Horsepower

You know those friends you have whose hair always looks adorable like they just stepped out of the salon but you know they did it themselves and it drives you nuts? I am not one of those girls. My hair is either straight, curled with a youcurl, or in a ponytail. Recently I attended a wedding and wore my hair in a ponytail and realized that it's actually a lot more polished than I thought. I have realized the power of the pony! The one thing I will say keeps the updo looking polished and not lazy is buying the clear or black rubber band that allows you to easily wrap a 1 inch strand of hair around the base of the ponytail.

For the Gucci 2011 fall/winter show models came onto the runway with low, polished ponies that had an unexpected twist, FEATHERS!!! I love feathers and I love this look because it can be appropriate for a lot of different events.

Celebs aren't lost on the idea of ponies as the updo for events...

Blake Lively has amazing hair and she knows it! Her hair is usually very textured with waves or a curl to it but we all know if she wore her hair smooth it would look major too. Unfair!

Lauren has lust worthy hair too, her low pony goes well with her strapless dress. 

Jennifer Aniston's pony is a more polished approach to Blake's hair. This version is good for work or a work event. 

Next time you're in a pinch to get ready for an event try a ponytail. It's a timeless look that is simple and a time-saver!

xoxo

Was that you going through my laundry?

So I had a request to do a "who got it right?" type post so after some research I found a few celebs working the same if not similar looks and who got it right.

First duel is between my fav Ms. Britney Spears and Kim Kardashian wearing the same Dolce and Gabana dress. Both were for photo shoots.

Britney rocks the heavily printed dress w/minimal accessories and black patent pumps and an added sleeve.

Kim wears the dress straight from the runway, literally accessories and color combination.

Both women look beautiful but Kim's heavy accessories are just too much for this dress that could easily stand alone and still be a knock out. Britney shines in the dress but isn't over powered by it, and the extra sleeves make it appear more editorial. The thing about runway looks is that they're meant to be excessive and artsy but very rarely does the whole thing translate to everyday life or even a photo shoot.  Plus the way the dresses are similarly shot is bad news for Kimmy because Britney's Harper's Bazaar issue came out in June. *Winner= Britney Spears

Next is Ashley Olsen and Rihanna both rocking the menswear trend

Ashley's easy silhouette, girly shoes, and harem-ish pants look like she's not trying too hard. The polished low pony and sleek clutch pull the look together.

Rihanna wears a more drastic version of the trend with the high shoulders, puff sleeves on top, and a bow tie. 

Granted Rihanna wore this to the Met Ball in 2010 where all the fashion is very dramatic and for the event a simpler look wouldn't have sufficed, it's just too costume-y. It's too much with the shoulders and the sleeves, and that bow tie. If she would've picked one dramatic detail and stuck with it, it would've done better. Ashley Olsen just looks so well put together and polished. Her look is simple and refined but not boring. *Winner=Ashley Olsen. 

Amber Rose (Kanye's ex girlfriend) and Kim Kardashian both wearing the exact same tribal print dress.

Amber Rose pairs the look with tribal inspired accessories, like her spear-head earrings and beaded bracelet. 

Kim plays off the color of the dress with her shoes and stacked bracelets.

Amber's bright lips and too tight fit make it appear she is trying too hard. The thing about tribal prints is that they have a bohemian vibe so it should come off as easy, Amber's doesn't feel that way. Kim's simple high pony, natural make-up, and effortless shoes feel sexy but not complicated. While Amber deserves an award for putting up with Kanye West, Kim takes the cake this time. *Winner= Kim Kardashian. 

Lindsay Lohan wears the same moccasins as Kate Moss

Going for a quick coffee run, Lindsay works her lace ups with a light blue dress

Kate, also running errands wears hers with jean shorts and a loose brown sweater.

Both girls obviously weren't trying too hard when figuring out what to wear to make a few quick stops but Lindsay's dress looks like something she wore during her stay at Cedars Sinai for exhaustion. Something about the fabric and color of the dress feel creepy to me and don't go at all with the vibe of the mocs. Kate gets it right with the cut off denim jeans and loose fitting sweater, She definitely pulls off the boho-chic look. *Winner=Kate Moss. 

OMG!!

Hi again! About a week ago I was conversing with a girl at work about nail polish because I am obsessed with it. I was mentioning that I hate that no matter how long I wait to let my nails dry I always end up smudging them somehow and she informed me of the best top coat ever....Seche Vite!  I bought some today when I was playing at Ulta and tried it out with the new Essie color I bought, well I bought 3 :) but used Marshmallow today! It is genius! I am in love with it! Seche Vite dryed so fast and I have zero smudges, even now as I type this post I am confident I will not find a single knick when I am done! HALLELUJAH!

I am pretty sure I do a polish change 2-3 times a week so this will save me oodles of time!!! wa hoo! 

xoxo

Honey, have you seen my shoes?

Good morning and happy Monday! I know most people hate when Monday rolls around but I welcome it because that means the crazy weekend at work is over and the store goes back to normal (somewhat).

Menswear. A huge trend in Hollywood and the fashion industry but scary for a lot of us normal girls. Basically you want to end up looking like you stole you're entire outfit from your boyfriend/husband (hence the title ;) ) Blazers have been the easy piece to work into your everyday life but oxfords can be a little bit scarier. The flat style is the more trendy way to go but oxfords with heels may be the less frightening choice, especially with a thicker heel they're easier to wear everyday. I love oxfords with a cable knit Grandpa sweater and skinnies or a men's button down shirt for running errands or a lunch date. For work you can pair a heeled oxford with your suit for a more polished look.

Sienna Miller is a huge fan of the trend, rocking oxfords for either running errands or to an event. Perfection. Taylor swift makes her oxfords more girly which is totally her style. I love when someone can take a trend and make it their own. Selma Blair shows how to pull off oxfords with a shirt dress, like she stole her whole look from her boyfriends closet! 

So here  and some options I found the first few are from zappos.com which I love because it's so easy to buy and return w/o having to pay for shipping. I feel like sometimes buying shoes online is a huge risk because a lot of brands size differently and who wants to pay to return something?! Not me! 

These are also available in black! I adore these (my favs)

Available in brown, black, blue/white striped, floral print, and gray

The next pair is from aldoshoes.com, what I love about these is they're patent leather so it draws a little more attention with the shine but also patent leather holds up a little better especially through the snow in the winter.

Available in gray, dark brown, cognac and a synthetic black (matte leather)

This pair is from jcpenny.com, they have a really good shoe selection lately and even label the shoes that are featured in People Stylewatch addition. 

I think these also came in brown but I forgot to write down color choices for this one. Sorry it was late and I worked all day :( my bad! 

I love the menswear trend, it's fun and when done right can be a polished look that when you look back 20 years from now you won't be embarrassed you wore, plus without this trend most of us girls wouldn't be wearing blazers! 

Have a good week and happy shopping xoxo

P.S. Missoni is coming to Target!! Rejoyce! September 13 it hits store so be on the look out for zigzags and bright colors in the GO! designer section plus I think they will be doing accessories like cosmetic pouches and brushes plus hair accessories! I cannot wait! 

Not Your Average Two Way Mirror...

So here I am after work minding my own business looking through the new Instyle Makeover with Rachel Bilson on the cover (who I am obsessed with since her days on the O.C.) and what to my wandering eyes do appear but a full length mirror that opens up to hold your jewelry!!!!!!!!! I almost fell out of bed but my neck is bothering me so it hurt too much. I am constantly frustrated with my closet and jewelry box because I can't ever see anything and forget what I have. Well this amazing mirror holds 350 pieces of jewelry whilst multitasking as a mirror so you can see if the piece you chose looks good with your outfit! I am so pumped. Of course the white version is on a wait-list but whatever so worth the wait. Now I just have to figure out where to put it.

Definitely pick up the Instyle Makeover issue to see what other clutter ideas they have for the home, it's pretty amazing.

(Gold and Silver Safekeeper mirrored cabinet, Clever & Unique Creations by Lori Greiner $149)

Dear Karen at the MAC counter...

So I've been using drug store make-up for most of my life which I am sure a lot of us do but after seeing Elle and Blair Fowler's (from elleandblair.com) make-up collection worth coveting I decided to head to the MAC counter and see what sort of trouble I could get into. Oh, and I sure did get into trouble. The lady at the counter, Karen, was so funny I would've bought anything she put on my face.

I initially went in for loose powder because I don't like using a ton of foundation on my face just a little under my eyes and then loose powder for light coverage on the rest of my skin. I am fortunate enough to have normal/clear skin so I don't ever want to put too much on it and chance a breakout. After trying a two different loose powder, one of them was the mineralizing powder (I don't remember the exact name, oops) and their Loose Sheer powder I ended up with the latter in NC30. I am also super lucky that in the summer I will be burnt for a day then it turns more of a brown tan but in the summer I get like translucently pale so I need something that will give me color without having to be blended down to my belly button, you know what I mean. NC30 gave the perfect amount of color without being too dark for me. Phew, got that out of the way.

Next we looked at blush and she showed me three colors but I ended up choosing MAC Mineralize Blush in Gentle it's a different color then I've normally tried but it has such a pretty shimmer to it without being too shimmery for everyday. Plus I think it would blend really nice with my Benefit Thrrrob blush. In order to apply both my loose powder and mineralize blush I got the 109 brush, it's a smaller brush but it's most dense so it'll work for both applications.

The cherry on top of my MAC experience was the Opulash mascara I got. It has an amazing brush, it's very thick and really long so it gets every lash. What I like most about it is that it's not extremely cakey or after wearing all day it didn't melt down my face which, is a hugggggeeeeee pet peeve of mine. So I'd say it was a successful day for me and Karen :)

Oui, Chanel s'il vous plait!

My first big designer purchase was a pair of Chanel sunglasses which I still absolutely adore and wear more than any other pair of sunglasses I own. With my love of nail polish it should be no secret that I lusted after Chanel's Black Satin nail varnish but with the way I change my polish color and the reds and pinks only dress code at work I just couldn't justify the purchase. Sad news. Well this fall Chanel is at it again with some drool worthy colors and yet again I will spend some time debating on whether I should invest.

Graphite is a big color for Fall 2011 showing up in most accessories but now in beauty products too. The Peridot though is absolutely amazing and is the most tempting of the colors. I can't stop looking at it and wishing my plain purple/pink nail polish would magically change into Peridot! It's mesmerizing. :) Quartz is also very pretty but a little more subtle for those who aren't as outgoing with their varnish color. It looks like a more dressed up nude which, is another huge color for fall. This would be awesome on the tooters (toes, I don't know why I can't just say toes but tooters is way more fun). At $25 a piece it's definitely an investment for something that goes on the nails and is sure to chip working retail. Perplexing...I will be left pondering this purchase for a while. I hope I don't wander into Macy's make-up department any time soon with an extra $25 in my ocelot print wallet ;)