Unedited

 

| Behind the Scenes: Photography by Ashley Nicole |

 

There is something to be said about raw, natural beauty. About letting people see, and even capture, the 'naked' side of you, exposed for all to behold and to welcome whole-heartedly. Letting people see what lies just beneath the surface is not always easy, but I feel it is important to see the beauty of a naturally raw you.

 

I recently pushed myself to do something that I have always wanted to do; to create images in a studio with a professional photographer that shares a passion for his craft, just as I do. Someone to help me not just take a pretty picture, but to capture a character and to tell a story. To put myself out there in this fashion was a little nerve-wrecking as I am allowing an almost stranger to capture me through his lens and in his eyes. I don't think I had more than five hours of sleep the night before, as my mind was racing nonstop with ideas and concepts. To truly experience the non-traditional side of life, you have to have the confidence to face your fears and even sometimes to feel uncomfortable. As nervous and maybe even as embarrassed as I felt, I walked into the studio with my head held high and my heels even higher. By the end of the shoot I felt confident, powerful, beautiful, and grateful that I was able to experience something so raw and with so much room for creativity.

 

The images for todays article were actually taken behind the scenes of my latest photo shoot by my lovely twin of oh so many talents. Turns out my makeup artist of a sister also has a knack for capturing the raw side of me in a way that makes me feel beautiful and confident, thanks sis! However, as much as I loved these images and what they represent in my eyes, I cannot wait to see the girl professionally captured through the lens of another. Stay tuned!

 

xoxo - Heather Marie

 

Follow our Fashion and Beauty Adventures through the eyes of twins on:

INSTAGRAM: Heather Marie - http://www.instagram.com/1heather_marie

Ashley Nicole - http://www.instagram.com/1ash_nicole

TUMBLR: http://www.tumblr.com/marienabymarienicole

 

 

 

 



 



To the grunge and back

 

 

 

| Makeup by Ashley Nicole |

 

Hello my loves! It is a very exciting time here at Marie Nicole as Ashley and I are literally seeing before our very eyes our vision of what we want the blog to portray evolve into something more fearless, daring and full of inspiration. It is hard to describe how amazing it feels to watch as your baby grows and progresses each day. The journey has not always been easy, but we finally feel that us and our blog are coming into its own with a flair and fierceness to be reckoned with.

 

It seems that Ashley has been doing my makeup much more often than she probably imagined. But in my defense, I told her from the start that if she continues to open her beauty chair to me, I will never again sit in my own. My sister has not always felt like she has had a prominent place on the blog, but she truly is becoming an inspiring creative mind behind what is to come.

 

For this post, we had a futuristic vision that my talented twin was able to achieve spot on! We wanted to create a look that showed the alluring edge of grunge and the timeless strength of mod. And when we think mod, we think sleek, straight hair and the classic black and white combo. But by adding mesh into the look, we transformed the debonair trend of mod into the futuristic, yet vintage mess of grunge. The nude lip and the almost messy black liner satisfy todays modern thirst for sleek grunge.

 

xoxo - Heather Marie

 

To see this full look, visit our YT channel at http://www.youtube.com/thetwinsuntamed

 

 



The darker side of me

 

 

| Makeup by Ashley Nicole |

 

Bonjour Beauty Lovers! For this post, I had the great pleasure to take a seat in my talented twin's makeup chair! My secret beauty weapon. Ashley and I made the choice to return to our natural brunette roots, but with a hint of darkness. Blonde was fun, but as you can probably see, darker hair is much more our style.

 

For this makeup look, we gave into the darkness of our hair and craved an edginess that Ashley was able to achieve with a few strokes of her brush and the Naked 3 palette from Urban Decay. The rebellious beauty has always been a style of Ashley's, but for me this look is a bit new. And for some reason that I don't care to question, my new hair is bringing out the darker side of me and I love it!

 

Makeup is a passion of my talented twin, and after spending some time in the bubble of her beauty creativity, I am starting to see why. We had a character in mind, a personality with a rebellious dark passenger within her, and with a simple color combination, precise eyeliner placement and a dark shade of lipstick, a new persona was created. It is truly inspiring. All I can think now, is who can Ashley Nicole and I create next? Stay Tuned.

 

xoxo - Heather Marie 

 



I bid you adiue

 



 

Red-violet fur and Faux nude leather. Hello my lovely fashionista's! Slowly, but surely it is starting to feel more and more like spring, which means the days of knit chunk scarves, heavy wool pea coats, and faux fur garments are meeting their end. This is exciting because I am more than ready to embrace the spring trends and transition my wardrobe from bone-chilling cold to blissfully cool ensembles; however, with the recent cold fronts, this time has not yet come. So I am taking full advantage by pulling out my favorite red-violet faux fur vest. It is super warm, with out overly heating, and I love the pop of color it adds to my neutral toned structured leather skirt and cream neutral knit. Winter, you were fun while you lasted, but it is time for spring, so without further or do, I must bid you adieu!

 

Till next time.

xoxo- Heather Marie

 

Vest - JC Penney

Knit - Forever 21

Skirt - Forever 21

Necklace - Forever 21

Shoes - DSW

Sweaters at the Summit

 

 

 

Pastel Blues and Cream Sweaters. Hello my loves. With what seemed to be an endless winter chill, I am happy to say that it is finally starting to feel like spring! The flowers are in bloom and the pink lipstick is hitting the streets. 

 

It is a beautiful day here at Marie Nicole, so Ashley and I took a day trip to one of our favorite stomping grounds, the Summit! If we are in the mood for some first-class, outdoor shopping, this is our first destination. With my new tote in hand and my freshly painted pastel nails, I hit the Summit streets in a pair of strappy chunked wedges. I kept it casual with my cream colored sweater and glammed it up with my powder blue statement necklace. Add a girly, spring braid to your up-do and you are ready for a casually elegant day out!

 

Till next time.

xoxo - Heather Marie

 

Sweater - Forever 21

Jeans - Forever 21

Shoes - Lotus

Tote - Francesca's

Necklace - Forever 21

 

 



Infinite Possibilities

 

 

Heather Marie's Outfit: White & black dress - Know Style | Gold sequin clutch - Francesca's |

 Nude & gold shoes - Forever 21

Ashley Nicole's Outfit: Blue lace dress - Forever 21 | Black sequin clutch - Francesca's |

Black & gold shoes - Forever 21

 

New Beginnings. With every new year comes a new wave of possibilities, dreams, and resolutions. The new year marks the beginning of a brand new chapter in life that is blank and ready for its first set of words. Never forget, you are the author of your own life, so lets make this chapter the best one yet! Once the clock strikes midnight, it is as if the slate of life is wiped clean. All the disappointments of  2013 are long gone and there is nothing ahead except the infinite possibilities of 2014. Dreams that have been put away have finally found their way back to the surface, feelings of ambition and determination return, and it is time to stop thinking about what you want to do and just do it!

 

On January 1st, I found myself not looking back, but actually looking forward into the future. Of course I had some good times in 2013 which I will always remember, and sure I had my fair share of disappointments, but to me, the new year is not about reminiscing the past. It is about being thankful for your blessings and looking into the future. As I watched the Times Square ball drop and mark the new millennium, my future flashed before my eyes. I saw my dreams coming true, my resolutions being met, and I saw myself doing things that I never thought I could, and I for one am very excited to see what 2014 has to offer. Life is short, and Ashley and I are ready to take risks and work for the life that we want. So lets make our first resolution of the new year together - this is the year of taking chances. Even if the dream or the goal is completely crazy and only has a 1 percent chance of coming true, go for it! You never know what could happen, so why not try. The possibilities are endless, so bring it on 2014, we are more than ready for you!

 

Ashley and I also filmed a "New Year Glam" video on our YouTube channel featuring these outfits, styled by me, as well as a makeup tutorial by Ashley! Be sure to check it out and subscribe!

http://youtu.be/fLBMMnn7FRo

 

Till next time!

xoxo - Heather

 





Best Beauty Buys | October

Bonjour Everyone!

 

 

Today we wanted to share with you guys our "best beauty buys" for the month of October! Fall has officially arrived and it is out with the light and in with the dark!

Blush: Fever (left) & Breath of Plum (right) - Mac |

Lipstick: Va Va Violet (left) -Revlon |

 Myth (center) - Mac | Cocoa Bronze (right) - Revlon

 

These are our first Fall purchases of the season! We fell absolutely in LOVE with these dark toned blushes, but be careful! If applied to "heavy," you may end up looking like a clown. Remember guys, it is not Halloween anymore! :) Now, you can't have dark blush with out dark lipstick! However, if dark lips are not your thing, Myth from Mac is the perfect color! It is a neutral tone that greatly complements a dark "fall" eye!  

Nars Tinted Moisturizer (Light0) - Sephora | Sephora Professional Mineral Powder Brush |

 Liquid Eyeliner (Black Brown) - Revlon

 

Fall/Winter weather can have serious drying effects on your skin, and no one wants that! The Nars tinted moisturizer is perfect for the colder weather because it is a moisturizer, and if that weren't enough, this product can actually take the place of both your morning moisturizer and foundation routine, talk about a time saver! Just remember, a little goes a long way. The mineral powder brush from Sephora is really good for applying liquid face products. We use it every time we are "putting on our faces" haha. Liquid eye liners have been a part of our makeup for a long time, but this specific purchase (Revlon's colorstay - black brown) is not like the others! The difference is in the applicator brush. Standard liquid liner brushes hold no structure making it a bit more difficult to apply a perfect line, but Revlon's brush is firm and much easier to maneuver! If you are looking to make the perfect wing, we highly recommend this product.

Mascara: Bad Gal Lash (left) - Benefit | They're Real (right) - Benefit

 

Mascaras are a must in our makeup routine! No eye is complete without an amazing mascara, which is why we want to share with you guys, two of our favorite mascaras purchased this month! Bad Gal Lash has a thicker applicator brush which really helps to elongate your lashes giving you that "faux fake lash" look! Now who wouldn't want that?! If we had to describe the they're Real mascara, we would only need two words - Clump Eliminator! You heard right, this mascara helps to elongate your lashes while nixing those unwanted clumps. Sorry guys if this sounds like an infomercial haha!

Wicked - Essie (left) | Easy Going - Sinful Colors (center) | Forever Yummy - Essie (right)

 

No beauty look is complete without painted nails! So these are our favorite nail purchases that are perfect for Fall. Yes, this season is often associated with darker tones, but reds and neutrals are still acceptable! Never place a limit on beauty!

 

 

We would love to hear about your best beauty buys of October, so let us know in the comments below! :)

 

Till next time!