Last Call for the Royal Treatment!

With my birthday just last week, I have been lucky enough to find myself at the receiving end of all sorts of amazing gifts and general kindness recently.  So in the name of good karma, I thought I'd celebrate the last day of my birth month by paying it forward and sharing this fabulous deal from the fabulously British nail pros at butter London.

Royal Navy Nail Lacquer
by butter London

Today just so happens to be the very last day to score the royal treatment--Royal Navy, that is.  With fall just around the corner, it's almost time to say goodbye to punchy pinks and other summery hues, and butter's fall collection can help soften the blow.  Their Royal Navy is "nautical and naughty," a deep navy blue that not just for sailors and, in my view, is perfect for a fall pedi.  Oh, and did I mention that it's free?!  You can receive your very own complimentary bottle of Royal Navy with any butterLondon.com purchase by entering code "royalautumn" at check-out.  Happy August--and happy shopping--dearest fashionista friends!



The Straight and Narrow

Cosmetic confession: I have a standing date with my flat iron every morning at approximately 8:00 AM.  You see, I was blessed with not-quite-straight-but-not-exactly-curly-or-even-totally-wavy hair that is basically a hot mess when allowed to run wild. So I straighten religiously, with the help of the amazing GHD flat iron that I bought at the recommendation of my dear friend, Annie Rose.  Every now and then, when the mood strikes me, I opt for curl, but I generally keep things on the straight on narrow.


Straight Spray by Living Proof
$17 for 1.8 oz. or $29 for 5.5 oz.
Available at Sephora


The reason I felt the need to make this confession--that some might consider "TMI"--was so that you could understand how excited I was, upon opening Sephora's new fall catalog, to discover the mere existence of Living Proof's Straight Spray.  Until this recent discovery, I had actually never heard of Living Proof--and shame on me, for it turns out that the company was created just a stone's throw away from me in Cambridge, MA, and the Living Proof Story is actually a pretty interesting one.  The company was founded by Polaris Venture Partners (an uber successful venture capital firm) and a team of scientists that includes MIT professor Dr. Bob Langer, and it is this uniquely qualified team that allows Living Proof to utilize "advanced technology to solve beauty's toughest challenges."  The Straight Spray, a styling spray designed to extend the life of straight styles, is one of their newest inventions.

Here's how it works: The spray contains aerosolized PolyfluoroEster (trying saying that five times fast!), which is the fancy science term for Living Proof's breakthrough molecule that creates a weightless shield to prevent water from entering the hair shaft and ruining your straight strands. Straight spray can then be reapplied to wet or dry hair, so as to extend your style...for days.  As an added bonus, the lightweight formula is also said to repel dirt and protect against heat styling. Part of me feels like this all sounds too good to be true, but I ordered a bottle anyway--you know, as proof.  I opted for the smaller bottle size (1.8 oz compared to the larger 5.5 oz) to see just how seriously straight I can get, willing to risk the $17 on the off chance that this could be the beginning of some seriously fabulous hair.

Sephora Loves Vampires Too!



Limited Edition tarte for True Blood Collection,
Available Exclusively from Sephora



If you're all about vampires these days (think: the Twilight Saga, Vampire Diaries and True Blood--just to name a few), consider yourself in good, fang-banging company.  This Saturday, August 13, Sephora will be hosting the tarte™ for True Blood™ Makeup Event.  For those lucky cosmetics-loving True Blood fans in Boston, San Francisco, and Aventura (that last one's in Florida), stop by Sephora on Saturday afternoon to test out the limited edition True Blood collection by tarte.

 The limited edition collection from tarte--the brand that prides itself on simply chic and seriously healthy cosmetics--features a vampy eye color palette, natural cheek stain, and an iridescent red lip tint.  Vampire obsession aside, the eye color palette that will be sold for $52 is actually valued at $331 and includes 17 eye shadows, gel eyeliner, mascara, and eye primer; now, how's that for stretching the dollar?  With shadow colors like "werewolf," a matte chocolate; "glamour me," a shimmery plum; and "the true death," a glittering silver, you will look tasty enough to compete with Sookie Stackhouse in all her sassy, blonde glory--hello, Eric Northman!



Fall Into Color at J Brand

J Brand Fall Collection Ad
Featuring the Mid-Rise Skinny Leg in black cherry, $169

This past season, I was impressed by J Brand's fresh take on summer pants, with a bold color palette that set the bar high for what they might do next.  I admit, I wasn't expecting quite the same pop(!) for the fall season, as fall is traditionally equated with a more a subdued color scheme.  Nonetheless, J Brand has done it again, with their newly debuted fall collection, which features luxe fabrics in irresistibly rich jewel tones.


1266 Ali in toffee by J Brand, $218

Earlier this summer, I read a fall forecast in one of my fashion magazines that featured J Brand's Ali Corduroys as one example of the fall trend towards corduroy and velvet pants, which--incidentally--are predicted to be all the rage this season.  I've been anxiously awaiting the release of the Ali ever since.  While I'm typically not a high-rise lover, I'm thinking I might be willing to make an exception here.  Paying homage to the 70s, the Ali features a wide leg and is made from a thin wale corduroy with a bit of spandex for a comfortable and flattering fit.  The high waist is accentuated by front and back pockets, and the long inseam (35 inches) is perfect for tall girls like me (shorties can take 'em to the tailor).  They're available in "toffee," a rich caramel-flavored brown, or "vintage sailor," a smokey navy blue--but I'm partial to the fall feel of the warm, toffee brown.  I mean, I can already see myself wearing these pants while picking out my pumpkin at Halloween.

However, the fall collection features much, much more than just wide-legged cords.  You could opt for their versatile mid-rise skinny-leg twill pants in a host of autumnal colors like black cherry, aubergine, riviera blue, truffle, or suede.  Or, keep your corduroys on the straight in narrow by choosing between J Brand's pencil fit or skinny leg with an earthy color palette that includes black forest, walnut, and henna.  I'm loving the pencil leg corduroys in toffee, which would be ideal for tucking into a pair of tall leather boots or a casual pair of Uggs.  Of course, if you're a classic J Brand girl, rest assured that their flared Love Story pants are also available as corduroys in black or black forest.  Truly, there is a color, fabric, and fit for any and every fall look you could--and should--envision.  Fashionistas, it's time to fall into color.

612 Corduroy Pencil Leg in henna
by J Brand, $172

Nude In NYC



Campari Patent Mary Jane in flesh
by Manolo Blahnik, $645
Available at Neiman Marcus


I first considered the merits of going nude when nude footwear began popping up like spring flowers last year, and it feels like I've been searching for my own perfect pair ever since.  The truth is, I've had a perfect pair--or two, as the case may be--in mind but have lacked the spending power for both Christian Louboutin's Patent Rolando or Manolo Blahnik's Campari Patent Mary Jane so I've continued wanting.  It's not that I'm unwilling to purchase a pair of shoes at a reasonable price (I am!), but it just so happened that the pairs I really and truly loved came at a premium.  Sigh.

This being said, you can imagine my excitement when I discovered a pair of nude pumps that I loved amongst the rows of shoes at Marshall's last week.  They were the perfect neutral shade, not overly beige or pink like many of the other options I've seen over the last year.  That, in addition to a sky-high heel, hidden platform, slightly boxy toe, and a $40 price tag made these nude patent leather heels from Guess a total no-brainer.  I immediately put my new shoes to use around the office twice last week and two more times this week, finding that they complimented an all-black business look just as well as a more casual pairing of grey pants and a navy-and-white striped sweater.  Indeed, it is the versatility of nude footwear that I really love.  I have a pair of amazing black Louboutin heels that I wear almost daily, but the nude patent leather adds something light and bright to my strip, while remaining utterly functional.



Rapine Slingback Platform Pump
by Guess, $90
Available at Bloomingdales



Apparently I'm not the only one who's all for going nude either.  I recently spent some time in the Big Apple with my lovely friend, India, and nude footwear was on her radar too.  With an upcoming wedding to attend, she was searching for the perfect pair of nude heels to compliment a navy cap-sleeved bandage dress.  Like me, she was concerned with finding the right shade of neutral, as well as a shoe design that could transition appropriately from summer to early fall.  As it turns out, she lucked out with Guess too; her new Rapine Slingback Platform Pumps boast a nearly 5-inch heel with a 1-inch covered platform, a chic patent neutral, and a playful slingback.  Indeed, perhaps the only thing that could make her outfit any more irresistible would be a vintage Chanel clutch.  Just saying.  When I asked her to weigh in on why nude footwear works for her, India explained:

I have been lusting after some nude heels for some time now and with my fashionista friend, Lolly, visiting me in my city of NYC, I knew she would be just the person to encourage me towards the purchase.  After a thorough search, I finally settled on a pair of nude Guess slingback pumps, which I absolutely love! When I wear them, I feel like my legs go on for days--which is incredibly helpful for someone like me who is well endowed the booty region, if you know what I mean... I am super excited to step out in them this weekend, paired with a killer new dress that I also picked up from Guess (clearly, I'm in a Guess mood as of late). But I am even more excited to get continued wear out of them as the summer ends and fall begins. I feel that the nude heel is a versatile one that I can dress up or dress down, and I definitely plan to rock them through the fall--at which point, I will have to patiently wait pull them out of the depths of my closet when spring comes back around!

As Miss India explained, the inherent versatility of nude footwear is its main appeal, especially when you opt for a classic pump or slingback design, for these styles are able to transition seamlessly from spring to summer to early fall.  To get three season's worth of wear from one shoe is pretty impressive.  It appears that nude is the new black, n'est–ce pas?  Ladies, dare to bare it all--go nude.