Obsessions Summer 2010

1. Pennant flag anything

2.  70's style

3. Dunkin' Donuts
(seems to be the sbux of the east coast. but w/ more donuts. duh.)

4. Dolce & Gabbana's Summer Collection

(have you ever seen a nail polish color like that?)

5. Small bags with oversized hardware

6. Shenanigans

1 Ugly Thing

I have this thing, fashion-wise, where I sometimes (or always!) tend to be drawn to or buy something ugly.  Usually accessory wise, usually handbags.  I just think it is so much more interesting to have a cute outfit with an ugly bag or sunglasses or something, instead of the whole ensemble being perfect.  I can't tell you how many times I have been shopping with my girls and I grab some hideous, orangey/brown, 70's style something or other and start screeching about how amazing it is.  Usually followed by an intervention and me being dragged out the store! 

These photos gave me that same feeling.  Ugly being so amazing and interesting.  What do you think?

The same goes for beauty.  As a makeup artist, I know all the tricks for making noses smaller, how to define bone structure and slim faces.  But sometimes I think the features you may hate are the very thing that make you look so amazing.  I think of people like Diana Vreeland, Barbra Streisand, Lady Gaga, Anjelica Huston.  They play up their flaws and I love them for it.  Sometimes I will put lots of black liner around my small eyes to make them look smaller, or not fill in my non-existent eyebrows.  I don't think I have found my perfect look yet but I am going to keep trying!

Inspiration Neely

The Neely bag by Mulberry

I have always loved the Neely character in Valley of the Dolls (VOTD).  And I love everything about the movie, which I find to be just simpler and more innocent than the book.  I love the casting, the catfights, the affairs, the big hair, the Dionne Warwick theme song, all of it.  I especially love the fake makeup ads that the character of Anne gets to be in. So 60's, so glamorous!

Now that I have laid eyes upon the Neely bag, I simply must have it!  It is the perfect example of Neely's character, trying to be grown up and classy, but working a bright red patent or cheetah print into the mix. 

Now time for the obligatory backstory:  When I was 19 and living in my first apartment with my bestie Derek, we talked about VOTD quite a bit and ended up having a theme viewing party.  We invited our upstairs friends and neighbors Damon & Vicente.  We all got to pick a character (I was Neely of course) and acted like them all night, and had matching bottles of pills just like in the movie.  Also, I think matching towels?  I can't really remember, it's been sooo long and that seems like a weird party favor but whatever.  We had the best time and I like to look back fondly on those innocent days, I was more like the characters in the movie, but now I am all old and hardened and wise and like the characters in the book.  You live, you learn.

$995 at Mulberry

Dotted Swiss & The 1970's.

Blerg, this dress is driving me crazy!  I am not a fan of marriage, and even if I was, I am even less of a fan of strapless dresses.  But when I laid eyes on this J. Crew Fall 2010 wedding dress, I fell in lurve.  Dotted swiss and done in a 70's style?  Yes please!

I just can't seem to get enough of the 70's these days.  Oversized sunglasses, tan leather cross body bags, high waisted light blue denim, etc.  I think it all started when I finally watched the DVD's of Swingtown, a show that was on the air for one season a couple of years ago.  You would think it would be all scandulous and trashy but instead it was fascinating, well written, and had the best hair, makeup, and wardrobe EVER.  I am so sad it was cancelled.

(When I was in 10th grade, there was a teacher who was one of those super nice, well meaning people that just drive you crazy with their kindness.  She had singled out myself and a friend of mine because she thought we always wore "such cute things" (mostly vintage).  One day, my friend was wearing a 70's dotted swiss lavender dress and the teacher freaked out.  She LOVED it.  She kept saying "dotted swiss" over and over in this wondrous and breathy, yet loud voice.  Of course it became the biggest inside joke ever, so when I see dotted swiss, I always freak out and start saying it just like her! Good times.)

Michelle The Mod Doll

Just when you thought she couldn't get any cuter, here she is in Sonia Rykiel, still taking the award for most adorable at the Cannes film fest.

O.P.I. iPhone App

I used to be obsessed with OPI nail polish. OBSESSED.  I worked at a beauty supply store and people would come in looking for a certain shade that their manicurist had applied and I could take one look and tell them what color it was.  I used to live for the day the new collections came out, and I would get super mad if anyone but me painted the sample nails.  I'm sure it was more than a little annoying to my co-workers.  When I first heard about this new OPI app, I thought it sounded cool but I was a little jaded.  Seven years and a boom in the nail polish industry had let my loyalties stray, and I was starting to think of OPI as being a company that was too big and didn't have the coolest nail polish colors anymore. 

But then I downloaded it (it's free!) and I started squeeee-ing like my 23 year old self would have back in the day!  It's a very simple app, just one screen with a hand and a revolving color wheel.  You can adjust the skin tone on the hand to match your own, and then you pick a color and see what it will look like on you!  It is so exciting and really fun.  The 23 year old that still lives inside of me wants to highly, highly recommend this new app to you.  The 30 year old me concurs!

More Michelle

Thought you would like to see some more pictures of Michelle Williams trotting out her new & covetable haircut at the Cannes film fest.

The Best Laid Plans

Don't you just love this picture?  I think it very accurately represents the way that Karl Lagerfeld really thinks of himself.  Confident and able to conquer anything!  It's a way of thinking that I hope to take with me into this next phase of my life, which may or may not be a life changing experience. 

I have accepted a job associate producing and doing makeup/hair/wardrobe for a entertainment news show that will be filming on the East Coast, specifically in New Hampshire.  I am freaking out, of course. 

My dear friend and actress Leslie Taylor is going to be hosting the show (the show is titled "The Leslie Taylor Show") and we leave this Saturday morning to start our cross-country road trip across the States.  I am excited to see some new places and super excited to arrive in our new home and meet all the people we will be working with on this amazing project.  I am going to try and post as much as I can from our trip that relates to makeup and fashion, but since I will be blogging/facebooking/tweeting for the show, I can't promise anything!

I am very sad to leave my new-ish home here in Los Angeles, I just moved here last September.  I had envisioned my new life here to be lasting a little longer than it has, and I don't think I got quite enough sun to last me through those harsh New England winters, but I hope to come back one day and resume my West Coast life.  I can't believe I will be living on the East Coast!  I have always been such a West-Coaster at heart.  

All in all, I am really looking forward to this new opportunity, and I hope that all of you have as much of a fun, hardworking, crazy, new, ridiculous summer as I am about to have!  XOXO

RBG Nail Polish

Have you noticed how nail polish is the "in" thing right now?  All I know is that I suddenly feel like painting my fingernails for the first time in four years!

This summer, the coolest of the cool kids are all wearing those neutral grayed-out colors, and RGB Nail Polish is leading the pack.  The company has 10 classic colors that will never change, and then a rotating selection of seasonal colors.  My favorite is "toast":

I also love "oxblood", perhaps for a pedi?

Other favs include "pink" and "steel".

This company is different because the chip-resistant and high shine formula is free of chemicals.  There is no formeldahyde or toluene in RGB colors, and they are made in the U.S.A.

Where to buy.

Who Knew?

I am madly coveting Michelle Williams hair. 

I have to say, I am always amazed at how much I like her!  I remember being really annoyed by her back in the Dawson's Creek days so the fact that she turned out so cool and adorable and is one of my fashion crushes still manages to surprise me.  Keep it up Michelle!

If I wasn't a makeup artist already, I would become one now!

This photo from the set of the upcoming season of Mad Men has been making the rounds on the intraweb this week.  It features Jon Hamm, dressed as his character Don Draper, "clowning around" with his on-set makeup artist.  In case you didn't know, I have a mad crush on Jon Hamm and would have no problem with him throwing me around on a daily basis. I NEED TO WORK ON THIS SHOW!!!

Today's Installment; In Which Strudel Continues To Win Hearts The World Over

Today I forgot to talk about makeup and products and fashion, because I was only thinking about my lovely kitty Strudel.  She was included on the new dreamcats site today!  Even though I am super over the moon about it, Strudel just yawned and continued eating her homemade organic kibble.  It's all in a day's work for Strudes!  However, between sips of sparkling spring water from her cut crystal Tiffany bowl, she did mention that I should include links to her other work on this post.  Your wish is my command!

Watch for Strudes around 1:11 in The Gossip video "Listen Up".

She's not in the trailer (sad face), but she will appear in the soon to be released movie "Rid Of Me".

You can follow all of Strudel's adventures on Twitter!

How Do You Store Your Jewelry?

I have to admit, I have this thing with jewelry boxes (I kind of don't like them).  It's not that they aren't pretty or don't serve their purpose but if I can't see something, I'm not going to use it.  So I have come up with some more obvious ways to display my lovely little jewels!  Lately I have taken to displaying my rings by stacking them on the slender necks of my perfumes.  This works perfectly for me because they are just out in the open waiting for me each day, and I think it looks very cute as well!  How do you store your jewelry?

Capturing Coral

I went on a specific expidition today for coral makeup.  Coral is the hot lip color this season and I am excitedly following the lemmings over the cliff on this one.  Here is what I found at the drugstore:

Maybelline Color Sensational Lipstick in Coral Crush- So yummy.  Delicious color and goes on smoothly & evenly.  Looks neon bright in the tube but it's actually gorgeous when you apply it to your lips.  Perfect for that bronzed, sun-kissed look.

$7.49

Cover Girl Outlast Lipstain in Coy Coral- perhaps a little too orange for fair little me but would be great on olive skin tones!
$7.99

Revlon Super Lustrous Lipgloss in Coral Reef- Y'ALL, RUN OUT AND GET THIS RIGHT NOW!!!  This is one of those awesome lipglosses that look good on everyone, by itself or layered with a lipstick.  This is a creamy gloss with no shimmer and a light to medium pigment.  And it's a limited edition (sob) so you don't have much time.  GO GET IT.  Buy two. 
$6.99

Street Smarts

This is the kind of ingenuity I admire.

(images from jakandjil)