DIY Zipper Pants

Hello my lovelees!

We all have an old pair of pants that are in need of a little extra TLC. Just add some zippers and you've got a new, edgy addition to your wardrobe. I used a geometric pattern to create the illusion of panels, and it turned out looking pretty darn cool. So go on, shop your closet and try this out!

Materials:

- a pair of pants or jeans
- 2 5-inch zippers
- 2 7-inch zippers
- 2 8-inch zippers

- needle and thread/sewing machine
- scissors
- ruler
- marker
- pins

Instructions:

1. Use a seam ripper to remove 5 inches from the inside seams of one leg.

2. Pin one 5-inch zipper to this opening

3. Measure a 7 inch straight diagonal line from the inside seam to the outer seam. Make sure that this line continues from the top of the zipper in Step 2.

3. Mark this line and cut out.

4. Pin one 7-inch zipper to this diagonal opening.

5. About 5 inches above this line, measure and mark another diagonal line that is 8 inches. The two diagonal lines should be parallel to each other. Cut out.

6. Pin one 8-inch zipper to this opening.

7. Repeat Steps 1-7 on the other pants leg.

8. Sew on the zippers carefully. It's easier to sew them one while the zipper is open. I also suggest occasionally closing and opening the zippers while you're sewing to make sure you didn't accidentally sew too close to the metal teeth.

And there you have it: an old pair of pants that now feel new and trendy!

Happy DIYing!

Rachelle
Follow me on Twitter @RachelleMLee @MakeYouLoveLee
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Clown-proof, fool-proof and plastic-proof everyday glamour

Hello Lovelees!

Easy everyday look suitable for work and everyday.  It's so easy, natural and minimal that it's hard to look like a plastic clown afterwards! It will work even for monolids and single lids. I explain the approach to thinking why any tutorials with "double lidded" people are still applicable to you!

Watch the vid and see below for how and why!

FACE  (In this tutorial my face was about MAC NC 20-25)
Skin79 Super + BB Cream VIP Gold Collection
Just Pure Minerals (Etsy) mineral foundation - Honey
Tarte Smooth Operator Translucent Powder
Peach coloured blush from no name palette

EYES
Urban Decay Primer Potion
LORAC Pro Palette - Cream (matte), Champagne (shimmer light beige), Espresso (matte dark brown), Black (matte)
Loreal Lineur Intense - Black Mica
Buxom Lash Mascara
Clinique Lash Power Mascara

LIPS
Loreal Star Secrets- Beige 809


Reason behind my product, application and colour choices:




EYES

Eyeshadow is simple but classy.  It's the next step up from using just one colour eyeshadow wash across the lids to having a few colours that help bring more dimension and shape to your eyes :)

Flatters all types of eyelids including the single-lid/monolid ladies!

FACE

Why put more product on than you need - let your skin breathe where possible! Why waste more time than you need - there's always something else that is waiting for your attention.

The BBcream used helps wrinkle improvement, acts as a moisturiser, pore filler/primer, sunscreen, whitening agent and of course coverage all in one!

Mineral powder foundation is the perfect product to help hide blemishes and pimples because the ingredients are totally pure.  This is great for sensitive, acne or damaged skin! Mineral foundation

Clinique Lash Power Mascara - Product Review

Hello Lovelees!

Also in my everyday beauty arsenal is Clinique Lash Power mascara in Black Onyx.  I use this most often on my lower lashes.  I pair this with  my Buxom Lash Mascara on the top lashes.

The Lash Power wand is quite a skinny little wand so its great at grabbing the lower lashes without pushing it to smudge against your lower lid when you are applying.    Clinique actually has another mascara used purely for lower lashes but Lash Power is better bang for buck...  eg 0.21oz 6mL $19 Lash Power vs Clinique Bottom Lash Mascara $12 for 0.07 oz.

It is very water and smudge resistant and excels at lengthening and defining lashes with hardly a clump.   Ok..only for the bottom lashes for the non-clump part just because mine are sparse on the lower lashes and shorter so the short " teeth " of the  mascara wand is able to comb through well.  It does not however give volume though.  If you're already well endowed with beautiful thick lashes then it is amazing at making them look naturally long giving you pretty lush lashes.  It was my uni friend Nikki that introduced me to it , she's Asian and had amazing lashes all the time and most of the time I could not spot the tell tale mascara signs.  When she told me she actually does use mascara I had to try it!...Only to find that the volume actually was naturally of her own making...in my experience:you may need some patience and effort to ensure it is clump free but the length was definitely there!

I usually whack on about 1-2 coats of it and I love how cute and open it makes my eyes look teehee.  Make sure on the lower lashes you brush downwards to get the maximum effect of length when it sets, vice versa for upper lashes.

slim tube packaging

Top to bottom: Top - naked lashes; Bottom:Clinique  Lash Power coated bottom lashes (Buxom Lash coats top lashes), one coat on all lower lashes then a light second coat on the outer corner lashes to give a wide eyed look  but avoiding the "spidery lash" look.

closeup of lower lashes (no mascara up top)

I enjoy using non waterproof mascara on a daily basis . It means I can just use my usual face wash - Philosophy Made Simple, without specifically employing a separate step with makeup removers and sometimes more vigorous maneuvres around your eyes to remove thoroughly your makeup.  That and the waterproof formula by nature does mean it is quite drying and is not good for the condition of your lashes to be subject to that daily.

Verdict:

Rating 3.75/5

The Good
-Water Resistant but easy to wash off with warm water and face wash
-clump free
-great little wand for bottom lashes
-sleek enough to slip into your purse
-gives lashes length
-great for sensitive eyes

The Bad
-not as efficient/fast at coating  the top lashes due to little bristles and wand
-it's not cheap for a little tube like that!
-doesn't give volume
-little wand not so good for separating top lashes from clumps etc


Your turn:
Does anyone else you 2 different mascaras for their lashes?? or am i the only weird pedantic person??


Take care,

Connie    Twitter follow @MakeYouLoveLee

Buxom Lash Mascara - Product Review

Hello Lovelees!

Buxom Lash Mascara in Blackest Black (by Bare Escentuals) is part of my everyday beauty arsenal.  I use this mascara on my upper lashes.  I use Clinique Lash Power mascara on my lower lashes.

From Left to Right: 1. Front of Box; 2. Side of Box showing you the mascara wand construction; 3.Product tube itself.

The mascara formula is enriched with vitamins and antioxidants to nourish your lashes while you are faking those va-va-voom lashes that you'll be sporting when you are wearing Buxom Lash mascara.

I've had 2 friends on separate occasions that think me adding "natural looking" false lashes seem to make no very noticeable difference than me just wearing this mascara , to be worth the effort of sticking on the falsies.  (Of course if I opted for the more dramatic falsies then we can't really compete with the falsies!)  This mascara adds both length and volume.

Why do I only put it on my upper lashes?  Because I do a good imitation of a cute giant panda (fav animal btw) after a couple of hours, if I do my bottom lashes with it.  My eyelids are too oily. You can try your luck... On the enclosed information slip in box it says 96% of women agreed it did not clump or smudge.  The key for the non clumping is in the formulation and the below described wand...


Important factor in the art of making a good mascara is in  the design of the brush wand.  Out of all the mascara brushes I tried, this wand is the best all-rounder.   It is a relatively large wand end for easy handling, the 'teeth' nylon/plastic and mid way in the wand there are longer bristles alternating with shorter bristles in between them densely packed together. This creates a fine serrated pattern that will catch onto all the lash hairs long or short. Towards the tip of the brush head the wand is tapered and

DIY Belt Boots

Hi Lovelees!

I have never been a big fan of cowboy boots, they`re just so...country. They look amazing on some people, but I just don`t think they suit my style. Then I saw these Free People boots and completely changed my mind. I wasn`t thrilled with the price, but I love how the belts bring the boots to a whole new level.

This didn`t make up my own tutorial for these boots, I just followed this one by Subject to Fashion. They turned out great and were so easy to make! I bought the boots on ebay, and the belts are a mix of vintage and Ardene.

I`m so impressed with how they turned out that I had to share them with everyone. Now I want to wear cowboy boots all day, everyday. Wear them with jeans, black pants, or leggings in the winter, or pair them with a breezy dress in the summer. These boots bring some serious swag to any outfit!

Rachelle   Follow on twitter @RachelleMLee  @MakeYouLoveLee

Our Maui Escape

Hello Lovelees!

Just returned from a holiday in Maui and Honolulu in Hawaii. I had a wonderful time!  We spent a week in Maui and about 3 days in Honolulu.

Some friends have asked me for recommendations because they have plans to go or hope to go soon , so I thought I might as well side track a little and write this memoir of my trip.  My memory is actually quite poor so I'm glad I'm motivated to make notes. Otherwise I'd probably forget the details of what I did.

I’m going to concentrate on Maui because we spent more time there and explored it more thoroughly J  I do hope to go back and spend a little more time in Honolulu or another island  some other year.

I've attached a map I'd salvaged from my trip and taken a phone picture - sorry if it's not the best map but it's what I have left...
I just want to give you a rough idea of geography but really you should google your addresses before you get to Maui!!

These are my highlights worth talking/knowing about:

Day 1
Explore Maui Whalers Village (near Lahaina- E6 on map) and Wailea beach (down south around I12 on map), Shops at Wailea.   These have high end stores including LV if it tickles your fancy and some basics eg ABC stores.  Whaler's have Sephora :p  If you're from Australia - stock up your cosmetics here!! So much cheaper. Next to Wailea beach we had dinner at a high end restaurant- Spago (Four Seasons hotel) - DELICIOUS and exquisite food/service.  We don't really drink alcohol so our bill was about $200 for the 2 of us for 2.5 course meal because we shared dessert.

Day 2
45min Helicopter tour to the East side including Hana and the Haleakala Crater with Blue Hawaiian $230pp for the premium seats (better helicopter and a company that's won lots of awards for various achievements).

Thaz me!!

 It was incredible because we were lucky to get the front seats of the helicopter and they give you noise cancelling headsets that will either be letting you hear your helicopter/tour guide or flowing crescendo orchestral music that fills you with the emotion of exploration and discovery...that's seriously what i caught myself thinking - that was the more intelligent observation.  My other thought was that I thought of Harry Potter and how I would love to fly on top of a Hippogriff...

"Miss Pantone Universe Emerald " Look

Hello Lovelees,

Happy Chinese New Year! Gong Hei Fat Choi!

This is not so much a Chinese New Year themed look, but something I just felt like doing.



I'd like to call this the "Miss Pantone Universe" look for play of words' sake :)
This is because Emerald is the 2013 Colour of the Year therefore the forecasted trendy colour, and the key show stealer of this look with my Emerald under-eyeliner :p  In remembrance of last year's Colour of the Year - Tangerine Tango I've incorporated that into my lipstick using a reddish orange shade.




What to wear with it?

Glowing Peachy Purple Romantic Valentine Look

Hello Lovelees!

The Universally Flattering Eyeshadow Colour

If you want to experiment with your eyeshadow colours and stray away from your beiges, browns, greys and blacks - find a purple shade.  It's also universally flattering, no matter skin tone or eye colour.  As long as you pick a real purple, where it's not leaning too fuscia or blue - then you'll be safe.

Depth or darkness of the purple may be up for debate in terms of what the occasion is and where you intend to place the colour on your eyelids- as a base or overall colour, or as a contour.   A mid tone one would obviously be the most versatile in terms of being dark enough to be a subtle contour and build up intensity if needed, light enough without looking like you are doing a heavy smokey eye if you use it as an all over base colour. That being said, you can always overlay the purple over a white or very light coloured base to take away some of the darkness, or add a bit of your darker browns or blacks to add some depth in contouring.

A rule of makeup is you can always add colour but hard to subtract once you've got it on.  So I would err on a lighter purple colour if you were only choosing one accent single shadow and not purchasing a larger palette.


The Valentine's Day Look



Anyhow I've come up with a universally flattering look for Valentine's Day for you ladies that want to add some gentle romantic colour accents instead of going for a nude/neutral everyday look. So yes, it's going to involve peach and purple eyeshadows, soft pink cheeks, dewy foundation with added highlights for glowing healthy looking skin, brown eyeliner for a soft but defined effect, peachy nude gloss lips with subtle shimmer.