Lick Me Lashes

I have pretty normal lashes, my only issue is that I abuse them with tons of mascara every morning since I'm a blondie and like the look of thick lashes.
So I have the issue of them falling out a lot, which is great for making wishes, not so great for getting lush, "lick me lashes" (as my friend calls them) like Bridget Bardot.

While L'oreal's Lash Boosting Serum isn't going to magically transform me into Bridget Bardot (but how awesome would that be?) it did make my lashes healthier, stronger, and I think longer. If not longer at least more lush.
Basically the same results you'd get if you hadn't conditioned your hair for the past twenty years and then started using a super-conditioning hair mask.

You can pick it up at your local drugstore, it's about $15 in NYC, but it was only $11 in my hometown CVS, either way it was a little expensive for a drugstore product (yes, I bitched. I'll admit it) but I'd heard such good reviews from my friends and Makeup Alley that I decided to try it out anyway.

The application is pretty easy, just swipe it on your lashes and line your eyes every morning and night. After about a week my eyes stopped itching, and I noticed that I had more eyelashes and that they were longer after about a month.

PLEASE NOTE: this is not Latisse. It is an eyelash conditioner. If you're just looking for a little help, not miracles, this is your product.

Anyway, with that little note out of the way, I'd definitely recommend this product if you have issues with your eyelashes falling out or being spindly, or if you are just a major supporter of prevention instead of putting makeup over the issue.
I can tell you this right now, I've definitely been using less mascara to get the results I want, and if I can put any less makeup goop on my face I am a very happy girl.

Breakdown

Hey guys, I can't remember if I posted this yet (it may have slipped my mind. It happens) but here's my latest post for College Fashion, giving you my breakdown of  the Spring 2010 trends.

Finders Keepers

So I've been browsing lately (that's what happens when you're procrastinating on term papers). and I found some things that I think are just adorable

However, a lot of the time I come across something that makes me absolutely squee with joy, and then realize that it's
a)too big/small
b) completely unnecessary in my life

So I thought I'd start a new little feature where I share some of these goodies, so that if they can't come live in my closet, at least they've found a good home. 

First up, how adorable is this Aileen sweater?? It's a petite xsmall (um... not quite. But I thought about it really, really hard. The cropped top look is in right? RIGHT?)

2 days left, $0.99 

Gorgeous Lilly Pulitzer sundress. Remember my white dress hunt? This would be about it. Unfortunately I have to choose between rock climbing this weekend or shopping.... so darling, perhaps we'll meet again. 

Less than a day left, $20.50

It says that the brand is New Identity (yeah, I've never heard of them either). However, I just think this is one wicked awesome Aztec print jacket. Not quite my style, but I know some girls who would look great in this.

Less than a day left, $19.99

Yves St. Laurent cream high waisted trousers. It doesn't get anymore classic or luxe. Love, love, LOVE. Need a longer inseam that 32.5 though.
Can you please add 3 inches onto that? You could just take it off the waist. 'kay, thanks.

4 days left, $18.99

Goodluck darlings! Hope you found something you like.

Joss Stone

One of my new favorite singers. What can I say? I love the blues, soul and R&B lately.



Besides, this girl's got some serious pipes. What cracks me up is that the best singers are always these little, tiny, kinda stocky, girls with these HUGE voices.

Fun fact of the day: The reason why a lot of "great" singers (we're talking opera singers, Aretha Franklin types, you know, singers with pipes. Not whiny pop singers) are stocky or chubby is because you need
a) a big rib cage for some serious lung capacity
b) really strong stomach muscles and/or belly weight to compress the diaphragm

TGIF

"Sleep... so hot right now" 

 I'm listening to the man and taking it easy this weekend. See you guys on Monday.

So I Went Shopping...

Man, pay day... I get so excited, seeing all the money I have, and then inevitably I go blow it the day of after "fasting" all week.
(For all you worried mom types, don't freak out too much. I make sure to buy groceries, refill my subway card, and put a little aside in my savings before I go binge crazy :) )
Anyway, I just always feel that a shopping trip Friday afternoon is a great way to wind down after the week. So what did I get this week?

First I had to stop by Laila Rowe after seeing the "buy one, get one 50% off" sign in the window. I'm new to the brand, but I was delighted when I found my wonder woman necklace and bracelets I'd been looking for.
I also saw a purple jumpsuit that I was very intrigued by, but I didn't have time to try it on. Next Friday perhaps. 

The picture of the necklace does not do it justice.
and btw I believe that feeling like the sexiest part of the Justice League is totally worth $25. 

Second I stopped by Sabon. That place is death to my paycheck. I'd never seen one before I came to New York, but here there's one on every other block, and you can smell it from the corner. I went in, and usually I just sniff around and the staff ignores me, and then I leave and all is well.

This time however they walked me through most of their products, and I fell hard for their body scrub.
After washing my hands in their giant fountain (pretty awesome) and scrubbing their Body Scrub in Musk on my hands for about a minute, all of my dry winter skin, hangnails, and general grodiness* just disappeared. My hands felt soooooo soft for the rest of the day I couldn't stop rubbing them (weird, I know). So suffice to say, as soon as I got out of work I sprinted over to grab a jar before they closed.

Oh, and some Cadbury eggs.
All in all I think that a little indulgence does a body good after a hard week of work. I'm off to go soak in the bathtub and read my magazines, hope you lovelies have a great weekend.

Sale

Just wanted to give you ladies a head's up, one of my favorite online retailers, 80's purple is having a "Progressive Warehouse Sale".
This means that items are being progressively marked down as the sale goes on until they disappear, so you can get some great pieces for as much as 80% off (though I can't guarantee there will be any left in your size. So it goes).
ANYWAY, check it out here.

Alter Ego

David Bowie has Ziggy Stardust, Beyonce has Sasha Fierce, and Stephanie Joanne Angelina Germanotta has Lady Gaga.

Why can't I have an alter ego too?

I'm not advocating a split personality, but I think having an alter ego wouldn't be a bad thing. Sort of a character to slip into, who happens to be a smarter, braver, better version of yourself to do the impossible.

So long story short apparently some girl transferred to my college this semester. Her name is apparently Sadie Blaze and apparently we are identical twins or something, because I'm constantly getting random people hugging me and yelling down the stairs "Hey SADIE BLAZE! WHAT UP?" and then an embarrassed, "uh, sorry. You just look exactly like my friend..." and then they run away.

But honestly? I kind of like the name. I think I might adopt it as my own personal alter ego (god help me if I ever actually run into Sadie. That's going to be awkward).

And of course, since I'm a fashion geek, I think my alter ego Sadie Blaze would dress something like this:

Blaze by erind90 featuring Giuseppe Zanotti shoes

Basically a cleaner, chicer version of myself (one who doesn't forget to brush her teeth, shave her legs, and where her apartment keys are on a regular basis) and for some reason I think that her hair would be red.

On that note, I'm seriously considering a hair-do update. Maybe going very, very blond for the summer, or trying red again and seeing if it will last longer than 2.5 seconds.

Also update: I got my jumpsuit yesterday and I haven't taken it off since (kidding! Sort of). I'm in love, and seriously considering getting another one.

Waiting Patiently...

I'm so stoked for my jumpsuit to come in the mail this week. Everyone else is waiting expectantly as well, half out of curiosity, half to have a giggle at a jumpsuit. Anyway, been thinking about what I'm going to wear with it.

jumpsuit by erind90 featuring L'Wren Scott accessories

I'm imagining wearing it with flats, a sun hat, and a silk scarf casually tied around my neck for the day.
At night with some super high heels, pearls and bright pink lipstick.
So excited to play with my new clothes!

Do the Gender Bender IV

Here's a few outfits with some of my favorite men's-wear inspired pieces.
Of course, I'm feeling some serious pastels and lighter colors in preparation for spring and summer.

the trousers by

the shoes by erind90 featuring Gentle Souls shoes

the blazer by erind90 featuring Collection jackets

As a general rule I find that one or two pieces of men's-wear is plenty for an outfit.
Balance out the masculinity with something soft or girly.
And if you're in dire need of an outfit, black tuxedo pants, a white oxford, killer heels and red lipstick have never failed me.
A woman in beautifully cut men's clothing with a dash of killer sex appeal never goes out of style.

Do the Gender Bender III

Some more inspiration for this style that I found in Germany's issue of Vogue.

Diane Kruger by Karl Lagerfeld for Vogue Germany, March 2010
Photos thanks to Fashion Gone Rogue

Do the Gender Bender II

So you want to join in on the fun too you say? Great, come join the party.
Well, here's what you're going to need, and don't worry if you want to invest in something, since the mens-wear inspired look comes back year after year.

The Blazer

The Button Down Shirt

The Shirt Dress/The Button Down Shirt Several Sizes Larger

Brogues/Oxfords

 Trousers

The Hat

The Vest

The Jeans

And btw, can we give a standing round of applause to J.Jill? I try and keep things under $100 for you guys (and myself) and they seemed to just have exactly what I was looking for at a price point I could stomach for this post. Last time I checked they were great quality also. Does anyone know if they're doing a revamp or something?

So anyway, these are some great pieces to add a little "borrowed-from-the-boys" flavor to your wardrobe. Please note though that while they are all a little oversized, perhaps a little boxy, they are still flattering.
That means they should skim your body, the shoulder seams should be on your actual shoulder, the pants should fit you at the waist and bum, ect.
 Okay, with that warning out of the way, how do you wear these perfect boyfriend pieces now that you've found them?
I'd say as a general rule of thumb, one man piece at a time, grounded with either clean lines or something sweet. I'll have an outfit post coming up tomorrow to give you guys a jump start.

Do the Gender Bender

Recently I've been admiring the androgynous movement that's been going on.

The androgyny really hit me over the side of the head when I was looking at the photo above. I personally was admiring it because I thought it was a) a great photo and b) a cute guy
My roomie looked over my shoulder and said "Wow, I love her hair cut. I wish I could pull that off"
"I think it's a dude."
"Are you sure?"
"It has no boobs."
"You don't either."
Touche roomie, touche. My point being I'm starting to feel like my generation's ideal of beauty and what is "feminine" and what is "masculine" is becoming increasingly blurry.

The fact that I'm mooning over a girl/boy and that I STILL cannot tell what gender my boss is (it's really a hilarious story. Remind me to tell you about it sometime) are only minor side-effects.

Also I've been noticing a lot of girls wearing boys clothes (all those clothes that are called boy-friend blankety blanks for example in stores)
and a lot of boys wearing makeup, jewelery (shout out to the man I met in the elevator this morning. It's JEWELERY. NOT BLING. Are you 50 cent? Didn't think so white boy) and tighter clothes than usual.

Anyway, this isn't anything new, check out these striking ladies who have been doing the gender bender way before the millenials (and oh yeah, I slipped in Adam there to represent the men.):

Patti Smith

Probably my favorite. How sexy is this picture?

Amelia Earhart

Annie Hall

Adam Lambert

My other favorite man in my life, my tailor, has been laughing because I've been bringing him in guy's clothes to nip and tuck slightly. He's always saying "But you realize these are men's clothes. Does your boyfriend know you are stealing his shirts?"
"Mustafa, don't worry about it. Can you just take it in at the waist slightly?"
and he just laughs, "Shop in your own section next time girly!"

Either way I've been really loving the look of a few menswear pieces (sometimes literally, sometimes not) mixed in with something uber-girly and light.

Here are a few photos from my inspiration folder, courtesy of Lookbook: 

Are We There Yet?

I'm dreaming of spring....

spring by erind90 featuring Forever21 tops

Jump

Just wanted to show you guys what I just bought.
After searching for a black, straight leg, capri length, waist-defining, v-neck jumpsuit with straps that is also reasonably priced (basically the impossible) I found this cutie at Lulu's for $27. 

Madame Jumpsuit

Since I'm ridiculously picky when it comes to clothes, if I had the choice I'd rather it was silk or cotton instead of rayon, and I might switch out the buttons for something non-plastic, but overall I think that it fits the bill.

Dilemma

Is it so wrong that I'm kind of liking these pants? I'm imagining them rolled up to a more flattering length with some killer heels and a halter top or slinky tee.
Plus, they're only $29.95 since no one has touched them.
I wonder why? (that's sarcasm btw. I can't think of any woman besides those with a pre-pubescent boy's body who wouldn't run screaming from this silhouette. Thankfully I happen to be part of the 1% who happen to have a pre-pubescent boy's body. It has its perks.)
I'm headed down to Herald Square today and I think I might pop by the store to check out the fit, and I'll let you know how the experiment goes.

New York and Co. Tapered Pleated Pants

The Hunt for the Great White Dress

So every summer/spring I go on the hunt for the perfect, easy, breezy white dress. (kind of like every fall/winter I'm on the hunt for the perfect leather jacket. Sensing a pattern yet?)

Here are a few I'm eyeing, all of them at reasonable prices so I won't freak out when I inevitably get bbq sauce on them or something (my table manners leave something to be desired so anything white I own better be cheap). 

Delia's Cleo Crochet Dress

J. Crew embossed cotton Aubrey Halter Dress

 Kimchi Blue Eyelet Sundress