Hoofing Around: Wedge vs Heel

Heels will never be unfashionable. They are classic...they make legs look fantastic...they are the exclamation mark to every good looking ensemble. But I gotta tell you (and obviously this isn't news to anybody following the bloggers or the "underground" style circles): heels might always be fashionable, but what is in style right now - what is truly in vogue - is the wedge. And I'm not just talking about wedge sandals. I'm talking about the uber chunky, 5+ inches, statement hoof-like wedges that fashionistas everywhere are pairing with micro minis and ultra skinnies to emphasize the glory happening south of their ankles.

Granted, this isn't the first time in history wedges have been all the rage - I had several pairs in middle school and high school (all of which my best friend made me throw out throughout the course of my time in college). However this wave of the wedge craze, in my humble opinion, returned in 2006 when Balenciaga put out the Harness Platform Boots (made popular by the Olsen twins - obvi). A little while later, to everybody's delight who could get their hands on them, they were then copied by Sam Edelmen and sold at a much more reasonable price. After being made popular by the bloggers, they sold out instantaneously and could only be found for like 8 times their value on Ebay. Recently they were re-released and sold at about a 300% markup...not too shabby for the little pair of knockoffs that could...

And so the craze was well on its way. And I've gotta say I'm happy, because being a flats girl myself, wedges are really the only lifted shoe I feel comfortable/hot in. They don't hurt, I don't feel like I'm going to fall over, they make your legs look ridiculously long, and something about that hoof-foot!! I can't get enough...never could.

A few of the most popular right now?

The Acne Atacoma Wedge:
After Alexa Chung was seen rocking them on her show, the bloggers went ballistic and each and every one of them bought a pair. They also have them with a wooden looking strip along the bottom instead of that silver eyesore, it's way cuter and if the shoes didn't cost me half a month's rent I'd be all over them.

Topshop Ashish Ankle Boots:
Any of you who have read my other posts know I have a profound affinity for animal print - specifically leopard print. These wedges are a beautiful sight - and even though they're peep toe and coming out for the fall/winter, I'd endure frost bitten toes for a little foot accessory party any day.

Basically anything Jeffrey Campbell:
...or Marni:
How do you keep up on this trend? Well you have a few options - both involve dutifully tracking on the internet, neither involves tracking the runway. For one, you can check out what the what the online stores are selling - Topshop, Opening Ceremony, even Karmaloop. The other option involves checking out the fashion blogs. Some of my personal favorites? Karla's Closet, Childhood Flames, Where Did You Get That, Fashiontoast, Cocorosa...just to name a few (I could definitely go on). These girls all put clothes on and take pictures...they're inventive, they're on the forefront, and they're marvelous.

So that's the skinny, people. If you're an avid heel wearer I suggest you experiment with these puppies. In the meantime, walk tall, walk proud...happy shopping.

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DSquared Party + Sessilee = Fashion Week Bliss

Fashion Week NY ends today, and since I am a working woman, FWNY actually ended Tuesday night when I put my best foot forward (clad in my black wedge booties) and hit up the DSquared afterparty at their showroom on 28th st. (bet. 11th & 12th!! I'm amazed at how many women made it there in heels). One of the biggest and most ferocious models out there now, Sessilee Lopez, was in attendence, along with a plethora of other celebs - making the night the ULTIMATE close out to what has been another beautiful FWNY. PHOTOS!!

That's Sessilee on the right...sigh...

Me and MJ after being stuck in the freight elevator on the way up...not knowing that the paps were stalking us like they always do (I'm the blonde in the foreground with the short cut and MJ's to my left). While we were stuck she was tweeting about how we were stuck!! Gotta love Twitter.

Rachel Zoe and everybody's fav assistant Brad

The DSquared Twins

Mary J, Nicky Hilton (that dress!!), Tyson Beckford, Perez Hilton (look at THAT dress)

It was great, and I had to get up at 6am the next morning to be on set...needless to say I'm still exhausted and must catch up on sleep asap...but worth it, soooooo worth it.


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A Mascara Review: What to Do When Your Favorite Mascara is Discontinued...

As you may or may not know, my favorite mascara - Maybelline Lash Stylist - was recently discontinued. It never clumped, it had a comb instead of a bristle brush, and it was the perfect size for getting every single lash. It has been my most reliable go-to mascara for the last 3 years, so you can imagine how devastated I was when I went to the store and it wasn't there. After going to a few more stores just to make sure, I got home, Googled it, and discovered that horror of horrors, it was no longer being produced!

So, what to do now? Well luckily I got the hookup and got 3 free mascaras from Maybelline - all relatively new on the market, and all quite distinct. As I tried them out I figured that there must be other Lash Stylist mourners out there looking for a new direction - so this Mascara Review, my friends, is for you.

(Oh and I'd like to preface this review by stating that I always use an eyelash curler - as every woman should - so all mascaras were tested on pre-curled eyelashes).

Mascara #1 - The Colossal Volum' Express:
What the brand boasts: Creates 9X the volume, instantly. Patented MegaBrush + Collagen Formula plump lashes one by one. Dramatic Volume with no clumps.
The Reality: The brush is short and fat, as is the tube it comes in (so fat in fact that the word "Colossal" must be broken up into 2 lines - COLO on top and SSAL under it). Yes, this mascara creates volume and there are no clumps which I definitely appreciate. Also the tube is shiney and bright yellow, making it easy to find in your makeup bag! However the girth of the brush makes it kind of difficult to get in between the lashes, and coat and separate the ones on the outer corners. This one is a biggie for me, so a few points off there. Score out of 10: 8.

Mascara #2 - Lash Stiletto:
What the brand boasts: The only mascara that does for lashes what stilettos do for legs. The Grip & Extend brush grasps each lash and coats from every angle. Elastic formula stretches lashes for provocative length. Pro-Vitamin B-5 formula conditions and smoothes for black-patent shine.
The Reality: Well this is a gimmick if I ever heard one. All women know that stilettos do wonders for legs, so this is a clear manipulation by association. This mascara didn't really add length, thickness or shine. If anything it just held in place the curl that my eyelash curler left behind. The packaging is definitely sleek - quite the opposite of the Colossal - with its long black tube, silver writing and even a red strip at the bottom (which I'm assuming is supposed to be a Christian Louboutin reference?). The brush was long and skinny, which did allow me to get to the smaller and corner lashes, but it didn't matter because once I got there you couldn't even tell I added a coat. Lame. Score out of 10: 4.

Mascara #3 - Pulse Perfection:
What the brand boasts: It’s our first vibrating mascara. Transforms your lashes to perfection. Patent-pending elastomer brush vibrates 7,000 times per stroke. Provides clump-free definition, intense color, and shine.
The Reality: Well, it vibrates. To some this might be a pro but to me it's simply odd. I didn't like the feel of my lashes/eyes vibrating and the noise got a little annoying. I'm assuming that the point of this vibration is to eliminate the zigzagging motion we must do manually with regular brushes - though I still found myself doing it with this one (old habits die hard I suppose). The brush is a decent size and does allow easy access to the smaller and corner lashes. The mascara itself is quite thick, making me think it might be prone to clumping as time went on - and I do think clumpy mascara is one of the tackiest things you could put on your face (second only to foundation that's the wrong color). When used without the vibrations it's decent I suppose - but it's also like $15, which is several bucks higher than regular drug store mascara - so if you're gonna buy it, it should definitely be because the vibration does something special for you. Score out of 10: 5.

So I guess The Colossal wins. I'm still on the hunt to find a 10 out of 10, but until then I guess my lashes will be coming from the fat yellow tube. Any recommendations?

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Fashion Week is the New Xmas

It's fashion week once again here in NYC and anybody who knows me knows it puts me in a perpetual state of bliss. The models, the parties, the free stuff, the glamor, the models. I love models. Female models only - I think male models are weird and awkward. Anyway that's beside the point. Here are my highlights so far:

1) Have I been at a party with Anna Wintour? YES I HAVE.
She had an entourage of stilettoed women on their Blackberries following in her tracks, when she stopped to chat with the models and the bigwigs it was only for a moment. She was in and out in what seemed like under 3 minutes. It was a dream...I'm still floating on high fashion clouds.

2) Did I get 3 free mascaras, 2 free lipsticks, 1 free lipgloss and 1 free Fashion's Night Out shirt? YES I DID!
As I mentioned before I was hard up for mascara since the one I've been using for the last 3 years was discontinued. All 3 of these mascaras are Maybelline also (as is the rest of the make up) so maybe I'll find a replacement. Maybe I'll try them all out and write a review for my fellow Lash Stylist mourners. One of the mascaras vibrates when you push a button...so we'll see how that goes.

3) Did I walk by Bryant Park as the following photo was being taken?
YES INDEED. Every single hot model out right now was there. Hundreds of long limbs, high cheekbones and indecipherable accents chattering about. I was on my way to a job but I had to slow my pace and gawk (and curse myself for not constantly walking around with my camera). When my knees got weak and I started drooling I decided it was time to keep it moving.

4) Did I sit front row at Erin Wasson's RVCA show last night?
Well, no...I definitely didn't do that. Had I thought about it before I would have hit up the fashion week marketing team and used my HuffPo style blogging status to try and snag a press pass. Alas I didn't think ahead and I have learned my lesson. She had some good looks...and she is still one of my bigtime fashion gurus...although I will say this - all of these downtown New York designers are all starting to design the same kinda shit. The outfits that say "I'm too cool to care, but I really do, but I'm so depressed and drunk and coked out I just can't pick out an outfit. Fuck it I'll just throw on super skinny jeans with a pair of boots, a plain thin white cotton shirt and a leather jacket/denim vest. My hair is greasy and tousled, my makeup is smeared and smoldering, and I must smoke this cigarette before I die of boredom." Don't get me wrong I totally love this look. I liiiiiive for it (the gays taught me that one). But can't these downtown designers show a little innovation?! Maybe I'm asking too much.

That's all for now. Just vibing off the pulse of Fashion Week in the city. I can't help it, I'm a slave to the beauty.


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Put Your Fashion Anxiety To Rest

Fashion can be tricky. All the rules and faux pas, changing of trends, exceptions and scenarios...even the ultra-stylish must stop and think from time to time. There are so many questions and concerns that people deal with on a daily basis - so I thought I'd take just a handful of them and put any doubts or anxiety you might have to rest.

I'm cleaning out my closet, how to I know when to get rid of clothes? This is a very interesting question and the answer was put best by my best friend when I asked him this very question. "You just know." He said. "It's like love."
"But what if you make a mistake?!" I pleaded desperately.
"Exactly" he said.
What I'm assuming he meant is that when cleaning out your closet, like love, mistakes happen. You just have to acknowlege it and move on. If you want an actual technique I once read about a woman who turned all of the hangers in her closet the wrong way (so the open part of the hook faced out) - every time she wore an item she turned it the right way. When 2 years passed, she got rid of any items on hangers that were still facing the wrong direction.

Can I wear white after Labor Day? Are you living in a J.Crew catalog circa 1994?! Yes of course you can. That rule was created by some asshole who probably wore white in December, trudged through some dirty snow, stained his/her pants, and thought "Dammit! There should be a fashion law against this!" White is great. Wear it with health, as my mom would say.

When I wear my flats without socks they hurt my feet and frankly they start to smell a little bit. Can I wear them with those little socks, even if they stick out a little bit? No you cannot. Either suck it up and endure the pain and stinkiness, or buy some different shoes.

I like to get my nails done - when they start to chip, how chipped is too chipped? Ah, this question is extremely circumstantial. Luckily for me, I live in a world of ambiguity, where totally polished is nice and pretty, but chipped off is punky and sassy. I love it when I first get it and I continue to love it 2 weeks after. If you do anything corporate or "professional" (meaning you serve people, they serve you, you go to meetings, you meet new people and represent your company, etc), you gotta take that polish off essentially at the first sign of chippage. Do this: extend your arm straight out in front of you. If you can't see chipping from that far away you're fine. If you can, others will too and you will look like you're not on top of things. For professionals this is a bad thing. If you're anything else - an artist/bohemian, an athlete, a teenager...you know, whatever else there is...you can basically let it ride until it chips all the way off. Enjoy.

It looks good when I match my hat to my shirt to my sneakers, right? No it does not. Oh wait, maybe if you...no, it does not.

Is it always wrong to pop my collar? Can I ever get away with it? This is very simple. Are you a frat boy, varsity sports player or douchebag? Are said collars on polo shirts, button down shirts or letterman jackets? If the answer is yes to any of these then no, you may not pop. Conversely, if you're a model, artist, jazz musician, punk rocker or older than 45...and if said collars are on leather jackets, denim jackets, or anything uber-stylish and high fashion, then yes you may pop. You might look a little douchier for doing it, but as long as you have the awareness of this possibility I think you'll be ok.

I love sandals and flip flops!! What do I do now that winter is approaching? How can I get away with wearing them? You know what? Sandals and flip flops are summer shoes. You can't get away with wearing them in the winter because sandals/flip flops worn with socks is the worst possible thing you could do to your feet. Boots/sneakers/loafers/moccasins/other closed toed things were invented for a reason. For the love of all things fashionable please tuck those things away until next summer.

That's what I have for now. I know, I'm a wealth of knowledge. Let me know if I can answer any of your burning questions...I live for it. Until then, happy shopping - and good luck to you.

Bye Bye Summer...HELLOOOO FALL!!! (And other very random things...)

As most of you know, I HATE summer. I hate stickiness, I hate hot weather, I miss the weight of my comforter, but most importantly, I totally resent summer clothing. I can't layer it, I can't wear boots (though I tend to anyway), I can't wear leather and I can't layer it...oh wait I said that...well that's really the most important one. And even though NY didn't get much of a summer, I'm glad to see it leave. Anyway, today I wore tights for the first time in a while. When I was getting dressed this morning I decided the tights needed runs...so I cut some.
Then throughout the day at work about 50% of my coworkers said "did you know you have runs in your tights?" I looked at them puzzled..."yes, I'm aware, I made them." Isn't it obvious or am I buggin??!! Moreover, I'd have to be blind to put these things on my legs and not see runs. Hellooo?

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In other news the mascara that I've been using for at least 3 years has been discontinued!!!
I feel lost and confused and scared. Maybelline Lash Stylist Mascara...oooooh how I love you. It had a comb instead of a standard circular brush, it didn't run, and it didn't clump. But I figure I can only mourn for so long - I must have great eyelashes at all times- so tomorrow I'll be heading to Sephora to try and find a replacement. I'm upset and nervous...wish me luck.

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Moving on...for those of you who subscribe to the blog on Feedblitz, it's been effing up. It's annoying and I tried to do something about it but alas I am powerless in the world of the internet.

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Finally, and probably most randomly, I'd like to suggest that everybody keep their dental floss next to wherever they sit to watch TV (assuming you have time to watch TV each night which I generally don't these days, but I feel like a good chunk of people do). It encourages flossing more than keeping it in the bathroom. Flossing is very good for you and if you don't do it you should start. This is what I like to use:
Oh one more thing: my movie ends tomorrow (the culprit for my not writing, sleeping or exercising)...I'm taking next week off and then back on the grind for my next project. So who knows maybe I'll be a major writing monkey over the next several days...I hope so.

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Oh, and Rihanna looks effing amazing in Italian Vogue and Erin Wasson wore fabulous leopard print shorts to the opening of the Tokyo Opening Ceremony store.


'prece.