Love is in the air! The month of hearts is upon us indeed and we couldn’t be more excited. Whether you’re part of a coosome twosome or a swinging single, this is the time to go out and spread the love… and what better way to do it than to be at the height of fashion? Here are some tips and must-haves to keep in mind when getting ready for a date with your significant other, or a hot night out with the girls.
Orange and tangerine lipstick are all over the runway.
ORANGE LIPSTICK. Yup, you read that right. All the fashion week runways featured this look, which, amazingly, instantly brightens up the face and makes you look years younger. Go for a hot tangerine hue if you have very fair skin, or a bit more subdued coral if you have yellow undertones. Wear with nude or barely-there eye makeup and retro eyeliner for a real pop effect.
Basic black eyeliner has gone geometric
GEOMETRIC LINER. Aside from the very popular cat eyes, another trend is to draw on shapes around the lash line with inky black eyeliner. Can you say “walk like an Egyptian”? It’s a fun and fresh new look which can surely bring more attention to your pretty peepers.
Pastels, one of 2014’s hottest fashion pieces
CANDY CRUSH. The verdict on Spring 2014 is nothing but pastel overload! Think all cotton candy hues and translate to cardigans, soft flowy blouses and dresses, sixties minis, bags or shoes. These look absolutely divine when mixed with neutrals like white or cream, or even all on their own. Another twist would be to wear pastels with…
Actress Olivia Palermo in sleek black leather pants, metallic peplum blouse and collarless cardigan
METALLICS. Yes, the metallic are back to give all that feminine sweetness a bit of an urban edge. Look for metallic pumps, clutches (hello YSL!), and even top or bottom coordinates, or anything with crystal beading and sequins. Check out the Spring 2014 looks from Dolce and Gabbana, Burberry Prorsum, Bottega Veneta, Vera Wang, Prada, LV, or Mac Jacobs for inspiration.
Feel the power of flowers!
FLORALS. I know what you’re thinking—how typical, florals for spring. But these aren’t your run-of-the-mill dainties. We’re talking fabulously large and vivid floral prints, whether in a black and white variety or in full color, a la Dries Van Noten, Comme des Garcons or Emporio Armani.
ROARING 20s. We are apparently so not over “The Great Gatsby,” because the 20s are still all the rage. From fringe on skirts and dresses to drop waistlines and trumpet skirts, pixie or short bob hairstyles, it’s a whole new (old) era and I’m loving it!
FULL ON EYESHADOW. Ok, just so we’ve got this clear—if you’re wearing the orange lips trend, it’s best to go au naturel on the eyes for day and just some black liner for evening. But if you want to highlight your eyes, the trend this spring is to go all pastel on them too. It was previously unheard of to wear solid pink on the eyes, but we’re seeing this more and more now and it does look pretty fresh. Baby blues and greens are big too, just look at the makeup snapshots from the Badgley Mishka runway show, or Prada, or Armani.
Shoulder cutouts
SHOULDER CUTOUTS. You know how it was so popular to have cutouts on the waist or stomach area last year? Well this year we’ve transferred to the shoulders, as we’re seeing dresses with high or closed necklines, 3/4th sleeves but showcases bare shoulders. It adds just the right amount of chic to an otherwise ordinary look.
Brocade pants
BROCADE PANTS. Specifically brocade denims. I remember back in the late 80s, my mom had a pair of these and my little five-year-old self wanted them so bad. Fast forward x years later, and they’re back and as stylish as ever. Look for skinny dark rinse jeans in brocade print, wear with pointy toe heels, and give yourself a high five for looking smashing.
Braid trends
OLD WORD BRAIDS. We all know the side braid, but what of the braids of yore? Think Princess Buttercup in “The Princess Bride,” or any of those period films—from the “Three Musketeers” to “Braveheart,” anything that has a queen or princess from medieval times. They’ve got braids wrapped all over their heads, some slightly undone, with little flowers or ribbons caught in between, or tendrils cascading around the face, or worn like a crown. That’s what’s big right now, and I have to say it looks great especially in contrast with plain, androgynous clothes. If you haven’t the faintest idea how to execute these complicated braids and have no little sister or minion to coerce into doing it for you, look it up on YouTube.
So, here’s hoping that your Valentine’s Day will rock no matter how you decide to spend it, and that you will look fabulous all the same. Cheers!