NARS Dragon Girl

DRAGON GIRL!!! I'm in love with NARS shade! I was going through my makeup case and realized that most of the reds that I own are either true reds or deep reds - I was desperate for something a little bit different. In fact, I wanted a red that wasn't 'in your face', a little brighter with a pop of colour, but that words for everyday! I walked into Sephora and knew that if I was going to explore a new red, NARS was exactly the counter I wanted to go to - NARS makes the most incredible, wearable red shades ever. I'm still loyal to my MAC Ruby Woo, but when you want to venture into elegant wine tone reds, orange reds and vintage reds, NARS is my absolute fave - plus, I love their lipstick packaging -its so Chic!!! However, this time, I didn't go for a lipstick per say, I tried one of the chubby lipliner sticks - so easy and fun to apply. I ended up having a conversation with one of the makeup artists at Sephora and he suggested I try 'Dragon Girl' - saying its one of NARS best-selling shades. I tried it and I fell in 'LOVE'! Its a little bit red, a littel bit 'berry' and has a touch of pink. WHat makes it even more awesome is that you can wear it on its own, as a lipstick or use it as a liner with other shades. For this look I swiped it on with my current favourite Dior eyeshadow quad - Amber Design #708 - I then used blooz eyeliner by MAC and smudged the medium brown from the Dior quad onto the upper lash-line - I finished the look with my current YSL black mascara!!! If you want to feel feirce, free, playful - Dragon Girl is for you!!!

MAC Del Rio Lipstick

WHen it comes to the summer, most people tend to do a makeup look that's lighter, brighter, fresher - this look just seems to compliment the weather so perfectly. I decided to do something a little bit different! This summer, I've been experimenting with deep plums and reds. Here's how it all started - I walked into MAC a few weeks ago and I was on a mission to find that perfect summer lipstick - fresh, a little more on the pink or coral side, but something just didn't 'feel right' - these shades were pretty, but something was 'missing' - the makeup artist then had a 'a-ha' moment and said "Try This" - she handed me 'Del Rio'. I looked at the lipstick and said 'no way' - 'that's way too plum and way too dark for summer and for me' - then I heard the words "Trust me" and so I did - I swiped on the lipstick, thinking this isn't going to 'work' and then I stood back and had my own 'a-ha' moment - the colour was 'perfect' - for me, for summer, for any occasion that I want to look elegant without going for a bold, bright lip. The LESSON - don't dismiss a colour just because it doesn't fit into the 'rules' or 'seasonal stereotype' - why do browns and plums 'have' to be worn in the fall? or red reserved for evening? Sometimes we look at magazines and fall into the trap of wanting to look like one of the models - maybe you're in awe of the model wearing a light pink gloss, but perhaps on you, that vampy burgundy is YOUR own personal ticket to seducation! Makeup is all about embracing your own personal elegance, not what the fashion magazines tell you, but what looks 'amazing' on YOU!!! Here are two looks that I created with my new Del Rio purchase. One is using more natural shades on the eyes (browns and golds), while the other is playful and more colourful - with blues and silver shades on the eyes:

For this first look I used an eyeshadow quad by Dior #708 - Amber Design - its been my summer staple! I love being able to mix the lighter golds with the more shimmery browns and then blending in the shadows and layering onto my eyeliner - in this photo I blended the medium brown shade into MAC Smolder eyeliner and finished with black mascara. I did a light sweep of MAC 'Love thing' mineralize blush and finished with Del Rio on the lips!

I had so much fun with this look - I took the photo with a green sweater, but ended up wearing a 3/4 sleeve black top and I felt so 'awesome' - I started with NARS Lhasa shadow on the lid into the crease, then layered MAC Electra on lid, Blooz eyeliner smudged with contrast shadow (also MAC), Black mascara (I used a new YSL sample that I got from Sephora), MAC dessert rose blush and Del rio lipstick!!! This summer - break the rules a little bit - try a few looks that aren't 'typical' - you'll be so surprized at how well a deeper lipstick shade can compliment your summer look and you'll be 'stand out awesome' at your next party!!! Trust me :)

What I Know for Sure.......... 8 KEYS to finding your most beautiful self!!!

I haven't posted in a while, but think this is perfect time for a 'non-image' post. I've been watching a lot of Oprah's Super Soul Sunday shows and one of the questions that she often asks people is: "What do you know for sure?". I've spent the past few months in a state of being 'absent' - not just from my blog, but from many things. At first I thought there was something wrong with me for feeling like 'disconnecting', but I've come to realize that my 'hibernation' process was MUCH needed and has contributed to be taking a fresh look on my beauty journey. I've had the blessing of facing many feelings, some a little scary, some a little funny and some a little healing. Here's what I know FOR SURE: 1) BEAUTY is an inside job. No one can define your beauty because its 'yours' - its meant to be yours and you're meant to embrace all that is beauty about you. Beauty is also an inside job because its your spirit, within you that makes your truly beautiful - no makeup in the world can cover up a hurting heart. Sometimes in order to really see your beauty you need to take OFF all that exterior makeup and look within yourself. Once you see who you 'really' are within, you will be in AWE of your own beauty!!! 3)BE AUTHENTIC - you are 'you' - you are meant to live 'your' life and have 'your' body, your face, your features. Its time to stop comparing ourselves to other women and people around us. Its time to stop giving ourselves messages like: I wish I was ......... (fill in the blank). Don't wish that you could be anything other than the BEST version of yourself!!! Authenticity is about being REAL - so be REAL. If you're a brunette, rock your brunette-ness! If you have grey eyes, play them up. If you've got curvy hips, flaunt your curviness. Whatever it is that you've got - embrace it, work with it, admire it and LOVE it!!! 4) FIND YOUR BEST COLOURS - When you wear your best colours, you light up! You best colours could be related to your colour analysis, but colour goes 'beyond' that - colour is energy and sometimes your BEST colours are wearing shades that make you feel happy, joyous, alive, energetic!!! Find out what those colours are for you and them combine them with shades that compliment your skin tone. Lately, I've been really feeling good around greens and blues, so I've wearing those shades because they really speak to me. Green literally makes me want to cheer and start laughing - which is awesome - I love how amazing colour is and how colour can make us feel. When I want to be more grounded, browns and greys are my best 'neutral' friends. I feel content and more down to earth when I surround myself with a medium charcoal grey. Red is my power colour, as well as black and gold. Get to know how colours make you feel, then wear your 'best' colours!!! 5) ELIMINATE ALL THE TOXINS THAT SURROUND YOU - I'm not just talking about chemicals - I'm talking about people, places and things that literally 'make you sick' and drain the life force out of you!!! If it makes you miserable, get rid of it. If you're unable to chance the situation that you find yourself in, get rid of the way you think and respond to that 'toxin'. So many of us are sponges for negative energy, especially those of us who are really sensitive to the world around us! We need to begin protecting ourselves from things that zap our energy! A great way to start doing this is to start removing the toxins you have the most control over - for me, its usually toxins in food. As soon as I start removing toxic foods (for me its usually wheat/gluten and too much caffeine), I instantly feel better once I 'detox' from these foods. FEELING GOOD puts me in a whole new 'energy field' and I begin to recognize other areas in my life that I need to 'detox'. Very often we don't realize what it is around us that drains us, but once we remove it for a while, we can see the source - listen to your 'gut' and remove anything that doesn't bring you complete joy and happiness! 6) SURROUND YOURSELF WITH THINGS YOU REALLY LOVE - #5 and 6 really go together. Surround yourself with people, places, things that bring out the very BEST in you - that make you smile. Be around people who 'lift you up' vs drain you, that 'support your authentic power' vs compete with you. Make sure your environment gives you a sense of peace and joy - your house doesn't have to have the most expensive furniture, but the things you surround yourself should bring a smile to your face. Spend time out in nature, nurture your soul, get a massage once in a while - be your own best friend if you have to. Its KEY to remember that you won't be able to surround yourself with the things you really love if YOU yourself aren't one of those things. You need to be the first person who cheers you on - you need to really LOVE 'you' - not in an egotistical 'selfish' way, but simply loving your creation, loving your soul and spirit - once you learn this key, everything around you will change and you will be surrounded by LOVE! 7) STYLE CANNOT BE BOUGHT - it does't matter how much money you have, style is something within you - its something you're just born with 'knowing'. You can be the richest person in the world, but have zero style or you can be just getting by and look like a million bucks. You also can't buy class! Being a woman of style and class is attainable by all women regardless of your walk in life. Its not limited to celebrities and the rich and famous - in fact, I see many celebrities that act like they have 'zero' class! Classy for me is an allure that a woman has, it's a woman who has MANNERS, speaks eloquently, is authentic, truthful, humble, caring. Style is just knowing what works - but its also knowing 'yourself' - its about recognizing that a trend won't last for ever and its about putting your best self forward!!! 8) Last but not least - LOVE THE JOURNEY - you will constantly be learning about yourself and evolving. Be compassionate with yourself, embrace your BEST self at this very moment - live in the present - SMILE and be KIND!!! I hope that you enjoyed this post - I felt that before I returned to my usual posts, it would be nice to share some things that I've learned along the way to understanding beauty and life!!!