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11.28.12

Hi, Gold… we’re still loving you.

Okay, maybe I’m a little obsessed.  I don’t care.  I love gold!  I love the drama and the elegance it can add.  I love the shiny, rich texture it brings to an outfit or a table setting.  I love the shimmery warmth it gives your face when you used in makeup.  And mostly I love how timeless and classic it is.  As long as there’s been anything, there’s been gold,

So speaking of classic, let’s talk about one of gold’s tried and true partners in crime and the color you can never go wrong with:  black.

Black + Gold.  Match made in Heaven.  It’s a no brainer.  Winner, winner, chicken dinner.  Dynamic Duo.  Lovebirds.  Jack & Sally.  Thelma & Louise.  It’s the PB&J of fashion.   And I especially adore it around the holidays.  It’s chic and festive and classy and fun and wow.   Dressed up or down, on a table or on your arm, it’s all fabulous!  Obviously, this combination is nothing new, but it’s still relevant and it’s always worth showing some love.

 

Black Lace Peplum Dress ($48 – don’t spend a lot on trendy items!).  Hutton Tuxedo Jacket by Rachel Zoe ($425 – splurge on timeless wardrobe necessities like the black blazer), Christian Louboutin Duvette 120 Cap Toe Pumps ($785 – it’s worth it, they’re Loubi’s!), Tory Burch Gold Flats ($195 – every girl needs a pair of TB flats in her closet)

 

Put together your favorite B&G ensemble and share it with me on Facebook!  I’d love to see your fabulous looks!

All this talk of black and gold has the really catchy Sam Sparro song “Black and Gold” (duh) stuck in my head.  You can listen to it here.  Katy Perry also did a cover of this song (not the best quality video, but you get the idea.  I have the recorded version and it’s great)… you’ll be surprised at how great her voice sounds when she’s not wearing daisy dukes, bikini untied.

 

XOXO, B.

 

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11.27.12

Dear Gold, we heart you.

Gold & Sashes.

Soft neutral hues combined with metallics have taken the wedding world by storm.  Understandably so…I mean, how can you resist it?  I’m loving the use of both gold and sashes in bridal.  I think it lends to a classic elegance with a twist of fun.  Especially amazing for a holiday bride!  Here’s a few of my favorite:

 

Dress:  swoon.  die.  in love.  Unfortunately I can’t find the designer, (it’s my new mission to hunt this beauty down) but I did find a dress very similar at Shareen Vintage.

Gold Rhinestone Sash: GetNoticed on Etsy

Peach Floral Sash:  Aurora Bridal on Etsy

Champagne Floral Sash:  Fancie Strands on Etsy

If you don’t Etsy, you need to.  Everything all in one place, one of a kind, unique, handmade and totes awesome stuff.

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Now, can we talk about this birdcage veil? Hello, I love you, won’t you tell me your name?  Her name is Tessa Kim and she creates this lovely little number and tons of other fabulous headpieces and bridal accessories.  Amaze.

 

 

I can tell you first hand that being afraid to try new things on your wedding day is normal, but you need to get over it!  I highly regret not being more fabulous on my one and only wedding day.  Don’t dumb it down.  You don’t have to look like you’re in an over-the-top bridal editorial, but you should feel confident to look exceptional, after all you’re the BRIDE!  Be yourself and be comfortable, but also have fun with it… wear a one of a kind veil, funky beautiful shoes, try different hairstyles until you find one that’s perfect for you, rock some metallic accessories like it’s your job!   You were born to shine, lovely!
XOXO, B.

 

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11.26.12

Product Review // Kiehl’s Midnight Recovery Concentrate

One word:  Brilliant.

I can’t say enough about this little magic potion from Kiehl’s.  I was recently given a sample by a lovely sales associate who insisted that it would change my life (or maybe just my skin, but either way, score!).  After using it every night for almost 3 weeks I have noticed  remarkable improvements – much softer skin with a more even texture and tone, fine lines are less noticeable and blemishes less frequent and less prominent.  My skin is more radiant, youthful and dewy, especially the morning after – major bonus!  I haven’t tried the eye cream pictured, but you can believe I’ll be sampling it soon as well!  All in all – amazing product and I’m looking forward to seeing what little miracles happen on my face after prolonged use.  One word of caution:  a little goes a looooong way; use sparingly or you’ll be a hot, oily mess!

XOXO, B.

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11.25.12

Easy Peasy Smokey Eye Tutorial

Just about anyone looks great with a smokey eye.  Some can pull off a super dramatic look while others fare better with a soft and natural version.  Here’s a tutorial for a smoky look that is versatile, good for both day and night and looks great on just about anyone.  (Do you spell it Smoky or Smokey?  I think it’s a matter of preference!)

For long lasting wear, you should prime the lids before applying makeup. Some I like to use are:

  • Cover FX Eye Prep Fx Anti-Age Smoothing Primer
  • Urban Decay Shadow Primer Potion
  • NARS Smudgeproof Eyeshadow Base
All of these primers can be found at Ulta and Sephora. I have tried lots of drugstore primers, but I don’t find them to perform as well.
Now, time for smokey eyes…
What you’ll need:
  • Eyeshadow Primer (optional, but recommended)
  • Cream or Champagne shadow
  • Coppery Taupe shadow
  • Black or Espresso shadow
  • Black kohl eyeliner
  • Mascara
MAC, Urban Decay, L’Oreal and Dior cosmetics were used in this pictorial. You can also achieve this look using Rimmel Glam’Eyes Quad Eye Shadow in 002 Smoky Brun with a kohl pencil and mascara of your choice.  The colors used in this look are neutral and will suit any eye color, but keep in mind, a smokey look can be done with just about any combination of colors – it’s totally up to you!

1. Apply a neutral base color to entire lid, from lash line to brow. (MAC shadow in Vanilla). Then line eye with a kohl liner pencil. (L’Oreal Le Grand Kohl Eyeliner Pencil in Onyx)

2. Next apply a coppery brown shadow to lower lash line using an angled shadow brush or a pointy-ended Q-tip. (Urban Decay Naked 1 (UDN1) Palette in Smog for a shimmery look or UDN1 Palette in Buck for a matte look). Next, apply a bit more kohl pencil to the lower lash line outer corner only and smudge/blend into the brown color you applied first. You can use a Q-Tip for this or a small blending brush.

3. Apply UDN1 Palette in Buck from lash line to crease, with the pigment more concentrated on the outer corner of your eye, fading into the inner corner. Blend out any harsh lines with a blending brush (you can use your pinky finger if you don’t have a brush!)

4. Using the same kohl eyeliner, create a winged outer corner on upper lash line. This does not have to be super precise as it will be blended out.

5. Using a semi-firm blending brush, smudge out the eyeliner and blend into the brown color you applied to your lid. Maintaining the ‘V’ shape at the outer corner of the eye.

6. Once you’re pleased with the blending, apply a gold shimmery shadow to inner corner of eye to brighten the look. (Mix UDN1 Palette in Half Baked and Virgin).

Apply mascara to upper and lower lashes. (Dior Show Mascara in 090)

It really is simple and you can do this look with 5 products or less in about 5 minutes!  I know that makeup can sometimes be intimidating – but it’s really nothing to be afraid of!  Don’t over think it, don’t over use it – always remember, less is more!  And when all else fails, take it off and start over!  That’s the beauty of it (pun) – it’s not permanent, you can erase and erase as many times as you need.  Practice makes proficient, lovelies.

XOXO, B

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