The Pretty and Classic Chignon

A great hair look that works for every day as well as special events is the chignon. What is a chignon? Well, it's a fancy word for a bun, and it is pronounced as "sheen-yon." This can be a very elegant look for weddings and other events, and this style can also look great with a suit at work and jeans and sweatshirts on the weekend. It is a very classic look. Here's how you can achieve this look.

Begin with clean dry hair that has been brushed or combed to remove tangles. If you have wavy or curly hair you may want to dry it straight for this hairstyle. Apply mousse to your hair and a small amount of anti-frizz product before you begin styling.

Gather you hair into a low ponytail. Shorter side layers can be pinned back with jeweled hair pins or a head band. Get a firm grip around the base of the ponytail and use your other hand to twist the tail into a tight spiral.

Hold the base of the ponytail with one hand. Next, lift the tail straight up with the other. Begin to coil it clockwise around the base. When you've made a half circle, release the hand holding the base and use it to hold the forming bun as you continue to wrap the tail of the chignon.

Complete one rotation, or it may be a little more if you have longer hair, and then tuck the end of the tail under the chignon. If your hair is long enough you might be able to push the tail through the bun and make a knot.

Secure the chignon using a bobby pins or other accessory. Push one pin through at any outside edge, collecting a small amount of the bun as you make the insertion. Secure the opposite side with a second pin. If you're using a hair stick accessory, push the tip up through the right corner of your chignon so that a thin flat layer rests on top of the stick. Rotate the stick 180 degrees and push it gently through the base of the bun. As the stick begins to emerge, hook a small amount of hair on the underside of the left corner and then center the stick.

You can find many decorative bobby pins with beads, jewels and flowers on them to decorate the chignon. Depending on where you are going and what you are wearing, the bun actually becomes an accessory in itself. The next time you don't know what do with your hair, try this classic and pretty look.

Holiday Makeup Tips

Here are some quick holiday party makeup tips to help you look fabulous at all your festivities this season.

Be careful not to match your makeup to your outfit. For example, if you have a sparkly glittery dress, then don't wear sparkly glittery makeup. Instead, for example, try a smoky eye with a sparkly outfit. If you are wearing bold prints or color, keep your makeup neutral.

A great way to get festive with your makeup is by creating shimmery eyes. You can get shimmery eyes in several ways. Try a shimmery cream, or buy a powder shimmer and mix the shadow with water. The water will help create a dense metallic pigment that's not too soft. Some shadows are barely there, but you want your shadow to have punch.

Apply shimmery shadow above the iris in your eye and on the inner corner of the eye. This will open up the eye, lighten up what is usually a dark area of the lid, and helps eyes look fabulous in photos.

If you do go with this look, please do not go overboard. A helpful hint is to apply shimmer to no more than two places. For example, shimmer your eyelids and your cheekbones, but don't shimmer your lips or use an all over shimmery face powder.

Another way to make your makeup festive is with highlighter. Highlighting pens are a staple in many makeup artist's makeup bag. Highlighters act as a brightener. Skin becomes luminous and dewy.

Here's how to apply: Put your chin to your chest and look into a mirror. Swipe a line of highlighter on the shadows, usually under the eye, along the nose, under the chin. I also apply a line above each brow to pull my face up. Blend the lines in by dabbing with your middle finger.

Along the lines of not going overboard, choose either to play up your eyes or your mouth, but don't do both! If you emphasize both, you'll risk looking like a clown or a…..never mind. If you do a bright red lip, keep the face light and use only mascara and a light shadow on lids. Don't go overboard with bronzer, smoky eyes and blushes either. If you opt for a dark, smoky eye, lighten up lips with a light, sheer lipstick or gloss.

A red lip is a holiday makeup staple. You can check our recent blog post on prepping your lips and applying color. To get the fabulous red lip look, line lips first in a similar shade of lip liner then fill in with the lipstick. Set with powder and apply another layer on top. This will help keep lipstick in place as the night goes on. Remember to keep the rest of your face minimal with mascara and powder.

Last but not least, make sure your eyebrows are well groomed and in perfect shape. A couple of days before your holiday party, get your brows waxed, threaded or tweezed, whichever method works best for you. You can keep them in place by spraying a bit of hairspray on your finger and running them over the brow or opt for a brow gel, which will keep brow hairs in place for hours.

Now that you have these quick tips for holiday makeup you will surely be the bell of whatever ball you are attending this holiday season.

Tips on Applying and Removing Mascara

Long, thick and full lashes make your eyes pop. You can get this look with false eyelashes or extensions, but most of us reach for a tube of mascara. Here are some hints for applying and removing your mascara:

Applying Mascara:

For best results, first look down and brush the top lashes from the roots downwards. When finished, look up and brush the top lashes upwards. Still looking up, brush color on the lower lashes. Give this a moment to dry and apply a second coat. Finally, brush with a clean dry brush, to separate the lashes.

Mascara Tips:

1. The simplest way to get big lashes is to pick a good mascara. This is much better than wearing false eyelashes which can get messy and look very bad if not attached professionally.

2. Use a full bristled brush and apply the mascara, and do not allow any clumping, smearing or flaking to occur.

3. Select a hypoallergenic product. These products are safe for the eye area and should not cause irritation to your eyes.

4. Select basic brown or black for color. There are other colors available, like green and violet, and these colors can enhance your eye color or create a dramatic effect.

Removing Mascara:

While removing the mascara try to avoid letting the mascara get on the delicate area below the bottom lashes. Be sure to close your eyes. A cotton ball wet with an eye makeup remover is a great way to remove the mascara. Sweep the cotton ball over your eyes until it comes up clean. Then, splash the eye area with warm water to remove any excess mascara and cleanser. Pat dry, and your done!

A Few Simple Steps for Great Lip Color Application

To some of us it is part of our daily routine to grab a tube of lipstick out of our bag and glide it on and go. We don’t really give much thought to it. There are some basic steps and techniques to applying lipstick to make it look polished and stay on longer.

Prepping the Lips:

Healthy and soft lips are the base for gorgeous lips. Chapped lips are the enemy of the glamorous lip look!Make sure you hydrate your body properly. Drink a lot of water and quit smoking and drinking alcohol to excess. If you get dehydrated, your lips will also get dry and cracked. Scrub them once in a while with your dry toothbrush to remove the dead skin cells. If you have a habit of licking your lips, try to break it!Use lip balm instead; that will nourish and protect your lips. Use lip balm as often as you feel like, and be sure to change to one with and SPF factor during the summer months. Once you have your lips soft, healthy and nourished, you are ready to apply your lipstick.

Priming and Lining the Lips:

Apply a foundation or primer to make your lips nude. Then, use a lipstick pencil to line and fill in the lip area.Make this a nude pencil or a color that closely matches your lipstick. If you have a pink lipstick, for instance, you can use a darker pink lip liner to change the color of your lipstick by a shade or two. Generally, the lip liner and lip color should be similar a similar shade.

Applying Lip Color:

Now, you are ready to apply your actual lip color. There are literally hundred of shades out there, so finding one to match your skin tone or mood will not be a problem! You will also find several formulas out there ranging from crème to long last to matte. See which formula is best for your use and lifestyle.

Red is a classic and feminine shade that is always in style, and there are so many options for reds that surely one of them will be just right for your skin tone and desired look. If you are selecting a color for daytime wear be sure to check the shade in natural sunlight! HINT: Remember that if you choose a strong lip color, you'll want to go easy on the eye makeup. You do not want two strong elements on your face at once. Depending on where you will be wearing the makeup, you risk looking over done. HINT: A lipstick brush is a great way to control your lipstick application.

Many people like to take a tissue in between their top and bottom lip and gently press down to remove any excess lip product. We call this blotting. Also, if you want to oomph up your look a bit, you can add touch of lip gloss to the center of your lips, and this will make a fuller and pouty look instantly.

The Shootie - What the heck is it?

Have you heard of a "shootie"? What exactly is a "shootie"? This is a catchy name for a shoe that is a cross between a boot and a shoe, and they are very much in style. They are made in a variety of materials, have a great range of heel heights and can be worn by women of all ages. There are so many styles to choose from, and no matter what your outfit, you will find the perfect pair to match it!

During the cold months, you may want to try a sheepskin shootie. They will keep your feet warm, and the look is very trendy right now. This is a really cute look with jeans and a chunky sweater. You have seen or heard of the Uggs brand, and they make some really cool shooties.

With the holiday season upon us, try a festive red pair of shooties. These definitely will make a statement, as red always does. Of course, you can't go wrong with the basic black or brown leather pair either. Suede shooties are also fabulous, and they are out there in brown and black as well as many other color palettes. They look great in purple!

If you are more on the cutting edge, there are shooties available in metallic, peep-toes, snakeskin and numerous other materials and styles, too. Picture a nice pair of gold shooties with black leggings and a tunic top; this is a great look for a weekend night out. Shooties can be found in looks that are quite plain, or you can find them embellished with zippers, beads, laces and embroidery.

Shooties are readily available both in stores and online. They are worth taking a look at if you want the boot look, but you don't want the whole boot!

This fabulous boot is the Bela Shootie from Nine West.

Office Holiday Work Parties -- Dressing up

It is time for the holiday office parties to start popping up. Your holiday party may be miles from the office or just in the next cubicle or conference room. No matter where it is going to be held, remember it is still work-related, and your office mates will be there.Your holiday office party will most likely have a fashion dress code– casual, semi-formal, business, formal, black tie, and so on. Find out what is expected, fashion-wise, and then dress accordingly. Here are some helpful hints to put together a festive and professional work party look.

For parties that take place during the work day, like office lunches or after work meetings, you’ll need to dress appropriately for work, but still incorporate festive tone into your outfit. The best outfits for these pseudo parties can be put together by sampling from your work wardrobe and mixing it up with a bit more flare and personal style. Take your classic tailored suit and swap the blouse for a silk camisole, pair an all-business pencil skirt with a silky blouse or give your blazer a rest and snatch up a fitted bolero or luxurious wrap.

If your office is having a cocktail party or other dressy evening event, this is the perfect occasion to slip into a season-sensitive dress. Mid-summer florals, spring pastels, and light-weight linens are simply out of the question. You're going to be inside, but your dress still has to be worn with winter in mind. More saturated colors, figure-flattering little black dresses, more luxurious fabrics, and less skimpiness are all traits of dresses ideal for the colder months

For shoe wear, give your practical flats a rest, and try slipping on a strappy sandal, a patent high heel, a dressy boot, or sleek pointed-toe or peep toe pump.

Add festive sparkle with jewelry. Think long necklaces, chandelier earrings, metal mesh sashes and over-sized rings. Of course, don't wear these looks all at once. We are going for sparkle, not blinding shine! Use these personal touches to show your personality!

Last but not least, go easy on the libations! Have a great time, but remember you have to face these people tomorrow. Pick out a polished and fun festive look, and have a great time celebrating with your work friends this holiday season.

The dress in the photo above is by BCBGMAXAZRIA

Watches - Time tellers and great accessories

Watches are primarily for telling time, but they also serve as fashion accessories. The days of the plain Timex from the drug store are gone. Today, watches come in many different prices and styles. Like jewelry, they can be clean and modern or embellished with glitter and stones. If you are looking to update your watch, here are some styles to look for as we enter Winter 2011:

Consider a "skeleton" watch. No, it's not for Halloween! A skeleton watch is very contemporary and allows you to see the inner workings of the watch. These watches are very modern and serve as great conversation starters at parties and clubs.

Back in 1917, Cartier created the classic tank watch. His inspiration for these watches came from the tanks used in World War I. The shape is both a square and a rectangle, and the straps are hidden beneath the sidepieces. Many designers have copied this classic design, and it is available in many price points.

You have heard of unisex clothing, unisex bathrooms and unisex everything else, and there is also a unisex watch. As the name implies, the watches are neither masculine or feminine exclusively. The name unisex may imply boring and vanilla, but there are many eye-catching designs out there in this style that are worth taking a look at.

If you are more of the chic type, you will be in for a treat with just about all the designers showing gorgeous watches. There are so many shapes, straps and stones that are being used by the designers on their watches, and the results are stunning.

Make sure your watch is a great accessory for your wardrobe. No matter what look you are going for, there is a watch out there for your fashion and budget.

The stainless steel tank watch shown above is by Cartier.