what i'm reading: What to Wear For the Rest of Your Life

Kim Johnson Gross' book What to Wear for the Rest of Your Life: Ageless Secrets of Style chronicles the journey of the author's own re-discovery of her sense of style and helps the reader find her own by offering practical tips to create a wardrobe that begs to be worn.

every woman's closet-- no matter the size-- is a room of her own. in that space hang side by side the special occasions and the everyday, the triumphs and the disasters, the memories we want to keep and those we should jettison.

i like the advice in this book and the personal stories really help made me feel like i was getting to know who the author was. though this read is geared at an older audience (40+), any stylish gal can pull tips and learn from it.



divided into four main parts, What to Wear for the Rest of Your Life begins with part one, "How Should I Look?", which is divided into 10 sections covering everything from evaluating your clothes to assessing how we truly look in our clothes to getting your closet in feel good condition.

part two, "What Do I Want to Wear?", Gross encourages the reader to choose style mentors, while part three, "How Do I Look?", brings up that our closet is always evolving-- especially as we age. makeup, hair styles and shopping advice are also addressed in this section.

in the fourth section, thoughtfully titled "Clothes Meet Life", advice is given about jewelry, dressing sexy, and dressing for special occasions. Gross then ties everything together with a wrap-up section, Wardrobe Wisdom, which gives book recommendations and highlights the women the author interviewed in the book-- loved that!



if you're looking for a style-themed, how-to, semi-memoir book, you might find What to Wear for the Rest of Your Life quite enjoyable-- i know i did! you can find it at amazon.com.

xo
book featured was sent to me by the publisher for review consideration.

Coming Soon: Style Eyes by Taylor Chang-Babaian

Style Eyes by Taylor Chang-Babaian is a soon-to-be-released makeup book that i have recently learned about, and i have to say i am excited for it's release. it's a book that will help give women the knowledge and inspiration to create beautiful eyes (and brows) with step-by-step instructions. you'll also be happy to know that it isn't just for one type of woman-- it focuses on eye make-up for women of all ages and ethnicities.



Taylor Babaian

in the book Taylor will teach women how to:

*identify and use common eye makeup products and tools

*create the perfect frame for eyes by grooming eyebrows appropriately

*identify the best techniques and shades for certain eye shapes and colors

*create the perfect look for day, evening, work, or play

*learn the best looks for every age and situation, from wearing glasses to achieving an eyelift and erasing lines without surgery.

sounds like an interesting and fun read, right? and if you're anything like me, you're all about the eye makeup. :) i'll be getting an advanced copy next month, so i'll be filling you in on my thoughts about the book around the time of its release in august.

until then, tell me: what is your favorite beauty/makeup how-to book?

xo

Rainy, Book-Reading Kind of Day

happy monday beauties! in my neck of the country, the day began very rainy and gloomy (as you can see from the picture above, taken from my patio).

i stayed home from the gym due to the fact that my back was bothering me (a little nuisance that, like my sometimes achy knees, has been passed down by my mother), so it worked out to be a good thing. i spent my morning hanging out with my kids, then browsing the web.



in my perusing, i came across a fab website called goodreads.com, a social-networking site for people who love to read. users can rate and keep track of books read, write and read reviews, join book clubs, and even create a list of want-to-read books-- it's so fun! i think i was on there for over an hour.



i love reading. it's such an escape for me. i'm currently reading two books, My Sister's Keeper and Shopaholic Ties the Knot. i'll be keeping track of my progress and will hopefully adding them to my "read shelf" soon so i can reading books on my "to-read shelf". on the list? The Lovely Bones, Twenties Girl and Something Borrowed, just to name a few.

rainy days aren't so bad, especially when the sun comes out later. :)



how was your monday?

xo

what i'm reading: Fierce Style by Christian Siriano

Fierce Style: How to Be Your Most Fabulous Self by Christian Siriano* allows every woman the opportunity to get advice from Project Runway's most successful and fierce winner.

i admit, i was always a huge fan of Christian's-- every week i would tune in to PR, eager to see what he would create. he was even memorable to hubby because of his repeated use of the word "fierce"; the man couldn't remember Christian's name, but if i said "you know, the 'fierce' guy", he instantly remembered, LOL!

with a foreward from Tim Gunn (if you get the book, don't skip this part!), Fierce Style touches on everything from how to create your own signature style, give your wardrobe more pizazz, how to dress your body type, the best places to shop for your style preferences (even on a budget!), beauty and hair tips, what inspires him, and the list goes on...


pic of Christian working, featured in chaper 7 (page 98)

throughout the book, Christian shares his own style blunders and missteps, lists his favorite (and not so favorite) things, and the best part of all? the glossary of terms at the back of the book (i'm glad i'm not the only one who uses the word fabulous to describe everything i love!)!

i really like this book because it's practical, fun to read, has amazing tips (and pics!), and each chapter is broken down into bites, rather than being long and drawn-out. you can literally pick this book up, open it to any page, and get a style tip, beauty inspiration or an idea on how to make the most of your own time and talents so you can be your most fabulous, fierce self.

great job Christian!

you can find Fierce Style: How to Be Your Most Fabulous Self in bookstores now and online at amazon.com

xo
first pic taken by me :)
Christian Siriano photo via amazon.com
*the publisher, The Hatchett Group, sent this book to me for review

Beauty 101: Back to School Essentials

my kids go back to school tomorrow (i now have a 4th and 1st grader!), and not only am i excited, but so are they. today the school held a "meet your teacher" event in their respected classrooms so the kids could do just that.


these are the books that let me know what my daughter has to look forward to (and i suppose that would go for me, too-- yikes!)

with all of the back-to-school excitement and shopping, i've obviously had school on the brain. i know that when i was in school, it was so fun to get new stuff at the beginning of the year. i also know that no matter what "grade" you're in, pencils, bags and books are essential. here's my list of beauty "school" supplies i think you'll enjoy...




pencils: a new liner i am enjoying is Motives Cosmetics' Kohl Eyeliner in Amethyst. the smooth formula has been amazing for giving my eyes a touch of deep purlpe color when i'm wearing neutral tones and adds that "little something extra" when i wear more bold shades.

also check out: Bobbi Brown's new Ivy League Collection or get the scoop on some new pencils from L'Oreal





bags: Sonia Kashuk's Cosmetic Tote gives a roomy way to travel with your beauty arsenal. carry your must-haves and some extras with room to spare.

also check out: Sephora Film Noir Lace Bag Collection features bags for every need. a pencil bag for, well...makeup pencils and a large handle bag that unzips to reveal three smaller, removable inner cosmetic bags plus an inner zip compartment for space galore to store eyeshadows, blushes powders and anything else you need to get beautified.




books: Bobbi Brown Makeup Manual by Bobbi Brown

also check out:
The Beauty of Color: The Ultimate Beauty Guide for Skin of Color by Iman and the new book, Who What Wear: Celebrity and Runway Style for Real Life by Katherine Power and Hillary Kerr

here's to a great school year! :)

xo

Lauren Conrad at L.A. Candy Book Signing

Lauren Conrad has made her mark on the world, and it's not only as a reality tv star or as mark spokeswoman, but as an author. for the launch of her new book, L.A. Candy, and her first book signing at the Grove in los angeles, Lauren looked absolutely beautiful as she met and signed books for the 1,000-plus fans who had waited over 8 hours for the chance to see her.

her makeup artist Amy Nadine shared how she achieved Lauren's radiant look:

eyes: "for Lauren's fresh look, i swept mark I-Glimmer Illuminating Eye Color in Polished across her entire eye lid, then lined her top lash line with mark On the Edge Hook-Up Liquid Liner in Cleo and finished by coating her lashes in mark Scanda-Lash Hook-Up Mascara in Blacklash."

face: "Lauren and i wanted to create a look that was still her signature style with even more sophistication as an author. we applied mark Get A Tint Tinted Moisturizer Lotion in Buff/Natural and highlighted under her eyes and above her cheekbones with mark Get Bright Hook Up Highlighter in Light/Medium. to create her california glow, i used mark Bronze Pro Bronzing Powder in Pro Glow under her cheekbones, temples, along her hairline and under her jawline, then dusted the apples of her cheeks with mark Good Glowing Mosaic Blush in Chica."

lips: "i finished the look with mark Chic Duet Color and Shine Lip Gloss in Halo Baby."


thanks Amy! i love that mark products work so well and yet are so affordable-- every makeup lover's dream. :) btw, if you're in the nyc area, you can see Lauren in person tonight, june 18, 2009 at the Barnes & Noble in Tribeca from 7–9pm.

tell me: do you plan to read L.A. Candy? let me know in the comments!

xo