New Trend: The Snow White

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red lipstick; vermilion; red; Christian Dior; Dior; Iconic Red lipstick; Dior Iconic Red; moisturizing lipstick; skintone; Dr. Denese tinted moisturizer; Kevyn Aucoin concealer; Stila bronzer; powder;, Snow White; Gucci; Donna Karan; red lipstick; vermilion; red;

It seems the fairytale has become a beauty trend lately, with pale faces and vermilion lips popping up on catwalks and red carpets everywhere from Gucci, to Donna Karan to Jessica Alba. It seems the recent spate of fairytale-inspired movies and TV series has moved into real life.
The upside? This look is very flattering and achievable.  The ultimate focus is on the lips, so making sure you have an amazing dark red lipstick is key. Dior has a fabulous lipstick called Iconic Red. It’s a moisturising lipstick, so won’t leave your lips cracked and the colour won’t bleed.  This is quite a bright red colour, you may want a darker red, depending on your skintone.
Obviously before your lipstick, you will need to prep your face. I would recommend doing your normal routine: in my case, I apply my Dr. Denese tinted moisturiser with sunscreen, my Kevyn Aucoin concealer and powder and a Stila bronzer. Then I begin my eyes.
Because this look is focussed on your lips, you want your eyes to be simple. If you have too much eyeshadow applied, you will end up looking overdone. I would recommend applying a brown and pink eyeshadow. This will look fab with your red lippie – I promise!  But if you are concerned that you may look teary, apply more brown than pink. I would use Christian Dior Sunset Café. Also use a brown eyeliner (pencil not gel) . YSL has a great eyeliner pencil in Hazelnut brown. For your lashes, use Clinique High Impact Curling mascara in black.
To ensure that your lips remain where they should be all day, apply a lip liner not just around the edge of your lips, but also colour your lips in. The shade should be one shade lighter than the lipstick. In this case, I recommend Lancome Le Contour Pro Precision and Long Lasting Lipcontour in Rouge Tulipe. Once applied, put on your lipstick carefully with a lip brush. This should help your lipstick stay for longer and not bleed into the edges of your lips.
So now that you are the fairest of them all, go find yourself a handsome prince and 7 dwarves!

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Beauty Trends – Metallics

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beauty trends, black eye liner, Christian Dior, cosmetics, Dior, Estee Lauder, eyeshadow, kohl liner, Laura Mercier, makeup, metallics, smoky eye, Too Faced, trends

 

There are some weird and wacky trends around and then there are some just plain “wrap-you-in-a-white-suit-crazy” trends (like the Gaga eyebrow makeup that occasionally gets shown on various beauty forums).

Then there are some trends that make you think, heck, I can pull that off! Just be warned, these are TRENDS. Not designed for longevity like, say a Chanel red lipstick.

One trend I think is quite eye-catching and great for jazzing-up a simple smoky-eye to something a little more fancy for night wear is metallics. This trend has been seen on Pucci, Sass and Bide and Cavalli to name a few.

The trick with metallics is to keep the rest of your face simple. If you are putting on metallic eyeshadow, then keep you lips down to a gloss or pale lipstick. If you are using metallics on your cheeks, then keep your eyes down to liner, mascara and nude shadow and lips down to a gloss.

For the metallic shadow itself, use a black kohl liner (Dior has some great ones) for around your eyes, this can be smudged on the top lid. Use a gold shadow in the corners of your eyes (Laura Mercier has a good one that you can put on with your fingers). As you go out to the edge of your lid, put a darker brown metallic (like the Too Faced chocolate collection). Get a really dark, black metallic shadow near the edge of eyes and in the crease to really make your eyes stand out (such as Estee Lauder Metallic collection).

Finally, have a great time looking fabulous!

Skincare when pregnant. What to avoid

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pregnant, pregnant; pregnancy; skincare; bath; manicure; pedicure; haircare; chloasma; melasma; mask of pregnancy; essential oils; organic products; retinoids; soy; bergamot

I remember when I was pregnant and worried about every little thing I put in my mouth. I did some online research and came across various articles that told me the usual – avoid soft cheese, alcohol, deli meats etc.
I also came across some interesting research that said while organic products are often best for pregnant ladies as they don’t contain many of the chemicals, retinoids or acids found in other cosmetics, they contain other ingredients that ladies should stay away from. For example, if you suffer from the mask of pregnancy (chloasma or melasma), products containing soy or oil of bergamot, which are often found in organic products, can often make the dark spots worse.
There are also several essential oils to avoid without checking with your doctor first such as rosemary, clary-sage and jasmine. These can sometimes trigger contractions. Chemical hair treatments, like straitening and perming that contain Keratin are best avoided also as there is not enough data to say that they are safe.
On the upside, you can still have manicures and pedicures (and you should as when that tummy gets really big, it’s nice to know your toes look pretty even though you can’t see them!). There is not enough formaldehyde in the chemicals used to be a problem. You can still get your hair dyed, though if you are worried; just make sure that the stylist doesn’t let the dye touch your scalp.
Baths are an absolute must-do while you are pregnant. It’s one of the few times your back won’t ache and you feel weightless…bliss! Just don’t jump in if the water is too hot and be careful about which oils or candles you have around you (see above).
There are lots of people online shouting about what you should and shouldn’t do while pregnant. It’s scary, if you are a first-time mummy like I was. Always consult your doctor or midwife if you are concerned.