Fall Makeup Shades

Fall is one of my favourite seasons - I love how the leaves change colour to incredible warm, rustic colours.  I love everything about the autumn colour palette - rich olive shades, spicy orange, mustard yellows, chili reds, aubergine/eggplant purples and deep, luxurious teal tones.  I've been going to different makeup counters trying to get a sneak peak at their new fall makeup collections.  My favourite so far has to be NARS - their new fall 2010 lipgloss shade is fantastic - a great berry shade (it won't be out on shelves until late August, but it helps to be a makeup fanatic - you get to know the makeup sales associates quite well and having that relationship with the makeup artists at the store counters, gets you 'sneak peaks').  I'm also a big fan of NARS blushes - my favourite being 'Lovejoy'.  Now, I know its still July and I'm getting ahead of myself, but my colour season is Autumn, 'deep autumn' to be specific, so I often get excited when fall approaches because I know 'my' colours will be coming out of the woodwork!  Here are some of my favourite fall/autumn 'tried-tested and true' shades (by 'moi' of course) -

1) MAC lipstick in 'Chili' - I usually use MAC"s 'Auburn' lipliner with this lipstick - usually reds look best when your eyemakup is toned down.  However, I love wearing this lipstick with a rich bronze/gold smokey eye - its what autumn is all about!

2) MAC blush in 'Peach Twist' - This is hands down my favourite blush (next to Lovejoy of course) - it is a blend of warm peach and bronze and works well when paired with 'Stength' Lipstick by MAC

3) MAC eyeshadow in Sumptous Olive and/or Laura Mercier eyeshadow in Sherazade - both of these shades are in the rich golden-olive family!  I wear these shades all year round because they really make my green eyes pop - I usually line my eyes with MAC's Teddy Liner and then add some more olive-toned shadow to an angled brush and blend it into the liner (on the upper eye lid) - this really creates that defined, smokey eye that screams 'bombshell bedroom eyes'

Below is Laura Mercier's eyeshadow in 'Sherazade':

One of the key things about fall makeup is to not throw out your summer 'Bronzer' products just yet - in fact. if anything, they enhance the entire 'autumn' palette!  Secondly, if your colours are in the  'Autumn' and warm toned family - play up those spicy makeup shades even more, by wearing similar clothing colours.  Chili lipstick looks extra sexy when you wear a warm chocolate brown sweater or tomato red top.  If you have a rich-toned chocolate brown trench or jacket, take it out of the woodwork and create those bronze, sultry eyes!  For evening, play up the gold and amber shades - try 'Woodwined' and 'Amber Lights' by MAC - Both of these eyeshadows are great Autumn colours!!!

Know Your Colours

In the 80's, 'Color Me Beautiful' was all the rage, people were running to get their colors 'done' - Colour Analysis has taken on a whole new meaning since then - its no longer only limited to four seasons - Summer, Winter, Spring, Autumn. Currently, colour analysis takes into account if you are Light, Deep, Soft, Clear, Warm or Cool and within those catagories, there are even more options. For example, If you are a Deep - you can be either a deep winter or a deep autumn - the whole cool/warm idea is still involved in the process of discovering your colours. I've come across an amazing website that helps you do an on-line self analysis of your colours ( http://www.prettyyourworld.com/ ). One of the great things about this particular website, is that the creator uses plently of Celebrity examples to help you determine your colours. Make sure to really study the 'power colours' she provides you once you determine your best colours. There are some people who think that you can wear whatever you want and this whole 'colour analysis' thing is a waste of time. I disagree - I think colour analysis is one of the best things you can do for yourself and it should not be limited to females - men should know their colours too! Knowing your colours ensures that you ALWAYS step out into the world looking your best and feeling your best. You will shine and will always make a fantastic first impression - the most important thing is that people will notice 'YOU' - because wearing your colours enhances all the fantastic things about you! All the fine lines on your face disappear and all people will see is the radiance that is 'you'! There is a great book I picked up at Chapters called 'Color Me Confident' by Veronique Henderson and Pat Henshaw - Its an excellent resource for anyone interested in Color Analysis or simply curious about knowing their colours!!! I'm being completely honest when I say that finding my true colours has changed my life - when I walk into a store, my eye now goes directly to my power colours and shopping is hassel-free and more often than not, I save money because I don't overspend on clothes I don't need! I often get compliments from people (even on days where I feel 'blah') because wearing my colours always ensures I have a healthy glow! Its also made choosing a new hair colour, super easy - I've always liked the deep, rich brunette tones and now I know why - my deep autumn colouring screams for added warmth and richness!!! And lets not forget about makeup and all the money you'll save in that department - knowing your colours, will take the indecision right out of the picture - you will know your best shades because you will instantly glow when you put them on - more importantly, (and I've mentioned this before) - people will not notice your makeup when you're wearing the right colours, they will notice 'YOU'!!!


Good luck with the 'Pretty Your World' Website - let me know how it goes!

Here is a picture of me wearing one of my power colours - I'm a Deep Autumn - notice, that even with the orange being instense and spicy, it does not overpower me - I wear the spicy orange, it doesn't wear me!!!

Tribute to my grandmother!

For every woman, there has been another woman who has influenced their sense of style.  For many young women, its their mothers or grandmothers, for others, it may be a favourite celebrity or even the vague memory of a women they saw for a split second while they were sitting at a cafe somewhere in Europe.  For me, that woman was my grandmother.  She signified everything that was important to me and no  other person has shown me as much unconditional love as she has!  My grandmother passed away 3 years ago, but her influence is still with me.  She had such grace and elegance about her and her style was always impecable.  Here is a little tribute to the woman who has always inspired me:   To me, she was one of the most beautiful people in the world:     Here is a picture of my grandmother and my uncle when he was little:     One of my favourite pics of my grandmother:     ANother one of my favrouite pics - I'm just a little munchkin in this picture:     Its so true when people say to honour those you love while they are still alive!!!!!!!   Here's to you 'Babycia' - I LOVE YOU!!!!!!

All About 'Me'

One of the blogs I follow 'Nautical By Nature' posted this and I thought it was a great idea to share some information about what makes me 'ME' - I love to get to know people and their personalities, so feel free to cut and paste and share your answers: 8 TV Shows I Like to Watch (not including shows off the air): 1. Brothers and Sisters 2. Grey's Anatomy 3. Gossip Girl 4. Barefoot Contessa on Food Network 5. Look-a-like  6. Millionaire Matchmaker 7. The Office 8.  The Tudors 8 Favorite Places to Eat and/or Drink1. Fresh 2. Green Mango 3. Cassa Barcelona 4. Burrito Boyz 5. Teopia 6. Mr. Greek 7. Tarboosh 8. Moxie's 8 Things I Look Forward To1. Watching a movie in my pajamas 2. Making Dinner (I love to cook) 3. Shopping 4. Meeting friends for lunch 5. Trying out a new tea at teopia 6. Going to my Yoga class and Body Attack class 7. Family get-togethers 8. Summer holiday, Christmas holiday, March Break - 'any' holiday!!! 8 Things that happened to me yesterday1. Met my friends for dinner at Fresh 2. Bought some 'blue vervain' - a healing herb 3. Went to a meeting at work 4. Had our end of year mass at work 4. Learned how to do a Sudoku (still don't get it 100%) 5. Did the word jumble in the paper and started the cross-word 6. Watched 'The Family Stone' - there is something about seeing Luke Wilson that brightens up my day!!! 7. Fed my fish 8. Went to bed early 8 Thinks I Like About Summer1. Swimming 2. Fresh fruits from the local market 3. Making 'real', fresh lemonade with mint 4. Wearing summer dresses, capri's and t-shirts 5. Summer vacation (no work for 2 months - I love being a teacher) 6. Deck parties 7. Getting a golden glow to my skin 8. The makeup colours (fresh pink, coral shades) 8 Places I Would Like to Visit/See1. Tibet 2. Nantucket 3. more of Italy 4. more of France 5. Spain 6. An Indian Ashram 7. Safari in South Africa 8. Ireland

French Country Decor

To me there is nothing more elegant, classy, sophisticated, beautiful and rustic-inspired than the decor from the French countryside. I'm especially inspired by the clean, crisp and fresh palette of blue and white!  I wanted to share some images that really make my heart come alive - I love anything that inspires warmth, comfort, love and that feeling you get when good friends and family get together in unity and love.

Ageless Beauty Part 2

I am fascinated with people who seem to look better and better with age - I really want to celebrate the whole process  of discovering my best self as I age and gain a true 'distinguished' look that speaks about my life experiences. I want to celebrate my life as I age!!! Here is a tribute to men and women who have aged with class and even look better now than they did in their 20's:   1) Judi Dench:   2) Carmen Dell'Orefice   3) George Clooney:   4) Richard Gere:   5) Michelle Pfeiffer   6) Susan Sarandan:   7) Sean Connery:   8) Diane Keaton:     9) Demi Moore:     10) Helen Mirren:

Beauty is Ageless

While our society is fixated on youth,  I have always thought that true elegance comes from maturity.  There are countless examples of actresses, actors and celebrities, who really came into their own only after reaching a certain level of maturity.   Although I value living in the present moment, there is a part of me that can't wait to age - I want to embrace every new grey hair and I hope that as I age, I'm one of those women who actually looks 'better' than they did in their 20's.  I think that with age, comes a certain understanding - you really get to 'know' yourself and what works for you - you value yourself and surround yourself with things that are important to you and to a certain degree you stop trying to please the world so much - This is an attitude you can adopt at any age, but for many people, it doesn't happen until they have really 'experienced' their life.  So here is to CELEBRATING your age (whatever that may be) and instead of fearing getting older, Embracing it - loving it - honoring yourself and your life.