Noir HairStyles

January 27th, 2012 - 

When you are getting ready for a Noir party, you need to have the appropriate ensemble, which includes everything from accessories to hair style.  fashion

You want to wear elegant, but simple jewelry; dangling chandelier earrings or simple stud earrings are your best options. If you wear a bracelet or necklace, wear one made from sterling silver. Paint your nails and your lips red to accentuate the elegance of your hands and to draw attention to your mouth.

Your hairdo is a fun way of expressing the time period of the event; if you have short hair, put into a ‘20s bob. If you have long hair, put it into a fake bob by loosely curling the hair that frames your face and tucking the ends of your hair under its body and pinning it close to your neck; doing this will give you a temporary bob. Use a gentle, non-aerosol hairspray to hold your hair in place without making it sticky and stiff.

If you want to create loose ‘40s barrel curls, use either hot rollers or a 1 ½ inch curling iron. Either will curl and set your hair in the perfect style. Flip your hair over and run your fingers through it to loosen the curls and add volume and then set with a non-aerosol, gentle hairspray.

The appropriate noir look, which includes accessories and hairstyle, will give the confidence to enjoy the themed party.

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Urban Decay “Fun” Eyeshadow Palette Review

January 24th, 2012 - 

It’s no secret that I have a big ol’ yen for Urban Decay products. It’s two-fold: their colors are insanely cool and unique and their makeup has serious staying power.  I have more experience with their eyeshadow over anything else because their palettes are just great. So when they had a sale recently on their  Feminine, Dangerous and Fun palettes at their officially website, I jumped on scoring the Fun one for only $19 (this one is still on sale, by the way, so don’t pass up on that opportunity!).

The fun palette, as pictured,  is their brighter, technicolored palette of choice for those not afraid to be bold. I used to shy away from bright eyeshadows but this palette has really let me embrace them.  These colors are not for the faint of heart; the gold is GOLD and will make you look like your eyelids were touched by King Midas himself. The blue, purple and fuchsia are great colors that come on bright but can be easily toned down if need be. My biggest gripe is the silver eyeshadow, which seems to be not much more than a lot of glitter that gets EVERYWHERE. I avoid it for the most part unless I dip my brush in water first so that the sparkles stick together a bit better.

The palette comes with small version of their 24/7 eyeliner pencil in Oil Slick, a really fun black liner with a bit of sparkle. It’s really easy to apply and while I’m typically a fan of liquid liners, I’ve really taken to the softness and ease of this pencil.

If you shop through their site you also get a mini version of their Eyeshadow Primer Potion, which really, really works. I used to use the old trick of placing foundation on my eyelids before applying, but this primer does the job even better. It’s convinced me to go out and pick up a full bottle.

It’s a great complete set to give you a, well, fun look! It’s my go to most days, whether just heading to the office or going out on the weekend.

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What to Wear For the SOPA Blackout!

January 18th, 2012 - 

The internet is making major moves to blackout sites to protest the passing of the SOPA bill. And while that in itself is really exciting, we thought you could make the day even more fun by getting into the cause with fashion. Because think of it this way, if SOPA passes, you may not have access to many of your favorite fashion sites because the bill may say they are pro-piracy, even if they are just comprised of user created content. And that would be a sad day for the fashionistas in us all.

So if you want to let the world know you are supporting the blackout, you can do so with some creative ideas. The first and easiest is to wear all black for the day. I’m sure we all have a great pair of black slacks, pumps, and a black blouse. You can let people know that you are visually supporting the blackout by blacking out your own wardrobe!

You can also put together that amazing outfit you were inspired to create from that YouTube video you loved or that user submitted fashion site. You can let people know that you found the inspiration from online and that if SOPA passes, your wardrobe just won’t be as amazing because you won’t be allowed access to these kinds of content.

 

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Nicole Miller Spring 2012 Line Hits JCPenney Stores

January 11th, 2012 - 

Getting designer duds for cheaper is always the name of the game for us hard working girls and Nicole Miller makes that happen at JCPenney. This month her Spring 2012 collection is going to hit the store and it is wild with prints and patterns. I love the idea that matching perfectly has gone out the window in the past couple of years, letting women be more fun and free spirited and wear what they like because they like it, not because it matches perfectly.

Spring in the time for the big, bold colors, and that is really shown in some of these outfits:

These are some gorgeous, flowy pieces with wild colors that still compliment each other well. I can’t wait to see these pieces in store so I can try a few on, especially that first dress that looks eye catching and comfortable!

In the mean time, Nicole Miller’s older pieces for JCPenney are on sale right now in store and online as they try to get rid of the old to make room for the new. Best time to stock up for the next fall season of fashion!

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Pastels for Spring 2012

January 3rd, 2012 - 

The new trends are really popping up everywhere now and January is the time to start shopping spring preview sales. And what will you find, from major stores to little boutiques? Pastels. They are going to be huge this year, along with very feminine, flirty silhouettes.

Pastels may remind you of when you were a little girl, or the kinds of colors you dyed your Easter eggs. That’s exactly the kind of thing that designers are going for. It has almost a nostalgic feel to it, making you think of the fun dresses you wore for the spring (though probably hated at such a young age).

And it’s not just a trend in clothing but in make up as well. Smashbox has just released their Be Discovered line for the spring and it’s all about pastels.  Take a look at their new eyeshadow palette:

 

It’s the perfect palette to compliment your flowing spring dress.

It’s not a trend every woman is going to love and it’s tough that the exact opposite, military style, was in last spring so it probably means a total overhaul of the wardrobe. But if you embrace it, you may find that you absolutely love it!

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The Chic, Cozy Comfort of Corduroy

December 16th, 2011 - 

Corduroy is very “in” this season, but for many of us, corduroy has never been “out”. Corduroy has been in my life for a long time; both in the form of a children’s book about a teddy bear with corduroy overalls,who is just looking for love and in clothing such as pants, skirts, and jumpers. Corduroy

Although corduroy pants are getting a lot of attention this season, as mentioned above, corduroy comes in many different forms and styles. Corduroy’s versatility makes it the perfect clothing for whatever mood you are in. It is an incredibly comfortable fabric and grows softer with each wearing. Corduroy pants are available in all the popular  pant styles, such as flair, straight-leg, skinny, and boot-cut designs. And, if you think that corduroy jumpers and skirts are only appropriate for little girls, you are mistaken.   come in a variety of different lengths and colors and are the perfect stylish accessory for looking fashionable and feeling warm during the winter months. And, if corduroy is properly cared for, it may last you for several years.

Victoria’s Secret has a surprisingly wide selection of well made corduroy that is available in a variety of styles and colors. If you are looking to get a better sense of how to accessorize and style corduroy, check out the company’s website or catalogue. If Victoria’s Secret is out of price range or comfort zone, check out the corduroy collections of Old Navy or even dELiA’s.

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The Missoni Collection

September 16th, 2011 - 

Missoni released its first department store line this week through Target. The instantaneous pandemonium resulted in Target’s website crashing, grown women behaving like hyenas fighting over zebra meat, and the store selling out in some stores within the first day. Fashion

The collection features a wide array of items including men, women, and children’s clothing, furniture, luggage house ware, and electronic accessories, all of which are available in Missoni’s signature mix and match patterns, rich colors, and distinctive textures.

Missoni products are great for fall weather; they incorporate vibrant earth colors of fall with hints of colors of author seasons, such as sea blue of summer, and Easter egg purple of spring. The clothing selection ranges from outerwear to underwear and includes fashionable accessories such as hats, gloves, stockings, and handbags. These pieces are made from either full pattern fabrics or fabrics with solid block colors that feature pattern accents.

This is a limited edition offer; it began on September 13th and ends on October 22nd.  Certain items are already listed as out of stock, so if you want to shop for Missoni products that are available for great prices, head to a Target store or visit www.Target.com before the line is completely sold out!

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Fashion Week: Betsey Johnson’s Spring 2012 Collection

September 13th, 2011 - 

I love Betsey Johnson’s clothing, I really do. It’s so fun, flirty and unfortunately, damned expensive. But it catches my eye every time I see a pair of her shoes at TJ Maxx or her bright stockings being offered to me through one of my many fashion email newsletters. Yesterday, she unveiled her Spring 2012 collectiong during NYC’s fashion week and had bright colors and  funky styles, as always. Even rapper Nicki Minaj strut the runway in a piece. She’s the perfect person to have walking around in BJ.

One of the more beautiful pieces that caught my eye immediately was ths sequined maxi-dress in crazy but absolutely beautiful colors:

I could see girls grabbing this from the spring collectiong and using it for a prom dress in June!

Short, bright, and flirty! It’s got Betsey Johnson written all over it!

Betsey herself was, as always, full of life. She even did  split on the runway at the end of her show.

I’m excited to actually see these pieces next spring. She’s  always got something great to show for every season.

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Why the “Don’t Wear White After Labor Day” Rule is Archaic

September 7th, 2011 - 

Seriously, who told you not you wear white after Labor Day? Your mom? Your grandma? Probably someone from an older generation, right? And you believed it to be true.  But that rule has long been tossed out the window. In fact, as I write this, it is now two days after Labor Day and I’m wearing a white t-shirt and an off-white jacket! Is it bold of me to go out in such attire? Only to those over the age of 50.

There’s a lot of different histories attributed to the rule, but one that stood out is that down in the South, it was considered “bad manners” to wear white shoes on Labor Day or before Easter. How on earth is it bad manners? Not covering your mouth when you sneeze is bad manners. Wearing white? Hardly.

Now that doesn’t mean you should wear your white eyelet sundress and a pair of white sandals.  You can wear the color, just make it work for the season. A white t-shirt, in my book, is great all year round. White sweaters can look fantastic under your dark, dreary winter coat.  And white boots with colorful tights and a cute dress? Adorable.

So don’t follow the archaic rules of the past. Wear your white proudly, any time of the year. There’s nothing rude about it!

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Tattoo Season Coming To An End

August 16th, 2011 - 

The last few days have been colder and damper which means that the L train is starting to look a lot less sexy. While I welcome weather where I can wear a coat and avoid the always unpleasant to look at shorts, I mourn the waning summer for not only the loss of short skirts and plunging neck lines but also for the slowly disappearing tattoos on local hip chicks.

The summer is a great time for admiring body art and I am a huge fan of it. There is something about being able to identify a woman’s tattoos that acts as a sort of primer on who they are. I find them very fashion forward even as the world of proper fashion seems to move further and further away from them, and Williamsburg at large.

For me tattoos are sort of the ultimate in fashion accessories. They show a person who has confidence in their decisions, or at the very least has at one time or another had confidence in their decisions. Tattoos when done right are really a great extension, and sometimes a good starting point, of personal style. They are like a manifesto of how you expect to be percieved.

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