Trend: Bold Brows, Lashes and Lips

Posted by: Kathleen McHatton

February
24
2010

Nothing gets more dramatic or eye-catching than a bold red lip. I'm all for sporting the look in day-to-day wear, and I found my new favorite way to work it. Instead of a retro cat-eye, I've been loving the look of a shaped and defined brow with bold, almost doll-like lashes. This look is fairly easy, gorgeous and yet appropriate for a day at the office without feeling overdone. Use whatever brow product gives you the best shape. I prefer a pencil, comb and some Anastasia Brow Gel. For the lashes, nothing works like Rimmel's Sexy Curves Mascara. You can put coat after coat of this on and get nice and separated "Twiggy" lashes. For a red lip, go for a fun color like Mac's Ruby Woo.

For a little visual help, the expertise of UK-based Pixiwoo will show you how to master this look.

Behind the Scenes: Being Beautyilicious @ CHIKOKO

Posted by: Siobhan Barrett

February
22
2010

I recently went to a local (Chico, California) fashion show by a fashion collective named Chikoko. Despite my snobbish fashion thoughts, engrained from a few years in a snobby art school and shaped by extreme fashionista mentors, I came away with a newly founded respect for small town fashion ventures and the women who put them on. I got Josh Mills, one of the photographers at the event, to send me his flickr link and found these backstage pictures which captured a certain fresh beauty and brought out intriguing detail in the clothes that I missed in the chaos and energy of the runway. Here are some of the gorgeous gals and intricate clothes backstage and before the show.

I love the clean face and big hair! Her distressed boyfriend jeans with the relaxed worn leather handbag and booties are just too cute.

The hair stylists created long braids that wrapped around the models heads. The big hair with braids added a lot of romance and texture to the look of the night.

I loved this little mini dress with its soft pink, pieced, and layered look.The model's tattoos and makeup added a lot of edge to the sweetness of the look.

Here the ever sooooo popular PINK is utilized in both their makeup and clothes. The texture in both outfits is intriguing. On the left, the bright makeup works well to accent the colors of the outfit and of the model's red hair! On the right, the pieced crocheted dress is dainty and demure without being an understatement.

Keep posted for pictures of the event to come!

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A Very Vintage Style Manicure

Posted by: Kathleen McHatton

February
9
2010

For the retro gal who has already mastered the hair and makeup, a vintage-style manicure is your next best accessory. Sported by the bold and stylish Dita Von Teese, retro nails of the 30's and 40's have a very distinct and glamorous look. Each nail is grown long in an oval shape that is filed to a point at the tip. Traditionally the moons and tips of the nail were left uncolored, but I like how Dita sports it with the moons filled in with contrasting white lacquer.

Try out the look at home. I love this tutorial from MsFaintlyMacabre's youtube channel. Her nails look stunning at the finish!

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Blog Tags:
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- Retro
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- 1940s

Red Heads Have More Fun

Posted by: Kathleen McHatton

January
29
2010

Red hair is as rare as it is beautiful. A vibrant color that always catches the eye, it's as equally breathtaking in its natural shade as in its artificial versions. Christina Hendricks, who plays Joan on the hit series Mad Men is almost single handedly responsible for making me want to dye my dark brunette looks a vibrant shade of red.

A hair color that requires a lot of upkeep, going red and staying red is a quite a commitment. It's also crucial to capture the right shade of red for your skin tone, whether it be warm-toned and coppery or on the cool side of the spectrum with purple undertones, etc.

Have any of you lovely ladies gone a daring shade of red? If so, any tips for making it last? Also, please share what you love about being a red head!

Hair Inspiration: Dita Von Teese

Posted by: Kathleen McHatton

January
25
2010

I am in love with the seemingly effortless glamour and flirty waves of Dita Von Teese's hair style in the above pic. Inspired by hair of the1940's, Dita has perfected this look on her own, which in turn, inspired me to give it a try. Dita recently tweeted on her Twitter page that she uses "Hot rollers in small+med sizes," and sometimes "iron+clips" in order to set her hair into retro glam waves. I found the perfect youtube tutorial which goes over how to style and set the rollers to achieve a similar look.

Now all I need are some good hot rollers. Any suggestions?

Fast and Glamorous: The Simple Chignon

Posted by: Kathleen McHatton

January
20
2010

If you're like me, this rainy weather has you neglecting any attempts at hair styling and sporting a variety of caps all week instead. Now, while hats can be fun, it's nice to change up your look every now and then. But while there's so much moisture in the air, I find it pointless to spend time blow-drying and straightening when it's all going to end up a frizzy mess. That's where the classic chignon comes in extremely handy.

A low bun pulled to the side of the head, a chignon is a simple style that can be as glammed up or as casual as you wish. I prefer it loosely gathered and pulled slightly off center. Add any clips or accessories, red lipstick, and those rainy days won't look so daunting after all.

What Do You Use?: Facial Cleanser

Posted by: Sienna Orlando

January
13
2010

What to use, what to use. . . Today's product lines can be daunting in the amount of choices out there. What I want to know is what the average woman does for her basic face washing rituals? Expensive, inexpensive, medicated, herbal,or nothing it all! I asked the girls in the warehouse what they use on their faces every day, and why they like them so much. Here were some of their responses:

Kathleen: Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser "It takes off all of my make-up, and is really good for sensitive skin."

Brittani: Garnier Skin Renew "I use a light soap in the shower, and this face lotion. I think it's amazing. This lotion is the best. It makes my skin feel so soft it's ridiculous!"

Rachel: ProActiv "I usually go back to ProActiv every couple of months."

Lindsay H.: Aveeno

Indya: Alba Coconut Milk "It's all natural, organic, creamy, and it's gentle, exfoliates and moisturizing. It's also earth-friendly and I can get it at my favorite co-op."

Siobahn: Aveeno "I don't really pay that much attention."

Val: "I don't use facial cleanser because it dries my skin out. Just water."

Me, I'm simple, I love St. Ive's Apricot Scrub. It's inexpensive and exfoliating.

What do you use?

Weezer Muse

Posted by: Kathleen McHatton

December
28
2009

I wanted to share with you guys a fun music video by Weezer for their song, "If You're Wondering If I Want You To." It features the Weezer gang in a Pleasantville type of town called...what else...Weezerville. They're four best friends, and life is sweet in Weezerville. Enter the femme fatale, played by the gorgeous and charming actress, Odette Yustman. Her character is what inspired this blog and a couple YouTube hair tutorials on the web. Check out her awesome costuming, makeup and hair!! I love the soft feminine look of the dress combined with the flawlessly crafted, 40's-inspired victory rolls. Check out the video below to see what an impact her looks make on Weezerville and the surprising ending!

And if you're inspired by her look like I was, give the hair tutorial by the talented LisaFreemontStreet a try. It shows a quick and easy way to get a similar effect.

Now if I could only get my hands on that darling yellow dress...

YouTube MakeUp Guru: HollywoodNoirMakeup

Posted by: Kathleen McHatton

December
17
2009

On a typical Wednesday night, I found myself once again searching on YouTube for a cool vintage makeup tutorial. My goal was to find just the right retro look for those upcoming holiday parties. It was then that I came across one of the best Dita Von Teese inspired tutorials I have ever seen by makeup artist and writer, Ashley, known on YouTube as HollywoodNoirMakeup.

Ashley's vids are so wonderful because you know you're seeing professional quality work brought to you in an everyday, understandable language. Ashley uses her creativity and makeup artistry experience to teach her viewers anything from how to get the perfect red lip, to how to shape your brows, to more artistic and edgy makeup looks for those looking for a little something different. She is truly a makeup wizard with a MAC brush as her wand. Here is the Dita Von Teese look I found. Give it a view, and watch the glamorous transformation begin!

Don't forget to subscripe to HollywoodNoirMakeup for more great tutorials!!

Get Glowing, Gorgeous Skin

Posted by: Kathleen McHatton

November
17
2009

Beautiful skin with a healthy glow never goes out of style.

Below are pics of celebrities that I absolutely admire for the radiance of their skin. From the flawless luminescence of Dita Von Teese, to the sun-kissed glow of Jessica Alba and the dewiness of Liv Tyler, there is much evidence to show that a soft, candlelight glow can go a long way in enhancing your look.

Step One: Make Healthy Lifestyle Choices

DRINK PLENTY OF WATER: Water refreshes the skin and keeps it hydrated and dewy. Have a glass first thing in the morning to wake up your complexion.
GET PLENTY OF SLEEP: Nothing dulls down your skin like sleep depravation. Get enough rest each night and your skin will be ready to rise and shine.
EAT SMART: This one is a no brainer. Your skin needs to be nourished from the inside out. Cut back on refined sugars and starches while stocking up on whole grains, fruits, veggies, and stomach friendly probiotics like yogurt and kefir. All will keep your digestion system running efficiently while delivering nutrients to the skin.

Step Two: Adopt a Pro-Active Skin Care Regimen

EXFOLIATE: Exfoliating 2-3 times a week will remove dead skin cells, allowing younger skin to shine through. It will also help your foundation glide on smoother. Try the Gentle Exfoliating Facial Cleanser by Yes to Carrots or Biore's Refresh Daily Cleansing Cloths if your skin is more delicate.
WASH BEFORE BED: Never, never, ever go to bed with a day's worth of makeup on. Your foundation and eye makeup will cake, smear and clog pores. Get into the habit of washing your face before bed, even if it's a late night. Your skin will thank you in the morning.
HYDRATE: If you're in the market for skin care products, moisturizer is the thing you want to spend your money on. Choose a moisturizer that is suitable for your skin type and use it twice a day. It will plump your skin and seal in moisture. My favorite moisturizers of all time: Mario Badescu's Buttermilk Moisturizer and Kinerase's Clear Skin Moisture Light.

Step Three: Try These Makeup Bag Tricks

Get a luminescent glow by dusting your face with a sheer, light reflecting powder to set your foundation or light up bare skin. One such powder that is gaining much popularity is Make Up For Ever's HD Micro Finish Powder. If it's made to make you look flawless in HD, then just imagine what it can do for a day at class or work.
Apply a highlighter to places where light reflects naturally on your face. I like to press Stila's Eyeshadow in Starlight on the tops of the cheekbones, down the nose, at the cupid's bow of the lip, and at the brow bone for a radiant lift.
if you're skin is starting to dull by mid-day, boost your completion with a spritz of hydration. I love love love Mario Badescu's Facial Spray It will give your skin a dose of dewy while putting new life back into your foundation.