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    Lori has continuously been the person I have grown to trust in regards to my personal image. She takes out the stress of decision making, which has always been a problem for me. I admire her hard work and honest feedback. She is quick with results, responsible and fun to interact with. I look forward to many more years of her help and expertise!

    - Michael P., HR Consultant

What are You Wearing this Spring?

                                                           

Themes and Key Words-Femininity,Flounces and Ruffles, Bold patterns, Sculptural Shapes, 60′s silhouette

Colors-Brights (red, orange, green, coral, fuchsia, and Neon(yellow, green, lime) also pale,tonal romantic hues (rose, nude,icy blue,aqua,gray), Black and White very strong
Patterns- Geometrics, Stripes,BOLD Graphics, Plaids,Snake,Japanese inspired embroidery, Sheer cut outs,Color blocking and a few Florals in the mix
Fabrics-Leather…paper thin (yes even for Spring) Chiffons, satins and Silks, Cottons, Lace, Beaded and many soft,flowy fabrics
Tops-The season of the blouse with beautiful soft details
Jackets-Cropped are where it’s at
Dresses-Waist skimming and A -line-more forgiving then the skin tight sheathes of past seasons
Shorts- BIG look- taking over the mini. They are very, very short and not for the more mature woman.The slouchy Bermuda is a better bet
Skirts-Fuller and A-line…love the movement and flattering to all body types
Pants-Easy fit…think pajama style, is the new look. Cropped ankle length still going strong
Pantsuits- Tuxedo inspired looks…a vest or sleeveless jacket is a terrific update

How to Pack for a Business Trip

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What Not to Wear to the Office

What to Wear to A Holiday Party

Welcome to the Winter Holiday Season!Your party invitation is in the mail. But, don’t panic because your party dress-up manual is right here.
First, check the date, time, venue and type of event.

  • Black tie?
  • Dressy casual?
  • After work?

Your answers dictate your dress-up decisions.
Second, check the weather forecast, we here in Southern California have the guilty pleasure of watching the Weather Channel and enjoying the ‘slight chance of earthquakes’ instead of ’24″ of Snow’ expected. Seriously though, you don’t want to be in a chiffon dress at an outdoor party without a wrap in 40 degrees.

Here are some instructions on the four most common dress-up styles.
Black Tie – Very dressy. Men need to wear a tux and women should wear a full-length or elegant cocktail dress. A pair of dressy evening pants and a sparkle top works as another option for women.
Formal/Black Tie optional – Still VERY formal. Men wear a dark suit, crisp white shirt and dark simple silk tie. Women can skip the gown, but the dress should still be along the cocktail lines or a dressy pant outfit.
Semi-formal (AKA Informal)/Cocktail - There is a before 6 PM and after 6 PM divide in cocktail attire. For afternoon events, men’s shirts can be colored or striped and suits do not have to be dark, and women should wear a short dressy dress, suit or pant outfit. (For women, this does not mean a work-appropriate suit.) After 6PM, men should wear a dark suit and white shirt and silk tie, women this is your chance to wear a cocktail dress and sparkles.
Festive/Dressy casual - Have fun with this one. The hosts want you to be creative, sparkly and lovely. This is NOT is not a license for t-shirts and jeans. THINK… smart and casual. Show some style and personality. A great casual shirt with slacks for the men, and a pretty dress or fun modern top ( AND I do not mean a sweater with ‘dancing cats around a Christmas tree’) with nice slacks/skirt for the women.

But most of all, bring your most joyful, grateful, ready-to-have-fun self and DO IT!

How to Wear Leggings/Jeggings

To wear or not to wear? A question I get asked often.So I am answering some of these inquiries for you today in this article. When I refer to leggings that also includes jeggings.

Are leggings age appropriate over 40?
Yes, you can wear them as long as you do not use them in place of a pant ( you would be better off in a skinny jean or straight leg pant). Treat them more as an accessory piece for support and warmth.

What type of leggings are most flattering?
Leave the super light weight fabrics to the gals that have no ‘lumps and bumps’ in the leg and butt region. And please to the bend over test to make sure the above picture does not happen. Opt for a pair that is a thicker fabric to camouflage. Make sure they fit in the crotch area. YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN! A gusset ( diamond shape piece of fabric) in the crotch may be the way to go for a better fit. The full length legging does not break up your leg line. In fact, your leg will look longer. Crop leggings make you leg look stumpy and short legged.

What brands are best for a women so she will not look like her daughter or granddaughter?
Karen Kane (Bloomingdales and Macy’s), Lyssé Control Top Leggings (Nordstroms), HUE Double Knit (Most department stores carry HUE)and J.Jill to name a few.

How should I style leggings?
For the most flattering look make sure your bum and crotch is covered by a long top or sweater. Exposing too much in a short top is not a good thing. Have your top/sweater end at the most flattering point on your thigh. Wild animal prints and disco metallics are for Halloween ONLY! Stick to neutrals. To give yourself the most pulled together elongating and slimming appearance use the monochromatic rule from head to toe. If you hate that idea at least keep your legging and shoe/boot in the same color scheme.

What type of shoes should I wear?
Boots look fab and so do ballet type flats. Boots ( to the knee, calf or ankle) with a flat to mid high heel are stylish.

What kind of underwear should I wear with them to avoid the dreaded VPL (Visible Panty Line)?
Ugghh the worst is VPL. If wearing a thong or going commando makes you cringe then try a a panty that leaves no lines Look at TC EDGE® Panties for a pretty darn invisible edge.

Can I wear leggings to work?
Again, leggings are not pants and should not be worn in most office situations.
In fact, I have written dress codes for corporations that forbid them in the workplace.

How to Mix and Match Textures

I love mixing patterns and textures. Fall is a splendid time to really get creative with this type of dressing.

Similiar fabric weights mix well together. Tweeds and wools look great with wool and wool blend pants.

Make sure your textures are a good color blend. Colors that are too “off ” do not make a smashing outfit

If you’re going to mix and match a texture with a solid (say textured jacket with solid pants, buy them together otherwise you’ll never get the match quite right. Trust me on that)

Silk and cotton blouses go with light weight wools and synthetics along with tweeds and boucle’s.

Linen pants do not mix with wool jackets. A synthetic would be better or cotton.

Cotton shirts and pants are not a good match with heavy wools but look terrific with wool gabardine blazers along with cashmere sweaters

Two bold prints can blend together just make sure the patterns are not the same size and there is at least one common color.

If you are color and texture challenged, however, seek professional help because this is very important style option where you can really stretch your wardrobe dollars.

The Best Sweater Styles for Your Body Type

It’s sweater time again!! Here is a view of some of the current styles and who they would look best on.

Classic fisherman style. Tends to be bulky
and looks best on someone who is narrow shouldered and small busted.
Pretty open weave and drapes nicely. Love that you can layer and see body outline underneath. Best on a taller women and disguises arms / thick waist.
Love these draped front cardies. GREAT to camo the tummy. There are many lengths of this type of sweater so make sure the proportions are right on you!
I dig the diagonal. BEST camoflague technique for poochy tummy, wide waist and the black at bottom disquises the hips.
See the curve of this cardie. Perfect for an hourglass shape that should always emphasize the waist! Think Salma Hayek.

Terrific lightweight knit sweater with an A line style so a wonderful look for an apple figure and not tight at the bottom for ease with a fuller hip.

What is Transitional Clothing?

 

When I mention transitional clothing during my seminars, I often face a sea of puzzled looks. That is because we tend to think of clothing as seasonal,so we do not really know how to dress as we move from one season to the next. This is important because we do not want to be caught freezing or burning up in our beautiful dress-for-success suit. It is as deadly to your career success to stand out in a gray wool suit on a hot day in June, as it is to be wearing white linen in October. There are three things to remember about transitional clothing: color, fabric, and timing.

COLOR

Transitional colors tend to be those colors you can wear year round. Think neutrals: black, navy, brown, gray, camel and beige. These transitional colors are timeless and sometimes the staples of your wardrobe.

FABRIC

Transitional fabrics can be worn year round, if you understand the concept of layering. Think rayon, knits, and lightweight wools and modern synthetics. These are great crossover fabrics that can help you look fresh and seasonal without killing your budget. Carry coordinating jackets and sweaters in these fabrics and you can be ready for almost any sudden changes in weather.

TIMING

Next to fit and fashion, timing is everything with transitional fabrics. Do not consider summer colors in a snowstorm or winter weight wools in 90-degree weather, that can happen during the transitional months between seasons. Some of the old rules are changing-you can wear linen into September and depending on where you live perhaps a tad longer, if you wear darker colors. The old ‘no white after Labor Day’ rule has eased up a bit BUT no white shoes or sandals after Labor Day PLEASE.

So next time you are shopping think about purchasing a few transitional garments. You will get a lot of wear out of them, and you will be set with your wardrobe when the seasons start to change.

What to Wear to Office: Executive Styles

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Lipstick 101

Some really good tips I came across online from http://www.muskurahat.comA tad long but some really terrific and useful info.

Lipbalm and Lip Lining Pencil Together :
If you have a lip lining pencil that is rather hard, try using it over lips that have been prepared with a good coating of lipbalm. The pencil will color the lips easily and has lasting power as well. (And don’t simply line them, color your entire lips with the pencil).
How to adjust your lips:
Make Small Lips Look Larger – Apply a little vaseline or lip gloss to the middle of the bottom lip, which brings the lips out, making them look larger.Make Large Lips Look Smaller – Use the deeper colors in your palette (deep color makes the lips recede), and stick to a matte formula; keep away from shiny glosses.
Cosmetic Tips :
You have spotted a gorgeous shade of lipstick on a model in a magazine and you instantly run out and buy it. You spend a small fortune on the color and when you get home, it looks terrible on you. The lipstick was a complete waste of money. To avoid this trap, make an appointment at one of those cosmetic salons that will assist you in your color choices. That’s their job afterall! Let them suggest colors to you, try them out and if you like it, then you buy. It’s as simple as that.
Don’t Forget The Lips :
You do your face in the morning and then you are out the door. How do you look by 11 am? You lipcolor is probably gone so get into the habit of touching it up several times a day. Nothing makes you look more washed out than dull lips. Some women need the color. Trust me… I actually look healthier when I have color on my face.
Getting your Lips Ready For Summer :
Dry cracked lips is not something that you want this summer. It’s easy to get your lips ready for summer with just toothbrush and a little vaseline. Brush the lips gently and the be sure that you don’t ingest any of the product.
Lip Lines :
If you have tiny lines in your lips that you would like to make less noticeable, here’s the trick to try. Instead of applying your lipstick horizontally, apply it vertically.
Lipstick and Feathering Lines :
As we age, tiny lines around our mouth start to show up making lipstick application more tricky. Within hours you will notice that the color has started to creep up these lines. If this is happening to you, try this. Before you begin, pat the lips with translucent powder and then line them with a pencil. Be sure to smudge the line!! There is nothing worse that SEEING this line. It’s there to hold the lipstick in place. Once that is done, fill in the lips with color, preferably the same color or one very close to the liner color. Pat once more with translucent powder and you are done. Your lipstick should be set for most of the day.Lipstick Changes Color? :
Have you noticed this happening to you? The reason is the acidity of your skin which causes dark toned lips. If you have brown toned lips, stay away from the blue toned lipsticks. The lipsticks in the brown tones will hold their natural color more so than a pink or blue toned shades. Your best colors will be beiges, peaches, apricots etc.
Lipstick Everywhere :
Mary Greenwell has cut back on all the different products available and uses lipstick on the cheeks, eyes and lips. I’m seeing this tip in lots of books lately. It’s no longer a no-no!
Lipstick Formulations For Winter :
During the winter months, you might want to stay away from the lipsticks that claim that they are long lasting. Often they can dry your lips out and cold weather will do that fast enough. Instead look for creamy formulations
Lipstick Trivia :
Here is the little trivia about lipstick/lipbalm. In 1904, a perfumed lip salve would have cost you 25 cents and would’ve been packaged in an aluminum case. By 1908, it was okay for women to apply lipstick at the table during lunch at a restaurant. It was not okay to apply lipstick at dinner.
Lipstick Trivia :
Here is the little trivia about lipstick/lipbalm. In 1904, a perfumed lip salve would have cost you 25 cents and would’ve been packaged in an aluminum case. By 1908, it was okay for women to apply lipstick at the table during lunch at a restaurant. It was not okay to apply lipstick at dinner.
Mixing Lipstick Colors How-to :
Take one tube of red lipstick that you don’t care for and mix in a little mauve lipstick. You will achieve a pretty fuchsia that will be easier to wear.
Pinks VS Peaches :
Leave your pinks in the drawer during the summer. Peach tinged lipcolors look terrific against bronzed skin.
Red Lipstick– Yes, You Can Wear It :
This question has been sent to me a number of times so I thought that I would talk about … Red Lipstick. I find that mixing up my own shades work best for me. I have tried lots of reds and I find the same thing. The shade just isn’t right for me, most of the time it is just too bright for my skin tones. So, I tried experimenting with some of the colors I have and found that adding a little brown to my red worked. It still looks red but it tends to tone down the brightness. Experiment a little. You will have tons of fun and create signature colors that are all your own.If you manage to make/mix up the perfect color for yourself and you don’t want to continue mixing your own color, take a sample to the mall with you and find a red that is as close as possible to the shade that you created.
Retractable Lip Brushes :
There are lots of different brushes on the market but a retractable brush has added features. If you are going out in the evening, pick up a little lipstick on the brush and then retract. When you need a touch up, the lipstick is already on the brush and waiting for the application.
Storing Your Gloss :
Did you know that if you store your gloss in the refrigerator, there is less chance for it to melt on your lips when you apply it. And on a hot summer day, it feels fabulous.
Want a Fuller Upper Lip? :
Outline the lips with a pencil that is the same shade as your lips. Now on the center of the upper lip, use a brown pencil and draw a second line. Apply lip color and the brown will blend right in… but your top lip will definitely look fuller.
Why a Lip Brush? :
Lip brushes allow you to use less lipstick but it also can be used to soften the line of your lip liner. With the brush, you can blend it right into the lipstick so that it is not visible.

Lipbalm and Lip Lining Pencil Together :

If you have a lip lining pencil that is rather hard, try using it over lips that have been prepared with a good coating

of lipbalm. The pencil will color the lips easily and has lasting power as well. (And don’t simply line them, color your entire lips with the pencil).
How to adjust your lips:
Make Small Lips Look Larger – Apply a little vaseline or lip gloss to the middle of the bottom lip, which brings the

lips out, making them look larger.

Make Large Lips Look Smaller – Use the deeper colors in your palette (deep color makes the lips recede), and stick

to a matte formula; keep away from shiny glosses.

Getting your Lips Ready For Summer :
Dry cracked lips is not something that you want this summer. It’s easy to get your lips ready for summer with just toothbrush and a little vaseline. Brush the lips gently and the be sure that you don’t ingest any of the product.
Lip Lines :
If you have tiny lines in your lips that you would like to make less noticeable, here’s the trick to try. Instead of applying your lipstick horizontally, apply it vertically.
Lipstick and Feathering Lines :
As we age, tiny lines around our mouth start to show up making lipstick application more tricky. Within hours you

will notice that the color has started to creep up these lines. If this is happening to you, try this. Before you begin,

pat the lips with translucent powder and then line them with a pencil. Be sure to smudge the line!! There is nothing worse that SEEING this line. It’s there to hold the lipstick in place. Once that is done, fill in the lips with color, preferably the same color or one very close to the liner color. Pat once more with translucent powder and you are done. Your lipstick should be set for most of the day.

Lipstick Changes Color? :

Have you noticed this happening to you? The reason is the acidity of your skin which causes dark toned lips. If you have brown toned lips, stay away from the blue toned lipsticks. The lipsticks in the brown tones will hold their

natural color more so than a pink or blue toned shades. Your best colors will be beiges, peaches, apricots etc.
Lipstick Formulations For Winter :
During the winter months, you might want to stay away from the lipsticks that claim that they are long lasting.

Often they can dry your lips out and cold weather will do that fast enough. Instead look for creamy formulations
Lipstick Trivia :
Here is the little trivia about lipstick/lipbalm. In 1904, a perfumed lip salve would have cost you 25 cents and would’ve been packaged in an aluminum case. By 1908, it was okay for women to apply lipstick at the table during lunch at a restaurant. It was not okay to apply lipstick at dinner.

Mixing Lipstick Colors How-to :
Take one tube of red lipstick that you don’t care for and mix in a little mauve lipstick. You will achieve a pretty fuchsia that will be easier to wear.

Pinks VS Peaches :
Leave your pinks in the drawer during the summer. Peach tinged lipcolors look terrific against bronzed skin.

Red Lipstick– Yes, You Can Wear It :
This question has been sent to me a number of times so I thought that I would talk about … Red Lipstick. I find that mixing up my own shades work best for me. I have tried lots of reds and I find the same thing. The shade just isn’t right for me, most of the time it is just too bright for my skin tones. So, I tried experimenting with some of the

colors I have and found that adding a little brown to my red worked. It still looks red but it tends to tone down the brightness. Experiment a little. You will have tons of fun and create signature colors that are all your own.If you manage to make/mix up the perfect color for yourself and you don’t want to continue mixing your own color, take a sample to the mall with you and find a red that is as close as possible to the shade that you created.

Retractable Lip Brushes :
There are lots of different brushes on the market but a retractable brush has added features. If you are going out

in the evening, pick up a little lipstick on the brush and then retract. When you need a touch up, the lipstick is

already on the brush and waiting for the application.

Storing Your Gloss :
Did you know that if you store your gloss in the refrigerator, there is less chance for it to melt on your lips when

you apply it. And on a hot summer day, it feels fabulous.

Want a Fuller Upper Lip? :
Outline the lips with a pencil that is the same shade as your lips. Now on the center of the upper lip, use a brown pencil and draw a second line. Apply lip color and the brown will blend right in… but your top lip will definitely look fuller.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

http://www.muskurahat.us

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