Oh Yes I Did.

So I have a sorority formal coming up in a few weeks, and I was going through my closet over and over trying to decide what to wear and coming up with nada.  And then I checked my bank account and realized it was a little higher than expected, so I went straight to Rent The Runway.  Yep.  I finally caved.  I'm so excited.


Herve Leger "Naughty and Nice" Dress, rent for $100, retail $1,050, Catherine Malandrino "Modern Queen Elizabeth" Dress, rent for $75, retail $525: I rented (or will rent haha) this purple Herve Leger dress.  I've been dying to try one for years, literally, and I love this one.  The purple is a great color for me, and the sweetheart neckline is great for a bigger chest, plus it's the perfect length and I love the open back.  The way Rent The Runway works is that you get two sizes of the dress you order to try on (and if you order 1 dress you can get another of equal or lesser value for TWENTY FIVE DOLLARS).  I'm wearing this with big sparkley earrings and strappy black platforms and it is going to be epic.  Now, I won't personally order this second dress for my body type, but I absolutely love the cut of it.  Isn't it gorgeous?  The open shoulders!  Sigh.  Someone order it so I can look at pretty pictures of it.  Oh!  Rent The Runway also sends you a Fit Kit with double sided tape and lint rollers, etc, which is so cute and practical.

The Preppy Polka Dot Personalized Tumbler, $14.50 at etsy.com: The other thing I got myself today was one of these tumblers.  I know they're sickeningly cute, but they're so practical for someone who's always reusing Starbucks cups for drinks in my room.  You can get different fonts and colors with your name on the front (I did a grey/light pink/black combo).  I love things like this that are cute and practical.

Images via renttherunway.com, etsy.com.

New Wardrobe Staple

I did something for the first time today.  I bought a backup of a pair of jeans.  I know.  I've never bought 2 of the same pair of jeans before because I've always had some sort of small problem that keeps me from repurchasing.  But with this pair...nothing.  No problems.  And they're a pair of skinny jeans!  It's like the world is ending.

7 For Mankind Gwenevere in Antoinette Darling, $189 at revolveclothing.com, J. Crew Lace-Stripe Tissue Tee, $58 at jcrew.com: I picked up another pair of these 7s on eBay.  If you're like me and you love designer jeans but not the price tag, I can't recommend eBay enough.  I got this pair for over $100 off.  The key is finding out what size in a brand and what cut fits you, and then you can buy a pair from that brand with trying them on.  Success!  What I love about these jeans is that they're stretchy enough to be comfy but thick enough to be supportive, the dark wash is flattering, the high rise doesn't cut into my hip...padding, and the skinny leg works really well with boots.  These are my new wardrobe staple.  I legit wear them every day.  Today I'd like to pair them with a cute-with-a-twist tee, like this lace paneled one from J. Crew.  The slight sheerness gives it a hint of interest, and the off-white hue is very flattering.  I like to do a slightly more voluminous top with a skinnier jean like this pair to balance everything out.

Frye Carmen Short Harness Boots, $298 at fryeboots.com, LOT78 Siouxie Leather Biker Jacket, $860 at net-a-porter.com: I've been wearing those jeans with these boots non-stop.  I heart them.  They've already been re-soled.  The cute, cropped width of the boot works nicely with the skinniness of the jeans, and I love the sassy, western attitude juxtaposed with the sweet girliness of the tee.  To play off that contrast even more, I'd do a cropped leather jacket on top.  When I do a roomier top I like to do a cropped jacket to add some structure and remind the world that I have a waist.  Plus skinny jeans and a leather jacket is just the cutest, Audrey Hepburn gone bad combination.

Ray-Ban Outsider Oversized Wayfarers, $139 at revolveclothing.com, J. Crew Oval Heirloom Locket Necklace, $50 at jcrew.com: Yup, just to push the Audrey Hepburn comparison over the edge I'd add a pair of oversized Wayfarers.  The tortoiseshell is sweetly retro, the shape is very '50s chic, and the oversized nature gives them a fun, celeb-hiding-from-the-paparazzi twist.  Last but not least I'd do a vintagey-locket necklace to add a little visual weight to the lacey shirt and a fun bit of bling.

If only I owned all of these things.  Sigh.


Images via revolveclothing.com, jcrew.com, fryeboots.com, net-a-porter.com.

Fyrinnae Te Amo and New Toys

I had a super stressful week last week, and then over the weekend I got a package from glowyjoeybunny AKA my new favorite person of all time.  She sent me some lovely perfume samples that I'll be reviewing later, and then Fyrinnae's Te Amo eyeshadow, which I've totally been craving for ever.  For those of you that don't know Fyrinnae, it's a small indie make up company run by two adorable guys and famous for its fantastically shimmery loose eye shadows.  They're about $5 a pop, and when you see the size of the pots you'll feel like you got ripped off.  However, I've had one shadow (Rapunzel Had Extensions, absolutely gorgeous) that I wear as a base every day, and have for the last 6 months, and I haven't even used up a quarter of the pot.  So they're an amazing value.


ANYWAYS, Te Amo is basically the best thing ever.  Fyrinnae describes it as glowing iridescent copper highlight.  I wouldn't call it a highlight.  To me it's more of a dusty taupe with this amazing copper shimmer running through it.

This color is SO hard to photograph nicely.  Fyrinnae has better shots on the website.  It's just the perfect color because it's light enough to be a base lid shade if you're doing a darker look, or it's deep enough to use as a crease shade for a more natural look.  Inside it comes across as a nice, neutral taupe, but when you step into the sunlight it becomes this fiery copper that brings out the green in my hazel eyes wonderfully.  Basically I love it.  So: THANK YOU JOEY.  Because I want to marry this color and how versatile but fun it is.  Also everyone should follow Joey on Twitter (@glowyjoeybunny) because she's hilarious.

In other news, I gots me an iPhone over the weekend because my Blackberry decided to off itself (except like actually).  Like my background?  Marie Antoinette FTW.  Anyways, I thought it'd be useful for other Blackberry peeps if I did a little review/comparison of the two phones.  I am by no means a techie, but if you're an average person looking to switch from a Blackberry to an iPhone this might be helpful.

The biggest criticism I heard about iPhones was battery life.  My Blackberry Tour would last me maybe 12 hours, sometimes 10, before it died.  The iPhone lasts just as long or longer, so that hasn't been a problem for me.  There's definitely a learning curve switching between the two phones, but I think the iPhone is a little more user friendly.  The only issues I've had with it are that you can't mark texts as unread (so if I forget that I'm texting you, blame the phone!  Not me), and even though I can get Facebook notifications/Twitter notifications/emails when I'm out and about, I can't always read them when I'm not in a WiFi network.  It's not a huge deal for me, but if I was in a corporate setting I'd want something that was more reliable in different environments.


But on the plus side...it's an iPhone.  It's really cool.  The camera is AMAZING, the video chat function is amazing, the apps are amazing, I can text on it much more easily than I expected, and I can even watch my Netflix instant on it for free.  So overall I love it, even though I'm constantly paranoid about dropping it.

BHLDN

This is bad news for brides-to-be everywhere, kids.  Anthropologie has launched an online bridal shop, complete with wedding dresses, bridesmaid dresses, cocktail dresses, accessories, shoes, etc, etc.  Why is this bad news?  Because it is going to kill my wallet and I'm not even getting married.  It's genius, really.  Take the romatic-boho chic of Anthropologie and capitalize on it in wedding form and you have a guaranteed money maker.  Here are some of my favorite pieces (but let's be honest, I love all of them):

Tiered Tulip Gown, $2,400 at bhldn.com: I love this wedding dress.  It's so different from what you usually see, but not so different that you could never actually wear it as a wedding dress.  The lettuce edge to the layers adds a hint of femininity without going overboard, the slit in the front shows a bit of ankle without being too sexy, and the black sash at the waist adds just the right amount of structure and edge.  It's modern, it's romantic, and it's just a bit quirky.

Starburst Pleated Shift, $200 at bhldn.com: This is so '20s screen siren, in a modern take (also, does that model look a bit like Camilla Belle or is that just me?).  The black becomes fun instead of standard with the high sheen fabric, the subtle pleating gives the simple shape some visual interest, and the wrapped, jeweled belt adds this old school glamour twist.  I want to wear this dress in a smokey speakeasy with tons of black liner and basically just be awesome.

Savoy Dress, $220 at bhldn.com: I have a dress like this from Rodarte for Target, with the same neckline with the illusion/sheer fabric and the sweetheart cut.  It's such a fun dress because you aren't showing too much skin, but you're still flashing a little something-something.  The length is flattering but wedding appropriate, and the sweetness of the little bow balances out the vampiness of the lipstick red perfectly.

Images via BHLDN.com.

J. Crew Wants

 Aw, J. Crew.  It's like they understand me so well.  I'm going to start one-stop shopping there soon.  I mean, now they sell nail polish and lip gloss, so I'm pretty much set for life.  Here are some of their cute new items:

Oxford Ballet Flats, $138 at jcrew.com, Corsa Hobo, $298 at jcrew.com: I've always wished I could rock a pair of oxfords, but something about the lace-up structure of them throws me off, and they're a little on the masculine side for me.  That's why I think these flats are adorable.  They have the styling of a pair of oxfords, but in cute little ballet flat format.  It's the perfect balance of masculine and feminine, and so quirky chic.  J. Crew is really knocking it out of the park with their handbags recently.  I like my bags to be basic and versatile, but with a bit of a unique twist.  This bag is big enough to hold all my junk, a versatile and rich color, and has a few little quirks: the distressed leather, the oversized zipper pulls, the chain handle.  Plus at just under $300, it's a pretty good deal.

Swirling Dots Dress, $148 at jcrew.com, Crosstown Tee, $27.60 at jcrew.com: I am still on the hunt for the perfect little sundress--just a hint of vintage flair, flattering cut, lightweight.  This isn't it, but it's pretty darn cute.  It has a cute swirling dot print, a light cotton-silk blend fabric, a cut that flirts the line between fitted and flowing nicely, and a sweet little bow at the bustline.  It's simple but elegant, and an outfit in and of itself.  I love all of J. Crew's riffs on the basic tee, like this wrap/crossover front tee.  It comes in a ton of colors, the wrap cut makes your waist look tiny, and it's one sale.  Wootwoot.

Images via jcrew.com.

Craving: Urban Decay Feminine Palette

I don't think I've ever bought an eyeshadow palette.  I'm too picky.  I like to be able to choose all of my colors.  But sometimes I wish I had a cute little palette like this to take with me when I travel.  It's so much more travel friendly than a ton of loose eyeshadows and the packaging is LOVELY.  


Urban Decay Feminine Palette, $34 at urbandecay.com.  Loving the feathery art on the front.  I'd actually be proud to whip this out of my makeup bag.

So what's included in the palette is a mini of their Eden shadow primer (a matte beige), a mini of their 24-7 liner in Zero (black), and 6 shadows: Stray Dog, a cool deep brown taupe, SWF, a metallic cotton candy pink, Midnight Cowboy, a gilded champage bronze, Aquarius, a pale, muted teal with silver shimmer, Darkhorse, a deep chocolate bronze-brown, and Ecstacy, a cool violet purple.  I really love that there's a nice combination of wearable, chic shades, and then there's the purple and the teal thrown in for a fun, whimsical touch.  The black liner adds a nice bit of edge to it all. 

I read somewhere that you get about $80 worth of product in this palette, which is a pretty phenomenal steal considering that the actual price is about $46 less than that.  Talk about a bargain people.  Has anyone tried this?  I want it.


Images via audreydao.com.

Me Want

I want this.


Wildfox Paris Pony Tee, $77 at shopbop.com: I know it's overpriced.  But it's really cute.  It's a big white scoopneck tee (which already sold me) and then you add the pony and the Paris and the vintagey feel and I NEED IT.  I want to wear it with dark wash jeans and boots and pretty jewelry and run around feeling French.

Image via shopbop.com.

Shiny Pretty Happy Things

Dudes.  I am sick.  It's bronchitis city over here.  Blah.  So if I seem a little...blah over the next few days, it's not that I don't love you guys anymore.  It's that I feel like death.  So here are some pretty things to cheer us all up.


J. Crew Silk Serenade Dress, $138 at jcrew.com, J. Crew Corsa Tote, $238 at jcrew.com: How adorable are these new J. Crew pieces?  Drool.  I love the blue shade of this slip dress, I love the subtle sheen of the silk, and I love the cut with its lingerie inclinations.  You could dress it up in a very feminine, sexy way, or you could dress it down and make it daytime appropriate.  I wish I had the money to buy this J. Crew tote for my textbooks.  It's just big enough for books and laptops, it has a good number of pockets for stashing things in, and the washed and worn leather look reminds me of an old motorcycle jacket in the best possible way.

LUSH It's Raining Men Shower Gel, $24.95 at lushusa.com: I would buy this for the name alone.  It's Raining Men?  In the shower?  Yes.  Just yes.  And the fact that it has notes of lotus flower, honey, bergamot oil, and orange blossom seals the deal.  It would make me smile in the gross dorm showers, and that's a feat in and of itself.

Images via jcrew.com, lushusa.com.

Currently Loving: KAIN Pocket Tank

About a week ago I ordered a KAIN Pocket Tank on super, super sale from Tobi.com.  It was originally $80 and I got it for $15 in the color Magic Spell, which is a lovely medium lavender.  I took it out of the box, immediately loved it, and bought another one in Amalfi Red online yesterday.  I've wanted a KAIN tank forever, but couldn't justify the price tag.  However, at about $20 a pop, they're an amazing deal.  They're one size fits all, which could be problematic for some, but it fits me surprisingly well.  There's a pocket on the right side, and the fabric is a mixture of modal and silk, so it's very soft and drapes perfectly (this also means that they're very fragile, so hand-wash only).  Here I'm wearing it with a C&C California sweater, a Tiffany's necklace, 7 For All Mankind jeans, and Frye boots.

And here's a slightly blurry (sorry!) photo of just the tank.  As you can see, it's slightly transparent, which doesn't bother me but makes it not work appropriate.  But it's just so, so comfy.  There are still a ton of colors on sale, including a really pretty mauve.

All in all, I love these tanks.  They're a great basic wardrobe staple, they come in a lot of colors, they're very comfortable, and they go with basically anything.  Aside from how fragile these are, there are no downsides here.

Too Faced Cravings

I've never bought anything from Too Faced, but I was browsing around Sephora's website today, and the only two things that caught my eye were these Too Faced items.


Too Faced Romantic Eye Classic Beauty Shadow Collection, $35 at sephora.com, Too Faced Peach Leopard Brightening & Perfecting Bronzer, $28 at sephora.com: This Too Faced set has 9 shadows.  The three large ones are Soul Mates (pale peach shimmer), Kiss the Brides (matte pale pink), and Bouquet Toss (matte pale yellow ivory), and the six small ones are I Do (matte taupe), Un-Veil (matte soft black), Cut The Cake (mauve lavender shimmer), First Dance (deep matte purple), Honeymoon (burnished gold shimmer), and Ever After (bronze shimmer).  For $35 and that many shadows, this is a great deal.  I don't really see the bridal theme with the actual shadows (black and dark purple for a bride?  Really?), but I do like the colors all together.  It has a very romantic, whimsical feel, and I like that you get such a variety of colors.  You can really get a lot of looks out of this palette, and the box is just adorable.  Plus the finishes look so rich, with a rich shimmer instead of chunky glitter.  I've never bought a set of shadows, but...I want this.  Like a lot.  I'm so bad at not shopping.  It's a problem.  And this Too Faced bronzer is equally adorable.  I'm honestly sold with the leopard pattern alone, but the fact that on top of that you get a beautiful combo of peach, chocolate, and bronze that doesn't look too shimmery or glittery makes it perfect.

Images via sephora.com.

I'm An Enabler

I am the worst influence.  Especially on myself.  I decided I wasn't going to do any more online shopping.  I bought two things today.  I need adult supervision.  But when you see this amazing deal, I think you'll understand.  


Tobi is having a sale on all their KAIN Label products.  And not like a 50% off sale, but a 70-80% off sale.  With free shipping.  I KNOW.  KAIN is famous for their one-size-fits-all drapey, modal tees and tanks.  I got the pocket tank in Magic Spell, which is pictured but is a deeper, duskier purple in real life.  It was $15 down from $79 at tobi.com.  It sounds too good to be true, doesn't it?  Now, if I wasn't on shopping probation, I'd also get this Pocket Tee in Mauve, $25 down from $84 at tobi.com.  I love the ethereal, faded lavender hue.

There's also more than just Tobi on sale.  I'd check out this Elizabeth & James dress and this fab Olivia Harris studded leather bag.  Go get shopping!

Pimpin' Out My Wellies

Sometimes...you just can't be 100% classy.  You need to be a little ridiculous.  Today is one of those days.  As a very late Xmas present, someone offered to get me a pair of Hunter welly socks.  I was trying to be practical and looking at all the solid color ones, and...I was bored.  I wanted to get a fun color, like pink, but that's not wearable with over half of my wardrobe.  And then it hit me.  Get a faux fur welly sock.


These Hunter White Tiger Cuff Welly Socks are $40 at zappos.com.  I love them.  They're still a neutral set of colors, so I can wear them with a lot of different things, but they so luxe and unexpected, plus totally warm.  I have black Hunters, so I don't think it'll be too over the top.  I just ordered them today, so I'll let y'all know when they get here.

Images via zappos.com.

My MAC Peacocky Haul

I had to go by MAC this morning to check out the Peacocky collection (it's at the point where the MAC girls recognize me.  Even though I go to college in Boston for 3/4 of the year and I'm home in LA.  Oh dear).  I was preparing myself to love everything in the collection and have to talk myself out of buying it all, but surprisingly I left with everything I wanted.  I was thinking of grabbing a lip color too, but they just weren't the right colors for me.

So I ended up with the shadows in Tweet Me and Spectacle of Yourself. Here are nice (nicer than mine, anyways) swatches of the whole collection.  These Mega Metal shadows are $19.50, and the size of a cream color base.  I put them next to a regular sized shadow (Vainglorious) so y'all can see the size difference.  These are HUGE.  I love it.  MAC describes Tweet Me as gold bronze and Spectacle of Yourself as deep bronze.  Hm.  In real life, I'd say Tweet Me is a gilded peach and Spectacle of Yourself is a metallic brown with red undertones and red sheen.  They're both extremely metallic, and have an amazing high sheen without being shimmery or glittery.  That's Tweet Me on the right.

 Swatches: Tweet Me (left), Spectacle of Yourself (right), and then Spectacle of Yourself on the right.  These shadows are so pigmented and easy to work with.  I really, REALLY like them.  And because you don't need a lot of product for an opaque layer of color, you'll get a ton of use out of these products.  They're a good value for the money.  These are up on the website now, and I don't think anything is sold out yet.  Apparently these are a new formula of shadow for MAC, and I think MAC needs to put out more of them.  ASAP.  They feel like pressed pigments!  The shadows that I have from MAC with the most comparable texture are my frosts (Satin Taupe and Romp), but these Mega Metal shadows are even more pigmented and easier to work with.  I would have died to have seen a metallic black in the collection.

And for comparison purposes, here is Spectacle of Yourself on top and on the left, and Vainglorious on the bottom and on the right.  In the pan they look pretty similar, but once swatched the difference is pretty apparent.  Spectacle of Yourself is much richer and more pigmented, and it's really a brown with a red twist whereas Vainglorious is a red with a brown twist, and much less pigmented.

And on a last note, I picked up a new bottle of Face and Body foundation in N1.  The old bottle is on the right, the new bottle (also N1) is on the left.  Isn't that a crazy difference?  What happened is that Face and Body is water-based and oxidizes pretty quickly because of its lack of preservatives.  So in about 9 months, it's gotten that much darker.  And I didn't even notice!

Salted Caramel Lip Balm?

Yes.  I love TokyoMilk.  They do such interesting boutique fragrances but at reasonable prices with fantastic packaging, and they just came out with a new line of lip balms.  In all honesty, I'd pay $7 for one of these just for the packaging.  It's so vintage boudoir chic.  Wouldn't you rather pull that out of your purse than a Chapstick?  But the real kickers here are the scents that these balms come in.  Here are my top three:

TokyoMilk Dark Lip Elixir in Coco Noir, $7 at tokyo-milk.com: Coco Noir has notes of Dark Rum, Maraschino Cherries, Sweet Milk, and Cacao Beans.  It's sweet, fruity, chocolatey and boozy.  Yum.  Doesn't that sound delicious?  I'd probably end up eating it.

TokyoMilk Dark Lip Elixir in Salted Caramel, $7 at tokyo-milk.com: Salted Caramel (NOM) has notes of Sweet Cream, Sea Salt, Caramelized Sugar, and Toasted Vanilla Bean.  This is so me.  Salted caramel is the most delicious thing ever, and the milky and vanilla hints added in round out the scent so nicely.  I'm that girl that's always too lazy to put on lip balm and ends up with chapped lips, but I would use the heck out of this.  And the little bee on top?  SO CUTE.

TokyoMilk Dark Lip Elixir in Dead Sexy, $7 at tokyo-milk.com: Dead Sexy has notes of Ebony Wood, Warm Vanilla, Citrus Peel and Rosewater.  It sounds like a perfume, no?  It's a very sophisticated scent and I love the skull and crossbones on the top of the case.  I know $7 is a lot for lip balm, but somehow this feels like a bargain.

Images from tokyo-milk.com.

J. Crew Post-Xmas Sale

I'm sorry I was such a fail this week.  I was in San Francisco from Sunday till today, and the hotel I was staying at claimed to have Wi-Fi, so I didn't plan any blog posts ahead of time.  And then I got to the hotel, and no Wi-Fi.  Cry.  Crycry.  But, on the plus side, J. Crew is having a great post-Xmas sale, so I thought I'd blog on that.

Dream Zip-pocket Cardigan, $49.99 down from $78 at jcrew.com, Panne Velvet Bell Skirt, $49.99 down from $78 at jcrew.com: I almost bought this sweater a few months ago, and now I'm so glad I didn't because it's on sale.  Yipee!  It's adorable because it seems like a normal little cardigan from a few feet away, but then you realize that it has a sassy little zipper and cute little zipper pockets.  It's a wearable basic, but with an attitude (and it comes in a ton of colors).  This velvet skirt is the perfect thing for holiday cocktail parties.  It's easy to style around, and it feel so luxurious.  I realize holiday cocktail parties are basically over but...consider it an investment for next year?

Glitz Stud Cami, $38 down from $169 at jcrew.com, Dulphine Bling-button Cardigan, $39.99 down from $69.50 at jcrew.com: This tank is such a ridiculously good deal.  It's a pretty pale pink silk with gorgeous sparkly embellishments, and it drapes so nicely.  You do wear it so many ways--dark jeans and boots, tucked into a high-waisted skirt with heels, etc, etc.  J. Crew's bling cardigans are so classic.  The cut is so basic and versatile, but the gemstone-esque buttons give it such a luxe, glamorous twist.  Play it up with some crystal jewelry for a really fab look.

Bonfire Cardigan, $78 down from $118 at jcrew.com, Drapey Sequin Tank, $44.99 down from $69.50 at jcrew.com: That sweater looks so cozy.  I want to wear it and snuggle up by a fireplace with some big shearling-lined boots and drink hot cocoa.  The marled texture gives the neutral hue a fun twist, and the exaggerated shawl collar adds so much drama to such a comfortable look.  I love this sequin tank.  It looks like a basic white tank, but once the light hits it you realize that it's entirely plastered with white sequins.  That subtle sheen adds so much visual interest to even the simplest of looks, a tank and a pair of jeans.

Images from jcrew.com.