8 Beautiful Minaudiere Handbags

Never carry your everyday handbag when you dress up for evening or formal events. Look for small handbags that are large enough for a smart phone and a few essentials.

Vintage Outfits

These are a few of my favorite Vintage pictures. The accessories make these outfits more memorable. Add one or two Vintage pieces to your outfits for a special touch not available in department stores.

Chic Holiday Hairstyles

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#Pearl Harbor Day

These Vintage pictures are Hollywood actresses in the 1940's before and after Pearl Harbor was attacked on December 7, 1941.

Ensembles

Ensemble- entire costume of an individual, especially when all the parts are in harmony:
"She was wearing a beautiful ensemble by one of the French designers."

Manufacturers don't make matching dresses and coats very often anymore. I enjoy watching movies from the 1940's and 50's hoping to see them. The pieces of a true ensemble are made of the same fabrics. Quite often the dress matches the lining of the coat. All accessories match the fabrics of the ensemble.

If you would like to have an ensemble custom made, then choose the coat pattern first then choose a dress pattern with a similar silhouette. A skilled seamstress or tailor will be able to make an ensemble for you.

#GivingTuesday

WHAT IS #GIVINGTUESDAY?

"We have a day for giving thanks. We have two for getting deals. Now, we have #GivingTuesday, a global day dedicated to giving back. On Tuesday, December 2, 2014, charities, families, businesses, community centers, and students around the world will come together for one common purpose: to celebrate generosity and to give.

It’s a simple idea. Just find a way for your family, your community, your company or your organization to come together to give something more. Then tell everyone you can about how you are giving. Join us and be a part of a global celebration of a new tradition of generosity."

Small Business Saturday

Please patronize your locally owned businesses this Holiday season. They depend on you to keep their doors open. Their merchandise is usually something you can't find in big chain stores and you're likely to get the very best in customer service. Don't let your city's "Main Street" turn into a block of closed stores and run down buildings. Shop local!!!

Beautiful and Gracious Living

Gather the things you love together and create an elegant space. It doesn't matter if it's a spare bedroom or a closet. Make it beautiful and inspiring just for you.

Burgundy for Winter 2014

Burgundy is a soothing, warm color for winter. I like to wear it with Winter White too. Most women can wear Burgundy lip and nail colors, especially if they have gray, white or silver hair. Start with a scarf or gloves to see if you can integrate it into your wardrobe.

Make Up Tips for Women over 50 by Shana Christoforo

From: http://coachingbymarianne.com/make-tips-make-second-half-even-smokin-hot/

Shana Christoforo is a Boston based make-up artist and I have asked her to share some smokin’ hot tips for the 50+ woman on how to apply make-up so that she looks gorgeous and feels confident!
Here are Shana’s tips:
  1. Tight lining:
One of my favorite tricks for opening the eye up, is “tight lining” or “lash lining.”  The truth is, as we age, eye lids become droopier. For the woman on the go, it can  result in looking tired. I like to “tight line” to open up the eyes up and make my  clients look more alert and awake. Create a tight line by using an eye pencil and  creating strokes in between lashes until all the strokes form a line. What this does,  is it creates contrast between the white of the eye and your lash line, and opens  the eyes up!
A favorite eye liner of mine to use for tight lining, is Urban Decay’s 24/7 glide on eye pencil! I find that it’s easy to use, and doesn’t dry up like most eyeliner pencils tend to do.
 2. Glowy Skin:
Nothing screams “fountain of youth” more than beautiful glowing skin. As our skin ages, we tend to become more dry. While proper skincare is so important, I love certain products that bring out that dewy look. A liquid highlighter does just the trick. Apply to areas you want to give that soft glow to: forehead, cheeks, under eyes, bridge of nose and chin.
A great highlighter to use, after foundation application, is Benefit Cosmetics “High Beam.” It works wonders and brings that youthful appearance to the face when applied in the right areas!

3. Creating the illusion of fuller lips:
The older we get, not only do our lips dry out more, but it’s been scientifically proven that our lips  thin out as we age also. That’s where the power of makeup comes in! I love to use a pencil to line the  outer perimeter of the lip. It not only creates shape, but when done properly can enhance the fullness  of the lip. Make sure not to go too much outside of your natural lip line, as it will look artificial. I like  to use a nude colored lip liner that’s very close to the natural shade of the lip, so it looks more real.  Add a clear or light colored gloss to center of the lip for that extra pop. This will draw attention to the  biggest part of the lip which creates the illusion of fullness.
I love Too Faced Cosmetics lip liners, as they have good neutral colors, and the point is small so you can get a nice tight line!
Remember, the most subtle tricks can make the biggest difference. All it takes is altering your make-  up routine a little bit, and I promise you’ll see a big difference! It’s small things that can years off the  way you look, and leave you feeling confident. You are beautiful, inside and out. Never forget that,  and keep shining
Shana Christoforo
Website: www.makeupartistshana.com
motivescosmetics.com/shanac
Email: smchristoforo@gmail.com
Social Media: @shanachristoforo on Instagram, “Make-up Artistry by Shana Christoforo” on facebook
So hopefully these simple steps will help you to look and feel better!