Hunter, Author at VITAL BLONDE

2016 FAVORITES

Jan 03

Now that 2016 has come to a close, (thankfully!) I wanted to share my favorite products from the year! I tried to pick products that I wore on any “average day” and include as many makeup categories as I could. Some of these are different from my current favorites since I purchased some new products, but I wanted to keep this post true to what I wore most throughout the year.

On to my 2016 favorites!

Face

NARS Velvet Matte Skin Tint – This is my favorite foundation for warm, humid months (aka the whole year in Texas!) My skin is oily so I always reach for a matte finish! However, in the past week this CC cream has become my new favorite since it is more moisturizing.

Make Up For Ever Full Cover Concealer – I love this concealer for covering undereye circles. I’m convinced I’m actually nocturnal, so I frequently need a heavy duty concealer to cover up those dreaded circles.

Kat Von D Shade + Light Contour Palette – If you’re looking for a good contour palette, hands down get this one. I used the Anastasia Contour Palette previously, and the Kat Von D has better color payoff and looks less powdery and chalky. She recently released a refillable palette which I’ll be purchasing when I use this one all up!

NARS Dual-Intensity Blush in ‘Fervor’ – This blush duo has been my go-to the whole year, and I love that you can get 3 different colors out of it by using either color or mixing the two. The colors are really intense and incredibly flattering.

MAC Mineralize Skinfinish in ‘Soft and Gentle’ – I’ve had this bad boy for 5 years now, and I’m just now getting to where I’ll need to repurchase it soon! It’s a bit pricey, but worth the money. I always get compliments on my highlight when I’m wearing this, it’s an all-time favorite.

Eyes

NARS Duo Eyeshadow in ‘Kalahari’ – If you look closely, you can tell I put a pretty massive dent in the lighter (left side) of the two colors. It’s pretty safe to say that I wore this eyeshadow most days of the year! I frequently paired it with NARS ‘Coconut Grove’ in the crease and MAC ‘Nylon’ as a highlight.

Kat Von D Tattoo Liner – This liner has been my favorite for YEARS. It has a cult following for a reason! Its the only liquid liner that I’ve found that doesn’t dry out on the tip, which is important for getting a sharp wing.

Benefit Roller Lash Mascara – Another longtime favorite of mine! I love this mascara for lengthening, separating and lifting lashes.

Lancome Hypnose Drama Mascara – This is a mascara I discovered this year. The price tag is pretty high, but I’m obsessed with the dramatic look it gives to your lashes! It quickly overtook Roller Lash as my top favorite mascara.

MAC Veluxe Brow Liner Pencil in ‘Fling’ – For majority of the year this is what I used to fill in my brows, but I have recently switched over to the Anastasia Dipbrow Pomade in ‘Ash Brown.’ I love that this pencil has a spoolie on the other end which is super helpful when doing your brows.

Lips

Charlotte Tilbury Lipstick in ‘Bitch Perfect’ – I think it’s safe to say this is my favorite lipstick ever. I’m getting pretty close to using the entire thing up, which I’ve never done to a lipstick before! I pretty much carry this lipstick with me at all times, I love it that much. All of Charlotte Tilbury’s lipsticks have a gorgeous finish, so try one if you haven’t!

Colourpop Liquid Lipsticks in ‘Frick N’ Frack’ and ‘Times Square’ – Liquid Lipsticks blew up this past year, and I am close to trying all of the popular brands. In my opinion, the Kylie liquid lipsticks are overrated and overpriced. I love the Colourpop liquid lipsticks in both the matte and satin finish, and they are SO much cheaper than most other liquid lipsticks and have a huge range of colors. I wore these two most over the past year.

Perfume

Gucci Guilty – I have several different perfumes and I love switching up my scent depending on my mood. I go for warmer scents that are more “nighttime” than “daytime,” and this one was my favorite for the year. I actually have the Gucci Guilty Intense version, which is “more provocative and sensual” according to Sephora. Essentially it’s just a more intense version of the original!

What were your favorites throughout the year? Let me know in the comments, I love hearing everyone’s favorite products! I’m also going to be doing a full-face makeup video VERY soon to show exactly how I do my makeup everyday, so let me know what kind of look you’d like to see as well!

P.S. Don’t forget to follow me on Instagram! I’ve consolidated my accounts and will only be posting from @hunterwuensche from now on!

THIS WILL BE MY YEAR

Jan 01

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There’s a great deal in store this upcoming year, and my biggest adventure begins in just over 2 weeks. (!!!) I’ve never really been one to make resolutions, but I felt this year is different. Not only am I moving to a completely new city, but I will graduate college in May. This year will be big, and it’s going to be my year.

I made some goals for this year that I’m really excited about and wanted to share! I’m a big list maker, so listing out goals and getting to cross them off once they’re achieved is one of the most satisfying feelings. (Be sure to check out my 101 in 1001 also!)

I read a post recently about choosing an intention for the year from these three: abundance, passion and growth. I chose passion and growth as my intentions for 2017, and my goals I created center around nurturing and growing my passions. You may start to see some changes around the blog!

2017 Goals

Get more serious about blogging/post more frequently

Redesign blog

Transition to a plant-based/vegan diet (expect a post on this!)

Write wellness/fitness posts

Take more pictures

Express more gratitude

Be present

Be intentional

I chose to keep most of my goals pretty broad, so they’re more of intentions than goals. I really like the idea of being intentional with everything you do, and circling back to my overall intentions set for the year. (wow how many times can I say the word intention?!)

So what does it mean to be intentional?

To me, this means to engage with your life. This means to live with purpose and to make everything you do meaningful and fulfilling. This is how I want to live.

Happy New Year! I wish all of you the best this year, and hope you had a wonderful time ringing in the new year. What are your 2017 goals or resolutions?

GOODBYE, AUSTIN

Dec 23

Graduating college is a weird feeling. Although I’m not actually graduating until May, the experience of my last college semester won’t be a traditional one. I moved out of Austin about a week and a half ago, so the time has come for me to say goodbye to my sweet college town. I’m in a bit of denial I’m not going to be here in the spring.

This city has been the best place to call home during my college years. I honestly can’t imagine going to college in any other place, and feel a little bad for anyone who hasn’t had the Austin college experience. I mean, can you say that you went to college in the live music capital of the world? I didn’t think so.

My favorite thing about Austin is that it’s a growing city, which creates a conducive environment for learning, creating, and of course, growing. Most people are familiar with the “Keep Austin Weird” tagline, and I believe it’s an amazing expression of this city- a city that encourages you to be the truest version of yourself without fear.

I was born in Austin, (literally born a Texas Longhorn) but grew up in small town/suburb just outside of Houston. Moving to the heart of a true city at 18 was terribly nerve-wracking. Austin became my home, and my time here in college has given me the most wonderful experiences, memories and friends I will cherish forever.

Thank you for being home, Austin. Here’s to new cities and new adventures.

LIFE LATELY

Dec 05

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I haven’t posted recently, so I wanted to take the time to share some life updates I’ve had before jumping back into a more regular posting schedule!

“Be fearless in pursuit of what sets your soul on fire.” This has been sort of my mantra lately. There are so many times I find myself afraid of doing something because of what someone may think, or what could go wrong. However, I’ve come to learn fear does no good, and only stands in the way of your dreams.

As many of you probably already know, I’m moving to New York! I am overjoyed to announce that I have accepted an internship with Rebecca Minkoff and will officially be a New Yorker in January. It’s been a lifelong dream of mine to move to the city, and I couldn’t be more excited that this dream is finally coming true. I’ll be taking online internship courses to finish up my degree while I’m there, and I will return to Austin to graduate in May. All of my friends and family have been so supportive of me pursuing my dreams, and I couldn’t be more thankful.

So, back to being fearless. Back in September, Rebecca Minkoff herself was in Austin holding an event for her fall collection at Neiman Marcus. I heard about the event about 30 minutes before it started, and decided to drop everything I was doing to go meet her. About 45 minutes later, I stood 5 feet away from one of my favorite designers, shaking with nerves and trying to think of what I wanted to say.

The fear of saying the wrong thing and making a fool of myself urged me to turn around and leave Neiman’s altogether. That would have been the easy way out, and if I had done that I would not be where I am today. Instead, I took a deep breath, put my fear behind me and stepped up to talk to her. She was unbelievably kind, and gave me who to contact for an internship with her.

Whatever your dream is, whatever sets your soul on fire, chase it. Fear gets to all of us, but don’t let it stand in your way. I made that image available for phone wallpaper, just click the link below it to download the correct sizing! 🙂

And now for some blog updates!

I’m also going to be making some changes around here in the upcoming future. I have decided to merge together “The Lipstick Tales” with my personal brand, and do away with “The Lipstick Tales” Instagram. I will leave the account up, however I won’t be posting on that account anymore, so be sure to follow me at @hunterwuensche to stay up to date with posts!

You also can expect a wider variety of posts here. While I still have a strong passion for beauty, I’m planning more fashion and lifestyle posts along with a new passion of mine: fitness! If you’ve known me for a long time, you probably find it hysterical that I just said fitness is one of my new loves. In the past six months or so, I’ve become a bit of a spin class addict and can’t get enough of the high from endorphins. Look forward to posts focusing on fitness and health and my personal journey with this!

Thank you so much for reading, check back tomorrow to see what beauty products I’ve been loving lately!

HAIR ROUTINE

Oct 19

Just a couple days ago, my sweet friend Tori asked me for all my hair product recommendations, and she inspired me to write an updated hair routine post! Thanks, Tori 😉

I have very fine chemically treated hair, so the products I use are catered to my hair’s needs. If your hair is thick and curly, these products may not work for you! Always use products for your specific hair type, and if you’re not sure if you have fine or coarse hair or what your hair type is, ask your stylist!

With that being said, make sure to ALWAYS buy your salon-quality hair products from salons ONLY or somewhere like Sephora, Ulta or Nordstrom where you know you’re getting the real deal. Don’t ever buy salon hair products from the drug store, or somewhere like Walmart or Target, because you could be getting a fake or expired product.

Now, onto the good stuff.

Shampoo/Conditioner

I like to switch out my shampoo and conditioner when I run out of one type so that my hair doesn’t get too used to a product. One of my all time favorites is Living Proof No Frizz, which is great for frizzy hair or if you live somewhere where humidity is a problem! Currently, I’m using Aveda Color Conserve Shampoo and Aveda Damage Remedy Conditioner. I absolutely love the way that Aveda products smell, and I wanted something that would protect and heal my highlighted locks. If your hair is colored in any way, you’ll want to be sure that you’re using color safe products, so your color doesn’t get stripped out of your hair.

For blondes specifically, I also love Pureology Perfect 4 Platinum. The shampoo has a blue tint to it that helps tone your blonde when you wash. Blue tint will cancel out orange tones, and purple tint will cancel out yellow. I also use a purple shampoo about once a week to keep brassy color out of my hair. My blonde tends to pull yellow, especially around when it’s time to get my highlights done again, and purple shampoo helps fix the color back to how I like it.

Styling Products

To be honest, I’m not a huge fan of using styling products. I’m always hesitant to put something on the ends of my hair out of fear it will weigh my poor fine hair down. However, I’ve fixed this traditional “limp” fine hair problem with Pureology Root Lift. This is a root lifting spray that you spray directly into your roots when your hair is damp before blowdrying. As the name suggests, it lifts the roots of your hair, preventing hair from falling flat and it also helps absorb oil!

If i’m going to use anything on the ends of my hair, I make sure that it’s something that is strengthening and will help prevent breakage. I love using Pureology Strength Cure Split End Salve, but I don’t use it every time I wash my hair so that I’m not adding too much protein back into my hair.

When drying my hair, I style it with this Spornette round brush. The thing I love about this brush is that the barrel of the brush is longer, which makes it easier for styling your own hair. Using a round brush can be a little tricky until you get the hang of it!

I love finishing off a look with Moroccanoil hair spray, mainly because the scent is to die for! In between washes, I also use dry shampoo. I didn’t include a specific one in the post because I haven’t quite found one that I absolutely love yet! Every one I’ve tried has just seemed kind of “eh” to me, or I get incredibly tired of the scent. I’ve been using this one lately and I like it, but I’m getting a little tired of the smell. If you have a favorite, let me know in the comments!

I can be a bit of a diva when it comes to my hair, but I think it’s worth it to keep it in good shape! Have you tried any of these products or which are your favorites?

FAVORITE FALL TRENDS

Sep 07

Fall doesn’t start for almost another 2 weeks, and it will still feel like summer for at least another month here in Texas, but I couldn’t help getting excited about all the upcoming fall trends! Although I personally prefer spring as far as seasons go, I am looking forward to not being judged for being “out of season” with dark lips and black nail polish. All of the fall trends I found while researching are right up my alley style-wise, so you can bet I’ll start wearing these as soon as possible! I decided to make a little guide of all my favorite trends even though it’s still a bit early so you have some insight to how to prep your wardrobe for the new season.

Good news for all of you choker lovers, this trend isn’t going away anytime soon. I’ve been eyeing more embellished looking chokers lately, like this one and this one, especially since embellished and adorned pieces are going to be big for fall too. Off the shoulder tops have been in for a while, but they are going to be having an even bigger moment this fall. Considering fall is still pretty warm here in Texas, I’m sure this trend will be seen for a while!

Faux fur seems to always be big for fall, but keep an eye out for fur that makes a statement in fun colors and patterns. Textures will be important this fall, and these velvet sandals are my absolute favorite product on this board! I have these that are similar and they are the most comfortable heels I’ve ever owned.

Overall, these trends don’t necessarily scream “fall,” much like the seasonal trends we’re used to. I’m definitely looking forward to layering pieces in new and fun ways and can’t wait until the weather starts to cool down here. A few other trends to look for include metallic touches, suiting, velvet everything, plaid, and shearling.

Which fall trend is your favorite?

AN OPEN LETTER TO 16 YEAR OLD ME

May 27

Special shout out to my best friend, Rachael, because I have almost no birthday pics from either of these years without her in them. Luckily we started taking more normal pictures after 5 years!

As I get closer to finishing college, (I can’t be a senior already… right?) I’ve found myself reflecting back on the past few years more and more. My little sister, Kendal, turns 16 in two days. This is crazy to me, because I feel like I was 16 not that long ago. I thought it would be fitting to write an open letter to myself for when I was her age, and hopefully she can learn a thing or two from what I would tell myself.

Dear 16 year old Hunter,

You’ve made it halfway through high school. Seems like you started just yesterday, doesn’t it? You’ve just gotten that first little taste of freedom with your driver’s license, and it has you itching to be finished with high school and out of the house. Enjoy these years while you can, because one day you’ll be forced to grow up.

It’s okay to not have the rest of your life figured out. I know you worry about these things, but trust me, you will change your mind 500 more times before you figure out what you wanna do. Enjoy right now. Worry about tomorrow later.

Your mom is not your worst enemy. Every 16 year old thinks this. In two years, you’ll move off to college and realize how much your parents have done for you. Enjoy the fact that you have two parents who make sure you’re fed and will grocery shop for you, being an adult really isn’t as much fun as it sounds. Except for the whole being able to buy your own wine part. That part is fun.

You always hear how your friends in high school will be your friends forever. This is true. I don’t care who stole who’s boyfriend (that boy is a psychopath anyway…) or who said what behind who’s back. 5 years later those ~~girls~~ women will still be the ones who will pick up the phone on the first ring when you’ve had a bad day. They’ll always know you better than anyone else, and will know exactly what to say when your heart gets broken. They’ll pick you up when you don’t have the strength to pick yourself up, and they will always be the first to cheer you on. Don’t let any stupid boy (or anyone for that matter) come between those friendships.

In the words of John Mellencamp, “hold onto sixteen as long as you can, changes come around real soon make us women & men.”

Love,

21 year old Hunter

P.S. Quit freaking out about failing your driver’s test the first time. It makes for a funny story later!

What would you tell your 16 year old self?

HOW TO FAKE A GOOD NIGHT’S SLEEP

May 25

Being a college student isn’t very nice for your sleep schedule. Being a college student who is prone to terrible stress dreams and nightmares is even worse. (I literally wake up shaking and crying in the middle of the night, it’s a great time!) So needless to say, I’ve gotten pretty good at faking a well-rested look, or at least I’d like to think so. Here are a few of my little tips to make it look like that 4 hours of sleep was actually 8 hours.

White Eyeliner

I fee like this one is no secret anymore, but I’m telling you IT WORKS. I use this Chella highlighter pencil, and it’s perfect because it’s not too stark white but also isn’t too flesh toned. I swear this makes the biggest difference, if you haven’t tried it you have to!

Concealer

Not just any concealer, but a really good full coverage one. Something has to hide those dark circles! I wear shade 7, and this tube lasts so long. I apply it in a triangle shape under my eyes to make sure the whole area is brightened up. I also really want to try this YSL apricot color correcting concealer to help cancel out dark circles.

Mascara

A major trick to appearing well-rested is having that wide-eyed look, and full lashes is one of the easiest ways to achieve that. I have naturally long lashes that have curl to them already, (sorry I got the good genes, little sis!) I’ve mentioned before how one of my biggest makeup tricks is to use more than one mascara, and I’m sticking by that! Benefit Roller Lash, Maybelline Lash Sensational and L’Oreal Miss Manga Rock are the three in my rotation currently.

Highlight

Lack of sleep can leave your skin looking rather dull. Giving your skin a good glow will fool just about anyone into thinking you got a full night of sleep! MAC Mineralize Skinfinish in Soft and Gentle is my holy grail highlighter, it gives the perfect natural-looking highlight. Pair it with a good blush (this one is my favorite!) and kiss dull, tired skin goodbye.

Do you have any tricks to faking the well-rested look?

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KYLIE COSMETICS METAL MATTES

May 23

I tried really hard not to get sucked into the hype, y’all. I tried. My first Kylie Cosmetics purchase was the Kourt K lip kit, which I ended up loving. Once I saw these metals, I knew I had to get my hands on them. So many people have asked me what I think of them, so I thought I would do a little review for you!

All three shades are very pigmented, and just one coat of product gives amazing color payoff. I’m completely obsessed with the metallic shine they all have, it’s gorgeous.

Heir is the lightest of the three, and has a sort of nude peach tone to the color. I really like wearing this one with Charlotte Tilbury Bitch Perfect lipstick underneath, because I’ve found it makes the color suit my skin tone better.

King K is a golden bronze color, and is probably my favorite of the three even though it’s a close call! I wear this one with Charlotte Tilbury Iconic Nude lip liner underneath.

Reign is the darkest, and is a bronze red color. The website describes it as copper, which it has some hints of, but I feel the undertone is far more red than anything. It also is much darker in person than it appears on the website, but a beautiful color nonetheless.

They’re also fairly long-lasting, although Heir didn’t seem to wear quite as long as the other two from what I found.

One of my favorite things about matte lipsticks is that they are usually fairly smudge proof and don’t transfer easily, but that is not the case with these. This is my main problem with this product. I don’t believe that they are a true matte lipstick, they definitely have more of a satin texture. They can be quite a bit sticky depending on how much product you use. I also wouldn’t say they are drying at all like some matte lipsticks can be, which is good.

If you don’t like scented makeup, you’ll probably have a problem with these. They have a decently strong, sweet smell. I wouldn’t say it smells bad, but I’m also not particularly fond of the smell either. I’m sure it’s used to cover up the sort of “chemical” smell that unscented liquid lipsticks sometimes have, I just find the scent to be too strong.

Overall, they’re not a perfect product, but I wasn’t necessarily expecting a perfect product either. I think the color and pigmentation of these lipsticks alone makes it worth it. I’ve found myself reaching for these three more than any other lip products since I’ve had them. They’re also amazing for layering with other lip products to create new and unique colors.

Bottom line: you need these in your makeup bag. Trust me.

Without flash – Top to bottom: Reign, King K, Heir

With flash – Left to Right: Heir, King K, Reign

Have you tried the Kylie Cosmetics metal mattes or any of her glosses or lip kits? Don’t forget to check out my Instagram, @thelipsticktales! There you can find pictures of how each of the lipsticks look on. Thank you so much for reading, check back Wednesday for another new post!

BITE LIP LAB

Mar 29

Shop My Look:

Top: Banana Republic | Jeans: Topshop | Jacket: Banana Republic | Necklace: Beaded by W

For my spring break this year I took a trip with my Meme to New York for Fashion PR Confidential. We scheduled in a couple extra days for the trip so we could shop and enjoy the city before my workshop, and being the lipstick lover that I am, I just HAD to make a stop at the Bite Lip Lab.

Bite Beauty is a cosmetics line sold at Sephora. They specialize in lip products and use ingredients that are food grade quality. Their Lip Lab, located in SoHo, is a place where you can make your own custom lipstick color, and they’ll even keep your formula on file for you so you can reorder it easily.

The first part of the process is making your color, and was my favorite part. I had been searching for the perfect magenta pink that was just the right amount of purple but was also wearable. I’d been mixing MAC Up the Amp and Lovelorn trying to perfect the color, so I knew that this was the sort of custom color I wanted to create. You can also choose the finish of your lipstick, and I chose “cuvee” which is a sort of satin finish.

My first color mixed was too pink, the next was too violet, and the last one ended up being my perfect color. My Meme started out creating a very wearable color, but eventually decided she wanted a really good blue toned red. You can see those gorgeous blue undertones in the last swatch on her swatch card- I’ve never seen such a beautiful red!

The next step is to select the scent/flavor of your lipstick, which is created with essential oils. I chose to mix cherry and vanilla for my lipstick, considering my Sonic order is always cherry vanilla diet coke! 😉

After all of that is decided, they mix up your color and pour it into the mold. It’s set on a freezer, which chills it down and solidifies it into it’s lipstick form so it can be placed in the bullet. Once that’s done, you have your own custom lipstick! They give you a card with the recipe for your color, and also keep it on file so you can reorder it if you run out.

The whole experience was really fun! I definitely recommend making an appointment (which is needed) if you’re in NYC. Grab lunch at Joe’s Pizza (my favorite) after to make a day out of it! If you’re looking for a color similar to the one I made, this one is almost identical.

Have you ever been to the Bite Lip Lab or anything like it? Let me know 🙂

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