Festive Finds: Holiday Alternatives

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‘Tis the season for holiday parties and events, galore. While finding the perfect dress is almost as traditional as mistletoe, change it up this season with holiday alternatives. Try a trendy top or bedazzled bottom and pair with a basic. With at least one of these items already hanging in your closet, prepping for numerous holiday events is a cinch.

Try pairing a great ostrich feather skirt or sequin shorts with a simple tee or button-down. Or opt for some party pants – available everywhere in different colors, patterns and textures they will instantly create a luxe look.

Pair your favorite jeans or slender black pants with a trendy peplum top or festive blazer. Look for simple, yet ornate seperates to make any outfit sparkle.

Simple Top:

KAIN Label ~ Pocket Tank: $80.00

Milly ~ Ostrich Feather-Trim Mini Skirt: $350.00

Tibi ~ Cotton Brocade Pants: $475.00

Growze ~ Sequins Shorts: $150.00

Basic Bottom:

7 for all Mankind ~ The Slim Cigarette Stretch Jeans: $198.00

Alberta Ferretti~ Sequin-Embellished Tulle Top: $795.00

Rag and Bone ~ Silver Tuxedo: $895.00

Tibi ~ Sleeveless Peplum Top: $385.00

Holy Grail: Kérastase Elixir Ultime Moringa Immortel

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From morraccan and macadamia to maracuja and marula, beauty oils have become very popular in the formulations of skincare and haircare products. New to the mix… Moringa Oil. Touted as the next big beauty oil, Moringa oil comes from the seeds of the Moringa oleifera tree, also known as the “Tree of Life.” Grown in the Himalayas, Moringa oil has been used for it’s many antioxidants and skin and hair rejuvenating properties.

Kérastase Grand Crus Oils are a range of fragrance-infused, custom-made oils for your specific hair needs. Formulated with the nourishing properties of cult favorite – Elixir Ultime, the Grand Crus Oils focus on specific hair types and conditions: Thé Impérial (pink-for color-treated hair), Moringa Immortel (green-for damaged hair) and Rose Millénaire (lavender-for fine hair).

Use the Grand Crus Oils as a pre-shampoo treatment for dry and coarse hair, as a prep before blow drying to protect, defrizz and add shine, as a styling serum to smooth out flyaways and dry ends, or pre-color treatment.

My favorite and holy grail product is the Immortal Moringa. Formulated with antioxidant-rich Moringa extract, vitamins A& C, calcium, iron and magnesium, this elixir nourishes dry and damaged hair. The lightweight oil leaves hair smooth, shiny and smells divine – woodsy and citrusy.

Power of Pink: Kenra Volume Spray 25

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The hairspray choice among professionals, Kenra Volume Spray 25 has been awarded the prestigious Stylist Choice Award for Favorite Hairspray – 8 TIMES. The Stylist Choice Awards are among the most prestigious and influential awards in the salon industry. Each year, Kenra sells over four million bottles of Volume Spray 25 throughout the United States and Canada.

Kenra Volume Spray 25 is a the perfect styling tool. This do-it-all spray has build-able hold providing maximum hold for updos and/or soft hold for loose waves. Style will stay-put all day, even in wet, humid conditions. It never feels sticky or crispy and will not leave any residue on the hair. Additionally, it leaves hair with an element of shine and luster and smells clean and fresh.

Power of Pink:

Supporting breast cancer awareness and other philanthropic causes is fundamental to Kenra’s philosophy of creating inner and outer beauty – a belief that begins with helping others. To make this message resonate, every October Kenra offers limited edition pink packaging for it’s best-selling Kenra Volume Spray 25. Sales support breast cancer research, early detection, support services and more.

Help Kenra support great-looking hair and breast cancer awareness with the purchase of Kenra Volume Spray 25.

Trench Time: Club Monaco Harper Trench

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There are a few wardrobe staples that every girl should splurge on and a trench coat is one of them. Synonymous with Fall, a trench coat is a classic coat that can be worn again and again, season after season, year after year.

Each season, the classic silhouette is updated to suit upcoming trends; cropped, long, textured, printed, metallic. I am a big believer of – if it ain’t broke… The classic design has been around since World War I and is still going strong.

Two qualities of my perfect trench coat are classic in design and beautifully tailored. My current favorite is the Harper Trench by Club Monaco. It features the classic double-breasted style with button closure and belted sleeve hem. The fit is strong but feminine and very flattering.

A trench coat is a versatile fashion piece that can be worn with both light and heavy layers. Rain or shine the trench coat is a classic and chic must-have.

Summer Savior: Macadamia Natural Oil Deep Repair Mask & Healing Oil Treatment

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The summer months call for plenty of fun in the sun and outdoor activities. Sun, salt, chlorine and wind exposure can take quite a toll on your hair. Keep your locks looking lush with Macadamia Natural Oil’s Deep Repair Masque & Healing Oil Treatment.

Macadamia Natural Oil is a professional hair care line that creates products to heal problematic hair using both macadamia oil and argan oil. Together, these oils replenish the hair’s natural emollients with the high content of essential fatty acids found naturally in both. The combined benefits help to nourish and protect the hair from harmful UV rays while repairing hair follicles for improved elasticity and shine.

The Deep Repair Masque is a revitalizing hair reconstructor for dry, damaged hair. Thick in consistency this masque feels extremely pampering and moisturizing. It smells amazing, like vacation and creates super soft, shiny, manageable hair.

The Healing Oil Treatment is a therapeutic oil that provides intense nourishment and frizz-free finish. It is lightweight, non-greasy and reduces drying time by 40-50%. It naturally provides UV protection which will extend the life of color treatments and reduce fading. This oil instantly and miraculously creates healthier-looking hair.

For an ultra-intense hydrating experience – mix both of these products together and leave-in hair overnight or during a day at the beach or pool.

Overnight Sensation: SACHAJUAN Over Night Hair Repair

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SACHAJUAN is a hair salon in Stockholm started by Sacha Mitic and Juan Rosenlind. Established as a premium brand in the Scandinavian market, the SACHAJUAN brand is now available all over the world.

SACHAJUAN Over Night Hair Repair is a luxurious treatment designed to repair hair as you sleep. Great for all hair types, this product promises to turn straw into gold, overnight.

This award winning intensive conditioner has the highest concentration of sea algae and mineral extracts, which SACHAJUAN call “Ocean Silk technology.” It is with this super formula that their overnight hair treatment fortifies hair, building elasticity & shine.

The ultra caring formula infuses moisture and restores essential minerals into your hair leaving it with a healthy shine. I like the option of using this item as a leave-in, rinse-out or styling product. It is a water-based gel that does not leave hair greasy or transfer to your pillowcase and it smells lovely and fresh, like newly laundered linens. This product is costly at $60.00, however I have noticed a difference in my hairs’ texture and shine, almost immediately.

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.

Matte Finish: Nars Pure Matte Lipsticks

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Nars Pure Matte Lipstick ~ Carthage

In lip products, matte textures tend to look more natural than shine and shimmer. This is especially true in photography and video. They also last longer on the lips and seldom feather.

Matte-textured lipsticks as well as long-wear can be incredibly drying on the lips. Nars Pure Matte Lipsticks contain mango butter that provide moisturizing properties to repair dryness and scaling. However, I would not constitute this as a moisturizing lip product, but increasingly better than others I have tested.

Nars Pure Matte Lipsticks are incredibly pigmented and provide amazing color pay-off. They are available in eleven shades from nude to full-bodied reds. Carthage is my current favorite, the most obnoxious hot pink.

Matte lipsticks are a great buy, the pigments are bright and bold and if a little shimmer or shine is needed, just add some gloss.

Tip: Avoid over-applying lipstick, the more you wear, the heavier it looks and the quicker it will wear off.

4th of July Beauty Essentials

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This 4th of July Weekend, less is more. When outside in the hot sun, the first thing to think about is sun-protection, the last thing to worry about is a makeup melt-down.

Opt for propducts that can be used as multi-taskers. A cheek tint is a great option, as it can be used on both the lips and cheeks for a bright flushed look. Or try SPF in a mineral-based powder that can be purchased in tinted shades to provide a sheer coverage.

To keep hair vibrant and protected, try a product that contains UV barriers, at well as a little shimmer. No time for a spray-tan, no problem… These gel-based sunscreens have added a bronzer to the formula providing a sun-kissed appearance while protecting the skin.

From waterproof mascara to a gorgeous bronzer compact, here are a few of my weekend beauty essentials you don’t want to leave home without.

La Prairie – Ultra Protection Stick SPF 40, Australian Gold – Spray Gel with Instant Bronzer SPF 30, Guerlain – Terracotta Mosaic Tan Enhancing Bronzer, Urban Decay – Ultra Waterproof Mascara, Becca – Beach Tint, Kerastase – Huile Celeste Shimmering Protective Mist, Colorescience – SPF 50 Brush

Dynamic Duo: Per-fekt Cheek Perfection Gel Duo

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Per-fekt Cheek Perfection Gel Duo

The Per-fekt Cheek Perfection Gel Duo uses two products to create radiant skin. The two different shades, Blushed and Bronzed, instantly enhance the cheeks appearance.

The formula consists of a gel-like texture that smooths beautifully over the skin to create a flawless canvas. Silicone-based, this silky gel reduces the appearance of redness and discoloration, enlarged pores, fine lines and shine. The formula also contains Niacin (Vitamin B3) which helps increase circulation, Caffeine, Vitamin A and E, antioxidants that protect from free radicals.

The Per-fekt Cheek Perfection Gel Duo provides both a bronzer and blush product. The colors of these products are quite intimidating. The bronzer is a dark green-based brown and the blusher, a deep rosy red. I prefer to mix the two products to create a warmer pink-flushed cheek. A drop of product is all that is needed for application, the gels are extremely pigmented but blend easily.

These products are not the simplest to apply, some precision and control is needed. I prefer applying the product with a brush because it renders more control. I use a dense contour brush (MAC 109), and stipple the product on the skin in circular motions.

The Cheek Perfection Duo can also be used on the body, try a little bronzer on the décollage for a sun-kissed appearance. When applied Per-fektly, these products are a great option for the cheeks, however, if not heedful it can end up a duo-disaster.

 

 

 

 

Sun Shade: MAC Suntints SPF 20 Liquid Lip Balm

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MAC SUNTINTS SPF 20 LIQUID LIP BALM

MAC Cosmetics newest collection, Surf, Baby! features three new Suntints. These liquid lip balms nourish and protect the lips from summer sun, wind and salt.

Suntints reveal a slight hint of color but produce incredible shine. It’s jelly-like consistency is thicker than most lip balms but provides long-lasting coverage.

As are most MAC lip products, Suntints have a light vanilla scent and taste. They feel sticky and slightly tacky on the lips but very moisturizing.

The new Surf, Baby! Suntints contain SPF 20 and are available in three colors, Lilt of Lilly (creamy pink/lilac shade), Pink Tinge (pink/gold shimmer shade) and Full of Grace (crisp watermelon shade).

These lip balms are packaged in a 10 ml striped squeeze-tube that resembles a retro surfboard. Suntints are a great option for protecting your lips this summer, all the while looking fabulous.