Saturday, November 29, 2014

My Dillard's Day of Beauty

I'm not really a beauty blogger my blog is usually about my personal style, but beauty and style go hand in hand. You can't truly express your personal style without incorporating make-up. You need make-up as part of the whole package. If your outfit is amazing but your make-up is lacking it will affect your total look. 

I was invited by Dillard's at Baybrook to go through the entire makeover process from start to finish. Even though I've always thought I had my make-up routine down, I did learn a few new tricks and tips that I'd like to share with you.



I started out my day of beauty with a fresh face at the Chanel counter. Here I learned the importance of skincare. Just as important as washing your face is what you put on afterwards. Chanel has come out with a smart technology for targeted lifting. 

"Because every woman wears her age differently, Chanel introduces a new era of smart skincare customized to each woman’s unique needs, lifestyle and life story. Intuitive anti-aging technology adapts to your skin to deliver targeted lifting action for the look of optimal firmness."

 

"LE LIFT Firming - Anti-Wrinkle Cream comes in three textures, from light to rich, to meet the needs of every preference and lifestyle.

CRÈME FINE. An airy, oil-free formula - the lightest of the three - that instantly blends into skin.

CRÈME. A soft, creamy texture that feels lightweight and comfortable.

CRÈME RICHE. A rich, nourishing cream that envelops skin in velvety-smooth softness."

My face felt very clean and soft afterwards. It didn't feel sticky or oily I like that I felt really fresh!




My second stop was for foundation at the Dior counter. I'm very picky about my foundation. I do not like to feel like I'm wearing make-up. I want it to feel light and very natural. I am also a stickler for my foundation having SPF. It's very important for your skin to stay looking young and block out UV rays.

 

They used the Dior Star on me. It is a studio make-up, light weight, brightening, long wear with an SPF 30. I actually wear this make-up daily and I love it! It has a medium coverage but it covers up what you need it to without feeling heavy. 

As a finishing touch she added the Dior Airflash for an extra glow. Its a a spray foundation but it added a little extra coverage. This would be something I would use for evening on a special occasion over my normal foundation, but you can use this as a daily foundation as well. 



My third stop of the day was the Bare Essentials counter for contouring lessons. This was something I was super excited about. You always see on Pinterest those crazy contouring charts using bronzer and highlighter, and it just looks so confusing. Kinda looks like a pain by numbers but Clarissa at the Bare Essentials counter made it easy. 

You basically use the bronzer or what Bare Essentials calls "warmth" and create a heart around the face. She applied it under my cheeks and blended it up to my temple. She also created a subtle line down from the corner of my eyebrow down to the bridge of my nose and blended. 

 

Her next step was to add a highlight. She added it below my eye, down to the cheek bone in a V shape. She also added it above and below the eyebrow, so when you add your eyeshadow later it really pops. Then her final highlighting step was just below the bottom lip in a small triangle shape. She finished the look of with some blush and I was on to my next counter!



My final counter for lips and eyes was the Lancome counter. Since it is fall and berry is currently a very big trend, Joanne went with L'Absolu Nu Berry Silhouette. She began by adding a lip liner. Not only does the lip liner really polish the look, it also help keeps your lipstick from bleeding which is very import. This lipstick felt to soft and supple, it didn't feel sticky, and at the end of the day my lips we not dry, like other lipsticks can do to me sometimes. I real love this color and am thinking about going back to make this lipstick my own!


 

On to the eyes . . . . In keeping with the berry trend Christina went for a bold purple ombre affect. She started by adding an eye primer which keeps everything in place. She added a shimmer highlight to the corner of my eyes and under the eyebrow. The next step was to add the medium colored shadow to the center of my eyelid. She then added a lighter purple on the inside of the lid and a darker purple on the outside, then blended it lightly together using the highlight shade. Her final eyeshadow step was adding the black eyeshadow to the corner creases of my eyes to give the appearance of fuller lashes.


Eyeliner was then applied. She used a black gel eyeliner with an angled brush, going for a winged look. And the finally, was the mascara! Lancome is known for their mascara and I was pleasantly surprised at the outcome. The secret to my lashes was Cils Booster XL super-enhancing base. 

"The magic behind this mascara base is the conditioning formula—featuring micro-fibers and Vitamin E—to add extra length and thickness to your lashes for added visible performance to your mascara."




Top it off with Grandiose mascara, the 1st swan-neck™ mascara that is bent to work with the shape of your face for unprecedented access to all lashes, and TADA! 


My thoughts on the outcome of my makeover: To be completely honest, I don't usually wear this much make-up and I may not again. But I had such a fun time! I also learned a lot of great tips that I can customize to my own beauty routine. Thank you Dillard's at Baybrook for having me!! 



For all your beauty needs:

Chanel - Digna (281) 486-0700 Ext: 5023
Dior - Monica Ext: 5018
Bare Essentials - Clarissa Ext: 5016
Lancome - Christina and Joanne Ext: 5024

Dillard's Baybrook
Baybrook Mall, 600 Baybrook Mall, Friendswood, TX 77546


Saturday, November 15, 2014

Not your mother's sweater set

I find as it gets colder it also gets harder to find a cute outfit and still stay warm yet fashionable. Anyone can throw on a sweater with jeans and boots and call it a day, but I don't want to be anyone.

This year, especially during the summer, the big trend was matching sets. Whether it be matching crop tops and skirts in the same pattern or even matching blouses and pants. So why not pull the trend into Winter. I paired my matching set with a low pair of cut-out booties and a statement necklace.

To get this look or similar looks, go to: http://www.missguidedus.com 


Sweater set: Missguided 

Boots: Steve Madden 






Sunday, November 9, 2014

Boots + socks

What a beautiful day! Its actually beginning to feel like Fall on a regular basis now. Which means boots everyday! YAY! 

Today I paired this H&M western print dress with a Pair of Gianni Bini ankle fringe booties. I recently read an article on www.whowhatwear.com about pairing socks with your favorite boots and I decided to give it a try.

I went for a neutral grey color sock because my dress already had a lot of visual interest. I thought the end result was subtle but really cute. I'm always looking for that unique touch that I can add to an otherwise basic outfit. 

For more ideas on pairing your favorite boots with socks go to: http://www.whowhatwear.com/how-to-pair-match-boots-socks