Khadija

Women have long understood and appreciated the significance of healthy looking skin, both for its superficial results and its not so obvious internal effects (i.e. confidence).  Guys, however, just don't seem to understand the concept and rationale of a good skin care regimen.  Considering your skin is the largest organ in the human body (as opposed to something else), you would think that guys would care?  But, for the most part, they don't.  And the skin remains neglected.  Needless to say, it was no surprise when I had to introduce a former boyfriend of mine to the wonderful world of the not-so-superficial epidermis. 

We’ve all been party to that one woman who seems to be stuck in whatever trend of whatever decade she had looked hot in.  She usually has some type of retro hairdo (e.g. permed, frosted hair) with unsavory makeup (think: frosted).  She often sports a crop top (not the Alexander Wang kind), too short acid-washed jeans, and a rugged jean jacket.  This is what happens when you don’t let go of trends.  Even if trends are cyclical, you must still learn to let them go until they're ready to return. 

Now, let me be clear, there’s a stark difference between holding onto a trend versuses holding onto a classic piece.  Trends are defined by their novelty; once the novelty ends, so too does the fad.  Whereas, classic pieces are classic because they are versatile, chic, and forever in style.  For example, back in 2008, I bought a pair of shiny, black American Apparel leggings (refer to the picture on the right) and they became all the rage.  In 2010, it’s now hanging in my closet only to be worn on laundry days.  I got to a point where I had to retire it, because the shine became dated and lame.  In its place, I now wear simple black leggings with no flashy details.  To be clear, the aforementioned leggings weren't trendy because they were leggings, but rather because they were shiny.  For the record, I consider leggings to be a classic piece. 

With the Haute Couture shows being presented last week, I wanted to examine the idea of runway versus the ‘real way’. Immediately, I think of those Reitman’s commercials where they show a model wearing haute couture (usually a knock off) and then a soccer mom wearing Reitman’s. To be very honest, both make me cringe, but that’s another story. I do wonder, however, what’s ‘acceptable’ off the runway and how can we take things that inspire us and make them ‘real world’ friendly?

With the heat and humidity outside, it may be hard to look cute.  You feel like your makeup is sliding off of your face, your tank top is sticking to your sweaty body, and your hair has become a complete "hot" mess.  You’ve spent all morning slaying your hair into submission and by the end of the end, it’s turned into an even bigger mess!  Here are a few simple summer hair trends that will help you look hot in the heat.

I'm sure we've all been in this scenario before: walking down the street you see a woman wearing a great outfit, a hot pair of shoes, and then you get to the face and the makeup is terrible -- no ifs, ands, or buts.  Don’t let that woman be you!  I started wearing makeup when I was 13 and during that year, I made quite a few makeup mishaps.  I became a makeup junkie by the age of 15 and quickly learned how to properly do my makeup so as to avoid looking like a hot mess.  Note: I’m not a professional; I'm just a girl that happens to enjoy applying makeup!  So if I can do it, so can you.  Through trial and error, I’ve learned a few things along the way.  Here are some of the tips I've learned, which will hopefully help you to look your best.