Student Style Spotlight: Valentine’s Day Edition

Story by Olivia Kotowski

Photos by Hayley Seibel

Love is in the air, and CMU students Tori Keenan and Kenzie Leeseberg are celebrating love by rocking their best festive looks.

Senior Tori Keenan from East Lansing, Michigan is a self-proclaimed fashion lover and has had her V-Day look in mind for awhile now. 

“I’ve been into fashion since high school,” she said. “But the last two or three years, I’ve finally had the confidence to wear what I really want and find my own sense of style.”

When describing her personal style, Keenan uses the word “timeless.” She enjoys digging for pieces that were trendy in the past and have come back into style. She likes finding items that will “always be cool for her to wear.”

Though Keenan loves shopping just as much as the next girl, she doesn’t typically go the normal route. As an environmental and land use planning major, Keenan prefers to be extra conscious when she shops. 

“I don’t usually like to shop at big stores. I like shopping at thrift stores like Goodwill, because it’s more sustainable,” she said.

Keenan even got her pants and jacket from Goodwill. Her shoes came from Amazon, her shirt came from Fashion Nova and her earrings were a gift from a friend.

On Valentine’s Day, she’s spending the day with her girlfriends. They plan to go to Midori for a sushi dinner and later to O’Kelly’s Bar to celebrate.

Senior Kenzie Leeseberg loves any excuse to experiment with makeup, and what better day to play with all shades pink than Valentine’s Day?

Leeseberg got into makeup at an early age, because she struggled with self-confidence due to suffering from acne in her pre-teen years.

“I was put on medication and it really affected my self-esteem,” said Leeseberg. “I would spend hours doing my makeup and covering up.”

She said that putting makeup on also helped her get away from the habit of picking at and damaging her skin.

Her favorite thing about makeup is versatility.

“There are so many different things you can do with it. The possibilities are endless,” she said.

Leeseberg’s favorite makeup brand is MAC Cosmetics. She believes they produce high quality products, and they’ve always worked great for her. Almost all the products she used today come from the brand.

For Leeseberg’s Valentine’s Day look, she used a MAC primer, foundation, powder, contour palette, highlight, eyebrow cream and lip liner. Her lipstick is from Aveda and her eyeshadow came from a Kylie Jenner collection. For eyeliner, she chose to pick a CoverGirl pencil from the drugstore. For mascara, she used her all time favorite, Urban Decay. She also decided to wear Eyelure false eyelashes.

When it comes to her Valentine’s Day festivities, Leeseberg is throwing a love-themed party for her friends: single, taken, it’s complicated–you name it. She’s ready to celebrate love, and she’s going to do it in style.