Beauty — Page 13

NYFW Beauty Trend: The French Manicure Faux Pas

September 23, 2014 by admin Leave a Comment

Images courtesy of Ernest Green and Seventh House PR, respectively

According to Jan Arnold, Creative Director of CND, the classic French manicure we all grew up with is out. Arnold, known for her artistic over the top nail designs states “French for me now… belongs on the golf course or on the tennis courts … It’s too preppy, too sporty.” Arnold lists other manicure faux pas, “I think anything too literal I don’t like; painting a sunset, painting a landscape. I think [nail design] should never really match what you’re wearing; it should be complementary. It should be it’s own artistic element that adds to the total look. In real life I always get asked, ‘should you match your fingers and your toes?’ I’m like No, no, no you got 20 digits you might as well use them all, let them all be a canvas.”

Images courtesy of Zang Toi

If you’re looking for a fun twist on your old middle school favorite, Rebecca Isa, Creative Director of Zoya, offers a great solution straight off the runways of Zang Toi. To complement Zang’s American Girl Inspired Collection, Isa applied two coats of a vibrant purple shade with red glass flecks. She topped that off with an opaque lavender, sporting silver glass flecks just on the tip. Isa recommends using a striper brush just to freehand the top edge of the nail. “It’s a modern French manicure, very thin, curved,” shares Isa. “Gem tones are normally thought of as a fall look but Zang of course twists everything, so his French has the gem tone with a pastel for spring.”

Tadashi Shoji spring 2015 images courtesy of HL Group

If jazzing up the classic French feels a little too tame, you can apply the same idea to a mesh manicure like Katie Jane Hughes, Global Colour Ambassador for butter LONDON did for Tadashi Shoji’s spring 2015 collection. “… in his collection there’s all this gorgeous lace as always which is why we love to work with him, but he’s also injected this bit of mesh into the pieces which has really made it very current, very fresh and modern … So we really honed in on that and literally put it on the nail.” explains Hughes. To create the look, Hughes starts with a nude new shade called High Tea as the base. She then uses a striping brush and a gold polish called The Full Monty to create the stripes. “It’s an interesting gold as it looks silver in certain light. It’s a really beautiful tone,” shared Hughes. To successfully recreate this look, make sure when you place the stripes down, you go all one way and then go back the other way, Hughes says, while demonstrating the technique. She also mentions that you should tailor your brushes, feel free to cut them down to get them as thin as you need them (you can even turn a regular brush into a striping brush with a few snips!)

Images from The Blonds spring 2015 courtesy of Ernest Green

For really creative runway nails, The Blonds always takes the cake. Jan Arnold and her team used about forty feet of chain and over 10,000 crystals, studs and gems to help bring The Blonds “Gangsta Genie” nails to life. “The gangsta side we did long square nails…very 80’s, a lot of piercing, a lot of teardrops. Then the genie side is where the real refinement comes in; a lot of filagree and beading and handwork.” Think tattoo art, red roses, chains, pearls, and flames. To take nail art really over the top one model wore a knuckle ring created of a genie bottle which when squeezed, released a cloud of pink smoke. “Nails should be that ultimate decorative element, that key accessory that completes the look. I mean that’s what nails are for and any woman who uses their nail with just a single color is missing out on an opportunity to be artistic. It’s a cheap thrill … I would pay a couple hundred bucks for these nails; that’s nothing.” Arnold says while showing off her own metal armor nails complete with a tiny metal vase.

Libertine spring 2015 images courtesy of Bennet Cobliner

Arnold created similarly wild manicures at Libertine, Johnson Hartig, the designer behind the label Libertine told Arnold to go crazy and have fun with the nails, and crazy she went! “Johnson is known for the skull and for the skeleton so we did a sugar skull using vinyl luxe with accenting colors. We hand painted the rib cage of the skeleton and then we couldn’t help ourselves; we went all the way to a 3D skull made out of liquid and powder acrylic and we wired the jaw so the jaw actually moves and there’s a little gold tooth right in the front. We made 22 of the skulls. So I believe maybe 10 models will wear one skull on each hand,” she explains.

So ditch your classic French and opt for a more creative approach!

—Janine Silver

Beauty Tip: Prolong Your Tan

September 23, 2014 by admin Leave a Comment

Image courtesy of her campus.com

You spent all summer perfecting your tan and now that we are solidly into the fall months, your hard-worn tan is starting to fade!!

Perpetuate your summer skin with a little beauty trick. Fashion Reverie has found the best bronzers to keep your cinnamon skin lasting well into the cooler months. Bronzers can provide a natural even tan to highlight all your best features. And the best part is unlike actually sitting in the sun—or worse a tanning bed—they’re completely safe!

Mally’s Believable Bronzer comes with 2 brushes and 3 separate shades perfect to achieve that natural color. Play around with the different colors to find what’s best for you now and later.

Image courtesy of Guerlain

It’s almost impossible to make a list of the best bronzers and not include Guerlain. Guerlain’s Terracotta collection is perfect for a “I just got back from vacation” tan even if you haven’t gone anywhere.

Try the Terracotta Sun Celebration Powder Compact for a natural flush of color and a touch of shimmer. With shades of bronze, pink, and coral this compact will illuminate your skin and is sure to bring compliments.

Image courtesy of NYC Sun n’ Bronze

Bronzing on a budget? NYC’s Sun ‘n’ Bronze uses several colors to take the guess work out of achieving that flawless tan. Add a little now for some extra shimmer and layer more on as needed. We love the NY beach inspired names such as Fire Island Tan and Hamptons Radiance, to help remind us of our summer excursions.

Image courtesy of Lorac

Don’t forget the rest of you, Lorac’s TANtalizer Body Bronzing Spray is the perfect to add a little fake sun to your arms legs and shoulders. Have an autumn wedding or special event and need to get rid of those tan lines? This easy to use aerosol bottle allows you to spray it exactly where it’s needed. Just rub it in and watch those tan lines disappear!

—Janine Silver

NYFW Spring 2015 Beauty Trend: Playing with Textures from the Runway to the Street

September 21, 2014 by admin Leave a Comment

An easy way to add a little interest to your hair is by using contrasting textures. This past New York Fashion Week highlighted different ways to upgrade your usual hairstyle.

Images courtesy of KCD Worldwide

At Public School, urban, strong clothes were paired with a “masculine ponytail with a feminine edge.” The 1950’s military look created by Anthony Turner for René Furterer, features a structured crown for a boyish look with a natural ponytail. “… You can tell it’s supposed to be neat, but it’s still a little messed up in it’s own way …” shared Public School designer, Maxwell Osborne about the hair.

To get the look, Turner saturates the hair with Renè Furterer VOLUMEA volumizing conditioning spray, brushing through with both hands and a Mason Pearson brush, for a natural texture. Next, Turner takes sections of the hair and blows them dry, making sure to lift it up and away from the face. Turner then adds just a touch of height to the hair by taking a small section from the front and crossing it over from the left to the ride side and teasing the section very close to the root with a comb. Next, Turner brushes the hair back (keeping the sides tighter) and gathers the hair at the middle of the back of the head and secures the ponytail. Lastly, water is sprayed on the ponytail itself and worked through with just his fingers to loosen it up. A light mist of René Furterer VEGETAL Finishing Spray holds the look in place.

Image courtesy of Venexiana

The Venexiana collection’s hair, entitled “The Opposite Attraction” complemented designer Kati Stern’s gowns beautifully with both crimped and straight hair combined into one style. Philip Pelusi of Philip Pelusi Salons and his team created an 18th century Venetian diagonal chignon. Using Tela Beauty Organics, Philip started by dry shampooing each models hair to prepare it for the look. Next he took an organic beauty balm, Healer, to condition the hair and protect it from the iron (it even mends split ends!)

Even thought the hair looks intricate, it’s very easy to create at home, Pelusi insists. The entire style can be done in three simple steps. First, make a ponytail leaving out the perimeter of the hair from below the temple down to below the occipital (the bottom part of the back of your skull). Next, crimp the pieces that hang out, make sure you use a heat protectant product. Finally, fold over the crimped hair and wrap it around the ponytail and you’re done!

—Janine Silver

NYFW Spring 2015: A Focus on Brows

September 18, 2014 by admin Leave a Comment

Images courtesy of refinery29/Nina Westervelt, thesundaytimes.co.uk, and the gloss.com, respectively

If Cara Delevigne’s rise to fame tells us anything, it’s that the strong brow is making a huge comeback. Your eyebrows not only frame your eyes but add a little definition to your face. At Lincoln Center and other New York Fashion Week venues, designers amped up their models’ brows with piercings and color. While we don’t suggest wearing these looks to work, perhaps you’ll be inspired to leave your eyes and lips alone and focus on creating a standout strong brow.

Images courtesy of NARS and elleuk.com, respectively

Badgley Mischka used color to enhance the models look and tie it in to the outfits. Blue, purple, pink, and teal brows paraded down the runway, paired with a clean face and slightly messy hair with colorful streaks. Applying color to make a statement isn’t new to the world of fashion and beauty but applying it over the eyelids and onto the brow is a fun and innovative twist. To get the look, MAC makeup artist, Tom Pecheux painted MAC cream eye shadows right on the hairs of the models’ eyebrows.

Images courtesy of NARS, Chelsea Lauren/Getty Images, and fashionista.com/Imaxtree, respectively

If a pop of color isn’t your cup of tea, perhaps a little eyebrow hardware might be right up your alley. At Rodarte, NARS makeup artist, James Kaliardos created faux piercings adhered onto the models’ eyebrows with glue. These tiny silver rings encompassed the length of the entire brow for real shock value. This grungy-meets-cool girl look proved not only to be a favorite of fashionistas but åthe models themselves had a lot of fun with them, taking tons of selfies.

—Janine Silver

Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Spring 2015 Beauty Tip: Girls Just Want to Have Fun

September 14, 2014 by admin Leave a Comment

While Fashion Reverie has reported that many designers decided to go the natural route this fashion week, when it came to beauty, not everyone was on board. Luckily for makeup and hair enthusiasts everywhere, some designers/makeup artists just wanna have fun. Now it’s true, we love a beautiful fresh-faced glow, but there’s nothing like a little runway glam to set a makeup junkie’s heart aflutter.

On the runway and backstage at Georgine spring 2015 show

A great way to add just a little luxury is by focusing on one element, and adding a ton of volume. At Georgine, MAC makeup artist Gordon Espinet created a look inspired by a woman on a luxurious yacht vacation in the Mediterranean Sea. To keep that element of easy elegance, Espinet keeps the skin fresh with just a touch of bronzer on the cheeks for dimension. The key factor; those sultry smoky eyes are created with pencils and MAC pro eye gloss in a Bordeaux color. Espinet dabs MAC Lip Erase on the lips to get rid of the natural color and then adds a little highlight with Instant Gold lip gloss to keep the focus on the textures. Hair was placed either up in metallic headscarves that really accented the eyes or gave a 70’s Bianca Jaggar South of France voluminous style. Rick Pipino for Alterna created the look perfect for a trip to St Tropez, with barrel curls that had been brushed out and sprayed with Alterna Haircare Caviar Perfect Texture Finishing Spray and a little dry shampoo for added oomph. With sensual smoky eyes and glam 70’s style hair, Georgine’s models were transported from their opulent seaside trip to the runways of New York.

Backstage at Betsey Johnson Spring 2015. Images courtesy of Bennet Cobliner

Betsey Johnson, who’s show is as much about entertainment as it is fashion, always ups the ante with gorgeous can’t be tamed beauty styles. Her modern day Marilyns were ready to say “I Do” but not without a prenup! Rafe Hardy, artistic director of Sexy Hair, was elated to create fashion forward hair inspired by a messy modern version of Marilyn Monroe. To create this faux bob on longer haired girls, Hardy braided the hair underneath and pinned it under the nape of the neck. Using Sexy Hair products and a curling iron, the rest of the hair is curled, then lifted up and strategically pinned into the braid “We want it to be trendy, modern and accessible to the every day client. A teenager can wear her hair curly on a Friday night and wake up on a Saturday if she has to go to work, all she has to do is pin it up,” Hardy explains. “Were giving it direction but not perfection!” The look even worked well on a few drag queens who Johnson cast for her trip down the aisle!

—Janine Silver

For NYFW Less Is More: Minimize the Items in your Purse

September 1, 2014 by admin Leave a Comment

Image courtesy of usamagazine.com

Somewhere around your mid-teens, just about every young lady starts to realize the correlation between the size of her purse and the amount of stuff she can’t get through her day without. If you carry a small purse somehow you can manage to get by with just the essentials; however, once you switch over to a larger purse, the amount of essentials seems to grow drastically. When it comes to your workbag, no matter how big it is, it’s never big enough.

Fashion Reverie has rounded up some great space saving products to help you minimize your load no matter if your day is spent in an office or if you’re getting ready for the glamorous chaos that is New York Fashion Week!

Image courtesy of Votre Vu

Votre Vu’s Bébé Duette Luxe Lip & Hands is a great two-in-one product for the girl on the go. This rich moisturizing hand cream has a secret; a hidden pink-tinted lip balm in the lid. It even has a little mirror making it great for everyday! (Going on a trip? Airplanes tend to dry out your skin, this hand lip combo is the perfect solution and can easily be stashed in your purse or carry on!)

Image courtesy of Mally

If you need a little touch up throughout the day—everyone needs to ready for their close-up during NYFW—but don’t feel like lugging around your entire makeup kit, Mally’s Everycolor Shadow Stick in Taupe might be your new best friend. Simply swipe a little on your eyelids for instant polish. It couldn’t be easier to feel put together and the soft slightly iridescent color looks great on everybody!

Image courtesy of beauty411.net

Last but not least, you need a little color, L’Oréal Paris’ Visible Lift Blur Blush with opti-blur technology give you a “just kissed glow.” It’s not just a blush in a tube though, it actually helps revive your skin, banishing dullness! You’ll love how naturally radiant you feel (and the soft powder- ike texture will help you forget you’re wearing it!)

—by Janine Silver

NYFW Beauty Tip: Get Better Skin in Time for Fashion Week

August 28, 2014 by admin Leave a Comment

It’s almost time for New York Fashion Week (NYFW), which means fashion editors, buyers, stylists and all other industry professionals have probably spent a little time picking out a few great outfits, buying another pair of statement making shoes, scheduling an appointment with their colorist/hairstylist/manicurist. Good choice your think; but what about your skin?

Over time your skin loses the ability to create collagen. If your skin could use a little pick me up, you could run out and get a shot of Botox, but with all the new technology, there are plenty of other options (sans needles).

Image courtesy of agoda.com

The Sixty Hotel (formerly known as the Thompson Hotel) offers an instant, easy and most importantly, non-evasive fix. Let us introduce to you the DEP device, originally designed to help treat chemo patients when they couldn’t use needles, this machine reverses your skin’s polarity, opening up the water channels and delivering a personalized treatment with collagen going straight to the dermis. It does this by using a low current rather than injection that provides your skin with an instant boost.

Diana Seo, who owns B+B Skin Lab, explains that you’ll fell a tingling sensation. “It’s the best facial you’ll ever get,” says Seo, who got her start working with a plastic surgeon and developed a healthy obsession with skincare. Her facials along with the DEP device can help lighten skin to create a more even tone as well as tighten and regenerate new skin cells. Each treatment comes with a peel and a 7-layer mask created specifically for each client from a range of 80 different ingredients including a dose of FDA–approved collagen.

Image courtesy of bspaslon.com

During a treatment, Seo preps the skin, cleanses it and then applies a peel to open pores. She claims the older method of extractions (which is currently banned in France) may damage blood vessels and capillaries. In fact, these specialized facials can fix the problems caused by extractions during regular facials! Since they are customized they can help soothe any skin problems you might have, from an oily t-zone or sun damage, to the effects of Rosacea!

$350 gets you one customized treatment consisting of a peel, mask, and DEP collagen facial. Or purchase a package of 6 (to be used consecutively, one a week, for a month and a half) for even better results. A package of 6 will only cost you $1200! So throw away all your old preconceived notions and try a new alternative for healthy, glowing, younger looking skin!

For more information on B+B Skin Lab, check out the Sixty Hotel. Or log onto www.bspabar.com to learn about their other locations and services.

—Janine Silver

Beauty Tip: Lip Glosses that Transition from Summer to Fall

August 19, 2014 by admin Leave a Comment

Image courtesy of L’Oreal

Transitioning from summer to fall can sometimes be a little tricky. Some days it still feels warm, but then the temperature drops all the way down after sunset … and other times it’s chilly all day long! However, changing seasons is no reason to give up your easy summer beauty routine. Even in the cooler months a swipe of lipgloss can be the perfect addition to your favorite jackets and boots.

Here are Fashion Reverie’s favorite lipglosses that work well in a variety of seasons.

Images clockwise CK High Shine Gloss, L’Oreal’s Glossy Balm, and Nars’ Tasmania

For warm autumn days, try bright, lighter colors to complement the last of your summer wardrobe. A bright pink feels fun and flirtatious and while it’s certainly a summer staple, there’s no need to toss it out just yet. CK One’s High Shine Gloss in Sun Kissed is a great tropical color to help extend what’s left of those sun-drenched days. A pale pink such as Nars’ Tasmania feels soft and feminine and pairs equally well with sundresses as it does with jeans. L’Oreal’s Glossy Balm in Innocent Coral will leave your lips feeling soft and smooth and the hint of color adds a nice pinkish-coral to your lips.

Votre Vu’s Lip Lustre Image courtesy of Votre Vu

For a more natural look, Votre Vu’s Lip Lustre in Demure is a slightly more opalescent take on your traditional clear gloss. With Votre Vu’s Lip Lustre in Demure barely there iridescent shine, this gloss can easily transition into the next season.

Images clockwise, tarte Lip Surgence, Pur Minerals Lip Gloss, Lorac’s Lip Lustre Gloss

Play up leathers and suedes on those brisk fall nights with neutrals and darker colors with a hint of shine. Try Pür Minerals Lip Gloss in Scandalous for just a hint of rustic red and a whole lot of sparkle. Don’t be intimidated by the dark color in the tube, the gloss wears on the sheerer side, but still packs a punch. You’re sure to elicit at least a little jealousy from your friends in tarte’s Lip Surgence in Envy. This berry mauve is great for fall and the high shine feels oh so glamorous! For a little more intensity, Lorac’s Lip Lustre Gloss in Ruby Luster will leave you with a seductive dark red pout.

—Janine Silver

Skin Inc’s Skin Identity Check Creates a New Online System for Luxury Skin Innovation and Customization

August 15, 2014 by admin 4 Comments

As technology evolves, so does the life of luxury. It’s exciting to explore the most digitally effective ways to handle our everyday, from the daily grind to vacation time. What if decoding your own skin condition and creating your own customized serums could be done at the touch of a button? Skin Inc has developed a new technology that customizes your skincare in an interactive online study that is actually easy, made fun and even educational.

Skin Inc’s My Daily Dose^TM is a range of serums available on iloveskininc.us. A range of nine supplements all packaged in caviar-inspired encapsulated serums include Vitamin A, COQ10, collagen, even licorice, just to name a few. Each My Daily Dose^TM is prioritized to your skin’s condition by utilizing Skin Inc’s online tool, a digital survey of color-coded skin evaluations that customize your own personal skin diagnosis.

Originating from Japan, all Skin Inc products contain no sscent and parabens. In addition to the serums, Skin Inc carries a range of products that brilliantly deliver fast results in less than one week from their Pure Prodew Foam Cleanser ($45; 100 ml), Pure Revival Peels ($55, 60 ml) to the Deepsea Hydrating Masks ($145; 100 ml and $75; 50 ml).

Dr. Shekhar Mitra, co-developer of the Skin Identity says, “given that a person’s lifestyle, which includes exercise and diet habits, stress levels, smoking patterns, affects up to 80 percent of skin aging, the new diagnostic Skin Identity tool places a greater focus on understanding these elements.”

Images courtesy of Skin, Inc.

Now available online in the US and some Sephora locations Skin Inc is derma innovation that actually works. My Daily Dose^TM makes everyday life more efficient and in a travel size with great packaging; shopping online for luxury skincare just acquired more signature style.

—Kelly Mills

Beauty Tip: The Best Eyeliners to Pack for Your End of Summer Adventures

August 12, 2014 by admin Leave a Comment

Say goodbye to those crazy raccoon eyes. We hate our eye makeup dripping down our face just as much as you do. Keep your liner in place with a waterproof option fit to last a day at the shore. While fall is slowly creeping up, there’s still plenty of time for an August escape. Take advantage of the last warm days of summer on an island oasis or in the comfort of your own backyard. No matter what you have planned, there’s one thing we’re sure you don’t want to spend time doing and that’s constantly reapplying your makeup! Fashion Reverie has rounded up the best eyeliners for a day in the water or a night on the town!

Image courtesy of designsnext.com

NYC Waterproof Eyeliner pencil is a great affordable option, the pencil goes on smoothly and comes in an array of colors from Mink to Moody Blue. The eyeliner is sure to last, just don’t rub your eyes. While they do great in the water, the pencils can easily smudge.

Votre Vu Le Joli Crayon Smudge & Set Soft Eye Liner images courtesy of Votre Vu

Votre Vu Le Joli Crayon Smudge & Set Soft Eye Liner uses anti-aging fruit extracts and vitamin E to keep your eyelids nourished and protected. While you may not have considered eyeliner as an anti-aging tool (we sure didn’t), it couldn’t hurt. Plus with rich mineral pigments which last a day on the high seas or in the pool, this is one product that should earn a spot in your makeup bag.

Image courtesy of NARS

Why not try a pot of eyeliner? A little pot of color applied with a thin brush is ideal for any situation. By changing the pressure you can easily go from a casual day look to a more intense, after-hours feel. Slightly easier to master than liquid liner, these will soon be your new favorite product. tarte’s limited edition Amazonian clay dual liner in black and bronze goes on so smooth and with two colors, one little pot is all you need. Another great liner is Nars’ Eye Paint in Baalbek. The high pigmented bronze color has almost a black/brown feel and an olive base tone. The mixture of colors paired with the quick drying gel make it an easy and perfect way to dress up your vacation pictures.

Images of amethyst/blackberry and diamond/blackink eyeliner courtesy of Lorac

Looking for a great option for after-hours? Fashion Reverie loves Lorac’s 3D Luster/Liner! While we wouldn’t recommend jumping in the pool after applying this, the 2-in-1 product proves to be a ton of fun for a night out. Each comes with one dark color and one sparkly accent. Wear them alone of pair them together by lining your eye first with the solid color and then making a thin line of the sparkly color on top. Or try our favorite cat eye which consists of a dark line winged out on the top and then an accent of sparkle on the bottom lash line, created by mirroring the top winged out line on the bottom!

-Janine Silver