Sunday, August 29, 2010

NEVER SAY NEVER!!















So we all know about the fashion Seasons & how certain colors are in this year & out the next. Im a strong advocate of these very 2 colors that never go out of season & don't laugh when i say BLACK & WHITE. Certain people might not agree with me,but these 2 colors worn in variety of Shapes & Textures give u a WOW Factor anyday. BEIGES also fall into this category as Nudes are also very much in.




















Of course,these colours can be worn alone or in mixed fabrics adding a hint of light or can be paired with different colored bottoms.




















We all know Grey is a combination of White & Black which definitely goes well with either of the 2 colors as shown below.
















One thing i always say is as Fashion Forward as you might be, we all have varying bodytypes & certain pieces of clothing that look great on Miss A might turn out wrongly on Miss B.This also applies to Makeup & Colors of Clothing.

Pls remember,Dark Colors give a Slimming effect, so if you know you have areas of your body you wouldn't like eyes falling on, then,please avoid wearing white or light colored clothes on such areas.

Have fun & if you have any questions,don't hesitate to send me a mail - sitpretty412@yahoo.com & PLEASE leave a comment!!

Wednesday, August 25, 2010

HAIRSTYLES FOR THE SQUARE FACE SHAPE!!!


















Wonder what Funke Bucknor-Obruthe,Salma Hayek,Janet jackson,Calista Flockhart ,Sandra Bullock & my cousin Doyinsola have in common???well,u guessed right,they all have SQUARE SHAPED FACES!!


So you have been able to identify your face shape & your next question is what hairstyle suits you??

We must understand that certain hairstyles aren't for everyone. That's why Fringed styles fit some, while on others it looks like they got a cat in their faces. The same way Cropped styles fit some people & doesn't fit others.

Don't get me wrong, there certainly is a Fringed style that suits each face shape. Same way there is a cropped style that suits every face shape,it's just for us to know which one & to see celebrities who fall in that same face shape category.

For a square face shape,a haircut that softens your face is ideal.Most flattering haircut for you is Medium layers that shape the face and soften the jaw.

Bangs/what most people here call Fringes help soften features. Bangs should never be short or boxed off at the edges.Short bobs, extra long styles, or haircuts with sharp, angular lines,should be avoided as they lay emphasis or draw attention towards ur Squared Jaw.

Height at the crown will elongate your symmetrical shape. If your hair is straight, you may want to consider a body wave, as some curl or wave to the hair will achieve a nice balance to the straight features of your face shape.

PLS AVOID: Long straight styles that accentuate the square jawbone. "Linear" straight bangs or center parts aren't the best choice. A straight bob ending at the jaw line is the wrong thing to do for your face shape. You can wear a layered bob, however it should end ABOVE or BELOW the jaw line, NOT at the jaw. Make sure in styling that you achieve some roundness to the shape and some height at the crown or bangs.

Also, if you are selecting earrings for this face shape, it is best to select those that are rounded. Hoop earrings and those similar in nature can be extremely beneficial when it comes to adding a rounded contour to this shaped face.


Wearing small earrings, like diamond studs, can actually make your face appear more squared off. You will want to select necklaces that have a “V” shape to them, this will provide a smooth appearance.

Have fun & if you have any questions,don't hesitate to send me a mail - sitpretty412@yahoo.com & PLEASE leave a comment!!

BEST SOCIAL WEBSITE ON THIS SIDE OF TOWN & AFRICA THAT I KNOW!!

I haven't been paid to endorse this website or anything,but i'm sure a lot of people got to know about this site through me(No awards given for that either). I'm a strong believer in endorsing anything/anyone who has affected my life positively & BELLANAIJA is that site.

They keep you updated on the latest trends in Fashion,the goings-on in the social circuit of Nigeria,Weddings & A lot of Inspirational Posts are loaded each week to your pleasure.

Yours sincerely will be joining their team soon as a Beauty contributor & will surely keep you all posted.

So here's to Bella Naija's Team for a Good Job Well Done!!

xoxo

Thursday, August 19, 2010

UR DREAM WEDDING!!

So, the day has finally arrived. That day you dreamed of from the first time you read/watched the Disney stories. But as with all preparations,it has it's fair share of stress no matter how well plans are going.

Most likely you don't want/can't afford a wedding planner, but with the little i know about planning an event, your itinery should be:

- Identify the expected Number of guests: At least an approximate number would suffice, because here in Nigeria, you can't predict the number of guests that would show up.
ADVICE- Create a Guest List from both Families. That will help a great deal.

- Decide on a Venue: Here you have to be realistic.You can't decide to use a Field for 100 guests or a Conference Room for 1000 Guests. Proximity to all invited guests as well as season should also be considered. If your wedding date falls during the Rainy season, you don't want to risk having ur guests getting drenched by using a Field Location,except u have a Massive Tent e.g Balmoral(in Lagos)'s Kind.
ADVICE- Determine your budget & take friends along before conclusions are made.











- Food: Now,i'm not sure about the order of how things should happen, but at least i knw these few i have mentioned & still will are very important elements. If you are expecting 500 guests, then its very logical to provide food for 700guests. This also should be considered when providing drinks for guests.
ADVICE- Hire a Caterer & Drinks Provider. It's their Job & they will be able to offer expert advice. Finger Foods might also do nicely.


- Coverage: This refers to Videography & Photography. Hiring an experienced Photographer would be a great help in capturing precious moments. I didn't have exactly what i wanted when i got married, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't.
ADVICE- View previous works of Photographers & Word-of-mouth referrals from friends are also key.

- Entertainment- This covers Bands et al.
ADVICE- Get a Good DJ,discuss all options on songs you would like played for your First Dance & other highlights.



- Miscellaneous- This covers IVs(Invitation Cards),Color Themes,Bridal party,Wedding & Engagement Cakes,Shoes,Traditional Outfits,Wedding Gown,Suits,Rings,Makeup,Church/Mosque to use,Alagas for your Traditional Wedding(This partains to Yorubas.But for the Igbos & Hausas,the necessary Compere for your Traditional Wedding comes in here).


So,i wish you all the best with your upcoming Wedding. I hope the itemized details are helpful. Will post what you need to know about ur Makeup Artist.

Have fun & if you have any questions,don't hesitate to send me a mail - sitpretty412@yahoo.com & PLEASE leave a comment!!

Wednesday, August 18, 2010

KNOWLEDGE NEVER WASTED!!

So,like every Vocation out there,its important to have a great knowledge base partaining to your area of interest & My darling Friend Pat,was so instrumental in helping me build my Library.

I was able to acquire Sam fine's FINE BEAUTY, Iman's THE COLOR OF BEAUTY, Sam Fine's FINE DVD & Danessa Myricks BLACK MAGIC & BASICS & BEYOND. Will acquire more soon,you never know, you might see me at the next IMATS or MakeUp Show.

As an aspiring Makeup Artist, you cant depend solely on the Knowledge you gained at Makeup School. You need to equip urself with as many tools & Literature you can lay your hands on.

If ur heading down this road, i wish you the very best & remember, nothing Good comes easy,but Great Things come to those That Believe & work towards it.Remember,it requires Hardwork,Dedication,passion & Consistency.

xoxo

VERY FIRST SHOOT,YAY!!





This was a much anticipated day.I had to overcome my fear & also see how good my work was from the len's point of view. Not my best work yet,but better to over come ur fear,right??

Well,for those who don't know,i get jitters even when iv done something over & over, but when its something new,whew!!

So,with the Support of 4 Fab Friends, BISI P,BISI M,KANYIN D,IFE D.We hit the studios & spent a great deal of the day doing more of Trad Looks & a Lil Fashion.

I Hope u guys like it.

Love You All!!

THAT THING ABOVE YOUR EYES!!!


One of the things we all have in common are eyebrows. Our eyebrows have the remarkable ability of changing one's appearance. Your eyebrows can make you look younger & can add a dramatic lift to your eyes, so that it appears firmer.

Your eyebrow shape depends most importantly on your facial features.And we have 6 Basic Categories of Face Shapes. Pls note that as much as you strive to have eyebrows that look like that of LINDA EVANGELISTA's or NAOMI CAMPBELL's, stick with what suits ur face frame.

Some of the illustrations below may look a bit sharp edged/harsh, but when done on the right face shape, you will absolutely love them.

The Various Face Shapes are:

1). LONG FACE SHAPE



* Forehead, cheekbones and jawline are all about the same width
* Can tend to have a prominent chin
* Has an elongated appearance




2).DIAMOND FACE SHAPE



* Not as common as the other face shapes
* Typically the face is highly angular
* The forehead is somewhat short
* The face is widest at the temples



3).HEART FACE SHAPE



*Similar to oval but the chin tapers to a point.






4).SQUARE FACE SHAPE



* Forehead, cheekbones and jawline all about the same width
* Squared jawline is the most obvious feature





5).ROUND FACE SHAPE



* Face is almost as wide as it is long
* Face is widest at the cheeks





6).OVAL FACE SHAPE




* Forehead is wider than the chin
* Prominent cheekbones
* Face gracefully tapers to a narrow oval chin



We know that creating the most flattering shape and arch of your eyebrows may be really hard, so go to a Professional Makeup Artist like SIT PRETTY INC. or a beautician. Once you get the perfect line and shape you want, you will be able to maintain them by yourself.

Also identify under which of the following categories you fall, by pulling your hair away from your face:

# HIGH FOREHEAD – the arch of the eyebrow should be slightly elevated to create the illusion of a lower forehead.

# LOW FOREHEAD – the arch should be as low as possible to give more height to the forehead.

# WIDE SET EYES– leave the eyebrows unplucked on the inner corners. You can extend the inner corners using eyebrow pencil.

# CLOSE SET EYES – if you want to make the eyes wider apart, you should pluck more from the inner corners and extend outer corners using eye pencil

# If you tweeze too much from the inner edge of the eyebrows it makes your eyes look smaller.

# Eyebrows should follow the line of the bone just above your eyes.

# High arches are the best way to open up the eyes.

# When tweezing grab each hair at the root and quickly yank in the direction of hair growth.

# Plucking too much from the bottom edge gives you a permanent look of surprise.

# Never pluck above the eyebrows.

# Pull hairs out in the direction of growth one at a time.

# Never pluck daily.

# Use a toothbrush or a clean mascara wand to brush the hairs.

AND IF YOU WANT TO GO ALL ARCHITECT ON YOURSELF, You can take out time to do some Facial Mathematics Below:

* Measure the length of your face with a ruler. (In this case the total length of the face is 8).
* Divide the total length by 3. (In this case 8 divided by 3 is 2.67 or 2 2/3).
* Measure the length from the bottom of your nose to the bottom of your chin. (in this case 2 1/3),
* If the last number (the 2 1/3 number) is larger than the first number (the 2 2/3) than chances are you have a long face.
* If the last number is less than the first number than chances are you have a round face.
* If the last number is equal to the first number than chances are you have an oval face.

HAVE FUN DISCOVERING YOUR FACESHAPES & SUITABLE EYEBROW SHAPES & if you have any questions,don't hesitate to send me a mail - sitpretty412@yahoo.com & PLEASE leave a comment!!

SO I HAVE SKIN,THEN WHAT NEXT??


So,the last time,i spoke about skin,just to clear the air & before i delve into makeup at all,we need to understand our skin(BLACK SKIN).

And it seems due to our weather, everyone seems to have oily skin

But the misconception people have or shud i say,the question in people's mind is 'WHY SHUD I MOISTURIZE(CREAM) MY ALREADY OILY SKIN??

Shud i say that i noticed that when i apply little moisturizer or not at all to my face,within minutes,you wud think i were about to fry an egg.

What im trying to say in essence is that no matter the skin type,its a MUST to moisturize your skin after you must have completed your CTM(Cleansing, Toning & Moisturizing[Totology,i know!]) Regimen.

WHY ?
Because the Body is tricked into believing that the face & oil ducts are very dry hence, producing more oil.

So here are a few tips that will help you get more Beautiful,Nourished & Younger Looking Skin:

- Cleanse your face daily to remove dirt, oil and makeup.
- Avoid abrasive cleansers or cleansing products, which tend to irritate your skin.
- Cleanse facial skin with your fingertips, massaging gently in a circular motion.
- Use products designed for your skin type only: oily, dry, normal, combination, sensitive, acne-prone or hyperpigmenting.
- Exfoliate if you need to remove dull, dead skin cells by using gentle exfoliating acids found in skin products


AVOID USING:

- Cleansers, toners or astringents containing alcohol, propylene glycol, fragrance, or dyes.
- Products containing essential oils that are concentrated oil extracts from plants.
- Moisturizers containing fragrance, lanolin, dye, alcohol or propylene glycol.
- Sunscreens containing fragrance, oil, PABA.
- Makeup containing oil: Wearing oil based makeup when oily skin is a problem only adds to the problem. Wear as little makeup as necessary to achieve the desired look. When wearing a liquid or cream foundation is desired, choose an oil-free foundation and finish with a powder to seal the foundation. If possible, opt for mineral and all natural powder based foundations to help prevent oily skin.
- Alpha-hydroxy acid in high concentrations or at certain pHs.

SUNSCREEN TIPS

- Dark skin women (and men) should use sunscreen daily.
- Always apply sunscreen 20 minutes before exposing your skin to the sun.
- Apply sunscreen generously to skin (face, neck and hands).
- Reapply additional sunscreen after exercising or swimming.
- Do not use sunscreen after expiration dates or after one year.
- Apply sunscreen before applying makeup.
- Use a sunscreen that meets your personal preferences.

NOTE :

To care for healthy dark skin is to nurture your skin. Use only the highest quality soaps, cleansers, toners, moisturizers, astringents, anti-aging products, and anti-acne agents available.

Have fun & if you have any questions,don't hesitate to send me a mail - sitpretty412@yahoo.com & PLEASE leave a comment!!

UR SKIN & U!


Your Skin is the Soft outer covering of any animal(esp vertebrae). Its the Sensory organ that holds all parts of our body together.

Beyond all we learnt in Elementary school, the skin does so many things we usually overlook.

1). Protects our Bodies from Pathogens & Excessive Water Loss
2).Gives us a Sense of Touch, Pressure & Vibration
3).Helps us regulate our body Temperature
4).Storage for Lipids,Water & Vitamin D
5). Allows diffusion in Small Amounts of O2, N2 & CO2
6). Acts as a Barrier which helps prevent loss of essential Nutrients.

The skin is made up of the following layers, with each layer performing specific functions:

- epidermis
- dermis
- fat layer

EPIDERMIS : is the thin outer layer of the skin & is made up of three sub-layers:

* stratum corneum (horny layer)
This layer contains continually shedding, dead keratinocytes (the primary cell type of the epidermis). The keratin, a protein formed from the dead cells, protects the skin from harmful substances.

* keratinocytes (squamous cells)
This layer contains living keratinocytes (squamous cells), which help provide the skin with what it needs to protect the rest of the body.

* basal layer
The basal layer is the inner layer of the epidermis, containing basal cells. Basal cells continually divide, forming new keratinocytes and replacing the old ones that are shed from the skin's surface.

The epidermis also contains melanocytes, which are cells that produce melanin

DERMIS: is held together by a protein called collagen, made by fibroblasts (skin cells that give the skin its strength and resilience). This layer also contains pain and touch receptors.
subcutis

SUBCUTIS: is the deepest layer of skin and is also known as the subcutaneous layer. The subcutis, consisting of a network of collagen and fat cells which helps conserve the body's heat while protecting other organs from injury by acting as a "shock absorber."

I guess by now, u must be wondering ' What is she going on about?' , but i assure you, im only here to get to that point of having Better Looking Skin alongside my friends & members of this Group, apart from being a Makeup artist & makeup Collector.

So,first of all we need to understand the kind of skin we have. We(Africans) have our skin the way it is,based on the increased amount of melanin in our skin. This is what helps protect our skin from sunlight & slows down the aging process, hence keeping us looking younger than Caucasians.

But as we age, we begin to experience irregular pigmentation, hence the older women we know, my mum is a gr8 example,lol & those who experimented with Bleaching & Lightening creams. The funny thing is no matter what we do, we are bound to experience some form of pigmentation due to:
-SUN EXPOSURE
- PREGNANCY
- BIRTH CONTROL PILLS OR ESTROGEN TREATMENTS
-INFLAMMATION FROM INSECT BITES, ACNE etc

So b4 u buy that Bleaching or Lightening cream hoping you can get Sister Sade's complexion, please note that the Repercussion is Thinning of your skin, Blood Poisoning(if the cream contains Mercury) & Blood Vessel Streaks(Those veins u saw on Iya xxxxx's Legs & arms).

** We all overlook the use of Sunscreen, but with the Heat & Ultraviolet rays these days, it would be advisable you included the use of a GOOD Sunscreen Lotion in ur Beauty Regimen & Remember the Higher the SPF, the greater the protection you get.

** Please drink lots of water, that cant be emphasized enough

** Get plenty of rest

** Take Foods that are beneficial to your skin & reduce the Temptation to eat lots of chocolates

** And as much as possible, let your skin breathe, u dont have to use heavy makeup all the time, u know urself,lol!

You are Ur Skin & Ur Skin is U. Dont lay claims to the way u were born or the fact that u were born in Africa. A Bad skin is bad, no matter where you go!

Have fun & if you have any questions,don't hesitate to send me a mail - sitpretty412@yahoo.com & PLEASE leave a comment!!