If you are looking for stilletto recommendations, you are in the wrong place. I need to be able to run after my kids without falling on my face. Want to know your smartphone's metapix? Sorry. I only write about whether it can survive 5 minutes in the hands of my kids.
This week, instead of focusing on outfits that are suitable for our Mom lives, I wanted to focus on something super simple we can do to perk up our fashion for spring and summer. And for less than $10 too.
It’s nail polish.
Painting the piggies with a trendy topcoat is instant fashion fabulousness. Plus, you can do this while waiting for the kids in the parking line at preschool, or in those quiet quick minutes before going to bed. Better yet, treat yourself to a mani, pedi or both. MiniLuxe (who provided the polishes in the pic) has walk-in appointments. So no fancy spas or appointments that we often have to cancel because they kids decide to beat each other to a pulp. If you don’t live in Massachusetts, look around for similar walk-in establishments.
The top nail polish colors for summer 2013 that you should try are fresh greens, bright purples and coral pinks. The key is the color tone. You don’t want forest green or a eggplant purple. Those are so winter! Find shades like these for a fresh take on classic colors.
MiniLuxe Shades from left to right: Jade, Lolita, Hingham, Corey, Lucky
I personally LOVE the minty greens, sea foam, fresh mint-like colors. But if you can’t find fashion pieces like this or don’t have the budget, then buy a bottle of polish and you are good to go. It will totally make a head-to-toe black outfit seem chic when you have sandals, with toes painted in this shade.
I’ve also seen fabulous outfits with the coral-pink shade. If you have a pair of cropped blue jeans, add a royal blue t-shirt, gold sandals and this shade of polish on your fingers and feet, and you’re talking instant glam! Yet, you’re still in flip-flops, jeans and a t-shirt.
I love the purply shade with yellow! Perfection! And of course, the light pink shade is a classic!
Leave your name below to enter to win this set of nail polish shades from MiniLuxe. These are fabulous! They have 5 of the typical nail polish toxic ingredients removed, which is fabulous for kids, pregnant Moms and more! No follows necessary (though always appreciated!) Pinterest, Twitter, Instagram, Facebook. Form closes on May 14th, and full legal disclosures re: this giveaway can be found here.
Woot!!! (Three exclamation points are totally necessary.)
I’m excited to be going to Blissdom again this year (third time is the charm!) Even though this is my third Blissdom, I feel like it is my first since Blissdom is in Texas for the first time ever! In between finding the way in the Gaylord conference hotel (and if it’s anything like the Gaylord Opryland Hotel, getting lost in it), going to the fabulous sessions (come find me – I’m one of the brand/review Community Leaders) or gaping at the fabulousness of Alli Worthington, stop by the fabulous booth of Blissdom sponsor VSP (Vision Service Plan)! VSP is giving away goodies galore as one of Blissdom’s awesome Sponsors, and who doesn’t love goodies. It’s like the apple pie and ice cream of social media.
Just head to their booth (go solo or with a bevy of blogging besties) and take the “bebe Style Quiz” to get find out your style. Are you Glamour? (I’m not with two kids), Rocker? (The only thing I am rockin’ to is the Wiggles), or a Dreamer (I dream about sleeping in one day again so I would probably go for this option!) Browse the new line of bebe designer frames and elect the perfect pair to complete your BlissDom look. Then Instagram or Tweet a photo of your “final look” from the booth using the hashtag #VSPBliss.
You’ll then be entered to win an hourly giveaway of bebe sunwear throughout the two days of the conference (that is a lot of sun stuff!) and a grand prize winner will be picked at the end of each conference day. That person will receive an Individual Style Grand Prize Pack! (Lucky ducky!) The grand prize is a $250 bebe.com gift card, accessories, and VSP vision benefits of some sort for one year! (I love that!)
As a former health care attorney turned style and parenting blogger, I thought I would share some eye health and fashion tips to get you prepped for Blissdom. First, check out my post on what it is like to have an eye exam, preparing kids for an eye exam, and protecting kid’s eyes from the sun. But if you are interested in looking fabulous when wearing glasses, here are three makeup tips for wearing glasses (in which I have some experience after having to wear glasses for 20 years!)
1. Less is More. Under bold eyeglasses, less makeup is more. Glasses add a lot of attention to your face and a bold eye and a bold pair of glasses will be overkill. To balance your eye frames, go for a bold lip to balance your face. If your frames are super light or even rimless, add more depth to your eye by using more eye makeup.
2. Line and Blend. When using eye makeup, use a strong mascara. It will keep your look subtle and simple, but will give great definition to your eyes. Adding eyeliner can take it up a notch. Your liner color should compliment the rest of your eye makeup, as well as your frames. Consider using black eyeliner just on the top of your lash line on your upper eye lid to give the illusion of thicker lashes. If you use eyeshadow, coordinate your makeup with your frames. If your frames are dark, colored or thick, wear neutral eye shadow. If your frames are light, you can play with color.
3. Have Good Arches. Since your eye brows can be seen peeking out from the top of eyeglass frames, it’s important that the brow be groomed and shaped to your face. If you have pale eyebrows, consider using eyebrow powder or pencil to fill in the brows so they are defined and full.
All in all, when you wear glasses, you need to understand how the prescription makes your eyes look. Do they magnify or make your eyes look smaller? If they magnify, your makeup will appear more heavy so use a light hand when applying your eye makeup, blend carefully, and stay away from iridescent or sparkly eyeshadow. Play around with your look at home and ask a honest friend to give your blunt feedback, or find a makeup counter with a fellow eyeglasses wearer who can help you put together a new look with your frames and understands the challenges that come with it. Lastly, consider investing in several pairs of eyeglass frames so you can change the color or the style to compliment (or change) your look.
Remember, stop by the VSP Booth at Blissdom to get style advice and time to play with glasses. Even if you don’t need glasses, seeing is believing and good vision is always in style!
[Update: Sadly, after writing this post, I found out that my grandmother (my beloved Nana) passed away. Her wake is Friday and funeral is Saturday so I am making various calls to cancel my Blissdom plans. I'll definitely miss seeing everyone there - from Bloggers and the Sponsors to the staff and the fun. But many blessings for a great Blissdom!]
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Disclosure: Images used with permission. I am a VSP ambassador, but I was not compensated for this post. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
I don’t have time for makeup. I wish I did, but realistically, I don’t. Plus, I am usually taking care of the kids or working at home, so the whole ‘done-up’ look would seem a bit weird. Yet, when I have to do pre-school drop off and pick-up, I don’t want to lool like a stay-at-home/work-at-home Mom. (Though my yoga pants give me away, but that is another post altogether.)
I needed to find some easy products that did the trick; making me look ‘put-together’ with minimal time. I had started feeling a bit desperate that I began to consider getting lash extensions and lash dip, but don’t have the time to do that either, let alone maintain it!
So when I was at a Clarins event recently, the makeup expert was a Mom herself and she totally felt my pain. While her children were now in the pre-teen phase, it wasn’t that long ago she struggled too. She even laughed about the fact she didn’t have time for makeup, but worked in the industry. (Now, I don’t feel as bad!)
She suggested three products from the Clarins line that would give the ‘polished-without-looking-like-you-were-going-to-a-board meeting’ look. While I did like her Clarins-specific suggestions, you can find similar drugstore items for less or organic versions in other makeup lines. Thus, here are my three makeup must have products – especially for stay-at-home-Moms.
1. A Bold Mascara. One that will give you that falsies look. That way, you don’t need liner or eyeshadow for your eyes to pop. I’ve been using the Clarins Wonder Perfect Mascara and you can see the difference. The Clarins mascara is on the right.
2. Sheer Foundation. I tried the Clarins Skin Perfecting BB Cream. It comes in three shades, and it is as easy as putting on moisturizer. It has just a hint of color and a light finish. It doesn’t conceal, but it does give you a nice even skin tone and SPF protection. Alternatively, you could use a pressed powder from lines like Bare Escenturals or Jane Iredale. The key to each one of these is an even skin tone, a wee bit of color, and is quick to apply.
3. Light Lipgloss or Bold Lipstick. I personally love a bold lip. It makes you seem posh. Red is a good color to have on hand at all times. A good red matte lipstick in a great shade (try Chanel’s Passion or Clarins’ Passion Red) will work in the winter and the summer. I’d personally suggest staying away from a gloss red. It will seem like you are going to Vegas and not the PTA meeting. Alternative to a bold lip color is a soft one. Like the Clarins’ Instant Light Natural Lip Perfector line. There are some great neutral shades, and it is easy to stash in your coat pocket or car. You can also find some easy, light glosses from Burts Bees.
If you have more time, obviously, then you can add blush, lip liner or eye liner. More power to you. However, if you only invest in a 3 step makeup routine, I think you’ll be rockin’ the bus stop with these three products in your pocket or purse.
To help you get started on your makeup makeover, I’m giving away three Clarins Rouge Eclat Age Defying Lipsticks in Juicy Clementine, Tropical Pink, and, of course, Passion Red! I’m also giving away the Clarins Skin Perfecting BB Cream too! Congrats to Kathy for winning!
Giveaway ends on May 10, 2013. Here are four ways you can enter. Do all four for the most entries!
Leave a comment sharing your favorite makeup item! (How simple is that!)
Follow me on Twitter and leave a comment telling me you’ve done so (and what your Twitter handle is!). (I send funny tweets so it may be worth your time!)
“Like” the CharleneChronicles Page on Facebook OR my page on Google+ and leave a comment telling me you’ve done so. (I know this is a hard one, but you’d get to see cool things, right?)
Tweet this message! and leave a comment with the tweet URL. (How to do so can be found here.)
And don’t forget to check out my other giveaways! Totaling over $300 dollars! …………………………………………………………………………………………….
Rules: (Gotta have them)
+Leave a comment about this post; US entrants 18+ are welcome. Include your name and email in the appropriate fields so I can contact you if you win. (Including just first name or first name + last initial is OK!). For your safety, please do not put your email in the actual comment. Anonymous or SPAM-like comments will be discarded. Entry period closes at 11:59PM ET, May 10, 2013.
++ One lucky winner (drawn randomly via “And the Winner is” WordPress plugin) will receive three Clarins lipsticks. No substitutions and the winner will be notified directly via e-mail who has roughly 48 hours to respond and claim their prize. They then will be listed back at this post using first name only. A minimum of 5 people must enter in order for the Giveaway to occur.
+++Winner must comply with all rules mentioned here, or a new winner will be selected. Charlene Chronicles has the final decision on the winner and is not responsible for wrong email addresses or notification being tagged as spam. The prize will be fulfilled by a Third Party and Charlene Chronicles is not responsible for the fulfillment. Any concerns about your prize should be directed to the company(s) mentioned in the post. By entering this giveaway, you have agreed to all these terms and have assumed such liability and willingness to share the information requested. Twitter, Facebook or Google is no way affiliated with this giveaway. All information is being collected by Charlene Chronicles, but will not be used for any other purposes other than selecting a winner. Full legal disclosures can be found here.
+++ + To claim entries, please post one comment on this post per entry (include permalink, name, or tweet url if required). Good luck!
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Image Credit: My own. All Rights Reserved.
Disclosure: I did not receive compensation for my review. I did receive the Clarins lipsticks and Cream that I am giving away here. All thoughts and opinions, however, are my own.
How to wear red lipstick is a question everyone asks. Red lipstick is perfect for Heart Awareness Month and for Valentines Day. But it is also a classic. Anyone can wear it – so long as you follow these 5 tips. !
Go light on the eyes and the blush. Keep to light and pale shades. Otherwise you’ll risk looking garish. Skip eyeliner and go only for mascara. Dust face with powder and voila, you’re ready to go.
Red lipstick tends to bleed, so fill in lips with lip liner first. Then apply the lipstick. Don’t just outline your lips, as then you will look like a horrible rendition of a 1980s soap opera star.
Picking the right shade of red is key. If your complexion is pink, you’ll look better in plum shades. If you have a yellow skin tone, you’ll look better in warmer reds that have a brown base. A gorgeous color on most everyone is MAC’s “Blaze”.
Unless you want to look like a femme fatale, skip the red polish when wearing red lipstick. A clear polish or light color is perfect and a dark polish will work too.
Don’t panic if you’ve bought a red lipstick shade that’s too bright, dark or whatever. Instead, experiment with other lipstick shades you have on hand to create the perfect red shade.
Now you can go out knowing how to wear red lipstick to perfection!
