In search for the perfect nude lips

The perfect shade just an utopian dream?  From left to right: CoverGirl Queen Collection | Bobbi Brown Lipstick | Nars Lipstick

I have learned that looking for the perfect nude lipstick color shade takes time and lots of patience. After many failed attempts to find an ideal one, I decided to go follow this utopian (or not) dream once more.  I decided to try out some shades and figure out which one will look better with my skin.

The rule of thumb to find that perfect naked shade is to find a tone that mimics the skin tone of your lips. My lips are a bit pinky brown, each person is different and in different lights lips look different so you may want to step outside and take a look with natural light to see what color they really are before starting to go shopping.

The ones I tried:

Covergirl’s Queen Collection in Cool Khaki specially for dark skin tones, made my lips very silky and they felt moisturized for a long time but the color I chose seemed a little too beige and  light for me. I may need to try with a darker tone.

Nars Lipstick in Bell du Jour is a sheer lipstick with Vitamin E that made my lips look very natural and not overly colored, I liked this look as it gave me just a hint of tone and it doesn’t look like you have a lot of makeup on.

Bobbi Brown’s Lip Color in Brown is packed with Vitamins C & E and beeswax making it the most moisturizing of the ones I tried. I picked this color with the help of one of their makeup specialists at Macy’s and it was the color I found closer to my lips as it is a light brown with hints of pink.

It seems I have made peace with the search for the perfect tone for my lips, at least for now.  Maybe I should stock up just in case it gets discontinued as it seems to be the case with most lip colors.

 * All Pictures taken from brands website. Link above.

by Gissi Jimenez Posted on June 10, 2013
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Charlotte Olympia Inspired Wicker Transparent Clutch DIY

The Architect of Style DIY

This is my first DIY (Do-it-yourself) post.  When I saw this Charlotte Olympia Wicker clutch at Moda O’perandi I just fell in love, as it will be the perfect summer accessory but with a hefty price tag of $ 1,250, it was time to bring out the handy work.

Materials:

Lay flat the cane webbing sheet and show matte side up. Place the plexiglass box over and trace around the edges. Then flip to the short sides of the box and align with traced square. Repeat all sides. Trace one separate square for the front of the clutch.

Cut the pieces to the inside of the lines traced so it fits inside the box. You will end up with two separate pieces one rectangular (front) and one with four flaps (basket).

Proceed to fold the basket with a straight edge ruler. Fold to the inside of the line. Fold the four short sides.

Insert the basket to the plexiglass clutch. And trim the edges. It might be easier to mark the point of cutting the edge, removing the basket and cut.

When trimmed, add a little clear glue to the edges of the basket and press against the plexiglass to secure into place. Do the same for the front flap edges and press against the lid of the plexiglass box (inside).

Close the box and use apply a small bead of glue to the backside of the brooch or embellishment. I use the E6000 glue because it holds well and dries fast. Attach to the top of the box and press down and hold until is secured.

And here it is! Ta da! My Charlotte Olympia Pandora Wicker inspired clutch.

So go ahead give it a try! And let me know how it goes or show me via Instagram or Twitter and tag with #TheArchitectofStyleDIY

by Gissi Jimenez Posted on May 31, 2013
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City Girls: The Neon Jacket

Walking down the street with some green garb

As an artist I am always thinking of ideas on what to draw. I started sketching a couple of weeks ago and started what I call my “City Girls” this will be a series of sketches of women in an urban setting strutting or showing their fashion. I take inspiration on pictures I found in the web or magazines of real people.

Today’s city girl lives in a fast paced world where she needs to show her empowerment and cool, with a neutral tones and a pop jacket, studded bag and hat.

by Gissi Jimenez Posted on May 23, 2013
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Denim on Denim

Wearing all denim

Dressing all in the same color may seem a faux pas for some. But with all the shades that denim has you can’t go wrong with dressing all denim. This weekend I went on another Instagram walk, this time around Downtown Miami. As the days are heating up I wore a pair of cutoff’s that I had made a while back, and went out to explore and scout some shoot locations for future posts.

Pictures by David Pulgar

Blue nails (Eesie Mesmerized), chucks and accent rings
balancing on a such a small beam was not an easy task, but I had fun!

In this post: DIY cutoff jean shorts (I promise I’ll post the how-to)  | Xhilaration Denim Shirt (Target) worn (here) | Pyramid ring (H&M) | Paper and Stud Ring (Gi and Pindo) | Rayban Tortoise New Wayfarers  | Lilac Converse Sneakers | H&M crossbody Satchel

by Gissi Jimenez Posted on May 21, 2013
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Dry Shampoo is my hairs best kept secret

Dry Shampoo Shh!

Dry Shampoo is my hairs best kept secret

Keeping my hairdo in perfect shape to look fresh every day can be an ordeal.  For me having short hair is a quick fixer upper, but there are some days where I’m running around and the Miami humidity and heat are not my best friends. My hair ends up looking greasy and flat, not pretty at all and when you have to attend an event or meet a client that’s not good.

Some of my friends had been using dry shampoo for years, they had told me the wonders of this spray can and how it can revive any mane in minutes, I was always hesitant to use it. I prefer just washing my hair on not putting on the extra products, but living a fast paced life (and having stuff to do) I can’t do that every day.

I bought the TreSemmé Fresh Start Dry Shampoo mostly because it said it was color safe and didn’t leave any residue. So I went ahead and gave it a try. I sprayed a little into the air and to my surprise it has a nice sweet smell and not chemical like. I followed the instruction on the packet and spray some sections of hair, massaged into my scalp and minutes later, Voilà! No more greasy strands and freshly looking hair.

by Gissi Jimenez Posted on May 17, 2013
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Black, Nude and Lucite

A clear heel basic

Lately I have been second guessing everything that I add to my closet. I love clothing, I love accessories and I love shoes, but it seems I end up getting “stuff “that I only wear once. And this is not necessarily a good thing, especially for my pocket, as it means I end up spending more and more just to get new things to wear.  So I’m starting with basics: Shoes. A black and/or nude pump or sandal that can match anything and I’m looking for a clear Lucite heel to give it a little bit of ah wildness wow.

I wonder which I should pick.

 From left to right: 

Asos Piccolo Pump | Michael Kors Lana Sandal | Nasty Gal Minx Pump | Jeffrey Campbell Soiree Sandal

 

 

by Gissi Jimenez Posted on May 15, 2013
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The Great Gatsby Glamour

And all I hear is Great Gatsby!

With all the talk on many fashion and entertainment feeds of the new movie adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald book “The Great Gatsby” by whimsical and (glittery) director Baz Lurhmann, it has been the only thing on my mind. I would love to play dress up and wear glamorous gowns and jewelry like Carey Mulligan in the movie, but meanwhile I sketched and illustration of it.

by Gissi Jimenez Posted on May 13, 2013
Posted in Fashion, Illustrations | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Travel woahs!…. and in need of a Backpack

Harper Ave Le Corb Backpack | Marc by Marc Jacobs Domo Arigato Packrat Backpack | Belen Echandia Copenhagen Backpack

Browsing through the stores looking for a gift I noticed this beautiful white backpack with black and golden zippers from Marc by Marc Jacobs and  figured out that I need a grown-up backpack. Definitely not a school girl or Hello Kitty backpack nor a Jansport (although I never owned any of these). I am in the search of a fashionable one not necessarily brand name but something that would last and not break.

When travelling cross country or just near by, the ease of carrying a backpack for comfort and utility makes it a winner as a travel gear.  Lately I have been travelling plenty and each time besides my carry-on, I have to carry a purse, a camera bag, tablet and sometimes my laptop bag. The entire ordeal seems almost impossible and also not allowed by most airlines. Then sporting a bag that holds everything its a great idea.

Fellow blogger OJ and CIGS recently introduced me to Harper Ave backpacks as their designs are based on real-life architects master pieces she knew I would fall in love with them immediately. The Le Corbu backpack (shown far right) depicts the minimalistic approach and openness of concrete structures that Le Corbusier (a french architect from 1920′s) did.

And for my last pick I checked out Belen Echandia’s Copenhagen leather backpacks (shown far left), they are more traditional looking but I can imagine how it would look like it will age well and I could pass on to the next traveler after I’m old.

Pics via Harper Ave | Sensse | Belen Echandia 

by Gissi Jimenez Posted on May 2, 2013
Posted in Accesories, Fashion | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

What to Wear: Wedding at the Park

What I wore to a wedding in Brooklyn’s Prospect Park

Over the weekend I headed to New York City for a wedding. The ceremony was held at Prospect Park in Brooklyn for what I had to wear something springy and bright and above all comfortable. The temperature was in the 50′s so I was able to whip out one of my leather jackets (nothing like a spring wedding outside in Miami).  For shoes I selected a pair of wedges as I didn’t want to ruin my heels in the grass/dirt, which totally has happened to me before.

Colorblock, Leather and Nude
Decided to give the outfit an extra umph of color
And on my wrists

All pictures by Cindy Jimenez

In this post:  W118 by Walter Baker Gabriella Color Block Dress | Modern Vintage Nude Wedges | BCBGMAXAZRIA Satin Blush Purse | Forever 21 Burgundy Moto Jacket | Alexa Koi Turquoise Necklace & bracelet    

by Gissi Jimenez Posted on April 30, 2013
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Muscle Tees: Fashionable or Sexy

That is the question

Muscle tees is one of those things that my boyfriend will call fashionable but not sexy. He in fact dislikes some of my fashion picks and he dares to say it to my face (reasons why I love him), to what I respond how fashionable they are and built an argument on why. In the world of fashion is not about appealing to the males, i.e. The Man Repeller based her blog name being the anti girly, now don’t get me wrong we may appeal to some men, but most women dress for other women and/or social peers.

At the end and talking about myself.  I pick out pieces of clothing and such that wake up interest in me, either because I feel their sartorial value or just because I like them. So they can either look fierce or cute and sometimes they might be sexy.

What about you? How do you dress?

From Left to Right: Draped Neck Alexander Wang Muscle Tee via  Moda Operandi | Kelly Wearstler Geode Top | Triangle Muscle Tee Forever 21 | Anthony Vaccarello via Vogue

by Gissi Jimenez Posted on April 26, 2013
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