Dita Von Teese's 10 Golden Rules For Valentine's Day Lingerie

Valentine's day is nearly here, and honestly what says "Happy Valentine's Day" more deliciously than sensational lingerie??

Last week Vogue.com published Marjon Carlos' article Dita Von Teese's 10 Golden Rules Fot Valentine's Day Lingerie.
In the story the Burlesque dancer and queen of seduction, talks about what items you should have, shopping for lingerie and how to get things all steamed up for Valentine's day.
Dita also talks about what to do if you don't have a Valentine, because to quote Dita from the article "Seduction has nothing to do with other people, it's all about creating your own look". 
Brilliant, non?

Excerpted from the article:

A girl’s first piece should be in black lace . . .

Black lace is sophisticated, elegant, and erotic all at once, and it looks terrific on every woman. I say invest in a gorgeous set. Buy a bra that fits very well, plus two to three pairs of matching underwear, with varying shapes to add versatility to your wardrobe. The underwear needs to have double the life of the bra, so it’s smart to buy duplicates. Bonus points for the garter belt!

A corset over a waist trainer—any day!

Well, there’s a lot of misinformation about what a waist trainer is and what it isn’t, and there are all kinds of companies making these strange stretchy waist-training corsets. It’s important to look past the trendy celebrity-endorsed products—you can’t shape your waist with a Lycra corset, and that’s what they are all talking about.

Waist shaping can be accomplished with a true corset, which should be custom-made to your measurements. It is also no substitute for diet and exercise, and waist training doesn’t happen overnight; it takes a bit of time. I suggest looking to long-established corset brands like Dark Garden Corsetry or Mr. Pearl, and avoid all the new companies trying to jump on the bandwagon.

Let garter belts be your Valentine’s Day Gift to Bae.

Garter belts and stockings are the perfect thing to try! Wear them the French way: underwear over the top of the garter belt, not under. Black stockings and a black garter belt are sophisticated and erotic. Invest in good-quality pieces. I wear garters in everyday life, so the ones from my collections are very functional and made with six straps and power mesh to keep stockings in place. I have a drawerful of cute garter belts from luxe brands that are only really wearable for photo shoots, so when I created my own line, I set out to make garters that function properly. I’d say garter belts are my specialty.

Dita has some really great girl advice in the article, including this gem:

 "I always saw lingerie as a moment of beauty and luxury for myself."

I have always felt the same way about beautiful lingerie.

Another great Dita quote: "I never put lingerie on for a man. Ever since I was a little girl, I saw lingerie as something that was symbolic of womanhood and femininity."

You can read the full article on Vogue.com here

Perfect Valentine's Day Makeup Look From Charlotte Tilbury

I'm so in love with Charlotte Tilbury's new Matte Revolution lipstick in Between The Sheets! 

Charlotte Tilbury Matte Revolution Lipstick in Between The Sheets

It's a perfect lipstick for Valentine's Day if you want to look fresh, demure and subtly sexy. It's also a fantastic wedding lipstick, as well as a cool, sexy, mod look for spring.

If you haven't used Charlotte's Matte Revolution lipsticks before, they are a nice change from regular matte lipsticks in that they don't dry the lip out - they're actually hydrating so the lip stays looking smooth rather than cracked and chapped.

Charlotte Tilbury First Date Look

Charlotte has created a First Date Look makeup and tutorial that is of course perfect for your first date, but is also a lovely look for Valentine's Day if you're not planning on a super vampy look.
Check out the video tutorial:



To make it easy she has all the products you need to create this look in a simple set, The First Date Look gift set which costs $158
If you already have some of these products, or don't want a full set, here is a list of the products she talks about, with links to her website:
Colour Chameleon in Mesmerizing Mink
The Classic: Audrey
Full Fat Lashes
Cheek To Chic: Love Is The Drug
Lip Cheat: Pink Venus
Matte Revolution: Between The Sheets

You can find more products and tutorials on her website, CharlotteTilbury.com

3 Valentine's Day Lip Looks

 Valentine's Day Lip Looks

Valentine’s Day – the official holiday of smooching - is nearly here, so it’s time to think about your luscious lip plan.

Today I am giving you 3 date night lip options combined with a little color theory class, breaking down some color options for those of you with a cool complexion and those of you with warm undertones.

Read on and pucker up!

Valentine's lip number one is for those of you who don’t want to do a big lip, but feel like more than just chapstick. Try using a lipliner to shape your kisser, and top it off with a colored lip gloss. In these images we've left the liner where you can see it, but in real life blend through it with your lip brush and make it invisible.

Icy and pink glosses such as Nars lip gloss in Striptease

 look fabulous on girls with a cool toned complexion, while soft peachy tones like Nars lip gloss in Giza

 are beautiful on a warm toned girl. 

Valentine's lip number two is all about your pink game. Moving into a full lipstick our warm undertone gets a lovely coral based pink which compliments the olives and golds in her skin. Try MAC "Flamingo Park" lipstick in Flocking Fabulous

Our cool undertone model got a blue based pink, breathing magic into her complexion and making her teeth look super white. I love MAC lipstick in All Fired Up

Valentine's lip number three is a feisty bold red lip – the ultimate Valentine’s lip! Girls with a cool toned complexion look amazing in a blue based red, I'm obsessed with Charlotte Tilbury Matte Revolution Lipstick in Red Carpet Red

 

while warm toned girls are best in a true red or an orange based red. (pictured here in a true red).

If you are looking for an ornage based red lipstick you cannot go wrong with MAC lipstick in Lady Danger

The lip models in this story were actually 2 of my makeup assistants! Whitney is our cool toned girl, and Therese is my warm complected model. 

Here are a couple of bts shots.

Therese in the makeup room getting a soft, glossy lip

Whitney on set getting a muted red lip

This story was originally written for Phoenix Bride and Groom Magazine.
Check it out here:

Photography by Jessica Savidgewww.SavidgePhotography.com

 

Chic And Healthy Soups To Take To Work (And Make Your Co Workers Jealous!)

This post from Career Girl Daily came into my in box 3 weeks ago and rocked my lunchtime world!

Gluten Free Instant Noodles image from Glutenfreeonashoestring.com
recipe below

I love having soup for lunch in the winter. (or what we jokingly refer to as winter here in Phoenix, where it doesn't actually get too cold!) 

Gluten Free Instant Noodle Cup Recipe From Gluten Free On A Shoestring

But when I'm working I don't want to bring those store bought cups of msg-rich, powdered, just add water soups that are guaranteed to make you swell up by early afternoon, and I don't want to bring Tupperware containers of soup from home to heat up in a microwave either.

Kelp Noodle Pot image via Career Girl Daily

But how about homemade noodle cups with fresh vegetables and a multitude of options?? In a chic glass container? I am so hooked!

Kelp Noodle Pot Recipe from Deliciously Ella

Homemade chicken and vegetable pot noodles from Kitchensanctuary.com

Homemade Chicken And Vegetable Pot Noodle Recipe From Kitchen Sanctuary

The concept with these soups is that you are filling a jar with wholesome goodness and then when lunch time rolls around you just add boiling water, let it steep for a few minutes, and you are good to go!

The Pho Jar image via Career Girl Daily

The Pho Jar Recipe from Minute-Meal.com

They don't just taste fantastic, but they are so visually appealing. 
You feel satiated and satisfied and yet you've had a low calorie, fat free lunch that is both colorful and nutrient rich.

I bought these French Hermetic Terrine Jars at The Container Store. The middle size is perfect for a lunch soup. It's important to get glass jars, not plastic. The glass ones look better and won't stain.

This weekend I'm going back to buy some of these 
Panoply Canisters, because I think they are also made of glass and I think they would look pretty amazing too. 

Panopy Canisters from The Container Store

What I have learned doing these is:
 *You need to soak rice noodles over night. Boiling water on dry rice noodles doesn't get them soft and edible.
*You can make a bunch of these ahead of time (they look super pretty in your refrigerator) and just throw one in your bag in the morning on your way out the door.
*In a pinch if you need more flavor or don't have time to prep a sauce-base you can just throw in noodles, fresh vegetables, some kelp a miso paste.

There are 11 more recipes in the original post on Career Girl Daily

While clicking away on every recipe that Career Girl Daily had in their post I found some fab blogs to follow, including Deliciously Ella, Gluten Free On A Shoestring and Kitchen Sanctuary

If you have some good ideas for a chic and healthy soup recipe, tell me about them in the comment section below!

Destination Wedding, Amalfi Coast

Have you ever thought about having a destination wedding on the Amalfi Coast?

I was on the Amalfi Coast for a few days in December, working on new details for my upcoming Glam Italia Tours. 
My friend Adriano de Falco is a tour guide for the Amalfi Coast and Cilento. 

walking along the path to Arechi Castle

While we were scouting excursions for my upcoming Glam Italia tours, Adriano took me up to the incredible Castello di Arechi, or Arechi Castle, an 8th century castle that sits up on the hill, keeping watch over the beautiful coastal town of Salerno.

8th Century Arechi castle

While he was showing me around this amazing old castle, Adriano was telling me fascinating stories about it's history, what happened there 1400 years ago and why it was built. 

inside the castle walls

Arechi castle

At one point we walked out onto a terrace with staggeringly beautiful views of the bay that stretched all the way to Cilento, and that also looked out over the hills and the trees. 

a couple of seconds of cloud cover

A cloud passed over the early morning December sun for just a moment, then everything exploded back into color again.

Adriano pointing out something in Cilento from the terrace of Arechi Castle

While he was telling me about places we could take my travelers in Cilento, Adriano casually mentioned that this was the terrace that they used for weddings.

Wait - what???

Adriano knows me as a travel writer and private tour guide, so he didn't know about the makeup artist side of my life, let alone the makeup artist who does weddings!

I asked Adriano to send me photos from a wedding held here

wedding receptio at Arechi Castle

Vivimi senza paura....

the view from a wedding reception at Arechi Castle

wedding reception at Arechi Castle in Salerno

Now back to my photos...

I can't even tell you how many brides over the years have told me that they would love a European destination wedding or a wedding in a castle, or a wedding on the Amalfi Coast, but the cost was too prohibitive.

I guess you just have to know where to look!
If you check the price sheet for so much as a cup of coffee for a wedding at the other end of the Amalfi Coast in Positano, you will probably fall over. But at the southern end of the coast in Salerno, its a whole different world. 

Amalfi Coast Road view from the castle

Salerno is totally affordable. And its beautiful, and there is an 8th century castle on the hill with views to die for and gorgeous terraces to have your wedding or wedding reception on.

view of Salerno stretching all the way to Cilento from Arechi Castle

look to the right and all you see are mountains

inside the castle grounds

My wedding photographer friends would just love to shoot a wedding at Arechi Castle! There are so many fantastic spots to photograph.
There are also tons of places to hide out when you need a break from the action.

a hidden corner inside the castle grounds where you can sneak off and take a break

And if you're not getting married wouldn't it be a blast to have your birthday party or some other event here???

view of the coastline from Salerno to Cilento, from the Arechi Castle walls

walking back to the parking lot

Find out more about Salerno here in a post I wrote about the Glam Italia 2 Tour

If you are planning a trip to the Amalfi Coast, or will be in Italy and want to pop down there for a couple of days, contact Adriano for apartment rentals and bed and breakfasts. Adriano runs the Bed and Breakfast Association in Salerno, so if his apartments are full he has incredible contacts for all the others, plus he can advise you on which parts of town to stay in.

His other business is running daily excursions throughout the Amalfi Coast and Cilento. He will be taking the travelers on my next Amalfi Coast Glam Tour on all kinds of fantastic day trips, as well as taking us all on the incredible Pathway Of The Gods walking trail. (Read about it here: 10 Things To Do On The Amalfi Coast)

For information on the Arechi Castle, booking events at Arechi Castle, day trips on the Amalfi Coast and Vacation Rentals/Bed and Breakfasts in Salerno contact Adriano di Falco here: Casa Vacanze Il Duomo Apartments and Excursions

Arechi Castle is in Salerno, at the south end of the Amalfi Coast. You can fly into any major Italian airport and get a fast train directly to Salerno.
Salerno is 40 minutes from Naples by train.
Find flights to Italy here:

     

      

Clearing The Clutter

So how is your Monday morning looking?
This is how mine is looking.

I was on a fashion shoot yesterday that ran late into the night. You'd be amazed at how many Sunday shoots happen!
Anyway, today is my Sunday, and this is what I'm doing.
I am obsessed with clearing the clutter from every aspect of my life. I want everything to be streamlined and simplified. 
Funnily enough it's taking much longer than originally planned. Somewhere between being a single parent and working non-stop I'm not keeping up to my schedule, but I am getting there one day (literally!) at a time.

As much as I hate tidying and doing housework, I love shopping at The Container Store, so I look at it as a deal - get this room stripped down,/area decluttered and the reward is buying something new at The Container Store.

My office is now a very beautiful grey and white, and I have been buying up white furniture for it from The Container Store, including this really cool White Leaning Bookcase
and a white file cabinet
similar to this one.
The Container Store does not give me free products in exchange for reviews. But I seriously wish they would!!

Anyway, before I get started on the next project I'm going to enjoy a cup of coffee and read some more of the de-clutter bible,
Marie Kondo's fantastic New York Times bestseller The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing

Oh and congratulations to all the winners of the VIP Passes to the screening of The Choice giveaway. I know you are going to love this film! Winners were notified by email, but there is a list of them on the Rafflecopter widget in the blogpost (see here)

Last week I was working with author and producer Nicholas Sparks doing press for the movie, which was so much fun. Everyone loved the movie! If you are in the mood for a good romance, The Choice opens this Friday (February 5th) nationwide.

Nicholas Sparks doing breakfast TV for his new film, The Choice

Happy Monday everyone!