Celebrate Your Life!!!.......with a little Ruby Woo

Today I am celebrating!!! Today is my Birthday!!! I'm a March baby, a true Pisces! I'm excited to celebrate my life this year because I really feel like I've hit huge 'a-ha' moment in my life. I'm proud of myself - I'm proud of who I am, what kind of person I am - I'm happy to be me!!! I'm also truly 'Blessed'! I'm blessed to have such an amazing family - to have great, caring friends. God has blessed me in many ways and although the past year had its ups and downs, every 'trial' that has come my way, has made me stronger, has made me even more grateful to be alive, has restored by faith that everything happens for a reason and for a 'season'. I celebrate the Renata that I am today - a woman who knows her worth - who has really discovered the beauty of true friendship, the importance of family and the life-changing impact of Red-Lipstick!!! Cheers to the woman who I have 'become'!!! One thing that I have really learned is that true class is not only about what you 'look' like - its the energy that you exude and how you carry yourself and present yourself to others. TRUE Class is really about being a good-hearted person!!! I want to thank my Grandmother and my mother for teaching me that lesson!!!

I decided for my birthday today to create a makeup look that I discovered while at the House of Chanel in Paris. I remeber having the most delightful experience there and meeting a makeup artist who really look the time to teach me a very elegant and classy makeup look. It all begins with a clean face, some concealer and a light tinted moisturizer, a natural toned blush and an subtle smokey/defined eye - I'm using Prelude eyeshadow quad with a Navy Liner (blooz by MAC), smudged with the darkest shade of the Prelude palette. Since I went with a defined eye, I still wanted that 'red' lip look but subtle, so I lined my lips with MAC's Spice before filling in the lip with Ruby Woo - Chanel's Gabrielle and YSL #1 Le Rouge are also amazing Red's that I discovered in Paris!!! So today I've beginning the day with a croissant, a nice strong coffee and will end the day with a peice of cake, a glass of wine and a HUGE self-hug!!! I embrace and Love the person that I am!!! :)

Yves Rocher - Bois De Rose

More and more I see the value of a great lipliner. In fact, sometimes a lipliner layered over a lipbalm is all you need! In my personal research on lipliners, artists use this took in various ways. Some apply the liner before the lipstick, some after, some use it as a blending tool and others use it on its own! One thing I've come to learn, is not to listen to advice from artists and use that advice as a 'cardinal rule' - instead, listen to what an artist has to teach you, learn from their advice, and then make it work for you! Remember, when you applying makeup, its your face, it your canvas, you know it better than anyone and you know what you like!!! Taking a break from this blog really brought me back to using makeup in a way that I feel the most comfortable! There are guides, there is good advice, there are makeup professionals and colour analysts, but at the end of the day, you need to be your own person and your own authority! Now that I've got that off my chest, I'm ready to talk about one of my favourite lipliners that I discovered in Paris and luckily the company Yves Rocher is also sold here in North America. Bois De Rose is a shade that is more along the lines of a brownish or even slightly coral toned Rose, in other words, in a warmer rose shade and 'perfect' for blending in a variety of different shades. In my last post, I talked about trying to create a multi-dimentinal colour and look - you will bring your makeup to a whole new level when you learn to mix and match and create custom colours that work for you - in essence, its like a really expensive hair-cut and you will leave people wondering, what colour is that? what is she wearing? Its all about the 'Allure' - that's what the Parisians are known for. Beauty is not about being 'Beautiful' because beauty is in the eye of the beholder, Beauty is about 'owning' your own beauty authority and making it uniquely 'yours' - its about looking in the mirror, liking what you see and 'owning' that energy everywhere you go!!! With the 'Bois De Rose' liner, you have room to create a lot of different looks - I paired it with my go-to 'Retro' lipstick by MAC, but it works really well with a lot of CHanel lipsticks too, in particular Venise, Rivoli and practically any shade with a hint of rose. This liner creates a very 'Romantic' look - its ideal for a casual-elegant look (stay tuned for a great up-coming post about casual-elegance)!!! In essence, lipliners are you friends and they can 'transform' any lipstick that you would otherwise by-pass or throw out into the most beautiful shade. Take inventory of all the colours you have and then ask - what's missing? how can I transform all these shades? Perhaps you want to make them more neutral looking or brighter or even 'warmer' or 'cooler' - whatever you need to do to create that perfect look for you, do it and remember, you are the artist painting your own canvas - enjoy the experience!!!

What I've come to Learn about Makeup!!!

So I've decided that not only am I going to post photos of my makeup work or describe my 'look' - I'm also going to blog about my ideas around beauty and how to use makeup to 'compliment' you look, style and life!!! I'd really like to share something that I think will benefit you the next time you go shopping for makeup. Makeup is a lot of hair colour - one single shade is nice, but to look REALLY elegant, makeup, like an expensive hair-colour, needs to be 'Multi-Dimentional'. Other than a Classic Red lip, elegant makeup shouldn't be one straight shade - it should have a touch of this or a bit of that - thats why layering different shades gives you that 'ideal' shade. But if you want that one standard colour, esp when it comes to lipstick, try a shade like Retro from MAC (it has a touch of red, a touch of peach, a touch of brown and a touch of rose) - another trick for lipstick is to use different lipliner shades with a neutral lipstick or go for unconventional colour combinations to create a unique shade like a plum liner with a peach lipstick or a mahogany liner with a light sheer pink lip-gloss - the possibilities are 'endless' - if you can't find that 'perfect' shade, create your own!!! THe perfect lipstick shouldn't be 'definable' - the best is to get the reaction from people who question 'What colour is that???' - With eyeshadows, the possbilities are endless too - I mix shades ALL the time - very rarely, do I every just use one shade - I layer, I mix, I create various different shades. I do the same with eyeliners - I will use an angled brush to smudge various colours into my liner. I will use a taupe-brown shadow to blend into a black liner or a copper brown to blend into a deep brown shade. I've even mixed plum shades in with navy and blue liners. If you want a unique makeup look, think like an artist - layer, mix and match, blend!!! When it comes to blush, the best thing you can do is to match the natural flush in your cheeks - pinch your cheeks, pinch the end of your finger tip and notice what shade appears - that's your best blush shade - it will look the most natural. I've learned the hard way that blush in the wrong colour or blush that isn't sheer enough will make you look like a clown! Save a bold colour for your lip and go natural with your blush! Finally, foundation and concealer - take the time to get colour matched! Sephora now offers a colourmatching system - or go makeup shopping without wearing your foundation and let an artist match you up. If you're still not sure, go for a tinted moisturizer that is sheer! Also, if you need, mix and match - or even create your own tinted moisturizer by blending your everyday moisturizer with your foundation. Think of your makeup kit as 'collecting a wardrobe' - every once in a while, purge what doesn't work, keep the 'essentials' and never give up on a colour you really love, no matter what a colour analyst says. If you LOVE red lips, go for it, just learn how to make it work - maybe its a matter of adjusting what you wear on your eyes or blending a more neutral liner with the lipstick - Makeup, more than anything, is a journey and you learn along the way!!! Enjoy the journey!!!

Retro Lipstick by MAC and a Dose of Motherly Love!!!

I have a very funny story and relationship with the lipstick 'Retro' by MAC! I have tried Retro before, always thought it was 'just ok' - I think I've even blogged about it before, but its only been recently that I've really embraced this shade for what it really is - an elegant shade that covers ALL the bases - its got a touch of red, a touch of peach, a touch of brown, a touch of rose, a touch of CLASS!!! Retro's got it all!!! For years, my mother has been wearing Retro - its one of her 'go-to' shades. Everytime I see my mom, she 'always' looks put together - more and more, I see my mom and I absolutely ADMIRE her - her style, the way she's always classy and elegant looking, how strong she is as a woman, how giving and beautiful she is as a soul - I love my Mom! I've realized that my mom really is my best friend - when no one else is there and I need a shoulder to cry on, she's 'always' there and that is very comforting and beautiful!!! So really, this look is inspired by my Mom - a very classy and elegant woman! Next, to my mom, the star of the show is 'Retro' - a must have lipstick shade for anyone looking for a put together, go with everything, casual-elegant look: I started this look with a good, hydrating moisturizer, a light tinted moisturizer, concealer, Chanel's 'Prelude' eyeshadow palette (the medium shade applied from lid to crease and the darkest shade smudged into the upper lashline), a dark brown liner by Marcelle, black mascara (Loreal voluminous continues to be a go-to), my favourite 'Madly' blush by NARS and RETRO!!! Voila - a go to look that will always 'be there for you', just like Mom!!! :)

I'm BACK!!!

I have MISSED blogging on 'Beauty and Elengance' SO much!!! And I'm here to say that I'm BACK and this time with a Vengeance!!! My life lately has taken my on a WILD, but much needed adventure! I went on a little 'spiritual retreat/journey' you could say where I really started to ask myself what I wanted from my life? What is my true passion? Where do I get my greatest sense of fulfillment??? and its interesting, my journey led me right back here!!! My passion is makeup and colour!!! My fulfillment comes from expressing myself using this creative outlet and sharing it with others!!! I'm so happy to begin the next chapter of my journey right here with all of you at the 'Beauty and Elegance'!!! I haven't stopped my makeup experiments, in FACT, I've been working very hard on creating new looks. I have done a lot of reminiscing about Paris, what I learned about creating a look based on true allure. Defining your perfect look includes really looking at the following facts and questions: 1) Who are you as a woman? what does your Life look like? 2) What is your unique colouring (study what colours look the best on you and that you feel the best in) 3) What is your 'Allure' - what makes you shine? What makes you feel 'sexy'? 4) What do you want in life? What are your passions? what brings you fulfillment??? 5) Perhaps 'most' importantly - everything that you are seeing, you ALREADY have - its time to stop trying to 'look like someone else' and embrace what is UNIQUE and original about you!!! Colour analysis works 'most of the time', but not all of the time. I for one, don't feel like I fit into any one season - I feel that I can borrow from 'many' seasons, both warm and cool, but feel the most closely connected to the autumn and winter seasons. I feel that getting your colours done is a great experience, but it should not 'define' your life!!! Examine who you are - DEFINE YOURSELF!!! We are not meant to fit into a 'box' when it comes to beauty and makeup. Elegant women are elegant because they don't fit the mold, they follow their instrict. The French 'allure'or je ne sais quoi - is 'not definable' for a reason! Once you step into 'trying to hard' or defining your look, you step 'away' from your own 'Allure' - Be who you are, be confident, don't look outside of who you are for something/someone to give you meaning and KNOW your WORTH!!! The photo I posted is a look I've been wearing a lot lately - its my own version of an everyday Parisian Look - I'm sticking to the warm tones of my eyes with Dior 'Amber Design', a dark brown liner smudged with the med. brown shade in the Dior palette and black mascara. My all time favourite 'Madly' blush by NARS and a swipe of Makeup Up Forever, Natural lipstick in N9!!! They key for this look is that its natural, yet gives you the right amount of colour!!! Oh wow - I'm SO excited to be back and blogging about makeup again!!! Love you All!!!