I go back to school on Monday, and it seems like I'm the only one still on break. So I've been sitting around watching wayyyy too much reality TV and essentially losing my mind. So if I seem a little loopy, that's why.
As a little appetizer, two lovely shots from Jak & Jill. The mixture of textures and patterns in this first look is genius. It would be great with just the trench and the bateau tee, two very classic, Parisian chic pieces, but the bit of the striped blue button-up peeking out from under the trench adds so much visual interest and such a great, androgynous quirkiness. I don't have much to say about these shoes. Except that I love them and they must be on my feet.
So Tarina Tarantino makes tacky jewelry that I'm not particularly fond of, but her new makeup line at Sephora looks promising, even if just for the uber-girly packaging.
Tarina Tarantino Eye Dream Hypershadow, $19 at sephora.com, Eye Dream Hyperliner, $17 at sephora.com, Eye Dream Highlighting Hyperliner, $17 at sephora.com: I just have to say, I'm loving all the pale pink. I am a girly girl. The eyeshadow compact is a little much, but the shades themselves look promising. I'm intrigued by Brooch, dark chocolate with gold and green microglitter, Trinket, pale grey with iridescent shimmer, and Butterfly Black, matte black. I'd buy the liner just for the pink pencil, but there are some really interesting deep shades with shimmer--my favorite. I like Ultraviolet, metallic almost-black plum, Rockstar Love, black with iridescent shimmer, and Glamorous Thief, rich sapphire with blue shimmer. I've been looking for a good off-white/flesh-toned eyeliner for awhile now. I know it sound useless, but used on the waterline it's the perfect way to give your face a wake-up call. Tarina Tarantino has two good looking options, Broken Doll, shimmering frosty light pink, and Crystal Gun, shimmering frosty white.
Eye Dream Hypershadow, $19 at sephora.com, Sparklicity: Luminizer, $16 at sephora.com: I'm a sucker for cream shadows, and again, HOW CUTE IS THAT PACKAGING?!, but what I really like about this cream shadow is that it comes in Purple Velvet, a deep metallic plum, and Black Diamond, black with iridescent micro shimmer. Those are two great sounding shades that are hard to find in cream shadows. I'm sure this primer is chock-full of silicone, so I will end up hating it, but right now I love it in theory. It's supposed to be pearlized and very luminescent, which would look fantastic peeking out from under foundation. This shimmer powder is a similar concept, just a very finely milled shimmer powder (no chunky glitter here) in a lovely warm pink hue. It could come off as Studio 64, but I feel like this has the potential to be a fab highlighter. And I won't say anything else about the ADORABLE packaging.
Plush: Fleece Lined Thigh Highs, $26 at shopbop.com, Stitched Fleece Lined Leggings, $59 at shopbop.com, Fleece Lined Tights, $34 at barenecessities.com: I have a feeling that I already posted on this, but I can't find that, so here goes (again?). I love the concept behind this line. Fleece lined hosiery? Yes, please. It's so practical that I can't believe no one else has really done this before. And the best part is that the pieces don't look bulky, they just look like normal leggings and tights. They come in a wide variety of cuts, all in basic black, and for pretty good prices. I'm personally dying over the thigh highs, but I can even stand the leggings.
Guys, we need to talk about Heidi Montag. Even if you don't and have never watched The Hills (Heidi's one of the resident drama queens), this is just disturbing on so many levels. This girl is 23, and she's had 12 separate plastic surgeries. 12! She literally bought herself a new face, and I'm not even being sarcastic when I say that. The first picture is her in I think 2006-2007. She just looks cute and normal, and maybe in need of a better makeup artist. The next pic is her in 2008 after a nose job and a breast implants. Not a fan of the fake boobs, but I understand the nose job, and she does look good, albeit with insanely fake hair and overdone makeup. You'd think she'd be done there, but no. She just had 10 surgeries in one day (another nose job, another boob job, lypo, fat injections, ear pinning, the list goes on and on), and looks like Russian sex slave Barbie. SHE DOESN'T EVEN LOOK LIKE A PERSON ANYMORE. It makes me so sad. And she even wants more surgeries. Ugh.
And as a nice palette cleanser, here's Mila Kunis in a lovely Vera Wang dress. Girl has come out of sartorial nowhere and is totally shutting it down. There's something very deconstructed and sarong-like about this, and yet it's still quite glamorous and red carpet appropriate. A+
I love YSL. I love Kate Moss. Ergo, I love the YSL Parisienne campaign (and the actual perfume, of course). The commercial is a little on the racy side, but Kate's makeup is flawless. That smokey purple eye is insane. So is the Photoshopping. Hmm. And it just so happens that my fav YouTube vlogger put together a video on how to get the look. I love this look. It's sexy and classic, but the pop of pink and purple makes it modern and on-trend.
Sonia by Sonia Rykiel Leather Wallet with Bow Detail, $160 at net-a-porter.com, Lily and Lionel Bright Blue and Purple Leopard Scarf, 125 Euros at lilyandlionel.com, Lily and Lionel London Scarf, 240 Euros at lilyandlionel.com: How freaking adorable is this wallet? It's like a cute overload! But not in a cheesy way at all. The bow almost looks like the Ferragamo bow, and the innate chicness of that tempers the coral-pink very nicely. For a designer wallet that's a pretty good price. I've found my favorite new scarf brand. Warning: Lily and Lionel will be dangerous for your wallet, especially with the Euro conversion rate. Their scarves are the perfect mixture of light and warm (the first one's cashmere, the second is wool-silk) which makes them the perfect layering pieces. They come in a wide range of gorgeous prints, like this pink and purple leopard print--so quirky chic--and this black and white print of London's skyline. I love how the second scarf has such an iconic, old school print, but all crumpled up it just looks a really interesting, random geometric pattern.
Stila Smudge Pot in Black, $20 at sephora.com: So I've been testing the black smudge pot for a few days now, and I think I love it. That picture is a little overexposed, but that's what it looks like after 10 hours of wear. It's hard too see, but the line is very crisp still, and the black is still pretty darn black. It wears a lot better than my Bobbi Brown gel liner, and seems to rub off on my browbone much less. The smudge pot has a much firmer consistency than the Bobbi Brown liner, which actually makes it a lot easier to work with. The Bobbi Brown is so much that I always pick up too much product, and with the Stila I have a lot more control. The only downside is that since it is firmer, it does drag a little more when I apply it. But on the upside, the Stila is $142.86 per oz. and the Bobbi Brown is $210 per oz, so that's a major plus.
I thought Pre-Fall 2010 was over in December, but I guess phase two has started up again. And let me just say, it's chock-full of gorgeous.
Lanvin, Lanvin, Proenza Schouler: If I had to spend my entire life in one designer, it would be Alber Envaz's Lanvin. His clothes would work on so many different girls of totally different ages and look equally fabulous. He has the casual, carefree glamour thing down to a T. Just look at the layering to textures on this first look. The pattern tights, the leopard dress, the checked coat, the piled on jewelry. It sounds crazy, but works in an Edie Beale sort of way. And I would do terrible things for that leopard dress. The cut is slightly '80s kaftan, but Alber somehow makes it drop-dead chic. I just love how there's so much draping and yet nothing is bulky or unflattering. Proenza Schouler had a fantastic Pre-Fall collection that built off their spring collection perfectly. I chose this dress because the mixture of textures is very Proenza but also very on-trend. The silhouette has the ideal balance between the short skirt but voluminous skirt and the high-necked but sleeveless bodice. I just want to steal it off the model and wear it forever. Kidding...
All Nina Ricci: I'll admit it, I seriously resistance replacing Olivier Theyskens with Peter Copping at Nina Ricci, but Peter's starting to win me over. Very, very slowly. He's managed to do deconstructed, eccentric glamour without looking like he's "heavily inspired" by Lanvin. The combination of textures in the restricted color of that first look is just genius, and the Grecian meets flapper dress underneath the coat seems simply stunning. I love the silhouette of the second look, with the embellished cigarette pants, the motorcycle jacket, and the sweater shirt. That dusty rose softens up the grey and black perfectly, and that outfit just screams "I'm Parisian and just hopped off my Vespa." Which is obviously what I aspire to look like on a daily basis. I'm mostly joking. This last dress just kills me. The cut screams Grecian goddess column, but the detailing on the top is so Parisian glamour. I think this dress could work on anyone from Angelina Jolie to Amanda Seyfried to ME! Hehe.
Giambattista Valli, Louis Vuitton, Givenchy: Speaking of Grecian glamour, hello Giambattista Valli. Like the Nina Ricci dress, it's a twist on that classic look. The dramatic red hue adds a little extra drama, the one-shouldered cut makes it very on trend, and the masculine belt balances the all-out girliness of the dress. That dress is red hot. Yes, I am feeling cheesy today. I'm not feeling the legwarmer/shoe styling of this Louis Vuitton look, but that coat is fantastic. It almost looks like a flannel button-down had a baby with a '60s coat, and would be such a refreshing alternative to my usual navy peacoats. I love every layer of this ridiculously awesome Givenchy look. It's part cupcake, part street-wear, part lingerie with those thigh-highs. The contrast between the sporty anorak and the tiered ruffle dress is spot-on, and the sliver of blue elevates the entire look from basic to perfectly pulled-together.
One of the things that I love, love, love about online shopping is being able to find quirky, offbeat brands that you would never find in a store. The interwebs are so useful. Anyways, I stumbled across Bittersweets NY, a seriously awesome little jewelry brand. Their aesthetic is equal parts organic, dark, and quirkily sweet. Bittersweet is also one of my favorite adjectives, so obviously I love them (yes, I am that nerdy). Here are some of my favorite pieces.
Heart & Arrow necklace, $395 at bittersweetsny.com, Monogram ring, $125 at bittersweetsny.com: This necklace makes me smile, with the arts and craftsy heart and the skinny little arrow. I'm really feeling horizontal pendants right now, just for a change of pace, and the heart is actually big enough to slip over the arrow for extra cuteness. It should be over the top and cheesy, but the delicacy of the pendants and the chain keep it chic. I've had a change of heart about monograms. I used to think they were nerdy and unnecessary, but now I think they add a sweet, personal touch to things, especially when done discreetly like in this ring. You could do your initials, you could do someone else's initials, and there's something so elegant about how teensy tiny this ring is with the cursive initials. It's very Victorian, but the slight asymmetry of the ring keeps it modern.
Feather Necklace, $595 at bittersweetsny.com, Little Beating Heart Charm, $65 at bittersweetsny.com: The pendant on this necklace is two tiny feathers. I love feathers! There's something so whimsical about them, and they're hinged, so they'll move when you move. So cute. With the thin chain, the overall effect is so delicate. This anatomical heart charm is so weird, which is why I like it. This would be such a hilarious Valentine's present (0ooh), because it has the same sentiment as a heart, but it's much more interesting and much more unique, which is a great quality in a present.
Earthworm ring, $675 at bittersweetsny.com, Baby Vamp Rings, $195 at bittersweetsny.com: That ring is an earthworm with a diamond! So cool. An earthworm! Ok. I like that it almost looks like a claw, and that the diamond looks haphazardly nestled between the ridges of the earthworm. This is the kind of piece that completely makes an outfit. These vampire rings are my absolute favorite pieces. Obviously, I am a vampire nerd, and these interlocking vampire teeth rings are making my day. It's a really discrete way to show your True Blood (or Twilight, I guess) love, and it's such an offbeat, edgy statement done in such a chic, simple way. A+, Bittersweets.
Update: Bittersweets is offering you guys a 10% discount if you type "discount" in at checkout. As if y'all needed more of a reason to shop. :)
So I've just started watching Big Love (aka the polygamist show), and aside from totally loving it as a show, I'm developing an obsession for floral prints of all sorts. This is also fueled by the upcoming Liberty of London collaborations, which are KILLING ME with the wait.
Kimchi Blue Chiffon Wildflower dress, $58 at urbanoutfitters.com, Patterson J. Kincaid Los Angeles Zip Tank, $98 at shopbop.com, Forever 21 Blossom Ruffle Skirt, $14.80 at forever21.com: I love florals when they're toughened up a bit, like how these first two pieces have zippers down the back. The cut of this first dress is so '90s, which is so perfect for right now, and it's the kind of easy but flattering piece that you could just throw on and go. This floral tank has tiny buttons down the front and is slightly sheer, so it ties perfectly into the lingerie trend for spring. It would be so perfect with a lacy black bra and tucked into a high-waisted skirt. The Forever 21 skirt is perfect if you don't want to drop a lot of money on the ditsy floral trend (less than $15! Total steal). It's an easy to wear, versatile piece that would liven up any basic tees or tanks.
Floral Sundress, currently $19.99 at ebay.com, Liberty of London Ocean Peacock tee, currently $65 at ebay.com, Pink Phoenix scarf, $196 at liberty.co.uk: Speaking of '90s florals, this is the perfect example (I think it's actually '90s, too). I love these floral sundresses. They so remind me of Sookie from True Blood (two mentions in one post, I know), and they have an adorable, Southern belle vibe to them. The slipdress cut of this and the buttons down the front have a bit of a boudoir vibe, which is also so on trend. Now, when I think of florals, I immediately think of Liberty of London. This shirt isn't floral, but it is insanely awesome. Peacock feathers are such an unexpected print, and there's something so decidedly glamorous about it, even though it's on a tee. $65 is a really good price for Liberty, too. It's hard to see in this pic, but the print on this scarf has tie dye-ish phoenixes and deer and lions on it. So you could wear it more open to show off the print, or you could fold it up like it is in the picture for an indistinguishable but intriguingly awesome pattern.
I know I promised outfits awhile ago, and I'm finally delivering! I know, I know, I'm slow.
So I got my boots, and OMG, these boots. This color's sold out on the Frye website at the moment, and I can't seem to find it anywhere else...sad face. But I love these boots to death. You can just tell that they're really well-made. The leather is so rich and supple, but also strong enough to stand up by itself and not get all slouchy. They actually seem pretty durable--I'm really clumsy and clunk around, but these don't have any scratches on them. They're super comfy, and seem to run true to size, but the calf is a little on the narrow side. It's 14 inches around, and my calves are 13 inches, and I wouldn't want the calves any smaller. These hit a couple inches below my knees, but I'm 5'8' and have longish legs, so they'd probably be knee length on a lot of people. I love the riding/cowboy boot details, the slightly upturned toe, the dip in the cuff, the pull-on straps (which are just for looks because these are really easy to get on). I'm seriously over the moon happy about these, I haven't taken them off, and I highly recommend them to everybody.
Here are two ensembles I've worn recently that revolve around the boots. The lighting sucks, but the first one is a Forever 21 tee (that necklace detail is made out of forks. hehe), a H&M belt, American Apparel skirt, and the boots. The second outfit is a Love Quotes scarf, American Apparel v-neck and skirt, H&M belt, Target tights, C&C California cardigan, and boots. The boots work so many different ways! On an unrelated note, there's a fab flea market in LA once a month: the Rosebowl Flea Market. I dragged my mom out there with me yesterday, and I picked up a few things. This necklace has a serious Marie Antoinette vibe, with the fleur-de-lis and the ornate gold detailing. You guys know I'm a sucker for anything Marie Antoinette related, so I plan on wearing this ALL the time. I also got this scarf ($4!) from India. How cute is that festive lotus print? There's something so exuberant and yet so calm and refined about it at the same time. It'll be a breath of spring sunshine when I go back to Boston next week.
So while I'm talking about flea markets, I thought I'd give you guys a few pointers about shopping there if you haven't before. Flea markets can be full of fantastic vintage pieces, but they can also be crazy and overwhelming and full of junk. Personally, I think it's easier to go in with at least an inkling of what you're looking for. Even if you aren't looking for a specific piece, here are a few flea market guidelines:
-Flea markets are a great place to buy sweaters and tops. Sweaters and tops have very few measurements involved in getting them to fit correctly, so they're easier to buy without trying on. I know it sounds weird, but I've seen so, so many thick, old school cashmere sweaters for less than $50 at flea markets. I got a grey, Saks brand, made in Scotland cashmere sweater that's so thick I can wear it and a tee in 30 degree weather and be hot (I've honestly never felt a cashmere sweater that thick, it's very old school), in a men's small, so it has a bit of a boyfriend vibe to it, for $18. EIGHTEEN DOLLARS. You can't even get a cashmere sweater at Walmart for that price. -Flea markets are not a good place to buy pants. Pants have so, so many different measurements and even shopping in stores it's hard to find a pair of pants that fits perfectly. You usually can't try clothes on at a flea market, so unless you're willing to spend a lot of money with a tailor, don't buy pants at a flea market. Skirts are easier, simply because there are less measurements involved. I found a vintage Chanel skirt for $2.50 at a flea market. But even with skirts, make friends with a tailor. -Flea markets have tons of great accessories, especially scarves and jewelry. You can get fantastic scarves at flea markets for less than $5, and scarves are a great way to jazz up a basic outfit. If you're not set on real gold jewelry with real gems, flea markets are full of antique and costume jewelry that's insanely affordable. And prices are often negotiable, especially at the end of the day. Also, vintage sunglasses are all over the place at flea markets, and a lot of the time these are actually authentic. I had a fab pair of vintage Dior frames that I loved to death...until I lost them. :( -But flea markets have lots of fake designer bags. A lot of the time you look at a vintage bag and assume that since it's vintage, it must be authentic. Not always true. I'd say 95% of the designer bags at flea markets are fake, so just know that going in.
Markus Lupfer Hello Sailer mini T-shirt Dress, $170 at net-a-porter.com, OPI Mad as a Hatter, $8.50 at thebeautyclutch.com, Stila Smudge Pot in Kitten, $20 at sephora.com. I'll admit, this shirt is insanely cheesy. But I also find it totally hilarious at the same time. I think if you could wear this with a sense of humor and style it with streamlined, edgier pieces that it could totally work and not be over the top. I think you guys know how much I love Alice in Wonderland, so I'm predictably crazy about OPI's new Alice-themed polish collection, especially this polish, Mad as a Hatter. It's a clear base with a TON of round, rainbow colored glitter. It just looks so happy! Since the sparkles are so small it's not overwhelming or cheesy, just unapologetically fun. So last week I picked up the four mini Stila smudge pots, and so far I've tried Starry Night, the navy with shimmer, and Kitten, this sparkling champagne nude. The navy was less than awesome. The color looks so vibrant in the pot, but on my eyes it seemed dull and lifeless. It look a lot of product to get an sort of definitive line (poor pigmentation) and it seemed to drag, making it hard to get a clear line. Kitten, on the other hand, is fabulous. It's my new favorite base shadow. It's shimmery and light, doesn't add too much color to my eye, doesn't smudge or smear, and really lasts all day. This smudge pot is actually really pigmented, so you only need a tiny bit to cover the entire lid. I've officially converted to the Kitten worship.
