Most of the time we focus on the clothing- the latest styles, silhouettes, patterns, colors, and more. But we always have the opportunity to update our look (and our existing wardrobe) with everything that surrounds the clothing. I’m talking hair, accessories, and make up!

I love taking a simple black dress and making the bold elements my hair and shoes. Mix in a big bracelet, interesting earrings, or bright splash of color on the eyes and nails and bam you’re look is instantly updated. The trick is to not do all of the above, but just a few carefully selected choices. A few truly bold fashion statements will go much further on their own without any competition.

With the warm weather outside I have been feeling the simple look more and more. But clean and simple can still be elegant instead of boring. Take for instance the three things I am focusing in on today:

An updo, with a smooth round bun/ball of hair followed by a simple braid, a splash of color on the eyes, and a pair of killer hot strapped heels.

Okay, I probably should have taken photos right after doing my hair and not after running around finishing errands (ha); but I must say everything has been holding together nicely. And fashion wise, I feel comfortable, elegant, and fierce at the same time. Running around doing errands never felt so fun ;D

For my make up I decided to go with a solid color over the lids, blending where appropriate. I added a bit of water to the shadow to get a more vibrant color application. (This meant I blended the color against itself and my natural skin tone. Sans water the shadow applies in a much lighter and subtle shade, and with water the color is solid and brilliant). After that, just a touch of a dark shadow used as a liner on the bottom and outside the edges completes my look, as well an application of mascara.

Now for the hair, this was an unexpected do. I just did it, loved it, and ran with it! I knew I wanted something off to the side, but wasn’t sure what I wanted beyond that point. So I began with what I knew and made that the foundation. Just your simple pony tail.

From there, I took the top portion of my pony tail, made a small loop and secured it with pins. I teased what was left of my hair from beyond the loop (the portion the pins couldn’t secure smoothly) and then tucked it inside the loop of hair, spreading the loop until it covered the teased hair and looked like a smooth and perfect ball. Once I had that portion to my liking I added some pins to secure it.

Now I was sitting there with a puff ball on top, and the rest of the pony tail still sitting smoothly. I was going to make them into little balls of hair as well, but then decided to do a clean braid.

And bam- the look was complete. I will have to repeat this look and perfect it with time, I really love it

The final step in my look was with the shoes. I wanted something that would match my dress, but go beyond your classic heel design. Something with a bit more character to play off the hair and make up. These platform strappy heels from LA FRESHA were just the thing!

VIEW MORE SHOES FROM LA FRESHA

ON YESSTYLE.COM

They have the perfect mix of textures, giving the solid black color a bit more character and interest. You also have a beautiful heel with an angled platform that makes these shoes stand out. A vibrant red undercoat and beautiful strappy front gives you a look that is sure to turn heads. I love these!

I love fashion, there is so much to play with! And I think it is great that even though you could be in a room with everyone wearing the same outfit, everyone will look different and wear it with their own unique style. The more you play with your hair, make up, and accessories the more you can separate your style from the masses. Find some inspiration, get motivated, and then start creating.

Look back into your closet for some old items and make them interesting again. Also keep in mind what you can do with your wardrobe when you are shopping for new items. Look for shoes that come in colors that match your dresses, or maybe a classic black pair with a unique design such as these pictured here. Whatever you do, make it your own and love every moment of it!

Ever have those moments where you need to suddenly rush out the door? We must always look our best, but sometimes our hair likes to bring up a challenge. Sometimes its our hair, sometimes it is the humidity!

One quick and painless answer I have is a mix of messy little twists. You simply gather sections of the hair, twist twist twist twist and twist until you create a little bun; secure with a pin and move on to the next until everything is up. Because it is messy you don’t have to worry too much about it, and if you place in the pin correctly it will hold all day.

I like it because if gives the illusion to having more time to have gotten ready than a pony tail would show. It is interesting, fresh, and fun. The classics are always good, like your standard chignon (either clean or messy) but sometimes a medley of twists is just the answer!

I have a fun new updo I have been perfecting and am looking forward to sharing with you. It takes a little bit of time and precision to keep the look clean, but the results are fabulous and one of a kind. It is elegant, bold, and gives old fashioned styles a modern twist. Be looking for it soon!

In the meantime, have fun styling your hair and keeping your look fresh and one of a kind.

Spring is here and is filled with beautiful colors, pleasant pastels, pinks, nudes, and shimmers of silver. I like to play with the youthful attitude spring provides for us in our fashion by keeping looks simple, clean, and very fresh. This means in both our clothing items as well as our hair and make up.

Here I have kept the focus on two solid and bold colors: hot pink and silver. Everything else is natural, nude, and soft to build a pretty contrast without going over the top. Because the make up is so light and clean, save for the bold lipstick, I wanted to do something with my hair to break up the symmetry.

With a bubble style dress, tiered in this case, there is plenty of volume so I want to allow more for the feminine form through the limbs and neck, rather than the waist which is hidden. And so I swept all my hair to one side to make a simple and thick braid. When your hair is as thick as mine, you can also add some form by  making a curve to rest on your shoulders.

The dress is from designer TIAN MU of YESSTYLE.com. I purchased this some time ago and am enjoying it now in the sunny weather. The shine is mesmerizing and I love how the tiers go slightly longer in the back. If you wanted to make it form fitted then all you need to do is add a belt and change up the style completely. Gotta love that in a dress!

You can view more styles from TIAN MU by clicking HERE.

Are you dreaming of silver this spring?

When it comes to accessories I love items that are bigger than life. Oversized sunglasses, handbags (to a certain limit of course), watches, rings, and bows. Something about the contrast appeals to me, and I love a challenge when incorporating them into my wardrobe.

The instant I saw this bow I knew it was mine- how I would wear it I did not know.

So this morning when I was putting my hair into a side swept updo, something felt missing. There was a bit more space than I had intended on having, and the updo seemed to tight and clean. Not neccessarily a bad thing, just not the look I was going for. Enter the bow. What a perfect finish- it is whimsical, adorable, black and elegant. The cute factor with the heart, designs, and enormous size fit in perfectly. I love it.

One side is very smooth and clear while the other is a collection of soft textures wraped in place by the giant bow. The silhouette it creates is a unique one with lots of character. I love the angles and feminine cute feel that comes from it.

It’s hard not to feel adorable when you have a bow this big in your hair. Even though one side is light and clear and the other is heavy and textured, the balance remains as each side gives a glimpse into the other. It plays of each other just right creating a uniformed look.

I think I’ll be incorporating this ridiculously large bow into more of my updos, giving elegance a playful and cute twist.

What in the world is hair tinsel? When my stylist called me up I certainly had never heard of it before and didn’t know what to think exactly either. But his excitement was contagious and my curiosity is like that of a cat. It was on!

Yes, hair  tinsel- not crinkly, chunky, or noisy like the Christmas tree kind, but sleek and soft very much like a natural hair strand. Only with extreme shine and sparkle. This is just a sneak peak- I’ll release the video with all the details soon. I would much prefer to have my stylist, Clemente Javier of www.clementejavier.com, do the explaining as he is the expert. I just see shiny pretty things in my hair and know that I am happy.

Know that these pictures do no justice. Seriously, no justice what-so-ever. But in a way that is a good thing because it shows how mysterious they can be. Also, something about shine and glitter in my camera does not pick up. But it is pretty memorizing in the video.

It is pretty subtle- nothing obnoxious or foolish. It’s adorable and playful. The way Clemente placed them in my hair it makes my hair glitter ever so subtly in certain lights- think of a crystallized piece of jewelry in a restaurant lighting- just gorgeous. Ha, ha, I love it.

It blends into the hair beautifully, but you will have to wait until the video is released here soon to really get a true glimpse! It’s pretty fabulous, so keep checking in for it.

It blends in nicely, some of these photos may look just slightly harsh and that is becasue I was forcing it onto the camera so you could at lease see something, ha. Just wait until the video is complete, I know I am excited to present it to you once it is!

Hair tinsel… stay tuned!

He is my personal stylist- I credit him with the condition of my hair, keeping it long and healthy with a beautiful shine. I asked Clemente what the best option would be to survive the humidity, lose the frizz, and not sacrifice the texture of our hair. As always, he has the answer and this is a refreshing one!

Clemente Javier:

I’m generally not a big fan of  hairspray, especially on longer hair. Shorter hair sometimes requires the shape to be set and held into place, sometimes. But on longer hair I believe the hair should be movable, touchable, and feel soft.

The problem is hairspray is often necessary, as in more humid climates where my arch nemesis humidity haunts all hair types. It threatens any blowout, taunts straight hair, and down right mocks curly tresses.

“FRIZZ!” I scream waking up in a panic, its a nightmare. I’m not a fan of hairsprays, because I’m not a fan of stiff untouchable hair, but I despise frizzy hair.

Luckily Kerastase makes a spray that cares: Double Force Controle Ultime. This is a wonderful product. Double Force is actually a protective spray, with its UV filter and Ceramide, as well a unique control spray. I say it’s unique because of the way that it does the job of controlling frizz and maintaining shape while not making your hair stiff or robbing your hair of  its touchable soft feel.

Just as important to acknowledge is the protective benefits I mentioned. The UV filter technology protects your hair from sun damage, a very important step in maintaining beautiful hair.

While ceramide is a synthetic version of a chemical by the same name naturally produced by your hair follicle to maintain the hair structure. When the hair shaft becomes damaged this is lost, synthetic Ceramide replaces the lost natural Ceramide .

A genius product made by an amazing company. So, if you too are not a fan of hair spray or you just want to love your hair the way it deserves to be loved find your local Kerastase salon and pick up a can of Double Force Controle Ultime.

To discover more about Clemente Javier, visit his site http://www.ClementeJavier.com

It was a hot summer day and I was fortunate enough to spend it in the pool with my family yesterday. When you have as much hair as I do, it can sometimes feel like a fur coat- gorgeous but very warm. So I opted to have my hair in two braids to keep cool from the heat.

It is a rare occasion that I actually get in the pool, normally I am like a cat and like to observe while soaking in the sun. Oh, I might let a foot in just for curiosity- but not too much further than that. But it was hot and the water was calling, so I went in.

And of course this means my hair would be soaked. Humidity is enough to add curls to my hair but add water and it becomes extreme as you can see here, lol.

I get massive curls- sometimes in my favor sometimes just out of control. This time wasn’t too bad and I am actually enjoying the look. I may have to do this again, just braid my hair- soak it in water and let dry after a decent towel drying.

I have a lot of hair so natural drying for me means hours, which isn’t always a fun thing. But when you are relaxing and spending time with family time moves so quickly and before you know it- hair is dry and filled with curls, ha.

I ended up changing my outfit afterward (having damp hair isn’t the best thing for your dress, either!) and took some more pictures. The curls are really holding up on their own. This is a look I may have to incorporate more often.

If you enjoyed the different kind of updo from the previous post, you’re going to love this new variation. It uses the same technique revealed in the Grand Collection, taken to a whole other level.

The beauty of this variation, too, is that it works with various lengths of hair. It can look sooo cute with short hair, giving it anywhere from a spunky look to an elegant and chic graceful one. It is all on how you want to play it.

I have long hair, so I let it all just melt together. I think I would add more curls to give it extra body and texture the next time I do this- but it works well with the subtle waves just as well.

For those signed up for The Pretty Society Exclusive Newsletter, you are going to love how simple and quick this look is to do. I’ll be illustrating the step by step instructions on both variations- this one above and the updo from the previous post. I’m loving how elegant and easy these looks are to construct.

And with the variations, there’s room to add your own personality and unique creative touch into the mix- make it your own and rock this look!

Elegance and glamor don’t have to be complicated or time consuming- it is the simple details we do for ourselves that shine the brightest and make a difference.

This is my latest creation in hairstyle updos, and I must admit I am loving it even far more than expected! The idea came to me in an instant and I wasted no time getting to the results.

It is an elegant, chic, bold and definitely “flipped-out” do-and surprisingly simple and quick to do. I cannot wait to experiment further with it as there are so many options available. My hair is long, but there are still great possibilities for those with medium length hair as well. It works.

I’ll be featuring the step by step illustration of how to do this magnificent do in my next month’s issue of “The Pretty Society Exclusive Newsletter“- along with other great insights on food, beauty, wine, and more. I like to keep things interesting, and this will be a special issue to love.

I’ve been enjoying this look all day, and it has been holding well. From running errands to even sitting by the pool for bit this afternoon- I’ve been able to go from one place and outfit to another without the slightest hesitation. And the glamor is very present and strong with this look- it feels so fabulous!

I am calling it the “flipped-out do” because it is based off a technique I reveal in my BombshellBeauty Grand Collection. This one takes the technique to a whole new level, and the results are simply marvelous. I’ll be showing you variations you can do with the look as well in the next Newsletter edition of The Pretty Society- so be on the look for it for those of you who are signed up!

If you aren’t signed up yet and want in on the details, visit http://tinyurl.com/exclusive-newsletter for more.