THE JACKET:
Othermix: Sharp Shoulder Striped Jacket available on yesstyle.com

Whenever I decide to wear a bright bold red lipstick, I tend to keep the rest of my make up very nude and subtle. But this jacket screams attitude and inspired me to go with a more femme fatale look.

I didn’t want to go too dark on the eyes, so instead I went for some sharp lines that would define and open up the eyes. I used soft medium browns to blend around the eye and add some depth. Since the jacket has sharp wings, I wanted my eyes to have some sharp wings as well. I used just enough bronzer to contour my cheekbones, and then a soft pink blush on the cheeks themselves. Using multiple shades (such as a bronzer and a blush, or multiple blush colors) gives you more dimensions as well as a natural glow.

Because the focus of this look for me was about the eyes and lips, I used my favorite red shade: dominique from Stila. I’ve had a lot of people stop and ask me for the details on this color- now you know! Even with a red shade, I like to use a lip liner that matches closely with my natural lip color. It makes it easier for me to line the lips, not to mention more comfortable. I feel it is more forgiving, and it provides as a good foundation for the color. You can of course use a color to go along with your lipstick, this is just what I prefer to do.

When it comes to the eyes, I like to use a cream eye liner with a brush. I find that the cream is smooth to apply and the brush gives me more control and accuracy. It is also more forgiving if mistakes are made.  If you do make a mistake, let it set and then either use a q-tip with some make up remover or face moisturizer, and erase your mistakes. A make up artist recently taught me another trick- you can use your brow brush to brush off the mascara or eyeliner spot once it dries- it flakes right off.

THE MAKEUP:

Concealer: Calvin Klein Endless Creme Concealer
Eyeliner: Bobbi Brown Long Wear Eyeliner
Eyeshadow: KATE Brown Collection Eye Shadow and Brow
Bronzer, Lipstick,  & Lip liner: Stila (lipstick color: dominique)

TIP: Remember concealer is just for concealing little spots and dark circles. You want to make the concealer blend in with your skin and only on those necessary spots- not your entire face. Let your skin breathe and be beautiful on its own, concealer is just a helpful assistant to your keep your skin looking and feeling natural.

I like to begin with a nice oil free, alcohol free, face moisturizer. From there I move on to concealer under the eyes and in any other little areas that need a touch up. I then brush my brows and depending on the look will fill them in for more definition. Because of my bangs, I tend to just brush them and keep it pretty simple since they will be hidden anyway. If your eyebrows are visible, you will want to make sure they are groomed. Your eyebrows can completely change your look.

Now that the face is set, we are on to the look. I like to do my cheeks next.

To contour the cheekbones, take your brush from your ear and move towards the lips- but stop before you get there (about an inch or so before). This gives an illusion of more depth and makes your cheekbones look more prominent. Add some blush on the cheeks and you are ready for the next step.

*If you tend to be messy with your eyeshadow, you can wait and do your cheeks after. To avoid excess eyeshadow, tap the brush after you have your eyeshadow color, then apply for a more flawless look.

For this look, I like to begin with a soft skin tone (or slightly lighter than my skin tone) shade to cover the eye and use as my base. Then I use a dark brown on the corner of my eyes. I make a small triangle where my eyeliner will be, and blend it forward until it fades in the front. I want the shadow to be darkest on the ends and lightest in the front. On the bottom lash line, I add line of dark shadow about halfway or two thirds of the way. Next I blend in a medium brown, still keeping it darkest on the corner, and working it into my crease. I blend the two together until I get the depth and definition I am looking for. I try to keep the medium brown shade in line with the line of my eyebrow- not touching it but following the same shape with my eye’s natural shape. If needed, I’ll add a light shade on the center  of my eye lid and at the top just beneath my brow for some highlights. Adding definition to the crease will assist in the look standing out as well.

Once the blend is where I want it, I add the eyeliner. I make a long smooth stroke from the inside corner of my eye, and work my way out just past the other corner of my eye. This is the “wing”. I connect the wing with the bottom lash line, and come about a third of the way in.

For a more dramatic and eye opening look, I add white eyeliner to my tear duct. Next you curl your lashes and add mascara. I like to curl my eyelashes three times- at the base, in the middle, and at the ends. Then I apply my mascara by starting at the base, and moving the brush from side to side as I slowly move up to the ends of the lash. I feel it gives more volume and lengthens the look of your lashes.

Line your lips to create the perfect shape- either making them sharp or more voluminous, and finally add the color!

Enter your closet- find something chic or edgy, and style away for a fabulous look!

Hellooooo color! My favorite accessory to pair with a clean and simple neutral toned dress is a bright splash of colorful makeup. Lately I have been really enjoying some subtle (but bright) pink blush, a soft nude eye with mascara, and rich pink lips. It is a fun doll-like youthful look that goes with just about anything.

My favorite killer find has been this makeup set from Cameleon. It isn’t a fancy expensive kit, but boy does it have a lot of color in the convenience of one stylish package. What has surprised me the most is how great the color applies! Usually inexpensive makeup kits lack pigment, but this has been beyond my expectations. The lip glosses included look exactly like the color when applied to the lip, too. I love it!

GET THE LOOK:

CAMELEON MakeUp Kit available on yesstyle.com

Sets like this make me want to experiment, so late at night before I wash up for the night I like to dable in color and see what I discover. Some looks are winners, some need some work but I get a feel of what I want to do for another day. Then I wash up and go to bed with a clean face and lots of inspiring ideas to go to bed dreaming about.

Because this is an inexpensive find, it is the perfect travel companion. The size and packaging are perfect, too. You never know what will happen when you are away from home, and there is nothing like that feeling of “Oh no! I have that color at home, I wish I brought it with me” when you are getting ready to go out. Kits like this are a life savor in these incidents. You are always prepared!

As you can see I have already been playing with this kit (I couldn’t wait!). I’m so happy with it, it is a no worries all fun little gift. With a kit like this there is never an excuse not to be looking your best. I’m already tempted to buy another so I’ll always have on on me (one at home and one in my travel bag).

Be sure to use your own brushes. Keep in mind that the brushes included in kits (any kit, even super expensive compacts and kits- doesn’t matter) are pretty much for emergency use only. You want to have your own set of brushes that you take care of (yes, shampoo and condition your brushes, too!). The felt-like brushes that are usually included in kits are notorious for absorbing everything (icky germs/bacteria included) so you don’t want to be reusing them on a regular basis.

Having a nice set of brushes makes your make up go further, too. Application is better and the overall quality of your make up experience is all the more beautiful. Using the right tools is part of the look. And it makes colors like these work at their best!

This spring and summer is all about mixing nudes with a splash of color. The little black dress may be a classic but what about the little red one?

When the design is simple and classic, dare to add some bold color! The trick with color is to find a balance, you don’t want to over do it. Keep the contras in balance with soft natural tones and controlled splashes of color (as in this case, very light clean make up paired with a bold red dress and red lipstick to match).

The same could be done with a pink or yellow, only in the case of yellow keep your lipstick a peachy tone or play with a hot pink. Find your color and go for it with a classic design. This dress pictured here is a pleated tube dress from KENZI on yesstyle.com. You can view more styles from Kenzi on YES STYLE by clicking below.

KENZI

A design so simple that stands out from color gives you a lot of options. On its own it is fabulous, but when you mix in accessories it becomes an entirely new look. This dress can be worn simple for the earlier afternoon, and then can be glamed out in the evening with some black tights, accessories, and an elegant updo. Of course, in all of these styling ideas you must maintain a balance.

For this look, I kept my make up simple with soft skin tones for a glowy and natural look. KATE has some great colors that leave a clean and flawless finish, but also goes on smoothly.

I just started using them recently and have been happy with the results. Sometimes eye shadows are flaky and don’t cover, or worse they cover too much and leave a mess. So far these have been treating me nicely, and it feels light on the skin which I like.

MAKE UP BY KATE

I am going to have to try their lipstick and lip glosses next. I wanted to start with the eye shadows to get a feel for quality and I am thrilled. Their mascara is really nice, too. I’ve been using it for a few weeks. It feels very silky, and though sweat-proof it is designed to come off gently with warm water. That’s something I am pretty cautious of, I don’t like anything too harsh. Even normal waterproof mascara is something I use only when I need to since it is rough on your eyelashes. We’ve got to keep them, soft, luscious, and long after all!

This past week has been nonstop and filled with fashion shoots, shows, and great cigar events. I only have a few photos I was able to sneak in, but as soon as the professional shots are sent to me I’ll be certain to update you with them.

These photos are of the make up done for an AVEDA hair show. (I didn’t even get to see the hair, they took the updo down right after the show and I didn’t get to look at the details. I can share a picture of the hair from a practice run through weeks previously. It was pretty great!). Sergio was my make up artist and wow is he amazing. I am in love with these lashes by the way, how wicked are they?

I love the eyebrows here, too- mine are covered so they cannot be seen, and then drawn in. Each girl for the show had a slight variation on the brow- whether a strait line going slightly up, longer line, and so on.

The red extensions placed in my hair went all the way down to my heels- it was heavy and haute! Loved it.

These eyes may be a bit crazy for a day to day look (you know I went to dinner with this make up afterward, lol), but there is definitely a lot of inspiration here. I love the tones of gold and purple used here, and the eyeliner isn’t too much of an exaggeration. There are definitely some possibilities here.

I know I will be playing around with some ideas, and I would love to see yours as well! Doll-like make up is my personal favorite!

A color looks extra bold and brilliant when it is brushed up against a simple black line, double it and you have one strong and glamorous look. Add some sultry lashes and you have a lovely look!

I like to change my make-up look on a regular basis. Otherwise I get bored and it’s hard to get excited about things when you are feeling bored. So I’ll play with anything from classic to exotic. It varies from my mood, the season, and my outfits. If you’ve ever picked an outfit revolving around a shoe, I’m sure you’ve done the same with make up as well, lol.

I love this look, I invent it back into my style here and there. Sometimes I just forget until the idea strikes me again- you know? But I do love how elegant this look feels, and how incredibly simple it is to match with any outfit. It dresses up the casual wear and balances beautifully with the more formal styles. The flair finish of the blue eye shadow at the edges of the eye mean they have an attitude for anything!

A very simple look that takes very little time. Gotta love that. When I have my eyes dressed up in a bold fashion, I like to keep the rest of my face simple. Just a touch of blush or bronze on the cheeks- like a subtle sun kissed look, and then either nude or glossed lips.

It’s all warm and sunny outside today, so I’m going with the lip gloss look. A nice, simple shine. Maybe later in the evening if I want to be more dramatic in this look, I’ll wear a nude shade of lipstick. That will really make the eyes stand out.

I’m having an editorial fashion mood today, and the inspiration comes from a new piece in my wardrobe. It reminds me of a style of jacket that I have been seeking out for some time now- if you will remember my post on the Armani 09 Single Button Jacket, it is still on my wishlist.

But in the meantime I have a beautiful inspiration, this is a jacket from “Black Queen” which can be found from yesstyle.com. It comes in various colors- black, white, blue, and a light green, but I felt I had to go with the classic black.

This one buttoned jacket is a beautiful design- nice lines and a great silhouette, modern but very chic and classic. I think it’s just on the line of edgy and runway-like on its own, though I’ll probably explore either a white, nude, or black tank top underneath it for practical purposes. A collar shirt (maybe white, blue or even silver) could really bring a new level to this piece as well. Great design though, I’m really loving the possibilities with this one!

I have an old vintage green pencil skirt that is the same shade as the green jacket they offer from this same line, so I am tempted to order another for that outfit alone. I think it would look gorgeous together. I went with the black just because I can get more use out of it- with shorts, a skirt, or even jeans it will look fabulous.

Now, I was in an edgy mood this morning so I decided to have fun with my make up and brought out my turquoise eyeliner. When I wear all black I am usually tempted to add a color somewhere in my look to make it really pop out, whether it be my nails, lipstick, shoes, or eyeshadow. In this case, it was the eyes.

I am having fun with the look today. Normally when I do my eyes in this fashion, it is with a copper liquid eyeliner which gives it that metallic look. I haven’t been able to find any lately so I went with the color I had on hand, turquoise. No complaints though, it gives it a beautiful rich color that feeds nicely with the black.

I think this jacket and I are going to have some great and unique looks in our future- definitely looking forward to it! xx

Sparkle, sparkle- I’ll admit it, if it has a certain shine to it there is a good chance I’ll buy it. I’m not ashamed of my love with pretty sparkly things- it’s part of the appeal of diamonds after all, isn’t it? And might I add, with a name like “SHOWSTOPPERS” this had to be mine!

It’s the sparkle that first caught my attention while I was shopping, in Target naturally. Sonia Kashuk already made my follow list with her coral brush set I featured some time ago, in two parts. Because of this I tend to keep on eye on what she has to bring out next.

My last two purchases from her are pictured above, the “Razzle Dazzle -22″ which you can just see beneath the glittering set above, it’s nice and simple and great for blending- very subtle and not the interesting focus of this post. The second item I purchased is though- the “showstoppers-01″ eyeshadow from Sonia Kashuk. Just look at that glimmer, makes my eyes get wide with excitement!

I wanted to share it with you first! I’m still just playing with what it can do. So far I’ve kept it very subtle, I like the quiet hint of shine that glimmers when the light hits you just right. I think it is memorizing.

From what I can tell so far, the black shade actually does apply very dark, which is nice for smokey eyes. The brown is not as obvious, it is in the medium range when it come to hue and definitely on the more subtle side with the first application. I find that the top two colors, the champagne and white shades, can be applied very lightly with just the slightest hint of color. Though if you wanted to, a heavier application does present a more obvious hue. I am still playing with it so I will update more as I experiment.

I don’t know that the camera captures the shimmer as well as natural movement and sunlight would, but that will have to be part of the further experimentation! In the mean time, if you want to play on your own you can find this eye shadow at Target. Yes, dresses, accessories, make up… they’ve got it all it seems!

Because sometimes I like just a hint of smoke on my eyes and I adore the color champagne. This particular “champagne” is from smashbox, I love how it has the right amount of shimmer in balance with the color making for a lovely smooth look.

The smoke is subtle- strongest on the ends and fading towards the center for a soft and delicate look. And I add just a soft stroke beneath the eyes to bring the bold lines together. I love this look for the day as full on smokey eyes can be so intense. With this look, it has just the right amount that can even continue on into the evening.

I used three shades in this one, the “champagne” and and shadow colors from smashbox and a third bronze-medium brown/tan shade to blend the two together. I kept things simple because I think a little bit goes a long way. The shadow and champagne are so contrasting that not much is needed.

It is an elegant and chic look that can be worn for any occasion and feels fabulous on.

After playing with brilliant bold colors (like coral and gold), I am ready for a more sultry elegant look- and for me silver is just the color. There are endless possibilities, and this morning I decided to lean on the bolder side of silver. Nothing too out there, just a subtle hint through some dramatic eyes in my makeup.

And so I played with my make up to do a classic look with a silver glow. A nice touch of eyeliner to elongate the eyes and really make them pop combined with the classic smoky eye make up- only with more of a silver presence to make the look all the more dramatic and glamorous.

My lashes are pretty long to begin with naturally, but when you add the Le 2 Mascara from Guerlain it maximizes the volume and length like nothing else (I love it).

It is more about the silver faded into the hint of dark gray that collects at the ends of the eyes- one side with a fine eyeliner and the other with the rich smoky finish.

The finished look is simple but quite bold- a little can go a long way. It doesn’t take long to do but the results last the entire day and feel flawless. This is a fun look to do and a great way to get excited about the day.

I did mine with silver and gray colors- however if you’re looking for even more, go for the gold. Use a nice bronze or gold and mix it into a darker shade of brown- definitely rich and glamorous as well. Even a dark purple could prove to be royal and luxurious.

Play around and make it your own, simple is key as a little goes a long way. Its the details that count.