It's finally warm in SoCal! Woohoo. I've pretty much been a bum in my house these past few days (made a strawberry-rhubarb crumble today!), but if I had gotten out of the house today I would have worn something like this:
Spotted Around Town Dress, $67.99 at modcloth.com, J. Crew Patent-Tab Skinny Belt, $32.50 at jcrew.com: Yup. Still in the middle of my retro fix. I think what I really like about '50s style sundresses like this one are that they have a lot of personality. You don't need to add a lot to them to get a great, unique outfit because they have inherent sass. The cut of this dress is very flattering, with emphasized waist, fitted bodice, and a-line skirt, and I love the little polka dots. They're a high-impact pattern, but since it's black and white it's still pretty versatile. I'd pair this ultra-girly dress with a down-to-earth, masculine brown leather belt. It adds a little twist and a little visual weight to the look.
Me Too "Princess" Espadrille Slingback, $58.90 at nordstrom.com, J. Crew Jenna's Cardigan, $70 at jcrew.com: With a dress like this one you have to wear a cute little wedge. The naturalness of the jute straw gives the outfit an earthy twist, and the pop of red works really nicely with the monochromatic palette of the dress. The bow-slingback combo is just so sweetly retro, too, and perfect for summer. I'd top it all off with this plum cardigan. It's a close enough shade to the shoes that they don't fight, but it's not so close that the outfit becomes matchy-matchy. The cut of the cardigan is perfect, with the sweet 3/4 sleeves and the cropped body--doing a long cardigan with an a-line skirt can make you look wider and swallow your waist.
Sometime this week I'll have a review of MAC's Harmony blush, which I use for a contour, so stay tuned for that!
Happy Thursday everybody! I'm sure you're all as excited as I am that it's the weekend (although in my mind weekends start Wednesday night. Just sayin). As a nice little end to my week, the kind folks at Hat Attack gifted me an adorable sun hat. They asked me for a picture of how I'd style the hat in exchange for 20% of the proceeds for that hat's sales in May being donated to the Skin Cancer Foundation? How awesome is that?! The particular hat they sent me isn't on the website yet but check out hatattack.com for some adorable summery hats.
Anyways, they gave me the choice of a few hats and I chose the sun hat because it reminds me of Jane Austen (I'm a total Austen nerd, I confess) and because it's just so darn cute. It's a braided raffia hat with a little green silky detail around the crown and it's giant and floppy and adorable. Now, I don't usually wear hats, so I may have had an hour long dress up session alone in my room to figure out how to wear a hat.
I ended up wearing it with a dress and a skirt. I feel like it's such a summer hat that I wanted to wear it with summery clothes (even though it's not remotely summery outside right now). On the left I'm wearing a vintage cardigan, necklace, and belt, an Anthropologie dress and Urban Outfitters sandals. On the middle/right I'm wearing an ASTARS shirt and Forever 21 skirt. This hat just makes me want to frolic around in a meadow. At first I wasn't sure that I'd get a lot of wear out of it but I'm starting to think that during the summer it might actually be a great idea, especially to save my hair color and scalp from the sun.
What do you all think? Are you pro or anti the floppy sun hat?
Sooo today I got asked to answer some questions for Rebecca Minkoff's official Tumblr (if you aren't familiar with the brand, she makes adorable handbags and accessories), and since some of the questions were fun I thought I'd copy the post here. It's mostly about things I like and LA in general (where I hear it's actually warm now. Unlike Boston where it is the middle of April and still barely 50 degrees and raining. Not amused).
Here's the post:
What are your top three… LA spots: The Huntington Gardens, a huge collection of various themed gardens that are great for impromptu photoshoots, Pinkberry, cliche but still pretty amazing (and necessary in the LA heat), and Buster’s Coffee, a fab retro coffee shop tucked away in Pasadena where you always feel like a ‘regular.’ Things to see in LA with an out-of-towner: Rodeo Drive for the fun, stereotypical LA experience, Venice Beach Boardwalk for a more unusual but still quinessential look at LA culture, and the La Brea Tar Pits, because what other major metropolitan city has a bunch of tar pits with dinosaurs sticking out of them in the middle of its downtown area? Cities: Los Angeles because it’s my hometown, Prague because it’s like a real life Disneyland, and London for the shopping. Musicians: Florence + The Machine for when I’m feeling a little offbeat or ethereal, ADELE for her amazing voice and touching lyrics, and Taylor Swift for cliche, if catchy songs to sing in the shower (where no one will judge you for liking them). TV shows: Secret Diary of a Call Girl: ridiculously trashy, but well-done and starring some amazing outfits. True Blood: vampires, camp, and Southern culture. What more could you want? Mad Men: both for the nuanced story lines and the fantastic, period-accurate costumes. Blogs: Cupcakes and Cashmere: the cutest combination of adorable clothes, recipes, and decorating tips, Garance Dore: the famous French street style blogger, and Temptalia: the best makeup reviews and swatches you’ll find on the Internet. Things to do on a rainy day: Curl up with a blanket inside and watch Pride and Prejudice (the Keira Knightley version, of course), play dress-up in my closet, or bake a strawberry-rhubarb pie (my specialty). Things to do on a sunny day: Drive around in LA with the windows down listening to obnoxiously loud and happy music, ride my horse, or sit outside with a giant glass of iced tea while reading a book. Ways to relax: Painting my nails, watching trashy TV, and hanging out with my adorable fox terrier Sophie. Books: Pride and Prejudice: who doesn’t love this book? It’s got romance, drama, hilarious relatives and endearingly real characters who actually make mistakes. 100 Years of Solitude: whether you read this in English or in Spanish, this book is stunningly well-written and inspiring, in it’s own dark, mystical sort of way. The Custom of the Country: the original Gossip Girl (Leighton Meester actually studied the main character while prepping to be Blair), this novel chronicles the rise of a sociopathic 20th century social climber.
One an unrelated but pretty note, here are 3 cheerful summer accessories I'm craving: Raffia Braid Sunhat by Hat Attack, $80 at hatattack.com, Emi-Jay Jewel Collection Hair Ties, $10.99 at emi-jay.com, Kenneth Jay Lane Enamel Branch Cuff, $187 at shopbop.com: I want a cute sun hat. Of course, that would imply that I was living somewhere sunny (ahem, I'm bitter), but I've been watching a lot of Jane Austen, which always makes me want to frolic around in a sun hat and drink tea. I have the tea part down, but I need a hat. I like this one because it's not too wide as to be ridiculous, the raffia is a pretty natural huge, and the chain/floral detail give it a fun, edgy/girly twist. I've blogged about these hair ties before, but I've never been able to justify buying them because, well, they're glorified hair ties. But I've seen them on a lot of girls recently, and they just look so cute and pulled together in contrast with a regular elastic. They come in different colors but my favorites are the jewel tones--they're still fun and bright, but they're a little more sophisticated than a neon. How adorable is this coral shaped turquoise cuff?! It's so great for summer because the coral itself is unexpected but perfect for summer since it's so beachy, and the bright blue is just such a fun pop of color. I'd love this with a white sundress and some brown, cowboyish boots.
Is it really obnooxious that I want an eye mask? Not the skincare kind, the sleeping kind. Look how glam Audrey Hepburn looks with one! Adorable.
Glam Pink and Tulle Eye Mask by Love Me Sugar, $25 at etsy.com. The story is that even though I'm as night owly as it gets, my roommates tend to stay up later than I do, and it is ridiculously hard to fall asleep with the lights on. The eye mask solves all those annoying light problems, and looks glam doing it. Much better than me putting a pillow on my face. Much easier to breath too. I love the sweet girliness of the black/pink color combo against the luxuriousness of the satin and the lace. My only fear is that I would wake up and think that I'm blind. Does anyone else have irrational fears like this?
Today, Boston ain't so pretty. First off, I'm sick. And not even like normal cold sick, but I've just lost my voice for the last three days. It's so obnoxious. But second off, it's humid and foggy and rainy but not actually cold? So it's this odd hybrid weather that's hard to dress for, and at a time when I really want to be comfy. So in the world where I have a Narnia-sized magical closet of awesome designer pieces, this is what I'd be wearing today.
Rag & Bone Knit Pocket Dress, $185 at shopbop.com, Sandro Mohair-blend Sequin Sweater, $260 at net-a-porter.com: When I want to be warm and cozy, and look cute without putting too much effort into my ensemble, I'll go for a sweater dress. They're an outfit in themselves. I picked two different dresses for two different looks here. Both of them are grey, a nice neutral that's easy to spice up with colorful accessories but can also stand alone. For a classic, preppier look, this striped Rag & Bone dress is fab. It has a polished, French girl vibe, and the pockets are both convenient and ingenue-cute. For a slightly more rock and roll glam feel, this sequined Sandro dress is a great option. The slightly retro silhouette is tempered by the short hemline, and the subtle sparkle of the sequins takes the oversized shape from boring to insouciantly sexy.
Rag & Bone Alpine Belt, $140 at shopbop.com, Commando Matte Opaque Tights, $34 at shopbop.com: With both of these dresses, I'd go for a dress to keep the inherent bulkiness of the sweater dress from being unflattering (especially with a roomier cut like the second dress). I like this Rag & Bone belt because it's sturdy enough to contain all of the fabric of a sweater dress, and the warm brown is a nice contrast to the cooler grey tones. Now, sweater dresses can ride up easily, so tights are essential. Also, wearing a sweater dress with bare legs is just silly (are you hot? are you cold? make up your mind). These black tights are great because they're very opaque, so they prevent any accidental exposure.
Hunter Festival Tall Boots, $225 at shopbop.com, Madewell Crystal & Chain Fringe Cuff, $58 at shopbop.com: Now, rainboots are clearly an essential for rainy weather, and I find that when you're feeling a bit blah, a good way to cheer yourself up is with fun statement pieces like these boots. They're Hunters, so they're quality rainboots, but the textured strips and the studs give these a total rock and roll vibe. There's no way that any girl would feel boring and under the weather in those boots. For a final bit of sparkle, I'd go for a cuff bracelet. When you're just doing one piece of jewelry, you can do a really strong, statement piece like this cuff. The mixture of rhinestones and chain adds a lot of visual interest, and keeps up the rock and roll feel of the rainboots nicely.
Yes, I am an epic cheeseball for that title, but J. Crew's new bridal store (pics below) is too cute for words! You guys know that I'm not a pink/ruffles/floral/polka dot wearing girly-girl most of the time, but I am a total hopeless romantic when it comes to wedding dresses. I always watch Say Yes to the Dress on TLC, and I've always planned on going to Kleinfeld's to get my wedding dress (yes, I'm 18, I realize this is insanely premature). But this J. Crew boutique may have swayed me a little. More on that later. First off, Olivier Theyskens is designing a collection for Theory! OMG. He is one of my all-time favorite designers, and seeing him let go from Nina Ricci was heartbreaking (and totally undeserved). And now that his clothes will be available at a slightly more realistic price point? I'm hyperventilating. Gah. Love.
As for the random things from Shopbop that I want today:
T by Alexander Wang Goddess Skirt, $89 at shopbop.com, Theory Tresha E Dress, $395 at shopbop.com, Botkier Minnie Bag, $545 at shopbop.com: I am a hardcore pencil skirt fan. When you have an hourglass shaped figure, pencil skirts are often the most flattering. A-line skirts just make me look bottom-heavy. The skirt is a cheaper alternative to the Balenciaga draped skirts from a few seasons ago, but toned down and a little easier to wear. The black band highlights your waist really nicely, the subtle striped pattern kicks it up a notch from a basic neutral, and $89 is a fab price for a pencil skirt this polished. Aside from the fact that I now love Theory (see above), this dress is adorable in a Southern belle summer dress sort of way. The white is great for making anyone look tanner, the ruching at the waist and sweetheart neckline will give anyone an hourglass figure, and the detailing along the bottom keeps it from just a plain white dress. There are two reasons I love this Botkier bag. First off, 50% of proceeds to go to Oxfam America, which is a lot for a designer item. Second off, it's a fab little neutral bag that you could wear anywhere. It's simple enough to be versatile, but the braided details and warm hue make it interesting.
So here are the pictures of J. Crew's bridal store on Madison Avenue. Um, can we have a collective sigh for how adorable this is? There's a salon on the first floor where I assume you can buy accessories, jewelry, shoes, bridesmaid dresses, and also get services arranged for your wedding (they have a mini wedding-planning service! So cute). Aside from the fact that the salon itself is so chic, look at the exclusive dresses they have at this store. That sequined number belongs on my body.
Downstairs they have an appointment-only showroom and dressing rooms. Look at that dress on the left. OMG. That dress is so me that it makes me sick.
Hermes Belt, currently $242.50 at ebay.com, Balmain Ambre Gris EDP, $13 for 100 ml at luckyscent.com, Thierry Mugler Angel Sunessence Blue Lagoon, $80 for 1.7 oz at nordstrom.com: I picked up a copy of Lucky to read on the plain up to Oregon, and they had a picture of this girl wearing a really simple outfit, I think a tailored pair of shorts and a tee, and then a vintage Hermes H Buckle belt. It was perfection. I'm really not a label whore, I wouldn't buy things with giant LV or Chanel or Fendi logos on them, but the H gets me for some reason. It's just so simple and classic, and somehow slightly equestrian, my favorite. So the next time I have $300 to burn, that's where it's going. I kept wondering when Balmain was going to release a fragrance, and then I realized that they already had! That bottle is purchase-worthy alone, but the scent sounds amazing. The notes are pink pepper, cinnamon, tuberose, immortelle, myrrh, smoky gaiac wood, benzoin, white musks, and ambergris. It sounds deep and spicy and sweet and pretty darn fantastic. Another perfume that I'm eyeing is this year's summer version of Thierry Mugler's Angel. Angel is a little sweet and cloying for me, but with frozen star fruit, ginger flower, patchouli, and vanilla, it sounds lighter and fresher and spicier than Angel, and perhaps worth a look next time you're in Sephora.
So one of our lovely readers, Annisa, asked for help with putting together an outfit for prom. She already has the dress below (in cream), which is from HM's Garden Collection and super adorable. Major props on choosing this dress--it's fun and girly, not at all tacky, and unique without pushing too many boundaries for prom.
Since she already has the perfect dress, Annisa asked for help with hair, makeup, accessories, and shoes. If I can remember correctly, she wanted nude pumps, cute jewelry, help with figuring out how to do cat eye makeup, and an easy hairstyle that was either half-up or down. I hope I was able to help!
J. Crew Slim Braided Belt, $29.50 at jcrew.com, Forever 21 Vivianne Jewel Earrings, $5.80 at forever21.com: So I'm still not sure about whether or not I want to belt this dress, but if I did belt it, I would do a menswearish, brown leather belt. It would contrast with the fluffiness/girliness of the skirt really well, and keep the volume of the skirt from overwhelming your waist. As for jewelry, I'd do statement earrings and a statement ring. A necklace would clash with the neckline of the dress, and I love the earrings-ring combo. Black and white together is very Art Deco chic, and these earrings would have so much impact well against the pale hue of the dress. These would be great if you wanted to give the dress a little extra edge.
Forever 21 Tea Time Petal Earrings, $5.80 at forever21.com, Forever 21 Floral Chiffon Ring, $2.80 at forever21.com: Or you could do this earring/ring combo together, which is insanely adorable because they match in a non-annoying way. The earrings are just the right amount of slightly oversized, and would be so, so cute peeking out from a half-up hair do. The layered chiffon is so unexpected, and goes with the skirt of the dress perfectly. I just love the idea of pairing these earrings with that ring. The black would stand out really nicely against the light dress, and the organic shapes of the texture on the skirt and the jewelry are a match made in heaven.
Annisa wanted nude heels to elongate her legs and make her look a little taller. That's a really great trick if you want to make your legs look a thousand miles long, especially if you go for a nude platform.
Steve Madden Caryssa Heels, $129.50 at stevemadden.com, Steve Madden Nanciee Heels, $89.95 at stevemadden.com: These heels are my favorite, by far. They look so much like a pair of Louboutins that I lusted over for so long. The platform adds a lot of visual impact and makes these extra comfy, and the suede texture keeps them very modern and sophisticated. If you want a little more edge, you could go for a gladiator-inspired pair of heels. The patent leather keeps them from totally disappearing into your legs, and the zipper down the front would be a nice, urban contrast with the organic feeling of the dress.
Jones New York Lagoon Platform Pump, $59.95 at dsw.com, Aldo Withney Heels, $80 at aldo.com: These Jones heels aren't as exciting, but they would be seriously versatile and they're pretty affordable. They're just a very nice, simple pair of nude heels that you could get a ton of wear out of them. These Aldo heels are basically a patent leather version of the first heels. I like patent leather for nude heels because the sheen of the patent leather keeps the shoes from totally disappearing into your legs, which can look a little creepy at times.
Nicole Richie, Lauren Conrad: As for the hair, Annisa wanted something either down or half-up, possibly with curls. I know this isn't the most conventional look, but I really love the sidebraid a la Nicole Richie. It's unexpected, slightly more formal than hair that's just down, and has this slightly messed-up Lolita vibe that really works. Use a texturizing spray before you braid your hair, so that your hair will have a little body and messiness when you put it in the braid, and make sure that as you braid your hair, you pull it to the side so that it falls over one shoulder. Then mess it up a little so that it's not too perfect. I love little braids for adding a little something extra to regular old hair. Lauren Conrad's is especially cute because it's a French braid, so it's almost a half-up hairstyle because it pulls some of her hair out of her face (super convenient for crazy dance parties). It's really easy to recreate, just French braid either your bangs or the front portion of your hair back to behind your ear, and then secure the end of the braid. Add a few loose waves to your hair for extra body, and you're set! Anna Paquin: Anna's little bump/twist is super adorable. It's the cute version of what Snookie does on the Jersey Shore. Basically, you spray your hair with a texturizing spray, and then lift up the top layer of hair on your crown and pin it out of the way. Next, take a rattail comb and backcomb all the hair on your crown. Once your achieve the desired volume, hairspray it and smooth the top layer of hair back over. Twist the bottom of the teased hair and the top layer of hair twice, and then pin it in place with a couple of bobby pins.
Blake Lively, Rachel McAdams: Blake has the slightly less dramatic version of Anna's look. This would be great if you have longer hair or don't want the stiffness of the Anna's teased pouff. To achieve this look, use a texturizing spray and scrunch it through your hair to create a bit of a wave. Then tease like the previous look, just slightly less dramatically, and pin it in the back with a few bobby pins. For a slightly sweeter, preppier look, try Rachel McAdam's pinned-back side twists. If you have straight hair, use a large curling iron (1.5 inches would do the trick) to add loose curls. Then take the front two section of your hair, one on each side, and twist each section a few times before using a few bobby pins to pin each twist back.
I posted what I use to get the cat eye look yesterday, but buying all of those products at the same time would be ridiculously expensive (I've accumulated them over years). Here are some cheaper alternatives to the products that I use. (I forgot to link to primer. If you have oily lids and eyeshadow tends to crease on you, definitely use primer. It's one of those things that no one else will ever see and that you really can't skimp on. I really recommend Urban Decay's Primer Potion). Maybelline Eye Studio Wet Shadow Quads in Give Me Gold, $8.49 at target.com, Sonia Kashuk Crease Shadow Brush, $5.99 at target.com, Prestige Cosmetics Waterproof Eyeliner in Black, $5.39 at ulta.com: I've heard that these Maybelline quads are fantastic, and they're such a great deal for the range of colors you get (they also come in like 10 other color palettes). I'd use this Sonia Kashuk crease brush (such a great value) to dust the lightest shade of the quad across your lid and onto your brow bone and the inner corners of your eyes as a highlight. Keeping your lid light will keep the cat eye from being over the top and too dark for a youthful look. Then I'd pick up some of the third shadow (the warm brown) on the brush and dust it into your crease. The important thing is to pick up only a little bit of shadow and then blend that thoroughly through the crease before picking up more shadow. That way you get a nicely blended, smooth line and don't end up applying too much shadow and being unable to blend it out. Then pick up a little of the darkest color and blend it into just the outer corners of the crease for extra definition. Smudge the remainder of the shadow into your lower lashline. Using the black eyeliner, line your upper and lower waterlines (YouTube that if you aren't sure about it. It's basically just lining the skin closest to your eyeball instead of your lashline). The black will help your eyes look brighter and really pop from a distance without being too raccoon-ish.
L'Oreal HiP Color Truth Cream Eyeliner in Black, $10.19 at target.com, Sonia Kashuk Angle Eyeshadow Brush, $4.99 at target.com, L'Oreal Panoramic Curl Extreme Curl & Separating Mascara, $4.49 at ulta.com: This is the important part. Using the L'Oreal cream liner (forget about the brush they include, it's worthless) and the Sonia Kashuk liner brush, line from your inner tear duct to the outer corner of your upper waterline. Don't use very much product, a little goes a LONG way. Then hold the brush diagonally at the outer corner of your eye so that the line of the brush extends the line of your waterline (it's hard to explain, there's a video below), and draw the cat eye. Follow that up with two coats of black mascara, waterproof if you're a sentimental cryer. Make sure to wiggle the brush horizontally as your apply the mascara so that it doesn't clump.
It's really hard to explain how to do a cat eye in print, so I found a YouTube video that explains it pretty well. The important thing is that the exterior line of the cat eye goes up following the curve of your waterline (if it falls below your waterline, it will drag your eye down and make up look tired).
