My Bad Romance: The New Yorker

Thw Wonder Wheel, Coney Island, NYC 2002

It was a hot, Coney Island summer and we were headed towards the Wonder Wheel. Hands entwined as always, as I pulled off pieces of candy floss. The sugar melted in our mouths, sharing sticky kisses. We laughed feeling lucky for that moment. We had fallen in love in April, and although it was merely July (three months later) we felt like we had been together forever. We were inseparable. No one else mattered to us but each other. We lived on kisses and sugary sweets. We had no regard for day or night, we were always awake, always up to something.

“You know there’s an old gypsy tale that if you ride the Wonder Wheel with someone else, you’ll be together forever,” he said to me, his dark hair blowing into his eyes.

“Are you sure you wanna be stuck with me forever?” I joked.

But I couldn’t imagine my life without him. He was the one person I loved to talk to at any hour of the day, and even when we’d spend the day watching Asian horror movies and eating takeout I’d never get bored.

Like two enthusiastic kids, we got on the Wonder Wheel, feeling like we were on top of the world. Everyone below us was so tiny, and he kissed me at the top of the Ferris Wheel. I could’ve lived in the moment forever. I wanted to live in that moment forever. I wished the night would melt into my veins, and that I could swallow the stars.

“I love you,” he murmured. A phrase he’d tell me so often during the day, and no matter how many times he said it still managed to make me melt. I’d wake up with his uttering his love, and drifted to sleep with him declaring it one more time. I could feel his love embrace my whole being. My heart was full. It had never felt so full before.

And then one day catastrophe happened.

Because fate is unkind to lovers. Fate tore us apart, and ever since my heart has never felt full again. Like those people who can still feel their limbs after amputation, I too, feel this phantom love. Other times I’m just aching for the part of me that isn’t there because he had become so essential to my being.

I often think about that moment at the Wonder Wheel. A part of me hopes that the superstition is true. That fate can be bent and he’ll find his way back to me. Or that time can be rewound and I can find myself back on the top of the Ferris Wheel, our lips sticky with sugar, sharing kisses, sharing breaths, sharing dreams.

By: Azzurra Nox

Violent Violet Make-up Look!

Nowadays, it’s far more common that I’ll be sporting a neutral smokey look when it comes to eye-makeup. But when I was just a teenager, I LOVED bold purple shadows. I think one of the reasons why I stopped doing my eyes that way wasn’t because I didn’t enjoy the purple shadows anymore, but rather because in the coming years it has been difficult to find shades of violet that I actually like and suit me.

But recently I’ve found a violet shadow that I adore, and decided to start sporting the same makeup look I had when I was sixteen to see if I’d still love it today. Well, I probably wouldn’t wear it everyday now, but I do think it’s a pretty option every now and then.

violet3

Products*:

Notoriously Morbid Eyeshadow – Siren Song

Wet N’ Wild Eyeshadow – Creme Brullee

Urban Decay Eyeshadow – Anaheim

Urban Decay Eyeshadow – Romp

Urban Decay Eyeshadow – Blonde

L’Oreal Mascara Primer

L’Oreal Voluminous Mascara in Blackest Black

NYX Eyebrow Marker in Medium

Jeffree Star Liquid Lip Velour in Rose Matter

Urban Decay Glow Blush in Score

Smashbox Full Exposure Mascara in Black

Lancome Le Crayon Khol in Blanc

violet

Step One:

I distributed Notoriously Morbid’s loose shadow in Siren Song all over my lid. I really packed on the colour. Be sure to use an eyeshadow primer as that truly makes the colour POP. Usually I use Urban Decay’s Primer Potion, but I decided to get Wet n’ Wild eyeshadow primer a go and it works just as well at a fraction of the price!

Step Two:

To not overwhelm the purple, it’s best to use a neutral transition colour on the crease. I opted for Urban Decay’s Anaheim shade. I dusted it with a light hand using a blending brush. I then placed Wet N’ Wild’s Creme Brullee shade all over my brow bone and lightly dusted Urban Decay’s Blonde shade on my brow bone to highlight it.

Step Three:

I then used Urban Decay’s Romp shade (a deep purple) as my liner for upper and lower lashes. It’s an eyeshadow, but I often like to use shadows as liner when I’m trying to keep the look light and not product heavy. I then used Lancome’s Le Crayon Khol in Blanc on the inside of my lower lash line.

violet2

Step Four:

After curling my lashes with an eyelash curler, I used L’Oreal’s Primer to coat my lashes. I allowed ten seconds to dry before applying three coats of L’Oreal’s Voluminous Mascara in Blackest Black and one coat of Smashbox’s Full Exposure Mascara to my lower lashes. For my brows I used NYX’s Eyebrow Marker in Medium. This is hands-down the best and most lightweight eyebrow I’ve ever used! So kudos to NYX for making such a kick-ass product that is long-lasting and smudge free!

Step Five:

To complete the look I dusted Urban Decay’s Glow blush in Score and added Jeffree Star’s Liquid Velour Lipstick in Rose Matter to my lips.

lips

Now slip into something edgy and go out to show off your look! Let me know what your fave purple shadows are in the comments below!

*All products used for this look were purchased by the writer.

By: Azzurra Nox