Styles by Claudia Blog

Archive for November, 2009

Klaus Märtens, a doctor in the German army in WW 2, injured his ankle and felt standard-issue army boots were uncomfortable on his injured foot. He and a friend designed improvements with soft leather & air-padded soles using discarded rubber from an airfield. These evolved into the Doc Martens boots which became popular among British punk musicians, and soon became a symbol for punk fans everywhere.

As women, there are allot of things we label as BAD. At the top of our list 1) Finding out that Robert Patterson may not be in the last Twilight movie. 2) Telling your daughter Robert Patterson may not be in the last Twilight movie. And 3) Not having enough anti-depressants for the both to deal with 1&2.

Yea I know. You guys out there might have a different list. I don’t know…probably something about women not owning a handgun without Midol but we think a little different.

Of course, when my daughter first told me the Twilight story, I thought “I don’t like vampire movies.” But I will say it’s easy to get hooked on these stories. Now trying not to sound like a cougar at senior prom, I’ll admit he is HOT!

My husband jokes that’s its “Romeo&Juliet with teeth” Funny thing is he’s right. But every generation needs its R&J. Our parents had West Side Story’s Tony and Maria, my generation had the R&J artistic remake with DiCaprio and Danes and now our kids have Edward and Bella. With all the negative media surrounding us, the story of two star-crossed lovers fighting for their chance to be together is just what all of us need. When you look into the eyes of many people today they seem to be lacking something we crave and that’s PASSION! As for me, I’m a romantic and stories like Twilight inspire me.

So if you’re a girl who wants to inspire a little passion and romance why not use some of the energy from this film to spice it up? Here are several great Twilight hair and makeup techniques Allure magazine had that you can try at home.

Glowing Skin
Twilight’s vampires sparkle but mortals like us look best with just a touch of strategically placed highlighter. Sweep a cream or powder along the tops of the cheekbones, then dab what’s left on one finger on the tip of your nose (trust us—it balances the look). A golden hue is best for dark skin, while a champagne-colored or pinkish shade flatters fairer skin tones. And everyone should avoid colors that are too frosty—they can make skin look ashen. (For pale skin, try Jemma Kidd Dewy Glow Allover Radiance Crème in Rose Gold; for darker skin, try Lorac Perfectly Lit Oil-Free Luminizing Powder in Radiant or Spotlight.

Just-Bitten Lips
No need to draw blood to get the effect—a lip stain in a cherry or berry shade, applied more heavily in the middle of the mouth, will do the trick. Draw on a liquid stain (such as Cover Girl Outlast Lipstain in Wild Berry Wink) or dab a deep berry or burgundy lipstick onto your mouth with your fingers, and press lips together (try Chanel Crème Lipstick in Vamp or Luna Twilight Just Bitten Staining Balm in Blush).

Smooth Hair
It rains over 100 inches a year in Forks—so where’s the frizz? We’re guessing it’s keeping the movie-set hairstylists pretty busy—unless they, too, have found the only secret weapon that works: the MIT research that went into the Living Proof No Frizz line of stylers. Instead of temporarily masking fuzz with loads of silicones that weigh down your hair, these products form a feather-light coating over hair that actually keeps humidity from seeping in and wreaking havoc in the first place.

Pale Skin
What do beauty editors and the Cullen kids have in common? You got it—a fear of the sun. But you don’t have to hide in a cave to keep your skin protected; just make sure to slick on a broad-spectrum sunscreen (they protect you from both UVA and UVB rays) before leaving the house. The most potent sun-blocking ingredients include Mexoryl (found in La Roche-Posay sunscreens), Helioplex (found in Neutrogena sunscreens), and Active Photobarrier Complex (found in Aveeno sunscreens). Choose at least an SPF 30, and really slather it on—it takes a teaspoon or two of cream to protect your face and another few to keep your neck shielded.

Sexy Eyes
First, apply a chestnut shadow over your lids just up to the crease. The important thing is to choose one with a matte, powdery consistency—creams and shimmers reflect too much light. (We like Revlon Matte Eyeshadow in Rich Sable.) Then line both the upper and lower lash lines with a soft-tipped chocolate-colored pencil (our pick: Stila Kajal Eye Liner in Tigers Eye), and smudge with your fingertips.

Shiny Hair
Whether you’ve got long, straight locks like Bella or an Alice-esque pixie, any style looks best when hair has a glossy finish. An at-home glaze, such as John Frieda Luminous Color Glaze or Clairol Natural Instincts Shine Happy, coats each strand for maximum luster. Plus, it can last through several shampoos—without flattening the hair the way that some silicone-based serums can.

Piercing Eyes
Since we’re mere mortals, our eyes may not change colors with our moods. But they can—with the right shadow shade. Purple eye shadows, like the ones used at the spring Versace show, can bring out the golden flecks in brown and green eyes (try Almay Intense i-Color Eye Shadow Play Up Trio For Browns or Physicians Formula Shimmer Strips Custom Eye Enhancing Shadow & Liner for Brown Eyes and for Green Eyes). If your eyes are blue, go with bronze or peachy shades like the pros used backstage at Derek Lam (try Eyes By Design Transforming Eye Palette For Blue Eyes).

Just picture it. You and your hubby, a dark room, blood red wine and you looking like an immortal ready to turn him pale! Who could resist? And hey, if he doesn’t go for the whole role-playing thing maybe you’ll look so hot he’ll let you turn the lights off and call him Edward? But go into this with an open mind and who knows, it might just work out …and someone gets bit!

To see what people are saying about Claudia click Merchant Circle

Wither pure fact or a little fashion legend the story goes that false eyelashes were designed for movie producer D.W. Griffith. Griffith wanted to enhance Seena Owen’s eyes for a film made in 1916.

These eyelashes were made from real human hair and gauze. The film tanked but the lashes became a huge hit and went on to grace the faces of Hollywood’s greats.

Recently false lashes have become a huge business with semi and permanent versions. The semi-permanent applied by a licensed professional can last up to three months. The permanent lashes, which are surgically implanted by a doctor are forever but need regular trims.

To see what people are saying about Claudia click Merchantcircle.com

Known in America as “The King of Fashion” Paul Poiret was borne in 1879 to a poor cloth merchant in Paris but went on to dominate the fashion industry of his time. Starting off as an umbrella maker he went on to design sketches that were first sold to local dressmakers and soon after to major design houses. His creations earned him a place at the Parisian “House of Worth” but his modern looks were too much for the more conservative clients at that time. Poiret went on to establish his own house in 1903, where he threw grandiose parties and was renowned for marketing his name more than others before him.

When war hit Europe Poiret left his business and served the military by increasing uniform production. Unfortunately once discharged from the military in 1919, Poiret returned to a house on the verge of financial collapse and a new generation of designers were making their mark on the fashion world. One such designer was Coco Chanel whose production of far more simple, sleek designs, employed higher standards of craftsmanship than did Poiret’s.

Although ahead of his time Poiret became quickly out of fashion. He was deeply in debt, and had no support from financial partners. In 1929 the house was closed down and its clothing that remained was sold by weight as rags. He passed away in 1944 with his legacy not attached to designer label but only to histories pages.

To see what people are saying about Claudia click Merchant Circle

Dont apply conditioner over the entire head. Start at the ear area and go to your ends.

Beacause you have natural oil near the scalp, any added conditioner will only weigh hair down and in some cases cause damage to any new growth. And you’ll just waist product!

Too see what people are saying about Claudia click Merchant Circle

Fashion Quote – “Fashion needs to indulge and delight. It needs to be a piece of art, therapy, total body sculpting surgery-to be the perfect date and armor all in one!” John Galliano

To see what people are saying about Claudia click Merchant Circle

The Flapper era started off roaring! The popular look of the Flapper was called “comme le garcon” meaning “like the boy”. The skirts were straight, short and the hair was even shockingly shorter.
Short hair was a big deal since nice girls kept their hair long, almost as a show of virginity and maidenhood. For a young woman to chop her hair short was admitting she had turned to the Dark Side and done the carnal deed. But these young gals took it step further than just a boyish haircut and late night partying; they began lighting up their cigarettes and smoking in public—this was something no “lady” did.

To see what people are saying about Claudia click Merchant Circle

Any decent stylist knows that the shape of your face strongly determines the type of hair style that can compliment or badly detract from your natural beauty. Yea yea yea, I know there are always exceptions to the rule. Even in nature we have the Bumble-bee that technically shouldn’t fly, the Duck-billed platypus that according to evolutionists shouldn’t even exist and in the fashion world we have Kate Moss, who by all standards, with her wide set, Hammerhead shaped eyes really shouldn’t have a contract but those are exceptions and not the standard.

Now most people can easily look in the mirror and get an idea of their faces shape but what we see is often blurred by what we want and not what we really have. Personally I like exact numbers, remember there are some faces that fall into two categories and can easily pull off looks from two different categories. So if you want to get technical, here is a little math that can help you find your perfect category.

First off, start by measuring across the top of your cheekbones. Place the end of your tape measure just past the outer corner of your eye. Then lay the tape measure in a straight line across the bridge of your nose just past the outer corner of your other eye. The tape measure should be resting on the top of the top of your cheekbone.

Write down this measurement.
Next, measure your jaw line next. Start on one side of your jaw at the base near your ear. Run the measuring tape along your jaw line to the middle of your chin.

Now, multiple the numbers at the end point by two and write down this measurement.

Then, measure your forehead by placing the starting point of the measuring tape on one side of your forehead at the widest point halfway between your eyebrows and your hairline. Run the measuring tape along your forehead till you come to the same point on the opposite side.

Write down this measurement.

Last, measure the length of your face. Start at the middle of your hairline. Run the measuring tape down your face, over the nose, to the tip of your chin.

Read the number at the end point and write down this measurement.

Ok, here are the results. An oval face is 1.5 times wider than long. A round face is almost equal in width and length. A square face is as wide as it is long, but angular at the top and bottom compared to a round face. A heart shaped face is narrow at the jaw and wide at the cheekbones or forehead, while a diamond shaped face is wide at the cheekbones and narrow at both the forehead and jaw.

Armed with a little more info you might be able to look at styles you normally would have never considered.

To see what people are saying about Claudia click Merchant Circle