Monday Workday Beauty

Happy Monday ladies!

It's another work week and though I'm feeling a bit under the weather, I thought a nice pop of red would just brighten things up. Most of you might know that I love reds especially when it comes to beauty. Not only does it give you that perfect pop of colour but it gives people the impression that you're a powerful and sophisticated chick.

If you're not really into reds and prefer to express a more playful side of yours then tangerine orange is your best bet. This colour of the year is just as trendy as it could get and if you're wondering how to incorporate it into your wardrobe, a lipstick or a nailpolish is a good way to start.

image via

French Manicure - Tips and Tricks

We all know how difficult it is to do your own french manicure. Getting those white lines straight is too much of a task. Lets face it, not all of us are gifted with a steady hands. So let me share with you some tips and tricks in doing your own french manicure.

You'll need:

• Top coat
• Base coat
• White nail polish
  
• Natural nail polish (I used Orly's bare rose)
• Pure acetone
• Small rounded brush
• Tissue or small towel
  

French Manicure - Tips and Tricks:

1. Apply the base coat on the tips of your nails, covering only 1/4 of your nail.
2. Do the same when you apply the while nail polish. I suggest you do two coats for a more
opaque look.
3. Dip your small round brush on a pure acetone and tap the access on a tissue or small towel.
4. While holding the brush, rest the edge of your hand onto your hand where you are doing your
nails.
5. Slowly maneuver the brush to remove the excess white nail polish, creating a straight line.
6. Do this several times until you're satisfied with the lines you've created.
7. Apply a top coat of your choice.

Obsession: Red Nail Polishes

Most of you would probably know that I'm currently in my hometown for a short vacation. That's the reason why I haven't posted as much but I'm excited to share a lot of things to you once I manage to transfer my photos into my laptop.

Moving along, do you ladies know that I have a subtle obsession with red nail polishes? Apparently Aliza Licht of Donna Karan International shares the same obsession as me. Red is indeed a power colour and looks perfect on pale skin. But I'm not really into blue toned reds. I find that it doesn't look good on me as compared to brown toned reds. For a while I've been using OPI Marooned on the Magnificent Mile. But I think I've grown out of it and wanted to try other shades. If you have any suggestions, let me know!


image via

Travel Makeup Kit

I'm flying back to Manila, my hometown, tomorrow for a short vacation. I haven't been home for over a year so I'm pretty excited to see how everything has changed. I wonder if the traffic is still that bad or if there's any new local retailers. Aside from that, I'm also looking forward to see my friends and family. We'd usually have a nice quiet dinner, go out of town and just enjoy each others company.

While I haven't packed most of my stuff, I thought I'd share with you some of the makeups I'd bring along during my visit. I probably miss out some of the things here but you get the idea.

Face and Cheeks


The Face Shop peach blush MAC margin Bobby brown pot rouge in powder pink MAC mineralize skin finish in soft and gentle MAC studio fix concealer


Eyes

Elizabeth Arden Christmas 2010 palette
Shu Uemura eyeshadows in brown, grey and purple


Lips

MAC cremesheen lip gloss in luster richer, MAC fast play, MAC creme cup Chanel rouge allure in discrete


Brushes


MAC essential kit holiday 2011 brush set

{10 Day of Christmas} Wish List 2011

Kate Spade navy pumps, $2,720
Anya Hindmarch gold handbag, $635
ASOS oversized clutch, $82
MICHAEL Michael Kors chronograph watch, $250
Yves Saint Laurent glass jewelry, $250
Chanel drop earrings, £1,155
Nars 'Night Series' Eyeshadow Palette, $55
Essie nail polish - fifth avenue, $8

{4 Day of Christmas} DIY Beauty Gift Ideas

{Cold season bubble bath}

you need: 6 drops of eucalyptus oil, 3 drops of spearmint oil, 3 drops of peppermint oil, 1 quart of distilled water, 1 bar of castille soap, 4 ounces liquid glycerin. instruction: mix the water, soap and glycerin together and stir. Now add your essential oils to the mixture.

{Sweet tea with lemon sugar scrub}

you need: 1 2/3 cup fine sugar, 1/2 cup almond oil, 1 large tea bag, 1 lemon zest, 5 drops of lemon essential oil, 1 pint mason jar with lid. instructions: pour almond oil in the mason jar and place large tea bag down in oil. Allow to sit in the sun for 45 minutes to an hour. Remove tea bag and add remaining ingredients to jar. Stir together. Seal and tie with a ribbon.

{Pink bath salt}

you need: jar, mineral or sea salt, essential oil, pink food colouring and fabric. instructions: pour enough salt to fill the jar and add a few drops of essential oil. if you like your salt to have a colouring, add a few drops of food colouring into the fabric and stir onto the salt mix.

image via

Bold Lips For Fall and Winter

Whenever fall and winter hits, I always like to wear plums, berries and burgundy shades of lip colour. Though it can be a bit tricky to wear these, it can look absolutely stunning when done properly. For my fair skin tone, I try to go for colours with brown undertones as it compliment my skin well. But if you're looking for shades you can try, MAC has a lot of good selections. Here are my favorites.

• Hang-up - deep berry
  

• Media - intense reddish purple
  

• Dark Side- deep burgundy

images here

{favourite five: entrepreneur alli webb}

Holiday galas and winter soirées await, and since we already have the glittery heels, shimmery makeup, satin manicures, and sequined party dresses, all that's left to worry about is the hair . . .



. . . but if you happen to live in one of the 12 cities with a Drybar, then chances are you needn't worry. Drybar is a blow dry hair salon created around a very simple concept: they only do blowouts, and what glamorously chic and perfectly-polished blowouts they are! Whether you opt for the straight and sleek Manhattan or the fun and curly Cosmopolitan, Drybar offers a menu of hairstyles for any occasion.



Alli Webb, founder of the ultra-stylish salons, began her career in the fashion industry working with designer Nicole Miller, as well as in public relations, working with clients such as Faith Hill and Paul McCartney. After a few years, she followed her heart and decided to pursue her true passion: hair styling. Alli trained under the expert instruction of Toni&Guy and spent several years honing her skills working for the renowned John Sahag.



Recently, we sat down with Alli to hear more about how she came up with the idea for Drybar, and found out that it all began as a result of realizing what she needed, personally, as there were no good choices in the marketplace for blowouts. She also noticed that there was no pretty, fun place to go without feeling guilty for spending so much money on a blow dry every week.



So, teaming up with her husband and her brother, she set out to create that ideal place, a place many are calling "girl heaven", complete with flat screens playing sweet, feel-good movies, hors d'oeuvres, and cozy, chic white interiors, and all at a perfect price.



And having personally visited three different Drybar locations, in New York City, California and Texas, can attest that it truly is an escape, an oasis in the middle of the chaos of the big city -- with one of the best parts being that you can be completely relaxed knowing that you will get consistently perfect results every time . . .



This week, we are excited to share a special double installment of {favourite five}, where we asked Alli, her:

......................................................................................................

{five favourite pieces of advice for running a business:}

1. I saw what was missing in the market -- if you really, wholeheartedly believe in an idea that doesn't exist, then follow your heart! There are so many great ideas yet to be discovered, and execution can be tremendously difficult, but you could be sitting on the next great idea.

2. Have people around you to support you and that you can trust with your idea.

3. Be open to constructive criticism -- be able to hear the good and the bad; at Drybar, we send an email to each client after their blowout, and sometimes people tell us the good and the bad. A lot of business owners might get defensive, but you have to remember that you don't have same the perspective as the client, so I take feedback very seriously, and want to hear if there is something wrong.

4. Take a step back, slow down, and make sure you have all your systems in place and that you have thought through the execution of your idea. Don't run too fast into something that you aren't ready for.

5. Recognize things you are good at, and things you are not. We need people to help us grow our company. You have to know what your needs are.

......................................................................................................

And also, [because we just had to know] Alli's . . .

{top five favourite hair styling products she can't live without:}

1. Morrocan Oil Hydrating Styling Creme
It's fantastic. I colour my hair so it often gets dry and this product is great for hydrating it.

2. Morrocan Oil Luminous Hair Spray, Flexible Hold
I'm not a big hair spray person, but I love the smell of this product! Better yet, it tames fly-aways and won't make hair look like "helmet head". I love that you can still brush through hair when using this hairspray.

3. L'Oréal Pomade
This is a great light pomade for a piece-y, messy and beach-y look like DryBar's "Mai Tai".

4. TIGI Catwalk Transforming Dry Shampoo by Toni&Guy
I use this product like crazy! It is a great blow dry extender.

5. Morrocan Oil Gold Glimmer Shine
This light, airy spray gives great shine that lasts.

......................................................................................................

~ laily


p r e v i o u s f a v o u r i t e f i v e s :

* food editor & author : donna hay
* photographer : debi treloar
* painter : janet hill
* jewelry designer : suzie gallehugh
* artist: michelle armas
* jewelry designers : megan & moira flynn
* actress & writer : shiva rose
* jeweler : camille eddera
* artist: kimia kline
* actress & fashion muse : chloë sevigny
* floral stylist, part 1 : denise porcaro
* floral stylist, part 2 : denise porcaro
* fashion photographer & illustrator : garance doré
* interior designer & architect : nina freudenberger
* entrepreneurs : rent the runway
* designer : rachel ashwell
* interior designer : tricia foley
* photographer : romina shama
* jewelry designer : cc skye
* designer & ceramicist: reiko kaneko
* perfumer : anne mcclain
* model, author & designer : india hicks
* interior designer : kelly wearstler
* fashion designer : tory burch
* designer & stylist : linda rodin

......................................................................................................

{images : makeup via manhattan luxury // rosie huntington-whiteley for victoria's secret // chandelier & flower via charley star // all other images via the drybar website}

{Beauty} Olive Oil Scrub

Most of us tend to be afraid of oil base scrubs, but you shouldn't. This one leaves your skin feeling soft, moisturized, and clean. You can use this on your face, but it is best to avoid doing so in the winter. A gentler exfoliant would do just fine. If you do use this scrub on your face, rub very carefully and avoid delicate dry spots, as it can be too harsh on sensitive winter skin. Follow with a thick moisturizer.


image by wit + delight

Shear Bliss

There's just something sexy about wearing light and shear garments during the winter.
That beauty exuding sensuality and vulnerability is just alluring.

image via tumblr

{favourite five: designer & stylist linda rodin}

It's true: the fountain of youth does exist and it is overflowing with Olio Lusso . . .



[as always, more after the jump] x

CONTINUE ---------------------------------->

{Beauty} Why Not?

image via the beauty department

{at the shops: tom ford nail lacquer}

{glamour via the glitter guide}

{Beauty} Hair Trend To Replace The Ombre

Last year's ombre has taken the beauty world by storm, and for the most part, I'm not a fan of it. Gladly it was replaced by these trendy yet wearable hair colours that I'm absolutely lovin.

{Overall chestnut brown}
Anyone can easily pull this off especially if you naturally have dark hair. Even unless you're having an Ashley Simpson moment then I'd say you're one brave gal!

{Golden Highlights}
Now, I'm really diggin this. Colder months tend to bring out the pastry in me and
though I have a light hair colour, I'm considering some highlights to change it.
It's so fall season right?

image via pinterest

{Beauty} A Shade of Red

Red lips has a way of making a woman look sexy, alluring and mysterious. Any woman who wears it get an instant boost of confidence and makes her feel like she can conquer the world.

But in Alyson Fox's latest project she captures the intimate side of women. Wearing the same lip colour, Certainly Red from Revlon, she compiled it in her book called A Shade of Red. Here is a sneak peak.








image by A Shade of Red via refinery29.

Fall Trend Round Up

I've been loving a lot of fall trends lately and if you'd notice it has been predominant on my site. In a way it allows me to take a break from all the bright and fancy colours and just embrace a more dark and neutral feel of the season, if that makes any sense.

Leopards is definitely my favorite but the shops here are so unforgiving. I've been on a hunt for that perfect leopard clutch and it kills me because I still couldn't find a decent one. But I'm positive that I'll find one soon.

How about you? Do you already have a favorite trend for fall? Let me know. But for those of you who still doesn't have an idea which pieces to get then this post is for you. Here is my fall trending round up.

• Work Wear - Neutral clutch with gold accents
• Trend - Fall wardrobe essentials
• Fashion - Mixed prints
• Nails -Neutral and dark nail polish
• Beauty - Autumn rust

image by stockholm-streetstyle

{Beauty} Autumn Rust

Do it with a mix of nudes, browns and orange

image via the beauty department

{Beauty} Hair Braid Trend

image via beautylish

{Beauty} Bun It Up

Having a bad hair day? Why not bun your hair up? It's definitely chic for this Monday work day.





image via smileyfacecupcakes

{Beauty} Hair Mask

I've had problems with my dry hair for quite sometime now. Ever since I started coloring it, it becomes unmanageable. The funny thing is I didn't bother doing anything about it. As much as I'm concern with the way I look, hair care isn't really one of my thing; until I saw pictures of me with my friends and notice how ugly it is. That's the time I knew I have to do something.



So yesterday I went on a major hair care shopping spree, from shampoo, conditioner to hair treatment. I'm telling you, it's not cheap, beauty does has it's price. But if you're the type who doesn't want to spend so much money on treatments then I suggest you try this Banana Avocado Hair Mask. It doesn't sound appetizing but it's meant to give your hair that gorgeous look. Perfect for those who have dry hair.





D.I.Y Banana Avocado Hair Mask

Ingredients

• 1 medium banana
• 1 egg
• 1/2 avocado
• 2 Tbsp honey
• 3 Tbsp buttermilk
• 3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Directions

1. Mash banana, egg and avocado in a small bowl.
2. Add remaining ingredients and stir until well combined.
3. Apply to hair from roots to tips.
4. Leave in for 30 minutes and then wash out with a moisturizing shampoo.
5. Double the recipe for long hair.
6. Use twice a month to maintain healthy hair.

image via weheartit, recipe by sheknows