We take a look at some of the most unusual traditions Latinos follow when it comes to welcoming the New Year. Perhaps they'll bring you some good luck, as well.
Read More »By Liliana Moyano for Shine Latina
Hallaca, the final product!
My Latin friends are all holiday fanatics, and every one of our festivities comes with a great deal of pre-production. The first gathering of the year was Mari's Thanksgiving leftover party where everyone had to wear ugly Christmas sweaters, and decorate the tree. Next up is Tati's Venezuelan Christmas kick off party. Here, once again, we decorate the Christmas tree, and everyone cooks a traditional dish from Venezuela. Most importantly, this is the party where Boris gets to make hallacas. He claims to make the best ones in town.
Guiso ready to cool down
Hallacas are a kind of tamale (don't tell Venezuelans that!) made with corn-based dough, pork, chicken and meat- all wrapped in a plantain leaf and cooked slowly. This year I decided to document the preparation process from start to finish, only to realize how much work and patience making hallacas requires. On the other hand, I enjoyed taking that first bite with great appreciation.
We started by meeting one day
...Read More »Shine Latina met with L'Oreal Paris' color designer to discover the inspiration behind perfect makeup colors and how to achieve red carpet looks.
Jennifer Lopez
A good foundation
A perfect and flawless makeup look starts with the base, according to L'Oreal Paris' color designer and "makeup anthropologist", Orrea Light. She suggests Latinas choose their foundation correctly by taking their skin's undertones into account. "Cooler tones could go gray and may look a little white on [olive]," says Light. The expert's secret for finding the perfect foundation is testing on the jawline, avoiding the neck because it's lighter than the face.
Lively colors for Latinas
For Light, inspiration behind developing the perfect colors or trends stems from everywhere, including the art and automobile industry. "If I see a beautiful Bentley, I'll call the manufacturer and say 'We need that color for a nail polish!'" says Light of the colors reflected in makeup lines. Whether it's a night for bold, red lips, or sexy n...Read More »Make a resolution for looking beautiful at your New Year's party with this sparkling and smoky makeup look.
By Charleen Gonzalez for Shine Latina
Toasting to a beautiful New Year
A dashing New Year's Eve party provides the perfect excuse to break out your smoky shadows and shimmer. I personally will be rocking a smoked-out, sexy look with flirty false lashes and a subtle nude lip. You could amp it up even more with a bright red lip for your next New Year's fiesta. Make it a resolution to follow along in the video below, and start 2013 with a bold look!
Start with a good base
Begin by applying a foundation with no SPF. Since it's likely you'll be taking pictures, and SPF tends to reflect light making you look pasty, opt for a base that omits this protective ingredient. I applied Laura Mercier's Oil Free Supreme Foundation with a Sigma F88 Flat Angled Kabuki. If you have dark under eye circles, be sure to also apply some concealer. I've been loving Laura Mercier's Secret Camouflage because it has two different color
...Read More »By Liliana Moyano for Shine Latina
Paella for all the primos
In Latin America, it is very common to have an extended family composed of close friends we like to call primos or cousins. In addition to biological cousins, primos are people we grew up with- neighbors, school mates, lifelong family friends. Growing up in Colombia, having four sisters in the family meant four times the number of cousins and friends to attend parties and family gathering. You can imagine my mom's difficulty when it came time to cook for everyone!
One year for one of my sister's birthdays, mom decided to make two big pans of paella the night before. Then, the day of the party, all she had to do was heat the paella in the oven, and serve it with crusty French bread. All the primos loved the dish and helped themselves to multiple seconds. My mom was ecstatic to have found a formula that helped her feed the entire family, and at the same time allow her to enjoy the party out of the kitchen.
This is a perfect recipe for feed...Read More »
Paella for all the primos
