Sunday, March 22, 2015

Beauty Tip of The Week #9 ~ How To Choose The Perfect Blush

Choosing the right blush for your skin can be challenging. Just standing in front of a giant display of amazing blush shades can be totally overwhelming, especially when they all look so beautiful!
It's not only about which color is perfect for you, but also which texture is ideal for your specific skin type.
If you find shopping for blush a little confusing, or if you have a makeup drawer full of blushes you don't wear, then this one's for you!

HowTo Choose The Perfect Blush

Choosing-The-Perfect-Blush
image of Katie Bunn by Eric Cassee, hair by Will Zecco, makeup by Corinna Cooke

1. Know your undertone
The first step to choosing the perfect shade of blush is to know the undertone of your skin. Not a color theory expert? No problem: if you wear foundation that falls into the porcelain/ivory/beige grouping then chances are you have a cool undertone to your skin. If your foundation is a bronze,olive or ebony shade you are probably a warm tone. (Ebony skin can wear cool tones too).

2. Know the undertone of your blush.
If you have a cool toned skin then you want a cool toned blush (or a neutral). If you have a warm complexion then you will look best in a warm blush. If the cool/warm thing is confusing to you, think of your blue based pinks as being cool colors and your orange/nutmeg/copper/bronze based shades as being warm.
Apricot looks lovely and refreshing on everyone, and there are some blushes that look good on most skins, but understanding warm and cool colors is key.

3. Don't fall off the deep end.
Once you have the undertone down its time to figure out how deep of a color to choose. My rule is don't go darker than the shade you naturally flush to. If you go deeper your cheeks will look heavy and muddy. Our goal with blush is to lighten and brighten the complexion, not weigh it down.

4. Choose your texture.
I love cream blushes. On normal to dry skins they are just glorious.
But if you get shiny through the T zone, tend to be a little oily, or just live somewhere super humid a cream blush can make you look super shiny. 
If you are a powder blush girl, opt for one that has a fine texture and lays smoothly on the skin.

5. Finish it up.
Once you have your shade and texture sorted out don't forget to check out the finish of your blush.
I avoid anything with big, sparkly particles as they can make the face look horribly glittery. A blush that is too matte can make your complexion look flat, dull and lifeless.
I like blushes that have a soft sheen to them so that light can pop off the cheek, lifting and brightening the face.

Here are my 4 favorite blushes from my pro makeup kit

My-Favorite-Blushes
My favorite blushes

Clockwise from the left: 

Nars Multiple in Portofino
Nars Blush in Orgasm
MAC blush in Melba





Friday, March 20, 2015

Coveted, March 2015

I'm always planning another international trip, and as such am always looking for perfect travel items.
This month's coveted list make up the perfect travel pieces. They are gorgeous, modern, and some of them are timeless...


Rag-And-Bone-T-shirt
The Coveted List March 2015

Clockwise from left:

Rag and Bone Classic Tee. Perfect to travel in, chic with white pants, maybe the most perfect tee I have ever found. 
Available at Nordstrom.com

Chantecaille Rose De Mai Face Oil. I'm obsessed with face oils, and this one is sensational. Super hydrating and nourishing it leaves a luxurious texture to the skin. Rich in vitamin C it is also anti aging and has healing properties. Available at Nordstrom.

Ellis Faas Hot Lips. I always travel with Ellis Faas products. Their unique bullet packaging is ideal for your handbag or your travel bag, and the products themselves are amazing pro makeup artist quality. Hot Lips are super pigmented, so a little goes a long way. They are non greasy, long wearing, and don't dry out your lips. I adore fuchsia lips so am coveting their L403 Bright Fuchsia shade.

Dolce and Gabbana Sunglasses. I've been wearing aviators the past couple of years and want to change it up. I love these animal print glasses, and also their floral sunglasses. 

Prada Backpack. I am a Prada girl through and through. I normally shop at the Prada outlet in Montevarchi where prices are 75% off, just as the items are arriving in the stores here. It's brilliant! This Prada soft calf leather backpack is a timeless piece that is perfect to travel with and will also look chic running around town. I would love it paired with the Rag and Bone Classic Tee, a pair of white linen pants and a nude wedge or platform shoe. In a perfect world that would be my spring/summer uniform this year :))



NORDSTROM - Shop Spring's Hot Handbags

Thursday, March 19, 2015

10 Fantastic Bitcoin Travel Tips

I am fascinated with the concept of traveling internationally with bitcoin and with a bitcoin debit card, so I have been researching everything I can find on the subject. 

International-Travel-Bitcoin-Tips



bitcoin-xapo-app

I downloaded the Xapo.com app on my iPhone (they have an android app too) so now all I need to do is get a trip booked! I will be in Australia at the end of summer, but I want to take a euro-trip before then.

If you have already traveled with Xapo.com Bitcoin wallet and or debit card, please tell us about it in the comment section below.

xapo-bitcoin
screenshot from my xapo app






















Meanwhile check out these Bitcoin Travel Tips, and watch the video below: 


This article is taken in its entirety from letstalkbitcoin.com

Bitcoin Travel Tips:

  1. Plan ahead. This one is important. In plenty of cases, you won’t be able to go downstairs to a corner store to grab a snack or a bottle of water – use CoinmapCointerest, and Bitcoin Restaurants to find merchants which accept bitcoin or Coin ATM Radar to locate ATM’s that allow exchange into local currency.
  2. Don’t be afraid to ask. If someone doesn’t accept bitcoin, it doesn’t mean that you can’t change their mind. The competition in places with plenty of tourists is huge, so business owners will usually do everything to entice you to choose them over their rivals. More often than not, you can use that to your advantage.
  3. Approach the community. There are plenty of close-knit Bitcoin communities all over the world. More often than not, the locals will get out of their way to help a fellow Bitcoiner. So if you need advice before setting off to a certain destination or run out of road once you’re already there, be sure to Google for local forums or check out Bitcoin Talk and LocalBitcoins.
  4. Capitalize on the savings. Paying with bitcoin directly will pretty much always be cheaper than exchanging it into local currency. Some purchases (such as airline tickets) from specialized websites can even be less expensive than buying them from a traditional provider.
  5. Don’t give up. If you can’t find any merchants that accept bitcoin on Coinmap or other similar websites, it doesn’t mean you should skip the place altogether. Sometimes all you have to do is take a walk around the neighborhood and look for the bitcoin sign. For instance, you can use the cryptocurrency in more than 5,000 convenience stores in Taiwan, but they don’t seem to appear anywhere on the available bitcoin maps.
  6. Be ready to make exceptions. Unless you made a pledge to spend no fiat currency on your trip, it’s necessary to understand that you probably won’t be able to pay with bitcoin in each and every instance. So if you really want that scarf from the souk in Marrakech, there are no reasons to limit yourself!
  7. Get ready to educate. Sometimes, the only difference between a successful bitcoin transaction and you having to go to bed hungry is your ability to introduce all the benefits of bitcoin to a merchant who’s never used it before. You won’t need killer presentation skills for that, since the advantages of accepting bitcoin are listed by BitPay and Coinbase.
  8. Check the exchange rate. You don’t need to pay more than you owe, even if you’re paying in bitcoin. Therefore, you should consider both the fluctuating exchange rate and the possibility of a conversion error – it can happen to both you and the merchant.
  9. Have a budget in mind. While setting a clear bitcoin budget for your trip might be difficult because of the currency’s volatility, it would still be great to have a ballpark figure in your mind. Overspending is as easy on bitcoin as it is on a fiat currency – if not easier.

Wednesday, March 18, 2015

Midweek Wisdom #9 ~ Black And White Chanel

Don't you just love hats?
I think they add such glamour,
especially to black and white images.

Here are some gorgeous black and whites, with hats, and a quote for your midweek wisdom:

There are some things that
money cannot buy.
Like manners, morals,
intelligence and class.





black-and-white-chanel


black-and-white-vintage-glamour

black-and-white-vintage-glamour


carine-roitfeld-in-chanel
one of the women I most admire in the world, Carine Roitfeld

Tuesday, March 17, 2015

Bridal Beauty Tip #9 How To Choose The Perfect Lipstick For Your Wedding

Choosing the perfect lipstick for your wedding day can seem tricky.
You have the dress, the flowers, the hairdo, hopefully all telling the same story, and now you have to bring the whole look together with your makeup. 
Your lipstick choice can really make or break your entire look. Should you go bold or should you go nude? Should you opt for a matte lip or should you try glossy lips? 

How To Choose The Perfect Lipstick For Your Wedding Day


choosing-the-right-lipstick-for-your-wedding
image of my makeup student Therese, photographed by Jessica Savidge

1. Be True To Yourself
Your wedding day is probably not the best day to get all the way out of your lipstick comfort zone.
If you don't normally wear much color, this is not the day to try out a new red.
If you are a big lipstick girl chances are you will feel washed out with a naked lip.
Choose a color that is in keeping with your wedding makeup, that enhances your skin tone, that doesn't make your teeth look yellow, and that makes you feel lovely.


choosing-lipstick-for-your-wedding
image of my makeup student Therese, photographed by Jessica Savidge

2. Marry With Moisture
Your lips will be a big focus on your wedding day. You will be talking more than usual, kissing and air kissing, posing for pictures, smiling - you name it! You will also probably get a very dry mouth.
A matte lip will look dried out and cracky as the event progresses, and unless you are a matte-lip-pro it can flatten your entire look.
An over glossy lip can look tacky, and he's probably going to be wondering if he'll get covered in slimey stuff if/when he kisses you.
Instead look for a lipstick with a subtle sheen or satin finish, that looks moist and makes the lip look alive and inviting.

3. Layer Your Lip
If you are prone to eating off your lipstick, think about staining the lip with a longwear color and complimenting it with a subtle gloss. If you are wearing a deeper or bolder color, staining the lip underneath will help you to maintain the color and will require less time infront of a mirror repairing your lipstick.
Most longwear lipsticks are super drying, so make sure you have either a gloss or a satin finish lip to put on top.
Plenty of my brides don't wear lipstick in their day to day life, so a longwear lip works perfectly. They just keep their chapstick/lip balm with them and top up when ever their lip feels dry.


how-to-choose-a-nude-lip
a nude lip shouldn't look like concealer (image via foxerbox.com)

4.Nude no's
Nude lips can be fabulous, especially when paired with a stronger eye, but there are a few things to consider.
* if you normally wear color on your lips you will feel naked in a nude.
* use a nude that compliments your skin tone
* never choose a nude that is paler than your natural lip color
* nudes that look like concealer are never flattering

5. Buy it
You will need to touch up your lips after your makeup artist leaves, and throughout the evening. After you do your makeup trial, buy the lipstick your makeup artist used and bring it with you on your wedding day.

6. Trial
Make sure you have a trial makeup session prior to your wedding day. Wear the lipstick or lip gloss that your makeup artists tries on you, and see how it looks as the day progresses. Does it pill up? Does it dry and crack? Does it look tacky and sticky? Or does it look fabulous on you?

Sunday, March 15, 2015

Beauty Tip Of The Week # 8 How To Wear Eyeliner After Lash Extensions ~ eHow.com

How To Wear Eyeliner After Eyelash Extensions
 From the series of video segments I shot for eHow.com

Eyelash extensions are single, individual, generally synthetic lashes that are glued one by one onto your existing lashes 
with formaldehyde free adhesive.
They generally last about 3 weeks before they need replacing.


eyelash-extensions-and eyeliner


They have a similar effect to strip lashes,
except that they are semi permanent.

Most women find they don't really need to use eyeliner
with lash extensions as the lashline is so enhanced by them.
However if you do choose to wear a liner, you have to be careful that you don't destroy your new lashes. 

eyelash-extensions-and -eyeliner
image via rachelsskincare.com
Here's what I recommend: 

Check the label on your eyeliner.
Avoid cream or oil based liners as they can disrupt the adhesive and make your expensive lash extensions fall out.  

Liquid liners typically don't contain oils but can be more stubborn to remove.

A good trick is to use a dark eyeshadow and an eyeliner brush

Take the dark shadow along the lash line and build depth and color.
Next take your gel or cream liner along the lashline but not up against the lashes themselves. The shadow you applied in the first step will give you the depth of color you need at the lashes, enabling you to trick the appearance of  your gel liner and making it look like it goes all the way to the lashes themselves.

Be very gentle when removing any eyeliner. 
Don't use oil based eye-makeup removers.
Either purchase products from your eyelash technician, or use a very gentle cleansing milk and a QTip

Thursday, March 12, 2015

11 Credit Card Tips For Traveling Internationally

Are you traveling internationally this year? 
Chances are that if your year does involve trips abroad you are going to be running your money through debit cards and credit cards. After more than 25 years of traveling around the world I have come up with 11 tips for using credit cards and debit cards while traveling internationally.

travel-destinations
image via ClarkHoward.com

1. Choose Your Cards Wisely
Before going on a trip you need to research the company that holds your card, and find out their international policies. Many cards have as high as a 4% foreign transaction fee, which means you lose an additional 4 cents on every dollar you spend.
For a list of the best credit cards to travel with, check out this post on NerdWallet.com

2. Take More Than One Card
Travel with more than one card, and keep your cards in separate places. If one card gets lost or stolen you can cancel it and move over to your second card, which means you are never without access to money.
You should also keep your cards' international telephone numbers in a safe place, so that you can make the call as quickly as possible

pickpockets
pickpockets in Paris

3. Use A Debit Card To Pull Cash
The best way to access cash when you travel overseas is via your debit card. Using a debit card will stop you from overspending, but you should only use it to pull out cash. Debit cards are very easy to clone, and if your card is fraudulently used it can take time to get money credited back to your account. Don't use your debit card to make purchases - either purchase with cash or with a credit card.

4. Only Use Bank ATMs And Only Use Them During Bank Hours
Preferably use an ATM that requires you to go inside the bank, as it is much less likely to have a skimmer attached, allowing thieves to clone your card and steal your money.
If the ATM eats your card and you are inside the bank, or using a bank ATM during bank hours it is much easier to have the situation remedied. A few years back a friend of mine had her ATM card eaten by a machine in Paris the night before her tour left for Spain. She had to leave with no money and no card.

5. Find Out Your Bank's Fee Schedule Before You Leave 
Banks' fee schedules vary widely, so you need to find out ahead of time what your bank charges. My bank has a ridiculous list of fees for international transactions, so I use my credit union ATM cards instead. You may find it worthwhile opening an account at another financil instituition just for foreign travel.

6. Withdraw The Maximum
There are fees charged each time you make an ATM withdrawal. One for out of network transactions, one for using your card overseas, and one from the bank whose ATM you are using. You can lessen the hit you are taking by withdrawing the maximum - take out $500 once every 5 days instead of withdrawing $100 every day.

7. Don't Use A Debit Card That Is Linked To Your Main Accounts.
Most of us have payments that withdraw via ACH from our bank accounts. Accidentally withdrawing too much money, or even worse having your debit card cloned or stolen can leave you with a series of bank fines for mortgage payment not going through, car payments not processing etc. Instead have debit cards that don't link to your main accounts but are solely linked to travel accounts.

8. Don't Keep All Your Cash In One Account
Again, if your debit card gets cloned or stolen you want to have your money split across two accounts. This way you minimize the damage and also make sure that you have access to money

9. Tell Your Bank Where You Are Going (and bring back up cards)
Your bank needs to be notified that you are traveling overseas, and they will generally want to know exactly which countries you are traveling to, and within which days. Most of the time this works well, but sometimes they get it wrong. Again, I have had friends who's cards have been suspended by their bank at home, even though they notified the bank that they were traveling. Have a backup card in case this happens, and make sure you have an international number to call your bank on if thre is a problem.

10. Spend Like A Local
Some merchants will give you the option of charging items in your home currency rather than in theirs, which is also known as "dynamic currency conversion". This is always a more expensive choice.
You will invariably get a better exchange rate through your bank or credit card company than you will through local merchants. You will still pay the same transaction fees at home regardless of whether the purchase was made in local currency or your home currency

11. Be Vigilant.
Just because you are on vacation, don't let your guard down when it comes to fraud. In fact you should be more alert.
Don't access online banking from public wifi - you'd be amazed at how many people do! If you need to check balances in your accounts use your bank's telephone banking instead.
Don't leave the ATM without your receipt and your card. Some ATMs hold your card until the transaction is complete.
Don't keep all of your cards together - split them up amongst different bags.
Don't bring everything that is in your wallet at home - take a separate travel wallet that only has the cards and information that you need. If you do lose your wallet you want to limit the information that thieves can access about you.