Mes chéries, I’m back from Africa! It took a while to get my life back on track (I mean I still am) from traveling all month so I apologize for my radio silence. Starting today, I will finally have some time to comb through my 982937423 photos and video clips for my Morocco video and travel diary. But before we get there, we have a few things to get through, the first being the next installment of Stars & Signs.

I know I’m cutting it shorter than ever with two days left, but nonetheless Leo is a very important sign to me. Leo is my rising sign, which you’ll learn about in the Astrology 101 section. I am also blessed and cursed (just kidding!) to have at least six close friends who are Leos. They are some of my favorite people in the world because they share my passion for everything in life, will be my personal hype man anywhere I go, and understand the importance of constantly looking and doing the absolute most. To all my lions and lionesses, this one’s for Y O U !

Leo: July 23 – August 22

Symbol: The Lion
Element: Fire
Quality: Fixed
Color(s): Gold, Yellow, Orange
Ruling Star: Sun
Greatest Overall Compatibility: Gemini, Libra, Aries

HELLO LEOS! How has your 2019 season been? Mine has been all about doing me, as it (and every season) should be. Like the lions they are named after, Leos have a regal aura to them that brings awe and fear to those surrounding them. True to their ruling star, Leos have this natural ability to give light and life to those they touch along their journey just like the Sun. They have confidence, charisma, and a fire in them that is practically magnetic. It often puts them in the center of attention.

Their bubbly innocence coupled with their warmth also makes them even more irresistible. Leos also thrive on flattering compliments as they are known for being best dressed (and often with the best hair or some signature hair although my camera seems to not like picking up the 8 different colors in mine lately 😒), beautiful (inside and out), and some of the happiest people. Their large social circle will always be there to adore and appreciate them.

Our lions are actually some of the most fiercely loyal friends you will ever meet. It’s why Leos’ circles always expand and rarely shrink. They protect those who cannot project themselves and will bravely take a bullet for their family and best friends. In any relationship, Leos will give you the world as long as you make them feel appreciated and loved for who they are. These lions work tediously to nurture their relationships and never take people for granted.

Since they are so caring and chivalrous, they will dive into any responsibility and take the burden off their loved ones’ shoulders whenever they can. Their deep sense of morality helps them focus on trying to always do what’s right. However, they struggle with receiving help in return from their friends because they are prideful.

Speaking of pride, Leos’ biggest downfall is they are driven by their egos. When their ego is damaged, the jungle is in trouble. When a Leo loses control of a situation, they either accidentally frantically smother their friends/family or shut down and away from others. There is nothing worse than a lone Leo, mark my words on this one.

Leos, like all the rest of us, have insecurities too. Some are more fragile than others. One of the biggest critiques of Leos is they don’t take criticism well and turn even childish when given feedback. Since Leos rely on others for validation, many will secretly search for approval from the masses to feel loved or important. This occasionally translates to arrogance, selfishness, and coldness when they turn away from those not worthy of their attention and time. The most insecure Leos will be the biggest show-offs as they try to prove to others that they are actually the image they want to be perceived as, making them an easy target for the ones who want to see the queen bee fall.

Like the king of the jungle, Leos love luxury. They thrive for expensive things, bright colors, bougie vacations, and theatrical experiences. They will often choose jobs with high salaries, ability to amass wealth, and opportunities for leadership positions. Because of their generous and pleasantly dominant character, Leos are often find themselves either being top dog or owning their own business. They make great leaders, protecters, and catalysts for any decision or planning process.

However, they make struggle when they first start out especially if upper management puts a damper on their ideas and orders them around. They are very prideful and don’t take it well when their egos are hurt. But when permitted to take initiative, Leos will inspire others with their creativity and fire. They are immensely passionate about things they involve themselves with and will always do the very best they can. But even if they’re known for expressing themselves and having big ideas, they are ironically not the kind to get bogged down in the details. Leos find the nitty gritty quite boring and often care more about the big picture.

HOW TO GET THE LOOK

There is no other way to do Leos proud than to be a golden god/goddess. Period.

NOTE: The base for all of these looks is going to be the same as I’m mainly focusing on the eyes for this lookbook series. The only real change will be the highlighter I use for certain signs. I’ll be skipping the base from now on and going straight to eyes. If you’re curious to see what my base routine is, check it out in my Capricorn post.

The Eyes

Always prime your lids to start. For me, that’s covering my eyelids with foundation. For others, that’s using actual eyeshadow primer. In this look I used the Morphe x Jaclyn Hill Armed & Gorgeous palette topped with the Jolie Beauty Bomb Dot Com Palette.

First, I applied a blend of Secure and Agent in my crease. Then, I added a blend of Smooth Criminal in the outer half of the crease and lower lashline before dabbing Prowl into the outer corner of my eyes. After, I applied Access across the remainder of my lid, I added a later of Gilt Trip on top for good measure before heading to the next palette. #excessive

Using the Bomb Dot Com glitter palette, I topped my look off with the lower 3 glitter shades in the rightmost column. The darkest gold on the outside, true gold in the middle, and light gold in the inner third of my eye towards the corner. This is optional of course, the look is good on its own. However, if you want to embrace your inner Leo, the glitter is not optional.

Can we take a quick pause to admire just HOW FUCKING BEAUTIFUL this glitter palette is? And the glitter stays on all night, even if you don’t use glitter glue…

Okay. Back to scheduled programming. I just have to say, these two photos (after attempting for 10 minutes) do NOT show this look justice. The glitter reflects like a party on my lids from all corners of my apartment. Sadly, photos don’t like to capture that beauty.

Last step for the eyes: lashes. I’m using my Ardell Blowout Pompadour lashes that I can never seem to glue on properly when I have long nails… Just don’t look too closely at some photos 😅

After I was done with the eyes (and face), I topped the lips with Smashbox Always On Matte Liquid Lipstick in the shade Out Loud. Normally I keep the focus to one feature on the face, but I figured a bold lip with a bold eye is the only way for the lions and lionesses out there. So sticking to the Leo theme, I chose the brightest but muted orange in my collection!

 

About Astrology: Ascendant

The Rising Sign (also known as your ascendant) is one of the top three signs (Sun/Moon/Rising) people reference when talking about your character. It is the sign rising over the eastern horizon when you were born. The rising sign is the “mask” you wear to those who don’t know you or meet you for the first time. It’s our first and natural response to different environments and often the first impression we give others. You’ll notice that not every person with the same rising sign gives off the same initial impression. Technically speaking, the energy of this sign is dependent on planets conjunct and aspect to the rising sign as well as the position of that individual’s ruling sign. This means that a person with a Leo Ascendant will act differently than the next if her Mars or Saturn in a different position than his.

In order to learn about your rising sign, you must know the exact time and location you were born because it changes every two hours. I am a rising Leo, in case you haven’t noticed *hairflip*. Many people who meet me always assume I’m a Leo. While some say your rising sign matters less as you age, I definitely don’t believe I’m done embracing my Leo-ness yet.

Leo Ascendants will always be noticed or moved to some sort of center of attention whether they know it/asked for it or not. Like Leos themselves, we are magnanimous and outgoing, radiating a good vibe in social settings. We are also fun-loving kids at heart. Sometimes it’s because we’re loud AF. I know I am. Other times it’s because we carry ourselves in a regal (and occasionally authoritative) manner that naturally demands interest from others. Almost always, it has to do with what we look like or dress like, especially our hair – I mean, mane. We are definitely very aware of ourselves, our body image, and the people we are with. We consider our environment and posse an extension of our image.

However, Rising Leos can give into their fire element easily. We overestimate and are overly idealistic due to enthusiasm. We also turn into walking commercials whenever we promote whatever it is we’re using or wearing or eating or drinking or buying. We also draw in drama and get easily wrapped up in it leading to rash decisions, tantrums, and being bossy as we overdo everything in attempt to gain control. Since we like to make things happen, we have no problem stirring the pot.

Some famous Leo Ascendants include Justin Timberlake, Celine Dion, Donald Trump, Elton John, and Marilyn Monroe. May I say all (especially and sadly Trump) really live up to this Leo having a signature mane business…

And on that note, this chapter is closed. Thank you all for always supporting me and sharing my love for astrology. We’re now more than halfway done with the series! Where has this year gone?

Well, I hope you all are having the greatest #hotgirlsummer. I know I’ve sweated out at least 7 pounds by now, so mines hot in a different way. Anyways, I’ll bid you adieu for now. Until next time, bisou bisou…

 

 

 

 

 

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