Origami Owl

Hey Fancy Ladies!! I do intend on posting something which is more substantive than this, but I wanted to just share with you a new little adventure I'm on with a friend.

We're so hooked on Origami Owl Living Lockets jewelry that we're selling it, now, as Independent Designers.

If you're interested, please check out our site: http://charmedo2.origamiowl.com/ or find us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/CharmedO2-Independent-Origami-Owl-Designer-13162804/692505677501535

If you're interested in learning more, comment below or message CharmedO2 on Facebook. I'll post some goodies on here soon!!

Stay Fancy!

Super easy, classic every day look...

Long time no write!! I've had a busy summer, fall is shaping up to be much the same, and I have a TON of ideas and not a lot of time to actually share them. I'm working on it. Today, I thought I'd share with you a really easy, really classic, every day look that works great whether you're going to the office, out for a day with the girls, or out for evening with someone special. Really, this look goes from casual to dressy with nothing more than a lipstick choice. The finished look:

How did I get there? Here are the products I used for the complete look. I don't wear foundation daily, but if you do, that will be your first step!

From Left to Right: Smashbox Baked Fusion Softlights blush/bronzer, Benefit High Beam highlighter, Too Faced Shadow Insurance, Smashbox Brow Tech in Brunette, Urban Decay Naked3 Eyeshadow palette, Dior Diorshow Mascara in Catwalk Black, Benefit Eye Brights, Ardell false eyelashes in Black Wispies, Duo Eyelash Glue in Dark Tone, Makeup Forever Artist Palette Professional High-Intensity Eyeshadow in 518 Nude, Sephora Matte Shadow in °42 Strawberry Macaroon, and Smashbox Jet Set Waterproof Cream Eyeliner in Jet Black.

I always start with my eyebrows. I took my Smashbox Brow Tech and filled in my brows, first. Next, I took the Too Faced Shadow Insurance primer and used a concealer brush to swipe on the primer from brow to lash. We're not lining the bottom lash line, so no need to sweep primer underneath the bottom lashes. I then took the Smashbox Jet Set Eyeliner and created a subtle cat eye line by taking my flat eyeliner brush and putting it at the outside corner of my eye, perpendicular to the lash line, and sweeping line in, towards the inside of my eye, slowly rotating the brush parallel to my lashes as I went further in, creating a perfect tapered look. Thinner line on the inside of the eye, widening out to the corner, with a wing only as wide as the length of your eyeliner brush and not extending out, past the eye. We're going for a bold, strong line without being too dramatic.

Now for the eyeshadow. I started with Makeup Forever in 518 Nude. It's a light, slightly beigey pink, matte and perfect for fair skin tones. I used an eyeshadow brush to sweep color from lash to brow, ignoring the kind of triangle area immediately below the peak of my arch. Next, I took Mugshot from Urban Decay's Naked3 palette and swept it in just the crease and outside corner of my eye, concentrating on the crease. I finished it off by sweeping Sephora Strawberry Macaroon in that triangle area below the arch of my eyebrow, blending as I went to ensure a seamless look.

With the eyeshadow complete, it's time to finish the eyes. So I brushed two coats of Diorshow Mascara on top lashes only -- both side so the lashes, focusing on the roots, followed by Benefit Eye Brights drawn onto the water line of my eye to create a bright eye effect. Using the Duo Eyelash glue in Dark Tone to help emphasize the depth and bold darkness of the lash line, I applied my daily go-to lashes, Ardell Wispies in black.

I finished the overall look by highlighting under my eyes with Benefit High Beam and sweeping Smashbox Baked Fusion Softlights on the apples of my cheeks, up to the hairline at my temple, and on my T-zone. I was going to be smooching a sweet bee, so I skipped the lipstick.

However, a nude lip, either matte or glossy, would complete this look in a perfect, casual, daytime fashion. A bolder lip -- pink or even red -- could take this look to evening with style.

This look is something I actually wear quite a bit. While my personal preference is my bolder smoky eye look with full eyeliner, this is quick, easy, and always looks good. Plus, it basically matches every outfit! It's a great look when you hit the snooze button in the morning. :o)

I'm off to watch game 2 of the Giants in the NLCS and work on my newest obsession -- Origami Owl. I'll be posting a super quick post about that very soon!!

Stay Fancy!

A Quick Link while I'm off, being busy on vacation and having house guests...

I know I've neglected you and I do have several topics to discuss. For now...I'll link to a story about a Fancy Lady I think we should admire and learn from....


I aspire, one day, to let go of some of my insecurities. For now, I embrace my "imperfections" as best as I can and accentuate the many things I find perfectly beautiful. :o)


https://www.yahoo.com/health/why-im-finally-sharing-the-photos-i-hid-for-years-93883029603.html

This is wonderful!

A few of my favorite products...and a couple that are just meh...

Being fancy isn't all about primping and makeup and getting glossed up. (Ok, so it MOSTLY is) It's also about taking care of your skin, your hair, and generally keeping a grooming standard that you're comfortable with and that keeps you looking tip-top even when you first get up. So, I thought I'd share with you a few of the products (FEW) that I use every day or with fair frequency...

So let's just start with my favorite shampoo and conditioner. Bumble and Bumble Gentle Shampoo and Super Rich Conditioner. I love everything Bumble. All their products are really my faves, but this shampoo/conditioner combo is my daily go-to, longtime friend. I have sensitive skin and psoriasis on my scalp. I color my hair and I use product and hot tools every day. I need a solid, good shampoo and conditioner to take care of my sensitive scalp and my hair. This does the job. It smells delightful, works wonderfully, and has improved my scalp tenfold since I started using it regularly 5 years ago. When I moved to the Northwest, my hair took a beating. The climate up here hates me. I'm a California girl through and through and my hair and skin are SO MUCH happier when I'm there. But, I'm here and I'm not going anywhere, so the crap climate and I are just going to have to learn to live together. This stuff works hard at trying to maintain as much of the body and shine I have as soon as take a trip home. Haha! Completely and totally worth every single penny!

Try their Tonic, Styling Creme, Prep, and Hair Spray as well. You WON'T be sorry!!

Bumble and Bumble

Moving on, lotions and oils for skin. I gotta tell ya I've always had sensitive skin and I've always had to take extra care of it, but moving to the Northwest from California has absolutely wreaked havoc on my skin. Moroccan argan oil is all the rage right now and there's a reason for it. It's FANTASTIC. It's great for sensitive skin, it's great for summer or winter, it's not greasy, and it does its job. Use in the shower or just after and your skin will be well moisturized, silky, and smooth. I use it in the shower and then follow up with lotion when I get out. My two current daily go-tos are MOR Cosmetics' Basil and Grape lotion, which I am obsessed with, and Ahava Dermud Nourishing Body Cream, with Dead Sea mud. Both of these lotions are absolutely amazing. The Basil and Grape smells divine without being chemically and lingering, the Ahava smells great and is nice and thick, really giving you some much-needed lotiony goodness. For my feet, I use The Body Shop's Peppermint Foot Lotion and it's just delightful.

You can find Moroccan Argan oil EVERYWHERE, but I've been using Organix and I love it.

You used to be able to get MOR at Ulta, but they no longer carry it. They're an Aussie brand and they have a great website. Check them out here. I just stocked up on all my MOR favorites. I use their Basil and Grape Sugar and Salt Body Scrub..DIVINE. I was terribly sad to learn they've discontinued it, but I'll be trying their Marshmallow Sugar Crystal Body Scrub and I'll let you know how it is!

You can find the Ahava Dermud Nourishing Body Cream at Ulta, as well. Ahava has a whole line of goodies that look spectacular. I think I'm going to give their mud mask a whirl next!

The Body Shop Peppermint foot lotion is just one component in a whole line of Peppermint goodies for your piggies. The Gel is delightful, as well.

You need to keep that face well cleansed and moisturized as well! Even if you don't wear makeup every day, your face is something everyone sees. You want to look fresh and fancy all the time!

You don't need a lot to keep your skin happy. A good moisturizer for day and night (can be separate or one for both) and a good toner go a long ways towards keeping your skin happy and healthy. You need to use a good cleanser as well. Not pictured, I used Neutrogena skin cleansers because I have sensitive, combination oily/dry, acne-prone skin. I have a makeup removing face wash for nighttime and the Grapefruit Face Scrub for mornings, in the shower. What's pictured are my current moisturizers and toner. The toner is a Godsend. It's Origins United State Balancing Tonic. It improved my complexion, removing blackheads and leaving my skin smooth and radiant, after ONE use. It's gentle and amazing. I use it at night, after removing makeup and before putting on moisturizer, and in the morning, after the shower and before applying makeup. Fantastic! Think of toner like toothpaste. You wouldn't go without brushing your teeth, so why are you going without toning your skin?! Get it! For nighttime, after washing and toning my face, I use good, old-fashioned, Ponds Dry Skin Cream. It smells like old ladies (sorry, old ladies!) and is thick, leaves your skin looking a bit shiny, and it does the trick! You'll wake up in the morning with soft, moisturized, delightful skin. For daytime I've been using Perricone MD Cold Plasma and Cold Plasma Eye Cream. Now this is the product I warned is just meh. It's great. It does the job, but at $99 for the set, I'm not convinced it's worth the investment and definitely not worth a regular investment. I've used a lot of moisturizers and eye creams that were equally effective for a fraction of the price. So, I'm letting you know it's out there and it works fine, but I wouldn't start rebudgeting to work in this Benjamin every few months. Lastly, H2O Shine Neutralizing Gel. This stuff goes on after, or in place of, your moisturizer. If you're like me and you don't wear foundation every day, this stuff is great for keeping your skin matte and oil-free all day. I use it before I put on my Stila One Step Triple Correct Helix Primer and my skin keeps an even, clean complexion that remains oil-free all day.

Ponds is available at pretty much every drugstore everywhere.

Perricone MD is available here.

Origins United State Balancing Tonic, here.

H2O Shine Neutralizing Gel, here. 

In addition to keeping your skin and hair healthy and lovely, fancy ladies also love to smell yummy! I know I do! I don't have a signature scent, per se. I like to change things up according to my mood. My current go-tos?

The Versace Bright Crystal is my favorite. It's the closest to a go-to scent as I have, since I tend to wear that the most often. It's fruity, sweet, and girly, while still feeling grownup and fancy. But I LOVE my Gucci Guilty Intense and Miss Dior for when I'm feeling fancier and looking for something a little less sweet, floral, and fruity. The Gucci Guilty is edgy, while Miss Dior is a classic, sophisticated fragrance. It's been around forever. It's like a great handbag -- they never go out of style! The DKNY Delicious Fresh Blossom is fun, sweet, fruity, and girly. The DKNY smells the most like a "casual" scent to me, if that makes sense. The rest are great for everyday, but also smell fancier and would be appropriate for more formal occasions and nights out.

All four are fantastic, though. I love them all!


So those are just a few of my favorite products (and a couple meh products). I try new stuff all the time, so I'm sure I'll blog about this subject again...

Stay Fancy!!

You don't HAVE to try...

I said with my first blog post that the entire point of this blog was to share girly things and to talk about makeup and all that stuff, but that it's not what makes us beautiful. It's what makes us fancy.

I believe in my heart that God made us all beautiful and that makeup and all this stuff we do to our appearance is what makes us fancy, what makes us feel good about ourselves, and what helps us feel groomed and polished -- whatever style that takes. BUT I still succumb to the notion that I'm not perfect, that I need to do this or that to look pretty. So I need to remind myself as often as you need to be reminded.

We don't have to try....

There's nothing wrong with putting your best foot forward and rocking a fancy face because it's how you feel the best. As long as you keep in perspective that you're beautiful without it all. You don't HAVE to be fancy -- "you don't have to try".

Everyday I think we should all wake up and look at ourselves in the mirror and say "do I like me?" and answer "yes" until we believe it. Because no one is going to believe in you if you don't believe in yourself and no one will see how beautiful you are if you don't let that beauty shine. Believe in your beauty and it will burn so bright the world will have to stop and stare.

Stay fancy!

Essential Tools: Makeup Brushes

You can study all the photos of makeup looks you want, you can watch all the YouTube videos you want, and you can go out and buy all the eyeshadows, eyeliners, brow filler, blushes, concealers, and other makeup products you want. If you don't have the right tools to apply those products using the tricks you learned in order to achieve the look you're hoping for, it will never turn out right.

I have some expensive brushes and I have some mid-priced brushes. To some extent, brushes are brushes. It doesn't matter if they come from MAC, Smashbox, Sephora, or Walmart. However, like all things, the cheaper brushes aren't just inexpensive. They're lower in quality. So consider what you're using the brush for before you buy it. Is it a specialized brush for a specific application, like my Smashbox #12 Angle Brow brush, or is it a generic, all over shadow brush or blush brush?

My general rule is buy high quality every chance you get. But brushes are expensive. My Smashbox eyebrow brush was $20. It's 6 years old and still looks like new, but if you're stocking up on new brushes all at once, $20/brush can be a spendy shopping day. I'm not a big fan of the brush sets out there. I find most of them to contain brushes that will never get used and you'd be better off buying individual brushes to suit your needs. That said, I actually do have a lot of brushes that are from a pro brush set that I bought a few years ago. It was a good deal because I could get it at cost. Otherwise, I wouldn't have bought it because I haven't touched about half the brushes.

So what are your needs? Well, there are some basics that I believe every fancy lady should have.

1. Eyeliner brush for cream eyeliners (the only kind, besides liquid, I use!). I prefer a flat edge eyeliner brush that I can angle to suit the style of eyeliner I'm applying. Currently, I'm using a Sonia Kashuk (from Target!) flat eyeliner brush with ergo handle. I've had it for a few years and it's my favorite eyeliner brush!
2. Angled brush for eyebrow filler. As previously discussed, mine is Smashbox's #12 Angle Brow brush.
3. Eyebrow Grooming brush (the kind with a brush on one side and comb on the other). Mine is Sonia Kashuk's Eyebrow Comb/Brush with ergo handle.
4. Concealer brush. This is what I use to apply Too Faced Eyeshadow Insurance -- a MUST product for every fancy lady.  Mine is from the generic pro set I bought from a supply store (think Cosmotology student starter kit!)
5. Foundation brush. I don't use this to apply foundation, but I use this to apply/blend under eye highlighters, primers, and some concealers. Another from the starter kit.
6. Smudge brush. This brush's bristles are short, dense, and stiff. This brush will help you smudge eyeliner and eyeshadow for the perfect smoky look. My current is Sephora's short handled smudge brush.
7. Round Large Eyeshadow brush. This is for application of eyeshadow to a large area, such as the entire lower lid, from crease to lash. It's also great for blending. Mine is Sonia Kashuk again!
8. Angled Eyeshadow brush. This is great for creases! I have two. The one pictured below is from my starter kit. I also have a Sonia Kashuk crease brush which is fuller, angled, and fits perfectly in your crease for precision application. I would recommend that brush to more advanced fancy ladies. This flatter, angled crease brush (pictured) is great for novices and experts alike!
9. Medium Eyeshadow brush. This brush is great for use just below the brow, highlighting, and smaller accent applications. Mine is from the starter kit.
10. Small Eyeshadow brush. For small jobs.
11. Face Powder brush. This brush, slightly looser than a blush brush, is ideal for sweeping just a dusting of powder on your face, pressed or loose powder, to set your makeup and finish your look. This brush isn't great for blush because it's not as precise. It's truly meant for all over, sweeping coverage. Mine is realTechniques.
12. Blush brush. This brush is large, loose, and perfect for sweeping blush on the apples of your cheeks, temple, and T-zone. Mine is realTechniques.
13. Kabuki brush. I have two on which I am dependent daily. The first, a traditional, small-handled kabuki, is from Smashbox. The second is a new trend. The retractable Kabuki. The more you raise it, the looser and more sweeping the coverage. The more you lower it, the denser, and more precise, intense the coverage. I love this brush! These brushes are both perfect for highlighters, bronzers, blushes, and translucent powder.

I have tons of additional brushes which I use with fair frequency, but these 13 are the styles I would most recommend for daily use for all fancy ladies. In a pinch, I can make a complicated makeup look work with about two or three of these brushes. If you can make them multipurpose, I'm all for it! I've been known to use lip gloss to smooth eyebrows, eyeliner brushes to shade eyebrows, and mascara as eyeliner. The key to brushes is not to have one brush for every possible style/type of application. The key is to have a well-stocked (for you!) collection of brushes that are good quality, will last you a long time, and accomplish what you want to accomplish.

As for natural versus synthetic, I have both. I prefer the natural brushes for most things, but the synthetics are great for creams and liquids.

I also prefer long handles, but you may prefer shorter handles. It's all a matter of preference. Ulta, Sephora, MAC, and higher end places like that will have brushes you can touch, feel, test. Try them out and find the ones you like the best. If you find a brush set that you want, grab it! It's a great way to build a collection fast. And you never know! Maybe there's a brush in there that you never thought you'd use, but now it's a necessary tool for your daily routine.

It isn't enough to buy the high quality tools you need. You also need to take care of them. As much for your own hygiene as for the care of your brushes, you need to clean them regularly. Most people don't clean them daily, but they should. There are tons of makeup brush cleaners on the market, but there is one that you already have in your bathroom right now, and it's just as effective. Shampoo.

I take the leftover shampoo in the bottom of the bottle when I switch to new bottles and save it for brushes. Every day, I use a brush cleaner spray (from Sephora), but every two weeks or so I give my brushes a thorough cleaning with shampoo. All you have to do is wet the brushes and use a tiny drop of shampoo to work up a lather and scrub the brushes like you would your hair, rinse thoroughly with water, dab dry with a washcloth, reshape, and let dry.

If you take really good care of your brushes, they should last many years. Assuming you buy quality brushes to begin with. Even if you buy the "cheap" brushes, taking care of them will extend their life and allow you to have the proper tools to make endless, fancy looks and have fun being a fancy lady!! Here are a few links to some of my favorite brushes:

Smashbox

Sephora

MAC

Sonia Kashuk for Target


I would be remiss if I didn't wish you a belated Happy Independence Day!!!

Go forth and be fancy!

Olive Oil

No, you didn't click on a cooking blog. Olive oil is actually a very long established moisturizer for hair and skin. It's an essential oil and contains antioxidants, which are great for consumption AND absorption. It's a great moisturizer because it really coats the hair and skin, being absorbed rather than just sitting on top like a lot of creams. It restores skin elasticity, removes harmful free radicals, and leaves your hair and skin noticeably softer and smooth.

Olive oil works WAY better than a lot of deep conditioners or intensive skin therapies and we all have it in our kitchens right now. So grab a bottle of olive oil (Extra Virgin works too) and get ready for some easy, effective skin and hair treatment that will help keep you fancy no matter the weather!

Hair 

We all want to keep our hair healthy and strong. Good quality shampoo and conditioner, good quality styling products, and quality tools are a start. But you also need to take care of your hair just like you do your skin. Hair suffers the effects of aging like skin, too. Hair also tends to take a greater beating. Chemical treatments, heat styling, and the lack of sun protection all contribute to the condition of our hair. Frizzy, dry hair? Lackluster shine? Distressed or thinning hair? Olive oil can help! 

There are a bunch of recipes out there for olive oil masks. Plain olive oil works well, though. So if you're not comfortable mixing up a mask, fret not. You're good to go with regular, ol' olive oil. If you want to make a great mask, though, grab these ingredients:

- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 tsp lavender oil or a small handful of lavender buds
- 1 tbsp organic raw honey
- 1 wedge of lemon
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 egg

Take the clove of garlic and mash into a paste in a bowl. Add the juice from one wedge of lemon and stir to combine. Set aside. Take the 3 tbsp olive oil and add the lavender oil or buds. Heat the oil and lavender on the stove JUST long enough to warm it. DON'T let it get too hot or the oil will lose its beneficial qualities. Remove from heat as soon as it gets warm and add the honey. Stir to combine, mashing the lavender buds as best you can, if you used those instead of oil. Combine the oil/honey/lavender mixture with the lemon and garlic mash, cracking one raw egg in and giving everything a good stir (with a fork) to combine everything as much as possible. Once fully combined, apply to hair exactly as described below. Start at the roots, coat hair down to the tip, layer by layer, working the oil mask in on the areas most in need of treatment.

More often than the mask, I use straight up California extra virgin olive oil. I pour some in a bowl and spread it from root to tip, layer by layer, on dry hair at the end of the night. Then, I use a plastic shopping bag to cover my hair and tie it off so it stays within the bag on my head and I sleep on it overnight. In the morning, get up and get in the shower, rinse well and then shampoo/condition as normal. Do this three - five times weekly for strong, healthy, shiny, soft, frizz-free hair. 

It can't get any easier than that!

Skin

 I have super sensitive skin. I also have eczema and psoriasis. My face is combination skin -- oily and dry. (A cruel joke, I tell you!) In general, moving to the northwest has wreaked HAVOC on my skin and hair. I mean they HATE me. When I go home to California, my skin and hair is INSTANTLY better than it has ever been in the three years I've lived up here. It's enough to make you rethink living up here!

Desperate to find a way to maintain my healthy skin, I turned to olive oil as one of my go-to solutions. take a small amount, less than a dime, and rub it into your foot, focusing on the heel and other dry areas. After you've allowed your skin to absorb most of it, apply a quality lotion over it. I prefer The Body Shop's peppermint foot cream. But a regular lotion would work, as well. Do this nightly and you will have the softest feet ever! Seriously. 

Employ the same method for your hands, focusing on the knuckles, and following up with either a great hand cream or a regular moisturizing lotion. 

For your face, start with a freshly washed, toned face. Apply oil in very small amounts, allowing your skin to absorb most of it while you rub it in. Follow up with your favorite nighttime moisturizer. Your skin can't drink up all that moisture at once, so let your face remain a little oily. Definitely a nighttime treatment. 

In the morning, any residual oil on your face, hands, or feet will rinse off easily in the shower, but your skin will thank you for such a great dose of free-radical-busting, antioxidant providing, moisturizing oil. 

If you have other dry or sad areas of skin on your body, follow the same routine. Oil first, then lotion. Olive oil is natural and safe. You can use it around your peekaboo bits, around your ears, eyes, and mouth, on sensitive skin, in your hair, on your scalp, anywhere that needs some moisturizing attention!

I keep a bottle of olive oil in my bathroom cabinet, separate from my kitchen supply. I also use a higher grade oil for cooking than I do for my skin/hair care. Eating is different than moisturizing. Haha


You can find all sorts of recipes for olive oil concoctions for your hair and skin online. Just search for "olive oil hair treatment" and you'll get a slew of choices. And most of them use ingredients you already have in your kitchen, giving you a super easy and cheap way to keep that hair and skin soft, silky, smooth, and well moisturized. 

Let me know if you try this and what you think!!

Stay fancy!

Eyebrows

If you're like most women, you notice eyebrows. I know I'm obsessed. So let's talk about them. I'll even show you something I try to keep hidden...my natural, bare eyebrows!

So what's the key to the perfect brow? Well, the first thing is to shape and trim them. If you're not confident your abilities, I recommend going to a brow specialist -- like Benefit's Brow Bar or a qualified aesthetician. Please DON'T seek help shaping your brows from the threading kiosks in the mall or a nail salon. While the women at the nail salons are licensed to wax, they don't specialize in brows, so they aren't always the best people to help you find your perfect shape.

I offer this advice as someone who has NEVER had my brows professionally shaped or waxed. I started my eyebrow odyssey many years ago like most teenagers -- with a pair of tweezers and no idea what I was doing. I spent some time with the unfortunate, overly tweezed eyebrow look. Not cute. Fortunately, this was the 90's and thin brows were back in fashion. I also fell for another trend of the times...in the early aughts, I found Nad's Hair Removal Gel. I then suffered another common problem: I trading over-tweezing for waxing without knowing what I was doing.

I also had another problem -- not of my own making. My eyebrows are gingery and light, though my hair is darker auburn. They are also fairly sparse from my arch, out. So even shaping them presents a challenge because I still look like I haven't got much of a brow.

Ok. Here they are. My bare brows and face.

After years of not really knowing what I was doing and not being totally happy with my blah eyebrows, I set about to grow them back by not tweezing or waxing for several weeks so that I could start fresh. I desperately wanted high-arching eyebrows, well defined like Famke Janssen, Olivia Wilde, and Reese Witherspoon -- my brow crushes.

Oh, how I love their brows...

I scoured the internet, stared at pictures, TRIED to shape my eyebrows like theirs, and learned an important lesson: we all have a natural eyebrow shape and cleaning them up with wax and trimming reveals their own perfect shape. I also learned you can get a little help towards nudging your brows into your desired shape. There are some basic rules you should follow. I see people violate these EVERY DAY. It breaks my heart.

1. NEVER pluck/wax/remove hair further in from the corner of your eye. Use a pencil or brush as your guide. Line it up next to your nose, straight up and down. Everything towards the bridge of your nose gets removed. Everything towards your eyes STAYS.

2. The peak of your arch should be at approximately a 45° angle from the bridge of your nose.

3. As much as possible, let your natural shape be your guide.

There are all manner of tips and tricks for not over-tweezing or waxing. For me, the thing that works best is to fill in my brows the way I want them to look and wax everything which isn't filled in.

I have a professional wax pot and I use both hard and soft waxes. If you're not comfortable with the idea of using something like that without formal training, there are pre-waxed strips you can buy at the drugstore. 

To initially reshape my poor eyebrows, when I put myself through weeks of torture, letting them grow, I turned to stencils. Yes. Stencils. I went to www.eyebrowz.com and chose from their massive selection of stencils. I bought three -- Reese Witherspoon, Catherine Zeta-Jones, and one other which escapes me. I purposely chose three very different shapes so that I could play with what shape would look best on MY face, rather than banking on stealing a shape which looks great on someone else, but might not be so perfect for me.

When I got my eyebrow stencils, I started playing! I shaded my brows in, using the stencils, and then stared at myself to determine which way to go. CZJ's were too long and too straight. Reese's were too short and small, and the third was nearly perfect. Drat, I wish I could remember whose they were! Anyway, I used magical stencil number 3 to shade in both brows and waxed the rest off. I then carefully cleaned things up with my trusty nail trimming scissors I only use for trimming by eyebrows and my tweezers for the hairs the wax couldn't quite grab.

Now content with the shape, I was more than a little underwhelmed by the lack of wow. They were still gingery and sparse. That's when I discovered eyebrow pencils. First, it was MAC who captured my attention and taught me the ways of filling in brows for everyday wear. I soon discovered pencil doesn't give me the right look and it looks like you colored in your eyebrows. Not cute.

Smashbox to the rescue!! My office had Smashbox reps come to work to give free makeovers as part of this ra-ra morale week thing. I purposely came to work bare-faced and told them to their worst. Instead, they did their BEST and showed me what has been my makeup staple for the last 10 years: Smashbox Brow Tech.

It's a powder with wax to seal it in. It's amazing. I have used Auburn and Brunette (depending on what I'm doing with my hair) and they are PERFECT! Each shade comes with two different powder colors, one dark and one lighter, as well as the clear wax to seal it all in. This combination gives you endless possibilities in shading and perfecting the perfect shade for your complexion and hair, as well as defining the perfect brow!

The #12 Smashbox angled brush is a must for this product. Though, I admit, any angled brow brush would do the trick. Keep in mind: angled BROW brush, not eyeliner brush. An eyeliner brush won't be thick enough and the powder will be too difficult to apply.

The technique you employ is really up to you. However, what works best for me is to use short, quick strokes starting from the inside end of my brow, heading out. Because my brows are so sparse, from the peak of my brow, out, I'm essentially using the powder to create an eyebrow, so I make sure to draw the outline shape and then fill in, making corrections as I go until it's perfect.

Be careful not to use TOO much of the powder, or you'll end up with harsh, dark brows you don't intend on.

In the above picture, the lighting is a little bad, but you can see the comparison of my finished brow and my naked brow. Poor thing. It's all sad and underwhelming. Notice how my finished brow still follows the shape of my natural brow, albeit far more defined. THAT'S what you want to achieve. The perfect brows are well shaped, well filled, and suited to YOUR face and features.

 As you can see, my brows are shaped, well defined, polished, not too harsh for my face. The shape is my dream shape -- high arch, uniform thickness, squared, flat end. There are days when I still wish they looked better. I'm often frustrated by the lack of uniformity on my face. Even knowing we would look rather silly if our faces were totally the same on both sides, mirror images left and right, I long for my brows to naturally match. I have to say, though, I have found brow contentment and I'm pleased with them. I often get asked who does my brows and it gives a little ego boost to say "I do!", knowing that it took some trial and error, but I found my brow bliss all on my own. (Ok, with the help of Smashbox, MANY hours looking at pictures and tutorials, and some damn cheap and amazing stencils that got me started)

There are many brow products on the market. Stila and Benefit both make good brow powders, but I'm quite keen on my Smashbox Brow Tech.

You can be your own brow guru, too! Seriously. Get yourself the enviable brows you've always wanted! Let your brows grow out for at least 3 weeks. If you want to avoid the many trials and errors I had, take those fuzzy caterpillar brows to a professional and have them help you shape them initially. Once you have a great shape, get Smashbox Brow Tech in the color best suited for your complexion and haircolor (think slightly lighter than your hair. Too dark and you'll look scary) and the #12 angled brow brush, and a form of wax to do at-home maintenance. OR be prepared to go back to your waxing professional every few weeks for a touch-up. Then, PRACTICE. Don't be afraid to shade in your brows and stare at yourself, wash it off, and try again. I didn't nail my technique after the first shot. I spent YEARS trying different things and probably looking scary. The Brow Tech was REALLY easy, partly because I'd already mastered the waxing/shape. 

I really don't think what I do is difficult. I mostly look at photos and read tutorials and mimic what I see. If I can rock the Fancy Lady look, so can you!

Keep it Fancy!

Welcome to The Fancy Lady

Hi and welcome! So what is this blog all about? Fancy ladies and the things that make us fancy, of course. I love makeup and fashion, all that great girly stuff, and I'm always trying new things and being asked how I do this or that, or complimented on my makeup or style. So...I thought maybe I'd share my thoughts, tips, tricks, recommendations, and ideas with all of you. What's one more blog about fabulously girly stuff?! ;o)

But I want this blog to take a distinctive -- and I believe important -- stance. This blog is not a place to come and find tips, tricks, or product recommendations to make you beautiful. You are already beautiful just the way God made you. This blog, instead, is a place to come and find tips, tricks, or product recommendations to make you FANCY.

My inspiration behind this idea is actually a couple things. The first being that I have never seen makeup as a way to hide. Makeup, to me, is a way to express yourself, to enhance the beauty you already possess, to make yourself look and feel polished and, well, FANCY. Makeup should be fun, should reflect your personality, should enhance your outfit, and, sure, give you a little boost of confidence because you feel like you're putting your best face forward. Makeup, hair, nails, clothes, and shoes, jewelry, and accessories don't make us prettier or somehow magically better people. They just make us Fancy Ladies.

The second inspiration, which ties in with the first, is someone incredibly special to me.

My niece, Tilly. (With me, her "TT"!) She's 3 years old and a girly, makeup-crazed, budding fashionista after her own TT's heart. She LOVES all things girly and sparkly and I LOVE sharing them with her. She likes to put makeup on with her Grammy and me. One day, a couple months ago, my sweet Tilly said "TT, I want to put on makeup so I can be pretty!" and I felt a little twinge in my heart. I immediately said "you are already pretty. Makeup doesn't make you pretty. Makeup makes you a fancy lady. How about we get some makeup and make ourselves fancy ladies?" She squealed and was excited because she was getting what she wanted in the first place: to wear makeup. I decided in that moment that I was going to make the very conscious effort never to say "oh, pretty" when she shows me her hair or makeup -- even though those things ARE pretty. Instead, I was going to compliment her hairdo or makeup by saying "what a fancy lady!" while enforcing that she is, just as God made her, a beautiful little girl. I want her to continue to love makeup and fashion, sparkles, pink, and all that girly stuff. I want her to continue to enjoy being a fancy lady. I NEVER want her to feel her self worth and her beauty are found in the gels, powders, liquids, and sparkles we smear, buff, and brush onto our faces. I never want her to feel as though she isn't good enough just the way she is when she wakes up in the morning.

And I never want any of you to feel that way, either.

So, here I am, a beautiful Fancy Lady, to share with you my thoughts on all things girly, fancy, and fun. To teach you tricks I've picked up along the way, to recommend products I think are fabulous, and share with you my opinions on how we all can be Fancy Ladies.

Stay tuned for more substantive blog posts. Over the next few posts, I'll be sharing a little bit about my routines, my regular looks, and generally giving everyone a sense of what this blog might be. If you have a question or comment, feel free. But please, can we all remember the "lady" part of The Fancy Lady? Let's keep things friendly and ladylike.

Until next time,
Shannon