Sunday, April 27, 2008

Makeup trends!  

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Hello again people! Yes, I know it's been at least 1 week since my last post... lazy is my middle name.
But here I am again, bringing you the latest trends in makeup :) Since I run out of trends for clothing and accessories I remembered that well, I do put makeup on sometimes, so why not research a little on what's hot?


Let's take a look at trends in each category:

  • Skin: matte and uncolored or glowy (great for summer looks if you are tanned)
  • Blush: pink :)
  • Lips: any shade of pink to almost white / bright red
  • Eyes: gold with smokey eyes, silver (icy eyes), pink/violet, deep colors like green, coral, blue, yellow.
Overall I'd say pink is the color for makeup this summer: blush, eyes, lips.

I did a small hunt in Etsy to bring you the handmade products we can use to achieve this looks, and here is what I found:

makeup

(click to see full size)

Sellers, from top to bottom, left to right, are (link to the item): PureMineralsSource, pinkquartzminerals, Clearmineral, MineralMakeup, anaaya, pinkquartzminerals, PureMineralsSource, beautybysaria, MixologyMakeup, PureMineralsSource, Clearmineral, Backtotheearth, PureMineralsSource, Clearmineral, Lollibomb, beautybysaria

If you are the kind of girl that doesn't use heavy makeup I think you won't really care about makeup trends, but on what makes you look best. I'm one of those girls. When I go to work I only use a bit of concealer (aarrgghh dark circles!), and sometimes a bit of mascara. If I go party at night then I wear some eyeshadow, mascara, sometimes eyeliner, blush, ya know, the whole kit. For me what is most important is what kind of eyeshadow to wear to make my eyes nicer.
Eyeshadow color depends on your eye color, and blending in etc depends on the shape of your eye/face.

I found some kits for different eye colors in Etsy, I really like their colors:
I'm a mix between brown and green eyes, so depending on the day I choose one or the other style :)

A couple articles on eye make up for different eye shapes:

shapes of eyes and how to enhance them with make up
Eye Makeup for Different Eye Shapes

And if you want to get the whole star look, I found this super awesome videos on youtube that describes step by step how to achieve different looks from videoclips or famous girls: amy winehouse look, leona lewis bleeding love, britney spears I'm a slave for you, and a big etc



Amy Winehouse eye liner makeup inspired look
LEONA LEWIS - Bleeding love inspired make up look
DUFFY -Mercy make up inspired look

I have to say for me it's a little difficult to understand her because of the accent lol but I'm sure for native English speakers will be easier ;)

Hope you enjoyed this makeup review and that it helped you a little, maybe?
Tell me if you liked it, what is your favourite makeup/look, what you think looks better depending on the eye color, and, very important if you know, how to make the dark circles under the eyes go away???? (or at least be less visible... mine are sort of a genetic thing so no way to get rid of them I suppose)

Next time: I don't know yet! Need new and fresh ideas ;)

Found the makeup trends in this blog: Beauty Care Blog

Sunday, April 20, 2008

Summer Dresses for you!  

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I was running out of ideas for fashion blog posts, so I run to the Etsy forums to ask people what kind of outfit would they like me to search for in Etsy. I thought I could do a massive search to accomplish one look with Etsy items :)
Read some of the ideas in the forum.

A few people said they were looking for a summer dress but couldn't find in Etsy one they liked, so today I tried my best to find some nice ones in different styles (didn't do goth style, I'll do that in a next post)

Here are my Etsy picks:


dresses

Sellers, from top to bottom, left to right, are (link to the item): gaiaconceptions, Wildewear, Madrone, strangelittleduck, LaMadeleine, colorada, replicca, gaiaconceptions, enigmavintage, OracleClothiers, LaMadeleine, missbrache, missbrache, colorada, gaiaconceptions, Wildewear, VenniCaprice, Branches, mapetiteamy, themachinestops, cherrypievintage, neneee, VenniCaprice, sweetcharlotte, hodgepodgedesign, ktjean, themachinestops, VenniCaprice, VenniCaprice, fabricfun, themachinestops, decades

It's easy to see my favourite clothing shops for dresses in etsy! missbrache, VenniCaprice, themachinestops, gaiaconceptions and Wildewear. Just waiting to have money to get a dress in any of this shops! =)

I hope you liked this post and that it helps you out somehow with your dress hunt.
Did you like these? Do you have any other favourite shops? If so, please tell me =) I love to find new shops in Etsy.

Next blog post: Summer trends in Makeup!

Friday, April 18, 2008

Swimwear 2008!  

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Believe me, I always hate when summer gets closer and I realize I have no nice swimwear (aka: all my bikinis are old and falling apart) because for me it's so hard to find a bikini that fits right. And I always panic deciding 2 months before I need to loose weight! Which never happens, by the way. I end up eating more because of the stress of dieting! lol
Anyways, I swear this year this won't happen, after all I only go to the beach 5 or 6 days in the whole summer! haha So why worry :D

What does the fashion world say it's fashionable to wear in the beach this year?


Asymmetric designs, geometric and African prints, tankinis, small bikinis and cut-away swimsuits

More or less what we have seen in the regular spring trends but applied to swimwear. Get some animal print bikini or a white or neon cut-away swimsuit! =)

But definitely it's sooo difficult to buy a bikini, specially those that are just in one size, top and bottom can't be mixed!! In top parts I'd be an S or M, bottom an L. So that won't work for me. And I don't wear full swimsuits anymore because, well, I don't want a white tummy =)

If you have the same problem as me, why not get a custom made bikini/swimsuit at Etsy? These are my picks:


swimsuits

Sellers, from top to bottom, left to right, are (link to the item): missbrache, jMarieBoutique, ladramaqueen, kandiswim, missbrache, littlepinkdress, Harajaku, missbrache, missbrache, saleyla, FlingActive, ladramaqueen, Harajaku, trywesley, MySugarDoll, missbrache

You can tell I like missbrache ah? hehe I really think missbrache and Harajaku are the best swimwear shops I have found in Etsy. Do you have any other favourites? please please let me know! :)

Personally, I'm not a big fan of tankinis, and I kind of hate cut-away swimsuits (what's the point of having a white stripe in your tummy?). This last ones are very fashionable and chic, but I'm not going to any Puff Daddy party in the Hamptons this year so no thanks. :)

Well, I hope you liked this trend review! What kind of swimsuit do you wear? Will you change style this summer?

I did a little research again and found a couple videos about what kind of swimsuit to wear depending on your body type.
These ones looked really helpful: How to pick a suwimsuit for your body type

Yesterday I posted in the Etsy forums about the babydoll dresses. Most people said they like them and their favourite outfit is a babydoll dress with fitted jeans + sandals, or boots over the jeans, or with leggings. So there you go! Also, to show people that you have a waist, wear a belt or scarf around your waist. Good luck with the look, I'm gonna try it too! =)

Find the swimwear fashion article here

And on a totally self promotional note... sorry guys! Just finished this new scarf design:

Hope you like it!! And that you enjoyed the little fashion trend.

Next week:... I don't know yet! Ideas anyone?

Wednesday, April 16, 2008

WHA? Babydoll dress  

4 comentarios

I saw a lot of babydoll dresses last summer in the shops in my city. But it seems that this year the are out of fashion! (Or that's what designers say because I still see them in the shops!)

So this post is for those of you that bought a babydoll dress and like me, care little about what fashion says and you are going to wear them again this summer. :) After all, it cost money, and I can't just use it only one year!

I've always asked myself this question: What to wear with a babydoll dress??? Most look kinda shapeless and all that, always thought they weren't very flattering to my figure. I'm more fan of babydoll tops than dresses, but I still think they are pretty nice and wish I could wear one and feel pretty! ;)

And I did my research, finding this awesome video where it explains what type of babydoll dress fits you better depending on your body type.





After this video maybe I have tempted you with getting a handmade babydoll dress! HA! See my Etsy picks and see if you like any of these:

Babydoll

Sellers, from left to right, top to bottom are (link to the item): srbdesigns, AnastasiaChatzka, ouma, kristalovesyoda, AVCCrevamp, fabricfun, Makool, SecretLentil, unparalleledumbrella, AllisterAnn, blackheartbunny, Neurasthenia, Madrone, radclothing, alisondahl, Deadworry, sweetcharlotte, KellyMadden, malam, Nostalgia, KoreanDollz

Yeah, a lot of Etsy babydoll items!! Seems like this is still a strong trend in Etsy ;)
And you? Is this for you? Are you gonna wear something like this?

That was all for today. Next post will be about.... SWIMWEAR! :)
If you have any ideas for another post let me know, I'm running out of trends! lol

I hope you liked it! Thanks for reading.

Video from AmberMag found at Brightcove

Sunday, April 13, 2008

Spring/Summer trend #11 - White clothes  

5 comentarios

More fashion trends for you guys! =)

As I found in the internet, seems that white clothes are not only for babies and brides. White clothes, as we all know are a summer classic.


Wear a white dress to a summer party, to take a coffe in that cool outdoors cafe and see thesunset, to the beach, etc. Specially to the beach! The hippiest the dress, the better ;)
Find that loose white dress to wear over a bikini and a pair of simple flip flops.

In case you are not wearing this to the beach, I would recommend a nice grey / brown bolero and nice sandals. Nothing too formal, you know. Something that makes you look cool and like you didn't take too much time in you outfit. However, if you enter with a white dress anywhere, you are sure to get many looks ;)

You can find white clothes in any store. But if you want the handmade version, here are my Etsy picks for you:

WhiteClothes

Sellers, from top to bottom, left to right, are (link to the item): VenniCrapice, UsThemWe, fabricfun, owleyesvintage, PassionIt, missbrache, RedemptionVintage, treehouse28, sweetcharlotte, urbneve, annedarlene, youmeyou

Hope you have enjoyed this new trend review! I really like having a small white dress for going to the beach (although I only go 3 or 4 times a year! LOL!)

Is this your trend? Are you going to wear any of these?

Next trend will be: Babydoll dress

Friday, April 11, 2008

Narrowing it down  

5 comentarios

Hi! Remember last post I talked about how I placed an alchemy request? This week has been crazy so I didn't get time to take a close look at what the sellers previous work was. I hope to finish this this weekend :)

But, after all your comments, (thank you girls!) I decided to go for one of these two versions of the dress:


(the right side one is a frankestein composed by me like a collage! haha Wish I could draw sketches!)

Where the part that is not black would replaced by my silks. I think it will look really nice :)

I will keep you posted on how this goes! yay! AKA: A buyer's perspective of alchemy =)

On the other side, an etsy fellow requested me a custom item (this ones are handles by alchemy too) and this week I bid on another alchemy request and I got it! YAY! So two other views of the same thing: A personal sellers alchemy request, and a seller's bid in an alchemy accepted by buyer.
I'm still a little confused on the payment of these. It looks like I have to send the buyer a paypal invoice, but I wished Etsy would do it automatically, like when someone buys a regular item!

Will come back tomorrow with some fashion trend report, enough of boring things! hah! :)

Wednesday, April 9, 2008

Make me a custom dress - Alchemy!  

4 comentarios

Since last summer, I have wanted to have a dress, top or skirt made with my silk designs. However, I can't sew to save my life.

So this week I decided it was time to get a custom item made for my by a seamstress. I didn't really want to find one in my city, because I know how great sellers there are in Etsy and wanted to give them the chance to create something unique for me :)

I made an alchemy request in Etsy. If you don't know what Etsy is, I'll tell you it's an online site where you can find thousands of shops that sell handmade items. And alchemy? Well, it's the way to ask for something custom made, and sellers can bid on your idea.

The only problem is, I really have no clue what kind of dress / top /skirt I want! I just need different ideas from people! :) What I know is that I don't want something formal, because then I will never wear it! lol So probably the key to getting for example a dress I can wear in summer but also maybe as a babydoll with leggings / pants is to make something that is not 100% made of silk, but mixed with other fabrics.

Here are a couple dresses I found in the internet. I like their style and flow, but most of them look too formal to me. I don't want this to go to a wedding or prom.



The thing im not sure about is empire waist. A lot of dresses have that nowadays, but I have this crazy idea that it makes me look like I'm pregnant! hahaha

And now, how do I look? That's important to choose a dress shape! :) I'm about 5.7 feet tall and not very thin lol Not much waist, wide hips and small bust. (yeah, maybe I should just do a top for myself, but I like the idea of a dress!)


Yeah that's me! haha

Ohh I already talked too much. Just wanted your opinion on what kind of dress to get. Or if I should get something different at all. Also if to do all silk or only a piece (I was thinking the bust part in silk and the rest in another fabric would look awesome). And if someone is a seamstress, awesome! Go bid on my alchemy request please! :) Oh, and... does anybody want to make me a nice sketch with his/her ideas??? lol

See my alchemy request at Etsy.

I will be posting a series on my alchemy experiences with this. Right now I got a couple bids and I'm doing the reviewing of their previous work part. Will write about this alchemy again once I find the right seller, and you'll go through the whole process with me if you want!

Please help me decide on a style!! Thanks! :)

Tuesday, April 8, 2008

Silk Handfans!  

4 comentarios

Hi there people! This is for a little self promotion.
A couple days ago I posted here the pictures of my first silk handfans. Yay!
Well, I'm happy to announce you can finally buy them at Etsy =)


So far only one is listed, but I think you will like it!

Get it here:
Handpainted Silk Handfan - Peacock feathers - $35

Don't worry, this was a small parenthesis between the fashion reviews ;)

Monday, April 7, 2008

Spring Trend #10: Modern Gladiator  

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You probably are as puzzled as me! Modern Gladiator? What does that mean? I really don't know what they expect with this trend, seriously.


Obviously, this is something we are probably not going to wear out in the streets. But we can add a little gladiator touch to our outfit ;) Say a motorbike/rockstar leather jacket, a fringed bag, or gladiator sandals (I've heard they are the shoe of the season!)




Don't abuse of this style, or you will end up looking like MadMax! =)

So here is the handmade version of things you can add to your wardrobe to get a little of this look:

10Gladiator
(click to view full size)

Sellers, from top to bottom, left to right, are (link to the item): revivalhouse, santokivintage, LesFrivolites, jessitaylor, jtam, owleyesvintage, LesFrivolites, ancestorvintage, theleathercobbler, ThrashinThreads, jenn3star, rubyzaar

What can I say about this trend? I have always been a fan of rockstar / motorbike leather jackets. They give a "I'm a bad girl" vibe :D However, the rest of items, they are not for me!

And you? Is this your trend?

Read the full Fashion Tribes article here.



This was the last season trend to review. I hope you liked reading them as much as I liked writing them! So I thought, what can I do next? I really liked writing about fashion.
Surfing the net I found an article on the must have clothing items of this spring / summer. Not like a general idea, but more like specific items or prints. After reading it, decided I could start writing about that too! :) The fun is not over yet!

Please, if you would like to see a review on a particular clothing / jewelry / accessories item please add a comment about it and I'll see what I can do.

Next post will be: White clothes for summer (not only brides and babies can wear this color!)

Saturday, April 5, 2008

Handfans!  

15 comentarios

This post is for a little self promotion AAAND some history + culture of the handfan. But I think you are going to like it.

I have always loved the look of handfans: either through history, when the court ladies used them to seduce men or conspire; or nowadays, when the summer gets too warm and we just need something to not die in the sun!

Of course, there are many kinds of handfans, but I really don't know what's it's origin, who invented it or in what country was introduced.
Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think nowadays the most famous different kinds of handfans are the japanese ones and the spanish ones.



In Spain, the handfan is a strong point of our culture. It is in our tradition, and most women have at least one, mostly used to fight the hot temperatures in summer, but also very famous in the popular dances of south Spain.

In the times when all the ladies used a handfan, it was used to send messages (usually secret love messages!). There were no cell phones! The position of the face, handfan, hand, etc would indicate the message.
Here are a few:
  • Close the handfun under your right eye = "When may I see you?"
  • Cover the left ear with the open handfan = "Don't tell our secret"
  • Fully open the handfan = "Wait for me"
  • Handfun on the back of the head = "Don't forget me"
  • Turn the handfan with the left hand = "Somebody is watching us"
  • Turn the handfan with the right hand = "I love somebody else"
  • Move the handfan between the hands = "I hate you"
  • Move the handfan around the cheek = "I love you"
  • To fan (use the fan) very fast = "I'm madly in love with you"
  • To fan very slowly or open and close very slowly = "I'm a married woman, don't try anything"

And the list goes on and on forever! I'll write some more next day =)

So a couple weeks ago I sent a couple of my silks to some people thatmake handfands with different fabrics. After seeing a few silk handfans in some high end fashion stores, I decided I could as well make them with my designs.

Today I got a package in the mail, the handfans are finished!! I got 6 as examples of different sizes, woods. Take a look at some of them:





Now you have an excuse to feel like a lady of the XVIII century! =) Seduce your man with one of this handfans. Soon I will have some in my etsy store. For now, just tell me if you like them or not, please. Is this your style? Would you use one in the hot summer? Handfans are very used as decoration too!

Please let me know your opinion, ideas, etc. And if you want to read more handfan secret messages!! :)

Oh, and seems Klimt liked handfans too! ;)

Friday, April 4, 2008

Spring Trend #9: Puff Sleeve Top  

5 comentarios

Wow! Almost completed the fashion series by now. But I have to say I am really liking this item hunting in etsy, so I will need an excuse to keep doing it! :)

Today: Puffy sleeves! Oh yeah baby. You never thought this would be back, did you? Well, we have for all tastes here, from super huge ones to regular ones. Seems big designers, as always, are for the extreme ones.



I like better the regular ones. In fact I think a little puffy sleeve looks really good. And you?

As the Fashion Tribes article says, a blouse or jacket with puff sleeves is very feminine, and will work well with a full skirt, high waisted trousers or a pencil skirt.
Because of the shape, making your shoulders look wider, it automatically makes your waist look thinner, so their advice is to use a belt to maximize that effect. They also tell us that earrings and necklaces don't mix very well with this, so if you really like wearing some jewelry, try some big bracelets or bangles. Oh and don't forget the heels! =)

For the handmade version, here is what I found in Etsy:


9PuffSleeves
(click to view full size)


Sellers, from top to bottom, left to right, are (link to the item): zwzzy, JustVic, maybesomeday, VC2o, amoelbarroco, santokivintage, zwzzy, neneee, kahri, PrettyRaccoon, TresChicVintage, boioioing


So what do you think of this trend? For me it works, if the sleeve is not exagerated.

Read the full fashion tribes article here.

Stay tuned for next and last trend: Modern Gladiator - HUH???

Next fashion trend will be the last. So please, if you have any ideas or suggestions about what should I talk about in my next fashion post, please tell me!! =) Leave a comment!

Tuesday, April 1, 2008

Spring Trend #8: High Waisted Trousers  

3 comentarios

Back with more fashion for you guys!
I should be working instead of doing this, but working is way too boring. So here it goes!

Today, high waisted trousers. Well. I'm not a fan of high waisted anything, but at least these pants have wide legs =) (I don't like cigarette trousers with high waist!)


The only thing you need for this: HEIGHT! You are the petite kind? Don't worry. Use heels! You'll need them even if you are tall, believe me ;)
High heels or sandals with platform can do the trick to make this trouser look nicer on you. From what I have read, the point is to wear shoes the same color of the trousers. But that's up to you ;)

The perfect top part is a puff sleeve blouse, or anything that tucks in. You don't want to hide that waist, do you??? Small waists will benefit from this trend, I'm sure!

For the handmade (or at least vintage) version, these are my picks from Etsy for this trend:


8Pants
(click to view full size)


Sellers, from top to bottom, left to right (link to the item), are: NICFISH, urbneve, Neurasthenia, Brownies, missbrache, southofthemoon.

From those trousers you see there, I really like missbrache ones. Well, in fact, I think everything in her store is really cute!


Hoping you have liked this trend. Will you be wearing these kind of pants?

Read the full FashionTribes article here.

And next trend: Puffy Sleeves!!!!