In this Issue No. 15 - Argan Oil

The American people have a tendency to get bored easily with the tried-and-true, and as such, we are always eagerly scanning the horizon for the next big thing. With the advent of the era of technology, we are all privy to information that is available at our fingertips 24/7. For instance, if I am having trouble  falling asleep in the wee hours of the morning, then I am probably going to scroll through Twitter, check Instagram or browse through the Style.com, Huffington Post, Bleacher Report or WSJ apps on my phone to find out new happenings...wherever in the world they're happening. We are impatient for newness, seeking out the latest information as often as possible. We each like to be in-the-know before others,  and we pride ourselves on being curators of the cool and ambassadors of what's au courant. Then add in social media - which has made it all too easy for anyone and everyone to share individual photos, thoughts and preferences with a multitude of eager listeners - and things are becoming new, then old, at breakneck speeds. Therefore, the thrill of finding new products and ideas isn't going to wane anytime soon. It's a game, and it's fun to play. A rat race of sorts. And companies are hearing this message loud and clear, making sure to reinvent themselves and to consistently update their consumer offerings on the regular.

With the green movement came an surge of consumer interest in items created from mostly natural substances that work just as well as synthetically-developed products. Brands such as Ojon, Alterna, Aveda, Ren, Origins, Lush Cosmetics, Boscia, Weleda and more are formualated without many potentially harmful chemicals and ingredients such as sulfates, preservatives, synthetic dyes and parabens that are found in other non-organic fomulas. This lack of potentially dangerous ingredients has created a stalwart legion of devoted fans to some of these brands.

The hot beauty item that captured the public's attention a few years ago and that is still going strong is argan oil. Argan oil is harvested from a tree that is native to Morocco and that has moisturizing properties found to be helpful for skin and hair, though the oil can be used in food products as well.

The first time I'd heard of argan oil was when the line Moroccanoil came out to much acclaim. The brand touted a new, superingredient called argan oil which claimed to counteract ailments that exacerbated limp, lackluster hair. When Moroccanoil first emerged on the market, there were only a few products offered in its line - shampoo, conditioner, and the regular Moroccanoil treatment, which claimed to soothe hair, protect hair from heat styling and the elements and add shine and moisture. I became a fan after being recommended the shampoo and conditioner from a stylist and actually feeling the silky difference in my hair after a shower. Being a noted beauty skeptic, this was a big deal for me as the product did all that it claimed it would. Then a friend of mine who is known for her bouncy, looks-like-she-spent-hours-hot rolling-her-hair-but-really-its-natural curls told me to try the Moroccanoil treatment, saying I would love it.
Buuuut...I was hesitant. My hair, though curly, errs on the side of indecisive curl-waves, not sure if it wants to be curly or wavy, but instead falling somewhere in between. Nevertheless, I tried the product and was pretty happy with the results, as was my hair. Shiny? Check. Buoyant? Yep. Moisturized?
It certainly felt like it.
Yeah, I was pleased.
The brand has since extended its offerings, now including two different types of shampoos, a light version of its treatment, frizz control and scalp treatments serums, hairsprays, curl creams and more.

Recently however, more brands have jumped on the argan oil bandwagon. Redken released its version, called All Soft Argan-6 Oil, which promises to use the heady liquid to moisturize and revitalize hair. Whole Living magazine reported that Josie Maran devoted her natural skincare and cosmetics line to the argan oil when, on a modeling trip, she asked a beautiful, glowing older French woman what her secret was to looking so beautiful and vibrant, to which the lady responded that she used argan oil on her skin every single day. Supposedly, argan oil is lightweight and won't clog pores - unlike mineral oils - and helps to regulate sebum production for those with oily skin. Maran has expanded her line from just pure argan oil to include argan oil-infused moisturizers, argan hair care, bronzing argan oil and an entire  range of cosmetics from blush to eyeshadow to foundation.

Marie Claire's May issue featured a bottle of Josie Maran's argan oil (right side, midway down) which got me to thinking more about the substance as well as the products I'd purchased that included it in the ol' list of ingredients.

 

  

I have both the Redken Argan-6 Oil as well as the Josie Maran argan oil, and compared to one another, they don't have severe differences.

 

(My stash)

The differences:
I like the smell of Redken's product better because it has a coconut-banana-beachy scent reminiscent of tanning oil, whereas the Josie Maran oil doesn't have a discernible smell to it at all. Also, Redken gave my hair a more lustrous sheen than did Josie Maran's argan. However, I like the dropper bottle from Josie Maran, as it gives me some measure of control over how much product I actually want. Another plus for the latter is the fact that it can be used on hair, face, body...it's multifunctional.

All in all, these products seem like good investments for people looking to add a naturally-based boost to their skincare or haircare regimen.

In this Issue No. 11 - Maxi dress

Until last summer, I'd been suspicious of maxi dresses. This isn't to say that I found long dresses to be unflattering on the general population, just that I had an ever-present doubt that I personally wouldn't be able to pull off the look. Though I stand around five-foot-seven, I still felt too tall for the dresses. Now, I had no problem traipsing around in skirts that hit above my knees, but any fabric falling lower than my patellas would incite within me an uncomfortable feeling that I'd be a victim of sartorial proportion imbalance.So, I usually erred on the short side.

As it would happen, a People Style Watch issue showed a picture of Nicole Richie running around in a printed maxi dress that had been paired with a bright cardigan. She looked adorable. And though the look was easy to put together (dress + cardigan = nbd), the print of the dress gave a little extra oomph and the cardigan added polish while still maintaining a laidback vibe - something not so easily acquired from wearing jeans.

Without further ado, I went browsing for a maxi dress. As always happens when I am looking for something specific...nothing turned up that was remotely close to what I was searching for - bright prints + maxi dress - though it seemed easy enough of a combination to find. Whilst in pursuit of the elusive printed maxi, I actually bought another short skirt. After mentally berating myself for falling prey to the tried and true, I went browsing again and this time was rewarded with a long dress. Finally. It's so pretty and jubilant. I first added a white cardigan on top a la Richie, then chose a bold teal crochet crop to top it off for my next outing. Ultimately, though, I loved pairing it with my mom's vintage denim vest the best.

In this Issue No. 10 - Nail design

Simply type in #nailpolish as tag search on Instagram and you will see more than 280,000 pictures of people's uploaded nail art and polish stashes. Look around in the blogosphere and you'll find tons of written instructions and video tutorials shared by people who are getting increasingly creative with their nail designs, almost to a point where nail technicians are no longer needed. From water marbling to using dotting tools to spot-on movie character recreations, nail art is becoming increasingly more sophisticated as jaw-droppingly amazing designs are conceptualized and carried out every single day. This ain't your mama's nail polish any more. Nail art has come into its own as an alternative form of artistic expression that is gaining serious respect.

Personal websites such as All Lacquered Up, Vampy Varnish and The Daily Nail are just a few examples that document the amazing things that can be done with polish. In much the same way that personal style blogs really took off, nail bloggers are attracting corporate sponsors, PR pros and advertisers to their sites due to the large amount of traffic from viewers.

Though inspiration can be found everywhere for ideas on nail art, I liked InStyle's August 2011 spread on "10 New Style Statements" which featured a dark maroon and gold nail combo. Even though the style statement that goes along with the picture is about the new trend of long nails, I simply liked the color combo and the fresh approach to a slightly off-kilter french manicure.

 

The version I carried out was a bit different than that seen above, but the inspiration is still there.. I did the reverse french manicure using a dark maroon for the base and a shimmery gold for the crescent of the nail, and I really loved how it turned out.

In this Issue No. 9 - Red trousers

I distinctly remember the moment when I first saw this photo in Elle Magazine's April 2011 issue. On a surprisingly warm March day, my roommates and I were lounging on the roof of our Lawrence house, talking about heading to the pool, when I flipped to this page in the magazine. The whole outfit immediately grabbed my attention. The magenta, bright green and orange-red pieces meshed together seamlessly, while I felt that the black overcoat and amazing heels grounded the outfit, keeping it from being too neon. After my initial infatuation with the whole outfit, I homed in on those freaking beautiful red pants. I mean, just look at them! That perfect crease down the front of each leg, the hem grazing the tops of the heels, the lack of awkward pleating. This is minimalism at its best.

I had to snap out of my pants-induced reverie when I realized that soon it would be summer, and hot, humid weather would be the norm. Not only would humid summer prove to a bad time to be wearing full-length trousers, I wouldn't even know where to buy a pair of red pants. It was time to face the facts - I would have to wait until fall to renew my infatuation with the pants and actually search with intent for a pair.

(Fast forward to October)

I am digging through the pictures and magazine cut-outs in my inspo folder when, lo and behold, I find this picture. I personally like the tiny arrow that I'm guessing I penciled-in to indicate (to myself) exactly what item it was that I liked on the page.

Being that it was October and that the slightly chilly weather had made its appearance, it was time to search for a pair of these bad boys. The search wasn't easy. I tried on pants that were made of cheap material, some that were too short, some that had bulky, unsightly pockets. At the risk of sounding dramatic, I felt like a fish being lured in by bait because I was always so close, but my pants were always out of reach.
And, as luck would have it, I found a pair when I wasn't actively searching for them anymore. Figures.

Whether worn with or without tights, on soul crushingly frigid nights or on breezy days, I like 'em.

 

In this Issue No. 8 - Keel's Simple Diary

I've always been, and likely will always be, fascinated with journals and/or books that prompt the reader to document things in its pages. Regardless of if I walk into a bookstore with a purpose, that is, with intent to buy one predetermined item, inevitably I will be stopped in my tracks by a "write-in-me" book of some sort. For instance, some examples of popular (and very fun, from experience) "write-in-me" books include:

Wreck This Journal, where each page denotes a new task for the reader to accomplish, such as lighting a page on fire or coloring a page with food.

 (image c/o amazon.com)

My friend brought this book out for a group of us to play with, and though the prompts were intriguing, my mind started to wander after completing a few pages. It started to feel like more of a task than a rebellious act of fun to do something weird to a piece of paper.  *Side note: However, it could also be due to the fact that I thought the whole "put food on this page, then continue using this book day after day while the stench grows more foul and permeates your nostrils" thing probably turned me off of it.


The Listography book set is a series of journals that are comprised of...you guessed it, lists. I love this book because I make lists all the time. All the time. List-making keeps me sane by lessening the amount of stress I put on my brain and by appeasing my ADD at the same time. Win-win, no?

 (image c/o barnesandnoble.com)

Anyway, these books are fun and thought-provoking. For example, one of the lists featured in the book asks, "List what you've been for Halloween," while another prompts the reader to describe bad habits that he or she would like to overcome.


The other book that I found via Nylon Mag's website is Keel's Simple Diary.

(image c/o simplediary.com)

The diary, conceived by artist and author James Keel, was created so that people may document their days simply, without worry as to the time and introspection needed to put meaningful words to paper, you know, the things that hinder people from starting to journal in the first place. The pages within the diary can be nonsensical, but they definitely promote introspection, and can show us a lot about ourselves should we look back to page one after a month or a year of jotting down daily summaries. The fact that copies of the journal come in the ROYGBIV color selection and that there are two versions should be motivation enough to grab yourself a copy.

The bright and sunny yellow copy is what caught my attention as I was waiting in line at my local bookstore, and so that is the color I chose for myself. As you may remember from an earlier post, the color yellow and I are getting acquainted now that I've ascertained that we aren't enemies. Here is my copy of the journal as well as a few of the cool pages that you can find in the book.

And a nice little note tucked into the back cover pocket was waiting for me. Nothing like a custom note (intended to be viewed by thousands of people) to make one feel special.

In this Issue No. 8 - Yellow dresses

No. 8 - I've been in the market for a yellow dress for a good year now, ever since a) I came to the realization last year that I actually do look okay wearing the color yellow and b) I saw so many beautiful incarnations of yellow dresses that came down the pre-fall 2012 and spring/summer 2012 runways.

To flesh out point a from above; I have only owned two yellow pieces of apparel in my entire lifetime. The first yellow-hued item was a pair of rainboots from J. Crew, because puddles are more fun to hop in when you're wearing brightly colored boots. The second item was a bright running jacket.

And that's it. Not to throw my mom under the bus or anything, but she told me from an early age never to wear yellow as it would wash me out. This belief was so indoctrinated into my skull that I avoided that color like the plague. But after years of looking longingly at other people wearing the shade, I wanted to give it a go.

I've kept two magazine clippings, one from InStyle and the other via Glamour, tacked to my inspiration board to serve as daily reminders for me to stay on the lookout for a lovely yellow dress to call my own.

I haven't found a "for-sure-going-to-buy" dress yet, but there are two that I've had my eye on.

The first, from Urban Outfitters, is a lacy number in a color that sits somewhere between mustard and highlighter fluid on the yellow color chart.

(photo c/o urbanoutfitters.com)

The second, 'Vamos' by Nanette Lepore, is punctuated with eyelet lace in a bright, golden shade with sheer paneling near the neckline. It would indeed be a splurge, so I'm counting on all of you guys to feel my pain and hopefully send me this as a gift in the mail. Because that would be such a wonderful way to celebrate welcoming yellow into my life.

(photo c/o nordstrom.com)

In this Issue No. 7 - Book Review for "Spent: Memoirs of a Shopping Addict"

The review of "Spent" summarized the troubles that followed a woman who, from the outside looking in, seemed to have it all in check. Once the reader scratched the surface of the book, she would find that the woman in question was actually secretly fighting several inner demons, and was shopping at uncontrollable rates to try and numb the pain. One would think that a former model and fashion writer who was living well in Manhattan would have little to no worries. "Spent" author Avis Cardella let her readers know otherwise.

I liked the way that Cardella rattled off meticulously the brands, fit, color and price of the things she purchased, and why she did so. I'm not sure if it's simply an OCD tick that bubbles to the surface when I read books, but I'm able to better mentally visualize scenes from the book if I have detailed descriptions of surroundings; in this case - brand names, product colors, prices and place of purchase. These spot-on, meticulous descriptions are the reasons why I liked reading American Psycho by Bret Easton Ellis and the Gossip Girl books back in the day. In American Psycho, the lead character - Patrick Bateman - is a wealthy investment banker who excessively describes his purchases, his regimens, people he meets and places he goes. I enjoyed the list of things that Bateman kept running tallies of until he started giving the same royal treatment to torture and murder scenes, wherein I stopped reading the novel as my forehead started to develop premature wrinkles due to my constant grimaces of disgust.

Overall, I had a hard time finishing the book simply because I'm a bit of an impatient reader. If I'm given an omniscient view of a character in a novel, and I see that the choices being made by said character will end in his or her ruin, then I have little tolerance to read through the build-up and inevitable downfall of that character. This lack of patience can lead me to skip pages in order to see the (hopefully) happier ending, which can really only be rewarding to a reader that has been loyal to a character through the ups and downs of the book. And therefore, lies my predicament.

But, I enjoyed Cardella's descriptions of New York, fashion, writing and clothes. In my eyes, that alone is worth a read.

In this Issue No. 6 - Kate Moss

No. 6 - Please, please don't throw rocks at me (metaphorically) because I'm the 104,567,343rd person to say (write) that he or she really like Kate Moss's style.

That being said (written)...

I really like Kate Moss's style.

True, the woman can pull off the most avant-garde fashions, such as when she is styled in an editorial or walking down a runway, hell, even while walking down a sidewalk. However, I'm most taken in by the way in which she wears classic pieces in her day-to-day goings on.

Take these four photographs of Ms. Moss that I've ripped from magazines and collaged together. The outfits  in these pictures aren't flashy. I noticed Kate instead of her clothes because of how well tailored, proportionate and flattering all of the pieces are. Kate has a coy smile on her face as though she is privy to a funny secret that she's keeping mum about, plus her posture is erect, which exudes confidence. She always seems like she is in a bit of a hurry to get somewhere (somewhere fabulous, no doubt) but never looks as though she is bogged down or stressed en route to her destination. Similar to how one notices the man, not the suit, when said suit is expertly tailored to said man's frame, Kate makes sure to own her look every time she is photographed,  thereby ensuring that she takes center stage - never her clothes. The fact that she makes every style choice seem completely effortless is the icing on the cake of sartorial stardom.

The pieces that I can pair with everything and think WWKMD? are as follows:

Because they will never go out of style and can be worn with almost any other items from my closet.

Though I am a "classic-wear Kate" fan, I'll admit that some of her more vibrant clothing choices appeal to my creative aesthetic, such as:

 The gold star makeup for her 34th birthday party celebration

(photo c/o popsugar.com)

 Turban + winged metallic smoky eye at the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute Gala in 2009

(How I wanted a turban after I saw this look!)

In this Issue No. 5 - Blue eyeliner

No. 5 - This beauty feature from Lucky magazine made me attempt blue eyeliner and shadow in an effort to bring out my green eyes. I had assumed, until I glimpsed this blurb, that blue hues were simply not the color family that I should be dabbling in if I wanted to accentuate my green eyes. Keep in mind that the eyes of the model in this spread are almost preternaturally blue, but I still felt compelled to pair blue against green in the hopes that the resulting look would be as radiant as the model's own*. 

*Yes, I realize that the cards were stacked against me in my whole attempt at the resulting look mimicking the magazine spread. Yes, the model is gorgeous. Yes, a professional photographer with a nifty camera and photoshop was essential in capturing the image. Yes, a makeup artist expertly applied the makeup.
But, I've got light-colored eyes, a Canon Powershot and a stable drawing hand, so I'll take those odds, thank you very much.

 

So I Sephora'd it up and browsed around in search of the perfect blue liner. I went a little cray cray with swatching various liners on my hand that looked like they'd be promising (read: that looked like they would, with a bit of effort on my part, transform my eyes into Barbie-esque peepers)

The final decision as to which liner I would choose left me feeling a bit like Meryl Streep in Sophie's Choice, but I ultimately settled on Tarina Tarantino's Cute Robot. Tarina Tarantino's eyeliners, I suspect, are vastly underrated and thus under-utilized by the average Sephora makeup shopper. This is probably due to the relative newness of the brand's offerings when compared with other, more established brands such as Urban Decay and Make Up For Ever, which each offer multiple liner formulas in a ton of shades. Tarantino's liners proved to be creamy and color-saturated while also providing wonderful staying power. Should I be looking for another shade in the near future, I'll first take a detour toward the Tarantino gondola to browse the selection.

 

In this Issue No. 4 - Neutral blazer + Cornflower blue shirt

No. 4: Like most wardrobe pieces that snag spots in publications' annual "Top 10 Items You Should Have in Your Closet" lists, the blazer is a multifunctional piece of apparel. It can be dressed up or down, paired with dresses, skirts, pants, or shorts, worn in the summer and the winter, it's complementary to any body type, can match various styles; the list of its diplomatic qualities goes on. Simply put, it can work well in many situations.

I, however, have harbored a secret fear for the longest time in which I believed that no matter what other pieces of apparel or accessories that I paired my blazer(s) with, I would look too corporate business-y. I yearned for the duality of a look that could be relaxed, yet structured. Every so often I would glance at the tan linen blazer hanging in my closet and feel a twinge of guilt at not having worn it very much while its fellow closet-dwelling brethren got to see the light of day every so often.

Then I spotted two editorial pages that inspired me to pair said linen jacket with a light blue button-down shirt, thus removing me from my blazer rut.

This look, courtesy of Lucky magazine, has a very subtle layering of the neutral blazer with the blue shirt. The shirt's hem and cuffs are barely peeking out from under the dusky rose sweater, but the easy mesh of the two colors made all the difference to me.

I saw this InStyle feature on how to wear a single piece of clothing in several different ways, and again the color duo served as a flash of inspiration.

And as for me,

The shirt first started out as a lightweight denim chambray number, but was quickly replaced by a heavier-hewn Joe Fresh oxford, my first - but certainly not last - purchase from the brand.

And so I created my own non-cubicle-inspired masterpiece with rose-colored corduroy pants and nude flats, thereby easing my conscience of inanimate object, blazer-issued guilt.

In this Issue No. 3 - Emerald earrings

No. 3: Sometimes it's the four-page long articles in a magazine that catch my attention and change my perspective on something. Other times it can be a book review that succinctly wraps up the general idea and feel of said book that causes me to want to read an author's newest offering. But small things, such as a quote from within an interview or a piece of clothing in a trend montage, catch my attention all the time.

I'm not sure which magazine this photo came from (possibly InStyle because each issue has a jewelry page) but I know that I loved the vibrant green of these earrings. The price of the exact pair featured in the photo is probably in the ballpark of $don'teventhinkaboutit, but I became determined to find my own glittering pair.

It must have been the dry season for vert-hued jewelry, because despite my in-store searching and online scouting, I consistently came up empty-handed. Isn't there a saying that goes along the lines of, "You'll never find what your looking for once you start looking for it"? And yet, the moment you neglect to Sherlock something to death, you find the thing you were searching for around every corner.

Perhaps the gods of commerce took pity on me, because as I was meandering around a store decidedly not looking for anything in particular, I found a pair of earrings with the qualities for which I had been searching. Rich green color? Check. Dangly? Check. Dramatic? Semi-check. Not thousands of dollars? Aw yeah check.

In this Issue No. 2 - Kate Spade

No. 2: Perhaps it's the journo in me that appreciates a good marketing/advertising campaign, or just the fact that I drool over prettily packaged goods like the next girl, but I am quite a fan of Kate Spade's brand USP.

I like to think of the "Kate Spade girl" as a modern, irreverent Holly Golightly; a bon vivant who has refined tastes, but never tries too hard. Kate Spade is an aspirational brand, one that lures girls and women with the promise of attaining a luxurious, yet fun, lifestyle. I feel that Alice + Olivia is another company with a similar message.

...This is cool with me because an all-leather structured handbag in a punchy season-spanning hue replete with sturdy handles, gilt hardware accents, uplifting studs for the bottom of the bag, multiple compartments and a muted fabric lining the inner recesses more than qualifies the brand to make those promises as it's delivering on the quality of its goods.

This ad caught my eye whilst I was flipping through a magazine. Cue the girl that's impeccably dressed in something elegant (sheath dress), yet whimsical (polka dots) who is perched atop a vintage cab as to insinuate that she may have taken half a day from work to play hooky on a beach.

I dig all of that.

My eye, however, focused in on that lovely raspberry-colored bag.

'What shape it has!' 'And it's so colorful!' my mind seemed to shout to me.
I surmised that the purse was like a handbag version of a mullet in that instead of the saying, "Business in front, party in the back," it might be more fitting to say, "Business in the shape, party in the color." Seriously. The vibrancy of the tint keeps the bag from taking itself too seriously, but the sharp, reinforced lines prevent the bag from being too flashy and young.

And so the hunt for my very own Tarrytown Quinn began.

First, this orange sherbert shade caught my eye. (In the Tarrytown Quinn, though)

(image c/o katespade.com)

But then I glimpsed the bag in the shade I'll dub "freshly mown lawn on a warm June day" and I was sold.
Two years later, we're still going strong.