In the age of YouTube and iPods, how we learn and the ability to share information and knowledge is quickly changing. Alongside the technical industries´ progress, the world of makeup and fashion is booming as well. We are seeing a shift in control and hierarchy. Makeup artists and stylists are today idolized and respected for their expertise and business minds, whereas before they were merely a means for the creative director to utilize his ideas. The makeup artists’ techniques are constantly changing and improving, and a stylists’ fashion is obviously doing the same with fashion week running twice a year. It is a thrilling and giving career that allows women and men of all ages (and location) to embark upon a job opportunity especially designed by and for themselves.

The artists that started in the industry 10 years ago would train with an in house school or maybe not even train at all. In most countries and states, there are no laws protecting the name ‘makeup artist’ or ‘fashion stylist’, so anyone with a desire to do so could go out and practice the ‘knowledge’ they don´t really have. This is obviously a path to disaster, as you are not only potentially hurting your clients, but you are permanently damaging your own reputation and business career.

Today, many potential makeup artists and stylists are picking up tips and advice from YouTube makeup tutorials and learning from the comfort of their own home and in their own pace. This is a great way of experimenting with makeup artistry, except for the fact that you don´t really know if the person you are ´learning´ from is actually correct and you have no one to check with if what you are doing yourself at home is sufficient to work in the industry. Most importantly of all, because the makeup industry alone is a multi-billion dollar industry, the stakes are high and people demand quality and they can only know whether a makeup artist has this by looking at her or his certifications.

When you choose which online makeup and fashion school you wish to train with, it´s important that you investigate a couple of things:

• Does the online makeup school have the backings from an actual physical in house school? If so, they will be much more prone to deliver a detailed course content as they have existing material and on staff professors.
• Does the online make up school deal with only makeup and fashion, or several other subjects as engineering, shoe making and general academics? If so, this means that they are experts in the field of makeup artistry and fashion alone, which will guarantee you high focus and constant updated information.
• Does the online makeup school provide a professional tutor who works in the industry and can constantly guide you on the course material and how to get started with work? If not, you´re pretty much left on your own.
• Does the online makeup school demand tasks, projects and photos of your own work as you learn new techniques? If not, how are they actually guiding, critiquing and assessing you along the way?
• Does the online makeup school offer you free in house training if desired, lifelong connection and online tools for you to use after your completion? If so, this is a school that will take care of you and guide you as a regular alumni at an in house school.

In the end, working as a makeup artist is often something you do as a freelancer, and even though you consider your photographer or the different models and your private clients as your colleagues, it still is a career where you have to drive yourself as your own boss. Therefore it makes perfect sense that this is something you can do ‘on your own’ from home with an online makeup school. Ultimately, it is a study and a career for those with passion, goals, creativity and talent and it´s all about finding the right outlet for you to understand how to utilize your own abilities together with an internationally renowned certificate.

For most of us who work in the beauty and fashion industry, it started as a hobby and an attraction from a very early age. I was only seven when I started combing my father’s hair with water and creating different partings and shapes. I never wanted to go on to become a hairdresser, though (frankly, it feels too invasive for me) but it was the change in appearance that I loved! When my sister was 13, I loved seeing how piercing blue her eyes became when I plucked her eyebrows for the first time and, when, at the age of 16, I made over my best friend for a wedding and she actually looked like one of the grown-ups.

As I was heading towards high school, and later college, I never really thought about looking for a makeup school. I didn´t even realize that such a thing existed. But I was still doing all of my friends and family´s make up and dressing a bit differently. I was never extreme, but I seemed to have a different angle of interest to my looks; it wasn´t all about looking pretty for the boys, it was more than that.

When I was about to start university to study Theater Science and English, my brother met a girl who was fresh out of photography school and about to start makeup school. She immediately became my ‘new best friend’ and I followed her through every step of her studies. She would often do her projects at our house using me as a model, and all along I would be wishing that I was the one doing the makeup. I then realized that this was not only the career for me, but the life too.

This was the opportunity I didn´t even know I was looking for! But as I broke the happy news to my family, the joy was not shared. My father didn´t believe it was a career and my mother was afraid that it was just a ‘phase’. So I started university, doing my best, but all along I knew I would start the makeup school as soon as I was done. I stayed focused and saved the money necessary to apply and, thankfully, I got in on the first try! I was so happy and as soon as I got started with my studies at the makeup school, I realized how little I actually knew about this amazing industry.

At first, I felt a bit intimidated and unsure if I could pull it off. It was only when, after 3 months of studies, I landed an assistant job for a fashion stylist, picking out all the garments she needed for a fashion spread, I understood. When I saw my very own name in print on that credit list I realized: when you work with something you love to do, you will always be the best at it because every day you will wake up and WANT to go to your makeup school, and when you are done there you will WANT to get to work.

Today my father is always the first to read my articles on how to choose a foundation, intensely studying my beauty spreads and always expressing how proud he is of me. He is not worried about makeup artistry and fashion styling being a career or not because he sees how I work in so many and varied aspects of the industry. I do makeup, I teach, I work with celebrities and models as well as private clients. I write, I travel and, most importantly of all, I feel happy and blessed every day. Now, that´s a pretty good career choice if you ask me.

Skinny pants are back stronger than ever

In this article we’ll be talking about one of the classics from the 80s that is making a strong comeback: skinny pants.

Does anyone dare deny that skinny pants are not back in fashion, inspired in dark, rocker and punk styles? Skinny pants have returned, pushing bell-bottoms, Oxford legs and baggy fit pants aside.

– This season most designers have chosen the tightest model.
This year playing with volume is the latest trend. Combine them with XXL t-shirts and sweaters.

Skinny pants are best suited to casual styles. They work great with waistcoats, striped t-shirts and mini-dresses.

– If you enjoy long nights out, skinny pants are the best for being feminine while feeling comfortable. You can combine them with a basic white t-shirt and a maxi-necklace of circles, balls or chains, to give the set a party look. Remember gold is still the favorite color.

It’s good to remember this kind of trousers does not suit wide hips. If it’s your case, a good option is to conceal certain areas so you can wear them. Slim fit or skinny trousers stick to the skin closely, which is why they’re not suitable for all body shapes and can sometimes be difficult to wear.

THEY DON’T SUIT ALL, BUT…

The idea here is to avoid calling attention to your figure, by concealing your skinny pants down to the hips fashionably.

Nevertheless, this style does not suit all. But I’ll give you some advice to wear them in style. Height is one of the conditions this kind of trousers needs. If you wear them with heels, your figure will look more stylized. Heels are the perfect complement to your skinny pants. You should also choose low-cut ones if you can, as they draw attention to your hips. A basic companion to your pants is a top that displays a tight belly, which will call attention away.

As for length, there are strong differences in the world of fashion. You can find them either down to the ground or half way between trousers and capris. These will look better when worn with heels. The most popular way of wearing them this season is to cover them with trousers up to the knee with boots that can either be high or low, pointy or square-toed, but it’s important they cover the leg.

WHAT ABOUT DAYTIME?

In the daytime you can wear them with ballet flats and romantic, Victorian shirts, combined with, for example, a corset-style belt around the waist, which will make your figure even more stylized. By night, you can wear them with satin tops and maxi sweaters with wide v-necks in shiny materials, such as lurex.

Whether in denim, cotton or other materials, white, black, or colored, skinny trousers will inevitably take fashion by storm in all their different versions.

I hope my advice has given you some clues on how to wear the garment of the season. So now you know: take your skinny trousers out of the wardrobe and combine them with the clothes and complements that suit you best. If you haven’t bought ones yet, get them in black or blue: extremes are in.

Hello and welcome,

In this article I’ll be giving you some advice on a garment that has changed enormously throughout time but has managed to keep its essence up to the present day.

If I say Napoleon, Queen Victoria and Empress Eugenia, what comes to mind? I know you’ll probably think about the bourgeoisie, their leadership, but in this section we’re talking about fashion. And in order to look at fashion we have to go back to its origins.

Let’s imagine for a moment we go back to France and see how that great new force in turbulent times felt and what it looked like. It was a force born in difficult and demanding times and turned into a will (though probably unconscious) to create a great national style.

The fashion officially imposed soon expanded over the land. Thus was the Empire style born. Its typical dress was short-sleeved, white cotton, narrow with a high waist and a wide skirt.

A bit of history…

Around 1822 corsets appeared in their present form, as a way of adding contrast between the increasingly wide shoulders and the waist, which got narrower and narrower. It was when the famous hourglass figure appeared.

Paris became leader in female fashion. What was then seen as healthy, seductive and good might now seem to us an instrument of torture. Maybe women believed they should to do anything to be beautiful, though that has not changed much.

The corset was and continues to be an instrument of sexual torture. It has been a garment inspiring a lot of interest, attraction and innuendo to many in the past and present. But now we will go back to the 21st century, when avant-garde and fashion are key aspects of our modernity.

Difficult situations:

Nowadays we must be always ready to face any sort of situation, especially when facing unpredictable moments. Sometimes we have to face an unexpected invitation that we can’t turn down. And then we ask ourselves “What am I going to wear?” A good corset and a good complement can fix anything, no matter what our size or age might be. The corset does not only flatten the belly, but also lifts the bust and leaves a very beautiful part of the female body uncovered: the shoulders.

We can combine corsets with skirts, be they Chanel-length or to the ground, with trousers or with mini-shorts. A corset is a basic element that should be present in any girl’s wardrobe.

For a night of glamour, a classic back-laced corset is best. Its romantic air spells sophistication. A boned corset with a back zip is wilder and more futuristic and appropriate for a night out.

You can choose more sophisticated material, such as Shantung silk. For a wedding this option would be best, combined with a long wide skirt, giving a very sophisticated look.

I hope my advice has helped you recover one of this season’s garments from the back of your wardrobe.

Do you have your closet filled with clothing that you don’t wear or that you don’t know how to mix and match? Are you thinking about reorganizing your closet?

In this article you’ll find the keys to putting together a good basic wardrobe … Keep reading…

Having a good basic wardrobe lets you:

• Get the most out of a few pieces of clothing.
• Bring your clothing up to date easily.
• Spend less time in front of your closet thinking, “what am I going to wear?”.
• Put together a collection of clothes with colors, fabrics and styles that go together.

To organize your closet well, you should do the following:

You will need:

- One or two rods for hanging clothing.
- Several boxes for storing clothing.
- Plastic bags especially designed for storing clothing.

First step:

- Put outfits that you wear all the time back into the closet.
- Throw away things that are no longer of any use (items which you never wear or are out-of-date) or put them into bags and give them away later to friends or charities.
- Place things that need to be mended in another bag till you fix them yourself or take them to a seamstress.
- The articles of clothing that you wear only on special occasions should be stored together in this closet or in another, if you have one.

Second step:

- Once you have selected the garments that you’re going to keep, you need to look for items that go together, so it will be easier to choose an outfit quickly when it’s time to get dressed.

- This is also the time to make a list of items that you need to buy to put together a good basic wardrobe.

Third step:

• Reorganize your closet:
• Arrange the articles of clothing in your wardrobe:

– By type of item: first, jackets, then pants, dresses, tops, etc.
– By color: first, neutrals, then the rest, from least to most bright with the brightest coming last.
– By style: Among the items classified by color, v-necks together, round necklines together, etc.

• From the items you’ve decided to keep, try different combinations.
• Make lists of items to buy.

Use a classification system to arrange the items of clothing you want to keep in the closet.

- By items.
- By colors.

A good basic wardrobe should include all of the following:

For Her:

– A white shirt.
– Several white and black cotton t-shirts, with round and v-necks.
– Two turtleneck sweaters, one black and the other camel.
– Two dress suits; at least one should be in a dark color.
– A jacket.
– A knee-length skirt in tweed, crepe or flannel.
– A pair of dress pants and some jeans.
– A black crepe or silk dress.
– A dressy top (made of jeweled or sequined satin).
– An overcoat, a raincoat and a nylon parka.

For Him:

– Three suits (black, navy blue and gray).
– Two sports jackets (we suggest that one be corduroy, for more informal occasions).
– Fifteen shirts (4 white, 4 in pastel shades, 4 with stripes, 3 in other colors).
– Six neckties with different designs (one should be for special occasions).
– Three pairs of shoes.
– Twelve pairs of socks.
– Three belts.
– One raincoat or overcoat.
– One long jacket, parka or windbreaker.
– A few pairs of jeans.