How To Walk In High Heels: The Girl's Guide To Everything (6 page)

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Authors: Camilla Morton

BOOK: How To Walk In High Heels: The Girl's Guide To Everything
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If the OAP group is more sprightly than you it’s time to double your visits.
Know what will scare you into action. Book to go on a bikini holiday, buy a little black dress that is one size too small, or know that the Christmas party/wedding is coming up. Whatever your Achilles’ heel use it as your motivation. But don’t set unrealistic goals. Give yourself time to make it – gulp – pleasurable. A quick workout before a night out can be very energising, so they say.
How to wear the appropriate underwear
Underwear is like men: you have your top end, your dependables and your trash. It is sod’s law – lawrus sodimus – that the one time you can’t find a matching set of bra and knickers, or you chance it and go out in your granny knickers, will be the night they end up on show. Think Bridget Jones.
Repeat after me, there is NO such thing as lucky knickers. You do NOT need to have one pair in fast rotation, it was your personality NOT your panties that pulled.
General Rules
If you’re planning on being seriously seductive a matching set of bra and knickers is called for. If you want to go the whole hog, get a suspender belt too. It is a myth that only prostitutes wear coordinating and matching underwear.
Wear nudes if in chiffon sheers; white for invisible, blendable cover.
A g-string is there to HIDE panty lines and avoid VPL (visible panty line), therefore it must remain concealed. When wearing with jeans tuck it lower, or purchase the hipster variety. The sight of a wandering g-string is as unsightly as ‘builders’ bum’.
Boxers are good on Sundays, comfort days and for travelling. Briefs are ideal with low slung jeans; slips with trousers and, on serious days, spice things up with thongs, which are also the best option for frivolous floaty dresses and ‘invisible’ undie days. Choose tummy and toning control pants for LBD days, office parties and dressing to impress.
The ultimate in small is the ‘rien’ which is such a sparse piece of dental floss that the only place where the label fits is on the front. Ugh. Leave those for models and other people worth hating.
Avoid getting your knickers in a twist
Most bums look good in a
boy leg
short; this is the style that looks like 1920s trunks. It’s a fact that very few bums actually look good in a
g-string
, which looks better off than on. You need a perky, round, size 10 plus bottom for these to work beautifully, or months of working out, so it depends on your commitment to the g-string cause.
The
French cut
, which is a half brief at the back, is certainly more flattering than the string. This is good on a flat bottom of most sizes or on a size 8 – 12 perky bum. Both the boy leg short and the French cut are great alternatives to g-strings if you don’t want a panty line showing under trousers.
The
very low cut triangle brief
is an extremely sexy cut and is a brief at the back so it is good on most bums. But – danger – it can ride up on flat bums (which are better going for the French cut).
For extra control head straight to Marks and Spencer’s, for super-strength hold-ins that will take your breath away, quite literally.
Lingerie covers the most intimate part of our body, so you should spoil it with luxurious, sensual fabrics.
Cotton gussets
are always a ‘must have’ feature for a knicker, no matter how sexy it is.
Beautiful lingerie is an investment. The price will be forgotten but the quality will always be remembered. Have as many colours as there are changes in the weather, and as many styles that suit you.
The best way to enhance your asset is to exercise it, wiggle it, move it and work it. Dieting can make it saggy, so you don’t have to stay away from those cream cakes.
Bras
Above all, work with what you have got. Yes, it is incredibly hard to find the perfect fit, so go to a professional, such as Rigby and Peller, and get it done for you.
A lot of women are wearing incorrect bra sizes, which makes the whole purchasing process expensive and pointless.
The under-bust measurement is represented by the number sequence: size 10/32, 12/34, 14/36. The bust/cup size is represented by the letter, A, B, C, D. The higher the letter the bigger the bust.
If you are tiny around the back, but have a well-endowed bust you could be a 32D. Similarly if a woman is largish around the back, and is fairly flat-chested she could be a 36A. The balconette style (low cut and straight across the bust) looks great on most busts, except the floppy DDs and Es. The soft cup bra (no under-wire) looks great on all small perky sizes.
To calculate your correct size, wrap a soft tape measure around your ribcage, just below the bust line. Add five inches to this to calculate your band size. Next measure around the fullest part of the bust, this will tell you what cup size you need. Each inch difference between this and your band-size is equal to one-cup size. Less than 1 inch is an AA cup; 1 inch: A cup; 2 inches: B cup; 3 inches: C cup, and so on.
A well-endowed bust is best bolstered in an under-wired bra with triangle cut and full coverage. Large-busted women need to choose styles with thick elastic straps otherwise they will get a lot of pain in their shoulders.
To pad or not to pad? Most busts look good in a well-shaped padded bra. It provides good support, refines the shape and boosts the bosoms. Though a heavily padded bra is full of false promises.
The best way to tell when a bra is going to be supportive, and fit properly, is to check if the middle of the under-wire sits against the body, and does not stick out. Check it’s moulded to your shape. Once the hook and eye is done up, bend over and wiggle your bosoms into the cups. Adjust the wire to get it just right under the bust, then stand up et voilà!
Check the wiring when you buy a bra, as the more wiring the worse the fit can become. Ensure that the wire is not too tight in the wire casing, otherwise it’s liable to break through and poke you.
Finally, before you make your purchase look at the straps and ask yourself whether you would like them showing through garments?
Silk lingerie should be hand washed in cold water. Gentle machine wash is fine for synthetic, nylon, tulles and cotton.
How to enhance your finer assets
by Kylie Minogue, singer and William Baker, stylist
William: Forget g-strings, cheese graters – the big knicker is back! The bigger the better: think of what you wore to school, there’s nothing sexier. I also love that image of Jackie Collins in Stud. Celebrate your curves; you might not fancy copying Marilyn Monroe, who wore stuffed pointed bras a couple of sizes too big, but you should not flatten or ignore them, work with what you were given – enhance and have lingerie as a daily luxury.
Kylie: A fuller shaped knicker can definitely be sexy. I think girls are discovering the allure and enticement of being less overt. With this in mind, Love Kylie created boudoir, boy pants and seventies-inspired hipster briefs to fit the bill. Many include our signature ruched seam on the derrière, which is very shape enhancing. There are many lingerie lines on the market now, but when William and I started Love Kylie there was no one brand that offered all the diversity I wanted, so we thought, let’s do it. I wanted to create a fashion-inspired label that fulfilled my criteria: comfort and sex appeal and that little something extra for every day. I hope it offers exactly what you want: it enhances what you’ve got, is an affordable luxury and is a combination of naughtiness, cuteness and quality.
William: Despite what the style magazines say I don’t think bras and knickers have to match – it might look like you are trying too hard, but if you’re going for an out and out seduction a set is a good bet. Lingerie is a very personal thing – think of it like shopping for cakes or chocolates without any of the calories! Contoured bras are fabulous for enhancing and creating a flattering silhouette. But sometimes wearing a bra is simply impossible. Try on your top and look in the mirror, move around, wave your arms about and see what shows. Decide if you want the bra to be a feature, and if so go for something racy. If you’re not wearing a bra get out the bronzer and the shimmer and rub a bit over your arms and décolletage – first popular on the eighteenth-century bosoms. ‘Tit Tape’ may also be required to hold everything in place; think ahead. I don’t think Kylie could have managed the ‘I Can’t Get You Out Of My Head’ white jumpsuit without it! Who needs vitamins when you have a great set of undies on?
Kylie: With lingerie ‘need’ is debatable – it’s all about enjoyment!
William: And maybe showing it off.
How to hide a spot
The world need not necessarily come to a grinding halt when you wake up to find you have been invaded and have a pimple (spot and acne sound so cruel). Think fast. Highlight another area. Today would be the day to wear red lipstick or smoky kohl-rimmed eyes. Wear your hair loose and flowing. It will not only be distracting, it will softly conceal the offending area and is far more subtle than opting to hide under a balaclava.
If the pimple is persistent and is an offending shade of day-glo that is ruining your day, do react. Dab a little extra concealer onto finger and apply to problem patch. Delicately apply powder to dry and cover it, but try not to cake it in make-up, as not only does this slow healing, it can make it even more noticeable.
A flash of YSL Touche Éclat will not only lift the spirits, make puffy eyes and bags vanish, it can contribute to the successful camouflage of the pimple.
If you can bear it, try when at home not to cover said imperfection in make-up. Cleanse skin and let it dry and heal au naturel. Do not pick it.
For DIRE blemish breakout book emergency facial, drink gallons of water, and stay in, with the curtains drawn, lights dimmed.
How to wear the right make-up
As ever, preparation is key. Cleanse, tone and moisturise before you start applying make-up.
Confusingly, shades are not standard. So you always need to check an individual product. You need to see what colour the make-up will look in a natural light. Place a sample of the foundation/make-up on the inside of your wrist or on the back of your hand. Half rub it in. Department stores have very harsh lighting, so get a few testers on your arm and go outside to consider, being careful not to smudge the product in question on clothing or passing shoppers as foundation is a very stubborn stain.
Walking away from the stand will also give you time to consider your purchase instead of being rushed into a decision by a pushy sales rep who is, let’s face it, not after your best interests but their commission.
If the make-up looks invisible and blends in smoothly, you have the correct shade for you. If you can still see it, or it has a yellow/orange/pink hue shining through try something else; you are not after a mask.
Liquid foundation moves with skin and looks healthier and younger. Powder is better for winter or close-ups. In summer try to wear next to nothing, or bare, and as it gets colder or darker application can increase. It is a fact that you will never get a suntan through layers of make-up.
Make-up artist favourites to name-drop (therefore must be worth adding to your make-up bag) include:
Laura Mercier for foundations and lipsticks.
YSL for skincare and foundations, in addition to the ‘must have’ Touche Éclat.
Nars for dark foundations and colour range.
MAC for foundations, particularly good for darker skin tones and super jazzy colour range.
Chanel, fabulous for skincare and nail varnishes.
Estée Lauder for skincare and foundations with supermodel endorsement.
Dior for tasty flavoured lip-glosses, including meringue, and foundations.
And you can never go too wrong using Lancôme, Kiehls or Dermalogica.
If you could take only one piece of make-up onto a desert island, choose YSL’s Touche Éclat; it is everything you need in a wand – magic.
If possible, keep skincare, make-up and face packs in the fridge. They last longer and make-up stays fresh and elasticised, making it much easier and more pleasant to apply.
After you’ve achieved a flawless base, start working on the eyes. Begin with the eyeliner, then mascara, eye shadow and more mascara.
Blushing
If applied sparingly blusher freshens and can add a healthy glow to cheeks. Swirl a big brush on the blusher and sweep from cheek bone towards nose in a downward stroke. Repeat each side and blend.
Shades are like seasons, there are the trends, and there are also the perennial classics:
In autumn go for orangey blush.
In spring go for pinks and pastels.
In summer go for golds and bronzer.
In winter go for warm reds with pallid alabaster skin.
But be warned; Oscar Wilde once wrote: ‘She wore far too much rouge last night, and not quite enough clothes. That is always a sign of despair in a woman.’
How to apply red lipstick and get it to stay
Always keep lips well moisturised and conditioned; a lip balm should always be near to hand or lurking in a handbag.
For extra durability apply lipstick with a lip brush.
First line and rim lips with a matching colour lip pencil.
Apply colour first to bottom then to top lip.
Rub your lips together to ensure even colour stain.
Blot with tissue.
Softly kiss back of hand, and if it’s still leaving a deep crimson stain, blot again, this time more firmly. You want the lips to be red, but you want it firmly in place so it is not on your teeth.
Always check your teeth, and run your tongue or finger over them to wipe any lipstick away. Lipstick on teeth is a big faux pas.
Be aware that red lipstick will come off when you’re kissing, drinking and eating. Kiss-proof lipstick is yet to be patented, despite the claims of certain brands. Either be prepared to reapply, accept that it will leave lip blot stain, or consider a softer nude shade if you’re anticipating action.

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