NEW Designer Fall Suede Booties Plus Care & Cleaning Tips

Suede Booties like these from Rag and Bone as well as Musse & Cloud are trending this fall. 

Fashion Week, NYC is a lovely time to get a peek at street style as show attendees, models and editors like myself run from show to show. One of the trends this fall includes comfy suede booties. I was looking at Rag and Bone's fall collection along with Prada and Givenchy suede booties and noticed lots of fringe along with peep toes. These make for a lovely transition into fall!  Here are some of my favorites along with a few tips at the end of the article on keeping them all clean despite rainy autumns in New York.

Lace Up Front Peep Toe Suede Booties by Prada

Editor's Choice: Top Street Style Looks from New York Fashion Week 2015

Some of the amazing street style outfits of 2015 Mercedes Benz Fashion Week, NYC

New York Fashion Week 2015 started off with sunshine, a gust of wind, clouds and then snow. Just like the fashion scene today. A mixed bag of textures and beauty. Here are some of my favorite street style looks from Lincoln Center Plaza.

So love this suede over the knee boots which were EVERYWHERE.

Neko Zhang in a lovely red coat & veiled hat. Instagram: nekoislove

Impeccably done patterned fur & fox fur hat. Suede over the knee boots!

Tan tunic with black leather side panels by designer Donna Degnan, NYC

NY Fashion Week Style-Edgy with a surprise pop of pink.

Loved the luxe faux fur coat and floppy hat with this outfit.

White faux fur with red stripes on the bottom. Simply works.

Crowds leaving the fashion show at the Mercedes Benz Fashion Week building.

To me, the most interesting styles were on the street. Designers showing here at the MB Fashion Week Theatre and Salon today were: BCBG Max Azria, Costello Tagliapietra, Tadashi Shoji and Todd Snyder. Downtown, Timo Weiland's show was at Pier 59 Studios, 59 Chelsea Piers #2. Also Honor showed at Artbeam, 540 W. 21st. This fall-winter FW2015-16, look for high-heeled over the knee boots in suede. Faux and real fur (i.e. fox a la Joseph Altuzarra) isn't going anywhere anytime soon. Fur trooper hats are making a comeback, (did they ever leave?)

My tunic and white blouse are both by New York designer, Donna Degnan and made in NYC. Despite the temperature drop and snow flurries, I was incredibly warm and happy outdoors. The pockets and full lining and zip front are also a major plus!

Modeling at the Fashion Week afterparty-Photo by Andrew Fitzsimons

Makeup-Kett Cosmetics Hydro Foundation
Micheal Kors Black Leather Tassel Knox Bag - Mine
Oscar de la Renta Silk Scarf - Mine
Jewelry by Tiffany & Co.
Special thanks to FashionXTech and the sponsors for furnishing transportation to the shows.

NYFW Runway 500 Eye Makeup Designs Esum Brushes, Pur Minerals and Sephora's Makeup Forever

500 Eye Makeup Designs and some of my favorite tools to do it.

Kicking off Fashion Week, you can't help but envy some of the exotic eye makeup designs we see on the runway. Well, I've walked the runway and know how much a beautiful eye makeup application can do to compliment an outfit. So here are some tips and tools to add some pop to your eyes and wow to those brows:

NEW! 500 Eye Makeup Designs by Kendra Stanton
Kendra is a nationally renowned makeup artist with her work being seen on the covers of Fast Company, Los Angeles Magazine and the pages of Muse Magazine, Runners World and the New York Times. Just published in August 2014, Stanton's book offers everything from the more subdued everyday work looks to more artistic high fashion eye makeup seen on the pages of Vogue and Harper's. I really like the variety of designs and the choice to go a bit crazy for Holidays or even cos-play. 320 pages with a brief tutorial in the back of the which acts as the basis for all eye makeup applications. Book is available at FairwindsPress.com or Amazon.com and retails for $24.99

New fall eye makeup colors from Pur Perfect Fit Eyeshadow Trio

Pur Perfect Fit Eyeshadow Trios
New for fall, these Pur Perfect Fit Trios shown here are: Jet Setter, Bohemian Bombshell and Lady Luck. This Belgium formula describes itself as, "Luminous, long-wear colours that correct the look of lines and creases. Beauty - pur and simple."
I don't have serious lines but it's good to know that this formula will not make matters worse! Feels almost creamy when blended but it is truly a powder formula. Reminds me of my Bare Minerals Eye Duos, (my favorite is The Top Shelf). If you want perfect eye shadow application that doesn't crease, first prime your lids with something like L'Oreal's Miracle Blur and set with a silicon powder like Elf's High Definition Powder. Check the new Perfect Fit Trios out at PurMinerals.com

My Favorite Eye Makeup Tools - Esum Pro Essential 14 pc Set
If you are looking to move up to makeup artist quality brushes, you'll want to check out Muse Beauty Pro. You will need serious brushes like these to pull off the looks in the book. Some of my favorites from this pro set include:

S33 Medium Round Eye Contour Brush
B15 Angle Brow Brush
W21 Small Filbert Shader Brush
T05 Square Liner Brush
G09 Extra Small Scallop Liner Brush

Esum brushes are available at MuseBeauty.Pro

Make Up Forever Smokey Extravagant Mascara & Sephora Colorproof Liquid Eyeliner in Navy Blue
This season, navy blue is the new black so you might want to check out how to wear this with a subdued smokey eye. I like Sephora's Makeup Forever Mascara as well as their namesake Colorproof Waterproof Liquid Eyeliner. Always use an eyelash curler before applying mascara. What's hot now also are eyelash extensions. Add them in one by one for the most natural look with less mascara clumps and cleanup. Many spas like J n K at Commisso and Co. Hair Salon in Port Washington, Long Island offer this service so check around.

Sephora Colorproof Waterproof Eyeliner in Blue Navy

Boots Botanics Eyeliner Pencil
I received this is my BoxyCharm subscription box this spring. It is made with skin conditioning jojoba oil but the label says made in China! Boots is a UK drugstore brand and I have used this eye pencil quite a bit. I like that it comes with its own sharpener, similar to the Elf Eyeliner Pencils. The color does seem to stay put and if you pop any pencil in the fridge before sharpening, you can get a clean, tight line. Clean up of all this eye makeup needn't be a horror either. Very heavy eye makeup comes off easily with Lumene Waterproof Eye Makeup Remover. It comes from Finland and is made with 100% Organic Arctic Linen Seed oil and can be used on eyes and lips. Use this or gently massage some organic coconut oil over your lids and wipe gently with a flannel or face cloth.

Makeup Forever Mascara and Boots Botanics Eyeliner

Book and Eye Shadows c/o Fairwinds Press and Pur Minerals respectively

Burberry Prorsum #SS2014 Womenswear Show - Backstage Beauty Booth #LFW

Personal Shout Out from backstage at the Burberry Prorsum Show Beauty Booth! Do as their runway model says and follow me on Twitter @DoctorM

London, England One of my favorite highlights from London Fashion Week was the Burberry Prorsum Womenswear SS2014 Show. The open space of runway was so lovely, just like being in the greenhouse of an English garden, hence the theme of the show was the English Rose.

Shop the Runway: Burberry Portrait Neckline Trench

In the Trenches

What caught my eye from Burberry's Spring 2014 line were their soft flowing shell coats in a buttery wool and silk fabric and pastel tones. One that I especially liked was a belted version which shows the waist similar to how their classic trench in the lead photo does. You'll see this Portrait Neckline Trench in the show but with a colorful gem-encrusted belt at the waist. This gives this neutral coat a pop of fresh spring color while accenting the female shape. Look for it in the Full Show Video below, as it is a show stopper!
 

Burberry Prorsum Womenswear Spring Summer 2014 Collection
Every show has a story. Here is the theme right from Burberry themselves:

FABRIC & CRAFT

Celebrating rich British fabrics and expert craftsmanship. Coats wrap intricate English lace, while Scottish-knitted cashmere and soft suede create clean, modern textures with gemstone motifs.

My runway model friend in an unfinished wool shell coat.

COLOURS & TEXTURES

The runway collection features muted powder tones with shots of radiant brights. Vibrant pastels are expressed on raw silk and lace, while summer hues of mint, lilac and rose are softened on sheer jersey, suede and brushed cashmere.

 

Burberry Show Finale:
This Vinyl Gem Encrusted Jacket was another show stopper which is why they saved it for the finale. It's one way to beat the showers while letting your beautiful English lace show through.

Gem encrusted vinyl jacket was the show's finale piece.

What's New from Burberry for SS2014?

THE PETAL

Introducing The Petal, the new runway bag. Soft and foldable, the effortless clutch presents bold pastels and powdery hues enhanced with flowers, dots and stripes. Explore the collection in super-soft deerskin, tactile alligator and translucent rubber.

Burberry introduces the lovely Petal Bag in pastels for SS2014.

 

Creme de la Creme Fashion Week Artist Secrets from Embryolisse Paris - France

Creamy!: Embryolisse BB Cream, Creme Hydrante a l'Orange & Artist Secret Compact Foundation Cream

NYC, NY Fashion Week: I have my Fashion Week NYC Pinterest Board up now so please check it out!  One thing you will be seeing next spring is a much lighter hand in makeup. The French always prize skincare over trying to cover a bad complexion with tons of makeup. This is really a good place to start, especially when you see how many lines are now including more significant SPF protection and botanical ingredients.

Makeup Your Mind
One of the best things you can do is to focus on obtaining a healthy complexion by prepping your skin from the inside out. 

1.) Include essential fatty acids in your diet each day such as: walnuts, mackerel, salmon and sardines for a complexion that's moist and glowing. 

2.) Next, invest in skincare over let's say, the latest eye shadow shade from Dior (j' adore Dior)!

3.) Become a moisturizing and primer maven. This creates a perfect base for a flawless makeup application.

4.) Become a shady character. Make sure you wear a SPF of at least 20 EVERYDAY. Even on seemingly cloudy days.

Primer, concealer and BB Cream make the perfect base for your makeup.

Shine Stoppers
One of the problems with wearing makeup in warmer weather is the appearance of oily sheen. I actually like a dewy finish but full out oiliness isn't attractive! I like the Emulsion Hydra-Mat as a primer/moisturizer as it will help blot up later oil breakouts. Another option is the Creme Hydrante a l'Orange which has natural extracts of orange which is rich in vitamin C, vitamin E, sweet almond and sesame oils.

BB Cream-y
I particularly like Embryolisse Artist Secret Complexion Illuminating Veil BB Cream because unlike some others, it has a SPF 20. It also works with just about all skin tones. It's opaque enough to brighten and correct minor flaws but nude enough to allow your natural pigmentation to shine through. It's not cakey and has mineral powders with light reflecting properties.

I'm wearing Artist Secret Compact Foundation Cream in Hale (Tanned)

Artist Secret Compact Foundation Creme
You are really going to love this for spring! This compact foundation is very creamy and comes with it's own little sponge all hidden away. A little goes a long way, especially when applied over concealer and BB Cream. It goes on very smooth, (use a moist blender sponge), but dries to a semi matte finish. Your skin looks so naturally radiant and plumped up. That's because this Artist Secret has a double moisturizing treatment of hyaluronic acid and vitamin E. On top of that, it has a SPF protection of 20. BOOM!

Spring 2014: Less is More. Artist Secret Compact Foundation Cream

 
Skincare and Makeup c/o Embryolisse USA 
Eyewear by XX2i Optics France 1 Collection
Hat: Tinsley by Pistil Designs

Fashion's Night Out 4th Anniversary

New York, NY:  Fashion's Night Out returns to help kick off Fashion Week in New York City on September 6th, 2012.  Celebrating it's 4th year, there will be lots of models, shows, open shops, parties, samples and mayhem on hand for participating fashionistas that night.  It's supposed to rain so if you are made of sugar (like me), check out your local indoor mall to see if they are celebrating this event there.  Here is a list of other Fashion's Night Out Celebrations across the country.

Kicking off Fashion Week!  Shirt: ExOfficio's Campista  3/4 Sleeve. 

Skirt by Ralph Lauren

Not in NYC this week?   Check your local mall to see if they are celebrating Fashion's Night Out or offering Fashion Week specials there.

Take a bicycle through the city and shop or just walk for Fashion Week!  Either way you'll have a super time while staying fit and saving gas. Check out this music video of fall fashion ideas for the cycling & walking set!