My friend Brenda Della Casa is the editor-in-chief of PrestonBailey.com and writes for her own website BDC Life in Style along with many others like Huffington Post, Your Tango, Glamour and more. Brenda is a more is more kind of girl. Longer, blonder hair… thicker, darker eyeliner… bigger, fatter lashes… pinker, poutier lips… sexier, higher heels… stones on sequins on embellishments on you name it. And this is all before noon on a workday.
Don’t let her looks fool you though, she’s got the brains to back it all up.
And she also takes copious mental notes. (I did a make-under on her for my Makeup.com column years ago and I see the lessons from that session looking back at me when I see her always beautiful but now less-done-up face.)
In a nutshell, Brenda was the perfect model to showcase a dress that was made for curves (actually, physically structured that way) and the makeup that would compliment its evening appeal but not take it fast and furiously into the land of Way Too Much.
PS, I could also see B wearing this little grey number to work with a structured blazer over it (or not) and pairing it with a flat sandal (or not). My point: this is a dress that will get some wear, and it won’t be a full head-to-toe repeat.
We shot Brenda on the rooftop of my Williamsburg apartment and the dress, the view, and the energy of New York City begged for a little dance party.
The Sister Bella Dress by Skye Gibson in silky slate grey is $275 and hugs you in all the right places with stretch fabric and ample ruching. The asymmetrical neckline screams goddess and the asymmetrical hemline makes you look twice. It’s not quite what you pegged it out to be. Kind of like Brenda.
Made in the USA, Sister Bella is available in size 0 to size 14. Skye Gibson, the brand that makes it, specializes in garments that fit and flatter the feminine figure, and we obviously love that. Plus the clothing not only enhances your body but moves with it.
Sister Bella is a hot dress. So what do you pair with it, cosmetically speaking, to match the drama and balance the sex appeal? Using all drugstore brands for my budget babes, I went with understated sparkles. Sounds like an oxymoron I know but it’s real, I swear.
For this fashion-inspired beauty look, I focused the NYX jumbo eyeliner on the outer corners of the upper and lower lashline to play up the shape of Brenda’s eyes. I bumped up her lashes with cult classic Maybelline Great Lash. I evened her complexion with a color correcting palette. I boosted her lipcolor with my beloved Fergie for Wet n Wild velvet matte lip crayon. And then I cracked open our star product…
The Physician’s Formula Custom Eye Enhancing Extreme Shimmer Gel Cream Shadow & Liner Trio in Smoky.
I used the light and medium shades to show how sparkle can be as delicate as diamond studs when the rest of the face is minimal. Just a few pats with a fingertip on the center of each lid and done. You can layer on the eye bling with this creamy gel formula but in this case, we didn’t have to. Best of all, the 24-hour formula is water-resistant and smudge-proof. It stays put, which is rare for glittery products.
Now I’m not a betting woman, but I think she was feelin’ it.
For more on Skye Gibson, click here.
For more on Physician’s Formula, click here.
xoLC
NOTE: This post is not sponsored. All thoughts are unbiased and my own. Samples were provided for review and/or my use as a professional makeup artist. All photos are property of DIVAlicious.
Lauren Cosenza is the creator and editor-in-chief of DIVAlicious, a trusted beauty/fashion expert, an on-camera personality and spokesperson, a leading NYC-based professional makeup artist, a published contributor and writer, a brand consultant, a product junkie and an insatiable style seeker — with a former life at Cosmopolitan and Shape magazines.
Serving up style with a side of attitude, her site DIVAlicious gives women (and men) the confidence and permission to be fabulous. The site is filled with must-have products, pro tips and tricks, how-to DIY tutorials, makeovers, style inspiration and insider access. Topics range from beauty, fashion, culture, career, fitness, wellbeing, men’s and unisex offerings.