Summer SEX APPEAL 101

BRIGHT EYE SHADOW

 

From blue to orange, bright eye shadow colors are all over the fashion runways. This is territory where you must tread carefully. The key is to find a color that isn’t overpowering. From there, you can always build to more intense color. As opposed to wearing the stark bright colors as seen on the runways, try a wash of color all over the lid. Use a fluffy brush and gently cover the lid with a shot of bright eye shadow. Blend it thoroughly into the crease to avoid any harsh lines.

BRIGHT EYELINER

Too scared to take the plunge with bright eye shadow? Try bright eyeliner instead! For many of us, it’s far easier to pull off and takes less guesswork than eye shadow. You can use an eyeliner or an eye shadow, applied with a pencil brush. If you normally line the rims of your eyes with black eyeliner, do that and then apply the colored eyeliner to the lash line. You can wet your brush to get a distinct line or use a small, slightly fluffy brush to gently smoke the color out.

BABY DOLL CHEEKS

 

A flush of serious pink color on your cheeks is hot for summer. Use a saturated magenta if you have medium or dark skin and those with fair skin can opt for a cotton candy pink. Use a fluffy blush brush to distribute color evenly. If you go overboard, dust a loose translucent powder over your cheeks to tone down the color without having to start over.

ULTRA JUICY LIPS

Bold lip color is all the rage and there’s no easier way to wear it than with a gloss. If you aren’t used to bold lip color, go easy on the rest of your makeup and let your lips take center stage. Wear a tinted moisturizer, mascara, a dusting of bronzer and the gloss. Medium and dark skin tones can wear orange to set off the warmth in their skin and fair skin tones can try a range of cool tone pinks. To add intensity to the color and help it stay put, lay down a lip stain first and then top it with the gloss.

STRONG BROWS 

Strong brows come and go and for summer 2011. If you’re working with sparse brows, use a cool tone brow pencil to enhance the look of your eye brows. Use small flecks instead of drawing on a line all at once. This creates a more natural appearance. After filling in the brows, use a spool brush to blend the color with your natural hairs. If you already have full brows, look into a brow gel. This keeps stray hairs at bay and grooms brows into place while adding subtle color (which you need very little of if you’re already working with thick brows).

LIGHT NAIL POLISH

It’s all about soft colors for the nails this season. Pale pink and nude are wearable for the work place and on the weekends you can have fun with baby blue, lavender and soft shades of yellow. Gray hues continue to dominate, but since it’s summer, lighten up with slate and silver tones versus the graphite colors you may have worn in the fall and winter. Keep nails short when wearing trendy nail colors to keep the look sophisticated.

RED LIPS 

This is a classic look, but many women are uneasy sporting it. Red lips scream drama, so you may be reluctant to wear it. It can be wearable for day though. Instead of going for intense color, try a red lip stain, which flushes the lips with color and stays put for hours. You don’t the color to bleed, so lay down a lip primer and allow it to dry before apply red lip color. Try a matte color if you’re looking for an upscale look. For a more modern take, opt for a glossy finish.

LOOSE WAVES

Go for a fun, festive look that fits summer. Loose waves allow you to get out the door in minutes. When you’re out of the shower, spray hair with a leave-in conditioner. Follow this with a glossing serum or cream, focusing on the ends of the hair. Split hair down the middle and create two loose buns, pinning each one up with a few bobby pins. From here, you can do housework, sleep or blow dry each bun until it’s almost dry. When you take the buns down, you’ll end up with loose, relaxed waves that scream to be seen on a warm day. You may want to run a little more glossing serum through your hair to smooth away any frizz and create a more polished look.

THE TOP KNOT

If you love a no-muss, no-fuss hairstyle, you’re in luck. The top knot is easy to pull off when you’re in a rush and looks great with bright florals or citrus colors, both strong fashion trends for summer. You want the knot to have some texture, so it’s best to work with day-after hair (as in, the after washing) or add a pomade to add texture to clean hair. Gather hair at the round of the head for a more approachable look than the sumo wrestler looks shown on the runways. Smooth out any bumps with a boar bristle brush and secure the ponytail with a hair elastic. Take the ponytail and split it into two equal sections. Take one section and wrap it around the elastic, securing the ends with a couple of bobby pins. Do the same with the remaining section of hair. Don’t worry if it’s a little mussed or there are a few stray hairs. It adds the bohemian chic feel of this trendy hairdo. 

Trying out the latest beauty trends doesn’t have to be intimidating. Just have some fun and play around with looks. If you aren’t the type that experiments with makeup, it’s best to starting with an easy trend like loose waves of glossy bright lips before building up to a matte red lip or orange eye shadow. Let your creativity blossom and enjoy mixing up your beauty routine. It’s beauty; just have fun with it!