Cupcakes & Cocktails: A Bridal Soiree

Cupcakes & Cocktails is a wonderful event hosted by Lacoya Heggie, owner Miraculous Events, and Dechele Norman, owner of Darian & Dechele Events. This event is perfect for those couples who have no idea what they want for their wedding. Cupcakes & Cocktails offers a wide, yet selective collection of wedding vendors and is sponsored by The Knot. 

I will be doing the hair and makeup for the models who will be showing off different themes that are on trend at the moment for your special day. 

So, don't forget to buy your ticket! I can't wait to meet all of you lovely brides and handsome grooms that will be attending! 

To purchase tickets click here.




Hope to see you there!

Dior's Fusion Mono Eyeshadows

This past week at work I was able to play around with the new Dior cream shadows and I absolutely love them! I was a bit skeptical at first as to whether or not they were long-wear (meaning not creasing). So I bought a few (Chimere 821, Cosmos 281 and 021 Etoile). I decided on these three after I used them on a client and fell in love with not only the texture and color, but how they translated onto the lid. So Sunday I decided to wear them without an eyeshadow primer to see how they lasted. 

And they did last! With no creasing too! Now if you do have very oily eyelids and most things disappear or crease no matter what type of shadow then I would stick to using your primer to be on the safe side. 

All in all they have amazing colors to choose from and if you love metallics then these are the shadows for you! Go to your nearest Dior counter and check them out (hopefully they won't already be sold out)! 

images from: Fashion Mention & Joey Chong

Fashion with Flavor Day to Night

The perfect flavor of my summer is pink lemonade. Everything about it screams summertime fun! Its color, taste and how it instantly cools you off in that summer heat.

As you can see the colors of pink lemonade influence my summer style greatly; especially this summer because I have become more drawn to vibrant colors.

 I like to try and incorporate some of my Great Aunt's scarves into my outfits to add a flash of color and a retro flair.

The first outfit is perfect for a daytime BBQ with family and friends.

The second outfit is a 60's inspired shift dress that is great for heading out on the town.

These Sole Society Savannah colorblock sandal in Beach Tan Crema are the most comfortable option to pair with both outfits and will last from day to night!

Pink Lemonade is my Fashion with Flavor!

What is yours?! 

top: Talbots; shorts: Loft; shoes: Sole Society Savannah colorblock sandal - Beach Tan Crema ; sunglasses: Target

sunglasses: C. Wonder; dress: BCBG MaxAzria; earrings: The Alchemy Shop

Dasani Flavor Drops #flavorfy

http://on.fb.me/10v4j7H

Summer Suits Part II

So, as you all know I was very excited about this post. I had such a fun time picking out the swimsuits and pairing the different suit pieces with them. I had originally planned on sticking to a hard core workout and diet ...buuut yeah that fell through a bit. Oops!

I still think it turned out pretty well. The day of shooting though was a bit of a tasking event. The weather wasn't too bad when we started, but once I was changing outfits and moving around, those pores opened right up and things got pretty warm. By the end of the shoot with my mom I was so ready to dive into a ice bath and relax.

Heat and I haven't been getting along very well lately. Hopefully things will start to balance out!

I hope you guys have enjoyed this fun styling project!

suit top: Asos; sunglasses: Target; shoes: Sole Society

swimsuit: Modcloth; sunglasses: C Wonder; shoes: Sole Society

What is your favorite summer suit this year!?

photos by my wonderful mother

styling, makeup and hair by me 

Big thanks to our family friends the CN's for letting me use their pool for the shoot! 

Summer Suits Part I

So this lovely shoot is a project I have been wanting to do since last summer, but I ran out of time and decided to push it till this summer, still cutting it close though. 

I picked out all the suits and paired them with some lovely suit pieces for a nice play on words: "Summer Suits." It may just be me, but I love being able to trade in those work suits and slip into a sexy swimsuit and enjoy the summer and all the joys it brings. 

swimsuit: Insight Magnolia Lavender Print One- Piece from LuLu's; shoes: Sole Society; sunglasses: Target; earrings: The Alchemy Shop

swimsuit: Wetlook Plunge from ASOS; sunglasses: Target

Stay tuned for some more Summer lovin' coming your way! 

p.s. the shoes are on sale! Sole Society is amazing! 

Photos by my Lovely Mother 

Styling, Hair and Makeup by Me 

Special Thanks to our family friends the CN's for letting us stage this at their lovely pool! 

A Relaxing Break

So yesterday I had a fabulous shoot at Belle Haven in Scottsville, Virginia. It was wonderfully magical and I felt as if I was transported to a place where it is okay to sit and relax and even to take a break from my blog for just a day. 

After the photo shoot the owner Jan opened a bottle of wine and Jen Fariello, Claire and I all relaxed and chatted with her into the evening. Of course this led to the proposition of a night time swim in the pool. 

The pool was so relaxing and delightful. These few hours of relaxation and great conversation felt like a weekend away for me. This was the perfect end to a day and truly helped me to unwind and get back into the swing of life.

Please check out Belle Haven  it is the perfect location

CONTACT

Jan Glennie-Smith, Owner

jan@bellehavenonthejames.com

For more images visit our Facebook page!

Image from Basic Joy

Summer Protection

hat: Carlos Santana; sunglasses: C Wonder; Hawaiian Tropic Sheer Touch SPF 15 (use on my body); Mario Badescu Oil Free Moisturizer (SPF-30)  (my daily moisturizer during the summer); Mario Badescu Eye & Lip Sunscreen; Healthy Accents Aloe from Food Lion (for after sun care) 

It is very important to protect your skin from the sun. Yes, it is wonderful having that bronzed look all the time, trust me I am a huge fan of being tan. But it isn't worth the repercussions that you see later on in life; leather-like skin, premature aging...and the list goes on. 

Now yes, it is very important to be careful in the sun, but that doesn't mean you have to break up with the sun all together! Vitamin D is vital for being healthy, so a little sun won't hurt you. Personally I know if brightens my mood when I feel a little sunshine on my skin. 

Here are the products I use in order to keep my skin protected and what to use just in case the sun got to you before you were able to reapply.

Stay tuned for more summer lovin' to come!

Little Fox

Delicate Fox Animal Ring 

One of the first images I saw when I went onto The Alchemy Shop was this little fox ring. I was so happy when I found out that it came in silver too! It looks great stacked with other rings, as a knuckle ring or a small finger ring because of its ability to change size. 

So this ring not only caught my eye because it is a cute little fox but also for sentimental reasons. As you may remember, one of my dogs, Chloe, passed away earlier this year. I used to call her my little fox, so this ring somehow makes me feel like she is still with me. 

My sweet little fox

Don't forget to check out the amazing site and thanks to The Alchemy Shop all of you get a wonderful 30% discount with the promo code: LIPSTICK! (just click on the ad to the right)

Too Hot to Handle

So the weather today was so deceiving! It started out somewhat nice so this outfit was a great choice! Then when it came the time to grab my mother and head outside to snap some pics...all of my pores on my body opened up and things got WAY TOO HOT TO HANDLE real quick!

So, sporadically throughout shooting we had to take breaks for me to dab the sweat off of my face. Disgusting I know. 

So enough about the weather....I know I have already worn these pants in a post, but I love them and they go so well with so many different outfits. 

The gold bangle is a lovely new addition to my accessories wardrobe thanks to Emitations. It is great for stacking with other bracelets or in this case a necklace wrapped a few times around my wrist. It also looks great with a watch. 

Another great addition to my accessories wardrobe is the little fox ring on my pointer finger on my right hand. I got it the other week from the Alchemy Shop. Stay tuned till tomorrow to hear more about this cute ring and what it means to me. 

How have you guys been handling this "too hot to handle" weather?

harlequin pave oval studs: Emitation's Stud Earrings c/o; top: Blanco; pants: Cotton On; shoes: Halogen at Nordstrom; little fox ring: The Alchemy Shop; gold bangle: Emitations c/o;  silver beaded bracelet: vintage

Willa's Stackable Cuff Bracelet c/o Emitations

Wedding Makeup Featured on Style Me Pretty

Check out the full feature on Style Me Pretty 

Photographer: Jen Fariello Photography | Ceremony + Reception Venue: Pippin Hill Farm & Vineyards | Cinematography: Paul Jones | Wedding Design + Planning: Julianne Giuliano, SOIREE |Floral Design:Couture Design | Invitations: Angelique, Ink | Cake + Desserts: Paradox Pastry | Wedding Dress: Paloma Blanca | Bridesmaid’s Dress: J.Crew | Special Jewelry: Mother of the groom’s pearl ring (given to her by the father of the groom for their college graduation)| Hair: Lucas Shaffer | Makeup: Carolyn Thombs

Such a beautiful and happy couple!