What to expect this Fall:

Fall fashion is already in full effect and I’m loving it… almost. There has definitely been a line drawn to seperate “trendy” and “fashionable.”

Trendy:

“I just left Silent Y in the bathroom and P.S., the 80’s are back.” (Three points if you can identify where that line came from.) As if there weren’t bad enough the first time, the 80’s are back. And while I like the fun rocker theme that is innately tied in to that decade, I really thought fashin had moved on from ankle boots paired with leggings. The overall look is deconstructed and heavily ornamented, but it just seems garish and wrong to me. Maybe I just haven’t seen it done well, but part of me thinks the rocker chick trend should be left to Joan Jett. She did it well and she still does it well. Teenagers with pompadors, black nail polish, and chains for jewelry just make me cringe.

If you’re aglow for the return of your beloved 80’s, more power to you. I’ll definitely adopt a few of the signature styles, just not all in the same outfit. Black nail polish is huge this season and I think that it can look very chic. But I like it on short manicured nails instead of dragon lady acrylics. Also, I plan to wear black opaque tights rather than the leggings. And please, PLEASE do not wear black tights with brown, tan, or navy shoes.

*Edit* After some reflection I realize that perhaps I don’t relish the return of the 80’s because I did not fully experience them. MusicMan was a child of the 80’s and finds the leggings and spikey hair very attractive. Then again… he also wore hyper color. On the other hand, I was more aware of fashion in the early 90’s when Cindy Crawford was the epitome of style. Just thought that might lend a little perspective.

Fashionable:

Now we get into what I really love this fall. Designers have phased out the casualness of summers and brought us back to the classics. One of my favorite outfits for the season is a black pencil skirt, white blouse, black or red peep toe heels, paired with accents of red nailpolish, lipstick, and the must-have accessory… a structured red handbag. Gold toned jewelry is also back and looks stunning with fall colors. Last year’s Czarina look is pretty much done, although texture is still big.

I will post a quick and dirty list of what’s hot for fall later this week.

Saks Beauty Event

There is no greater time of year to be a fashionista then spring. The designers switch gears from the serious and dark currents of autumn and winter and bring you fresh bursts of color and deliciously light textures.

Since I had such a great time with Barneys’ event, I was looking forward to a similar experience at Saks.

The staff: Painfully overeager. I’m not sure if they were faced with sales quotas or were simply over excited, but their pushiness smacked of desperation. I was also disappointed with the number of SA’s who showed a lack of familiarity with their own brand. You should not represent a house without knowing what’s in it. NARS is a favorite brand of mine, but I was so put out by the SA claiming that everything on display was a brand new release and limited edition when they were standard staples of the line.

Finger Food and Cocktails: The Moet was lovely… but the more tropical libations were difficult to palette. After a horrifying run in with bad mojitos and pinas, we stuck to the champagne. Most of the food bordered on average, but the appetizers from Red Sage were excellent. They layered a slice of roast duck over fried plantain and crowned the morsel with mango salsa.

Make-overs at Armani: Armani played it safe at this event and it disappointed me. The MA who worked on Allie and I was impersonal and uninspired. While the soft smokey eye she created on Allie was gorgeous, her choice of foundation was… unfortunate. When it was my turn, she refused to do my eyes because she felt that she couldn’t improve on what had already been done. Since I am not in a make-up artist’s league, I felt her comment implied a lack of confidence in her own abilities. In fact, my “make-over” consisted of bronzer on my already tan skin and a touch of peach lipgloss.

The Look for Spring: Black and white with unexpected bursts of grass green, turquoise, blush, and nude/camel. Over-all its very retro-euro-chic and absolutely fabulous.

Since this post has already taken on a life of its own, I’ll save the individual reviews for later. The event wasn’t as great at Barneys’ but I would still give it a 9 out of 10. Mostly because Allie can turn even the dullest party into a delight. *mwah*

Cheap Thrills and My Love for False Eyelashes

I just discovered two amazing things yesterday  

1. How to properly apply false eyelashes (I stumbled upon the greatest video ever and will post a link to it for you.)
2. The most phenomenal copies of Shu Uemura crystal/diamond false lashes. (Like the ones that were made for Madonna) 

For the last year, whenever I wanted to wear false lashes I had to go to MAC or Shu Uemura, pick a pair of lashes, and have the Make-Up Artist apply them to me. Since the entire process cost as much as a tube of my favorite mascara, this wasn’t a vice I could indulge in on a daily basis. I had tried countless times to apply false lashes to myself. But each attempt resulted in a humorous level of disaster. So you can imagine my delight at stumbling upon this little miracle:

http://www.koji-honpo.co.jp/makeup/movie/uematsuge_300.html

Though it’s not in English, it is still very easy to follow and makes the process appear ridiculously easy. I watched it intently for several revolutions until I felt confident that I could recreate what I had seen. It was amazing to just follow the steps I had memorized and apply the lashes perfectly. I wanted to shout and jump for joy, but was positive that Music Man would think I was insane. Instead, I drove to Sally Beauty Supply to buy a whole stock of Ardell Lashes in celebration of my new skill.

Ardell Lashes are the ultimate cheap thrill. There are a dozen different styles to choose from, each pair is well made and reusable, and they only cost $4. I couldn’t wait to get my hands on a pair of each set. Now that I have mastered false eyelash application, I want to indulge myself and wear them every weekend.

Yesterday must have been my lucky eyelash day, because I had another surprise to fill me with glee. Ardell had revamped their line and released a collection of shimmery and/or bejeweled false lashes. They were absolutely exquisite. They looked so much like the Shu Uemura crystal lashes that I had been lusting after for a month. I could not locate my self control and bought tons of them. While the quality is not that great, I’ll upload the pictures I took to show off my find to the ladies of Make-Up Alley. 

 
    

 

The Beauty of Good Customer Service

One great thing about high-end make-up is that it follows retail pricing. Therefore a Chanel lipstick will cost the same at Nordstom, Barneys, Hects, and Bloomingdales. Since pricing is static, I purchase my make-up solely based on the customer service I receive.

As mentioned in “GWP Whore,” I participated in Barneys’ Beauty Week. When it finally arrived, I tore into my parcel, breathless to see what GWP wonder was in store.

Barneys GWP did not disappoint. It was all that I hoped. But my beloved Shu Cleansing Oil Light… Somehow the bottle’s pump unscrewed and leaked in transit. Thought I was lucky that the spill was contained by the protective bubble wrap, I was disappointed by the less than perfect condition of my order. The pump was completely broken and would squirt product from the base rather than the spout.

I called Barneys this morning to see if they could offer a solution. Without question or hesitation, they immediately offered to replace the defective product and agreed to let me keep the bottle I had received. I was very impressed with the way my issue was addressed. Russ at Shu Uemura was sympathetic and offered an immediate solution. I felt truly taken care of.

This experience has propelled Barneys to the top of my list as a retailer. Their phenomenal customer service has one my buyer loyalty.

http://www.barneys.com

GWP Whore

GWP: “Gift with Purchase.” The set of products a line will offer as an incentive for patrons to purchase a certain dollar value.

So I love GWPs. I’m a sucker for them. Especially when they come from a line that typically does not offer them. My recent addiction: Shu Uemura.

Today I got the Barneys Beauty Week GWP as well as the Shu Uemura step-up GWP for ordering over $150 from their line. I ordered Light and Balancing Cleansing oils in the limited edition 450ml Ai Bottles. These little gems are literally works of art. I also picked up IR White 900Y eyeshadow, ME Black Drawing Pencil, and 2 Drawing Pencils as gifts (ME Blue and Purple.) I’m not 100% sure what comes in the GWPs, but I can’t wait to find out.

I also finalized a Custom Purchase for Shu Uemura’s Sakura Cleansing Oil. (Can you tell that I’m collecting them?) It’s not available here, so the amazing Jan on MUA agreed to purchase it for me in Singapore. Since they were also having a GWP, I ordered the ME Brown Drawing Pencil as well.

I’m excited about all the Cleasing Oils. I can’t wait to line them up in my bathroom because the bottles really are quite beautiful. And with all the GWP, I’ll have plenty of new products to review for you

 Photo from http://www.barneys.com