no more neck-lift needed

UMMMM why is this rule not shouted far and wide, near and far... wait, is that how the saying goes??

anyway, Ada Polla of Georgetown spa Alchimie Forever's one beauty rule is a DUHH McGEE rule, yet i've never heard it before, which makes me wonder if y'all have never heard it before?!?!?!

alright, are you ready for this???

“Anything you apply to your face, apply to your neck.”

that's it people. now, no more neck-lift needed.

celebs sans makeup

i looooove seeing what celebs look like without makeup on!

i mean, you get both the thrill of a makeover experience, ANDDD a confidence boost because, hey, they look like butt too when they wake up in the morning!!!

what can we learn from these pics of kim kardashian?

1. under eye concealer is uuber important to making you look more awake and purdy

2. face foundation to even out skin tone is key

3. blush is a must to look ALIVE and well

4. you can contour your eyes into any shape you please with the right makeup and know-how!

and what can we learn from these pics?

1. clearly, she knows she's looking busted, she's all embarrassed to be seen. SO, if you know you're in public looking rough, throw on a baseball cap and a pair of sunglasses. instantly chic.

2. even though tanning is bad... keep it real. a tan makes you look healthy! go find a great bronzer.

3. and then use it to CONTOUR your face! see how she's used bronzer UNDER her cheekbones and highlighter on TOP?? ingenious. be careful to make all of this application soft so you don't look dirty :)

4. if you're going to lighten your hair, realize that the bleaching process dries your hair out and thus you must moisturize that much more often and intensely.

compare her hair quality in the two un-madeup pics, and you can see the blonder hair is clearly more fried. get a deep conditioner to use once a week in the shower.

right when you get in the shower, shampoo, then apply the deep conditioner all over, then put on a shower cap and let it soak in while you do everything else. make sure that lasts at least fifteen minutes, and then rinse it out and VOILA! gorgeous locks once again!!

thanks kim k for helping us with fabulous transformation tips!!

and thanks cocoperez for the pics!

i heart handbags

ok so i'm a snob.

this is not a newsflash to those who know me. so i like nice things, suuueeee meeeeeee.

while i'm not a snob about everything when it comes to fashion (hellllooo forever 21), there are some things about which i just cannot NOT be a snob... and one of those things is bags.

here's the thing about purses, handbags, whatever: you wear one with EVERY outfit, so it should be (has to be) THAT much better than anything else in your closet!

you can literally be wearing your PAJAMAS to the grocery store to be buying a jar of peanut butter and a bag of M&M's (don't ask) but if you are carrying a classic louis vuitton, say no more! you will never be mistaken for a homeless person, just a very lazy person who is clearly so fabulous you can't even be bothered with real pants... hmmmm this has become an exaggerated example.

so here's one of the many things i have learned about bags:

your handbag's shape should be the opposite of your shape

now WWWHHHAAAATTTT does that mean??

it means, that if you're round(-ish shaped, i mean) then your handbag should be VERY STRUCTURED. if you're very slim and angular, your handbag should be BIG, SOFT and SLOUCHY.

examples of a wonderbar structured bag by kate spade for round people:

and now a beautiful badgley mischka hobo bag i found at saks for all you pointy people:

now, as far as size goes, your bag must 1. be practical for your life.

yes, that's right! i'm for ONCE advocating practicality.

whhhyyyy though? because MULTIPLE MULTIPLE handbags are a no no. you should never plan to carry more than two bags unless you're coming home from the grocery store!! if you do, that means you don't own the right bags for your life... an excuse to go shopping??? OOKKKAAYYY!!!!

anyway, 2. the size of your bag should be similar to your size!! if you're extra-large, and you're carrying an teensy tiny purse, GUESS WHAT?? you're making yourself look EVEN BIGGER!!! and visa versa, if you're a tiny li'l bit carrying a ginormous bag, you're going to look even more like a pre-teen just WAITING to hit that growth spurt.

more to come because i can't help but heart handbags....

loves it / hates it

love that halle berry proves she's not preggers by looking smokin' hott.

hate that because high wasted jeans are making a comeback people might think these are OK...

if you are wearing these, you're adding bulk to your lower tummy area, and creating all the wrong proportions!! stop making yourself less attractive by getting a DARK WASH great fitting pair jeans, first and foremost, and then the most universal flattering shape is a TROUSER JEAN that is fitted around the thigh, then just floats down through the rest of your leg- making you look loooong and lean!



ok, so obviously this model is a size PPHHH YEAH RIGHT, but SRSLY, these jeans are really flattering!!! this particular pair is from shopbop.com but trouser jeans are everywhere- i even found a few great pairs on sale at oldnavy.com for as little at $9.99!!

if you ever watch what not to wear, this is like, the FIRST thing they change every time... AND it's so easy to do! one little change that takes 10 years and 10 pounds off... why would NOT you make this switch?!?!?!

change your jeans to SMYLA and go from a mom with a FUPA* to a MILF* in 2.5 seconds flat.


*if you aren't familiar with these terms, feel free to email me... heh heh.

style file

how often do you find yourself standing in front of your closet (and if you're me, you're running late) having pulled 1/3 of your clothes out onto your floor trying to figure out what to wear and having come to the conclusion that you HAVE NOTHING TO WEAR!!!????

my roommates are always running around complaining that they have nothing to wear, and i know for a fact their closets are packed (because we routinely borrow this and that from each other) with super cute items!!

well, i have a solution... or a plan for a solution to this ever-present problem: a style file.

now, let's work backwards from that moment when you're exacerbated and mad yourself for feeling like you own not one suitable outfit: this most likely stems from not having a well thought out closet (a closet that has lots of clothes, but they don't mix and match each other, thus not a lot of options).

and why might you not have a well thought out closet? because you're not shopping with the end result (being able to quickly pull out an outfit you feel smashing in) in mind!! so if shopping's the root of the problem, let's do a deep dive (shiiiit: lame work terminology) into shopping patterns.

now, when you go to the grocery store, you most likely take a list? i certainly do, because if i don't, i end up buying a bunch of junk food (can you say gushers and teddy grahams??) that i don't need, and couldn't have told you i wanted BEFORE i entered the store, but now i'm stuck with all this junk, because i didn't have a list.

the same goes for clothes shopping! you need a list or else you're likely to leave the store with junk that gets you (and your closet) nowhere!

but how do you know WHAT to put on that list?? well, let's start with that inevitable moment when you cry out, "I have nothing to wear!!"

I suggest literally keeping a list by your closet for you to write down what it is you're craving to put on, but don't own. To get it started now, think about your FAVORITE outfit that you always gravitate towards throwing on.

is it a great-fitting pair of jeans with a comfy loose-fitting top with a great print, but that's always dirty because you wear it at least once a week? guess what? YOU NEED ANOTHER. maybe not another pair of jeans, since jeans can be worn a few more times before needing to be washed, but you need more tops that you don't have to worry about feeling fat in.

now, i personally read fashion and beauty magazines. yes, it's a vice. however, it's probably the reason i'm writing this blog!! it all started in middle school because our fundraiser was a magazine drive every year. i had so many that i made the border around my bedroom walls covers of all the magazines i had accumulated. thus, i have been reading, studying and worshipping all things beauty and style related since my early adolescence.

because of this, one of the main ways i am inspired is through these glossy publications. so, i decided to put all of their great ideas to use for me, and started cutting and pasting.

cutting out outfits, styles, tips, products and looks that i want to buy, emulate, try to to just remember and pasting them into my very own STYLE FILE.
keep in mind, this is in addition to my my running list of things to buy: it's just more visually specific, (and pleassssing) and is more than just ideas i come up with, it's ideas from the experts. it started when i lived in my sorostitute house, hence the room 18, with my bestie, and continues today.


see that it's not only pieces of clothes or products that i want to buy in my style file- i'm putting in items that i think have flattering shapes, or are from a company that seems to make great clothes at a price i can afford, making more than just mental notes of places to shop, and items that i think i could incorporate into my wardrobe, i'm putting them in my style file!

it's also makeup looks that i'd like to try and recreate, be it a perfume advertisement that happens to have a model with an amazing shade of lipstick, or an actual beauty article about new eye shadow tips and tricks.

so start making your list of things you love and should probably own more of, taking note of things you see that you like, and soon, your wardrobe will become full of mixable matchable pieces so that you'll find yourself cursing the heavens in vain a whole lot LESS!

ballsy, but well executed

i was driving up connecticut avenue the other day, which is a VERY aggressive road. it's one of the main thoroughfares in DC, so much so that during rush hour the number of lanes shift from three and three over to four and two in whichever direction the bulk of traffic is going. kinda genius, good job on that one ddot (SIDENOTE: ddot had a super fabulously clever logo, get it?? D-DOT?!?! more kudos.)

ANYWAY, so it's an aggressive road because you have to be looking for people slamming onto their brakes for the people who dare to take a left from the left hand lane, and people causing all kinds of drama in the far right lane if they find a parking spot that they then must PARALLEL PARK into... so you're thinking, oh, just drive in the middle lane... welllllll when that's everyone's plan, it gets more than a little crowded, and thus, let's just say, HEATED.

having lived in DC for three plus years now, i have become someone who uses my horn... kinda a lot. now, now, i'm NICE about it. like, if someone is clearly rumbling through their center console after a light has turned green, i'll give them the quick, "i'm not mad, i just want to let you know that the light changed" honk, i won't LAY ON IT. but, if i can tell someone is ABOUT to make a bad decision (yes, bad decision according to me, the SMARTEST DRIVER IN THE WORLD [everyone thinks that of themself whilst driving]) i'll also be the person who honks at them to let them know that their bad decision will affect others (me) and i don't want to hit them (have to brake even the slightest bit because of them).

anyway, i honk at least once a drive now.

it's not like i'm a quiet person in life, why should i be a quiet person in the car??!

ok, all this is besides the point. so, when i was driving up connecticut again today, trying to maneuver my way through the traffic, and frankly, doing a pretty poor job (sometimes you got it, and sometimes you don't and today, i didn't) my jaw literally dropped open when this car came up from behind me, cut over in front of me and proceded to zig zag through traffic like nobody's business. i immediately said,

"WOW, ballsy. but well executed."

true, this maniac wasn't driving defensively, but he or she was driving REALLY well aggressively.

and, i think the same can often be true of fashion!

when you want to branch out from your ole' faithful fashion, and try something new and perhaps ballsy, it's important to remember to execute flawlessly!!

for example, if you are always wearing neutrals, but have an itch to try the new color for the season- like right now purple is huge- if you just grab that old purple itchy sweater out of the back of your closet that doesn't fit like a glove like it used to, chances are, you're not going to feel confident in your foray into this more bold fashion statement because you've changed too many of the elements- changed the top shape, fabric and color you're used to wearing... and if you can't hold your head up high, rocking your outfit loud and proud, you'll NEVER look chic.

instead, go back to "ballsy but well executed," and maybe put on your go-to fabulosity outfit that you know you look amazing in, so that adding, let's say, a purple accessory, like a great pair of shoes, a bright bangle, or a fun bag brings a little trendy to something you already feel confident in. you're trying something new (which may turn into a go-to piece?!), and your outfit still works as a whole.

once you find what works for you as far as clothing shapes, fabrics and colors (alllll of which i'll get into, i promise) that's when you can start to play and experiment with trends within those realms.

now go drive balls to the wall to an execution... wait a minute... i think i got confuzzed again...

picture perfect

OK, get excited. This is one of the BEST tips and tricks EVER.

Drum roll please...........................................................................

THE 3/4 RULE!!! One of THEE most flattering angles in pictures, very easy to do, you eliminate "fat face," as my roommate calls it, and basically it makes taking a GREAT picture EVERY time totally possible!!

The Theory:

When taking a picture, you want to turn your head to the side so that 3/4 of one side of your face and just 1/4 of the other side is facing the camera. Both eyes should still be visible (if you can't see your back eye in the picture, you've turned your head too far), and VOILA!

You instantly elongate your face by drawing the eye from forehead to chin, rather than from cheek to cheek. Did you just loose 10 lbs? I think so! Also, most people have slightly asymmetrical features, which this totally camouflages.

Examples:

from straight on, to 3/4


mmm, good wine... I mean, much better at 3/4


even blondes can do 3/4!


3/4 from the side and over the shoulder... either shoulder!

• Another BIG no no is pulling your chin to your chest, thus creating a double chin. I know that sounds obvious, because who in their right mind wants to CREATE a double chin, but when people get nervous in front of the camera it's a reflex that happens more often than it should (um, never!?!) in an effort to look cute and comfortable.
  
  Make sure you pull your chin out (not UP but OUT) away from your neck, and guess what?? Master it and no one will think you're imitating a chicken in pictures!! Seriously! It just creates a greater shadow under your chin, and BAM! Lost another 3 lbs.
  
  
• One last surprisingly flattering angle that will to eliminate those always unflattering self-taken photos, is instead of holding the camera directly out in front of you, hold it straight up in the air. This way, you are looking up at the camera, enabling you to peek out from under your lashes, with the bulk of your face diminishing as it gets further away from the camera, making what used to be the WORST angles one of the best: not only slimming, but a little flirty!
  
  
• This one I know Tyra Banks says, but I SWEAR I was said it first: smile with your eyes.
  
  Sounds crazy, right? However, a lot of people raise their eyebrows in pictures. This just changes how you look, rather than smiling with your eyes, which actually enhances how you look.
  
  To practice smiling with your eyes, look in the mirror and smile with JUST your mouth, as if the rest of your face is dead (your smile will probably look a little creepy) then keeping your smile in place, smile with the rest of your face, as if you're really HAPPY- smile with joy- and you should be smiling with your eyes!
  
  Remember, it's OK if your eyes get smaller when you smile! That's what's supposed to happen!! It's more important to look HAPPY!
  

Now, like every other skill, taking a perfect picture takes practice. Don't be shy!! Go stand in front of your mirror and find some poses that work for you!

What's your better side?? Can you raise one eyebrow but not the other? Does one side of your smile get bigger than the other? (Did you know those are true for me??!) Which side to you part your hair on? These are all things to think about.

Then, when you get in front of the camera, remember your tricks, but mostly HAVE FUN- because that will always come across as beautiful- but if you can have fun AND remember these tricks?? You'll look like a supermodel.

thanks to my supermodel friends, Ry and Gabs.

when in doubt, black and white it out.

Black and White. Noir et Blanc. Negro y Blanco. . classic, classic, classic, classic.

These opposites have attracted and will continue to attract forever. I mean, there's an entire store based on this concept!

Not only can you pair solid black and white items, but black and white prints... unless animal... are almost always the perfect combination of,

"Hey I'm a loud, fun print," and, "I'm classy and put together."

I mean what could be better for that big meeting/interview/networking happy hour; the combo of being an individual who clearly stands out, but is still clearly inside the realms of what's acceptable... making you uuber trendy AND trustworthy??

BLACK PAIRED WITH WHITE BABBBBYYYYYY.

Now, just make sure to never tell the Rainbow Brite about my black and white theory, she would NEVER forgive me... and I can't even begin to think of what this could do to Starlite!!

how to get a great haircut

I've needed a haircut for the past three months, but still haven't gotten on it because... well, because I'm lazy... OK, lazy and broke. But, when it comes time to get a haircut, you better believe I'm going to do it RIGHT.

Follow these tips to getting a great haircut, not just the first time, but every time.

1. Get a recommendation. This is how most people go about it, but remember to get the recommendation from the RIGHT person. Yes, you should admire whomever’s hair- but for what reasons??
   
   The person with the most enviable hair in the office may have great highlights, but if you’re not getting highlights, he/she may not be the one to ask. People who get their hair colored are most likely used to spending $200-300 per visit, and the focus is on the color, not the cut- so you’d be better off asking someone whose cut you admire, specifically if their hair is a similar texture to yours.
   
   You may love your friend’s blunt bangs, but if her hair is pin-straight and extremely fine, while you’ve got over two pounds of wavy, thick hair sitting on your hair, you’re not envious of her haircut, but of her hair.
   
   Accept what you’ve got to work with, even though the grass is always greener, and you’ll end up with a cut that she wishes SHE could emulate.
   
   
2. Yes, they wash your hair when you go to get it cut, but do NOT go in there with greasy, grimy hair twisted up in a disgusting knot. If you’re going to a new stylist for the first time, you have to look the part that you want your hair to look. When I made an appointment right after work and showed up in my uber conservative clothes and asked for a shoulder-length bob, I got a mom-of-the-year haircut above my chin. This wasn’t because my stylist didn’t listen to me, but the image I was projecting stuck in her head, so as she’s making strand-by strand decisions, she (and rightly so) made it match my image.
   
   If you pull your hair back all week at work and at the gym, but live for the weekends when you blow-dry, straighten, curl and style your hair, then throw on a pair of jeans and a funky necklace before heading to the salon, so that when you’re explaining what you want, to the stylist, he/she can see how it would look on you in the clothes you’d be wearing.
   
   This will also help the stylist at the end of the appointment actually style your hair in a way that you can do again, and a way that actually looks good.
   
   Hair stylists seem to have their own opinions about what’s in fashion (yeah, that's another post all in and of itself), so make sure to exude your own fashion sense so that you don’t have to walk out of the salon with teased hair that’s hair-sprayed into a helmet.
   
   
3. Bring a picture. Nothing can show a stylist what you want better than actually showing him/her what you want!
   
   You don’t have to love everything about a picture of a celebrity’s or friend’s hair. It can be like building your own Mr. Perfect- with Brad Pitt’s bone structure, George Clooney’s voice, and Zac Efron’s eye’s, you’ve got the perfect man!
   
   So, bring in a picture of bangs you just love, as well as a picture of layers that you want, and if you wear your hair up a lot, also bring in a picture of how you want your hair to look pulled back... and DON'T be afraid to get them out. I can't tell you how many times I've sat in the chair using every adjective under the sun trying to describe what I want, when I have picture's of Nicole Richie's bangs just SITTING in my purse. Walk in with the pictures in your hand so you don't chicken out. Be brave, which leads me to my final point...
   
   
4. Don’t be afraid to say something! In most cases, you know your hair better than this stylist. You know where your cowlicks are, and you know how your hair inevitably ends up falling.
   
   So if as your stylist is cutting bangs and you think they’re looking too long and you’ll just end up tucking them behind your ear and when you get home or you’ll end up trimming them yourself- then say something.
   
   This will not hurt your stylist’s feelings, and he/she will NOT take it out on you by chopping up the rest of your hair, this will just ensure you get what you want!
   
   Also, do not wait until the very end when the stylist turns you around and hands you a mirror to see the back of your hair to ask for corrections. As you can see he/she is finishing, ask vague questions, “Is this piece always going to fall here?” Give directions to the stylist, like, “I’m really going for voluminous hair, so could add some shorter layers?”
   
   This way when you do get spun around to see your new do, you're happy as a clam... but hopefully looking hot as a tamale!!

Just remember to take part in your haircut!! You're the one who's going to have to live with your hair after you leave the salon... which brings me to my final point (I sweeeear) you wear your hair every day- EVERY DAY!! So, make sure you LOVE it, and hey, at the end of the day, if you get an awful haircut... hair grows!!