Days of Fun Spring Makeup

Redboook published a report they call the "30 Days of Fun Spring Makeup." Here are a few days' worth.

Day 2: Do bold nails in a grown-up way with a rich violet polish like Julep Nail Color in Anne, $14. <Redbook>

Day 5: Test out hot pink lips with a tinted balm. Lancôme Baume In Love in Urban Ballet, $26, is super-sheer. <Redbook>

Day 15: Give nude nails a kick. The freshest versions are slightly apricot, like Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure in Peach of Cake, $7.99. Yum. <Redbook>

Touche up your house with some creativity!

I confess I've been bingeing out on magazine, especially Elle Decor, lately. And duh! I know the word "binge" is not a verb, but I'll use it that way any way. ;) I LOVE creativity. The architecture of the buildings in the magazines; the creativity of home accessories, from nice lanterns to "Balinese mosquito nettings on a 19th century Dutch Colonial bed from Sumatra." Doesn't that sound poetic? I'm in another world...
Here's a sneak peek into my world from Elle Decor.

Hoteliers Kit and Tim Kemp papered the foyer of their London townhouse in a vivid floral by Bennison. The longcase clock is Swedish. <Elle Decor>

An oversize 1960s gilt-wood mirror, a graphic marble floor, and Venetian-plaster walls bring glamour to the entry of a Manhattan apartment, which was renovated by Steven Gambrel. The armchair is covered in an Edelman hide, and the light fixture is by Charles Edwards. <Elle Decor>

Dresses that stunned at Africa Magic Viewer's Choice Awards!

When the ignorant in the West say that "Africa" is only full of the impoverished and destitute, I just have to shake my head and leave it at that. Nigeria is known, among other things, as a place of fashion: where style is as much of the culture as traditional dances and good food. ;) My eyes were "blessed" to see some amazing dresses that just made me smile. I'm sharing them with you here. The pictures are from popular blogs BellaNaija and LindaIkeji. Long live great style! :)

Ufuoma Ejenobor and Ugonna Omeruo <Bella Naija>

Omotola <Linda Ikeji>

Omotola: This dress is beyond amazing. Even Tiwa Savage was beside herself. <Linda Ikeji>

Spring bags to get NOW!

We are going hot today! Aren't you ready for the spring already? I've been "basking" (yea right) in delicious ole 19 and 20 degree weathers of late. A little HEAT won't be bad. The colors of spring are so exciting. Shoot! Let's rock these bags NOW. xoxo

Duro Olowu's collection is now available on jcp.com. Support!!

Yes. Feel free to say "different." Mar Y Sol clutch. everythingbutwater.com

Rachel Roy's Crossbody... I love me some Rachel <Redbook mag>

The rectangular shaped tote from oliviaandjoy <Redbook mag>

My Choice of Date Night Dresses You'll Love

Elle magazine recently published a trend report titled "50 Date Night Dresses You'll Fall For." You may find it here. Of the 50, I think only a few would flatter most, irrespective of skin complexion. Find those I favor here.

Matthew Williamson's, though nice, says to your date "I don't know you that well yet." I could wear it to work.

Halston's is just the right length to work with on a date. ;)

You couldn't go wrong with French Connection's sequined number.

You know I like me some lace: Robert Rodriguez from intermixonline.com

Acne Mallory's green dress is kinda flirty... I like! (Without the boots though)

Lace is back... yet again!

I'm a sucker for lace. Sensual, romantic, different, unique (except for the cheap lace outfits that come out in stores to copy the higher quality lace styles). Here are some fun lace pieces by a few designers. I have my lace outfits. Don't mind getting a few more though...

Blumarine skirt. Buy at thecorner.com

Malene Birger's flirty skirt at my-wardrobe.com

Salvatore Ferragamo flats at luisaviaroma.com

Grammy Red Carpet Outfits I Could Rock

There are dresses you see at the Grammy's you know you wouldn't dare wear. A.k.a ::cough cough:: just about anything J. Lo wears. Then, there are those outfits you can not only envision yourself wearing but could actually purchase and wear. (If they come down to the right price tag... know what I mean?) Here are some from 2013 I like.

Allison Williams <Marie Claire>

I actually don't mind rocking RiRi's outfit. <Marie Claire>

Love the color and the outfit... though it might be a bit too "open" for me. ::shy:: <Marie Claire>

Bey did well! Different and conservative. <Marie Claire>

Inspiration for work this February

Marie Claire published photos of some hot ladies on the streets of London during the London Fashion Week. I'll share some here. The outfits kinda inspire me on what to wear tomorrow and/or next week. ;) Enjoy!

Hot or Hot???? <Marie Claire> Love the green!

Go 'head Ms. Floral. <Marie Claire>

  

Can you ever go wrong with red? <Marie Claire>

Hairstyles for Your Face Shape

Ever since the First Lady Michelle Obama came out with her bangs, I've seen a lot of reviews on what hairstyles are best for what shapes of faces. Personally, I thought the bangs made her look youthful but it appears a bunch of people didn't like it. Neways, I have a few celebrity bangs from Real Beauty that are nice. I also included suggestions, again from Real Beauty, on what hair styles suit different face shapes.

Kerry Washington's

Emma Stone's

OVAL: Anything will look good on your face

PEAR-SHAPED: The key to drawing attention away from stronger jawlines and narrower foreheads is to add volume around the temples.

ROUND: "Slimming rounder faces is as easy as adding height and reducing width. When styling your strands, remember to tease hair at the crown and opt for a longer, straighter style.

Read more: Hairstyles for Face Shapes - Hairstyles for Every Face Shape - Real Beauty

Partial to BCBG

I have always been partial to BCBG MaxAzria clothes. I own quite a few of them: shoes included. I spotted a BCBG dress I just have to have on a blog today: Linda Ikeji's. It would look lovely on me! And I daresay it would look lovely on you too. ;)

Nine West Sale Up to 60% + Additional 20%

Would you mix patterns?

We probably grew up hearing (or learning) that it is almost a fashion abomination to mix patterns. Lately, lots of designers have mixed patterns on runways... and celebrities have gone with them. I still don't think that all kinds of patterns can be mixed. It's selective. Here are some patterns I like... from realbeauty.com.

Rose Byrne, Camilla Belle, Leigh Lezark

MAC, Iman, Bobbi Brown???

My complexion, I find, is very difficult to match. I have friends who get matched within 5 minutes. The majority of shades the artists use on me are either too dark or too light and ashy. I recently visited Atlanta and went to a mall to check out...::drum roll::... none other than the MAC store. I excitedly sat down.

In just a few minutes, the makeup artist felt she had found the perfect match for me. She did her thing and I looked at the mirror. Oh No!! It was too dark. She went on and on about how perfect the match was. I didn't want her to feel her "time" (not mine) was wasted. So, I purchased the powder and returned it the next day.

I have been advised that Iman has a good number of shades, and I have several friends who use Bobbi Brown. I would have liked to try Iman but I just don't have the guts to buy makeup without trying it on first. So, I skipped that option and went to Nordstrom for a Bobbi Brown match. I found a good one but it didn't seem to give good enough coverage. While "deciding," I spotted Clinique and walked over for a trial. Et voila!!! I found the perfect match! I even bought a concealer to go with it.

What is the summary of this post? MAC is not for everyone. Try more brands. less expensive brands like Cover Girl etc might also work, if you don't mind using the back of your palm to check the match. There's something out there for everyone!

Xoxo.

Try a Pencil Skirt Next Week

A hit on pencil skirts from Harper's Bazaar...





I wore a pencil skirt to work earlier this week and I was reminded of the reasons I love pencil skirts. Other than the slim look they give, the skirts force you to walk more like a lady. What I mean is that there is only so much space between one side of the skirt and the other. So, you stand "at ease" with a remarkably small space between your legs.

Here is a Jil Sander pencil skirt for over $2000 from Harper's Bazaar's website.



Anyway, on the day of my pencil skirt, I of course topped my work outfit with some heels. I noticed that in making me walk a tad bit slower, my posture was also improved. I either had to walk "straighter" or mess up the rather perfect appearance of the entire look.

A pencil skirt + heels = A sexier you in slow motion. Your hips have no choice but to sway from side-to-side in a ladylike fashion. In all, the look was perfect. I urge you to wear one to work next week. Top off with a winter panty hose since it is after all, cold outside.

So,... what's with You and my Heels at Work????

What I want to know is: is it just me? Do you ladies experience what I am about to talk about? And if so, why do you think it is that way?

Okay. So, I practically grew up on heels: middle school to present. I remember always wearing some form of heels. I feel more comfortable in heels than I do in flats. It is a fact!! I started work at a lovely place just a few weeks ago. My co-new hire and I wore heels on day one. I'm sure we felt fantastic: not because we wore heels but because we were excited to be working in a nice place.

But as the days went by, I noticed that some specific lady's eyes tend to go to my feet whenever I walk past. At first, it was the "just seeing you in heels hurt me," as per she felt they were likely uncomfortable. Thus, it being uncomfortable for me made it uncomfortable for her. I was like, "Aww, I'm fine."

Photo credit: Shoeuser.com

Few days later, I still noticed eyes on my feet... my shoes. I wore slight platformed flat shoes on this one day and she said "Look at that!!" I said "I found them in my closet :-)." The next day, I went back to my heels. And blah blah...

I just saw online that someone said wearing heels to work is "too sexy" for work. Please ladies and gents. Is this true? Do you agree? Which do you agree with? No heels or yes heels??!!

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