Pur Minerals Makeup

Today, I went to Pur Minerals Fall 2010 product launch and loved what I saw. I met Jackie Gomez, their resident makeup artist, and watched her demonstrate some of the fun products that they have. My writeup for the Fall products is coming soon on ladyandtheblog.com. The ones I loved the most are:

Perfect Fit Trio in Canyon Glow- For women with a complexion similar to mine, bronze and gold colors are perfect so I'm always on the lookout for these colors. This trio has a bronze, dark brown and peach combo. You can wear just one or blend them for a sexy look. You can do this by applying the gold over the entire eyelid, blending the dark color in from the outer corner. Dab a bit of the peach in the corner of the eye and under the brow bone. 

Pout Plumping Lip Gloss in Deep Amethyst- I saw Jackie applying this one and fell in love with the richly pigmented color. Now, plum colors are HUGE for Fall. They were all over the runways this past Fashion Week. Plum is a sexy shade that instantly looks sultry and seductive. If you're wearing this color, keep the rest of your face clean and simple.

It got me thinking about mineral makeup on a whole. I'm sure to use these products that I got today but I haven't sought out mineral makeup to wear even though I'm huge on being as healthy as possible. Why? Well, firstly, I'm pretty loyal to MAC. Secondly, I like makeup. I don't mind looking like I'm wearing makeup. If I'm wearing turquoise blue eye shadow, I obviously am comfortable looking like I spend a ton of time on my makeup. I want natural looking foundation but I really enjoy color. I've noticed that mineral makeup goes for a more natural look. I wasn't blessed with perfect skin so I like a little extra coverage. Its only lately, too, that mineral makeup brands have experimented with richly pigmented colors. Before, you could only find the light pinks and beiges. If I found a mineral foundation that gave me the benefits of MAC,I would totally switch over but I haven't yet. I do, however, hugely support this movement towards more natural ingredients in our makeup. If you have really sensitive skin and you tend to break out a lot, try mineral makeup and see if your skin responds well to natural ingredients.

Speed dating results are in.....

Let's talk speed dating! Firstly, I took a taxi to get there because I did not want to get there late and be the idiot trying to stick into the line. Apparently, half the crowd didn't care about that. I didn't mind waiting, though, because I met a really cool girl, Yvonne, who I can talk about because we didn't exchange information so she'll never find this post. I was curious as to the type of people that attend speed dating events so Yvonne and I got to talking about her. She's a med student and is drop dead gorgeous. So maybe her outfit was a bit out of timing- she wore a midriff baring shirt with tight jeans and boots- but with a hip to waist proportion like that, I wasn't mad at her, at all. I asked what brought her to the event and she told me she'd been single for about a year and was trying different parts of the NY dating scene. Curiosity was the main reason people told me they came here. On Speed Dating is one of best in the business. They're been featured on Howard Stern and Dateline NBC, to name a few.

When the event started, Yvonne sat with my girlfriend and I. The women sat on the couches and the men would sit next to or in front of them to talk. When Amber rang the bell, the guys would get up and move to the right. We were all given paper and pens to rate each person, take notes and figure out if we were interested. Ladies, go with girlfriends! My girlfriend and I compared notes and had mini conferences between (and sometimes during) men. I met an accountant, an artist traveling the world, a guy who owned his own realty business, a financial analyst and a graphic designer. Is it obvious that men with active careers and interests are my thing? I honestly enjoyed talking to almost all of them. I love conversation. Without good conversation and a dry-ish sense of humor, you're a goner. There was one guy who was super hyper and another who made me wonder if Amber was dragging the time out on purpose. And there was the graphic designer, who just moved here and was looking to meet new people. He was really interesting and seemed like a genuinely nice guy. My girlfriend and I ended up hanging out with him and his friends for a bit after.
After the speed dating, there was a party and tons more people showed up. Because we were there just to have fun, we ended up meeting and hanging out with interesting men and women. One observation: women stick together at these events. There was no cattiness. All of the women were really cool and had great energy.
So who did I finally exchange numbers with? Close to the end of the night, these two guys (thanks, cute guys, for traveling in groups) came in and starting mixing with the crowd. Around the same time, hunger hit my girlfriend and I so we decided to order food. Out of thin air, they popped up next to us and asked to join. As it turns out, they're comedians. I had a great conversation with one of them (we're both fitness freaks, him more than me) and we've stayed in touch since.

Click the Read More link to see what I wore....

What do you wear to a 30 second date?

My girlfriends and I have been talking about speed dating for the last few months and we finally agreed on attending one event this coming Wednesday. We chose www.singleandthecity.com because we went to one of their firemen parties and had a ton of fun. I'm actually still friends with a guy I met at that party. So this Wednesday, they're having a Hot or Not party. People pretty much send in recent pictures of themselves to the organizers and they decide if you're cute enough to attend. Hopefully, that means the place will be filled with attractive men or at the very least, men confident enough to think they're attractive. The first part of the event is a speed-dating thing then there's an after party. Now, I've never done speed dating. I'm actually kind of old school and like to meet people the old-fashion way...by complete accident. That works but, being in NY, where I'm always busy, its nice to go to an event where everyone has the same agenda but aren't there to get wasted or hook up, like at a club or a bar. I'm also pretty new to being single in NY so I'm up for trying anything at least once, once its fun.

My first thought, after getting my approval, was, of course, what to wear. I always like to think of my clothes ahead of time so that, if I need to go shopping, I can. Heels are always a must, in my book. The question is, wedges or stilettos. I bought these super comfy wedges at Shoegasm when I was doing a post with them and I'm dying to wear them.

The thing is, these only look good on me with skinny jeans because they hide the ankle. I've long learnt that chunky shoes make my already skinny legs look skinnier. A huge no-no for me.....a major tip for you, if you want to camouflage thick legs.

So, do I want to go with jeans and a plain tank with loads of fun jewelry or do I want to wear a statement dress with toned down heels and minimal accessories? I was thinking something summery like this:

Or a plain maxi dress that is cool and breezy, like this:

I definitely can't wear chunky wedges with this so it creates another shoe issue.

Thankfully, the event is Wednesday night so I have tomorrow to think about it some more. I'm not a fan of posting pictures of myself on my blog but I'll make an exception so you can see the final decision.

Sooo....what do you think?

Jeans or dress?
 

The plus sized models debate...are you serious?

I know I'm going to piss off a lot of people but I have to talk about this. When I came to America, I was often stopped in the streets by some modeling 'scout' telling me I should so be a model and that they could help me do just that. I was in my early 20's and delving into the world of fashion when I decided to give it a real try. I did all the necessary steps and starting going on shoots to build my portfolio. It was so much fun. Spending hours in front of a camera discovering different ways to express myself through my face and body was like being a performance artist. I did a few shoots indoors and one at the Brooklyn Botanical Gardens, which I so loved. I soon realized that becoming a successful model required time, which I didn't have. I got some great shots out of it and the experience has helped me become really comfortable in front of a camera, which is a tool I need for my current career. One thing every photographer, agent and scout told me was that I would be great for commercial modeling but I was too short for runway. There was no way I was going to sprout a few inches so I wasn't even mad at them, though every girl harbors that fantasy of strutting, deadpan down a runway.I also learned that being a model is about being a blank canvass. All pretty people can't model because it requires you to look better on camera than you do in person. And honestly, my nose grows 5 inches horizontally on camera.
There's a point to this little experience revelation. I was reading that Top Model judge Julien MacDonald is under fire for comments he made about plus-sized models. He said a plus sized model winning Britain's Next Top Model would make the show a joke. Of course, all the plus-sized panties got all bunched up and no-one bothered to finish his quote:

"I absolutely think that plus sized models have a chance at a long term modeling career....but in certain aspects of the industry they are in much less demand. In certain parts of the fashion industry, samples are made in smaller sizes, therefore it is far more difficult for a plus-size model to be successful.."

Now, first I should say that I understand that the world is not kind to plus size people. They are discriminated against and judged harshly. It is very unfortunate and unfair. But as a fashion designer, there is no way I am making a size 16 sample, using more materials (making it more costly) when I'm not even sure the garment will sell. The same way my height rules out a career as runway model for me is the same way not being good at math and science makes careers as a mathematician and a doctor not an option for me, either. Can I fight it? Sure, if I really want to. But I get really frustrated with math and science and having a career full of frustration is not worth it for me. We tell kids they can be anything they want to be but realistically, they can't. If you're skinny, you can't be a summo wrestler. If you're not good at basketball, you can't be a basketball player. The list goes on and on. And even if you meet the criteria, sometimes it still doesn't work out for you. Not all photogenic tall girls can be models. Why then are all plus sized photogenic girls expected to be models?

There are very successful plus sized models. Emme Aronson (she made the list of People's Most Beautiful People. Twice), Barbara Brickner and Charlotte Coyle are just a few. Never heard of them? Guess what? You haven't heard of half the successful skinny models in the industry either. Tocarra Jones is the one of newest plus size personalities that have made  it big. When the debate rages, no-one acknowledges them. No-one talks about the fact that Wilhemina, one of the biggest agencies out there, has a division for plus size. Why do they need a separate division, you ask? For the same reason the red heads need one. Agents in these division can dedicate more energy towards a specialized market.

Do I think a plus size girl winning Britain's Top Model would make it a joke? Not if it happened once out of every 10 seasons. Why do you think most of the girls who win America's Next Top Model aren't in the magazines? Its because the winner of the show in America is chosen to appease the American audience, because we are so careful not to offend everyone and their mother. But the winners aren't really what the industry wants. Sorry. Its the world of fashion.

So before you join in the debate and get blind sighted, think about the number of skinny tall girls that get rejected every day and the number of jobs that are ruled out for you because of who or what you are, that you don't have a problem with. If all of us were supermodels, none of us would buy clothes.

All about Forever 21.....

Tonight, I'm heading out to Pay It Fashion Forward, an event honoring some industry peeps that includes a fashion show by Forever 21. Its going to be hosted by Bryan Greenberg and Emmanuelle Chriqui but I'm most excited to see the trends from Forever 21, because chances are, they'll be showing things that haven't hit the stores yet. Now, I know that its a hit or miss situation with Forever 21. More often than not, the clothes are ill-fitting and cheaply made. Every now and again, though, I find something that totally rocks my world 1) because its hot and 2) because its so inexpensive! Since all my money goes towards FIT, that always sounds good to me. I can spend hours perusing the racks looking for that treasure. I may like treasure hunting for cute clothes more than anything else (Note to self: See if there's anything else I like more than treasure hunting for cute clothes). Chalking it up to research for tonight, I spent some time at F21's site and found some cuties. Now, I always try stuff on from them before buying so I'll be looking for these on my next trip to Herald Square. They're all under $40. Yah!

I usually don't recommend buying structured pieces like this from Forever 21, but I bought a dress similar to this a few months ago and its maintained the shape just fine.

I love the peekaboo straps on this and the print is really summery but in a hipster chic way. It also highlights the shoulders.

Dying over these shoulders. I am still feeling accented shoulders and the lace gives it a dressy feel while still maintaining the sexy with a shorter hemline.

Vertical lines are your friend if you want to look slimmer. The detailed neckline also draws attention away from problem areas like hips and tummy, and up towards your gorgeous neck and face. This dress is a problem solver.

Please no tube tops and cutoffs this summer. Rompers are a chic, sexy alternative. Leaving a little to the imagination is a good thing because, no, no-one is believing that you're only wearing it because its hot out. There's no excuse for tacky.

So, don't dismiss Forever 21 because you've had a few bad experiences. Take some time going through the racks and get a pile going so that you can spend some quality time in the fitting room. It may be worth it!

The Golden Smoky Eye

A few weekends ago, I went to Florida for a family vacation. Every time I hang out with my family, its almost guaranteed that I end up doing someone's hair or makeup or both. We usually end up in the nearest Walmart, shopping for makeup that I use for myself, for them to use. This time, I came prepared. At the Makeup Show, I got samples of L'Oreal's Metallic Shadow Duo in Gilded (806) so I brought this along. I did my sister's makeup the first night we went out and used this. She has amazing skin so I dusted a light layer of my MAC Studio Fix foundation powder in NC45 and started in on the eyes. This eye shadow has two shades of the same color so you can easily do a smoky look. I applied the gold to the corners of her eyes and spread a little bit on the bottom lid, in the corner. I blended the top eyelid with gold. Starting from the outer corner, I applied the olive shade and blended towards the gold. When I reached the middle, I smudged the two colors together. I also smudged it out before it came near the brow line. I applied two layers of mascara and slicked some lip gloss on. She loved her eyes. It looked sunkissed and sexy, without being overdone.
For summer, keep your makeup light but don't be afraid to have fun with trends and looks. Sunkissed is always in style!

I'm a pretend model......

A few days ago, I pretended to be a model and lent my locks to HerCut for some Before and After shots for Sephora.

I've got quite a head of hair on me. Its curly and thick and I've dyed it everything from red, to blonde to blue-black and even airbrushed it bright blue. It's really unsuspecting when pulled into one but, once left to its own devices, it gets pretty wild. I used to rock a fro at one point. These days, its more of a short curly bob. The last haircut I got was a few weeks ago, from the talented Jon Reyman, who cuts hair for all the big shows during the Fashion Weeks. He's done Oscar De La Renta, Ralph Lauren, Perry Ellis and Michael Kors, to name a view. I saw him work his magic backstage at the last Carolina Herrera Bridal Show and I loved all the looks he created. He cut my hair straight and I loved it. Then I slept. And that was the end of my pretty haircut. That's where HerCut comes in. The concept of the line is that the products are designed to maintain the longevity of styles individually. For example, I have short layers so I want my curls to separate but without the frizz. If you have long layers with straight hair, you may want no frizz but with thicker ends and less separation. HerCut has a shampoo, conditioner and catalyst (styling product) for each haircut. They're totally changing the way we can treat our haircuts, post cut.

At the shoot, the hairstylist, Josef, washed my hair and left it without product for the before shots. Trust me when I tell you that my strands didn't need prompting to look like a hot mess. Josef then smoothed about 10 pumps of the catalyst for Short Curly Bob into my hair, I tossed my head around for a bit, then let it sit. I loved how it looked! My hair wasn't flat and the curls were separated and light. My dream is to have hair that I don't have to do in the morning (the height of laziness, I know!) and the next morning, I got my chance. I got tons of compliments about my hair during the day and it looked as fresh as it did the day before.

I love anything to do with saving money so I'm really excited about the idea of not having to visit the salon as much and lengthening the life of my haircut.Check out HerCut at Sephora, nationwide.

Guess what I did the other night....

For 2010, I decided to let loose a bit more and try things that I wouldn't normally do. To be honest, I haven't had much success talking myself into being more adventurous so far but June is as good a time as any to work on resolutions, so when I heard about this singles party, I figured, "Why not?" My friend told me about Singleandthecity.com, a dating company that caters to busy New Yorkers. They throw themed parties and invite the hottest singles to come, party and meet people. I found out about this party the day of. It was a "Rescue Me: Fireman Singles Party." Which sane, single woman says no to firemen?

After signing up, I immediately had a mini freakout about what to wear. What do you wear to a singles party? I wanted to be cute but effortlessly so. I also needed to be comfortable, because, well, I just wasn't in the mood to sacrifice for fashion (I know! Very weird for me..). I stopped by H&M on my way home from school and spent a good half hour perusing the racks. I was sorely disappointed. I know its summer but come on! How many denim shorts and summer dresses can a girl really take? I gave up and decided to (gasp) wear something I already have. To see what I ended up wearing, click the Read More link.

Beauty Tips!!!

I sat through two halves of presentations but learned oodles from makeup artists from MAC and other top makeup brands, who work the big shows during New York and Milan Fashion Weeks. First, here are some trends from the runways this past Spring:

• Disappearing eyebrows- you can achieve this by blending your foundation over the second half of your eyebrow (the part closest to your ears). Dust with powder to set.
• Bold lips- we're not talking the cherry red lips of last year. Think lush purples and deep maroons. Keep the rest of your makeup light.
• Defined cheeks- use foundation a shade darker than your skin and sweep it under the cheekbone and BLEND. Sweep highlighter under eyes and at temples in a C motion. BLEND. Please. Blend. 
• Nude lips- blend foundation over your lips and finish with a clear gloss. 

 I was so excited to see a seminar for makeup for girls of color. I talked to Brandalyn Fulton, the presenter, who told me that we girls of color sometimes neglect the moisturizer. This is an uber important step. My tried and true baby is Darphin's Energic Firming Cream. I received this as a gift and used it when I was all out of my usual moisturizer. This stuff is magic on my breakouts. And no, I am not battling the first signs of aging but I've found that anti-aging products work well for my breakouts. Since I started with Darphin's, I haven't used anything else. So find one that works for you and moisturize! Here are a few more tips from Brandalyn:

• Don't be afraid of bronzer. In the right amount, it can give you a sun kissed glow. Just don't apply all over and be sure to get one shade darker than your skin. Dust along the cheekbone and the temples.
• Richly pigmented eyeshadows look amazing on girls of color. Try to stay away from the pearly shades. Think turquoise, royal blue, purple....

So there you have it. I'll probably be talking about the Makeup Show for more posts to come because I got some great products that I can't wait until after finals to try out. In the mean time, remember that makeup is meant to make you feel awesome. If you feel like you have on too much, it'll affect your confidence. Wash your face and start over. Its all about the attitude and you can't rock it if you don't feel it.

My loyalty to MAC continues....

After the excitement of the makeup show died down, I was left with a headful of blue curls and some important tips from top industry insiders. I took my friend, Ruby, who is a makeup artist, to the show on Monday and she was in heaven. She attended two of the seminars and I sat through half of both. What?! These are really technical lectures for makeup artists! I stayed for the quick tips, then moved on. Most of the booths also had their products on sale. Makeup Forever had all their products 45% off. Everyone and their mother have been raving about their HD (High Definition) foundation. Now, I am loyal to MAC. I have really oily skin with reminders of my teen pimply years all over my face so I like that their liquid foundation provides good coverage. Everyone said that Makeup Forever is in a class by itself and that it'd change my life. So I bought it. At 45% off, it was only $24. I tried it one day and my face looked like an oil spill by the end of the day. The coverage was awesome but I don't typically blot during the day and find it annoying to have to so, no thanks, Makeup Forever. I'm sticking to MAC's Studio Fix.


I also bought a few brushes from Crown Brushes. They have the most professional brushes in the biz. I got an angled blush brush, a new foundation brush and a powder brush, all for under $40.

If you didn't see it, Dinair airbrushed me silly (I so encouraged it!) with an Avatar inspired look.

They've been in the airbrush biz since the dawn of time and now have a home system that you can use to get professional results.
Stay tuned for makeup tips from makeup artists from MAC!!