Beauty

Spring Hair

A new season always brings new opportunities to shine, so why not put some well-deserved life into your hair? Along with spring and summer comes heat and humidity, so what a better way to attack it than with a cool braided do. I’m always trying so hard to straighten my hair with a ton of products, a straightening iron, and lots of wasted time, so I caved to the cowlick and started to experiment with my hair. The result? A manifestation of new plait-spiration to try at home. Want this cool trendy turban, shown below, made completely out of braids? Yeah, me too.

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H&M sweater, get a similar one here by Marc Jacobs. Photo: via Refinery 29

Twists, plaits, and fishtails are now considered an essential part of every girl’s coif repertoire —and if you’re not well-versed on this hair lexicon, don’t worry. Although this is not a tutorial, a DIY, or a how-to on braids, (leave it to the folks at Honestly WTF or The Beauty Department to take care of that) with a hot-crossed bun made for even those with short hair.

For those of you that may be intimidated by this seemingly complex style, all it takes is sections of braids (the messier, the better) and a handful of bobby pins to help them stay in place. Where to start? Take a peek at the products you might want to have handy:

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Collage by Carina Gupta

1. Ouidad Climate Control Heat and Humidity Gel. A must-have styling aid to control frizz in all climates.

2. ghd Candy Collection hair styler

3. Sephora hair ties for when you need to tie your hair back in a pretty pink wrap.

4. DryBar yellow brush perfect for detangling

5. DevaCurl Flexible Hold Spray for the final touch

6. Carol’s Daughter Loc Butter looks like something I want to eat, made with soybean oil and natural shea butter but it’s food for the hair. This pomade intensely moisturizes twists, coils, braids, and “locs.”

Perfect for that weekend prom, or wedding coming up in the next month…Happy Braiding!

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26 days ago • Beauty • Tags: , ,

On My Face

When attending a dinner party this past Friday, I received a wonderful compliment that threw me off-guard. “Your face looks fantastic! What did you do?” my dear friend asked. I can tell you first-hand that she wasn’t talking anything specific, as she claimed, but rather, my “glowing” skin. “It must be the hat,” I retorted, trying to brush off the compliment. Yup, the large brimmed baby I was wearing, see: Saint Laurent Spring ’13, which framed my face just so. But, then I thought, it had to be the red lipstick, adding the just amount of colorful magic every time. But truth be told, my menstrual cycle stopped in to say hi, just in time to sit down for dinner, which probably enhanced the fake glow that demanded such unbridled attention.

Feeling good during the flow isn’t easy. Soaring hormones, stable headaches and cramps, and pimples on my chin don’t make it any easier. But self-medication in the form of a reliable beauty routine, cue the concealer, definitely helps. If for nothing else, it is analogous to my less clogged facial pores, less indentations/wrinkles, and my face is a lot more vibrant. I give credit to drinking lots of water, exercising regularly, and taking the time to take care of my skin.

Down below is my collage that I put together of twelve bare-boned beauty items for my face that I swear by. For low maintenance girls that demands a high return. The key to a glowing dermis is twelve minutes, one minute per product. Here is my hit list.

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Start with the dr. Brandt Vitamin C serum for preventing further damage, followed by Dr. Hauschka eye cream. Drop it on, let it sit and soak in. Then I apply Laura Mercier SPF 20 tinted moisturizer for some deep bronzy color and sun protection even in the winter. Next apply NARS bronzing bronzer with a big fat face brush by Bobbi Brown. Feeling pale? Add this NARS blush in Super Orgasm for that secret color should you not be going through your menstrual cycle. For a cream blush, try this Bobbi Brown cheek tint.

On the eyes, start by curling your lashes with this Trish McEvoy curler. For $20, pinching your lashes up is a win win. Put on nOir eye liner, top and bottom, for a bold smoky look. I always finish the eye with black mascara, and this tubular Trish McEvoy is so easy to use and take off.

And finally on my lips, I use red lipstick like this Chanel satin lip color in Famous. Boom, color! Don’t feeling like putting on any makeup? No problem. Plan B: just put on the lipstick. Or stand on your head for 3 minutes. Either way, blood will have rushed to your face to achieve that glow. At the end of the night, don’t forget to wash it all of with Cetaphil cleanser, for a measly $9.00. (it’s cheaper than a cup of Starbucks mocha cappuccino)  Now you’re red-carpet ready. Don’t you feel better? Happy Monday!

 

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128 days ago • Beauty • Tags: , , , ,

In Disguise

I almost forgot how to type. Sandy and all her devious plans to drown Manhattan and the Northeastern seaboard has kept me off the internet grid making these past few days challenging to say the least. I basically got away unscathed, but for a few flickering lights and down trees, but for many of us New Yorkers stranded or without power, life has been challenging to say the least. I know the last 24 hours have been tough for many of you and I hope you and your families are safe.

Back to regular programming, today on the Fashion Hunter, in honor of a heart-wrenching non-existent Halloween 2012 caused by Stormin’ Sandy’s devastating aftermath, I am sending you love with a DIY eye makeup tutorial. Fortunately for the last-minute Halloween costume ideas (at press time, Ricky’s Superstore is open today) you can stick to Plan B, stay in, and transform your look with makeup whether you are dressed up as Big Bird, our friend Sandy, or a piece of candy corn. If I do dress up today, I will be a Fairy-godmother, where I will wave my magic wand and make everything back to normal.

Stepping way out of my comfort zone, I can honestly say that it took a lot of bravery to show up on your doorstep in character. This site, normally flooded with images of myself has never entered the beauty genre. Most likely because I don’t really have a beauty routine– I just throw some bronzer and eyeliner on my face and go. But this being a special day, (see hurricane threats and what have you), a beauty rendering must take place. After all, even though the annual Greenwich Village Halloween parade is officially cancelled, you can buy your candy corn and eat it too. Put a selfie up on instagram. Video chat your creation. All you’ll need is a waterproof black pencil, a touch of gold shimmer, black liquid liner, and mascara.

Makeup: Daniel Wiener. Hair: Sarah Pierre. Photo: Michael Crook.

Fashion creds: Vanessa Bruno embellished metallic sweater, Oscar de la Renta feather wrap

Here’s your tutorial created by makeup artist Daniel Wiener.

Step 1. Fill in your brows with a brow pencil. Give them strong definition.

Step 2. Line the inside of your eyes with a waterproof black pencil to achieve that all-black effect.

Step 3. Take a soft shimmer light color and place it underneath the brows from the inside corner of the eye and sweep past the brows. Add the same color on the inner section of your eyelid.

Step 4. Add a touch of gold shimmer in the center of the eye lid.

Step 5. Line the outside of your eye with a liquid liner. Make it thick on top and thin under the eye. Connect the two dies with a wing effect at the corner

Step 6. Apply false lashes or layer tons of mascara.

Step 7. Apply white glitter under the brow for dramatic effect.

And finally, keep the rest of your face as neutral (bronzer to face, nude lip) as possible as the eyes are the focus here.

And the hair? That’s just crazy  multi-colored hairspray. Just kidding. That’s a trick.

Happy Halloween! xo

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204 days ago • Beauty • Tags: , , ,

Make Me Up

Striking purple glitterized

The eyes have it.

I really haven’t delved deep into the beauty department, besides a few hair braids and bold red lips from the runways. This is most likely because I am not a big makeup fan myself, assembling my face in five minutes or less, yet trying to look 10 years younger. But I have bags under my eyes! Sleeping Beauty fail. Our lives are busier than ever, we are sleeping less and to relinquish those 5 minutes per night to take off pesky eye makeup is just, not happening. So I figure no makeup? No problem.

Unfortunately for me, it makes it more difficult to prove my point by avoiding the fact that red lips and/or smoky eyes are part of the polished glamorous quotient, and to achieve that mood I should start with a blank palette, and start applying. Right?  Right. Let’s get down to business and the sobering reality that most of us can’t go outside without the minimal concealer. I’m not one to preach what I don’t practice. I’ll admit I’m a rookie for playing game face.

Today I am venturing on a new idea, and actually creating a look using makeup. How novel, really. The bold eye, the pink liner, the red lip, the black lipstick. Really Steph, the dark moody vampire? I didn’t think so. This time I know I’m better off leaving the tips and tricks of the trade to the gurus. Hello, makeup and hair artiste. The cue for today is shaved eyebrows, full lips. Just kidding.

Hypothetically, if I didn’t wear any makeup at all, I would be assaulting the general public and we wouldn’t want that. It’s not quite Halloween yet.

Wish me luck..See you on the other side!

 

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217 days ago • Beauty

Beyond the barre

Hi friends! We have all been there: New Years Resolutions start off with the best of intentions yet come and go. This being late-March, I wanted to get into those tiny little bandeaus for Spring just last week when summer made a brief appearance, yet my winter body wasn’t quite ready. I was ripe for a quick makeover. The spring weather is so inspiring –I want to jump into those skimpy frocks that are waiting impatiently in my closet. I am not a big believer in diets and fads, nor was I going to commit to any program or regime just for the sake of fashion. As it turns out, my sugary habits went a little haywire this past winter (blame the Sweedish fish) and I needed to step it up. Just a little bit. I am kind of an exercise nut and have been most of my adult life. I am versed in all forms of getting my cardio on, but the Physique 57 technique— a streamlined 57 minute barre method designed to transform your body–ties it all together. Physique 57 workouts require a mind-body connection with strength and stamina playing a core role. Mind blowing stuff.


I read “The Physique Solution”, the 2-week plan for a lean, beautiful body. I figured if this won’t change my dirty habits, nothing will. Rigorous and effective, not only are the isometric exercises challenging, but FUN to boot. One of my favorite moves is the Pretzel, an old-school ultimate butt burner. All the details in the book are on the simple setups and some how to’s. With the book comes Chapter 11: The Menu: a healthy yummy meal plan that was designed to complement the workouts. I basically had to cut out sugar, wheat, alcohol, and milk products.. all the extras that add up in our body making us feel “blah”.  The menu steered me towards tasting foods without feeling deprived. The Mediterranean philosophy wins all the time. Lots of green veggies and fruits, lean protein, and spices, and of course, drinking more water!

My favorite recipes from the book are the Tomato-Cucumber Salad, (I ate it daily) and the Baked Apples which were so easy to make and delicious. I am on the tail-end of this two-week trip and I think the science behind this technique works. I already feel lighter, and confident enough to pull off my barely-there sheers for the beach. Heading to see pink sand over the weekend. There’s no magic bullet here, there’s no secret. Let the transformation begin.  Click here to get the book: The Physique Solution

Mom jeans begone! :)

Have a happy Wednesday!

Till then..xo

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420 days ago • Beauty • Tags: , , ,

The Headband

The other night I tuned into the Golden Globe awards and as usual, all the celebrities in attendance were dressed to the nines. Head-to-toe in designer frocks, jewels and, of course, hair styles that were to die for, the stars showed up at this annual glam fest in the latest fashion armor. From strapless dresses worn by starlets Angelina Jolie, Natalie Portman and Jessica Alba to plunging necklines worn by Tilda Swinton, Rooney Mara and Evan Rachel Wood—no matter what the style, the hair completed the look for many of these leading ladies.

Hear ye, hear ye. The so-called must-have accessory of the moment trending on twitter, if you will is the #headband. Just in case you missed my live twitter feed on that hashtag, you can catch it here. The headband is really a chic way to put your hair back and still look youthful, feminine, and pretty. Look at Catherine Deneuve, a timeless fashion icon.

Catherine Deneuve

One of the glittery, vintagy, sleek headpieces shown on the red carpet was worn by über-stylish short-haired Michelle Williams. She donned this Fred Leighton number with a bejeweled brooch. A clean modern spin to this retro look. Do you think she looks like a baby girl? I love the Mia Farrow look.

Actress Busy Phillips wore this glittery headband, which showed off her angelic face.

And, my favorite by far, is Charlize Theron for donning this glitterized piece by Cartier and clogging up my twitter feed. Enzo Angileri, her master hair stylist, created this head-turning look which was the epitome of modern romantic glamour. Very causal, very soft. This look doesn’t work with stiff hair. In my eyes, she was the most beautiful of the night.

Ultimately it is the smile, the flawed skin, and all the busy-bee workers that fix, crimp, adjust, change, and make these celebs the way they “appear” on the red carpet. I wonder how many of them could roll out of bed and create this look themselves?

Instead of rehashing the hits and misses that were the dresses, this post focuses on the accessory of the night. If you find yourself wanting more, you can always plug in your vote of who wore what the best, by watching this clip from US weekly magazine which simplifies the do’s and don’ts, the winners and the losers.

So inspired by the nod from the headbands, I decided to flaunt my own version last night to a local trunk show, where I was dressing my client for her own important red-carpet bedazzled event. Here is a selection of my daughter Chloe’s headbands which I borrowed to add pizzazz to my outfit. :)

 

Chloe's rainbow collection of headbands

What do you think of this look? Is it too Claire-like or will you consider a headband? Tweet me, talk to me, and do share your thoughts!  Lastly, I am mesmerized by Brigitte Bardot’s look here. Just a simple black grosgrain ribbon adds just the right amount of oomph. I am on the hunt for the perfect headband.

Celebrity photos courtesy of ModernSalon.com, KeepitChic.com

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491 days ago • Beauty, Trends • Tags: , , , , , , , ,

Europe on the brain

 

Here we go!

Travel tip of the day: Pack light. Go far. 

I have a confession to make. I want it all. Next week, I am headed to the centers of the fashion universe: Italy and France. More specifically, Montecatini, and then onto Paris. I want to travel light, but I also want it to appear that I have brought 8 suitcases with me, and that I have endless wardrobe choices.

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664 days ago • Accessories, Beauty, Fashion • Tags: , , , , , , , , , , ,