Small Questions
[ 8 May 2007 ]
Quite often I receive emails asking me questions about fashion, style & the like, & while everyone would benefit from hearing the answers, they don’t necessarily require a huge response. Here I will endeavour to answer multiple questions at once, so if you feel like asking me something which might fit here, don’t hesitate to email me!
In these first few emails, I tackle thick ankles, long-lasting lipstick & how to make freckles look even. If you have any additional hints or tips, feel free to add them in the comments below!
“Spring’s coming (for the northern hemisphere anyway) and brings forth the question of footwear – flip flops, strappy heels, wedges, whatever. Now I have, erm, sturdy ankles, and was wondering if there were any styles of shoes that can flatter and slenderize the ankle area, or do us gals with the thick ankles just have to suck it up and live with it?”
Really, it’s all about proportion! Anything with a thin, pointy toe is a bad call; in contrast to your ankle it will make you look enormous. An ankle strap will make your leg look slightly strangulated, & a low kitten heel will make you look hefty. Avoid all of those! Your best friends are simple sandals/thongs/jandals/flip-flops (they don’t need to be rubber, elegant ones do exist, just be sure to avoid any with an ankle strap), clogs (they will give you shape) & anything chunky (this will make your ankle look delicate by comparison). You’ll also look good in a wedge mule. Good luck!
“Is it possible to get any red lipstick (bright red lipstick), which I can kiss my boyfriend with, without leaving a huge lipstick mark on his cheek? Last time he got bored because he ended up with red marks all over his face…”
I’m not a fan of those long-lasting lipsticks. In my experience they are VERY drying. My mother always used a lip sealer, which is almost like a varnish you put over your lipstick. It will keep your lipstick on all day, it is quite amazing. I don’t know what brand she uses, but I found Make Up For Ever’s Lip Plus Lipstick Sealer on Sephora which seems like it would certainly do the trick. As for red lipstick, my favourite is MAC Red by MAC Cosmetics, but I know that MAC’s Russian Red is very popular too.
“Can you recommend make-up products and tips for those of us who have freckles? I’m in my 30s and have had freckles since childhood. I don’t want to cover them up or hide them, but I would like to know how to blend them evenly with my foundation, blush, etc. Sometimes it’s hard to get an even tone to one’s skin, when it isn’t even toned to begin with. Again, I don’t want to hide or cover up my freckles, but I still want to look stylish and sophisticated. Any advice?”
Unless you want to get rid of your freckles entirely, without makeup your skintone is always going to look a bit uneven. That’s the bad news. The good news is that freckles are really cute & you can still wear sheer foundation over the top. They’ll still be there but the foundation, applied properly (after cleansing, toning, moisturising & using a primer), will make your face look radiant & healthy.
Super-love & cupcakes,
Gala 
Tags: advice,
beauty,
madame Share this! + Email This + Del.icio.us
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There’s a lipstick sealer called Lipcote (in the UK anyway, not sure about anywhere else!) which is about £3 from Boots or Superdrug stores. http://www.lipcote.com/
i love benefit’s she laq, that seals in make up. but rather than lipstick, which would surely come off after heavy-duty kissing, how about trying a lip tint? i have two, one from benefit called benetint, and the other from mac called see thru lip color. it think the latter might have been some limited edition thing but i’m not sure. these really lasted for me, kiss-proof, coffee-proof.
Sam — Genius! That’s exactly what my mother uses. Thank you :D
hahahaha… you just exactly described the last ‘expensive’ pair of shoes I bought as not suiting me AT ALL... oh dear.
I’m terrible at these things… I guess I should really take a friend or take a photo or something so someone can warn me off things that don’t do me any justice.
Don’t sweat it honey! Think of it as a learning process. I can’t count how many pairs of shoes I’ve bought that don’t fit or kill me to walk in.
“Sturdy Ankles”, find yourself a nice posh shoe store and go visit it (even if you aren’t sure whether or not you will buy shoes). I work in a fancy shoe store, and after seeing thousands of people try on shoes I am quite familiar with what will or will not look good on people (in comparisson to their height, weight, shoe size, build, everything). When dealing with customers who sit down and expect things brought to them, this skill is a necessity.
What Gala said about shoes is spot on! A very simple mule, with a high heel, looks gorgeous on almost every foot! Avoiding ankle straps is very wise advice, but if you are worried about a lack of straps, head for sling-backs. They look great without cutting the ankle in the wrong space!
Oh! My suggestion of visiting a posh shoe store, never got quite the explanation it was supposed to. Where I was going with it was “when in doubt, ask the opinion of the sales associate”. We may not share your favourite colour or style, but after seeing lots of shoes and lots of feet we are pretty good at knowing if it looks good on you. By trying on a couple of pairs you may find a style that looks wonderful on you (even if you never would have given it the time of day on the shelf!)
MAC red was my first mac lipstick…but I love russian red much better. Ruby woo and viva I are pretty, too. I eat and do everything people don’t do with lipstick XD.