DOES MAKEUP MAKE YOU FAKE?

Caking on makeup verses no makeup at all. Which one is the "real girl"?

Bare faced. Blemishes, discoloration, a bit of shine, we all have them, but like dirty secrets, no one would ever know.

A no makeup face in a cosmopolitan society, is translated as lazy, unhealthy, or unprofessional. While those who believe in the authentic life of a bare face, may deem a full face of makeup as fake, superficial, and manipulative. So, which one is it? Can these two worlds ever collide in a balanced harmony?

Yes. The truest form of balance is to learn the benefits of both worlds. 

Finding comfort in your own skin with no makeup is a valuable lesson of self acceptance, and confidence.  One should be comfortable to show their bare face in front of anyone, and understand the unique beauty of being completely natural. 

However, there is also value in understanding the benefits of wearing makeup and appreciating a different form of beauty. It is a valid tool of professionalism, attraction, expressionism, and artistry.

 Just as one decorates a table for a dinner party, makeup is an artistic exploration of colors, angles, textures, and the effects of aesthetics on human interaction. 

Practice the healthy balance of letting your skin breathe on a daily basis, while challenging yourself to explore the various variables of faces found in the unexpected playground of makeup.

Have fun!

xo,

Maya

A Letter From Maya...

Welcome to TALKFASHION!

Inspired by nature, art, music, and culture, TALKFASHION, covers the evolving force of self discovery. 

The  inner dialogue between you and your heart is the key essence of finding yourself and your style. 

Forever looking to what inspires you, fight the gravity of normality.

Be brave enough to make  mistakes, and have courage to walk the path alone.

What you wear is equally simplistic and complex. They say, " Never judge a book by its' cover, but how introspective to create the perfect cover for a specified book!

You are a what you wear and within that equation is art.  

The greater the art the greater the message.

What do you feel, and how will you arrange your image today?

Sincerely,

Maya Horikawa

(Creator of TALKFASHION)

ARE YOU FASHION PIGEONHOLING?

What in the world is fashion pigeonholing?

Pigeonholing is any process that attempts to classify disparate entities into a small number of categories (usually, mutually exclusive ones).

Fashion Pigeonholing is when you classify yourself into a particular style group. 

A lot of how we dress, is a direct representation of who we think we are, and how we see ourselves. Factors like, social circles, work, school, hobbies, etc., can find us stuck on a limited variation of self awareness and style. 

This is your comfort zone, and it feels safe. You know it well, and chances are you've dressed that way for years. You shop at the same stores, gravitate to the same colors, and basically, buy the same outfit in slightly different shades and lengths. 

The problem is, life is an ever evolving force. You are evolving and your style should be as well. Staying fresh means trying something new. This does not mean you should make a 180 degree fashion flip and abandon everything you know. Fashion is a collection of ideas, and keeping the essence of your style aesthetic will stay relatively unharmed. The challenge lies only in your own mental stereotypes of who you think you were, are, and will be. 

"Oh no.. that's not YOU!" -(My mom) 

To this day, every time I go shopping I can still hear my mother's infamous words, "Oh no.. that's not YOU!" . Funny enough, those exact words are still preventing myself from stepping out of my little pigeon hole. 

Don't be afraid to grab a style completely different from anything you know. You may surprise yourself and actually like it.

Take care and lots of love.

xo,

Maya

THE ART OF SENTIMENTAL STYLE

Did you ever think of fashion as not just fashion you buy or wear, but an actual art form? What would that even mean? 

For me, sentimental style, is one way I express fashion style as a form of art. 

 Fashion by nature is intrinsically intertwined with art. However, loss of sentiment in what we wear has pushed us further from the value of expression, and individuality. 

This kimono was a gift from my grandfather to my mother, when she was 5 years old, and this photograph is a photo of me wearing the same kimono at the same age. To this very day I still wear this kimono as a loose cardigan with jeans, or over a sweet summer dress. 

Sentimental style is all about fashion pieces that spark ideas, memories, inspiration, or emotions. Our society somehow rejects these "sentiments" as useless attachments to objects that hold no real value. However, it is a proven fact that human brain, is formed with memory codes, that certain smells, objects, or sounds can trigger. Specific memories and emotions would otherwise stay buried and forgotten.

The value placed on fashion pieces that hold memories, should not be treated as useless old clothes, but treasure pieces that hold the key to memories that are often lost. 

xo,

Maya

SURPRISE!! TALK FASHION IS NOW ON YOUTUBE!

SURPRISE!

TALK FASHION is now on YouTube as TALKFASHION TV !!! The first video is now live and I would love to hear your feedback and opinions.  Lets start a fashion dialogue, and express what it is we think, feel, and love about all things fashion! 

Videos will be based on fashion that explores artistic expression of mind, body, and soul. 

It's time we stop  the trend of wanting to be fashion clones, and start thinking like individuals. 

Just like the fingerprints on your hand, and the DNA in your blood, never forget you are one of a kind. 

Please subscribe to  TALKFASHION TV 

xo,

Maya

Fall Daily: Eyeglass Style and Firmoo Review

Buy 1 Get 1 for Free Black Friday sale right now. www.firmoo.com 

Daily New: http://www.firmoo.com/new-arrivals.html 
Designer Eyeglasses: http://www.firmoo.com/designer-eyeglasses.html 
Sunglasses: http://www.firmoo.com/wrap-around-rx-sunglasses.html

Firmoo is the world's most popular online eyewear store, and the second time I have worked with them. All the prices of their eyewear is remarkably affordable, while still maintaing high quality. 

With such reasonable prices, eyewear is no longer simply functional but fashionable. You can mix and match outfits to feature or compliment all your outfits. Inspiring new forms of fashion styling! 

To compliment my frames I styled my outfit with the same pink and black combination. The only difference is a slightly lighter pink hue found in my trench coat. The lining of black mimics the movement and waves found in the design of the frame. 

My nails, also inspired by the textures found in the frames added an edgier touch. This look is in every way classic, modern, edgy, and fun. 

xo,

Maya

Firmoo Review: Who said Glasses Make You Boring?

 www.firmoo.com

http://www.firmoo.com/eyeglasses-p-2608.html

As far back as I can remember, I have worn eyeglasses. Four eyes, nerd, bookworm, you name it, I was labeled all of them. Clark Kent the journalistic "nerd" wore glasses and his alter ego, 'Superman' did not. While teen movies depicted girls removing eyeglasses and braces and blossoming into a butterfly.Eyeglasses use to have a negative stigma of nerdy-ness, and the design itself lacked in creativity, personality, or variety. 

If eyes are the window to the soul then eyeglasses use to represent the curtains that covered them.  Thankfully, the glasses of today have abolished all such stigmas, and have embraced them as a worthy category of creativity and style. Fashion has taken over the genre of eyewear, and is bursting in celebration of color, design, and the magic of framing the face and eyes. 

Recently, firmoo.com contacted me regarding a review on their range of fashionable and affordable eyewear line.  If I am honest, at first I was very skeptical about reviewing eyeglasses that were so affordable. I usually pay at least triple the price, and was worried about what kind of quality I would be dealing  with.To my great surprise, the lenses were fun, attractive, and of good quality. In general their entire collection is full of personality, and uniqueness. Normally, when I would invest in lenses I would pick the classic black, or tortoise shell, but with such affordable prices, you can take a risk on designs less practical but much more fun. 

Newest Daily arrivals:

 http://www.firmoo.com/new-arrivals.html

15% savings!

http://www.firmoo.com/z/new-50-off.html