photo credit: έŁέ¢τяøиί¢ έγέ

No “Makeup Monday” or “Wearable Wednesday” posts this week? What’s up with that?

Don’t worry, I’ve got some great content coming up for you – I’ve just been busy with extra biz stuff and I don’t have more than one brain or 2 extra hands to type it all out (not that I’d want the extra digits…I mean, how would all my clothes fit?). I’ll get it out for ya soon and share the girly topic love :)

Meanwhile – what are you up to! Tweet me or Comment below!
Also share the blog love by checking out the posts from my fellow awesome bloggers on my Blogroll like Alyson Is Neat or True Queen!

photo credit: najjie

Do you slick on the gloss for a glamorous pout or go for the creamy stick of lipcolor?

Me? On a desert island I totally have lipgloss on hand.

Aside from that…I’m a layer girl and I use both lipstick and lipcolor daily. Why? Well a few beautiful reasons:

Dimensional Color Applying a coat of lipstick, a shimmery lipgloss highlighter, and then full coat of clear or slightly tinted gives lips glamorous dimension. The colors enhance each other and make it more a custom look overall. You can have a lot of fun mixing and matching various lipglosses with lipsticks for different looks too!

Staying Power Pout
Then there’s the fact that you’ve got more than one layer of color making it last longer throughout the day. Just don’t mash your face into a sandwich and those lips will look lush for hours and hours. If you use a lip pencil to start then you can make that color last even longer!

Moisturizing Color
I live in a desert and my skin already has the tendency for dryness so if I want my color to not look scaly after the first half hour the layer of gloss is a must. This could also be the case for you girls in the dry Midwest, or during dry seasons such as winter and summer. I’ve also found lipgloss alone has a tendency to lose it’s own color (if it’s a tint) really quickly so glossing over the thicker color of a lipstick keeps it moist & colorful.

So it’s really not much of a contest if you think about it – Use both and you’ll maximize your beauty!

Got some favorite lip products you can’t live without? Tell me about it :) My current stockpile includes an assortment of Maybelline Lip Polish glosses – cheap, pretty and complimentary. Try them out yourself and let me know what your current favorites are.

photo credit: filtran
Whether you are an elegant bronzed goddess or a freckled little pixie this is the season for some skin and body skimming silhouettes. How do ya work your style without breaking into a huge sweat with options and trends? Fret ye not! I Got some tips for you to work your own summer style this year!

Choosing Color
Now is the season where your color choices can brighten into bolder hues like aqua, tangerine, tomato red, etc. Though the colors are truer and more saturated there is a lot to choose from (a relief to hear for those of us who have a damnable time wearing summer colors such as orange and yellow). This is also a time when warm neutrals really shine such as tan, bronze, creamy beige, or soft sandstone. Neutrals can be your ticket to summer sophistication, trust me! Bright colors are fun and flirty but neutrals really smolder. Feel free to mix and match bold color with neutral hues such as dressy brown shorts with a turquoise (the “color of the year” for 2010) tank top.

*Speaking of neutrals you might want to get your hands on your own version of the “Little White Dress” and pair it with stylish accessories such as a black jacket like Zoe Saldana wears here, funky beaded necklaces, or even denim. It’s a great fashion staple that transitions beautifully from Spring to Summer.

I’m a fan of getting inspiration from the surrounding environment when I choose color. Choosing from warm sunny scenes is what you’re looking for with this method. Desert palettes can include shades of orange, bright blue, light green, & stony beige. Colors like sky blue and soft gold evoke an easy breezy day at the beach. You can even go all out with tropical colors – bright pink, emerald green, white, purple, yellow, etc. Or perhaps you can take your que from the romance of a summer sunset with a sensual mix of blushing pinks, purples, and gold.

Classic, Funky, Sweet, or Elegant?
Trends abound during this time so it’s not all short shorts and tees. How you want to play out your style is entirely up to you. You could go classic and crisp like Jackie O. You could get your beach goddess on with flowing strappy gowns in golden earth tones. Or pile on the chunky beads and bangles for a funky exotic look.

One of the trends I’m liking this year is Western Wear – giving me an excuse to put my cowboy hat on every other day! I’ll pair it with items such as a flowing white skirt, to glittery chandelier earrings, to jeans and a well loved and form fitting graphic tee. You could go sweet with this look by wearing prairie skirts & blouses, or try going rugged and a little rock & roll with sand blasted jeans and suede.

Hair, Makeup, and All the Lovely Details
Around this time beach babes all over are gettin their highlight on. Which is just fine – the lighter days treat lighter locks much easier than dark shades. If you happen to color your hair red consider using a spray in conditioner with a sun screen to protect it during times you’re out in the sun. Otherwise the rays will suck out the color in no time. Also consider incorporating some fashionable hats to keep your color fresh for as long as possible.

I’m going to rave about mineral makeup again – I can’t help myself. This is a time where I really really appreciate the qualities of a good mineral foundation. This stuff is less likely to ooze off your face during sweaty moments. And it feels so wonderfully weightless! An added benefit (god, I could totally go on and on actually) is its water resistance so take note you water babies.

This is a great time to pile on your favorite bling & bangles. Wear dripping pendants and chains with camisoles and shorts. Stack up those bracelets! Whatever you do with your jewels mix it up and don’t get too matchy matchy (that looks a bit old and frumpy).

So what are you excited to wear this Summer? Let me know! And feel free to share your own style tips in the comments below.

Happy Styling!

photo credit: jamelah

Want to know how to get that stylish look that no one else but YOU can pull off? Of course you do! Stay tuned and I’ll tell you how each Wednesday ;)

Happy Styling!

photo credit: Jacklyn DL

Probably more than any other type of makeup, how you work your foundation can make or break your beauty look. Here’s some tips for getting it right.

DO’s
-Do spend a little extra on a good foundation – lipsticks come and go but foundation should be high quality, make you look fabulous, and last as long as possible.
-Do check ingredients – just because it says “Oil Free” doesn’t necessarily mean it is completely free of oil unfortunately.
-Do read reviews, check out recommendations, and ask the pro’s at the makeup counter for advice and assistance in getting the right tone.
-Do let your moisturizer soak in before applying – that way it won’t get all streaky.
-Do apply mineral foundation to your eyelids to prevent your eye shadow from creasing.

DON’TS
-Don’t forget to blend, blend, blend! This includes passed your jawline and along your neck so you don’t get that nasty tide mark.
-Don’t apply foundation to your hand when shopping for the right shade. Your hands are rarely the same color as your face. Check directly on your face instead.
-Don’t just check your makeup in bathroom mirror light & go – bite the bullet and look at your made up face in NATURAL LIGHT so you don’t end up looking a fool.
-Don’t let product and bacteria build up on your brushes – wash them out regularly especially if you have a tendency to break out.
-Don’t take it all too seriously – educate yourself but have fun with it.

Alright, hope that helps you stay beautiful ;) Got any beauty questions or tips? Feel free to share them in the comments below!

Happy Pretty Making!

Ok kids! First I want to apologize for my lack of posting the last week or so. Things are busy here in the really real world and I’m making some changes. Rest assured there is still awesomeness to be had here (& elsewhere with the 365daygirl project) and I LOVE for you to be a part of it.

So today, with this #makeupmonday I want to ask you a couple things :) If you will indulge me. That means it’s quiz time…er poll taking time! Woot! So please take a minute (or less actually) and check off your answers below.

Thank you so much for answering and commenting – it really helps me make this blog & the 365daygirl project good for you and an enjoyable experience :) Keep your eye out for the changes and more great content to come :)

Keep it Really Real!

Let me take a moment to get a little personal…

I used to be pathetic at doing my makeup.

Absolutely.

Totally,

And stupidly inept at applying cosmetics to my face in a beautiful and pleasing way. (*Here’s an interesting fact: the word “cosmetics” comes from the Greek word for “order”. Which was totally antithetical to my first newbie designs of course :P)

But I still loved playing with it and would do so every chance I got. I blame this fascination with the magic of makeup on my dad. Yes, my dad. No, he didn’t dress in drag nor was he a circus freak. He just loved Halloween…and theatre :) And I loved watching him transform.

Meanwhile my mother just used the standard neutral toned, basic cover up and color of a busy working woman. Concealer, brown brow pencil, that sort of thing. Not particularly imaginative but functional and easy to put on everyday.

My dad’s makeup was “special” so he would put it high up on a shelf in my parents bedroom closet. Meanwhile my mother’s daily beauty products were easily pilfered just by going into the bathroom and rummaging through cupboards. So being the enterprising pre-glamorgoddess girl I was I snatched up her lipstick and pencils and commenced to make a very bad attempt at “drawing” beauty on myself before the living room mirror.

A minute later my dad spotted this cosmetic horror and yelled at me, saying “Little girls aren’t supposed to wear makeup!”

He was right…mostly cause I made a huge mess of my face.

I kept at it though – and even contemplated a career of makeup artistry. Would that I wasn’t also simultaneously obsessed with other things (travel, socializing, fashion, writing, spazzing out) I just might have made that a reality. As it is I’ve made a nice pastime out of fantasy makeup and even made a few lovely tweaks to my daily makeup routine.

What’s my point here? Have fun with your designs – explore color, shapes, lines, etc. Make it a fun ritual for expressing your personality while also enhancing your natural features. With that sense of play and experimentation you will enhance your learning and even get to know your own unique beauty quickly and easily :)

So, what’s your makeup story? Let me know – I’d love to hear it ;)

Review sites and girl networks are another facet of social media that are super helpful – especially for us girls that grew up without sisters and mom’s that were too busy working to show us a thing or two about buying great beauty products. Bellasugar is one of my favorite communities for product reviews and it’s also a wellspring of information. And like my little bubbles in the screen capture photo say it’s incredibly easy to connect with your Facebook account.

Unlike beauty blogs I find these kind of sites a more dynamic place to find expert information as well as great interaction with other girls. *See below…and notice my total n00bness “Member” status next to the super hot chick’s “Platinum” and “Silver”….I’ll work on it.

BTW – there’s also Popsugar, Fabsugar, Tresugar – which have all sorts of info, articles, and goodies about celebrity gossip, fashion & style, and sex & dating! Really an awesome network so get on there and join in on the beautiful conversation!

That’s all for today and ladies sorry for the lateness in posting! Blame it on Twitter ;)