Not Just A Wizard

Remember back when Emma Watson played a frizzy-haired, nerdy, wand-wielding know it all in the Harry Potter series? Oh wait...the movies aren't done yet. But still, it's hard to deny that dear Ms. Watson will forever be associated with the young teenage wizarding series. Recently, she has made herself known in the fashion world, attending numerous shows and displaying an outstanding array of Chanel frocks during the last press go-around for whatever the last Harry Potter movie released was.

Now, she's back on the map as fashion bloggers are all abuzz with her latest sartorial choice. At LA's "The Tale of Despereaux" premiere, Emma showed up clad in a gorgeous navy dress that was shockingly avant garde and yet still seemed totally wearable on her.


I don't know much about British fashion, but after checking out my usual red carpet sources, namely Red Carpet Fashion Awards and Catwalk Queen, I am thrilled to report that Emma Watson is wearing a design by William Tempest. Which, of course, begs the question...who is William Tempest?

Again, I don't know much about British fashion, especially the youthful parts of it, but from my limited research (check out this British Vogue blurb)Mr. Tempest is a recent finalist in the "Fashion Fringe" competition, which, to my knowledge, is a competition that fashion students enter in the hopes of showing their collection in a "Fashion Fringe" runway show at London Fashion Week. His name was pegged by fashion reporters even before he was chosen to be a finalist, which is a good sign for a young, budding designer. Before heading straight to his website, I browsed the Internet for his designs and found this one as a part of an article:


and these being sold at "nina lola," a shop selling independent designers with selected vintage pieces.





Emma's dress is here (and in my opinion she wears it much better than the model)


but if she had her pick of other William Tempest dresses, here are a few I'd suggest:

the feathers on this are pretty, but I'd be worried about the rounded shape being unflattering. Plus, the shade of blue is so vibrant and beautiful.

this is a great twist on fringe, but I'd be worried about the fringe looking a little hair-like.

the colour is a little sugarplum-fairy, but the pleating is pretty and the silhouette is very flattering. I'm torn as to whether she should wear tights like the model.

this is gorgeous. the colours are mildly reminiscent of missoni, but they're fun and exciting without being too cheesy or over-the-top.

I have to say, Emma really made a good choice...I think that she picked the best piece in his entire line, from Autumn/Winter 08 to Pre-Fall/Winter 09

Etsy Finds, No. 8: Initial Necklaces

I suppose I may be late on this trend, but I can never seem to figure out when this trend is "in" or "out." Last I remember, everyone was going on about the name necklaces, a la Sarah Jessica Parker in Sex and the City, and then there was some minor buzz surrounding Lauren Conrad's name multi-finger ring...but as you all probably know by now, I'm more into the simple, small, and classic.

Enter Etsy. After wondering to myself where one would best find a simple initial necklace, I headed over to Etsy. I'm surprised it took me that long to figure it out...after all, initials are a semi-customized thing, so it would seem logical to go to a more custom place like Etsy. It turns out they have a fabulous array of initial necklaces, depending on whether you want a really flashy custom-made pendant with crystals, or just a simple initial on a chain. I opted for the latter, but I love it so much that I might broaden my range of initial jewelry.

I purchased this little initial necklace from threebirdsdesigns...as you can tell by the picture the letter is quite small. Though the picture provides a real life comparison, I didn't realize how small the letter would be until I received it in the mail. I was worried it would be too small, but after putting it on I ended up really loving the size. It's sweet and subtle, and looks really classy. Plus, I can layer other necklaces if I want to. My next necklace would either be the second or fourth one pictured below.


You guys may not all be like me, so here are a few other initial necklace choices, brought to you by the wonderful world of Etsy.

Flat Fables

Old Navy was another store whose sale I could not resist; they were offering 20% off everything and free shipping, ironically similar to Bobbi Brown's sale. But 20% off and free shipping are both hard to come by with Old Navy, so I decided to make two purchases.

One of my great weaknesses is a cute pair of ballet flats. Even though I am a meager 5'2", flats have long been the subject of my great adoration. Flats that are fanciful and unique without being overly ostentatious will get me up at any hour of the day. Luckily, I didn't have to fight through any "doorbuster"-esque sales because of Old Navy's online offer. My purchases?

This pretty jersey skirt...it may be a little short, but it's an easy thing to slip on and a cute alternative to the frequently seen elastic top jersey skirts.


This basic pair of black flats...I posted the green version as well, because I was considering getting those, but then settled on the black because I really need a basic pair.



This pair of beauteous grey flats...these weren't a necessity, but I really fell in love with them when I saw them. I love grey in general, and these flats are no exception. I was about to get these in black as well, but the flower just didn't stand out as much that way.


After the discount, the skirt was a little under $4.00 and the shoes were each $8.00, so...

4
8
8 +
-------
20

A good deal, no?

Bobbi: Beauteous, not Boring

Being a devoted lover and general adorer of Bobbi Brown's simple and classic makeup, I was behooved to discover that her website was having a special 20% off event. This really redefined the word "rare," as Bobbi Brown essentially never holds sales. Actually, now that I think about it, Bobbi Brown, MAC, and NARS rarely (if ever) have sales...they also happen to be my three favourite makeup brands. In any case, though I was attempting to be bargainous in the midst of all the sales going on, I just couldn't help myself with the 20% discount and free shipping. So I ordered a Long-Wear Gel Eyeliner in Graphite Shimmer Ink. Thankfully I had the chance to swatch this on my skin earlier, so I wasn't just ordering blindly. Graphite Shimmer Ink is a beautiful shimmery grey colour that isn't black, but is dark enough to add definition even on tanner skin. You can smudge it for a smokey eye, use it as a base, or use it as a precise liner. I highly recommend it!


While ordering, I also was able to snag two free samples from Bobbi Brown. I was ordering relatively quickly, so I picked two samples from the ones available. I picked this little container of soothing face tonic


and this one-time use Extra SPF 25 Moisturizing Balm.


Upon second glance, I should have picked the Oil Control Lotion SPF 15


because it isn't labeled as one-time use and, like the Soothing Toner, comes in an adorable little glass container that can be re-used for travel or for storing small amounts of lotion/toner. The container of face tonic is just like in the picture; the bottle's height is about as tall as my pinkie.

If you're ordering something now, Bobbi Brown's thrown in a new option for a sample, which I personally adore. It's a miniature shimmer wash eyeshadow, which appears to be in a neutral champagne/copper colour called "Copper Penny." I adore all colours of this variety, so I really wish this was around when I ordered my gel liner.

Envisioning

What I would wear my beauteous cutout oxfords with...if I owned said beauteous cutout oxfords.


A pair of simple, sheer black tights to shield me from the cold.


A floaty, sweet lace dress that is so sheer it requires its own slip (nude, to be sure...white would look tacky and cream might be too sheer itself).


A coated linen blazer, putting me in the "hipster blazer-wearing folk" category without making me into some goth punk (not that I have anything against leather jackets and studs...just perhaps not with this look).


Oh, and Santa? If you happen to be listening, I'm a size extra small (for the white dress) and have size six feet.