i'm ba-ack!

ok, since i've been travelling non-stop the past few weeks, i decided to write a guide for packing for you all. then i realized i suck at packing and that you should just figure out what works for you. my personal strategy is squishing everything i might conceivably ever want to wear into a suitcase. then tossing in some undies and my toothbrush. whatever works, right? ;) anyway, my one piece of real advice is this:

avoid the dreaded tourist look at all costs. why do even the most stylish people sometimes start to totally abandon any pride/self-respect when travelling for the sake of "comfort" or "practicality"?? they might wear something they wouldn't be seen dead in at home. i say do the opposite: you might never see any of these people again, so make a good impression.

(available at etsy, $16)

and as for suitcases: i say vintage all the way!!
who wouldn't want to carry around something like this?
(hint: for really good vintage cases, search etsy. it's a goldmine, i tell you.)

if they aren't really your style (or just plain too small) lesportsac.com is a good place for cute (modern!) luggage.

(runaway duffel, $120)

i'm partial to the "artist in residence" ones, but there's plenty to choose from.

(extra large weekender, $138)

just think, you'll always be able to tell your suitcases apart from everyone else's boring black ones! :) finally, if your trip will be longer than a week/you have to go through an airport, get luggage with wheels. just save yourself the agony.

anyway, i know the summer is already half-over, i hope you all get to go on a (stylish!) vacation!

walk like an egyptian...

i admit it: i am cheap. especially when it comes to makeup. the only time i have ever considered spending more than $10 on makeup was for the guerlain terracotta loose powder kohl liner. (and $33=waaay more than $10. so it just wasn't goin' to happen.)


so thank god for the knock off version, by l'oreal, hip kohl eyeliner. (it costs $13=only a little more than $10.) (also, the photo on the website totally lie. the brown is much closer to black, and the blues aren't nearly as bright.)

also, yay for the sale going on (went on?) at cvs: buy one l'oreal eyeshadow/liner, get another one free. as you could probably tell, i am now the proud owner of two little vials of colored kohl, in black and in teal. i think i also need it in burgandy... remember that post?

go to apocalypstick to learn more about them, how to apply them, ect.

here is my review:
these kohls are really great, and highly pigmented. watch out, though, for all the fallout. i recommend tapping the wand on the edge of the tube before applying it and lots of q-tips. i wear contacts, but they didn't bother my eyes at all. :) they last a long time, but again, they can be kind of smudgy. the only other problem i had with them is that apperantly you can just apply it to your bottom waterline, blink, and transfer it to your top waterline. that doesn't work for me, so i have to apply it to my top waterline, too. one last thing: removing can be a real bitch. again, say it with me: q-tips!! ;) i would definetly recommend it, though, becuase you can either use a little in your lash line for a really clean look, or use more for a more party-ish look. it's amazing for tightlining.

btw, if you haven't heard of tightlining, here's what it pretty much is (and it totally changed how i apply eyeliner.) you color in the little space between your eyelashes, and it instantly makes them look tons thicker! if i don't feel like usuing eyeliner, sometimes i just smudge a tiny bit of mascara at the base of my lashes for the same effect.

p.s. i know this is a "fashion" blog, but i also think that hair/makeup make a huge difference in the way you look, so i include those types of posts, too.

yes, the one the only... (ok, maybe not really) shirt skirt!!! :)

ahh, there is nothing better than blogging while eating a frozen milkshake with a spoon. *sigh...* :) anyway, i know it's tuesday, which is not usually considered part of the weekend, but that's life. so, may i now present the long-anticipated (kind of) shirt skirt!!


ok, i understand. bad, blurry pictures. well, at least i warned you...



here are two slightly better pictures, and if you're wondering why i'm wearing jeans in the first picture, well, i just didn't really take off what i was wearing before before i started experimenting. i probably wouldn't have paired it with a black tank top, either. (oh, and in real life, my legs are all one color and actually match my arms. stupid camera.)

'

detail shot. i basically just tied the cardi around my waist, like how you tie a sweatshirt around your waist with the arms when you don't feel like carrying it? yeah, just like that, except backwards.



here i tied it in the back, in a cute lil' bow. ;) i probably wouldn't wear this in public, unless a.) i could figure out how to make the back even/stay shut (safety pins, anyone?) and b.) wear tights under it, cause wow, this "sweater" is pretty damn thin. here's a picture of it, so you get a better idea of the color:



it's from american eagle, but i got it thrifting for like $2. it was brand-new, though, with the tags on and everything!

oh, and sorry if these pictures are kind of anticlimactic... :/

i did try a (button-down) shirt skirt, but it didn't turn out too well. too big, and i couldn't figure out how to tie it properly, either. whoops.

oh, and if you check out the comments from the last last post, dirty laundry left a link to a post she did on men's shirts, which is way better than anything i ever did. so go check it out!

the universally unflattering pants: the drop-crotch... or so i thought

i know "harem" (or "hammer" or "drop-crotch" or whatever else you call them) pants have been popular for a while now.


by "popular" (lots of quotes, no?), i mean fashion bloggers raving over them and everyone else complaining about how terrible they are.

at first i was part of the latter group. how could pants that don't even look good on a model look good on a mere mortal? then i heard someone (i forget exactly who) mention cropped harem pants. "hmmm," i thought. "that actually might look ok!!"
so i googled it, and...




not so bad, right? i would wear those... so, to recap, what have we learned? normal harem pants=not so good, but cropped harem pants = yes!
although these metallic gold ones are pretty awesome too!



i hereby dare you to try on a pair. go on. you know you want to...

you must live under a rock...

if you haven't seen the ads for maybelline greatlash mascara:
the pink and green phenomenon sweeping the nation.

what a load of b.s.
i've been using it for a few weeks now (i admit it's just because i don't have a replacement yet), and wow, does it not live up to it's hype or what?! i'm not the only person to notice this, either. friends, other bloggers, even my own mother knew how crappy it is!!
it doesn't last, it's really clumpy, smeary, ect. grrr... especially with all the adds everywhere. you would think they might spend a little less on marketing and a little more on the formula itself.

i've been using blackest black (the washable kind) and it's highly pigmented, but that's really the only positive thing i can say about it.

so just take my advice: don't waste your money on this... this... pink and green monstrosity, ok?

...no matter how pretty the packaging the packaging is.

"quality before quantity" and other useless advice...

we've heard all the cliches on spending on our wardrobes:
"always spend as much as you can afford on basics"
"quality before quantity"
blah blah blah.
if someone asked me, "would you rather buy three pairs of cheap, don't-fit-so-well jeans, or one pair of fabulous, super-flattering ones for the combined price of the 1st three, which would you choose?"
i can tell you in a second i would choose the three pairs of not-so-hot jeans. no competition. the thing is, i have really long legs (for my height), so it's kind of hard to find jeans, ect. that are long enough. so when i find any that are even halfway decent, i snap them up. even if they're not the most flattering jeans in the world. so right now, i have about 5 pairs of jeans, only one of which i think is actually, truly, flattering. not kidding. that makes me kind of sad. as in, i've spent all this money on jeans (which i wear practically everyday), and i know they don't look as great as they should, and i still wear them anyway.it's hard to be picky, especially when you think you really need something. so now that i have a (mostly) functioning wardrobe, i'm trying to buy only flattering things. (but there's a snowball's chance in hell that i'm suddenly going to start spending my whole clothes budget on basics. ;))

"whoever said money can't buy happiness simply didn't know where to go shopping."

^quote by bo derek
(you can also find more fabulous shopping quotes here.

if you couldn't tell, i looooooooooooove shopping. :)
(and if you really couldn't tell, i'd be a little worried about you.)

here are my fave tried-and-true shopping tips. i know some of them are a little cliche, but bear with me, ok?

~have a shopping list, or at least a basic idea of what you're looking for. otherwise you'll just end up spending money on something you don't really want. (er... what are you talking about? i'm speaking hypothetically, not from experience, or course...;))

~wear easy to take on/off clothing. neutral colors are good because they match everything you try on. bringing a belt, camisole, ect. also helps, in case something you try on needs one of those items.

~doing your homework can really pay off!! checking a store's website before heading to the mall can save you a ton of money. signing up for favorite store's newsletter can is worth doing, as you can get special deals not availible to non-members.

~again, i know budgets aren't any fun. but you do need to eat, and anyway, you still need to save for the spring collections. ;) so don't bring more cash than you're comfortable with spending, and don't even think about credit cards!

~don't waste your money on anything you don't absolutely l-o-v-e. even if it's a $5 shirt, if you never wear it, that's $5 wasted. then again, if you spend $75 on a pair of boots you wear eveyday, using cost-per-wear, that's cents everytime you put them on. cost-per-wear only decreases the more you wear something, so don't just save expensive things for special occasions!! get your money's worth! (and i'm aware that wasn't really a shopping tip. just think of it as a bit of freebie advice.)

speaking of which, i really want to go shopping soon (espacially with the 4-day weekend!), i'm i'm definetly planning to use these tips.

a shoe-inspired manicure? what is the world coming to?...

i'm not huge into brands and designers and whatever, but even i recognize the famed red louboutin heels. (actually, they're one of the only brands of high-end shoes i recognize, but let's not get into that right now...) anyway, on all lacquered up, or another one of the many nail blogs i read, i discovered this:

yes folks, this is a shoe-inspired manicure. the top of the nail (where nail polish is traditionally put) is painted black, while the underside of the tip of the nail is bright red. i suppose this would only work with long nails, but how cool would it be to say, "like my louboutin manicure? i just got it last friday, dah-ling."
apparently london's charles worthington salon originally created it, but i've seen a lot of people try to recreate it. zoe pocock (the one who does the manicures) says that to do the red, she trimmed all but three bristles from the brush of her red nail polish. china glaze has also made a nail polish set specifically for this look, but with a shimmery, glittery red/black combo. i love china glaze, but how hard would it be to get glitter off the underside of your nails? answer:very hard, for those of you who have never tried to remove glitter nail polish.
i guess this is perfect for those of us who wish we could own a pair of heels with red soles, but wish the pricetag was a little lower. ;)

5 instant ways to look runway-ready!

looking at other blogger's "what i wore today" pictures, i think i've found 5 failsafe ways to look glamorous and very high fashion-y in a matter of seconds. here they are for your viewing pleasure! (watch out, these ideas are to be taken on only under advisement. only you know if you can really pull some of these off. as in, your friends may look at you funny if you usually wear jeans and a hoodie, then suddenly show up wearing a (faux!!) fur stole. don't be a poseur!)

1.tights-not leggings, no, they have to be tights. (not nude pantyhose type things either.) anything from opaque black to textured ones to a whole range of colored ones works, and it instantly lifts your style quotient. (watch out for lighter colored one/white ones, though, they tend to make your legs looks...ahem...wider than they really are.) right now i'm in love with tights, especially the textured tights. (i'll have to do a post about that soon...) bonus points they match your shoes, which also make your legs look about a million miles long. :) this is easiest accomplished with black.


2. a dark, slightly shimmery shade of nail polish can do wonders for your look. it can make even a tee and jeans combo look polished and glamorous, and dresses you up instantly. a word of warning, however: a dramatic color like this requires shorter nails, or it might look a little too vampy for daywear.) i like a deep reddish hue, or even maroon works. plum is also a great alternative. black, while seeming like the ultimate dark, is usually really flat (opaque/not sparkly), and can make people think you're goth.

3. when wearing a skirt/dress with a coat/cardigan/other type of cover-up on top, try to choose a pair where the hemlines match up. it really pulls the whole outfit together, and makes it look like the skirt/dress and coat were made for each other. this works best on short/knee length outfits. make sure the dress/skirt ends at a flattering length, because that's where the eye will be drawn to. also, try not to make the outer layer too pouffy, since when layering, you usually try to avoid looking like a cat lady, with all you layers ending at the same place.

4. ok, i'm sure you've heard this before, but shoes really do make the outfit. (i'm planning to do a shoe post soon.) crazy heels and wedges are a good quick fix to make your ensemble dressier. the higher, the better!! ;) note:this is only for a runway look, not actual comfort or anything silly like that...

5. fur. literally, status symbol in a single garment. just remember this simple formula on how to wear fur: one otherwise plain outfit+one luxurious fur=many envious looks (and a bonus:added warmth!!:) ) ***very important!! i do not advocate the wearing and buying of fur of any kind, even vintage!! i believe it is cruel and disgusting, but there are still many great faux fur items out there!!***