Shop With Style

In this day and age, when everything in fashion and the media seems to be geared towards slim and skinny models, it can be difficult for curvy girls to find and style clothes that fit and flatter. Of course it’s easy to say that every woman’s shape is beautiful, but if that woman doesn’t feel beautiful, no outfit will work, no matter how much it costs. Luckily though, there are some tips and tricks you curvy girls can use that will amp up not only your outfits, but your confidence!

• Don’t try to hide your shape – You may think that the more covered you are, the more you can hide your shape, and therefore, the better you will look. But nope. In fact, it’s pretty much the opposite. Sure, if you are self-conscious about an area, you can keep it covered, but be careful not to hide away in too much fabric. That will do little more than make you look sloppy and, often times, even bigger than you actually are.
• Invest in undergarments – If you don’t already know, shapewear can smooth out a multitude of jiggly bits. But don’t try to squeeze into something three sizes too small for you thinking it will make you look skinnier. Not only will you be horribly uncomfortable, but you will only end up pushing the fat from one place to another, creating rolls you didn’t intend on. Instead, find shapewear that fits, smoothing out areas that are in need. And be sure to invest in a good bra too! That can make a tremendous difference in how your clothes actually look and fit. Imagine how much better you will look if your boobs aren’t down at your waist! But please don’t guess your size. Many stores offer free bra sizing, so take advantage of it!
• Try on, try on, try on – You may think you’re a certain size…but you almost certainly won’t be that size in every That’s why it’s important to try on everything. Don’t shy away from sizes because you think it’s too big, and don’t shy away from sizes thinking it’s too small and will never fit you. SIZE…IS…JUST…A…NUMBER.
• Dress your shape – Curvy girls come in all different shapes and sizes. Once you know what shape you are, you will know what pieces will flatter you the most. There are loads of shape guides online to use as a reference. Whether you’re a triangle, rectangle, pear, hourglass, inverted triangle, or oval, dressing to your shape is key to looking your best!
• Get a tailor – Let’s say you found a fab button-down top that actually fits around your boobs…no gaping around the buttons…but the rest of the top is waaaay too big. Your first instinct may be to put it back on the rack, but you’d be making a mistake and missing out on a great wardrobe staple piece. One of the things you will need to accept as a curvy girl is that a lot of clothing won’t fit you perfectly right off the rack. That’s no excuse for wearing ill-fitting clothes though! The answer is to take those important pieces to a tailor. It can make all the difference between looking sloppy and looking sensational!

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 easy to get into a rut with wearing jewelry. Day in, day out, it’s sometimes just easier to keep the same pieces on…or off… whichever the case may be. Either way, your style can begin to suffer, and you can quickly get bored with accessorizing. That’s the last thing we want to happen! You’ve got so much fabulousness inside you ready to come out…and these suggestions will help to get your creative ideas flowing again!

• Geometric – Geometric shapes are huge right now, and there are lots of options out there. Triangles, pyramids, even a chunky plain band can look modern and geometrical. You can also arrange the rings by thinking geometrically, by keeping the larger rings to your pointer, thumb, and pinky finger, while wearing thinner rings on your middle and ring fingers. Think symmetry and balance.
• Colored stones – Not necessarily working off of colors in your outfit (although that would look fierce too) another fresh way to wear rings is to pile on the color. Think gemstones, pearls, even turquoise (which is another massive trend right now). Different sizes and shapes and hues of the same color. Talk about a statement!
• One color metal – This is one of the fastest and easiest ways to make an impact with your accessories…but we’re not talking just one or two rings. No way! For this trick to wow you’ve got to wear multiple pieces, varying sizes and shapes, but all one color metal. Yellow gold, rose gold, copper, silver…your choice. And if you want to double up on the stylishness, pair yellow and rose gold or copper with clothes in warm, Fall hues (brown, rust, tan)…and pair cooler colored clothes (black, grey, white) with silver, gunmetal, or black tungsten or titanium.
• Mixed metal – In a similar idea as the above, this look involves mixing rings of varying shapes and sizes in differing finishes… shiny and brushed, silver, yellow and rose gold hues. Make sure you incorporate both thick and thin rings so that the difference in texture and finish can really stand out!
• Mad for midis – Yes, another definite trend are midi rings. Most midis are quite thin, but there are so many shapes and sizes, some open, some connected to another ring worn further up the finger. Layer them together, wear them on every finger, or every other finger. The more you wear, the bigger the statement.
• Stacked – Another one of the most flattering and fashionable ways to accessorize with rings is to stack them. You can even mix bold and modern with delicate and feminine designs. Also, wearing multiples of thin rings stacked together is a fab way to layer interest into your look without it being overpowering.