Tag Archives: Glamour

Shimmer & Gold

Lets all get serious here.

If you’ve been paying attention to my posts then you already know I’m not afraid of much when it comes to getting dolled up.

Except for kitten heels.

Honestly, what IS that??  Much like the word “fetch”, there are just some things that are not going to happen.

But staying on track here…

Because its this specific time of year that the limits to getting glam are just begging to be defied.

And defy you must.  Because regardless of whether you’re a self-proclaimed glamazon (ahem…), or the girl next door who just needs a little sparkle, I’ve got the tips and tricks that will have you covered this holiday season.  Head to toes.  Or, just toes.

So lets break this down using a little system I like to call….

   The Sizzle Scale.

Pretty catchy, right?  Okay, okay- but hear me out first.

For instance, are you a Level 5 smoldering sex bomb?  How about a Level 3 bling babe?  Or maybe a Level 1 minimalist momma?  Whatever the case, I’m only here to tell you that if there was ever a time to step out of your comfort zone, and try something shiny and bright this year-

This.  Is.  It.

And because every girl loves a satisfying finale (;)), we’ll start this off with the bare minimum on big ways to get your shine on this Christmas, leading all the way up to the big… finish.

Level 1.

Lets start off simple, shall we?

Now we all love a good mani, BUT, save yourself a few bucks and spend them on cocktails instead.  Cause you can pull this one off on your own.  And I can speak from personal experience on this trend that not only is it the easiest, it will earn you the most compliments too.  I’m talking about gold glitter nails.  But here’s the trick- you have to straight up layer that polish on.  Like, 4 coats kind of layer.  But if you’ve ever used a glitter based polish before, you know that it dries super quick.  So 4 layers of glitter polish is like 2 coats of regular polish in the hustle world.  And this is important.  Because your a boss bitch with things to do.  So find the brightest, most sparkling polish OPI has to offer and get to work.  You’ll see the payoff the second you reach for your first latte post-paint job.

shimmer and gold nails glitter holiday fashion beauty liberata dolce winter trends 2016 shimmer and gold nails glitter holiday fashion beauty liberata dolce winter trends 2016 shimmer and gold nails glitter holiday fashion beauty liberata dolce winter trends 2016

Level 2.

 A girl’s gotta give good face.

But we have seen a streak of, shall we say… questionable trends this year.  It seems like beauty pro’s all over were trying to frost every feature.  And while the majority have been oh so right, there were a few that left us with serious doubts.  Like glitter brows….  BUT– like everything else in life- I think they all deserve a shot.  So while you may not want to paint a solid streak of glitter under your brow (see Gigi Hadid below), I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised of what a little bling can do blended right into the brows themselves.  Think of it kind of like applying mascara.  One little swipe and you’ll get some serious bling that’s perfect for  your next Girl’s Night Out.  Not to mention this look is definitely concert approved.

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Level 3.

So a little brow bling doesn’t scare you, you say?  Great– now we’re on to something here.  And by here, I mean pigments.  Lately I have become obsessed with the ability to turn any pigment into liquid metal.  And this little trick is accomplished by mixing the powder itself with small amounts of either coconut oil (that ish really DOES do everything…) or MAC’s Essential Oil.  And then brace yourself for the results.  You’ll soon be the mad scientist of your own bathroom, mixing and applying colors that your teenage self could only once dream of.  I suggest MAC’s pigments in either Copper, Platinum, Gold or Rose Gold for this season.  Wait for festival season for the rest.  And while the more timid may apply this as a shadow, these are especially striking when applied straight to the lips.  And if that’s still not enough to make you your little beauty loving heart say “Daaaammmnnnnn, girl”, than add a light dusting of contrasting pigment or glitter on top for even more sparkle.

shimmer and gold nails glitter holiday fashion beauty liberata dolce winter trends 2016 mac pigments

shimmer and gold nails glitter holiday fashion beauty liberata dolce winter trends 2016 shimmer and gold nails glitter holiday fashion beauty liberata dolce winter trends 2016 shimmer and gold nails glitter holiday fashion beauty liberata dolce winter trends 2016

And if your heart isnt crying from glittering happiness at this point, I still have 2 more to go….

Level 4.

They say the eyes are the window to the soul.  And with Christmas right around the corner, its only fitting that the view should be just as bright.  Silver and gold kind of bright.  And lucky for you, all it will take is a simple tube of glitter glue (yes, there is such a thing) to achieve this.  Now, I’m sure there are much more “industry standard” ways of doing this, but after spying this glorious product, I couldn’t care less.  Purchased at Sally’s, this little tube of wonder will make the chunkiest of glitter’s stick.  AND stay put all night.  Start off with your favorite shadows, then dip your brush into a small amount of the adhesive.  At first, it felt too watery to do anything thing.  But I blotted it into my crease anyways.

And then the magic happened.

Next I moved my brush into a glittery pigment (also from MAC) and blotted it into the same area.  And the results were stun-ning.  Like, ready for New Year’s Eve kind of stunning.  Except it was a Tuesday.  And I could not have cared less.  And you wont either.

Like Bruno would say: 24 karat magic in the aaaaiiiiirrrrrr.

shimmer and gold nails glitter holiday fashion beauty liberata dolce winter trends 2016 shimmer and gold nails glitter holiday fashion beauty liberata dolce winter trends 2016

glitter-lids-bling-sparkle glitter-lids

gold-lids

Level 5.

I’ll admit- I don’t think this particular look is in any as striking or jaw dropping as the aforementioned.  But I DO think its one of the easiest.  And most wearable.  Yet at the same time- most avoided.  And I cant think of one good reason why.  At least, not now.  True, you may not want to roll up to your next meeting with glitter roots, but I would sure as hell rock it to brunch with my girls.  After all, isn’t life about having fun?  About not giving a fuck?  And while its not the most mature look, I think there’s something endearing about the childishness of it this time of year.  Like drinking hot chocolate instead of wine while you watch Elf.

Glitter roots is the hot chocolate of holiday hair.

shimmer and gold nails glitter holiday fashion beauty liberata dolce winter trends 2016

shimmer and gold nails glitter holiday fashion beauty liberata dolce winter trends 2016shimmer and gold nails glitter holiday fashion beauty liberata dolce winter trends 2016shimmer and gold nails glitter holiday fashion beauty liberata dolce winter trends 2016shimmer and gold nails glitter holiday fashion beauty liberata dolce winter trends 2016

So be bold and go heavy with it.  Or keep it simple and sassy with just your part line.  Whatever the case, just freaking do it.  Keep the wonder alive in more than just Christmas this year and be a little childish with these trends.  Because as some once said-

“Always keep your childish enthusiasm and things will go your way”.

And always, ALWAYS keep shining.

Till next time, dolls….

X

And The Award Goes To….

oscars best dressed 2016 liberata dolce fashion blogger style couture red carpet

While many fashionistas drug of choice remains shoes, my personal preference has always been couture.  Primarily, red carpet couture.  Sure, shoes are great.  And I can totally relate to their healing powers- no matter how you feel, they’ll always fit.

But… the focus is still on your feet.  And I need more than that.

And couture puts the focus on the entire package.  Sometimes in the most creatively imaginative and stunning ways possible.  Others, a bit more classic.  And that’s exactly what makes couture so damn addictive- you never know what you’re going to get.  But there’s one occasion in particular where you can count on seeing a little bit of everything.

The Academy Awards.

Otherwise known as the holy grail for stylists.  Like Rachel Zoe, who showed us all the painstaking work that went into securing gowns for her clients through her reality show, The Rachel Zoe Project.  And quite honestly, we can credit her for the reason people even pay attention to who’s styling who these days.  For Zoe, the process would usually begin with Fashion Week, where she would spot a gown, picture a specific client with it, and the rest would become red carpet history.   But not without drama- the show exposed just how critical obtaining the perfect gown was, and the lengths stylists would go to get it.   After all, it was all about “the moment”.  Her client list has included A-listers like Anne Hathaway, Jennifer Lawrence, Eva Mendez, Demi Moore, Jennifer Garner and Kate Hudson.

But enough about the people- lets talk about the DRESSES.

Over the years there have been some serious standout looks.  Some good, some bad, some flat out legendary.  Then there’s Bjork’s swan dress that has its own category all together… (Seriously, still…. wth??)

But being in the legendary group- THAT’S what its all about.  It’s the magical moment of fashion in its most glamorous form.  Like Halle Berry in Elie Saab (2002), Hilary Swank in Guy Laroche (2005), Michelle Williams in Vera Wang (2006), Julia Roberts in vintage Valentino (2001), Penelope Cruz in Atelier Versace (2007), Jennifer Lawrence in Dior (2013).  Hell, even Sharon Stone in her husband’s dress shirt.

liberata dolce oscars best dressed history halle berry michelle williams hilary swank

So who made Legend status this year?  Personally, I didn’t see any major misses.  Or, tragic ones at least.  This year’s Oscars proved to be one of the more timid ones when it came to fashion statements.  In other words- no one showed up as a farm animal.  Instead, the risks were on a more personal level.  Like wearing yellow.  Or an unexpected cutout.  And it paid off.  Then you had your standard classics, like Reese Witherspoon.  Though always stunning, Reese pulls no surprises with her strapless, mermaid cut gowns.  Hey, if aint broke…

But we don’t watch the Oscars for the expected.  Instead, its stars like Cate Blanchett that we rely on to make our knees weak.  And Cate DID NOT disappoint this year.  Winning Best Dressed, hands down, no questions asked, I literally gasped when they first showed her on screen.  Wearing Armani Prive, everything was so spot on perfect about this gown.  It was romantic, yet glamorous, yet unique.  The color was exquisite.  The details were flawless.  And the dress said everything a dress is supposed to on Oscar night- LOOK.  AT.  ME.

Oh, we did, Cate.  And we still are….

cate blanchett liberata dolce academy awards oscar best dressed fashion style blogger blog red carpet glamour

But we had a few more winners last night.  Like Brie Larson (Below, Left) in a magical blue Gucci number that celebrated some of the biggest trends at the moment.  The plunging neckline gave a hint of a lingerie look, while her jewel encrusted belt offered the only bit of accessorizing.  And it was perfect.  With its A-line cut, the skirt added extra drama through ruffles and a small train, while the top screamed total glamour.  Also worth noting was the hair piece woven into her hair perfectly matched the detailing on her belt.

oscars best dressed 2016 liberata dolce fashion blogger style couture red carpet best

 After that, it was Saoirse Ronan (Top, Right) who stole the show.  Wearing Calvin Klein, the girl was literally dripping with that old school Hollywood glamour.  But it was the cut outs and color that kept the look young and modern.  Add to that the plunging neckline, and you can add bombshell to the list of everything that is SO right about this dress.  Keeping with the “less is more” trend that was so dominant last night, accessories once again took a backseat.

See guys- I told you to ditch the necklaces.  The only statement these girls are making are simple, but clear with a killer set of earrings and a well placed ring, or two.

Moving on to my next favorite, we have one of our red carpet alumni favorites: Charlize Theron (Below).  Wearing Dior, Charlize absolutely slayed it.  And at 40, I can honestly admit she has never looked better.  One of the few stars to wear her hair up last night, I’m so glad she did.  But just in case that wasn’t enough to direct any and all attention to that incredibly sexy neckline, a very well placed necklace guaranteed it.

 

HOLLYWOOD, CA - FEBRUARY 28: Actress Charlize Theron attends the 88th Annual Academy Awards at Hollywood & Highland Center on February 28, 2016 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic)
HOLLYWOOD, CA – FEBRUARY 28: Actress Charlize Theron attends the 88th Annual Academy Awards at Hollywood & Highland Center on February 28, 2016 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic)

After that, we have Mara Rooney in Givenchy.  The girl definitely has a red carpet formula that works for her, and we dont ever want it to change- last time Mara walked the red carpet, she wore the same color and same designer.  Again, we have a minimal accessories, keeping the focus exactly where it needs to be.  And the cutout could have been a total miss… but somehow the placement is exactly what makes this dress so incredible.  Its unexpected, yet completely on point.  And her perfect is her complexion in white?  Its a look like this that really makes you stop and realize just how incredibly beautiful Mara is.

 

HOLLYWOOD, CA - FEBRUARY 28: Actress Rooney Mara attends the 88th Annual Academy Awards at Hollywood & Highland Center on February 28, 2016 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic)
HOLLYWOOD, CA – FEBRUARY 28: Actress Rooney Mara attends the 88th Annual Academy Awards at Hollywood & Highland Center on February 28, 2016 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic)

So there were a lot of fashion “moments” to be had at this year’s Oscars.  Though probably none more notable than Leo’s- who finally got his well deserved Oscar.  It was refreshing to see celebrities really bring out their best, and keep the red carpet exactly at it should be- glamorous and awe-inducing.  It brought back the excitement one hopes for as each celebrity is interviewed, elaborating on their look, and who their wearing.  At the same time, it creates a sort of time stamp for our generation of the moment as new iconic looks are both established, and coveted.  Because just as their films will live on, so will their looks from this night.

And you ladies certainly gave us all one to remember.

No swan dress needed.

Turn Up The Vamp- Fall is Coming

A chic way to transition luxuriously into cooler temps.

Cause Bombshells stay Hot all year….

#BombshellCode

 

Turn Up The Vamp Factor- Fall is Coming

Lanvin silk top
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Gucci jacket
$5,145 – profilefashion.com

Alexander McQueen black jewelry
$1,440 – farfetch.com

Kate Spade engraved jewelry
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Alexander mcqueen jewelry
$490 – net-a-porter.com

Alexander McQueen band jewelry
$460 – farfetch.com

Alexis bittar bracelet
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Fendi cateye glasses
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