Madonna, meet Louis Vuitton

Let me start by saying I love Madonna. When I heard that she was the new Louis Vuitton ad girl I was excited, but really needed to see Madge and Louis together before completely signing off on the idea. When my February 2009 Teen Vogue came in the mail, other than being appalled at how thin it was, I was genuinely thrilled to see some of the first images of Madge for Louis and I love them. The images maintain Madonna’s attitude and presence while keeping in tact the integrity of Louis Vuitton, plus the ads (at least the one on the back cover of Feb 09 TV) show off Madonna’s signature asset: her magnificently sculpted legs. The only thing I don’t like about the ad is that she almost looks like Heather Mills… Decide for yourself.


Oh and I love that Toms made it into a fashion editorial (Feb 09 TV, p. 95). Their holiday look book, a toy, was the most creative and least offensive I remember taking in at Bbook last summer.

My temporary absence

I was thinking that if I have any loyal readers I have certainly not been treating them right. My, so far, week long lack of posts is due to the holidays and my own personal vacation (although it seems I post more when I'm not in school) from most things internet-related. I apologize and hope that you forgive.

Regrets, but I will be back shortly.

But whilst I'm gone know that I've stocked up on magazines for a long (family) car ride so there should be plenty of post-worthy fodder for me.

Oh, P.S., Ali Michael made COACD's top 25 faces of 2008 at #4. Way to go!! Karlie Kloss made #16. I'm a little hurt that my girl Chanel Iman (and the last leg of that trio) didn't make the cut.

Oh, Domenico and Stefano...

What were you thinking?!

As I've been (slowly) reading and flipping through my January 2009 Vogue and Elle I've come across the Dolce and Gabbana ads for their cruise collection and I have a few problems with it. Take a look:


The good: I like the black and white theme, it's nice and different for a cruise collection.

The bad: The model poses; concave is pretty done by now. Really, pick a new innovative pose for 2009, this one has had it's two or three year run it's time to move on and find something new and exciting - otherwise those models will be really bored.

The ugly: And it is ugly. The old women deserves a "what were you thinking?!" as does the really bad color editing in photoshop. If you look at the model on the far left in the nice white dress her left leg is paler than her right leg - in fact, her right leg looks like it got fake baked, but she forgot to do her left leg - any makeup artist to make that mistake would be fired before she could say "Dolce and Gabbana." But really, the old women? I'm still confused.

Mi vie en vogue....

This is a completely self-serving post bearing only one question: has anyone had trouble trying to renew their subscription to Vogue recently? I got mine as a Christmas gift a while back and I've had difficulty figuring out what's going on over in Conde Nast circulation because I only just today got my Jan 2009 copy (bummer, I know!)... anyhoo let me know if you have any idea what's up.


Speaking of the Jan 2009 Vogue, I was really antsy waiting for it (just ask my mom... it's one of the only things I've talked about since being home) because Anne Hathaway is the cover girl! I love her and have followed her career since her Princess Mia days. I am thrilled that she is doing so well and can't wait to read the articles (family is in town, thus delaying some of my mag reading). I also think the cover with the word "Change" plastered on Anne's chest is pretty amazing, a total double entendre, due to her life post-beau and how she has upheld herself throughout everything. I'll just consider this my Christmas gift from both of the Wintour and Hathaway - the gods at Vogue have given me a wonderful present.

Oh and the new Modern Bride features both Anne Hathaway and Kate Hudson because of the impending release of their film Bride Wars. I love it when magazines get things right.

My favorite models of the moment

Chanel Iman, 19, entered the world of tent shows a year before my home town girl Ali Michael, but they broke the cover of Teen Vogue on the same month. Currently the muse for Phillip Lim and working toward being a VS model, this youngen is quickly moving up the ranks; in my mind she's on par with Kimora. Ali Michael, 18, who Wintour asked to personally congratulate after her first season, is now the face of a Lanvin fragrance; she's playing with the big dogs after her transition from Teen Vogue to Vogue. I love style.com, so let's have a looskie, shall we?

Chanel:

Dior (A/W 2008 RTW), Christian Lacroix (Spring 2009 RTW), Sonia Rykiel (Spring 2009 RTW), Derercuny (Spring 2009 RTW), Dior (Fall 2008 couture)


Stella McCartney (A/W 2008 RTW), Yves Saint Laurent (A/W 2008 RTW), Ralph Lauren (A/W 2008 RTW), Valentino (Spring 2008 couture), Alexander McQueen (Spring 2008 RTW)

Ali:


Lanvin's Jeanne Lanvin fragrance


Karl Lagerfeld (Spring 2009 RTW), Dior (Spring 2009 RTW), 3.1 Phillip Lim (Spring 2009 RTW), Anna Sui (A/W 2008 RTW), Sonia Rykiel (A/W 2008 RTW)

Fashion journalism I can believe in

As a writer I understand the need for unbiased journalism in most publications. Time magazine, yes. The New York Times, yes. US News and World Report, yes. But Elle, not so much. Fashion and politics have been co-minglers for, well, pretty much forever. Earlier in this fall several designers created visions for the First Lady-elect to wear on the day of her hubby's inauguration and you can bet your student loans that most to all of them were incredibly thrilled that it was Michelle over Cindy. Like I said: fashion and politics are seasoned co-minglers.

Hooray for the January 2009 American Elle:


When I cracked the January 2009 Elle I was way excited to see Robbie Myers' Editor's Letter addressed the recent election and I was even more excited to know that she wasn't afraid to print her opinions even though criticisms may ensue (and I'm sure she's getting hate mail or angry bloggers to voice their own opinions through their various outlets). So the jist of this post is just to give props to Robbi and Elle.

Now for my own take on the relationship between fashion journalism and unbiased reporting. Fashion journalism needs to report on fashion and things that affect it. The readership fashion magazines like Elle accrue want to know about runway shows, new trends, the celebrities featured inside and the newest beauty/health/fitness information. These same readers will pick up Time magazine or the Washington Post for hard news. They will log on to style.com to go through runway shows image-by-image. They will refresh ESPN.com every 30 seconds during the game for the quickest updates. The point is that all of these sources contribute different things to one person's arsenal of news gathering. And so for unbiased politcal journalism same person will reach for the Times on a newsstand while grabbing for Vogue because they want to see the new trends. Different publications are responsible for reporting different things and I applaud Elle for knowing that if it wants to publish its editors' opinions it doesn't need to be afraid to do so.

For the stocking

Small gifts and stocking stuffers can often be the hardest to come by. Truly, shopping for real gifts like cashmere sweaters and a nice bathroom set seem so easy; stocking stuffers are much trickier in comparison.

LUSH Mr. Butterball Bath Bomb, $3.95, available at all LUSH fresh homemade cosmetics counters. A great way to relax during the holidays. The perfect gift for friends, family and yourself. You honestly can't go wrong with any LUSH product.




Bond No. 9 New York Andy Warhol Perfume token, $85, made exclusively for Saks, is the perfect little compact. Forget powder foundation compacts or the passe lip gloss compact, perfume token compacts like this are the new trend. The other four Bond No. 9 New York fragrances are also available.







Coach Satin Pouch Charm, $58, found at Coach and department stores. It's small, charming and is the finishing touch for any female collegian's keychain. The teal is a fun color, one that always makes me smile. Unless the giftee is teal color blind, this is pretty much fail-proof.

The perfect holiday party dress

Being a college student is kind of like being a rich poor person. Let me elaborate. We live under the expanding arm of our parents' money: they pay for school (usually), they pay for the apartment (usually), they pay sorority/fraternity dues (usually) and they send care packages. But to be honest, aside from that, most college students have little more than a positive balance. So when it comes time for the holidays, the only cash in our wallets comes from what we make in text book buy backs and it goes to buying gifts for friends in family, leaving us more strapped for cash than we could have ever imagined. This financial stitch makes it increasingly hard to find that perfect little ensemble for the many holiday parties that we may find ourselves invited to.

Enter the perfect holiday party dress:


It has an exciting silhouette, is black, has a jeweled neckline and is a family-friendly length hitting six inches or less above the knee (ok, so maybe more than six inches on me, being almost 6' and all). Plus a simple black cardigan pairs perfectly to keep you warm and cozy. This Shoshanna embellished dress can be found at Neiman's for $495. If I lived in Highland Park I would certainly snatch this up in an instant and insist that "with a dress like this all of the season's holiday parties would find me." I'd take it out with this Judith Leiber heart-shaped gold clutch, also found at Neiman's for $255 jsut for a little added zing.


In the spirit of reminiscing and updating my blog more often I plan on adding my take on the "editor's picks" I worked on everyday last summer at BlackBook. I will muse on things I love, can't afford, but wouldn't mind if they could grace my closet - even if for just a day.

Fashionably Warm

December means a gust of cold air in even the warmest parts of the country. Bring on all the pea coats, scarves, trenches, hats with ear flaps, and wool undies because it's time to bundle up and faced our first chapped lips of the season. Just like anything else hanging in our closets, winter coats deserve stylish consideration. But what's that; there's no happy medium for Goldilocks? Here to solve your problem are three of the trendiest and classiest winter coats economy-ridden, Christmas worn-thin wallets can afford.

Stand up collars are so smart, I wish they had become a trend last year when I bought my winter coat. The convertible collar is perfect for bundling up, or just leaving down when it's just cold enough for a coat. New York and Company really got this one right. The military double breasted touch and belt give the coat an edge and makes it masculine in a really attractive way, but the soft gray color still makes it feminine enough for the girliest of girls. The best thing about this coat is that the gray makes it a little bit of a blank slate for a pop of color when accessorizing with hats or scarves, but at the same time, if it's just warn with skinny jeans and boots, it's classy enough to stand on its own.




Berry and jewel tones have come into the season with a settle to score. Pretty much any store - Old Navy, Gap, Ann Taylor Loft, etc. - have introduced pops of these shades in their cashmeres, sweaters, scarves, cardigans, clutches and shoes. So to make a classic pea coat in a berry tone like this Banan Republic wool-blend seems like a no-brainer! With a coat in these bolder shades, everything else can be played down. Like the model in this picture grays and blacks are very complementary, but even pairing subdued shades of eggplant or sapphire would work also. So if you're brave and need to update your five-year old winter coat, conside this a stron contender.




Baby doll cut coats are incredibly girly and figure-flattering, but the best thing is that this coat adds a new sillhouette to the standard body-hugging staple in most of our closets. One of the best features of this coat from Ann Taylor Loft is that the black color keeps it from being too over-the-top and trendy, instead it can work for a few years until you find something you like more.

I need to get this off my chest

Pun fully intended.

It occurred to me after watching week after week of Stylista I am indefinitely annoyed by Megan. This rant, however, it is not because of her bitchiness, it is for her lack of unmentionables. Namely, a bra. The girl is fashionable, she has style, and she knows how to buy good clothes, but she is sorely lacking a certain something that'll make her girls stand taller and prouder.

After last week's episode with her the white tank it was all too obvious that she wasn't wearing anything to keep her from telling the world she's cold. She needs to meet Victoria. And probably Sarah Blakely, too. Before a girl can be figure flattering on the outside, she needs to have the right gear underneath. Megan might know the fashion industry, but she could use to take some notes here (especially if she is to style celebrities that don't have a model's figure).

My Best Friend is the Body by Victoria Full Coverage Uplift Bra. Certainly not new to VS, this old faithful is actually a recent addition to my bra drawer and quickly becoming a favorite. It fits comfortably, hugs you just right, is perfect under t-shirts, blouses and even dresses. The straps are thick and supportive, but not too. The bra, as the name denotes, adds a little oomph, but definitely not too much. In fact, wearing a push-up or padded bra on a daily or almost-daily basis will help decrease the effects of gravity on the chest, which is a nice bonus. Maybe not the sexiest of bras, but definitely utilitarian and comfy to boot. A good choice for anyone, any size.


Everyone's Best Friend is Sarah Blakely and her Spanx. Story has it she offered Saks the idea for her product, which would have given Saks licensing and copywright and all that jazz, they said no, she looked elsewhere and came out on top. The story's ending is good because women can buy her product anywhere, plus the WWW. Her body-shapers can come pretty much anyway you want them. My personal opinion is that all women should own at least two pairs (one in their skin tone and one in black). I actually break my own rule by owning two nude pairs in different cuts, but at least I have them. Want your cottage cheese cellulite days behind you? You don't even need a genie to grant that wish. The ones that are high-waisted, to your bra, and extend down your thigh are the best in my book.

The Bridesmaid. If Spanx aren't your style, then this paper thin, no-line showing thong is the next best thing. The Victoria's Secret Low-Rise thong is a nylon-spandex blend that is like another layer of skin that covers only what needs to be covered. It comes in a bunch of colors so you can match every type of pant/skirt/dress you own. Thongs are pretty self-explanatory so there's not much else to say about this one except to make sure you pick the right size; pick the wrong size and the no-show thong turns into the love-handle highlighter.

Fashionista Fodder

I'm an avid reader of the Fashionista blog. In fact, that blog kept me updated on little things over the summer and every once in a while gave me fodder for the BlackBook blog. And now, I take those skills into my own and publish something here. The subject: knock-offs. The main players: Steve Madden and Forever 21.

Anyone who stumbles upon Fashionista on any given day can probably find a story on the first page about how either Steve Madden has ripped off a designer shoe or how Forever 21 redid a designer dress. Hell, Forever 21 does double duty knocking off shoes and apparel. Most of the time it is blatant. If Forever 21 takes something it spins it by adding lace or changing the color, but never something as vital as a pattern or cut. When Steve Madden takes something, not much is changed either. My editor this summer had it right when he said "Steve Madden is the Forever 21 of shoes." Never a truer statement has ever been uttered.

It shames me, as a budding fahsion journalist, to report on such indecencies as what these two retailers do what seems almost daily, certainly every season (um, Steve Madden - Dior gladiators much? too bad SM was a season late on that nab). Today, Fashionista reported Steve Madden taking the YSL tribute sandal - yes, the tribute sandal - and tweaked it a little in order to produce a shinier, cheaper (looking and priced) version. The real YSL is on the left and the knock-off Steve Madden is on the right, but I doubt I needed to point that out.


I do hope that I'm not the only one offended. Trends are meant to be followed, but specific designs are not meant to be knocked-off in this manner. This belongs in Chinatown, not Macy's.

Oh, Stylista

Does anyone else find the kids on Stylista whiney and kind of incompetent? Well, I do.

As an aspiring fashion journalist (who was interviewed for the Style network's very similar untitled show) I really looked forward to this reality show, but half expected it to be on Bravo (because really, the last thing we want is for this to turn into ANTM for journalists, we're classier than that... or not based on the show). So far I've hardly been impressed. The group they pulled together was obviously flawed; I realize that in order to make good TV and lots of drama the ELLE hopefuls need to be from diverse backgrounds, but a military analyst and a law school drop-out? At least some people have fashion, journalism, or even better fashion journalism experience, but that experience does not by any means make them good at what they want to do with their lives (exhibit A: Devin).

I'm over the Megan hates Ashlie, Ashlie hates Megan plot, I'm over the Megan hates Kate, Kate hates Megan plot, and I'm SUPER tired of only seeing those three until the person getting kicked off gets airtime. That's just bad editing. But there's bad editing in several places - not just the cutting room. The contestants don't know how to pull and editorial spread together, or listen to instructions for that matter, which I'm totally over. You make a mistake, learn from it and move on, don't keep making the same mistake. Honestly, I think the best editorial page design came the first week from the winning group's contributors page, it rocked.

Also, as a former fashion intern at a fashion mag, I can honestly judge the assistant tasks for what they are. The first week, ehh, you may make coffee runs, but not often - I only made them on photo shoots and ONCE in the office during a ten week internship, so buying and putting together a breakfast tray is only something you see in The Devil Wears Prada. The second one with putting an outfit together using the dictionary is basic retail work, dressing a henry hanger; been there, done that. Planning the birthday party is just a really elaborate way to see if you are good at event planning, which hoenstly I can't think of how that comes into play with fashion journalism except to see how good you are at working on a project, no matter the topic - nothing I ever faced, I don't think. And as for putting an outfit together for a weekend trip that goes day to night and is appropriate for a woman of Anne Slowey's age, that's another retail experience challenge and a money management challenge.

The editorial challenges are a better judge of how someone will survive in this industry. The first week was great, but I expected improvement. The second week was also excellent, having to find a new trend, I'm pretty sure I did that every single day of my internship, and then having to put a page together with that as the topic was a great way to make that transition to editorial; good assignment, poor layout on the contestants part. Having to find a mother-daughter pair with a current trend, also a good assignment, but too similar (in my opinion) to the one before it; however the shopping page twist was nice, but really shouldn't have thrown people the way it did... My favorite editorial challenge was the photo shoot for Tori Burch (love her!), but the groups flopped and totally showed that they haven't learned much yet. It's very obvious to me that this show is lacking something that other reality show competitions have: a mentor, the kids on this show desperately need someone to advise them during the editorial challenges, at least for the first couple episodes, because in my opinion they have yet to learn some very important things about lay out and editing. ***Plus, these kids aren't even using InDesign or any other software, they're doing markups on pieces of paper. I bet they won't be able to do that once they're a junior editor...

Ahh, Anne Slowey, I think she is fantastic and I would take her job in an instant. She is as demanding as she needs to be, no more no less. She's honestly not the most difficult person to work for; compared to Anna Wintour she's a walk in the park. I would give my baby toe to be her assistant, but these kids seem to have little respect, I mean really who taught you to fight in front of the woman who could hire you, never bite the hand that feeds you. But anyway, fashion news director = my dream job.

As for the remaining six contestants (well, after tonight it might be 5 or fewer, but I haven't watched tonight yet...) Megan needs to stop being so catty and focus on doing better, because she could get the job but I don't think she will because she has very, very little knowledge of what makes good editorial. Johanna is fantastic, but she needs to be less quiet (however, the preview for tonight makes me nervous for her, I hope she didn't go home), she has great ideas, but I'm still unsure of how good she is on paper with editing. Danielle is smart and a very strong contender, she doesn't have the look of the job, but she definitely has the capacity; I'm a fan. Kate, oh, Kate has no experience, but has great gut instincts, which is great in this industry, but I don't know that she's got it with the computers. Ashlie is another great contender and I think that if the Megan drama were gone, she'd be flourishing, she's in my top two right now. And finally DyShaun, I don't know much about him except that he hates Kate and makes brain farts when it comes to editing, but I think he has a good eye for both fashion and editorial, I just haven't seen enough of him.

I think that the people they chose for this show thought it was a fun and easy reality show that would end up with one person working for ELLE. It doesn't seem to me like any of them expected or wanted the work given to them and I definitely feel like they sometimes (even often) disrespect Anne, someone who they should be worshipping.

Ok so I applaud anyone who got all the way through this. It's late, I don't have anything due in my classes tomorrow, and really needed to vent about Stylista.

My favorite new perfume

First off - I am supremely sorry that I haven't posted in so long. Not that I have a great following or anything, but a month and a half is long time to go without posting.

Burberry Brit Sheer

I'm sure I'm not the first to write about it, but it's the first Burberry fragrance to catch my attention. What normally smells frumpy and like something my grandmother would wear (not a bad thing, because there is a market for perfumes like that), has now introduced a youthful, exciting eau. It's light and fresh and very clean, which is good. It's probably the first perfume I wish I had in a shower gel in because it's that fantastic!

I first found this gem over fall break on a shopping trip with some girlfriends (Alpha Delta Pi sorority plug here!). We were at the the Burberry store in Northpark mall; I was shopping for one thing, and perfume wasn't it so I didn't buy it there. But that didn't stopme from indulging once I got back to school :).

I'm a big fan of classy, flirtatious, but clean scents and this one definitely meets all of that criteria. Among my other fragrances are:

Ralph Lauren Romance, also because of it's fresh, crisp and clean scent. It's a fall fragrance that evokes feminimity. I usually wear it when I'm wearing Ralph Lauren or Polo clothes... They complement each other really well. Mr. Lauren is a genius.

Coach Legacy, the new Coach fragrance released only this season. I actually got it this summer at my internship, so I've been wearing it since June, which is nice because even though the campaign for it has a very "fall" overtone, the scent seems much better fit for the spring.


Chanel Coco Mademoiselle rounds out my collection. It's actually much different from my other perfumes since it's heavier. I usually only wear it for formal events or when I'm dressed up a little more than usual. Or in the winter because it will stay on your body even with so many layers.

Yes... I'm digressing

To the reader who disagreed with my review of the Coco Chanel movie:

I am sorry you feel that I reviewed the movie inadequately. I was very attentive as I watched the movie and did notice all of the things you pointed out. In fact I stayed up to watch most of the encore show because I wanted to make sure that I had used my words the way I intended, and I still feel like the movie was too relationship-centric and I wish it had given more insight into her designs. Little stories about how she received her nickname "Coco" gave the insight I sought, however still left me with many questions. I may have been harsh, but critics are allowed that luxury, as are you as another critic, and you are even allowed to be harsh on me. However, I will always be observant. I will never write about something that I haven't completely understood and spent time observing.

Coco Chanel's love interests were pertinent to her career as a designer and to her personal life, but I feel like the movie could have made them less of a central theme and more of a side note, while still maintaining the integrity of a film dedicated to a designer's career and life. This is not to say that I didn't enjoy the movie, I definitely did, I just had higher expectations.

Before you criticize someone, please consider that they have reviewed all of the facts and paid attention to the details just as you have.

Now! On a lighter note, Project Runway. (P.S. if you don't want to read about Bryant Park, don't go any further).

The final six designers showed their collections (of 10, not 12 looks) at NY Fashion Week, which ended last Friday. (Note: each season, the last six or seven designers show their collections so the tent audiences don't know who is in the top three, those sneaky Bravo producers!) If the final three consists of Leanne, Korto and someone else, I will be incredibly happy. The last few challenges have proved to me that Leanne and Korto stand behind their designs, but welcome criticism without getting pouty. Joe is probably third to roundout my top three - I know, a few weeks ago I said I liked Kenley the most... - because he's been so underplayed and his designs can stand up for themselves. BUT based on the fashion week images, Korto and Leanne are my top two going into the home stretch. Let me know what you think (and read Chris March's blog on Elle Tell All!!).

Coco Chanel

Tonight Lifetime premiered its movie chronicling the life of influential designer Coco Chanel. The movie did what I wanted from it by giving viewers an inside look at the life of this couturier, however I was left wanting something more. I'm sure, in order to maintain the demographic, Lifetime chose to spend more time developing romantic relations, than focusing on the career. While romance is fun to watch, I would have rather watched a movie chronicling the life of a designer, not a Nicholas Sparks-esque flick. Granted, the romantic thread throughout the movie did lend itself to present her designs differently than I expected, I would have rather watched a movie which described to me how Coco developed her aesthetic and the iconic image for women which is still present today, 35+ years after her death, in her clothing. Once a man was introduced to the plot, it took a half hour or so until designs took the stage again. If I were to watch this movie at the Starplex Theaters, I would be happy, but on Lifetime and after being advertised as an artistic film, I was disappointed.

Although the movie let me down, there was one particular plot that intrigued me and made me feel like I sat through three hours with a purpose. When Shirley MacLane described how she designed the little black dress, a staple in any young fashionista's closet, I had a sense of Coco Chanel and what she wanted to create with her designs. I expected more of that when I flipped over to the movie. I had envisioned learning a bit about Chanel's designs and how they became what we see today. I liked learning about how she flourished into what we now knew her to be, I liked watching a young Coco grow up, learning how she acquire the name Coco. These things kept me affixed to my TV, these things answered the questions I had before I turned the movie on. I just wished more of these similar questions had been answered.

Watch the movie, create your own opinions and then comment here.

Cheap Chic

So Payless shoes have been getting a lot cuter lately (I'm a poor college student, so it's my way of spending less but still looking fab), but the most recent developments brewing with this discount dealer is blowing my mind. Flipping through the first two hundred pages of the September Vogue, I found nestled ads for Payless with, to my pleasant surprise, designs by Abaete and Lela Rose will be sold nationwide. Now, Abaete and Lela Rose have all collaborated with Payless in the (recent) past, and not with out some cute pairs, but also a few duds. I must say, however that I love, love, LOVE the Abaete and Lela Rose shoes that were in the ads. These are a few pics of the new collections for Payless Shoe Source.

Abaete

Lela Rose

Mineral Madness

As long as there are new and exciting trends in makeup, there will be crazed addicts following them. The bandwagon that drugstore brands are finally jumping on is the mineral powder obsession. I have yet to try any of the products (partly because I'm happy with my own makeup regime, and partially because until Maybelline and Cover Girl, mineral makeup has been pretty pricey), but I'm going to look through the websites and try to decipher between the hype and the best buy.

Bare Escentuals, which is available online, Sephora and probably the TV, too has a really nice start-up package. For something like $60, you get nine products (four brushes, five powders), however you don't get the same deal when you need to replace one of the nine. I've had roommates who swear by bare minerals and the initial price tag seems alluring, but I think I'd need to test it out myself to decide whether the price tag is worth it (maybe another trip to Sephora...).

Bare Minerals

Sheer Cover gave Leeza Gibbons a makeup pedestal during infomercials. That's about the only good thing I can say. The website really has nothing to say about the product, unless you watch the videos, which mimic the infomercials. I don't see prices, unless you count the 60-day guarantee that is plastered all over the website. In addition, there are no pictures of the product, just lots of Leeza Gibbons.

Sheer Cover

Cover Girl has four mineral makeup products, and it's part of the already-established TruBlend collection. If that weren't enough to show that CG may not be ready for minerals, the mineral foundation is a pressed powder, however the bronzer and blush are both loose powders. The online reviews of the foundation are not great, and the vague mineral "powder" doesn't have many great reviews either. The blush had fantastic reviews while the bronzer had mixed reviews. If you do choose to buy into CG's mineral makeup, use your own brush. I think I'll wait to see how the labs at CG improve the product before I invest. (Though all of the products are economical and fit into CG's established price range).

Cover Girl

Maybelline is another drugstore brand to try its hand at minerals. It seems as though Maybelline is the brand with the most diversity in products. If you like liquid concealer and foundation, they have it. If you like powder (which is what I generally think of when I imagine mineral makeup), this one has better credentials than CG's, and has a better applicator. This powder foundation has won awards and been recognized by Oprah. And it comes in at about $10; I may make a trip to Walgreens soon. The finishing veil that Maybelline retails is a pressed powder - they also have a bronzing veil, but I think in the future they may come out with a loose powder veil. Even the mineral blush has racked some awards, and it comes in more shades than CG's two.

Maybelline

I'll go out an try some of the Maybelline mineral makeup. It fits my budge the best (you can get all of the products for roughly the same price as the Bare Escentuals starter kit, and they are much cheaper to replace) and honestly seems like it's the best buy all around with the awards it's won.

Interior design is fashion, too!

Many regrets for not posting in about a week. I blame the Olympics, and getting things ready to move into my apartment, which brings me to the topic of this post.

Pretty much every year of a student's academic career comes with new and exciting things. Senior year and prom, freshman year of college and dorm stuff. I come to the sophomore year of college and shopping for apartment wares. And if target didn't already have enough fabulousness to offer (hello, the GO International collection, Isaac Mizrahi, and others), Sami Hayek has a small, but really exciting line from lamps to linens to picture frames and shelves. I indulged in a few (like some shelves and a lamp - nothing terribly exciting, but a notch above practical).

I also channeled Martha Stewart when I made my own picture frames to decorate my walls. Plain, solid colored frames in a variety of sizes are two for some really low price, you feel like you should be casing the place. But with a bunch of extra sorority car decals, the frames were decorated to match other aspects of the room.

The point of all of this is, that even with something as mundane as dolling up an apartment, it can be made to fit an individual style. Sort of like DIY jeans and cardigans, but for your space. It's nice, and works just as well as retail therapy.

Wild Kingdom

Is it just me or will this fall's offbeat, last season comeback be animal prints? Clicking through style.com and flipping through the magazines out on the racks - whose ads for many designers show and extreme amount of leopard and cheetah prints - it's clear that the African savannah is here to stay (and I'm not just saying that because we're having a slew of 100+ degree days here in North Texas).

Take for instance Ralph Lauren. His collection was covered in spots, from the shoes, to the bags, to the hats, to dresses and jackets. When you look at the detail shots all you see is close up after close up of leopard print on everything. He focused on other strong patterns too, but in this photo, on the two models you see hats, bag and shoes in animal print!

A/W runway

When I flip through this month's Vogue, Roberto Cavalli has an animal print inspired gown in an ad and throughout his fall show, there were garments with animal print trim. I think Cavalli was more inspired with the prints than Ralph Lauren because he was more inventive. With Ralph Lauren it was the same print over and over, no variation. Cavalli, on the other hand used variation and didn't show the same print in the same way twice I would love to flounce around in one of Cavalli's pieces.

A/W runway


ad campaign

Ralph Lauren and Roberto Cavalli were not the only two to feature animal prints, several other designers had a skirt here, a vest there and some other variations on animal print trim up their sleeves. It will be interesting to see how this pans out in the next few months.

Plaids are another underdog trend that may pop a little this season. Ralph Lauren and House of Holland had plaid all over their collections for fall. I'll maybe comment more on that later.

The Return of Pat Field

The ABC show, Ugly Betty, with its third season starting this fall returns to its pilot filming digs – NYC, well Brooklyn to be exact. For the world of fashion, this move means something big, because, also for the first time since the pilot, Pat Field will be styling for the show. I think my heart stopped when I heard the news, or rather when I read the news. The August 2008 issue of BlackBook Magazine (ok, so I don’t keep name dropping the home of my first internship for any other reason than it pertains to my posts – no monetary gain on my part for giving it the little publicity it receives here on my burgeoning blog) revealed this fact and several others about and surrounding cover-girl America Ferrera – pick up a copy to read all about it (and see the spreads I assisted in styling, but that’s beside the point). One among them is the prized tidbit that Pat Field will return to Ugly Betty. We all know and love her for her work with SJP and SATC, but now the world will be waiting with breath that is baited to see what she does for another show about what it’s like to be fashionable – or in this case, not fashionable. But my guesses are, even with the ever fashion-don’t Betty, Pat Field will make her stylish in her own right. Now, with the show claiming Ms. Field, I will be more inclined to watch, so long as my studies permit it.

A happy ending

Happy 30th Betsey Johnson!

Last night, to conclude my internship, I was my editor's "plus one" for the Betsey Johnson 30th Anniversary Party at her Soho boutique. It was awesome, really, the best way I could have imagined to end my summer in the city. While I couldn't get a pic with Betsey herself, I did get two feet from her and some shots of her mingling. She was so cool, however due to the space being packed from the dressing rooms to the flower-wallpapered walls, there were no cartwheels. Even without her cartwheels, the party was fun. Everything was pink; from the cocktails (cosmos, pink champagne, you name it, it was pink!), the cupcakes, twizzlers, m&ms, etc. And everyone was hot (ok, so maybe it was due to limited space and overcrowding, but all of the people were pretty, seriously, not a single ugly human anywhere). The cocktail waiters were all models, my editor even recognized a few from past shoots. All in all it was a really fun event.



And just like the Oscars, there was a goodie bag! It was really exciting, kind of like Christmas. I went home with a watch (one that I'd actually been oogling on her website!), some perfume, some makeup, a bracelet and a thong. Ok, so I'm done talking about me and my time, I want to take a stroll down memory lane with some of my favorite (recent) Betsey looks.

The Fall 2008 RTW collection had some really fun pieces, but I absolutely loved look 27, with the feminine overalls and floral blouse underneath. It's so Betsey, I absolutely love it! This look epitomizes what I think is her eccentric, feminine aesthetic, but all the while completely wearable. She amazes me every time, and this is definitely something I hope to see girls wearing in a few months.


Her prom-themed Spring 2008 RTW blew me away, it really did. I fell in love with it the moment I saw it on style.com. She was adorable at the end when she and her granddaughter wore the same dress - precious! But of the collection I thought 21 had something special to it. With the quirky glasses, the corsage and the tiara, this looks like it really could have been a girl at prom - it's totally relatable, but still fashion.


The Fall 2007 RTW collection (other than being her most dated on style.com) is one of her more sophisticated, rather than being fanciful. I love, though, that even in such a sophisticated collection, she was able to introduce a little bit of girlish flair. Look 49 is fanciful and feminine, really sophisticated, and a little French looking. It's a fantastic garment, and it's one I wish I could have hanging in my closet.

Holla at cha boy!

Unfortunately my ten-week stint as a fashion intern at BlackBook comes to an end today. I'll possibly post later about it, but right now we have business to get to. PR was on last night and I have to put in my two cents.

As an avid SATC fan, I absolutely loved the night-life, night-on-the-town challenge. If I were a judge, I would have had the contestants to tell me why Carrie Bradshaw would wear this, because to be honest, that's really what this particular challenge asked for even if not clearly spelled out. No one better embodies a girl on the town than Ms. Bradshaw - except maybe those Studio 54 types. That being said, I definitely think Kenley's win is deserved; Carrie would totally have worn that out with her three sidekicks. Plus I love that Kenley her aesthetic draws from the 40's and 50's - my favorite fashion era. Right now, she's my favorite.


Now onto people who the judges didn't scrutinize. I feel like Stella's leather, rocker outfit would be worn by Samantha, if it maybe had more color. For me, Stella's leather look was a little too flat tonight, she needed something to make it pop a little bit more. I really didn't remember this look until I went online to Bravo's website this morning.



I love, love, loved Jerrell's garment last night! The colors worked really well together, but if the dress were recreated, it could be done with any pallette. It could look good in plums, reds, blacks, all of them! The only teeny problem I have with Jerrell's dress is that it's not made so much for a night on the town as a formal affair. But even so, this dress made me really happy.


Now I really can't end this post without mentioning how the designers are rubbing off on Tim. Last season, with Christian saying "fierce" all the time, Tim picked it up. This season Blayne (let's be honest, the producers hit the jackpot with him) taught Tim the phrase "Holla at cha boy." And this is only the third episode, we still have ten more designers to boot before the finale.

More on Sephora

I'm going to continue my little love-story with Sephora, because I am temporarily at a loss for what to write about (mainly because the next shows aren't for another few weeks and the next episode of PR is tomorrow...).

Sephora is the perfect place to test drive new products, especially if you like to know the results before you buy them - for instance this past Sunday (another anecdote). My parents were visiting for the weekend and it was rainy. I was walking around with my mom and we happened upon a Sephora (ok, so it may not have been a coincidental happening, but we wandered in just as well). After looking around - this is the same day I found that neat little eyelash curling wonder in the post below - I decided to do my mom up right by putting a little makeup on that clean, but empty facial pallette of hers.

It started innocently enough with mascara to open her eyes up. We found and applied an exclusively-available-at-Sephora prdouct, Imju Fiberwig mascara ($22). I'd never used it before, but it worked nicely on my mom. I may try it in the future, but I have such an addiction to mascara that I have about five tubes to get through before I can even think about buying more.



Next we moved on to eyeshadow. I'm not so good at eyeshadow, so I always choose really neutral colors to just subtly enhance the eyes. Shiseido has the perfect quad combo of colors in one product. The Makeup Silky Eye Shadow Quad ($35) in Desert Winds (pictured is Flora and Fauna) worked famously because it picks up any slight gold accents in the eye and just really makes your face look fresher. This shadow combination really looked great on my mom, I was so happy!


After eyeshadow, it was still raining outside, so we continued on to blush. Next to mascara, blush is my second favorite beauty product because it gives the face a little bit of color. I picked out Lorac Blush ($18) in a combination of Rose and Soul for my mom, because on their own, each color was a little too-too, but together they really worked (pictured is Lorac blush in Pink). If I had to go back and choose again, I wouldn't pick to mix two colors, instead I usually opt for more of a bronzer/blush, but that's just me.



Last but definitely not least we moved on to lipsticks. While I usually just use chap stick because it's quick and simple, I chose some Stila for my mom. The Stila Lipstick ($18) is nice because it has a glossier finish than most other lipsticks so you can just apply it and go (I can't say which color I used on my mom - or which is pictured for that matter - because the colors online all look fairly alike). And this one passes the straw test; after having a diet coke following our little adventure in Sephora, the lipstick had lasting power.


Our time in Sephora inspired a mother-daughter outing when I get home, and I can't wait! I love picking out makeup for other people just as much as I like picking it out for myself.