the economics of fashion

Mad For Macy's

2009-09-04T16:41:00.005-05:00

Just two quick products I got at Macy's (after hijacking a friend's 15% discount for the first one)...I'll be sure to update after a few days to let you know how these products are going.

1. MAC Studio Finish Concealer in NW 30

I've been looking for a really great full-finish concealer for a while now, because I figure that it'll be an essential for looking awake and refreshed after a long night. I've been looking up concealers for a while, and I really didn't want to spend too much, so while many fancier concealers exist, I figured this one would be a nice combination of heavy coverage with a moderate price.

This is actually the first high-end cosmetic item that I've ever purchased, and I'm so glad that I did. It looks a bit light, and I was surprised to be matched to NW 30 (since I'm kind of a golden-tan warm-skinned person, and NW is a bit on the cooler side, but I'm going to try it out and see how it goes. The little pot, by the way, is the most adorable and convenient thing I've ever seen. It's the size of a MAC shadow pot and fits effortlessly into even the smallest of clutches.

2. Lush Dark Angels Cleanser

I suppose buying the MAC concealer got me on a spree, because I decided to get a high-end facial cleanser as well. Thankfully for me, this small container of cleanser only cost around $10 with tax, so it was about as much as a drugstore cleanser. Granted, it wasn't a huge amount, but I'll get into why it's worth the money later. It's garnered pretty good reviews on MakeupAlley for girls with blackheads, which is definitely me. So, since I was at Macy's and hadn't bought much in the way of makeup for the month of August, I decided to try it out.

First of all, I'm not overly concerned with using "all-natural" products on my skin, but it's nice to know that unpronounceable ingredients will be loaded onto my face in the name of staying clean. Lush is a charmingly organic and natural store, where my personal choice of concealer was packaged almost like it came straight out of Whole Foods.

Inside, it looks like ground-up charcoal...which makes sense, as charcoal is one of the main ingredients. It looks a bit odd for a cleanser, but it's more of a scrub. What I do is remove my makeup first, dampen my nose area (which is where I mainly use the cleanser), take a little lump of the cleanser, and massage it into my nose area and around, like a scrub. I leave it there for two or three minutes, and then massage it into my nose as i remove it.

So far I'm liking the products, but in a few weeks I'll have an update post on how they've been working for me, as one can never really tell until two or three weeks have gone by.

Tailor-Made

2009-09-04T16:12:00.003-05:00

So I mentioned this lovely light jersey top that I got from Urban Outfitters that had fake leather rosettes framing the neckline a while back. Unfortunately, when I bought it, the neckline was super-low...and I'm not really one to layer tanks a lot, I don't really like the feeling of it. It turns out that the low-cut neckline was actually the back. But with long hair, I couldn't really see the practicality of keeping the lovely rosettes on the back of my tank, so I figured I'd do a little bit of editing. Besides, fashion is an interpretive form of expression, right?

So here's the tank as it looks now...and I love it! I cannot believe it was only $10.

Navy's In For Fall

2009-08-29T20:42:00.003-05:00

Even though it's supposed to be one of Chicago's coolest summers ever, I still dream about the brisk breezes and crunchy coloured leaves of fall...not to mention the glorious wardrobe changes that will occur.

The sweater is $20 and the shoes are $24...I'm especially in love with the loafer/moccasins, because they're in a unique colour that can still function as a neutral. The only thing I'd be worried about is how well they go with blue jeans. But with black tights? Wonderful.

Brown Is The New Black

2009-08-23T22:09:00.003-05:00

In terms of makeup, I have my basics and my "extra oomph" products. Again, I don't own a whole pot of makeup but I still categorize my makeup into two groups. Granted, my makeup is unbelievably muted and totally neutral, so oomph doesn't mean like...a lime green eyeshadow or anything. A basic for me would be like my Urban Decay 24/7 eyeliner in Zero (plain matte black), while a product with a little extra "oomph" would be like my Urban Decay 24/7 eyeliner in Stash (an army green/antique gold shimmery colour). Like I said, pretty muted.

Naturally, a makeup brand that one might associate with my makeup style is Bobbi Brown, a brand that emphasizes, rather than distracts from, a woman's natural beauty. Because I usually get my basics from the drugstore, I don't usually bother buying things for the "natural" look from a high-end store. But to be honest, Ms. Brown has really been going above and beyond the call of duty with some of her new releases and I have to say, I'm in love. Unfortunately, I'm on vacation at the moment but you can be rest assured that the minute I reach home, I'm going to be swatching ASAP.

Notable Products:

1. I'm sure drugstore brands will start jumping on the chubby lip product crayon trend, but for now, Bobbi Brown seems to have her formula down pat. Her first release of these products was more like a matte lipstick, which the makeup public seemed to think emphasized lip flaws a little too much for their liking. From the looks of it, these lipsticks are glossy and juicy but also pigmented...and the pencil applicator is a godsend for my tiny lips. I'd love to try out the Dusty Nude colour, as it seems like a wearable, natural nude that doesn't move into dead lips territory.

2. Everyone and their mother has been talking about this liner, and for good reason. The Long-Wear Gel Eyeliner in Forest Shimmer Ink is a beautiful greenish-taupe-gold liner that a beautiful and yet subtle replacement for typical black liner. This would be a great "extra oomph" product, as it could be used not only for a liner but also a cream shadow, for a taupey green smokey eye. Once I swatch this one, it's going to be hard to resist.

3. The Metallic Collection is something I've been anticipating quite eagerly. I feel like Bobbi Brown would be able to do metallics my way, with satiny shimmer and maybe a bit of duochrome instead of large, obvious sparkles and obviously unnatural colours. Bobbi Brown's cream shadows come in a glorious-looking array of colours...honestly, Antique Gold is just screaming my name. In fact, antique gold anything in makeup is my major weakness, and since I don't really own anything in antique gold this might be my first splurge. We'll see.

All right, Bobbi Brown...I'm definitely warming up to your brand. Especially this new collection, feature the now released metallic cream eyeshadows that are meant to complement Rich Colour Glosses. Seriously? Metallic neutral eyeshadow with highly pigmented yet not glittery gloss? This is going to be a hard collection to resist.

Cheaply Chic

2009-08-19T01:14:00.002-05:00

So like I've mentioned before, I really try to stay away from Forever 21's stores, but sometimes that proves difficult when they offer particularly tempting goods.

Two examples:

This tunic/t-shirt dress is most likely totally flimsy, but if I wear a nude slip underneath and maybe belt it, I think it would make a nice relaxed summer look. Plus...$5.99? Come on now.

This item is actually in stores, and I have been so tempted to buy it on numerous occasions. It's a stylish windbreaker, which almost feels like it should be an oxymoron. I've seen it in person and it's made of swishy water-resistant fabric, which means it would function wonderfully as a raincoat, and where I'm going for college that would be a great addition to my wardrobe. Alas, it's 3/4 sleeved. If it's cold and rainy I'm probably going to want coverage on my wrists, and unfortunately this doesn't give it. I know it's kind of a picky detail, but if I'm going to spend $29 on a Forever 21 windbreaker, it had better have everything I need. Sigh...

Hold It!

2009-08-19T00:38:00.002-05:00

While I will most likely be making good use out of my trusty black Longchamp tote in college, I've been looking for an alternative for 1. those "in-case" scenarios, like when I overload my dear Longchamp and one of the handles braeks and 2. the inevitable time that I will need to trek a world's worth of books from one end of campus to another.

I decided to scour the website of LeSportsac, my previous obsession. I honestly used to stalk their website just to see what new prints had come out and what old ones had been discontinued. Now, their designs are a bit twee for me for, say, a large tote or a backpack, but I continue to love my cosmetic cases, pencil cases, and most definitely my little Fifi Lapin lunchbox by LeSportsac.

I really wish this LeSportsac "print" was turned into a backpack...because of the nature of the design, it's cheaper to produce it (because there are no pockets), and I think the more mod style of print would be acceptable for a college freshman.

Thankfully, I was able to locate this cute little backpack from Marc Jacobs' "Special Items" collection. It's only $17! I'm definitely going to head over to Bucktown (the residence of Chicago's own Marc Jacobs store) and get one for college. Maybe in a fun, punchy colour like green! Unfortunately I don't know if these are available online, but try eBay!

Warm It Up

2009-08-11T02:44:00.003-05:00

I really, really, really want this eyeshadow palette...

(coastal scents warm palette)

...but because I don't wear much makeup to begin with, I probably won't end up getting it. I've decided that palettes really aren't for me, just because I don't use a lot of makeup that much. I'm pretty picky with my eyeshadow colours as well. Though, it is only $24.95...

Speaking of Coastal Scents, I've actually figured out my ideal eyeshadow situation, which hasn't started yet but that hopefully will soon if I've saved up some money.

Like I said, I'm pretty picky with eyeshadows. First of all, I only wear neutral eyeshadows. The closest I've come to colour is a navy blue eyeliner. I don't know...I mean, my wardrobe is so neutral that one can hardly expect me to be daring on my eyelids. I also don't do glitter. Subtle satiny shimmer, sure. Matte? Sure. But no glitter. So I figured...custom shadows palettes are the way to go. I plan to purchase a MAC 15-pan eyeshadow palette and fill it with eyeshadows from the Coastal Scents Hot Pots collection, at only around $5 a pop (as opposed to MAC's $11). Obviously if there's a really special MAC colour, I can purchase it for the palette as well. But even before I get to the hot pots, I think I might buy a NYX 5-shadow palette or two and depot those, because those are 5 shadows for $9.

Clearly, I think a lot about neutral shadows. But I'm going to wait around for a while, because I've been doing totally fine with the very, very little makeup that I own and use currently. I promise I'll post about my own makeup soon!

Jacob's Wristlet

2009-08-11T01:49:00.002-05:00

It's funny what fashion can do to a person. In my case, it's changed my wristlet cravings from this totally normal Coach wristlet ($68)...

...to these seemingly ridiculous and yet totally endearing animal wristlets from Marc by Marc Jacobs ($98). The owl one is my favourite.

Tory Goes To College

2009-08-11T01:02:00.003-05:00

I'd like to apologize in advance for the numerous posts whose topic has to do with college. I realize that college students (or soon-to-be college students) are not the only people in the world, it's just that my current mixture of excitement and anxiety about college has all but taken over my brain.

Anyway, so as you may or may not know, my current college bag of choice is a classic black Longchamp tote. It's clean, it's roomy, it can handle wear and tear, and it's fashionable. When I bought it, I was a little concerned about the idea of owning the same bag as almost every other college-bound tote-carrying student in the world, but I eventually got over it even though about 30% of my high school owns that bag.

If you're more paranoid than I and want a cute, trendy college bag that doesn't look like everyone else's, I'd encourage you to visit CUSP and browse through their selection of Tory Burch bags on sale. I was able to locate three which I thought weren't too obnoxiously logo-ed, unlike some of the things that Ms. Burch produces nowadays.

Canvas Tote, $177

Isa Tote, $146

Large Book Tote, $123

If I was a little preppier, I would totally carry around that first one. I like that it still has a little logo nameplate, but that it isn't as loud or obvious as, say, the large "T" metal plate on the last bag. But to each his or her own, I suppose.

Boom Boom Pao

2009-08-02T23:07:00.003-05:00

I am now pleasantly stuffed with delicious food from Ben Pao, one of my favourite restaurants. My mom and I wanted to take out some family members who were in town for a little bit. I'm still thinking about that mango creme brulee...

Anyway, quick outfit post:

shirt...gap
skirt...express
shoes...gojane
purse...coach
crazily shaggy haircut...mario tricoci (i've got bangs too, it's insane)

Bulls-Eye!

2009-08-02T22:51:00.003-05:00

Just a couple of quick items I got at Target during a recent trip.

This blanket is plush and lovely and fuzzy and I love it and will hug it all the time in college. Totally worth the $9.99. I'm a shorty, so the throw size fit me, but for taller people out there, the XL Twin size is $18.

This bath brush looks kind of scratchy, but it's actually really great for scrubbing in the shower...esp. your back, which is kinda hard to reach. Think of it like the manual body version of a Clarisonic, for only $3.97.

I love love love this. It makes a great makeup remover, but can be pretty drying. I have the oiliest skin in the world, so I love using this. I do keep a travel-sized container of Lancome eye makeup remover, which I fill with this and water shaken up. I use that in the morning so that it's a little gentler. Ironically, right around the time I needed to repurchase this, they were selling 9.1 oz. sizes for only $5!

This little eyeliner brush rocks my world. I use it with my Bobbi Brown Gel Eyeliner in Graphite Shimmer Ink and it makes lining my eyes so incredibly easy. Plus, it was only $5.99!

I have a huge weakness for school supplies, so when I spotted these Dror for Target folders for only $2.50 they were an instant snatch-up. So they're not as reliable as the plain old plastic ones...but at least they look pretty!

A Celebratory Anniversary

2009-08-02T22:11:00.005-05:00

Mourning the end of Nordstrom's Anniversary Sale, which did not induce much buying, but which did induce much listing.

Love the ruching + zipper detail. Unfortunately these aren't very practical, and might get "old" after a few wears, but they're still impeccably fierce. $119.90

A nice way to wear the Tory Burch trend without that incredibly large "T" detail. It's almost as if a Tory Burch flat and a moccasin had a love child. $149.90

Perfect for that effortless, leg-baring, Whitney Port look. Try it with tights and a blazer for colder days. $91.90

Bordering on label-y, but a fun way to dress up a ponytail. $33.00

Op-Eds

2009-08-01T22:16:00.004-05:00

While browsing the New York Times a little while back, I came across this lovely article written by the clothing designer Issey Miyake.

The article, translated from Japanese by members of Miyake's staff, clearly yet poetically clarifies the issue of nuclear war and what he believes world leaders can do to prevent it.

The Fashion Show Flow

2009-08-01T22:13:00.002-05:00

Leanne Marshall has forever changed my life and the way I think about pleated clothing.

She must've somehow telepathically communicated with Anna, the winner of Bravo's P-Run ripoff "The Fashion Show," who produced this strikingly gorgeous pleated dress that mimics water almost in the way that Leanne's clothing in her final collection did. I also love that Anna managed to work colour into her dress, one thing which Leanne strayed away from.

In a dream world, I'd be tall and lithe and wear this to prom. Or, now that I'm all grown up, some sort of college formal dance...because those exist...

(photo source: project rungay)

In The Navy

2009-08-01T21:36:00.003-05:00

I recently received a coupon in the mail for Gap's Give and Get Program. Now, I know the clothing at Old Navy/Gap/Banana Republic can at times seem a bit overpriced for the basics that they're offering, but they last a long time and often feature sweet little details that are overlooked in the same basics at, say, H&M. This coupon takes a hefty 30% off of any of my purchases, and while I've been satisfyingly lazy ever since I got this coupon in the mail, I'm seriously considering these items from Old Navy:

This is the kind of thing that I hope to be wearing in college. I can throw it over jeans and a tank and it looks pretty casual, but kind of in that effortlessly comfy-casual with a hint of style way. $10.99

I'm kind of obsessed with textural floral details, like the rosette designs that have been everywhere or these types of cutout designs. This tank would be great to wear under a cardigan with jeans for a typical college day as well. $7.99

This ruffle-neck cardigan is yet another college friendly piece, just because it's a simple thing I can throw on over anything, but yet it has a little bit of flair. $12.99

I already have a black jersey T-shirt dress, and it's so comfy and easy to accessorize that I find myself wearing it all the time, every season (it's great with tights for winter!). I think this slubby grey one would be another nice college basic, just because it's so easy to throw on but it kind of looks put together. $11.99

Grey In And Grey Out

2009-07-29T23:45:00.006-05:00

I (and the rest of the fashion world) have really been into grey right now. I mean, given my limited colour spectrum it would make sense that I was into grey, but it's become a huge part of my wardrobe.

Of course, it's become a large part of my makeup routine as well. And this little pot of wonders, a.k.a. Bobbi Brown's Long-Wear Gel Eyeliner in Graphite Shimmer Ink, has become one of my greatest loves ever.

Usually, I wear Urban Decay's 24/7 Eyeliner in Zero (and when I get around to my "basic face" post, I'll talk more about that). But I've realized that I can try out other colours without looking too wacky or out there...and that's opened up a whole new world of possibilities.

This liner in particular has been wonderful. It's not miraculously long-lasting, but with my trusty Urban Decay Primer Potion, it lasts a day without getting all over my eyelid. The colour is not as vibrant, but it's still there. The gel formula is so great to apply, especially with a bent eyeliner brush (more on this later). And the colour...though this may not show up as well when I use it as an eyeliner, it's a beautifully multitoned-shimmery grey. It's almost a light hematite colour. I think it's positively lovely, and is great for people who want a line on their eyes but want a change from black.

(in natural light)

(with flash)

Plus, it pairs beautifully with my NARS shadow in Kiki.

I bought this from Bobbi Brown's website a little while back when there was a discount running, so I got it for a small bit cheaper, but this eyeliner definitely does run on the expensive side at $21. If you're looking for a cheaper alternative, get Prestige's Waterproof Eyeliner in Granite. The one downside to the pencil is that it's harder to use it as an eyeshadow base. I didn't talk about this before but the fact that this colour is really multi-dimensional makes it great for either an eyeshadow base, or even a smokey eye-cream shadow type of deal.

My next stop? Conquering navy blue eyeliner.

Pearls and Swine

2009-07-29T23:39:00.002-05:00

This is just a quick outfit post -- I went to a friend's birthday dinner a few days ago and was puzzled as to what to wear. The dinner was at California Pizza Kitchen, which is totally not a fancy-pants restaurant, but since it was a birthday dinner I figured I'd dress up a little bit. I ended up wearing my comfy grey T-shirt, a black pleated jersey skirt from Old Navy (I know you totally cannot see the pleats in this picture), black flats from Old Navy (they were in remedial healthcare after a long and rainy night when I took this picture), and a pearl necklace from my mom.

I ended up removing the necklace though, part way through, because I didn't totally feel like it went with what I was wearing. Plus, it was way fancy-looking. I totally wish I had invested in one of those really trendy bib necklaces...but sadly, now that I'm thinking about getting one, I probably won't have much of an occasion to wear it to. Sigh.

In The Bag

2009-07-29T23:22:00.003-05:00

Do you guys also feel the need to keep shopping bags? Not like...plastic ones (though the H&M ones often find their way into my closet), but nice paper ones. I don't know, it's just something about throwing them away that makes me squirm. I used to use them to bring my lunch to school, but now I just use my LeSportsac.

I house all of my bags in this bag from Bluefly, which previously came with my prom dress.

Oddly enough, I found myself rifling through the bags to see which stores I tended to keep bags from, and which stores I tended to shop at a lot. H&M of course is the most prominent, but those plastic bags get used so easily that I don't really keep them. There is definitely a lot of Urban Outfitters in here as well.

So while looking through my bags, I figured I'd share with you my views on the best shopping bags. If you're using them to bring your lunch, C. O. Bigelow is the definite winner. The bags are super...thick? I'm not sure how to describe it, but they're cute and really durable (but not so great if your lunch is really big).

For normal shopping bags, I'd go with Urban. I think the bag itself looks really crisp, and that girls would be happy to walk down Michigan Ave. toting this along (rather than a hot pink Forever 21 bag, for example).

The only problem with the bag is that when it begins to rain, the bag gets a sort of odd stench. I do, however, love love love paper shopping bags, so I was surprised when I came across a paper bag that didn't have that weird smell when it got wet. Sadly the store itself is not in Chicago (yet).

Yep, it's Topshop :)

I am such a sad individual that I made a whole blog post about shopping bags. Yikes!

Papel de Orejas

2009-07-29T12:10:00.002-05:00

When I was little, I went through this major origami phase right around the same time I went through a large crafty earring phase. To combine my phases, I made these little dangly earrings with origami cranes on them. Of course, it looked rather ridiculous on my sixth grade self, but I've recently been warming up to the idea of more delicate fabrics as earrings. It seems like a natural idea, as I've always adored floral earrings made of delicate, paper-like metal.

At first, I thought that a more durable delicate material, like chiffon fabric, would make for better earrings.

But honestly, these paper rose earrings are so gorgeous. Leave it to Forever 21 to foray into paper accessories. They're totally impractical, but...I kind of love them.

Lover of LeSportsac

2009-07-29T11:59:00.003-05:00

I just wanted to share two large parts of my life from LeSportsac...I used to be obsessed with that brand and stalk it every week to see what new prints were up. Alas, I have sunken even further into my cave of plain neutrals and subtle prints and thus tend to ogle leather shoulder bags rather than printed totes.

Even then, these two things are going to be in my possession for a loong time. First off is a more reliable item -- a laptop case for my extraordinarily miniature Sony VAIO. I could have been logical and put a ruler next to it, but instead I put it next to a MAC lipstick so you can see the measurement.

Next is something that may seem ridiculous for a soon-to-be college freshman, but I love it. Yep, it's a lunchbox. Actually, lunch satchel, if you want to be precise. When I heard that Fifi Lapin was about to do/be featured in a print from LeSportsac, I almost died of excitement. I love Fifi Lapin. All of the other bags seemed a bit large and obnoxious, and I figured a lunch bag would be environmentally friendly anyway (no more paper bags or old shopping bags), so I plan to use it in college, despite the number of friends I may lose when they find out I carry a pink lunch sack.

RIP MJ

2009-07-29T11:41:00.005-05:00

So I wanted to wait until those who really knew Michael Jackson or were really, truly passionate about him made all their tributes and said all their parting words, because I feel a little bad talking about him in this way knowing that there are so many other people that are so much more attached to his music, style, and general personality.

source: uncle sam's army navy outfitters

source: the urban gentleman

It's crazy to think of how much he started...since this is a fashion blog I figured I should stick to my guns and mention the entire "band jacket" trend. Countless celebrities (Rihanna and Kanye West come to mind) have worn this sort of military-meets-drumline look, and it's definitely dribbled down to the general public, who adopt this style plenty of times.

source: persephonevintage at etsy

source: long is the day

It's even reflected in an entire line...that, of course, being Balmain. Seeing the whole cycle come full circle in this picture just puts a smile on my face.

Michael Jackson in Balmain

O M G

2009-07-29T11:36:00.002-05:00

So I recently received an Urban Decay Pleather Lip Pencil in "O," which is this crazy fuschia-purple metallic shade that makes me think of a futuristic goth girl. Naturally, I had to try it on.

...yeah, I'm definitely more of a neutral shades girl. I'm not totally sure what to do with this, and it was so sweet of the swapper to give it to me, but I just could never see myself wearing it. I even blotted to see if it would leave a more subtle colour...

...but even after that it still looked exactly the same. Sigh. I think it's the metallic quality...there's something about excessive glitter or sheen on someone's lips that I think is so odd. I really only wear moisturizing, sheer lipsticks in nude or natural-pink colours.

Sartorially Sound

2009-07-29T10:03:00.001-05:00

I want.

http://thesartorialist.blogspot.com/2009/07/book-has-arrived.html

Bring It, Bobbi

2009-07-25T23:26:00.004-05:00

Another item I received recently in a makeup swap is this great Bobbi Brown Lip and Eye Basics Palette. It's a wonderful thing to have for everyday or professional situations, as it has a near-perfect array of items, all housed in an adorably petite compact.

First, there are two sparkly glosses in Pink Bouquet and Orchid, and two lipsticks in Dusty Mauve and Slopes (colours listed from the left).

Then, there are four eyeshadows. From the left, they are Bone, Nude, Stone, and Mahogany.

The palette itself originally came with a Mini Lip Brush and a Mini Dual-Ended Eyeliner/Eye Shadow Brush, but since those aren't included I had use my own tools. Thankfully, my Sonia Kashuk travel-sized brushes fit perfectly in the little trench where the old brushes used to sit...I can fit a lip brush and a shadow brush snugly, and they don't shift over to where the lippies/shadows are.

Of course, I have to post swatches of these lovely colours. The eyeshadows start with Bone at the top, and the lip products start with Pink Bouquet at the top.

The two items that I'd say I like the least are the glosses. First of all, I'm not much of a gloss girl and really dislike the look of overly glossy lips. On an everyday basis, these have great staying power and aren't super-sticky, so I apply just a dab to add some healthy shine to my lips. When I swatched the glosses on my hand, however, they seemed to be pretty glittery...another thing I hate in gloss. In fact, after I washed everything off of my hand, a bunch of glitter particles stayed on my hand, so beware if you want to load on the gloss. For my purposes, however, these glosses are fine...and it's saying a lot about this palette that these are my least favourite items.

The "in-between" items for me are the lipsticks. They're pretty and normal and have pretty good staying power, but they're not swoon-worthy. They're a tad bit dark, and I usually opt for more "my lips but better" looks, but if I dab a little bit on my lips they work out well for everyday.

The real stunners for me are the eyeshadows. They're kind of perfect for my usual everyday looks. Bone is a cream shadow that's great for highlighting the inner corners without excessive shimmer. Nude is a pretty colour that's kind of similar to my skintone on my eyelids, so it's a pretty good all-over colour. It also makes a surprisingly good setting powder for undereye concealer. Mahogany is a surprisingly rich, dark, and pigmented brown that comes out as a brown-black. I can easily line my eyes with this and feather it out so it emphasizes them but it's just a harsh line. I thought it was going to be a softer brown, but the swatch I have is just one swipe, just to show you how pigmented it is. I love it! And Stone...Stone is a beautiful taupey brown shadow. It's a "Shimmer Wash," as opposed to a matte shadow, but it isn't overly glittery and instead has a pretty satin finish. And taupe eyeshadow is really just one of the greatest inventions in the whole entire world, honestly. In a nutshell, I love these eyeshadows.

If you don't feel like scouring eBay for this palette...at least consider picking up Stone! It's so gorgeous.

Urbanized

2009-07-25T23:13:00.003-05:00

I sincerely hope that other people were able to experience the true joy and happiness that was Urban Outfitters' "Sale's on Sale" event. Essentially, everything on sale was...another 50% off. Amazing, right? Things tended to run on the expensive side, like $29.99 or so, but I was able to snag two great items for $20 each...which were $10 each with the discount.

The first item is a really pretty black tank top with a leather rose trim (well, probably fake leather). I didn't take a picture of it on me, because it's ridiculously low-cut and I'm planning to shorten the straps enough that I don't need another tank underneath it. The best thing about this tank is the trim; the stiff fabric ensures that it won't droop after the first laundry run.

The next item is this great pleated dress in a basic shade of blue. It's a bit on the big side for me, but I still really like it. When worn by itself, it looks a little cocoon-like, and I would probably only wear it like this if I was trying to evoke a more laid-back, boho/indie style.

If I wanted to look a little more crisp (or...a little less poufy), I'd wear it with a belt. I couldn't find my usual thick black belt, so I opted for a satin ribbon. It gives basically the same effect...which I love! It really enhances the pleating. This dress was so worth $10.

Pink Lady

2009-07-25T23:06:00.003-05:00

I received this cute little Stila Convertible Color in Lillium in a makeup swap, and...I love it! The little compact is so adorable (it must have come in a travel kit or something) and sweet, and the colour is so natural and pretty. It looked sort of light when I tried it out on my hand, but on my cheeks it looks really subtle. I'm really not a fan of blush, because I feel like it makes me look younger, but if I dab my finger super-lightly into the pan, dab it once on each cheek, and blend it out, there's this really subtle pink flush that looks totally natural and doesn't give off a hint of "made-up." The staying power is pretty good...not unbelievably long-lasting but it does fade away naturally.

I highly recommend! Though, after seeing the full size at Sephora, I don't know how anyone could use up all that product...this little mini size is perfect for blush-scared me!

Warding Off Evil

2009-07-25T23:03:00.002-05:00

A family friend got me this evil eye bracelet from Turkey...

...surprisingly life has been quite hunky-dory lately, maybe those evil spirits really are being warded away. Either way, I've gotten a surprising amount of compliments on what seems to be a really simple bracelet.

Outfitted

2009-07-25T22:50:00.003-05:00

Here's just a quick outfit from a couple of days ago...I'm catching up on old posts, so expect a whole slew of them right around now.

My cardigan is thrifted, my black tank that you can't see is from Old Navy, my shorts are from Forever 21, my shoes are from GoJane, and my sling bag was a gift from my mom, who got it from a Coach outlet.

I'm still trying to get the hang of these self-taken pictures...as you can see my poses are rather ridiculous so I apologize. I was trying to compensate for the slouchyness of the sweater, which obviously did not work out in my favour.

Copy Cat

2009-07-23T09:08:00.004-05:00

I've been looking and looking for a cheaper version of this American Apparel jersey pocket skirt, which is $30.

And unfortunately, I've found one for $10.90. But I feel so wrong buying an American Apparel copy at Forever 21 that I think I'll give it a pass. In fact, after reading Childhood Flames' blog, I'm almost inspired to make my own.

Illuminating The Sky

2009-07-20T21:29:00.003-05:00

This may be belated, but I wanted to share some things from my July 3rd and 4th festivities. On July 3, Chicago holds a large fireworks show, followed by a slightly smaller one on the 4th. It turns out that the 4th fireworks show was a good deal lovelier than the July 3rd one, as they both seemed to contain the same amount of fireworks, but the July 4th show had them really spread out, whereas the July 3rd show had them all squished together in an "eternal finale."

Unfortunately my camera skills are limited, resulting in a couple of totally trippy pictures of the July 3rd fireworks.

On July 4th, I didn't even bother trying to take pictures of the fireworks...but the skyline looked so beautiful as the sun was setting I couldn't resist.

And here's what I wore: shorts are from Forever 21, sweater is thrifted, and the top was from a trip to Asia.

Here's what it looks like without the sweater. I don't know if you can see this in the picture, but there are a lot of pleats on the top, which I absolutely love. When I go back to Asia in August I'll be sure to pick up a lot of tops like this...it's not as though clothing is extravagantly cheaper, it's just that you tend to get fancier articles of clothing with your money.

See That Chloe

2009-07-19T22:01:00.000-05:00

Like I mentioned before, I've been focusing my purchases on things that I'll be using a lot. One of the things that I really loved was my Kate Spade pencil case...unfortunately that was lost to the city of Chicago. I used it as kind of an "essentials" case, carrying a few pens, a pencil, an eraser, and depending on whether I was out or at school, some small makeup items or a calculator. I found myself using it a fair amount of times, and often it would basically replace my wallet.

Well, I've got a new replacement for my Kate Spade pencil case...and it comes all the way from See by Chloe. I purchased it with a friend at CUSP (she got a matching one), a wondrous store housed at Water Tower Place that carries an abundance of drool-worthy designer labels. The case was $27, which I find relatively reasonable for a piece of See by Chloe.

Happy Anniversary!

2009-07-19T21:51:00.002-05:00

I was so thrilled to head over to Nordstrom to check out the anniversary sale and scope out some possible bargains...but this may just be my Nordstrom, in Chicago, but I was actually kind of underwhelmed. I will admit that I didn't have a lot of time, so I didn't really get to go into the clothes, but from what I saw as far as accessories are concerned, there wasn't really much that got me going. I suppose I didn't really go in with a mindset to buy something, but I did just deposit a paycheck and would have splurged had the right bargain come along.

There was one thing that caught my eye, and it usually is this type of thing that does during the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale. It's a punchy, pink, Marc by Marc Jacobs watch that I tried on in-store. It's only $82.90, reduced from $125...and I love it. I've been looking at watches lately, because I've been wanting to up the ante as far as staple pieces are concerned (like wallets, watches, and other things you use every day) and I figured a really cute designer watch would be a great way to do it. Unfortunately I didn't make the jump today, but I wasn't really in a spending mood. Maybe next time?

Also, just a side note: I've never really been into fancy brand-name brushes, because I think they're a waste of money, but I tried out the MAC 131 brush, and all I have to say is...love. It's super-soft and light and perfectly shaped and I can just feel that it would be amazing to apply foundation. The lady in-store said the brush was $32, but she might have forgotten because on the site it's listed as $40. Ah well...

City Footsteps

2009-07-19T21:41:00.001-05:00

I'm trying to think about practical college shoes to buy, and I'm thinking of investing in a nice, comfy pair of everyday shoes, like ballet flats or moccasins. I usually opt for ballet flats, but I'm thinking of getting a really nice pair that's totally comfortable and doesn't have a hint of future blister causings anywhere. I don't own a pair of moccasins currently, but at Nordstorm Rack I tried on this incredible soft, pliable pair with a squishy inside that seemed like it would make any walk to class bearable.

I've been thinking of getting a pair of little leather booties to wear during colder times, when it's not summer but not winter, because sneakers aren't really my thing. I'd go for leather rather than suede just in case I do encounter snow, where suede would be rendered white and crusty in a mere couple of days. Here are three little leather picks from Urban, each $29.99

Say Yes To A Quiet Night In

2009-07-18T16:31:00.002-05:00

Yesterday I had a particularly bleak Friday night in and spent it with my dear self sipping chai tea, eating Reese's Peanut Butter Cup ice cream (so delicious), and watching What Not To Wear and Say Yes To The Dress. What Not To Wear is quite a well-known show, featuring Stacy and Clinton who, while their advice may sometimes seem a bit dubious, are always fun to watch and usually produce great-looking people. Say Yes To The Dress is a bit more new, but as one can imagine from the title it's a show about brides looking for their perfect wedding dress in New York's Kleinfeld boutique. It's actually quite entertaining, both for the trainwrecks and for the complete gorgeousness displayed on the show.

Of course, because I am a romantic young adult and had some free time, I was inspired to look at wedding items online. Call me an adolescent dreamer, but I actually had a lot of fun perusing through pictures of beautiful venues, lush flowers, and of course, beautiful dresses. So naturally, I figured I'd share some of the ones that caught my eye.

As has probably been made obvious from my blog, I am absolutely a neutral-coloured girl. When I think of weddings, there may be a couple of accent colours but I just really love pretty and white things. Naturally, this simple yet gorgeous bouquet totally caught my eye. "My flowers reflected the imperfection and airiness that we tried to achieve" is a quote from the bride, which I think is wonderful...I really don't think weddings should be down-to-the-wire precise.

My style in dress is definitely not the typical poufy wedding gown...in fact, I really dislike loads of tulle and I'm not really into stiff fabrics either. This could change come my actual wedding, but as of now I'd see myself in a beautiful, simple, flowing gown with a small detail like this Nicole Miller dress' notch neckline (sans necklace).

The one thing I truly fell in love with was this venue. In Chicago, the "Ivy Room at Tree Studios" is a little ivy courtyard just off of Michigan Ave. that provides a nice little recluse place to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city. I adore the concept, as I can amuse myself just trying to find little corners and hidden treasures in the city. Not to mention, the place itself is absolutely gorgeous. Unfortunately, the rental amounts are quite steep (yes, of course I had to glance at the price), but still...a girl can dream, right?

Do It DIY Style

2009-07-16T13:44:00.002-05:00

My upcoming DIY projects:

In general, I'd love to play with drapes and folds.

I also want to see if these tanks are DIY-able, as they seem to be everywhere and also seem to just be a simple task of folding fabric over and stitching it.

I'm debating whether to try and copy this by:
1. taking a strip of fabric, folding it into a bow shape, and then sewing it down
2. sewing a bow shape with beads
3. simply sewing a bow shape with thick thread.

Net-A-Bargain

2009-07-16T12:36:00.002-05:00

I was so excited to hear that Net-A-Porter was getting into a business that is basically a higher-end Nordstrom Rack or Loehmann's. Outlets and discounted retail stores are always my first look when I want something with quality or from a brand name.

Though theoutnet.com does offer discounted items, they are still well out of the reach of many due to their "in your dreams" status. But here are a couple of fun picks:

Chloé pleat panel dress, $573

The colour of this is absolutely incredible, and I love the delicate pleating.

Marc by Marc Jacobs Mayfair Squares Dress, $188

I must have been in a sweet-girlie mood while selecting these clothes, because this is the type of dress I'd imagine someone wearing while parading around some shops on a sunny day, with a cute pair of sunglasses and some summer sandals.

3.1 Phillip Lim, Wool-blend cutout dress, $262

This isn't the most groundbreaking Phillip Lim dress, but it's quite a pretty one. I think the cutouts are kind of a cool detail, and I think the icy beige shade is a nice take on neutral.

Anna Sui Swirl-embroidered camisole top, $114.40

Obviously the colours (or lack thereof) are right up my alley, but what I really like about this tank is its light material, beautiful design, and ability to be worn during both casual summery occasions and more evening or covered-up ones.

Chloé Saskia small tote, $760

It may not be as trendy as the Paddington, but I love it all the same. In fact, it's probably a better investment purchase because it won't go out of style in the next week after it's bought.

Christian Louboutin Papilipi satin pumps, $338

Okay, so $338 may not be quite a steal for a pair of pretty heels, but...these are gorgeous. The colour is amazing, the sheer detailing is amazing, the height is high but not too high, and of course the signature red sole is a standout. And the only size left is my size, a 6.5...maybe it's a sign?

Marc by Marc Jacobs Metallic Mouse flats, $227.50

You either love 'em or you hate 'em...and I happen to be in love with them. Yup, they're the ubiquitous mouse flats and they're on sale! Again, the price isn't exactly a bargain for a nice pair of flats, but if I were to splash out these would definitely be a consideration.

Girlie at ModCloth

2009-07-16T10:03:00.003-05:00

I kind of adore this dress...sadly it's $69.99 and only available in a large.

Don't laugh, but I think I'm going to give it a shot with DIY. I'm just gonna need a lotta lace trim. Plus, the seams look intentionally pucker-y so if I'm sloppy with that it won't show up, right? Right? Then again, all of my supposed DIY projects have not begun because I have been so caught up in enjoying the gorgeous summer weather that has graced Chicago by spending all available time exploring downtown or lying on the beach (appropriately covered in SPF 100 sunscreen).

Gap Goes Great

2009-07-16T09:41:00.002-05:00

Just two lovely finds from Gap's sale; if you use code SALE25, you can get 25% off of all sale items.

First is this lovely Vena Cava dress from what's left of Gap's Design Editions collection. I honestly have nowhere to wear such a dress, yet I am so very tempted to buy it just because it is a great representation of Vena Cava's dress prints, and because I think a khaki dress with black designs is a fun way to be playful yet still neutral. If you're not into showing tons of skin, this is a great date dress -- memorable, yet not too flashy. It's $69.99 before the discount.

Second is this tank top I have literally been admiring for the past three weeks. Every couple of days I'll scour Gap's website, open the link to this tank top in a new window, leave it open for a bit and admire it, and then sadly close the window when realizing that the price is a bit much.

This brown colour is only $24.99, which shouldn't be that bad with the discount, but with shipping it probably will be just about the same price. But I (for once) am not that huge a fan of this brown colour.

Instead, I'd rather get a tank in the blue or green. I like the green the most, but unfortunately it's sold out in XS and S and has been for a while, so I would probably opt for the blue. Again, with the discount it would be around $30 but even for this lovely tank that's a bit much for me.

Sigh. It's a sign that economic times are a-changing when I start web stalking and admiring clothes from Gap.

Bargain Bulls-Eye

2009-07-13T23:04:00.003-05:00

This fashionable find from Target will probably end up in my closet soon...there is a whole array of things I'd love to purchase to fill up my $50 quota for free shipping.

This dress stands out though, because of the tiered hems and the cutouts along the sleeves. Plus it's only $15! I'll have to find an occasion to wear it to, though...

Fabulous Florals

2009-07-12T18:06:00.003-05:00

"Florals...for spring? Groundbreaking."
-Miranda Priestly, The Devil Wears Prada

Though Miranda Priestly may not look favourably on floral accessories, I would absolutely love it if these adorable little Forever 21 studs came and landed on my ears. They're $4.80 each and I am in love with the green and pink ones. I wonder if the Michigan Ave. Forever 21 has them in stock...

Watching Watson

2009-07-12T16:10:00.006-05:00

I generally just love and admire Emma Watson, and have ever since I saw the first Harry Potter movie. I think she's elegant and mature, and anyone who plays Hermione Granger deserves respect in my book.

I have been incredibly excited to witness her outfits for the media rounds for the latest Harry Potter movie (which I already have tickets for...obviously the midnight showing) and I definitely have not been disappointed. I think I'm going to rank the looks that she's appeared in so far, starting with my least favourite going to my favourite.

So this one's probably my least favourite, but I'm technically being unfair because I believe this was a travelling outfit for her (from the London premiere to New York). That being said, for a travelling outfit it's very chic and I am in love with her shoes. I really want a pair for college but I always find myself getting ballet flats. The chain purse also is a great addition to the outfit.

This Proenza Schouler outfit just shows how good Emma's sartorial taste is, that it's my second least favourite outfit and it's this good. I love the shoes and I think the dress is cute, it's just that it looks sort of...heavy? I don't know if that's how I should describe it, but it seems like her makeup is really heavy, that the dress is kind of heavy, and that the shoes are very heavy. But I still like the look overall, just not as much as the other ones she's worn.

Sigh, this is so hard to do...I suppose I'll have to put this Proenza Schouler look next, even though I think it is totally chic. I love the contrast between the leather top and the more simple bottoms. The only reason I'd put this here is because the shoes are kind of blah and because it's not the most groundbreaking dress, but besides that I really love this look.

I know it would seem like I should put this Jason Wu outfit before the previous Proenza Schouler look, but I actually really like this a lot. The shot isn't as formally taken, so it doesn't show the outfit in its fullest potential I'm sure, but even then it's still lovely. I think that the relaxed top is trendy but basic and the heels add a little something to the outfit. And the skirt. The skirt. The delicate pleating but structured shape just call to me somehow.

This vintage Ossie Clark dress is a great take on what could potentially have turned into a very grandma-esque look. I think she looks so mature and elegant here, and that the dress itself is beautiful. I think the neckline makes it look a bit more youthful, but the dress is kind of a statement in itself without being too crazy. This strikes me as something Whitney Port would really like.

Sigh. The Christopher Kane dress. This instills even more happy emotions in me than the Jason Wu skirt, and that's saying something. This dress is just so...perfect. Trendy but not too trendy, modest but not too modest, stylish but not overly styled, simple but not boring...and all in such lovely neutral shades. I think if I were a dress, that I would be this dress. Which may not say a lot about who I am and what fashion sense I have but this is just phenomenal in my eyes.

PS...the shoes are killer.

Forever 18

2009-07-09T22:37:00.003-05:00

So I've done a really great job of waning myself off of Forever 21, but when sales like this pass by I usually can't resist.

I purchased three sweaters in total, each of which was $5.99. Crazy, right? I mean, they're not the most long-lasting sweaters in the world but I like them a lot.

This first one is a pretty, beaded sweater which I'd envision myself wearing to meet some friends for a lunch or with a dress to a nice dinner. But because I enjoy dressing up unnecessarily, I might just wear it on a day-to-day basis with some khaki shorts.

This next one is a pretty slouchy sweater, but I've been looking for a preppy sweater like this, with a decal on the chest, for quite sometime. It's a medium and definitely far too big for me, but I pinned the top and am planning to add an extra button so the top doesn't droop down so far that you can see what I'm wearing under it. I like the idea of wearing this with shorts as well, or just throwing it on over whatever during college to look more put-together than if I had a sweatshirt.

This last one has a colour scheme which pretty much fits who I am. At first I thought it would be way too long, but after I put it on I realized I could wear it as kind of a sweater-dress...I know it may seem kind of short in the picture but in person it's pretty wearable. I would probably have to wear some sort of short black slip under it but I think it'd be nice for summer evenings.

Marc...

2009-07-08T23:17:00.002-05:00

I could've tried to make a more creative post title, I really could, but...I'm just so quietly happy with my latest purchase! It may seem ridiculous to most, to spend $12 on a hairclip...but I love mine to death. Know why?

...cause it's from Marc by Marc Jacobs. I love Nordstrom Rack! I don't really think there were a whole lot left, I just had to dig through a bunch of headbands (all from Burberry but all very unflattering on me!) to find this lovely little piece of loveliness.

I think I've gone crazy, getting so happy over a plastic hairclip.

A Rose By Any Other Name...

2009-07-08T22:42:00.004-05:00

I walked into The Body Shop during one of my lunch breaks while working downtown a little while ago and noticed that they were having some pretty spectacular sales, so I nabbed two perfume oils and a body spray...for $8! The perfume oils were $3 each, and the body spray was $2. I also discovered a lovely, summery scent called Cassis Rose.

If I were a high-end perfume, I think I would be Stella McCartney...the scent is just pure roses. This is kind of a more youthful twist on that; it's roses mixed with a more typical fruity scent. Obviously, since it's from The Body Shop, I'm not going to go into undertones or anything, but I will note that this stuff does not have great lasting power at all, even the perfume oils. I'm thinking of getting a little atomizer and bringing the perfume oils with me so I can re-spritz during the day...partly because I want to smell nice and partly because I just generally love the scent.

I'd highly suggest you stop by a Bath and Body Works ASAP...though I think the sales are over, sadly.

Randoms

2009-07-08T22:15:00.003-05:00

Just a couple of random things.

1. My Coach bag came with three Coach tags and looked kind of ostentatious with all three so now I have two Coach tags that I don't know what to do with...that leather one might not have much use but I feel like I should be able to do something productive with the brass one.

2. I just had the most delicious birthday cake ice cream from this little Coldstone look-alike called Marble Slab. I implore you to try it!

3. Whenever I'm feeling down, I glance into my new Coach bag, and...pow! Bright pink lining :)

4. I forgot to mention this when talking about my thrift finds, but I got this little scarf-y thing for 25 cents with the intention of using it to DIY something. I'm thinking that I want it to be a collar on a tank top or something...

Glad for Gladiators

2009-07-08T22:10:00.002-05:00

My sandals came! I basically love them...even though they kind of make me look shorter because they cut me off at the ankle...they're also sort of my skintone but tanner so they hypothetically are supposed to make me taller...

In any case, the shoes are great. This is the first time I've ever ordered anything from GoJane, and I was pretty worried. Thankfully, the shoes arrived in a quite timely manner and aside from the sole being super-thing and therefore not likely to last years and years, the shoes seem to be of fine quality to me. I actually really like the multiple buckles, not just for the style factor but for the adjustability factor. And the zipper on the back is a huge plus in terms of convenience.

A Soft Touch

2009-07-07T21:41:00.004-05:00

So usually after my summer internship ends, I take the train to downtown Chicago and loiter for about a half an hour to an hour. On browsing days, I'll swatch makeup from dream-worthy brands like Chanel or try on beautiful yet completely unnecessary dresses, and on buying days I'll scour H&M for a steal. But today was...a brushing day. Today I didn't have as much time, so I went to ULTA and looked at only one product, which prompted me to go to The Body Shop and look at three more similar products.

So basically, I spent a half hour looking at makeup brushes but I wanted to share this on the off chance that someone reading this will have $30 to spend on a makeup brush.

First, I stopped by ULTA because I wanted to look at this brush from Too Faced that I had tried out at a Sephora a couple of days back. It's the Retractable Kabuki Brush, and it is basically the softest brush in the entire world. No, actually. It's pretty and pink and soft and lovely and I basically just carried it around for ten minutes while browsing the store and brushed it against my hand. Unfortunately for me, the price is a whopping $28.50, which could get me 1. my dream skirt from H&M which I haven't gotten around to taking a picture of, 2. a whole slew of things from the thrift store, or 3. $28.50 worth of more practical things...but...this brush is so soft. Words cannot describe the softness that is this brush.

I remembered someone telling me that the brushes from The Body Shop were very soft as well, so I passed by there to see if they would have any comparable brushes for less, and I was quite impressed. First, I found this retractable blush brush for $22 which was incredibly soft as well and pretty much comparable to the Too Faced brush. I also found this Nature's Minerals Blusher Brush, which was $19.

Here's my dilemma. I could be cheaper and get the $19 Body Shop blush brush, but it isn't retractable like the other two and therefore not suitable for bringing with me in my purse. So...I could compromise and get the retractable blush brush from The Body Shop for $22. But, if I'm going to spend the $22 on the Body Shop brush, I might as well spend $28.50 and get the real thing, right? But then there's the debate on softness...I still can't totally decide whether they're the same softness or whether the Too Faced one is softer. I feel like the Too Faced one is softer, but that could just be because it's the first really soft brush I felt...sigh, I really should be more productive with my free time during the summer.

Just as a side note, I also spotted this travel brush set from The Body Shop for $18, which has brushes that are much smaller but just as soft as the ones I've been rambling about.

However, I am on a self-imposed makeup shopping ban for the next month. It's not that I spend that much on makeup...actually, I barely spend anything on it and I think long and hard about purchases like the $5 Milani shadow one I just made...but I feel like I have enough makeup to keep me going already (since I don't wear much besides the basics) so I'm going to try and scale back on small makeup purchases. Which, of course, means more for clothing :)

CFDA

2009-07-06T19:29:00.009-05:00

So I know this is incredibly belated but I wanted to share some of my thoughts (though they will be quite similar to those of the masses) on the CFDA ensembles.

Kirsten Dunst may have been rocking a little too much Rodarte for some people these days, but I think she looks phenomenal.

For Blake Lively: enh. I know a lot of people have praised this Michael Kors look and maybe it's my aversion to hot pink + tight + tan + blonde but I'm just not a huge fan. I will say that she managed to make that whole...shebang look a lot classier than it could've. I'm also a little dubious of Alexander Wang. Much as I love him I'm not so sure about the shorts suit. Nadja Swarovski, however, in that to-die-for Alexander McQueen, looks lovely.

Definitely one of my favourites from the night. This is a pretty short dress, and Diane makes it looks so sleek and sophisticates. I just love the subtle shoulder appliques and the colour, and how she's not done up to much but looks totally polished. Right on, Jason Wu.

I love my black, and I love this look. Granted, it is a little harsh and it is quite a lot of black, but I think the dress looks great and the shoes are spectacular. If I could change anything, it'd be the hair; if it were perhaps a reddish brown colour it might offset all the black.

Now there's a pairing you don't see too often. Ms. Wintour, as always, looks lovely...but it was interesting that she chose to wear Carolina Herrera, though the dress does match her usual style.

Kerry Washington is lovely and pretty but this Doo.Ri dress isn't particularly spectacular.

While Maggie Grace looks great in Christian Siriano, I really wish Leanne Marshall would get as much dress coverage...she may not be as much of a character but her clothes are just as lovely.

You know, I don't hate this as much as many people do. Sure, the boots are clunky with the dress and the whole world might have liked this more if it was just the dress but...it's Agyness. I think it's a fun way to mix girlie and rocker, and I love her polished hairstyle and makeup. I think the boots could've been a little slicker -- like still boots, but maybe less of a chunky heel and less buckles.

This look didn't resonate with me as much as it should've. It could have been because everyone else was a little more dressed down for the event, but somehow this whole thing seemed overdone. Doutzen Kroes looked beautiful, as always (in my mind she's one of the prettiest models out there), almost like a vintage movie star...but the dress seemed a bit much.

These two ladies look lovely, and both dresses are great, but I wish that Emmanuelle had her hair up so we could see the intricate details by the neck on her Vivienne Westwood dress. Ms. Westwood herself, by the way, looks great herself.

I love this look on Julia Restoin-Roitfeld. The silhouette is so beautiful (though it must be painful!), the dress is great, her hair and makeup is great, and she looks really effortless yet put together.

So some people have complained about how frumpy Ashley Olsen looks and how oversized her dress is but honestly...this is one of my favourite looks of the night. I like how it's not too typical, but at the same time it's not superbly attention-grabbing. Instead, it's a subtle nod to a lot of the vintage styles that have become popular recently, and I think she looks so lovely.

I thought this was a much better take on more evening-y styles than Doutzen Kroes in Zac Posen. Though those shoes have been worn by many, I think they provide a great edgy contrast to the pretty, ethereal dress that keep this look from being too typical. Great job by Marc Bouwer and great look on Lydia Hearst.

I think this is also a lovely look, but that it isn't the most original. I mean, I'm not expecting designers to come up with edgy, new, mind-boggling ideas everytime someone showcases their clothes, I'm just saying that this is more tried-and-true than fashion forward. That said, Padma Lakshmi looks great in this J. Mendel dress and is interestingly wearing jewelry from her own line.

I love Heidi Klum. Mainly because I love Project Runway. So naturally, I love her look here (though even I will concede that it's moving a lot into tight, short, and shiny territory).

Say what you will about Rachel Zoe, this lady can pick clothes...and this Louis Vuitton is definitely not an exception.

Blake Lively definitely did not luck out with the Michael Kors, because I think that Coco Rocha looks outstandingly smashing in this Michael Kors ensemble. It's put together yet effortless, casual yet sophisticated, and altogether smashing. Generally I'm not a huge fan of Michael Kors' clothing, but this looks great.

Calvin Klein really did well for himself...both Zoe Saldana and Hilary Rhoda look stunning in his dresses and do a pretty good job of dispelling the usual "boring" association with Calvin Klein. I particularly like Zoe's dress, as it's not typically "trendy" but is still a bit interesting.

Behati Prinsloo's Yigal Azrouël ensemble kind of reminds me of Hilary Rhoda's dress in that it's a short, fashion-forward dress that embraces a lot of trends (one-shoulder, structural sleeve) that have been popping up lately but doesn't really bring up a whole ton of its own. Then again, this was a toned-down event so I thought this was a great look.

Altuzarra may not be very well known, but Hana Soukupova makes it look quite believeable...though again, this dress follows Behati's and Hilary's examples in that it's pretty and toned down, yet still kind of trendy.

I know that both Akris and Nicole Phelps from Style.com aren't the most well known names, but I just think she looks so pretty and lovely in this dress...it almost reminds me of a watercolour painting.

I know I should probably be focusing on the Vena Cava girls but Erin Fetherston just looks so adorable! I love how her hair and her cutesy dress contrast her heels...but not so much so that it looks off-kilter.

Crossing The Line

2009-07-05T10:07:00.003-05:00

Check out an article from Vogue on the comeback of the striped minidress here.

Now I'm really glad I got that black and white dress from the thrift store...though mine is decidedly less nautical than the dresses on the four employees shown above. Who knew Vogue would report on a trend that's accessible for $4 at a secondhand shop?

By the way, the third girl from the left is wearing a Gap Design Editions trench that I am in love with and that I'll post about in just a second.

Fly Like An Eagle

2009-07-05T09:34:00.005-05:00

So American Eagle used to be one of my absolute favourite stores when I was younger, and after discovering retailmenot.com and its amazing selection of coupons I loved it even more due to the incredible discounts one could receive. Now it's sort of lost its appeal, as the simple pieces to me are generally not worth the price; I'd rather head over to H&M to grab some pretty basics and spice them up with thrifting finds or the occasional more expensive piece from, say, a sale at Nordstrom.

They're having a pretty good clearance sale, and you can get free shipping if you buy three or more items, so if I were to hypothetically make my first purcahse at American Eagle in a year or so, I'd stick these three items in my hypothetical cart:

1. AE Braided Halter

You can't really see the braid in this picture, but this is just a basic, pretty tank with a braided strap. I'm a sucker for cute little details and I love the braided and ruched parts of this top. And plus, it's only $10.

2. aerie sun rays boyfriend boxer

In the winter I have a couple of cozy flannel PJs that I wear but in summer I usually just revert to some old adidas running shorts from my track and field days...I should probably invest in cute PJs before college because now people will actually be witnessing me walking around in them. These, for only $6.95, should do the trick just fine.

3. AE Braided Flip Flop

So my pair of camel buckle gladiators (if one can even call them gladiators) came today, and I'll post about them later, but I kind of also want to get a slightly less nice pair of flip-flops, preferably with a pretty detail like these braided ones, to wear to the beach or walking around in areas that I'd prefer my gladiators not witness. At $19.95, they're a tad pricey, but maybe if I wait around long enough they'll go down in price a bit.

Pump It Up

2009-07-04T22:30:00.004-05:00

As a person of a stature of 5'2", I take any and all opportunities to increase my height. For prom, I knew that I wanted to wear superbly high heels for the purpose of not being dwarfed by my date (who stands at about 5'10") but that I did not want to be at risk of breaking my ankle. While shopping vigorously every day after my internship ended downtown, I came upon these slick black pumps from Charlotte Russe. The heel is a staggering 4 3/4", but with its 1" platform the heels honestly didn't feel much different than my 3 1/2" black patent pumps, which are enough to give me height but also low enough to be dance-worthy.

I wore them to prom and haven't worn them since, but I recently discovered them when trying on clothes with my thrifted bubble skirt I posted about before. It was then that I realized that...that is truly a fabulous pair of shoes. They're $24.99 from Charlotte Russe, and I'd suggest you pick up a pair pronto here.

Next on my unnecessary yet beautiful formal shoe quest? A pair of nude patent pumps I saw while passing by the window of Akira. And they're only $35!

Happy 4th of July!

2009-07-04T08:24:00.003-05:00

I hope everyone has a lovely time celebrating the United States' independence. Though I reside in an apartment and therefore will most likely not be engaging in the usual grill/people over/picnic event, my family may grab some hot dogs from the grocery store, make them in our own kitchen, and bring them over to Lake Michigan to watch Chicago's July 4th fireworks from the Adler Planetarium.

I have a major thing for cupcakes, so if you have time try your hand at these adorable patriotic ones! Click the picture for the recipe from About.com.

A New York Lack Of Colour

2009-07-04T01:32:00.003-05:00

While browsing through Ulta, I was able to find a lovely nude shade of lipstick called Mousse for $1.99 that looked, in the tube, a lot to me like MAC's Brave New Bronze, a limited edition colour that's just come out with the recent Style Warriors collection. I love the idea of a peachy nude colour, but I was not a huge fan of the price tag or the slightly tacky animal print packaging of Brave New Bronze. (note: the lipstick colour in this picture is not the actual lipstick shade I have).

Though the formula is not particularly moisturizing, I usually just put on lip balm and dab some of this on and swish my lips around a bit. It mutes my natural lip colour for everyday and can also double as a pretty nude colour (with some clear gloss) for a night-time smokey eye.

I took this picture after doing some swatching at Macy's for comparison; on the top is Mousse, the thick strip and the thin strip below that is MAC's Brave New Bronze, the lipstick below that is Benefit's Lady's Choice, and even below that (though it was not intended to be in the picture) is Benefit's Skinny Dip. I know it's a pretty bad swatch picture, but I think it gives a good idea of what the lipstick looks like in comparison to some high-priced nude favourites.

Neck A Statement

2009-07-04T00:36:00.003-05:00

I've been loving these statement necklaces from Forever 21...I'm guessing this trend won't stay for too long and it would be nice to not invest in something terribly expensive. The only problem is that Forever 21 seems to have raised its usual prices to somewhere around $12 for most of these necklaces. I might consider investing in the last one, which is a tad more subtle and only $5.80. I've noticed one negative side to thrift store shopping...the thought that I can buy an article of clothing for $5.80 definitely deters me from getting a necklace for the same price. But I love the last one!

Here We Go A-Thrifting

2009-07-03T23:15:00.004-05:00

So I went thrifting today with my darling mother and had a brief scare when I put down my purse to fit a skirt (over my outfit, don't worry...) but the trip was most definitely worth it because I got two lovely things.

This first dress looked a little dubious on the hanger. It looked a little on the tight side, and my mom commented that it reminded her of a prison outfit. But, it was from H&M, looked relatively new, and something about it kind of said "Buy me!" Perhaps it was the $4 price tag. Anyway, it turned out to be quite chic -- the stripes on the sleeves helped to neutralize the whole thing.

This next skirt was a major source of debate for me because I knew that it was more of an evening thing that I wouldn't wear as much and that the bubble shape was going out of fashion, but after finding out that the original $3 price tag was brought down to $1.50 I grabbed it. And I am so glad that I did. The olive green silk is so luxe and pretty!

I'm unfortunately quite awful at making decisions, and here's another one; the skirt comes with this tulle lining that poufs it up quite a bit. When I bought it, I told myself "don't worry, you can always cut off the lining to reduce the pouf." So here it is with the tulle:

...and here it is without. Pardon the picture, I'm holding the tulle lining up to my stomach so it looks a tad odd.

Now I'm conflicted, but I think I'm keeping the tulle for now. I don't have an occasion to wear it to coming up quite yet, and if I did, I might just keep it because it makes the skirt a little bit more...fabulous. As cliche as that sounds.

A DIY Grad

2009-07-03T16:20:00.003-05:00

Just a quick post on my graduation dress and my first brush with DIY:

The dress was a lovely $5 find from the thrift store (the tag says it's from Express), but it originally was just the strapless dress and a bit longer. With one day before graduation, I felt like the dress wasn't quite special enough for the occasion, so I hemmed my dress to above my knee and bought a $4 scarf from Wet Seal in this pretty green tone that matched the pattern on my dress. I cut up the scarf and sewed a few rosettes on the front waistline and twisted part of it to make a strap.

Music Meester

2009-07-03T15:59:00.001-05:00

I love this girl...and she's a pretty good singer to boot!

Top of the Shops

2009-07-03T15:35:00.005-05:00

While in New York a little while back, I passed by Topshop. Technically, I was on a college visit, I scrambled around town to find my way to SoHo...because honestly, who can go to New York without passing by SoHo?

Of course, Topshop was a must...and I have to say, I was quite impressed. Because of my trip's primary purpose as a college visit, I didn't bring much money with me and didn't put much on my debit card, so I couldn't go shop-happy, but I found myself spending all of my free time meandering around SoHo and walking up and down 5th Ave.

I purchased a droopy jersey tank dress in a gorgeous purple. In the later pictures, it'll appear more cobalt blue, but in real life it's a royal purple. I thought the drapey nature was really unique and though I brought a fair amount of pieces into the dressing room, this one had the most originality for its price (which I don't remember now, but I think was around $22).

Unfortunately, I couldn't find an original picture but here's a picture of the dress in grey.

Tales of Dress Explorations

When I first put it on, the top part drooped a little far down for my liking, but it still was a great shape.

Then, I experimented with rolling up the sleeves and tying them or tucking them in, which I really liked the look of.

While looking in the mirror, I happened to put my hands on my hips, like so:

...which made me realize that giving my waist some definition might make for a good look as well.

The End

Sorry Silver

2009-07-03T15:25:00.003-05:00

Today, while buying mint waxed dental floss for my mother, I happened upon this lovely shade of eyeshadow from Milani called Golden Bronze. It's a pretty...well, bronze-gold that looks quite brown in the pan but shows up nicely. It reminds me of MAC's Woodwinked, and it isn't too orange like a lot of bronzes are. This one's definitely a keeper.

One swipe looks like this top strip, and two or three swipes looks like the bottom strip.

If you really pack it on, you can see the brown undertone. But this is my finger (my ring finger, by the way!) that was directly placed on the eyeshadow, so it might take a fair amount.

I'm currently on the hunt for other Milani, Jane, or NYX Trio shadows so I can get a MAC quad. One down, three to go!

Strip-Strap

2009-06-30T21:57:00.004-05:00

In my quest to update my shoe wardrobe, I have been attempting to decide what type of shoes I would like. I've been looking at a lot of nude-coloured styles lately, because I love anything that will lengthen my legs in the least. I've also been quite captivated by the edgier, more strappy sandal styles with buckles and studs and bits and bobs.

This pair from Urban caught my eye, but alas, they are $58.

So I think these will be my new summer sandals: they were $20 from GoJane. The quality of the sandals may be dubious, but I will likely use them for the rest of this summer and a bit of next summer.

Entrenched

2009-06-29T22:04:00.003-05:00

The Mod Trench

Off to the new Modern Wing of the Art Institute of Chicago, naturally. Dinner will follow, at the cute little restaurant atop the museum.

The Classic Trench

Off to go meet the girls for a quick lunch. Then, a meeting with the boss.

The Girlie Not-A-Trench

Out on a shopping trip to find the perfect pair of sunglasses.

Stripped Black

2009-06-29T21:50:00.003-05:00

I fell in love with this Thakoon Crepe Shibari dress from the moment I saw it. Alas, it is on "sale" for $837.20.

So if you'd like, you can head on over to Nordstrom and pick up this top for $78 and pair it with a plain black skirt.

Or, if you're like me, you can dream about DIY-ing it using some black ribbon. I'll let you guys know how that goes.

Also, update: I took the tag off both my bag and my sunglasses. And I love them.

Randoms

2009-06-25T23:36:00.003-05:00

So, just two totally unrelated things that don't exactly constitute posts in and of themselves, but that can be put together to be somewhat meaningful:

1. So the makeup posts that come recently may be a bit of a change from what I've posted about before, and I just wanted to explain myself. I personally own very little makeup. I'll do a post on all the makeup that I own, but honestly...it's barely anything. I have foundation, powder, some eyeshadows, and a couple of other things. But I'm definitely not any sort of makeup collector. Instead, I like to think of myself as a makeup thinker. I feel as though I can speak with some authority about high-end makeup because I spend so much time wandering around makeup counters. It got to the point where I would see the MAC lady at Macy's almost every day. One of my favourite pastimes, especially during the summer, is wandering through shops. I, of course, love shopping with a passion, but instead of going on huge spending binges, I greatly enjoy wandering around and experimenting with things. I've swatched so many things on my hands because I just love playing around with various pieces of makeup. In any case, I've tried out enough brands and products that I can speak about makeup like I own it. So when I say that my favourite makeup brand is NARS, that doesn't mean that I own a lot of NARS, it means that if I had an unlimited bank account, I would own lots of NARS. And since I don't have one, I obsess a lot about NARS. So yeah, I just wanted to clear that up.

2. I have a really special place in my heart for the city of Chicago. I had envisioned myself going to college in or nearby Chicago, and though it's really early to be thinking about this, I definitely see myself living here in the future. I think it's because my parents made me stay at home for a lot of my childhood, so I don't feel a burning desire to leave this city...instead, with all of the outings I've been going on now that I'm a college girl (eek!), I have this newfound urge to explore every nook and cranny of Chicago.

I also saw this post on Musings of a Muse, and it gave me a warm and fuzzy feeling.

"Chicago is possibly one of my fav cities in the US. It's like a mini Manhattan but with a quiet sophistication and calm that New York lacks. I love my city but I def have a special place in my heart for Chi-town!"

She was talking about the NARS appearance in Chicago: Check out the post here

I <3 NARS

2009-06-23T22:38:00.002-05:00

Though I technically do not own any high-end makeup, I am in absolute love with NARS. Therefore, when I heard that he was coming to Chicago's own Barneys, I penned in a visit on that gorgeous sunny Saturday.

The event was a book signing, and being my usual forgetful self I did not have a copy of his book in my hand...nor did I bring a camera when I walked up to the Oak Street area. Stupid, right? I know. I was pretty mad at myself. I also didn't wait in line and meet him, which I totally regret now. I was wandering up on the north end of Michigan Ave., which is a beautiful, albeit expensive area, and found my way to Barneys, where I walked downstairs to the beauty area. Now, the beauty area is a little enclosed space, nothing like the Nordstrom and Macy's beauty sprawlings that I'm accustomed to, where you can wander around and gaze at cosmetics, with a couple of "Can I help you"s and not be seen. At this place, however, various NARS employees were all eyeing me, ready to see if they could do a makeover, and most of the people in line had a book for Francois Nars to sign. So, I wandered around for a bit, got a glimpse of Monsieur Nars himself, stared at the line, and then felt so self-conscious at all of the salesgirls staring at me and asking with their eyes whether I wanted to get my makeup done that I snuck one last glance at Mr. Nars and then promptly left. I was firm with myself about not getting my makeup done because I feel so bad about not buying a product after someone demos it on me solo that I know I would feel terrible about not buying much of anything after a NARS expert did my whole face. But still, it was a lovely walk through the Oak Street area, and my first brush with a genius of makeup was quite a nice one.

Speaking of NARS...I own a NARS eyeshadow! My first one. And yes, I'm treating it like a piece of precious jewelry.

It's a NARS single eyeshadow in Kiki, a smoky matte grey. It's not a particularly intense or unique shade, but I was browsing C. O. Bigelow with one of my friends and was directed to their 75% off counter. By the way...I don't know if the sales are over, but if they aren't -- head over to your nearest C. O. Bigelow immediately! I'm not one to fall for fake good prices, but these were amazing.

Anyway, the reason I'm bringing up this eyeshadow now is that I popped it in my purse with the hopes that I could have Sir NARS sign it instead of a book. But, as you read earlier, I chickened out and now totally wish I had stayed in line and had him sign my eyeshadow. As humiliating as that might have been, it would have been nice to meet him face-to-face.

Ah, well. Maybe next time?

The Gift of Graduation

2009-06-19T23:15:00.003-05:00

I just wanted to share two items I got for graduation. One was from my mother, and one I bought myself.

For a while, my mother had this gift card to Coach for $388, and she hadn't used it for the longest time. We had planned on getting a bag that we both could use, but recently she's found some bags that fit her needs and still hasn't gotten around to spending that gift card. Ridiculous, I know...but we're both very picky about our purchases. Then, a few weeks ago, she offered the card to me as a graduation gift -- she figured that our prior plan of sharing a purse wouldn't be practical while I was away at college (by the way, I'm still deciding whether or not to reveal my college...). I was so excited, and in typical me form, obsessed for weeks and weeks about which purse to pick. I knew I wanted a brown one, so I could wear it with both black and non-black looks, and so it would go with the various other neutrals I insist on wearing (mainly every neutral colour besides brown).

Finally, finally, I settled on a purse. I brought my most Coach-knowledgable friend to the Coach store on Michigan Ave. and selected a small chocolate brown purse. It's a good thing I came when I did -- there were only 7 of that bag left in the country!

Of course, I haven't removed the tag yet and probably won't for another week. But that's just the way I ensure I really want something.

I kind of wanted to get a special something for myself this summer, and was debating on whether to splurge on a nice pair of summer sandals or a great pair of sunglasses. I settled on a pair of sunglasses, because I figured I could wear those for more than two years, whereas a splurge-able pair of sandals might be on the trendier side, and therefore not as necessary to be reliable for more than a year.

I've been passing by the new Loehmann's on State Street, which is kind of like a bigger Nordstrom Rack. I recently discovered their sunglasses section, which is filled with a wide array of hit-or-miss designer sunnies (and an odd amount of Jessica Simpson sunglasses. Really?). I had tried on full-priced designer sunglasses, and concluded that the Ray-Ban aviators worked well with my face shape. Unfortunately for me, they were $100+. Not so good for a high-schooler. So after visiting Loehmann's for a little while, I started going back to two pairs of sunglasses: a red plastic framed pair of Marc by Marc Jacobs sunglasses, and a pair of bronze Missoni aviators. Now, one of the problems with shopping at a place like Loehmann's is that you get lots of odd, cast-off sunglasses. The MJ glasses, while cute, were a little goofy. One might interpret it as kitschy in a good way, but...in general, I try to aim for older-looking things, and red plastic frames certainly did not say "older." The Missoni aviators were pretty, but again, kind of leaning towards cast-off; they had twisty curly-que details on the sides and were veering into "bug" territory with the size of the frames.

Then, one day, when I walked into Loehmann's fully expecting to have an internal debate as to what style of sunglasses I should buy, I came upon these:

Yep, those are Ray-Bans. And yep, they're $60. Granted, they're a little pricier than the Missoni glasses ($45) and the Marc by Marc Jacobs sunglasses ($55), but...I loved the style and I loved the frame colour and...come on, they're Ray-Bans!

I am officially in love. Of course, I haven't taken the tag off of these either and I've been having many internal debates as to whether I am being too excessive with my purchases, but today I came thisclose to taking off the tag. Maybe tomorrow I'll actually use scissors.

Sheer, Tight, and Black

2009-06-19T10:52:00.004-05:00

I've always had a fascination with the contrast between opaque black fabric and sheer black fabric. It sounds trashy, but I think it's a totally chic way to pull together a party-friendly, yet slightly edgy look.

Way back when, I fell in love with this version by Alexander Wang...

...and then debated whether or not to DIY it with an American Apparel dress...

blue is shown because black was far too risque for this blog

...and then realized that Topshop had already come up with that idea...

...and then realized that $90 for a sheer black dress wasn't exactly a steal anyway...then came to the realization that sheer stripes were not particularly practical and desired more of a dress-with-sheer-top style, like this one on StyleStalker...

...and then realized that American Apparel already had me covered...

...and then realized that none of these were really within my thrifty budget anyway. Sigh.

But in the land of dreaming about sheer/opaque black dresses...

Leighton Meester in Emilio de la Morena

I love this girl. Blake, lovely as she is, doesn't have anything on her.

Make It Matte

2009-06-17T23:35:00.003-05:00

So I tried out some of this at the Ulta that I visited this afternoon...

...and even now, my nose isn't shiny.

Have I really found the cure for an ultra-shiny nose that has plagued me for so many years? I'm having trouble trying to go and buy a tube of this, because it's $42 for 1.3 oz, and I just splurged on something that I'm just about to post about, but still...this is a good investment, right?

Sigh. I hate trying economic times. If only high school internships paid money.

ULT(im)A

2009-06-17T22:39:00.003-05:00

On the way back from work today, I strolled past Chicago's newest ULTA store, and I must say...I'm very impressed. Supposedly this shop is one of ULTA's newest ventures, as it is more of a Sephora-esque beauty center (with a hair salon built in!) than a little beauty boutique.

One of the things I was most surprised by was the section for drugstore makeup. First of all, I was able to find NYX there! Granted, it wasn't the most extensive selection, but I've been hoping for an opportunity to try it out without having to pay shipping, and I'm so excited that they carry that line.

But what shocked me even more was the whole section dedicated to drugstore-priced makeup, which included testers. Usually the way I differentiated drugstore makeup from high-end makeup was that for high-end makeup, you could test it out on your skin and do trial and error with various colours before buying, but that it cost more. With drugstore makeup, you paid less, but unless you did some swatch homework or found a store with a good return policy, you were probably bound to be stuck with some dud shades. So seeing brands like Revlon available for testing was a huge surprise for me. I could see this as the future of makeup...much cheaper lines that allow people to get a great foundation without having to go to a department store. Target was getting to this point, but brands like Revlon and Maybelline aren't testable -- only lines like Boots and Jemma Kidd.

I didn't buy anything in this go-around, but I will definitely let you know when I purchase something.

What's Next?

2009-06-17T20:57:00.003-05:00

Holy moly.

I'm not in high school anymore...

Though it may not have clicked yet, at the same time, it's all I can think about. The two nails on my wall which I posted about earlier host clothes that represent my mood; my cap and gown have been hanging there ever since graduation.

After having gone to the same school since kindergarten, it's a weird feeling knowing that I never have to go there again. I'm excited for college, but sad to leave a place which holds so many fun memories.

I've been so caught up in graduation fests and a new internship that I've hardly had time to post, but I'm basically brimming with things to share, so expect more things as I continue to be in denial about the newest chapter of my life.

Wingardium Leviosa

2009-06-09T22:22:00.002-05:00

I have read every Harry Potter book multiple times and have seen every single movie. I am eagerly awaiting the latest theatre release.

I have also always secretly idolized both Hermione Grainger and Emma Watson, though I firmly believe that the former should have ended up with Harry Potter.

Emma Watson has been quite the fashion icon as well, and from what I remember was last being dressed by Chanel for her various red carpet events. It looks like she's planting a firm foot in the fashion world, with her very recent ad campaign for Burberry. I'm partly jealous and partly super excited that my favourite little wizard is making her mark on the fashion world. Though a part of me wishes that the shots were a little more...unique, at least compared to the usual Burberry fare, I love Emma Watson and I love classic Burberry, so I really can't complain.

Splurge vs. Steal: Black and White

2009-06-09T20:05:00.004-05:00

So, while browsing Nordstrom's post-anniversary-sale-sale-offerings, I came upon this wondrous piece of bandaged greyscale goodness:

But alas, even on sale it's $116.90. Definitely not budget-friendly. Thank goodness there's this alternative at Urban Outfitters!

Though the Urban dress is decidedly less formal, I love it to pieces. It's $48, and I'm kind of considering buying it...except for the simple little fact that I don't exactly have an occasion for it and I have a plethora of other dresses that I should probably wear before purchasing a new one. But isn't the print lovely! I'm even considering getting it in a -gasp- colour!

I know, I know, potentially picking the coloured one over the plain one is pretty life-changing. But it's just a possibility! I happen to like the colour combination in this particular dress.

Here We Go A-Thrifting

2009-06-07T17:31:00.002-05:00

Here are some quick thrift finds...

This is a plain burgundy office-y skirt. It's a bit big, but I might have it taken in because I really like the colour. It's not black, but yet still dull enough for work situations. Plus, it was only $2!

This dress was about $3, and while I need to shorten the straps I really love the fit. The print is a little on the grandma side, but I think it's nice and springy.

This skirt I absolutely love...it was also $3 and is an amazing houndstooth print. It's a tiny bit on the itchy side but I can barely feel it when I'm wearing it. I'm still debating whether it's too loud to wear to work situations.

Don't Rain On My Parade

2009-06-07T17:25:00.003-05:00

I love the rain more than anything, but today I was supposed to do two things: scout out a nearby art fair (which is actually quite an event) and attend a little garden party esque reception to celebrate my graduation (!!!). However, the forecast was gloomy showers and perhaps even a few bouts of lightning.

Thankfully, there were some showers this morning but it became sunny enough for me to have enough time to peruse the art fair nice and slowly. I was also able to attend the reception, though there was a large white tent set up, just in case the rain did return.

Here's what I wore!

The dress is an extremely old shirtdress from the shady sale section of my nearest Forever 21. It was a bit long on me, so I got it hemmed, but I accidentally asked for it to be too short. Today, I decided to wear an old Gap skirt underneath. I'm actually thinking of hemming the Gap skirt and taking the bottom and sewing it to this dress. Judging from this picture, it might not look half bad!

The skirt was a bit poufier than it looks in the picture, but that was probably just because I was wearing another skirt underneath it. I thought it looked a little Miu Miu-like, translated into daywear. Oh, and the belt is just a random thrift find...one of the few that really cinches my waist well.

A Casual Day

2009-05-23T23:40:00.002-05:00

Just a quick outfit from a while back...I realize that this isn't particularly interesting, but I'm trying to get into the habit of more regular outfit posts.

tank...gap
shorts...forever 21
belt...thrifted

I really like this tank top -- I don't know if you can tell from the picture, but there's a semi-embroidered flower on it...I love wearing it with high-waisted skirts or skinny jeans. The shorts are a staple for me; they're almost like my take on the "nude" trend I posted about earlier, because they're relatively close to my skintone (though tanner). I think they're a nice alternative to, say, black shorts, and they help a petite girl like me lengthen my legs.

I suppose I could mention the flats, but they're just this simple, comfy, nondescript pair I got from Old Navy a little while back. This is something every girl needs; a pair of simple flats in a neutral colour that you can just slip on when you're in a hurry.

Make Your Marc

2009-05-23T23:19:00.004-05:00

Just some bright and punchy Marc by Marc Jacobs pieces from the Net-A-Porter sale.

Fiona faille dress, $180

Peep toe pump, $261

Flap patent clutch, $108

The New Nude

2009-05-23T22:47:00.005-05:00

When I was little, I used to claim my favourite colour was "clear." That's when I knew that bright colours were really not my thing. But recently, the hottest colour to wear is "nude," until you think really hard about it and realize that nude can technically be anything from the palest white to the deepest ebony.

I suppose that in fashion terms, nude is a colour that's a little bit tanner than your typical caucasian. I, personally, am absolutely dying for a pair of nude pumps, because their leg-lengthening abilities are quite extraordinary. It seems as though the Cannes folk have caught on to this trend as well. I really like how this colour translates to a cocktail dress + pumps ensemble, as shown below by Penelope Cruz and Myleene Klass (who is apparently a popular TV presenter in the UK).

In their cases, the "nude" shade is just a touch lighter than their own skintone, which I think makes for a beautiful look. I actually like it better than white, because it's less stark. Also, I think the fact that they both accessorized with nude pumps is really great...it makes for a lovely, pulled together look that has a hint of trend to it.

Off The Wall

2009-05-22T19:56:00.004-05:00

When I was younger, I went through a phase where I expressed myself by decorating my room. I covered it in black-and-white pictures of different destinations around the world that I wanted to visit because we lived (actually, still live) in an apartment and I couldn't paint the wall.

Now, I've been trying to think of more sophisticated ways to decorate my room lately, and haven't really come up with anything. Except for one day, when I took down some pictures while I was cleaning my room and temporarily hung some clothes on the nails left. It ended up looking quite cute. So now, I have two nails on my wall, where I interchange dresses, skirts, purses, and tops to fit my mood. It's quick and easy, and it's always nice to look at my wall and get a glimpse of something pretty.

Here's what's on my wall right now:

a thrifted purse ($4.00) which I love and adore...I don't know if you can tell in this picture but the purse is pleated black satin.

a lace dress...this is from Forever 21, back when I used to shop there all the time. I've recently made an effort to stop shopping there, and it's been much easier than I thought. Now, I find so many pieces at places like H&M, or even at my nearby thrift store, that are both cheaper and more resilient. That said, this is one of my favourite Forever 21 purchases...I love necklines like that, with a lace top and a tank underneath.

Dita in Jean

2009-05-22T19:26:00.007-05:00

Okay, so I have a confession...I have been in love with the Jean Paul Gaultier Spring 2009 Couture collection ever since it came out. Like, serious love. I mean, all the collections were beautiful but the Jean Paul Gaultier collection was just like a series of art pieces. And, to top it all off, black and white were mainstays in the collection. Honestly? He must have been going after my heart.

Actually, because I love the collection so much, I'm going to share pictures even though the collection itself is terribly old.

First, the makeup was impeccable. This is just one example of how the models almost looked like they were in a painting.

And the clothing was so artistic...perhaps not that wearable but beautiful to look at.

Anyway, so the reason I wanted to mention that is because I was reminded of my love for this collection by a stunning picture of Dita von Teese from the amFAR against AIDS benefit. She's wearing a dress from the collection that I thought was amazing.

Looking at this shot, the dress seems pretty hard to wear. I mean, for one thing...it's sheer. But even after that, the dress itself is very sculptural and might not have translated well to the red carpet. But then, Dita von Teese wore this to amFAR and looked amazing. I am so happy I got to see this...and honestly, I'm kind of happy she kept the sheer skirt. Somehow it wouldn't have looked the same with a lining, though I'm sure many will complain about her indecency.

Dita, I love you.

Cannes You Do The Cannes Cannes

2009-05-21T21:15:00.004-05:00

Cannes this year has been phenomenal...it would be impossible for me to repeat my Met Gala stint and write up gargantuan posts detailing my thoughts on nearly everyone's dress.

But, just for starters, here are some outfits I thought were spectacular.

Actually, first...how about a person. I personally think that Rachel Weisz is one of the most stunning people in the world. Sadly, at the Costume Institute Gala, she was dressed unjustly in Vera Wang, but she's definitely coming back with a bang at Cannes.

I thought this was a beautiful, classic, red carpet look. If I could look like that at prom, I would be set for life (okay, I promise the prom references will go away soon).

This is another green look for her, but I love it...it's just the right formality for a photocall. She is definitely making up for her gala look.

Also, Tan Zhuo, I don't know who you are but I love your Roberto Cavalli dress. I like the fish-scale detailing, crossed with the slightly flapper theme. Plus, the minimalist accessories really set all eyes on the dress.

An Arms Race for Paleness

2009-05-18T22:32:00.004-05:00

I recently acquired something after a visit to my nearest Walgreens. Surprisingly, it was not a new bottle of nude/light pink nail polish, and it was not a pair of false lashes by Ardell (which I always eye when I go to the drugstore, but never have picked up). No, it was a nice, little bottle of sunscreen by Neutrogena. For a while, I've been using up some SPF 50 generic sport sunscreen that my darling mother got me a while back because she knew what a sunscreen fiend I was. But that supply has been coming to an end, and I decided to splurge on a newer sunscreen. After I run out of this, I might make the leap into, say, a Shiseido or Clinique sunscreen (the former of which is supposed to have great mattifying properties), but for now, this is quite the find.

I could hardly believe my eyes when I saw Neutrogena's new SPF 100+ sunscreen. I had heard about the Neutrogena brand of sunscreen before, and while I had heard that it left somewhat of a white cast and that it caused makeup to pill, I let my more rash side get the better of me and purchased the sunscreen. And I'm quite glad I did.

Then, I got home, and began to think. If this sunscreen was just as expensive as, say, the SPF 85, while all the other sunscreens increased in price as the SPF got higher, was Neutrogena just scamming me and pretending like this provided me extra SPF when really it didn't? Did I really need SPF 100 or would anything above 50 be okay? After doing some Internet browsing, it seems like I didn't make such a bad purchase after all. According to this article from Allure, anything above SPF 30 is for those that burn quite easily, indicating that while the differences may get smaller as the SPF gets higher, there's still a difference. And me and my unquestionable love for sunscreen will pay for an extra little bit of help...I am, after all, familiar with the concept of diminishing marginal utility.

So my recommendation? I'd say give this a try. The SPF 100 makes me feel good, and probably helps me stay nice and protected from the sun at least somewhat. I haven't found that it causes makeup to pill or anything, but I don't really use a lot of products. I put this first, and then just a really really light dabbing of foundation in areas that need it and then some concealer. Sometimes I add some smudgy eyeliner. So if you wear more complex makeup you may want to be more cautious. Other than that, this was worth the $13 for me.

Promenade Attire, Part Seven In Person

2009-05-17T23:04:00.002-05:00

So while a picture of my dress on a mannequin is telling and everything...here's a real-life picture. Please note...I am slightly yellower in this picture because I had to mess with some of the colours so that the picture would give an accurate representation of the dress.

I don't need to hem it, right? I'll probably be wearing higher heels than I am in this picture (not that you can see them...)

A DIY Fantasy

2009-05-17T15:08:00.003-05:00

I would love, love, love to be able to sew like a pro.

In particular, I am dying to DIY one of my plain old skirts or tees and scallop the edges after seeing this adorable Chloé scallop skirt.

Chloé Scallop Skirt, $689

Hold Your Money

2009-05-16T18:56:00.003-05:00

My latest obsession? Cute money holders from Urban Outfitters. My only wallet at the moment is a kate spade zip-up, and I really want a "real" wallet for college.

These hinge wallets have been everywhere. Forever 21, H&M, Urban Outfitters, Wet Seal...you name it, they've got a wallet like this one. I personally love this watercolour style print, because it reminds me of a Monet painting. For me, personally, I'm looking for a kiss-lock wallet, and this has more of a hinge-style closure. $20.00

I really like this wallet. It's a full wallet size, the colour is fun and punchy, and the twist lock on it is just a great added detail. I love closure details; kiss locks, buckles, and twist locks are always fun for me. $14.99

I would get it, but...isn't this cute little coin purse tempting? I love the contrast between the girly pink and the zipper flowers. Sigh, if only this was a full size wallet. $19.99

Do The Wang Thang

2009-05-12T19:05:00.003-05:00

While I was doing my usual bout of online browse-shopping, I happened upon two bargainous finds from a fashion favourite, Alexander Wang.

Alexander Wang blush crepe gathered babydoll dress, $197.99

Alexander Wang keyhole dress, $196.80

Though these may not be the most frugal finds in the world, they're quite cheap for Alexander Wang.

You can see the lovely Sea of Shoes wearing the latter dress here.

Zac Attack

2009-05-11T15:34:00.004-05:00

One of the designers who I didn't think got enough credit at the Costume Institute Gala was Zac Posen. Sessilee Lopez looked lovely in his design, but he mainly walked the carpet with Helena Christensen, who looked incredibly tacky in a custom design he did.

Which I think is odd, because look at all the beautiful designs he could have sent down that red carpet:

I think the second and third ones are more suited to the gala, but if he really wanted to do a shorter dress he completely could have done the first one. And even if he wanted to save these dresses for more "common" red carpet occasions and try and go crazy with this one, I think he should have put this dress on Helena.

It's not too crazy, and yet crazy enough to be a fashion statement.

Oh well, maybe next year will be Zac's year...

Prom Queens

2009-05-11T14:35:00.005-05:00

Okay, so I know my posts about the Costume Institute Gala were huge, so I'll just provide a brief list of my personal favourites, complete with the notes I took when I was looking at the pictures.

Can you read that? My handwriting is pretty miniscule, but if you can't read it, my picks for long dresses were Lou Doillon, Claudia Schiffer, and Claire Danes, my pick for "medium length" dresses was Nadja Auermann, and my picks for short dresses were Alek Wek, Jessica Stam, and Kate Moss.

One Happy Family

2009-05-11T13:59:00.006-05:00

So I've got a bunch of little products lying around, and I figured I'd just review this whole little product family at once, going left to right.

1. Okay, so this isn't actually a product review...I just got this set of Bobbi Brown empties for $10.00 and they're so useful!

In the picture, I put the smallest one...I just wanted to give it a little mention because it is absolutely the cutest little concealer container ever! I have this old thick foundation from L'Oreal, which was too dark for me, but I mixed it with some lighter foundation and got this beautiful colour which made for a perfect concealer. Now, I keep the mixed colour in this little container and it looks like a bona fide Bobbi Brown concealer. I'd highly recommend these empties...they're great for lotion, foundation, concealer, pigments...pretty much anything. Plus they're only $10!

2. This is a little sample container of Lancôme's 'Rénergie' Anti-Wrinkle & Firming Cream. It came in a Gift With Purchase, and I'm actually quite liking it. The texture is a smooth hybrid of lotion and gel, and the lotion is definitely moisturizing. I usually wear sunscreen as a moisturizer under my foundation, but if I'm going out at night and don't want to bother with sunscreen, this is a great alternative because it provides for a nice base. I may just be gushing about this lotion because I never ever shell out big bucks on lotion, unless it's Shiseido sunscreen. My little container is .5 oz, which has actually lasted me quite a while. However, I don't like it so much that I'm going to shell out $80 for 1.7 oz. or $95 for 2.5 oz.

3. This is another GWP...it's a little bottle of Bobbi Brown's Soothing Face Tonic I got when I purchased an eyeliner from Bobbi Brown online. I feel exactly the same about this as I do with the Lancome lotion. It's nice, but I wouldn't repurchase it. I don't really use toner, and this is more of a soothing version of a toner. I've tried it a couple of times, and I feel my skin tightening a little bit (like right after you wash your face with strong cleanser), but that's about it. Unlike the Lancome lotion, I didn't have much use for this, but it's nice to use occasionally.

4. This is not a GWP...it's actually a tube of Maybelline's Moisture Extreme Lipcolor in Chestnut. I got this at Jewel recently, where all of the Maybelline lipsticks were 50% off. It's a pretty nude colour, but it's a little on the brown side so I would not recommend this for fairer girls. I usually don't wear much in the way of makeup, but if I dab a little bit of UDPP on my lips, spread it on, and then put on some of this lipstick, it's a nice natural look that wears for a pretty long time. I don't think I'll repurchase this lipstick, because I usually like to experiment with new colours (and I probably won't finish this tube), but it's a nice handy little thing to have around. Here's a swatch on my hand (Urban Decay Primer Potion is the stuff on top)...

...and a lip swatch.

5. Urban Decay Primer Potion is totally worth all the hype. I have the oiliest lids in the world and this totally prevents creasing. I love it! For everyday, I usually don't wear eyeshadow...instead, I wear a semi-thick, smudged line of eyeliner. I'm going to be starting an internship soon, so I might start experimenting with a light wash of colour and a thinner (still smudged) line of eyeliner, so this will be really helpful for that. Even besides eyeshadow, this makes a nice lip primer and undereye concealer primer, but more for wearing ability than smoothing ability.

6. I got this Philosophy Amazing Grace Firming Body Emulsion when I purchased my UDPP, and it's a nice thing to have around that I am slightly considering repurchasing. The lotion feels nice, and has been great for the warmer days to prevent my legs from reverting back to their dry wintry state. It's not particularly revolutionary, though it has some really good moisturizing properties without being too oily. Plus, the smell is really nice. I'm thinking about repurchasing, but there are a lot of other cheaper lotions that smell just as nice. I'm definitely keeping the bottle though, it's really cute!

Met Gala, Part 3

2009-05-11T11:49:00.007-05:00

The "In-Betweens"

I put all the people that I felt were in between "safe" and "risky" here. I'm sorry if you don't agree with where I put people...but to be honest I've spent most of the past few days just blankly staring at Gala pictures...so I'm a bit out of it.

Anna Wintour

I really like this look on her. It's simple and classy, and yet still a bit modern. Plus, who can go wrong with Chanel? Though I am surprised she's not wearing Marc Jacobs...then again, his collection is a bit daring for Miss Wintour.

Diane Kruger

Another Chanel-clad attendee...and I'd say I get just about the same vibe. It's a cute, youthful dress but it's so classic that she manages to not look too much like a teen star. I'm surprised she's not wearing something more daring, but I guess Chanel decided to play it safe this year...and I wouldn't blame them, it's turning out quite well so far.

Elizabeth Hurley

I know that some may think that this belongs in the "risk" section, but I think this dress' similarity to a really elaborate bridal gown makes it a bit safer. Personally, with my weakness for pretty, flowery details, I happen to be a fan of this look. It's crazy how far Liz has come from her Versace safety pin dress once upon a time.

Victoria Beckham

I have all the love in the world for Victoria Beckham, but I can't completely get behind this look. I really don't think the whole short-front long-back thing works, nor does the short-dress long-train look. Though I agree that she has the most attitude to pull this dress off, I really wish she had worn something from her own collection instead, which I think she looks amazing in. The shoes, I will agree, are amazing.

Kate Beckinsale

If anyone were to wear a massive ballgown, it would be Kate Beckinsale. I think she wears her poufy princess dress much better than Liz Hurley, though it could be because the dress itself has a bit more edge. Yeah, it's kind of over-the-top, but it's a Marchesa ballgown and it's the Costume Institute Gala. There's really no better place to go wild. The Marchesa ladies, by the way, are looking stunning. I usually feel bad because Georgina Chapman tends to overshadow Keren Craig, but I think here she does rightly so; her dress and shoes look absolutely splendid. They're a great compliment to Kate's gown.

Jessica Biel

I have to admit, I'm not a huge fan. This dress was absolutely indescribably gorgeous in the Atelier Versace promotional photos, and I don't think that Jessica Biel is the right person to pull it off. I mean, she looks pretty, but this gown could have loooked outstandingly gorgeous on someone else. I think that Jessica pulls off more of the Calvin Klein look really well. Also, you can't really tell in this picture, but in a lot of the pictures of the night it was obvious that Jessica had somewhat overdosed on the self-tanner...definitely not a look I'd approve.

Lou Doillon

This look pains me so much. This is by far one of the most gorgeous dresses of the night. It bears a lot of similarity to Jessica Biel's dress, but I actually like this version better. I think Lou Doillon is the perfect person to pull off this dress, and that her lack of accessories really let the dress shine. The one thing I'd change? Her hair...I know she's going for an effortless chic look but I really think she should have just slicked it back and given the dress a full-on mod vibe. But I have to let myself get past that, because this is really a beautiful look.

Claudia Schiffer

I love this. To begin with, this was one of my favourite dresses of the Atelier Versace gorgeous-a-thon that was their latest collection, and I've been waiting with anticipation for the first time it appears on the red carpet. Claudia Schiffer was a great choice for this dress, and she pulls it off beautifully...but one thing I would ask is that the hair be more sleek or something...it's just doing a disservice to the dress.

Cindy Crawford

I just really am not a huge fan. Yeah, the dress is pretty, but...I don't know, maybe I'm just not one for the super-sexy Versace dresses. Doesn't this seem kind of prom-ish? Not that the matching eye makeup helps her case at all. I don't absolutely hate this look, but I am definitely not a huge fan.

Jessica Alba

This was sort of on the fence for me...I think she looks cute and pretty and that her hair/makeup/accessories work well with the dress, but the tights are really not that great with the whole look. The dress itself is cute, but not particularly groundbreaking...and I would think that someone with the First Lady's endorsement would think to pull out all the stops at a grand occasion like this one.

Blake Lively

Like Cindy Crawford's dress, this really isn't for me. I will say that I think this dress is better than Cindy's and looks a little bit more fashionable, but this was kind of in-between. I think that Donnatella Versace picked a great spokesmodel, as Blake Lively is a great person to carry off the Versace-style dresses, but...this isn't one of my favourite looks. Plus, it seems like every single picture I've seen Blake in, she's posed like this...and I mean, she's already really hot and the dress is a Versace one, so I don't think there's any need for over-the-top posing.

Kate Bosworth

I was really expecting Kate to go with a daring, drastic look for this event...but she seems to have fallen through, wearing a relatively basic Stella McCartney gown. I remember once she showed up in this beautiful multicoloured sequin minidress on the arm of Karl Lagerfeld...hopefully she will return to those days. I've seen her pull off so many off-kilter looks that I'm kind of sad she didn't try for one here.

Tyra Banks

So close...so very, very close...I was just about to give her the seal of approval until I saw her hair. I can't imagine how painful it was to style her hair like that.

Doutzen Kroes

First of all, I think that Doutzen Kroes is one of the most beautiful women ever. Though I've never seen her in this type of retro style before, I think she pulls it off really well. The dress is cute, but the long sleeves make it less teen-star-style, and the shoes are the perfect topper. The one thing I'd change is those sheer black tights...I would have just nixed them if I were the stylist.

Ivanka Trump

This, though it may be on the slightly boring side, was a really great look in my eyes. It's got the glamour for a gala, but is still sleek enough to not be over-the-top. I was surprised, actually, that one of the prettiest dresses of the night was given to Ivanka Trump and not to one of the numerous models that attended. I suppose that designers probably wanted their more daring designs to be carried off by models.

Jessica Stam

This is one of the best minidresses of the night. Her shoes and makeup really pull this together, and I think the dress itself is a beautiful exhibition of Rodarte's clothing. I wish that they had displayed one of their more wispy, flowing gowns on Jessica, but she pulls this off beautifully.

Ashley Olsen

While some may think this is too oversized and boring, I think this look is actually quite nice. Oversize is the Olsen's signature, and she wears it well in evening dress form. Plus, her accessories and polished hair and makeup really pull this together. I think that if she wore this dress with the Olsen's usual undone look, it might not have worked as well.

Lakshmi Menon/Rachel Roy/Joy Bryant

Yay for women of colour! I think all three women look lovely. Not the most standout looks of the night, but definitely great looks on all three parts. And it makes me so happy to see an Indian high fashion model! I think that out of all three of these looks, I like Joy's the best...but again, they all look beautiful.

Sessilee Lopez

Helena Christensen totally got ripped off. This is a beautiful Zac Posen dress. I actually am glad that Sessilee's wearing this, because I think it looks unbelievable with her skintone. I'm also glad Zac Posen had a chance to redeem himself...though if I were him I'd be walking with Sessilee, not Helena.

Emma Roberts

I think she looks cute, and it's nice to see fashion brands reaching out to youth. This was a great choice for Emma, and I think she looks very nice in the dress. This is another piece from the wondrous Atelier Versace collection, and Emma is so close to doing it justice...I just really wish she had styled her hair in a less casual way. I would say pulled back, but even if it was sleeker it would have made the whole look a lot more polished.

Agyness Deyn

Okay, so she kind of looks like a plastic mannequin...but I think it works here. At such a high-fashion event, it's okay to go a little crazy with your look. In this case, I don't think it looks too tacky. It's also one of the best looks on Agyness I've seen yet. I wouldn't suggest that she stay solely with this style (not that she would anyway), but I think it's a nice change.

All pictures are courtesy of Style.com.

Met Gala, Part 2

2009-05-09T19:38:00.010-05:00

The Risk Takers (please note, some of these dresses may not look particularly risky to you guys but I tend to consider shorter dresses a risk at a formal event like this one)

Kate Moss

LOVE. I think it's the perfect amount of risk mixed with safety. Though I do have a weakness for anything Grecian and draped. But I don't know how many people could wear an entire outfit (complete with turban!) made out of metallic gold material and still look amazing. I think even her makeup is gold-based. Also, I want her heels so badly. Sigh...I was so worried that Marc Jacobs would put Kate in some ridiculous getup, but this is amazing.

Gisele Bundchen

You know, she looks hot and everything but for some reason this just isn't doing it for me. I know that she basically embodies the sensuality of Versace clothing, but this dress just feels a little bit...simple? Too cami-like? Something Miley Cyrus could wear? I'm not sure what it is, but I'm not that huge a fan of this look, and I think Gisele is amazing and should have been put in something more standout. But maybe it's all about points of view, cause from a guy's perspective, she's probably the best dressed one here.

Madonna

Er...no. She rocks this kind of thing in surreal photoshoots, but in real life this looks like a weird concert getup. The boots make it look sort of stripper-esque, while the dress looks like a Project Runway castoff. I'm not even going to address the strange butterfly that just landed on her head.

Anne Hathaway

I totally expected Anne to come to this event in some gorgeous long gown, because she looks amazing in them. I definitely did not expect this. And I'm kind of on the fence. I think her makeup looks amazing and that she's rocking the hairdo. I also love the colour of the dress on her. The dress itself...meh. It looks a little prom to me. And though that may be a zipper in the front, it can kind of be mistaken for prom-ish rhinestone trim. I don't know...I think she definitely has the confidence to rock this look, but I don't know if the look itself is that good to begin with.

Kerry Washington

I love Kerry Washington and think she is gorgeous and has been looking lovely on the red carpet, but I'm really not a fan of this look. To me it kind of looks...on the cheap side. It's also a bit too gothic-lolita-popstar for me...like something Avril Lavigne might have worn in concert. It's sad, because I've seen Kerry look so lovely so many times before.

Milla Jovovich

You know, it's a little informal for the Costume Institute Gala...but I kind of love this! I think her hair, makeup, and shoes work well with the dress, and I think that if anyone could pull this off, it's her. Plus, on its own, the dress is kind of cute itself, isn't it?

Rachel Weisz

It pains me so much to say this, because I love Rachel Weisz and think she's one of the most gorgeous women ever, but...I just really do not like this look. Her makeup, for starters, looks really unflattering. The dress itself might not have been so bad if it weren't paired with that makeup, but even the dress alone isn't quite doing it for me...which is funny because Vera Wang, who designed the dress, is looking quite lovely in her own creation.

January Jones

I know some people have criticized this look, but I actually really like it! I think it would look a little more gala-worthy if it was a long-sleeved gown, rather than a dress, but I still think she pulls off this era (and others!) amazingly. In fact, January Jones had a lot of lovely awards show dresses, and this goes along with them very well.

Alek Wek

Wow. Amazing. Wonderful. This is how to do a minidress at a gala. She looks so great. The dress just pops against her skin, and the whole minimalist vibe just makes this sleek enough for this event. Emanuel Ungaro should be really thankful for Alek, who adds so much punch to this dress. My one (incredibly tiny) complaint is that her makeup looks kind of harsh close up...I mean, I know the makeup has to be stronger to show up, but she doesn't really need it!

Hilary Rhoda

You know, this isn't one of my favourite looks of the night, but it's definitely a great look. Again, the whole finished look makes up for the fact that the dress itself is on the more informal side. I think the necklace adds a lot to the look...but the shoes are really what do it for me. Nice job, Thakoon.

Leighton Meester

Okay, so this might be one of the more controversial looks of the night. And it may be my everlasting love for Leighton Meester, but I really don't think it's that bad at all. First of all, without the leggings, I would actually really like this. I kind of wish her hair was still dark, or more finished looking, but besides that I think she actually pulls this off pretty well. For such a high fashion look, I think she actually looks pretty good. And without the leggings, I think it would be a pretty good look.

Molly Sims

Enh. Unlike Leighton, I don't think Molly has the right attitude to pull off this look. I personally think she looks better in more boho looks, and less structured-mod looks. I don't hate it, but I don't really like it all that much either.

Mary-Kate Olsen

This isn't so bad. Some people have criticized it for being too over-the-top, but I think that it fits Mary-Kate's style well. Plus, I think her smaller stature and skinny frame adds something to this rather large and floofy dress.

Dr. Lisa Airan

So I had no idea who Dr. Lisa Airan was, and I was quite surprised to see the title "Dr." in front of her name. Turns out Lisa Airan, M. D. is a popular dermatologist on the Upper East Side, and is seen front-row at many fashion shows. I think she pulls this off wonderfully. And the shoes are just a perfect finishing touch. Props to Balmain for picking someone out of the ordinary.

Helena Christensen

Dear God no. This looks like a really awful figure skating costume. I don't think it would have even worked on some bright young thing like Emma Roberts. This is just way too cheesy and tacky (and short!), and I'm kind of disappointed in Zac Posen, who usually brings out classy and feminine dresses. Wow...and I just realized that the silver detailing spells Vogue. Just unnecessary.

Eva Herzigova

Okay, so this may be completely over-the-top, but I think the edgier shoes balance out the potentially-too-twee fairytale princess dress. Not the most amazing look in the world, but definitely a standout look that worked.

Rachel Bilson

It might just be because Rachel Bilson's character on the O.C. was the equivalent of Leighton Meester's in Gossip Girl, but I have just the same kind of love as I do for Rachel as I do for Leighton. Her ensemble may seem less difficult to defend, but I actually think this is less suited to the Met Gala than Leighton's was. That being said, I still think she looked quite nice -- she pulled off a potentially too informal outfit very well.

All pictures are courtesy of Style.com.

Met Gala, Part 1

2009-05-09T14:10:00.013-05:00

Okay, so if I tried to squeeze everything I have to say about this ah-ma-zing event into one post, it would 1. take me ten thousand years to write and 2. be so long that no one would want to read the whole thing! So I think I'll break my commentary down into smaller categories.

First, some general notes. I thought it was interesting that more people took the risk of wearing shorter pieces. It may be representative of the economic situation today, that people don't tend towards huge ballgowns, even for events like these, and I'm not sure how I feel about it. I love the idea of a glamourous gown, especially at an event like this, but I will say that there are a few people that wore shorter dresses that really wow-ed me. I think that in general, as long as those who wore short dresses looked polished and finished, then it didn't bother me that their dress length was a little more on the casual side.

Anyway, on to the looks!

The "Safer" Looks

Marion Cotillard

I'm not going to lie, this is a pretty safe dress. It seems a little more premiere-like than Costume Institute Gala-like, but she does look stunning. I am a tad disappointed, because I know that she can pull off some of Dior's more eccentric (yet fabulous) pieces, like she did here at the Oscars.

But the colour looks great on her, the clutch is nice, the makeup is pretty, and she generally looks radiant, so this look gets a slightly hesitant thumbs up from me.

Iman

While the pleated, structured look may be a bit too prevalent for some, the inner Leanne Marshall idolizer in me is a huge fan of this dress. I will agree, it's on the safe side, and Iman is someone who could have pulled off a more extravagant look, but I think the dress fits her well, compliments her skintone beautifully, and shows off her ageless beauty. Thumbs up!

Claire Danes

I love this. A lot. It may just be my personal love for all things taupe, but I think this dress is simple, classic, and pretty, but the skirt is daring enough that it doesn't look out of place at this gala. Thumbs up again!

Eva Mendes

I think she looks pretty, but like in the case of Marion Cotillard, I think that it's a little more movie premiere than Costume Institute Gala. However, like the lovely writer for Red Carpet Fashion Awards said, she's walking the carpet for Calvin Klein, who's known mainly for minimalist clothing. I will say that the makeup and accessories are beautiful. I would give this the same rating as Marion's...hesitant thumbs up.

Amber Rose (aka Kanye West's significant other)

My, how this girl has shot to popularity. I think she's definitely got the look to pull off a lot of the more extravagant pieces she wears, which is why I'm surprised that she's in a Carolina Herrera red mermaid gown. I think she looks pretty, but not outstandingly so, so I would say..."meh." But, knowing that she's a red carpet rookie, not a bad effort at all.

Natalia Vodianova

I love Natalia Vodianova, but this look really just doesn't jive well with me. The fit of the dress is sort of odd, as is the hemline. Plus, that bracelet she's wearing looks vaguely like a baby toy. On the plus side, her makeup is lovely and ethereal. It pains me so much to give her a thumbs down, but this look didn't really work well for me. And I swear it's not just because I like safe looks! It's more the fit/hemline that bother me than the style of the dress.

Nadja Auermann

This is amazing. Gorgeous. Flawless. Though Katie Holmes may have worn this dress before (as seen below)

I am not one to get really snarky about carpet re-runs. The only time it slightly bugs me is when people style it in exactly the same way. And even then, it doesn't really bother me. But personally, I think Nadja hit it out of the park. Her styling was so much more vibrant and punchy than Katie's, and I think her own look, with the strong makeup and icy blonde hair, add a great edge to the dress while keeping it classy. Two thumbs up!

Daphne Guinness

Though I run a blog about budgets, I have to admire someone who spends her own money on couture while most people can simply borrow. It does fit that she would attend such an event as this. Daphne actually looks slightly similar to Nadja, but I don't think her dress is as fitting. It looks slightly prom-esque, though the details on the shoulder with the draping are very pretty. The dress itself, I think, is gorgeous, but definitely not what I expected from Ms. Guinness the heiress. I would give this a "meh."

Renee Zellweger

It was a 99% chance that Renee would wear something by Carolina Herrera, as she is essentially that brand's biggest ambassador/client. I think she looks quite lovely in the dress, and that the colour is amazing. When I first saw the dress, I was sort of like "Oh, Renee Zellweger, another Carolina Herrera..." but then I looked at it more objectively and realized that this was actually quite a lovely selection. I think the necklace and the multi-toned nature of the fabric add an extra punch that makes this dress more Costume Institute Gala-worthy. Two hesitant thumbs up.

Brooke Shields

First of all, her lipstick is kind of dark for me. Her makeup in general is really strong, which distracts me from the already kind of boring dress. Though, like I said for Eva Mendes, Calvin Klein isn't exactly known for crazy creations. I will say that the colour looks fantastic with her hair/skintone, but for me it looks kind of like a prom dress. Which isn't a bad thing, but makes it seem slightly less special. I'd say "meh."

Liv Tyler and Kate Hudson

Usually I'd rate these ladies separately, but they walked together for most of the night and were both dressed by Stella McCartney. What I loved about Stella's ingenuity with these ladies is that the dresses themselves aren't particularly groundbreaking. However, they both have enough glitz to make them gala-worthy, and when seen together, Kate and Liv represent two ends of a spectrum that fully showcase Stella's work. Liv fits perfectly with the more vintage look, and her hair perfectly compliments her dress. Kate, on the other hand, is looking more beachy-bohemian, and this gold dress looks as though it was essentially made for her. Thumbs up!

Eva Longoria Parker

I was once a huge fan of Eva Longoria, because she was 5'2" and stunning and it gave me hope that people that were 5'2" could be more than just "cute." Now, I still find her gorgeous, but her dress sense doesn't always agree with me...and this time is just about the same. I think the whole outfit, giant necklace included, looks a little Vanna White to me. Which is ironic, because Diane looks fabulous here. Unfortunately, I would say thumbs down.

Coco Rocha

Isaac Mizrahi had better be bowing at Coco Rocha's feet, because the dress isn't that remakrable and models that didn't have her attitude might not have been able to rock this dress quite as well. Not one of my most favourite looks of the night, but definitely a good look. Also, for all those that don't like her red hair...I love it! I think she should keep it. Two (kind of hesitant) thumbs up.

Katy Perry

I'm kind of on the fence with this one...on one hand, it seems a bit tacky and cartoon-like, but on the other hand, it's a very toned down look for Katy Perry but still retains a little bit of her kitschy quality. I'll say two hesitant thumbs up...but I'd note that this would probably have been more fit to last year's gala, whose theme was superheroes.

Emmy Rossum

Though many would label this look as "too old," I think that Emmy Rossum looks great here. Her makeup goes wonderfully with the dress, which has a completely open back that isn't visible in this picture. It may not be the most youthful thing in the world, but I absolutely love the colour and think she looks great in the dress. Two thumbs up.

Rosario Dawson

Enh...it may be my aversion to tropical colours but this dress is kind of veering into "tacky prom dress" territory. And by kind of, I mean it is. It is a pretty dress, but at the very least it is a movie premiere dress to me, and not a Costume Institute Gala gown. Rosario looks pretty though, so it pains me to give her a thumbs down.

All pictures are courtesy of Style.com.

Promenade Attire, Part Six

2009-05-05T18:12:00.003-05:00

Okay, I swear this is the last post about prom related matters, but I just wanted to give a dress update. I did receive the previous dress in the mail, but it was too large and the alterations would have been complex and expensive. Plus, even if I did get it altered, the skirt would be kind of poufy, and the chest area would be far too big (sigh!). And finally, in terms of practicality, while I love white dresses with all my heart, the only occasion that I could ever think of that calls for a prom-style dress is a fancy wedding. If I am lucky enough to attend one, I am fairly sure that a white dress would not be appropriate.

So, here's the new one!

I know the photo may not have the same "wow" factor as the other picture, but it just came in the mail today and I love it! I do have a slight tingling of discomfort as the colour is a tad bit brighter than this picture and I am usually seen in varying shades of beige, black, and perhaps white, but I do like the colour with my skintone. Also, the dress was just about the same price...unfortunately it's sold out at Bluefly, where I got it for about $230 or so.

The Biggest Prom Night Ever

2009-05-04T19:01:00.003-05:00

So obviously, because I'm a high school senior, I think of things in terms of prom, but...

OMG the Costume Institute Gala is here!!!

It takes a lot for me to use the phrase "omg," but, I mean, this is only the biggest "prom night" of the fashion industry. Screw the Oscars.

I swear I won't pull an "Oscars" and only post my thoughts without pictures! They will come shortly.

Frugal Finds

2009-05-04T18:58:00.004-05:00

I recently purchased this dress for a little over $6 from Target.

Needless to say, I 1. am in absolute love with Target's clearance section and 2. will have no trouble fulfilling the "free shipping over $50" criteria.

P.S. Please ignore the yellowish tint...I had to play with colour a bit so the picture would accurately represent the grey in the dress.

P.P.S. This dress is acceptable for office wear, right? I'm going to be interning in a business setting very soon and I am currently on the hunt for things I can wear that won't induce massive overheating.

Promenade Attire, Part Five

2009-04-17T14:18:00.005-05:00

So here's my likely choice for a prom dress:

It may look a little wedding-y, but I love the vintage feel of the dress. The beading and the silhouette make it seem like it's a true evening gown and not simply a frou-frou prom dress. I also love the fact that it was under $200, and I secretly enjoy that it's not from BCBG. However, I could very well end up wearing a BCBG dress if this one doesn't work out, so I shouldn't get too cocky.

It's coming in the mail as I write this, but I'm hoping the size isn't too big for me...the biggest one was 2, and I'm usually a 0, so we shall see.

The Benefit of Benefits

2009-04-11T18:51:00.003-05:00

With the economic times the way they are, retail stores have been trying to appeal to consumers with various sales. A common one that doesn't undermine a stores' ability to earn a profit is to offer free gifts...after a certain purchase, of course.

While these often sound very tempting, I always try and take a step back and make sure I both enjoy the products that are in the gift and am not buying anything I really don't need just for the sake of getting a gift.

So, for example, when I received an e-mail alert from Sephora saying "Get $113 worth of makeup -- free!" I was instantly enthralled. I clicked on the ad, and saw that with any $50 Benefit purchase at Sephora, I could get a gift worth $113, which, even for a free gift, is pretty crazy. So let's take a look inside, shall we?

The gift includes: a Luscious Lana beauty bag, a Bathina shower cap, a tube of California Kissin' lip gloss, Benefit's Bad Gal Mascara in blue, and a Rush Hour lip/cheek colour. The good thing about this bag is that things are full size. The bad thing...the only thing I'd really want in it is the Rush Hour lip/cheek colour, and even that is a little on the plummy side for me. Another unfortunate thing is that I can't really think of $50 worth of Benefit products I'm really craving right now.

While that was all kind of sad, because free gifts are usually quite fun (and I don't mean to put down Benefit at all, I'm just not really in need of blue mascara or blue lipgloss or a bathing cap or a beauty bag right now), here's an example of a gift I'd really enjoy.

This Clinique bag + goodies comes with any $21.50 Clinique purchase. This free gift appeals a little more to me because its "price" is quite a bit smaller. Though that means the gifts themselves are smaller, I usually appreciate the mini-sized goodies that come with these things because it gives me an opportunity to try new products without feeling compelled to use up a full size. Sometimes, the goodies inside a bag are not always that worth it, but these definitely look good; the offerings are: Youth Surge SPF 15 Age Decelerating Moisturizer, Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion, Lash Doubling Mascara in Black, and then, depending on whether you pick the "Rose" bag or the "Natural" bag, you get the a Blushwear Cream Stick in Rosy Blush or Glow, and a Different Lipstick in Ice Bloom or Rose Taffy.

I might actually go and grab this in the next few days! As always, because this is the economics of fashion, I'll try and be as economically savvy as possible, and try not to over-buy simply to get the gift. My suggestion? The set of 3 skin items for $24.00, because Clinique is known for its amazing skincare. This picture is of the "Oily" set, because I've got some pretty oily skin. Plus, this set comes with the Dramatically Different Moisturizing Gel, which is one of my absolute favourite Clinique products.

Play The Wild Card

2009-03-27T19:35:00.004-05:00

One of my favourite things to do is explore slightly less known products. I don't have any resentment against products that have gained popularity (like NARS Orgasm, for example, which I love), but there's something fun about finding new products. I tend to stick with well-known brands, and within that explore shades that aren't terribly popular.

Recently, I acquired one of Benefit's Full-Finish Lipsticks, called Wild Card. It's a beautiful, toned-down red that I first spotted on Temptalia and fell in love with instantly. I never really wear bright colours, and that includes lipstick shades. So, finding this more "everyday" red was quite a momentous occasion. I actually ordered it from Amazon.com, because I had a gift card and wanted to buy enough to get free shipping. Of course, I did legitimately want the shade -- I had tried it on multiple times at Sephora and had loved it every time.

It's a pretty ordinary red, but I like that it isn't particularly clown-like and works with my tan skin. It's $18, but the lipstick is pretty pigmented, so I don't think it's too expensive. It's about two and a half drugstore lipsticks, which for me is totally worth it.

The lipstick came in this cute little box. The girl on the front is "Betty," from the "Love Your Look" collection, which had different products for different levels of drama. This lipstick came with the most dramatic female, Betty.

Here's the lipstick container, which is just a regular old container but kind of cute in my opinion, and the open lipstick. How cute is the little quote on the back of the Betty picture?

Here's a swatch of the lipstick, along with the Sonia Kashuk brush I used to apply it to my hand and lips. Sorry about the strange lighting, I just wanted to find a picture that correctly captured the colour.

Finally, here's the lip swatch. I'm just getting started with pictures of myself, so bear with me...I know the lighting is pretty awful.

Anyway, I know this colour is kind of obscure (there is not a single review of this on Makeup Alley), but I would suggest getting it! I've got this pretty black lace dress that I plan to wear to an event soon (which I'll post pictures of), and this lipstick would look absolutely lovely with it.

Oscar Musings

2009-02-22T18:27:00.002-06:00

Just some thoughts, which will be filled with pictures later...

Marissa Tomei's dress is the ultimate in origami-pleated-light-coloured-satin.

Sarah Jessica Parker's dress is beautiful, but I'm not a huge fan of the hair.

Natalie Portman is one of my ultimate girl crushes, but there's something about her look that doesn't sit too well with me...I think it's her extensive use of self-tanner combined with the hot pink (hot pink on its own would not have been bad at all).

There is a lot of red going on.

Diane Lane's dress is not visible to me at the moment, but I love her necklace.

Taraji P. Henson looks phenomenal...her necklace really sets her apart from the crowd.

Also, if anyone saw the interview with the kids from Slumdog Millionaire, how adorable was that?!