Get Noticed This Holiday Season: 3 Dress Types That Flatter Curves

The biggest concern I have when holiday season approaches surprisingly isn’t what I’m going to get everyone on my list. It’s what I’m going to wear! Trying to find the quintessential holiday look can be quite stressful especially when you have a particular body type and you’re looking for stylish options.

My biggest piece of advice during this critical time of party-hopping and social soirees is to stick to silhouettes you’re comfortable with. The last thing you want to be worried about, standing next to your CEO at the office holiday party, is whether your tummy needs sucking in or if you should’ve put on that extra pair of control-top tights. The best thing to do is stick with your tried & true.

Here are a few of my go-to silhouettes that have worked for my top-heavy, pear-shaped frame in the past:

1. A-Line Dresses

This might be one of my favorite dress silhouettes. An A-line shaped dress is super flattering for so many different body types, primarily if you have hips that you want to slim down or balance out. 

The A-line dress flares out right below the waist and is very forgiving whether it's your hips, thighs or backside you want to downplay. It also makes your waist appear even smaller (always a plus!)

2. Peplum Dresses 

Peplum dresses are another favorite. Not only do the lapels on the side and around the waist add a little extra "ooomph" to your overall look, but peplum dresses also famously disguise unflattering belly bulges, and the infamous "muffin top", by drawing attention to the slimmest part of your body.

This silhouette is perfect for pear-shaped and hourglass-shaped women. My body is a combination of both, so I'm obviously a huge fan of the trend. This isn't limited to just dresses either. You can totally rock a glam peplum top or jacket over a skinny pant or skirt as well, and it will have the same effect.

3. Shift Dresses

 Next on my list of figure-flattering silhouettes is the shift dress. It's a basic, and every fashionista should have at least one of these staples in her closet, in a classic color like black or white. The best thing about the shift dress is its simplicity. It has a pretty straightforward cut and gives a mod appeal while still being flattering. Vertical lines elongate the body, which is a plus.

The trick to finding the perfect shift dress is picking the right material and the right neckline. If you're top-heavy, you might want to stay away from high-neck or rounded necklines and spring for a shift dress with more of a v-neck shape up top. Also, don't be afraid to play with texture! The shift dress should be classic but not boring. This dress is great for office holiday parties and more corporate settings where conservative may be necessary, but you'd still like to show off your figure.

So now you guys know my secrets! If you're ever wondering why I wear the same styles of dresses over and over, this is why! I work what I have and stick with designs and cuts that make me feel beautiful.

What about you? What's your go-to dress silhouette?

This post is part of BlogHer's Get Noticed For the Holidays editorial series, made possible by Cover Girl.

5 Ways To Get Glam For The Holidays

It's holiday time y'all! Get ready for sparkly dresses, killer heels and bold makeup looks. During the holidays, party-hopping can take its toll, especially when you have to figure out what beauty looks to pair with each outfit. To make things simple and chic, here my 5 top tips for getting super glam for the holiday season:

1. Pick a Glam Hairstyle

The perfect hair look ties your whole holiday look together. So start here with a style that compliments your face, goes well from day to night (for the party-hoppers like myself) and make you feel glamorous. This holiday season I got my hair straightened so for this tutorial I opted for a half-up/half-down look with a chic side-swept bang.

2. Make Your Eyes Pop

My eyes are my favorite facial feature so I always play them up. They're the keys to the soul after all. For a glam eye look, try COVERGIRL's newest mascara innovation; COVERGIRL Clump Crusher Mascara.

It's been proven to increase lash volume by up to 200% with ZERO clumps. I hate mascara clumps, so this product is definitely going to be a beauty mainstay this holiday season.

3. Go For Bold (Lips)

Next up - lips! You guys know how much I love red lips. Nothing says holiday chic like a bold lip. Whether you opt for bright red or deep plum, a bold lip always makes a statement. Plus, who doesn't love a little lip stain around the champagne glass rim? So very ladylike.

4. Accessorize For Your Life

Accessories provide the absolute best toppers for your holiday outfits. A statement necklace like this one can really take a simple top or a little black dress to another level. Also, festive rings, bracelets and earrings are perfect compliments. Just be sure not to overdo it!

5. Nail It

Glamorous nails are the quintessential accessory for the holiday season. There are so many awesome color options during the holidays. You don't have to stick with the traditional red or green colors to say festive either. COVERGIRL Outlast Stay Brilliant Nail Gloss provide a nice array of holiday-appropriate colors. Check out the 15 colors available now with more coming in January (including Snow Storm which I am wearing in the photo above)!

What I love about these nail glosses is that the colors come through really potent and saturated even with only one coat. And the glossy color lasts for up to a week with out the need for a top coat. Love love love this collection of nail lacquers.

What makes YOU feel glam during the holidays and what are your go-to tricks?

Leave a comment below to be automatically entered into a sweepstakes for a $100 Visa Gift Card sponsored by COVERGIRL to spend on whatever you need in the new year!

Contest Rules:

No duplicate comments.
You may receive (2) total entries by selecting from the following entry methods:
a) Leave a comment in response to the sweepstakes prompt on this post.
b) Tweet (public message) about this promotion, including exactly the following unique term in your tweet message: #SweepstakesEntry and leave the URL to that tweet in a comment on this post.
c) Blog about this promotion, including a disclosure that you are receiving a sweepstakes entry in exchange for writing the blog post, and leave the URL to that post in a comment on this post.
d) For those with no Twitter or blog, read the official rules to learn about an alternate form of entry.

This giveaway is open to US Residents age 18 or older. Winners will be selected via random draw, and will be notified by e-mail. You have 72 hours to respond, otherwise a new winner will be selected. The Official Rules are available here. This sweepstakes runs from 12/7 - 12/31.

Be sure to visit the COVERGIRL brand page on BlogHer.com where you can read other bloggersí reviews and find more chances to win!

NEWS: Janelle Monae Is The New COVERGIRL

Photo Credit: www.JanelleMonae.com

From the day I first met musician and artist Janelle Monae back in the summer of 2010 on set of our  Honey Magazine April 2010 covershoot, I knew she was bound for even more greatness than she had already achieved.

Me w/Honey Editors & Janelle

2010 was a groundbreaking year for her career. She released her award-winning album The ArchAndroid (which subsequently became my all-time favorite summer anthem) and things continued to take off. Upon meeting her, I was overwhelmed by her beauty. She had such a striking face and such incredible style. As petite as she was, her presence was so incredibly large...and warm!

Related: Kickin' It Behind The Scenes Janelle Monae

Anyway, I'll stop the cloud of reminiscing to bring you the deets - my girl Janelle is the new face of COVERGIRL!  I am so incredibly proud to see an artist like Monae being featured in such an amazing way with one of the biggest beauty companies in the US. And the fact that she's a natural girl at that? *3 snaps in a Z formation*

About her new Covergirl contract, she tells Vogue “I believe in the idea of every woman finding their own beauty superpowers. I want to help redefine what it means to be a strong woman in the music and fashion worlds.”

She's gorgeous, inside and out. I can't WAIT to see her ads in my favorite glossies - well deserved!

Watch her Behind The Scenes video with COVERGIRL below:

Source: Vogue

A Tale of Two Must-Haves: Hair & Beauty

So a few of you lovelies have been asking which lip color I rocked in my last outfit post "Cosby Steaze". Then it dawned on me that I haven't done a review of it although I've been rocking it faithfully for about a month now. I've also been getting tons of questions about the hair products I used to do my natural up-do. Alas, a tale of two must-haves...

25 Days of LoveBrownSugar: Day 17

 Happy Friday everyone! Wow, time is really winding down. Only 8 days left in 25 Days of LoveBrownSugar. So I decided, since the Ginger & Liz giveaway earlier this week was so wildly successful, that I would dig into my own stash of goodies and give some more of their lovely product away...

Today's winner will get a nice little package of goodies including a sample size of "Who's The Boss?" - a Ginger & Liz limited edition winter colour - and a small bottle of Carol's Daughter Lemon & Jojoba Cuticle Oil. Just be sure to sign up for LoveBrownSugar’s Newsletter and Comment Below for your chance to win!

I wasn't able to gift anything on Day 16, so as an added bonus I'm doing a special Twitter-only Giveaway. I'm gifting a Covergirl beauty pack including a Covergirl Queen Collection Natural Hue Concealer + Bronzer Compact to one lucky LoveBrownSugar Twitter follower. Just tweet the hashtag #25DaysofLBS between now and Monday at 12AM EST to @LoveBrownSugar to be entered to win.

Both winners will be announced on Monday, December 20th.  Good luck!

Congratulations to Jen who won the Ambi Products giveaway yesterday. Email luvbrownsugar@gmail.com to claim your prize!