Everybody loves a makeover!

So, what do you do if you have a house in an attractive location (The Hampton's), but it's in need of a major makeover.... Did I mention your budget is tiny?? Well, if you were so lucky (as these homeowners are) to have Eddie Ross as a friend, why not simply ask for help!!!!?

This 1960's ranch style house barely made it into the '70's... and got stuck! Eddie Ross and his team to the rescue!! No doubt about it, good bone structure helps, so does tons of white paint, and a good eye for spotting a fabulous deal on furniture. A fresh new pallet in white and pretty blues, with pops of color, Voila!

The only major renovation to the house was taking away the triangular part of the front window, streamlining the space. Tall white curtains keeps the space soft, while still letting in tons of light!! Infusing the room with a few natural elements (shells, sea grass rug, bamboo side table, wood coffee table, flowers) keeps it fresh, pretty and livable.

What before was an eyesore (believe you me!), now has become a focal point. The bookshelf on the back wall, has been dressed in new crisp white paint, with a wonderful soft blue on the back. Decorating the bookshelf with artifacts, photographs and books, Eddie was able to bring in a little interest to the room, drawing you in.... Don't you want to take a closer look? Well here is your chance; the entire room, as it was photographed for Country Living, below...

Click to enlarge and read article.

As you can see in the image (top right) this space was in need of SERIOUS help, and I just love how this all came together. As these images are not new and if you have seen them before, so be it, I have had them in my file for a while, and I must say I love what was done here, how it all came together, the final makeover was a total success in my eyes! Job well done, Eddie!

Aren't makeovers fun? Love before and afters, since we so easily forget what was, in our excitement of the new :)

Natasha

Images via Country Living and Eddie Ross

Paul and Joe Mini Haul!

I think I've been reading Lina's amazing blog, The Beauty Look Book, too much because I've never had any interest in Paul and Joe, and yet all of a sudden I was overcome with a desire to buy some! I headed over to Bergdorf Goodman this evening and some goodies came home with me!

I normally just walk up to a display, swatch my usual neutral-to-warm fare and go with those items, but today when the makeup artist asked if I'd like her to select some colors for me I agreed and ended up with some things just a teeny tiny but outside my comfort zone, which is a good thing! I picked up Face Color in 16 Canyon ($24), Nail Enamel in 4 Provence ($14), Lipstick N in 17 Bunch of Grapes ($20) and Eye Liner in 02 Dark Brown ($16).

The Face Color is one of the new shades and when I had a tough time deciding between this one and 15 Re-belle, the makeup artist nudged me towards this one. I'm still not sure which one would be optimal (Re-Belle looked so pretty--a pale peach pared with a mauve shimmer that bled to create a soft, girly frosted nude pink) and the artist applied the product with a very heavy hand. Right now Canyon looks quite bronzey and warm on me but I'm sure it will look different when I put it on myself with a lighter touch. (Just to note, the shades are accurate in the pictures I took yet always appear duller once uploaded to blogger. The shade is deeper and a bit brighter in real life).
The Nail Enamel is an iridescent pinky nude shimmer with mauve tones. I think it will require 3 coats to really show up.
I definitely do not need another eye liner but this one, despite being officially named Dark Brown, is a softer taupey brown. The pencil felt creamy and didn't drag when I swatched it. It's a softer look than the dark brown I wore into the makeover.
I was a little surprised when the makeup artist started pulling plummy tones for lips since I definitely gravitate towards warm nude pinks and peachy pinks, but this sheer nudey plum looked nice with my green eyes! I almost opted for the warmer 20 Milk Chocolate but deferred to the artist in an attempt to try something new! Interestingly, the tester lipstick had no scent, but the one I purchased has a definite perfumey smell. I found this to be the case with my one other Paul and Joe Lipstick (the discontinued 40 Pain D'Epice) but I consistently read reviews stating that these are odorless! I thought Pain D'Epice might have been uniquely scented but either I'm on the makeup version of Candid Camera or these lipsticks are perfumed! If you're particularly sensitive to scented lipsticks I'd avoid these (just in case I'm not crazy!).

The makeup artist also used Eye Color Palette CS Ingenue 001 on me though I did not purchase it since in the store I felt like I could duplicate the shades with items existing in my collection. Now that I'm home I think I might end up ordering it anyway! It's going on my wish list for sure! The trio is $38 and contains a soft pearly ecru, shimmery taupe and shimmery charcoal brown shade that can be used to line. This picture is from Dermstore.com, a site that carries the Paul and Joe line for those without local access. This is also a good time to stock up if you're loyal to the brand's single eye shadows--the makeup artist today informed me that all singles will be discontinued.
So how did I do on my first foray into Paul and Joe? Aside from the palette, what else do I need from the line? I did come across a promo picture for the Spring line from the brand's Facebook page and the cream blushes look interesting...
I have to yet again publicly complain about the lighting at Bergdorf Goodman. The Beauty Level in in the basement and little has been done to light the space well. It's downright dim in there which makes it very difficult to judge colors! I highly recommend taking a hand mirror upstairs to the main level if you're concerned about color matching, especially with foundations or concealers!