If you celebrate V-day with your significant other and want to look your best on the big day…here are a couple tips for romantic makeup, hair, and outfits. With just a little bit of effort, achieving the whole package just got a little easier!
MAKEUP
A great look starts off with your face – and what better way to find inspiration than a slideshow of different romantic looks from Refinery29?
From Nicholas Penna, Jr., owner and lead stylist at SalonCapri in Newton and Dedham:
The Sock Bun: Start by blow-drying hair with a natural bristle brush; once hair is dry, apply a dime-sized drop of smoothing serum to the shafts and ends of hair. Using a fine-tooth comb to smooth out bumps, slick hair back into a high ponytail at the crown of your head and secure it with an elastic. Cut off the end of a clean, unwanted sock (where your toes would be), and roll it up into a donut shape, placing it around the base of the ponytail. Tilt your head slightly forward and spread your ponytail evenly around the sock so that half of your hair is toward the top of the sock, pointing toward your forehead, and half is at the bottom, pointing toward your back. Use a second hair elastic to wrap and secure hair around the outside of the sock, creating a ballerina-bun at the crown of your head. Twist remaining hair in one direction and use bobby-pins to tuck and clip the ends underneath your bun. Finish with a light application of hairspray.
Sleek, “Wet-Inspired” Hair: Start by combing through wet hair with a wide-tooth comb to remove tangles, and add a walnut-size dollop of styling balm to the top half of wet, tangle-free hair. Brush your hair towards the back of your head with a fine-tooth comb and secure it tightly with an elastic. Twist hair gently, and wrap it into around the base of the ponytail to create a round bun. Use bobby pins to secure the end of your ponytail and tame fly-aways. Run a fine-tooth comb through the top of your hair up to the bun to smooth over any bumps, and finish with a generous amount of an extra-hold hairspray.
Bouncy, Volumized Hair: Start with a classic blow-dry using a round, natural bristle brush and a palm-full of volumizing mousse. Once hair is dry, add volume to the top of the head by teasing the hair using hairspray and a round brush. After desired volume is achieved, curl hair away from the face from end to root with a large barrel (2″) curling iron.Using a dime-sized drop of smoothing serum, rub your hands together and gently run your fingers through the curls to separate them. Finish the look with light hair spray and you’re red carpet ready!
Smooth and Sleek Hair with a Center Part: Start by parting wet hair directly in the center of your head using the edge of a fine-toothed comb. Dry hair with the nozzle attachment of your blow-dryer, and a natural bristle brush, pulling hair and the dryer downward to smooth out hair. Apply a pea-sized drop of smoothing serum from the shafts to the ends of your hair. Run a straightening iron through your ends to straighten out any waves and voila, you have a classic look for day or night!
OUTFIT
Need some ideas for what to wear on your hot date? Want to go beyond “sexy and red?” Try checking out looks that other stylish ladies on Chictopia have put together:
Mercedes-Benze New York Fashion Week is now fully in swing, and already the news and trends we have to look forward to next season are trickling in. But first and foremost: what to wear around town and to the shows this week.
Rue La La offered up a curated boutique yesterday on some must-have pieces to wear in NYC (curated by Lauren David Peden), and though the offerings dwindled quickly, I thought I could offer up some affordable possibilities instead.
Looks from left to right; click on the links for an affordable option:
January always tends to signal a lull in fashion trends; perhaps it’s the post-holiday slowdown, the lack of major events in the fashion world, or the halfway-between-Spring-and-Winter offerings that abound at local retailers. (Resort pieces, anyone? No?) But if you live in a cold climate, this month likely indicates the most frigid of Winter – and that there still remains a few more months until temps truly break into something balmy. Get rid of the Winter Blahs by mixing a few on-trend pieces into your wardrobe to shake things up when you get into a style rut:
Leopard anything: as an accessory, accent, or even full-on piece is being treated as the new neutral of 2012. Mix and match with anything, even florals (see below), for a new look all your own! Try: Leopard Tail Shirt, $58, NastyGal.com.
Sometimes when gray is all around a little pop of bright can make your day. Try a pair from Target (they actually have a variety of colors, in bright red, blue, purple, coral, and green, that mimic the high-end J. Brand colored skinnies) that can add a dose of fun into an otherwise standard outfit. Try: Mossimo Supply Skinny Denim, $22.99, avail. in-store only.
No, not just for Batman! This great shape as a winter coat works best when paired with a slimmer bottom half, lest you look like you’re starring in a period drama. The Cape brings enough drama on its own! Try: Color Block Cream-Black Cape, $99.99 (sale), Romwe.com.
80’s trends have been back for awhile, and oversized dangles are being dug out of jewelry boxes everywhere to dress up lobes (note Prada S/S 2012 runway, shown above). If the look its too literal for you, try a smaller size for a bit of understatement. Try: Vintage Earrings on Ebay or a search at your local Goodwill store. If your find is for pierced ears, make sure to disinfect before wearing; clip-ons may be a more hygenic option and better suited to hold the weight of larger pieces.
Strings of pearls thrown over casual outfits dress up anything with a ladylike vibe. Long and loose paired with other necklaces or chokers can also look chic when you’re going for more is more. Try: Pearlescent Chains Necklace, $8.80, Forever 21.
One piece or even many, mixed into any outfit, forecasts Spring’s arrival with bright and fabulous blooms (see Dolce & Gabbana’s S/S 2012 runway collection, pictured above). When mixing different florals, try to keep the patterns within the same color family to look less thrift store junkie and more Vogue. Try: BB Dakota by Jack Magdalena Floral Print Dress, $58, Lulus.com.
Belts are suddenly everywhere this season, and they’re thrown over just about everything: capes, coats, sweaters, and dresses. Try wearing two skinny belts at once, knotting the ends of a belt in a bow, or trying a wide obi belt on over your heavy Winter coat for some more variety. Try: Pastel Metal Keeper Super Skinny Belt, $10.91, ASOS.com.
xoxox
Carly
Product photos from their respective websites; photo arrays by me.
Most awesome video ever. Not sure which I’m more in awe of – the myriad ways to style a scarf, or the amazing editing. If you’re intrigued, as I was, you can see read how they did it here (criminy, look at that After Effects Timeline!!!).
Fashion + Video inspiration = priceless.
Just found this uber-cool vid on styling a men’s shirt into a dress. And you know me – I’m all about re-purposing men’s shirts, right??! Though maybe not all of the different styling ideas shown can work for all of us, I think we can all experiment with and see what works for each of our body types, and with what size of shirts! (Maybe with some leggings underneath for winter?) Also, how about formulating our own guy’s-shirt-configurational possibilities??!
Still drowning in class and personal projects, and now Lil Tot has some flu or bug. I’m still here, though – and hopefully will be getting a DIY Links of the Week post up tomorrow!! Thanks~
Carly J. Cais I am a DIY’er, designer, sewist, maker, and marketer. Chic Creative Life is where I share what I do, and help others bring their unique style into their own lives.
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From Nicholas Penna, Jr., owner and lead stylist at SalonCapri in Newton and Dedham:
Mercedes-Benze New York Fashion Week is now fully in swing, and already the news and trends we have to look forward to next season are trickling in. But first and foremost: what to wear around town and to the shows this week.
, 
January always tends to signal a lull in fashion trends; perhaps it’s the post-holiday slowdown, the lack of major events in the fashion world, or the halfway-between-Spring-and-Winter offerings that abound at local retailers. (Resort pieces, anyone? No?) But if you live in a cold climate, this month likely indicates the most frigid of Winter – and that there still remains a few more months until temps truly break into something balmy. Get rid of the Winter Blahs by mixing a few on-trend pieces into your wardrobe to shake things up when you get into a style rut:
