A few design principles and elements that you need to know when buying jewelries:

Balance and scale. This relates to the overall balance of the piece, the balance and scale of the individual elements, and the elements as they relate to you and the outfit you are wearing.

Texture and detail. You should determine if you like a lot of texture, small details, or large-scale elements with texture, and whether you like your jewelry smooth, matte, or shiny.

Proportion. It is the feeling of unity created when all the elements (color, size, amount) in a particular jewelry piece relate well with each other. Proportion is all about the relationship of one part of the design to another or one area to the whole. Proportion is usually not even noticed until something is out of proportion. When the relative size of two elements being compared seems wrong or out of balance it is said to be "out of proportion."

Repetition. You can create visual interest through repetition of color, elements, or patterns. The use of repetition to create movement occurs when elements are repeated regularly or irregularly. Slight variations to a simple repetition add visual interest.

Color. Think about how your design coordinates with an outfit, how a color or group of colors looks on you, how colors work together, and if you have chosen too many colors for one design.

Harmony. It refers to how the different elements in a piece of jewelry relate to and complement each other. Harmony is achieved in a body of work by using similar elements throughout the jewelry, giving an effortless and uncomplicated appeal to the design.

Comfort and wearability. It is important to consider both the comfort and functionality of a piece of jewelry, and how you can best achieve that without compromising design.

Here are a few specifics:

1) Earrings. Avoid styles that are noisy or overly heavy.

2) Bracelets. Delicate or fragile parts may get knocked off.

3) Necklaces. If they are heavy, lumpy, or too long, they could get hooked on countertops or other structures.

4) Anklets. If they are too long, they can get caught in sandal straps. You should also avoid beads that make them too lumpy or abrasive.

In addition, necklaces, bracelets, and anklets come in standardized lengths, but may not be the right length for you. Lengths will vary depending on body type, personal preference, neckline, and size of beads and components. The wonderful thing about customizing your jewelry is that you can adapt it for your fashion style.

Read about the... Pearl Facts: Sources of Natural Pearls

What are Natural Pearls?

Natural pearls are nearly 100% calcium carbonate and conchiolin. It is thought that natural pearls form under a set of accidental conditions when a microscopic intruder or parasite enters a bivalve mollusk, and settles inside the shell. The mollusk, being irritated by the intruder, forms a pearl sac of external mantle tissue cells and secretes the calcium carbonate and conchiolin to cover the irritant. This secretion process is repeated many times, thus producing a pearl. Natural pearls come in many shapes, with perfectly round ones being comparatively rare.

Typically, the build-up of a natural pearl consists of a brown central zone formed by columnar calcium carbonate (usually calcite, sometimes columnar aragonite) and a yellowish to white outer zone consisting of nacre (tabular aragonite). In a pearl cross-section such as the diagram, these two different materials can be seen. The presence of columnar calcium carbonate rich in organic material indicates juvenile mantle tissue that formed during the early stage of pearl development. Displaced living cells with a well-defined task may continue to perform their function in their new location, often resulting in a cyst. Such displacement may occur via an injury. The fragile rim of the shell is exposed and is prone to damage and injury. Crabs, other predators and parasites such as worm larvae may produce traumatic attacks and cause injuries in which some external mantle tissue cells are disconnected from their layer.

Formation of Natural Pearls

Embedded in the conjunctive tissue of the mantle, these cells may survive and form a small pocket in which they continue to secrete their natural product: calcium carbonate. The pocket is called a pearl sac, and grows with time by cell division; in this way the pearl grows also. The juvenile mantle tissue cells, according to their stage of growth, produce columnar calcium carbonate, which is secreted from the inner surface of the pearl sac. With ongoing time the external mantle cells of the pearl sac proceed to the formation of tabular aragonite. When the transition to nacre secretion occurs, the brown pebble becomes covered with a nacreous coating. As this process progresses, the shell itself grows, and the pearl sac seems to travel into the shell. However, it actually stays in its original relative position within the mantle tissue. After a couple of years, a pearl will have formed and the shell might be found by a lucky pearl fisher.

What is the Value of a Natural Pearl?

Quality natural pearls are very rare jewels. The actual value of a natural pearl is determined in the same way as it would be for other "precious" gems. The valuation factors include size, shape, color, quality of surface, orient and luster.

Single, natural pearls are often sold as a collector's item, or set as centerpieces in unique jewelry. Very few matched strands of natural pearls exist, and those that do often sell for hundreds of thousands of dollars. (In 1917, jeweler Pierre Cartier purchased the Fifth Avenue mansion that is now the New York Cartier store in exchange for a matched, double strand of natural pearls that he had been collecting for years; valued at the time at $1 million USD.)

The Great Depression effectively slashed the value of the natural pearl, but there is no doubt that it had been some time coming. The introduction and advance of the cultured pearl hit the pearl industry hard; it had pearl dealers publicly disputing over the authenticity of these new cultured pearls, and left many consumers uneasy and confused about the much lower prices. Essentially, it damaged the image of both natural and cultured pearls alike. By the 1950s, an era of every woman being able to own her own pearl necklace had begun, and natural pearls were reduced to a small, exclusive niche in the pearl industry.

Related Article: What is a Pearl Doctor?

Sources of Natural Pearls

Sources of Natural Pearls. Where are natural pearls found?  Where are natural pearls found? The answer may surprise you...yes, natural pearls can be found almost anywhere.

Today, natural pearls are rare, very expensive and are not the basis of any commercial fishery. Traditional and still occasional sources of natural pearls include:

a) Saltwater pearls from historical pearling beds in the Persian Gulf, Gulf of Mannar between India and Sri Lanka, off Hepu on the coast of China, waters to the north of Australia, the islands of Oceania, the Gulf of Mexico, and waters surrounding Pearl Island off the coast of Venezuela; Freshwater pearls from Scottish and European rivers, and the Mississippi River and its tributaries in the USA;

b) Rare baroque saltwater abalone pearls from Californian and New Zealand waters; and

c) Non-nacreous pink pearls from the pink conch of the Caribbean. Natural nacreous pearls occur rarely as whole pearls, and more commonly as hemispherical blister pearls. Whole natural pearls are rarely spherical, and the thinness and evenness of their circumferential layers of nacre determine the strength and quality of iridescence displayed by a particular pearl. As an example, compare the appearance and structure of moderately iridescent Pinctada (silver-lipped pearl ‘oyster’) nacre with that of highly iridescent Haliotis or abalone pearl nacre.

Traditionally, nacreous natural pearls have been valued by the factors of rarity, size or weight, perfection of shape, colour, luster and orient, and freedom from surface imperfections. The weight of natural pearls has been calculated in units, termed the ‘pearl grain’ that weighs 50 mg.

Previously, natural pearls were found in many parts of the world. Present day natural pearling is confined mostly to seas off Bahrain. Australia also has one of the world's last remaining fleets of pearl diving ships. Australian pearl divers dive for south sea pearl oysters to be used in the cultured south sea pearl industry. The catch of pearl oysters is similar to the numbers of oysters taken during the natural pearl days. Hence significant numbers of natural pearls are still found in the Australian Indian Ocean waters from wild oysters. X-ray examination is required to positively verify natural pearls found today.

Pearls are rounded concretions of calcium carbonate and an organic matrix that are secreted by cells of the outer mantle of many species of saltwater and freshwater molluscs. While any mollusc1 is theoretically capable of producing a pearl, nacre2 – forming molluscs principally, but not exclusively, secrete those pearls that have long been used for personal regal adornment.

Pearls form from the same materials and by the same processes which secrete the shells of their host bivalves, gastropods and cephalopods. Both shells and their pearls have a composite structure of calcium carbonate (aragonite and/or calcite), an organic matrix (essentially of the protein conchins, formerly conchiolin and carbohydrate) and water. Although the organic content of pearls is usually less than 1%, it is this minor component that determines both the crystallographic properties and orientation of the calcium carbonate that is secreted by the mollusc, and the body color of the pearl.

In order to understand how pearls form, one must first understand the basic biology, gross anatomy and microscopic structure of those nacre-producing bivalve molluscs that are commonly termed either saltwater ‘pearl oysters’ or freshwater ‘pearl mussels’.

The pearl’s color (due to pigments in the pearl’s organic matrix and/or thickness and evenness of its constituent layers of aragonite crystals), luster (due to light reflection from the smoothness or perfection of the pearl’s external surface) and orient (due to its subsurface iridescence and reflectivity) are determined by the colour, luster and orient of the inner nacreous or non-nacreous lining of the mollusc’s shell in which the pearl grew. For example:

1) The oriental pearl ‘oyster’ Pinctada radiata/imbricata from the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Mannar yields mostly smallish cream to yellowish pearls that display subtle orient.

2) The silver- or gold-lipped pearl ‘oyster’ (P. maxima) from North-West Australia yields nacreous pearls of white, silver and yellow to golden hue that also display orient.

3) The black-lipped (P. margaritifera) pearl ‘oyster’, from Pacific Oceania, yields grey to black pearls that also can display a spectacular contrasting iridescence.

4) Pteria (=Magnavicula) penguin, the black-winged pearl oyster of the tropical waters, yield distinctively iridescent pearls that have a characteristic somewhat metallic (brown to greyish) body colour. Pteria sterna, the rainbow wing shell from the Gulf of California, also yields pearls with highly iridescent black to dark brown nacre.

5) Freshwater (Unio) mussels from Scottish rivers, and the Mississippi River, yield pastel-hued highly lustrous pearls with limited orient.

6) The univalve Haliotis, or abalone, produces mostly baroque nacreous pearls that display strikingly iridescent nacre.

7) The pink conch (S. gigas) of the Caribbean yields pink to orange ‘flame’-patterned pearls that have a non-nacreous porcellanous surfaces.

8) The giant clam (Tridacna gigas) of tropical waters yields white porcellanous (non-nacreous) pearls that have little economic value.

Do you know? How to Tell Real Pearls from Imitation Pearls

What and Where is the Biggest Pearl on Earth?

The Pearl of Lao Tzu (also referred to as Pearl of Lao Tze and previously as Pearl of Allah) is the largest known pearl in the world. The pearl was found in the Palawan sea, which surrounds the island of Palawan in the Philippines, and was found by a Filipino diver. It is not considered a gemstone pearl, but is instead what is known as a "clam pearl" or "Tridacna pearl" from a giant clam. It measures 24 centimeters in diameter (9.45 inches) and weighs 6.4 kilograms (14.1 lb).

What is the Value of the Biggest Pearl on Earth?

While biologists would regard this object as a kind of pearl, gemologists regard it as a non-nacreous pearl, lacking the iridescence of the pearls that come from saltwater pearl oysters and freshwater pearl mussels. The interior of a giant clam has no nacre (mother of pearl); instead it is porcellaneous, like a china plate. Because of its great size, a giant clam can create a very large pearl, but not an iridescent, gemlike one.

The Gemological Institute of America (GIA) and CIBJO now simply use the term "pearl" (or, where appropriate, the more descriptive term "non-nacreous pearl") when referring to such items, rather than the term "calcareous concretion" and, under U.S. Federal Trade Commission rules, various mollusc pearls may be referred to as "pearls" without qualification.

Gemologist Michael Steenrod in Colorado Springs has appraised the pearl at $60,000,000 (1982) and $93,000,000 (2007). Another 1982 appraisal, by Lee Sparrow who owned a gem laboratory and appraisal business in the Phelan Building in San Franciso, put the pearl at $42,000,000.

In America, the pearl was exhibited at the Ripley's Believe It or Not! Odditorium in New York, valued at $35,000,000.

The Palawan Princess, considered the second largest pearl, was offered at auction by Bonhams and Butterfields of Los Angeles on December 6, 2009. Though the five pound pearl was estimated to bring $300,000 to $400,000, it was not sold.

References:

Cobb, Wilburn Dowell. 1939. "The Pearl of Allah". Natural History.

Kunz, George F.; Stevenson, Charles. 1908. The book of the pearl. New York: The Century Co.

Landman, Neil H., et al. 2001. Pearls: A Natural History. Harry Abrams, Inc. ISBN 0-8109-4495-2

Ward, Fred. 2002. Pearls (Fred Ward Gem Book), 3rd Edition. Gem Guides Book Company. ISBN 1-887651-08-X

Strack, Elisabeth. 2006. "Pearls". Ruhle-Diebener-Verlag. ISBN 3981084802.

Bangles are one of the earliest forms of jewelry and have been used by men and women alike for centuries. Archaeologists have found evidence pointing to their existence over 4000 years ago in South Asia. During these years, bangles have reappeared time and time again in slightly different motifs but have always retained their simple, basic design. Today, whether simple or ornate, bangles still possess strong religious and cultural symbolism in some parts of the world. They are also ideal gifts that can be handed down through a family as heirloom items. So choosing a good bangle can mean a lot. Below are some aspects you need to put under consideration when buying a bangle.

The young, cool models wear fun, colorful, plastic versions with their T- shirts and Converse shoes. Actresses often choose to wear a pile of thin gold ones as their armor on the red carpet. And the “It” girls go for funky ethnic styles from India and Africa. Bangles are a style staple that let a girl play around. They are available in an array of precious and nonprecious materials. You can find them in Saks or on the street. They can be extremely plain or intricately decorated. Bright and bold, or more classic and traditional. It all depends on your style. Try out different versions. Mix the wood with the silver. See what works for you. Your bangles are your bells, announcing your stylish arrival.

Types of Bangles Jewelry

There are two basic types of bangles: a solid cylinder type; and a split, cylindrical spring opening/closing type. The primary distinguishing factor between these is the material used to make the bangles. This may vary from anything from glass to jade to metal to lac and even rubber or plastic.

One factor that adds to the price of the bangles is the artifacts or the work done further on the metal. This includes embroidery or small glass pieces or paintings or even small hangings that are attached to the bangles. The rareness of a color and its unique value also increase the value. Bangles made from lac are one of the oldest ones and among the brittle category too. Lac is clay like material which is molded in hot kilns-like places to make these bangles. Among the recent entrants are the rubber bangles that are worn more like a wrist band by youngsters while the plastic ones are there to add a trendy look.

Normally, a bangle worn by people around the world is simply an inflexible piece of jewelry worn around the wrist. However, in many cultures, especially in the South Asia and in Arabian Peninsula, bangles have evolved into various types in which different ones are used at different occasions.

How to Choose Fashionable Bangles

Rare vintage Bakelite bangles: Bakelite is a very rare, very beautiful material produced in the 1920s and ‘30s, but is no longer manufactured. Check out Mark Davis or scour the vintage shops.

Hermès enamel bangles: The iconic bangle, which comes in a variety of designs. Great when stacked together or mixed with other colors.

Alexis Bittar: Designer who makes beautiful Lucite bangles.

Bangles are Arm Candies

For the bold, wear big designs from wrist to elbow, as Nancy Cunard (Nancy Cunard in bangles) famously did.

For glamour, wear an armload of thin eighteen-carat gold bracelets à la Carolina Herrera, who is known for wearing at least ten at a time. You should stick to no less than six. Mix inexpensive and real if you’d like. It’s good to go vintage here.

For fun, look for odd-colored Bakelite from the flea market or cheap Indian bangles.

For a little glitz, thin bangles of small pavé diamonds add fun and sparkle.

Learn... How to Accessorize Your Outfit on a Budget

What are Bakelite Bangles?

Bakelite is a very rare material that is no longer made. It was the precursor to plastic, was almost indestructible, could easily imitate other materials (ivory, tortoiseshell, coral), and could be dyed almost any color. It was used from the 1920s through the 1950s to make everything from telephone handsets to radios to buttons to costume jewelry. Bakelite jewelry pieces became popular in the ‘20s and gained momentum as the Depression deepened and buying expensive jewelry was out of the question. Women wore colorful Bakelite bangles to add color and a bit of fun to an otherwise drab period. Icons like Diana Vreeland and Elsa Schiaparelli were fans of the bangles and helped to contribute to the popularity of the jewelry. When World War II began, production of Bakelite ground to a halt, since factories were used to make war materials only. By the time the war was over, cheaper plastics had been developed and very little of the material was produced. The golden age of Bakelite had ended. Today, costume jewelry made out of Bakelite is highly collectible.

The most sought-after colors include:

1) Butterscotch, a golden yellow, which was produced only during the ‘30s.

2) “END OF DAY,” a blend of three or more contrasting colors, which were put together in the factory at the end of the day with all of the leftover materials.

3) Stardust, transparent with specks of gold, which disappeared after the1930s.

Major Producers of Bangles

1) Hyderabad, India has a historic world famous market for bangles named Laad Bazaar.

2) Glass bangles are mostly produced in the old Indian city of Firozabad in North India.

3) Pakistan glass bangles are produced mainly in Hyderabad, Pakistan.

Do you know? How to Tell Real Pearls from Imitation Pearls

How to accessorize and why should you do it? Now aren’t these some pretty good questions to discuss now, when every magazine in the world is busy suggesting new trends and every woman in the world starts having those gloomy thoughts about not having anything to wear.

Accessorizing is a creative process and maybe even some form of art, not a pointless, boring process that is supposed to give you headaches. Accessories will help you stand out, they will also help you save money and you’ll always look fabulous.

How? Well, it’s actually very simple – experimenting with different types of hairpieces, belts, jewelry will make the clothes you already own look totally different enabling you to wear them more often. But that’s not all – you’ll actually get complimented for your looks and nobody will even notice that’s the same shirt/skirt you wore two days ago.

Choosing accessories can be daunting. With so many options and styles, it is easy to pile things on and end up looking like an over-styled disaster. Don’t worry! Deciding on what to wear to make your look pop is very simple.

Look at your outfit. What colors are you wearing? Neutrals? Pinks? Black and green? If you are wearing neutral, or darker clothes with less color, you may want to accessorize with something colorful. What styles of clothing are you wearing? Is it girly? Tailored? Elegant? What your outfit looks like is important in choosing the right accessories. Clothes are an important part of accessorizing, so it's best to make them as tasteful and stylish as possible. Jeans should flatter your legs and backside. Skirts would look best if they were as fun and colorful as your shirts, but black or white work.

Accessories can help you make any outfit look fresh and exciting! Accessorizing is the easiest, most inexpensive way to make a style statement. Here's some quick ways to accessorize any outfit.

1. Choosing Basic Jewelries

The quickest way you can change your look is with jewelry. It’s like a punctuation mark at the end of a sentence. The very same dress can become dressy with crystal jewelry, or go casual with wooden accessories.

The rules of necklace wearing is fairly simple: if you’re wearing a “busy” shirt, keep the neckline simple. If your top or dress is simple, rock out all out want! Also, be sure to stick to only one statement piece (the IT piece for fall accessories) or multiple layers of simplicity. On trend this season? Neon rhinestones. And mixing metals can be oh-so-chic when done well.

Your necklace should be working for you—a long strand that hits just below the bust makes you look taller and leaner.

Wear only enough jewelry to complement your outfit, not overwhelm it.

Top 10 Jewelry Brands in United States According to Google

2. Earrings can Change the Shape of your Face

You can actually change the shape of your face with the right pair of earrings. Larger earrings make the nose look smaller. Avoid drop or shoulder earrings if you have a long face or short neck.

When shopping for earrings, consider the shape of your face: Pendants look best when yours is round or square. Studs, buttons, or short drop earrings offset a long or oval face. Hoops are always a good choice.

Colored stones can brighten your complexion. Petites need delicate earrings.

Dangling earrings look best with short hair or up-dos. Smaller earrings look best with glasses.

3. Rings

A ring should flatter your fingers. Narrow bands or styles that extend toward the knuckle make your digits appear longer; thin fingers can pull off a wider style.

Learn.. How to Identifying Gemstones Easily

4. Comfortable Shoes

Not only are they an important accessory, they can create an entire look. Let’s face it, the shoes stage the outfit.

Go for comfort. If you can’t wear a pair of shoes comfortably for more than an hour, don’t bother. Your face will show your pain, no matter how much makeup you apply.

There should be enough width to wiggle your toes.

The end of your longest toe should be about one-quarter to one-half inch from the end when you’re standing.

The widest part of the shoe should fit the widest part of your foot comfortably. The shoe should not slip when you walk. Purchase late in the day when your feet are largest.

Never buy a shoe that wrinkles when you flex your foot.

Wear what you love. The shoes will dictate what follows.

Flats look best with long skirts and slim pants.

5. Sandal Solutions

The simpler the sandal, the more use you’ll get.

Be sure the straps are well made, not too tight or too delicate.

Avoid sandals that cut any area of the foot. Look for built-in arch support. Inner padding is the sign of a well-made sandal.

Inexpensive shoes look richer in natural browns than in black.

6. Boot Boosters

Chunky boots need heavier hose. Don’t wear sheer hose with boots.

Buy your size. Boots should be snug without cramping. Don’t buy boots that are too big.

Don’t stuff your calves into the boot. Look for stretch materials if you have large calves.

Get non-skid soles from your shoemaker if your boots don’t already have them.

7. Hat Advice

Never spend a lot for a hat. They blow away in the summer and take a beating in the rain and snow. They’re a great accessory, but not for everyone. They look best outdoors.

Once you have a hat on, you need to keep it on. Hat head is always a sure thing.

8. Choosing Eyeglasses

Here’s a great way to show off your style. Your glasses can make a major statement. A long narrow face looks best in oval frames. Cat’s eye frames add width at the cheekbones.

Heart-shaped faces look best in oval or square frames, which hide width and create balance.

A round face is most flattered by an angled or squared shape since they add contours. Soften a square face with round or oval frames. They help de-emphasize a strong jaw line.

Shorten a long nose with light wire frames. Aviator styles help slim a broad face.

9. Sunglasses Styling

A great accessory, but you’ve got to look at more than the style.

Plastic frames are less likely to pop out but scratch easily.

Polarized lenses filter out glare.

Mirrored lenses reflect it back.

Green works well in low and bright light.

Brown and amber are good for high glare or haze.

Gray, rose, and yellow are good for outdoor sports.

10. Hair Considerations

Gold rims bring out golden highlights.

Red or wine frames look great on redheads.

11. Eye Impact

Tortoise shell is a good choice for brown eyes.

Blue eyes sparkle in clear or silver frames.

12. Belts

You likely need to start by figuring out which placement works for your figure, then which WIDTH of belt you like best.

How should you implement belts? The right belt can make you appear slimmer and taller. It can dress an outfit up or down. A skinny belt can make your legs look longer. It draws the eye up; making your lower half look longer.

A thick middle can look smaller with a wide belt worn just below the waist. Wear it loosely.

Add height with a chain belt. Always wear it slung on your hips.

If you wear a wide belt, let it rest on your hips. Wearing it right at the waist will make the belt look like a corset.

13. Selecting Scarves

So start with a scarf: Put on a fairly loose dress or tunic, and try belting it with a scarf at various spots on your body. Hips, wearing waist, natural waist, and close your bust like an empire waistline. See what looks best. Then try making the scarf wide like an obi belt and see how that looks. Fold it so it’s the width of a pants belt. Roll it tight as you can so it’s skinny. See which width is most flattering. You may find that multiple combinations look good – skinny at your natural waist, wide up by your bust, medium at your wearing waist. But this little exercise will get you on the right track.

In my experience, most women own scarves. They see them worn by others, love how they look, buy them, get them home, and realize they have no idea how to deploy them in actual outfits. Does this describe you? Well, sadly, the only way to give those scarves some wearable love is to suss out which ties work for you. And that means some research and experimentation. Let’s research first:

The perfect scarf can add glamour and polish to an otherwise dull look. There are many ways to use scarves.

Wear a scarf as a belt.

Use a scarf as a men’s tie with a feminine touch.

Cheap scarves are a bargain buy. They double as belts and head wraps.

Remember that your #1 accessory should be your wonderful personality. You want people to like you, not your clothes. Shine on!

14. Finding the Perfect Handbag

It’s such an important accessory, and so often overlooked. It’s more visible than your shoes because it’s closer to eye level for everybody to notice.

You don’t need a bag that’s more than 10 x 13 inches unless it’s for business or travel.

It’s not that important or necessary to match every outfit with an exactly matched bag. Actually, it makes you look like you’re trying too hard.

Pick a neutral color or a multi-colored bag if you want it to look like it goes with what you’re wearing.

Find a handbag with one or two extra compartments to help you find things.

Matching bag to your body. A small bag with a short shoulder strap will slim your hips and butt. If you want to look less top heavy, let your bag fall at your waist or just below. Look taller by locating a bag with a contrasting vertical detail.

Choose a bag that falls at the area that you consider your biggest asset, because that’s where you’ll be noticed.

Lighten up your load. It’s not necessary to carry everything in your purse, and it’s not practical to carry full-sized products. Don’t ever have a bag so big that people ask you what you could possibly have in there.

Your Basic Handbag Needs

1) Wallet

2) Keys

3) Breath mints

4) Comb/brush

5) Nail file

6) Tissues

7) Notebook & pen

8) A cosmetic bag with these essentials: lipstick (doubles as blush); foundation/powder combo; multi-use pencil for eyes, lips, brows.

Don't try to carry loose powder in your purse unless it’s in a separate container. It just makes a mess.

15. Types of Wallets

Consider a wallet’s material first. Nylon is durable, easy to keep clean, and inexpensive. Leather gets better as it ages. Calfskin is the best leather for wallets.

Light colors stain in any material don’t wear well.

A leather change area is strongest.

Edges should be finished, not frayed.

Check for loose threads.

Test to make sure the metal tops of the wallet “kiss.”

Test a zipper by tugging on the outside edges. Make sure it’s strong and stays on track.

Store your cosmetics in a clear pencil case. In this way, you can see everything at a glance without having to dig. Keep a mirror in it, facing outward. Not only will you protect the mirror from getting dirty, but you’ll also be able to see yourself at a glance.

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