Christian Dior started this 1940s Hairstyle Revival, and I love every retro inch of it. They key to this look is starting with soft smooth hair as your base- the rest is a cinch.

Do: 

1. Freshly wash hair and blow dry. If you have wild hair, like mine, apply smoothing cream before blow dry.

2. Part your hair on the far left or right (whichever you prefer) This hairstyle is meant to have a severe side part like, plus side parts make the nose look more delicate.

3. Begin by heating your curling iron and creating barrel sized curls that roll sideways on the head. Clip each roll with a duck bill clip or bobby pins.  (Like giant hotdogs with  the ends facing the mirror in front of you. )

4. Spray with hairspray and let set for about ten minutes.

5. Remove clips or bobby pins and brush out curls gently.

6. Apply a bit of shine creme to your hair with your fingertips.

Note: the Trick to that glam side swept wave at the top of the forehead, is to really get a solid curl pinned up. When it relaxes it creates that rich roll.

One of the prominent trends on the runway this Spring was this soft, boho French braid. It’s feminine,can be worn on a variety of hair textures/curls and…it’s super easy.

How To: 

 1.  Loosely spray your hair with hair spray for volume and stay-power.

2. Finger part at the far side of the head.

3. Gather your (unbrushed) hair at the nape of your neck, and pull hair to the front

4. Divide hair into 3 uneven sections. Braid and secure with small elastic.

Do: 

-keep the braid swept to the side. The side sweep keeps the look modern and relaxed.

-Pair  the braid with modern or menswear inspired pieces. To avoid looking like Laura Ingalls Wilder, choose an outfit that has a contemporary cut. Blazers, shrunken jackets, wide leg trousers, suspenders, vests and the like.

- Have fun with a Fedora. this braid will look great with a variety of hats.

Don’t: 

-make the braid too perfect. It’s messy, and supposed to be that way.

…continued from part 1

C.  Eyebrow tinting/lightening.

note: Eyebrows are generally 1-2 shades darker than ones natural hair color, so be observant when coloring your hair to stay within those parameters so as not to look too artificial.

1. Lightening your brows can lighten the look of your face. To get a rough idea of how bleaching will look, take a light brown or taupe eyeshadow and rub it on your brows.

2. Darkening your brows can definitely add more definition to your face and eyes. to get a rough idea of how tinting them will look, gently sweep your mascara wand across the brow out towards the ear. Apply more if you want them darker. (this can also be a quick daily fix to enhancing your brows without the risk of chemicals near your eyes.)

Because of the potential damage to your vision, always have your eyebrows tinted/lightened by a professional.

D.  Filling in your brows.
If your brows are sparse or spotty and you want to fill them in, there are several ways to do it.

1. take an angled eyeshadow brush and press just a bit of eye shadow to the brow. (medium or dark brown for brunettes. Taupe for blondes or redheads. Charcoal for silver or gray hair). Follow the direction of the brow and extend the brushed-on shadow to the edge of the eye.

2. Pat a tissue on top to blot up any excess.

note: If your brows are really thin, you can pencil them in slightly thicker, but it’s difficult to make this look natural.

3. Take an eye pencil under the brow and follow the brow line out to the edge of the eye. Use a powder sponge to press some powder on top, very gently, to soften the line. then use a brush to lightly fill it in with shadow.

So there you go! Good luck with your brows…. they really can make all the difference to a fresh face

~maresah~

Again to grace the pages of our blog, First Lady Michelle Obama.

Mrs. Obama has a few key elements in her outfits that are always the same, can you spot them?

Mrs. Obama continues to amaze me with stunning sense of style. Graceful, classy, always fitting for the occasion.

Her pieces are simple, flattering to her figure and skin tone. Totally reminiscent of Jackie Kennedy.

More Pics coming soon!

Even if you never touch another cosmetic again, buy a good pair of tweezers and develop the skill to use them. Because no makeup trick on the planet will make you look better than a pair of beautiful brows!!

So How exactly do we achieve these brows you say?

well follow these simple tricks and you’re on your way to much more naturally shaped brows, designed perfectly for YOU!

 Define your parameters. 

1. Look in the mirror, hold a pencil vertically against the highest bone on the side of the nose, and note where it meets the brow. (if you need to, draw a line as a guide.) do this on both sides of the nose. Pluck only in between.

2. To determine the end of your eyebrow, extend a pencil (or tweezer) diagonally from your nostril, over the outer edge of your eye toward the brow. Where it lands is where your brow should end.

3. Whatever you do, don’t pluck the top of the brow. if you do, it will become fuzzy and then you won’t be able to create or contour an arch.  Although, if your brows are messy on top, have a professional wax them. But make sure to talk to her first about the shape that you want.

note: If you have never plucked your brows before, my advice would be to see a professional the first time because it’s possible that once hair is tweezed, it may never grow back. it’s rare, but in case it happens to you, you’ll want to get it right the first time!

 Plucking your own

some women prefer to moisturize before they pluck; they say it hurts less that way. honestly, I prefer to pluck when my skin is dry because i can be more precise with tweezer. But if that is too painful for you then try putting a dab of Anbesol on the area to numb it, or hold a cold washcloth to the brow for a few seconds before you start.

note: A tweezer with a slanted or pointed tip will grip the best.

1. Always pluck below the brow line, so the hair won’t grow back in a scraggly-looking line, and follow the natural arch of your brow.

2. Use the top of the brow as a guide on how to shape the bottom. Pluck the hairs out toward the ears, in the direction in which they grow. Remove stray hairs, but don’t pluck too much at once.

3. Pluck a few hairs and then stop. Look in the mirror, step back, and see how you’re doing. You can always take out more later, but once you’ve over plucked, you’ll have to live with that thin, artificial line until the hair grows back….if it does.

Part 2 coming soon!

Well, the experts say brown is on the rise for Spring 10. Can’t say I mind, I like brown. Neutral, goes with everything. What’s not to like?

Go cool: 

Makeup artists Matin says cool browns are most flattering: “Warm browns—like orange or brick tinted ones—look beautiful on some girls, but if you don’t have white teeth they can be detrimental to your smile.”

Mauve Tinted Brown:

Instead, makeup artist Gucci Westman says to go for a mauve-tinted brown. “There’s a bluish purple undertone to it,” says the Revlon global artistic director, who applied Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick in Chocolate Velvet on models at Richard Chai’s spring 2010 show. “I always love how it looks, and it works with just about every skin tone.”

_______

Get a fresh tube for Spring- $7.99 at your local drugstore.

Hey all,

We’re doing some market research- you want to help?

Leave a comment with the name of your favorite boutique in your local city that could be a potential retailer for Christa-Taylor fashion.

Particularly those in California, Nevada, Utah, New Mexico, Washington and Oregon.

This will be a huge help!!!

  Always wanted to wear that little vintage hat in the back of your closet? Now is the time to break it out.

This pic, shot on the streets of N.Y shows you how to mix some bold floral patterns without looking like antiquated wallpaper.

(Please excuse the low neckline…cleavage is not part of your ensemble I’m sure

Do: 

-Cement the outfit with some basic black. The black tights here act as the anchor for the prints. She lengthens her legs by wearing shoes in the same color.

-Mix prints, but keep them in the same color family. Pull a color from your dress, using that to go on.

-Go to a thrift-store and practice. Find some prints and mix and match.

-Wear your hair up. Most vintage hats were designed for women wearing their hair 1)very short or 2) up in the back. Do your hair up, but keep it messy (nice and playful).

Don’t: 

-Wear bulky or textured fabrics, particularly for the blouse. When working with prints, adding a massive amount of texture confuses the eye.

-Go overboard on jewelry. Simplicity is key when working with prints. Maybe a pair of pearl studs- but leave it nonchalant.

Any ideas from the Peanut Gallery? Love it, or wish you’d never seen it?

____
Glamorous fashion, with just the right touch of modesty.

I never knew Vintage chic could be this easy! Check out the laidback feel drawn from the peasant skirt. The Ballet flats just keep it “down to earth” and set apart from your normal business causual.

Do:

-Pair and embroidered shirt, or any shirt with texture, with  an floral print skirt for a magpie-chic look.

-Play with colors. Just because the sample is shown wearing earth tones, doesn’t mean you couldn’t do the same with a bright blouse and skirt.

-Layer on a scarf and hat to keep warm.

-Wear flats. Ballet flats, flat boots, anything flat.

-Throw in some jewelry. A cuff, ribbon choker, layered necklaces would all pair well with this look.