Battling the fear of bold lipcolor

I have always been a heavy eye-makeup kind of girl. Lipsticks are something that I actively avoid. Weird, I know.

However, it’s not all lip color I shy away from. Glosses work fine for me but even with them I tend to bend towards sheer and muted colors. I have tried hard to analyze this psychological disorder of mine but have had no luck finding the answer yet. Every time, I try on a lipstick, I take one look at myself and shudder in horror.

Imagine then my surprise when I found myself drawn to this lovely look sported by ­Taylor Swift while I was reading Stylelist.

Even though the lip color is bold, matching it with the shoes and bag makes it look so classy. I am actually getting excited to try it out myself.

I particularly like the contrast brought out by pairing this matched look with an otherwise completely toned down look like Kate Bosworth here.

The effect seems to be most dramatic when the lip color is a shade of red or orange. But pink looks great too as seen on Rose McGowan.

 

So, to get this look right, I need to

• Pick a BOLD  lip color
• Match it with my shoes
• Pick a muted color outfit
• Use neutral tones in eye makeup. Think L’oreal Eyeliner in Espresso & Lakme Desert Rose Eye Shadow Quartet.

Can you help me with more tips to brave the lipstick jungle?

How to make your perfume linger longer!

Freshly out of the bath, spritzing on my favorite perfume can transport me into nirvana faster than any meditation technique I have tried so far. Do you feel the same way? Have you ever wanted that feeling to last?

There is a way. Yes, even in this hot weather. And no, it does not involve emptying the entire bottle on yourself in one go.

The more economical way of making your perfume linger longer is by layering your fragrances. Every perfume has a theme. Identify yours. Then pick other grooming products that center around the same theme.

If fruity is your style, then use a fruity body wash during your bath. Immediately, after your bath, preferably still in the bathroom, apply a body moisturizer with the same fruity fragrance. The humidity of the skin at this stage helps the fragrance to bind to your skin better and of course also makes your body soft and supple. Follow up with a fruity deodorant to battle sweat, but this is optional. You can skip this step if wetness and humid weather are of no concern to you. End the layering process with a few light sprays of the desired perfume and enjoy the fresh feeling for a long time.

This hot summer I am finding my solace in the invigorating smell of green tea. Here are the layers I am wearing:

Dove Fresh Cucumber & Green Tea Body Wash

Dove Fresh Cucumber & Green Tea Body Lotion

Dove Fresh Cucumber & Green Tea Body Mist

Elizabeth Arden - Green Tea

  
 If you want this technique to be more effective and don’t mind a slightly higher cost, you can try the body washes and lotions by the perfume makers themselves. For example, next on my radar are Davidoff Cool Water and Moschino Hippy Fizz.

 Certain lifestyle stores offer good discounts on gift packs containing the above products.

Summer wardrobe must haves!

Breezy lounge around

For the denim die-hards

The Dressy Look

Burberry Bermudas

Bermudas on the ramp

The sun has regained its strength and warm, dry winds of change are blowing through street fashion.
Gone are the English style coats and even the light woolen wraps.
As the cliche goes - the hemlines are rising.
The Bermuda shorts is number one on my wishlist. You can get it in a variety of different fabrics.
Denim for the toughie, cotton for the cool and jersey for the sporty. But irrespective of the fabric it looks chic and comfy.
And guess what..... it looks great on all body shapes. :)