Archive for April, 2011

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The Royal Wedding…A Day in History to Remember…and Why Kate Middleton’s Sister Pippa is also Wearing White…

Posted in BRIDAL MAKE-UP, DRESSES, EVENTS with tags , , , , on April 29, 2011 by stylebymeli

Kate Middleton's sister Pippa wearing white makes headlines in the USA

Today was a very special day in the U.K. and around the world, as millions of viewers watched the wedding ceremony of Prince William and Kate Middleton (“Princess Kate” by the public, but formally known as Princess William of Wales).

I personally think Princess Kate looked ultra elegant and classy while there were many critics complaining that her dress was too simple and she could have chosen something a little more extravagant.  However, I honestly respect her choice and think this is what best suits HER.  If you observe her style, she is not one to dress extravagantly.  She always carries herself with elegance and why should her wedding day be any different?!

Also, I would like to add that her makeup was phenomenal and of course I was curious as to who did it, which a friend had found out she apparently did it herself!  I’m even more impressed if this is the truth as the makeup looked flawless!

Now moving onto what is making a lot of headlines in the USA, not just Kate Middleton’s dress selection, but also her sister Pippa Middleton, who happens to be wearing a white dress.  As we know in American culture, it is not okay to wear white to a wedding (it’s kind of a silly style rule if you ask me).

HOWEVER, in the U.K., it’s actually seen as GOOD LUCK to wear white and sort of resemble the bride and groom to ward off evil spirits.  How interesting!  So I hope this ends any sort of confusion regarding Pippa’s choice in wearing white!  

A closer look at Pippa and Kate Middleton

[Did it bother you at all seeing Pippa wearing white?]

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Jennifer Lopez as People Magazine’s “World’s Most Beautiful Woman” and Who Else I Would Classify in this Category

Posted in CELEBRITY FASHION, CELEBRITY MAKEUP, DRESSES, FACE, FASHION, MAKE-UP with tags , , , , , , on April 27, 2011 by stylebymeli

Jennifer Lopez has graced the cover as this year's "World's Most Beautiful Woman" according to People magazine.

I’m sure many of you have already discovered that Jennifer Lopez was chosen as People magazine’s “World’s Most Beautiful Woman” and very rightfully so!  I am thrilled with this year’s choice!

In terms of style and beauty icons, I have ALWAYS looked at Jennifer Lopez as the epitome of impeccable style.  I truly admire her and can relate to her stylishly speaking because she is a woman with a strong point of view in fashion and knows how to work it!

Even though she is naturally a beautiful woman, she is definitely the type of person that puts a lot of effort in her looks, but makes it look incredibly effortless!  (Let’s be real, she does NOT wake up looking like a goddess, most people don’t, but she always looks like PERFECTION from the hair, makeup, dress, shoes, etc!).  Her style is also always sultry, but still manages to be tasteful!  This is what I love most!  She knows how to walk into a room and capture an audience with her style because making a fashion statement is what she’s all about!

I also look up to the fact that she ages gracefully and always looks youthful.  She takes amazing care of herself and it’s evident.  It really goes to show that if you take extra good care of yourself, it will pay off in the long-run!  Hence why I am so passionate about eating well and dedicating myself to being active everyday.  I try to encourage people to live the same way!!!  

Here is a look at some of my favorite styles worn by Jennifer Lopez (all of which I LOVE because these are all ensembles I would wear given I had the right occasion for them!):

This is just breathtaking. I can't get over how beautiful this image is! I love this blush color against her glowing skin and the look is ultra feminine with a dramatic effect.

This is just fun. I love how ridiculously short this is, but what keeps it from bordering trashy is that the rest of her body is covered. I LOVE THESE TYPES OF DRESSES! (When the arms are totally covered and it's nothing but emphasis on the legs). I like this metallic texture that's going on, very interesting.

Stunning! This dress really emphasizes all her assets! To me, great style is about knowing how to dress your body. She doesn't have a "perfect" body in my eyes, but she has a natural eye for dressing her body to perfection. This is what makes her so beautiful and really pleasing on the eyes from a style standpoint!

Besides Jennifer Lopez (whom I said I have always looked up to for her style and beauty)…if I had to choose the WORLD’s most beautiful woman…I would choose (drum roll please)….
CATHERINE ZETA JONES!!!

For me, she is just incredibly beautiful...I am in love with her face!!!

She has a really feminine look with soft facial features.  She also looks amazing for her age and for some reason, I really feel like I resemble her (in the face).  I don’t know if other people see it, but I think that’s another reason I find her very attractive because I can totally relate to her beauty!

I find dark brunettes are the most beautiful, probably because I’m a dark brunette myself and would NOT want it any other way!  What can I say, I love my dark hair and prize my exotic look! ;)  I don’t think there is anything wrong with admitting this (although to some it may come off as conceited), but it’s healthy to love your image!  I wish more people would accept their natural beauty because everyone is beautiful in their own unique way!

We may not look exactly alike, but I definitely see a resemblance!

[Who would you choose as the "World's Most Beautiful Woman?"]

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[Style Vault] – Mini Cross Body Bag

Posted in CONSIGNMENT STORES, FASHION, HANDBAGS, MELI'S FAB FINDS, MELI'S STYLE VAULT, PRODUCTS I LOVE, SHOPPING on April 26, 2011 by stylebymeli

Dooney and Bourke vintage mini crossbody - This has a preppy feel to it and being it's so classic, it is a key wardrobe essential for finishing off the final look- both in the daytime and evening! Although this may not seem like your typical "going out" bag, this is what makes it even more appealing because it's a little unexpected.

Let me first start off by saying that I love that cross body handbags are making a comeback (not that they are ever out of style, but they are just more prevalent right now).  I was THRILLED when I discovered this Dooney and Bourke white pebble leather cross body handbag at the “Then and Again” consignment store in Flemington, NJ.  (I have been consigning my clothes there for years and it’s a fun little place to shop!)

What makes this cross body extra special is that it appears to be VINTAGE (circa 1980′s perhaps?), yet in such pristine condition!  And it’s a MINI SIZED cross body, which you can’t exactly tell by the photo, but it’s just the right size to fit all your essentials:  cell phone, keys, lipgloss, wallet, etc.  

This is TOTALLY going to be my new going out bag!!  I’m really excited about it.  As I said, it’s small enough to fit my going out essentials and being that it’s a cross-body, it just sits across my body!  Convenient, classy, and chic…there is NO way I can go wrong with this bag!  

Although the style is rather simple, there is a lot to appreciate about this handbag.  I absolutely LOVE a white bag in general…I think a white bag is especially fresh for spring and always looks great contrasting with dark colors (or pretty much anything for that matter).  I like that the hardware is GOLD with white (I always prefer this over silver hardware and white).  And did I already mention that this is a PEBBLED LEATHER TEXTURE?!?!  (Oh wait, I did in the second sentence, didn’t I?)  I love pebbled leather!  There is just something about it that is stylish, but in a luxuriously subtle way.

STYLING TIP with Cross Body Bags: Pay attention to the strap length and where this hits you on the body.  The strap is almost always adjustable and ideally, it should hit right beside your hip.  Anything lower than that just looks unbalanced and when it’s higher (closer to your waist)…you are creating visual WIDTH at the waist, when the waist always looks more visually appealing SMALLER.  Again, minor style nuance, but something to always consider.  

If you have wider hips (and you are self-conscious of it), this may not be the bag choice for you because a cross body will ALWAYS bring attention to the area that it is touching (the hips).  For me personally, I have fairly narrow hips (it is proportional to my frame), but I actually like to emphasize and make them look a little wider (I know most people would question, “why is bigger hips a good thing?”  Key word is I said, “wider,” not necessarily bigger.  There is a difference.  Wider hips makes the waist look more narrow/small.  Makes sense now, right?)

[Do you love cross body bags?] 

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How to Wear Your Makeup with an Animal Print

Posted in BLUSH, EYE MAKEUP, FACE, FASHION, GIELLA (CREATED BY MELI), GIELLA CUSTOM BLEND COSMETICS, LIPS, LIPS - LIPSTICKS, MAC MAKE-UP, MAKE-UP, MELI'S FAB FINDS, PRODUCTS I LOVE, SHOPPING with tags , , , , , , , , on April 25, 2011 by stylebymeli

Hello, my animal lovers…(we’re talking animal print here)!  Over the weekend, I decided to take a photo of my makeup to showcase how to wear makeup with an animal print.  I think for many people, coordinating makeup with a print can be a little bit of a challenge, lacking a sense of a style direction.  Keep in mind, there honestly is NO right or wrong on this subject, but here I will enlighten you with how I styled this look.

Makeup that I wore with an animal print top over the weekend

A break-down of the makeup look I created with the animal print top and a further explanation behind my color/styling choices:

EYES:  -  I wanted to stick with the shimmery brown and copper family in terms of my eye shadow selection because they compliment the colors within the animal print itself.

I did NOT want to go too smokey (the top in itself already has some drama being that it is a print, so no need to overkill with the eye makeup), nor go too natural (as I still did want the eyes to pop a little bit).  Basically, I wanted a nice balance where there was some emphasis on the eyes, but not too much. 

I started with a light shimmery copper lid color and then added depth by blending in shades of brown into the crease and outer crease.

Many people often question if a cat wing eye liner is necessary.  Potentially, I think you could do a cat winged eye liner effect with an animal print, but for me personally, that’s taking it a step too literally.  As I said, I’m not against the idea completely, it’s just not something I would do because it’s really not that original (I’ve just seen it too many times before).  (It’s kind of like wearing a red dress with a matching red lipstick.  It can be done, but it’s not the best styling choice because it’s too matchy-match.  Again, it lacks visual interest and creativity).

[FYI, black liner and false lashes are my staples with any look and this was no exception!  I am rocking my signature MAC #48 lashes of course!  They are dramatically long and full bundles of lash goodness...just the way I like my lashes to look!  No mascara could ever do that!] 

CHEEKS:  - I think there are a lot of options with the cheek color.  I chose a peach, which is typically the blush color family I stay in, but also what I think looks the best with this print.  I could definitely see a bronzy color though as well (or just bronzer if you’re blush-shy although I ALWAYS push some sort of blush on all people because it makes the face look youthful and happy).  Pink, maybe…just not my first choice.  Plum, not so much because it is a cool tone and I think the warm tones on the cheeks match nicer with an animal print.

LIPS: – I don’t know why, but I think CORAL hands down goes with animal print more than any other color for the lips.  Being that there are usually warm beiges/brown within the animal print, the lips should be a warm color as well.

And since the eye shadow colors are all within a neutral color palette, that leaves room for the lips to be a little more playful.  Coral coordinates nicely because it’s playful without being TOO flashy.  Hot pink or red would be a little too loud in my opinion as then you would be left with a look where the makeup and the clothing are BOTH competing with each other.

[As a general rule (which can sometimes be broken of course), choose to make a statement with your outfit OR your makeup.  Not both at the same time].  

I'm wearing the lipstick shade I created, "Malibu Creamsicle" in this photo!

DOES ANYONE NOTICE WHAT IS DIFFERENT in this photo compared to the original?!  Two styling changes…

1 – I changed my hair a little bit.  AFTER I took the first photo, I realized I wanted to style this with the original black headband, but WITHOUT bangs (I decided I didn’t want any hair to be in the front…for some reason, I think it looks more stylish).  This is a small nuance that to me makes a huge difference and I’m not even a hair person!

2-  I wanted to showcase that I’m wearing my “Malibu Creamsicle,” a GIELLA custom blend lipstick I created and just blogged about!  This way you can see what it looks like on and how nicely it goes with the overall look.  (As I said, it goes great with a lot of things, animal print is just one of many things!).  

(In the original photo, I’m wearing MAC “Costa Chic” lipstick, which I am a huge fan of.  Both of these lipsticks are coral, the only difference is that the “Malibu Creamsicle” is softer in terms of the brightness).

[Do you have any other ideas on how to wear your makeup with an animal print?]

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Happy Easter and Here’s a Beauty Treat for You! – My First GIELLA Custom Made Lipsticks!

Posted in GIELLA (CREATED BY MELI), GIELLA CUSTOM BLEND COSMETICS, LIPS, LIPS - LIPSTICKS, MAKE-UP, ONLINE SHOPPING, PRODUCTS I LOVE, SHOPPING with tags , , on April 24, 2011 by stylebymeli

I hope everyone had a wonderful Easter filled with chocolate bunnies and great times with loved ones!  Today was the first really beautiful, warm day in a long time and I am happy to have been able to spend part of the day outside!  Let’s just hope spring is in full swing this time!

So I’m incredibly excited to be able to share through my blog, my wonderful lipstick creations that I made using GIELLA custom blend cosmetics.  (I literally melt wax and mix pigments that then get poured into a lipstick mold and then carefully transferred into a tube)!

My first lipstick shades created using GIELLA custom blend cosmetics! Please contact me if interested in placing an order!

From left to right, here are the shades I created (I hope you love the colors and names I came up for them…I did put a lot of thought behind these creations and below I will explain the color in further detail): 

“Mad Crush on You” - I love bright lipsticks and wanted to create the “it” color for the season.  Bright pinks are everywhere and I love to wear these types of colors regardless if they are on trend or not (they flatter EVERYONE if you want my professional opinion because it gives youth/life to the face).  I think everyone should invest in at least one really bright lipstick this season!  Hence why I created this, I know you all need it in your life and it will soon be your new best friend! ;)  This color has a creamy texture with a warm, coral undertone (vs. a blue pink undertone).

“Malibu Creamsicle” - Although this looks very peach, once this is applied, it is actually more of a nude color with a coral peach undertone.  This has a creamy consistency with a slight shine, minus the shimmer.  I LOVE THIS COLOR!!!  It’s perfect in so many ways and it’s just a chic color!

“Wink, Wink” – Anyone that knows me knows I’m obsessed with pink lipsticks and always love a nice light bubble gum type of pink.  I wanted to create my own signature light pink shade and came up with this gorgeous color.  It’s a bit pale and fairly nude on, but it’s a great base to layer under gloss and perfect for finishing off a smokey eye look.  This has some nice little shimmer in it and as you can see below, the color payoff is still evident, even though it’s a light color.

“Flirt and Run” – This is a creamy neutral with a blend of beige, pink, and coral.  Although it looks really brown, this comes up so beautifully on the lips.  It’s nude without washing you out.  This is a wonderful everyday shade that doesn’t scream for too much attention, but rather gives a subtle splash of color.

I took a photo of the actual lipstick swatches so you can get an idea what they actually would look like (keep in mind this would vary depending on skintone and also look different once actually applied on the lips):

A closer look at the lipstick shades...aren't they pretty?

For more information on how to order these or request a specific lipstick shade to be custom-made for you, please do not hesitate to contact me!  Keep in mind that Mother’s Day is around the corner…what better gift than a custom made lipstick for Mom with her name on it! 

I can also create lip glosses (which I will experiment with this week), eyeliners, cheek tints, bronzers, etc!

[What are your thoughts on my first lipstick shades?  Are they hot this spring season?]

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