It all starts with an inspiration, perhaps a color like perfumer Francis Kurkdjian’s newest scent and the orange box that served as the impetus for the fragrance. Or it’s an editorial image torn out of one of your favorite magazines. Or maybe it’s even a piece of music that makes you nostalgic for simpler times, happier times… the 1990s when black rimmed eyes and lip liner were considered “rad.” Wherever you gather your inspiration, know this: your subconscious is finding it somewhere. You don’t blankly look into the mirror and decide to pull your hair back into a bun or throw a shade of classic red onto your lips. You’ve seen this somewhere, stored it in your mind, and now you’re using it. You can chalk your everyday look up to laziness but even laziness comes from somewhere (“I’m perfect just the way I am,” which is usually code for “I feel super insecure so I will pretend that I don’t give a shit.”). However, if you are reading this post, chances are you do care and you might even be looking here for your daily dose of inspiration.

I love Pinterest (if you’re not on it, now is the time to join!) because it gives me the ability to make vision boards of inspiration images that I find around the web and it keeps them categorized in a clean and coherent way. I have one for beauty, one for hair, one for classic faces that inspire, and even one for food that I would cook if I knew how to cook! Follow me here.

To me, beauty is truly an art form. It comes from training your eye to see things from a different perspective. I love film and photography for that very same reason. I enjoy finding beauty in bleak scenarios. Hair and makeup is the same. It’s a true testament of skill. What can I do with what I have in front of me? Sometimes I turn to tumblr, other time to pinterest or blogs, but most often I just look inside my mind to where I’ve been that day: in my dreams and in my reality. A patch of flowers that caught my attention, a color that stood out in a crowded room, a cat eye that I glanced over while walking down Broadway… and then I let my hands do the talking.

Here are the images that inspire me today. I urge you to keep a folder on your computer and title it “Today’s Inspirations,” try and put at least 5 images a day in it. I promise, you will grow your mind in ways that go fat beyond the beauty of hair and makeup.

*all images from here. follow me on pinterest!