILL NEED: 
1. Base coat polish.
2. Gold nail polish (I used Essie "Good as Gold"). 
3. Fuchsia nail polish (I used Essie "Big Spender").
4. Top Coat polish.
5. Paper hole reinforcement stickers. You can find them in the office section of the store or here: http://www.amazon.com/Avery-Hole-Reinforcements-Diameter-White/dp/B00006IBUZ.
• STEPS:
1. First, clip and file your nails. Trim your cuticles if desired.
2. Use your base coat polish, and let it dry.
3. Next, paint one coat of the gold nail polish, and let it dry COMPLETELY. This is very important! 
4. Use your paper hole reinforcement stickers and cover the lower third of your nails. Make sure the sticker adheres well, ensuring that there are no openings for the fuchsia nail coat to seep through.
5. Paint the top portion of your nails using the fuchsia nail polish. Let that coat dry, and repeat this step one more time.
6. Once the fuchsia nail coat has dried, carefully peel off the paper hole reinforcement stickers.
7. Apply a generous coat of top coat polish to add shine and prevent nail chipping.
8. All done! Enjoy!

• DIY MIDI RINGS:
• WHAT YOU WILL NEED:
1. Gold craft wire. I used a 16-gauge wire. I bought mine at a craft store, but you can also find it here: http://www.amazon.com/Gauge-Gold-Wire-Yard-Spool/dp/B006546APY/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1399571568&sr=8-1-fkmr0&keywords=darbo+gold+wire+16. 
2. Wire cutter.
3. Pliers (if desired, to shape the wire into your own designs).
4. Glue gun.
• STEPS:
1. Pull some gold craft wire, and wrap it around a round a cylinder object about the size of your finger. I wrapped my wire around the cap of the Essie nail polish container, because it was convenient. Wrap your wire around as many times as you wish. 
2. Use the pliers to shape the ring into your desired shape.
3. Trim the wire with a wire cutter.
4. Use a glue gun to glue the ends. Once the glue dries on the ends, it will prevent cuts and chafing on your fingers.
5. Done! Enjoy! 

There you have it! Two DIY tutorials all in one package. I hope you enjoyed my interpretative Miniola Vintage inspired nail and midi ring tutorial! If you are interested in visiting their online boutique shop, you can find it here: https://www.miniola.co.uk/shop. I hope you will give these DIY projects and will give them a try! If you have any questions or would like to show me your DIY results, feel free to leave me a comment below, or tweet me via @tran_gerine. Good luck and have a great week!

xo

Melissa

Hairstyle Me Vintage

Hello!

I apologize the long hiatus! In the past three weeks: I was knocked out by the flu, went on vacation, and returned to a busy week of work. I'm finally finding time to catch up on blogging, and will be posting more about styles that I've been trying!

Today, I wanted to talk about hair. For one thing, I'm definitely not shy when it comes to experimenting with it! I've tried many styles from the 1920s to the present day. From short to long vintage hairstyles, there hasn't been anything that I haven't tried at least once! Whether you are looking for some inspiration, or just curious about vintage inspired hairstyles, here is a look at some of my favorite looks:

Party at Gatsby's

Telephone Girl

Full of Grace

 

Technicolor Television

Lavish Liz

"V" for Victory

Paging Bettie

"Mod"ern Madame

For the majority of these looks, I needed to curl my hair. It was a preliminary step I had to take before tackling most of the hairstyles above. As part of my experimentation, I used a variety of methods to style my hair ranging from: pin curling, foam rollers, flexi-rods, and curling irons/wands. 

*As a disclaimer, I'm not claiming that my styling methods or hairstyles are 100% authentic to the time periods represented. However, my vintage recreations are inspired by the looks of those times.

To wrap up, here are some of my thoughts on these hairstyles:  

• The most challenging: Victory Rolls. Although a lot of people say that it's an "easy" hairstyle to achieve, I've always struggled with how much hair I need to gather, where I should roll them, and how to get them to stay in place. It's a trial and error, and I'm constantly practicing!
• The easiest: Faux Bettie Bangs. It was probably the fastest style to do because I took a lot of shortcuts. All I did was tease my hair, roll a portion my hair into a hair sponge, and then pull the rest of my hair back into a bun. 
• The most fun to do: The Roaring 20's. At the time, I wanted to switch gears from the fresh feminine looks of the 40's and 50's and try something new. Despite struggling with S-Waves and trying to create the illusion of short hair (when I had long hair), I still had a lot of fun!
• My Favorite style: The luscious locks of the 40's. I love brushing out my curls, and watching my hair become these romantic, soft waves. It's a style that I love repeating time and time again!

There you have it! I hope you enjoyed this post and will try these hairstyles out! Please let me know if you have any questions or requests for my future posts. Happy styling!

Until next time!

Melissa

Romantic Valentine DIY: Crown of Daisies

Hello!

Today, I wanted to share one of my favorite DIY Projects for Valentine's Day: the flower crown. I love it because it's whimsical, beautiful, and simple. Whether you are planning on making this project for yourself, or thinking of giving it away to someone special, I think it is a wonderful alternative to a traditional flower bouquet. What do you think?

If you're ready to get started, here is what you will need:

• 1-2 bouquet(s) of silk/fabric flowers of your choice
• 7/8" wide green ribbon 
• scissors
• hot glue gun
• a pen

STEPS:

1. To begin, take your ribbon and measure it around the circumference of your forehead. Use a pen to mark off the ribbon length on each side of your head. Make sure to measure an additional 6-12 inches of slack on each side before trimming your ribbon. This "slack" will be used to tie the bow at the end. You can always readjust the tail length of your bow later on to your taste.
2. Then, carefully remove the flowers and leaves from the bouquet(s). Make sure the leaves remain in tact. Your flowers may have an additional plastic "stem" still attached to it. That's okay. Don't worry about it until step #4.
3. Next, hot glue the leaves side-by-side onto the ribbon until you reach your pen markings.
4. Now, cut off the "extra plastic stem" still attached to the flowers. Discard the plastic stems and then hot glue the flowers side-by-side. (Tip: Cutting the extra plastic "stem" is crucial, because it will allow your flowers to lie flat onto the crown. You will recognize it because it will stick out at the end.)
5. Lastly, tie your remaining strands of ribbon together to form a crown.

Side View

Back View

There you have it! A simple DIY project for Valentine's Day. I hope you will try it out! If you have any questions or want to show me your completed crown, you can message me or tweet me @tran_gerine. 

Good Luck!

Melissa

All About Bettie

Happy February everyone!

It's my favorite month of the year, and there is so much to talk about! I can't wait to post some more of my favorite looks, styles, and DIY projects for you this month.

Let's get started!

Today, I will be talking about a new hairstyle that I recently tried, "Bettie Bangs". Bettie Page was well-known for modeling and escalating the popularity of this iconic look. If you ever get a chance to read or watch a documentary about her, I highly recommend it!

Before trying the look myself, I wasn't exactly sure how I felt about the idea of short, fringed bangs. As a young woman with a round face, I wasn't so sure if it would suit me at all. Naturally, I went onto the internet and looked up tutorials and pictures of other women who had tried the look. I eventually convinced myself to give it a shot. Faux Bettie Bangs seemed like a safe bet because it did not require commitment to cutting my hair. At least if this didn't work out, I tried the hairstyle in the privacy of my own home.

Here are the steps that I used to achieve my look:

1. First, I took one of my donut shaped bun sponges and cut it in half.
2. Then, I back combed my hair to give it some volume.
3. Next, I sectioned of a small semicircle shaped portion of hair toward in the front of my scalp to save it for the bangs.
4. To continue, I pulled back the rest of my hair into a bun to keep it out of the way.
5. At this point, I took my front section of hair, and rolled it around the hair sponge toward my face to achieve the bangs. I made sure to spread out my hair evenly to conceal the sponge, and bobby pin everything into place. 
6. To finish, I added some pomade and hairspray to hold down any flyaway hairs, and tied a silk scarf around my head.

Note: You can try this look with long or short hair. I recently cut my hair about shoulder length (no layers) and have blunt bangs (about eyebrow length). Did I see this as a setback? No. If anything, it was a great challenge to tackle. Work with what you have. It makes the end result all the more rewarding!

There you have it! My experimental Bettie Bangs. No scissors required! I had so much fun trying it out! Maybe next time I will be brave enough to wear it out! My next goal is to keep practicing new ways to make my fringe better. Who knows, maybe next time I'll try it sans the hair sponge.

What do you think?

Do you have any good tips that could help me to improve the look or technique of my faux Bettie Bangs? I would love to hear your feedback! Thanks for stopping by! 

Until next time,

Melissa

"Hair"spiration

Last night, I ended an easy work day by watching a documentary on Elizabeth Taylor. Seeing clips of her movie roles, show cameos, and candid interviews totally blew me away. She carried herself with such confidence and grace. I was extremely impressed by her ability to remain strong and push forward through life, despite her professional and personal struggles.

Did I also mention she had an amazing sense of style throughout all of this? Because she did.

Which gave me an idea...

What do you think? I'm no Liz Taylor, but it was definitely fun remaking her hair and makeup. If you are interested in recreating her look, here are a few tips:

(Note: I am not a professional makeup artist or cosmetologist. I am just a girl who likes to experiment with hair, clothes, and makeup. These tips come from my personal experience in practice. This is my first time recreating her look based on my own perspective. If you are curious on how I achieved this look, please continue reading down below.)

HAIR:

1. Start with your hair first to give your curls time to cool and set. This is important!
2. If you have short hair like me (mine is a little past my shoulder), you want to make sure to use a small curler. You can either so a wet set overnight, hot rollers, or a curling iron. Wet set pin curls will give you a longer lasting curl, but if you don't have time, you can use a curling iron like me. I used a 3/4 inch ceramic Remington wand, and then re-pinned each curl to let them cool. (Tip: If you are planning on using heat on your hair, always use a heat protectant spray prior to curling!)

MAKEUP:

1. Prime and prep your face as usual, making sure to wash your face before you moisturize, prime, conceal, and apply foundation. 
2. For your eyes, you can use a liquid liner for your top lid and a pencil liner for your bottom lid. Make sure to follow your bottom lid up when extending your cat eye. To create the illusion of bigger eyes, apply white eyeliner to your bottom lids before applying the black pencil liner underneath, making sure not to line all the way to the inner corner. This will make your eyes appear smaller and closed.
3. For your eyebrows, make sure to fill them in using either a pencil liner or cream. Follow the arch and growth of your hairline for assistance. You want to keep them thick for a youthful appearance like Elizabeth.
4. For lips, always make sure to line them BEFORE you apply lipstick! This will keep your lipstick vibrant and long lasting. You can always exaggerate the shape of your lips in this step with lip liner to make them look more rounded like Elizabeth's.
5. Bronzer is your friend. Use it to your advantage when contouring your face, especially below the apples of your cheeks, the sides of your nose, and below the jaw. This will help to define your features, and give you the illusion of a slimmer, tighter face.
6. Add highlighter to your T-zone, above the apples of your cheeks, the top of your nose, and cupid's bow to illuminate your face.
7. Don't forget to add a rosy blush to to add a radiant glow to your face. It adds a youthful and feminine touch.

DRESS:

1. Pick any kind of dress that makes you feel good. Remember, beauty comes from the inside out!

I hope you will give this look a try, and please tweet me your photos if you do! You can tweet me at @tran_gerine or leave me a comment below. I look forward to hearing from all of you!

Have a great evening! 

Melissa

Hello!

Welcome to my blog! 

My name is Melissa, and I am a busy working girl and recent college graduate from Southern California. I have a strong passion for fashion, cosmetics, unique hairstyles, and ongoing trends. I am an avid fan and collector of vintage clothing and accessories. My friends dotingly call me the "DIY Queen" because of my tendency to recreate things. Other hobbies I enjoy include: reading, running, and collecting recipes.

I created this blog to document and share my fashion, makeup, and lifestyle adventures with others who share the same passion for fashion as I do. 

I hope that you will join me on this exciting journey! Thanks for stopping by!