Hello Everyone,

Winter is almost over and the Spring fashions are starting to roll on in. Even though it may seem a little early for some of you, Resort is back and in full force! For those of you who are wondering what a resort collection is, this season’s theme is nautical and safari. Its sexy, its cheeky, its funky- its everything a girl could ask for in a ready-to-wear collection for Spring 2010.

Alexander Wang Ready-to-Wear spring 2010

Chanel Ready-to-Wear Spring 2010

Even the classic Chanel tweed suit has been revised for all those who want to add a little polish to their safari getaway!

Now that we’ve covered two of the many fabulous looks for this season, I bet many of you are wondering how your makeup and hair look(s) will work with all of this. That is the beauty of this season! Spring is about a fresh start; so lets talk gorgeous skin. I’d have to say that our skin is one of the most neglected  areas of our face. In order to look your best, to be your most radiant and beautiful, your skin must be in tip-top shape. Over the course of this month I will be covering a different product to do with skincare and foundation each week, so stay tuned! On the docket for this week: Face Atelier Ultra Sheer Foundation.

FACE Atelier Ultra Sheer Foundation

This little number is oil-free, yet miraculously hydrating! It can act as illuminator for your whole face or as a highlight on cheekbones, noses, foreheads, etc. Its also suggested as an additive to your regular foundation to give your skin that young, healthy glow. Now that you have gorgeous skin, what about your makeup for your big Valentine’s Day date?!

Go dramatic with beautifully highlighted skin and intense eyes.

Lanvin Ready-to-Wear Spring 2010

You can achieve this with a creamy kohl pencil smudged around the lower and upper lashline of the eyes. The take your favourite metallic grey, black, or purple shadow and give yourself a sexy smokey eye. Remember to start at your lashline and feather the shadow upwards toward your crease. This way, you’ll achieve the intensity of the look without a harsh line ending at your crease. Lastly, finish with your favourite mascara, matte nude lipstick or gloss and you’re ready for your night out!

**FACE Atelier products now available at MikaOlivia! Send an email to info@mikaolivia.com for more information.

Written By:

.:Lady Bella:.  Wardrobe Stylist | Image consultant

www.artofbella.com

Hello Bella Christmas Party! A soiree of pampering and indulgence. Get ready for the holidays with Decadent treats from April Cakes, dazzling jewellery from Purple Studio by BozJewellery, Holiday makeup from MikaOlivia, Art for little eyes from Cici Art Factory, Velvety Sounds provided by DJLeanne, and complementary refreshments. Join us at 248 east 10th avenue, Vancouver, BC. Date: Friday, November 27th between 6pm – 10pm. RSVP to aprilcakes@shaw.ca. First 60 RSVP get a free gift from Hello Bella. Prizes will be awarded during the event.

The holidays are fast approaching, and we all know what that means… parties and shopping! Everyone knows you have to have an amazing outfit for each event but what about your hair and makeup? Here are a couple of ideas from some of the top designer’s fall and winter collections.

The perfect face ALWAYS starts with beautiful skin. Make sure to take extra steps to ensure healthy skin season. Use moisturizer, sunscreen (yes, I said sunscreen), and exfoliate [about] every 3 days to keep skin looking fresh.

LOOK 1: Sheer and Radiant~ For a natural holiday day look

Eyes- Use a muted shadow (purples, blues, and grays are perfect for this season) to give yourself some colour without looking too over the top. Next, apply liner in either dark grey or black to your upper lid only. Finish eyes with the blackest volumizing mascara. **Don’t forget to curl your lashes before applying mascara. For extra fullness, use a lash primer before mascara.

Lips- To compliment a muted eyeshadow colour use a neutral lipstick or gloss; for those who would like more colour, a berry coloured lip stain is always beautiful.

Cheeks- Your cheeks may be left bare… or try a very sheer wash of colour on the apples of your cheeks.

Givenchy Fall & Winter 2009

LOOK 2: The Statement Lip~ Be bold and daring at your next holiday party

Eyes- For daytime, defined brows and long lashes are always a great compliment to a statement lip. If you prefer to have liner, create a very thin line at the base of your upper lash line. This will help create the illusion of thicker lashes. Next, lots of mascara for long and full lashes. **Another alternative to mascara are lash extensions. One application should last you about one month. Its an easy way to long beautiful lashes without all the hassle. For a night look, add a sweep of dark shadow [black, greys, blues, and purples are best- depending on the lip colour] across your lids to add more drama to your look.

Lips- Choose from bright cherry reds to deep maroons, smokey purples to the blackest black… statement lips are anything but boring! ** Don’t forget to get a matching pencil to line your lips under your colour of choice. This will define as well as help keep your lipstick looking fresh all night

** Leave cheeks bare to keep the focus on the lips and eyes

Chanel & Yves Saint Laurent

Hair: Season is all about the lush locks, curls of every size, and elegant updo’s… not to mention the accessories! Try adding a sequined headband or a big beautiful bow to your hair, especially for a party or night out. The more creative, the better!

bebe Fall & Winter '09

Nails: We all know that no holiday outfit is complete without a fabulous manicure. The next time you get your nails done request OPI’s You Don’t Know Jacque! Nail Enamel from their Couture Couleur La Collection De France for Fall/Winter. While this offbeat gray may look a bit strange in the bottle, the effect on your nails will be anything but. Its the perfect addition to any holiday look.

OPI Nail Enamel Fall & Winter '09

If you’d like to see a demonstration of these holidays looks, not to mention a soiree of pampering and indulgence please come down to the MikaOlivia studio for our ‘Hello Bella Christmas Party’. For more information please see flyer and rsvp. Hope to see you all there!

Written By:

.:Lady Bella:.  Wardrobe Stylist | Image consultant

Thanks to The Province for featuring Karin in the “It list: Things I’m loving”.  Click on the image to read the article about fall trends for makeup.

Here we are once again, Halloween is just around the corner and you have no idea what you would like to dress up as or where to get your costume. Believe it or not, [often] the best places to get ideas are the hundreds of fabulous couture and ready-to-wear shows- anywhere from Miss Sixty to Dior and beyond! Here are some examples:

Futuristic: Alexander McQueen Fall '09

80's Rockstar: Miss Sixty Fall '09

The Flapper: Dolce and Gabbana Fall '09

… to name a few. The photos were supplied by www.style.com, one of my favourite websites for styling ideas, trend forecasting, and just fashion in general.

In light of the recent Vampire craze created by Twilight, True Blood, and The Vampire Diaries, here are a few ideas on a fun and sexy vampire makeup.

Bella Swan from Twilight

Selene from Underworld

The Classic Vampire

To achieve these looks, start with a white foundation either on its own or mixed with your regular colour so that it looks more natural [Try MAC Face and Body Foundation in White]. For those of you who are dark skinned, skip this step and move on to step 2- highlight.

Take an iridescent cream or powder and highlight your cheekbones, chin, straight down your nose to the tip, and your forehead [Try MAC Cream Colour Base in Pearl or Strobe Cream].

Next is eyes [Tip: if you are using a dark shadow start with your eyes, then move on to foundation. This way you will avoid pesky fallout which will ruin your beautiful foundation]. Define your brows with a nice solid high arch [Try: Joe Fresh Brow Pencils from Superstore **more bang for your buck!]. For eyeshadow, you may go neutral with a shimmery beige or white all over the eye. For the more adventurous, a sexy smokey eye in black or purple. **Don’t forget false lashes [Try: The Shu Umuera Lash Bar in Holt Renfrew, MAC False Lashes, and lashes from Makeup Forever]

Finally, the lip. The traditional vampire will always have bright red satin lips, but for those of you who prefer the darker route, go with a deep purple [Try: MAC Lipstick in Cyber with Nightmoth Lip Pencil underneath]

**Try adding things like crazy contact lenses, fake blood, and false fangs to complete your look.

Have a SAFE and HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!!!

For the best Halloween makeover you will ever receive, book a session with MikaOlivia. An industry professional will help you turn an ordinary Halloween in to and extraordinary one! Rates starting as low as $50 per person. For more info and booking please email us at info@mikaolivia.com or call 604.269.0408

Written by:

.:Lady Bella:.   Makeup Artist | Wardrobe Stylist

With beaded bows of all shapes and sizes, head scarves, headbands, leather and satin hats, lace, sequins, feathers, and more- this fall, hair is anything but boring.

There are endless ways to use these accessories in your everyday style. Choose one of your favourite pieces and add it to sleek hair, a messy fishtail braid, or long ringlet curls. For a more classic look pick an accessory with minimal embellishment. A small satin bow is a perfect way to update a sleek ponytail or a bun. For a more natural look, add a small to medium sized piece with a bit of embellishment to your usual hairstyle to bring your look together. For the adventurous ladies, choose medium to larger pieces with beads, jewels, feathers, and leather [for example]. You can add them to simpler styles to act as a focal point or go all out with a large piece and a funky updo.

This season, go for a full look. This means hair, makeup, wardrobe, and [of course] great hair  pieces. In addition, choose other accessories such as jewelry, handbags, or shoes that have the same type of embellishment as your hair accessory.

Another option is to match your accessories to your fall makeup. Fall 2009 is all about dramatic eyes. Try a beautiful smokey eye in a deep purple, black liner, and the blackest black mascara.

Style Tip: Elaborate hair accessories are also a great way to update any grad, prom, or bridal ensemble from simple to trendy.

Written by:

.:Lady Bella:.     Makeup Artist | Wardrobe Stylist

 

Venus loves her Goddess Guide

The Goddess Guide by Gisele Scanlon

As women, the idea of perfection is always on our minds. Whether we’re heading to work or getting ready for a glamorous night out. What is perfection and how can we achieve it? Perfection [despite what stereotypes tell us] is looking and feeling great in your own skin, no matter what the situation or occasion.

Within every one of us is an inner Goddess dying to make her debut. In honor of her I present to you one of the best comprehensive books of our generation: The Goddess Guide by Gisele Scanlon [I never leave home without it!]. Every little question you’ve asked yourself about beauty, style, fashion, and more is answered on 275 eclectically decorated pages. Some of the juicier tips which I enjoyed and found very useful were things such as the best moisturizers and for each season, fixes for unwanted body issues, beauty kit essentials, and how to buy everything from shoes and ‘it bags’ to coats and vintage according to body type and style. In the beauty section Gisele covers the best spots in New York, London, Paris, and Dublin for beauty products and treatments. She also includes a  ‘how to’ for doing your makeup on the go, and the best products and procedures for dealing with acne, spider veins, rosacea, wrinkles, and more!

This nifty little booklet can be picked up at your neighborhood chapters, amazon.com, and any of the usual bookstores… And at a price point of $25 for the hardcover and $20 for the paperback, there is no excuse for not indulging your inner goddess.

Thank you to Sarah Bancroft and her team at Vitamin V for featuring Karin on Vitamin Daily! It was an honor to be on the site and check out what they had to say below!

“When Vitamin Daily’s editors go on live air, we get our faces freshened by Karin Shoji of Mika Olivia, who pays attention to every dewy detail. Lights, camera, action! $50, Mika Olivia at The Studio, 248 E. 10th Ave., Vancouver, 604-269-0408, www.mikaolivia.com“