I'm back with the third installment of my Makeup Trends & Fall Fashion Series with www.fake-leather.com. To reiterate what I explained in the first post, I teamed up with Adriana of Fake-Leather.com (my absolute favorite fashion blog) and asked her if she would create fall outfits in this season's hottest colors to match my makeup eye-looks that would do the same. She agreed and together we created the five killer makeup & fashion combos - this is just one of them. Let's get to it!

Fall is all about being fashion forward, and this look is definitely for people who like to turn heads and start trends. Tangerine Tango, a bright bold orange, is the #1 Color of 2012 and the best way to make it pop is to pair it with a contrasting color like Olympian Blue. Together they create a killer combo that’s sure to catch everyone’s attention, especially if you’re blessed with blue eyes. The bright blue of Olympian compliments the natural tones of blue eyes while the bold orange of Tangerine Tango contrasts them – creating a dynamic duo that’s perfect for adding instant impact. 

In this look I started with a neutral cut crease, then added a fiery wash of orange just above the outer-v. When I was happy with the effect, I added an eye-catching pop of blue for the inner corner and slowly blended it out until it met up with the orange of my outer-v. Be aware when blending these two colors that you don’t overdo it. Because they exist at opposite ends of the color wheel, too much blending will create a messy muddy brown – and there’s nothing cutting-edge about that! Finally, avoid any color on the middle of the lid. Skipping color on the lid shows you don’t give a damn about beauty rules, and that’s how the best trendsetters are born!

    

Looking to add some of these colors to you kit? Here are two recommendations of great shadows from amazing indie companies that I used for the above look: Mingles ($6.00) by Glamour Doll Eyes & Tangerine ($1.99) by The Body Needs. Both are loose pigments which means they can be applied both dry or wet for extra pigment payoff. 

Here's Adriana's interpretation of the color combo. What I love about this outfit is she took two colors that are bright & bold and made them totally appropriate for school and/or work. It's all about balance!  She took a bright, busy shirt like this floral print from Zara that reads a bit mature and paired it with some basic, color blocked pieces like navy pants, orange nails & teal accessories (bag & belt) that keep it trendy and young. This outfit definitely shows how you can be all business but still totally on trend at the same time. You don't have to always be in white button ups and black pants to look polished & professional. Have fun with color this fall!

Be sure to check out Adriana's other outfits by clicking these links:

Blog | LookBook | FaceBook 

Thanks for checking out my post, I hope you enjoyed it. Stay tuned for more fall fashion inspired posts!

I'm back with another tutorial and the second installment of my Makeup Trends & Fall Fashion Series with www.fake-leather.com To reiterate what I explained in the first post, I teamed up with Adriana of Fake-Leather.com (my absolute favorite fashion blog) and asked her if she would create fall outfits in this season's hottest colors to match my makeup eye-looks that would do the same. She agreed and together we created the five killer makeup & fashion combos - this is just one of them. Let's get to it!

Every fall without fail we see a a switch from summer's airy, easy makeup to the dark and sexy smoked out looks of fall and winter. Let's face it - the smokey eye is here to stay! But just because it's an age-old look doesn't mean you can't update it by infusing it with some of the season's favorite colors for Fall/Winter 2012; Titanium & Ultramarine. Start off by putting a grey/silver color all over your lid (recommendations for eye-shadows after the look), then blend it out into a beautiful blue green color. This unexpected mix of colors adds instant allure to the traditional smokey eye while still staying true to timeless fall trends. For an extra eye-catching effect, take some silver glitter and pat it all over the lid to enhance the grey undertones of your eyeshadow base and brighten up an otherwise dark look. This look is great for an evening out and even better because it takes only minutes to complete. Don't believe me? Check ou the tutorial later on in the post and see just how quick and simple this super smokey look is!

My recommendations for a great Titanium Silver & Ultramarine Green are Galaxy and Sea Mist both $5.99 by Makeup Geek. I used these two shadows in the creation of my look and you can see them in action in the tutorial I created for this look.

Here's Adriana's interpretation of the color combo. I love how she took shorts, an item usually reserved for spring and summer, and worked them into a fall outfit by doing them in a rich color and fabric, then kept the rest of the outfit appropriate for the season in that sickening gunmetal grey jacket which I WANT SO BAD! Don't you love it??

Be sure to check out Adriana's other outfits by clicking these links:

Blog | LookBook | FaceBook 

Thanks for checking out my post, I hope you enjoyed it. Stay tuned for more fall fashion inspired posts!

So a long long time ago, SheInside.com wrote me and asked if I would like to sample something from their HUGE selection of online clothing. I'll admit, my wardrobe was (and is) seriously lacking so I jumped at the opportunity.

 Now, before I go any further you need to know that I have a problem. A little black dress problem. I think I own .... 1, 2, .... 3 .... 6, yup SIX little black dresses in various styles from sweet to chic to absolutely scandalous. Now, this isn't because I actually have the kind of social life that requires a closet full of LBDs, I just think day-to-day clothing is so boring and in my head I'm a fabulous socialite who only ever needs swanky evening wear and 5-inch heels (but I'm not, and I don't). However, instead of using this as an opportunity to expand my lacking day-wear closet, I chose yet another LBD. Like I said. I have a problem. But whatever, WANNA SEE HOW CUTE IT IS?! I thought so. Let's have a look:

This is what the dress looks like on the website and on a runway model. I however am neither a model or a webpage, so this is what it actually looks like on me. For styling, the dress really reminds me of the iconic LBD & chunky necklace that Audrey Hepburn donned as Holly Golightly in Breakfast at Tiffany's so I tried to make the whole look from the hair to the makeup evocative of that image as well. You can judge for yourself whether or not I did okay channeling Audrey/Holly.

Okay, so I'm definitely not a model or fashionista blogger but I did my best!! Now on to what I'm actually good at, makeup!

This last shot is to give you a closer look at the beading detail around the neckline & shoulders, as well as to show you the makeup that I did to pair with this dress. I did a very subtle nude pink eye with Colette lashes from Faux Lash and a whole mess of lipsticks (I think I mixed about four shades to get this color). Very simple, timeless and classic. Just like Ms. Hepburn. Not my 'usual' style, but still fun to play dress up all the same. This would also be the perfect dress if you wanted to emulate Ms. Audrey Hepburn for Halloween (cigarette holder not included).

Colette Lashes from FauxLash.com

Okay, so here's my insight on SheInside & the Black Split Sleeve Beaded Dress. Let me start of with what I liked the most.

THE COMPANY 

• SheInside has FREE international shipping. As a Canadian who usually pays out the ass for S&H this is a HUGE plus for me.
• My dress came fairly quickly (7 days), which is pretty amazing considering it shipped from Singapore and some American companies can't even get product across the border in under two-weeks

THE DRESS

• The cost is a reasonable $45.00 USD. But with all the constant sales (it's $5.00 off right now) & promo codes (15% off code for your first purchase) you can get this dress or most anything for a damn good deal.
• The sizing was spot on, it was definitely on target with the measurements which gives you some assurance if you're scared of online shopping purchases showing up & not fitting. 

• It's smallest right under the bustline and flares out from there; if you want to hide your waist or hips, this dress will definitely do the trick. Great for pear-shaped girls!
• The dress material is quite good quality and I've had no issues with the beading falling apart. I've worn it a few times now and it's still going strong which is more than I can say for some of the stuff I've bought from major N.A. retailers for the same price or more.

DON'T BUY THIS DRESS IF ...

• You are busty (bigger than a small C-cup). This draping of this dress looks best on a pear or waifish figure. So if you have small or medium sized breasts this dress will give you a lovely silhouette but busty girls beware, I tried this on with my super padded pushup and it looked absolutely ridiculous. I wouldn't recommend it.
• You are self-conscious about short dresses. It's by no means a slutty short dress but it might be a bit much for some. It was fine while I was standing straight but slight bends made it rise up a bit.

• You aren't going to dry clean it. The beading means you can't throw it straight in the wash so if you're not good about maintenance it will probably fall apart.

Even if this particular dress isn't for you, I still recommend you check out their huge selection of clothes because with that many choices you're bound to find something you like. Happy shopping!

Hey guys!

It's not often that I get the chance to do a 'just for fun' look that isn't for a series or review or anything so today's post is pretty special. The only inspiration I had for this look was "shopping my own stash" as they say; getting a chance to dust off some unused colors and try them out. The eyeshadow I've been most looking forward to playing with is my "Blackened Turquoise" from The Body Needs, so it's the star of this look. I love it, it's a deep, dark iridescent turquoise color unlike anything else in my collection (and I have over 1,000 eyeshadow shades, for real). But don't take my word for it, see how beautiful it is for yourself; I used it as the main lid color in this look. Stunning, no?

I also need to take a moment to revisit my love affair with the Faux "Dark Slant" lashes. They are just so damn sexy! Sigh. Okay, moment over. Moving on. Here are the rest of the pictures & a tutorial too! Gee!

The purple eyeshadow in this look is Empress from Lime Crime (I will actually be doing a new Lime Crime review soon, thanks Lime Crime!). I love how the magic dust eyeshadow glistens in the light on the lower lid. It's like looking into an amethyst. Unfortunately this shade and all their other magic dust eyeshadows are being discontinued so if you want to grab a color you need to get them before their gone!

Here's the full face look, something I don't have the luxury to do a lot of these days. But I think it turned out nicely; what do you think? The lips are a mix of liner, and two lipsticks. I'm trying to get better at doing my lips but it's not as easy as it looks. I think soon I might try to do an ombre lip. Would you guys like to see that? Anyways, here's the tutorial for the look...

Thanks for stopping by and checking out my look. And don't forget to enter my BH Giveaway while there's still time!! Win this gorgeous Party Girl palette! 

As many of my long time readers know, each season I like to do a mini series surrounding Pantone.com's bi-annual color report. This time around I wanted to try and mix things up a bit, so instead of doing 10 different looks for each of the individual colors, I wanted to do 5 unique looks that show you how to mix and match these chic shades together in beautiful combination. I also wanted to incorporate the perspective of a fashionista for how you can incorporate these colors into your wardrobe, so I collaborated with the amazingly stylish & talented Adriana of www.fake-leather.com. She came up with some truly incredible outfits that I'm sure you're going to love. So, are you ready to see the first color combo .... ?

This fall you can certainly expect to see a return to earth tone color trends in both fashion & makeup alike. This back to basics beauty trend is reflected in a color palette of dark browns and leafy greens which go beautifully together just as mother nature intended. Model Natasha Poly was seen sporting this exact color combination on her eyes while walking the red carpet at Cannes this past summer.

Natasha Poly's Trendy Chartreuse & Brown Eye Makeup; Cannes 2012

I wanted to recreate this fabulous look to show how you can keep your eye makeup relatively simple while still achieving stunning impact. By extending the natural shape of the eye beyond the crease and right up to the end of the brow this look instantly lengthens eyes for a smokey cat-eye effect.

By keeping the entire lid washed in dark brown and black, we create a piercing focal point by sweeping a generous amount of chartreuse green shadow all over the inner corner. While chartreuse can be an intimidating color to work with, it’s subdued by the browns of our French Roast base so it isn’t as overwhelming. Just find a chartreuse shade that works for you and you’re good to go. It’s never been so easy being green!

Contacts: FourEyez.com in 3-Tone Green Colour Contacts

I've also created a tutorial for this look!

For the second half of my post, I would like to introduce Adriana Gastelum of www.fake-leather.com as my fall fashion correspondant. Adriana is a young fashion blogger whose style & blog I really admire and enjoy. She has an amazing eye for simple, chic outfits that are always fashion forward so I couldn't think of anyone better to collaborate with. She's put together five fabulous outfits that use the same color schemes as my makeup looks so you can see how to make these colors work for your wardrobe. Here's her Chartreuse & French Roast look:

This outfit is the perfect mix of exciting colors, fun patterns & rich textures; while at the same time looking understated, classic and elegant. The continuity of color from the tank to the shoes ties the look together while the neutral palette of blacks and browns tones down the chartreuse and prevents it from becoming distracting or overwhelming. You can pick up similar pieces like Adriana's from Romwe.com. Be sure to check out her blog often because she's always hosting Romwe.com giveaways and sharing generous sale codes!

Be sure to check out Adriana's other outfits by clicking these links:

Blog | LookBook | FaceBook 

Thanks for checking out my post, I hope you enjoyed it. Stay tuned for more fall fashion inspired posts!