ben gorham. byredo.

I went on to Colette to indulge my lace mania via Valentino (you know, just in case the French market was getting whatever was left over from this season's past exploration in fairy-like lace decadence) and Ben Gorham was giving me the 'look'!! I. love. this man! He does have a daughter, Ines, so perhaps he's married and I shouldn't say anything naughty. I will, however, say that if he had been wearing a dress shirt (in this Colette pic) *large air gulps* I would have had to take a time out; take my somewhat regular lunch of a salmon croissant rather early.

But he isn't. So my blood sugar level's normal and I'm coherent. Only just. I remember I first came across Ben Gorham's Byredo bath products and scents at Barneys when I was picking up another scent (the Lys Méditerranée, by Edouard Fléchier for Editions de Parfums ). Trying to block the sales assistant's drivel (no offense, pet!) I fell for the word 'exclusive', naturally. I live and die for exclusivity if I can lay my hands on it; whether factory-made or DIY by yours truly. I think you can sell me just about anything with that word because I feel it's a guarantee that half the world will not be sporting the exact same whatever-it-is. So why am I writing about this? or anything at all?? I've no idea. I love this man, I said that. And I happen to love his products just as much, so why not share?

Anyhow, there's a lovely write up by Vanity Fair's SunHee Grinnell. Byredo — by redolent abbreviated, and thus aptly named — is made up of scents somewhat reminiscent of an older world, (but) in plain, unaffected bottles. I tried some and I had to get the Bal d'Afrique and Blanche! Absolutely delicious, but different enough from each other, the Bal d'Afrique being warmer. I almost bought the Fantastic Man as well. It's beyond. It must be the bergamot top notes which get to me. I need a (male) lover close by so we can wear it together and note how similar we may or may not smell. Oh lord! Hahah! I've noticed that I've this thing for ambiguous scents. Actually the appropriate word may be "unisex". And Byredo fits this yearning just perfectly; in fact, his scents may even be slightly more fem, with masc hints. E.x.actly! Perfect for me.[Kilian (my scent's Typical Me) available at 'exclusively' (haha) at Saks, and the aforementioned Editions de Parfums (at Barneys) are among my faves.] By the way, Ben Gorham is 6'5!! (he was a pro-basketball player). And those tattoos... those eyes... I'm honestly having trouble deciding whether to rave about Mr. Gorham or Byredo. Read the VF article.

Ooooh, there's a collection of the five most popular scents in miniature bottles named I married Adventure. While you'd be quick to think 'great starter set', I'd say... umm... This is perfume, you can't just shop online, you've got to go into the store and try 'em out on your skin. But of course, it's a different matter if it's a gift, whether you're the one giving, or being given.

Pink-pepper infused kisses.
PS. I lied. I'm clearly incoherent.

just because...

Chanel Iman (featured on style.com) in Bill Blass A/W 2008; just because... umm perhaps... she is gorgeous!! She's got on fall's hottest color palette and that dress!!!! Never mind what the critics say, Peter Som did a wonderful job in his debut as Bill Blass's creative director.



Pretty kisses.

what are you wearing??

...sometimes all a woman needs to put on is a scent.

Annick Goutal Petite Chérie (limited ed.)





Scented kisses.

chanel gold fiction

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveller...

(Robert Frost)







That snippet from 'The road less traveled' has nothing to do with anything.
Or, maybe I'm just trying to say I won't be amongst the herds flocking to this purchase this new lacquer from our fave design House??
Feigned profoundness.
(Lovely poem all the same.)

Creative Director at Chanel makeup, Peter Philips's Gold Fiction nail polish is now available. (Chanel.) Philips, who must've been instructed in the delicate art of consumption mania by predecessors Dominique Moncourtois and Heidi Morawetz — the geniuses behind Black Satin — created Gold Fiction, an 18-karat gold-flecked lacquer that pays homage to a gilded mirror at Coco Chanel's famed Rue Cambon apartment (I wonder where exactly.)
I don't think I like it much. Or at all. Give me the black or white satin anyday.






Gilt kisses.

beauty... in the eye of the beholder

Would you think me just beyond sad if I told you that...
I really must have these three bits — and, not for any utilitarian purposes whatsoever.
It's just... they're just so pretty to behold!!

L-R: Guerlain Le 2 Two Brush Mascara, Guerlain Terracotta Tajine Eyeshadow, NARS Yachiyo Brush 27








Pretty kisses.
P.S. The annual Glam Network Awards is taking place now, until the 10th of April. You can vote once each day for in your fave categories. If you love reading my fashion memoirs, vote for me in the FASHION category.Thank you very much!! :)

nude attitude

Even as Spring hints at dewy, fresh-faced looks, I'm very excited about Fall '08's transcending bold faces. Across the board, from the seemingly haute milieu to brazen street chic, designers dictated a cultivated nudity for fall's face and I love it!! I'm especially taken by the nude lip. I can't tell you how much I detest searching for the right lip color, so this is just refreshing. Many designers played with the eyes very subtly, but the lips were generally nude; making for a very sophisticated look. A good tip for creating a complementing nude lip is to lightly dab the lips with one's face foundation before applying a very soft lip color or even just lip balm.
Top: L- Akris (Han Jin) R- Dries Van Noten (Jourdan Dunn)
Bottom: L- Matthew Williamson (Natasha Poly) R- Alexander McQueen (Ania Trublaska)

Chanel Iman at the Anna Sui show is my fave!! I love the hint of gold that highlights the inner corners of her eyes.


Meanwhile, voting for the annual Glam Network Awards is taking place now, until the 10th of April. You can vote once each day for in your fave categories. If you love reading my fashion memoirs, vote for me in the FASHION category.Thank you very much!! :)







Lip-smacking kisses on each cheek!!
Pics courtesy style.com

bare naked beauty

No one has been able to pull off 'natural' in a modern and, certainly, luxurious manner... until now.

We could classify our skin care products into two broad groups: Natural products, which are almost never available at the beauty counters of our fave dept. stores. They adhere to the distressingly invisible lure of ugly packaging that hardly assures customers on quality or, even, effectiveness. The other group constitutes mainstream brands that engage in a constant, stupefying race to develop and incorporate the latest technological advancements in products, which they brand glamourously, and which we, the customers, fall for at the same stupefying breakneck speed!! Of course, we ignore the fact that we don't know, or, can hardly pronounce the ingredients in these products. Very few are ever up to 90% natural, and most are grossly over-priced and over-rated.

Case study - The La Mer secret ingredient:
I'll never forget my first encounter at the La Mer counter in a Boston dept store. It was my first winter (1999) in the States: I was Boston on a trip from my middle-of-nowhere Berkshires boarding school. I wanted to buy mom some of the Crème de La Mer (my immediate younger sister and) I nicked a bit of back home (what a waste??!! And it's not like she ever used it!!) Now, my admirable mother, she would never have bought any creams, crèmes or whatever, herself knowing the price. Daddy did the buying, you see. (Love him!!) Anyway, I thought I'd buy her a new jar. The silly counter lady after explaining the supernatural benefits from its "miracle broth"—those two words are imprinted in my memory—had the nerve to show me the large size (16.5oz) since I'd explained that my mother lived in Nigeria. Then, she told me the price...No, I did not buy it. Trying to scam a mere teen!!

Recalling this episode prompts me to think I may be wrong: That, indeed, Dr. Max Huber of La Mer may have accomplished an all-natural premium-luxury skin care... The website, which other than mentioning sea kelps harvested only twice a year off the Californian coast, speaks nothing more of its ingredients. Ahem. I've looked on my sample jar; nothing!! An excerpt from the website about the divine crème: "Even now, it is not entirely clear how Crème de la Mer works." I believe in miracles, but... So that's a big fat NO on the all-natural aspect, I presume. The ingredients remain 'secret'!! This new revelation of sparse ingredient-info is a bit unnerving, to say the least. Of course, this is not to say that I've disbarred La Mer products either. Certainly not!! What utter stupidity are you thinking??!!

But back to the glam of going au naturel:
The challenge is set for beauty brands to transform the concept of natural products to the mainstream, especially with all the recent "Go Green" hoopla. As we (I wonder if I'm fraudulently including myself here) embrace our moral responsibilities; we, as consumers, want products that are not only wonderful in a holistic sense, but also—good for our environments—in an ethical capacity.

This concept is what the Nude Skin Care line has been able to achieve. I stumbled upon the line at Barney's!! (spells luxury) in November, but I was a crazed shopper and had no time to write about it. Sad. I tried the moisturizer (a delight; not overly 'odor-ific' like other natural products) and the solid lip balm, which heats and melts on contact with the skin, then cools (enough to make one feel like the product is actually performing a little miracle of 'parchment refinishing' on one's lips!!) All good enough to warrant buying a travel-sized collection!! I mean I was going to traveling the next month anyway. *angel face*


Nude is a new brand of biodynamic skin care by Bryan Meehan, the co-founder of the British organics store Fresh + Wild, which he sold to Whole Foods for $38 million; only to embark on a new eco-friendly venture: Nude. The fact that Nude spelled backwards is Edun is not coincidence. In a not-too-ancient interview with the Evening Standard, Meehan explained, "Ali Hewson and I were discussing her ethical clothing range Edun. When I told her I wanted to get into natural skincare, she suggested using the name Nude. She and Bono are now my investors..." Beautifully minimalist, Nude's packaging is a testament to its revolutionary achievements. Its products (99% natural) are sourced from certified organic, fair trade ingredients. Importantly, the ingredients work pre- and pro-biotically with the natural microflora of human skin, stimulating the skin’s own natural defence against environmental irritants, while promoting good skin health and moisture. Rave!!!

To minimize its environmental impact, the bottles is entirely recyclable and upto half of the bottles used are made from post-industrial recycled plastic. Plus, Nude is not sold in boxes, but the products have sleeves that wrap the bottles and hold all product information. These are made of biodegradable starch and are stripped away to leave the bottles clean with only very essential information left on the bottles. Nude is carbon neutral and is taking steps to reduce and offset its emissions with gold standard certified projects. Whoa!!!! It seems I could go on and on...
Visit the webbie of course: www.nudeskincare.com








Nude be you and nude be me.
Kisses.

White out, or white satin

Well, it's only logical.
After the frenzy that was the Black Satin nail polish, Chanel's Creative Director for Makeup, Peter Philips introduces the "white satin" flaunted by all its models yesterday evening at the Paris-Londres Maison d'Art collection fashion show, London. So while, it reminds me of painfully trying—but never succeeding—to get a smooth glossy look out of "white out" cum clear nail hardener, I'm eagerly awaiting its arrival on shelves in January!! It's the Chanel fever, because I'm very certain Nars has white nail polish...
Quite right.
I just checked Sephora and indeed Nars does have two white hues: Temptation (opalescent white) and Edelweiss (sheer white); but, alas!! It's not Chanel. And when this fad reaches fever pitch early next year, perhaps—and sadly so—no one will recognize that Nars was ahead of its time. According to Vogue UK, Peter Philips admits to be inspired by "a mixture of the swinging Sixties and 'today's punk culture.'" The latter of which is slowly infiltrating my style persona. We'll see.






Cheeky kisses.

kiss me keisha. perhaps, i should say forest?? oh now, i'm confused.

Yesterday, Keisha Whitaker, wife of Forest Whitaker (also known as my ideal man: I mean isn't he just so reserved?? Debonair really!!) along with acclaimed celebrity makeup artist AJ Crimson launched a line of lippies called Kissable Couture, in West Hollywood. (The line debuted in New York last week.) The charming collection is appropriately named the "First Kiss Collection." Each lip stain is said to provide the "ultimate high gloss factor that is stand-alone satisfying." The romantic and subtly sexy philosophy behind the collection, "a sexy sheen" that provides "an endearing feeling of everlasting love" was enough to make me purchase two tubes on the website's e-store: Dylan/Pink Perfection and Forest/Crimson Tide. That, and the fact that I just love Keisha (like I know her, huh??!!) Her knack for effortless chic—which, of course is my panache, if I do say so myself—and poised reserve like her hubby is just so charming!!

Intriguingly, the First Kiss Collection is just that: a collection celebrating a woman's first kiss. Each of the seven colors in the collection is named after a man (one named for Keisha's hubby, Forest.) And each one, of course, has a unique personality. Thrilling!! What's more, the pigments look so rich and luxurious, they seem almost good enough to eat, really. If that doesn't make you want to buy one tube, the warm feeling you get from listening to Dinah Washington's "what a difference a day makes" on the website will certainly do the trick. Like I said I'll be trying out two new colors soon!! I'll let you know what I think.




Sending you beautiful kisses.
Perhaps I'll be your first kiss of the day. *wink*

Sales!! Sales!!

I love sales!!
It's smart shopping especially when you do consider just how much stuff one (ahem!!) buys.
Just in case you don't get the emails flooding your inbox, it's the fall sale at two of our fave dept stores!!
And appropriately for beauty:


Grosses bises!!

follow your nose ...and try and catch me

I have a thing for scents.
Okay, I'm terribly sorry for one of the most appalling understatements of the year.

My love affair with (pleasing) scents very much encompasses all of my five senses; it's decidedly difficult to verbalize its perception. Actually, I'm pretty certain the sense of smell is the most important of the five senses in mammals and other classes of animals—as recent studies now show; the smelling or olfactory organs and neurons exerting considerable influence on the paths of neuronal activity of the other senses. ¹ Yay!! Bio!!
So, you see, I'm not completely nuts!!
Alright, I am; but only very slightly.

While, the influence of smell cannot be disregarded in our daily lives—although its perception might be misplaced or misinterpreted²; I think in my case, it goes a tad overboard. I mean I had the Pucci Vivara Eau de Parfum mailed to me from Harrods, after I smelt it on my sis at the start of spring. Never mind, when I fell head over heels in pulsating, impassioned lust upon seeing that bottle!! They (Harrods) lied that they had the fragrance exclusively. Umm... no, it's certainly available everywhere!! Now, at least!! But, then I had to have it!! Please save that 'perfumes are commonly delivered within the UK, madam' speech. Besides, does my profile not say I'm a "miss"?? Also, kindly overlook the fact that I couldn't reconcile the particular scent in that bottle with the seductive concoction I'd just smelt on her; because really who wears just one scent?? More like four in my case. Sometimes more?? *Yiiikes!!* An alluring trail of scents—hinting—meandering all over me; a spritz on the inside of my wrists, behind my ears, just below my belly button, my hair, décolletage, around my legs and ankles... I mean the possibilities are endless. But be warned, lest you think the scents overwhelm me. The rationale for my chicsimplicity is ...a penchant for balancing the delicate nuances of style and refinement... So, it's a certain je ne sais quoi, and very light fingers!! Hahaha. The thing is, each scent arouses a feeling that begs a complementary emotion, so spritz number two; now I feel a little more elegant, add a hint of seductive playfulness: spritz number three and we could go on and on.

[A woman should use perfume] wherever [she] wants to be kissed. ~ Coco Chanel. I take this quotation very literally. Haha.

Speaking of, that's one of my huge dilemmas when I have to go away for a weekend—what scents to pack??!! Cue: dinky-crisis, but thank the Lord for mini-scents and sample bottles!!

I awoke to a bleak fall-like morning, perhaps, heralding what would be the somber mood of this historic day. I closed my eyes. I needed to feel a more pleasant emotion. I remembered my baby brother's smell. He's really a sweet mish-mash of EVERYthing, but it's simply energetic and beautiful like he is. He's back home for school now and I'm not crazy enough to want him back so quickly, but... My mind evokes more smells, two seconds later, my senses are full throttle into overdrive.
Bliss. (...and the inspiration for today's post.)


Again speaking of—in this case—glorious NY, I meant to write a piece on the Bond No. 9 NY Saks Fifth Ave scent, which debuted at the beginning of September. It was the long weekend coming up and I didn't write. I am sad, I know. I haven't tried it yet, but the bottle is charming, natch.







Loving, pleasurable kisses.
P.S. THE 50TH ANNUAL EBONY (TRAVELLING) SHOW themed "GLAM ODYSSEY" starts tomorrow, SEPT. 12TH!! Click the title to view show-times in your cities. *muah*



Footnotes:
1. Do I have to provide references from research studies?? Haha. I'm not in class!!
2. In fact, about seventy percent of what we perceive as taste is really smell. This is fact, as well. *Coy, fluttering lashes*

Love in a little square - Ted Gibson Hairsheets™

In the event that you suddenly develop frizzy, unmanageable hair, which - really - given the humidity of the summer months will be every two minutes; you'd be aptly prepared with these revolutionary, yet simple hairsheets™ by Ted Gibson!! If ever simplicity and functionality (in a beauty product) coalesced; they evolved into these decadent hairsheets. Thinking of all the inconvenient bottles and tubes of products I pack for any weekend, it's a relief to find an infinitely portable product - the sachets pack like a dream - and, one that works mini-miracles too!!

Ted Gibson (he works with business partner and noted colorist Jason Backe) is renowned for his prowess and keen intuition for women's needs, having coiffed famously beautiful women the world over. His products - and did I already mention they're oh so divine - reflect the love and attention to detail that one garners from Gibson's intimate love affair with hair care; as well as his philosophy that "beauty is individual."

His patented hairsheet is a towelette with a serum of "amino acids complex, wild orchid extract and natural plant aromas" which revitalize hair structure and texture without any oily feeling. Mr Gibson's hairsheets come in two formulas: one for styling, and the other for treatment. The styling treatment refreshes dull hair and smoothes flyaways, giving it a "brilliant shine" -so true!! Its sunscreen components also block excessive drying of the hair. Oh, the traumas of the summer sun!! The treatment formula is designed for a more intense reconstruction of dry, damaged hair. All you have to do is rub/polish the hairsheets through the entire hair and style as usual (or in the case of treatment, use overnight.)

I don't think I can stop raving about these little squares!!
Visit: TedGibsonBeauty


They make pretty thoughtful gifts too!! Well, they are pretty pretty too.

Sinfully divine kisses.

P.S. In a perfect world, I'd graciously acquiesce to Ted Gibson being responsible for my hair, Ms. McGrath, my makeup and Preston Bailey, my wedding planning; when I get married in five, six or ... years.
Right after I pick out my wedding beau.
Hahaha.

Guerlain Super Aqua - Day Cooling Stick

I've been waiting a couple of weeks to post this... so I'll just go ahead, though it isn't available in the U.S. at the moment.

Like your fave tube of lip stick, it fits perfectly in your teeniest purse. The Guerlain Cooling Stick provides optimum hydration in all environments, and is so appropriate for this flippant weather we're experiencing (at least in the northeast.) The stifling and sweltering skip-spring-into-summer heat punctuated by near-icy rainy weather is best attacked head-on and I'm willing to bet 50¢ (haha) this is just the product to do so.

Sadly, like I said earlier, it hasn't been introduced into the U.S. market yet, so I can't give a first-hand personal review like I'd like to. Other products in the Super Aqua line are available at your beautiful beauty counters. Nordstrom's online has a chic mini set; and surprisingly, Sephora doesn't carry this particular line. Oh oops... I did find it at Sephora.fr!! I don't remember how I got unto the French website, I must have been searching frantically all the way into another language. Ha!! Glorious benefits reportedly inlcude supple and toned skin, which is easily ready for touch-ups; vivifying freshness and just perfect hydration that makes skin feel comfortable!! Guerlain regards it as [your] daily accomplice. And if you love Guerlain products like I do, you'll be eagerly awaiting its arrival on this side of the pond. Can't wait!!

Les bises fraîches.

All that glitters... [II]: La Prairie - Radiance Collection

In this second part of "All that glitters..." we take a look at La Prairie: Radiance Collection. Once again, liquid gold extract is purported to reverse the aging process resulting in younger-looking radiant skin. The products in this line use quartz liquid crystals and reflective pigments, as well as La Prairie’s Cellular Complex, to "super-charge [the] skin’s ability to de-age." I didn't know 'de-age' could be an actual word. Hmm... sounds pretentiously posh...

The Radiance Collection comprises three products: Cellular Radiance Concentrate Pure Gold ($525, 1.0oz.), Cellular Radiance Cream ($525, 1.7 oz.) and Cellular Radiance Eye Cream ($265, 0.5 oz.) Thus, the entire collection is $1375.
No comment.
Seriously, what can I say??

Exactly.

Nothing.

There are plentiful collections of absurdly-priced products. If there weren't so-priced, they wouldn't be decadently luxe and we wouldn't be clamouring wildly to purchase them. Hilariously pathetic!!

So moving on... natch, I'm totally attracted to the Pure Gold Concentrate. Its golden appearance is so enticing. And, I don't doubt that it feels decadently rich and satiny as it melts into the skin. It's a revolutionary micro-emulsion serum that captures the glow of pure 24k gold!! Heavenly!! Cue: cherubs singing the Alleluia chorus. I mean, I just can't help but fall in love. Oh, why am I so easily attracted to shiny-shiny??!! This gold concentrate is said to help firm skin, promote radiance and clarity, and of course, de-age skin so it is younger-looking. I, do not fit in this category that requires anti-aging products yet :), so I'm totally by-passing these products!! Well, except I get some samples :). Available at the usual: Saks, Neiman's & Bergdorf's.

Actually, I may have received a sample of the eye cream early this year, I think; I'm not sure what happened to it. Boo!!

p.s. There's another brand of beauty products, Julisis, a Deutsch company, that incorporates gold, silver and diamond?? essences in its products; customers regularly buy the entire line ($2,400). Again, I'm speechless, I've just decided to accept it all... but, take a peak... JULISIS.

Sinfully divine kisses.

Divinora Intervention. (Guerlain)

Guerlain's always been one of my favorite brands especially because it was one of the first beauty labels I discovered myself. Granted, I recall the Guerlain Shalimar Parfum being part of mom's plethora of fragrances when I was younger; but that doesn't really count because I think part of mom's lifework was - and still is - to acquire the fragrances of the world!! Naturally, my first Guerlain purchase - a Divinora Lipgloss - was aboard an aircraft (duty-free!! yes!!). The second was a Divinora Mascara (shiny object alert); also bought high in the sky!! Yes, I remember these random, but, obviously precious and valuable moments and purchases of my life!! Every gyrl does... I think.

Perhaps you're wondering why I'd been making beauty purchases on the airplane: Uhhh... weird!!
Ha *scoff*!!
It was pretty normal for my (younger) sisters and I; although, now it does seem like we were oh so deprived. You see, our first forays into the world of makeup really came from shopping duty-free on airplanes and at airports. As children, and, even well into my teens (since I was the oldest, haha) we were only given pocket-money when we were traveling abroad - coming into the US or Europe. And, we could almost spend it as we wished. Ha... my darling parents!! Ergo, on trips, we stocked up on lots of color palettes and fragrances. Indeed, apart from sneaking into mommy's hardly-ever-used beauty collections, we learned our biases to different brands en route. It really was exciting, there were always limited/specially packaged editions and they were always duty-free!!

Anyway, back to Guerlain... Naturally, the brand epitomizes the uppermost echelon of fragrance and beauty products; constantly renewing their products' richness and effectiveness by fusing superior technological advancements with luxurious ingredients. The foundations and concealers I skip natch; the brand doesn't even come close to making colors for people who aren't two shades of negative pale or beige!! I should protest, but it'd be a no-win/no-win situation. I wouldn't be able to satisfy my addictions; they'd lose an oh so valuable customer (hahaha)... No, it certainly would not work.The rest of its products, however, should be labeled 'Seduction in a jar/bottle...' I've taken to their eyeshadows, perhaps, much like a junkie to umm... white powder. Only these (powder) formulas are so rich in color and texture and truly luxurious!! Just about three weeks ago, I returned to Guerlain, yes, the real beauty counter, and bought the Divinora Pure Radiance moisturizing gel - a sheer "radiant glow" gel formula containing suspended particles of pure 24K gold (hmm... are they serious??), which melt into my skin making it oh so radiant!! This is a divine moisturizer; but, it's also an effective base for my makeup, enhancing its staying power!! I mean it's beyond amazing and feels very sensual!! Can a beauty product be sensual?? Ahh... yesss. This is perfect since summer is almost here (doesn't feel like it up here); and we all will be clamouring for the golden, glowing look. Although, many women sometimes like to adapt their looks to the seasons, I am partial to "glow-enhancing" products and bronzers all year round, so Pure Radiance will become one of my staples. I simply find that I want radiant, youthful (and I, by no means, am old!! - said in head-shaking, index-finger-wagging tone) skin all the time!!
Of course, I go to the Neiman's website just because, and they're highlighting Guerlain in the beauty section!! Great minds think alike. Also available at Sephora and Saks.

Sugar-frosted, lip-smacking kisses on the lips!! Muah!!

p.s. Neiman's is having a beauty event, lots of delish goody bags!!!

Lanvin debuts in the U.S

...guess a few French have decidedly overlooked their teeny dislike of Americans.
Lanvin is the oldest and one of the most prestigious couture houses in France. Founded in 1889 by its eponym Jeanne Lanvin, the couture house is an essence of the Parisian industry of fashion luxury, elegance and refinement. Since recently reverting to its independent standing, fashion enthusiasts worldwide clamour to obtain Lanvin pieces. I don't know why, but the leather material on their handbags, and ballet flats, especially, is as soft as a baby's bottom!! Open the pages of any U.S. Vogue or Hearst magazines, and you're sure to find praise and acclaim for Lanvin flats; and natch, you'd be able to find the brand at Barneys!! I remember calling up my ex-roomie this past Jan. when I was having a mini-crisis at the shoe dept: wondering whether to pick up a pair of floral lace-covered wedge shoes on sale by Alaïa (another French couture house with no premier base in the U.S). Yes I did pick them up!! I'll show you, I love them but I've'nt worn them yet.
Anyway, we walked over to the handbags section and we just couldn't stop touching the Lanvin bags... so, so soft and lush!! I loved the bag pictured above!! I truly am drawn to shiny objects, aren't I?? Well, yesterday, the company opened its first office in the U.S. (142 Greene St., NY.) Albar Elbaz’s Lanvin fall 2007 show pieces will be the first collection in the new showroom.

Check out the calendar for Fall 2007 trunk shows and beauty events on the Barneys website.

My shoes: I found the only picture at Gregory's Shoes online. Picture 'em with a pair of super skinny cropped black pants (love the Audrey ones they had at the Gap) or jeans.

Finally, Paris & Milan Fall 2007.

Fall fashion is oh-so chic; and the most revered connoisseurs of the industry put forth their creations amidst great stir in Paris and Milan!! I couldn't possibly tell you how thrilling, yet tasking, it's been going through the looks and try to pick faves. It's hard to bypass the settings of each show, which, in itself is a prelude to each fashion story - a fairy tale, a documentary etc; skirt around accessories that tie each ensemble together, and let's not even talk about makeup... A painfully bitter sweet ordeal, really!! I'm so drained. For some reason, I'm thinking sex... hmm... Anyway, truly, just so you can look at my prettiest pics - which I've linked as an album (tedious), I've made this sad excuse for a post on fall fashion!!

I'm not really a trendy gyrl. I prefer classic pretty and chic interjected with renovated enhancements and silhouettes. So when I affirm certain fashion ideas, I'm merely expressing what I think is chic and/or what I might wear. :)
So, here ~
Still Chic:
belts - varying widths, show off that waist, oooh!!
tights/leggings/skinnypants - haute pieces come in even more lush textiles (think, even quilted fabrics, like a puffer coat!!) with tremendous shine
flounce/balloon skirts!!
bell/exaggerated sleeves - I am still iffy on these, they're kinda pretty. I walked in Intermix (Boston) about two weeks ago and clearly Christopher Deane and Geren Ford have embraced this pattern whole-heartedly!!

New Chic:
color! color! color! - vivdly rich, gem hues; pops of color on accessories with grey/black garbs
chic, decadent embellishments as accessories or part of ensemble;
sequins, shine and sparkle - illuminate those gem hues even more!!
quilted fabrics for every piece of your ensemble
well proportioned fitting & shapely emphasis (belts are not going anywhere anytime soon!! yay!!)
head wraps, bows - love, love it!!;
gloves - I thought of wearing some lace ones for my birthday dinner, but i don't even have any birthday dresses to decide on yet. Haha.

Makeup: barely there natural look, which I love lots; some red lips...

Haute Mentions:
Emporio Armani: chicest ever!! My fave collection.
Stella McCartney: refined renaissance in lush fabrics.
Blugirl: for the smart, whimsical woman. I love the color and hats!!
Giorgio Armani: luxe RTW
John Galliano: fantasy never looked to pretty!!
Christian Dior: Total Couture
Dolce & Gabbana: eye-catching fabrics, corset belts!! You'll see I couldn't help myself in my album.
Just Cavalli: Beautiful avant garde fashion
Celine: retro-chic + trendsetting

Paris & Milan Fall 2007

Love you and love fashion!!

p.s. Fashion Calendar:
6:00PM—8:00PM—Benefit Brow Bar Party, Bloomingdale's, 59th St., NY, A special night of cocktails and complimentary brow shaping. Sponsored by Bacardi and Hampton Popcorn. Limited Space. >21 to attend.

A bit of news...

Beauty and skin care expert, Ms. Bobbi Brown, celebrated the launch of her new book Living Beauty at friend (and designer) Tory Burch's home last night. Just in time for her 50th birthday, she has written the book redefining beauty for women over 40. I don't need the book, but hey, it'd make a lovely gift for an older friend, or mommy, perhaps. If Bobbi Brown really looks as beautiful as she does on the cover, maybe I should just read ahead...



Spring is the air!! Until it starts pouring rain - and snowing - tomorrow. Eeek. Anyway, chicly speaking, 'tis the season for rosé!! I just happen to be chic and love rosé - a divine accompaniment to any fare, or on its own - so guess what's in my refrigerator!! As if the LVMH clientele needs more reason to spend lavishly, the luxe brand conglomerate has partnered with interior designer, Karim Rashid to create the Veuve Clicquot Loveseat, now available in NY. The intimate seating, in its lovely powder pink color, comes with a detachable ice bucket in the classic Clicquot yellow!! I certainly don't need or have ten grand for a loveseat; but it's...chic and oh-so decadent!!

Cheers!!










p.s. Fashion Calendar:
3/14 - 3/18 The Rachel Roy sample sale (up to 75% off) begins today. 25 W 39th St., at Fifth Ave., 14th floor.
Pink Wall Street: Thomas Pink opens a boutique in NY's Financial District; its custom shirt service, Personally Pink, will be available in an apportioned mezzanine section!!

YSL Lip Twins: Double Chic!!

Well. Well. Well.
I am utterly in love with the YSL Lip Twins (lip duo: satin/shine). I'd heard about the recovering house of style launching a new line of lip colors in January but I completely forgot until now. Their foundation and much of their color (blush and gloss) has just never really worked with my skin color, but I've decided to change that. I think they've decided to accommodate me too: look at this blush, the spice and/or blackcurrant (new!!) should look good on my brown skin. Yes??
Even more exciting, look at the Variation Blush - the range of colors is yummy and we should all be able to find one to match our various shades. The formula of matte and iridescent textures gives a satin veil of color and is reported to contain self-adapting pigments that produce just the right shade of cheek color in the presence of light. Oh my!! I think the Cinnamon/Rose or Ash Pink would accent my cheekbones fabulously.
And unto the pièce de résistance, the Lip Twins - with which I have fallen in love for purely superficial reasons. There's something alluring about whipping out an elegant lip color or compact from a teeny evening purse for a quick touch up - that is, if you're forced to, in public. Haha. We all know make up should never be applied as if for an audience!! Anyway, whether or not you're forced to, I'm thinking you'll want to be seen in public with a tube of YSL Lip Twins in it's couture jewel-like tube. It's really just a sexy piece of accessory, if ever an item of makeup was one. I love it!! And again, the range of colors is heart-fluttering. YSL is trying to cater to us all. I am definitely going to find three shades that suit me!! (Pink-Beige, Plum Harmony, Pink Harmony, Brown Harmony, Blackcurrant Rose, I guess that' more than three, huh??) Product-wise, the duo comes in two complimentary shades of color, one satiny and the other a shiny lipstick, so you can play with the colors!!

p.s. I wonder - I should really be thinking about incorporating ramen noodles into my diet?? Hmmm...

chichi chic!!

Beauty Bargains

I am a beauty products junkie!! It's very sad. Actually, it's not sad at all - it's affecting and exciting!! Many a-shopping mini excursions and retail-therapy sessions begin, concomitantly, with a stop at the beauty counters of my staple dept. stores. It's just that make-up is so alluring and stunning in its ever-pretty, tempting bottles, tubes and packages. Ooohhh la la. Simply - multiple orgasms. Pure loveliness: the color palettes and matrix forms of eyeshadows; delicious tubes of lip color; pots and jars of skin creams that smell oh-so-decadent, I sometimes wonder if the products are too good to be true and are really just sold for their velvety textures and yummy scents; fragrances, ooooh fragrances - I think dad's responsible here, standard gifts for us, his gyrls, when he comes to visit, so we have some fragrances way before they're introduced in the US :); blushes and cheek stains - also in a myriad of colors and textures; nail polishes - remember the Chanel Black Satin nail polish, I was sporting that last summer before the all the frenzy!! Actually, years before, I'd be in black nail polish for periods of a month or two just because I love it!! Oh, and did I mention beauty tools?? The feel of a new natural brush...remarkably cool. It's a wonder I've managed to not to rant effusively about beauty products in my writings!! Just you wait...

This past Tuesday, I stopped at the Saks and Neiman's Beauty Events. I needed to purchase something for my mom - Ultimate Lifting Creme. Estée Lauder skin care, among reverent brands, has been in my household since I can remember mommy attempting some semblance of a nightly beauty routine. It was more like every fortnight. Haha, but obviously that didn't stop her owning all those products!! I've inherited that gene; hmmm, must be a dominant allele. Anyway, I picked up the jar, as well as some Pure Eyeshadow and got talking with the Beauty Expert lady - their compact cases are exquisite - and next thing I knew I was asking her if she wouldn't mind giving me two of the Beauty Gift Bags; since technically, you got the gift bag if you spent $100, and that jar alone was definitely more than twice that... "Sure honey, you've made my evening!!" she says, "I'll throw in an extra Estée Lauder free treat!!" Well of course, I am exhilarated and grinning like a Cheshire cat. I paid for my purchases, we hugged and parted ways. My mommy was so happy when my younger sister arrived with her goodies two days later. She'll use them at least three times, I think. [The power of bargaining: Lesson #1.]

Next Stop: Barney's. Helloooo black mesh skirt with a puce satin underlay. On sale!!
Sorry, that was just a detour.

Next Stop: Neiman's. Chantecaille Detox Mask and Rose Water. Well, that's all I wanted and was willing to spend money on. I'd be able to get the Neiman's Gift Bag for sure, but I didn't make it (tax excluded) for the Chantecaille Beauty treat. Anyway, I was already positively glowing from my other purchases and gushing to the lady about how wonderful I felt - she's gushing back, "Not many African American women use Chantecaille, but it's an exceptional skin care line." I pleasurably agreed, thinking, "oh well, so what?? The detox mask got wonderful reviews and I just had to try it" - and I asked if I'd still be able to get Chantecaille treat. "I just can't afford to buy anything else and I'm definitely going to be eating ramen noodles for the next couple weeks," I prodded her conscience. It worked!! She'd love for me to try the samples and come back soon. Wrapping up my purchases, she directed my attention to some four-hundred-dollar?? compact case - as we had been talking about the Estée Lauder ones, to which I politely declined and reminded her of my impending ramen noodle diet. I thanked her for all of her help and waved my farewell floating on cloud nine. [The power of bargaining: Lesson #2.]

Thank you Lord for the bargaining gene I know I definitely inherited from mom!! She'd be so proud!!
Beautyfull kisses.