I'm in Allure magazine!

Face : NARS Sheer Glow in Santa Fe  // Cheeks : NARS Angelika // Lips : NARS Belle de Jour // Eyes : Bobbi Brown Navajo + Cement, Urban Decay Armor + Desperation, NARS Madison Ave. // Lashes: NARS Larger Than Life Volumizing Mascara // Brows : MAKE UP FOR EVER Aqua Brow in Ash

           I'm so excited to announce that Cute and Mundane is featured in the Allure Magazine October 2012 Best of Beauty issue. (Check page 146!) It's a journey that began last March when I chanced to see a tweet from Allure magazine calling for entrants for the very first Allure Beauty Blogger Awards. There were only a few days left to enter, and I scrambled to write a paragraph about Cute and Mundane, take a self-photo, and submit my entry for consideration. I recieved an invitation to 'dance at the ball' (i.e. compete as a finalist), which led to a whirlwind competition at one of the busiest times in my personal life. I felt a constant emotional stretch between feelings of elation and utter exhaustion while trying to juggle everything at once. When the competition ended in June, I was so relieved that it was finally over and very excited to find that I had become a runner-up winner in the Allure Beauty Blogger Awards. The journey continued to a photo shoot in NYC and the final magazine article that you see here today.

 Face: Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk Foundation  // Eyes : Chanel quad + mascara // Lips : Tom Ford // Nails : Deborah Lippman

          The Allure beauty blogger photo shoot was a surreal experience. We were flown out to NYC and at 5a.m. the morning of, I met fellow bloggers Shannon of Gloss and Dirt and Bailey of Making up the Midwest. There was a small trailer set up near the Trump Tower with professional makeup, hair, and nail artists, along with a too-fabulous wardrobe squeezed inside. Makeshift stations with train cases full of beauty equipment were scattered everywhere; to give you an idea, we sat on a small counter while we got our makeup done in the dim trailer lighting. It was fabulous, gritty, and real all at once. The Allure staffers as well as the artists were so nice to the three of us and made us feel at home during the whole process. We had our photos taken in different areas of the Duane Reade at Trump Tower for about 45 minutes each. I had a few beauty revelations that day: getting the perfect picture taken is no cakewalk (Stand straighter! Turn this way! Act natural!), hair extensions are awesome, and the penguin-shuffle is my preferred method of 'walking' around in Louboutins. Afterwards, we met up with some of the editors for lunch and got an informal tour of Allure headquarters at Conde Nast. (For the record, it did not resemble the Devil Wears Prada, though Vogue might). There were cubicles filled with inspirational photos pinned to every square inch of matteboard and literally bags of products at each desk. It was cool to see; I felt a familiarity in the enthusiasm for beauty and the creative process.

Dress : Narciso Rodriguez // Shoes : Christian Louboutin

          When the October Allure Best of Beauty finally made it onto magazine stands, I couldn't believe that Allure had given us each a page each. I am overcome with excitement and a bit of nervousness at what people might think. However, most of all, I am grateful. I owe a huge thanks to the Allure editors who gave me the chance to compete and organized this amazing experience. I also owe a big thank you to the artists who made sure we looked our best (though for the record, I am nowhere near as tan as that in real life!). Thank you to my fellow Allure Beauty Blogger Awards finalists who provided spirited competition and put their heart and soul into the contest. Shannon and Bailey, it was amazing meeting you, wandering the streets of NYC, and filling our bellies with oh-so-good eats! Finally, and most importantly, I am so grateful to my readers, my family, and everyone who voted, gave words of encouragement, and supported me throughout this entire process. It is because of you the glass slipper fit and this once-in-a-lifetime experience became possible. That is something I will never forget. You've motivated to me to work harder and push myself to new limits and really be the blogger that I've always hoped to be. I'm excited, hopeful, and looking towards the future. What happens next for Cute and Mundane, only time will tell; however this pumpkin-turned-stagecoach has just started rolling and I hope you'll stay along for the ride.

Love, Dovey.