I’ve had Paris on my mind today, but not for the usual “Paris is terrific!” reasons. It’s because of a disturbing dream I had last night.
I dreamt that I was in Paris staying at the Hôtel Plaza Athénée, which is the same hotel Carrie stayed at in the final season of Sex and City when she went to Paris to live with that art gallery dude.
Anyway, instead of sipping champagne and stuffing my face with macarons and twirling around in custom Chanel couture in my fabulous dream hotel room (which would have a view of the Eiffel tower, of course), I was running around like a chicken with its head cut off because the city was being bombed.
Yeah, that’s right.
Homegirl finally has a dream about the City of Lights, but instead of having tea with Karl Lagerfeld and Choupette or strolling down the Champs-Élysées alongside Tabs, who of course would be wearing a little red beret (I know you can picture it), she’s stuck in a five-star hotel as bombs rain down on the city.
I can’t remember why I was in the room, but all of the windows were wide open, and I could see explosions going off in the distance.
It was terrifying!
Right before I woke up from the dream, I was running around turning off all of the lights, because I didn’t want anyone outside to know that I was in the room by myself. 😯
So the moral of this story is to not eat too much chocolate before bed…
El Hub and I visited Paris years ago, right before he asked me to marry him, and I fell head over heels in love, both with him and the city.
I hope, I hope, I hope I can go back to Paris one of these days. Maybe by then Tabs will have given me a raise, and I’ll have saved enough to go to the Chanel store and buy myself a handbag. In Paris. Then every time I carried it, I’d remember that day.
All this is to say that I was in the mood to wear makeup today that I could see myself wearing to the Chanel store — red lips and black cat liner, with softly sculpted lids.
EYES
- MAC Paint Pot in Soft Ochre — base
- MAC Eye Shadow in Brule — all over lid
- MAC Gravitas Palette — Twiggy (outer crease and lower lash line), Ancient (crease), Golden Ticket (lid), Shroom (inner corner) and Carbon (at edges of black liner to soften)
- NARS Paint in Black Valley — cat eye liner
- Eylure No 080 Lashes
- Marc Jacobs O! Mega Mascara — lower lash lines
BROWS
- Anastasia Brow Wiz in Dark Brown
- MAC Eye Shadow in Brun
- Anastasica Clear Brow Gel
FACE
- Smashbox Photo Finish Pore Minimizing Foundation Primer
- Laura Mercier Smooth Finish Fluide in Chai
- Diorskin Nude Concealer in 003
- Yves Saint Laurent Touche Eclat in 4.5
CHEEKS
- theBalm Bahama mama Bronzer
- theBalm Frat Boy Blush
- BECCA Shimmering Skin Perfector Pressed in Moonstone
LIPS
- MAC Ultimate Lipstick in Audacious
EARS
Now all I have to do is keep this makeup from melting off my face as I go about my day. It’s supposed to be in the 90s here in Novato, YIKES! I want to wear this to see Gone Girl tonight, but I don’t know if it’s going to make it that long.
Anyone else going to the movies tonight?
Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
Karen
Bee-you-tea-full!!!! I went for a more neutral eye with a pop of warm pink. I went for some visual interest with mac club and nars malacca with their green shift and a dupe for mac expensive pink by makeup geek, cosmopolitan.
I’m loving that lipstick color. It reminds me of this awesome fiery coral color by maybelline from their new matte collection – craving coral. Have you seen these yet? They are amazing!!!
Hi Angela,
Thank you! Your makeup look sounds super pretty. What did you end up wearing on your lips?
Haven’t seen the Maybelline matte collection yet. I’ll put it on my list of things to look out for next time I go to the drugstore! Did you get any of the lipsticks?
My Paris trip in August was amazing. Anyone complaining that Paris “shuts down” in August is wrong. Sure, there were a handful of bakeries and restaurants that were closed, but that meant Paris was a lot less busy than usual.
That being said, I’d go in September or spring the next time. We stayed in Marais and it was very laid back.
Hi LA Lady,
We went in the spring! It was still a little rainy but it wasn’t too wet. What did you do while you were there? We did the usual touristy things — museums, shopping and eating!
Bite beauty pigment pencil in heritage with mac lipglass in water deities on top. Now I’m wearing buxom gloss in White Russian.
You have to. They have to be the most comfortable matte I’ve tried yet. So comfortable I have that I have to be exact. Craving coral, mesmerizing magenta, daringly nude, divine wine, and ravishing rose (my favorite!!!).
LOL, so I do the same thing… I start off with one color and then end up with another on my lips. I swapped out the Audacious for MAC Strange Journey after lunch!
OK, now I’m a woman on a mission to find those lipsticks. Thanks for the heads up. 🙂
Happy almost weekend, btw. What are your plans?
Stupid errors. I have five of them.
No worries! It happens to the best of us. 🙂
What a gorgeous look! I have been to Paris once, not by choice. I missed my connecting flight to the US travelling that far by myself for the first time, and I had to spend the night in Paris. The whole experience was terrible and people at the hotel were very unfriendly.
Hi Agata,
Oh no, that’s awful! Hopefully you can go back under better circumstances. How old were you when it happened?
The same thing almost happened to me a few years back. I had to make a connecting flight in Germany to go home to the U.S. and my plane from Milan came in REALLY late. I sprinted through the airport in three inch heels with a suitcase dragging behind me. Honestly, it was a miracle that I didn’t break anything (or crash into anyone). I did get on my plane though!
I wasn’t that young, maybe 20? But it was still a scary experience but I’d love to go back to Paris to explore it more!
We did the usual tourist things as well, although I did a ton of shopping. I’m a big fan of L’Artisan Parfumeur and their products are consistently cheaper “at the source” so I took advantage.
Paris drugstores are THE BEST so I picked up some great skincare products, too. Maybe I’m just really bad at the currency conversion but it seemed like Caudalie products were cheaper.
And good lord did I eat. There were carbs. Lots and lots of carbs.
Your red lip is as Parisian as it gets! I think I’m too fair to pull it off, although Taylor Swift always seems to nail it.
Yeah she does. I have a secret soft spot for her music. Plus, I’ve heard she’s a cat lady!
Ooooh! I picked up a couple perfumes in Paris, too. I went to the Annick Goutal store and managed to find an LE scent that was no longer available in the US at the time, Des Lys. I still have it, and the HUGE backup bottle that I bought. Good times, good times.
I didn’t spend nearly enough time in the pharmacies, though. If/when I go back I’d like to get some Bioderma. Please tell me you got a couple bottles! It’s supposed to be amazing at removing makeup.
Caudalie is WAY cheaper in France, same for all the other drugstore brands sold in the US (Avene, la Roche Posay, …), plus there’s a ton of great brands that you can’t find here.
Karen, if you’re talking about Crealine H2O by Bioderma, the micellar cleansing water, it’s sold on beautyhabit.com. They only have that particular product though, although Bioderma has a whole range of micellar waters based on skin type (plus some other skincare products). Crealine is really not my favorite micellar water though, I feel like it makes my face sticky :/
Even for a French girl like me, Paris is a dream city. I’ve always been really excited to visit it, and it used to be a 2-hour train ride away, *sigh
The worst kind of Paris dream! I had a terrible dream recently where Mr. Quincy Bunnington was no more 🙁 I petted him extra the next day and gave him treats.
I would love to visit Paris some day! You look gorgeous!
Stunning. You look amazing. And again, I wish I had your hair 🙂
Fabulous brows today! I think the thinner, more arched shape frames your face more beautifully.
I love the look and the earrings!
Beautiful look! That lipstick fits you perfectly!
Paris, Novato, still a good makeup look. 🙂 I want to see Gone Girl as well – and didn’t read the book purposely when I heard they were making a movie because I wanted to see that first (and not spend the entire time watching the movie, thinking “but, in the book…”). I’ll try to avoid reading the spoilers if you see it first – and you almost certainly will. I don’t think we’ll be able to go until the 17th at the earliest. 🙁
I always have wild dreams when I eat before bed too. Love this look, and the earrings. So pretty!
Amber! I just discovered your blog and haven’t gotten off of it since! You are amazing! I also really love your earrings in this post, where are they from?!