DIY Toggle Ring

Hey Lovelees!

Today's tutorial is super simple, but the result is a minimal and delicate ring. It is so chic and easy to wear, you'll reach for it every morning. I know I do!

Materials:

- thin chain
- toggle set
- 2 small jump rings

- pliers

Instructions:

1/ Wrap the chain around your finger and cut the appropriate length.

2/ Open one jump ring, attach one end of the chain and the ring of the toggle. Close the ring.

3/ Open the other ring and attach the other end of the chain to the bar of the toggle.

And that's it! Just wrap the ring around your finger and close the toggle. Stack this unique ring with other jewelry or wear it on it's own. The possibilities are endless!

@RachelleMLee     @MakeYouLoveLee

DIY Delicate Copper Earrings

There's something to be said about minimal and simplistic jewelry. These dainty earrings can be worn all day everyday, adding polish and elegance to any look. Plus, they are super easy to make!

Materials:

- 2 copper headpins
- a pen
- optional: rubber earring backs

Instructions:

1. Lay one headpin halfway over the pen. Use your fingers to bend the headpin, creating a U-shape.

2. Repeat with the other headpin.

And that's it. Seriously. With two easy steps, you have a pair of delicate, classic earrings!

Enjoy!
Rachelle
@RachelleMLee     @MakeYouLoveLee

DIY Sweater with Knit Straps

Hello Lovelees!

I don't know about you guys, but sweaters are my go-to during the winter. Just slip one on under your jacket and you're ready to brave the cold. I have collected so many over the years, so I thought it would be nice to spruce up a basic sweater that I've had forever. I was inspired when I first saw this blog post by Dentelle + Fleurs, and I knew I could recreate it myself! With ideas from this braided sweater tutorial by Fashionrolla, I got started.
Just a head's up, my directions are quite vague because the design is really up to you! You can keep it simple and just have 1 or 2 straps, or you can go a little cray. Have fun!

Materials:

- sweater
- yarn (I used thicker yarn in a similar color, but you could also try a contrasting color)
- knitting needles
- yarn needle

Instructions:

1. Think of a general idea of where you want the straps to be on your sweater. This will help you figure out the width and length of each strap. I chose to do 6 straps: 2 that were 11" long, 2 that were 16", and another pair that were 23" and went around the sleeves.

2. Start knitting! For all of my straps, I cast on 4 stitches, and then knitted until I reached the desired length.

3. Take the extra skein of yarn left over from casting on and off, and thread through the yarn needle. Then stitch each strap onto the sweater. Knot the ends in the inside of the sweater, and trim the loose threads.

And voila, you've made yourself a new sweater! It's still basic and goes with everything, but there's a little something special now.

Thanks for reading!
Rachelle
@RachelleMLee     @MakeYouLoveLee

DIY Chain Boot Straps

Hello there Lovelees!

We all have those perfect boots - you wear them so much that they start feeling a little boring.Today's DIY is the best way to spruce up a basic pair of black boots. Sure, the chain straps look pretty darn cool, but they're removable too! You don't have to completely sacrifice your favorite boots and they're even more wearable.

I was first inspired to add heavy chain embellishments to my boots when I saw this pair by Givenchy. But this tutorial from A Pair & A Spare showed me that I could make them removable too! Here's my take:

Materials:
- a pair of boots
- curb chain (about 40cm)
- 2 hair elastics...trust me!
- 8 jump rings
- pliers

- optional: embroidery thread

Instructions:

1. Measure then cut the chain so it wraps around the top of the boot. I would suggest for you to remove one or two links so it will be really snug with the elastic.

2. Attach one jump ring to each end of the chain.

3. Open another jump ring and add on to one of the rings from the previous step. Then link on a hair elastic.

4. Link the same elastic to the other end of the chain with two more jump rings.

5.Repeat steps 1-4 for the other boot.

6. I wrapped embroidery thread around the middle of the elastics. This is to prevent the elastics from snagging and pulling the whole strap off.

Now just slip these babies on over the toe of each boot, and your good to go! The heavy curb chain adds just the right touch of edge to your basic boots. Go ahead and try this out, it's just too easy.

Love,
Rachelle
@RachelleMLee     @MakeYouLoveLee

DIY Pyramid Purse

Hey Lovelees!

The idea for this fuzzy pyramid first began when I saw this pyramid bag from Love Aesthetics. I followed her tutorial, but decided to add a zipper to make it a purse/clutch to make this structural and architectural piece more functional. And then I saw shaggy felt from Michaels (meaning: no hemming!) and I got working right away. It's surprisingly easy, so give it a shot!

Materials:

- felt
- zipper
- chain (I used an old necklace)
- hole punch
- large jump ring
- scissors
- needle and thread / sewing machine

- optional: eyelet setter

Instructions:

1. Cut out a rectangle from the felt, about 42 cm x 20 cm.

2. Sew the 2 shorter ends together, with the right sides facing each other. This will create a tube.

3. Turn the tube right sides out. Pin the zipper on of the open sides of the tube. The end of the zipper should be at the seam you just made in the previous step.

4. Sew the zipper to the felt. I would suggest hand stitching to avoid having to awkwardly position it with a machine.

5. Turn the bag inside out again. Sew the other end of the tube closed, but make sure to put the seam from Step 2 in the center. This will create the 3D pyramid.

6. Punch a hole at the end of the zipper. You can add an eyelet at this point if you want! Either way, thread an open jump ring through the hole, attach the two ends of the chain, and then close the ring.

And there ya go! A cool, architectural clutch that no one else at the party will have!

 

Thanks for reading!!

Rachelle

@RachelleMLee 
@MakeYouLoveLee

DIY Double-Sided Earrings

Hi Lovelees!

My heart literally stopped when I saw these Dior double pearl earrings. And when one of my favorite DIY blogs, A Pair & A Spare, posted a tutorial to make them, I dropped everything and started right away. Unfortunately, I didn't have the perfect size of pearl beads, and I was too impatient to wait to go to Michaels the next day. So I improvised! And sometimes, improv turns out even better...

Materials:

- 1 pair of pearl earrings
- 2 rubber earring backs
- 2 wooden cube beads
- a CD

- e6000 glue
- sharp scissors
- marker

- optional: white acrylic paint and a thin paintbrush

Instructions:

1. Using a toothpick, put a small dot of glue into the hole of the bead.

2. Press the earring back into the hole. Repeat with the other bead. Let dry for 20-30 minutes.

3. You could be done right here, with a pair of pearl and wood double-sided earrings! But I went a step further by using a CD to make them iridescent/holographic. Cut the CD in half. Be careful!

4. At the cut edge, gently separate the CD into two. One side should be just clear plastic, and the other side will have the shiny stuff. Discard the clear plastic.

5. Trace the sides of the bead onto the non-shiny part of the CD with a marker. Cut the squares out. Remember, you don't need to cover the side with the earring back!

6. Glue the small CD squares onto the bead. Repeat with the other cube.

7. Let dry for at least 1 hour.

8. I painted the edges and the tops of the beads with white paint to polish it up, but that's up to you!

 

 

And now you have pearl and iridescent double-sided earrings! I love how they look perfect from every angle. I legit wear them everyday; they're casual, elegant and edgy all at the same time. Give them a try and let me know how it goes! Thanks for visiting!

Love,
Rachelle
@RachelleMLee     @MakeYouLoveLee

DIY Statement Beanie

Hey Lovelees!

So the weather here in Edmonton has taken a turn, which means it's time to bust out the beanies! Ah, something fashionable and cool. Statement beanies have been popping up everywhere, but I thought I would give it my own spin by adding some tasteful bling. Try this easy fix to spice up a plain, kinda boring, black beanie.

Materials:
- beanie
- necklace (I used this one, and similar here)
- needle and thread (try using embroidery thread if you can, it makes things quicker and easier)
- optional: pliers

Instructions:
1. Slide the letter beads off of the chain. Depending on the necklace you choose, you may need to remove the clasp in order to take the beads off. The pliers should do the trick.

2. Lay your beanie flat and position the letters.

3. Once you're happy with the look, it's time to sew them on. I used about 2-3 stitches per letter with the embroidery thread. If you're using regular sewing thread, the more the merrier!

And that's it! I gotta say, I'm quite impressed with myself. So easy but it still looks so cool and chic.There are tons of other inexpensive pendants and charms out, so go crazy people (what do you think of using this?). Give it a shot and please let me know how it goes!

Love!
Rachelle
@RachelleMLee @MakeYouLoveLee

DIY Spherical Earrings

Hey Lovelees!

I'm back from an amazing experience interning in New York, and I thought of so many new projects while I was there! This particular project was inspired by these earrings from European brand & Other Stories. The only way to buy them was to fly to Europe, so I came up with this DIY instead. I saved a lot of money, and now you can too!

Materials:

- silver-plated plastic beads in varying sizes (I stuck to 2 sizes, but it's completely up to you!)
- 2 silver earring posts
- 2 earring backs
- e6000 glue

Instructions:

1. Arrange the beads into whatever pattern you like. I took a picture of the order to reference later on.

2. Glue the beads together. Make sure the holes of the beads are facing inward to get the full spherical effect.

3. Leave to dry.

4. Glue the earring posts. For stability, attach them to a larger bead in the cluster. Let dry and add on the earring backs.

And that's it! So simple and easy, but they end up looking so elegant and classy. You could also use copper beads to imitate the original ones, or try gold beads too! If you try this out, please send us a picture!!

Rachelle
@RachelleMLee @makeyoulovelee
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Smoke it up - *gasp* even in the daytime! For EYES ONLY

Hello Lovelees!
Long time no see!
Rachelle's gonna have amazing stories to tell when she's back from New York from her internship, but she has had to put her projects on hold since her tools etc are all here in Edmonton haha.
Meanwhile I've been really busy with work, relocating and organising cos our office has just moved to be bigger and better yay!

Anyways suddenly I had an itch to do a tutorial one day (it does help that a few people have been asking why I've been MIA...) because I came up with a smokey daytime look that I really like!!

Usually I am the lazy variety with just BBcream, eyeliner , mascara and blush. Eyeshadow is an optional and can be time consuming thing - just cos with my Asian hooded eyes - there's a lot of finesse  and "special effects" needed to make it extra dimensional and flattering, than our usually flat faces, features and eyes. When you do it right though - it would look amazing, you would feel amazing and ...in this case I felt sophisticated haha.

I chose slate today because it's dark enough to not be black, it almost gives a grey smokey look without actually being grey but that it's bluish to add some interest and keep it looking casual but mature.



Here's the tutorial - Enjoy!:

Products used:

Kat Von D High Voltage Eye Primer
Neutrogena Nourishing Eyeliner in Twilight Blue
Lorac Pro Palette  -eyeshadow- Slate
MAC eyeshadow- Soft Brown
Loreal Lineur Intense - Black Mica
Sephora Pantone Universe Foiled waterproof eyeliner in Rose Gold and Silver

I am crazy with mascaras - I now use 3 concurrently:
Upper lashes: Buxom Lash mascara for the volume and length with nourishing ingredients as a base, then waterproof Maybelline Full n Soft mascara to add even more volume set my curl and make more water/smudge resistant
Lower Lashes - Clinique Lash Power mascara.




The key to keeping it as a daytime look is that you don't lay the colour too far up your eyelid, the blue should end just below the crease and then your transition blending colour goes right into the crease (socket) and not much further past.  I also put the light foiled eyeliner under the lower lash line to lighten up the look and create a bright innocent eye.  Try to keep your eyebrows relatively full but not too densely filled.



If you were to transform it to evening look then you would basically extend the colours further out past your lids, rim your waterlines with black kohl pencil, add some falsies and replace the light coloured pencil under the lower lash line with a dark drop shadow instead.  For the rest of your face you should also contour more, fill your eyebrows darker and more arched with highlights.

Pair those eyes with a light peachy cheek and nude lips so that the focus are on your eyes.  I think this look is appropriate for work especially if you often wear some power suits or any winter appropriate outfit.   It's definitely a more mature look. If you had a bright cheery summer outfit then this is probably not the "cutest" look to go for haha.  Depending on your smile - you can technically still try to pull the cute look off! haha eg:

;)Connie
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3 steps to convert wimpy lashes to REAL long and healthy lashes!! (no falsies)

Hello Lovelees

I want to share with you guys one of my favourite eyelash looks lately. Rachelle and I have been quiet because we just came back from our mediterranean cruise holiday ! yay!

How to batter eyelashes that are real! It's a 3 step approach but it DOESN'T INVOLVE FALSIES!!

RIGHT EYE with my 3 steps, LEFT EYE natural

STEP 1 - Nutraluxe Lash (MD)

This is a serum that you paint along your eyelashes like you would a liquid eyeliner.  It shows real results in 2 weeks if you apply twice a day. It thickens and lengthens your eyelashes.  It can be applied to eyelashes or eyebrows in areas you feel are sparse.  It only thickens hairs and follicles where it already exists and not in places where follicles were never present. So eg if it is a scarred area or you are naturally not so hairy it may not have the desired effect.  This is not an individual downfall of the product but any "lash stimulating" product on the market is limited by your natural number of hair follicles.

 Actually the instructions say just use once a day.  A beautician in Hong Kong introduced it to me a couple years ago and she was raving about how she tried tons and this one actually works and shows results fast! She told me to apply twice a day to get it going.  After I noticed results I went back to once a day (as recommended by manufacturer) for maintenance.

All lash enhancing serums work on including a prostaglandin in the ingredient which are also included in glaucoma medication eyedrops.  In optometry school we used to learn that a side effect of the prostaglandin eye drop in the treatment of glaucoma disease is that it may darken the eye area and also cause thicker eyelashes.  My optometry friends (girls) and I always thought that wasn't so negative a side effect, most of us were asian anyway- darker eyes than we already had was not an issue.  Our usually wimpy short lashes however...were.  We just didn't know that a couple years later that doctors would use this in a cosmetic application safely - for real!  The first and most recognized drug/application for lash enhancement was actually Latisse.  It requires prescription from your doctor but I think it is more a matter of request rather than the doctor denying you of it.  It was not a particularly affordable product though.

Later the market is flooded with a variety of products that claim the same effect.  I won't say they don't work but I can't be sure either.  Feedback is very mixed.


STEP 2- Etude House Lash Perm Primer Basecara


LOVE this stuff.  It has a bent smiley face wand that helps curl lashes as you apply and the basecara is a greyish substance.  On the box the English description says it is a lash conditioning undercoat that has a unique polymer  that helps mascara stay on for a longer fuller look.

You can see that it probably helps build your lashes to be longer by extending it with little 'fibres' as the basecara dries in little "spikes".

You apply it like mascara, one coat of it before you apply the actual mascara.  You do not need to particularly wait for it to dry.

I find the basecara really helps separate the lashes when I'm using Lashionista (Maybelline mascara).  Without it the Lashionista still gives similar length but the lashes will tend to clump in longer spikes rather than having separated dense looking set of lashes.

Basecara also claims it helps mascara wash off easier.  I tend towards non-waterproof mascara anyway so washing it off was never an issue.  I think it does help A LITTLE in washing/removing waterproof mascara long as you are not applying too many coats of mascara...So in short - it KINDA works but don't count on it to be magic.

When I use this basecara - I mainly like it because it helps (in order of favourite advantages)
1. condition lashes
2.add volume and length without clumping
3.curl
4.base to help cleaning mascara off a bit easier.

I usually only use mascara with good smudge-resistance anyway when it is used alone so I don't necessarily rely on it for helping mascara "stay on longer" as their advertised advantage.


STEP 3 - Maybelline Lashionista Mascara

It doesn't seem to be available on the Canadian (maybe even USA??) market at the moment even though it is by Maybelline NEW YORK but it brags in Hong Kong to be the number 1 selling mascara in Japan.  In Hong Kong youth culture we often are drawn towards Japanese or Korean beauty, pop and fashion as the trend setters so I decided to buy it even though I have a lot of mascara unopened etc lying around at home.

It might be  a drugstore mascara but surprisingly if I convert the currency from HKD back to CAD I almost pay the same if not maybe a little more for my Clinique mascara. Go figure.  But I actually think it's worth it.

It's effect is extremely similar to the Clinique Lash Power that I have written about before here.  But this is even BETTER.

Top with flash - you can see fibres on the brush, bottom without flash: see the little fibres out of the mouth of the tube?

So in short it is oil and moisture resistant and doesn't/smudge onto my eyelids as the day goes by.  It extends the lashes by almost..."attaching" these fibres that you can see forming as you pull the brush out of the tube and see the excess mascara gathering on the mouth of the tube is spikey fibre like.  When you brush through it's almost like attaching these fibres along the length of your lashes and then building on itself after that.  As with any other structure if it is too 'top heavy" with no real support then it will start crumpling sideways - which is what may happen if you are over ambitious with your application.  With experience you will know when to stop and when it is too many coats haha.

Add caption

I find the Etude House basecara really helps to separate the lashes, avoiding clumping with this mascara.

It will require at least 2 coats.  I curl my lashes after application by resting my lashes on the length of my index/pointing fingers and pushing my finger upwards until the mascara dries and sets (about 10-15s). Ie point your fingers towards the bridge of your nose along the length of your eye,  but have your lashes resting in a bent position on your fingers.  This saves my lashes from  potentially getting damaged or weakened by the clamping action of a curler.

In real life the end result is super cute in the innocent wide eyed way.



If the weather is a little bit humid causing you to lose your curl during the day, or you want to save time with getting the mascara to dry in the curled position by using the method i described above, often I might apply a coat of waterproof mascara on top so that it will set and dry the product underneath faster.  Because you already primed your lashes with non waterproof mascara and only coating the waterproof mascara on the top - end of day cleaning is just as easy, or almost as easy as washing off just the non-waterproof mascara.

Share this if you learnt something and check us out on Facebook!
See if you like and comment!

;)Connie
Follow on twitter @Makeyoulovelee

DIY Striped Purse

Hey Lovelees!

I have been obsessed with black and white stripes lately. It's an interesting pattern that's simple and intricate at the same time. I'm pretty sure it's my easiest tutorial yet, but it still looks so sophisticated. Go ahead, try it out!

Materials:

- black structured purse/clutch
- white leather/faux leather
- printed pattern of stripes (I just searched 'stripes' on Google images)

- e6000 glue
- scissors and/or Xacto knife
- marker or pen

Instructions:

1. Measure the length and width of your purse. Then use these measurements to draw a rectangle onto your printed sheet of stripes. Cut out.

2. Draw a border of about 0.5 cm inside the rectangle. Then, using the Xacto knife or your scissors, cut out either the black or the white set of stripes. Do not cut through the border!

3. Place this stencil onto the back of the leather. Trace it onto the leather, then cut out. I put my piece on a black background so it's easier to see!

4. Carefully glue leather piece onto the purse (I did it one stripe at a time). Let dry.

And your beautiful striped purse is finito! I only did one side, but feel free to repeat Steps 3 and 4. You can wear it with bright, solid colors or a simple pattern, like polka dots.

Enjoy!
Rachelle

Tony Moly Kiss Kiss Lip Scrub Review

Hello Lovelees!

Sorry I've been quiet but Rachelle has been cooking up a storm with all her awesome DIY fashion.  You guys' readership has been totally fuelling her passion and practice makes perfect cos she's getting pretty fast at showing off her new projects and rocking them!

I've just been back from 3 wks in Hk/taipei and have some makeup and skincare haul and shopping tips  to provide you guys with.  I've been a bit slow cos i'm getting weirdly hindered with a lot of aches and pains lately sighz...

To ease back into it I want to share with you one of my new skincare faves - Lip Scrub!



WHY?
Summer/spring coming up it is an even bigger opportunity to rock a bright happy lipstick or gloss.  But if  you've ever tried a lipstick that is especially light and matte -either pastel or just bright- if you haven't been taking care of your lips then this will definitely show you up! :(  The lipstick would gather in your lines and dead skin .  Your lips will look uneven and clumpy - and that will be the first thing others will see with your attention grabbing lipstick...



BEFORE:
I mean I thought I knew a thing or two with lip scrubbing and exfoliating, e.g. use a toothbrush to massage it when you are brushing your teeth; or use a warm wet towel to massage it when you are washing your face; and of course the DIY home remedies with sugar lip scrubs (ok so I didn't try that one because I'm lazy and seems a waste and hassle when you make up a batch and really you only need like a tablespoonful at a time).

NOW:
So I've read good things about the Tony Moly Kiss Kiss Lip scrub so I've decided to try it! The texture of the scrub is a light mousse feel with small visible granules with a gentle strawberry aroma.  This is all packaged in a cute hot pink plastic lip shaped container, inside it also has a plastic cover slip to help avoid product leakage.

INSTRUCTIONS:
 from Sasa.com (where you can get it from) is

1. Gently massage a proper amount onto the lips for 1 – 2 minutes.
2. Rinse with lukewarm water.
3. Apply once or twice a week.

According to Sasa.com: It is made with natural ingredients that will not irritate your lips including argan oil that will nourish and hydrate them.

A quick google though also has other information eg from ebay saying it has UV control Lip essence for antiaging, macadamia and jojoba oil to soothe dry lips, honey to provide a variety of nutrients such as protein, vitamins, minerals and amino acid, with the vegetable grain scrub.

I'm sorry I can't read Korean on the labels so can't say definitively but there is in the Kiss Kiss range also the Kiss Kiss Lip Essence Balm (same size/shape packaging but red coloured lips) .  I wonder if the UV part of the above is talking about that despite the picture/description,  because I know for a fact that the Lip Essence balm does have UV protection.

But let's just say for sure from it's actual usage I don't have the unsightly dead skin bunching the lipstick and immediately post scrub my lips feel moisturised and the following lip balm almost slips, rather than glides along my lips when I apply it!


If you prefer video talk and live demo:

BONUS:
I tend to have some hyperpigmentation on the corner of my lips and i feel that scrubbing around that area has also lightened the darkness there :) Note - don't be too vigorous with the scrubbing otherwise you will leave yourself a stinging and ravaged kind of sensation...I learnt it the hard way haha - i missed the word GENTLY in the instructions...

If I run out of it I will definitely be buying again!

;)Connie

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DIY Lace-up Back

Hey Lovelees!

Sorry for the lack of posts lately, I've been busy with school and Connie over here has been traveling again! Today's DIY is inspired by this picture from Vogue Street Style. It just perfectly mixes the sporty trend with a classic leather jacket. The lace-up back is a small detail with a whole lotta oomph. So go ahead, take a teeny break from those darn awful finals, and try out this DIY!

Materials:

- leather jacket
- black leather/faux leather scraps
- red cord

- e6000 glue
- scissors
- ruler
- lighter
- optional: plastic cord stopper (mine is from an old backpack)

Instructions:

1. Cut the back of your jacket, so you end up with 2 pieces. Try to use a jacket that has a seam at the back, so it will make this step easier.

2. Cut the vinyl into 10 rectangles measuring approximately 1 cm x 3 cm.

3. Fold these in half and glue. Make sure to leave enough space for your cord to go through! Let dry.

4. Place 5 loops on one side of the jacket and glue in place. Do the same on the other half of the jacket. Let dry again.

5. If your jacket has a lining, glue it to the outside of the jacket, sandwiching the loops between the two layers. I used paper clips to keep it in place while it dried. Ghetto I know, but it works!

6. Thread the cord through the loops to create a criss-crossing pattern.

7. Use a lighter on the cord ends to keep them from fraying.

8. Knot the ends together or thread them through the cord stopper.

And know you have an uber sweet lace-up back leather jacket! It's perfect for the spring weather here in Edmonton, and trust me, it will go with every outfit. Please don't hesitate to let me know how it goes!

LOVE
Rachelle
Follow me on Twitter! @RachelleMLee @makeyoulovelee
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