The Clunkster

black and blues

Outfit of the DayKristenComment

turtleneck (similar). flannel. leggings. boots. lipgloss (in Sanctuary). perfume

Hi hi! Today’s look is one of my new favorites. My lovely father gave me more flannels! He’s the greatest. The two he gave me are actually thicker than what I’m used to, which has been great throughout this winter. Sometimes I can get away with one of these and a jacket or sweatshirt underneath! The other flannel is red, while this one is electric blue. I don’t wear it as much as my red one because it’s so bright, but I love it just the same!

Today, I decided to wear my flannel over an all-black outfit. I really like wearing a plain black turtleneck and leggings and adding some cool outerwear, like a flannel or sweater. It makes this piece pop and gives you endless opportunities for shoes, hair, and makeup! On this particular day, I stuck with my lighter Timberlands, tight braids (you do not want to see what my hair was trying to do), and some darker makeup. I hadn’t gotten fully made-up at any point the week I wore this, so it was nice to feel a little functional again. As I always say, if you look good, you feel good!

makeup monday: cocoa contour palette

Cruelty-Free, Beauty, Beauty ReviewKristenComment

Contouring always scared me. I was so intimidated when I first saw Kim Kardashian and beauty tutorialistas beating their faces to perfection. This semester, my beauty guru friend started contouring me with Too Faced's Cocoa Contour Palette, and I kind of fell in love. I asked for it for Christmas, and my wonderful parents blessed me with the gift of a chiseled face. Like I said, contouring really scared me until I realized that it was basically like coloring your face! This particular palette comes with a little brochure thing with three basic contouring looks - Instant Cheekbones, Skinny Sculpt, and Celebrity Contour. I started with the first, Instant Cheekbones, which is pretty basic. I also love highlighting my defined cheekbones (thanks Mom!!!) It just works really well with my face and the rest of the makeup I wear. I've tried the others on occasion, and they were great too. 

I also really love how simple this palette is! I always expect contour palettes to be weird and big and complicated. This one only has four shades, Light Cocoa, Medium Cocoa, Dark Cocoa, and Pop of Light, so I wasn't super overwhelmed when I first opened it. And it even comes with a lil angled kabuki blending brush that's insanely soft! 

As most people know, the Cocoa Contour Palette smells like chocolate! you all know how much I love things that smell good. Like the Origins primer I just reviewed, the yummy scent is such a great addition to my morning beauty routine. 

Overall. I 100,000% recommend this palette to anyone, but especially to people who have never contoured before or people who are just starting out! If you’re interested in going cruelty-free, check out PETA’s Searchable Database and Cruelty-Free Kitty’s alphabetized list of cruelty-free brands. If you have any cruelty-free recommendations, please comment them below!

broken spoke

Outfit of the DayKristenComment

shirt (limited edition from Uncle Johnny's closet! but here's the saloon). turtleneck (similar). leggings. boots. sunglasses

Happy St. Patrick's Day! I'm Irish, so my family always spent this holiday together through the years. My grandma used to make the best Irish Soda Bread! I'm actually home again this weekend to see the heavy metal band Judas Priest with my parents for my dad's Christmas present! I'm really excited for the concert, and I'm so happy I get to spend some quality head-banging time with my mom and dad. 

Since my uncle passed away, I've been wearing a lot of his old clothes because they're super cool just like him! He got this one at the Broken Spoke Saloon, which is a bar around where my uncle used to ride his motorcycle. I held onto it because it was really cool, but also because I know it meant a lot to him. I don't know if you guys can see from the pictures, but the front is really simple, with just a pocket with a picture of a skeleton pumping gas and the words "Broken Spoke" over it. I like the back more. which kinda sucks when I'm wearing a jacket or flannel. But I still love the pocket!

I've been wearing my uncle's bigger shirts over my black turtleneck to stay warm, and because it just looks cool. Because this shirt is lighter than what I usually wear, I kept everything else pretty dark. I left my hair a bit messy, and kept my makeup pretty light. This is a pretty simple look, but one I love a lot! Enjoy your holiday everyone, please drink responsibly! 

cozy badass

Outfit of the DayKristenComment

sweatshirt. leggings. boots. lipgloss (in sanctuary). 

I'm so excited to share this look with you guys! My parents have been making fun of me because I wear this outfit all the time. I got this Halsey sweatshirt for Christmas, and I fell in love. I originally asked for it so I could wear it as a dress, but it was a little too short. I ended up loving it as just a sweatshirt though! It's so soft and extra cozy because it's so big. 

My black leggings are perfect to wear with this sweatshirt because they're just black and simple, like my Timbs. I love doing my makeup when I wear this look though! I usually go with my Kat Von D lipgloss and play with the colors in my Urban Decay NAKED3 palette. The rose gold colors look so great with this lip color!

Overall, I love this look because it makes me feel like a badass, like Halsey, but it's so comfy (and warm!) that I really feel like myself. Thus, I've named this look "Cozy Badass." To all my other cozy badasses out there, I hope you enjoy the rest of your week! 

milk makeup dab and blend applicator

Cruelty-Free, Beauty, Beauty ReviewKristenComment

A little while ago, I reviewed e.l.f.'s brush cleaner, and was incredibly disgusted when I saw how dirty my brushes were, and how this brush cleaner didn't do anything! Since then, I've been looking for new brush cleaners and better brushes, but also different ways to apply foundation. There are so many options for me to try, and I'm so excited to share this one with you all! 

When I first saw people using silicone and gel applicators for makeup, I was so confused! I had never seen or heard of it before, and I didn't really know why it was a thing. I did some research and found out that the silicone (or gel) applicator, unlike a sponge, won't absorb whatever product is on it, so you can save a lot of foundation. Because of this, silicone applicators also do a phenomenal job at blending.

At this point, I was very intrigued, so I grabbed one of my Sephora gift cards and made the pilgrimage to my closest store to grab Milk Makeup's Dab and Blend Applicator. I had seen cheaper variations at CVS, but honestly, rubbing anything other than a sponge on my face was kind of freaking me out, so I wanted the real deal. Also Milk is a cruelty-free, generally awesome brand that I've been meaning to try forever, so why not splurge on a pretty applicator with sparkles in it?

Basically, this thing blew my mind. I'm pissed someone didn't think of this sooner! We're honestly not hyping this up enough. Guys, the amount of foundation I saved using this was insane. I picked up a relatively small amount, and it carried my foundation way across my face. I was astounded. Of course, using less foundation is great because you save money, but this also helped me avoid the cake-y, unblended look that I really hate. This applicator really makes the difference. 

And, it's blending capabilities are seriously prime. Once again, this applicator doesn't absorb anything. All the action occurs on your face! I usually just wipe the excess foundation off the applicator with a tissue and run it under warm water to clean it. I haven't ever been grossed out while using this! 

I think the only critique I have for this tool is that it doesn't work well with BB creams, CC creams, and other thinner formulas (like the foundation serum I'll be reviewing soon hehe), which is kind of annoying, but I don't mind using a brush or my hand every once in a while and using the applicator to blend my contour and everything together. 

If you couldn't already tell, I highly highly recommend this applicator! It's one of the best things in the world, and it's seriously life-changing. Everyone should get their hands on one, seriously. A must-have product. If you’re interested in going cruelty-free, check out PETA’s Searchable Database and Cruelty-Free Kitty’s alphabetized list of cruelty-free brands. If you have any cruelty-free recommendations, please comment them below!