Shop With Style

You’d like to think of yourself as pretty hip, sometimes adventurous, and you definitely know a thing or two about makeup. So when you get invited to a party, you immediately think of all the wonderful, slightly daring, party eye makeup looks you want to try…but when the night comes, you settle for the safe-but-pretty brown smokey eye and marginally-brighter-than-you-normally-wear red lip. Well, we say no more! No more playing it safe! It’s a party…you should have party eye makeup to match!

• Glitter girl – The easiest, fastest, and most fun way to get the party look you’re after is to go for glitter! Party eye makeup is glitter eye makeup. And glitter eye makeup needs a good lid/shadow primer first (best picks: Urban Decay Primer Potion and Too Faced Glitter Glue). Apply to lid and allow to dry before patting on glitter shadow (pat…don’t sweep! It will go everywhere). There are many powder shadows with anywhere from a little to a lot of glitter, but if you want to pack a true punch, check out a glitter pigment (MAC has several amazing shades).
• Metallics – Metallic eyeshadow brings a lovely and highly reflective shimmer to the eye area. Here, too, a good primer is recommended before use, since this party is going to put your new party eye makeup through its paces. Metallic shadow can also be used along with matte shadows to create a sultry and edgy smokey eye.
• Big lashes – Another winning way to make a big statement is with big lashes! You can flaunt your own by first curling with your trusty ELF eyelash curler, applying lash primer, and then two coats of the best thickening mascara you can find (Dior Show or Maybelline The Falsies are both awesome for adding volume and length). Of course you can opt for false lashes too! There are literally hundreds on the market to choose from (some of the best picks for quality and cost are Eylure, Ardell, and Dolly Wink). Many are natural hair or mink eyelashes, and are reusable. All it takes to create a look is eyelash glue, and a little imagination!
• Liquid eye liners – The choices of liquid eyeliners and liquid eyeliner styles today can help create incredible and fun eye looks. And liquid liners aren’t just black and brown…there are bold and vivid brights, sparkling jewel tones, mega metallics, and even glitter! Line just the top lashes for a flirty pop, or line the entire eye for an exotic wow!

There are so many eye makeup options, you can’t help but step out of your comfort zone in the most beautiful and daring way. Remember, you’re going to a party or event… your makeup is not supposed to look like you’re just heading out to the grocery store or a regular ol’ day at the office. With a little courage, your look will no doubt win rave reviews from your friends…but, more importantly, your new party eye makeup will make you smile and give yourself a silent pat on the back every time you pass a mirror.

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.

A girl might think that the most important article of clothing she could wear is a fancy shirt, or a pricey pair of jeans, or even a killer pair of shoes. But a woman will tell you that the most important article of clothing in your wardrobe is unequivocally a really well-fitting bra. In fact, wearing the wrong bra can actually make you look fat! But worry no more…we’re here to explain how the wrong bra can be effecting you, and what you can do to fix it.

How does your bra make you look fat?

• Your boobs are hiding your waist – When your bra is ill-fitting or sagging, your boobs will sag. Since the smallest part of your torso is the area just below your chest and just above your bellybutton, how is anyone supposed to see it with your boobs hanging in the way?
• Your too–small bra is creating the appearance of extra fat rolls – A bra that is too small around the band will dig into your back. No matter how skinny you are, trust us, that too-small band will create fat rolls on either side of it. And if your cups are too small, your boobs will be pushed out above, below, and out the sides, again creating rolls of fat.
• Your bra is causing your clothes look too tight – You know how frustrating it is to try on a shirt, only to face the mirror and see gaps and gaping? You try on a larger size, only to face the mirror and now see the shirt looking sloppy on you. 9 times out of 10, it’s not the shirt…it’s the bra.

So how can you fix the bra conundrum?

• STOP…FIXATING…ON…SIZE – So what if you wore a perfect 34C in high school. Does the rest of you still look the same as you did in high school? So why would you think your bra size would still be a perfect 34C? The main reason why women wear the wrong bra size is because they have a stigma in their head about going up a size or two. Stop thinking in terms of a “bra size” and start thinking in terms of “a bra that fits, size-schmize”!
• Get properly sized – You might be thinking…”I can’t afford to get sized.” But guess what? You’re wrong. Many lingerie departments in department stores have trained their sales people to size bras properly. You can also get free sizing in some stores, like Victoria’s Secret. So be sure to ask to be sized when out bra shopping! It’s one of the most important factors in looking better in your clothes!
• Take a deep breath, and make the investment – Aside from the size-stigma, the second biggest reason why women cling to their life-long bra mistakes is that they don’t want to spend the money for a really good, really well-fitting bra. Stop thinking your bra is unimportant just because it’s unseen! Again, this is where you need to shift your priorities. Your bra needs to be on par with your outerwear, or with any other purchase in fact, clothing or not, in terms of you forking out money. A good bra fits and holds up better because it is a better made bra. It is an investment. One you will never regret!