Make-up 09 (Lips)

Like the rest of the face, the lips are pretty and soft.  There are two ways you could go this spring to complete your look.  The first look is a berry stained lip.  Almost like you've eaten a cherry juice pop.  If you go this route add a hint of shine.  We don't want to see you coming from a mile away, so use the shine sparenly.  The lips should look healthy and moisturized.  Not like rudolph's nose!  Add a drop of shine to your middle finger, then pat along the lips.  You'll look amazing.

The second option is a neutral lip.  The color can go from a very soft pink neutral, to a beige neutral.  Both are really pretty, but it depends on your skin color.  Again you want to add a little shine.  Especially with the neutral lip.  Sometimes the neutral lip looks chalky and goth like.  Not pretty.  Adding the moisture gives you softness.

The brand I like for the stain is NARS lip stain.  NARS also makes a good lip gloss in a jar.  For the neutral lip I like Kevin Aucoin,  Tajanberry.  It's a grayish Pink (pretty not pastey).  Also MAC Viva Glam V.  It's a very soft pink.  You can use any type of shine on these colors as long as the shine is clear or a beige color.  I like MAC pure gloss in Wildly Lush.

Now you girls are ready for the spring.  Own your look and add your style!

Finding the perfect jean!

I don't know about you guys, but I'm always trying to find the perfect jean.  What's the perfect jean,  you ask...it's that one pair of pants that make us look like Giselle.  Well not really, but you know what I mean!  It's the never ending, daunting task of finding the perfect fabric, with the perfect wash, with the perfect cut.  Every time we buy a new pair of jeans, we think we've found the one.  But inevitably after a wear or two we're right back  where we started from, looking for the perfect pair.

Well girls I've found a pair that I think you'll like.  They've been on the market a little while now, but I've just recently tried them out.  They're made by the original designers of 7 jeans.  And we all remember how great our first generation 7's were.  They are....Rich and Skinny jeans.  The top 2 styles I like are the "sleek" jean, and the "super skinny" jean.  Both sound scary, but trust me girls, the fit is amazing and very flattering.  

You see many different celebrities wearing these jeans.  From Blake Lively, to Hillary Duff, to Jessica Alba.  All these girls have different body types, and they all look great in them.  I know what you're thinking, "they already have perfect bodies"...Well maybe so maybe no, either way go out and try a pair on and see what you think.  Hopefully you'll love them as much as I do.  Until the next obsession!

Make-up 09 (Face)

Okay girls...So we've covered  the eyes.  Let's move down to the face.  Spring is all about the fresh face.  And we all know how I feel about that...I LOVE IT!  I think that there's nothing prettier than a fresh faced woman.  But again, there are things that we need to do to achieve this look.

Prepping your face is really important.  Starting with a clean, well moisturized face is key.  And please don't forget to exfoliate.  There's nothing less attractive than crusty old skin.  Pick a moisturizer that doesn't leave you shinny.  This can be difficult because most of us produce oil.  So in that case pick a sun block that can double as a moisturizer.  I really like neutrogena products.  They are totally inexpensive and their products do the job beautifully.  Once we're done prepping, we can start to apply.

If you tend to have blotchy skin try a tinted moisturizer.  This will even out your color and give you a clean canvas.  I really like a water canvas made by Vincent Longo.  It's a water based product that does not make you look like you had a fight with the flour.  They make a primer as well as color for the cheek bones.  I recommend putting the primer on first (with a foundation brush), then the color.  This will give you a dewy, youthful glow to your skin.  Keep the color fresh.  In the tones of pinks and berries.  Like we just came in from the outdoors.  

Apply the color to the apples of the cheeks.  (Where are the apples?  Smile, it's the bulging skin on the outside of your nose)  Make sure you use a gentle hand.  You don't want to look like you've been hit with a baseball and that's why you came in from the outdoors!  Remember girls it's about seeing a youthful glow, not a face full of cake.

Make-up 09 (eyes)

All the spring make-up trends are starting to surface in our mags.  But girls, use caution.  Even though the colors and techniques are more flattering than not, if we follow what they advise, we might end up looking like a street walker.  So let's try to find what works for us.  

We've already covered the full brow.  With that as our starting point, lets move down to the eyes.  Many make-up artists are showing false eyelashes.  I know they look great in pictures, but let's be realistic.  I don't think any of us have the time or patience to sit in front of the mirror with what looks like a dead spider in one hand, and a bottle of glue in the other.  Finding a good mascara can solve this problem.  I tend to like wands that are fuller rather than skinny.  You want your lashes to look full and fan like.  I think that the thinner the wand, the more your eyelashes stick together.  

My favorite mascara's are:

• Diorshow by Christian Dior (the wand is huge)
• Chanel Exceptionnel (it has intense volume and curl, and my personal fave)
• YSl Volume Effet Faux Cils (also comes in different colors depending on your eye color)
• and last but not least, the trusted Lancome Hypnose
  

Once you're done with the mascara, I suggest highlighting your brow bone.  This not only will define your eyebrow, but it will make your eyes pop.  Hands down the best highlighter belongs to Anastasia.  She's made a highlighter that is easy to use and looks amazing.  

My favorite colors are:

• Eyelights Matte Apricot
• Eyelights Chiffon Shimmer

Remember to consider your eye and hair color when choosing your highlighter.  You want light to reflect off the eyebrow.  You don't want to see color.  Be sassy, be classy!

Spring Awakening

Even though we're in the dead of winter, it's time to start thinking of what's ahead.  Longer days, warmer nights and outdoor bbq's with friends and family.  Can't you smell that spring is in the air?  Well not really, but we can start thinking about what we need for the season ahead.  Last year the maxi dress made a huge impact.  The laid back, polished look was really appealing and many different body types look great in the relaxed style.  

I think spring will bring on more of the same.  But with a little twist.  Last september I started seeing really cute jersey jump suits.  They're just as laid back and polished as the maxi dress, but a little more updated.  Don't worry... you can still get away with wearing the long, column dress.  But if you're looking to add a new updated piece, the jump suit is the way to go.

Pair up the suit with flip flops for during the day, and a cute heel for at night.  Keeping your hair and make-up simple and relaxed will complete this casual, but super cute look.  Have fun and enjoy the outdoors.

Classic beauty

Okay girls...I'm obsessing about clean, fresh face beauty.  There's something appealing about clean, make-up free skin, nude lips and mildly disheveled hair.  But lets face it, as low maintenence as this look looks, it takes just as much effort as the polished uptown girl (Tinsley Mortimer).   The secret to achieving this look is taking the time to groom yourself regularly with consistent appointments.  I wish I could tell you, you can jump out of bed and go, but in doing that, you might just be running out the door with a rats nest on top of your head.

The 5 most important appointments are...

• Hair:  Find a  hairdresser you can trust.  Wether it's keeping your hair long with layers or short and sassy, up keep is really important (Chris McMillan Salon, Neil George Salon and The Andy LeCompte salon are my personal faves)
  
• Eyebrows:  Keep them groomed and well shaped
• Skin:  Find a good dermatologist that will prescribe a retnoid and getting rid of brown spots is a must
• Teeth: Keep yourself current with your cleaning appointments, and try bleach if you tend to be on the yellow side
• Last but not least, make an appointment with a make-up artist.  Work with different colors to achieve that natural flush in the cheeks and lips
  

Just remember to be consistent.  Try not to let to much time lapse in between all your appointments.  Good luck and enjoy your gorgeous self.

Eyebrows

Okay girls, put down your tweezers, 2009 is all about the fuller brow. Fuller brows will give you a youthful look and frame your eyes and face. I know it's tempting to keep tweezing. It seems like the more we stare at ourselves in the mirror, the more our eyes cross and we keep tweezing. 

Keep them full, but shaped. Going to a professional first would be my recommendation, and maybe there after once every 2 months. You'll have to keep them clean in between, but just pluck the stragglers. Don't touch the shape. 

I highly recommend the Anastasia salon in Beverly Hills. Although Anastasia is booked till March, try Alex. Every girl has been personally trained by Anastasia, so really you can't go wrong with any of them. But alex is who I go to when Anastasia is away. Good luck!!

Happy New Year!

Out with the old, in with the new...2008 was a hard year for most people. So our cash flow might be running on low for a little while. It's time to re-evaluate what's important and what really makes us happy on the inside. Once we like ourselves and are happy (i mean really happy) not superficially happy, everything else is icing. That's enough philosophizing! 

Start making a list on where you would like your style to go. Are you more the put-together-head-to-toe girl, or are you the less high maintenance but doesn't-give-up-on-individual-style-girl. Neither one is better than the other, but your approaches to buying and figuring out where you want to go is different. When you're looking through the pages of Vogue, InStyle or even US magazine, start ripping out looks and celebrities you are drawn to. Even though those clothes and accessories are a little more than maybe you would like to spend, you can start collecting key pieces and start building your closet wardrobe. 

I always get the question, "how do I know what's a key piece"? A key piece is something that can always pull a look together. Like a great coat (vintage or new), a multi strand pearl necklace, an amazing pair of shoes or handbag. Accessories are the easiest pieces to keep "key." It's because fashion changes quickly, that if you try to keep up with it you'll probably hit bankruptcy pretty quickly. Keep silhouettes simple but with a pop of trendy. If you're dressing trendy head to toe, you'll be disappointed the next month. Fashion will have already moved on. If you keep it too simple, sometimes you may look dowdy or boring. So it's finding the balance within the two. 

Just look inside and don't be afraid to pull it out of you. Take you're time in finding who you are. My dad always says, "figure out who you are and dress accordingly".