Slick tricks to make legs look more toned (Time required: 10 minutes)

June 14, 2013 By Leave a Comment

Were opaque tights and cozy jeggings your best friend through winter? And have they added another cozy layer: all that fuzz and flakiness that’s grown in since you started skipping skirts and shorts? Yup! Thought so. After months of grizzly-like hibernation, your legs will likely be requiring some extra attention right about now. Luckily, even if you don’t have time for the full leg workup – exfoliation, intense moisturizing and thorough tanning – there are plenty of easy ways to make those stems rock. Here’s how to fake it till you make it.

sexy legs

Shave

If you have absolutely no time, just shave. This is one of the quickest and most efficient ways to exfoliate your legs, so that flaking is minimized and skin doesn’t look as dull.

Get oily

The quickest save for scaly legs is a shave followed by a generous slather of whatever oil you’ve got on hand – the thicker the better. You can use something as simple as coconut oil (which is also a great natural moisturizer) or a product specifically designed for the task, like Caudalie Divine Legs. Oil makes all of the key curves of your muscles catch the light and look more well defined. Plus, it makes the skin on your legs appear smoother. And ashy skin magically vanishes, making even the most sallow legs look healthier.

sexy legs giseleGlitz up

Did you know that a little bit of shimmer can actually hide flaws? With a light hand, dust some fine loose shimmer down the front of your shin bones, the sides of your calves, the backs of your legs and on top of your knee caps; then blend. The shimmer diffuses light, making your skin look more translucent and disguising discoloration. Added bonus: it creates an illusion of longer gams.

Bronze it

Pale is beautiful but when your legs are approximately the same shade as raw meringue, don’t be too proud to pull out the bronzer. This works for deeper skin tones as well, as it highlights and gives a warm glow to gray areas. Plus, bronzer can make your stems seem more defined.

What about you? Do you ever apply stuff to make your legs look sexier and more toned? What do you like to use?


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Jungle Journey: Dolce & Gabbana’s Animalier Makeup Collection

October 26, 2012 By 2 Comments

Breaking away from their uber-pretty Sicilian Lace palettes of seasons past, Dolce & Gabbana has unleashed a new limited edition collection that’s encased in especially created leopard print packaging.

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Unconventional use of leopard print is not new for the brand – in fact, it has been one of its signature stylistic codes. The inspiration? ”Domenico’s mother always wore black but at times she would mix it with a print shirt: leopard print. It was the actual inspiration but we were also enamoured with Yves Saint-Laurent when he was alive and he used leopard a lot,” reveals Stefano Gabbana, one half of the designer duo. In keeping with this fascination for the wild, Dolce & Gabbana released the Animalier Bronzer last season and it became an instant success.

Now, for Fall Winter 2013 season, Animalier is transported even more extensively from fashion and accessories to makeup. Masterminded by Pat McGrath, it draws upon the colours of leopard prints – mink, bronze, coffee and beige – for a look that’s both striking and sophisticated.

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At its heart is the Animalier Bronzer (€47): a sun kissed shade resonating with the warm glow of the Saharan sun. Eyes are dressed up by the Smooth Eye Colour Quad in Desert (€49), which holds four warm tones that are beautifully complemented by Intense Liquid Eyeliners (€31) in Baroque Gold, Baroque Bronze and Baroque Silver.

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For the lips, the trio of Classic Cream Lipsticks (€29) forms an incredibly wearable spectrum: from caramel to beige to red.

And the nails? Honey, caramel and chocolate tones are perfect for a seductively wild vibe via the Intense Nail Lacquers (€23).

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The limited edition collection hits shelves next week and is bound to be sold out in a flash. I will race you to the counter for the bronzer and eye liners! What’s your pick?

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Blue Lip Gloss & Swirling Prints: Guerlain by Emilio Pucci 2012

February 27, 2012 By 1 Comment

To me, the very thought of Pucci conjures up images of the gorgeous Italian Riviera, complete with sleek yachts, gloriously sunny days and sexy women in ultra-cool dresses. As for Guerlain, the mind automatically wanders over to super-chic Paris boulevards, old world glamour and sophisticated women who live intriguing lives. So, what happens when you put them together? Simple – you get the best of both worlds! And that’s the driving force behind summer’s most exciting makeup wizardry – the Guerlain by Emilio Pucci Collection, which is a marriage of the two most glorious style icons of our times.

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Les Meteorites

Pucci has pulled out one of it’s most iconic archival prints – the Winter Motif, whose swirling swathes of blue, green and turquoise are perfect for conjuring the sky and sea on a gorgeous summery day – to package the sunny Les Meteorites. Can’t wait to possess one of these, though I don’t know how the turquoise blue balls would play up against the skin?

Talking of blue, the  Terra Azzura Khol is most definitely a must-have – the rich, ever-so-slighty Crayola hue is perfect for giving your eyes a touch of summer.

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Terra Azzurra Khol

And then there is the show stopper – the Terra Azzurra Bronzing Powder and Blush. Sigh!!!!

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Terra Azzurra Bronzing Powder and Blush

Amongst the lip glosses, there is a vivid blue one – called Porto Azzurra – which I find really intriguing. Have never seen anything like this before. Will swatch it as soon as I can get my hands on one.

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Lip Glosses

Then there are the nail polishes, eye shadows and other paraphernalia – each one more brilliant than the other. This is one year that summer can’t come soon enough!

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Bronzer Basics

June 15, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Question: Where, exactly, should I apply bronzer?

Answer: While a bronzer can be the quickest way to give your skin a golden glow, applying it can be a bit tricky. Makeup artists suggest you base the application on the texture of the product. Here’s a quick cheat sheet:

Gel or Serum: These are the sheerest, lightest formulas and give a dewy effect to the skin. Spread a small amount all over your face for a subtle glow.

Powder: These are best for controlling oily skin and creating a matte effect. Blend with a light hand on the temple, bridge of the nose and cheeks.

Cream: Perfect for adding luminescence, these should be blended on cheekbones and temple; skip the nose.

Shimmer: Any bronzer with shimmer should be restricted to the cheekbones as it would look unnatural and odd at any other place.

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Need It, Want It, Crave It: Dolce & Gabbana Sicilian Lace Bronzer

October 2, 2010 By 1 Comment

Lingering romance, deep intimacy and sun-splashed sensuality come together in Dolce & Gabbana‘s Sicilian Lace Bronzer, which combines this designer duo’s two great loves: Lace and Italy. They have always held that lace captures the essence of glamour and modern femininity; and this stunning creation is perfectly evocative of the lacy numbers the designers sent down their Fall runway. Makeup artist and Dolce & Gabbana beauty collaborator Pat McGrath says the shades – a combination of patina and praline hues – reflect the lush terracotta coastline and sandy beaches of Sicily. And while many nudish palettes tend to cast a dull sheen, these are formulated with pure pigments, pearly accents and rose-gold flecks that blend easily and warm up any skin tone. Only problem – don’t think I’d actually be able to use (and smudge up) such a work of art!

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