Sunday, May 8, 2011
How to choose which colours suit you best
Wearing the perfect colours can revitalise your look and take years off your appearance, so define and refine your style with the knowledge of which colours suit you best.
If you've ever felt overwhelmed by the vast choices of clothes available in the shops or by your own mishmash of a wardrobe then this is for you! Knowing which colours suit you best will help simplify and improve your clothing choices.
Before you set to work on discovering which colours suit you best, you must disregard your preconceived ideas about what your "favourite" colours are, because although you like them, they may not actually be flattering for you. The best colours will leave you looking healthy, vibrant and refreshed.
Deciding on the colours that are best for you is very simple. It just depends on your own colouring, which includes your eye and hair colour and skin tone.
In order to tell your skin tone you need to look at it under natural light, checking to see whether there is a hint of golden or rosiness. A hint of apricot or golden undertones means you're "warm" toned, being slightly pink or rosy makes you "cool" toned.
Cool-toned people look best in blue-based colours; warm-toned people will look best in yellow-based colours.
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Some pointers
Warm tones
Warm tones suit natural earth colours such as browns, bronzes and sage greens.
For pretty feminine summer shades try peach and apricot.
If you prefer reds, then try brick red, dark tomato or a burnt orange hue.
Earth greens like olive or jade enhance warm skin tones.
Clean ivory or oyster whites also enhance the warm skin tone type.
For your professional wardrobe, look for clothes in taupe or bright navy. Try brown and gold accessories for maximum impact.
Cool tones
Pure white is a great match for cool skin tones.
Bold raspberries, deep greens, royal blue, plum and pure black are also winners.
Cool-toned people can wear bright ruby red to great effect.
Cool skin tones can also be enhanced by soft pastel blues and pinks.
Within these ranges there will be colours that suit individuals best, depending on the combination of hair, eye and skin colour. Be analytical the next time you try coloured clothing on to help you decide what really looks best on you.
If you can't be bothered to try everything on in order to sort through your wardrobe, you can just drape items over your shoulder and check how the colour looks next to your face.
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Things to look out for
Colours that complement your natural tone should brighten the appearance of your skin and look good with your hair and eyes. Colours which aren't so great will make you appear pale and washed-out and accentuate any dark shadows or blemishes.
Pay attention to what you are wearing when friends compliment you on your outfit — it's likely that this colour is a good match for you.
If you don't trust your own judgement or just want a second opinion, visit a department store make-up counter. Make-up artists are trained to spot which colours will suit people best. Ask them to consider your skin tone, hair colour and eye colour as they help you find the best colour pallet for you.
How do I shape my eyebrows?
Get your brows ship-shape and sexy with these expert tips...Brows that wow
“Always groom your brows in natural light,” advises brow specialist Kristen Fisher from The Brow Bar. “Use a hand mirror for close-up precision and a large mirror so you can step back and check that they are even.”
• Pointed tweezers are more precise; however, it’s easier to grab stubborn hairs with a slanted pair. Work with whichever you find easiest.
• “It’s fine to pluck strays above the eyebrow,” says Fisher. “Just don’t go overboard, and don’t tweeze too close to your hairline.”
• “Your brows should be long, thick and slightly arched,” says Fisher. “Avoid the tadpole look by going a little at a time, and use your natural shape as an outline.”
• For a longer-lasting result, get your brows threaded or waxed. Whatever you decide, it’s hard to get an accurate shape at home, so get it done professionally.
Tip: A technician needs 10 days of brow growth to restore your shape, and a months’ worth to start from scratch.
Post-Pluck...
• Your brow colour should be two shades deeper than your natural hair colour
• Dab some highlights within the arch of your brow to show off your handiwork
• Gently comb a gel through your brows to hold hair in place.
Three steps to perfect brows
1. Shape: Pull the skin tight and pluck hairs beneath the natural arch, in the direction they are growing.
2. Line up: To determine the inner edge, line up a pencil vertically against one nostril. Your brow should begin where it meets your forehead.
3. Define: Hold your eyebrow pencil so it’s lying sideways against the brow, then sketch the fine lines of your brow to define them.
Brow dos and don’ts
Do – groom your brows daily
Don’t – get rid of the long hairs, as these are what give your brows their shape.
Do – pluck brows after a hot shower when your pores are open – it’s less painful
Don’t – pluck them during your period, when your skin is particularly sensitive
Do – go and see a professional if you’re unsure about what shape to go for
Wearing heels gives you great legs
Good news for heel-lovers" wearing high heels gives women shapelier legs than wearing flats.A new study of 18 to 33 year-old women in the UK has found that women who walk in high heels activate their inner and outer calves more evenly than women who wear flats. The women had shapelier legs than those who wore shorter heels.
The results are similar to those found in an Italian study in 2009, which revealed that wearing heels can tone the body, condition muscles and even improve one's sex life. We don't know about that last claim, but we do know we feel instantly sexier when we wear high heels!
Monday, May 2, 2011
Kate's wedding dress by Sarah Burton
LONDON (AFP) – Kate Middleton's ivory and lace wedding dress was designed by Sarah Burton, creative director at the fashion house Alexander McQueen, the palace announced on Friday.
As a smiling Kate entered Westminster Abbey to meet Prince William, officials confirmed long speculation that Burton had made her dress. They had previously refused to give even the slightest detail about it.
"Miss Middleton wished for her dress to combine tradition and modernity with the artistic vision that characterises Alexander McQueen?s work," officials said in a statement.
"Miss Middleton worked closely with Sarah Burton in formulating the design of her dress."
They said the dress made with ivory and white satin gazar, with a train measuring 2.7 metres (8.8 feet) and lace sleeves, "epitomises timeless British craftsmanship".
The bride had also borrowed a tiara loaned to her by Prince William's grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II.
Burton took over as creative director at the label after McQueen committed suicide in February 2010. She had previously worked side by side with him for 14 years.
The 36-year-old graduate of Central St Martin's had long been tipped as the wedding dress designer.
A woman wearing a studded leather belt doubled through the loops of her jeans, in a fashion identical to the one favoured by Burton, was photographed on Thursday evening slipping into the Goring Hotel where Kate was staying.
Her head was hidden under a huge fur hat in an attempt to avoid identification.
The dress is expected to spawn a thousand reproductions.
Elizabeth Emanuel, who created Diana's fairytale wedding gown in 1981 with her husband David, is still being asked to make copies of that gown, an ivory silk taffeta frock with a 25-foot (7.6-metre) long train.
"Exactly as it happened in 1981, there are going to be people watching as she walks down the aisle with their sketch pads, with the machinists and pattern cutters all ready and waiting. By the next morning you'll see copies in the high street," Emanuel said.
As a smiling Kate entered Westminster Abbey to meet Prince William, officials confirmed long speculation that Burton had made her dress. They had previously refused to give even the slightest detail about it.
"Miss Middleton wished for her dress to combine tradition and modernity with the artistic vision that characterises Alexander McQueen?s work," officials said in a statement.
"Miss Middleton worked closely with Sarah Burton in formulating the design of her dress."
They said the dress made with ivory and white satin gazar, with a train measuring 2.7 metres (8.8 feet) and lace sleeves, "epitomises timeless British craftsmanship".
The bride had also borrowed a tiara loaned to her by Prince William's grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II.
Burton took over as creative director at the label after McQueen committed suicide in February 2010. She had previously worked side by side with him for 14 years.
The 36-year-old graduate of Central St Martin's had long been tipped as the wedding dress designer.
A woman wearing a studded leather belt doubled through the loops of her jeans, in a fashion identical to the one favoured by Burton, was photographed on Thursday evening slipping into the Goring Hotel where Kate was staying.
Her head was hidden under a huge fur hat in an attempt to avoid identification.
The dress is expected to spawn a thousand reproductions.
Elizabeth Emanuel, who created Diana's fairytale wedding gown in 1981 with her husband David, is still being asked to make copies of that gown, an ivory silk taffeta frock with a 25-foot (7.6-metre) long train.
"Exactly as it happened in 1981, there are going to be people watching as she walks down the aisle with their sketch pads, with the machinists and pattern cutters all ready and waiting. By the next morning you'll see copies in the high street," Emanuel said.
Royal wedding fashion: tradition and modernity
LONDON – There was tradition and modernity, sober styles and touches of whimsy: the wedding of Prince William to Kate Middleton showcased Britain's fashion roots, as well as the claim it's staking at the forefront of haute couture.
All eyes, of course, were on the bride's dress — and it immediately became the stuff that dreams are made of.
The gown, whose details were kept secret until Middleton stepped out of the Goring Hotel to travel to Westminster Abbey, was a magnificent ivory confection with lace floral detail designed by Britain's Sarah Burton, creative director at Alexander McQueen.
A plunging neckline added an edgy touch to an otherwise traditional dress with lace-covered sleeves that ended at the wrists. Her hair was half up, half down, lightly curled and decorated with a tiara. She wore drop earrings.
"The dress itself was a glorious mix of modernity with a hint of historic reference and a wonderful silhouette to complement the architectural beauty of the abbey," said Avril Graham, Harper's Bazaar executive fashion and beauty editor.
Maid of honor Pippa Middleton wore a simple cream column dress also designed by Burton, with a deep neckline, and naturally styled hair. Her bridal tones and sashaying walk down the aisle behind her sister caught the eye of several commentators.
"Her dress was exceptionally fitted, and it was basically white," said Mark Niemierko, a wedding planner who has organized some of London's most extravagant nuptials. "For a bridesmaid that's always been a no-no but I think the idea could really catch on."
The flower girls also were decked out in cream dresses with full skirts and flowers in their hair.
Queen Elizabeth II looked stately yet cheerful in a primrose Angela Kelly dress and matching hat.
Carole Middleton, the bride's mother, wore a sky blue wool crepe coatdress with matching satin piping over a sky blue silk shantung day dress. Both were designed by the Catherine Walker label. Middleton's hat was created by British designer Jane Corbett.
Middleton often dresses youthfully like her daughters, but on wedding day she looked very much the matriarch.
The duchess of Cornwall wore a champagne silk dress and a duck egg blue and champagne coat by Anna Valentine, along with a Philip Treacy hat and Jimmy Choo shoes. Anna Valentine designed Camilla's dress for her 2005 wedding to Prince Charles.
Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg's wife Miriam Gonzalez Duantez — a Spanish attorney — sent tongues wagging with a body-hugging dress draped with lace and a red hat but most guests were more conservative, wearing simple suits and knee length dresses in pastels and blues. Jewelry was understated, too — small earrings and strings of pearls.
On their heads however, guests wore a riot of color, sculpture and design.
Irish designer Treacy made most of the hats for royals attending the wedding — 36 in all that included creations for Prince Charles' wife, the duchess of Cornwall, Princess Beatrice, Princess Eugenie, Princess Michael of Kent, Queen Anna-Marie of Greece and Princess Mathilde of Belgium.
He also designed a hat for Hollywood royalty: Victoria Beckham wore a midnight blue Treacy hat. And dozens of less famous guests wore his creations — many resembling architectural works meant to elongate and frame the face.
"The wedding is an incredible boost for British fashion and for Britain," said Harold Tillman chairman of the British Fashion Council, which promotes British fashion abroad.
"There is nothing better than a morning suit for men — every man looks good in it. And all the guests looked wonderful. Most were beautiful and elegantly understated, with all the wildness and exaggeration in the hats."
Princess Beatrice, 22, the daughter of Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson, was wearing an ensemble of Valentino couture and gloves by Cornelia James with Treacy hats that rose like a modernist building from her hair.
Her sister, Princess Eugenie, 21, was wearing an outfit by Vivienne Westwood with an equally dramatic hat and a ring by Solange Azagury-Partridge with a Union Jack design. The two sisters love playing with fashion, trying out cutting edge styles many of their aristocratic peers would be too nervous to wear.
"The princesses are young and they wanted to make a statement. They wanted to have a little fun, which they should," said Tillman.
Prime Minister David Cameron's wife, Samantha, broke with tradition: she wore a sparkly hair clip instead of a hat. Her dress was a tight Burberry teal affair set off by a striking necklace by Erickson Beamon for Erdem.
"Her dress and jewelry were great, but I was disappointed she didn't wear a hat," said Niemierko. "She could have easily carried one off."
Zara Phillips, the queen's granddaughter who will also get married later this year, was wearing Paul Costelloe. The couple's friend, Tara Palmer Tomkinson was wearing Deborah Milner.
The wedding presents a golden opportunity for designers. Many replica hats and dresses are expected to be in shops this week.
Victoria Beckham wore a dress of her own design: the dark tones of the smock-like maternity gown had a slightly funereal look. Her husband David was one of the few guests to not wear a British designer, choosing wore a top hat with tails designed by Ralph Lauren, with a medal signifying that he is an officer of the order of the British empire pinned to his jacket.
Singer Elton John wore a purple tie and ivory waistcoat, while his partner David Furnish wore a light gray waistcoat and light-gray tie.
A handful of Italian designers are making appearances. Prince Harry's on again off again girlfriend, Chelsy Davy, chose two custom-made Alberta Ferretti looks — an aqua green satin dress for the abbey and an asymmetric, midnight blue satin gown for the evening.
The crowds outside were more eclectic. Most made sure they dressed warmly for an overcast British spring day, but accessorized with flags and photographs of the newlyweds.
Hats were as popular outside the abbey as inside. Some women wore hats shaped like a wedding cake, others wore plastic bowler hats with a union jack pattern, and some simply wore children's party hats.
All eyes, of course, were on the bride's dress — and it immediately became the stuff that dreams are made of.
The gown, whose details were kept secret until Middleton stepped out of the Goring Hotel to travel to Westminster Abbey, was a magnificent ivory confection with lace floral detail designed by Britain's Sarah Burton, creative director at Alexander McQueen.
A plunging neckline added an edgy touch to an otherwise traditional dress with lace-covered sleeves that ended at the wrists. Her hair was half up, half down, lightly curled and decorated with a tiara. She wore drop earrings.
"The dress itself was a glorious mix of modernity with a hint of historic reference and a wonderful silhouette to complement the architectural beauty of the abbey," said Avril Graham, Harper's Bazaar executive fashion and beauty editor.
Maid of honor Pippa Middleton wore a simple cream column dress also designed by Burton, with a deep neckline, and naturally styled hair. Her bridal tones and sashaying walk down the aisle behind her sister caught the eye of several commentators.
"Her dress was exceptionally fitted, and it was basically white," said Mark Niemierko, a wedding planner who has organized some of London's most extravagant nuptials. "For a bridesmaid that's always been a no-no but I think the idea could really catch on."
The flower girls also were decked out in cream dresses with full skirts and flowers in their hair.
Queen Elizabeth II looked stately yet cheerful in a primrose Angela Kelly dress and matching hat.
Carole Middleton, the bride's mother, wore a sky blue wool crepe coatdress with matching satin piping over a sky blue silk shantung day dress. Both were designed by the Catherine Walker label. Middleton's hat was created by British designer Jane Corbett.
Middleton often dresses youthfully like her daughters, but on wedding day she looked very much the matriarch.
The duchess of Cornwall wore a champagne silk dress and a duck egg blue and champagne coat by Anna Valentine, along with a Philip Treacy hat and Jimmy Choo shoes. Anna Valentine designed Camilla's dress for her 2005 wedding to Prince Charles.
Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg's wife Miriam Gonzalez Duantez — a Spanish attorney — sent tongues wagging with a body-hugging dress draped with lace and a red hat but most guests were more conservative, wearing simple suits and knee length dresses in pastels and blues. Jewelry was understated, too — small earrings and strings of pearls.
On their heads however, guests wore a riot of color, sculpture and design.
Irish designer Treacy made most of the hats for royals attending the wedding — 36 in all that included creations for Prince Charles' wife, the duchess of Cornwall, Princess Beatrice, Princess Eugenie, Princess Michael of Kent, Queen Anna-Marie of Greece and Princess Mathilde of Belgium.
He also designed a hat for Hollywood royalty: Victoria Beckham wore a midnight blue Treacy hat. And dozens of less famous guests wore his creations — many resembling architectural works meant to elongate and frame the face.
"The wedding is an incredible boost for British fashion and for Britain," said Harold Tillman chairman of the British Fashion Council, which promotes British fashion abroad.
"There is nothing better than a morning suit for men — every man looks good in it. And all the guests looked wonderful. Most were beautiful and elegantly understated, with all the wildness and exaggeration in the hats."
Princess Beatrice, 22, the daughter of Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson, was wearing an ensemble of Valentino couture and gloves by Cornelia James with Treacy hats that rose like a modernist building from her hair.
Her sister, Princess Eugenie, 21, was wearing an outfit by Vivienne Westwood with an equally dramatic hat and a ring by Solange Azagury-Partridge with a Union Jack design. The two sisters love playing with fashion, trying out cutting edge styles many of their aristocratic peers would be too nervous to wear.
"The princesses are young and they wanted to make a statement. They wanted to have a little fun, which they should," said Tillman.
Prime Minister David Cameron's wife, Samantha, broke with tradition: she wore a sparkly hair clip instead of a hat. Her dress was a tight Burberry teal affair set off by a striking necklace by Erickson Beamon for Erdem.
"Her dress and jewelry were great, but I was disappointed she didn't wear a hat," said Niemierko. "She could have easily carried one off."
Zara Phillips, the queen's granddaughter who will also get married later this year, was wearing Paul Costelloe. The couple's friend, Tara Palmer Tomkinson was wearing Deborah Milner.
The wedding presents a golden opportunity for designers. Many replica hats and dresses are expected to be in shops this week.
Victoria Beckham wore a dress of her own design: the dark tones of the smock-like maternity gown had a slightly funereal look. Her husband David was one of the few guests to not wear a British designer, choosing wore a top hat with tails designed by Ralph Lauren, with a medal signifying that he is an officer of the order of the British empire pinned to his jacket.
Singer Elton John wore a purple tie and ivory waistcoat, while his partner David Furnish wore a light gray waistcoat and light-gray tie.
A handful of Italian designers are making appearances. Prince Harry's on again off again girlfriend, Chelsy Davy, chose two custom-made Alberta Ferretti looks — an aqua green satin dress for the abbey and an asymmetric, midnight blue satin gown for the evening.
The crowds outside were more eclectic. Most made sure they dressed warmly for an overcast British spring day, but accessorized with flags and photographs of the newlyweds.
Hats were as popular outside the abbey as inside. Some women wore hats shaped like a wedding cake, others wore plastic bowler hats with a union jack pattern, and some simply wore children's party hats.
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