Love for Red-Orange Lips

My daughter sees the lips shining and asks, "What's that Mommy?"

I was low-energy this morning so I thought I'd shoot up the statement on my lips to try and boost some spirit into my day. Color always helps! And, bold reddish-oranges are a surprisingly good match for many skin tones while being totally hot to trot. Just keep the rest of the face clean, and you'll be good to go. I think red-orange is the perfect lip hue for September.

All about red-orange lips for September

Red-Orange Lips 1-2-3:

1) Apply lipstick on well-moisturized lips, starting at the peaks/middle and working your way out. For everyday application I use the stick itself -- no brush. You can adjust the lines and color saturation by blending and cleaning up with your index finger. Blot if necessary with a tissue.

2) Add clear lip gloss for extra shine. For extra pop try a gold-colored gloss.

3) And lastly, here are some riveting red-orange rouges: Milani Color Perfect Lipstick in Mandarina ($5) and Nars Semi-Matte Lipstick in Heat Wave, ($24).

-N.C.

Disclaimer: Nuy Cho has no affiliation to any of the beauty companies mentioned on www.nuybeauty.com.

The Brilliance of Braids

I love braids. I was the girl in the room that begged to braid your hair back in the day, and I'm the woman in the boutique who loves the single braided detail on a long, jersey dress. Braids are brilliant and ultimately romantic. They're the one thing that keep me from chopping my hair off when my daughter playfully but painfully tugs on my loose strands, or when I accidentally zip my ponytail into the over-sized zipper on my purse. Yes, ow! But the long, interwoven "works of art" you can achieve make it worth your while.

The Savvy Sideways Plait 1-2-3:

I braid when I feel like my hair isn't lying properly, and I want a quick up-do. Yesterday I did a sideways-three, meaning:

1) I took my hair to one side and did three separate braids, tying them off with small elastic bands.
2) Next, I braided the three individual braids into one big braid.
3) The effect was something I was quite happy with. Have a look, try it if you will, and tell me what you think!

The three-on-one braid

A close-up of the braid that took me five minutes to do.
I used one of my favorite hair-ties to finish (you can get a similar one here).

-N.C.

Disclaimer: Nuy Cho has no affiliation to any of the beauty companies mentioned on www.nuybeauty.com.

The Grandmothers: Love & Beauty

My mother's mother, and my older uncle, circa 1955

My father's mother, and me, circa 1976

I've been wanting to do this for quite some time, i.e., to put photos up of my grand-maternal lineage. Why you ask? Well, not only because I have this urge to share their serene faces with you, but because they both, in their own way taught me something so old-fashioned, yet important: As a woman, take the time to look and be the best that you can be.

Both my Korean grandmothers (both raised during the Japanese occupation of Korea) have now since passed, but of the very few photos I have framed in my home, their visages are there, ever-present. When I look at my maternal grandmother, I remember how much she loved the color violet, and what care she took of her roses. She was the urban monarch of the two. She never left her home with a hair out of place or without her rouge painted with pencil precision. She taught me how a pretty lady sits with her knees slightly pitched to the side, and gestures her hands (always delicate movements), but was also a voracious reader, who confided in me once that if she could live again she would set out to be a detective/crime novelist.

My paternal grandmother wasn't as into the powder and lipstick, as she was more the pastoral regent. But, what I do remember is the care she put into her hair. When I was very young, she had it very long, tucked into a bun, and parted down the middle -- an age-old Korean style. Then at some point after she lost her husband, my grandfather, she had it chopped into an adorable bob, one that only works that well on a 4'10" grandma. That rock-steady part, never missed a beat or drifted from its path, even after she hit age 90. She groomed it with a simple comb, and water. This is a woman that years after her family introduced her to the modern convenience of toothpaste, used the extreme country method of dental cleansing: coarse salt.

I watched them, learned from them, and loved them dearly. And they LOVEd me, carried me on their backs, wiped my tears away, and gave me the confidence to be me. And I still feel it, everyday.


-N.C.

Disclaimer: Nuy Cho has no affiliation to any of the beauty companies mentioned on www.nuybeauty.com.

Fall Giveaway: The Get Gorgeous Gift Bag

Gift Bag Contents (clockwise):
Philosophy Deep Sea Ultra-Fine Hydrating Mist
Nars Pure Matte Lipstick in Vesuvio
Hello Kitty Nail Files, set of four
Maybelline Lash Stiletto in Very Black 951
Tokidoki Cromatico Eye Shadow in Nancy Rocks (bright purple)
e.l.f. Waterproof Eyeliner Pen in Black 7303

It's getting breezy out, and there's that certain fall, apple-crispness in the air. I've just bought my daughter her winter boots (waterproof and black, a no-brainer for matching), and I couldn't help but get her two fall jackets, also black: one in corduroy, and the other a soft, motorcycle jacket from Old Navy. Soon, it'll be time to bust out the cozy cashmere sweaters!

Given all the changes going on in my family's life with our move, I thought I'd do a fall giveaway, because why not? `Tis the season for some fresh color! And, just to make it extra special, one item I picked for the gift bag spread is the beautiful, just-launched, matte red lipstick by Nars -- in Vesuvio.

So hurry up and get gorgeous! All you've got to do is comment on this post to enter the contest.

UPDATE: Mi-Eun is our lovely winner. Thanks for commenting!

-N.C.

Disclaimer: Nuy Cho has no affiliation to any of the beauty companies mentioned on www.nuybeauty.com.

Moving, Moving, Moving!

My daughter tests out some of the doors at our new digs.

I apologize for not having posted in awhile. I knew I was going to have to move, but it then came up so quickly. The unpacking, reorganizing, cleaning, etc., that all come with the territory, have all been extra challenging with a two-year-old. But I'm almost there with the new apartment, and it's wonderful that my daughter will now have her own bedroom. That's very exciting for me, since I never got the opportunity to decorate an entire room for her before she was born. So yes, it's been stressful as moves inevitably are, but this also represents a great transition filled with fun, and a whole new landscape to color coordinate and design. A perfect fall project!

I promise I'll be back soon with my beauty head intact, once my house has been restored to a home-state. Until then, you can always listen in and/or join in on the NuyBeauty.com discussions on everything from stain removal tips to your favorite perfumes on my Facebook Page!


-N.C.

Disclaimer: Nuy Cho has no affiliation to any of the beauty companies mentioned on www.nuybeauty.com.