NEW fancy pants BLOG!

d.d.Nickel now has a NEW fancier blog! It’s still a work in progress but looking pretty swanky!  To find out what’s new….

You can now visit me at http://ddnickel.com/wordpress/

And change your feeds to http://ddnickel.com/wordpress/?feed=rss2

See you there!

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Balanced Beauties…

So….there’s the Red Lip, the Smokey Eye and lots of combos in between…but when it comes to looking timeless, balance is the way to go!  I have to say out of all of the Red Carpet moments last night, Meryl was one of my absolute favorites!  Everything worked together….the dress, the hair and the makeup….she looked, well, balanced…and timeless. (and I have to say, in channeling my inner Julia for the big award night, my Braised Short Ribs kicked some Oscar boo-tay!:)

So…if you’ve had a (hmmmm) few birthdays, your new beauty mantra is Balance, Balance, Balance….So what do I mean by that exactly, you ask?

Well, here are your tips for timelessness…

• Less is more…everything you thought you knew about makeup 20 yrs ago probably doesn’t work for you anymore….sorry!:(
• Tinted Moisturizer is your friend….toss anything too heavy or too matte….let your skin show!
• Concealer….your new BFF!  Get in the bridge of the nose and clean up that outer corner…not sure what I mean?  Answers here!
• Eyes should be soft, yet defined along the lashline (top lid only, please!…no liner underneath necessary or recommended…)
• Choose soft neutral shades of matte eyeshadow for the lid and reserve the “pop of color” for the lashline…
• Define those brows, ladies!
• Use a cream blush for the apples of the cheeks…it looks more natural and is way more forgiving than the powdery stuff!
• And…have a little fun with lip color!  Think  Berry, Rose, Blush, and Mauve….just skip anything too matte (like last years cardboard), too glossy (like you just snarfed down a bucket of fried chicken), too dark (you know…those vampire colors) or too brown (blah) !

And…AHHH… Helen Mirren…the perfect example of timelessness…gorgeous!  Proof positive you can enjoy your birthdays gracefully and still look like a million bucks!

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Sexy, Sultry~It’s the Smokey Eye

No stranger to the Red Carpet and always a winner….it’s the sexy, sultry and oh so dramatic Smokey Eye and Pale Lips!  And the good news??  It’s a look that can work on everyone with a little makeup know how…dying for the tips and tricks?  

•  How-To help is here! 

 

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Oh, Red Lip…how we love you!

Oh, Red Lip….How we’ve learned to love you all over again!  Gone are the days of Beige, Brown and Blah….back are the lady-like lips of yesteryear and I think they’re here to stay for awhile.  And this year, they’re brighter and bolder than ever before!  The ladies of the Red Carpet proved that anyone can do it….want to know how??  Good News!  The rules haven’t changed…everything you need to know is right here…just click away!

• Classic Red
• Bright and Bold

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Got the Blues??

Got the BLUES!?  And have no idea what to do with them? Well, as you may have heard, COLOR is back for the eyes and here are two of the lovely ladies rockin’ the BLUES for the Red Carpet (The Emmy’s , of course!)

So, here’s the dealie-o for those of you that still think BLUE is for your grandmother.  First of all..if you’re still toting that space-ship landing, shimmery, baby blue from your grandmother’s drawer around in your makeup bag…toss it NOW or expect some sort of beauty intervention later…I’ll find you eventually…

Until then..try Teal, Navy or Indigo. They’re sexy, sultry and so NOW. For all of you brown-eyed girls…blues are for you!  Hazel?  Go for a blue that has a purple or plum undertone to bring out the green in your eyes.  

And what about you blue and green-eyed beauties??  Well, if you’ve been reading up on the do’s and dont’s, you’ll know blues are too close to your eye color….BUT…have no fear!!  Choose a true purple (YES!  I said PURPLE…just like that ridiculous dinosaur!…the 80’s ARE back after all!) or a burgundy. NEUTRAL no MORE! 

 

 

 

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Great Makeup can’t happen without Good Skin…

Well…there’s just no two ways about it.  Great makeup requires good skin!  Period. Even as a pro makeup artist, there’s only so much covering up you can do.  If your skin looks great, the less makeup you have to wear and the fresher you look…no mystery, really…. 

So, I’ve teamed up with Deb of Integrated Aesthetics, owner and therapeutic skin care guru!  She offers treatments for sensitive, sun damaged, dehydrated, acneic and maturing skin… as well as complete maintenance for healthy skin.  Basically, you got a problem….she can fix it! PLUS…She can rock out your brows!  She’s passionate about researching ingredients  and only recommends products and services that REALLY perform!

So once Deb has your skin whipped into shape and you’re beaming and radiating like last night’s stars, you can get d.d.Nickel Makeup and Services…right in Deb’s studio!  How about that??  TOTAL BEAUTY…one roof!

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So…What’s Up with your HAIR??

Peanut Butter and Jelly…Peas and Carrots…Hair and Makeup!

Some things just go together….like d.d.Nickel Makeup and Karma Salon!  I met Cheryl McMann, owner and uber-talented stylist, at WTNH on the set of Connecticut Style.  We are the behind the scenes (and the not so behind the scenes) beauty squad for hosts Sonia Baghdady  and Desiree Fontaine.  We have a raucous good time, spend ALOT of time laughing and do our best to leave the news station a more glamourous place!

In addition to having the most trendsetting salon and stylists in the Northeast, Cheryl has been responsible for some of the cutting edge looks you’ve seen on the NYC runways and even some of your favorite celebs!

So….just like Peas and Carrots…you can’t have new makeup without new hair and you can’t have new hair without new makeup…

SO…need to update your look??  Easy!  Hair~Karma…Makeup~d.d

PLUS, you can now buy d.d.Nickel Makeup right in Karma Salon! And don’t forget to watch Cheryl and I dish out the latest beauty tips and tricks on Connecticut Style! 

 

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Style Made Simple!

Style Made Simple

So, I don’t know about you but the summer is winding down, the weather is cool and brisk today and I’ve been rifling through my closet thinking “OMG!  Fall is almost here….and what the $#%@ am I going to wear!!”  I’m officially over the flip flops and can’t bear to look at the summer frocks I’ve washed and worn to shreds. I’m even ready to ditch my favorite “Fancy Delancey” toe nail polish for the more autumnal “Bordeaux”…

And that brings me back to the closet…there are some well loved pieces in there…but I’m bored to tears thinking about last years “outfits”.  Ever want someone to go through your closet and just “handle it?”

Well, thankfully, I have the answer…and her name is Allison Berlin.  A  respected Celebrity Stylist, Allison created Style Made Simple as a way to provide everyday men and women with the same wardrobe luxuries enjoyed by the celebrities she works with everyday….that means YOU!  She translates runway trends into everyday, wearable looks and helps her clients discover their own personal style by means of private consultations and shopping tours.  In short, Allison can kick your fashion butt back into shape and make that closet make sense! I bet she can even shave off ten pounds and make you look ten years younger…I’m just thinking…

Named one of NYC’s Best Personal Stylists by Page 6 Magazine, Allison and I met and worked together on the set of “What Not to Wear”, but her resume reads like a who’s who….Pierce Brosnan, Halle Berry, Liev Schreiber, Rosie Perez (they all look great!)……Oprah Magazine…Victoria’s Secret, and a fashion expert on The Today Show, E! News and more….you get the idea…she knows more than you do!! (about your closet anyway)

So if you’re a fashion “newbie”,  a great big “Don’t”, or you just want a  fresh “fashion” perspective…visit Allison at Style Made Simple.  She even styles Brides and bridal parties for the Big Day!  

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The Nude Face…

Ahhh…the ‘Nude’ Face….I think we’d all like to fantasize that somehow, miraculously, we wake up looking dewy, fresh, rested and glowing from….whatever the case may be! But the ‘makeup artist’ truth of it all is that this look sometimes takes as much effort as any other! I personally think both of these ladies must be equally lovely with their REAL nude faces but a little product rarely hurts anyone…so, what’s a girl to do??? Well, the steps are the same as always, you just have to choose shades that mimic your natural coloring….

OH s*#*! You’re….Color blind? Confused? Can’t see yourself without your coke bottles? How are you going to choose the right ‘natural’ colors? No worries…ask your BFF, opinionated mother or fave gay boyfriend to help out…

Tips:

• Primer….key to keeping the skin ‘dewy’ and ‘smooth’…just trust me here…no exceptions! It’s just ‘spackling’….
• Tinted Moisturizer…AGAIN! I know I’m redundant but I really mean it…this is critical for skin that…looks like pretty skin!
• Eyeshadow…No mystery here…choose two colors that are soft and disappear into your skin…a little shimmer…A-OK! One should be a hint lighter as your all over shade and a slightly darker shade for the outer corner. Since I can’t see all of you….you’re kind of on your own…but think FLESH tones. Olive or Dark skin? Look for shades that are warm. Pale or Pink like me? Look for ‘no-color’ color…
• Liner…here’s the fun part…bump up that lashline! Black…Super! Dark Eggplant…Awesome! Charcoal…YAY! Just keep it on the top lashline unless you meet the criterion for lining underneath…
• Concealer and Brows…SO IMPORTANT since there is essentially ‘nothing else’ on your face! Clean up those brows and cover those dark circles, girls!
• Cheeks…sadly, your mother has just embarrassed to the point of no return in front of the hottest guy you’ve ever met…THAT’S the color your blush should be…
• Lips…although we’re going for a ‘Nude’ look…your lips still need to be polished…don’t go bare…choose something close to your natural lip color with a slight sheen or soft gloss…
  

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Smokey Eye…meet the Red Lip

A little bit retro..a little bit now…the Smokey Eye meets the Red Lip…..Bold? Definitely! But if you’ve ever sung like a ‘Little Sparrow’ or made out on screen with Olivier Martinez, I think you’re qualified to walk this look down the red carpet!

So you’re headed to the library, the soccer field or the PTA tomorrow….how does this look fit in to your life? Well, for starters, you should try squeezing in a few more glamourous events…but outside of that, here are a few tips for making sure you don’t look like you’ve been spending too much time in the crayon box…

• Create the Smokey Eye with neutrals only…charcoal or brown and black…you know how to choose!
• Make sure the liner follows the natural shape of your eye…a little up turn of the liner brush at the outer corners is perfectly acceptable for special events (ie. Miss Marion C.)but if you don’t have anywhere special to go, then keep it simple, please!
• Go heavier on one feature instead of bold on both. Have great lips? Then keep the eyes softly smokey. Want to play up your eyes instead? Then replace fully lined, matte lips, with a soft gloss or lip tint in sheer tones of burgundy, coral, or red.
• BEWARE of lip colors that are too dark or deep…Marion’s burgundy lips look stunning but she’s young and…well….French! The more birthdays you’ve had, the brighter or softer your lipstick should be…sorry, ladies! It’s the truth…
• Brows are defined but be sparing. No Bert and Ernie’s…
• Cheeks should be soft but have enough color to balance out your features.

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