The monochromatic face for winter...

The makeup style for almost a decade now has been
strong eye, soft lip
or
soft eye strong lip.

If not, we end up looking like the grand dames of the eighties series Dynasty.

This past season, the makeup artists from the runway shows
have reintroduced a modern way to revisit the 80's.

Thus, the monochromatic face is born.

So...

What does this mean, really?

That the eyes and lips are in color synchronicity.

When we wear brown eyeshadow, we can do a little more than the
casual beige or blush pink of the decade past.

It is now very chic to wear a raisin color or even a plum to match the shadow.

A lot of makeup lines from
Chanel to Loreal are putting collections together to reflect this new trend.

And...

Those of us that are not fashionistas pounding the pavement of the big city,
but actually moms in SUV's in the suburbs of middle America
can rejoice in our new found freedom
to stain our lips a darker shade without feeling like clowns....

Start with a clean face, moisturized face.

Put on your usual foundation.

The makeup I chose for this morning
is a wine colored palette; lipstick, lipgloss and eyeshadow.

I start with the concealer.

Then I wet my brush and use
the first eyeshadow color in a neutral white.

Then I layer the lighter color of wine.

Then the darker color of wine on the lash line.

An eyeshadow applicator
dipped in a tad bit of water works best
to create the look of soft eyeliner.

 Dab the small blush brush and...

add it to only the apples of my cheeks.

Next, comes the lips...

First, the lipstick; then the lipgloss to make lips shiny.

After the 'wet' eyeshadows dry, apply two coats of mascara.

...and Voila!

A monochromatic face that is modern and works well with my lifestyle.

Diary of an Outfit Part 1...

An outfit starts with an inspiration piece:

A shirt, a pair of pants, or even a bracelet.

Go to your closet and pick out one item

and then 'work' a whole outfit around it.

I put this outfit together by picking out the shirt.

Snakeskin prints are really in this season.

These kind of bold fashion statements can be tricky to wear

as not to look like we are trying too hard.

This silk buttondown is classic enough for Jackie O, yet still satisfies our desire to follow a trend...  :)

The shirt is 100% silk and buttondown.

Being 100% silk makes it less bulky

as buttondowns usually are.

The pants are black corduroy with a camel color trim and match the shirt really well.

The shirt undreneath is cream and has light colored sequins to add a little whimsy to the outfit.

There is another trendy element in this outfit.

70's inspired shoes are also in style this season so I opted for some clogs with buckles by

Juicy Couture.

The cashmere cardigan is camel colored and 3/4 sleeve to make the masculine pieces like the buttondown shirt and corduroys look more feminine.

Last, the jewelry is also 70's inspired with the clunky wooden bracelet in the

color of soft well worn leather from Anthropologie.

The pendant on the necklace is amber and the earrings are gold diamond studs; kind of unassuming as not to overpower the rest of the jewelry.

 This is a good outfit for a casual day,

out to lunch with a friend,

holiday shopping,

or I wore it to a Sunday brunch after my cousin's wedding.