inspired by: avril lavigne (fashion + makeup)

I remember how it used to be.  Smudged black eye makeup and stealing ties from my dad's closet. Vans and Converse sneakers. Baggy jeans that dragged on the ground behind me. Those were the days! If you couldn't tell from some of my more recent posts, I've been feeling rather nostalgic lately. It might have something to do with the ongoing COVID 19 pandemic. So much has changed... and I find myself looking back to simpler times. Lately, I have been listening to a lot of different albums (music is always my coping mechanism) and some of the standouts were from Avril Lavigne. 

I've been a fan of Avril since the release of "Complicated" back in 2002. (How has it been that long?!) Over the years, I have purchased all of her albums, used to dress pretty exclusively in her Abbey Dawn clothing line, and have even seen her in concert. Since I've been spending so much time looking back and enjoying Avril's music, I thought I would do something a little bit different here on the creation of beauty is art. Today, I am going to attempt to recreate an Avril inspired makeup look and put together an old school Avril inspired outfit. Ready to check out some Avril Lavigne inspired style? Here goes...

When it comes to fashion? Avril has worn everything from baggy pants and tank tops to punk princess inspired looks and elegant dresses. Though all of her styles are interesting and fun...my personal favourite has to be punk princess. I love when she blends things like pink, glitter, and tulle with things like studs, skulls, and graffiti inspired prints. 

For my recent Avril inspired outfit, I decided to reach for a pink graphic t-shirt that had some edgier details, like the mesh portion at the front and the print. Then I added on a pair of dangling safety pin earrings from Hot Topic (which were featured in a recent Mini Hot Topic Haul) because safety pin earrings really take me back. I used to wear all sorts of safety pin accessories along with jelly bracelets, wristbands, and clunky ball chain necklace. The dangling safety pin earrings were an elevated version of something I would've worn in the past. For the shoes, it was old-school all the way. I wore a pair of Abbey Dawn shoes that I've had for years and years. They are black and have gold little skull studs all over them. Since this was an Avril inspired look, something Abbey Dawn was an absolute must. A pair of simple denim shorts finished off this summer outfit. 

The makeup is the really fun part. Avril Lavigne has certainly tried different variations of her signature look over the years. But when I think about Avril and her makeup....I typically think of nude lipstick and smokey black eye look. So that is what I decided to create. To start, there were some slight alterations to my normal face routine. I skipped the light contour that I normally do (because that wasn't really popular back in the early to mid 00s) and just applied foundation all over. My brows are naturally quite full and so I filled them in only slightly. It was a more natural look because Avril tends to keep her brows natural but polished. For blush, it was a warm peach toned blush on the upper portion of the cheek just to add a subtle hint of shape and colour. The lips were ultra neutral with just a clear gloss to add some shine. 

Then it was time for the eye makeup. This was by far the most exciting part. I started with a smudgy black eyeliner and sloppily applied it along the upper and lower lash line. It was messy and thick. Perfect! Next, I used a pencil brush to smudge and soften the product. I used a liquid liner to create a subtle winged effect. Then it was time for eyeshadow. I applied the darkest black eyeshadow in my collection over the areas where the eyeliner had been applied. Then I grabbed a fluffy brush and applied a dark grey shadow slightly above the black and blended it upwards. This created a nice faded effect. One coat of mascara and this messy smokey eye look was complete. 

Inspiration can come from anywhere. Even the past! It is nice to think back to the fashion and makeup looks of yesterday and bring them forward to today. The end result? Nostalgia and elevated interpretations.

Who has been inspiring you lately? What do you think of this Avril inspired look?