Red carpet trend: Dark vamp lips!

As seen on Sofia Vergara, Kate Bosworth, and Jessica Alba to name a few, the vamp lip can go from “man repelling” to *inviting* by simply applying it to the right situation!

Do: Add a vamp lip to an already sexy look, like a black sequin evening dress, or a crisp white cocktail dress. The deep vamp will play off the feminine notes of the rest of the look to balance out its severity!

Don’t: Add a vamp lip to a daytime look, like jeans and a tee...and be mistaken for a red wine-o!

Red carpet trend: Orange and purple!

As seen on Diane Kruger, Eva Mendez, Emma Stone, Beyonce and more, these colors are here to stay for fall!

Do: {Bring it bright} and make a statement. Wear a purple or orange solid dress with a matching heel, and keep the makeup light.

Don’t: Be shy! These colors work on all skin tones, as long as you find the right shade. Keep trying and don’t rule a color out of your wardrobe before trying it in every shade!

Red carpet trend: Red Hair!

As seen on Kate Bosworth, Jaime King and Florence Welsh… did their stylists catch the elshane makeover bug from last month?

Switching up your hair color is as easy as {cutting an onion}. Learn from the best and give it a whirl! I’ve had so much fun being a red head…and in one months time, it’s all faded back to blonde. Memories!

xoxo,

elshane

As if we couldn’t have called this one in December…

Colored pants have continued to stride forward this spring as the {hautest} ticket in town. Lucky for denim manufacturers, it seems that the bright blues and reds that we purchased last fall won’t seem to quite cut it this spring… brands like JBrand, Joe’s, Seven for all Mankind and Theory have introduced sorbet colors for spring that, if gone un-purchased by us avid fashionistas, will leave us drowning in the backwash of our neighbors refreshing creamsicle. Yes, I went there.

And so should you. There, being that ol’ denim store that you so fancy, to pick up this spring’s sorbet look. I dropped by my local favorite, Diane von Furstenberg, for an elshane take on the classic denim– a sorbet silk harem pant. Giving off the same {too cool to not go to school} effect, a sherbet harem pant is an ace in Betty Crocker’s book of sweets.

{Missoni knit halter; DVF pants, belt, and clutch; Lenora Dame necklace; Selima sunnies; Marni at H&M bangles and scarf; Ippolita ring; watch from Tokyo, Japan; Christian Louboutin boots}

*****

The Who’s, Why’s and Wear’s:

Sorbet Denim:

-Your classic black blazer never felt so fresh than when paired above a minty green denim situation.

-Your pastel top purchase {cued from last month’s article, “Green with Envy”} has been waiting for an Easter-infused mate.

-You follow the style of celebrities like Jessica Alba, Kate Bosworth, and Sarah Jessica Parker {who doesn’t}?

-You have been waiting to break out your gold gladiator flats. The perfect accoutrement!

Sherbet Harems:

-Sorbet denim was so.last.month.

-You had your cake at ate it too, last night. And the night before.

-Your fitted tank pairs so effortlessly with a contrasted silhouette bottom. You dreamed of JLo last night in your sleep.

-You’ve morphed into a true elshane protegee.

Whichever list you relate to more… power to that sherbet sister. Go out and score your favorite hue!

xoxo,

elshane

{DVF gown; Sparkly Soul headband; Versace for H&M necklace; CC Skye earrings; Nicky Hilton ring; Kate Spade clutch; Christian Louboutin shoes}

*****

A black tie affair with nothing to wear!

That’s nearly how I felt this past weekend when I ventured to the good ol’ hometown of NYC for a wedding so fancy and fabulous, it repeated the aisle two step of “that Jonas brother” who got married at the very same venue mere moments (ok, years) earlier. If it’s good enough for a Jonas… it’s good enough for elshane. 

So in my closet I peaked…. I rummaged… I ravaged… I sulked. I found tons and tons of {ain’t fly enough for this fashionista} gorgipants gowns that just didn’t hit the mark. I needed inspiration to recreate these closet woes. And then, shimmering like the popular gal she was, hanging so peacefully, was this long sleeve sequin Diane von Furstenberg snoozefest (turned bombshell) of a gown. Yes! The identical gown that was seen on Giuliana Rancic on Fashion Police’s post-Oscar one-hour special, of course! OK, fine. If it’s good enough for a Rancic…it’s good enough for elshane.

With a few safety pins {Angelina leg alert!} and a strategic loose wrap tie situation, this conservative wrap gown went Rihanna Grammy edition in five minutes flat. Added some Lioness details like jewels, a fony {faux-pony}, and it.all.happened. Would you look at that?

Lesson learned: Something hanging in your closet can be salvaged with an inspiration. With the lingering image of Princess Ri-Ri Rihanna in my head from that unforgettable Grammys night, her “Scarface” Michelle Pfeiffer rendition of music royalty transpired into a Jonas Brothers PG rated hit.

Halloween in March? You can do it, too.

xoxo,

elshane

Sometimes all roads lead back to black.

From the most classic combo in the books, has emerged a new twist…make that Windsor knot… bow tie… collar dude…

So fresh that it’s seen nightly on the likes of {insert mega-scale age odometer here} Halle Berry, Sarah Jessica Parker, Rihanna, Jennifer Lopez, Emma Watson, Lady Gaga, Kate Moss, Kim Kardashian, the {so} black {so} white menswear trend can be pulled off at any age!

{Jill Stuart blazer; DVF feather headband; Zara lace top; Marni at H&M sequin collar; H&M shorts; vintage sunnies; Kardashian Kollection for Sears bralette; Nicky Hilton rings; black bow pin (on left sleeve) and fanny pack from Japan; Alaia boots}

****

On a canned soup budget…

Grab your go-to-man’s trusty white collared shirt {oversized tunic style}. Buy a long 1 inch wide black ribbon from a local craft store and tie it in a bow around the neck {dainty detail}. Celebrate the “no pants party” by adding matte black tights to complete the look. Extra artsy? Affix two matching gold rivets to the tails of your bow to polish the tie into a classic Vogue moment!

On this week’s lunch money…

Good thing menswear is so.hot.right.now; it’s available at all of your favorite street-style mall stores like H&M, Zara, GAP, Urban Outfitters, and Anthropology. Check out my {cheap (ha!) as a 1 lb. lobster} H&M shorts (see above) and try to tell me you prefer a warm baked chunk of tail dipped in butter… Well, with these prices, you can actually have both…

On, well… not really on a budget…

Fill that gas tank with “regular” and put the pedal to the splurging metal. Head to luxe-land…Barneys, Saks, Bloomies {Rachel Zoe Collection- check!} and get your splurge on. Best to invest in a classic black and white combo menswear top with a removable bow tie/tie/sash. Why? {two-fer alert, two-fer alert!} That little removable detail will take you a long way…you can pair it back to any other top in your closet!

Lesson learned? Playing around with menswear is almost as fun as men playing around in heels.

xoxo, elshane

Death trended this past weekend… when all we saw were visions of bright white lights on the 2012 Oscars red carpet!

One white hot trendsetter after the next…

 Gwyneth Paltrow in Tom Ford (utterly cape-tivating!)

Giuliana Rancic in Tony Ward

Jennifer Lopez in Zuhair Murad;  Shailene Woodley in Valentino Couture

Rooney Mara in Givenchy

SO? Most important question here: when you…

Wash off the spray tan, peel off the chicken cutlet boobs, pluck out the false eyelashes, rip out the hair extensions, un-lace the Spanx corset… oh, and then wash out and off your $2,000 hair and makeup job…

…how, then, after a complete body-shedding, man-defying experience, could some ‘ol gals like us look this good in white?

The answer is clear…

FAKE IT.

Tan: Kiehl’s Sun Free Self Tanning Formula, $22.50. Use every other morning as your regular face and body moisturizer and watch one by one Dermatologist go out of business…

Lashes: Any beauty shop or local drugstore will carry a version of POP disposable (but oh-so-reusable) false lashes, $10. Co’mon, everyone’s doing it!

Weave: Wonder why you’re never as coiffed as a national morning news anchor? Yea, secret’s out… Even the short-haired girls on-air are sporting the clip-ins. Full body is e-v-e-r-y-t-h-i-n-g! Visit a wig shop and get yo’ weave on for $30 and up.

Spanx: If this is your first lesson in Spanx, then we have to have a sit-down and discuss why you’re so tech savvy (what a great blog you follow, kudos!), but honey, you’re hardly fashion conscious! Loose 10 lbs by way of ultimate vacuum suckage. Made to fit any “tight” situation, prices vary with style.

So there you have it. Wearing white is easy if you know the insider tricks. Get on board with 2012 “fake it ’til you make it” trend, and preserve the ultimate you! Warning: These “enhancements” are completely natural and can be applied and tossed nightly.

Fashion has never been so transcendent!

xoxo, elshane

With a lack of {fash-inspiration} tailing from the Golden Globes and SAG Awards of 2012, it finally all went down in a BIG way this past weekend at the 2012 Grammy Awards. Leave it to the wack-a-doo musicans to {bling it on}, take risks, and leave us countless viewers feeling like we finally got our moneys worth… !

BLACK AND GOLD:

Certainly nothing new on the color wheel, but on this red carpet, it was the accentuation of gold sharp accessories that brought this trend home into 2012 futuristic territory. This is all we have been asking for! Take something we know that works: THEN give it a 2012 spin! Thanks to thin laser cut gold jewelry in bold shapes, this effortless pairing of lady’s most crutch of a tone and world’s most coveted metal can confidently hold hands again and skip into 2012 as the most popular duo in town.

“Twinzies!!” RIHANNA (in Giorgio Armani) and GWYNETH PALTROW (in Stella McCartney)

ALICIA KEYS (in Alexandre Vauthier)

GIULIANA RANCIC (in Georges Chakra)

ICE’D OUT CUT OUTS:

It was by mere miracle that metallic sequins have found a way to reinvent themselves for 2012. By end of 2011, The Jersey Shore female cast made it quite clear to the world that sequin dresses had been banned to society and only allowed on their cast members. If you didn’t get the memo in your highly reputable local newspaper, it took only one short viewing of The Jersey Shore to understand why the ill-fated trend was…ill-fated.

Until, that is, the gods of creativity shinned down on the Grammy’s of 2012… and shockingly reinterpreted the very same ill-fated moment into a new era of imagination. As I call it, the Ice’d Out Cut Out! Sequins line futuristic shoulders while skin peaks from geometric cut-outs!

TAYLOR SWIFT (in Zuhair Murad)

JESSIE J (in Julian Macdonald)

 KELLY ROWLAND (in Alberta Ferretti)

The leading ladies have spoken. They’ve made it clear. Musicians creatively dictate fashion! 

xoxo,

elshane

Dear Mirror,

I’m so tired of my earthy eyeshadow, rouge blush, and mauve lips. The makeup consultant at my department store beauty counter says these are my only colors. So, gasp! I cannot change my colors. I cannot alter my routine! I cannot dare to follow the beauty trends of the 2012 runways! Not me! No way!

Sincerely,

Stuck in my Dried Out Mascara Tube

***

Tears… The saddest Dear Mirror entry I’ve ever read.

Dear all Stuck in my Dried Out Mascara Tube-rs out there,

Hypnotized in a beauty routine? Plah-lease! If everyone had  just one beauty look that worked for her, wouldn’t actresses have the same “face” on everyday? Wouldn’t designer runways display the same beauty trends, season after season? Need one more analogy? Thanks. Staying on top of beauty trends is maja importante!!

For this installation of Beauty Supply, I present the perfect face for a paparazzi flash… The Cat Eye with the bold Red Lip… Sounds like the next Dr. Seuss book!

The Modern Cat Eye: Can’t remember the last day I left the house without my cat eye rolling deep. Sharp, quick, swift movements angling my upper eyelid towards my temple. Gorgi-lady alert!

1. Start with a clean, dry eyelid. Apply primer to the lid, followed by a sheer, nude base eyeshadow. {I like Stila Hydrating Primer}

2. Close the eye and lift eyebrow to reduce your skin around your eye from wrinkling together and causing uneven application.

3. Apply a strong, steady line directly above the upper lash line, working your pencil from inside out. {I like NARS powder liner} ** Pro tip: Liners come in many forms: Start with a liquid liner for a clean, sharp line. A powder line is slightly chicer, but takes some practice!

4. When you reach the outer corner of your eye, drag the line diagonally upward towards your temple, tapering the up-tick to a fine point. {This step gets REALLY fun once you’re experienced}. It’s an art!

5. Repeat step 3 to darken the sharp line. Avoid repeating step 4 if your hand is not yet steady– the up-tick of the liner is the most noticed part of the look, so a sharp, fine, unaltered line is key.

6. Take a pointed Q-Tip with Vaseline {world’s most friendly eye makeup remover} to shape up any mistakes.

7. Apply liquid or powder foundation to the face and neck. Follow with very light blush. *Note, this is a good step to do after the eyes. That way, if you make a mistake on your Cat Eye, you can wash your face without guilt. {I like Stila One Step bronzer}

8. Finish the face with mascara and a bold red lip with liner. But, make sure you preview your hue! Red lipsticks come in both orange tones and blue tones. Each gals unique complexion is best fit for one of these shades, but not the other. I’m an orange-red lip kinda gal! {I like Givenchy and Tom Ford lipsticks}

Both liners are Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil

Eye wear alert! For those four-eyes out there {me! me!}, a cat eye is the perfect makeup choice. This accentuates your eyes while keeping magnifying eyeshadow on the lowdown!

Fashionite alert! Color your cat eyes in your favorite new hue. Urban Decay is the king of colored liners!

xoxo,

elshane

And here rolls around 2012 with a red carpet bang! The Golden Globes brought golden goddesses from near and far {from the tops of Beverly Hills, to the dunes of Malibu}.

I was at the Beverly Hilton for the weekend: prepping looks, fitting gowns, styling and accessorizing. I even hosted a style segment for Fashion TV Canada, straight from the scene of the red carpet. My pretty predictions? Spot on!

So, let’s skip the sweet talk and cut right to the fashion…

Nude: Piper Perabo and Giuliana Rancic (pictured above), Charlize Theron, Jessica Biel, Kate Beckinsale, Elle McPherson, and Nicole Kidman brought the birthday suit trend front and center this carpet.

Where it works: Nudes are best as a statement look: think chiffon nude shirtdress with nude patent pump.

Where it doesn’t: Nude shirt and jeans? I’ll pass on the {anti}sass.

Red: The hot trend of the 2011 Emmy’s was back with a striking force. Reese Witherspoon did it {gorgi-er} than ever, with bedhead and “clean” makeup. Angelina Jolie did the unthinkable… made white satin look chic. Oh, Angie!

How to interlace red into your wardrobe? A shoe, a handbag, a lip. Red-ccessorize!!

Head Gear: Michelle Williams and Charlize Theron left no pore behind!

Where it works: A friend’s wedding, a dinner date, a holiday jaunt.

Where it doesn’t: The office, the school parking lot, the mall.

Pastels: Say it ain’t so! Did I call it or what! Heidi Klum, Tilda Swinton and Jessica Alba brought New York Fashion Week front and center with their risky and oh-so-right moments. For those who graciously followed my New Year’s Dressing recommendation—feel free to tweet at my girls Heidi {H-diggs} and Jessica {J-Bombs} and send them a pic of your very own pastel moments. Be sure to date the photo from 2011 and let them know who da original boss!

And what didn’t we see on the red carpet this year? Again, an elshane pat on the back, peoples! My New Year’s Dressing tips, once again, a slam dunk. Sequins, beading, embellishment… So 2011!

Lastly, we can’t forget men’s fashion. {Wake up}! Although a more strategized, by the books craft, a tuxedo can detail small quirks that strongly set one apart from the next… Are you ready to hear what all the fuss is about?

This very carpet, the {real} men (like Matt LeBlanc) sported a full cutaway collar. With tips pointing towards the man’s shoulders instead of belly, this new trend screams “the gym is …. that way!”… It’s such an easy fashion update to the good ol’ tux hanging in the back of your husband’s closet. Valentine’s Day present?

All in all, impressed with the fashion this Globes season? Ehhh. Looks like everyone’s saving the good ones for the Oscars!

xoxo,

elshane

There’s something about “a girl’s best friend” that makes us feel so legitimized… taken… sparkled… expensive… whole… sigh… {we’ve made it}! We spend our whole lives searching… testing the waters… trial and error… this one’s good for now… this one’s good forever… {heartbreak} {withdrawl} {empowerment}… and then we find The One, inevitably leading to “a girl’s best friend”…

THE PERFECT PAIR OF SHOES!

Valentino "Rock Stud" heels

{Women’s love affairs with shoes date back, yes, before Carrie Bradshaw’s grandmother was born! Six inch stunners took the form of pointy toe lace up booties in the 1890′s… I imagine walking to my sushi dinner reservation way back then would be tres elegante– a little dirt, pebble, grass path ain’t stoppin’ nobody.}

When I buy a new girl’s best friend, I make so many plans with her. We go out to dinner every night of the week; we hit the bar scene; we join the ladies who lunch; we stroll our favorite shopping streets. Girl’s gotta strut it…

But, too often it’s hard to draw the fine line between lust and must… I lusted for this Valentino pair only after {doing hard time} behind the computer, researching the perfect fit for my not-so-petite-feet. Forever 21 and H&M usually hit the spot for me– I’m talking leopard flats, bejeweled sandals, color-blocked wedges, and of course, the staple black heel– I’ve got ’em all. But this time, I had to turn a blind eye to savings… Must!

And I don’t look back– no regrets! If you put the work into researching what’s right…be it shoes, groceries, schooling, exercise, you’ll inevitably be confident and satisfied with your choices. A random splurge should be celebrated!

And, sometimes, on that fairytale of a morning when everything is as right as that first perfect sip of iced coffee to start your day, a splurge is not really a splurge at all…

Did I mention I bought these at Nordstrom Rack for 65% off?

xoxo,

elshane

You know those people with celebrity friends who get the ultimate {star treatment}…think… they get to ride in the tinted black ‘sclades (Escalades, obvi!), they get to stand in front of the velvet ropes, and they have special secret dance moves with half of the macho security guards around town?… oh yeah, that’s me! Livin’ la vida luxury!

This was just the case when, yesterday, I trailed my two most beautiful clients, Giuliana and Bill Rancic, whom I style on a daily basis, to a public appearance at my favorite Los Angeles mall: Santa Monica Place. All afternoon, we laughed at Giuliana’s jokes, greeted zealous fans, and pleased paparazzi with our striking good looks and impeccable lewks. Giuliana wore a DVF wrap dress and Bill donned a Hugo Boss suit. Both designer looks can be purchased (not so ironically, hello, this mall has everything!) at the Santa Monica Place.

Me? I threw together the usual… (DVF leather fringe jacket and studded handbag; Lia Sophia necklace; Aqua by Bloomingdales lace top; Ray-Ban sunnies; TopShop pants; Christian Louboutin boots)

After the meet-and-greet, I satisfied my head to toe, soul high and low. I wandered my favorite mall, weaving through Barneys CO-OP, BCBGMAXAZRIA, Bloomingdales, Kitson, AllSaints, and Joe’s Jeans. What’d I buy? If I tell you… I’ll have to kill you. The sales I scored were criminal. I will, however, divulge about my Mediterranean salmon salad at True Food Kitchen (a famously healthy restaurant new to the mall): so fresh, so clean! And, eating next to Gordon Ramsay hardly distracted my appetite…

Did I mention this mall is an all outdoor, stadium-esque shining structure, with a center “Plaza” lined with Tiffany & Co, Burberry, and Louis Vuitton? Oh, and it’s directly connected to the Third Street Promenade, a never-ending pedestrian-only street of staple stores like Abercrombie & Fitch, H&M, and soon to come, an East Coast favorite, Superdry!

Still wondering what and where I purchased? Got ya!