It's Makeover Time!

It’s been a busy couple of weeks for me. Good, but busy! So thought it was about time for a little me time. And what better way to treat myself than with a mini makeover! New hair, new makeup, and a little extra bounce in my walk. I think I might have even creeped out a few people on the street today when I smiled at then. I couldn’t help it! Makeovers make me smile!

 (okay, so maybe not quite that excited)

And maybe I didn’t go all the way on the hair. I got a bunch of layers, a few highlights, and as much as I wanted to take the plunge and chop all my hair off, I just wasn’t ready. So instead I found the perfect solution. The trusty faux bob. Now, I can don the cute 20s style bob when I want, and then my long hair the rest of the time. I tricked one of my friends too, who saw me and exclaimed "you cut your hair!" psych! Not actually. The commitment phobe in me loves this easy hair slump solution. Try out the bob without all the stress of potential haircut regret. 

Just because I didn’t get a drastic haircut doesn’t mean I still can’t have fun with my hair. Again, thank you pinterest for all your lovely hair-spiration. Most of my friends will tell you, I’m a bit of a braid addict. They add the perfect boho touch to any hairdo. Even a boring old ponytail or bun can get a facelift from a few well placed French braids. The braid has a bit of a bad rap. It doesn’t have to look like school girl pigtails, or a little house on the prairie style plait. Rather, it can look completely modern, fun, and fresh.

The side French braid bun: This is probably one of the easiest hairstyles to master. It literally takes me less than five minutes to pull off a style like this.

 Hair and images from "Hair and Makeup by Steph"

The fishtail braid: The latest braiding craze, and I’m loving it. 

 Hair and images from "Hair and Makeup by Steph"

The Waterfall Braid: I’m still working on mastering this one on myself. But I’ll tell you, I can pull off a mean waterfall braid on someone else. A Fun tip is to do multiple waterfall braids across the back and then you can create a pretty funky updo!

 Hair and images from "Hair and Makeup by Steph"

And for a few non-braid adorable and simple updos for when you’re running late for work or a date:

             

 All 3 images from pinterest

Once I got my hair mastered it was time to move onto makeup.

Mad Men has encouraged a resurgence of 50s fashion and makeup over the last few years. And I’m not complaining. The cat eye is one of my favorite looks. The trick is, if you’re doing a fairly thick eyeliner line, to not do too much eyeshadow. You want to avoid looking trashy, and instead look like a classic vintage beauty. Usually when I go out I opt for either a brown, purple, or grey smoky eye. But lately, I’ve been sporting very light eyeshadow with cat eye liner, and a pop of red colour on my lips. It’s fun to mix things up! And it’s definitely an easier look to execute than smoky eyes. A perfect option for when you’re limited on time. 

Also, to go from day to night all you have to do is add lipstick. A simple cat eye can totally work for the office, and then after 5 just add some pink or red lipstick and you’re set for a night out!

Adele is one of my fav celebs sporting this look right now. She just always looks so fresh and fabulous.

And finally, no makeover is complete without a good manicure. This spring its all about the pastels. Pink, purple, yellow, blue, green, coral…I’m sporting them all at some point or another. Nailpolish is a great way to play with colour and trends without having to replace your entire wardrobe.