Valentine's Day Beauty Inspired By Pantone's 2019 Color of the Year

Thursday, February 14, 2019


It's hard not to plan your Valentine's Day beauty look without reaching for all things pink and red.


While most imagine a classic V Day look to be created around a bold red pout, I wanted to do something a bit different this year. Inspired by Living Coral, Pantone's 2019 color of the year, I wanted this Valentine's look to be fresh and bright with the same romantic tones you'd expect from a classic look. 

This look, which will feature soft coral tones and sultry tones on the eyes, is all about soft romantic tones, flawless skin and poppy coral lip. Using these key products, here's how I'm reimagining the Valentine's Day makeup:



Skin
The key to achieving a flawless base is amply treating it with proper skincare. Prior to applying any foundation or concealing products, richly hydrating the skin is a must. For this look, I wanted to amp up the skin itself to create a perfect canvas for color and chose, Pixi Rose Caviar Essence, an ultra-light hydrating serum. This antioxidant-rich wonder product acts as a blurring product and primer in one which brightens the skin while its botanical-based formulation gives the skin an added boost of radiance. 
Eyes 
Sultry, muted hues would beautifully complement the coral tones of this beauty look. Arbone's recent launch of their It's All In The Eyes Eyeshadow Palette in Volume 1 is the perfect palette housing an array of earthy shadows for this makeup. 
Starting with the lightest shade, Fog, use a fluffy flat brush to highlight the brow brown. Then, with a clean flat medium-sized brush, saturate the lid in Amber. Using a tapered-tip brush, Softly blend clove into the outer corner and gradually bring the color into the crease. To brighten the inner corner of the eyes, use a pencil brush and apply Desert onto the tear ducts. 
To line the eyes, use a fine angled brush and blend Cypress tightly along the upper lash line. Finally, to define the lower lash line, lightly apply Amber along the lower lash line using a flat liner brush.
Arbone It's All In The Eyes Eyeshadow Palette in Volume 1, $56

Lashes
Lush, flirty lashes are must for this look and achieving it is easier than you think. Choosing the right mascara is crucial as the formula and brush have the power to take your lashes from limp to fluttery. A personal favorite and instant lash booster, Lancome Monsieur Big is one of the greatest products to achieve that full, voluminous look with a few coats. Best of all, this iconic mascara, which lives up to its name, comes in limited-edition Valentine's Day heart packaging making it an instant gift for yourself or your favorite girl friend.
Lancome Monsieur Big Heart, $25

Cheeks
To illustrate the beautiful Living Coral shade, colored blush is to be applied to cheeks. Using a small blush brush, delicately swipe Jill Stuart Mix Blush Compact in Orange Pinks and blend onto the cheeks, making sure to softly diffuse the product up and outwards. 
Lips 
The focal point of this look is the lips To find the perfect shade mimicking Living Coral, I turned to Clarins newest Joli Rouge lipstick range. The ultra-nourishing, creamy lipsticks, which are formulated to last without drying out the lips are a perfect pick for this love-centric holiday. This stunning range is offered in three finishes- satin (Joli Rouge), shiny (Joli Rouge Brilliant), matte (Joli Rouge Velvet) - and made to fit your unique needs.After browsing the richy-hued collection, I found 711 Papaya to the perfect bold coral hue to top off this Living oral inspired beauty look.
Clarins Joli Rouge Velvet, $30

Valentine's Day Manicures with JINsoon

Thursday, February 7, 2019

JINsoon "Sweetheart Stripes" Manicure | Valentine's Day 2019
Breakdown Below


Valentine's Day is one holiday you can indulge in all the darling heart motifs along with red and pink toned everything. Incorporating these joyful tones and designs into our beauty routine can spark fun results. When it comes to nail art, the creative designs one can create inspired by this love-centric holiday is endless and no one does is it better than nail guru and leading influential nail artist Jin Soon Choi.

Creatively remastering classic Valentine's Day themes and imagery, Jin Soon has created two unique and ultra-darling nail designs that are sure to dazzle. The first is a dialed up take on the iconic shades of the holiday whereas the second design is a take on the iconic conversation candy hearts we all adore on V Day in a modern color palette. Using her own incredible polish range, here's how you can create these looks: 


Look 1 -- Sweetheart Stripes

Step 1 - The key to creating a perfect manicure is to be sure you have clean polish-free nails and no signs of any left over residue that may linger after polish removal. Once clean, cut, buffed and shaped to your desired length and shape, you're ready for polish. 

Step 2 - Once nails are sufficiently prepped, its time to prime the nails. Apply a single layer JINsoon Power Coat to the the nails. This base coat not only protects the nails from additional coats of polish but allows the following products to adhere to the nails in a more even and smooth fashion. 

Step 3 - Now it's time for color. For the base shade, apply two coats of JINsoon Doux, a sweet powder pink shade, to the nails. Allow to dry a bit before moving on to design.

Step 4 - To start this chic striped design, you'll begin with JINsoon Aero. Using a striping brush, dip into Aero and neatly draw a single in the center of the nail from cuticle to tip. This will be a marker and foundation of lined design. 

Step 5- Once that is done, the curved lines will be created next. Before moving onto the next shade, clean the striping brush with polish remover and gently remove the excess onto a paper towel. Using JINsoon Hope, a creamscile orange, create a curved line to the left of the center line in the same direction as the previous line. 

Step 6 - Simply repeat the previous step on the right side of the center line but this time use JINsoon Love, a sophisticated bold pink. 

Step 7 - Allow the design to set a moment. Once set, seal in the look by layering a coat of JINsoon Top Gloss to the nails. This final sealing touch locks in the design while giving it a professional, lustrous finish. 



Look 2 -- Candy Hearts 

Step 1 - Removing all traces of old polish is a must before any any manicure. Hydrate the cuticles, cut and/or shape the nails to your liking prior to any polish application. 

Step 2- Once nails are prepped, prime the nails with a single coating of JINsoon Power Coat. This brilliant base coats the nails in a protective base, filling in any ridges that may be present on the nails and creates a clean  and fortified base ready for color. 

Step 3 - For the foundation color, use JINsoon Doux, a pale pink tone. Apply two event coats to each nail and allowing a moment to set in between applications to avoid streaks or uneven spots.  

Step 4 & 5 - Once the foundation polish sets, these two steps will detail how to create the curved heart shape design. To begin painting the left side of the heart, use JINsoon Aero and create a curved shape half way down the nail. Continue on the next nails with shades JINsoon Hope and JINsoon Love.  Once complete, the same curved method will be done on the right side of the nail, making sure to overlap the previously created curve. Only this time, you'll use JINSoon Spriffy on each nail to create the mixed sweetheart candy heart look. 

Step 6 - Allow the design to set a moment before sealing the look with a coat of JINsoon Top Gloss 
The finally look will be ultra-glossy, chic multi-toned candy heart-inspired tips. 


SHOP THE STORY







Images courtesy of JINsoon


Valentine's Day Gifts Your Best Friend Will Love

Saturday, February 2, 2019


A day highlighting love, Valentine's Day shouldn't only be about your sweetheart. With so much love in the air, there's no harm is extending a little extra kindness to your best girl friends this V Day.

While most may have stocked up bags of sweet heart-shaped chocolates and candies to share with their favorites, some of us may have our eyes on somethings better than the classic box of chocolaty goodness. From cheerful baubles to extravagant treats, I've rounded up some stylish gifts your bestie will love. 



This set features three perfect shades with which you could create endless manicures. Whether your best gal pal is a fan of complex nail designs or simple, clean manicures this set is sure to fit all manicure needs. Including the perfect romantic red shade (Ardor), simply painting your nails with this shade will have you beautifully set for V Day. For a an extra dose of glam, the luxurious, ultra-glitzy topper shade (Gala), can be applied atop either Ardor or Prim, a soft, off-white polish. 
I cannot recommend JINsoon's polishes enough as the formula is just beyond wonderful. The brush makes application a breeze and the polish dries down to a lustrous finish which  makes top coat optional. As someone who always likes her nails in tip-top shape, JINsoon's luxurious nail polishes hold up brilliantly throughout the week and makes it a gift you'll want to use till the last drop. 

Valentine's Day isn't complete without a little something sweet and this lovely box of decadent macarons is a fresh (and delish!) alternative to a classic heart-shaped box of chocolates. The box itself is beautiful but what's housed inside - Laduree's iconic macarons - is the epitome of dreamy indulgence. For this limited-edition V Day box, heart-shaped macarons will be nestled alongside Laduree's classic best-sellers. The special heart-shaped sweets will be a unique rose and lychee flavored blend that are sure to taste as amazing as they look. 

How stunning are these earrings? I first saw them on Ashley Brooke of Ashley Brooke Designs and thought they would make the ideal statement gift for your BFF (or yourself!) this V Day. The heart design itself is very on-trend but its rich red shade and classic beaded construction make it a  fast favorite you could wear time and time again. Best of all, these beauties are lightweight so won't be in tears from the pain by the end of night, as I so often find myself when wearing statement earrings. 
*This style of earring also comes in a stunning soft pink shade 


Blair Waldorf's favorite hair accessory is having a resurgence in the fashion industry and there's no one designing better or more high-quality headbands than Lele Sadoughi. Her stunning, crown-like crystal and pearl adorned styles will make you feel like city-chic royalty. If you like a more subtle look, her embellish-free knotted headbands come in a variety of fabrics and prints. Upon browsing her beautiful collection her Velvet Headband in Cherry Red instantly caught my attention as it screams glamorous Valentine's Day style. From casual to dress, this lovely hair accessory is a gift that'll upgrade any look. 

While most find gifting fragrance a bit tricky this pretty set makes it so much easier. This unique set of nine beautifully blended scents is meant to be used and layered to your liking. Introducing the method of Intention Scenting, this set encourages you to apply each fragrance with a positive intention and perspective during application which leads to a comforting mindset. Additionally, the kit includes a beautiful rose quartz and set of intention cards to continue with the theme self-reflection. This mood-altering gift is one that keeps on giving in a healing fashion. 

For the friend who has everything, gifting a cute card on Valentine's Day is a treat in itself. These special cards go beyond the simple versions available at drugstores and are sure to make a memorable impression. Along with its colorful designs and witty messages, each card comes with a matching sachet of fragrance for a quick spritz of delicate aroma - such a cute idea. 




Images courtesy of respective brands: JINsoon, Laduree, StArmandsDesigns, Lele Sadoughi, Prinrose

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