Movin' on up!

... to wordpress. Visit me here, readers! I'm new and improved and as stylish as ever.

Voulez-vous de pornographie chic?

I'm late posting this, I know. I'm just so amused that French men like their cheap porn classy:

I know the Karl Lagerfeld is already a mogul, but it never hurts to add another profession to your resume! He can now check "pornographer" off his list of careers to do before he dies.

Half the search concluded, half ongoing!

So, I've been looking for a shampoo and conditioner that are a little more eco-friendly: phosphates, pthlalates, and parabens aren't really things that belong in the water supply, or, for that matter, in or on peoples' bodies (use Google if you're interested as to why; I have to get to class in less than an hour, so I can't really give you a run-down). So, my criteria for my new shampoo and conditioner is that they be:

-biodegradable
-non-toxic
-not tested on animals
-decently healthy
-effective (duh)

The shampoo search is ongoing, but I'm pretty sure I've found the conditioner of my dreams: Desert Essence Organics Italian Red Grape Conditioner. See, I like it so much that I even bothered to fully type out the seven words that make its title! It's light and it rinses out well, but it still makes my hair easy to brush through. Plus, it smells like grape juice! Bliss.

A tip, to satisfy the masses

Nope, I'm not dead. I am, however, pretty fucking busy (the thesis madness is done--thankfully! But I'm still trying to catch up with the rest of my life from having had five to seven hours of rehearsal daily for the first six weeks of school). Still, I've stumbled upon a tip so brilliant that I had to reinstate the blog to share it with everyone: reversing your hair care routine!

See, I'm trying a new shampoo and conditioner, and while they're not perfect, I don't want to throw them away. Waste not and all that. Since they were leaving my hair a little too smooth (read: greasy) for my taste, I pulled a little switcheroo: I conditioned before I washed my hair. Crazy, I know! But the results have been more than satisfactory, and it's a good way to get use out of products that I'm not in love with. So, got a similar problem? Try a similar solution!

To Blog or Not to Blog?

That is the question.

A quick update: After the most incredibly busy summer of my life, I'm back at school--at the most incredibly busy school year of my life. Yes, that's right, folks, I'm a senior, and unlike most seniors, I have to be done with my thesis by October 6. No, that's not typo: I have until October 6.

So, as you can imagine, I'm pretty fucking occupied until then. I never have time to read fashion magazines. I haven't seen my friends in two weeks.

Also, I've found that my interests have shifted--I still adore clothes, but the more time I spend thinking about the dismal state of the environment (and my brother is an environmental scientist, so I spend a lot of time thinking about this), the more I think that it's desperately, direly important that everyone start making changes in EVERY aspect of their lives to help save the planet.

So, what does this all mean? Will I be giving up the frivolous fashion blog? It seems like a logical conclusion. But, after much thought, I've decided not to. Being more conscious of your impact on the world doesn't mean that you can't still enjoy your life. In fact, I find that the more I simplify my life, the more I enjoy what I have.

I'll be blogging a lot less until I finish my thesis, but when I do, you can expect to see a lot more of this category, as well as some stylish lifestyle tips.

In the meantime, go donate some clothes that you don't wear to charity. Someone else will really, really appreciate it. I promise.

Almost too tired to type

I meant to blog tonight. And, actually, last night. And the night before that, and probably the night before that as well. But alas, I haven't the strength. I don't have the energy to do anything vaguely creative and focused. Damn, I barely had the energy to do my laundry today. As was, I didn't do it well; I left a spot on one of my Loomstate tops. Eight shows a week really takes it outta ya.

So, if there's anything you'd like to see me blather on about, why don't you be creative for me and suggest a topic? This week promises to be significantly more restful than the past two, so if you suggest an idea, there's a good chance that I'll get around to it.

If not, than I'll probably just post pictures of the clothing I've gotten/will get for fall. Good enough, right?

Let's have a talk

Let's have a talk about lip gloss. Do you like it? Do you hate it? Is it pretty? Is it overdone? Is it classy? Is it tacky?

I'll go first. I used to have a gloss obsession. When I was in seventh grade, anything glossy was ok by me. Sparkles? Yes! Fluorescent colors? Bring 'em on! Pearlized swirls? Why not? By high school (or probaby, eigth grade), I had mellowed out quite a bit. I liked sheer colors, with maybe a little bit of bit of shimmer, but nothing too obnoxious. I did still like an awful lot of shine, though.

Eventually, gloss got to be too much effort. My usual gloss, pictured at left, was a nice, sheer, non-obtrusive color, but my hair would stick in it whenever I moved my head. Ick.


So, I switched to lip balm. Some, like my longtime favorite Dr. Pepper Lip Smacker, have a nice wash of color that looks natural as well as pretty. My current obsession is Burt's Bees lip balm with pomegranate oil. It does a nice job of moisturizing, and it's a faint red color as well. I got quited used to the natural look, and started avoiding gloss.

Of course, when I needed to dress up or feel pretty, I wanted a bit more color. I would always use (and still would, if I hadn't run out last week) L'Occitane lip balm in blackberry, because it had a nice, solid color, and lovely texture too. Because it was only really lightly shiny, it had a gorgeous sophisticated look. Actually, I miss it like hell and desperately need to get my hands on a new pot of the stuff. It really is fabulous.


But lately I've been wondering if I might return to gloss. I'm still very much over bright colors and annoying sparkles, but I think a little bit of shine and sheer color looks kind of youthful and sweet. Or, if I may use a shameless marketing word, it looks fresh. I bought a Bobbi Brown lip duo the other day, and I think I'm going to wear it to a party tonight. Hopefully, it won't feel like a regression to seventh grade, and hopefully, it won't feel upsettingly tacky either. But I doubt that'll be a problem.

But I'd still like to know: what do you think?

More to follow!

Ok, ok, I know. I have been majorly negligent of the blog. But I definitely hope to be back soon, all is not forgotten. Keep an eye on this page!

As a teaser: for fall, I'm liking stripes.

Smashbox = love

I went to Sephora yesterday, and somehow managed to leave empty-handed (shocking!). Normally, I would congratulate myself for having the restraint to save money, but today, I'm actually having a little non-buyer's remorse. Next time I have the opportunity, I am so buying Smashbox's vegan eyeshadow palette. The picture make it look good, but in person, it's fantastic. The earthy tones are completely wearable, but the shades are still very elegant and sophisticated. The green one, though, takes the cake. The neutral is a perfect neutral base--it would look gorgeous and dewy on its own, it would draw light when layered with other colors, and it would work as a highlighter, too. I would actually use the pink color as a blush (in tiny quantities!), since most blushes contain carmine (crushed beetles--just a little bit gross, right?). The green is the showstopper. Here at my summer employment, I don't have many opportunities to glam it up (though a few will definitely present themselves, but when I next do, I would love to wear a color like this. In the picture, it looks a bit like a khaki color, but in person, it's a deep olive full of gold and bronze-y flecks.

I'm kicking myself for exercising restraint. Next time I'm at Sephora, I'm thinking that this palette will be well-worth the splurge.

Mea Culpa

I suck. Sorry.

(Back soon, I hope. I'm not sure, but I hope).

WAY belated shoes of the week

Okay, I know that Thursday is unacceptable for a post that I usually do on Sundays. Do you forgive me? On Sunday, I was in tears because half of my friends graduated, and will now be leaving me in favor of the world-at-large.

So, to make it up to you, I offer you several shoes of the week. And, just for the fun of it, they're all leather-free and guilt-free. 'Cause, y'know, cows need their skin. And without further ado:

I've wanted a pair of plaid shoes since middle school. I have no idea why I've waited so long to get them. Get your fix here.

I like mini-wedges so much. They're as comfortable as flats, but they can look a little more formal, too. I also like all forms of grey. Maybe not in huge quantities in the summer, but you need something to offset your bright green dress, right?

Have these, love these. Here.

I need several lucky pennies...

To say that this has not been a lucky week for me would be the understatement of the year. I finally finished writing my heinous French paper (bringing my grand total of pages written in final papers to a whopping 86) and. . . promptly got a nasty case of tonsilitis, complete with such sore muscles that I didn't want to move and a fever to boot. After three days of misery, I finally admitted to myself that I must be sick, and hauled my ass to the campus health center, where I waited and waited and waited to be prescribed some antibiotics, and dragged myself home.

While I was reading, watching movies, and whimpering about how much my throat hurt to anyone who would listen, the boy in my life was completing his finals and preparing to go home. So, for his last week here, I was pretty much too sore to move, and too bacterial to make out with. Fun.

Then, since I was taking eight-hour naps while I should have been rehearsing, I had to pull out of the show I was in, which was disappointing. The antibiotics worked within a few days, but I had to keep taking them (only just finished, in fact), rendering senior week just about useless. Explanation: the purpose of senior week is to hang out and party with your friends who won't be around for too much longer (graduation is Sunday, and I would say that just under half of my beloveds are graduating--I'm going to need some waterproof mascara). It is not wise to drink while you're taking antibiotics. Not only have I been hanging around my friends and watching them get increasingly drunk at parties, I've also been eyeing my own liquor cabinet with resentment--I have most of a bottle of gin, and unopened bottles of shiraz, vinho verde, and pink champagne. It has not been consumed. To try to consume it all between tonight and tomorrow would not only be stupid, it would also probably kill me. Unfortunately, it kills me to see them go to waste.

So, to reiterate: not my week. So, what would make my week? This dress!

It's lovely, summery, and best of all, organic and sustainably made, and therefore, completely guilt free! Unlike, say, consuming three bottles of wine in one night.

Shoes of the week

Because I never did the punk thing in my adolescence.

These would be a lovely way to play with that silliness now.

Oh, and I'm rather sick, so send good vibes my way, please. Happy Sunday!

Not too shabby

We've all had enough of the kimono dress, but Kara Janx has a few more tricks up her sleeve:

I really rather like this.

Finals Fashion III

The reason I haven't been posting more "Finals Fashion" entries is that, for the past few days, everything I've worn has literally been a permutation of the same outfit. What outfit, you ask? Well, read on, reader.

Lately, my wardrobe has been dominated by patterned t-shirts, American Apparel jersey skirts (I have the one pictured in four different colors) and again, printed flats (I have several pairs).





Repetitive, I know. But it works.

Belated Shoes of the Week

Should have gotten this out yesterday. Oops. Actually, I should have gotten a lot of things done yesterday. Stupid boys. Anyway, this week's shoes of the week are:

Slippers. Because I am so. Damn. Tired.

Finals Fashion II

Yesterday, thanks to the fact that I only got four and a half hours of sleep the night before, I wanted to wear something that's flattering without any effort whatsoever. I chose one of my trusty white tanks to begin with, put a green babydoll tank on over it (you could still see the undershirt, which was exactly what I wanted), and wore my ridiculously flattering Topshop black skinny jeans and printed flats. I also wore my glasses all day, and given that I'm still barely sleeping, probably will all week:





Thank God for easy details like printed flats that distract from my messy hair and sleepy eyes.

Finals Fashion

Ugh. So sleep deprived. Feeling so unattractive. No time to make an effort with clothes. So, rather than making a real effort with clothes, this week, I'm going to wear simple, easy things that hopefully still look good. Then, I'm going to tell you about them! Sound good? Good!

Yesterday, I wore vintage pumps with a low-heel, dark skinny jeans, and a Built by Wendy top (not the one pictured--it's from a past season). It was perfect, because it was simple, comfortable, and Built By Wendy's pieces have enough character to make a whole outfit without too many other details:



Ironically, I didn't get any attention from the boy in my life until I had already gotten back from the gym, and was wearing sweats. Why do I even bother?

Shoes of the week

I know this is a fashion blog (trust me--I started it), but it's also about fashion as it relates to my life. Which is why this week's shoes of the week are

Grishko 2007 pointe shoes. They're a bitch to break in (if you get the medium shanks), but I've never danced in anything more flattering.

You won't find a better price than this.

Thank God companies rip each other off

Were you sad when John Frieda Beach Blond was discontinued? Me too.

Fortunatly, this seems to be the exact same thing:

I dunno how patents for hair care products work, but besides the bottle, there doesn't seem to be a single difference between the two.

Once again, with a few choice items, Topshop has broken my heart

Hurry up and get to the US already!. I probably won't be back in the UK until next April, and these things will all be gone by then!

Quick Note

I'm not sure if it's Blogger or Hotmail, but I'm no longer always getting notified when someone comments.

SO, if I don't respond to your comment, please don't take it personally! Stupid computers.

Yet another reason that I'm moving to England (eventually)

I do adore shoes. I've never considered myself specifically a shoe person, but other people certainly do--my freshman year roomate forbade me from buying any more shoes sometime in March of our freshman year (and I don't blame her--they were taking over the room), a good friend of mine once christened me "Imelda," and one day in rehearsal, when our director mentioned a former student who had 200+ pairs of shoes, amidst shocked cries of "excess!" and the like, one voice rang out, "How many pairs of shoes do you have again, [Principessa]?" Ouch.

So, I've tried to cut back on the shoes. It hasn't been too difficult. Were I back in London, however, I might be having worse problems. Topshop, Office, and Faith were all frequent indulgences for me, and now, I'm regretting having missed Terra Plana. Terra Plana is a sustainable, innovative shoe company that tries to be ethical in all levels of production, and uses completely earth-friendly materials in its production (think recycled material, chemical-free, etc.) Furthermore, their shoes are awesome. The pictured pump reminds me of Marc Jacobs petal-heel shoes, but more creative (sorry, Marc!). The flat makes me think that I just might need another pair of black flats. Plus, it's just awesome that, through buying shoes, you can help save the planet.

But then, the fact that they don't seem to be available stateside is saving my wallet.

Shoes of the week

Polo season is over. Goodbye, riding boots! I actually don't own a real pair of polo boots like the ones pictured, but I'd love some. Goodbye, Nala, Diamond, Claire, and Gameboy! See you next season!

A Fashion PSA

Last night, I went to a party wearing my glasses. Why? Because

A) It was just my good friends
B) They're pretty nice (the only thing by Prada that I own)
C)I was tired, damn it!

I walked in, and amidst the "hellos," one friend simply said, "Hot!" I replied, "Huh?" He continued: "Liking the glasses. I love girls in glasses. Hot." This particular friend is absolutely gorgeous, and more than a little bit of a womanizer. Moral of the story: guys DO make passes in girls who wear glasses!