Supernatural Botanicals

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Scarlett Johannson is working the “sex-kitten-meets-bombshell” look to  its fullest.  The hair is perfect, the makeup is perfect, the dress is perfect.  You can recreate this look with what you have.  It’s classic and simplistic, yet stylish and sophisticated. 

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To achieve Scarlett’s soft, flowy curls, nothing but hot rollers will do.  Hot rollers have made a come back and they are the perfect tool to create soft, sexy curls.  Try Caruso steam rollers.  (click on picture for info.)  They are better for your hair than hot rollers because they work on steam, not heat.  They produce the exact same results as hot rollers. 

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When it comes to red lips, I’m certainly an aficionado.  I adore the “red lip” look.  It’s classic and ultra sexy.  I have tried (literally) thousands of brands and styles.  Beautique (click on picture for details) is my all-time favorite red.  I use the pencil all over my lips, as it goes on great as a lipstick, then use this on top.  It produces the best red lip ever!  The kicker… it’s way inexpensive!

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  There’s an unwritten rule..or, perhaps it’s written somewhere, that if you opt for a bold lip color, like the red above, you should go with a soft eye look.  When you have too much eye and too much lip going on at the same time, your look can go from sophisticated to theatrical in seconds.  Scarlett’s top eyelids are lined with a brown liquid liner.  If you are a blonde, opt for brown instead of black.  It’s less harsh and more flattering to your skintone. 

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Maybellene’s Great Lash is a long time favorite of makeup artists everywhere (certainly my fav!)   But mascara reviews are like food reviews.  Honestly, it’s all relative to what you, you, like.  Most people, however, like it.  It’s ultra-popular with the masses, and often times sold out at stores.  Personal fav…brownish black Great Lash with the curved brush.  *swoon*

 Again, if you are blonde, opt for brownish black Great Lash.  It softens your look and is super feminine. 

“Sex appeal is fifty percent what you’ve got and fifty percent what people think you’ve got.”  Sophia Loren on sex appeal.

Are makeup vanities an area of forgotten interior design?  Approximately 90% of women are wear makeup every day, so one would think this would be a vital and key area in a girl’s home.  A quick Google search on makeup vanities depicts sad results.  There are scarce findings, and very few gorgeous makeup areas to be found …anywhere.  Since this is an area most of us utilize every morning, it should be beautiful and inviting, and a gorgeous place to start your day. 

I have, however, found a few examples where they got it right.  Check out the amazing spaces below. 

  What they’ve done right:  Crisp and clean white walls and curtains makes this makeup area feel light and breezy.  The carpet and chair add a nice punch of color and contrast.  The over head chandelier brings beautiful elegance to the room. 

  What they’ve done right:  They stuck with a theme …old Hollywood with a twist of French decor.  The furniture is ultra-feminine and girly, the lamp picks up the color from the pale pink walls.  Sunlight streams in for the back, reflecting off the mirrored table.  Gorgeous!

  What they’ve done right:  Beautiful architectural details with the arches, filled with a wall-sized mirror that reflects the light from behind.  Beautiful tiled flooring in white with flower accents brightens the space.  Small mirror attached to the wall for tasks such as putting on mascara. 

If you adore design, visit my friend Julia’s blog, over at Hooked On Houses.    She has an amazing blog that features everything “houses.” 

Bell jars make backyard gardening so easy.  Positioned on top of sunken pots of lettuces, they create a greenhouse-like effect for accelerated growth of plants, and also do double-duty by protecting young growing plants from frost.  They also look beautiful in your garden, making your backyard garden aesthetically more appealing to the eye.

I buy vintage garden bell jars any time I find them.  Although they are glass, they are made of very thick, very hard to break glass.  They are also very heavy, so you won’t have a problem with rabbits or squirrels knocking them over.  They give your garden instant “wow” factor.  It turns a backyard garden into an English garden look-a-like in seconds.  Perfect for lettuces.  Talk about a garden salad!  Super-fresh and delicious.

One of the wonderful things about blogs is that it connects you with people you normally wouldn’t have known otherwise.  Take, for instance, The Vintage Kitten.  She lives in the English countryside and loves all things vintage.  Cocktails are her specialty.

This cocktail, a Cloud Nine, will be perfect for entertaining my friends tonight.  Thanks, VK!

Visit my girl across the pond, The Vintage Kitten and her husband, Mr. Kitten, and explore her style and recipes.  She has the best cocktail recipes…ever!  You’ll love her vintage style.

Recipe courtesy of The Vintage Kitten.

RECIPE:

1 Shot Disaronno Amaretto
2 Shots Amarula Cream
1 Shot Raspberry Liqueur
3 Scoops Vanilla Ice Cream

Blend all the ingredients together with lots of ice until slushy.

Dip the rim of the glass in chocolate shavings and carefully pour the drink without touching the chocolate. Float lightly whipped cream on the top of the cocktail and decorate with raspberries.

   Have you ever considered vintage?  I truly appreciate vintage…vintage linens, vintage dresses, vintage magazines, vintage jewelry, etc.  This vintage Vogue magazine reminds me of my senior year in high school.  In 1986, my home economics teacher had scads of vintage magazines around the room, magazines from the 70s.  I would pour over them and fall in love with the fashion and with the notion of being an independent woman with ultra style and class and dancing at Studio 54.  In 1986, I was quite certain that I’d move off to New York the next year to be a fashion designer.  I had no doubt that I’d make it.  I had planned on being a Rockette, you know, as a side career to support myself in New York…at least until my name was synonymous with Gloria Vanderbilt. 

Not only would my home economics teacher let me day dream and share my vision of my oh so successful future, she encouraged it.  Never once did she question if I’d be a successful fashion designer, or even a Rockette, for that matter.  I think she liked seeing a student dream big and she supported it fully.  It was a very special time in life, filled with hope. 

I applaud those who teach kids to dream big.  My teacher inspired me and made me feel I could do anything I wanted to do.  She made me believe in myself, and even let me turn in sketches of dresses for grades.  She taught me the beauty of vintage, taught me to appreciate beautiful old objects such as pressed napkins and gorgeous tablecloths, and made the 1950s housewife seem like someone I aspired to be…that along with the fashion designing career and Rockette gig on the side. 

Discover vintage.  You may just fall in love with vintage style.  I did.