Weekly Perks version 5.0

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Just Tell Me That You Want Me is a collection of Fleetwood Mac covers. It officially comes out August 14, but seeing as the internet scoffs at release dates, they're streaming songs at their site. You should listen to the Lykke Li one at the very least, but the New Pornos, Best Coast, MGMT, Karen Elson and The Kills are among the other contributors, so play around. -- Amanda

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It's nice to remember sometimes that in a world full of young people who love to go out and party, there are some (like us) who are just as content to stay home with a good friend, a beer, and a movie. I used to feel so inadequate, but in the past few years I've made peace with the fact that people are into different things. I love reading about people I respect and admire who have felt similarly. And as it turns out (though I feel like I kind of knew this about her already). This blog post, whose author feels really strongly adverse to social events, also recommends a great Charlie Kaufmann speech. -- Laura Kathleen

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One of the many things I would do if I had a few more hours in the day is spend more time preparing stuff that I love to eat and drink. And as great as a cold beer is in the summer, I'd love to make fancy drinks that look good and taste even better. One of my fave blogs, Sweet Potato Chronicles, has recipes for simple syrups that you can basically customize to make any flavour you want. Orange peel and rosemary syrup for a cocktail? Cilantro and mint? The opportunities and endless, and they're calling me. --Laura Kathleen

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If you are ever bored online ever again, you can refer to The Electric Typewriter's list of 150 Essential Articles and Essays. You've likely read a handful of these already (has any female who has ever dreamed of being a writer not read Didion's On Keeping a Notebook?) but they all look like the amazing 20-minute reads that'll bowl you over. I hope I'm not the only one who see's the list and is like "GAME ON. Summer goal." --Laura Kathleen

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I watched three amazing films while I was home sick last Thursday and Friday: Sunset Boulevard, The Last Days of Disco, and Mildred Pierce. All amazing, and all highly recommended. Click on the movie names to check out the trailers. -- Laura Kathleen

Review: July 2012 Glymm Box

While Amanda has been doing Luxe box reviews forever now, I was never that impressed with them; for a while now I've been looking to try a different kind of monthly sample box. I heard really great things about Glymm from the owner of beauty line who has worked with them and said that they really had their shit together. And after looking at the Glymm site (which is awesome (a magazine, a blog, and a place where you can actually shop for the products you love) and what they are doing on social media (engaging and listening, not just pushing out content) I decided on my next candidate.

Glymm is $12 a month and gets shipped around mid month.

The packaging might not be as pretty as the little black Luxe Box, but it's what on the inside that counts.

The little orange nylon bag is perfect for people like me who hoard little makeup bags. 

And here are the goods. Quite a nice little package.

First up we got a little pot of exfoliator from Dirt. It smells amazing and is best used on your face. It's got a really grainy texture, and when you rinse it off it leaves a nice layer of moisture that you have to wash off. It left my skin feeling insanely soft, not greasy at all, and I'm still feeling the effects a few days later. This was definitely my fave product of the bunch.

I am under the belief that a lot of hair creams do exactly the same thing, and if it's doing that thing right, it'll keep your hair healthy, untangly, and somewhat shiny. I use all these creams and oils somewhat interchangeably and don't notice much of a difference—but I prefer products like this that you rinse out in the shower. 

I was super sceptical when I saw that this hair perfume was vanilla scented (though 14-year-old me would have been psyched). I'm not much of a scent person to begin with, and a scent for your hair seems totally unnecessary. But I wanted to try it before I knocked it, and when I was walking home after a 9-hour day and my subtly sweet-smelling hair blew in my face, I was surprised in a really nice way. It was like a stop and smell the flowers moment. Would I ever buy this product? No. But I'll definitely use this little spray vial, especially before the summer's out.

I know Cyber Derm by reputation. They focus on a "new kind of moisture formula" with more medically safe and cosmetically trendy ingredients. They focus on different skin needs of their customers—this sample came with a hydrating sunscreen and a PM anti-age. This stuff is scentless and doesn't leave any kind of residue. It's a but unclear that this stuff is moisturizer and not sunscreen—honestly, it would have felt like the best sunscreen ever—which makes me curious and want to try more of Cyber Derm's stuff. Some reviews I've read are pretty negative about the packaging, but I think it's hilarious and it helps the product to stand out.

And lastly, a coupon for 25% nail polish on the website. I'm assuming it's a one-time thing, but seeing as they offer Butter and RGB, I'm pretty into it. 

You can read more about all the products on their website. 

If you like what you see and want to try out a Glymm box, please use my referral link HERE to sign up.

You can check out all these pins and more on my 

A Working Girl's Guide to Not Looking Like Shit: Caudalie Beauty Elixir

 Hey all! This is our first guest post by our first honorary Burgundy Girl. Navi is amazing (you can read some more of her beauty writing here) and you'll be seeing her 'round these parts a lot more in the future.

via Nordstom

There’s something insidious about getting ready to work an 8 hour day; you know that once you walk in to your place of business the makeup you started the day with will most probably disappear within the next couple of hours. No thanks to a phenomenon I like to refer to as “computer face” – it’s essentially the result of sitting in front of a glowing box straining to see the humour in cat gifs, as your concealer melts off your face. The face melt thing also has nothing to do with the fact that you’ve been listening to Slayer all afternoon.

Ladies, I have something that can help fight this. It’s a beauty elixir by Caudalie – it’s a 2-in-1 toner/elixir mega combo. I like to spray it on in the morning as a toner, and then keep it with me and spritz throughout the day. A small bottle from Sephora comes up to $18 (before taxes), and will last you a good 2 months (that is, if you don’t develop an addiction to spraying your face in public spaces, in which case I’d bank a month).

A Day in Food: Part One, The Annex

Who is more qualified to talk about Toronto's food scene than me? Well, a lot of people. Those who hit the latest trendy eateries and food events, for one. Those who care about preparation methods and eating local and gastronomy, for another. And, you know, the food critic types writing about Oliver & Bonacini sell-your-firstborn-for-a-ribeye type joints.

But that's not how I eat. I like my food fantastic, fast, fairly inexpensive, and uncluttered by hype. Oh, I'm sure some of those hip places have tasty stuff, but let's get serious: I've got a short lead-time to hangry and a wallet brimming with those fluttery money moths. I'm not about to wait 2 hours to eat food prepared in the back of a truck.

I'm going to focus on my favourite neighbourhoods, and share some options for the four meals of the day (yes, you read that correctly). Feel a rumbling in your tummy? Then read on, friend.

Breakfast: Victory Cafe, $10 all in.

Sure, everyone knows the ol' Vic is great for drinks, but did you know they do brunch in the summer too? On that awesome, shady, spacious patio, no less? Stretch out and read the paper at a luxurious pace – this gem is often slow on the weekends, most likely because no one knows they serve brunch. It's a brief menu, which can be really nice on hangover days, because too much choice before a full cup of coffee is one hell of a trial.

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I'm a big believer that the potatoes denote the quality of a brunch joint, and these ones are pretty much my ideal: crispy on the edges but fluffy inside, heavy on the seasoned salt, tossed with ribboned herbs (basil, I think?). Plus they used to have the punny "Yolks for All Folks" as the name for the basic breakfast, which gives it bonus points even though it's not even called that anymore. Bonus points from beyond the menu grave.

Lunch: Ka Chi, $10-15 all in.

Okay, this technically crosses over into Koreatown*, but this is my list, so hike those two blocks west of Bathurst, okay? Ka Chi is a basic establishment serving some of the awesomest comfort food you can imagine. Don't go for the decor – go for the tiny bowls of spouts, glass noodles, kimchi and marinated veggies served alongside your meal (called banchan). Trust me, you won't understand how charming this is until you experience it for yourself.

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My recommendation would be to go for the pork bone soup which is, as a dear friend once said, off the chain. You get a huge chunk of pork bone just covered in the tenderest pork I've ever experienced in a tangy broth filled with sprouts and potatoes and other veggies. It comes with a lime to squeeze on top which, though possibly inauthentic, can only mean good things for your tastebuds. Another notable menu item is the spicy bulgogi, which isn't spicy at all but rather sweet. Order that on the hot plate, not in the bowl and maximize your deliciousness.

*Note: there's also one in Kensington Market that is similarly excellent, if that's more convenient for you.

Dinner: Roti Cuisine of India, $13 all in.

I share because I care, but don't blame me in a month when you realize you've got this place on speed dial and have gained 10 pounds from your twice-a-week takeout habit. This place is another one of those very barebones basic decor joints, but it's because they must invest everything they earn into churning out more of them sweet bricks of curried joy. For those of you unfamiliar with Indian roti, it's essentially curry folded up into a thin tortilla that tastes like pizza crust. It is god's most perfect creation.

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I really like this place because a) they make my favourite roti in the city, b) they are conveniently located three blocks from my house, and c) everyone who works there seem like really nice, friendly human beings, and the food totally tastes better for it. I'm also very enamored by the fact that they offer a mild-to-medium spiciness for those who, like me, can handle more flavour than mild but aren't brave enough to start spicing above their weight class.

I get the mutter paneer every goddamn time because I'm so addicted to its goodness, but I know Laura loves the saag paneer, my boyfriend is monogamous with the butter chicken and friends who have ordered other things have been similarly pleased (and hooked – I have at least two friends who request we eat there every time they hang out at my place). BONUS POINTS: if you don't call ahead to place your order, you can kill your 15 minute wait time at the Shoppers Drug Mart next door, which is obviously the best place in the world to kill time.

Dessert: Menchies / Yogurty's, $7ish all in.

I'm so torn, you guys. I've been loyal to Menchies since they opened over a year ago, and I still go there quite often. Their autumn flavours are some of the best ever (carrot cake, gingerbread) and they have a really solid group of toppings. Not extensive, but solid – all the hits are there (various nuts, Skor bits, cookie dough, fruits). They have a points card that gets rewarding pretty quickly, which is like crack for a bargain hunter me.

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But I went to the new kid on the block, Yogurty's, two weeks ago, and I'll be damned if they didn't have a better selection of everything – a couple extra froyo flavours, at least double the toppings, more sauces, even the goddamn spoons came in a variety of colours (and were better designed). They had these gummy bears that were pastel coloured that tasted like sweet dreams. They had tiny dark chocolate cups filled with raspberry jelly. They had little Belgian waffles you could add to your bowl. But they do not have a points card.

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Really, the only reason why I'm still going to Menchies is the red velvet/cake batter swirl pump, the Nesquik cereal and the points card, especially since they have a pretty abrasive aesthetic going on. Your move, Yogurty's.

Bon appétit!

Interview with Fieldguided

Amanda showed me the blog Fieldguided when we were living together a couple of years ago. It was full of cats, music, flowers, clothes, design, decorating, and beautiful photography. I was instantly hooked. It's because of this blog that I listen to Bill Callahan, shop at Robber, and grew out my bangs.  A couple months ago, I interviewed Anabela for a profile section in Vive Magazine. We had coffee at Luna Café on Dovercourt and chatted about writing, blogging, creative output, and how to keep a blog going for 5+ years.

This interview is in the latest issue of Vive. It was cut down due to space restrictions, but this, right here, is the whole shebang. Thanks Vive for letting me publish this here! 

photo by Dan Epstein

LKM: When did you decide to start blogging?

AC: Well, I had a Livejournal, I think I started it in like 1999. I think I worked out my blogging related kinks then—because it was very confessional. I think it was helpful because it just prevented me from having that same tone later on. And then I stopped after a while. But I kind of liked having a blog that was not private and that I could just write in whenever I wanted. And I had a couple of other ones that I just started and stopped. I was doing a Masters Degree in library studies and I had to take a very basic computer type of class, and they had us create a blog as an assignment. So Fieldguided actually started when I made it for a class. But I knew that I’d continue with it anyway, because it was something I’d been meaning to do. I had another blog that I was sort of phasing out at the time that was more specific and focused. But I never intended for it to be read by more than five people.

"I can make an off-hand comment about a colour of lipstick that I’m interested in and I’ll get like six different people recommending different things that I should check out. I think that’s pretty cool."

LKM: So you were interested in writing before that? Or did the Livejournal thing just sort of start you off?

AC: I mean I don’t consider myself a writer. I did go to journalism school for a few years, so it’s always something that I’ve enjoyed. But I’m not a writer. I think that’s a muscle that you have to flex from time to time, and I’m really out of practice. I don’t do much writing on my blog. But I’ve always enjoyed it—I used to have pen pals when I was a kid—now it’s email pals, I guess.

LKM: If someone asked you what kind of blog you have… I’m sure they do all the time.—how would you describe it?

AC: It’s hard to say… it’s sort of everything. I try not to make it about me, so I don’t really consider it a lifestyle blog. It’s not about one thing in particular. I guess it’s about things that I like, and some of it is my life, like photos about things in my life.

People use “lifestyle” as a catchall, but then I look at other blogs that are more lifestyle blogs, and that’s not me. It’s not a fashion blog, it’s not a design blog, it’s just…

LKM: I think it incorporates a lot of those things though…

AC: Yeah. I don’t think there is a term for it, really.

LKM: You should make one!

AC: [Ha ha] Yeah, I should. But it’s funny, a lot of the blogs I read are about exactly that—they’re about everything and nothing in particular.

LKM: What’s your favourite part about having the blog part of Fiedguided?

AC: It still is really amazing to get feedback and comments from people all over the place. I try not to pay too much attention to stats and things like that, just because I would go crazy if I focused on that too much. And, as I said before, I never intended to have an audience or like… readers. And I still feel uncomfortable saying “my readers” because it’s like… “Who are you?”

But it’s amazing. I can make an off-hand comment about a colour of lipstick that I’m interested in and I’ll get like six different people recommending different things that I should check out. I think that’s pretty cool. It’s a little bit of dialogue with people all over.

"When I’m feeling most uninspired, blah, whatever, it really does help to just force myself to go somewhere and take pictures and just do something even if it’s out of my comfort zone."

LKM: What about some of the experiences that have come from that? I know that you do lots of photo stuff and you have your screen-printed bags, obviously. Did that come out of having the blog?

AC: Yeah! Not just having my blog but also reading a lot of other blogs and really feeling inspired to do something creative. Like I said, I was doing my Masters in Library Studies and working at my current job, which is at a library, typesetting books. I don’t really get to do anything very creative. So I was just really inspired to do that kind of thing. Geoff has a background in art, so that kind of helped. Everything that I know about photography is through him.

But I’ve had so many amazing opportunities, I have to admit. Like being able to have an online store, which is really cool. And not having to worry too much about advertising and just rely more on word of mouth. I was invited to be in a group photography show in London last year, and I don’t think that would have happened if I didn’t have the blog. We were invited to take part in a handmade market in Portland a couple years ago, called Little Winter—and that wouldn’t have happened if I didn’t have the blog, because they just wouldn’t have known who I was.  So these experiences come from fostering relationships with other bloggers, I guess. A lot of the friends I have now, in Toronto, are through blogging. I ended up becoming good friends with Katie who has the thank you/okay blog—she had just moved to Toronto and was looking for Toronto blogs, and then she found me and we met and just got along really well. And same thing with Bre from Scout Catalogue… so yeah, it’s pretty cool. It can be difficult to make new friends, but that’s something that I started doing back in the Livejournal days. I once drove to Manhattan to stay with somebody that I met on Livejournal, and it was really fun! So there have been a lot of great things that have come through it.

I know that a lot of my blogging friends have had really bad experiences in terms of people being anonymously mean to them or whatever. But definitely, there have been so many good things that even if there had been more of that coming I would still really enjoy that. It would still be worthwhile.

LKM: Have you had any negative experiences?

AC: No.  I mean I have had the occasional anonymous comment that wasn’t very kind, but I don’t really let those get to me, and I don’t take them seriously, because obviously they’re just a one-dimensional. I mean, I don’t want it to happen. And sometimes I get kind of cynical ad tired and I just don’t want to do it anymore because I don’t have time. But I think I’ll always continue to do it.

At one point I was taking sponsorships, so I had ads on my blog from independent businesses. And when I did that and I was taking people’s money, I felt a lot of pressure to continue to blog constantly, like at least three or four times a week.

LKM: Did you have to write about specific things?

AC: No, when I set it up I never stipulated that that’s something I would do. I didn’t really charge a lot—but I guess it’s hard to say what’s a lot—and I had to try to make sure that people were happy with the outcome. But I did feel a lot of… well I just did it to myself, the pressure, because there more you post the more hits you get, the more hits they potentially get.

LKM: And that becomes a financial transaction.

AC: So that was a difficult period for me, in terms of angst and like “What am I doing?” But it’s generally a really positive thig.

LKM: So on a day-to-day basis, it’s more a positive thing than a negative thing.

AC: Yeah. If anything ever flares up it’s not a big deal. Every once in a while I’ll have a friend look at my blog and they’ll make a comment and I’ll feel really misunderstood. Like… “NO! You know me! That’s not me!” when they’ve suddenly lumped me in with like this Hello Giggles cupcake thing. And I’m like “Really? Do you know me at all?” So when that sort of thing happens I get a little frustrated, but it’s not a big deal.

LKM: On the days when you’re just coming up with creative content, and it’s really difficult, what do you do for inspiration? Where do you go?

AC: I think that when it comes to that kind of thing—because it happens all the time, like I’m just kind of constantly in a state of that—these days I try to maintain a list of potential ideas, although I don’t have anything on the list right now. But when it comes to that I try to… well I try to create a lot of my own content. I really don’t like reposting things that I’ve seen elsewhere. I did a post recently on a really cool photographer that I hadn’t seen around very much—I hadn’t seen her blogged about on other blogs and I thought her work was really beautiful, and that it would make my blog look nice. So I’ll do that kind of thing from time to time, but I really like it to make my own content. So when I’m feeling most uninspired, blah, whatever, it really does help to just force myself to go somewhere and take pictures and just do something even if it’s out of my comfort zone. Like a while ago I visited the Fortnight Lingerie studio, and that was not the ideal circumstance because they weren’t in production that day so they didn’t have a lot going on. It was just a quiet day, and the lighting was terrible because it was a really gloomy day and I didn’t have any special lighting with me or anything.

LKM: But the pictures turned out fine!

AC: But I thought it looked really nice, and it was positive for her. But I can be really shy. And she lives at the studio, too, so asking “Can I come to your house/studio?” But she was really great about it. That’s something that I have to force myself to do. But then it ended up being really great and I was glad I did it.  So it usually comes down to taking pictures, or trying to do something different. But it’s hard!

"I try not to swear [on the blog]. You never know which fairly religious person might be into tote bags."

LKM: Have you ever been recognized or approached by someone on the street?

AC: I have! Generally that mostly happens when we do sales, like when we did the Holiday Market, when we’ve done a couple at The Workroom, and I always have people come up to me and say that they read the blog—which is really nice. But in terms of people coming up to me on the street… it has happened once or twice. One time—this is a few summers ago—I was on Bloor Street and I had this basket on me, and I had just written about my baskets and someone recognized me.  But it doesn’t happen too often.

Since I work at U of T—in Robarts where there’s a lot of young people around, some really… fashion blogger looking people—I’m always worried that there might be somebody who reads my blog, because I’m just so frumpy. Like when I go to get a coffee I just don’t look at anybody! I’m usually grumpy at work, and I’m wearing whatever I threw on in the five minutes I had. It’s not a big deal, but it’s in the back of my mind every once in a while. If somebody makes eye contact for more than three seconds, I’m like…uh oh. But that sounds really arrogant! It doesn’t really happen. And I think when you’re in Toronto you’re generally safe from people approaching you randomly. It doesn’t really happen very much.

LKM: But you do share quite a bit about your life, right? Like the neighbourhood where you live, and stuff like that. So I’m sure there are people who feel like a bit of a kinship.

AC: That reminds me! Somebody did leave me a comment a while back saying that they saw me—I don’t know if it was regularly or if it was just once—but that they saw me riding my bike along Harbord St. on my way to work, and I was just like “Arrrrhhhh.” That would have been in the summer, and I would have been all red and sweaty and on my way to work. But I thought that was cute.

LKM: Can you talk a little bit about the separation between who you are online and who you are in real life? Do you see a big difference?

AC: I don’t see a big difference, because it’s all in there. There are certain things that I won’t talk about—especially on Twitter where it’s much more immediate, it’s much more… I mean for somebody who tweets as much as I do, there’s a chance to let a lot more slide.  It’s not as edited I guess. I try not to swear. Because you never know like which fairly religious person might be into tote bags. And if there’s no need then I’m not going to. So just little things like that. And I feel like things like sarcasm do not travel well online, so I try to refrain from being overly sarcastic or cynical or things that people might misinterpret and take offense at.

LKM: But that’s something that you don’t necessarily restrain from in person?

AC: No, in person I can be just as sarcastic and mean as anybody else—with my friends anyway—but I try not to do that online. I just don’t want to get into anything with anyone. It’s just not worth it.

LKM: What kind of advice would you give to girls out there who are interested in starting a blog but maybe don’t know how to start. How do you start it? Stick with it?

AC: I think definitely, and this might contradict what I just said, I think it’s really important to be yourself. It sounds cheesy, but people are really interested in other people. I think that the most popular blogs out there are the ones where people constantly post pictures of their lives, pictures of themselves, talk about themselves and what they’re doing. People love that stuff, you know? They want to see who you are.

It’s crazy to me how I can just write these repository-type posts I have and feel ridiculous when I write them sometimes because I’m giving my opinion on this thing. Sometimes I think… who cares? But people do care! They like to read that kind of thing. So I think it’s important to not fake it.  I guess I sensor myself in some ways—more like edit myself. But it’s still me, it’s still true to who I am and I stand behind it. And then in terms of sticking with it? I don’t know… I’d like to figure that out too.

LKM: Five years is pretty impressive!

AC: Yeah, I mean if only five people read it I probably would have abandoned it a long time ago.

LKM: Do you feel responsible to your readers in some ways?

AC: Not really, and I don’t know if that comes out of a kind of self-deprecating streak where I’m just like “Ugh, nobody’s going to care if I don’t write a blog post for three weeks,” but I’ll get a comment occasionally that’s like “I’m always excited when you post” or something. So that’s nice. And then on the other hand there’s the business end of things. I need to keep my profile up and not let my stuff be forgotten. But here’s my advice: If you don’t love it then don’t do it. Don’t keep it up because then there’s no point. But if you enjoy it then you’ll find a way to stick with it.

LKM: Where do you see Fieldguided going in the future?

AC: As the blog?

LKM: Or as more than the blog…

AC: That’s a good question, I wish I knew. I would love to be able to do it full time, and I would love to expand the line, because it’s so tiny at this point, which is just a matter of finances. But there’s so many other things that I would love to do, but I just don’t know if that will happen. We do have a couple of things in the works, a couple of collaborations, but there are lots of other things that I’d like to get into.

I would love to be able to do that full time, and to become a full-time business person and just have the blog on the side. That’s the dream, but I don’t know if it’ll ever happen. But if, in a year, we’re still going at the same pace, that’s fine too. I feel like I have enough going on. I’m constantly busy and I kind of like it. But it can be overwhelming. I don’t know, is that depressing? The same place in a year? I’m pretty happy with how things have been going. 

Weekly Perks e04

Here's the fourth installation of our weekly content farming—or as we like to call it: content curation. 

via juliasegal

Our friend Laura Jane (and her friends Liz and Jen) has an awesome blog called Strawberry Fields Whatever. It's about music and life and everything. I think I may be kindred spirits with Liz based on this one post she wrote called My Top 6 Summertime Muses, which includes the Beastie Boys, the new Cat Power song, and her love for Springsteen.

One of the best articles I've read in a very long time – like, the kind that forced me to reassess life decisions. After reading I Was A Warehouse Wage Slave by Mac McClelland, you'll never feel the same about Amazon et al. again.

I got this incredible Cuchara necklace today from Muttonhead on Ossington. I am completely obsessed. It's big and bright and heavy, and it feels really nice and substantial. 

via Zomromcom

I love this picture because it looks like these girls are just having a great time rollerskating and talking shit. I had such an amazing Sunday hanging out with some of my favourite girls and talking lots of shit.

This hair tutorial (which I can't actually embed) shows you how to do two really cool top knots that are perfect for dirty-hair days and the summer heat. I especially love the super-teased bun and how much it looks like a birds nest. The aftermath of backcombing your hair can be really gross, but her tip of slathering it in oil before you shower makes it much easier to comb out. The one caveat of this awesome video, though, is that this cute, cool-glasses, tattooed girl makes a reference to Sideshow Bob and calls him "that crazy guy from the Simpsons." Like, c'mon, don't be lazy. Everyone knows his name. That's really dumb. 

Beauty with the Burgundy Girls

We recently wrote an article that was published in the new vive magazine about some of our favourite beauty icons and we had so much fun with it that we just had to share it with you all. (Also, we had to cut the words down for the mag and wanted to share the full version online.) Check out the real deal by tracking down one of those elusive issues of vive at your favourite boutiques around the city.


Always looking to celebs for beauty inspiration? Us too. We love to take our cues from ladies who are outside the typical beauty box.

The look: The Back-to-Basics

Mariel Hemingway

We love Mariel’s laidback approach to beauty, typified by her cool-girl appearance in Woody Allen’s Manhattan. An easy centre-part, a fresh (read: no makeup) face, and some major eyebrows put her delicate features on display. Don’t be afraid to try this bare-faced look–the strong brow (and maybe a little mascara and blush) will lead the way.

Seen on: This simplicity can be seen on the off-duty looks of Cara Delevingne and Arizona Muse

A modern-day version

 How to:

To fill in those eyebrows, go for Anastasia Brow Powder Duo in “Medium brown”

This two-toned powder will enhance your brows and make them look as naturally full as Mariel’s. Use a thin, angled brush to apply, and finish with a cream or wax to keep everything in place.

Her flawless skin can be mimicked by a full layer of Garnier BB Cream in “Light/Medium”

This stuff–part sunscreen, tinted moisturizer, primer, foundation, and illuminizer–works wonders. Without caking on a lot of product, your skin will look radiant and, most importantly, clear.

A no-nonsense hairstyle is aided by Goody’s Quik Style Paddle Brush

This brush a quick and easy way to get the moisture out your hair while getting those 100 strokes a day.

The look: The Hot Mess

Courtney Love

With her babydoll dresses, combat boots, and ripped fishnets, Courtney Love’s grunge grrl style took the ‘90s by storm. At once little girl and hard rocker, her rough ’n tumble look straddles that period between being a teenager and a grown up—think “not a girl, not yet a woman,” but with chain-smoking and whiskey. Roll out of bed with last night’s makeup on, smear on some red lipstick, and you’re ready to roll.

Seen on: This disheveled look (and bad-girl lifestyle) seems to come naturally to Taylor Momsen and Charlotte Free

A little more wearable, no?

How to:

Make your lips pop with M.A.C lipstick in “Russian Red”

A bold, bluish red with a matte finish, this lipstick’s got plenty of staying power–perfect for all-nighters. For extra security, apply a liner first–this will stop the colour from smudging out.

Layer your eyes with Stila Smudge Crayon in “Black”

Hate taking off your makeup at night? This thick black pencil is perfect for layering on day after day. But for those who are more feint of heart, applying the kohl to your waterlines and smudging outwards will do the trick.

Muss up your hair with Lakme K.Style Hottest: Chalk

Tap this fragrance-free dust on your roots and rough it up–you get all the matte texture and mega volume of bedhead, without a full 8 hours or a morning tumble in the hay.

The look: The Peacock

Nicki Minaj

This hiphop babe likes to claim she’s not like Barbie, but her style is ripped right from little girls’ scrapbooks–exaggerated everything in technicolor hues, from toes to the top of her teased weaves. This master chameleon is comfortable in every colour, her style speaks to the fantasy of beauty generally, how playing dressup can be artfully done. Embrace her playful attitude by embracing rich colours–this is your time to shine, princess.

Seen on: Other starlets rocking this over-the-top look are cat lady Katy Perry, M.I.A, and the rainbow-hued tresses of Azealia Banks.

Slightly more tame.

How to:
Paint your lids with Makeup Forever Aqua Cream in “21–Turquoise” or “18–Mauve”

We couldn’t decide which was more Ms. Minaj, but either one will do the trick. Since it’s cream eyeshadow, the colour will stay strong and won’t settle in your creases.

Pucker up with Smashbox Be Legendary Lips in “Pout”

Creamy pink lips are a staple for this gal. Make sure to get a highly pigmented colour for super opaque coverage. The more cotton candy coloured the better. You can even put some high shine gloss overtop.

Have some fun with Colour Bug by Kevin Murphy in “Purple”

These solid hair shadows are perfect for changeable colour creatures–in one night, out the next.