valentine's day inspiration

hi everyone!

i wanted to start you off today with a card to inspire you to to spread some love ... you can diy this with

materials needed:

1. a cupcake punch from martha stewart ($6 use your weekly michael's coupon for 40% off http://weeklyad.michaels.com/stores/4613/coupons)
2. a heart punch ($1 at michael's)
3. some ribbon ($1 at michael's)
4. and cardstock ($1-$2 at michael's)
5. glue tape ($1 dollar store or $3 at michael's)
6. all these materials can be used more than once so the card ends up costing very little, but i suggest you facebook your pool of friends to see if anyone has leftover scrapbook stuff or ask friends and you can probably gather things w/o even spending too much!

i know lots of people have done away with card writing and air mail.  i, however still love sending out snail mail.  i love the feeling of getting mail from someone special whether near or far.  it just means that someone spent a little time thinking about you and putting it into words, which is nice.  these might make you hungry for some sweets :]

thanks for stopping by and i hope you leave inspired ... jen

diy bracelet inspired by anthropologie & chan luu

hey fashionistas,


i have a pretty diy in store for you today.

you've probably seen these bracelets or something like them for a little while now.  i actually made some of these for my girlfriends for christmas and got really great feedback.  i really loved this idea as a gift because i was able to customize each person's favorite color with the cord/string that i purchased.  i would say that whenever i have a d-i-y for my readers, i usually have a set for all my girlfriends to go along with it.  (i hope it doesn't drive them crazy that i keep making them things especially if they can't use them or it really actually isn't their thing.  but i do always tell them to regift if they can't.  so that kinda makes it a gift for them to gift!)

these have been inspired by anthropologie, chan luu, and lots of other preciously designed bracelets ...  i found this diy from ornamentea.com  http://www.ornamentea.com/TheShop/TutorialPages/EverydayWrappedBracelet.html

photo borrowed from anthropologie.com $48 click on link to purchase:  http://www.anthropologie.com/anthro/catalog/productdetail.jsp?id=23980261&catId=JEWELRY-BRACELETS&pushId=JEWELRY-BRACELETS&popId=JEWELRYACCESSORIES&navCount=22841&color=066&isProduct=true&fromCategoryPage=true&isSubcategory=true&subCategoryId=JEWELRY-BRACELETS&templateType=subCategory

photo borrowed from chanluu.com $105 click on link to purchase http://www.chanluu.com/Bracelets-p/bs-2636websagmix.htm

materials needed:

1. leather cord (found at michael's for $2, made about 8 bracelets)
2. gold bead string (found at michael's or fabric store for $1 a yard, i bought half a yard so it cost me 50 cents)
3. string (i used embroidery string and it cost me 75 cents.  not bad because i'm pretty sure it's already made me about 8 bracelets and i still have some leftover - probably about 4 more).
4. measuring tape
5. bead or button (leftover from other projects)
6. super glue
7. if you have a button instead of a bead, you can skip the materials listed for #8 & #9
8. needle nose pliers 
9. metal headpin (can be purchased at walmart, target, michael's for about $1.50 a bag.  i have a bunch leftover from other projects)
10. jump rings (can be purchased at walmart, target, michael's for about $1.50 a bag)
11. if you have to go out and buy the materials, you can make about 8 for under $7 so each bracelet will come out to $1.14 each)  if there is something you can borrow, please do so!  save where you can.
12. total of about 30 minutes per bracelet

directions:

lay out all your materials ( i forgot to include the jump rings, needle nose pliers, and super glue but they'll pop up as the photos come along)

then measure your wrist

take a jump ring and tie it to one end with a knot. 

then take the metal headpin and stick the bead onto it. cut the excess off with the wire cutters and use the needle nose pliers to close off the open end into a rounded end so that you can later put a jump ring through it

then take your leather cord (now with the knot and jump ring) and line up the gold beads along it.  then take your embroidery string/cord and start wrapping around in between the first and second gold bead.  i wrap it around several times to secure the string.  then just go along and wrap around each crevice.

when you come to the end, make sure you leave enough room so when you close it with a loop, the loop can wrap around the bead.  this will be the closure for the bracelet and is what holds it together.

fold the leather cord over and make a loop big enough so the bead can be inserted through it then wrap the string around it and tie a knot through the loop to close and secure the string.  (see photos below)

cut off excess string, cord, beads and you get this ... almost done!

then take super glue and glue all the spots where the strings were knotted.  this will help secure the strings so the bracelet doesn't fall apart.  i used the super glue to point to where you should adhere some glue.  then let bracelet sit for a bit to dry.

and you get this!

and make more for stacking!

not bad for being inspired :]  i think i'll make a bracelet pretty soon that's also very similar to the chan luu one pictured above ... so stay tuned!

have a great sunday!

jen

** in case you guys were wondering, the photos have my old blog site "fauxtreschic" but a few months ago, i switched out the blog name to "livetreschic" which is why some photos still have the old name.  my apologies for the confusion if any. **

kiko cosmetics soft focus concealer

hi guys!


i thought i'd venture out my diy's for some make-up talk.  a little over a year ago, i was in roma on vacation and ventured into a boutique that was a (mac-esque-state-side) make-up store called kiko.  i was lured in by the bright lights and illuminating colors coming from all the eyeshadows, lippy, and polish.  the store itself looked polished and clean since they keep it pretty consistent and modern with mainly black details and some other pops of highlighted "mood" lighting (if that's what you call it).  i felt kinda like a jetson with all its futuristic feeling curvy floaty-like shelving units in the middle and then the awesome white palette of colors up against the opaque glowing wall mounted displays (man, that was long winded but as best as i can describe it).  i bought a soft focus concealer for my under eye circles and just to brighten up some day time drabi-ness and it worked great!

http://www.kikocosmetics.com/eshop/uk/product/-/productdetail/soft-focus-concealer/KM00102004/3021628 i used it up somewhere between 4-5 months and then did some searching online and even emailed them because i placed an order, then received an email shortly thereafter noting they don't ship to the states.  needless to say, i was bummed out and still make sad faces when i talk about it today.  i haven't found a concealer that doesn't leave crease marks or that feels light and fluffy like kiko's does.  i read online that they've opened in the uk so i'm going to see about getting some friends there to send me a couple.  until then, i'm still in search for a good concealer of some sort here in the states.  i've used lots of different concealers and illuminators and they're all great but i really like kiko's!


did i also mention that it's in a pretty wind up wand brush and costs on €7.50 which comes out to about $10US!  not a bad price considering the quality of the combined package of quality and quantity.  plus the added benefit of simple and stylish packaging.  until i figure it out ...


estee lauder's is great too http://shop.nordstrom.com/S/estee-lauder-ideal-light-brush-on-illuminator/2879211?origin=category&resultback=1215  illuminates and brightens without the heaviness of some concealers and illuminators.  i've been using this for about 7 years and it's my safe go to.  it costs about $26 a tube.


i also tried some of yves saint laurent's touche eclat (got a small sample from sephora by recommendation from my friend lynn) and i really like it too.  it's an illuminator and definitely works for me as a concealer even with the heavy dark hereditary circles i have.  it brightens up my eyes instantly and seems to stay on well without any heavy creasing.  it costs $40 a tube.  http://www.sephora.com/browse/product.jhtml?id=P218431&om_mmc=Googlepla&_requestid=42976&cm_mmc=us_search-_-GG-_-pla-_-{keyword}&ci_src=17588969&ci_sku=1008572


here are some photos of what a kiko store that you're stopping by might look like:

photo borrowed from http://makeupyourlife.files.wordpress.com/

photo borrowed from http://itsamandything.blogspot.com/

photo borrowed from http://addictfordramaticsbeauty.blogspot.com/

photo borrowed from http://addictfordramaticsbeauty.blogspot.com/

photo borrowed from http://musingonbeauty.blogspot.com/

so if you're looking for a illuminator or light concealer i can definitely recommend this one personally since i've used it and have had great results!  once i get ahold of another tube, i'll make sure to post before and after photos from daytime to nighttime wear to show you the real deal results.  if you guys have any suggestions for other concealers or illuminators, please send them my way!

thanks for stopping by, 

jen

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diy travel shoe bag

hi guys!

i'm glad to be back in california's warm mild weather.  i actually just took a trip to boston for a few days with the bf and had a fantastic time!  i wanted to do a diy post on something i whipped up relatively quickly (30 - 45 minutes) so that i could get a bit organized before traveling.  remember the leopard print bow i made in the previous post?  well i have lots of leftover fabric from that project and decided it would be perfect for a travel shoe bag!  this bag was intended for my shoes but you could make these for gift bags too!  this is what i mentioned about in my previous post http://fauxtreschic.blogspot.com/2012/01/diy-reusable-gift-bags.html.  i remember seeing something similar from lanvin a while back and thought well, i could give it a go with the bag first!  (shoes and sleeping mask later - maybe).

photo courtesy of net-a-porter.com

http://www.net-a-porter.com/product/95065&cm_mmc=LinkshareUS-_-Custom-_-Link-_-Builder&siteID=oGj7akNVsTg-k6D879v3hAB2Uyr0Q5OGFw @ an original $490 and even on sale at $294, i think i'm happy sticking to my less than $5 version for now.  but hey if it suits your fancy, there's a link or maybe you can hunt a set down on ebay?

materials needed:

1. sewing machine
2. scissors
3. fabric (i purchased my fabric at a local fabric store for under $5.00 a yard and i've used it for several projects but if i wanted to make only travel shoe bags, i could probably make about 3 medium sized ones like the one i made)  not bad considering
4. thread
5. ribbon
6. 30-45 minutes from measuring, cutting, sewing, to finish!
7. shoes!!

instructions:

measure 2 pieces of fabric like so.  i measured mine to fit a pair of flats.  i'm a size 6.5/7 but the bag could really fit any size depending on your shoes/gifts/etc.

then with the correct/right sides facing one another cut about 1.5 inches down and 1 inch in like in the photo below.  do it only on one side.  (i marked it with my scissors below to show you).

then take top portion of cut part and fold in twice and sew like below:

then sew the side where the fabric hasn't been cut into on the side.

then fold the top down twice and sew like in the photo below:

and then sew on the other side to close up the remaining open side.  also sew along the bottom to close.

 once you sew a straight line on the opposite side, there will be excess fabric and you can choose to cut it or leave it (i cut mine for a more finished look).

then just use a zig-zag stitch to keep the fabric from fraying.

then cut the corners on the bottom ends so when you flip it inside out, you get crispy pointy corners!

then flip your bag inside out.  take your ribbon and poke a safety pin in it and close the pin, then string it through the opening at the top ... in one end all the way out the other (make sure you measure a ribbon that is long enough to go around the bag and some because you need it to tie a bow closure).

then you get this ... and you're almost done!

then toss some shoes in ...

and tie a pretty bow!

and off you go!

thanks for stopping by!  i hope you enjoyed this tutorial.

jen