Feast Your Eyes On This, Friday

The Epitome of Chic

I'm baaack! Miami was fabulous. I left with lots of inspiration that I can't wait to share with all of you. The other thing I left was a stalker. Apparently Roberto, my cabana man, isn't as nice as he seemed. Enough with the drama. Who's ready for a little feasty Friday! I know I am.

When I saw this picture a year ago, I literally melted. I've been saving it since I started my blog and now seems to be the perfect time to share. Along with a little "get the look" tutorial. Because, really, who wouldn't want to channel her?

Gordon Parks for Life

Bobbi Brown Lip Color in Cosmic Raspberry, $23; bobbibrown.com

Tips to get the maximum pigment out of a rich-hued lipstick:

1. Exfoliate your lips. Lorac has a great lip sugar scrub that moisturizes while smoothing.
2. Pat a translucent powder on lips for extra holding power.
3. Apply lipstick. Blot. Reapply. For a more matte look, blot again.

Chanel Le Vernis Nail Color in Pulsion;, $25; nordstrom.com

Tips for a pro-worthy mani:

1. Swipe a cotton pad soaked in rubbing alcohol over nails to soak up excess moisture. It bonds the polish to nails for a longer-lasting mani. 
2. Dip a cheap angle makeup brush ( I like the kind a CVS) into nail polish remover. Trace around the the out of nails to clean up any mistakes.

Bon weekend!

Summer Vacay

Hello my pretties! I will be on a brief hiatus from the blogosphere. I'm sure my legions of followers will be deeply saddened by this. Stay tuned for the next post on Monday, July 25th! Til next time:

Slim Aarons

Kiss kiss! 

Feast Your Eyes On This, Friday

{It's Raining Men}

Consider this my second installment of "Why I Would Have Been a Lovely Candidate to Live in the 50's and 60's." Except this time, it's all about the men. This is not intended to be a current-generation man-hater post. However, there was something special about the male population 60-somehting years ago...the way they dressed, danced, sang, even smoked a cigarette. And I'm not a cigarette kind of girl, but they even made that look fabulous. Ah. So really, feast your eyes on this:

They weren't afraid to grab the reins.

And were very secure in their masculinity.

They perfected the "dip and kiss." 

PS: Where did that move go?

And invented aviators.

Liking cats didn't make them lose cool points.

Neither did jorts.

Picking up the phone to call you didn't scare them.

They were better dancers than you were.

And had moves no guy in this decade has ever seen.

They were good at serving.

Fabulous at sharing.

And knew how to lead a pack.

They lived in tuxedos.

And could pull off a Speedo.

They. Were. Men.

Bon weekend!

Thursday Thought of the Day

Changing it up on ya! No Wish It Was Thursday, Friday (even though I do) this week. Just thought I'd share some of my morning thoughts with you. I started this blog because I love beautiful things and I think there is this misconception out there that you can only be enamored by beauty to a certain extent until you fall into the "shallow/materialistic" category. I disagree. Women are meant to feel beautiful and to love beautiful things. So my challenge to you today is to look for the beauty around you, embrace it, and enjoy it. Especially the beauty that you possess. Here is some inspiration to get your beauty wheels turning:

Phoebe Howard

Town & Country 

From Health

Mariah Carey

What Was Sista Thinking? Wednesday

{Brow Blunders}

The easiest, and fastest, way to transform your look is with well-shaped brows. The number one makeover most women need is a professional brow-grooming appointment. All the other makeup stuff is easy, doesn't take three months to regrow, and can be washed off if it doesn't work. And trust me, who you get to shape your brows is just as important as scheduling the appointment. My mom (sorry mom!) still has a bald spot where someone permanently burned hair off of her eyebrow with hot wax. Here are the most common brow felonies. These are not misdemeanors. They are major beauty offenses:

The Tadpole:

Gee, they are fast little swimmers, aren't they?

The Anorexic:

When your eyebrows need a stencil, you know you have a problem.

The Caterpillar:

Works for the runway. And only the runway.

The Mini-Me:

When I grow up, I want to be...

The Fix:

Use this handy-dandy diagram as a guide for perfectly plucked brows. The three golden rules:

1. Draw an imaginary line from the corner of your nostril, straight up past your tear duct. That's where your brow should start.
2. Draw an imaginary line from the tip of your nose through the center of your pupil. Where that line intersects your brow should be the highest part of your arch.
3. Draw an imaginary line from the corner of your nostril to the outside corner of your eye, continuing to your temple. That's where your brow should end.

If many of you are reading this saying, "Woe is me, my brows don't do that," have no fear. Get an angle brush and brow powder in your appropriate shade: brunettes=medium to dark brown shade, blondes and red=light, sandy brown to taupe. Apply the shadow in light, feathery strokes, following the shape and hair growth of your brow. I don't like pencils because they're much heavier, and less natural than powder.

Tuesday Tip of the Day

{Summer Glow}

from Health

Ok, chicas. We're here to talk about ceekas. (Ah! Too cheesy! I couldn't resist. Please forgive.) Here are a few tips to getting a gorgeous summer glow that won't melt. I tested these products in fierce Southern humidity and all passed with flying colors.

Step 1: Prime. (See last Tuesday's post to get the 411 on primers.)

Step 2: Cover. Tinted moisturizer is the best summer choice. It's light but still evens out skin tone. Recipe substitution: Don't have tinted moisturizer? Mix a pea-size amount of foundation and moisturizer together for instant tinted moisturizer! I like a moisturizer with SPF because you also get that crucial sun protection. If you feel absolutely naked without heavy-duty foundation, wet a makeup sponge, squeeze out the excess, then apply your foundation like normal. The damp sponge creates a lighter veil that won't melt throughout the day.

Step 3: Luminize. The "glow" factor that comes from "summer glow" is thanks to the luminizer. There are three formulas: gel, liquid, and powder. Liquids and gels are a must for summer, which I know seems counter-intuitive but they actually soak into the skin, unlike a powder, which just lies on the surface (and eventually melts off.) Technique tip: Apply the luminizer all over your face, concentrating on areas where the sun naturally hits: cheek bones, bridge of nose, chin, and middle of forehead.

Step 4: Color. Apply a brightly-hued cream blush to the apples of your cheeks using your fingers. Bright colors are far more subtle on skin than they appear in harsh department-store lighting. Summer is your season for pops of color, so stray away from ashy earth tones. Far too boring!

Tools of the Trade


Primer:
See last Tuesday!

Tinted Moisturizer: 

Laura Mercier SPF 20 Tinted Moisturizer, $42; sephora.com

Every beauty guru swears by this stuff. When the "best of" makeup awards come out, this baby is always at the top of the list.

Luminizer:

Givenchy Mister Radiant, $36; sephora.com

This is brand-spankin-new. Mr. Radiant, so nice to meet you! He has three shades of micro-beads that release pigment to blend in seamlessly with skin, giving you that perfect hint of warmth. And it smells amazing.

Blush:

Yves Saint Laurent Cream Blush in Velvety Peach, $38; nordstrom.com

The "it" blush of the summer. I've tried it on all types of skin: fair, olive, medium, you name it, and it looks fabulous on everyone. It's super-lightweight and has just enough of a peachy-coral hue for perfectly flushed cheeks.

Feast Your Eyes On This, Friday

America Love is so thick in the air and I'm in heaven! Of all destination spots for the 4th, I believe the lake is a place that captures the essence of the holiday better than any other. It's rustic, beautiful (but not overly glamorous), humble yet proud, and has this way of making you want to kick back with your family. We usually go to the beach for the 4th, but it never seems to hit the spot quite like a day at the lake, watching fireworks glitter overhead while you lounge in a boat, beer in hand, George Strait in the background, surrounded by the people you love. Doesn't get much better than that. So, I give you permission to start your weekend now, even if it's just in the form of an Americana euphoric daydream:

So cliche, but true. A smile is your greatest accessory.

from Life

A family outing.

That puts tubing to shame. 

A canoe with a motor. Totally my style.

Summer fun. 

Conde Nast

She wins the "Most Proud to Be An American" award.

A true lady of leisure.

I always wonder how they actually got into the hammocks. 

That is my idea of "water sports."

God Bless America.

Bon weekend!