Make amends with the trends

Brighten Up A Look - Bright Pink Lips

When it comes to makeup, we tend to think of it as the self-beautifier, but it certainly goes beyond that. A bold-stated lip or smokey eye acts as an accessory in and of itself.

The bright pink is a fantastic way to dress up a simpler outfit. The lip speaks so loud, that the wardrobe selection can follow the practice of understated elegance. A perfect fitting anything, simple earrings, and very limited accessories is the best call.

The bolder the outfit, the smaller you go with accessories when it comes to a bright lip. Too overdone with such intense makeup screams trying too hard and all the confident allure of the lipstick goes out the window.

When going with the bold lip, the vibrancy of it may shock the system a bit when you first apply it. It does take a little getting used to, but it’s worth sticking it out. The bright (almost neon) pink is as fun as it is sexy. Like most lipsticks, it’s best with a little bit of gloss in the center of the lip. This adds a little sparkle, but also serves to soften the look up a bit. It keeps the intensity, but loses the severity.

My favorite bright pink: Girl About Town by Mac

Divide and Conquer

These fun and funky pieces define sartorial genius. Both items marry simplistic design with fierce metalwork to make real head-turners. The tiny strip of stomach skin is the perfect amount as well on the both the summer frock and the peplum tank crop top.

For the dress:

Go for a sweeter aesthetic with a simple pair of summer booties or a pair of flat sandals. Keep it light on the accessories because the metal speaks for itself as a dramatic accessory. Wear mild makeup like a pale lip and a light eye shadow if any at all.

Go for a bolder look with a dramatic chunky heel and bright lip or smokey eye. Still watch the accessory overkill!

For the shirt:

Pair the shirt with a high wasted skirt that lets the bottom of the peplum just touch the top so you occasionally see a pop of skin. Make sure the skirt doesn’t flounce out too much because you’ll loose all your shape. A good A-line or even pencil shirt would work wonders. Conversely, you could also dress it seriously down with a pair of jeans or even a pair of the fun pastel-colored pants that are sweeping the store fronts this season.

To dress it up for night, it’s all in the color palette. Go darker in your shades of clothing and more confident in your makeup. Also, adding a little height never hurt so slip into those heels ladies!

Cute and crafty! Check these items out at LF stores.

Pretty in Pink -The Pale Lip

Trying to chic an outfit up a bit with a little lip color? A pale pink lip is a great option.

During the day, the pale pink lends itself beautifully to almost any outfit (aside from overly sporty). It adds just the smallest bit of charm and innocence to an outfit, while making you look more thoughtful in the “put together” process.

While the borderline nude pale pink acts as a pretty natural lip, I’m always inclined to go for a more stated light pink to let the lipstick speak for itself.

For nighttime wear, the pale pink lip is the perfect contrast with a smokey eye if you want to go big on the drama. Always make sure not to pair a dramatic eye with a bold lipstick. You don’t want to look overly made up. Natural with a touch of makeup flare is the goal. Even if you’re going more simplistic with the eye makeup, the pale pink is still a nice touch for a more muted nighttime look.

Just a few things to keep in mind:

Go a good few shades lighter than your natural lip color. You want to see that it is noticeably color on your lip. Don’t; however, go so light that it looks like your lips have drained of any color at all.

Finish it off with some lip gloss right in the center of the lip. This adds a little glamor to the girly, but keeps the sparkle contained.

My favorite pink: Angel by Mac, but you can pick up a great pale pink almost anywhere to match almost any wallet

Showing a little skin

Alright ladies, so it’s summertime and you want to wear a little sexy with your sandals. Noted. But there’s no need to go R-rated, when we got the perfect PG-13 option at our hands here. The bareback is a great option. It tells the world you’re a seriously confident woman with the bod to back you up, without selling the sex gimmick.

How to? Pretty much any which way you see fit. Go bareback in a dress, with a skirt, shorts, or pants. Dress it up, dress it down. Throw a bareback over a bathing suit and do it up right with the perfect summer floppy hat and diva-esque shades.

They come in all shapes so play around. Cover up a little more if you’re timid, but don’t shy away completely. There are plenty available that offer only the most modest of peek-a-backs.

‘Tis the season to experiment with the wardrobes ladies. (Almost) all can be forgiven with a Pina Colada in hand and a gorgeous boy in a bathing suit at arms length.

“Fashions fade, style is eternal.”

- Yves Saint Laurent

Color Me Impressed – Yellow Edition

Ready to make a statement this season? For all its vibrant energy, yellow is certainly topping the current hit list. While it seems to be a shy-away color for many, there are a bunch of ways to turn the electricity down a bit if you’re looking for a way to jump on trend.

For those who love the idea in theory, but can’t bring themselves to go so bold, try implementing yellow into your wardrobe through accessories. A yellow bag or a funky pair of yellow shoes will catch the eye as well, but doesn’t have the same kind of “dive right in” feel to it.

A more muted yellow can still pay tribute the trend, while nodding in the directions of the much loved pastels of the moment. Here you can pair it with some white to go with the whole baby chick look. It’s sweet, it’s summer, and it can be the perfect measured dose of naivety so long as its paired up with accessories that bring the outfit up a few sophistication points.

To wear the trend in full force, but not turn every head, pair the bright yellow with some beige. This brings the effect of the color, but keeps the pop controlled. The beige plays a kind of neutral card that draws the eye almost entirely towards the yellow, more so than a black or white pairing which generates a more mild contrast look (though those would work with the color as well).

If you’re rocking some serious confidence and prepared to go all out, you can try the high-contrast look. Pair the bright yellow with another bright color, like a royal blue, hot pink, or Kelly green. Note that this look can go wrong very quickly if done with cheap looking fabric or tacky accessories. So keep it luxe ladies!

Fantastic Florals

A few months ago my sister returned from a vacation in Aruba with a killer pair of floral pants. As a Montrealer, the time of year meant that summer was nowhere near on the horizon for me and I had yet to start thinking in summer style. When she walked in sporting black fitted pants with bursts of floral colors of greens, blues, and yellows, I fell in love instantly (and temporarily abandoned exam studies for a clearly much needed game of fashion catch-up with the summer trends).

The floral pant is an awesome summer trend this year. It’s completely funky and yet oddly endearing. They can be dressed up for a night on a terrace at your favorite bar or down for grabbing a bite of brunch with the girls. They look sharp with heals, but a confident dresser can rock them out in flats too.

The one caution with these bad boys is to watch out for the heavy florals (or patterns in general) on pants if you’re a little thicker on the thighs. That’s not to say stay away completely, but rather pick your pair wisely. A keen eye and lots of patience could still land you your perfect pair.  

Summer Style – Keep it Simple and Stunning

The season of sun, sandals, and sangria is upon us. While it is perfectly acceptable to jump into casual clothes mode when the weather goes up a few degrees, it’s all too easy to take it a step too far into bleh with sandals mode. Summer certainly lends itself to less clothing, which means more of a challenge for some to hit the fashion mark right on. How do you pull off fashion without layers heating you up, throwing on a scarf to pull your look together, or even jumping into killer boots that finish an outfit?

Summer style demands simple perfection. The key is to dress minimally, and finish an outfit off with a great pair of summer sandals (never underestimate the power of a good shoe to pull an outfit together) and some fun accessories. Consider pieces like a pair of high-wasted shorts in a neutral color, a modest skirt that comes a few inches above the knee, thin shirts (tee or tank will suffice), light-weight dresses, or even the perfect fitting jean shorts. Tack on a belt to the shorts or a long necklace to add a little flavor. Even an arm full of mixed bracelets can be conducive to a light-hearted summer day outfit as long as it’s not to the point of looking too heavy. A floppy hat, a bowler, or a fedora are great choices to keep your skin looking as great as your body. And when it comes to sunglasses, remember that one pair does not every outfit make. Have a few pairs to match with different outfits; the sportier pair, the hipster pair, the feminine pair, etc…

Keep your colors as fresh as you can and load up on pastels this season. Florals are always a nice touch, especially in a season that’s loving the pattern (both mixed and done from head to toe). Enjoy the season while you can with cuts that are a little more risqué in the winter like the boat neck or the open back.

All this to say, don’t spend another summer in Soffee shorts and American Apparel T-shirts ’round the clock. The fashion world is unforgiving to those who disappoint it for an entire season every year!

Cheap fashion thrills

It’s no secret that being fashionable can cost a pretty penny at times. Even the slow build wardrobe method; buying lots of basics and just a few trend pieces a season, can still set you back quite far.

Recently I came across sheinside.com. This website offers some unique and trendy pieces for completely reasonable prices. Their best stuff definitely falls to their outerwear category, but if you sift through the rest, you’re bound to find a few wins.

Here are just a few of my favorite standout pieces

1. Chiffon tie-die motorcycle style jacket (slightly sheer) - $53

2. White blouse with stitching trim - $35

3. Creme wool zip-up peplum jacket - $75

The army anorak jacket

Coming on Spring, this is a must have. They’ve had a good long run on the fashion scene for well over 5 years now, but they’re still a solid wardrobe staple. They’re light, comfortable and unquestionably cute.

Green, grey, khaki, beige, or even navy, all make up the offerings for this style. They’re at their best when they’re a little on the longer side, perhaps coming down to just under the bum. A few pockets always adds a little bit of detailing and is definitely a plus. A chunky zipper is also permissible with this look so don’t shy away.

You can pick one of these up at almost any big chain store. Top Shop, Gap, Aritzia, and Zara have all been known to good finds in my experience, but Old Navy, J Crew, H&M, and even (dare I say it….) Forever 21 will probably have what you’re looking for. For its convenience and extreme wearability, this is one piece that is certainly worth the hunt!

Tribal and Trendy

Nothing makes a statement quite like a bold piece of jewelery. Throw in a little tribal flavor to really set an outfit.

Nastygal.com has a wide offering of great pieces that range from $10-$350. They ship all over, but be prepared to pay for shipping.

1. $20

2. $110

3. $135

4. $30

5. $178

6. $150

7. $25

8. $25

Fast Fashion - Shirt-Tied Skirt

Completely accessible to the masses, the shirt-tied skirt is a brilliant and affordable look. Simply take any larger button down, slip it around your waste, do the buttons up, and tie it around your waste as if it was a sweatshirt in the mid 90s.

You can offset the buttons for an asymmetric skirt, or do them up right for a cleaner aesthetic.

Match it with an overgrown sweater to channel your inner hipster or pair it with a T-shirt/tank top for a more classic look.

When it comes to the sleeves, you can roll them up, roll just the ends, tie them in a bow, leave them loosely hanging, roll them and tuck them, etc… It all depends on whether or not you want the skirt to still hold the look of the shirt.