Re-creating Dior's S/S '13 Couture Jeweled Lips

(Left: Dior S/S '13 Couture Right: Spirit Of A Dream's take)

Even as fall is beginning to make its presence known, and we celebrate the wrap up of yet another women's runway season--our hearts are still stuck two seasons back. Raf Simon's Spring 2013 Couture collection for Dior is still burned in our minds, specifically that magical make up. Dior's jewel encrusted lips are both playful and elegant. The look may have premiered for the Spring '13 season, but we're still sporting this look into the fall season. It's a great choice for both clubbing or fall parties. Try matching your stones to fall's most beautiful lip colors: plums, deep reds, burnt oranges, and for a daringly sleek look try black! 

Click through for a tutorial!

Making The Cut

I'm a 3rd generation pixie wearer in my family. It started with my grandmother when she was a model in a hair competition in the 1960's. The stylist gave her a Vidal Sassoon inspired geometrical crop that ended up being the winning cut of the show. Fast forward to the late 80s when my mom decided to get a super short pixie that has remained her signature style today. I then followed in their footsteps my junior year of high school. So I guess you can say it's a tradition among the Voigt family women.

For most I suppose the style can be quite scary, but for me it was never a frowned upon cut or one that created question of femininity. As a child peeking through the doorway of our bathroom, I would watch my mother put her daily face on and think she was the most elegant, feminine person I know--and she truly was. She instilled in me a mentality that you should never be ruled by trends or social expectation. Fashion is fun, and it should be what YOU make of it. Because after all nothing is permanent and you are always welcome to evolve once you feel the need to. If you are worried about pulling off this look, I believe having this mindset is essential. Ever heard the saying that confidence is attractive?

So you want the cut, now how to go about it?! Should you just take the dive? Perhaps. If you are brave about it. I wasn't quite as brave as my mother & grandmother and instead turned it into a 4-step process.

Step 1? Start going shorter! My first plan of action was to go from my long, mid back gracing hair to a short bob ala Kiera Knightley a few years ago. If you liked this look you can move to step 2.
Step 2? Analyze your face shape and try to find a short style that will compliment your features. A quick Google will find tons of material on the subject. 
Step 3? For my first pixie I chose a slightly longer version. I think it's very important to choose a stylist you trust and to always provide a picture! I brought in this shot of Agyness Deyn when she had slightly longer bangs to frame the face, making it feel like more hair was there.
Step 4? Carpe diem! This time I brought in a shot of Mia Farrow from Rosemary's baby and received the hairstyle that I now keep today.  

Follow the cut to read about my top 5 pixie muses.

Chanel Azure Nail Polish Dupe

Been coveting Chanel Azure lately. Too bad my current bank accounts don't allow for such extravagance. Went to my local grocery store today to find this little gem in the aisles! N.Y.C. has come out with a near dead-ringer for Azure. The quality is okay, but the color pay off is great. Maybe this will satisfy my cravings for now.

Here's to being cheap && looking expensive!

N.Y.C. Quick Dry Nail Polish in 206 East Village $1.72

(Chanel polish image via vanityrouge.com)

Beauty Look: Red Lipstick

Red lipstick has become an iconic, bold shade. When worn the color expresses power and confidence. A classic red lip is timeless as seen on celebrities of the past like Marylin Monroe or of the present: Gwen Stefani, Rihanna and Rita Ora. The red lip trend has increased in popularity over the years that today it can be seen on almost every starlet at least once. Now that the trend is so wearable there are many color option by a wide variety of cosmetic brands. My favorite reds are by MAC. I have tried out Russian Red, Chili, Lady Danger and Ruby Woo. Russian Red is a classic red, that unfortunately I lost on a trip.  Of the four shades, Chili is my overall favorite because it has a warm, brick red shade that is more subtle for everyday wear. Ruby Woo is another favorite and a favorite of MAC buyers because of its blue undertones and the shade looks great on all skin tones. Both Chili and Ruby Woo are matte lipsticks. I find that matte lipsticks, like all MAC shades, have a long lasting wear ability however they can feel a bit dry and hard to get on.  Lady Danger is a bright, vivid coral/orange shade that comes on very easy. 

For those that want a more inexpensive option in the red lip trend. Pictured above are Alverde in 40 Red Love, Revlon Color Burst in 080 Coral, Barry M in 121/307 and L'oreal Infallible Gloss in 320. Alverde is a all natural cosmetic brand. Red Love is a good dark, warm shade however I find that it can feel sticky for a while and it does not last very long. Revlon's Color Burst is a coral, more orange tones lip color. The lipstick's creamy texture allows it to glide on easily. The one drawback with this particular shade is that it does not have the staying power of other colors in the series. The color Barry M's is a classic red that comes on very easy yet does not last so long as the MAC lipsticks. L'oreal's Infallible Gloss is high in gloss and is very long lasting. The shade can be seen on Gwen Stefani in her Settle Down video. 

I'm known to wear some red shade almost everyday. To prepare for the look I exfoliate my lips by rotating a toothbrush in a circular motion over my lips. Then I apply a moisturizing lip balm. My favorite is Smith's Rosebud Slave from Sephora. I leave the lip balm on while I finish my makeup and get dressed. Finally when I'm ready for the lipstick, I blot the excess balm and apply my desired shade. I like to do this before I wear a matte lipstick to prevent any dryness and to make it easier to put on. 

BEAUTY Review: Shea Moisture African Black Soap

      Deciding to implement a more natural skincare routine can be beneficial not only to your skin but your overall health. I like the idea of being able to recognize all the ingredients I'm throwing on my skin every day. Making the change can be kinda scary, though! There are so many products out there claiming to be natural, how do you know what's good? And my #1 question: it's all good and nice for someone with nice skin to go natural--who cares, big change! But for someone that has trouble skin, making any skincare commitment can potentially end in disaster. I need something that at least maintains my skin as well as the chemical ridden products I'm used to. I found an affordable answer to this at my local Target. They now carry a brand called Shea Moisture and their African Black Soap blemish fighting line is available in a nice set including a face scrub, lotion, mask, and cleansing bar for a jaw dropping $16! If you've looked into natural organic skincare at all, you know that stuff does NOT come cheap. Here's what the brand claims:

    1)No Parabens 2)No Mineral Oil 3)No Phthalates 4)No Formaldehyde 5)No Propylene Glycol 6)No Synthetic Fragrance 7)No Paraffin 8)No Synthetic Color 9)No PABA 10)No DEA 10)No Animal Testing 11)No Animal Ingredients 12)Ethically Traded 13)Sustainably Produced

                                                                 

Christopher Shannon S/S 2014 Glitter Hair

        London Fashion Week for the Menswear Collections is a new installment in the fashion calendar. While it is only a few seasons in, the shows always offer some of the most creative collections. One of those that stood out was Christopher Shannon. The collection offered up a lot of brightly colored sportswear, but the glittery hair is what really drew our attention. Wonderland Magazine posted a quick 3 step process to achieve this eccentric hair look. Using their tips we recreated the look:

We decided to purchase inexpensive products that can be found at any drugstore or supermarket. Wonderland suggests using the Fudge brand hair products.

Recreating this hair trend can be extremely messy, so we recommend doing it outside or in a bathroom. Also it is a good idea to tape some foil or plastic wrap around your face and neck to catch any stray glitter. This is a very important step because it is very difficult to completely remove any glitter from your skin.

image credit: dazeddigital.com

Kat Von D Tattoo Liner Review

Usually I'm a bit hesitant about lines released by celebrities or really anything that has celebrity attached to it (it's obviously like a right of passage or something to have your own perfume/clothing line once you've made at least the C-list), because generally I assume they are just sub-par hastily done products sold for one purpose: to $$$ on that familiar name.  

So to say the least I was pretty indifferent when I heard Kat Von D released a line of make-up exclusively for Sephora. After seeing reviews of praise on you-tube I decided to break down and try it out for myself.

I purchased the Tattoo Liner in Maya (brown) for $18. The main reason I was intrigued by this liner is that the applicator is not a felt tip but actually a brush. It's pen shape mixed with the long, thin brush tip is supposedly perfect for creating those cat-eye flicks.  

Beauty: Spring 2012 Essentials

            Silvya and I have been spoiled with some unseasonably warm weather as of late, which is making us yearn even more for the return of breezy spring days. Unfortunately for now we must settle for a few days of bliss before the chill sets back in. To counteract our winter blues, we've decided to look ahead wardrobe wise and start planning for spring. For us, to have a good look it's essential to start off with a good foundation for your clothes to go on. This means kicking off our spring planning with our desired make up and skincare routines for the upcoming season. For some it may seem silly to plan something like this out, but with all of the recent articles about the 'french' way of dressing in a carefully planned wardrobe of luxurious staples it only makes sense to do the same for everything else that goes on your body. If you assemble your wardrobe carefully you will never look at your closet thinking you have nothing to wear, and if you approach your beauty routine with the same critical eye, you will never leave the house not feeling your best. Pictured above is a summary of my winter beauty purchases from Chanel including two varnishes in Peridot and Black Pearl, Stylo Yeux waterproof eyeliner in Ebene, and Rouge Allure Velvet in  L'Exubérante. 

From top left: Marc by Marc Jacobs, Carolina Herrara, Derek Lam

Bottom Left: Christian Dior Haute Couture, Dolce & Gabbana, Giles

                  A look at the Spring 2012 collections provides much inspiration for those looking for a rejuvenation of their beauty routine. Silvya and I combed through the collections to find the top six looks we felt embodied the feeling of summer best. It was very refreshing to see that for the most part the looks created at the Spring collections were not elaborate transformations but rather simple enhancements that allowed the model's natural beauty to show through. The smokey eye or bold lip has been admired and coveted for a long while, and while the idea of a mostly bare face can unnerve many, I find the look modern and elegant. Some may look at the shots above and say that it is an unrealistic representation, that going au naturale can never look so polished. Au contraire! The secret lies in carefully chosen and applied products that create maximum impact without giving away you've put effort into your face. This is the look both Silvya and I plan to sport this upcoming spring and summer and I have already started penning my product wish list to help achieve this look.

       Recently we have decided to try out a natural skincare routine. We have just started the Oil Cleansing Method. I do not have acne prone skin or any difficult skin, just a bit of redness and oiliness. Naturally, it seems very contradictory that oil fights oil. This method maintains the skins moisture and cleanses. The oil method cleans the skin without stripping it of its natural oils. Extra Virgin Olive Oil is very beneficial to your body and it is used to moisturize the skin. Olive oil is also full of antioxidants and Vitamin A and E. Castor oil is known for its healing and cleansing properties. Castor oil treats blemishes and acne. Other oils such as almond or grapeseed can be used. I recommend using an oil that is either organic or cold pressed, which has a higher quality. It is usually recommended that you keep a 20/80 ratio between Castor at 20% and Olive oil at 80% but this can be altered once you use the oils and find whatever ratio suits you. Here are other oils that can be used; however, some can get expensive: 

Here are the instructions for cleansing with oil:

1. Liberally apply a layer of oil to the face. You may also apply to the neck and chest. Oil should be applied over any dirt, grime or makeup.

2. Run a face cloth under very hot water, wring it out and drape over skin. Relax for a few moments, until cloth is room temperature.

3. Massage oil into steamed pores for at least 60 seconds, and up to 5 minutes. Concentrate on trouble areas, such as chin, forehead and nose, where blackheads tend to form. Be very cautious and maintain a gentle touch, and do not scrub, or skin will be raw and tender.

4. Steam face again, using a hot face cloth to open pores and allow oil to loosen sebum trapped in skin. This step may be done a number of times, if skin is troubled or has tendency toward breakouts.

5. Using a very soft face cloth (you may use the steam cloth, if it is very soft), gently wipe away all traces of oil. Again, be cautious and ensure that wiping is done very gently, or skin will become irritated. Flannel is an ideal fabric for this step, but any cloth may be used. Rinse cloth at intervals and continue to wipe away impurities and oil until face feels soft and there is no trace of oil left.

6. Splash face with cool water to close and seal cleaned pores.

7. Pat dry, and apply a very thin layer of moisturizer to face. One small drop should be plenty for moisturizing purposes. Rub between palms and massage into skin until no film is left. You may use the cleansing oil for this step. Many people find, especially during the warmer months, that the additional moisturizer is no longer necessary. The cleansing oil is enough moisture for many people's skin, in and of itself. 

If you have had success with this method, and would like to simplify your routine, we recommend eliminating the first steaming session, massaging the face for approximately one minute, steaming the face through one cycle only, and then wiping off oil and patting the skin dry.

In the morning I typically wash my face with equal parts lemon and water. One squeezed lemon is enough for one week. Then I would recommend using Apple Vinegar diluted with a little bit of water as a toner. Apple Vinegar has a very strong smell, I know it's not the most pleasant. Honey is also very good to use as a mask as it is full of antioxidants and moisturizers. You can combine honey with oats for a soft scrub. Feel free to let us know of any different solutions you try or how this works for you! 

Image Source: crunchybetty;