Up In Smoke

I am proof that advertising makeup in fashion and beauty magazines really works, I see a cool ad and then make a point to buy and try. My newest item to purchase that I am currently obsessed with is CoverGirl’s Smoky ShadowBlast Eye Colour Stick. These eye sticks make creating a sultry smoky eye super easy and fast with their specially designed tips. You use the rounded tip to apply a base layer over your entire lid and then use the tapered tip to define your crease and lashline. Voila, perfect smoky eyes! You can watch a video demo at www.covergirl.com, click on Smokin Look Demo. Available online at www.ulta.com.

Don’t Ask Don’t Tell

Don’t worry today’s post has nothing to do with the military policy of don’t ask, don’t tell, it has to do with my irritation at Sephora. I recently learned from a former Sephora employee that if you ask for a sample they will give one for any product in the store. This caused me some annoyance because if I had known that or if my salesperson has informed me of this, it would of saved me some time and money.

I have been trying to find the perfect eye cream and each time I go into Sephora and ask for help they guide me to a product and I buy it, only to not like it once I get it home and give it a try. I guess the salesperson was too intent on making a sale to do the right thing and give me a couple of eye cream samples to take home and try. So in case you didn’t know, you have to ask for a sample because they don’t seem to offer them up on their own! Next time you are out shopping make sure you ask for a sample before you make an investment, it will save you time and money in the long run.

Entrenched

There is little in fashion that is quite as iconic as the trench coat. The trench coat has been worn by men and women alike and seems to get re-invented season after season, always looking fresh and new, never going out of style.

The trench coat was developed as an alternative to the heavy serge greatcoats worn by British and French soldiers in the First World War. Invention of the trench coat is claimed by both Burberry and Aquascutum, with Aquascutum’s claim dating back to the 1850s. Thomas Burberry, the inventor of gabardine fabric, submitted a design for an army officer’s raincoat to the United Kingdom War Office in 1901.

During the First World War, the design of the trenchcoat was modified to include shoulder straps and D-rings. The shoulder straps were for the attachment of epaulettes or other rank insignia; There is a popular myth that the D-ring was for the attachment of hand grenades. The ring was originally for map cases and swords or other equipment to the belt. This latter pattern was dubbed “trench coat” by the soldiers in the front line. Many veterans returning to civilian life kept the coats that became fashionable for both men and women.

Even today trench coats always make an appearance this time of year, as they make perfect coats to wear as the weather starts to turn warmer. They are the perfect in-between coat, lighter than your heavy wool coats but warmer than a light windbreaker or cardigan. I am seriously loving these two trench coats from White House Black Market and J Crew, available on www.whitehouseblackmarket.com and www.jcrew.com.

The traditional trench for J. Crew, utterly cool and classic. I particularly like it in black.

This stand collar trench from White House Black Market has a sharper, edgier look than the traditional trench and will add polish to any look. The collar can be worn buttoned up or folded down changing the entire look of the jacket and your outfit. The black and silver big buttons add even more style.

I am also completely obsessed with the Burberry trench coat worn by Victoria Beckham.

Charge Yourself A Little Happy

“Oh honey, well here, charge yourself a little happy.” This immortal phrase from Will & Grace’s Karen Walker is music to any women’s ears. It is true there is nothing like buying yourself a little something to bring a smile to your face. We are seriously in the grips of winter doldrums here, snow, ice, freezing fog, clouds, grayness everywhere and I think the sun has deserted us, which means I am in need of some retail therapy!

Thanks to Tory Burch and a Godiva Chocolate bar I can bear the winter doldrums. As the chocolate is melting in my mouth, sending happy endorphins through my body, I am online at www.toryburch.com “charging myself a little happy”. The source of my smile comes from this beyond gorgeous, purple sequined tunic. It is a beautiful, dainty but statement making blouse that will brighten up my winter wardrobe now and add sophistication and polish to skinny cropped jeans when spring arrives. Go ahead “charge yourself a little happy” and help the economy by indulging in some retail therapy to chase away the winter blues!

Valentine’s Day Presents to Give and Get

February is here and with it comes a whole month devoted to love, chocolate and romance. As I am typing this, Valentine’s Day is right around the corner and it’s time to start shopping for the loved ones in your life. I have compiled a list of great gifts to give and get to help your shopping along.

Might as well start off here, you can never go wrong giving and getting Agent Provocateur, a little high fashion and a whole lot sexy, www.agentprovocateur.com.

If lingerie is not your speed or your relationship is not quite to that point then here are a few great gifts for the men or man in your life.

You can never go wrong with a Fossil watch, they have so many amazing styles that are rugged yet elegant as well as reasonable priced, available at www.fossil.com.

If your hubby or boyfriend is a coffee drinker, treat him to the coffee indulgence that is Peet’s, available at www.peets.com.

If the love of your life is a bit of a clotheshorse, this nylon knit jacket from Banana Republic would be well received. It is the perfect lightweight jacket to transition from winter to spring with its nylon front and back shell mixed with soft comfy knit sleeves, available at www.bananarepublic.com.

Cologne always makes for an easy gift that you can enjoy as well, try buying him something new by using Sephora’s fragrance finder or you can buy him one of their sampler sets that include samples of cologne that he can try and then choose the one he likes and redeem his voucher for a full size bottle of his favorite fragrance, available at www.sephora.com.

Chocolate is the quintessential gift to give for Valentine’s Day, perfect for the love of your life as well as loved ones in your life like friends and family members. Indulge them with a newly discovered chocolatier, Black Dinah Chocolatiers. This Maine chocolatier crafts every piece from hand and was recently featured in February’s issue of Martha Stewart Living, available at www.blackdinahchocolatiers.com.

Just a quick note to all the ladies reading this, please take a few moments to think about what you might like from your hubby or boyfriend for Valentine’s Day and give him a list of things to choose from. Men are not the best shoppers in the world and you can avoid heartache and or a fight by giving him some good ideas. Here are some fun and easy ideas you might want to suggest.

Jewelry is always a great, but in order to avoid him going to your nearest cheapy mall jewelry store (that are advertising on TV like crazy) and picking you up something ugly that you will never wear, suggest some jewelry companies that you love and better fit your style.

Viv & Ingrid has some amazingly beautiful jewelry that is very fashionable and wearable, not to mention a great website to shop from, available at www.vivandingrid.com.

Shopbop also has great selection of jewelry, www.shopbop.com.

Flowers are also a Valentine’s Day essential and the traditional red rose bouquet, while pretty, can also be a little boring so this year ask your florist to jazz up the bouquet a bit by adding complimentary flowers to the arrangement or order a Martha Stewart bouquet from 1 800 Flowers, they are a little more elegant and contemporary, available at www.1800flowers.com.

Dreaming of Tropical Weather

I am writing this curled up on my sofa with a warm fire crackling in the background while snow is gently swirling to the ground outside, making it look like everything has been dusted with powdered sugar. While it sounds cozy and serene, it is not all it is cracked up to be and I am longing for bright sunny days where island breezes tickle your neck and the sun warms your shoulders. Since those days are weeks away I can live out my island fantasy courtesy of Trina Turk. She has posted her resort, spring and summer lookbooks on her website, www.trinaturk.com. The pictures are beautifully shot in warm, tropical locales featuring models wearing bright and colorful dresses, skirts and tops. So, to fight the winter doldrums spend a few moments flipping through all the beautiful clothes you will be wearing as the weather starts to warm.

Fashion Trends Men Hate To See On Women

I came across this interesting study that surveyed 1,564 guys ages 18-30 and asked them what they thought about a variety of women’s fashions. In a perfect world, we all should be dressing for ourselves wearing what we love and not caring what others think but the reality is we often dress for the men in our lives (or hope to be in our lives) as well as dressing to impress other women. With this in mind, it is important to see what men actually think of the fashion we wear and aspire to wear. Here are the fashion looks and items a majority of the men surveyed despised.

Rihanna’s Style: 3 in 5 men labeled her the worst dressed celebrity of 2009. She is definitely fashion forward and takes risks but I guess most men (straight men) like more mainstream style.

Uggs: 57% of the men rated these the most hated item of clothing. I guess most men prefer more feminine footwear.

Neon: A whopping 73% of the men surveyed thought that the neon trend was just ridiculous. I guess most men want to avoid the 80’s looks that often come in neon.

The Color Pink: Pink came in second behind neon as a hated color among the men surveyed. I think that has more to do with men not wanting to admit that they might like pink.

Jeggings: Just over 1/2 of the men surveyed said they did not like jeggings and 1/3 surveyed did not even know what jeggings were. Not sure if any man would even notice them if the rest of your outfit looked good.

Too Much Makeup: 68% of the men said they were anti-over made up faces but 20% said that some makeup was better than none at all. Men have long complained about women wearing too much makeup and it is best to keep your face natural looking.

Harem Pants: 80% percent of the men surveyed said a resounding hell no to this trend. Enough said, I agree.

Crappy Tatoos: When it comes to ink, 44 percent of men weren’t feeling the idea of tattoos on women because they thought either the designs sucked or were tacky. On the other hand, a third of the men liked tattoos and 23 percent said they could take ‘em or leave ‘em. I think more people should really think through what their tattoos will look like before they get them.

Cozy Toes

I am totally in love with my new Ugg boots that arrived on my doorstep less than 24 hours after I ordered them from Zappos (if you haven’t heard, Zappos does free overnight shipping). The Ugg Classic Cardy Tall Boots are like wearing a warm cozy sweater on your feet. They wrap your legs in a warm, wooly, crochet knit and snuggle your feet on a bed of cozy sheepskin. Three oversized wood buttons allow the boots to be worn up, slouched down, slightly unbuttoned or completely cuffed down. They look cute worn with leggings, skinny jeans or boot leg jeans. Pure bliss for your toes! Available at www.zappos.com and www.uggaustralia.com.

Hello Sailor

It may still be January with it’s chilly, gray days and stores filled to the brim with picked over sale merchandise, but two warmer than normal, sunny days have me looking ahead to spring.

Navy is always a good way to transition to spring and you often see it pop up in many early-spring collections. It less harsh than black but doesn’t scream spring like bright or pastel colors and it works well into your current wardrobe. It’s no wonder that these two items from designer Markus Lupfer caught my attention, they have a springy look but can easily be worn now layered and with denim. Both items available at www.net-a-porter.com.

I love this cute, quirky Hello Sailor extra long t-shirt, it will look great worn with skinny jeans and booties layered under a scarf and light colored cardigan; come spring it will be just as versatile worn with baggy boyfriend jeans and flats or paired with worn chinos and Jack Purcell shoes.

There has been a fair amount of buzzing that stripes will be hot for spring and this double layered cardigan will be perfect to wear now and when spring finally pushes winter away. It provides you an easy way to wear layers and stripes while looking bright and fresh. Pair it now with a crisp white button down and dark denim and wear it later with skinny cropped jeans, a white tank and flats. It will even look cute worn over a gauzy summer dress. The stripes are far apart and separated a bit by the blue under layer so they won’t make you look wider.

Fashionable Reading

Thanks to a long plane ride to and from NYC, 14 inches of snow at Christmas and two weeks of arctic temperatures, I have had plenty of time to read and have two great books to recommend to you. Both books are available online at www.barnesandnoble.com.

The Overnight Socialite by Bridie Clark

This is a modern day take on Pygmalion (My Fair Lady) where a wealthy and bored New York bachelor bets his best friend he can take any girl and turn her into a cultured socialite who is the toast of New York high society. A chance encounter with a down on her luck fashion designer leads to a hilarious story of transformation and romance. Throw in a Paris Hilton like celeb-retard as the antagonist as well as the glittering back drop of New York high society and fashion and it makes for a book you won’t put down.

Dying in Style By: Elaine Viets

Dying in Style is the first in a series that revolves around Josie Marcus, a mystery shopper from St. Louis, that finds herself solving murder mysteries while going about her job of shopping for a living. In Dying in Style, Josie finds herself mystery shopping St. Louis socialite’s (Danessa Celedine) chain of high-end stores for a company interested in buying the chain. Each store is worse than the next and Josie writes a terrible review that leads to the company pulling out of the deal. Danessa is furious with Josie and threatens a lawsuit but the next day she and her boyfriend turn up dead and Josie becomes a prime suspect. She then embarks on many twists and turns to find out who the real murderer is while taking you the reader into the underground world of mystery shopping to the scandalous world of high society. This book is real mystery and will keep you guessing until the very last page.