The Fedora Hat; A Timeless Accessory Piece

I have always had this fascination with the Fedora Hat but when I wanted to wear it this particular hat was not in season.  So of course when i saw that hats where making a huge return for the 2012-2013 Fall/Winter Season I was very excited to see the Fedora Hat listed as one of the trendy pieces and I had to go out and buy one immediately.

I believe the reason that I love this style of hat is that it goes with just about any fashion trend whether it's a causal luncheon with friends or a night out on the town this trendy hat looks good with any outfit.  Interestingly the Fedora Hat was first worn in the United States in a play written by Victorian Sardou called Fedora, where the heroine was Princess Fedora and she wore a hat similar to what is now the trend style.  It was considered a female fashion until the 19th Century when it developed into a male fashion trend and was popular for its look and because it could protect the wearer's head from the weather.

I have noticed that hats have been a huge accessory piece on the runways this season for both men and women.  The designers have taken the Fedora Hat and put their own chic spin on it making this classic accessory appropriate for any fashion occasion.  I would highly recommend adding this accessory piece to your closet.  It's timeless and creates a very chic look to your wardrobe and you won't be disappointed.

Mary Ann Estes

Revlon's Calcium Gel Nail Hardener

I'm not sure if I didn't drink enough milk growing up but I have always had weak brittle nails.  My nails would grow to a certain length, which of course was never long enough for me, and start to peel and break off.  Figuring  I would have to learn to live with the fact that I was not going to have long, beautiful, "Natural" nails I stared getting the acrylics put on and I soon regretted that decision because the acrylics only further damaged my already brittle nails.


So like any good consumer I began my research on all the different types of nail hardeners and came across a few good ones but the one that eventually caught my eye was Revlon's Calcium Gel Nail Hardener.  There where three main factors why I chose this nail hardener to blog about.  The first factor was that this product was very accessible to me I found it in the beauty section of my local Walmart Store.  That was a big plus for me because I didn't have to order it online and wait for it to come in the mail nor did I have to drive all over town to find it.  The second factor was how reasonably priced the nail hardener was and affordability is an even bigger plus to me.  The third factor of course was what the Revlon Website advised it's Calcium Gel Nail Hardener was capable of doing, which was to give me 60% thicker nails in just 4 days.  So of course I had to put that claim to the test and thus began my 4 day love affair with Revlon's Calcium Gel Nail Hardener.

I began my test on Sunday, July 8, 2012 and applied a coat of nail hardener to my bare nails every day for 4 days ending the test on Wednesday, July 11, 2012.  From the first day I began applying the nail hardener to my nails I could already see a difference and with every coat added each day after I could feel how strong my nails where becoming.  I like how the gel bonds to my nails making them thicker and stronger.  I would have to highly recommend adding the Calcium Gel Nail Hardener to your nail care routine.  It's a great product and I feel it does what it claims and that's to give you stronger and thicker nails.

Mary Ann Estes

Smokey Eye At The Office!

Yes that's right ladies if you haven't tried it yet what are you waiting for; A Sexy Smokey Eye that can be worn to the office!

Like a lot of ladies out in the workforce now-a-days I have to put a lot of thought into what type of makeup look I want to wear to the office.  I mean it gets old doing the same "Natural Look" everyday but I can say with all honesty I am not that adventurous to wear a bold makeup style to work.  A lunch conversation with a good friend got me thinking why couldn't I wear a Smokey Eye to work and thus began my research on a Daytime Smokey Eye look for work.

The key is creating a lighter version of the dramatic Evening Smokey Eye.  Look for slightly sheer shadows that you can build upon and staying away from the traditional black and gray colors that have made the evening look so infamous.  This is when the fun begins experiment with lighter colors such as lighter browns, purples, greens, pinks, blues, etc.  I tried several different color blends with browns and purples being my favorite but I also created a cute green blend.  It took me a while to get use to the greens because I never really wore a lot of that color (I got into the brown color trap and didn't even realize it).  Don't be afraid of color just keep it light and true to your own eye color.

Keeping the crease color as minimal as possible is another key feature in creating the daytime version of the smokey eye.  Using your crease brush stroke the color into the crease of your eyelid.  Keep in mind as with the evening look you don't want to create that black eye effect so using the crease brush instead of your fingers to blend is always a suggestion of mine.   

Of course picking an eyeliner is just as important because you still want to create that sultry look that is so famous of a smokey eye but adding a light eye shadow to the liner under the eye will give the daytime smokey eye effect and it will open your eyes as well.

Remember it is very important that you moisturize your face including the eyelid area and applying an eye primer to the eyelid area will keep the eye shadows in place for hours.  So have fun experimenting and creating your own day time Smokey Eye!


Mary Ann Estes