The Year In Beauty: These Are My Favorite Things, Part 1!

Happy between-Chanukkah-and-Christmas time!
Beauty Blogging Junkie's Amber and I got together, pooled our favorite lip glosses, hair goops and mascara wands, opened a bottle of red wine, and made a couple of videos of us discussing our favorite beauty products of 2010.

I learned a lot from doing these videos! I learned that while my outfit looked adorable in person, it came off as positively uncute on camera. I wore a high-waisted circle skirt whilst SEATED ON MY SMOOSHY COUCH! I look like I was born without a waist. Ugh. Live and learn, people. I learned that making videos is insanely time-consuming, and while I already respected bloggers who regularly devote their time to making their own videos, I now pretty much think they're Jesus. And I learned that Windows Movie Maker was put on this planet to destroy me.

Anyway, hope you like it! There are more where this came from!




And check out my Naag.com review of MAC's Haute & Naughty Lash
and C.O. Bigelow Protein-Enriched Conditioner for Dry & Damaged Hair. Amber hyped up Tokyomilk Bon Bon Shea Butter Hand Cream and Panthera Ultraflesh Mascara, which is SHAPED LIKE A PANTHER. I got excited about that, you'll notice.Who even cares how it works when it looks like that?

Doc Martens Fall 2010 Gold Flocked Floral Boots

($120, Dr Martens, Dmusastore.com)

I asked myself WHY would I want gold, glittery, flocked Doc Martens boots. But then I asked myself the more revelant question: why WOULDN'T I want flocked floral Doc Martens, hmm? They're perfect for fall mornings when you wake up late, don't really feel like "getting dressed" and just throw them on with black leggings and a solid black dress. One of those "your shoes ARE your outfit" outfits.

Look, I know they're wackadoo and look like a couch your parents probably have in the basement no one ever goes into anymore, but while my head is saying "no," my heart is saying "let's go." Oh yeah, get 20% off Doc Martens with promo code FALL2010 through 9/15/2010. You're WELCOME.

The Year In Beauty: These Are My Favorite Things, Part 4

Welcome back!

You, like me, are probably sitting around in your sweatpants, so what better time to check out the fourth installment of my and Beauty Blogging Junkie Amber's favorite beauty products of 2010. I've been writing about beauty every week for Naag.com, so there are plenty of lipsticks, perfumes, eyeshadows, mascaras and wine to cover.

Let's get right to it.

Here are the beauty products we covered in this video:

Me: Davines Number 1 Finest Oil Non Oil For Wizards (a miraculous anti-frizz serum), Revlon Retro Fire and Ice nail polish in Siren, Miss Pucci Perfume and Tom Ford Black Orchid Nail & Lip Set.

Amber: Keratin Complex Serum, Immunocologie Skin Care, and CND Effects Line polish.

 

Watch Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3.

Mad Men's Christina Hendricks Sexies Up London Fog

OHAI JOAN! Christina Hendricks, who is the actual person who plays Mad Men's Joan Holloway, who is NOT a real person, is the new face of London Fog's fall 2010 outerwear and accessories campaign. Because she can make even a suitcase look sexy. It's absurd, I know.












CATHERINE SEZ: Too bad they Photoshopped the sass out of her. Sad. She's not a skinny bitch! Why make her one?

Check out Christina Hendricks talking London Fog sexy times!

Risto Bimbiloski, I'm A Cosmo Girl!

Lately I've been all space cadety and dreaming of Pink Floyd-referencing, cosmic, marbley watercolors and photo prints. Sometimes they're pieces that are actually tie-dyes, but they're so not hippie-chick at all. They're intergalactic pieces that look like they're in a dark and stormy mood, a la Peter Pilotto's Fall 2009 collection and much of Risto Bimbiloski's signature celestial notes.

($99, Laeken, Revolveclothing.com)

I'm lovin' Laeken's pieces and their more of-this-earth prices.

($150, Laeken, Ssense.com)

This Laeken top is the perfect wear-anywhere, layer-with-anything piece.

($759, Tsumori Chisato, SSense.com)

Has there ever been an edifice moodier than the Eiffel Tower?

($75, Risto Bimbiloski, Opening Ceremony)

($384, Risto Bimbiloski, Assembly New York)

A LIGHTNING-PRINT boyfriend blazer = thunderclap of genius.

Now check out more from Risto Bimbiloski's blog, and listen to Metric's acoustic version of "Twilight Galaxy" and just TRY not to cry.

Milla Jovovich Continues To Win At Being Beautiful

Milla Jovovich, seen here at the Schumacher show at Berlin Fashion Week, continues to own being beautiful. I need to unlock the secret to having the kinda wet-look bun that falls halfway between tousled and "done." Oh wait. The secret is having a beauty team. Sigh.

I hereby dedicate DJ Khaled's screamo-Tuned "All I Do Is Win (Remix)" (also my current theme song/ motto) to Milla's perpetual win.

Ann-Sofie Back For Cheap Monday = Oh Lord.

I TRULY love Cheap Monday -- they make edgy and affordable staples. But their Ann-Sofie Back collection is like bad on top of bad.

($65, Ann-Sofie Back for Cheap Monday, Alexandchloe.com)

($85, Ann-Sofie Back for Cheap Monday, Alexandchloe.com)

These destroyed jeans are perfect for your community theater's re-imagining of Grease set in the post-Apocalypse.

($60, Ann-Sofie Back for Cheap Monday, Alexandchloe.com)

And this Duct tape dress just pains me. PLEASE just save up and get the Alexander Wang cut-out leather sweatshirt dress! It's on sale!

($437.50, Alexander Wang, Net-a-Porter.com)

Now please go watch Robyn wear hers in her "Dancing On My Own" video.

Robyn - New Music - More Music Videos

I Dream Of: Wren's Leopard Fur Coat

($795, Wren, Shopbird)

The leopard fur coat. It's so classic, so decade-unspecific. So Anne Bancroft-classy and at the same time so old-lady-with-a-cigarette-hanging-out-of-her-mouth-and-waving-a-flyswatter-around crazy.

But mainly, I just love how dreamy a leopard print coat can be. What's under it? Who cares. The coat is the outfit.

Heaven Is This Temperley London Studded Leather Jacket

If I had a one-day pass to heaven, I'm pretty sure this Temperely London Ava grey studded leather jacket would greet me at the pearly gates. For truly, something this gorgeous must've been heaven-sent.

($2150, Temperley London, Net-a-porter.com)

+ Video that encompasses the feelings I'm feeling for this jacket: "You Got It All" by The Jets.

The Jets - You Got It All @ Yahoo! Video

I Found The Ugliest Shoes MAYBE EVER!

($35.69, Wild Rose, Cutesygirl.com)

I was JUST talking to a friend about how online shopping addictions have become truly problematic. And then THIS landed in my inbox. HALLELUJAH! I'M CURED! These freak-nasty boots are like methadone to my shopping addiction.

Two Random Web Videos: Courtney Love Discuss Her Style, And An Adorable Girl With UNBELIEVABLE Self-Esteem

Okay, I'm going a little off topic for a minute. I almost never talk about my "real life" or day job or anything, because that's not why you come here. (And this isn't LiveJournal.) But I thought I'd share this video interview I did with Courtney Love at my day job. First of all, would 1994 "Doll Parts"/ smeared lipstick you EVER have imagined that 2010 Courtney Love would've been rolling out in a denim button-down, white tee, skinny jeans and sensible black flats 16 years later? Anyway, when I was growing up in the 1990s, Courtney Love (and Tanya Donelly and Liz Phair) HUGELY influenced the way I dressed -- black tights, Docs, babydoll skirts, ratty old-man flannels and crappy sweaters. (Unfortunately, Blossom was also my style icon at the time, so I actually DID own a black fisherman's hat with two ENORMOUS flowers on the front. Wearing a sticker that said ASSHOLE would've been just as effective.) I also had some off-brand Jnco skater jeans that were not at all Courtney's fault. I have only myself to blame for those. Anyway, not to toot my own horn, but the interview turned out quite well, mainly because Courtney's funny and an open book. So, here's Courtney Love talking about her style evolution, her "kook," how her slipdress beginnings weren't a conscious style choice, the choice to dress in a more "elegant, adult way," and her hardcore obsession with Etsy. (This was a two-part interview -- you can watch the first part here.)

Courtney Love - MTV Shows

Next/ randomly, PLEASE check out this AMAZING little girl who is absolutely BURSTING with enthusiasm. I need to be operating in this mode every morning before I brush my teeth.

What Are You Wearing New Year's, New Year's Eve?

If only I were wearing this Malene Birger LBD. Those aren't feathers. They're LEATHERS. Ya rly.

($381, Malene Birgin, Shoplesnouvelles.com)

Devastatingly handsome.

Justify My Love: Wanting. Needing This Sequin French Connection Dress

Current mood: Very strongly leaning toward this French Connection "Fast Sequins" Dress.

($288, French Connection)

And if you're bored by black, it comes in this rich-ass, royal blue:

Obviously you wear a sequined mini dress to a holiday party, and you don't even have to bring a gift, because you're like a walking Christmas present for others to enjoy. But you could also dress it down and go real hard in these chunky, harnessed motorcycle ankle boots by Aussie brand Maurie & Eve:

($288, Maurie & Eve, idontlikemondays.us)

Get them at idontlikemondays, or pick them up at the lovely little Soho boutique Babel Fair, which sources cute things from all over the world -- from designer dresses to cute little edible-looking erasers.

Girls, Meets Boy Meets Girl's Perfect Studded Blazer

The dilemma of the curvy girl who loves a boyfriend/ best friend blazer is that if you're not all bones, you need a little cling so you don't look like a bulky box. I love my Topshop satin blazer, but it just doesn't "sit" quite right. So "kudooze," in the parlance of Real Housewives of New York's Ramona, to sportswear/ lifestyle brand Boy Meets Girl's jersey blazer, which fits PERFECTLY and snugs and hugs in just the right places. Bonus: it's got cute little logo studs, which I of course cannot resist.

Kate Voegele in Boy Meets Girl's studded blazer

The studded blazer is from Boy Meets Girl's Spring 2010 collection, retails for $139, and hits stores January 2010.

Appropriately, "Waiting For A Star To Fall" by Boy Meets Girl.

Vintage Video: IB Diffusion = Mastubatory Knitwear, Exotic Animals, Helicopters & More!

Wowsa! Who knew when I signed up for those Barbizon modeling classes at the mall that I'd find myself convulsing in the bustling city sidewalks, creaming in my knit ankle-length skirt as the result of a simple phone call, and masturbating myself to quivering orgasm on my couch while fantasizing about a couple of tacky sweaters!

Other things I never would've foreseen: owning the unseemly combination of a tiger, a snow leopard, and average house cat! Good thing I'm also leasing all this creepy, vaguely outsider modern art too! And the cats don't even TOUCH my exotic flora -- it's the darndest thing!

And now if you'll excuse me, my helicopter's waiting outside to whisk me away to my job,. which consists of convulsing on a platform inside of an art gallery while wearing a beret! I'm today's IB Diffusion Woman, and the world is my IB Diffusion oyster, and by oyster, I mean umbrella of deliriously bright, hideously outstretched, funk nasty oversized acrylic knits! Viva la Diffusion!

What Is Love? This Sobella Train Tote In "Explosion"

($158, Sobella, Angelhandbags.com)

What is love? This ridiculous graffiti-printed Sobella bag, which features the art of graffiti artist John “Crash” Matos. It's like Keith Haring meets Peter Max. But, PLEASE, DO NOT -- repeat -- DO NOT wear this bag with anything more bold than a camel-colored trench. PLEASE.

Lust Life: Loeffler Randall Studded Wedges

($200, Loeffler Randall, Footcandyshoes.com)

Sigh. It's probably for the best that these baby blue Loeffer Randall studded wedges are sold out in my all-too-common size.

That said, I'm still gonna go ahead and dedicate "Catch Me I'm Falling" -- one of my FAVORITE Freestyle R&B songs -- to them:

Mary Katrantzou Surreal Trompe L'oeil Dress

($595, Mary Katrantzou, farfetch.com)

I have NO fucking idea what exactly is going on. Is it human? Dancer? Photo? X-ray? Sexy robot? Will it hurt? Will it hurt a lot? I don't know. I just know I want in. I also kind of want to see it on an actual body. Preferably my own.

+ Like this? Check out Tsumori Chisato.

Speaking of robotics, this kind of reminds me of the dress version of one of my FAVORITE songs of the past year -- Robyn and Royksopp's "The Girl And The Robot."

Beautiful, Unattainable, Covetable, Nonsensical: Alexander McQueen Peacock Jacquard Dress

($3,191, Alexander McQueen, Saks)

The black and gold silk jacquard print is, of course, stunning, and OBVS I'm attracted to ANYTHING with peacock in the name, but WHO wants their ass to look like a hot air balloon:


Why wasn't this a straight A-line dress??? Why? WHY? ANSWER ME, SOMEONE!

Things that are black and gold and make more sense: Laura Mercier's Black Gold eye pencil and Sam Sparro's "Black And Gold" video:

Would You Mind If I Looked At You For A Moment? West/Feren Berkshire Hip Purse

($172, West/ Feren, Ravinstyle.com)

Two words: do me.

But before you start, save 15% with promo code “spring awakening” through March 22.

Bell Biv Devoe - New Music - More Music Videos