Archive for August, 2009

Getting manicures and pedicures is sort of a necessity for me because for some reason, I’m so uncoordinated that when I attempt to do my own, it looks like I let a 4 year-old paint them.  I’ve gotten a lot better at doing my nails over the years, but I still won’t even try to do my toes.  It’s just not worth the amount of nail polish remover I have to use every time I’m forced to start all over again.  There’s a cute, little family-owned salon near my place that does a decent job at a  reasonable price, but because it’s so cheap, there’s no pampering at all.  It’s strictly all business.  Lately, I’ve been craving a more luxurious experience, so when the opportunity came to head over to one of my favorites spas, Kinara, for a mani/pedi, I jumped at the chance. (more…)

Being smart is always in style but when it comes to chic- let’s leave it to the experts.  Case in point: Bobbi Brown’s new Ivy League Collection for Fall 2009 almost makes me want to go back to school.  It’s pretty and smart- a very nostalgic prep school chic, Gossip Girl inspired collection of soft, smokey colors that is sure to make you feel like the prettiest girl on campus. Now, that’s the kind of back to school shopping I like!

On the other hand, Woman’s Wear Daily broke the news today that Harvard University is partnering with clothing manufacturer Wearwolf Group to develop their own men’s fashion label, targeted not just at alumni but “fans of the school.”  If these pictures from Refinery 29 are the first look at Harvard Yard, let’s hope that any self respecting Harvardian or “fan” won’t be lining up to spend their money on the uninspiring threads.  There’s a fine line between refined casual and douchebag in Nantucket and Harvard Yard is definitely on the wrong side of that line.   Harvard Yard claims the look is a throwback to the fashion of the 60s.  I say, if you’re looking for 60s American glamour, check out Mad Men.  The only school that I enjoy seeing my fashion come out of is Parsons.

Le Metier de Beaute is a really special line of makeup for me.  I only have a few of their pieces, but before every major party, I will dig through the trenches of my beauty riff raff to find them because I know their high quality products will keep me going through many glasses of the classiest champagne to the downfall of my life- post drinking fast food.  Anyway, last night Casio launched a new line of G Shock watches and threw a private party at Cipriani Wall St honoring Kanye West.  Yours truly was invited to attend so I dug like a crazy person through my eyeliner drawer until I uncovered my 2 year old Le Metier de Beaute Liquid Liner. Thanks to the stiff precision tip and exact release of product, I have amazing control and don’t end up with random streaks like I do with other liners when their soft tip inevitably flops 3mm above my target.  I also love that the product is richly pigmented, but water based, so if you were to slip, you can easily dabble away the mistake with water.  I even got complimented on my  eye makeup last night, which was impressive since the only the only thing I was wearing was Le Metier eyeliner!

I was pretty happy to find that my liquid liner was still functioning well a year after its expiration date.  It’s pretty hard for me to throw out a favorite beauty product, but I’ll probably have to get myself a new one soon. It also comes in bleu & aqua for the more daring types.  At $42, it’s a slight investment- but you won’t ever be able to go back to other liquid liners!

Also, check out my other party experience with their mascara!

My mom has been totally obsessed with “The Tudors” lately.  She basically watched the entire series in a few days and has been telling me all about it, so when I saw Smashbox’s Reign Collection for fall, she was the first person that I thought of.  All of the palettes come packaged in lush, faux-leather compacts that look so much more luxurious than most products – like makeup that would belong on the dressing table of royalty.  (The collection actually was inspired by the English Tudors, oddly enough).  It’s all about bold colors and dark eyes, a look to carry you through fall and into the winter months. (more…)

The summer weather here in New York is bad.  It’s humid, hot, muggy, rainy, sticky…I could go on.  Every morning, making the trek to work is like taking a  shower in my own sweat.  Pretty gross, I know.  By the time I get to the office, the only part of my body that’s not shiny is my face, thanks to the fact that I recently switched my daily moisturizer to DDF Mattifying Oil Control.

This moisturizer instantly controls shine.  I went to the launch event a month ago to test out the products after work; I was sold when I dabbled some on my nose and the mattifying effect lasted throughout the evening. When you don’t want to powder before a night out, you must use this product as a primer to avoid shine in your otherwise Facebook worthy pictures. I also love how lightweight the product is and the silky finish.  It’s definitely a staple in my traveling makeup bag this summer now that I use it to touch up my face every few hours!

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I discovered this new wallet-friendly brand of skinny jean while browsing the annual end of Summer Saks Fifth Avenue Sale, and pleasantly surprised upon trying them on to find that it fit my dual fit criteria of both forgiving stretch and flattering fit.

Before I go on to extol the virtues of Blank Denim, let me first explain that it’s rare for me to find a jean brand I truly like, let alone a skinny jean, thanks to my 5’3 frame and generously hippy figure.  Jeans that often fit me in the hips gape at the waist and are loose enough in the thigh.  In addition, I have muscular calves, so I need to find skinny jeans that aren’t too “skinny” and ones that aren’t too long, so that they don’t lose their shape when altered.

Blank Denim does a good job of balancing stretch and fit, for maximum comfort and style.  The easy stretch of the denim fabric makes the jeans feel akin to leggings, and the fit is tight enough to hug your curves, but not so tight as to actually look like leggings. As a sizing tip, you should go down one or two sizes when picking out your jeans as the stretch is very flexible.

The back pocket fit also looks great with a simple rock and roll-esque row of studs across the back and no other visible ostentatious stitching.   Blank Denim also has the key to good flattering back pockets with ones that are not set too far out, but are set just perfectly in the middle.

Best of all, Blank Denim is offered in a variety of colors every season.  While I got my pair at a very shopper’s high price of $32, they normally retail for within the $60-70 region depending on what type you get, which is less than half of what I traditionally spend per pair.  This means I can stock up for the upcoming Fall by picking out fun colors.

Chanel makeup is one of the most beautifully presented makeup lines on the market.  I’m just instantly happy whenever I open a box with something Chanel in it or walk out of a store with a bag carrying one of their gorgeous palettes.  Their Venice collection for Fall 2009 is one of my favorites that they’ve ever done.  (I swear, I say that about every new one that comes out, but it’s always true!)  The entire collection is full of wearable lip, eye and cheek shades that any woman would be excited to wear, but my favorites are the eye palettes. (more…)

A bag is an accessory that can easily be overlooked, even though it has the power to make or break any outfit. All too often I grab whatever bag I used last, even if it clashes terribly with my outfit. “No one will notice,” I think to myself, but the sad truth is that any fashionista out there has a keen eye for a put-together look — bag included. A good purse should be like a good pair of jeans: comfortably worn-in, sturdy, and able to go well with anything. For the coming transition period (summer to fall), here are my top bag picks – all equally adorable and under $200. Say goodbye to blowing money on unnecessary summer sale items. Instead, invest in these classy bags that will take you from summer chic to fall sleek in no time.

The Alfresco Bag from Anthropologie is the perfect bag for everyday. The exterior leather has a worn in quality that when coupled with the straw straps, creates a lovely vintage-inspired look. I love the simple shape of this purse, which luckily has many pockets for hidden storage. The interior cotton lining comes in an adorable polka-dotted print, giving the exterior leather a more feminine feel. I can imagine reaching for this bag on a cool autumn day as I venture out for a stroll in the park. (more…)

With MAC moving over to Milk Studios and the economy still shaky, there’s been a lot of speculation about who is forking over the big bucks to show in the tents for S/S 2010. This just in from IMG:

Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week will kick off with Michael Angel followed by BCBGMAXAZRIA, Duckie Brown, Ports 1961, Cesar Galindo, Cynthia Steffe, Yigal Azrouёl, Charlotte Ronson, Nicole Miller, This Day/Arise: African Fashion Collective, Venexiana, Lacoste, Georges Chakra, Andy & Debb, Academy of Art University, Christian Siriano, Chado Ralph Rucci, Vivienne Tam, Lela Rose, Derek Lam, DKNY, Thuy, Hervé Léger by Max Azria, Diane Von Furstenberg, Rebecca Taylor, Tuleh, Custo Barcelona, Carolina Herrera, Carlos Miele, Jill Stuart, Tracy Reese, Donna Karan, Yeohlee, Tadashi Shoji, TonyCohen, Gottex, Badgley Mischka, Brian Reyes, Toni Maticevski, Pamella Roland, MAX AZRIA, Dennis Basso, Willow, Tibi, Narciso Rodriguez, Toni Francesc, Tory Burch, Michael Kors, Nanette Lepore, 3.1 Phillip Lim, Milly by Michelle Smith, Alexandre Herchcovitch, Anna Sui, Doo.Ri, Ralph Lauren, Isaac Mizrahi, Trias, Calvin Klein, Chocheng, Argentinean Designer Collections and Tommy Hilfiger.

Pretty standard list though African Fashion Collective and Argentinean Designer Collections should be interesting…

(Photo credit: IMG)