High Ponytails…

Sleek high ponytails have been seen at Donna Karan, Nicol Farhi, and Monique Lhuillier Spring/Summer 2012 fashion shows. To achieve the look hair must be perfectly sleek while the tail can be teased to look more voluminous. The ponytails at Donna Karan featured super sleeked almost wet look hair that was fixed in a high loose ponytail.

Ponytails can be worn both on a daily basis and for the night out. Tease or decorate the ponytail to glam it up for a special occasion, we opted for a black leather style wrap when shooting our Autumn / Winter 2011 trends. To achieve this gorgeous wearable look, follow these steps.

• Dampen your hair and spray your whole head liberally with any good gel hair product. You may prefer to use a styling spray or gel. You can also create this ponytail with wet hair, letting it air dry after your hair is in the ponytail.  We Suggest: Trying L’Oreal X-TENSO MOISTURIST for an extra sleek look and a very strong hold.

• Use a smooth wide-toothed comb or smooth pick to smooth and untangle the hair.

• Secure your hair in a firm, but not overly tight, ponytail in a “hair friendly” elastic band such as a Blax, Bungee or similar.
  Note: It is best not to pull the hair too tightly into the ponytail. If the ponytail is too tight you may experience a slight headache. Long term wearing of tight ponytails can actually encourage hair loss in some circumstances.

• Spray with a strong hair spray. If you have bangs, you can slick them back, to the side or spiked up.

Brown Sugar xox

Brown Sugar Better Fashion Week!

Brown Sugar Better Fashion Week will take place at No. 6 Castle Market Street, D.2 from the 25th – 29th April. This will highlight the issue of sustainable fashion through a series of pop-up shops, exhibitions, installations, events & industry talks with fashion heavy weights like Artist/Designer Helen Steele, and ethical fashion writers Lucy Seigle and Dr. Kate Fletcher also taking part.

Dublin city-centre will see some of the most creative minds in the Irish industry join forces with top international fashion talent to give us a once off and unique insight into the artistry of cutting-edge fashion. No. 6 Castle Market Street will host a selection of Irish designers giving ethical Irish fashionistas the chance to pick up a range of beautiful Irish designs & fashion all under one roof.

Some of the people, Better Fashion Week, has had the great honour of working with to bring Better Fashion to you:

Katharine Hamnett, Constance Harris, Deirdre McQuilan,  Sonya Lennon, Simone Rocha, Una Burke, Eilis Boyle, Joanne Hynds, Helen Steele, Andrea Cruz, RHLS NYC, Language creative design agency, Oxfam, Edun, Head of CSR at H&M, Mike Barry Head of Sustainable Business at M&S, Izzy Lane, Clean Clothes Campaign, Fair Trade Ireland, Festival of World Cultures, Castlepalooza Music & Arts Festival & Electric 

Brown Sugar Better Fashion Week – April 23rd – 29th. EARLY BIRD TICKETS NOW AVAILABLE – Entry into all events, talks, mentoring, films screenings and shows for just €55!

The Line Up:

Lucy Siegle – The Observer’s magazine & Author of To Die For – Is Fashion Wearing out the World?

Better Fashion Industry Symposium with the Sunday Independent’s Constance Harris

Fashion Mentoring with a stellar line up of the best of the Irish fashion Industry

Future Textile discussions with UCD Smart Lab

An evening with Dr. Kate Fletcher; Author of Sustainable Fashion and Textiles; design stories

Local Wisdom Photoshoot with Dr. Kate Fletcher

Live Hair instillations from your’s truly, Brown Sugar

Irish Premier of Bill Cunnighan’s New York by Richard Press – The amazing life of legendary street photographer Bill Cunningham.

The Art of Fashion with HELEN STEELE

Irish Premier of Bitter Seeds – the true story of cotton – by Micha Peled followed by panel discussion with the Irish Clean Clothes Campaign

RTE’s HANDS (Textile Focus) in collaboration with the IRISH DESIGN SHOP

……. and much more

EARLY BIRD TICKETS NOW AVAILABLE – Entry into all events, talks, mentoring, films screenings and shows for just €55!

Brown Sugar, Charity Sunday – 13th May

Brown Sugar is opening our doors, on Sunday the 13th of May in aid of the St.Francis Hospice, Raheny.

The St.Francis Hospice provides specialist palliative care for patients with advanced Cancer and motor Neuron disease, living in north Dublin city and county. Their comprehensive care offers supportive services to patients, their families and carers – without financial cost to patients. This is a cause quite close to our heart here in Brown Sugar.

We would appreciate our customers, considering booking their next appointment with Brown Sugar for this day, Sunday 13th of May – as all proceeds taken from this day will be donated to this worthy cause.

Coming Soon…

Last year, you applied in your hundreds to be Brown Sugar’s Next Top Model! This year we want more, we are on the hunt for TWO fierce models, one male and one female, to take part in our hair shows and photo shoots.

Last year’s winner has been heavily involved with Brown Sugar shoots and hair shows and we received some phenomenal images, which are used throughout Brown Sugar’s portfolio, not to mention the boost to your portfolio you will receive!

Applicants should direct themselves to our Facebook page where they will find our competition app, you will be asked to upload just ONE photo, so choose wisely! As the public will be the ones to decide the winner… It will all come down to how much of an impression this one image will make.

We are looking for models who are open-minded to having their hair cut and coloured, if this is you, then we want to hear from you!

Our app for applicants to enter will be going live in the coming days, so watch this space!

 

 

Brown Sugar Make-Up Course 2012

Is make-up your passion? Brown Sugar are inviting you to come and experience private make-up lessons thought by resident Brown Sugar make-up artist and one of the best in the business, Seána Long.

Seána counts a host of celebrities, TV presenters, models and well known socialites among her clients including Caprice, JEDWARD, Miriam O Callaghan, Sile Seoige, Claudine Palmer-Keane, Miss World winner Rosanna Davison, Amanda Brunker and Georgia Salpa to name but a few.

The course is suitable for anyone who wants to learn basic skills,  building right up to professional techniques. Make-Up is provided for the duration of the course.

The Course begins on the 12th March, if you re interested, don’t delay the class in half filled already and is filling up fast! To enroll or for further information contact Jill on (01) 6169967

Make up Versus Fake up – Concluded…

We have come to the conclusion of our make-up Versus fake-up tips to better your make-up applying skills! By now we expect you to be at professional level!! Joking… But if you would like to be at professional level, you can sign up to our Brown Sugar make-up course, taught by our resident make-up artist who has worked with the best in the business, Seaná Long. Contact Jill in our South William Street salon on (01)6169967 for booking info.

Today we’re talking ‘tips for cheeks’ and how to create a natural, rosy radiance.

When applying blush, you want the color to look soft and natural, as if it comes from within. Read below for tips on how to put on make-up.

1. Tap or lightly blow on the applicator brush to remove any excess blush before applying to prevent a harsh and uneven application.
2. Apply your blush on the apple of the cheek and carefully blend towards your natural hairline.
3. If you have two shades, apply the darker one on the apple of the cheek first, then use the lighter shade to highlight. Blend well so there is no visible line between colors.
4. Highlight your temples, forehead and chin.

Tip: To know “where to glow” bend over for 30 seconds, then slowly stand up. Where your cheeks are flushed is where you are meant to blush. Apply your blush there and it will be naturally rosy every time.

 Tip: Cheek color should be used to enhance your complexion, not to change your natural skin tone. Use sparingly for daytime, then add more or a deeper shade for a more dramatic nighttime effect. For special occasions, dust a lightly frosted powder over your cheekbones for a subtle but alluring glow.

 Tip: Make sure to blend your blush into your foundation well or it will tend to look unnatural and add the appearance of 5 years to your looks.

Make up Versus Fake up – Part Three!

We have reached the penultimate part of our make-up versus fake-up tutorials, we hope you have mastered the art of applying lipstick and eye-liner by now, because today we are bringing you our secret to a dewy, flawless complexion with our ‘how to apply make-up’ tips.

Secret to a natural, flawless look

1. Apply foundation to your cheeks, forehead, and chin using a foundation brush, sponge, or clean fingertips. Blend the foundation all the way to your natural hairline with long, light strokes.
2. Continue blending over the jawline and onto your neck to achieve a natural, seamless look. Check your face and neck in natural light to make sure the foundation is completely blended in all areas.
3. If under-eye circles or red spots remain, do not add more foundation; it can look heavy and cakey. Instead, try a concealer.

 Tip: Choose the shade of your foundation carefully. When testing out shades, pick one that matches the tone of your jawline exactly. It helps to use a mirror outdoors to see how shades look in natural light.

 Tip: Begin by applying a small amount of foundation then increase amount to achieve the degree of coverage that suits your skin.

 Tip: For daytime, mix your foundation with a light SPF moisturizer before applying for a smoother, more sheer application.

Make up Versus Fake up – Part Deux

Last week we thought you how to apply lipstick like a pro! We hope you have tried some of our tips? This week we are talking eyeliner! First up, for all of you sophisticates out there, is how to create a sophisticated look!

Creating the sophisticated look

1. Apply a light eyeshadow over your entire eyelid from lash line to eyebrow bone, but not beyond.

2. Define the crease of your eyelid using a medium or dark shade. The deeper the shade, the more dramatic the look.

3. To open up your eyes so that they appear livelier, place a dot of a light shade in the inner corner of each eye.

Tip: When choosing an eyeshadow shade, keep in mind that a pastel shade will look softer while a darker shade will appear more dramatic when applied.

Creating a more elegant / dramatic look 

1. To create a gorgeous night time look, use light, medium and dark eyeshadow shades in graduated tones. Apply the dark shade along your lash line, the medium shade on the crease, and a light shade up to the eyebrow bone but not beyond. Soften and blend any hard edges so one colour seems to melt into the next.

2. To open up your eyes so that they appear livelier, place a dot of a light shadow in the inner corner of each eye.

3. For a sexy, smoky effect, trace the upper and lower lashes with a dark shadow then smudge with a blending brush. To optimise the look, this can also be done over eyeliner.

Make up Versus Fake Up

2012 has arrived, another year to get it right… Get what right? Make-Up
of course! It’s time to ditch the fake-up in favour of some presentable
make-up! Today we are talking lips.

Applying lipliner is not only a great way to define and accentuate the
shape of your lips, but also to keep your lipstick from feathering.

1. Begin applying lipliner at the center of your natural upper lip line
to define the bow then work toward the outer corners to complete the line.

2. Start at one corner of your bottom lip then follow your natural lip
line all the way to the other corner.

Tip (i): Choose a lipliner that matches your lipstick or a flesh tone shade
for a soft, natural look.

Tip (ii): To get plumper, pinker looking lips, do not touch up by drawing a
hard lip line; smudge it so lips look fuller! For a more dramatic
fullness, choose a lipstick shade with a hint of frost.

Tip (iii): To avoid lipstick on your teeth, put your index finger in your
mouth
and then draw it out slowly with your mouth closed. What you see on your
finger is what would have ended up on your teeth!

For all of you make-up enthusiasts who would like a more in-depth knowledge
of make-up application we run a fabulous course here in Brown Sugar. For
more information contact us on (01)6169967

The best of beauty in 2011

It has been a big year for beauty trends; New York, London and Paris fashion weeks showcased several beauty trends, and we have been taking note as to what looks might catch on.

A big trend which has been seen all over the red carpet this year is the red lip. Statement lips came back with a bang in 2011, and this ultra-glam look is perfect for going from daytime to dance floor. A girl should always have a gorgeous red lipstick in her make-up bag, and our Kohl matador red lipstick is a fantastic choice!

Strong brows have been a big winner among the fashionistas and the best way to wear statement brows is with soft, dewy make-up. Our HD Brow service in Brown Sugar has been receiving some amazing feedback – It is definitely the new beauty must-have!

Full, luscious long lashes have captivated the world of fashion. Adding some extra length and volume to your lashes will accentuate your eyes. Our lash service in Brown Sugar is the ultimate treat, so stop by and try it out!

If you would like to learn the art of perfecting your make-up, then our seven week make-up course is just for you.Contact Jill in our South William Street salon for details on how to sign up.