Spring Trends: Pants!

Ok, so when I did my post on what Spring trends I was super excited for, I forgot pants! Pants are back! And not skinny jeans or skinny pants or whatever that whole deal was (can't. contain. hatred. of. skinny. jeans), but real pants! I'm really, really excited for this. Pants and I have kind of been having a tiff for the last few seasons, but I think we're going to be making up real soon.

Now, make no mistake, I'm not condoning the whole 'harem pants' thing. I won't even get into that craziness. I'm talking about the new slouchy, sexy trouser. Either full length or cropped and rolled at the ankle, these are androgyny at its best. They're comfy, easy to wear, and chic. What else could you want?

Images from Nicole Miller, DSquared, Louis Vuitton (ignore the hair! ignore the hair!), and Richard Chai. I love the slightly cropped looks at Nicole Miller and Richard Chai, but I think the rolled cuff at Richard Chai is particularly adorable. DSquared has this whole 70's Charlie's Angels vibe (love, love, love), and if those Louis Vuitton pants came in black I would have already started a 'Save Megan's Pants' Fund and gotten on that. Sigh.


I found a couple of retail dupes for these pantalones. First off, we have the cropped/rolled boyfriend pant (I know Maud hates these, but I love them and I just can't help myself). On the left, J. Brand Boyfriend jeans, $225 at shopbop.com, and on the right, Current/Elliot Boyfriend Cropped jeans, about $229 at shopbop.com


Next, there's the slouchy, menswearish trouser pant by Alexander Wang, $395 at lagarconne.com. Ok, how comfy do those look? Comfy, but not sloppy. Aka perfection. Drool. On the right there are the 7 for All Mankind Ginger Trousers, about $143 at chickdowntown.com. I actually own a pair of these in a lighter wash, and I highly recommend them. (Check eBay for good deals. I got mine for $60 and they are fab). I love the high rise because it eliminates all muffintop tendencies, which is always a plus, and the wideleg is just a hint of 70's without being too literal/dated. PS if you buy them, get them hemmed. Don't be like this model and come down with the jean-eating-shoe virus.


Alice and Olivia Cargo Pants, about $286 at shopbop.com. Yes. The cargo pant is back. If Harper's Bazaar says it, it must be true. I know, everyone has a reflexive early 2000's induced nightmare flashback at the mention of cargo pants, but think about it for a second. Kate Hudson has been rocking them for years, and they look fab on her. Slightly boho, but kind of refreshing. Wants it.


Image Sources:
Nicole Miller: harpersbazaar.com
DSquared: harpersbazaar.com
Louis Vuitton: coutorture.com
Richard Chai: coutorture.com
J. Brand jeans: shopbop.com
Current/Elliot jeans: shopbop.com
Alexander Wang pants: lagarconne.com
7 for All Mankind Ginger jeans: chickdowntown.com
Alice and Olivia Cargo pants: shopbop.com

Shoe Porn

I love shoes. Especially expensive shoes. Which is probably why I don't own any shoes aside from a pair of Rainbows and some Havianas. My shoe fund always ends up being reallocated to Starbucks. Weird...Anyways, just look at those studded Gucci boots. My wallet is crying. So. Pretty. So. Slouchy. Love. Love. Love. And those yellow YSL tribute sandals! I wanted them when they came out a year or two ago, and they still look good. But I heard they're hell to walk in, so maybe I'll just admire from afar.



On a more realistic level, I want some cute sandals. Sandals that are actually appropriate to wear nice(ish) places in public, because, as mentioned, my sandal supply is only suited to casual LA beachiness, and I'm trying to stock up on real clothes for college. I already started the ballet flat quest, so I thought I'd look for some cute sandals too. And if it's a flat sandal, it's gonna be a gladiator sandal. I know it's not exactly fresh, but you have to admit, they're still pretty adorable. They've got a bit of an edge to them, which you know I love. :)

Antik Batik Sandals: about $200 at shopbop.com, 12th St. by Cynthia Vincent, about $203 at shopbop.com, Matt Bernson Sandals: about $170 at shopbop.com.


Image Sources:
Studded Gucci Boots: Jak & Jil
YSL Tributes: Jak & Jil
Antik Batik Sandals: shopbop.com
12th St. by Cynthia Vincent Sandals: shopbop.com
Matt Bernson Sandals: shopbop.com

Model Style: Freja Beha

It's no secret that model off duty style is one of my favorite looks of all time. I think all models absorb style by osmosis, but some of them have seriously fab personal style. One of my inspirations right now is Freja Beha's personal style. It may have something to do with the fact that I just got her haircut...what?...craziness...no, but seriously, she does adrogynous-sexy like nobody's business. Here are some Freja Beha pics. Yes, she is disgustingly gorgeous. I know, it makes me sick too.




Image Sources:
Sitting, Freja Beha Live Journal
Gucci Backstage Details, style.com, and style.com
Freja Beha and Lily Donaldson, christopherpeterson.com
Set of 4 pics, model couture live journal
Looking backwards: my own fashion

Site Highlight: Makeup Alley

Before I buy any new makeup, skincare, fragrance, haircare, or anything at all related to beauty, I go on Makeup Alley. It is the holy grail of makeup review sites. What it is is that people (normal people, people who work in the beauty industry, beauty bloggers) write reviews of every beauty related product imaginable. They rate them on a scale of 1 t0 5, talk about their experience with the product, usage tips, post product swatches, etc. Some products have over a thousand reviews.

It's really helpful to find new uses for old stuff (look up honey) and to see if a product is going to be right for you. For instance, if I'm debating between two eyeliners, I'll look them up on Makeup Alley and see what kinds of reviews they got. Go check it out today!

Swimwear for the Ocean-Challenged

After seeing Maud's swimwear post, I thought I'd do one for those of us, namely me, who never, ever make it out to the beach (or have a paralyzing fear of the ocean. anyone? anyone else?), but have to own at least one swimsuit because as soon as you throw away your never-worn swimsuit you get invited to some awesome beach/pool party and have nothing to wear (story of my life). So I rounded up a few very basic, very timeless swimsuits that you will just have to buy once and look cute in for years. And yes, they are all from J. Crew, because one, they make high-quality swimsuits, that two, come in like 2523525 colors.

J. Crew Tortoise Ring Bikini: about $90 total at Jcrew.com. Very basic, very chic. It might give you funny tan lines, but it's got a bit of old-school glamour.

J. Crew Braided Halter Bikink: about $86 at Jcrew.com. A softer take on the typical halter, it has tiny braids along the edges, which add a little visual interest but still keep it streamlined and simple. Plus, that purple is gorgeous!

J. Crew String Bikini: about $78 at Jcrew.com. Probably the most basic swimsuit ever, aka perfection. This string bikini will last you years, because this look never goes out of style.

J. Crew Gladiola Print Bikini: about $90 at Jcrew.com. I love this! The gladiola print is really subtle, but still really fun. The yellow color is so cheerful., and the pleats are cute and young, but small enough that they don't add bulk in that wrong places.

J. Crew Pleated Bikini Top: about $42 at Jcrew.com, Ruched Bikini Bottom: about $38 at Jcrew.com. This is the plain version of the pleated top above, so it's even more timeless, and again, those pleats are so cute! They come with this weird applique flower bottom, so instead I'd go for this simple, ruched bikini bottom. That's why I love J. Crew. You can mix and match tops and bottoms to your heart's content.

And of course, if you have a fabulous swimsuit, you need fabulous cover-ups! I may be more excited about these than the actual swimsuits. Sad.

Victoria's Secret Pink Smocked Dress, about $39.50 at victoriassecret.com. This dress is just so young and fun! The subtle tie-dye is going to be big for spring, and this dress could totally work off the beach too. It's a steal!

DVF Ganza Cover-up: about $360 at dvf.com. This is sickeningly gorgeous. I don't think I could bear to wear this to the beach. But if I ever go shopping on an exclusive Caribbean island, this is what I'm wearing.

Brette Sandler Ashley Print Caftan: about $165 at shopbop.com. Not only is this totally on-trend for spring (sheer and floral), but it looks so easy to wear and comfy. Layer a tank dress or a slip underneath and you can work this on and off the beach.

Image Sources:

Tortoise Ring Bikini: jcrew.com

Braided Bikini: jcrew.com

String Bikini: jcrew.com

Gladiola Bikini: jcrew.com

Pleated Bikini Top: jcrew.com

Ruched Bikini Bottom: jcrew.com

Victoria's Secret Cover-up: victoriassecret.com

DVF Dress: dvf.com

Brette Sandler Caftan: shopbop.com

Perfume Awards!

Alright, I have a confession to make. My name is Megan, and I'm obssessed (obssessed) with perfume. I love it. I could spend ten grand on perfume in five minutes. Yes, it is a problem. So, I thought I'd round up my favorite perfumes in each category and share them with you guys.

Fresh: Guerlain Aqua Allegoria Mandarine-Basilic, $55 at Sephora.com, Marc Jacobs Splash in Grapefruit, $68 at Sephora.com

I'm not big on Fresh perfumes, so I tend to go for the ones that actually smell just like citrus. The Guerlain has the prettiest bottle, and smells just like tangerines. Yummy! The Marc Jacobs comes in the biggest perfume bottle I've ever seen, so it's a really good deal, and smells exactly like a real grapefruit.

Floral: Ralph Lauren Romance, $36-$78 at Sephora.com. I really love this. It's the softest, warmest floral I've ever smelled. It just smells happy and cozy! It may not be that unique, but it just smells really, really pretty. I'm a hardcore oriental-wearing girl, but I want to buy this for my girlier days.

Oriental: Coco Mademoiselle, $80-$115 at Sephora.com. This was the first real perfume I ever bought. It's not the heavy, stereotypical oriental, it's a very floral, soft oriental. I've used it for over a year, and I still love it (and I never like anything for that long!). I've actually gotten a lot of compliments on this. It's very sweet and fun, and the bottle is super cute! And yes, it is expensive, but it's a longlasting perfume, and it's totally worth it.


Woody: Prada by Prada, $56-$115 at Sephora.com. This is my new perfume. I typically hate woody perfumes (who wants to smell like wood?) but this doesn't come off as woody to me at all. If Coco Mademoiselle is a wet, floral oriental, this is a dry, spicy oriental. It lasts forever, but it's not overbearing at all. It's kind of like someone made a perfume out of what the perfect person would smell like. It smells really natural, and I love the supercute atomiser it comes with! So retro chic.

Two places worth mentioning if you don't shop on line. Luckyscent is a great place for slightly lesser known, more niche perfumes. They have a huge selection, and you can buy cheap samples of the perfumes you're interested in so you can decide what works for you without having to make an expensive purchase. Plus, they have an open review section for each perfume so you can see what other people thought about it. Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab is this really intense underground, kind of goth perfume oil site (they were featured on Daily Candy, so their stuff is wearable). Not only is the site fun to look through, because they give each perfume really entertaining descriptions, but they have an extensive review website where their hardcore fans analyze each different oil. Their stuff smells really good, and since it's perfume oil, it lasts forever.

Image Sources:
Guerlain: sephora.com

Marc Jacobs: sephora.com

Ralph Lauren: sephora.com

Chanel: sephora.com

Prada: sephora.com

Beach Bum

It's almost swim season (in California, and like Hawaii, at least)! For those of you who don't know, I'm a toal beach bum. If I could have my way, I'd buy a house right on the beach an go surfing like every day. But live in land and happen to be a mainlander...for now. In the mean time, I thought I'd give a heads up on some cute suits for spring/summer 2009 because it's never too early. It's also really good for me too, cause I always buy at least one new bikini every year (yeah, I know, that's a LOT, but I like to have some choices, geesh).



First, we have the all too versatile basic black. The one on the left is Kushcush and retails for around $138 and the one on the right is Mara Hoffman and retails at $150. You can never go wrong with a solid black bikini because the color flatters everyone (and it's just a little sexy). If you're down between choosing two suits and one is crazy and the other is black, do your self a favor and invest in the black one.



Secondly, never underestimate a good print. These styles pictured above have been around for the last few seasons now and are well worth the investment. The one on the far left is Brette Sandler and retails at $158. The print is really cute and dainty, so anybody can pull it off. The second is Lisa Curran and retails for $176. The tie-dye is simple and not hippy dippy at all. Th one on the right is Diane von Furstenburg and retails at $180. When you look at it closely it's not really tie-dye, but has a more interesting pattern.

Image Sources:
Kushkush bikini: shopbop.com
Mara Hoffman bikini: shopbop.com
Brette Sandler bikini: shopbop.com
Lisa Curran bikini: shopbop.com
DVF bikini: shopbop.com

Spring Beauty Trends: Metallic Nails

I am a nail polish addict. Which is actually kind of sad, seeing as my nail polish habit has raped my nails, making it nearly impossible to wear said polish, and so whenever I see cute nail polish I cry silently inside. Moving away from the self pity. If the Spring/Summer Runways are any indication, metallic nails are going to be a big deal for spring. That doesn't just mean gold and silver metallics, though. We're talking purple, pink, blue, even black metallic. I'm really loving this trend because it's a nice break from all the heavy, vampy colors we've been seeing for the last year or two. These nails feel so perfect for spring!

First off, we have the lilac metallic nails at Zac Posen (heads up, lilac is going to be huge for makeup). The models wore Deborah Lippman's polish in Purple Rain (haha). I like it because the pale purple is very typical spring, but the metallic makes it interesting instead of cliche. It releases later this spring.

Zoya Harley. Buy it for $6 at zoya.com. This is a really pretty, sheer, sparkly silver that for some reason is totally giving me fairy princess vibes. I think this is a really cute, wearable way to buy into the metallic trend, and this is probably the easiest to wear of all these polishes. Plus, Zoya makes really great, cheap polishes. :)

Rescue Beauty Lounge Leila Rose: Buy it for $18 at rescuebeautylounge.com. This is probably the weirdest color, but I love it soooo much. It's a warm, pinky lavender metallic with silver sparkle. It sounds really hard to pull of, but I think if done right it could be stunning. Rescue Beauty Lounge polishes are also big 3 free (Dibutyl Phthalate (DBP), Formaldehyde and Toluene), so they're good for your nails! Or at least not bad for them.

Lippman Collection Rhapsody in White: buy it for $15 at drugstore.com. Kate Winslet wore this on Oprah earlier this week, and it was super cute. On short, rounded nails this goes straight past tacky and right into chic.

Butter London Swinger: buy it for $14 at butterlondon.com. Butter London polishes are also big 3 free (yay!). This is a sheer, metallic gold that's actually very flattering on all skin tones, and would look great with a tan. It's fun and warm, but subtle enough not to be too obvious/blingy. Love!

Image Sources:

Lippman Purple Rain: elle.com

Zoya Harley: blogdorfgoodman.blogspot.com

Rescue Beauty Lounge Leila Rose: rescuebeautylounge.com

Lippman Rhapsody in White: polishaddict.com

Butter London Swinger: vampyvarnish.com

On the Hunt for: Ballet Flats

So I'm going off to college soon (like in eight months...I might be planning ahead), and in the mean time I'm trying to assemble everything I could possibly need in terms of clothing. And I mean everything. In this process, I've realized that I own approxiatemely one pair of flats that aren't sandals or Keds. One. This is sad. So, I'm on the hunt for cute ballet flats, because while I'd like to pretend that I'll be spending all of college in fabulously chic heels, I know that's soooo far from realistic. This is me trying to be practical. You probably won't see that again for a while.

First off, we have these J. Crew ballet flats for $98. Their ballet flats are very basic, but pretty well made and timeless. I could have worn these flats ten years ago and I could be wearing them in five years, so they're definitely versatile. Plus I love, love, love the metallic gunmetal shade. Very me. :)


Maloles ballet flats, about $330. Very vibrant, very, very girly. They might be a little over the top, but they're really cute, and I think worn with a less girly outfit these could totally work. On the grand scale of buying practical (I hate that word) clothes for college, these are innappropriate, but for now I can dream.


DRU New York patent ballet flats: on sale for $69.99. Another pair of gunmetal grey flats. Interesting. These are like half off, so if anyone else is looking for flats, snap these up! I've heard really great things about this brand, which is always a plus. I love patent, I love grey, and I love the elastic ruching these have going on...hmmm...I may have to get these.


Bona Drag studded ballet flats: about $48. These are studded Capezio ballet flats, so they're not very padded, or probably very comfy for long periods of time, but they are soooo cute. I really want the black ones. The studs given the perfect edge to this typically girly shoe, and if they came in grey, I would have totally bought them already. I really like grey, if you couldn't tell.


And finally, the extremely covetable and extremely expensive holy grail of ballet flats.
Lanvin ballet flats: about $520. These are just so fabulous I can't even come up with the words. But there is no way I'm ever going to get these, because even I can't justify spending over half a grand on ballet flats, and I can justify pretty much anything related to shopping. However, if these somehow ended up in my room on graduation day, I wouldn't complain.


Image Sources:
J. Crew Flats : jcrew.com
Maloles Flats: net-a-porter.com
DRU New York flats: piperlime.com
Bona Drag flats: bonadrag.com
Lanvin ballet flats: shopzoeonline.com

Mixing Prints: Part Two

Alright, we just saw how cute mixing prints can be in a casual outfit, but it can also be really cute in a slightly more formal ensemble, like the classic little dress and cardigan. I think the key here is mixing a more neutral hued piece with a more brightly colored piece, and mixing either large and small prints or different kinds of prints (like florals and stripes). These outfits would look great with a simple necklace or earrings, and a cute pair of flat leather sandals.

Look One:
Lauren Conrad Dress: about $95. I know, it's "Lauren Conrad," but the big flower print is one, big for spring, and two, very graphic and kind of adorable. It's just a really easy and fun dress, and since it's Lauren Conrad, it's already on sale. Sad, but true.


J. Crew Cardigan: about $88. This cardigan is just so freaking cute! It makes me smile. Yes, the yellow is really bright, but the print isn't too loud. Plus, the dress above is only black and white, so the yellow would be festive, but not jarring. And the whole look is under $300. Score!


Look Two:

Forever 21 Cardigan: about $22.90. Not only is this a surprisingly cute sweater for Forever 21, but it's super cheap and really versatile. Neutral colors and stripes never go out of style.


Phillip Lim Dress: about $550. I'm in love with this dress. It's got a bit of a vintage vibe with the tiny floral print, but the asymmetrical piping on the bodice makes it totally modern. The stripes and the florals work together because both prints are on the quieter side, and they're both in pretty understated colors. This whole outfit has this french girl, chic thing going on that I'm really loving. Leave the sweater unbuttoned, and pair it with a tan leather belt. Adorable!



Image Sources:
Lauren Conrad Dress: revolveclothing.com

J. Crew Cardigan: jcrew.com
Forever 21 Cardigan: forever21.com
Phillip Lim Dress: net-a-porter.com