Seeing 'RED'

Since my latest hair-colour and embracing the world of the red-head, I decided to do a little tribute post to beautiful red-heads everywhere:

Regardless if your a natural red-head or someone who can just rock this hair colour, red-heads seem to be fiery, wild, unpredictable and original, but in a sexy, seductive way.  Red is not for the shy and meek - its for the courageous and passionate!!!

Marcia Cross is one of all time favourite celebrity red-heads.  She has always stayed faithful to red and really knows how to rock her copper toned locks.  Her makeup is always complimentary to her hair colour and she isn't afraid to be different.  Nichole Kidman and Lindsay Lohan have the potential to embrace their natural copper, fiery hair colour, but they run in the 'blonde' direction.  I don't understand that - I give a huge 'thumbs up' to Marcia - she isn't afraid of being herself and working what God gave her!!!

One celebrity that only slightly dabbled with blonde is Julianne Moore, but aside from that, she is another celebrity that gets a thumbs up for embracing her copper red hair and being proud of her original features and ivory skin-tone!

I love the fact that there are so many different shades of red.  I particularily love this true ginger shade.  To me, this shade is so unique and the women who wear it well, seem to have such a beautiful natural glow to them.  Of the entire red sceptrum, this is one of my all time favourite shades of red!!!

My favoutrite celebrity 'Ginger' is Isla Fischer.  Isla has the most incredible ginger locks and she doesn't try to mess with a good thing.  I particularily like when Isla wears the warmer autumn makeup shades that enhances the warmth in her hair even more.  Sometimes stylists try to get natural red-heads to wear pink and in opinion, it clashes with their natural beauty,  Isla is particularily such a stunning red-head and I love it when she embraces her colours fully!!!

On the other end of the red sceptrum is a vivid, more intense true red shade.  This shade is a lot harder to pull off, as its not the most natural looking red shade, but it oozes with originality and confidence!!!

Next to ginger, bright copper is my favourite red shade.  There is something about copper that I find fascinating - I think I'm drawn to the more orange tones and copper seems to harmonize so well with these colours.  Copper can look both natural and forced, but if it works with your skin tone, I say 'Go For It'!!!

I hope that you enjoyed this little tribute to red-heads.  Perhaps its even inspired you to try going in the 'red' direction.  If you're a natural red-head, embrace your beauty, play up those red-tones even more!!! 

From 'Ugly Duckling' to 'Me'!

Yesterday I became a bit philosophical - Perhaps its my new, awesome hair colour!  I was 'pondering' on the topic of self-discovery and how we all go through different moments in our lives when we are sure and un-sure of ourselves.  When I was in elementary school, I was a bit of a 'geek' so to speak.  I had those thick glasses that made me look bugged-eyed.  I had naturally thick, curly hair that I didn't know how to work with and style (mousse, gel and styling products weren't a part of my world until high school), so my hair looked fizzy and 'big', I was made fun of, I thought I was uber-ugly, I was overweight etc etc etc - Elementary and High school can be really 'tough', especially when you're not someone who easily fits in!  Today, I am such a drastically different person - both inside and out.  I'm happy, have great friends, have discovered a myrad of styling products for my hair, have developed a style and makeup sense, feel good about myself.  I almost feel like a human representation of 'the ugly ducking' story!  Recently, my journey has become even more interesting - I had my colours done and have embraced them fully (even taking my haircolour into a rich auburn shade), I know my Kibbe style type (Soft CLassic), I'm developing a wardrobe with a 'look' vs trendy peices that don't fit one another!  For the first time in my life, I really feel 100% 'Me' - I'm not trying to be anyone else - I don't 'Want' to be anyone else.  I'm completely happy being me - wearing 'my' colours, dressing in 'my' style, developing 'my' look!  I actually feel like I'm becoming one of those women I've always admired and looked up to! It's a Wonderful Feeling!!!!!!!!!!!

Great Makeup Look for Red-Heads

I'm honestly so happy and giddy with my new hair-colour!  In fact, it may even be the BEST haircolour I've ever had.  I've been red before, but never this rich and stunning!  I absolutely love it and I think I'm going to stay a red-head!!!  I think that a warm-toned red-head looks very poised and elegant with spicy, golden shades like dark gold, spicy ginger, orange-browns, amber, dark honey, rust, warm golden-olive and terracotta shades.  These makeup colours create a 'harmony' with the warmth and spicy element of the hair colour.  I decided to stick with the gold and rust shades for this makeup look.  I think its the perfect 'everyday' look, very subtle, yet classic:

Face: W4 Concealer by Loreal, HD Foundation in #155, Refined Golden Bronzer (MAC) and MAC's Gold Deposit Face Powder is going on my wish list!!!

Cheeks/Blush Shades:  I used Pretty Your World's 'Hot and Spicy' blush and then added 'Goldfish' as a pop of colour (also a Pretty Your World blush shade):

(Pictured here left to right: Goldfish and Hot and Spicy from Lora Alexander's Pretty Your World collection.  Check out her website http://www.prettyyourworld.com/ for more details about how you can order her products).

Eyes:  I started with Silent Night shadow by NARS as a base.  I used MAC's woodwinked from lid to crease and then used Saddle eyeshadow in the crease/outer corners (also a MAC shadow).  I lined my eyes with Teddy (upper and lower lashline) and then smudged Romp (MAC) shadow into the upper lash-line.  I finished with a basic black mascara from Lancome (although I think I'm going to make the switch to Brown).

Lips:  I wanted the lips to be natural and have that really polished, elegant look, so I mixed Sandalwood Beige lipstick by Revlon with MAC's Strength lipstick - I really love this combination for day!

It feel really refreshing to fully embrace my True Autumn shades and 'going red' is like the icing on the cake!!!

Red-heads have more fun!!!

I did it - I'm a Red-Head!!!  Thanks to one of the most wonderful people I know, I took the plunge and went RED!!!  Julia Earle is a salon consultant and past owner of 'Woman' Salon in Mississauga, Ontario.  She now works for Liquid Luxuries Salon Systems and is very knowlegable about her field.  Julia is an absolute colour 'expert' and I consider myself very lucky and privilaged that she coloured by hair!  But even more importantly, I lucky and privilaged to know her as a person - she really is such a delightful woman and human being!

Ever since my colour analysis as a true autumn, I've been itching to go red.  I absolutely LOVE it:

I'm really looking foward to starting my new adventure as an auburn/copper Goddess!!!

Thank you once again Julia - you're the best!
If you're in the Toronto area and looking for a great salon consultant, please contact Julia at julia-earle@hotmail.com

The Autumn Eye

With most people, its very clear what their eye-colour is: blue, green.brown, hazel etc etc.  I've always had an incredibly difficult time describing my eye-colour.  People will tell me, you have cool looking eyes - what colour are they?  I honestly didn't know how to answer them!  Do I give the half an hour speech of how my eyes are a grey-green-blue with amber flecks, but they change colour, so some days they look really green, other days they look a warm blue etc etc etc.  When I was told I was a cool season and wore the grey shadows, my eyes took on this very muddy grey-green look (the amber flecks decided to hide from the coolness).  Once I discovered I'm a true autumn and read up on the colour descriptions for Autumns, I realized that this whole time I've been hiding my warm khaki-olive eyes:

I guess I never really questioned if the grey presence in my eye was a warm or cool based grey?  I assumed that grey meant 'cool', not  giving thought to the possibility that my eyes were a warm olive shade instead (which I now see they are).  However, I never stoped questioning 'well, what about the amber specks???' - The specks are clearly 'warm'.  Wearing the warm gold and amber shadows really brought out all the warmth in my eye (i.e. in this photo I'm wearing a warm khaki-gold shadow).  My eyes no longer appear dull and lifeless, but sparkly and alive.  I've always thought that eye colour was so fascinating, especially how it relates to one's season!  Here are some other photos of an autumn eye:

If you're interested in comparing your eyes with the different seasonal eye patterns, check out this website:  http://colorconnection.yuku.com/reply/75
Its got great information about colour and how it relates to you!

One of the great things about finding out your colours is that things finally make sense or appear clear!  Sometimes your drawn to a particular eyeshadow but think 'I can't wear that - its not an 'in' colour or you simply don't understand why you feel your eyes are warm/cool when someone tells you differently (don't trust picture analysis, its not always right, it 'can' be, but not always) - ALWAYS go with your gut instinct and if you can, do the best thing you can do for yourself and get an in person colour analysis done - its really worth it - its opened up my EYES - literally!!!

 

Finding a "Look"

Make-up is something that inspires me.  I'm always seeking new and fun colour combinations, ways to line my eyes, new colours for my cheeks, what gold based shadow can I add as a pop of colour etc etc etc - the fun is endless!  However, if you're living with a budget in mind, loving makeup can also become a bit problematic if you're not careful!!!  The makeup industry makes a profit on up and coming trends, showcasing the in and 'up and coming' shades, often marketing shades that are 'limited additions', so if you miss out now, you loose!  I personally try to stay away from limited edition shades because I'm always afraid that if I start to love a colour - what happends when I can no longer buy it?  I recently had a conversation with a woman who had her colours done in the early 90's.  She told me that it was the best experience of her life and she still wears her colours and loves them!  She told me that she also got a style analysis done, something that I'm learning more and more about with the Kibbe 'Soft Classic'!  This woman told me that her colour/style analysis saved her a lot of money in the end, because she knew what she was looking for.  Her colour analysist told her she only really needed 4 lipsticks (1 neutral, 1 red, 1 coral, as she was a true spring and 1 deep evening shade from her palette).  She then went on to tell me how once you apply your style type to your makeup routine 'everything' changes for the better.  According to Kibbe, each style type does their makeup differently.  Dramatic types need a more dramatic makeup look to compliment their style.  Naturals, on the other hand, need a very subtle, neutral-toned makeup look.  I'm a Soft Classic, so my look includes a sophisticated and elegant look with some added shimmer.  Soft CLassics are classics, with added 'romantic' touches - the shimmer is that added romantic touch.  It shouldn't be overdone, but subtle, like a frost based lipstick vs a matte!  I find this concept so interesting and decided to de-clutter my makeup bag so I can work on buying products that complement my 'entire' look - vs buying the latest colour, only because it happens to be great for True Autumns.  There is a lot to be said about finding your own personal look and as a Soft-Classic, True Autumn, I feel like I'm closer and closer to that every-day.  Here is a makeup look I created to show-case both my warm colour palette and my soft-classic style:

For this look, I started with my basic face - W4 concealer by Loreal, HD foundation in #155 by Makeup For Ever.  For my eyes, I used 'Silent Night' by NARS as a base (its a shimmering gold shade, but its very subtle once applied).  I used MAC's Woodwinked from my lid into the crease (a beautiful deeper gold shade).  I lined my eyes with Uniform eyeliner by MAC and smudged Make Up For Ever's #47 shadow into the upper lashline.  I used Teddy eyeliner by MAC on the lower lashline.  Pretty your World's 'Hot and Spicy' was my blush choice.  I used it to compliment the lipstick, which is Strength by MAC.

When I posted this photo on my Facebook 'True Autumn' album - I started to get great reviews and those that are familiar with Kibbe's style types sensed that it really suited the Soft Classic look I was after,  Its always fun to find a look.  I think its great to not just have a day look, but to find looks that suit your different needs.  E.g. Perhaps you are a woman who needs a natural-day look, office look, Party look and glam look.  For other, it may just be a natural look and party look etc.  Part of the reason I love makeup so much is that its all about self-discovery and these days its about 'my best self' discovery!!!  Be your own woman, be your best self and find looks that work for you!

Going 'Casual'

I recently got a request from someone who is interested in learning more about creating a 'Soft Classic' look, specifically for those 'casual' times.  I've spent some more time looking into what exactly it means to be a Soft Classic, then got to work looking for using these details for creating an 'everyday' look:

A 'cowl' neck sweater or top is the perfect and essential look for anyone wanting to create that 'Soft Classic' feel and energy.  With Soft CLassic, its all about the feminine details and the very essence of the cowl neck creates that feminine edge.  For 'Soft' classics, I wouldn't overdue the jewelery, perhaps just a watch and one bracelet.  Even though this photo doesn't show the entire outfit, it does justice to the concept of the look and feel of Soft Classic style.

I think that this look captures a great idea of what a casual, everyday look is for a Soft Classic in our modern, trendy world.  This look seems very unique and original, but still soft and still classic, which is the look I am after.  I have to be honest and say that when Soft Classic first started to appear as a winner for me, I was concerned how to incorperate this look fully with all the changing fashions and trends.  However, the more I look at all the elements of soft classic style, the more I realize, there are a lot of options and you can create 'endless' new looks and have a lot of fun with clothes and shopping!

At first glance, this look doesn't seem very casual and slightly leaning fowards classic vs soft classic.  This is actually a picture of a painting that is meant to represent 'Parisian Style'.  However, the more I looked at it, the more I saw elements of Soft Classic style.  The dress and trench coat are a perfect length for Soft Classics, the heels are perfect without being too clunky or platform-ish, the hat also seems to have the feminine flair.  There also seems to be something very 'flowing' and charming about the way this woman looks.  I think that with a few extra feminine details, this would be the perfect look for meeting friends for dinner or for that in-between casual and going out look.  Its a look you can take to work and then out for a drink afterwards.  Perhaps to make the look even more casual, you could do away with the hat and go with a trouser that is tappered at the bottom.  There is no reason why someone can't be both casual and classy!!!

I absolutely ADORE this hat for Soft Classics on a casual day - it has that romantic flair, but still very classic.  Soft Classics are supposed to look for smaller hats that are rounded and this fits that description perfectly!  I love how the neckline on this top is very rounded, feminine, yet casual - this would be the perfect weekend look for Soft Classics, paired with jeans that aren't too snug, but that fit the body like a glove!

Some people think of scarves as a way to dress up a look - I see scarves as 'essential' to a look regardless if your going casual or dressy.  There are endless ways to tie a scarf and I like the slight romantic detail of the way the scarf is tied in this photo.  Try to imagine this scarf over a light sweater with a rounded neckline, a pair of basic black pants or jeans and ballet flats.  The look would be incredible and perfect for everyday!

I got this photo from the 'All Glam THings' blog, which I love and visit frequently - I highy recommend that you visit the site, as you will find many wonderful fashion and style tips.  I particularily liked this look because the pink top is perfect for a soft classic in my opinion.  Also, the black pants pictured are ideal for soft classics, with their fitted (not tight) size and tappering at the bottom.  I wish the heel on the shoe wasn't wedged but rather a slender heel.  However, I think this is a great, hanging out with the family casual look!

This look is not 100% soft classic, but its such a typical look that we turn to for everyday-casual wear, that I decided to post it and show you how you could 'tweak' it to make it soft classic.  First, I would keep the jeans and if you're not afraid to wear heels everyday, I say wear them.  Otherwise, go with a classic ballet flat to really soften up the look.  I would then go with a long sleeved shirt that has a cowl or jeweled neckline.  I would invest in a purse that is slightly rounded and perhaps the finish the look with a few romantic/feminine details.  Perhaps, a scarf, silver, gold or diamond stud earings and perhaps even a broach if your top is overly simple.  I'm learning that with Soft Classic, its all about the details!!!

I hope that you enjoyed this going 'casual' post.  Like I mentioned before, I'm still a newbie at being a soft classic, but I'm enjoying all the learning I'm doing.  I really like taking requests, so if there is ever anything you'd like me to blog about or if you have any questions regarding makeup or style, I'd love to be able to help and offer my advice!!!