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Beauty Buzz: Two Faced

By Kirsten|March 10th, 2011|Beauty Buzz|

Outfits aren’t the only thing we need to learn to transition from day to night. Not only do we need to switch from our sensible shoes into our stilettos and lose the cardigan for happy hour, we gotta transition uur pretty little faces as well. We shouldn’t be wearing the same makeup during the day as we do during our evenings out. Below are my “two faces” of makeup.

Your “day face”, in my opinion, should literally take five minutes. Unless you’re about to go on camera for something, there is no reason to cover up your beautiful face with layers of gunk. Think how long your days can be. Make sure your skin can still breathe and your eye makeup won’t be falling down your face by 6pm making you look like a cheap tranny. The key to this look is to look like you’re hardly wearing any makeup at all. We’re all this gorgeous naturally, right? I mean, I wake up like this!

Benefit Benetint How many different ways can I tell you I love this stuff? Dab on the cheeks and swipe on the lips for a natural flush.
Maybelline EyeStudio in Purple Radiance – Granted I don’t love colored eyeshadow, but a smudge (like, as in, I use my fingers to apply) of this across my lids really brightens up my baby blues.
Estee Lauder Bronze Goddess Been using this since high school! One of the best, most natural bronzers I’ve ever tried. Puts the meaning in “tried and true.”
Remede Translucent UV Coat I told you before about discovering this and I’m still totally stuck on it. Gives great daytime coverage and UV protection.
Aquaphor (travel size) Can not live a day without this in my bag. It’s great for all kinds of ailments- most importantly dry lips!
Sephora Super Shimmer Lip Gloss I lose lip gloss every time I buy it. Sephora has great colors and they won’t set you bac $30 each time you lose one inside the depths of your bag.
Maybelline Lash Stiletto Voluptuous This is my “workhorse” mascara. Just like Stephie, I’ve tried a ton and have come back to this several times.

So, when it’s time to go from day to night, you need to amp up the intensity. For evening, I still use everything in my “day” look except for #2, and #6. Then I add some more of my favorites for that extra “oomph.”

Tarte Eye Couture Day to Night Shadow Tarte consistently makes my favorite eyeshadows. They are so shimmery and saturated.
Laura Mercier Eyeliner in Black Ebony. My mom taught me to use my eyeshadow as eyeliner when I was younger. I was pretty psyched when I was actually able to buy eyeliner that was meant to be applied with a wet brush.
Maybelline Color Sensational Lipstick in Are You Red-dy This is a great shade of red for anyone with similar coloring. I played a little game of drugstore roulette and won with this color!
Clinique Almost Powder in Neutral – I actually love Trish McEvoy Mineral Powder, but it’s not always easy to find, so Clinique is also a great option for a light powder that covers up shine.
NARS The Multiple in Orgasm – You know how I feel about this already. Gives such a great shimmer for evening.

Clearly, I’m not a makeup snob. I’ve tried so many different products and I really just like using what works whether it’s $5 or $50.

Being “two faced” has a whole new meaning.

xx,

WhyDid

WhyDid Wisdom: When I was 18

By Kirsten|March 10th, 2011|WhyDid Wisdom|

Last week my dad sent me this picture. Why, yes, it is one of my senior pictures! I think he likes this particular photo for three reasons. 1- I’m his daughter, 2- I’m wearing a jade necklace he brought me back from a business trip to China, 3- I look oh so very sweet, pure, and yet to be jaded (I didn’t even mean to make that joke… but let’s roll with it). Looking at this photo got me to thinking about myself at the tender age of eighteen. Gosh, I thought I knew it all.

See, I grew up with two older brothers. And while it was always reassuring to know I had two built in body guards for any guy who dared to step out of line, sometimes I really wished I had had an older sister to walk me through the intricacies of womanhood. Since I didn’t, I had to learn some things the (very) hard way. I’ve gathered a few things that I wish I’d known years ago. Things that certainly would have saved me a lot of pain, suffering, and at times sheer embarrassment (um, like my mom haircut?). I’m passing them along in hopes that those without a big sister (and even those of you who have one) can benefit from my own personal learning curve.

Your face should always match your neck.
Money doesn’t grow on trees. Learn to manage your own finances and never rely on someone else for that. The beauty of a savings account will far outweigh the beauty of those Louboutins.
Your body will not always look like that. Enjoy it (and your metabolism) while you can.
By “enjoy your body” I do not by any means mean sexually. Never feel as if you have to give it up to be liked.
Pay attention in class. I swear, one day you will wish you’d cared what happened in accounting.
Girls who are mean to you are either jealous or incredibly insecure with themselves. Ignore them. They suck. You don’t!
Sadly, your parents are probably right more often than not. You might think they are trying to ruin your “fun”, but we forget that our parents had some “fun” of their own when they were our age (I know- hard to believe) and are just looking out for us and hoping we don’t make the same mistakes.
Stay OUT of the sun! I can not believe some of you gals are still baking without UV protection let alone hopping in tanning beds. You may look a bronze bunny now, but you’re gonna look like a weathered handbag in ten years.
It’s great to be a pretty girl, but it’s even better to be a smart one. Hell, if you’re both… more power to you!
There will be other boys. While your heart may feel like it’s quite literally lying in the middle of the freeway during rush hour traffic, I can promise you, that broken hearts do heal and there are other fish in the sea.

Whether you’re 18, 28 or 88, these are all great things to remind yourself from time to time.

xx,

WhyDid

Would You Wednesday: Get In My Belly.

By Kirsten|March 9th, 2011|Why Did or Why Don't?|

Sticking with the swimsuit theme…

Recently, the lovely Kate Hudson was photographed catching some rays in an itsy bitsy teeny bikini and a big ol’ baby bump. She isn’t the first (Bethenny Frankel, Alicia Keys) and I’m fairly certain she won’t be the last. I mean, I don’t really know what the alternative would be other than hiding under a tent and awning or timing your pregnancy so as to miss the hot summer months. A one piece or a tankini would just make you look even larger. So, I guess a teeny ‘kini is the only option. Pregnancy is a beautiful and natural thing, I’m just not sure I would want to bare my baby on board.

Is a baby bump + a bikini beautiful or bogus?

xx,

WhyDid

photo via USmagazine.com

WhyDid Spotlight: Not Your Bikini, It’s Mikini.

By Kirsten|March 9th, 2011|Why Did You Wear That?|

Anyone who knows me (or follows WhyDid) knows how much I love bikinis! I have quite a collection for a girl who lived in New York City and a two hour drive from the closest beach for the last five years. I probably single handedly supported my own department when I was in charge of buying swimwear for Bendel’s.

So, I was especially thrilled to have the chance to interview Christina Iaquinta and Sean Stuber about their newly launched bikini line and website, Mikini. Why so excited, you ask? Well, other than the standard swimwear obsession and the cutting edge HTML5 website, Christina is a fellow WVU graduate and sorority sister. See?! We did more than just party in Morgantown! I am not only proud of her, but I’m seriously impressed by her swimsuits.

I’ve seen just about every bikini out there, so when I visited Mikini’s site, I was pleasantly surprised. You can basically live out your swimwear designer dreams since you are in charge of mixing shapes, fabrics, lining, and trim into any configuration you please. They have taken mix and match to the next level. I would be willing to be there’s as many combinations as a Rubik’s cube!

Alright, enough about my swimwear psychosis.

Who’s behind Mikini?

My fiancé, Sean Stuber, and I started this process about 3 years ago now. We kept it just between us to start so it could truly develop into what we envisioned and decided to launch the website earlier this year. We have always been intrigued with entrepreneurship and supporting local businesses – We’ve been working with a local website developer in Boston and our models and photographer are hometown/local friends.

How did you get into the bikini biz? Is this always something that you wanted to do?

I’ve always loved swimwear and could eat, sleep, and work on the beach! I wanted to create fun, flirty, boutique style swimwear. Sean wanted to run an internet-based business so we merged the two. We both have backgrounds in retail which has proved to be extremely beneficial in developing the products, components and our brand. Mikini allows us to fulfill our passions but also considers our future desire to live near the beach!

How did you come up with the name Mikini?

Sean and I still debate this question! I’m pretty sure it was me, but he’s pretty sure he came up with the name! ha! Either way, it was definitely on a road trip from Boston to New York City fantasizing about our future together back in early 2008. The name Mikini evolved from the uniqueness and individuality of the offering itself; quite literally, “my bikini.”

Obviously, the shopper is in ultimate control of what her Mikini will look like, but how did you decide on the prints and silhouettes offered?

With the prints, it’s personal tastes and trends. We also attempt to select fabrics that work with each other to a certain extent as well – we want to create bikini “collections” for our customers similar to what they have in their every day closet… Tops and bottoms that they can truly mix and match depending on their mood and atmosphere. That’s one point of difference with our site – You can select multiple fabrics within one top or bottom and just keep adding new styles to create a full collection that reflects your personal taste.

As for the silhouettes, we wanted to launch with very “classic” styles. Co-founding the company with a male helps bring a completely different eye to the cuts and fabrics which I find refreshing.

Do you plan on expanding into more styles? Perhaps coverups and accessories in the future?

We have pages and pages of ideas for the future! In short, yes to more styles, yes to more fabrics, yes to more linings, yes to accessories! WhyDid will be the first to know when a new product comes out!

Who is the Mikini Girl?

The “Mikini Girl” is ambitious, fashionable, indulgent and social. She values her style and personal tastes.

Shopping for a bikini can be brutal for women. What advice would you give in picking out the right suit for you?

I’ll take this one, Sean =) The best advice I can give as far as cuts go would be to utilize different aspects throughout our website. Fit is really obviously important in swimwear – We have lots of pictures on our website to show the fit of each suit through the “view on model” link for each style. We are also constantly adding information/pictures/videos to our blog that shows different angles of each style. Lastly, if a customer still has questions, we have a Live Chat where we can chat directly! Something I should also add for the readers is that we do allow exchanges for size.

What’s the biggest mistake women make with their swimwear?

I’d have to go back to fit on this one.

Any swimwear pet peeves?

Showing up to the beach when someone else has your bikini on! One of the main reasons we started Mikini – we want our customers to create buzz and let people wonder where they found something so unique.

Your favorite vacation spot:

We are willing to bet our favorite vacation spot is going to be Bora Bora, where we are honeymooning this August! For now though, we’ll go with Ibiza off the southern coast of Spain. We vacationed in Portugal and Spain this past summer – the beaches in Ibiza are breathtaking and have so much energy!

Beach bag essentials:

The biggest beach towel I can find, iPod, magazine, notepad (we are constantly writing to-do lists), camera, raw almonds, fruit (Sean’s obsessed), Burt’s Bees, & Ray Bans. Great question – we are heading to Ft. Lauderdale this weekend and I need to pack! Ha!

Favorite beach read:

We both love Inc. Magazine. Useful links/advice for entrepreneurs and really motivating stories. I’m currently hooked on all things wedding related!

Polka dots or stripes?

I adore polka dots! I just made a purple polka dot bikini last night!

Check out my beach bound bikini creation here (guess I’m a stripes girl) and get your cute buns over to MikiniBikini.com and start designing your very own!

xx,

WhyDid

Why Did You Wear That: You’ve Got Flare

By Kirsten|March 8th, 2011|Personal Style, Why Did You Wear That?|

We’ve been obsessed with skinnies for several seasons now, but flares are showing up again for spring. I am certainly partial to a sleek skinny jean, but I have to admit that flares are so much more flattering on almost every body type. The wide leg really balances out even the most pear shaped figures and can make short legs seem miles long.

Now, be warned: High waist flares are not meant for everyone (recall the Jessica Simpson incident?). To look good in high waisted jeans, you basically have to have the flattest (I’m talking practically inverted) tummy and a bubble butt. Not too many of those girls out there. High waisted denim also isn’t particularly flattering on you shorties or short waisted gals. Stick with a lower cut pair and always make sure that you don’t look like you’re drowning in your hem.

I love a wider leg 70’s inspired jean with a delicate floaty blouse and platform sandals. Channel your inner “Angel” and step out in these belled babies.

Top (L to R): Citizens of Humanity Angie Super Flare Jean, $229, Rebecca Taylor Front Zip Runway Denim Pant, $195, Pray For Mother Nature Devils Post Pile Bellbottoms, $176, MiH Marrakesh Flare Jeans, $186, J Brand Kiki High Rise Flare, $180 Bottom (L to R): J Brand Lovestory Flare Jeans, $178, Gap Vintage Flare Jeans, $69.50, 7 for All Mankin Kaylie Jeans, $168, TEXTILE Elizabeth & James Jimi Flare Jeans, $195, Red Valentino High Rise Flare Jeans, $310