Tuesday, May 29, 2012

Inspired by a mermaid


         It's that time of year when mermaid blues and greens start making their way into summer makeup. While in Hawaii, Mr. Lovey and I stopped by a Thai restaurant before a tour up the old volcano Mauna Kea (which at 13,796ft is the highest peak in Hawaii!) I saw a beautiful depiction of a mermaid (seen above). I loved how the colors differ from usual mermaids with murky teal blue, gold and coppery pinks.

          To create a mermaid-inspired look I pulled out my NARS Dogon eyeshadow duo from last summer (reviewed here). NARS Dogon pairs a navy alongside a spectacular taupe with mermaid sheen. When combined, the two colors have a really cool multifaceted effect like the mermaid above.

         I used the taupe of NARS Dogon on the lid and softly lined my eyes using the navy and a pencil brush. The blue-green sheen really adds summery dimension to an otherwise heavier eye. To finish the eye, I used my well loved NARS Larger Than Life eyeliner in Via Veneto (reviewed here) and MAC Zoom Fast Black Lash mascara. (MAC Zoom fast is growing on me).  I kept the rest of the face simple and little peach-pink with my new Laura Geller Baked Blush in Bora Bora. I used Laura Geller Baked Body Frosting in Tahitian glow with a fluffy brush to get a light coppery glow on my face. I'm not normally a body makeup person, but I tried a little on my collarbones too for fun. For my nails, I chose the light pink polish NARS Vestale (reviewed here). I really enjoyed the mermaid tones in the resultant look!


          Thanks for reading! Have you been  incorporating mermaid or sea inspired colors into your makeup routine? Have you tried NARS Dogon? Thanks for reading!

Love, Dovey

Note: This post contains product(s) sent to Cute and Mundane for consideration by PR. The ideas and opinions presented in the post are my own.

Monday, May 28, 2012

3LAB Perfect BB Cream SPF40/PA+++ review


          I'd nearly given up the search for a tinted moisturizer or BB cream for summer, when the folks at 3LAB sent along the 3LAB Perfect BB Cream SPF40/PA+++ for consideration. What excited me was that the sunscreen was Titanium Dioxide based and did not contain the chemical sunscreens that my sensitive skin reacts to. (You'd be surprised how difficult this is to find). See the ingredients list below:

Active Ingredients: Titanium Dioxide 12.16% Inactive Ingredients: Water, Cyclopentasiloxane, Butylene Glycol, Aluminum Starch Octenylsuccinate, Cetyl PEG/PPG-10/1 Dimethicone, PEG-10 Dimethicone, Ascorbyl Glucoside, Caprylyl Methicone, Glycereth-26, Neopentyl Glycol Dicaprate, Phenyl Trimethicone, Dimethicone, Alumina, Dimethicone/Vinly Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Dipropylene Glycol, Sodium Chloride, Disteardimonium Hectorite, Squalane, Achillea Millefolium Extract, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea Butter), Chamomilla Recutita (Matricaria) Flower extract, Foeniculum Vulgare (Fennel) Fruit extract, Humulus Lupulus (Hops) Extract, Malus Domestica Fruit Cell Culture, Melissa Offcinalis Leaf Extract, Viscum Album (Mistletoe) Leaf Extract, Olea Europaea (Olive) Fruit Oil, Hydrolyzed Pea Protein, Tocophery Acetate, Adenosine, Oligopeptide-68, Rh-Polypeptide-7, Tocopherol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Allantoin, Beta-Glucan, Ceramide-3, Glycerin, Hydrogentated Lecithin, Methicone, Hydroxyethylcellulose, PEG/PPG-20/15 Dimethicone, PEG/PPG-18/18 Dimethicone, Phytosterols, Silica, Sodium Oleate, Sodium PCA, Hydrolyzed What Protein/PVP Crosspolymer, Triethoxycaprylylsilane, Urea, Xanthan Gum, Panthenol, Potassium Hydroxide, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Sodium Phosphate, Caprylyl Glycol, Boron Nitride, Acrylates/C12-22 Alkyl Methacrylate Copolymer, Alcohol, Disodium EDTA, EDTA, Phenoxyethanol, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis (Orange) Peel Oil, Fragrance. May contain Iron oxides.




           I chose Tint 1 Light, which was the lightest color of the three available colors. You can from the swatches below that it is a light color. It's yellow toned and close to (though a little more yellow) than NARS Ceylan. You can see the contrast with a more peach toned foundation, NARS Deauville. I wore it recently, although my skin is signifcantly more tanned than usual. The semi-sheerness allowed it to give pretty well blended appearance with my skin despite me being more medium toned. It is a little more yellow than I'd like, since I do have pinkness in my skin. The limit of the wearability for Tint 1 would probably be around MAC NC20 and maybe NC25 if you stretch it. The lasting power was fairly good. It is summer, so I tend to get oily midway through the workday. The color doesn't transfer well, which is good. The BB cream provides a bit more coverage than a tinted moisturizer, but less than a foundation. It did not mask active blemishes or blemishes on my face since it was sheer. This is expected of a partially sheer product, although there is some irony since 'BB' stands for Blemish Balm. A big positive is that the formulation did not seem to irritate my sensitive skin or blemishes, which is great for a foundation/skin product. It's too early to tell whether the skincare benefits of the BB cream have kicked in, however I am encouraged by its comfortable feel.



          With a price tag just shy of a Benjamin, is this BB cream worth it? It might be worth a try if you have sunscreen sensitive or sensitive skin like me and have a good chunk of pocket change. It does boast an impressively long list contain a list of botanical and chemical ingredients. I'm assuming some of these are to improve skin quality, as BB creams are supposed to. BB creams have been launched by a so many different cosmetic companies, however many of them seem like glorified tinted moisturizers (and number even contain glitter, yikes). In this sense, 3LAB seems to follow the mantra of an Asian BB cream. Whether these ingredients work remains up to debate and the individual.

         Thanks for reading! Have you tried any BB creams? Have you tried any 3LAB products?

Love, Dovey.

Disclosure: This post contains product(s) sent to Cute and Mundane for consideration by PR. 

Snapshots and reflections


          The final day of the competition has finally arrived! I had no idea when I applied to the Allure Beauty Blogger Awards contest, it would result in nearly three months of excitement, little sleep, and anticipation (a veritable blog marathon). I had the chance to try new things, including ones that stepped far out of my comfort zone. The competition also underscored that blogging can mean something very different to magazine editors, bloggers, and readers. There are so many different aspects to blogging, including writing, photography, and personality.

         Photography is my favorite aspect of beauty blogging, so I'm closing out the AllureBBA with a series of snapshots captured from my video. Somehow the videos online have a grainy feel, which is a little different than I intended. I've pulled these photos so you can get a feel for what I was hoping for!



         I'd like to conclude on the most important note. With genuine feeling, I'd like to thank you for all the supportive comments and tweets over the past five weeks. Friends and bloggers went above and beyond what I could ever imagine; I owe you many heartfelt thanks. Thank you for braving 'captcha' and the dreaded 'bad captcha' on my behalf. I know it took a lot of effort to cast a vote, and all that effort that is much appreciated. All of this is something I would never take for granted. I'm glad to have had this experience, but the best part was to have had so many of you there along with me!

Thank you, and see on the 'normal' side of blogging from now on!

Love, Dovey.

Note: This post contains photos of products sent by Allure and Revlon for use in the Allure Beauty Blogger Awards

Friday, May 25, 2012

Friday Five


           Here's a view of the courtyard at the Four Seasons Maui at Wailea. I'm missing the pools, palms, and Pacific already! May was a whirlwind month with the big day, the days leading up to it, and the vacationing afterwards. I've been easing back into my usual activities, including blogging, and thought it was high time to post a Friday Five. Here are five summery posts that caught my eye this week:
  1. Possibly the most gorgeous tangerine and pink Tibi dress on Atlantic Pacific.
  2. Bows and Sequins has a sunny gold glitter, grey, and leopard outfit.
  3. I'm eye-ing Illamasqua's newest collection, Naked Strangers, on Vivianna does Makeup.
  4. Getting Cheeky has me inspired by Greek Mythology
  5. The Former Girl at Bar's buttery patterned leather wedges are perfect for summer.
          TGIF and Happy Memorial Day weekend!

Love,
Dovey

Thursday, May 24, 2012

Inside my CosBar at Target cosmetics bag



          While I was in Maui, I passed by a CosBar boutique for the first time. I was too shy to go in, but I did get excited because I recognized the store from it's latest beauty collaboration with Target. There are only twelve CosBars in the U.S., mostly on the west coast, but there's a Target in every town! Recently I got my hands on the CosBar for Target cosmetics bag, so I'll review its specs as well as some of the things I've been toting around in it lately.

          The CosBar cosmetics bag is a medium sized leopard print pouch. Usually leopard seems more like a fall/winter print, however the orange tint and material make it fit for summer. The pouch is constructed from a PVC outer layer and a polyester inner layer. The construction makes it pretty much waterproof (from splashes, not immersion) which makes it perfect for stashing electronics and other goods during beachside or poolside stays. The CosBar logo is stitched into a tag on the inside of the pouch and written on the zipper pulley as seen below. To be honest, the zany limes, greens, purples, and leopards in the CosBar for Target collection is a little different from the boutique, however the collection is fun in its own right. And, I've never met a leopard print I didn't like.

          The inside my CosBar cosmetics pouch are a few eclectic goodies. I stuffed the contents of my vacation pouch in here without a chance to edit, so the contents are a bit simpler than usual. I'm sure I'll accumulate my usual product hoard in here in no time. Inside my pouch are: a Sephora wide tooth comb (combs are musts for curly hair), Bliss lemon + sage body butter (a recent gift and favorite of my good friend Ponyo), Thumb-ease (small massage tools that fit onto your thumbs; also from Ponyo), Burt's Bees Tinted Lip Balm in Tiger Lily (a simple balm and color on the go) and my everyday mirror. I also have a few bandaids stuffed in now that it's sandal weather.

      Overall, I'm a fan of the CosBar cosmetics bag. I'm always a fan of leopard and the waterproof PVC layer will come in handy this summer on the beach. Have you seen any displays or picked up items from the CosBar for Target collection?

Love, Dovey.


Note: CosBar for Target pouch was provided by PR for the purposes of review

Wednesday, May 23, 2012

A rainbow of Revlon Colorburst lip glosses - review + swatches


         Today I have a beautiful array of Revlon Colorburst Lip Glosses to share with you. You can imagine my delight at finding these in the product box for the Allure video challenge. Revlon does lip colors well, and these glosses are no exception. I love the chic quilted design and the sleek packaging; I'd be happy to pull one of these out of my purse. The formula is nice and not too sticky or tacky for my liking.

          Generally, the Revlon Colorburst lip gloss colors are quite pigmented as you can see from my swatches below, though there is some variation in intensity. Lighter colors like Peony can be more sheer, while darker more intense colors like Fire are practically opaque. I'll briefly describe the swatches below. Pink Ice is a pale pink with silver sparkles. Crystal Lilac is a light pink with a pinky purple iridescence. Orchid is a mauve pink with gold sparkles. Hot Pink is a bright pink with sparkles. It's a little less blue than my swatch suggests. Fire is a full power opaque red with no shimmer. Strawberry is a bright juicy coral pink with sparkles. Papaya is a melon coral with shimmer, but not sparkles. Peony is a peachy light pink with gold sparkles. Sunset Peach is a light peach with gold shimmer. Gold Dust is a golden beige shimmer. Bronze shimmer is a bronze with bronze and silver sparkles. Rosegold is a copper with shimmer. Rosepearl is a red copper brown with shimmer. Sienna Sparkle is a brown with gold sparkles. Bordeaux is a wine with gold sparkles.

        With this rainbow of glosses to choose from, I'm more than set with gloss for the foreseeable future! I'm partial to Pink Ice, Crystal Lilac, and Gold Dust, however I think Papaya and Strawberry are gorgeous colors for summer. Have you ever tried Revlon Colorburst lip glosses? Do you have any favorite colors? Thanks for reading!

Love, Dovey.

Note: These Revlon Colorburst lip glosses were provided by Revlon for use in the Allure Beauty Blogger Awards.

Tuesday, May 22, 2012

Allure Beauty Blogger Awards Challenge #5 : Video


          Aloha! I'm writing on my last day in Hawaii to announce the start of the fifth and final round of the Allure Beauty Blogger Awards. For this challenge, we were each sent a package full of Revlon products and asked to create a video using only these products and the Sony Bloggie Touch video camera. Prior to this, I had no idea how to make a video, edit a video, or even take a video. Thankfully the camera was simple to use and I found a wonderful set of iMovie tutorials to get me up and running. In terms of content, I tried to imagine and create a video based off of my blog's style. I talk about creating a basic face and how to find color inspiration to mix things up. I'll probably be watching through closed fingers, but I hope you enjoy it!

          If you like what you see, I would appreciate it if you would VOTE, TWEET, and/or LIKE my challenge #5 profile this week. This week Allure is giving away two Monster headphones to two lucky voters. You can vote and be entered to win once per day.
          Mahalo (Hawaiian for 'thank you') for all the generosity, kindness, and support that many of you have shown me over the past five weeks. I cannot thank you enough, and regardless of the contest outcome, I will hold those words and experiences most dear.

Love, Dovey.

Thursday, May 17, 2012

Blogaversary Giveaway: NARS Marie Galante duo eyeshadow!

         Aloha! I'm writing from Maui! Mr. Lovey and I arrived in Hawaii a couple days ago after traveling clear across the American continent and the Pacific. We're hoping to get some much needed rest and relaxation after our wedding. We stopped by the big island, Hawaii, already and saw Volcanoes National Park and rode to the top of Mauna Kea, which is famous for its space observatories. However, before I hit more volcanic trails or sandy beaches, there's one urgent blog order of business I need to take care of: my blogaversary giveaway!



         In celebration of Cute and Mundane's second blogaversary, I'm giving away one NARS Marie Galante eyeshadow duo from the NARS Summer 2012 collection! NARS Marie Galante eyeshadow duo pairs a delicate orchid shimmer with a deep transition zone blue. It evokes exotic imagery, much like Hawaii! Considering my love affair with NARS products, I figured this would be the perfect item for my first personal giveaway. I brought it with me on my travels so I could photograph it and load this giveaway. It's taking immeasurable amounts of self control not to swatch and keep it for myself. I wish you could see this in person, it's absolutely stunning.

         If you're interested in entering, please enter using the Rafflecopter widget below. The giveaway prize, NARS Marie Galante Eyeshadow duo, was purchased by me for the purpose of this giveaway. The winner will be chosen randomly from valid entries. Only one set of entries is allowed per person. To enter, you must be a visible Google Friend Connect (GFC) follower. This giveaway is open internationally, however if there is significant difficulty or issue (legal or otherwise) in sending the item, I may choose another winner. I also reserve the right to disqualify participants if I suspect the entries are invalid. I will do my best to package the item, but the prize is lost or damaged in transit, I cannot guarantee replacement. I will contact the winner via the email address provided. The winner has 72 hours to respond; if I do not hear back within that time period, I may choose another winner.

        Good Luck and thank you for all the comments, readership, love, and support during two wonderful years of blogging!

Love, Dovey.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Note: I've realized there was some confusion over the 'tweet' the message function. I've edited it so it makes more sense now 

Tuesday, May 15, 2012

Allure Beauty Blogger Awards Challenge #4: Trend Report


           This week, I'm so excited to unveil the latest challenge in the Allure Beauty Blogger Awards. Challenge #4: Trend report was my favorite challenge to photograph and write about. I've structured it after my 'Inspired by Art' posts (see here). I've included preview of my post here. Do you recognize the artist from my photos? He's one of my favorites.

Voting and Sharing Links
  1. Your VOTE makes a difference! You can vote once every weekday. The voting for Challenge #2 closes on Friday morning. International voters can vote!
  2. Your TWEET makes a difference! (Note: tweets don't count as votes, but are important too)
  3. Your FACEBOOK LIKE makes a difference!
Perks of Voting (up to once a day)
  • My gratitude
  • Allure's Week # 4 Prize: One of two Rebecca Minkoff bags
  • Allure's Grand Prize: $3000 three day two night trip to Fontainebleu Miami Beach and $1000 of Revlon products



          I would love it if you checked out my Challenge #4 post. I'm particularly fond of this entry because it reminds me of my blog the most. Thank you so much for all the votes, tweets, likes, and comments; thanks to voters and the Allure editors, I placed second for last week's entry!

Love, Dovey.

Tuesday, May 8, 2012

Wedding nail polish colors

          The big day is drawing closer and a key beauty decision involves choosing polish colors. I hadn't made a final decision yet, so I packed a selection to choose from (shown above). For my fingers, I'm going with a sheer pink. The ones I packed were OPI It's a Girl, OPI Isn't that Precious?, OPI Bubble Bath, and Butter London Pink Ribbon. The first two are cooler pinks, while the second two are more like ballet pinks. Right now OPI Bubble Bath is the front runner because I love the formula and it's a barely there color. For my toes, I want to choose a more colorful pedi that can transition into the honeymoon. The colors I brought for toes include OPI Kiss me on my tulips (reviewed here), Dior Bikini (reviewed here), Dior Riviera (reviewed here), and NARS Trouville (reviewed here). I had initially planned to use OPI Kiss me on my tulips, however I'm now leaning towards NARS Trouville. Both are beautiful, so it will be hard to decide!

          The girls are treating me to a spa day before the wedding, and I decided to get a pedi done, but not a mani. I plan on doing my own nails because they're short and tend to grow fast. The nail gap becomes too obvious for my liking if I apply more than a day in advance. Since I'm using a sheer color, I'm confident that I can get it right. I packed the following items with me so I can make sure my manicure will pass muster: OPI Top Coat, Sephora by OPI Base Coat, Tweezerman mini manicure set, and Sephora nail buffer.

         Hopefully all will go well! What nail colors did you wear (or are planning on wearing) on your big day?

Love, Dovey.

Monday, May 7, 2012

Allure Beauty Blogger Awards Challenge #3: Beauty mistakes


          The third challenge of the Allure beauty blogger awards challenge #3 is now open for voting online (see here)! This week we were asked to compose a post based on beauty mistakes. As usual I've included a photographic sneak peek pertaining to my post.

Voting and Sharing Links
  1. Your VOTE makes a difference! You can vote once every weekday. The voting for Challenge #2 closes on Friday morning. International voters can vote!
  2. Your TWEET makes a difference! You can tweet or modify this prewritten tweet which has my personal challenge entry linked. (Note: tweets don't count as votes, but are important too)
  3. Your FACEBOOK LIKE makes a difference!
Perks of Voting (up to once a day)
  • My gratitude
  • Allure's Week # 2 Prize: 1 Nook Tablet
  • Allure's Grand Prize: $3000 three day two night trip to Fontainebleu Miami Beach and $1000 of Revlon products
          This week, I'm ranked fourth, based off my performance on last week's  challenge #2 entry I wrote on Jennifer Lawrence at the Hunger Games (see here). Each week a new ranking list is posted based off the editor's scores and public vote. In the end, the blogger with the highest cumulative score will be the grand prize winner. I'm sure it's a very tight race up at the top, and every vote helps tip the scales. Many of you have tweeted, liked, and voted on my behalf; so much of where I am now is thanks to you. I want you to know that I'm so grateful for all the support and kind words I've received!

Love, Dovey.

P.S. The 'paint' in the picture above is actually foundation

Thursday, May 3, 2012

Inspired by The Hunger Games premiere


          I'll admit it: I'm a Hunger Games fan. I read the book and saw the movie. When I saw Jennifer Lawrence's Hunger Games Premiere look, I was stunned. First, it was because she was blonde (not brunette as in the movie), second because of her amazing dress, and third because of her makeup. The head to toe combination of gold with sooty blacks was so different from anything else I'd seen on the red carpet this season. It was like a perfect mix of golden girl with femme fatale. I had so much fun writing about it for the Allure Beauty Blogger Awards, I started experimenting with the colors too. Today I'm sharing a color palette of products that I've been using to create my Jennifer Lawrence at Hunger Games inspired look.



          The eyes have depth from the contrast between gold and coal black. NARS Exotic Dance (reviewed here) has a great old gold eyeshadow color that is perfect for blending into a opulent golden smoky eye. A paler cooler gold like Bare Minerals can be used for accents, or alone for a milder, brighter eye. NARS Night Clubbing is the perfect black shadow for the occasion since it has golden sparkles. A black pencil eyeliner like Make Up For Ever can be smudged into the shadow as well. During the daytime, I prefer to keep things tame with black eyeliner and just a whisp of gold shadow. For a beautiful example of a gold smoky eye, check out  this post by Eye Heart It.

         The rest of the face should be kept a natural peachy nude tone. Dior Aurora bronzer (reviewed here) would be the perfect peachy tan flush for the occasion. I've also been playing around with layering cream blushes. In particular, I've been using my Maybelline Dream Bouncy blushes in Coffee Cake and Rose Petal. Coffee Cake is an orangey tan while Rose petal is a peachy pink. I've had a lot of success with layering; it's something I'll definitely continue to experiment with. For lips, I love layering Bobbi Brown Rich Lip Color in Bare Pink with NARS Greek Holiday Lip gloss.


         I've really been loving this color palette of healthy peachy nude tones with smoky gold eyes. I think the colors are so wearable and translate will into both day and night; it's just a matter of which tones you choose to emphasize!

     Thanks for reading! What color palettes have you been using lately? Have you tried pairing gold with black? Are you a Hunger Games fan?

Love, Dovey.


P.S. There are only two chances left to vote in the Allure Beauty Blogger Awards Challenge #2. Voting closes at noon, eastern time on Friday. Thank you so much for all the tweets, votes, likes, and support this week. They really do make a difference as to where I stand!

Wednesday, May 2, 2012

Dior Vernis in Riviera review


           Dior Vernis in Riviera is the object of my obsession this spring. Riviera was released as one of four different Dior nail polish colors in the Spring 2012 of Dior Addict Extreme lipsticks. The moment I pulled Dior Riviera out of the box, it would be a favorite for both spring and summer.

Dior Bikini, Riviera, and Aloha (left to right)

          The color of Dior Vernis in Riviera straddles the line between orange, coral, pink, and a hint of red. In different lighting, the color looks quite different. In the fluorescent lighting at work, it appears orange. In the evening light at home, it looks more like a bright pink. Outside in bright light, as in my swatches, it seems like an orange with a hint of red. With such roundabout descriptions, what color do I actually consider Dior Riviera to be? I would call this a hot coral with orange leanings.


          Here are a brief set of nail color comparisons. OPI Guy meets Gal-veston is a bright pink coral and you can see that Riviera leans more red-orange for a coral. Dior Vernis in Bikini (reviewed here) is a significantly lighter peach coral. Dior Vernis in Aloha (reviewed here) is just at bright, but definitely more orange than Riviera. When compared side by side, Aloha is much more orange in person. As you can see Dior Riviera is quite bright. It was a challenge photographing it against my typical white background because it the color is so hot. I would say that is a tad more subdued in person than my camera suggests.

          I'll recap my thoughts on the formula (you can see more in my Dior Bikini review). The formula is a bit on the thick side, but dries quickly to a nice even finish in two coats. The quick dry is my favorite part of Dior nail polish. I had a complaint with the formula thickness in my Dior Bikini post and felt the same way with Riviera at the time. However, I've noticed that the consistency of the formula has improved over time. It's no longer as thick and spreads more easily. The improvement is mysterious, however I noticed a similar phenomenon when I got Aloha last year. The formula was not ideal in the beginning, but over time improved.


           Dior Riviera that has the intensity and feel of a ladylike red, yet it has a contemporary freshness due to the coral and orange tones. I have a definite weakness for colors like this. I might not wear brights on my lips, but they're definitely welcome on my nails.

          Thanks for reading! Have you tried Riviera? What is your MVP (most valuable polish) this season? Would you choose bright lips or bright nails?

Love, Dovey.

P.S. If you have a moment, I would love it if you could check out my Allure Beauty Blogger Awards entry here and vote (if you like what you see!) I also have the links in my sidebar for easy access. Thank you so much for all the support this week!

Tuesday, May 1, 2012

Cute and Mundane's 2nd Blogaversary!

 
          I often wonder how I came about blogging, how I fell down that rabbit hole. Usually it brings me to reflect on my youth. I was a kid with glasses who joined math team for fun.  I was also a kid that drew still lifes, cartoons, and paintings in her spare time. Not much changed since then. I'm just as nerdy as I used to be and I still crave creativity. That's how I found blogging. It's the perfect combination of a little bit of technology and a little bit of art.

        This blogaversary is especially special to me, since I didn't celebrate my first blogaversary. At that time, it wasn't something I felt proud of; it makes me a bit sad thinking back on it now. I've always been a bit of a late bloomer. My blog really blossomed after finding inspiring role models and finding a group of fellow bloggers who constantly influence me with their ideas and have thereby helped shape my blog into what it is today. Now, when I look at Cute and Mundane, I can't help but smile. It's colorful, whimsical, and a little simplistic. It's reached a comfortable equilibrium that seems a lot like me. To channel a little Louis XIV, 'Le blog c'est moi!'


            Here are a few things I've learned by my blog's two year mark: blogging about beauty is not frivolous and something to be ashamed of; it's a creative and challenging hobby,  albeit an extremely time consuming one. Role models are so important, as are friends. Kindness and generosity can get you far. Success is understanding who you are. Finally, it's important to evolve and try new things.

        Something new I'm going to try to start off my third year is my first giveaway, to celebrate my blogaversary and to say thanks. (I'll try my best to set it up this coming weekend, but in the meantime, here's a hint: it's NARS and it has some of the colors found in my flowers above). I am truly grateful for all the love, support, friendship, and readership I've received. Thank you for reading, it really has been an honor and pleasure to publish for you these past two years!

Love, Dovey.