Protect Yourself!

Everyone knows they should be wearing sunscreen right? Hmm. Did you know your skin receives damaging rays even on cloudy days? A daily moisturizer with an SPF of 15 should be applied to the face, neck and backs of hands daily. When summer rays hit, boost your SPF to 25 and reapply every half hour during full sun exposure. Choose a sunscreen with UVA and UVB protection. UVB protects from burns and UVA prevents aging skin damage. ;)

Spring Has Sprung!

Is everyone as happy as I am to see the thermometer rising and the days becoming longer? Our focus is shifting from wool coats and motorcycle boots to floral dresses, belted cardigans and peep-toe booties!

I am fortunate to live in a geographical area that experiences all four beautiful seasons every year. Yes, we receive more than our fair share of rain, but the lush green landscapes and budding blossoms are worth every drop. Get yourself a pair of cute wellies, a classic trench, a mini umbrella and a muzzle for complaints.

As with every Spring, colour begins to appear in abundance. Seems we have our four basic categories: feminine, sporty, boho and minimalist. Military is still making appearances and melds well with the minimal persona.

Feminine is floral, fun and flirty. Find yourself a full skirted dress that grazes just above the knee. I suggest finding a small print that will allow you to mix well with other prints and get more use out of one garment. To wear it right now, pull a fitted sweater over it, add tights and cowboy boots. Be sure your tights are a sheer fabric to balance the light feel of the floral. Belt the sweater or add a long necklace for a finished look. Once summer arrives, wear the dress on its own with strappy sandals and lotsa bangles. Beautifully simplistic.

Sporty is NOT your gym clothes. Colours are usually bright, particularly this year as the 80's remains a strong influence. Cuts of tops are belly button skimming and resemble a rectangle. Skirts are fitted but not necessarily mini's. The tops are worn with either tanks or a strapless tee underneath. I'm assuming as the trend strengthens, risk takers will abort this detail and push the 80's envelope. We'll see. Pants are pegged or tapered and in an array of colours.

I am loving this evolution. It has been many years of skin tight fitted tee's and personally I was impatiently waiting for the return of a more crowd pleasing style. The skinny jeans have been popular for almost a decade and yet the figure balancing tops were empire waisted numbers that only emphasized the slightest tummy fluff.

These tops are not meant to be tight by any means. The tank etc. underneath however IS and should be a length that helps to elongate your torso without cutting off your legs. Rule of thumb: Top underneath should not cover the crotch of your pants. Do wear these boxy t-shirts off one shoulder. Super sexy and yet the look is effortless.

Ship Shape?

I've recently begun an 8 week shape up plan to get my bod in tip top shape in time for my Birthday Bash! My husband is planning a fierce party and I can hardly wait! (ok actually I figure the more ppl I tell about the fierceness, the more likely it'll happen!) And yes in case you're wondering, it is a milestone birthday. But I'm not in the least bit anxious about it. Honest.

For those who know me, I'm consistently in pretty decent shape but I always like to "raise the barre". That being said, one way I found to kick it up a notch or two is Physique 57. The creators are Shelley and Tanya. Together they are yoga and pilates queens and they've devised workouts to lengthen and strengthen every muscle in your body. I used the 3 DVD's 2-3 times per week and over the course of 6 months, changed the shape of my body. Nothing feels better than gettin down and doin 15 REAL push-ups! I am a Thigh Warrior! Cellulite bye-bye!

Last spring, I researched endlessly for a superior and effective cleanse without the use of drugs. I found the Master Cleanse: fresh squeezed lemon, maple syrup, cayenne pepper and water. All ingredients have to be specific types of the previous list so please don't just mix up what you just read and try to live on that for a couple weeks; its much more complex. After a 3 day intro to adjust my body to a liquid diet, I drank lemonade about every hour and a half every day for 10 days. At the end of the 3 day re-intro I was allowed to eat as usual. Of course the whole idea of a cleanse is to adopt an "eat clean" mentality and be mindful of what you put back in your body. I felt absolutely fantastic during and after the 16 day cleanse. I kicked caffeine and had no side effects. I lost about 7 lbs but that wasn't the point; I wanted to allow my body a break from processed foods and give it a chance to repair. Fast forward to today and you'll find I do drink black coffee but about half of what I used to, I don't eat beef or pork and overall avoid all processed foods. I'd do it again and recommend it to most. It does take inner strength and preparation to ensure success, but I even went to a house warming party with my husband and drank my lemonade while everyone else had liquor!

My most recent endeavor will include a 4 week boot-camp through www.bodycircuitforher.ca of 3 sessions per week. A good friend just went through the program and lost 3% body fat in 4 weeks. That's fantastic!

All in all I'm looking forward to the future and though some may see this milestone as the end of an era, I'm reminded of the late Dr. Kinsey who said, "Women don't get started until they're thirty." Ms. Monroe thought the sex researcher was speaking the truth so I think I'm safe to assume the best is yet to come. ;)

Skin to Envy

Rough, dry patches on your face driving you crazy? Heed this advice:

Face- Purchase a face scrub that uses micro beads as its scrubbing power. The beads can be round or spherical in shape. PLEASE DO NOT use anything crushed: apricot, walnut, glass. Ok the last one is an exaggeration but if you've ever looked at the skin under a microscope after using either of the others it looks like you smashed a dinner plate and rubbed it on your face. No joke. Wash and tone your face first (alcohol free) and then using a nickel sized dollop, spread the exfoliant (face scrub) over forhead nose and chin first (most people are the least sensitive here). After spending about a minute and a half on these areas using small, LIGHT circular motions with fingertips (concentrating on the areas between eyebrows, sides of nose and front of chin where blackheads form) continue circular motions over the cheeks and neck with light pressure for the remaining 30 seconds. That's 2-3 minutes for the whole face. Rinse thoroughly, pat dry with a towel, apply your eye and night cream. Voila!

What did you say?

To change things up a little, this time I'd like to talk less and read more. Topic: Anything. More specifically, how is 2011 shaping up so far? Any topic. I love to learn about new things. This doesn't work unless you participate and I'm not sure how easy that is unless you have a web log. I am fairly new to all this.

Cheers!

Oh btw, highlight of my January......Black military dress, floral sheer tights, grey knee highs, black combat boots, brown arm cuff, gold stud earrings and brown cross-body bag. Urban Warrior!

New Year New You? Please darling......

A touch of seriousness for you. All this New Year garb being thrust at us from all directions inspired me to share some thoughts. Some inner beauty so to speak.

A new year brings that old familiar feeling to the forefront.....time for a new you! Nicotine patches fly off the shelves, AA meetings are at full capacity and one must beg, borrow or steal their way onto a public treadmill. All these optimistic "resolutioners" nic-ing out, cramping up and white-knuckling their way through January. Truth be told 90% will be back boozing, smoking and stagnant by months end. These high hopes and lofty goals slowly seem unattainable and will soon be a discouragement rather than the inspiration originally intended. It's a damn shame. But we do it to ourselves. Did we spend December finding moral support, researching new-age nutrition or visiting a health professional? Probably not. Instead we drank rum and egg nogg, ate pounds of garlic mash potatoes and gravy and smoked a pack a day till midnight New Year's Eve. (most of us I'm sure continued our vices well into the wee hours of New Years Day if we're truly being honest right?)

For these reasons I despise new year resolutions. But don't fret. Even if you've already fallen off the wagon there's still hope. And here's the secret............never make another resolution. What?!! you say! But if I can't set goals for myself how can I make changes? You still can. In fact, the N Y R wasn't your goal, it was a deadline created by society to pad someone else's pocket and empty yours. How much IS a gym membership these days?

Change must start with you. Are you ready? Not should I or will I, but are you? Education is the key. Learn all you can before you start. Any resolution pertaining to health should always begin with a visit to your doctor. They are a wealth of information and can help you access support that will streamline you for success. Whatever you thought you knew, do know or currently practice can be thrown out with the wrapping paper your city can't recycle. Why you ask? Well to put it quite simply, how's it working so far? That's what I thought. If you are truly ready and admit you're a complete idiot when it comes to kicking your old habits, you're already much farther ahead than you were at the stroke of twelve. (or 2am in most cases)

There's no greater style insult than a beautiful coat that reeks of cigarettes, a broken heel caused by 3 too many crantini's or such injustice to a garment it's about to burst at the seams. Not to mention all of the above and the ghastly effects on your complexion. Yikes.

Let's get ourselves together ladies. And remember, we aren't looking for a "New Year, New You". Instead, we're uncovering the awe-inspiring knock-out of a "you" that was there all along. Not new but certainly improved.

So Far So Fabulous!

Well how are we doing? Office party, xmas shopping, and tree trimming all taken care of. What's next? Ah yes, the trifecta: Eve, Day and Box.

In my experience Christmas Eve is one of two things; a night to go to church and celebrate Jesus, or a night to throw a cocktail party and celebrate friends and family. Differences that separate these two soirees are notably significant. One welcomes the styles of Jaqueline Onassis while the other can fall somewhere between Carrie Underwood (Fisher) and Carrie Bradshaw. Feel free to experiment with fantastic footwear in all colours. This is the area that will transcend either venue if you're planning to do both (unless of course clear platform heels sound like a Christmas nirvana in which case black classic peep-toe pumps with a 3.5 inch heel will suffice).

Depending on your Eve's activities, Christmas morning could begin with a headache. This can throw off your desire to put on your silk robe and pin up your bed-head. May I encourage you to follow through with the plan as this event is always captured on film, moving or still. Trust me, you don't want to scroll your sister's FB page re-living her children's excited Christmas expressions to see yourself resembling the likes of Ms.Courtney Love.

Christmas dinner is another excuse for a chic look that is both classy and fun. Whether the turkey with all the trimmings is your one woman show or you're stuck stirring gravy and plating pies the last thing you want is a look that is fiddly. The garments themselves are usually not the problem (unless the sleeves are pagoda) but the accessories are the usual suspects. If you've been asked to help last minute, swing your long chains behind you for a vogue effect and switch rings to the hand holding the utensil. However, if the dinner is yours to host or you're a selected member of the crew you have time to plan accordingly.

Boxing Day is not the shop till you drop bonanza of the past. It seems that in this era, the sales begin before the birthday bash and extend to at least a week afterwards. For this reason, I prefer to treat the day as virginous and take things nice and slow. Perhaps dark wash denim, a fitted v-neck knit, and medium hoop earrings will carry through the day's endeavors? Be it a pancake breakfast, an afternoon stroll or a good book with a crackling fire effortless is the silhouette to trace.

Most of all ladies, enjoy these moments with loved ones. It is a magical time of year indeed. Best wishes to you all. I hope Santa brings everything on your list including those power platforms that are sure to make a comeback next spring.

Happy Christmas.

Movember? Really?

Alright ladies, time is ticking. 'Tis the season of public appearances. Are you ready? Office parties, Christmas concerts, tree trimmings, neighbourhood caroling, shopping trips (superb!) and the piece de resistance Christmas Dinner.

The key here is multi-functional; wardrobe staples that you can dress up or down to suit the occasion. Let's start with a figure flattering just-above-the-knee LBD. In all honesty it doesn't have to be black but the colour says put together and yet blends seamlessly with a variety of looks.

For instance, if you choose a cobalt blue stand-out, it will have to be a one show only to avoid the ego shattering comments such as, "That dress looked even better on you last week when you paired it with those motorcycle boots I love." Busted.

Now slipping into your little black dress should make you feel absolutely fantastic. This baby is so versatile you will get a ton of use out of it so it must be a love affair. I picture a sleeveless A-line scoop neck dress with a structured look.

For your tree trimming party you need comfort and class. You'll be hanging ornaments and mixing rum and egg nog. Wear the dress over a white blouse with a longer chain necklace hanging from inside the collar, some sheer printed tights and a comfortable heel or ballerina flat ( if children are invited avoid piercing their little hand with your stiletto as their parents may frown upon it).

Christmas shopping requires a fashionista fit for endurance. Take the same LBD, pull on some opaque tights, slip on a colored cardigan and belt it at the waist. Step into slim knee high boots with a comfortable stilt heel fit for trodding and simple accessories to avoid over doing it.

Your office xmas party is a perfect venue to showcase your fashion flavour and yet keep the respect of your colleagues. That's right ladies put on the same LBD. Now office parties are not a venue to show off cleavage so if your girls are competing for the spotlight, slip on a lacy cami under your dress. To avoid feeling like a total prude, choose a colour like champagne or red. Because the dress is knee length and the boobs are covered, it's a perfect opportunity to innocently showcase your gams. Sheer hose and the highest heel you can walk in, (very important) will stir up your Christmas spice and cause Santa to take a second look.

It's only just begun......

Fishnets and Fake Lashes

What other time of year can your fashion follow its own rules? In fact there truly aren't any rules at all. You can get noticed and be invisible all at once. A fantastic opportunity to be a style cameleon. I wish Halloween was divided into acts so I could have at least 3 costume changes. So difficult to choose just one. Either that or also dress up on Grandparent's Day.
This Halloween philsophy that awards us the right to wear what we want is something I wish we could do more of. Although we must keep in mind the venue we are appearing at, we should always be dressing in a way that makes us feel fabulous.

You wanna feel sexy at the office without looking unprofessional?

Try black sheer stay ups with a garter belt to feel secret sexy or nude fishnets for that barely noticable hotness. Keeping the vibe conservative is crucial to prevent office slander behind your back. Consider pairing it with a knee length pencil skirt, cotton blouse and a tailored jacket to keep things professional.

And please ladies, treat yourself to matching bra and panties. There's nothing that makes your monday morning more fab than pretty undies, (Ok perhaps the day off and a pool-side rub down by a handsome masseur named Juan but you get the point). Just be sure the texture and/or color is not visible through your clothing.

A difference by design...fashion insight

Do you know what not to wear?
I know a gal. She's a lot like most. She thinks most things aren't flattering on. She tends to wear too much of a good thing. And she has no clue what her actaul size is. Sound familiar? We'd had casual conversations regarding these concerns in the past. How she'd love to learn what looks best on her and how to bring out her best features.
So....I went to a clothing store armed with her guess on a size, a mental pic of the skirt she wanted to wear, and the event she planned to attend. I found a 3/4 sleeve black top with a triple strand of chain attached at the shoulder seams. I paired that with a hip length charcoal grey blazer adorned with industrial zippers and studded lapels. This was to coordinate with an ankle length white A-line skirt with large black floral print and selective black sequins. Edgy and sexy. I loved it.
After deliberations regarding the fit, (not surprised are we?) I went thru her jewellery box and selected several silver bangles and an alaskan diamond pendant and drop earring set. We agreed on sheer black hose and red heels for a pop of colour. Her makeup was a soft green shadow and black liquid liner to accentuate her beautiful hazel eyes and her hair was a soft 70's farrah flip.
Let me tell you, for the first time I saw a woman who was flaunting her curves, and loving it. She looked great. She got compliments. She wasn't trying to dress in a way that hid her body or distract you from noticing her shape. She was more real than she'd been in a long time. And I was so proud of her. She took a risk and took my advice and she rocked it.

What's going on......

I must apologize for my lack of updates this past month and a bit. I have been working hard on an application for a self-employment program. That's right, I'm gonna be my own boss. My plan is for a mobile spa. To travel to homes and offices to provide spa services for gals that don't have time to float about in a taupe walled, fake ferned, whisper quiet building for hours on end. Don't get me wrong, I love to relax as much as the next girl but aren't we growing tired of the mandatory tip-toe and grey whale screeching?

I want to create a mobile environment that's catered to you. I'm not sure if this is a secret or not, but spa's are very inflexible. Having worked in a few over the last decade I've experienced a lot, but one thing is always a constant; you get what they want. If the owner likes urban easy listening and medium roast coffee that's what you're getting. If they prefer herbal teas, tea lights and Enya, guess what? That's right.

And there's always the problem adjusting a service to meet your needs. Appointments are booked to the minute. At the same spa you recieve a pedicure from Sally in July and another from Betty in August. They will be so similar its creepy. Is there a person in there? And are you considered an individual or simply a deluxe pedicure with a duration of 1 hour 15 minutes? If you request an extra leg massage that's only possible if you miss out on something else. Appointments are booked so tightly its more like herding cattle than pampering people. 1 in, 1 out. Repeat.

My vision will break the mould of the spa stereotype. More of a customized spa experience based on making each person feel special. Can't we all use a little more of that?

If you have ideas or input, I'd love to hear it.
I promise I'm back and I'll be here often.
Ciao

Image for the natural lip

I realize that the perfect natural pout can seem a tad overwhelming so I found a fab pic of Angelina to aid with the confusion.

Perfect Pout: The Natural Lip

Curious about lipstick? Avoid it like the plague out of sheer confusion?

Follow these simple steps for a flawless application:

1) Choose your shade. This can be impossible unless you can try before you buy. The first shade to master is the neutral. This is usually in the brown-berry category. Sort of an ideal natural lip, (Think Angelina or Halle Berry in scenes when they are to "appear" as though they aren't wearing make-up).

2) Lip liner. A neutral liner that seems to disappear on the lip. It should NOT be darker than your lipstick shade! Literally invisible. Preferably in a click style pencil or made from a rubberized wood to prevent wood chipping and scratchy edges. Yikes.

3) Lip brush. Small pointed oval shaped brush with at least a 4 inch handle. It should be comfortable to hold and the bristles short and medium stiff for precision. (An art supply store is an excellent place to purchase most make-up brushes).

4) Lip Pampering. The first key step in lip color application is the lip prep. There's nothing worse than flakey lips! Get into the habit of gently brushing your lips each morning with your toothbrush. Just a few light circular strokes. If dryness is a constant problem prepare an exfoliating lip scrub with sugar and a few drops of cooking oil. Rub on lips in a circular motion and rinse. And please ladies, get in the habit of wearing lip chap. Keep one in your purse and one in your night stand.

5) To increase the longevity of your application, first dust lips lightly with a face powder.

6) Using the lip brush, swipe the lip color to deposit onto brush. Using a lip brush will double if not triple the amount of applications per tube. Starting in the centre of the top lip, lightly apply the lip color from centre to outer corner. Do the same on the bottom. Less is more here ladies. A thin application. Also more color in the centre and less in the outer corners.

7) Depending on the look you want to achieve, lip liner can be applied before or after the lip color OR not at all. For those that tend to have the color migrate off the lips, a liner is essential. Lining the lip before the color will create the most natural look. That is my recommendation for the natural colors.

This is a lip I recommend for outings where a face of make up seems a bit much but feeling good is always necessary. You'll look put together but not overdone.
Curl your lashes, 2 coats of mascara and you're done. Beauty.

Summer Prep #2

Ok, how do you look sunkissed without the sun?
Bronzer of course! Now I know a lot of ppl have a fear of this product so I'll take you step by step.

1)Select your Bronzer.
It comes in two forms: cream or powder. If you're a beginner, choose a powder and better yet choose pressed not loose. The color will seem dark, that's ok. If you're pale use less. Some are multi-tonal and should have minute shimmer. NO chunky sparkles.

2)Fluffy Powder Brush.
Make up application is all about the tools you use. Select a powder brush that has a sturdy handle of at least 5 inches. Here, size is everything ;)

3) Lightly push powder brush on bronzer with a couple taps. DON'T swipe, that will deposit more bronzer on certain spots of your brush and create a splotchy look.

4) Using the lid of the bronzer rub brush in light circular motions to evenly disperse the powder into the brush.

5) Tap the handle of the brush across your arm to remove excess.

6) Holding near the tip of the handle, using featherlight circular motions, apply bronzer to entire circumference of the face. Hairline, jawline, under chin.

7) Without apply more bronzer to brush, sweep down sides of neck from ear to the top of shoulders.

8) Repeat steps 3-5

9) Suck in cheeks to make a relaxed "fishy face". Where you see an indent use the same circular motions moving upward toward temples.

10) Repeat steps 3-5 and apply to collarbone, cleavage and tops of shoulders.

Fabulous.

Summer Prep #1

Thinking about sunless tanner? Do this first!

-3 tbsp Sea Salt or Sugar

-approx. 2 tsp of oil (almond, canola, olive etc.)



Mix together in plastic container until it forms a paste.

Standing in shower, (water turned off) rub entire body with scrub concentrating on knees, elbows and feet with small circular motions.

Rinse off in shower.

Follow with a body lotion and the application of self tanner.



Why? The scrub sloughs off dead skin that tends to absorb more of the self tanner and makes your tan look splotchy.



Emerge a sunless bronzed goddess. Look out.

The beginning

It only seems fitting that I begin my blog with a woman whom I think is the epitome of glamour. She knew her strengths and played them up to absolute perfection.

Was she perfect? No. But she knew all the tricks in the book to show off what she wanted and disguise what she didn't. And it worked. My only goal here, is to help all women put a little glamour in their day. Ask me anything. From how to choose the right shade of lipstick to how to tie a scarf to look posh instead of frumpy. I'd love to chat about current trends, wardrobe staples, make up and skin care advice. Exit your comfort zone, one pedicured step at a time........