Sunday, August 31, 2008

Calvin Klein's Secret Obsession: Not So Secret, Actually When You Spray It Like Ten Times In A Row. Oops.


The friendly folks in charge of Calvin Klein's fragrance PR sent me over an advance of the new Secret Obsession fragrance -- the one Eva Mendes went nudie for and then the pilgrims over at FCC Puritan HQ got all Victorian on us and banned that commercial, probs because it reminded them of the sex they weren't having.

Anyway, Secret Obsession is STRONG, people. Because a lot of the fragrances I prefer tend to be sorta weak, I tend to spritz more than a few times. Bad idea. I nearly suffocated myself and my houseguests after I sprayed this one like six or seven times. This is a seriously musky, mysterious (hence "SECRET") fragrance, so be forewarned: just a dab'll do ya, kay?

It evokes a very glam, old Hollywood, sorta Cheetah Club, late-1950's feeling (I've been watching a ton of Mad Men -- think Christina Hendricks as Joan Holloway). Very musky and erotic, with very strong notes of orange, jasmine and mucho tuberose, very seductive, nighttime fragrance. Don't wear this to high holiday services, okay, or else you'll have lots more repenting to do.

Check out Mimi Mimi Frou Frou's highly sophisticado review of the fragrance.

It's available in 1 oz, 1.7 oz and 3.4 oz sizes, and honestly, I'd probably recommend the smallest size because a little goes a LONG way here, ladies.

Man Fashion: Pink Color for Men?

Came across a very good article on pink fashion for men. I just can't resist to reproduce this article in this blog to share with the rest of you.

There is something very much alluring about the pinks. This could be because, psychologically pink color is known for having a calmer effect. This could be also because pink compliments almost all skin tones, unless you have more of pink tone in your skin. A man wearing something is pink exudes complete confidence, although still sensitive. It could also be a simple fact that pink is quite easy to coordinate with most of the colors present in your wardrobe. Pinks go well with tans, navys, greys, and some other hues of blue. If you are not yet convinced with how great pink looks, women too love pink and are likely to take a second glace of yours. If you haven’t got ant pinks as yet then you might consider trying one. You can incorporate this, pink, magical color to your wardrobe in various styles.


Pink color is associated with tranquility and romance. There is a recent trend found, men wearing tie and shirts in pink. You must have heard “real men wear pink”. Men wearing pinks scream of being confident and bold. If you are all set to commit to pink dress shirt, pink sweaters, suits, t-shirts and ties would be a way to subtly infuse pink color to the wardrobe. Men wearing pink are making a style statement. Pink is sure to add glam to your appearance.

Pink sweaters
You must have seen many celebrities on screen wearing pink sweaters. A pink crew-neck cashmere sweater teaming with a pair of dark colored trousers would simply look great. Pink sweaters would allow you to look sexy. It proves that something as simple and classic as a pink sweater can easily be the show stopper.

Dress shirts

One of the easiest ways of incorporating pink to you wardrobe is getting pink dress shirts. These could be easily worn under the sweaters, with suits, jeans or trousers. You can find many men wearing pink dress shirts. You are sure to get compliments from your colleagues if you are wearing it at workplace. This pink dress shirt would breathe in a complete new life and would allow you to look unique. It is definitely a winning look.

Pink suits and trousers
Summer and spring seasons are perfect for wearing pink trousers and suits. You might be having quite a hard time visualizing this. However, suit and trousers means the seersuckers or the light cotton ones. Pink suits and trousers make perfect wear while going for a party of a wedding too.


T-shirts
Men’s t-shirts in pink look great. Pink stripes would be a great way to go with. Pink t-shirts look trendy, yet elegant. You can also opt for pink stripes if you are not completely confident of wearing plain pink tee.

Pink accessories
You cannot commit more of a substantial garment in pink, but can start off with small. You could go with some superb pink ties, hats and scarves. They are sure to add charm to your look.
Many men are seeking out to infuse pink to their wardrobe and make a fashion statement.

Source: catwalkfashion.co.uk


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Saturday, August 30, 2008

Labor Day Sale: 20% Off Everything At Active Endeavors

Yay! Everything is 20% off at Active Endeavors with promo code "Laborday20."

Which means those Loeffler Randall boots just went from $695 to $556!

Extricating Dudes From T-Shirt Hell

Not too long ago, while on the train, I had the extreme misfortune of seeing a guy (obviously) wearing this t-shirt:

Yes, that says "thousands of my potential children died on your daughter's face last night." Now I have a feeling that the type of guy who'd actually wear a shirt like that is NOT the type of guy who really sees much action at all. But still. Guys, that's not cool. And I even LIKE potty humor. But that's just bad. And grammatically incorrect -- it doesn't even end with any punctuation!

Anyway, here are some men's t-shirts that express much better taste and don't offend or involve sperm.

($17.95, Fuzzy Ink)
Love this guy. He's the sheriff of 'stache town, and with coupon code "Stache," you get 10% off. I got this shirt, designed by Craig Watkins, for my boyfriend and he wears it on the regs.


($26, Alphanumeric, Robustflavor.com)
Gas prices = le suck.


($30, Jay McCarroll)
Designed by the inimitable Jay McCarroll, and $5 go to Alex's Lemonade Stand, which raises funds to fight childhood cancer. (Shirts available in women's sizes too, y'all!)


($35, Wonderful Design, 2K By Gingham)
2K By Gingham, a Japanese company, aggregates lots of sick designers and sells their t-shirts in both men's and women's sizes. Sorta like Threadless. Love the funny bear above (hee -- he's got pwivate parts!) and two below:


($35, James Joyce, 2K By Gingham)
For the armchair DJ.



($48, Davis, 2K By Gingham)
Comfy-cute soft for dudes.

Victoria la lansarea Signature

Lansarea noului duo de parfumuri Beckham a avut loc la Harvey Nichols in Manchester, pe 29 august. Beckham Signature for her este fructat floriental si include note de orhidee, paciuli, vanilie, ambra, mosc, mar copt, iar Beckham Signature for him este un parfum fresh lemnos oriental cu note de mandarina, pepene, ambra alba.
Vizioneaza reclama parfumurilor Beckham here
Victoria a purtat o rochie alba cu blana la spate, care, privita din fata, arata ca ar avea aripi de inger.
Un nou duo de parfumuri de la David si Victoria Beckham

Signature for her

Rochia Victoriei este din colectia de toamna/iarna 08/09 Giambattista Valli


Friday, August 29, 2008

Happy Labor Day Weekend!

One of my favourite things to do towards the end of a season, is to scope out Shopbop for bargains during their final sales period. Sadly as much time as I spend stalking Shopbop, I have no actually bought anything from there besides a pair of Marc by MJ shoes which I'd been pining for months and have tried on in real life first. But alas, I keep trying. Here is what I've scout out this season- and for those of you interested, don't forget to act fast on the Labor Day weekend sale! It IS the day to reap the rewards of your labor after all (or so my friend tells me).
A elegant silk red top (Rebecca Taylor) that is sexy yet feminine and girly at the same time, with the cute rosettes lining the bodice. And no, these YSL heels are not from Shopbop, but I thought I'd include them anyway since these two items clearly belong with each other (they are also on sale!).
Items that I probably wouldn't mind wearing next year- and maybe in the next month or so depending on the weather. Only the blue color of this BopBasic top (left) is on sale, but this was the color that caught my eye anyway. You should go check out the back- it is a pretty fabulous design! And this dress is like the navy version of the little black dress updated with cute ruffles.
Lately I am loving the wide legged pants and these blue jeans from J Brand (right) will carry you into fall. Not so much the khaki one from Robert Rodriguez (left), but then it looks really airy and comfortable- it's one of those things that you will wear again next year- even if it is just down the street to run errands!Speaking of things I will wear next year, I will definitely wear this floppy white hat by Eugenia Kim with this simple white dress by Milly. This is just a summer classic outfit. I just love the hat, the construction of it is perfect. It droops and flops at just the right places! This dark floral top from Rebecca Taylor (left) is a hot item that will mix well super well into your FW08 wardrobe i.e. under blazers, with layers etc etc. Ok, so maybe this Anna Sui top (right) is not exactly very versatile, but I wanted to include it in anyway, just because I love the mixing of prints and the over all quirkiness of this top- it will definitely make a statement.

Happy Labor Day Weekend everyone!

Image Source: ShopBop and Saks

1228 San Francisco Fashion and Accessories Line



Designer Nico Lopez launched her fashion and accessories line based out of San Francisco. She originally planned to make clothing exclusively for the stage, but motivated by the positive feedback these designs received, Lopez began to construct her first collection, which was presented last year at the Museum of Modern Art in San Francisco as part of the SFMOMA Sessions in July 2007. I love these vintage inspired pieces.

Little Black Skirt

Last week while going through the leftover sale merchandises of a store, I found this black skirt and to my surprise, they actually had it in my size. I've been on the look for a black skirt for awhile and since I don't think the skin tight black skirts which are pretty popular these days are particularly flattering, this seemed to be close enough to what I was looking for.

The grey block made me hesistate at first, but my sister persuaded me to buy it (-she thought I was being too picky.) The skirt looks sort of flat and crinkly in the photo (my bad) but when you put it on, it actually sort of puffs up like a ball. Yes I realise this sort of bubble skirts aren't all too trendy anymore but it's cute and on sale.

OK, so how to wear it? I wanted to make sure I didn't wear it with a white dress shirt or anything that would look like officewear. The key is to keep everything casual. But since I've never actually owned black skrits (or anything mid-wa before, I looked for inspiration online.

I love this Luella top! (Please imagine the black shorts on the model as a skirt.) It's casual and cute; it's trendy without being messy.
Plaid/ checked shirts are oh-so-trendy(-and-hipsterish) this summer. You can hardly go into a highstreet store without spotting one of these shirts and they seem to be a popular complement of the black skirt these days (-see images above, from H&M and Urban Ooutfitters.) While plaid tops always look cool in fashion candid and paparazzi pictures, they just don't seem to look great in real life. I don't know if I've just seen the cheap-looking ones or what, but I really can't imagine myself actually looking cool in one of these plaid shirts.
I adore this combination of a tank top with the volume skirt. It's simple and allows one to look effortlessly trendy. Plus, like in the shopbop image, it will leave you free to accessorise. A printed t-shirt looks like a pretty good match too! (See image on the right.)
I can't wait to try out the skirt! Have you guys been wearing a little black skirt this summer too?

Wednesday, August 27, 2008

Loeffler Randall Boots Continue To Inspire Brokeback-Levels of Lust In Me...

Ugh. Usually I'm not too into flat boots, but I keep seeing the Loeffler Randall Matilde flat boot from their Fall 2008 collection, and I could just make love to it like Enis and Jack Twist after a hard day o' ropin' steer.

Observe:

($695, Loeffler Randall, Singer22.com)
Perfectly pretty.


($695, Loeffler Randall, Active Endeavors)
The LBD of... flat black boots.





($795, Loeffler Randall, Singer22.com)
More expensive = more desirable!!!



($775, Loeffler Randall, Singer22.com)
Snakeskin = the most desirable of all.

* An aside: Has anyone actually purchased anything from Singer22? The site looks like it's held together by ASCII and dental floss. Did they just blow their load on advertising or something? It's no Net-a-porter! If I'm gonna spend THAT much (and I'm not, but I'm speaking theoretically here), they'd better shell out for a little Flash, you know? Control Your Parameters!

I Am Seriously So Mad At Myself Right Now...

For not having the foresight to set a Google alert to inform me of the existence of this amazing blow dryer dress, which is now ALL FREAKING SOLD OUT at ModCloth. Why? Because God hates me:
Is it super lame that because I'm on book three of the Twilight series, I wish I had Alice Cullen's psychic abilities to help me out in CRUCIAL situations like this? Also, who else is reading Twilight/New Moon/Eclipse/Breaking Dawn? CONFESS AND DISCUSS!

Oh yeah, to console myself, I'm gonna buy this quasi keffiyeh. Sniff!
($19, ModCloth)

Man Fashion: Car Shoe

Founded by creative artisan Gianni Mostile in 1963, Car Shoe embodied Mostile’s two passions – race cars and hand-made shoes that sparked the invention of a moccasin with a sole set on tiny rubber nubs.


The ‘car shoe’ earned Mostile not only a patent from the Italian Ministry of Industry Trade; it also garnered Mostile a large group of sophisticated connoisseurs that included Giovanni Agnelli, Roberto Rossellini, and Lapo Elkann among others.


Prada acquired control of Car Shoe in 2001, opening flagship stores in Milan and introduced the line into over 200 major boutiques internationally. Spring-summer 2004 saw the launch of its first bag collections.
Car Shoe @ Milan

The layout foresees the classical Car Shoe frame that outlines a single image, emphasizing the classical driving shoe, which is styled in different shades of crocodile leather, constant element of an informal and refined lifestyle.


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Get Bombed: Eddie Bauer Bomber Jacket!

I'm not much of an Eddie Bauer consumer, but I do love me a nice, ruggedly handsome leather bomber jacket:
($349, Eddie Bauer)
It's designed for men, but like Tila Tequila, I'm sure it could easily go either way.

Relevant video:

Hayden-Harnett $500 Gift Certificate Giveaway!


I will be completely honest here. I want ME to win this. Not YOU. ME ME ME! But if I don't win, I really want you to, 'kay? And if you do win, I'll totally look at you with one of those fake Miss America "I'm so happy for you but so not really!" smiles.

So enter to win the Hayden-Harnett $500 gift certificate giveaway. Yes, you have to opt-in to receive their emails and catalog, but it's well worth it if you win this bag, no? And even MORE worth it if I win!

Man Fashion: Sir Sean Connery

If you are old enough, you should know who is Sir Sean Connery, or at least watched his movies before. If not, maybe I can share some his background story with you here. Sean was born into a working class family in August of 1930, at sixteen, he enlisted in the Royal Navy. His glorious moment was he took on the movies on Secret Agent 007 in six of Ian Fleming's Bond movies over a decade: Dr. No (1962), Goldfinger (1964), From Russia, With Love (1964), Thunderball (1965), and You Only Live Twice (1967), and Diamonds are Forever (1971).


In 1989, at almost 60 years of age he was voted People Magazine's "Sexiest Man Alive." When advised of the award, Sean seemed to be unaffected as he replied, "Well there aren't many sexy dead men, are there."


So this Scottish acting legend has celebrated his 78th birthday by launching his memoirs at a sell-out event in Edinburgh. Launched Being A Scot in front of a 300-strong crowd, which included First Minister Alex Salmond, at the Edinburgh International Book Festival.


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Tuesday, August 26, 2008

The Original Penguin

The other weekend, my friends and I had a sudden craving for some good quality burgers and shakes, so we thought- Johnny Rockets! But when we got there having anticipated it for hours, we couldn't find it! Where did Johnny Rockets go? After much wandering around, we finally realized that it has been replaced with a Penguin store.
Personally I didn't realize they had enough merchandise to warrant a whole store. I'd always associated Penguin with men's polo and preppy menswear in general. I didn't know they had womens wear!
So it appears that they do. And the style very much reminds me of the likes of Ted Baker, which is ironic since this brand stems from Minneapolis.
Looking at the window display (instead of indulging in burgers and shakes), I rather liked the shirt dress (above left) they showed. Admittedly it isn't a dress that immediately takes the breath away, but I like to think that there is a subtle charm to it- it also played right into my sudden recent obsession with shirt dresses. I also like this blue shirt dress (right), because while the cutting and design is really simple, the mixture of small polka dot prints with the thin floral print (or I think it's floral) belt is just adorable. My friend just gave me a 20% off coupon for Penguin.. maybe I'll go check this dress out. I hope they fit better than Ted Baker (Ted has the prettiest clothes, but with the worst fit!).
They also have these pretty standard looking dresses. I reckon the plain red dress would be an awesome dress to wear if you loved to accessorize- think headband, think crazy necklace!
These are not bad either. I think I even have something very similar. But you see what I mean about being very Ted Baker? Browsing through their website, I cannot help but feel like I've seen and have been excited about everything before already.... I'd like Johnny Rockets back please!

Image Source: The Original Penguin