Glitz and Glamour

Today's Nails

2010-09-21T20:10:00.000-04:00

By Request.

2010-09-21T15:29:00.000-04:00

So I am doing this post for my Grandmother who asked me the other day what she can do about uneven skin tone.

First off:
Skin tone comes from melanin, a compound that produces the pigmentation in your skin cells. Melanin reacts to ultraviolet light, such as that from the sun or from tanning beds. The more light that you are exposed to, the darker your skin’s pigmentation becomes. However, some areas of your body may contain more melanin than others, and some parts of your body may receive less exposure to light. When this happens, you may experience an appearance of uneven skin tone.

What you can do to improve your skin:
Exfoliate!
The best way to improve skin tone is to exfoliate regularly. Exfoliation is the removal of dead skin cells from the outer layer of the skin. The top, outer layer of skin is usually the sole cause of discoloration because of its direct contact with sunlight. Once you remove this top layer, the skin underneath should be even and normal.

Chemicals!
Chemical exfoliation uses enzymes, such as fruit acids, beta hydroxyl lotions or chemical peels to strip away your top layer of dead skin. They clean your pores from the inside out and fix uneven skin tone, but it is important to start this process slowly. Begin with occasional use of a very mild product. Look for a product that contains alpha hydroxy acids (AHA). Common types of AHAs include glycolic acid (found in sugar), malic acid (from apples) and tartaric acid (in grapes).

Reduce Cellulite!
Another cause of uneven skin tone is cellulite. No matter what you may hear on late-night infomercials, there is no way to truly get rid of cellulite. But there are things you can do to improve your overall skin tone and, thus, minimize its appearance.
The key to reducing cellulite, like so many other things in life, is nutrition and exercise. Eating a healthy, balanced diet that is high in protein and vitamin C will keep your body active and your skin radiant and glowing. And what is the top mainstay of a skin-friendly diet? Water! Drinking lots of water helps expand your muscles, which minimizes the cellulite’s puffiness.
Keeping your muscles toned through exercise is one of the best ways to fight cellulite and improve skin tone. Running, squats and other leg exercises are especially important for women who have cellulite around their buttocks and thighs. If you can reduce your overall body fat and tighten your skin, your cellulite will be much harder to see.
For cellulite quick-fixes you can also indulge in mud baths, steam baths, or massage therapy.

Also try a moisturizer with SPF to help block sun damage.
Witch hazel can help reduce the appearance of uneven skin tone.
Stay away from benzoyl peroxide, this can cause unevenness in skin tone. Many acne medications contain this.

Tropical Summer Nails

2010-09-19T18:44:00.000-04:00

I was playing around and did this really fun tropical neon summer nail design.
It was really cute and bright.

MAC VENOMOUS VILLAINS

2010-09-13T00:17:00.000-04:00

The collection launches in the U.S. on September 30 and internationally in October.

When designing the four Venomous Villains sub-collections — The Evil Queen from 1937′s Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Maleficent from 1959′s Sleeping Beauty, Cruella de Vil from 1961′s 101 Dalmations and Dr. Facilier from 2009′s The Princess and the Frog — MAC based the color stories on the original Disney character sketches and Pantone color guides. They took it all into consideration — the attitudes of the characters, their skin tone, clothes and style — and not just the colors Disney used to ink them. MAC sought to take full advantage of purple in the collection, as three of the four villains feature the color. They wanted to maintain a cohesive color theme that remained distinct for each of the characters.For Maleficent, they went with cool plums; for the Evil Queen, warm, smokey plums. With Dr. Facilier, they choose to go with brighter shades of purple.

Enjoy!

xoxoxoxox

This Summers Swim Suits

2010-09-11T17:22:00.002-04:00

Heres some of this summer's most trendy and neat bathing suits, that are cute and wearable.

These are adorable and there is one for almost every body shape here. I really love the aqua and purple and patterned one.

You can even get away with darker colors and some more bold patterns.
All of these are made by H&M.

Here are some body shapes can help you find the proper bathing suit for your body type.

Small bust - What works and what doesn't? For small busted women, the best way to go is to look for triangle bikini tops and v-shaped necklines. Also, when you're in the skinny side aside from the fact that you have a small bust, I suggest you try out stringed ones as they are the most flattering of all the types. Basically, the key to looking for the best swimsuit top for you is to choose ones which has a smaller cup and has padding. I do not particularly suggest going for the ones with the scrunched up fabric at the bottom like that one in on the right --> When you have small busts, instead of making it bigger, it makes it look smaller because you'd have "spaces" on the bikini top. Bandeaus also look very good too on small busts but be careful if you're a little chubby on top as you'd have these fat "overflows" in your underarm area which is so not good! Last advice: Try to go for printed bikinis for a fuller look :)

Big Bust - If your like me finding the right bathing suit when you're so gifted is a task too. You should stick to tops that give you full support and avoid stringy ones unless you're going for that "Baywatch" look. I suggest you go for halter tops with wide support in the bottom and stick to neutral colors with small prints. The key here of course is support so do look for tops that would give you the coverage you need!

No waist - So maybe you have an athletic type of body. Well, no worries! There are still great swimsuits for you! If going for a two-piece swimwear, choose ones with plunging necklines and high cut legs. But really though, the most flattering suit for you is a one-piece bathing suit. Yes, yes! The monokini! The monokini is a one-piece suit with holes in the side that'll expose your waist in the right areas. It will give straight waists the image of being curvy! But if you really insist in picking a two-piece suit, why not try a tankini instead? ;)

Large thighs (pear shaped)- When you have large thighs, you have to be smart and buy a top which would take the attention to it rather than your bottom. Go for fun and light colored tops and stick to dark colored bottoms. It is advisable to choose bottoms which are high cut so as not to emphasize the wide hips however if you're not comfortable with wearing such revealing bottoms, I suggest going for brief cuts and hipsters instead.

These are Basics every girl should know if not take the time to learn them they will help you.

Summer Nail Colors

2010-09-11T16:11:00.001-04:00

These colors are great for summer.

Oranges, pinks, yellows, teal, bright and flashy colors

There are so many options that are fun and fearless!

xoxoxox

Les Khakis de Chanel (Released Today!)

2010-09-10T23:34:00.001-04:00

There were rumors in the beauty world during the last couple of months about a new coterie of nail colours from Chanel. Tentatively dubbed “the camouflage collection” while in development, the threesome were finally named Les Khakis.

Khaki Rose, Khaki Brun and Khaki Vert are all flat cremes and are variations on a muddied, muted military theme. They’re limited edition. Get them while you can!

fall fashion week 2010

2010-09-08T17:40:00.000-04:00

What to look for this fall and what would be great in your closet.

This DKNY. School girl inspired clothing, leather, camel tones, and oxfords.

Shimmer is still in!
Marc Jacobs Day Gown.
Metallic and shimmer is going to continue going strong.

Surprisingly Velvet is coming back, especially when used in draping. Lets just not wear Green velvet jumpsuits like the Posh Spice Girl barbie we all had!

Mongolian wool is the new faux fur.
This Vera Wang Vest is stunning and elegant.
I've always loved the look of fur and the elegance it brings to the person wearing it. However Beware your new Mink may get splashed with red paint if you pass any PETA members.

E.L.F Cosmetics Haul.

2010-09-05T19:12:00.000-04:00

Okay so a lot of people are skeptical when it comes to cheaper makeup. Worried the pigment wont be good, the ingredients aren't healthy, etc. Well I decided to give ELF a try and I was impressed especially for everything being only about a dollar. ELF has a lot of promotions all the time, and is fairly priced. For instance spend $20.00 you receive 10 free eyeshadow quads of your choice.
So anyways...Heres what I have.

ELF eyeshadow quads. I think that they are decent shadows. I have been using them often to create smokey eyes in different variations. The pigment is great and stays in place and I notice no creasing.
These Quads are $1.00 a piece, what a steal.

ELF Skin Products.
Zit Zapper: It contains Salicylic Acid 1% witch hazel and tea tree oil. Works decent for pimples and redness.
Concealer: Love it, covers up redness great, I personally don't care for the smell.
All over Color stick: Great for large areas and blends well.
Illuminating cream: I used this on my eyes Once. Its a cute shimmery effect. Stays put.

ELF Makeup Brushes:
I have 2 Eyeshadow brushes 1 blending brush
and 1 concealer brush from their studio line.
Bushes apply well and clean well, pretty durable as well. Good for those new to Brushes.

ELF Skin Lotions/washes:
The Body wash is sweet pea scented but to me smells like plastic and cheap soap. I wouldn't recommend it for use. However It didn't make me breakout/clog pores, I just don't like the smell.

The Body Cream is great, I have milk and honey scented. I love to use this after shaving. Not greasy at all, leaves skin very soft.

ELF Nail Polishes:
I have numerous colors and I love them. For $1.00 you cant go wrong, better quality then some more expensive brands. Does not leave nails yellow and I believe it does have some nutrients in it for nails. I change my nail color frequently so it's a really great product for those who enjoy painting their nails.

My Complete Collection.
Overall ELF has some great products worth buying and some that are not. I will purchase again, and I will soon put up some pics of me wearing the make up.

xoxoxox

Must have Heels!

2010-09-05T16:26:00.001-04:00

These are some must have heels that belong in every girls closet!

First Every Girl should have a animal print shoe, it is very versatile and sexy! Here are some examples.

These are BCBGeneration Heels which sell for $97.95

I however Own these which are Steve Madden and I bought them for $17.99 They are sexy and comfortable and go great with jeans and dresses.

(See how cute they look on, lol)

Next is a Strappy Stiletto, They come in all colors and are great for dates or fun.

These are made by Nine West and they cost $160.00

I own these great Black Strappy Stilettos by Anne Michelle which I found for $20.00

If you have a hard time walking in a Stiletto all these styles come in the form of platform or wedge which tend to be just as fashionable and are easier to walk in.

I got these pair at Dots for $16.99

Next is a more busy heel its a glitter, sequin, or metallic shoe great for clubbing or a party.

My personal Favorite the Purple Sequin heel available at Aldo for $80.00

You can get these silver gladiators at Payless for $26.00

These Smoking Hot Neon blue puppies are by Steve Madden and retail for 129.99

Now this Heel is crucial and is almost mandatory to own a standard Black heel! It can go with almost any outfit and is very classy and sexy.

Zappos sells these sexy black pumps for $99.99

All the shoes I featured can be found at the stores I provided or similar shoes can be found at various places, I will include a few links.

Enjoy and stay Fabulous!

xoxoxoxox

LINKS:

Damask

2010-09-05T12:31:00.001-04:00

So It has been trendy for sometime and I love it! It looks great in so many colors and can be used for almost anything, for me its like the less skanky leopard print. ( I love leopard print, but sometimes wearing a tight leopard print dress you can be mistaken for a hooker. You gotta keep it classy.)

A Little History of Damask:
Damasks were one of the five basic weaving techniques of the Byzantine and Islamic weaving centres of the early middle ages and derive their name from the city of Damascus which at the time was a large city active in both trading and manufacture. The word "damask" is first seen in a Western European language in the mid-14th century in French. By the fourteenth century, damasks were being woven on draw looms in Italy. (Thanks wiki lol)

Back to School Skin Essentials.

2010-09-04T14:18:00.000-04:00

It's that time again school has started and back to school products have been bought.

Glue sticks, No. 2 pencils, crayons, whiteout, binders, and folders. Yet what have you bought to indulge your self? I am not talking about those express jeans, or the shoes you've been coveting for some time, I am referring to the Essential beauty products for a fresh back to school look to start of a new year of education, essays, cramming and good grades (hopefully.)

Your face is the first thing people notice unless your wearing a low cut blouse, therefore it is important to have a clean glowing face.

One product that is really great and doesn't take too much time away from your studies is Olay Dual Action Cleanser + Pore Scrub. This product keeps your skin cleansing regimen simple. It cleans and exfoliates with little microbeads. It sells for $5.00 at Wal-mart and about $7.99 at other retail stores.

The next important thing is SPF! No one wants to look like a Prada bag so it is crucial we keep our skin protected. One amazing product I use daily is Loreal Revitalift complete SPF 18 Day cream. This helps skin keep moisture and gives you great protection from the sun that isn't greasy or oily. This retails for about $13.99. I strongly recommend this product.

For the rest of your skin lotion is obviously needed especially during the summer and when wearing that cute skirt. If you want something to tone and tighten skin, I would use Jergens Skin Firming lotion which comes in a regular lotion and a bronzer option as well. I use this daily and boy has is improved my skin. It really has no smell so I usually mist a body spray or perfume after applying. I prefer it to other products that claim to firm skin and promise a bikini body. Its not greasy, hasn't clogged my pores and I love it. This sells for about $6.oo

I hope You Enjoy these Great Products for amazing back to school skin.

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SALUTATIONS

2010-09-04T12:22:00.000-04:00

The Birth of Glitz and Glamour.
I have always loved makeup, fashion, and glamour. I know it has become increasingly trendy to do makeup tutorials etc. However I wanted to create a blog about everything; Hair, makeup, nails, cooking, health, beauty, tutorials, fashion, etc. I am new to blogging and I hope I can satisfy and inform those who also share a passion for glamour and being a girl.
xoxox