How to wear animal prints (big for fall 2010...)

With animal prints (particularly leopard) big for this fall, I thought I'd offer a few tips about how to wear critter couture without looking like a cougar. I'm not sure why it is that women of a certain age look older in leopard, but somehow they seem to. It's a look you have to be very careful with as it's easy to look cheap if you wear too much of it, or wear it with black lace, red, or bright pink.

That's JLo of course to the left and JLo looks good in a potato sack. (Photo courtesy of Glamour magazine.)

So rule #1, just a little leopard goes a long way. If you choose to wear a leopard blouse, skirt or dress, make sure you wear black, brown or beige shoes, carry a non-leopard purse, and non-leopard jewellery. (Simple black or beige accessories look perfect.)

Personally, I prefer to see leopard as an accessory as it somehow looks fresher and younger when you don't wear large areas of animal print. The exception is if the print is subtle or of a non-natural hue such as that leopard Ann Taylor cardigan featured in this Friday's Five post.

Here are some leopard accessories that look fabulous with a black or beige ensemble (or black and beige). They are not expensive, so you can have a little fun with them.

Leopard pumps...they look great with leopard earrings, bangles and perhaps a scarf. These beauties cost $54.99 and they're by Steve Madden

Here's a pretty silk scarf from L. Erickson that you can also use as a sash belt, or tied to your black or cream/beige purse. Costs $36.00.

And a really great fabric-covered Satin Covered Leopard Print Bangle Bracelet for a mere $10.

And these utterly gorgeous Wood Coco Leopard Print Oval Drop Hoop Earrings, which I ordered myself.

A leopard purse or tote looks great when you're dressed up for evening, or dressed down in jeans...this particular one is a Spotlight II Belt Shopper by Kathy van Zeeland. It costs $89.

And here's a look I just love...long suede boots, cute chapeau, short skirt (actually, I think these are shorts) and a simple blouse. I'm going to adapt this with a short pencil skirt that's more elegant. The proportions here are all fabulous though!

So there you go...leopard print is a look we can all love if we listen to our inner selves and determine just how far we want to go with it. I love the fact that a little leopard suits everyone - looking equally great with blond as dark hair.

This Friday's Five will be more fun non-clothing animal print items some of which will surprise you!

Beauty is Ink-Deep

Here's a very interesting article from newsweek where you can see the befores and afters of cover-shot airbrushing - most of it to do with slimming the model to an unrealistic shape. Well worth checking out! Just take a look at Madonna's Hard Candy shoot. Amazing! In France and the UK, there are murmurings of possible legislation forcing advertisers to disclose under or on the actual photo if it has been digitally altered. I think this is a brilliant idea. What do you think?  See it here (Go to "view gallery" link in red at bottom.)

Friday's Five, August 27, 2010

Every Friday, I pick five of the best products, services, websites or whatevers to have come my way during the past week. This week's been another killer so I'm a little behind again... So here we go with "Green and Glam."

#1 LA Minerals Green Goddess Concealer

I received this along with the Cinderella Yella for undereye circles. It does what it is supposed to do —reduce redness — very effectively. Apply it before your foundation.

Ingredients: Premium Sericite Mica, Titanium Dioxide, Magnesium Stearate, Chromium Green Oxide, Magnesium Myristate and Dimethicone. Contains no junk. Available from LA Minerals/Amazon for $11.95.

#2 Guerlain Fall 2010 Collection Eyeshadow Kit "29, Rue de Sèvres"

The new Fall 2010 collection from Guerlain is utterly gorgeous! This palette, 29 rue de Sèvres, with the beautiful teal green is my favourite, closely followed by 23, Rue de Passy. The compact comes with a beautiful flip-out mirror. Colour swatches are below:

Available in department stores and high-end drug stores now or very soon (keep checking!)

#3 Versense by Versace

Woodsy and wonderful, Versense by Versace is delightful. As Versace puts it: The fragrance is composed of natural tones and it is a picture of awakening of nature, evoking feeling of freedom, movement and balance of internal energy with surroundings and nature. Versense is a walk in a fragrant garden, which contributes to freshness and a stream of feelings, as well as to self-esteem and vitality.  

Retails for about $85 but is available for $45.37 from this Amazon seller.

#4  Malie Organics Reed Diffuser (and/or) Aroma Mist

Good for your soul, good for the environment. Here's what Malie has to say about this fabulous in-home therapy for the senses:  Infuse the essence of paradise in your life with Malie's all in one Organic Aroma Mist. As a perfume these Hawaiian Hydrosol infused distillations are unique, subtle and fresh. Use on linens or in the air to transcend to the islands. Malie's Organic ingredients help save our environment one spray at a time.

The koke'e aroma is named in honor of Hawaii's oldest rainforest and captures the crisp, green, refreshing scent of the native maile (pronounced my-lee) vine. Unique yet diverse enough for both men and women. Lush. Green. Vibrant with life! This exotic aroma envelops you - bright, pure, uplifting - filling you with peace, joy and tranquility.


Malie is passionately dedicated to protecting our resources and this precious forrest and the life within and will donate a percentage of sales from the koke'e collection to the Koke'e Resource Conservation Program.
 
At $30 for the mist and $60 for the reed diffuser, these are a luxury item but, if you can afford it, the aroma truly is a little bit of green heaven! (Also available in other scents, such as Plumeria.) Diffusers available here and Aroma Mist here.

#5 Torn Ranch Splendid Specialties Jasmine Green Tea Cookies

Mouthwatering! my BFF bought these for me and I savour one very rarely as they do contain cane syrup (but not the high fructose variety that's so bad for you). Utterly indulgent...  These cookies also come in other tea flavours such as Rooibos and Guava. They'll cost you $24.46 instead of $30 or so, here.

#6 Green Works Dishwashing Liquid

I was recently sent this by an agency, thought it not quite what Middle Ageless readers are interested in and so stuck it under the sink. After using it, however, I must say I love it. Fresh, appealing scent, biodegradable, and (best of all) a really innovative flip lid. I love this lid because, unlike those awful round things that pop up and down, it doesn't get all dried out, gummed up, and then squirt out sideways when you squeeze it. Available in supermarkets and drugstores. 

And finally, because we all need a good laugh: What in Heaven's half acre are these??? (Spotted on the Forever 21 website). They look like someone used great granny's old kitchen curtains for a Hallowe'en project. Yuk!