Styled by B+B

This piece must be prefaced with a huge MERCI to the wonderful model and great sport in these photos: my brother <3  Richard was a huge help by allowing me to dress him up, fuss with his hair, even add a touch of contouring bronzer!  What a champ- I love this kid <3  Merci, mon frère préféré hehe

For these looks, it is no surprise that I was inspired by European fashion.  My biggest source of inspiration was not the latest Resort 2013 shows and their audiences, but rather the crowds that I saw when I went to the Summer Fancy Food Show 2012 in Washington, D.C. on Tuesday and saw the outfits being worn by exhibitors, vendors, and perusers alike found in the European aisles.  To narrow it down a bit further, I was intrigued most by the France and Italy aisles.  They had that sleek, modern, but comfortable look that I adore.  There is a small exception in this series, though, because one of the looks was actually inspired by the Valentino Men's Collection that I reviewed yesterday.  On such a hot summer day, I did not make him wear the coat in the Valentino look for long, so there aren't as many pictures of it.  All in all, Richard is a champ and I really appreciate him helping model these looks for me <3

 

First look:

Look 1 is inspired by parisian street style <3  The scarf is actually mine from my visit to Paris a few years ago- the light blue and white are so bright that it is perfect for summer!

Shirt: Royal Blue Classic V-Neck from H&M  ~  Jeans: Low Loose Fit from American Eagle  ~  Shoes: Black Oxfords by Nunn Bush  ~  Scarf: sky blue and white houndstooth from a street market in Paris <3

Sunglasses: silver aviators from H&M

Second Look:

This look was more inspired by the italian aisle of the SFFS12, but it also has a bit of a Marc Jacobs feel to it with the wide, knee-length, plaid shorts (the wide leg making them look kilt-esque!).  A casual white button down is great for guys in the summer because it looks and feels light.  The black and white plaid shorts, black sleek shoes, and white and gold aviators add classy touches and an elegant summer cool.  I also swapped out the aviators for a pair of horn-rimmed glasses, which change the feel of the outfit.  With the horn rimmed glasses, the look is less Marc Jacobs and more business casual.

Shirt: white cotton button-down from H&M  ~  Shorts: white on black plaid  ~  Shoes: (same)  ~  Sunglasses: gold and white aviators from Urban Outfitters  ~  Glasses: horn rimmed glasses from Target

Obviously, I am all about this fabulous jumping pose <3  Perfect to showcase the whole look!

Third Look:

This look was most certainly inspired by Valentino's Men's Collection for Spring/Summer 2013!  Played up this camo jacket by layering it over the white button down and switching the plaid shorts for these khaki ones.  Of course, I kept the slick oxfords!  Did we achieve the Valentino SS13 look?  :)

Shirt: white button-down from H&M  ~  Shorts: khaki knee-length  ~  Same Oxfords  ~  Same UO Aviators and Target Glasses  ~  Jacket: vintage Army Medic jacket from Good Will

Fourth Look: 

This look was inspired by italian street style.  The tucked in button-down, slick accessories, light hues, and then pop of color with the looped scarf would make any guy appear put together without sacrificing comfort - especially considering this warmer weather!  If it continues to be this hot, feel free to ditch the scarf haha

Shirt: blue button-down "Oxford Vintage Fit" from American Eagle Outfitters  ~  Shorts: khaki knee-length  ~  Same Oxfords  ~  Sunglasses: same silver H&M aviators  ~  Scarf: colorful striped scarf in a european loop from a street market in Morocco

 Fifth Look:

This look is a very casual, but very french look.  While most french would not wear a 'Moulin Rouge' T-shirt, that is just for a little dramatic emphasis to help with the look ;)  But the soft black T, clean khaki bottoms, and [a common tool throughout these looks] slick accessories give the effortless yet polished look that the french seem to achieve on a regular basis.

Shirt: 'Moulin Rouge' T-shirt from a street vendor in Paris, FR  ~  Shorts: khaki knee-lengths  ~  Same Oxfords  ~  Same Target horn rimmed glasses  ~  Same classy, good sport of a brother <3

I cannot thank Richard enough for being such a good sport and such a fantastic model for this photoshoot!  Let me know what you think of the looks (or if you enjoy my goofy brother as a model? haha) and any other responses or questions by clicking on the 'Comments' pencil below and posting in the white comments box!

Merci et bonne journée <3

Styled by yours truly ;)

B+B

Winged Eyeliner

 Recently, I had the extra time (and extra sleep!) to be able to do this look: the winged eyeliner.
For this look, I used the BH Cosmetics gel liner in Onyx, and N-Y-C pencil liner, and a little Rimmel Mascara.
After doing my foundation/coverup routine (to achieve a slightly dewy look, while controlling the shine), I applied the gel liner with a liner brush, starting with a narrow line at the inner corner and gradually thickening towards the outermost corner of the eye.  Next, I use the liner brush to make a small line making about a 120degree angle away from the nose and on the horizontal line of the eyes.  I then connected the tip of that small line to the center of the top lashline and filled in any open space within the triangle.  Once the gel line was complete (touchup with a moist Q-tip or moist wipe/tissue folded to a sharp point) I used the black N-Y-C pencil liner to trace along the waterline of the lower lashes- all the way to the innermost corner of the eye.  And last, with the mascara, I applied one coat to the top lashes and a gently pressed the bristles of the mascara wand to the base of the outermost lashes on the bottom lashline.  Of course, after I was done applying makeup, I touched up any areas around the eye where things might have smudged, made sure my foundation was still in tact, and applied chapstick.  And voilà: my best winged eyeliner yet!




If you would like to see a video tutorial for this look, or have anything to say/questions to ask in response, please share it in the comments section below.
Thanks!


Bisoux <3



**because the makeup is so glam, I decided to do fun hair as well: a sleek ballet bun on the top of my head fastened with bobby pins and flyaways kept in place via my eyebrow brush and a teensy weensy spritz of hairspray ;) **

How To Handle The August Rush

For many of us, August is a scramble to get all that one can out of the last few weeks of vacation, the starting of a new school year, stocking up for fall fashion, the end of all that summer sun, digging out that bag of no-goods for you fall yard sale, or one of the many other grand tasks that can make life seem that much more hectic.  And, to top it all of, it's as humid as the God above could make it.
So, while you're busy in that hot, heavy August air that seems to weigh you down and keep you indoors, here are some things to remember:

• Pack only the essentials in your purse!  No one wants to lug around a sack of bricks.  All the better to accumulate some nasty underarm stains, my dear.
• A packet of tissues and face wipes (such as Ponds) are perfect and easy to carry with you to tackle the worst of your smudge and fudge make-up drama
• Keep a hair tie and boby pins handy, just in case your hair can't stand up against the level of humidity.  If you know their may be some level of endurance put to the test (even doing your groceries on foot counts in this weather!), bring a cute headband or more decorative hair clip to fasten to your pony tail, so that you still look put together but your bangs aren't sticking to your face...because that's not cute
• Don't forget to drink los of water!  Even with all that moisture in the air, it's hot and heavy and making your own body cool itself off by means of perspiration.  Sooo, replenish what you're body is releasing and drink up! (drink up your H2O, that is)  When you stay hydrated, your body feels much better and stepping outside won't seem like such a crazy idea.

Hope these tips help!  Tell me: how else do you handle the August heat?

Tips Before You Tweeze

1. Before anything else, wash your hands and make sure you are using clean tweezers!
2. Use a gentle face wash around the eyebrow area before (to remove excess oils n the face) and after (to keep newly exposed pores/follicles clean and clear) tweezing.
3. Mark the shape/area that you want to tweeze with a white, chalky make-up pencil.
4. Avoid tweezing the topside of your eyebrow (aside from a single hair that may grow from much higher than the rest), but rather use that shape and natural curve to tweeze the underside.
5. Tweeze hairs one at a time to avoid accidentally removing too many and being left with an awkward bare patch.
6. Do not tweeze too close to the mirror!  You ar more likely to overpluck and, because you are focused so cloely on a single brow, are also very ikely to pluck two different shapes.  This will only cause you to have to stress about evening and how you will cover up your mistakes- so take a step back!
7. Having trouble getting rid of some of those smaler hairs?  Try dipping the tips of your tweezers in baby powder or your mineral make-up powder o provide a stronger grip.
8. It's silly to have to say this, but there are some people who don't know that you should never try to shave or use a razor to "remodel" the shape of your eyebrows or if you are a first time tweezer and have a lot of work to do.
9. After tweezing, if the eyebrow area is red or irritated, rest a cold compress, cucumber slices, or chilled green tea bags on he irritated area(s) to soothe and reduce irritation.