How to Create a Smoky Eye Makeup Effect – Six Easy Steps!

Smoky eye makeup is a perennial favorite among glamour pusses, movie stars, and fashion lovers.  It hearkens back to the days of Marlene Dietrich and Rita Hayworth, when ladies had an air of mystery and sophistication in addition to their charm and beauty.  It is one of the essential looks that every woman wants in her cosmetics arsenal.  Millions of customers ask the same question each day at makeup counters around the world:  How do I create the smoky eye makeup effect at home?

Without a doubt, the key to flawless smoky eye makeup is blending.   Even though it is a dramatic look, there is an element of natural shading that you want to maintain.   That being said, you really Read more

How to Choose: A Health Spa Day

If you ask a large group of women what their perfect day would entail, a huge majority of them will include spending time at a health spa as part of it.  And who can blame them?  A health spa day is about more than just a glowing complexion and reducing some wrinkles.  It is about rejuvenating the spirit and giving yourself a much needed break.

There are literally millions of health spas offering a wide range of services and day packages.  The spas themselves differ in their style and presentation.  Some are heavily influenced by eastern cultures incorporating treatments from India, Japan, and Indonesia.  Others focus on traditional American and European therapies.  One of the most important things to consider when you choose the location for your health spa day is whether or not it appeals to your sense of aesthetics; if you don’t feel relaxed and at home there, you won’t benefit as much from the treatments.

One of the best ways to pick a spa is to get Read more

Handbags With Heart

Handbags can be many things, including whimsical and artistic.  One of the most popular motifs in ladies fashion includes hearts.  They can represent femininity, love, romance, and a girlish optimism.

Take, for example, this Marc Jacobs Big Hearts Clutch:  a veritable elementary school art project in purple leather, inspired by the season’s hottest color. This larger than average clutch (11″x 6.5″x 2.5″) refuses to take itself seriously; and no one who carries this bag will be accused of such a thing, either.  Whether you love it or hate it, this bag is going to get a reaction.  Marc Jacobs has gained a reputation (good and bad) for the whimsical elements he often brings to his designs.  Traditional fashionistas may not appreciate his efforts, but the younger crowd is always looking for a way to stand out--and Jacobs’ bags are far from conventional.

Critics of this particular piece have said that it looks childish, or that it is impractical, but isn’t that the prerogative of high fashion?  There really is no end to structured black handbags or Read more

Gwen Stefani Boots – Shoes For Lovely People

In a fashion world that seems to always be thinking ever-forward, it is perhaps a great show of innovation to be willing to take inspiration from the distant past.  Retro styled boots can bring a whimsical touch to your wardrobe and give even your trendiest outfit a classic appeal.

A perfect example is Gwen Stefani’s Rosebury boot, available at Nordstrom.com for $520.  A Victorian inspired, stacked heeled boot with a patent leather toe cap and coordinating buttons, it looks as though it would be paired just as easily with skinny leg jeans as it would with a corseted ankle-length fashion from the 1800’s.  It can be worn with pants, dresses or skirts (long and short), and would be superb with a wool skirt and French cuffed white shirt, a smoky eye, and ruby red lips.

Unlike a lot of fashion lines Read more