Belle-

I’m heading to Florida with my children for two weeks, and I need a pair of shoes that I can walk a marathon in but I don’t want to wear gym shoes.  Any suggestions?

Mom in Need

Puma Zandy Flat (Piperlime, $70)

My next door neighbor has three children and she walks them everywhere.  Sometimes she’ll walk them home from daycare in Georgetown all the way to Chinatown.  She swears by these shoes.  She buys them a half-size too big to accommodate insoles and allow for swelling, but she says they are the sleekest, most comfortable shoe that she has ever found in a decent price point.

Hi Belle, 

Your recent posts on makeup have all left me with the same burning question: Between your eyebrows, primer, “Model in the Bottle” and all the other various products you’ve suggested, how long does it take you to do your makeup? And how do you make it all look natural (not like you’ve spent an hour in front of the mirror)? 

I’m been having an internal debate about how much makeup is too much and at what point people (men in particular) get scared off by too much product. 

Thanks! Keep up the good work! 

Claire

After years of beauty pageants, I can put on my face, if you will, in 12 minutes start to finish.  If I hustle, I can do it in 8 minutes.  

While I would love to have the glistening, natural look, my complexion just doesn’t allow it.  When you need as much concealer as I do, you need blush, eyeliner and shadow to distract a bit.  And I don’t mind wearing a bit more makeup, but I don’t think I look heavily made up.  I just look like I’m wearing makeup.

If you like a fresh-faced look, I would suggest using brown eyeliner, light eyebrow pencil, a natural-looking light pink blush and a soft eyeshadow color.  And if you want to know if you’re wearing too much makeup, just snap a picture in the morning before you leave the house.  If all you can see in the photo is lips or eyes or cheeks, you might want to tone that down a bit.

Belle,

I’m searching for the perfect red nail polish.  Do you have any suggestions?

Lena

If you want a really red nail polish, I have two suggestions:

Butter London Pillar Box Red ($14)

This shade is the quintessential 1940s red.  It’s bright.  It pops.  It looks like it belongs on a French prostitute, but in a good way.  So if you’re looking for classic red, this is the shade for you.  However, I prefer a slightly darker, more regal red.

OPI An Affair in Red Square ($9)

This shade from OPI is a touch darker, and a bit shinier.  I could wear this shade every day, while the other would look a bit costumey on me.  But which shade you choose all depends on what you want: flirty red or serious red.