Archive for April, 2008

For the spring casual look for men we continue with the the low down on how to achieve that smart-but-effortlessly-casual look for after work, events and dates!Jumpers and Cardigans:
Fine knit sweaters: don’t wear these if you have a bit of a paunch or man boobs as they cling to every curve!V-necks will elongate your face if it’s a little on the round side and your neck if it’s a little on the short side!Crew necks suit slim guys. Wear them with a T-shirt underneath. Make sure your T-shirt is fairly fitted or you will get a “skirt” effect where it comes out the bottom of your jumper.Shirts:
Shirts should have a soft collar and be slightly shaped but not skin tight. Choose a style that looks good without a tie. Don’t wear a work shirt with a stiff, formal collar.Jackets:
There’s no need to wear a blazer with this look! “Harrington” style jackets can look great, and bombers suit the younger and leaner guy.But, for the safest, yet coolest look, I would stick to a pea-coat: it’s perfect to wear with jeans, or smart trousers, and can even go over a suit too. Or, a cotton trench-style jacket can work well. Epaulettes are great if you have narrow shoulders as they will broaden them.Shoes: 
Shoes with a moulded sole bridge the gap between a shoe and a trainer. Match the colour to your trousers to elongate your legs. To make your legs look even longer, make sure your belt is the same colour as your trousers and not your top.“Smart” trainers also work well – check out Gucci, Prada and Paul Smith – and they look great with jeans or smarter trousers.One other thing guys, please…don’t wear shoes with combat trousers!T-shirts and tops:
Wear your t-shirts plain and fairly fitted, for the smartest look. Don’t go skin tight though, especially if you have man boobs, and make sure it’s long enough to cover a bit of a tummy if you have one, without being voluminous and sacklike!Polo shirts look younger with a crew neck t-shirt underneath. They can be good for those who have lost sight of their six pack, as it brings the eye upwards and away from the problem area!Accessories:
Accessories will make all the difference to this look.Belts: choose a belt that’s sleeker than a chunky jeans belt, but not as formal as a suit belt,  perhaps a leather one with stitching detail.Bags: opt for a bag that is less sporty than a rucksack and but not as formal as a briefcase.

Beauty Spy Secret # 1    Preparing itPrimer Primer Primer!Ever wondered why your eyeshadow seems to disappear quicker than an English summer?It’s all to do with the preparation.What the beauty experts say is that for perfect eye make up you need to use a good base all over your eyelid to keep your eye make-up in place all day.Try the silicone-packed Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion - any beauty maverick will tell you it’s the silicone that gives it such smooth and silky application.Beauty Spy Secret # 2  Faking itA picture speaks a thousand words.  Check out the pictures on the left! These are from Eye-Tec (more details in ‘Stockists’ at end.) They extend your lashes and instantly transform your eyes without surgery.They can take years off you and eliminate the need for mascara, so it is a fab way to have big fluttery-but-natural-looking eyelashes. AND they last 4 weeks.Great for a spring getaway or a summer holiday! Beauty Spy Secret # 3  Making It!With the right know-how and some fabulous colours, you can really stand out this season with eye-popping gorgeous looks you’ll love.If you are feeling daring, go for a bold colour like pink, blue or green. If you want to tone it down a bit, just turn up the volume on your everyday look with some spangly golds/bronze or metal colours and knock ‘em dead! Beauty Spy Secret # 4  Remove it!The one down side of make-up that doesn’t budge is getting it to - well, budge!There are two top eye make-up remover products that will save you a lot of soreness, redness, eye-rubbing and premature ageing!Check out Lancome’s Effacil for sensitive eyes and great lash conditioning, or the gel-based Urban Decay Clean & Sober which has lavender extracts to soothe your skin.