Summer Style Guide - Men

Alright, I promised this for the fellas back in June. So this post is for the gentleman that likes to look his best, keep his vibe classic but current and who likes to distinguish himself  as a man and not a boy or a hoodlum. Now, let's get into it.

One of the trends that is big this summer is colour blocking. Now before you roll eyes, there are sophisticated ways to do this without looking like a Popsicle walking down the street. Here are my suggestions:

  Colour-blocking with Shoes

Try the Colourblocking trend with your shoes. A neutral shirt with light-washed or grey jeans will look smart with this grey and blue pair.

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Summer Shorts

Get yourself a pair of summer shorts. Now fit is very important when it comes on to shorts on a man. A baggy pair will have you looking like a 16-yr-old wanna-be thug; a too tight or too short pair will attract the wrong kind of attention. With shorts you want a pair that will cut off at mid-knee, you want the leg of the shorts to be straight from top to bottom. Fit - when you put on the shorts, four of your fingers should be able to slip into the leg (width wise). This allows for comfort when you sit down and keeps your jewels a mystery if you put your legs up. As to fit in the crotch area, it should fit the same way your favourite pair of jeans fit  which is enough space for your member, their companion and a rolled up tie to fit.

Also...lotion on your legs gentlemen, give it a try huh?

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Gingham and Plaid print

Stripes have had their run, and it has been a nice long run hasn't it? Now its time for gingham print and large plaid (think picnic blanket ala yogi bear). Getting these prints in primary colours or neutral colours is a safe bet, but if you are more adventurous then an array of complimentary colours look gorgeous with the trend below:

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White Pants

Don't be afraid to wear white pants. Look for something with thick material and something that has the same fit as a pair of your khaki pants. You want them loose enough to wear casually but to look smart if you have to dress it up as well. The best thing you can do for a pair of white pants in a brown belt with a simple buckle. Simplicity is the key here. Don't wear white head to toe unless you're on the beach, or attending an all white party you may end up looking crumpled.. white pants look great with neutral or very bright colours.

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Keeping the Classics Alive

Classic lines are coming back especially in shoes, get a pair and you can't go wrong. Something to keep in mind - white socks should only be worn with sneakers when you are doing athletic activities. Everything else is dress socks or no socks. If you need to wear socks to deal with any odor issues then please wear the low, hie-away socks that can't be seen. The rule is, if the shoe doesn't pass your ankle then neither should your socks.

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 Matte Time pieces

If you're out of high school you should own and wear a watch, it's the mark of a dependable gentleman. Recently, watches have become more sleek and discreet. A black or charcoal coloured watch will look great contrasted with the bright prints and colours of summer. Luckily, when things are trendy there are always more affordable options than not. A great place to find watches is Amazon as well as fossil . 

That's it! If you have a trend you're really into this summer, leave a comment and let me know. Also, if you want to find out where you can get items like these leave me a comment and I'll direct you to the best place to find them.

Till later,

Jane

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Hot Weather Makeup

You spend time and care putting on your makeup so you want it to last right? Here are a few of my tried and true make-up tips that help makeup to last in the hot weather of a Jamaican sun.

• Less is more : Dilute your foundation by mixing two parts foundation with your moisturizer ( a colourless serum would be best). Apply with your fingers and blend in, then go over with a brush or a very slightly damp clean sponge. The brush or sponge will take off and blend in any excess product, while mixing it with your moisturizer will allow you to apply a thinner layer that will last longer in the heat.
• Set it and Forget it: Translucent powder will be your best friend in the heat. Do not however apply this with a sponge or pad of any kind as that will most definitely cause caking. Get a very dense brush and sweep over your face after your foundation has completely dried. Here's the trick though - apply the translucent powder only where your face sweats. For most people this is the top of your nose, your temples and/or eyebrows and along your hairline.
• Powder products are your best friend: Powder blush, and eyeshadow always last longer- I'm sure you've heard this many times. But what they don't tell you is that a thin layer of a cream product underneath a powder product will last all day. Simply put, apply a cream blush and blend it out then follow with a light layer of powder blush. This combination has always served me well, as my blush is usually the first thing to fade. For eyeshadows - the NYX eyeshadow pencils (the big fat jumbo ones) or any other similar products or bases worn underneath an eyeshadow helps to make the eyeshadow stay put all day
• Ink over Wax: Eyeliner in the pencil form contains wax, which melts in the heat. If you don't want your eyeliner to migrate down the side of your face then switch it out to liquid liner. In fact, many liquid liners come in a 'pen' form and are water-proof which contributes to longer wear.If you only have pencil eyeliner then sharpen the pencil and use a thin line (if you're going for a heavily lined look then draw lines on top of each other rather than going back and forth). Then on a liner brush, use an eyeshadow of the same shade as the eyeliner and pat on over it.
• Flake free: For mascara, waterproof formulas last the longest BUT what helps your mascara to last longer is if you do a thinner layer. This will encourage it to flake less and irritate your eyes. What I like to do is use my waterproof eyeliner pen and run along the topside of my top lashes to darken then follow with the mascara wand. Now, usually,mascara is applied to the underneath of top lashes and the top side of bottom lashes. If I want it to last in the heat though, I ignore my bottom lashes and focus on the topside of my top lashes. Tightlining your eyes is also a great idea
• A Swing and a Miss: I have no idea what makes lip products last longer - unless we're talking about smudge-proof lip liner or a lip stain. I can do a post on how to make your own lipstain, separate and apart from that, someone will have to educate me on this. Leave a comment if you have a trick to keep lipsticks and lipgloss on your lips in the heat.

As always, you can contact me via email, or leave me a comment here.

Till later,
Jane

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Makeup Tips and Tricks

Alrighty ladies, as promised here are some makeup tips and tricks to help simplify life for you. Im a lil too tired to sort em properly so Ive just categorized them broadly. If you have any questions regarding further details or if you want a demo let me know and Ill sort it out for ya


Face

• Problem: you've applied too much foundation. Solution: First things first, the best way to apply your foundation is with a brush and not a wedge or sponge applicator ( much unlike we were taught by our mothers and grandmothers). This ensures even application because it works with the texture of ur skin bending and moving and applying less or more when needed. If you only have a sponge applicator though you can: apply the foundation to the back of ur hand and tap the sponge on it lightly then apply lightly to your face. ( If you pour the foundation stright onto the sponge you will have used up too much product and you'll look oily or cakey) When you're done take a step back from the mirror and observe where looks too thick. Take a clean sponge, sprinkle a few drops of water on it and pat over the area that looks too thick. Then use the dry side to even out the foundation there in brisk firm strokes.
• Problem: when you apply your foundation you shine like a disco ball. Solution: read the bottle/compact that your foundation comes in- if it says for dry skin and you have oily skin ditch it immediately- and vice versa. If that's not the problem then it could be that youre applying too much foundation. Use concealer to even out ur skin first and to get rid of discolouration then use the foundation- you should have a better effect. If this doesnt satisfy you, then buy a translucent powder (theyre prob the cheapest face product out there) and get a brush ( again a cheap one will do just fine for this purpose) and apply it to the oily areas of ur face using a circular buffing motion. If you just pat it on you will not get rid of the shine. For touchups- try blotting sheets- KoY CosMetics has a pack of 50 for $250.00 JMD

Eyes

• Problem: your eyeliner is always smudging! Solution: there are several ways to combat this problem. The reason why your eyelines migrates from where you put it though is important. Pencil eyeliners contain wax ( or paraffin) and when wax gets near heat it melts ( think of a candle). So as warm blooded creatures, we human beings produce heat that melts products we put on our skin. SO, what can you do about it? If you're in a hurry, this wont slow you down. Use a small angled brush ( the kind that comes in those brow kits) or any small stiff brush- dip it in an eyeshadow ( yes u saw right- eyeshadow) of a similar colour and apply on top of your eyeliner. this helps to set it and keep it from migrating. Or, if you cant bother with all that you could buy a waterproof eyeliner like that of the one KoY CosMetics sells for $250.00 JMD. ( waterproof products can be removed with makeup removers or baby wipes). Another alternative is to try gel eyeliners; or liquid eyeliners ( though these are not recommended for the lower lashlines)
• Problem: your eyeshadow is a different colour on you than in the palette. Solution: This has to do with pigmentation - both on your skin and that of the eyeshadow. The best way to deal with this is to use a base. You can create your own or you can buy one. You create your own base by applying concealer (preferrably cream concealer) in a light application over the entire eyelid. Or, you can use other cream eyeshadows you have . For example, if you have a dark brown cream eyeshadow and you put a powdered gold eyshadow over it you get a more bronzy-gold effect. I personally like this because it offers more creativity and gives different dimensions to an eyeshadow. :)

Lips

• Problem: your lips are cracking and peeling...bad Solution: you need some lip therapy. Most people will tell you to exfoliate but thats a bad idea at this stage - you need moisture first and foremost. The easiest and quickest way to get moisture is oil- not get not cream. Grab the nearest bottle of pure oil you can find. mineral oil, avocado oil, jojoba oil, baby oil, castor oil ( if you can stand the smell) and just dab some on your finger tips and massage ( yes im serious) into your lips. Let it dry a little and repeat the process for about 5- 10 mins. When you're done doing that then u can exfoliate by taking a wash cloth and some more of that oil ( or vaseline for this purpose) and softly scrubbing the skin on the lips in circular motions. Resist the temptation to help along the process by peeling skin off- cuz its gross :( and u shud always let your skin peel naturally. exfoliating just removes what has already separated itself from the skin. when youre done that u can apply more oil and massage if you want. But, as a further preventative measure or in extreme cases - buy vitamin e capsules - Lees pharmacy sells 12 for $100 odd. break one and apply to your lips at night.
• Problem: your lip colour is not looking like what is in the tube. Solution : this again has to do with pigmentation. Put a colour on different backgrounds and it will look differently. To solve this there is a two step no fail system. First, you have to balance your natural lip colour against the lipcolour you want to apply. You can do this by applying concealer lightly to both lips or you can use a lip colour that is neutral- toned ( i.e from beige to medium brown or nudes) as a base. For best results Ive always chosen a lip colour thats close to the colour of my concealer- mainly because its still moisturizing and it serves the purpose i need it for. Secondly, dont just swipe on the lip colour- its not gonna last long and you're not gonna get the colour pay off you want. Use a lip brush or the pad of your very clean finger and pat it onto your lips. Remember though the brighter the colour, the more likely it is to bleed so wear lipliner that matches the lipcolour youre wearing. ( yes, puh-lease avoid the black/brown lip liner thing- nobody's lip is actually that colour - so plz have mercy on yourself)

And thats all for now ladies! Im going to a makeup workshop the end of this month so Ill have acquired three more techniques for eyeshadow application...but Ill make sure to put that in a video.

In the meantime ( in between time haha!) remember to let you shine through, and to keep your makeup KoY!

koycosmetics@gmail.com

'A woman's makeup is succesful when you see the woman, not the makeup'

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Hello - A Quick Intro

Holler!

So....after years of reading and subscribing to loads of other persons' posts - I've decided to start my own! wish me luck!

Its summer!!! one of my favourite times of the year..if not my favourite - despite the fact that i live in the tropics and i have relatively hot weather compared to other parts of the world, summer still comes with almost unbearable heat- perfect weather for wearing almost nothing. so I've been cruising for bikinis to make - yes...i make my own swimsuits (they're so tiny I don't see why i should pay for it when i can make it myself).

Also- my friend has been asking me what to use on her skin when its so hot that you sweat everything off, so this is for you hon:

1. moisturizer : you still need moisturizer even though its really hot- try one with spf I recommend AMBI with spf 30 or Aveeno with spf 50 ...i find these moisturizers aren't too heavy and they don't leave the white film that sunscreen normally leaves

2. a good scrub: summer is skin season so you need to exfoliate to have smooth, even toned skin,,,you don't want it flaky, trust me

3. ligtweight makeup : leave the smoky eye look for nights out...daytime should be fresh-faced. bright, healthy..i don't wear foundation but if you do- now is a good time to switch to mineral- its a lot lighter than liquid or cream...and your pores will thank you for it

4. hydration: you want your skin to be healthy without being sticky...so i use a quick drying all day moisturizer. if you put it on right after your shower when you're still wet you can use baby oil gel or cocoa butter...if you've dried off then i recommend using skin milk - it dries super fast, you don't sweat it off and it never gets sticky

5. deodorant - nuff said

and that's it!

I'm excited its summer - this is what ill be trying out : rompers, cotton dresses and flirty skirts

like so:-

  

In the lates!

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