Tag Archives: coral

January 2, 2013 · 11:33 am

Snow Glow

One of my all-time favorite movies is “Beautiful Girls”. The cast is great, the plot entertaining, but more than anything, I love how it truly captures how cold winters are in Minnesota. It reminds me of my hometown and why I still live here even when I’m a summer girl at heart.

The other thing I love about it is Uma Thurman’s character. She proves that a woman can still be sexy even when she’s dressed in layers and trades heels for Sorels. I think she is at her most beautiful in this movie. Her “natural” makeup gives her a “I just walked a mile in the cold and snow” glow and I have invested time and money in trying to re-create the look. And, I think I’ve finally mastered it! I spent the holiday weekend doing very “Minnesota” activities and had several local gals ask what makeup I use along the way.

Uma and her “snow glow”

Now, when you see how many products go into achieving this look, don’t be dismayed. It actually only takes me about 7 minutes to complete and many of you can probably eliminate some steps (I am not blessed with beautiful skin). Some products I have profiled before and some are new to my routine. Those are the ones I’ll focus the most on.

First step is prep. I mix a little of Paula Dorf’s Jet Set Glow tinted moisturizer ($35) with Dr. Jart+ Water Fuse Beauty Balm ($34). Jet Set Glo adds a little more moisture and glow to the beauty balm. I first started using it in the nineties when I read it’s what the makeup artist for “Sex and the City” used on Sarah Jessica Parker. I’ve been a fan ever since. The beauty balm does a great job of covering, but if I have a certain blemish that needs a little help, I dot on Loreal’s Magic Lumi concealer ($12). I finish off with a dusting of Bare Mineral’s Ready powder foundation ($29). A little goes along way when it comes to this powder. It has great coverage and keeps the shine at bay. For those of you with perfect skin, you can totally skip this step!

Next comes the color! I use Shiseido Lacquer Rouge RD501 Drama ($25) as a cheek stain (which I actually dot on my apples before powder). It’s not sticky and lasts all day. I follow that up with my all-time favorite bronzer, Too Faced Snow Bunny ($29). A swipe on the forehead, apples, nose, and chin gives a perfect winter bronze. And then it’s time for my new love, Stila’s Custom Color Blush in Self-Adjusting Coral ($20). This blush actually works with your PH so you get the perfect color for your skin. I apply to my apples with a very light hand, as it has ample pigments. My cheeks now have the look of a gal who’s been playing in the snow. And on my lips I use the newest from MAC-après Chic lipstick ($15). après Chic is MAC’s latest collection and all the products were made to give you the look of someone who’s been skiing the slopes all day.

Last, but not least, I do my eyes. I keep it very simple. I first put Dior’s Diorshow Maximizer Lash Plumping Serum ($28) on my lashes and follow that with two coats of MAC’s new mascara Extreme Dimension Lash ($20). This mascara is seriously fabulous! My eyelashes actually reach my eyebrows (and no flaking or clumping). Speaking of eyebrows, I just swipe on Revlon’s Brow Fantasy ($8) to add some color and hold them in place. Then a spray of Urban Decay’s De-Slick Makeup Setter ($29) and I’m good to go!

Now, Like I said, it seems like a lot, but it’s actually quite simple. And I’m sure you have products at home that will work just as well. The key is to have glowing skin, in-from-the-cold apples, a more natural eye, and just-bitten lips. You’ll look happy, healthy, and like a true winter girl!

“Feeling Minnesota”. On Medicine Lake looking at the icehouses. Very “Beautiful Girls”!

Summer Lovin’

It’s a scorcher out there today! I have “Happy Hour” plans with some life-long friends tonight and it’s hard to plan an outfit in this humidity. Shorts are a must, but I always get cold in the air conditioning. I pulled out my “look book” for some inspiration.

I adore this look. Oversized denim shorts are great because they allow air to circulate. A light-weight three quarter sleeve top is a wonderful option because it will keep my arms warm. I like an over-sized bag because I can throw a cardigan in there in case of a chill. Add the right jewelry and a gladiator sandal and you have the perfect look for an summer evening.

A sheer coral blouse is gorgeous against a tan, and can keep you cool too. Super short cut-offs paired with a belt are the perfect compliment to a flowy top. Simple but edgy jewelry pulls it all together. No shoes are shown, but I think a wedge would be the ultimate choice for this ensemble.

Dressing can be tricky in the summer because weather can change in a flash and you never know who’s going to have air conditioning. That’s why I always make sure I have a layering piece with my when sporting short sleeves. Denim shorts can easily be dressed up with the right accessories and shoes, as can most tops. The most important thing is to have fun and stay cool!

A Blush All Your Own

We’ve all been there. Your in a store and the blush looks amazing, but when you get home you find the color isn’t right for you at all. None of us want to look like a clown and we all want cheeks that look natural. Well, now you can have a flush that is all your own!
Stila’s Custom Color Blush is the first-ever PH based powder blush. You know all the lip products that adjust to your own body chemistry and give you the perfect shade for you? Now you can have that for your cheeks. This blush is a “one shade fits all” and reacts to your skintone and individual PH to create a perfect, personalized shade. It is very blend-able, has a velvety-soft finish, and smoothes the appearance of fine lines. Your cheeks will have a natural glow with a luminous, flawless flush. It’s ideal for summer because it is so easy to apply-no mistakes with this wonder.

Self-Adjusting Coral

Self-Adjusting Pink

Stila Custom Color Blush come in two shades. Don’t be alarmed by the brightness, they are actually quite sheer and you can build the color. I prefer the coral-very sunny!

Available at Sephora

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Tagged as appearance, blendable, blush, color, coral, custom, fine, finish, flush, glow, individual, lines, luminous, natural, perfect, personalized, ph, pink, powder, self-adjusting, shade, skintone, smoothes, soft, stila, velvety

May 25, 2012 · 8:38 am

Rainy Days

Yesterday was a very rainy in Minneapolis and I spent the majority of the day trying to keep our laundry room from flooding. In between changing and spinning out towels, I played around with instagram. I’ve been on it forever, but never really use it. It’s actually pretty fun! For those of you that don’t know what it is, it’s a social network based on photos. You take a picture, edit it with fun features, and then post. You can follow people, share on other social media sites, and find a lot of inspiration. Here’s a look at my day…

The day definitely called for a top knot. I achieved this one by putting my hair in a high pony and wrapping it around. Secure with a pin and voila! You’ve got an awesome bun. For my lips, I needed something bright and moisturizing. This is the latest color from Fresh-Sugar Coral. I love the shade and it keeps my lips moist for hours (available at Sephora).

I had my Hunter rain boots on a lot (available at Nordstrom) and since it was chilly, I pulled on my cozy fleece-lined leggings (Anthropologie). In between loads of towels and wet-vacing, I paged through this wonderful book, Stylists-New Fashion Visionaries (Amazon). On such an ugly day it felt good to look at some beauty.

If you are on instagram, look me up. You can find me under “chegpie”, which was my dad’s nickname for me (he actually called me “cow pie” until I figured out what that was). Hopefully today will be a sunnier one!

Rosy, Sun-kissed Cheeks

When I was twenty, there was one woman who’s pictures hung in my bathroom. Super model Rachel Williams was, to me, the essence of beauty. Her sun-kissed glow, her ocean-bleached hair-that was the look I wanted. She looked natural, healthy, and beautiful.

These Elle covers from 1990 hung on my bathroom mirror. I actually saw her once when I was at the Met in New York City. She was so tall and gorgeous, all I could do was gawk!

More photos that hung on my mirror. I worked so hard to get my hair that blonde.

Still to this day, when I think of summer beauty, I think of Rachel. Don’t we all want to look like we’ve just been to the beach? We wear our hair a little lighter, and with the right products we can achieve that sun-kissed glow. I have found two new blushes that an give me the rosy, “just got home from the beach” look without having to sacrifice the sunscreen.

Guerlain Terracotta Blush Sun Shimmer Highlighter $41

This is fabulous! The liquid is formulated to illuminate and sculpt sun-kissed complexions with a healthy, natural looking color. The mother-of-pearl concentrate instantly highlights the cheekbones with a radiant boost of shimmery color. It comes in two shades-Sunny Pink (my fave) and Spicy Coral. You’ll look like you spent the day in the Mediterranen!

Sephora Collection Double Contouring Cream Blush $14

This cream-to-powder blush sculpts the face for a youthful, defined look. It conditions and moisturizes skin upon application while providing a flush of healthy color. It effortlessly blends into skin and the micronized pigments provide 8 hours of budge-proof color.

It comes in 6 shades, but I think the Poppy Pink is the most “summery”.

Both are available at Sephora

Now, the trick to achieve the proper sunny look is to apply on the apples of your cheeks. It doesn’t have to be perfect, as you want it to look like the sun hit your cheeks, and we all know it rarely happens evenly. Pair with a light, natural lip and maybe a swipe of bronzer, and people will think you spent the day at the beach.

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Tagged as beauty, blush, cheeks, complexions, conditions, contouring, coral, cream, defined, glow, guerlain, healthy, highlighter, illuminate, kissed, liquid, model, moisturizes, mother of pearl, natural, pink, poppy, powder, rachel willams, rosy, sculpt, Sephora, shimmer, spicy, sun, terracotta, youthful

April 24, 2012 · 9:11 am

A Truly Moisturizing Lipstick

I ran into Walgreen’s a couple of weeks ago and made a pit stop at the cosmetics. I didn’t really need anything, but thought I’d take a look around and I am so glad I did. I found a fabulous color from Maybelline called “Coral Carnation”. It’s kind of a coral, pink, and red combination. The perfect shade for summer. But what I love the most is the texture and the staying power.
The Maybelline Color Sensational Lipstick collection is just that-sensational. Because it’s formulated with pure pigments, the color is much crisper. And the creamier feel comes from honey nectar. But all I know is that my lips stay moisturized for hours. And that’s quite a feat for lipstick. There have been many times I’ve applied it and hours go by and I find myself thinking, “Wow! I haven’t had to put anything on my lips in ages”. And that’s amazing (I am addicted to putting product on my lips). Coral Carnation is a limited edition color (availability may vary by store), but the collection is available in 68 fabulous shades. And they are all under $10. That’s a beautiful thing.

Coral Carnation

On my hand

On my lips (don’t mind me, I just got done working out). Notice the staying power. The color is still vibrant after an hour at the barre.

Maybelline Color Sensational Lipstick is available in 68 shades and all major drugstores

Into The Deep-Anthropologie’s Spring Windows

Okay, so today is “Anthropologie, Take Two” here at Style Meganzine. I was absolutely floored when I saw their spring windows! I come from a very visual background and Anthro has some of the most talented visual merchandisers and display artists in the industry. The theme is “Earth Day” and honors the company’s partnership with the Wyland Foundation, a non-profit working to promote ocean stewardship. Did you know that 60% of the world’s coral reefs are expected to suffer major damage or vanish completely over the next 30 years? The windows are a celebration of life under the ocean and are filled with jellyfish, octopi, sea stars, and other ocean creatures. They are truly amazing and eye-catching windows.

Cream colored sea fans fill these windows.