Link Thursday: 10 Rules Of Good Taste

Hey beautiful people

We're literally in the middle of a heat wave here - just imagine: a few weeks ago, we were clocking as low as 17 degrees C and today, it's around 33 degrees C... at the coldest point on the island! I was telling my kids that 10-15 years ago, I would go to my aunt's place in the capital city here, Port Louis, aka The Furnace, and my eyes would go wide if I saw the thermometer at her place reading something like 31 degrees! To think we're getting worse here now - definitely global warming!

That being said, please excuse my brain being mush and me not able to talk a lot about the article going up today. Let's just say it's something all women - real and fictional - should know and bear in mind!

Without further ado, enjoy!

The article is from MillionLooks.com and you can find it online here.

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10 Rules of Good Taste

All women want to look good but some don’t know how to achieve that. To prove I’m telling the truth, just look at lots of women walking along the streets of your city.

Many of them wear tasteless, almost the same style clothes. I am sure the color diversity and mismatch of styles can make designers feel depressed.
In fact, they try to create nice collections for us, make up new trends and fashion tendencies but we still prefer something that is cheaper and brighter.
Of course you can say you do it because of lack of finances to purchase couture clothes, but as practice shows this factor is not determining.
If you have natural ability to choose the right clothes you are very lucky. In case you can’t don’t give up! Good taste can be trained, just follow some rules and everything will be all right.

1. The fewer the better.
Avoid buying garments which don’t go with each other well. Opt for suit combinations. When I say ‘suit’ I don’t necessarily mean classic suit version (which is a must in every woman’s wardrobe). All your outfits should be combined in a suit way.
For example, when buying jeans select an appropriate blouse, a top or a sweater to go with them. And starting from that, choose shoes, bags and other accessories.
Work on your attire in details. It is often sad to see a girl wearing shoes completely out of her all-garments style, with a ridiculous bag that is far from being right in place.
It is better to have fewer items in your wardrobe which suit each other perfectly than many garments all in different styles.

2. Quality question
No matter how hard you try cheap clothes of poor quality will never look like those which cost much. Cheap garments make you look cheap as well, and there is no difference whether you choose to wear cheap gloves or shoes – everyone will notice something is wrong about you.
Invest into several good items rather than lots of cheap ones. We are not so rich to buy cheap clothes.
Garments of high quality can’t be cheap but they do serve and feel better.

3. Economizing
Despite the all said above sometimes we just can’t resist the temptation to purchase a few cheap items. If that’s right about you follow the rule: never try to combine expensive stylish garments with their cheap counterparts.
Pricy jeans will look cheap as well if you don them with a few-dollar top. As designers say, sometimes we can choose items of various costs for one outfit.
For example, never economize on shoes, lingerie, sweaters and makeup but you can opt for a bit cheaper trousers, a bit cheaper I’d like to repeat.

4. Choose what suits you.
Fashion tells us what to wear but this doesn’t mean we should blindly go for everything designers offer us. For example, low waist jeans which are in style at the moment don’t look good on women with shorter legs.
You should always think about your own appearance.
If something looks great on you wear it, but if you feel it isn’t yours, leave it. Every season we see plenty of styles and designs on the catwalks, and this allows us to find lots of things to look perfect on us.

5. Colors
The first thing a person’s eye perceives is a color, especially if it is wrong.
Ultra-lemon jacket and bright orange trousers combination will make everyone around you turn their heads back but this wouldn’t be a look of appreciation, it would be a look of surprise.
That is why it is of high importance to choose colors correctly. Most people who wish to look more or less elegant prefer wearing black and grey clothes, sometimes adding fresh fashionable color.
But this method has some drawbacks. Dark tones will make you just a part of a crowd hardly distinguishable from others, and the fresh color may be not good for you.
If the modern color doesn’t look well on you just put up with this fact and opt for some accessories in this tint while all the other clothes should be in another hue, more suitable for you.
Today we will continue speaking about rules determining good taste. I hope the information will help you understand what will look great and what will be a bad choice.

6. Lingerie
Lingerie is something that makes a woman feel like a woman. Some ladies think that if it is not seen under the clothes they can wear just anything. If you wear something old and unattractive this is seen through your actions.
But if you wear lacy lingerie and stokings even a business suit will look in a special way, a sexy way.
Throw away all your old lingerie and buy a few new sets. Besides, purchase a couple of expensive sets ‘for special occasions’.

7. Shoes
There is hardly a woman who doesn’t love shoes. Shoes are a symbol of comfort and beauty. They work as a final element in the attire. They help to hide our imperfections, such as make us look taller, our legs longer. Whatever the goal you use shoes for you should pay attention to their quality.
Good shoes serve longer, look better and don’t hurt your feet. Isn’t that enough to understand it is better to purchase shoes in good shoe stores?

8. Perfume
Perfume is a must for every woman. All of us are divided into two categories: those who prefer to use one and the same perfume all their life and those who tend to experiment and change fragrances very often.
The only rule you should follow here is to avoid cheap fake perfume as it will never smell the way you wish.
Every woman should treat herself with at least one bottle of nice perfume. All you need is to choose the right one. The aroma should go in harmony with you and your soul.

9. Right occasion
Your clothes are important but the occasion and place you want to wear them to are also essential. Lack of correspondence of attire and the occasion looks terrifying. Chinchilla fur coat will look ridiculous in a subway. So, make sure you know what you need to wear to an exhibition, lunch at a local café or New Year celebration.

10. Search for harmony
Only a woman can notice each separate detail of your outfit. Men perceive us as a whole on the basis of liking and disliking.
You can wear designer creations from top to toe but he might not even notice you. But he will notice a woman wearing a horrible polka dot dress because she looks in harmony with her polka dots while you don’t.
Famous labels are not important. The main thing is that the suit fits you ideally. Clothes should go in harmony with your mood, temperament, season, daytime, social status, etc. Only in this case they will make you look more beautiful, desirable and unique.

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From Mauritius with love,

Zee

Link Thursday: 10 Beauty Shortcuts

Hey beautiful people

I usually gear this Link Thursday post towards an online article that helps with characterization and writing romance in general. There's a big Lifestyle component to these articles too, and everyone - writer and non-writer alike - can find something from these words.

Today, I'm doing something a little different. Yes, it's still an online article, but... it's not exactly geared towards characterization.

Instead, it aims to help you ladies out there!

When I read this, I thought the tips and advice were a Godsend! You'll definitely find something handy in there. And if not you, ladies, then maybe one of your heroines could benefit from these little tips in her day-to-day life. :)

Enjoy!

The article is from MSN Lifestyle, Beauty & Fashion section, and is written by Stephanie Abramson. You can view it in its original slideshow here.

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10 Beauty Shortcuts

The fastest way to dry nail polish, grow out a bad haircut, and more.

By Stephanie Abramson

1. The Fastest Way to Dry Nail Polish

Dunk your hands in a bowl of ice-cold water. "The cold water freeze-dries polish, sealing and hardening it quickly," says Belinda Rivera, a nail specialist in Austin, Texas. Allow nails to air-dry for two minutes, then submerge in ice-cold water for three minutes, which is enough time for the polish to harden completely.

Another option: Blast nails with cool air from a hair dryer in between coats. This helps each layer of color dry as you go.

Quick tip: Old nail polish can take forever to dry, since time can turn polish gooey and thick. Toss bottles when the polish begins to change color or separate. At that point, the lacquer has probably thickened and become unusable.


2. The Fastest Way to Minimize a Facial Flush

Place a cool, wet towel on the back of your neck. "When your face flushes during exercise, it's a normal physiological response to your body overheating," says Lydia Evans, a dermatologist in Chappaqua, New York. "Your blood vessels dilate and increase blood flow to the surface of the skin to cool it, which gives it that red appearance."

A cold towel on the back of the neck constricts those blood vessels, numbs the nerve endings there, and helps lower your body temperature quickly, says Debra Luftman, a cosmetic dermatologist in Beverly Hills. Splashing cold water on your face will have the same effect.

Quick tip: Carry a spray bottle filled with cold water to the gym. When you feel your face getting warm, spritz it with water. This will help keep the redness to a minimum.


3. The Fastest Way to Depuff Eyes

"Wrap a bag of frozen vegetables in a thin towel and place it over your eyes for 10 minutes," says Debra Luftman, a cosmetic dermatologist. A night of sipping Champagne or eating salty foods can lead to fluid retention around the eyes. The cold of the bag stimulates circulation under the eyes, which helps bring down that fluid. (Why a bag of vegetables? Because it conforms to the contours of the face. Peas or corn works best.)

A soft washcloth soaked in cool chamomile tea will also do the trick, since chamomile has anti-inflammatory properties.

Quick tip 1: If you know you’ll be drinking alcohol or eating salty foods, be sure to drink lots of water. You’ll be less likely to puff out the next morning.

Quick tip 2: To help prevent puffy eyes, prop up your head on two pillows when you go to sleep. Gravity is your friend when it comes to fluid retention.


4. The Fastest Way to Soothe Post-Waxing Irritation

Apply a 1 percent hydrocortisone cream, which calms inflammation, quells itchiness, and reduces redness. The force it takes to pull hairs out from the roots can inflame skin. Lydia Evans, a dermatologist, says, "Since coarse and thick hairs are more stubborn to remove, you'll probably experience more redness in areas where they grow," such as the bikini line and the underarms.

Delicate spots, like the brows, are also prone to irritation. Apply a pea-size dab of hydrocortisone cream to red zones right after waxing.

Quick tip: Don’t schedule a waxing within three days of the start of your period, when skin tends to be extra sensitive.


5. The Fastest Way to Repair a Torn Nail

Patch it with a tea bag. Nails can tear for many reasons: They're weak; they're soft; they've been soaking in water for too long, which softens them further.

Whatever the cause, cut a tiny piece of paper from a tea bag (it should be big enough to cover the entire tear), apply a bead of nail glue to the paper (Krazy Glue works in a pinch), then press it on top of the tear, says Essie Weingarten, founder of Essie Cosmetics. Allow the glue to dry, then gently file the top of the paper so that it is smooth and flush with the nail. Finish with a layer of base coat, two coats of nail polish, and a topcoat.


Quick tip: Wear rubber gloves when washing dishes or using cleaning products. Water and chemicals can weaken nails and make them more likely to tear.


6. The Fastest Way to Fix a Streaky Tan

Sweep a cotton ball soaked in 100 percent lemon juice over stripy areas. "Citric acid from the lemon is a natural skin lightener and exfoliator," says Drita Ramadanovic, a spa manager at the Wynn resort, in Las Vegas. "It smooths away unevenly applied tanner by sloughing off overly tanned skin cells."

Another option: Massage plain baking soda onto damp skin with small, gentle circular motions. Like lemon juice, baking soda will slough off freshly dyed cells and reveal untanned skin underneath.

Quick tip: Cut your self-tanner with moisturizer. Mix equal parts of each in your palm and blend them together before applying. The diluted tanner will give you a more natural color.


7. The Fastest Way to Grow Out a Bad Haircut

Sadly, there's no fast way to grow out a bad haircut. That said, there are things you can do to minimize the nightmare until your hair grows back (which it does at a rate of about half an inch a month).

First try washing and restyling your hair yourself, since the way a stylist does your hair can make it look worse than it really is, says Eric Fisher, owner of the Eric Fisher Salon, in Wichita, Kansas. Then rely on accessories to help you through the growing-out phase. A headband or a barrette can hold back too-short bangs, and a ponytail or a loose bun can camouflage too-flippy layers.

Quick tip: If you’re really unhappy with a cut, voice your dissatisfaction to the salon manager that day. Ask for a different stylist, who can help reshape the cut. Most managers will be happy to oblige.


8.  The Fastest Way to Dry Hair

Blow-dry from underneath, starting with the underlayers. "If you start drying your hair with the top layer, you end up scooping up wet hair from underneath and pulling it through the brush, rewetting the layers that are already dry," says Inez Gray, owner of the Habitude Salon and Spa, in Seattle.

First apply mousse, which will coat the hair shafts and prevent them from absorbing more water. Then flip your head over, or clip the top up, and aim the dryer at the bottom layers first. Once the bottom layers are dry, use a brush to help dry and smooth the top layers. This technique will cut drying time by about a third.

Quick tip 1: Don’t blow-dry sopping-wet hair―you’ll need to use high heat, which will lead to damage. Blot with a microfiber or terry towel first.

Quick tip 2: To make your blow-dry even speedier, choose a dryer with at least 1,800 watts. A high-powered dryer gets the job done in less time than a lower-wattage one.


9. The Fastest Way to Conceal Grays

Cover them with mascara. As women age, hair follicles lose the ability to produce pigment; the result is gray hair. To cover up a single gray, swipe mascara that matches the rest of your hair onto it. (Or use a touch-up product, which is temporary color that comes in a mascara-like tube and washes out with your next shampoo.)

If you begin to see a larger smattering of grays throughout your hair, try adding volume when you style. Spritz some volumizing spray onto the roots of the gray sections before you blow-dry, or back-comb sections to get them to stand away from your scalp. "Flat hair makes grays even more noticeable," says Eric Fisher, owner of the Eric Fisher Salon, in Wichita, Kansas.

Quick tip: Get a cut with lots of layers. Fisher says, "It eliminates definitive parts and gives movement to the hair," both of which hide grays.


10. The Fastest Way to Smooth Away Pillow Creases on Your Face

Splash warm water on your skin, then massage in a moisturizer. Skin cells contain fluid that acts as a cushion to keep the skin plump. When you're lying with your face smushed into a pillow for eight hours, that fluid seeps out of cells and is absorbed by your body. "This leads to creases," says Lydia Evans, a dermatologist in Chappaqua, New York.

Once you get out of bed, skin cells will gradually plump up with fluid. The warm water speeds this along by enhancing blood flow to the area, and moisturizer rehydrates it. Massaging the moisturizer in helps to smooth creases away manually.

Quick tip: Sleep on a smooth-fitting satin pillowcase instead of a cotton one. Satin won’t bunch up under your skin, so you may be spared morning creases. (It will not, however, eliminate long-term wrinkles.

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From Mauritius with love,

Zee