You're Making That Up!

Call it what you will - spring cleaning, retail therapy, momentary lapse in judgement - every girl should get themselves to the drugstore (or if you're reaching a little deeper into your pocket, Sephora or Holt's...) on a semi-regular basis in order to stay well-stocked and well-groomed.

The Basics

Perfume: because every lady is only as tempting as the scent that lingers in her wake

Good brushes: keep them clean and they'll keep you looking your loveliest.

Eyelash curler: if you don't have one, get one.

Foundation: this should change with the seasons, just like your skin tone.  Take your time choosing your right shade, and think about what sort of makeup goes best with your skin type - dry-skinned gals should steer clear of powder, girls with oilier skin generally don't need a liquid foundation.  Do ask a shop assistant though, because everyone's skin is different and it's important to get it right.

Mascara: it doesn't make sense if you don't own mascara.  If you're not going to put a single thing on your face, put mascara on.  That is the rule.

Blush: also seasonal.  Summer begs for more sun-kissed, peachy tones while winter is all about pinks and reds.  It's also a skin thing, so sample sample sample and find what's right for you.

Lip chap/gloss: Keep your pout peachy-keen with this three-step routine.  Lightly exfoliate your lips (you can buy lip exfoliant, but baking soda or salt do the trick) apply lip chap/balm/whatever you call it to moisturize then slick on a gloss or colour.  Bam!

Champagne-coloured/white shadow: to highlight your peepers- a swipe beneath the brow and a smudge in the inner corner.

Skin CARE: cleanse, tone, moisturize.  You may be tired of receiving the same tip from every single source, but that's because it's the only way.*  Stock up on thicker creams for nighttime, and always always look for SPF in your moisturizer.  Toners come in different varieties for different skin types, so look around.  You can do foam or cream cleansers, but the tried-tested-and-true formula is Dove soap.

Tooth care: buy toothpaste.  Buy floss.  Buy mouthwash if you want.  Just keep that toothy grin smiling and healthy, you only get one set of teeth!  (Not counting the first set of baby teeth...)

The Frills

False eyelashes: so so glam.  Just do it.

Sparkling shadows: very Hollywood.

Liquid liner: some would say a basic.  This depends on how far you're extending that stroke.

Head-turning lip colour: dare to paint your pucker a deep shade and the boys won't be able to look away.  (Just make sure you execute this technique properly, you want them gawking because you're a smokeshow, not a woman of the night).

*It's sometimes not the way.  Consult with dermatologist.

Ah, l'amour!

Happy Valentine's Day, all you lovely little things.

Today's your day for late breakfasts in bed, warm cups of Early Grey tea and a box of chocolates, a stroll through the park and a night of cupid-induced tomfoolery.  Whether you're being wooed or are the woo-er yourself, spend your February 14th celebrating yourself and the people you love.

Valentine's Day To-Dos

1. Bust out the liquid glue and glitter and get crafty.  Everyone loves a little je-ne-sais-quoi in the mailbox, and all it takes is three little words to brighten their day!
2. Flick on a flick - there is quite literally no end to the cinema that revolves around racing hearts, lost loves and happily-ever-afters (not to mention a great deal of dry, biting anti-love fodder for the Valentine's-Day-is-just-another-reminder-of-my-singlehood-boo-hoo-hoo crowd)
3. Pump up the jams - Nothing like a little love song, whether you're being serenaded by your bf (lucky girl! [or boy!]) or Frank Sinatra.
4. Dance like a fool - you don't even have to go out for this.  Plug a set of speakers into your laptop and refer back to #3 if your credit card doesn't stretch across town in a cab to a club.
5. Play dress-up - Gettin' all dolled up is the name of the game (and the name of this blog...) whether it's a little pink frock for the dance floor or a set of sultry skivvies for... well, for wherever it is you choose to prance around skantily-clad.  Just try and keep this mystery location candlelit and private, for the benefit of all parties involved (and more importantly, all parties uninvolved).
6. Host a bash - Do up the holidays Suite 101-style with a black tie affair complete with valentine mailbags, spin the bottle and a non-stop dance party.

February 14th Dress and Decorum

• There is really only one rule when it comes to dressing for Valentine's Day.  Wear. Red. Or. Pink.  You have absolutely no excuse not to, and they are universally flattering colours.
• Take advantage of the hype!  Spend an extra hour or two on your routine and pamper yourself!  We're talking extra creamy body washes, lovely lovely scents (think floral and pretty), a little powder for an extra-soft finish, etc etc etc.  Linger over your makeup, add a little shimmer and a lot of blush: tonight's a girly, girly evening indeed.  Here's one lovely V-day look:

Skin: moisturize like crazy, but work a little foundation in, too, for a light, fresh glow.  Touch up any problem areas with a little concealer and sweep your whole face with translucent powder to set it.  Brush on a light pink blush and highlight your cheekbones with a dusting of shimmer just above.

Eyes: Sweep a very shimmery shadow over your whole lid, from lashline to brow, then work your blush into the crease of your eye.  Add a dash of liner to the outer rims, cat-eye style.  Extend your liner-stroke up and out a little for added drama.  Stick on some false lashes if you're being a glamour-puss, otherwise give your real lashes a few good swipes of dark, dark, dark mascara.  [Trick! Wipe of any excess mascara on a tissue before applying, this gives you a flawless finish- sans goopy gross clumps]

Lips: Minimal!  Minimal!  You've got a sweetly dark eye going on at this point, don't turn into a clown-face by going nuts with lipstick.  If you're really jonesin' for a dark tint, go back a few steps and omit the liner and falsies.  Otherwise, we're staying light and pretty with a peachy gloss.

Once over: Groom your brows with a brow brush, check for smudges, whip your hair up into a non-chalant (but highly-polished and groomed) ponytail and headband combo.

Look at you, princess!

However you choose to spend this much-anticipated (and in some cases, much-dreaded) day, make sure you don't get too mopey.  It's just another day in the life.

The "You-did-not-just-put-that-song-on-don't-toy-with-my-emotions" Playlist

1. Ella Fitzgerald I've Got A Crush On You
2. Nat King Cole Darling, Je Vous Aime Beaucoup
3. Elvis Presley Love Me Tender
4. The Beatles When I'm Sixty-Four
5. The Zombies The Way I Feel Inside

Be smitten!

How To Cure A Hangover

Though as ladies we are very infrequently too drunk, there are moments in every mere mortal's life that simply slide under our self-control-radar.  So, when a night on the town results in a bender to end all benders (bender=slang term for bout of heavy drinking) you'll need these tips in your arsenal to beat the morning-after blues.

1. Never.  Ever.  Drink.  On an empty stomach.  There is no cure for the pain and embarrassment you will suffer resulting from the endless hours of, to put it gently, vomiting you will doubtlessly face.  This isn't a guideline, this is a rule.
2. Before assessing your physical situation, you're going to need to do some social damage control.  Check your sent texts and outgoing calls list and make any necessary calls.
3. Just before your pretty little head hits the (preferably warm, clean and fluffy) pillow, drink about two times your body weight in water.  Hydration is a hangovers arch-nemesis and you're sure to find this tried-and-true technique will do the trick time and again.
4. Do not, do not, do not take Tylenol when you've been drinking.  No matter how much your head hurts, it's very dangerous to mix acetaminophen with alcohol.  Have that bottle of Advil at the ready on your bedside table though, you'll need it.
5. If you do, however, still feel a little icky when you rise and shine, reach for the elixir of life: water.  While you're sipping away, put a little tomato soup on the stove- it's full of electrolytes that will restore you to health in no time.  Ruler of the hangover-helper food world, however, is naan.  You've all seen the President's Choice ads, you know where to find it (your closest grocer who stocks PC products, that is) - you have no excuse not to try it (unless you're allergic to gluten).  
6. Eat a slice of bread before bed.
7. Don't drink so much.
8. Sleep it off.  You might not have the luxury of being able to take a day off, but if you can get away with it don't leave your comfy bed.  Curl up with a good read if you can't drift off to dreamland, just make sure you're resting your weary soul.

If, however, you plan on facing the cruel, cruel world...

If you've got school, work - or worse: a family reunion - the next day, you must summon all your strength and willpower and face the day.  Follow any of the above tips that apply, hop in the shower, and take a good bit of time with your makeup.  You're going to need moisturizer in a big way, and puh-lenty of concealer.  Curl your lashes, dab some shimmery white shadow in the inner corners of your eyes and just below your brow, this will open your eyes up.  Don't attempt anything too dark, and keep that liner and mascara far, far away from your lower lashes, you'll regret it guaranteed.  Slip into a lovely comfy sweater and a nice pair of jeans, keep shoes as flat as possible.  Keep warm, keep hydrated, eat as much as you can hold down.  You're going to be okay.  You made it through the night, after all.

Happy Hangin'!

From The Desk of Michelle Tiangco...

Remedies of a Broken Heart, and Tips and Tricks vis-a-vis Le Maquillage
Straight from the horse's mouth, the fabulous, the stunning, Michelle Grace Tiangco
Remedies of a Broken Heart
The best and most attainable cure, ladies, is a night in. Sure, a night on the town is great, but let's face it- in most cases, a little R&R can (and will) go a long way. No need to stress if you look good enough to paint the town red, hanging with some of your closest friends can mend the most tattered of hearts.

Don't try to get the boy back who left you. Instead, celebrate your independence, your joie de vivre! And if that means getting cut off after a couple of drinks, then the friend who is cutting you off is usually doing you a favour- you don't want to end up swapping spit with a John Doe who won't remember you in the morning or having foreign phone numbers calling you in the wee hours of the night.

The main point, ladies, is that boys shouldn't be the epitome of our existence, and if a good one should come and go, remember (if he went) then maybe he wasn't so good anyway.

Le Maquillage
Kickin' it Old School: The bascis of makeup application

• Foundation
• Concealer (if needed)
• A rosy or peachy blush
• Lip balm
• Mascacara

However, I sometimes find going au naturel is sometimes the best morning routine, especically when there's a dollop of mascara on your eyelid that just refuses to rub off.

Glammin' It Up: LASHES LASHES LASHES!
I may admit, if I'm in a festive mood... or feeling low... I will whip out the false lashes to add an extra oomph to my step. For you ladies who are graced with long luscious lashes, mascara will do the trick. To add volume a little trick is to put eyeliner at the top rather than the bottom inner rip of our eye. It will thicken the look of your lash and make you look doe-eyed.

Adding a vibrant lipstick to your beauty regime will also do the trick. A red, bright magenta, or even a darker hue can make or break your look.
To make it:
Make sure it's the right shade for you- we're not all porcelain-skinned so, yes that shade that looked smokin on Scarlett Johannson may not exactly be the best for you.
Don't go overboard. Yes, lips are a main feature on your face so if you've already made your eye the focal point, it isn't advisable to put on the ruby red lips. Unless of course you're going for a really fierce, "I-know-exactly-what-I'm-doing/Striking-a-Vogue-pose" look. And if it goes well, then go for it! There's just a fine line between glam and you're-so-made-up-I-cannot-see-your-real-face.

The most important thing is to have fun with your makeup, but just don't let it wear you!

The Finished Product

Raggedy-Glam

Student and International Soloist Madeline F Webber guides us straight-maned gals in the pursuit of those sumptuously curling locks- the lost art of Rag Curls.

First things first, if you want your hair to look like this during the day, steps 1-4 need to be done before you go to bed at night.  

Step One

Wash your hair with volumizing shampoo.  If you must use conditioner, use a smidgen of leave-in conditioner, but be sure to only apply from about the middle of your hair: near your ear and down, staying away from the roots.  If you condition your roots, they'll be greasy by the time you wake up tomorrow!  Brush your hair out with a comb as soon as you step out of the shower.  Let your hair air dry, but not completely.  Your hair should be somewhat damp for step two.

Step Two

Cut twenty 10" strips of old fabric (ask first!) or clean rags.  The width of these doesn't really matter, because they're going to get folded over in your hair anyway.

Step Three

Comb a 1 1/2" section of your hair and place a rag strip close to your scalp and wind your hair around the rag.  Then tie the two ends together, like a bow.  Be sure not to knot it, it will cause frustration in the morning!

Note: If you want a wavier look, not curly, use fewer rags and bigger sections of hair.

Step Four

Repeat step three until your hair is up and you're ready for bed.  Don't use hairspray or gel, or anything that you might think will set the curls in place.  This just creates sticky hair, and a sticky situation.

Step Five

When you wake up in the morning, make sure your hair is completely dry.  If it's not, you should blow-dry it quickly, on the lowest heat setting.

Step Six

Take the rags out one by one.  If you start taking them out from the bottom, you won't run into problems with tangles.

Step Seven

If by chance a rag fell out while you were sleeping, a bow wasn't tied tightly enough, or you want one section curlier than another, you can always plug in

 the curling iron for a touch-up.

Tune in tomorrow for the results!

"A woman who doesn't wear perfume has no future" - Coco Chanel

From the Desk of Michelle Tiangco

On Perfume

Perfume.  Let's not shower ourselves with it... that's what showers (with water and soap) are for!

Once you get out of the shower, spray it then.  It soaks into your body and stays on longer.  True story.

On Hair

Never dry your hair without styling it at the same time.  It just becomes huge, frizzy and never able to straighten or curl (nicely) afterward.

On Timing

Let's face it, is one hour ever enough time to get ready?

On Dressing Well

The outfit you pick out the night before is almost never the one you run out of the door with.

On Facing The World

Foundation- please, your face should match the rest of your body.

And that's all I could think of for now, my dear!