Sheer Madness


Sheer clothing has been a huge trend, and it's not slowing down this Spring. Sheer chiffon clothing can be very fun -- if it's done right. Here are some examples of sheer clothing done right, and the same look gone horribly wrong.

Selena Gomez

Selena Gomez (or her stylist anyway) can do no wrong -- she looked great on her Spring Breakers publicity tour. This look works because there's only a hint of sheerness. She's showing cleavage, but there really is nothing too revealing about this top.

Ashley Greene

Ashley Greene is a beautiful woman, but although there is actually a lot more coverage of the bust here. She is showing far more skin and the end-resut simply isn't flattering. Sheer tops also look better when they are more voluminous, not skintight.

Back in Blue


I always considered blue eyeshadow to be a bit of a fashion throwback, retro in a tacky way rather than a cool touch of vintage. But the mainstream institutions of fashion seem to believe otherwise: blue shadow is back in a big way.

Rihanna

While I was reluctant to embrace the trend at first, I'm coming around to it. You don't need to color your entire lid, but a bold streak of blue beneath the crease is a refreshing alternative to the typical smoky eye. Plus, this color really makes brown eyes pop. Just make sure that you go more neutral on the cheeks and lips to avoid the dreaded clown face.

Spring Spirit


Spring is officially here, meaning that now is the time embrace everything girly, soft and pastel. We haven't quite hit summer yet, so keep your form-fitting bodycon dresses in the closet for now. When I think of spring fashion, soft shapes and demure hemlines come to mind.

Billowy Layered Dress, forever21.com, $29.80
Billowy Layered Dress, forever21.com, $29.80

Lace is also a great choice for evoking the spirit of Spring.

Dakota Fanning

Old Wives' Tales or the Real Deal?


In every family, there is a great wealth of tradition, from family recipes to stories. For the women in the family, one other thing that gets passed down is a plethora of strange beauty treatments and regiments—at least, that’s how it is in my family. I suppose the affinity of women in contemporary America for getting poison injected into their faces would be considered a little strange to my great grandmothers, but to each her own eccentricity. Here are two examples of beauty weirdness various members of my family swear by:

1. Egg to maintain the hair’s integrity - My parents are from Iran, and my mom says that my grandmother used to treat her children’s hair with raw egg to nourish and strengthen the hair. I let her try it on me once. It was cold and wet and didn’t seem to produce any results. I call old wives’ tale.

Egg

2. Yogurt mask - Apparently, making a mask out of yogurt for one’s face can help to brighten and improve the complexion. This one might have a shred of credibility -- the lactic acid in yogurt may conceivably have some kind of effect on the skin. Maybe I’ll try it one day.

Does your family have any interesting or quirky beauty routines?

Ear Cuff: Yea or Nay?


I'm sure you've seen this accessory around. Ear cuffs seem to be the new fashion "thing."

Rihanna ear cuffs

This probably means that earrings are passe now. Pity.

I'm not sure how I feel about ear cuffs yet. Yes, the look is experimental and edgy, but I'm not sure how many people can pull it off successfully. Should one take face shape into consideration when picking an ear cuff? Not to mention the risk of having your cool new accessory mistaken for a glorified BlueTooth.

What are your thoughts? Ear cuff: yea or nay?

 
Tina Karimi
Fashion Babbler
Tina Karimi is a Media Studies major at UC Berkeley who hopes to pursue a career in communications. An opinionated bookworm at heart, she also plans on traveling the world, locating the mythical Perfect Pair of Jeans, and possibly climbing Mt. Everest (she reasons that if she can find those jeans, anything is possible). She believes that fashion should be fun and individual.
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