Unintentional Princess Leah Buns

Sometimes when I try a new hairstyle, it doesn’t quite turn out as planned and I have to go in another direction to salvage the look of the day. That’s what happened today. I had wholeheartedly intended to do some milkmaid braids on my glorious head, alas all in vain. I kept trying, and it ended up looking like a messy nest. Since, my hair was not cooperating, I decided to take the two braids I had done and turn the intended look around. Instead of going for an old school milkmaid look, I fast forwarded into the future and chose the Princess Leah buns.

I started by parting my hair right down the middle from the top of my forehead to the nape of my neck. I then braided the sections into simple, three strand braids. I was burned out of braiding once I got around to changing up the hairstyle, so I used a simple braiding technique. A more unique look can be created by using a more intricate braid like a five-strand or fishtail braid. I braided loosely and tugged on the stitches to add a degree of messiness to the hairstyle that Princess Leah’s look lacked.

I proceeded to wrap the braids around themselves so that the buns rested right on top of the upper half of my ear. As I wrapped the braids around themselves, I placed bobby pins sporadically in my hair to hold the bun tight. I would not use a rubber band or ponytail to hold the buns in place for this hairstyle unless you want them to stick out of your head. Moving along, I attempted to tuck in the ends of the braids under the mass of the bun and hold them in place with bobby pins, but I often found it impossible to tame the strays. Say you did it on purpose and call it bohemian.

Wonderland wanted to go dark and mysterious for today’s look because it sort of resembled royalty like Princess Leah. I don’t know. Ask the Red Queen. Of course I had to start by applying the Cocoa Powder Foundation in Fair by Too Faced to make my skin look flawless. I then worked some dark tones onto the hollows of my cheeks using the 56 Shadow Blush Palette from Coastal Scents to connect the dark eyes and lips together into one massive black hole.

I primed my eyes using Shadow Insurance in Candlelight by Too Faced. Using the same palette from Coastal Scents, I dusted some deep purples and pinks onto my lids to create a gradient effect. I also accentuated my crease to make it look deeper cut. I decided to use Revlon’s Colorstay Liquid Liner in Blackest Black ever so subtly on my upper lid to make my eyes look larger and lashes look thicker. Speaking of lashes, I used L’Oreal’s Miss Manga Voluminous Black Angel Mascara in Extra Black to really make my eyes pop.

I finished up my look by using Kat Von D’s Studded Kiss Lipstick in Homegirl. This dark lip color really brought out the darkness that seems to have characterized this look. In this picture, you can better see the pointed wing effect I did with my eye shadow on my lids. I created a triangular-like shape on the outer corner of my eyes with a darker shade and brought it into the crease in one full sweep. This seems to have made my eyes look a bit more open. Enjoy the Star Wars comments courtesy of Wonderland. What an odd combination, don’t you think? ♥Alice in Wonderland Beauty♥

Cocoa Powder Foundation in Fair by Too Faced.

Shadow Insurance in Candlelight by Too Faced.

56 Shadow Blush Palette from Coastal Scents.

Revlon’s Colorstay Liquid Liner in Blackest Black.

L’Oreal’s Miss Manga Voluminous Black Angel Mascara in Extra Black.

Kat Von D’s Studded Kiss Lipstick in Homegirl.

Date Night in a Horror Movie

Wouldn’t it be great if life was just one fearsome horror movie? Our makeup would look awesome at all times and the magic of Wonderland would never cease to amaze us. Unfortunately, we don’t live in a horror movie, but we can totally pretend like we do with the way we do our makeup and hair. The look I put together today was inspired by what a date night in a horror movie might look like. I certainly went pretty dark and terrifying for this look, but I didn’t go as creepy as I could have because I didn’t want my date to up and run when he laid eyes on me. It’s always a good idea for him not to know ahead of time that you’re going to bite his head off after the date or that you’re going to suck his blood.

I created the smokey eye with the 56 Shadow Blush Palette from Coastal Scents. What I did was take a soft gray tone onto my lids and a sheer white to my inner eye corners so that the eye makeup ended up looking like a gradient scale from white to black. I did not apply the black shadow on my outer corner liberally but blended a little at time from the corner to the crease until I had the amount I wanted on my lid. I also brought the gradient look onto my lower lid since this presumably would be a nighttime look. Assuming that we would be running from a murderer or a gang of vampires, I primed my eyes with Shadow Insurance in Candlelight by Too Faced. Who am I kidding? I would probably be the vampire, so I set my my face with the Cocoa Powder Foundation in Fair by Too Faced. The creepy spider leg lashes were painted with L’Oreal’s Miss Manga Voluminous Black Angel mascara in Extra Black. I didn’t contour my face at all because I was trying to make my face appear to be of one tone, but I did apply a blush that had a soft brown undertone from the same Coastal Scents palette to the hollows of my cheeks. The starved look is pretty appropriate for a horror movie, right?

Who has time for hair when you’re running from a monster that you can’t even imagine, let alone put into words? My hair is naturally wavy, so I let it do its thing tonight. I find that letting your hair down for a date is the most common and appropriate look that ladies go with. I simply pinned some of the hair from the front of my face back with some bobby pins so that my date would actually be able to see my face instead of get distracted by stray hairs. I wore a creepy necklace that matched the plum color on my lips achieved by Kat Von D’s Studded Kiss Lipstick in Homegirl to break the monotone scheme that was happening on my face. Time to go on my date! ♥Alice in Wonderland Beauty♥

Cocoa Powder Foundation in Fair by Too Faced.

Shadow Insurance in Candlelight by Too Faced.

56 Shadow Blush Palette from Coastal Scents.

L’Oreal’s Miss Manga Voluminous Black Angel mascara in Extra Black.

Kat Von D’s Studded Kiss Lipstick in Homegirl.

Arabian Eyes

Who likes drama? No one. Unless it’s on your eyes. I remember all the crazy makeup I used to wear when I was younger. I was into the the Scene and Emo looks that were characterized mainly by the intense Arabian eyeliner. I took this old makeup style that I used to love and wore so often and made it a bit more mature to match me in my old age. I achieved this by creating a neutral eye shadow look that wasn’t too overbearing with the eyeliner. I also pulled together the intense eye with a deep lipstick that would further darken my look. You may notice that I didn’t take a black kohl pencil to my waterline. I didn’t do this because it tends to make my eye look smaller and with the Arabian eyeliner that is always the opposite of the effect you’re trying to convey. By leaving it blank or filling it with a white kohl liner, it makes your eye look bigger, and bigger is better.

I applied the Cocoa Powder Foundation from Too Faced in Fair all over my face and Nectar from Estee Lauder’s Deluxe All-Over Face Compact on the hollows of my cheeks to contour my face. Using only a contour color also expressed the darkness I was trying to convey in this look. I primed my eyes with Shadow Insurance from Too Faced in Candlelight. To create the eye shadow look, I used Estee Lauder’s Deluxe Pure Color EyeShadow Palette. I took the Berry Ice color onto my crease to deepen my eye socket in a color that matched the plum color on my lips. I lined my eye with Revlon’s Colorstay Liquid Liner in Blackest Black and painted my eyelashes with L’Oreal’s Miss Manga Voluminous Black Angel mascara in Extra Black. I pulled the look together with Kat Von D’s Studded Kiss Lipstick in Homegirl.

Having created such an intricate makeup look, I didn’t have much time left over to focus on my hairstyle when I was getting ready or I was just being lazy, so I did something quite simple. I took two sections of my hair right above my ears, brought them together towards the back of my head, and pinned them in place with a cute leopard print bow that I got from Target.

I had just enough time and energy left to jazz up my look by adding a hidden braid an inch behind my left ear. I chose to do a fishtail braid because it looks intricate enough to fool someone into thinking that it took me a long time to do it without actually taking a long time to do. I pulled the braid out of underneath the sea of waves that make up my hair so it could be seen better. ♥Alice in Wonderland Beauty♥

Cocoa Powder Foundation from Too Faced in Fair.

Estee Lauder’s Deluxe All-Over Face Compact.

Shadow Insurance from Too Faced in Candlelight.

Estee Lauder’s Deluxe Pure Color EyeShadow Palette.

Revlon’s Colorstay Liquid Liner in Blackest Black.

L’Oreal’s Miss Manga Voluminous Black Angel mascara in Extra Black.

Kat Von D’s Studded Kiss Lipstick in Homegirl.

♠Later that evening, the Cheshire Puss came out to play.♠

Dragon Tail / Crescent Split Braid

I decided that for today’s look I would channel my inner Wonderland Beauty and try an elaborate braided hairstyle to kick my creative juices into high gear. I didn’t want to do anything too complicated or time consuming, but I still wanted it to look like it was. The first thing I did was delve into the infinite resource of the internet, getting creative ideas from bloggers and gurus from around the world with step-by-step tutorials to boot. I know what I am capable of doing in terms of my skill level and hair type/length, so I narrowed my search based on that.

I found an amazing and easy ‘fake’ braid that required little to no effort which was just what I needed! I started by pulling my hair into a high ponytail. Here you can take a small section of hair to wrap around the ponytail your using for a more chic look and then just pin it in place with a bobby pin. After that, I split my hair into two sections: one on the top and one on the bottom. I created two little three strand braids in both sections towards the middle of my ponytail before beginning the actual ‘braiding’ part. You can use any type of little braids you like for this look, but I was trying to do something quick and easy.

Next, I split the top section into two making sure that one little braid went with each section I made, pulled them under my bottom section, and tied them with a small black rubber band. I split the new top section which was originally the bottom section into two sections with a little braid in each and pulled it under the bottom section (originally the top section) before pulling them together with a black rubber band. I got this idea from Lilith Moon, a YouTuber with great ideas for hairstyles. If these instructions were too hard to follow, then click here for the video explanation.

I was craving the classic red lipstick today, so I decided to do a Red Queen look. I primed my eyes with Shadow Insurance in Candlelight from Too Faced. I used the red, silver, and black shadows from my 56 Shadow Blush Palette from Coastal Scents on my eyes pulling the crease color very close to the inner eyebrow corner. I also brought the colors down onto my lower lid to open up my eyes. I carefully painted my eyelashes with L’Oreal’s Miss Manga Voluminous Black Angel mascara in Extra Black to pull the eye look together and open up my eyes further.

I covered my face with the Cocoa Powder Foundation from Too Faced in Fair and used the Liquified Long Wear Lipstick from Too Faced in Melted Velvet to pull together the classic red lipstick look I so desired. I also used a deep blush with a red undertone from the 56 Shadow Blush Palette from Coastal Scents to pull this Red Queen look off. You can never have too much of a good thing, so I went full throttle with all the red in this look.

Bringing the red eye shadow deep into my crease and over to the inner corner of my eyebrows gave me a sweet, sad look without pulling my eyebrows together in the middle. I like the cute expression it gave me without taking away from the intensity of the red and slightly smokey eye shadow I created as well. It’s a new technique I tried out that may or may not work for different eye shapes and sizes. Have fun trying new things and don’t be afraid to experiment with your beauty routine. ♥Alice in Wonderland Beauty♥

Cocoa Powder Foundation from Too Faced in Fair.

Shadow Insurance in Candlelight from Too Faced.

56 Shadow Blush Palette from Coastal Scents.

L’Oreal’s Miss Manga Voluminous Black Angel mascara in Extra Black.

Liquified Long Wear Lipstick from Too Faced in Melted Velvet.

Waterfall French Braid

I was inspired by cotton candy for this look. I like the soft fluffiness of the texture and and the sweet, delicate colors, so I made an edible look. Contrary to my usual deep, hollowed cheeks, I used a gentle pink blush Petal from Estee Lauder’s Deluxe All-Over Face Compact to match the eye shadow from the 56 Shadow Blush Palette by Coastal Scents. I also donned Mac’s Viva Glam lipstick in Gaga (Lustre) to make me look more youthful and fresh. Some may say this is too much pink, but I say you can never have too much of one thing!

I felt the spider leg lashes created by L’Oreal’s Miss Manga Voluminous Black Angel mascara in Extra Black and thick Revlon Colorstay Liquid Liner in Blackest Black were a fun contrast to the softness of the look that added a tinge of the darknessI love to incorporate into my looks. I barely creased my eye with a powdery purple color that I think went well with the pink from the same palette. I gave myself the soft, airbrushed look with the Cocoa Powder Foundation from Too Faced in Fair.

The real star was my hair in this look. The waterfall braiding craze flew way over my head and was gone before I could even figure out how to do it. I thought I would bring it back in a whole new way by combining the waterfall braid with a braid that I know very well: the french braid. I divided a section at the top of my head that started and ended parallel to the highest points of my eyebrows to elongate my face.

I then started to french braid that section. After each stitch, I would drop the section that was the next to be incorporated into the braid and replace it with a new section from the hair I was braiding at the top of my head. I did this enough times that I dropped three sections from the braid on either side to create the waterfall braid look. You can later tug at these waterfall strands throughout the day as the look loosens up to tighten everything back into place.

After I got to the end of my french braid, I braided normally until I was halfway down the section of hair I had left. I then tied my hair together into a black rubber band. I let the rest of my hair lie loose beneath my concoction. The loose hair can be curly, straight, or wavy. I would suggest letting the rest of the hair loose so that the waterfall strands are noticeable or creating two adjacent waterfall braids on either side of the head that incorporate the waterfall strands from the french braid into them. ♥Alice in Wonderland Beauty♥

Cocoa Powder Foundation from Too Faced in Fair.

Shadow Insurance in Candlelight from Too Faced.

L’Oreal’s Miss Manga Voluminous Black Angel mascara in Extra Black.

Revlon’s Colorstay Liquid Liner in Blackest Black.

56 Shadow Blush Palette by Coastal Scents.

Estee Lauder’s Deluxe All-Over Face Compact.

Mac’s Viva Glam lipstick in Gaga (Lustre).

Double Winged Liner on Upper and Lower Lid

I have recently been using winged liquid eyeliner as my go-to look when I have been running late or have been too tired to do anything more detailed. I felt like I was starting to do the same look too often for my taste, and I decided that I needed a bit of Wonderland’s magic to spice up my eye makeup routine. I looked up some videos, blog posts, and images of various styles of winged eye liner to help me. Whenever you feel like you need inspiration, I encourage you to delve into the extensive beauty community online because you will never be disappointed with what you find.

I decided I’d try the double winged liner on both the upper and lower lid paired with an odd lilac color on my lips to create a sort of futuristic look. I ended up loving it a lot. I created a light eye shadow look with soft colors and barely any shading on the crease so that the eyeliner would be the main focus of the eyes. This look would go great with any combination of colors, though. Bright colors would contrast well with the dark liner.

Having the liner on both the lower and upper lids pulls the eyes open and makes them look slightly larger which is great because when I’m not wearing eye makeup my eyes look like they’re the size of peas. I also made sure to lengthen my lashes by applying two layers of mascara, separating each lash with the point of my tweezers, and coating the front and back sides of my lashes. The long lashes accentuate the winged tips making them look like an extension of the natural lash line which elongates the eyes.

To continue with the sleek, elongated look of the double winged liner, I pulled my hair back into a ponytail. I’m sure you know by now that I couldn’t just leave it at that, so I added several braids to the top of my head to create a more unique look and, of course, to prevent stray hairs from flying away. I completed the look by tying a flowery pink ponytail in my hair that I got from PacSun.

I varied the braids that I used in my hair to give it a fun look. I made five sections at the very front of my hairline and did a dutch braid at the top, two regular three strand braids on either side, and two fishtail braids right above the ears. I then made two sections in between the dutch braid and the regular three strands braids and braided two more regular three strand braids. This hairstyle was very time consuming because it was so elaborate, but you can change up the types of braids you use to make it more unique or easier depending on your skill and available time.

On my face, I used the Cocoa Powder Foundation in Fair by Too Faced and Nectar from Estee Lauder’s Deluxe All-Over Face Compact on the hollows of my cheeks as a contour. I primed my eyes with Shadow Insurance in Candlelight from Too Faced and then created the double winged liner with Revlon’s Colorstay Liquid Liner in Blackest Black. I made the soft look on my eyes with Estee Lauder’s Deluxe Pure Color EyeShadow Palette by applying Ivory Box to my brow bone and inner eye corner, Silver Ball all over my lid, and Mocha Cup to my crease. The mascara I used was L’Oreal’s Miss Manga Voluminous Black Angel in Extra Black. I pulled the look together with Kat Von D’s Studded Kiss Lipstick in Coven.

Cocoa Powder Foundation in Fair by Too Faced.

Estee Lauder’s Deluxe All-Over Face Compact.

Shadow Insurance in Candlelight from Too Faced.

Estee Lauder’s Deluxe Pure Color EyeShadow Palette.

Revlon’s Colorstay Liquid Liner in Blackest Black.

L’Oreal’s Miss Manga Voluminous Black Angel in Extra Black.

Kat Von D’s Studded Kiss Lipstick in Coven.

Empty and Product Review of Covergirl’s Aquasmooth Foundation

This week, I depleted my Covergirl Aquasmooth foundation in the Classic Ivory color that has been my trusty companion for many years, so of course, this meant that it was time for an empty and product review post. This was probably the first product that I bought for my face when I first started putting makeup on myself at around the age of twelve (12) or thirteen (13). It was great then, and it’s great now. Over the years, when I’ve been in a bind and have run out of the current product I have been using on my face, I’d typically go out and get myself this compact.

The compact comes with a small, rectangular makeup sponge that can be used to pick up the product and apply it to your face. When I was younger, I oftentimes used this sponge to apply my product since it was good at spreading the product, but now that I own makeup brushes, I don’t usually use it all because I get better blending this way. Just like any other makeup applicator, it should be washed regularly. The compact contains 12 grams or 0.4 ounces of product in it and comes with an expiration date printed on the back as well so you know when it isn’t good to use anymore. It’s listed at $9.49 on the Covergirl website but can sometimes sell at a cheaper price in stores (i.e. $7.99 at Target). Here is the link to the Covergirl website with more information and reviews about this product.

One of the great things about this foundation is that is contains broad spectrum SPF 20 in it so you are protecting your face and neck from sun exposure while looking beautiful. The product comes in 12 different shades with various undertones (i.e. cool, warm, neutral), but unless you know which color goes well with your skin tone, you may find yourself returning a few of these before you get the color that’s right for you as the only swatch you see is printed on the box, so you may not get the most accurate match. The colors they offer are also limited to fairer shades, so darker skinned beauties will have to pass on this one.

The thing I loved most about this product was that it was a liquid to powder foundation, so there was only one application step that I had to take to get the same full coverage as using a concealer, foundation, and powder without it feeling thick since it was only one layer of makeup. Due to these properties, the makeup also didn’t run when I would sweat or get rained on because it was a powder on my face yet it stuck like a liquid foundation. The consistency was creamy and nice, not heavy on my face at all. It was breathable and didn’t clog my pores or cause me to break out. It was a simple product to use that I would recommend to anyone just starting out with makeup, looking to shorten their makeup routine, or trying to get fuller coverage makeup. ♥Alice in Wonderland Beauty♥

Four Braids into a Half Up Ponytail

I really enjoy the look and feel I get from perfectly placed braids in an otherwise simple hairstyle. I decided that I’d take the forward most section of my hair, from which most of my stray hairs are born, and try to keep them under control with some simple braids that added to my half up ponytail hairstyle. With a little help from Wonderland, you can also pull this hairstyle into a full ponytail or bun. For even more options, you can just braid your sections to the end and let them lie atop a lazy down do.

My section went from the farthest point of one ear to the other. To keep the stray hairs that usually fly out of my half up ponytail from sticking out, I divided this larger section into four even parts starting with a middle part. I then braided these four parts as dutch braids meaning that I took my three strands and instead of bringing the outer strands over the middle ones, I brought them under. I also used a small, black rubber band to tie my four completed braids together because I didn’t want to go with a bulky ponytail for this sleek hairstyle.

Add a dash of Wonderland to your own version of this look and I believe you can turn it into something even more complex by braiding in a fishtail, inverted fishtail, box, four strand, five strand, or even french style. When you do braid the top section of your hair for the purpose of pulling it back into a ponytail or bun, you must be sure to braid towards the back of your head for at least a few stitches before switching to a more comfortable position. Braiding straight up, forward, or to the side will pull your braid in that direction, forming an unattractive lump at the base of your braid when you pull it back into your ponytail.

I paired this sleek hairstyle with an equally sleek straight edge eye shadow look. This makeup look is sometimes achieved by placing a piece of tape onto the side of the eye at the desired angle to create a sharp line once the tape is removed. The way it works is that you are able to apply eye shadow liberally until you have the look you want, and then when you peel the tape off, you have a straight edge without having to be extremely careful during your application process.

I did not use a piece of tape for my look today because I didn’t want to create a harsh line just a clean one, and I know that I am capable of doing that without the tape. Of course, I had to be more careful about my application and required a thin, angled brush to achieve the straight line, but I managed to create the look I was after.

On my face, I used Covergirl’s Aquasmooth foundation in Classic Ivory. On the hollows of my cheeks, I combined Nectar and Pink Kiss from Estee Lauder’s Deluxe All-Over Face Compact. I primed my eyes with Shadow Insurance in Candlelight by Too Faced and then used Estee Lauder’s Deluxe Pure Color EyeShadow Palette on my lids. Although it’s hard to tell, I used Lemon Square on the inner corners, Ivory Box on my brow bone, Silver Ball and Mocha Cup all over my lid, Berry Ice on my crease, and Espresso Cup on the outer corner of my eyes (this is also the color I used to imitate the sharp edge created by the tape). I also brought the Berry Ice color onto my lower lid along my lash line to give it a subtle pop of color. I applied L’Oreal’s Miss Manga Voluminous Black Angel mascara in Extra Black onto my eyelashes and Buxom’s Full-On Lipstick in Marrakech on my lips.

Covergirl’s Aquasmooth foundation in Classic Ivory.

Estee Lauder’s Deluxe All-Over Face Compact.

Shadow Insurance in Candlelight by Too Faced.

Estee Lauder’s Deluxe Pure Color EyeShadow Palette.

L’Oreal’s Miss Manga Voluminous Black Angel mascara in Extra Black.

Buxom’s Full-On Lipstick in Marrakech.

French Braid Ponytail

Sometimes the hair that grows right at my hairline, above my forehead, sticks out of my ponytail and looks absolutely ridiculous. It never seems to grow any longer, year after year. To remedy this slight problem, I decided to add a lovely french braid only at the top of my head to hold these stray hairs tightly before pulling my remaining hair into a ponytail.

I created a wide section at the top of my head that began and ended parallel to the highest points of my eyebrows so that the hairstyle would pull my face shape up. I then french braided my hair through that section until I was about an inch above my ears or a little past the top of my head because that is where I wanted my ponytail to sit. I then scooped up the rest of my hair into my hand and brushed the sides of my head to smooth the stray hairs that plague my head before I tied my hair up into my ponytail.

I touched up the sides of my head with some hairspray to keep the strays at bay and pulled the look together with a cute flowered ponytail that I bought at PacSun. The ponytail is lined with soft pink flowers all along the length of it. I doubled the ponytail over itself to create a tighter hold on my hair and arranged the flowers so that they were all visible. I believe it added a sweet touch to my look that balanced with the dark makeup I sported but that could just be some nonsense the Cheshire Puss whispered into my ear to disorient me. I think it is cute and lovely, and that’s why I wore it.

All in all, the look pulled together and produced an interesting mix of cute, chic, and creative which is what Wonderland is there for: to facilitate our creativity and uniqueness to build our confidence in ourselves as beautiful flowers.

After several days of neutral makeup tones, hues, and shades, I decided to switch it up quite a bit in the opposite direction because in Wonderland everything is as it ought not be and what is simply isn’t. In any case, I decided to use dark shadows and lipstick to get in touch with my edgier roots since goth makeup is how I got into the beauty and makeup area of Wonderland anyway.

To create this look, I used the darker grey and brown shades of eye shadow from Coastal Scents’ 56 Shadow Blush Palette. I also used a deep blush tone from the same palette. I primed my eyes with Shadow Insurance in Candlelight from Too Faced. I lined my eyes with Revlon’s Colorstay Liquid Liner in Blackest Black and applied L’Oreal’s Miss Manga Voluminous Black Angel mascara in Extra Black onto my eyelashes. On my face, I applied Covergirl’s Aquasmooth foundation in Classic Ivory. I painted my lips with Kat Von D’s Studded Kiss Lipstick in Homegirl. ♥Alice in Wonderland Beauty♥

Covergirl’s Aquasmooth foundation in Classic Ivory.

Shadow Insurance in Candlelight from Too Faced.

Coastal Scents’ 56 Shadow Blush Palette.

Revlon’s Colorstay Liquid Liner in Blackest Black.

L’Oreal’s Miss Manga Voluminous Black Angel mascara in Extra Black.

Kat Von D’s Studded Kiss Lipstick in Homegirl.

French Braid Doughnut Bun

The look I created today is a simple way to modify an old favorite: the doughnut (or sock) bun. I enjoy braids and decided that I’d add one over the large bun that is created using the doughnut method. What I am referring to when I say the doughnut (or sock) method is using a hair accessory that looks like a doughnut, such as an old sock that has had the toe section cut off and then rolled over itself, to create a bun.

To create the large bun, you take the hair accessory and loop it through the hair that falls from a ponytail. You then tilt your head forward, spread the hair over the doughnut, and finally secure the hair with another ponytail. When you do this, there is usually a lot of hair left out of the bun. I commonly used this method when I was a child to create a large bun on my head even if my hair was too thin or too short to create such a thick bun, and I just left the hair that hung out of the sock lying on either side of it. Now that I am bit more mature and have learned a thing or two about hairstyling, I decided to bring Wonderland into my old routine to create a more unique look.

I put my hair into a bun using the doughnut (or sock) method that I described above and then I used the remaining hair that usually hung on either side to create a braid over my bun. I achieved this by keeping my head tilted forward so that my hair would remain spread out after I had secured my bun. I took a small section of hair at the top of my head and began a three strand braid. I braided one stitch regularly and then began adding pieces of the remaining hair to the sections of braid as I would with a french braid. I continued to french braid my hair over the bun until I got to the bottom of the bun. I then tucked the remaining hair under the bun and used a few bobby pins to hold the stray strands in place and secure the bun further.

To create an even sweeter, tea time look, I added a floral ponytail that I purchased from PacSun. It’s a black ponytail with several soft pink flowers all around it. Besides making the look more doll-like than before, it also hides the bobby pins and stray hairs while adding another level of security to your hairstyle that will be sure to hold your bun in place while you celebrate the Frabjous day by doing the Futterwacken.

For my makeup, I went for a darker, neutral look. I could sit here and say that I chose a more monotone palette because a more colorful or edgier look would have taken away from the bun, but I would lying. I could not be bothered with my makeup today, so I went with a simple and soft smokey eye with a fair nude lipstick color to match. The allure of Wonderland is that there are no boundaries, so we can create whatever we desire without having to explain ourselves and just enjoy our beauty and creativity.

I used Covergirl’s Aquasmooth foundation in Classic Ivory on my face. For the hollows of my cheeks, I mixed Nectar and Pink Kiss from Estee Lauder’s Deluxe All-Over Face Compact to create a contoured shape with some deep color. On my lips, I applied Buxom’s Full-On Lipstick in Marrakech. I primed my eyes with Shadow Insurance in Candlelight by Too Faced and then used the colors Silver Ball, Mocha Cup, and Espresso Cup from Estee Lauder’s Deluxe Pure Color EyeShadow Palette to give myself a soft smokey eyeshadow. I also highlighted my eyes with Ivory Box and Lemon Square from that same palette. I finished off my eyes with Miss Manga Voluminous Black Angel Mascara by L’Oreal in Extra Black. ♥Alice in Wonderland Beauty♥

Covergirl’s Aquasmooth foundation in Classic Ivory.

Estee Lauder’s Deluxe All-Over Face Compact.

Estee Lauder’s Deluxe Pure Color EyeShadow Palette.

Shadow Insurance in Candlelight by Too Faced.

Miss Manga Voluminous Black Angel Mascara by L’Oreal in Extra Black.

Buxom’s Full-On Lipstick in Marrakech.