Blog Archives
How-To: Artfully Undone Hair
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Effortless – artfully undone hair. As seen on models day-off, runway and editorial – artfully undone hair may look effortless, but actually takes a bit of work.
To get that – “just rolled out of bed look” – texture is key. Frizz and flyaways are welcomed (for a change). Use products that will matte the hair for dry texture.
To get artfully undone hair – follow these simple steps:
1. Apply Guts 10 Volume Spray Foam to damp hair and roughly blow-dry with fingers, scrunching hair as you dry.
2. Twist hair up into a bun to set it and mist with Powder Refresh 01 aerosol hair powder/dry shampoo for texture.
3. Take hair out of the bun, spray more Powder Refresh 01 for added texture and a matte finish.
How To: Copper Eyes
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Copper eyeshadow can make a bold statement and intensify the natural color of your eyes. However, if not applied correctly can also make eyes look tired, bloodshot and/or red.
To avoid looking like Marla Singer in Fight Club, choose an accent color to blend with the copper. Whether your copper is shimmery or matte, a deep matte tone blendeded with the metallic shade will look more natural. Because the copper is so bright, it should be used as your primary color rather than pairing it with another bright color.
Needed:
- 2 Eyeshadow Brushes
- Copper Eyeshadow – Favorite: Laura Mercier Illuminating Eye Colour in Fire Glow
- Deep Natural Matte Eyeshadow – Favorite: Urban Decay Eyeshadow in Naked or Buck
How To:
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Press eyeshadow brush into the Copper Eyeshadow. Tap the brush to remove any excess powder. Swipe the brush across the eyelid and blend up into the crease.
- Blend eyeshadow until you are satisfied with the color and shape.
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Using the Deep Natural Matte Eyeshadow, blend into the crease and outer “V” of the eye. Making this “V” area a little darker will make the eyes appear larger.
- Run a clean blending brush over your eyelid, using a quick circular motion. This will get rid of any harsh lines.
- Apply the Deep Natural Matte Eyeshadow under the eye. If you have small eyes, sweep eyeshadow from the middle of the eye to outer edge. For more drama, blend a tiny bit of the Copper Eyeshadow into the matte color. Do not use a lot or eyes will look red and “angry.”
- Line eyes and apply lots of mascara.
Modify this look depending on your eyes shape and color.
How To: Headscarf
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Headscarves have been a staple in fashion for decades, and it’s easy to see why. They protect hair, cover a variety of styling sins, look chic and are a great alternative to a hat.
One can create numerous styles with a single scarf: turban, bohemian, retro, rocker. Find your favorite look and add some flavor to your next ensemble.
Tying a headscarf requires practice and patience – it never seems to go right the first time. Follow these great diagrams to find your favorite style:
- Headband Style – A simple style that can look sweet or bold. Fold square diagonally into a triangle. Roll scarf from long edge of triangle end towards the tip of the triangle so it becomes a long thick rectangular band. Flip hair upside and place center of band at forehead. Tie a square knot under hair at the top of the neck. Pull long edges of scarf from back of neck to hang in front. Vary the thickness and placement of the band for different looks.
- Retro Style – A glamorous style paired with big sunglasses. Fold square diagonally into a triangle. Place center of long edge of triangle just above hairline. Cross the ends of the scarf under chin. Bring ends around to back of neck loosely and tie together.
- Bohemian Style – Channel your inner-gypsy and pair with big voluminous beach hair. Fold square diagonally into a triangle. Place center of long edge of triangle at middle of forehead. Bring edges of triangle around to back tightly and tie.
How To: Heatless Styling
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Overexposing your hair to heat styling takes a big toll on the health of your hair. It dries out the hair cuticle and exacerbates breakage. Hot tools are great for quick-drying and quick-styling. If you are a hot tools addict, try taking one/two days-off per week to let hair air-dry naturally and/or try this heatless styling technique. Your hair will thank you later.
NEED:
❖ Duckbill Clips
❖ Spray Bottle for water
❖ Hairspray
Optional: Sea Salt Spray
HOW TO:
❖ Start with 2nd day hair.
❖ Grab a section of your hair. The larger the section the looser the wave.
❖ Wrap section of hair around two to three fingers and roll towards the scalp. Pin hair with small duckbill clips (bobby pins will leave a crease).
❖ Wrap the hair in the direction you want the curl to fall. Inward curls, outward curls or ‘S’ -shaped curls – alternating between both.
❖ When you have pin-curled the entire head. Spray water to dampen the curls – do not soak.
Fun Fact: In the 20’s pin-curls were also called “spit curls” because they used to spit on them instead of spraying water.
❖ Let your hair completely dry. If you want to do this at night and sleep on your curls, wrap a scarf around your head to prevent fall-out and frizz.
❖ Take out all the clips – carefully.
❖ Finger brush the curls and adjust.
❖ Spray with hairspray.
Options:
◆ Focus on where you pin the curls. I like to pin them just above the ear, leaving 2-3 inches from the top of my head.
◆ Try different methods of wrapping your hair to create a variety looks. For a simple wavy look – take extra big sections. For a more bohemian look – twist the hair and then pin-curl. For more texture – use a combination of water and sea salt spray.
How To: Old Hollywood Hair
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Femme fatale Veronica Lake is best known for her classic and iconic hairstyle. The definition of old hollywood glamour, this look has been reinvented and updated throughout the years. Today this look is a bit more polished and modern, but the style remains the same. Recreate this classic and feminine hairstyle with a few easy steps:
NEED/RECOMMEND:
Curling Wand or Iron – Remington T-Studio London Edition Curling Wand
Clips – Hot Tools Metal Clips
Boar Bristle Brush – Denman D82L Boar Bristle Grooming Brush
Hairspray – Kenra Hairspray 25
Shine Serum – Kérastase Elixir Ultime Moringa Immortal
HOW TO:
♦ Start with clean, dry hair. A good blow-out will help add some volume.
♦ Create a side part. Attempt a drastic side-part for more drama.
♦ Starting just above the ear, curl hair in small, even sections – all in one direction – away from the face.
♦ After curling a single section, hold the curl – wrap around two fingers – then pin. Repeat.
♦ Once the curls have cooled, take pins out and brush hair with a boar bristle brush to loosen the curls.
♦ Spritz some hair spray on the brush, and continue brushing until all the waves fall together perfectly.
♦ Add some shine serum
Optional: Add a beautiful clip or bobby pins on one side accentuate the side-part.
How To: Lips & Lashes
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Holiday parties are the perfect opportunity to take risks and add a little drama to your makeup look. My favorite festive look is sophisticated, classic and can be worn at any event. Lips & Lashes. By highlighting both of these features you will look instantly polished at any event this season.
LIPS: Prep your pout for mistletoe kisses. Go with classic red or a bold bordeaux. For those who are not used to wearing a bold lip, it’s time to get confident and try something new for your next holiday event.
For finding the best red for your skintone and how to apply the party-ready lip – check out these posts:
Four Favorites: Red Lipstick
How To: Perfect Red Lip
LASHES: If you have been wanting to experiment with false lashes, let this holiday season be your time to take the leap. Get fiercely flirty eyes in minutes using individual lashes.
Individual lashes are great for beginners. They look extremely natural, are comfortable to wear and easy to apply. Additionally, these lashes can also be placed wherever you need them. Add to the corners of the eyes for a bit of extra interest or to the center of the eye for an instant doe-like effect or all over for extra thickening and lengthening.
Individual false eyelashes come in two options: flares and singles. For a more dramatic look – try flares. I suggest getting them in small or medium (long… is really long). Flared lashes are available in two types: knotted and knot-free. Knotted have a knot at the top of the cluster to join the lashes. They provide extra surface area that make applying a little easier. However, knot-free look more natural.
NEED & RECOMMENDED:
♦ Lashes: Duralash Natural Knot-Free Medium Black
♦ Glue: Duo Eyelash Adhesive
♦ Tweezers: Tweezerman Slant
♦ Eyelash Curler: Kevyn Aucoin Beauty Eyelash Curler
♦ Mascara: Giorgio Armani ‘Eyes to Kill’ Mascara
HOW TO:
- Use tweezers to grasp the sprig of lashes as close to the base as possible.
- Place a dot of glue on a flat surface and dip the base of the sprig into the glue using a light touch.
- KEY TIP: Wait at least 10 seconds for the glue to get tacky before applying.
- Now, start on the outer corner and lay the lash behind your natural lash. Use a “picket-fence” approach when applying.
- Once the glue is dry, curl the lashes close to the base of your lashes, being careful not to press too hard. The faux lashes will curl much more than your natural lashes.
- Then, finish by applying mascara to “marry” the faux with your natural lashes.
Distressed Denim: Rag & Bone The Skinny Jean
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The Skinny Jean by Rag & Bone combines an effortlessly casual style with a hint of sophistication. The distressed detail on these jeans is very subtle and wearable. Placed perfectly at the knees, they are incredibly comfortable and have just the right amount of “give.”
These jeans marry well with just about anything – from oversized knits and boots to beaded blazers and pumps. While distressed denim is an easy DIY project, (How To – HERE) brands like Rag and Bone have taken the time to perfect placement, size and amout of distress in their pieces. The jeans will never look sloppy or overdone. Wear and tear your denim this season with Rag & Bone – The Skinny Jean.
Earth Tones: Dolce & Gabbana Stromboli Eyeshadow Quad
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Nothing reflects Fall like smoldering earth tones. My new favorite eyeshadow quad, Dolce & Gabbana Smooth Eye Color Quad in #130 Stromboli.
The eyeshadow quad consists of a light gold, a burnt sienna, a warm chocolate and a metallic charcoal. There are so many color combinations possible and each one compliments the other.
The texture of the finely-milled eyeshadows are creamy and buttery. Extremely pigmented and blend-able, so I recommend using a light hand when applying. These eyeshadows wear about six-eight hours before fading.
To get a smoldering earth tone eye look:
Apply the dark metallic charcoal close to the lash line and beneath the eye line. Then, blend the burnt sienna and warm chocolate hues in the crease for definition. Lastly, add the light gold to inner corner for a highlight.
How To: Nude Lip
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Originally applied to downplay the rest of the face when having a dramatic smoky eye or a major blush moment, the nude lip has transcended from a trend to a classic.
Your perfect nude lip will depend entirely on the shade. Remember nude is not the same as neutral, you must take into consideration your skin tone and lip color. The right color will create depth and contour as the wrong color can make the entire face look dull or washed-out.
Choosing a color for your skin tone:
- For fair or pale skin: Avoid beige tones. Opt for soft pinks, peaches or pale apricot as your base shade.
- For the golden girls: Creamy, caramel-toned nudes and warm beiges. Avoid anything too cool, like grays or silver-toned shades.
- For olive tones: Just about any nude shade will work, from beige to bronze to pinks.
- For skin with yellow undertones: Light, creamy-toned beiges like latte or mocha.
- For dark-toned skin: Go for chocolate tones such as rich golden browns and coffees.
Needed:
- Foundation
- Nude Lip Liner – Favorite: Here
- Lip Brush
- Nude Lipstick – Favorite: Here
- Nude Lipgloss – Favorite: Here
How To:
- Prep and moisturize the lips.
- Blot a layer of foundation onto the lips. This will let lipstick perform at it’s truest color.
- Define lips with a liner that is the half-a-shade deeper than lipstick. This will give the illusion of plumper lips.
- Using a lip brush, apply lipstick.
- Blot the lips with tissue and reapply.
- If a glossy finish is preferred – apply nude lipgloss.
Colorblocking: Eyes/Lips
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Layering bright eye shadows, liners and lipsticks can result in a fun makeup look that’s right on trend for the season. Just like colorblocking clothes, there are a myriad of possibilities one can create with makeup as well.
There’s a much-heralded rule in beauty that if you do a bold eye, the rest of your makeup should be neutral. With colorblocking, this rule does not necessarily apply. The bright colors will play off each other and make your features pop.
Throw all traditional “rules” out the window and be creative. A lot of these looks are used in editorial or runway features, to make it wearable stick to only two areas of the face, i.e. eyes/lips, cheeks/lips. Tone down the colors and heavy-handed application for a sheer wash of color. This will create a more modern and everyday look.
How-To: Ombré Hair
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The word Ombré is French for shading or graduating. Hair stylists have coined this terminology to describe a color technique used in salons. Ombré hair can range from a subtle and natural effect to really dramatic and edgy. For a natural “end-of-the-summer” look, color should blend from dark to light with no harsh transition line.
Ombré hair is great for many reasons: it’s highly economical, incredibly low maintenance, and works with any texture or tone.
Almost always, bleach is the key ingredient to create the ombré effect. This is the reason one should go to a professional. Find a stylist that specializes-in or has created this look before.
Ask your stylist for lots of beachy highlights concentrated on the ends, no higher than your chin in most places. Frame your face with a few subtle pieces that are only a shade or two lighter than your natural color and then go as light as you want on the ends. To maintain the look, use a color-safe shampoo and a moisturizing conditioner. Light ends can dry out, so use a nourishing protective oil from your chin down. Try these: Enjoy Haircare.
Love the ombré look but afraid to commit? Here is your solution…
‣ Purchase a set of hair extensions – Try these: Milani Hair Extensions
‣ Choose the color you want your ends to be – not the color of your hair. When coloring hair extensions – always dye dark, never light (bleach).
‣ Choose an at-home box color that matches your roots.
‣ Dye the tops of the extensions to blend with your hair.
‣ Clip-in and go. Ombré Hair
How To: Quick Holiday Hair
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Get Holiday Hair in a jiffy with a couple of easy steps.
Need:
✒Dry Shampoo
✒Curling Iron
✒Bobby Pins
✒Hair Spray
How To:
✒ Roughly blow dry hair.
✒ Spray dry shampoo to the crown area – this will provide texture and volume.
✒ With a curling iron – wrap random/haphazard 1-inch sections around barrel for about 3-5 seconds (no need to clamp -looking for more of a bend/wave than curl).
✒ Spray each section with hair spray.
✒ Run fingers through the waves to break them up.
✒ Decide if you want a middle part or side part. Section off hair from forehead to 1/2 way to crown and spray with dry shampoo. This will make hair easier to work with.
✒Take one section and twist (or braid) hair and pin to the back of head. Pull on section to loosen. Repeat (if necessary) on the other side.
✒Spray with hair spray and tease sections for a messier look.
How To: Perfect Red Lips
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How To: Apply red lipstick (or any color) that is long-lasting and won’t feather.
Needed:
✒Concealer
✒Powder
✒Lip Liner (MAC Red)
✒Favorite Red Lipstick (Tom Ford Cherry Lush)
✒Lip Brush
Application:
✒Apply a light coat of concealer to the perimeter of the lips and on-top of lips. This step will help the lipstick stay and obtain truest color.
✒Set concealer with powder to prevent lipstick from bleeding. Keep powder on the outer edges of the lips to prevent lips from looking dry.
✒Starting in the middle, use lip liner to fill in the lips. Layering is key when applying bright colors. The more layers applied, the longer to come-off.
✒Blend the liner using a flat lip brush.
✒Load the lip brush with color from the bullet of the lipstick. By getting more product on the brush initially, application is easier.
✒Use the lip brush to apply the first layer of lipstick.
✒Between layers, blot lips with a tissue to take away excess moisture.
✒Use the lip brush to apply the second layer of lipstick.
Optional: If you want some shine – add a clear gloss to only the center of both lips. This will make lips appear larger. I like using a clear gloss for high-shine, this way it will not alter the color.
Glow-T 