Which Sex and the City Girl is Your Style?

As a faithful fan of the TV series and now the Sex and the City movies, I am always in awe of how great Carrie, Samantha, Miranda and Charlotte look. They always are in tune with the latest trends but at the same time have such individual style.

I'm sure a small army of stylists are at work to create each look we see on screen. Most of us don't have the time to analyze and research the specific items that might help us look like our favorite. But we do have a local DC stylist who can help us zero in on some key features of each one and incorporate these tips into our wardrobe and makeup.

Margaret Lilly, who has a consulting and styling service called Lilly's Closet, put together a segment for the local Fox station for each of the movie launches. She recreated the look of each character on local women and is an excellent source of knowing how to channel our inner Sex and the City gal or just help us add some fun and fresh looks to our repertoire.

Here's what Margaret suggests:

Common Denominators—Neutral/nude platform stiletto’s, natural/nude makeup (super fresh!), Hats!

Carrie:
Must Haves: Accordion pleated 70’s blouson dress (vintage), Head Scarf, Nude Platform Stilettos, Short Clover (Charm) Necklace, Aviator Sunglasses

She's all about mixing high with low---and luxe materials with cottons: "t-shirts and taffeta"!!

Hair/Makeup: Nude Lips, Heavy eyes (tons of black eyeliner!), tousled hair and/or BIG up do!

Miranda:
Must Haves: Tribal and/or Graphic Print Jersey Dresses, Eveningwear with Plunging Necklines, White Straw Fedora

Hair/Makeup: Sleek, angular hair and super natural makeup!

Samantha:
Must Haves: 80’s inspired Statement Earrings, “Skin-baring” dresses (preferably spandex), Vintage Gold Belts, Harem Pants

Hair/Makeup: Sleek Hair, Heavy foundation, Pinky Lips

Charlotte:
Must Haves: Jewel-toned Suits with ruffle details, Match your bag to your dress color, delicate to no jewelry

Hair/Makeup: Super Natural Make-up, Flowing Long Hair (never pulled back)


For further information about Margaret and the services she offers you can visit her website at www.lillysclosetonline.com.

http://www.beautyindc.com/ is your local resource for information and deals on beauty services in the Washington Metro area.

The Right To Bare Legs

It's the season to wear bathing suits and shorts and show a lot of skin--and maybe some little flaws and things you would rather keep under wraps.

There is almost universal agreement that having a tan, real or otherwise, is a great way to mask any small marks or things we'd prefer to keep to ourselves. But sometime there are bigger issues or imperfections that tanning alone won't hide.

Things like spider and varicose veins, stretch marks, birth marks, scars and all those things that you'd rather not show off. Some products actually help prevent further problems and some can camouflage areas where the damage is done.

A few of the cover up products include one by an unlikely creator...Joan Rivers of all people! But she does have a beauty line she sells on QVC and I just happened to see her promoting it one day and was rather intrigued.

Joan Rivers Beauty Right to Bare Legs is a corrective concealer that can cover up veins or marks on your legs or anywhere you want to conceal an imperfection. It's $22.50 and comes in 3 shades but some are waitlisted so you probably have to order soon if you want it before the end of summer. It's gotten pretty good reviews on the QVC site (www.qvc.com) with just a few issues regarding the application. Apparently it dries quickly and so can be hard to spread and it requires some moisturizer on the skin. But it is waterproof and supposed to stay put until you wash it off with soap and water.



Along the same lines but probably a bit less of a cover up and more of an enhancer is Per-fekt Beauty's Body Perfection Gel. It's described as a multi-functional "skin perfector" that also adds a bit of a glow to the area it's applied. The product has Hyalauronic Microspheres that hydrate the skin and help firm, tone and improve the skin's elasticity. It is also water resistant and transfer proof. You can buy it at Sephora stores or through www.sephora.com.



If you have legs that sometimes ache from poor cirulation due to spider or varicose veins you might like a product that addresses that problem, plus helps their appearance from within.
Eminence Organic skin care line has a Lychee and Chestnut Firming Leg Treatment that improves circulation and stimulates skin and reducing the visible signs of varicose veins. Cost is $64.00 but Laser Plus in Vienna, VA www.laserplus.bz is offering a special on the product till 7/11 and you can buy it for $55.00. They also have a tester in their office if you want to try it out first.



http://www.beautyindc.com/ is your local resource for information and deals on beauty services in the Washington Metro area.