Shop With Style

The grass is always greener on the other side, right? Unfortunately, this also often applies to how we view our own pear-shaped figure. Someone else’s figure is better… and ours is lacking, difficult to dress, makes us look horrible. Well, it’s not that the grass is greener on the other side…it’s that the grass is greener where you water it! That means you need to start embracing your pear shape (which, by the way, is the most common female body type), learning to dress it properly, and yes, finally learning to love it. And we’ve got at least one of those covered in these tips to dressing a pear shaped figure (the rest is up to you)!

What identifies a pear-shaped figure?  Usually, pear-shaped figures have wider hips and thighs, narrower shoulders, wider bottoms, and smaller busts. Ideally, your clothing should all be aimed at taking attention away from your hips, and lengthening your silhouette.

Tops: Here’s where the focus needs to be…on your top. To be more specific, that means well-fitting tops, like button-down shirts and cardigans. Also look for shirts with embellished necklines, like ruffles, details, and bling. This way, the eye will be drawn up to the smallest part of your body.

Bottoms: Pants should be structured. Look for those that fit your natural waist, skim the hips and thighs, and have wide hems. Be sure to skip pants with embellishments, like big front or side pockets, bling, or embroidery.

Dresses: A-lines, full skirts, and flowy wrap dresses that cinch at your waist will be your best friends!

Shoes: Of course, heels will always be a plus for elongating your silhouette, but in general, even if flats are called for, try to look for shoes with pointed toes and low vamps (the “upper” part of the shoe that covers where the toes connect to the foot).

The Big 3: Jackets, shoulders, and accessories. These three will go a long way for camouflaging your hips while drawing attention to some of your best assets! Jackets can add loads of embellishment (zippers, snaps, buttons, pockets, etc.) which will draw the eye upward…just make sure the jackets don’t go lower than your waist! Your shoulders, being narrow, can also help to draw the attention above your hips, so look for spaghetti, asymmetrical, and halter tops. And you can’t forget bling! Necklaces of all types will work, just try not to go for those that are too long. Earrings, too, can help to keep the attention focused at your face, neck, and shoulders.

Sure, your green eyes are naturally stunning, but that doesn’t mean you necessarily feel comfortable going without eye makeup altogether. To have the best of both worlds, why don’t you experiment with some natural makeup looks? To gather some inspiration, Google images of some celebrities with green eyes and natural makeup. And once you’ve gotten those creative juices flowing, it’s time to take a try for yourself!

Primer – The first step in creating both bold and natural makeup looks is to start with lid primer. Lid primer (like bareMinerals Prime Time Brightening Eyelid Primer) will give you an even canvas, and will also cut down on your need to add tons of eye products to cover blotchy coloring. Apply to entire lid, from lashes to brow and blend. You can also run a little under your lower lash line and blend.

Shadow – If you’re after natural looking makeup tips, you should know what we’re going to recommend: natural, subtly hued shadow colors. Think light taupes, tans, peaches, and crèmes. Sweep  a bone, vanilla, or light peach shade onto your lid, from lashes to crease. For a touch of definition, blend a matte tan, light matte gray, or matte taupe through the crease and slightly above it, then out into the outer V, and run some along your lower lashes as well. Remember, your goal is to look natural, not naked, so a little bit of muted shadow is perfect. A lovely all-inclusive kit is the Lancome Hypnose Star Eye Shadow Palette in Color ST3 Terre d’Ivoire.

Liner – The key to using eyeliner in natural makeup looks is that there should be no harsh lines. Some people use a dark brown or gray shadow as liner, while some opt to smudge a soft kohl pencil along the upper and lower lashes. Unless your skin coloring is very dark, try to avoid using black as a liner color. Stick to browns, grays, and plums, and always smudge. A great one to try is the bareMinerals Round The Clock Waterproof Eyeliner. It’s a waterproof formula, but it goes on smoothly and blends like a dream.

Brows – Well groomed brows are one of the most important factors in natural makeup looks. Without them, your face loses all context and balance. Fill them in with a shadow no darker than one shade beyond your hair color, and use a brow wand (basically a bare mascara wand) to soften your strokes after applying product. A pencil can be used here, but it’s very easy to go too dark with a pencil. A pencil can also tend to make the brows appear too “done.” Remember, you’re going for natural. If you are unsure of your best eyebrow shape, you can visit a salon for professional grooming. Or, you can invest in a brow kit (we love Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Powder Duo) and then take to the Web. There are thousands of valuable tutorials online that will help show you the basics of shaping your brows beautifully!

Mascara – When adding mascara to a natural look, be sure not to pile on the product; a Twiggy-esque tarantula eye won’t exactly be considered “natural.” Also, consider not reaching for the blackest-black mascara you can find. Blondes and light redheads do well with brown mascara, while brunettes and darker redheads can use a soft black. For darker hair and skin, go for a dark black mascara, but try not to over-apply. One of our favorite mascaras also just happens to be one of the best natural mascaras: Physician’s Formula Organic Wear. The formula goes on smoothly, and it is 100% organic and safe for your peepers! We love that!

Contrary to popular belief, effective natural makeup looks can take at least a little bit of effort. Your goal is to highlight and accentuate your natural, beautiful features, while camouflaging imperfections. With the right products and the right application, you will make “natural” look effortless!

Today we are going to look at the best ways to dress a rectangle body shape. If you are a rectangle you should be very pleased as you are one of the easier body types, with many different styles suiting you or fitting you well. A rectangle body shape tends to have no defined waist with hips do tend to have a similar width to the shoulders. Rectangles also do not have a lot of curves, with a bust that is small or average and your bottom tends to be flat. Many rectangles tend to gain weight around their tummies, especially after the menopause. You will want to create curves and define your waist as a rectangle. If you have a rectangle body shape you will want to avoid shapeless clothes as you will want to be creating the illusion of curves, therefore anything shapeless will make you look shapeless overall, and to this end you will also want to avoid straight dresses such as tunics.

What to wear on top?
When selecting a dress you will want to go for a shift dressor an empire line as these will suit you rectangle body shape the best and when selecting either a dress or a top you will want to select block colors. When selecting items to wear on top you will want to choose one’s which define your waist and tailored jackets and coats which are belted at the waist will help to create the illusion of curves. Choose a good bra to define your bust and medium to high neckline tops will help to flatter your body shape, especially if you have a smaller bust. Tops which a detailed neckline, pockets or frills will create the illusion of a large bust, as do halter necked tops.
What to wear on the bottom?
If you are looking for a skirt, select an A-line skirt, as these will pull in at the waist before flaring out, creating the illusion of a small waist and curvier hips. Rectangles will want to create the illusion of curves so a skirt of this style is perfect for rectangular body shapes. You will suit any style of jeans or trousers but something such as flared jeans will look particularly great and for shoes something curved with a rounded toe will suit you best, think of ballerina flats or a pair of court shoes or rounded toe boots, either flat or heeled.