FYI Smashbox always ships all purchases for free and gives generously in terms of free samples on every order.
Monday
Tori Amos for Smashbox Cosmetics
FYI Smashbox always ships all purchases for free and gives generously in terms of free samples on every order.
30% Off Everything at UrbanDecay.com
Urban Decay cosmetics are reasonably priced, cruelty-free and come in a rainbow of bold colors - what more could you ask for? A discount. Get 30% off your order through Friday (November 20th) using code "FNFW1"Not sure what to get? Their shimmery pale gold Shadow Primer Potion ($17) is the bomb because it both locks down your eyeshadow for hours AND looks sweet on its own as an eye shimmer cream. I can't live without their Liquid Liner in "Perversion" ($18) and 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil ($17) is also a great product.
Also, check out their 2009 Holiday "Looks" for ideas:
Sunday
Top Model Contestant on VH1's Celebrity Rehab 3
Could you guess? You may remember her from season 5 peeing in an adult diaper and basically being one of the most entertaining (and legitimately talented) models ever on the show. Lisa D'Amato! Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew 3 airs January 10, 2010 on VH1.Lisa claims on her MySpace page that she "went on the show for self betterment & to learn more about drugs and alcohol. I was NOT detoxing, and did NOT have an addiction." Er- what? Girlfriend has been modeling since age 12, dated Robbie Williams and parties in Hollywood with Cisco Adler. If she hasn't had her face in a huge pile of blow in the last 2 years I'm a fucking astronaut with two dicks. Love her, but seriously.
Friday
Ricky's NYC is Online
How did I miss this?! When I lived in NYC's West Village, trannylicious beauty supply store Ricky's was a weekly stop-off for me. They have everything you could possibly need to complete your look, from velcro rollers to glitter to the kind of clip on ponytail that scares you every time you open the bathroom closet. It's enough to give any product junkie a beauty boner (speaking of which - they also sell sex toys.) Not only is it piled high and deep with goodies, but the vibe inside is fun even if the staff is a smidge fresh - it's like a Sephora on rave drugs.For years I've checked to see when they'd finally get on the whole e-commerce bandwagon because I love the loose shimmer powders they carry by a brand called Matisse, and to my amazement yesterdays Google of "Ricky's NYC" was a fruitful one!
What's better? Currently they have a sale for 20% off a vast array of items with code ANNUAL20 - including Matesse cosmetics. It ends November 30, so get on that shit before your local Beyonce impersonator wipes it out. If you live in NYC, Long Island or Miami, go explore your local Ricky's in person.
Thursday
Vampy Lips Go Violet
As with so many things, the key to purple lipstick glory is proper context. Pair it with heavy eyeliner and fishnets and you may as well park yourself in the food court with an ironic lunchbox full of rejected Smiths lyrics. Pair it with a bare face, a tailored ensemble and a dash of Tammy Faye mascara and you're fashion.Since it's a trend (yes the vampy lip gets a re-up every year, but far more frequently in red), I'd recommend a cheap tube for your test run. For a matte version, check out MAC "Night Violet" ($14.50), for a laquered look try the latest shade from Revlon "Va Va Violet" ($5), pictured right.
The Look:
- Apply liquid foundation to even out skin tone and skip the blush
- Dab highlighter on eyelids concentrating at the inner corners and blend outward
- Carefully line lower water line (above lashes) with white eye pencil
- Add several coats of mascara to top and bottom lashes, sweeping alternately inward (towards the nose) and outward to create irregular "points" or clumps
- Fill brows with a neutral pencil (as I have mentioned, I live for MAC Lingering)
- Line lips with a dark berry lip pencil (like Revlon Colorstay in Plum) and fill in with lipstick
Warning: Violet doesn't do your teeth any favors - catch up on your Whitestrip applications before you go making this your shade of choice. Also- be prepared for dudes and townies not to "get it." This look might be a bit much for their untrained eyes to handle.
Saturday
Fashionable Halloween Clearance Rack Steals
As you probably know, the day after (and sometimes day of) Halloween is when stores pull all of their theme items and throw them on a clearance rack for 50-75% off. There's not much you can do with a ceramic jack-o-lantern past it's sell-by date, but there are a few style items worth snatching up at a discount for year-round usage.1.) Black, purple, glitter and other wild nail polish. Since when do those not work in January?
2.) False eyelashes - even some of the crazier sets can be fun around the holidays and for parties or going out. Falsies don't have to be expensive to look amazing.
3.) Stripe, fishnet and fun colored tights. Also not a halloween-only accessory.
4.) Skull jewelry (but leave the spiderweb and pumpkin earrings on the shelf, please)
5.) Glitter.
6.) Novelty socks. Does anyone see what's under those snowboots in the winter? If you find cuddly ones for 99 cents, stock up.
7.) Next year's costume. Like any end-of-season purchase, stash it away in a box for next year and be so excited when you realize you don't have to fight the crowds and pay full price next October. Suckers!
PS: Two notable Halloween free shipping deals from sweet websites:
- ASOS.com (UK) is offering free shipping to the U.S. this weekend on EVERYTHING.
- MAC Cosmetics is offering free shipping on any purchase during "the witching hours" between 6PM and 3AM tonight.
Tuesday
Olsonboye Is Definitely No Elizabeth and James
The Olsen twins' line "Elizabeth and James" is overpriced, but usually pretty sweet design-wise. Same goes for rock-spawn Charlotte Ronson's namesake clothing label. So WHY IS IT that when they decide to do a normal-priced line for JC Penney they let their design staff go on vacation, sketch juvenile garbage and send it into production? (My hypothesis: JC Penney brings out the bad outfit in everyone.)
Starting Nov. 6, you'll be able to purchase Olsen garbage under their new JC Penney-exclusive label Olsonboye. It's their "ancestral" name but totally makes it sound like the clothes are for male children. Marketing geniuses, those gals! Here are three "outfits" from the Olsonboye line. If I see you in any of them, don't act like you know me.
Friday
Good Girls Need Badass Boots
Combat boots are definitely back, clearly obeying stylist's orders to subdue the explosion of floral tea dresses and tulle that have cropped up the past few seasons. Dr. Marten definitely wins the combat boot popularity contest, and it is for this reason I'd prefer to see my stylish minions in anything but. My choice is among the boots above - each pair puts a different spin on the style and won't leave your bank balance in the trenches.
Forever 21 "trooper" boot, $29.95; GoJane combat boot, $32; Seychelles "meteor shower" boot, $149.95; Steve Madden "axee" boot, $159.95;
Why I Love/Hate Alexa Chung
In case you live under a very unfashionable rock, you've probably heard the name or seen the face of 25-year-old model Alexa Chung. She's the new half-Chinese Agyness Deyn, basically. Dresses a bit kooky, screws stinky musicians, makes awkward faces and pretends to be totes fer-real even though she's been raking in mega-cash for 10 years (for the hard job of hitting the genetic and societal aesthetic jackpot) and doing classic Stephanie Seymour shit like living with grossly senior photographer boyfriends.If it sounds like I resent her, of course I do. I find loaded people who purposely dress high-low to be oh-so "Common People." But at the same time a strong sense of closet envy - a little bit of "that's how I would dress if I stole your wallet" - endears her to me. I covet her expensive shoes and sold-out Topshop exclusives, and even more so, her access to them. I check the MTV Buzzworthy blog for "What Was Alexa Wearing Today?" updates on a weekly basis. No, I can't bear to watch the show she hosts (I dare you to sit for 5 minutes and not want to be shot in the ears) but still, I obsess. Feel free to join me.
Thursday
Rodarte Target Collection Pics!
P.S. - As for the up-to-your-tits tights with the bow... the only way I can imagine rocking those is layered over leggings or opaque tights and worn as pants. Under a dress that bow would appear to be the most fucked up outie belly button ever seen.
Review: Clinique Deep Comfort Hand Cream
After my research into who's animal testing and who isn't, I was wondering where to turn once my former go-to winter hand cream (by bunny-beaters Neutrogena) runs out. Leave it to my friends at Clinique to save the day! I've had the opportunity to test out Clinique Deep Comfort Hand and Cuticle Cream ($17.50 for 2.5 oz.) which becomes available in November 2009, and I can't recommend it enough.At that price point, I might call it a luxury for "just a hand cream" but I put literally a pea-sized amount in my palm and it did the job for both hands, so I think you could stretch one tube for almost an entire winter. It's extremely rich and thick but absorbed almost immediately. My skin felt really soft, not just surface-soft, and there was no heavy fragrance to it at all.
Verdict: Worth it! Try it at a Clinique counter next month and see for yourself.
P.S.: There's already a Deep Comfort Body Butter and Body Moisturizer out now. In November, a Body Wash is also set to be released.
Wednesday
Jean Paul Gaultier for Target Coming March 7
[Looks from Gaultier's spring 2010 RTW collection via WWD.com]
Target seems to be reaching higher up the fashion heap every time for their collaborations as time goes on, and I'm completely loving it. Shouldn't all designers have a line for broke people? French legend Jean Paul Gaultier is designing a capsule collection set to launch March 7, 2010. It is said to be "inspired by American women and pop culture from the past and the present."
[Image from "City of the Lost Children"]
Thursday
Is Your Brand Tested on Animals?
Do you buy beauty products that are needlessly tested on animals? You might be supporting one of these asshole companies, and have no idea. Check out PETA's page where you can search for animal-loving companies by product category. If you're too lazy for that, here's a little guide I made:Going to Target for Makeup?
DO buy:
- Almay
- Revlon
- Physician's Formula
- Burt's Bees
- Bonne Bell
- Wet n' Wild
- Yes to Carrots
Don't buy:
- Cover Girl
- L'Oreal
- Max Factor
- Maybelline
- Neutrogena
Going to Sephora/Department Store for makeup?
DO buy:
- Bare Escentuals
- Bobbi Brown
- Clinique
- Clarins
- MAC
- Origins
- Stila
- Smashbox
- Too Faced
- Urban Decay/ Hard Candy
Don't buy:
- Lancome
- Shiseido
Buying perfume or cologne?
Good: Calvin Klein
Bad: Ralph Lauren, Giorgio Armani
Use 99 cent shampoo?
Good: White Rain
Bad: Suave
Going to Target for hair products?
DO buy:
- Kiss My Face
- Burt's Bees
(Target also often carries some of the salon brands listed below)
Don't buy:
- Aussie
- Clairol
- Dove
- Garnier
- Head & Shoulders
- Neutrogena
- Pantene
- SoftSheen
- Sunsilk
Going to the salon for hair products?
DO buy:
- Aveda
- Bumble and Bumble
- Pureology
- Rusk
- Paul Mitchell
Don't buy:
- Matrix
- Redken (Note: In the past I have reviewed and recommended Redken. I love their products but in this day and age, animal testing is unforgivable and I am boycotting the brand until they stop.)
Going to Target for skin care, personal hygiene and hair removers?
DO Buy:
- Burt's Bees
- Calgon
- Kiss My Face
- Nad's
- Tom's of Maine
- Yes to Carrots
Don't Buy:
- Aveeno
- Clean and Clear
- Dove
- Gillette
- Ivory
- Johnson & Johnson
- Lubriderm
- Nair
- Olay
- Ponds
- ROC
- Secret
- Soft & Dri
- Vaseline
- Veet
- Zest
Going to the Mall?
L'Occitane, LUSH, The Body Shop, Bath and Body Works and Victoria's Secret all offer cruelty-free personal care and fragrance products.
30% Off Friends and Family Sale at Nine West
Friday
ASOS Mid-Season Sale is ON
ASOS Mid-Season Sale opened online today. Get that holiday party frock early so you're not picking at stretched-out XXL leftovers with sequin bald-spots by November. Just be sure to go up in the right hand corner and switch the currency to USD so you're not unpleasantly surprised at your sudden drop in funds. That exchange rate is a bitch.
Thursday
Where Do You Get Your Panties?
I have a serious panty purchasing compulsion. I have like 90 pair - some with the tags still on - and yes, I throw out my old ones with regularity. I get mine pretty much everywhere: Marshall's/T.J. Maxx, Forever 21, Macy's, Aerie, and of course Victoria's Secret. My favorites used to be the VS cotton low-rise bikini, but the did away with the cut and introduced a new VS cotton bikini that was supposed to be a lower-rise version of the regular bikini. I got a coupon for a free pair the other day so I grabbed one to try them out. Holy Baywatch Bathing Suit. How anyone can wear these with a low rise pair of pants is beyond me, they're cut up to your tits with a hi-leg opening and suited for the longest ass in human history. Horror. Where should I turn to find great panties now? Help.
Origins GinZing Eye Cream
Origins GinZingClaim: "Refreshing eye cream to brighten and de-puff"
Cost: $29.50
Verdict: Worth it.
Why: It de-puffs and leaves behind a subtle light-reflecting shimmer that works well under concealer to hide dark circles.
Details: GinZing goes on light and has a cooling sensation. Typically de-puffer products cause your eyes to water - this does not, yet it's still effective. The active ingredients responsible are caffiene and ginseng. The soft shimmer it leaves behind helps refract light and detract attention from your dark circles. This is a great double-duty product (maybe you can toss that highlighter pencil?) and reasonably priced.
PS: Any product claiming to erase dark circles is bullshitting you right to your face - dc's are hereditary and have to do with the thickness of the skin under your eyes. The best you can do is a product like this, which helps sooth the skin and camouflage the darkness.
Wednesday
Sonia Rykiel for H&M
I have to give H&M props for their stellar stock this season (Autumn/Winter '09). It's a massive wash of black and sequin with splashes of deep berry, emerald green and burnt gold, ravaged denim and exaggerated shoulders. I want so many things I'm finding myself eBaying for items just to be sure I can afford it all.
To ice the cake just a little bit thicker, December 5th brings an exclusive collection of knitwear, accessories and lingerie from French fashion legend Sonia Rykiel. There is nothing on the H&M website but a wordy press release and a portrait of Sonia, and google search for leaked images only produced this:
Monday
L'Oreal Extra-Volume Collagen Mascara Sucks
L'Oreal Extra-Volume Collagen MascaraClaim: "12x More Impact Instantly"
Cost: $7-10
Verdict: Don't waste your money.
Why: The dry clumps look like someone threw pepper in your face.
Details: My first purchase of this product was the waterproof formula. It left a flurry of tiny black flakes in my lashes and below my eyes after just an hour of normal wear. To be fair, I've never used a waterproof (that wasn't Clinique Lash Power) that wasn't a dry crumbly mess, so I decided to drop another $7-ish at Target and try the regular formula before I dissed it. Same thing happened! L'Oreal generally makes decent cosmetics, so this line is a HUGE disappointment.
Tuesday
Pureology Super Smooth
If you don't like floral scents I'll tell you right off the bat to steer clear of Pureology's latest line Super Smooth, which launches next month. I don't mind a little flower power, although even for me the fragrance is a bit too strong when I use the shampoo ($27 for 10.1oz.), conditioner ($27 for 8.5oz.) and serum ($24 for 2.5oz.) all in the same day.That said, you can't really go wrong with Pureology products if you have color-treated hair. The zero-sulfate formula with UVA/UVB sunscreens keep the wear and tear on your dye job to a minimum and the natural oils, shea butter and aforementioned geranium all contribute to awesome moisture. The hair masque (an OMG $50 for 5.1oz.) is great too, but the price is a bit much.
Monday
The Best of One Shoulder Dresses
The one-shoulder dress is categorized as a "trend", but it's a good investment because it comes back pretty frequently (unlike, say, Hammer pants.) Check these out, organized by price range:
ASOS folded one shoulder dress ($82.07); ASOS frill empire dress ($69.30); Gianni Bini lila dress ($47.40); T by Alexander Wang ($85); Aqua one shoulder dress ($88)
ASOS Black corsage dress ($136.78); Aqua Couture peplum dress ($155); ABS one shoulder gown ($129.90) also in wine; Alice & Olivia Joyce dress ($130); Tbags print one shoulder dress ($134)
UNDER $300
Rachel Pally Aphrodite dress ($246) also in black; Tadashi ruched matte jersey dress ($298);
UNDER $100
UNDER $200
ASOS Black corsage dress ($136.78); Aqua Couture peplum dress ($155); ABS one shoulder gown ($129.90) also in wine; Alice & Olivia Joyce dress ($130); Tbags print one shoulder dress ($134)
UNDER $300
Over $500
Alexander Wang slinky one-shoulder dress ($575)
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