I am so sorry that I haven't update my blog in 5 days! Things have just been ridiculously busy at work, plus one of my good friends came to visit me from out of town and so whenever I'm not working, I'm doing something with him. It's just been a hectic week for me. But, that's still no excuse for skipping out on 5 entries.
So to make up for my oversight, I will be giving you guys a product review post within the net few hours. My new shadow palette arrived and I've been dying to show it off! So wait another five hours or so (until I get off work) and I'll start up posting again.
Just so this isn't a pointless post of me talking about dumb things, I'm going to post a link to an article I read recently about different types of winged liner styles and how they add to the overall look of the face. It's short, but I find it rather interesting. This article lists 5 styles, so my goal for next week is to wear one per day. Some of them are a little too intense for daytime, though, so I'll only wear them when I go out at night.
So here's the link to the article (it even comes with instructions):
http://www.lovelyish.com/757757102/5-alternative-winged-eyeliner-looks/
I love, love, love all of these looks!
Thursday, June 21, 2012
Saturday, June 16, 2012
Eyeliner Series Day 5: Shadow as Eyeliner LAST DAY!!!
Yes, you read that right- this will be the final post in my
eyeliner series. So, for the final day, I decided to talk about an unexpected
type of eyeliner: shadow. This includes pressed shadow, loose shadow, pigment
pots, and the like. Anything meant to be used as a color on the lids.
Many people are aware that eyeshadow can be used for several things, but they never really think to tap into its abilities just on the eye. If you're looking for a pop of color on your lids but don't have a colored liner, eyeshadow can make a great substitute. It works if you want a more subtle line or maybe even if you want to blend the lid color into the lash line and then put an actual liner on top (I like doing this to soften the impact of my liner).
Many people are aware that eyeshadow can be used for several things, but they never really think to tap into its abilities just on the eye. If you're looking for a pop of color on your lids but don't have a colored liner, eyeshadow can make a great substitute. It works if you want a more subtle line or maybe even if you want to blend the lid color into the lash line and then put an actual liner on top (I like doing this to soften the impact of my liner).
The best part, you can use different mixing mediums to create different liner
effects. (MAC has fantastic mixing media). Note that this works best with loose
shadow and pigment pots. Different media can cause the shadow to go on in
different ways. Don't believe me? Grab a brush, wet it with some water, dip it
in your shadow, and put some on. You can see a definite difference between the
wet and dry applications. Using the different mixing media, you can control the
way your liner looks.
Essentially, you can create your own versions of the other four liners in the series using only shadow. Cool, huh?
How to Apply Shadow as Liner:
Grab a liner brush, dip it in your mixing media (if using one) and dip it in your eyeshadow. Now, you want to apply this similar to how you apply a crème liner. Just a note: if you're not using a mixing media, then you can avoid any shadow fallout by pressing or packing on the shadow with your brush. To do this, you simply press your brush against your lid without swiping. Think of it as stamping on your shadow.
That's pretty much all I have to say about using shadow as a liner. During the summer, I like to use a bright, shimmery shadow to line my lower waterline. I simply use a normal pencil liner as my base and pack my shadow on top of it. I have to be very careful when I'm using it since it's hard to keep the loose shadow from falling in my eye. There are plenty of other ways to use shadows, though, so enjoy coming up with them!
Grab a liner brush, dip it in your mixing media (if using one) and dip it in your eyeshadow. Now, you want to apply this similar to how you apply a crème liner. Just a note: if you're not using a mixing media, then you can avoid any shadow fallout by pressing or packing on the shadow with your brush. To do this, you simply press your brush against your lid without swiping. Think of it as stamping on your shadow.
That's pretty much all I have to say about using shadow as a liner. During the summer, I like to use a bright, shimmery shadow to line my lower waterline. I simply use a normal pencil liner as my base and pack my shadow on top of it. I have to be very careful when I'm using it since it's hard to keep the loose shadow from falling in my eye. There are plenty of other ways to use shadows, though, so enjoy coming up with them!
Besos,
Twisted
Questions of the day:
Have you ever used eyeshadow as a liner? Or even as something else? Have you ever heard of/used mixing media? What are your thoughts? Now that I've finished the eyeliner series, is there anything you'd like me to blog about? Any suggestions are welcome!
Friday, June 15, 2012
Eyeliner Series Day 4: Crème Eyeliner
Now I know that I already introduced the cat eye concept
yesterday with my liquid liner spiel but…crème liner is my absolute favorite
type of liner for cat eye. You can easily create the look with either of the
two liners but I just love the way crème liner looks. To me, it’s the most dramatic
type of liner; it’s always so intense. Even better, colored crème liner also
looks great as a substitute shadow or shadow base. It’s great for any dark and
intense/smoky and can be used to line the waterlines as well since it doesn’t
get into the eye as much as liquid and, if you can avoid blinking until it
dries, it doesn’t smudge too much either.
This is going to be a short post because I’ve pretty much talked
about everything I wanted to concerning crème liner. That being said, let’s
learn how to apply it, shall we?
How to apply crème liner:
What you’ll need:
- Liner
- Brush (I recommend any sort of flat or angled liner or thin brush though the liners usually come with their own)
Same as with the liquid, crème liner is extremely easy to
fudge up, so you’ll need to keep your application arm anchored. I prefer to do this
by resting my elbow on a table or some other surface while facing a mirror. If
applying to the lid, hold the brush slightly above the eye and angle it
downward so that it touches your lid. This helps you avoid catching the lashes with
your liner and not only reduces the possibility of mess, but also can prevent
the award gaps you get in your liner when an eyelash gets in the way.
Once you’ve got the proper position, it’s time to begin.
Either dip your brush into or swipe it across your liner to get some on the
brush and apply it to your lid. At this point, it’s more like a pencil liner
than anything else, so feel free to apply it using whatever method makes you
the most comfortable. A word of warning, however, the brush can move in a
direction you don’t want it to, so be sure to keep your body as still as possible
and try to pile thinner lines on top of each other rather than going for a
thick line in one go. This will reduce the possibility of any huge flubs and prevent
you from having to start over as often. Now, you just have to make sure not to touch the liner before it dries fully (10-15 seconds)
If you’re using the liner as a shadow, I find that using a
finger is best, but brushes are also a great option. I prefer using my fingers
because the heat from my hands softens the crème a bit and allows it to spread
more easily. Feel free to use whichever you want, however. To put it on, just
take some of the liner and rub/swipe/pat/stipple it over your eyelid (the one
you do depends on how you want the shadow to go on). If I’m using the liner as
a base, I prefer to swipe it one and rub it with my finger so I can blend the color
out into my skin a bit better. If I’m using it as a solitary shadow, I rub a
bit on (for the blending) and then pat a bit more on top of it. I really only
stipple if I’m using a brush and that helps it blend fantastically.
A fun tip: the liner looks different when applied with a wet or dry brush so try them both out and see which one you like best!
Besos,
Twisted
Questions of the Day:
Do you love, love, love crème liner as much as I do? Or am I
just crazy? How do you like to use your crème? As an intense liner? A subtle
liner? Or maybe you’re like me and use it as an eye shadow/blush/lip base?
Thursday, June 14, 2012
Eyeliner Series Day 3: Liquid Liner and Cat Eyes
This is probably my favorite type of eyeliner to use, and my least favorite to apply. It’s extremely important to maintain and steady hand and, be conscious of everything you’re body is doing. You don’t know how many times I’ve been almost done applying my liquid liner just to have an unexpected sneeze jostle my hand and ruin everything. At the same time though, liquid liner is amazing when you want any sort of precision and/or dramatic flare. Because the brushes are so thin, you can go from a thin, barely noticeable line to something that draws attention like wings or a cat eye. Really, liquid liner is definitely a go to for a hot night out, along with crème liner (which will be the subject of tomorrow’s post).
Since I’ve already talked about the most important pros and cons of liquid liner in my intro, I’m going to arrange this post a little differently. Instead of prattling on for another couple of paragraphs, I’m going to post pictures of some of my favorite uses of liquid liner and then give a basic summary of how to apply it.
*I apologize for the strange formatting in the pics, I couldn't get them to upload any better*
How to apply liquid liner:
The first thing to do when applying liquid eyeliner is
steady the application hand. This can be done on a table or some other surface
if you’re sitting down. If you apply it standing up, like I usually do, you can
steady it against whatever flat, vertical surface you’re facing (I usually use
the wall or my full length mirror) or with your other hand (I find this rather
difficult). At this point, there are a lot of different methods for actually
putting on the liner.
There’s the dash method where you make dashes/dots along
your lid to serve as a map for your line. Then you just go back over and
connect the dots in a continuous line. Pretty simple.
OR
There’s the method I
use, which is just applying the liner in 2 sections. First, I start in the
middle of my eyelid and draw a relatively thin line (in the shape I want) to
the outer corner of my eyelid. Then, I move to the inner corner of my eye and
draw a line from there to the center of my eyelid, meeting the first line, and
carry it through to the end. I like using this method because my inner corners
are always a problem spot when applying eyeliner- I find that the line can
easily get too thick or too thin and then it throws off the way the rest of my
eye looks. When I do it this way, I can establish the curve I want and then use
my inner corner liner to dictate the thickness of the rest of the liner. That
way, I can control the balance in thicknesses (I’m really particular about
this, if you couldn’t tell).
If you’re new to liquid liner, I’d recommend starting off
with the dot-line method and, once you’re comfortable making lines with a
brush, try out my method or devise your own. I know some people who apply liquid
liner in one smooth line and they like the way it looks. There are a lot of
ways to do it, just make sure you do something you’re comfortable with. A word
of warning: thicker lines tend to look more dramatic so, if you mess up and
you’re going for a more subtle look, don’t just keep painting more liner on
until you get the curve you want. The most important things liquid liner
teaches you are patience, balance, how to match your makeup with the event you
want it for, and that, it can be easier
to start fresh rather than trying to cover up your mistakes.
Well, that's all for this post, really. Hope it taught something, or, at the very least, entertained you!
Besos,
Twisted
Questions of the day:
Do you typically find liquid liner to be worth the hassle? How do you apply your liquid liner? Do you have a favorite type of liquid liner applicator (ex: brush vs felt tip)?
Eyeliner Series Day 2: Twist Top Liners
How do I love thee? Let me count the ways:
- Thou art as easy to apply as any pencil liner
- Thy twist-top design helps me avoid breaking and controls how much product I want
- Thou doth not smudge as much as pencils
- Yet Thou possesses the color definition and versatility of a pencil (almost)
Sorry, I’ve had Shakespeare on the brain all day and wanted
to do something in tribute. I know it sucks, but, hey, I’m a blogger, not a
writer. In all seriousness, though, I absolutely LOVE twist-top pencil liners.
I know what some of you are thinking. If you love them so much, why can’t you let
go of plain pencil liners? And, to be honest, I don’t really have an answer for
that. Maybe it’s because pencil liners are the first liners I’ve ever used, or
that I prefer to tightline with plain pencils but…I just have an attachment to
plain pencil liners that I can’t sever. Not that it really matters, though,
since I love and use both. In fact, right at this moment, I have 2 twist top
liners in my purse (in emerald green and deep ocean blue).
As for application of this type of liner, what I said before
with the pencil liner thing can apply with these as well. Just one note,
however, you have to be careful how you turn and twist your liner as you’re
applying it; you could accidentally twist it closed. Trust me, it happens. I use
this liner just above my lash line, and I love it! I’m also currently using it
for tightlining as well, as I’m in the market for a new plain pencil liner that
stays. I’m thinking I’ll try out the waterproof liner from bhcosmetics.com. I
absolutely love the site; their products are easy on the pocketbook but really
high quality. I’ve ordered 4 different 120 color shadow palettes, a lip
palette, and brushes, and I can’t say a bad word about the company. Anyway,
this isn’t a plug for the website (I’ll be doing that some time in the future)
so I’ll get back to the subject at hand: twist-top liners.
The downsides:
As far as I’m concerned, twist-top liners don’t have any
serious downsides. Sure, the retraction can get annoying, but it’s a mistake
you’ll only make once in a blue moon, if that often. The only other negative I
can consider is that this liner doesn’t last as long as liquid. It still lasts
longer than pencil, though, and I don’t like using liquid to tightline so I don’t
really have a choice. It’s the lesser of two evils, so to speak. Ah well, I don’t
really mind touching up my liner every few hours or so. It’s a smile price to
pay to look fabulous!
Just one more thing: my favorite twist top eyeliners are
from Rimmel (pictured above); their Deep Ocean and Emerald colors are to die for! I love using
funky eyeliner colors in summer!
Besos,
Twisted
Questions of the day:
Do you prefer normal pencil liners or the ones that twist
up? If you use both, do you prefer to use one for something special, or do you
just grab the first one you see and use it for anything? What’s your favorite
brand/color?
Monday, June 11, 2012
Eyeliner Series Day 1: Pencil Eyeliner and How to Tightline!
Let me just start by saying that I have a severe love-hate relationship with pencil liner. I consider it the easiest and most convenient liner to carry around. Just for clarification, when I say pencil liner, I mean a made-of-wood, you need an eraser to sharpen it pencil liner, not one of those twist tops (I'll be talking about those tomorrow). Also, for those of you who want to skip my boring narrative and get straight to the application instructions, just scroll down to the passage underneath the image.
Seriously, a good color liner can do everything- brow touchups, lip touchups (as a liner or base), and it even makes a decent contour base in dark brown. Oh, and don't forget lining the eyes. You can use it for that, too. I especially love pencil liner for tightlining (lining the water lines). It doesn't run into my eyes like other types of liners and I find that I have more control over the amount of color I put on with pencil.
I think pencil liner is one of the most versatile beauty tools out there. Problem is, it never stays on my skin as long as other liners. Maybe it's because I have oily skin why the liner seems to rub off so quickly but, even with a primer and foundation, I lose my liner within two or three hours. I refuse to give up on it, however, pencil liners have too much possibility for me to swear off them forever. Maybe next time I'll try an anti-shine serum, primer, AND foundation and see how that works. Wish me luck!
How to apply pencil liner:
Eyelid:
A great way to apply this liner involves both hands. Use one to pull the edges of the lid slightly outwards and the other to run the pencil back and forth over the lid, making sure to stay close to the last line. The reason this is one of my favorite methods is because pencils tend to go on lighter than other liners I've used, so I find that I have to run back and forth to get a sufficient amount of color on my eye. The straight line method is quick, easy, and great for thicker lines, which is mostly what I use pencil liners for anyway.
Tightlining:
My absolute favorite thing to do with pencil liner is tightlining (definition above), it can make your look more dramatic, colorful, seductive, or whatever you're going for. Here's a video I love that teaches you about tightlining; it's by Petrilude who is one of my favorite youtube makeup gurus.
Basically, you want to keep your lining hand steady and you can use the other hand to tug on your eye to make it easier to apply. I'm a super multitasker so I hate using two hands for something I only need one for. So, anyway, keep your lining hand steady and run the side of the pencil back and forth over your waterline, being careful not to come into contact with your actual eye.
Tip: I've found it a bit easier to look in the opposite direction of where I tightline. This means looking up if you're lining the bottom and up if you're lining the top.
That's all I have for this post. Check back tomorrow for my post on twist-top pencil liners, and maybe another if the post is too short!
Besos,
Twisted
Questions of the Day:
1. How do you feel about pencil liners? Do you use them for multiple things like me?
2. Do you like tightlining?
3. And, finally, did this post teach you anything or rehash anything you may have learned before? Answer in the comments, please :).
Seriously, a good color liner can do everything- brow touchups, lip touchups (as a liner or base), and it even makes a decent contour base in dark brown. Oh, and don't forget lining the eyes. You can use it for that, too. I especially love pencil liner for tightlining (lining the water lines). It doesn't run into my eyes like other types of liners and I find that I have more control over the amount of color I put on with pencil.
I think pencil liner is one of the most versatile beauty tools out there. Problem is, it never stays on my skin as long as other liners. Maybe it's because I have oily skin why the liner seems to rub off so quickly but, even with a primer and foundation, I lose my liner within two or three hours. I refuse to give up on it, however, pencil liners have too much possibility for me to swear off them forever. Maybe next time I'll try an anti-shine serum, primer, AND foundation and see how that works. Wish me luck!
How to apply pencil liner:
Eyelid:
A great way to apply this liner involves both hands. Use one to pull the edges of the lid slightly outwards and the other to run the pencil back and forth over the lid, making sure to stay close to the last line. The reason this is one of my favorite methods is because pencils tend to go on lighter than other liners I've used, so I find that I have to run back and forth to get a sufficient amount of color on my eye. The straight line method is quick, easy, and great for thicker lines, which is mostly what I use pencil liners for anyway.
Tightlining:
My absolute favorite thing to do with pencil liner is tightlining (definition above), it can make your look more dramatic, colorful, seductive, or whatever you're going for. Here's a video I love that teaches you about tightlining; it's by Petrilude who is one of my favorite youtube makeup gurus.
Basically, you want to keep your lining hand steady and you can use the other hand to tug on your eye to make it easier to apply. I'm a super multitasker so I hate using two hands for something I only need one for. So, anyway, keep your lining hand steady and run the side of the pencil back and forth over your waterline, being careful not to come into contact with your actual eye.
Tip: I've found it a bit easier to look in the opposite direction of where I tightline. This means looking up if you're lining the bottom and up if you're lining the top.
That's all I have for this post. Check back tomorrow for my post on twist-top pencil liners, and maybe another if the post is too short!
Besos,
Twisted
Questions of the Day:
1. How do you feel about pencil liners? Do you use them for multiple things like me?
2. Do you like tightlining?
3. And, finally, did this post teach you anything or rehash anything you may have learned before? Answer in the comments, please :).
Sunday, June 10, 2012
Response to a Yahoo Answers Question
This post will be a response to a question I stumbled across on yahoo answers and, consequently, the reason I started this blog.Yahoo answers said my answer was too long and wouldn't let me post it :(.
Ah well, here is the link to the original question:
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AicS5jeFP9f_ED.NJE_ym8AjzKIX;_ylv=3?qid=20120610145930AADQHKn
And here is the text just in case the question gets deleted:
"I don't even own girl clothes, only jeans and shoes, but I have to wear a skirt (haven't worn one before in my life) for some important event. My body kind of has a guy figure cause I go kick boxing a lot and I used to do capoeira and karate and I recently started yoga. So my body really isn't exactly feminine. Any way I can change that? I also got a little chubby after I stopped going to the gym for a few months but it's not so bad.
If it's not obvious enough, I'm a girl (16 years old)."
With that said, let's post get on with this shall we?
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
If you really want to make yourself look more feminine, then you're going to have to choose clothes that accentuate your feminine points and downplay your masculine ones.
From what you say, I'd guess you have a rather muscular, straight build with little to no curvature. I'm going to break down my tips to you according to clothing.
Skirts:
The best way to make your legs look a little girlier would be to find a skirt that fits you in a feminine way. I assume you have muscular legs with kickboxing/capoeira so I'd recommend a skirt that stops a couple inches above knee length- anything much shorter will call attention to muscular calves. Skirts and dresses that stop a few inches below the knee (aka midis) are still rather popular right now, and the whole geometric print thing is in so you could find a cute patterned skirt to help accentuate your curves.
Another tip for the skirt choosing: if you don't have hips, I'd recommend a skirt that flares/ruffle skirts because they add volume to the hips. And, though ruffle skirts aren't as popular this spring/summer season, you could still pull one off. It doesn't matter if you're a year or two behind on fashion if it looks good, right? Just call it vintage and move on.
Tops:
Gonna break this one into two sections since (in my opinion) there are two separate things you need to consider when choosing a feminizing top:
Shoulders and upper arms:
I assume you have muscular shoulders and (most likely) broad arms, in which case anything with shoulder pads is the enemy! If your shoulders are broad and you want to bare your arms, stay away from spaghetti straps (they accentuate the size) and shoot for something with bigger straps.
If you're not particularly interested in showing your arms, then feel free to mess with different sleeve lengths. Word of warning, however, make sure your sleeve isn't too tight or it will make your arms look even more muscular than baring them would.
Stomach and waist:
A huge part of being a woman relies on having a small waist to hip proportion. If you're not very feminine, chances are this is where your main problem lies. There are two basic ways to correct this problem: make the hips look bigger or make the waist looks smaller (both if you really want the help). I've already touched on the hips in my skirt talk, so I'll just talk about waist right now. In my opinion, there are two ways to make the waist appear smaller: by physically constricting the waist (corsets and the like) or by wearing something that gives enough room in the waist area to make it appear smaller (this can also help minimize the appearance of the stomach if you happen to have a pouch).
For constricting the waist, I'd recommend a strong, corset like top or a ruched top (kind of like creating small, protruding lines of fabric running horizontally along the shirt). I've found these to be the best for creating curves and minimizing the stomach.
Wearing something roomy means just that; wear something that gives you a little space around the midsection that will confuse people as to where your actual waistline falls. DO KEEP IN MIND, though, that, when it comes to loose tops, there is such a thing as too loose. Unless you're a skinny person in general, get something too big, and you'll look fat rather than curvy. The trick here is to go for a top that's loose in the stomach, but finds a bit of traction in the hips. By this I mean people should be able to see the curve of your hips, if the shirt/dress (and I say dress here because not very many shirts are long enough to go past the hips) is loose around the waist AND hips, you'll look like you have a huge belly and no waistline. Some people can pull this look off, though I find that they tend to be people who are stick skinny. The type of people you know would never have a protruding stomach.
Dresses:
For dresses, try and combine the hints I gave you for tops and bottoms into one. There's a dress to fit everyone, it's just a question of whether or not you'll be able to find it. For your sake, however, I'd recommend something with a poofier bottom and looser top (the poof of the bottom will make the hips look bigger and, as this is a dress, your hips will be visible so you won't have to worry that your midsection is too loose).
And....we can't forget accessories, hair, and makeup!
Accessories:
Any fashion junkie will tell you that the proper accessory is key to any outfit. It's summer so it's perfectly fine if you choose something bold and bright! What we're looking for here is an accent piece; something that will tie the whole outfit together and bring in a bit of fun to your look. You can also use shoes as accent pieces here, so don't think you're limited to only jewelry. Be warned, however, try to limit your accent pieces to no more than two. Usually, I try and stick to one, but I've found that two can be worn if you leave sufficient and neutral space between them (and by neutral I mean something that either is a part of your outfit base or doesn't call much attention).
Hair and Makeup:
Once again, I'll say that it's summer so keep things light and free. If you have long hair, tie some of it up and leave some light/wispy hair to frame and soften your face. If you have short hair, keep it all down and maybe curl a few patches on top to give your hair more of an appearance of lightness/volume/bounce and just an overall cute feel. You're still 16 so you should aim for cute with this outfit rather than hot. You'll have plenty of time for hot later on, trust me ;).
As for the makeup, keep everything light and bright for summer. I'd recommend very little shadow and more attention put on the eyeliner- super bright liner colors are very in this season so go for a pop of color on your top/bottom waterlines. Mascara is, of course, key here, but try not to put on more than a couple coats to keep your look more natural. As for blush and gloss and whatnot, I'd recommend some sort of shimmer powder along your cheekbones and on the apples of your cheeks to give you a bright glow. It can also work really well as eyeshadow. Shimmer is always a good makeup option, especially when it's so warm and sunny out! Do whatever you want with your lips- either go for a fun splash of color or something more neutral- both will work if you do your eyes simply like I recommend. Just make sure your lip color doesn't clash with your outfit (ex: orange dress and bright lips. Yikes!)
I think I've covered everything I could without knowing what your body looks like/what type of event you'll be attending so I'll stop here! And let me know if you need any more fashion advice. I'm a total fashion/makeup addict! HAVE FUN!!!! and remember: GO BRIGHT!
Ah well, here is the link to the original question:
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AicS5jeFP9f_ED.NJE_ym8AjzKIX;_ylv=3?qid=20120610145930AADQHKn
And here is the text just in case the question gets deleted:
"I don't even own girl clothes, only jeans and shoes, but I have to wear a skirt (haven't worn one before in my life) for some important event. My body kind of has a guy figure cause I go kick boxing a lot and I used to do capoeira and karate and I recently started yoga. So my body really isn't exactly feminine. Any way I can change that? I also got a little chubby after I stopped going to the gym for a few months but it's not so bad.
If it's not obvious enough, I'm a girl (16 years old)."
With that said, let's post get on with this shall we?
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
If you really want to make yourself look more feminine, then you're going to have to choose clothes that accentuate your feminine points and downplay your masculine ones.
From what you say, I'd guess you have a rather muscular, straight build with little to no curvature. I'm going to break down my tips to you according to clothing.
Skirts:
The best way to make your legs look a little girlier would be to find a skirt that fits you in a feminine way. I assume you have muscular legs with kickboxing/capoeira so I'd recommend a skirt that stops a couple inches above knee length- anything much shorter will call attention to muscular calves. Skirts and dresses that stop a few inches below the knee (aka midis) are still rather popular right now, and the whole geometric print thing is in so you could find a cute patterned skirt to help accentuate your curves.
Another tip for the skirt choosing: if you don't have hips, I'd recommend a skirt that flares/ruffle skirts because they add volume to the hips. And, though ruffle skirts aren't as popular this spring/summer season, you could still pull one off. It doesn't matter if you're a year or two behind on fashion if it looks good, right? Just call it vintage and move on.
Tops:
Gonna break this one into two sections since (in my opinion) there are two separate things you need to consider when choosing a feminizing top:
Shoulders and upper arms:
I assume you have muscular shoulders and (most likely) broad arms, in which case anything with shoulder pads is the enemy! If your shoulders are broad and you want to bare your arms, stay away from spaghetti straps (they accentuate the size) and shoot for something with bigger straps.
If you're not particularly interested in showing your arms, then feel free to mess with different sleeve lengths. Word of warning, however, make sure your sleeve isn't too tight or it will make your arms look even more muscular than baring them would.
Stomach and waist:
A huge part of being a woman relies on having a small waist to hip proportion. If you're not very feminine, chances are this is where your main problem lies. There are two basic ways to correct this problem: make the hips look bigger or make the waist looks smaller (both if you really want the help). I've already touched on the hips in my skirt talk, so I'll just talk about waist right now. In my opinion, there are two ways to make the waist appear smaller: by physically constricting the waist (corsets and the like) or by wearing something that gives enough room in the waist area to make it appear smaller (this can also help minimize the appearance of the stomach if you happen to have a pouch).
For constricting the waist, I'd recommend a strong, corset like top or a ruched top (kind of like creating small, protruding lines of fabric running horizontally along the shirt). I've found these to be the best for creating curves and minimizing the stomach.
Wearing something roomy means just that; wear something that gives you a little space around the midsection that will confuse people as to where your actual waistline falls. DO KEEP IN MIND, though, that, when it comes to loose tops, there is such a thing as too loose. Unless you're a skinny person in general, get something too big, and you'll look fat rather than curvy. The trick here is to go for a top that's loose in the stomach, but finds a bit of traction in the hips. By this I mean people should be able to see the curve of your hips, if the shirt/dress (and I say dress here because not very many shirts are long enough to go past the hips) is loose around the waist AND hips, you'll look like you have a huge belly and no waistline. Some people can pull this look off, though I find that they tend to be people who are stick skinny. The type of people you know would never have a protruding stomach.
Dresses:
For dresses, try and combine the hints I gave you for tops and bottoms into one. There's a dress to fit everyone, it's just a question of whether or not you'll be able to find it. For your sake, however, I'd recommend something with a poofier bottom and looser top (the poof of the bottom will make the hips look bigger and, as this is a dress, your hips will be visible so you won't have to worry that your midsection is too loose).
And....we can't forget accessories, hair, and makeup!
Accessories:
Any fashion junkie will tell you that the proper accessory is key to any outfit. It's summer so it's perfectly fine if you choose something bold and bright! What we're looking for here is an accent piece; something that will tie the whole outfit together and bring in a bit of fun to your look. You can also use shoes as accent pieces here, so don't think you're limited to only jewelry. Be warned, however, try to limit your accent pieces to no more than two. Usually, I try and stick to one, but I've found that two can be worn if you leave sufficient and neutral space between them (and by neutral I mean something that either is a part of your outfit base or doesn't call much attention).
Hair and Makeup:
Once again, I'll say that it's summer so keep things light and free. If you have long hair, tie some of it up and leave some light/wispy hair to frame and soften your face. If you have short hair, keep it all down and maybe curl a few patches on top to give your hair more of an appearance of lightness/volume/bounce and just an overall cute feel. You're still 16 so you should aim for cute with this outfit rather than hot. You'll have plenty of time for hot later on, trust me ;).
As for the makeup, keep everything light and bright for summer. I'd recommend very little shadow and more attention put on the eyeliner- super bright liner colors are very in this season so go for a pop of color on your top/bottom waterlines. Mascara is, of course, key here, but try not to put on more than a couple coats to keep your look more natural. As for blush and gloss and whatnot, I'd recommend some sort of shimmer powder along your cheekbones and on the apples of your cheeks to give you a bright glow. It can also work really well as eyeshadow. Shimmer is always a good makeup option, especially when it's so warm and sunny out! Do whatever you want with your lips- either go for a fun splash of color or something more neutral- both will work if you do your eyes simply like I recommend. Just make sure your lip color doesn't clash with your outfit (ex: orange dress and bright lips. Yikes!)
I think I've covered everything I could without knowing what your body looks like/what type of event you'll be attending so I'll stop here! And let me know if you need any more fashion advice. I'm a total fashion/makeup addict! HAVE FUN!!!! and remember: GO BRIGHT!
Hello Hello Hello!!!!
Starting a blog on trends in fashion/makeup that I've noticed or liked, and tips I've come across during my years of teaching myself how to look beautiful and feel even better :)
I hope you guys like it- first post will be me answering a question, don't think that's what my entire blog will be like!
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