Pop Some Color in Your Hair for Spring-guest post by Mandrill Hardge

Well Ladies, the time has finally arrived. After a dreadful winter mess, it’s time to color your hair RED!! Literally speaking. You’ve guessed it. This month’s beauty tips are all about color.

• Now is the optimum time to acheive that long desired Blonde Bombshell shade. Have your stylist try out any shade ranging from 5 to 9 and throw in a few highlights as well. This will guarantee an extra pep in your step this spring and summer.
• For those ladies that aren’t quite comfortable going that outrageous, look within the Chestnut and Chocolate shades to compliment your skin tone as well as attitude. Nothing says “Im in charge” like a lady with rich Chocolate and bouncy hair. Owww!!
• A new trend this season is daring Red tones. Whether you opt for red mixes, highlights or an all over shade, you are sure to turn heads and stop traffic. Red tones can be used to achieve an array of attitude changes from sexy to playful.
• And of course, who could ever leave out the sexiness of Black. There is unmistakeably something about a confident lady that wears black hair like she wears silk. Your hair can be short, medium, long, straight, curly or spiked. Add black and you’ve just added the wow factor!

More on www.myskin.com

I’m trying my hand at video blogging and decided to do a vlog on www.myskin.com.  I wrote a post about this site giving you the secret code so you can join while it’s still in beta.  Take a moment and check out the previous post for a refresher. Get help with your skincare at myskin.com

The site hasn’t officially launched yet so you can sign up by using the code, CluelessFashionista.

Enjoy the video and my personal tour of www.myskin.com.

Spring Trend-Nude Nails!

In spite of the weather going from warm to cold overnight, spring is here.  Now is the time to start incorporating those warm weather trends into your wardrobe and beauty routine.

If you haven’t visited the nail salon for your post winter mani/pedi, now is the time to put it in your schedule.  When you are de-winterizing those hands and feet, you should consider delving into the latest spring nail trend.

Nude nails were popular down the runways for Spring Fashion Week this past February.  This is a great trend that you can take right off the runway with ease.  The Beauty Bean featured a great article about the nude nail trend along with some color suggestions. Enjoy!

http://thebeautybean.com/site/beautify/spring-trend-alert-nude-nails-it/

Ladies let’s talk…about pajamas in public

Okay ladies, I’ve been noticing a disturbing trend lately.  For some reason, people are finding it acceptable to go out in public with pajamas on.   Now they’re not flannel pajamas or anything like a night gown, however, this just doesn’t look good.

When you go out in public, you should seek to represent yourself the best way possible.  This doesn’t mean you need to have full make-up and heels on everyday. It does mean that you should be neat and wearing outdoor clothes.

http://www.scrapinn.com/store_item.asp?item=5

Here is a picture of the types of pajamas that I see most often.  I’ve seen them every where from the mall to the grocery store.  I understand that sometimes you may not feel like getting all dolled up to just run to the store for a quick errand.  But the same effort it takes to put on some pajama pants is the same effort it takes to put on some comfortable jeans.

Please, ladies, let’s stop wearing pajamas in public.  No matter how cute they are, they should be worn in the house and not outside.

How do I wear that trend…infinity scarves

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I saw this as an accessory trend and unfortunately I was unable to participate in it this fall/winter season. I do plan on giving it a go next time it gets cold. I am wishing away the cold weather right now so I won’t be buying any new winter accessories.

The great thing about infinity scarves is that they are fairly classic and can still be worn even after they’re no longer considered “trendy” because it’s a great scarf alternative.  Here’s a short video about a few different ways to wear one.  Enjoy and don’t be afraid to try something different.

Happy Birthday Clueless Fashionista!!

Today, Clueless Fashionista turns 2! Two and a half years ago today, I was telling a friend of mine about this cool new shopping website that I had found and she said that I should share my knowledge with others.  Without trying to, she inspired me to create Clueless Fashionista.

Ever since then I have enjoyed building this blog and turning it into what you see today.  I have big plans as it continues to grow and I look forward to reading more of your comments and posting more blogs to help make you more fashionable and fabulous!

http://kingdomofstyle.typepad.co.uk/my_weblog/2007/week45/index.html

Ladies, let’s talk-A new Clueless Fashionista feature

I figure it’s time to add a new feature to Clueless Fashionista. This new feature, “Ladies, let’s talk” is based on my observations of different people and the fashion and beauty issues that I notice on a regular basis.  I’m an avid people watcher. It’s very interesting to me to sit and see how people come and go and what they’re wearing when they do it.

I’ve noticed some common things that I see women do and I feel like it needs to be addressed head on.  When it comes to looking well coiffed and put together, there are certain things that we all should be mindful of in terms of fashion and beauty basics.

I decided to introduce this new feature as a way to address those issues and some suggestions on how they can be handled.  I do realize that not everyone has regular access to a stylist, manicurist, hair stylist, etc.  I don’t myself so lots of my advice with address both perspectives, those who do go to professionals and those who don’t.

Stay tuned and if you see things you’d like to see addressed, let me know and I will put it into the rotation.

How do I wear that trend…embellished outerwear

Now this is a trend I’ve never been able to truly get behind. Embellished clothing has always been a bit much for me to go with, however, I do see the merits in wearing a great top with embellishments.

If you’re like me and a bit wary of embellished outwear of any kind but interested in diving into this trend, there are some ways to do it without looking like you’re wearing a costume.

1.  Don’t over do it. Embellishment can be great if done sparingly. If you wear an embellished shirt, don’t wear an embellished belt or jacket.

2.  Keep your jewelry simple. One great thing about embellished clothing is that it can act as a part of our outfit as well as a piece of jewelry. If you want to wear, big, bold jewelry, don’t wear that embellished piece of clothing. It will most likely clash and make you stand out in a not so positive way.

3. Be confident. Embellished clothing will definitely make you stand out. Make sure you’re wearing the piece and not letting it wear you. Give it what I call the “eff it” boost. Before you leave the house, take one last look at yourself in the mirror and say, “Eff it.” Then walk out the door. I’ve done that in the past and it definitely makes me less self conscious when I’m wearing something that makes me stand out.

Feel free to put your own spin on the “Eff it” boost and add in your own words. I try to keep this blog PG rated (wink, wink).  Below is a picture of a great, embellished shirt by Bebe.  Notice how you don’t have to wear any jewelry with it.

http://pinkdiamondpr.blogspot.com/2008/11/monday-style-obsession-bebe-outerwear.html

Spring into Healthier Hair-guest post by Mandrill Hardge

As we move forward in the year, Spring is quickly approaching us, which means plenty of opportunities to achieve optimum results in healthy hair. Below are a few tips that will ensure that your mane is strong, shiny and silky.

• Have your professional stylist perform that much needed deep conditioning treatment or what I prefer to use, a Protein Treatment. This will aid in replenishing moisture and nutrients lost during the harsh winter months.

• Now is the prime time to get that hair trim that is essential to the growth and strong structure of the hair. Trims should be done every 6 to 8 weeks to maintain steady growth.

• Adding a semi-permanent color to your hair care service will aid in style as well as shine. Also consider a clear color application as well.

• You may want to consider going with a more silky hair style for at the first 6 weeks of the Spring season. This will help to stimulate the scalp as you wrap the hair at night. Also it relaxes the hair shaft and closes down the cuticle that may have been opened while hair was being curled throughout the winter month.

Mandrill Hardge is a fabulous hair stylist who specializes in bringing out the beauty in hair.  If you’d like to learn more about him or if you’re in the Atlanta area and want to schedule an appointment, visit his website at http://mandrillhardge.com

How do I wear that trend…animal print shoes

As I observe people and how they incorporate different trends, I’ve noticed one major issue with the animal print trend.

People tend to over do it.

I wrote a post about the proper way to wear animal print called Animal Print…Rawr! Check it out because it gives great tips (if I should say so myself) on how to effectively incorporate animal print into your wardrobe.  Well, I want to address animal print shoes.  They’ve become trendy as of late and they are a great trend. If you wear a great pair of animal print shoes, it can make your entire outfit pop.  However, there are some ways to do it and not look like you’re wearing a costume.

1.  Don’t mix animal prints.  I cover this tip in the previous post I wrote, but I thought it needed repeating.

2.  Build your outfit around the shoes. The best way to not clash with your animal print shoes is to make them the base of your outfit.

3.  Stick with neutral colors when you wear your animal prints. If you use the animal print as a pop of color, it will definitely cut down on clashing outfits.  Wear animal prints with neutral colors like black, brown, tan, etc. This way the animal print will be the stand out in your outfit and shoes are good stand out pieces.

These are just some suggestions to get you started wearing animal print shoes. Once you’ve gotten comfortable with them, you can be more daring. But I suggest easing into it and working your way up to daring. You may overwhelm yourself if you start out daring.  Below are some pictures of great animal print shoes. You don’t have to get these exact ones, but maybe they will inspire you to get some that are similar.

http://getglamorous.blogspot.com/2007/10/fall-2007-animal-print-shoes.html

These are some great giraffe print guess pumps. You can wear these with a brown or tan outfit. If you’re feeling more comfortable, you could do them with black or red, too.

http://www.thisnext.com/item/2E9CEAFF/Animal-Print-Gladiator-Shoes

These are some super cute, leopard print gladiator pumps. These would be great with black or reds. They are definitely very eye-catching, but would be great with a simple outfit.

http://liveheartfelt.com/?p=85

Now I am a fan of zebra print because it’s basic black and white. It’s clean and crisp and can go well with black, white or even red. Now you could wear it with other colors, but this is for entry level animal print wear. These are some hot Giuseppe Zanotti pumps that definitely fall in the higher range in terms of cost, but you can use these as a model and get some shoes with a similar feel at a lower cost.

I’m a big fan of shoes and I love wearing a basic outfit with some show stopping heels.  One of my favorite places to shop for cute shoes without breaking my budget is Cutesy Girl.com.  Check out their site because I know they have some animal print shoes on the site.  That’s not an affiliate link, either. I just really like their shoes.

Happy shoe shopping!