Monthly Giveaway: 'Haitian Plate' art piece

This month's giveaway is under our Arts theme and we're giving away the 'Haitian Plate' art piece that was featured in our 'Arts: Wijicoon's Grand Finale Sale' post in December.

This time around, though, Kingstonian Lifestyle is going to make it a little easier for you to win. We're only asking one question since the blog has been on hiatus since the beginning of the year. It's related to the 'Beauty: Daytime and Nighttime Valentine's Day makeup looks' blog post and the answer is somewhere within the respective post. The first follower to answer correctly is the winner!

The entries (answers) should be submitted by commenting on this blog post.

(Learn how to win this 'Haitian Plate' art piece from Kingstonian Lifestyle by clicking Read More)

Beauty: Daytime and Nighttime Valentine's Day makeup looks

Makeup artist Shelly Chung

Ladies, Valentine's Day is here! That day where we can be romantic and flirty (and corny in our red-and-white outfits) as we're showered with plump roses and all the darn chocolate we want.

For those of you who have dates with a longtime beau or a new suitor, Shelly Chung, makeup artist who specialises in wedding, portfolio and personal makeover looks, has got you covered. 

She's giving Kingstonian Lifestyle an exclusive and she's sharing with you a daytime and nighttime look for whichever hour of the day you might be having a date with that lucky guy. 

For the daytime look, Chung says to keep it light and fun.

Being that you'll probably be outdoors for the daytime date, Chung didn't want to go for anything too jarring under the bright, Jamaican sunlight. She stuck with a lot of natural-looking shades that compliment any skin tone.

She used copper eyeshadow on the lids, mixing it with some feminine pink undertones, and defined the model's crease with a deep brown shade.

In addition to using a very light, pink lip gloss, Chung smoothed on a raspberry-toned blush to bring out the cheekbones and to keep the look flirty and fun.

(See more of the exclusive Valentine's Day makeup looks from Shelly Chung by clicking Read More)

Monthly Giveaway: And the winner is...

Dulcieboo! Congrats to you for winning the coveted brand-new tube of Maybelline Volum' Express mascara, the Falsies. You answered all 13 questions right and so you'll soon be walking around with fab lashes. Enjoy it!

Monthly Giveaway (New Year's Edition): One tube of Maybelline Falsies mascara

This is the first edition of our new monthly feature. Every month on the anniversary of our founding, which was December 4, 2010, Kingstonian Lifestyle will have a giveaway under the theme of one of our topics of Beauty, Fashion, Arts, and Food & Eateries.

In short, every 4th of every month you'll get a chance to win free goodies. But our first giveaway is happening now!

Initially, Kingstonian Lifestyle planned to have the first giveaway on January 4, as should have been the protocol, but we thought it was a better idea to start our loyal readers' and visitors' new year off on a good note by gifting them with a hot beauty product that's a must-have in every makeup box.

We're giving away a brand-new tube of Maybelline Volum' Express mascara, the Falsies, like the one we featured in our 'Beauty: Last-minute Christmas gift ideas for her' post.

Though it's an exciting and completely free giveaway, Kingstonian Lifestyle is going to make you work for it. You will have to answer questions related to every blog post that we've had for the month. All the answers are somewhere within the respective blog posts and the first follower to answer all of the questions correctly is the winner!

The entries (answers) should be done by commenting on this blog post.

(Learn how to win this tube of Maybelline Falsies mascara from Kingstonian Lifestyle by clicking Read More)

Kingstonian Lifestyle has four Jamaica Blog Awards nods

Though the lifestyle blog is fairly new, being little over three weeks old, Kingstonian Lifestyle has managed to garner local and international attention. With daily readers from Jamaica, Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, and as a far away as Croatia and South Korea, the blog seems to be gaining daily readers with no promotion of any kind.

Many probably come across the site by happenstance, but many stay because of they recognise that the content, which covers beauty, fashion, arts, eateries and real issues, is truly original and that hard work goes into each post. And we all know that we're only as good as our last.

This is, perhaps, the reason that Kingstonian Lifestyle has been nominated in the Best Beauty and Fashion Blog, Best Lifestyle Blog, Best New Blog and the Readers' Choice Award categories for the Jamaica Blog Awards.

The first annual staging of the highly anticipated event will happen on January 16, 2011 at The Jamaica Pegasus hotel. Bloggers across the island will convene to watch the best in the local blogging community accept awards in categories such as Best Food Blog, Best Entertainment Blog and Top Blog Post for 2010.

The results will be based on public voting, which makes up 60% of the total tally, and the rest will be up to the judging panel. The blogs will be judged on five key areas: layout and design, content quality, reader engagement, relevance to the category and overall experience.

Voting has already begun and polling will end on January 3 at midday. One can vote at JamaicaBlogAwards.com and voting can only take place once.

We encourage you to support the lifestyle. Head over to the site and start voting.

Beauty (Video Tutorial): Loni Jones says kiss 2010 goodbye with red lips!

Loni Jones

What’s the hot makeup look for this year’s New Year’s Eve party?

Loni Jones, famed makeup artist and Extreme Lash stylist, says it’s “glamorous, seductive and sexy”.

And what’s sexier than hot, red lips? She says that’s the ‘in’ colour for kissing 2010 goodbye and ringing in the New Year on a very sexy note.

The former NARS makeup artist, who has worked on celebs like America’s Next Top Model’s Jaslene Gonzales and numerous Miss Jamaicas, including Carolyn Yapp, Kerrie Baylis and Yendi Phillips, has designed and shot a New Year’s Eve party makeup-look tutorial exclusively for Kingstonian Lifestyle.

And we’re already fans of those infectious video tutorials she does that reflect her quirky and colourful personality so well. So grab your makeup kit, a mirror and press play. Loni Jones is going to teach you how to be the sexiest belle during the celebrations, whether you’re doing it in the club or at a private party this year.

(Press Play to watch Loni Jones' video tutorial for the New Year's Eve makeup look)

Fashion: New Year’s Eve party dresses and tuxes

Now that Christmas is out of the way, the talk on everyone’s lips is which parties they’ll be at to ring in the New Year. Whether you'll be doing it big in the club or swanking it out at a private party, all the true fashionistas and on-to-the-next gents out there know that classy, highbrow threads are always the way to go for New Year’s Eve parties.

For this year’s New Year's Eve festivities, Kingstonian Lifestyle took to the malls to find show-stopping outfits that will turn heads. Of the bunch, trendy female boutique Alexxya’s and modish male clothing store MaxBrown are the fashion houses of choice for putting together New Year’s Eve party looks.

So, as part of our ongoing New Year's Eve feature, Kingstonian Lifestyle is showcasing three á la mode outfits from each of the stores. We're also featuring a few accessories that suit the occasion from brand-new female Haute store, Gabriella’s Couture, and tuxedo experts, Male Ego.

Dresses from Alexxya's

This sparkly number screams New Year's Eve party! Glitter, shimmer and any material that catches light - even obnoxiously - will never go out of style for the annual fete. This fun frock is loose and easy to wear, and it truly delivers on the wow factor. 

This dress is dark and sexy; perfect if you're going for that smoldering look. It could also be paired with a chic jacket and interesting heels to have a complete, voguish look. But we must warn you, ladies. If you're going to rock this skin-tight dress without a jacket, you MUST have a banging body.

If you're going for a classy look, this is the dress. Though the cut is very stylish and conservative, the bold red makes it very sexy and will compliment the festivities. All you need is a good clutch and minimal jewelry, and the look is complete. 

(See more New Year's Eve looks from MaxBrown and see fine accessories from Gabriella's Couture and Male Ego by clicking Read More)