Ankle Boots

Another growing trend I don't quite understand is the ankle boot. Stars have been wearing this look with everything from shrts to dresses to skinny jeans.

I think it's ugly.

I guess I'm just a firm believer in that boots should be worn under (and be mostly hidden by) your pants. The only exception is knee-high boots, or maybe some of the slouchy boots that have been coming out lately that you tuck your jeans into. But, basically, it needs to come up between mid-calf and knee-high. Otherwise I think they just look... wierd.

Ankle boots cut your legs off at the ankle. This is only ok for those with long legs (who have plenty to spare) but for the rest of us it ain't doing us any favors. Celebrities have been pairing these with otherwise gorgeous cocktail dresses on the red carpet, and the boots just ruin the look of the dress. I can't help but think "ew" every time I see them. And worn with skinny pants... well, we've covered the perils of skinny pants already, I don't think there's a need to go over them again.

So... yeah. Let's just stay away from the ankle boot, shall we?

Sephora Lip Gloss Pencil

I love lip gloss. Adore it. It is seriously one of my favorite makeup inventions EVER. So when I heard that there were these new contraptions of lip gloss made in a pencil form, you bet I was interested!

So I went out and tried Sephora's Lip Gloss pencil ($10)... and it's pretty sweet. Goes on nice and smoothly, gives very nice color with a good bit of shine. It's not *quite* the same as wearing gloss, but it's also a heck of a lot less sticky or messy, and you can carry this pencil around in your bag all day long and never have to worry about it spilling onto anything else.

My only complaint? The color selection leaves a bit to be desired. I have mine in 05 (plum shimmer) which is nice, but it's a fairly bright pink-- great for going out, but definitely not much of a day color (unless you like being bold). It was really the only color that appealed much to me. But that may just be my personal preference... and my difficulty in buying new makeup formulas in colors that I already have in something else (which really can make it hard to shop, since there's only so many colors! lol).

Forever 21... revisited

I haven't been inside Forever 21 in a while. usually the store almost seems a bit schizophrenic to me-- so much stuff all over the place, it's hard to see what's really there and it takes a while to pick through it all. But today my sister and I went up to San Francisco and stopped by the Forever 21 store off Market street, and oh my lord it was wonderful. I was entranced by the jewelry. The best part? It's all uber-cheap (as in $3-$6 each for their necklaces, earrings, etc). So, if it breaks after wearing it a couple times you still totally got your money's worth. ; )

There were a LOT of dressy tops that had the high-neck, puffy-sleeve style to them. At first I kinda turned my nose at them, but then my sister tried a bunch on and they actually looked way cute on her. Case in point, one of the tops I saw on the hanger in her dressing room I immeidately thought "ew" but when it was on her it looked adorable. I'm not sure I could pull that look off myself, but I think I may have to take an extended trip on my own to Forever 21 sometime soon where I'll just take stuff off the rack and try it just to see what it looks like.

(sorry for no pictures, but I can't get images off the Forever 21 website)

Fall Into Old Navy Sweaters

Fall is approaching. It's still fairly warm here in California, but I am noticing the evenings and mornings getting cooler. I think we still have a few months left before it's time to pull out the winter sweaters, but that doesn't mean I can't start shopping now... ; )

Old Navy has a very cute collection of new sweaters for the season. Here's a sampling of a few that caught my eye :


I think this kimono-sleeved sweater ($26.50) may be my favorite. I just really like the style. It comes in several colors, too, though I really like this plum shade. It'd be kinda interesting to layer this over a long-sleeved shirt... hmm....




The V-neck sweater ($24.50)... a bit of a classic. I'm not sure how low the neckline goes, you could potentially wear this alone (or, well, with a nice push-up bra underneath) for a conservative-yet-still-naughty going-out look, or layered over a tank top for a more cutesy look. I have a couple sweaters in this style that I wear over and over all winter long. This one comes in 7 different colors, so I may need to stock up on some more.




I think this metallic hooded sweater ($34.50) looks like a cute casual look. I'm curious to see what it looks like in person, though. I'm not sure I want the "metallic" part to be too obvious. It's also a bit more pricey... we'll see. It also comes in gray and dark brown.




Another good, simple option-- the long henley sweater ($26.50). I like the longer length, and it looks nice and cozy for wearing around, without being bulky. The colors are pretty basic (dark brown, camel, white, black) so it'd be fun to open up the buttons and wear a brith-colored tank underneath it.






I've found that I really like a lot of the sweaters that Old Navy comes out with each fall. I may wait till some of these go on sale... though with Old Navy you never really know what's gonna still be around in 2 weeks and what will be gone. Check out OldNavy.com to see the rest of their sweaters.

You Have Got to be Kidding Me

This is the latest Gap ad campaign. I had to do a double take when I saw these ads in a magazine recently. I mean, c'mon... black skinny pants, white socks and black loafers? Add the white glove and black hat and you've got Michael Jackson circa 1985. I mean, I realize the 80's are still back and all, but seriously? With WHITE socks?

I don't know... I guess I just don't get the skinny pant trend anyway. The only people that can wear them are tall, skinny models with no hips. Honestly, I'm really sick of all the magazines trying to convince us that skinny pants are "flattering for every body shape!" because that's just a load of bull. Anyone with hips that tries to wear them will only end up looking even wider, and many of these pants (like the ones above) end right at the ankle or slightly above, which means that anyone who's not 5'10" (or super svelt) looks dumpy. I can sorta see wearing them longer, pulled over high heels, but I don't really like that look much either. I'll accept wearing skinny pants tucked inside tall boots, that's about the only way I think they call look good, and that's usually b/c the boots will be a bit chunky and help balance out the rest of your legs and hips.

*Sigh* Do I need to go out and buy a bunch of flared and boot-leg cut pants before they all dissappear?

Aveda Body Wash

Several months ago I recieved a gift box of Aveda's Energizing and Calming body cleansers ($14 each). At the time I wasn't too thrilled at the gift, as I believe my bathtub was already cluttered with at least 1-2 bottles of body wash already, but I did feel sorta fancy at receiving them so I put them in my shower for future use.

Now, I find I use these almost exclusively when I shower. I don't know if they really do much as far as "energizing" or "calming" me, but they smell divine and just feel very luxurious. And my skin has felt fairly well moisturized and clean after washing with one of these products.

I've never been one to splurge on body wash, I figure they all work pretty much the same and so usually get something from the drugstore for $5. When I run out of these I'm not sure I'll be able to justify shelling out the cash to buy a replacement... but I know I will be temped to. I think that says a lot about how much I've enjoyed using them.

Kailo Chic (pt 2)

I've posted about this before, but it was a long time ago and I think it deserves another mention.

So, my friend Kara Whitten (who's a style genius) has come up with this line of handbags and accessories named Kailo Chic. Her stuff is BRILLIANT! She makes it all by hand, it's all incredibly adorable, and great quality. She custom-made me this great little bag (mentioned in this post) that I use all the time when I don't want a bukly purse hanging on my shoulder, and most recently I got a pair of her acrylic earrings ($18, pictured left) and some of her headbands ($12). I've been incredibly happy with all of them. I may need to buy up a bunch of her stuff as christmas presents this year. ; )

Definitely go check out her site and see what she has to offer. If you have any questions, or get inspired and want her to custom make something for you, you can email her at KaraJade@kailochic.com.

Who Knew?

Several years ago my dad gave me a very cute jewelry box, with space for rings, necklaces, bracelets, etc. It was a great jewelry box... except I had trouble fitting all my jewelry in it.

In the years following I've struggled with the best ways to store my jewelry to keep it looking nice, tangle-free, and easy to get to. I think I finally came upon a solution a few monthds ago. I was at Michael's and for some reason was in the beading section of the store, and looked at some of the bead organizers they had... and as I looked at them I thought, "Huh. You know, I bet I could put earrings in there."

Now I have most of my jewelry stored inside various bead organizers (like the one at right, $2.89). Most of them are like little tray with different sized compartments and a lid that closes the whole thing. They come in all shapes and sizes, so you can find small ones or big ones to store various amounts and sizes of jewelry items. I keep small earrings in a yellow set with square compartments, longer earrings in a red set with rectangular compartments, and bigger/bulkier items like broaches in a purple box that's undivided. I got a cylindrical organizer that has sections that stack on top of each other (so one container is the lid of the container below it) that's perfect for hoops. The only thing this system doesn't work well for is long necklaces, which I keep on a bulletin board with thumbtacks puched in, and my necklaces hanging off the thumbtacks.

I love this bead organizer system, for several reasons: a) it keeps my jewelry from getting all tangled together, b) the separate boxes stack on top of each other so they don't take up tons of room, c) the tops are clear plastic so I can see them easily, and d) everything's already compact enough and compartmentalized so all I have to do when travelling is toss the containers themselves into my suitcase when travelling (occasionally shifting items from one box to another depending on what I want to bring).

The best part? These bead organizers usually cost just a few dollars, so they're an awesome bargain, and you can always go buy more when you need more storage. So go check out your local craft store and see what kind of a selection they have-- you may feel inspired. ; )

Sorry about the late post, gals, I got back into town late last night and just had no energy.

In other news, check out my interview up at ThisNext.com!

Open Letter to All Girls with Bad Posture

Dear Slouchies,

I've been noticing y'all a lot lately as I've been out and about. I've seen you at the beach with your teenage friends, or at the outdoor concert this past weekend... I've even seen you on the red carpet (yes, I'm talking to YOU, Scarlett Johansson). And I have a few words to share with you.

It pains me to see your shoulders all slumped over, your belly sticking out, your body basically looking like a big question mark. I just want to walk up to you and pull your shoulders back. I see you standing like that, and it makes me cringe, for your sake. Do you realize that when you hunch like that it makes your upper back curve forward and look like an old lady with bad osteoperosis? Do you realize that it makes your stomach and hips jut forward, making you appear a good 10lbs heavier than you actually are? Now, I know that many of you are tall, and in your teens/early 20's and so may feel self-conscious about your height. I also know you may feel self-conscious next to your prettier girlfriend. I've been there (not the tall part, but feeling like the dumpier friend of the duo). But you know what? I PROMISE you that if you only straighten up your shoulders and tuck in that tummy, you will look that much more attractive and even feel better, too.

When you slouch, you look uncomfortable. You look unsure of yourself. You look shy. And you look sloppy. When you stand up tall, you exude confidence. Your belly looks flatter. Your back looks regal. People will want to approach you more.

So, please, gals, listen to what your mother told you. Or what all the magazines tell you. Do that trick of imgining the string being pulled up from above your head. Practice it in the mirror, to see what a big difference it makes. I realize posture is a hard habit to change, so ask your friends and family to help remind you if you slip back into your old slouch habits. You'll be doing yourselves (and your backs, which must be very sore by now) a huge favor. Thank you.

Sincerely,
Marcy

Dear Readers,

I am very excited about this weekend!! I'm flying to Austin, TX this afternoon and will be attending the Austin City Limits Festival all weekend, as well as celebrating my birthday with family and friends. It will be a very busy weekend, and I know I won't have much time to post. Therefore, I am taking a bit of a break from posting tomorrow (friday) and monday so I can just enjoy the musical weekend and my birthday celebrations. Please enjoy some of the archives and my links during my absence. I will be back tuesday morning. Thanks!

Have a great weekend!
Marcy

I *heart* Steve Madden

I've found over the years that one shoe designer I continually find myself drooling over is Steve Madden. I adore his women's dress shoes. One day, when I have enough to money to justify buying my shoes someplace other than Payless (and the occasional splurge at DSW), I will buy myself some gorgeous Steve Madden heels. Till then, I'll just have to do with my Payless ripoffs.

Here's some of the shoes I've been dreaming about lately:


I have been REALLY into peep-toe pumps lately-- very retro, totally classic, and just gorgeous. And there's something about leopard print that makes it a classic that never goes out of style (as long as you wear it right). These would look killer with a simple little black dress. Also available in zebra print. ($169.95)








These are just simply gorgeous (available in purple, red, and brown as well). I wasn't kidding about the peeptoes-- they're just about all I've had my eyes on lately! (link, $169.95)








Here's a very cute pair of flats. In this color scheme, they'd dress up any outfit and add a bit of personality and flair. They're also available in black or gold leather, and in black suede. I have a pair of black flats very much like these (with the flower and everything) from Gap and I adore them, though they don't provide a whole lot of support... these look like they have a thicker heel, giving you a bit of shock absorption when you walk. (link, $89.95)





And then there's these... (also available in black and gold) Gaudy? Yes. Necessary? Of course not. So unbelievably fun to wear? YES! Ok, so if I really were to get these I'd go for the more subtle black (though, honestly, I'm tempted by the gold). But you can't deny that these would lend quite a kick to any outfit, and what else are shoes for than for fun? Ok, so walking and comfort, but that's during the day time. Nighttime is a whole different story... ; ) (link, $109.95)

Blogger Beta

Hello Dear Readers,

Just as an announcement, I have switched to the new beta version of blogger. So far sogood... You may have noticed a few tweaks in the template, I'll still be changing a few things around in the days and weeks to come. I can now use categires through blogger, but it'll take me a while to re-catgorize all my posts so for now I still have links up to my categories on del.icio.us. If y'all have any problems with leaving comments or viewing anything properly please let me know so I can alert blogspot.

Thanks! =)
Marcy

POLL!

Ok, fellow fashionistas, I need your advice!

This saturday my step-sister and I (whose birthdays are 4 days apart) are having a joint birthday celebration at a bar. I want to wear one of the following dresses-- I realize I may end up a bit overdressed but, ya know what, it's my birthday and I can dress how I want to! ; ) Plus I bought these dresses last month and haven't had a chance to wear them yet, and don't know when else I will.

Soooo... without further adew, here's dress #1:



And, dress # 2:



(If you click on the pictures you can see larger versions of them)

So, which one should I wear?

Benefit Dallas

I've heard so much positive buzz about Benefit's Dallas bronzer/blush powder, that I fanlly gave in and forked over my $26 at Sephora to try it myself.

And now I finally know what all y'all have been talking about. = )

Lately I've seen a lot of beauty articles advising readers how to get that gorgeous "natural glow" by using bronzer on your forehead, cheecks, nose, etc (wherever the sun hits) and then topping it off with a rosy blush on your cheeks. Well, Dallas has done that for you-- it's a perfectly gorgeous shade of bronze and rosy pink mixed together. One step and you're good to go. I haven't tried it as an all-over bronzer yet (I've been using Bare Escentuals Warmth all-over face powder for that lately) but I think Dallas has just become my new favorite blush.

Best of Sephora 2006, PLUS Sephora Blog!

I recently went over to the Sephora website to discover their new homepage listing all their Best Products (voted on by 150,000 Sephora shoppers)! Check out results such as Best Cleanser (Philosophy Purity Made Simple), or Best Lipstick (Nars Lipstick in Dolce Vita). And there's much, MUCH more where that came from!

AND get this... Last week Sephora launched its own Beauty BLOG! You bet your booty I'm adding them to my bookmarks list!

Is it silly how excited these 2 findings have made me? I'm positively giddy... lol! I guess that's what a growing addiction to beauty products will do to ya... ; )

Philosophy Hope in a Jar

As I was going through my recent purchases from Sephora, I was thrilled to find a sample of Philosophy's Hope in a Jar included in my bag! I'd been eyeing this product for a while and was itching to try it, but at $35 I wasn't prepared to splurge (especially when I still have plenty of my regular moisturizer, Olay Complete).

So, that night, I tried out my sample after washing my face. I was immediately very pleased-- the lotion felt so light, not at all greasy, and it absorbed into my skin almost immediately (I tend to need to let my Olay moisturizer "sit" for several minutes as it absorbs in the morning before putting on my makeup). The cincher? I swear the few fine lines I've started noticing around my eyes and mouth were less noticeable after using this lotion, even just once or twice. Maybe it was my imagination, I don't know. But my skin just felt... nice. Happy. Not dry, nor oily.

The only downside (and unfortunately it's a big one) is the scent. The scent is just wierd. At first I thought it smelled kind of like eucalyptus, which would have been nice. But as I continued getting small whiffs of it in the minutes after applying it, I realized it didn't smell like eucalyptus at all, but rather something stranger. My best guess is some cross between eucalyptus, citrus, and something medicinal ,and the result is something that lands more on the unpleasant side. I used my Hope in a Jar sample 3 times in a row (night, the next morning, then that night) and by the 3rd application I knew the scent was a dealbuster for me. Which is really a shame, because other than that I was almost ready to run out and buy it.

This experience has, however, reawakened in me the desire to look into other well-known pricier moisturizers, such as Clinique's imfamous Dramatically Different Moisture Lotion. Or perhaps I'll look into Good Skin and Grassroots lotions, as this may be another MAC vs Flirt! type of deal (Clinique, Grassroots, and Good Skin are also all owned by Estee Lauder).


EDIT: Ok, after a bit of online browsing I discovered, to my surprise, that Clinique's moisture lotion is actually less expensive (for the 1.7 oz size) than the Kohls brands.... Interesting. This certainly tips the scale in Clinique's favor, now being cheaper and more well-known, but I will still have some fun doing my comparison shopping. If any of you have any feedback about any of these brands I'd love to hear it. =) Thanks!

MAC Lipglass

I've heard enough raves about MAC's Lipglass ($14) that I figured it was time to go out and try it myself. So I headed out to the mall and went to the MAC counter at Nordstroms. I looked through the selection of different shades of tinted lipglass, and settled on one that intrigued me-- Viva Glam V, a sort of shimmery nude color. I was somewhat surprised, though, to see that the usual arrnagements of tissues, q-tips, and other applicators for testing purposes weren't readily available, which made me self-conscious about wanting to test out any of the colors, and we all know how hard it is to tell what a color will look like just from looking at the tube. One of the makeup artists came over and helped me out, and let me try the lipglass along with a lip liner I was interested in, and I was pretty sold.

I liked how the gloss felt on my lips- light, non-sticky, but still moisturizing and nicely shiny. I have to say, though, that I'm not sure it's really superiod to Flirt!'s Plushious Liquid Velvet Lipcolor ($10). I wondered if this would be the case, knowing that both MAC and Flirt! are owned by Estee Lauder, and have some of the same playful feel to their products.

So, while I'm happy with my MAC purchase (especially since it was a Viva Glam color, and therefore went towards AIDS research), I think my future purchases will be with Flirt! instead, and save myself the $4 per tube of gloss. Also, with Flirt! I'm limited to Kohls stores only, but I can browse and test to my heart's content, which I can't do at MAC stores. I like being able to do my own thing when looking at makeup and not have to rely on a makeup artist to help me test different products. I understand why MAC may do that (help match up people with the right products, etc) but it's just my shopping style and what makes me most comfortable.

Extra TidBits

As of this morning I have had my 1,000th visitor- yay! =)

Check out my recent post over at Target Culture--> Gwen Stefani dolls for sale soon, at Target!

Sephora Lip Pencils

I've been needing to buy new lip pencils for a while, since I finally got rid of the ones I'd had for years. So I went to Sephora today and looked at their line of makeup, and was once again pleasantly surprised at how affordable it is-- their lip pencils are only $4-$5 each! Sure, they're shorter than most other lip pencils, but that still seems like a great deal to mr, especially since the color from these pencils goes on so much smoother than many other cheaper pencils.

So I got 2 of the slim pencils (in 132/dark red and 110/natural), and one jumpo pencil (406/purple). I was first looking at Bare Escentuals lip liner in "wearable rose" when I realized that the Sephora jumbo pencil in 406 was almost the exact same color (for less than half the price) so I went with the latter. I love the color, it's basically like nice rosy lips, but more flushed (not sure why Sephora calls it "purple", it's not really the color that comes to mind for me).

Pencil 110 is a nice nude/toast color, it will be a nice base for the browner toned lipsticks and glosses I'll start wearing here as it gets to be fall. Pencil 132 is more of a burgundy color, it will also be really nice for fall. I'm tempted to go back and get a whole slew of these lip pencils, the color selection is really nice and you really just can't beat the price!

I got a few other goodies today on my shopping trip, including Benefit's Dallas bronzer/blush powder (that everybody's been raving about), and MAC lipglass. I'll have reviews of these products up in the following days. ; )

My Favorite Work-Out Pants

I have 2 pairs of Victoria's Secret's Yoga Pants (one solid colored, one side-stripe). They are my FAVORITE work-out pants. They're soft, they fit well, and they're flattering. They come in an array of colors and 3 different styles (there's also the fold-over style to choose from) and cost only $29, which considering VS prices isn't bad at all.

VS also offers a cropped yoga pant (in solid, and fold-over) for $25. I'm thinking of getting one or 2 of the cropped pants, since it'll still be warm enough here for a while to wear outside, and to/from the gym.

We all know it's important to work out-- it's good for your body, and it's good for your soul (helps releive stress, etc). I like to use cute work-out clothes as extra motivation. These pants have become a staple in my gym wardrobe, fitting and feeling so much better than other styles I've bought most other places for the same price range.

PS- Use the offer code FA63241 at check-out to get free shipping on orders of $100 and over. This offer code is valid through Oct 20 2006 (though I find you can get this offer, one way or another, just about any time).

Also, VS has implemented this super-neat system where they send you a prepaid return stamp in case you need to return any item in your order. Just stick it on an envelope and when they recieve your return they'll charge you $4.95 for shipping. No need to stop by the Post Office to buy postage for the package!

To Switch or Not To Switch?

I've been debating lately switching from Blogger to some other blogging format, such as wordpress. I've been playing around a bit today with worpress and I like some of the features it has (like built-in categories and being able to post-date your posts), although there's also some drawbacks (like not being able to edit the template of your page). I guess for the most freedom and reliability it becomes necessary to pay a bit for a better web hosting service... but I'm just not sure I'm ready to get there yet.

Hm... decisions, decisions....

Aveda- Sap, Shimmer, Brush

I was at an Aveda salon today returning the Sap Moss Shampoo ($12) that I bought a few weeks ago (didn't like it at all- the texture is too sticky, I like my shampoo to glide a bit more so it doesn't feel like I'm tugging at my hair). The store would only offer an exchange or store redit, so I was looking for something to exchnage the shampoo for and started wandering over to their makeup. A sales associate soon came over and she was showing me Aveda's new fall makeup collection. She decided to try one of the Inner Light Shimmer Accent gels ($20) on me-- she patted a bit along the top of my cheekbone and on under my eyes, explaining how it would help brighten up my complextion and make me look a bit more awake.

After she's applied the gel, she leads me to a mirror to check out the results. I don't know if it was the lighting or what-- but the shimmer made the teeny, usually non-noticeable fine lines around my eyes totally obvious! It was horrible! I tried to smile and thank the lady for her help and go off to browse through some other section of the store, but inside I was thinking "um... NO."

Eventually I settled on this wooden brush ($12). It claims to add volume and lift to the roots, and reduce stress on your hair. We'll see. So far Aveda's 0-3 with me (see post on their Pure Abundance Hair Potion), but I've been needing a good brush so I guess it works out.

Anyway, have a good weekend, everyone! =)