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

---

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

---

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!

Must Have Midi

Hi ladies! Time for another trend report. If your skirt game is needing a little refresh, scout the mall for a midi skirt on your next outing. Not quite a maxi, and not quite a mini, the tea length demure hem of the midi skirt has been making fashion headlines as of late and has been making countless appearances on street style blogs, red carpets, and runways. The prim and proper appeal and the infinite styling possibilities that come with this covetable piece make the midi a new contender for the workhorse go-to item in your closet.

Image from Fashionsy.com

You can count on midi skirts to add a certain fashion editor appeal and gravitas to your most casual tees and cheekiest sweaters. Just check out how this gray pleated midi skirt glams up and styles up the cream graphic cropped sweater.

Image from Luckymag.com

A midi skirt with lots of volume and texture instantly makes you look in-the-know when you don it. Not to mention, these skirts are fun to twirl in! Whether you choose to pair it with an equally feminine pair of strappy platforms or with a thick heeled tread sole statement shoe, the midi skirt looks chic every single time.

Image from Popsugar.com

If you’re looking to add a lot of drama and maximum oomph to your look, consider investing in a graphic printed midi skirt. The silhouette of the midi combined with the look-at-me bold and brash print make for a fashion statement that will certainly make you the style star of every room you walk into.

Looking for more midi inspiration? Check out more midi skirt wardrobe inspo:

All images below from WhoWhatWear

Midis are the perfect length for cocktail hour. A midi skirt with an embellished hem paired with a leather jacket and a bright colored clutch makes for a great alternative to your conventional cocktail dress.

Isn’t leopard print such a classic? A midi skirt in this print is a piece that will most likely outlast trends, and can easily transition from day to night, from casual to dressy. 

This calf-length midi is such a chic and sophisticated way to get dressed for the office. It is, of course, a more feminine way to style yourself for the boardroom and is a very welcome departure from your standard office wear of plain pant suits and pencil skirts. 

Leave it style maven Olivia Palermo to work a leather midi skirt with otherworldly elegance. Pared down with a classic and crisp white button-down, not only does the detail of the leather midi skirt stand out even more, it also makes the look more polished and preppy. 

Do your unique take on boho summer style. Give your flowing maxi a rest and show off those dainty ankles in a paisley print  midi with low-heeled chunky sandals. The cropped collar top and round sunnies are the perfect finishing touches to this laidback look. Modern style icon Atlanta de Cadenet Taylor ups the glamour on her band tee as she pairs it with a ladylike white midi. Opt for a midi instead of denim when choosing what to wear with your T-shirt, it’ll make a world of a difference.

Are you converted into a midi skirt lover yet? I know I am! Time to look for that perfect midi to add to my closet. Happy shopping ladies!

 

Beauty Report: Fall 2014 Nail Trends

Another September, another slew of hot beauty trends. No other beauty trend is as fun and playful as nail trends. Nail trends and nail art have been getting a lot of attention as of late, and that comes as no surprise since the past few years have seen a rise in nail salons, nail polish brands, and fascination and demand for anything and everything that relates to nail care, maintenance, and fashion. After all, you can never be fully dressed and in style if your digits are out of date.

Keep your tips n’ toes at the top of their game with the modern nail trends that have cropping up in the runways. Get inspired by them and do your own take (DIY, here we come!), or simply imitate these hot nail trends from designer runways and bring them to reality.  These nail trends are also great ways to increase the trendiness of your office ensembles, or even make your everyday denim uniform look more fashion forward. Nothing dresses up an outfit quite like well manicured fingers with some truly chic nail colour. Here’s our rundown of Fall 2014’s top nail trends:

The Vamp

The renaissance of 90s fashion has naturally extended into the beauty industry. One of the hottest hues this season is vampy red. The iconic Chanel Vamp is a modern classic, made popular by Uma Thurman in the movie Pulp Fiction. Bottles of this deep red polish were sold out within seconds during the 90s, and now this hue is back, and it’s a stronger trend than ever. Do yourself a favor, and grab yourself a bottle of this color. Although it’s one of the hottest this season, it’ll last you way beyond that.

In the Nude

Pale pink, flesh-colored, nude nails ruled the runways this season. This understated and versatile trend is elegant and polished (pun intended) enough for any type of occasion or event, and is sure to lend your overall look some class and sophistication. Whether your nude tips are done in sheer or opaque, you simply can’t go wrong with this feminine yet ultra chic nail trend.

Gunmetal

Gunmetal Gray is a hue that deserves a category all its own given how prevalent and well-received it was on a lot of designer runways. Metallics are always a good option when it comes to nail colour and nail art, but gunmetal adds a bit of edge and upscale glamorous rock n’ roll to your fingertips.

Art Attack

Nail art remains strong for this coming season. Whether you love to deck out your digits with stick-on prints or designs, jewels and studs, or colour splashes and unique golden patterns, you can be assured that creative and even over-the-top nail art is here to stay. Flex your artistic minds and muscles, ladies. Tis’ the season for wearable art right at your fingertips.

Gilded Beauty

Golden, bronze, or platinum silver; whatever metallic hue you choose you’ll be at the top of your nail game. Metallics just give an outfit that extra pop, fizz, and sparkle that it needs. A great DIY idea would be to layer all these metallics together or even use different metallics to give your nails a super trendy ombre effect.

Geometry

Do the math and learn your angles, it’s time to apply some line and geometric patterns to your nails. This minimalist yet very graphic nail trend is the one to watch. Get on this trend, and you’ll be one of the first–and the chicest too. Use bright colours to contrast with the negative space, it will really make your cutting edge avant garde mani stand out even more.

Which nail trends will you be trying this weekend? I hope this post inspired you! It surely inspired me, I’ll be off to the nail salon ASAP! Have a great weekend ladies!

All Images from PopSugar and Bella Sugar