Cosmopolitan February 2014

Dress for Every Body Type

Pear Shape - Dresses that are fitted on top and A line on the bottom. Dark pants will slim your lower half. Heels elevate your curves to bombshell level.

Straight Up and Down - peplums create the illusion of a slender waist and curves. A strong shouldered blazer or top does the same by drawing the eye up and out. Avoid dresses without structure unless they are short. Your legs are the best asset, so show them off!

Athletic - bias cut skirts, and tops with wide straps. Soft, fluid fabrics keep strong bodies from looking too masculine. A bias cut dress generally lies flat across the tummy.

Apple - Skirts and dresses with a roomy or flowy lower half, hitting either midthigh or at the shin. They hide tummy, rear-end, and upper thigh issues. Pair with wedges, platforms, or stacked heels to balance out the proportions of your body.

3 New Ways to Use Dry Shampoo

1. Spray it all over for extra volume and body

2. Smooth winter hat dents. Just spray and rub.

3. Disguise root-y highlights. White hued hair powder adds ashiness.

Cosmopolitan April 2014

Late for Work? Getting Ready Quickly

At Home : Prep -

1. Quench skin - your skin’s desperate for a drink - especially if you skimped on sleep, which leaves skin parched

2. Look Alive - rehydrate dry, bloodshot eye with drops before bringing potentially irritating eye makeup anywhere near them.

3. Wake up your face - liquid foundation reverses the look of tired almost instantly. Dot it in the center of your face, and blend outward.

4. Perk up with peach - coral blush masks dullness. Cream formulas melt into foundations and can be dabbed on as you brush your teeth.

5. Work with bedhead - mist hair with texturizing spray, and throw it into a side braid. It looks good in public and sets the scene for a more stylish, work appropriate look later.

At Work: Polish

1. Add dimensions - pay creamy highlighter onto the tops of your cheekbones and lids. It attracts light, hiding dullness and shadow. Bonus - cheekbones look higher without a lot of effort.

2. Keep it simple and smudgy - double ended shadow liners let you create subtle definition with a pencil or shadow filled sponge tip. Finish with mascara.

3. Bring out the balm - busy morning are all about tinted lip balms - they are quick and comforting and require less precision than lipstick.

4. Finish your style - undo the braid, tousle texture with your fingers, and blast roots with dry shampoo for extra volume.

5. Scent yourself - keep a fresh, work - friendly fragrance at your desk for days when perfuming yourself at home is the last thing on your mind.

Cosmopolitan July 2013

$10 Beauty Buys -

Hard Candy Shadow Dancers in Movers and Shakers

Kissing Elixirs

Sephora Ombre Bobby Pin Ups

Voluspa Petite Candle in Bella Sucre

NYC New York Appleicious Lip Balm

MOR Lip Macarons

ELF Complexion Perfection

ME Bath Ice Cream

Hawaiian Tropic After Sun

Splash up  your Summer Routine

“Take A Dip - Stop fantasizing about bright,  dip-dyed hair, and go for it already! Hair chalk makes it easy.

Ocean View - The trendiest way to wear electric blue eyeliner: on lower lashes only and minimal makeup everywhere else.

Fish Tales - The inspiration behind this disheveled fish bone braid

Berry 411

“ Berries make you a brainiac: Antioxidants make neurons fire faster and protect brain cells. But berries can’t help you if they’re fuzzy and gross. To make them last longer...

1.Wait to wash them - water turns berries into mold magnets. Rinse what you’ll eat right before eating them.

2. Toss the Plastic Container - spread out berries so they have room to breathe in a paper towel lined, airtight container.

3. Clean Out Your Fridge - Trash past its prime good [like old cheese and fruit] so it doesn’t pass on mold spores.”

Cosmopolitan August 2013

Rejoice, August 1st, 2013 is  National Girlfriends Day and  August 2nd, 2013 is National Ice Cream Sandwich Day! :)  Let’s meet up on the first for a nice ice creamy girl gab fest! :)

The Perfect Fit Denim Trends

Cuffed Jeans flatter petite figures. Look for a snug fit from hips to ankles. Petite frames get lost in boyfriend styles. Wear with heels. Small statures benefit from a little lift.  Pumps give the casual look polish.

Colored Denims flatter fuller figures. Look for rich jewels that make a statement without being too loud. Wear with a tunic top and tailored blazer - keep things simple to balance the bold bottom.

Skinnies flatter tall figures. Look for dark saturated rinses with a high waist to even out longer torsos. Wear with loose layered tops that offset second skin denim,

Fit and Flare  flatters everyone. Look for a low rise with a slight fade from hip to knee. It make legs look slimmer. Wear with stacked wedges or platforms to add height and avoid dragging hemlines.

How to Wear the Trend of the Moment -  Statement Sweatshirts

1. Stilettos and sweats? Yes, you can! Heels dress up the look a notch.

2. Balance a loose, full coverage top with a  shorter or tighter bottom half.

3. Give your old college sweatshirt new life with iron-on appliques and studs.

To Sculpt Your Bod for Self - Tanner

1. In a circular motion, apply a matte bronzing cream to your arms and legs. The texture camouflages cellulite and other imperfections.

2. Place your hands on your hip. With a blush brush, run shimmery powder bronzer down your arms. The sheen creates a vertical line of light, making arms look leaner.

3. Now sweep the powder down the center of your legs [from thighs to toe in the front, then thighs to heels in the back]. Again, the shimmer has a highlighting effect that shades away inches!

Goodies for Travel and for under $10-

Wella Professionals Enrich Treatment

Boscia Blotting Linens

Almay Makeup Eraser Sticks

Smith’s Rosebud Salve

Maybelline Clean Express Towelettes

Batiste Dry Shampoo

Incoco Nail Polish Applique

Hawaiian Tropic Silk Hydration SPF 30

Tocca Cleopatra Hand Cream

Soap and Butter The Righteous Butter to Go

Marvis Classic Mint Toothpaste

Priti NYC Soy Nail  Polish Remover Wipes

Alba Clear Enzyme Deodorant Stick

How to Wear Serum -

“1. After cleansing, massage a nickel size drop a serum onto clean skin, giving those high powered ingredients direct access to your skin issues.

2. If you’re wearing moisturizer too, wait a few minutes for the serum to absorb before applying it. Otherwise, it will dilute the serum’s actives. [Side note, apply eye cream before you applying anything, except for serums to get your money’s worth as layered over other lotions which  can block their ingredients from penetrating]”

Cosmopolitan March 2014

[Sorry I lost the screenshot I had of this magazine, I guess I have too much of a backlog! :( ]

Look Amazing on Skype

1. Glow On - webcam pixelation can make skin appear dull and lifeless. Choose a illuminating foundation.

2. Don’t Over Hue-It - some computer screens oversaturate colors meaning anything highly pigmented can have clownlike effects. Choose sheer blushes and lip tints.

3. Go Au Naturel -  artificial overhead lighting casts not so cute overshadow under your eyes. Place your laptop next to a sunny window - natural light is far more flattering.

How to do a Face Massage - apply a thin layer of an oil or cream, then -

1. How to zap jawline tension - bend the pointer and middle fingers of each hand so the bent knuckles makes a V shape.

2. To de-puff eyes or cheek - sit with your elbows on your knees, then firmly press the hell of your hand against the affected area for 10 seconds; repeat three times.

3. To smooth your forehead - spread the tips of all eight fingers [not thumbs]  along the tops of your brows. From there, make slow zigzag motions upward to the hairline; repeat five times [each times starting at the brows so you’re not pulling down skin]

Cosmopolitan January 2014

Look Hot with a Hangover-

1. To start - odds are, you didn’t do the best cleanup job last night. Double -up now with a gentle scrub [to life surface dirt and makeup] followed by a foaming face wash to deep clean pores. A cool rinse helps calm ruddy skin.

2. Next up - your four big challenges: redness [booze causes blood vessels to dilate], under - eye circles [from crappy sleep], plus dry skin and bloodshot eyes [liquor dehydrates]. Apply an extra moisturizing BB cream

3. Almost done - since upper eyelid skin is thin, redness is extra noticeable. Use neutral shadow with a hint of shimmer to conceal and reflect light. Line your top lash line in navy, and apply blue black mascara [blue undertone help brighten the eyes].

4. Finishing touches - to fake a well rest glow, sweep a soft pink blush along cheekbones [not apples, which can just look ruddy when you’re hangover]. Last, swipe on bold lipstick to focus attention on your gorgeous pout.

Post-Rager Eraser

1. Apply a chilled, hydrating paper mask. They’re more concentrated than regular masks.

2. Use blue eye drops, best for making the whites of the eyes pop, and close eyes for 30 seconds to let the formula absorb.

3. Neutral under-eye shadows with a pink-base concealer at inner corners, then dab illuminating concealer along under-eye bones and blend upward to the lash line.

4. Trace lower inner rims with nude eyeliner.

Cosmopolitan June 2013

New collaborations to hit this month:

“1. Coach teams up with iconic French shirtmaker Saint James

2. Milly’s new collaboration with Banana Republic

3.Suno’s signature African - inspired prints are coming to Uniqlo”

Beauty Buys  -

 Photo Source - BeautyBay, Paul and Joe Blotting Papers

 Photo Source - Boots, Revlon Baby Stick in Sunset

Photo Source - Ulta, Organix Moroccan Surf Paste for Hair

“Your skin’s protective barrier is happiest at a slightly acidic 5.5”

Tips on protecting your skin -

“1. Watch out for water - water with its pH 7, make skin more alkaline. Moisturize right after washing to rebalance the barrier

2. Beware of Bar Soap - Most contain harsh detergents that grab on to grime and skin’s protective lipids. Avoid ingredients like sodium-stearate, -palmate, -tallowate, and -palimate

3. Be gentle - Overzealous washing and scrubbing can raise pH levels. Clarisonic cleansing brush because it cleanses and sloughs off dead skin cells gently, with the right amount of pressure

3. Easy on the acids - it’s tempting to OD on glow inducing glycolic peels, but doing so can send your pH plummeting. If you’re red or sensitive, give your skin a three to seven day break between applications

4. Slather on SPF - when skin is sunburned, water from  within your body rushes to calm it down. And in the process, raise the barrier’s pH. Within a spiked pH, your skin barrier loses its protective  and reparative powers.”