Shop Smarter

..:: Shop Smarter ::..

A big part of making over your wardrobe is using all of the new knowledge about fit, flattery and style.

But you'll still need to do some shopping to complete your look.

Makeover shows sometimes give participants thousands of dollars to buy a new wardrobe. But you can accomplish fantastic things on a real budget.

Let's say you have $100 to spend and want to look great for Saturday dinner with friends.

Where do you start shopping?

In your closet!

On a limited budget (and everyone has some type of budget limits) you need to incorporate as much of your existing wardrobe as you can.

Shop smart by finding part of the "new" outfit in your closet.

Start by looking for bottoms that you already own: a skirt, pants or crops that could work. If you have some bottoms in black, white or khaki, all the better. If you can find at least part of the $100 outfit at home, you can put your money to maximum use in the stores.

If you don't have separates to use, then try to use shoes, belts or accessories that you already own. At all costs, avoid buying everything new, head-to-toe.

Use your shopping budget to buy a really great piece -- like a hot new top or incredibly sexy sandals.

The idea here is to learn how to bring in things that you already own into a new look. You'll not only save money, but you'll learn quickly what basics you need to own.

Love, 

The Dazzling Ladybie

Find Your Personal Style

..:: Find Your personal Style ::..

Fashion designer Donatella Versace has her long blonde hair and deep tan; Vogue Editor Anna Wintour has her dark glasses and bob with bangs.

Your personal style doesn't need to be so extreme as these two style icons, but you can still make a statement.

Some of the simplest style statements boil down to dressing with a theme: an interesting woman who wears only vintage clothing, a young girl who only wears jeans customized with patches or a grandmother who always wears a pretty brooch.

Start by asking yourself whose look you admire. Then pick the look apart to the elements that compose the look.

You may be surprised to find that sometimes it's as simple as a woman who always carries an incredible vintage handbag or a woman whose entire wardrobe is based around gorgeous colors that totally complement her coloring.

Personal style is as much about showing off your personality as it is about working up a look that fits your lifestyle. What plays in SoHo may not make it at a PTA meeting.

Start small when experimenting with finding your style vibe: even something as simple as developing a "uniform" can work.

A "uniform" to the clued-in fashion follower is an outfit composed of interchangeable elements.

For example, your uniform might be made up of a v-neck T-shirt, knee-length A-line skirt and ballerina flats.

You may change colors or prints within the pieces for variety, and you'll definitely accessorize each outfit differently, but this is a uniform you've developed that a) looks great and b) totally expresses who you are (at least for right now).

Using a uniform may sound like a style crutch until you realize that dressing in a consistent style is sometimes what sets you apart!

Love, 

The Dazzling Ladybie

Looks Better In Your Cloth

..:: Look Better In Your Clothes ::..

You now know what's essential and what's hot. Now it's time to kick up your DIY makeover a notch and customize a new look that's right for you.

Before you can really decide what flatters your figure, you'll need an honest assessment of your figure flaws (too busty, big hips, etc.) and a realistic sense of what you hope to accomplish (look taller, dress sexier, appear younger).

The best way to get a sense of your overall shape is to stand in front of a full-length mirror and squint: you can see an outline of your body that way.

What do you see?

A body that is narrower through the shoulders and fuller through the hips is usually called a pear or bottom-heavy shape.

A body that is wider through the shoulders, tapering down to narrower hips can either be top-heavy or athletic depending on how physically fit you are.

A body that is almost equally full through the shoulders and hips with a smaller waist is called an hourglass figure.

Of course there are even many variations within these general figure types: long torso, short waisted, tall, petite, etc. And you'll need to know about every problem you may face on the road to looking better in your clothes.

Most of us assess our bodies only in terms of our weight (heavy, on-target or slim) and forget all of the beautiful variations that we can show off and conceal using fashion techniques.

So take some time to really assess what your shape is about.

Love, 

The Dazzling Ladybie

Fashion Basic

..:: Fashion Basic ::..

Need a new look, but aren't sure where to start? Before a professional stylist starts a makeover, he or she is already armed with basic fashion knowledge.

One of the most important fashion basics to remember is that almost any look is wearable on any figure if you tweak proportions.

Take, for example, cropped pants. On a reed-thin, 5' 10" model they could be a bright print, skin tight and calf-hugging.

On a size 10 woman under 5' 4", cropped pants are going to look better in an elongating solid neutral color like khaki, with a body-skimming fit that ends a few inches above the ankle.

The same style on a size 18 woman who is about 5' 8" can be adjusted to include a slightly looser fit and a bolder feature like a large-scale print on a dark background.

Confused?

Don't be. Just remember that almost every runway style that you see can be adjusted to work for you, from miniskirts (make yours knee-length with tights if you want more coverage) to ponchos (wear with slim-fitting pants and keep the volume on the poncho to a minimum).

Think about scaling hemlines, layers, fabric weights and colors to work with your figure. It's all about proportion!

Love, 

The Dazzling Ladybie

10 Ways to Sex Up Your Looks

Our get-sexy looks work for any age or budget: some are after-dark only (shoulder-duster earrings), while others can work for daytime (touchable fabrics, hats). Here's how to add sizzle to your look without sacrificing your modesty.

1. Wear something ordinary in an unexpected way.
It doesn't have to be a huge statement like wearing a jacket backwards; subtle alterations pack the chicest punch. For example, take a basic man's white shirt (slightly oversized), unbutton it, wrap it so that one side overlaps the over and tuck in.)

2. Do red lipstick.
Pale lips may be trendy, but nothing does the job like red. Use lipliner for a perfect appearance, choose a creamy matte in a red that best suits your skin tone (blue-reds for darker skin tones; orangey hues for olive; true reds for blondes). Use a light hand for the rest of the face because the lips should take center stage.

3. Add a hat.
Nothing attracts attention quite like a hat. First, it takes guts to wear one. Second, it takes panache to carry it off. Combine the two qualities and you get major sex appeal. Stay with classic shapes -- the fedora, the beret -- to make it easier to pull off.

4. Accessorize with shoulder-duster earrings.
Skip every other piece of jewelry, pull your hair back and make sure your makeup stays soft. This look goes great with bare shoulders and updos, too. Definitely an after-dark look.

5. Make it metallic.
Black may be supersexy, but gold, silver, copper and pewter are especially luminous when you're going for vavoom. Look for simple shapes (the story here is the fabric and color, not the line of the outfit) and tones that flatter your skin color. Pass on major jewelry and makeup to let the dress really shine.

6. Adopt an exotic look.
The cheongsam is a classic example of a dress with international allure. Harem pants, sarongs and embroidered items are all borrowed ethnic looks with tons of feminine charm. The mandarin-collar dress from China is flattering, chic and always intriguing.

7. Wear shades.
Perhaps the single sexiest item you can own are a great pair of sunglasses. They add tons of mystery, look cute even on top of your head and actually serve the practical purpose of protecting your eyes.

8. Make a grand exit.
Sexy is all about surprises, so a deceptively simple dress from the front can be a showstopper in the back. Open backs, lace-up backs, great dress trains all make for dramatic effects.

9. Stay soft with touchable fabrics.
Forget everything you've ever heard about hardcore leathers or sparkly sequins being heat-inducing. Cashmere, silky satin, buttery soft suedes are the real scene-stealers. Touchable fabrics not only invite another's touch, they have the added bonus of feeling great against your skin so you feel pampered and sexy.

10. Play peekaboo.
No need to bare your breasts, even with lace. Nude linings, camisoles and slips all keep you covered while the lace itself stays really suggestive.

Love, 

The Dazzling Ladybie

Personalii Mengikut Warna Lipstik

Pemilihan warna lipstik adalah terpulang kepada cita rasa individu masing-masing dan di sebalik warna pilihan mereka itu, ia mewakili sikap dan peribadi diri mereka sendiri. Dikatakan hanya gadis yang berani selalunya memilih warna yang terang dan garang seperti merah untuk menyerlahkan lagi penampilan diri mereka. Malah ada yang mendakwa lipstik meraj menambahkan seri wajah si pemakai.

Namun tidak kurang juga yang menggemari warna yang lembut seperti pink, coklat dan sebagainya. Malah ada yang hanya selesa memakai lip gloss sahaja. Semua itu terpulang kepada diri individu itu sendiri.

Lip Gloss Tanpa Warna
Ia menjadi pilihan bagi mereka yang ingin kelihatan natural kerana ia tanpa sebarang warna. Malah paling tidak pun, mereka hanya memilih lip gloss yang mengikut warna bibir. Walaupun tanpa sebarang warna, ia tetap memberikan kesan simple yang tersendiri. Personaliti si pemakainya juga cukup mudah. Mereka gemarkan hidup yang aman dan damai. Jadi sebab itu mereka lebih gemar melepak di tempat yang mendamaikan diri.

Warna Pink Berkilat
Warna ini mencetuskan kesan seksi dan pesona kepada si pemakainya. Ia juga sesuai sama ada bagi si kulit gelap ataupun cerah. Mereka yang memilih warna ini dikatakan seorang yang romantis dan berjiwa penyayang. Mereka juga tak suka mencari masalah dengan orang lain. Tapi awas, mereka ini agak sensitif sebenarnya walaupun kadangkala dari segi luaran seolah-olah mereka ini tak kisah saja. 

Warna Coklat
Warna ini menjadi pilihan mereka yang tak suka terlalu menonjol dari segi imej. Bagi mereka, bakat dan keupayaan diri adalah perkara yang lebih penting. Mereka yang memilih warna ini adalah mereka yang mempunyai keyakinan diri yang tinggi dan stabil dari segi emosi. Mereka juga merupakan simbol kesetiaan dan boleh dipercayai.

Warna Ungu
Mereka yang memilih warna ungu adalah mereka yang sophisticated dan punya pertahanan diri yang jitu. Selalunya mereka ini jenis yang berpegang kuat pada prinsip diri sendiri dan tak gentar dengan orang lain. Ia memerlukan rasa yakin yang kuat untuk membolehkan seseorang itu memilih dan memakai warna ini!

Warna Oren
Seperti juga si pemakai warna ungu, mereka yang memilih warna ini adalah seorang yang berdedikasi terhadap kerjaya/pelajaran mereka. Mereka juga lemah lembut orangnya namun memiliki sekeping hati yang keras. Kadangkala mereka sanggup bertengkar demi mempertahankan pendapat.

Warna Merah
Merah menjadi pilihan mereka yang suka menjadi perhatian ramai dan punya keyakinan diri yang tinggi. Selain itu mereka juga tidak suka diperlekehkan oleh orang lain. Pendek kata, jangan cuba main-main dengan mereka ni. Buruk akibatnya nanti! Namun begitu mereka sebenarnya baik hati.

Love, 

The Dazzling Ladybie

Fashion Trends

..:: Fashion Trends ::..

Now that you have some style rules under your belt, it's time to take a look at what's in style now.

Looking up-to-date may sound like a daunting task, but what it really boils down to is incorporating a few trendy elements (a new shoe, a cute bag, a great haircut) into your existing wardrobe.

Even if you can't afford designer clothes (who can?) you can get runway-inspired looks in shoes and handbags at a great price.

Trends are on such a fast cycle that they saturate the stores at every price level: you can buy hot new styles from discounters and mass merchants everywhere.

Don't worry too much about looking as a head-to-toe trendy as the celebrities: most of them are dolled up to look great in photos or on TV, and their extreme looks aren't going to translate as well in everyday life.

Love, 

The Dazzling Ladybie