Couture Makeup Blog – Makeup Artist Serving San Diego and Orange County.

Hello Hello!  Spring has sprung, and just in time for my upcoming birthday soirée! Let me start the festivities with some serious fashion eye candy. This post is already one of my favorites, featuring the blushing hues of light pink and creamy white adorning the hopelessly chic and whimsical feather clutch (shown above) by Kate Spade. Blush — symbolic of purity and love hopelessly beautiful and feminine.  J’adore . . .

Said to be a fairytale told in dresses — How I love Paris and all its beauty, the whimsy of a city filled with romance, fashion, exclusive Laduree macaroons {found only in Paris,} dozens of flower markets piled high with exquisite pink peonies, chandeliers for days,  cozy cafes  and the pure romance of Spring, like no where in the world. . .

Although this is a MUCH less glamorous post than usual, I think there is some highly relevant and important beauty information.  I always knew that the once-monthly spots that overtook my chin were the result of not-so-stable hormones. However, it introduced me to a whole new (actually old) science of face mapping, which is pretty much the key to unlocking the mysteries behind problem skin.

Face mapping, which is fast taking centre stage at most clinics nowadays, combines Ayurveda and ancient Chinese medicine with cutting edge dermatologists’ prescriptions to explain how certain parts of your face are connected to other areas of your body. Put simply, think of your face as a map and blemishes as X’s on that landscape. Spots in different zones correspond to different problems.  So, with this “map” as your guide, you can address the underlying causes of blemishes and not only make the unsightly zits vanish but also treat the underlying health problem in time.

Pretty awesome, right? Try it out: Here is how to decode breakouts in the basic areas.

1 & 2: Digestive System — Eat less processed or junk food, reduce the amount of fat in your diet, step up water intake and opt for cooling things like cucumbers.

3: Liver — Cut out the alcohol, greasy food and dairy. This is the zone where food allergies also show up first, so take a look at your ingredients. Besides all this, do 30 minutes of light exercise every day and get adequate sleep so your liver can rest.

4 & 5: Kidneys — Anything around the eyes (including dark circles) point to dehydration. Drink up!

6: Heart — Check your blood pressure (mine was slightly high) and Vitamin B levels. Decrease the intake of spicy or pungent food, cut down on meat and get more fresh air. Besides this, look into ways to lower cholesterol, like replacing “bad fats” with “good fats” such as Omegas 3 and 6 found in nuts, avocados, fish and flax seed. Also, since this area is chock-full of dilated pores, check that your makeup is not past its expiry date or is skin-clogging.

7 & 8: Kidneys — Again, drink up! And cut down on aerated drinks, coffee and alcohol as these will cause further dehydration.

Zone 9 & 10: Respiratory system — Do you smoke? Have allergies? This is your problem area for both. If neither of these is the issue, don’t let your body overheat, eat more cooling foods, cut down on sugar and get more fresh air. Also keep the body more alkaline by avoiding foods that make the body acidic (meat, dairy, alcohol, caffeine, sugar) and adding more alkalizing foods like green veggies and wheatgrass juice. Another thing that most of forget – dirty cell phones and pillow cases are two of the top acne culprits and this area is what they affect the most!

Zone 11 & 12: Hormones — This is the signature zone for stress and hormonal changes. And while both are sometimes unavoidable, you can decrease their effect by getting adequate sleep, drinking enough water, eating leafy veggies and keeping skin scrupulously clean. Another interesting point: breakouts in this area indicate when you are ovulating (and on which side).

Zone 13: Stomach — Step up the fibre intake, reduce the toxin overload and drink herbal teas to help with digestion.

14: Illness — Zits here can be a sign that your body is fighting bacteria to avoid illness. Give it a break, take a yoga class, take a nap, take time to breathe deeply, drink plenty of water and know that everything always works out!

So the next time you break out or notice dark under-eye circles, look to your face map: your skin is probably trying to communicate on behalf of the internal organs. However, do remember that, as with all medical issues, it is always best to see your doctor or dermotologist for a proper prognosis. This is just a general guide to head you off in the right investigative direction – just becuase you break out between the brows doesn’t always mean you have a bad liver!

After a whirlwind week, very much looking forward to a few days of repose, and {as the days magically become longer} even more so, for the fresh early spring afternoons when the pretty & flirty summer whites that have been waiting patiently in the back of the closet, will see the sunlight once again — lacy hemlines, sexy sheer tops and romantic skirts — all too perfect for moments spent lost in daydreams . . .

Like most girls, I am drawn to all things that shimmer and shine, especially when they make a strong — yet feminine fashion statement. I’m talking about sequins. Their loud, “look at me now!” style has made them timeless and are a fantastic way to dress up any outfit for any occasion. Add just a hint of shimmer to your outfit with a clutch or pair of heels, or go big, with a short or full length gown. Either way, you’re sure to make a beautiful and yes, quite shiny statement. 🙂

Dearest Readers,

It is Couture Makeup’s 5 year anniversary. Id like to begin this post with a quote that has always stuck with me, “Easy reading is damn hard writing.” — and I couldn’t agree more. I have grown so much as a writer over the past 5 years. I want to thank you, for supporting me — 5 years of beauty, poetry, inspiration, fashion, every high, low and in between. Thank you for allowing me to share with you all of my deepest thoughts, wishes, hopes and dreams. Thank you for every single comment. Thank you for each beautiful email. You’ve filled me with encouragement at times that I’ve felt low, you’ve celebrated with me each and every personal win. I feel so blessed to have such a wonderful group of readers. I will continue to write all that comes from my heart, bringing you as much beauty as possible. I wish you all a year filled with joy and love. Cheers to 5 years of hard work and beautiful inspiration.

xo

-Katy

After being wrapped in cashmere for the past few months, every year, around this time, [just as the sun sets a little later each day and there’s springtime in the air], all the summer clothes in the closet suddenly look hopelessly skimpy and rather revealing by comparison, invariably bringing about reminders of lapsed gym memberships. But this year, I have decided that, perhaps, a heathy diet and some toning up is just enough. Men love curves!! They don’t want you stick thin, rock what you’ve got! An hourglass figure is much sexier than skin and bone. You’re beautiful just the way God made you.

{via-this is glamorous}

… 6 am and today has already begun, with tons of lovely inspiration and work to be done. But with yesterday’s time change and last weekends beautiful get away,  today, there is much catching up to do. With so much to do —  Photographs to sort through, blogs to write, contract packages to design, and a million and one inquiries to reply to — this Monday calls for an easy ballerina bun and comfortable dress, a cup of strong coffee and tons of unwavering energy & enthusiasm…

Happy Monday!  I hope your week is off to a beautiful start

xo

It’s off for a beautiful weekend in the sunshine — Afternoons filled with champagne and strawberries,  golden sunshine, walks at sunset, dinner amongst candlelight and the twinkling of crystal. And after it all, plans to slip into peaceful dreams while Saturday fades into Sunday. . .

“Laughter is a sunbeam of the soul.”
― Thomas Mann

“Keep your face to the sun and you will never see the shadows.”
― Helen Keller

Ever wonder why we do garter tosses at weddings? Well, here is a little history lesson.  In medieval times (when most wedding traditions originated), the couple was not considered married until the guests in attendance followed them to their bedroom and witnessed the marriage being consummated. When they didn’t think that the couple was getting around to it quickly enough for their liking, they would rip the couple’s clothes off. Eventually, the men got tired of it so they would toss the garter (and the rest of the bride’s clothes) to the guests. Since that would be considered improper behavior today, just the garter is removed.

{Aren’t you glad to live in 2013?}

It is the groom’s privilege to remove the garter and toss it to the male guests. The symbolism to deflowering is unambiguous. Historically, this tradition also relates to the belief that taking an article of the bride’s clothing would bring good luck. As this often resulted in the destruction of the bride’s dress, the tradition arose for the bride to toss articles of clothing to the guests, including the garter.

However it started, garters are beautiful and I’m glad we still get to rock these sexy accessories under our dresses. There are tons to choose from, Etsy sellers will carry a lot of intricate handmade ones, while local bridal stores will carry more generic but still beautiful options. Click HERE to visit the Garter Girl, a great online boutique. There are tons of choices… Happy shopping!