Outline Lips in Darker Color for a Perkier Pucker
Lip Service: Even before Barbara Hershey filled her lips with collagen at the start of her comeback in “Beaches,” sensuous lips were a significant sex symbol.
And even before Marilyn Monroe, women have outlined the fullness of their lips with colored pencils.
Perhaps it’s only expert lip watchers that notice, but lately many women have been lining their lips with a color that’s distinctly different from the lipstick they use.
“There’s a new trend, often seen in Guess ads, where women are using a darker outline, usually in browns or rust shades,” says Richard Stevens of Stevens & Cross Cosmetics in Newport Beach. “A matte liner is used because once the lining is done and you use anything too creamy, it’s going to look messy.”
It’s OK to try a darker lip liner to give yourself a provocative appearance, but fill in more of the lips with the pencil to give it a subtle look . . . that is, a look that someone wants to see up close.
Below the Belt: There are quite a few fashionably dressed men wearing their ties tucked into their pants, and it’s not by accident. In jobs where they’re moving around quickly and working around machinery, it makes sense to have the tie secured to the body rather than flailing about where it can get dirty and in the way.
But is it OK to wear a tie tuck out in public?
“It really started years ago when guys started tucking their ties into their shirts after about the second or third button,” says clothing consultant Mike Masterson of Newport Beach. “As ties became more of a fashion statement, it made more sense to let more of them show, so they were tucked into the waistband with the shirt. It keeps the tie out of the way, and it creates a trim look.”
If you’re planning to go out with a tie tuck, knot it so that it drops down at least two inches longer than usual, and make sure there’s nothing on the inside of your slacks that will snag the tie. And remember to take special care when working the zipper. One slip and that expensive Armani may have to stay tucked in.
Liner Notes: Seamed hose aren’t really necessary. In the 1950s, fashion scientists figured out how to make seamless nylon and silk knits that eliminated the thin dark line that rose up the back of a woman’s leg. But the seams have always created a sense of daring, and they’ve survived.
However, having a line running up your leg presents a problem. How do you keep a seam straight during a long day or evening of walking, sitting, strutting and standing?
“Seamed hose are great for a party dress,” says fashion designer Carol Twohy of Fullerton. “But if they’re a little off, they can make it look like your legs aren’t straight. The key is to buy the best seamed hose you can find; don’t scrimp. Cheaper nylon doesn’t keep its shape.”
Try to get the most exact fit you can find, and take your time putting them on so that the hose fit correctly and are not likely to shift. You can periodically check the seams in a mirror and pull them into place, but don’t be obsessed if they lean a little.
