Holiday Beauty Series: Makeup and Hair

Party season is in high gear by now. With Christmas being a hop, skip, and jump away, I know that you are in dire need of fresh beauty ideas to up your party glam game. Don’t fret, I’ve found a ton of hair and makeup trends that are sure to give your new sparkly dress and that favorite LBD the extra kick of chic that it needs. Here are my top picks for the best in makeup and hair trends this holiday 2015:

High Ponytail

Sleek, wavy, or feminine, a high ponytail should be your hairdo of choice if your dress has low-cut back or intricate back detailing.

The Grown Up Sock Bun

Now, we all love a messy sock bun when we’re relaxing at home. Take your go-to hairdo to the next level by making your bun voluminous by teasing it a la Cara Delevingne. You can also take a cue and keep it sleek a la J. Lo or accent it with a full-on bang like Rihanna.

Accessorize It

You can always count on  floral or crystal embellishment to cure to a bland hair style. When in doubt, accessorize.

Braided Beauty

Braids have a had a strong showing for multiple seasons now. This holiday season, braids move away from the bohemian and into more romantic and sophisticated territory.

Making Waves

Whether you opt for tousled waves like Jessica Alba or old Hollywood glam like Kate Beckinsale or Blake Lively, or even some asymmetrical action like Allison Williams, your curling iron will be your best friend this party season.

Tease Me

Add a whole lot of drama when you add a little bit of volume to your holiday hair style. A little bit of undone glam never hurt.

Images from PopSugar, Harper’s Bazaar

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Bold Lips

Statement lips never go out of style. Classic red, girly pink, or edgy and bold dark berry like Kim Kardashian-West, let your lips do the talking this holiday party season.

Glow On

Enhance your skin’s natural beauty with understated stained lips, gold shimmer on the lids, and a sweep of bronzer.

Color Splash

This season be brave and experiment eyeshadow and liner in shades of blue, mauve and purple.

Smoke It Out

Smoky eyes are always a winner when it comes to nailing a sexy, party look. Deviate from the standard dark, black smoky eye, and try out a softer brown smoky eye.

Walk the Line

A dramatic cat eye is all you need to draw attention to your gorgeous eyes. Put a little mascara on, and you’re all set.

Images from Harper’s Bazaar and InStyle

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Which hair and makeup trend will you be trying on for your next party? I’m excited to try a brown smoky eye and a high ponytail. Happy holidays everyone!

Style Icon: Nicole Kidman

Multi-awarded Australian actress and producer Nicole Kidman has made a solid name for herself in the film industry as a prolific actress with major acting chops. Tall, statuesque, and striking Kidman has played a variety of roles ranging from Virginia Woolf to Grace of Monaco. Her famous relationships, a marriage with Tom Cruise and her successful marriage with Keith Urban, aside, Nicole Kidman has more than her acting achievements and Hollywood and worldwide fame going for her. She lands on the best dressed list almost every single time she steps onto the red carpet. Her red carpet style is classic and flawless, just like she is.

Here are my picks for Nicole Kidman’s best looks on and off the red carpet:

An update on the classic LBD, the sheer paneling of this dress and the little collar detail just make for an absolutely darling combination. Nicole finished off this look beautifully with black onyx drop earrings and a pair of red sexy stiletto heels.

We’re not accustomed to seeing Nicole Kidman dressed down. But even her version of dressing down still contains her signature polish and sophisticated sense of style. The polka dot sweater and printed trousers work so well together because of the unified color scheme of black and white. I especially love the slightly oversized cuffs peeking out from underneath her sweater. The black bow pumps are amazing too!

What makes this dress a red carpet standout is that bow tied around the neck, which cascades to the back. Kidman is an expert at selecting red carpet gowns that combine a simple silhouette with a dramatic detail, this is one such dress. The halter neckline is also perfect on her lithe frame. She lets the color sing and keeps her beauty look natural.

This sweet springtime inspired frock is completely adorable. What adds a bit of edge to it are the cutouts laid over top and her sleek up do. Opting to finish off the look with a pair of coral pumps is a great choice as it adds a strong hint of bright hue to this ensemble.

Kidman’s brand of sex appeal is all about showing off the right things. Whether it’s her toned shoulders or in this case, her great legs, she abides by the rule of thumb that you should only expose one portion of your body to achieve tasteful and sexy at the same time. The studs on her dress and the multiple straps on her footwear add to the seductive feel of this look.

This embellished gown gives a strong statement on color. The understated and elegant navy color is what provides the timelessness to this dress, any other color would’ve been too boring or too over-the-top. Navy hits all the right notes. Special attention must be paid to Kidman’s beauty look here, center parted poker straight hair with smoky eyes and pink pout, so modern and elegant.

I am positively in love with this dress! It is one of those dress silhouettes that has a little bit of vintage inspiration but definitely feels contemporary. Nicole looks stunning in it! The dress hugs her every curve and looks great against her skin tone and red hair.

Nicole Kidman does casual in leggings, a bohemian loose top, and strappy gladiator sandals. Her sleek high ponytail, structured beige leather tote, and chic black sunnies make this casual outfit look more pulled together. She looks so cute beside her handsome hubby, Keith Urban!

Images from WhoWhatWear, StyleBistro, and InStyle

Which Nicole Kidman look are you loving? Why not channel her style at your next party by wearing classics with a simple yet elegant twist.

Style Icon: Jennifer Lopez

Jennifer Lopez is proof that your style improves and gets better with age. This 40-something triple threat is showing no signs of slowing down, despite adding mother of twins to her resume. Oh, let’s not forget her American Idol judge stint too. This actress-singer-dancer can include style icon to her long list of credentials too. Her recent Oscars dress, that low cut nude glittering gown from Elie Saab, is a far cry from her now infamous Versace jungle dress.

Her style evolution is one to watch and here I give you a rundown of my favorite looks from J. Lo.

Fur has always been in J.Lo’s repertoire. It is right up her alley since fur has always been the perfect representation of glam, whether it is in a casual or formal setting. The fur-lined collar of her gray coat and her black and glittery silver pumps is the epitome of fall style with a glitzy upgrade, of course.

Jennifer Lopez certainly knows how to play up her assets, one of which is her incredible bronzed complexion. The dusty pink hue of this look complements her amazing tan and it shows that you don’t have to reveal a lot of skin to exude sex appeal. That little bit of decolletage goes a long way.

J. Lo breaks a fashion rule and establishes herself as a fashion renegade as she matches her eyeshadow with her rust-colored full shantung skirt. What would normall be a fashion no-no becomes a surprisingly chic element in this look. Perhaps because the rest of this outfit, from the classic black pumps, snakeskin box clutch, and white halter crop top are all understated.

Red is the go-to color for fashion vamps. It is the color that instantly grabs attention, oozes with mega confidence, and convey the maximum amount of sexy. This is exactly the formula for Lopez’s standout style. This red chiffon double slit number is one of her most memorable red carpet moments. Classic Hollywood glamour personified. 

Although sexy style is her bread and butter, Jennifer Lopez turns heads in this ladylike style. This outfit certainly speaks to how her style has evolved over the years, and has taken a more sophisticated turn. I personally love that peplum skirt detail and that delicate gold anklet adorning her right foot, such a charming little accessory.

In a monochromatic blush/nude look, this athleisure look is Jenny from the block all grown up. The urban style that J. Lo started out in the industry with, became a lot more refined as the years passed. The result? This ensemble that is equal parts casual, polished, and alluring.

Wow! Look at those toned gams! Lopez certainly isn’t one to shy away from short hemlines and a whole lot of snakeskin. She makes this head-to-toe snakeskin look work, by keeping things straightforward and letting the print be the focus. I am loving the 60s vibe of this look too.

Making a romper look glamorous is a tall order, Jennifer Lopez is certainly up to the task. She instantly ups the chicness of this navy romper with nude pumps, leather studded cuffs, and her signature aviators. This look certainly spells superstar.

 All Images from InStyle and WhoWhatWear

Aren’t you just envious of her killer legs and tan? Oh how I love J. Lo. She is undoubtedly an inspiration and living proof that you can do it all–career, family, and style. A modern icon indeed.

Style Icon: Taylor Swift

British Vogue’s November Issue cover star, country music icon, street style star, and pop culture phenomenon Taylor Swift is a force to be reckoned with. At such a young age she broke out onto the scene in a big way, with infectious rhythms and insightful, deeply felt lyrics. Her famous relationships (and breakups too) have been immortalized into country/pop-rock songs that has the rest of the world singing along. She has recently been making the news and making major headlines with her feminine and vintage inspired street style looks. Each look she steps out in is pure perfection, and she has us swooning over her to die for style. She always looks polished and always look paparazzi ready, which goes to show that you can stay true to yourself and not always follow the trends.

Start your own trend just like T-Swizzle has, and  learn from her sartorial savvy, as you browse through my top 10 picks of Taylor Swift’s best street style looks.

A departure from her typically sweet street style, Tay Tay shows that she can turn up the glam and exude a bit of naughtiness with this sexy black jumpsuit. She still maintains her signature girly vibe by toting her top handle vintage frame bag. Opting out of accessorizing and just letting the black pieces be the focus of this look is such a classy style move.  

In the summer, we saw Taylor Swift in one matching printed two-piece set after another. She practically lived in those crop tops and full skirts. She stays loyal to her affinity for matching sets and makes it more fitting for the fall in this knit sweatshirt and pencil skirt duo.

Taylor Swift turns up the glamour in a sparkling and shimmering Gucci gown during this year’s Grammy Awards. With just some elegant ear danglers as her accessory, she completely owns the red carpet in this beautiful silver column gown. 

I wish that we could all look this good on the reg, just like Taylor Swift does. She manages to look modern while donning vintage pieces. She looks absolutely flawless in this covetable outfit composed of a yellow houndstooth cropped sweater, mint green skater skirt, coral heels, and a lovely taupe frame bag. 

Want to know how to make even a pair of denim cutoffs look elegant? Do it like Taylor and add some polished extras into the mix. You can never go wrong with nude pumps, black frame top handle bag, and a white sabrina neckline top. Improve this casual look even further with a red lip and loose, tousled hair waves. 

If there was ever an argument about investing in tailored shorts for the summer, this look will be one of the strongest cases for it. A pair of brightly colored tailored shorts up the ante and gives a ladylike vibe to Taylor’s fondness and preference for menswear inspired footwear like these low-heeled oxfords. 

Taylor Swift might not be a school girl, but she certainly nails back-to-school style in this outfit. A red and blue patterned sweater dress  with her two signature staples, heeled oxfords and structured leather totes all make for an A plus look.

This is further evidence that you need not hold yourself strictly to the matching purse and shoes style rule. Sometimes, breaking fashion rules can be fun since the unexpected always leads to more excitingly chic looks. Simply take a gander at this printed sheath dress look and how the hot pink peep-toe pumps and hunter green bag play off each other stunningly. 

An orange and pink color block sweater can make your daily spring to fall uniform so exciting. Pieces such as this sweater are great for quickly and easily perking up your basics, like camel colored skinnies and black tasseled loafers. 

Taylor makes us like her even more as she embraces high street brands like Aldo. She totes a maroon structured purse from Aldo and matches that deep burgundy red shade with a deep-V sweater worn over a grey mini dress. The bowler hat and matching burgundy colored booties are just the right accessories to finish off this winsome look.

Which look is your favorite? All of Taylor Swift’s looks are so amazing, I simply can’t choose!

Images from Teen Vogue and InStyle