I Copied Vanessa’s Makeup Routine from Gossip Girl for Under $25

It’s been 10 years since Gossip Girl premiered, and yet I’m still blown away by how fashion forward it was. Even though Blair Waldorf and Serena Van Der Woosen are usually considered the trendsetters of the show, the one character whose style I constantly drooled over was Vanessa Abrams. Played by Jessica Szohr, she was a true NYC It girl before it was a thing. Growing up, she was definitely one of my biggest style inspirations because of how realistic her outfits seemed. She slayed every single brightly colored outfit, and always managed to look gorgeous in her soft pink makeup.

Vanessa Abrams from Gossip Girl
Gossip Girl/The CW

In an effort to bring back the nostalgia from my teen years, I decided to recreate this fellow Brooklyn girl’s makeup routine for a day. I spent my entire weekend binge watching the first three seasons to get her look right. The best part is that I only spent $24.50! Here’s a breakdown of the best drugstore makeup and online beauty products I used, and how you can pull it off.

A blank canvas

Before I put on any makeup, I like starting with a clean slate. After prepping my skin with my facial cleanser, I used e.l.f.’s Beautifully Bare Lightweight Concealer Stick to even out my under eye shopping bags. I have really sensitive skin, so I figured that a concealer stick that covers smaller areas was my best bet. My skin breaks out if I breathe the wrong way so using this light concealer was a must.

Her signature splash of color

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If there’s one thing that Vanessa will forever be known for, it’s her bright pink pout. Colourpop’s More Better was perfect for the job. This matte lipstick has been living in my purse for almost a year now, so I was beyond happy that I didn’t have to spend any extra cash. It doesn’t hurt that it’s only six bucks!

Vanessa never leaves her house without blush, but Cassandra does. Because I’ve never shopped for blush before, I had no idea where to even start. “What shade of pink matches my skin tone? Am I going to look like a clown?” popped up in my head as I walked up and down the aisles of Sephora and Ulta Beauty. I ended up feeling overwhelmed by the sea of pink and walked out empty handed.

That’s when I knew I had to improvise. One of my go-to makeup palettes is Ashley Tisdale’s Night Goddess -12 Color Eye & Cheek Collection. It’s packed with both bright and natural eyeshadow shades, as well as a bronzer, highlighter and blush. The rosy shade was way too pigmented on me, so I mixed it with the bronzer for a subtler look. It costs $11.99, although I won it in a contest run by my favorite podcast, Ladygang.

gossipgirl

Now, for the main event: The eyes and brows
I’m a firm believer in using the same thing twice, so of course I whipped out my makeup palette again. I stuck with a natural brown eyeshadow for my eyelids, turned to the rest of my palette and came up with an idea.  I love how defined Vanessa’s eyebrows are, and welcome any chance to up my brow game. I decided to DIY my own brows by first lining them with the grey eyeshadow from my Illuminate palette, and then gently filling them in. I may have gone a little brow crazy and overfilled them, but I love how they turned out. Lily Collins, eat your heart out.

After I spent 10 minutes straight drooling over my brows, I picked up the cheap eyeliner pen I got from Forever 21…And then promptly put it down so I could freak out internally. Full disclosure: My last battle with eyeliner ended with me almost poking my eyes out. So I went extra slow this time, said my prayers and hoped for the best. I actually think I did a pretty okay job! It looks like my dramatics paid off. If you’re like me and you’re all thumbs, the Essence 2-in-1 Eyeliner Pen is super easy to use and glides on smoothly. It’s also $3.50 so you can mess up as many times as you’d like!

Comments

21 responses to “I Copied Vanessa’s Makeup Routine from Gossip Girl for Under $25”

  1. Stephen Gibson Avatar

    Your lipsticks really brightens everything, and brings out the accents of red from your shirt. Very beautiful.

    1. Cassandra Rose Avatar

      Thank you for the kind words!

  2. Jen S Avatar
    Jen S

    That looks amazing! I really love the eyeliner and the lipstick. The lipstick especially just pops so well!

    1. Cassandra Rose Avatar

      Thank you! I had two minor freakouts as I applied the eyeliner haha

  3. Violinkit Avatar

    Being a lover of lipstick I was sold straight away on your make-up look. I never really got to see Gossip Girl and kinda regret it now as I had no idea it was so focused on style and make-up etc. The pink lipstick really suits you.

    1. Cassandra Rose Avatar

      Girl your style is always on point so that means a lot coming from you 😀

  4. Chelsea Avatar
    Chelsea

    I absolutely love your choice of lip colour. It’s so bold and vibrant. Something I’ve never had the confidence to try but you’re rocking it!

    1. Cassandra Rose Avatar

      Thanks a lot girl! I’m trying to veer away from my usual reds and admit that I’m really digging that pink.

  5. London Mumma Avatar

    You look so lovely lady, I am loving that pop of pink lipstick on you, recreated Vanessa’s look so well.

    1. Cassandra Rose Avatar

      Thanks so much! I love how fresh and simple her makeup looks 🙂

  6. ludbritt1591 Avatar
    ludbritt1591

    I love makeup. But I do not wear it enough. With a toddler, it is hard for me to find time for that now. But I love your look. I love the shirt. Super cute.

    1. Cassandra Rose Avatar

      Thanks girl – Makeup or no makeup, you are GORGEOUS!

  7. Maria Ingrid Avatar

    I’ve always been a gossip girl fan, can’t believe that it was already 10 years since it premiered.. I love your look and the color of the lipstick stood out..

    1. Cassandra Rose Avatar

      I KNOW! I watch to rewatch the entire show just to drool over the clothes alone, although I will say I’m more partial to the earlier seasons.

  8. Kavita Singh Avatar

    Really bold lip color. I love this beautiful pink shade and it really suits you.

    1. Cassandra Rose Avatar

      Thanks girl! I was hesitant at first but now I love it 🙂

  9. Le Coin de Mel Avatar
    Le Coin de Mel

    I’ve never seen Gossip Girl or heard of it, but I do love your makeup, especially the pink lipstick (so so pretty!).

    1. Cassandra Rose Avatar

      Thanks a lot! The pink was brighter than I expected but I ended up loving it.

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