Shop With Style

You’d like to think of yourself as pretty hip, sometimes adventurous, and you definitely know a thing or two about makeup. So when you get invited to a party, you immediately think of all the wonderful, slightly daring, party eye makeup looks you want to try…but when the night comes, you settle for the safe-but-pretty brown smokey eye and marginally-brighter-than-you-normally-wear red lip. Well, we say no more! No more playing it safe! It’s a party…you should have party eye makeup to match!

• Glitter girl – The easiest, fastest, and most fun way to get the party look you’re after is to go for glitter! Party eye makeup is glitter eye makeup. And glitter eye makeup needs a good lid/shadow primer first (best picks: Urban Decay Primer Potion and Too Faced Glitter Glue). Apply to lid and allow to dry before patting on glitter shadow (pat…don’t sweep! It will go everywhere). There are many powder shadows with anywhere from a little to a lot of glitter, but if you want to pack a true punch, check out a glitter pigment (MAC has several amazing shades).
• Metallics – Metallic eyeshadow brings a lovely and highly reflective shimmer to the eye area. Here, too, a good primer is recommended before use, since this party is going to put your new party eye makeup through its paces. Metallic shadow can also be used along with matte shadows to create a sultry and edgy smokey eye.
• Big lashes – Another winning way to make a big statement is with big lashes! You can flaunt your own by first curling with your trusty ELF eyelash curler, applying lash primer, and then two coats of the best thickening mascara you can find (Dior Show or Maybelline The Falsies are both awesome for adding volume and length). Of course you can opt for false lashes too! There are literally hundreds on the market to choose from (some of the best picks for quality and cost are Eylure, Ardell, and Dolly Wink). Many are natural hair or mink eyelashes, and are reusable. All it takes to create a look is eyelash glue, and a little imagination!
• Liquid eye liners – The choices of liquid eyeliners and liquid eyeliner styles today can help create incredible and fun eye looks. And liquid liners aren’t just black and brown…there are bold and vivid brights, sparkling jewel tones, mega metallics, and even glitter! Line just the top lashes for a flirty pop, or line the entire eye for an exotic wow!

There are so many eye makeup options, you can’t help but step out of your comfort zone in the most beautiful and daring way. Remember, you’re going to a party or event… your makeup is not supposed to look like you’re just heading out to the grocery store or a regular ol’ day at the office. With a little courage, your look will no doubt win rave reviews from your friends…but, more importantly, your new party eye makeup will make you smile and give yourself a silent pat on the back every time you pass a mirror.

Here’s the thing about nude lipstick…everyone’s “nude” is different. The nude that’s perfect for your very fair-skinned best friend might leave you looking like you’ve been dead for 3 days. And your perfect nude might make your very fair-skinned best friend look as if she went on a Doritos binge and forgot to wipe her mouth. So finding your nude can be tricky. Luckily, we’ve got a few tips that should make the hunt a little less confusing.

• Texture – There are some options when it comes to texture: sheer, opaque, creamy, matte. If you try a sheer nude, for example, it will allow more of your own natural lip color to show through. Therefore, it’s more of a tinted lip balm than a nude lipstick. That means we’re looking for something opaque to make more of a statement. Next consider finish: creamy or matte? Matte is great when it comes to bold colors like red and fuchsia, but in a nude, matte can sometimes make your lips look chalky and dry. So start your search focusing on a creamy, opaque lipstick.
• Prep – Any lipstick looks better with smooth, exfoliated lips. In fact, you really can’t judge it at all if your lips are dry and cracked. And no, just putting lipstick on over your dry, cracked lips won’t make them any more moisturized. Lipstick doesn’t work that way…if it did, it would be called moisturizer. So before you begin your adventure to find the nude of your dreams, be sure your lips are ready for action. Exfoliate them with a simple mix of sugar and olive oil. Rub in gentle circles with your finger, wipe clean with a cloth and warm water. (Another tip for making any lipstick look better: apply a lip moisturizer beforehand. After you rub your lips together, wipe the extra moisturizer off, or else the lipstick you’re trying will be too gloopy).
• Tone – Know your skin tone. You might be fair, but are your undertones more blue, yellow, or neutral, more cool or warm? Likewise, you might have darker skin, but are your undertones more yellow, blue, or neutral? That’s the tricky bit. The easiest way to know for sure is to head to a makeup counter and get matched for a foundation (it’s free). The makeup person should be able to pinpoint your exact skintone and undertones, which is not only something you will need to know for your makeup in general, but it will also help to find a nude lipstick that’s perfect. Since all lipsticks have undertones (blue, yellow, neutral), knowing yours should give you a range of colors that will work with your skintone, so you might actually be able to find 2 or 3 perfect nudes for you right at the makeup counter.
• Get together – If you are by yourself in your local drugstore, telling one nude lipstick from another can be more challenging. Pulling one color at a time won’t really help much either, since all nudes pretty much look the same when examined on their own. What you need is a contrast. So, pick 2 or 3 colors you think might work for you and hold them up next to each other. This way, you can definitely see if one is more pinky, or one is more orangy, or one looks juuuuust right.
• Try – You know the old adage… if at first you don’t succeed, try, try again. Finding your perfect nude lipstick is not something you can do without trying on a good number of the contenders. Don’t be afraid to try (and wipe off) multiple possibilities. Hey, you’ve gotta kiss some frogs before you find the Prince, right?
• Add makeup – Any nude lip is going to look 1000 times better with a bit of makeup on the rest of your face, because even the best nude lipstick can completely wash you out if it’s all by itself. A good rule of thumb is that if you are emphasizing your lips, go with a lighter eye, and if you are emphasizing your eyes, go with a lighter lip. Since nude is about as light as you can go with a lip, try putting a little more “oompfh” into your eye makeup. If you would rather do a moderate eye and emphasize your cheeks, then definitely be sure to add bronzer, cheek color, and highlight to really make those cheek bones pop. (Another tip – if you have cool tones to your skin, you might find that a warm-toned cheek color looks amazing. And vice versa, for warm skin tones, a cool-toned cheek color will really balance your makeup out).

It’s finally Fall. Time for layering and bundling up, and that includes your head! Not only are hats a practical way to keep warm (they prevent heat from leaving your body through the top of your head), but they are one of the most effortless ways to add flair to your outfit. But, in case your chapeau-topped ensemble isn’t quite working, there are some tips that can take it from drab to fab in no time.

• Think Seasonal – First and foremost, Fall and Winter hats should be wool, cloth, or felt-type material. Save the straw hats for Spring and Summer, since the open weave of those materials can allow heat to escape your head.
• Find the Fit – Hats come in so many sizes and fits, it can literally make your head spin. Just because a hat looks cute, doesn’t mean that it will fit your head properly. Make sure when choosing a hat that you can actually try it on…that means if you’re buying online, you need to either A) make sure the sizes are listed and you know your hat size, or B) you are buying from a site you are familiar with, and you are familiar with their sizing. If it’s too big, it will do nothing but slide down into your eyes, or blow off in a gust of wind. If it’s too tight…well…it will just look plain silly.
• Consider Hair Length – Wearing a hat can change the whole look of your face, especially when taking into account your hair length. You will often find that close-fitting hats with less material compliment shorter hair, while larger, wide-brimmed hats look great on longer-length hair… but as with most things, you’ve got to experiment to see what works.
• Consider Hair Style – If your hair is long enough to style, you have more options than long-and-loose. You can opt for a messy low bun at the back or side, or a loose braid, also at the back or side. Again, get in there and experiment!
• Consider Your Outfit – Sometimes a hat can clash with what you’re wearing, so it’s important to take into consideration the style of your outfit. A loose beret or knit hat looks sharp with a body con shirt and skinny jeans or trousers. Boho styles are really complimented by floppy, wide-brimmed hats. And something sleek and tailored would be well suited to a close-fitting cloche style.
• Color – Since it is Fall, with Winter on the way, you might as well try to embrace and incorporate some of the colors of the season. Yes, black is a classic, as is grey, and they can usually go with anything, but be bold and look for berries, rust colored, and dusky-hued varieties.
• Give it Your Style – As with so many points above, it all comes down to experimentation. If you feel like adding a brooch or feather to a hat…do it. Make it yours. You will ultimately (hopefully) own whatever look you rock, so rock it with confidence!