Haute Joaillerie, anyone?

Apparently the exquisitely designed, meticulously hand-crafted works of art that flounce up and down the runways of the Paris couture shows are no longer enough to be considered "ultra luxury."

Uhm, what? Dresses that cost more than a down payment on a house aren't enough?

These are not enough? Are you going tell Valentino that, or am I?

(P.S. Anybody else recognize that red dress on the end as the one I drooled over on Emma Watson when she did Vogue Italia? Love it!)

Well, according to the Fédération de la Couture Française (is that a mouthful or what?) the "union of two exceptional 'savoir-faire' will create a real luxury week."

I'm sorry, were the clothes, bags, and shoes not already a 'real' luxury?

Apparently adding jewelry, oh...pardonnez-moi, I meant joaillerie, to the mix is the one thing that will elevate croc overalls to the 'real' luxury level.

So, what is haute joaillerie you ask?

Well, basically, it's super ornate, ridiculously expensive jewelry that on the über wealthy can even think about purchasing.

For example...

Reines et Rois by Christian Dior Joaillerie:

La Broche Camélia Paraïba by Chanel Joaillerie:

Rose gold, diamond, and pastel pink sapphire necklace by Chopard Haute Joallerie:

And my personal favorite: A white gold & diamond choker from the Audemars Piguet Carnet de Bal Haute Jaillerie Set:

This baby took over 500 hours of hand work and contains 1,039 diamonds. Yep, you red that right. 1,039 diamonds. Must be nice, huh?

The fact that I didn't find any prices for any of these items is the scariest part.

The jewels will be available for everyone's viewing pleasure... Oh, wait... No they won't. You can see them by appointment only. How does one get an appointment? Do you have to flash a black Amex card? Show them your most recent bank statements? Invite the designers to your private chateaux for a weekend of pampering? Seriously. I would love to know. Somebody should find out and get back to me on that ASAP.

In the mean time? I'll stick to my costume jewelry and let these crazies pretend like the world isn't going through an economic disaster right now.

[photo credits: polyvore.com, universe-of-luxury.com, independent.co.uk, watches.infoniac.com]

Sephora Claus is Coming to Town

Hey all you Sephora lovers! Guess what??!!

Sephora Claus is taking over the Sephora Twitter account (check it out here!) and giving away beauty products every day until December 18th! How fun is that? All you have to do is give them a little tweet-shout-out with your wish for the holidays - tweet @Sephora and tag your wish with #sephoraclaus!

I wished for:

The Laura Mercier Soufflé Sampler Set



And the ghd Urban Angel Set



What's your holiday wish for Sephora Claus?

[photo credits: sephora.com]

It's Turkey Lurkey Time!

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone celebrating today! And if you're not? Well, Happy Thursday!

I hope your turkey is absolutely delish, your stuffing divine, and your pumpkin pie delightful... And may everything else on the table be freakin' fantastic!

In honor of Turkey Day, here's a little something to watch while you're cooking...or after you've eaten...or during the celebratory drinking. Any time you want to see it, really. It will be funny all day, I promise. Maybe even tomorrow!

Have an amazing day, everyone!

XOXO to the Gossip Girl Stylist

As it turns out... Going back to grad school takes up WAY MORE time than I actually have. As a result my poor DVR is filled to the brim with episodes of all my favorite shows. Unfortunately for work and school, but fortunately for my sanity (though not my head - coughing up a lung can give you quite the headache!), I've been pretty sick during the last week and I've had a little extra time to catch up on my shows.

YAY! Oh, Gossip Girl, how I've missed you!

And I've missed talking about all the fabulous fashion! If I were to talk about each and every single outfit I loved or hated over the last five episodes this post would be excruciatingly long cause let's face it... Right along with all the dazzling dresses and amazing accessories there were quite a few less-than-stunning failures (cough-Jenny-cough-Vanessa).

So instead of driving myself crazy with everything I didn't like, I'm just going to stick to what I did like! So here we go!

Here's Blake Lively in a gorgeous Nanette Lepore 'Darjeeling' dress.

Definitely looks better on Blake, no? Guess having an actual body as opposed to being a human clothes hanger has it's upside, huh? Either way, I love it. But, I don't love the $378 price tag. Boooooo!

My next favorite look is Blake again, but this time it's the dress she wore to Lily Van Der Woodsen's (fifth) wedding.

Seriously. She absolutely killed it in this J. Mendall Fall 2008 sexy, strapless, and flowing gown. Those Louboutins and MCL by Matthew Campbell Laurenza bangles certainly polish off the look perfectly. The signature messy hair always looks great as well. Love it!

My last favorite look comes from the same episode (Rufus Getting Married) and this time it's on Leighton Meester.

How beautiful is this 'Red' Valentino Dress?

The color and appliqué detailing is exquisite. It's pretty much everything you'd expect from a Valentino. Can you tell I have a small obsession with his dresses? I can't help it, though! They're gorgeous!

Also, how about the accessories she had??

A vintage-style Juicy Couture bracelet ($128) and a Paige Gamble Bronze Alligator and Smoky Quartz Clutch ($2800). Just perfect.

Can this show's stylist please come be my friend? PLEASE??

[photo credits: gossipgirlfashion.net, cwtv.com, valentino.com]

OMG Enough is Enough

Dear Little J - AKA Taylor Momsen,

Just FYI - You are not actually a jaded little Brooklyn hipster. You are not sexy. You are not cool. You are not edgy. You are not a rock star. You've got too much makeup on. Your ratty extensions are so tacky and stringy that they make me want to pull out my own damn hair.

I can't even chalk this look up to the Nylon stylists because this is exactly what you look like on Gossip Girl (and everywhere else you turn up), so clearly you've got some kind of input in this disastrous situation. Oh, and get some coffee. You look like you're about to pass out.

Stop it. Just STOP IT. You're like twelve years old! You're on a hit show! You don't have any reason to look like you're too damn cool for school!

What happened to this girl?

Sunny and fresh faced with lovely (NATURAL!) hair?

Please, please, please do the world a favor and rethink channeling Courtney Love for the rest of your life, 'kay? We'd all really appreciate it.

Sincerely,

Leelee

[photo credits: lexdigger.wordpress.com, taylormomsen.net]

New Moon Rising

I know I promised I wouldn't use this blog as my Twilight-obsessing-vehicle... And I'm not.

I swear. But, I can't not talk about this. It just wouldn't be right. There's a lot I need to discuss about the red carpet fashion choices at the Hollywood premiere of New Moon.

There was some good, some bad... And some what the hell were you thinking??

Let's take a look, shall we?

Here's Kristen Stewart, ever the reluctant superstar, and her jail bait (he's really only 17??) wanna-be-movie-love-interest, Taylor Lautner.

On one hand, Kristen looks better than she has in recent months, especially now that her Joan Jett mullet is finally starting to grow out. I have mixed feelings about her Oscar de la Renta gown, though. I think it's a lovely dress in general, but I think the fit is a little awkward... No? Maybe the waist a little low on her, or it's a tiny bit too long so parts of the skirt don't flow straight down the way they should... Or maybe I'm just crazy. I don't know. I think it's a good choice, but maybe a little more tailoring would have made this a home run for me.

Taylor, on the other hand, has found yet another perfectly fitting suit. The boy (yes, I emphasize the word boy here) certainly the body for a slim-fitting suit and he's clearly not afraid to show it off (anybody who's seen the New Moon trailers already knows that, though - he spends most of them shirtless).

Next we have my beloved Robert Pattinson.

Gucci suit, adorable grin, perfectly messy hair... This guy can't go wrong. I'll spare you any more of my gushing, though, no worries!

A few of the other Cullens join the premiere party. Here are Jackson Rathbone, Ashley Greene, and Kellan Lutz. The boys looks fabulous in their tuxes and I think Ashley looks stunning in her Prabal Gurung gown. The back was actually my favorite part, and can I just say her makeup and hair are flawless? High-five to her stylist!

How pretty is that? Good choice, Ashley.

Their costar, Nikki Reed, didn't fair quite as well.

I guess this powder blue Burberry dress isn't awful... I just... Eh. I'm kind of indifferent. It does nothing for her figure (which is clearly pretty hot judging by those legs) and it seems a little casual, despite the shiny fabric. The hair and makeup were very pretty, though. Try harder on the dress next time.

How cute is Papa Cullen, Peter Facinelli with his wife, Jennie Garth? I love his three piece suit and purple shirt - very gothic. And you know how much I adore sparkles, so Jennie is right on with the awesomeness there and that one-shoulder dress makes her shoulders look lovely. I'm a firm believer than not everyone looks good in the one-shoulder trend, but I definitely think she rocked it.

And here is Peter's on-screen wife, Elizabeth Reaser, in Herve Lager.

She looks... Pretty hot. Not gonna lie. I'm a little bored with all the Herve Lager banded dresses... They're everywhere. And hey, if you've got the body for it? Do it up. And she certainly does have the body for it. Great hair, too. Overall, I like it. But definitely a safe choice.

Now, for my absolute favorite look of the night.

The lovely Dakota Fanning (She's 15! She's way too poised to be 15!) in a stunning Valentino peekaboo lace mini-dress. I love it. Seriously. All of it. It's glamorous and grown up, but still fun and flirty. Just fabulous. I like that she went easy on the hair and makeup since the dress itself makes a pretty big statement and she is still 15. She's got time to be all va-va-voom and overdone.

Next we have a few of the only regular old humans in the film.

Christian Serratos in ugly. Err... I mean a Rafael Cennamo mini-dress and Stella McCartney booties. Oh, and purple lipstick. WHAT IS THIS? Holy cleavage! And what is with the hemline going UP right where it should be covering the most?? And god, I have an unholy hatred for booties with dresses... I can't do it. I really can't. I can't even talk about this anymore. Ugh.

Here's Anna Kendrick in Talbot Runhof. Okay, my initial reaction was 'what the fu--'... And then I thought about it. And I looked at it some more. And now... I kind of like it. Is that weird? It's bizarre and blinged-out and shiney and... I dunno. I think it's fun. I have also loved Anna since her deliciously evil performance in the awesome indie flick, Camp, so I think that sways my opinion a little bit.

Okay, I think I left the worst for last....

Model Noot Seear in an atrocious Alexander McQueen. Now... I know he's all about the crazyness... But this? This is just... Tiger hiding in the forest with weird fish-scale-type armor? I don't know. I don't get it. I don't want to get it. It's just... Wow. Incredibly ugly. The uh... Hair is nice? Hardly enough to redeem that outfit though. And the tacky shoes. Don't even get me started on those. Honey... No. Just no.

There were quite a few more scary outfits I was going to talk about... But staring at the photos is kind of giving me a headache so I'll spare you the disasters! So, what do you think? Love the outfits? Hate them? Wish I'd shut up about anything and everything Twilight-related? Let me know!

[photo credits: people.com, nypost.com]

"Blake" is the new 'Rachel"

It's no secret that Jennifer Anniston started one of the biggest hair crazes of all time with her Rachel cut.

Admit it, you totally wanted to look like this, didn't you? Or, at least, you know someone that did. Well, tried to. Likely with less than perfect results. And adorable as it was on Jennifer Anniston - this cut really wasn't all that friendly to anyone who didn't want to blow-out their hair just about every day. Ugh. I definitely got rid of all photo evidence that this time ever existed for my hair.

Anyway, moving on from that traumatic experience. Apparently we have a new Rachel on our hands. Now, they might not actually be calling it "the Blake" or anything but ,according to the New York Times, people everywhere are asking for the long, luscious tresses à la Blake Lively.

Not that I can blame them. I mean, hello... Who wouldn't love to have hair like this?

I know I'd love it. Unfortunately, I don't think I have even half the hair that she does and if I tried to dye it that color? Ugh. It would more than likely just fall out in protest.

The article has a few stylists giving their recommendations on how to get and maintain this fabulous style. Lucky for her, our dearest Ms. Lively was blessed with a naturally lovely head of hair. But for those of us who didn't hit the genetic lottery? Are you ready for it? EXTENSIONS! Gee, thanks. I could've figured that one out on my own.

In addition to the extensions, the cut (uhm, isn't this just long layers?) will run you about $500 at any self-respecting (AKA snooty) salon in NYC. And don't forget the super-duper conditioning treatments and heat styling that should bring you right up to about $1200. A month. A month. WHAT??

No. Freaking. Way. Use some inexpensive thickening products. Get some beach spray. Learn to do a little teasing and figure out how to work a curling iron and you'll have that undone look in no time. Seriously. It's easier than everyone seems to claim, I promise. You don't need to spend a ton of money. My favorite curling iron (and I have several) is a 3/4 inch Revlon one I got at Marshalls for $7.99.

So, what is the verdict? Do you want the Blake? Any chance you'd be willing to front the cash for it? If so... Wanna be my friend and pay for me to have it, too?

[photo credits: askmen.com, selfmademom.net]

I want you, I need you, oh baby, oh baby...

Oh. Em. Gee. Somebody stop me from pulling out my credit card this very second. Must remember to breathe.

I have officially found a new bag lemming.

So... On occasion, I find myself possessed by the spirit of a bag-a-holic (who am I kidding - this is me all of the time) and I see a purse that I must have. Right now. Right this very moment or I will absolutely just die.

How often do I actually buy these bags? Well, considering most of my obsessions come in the form of Balenciaga and Chanel... The answer is pretty much never. I do, on very rare occasions, splurge on a lovely Botkier or Kooba (on super-clearance at Nordstrom's half-yearly sale of AWESOMENESS) But other than that... Le sigh. So sad... I know! Ugh.

Anyway, I digress. Back to the obsession at hand. It's not completely outrageously priced... (ignore this statement - it's just my way of trying to justify the stupid price tag to myself) But it's so pretty!

Look!

This is the Felix Ray Madison Clutch - currently on sale at Plaza Too for $223.50.

Now, okay... I know it's a clutch. I know that means I realistically won't really use it all that often. I know it doesn't fit very much in it (though at 9" x 5.5" it's a pretty decent size for a clutch). I know all of these things, and yet... I can't stop myself from drooling.

Just look how shiny! And the sparkles... OH, the sparkles!

I have a severe mental problem, don't I?

And uh... Since we're on the topic of bag lemmings...

Here's another one!

This is the Olivia Harris Zip Pocket Round Sack in Grey and look - even Tina (The Bag Snob) approves! Oh, how I love it... It's large (I LOVE giant bags, I can't help it! This one is 10.5" x 5" x 14.75") and slouchy and the Italian lambskin leather looks amazing smooshy (yes, this is indeed a technical term) and I just want it! I've been into a lot of grey lately... Well, okay, me and the rest of the planet, but I've definitely embraced this particular trend as my own.

This fabulous bag probably won't break the bank, especially when compared to most of the purses featured on Bag Snob, but the price certainly isn't anything to cheer about - it will run you $395.

Major le sigh. I need to win the lottery.

So, how about you? Any bags you absolutely-cannot-live-without-must-have-right-this-very-second? I know I can't be the only crazy one around!

[photo credits: plazatoo.com, shopoliviaharris.com]

It's Gotta Be Urban Decay

We've got another Friends & Family sale going on!

From November 9 - November 20 use the code FNFW1 for 30% off your order!

How exciting is that?

Here's what I'm currently craving from them:

The Book of Shadows Volume II... So much shimmer, so little time! Plus eyeliner and my beloved Primer Potion? Awesome! Head on over to Temptalia for some amazing closeups and swatches of all these shadows. I'm a huge fan of Urban Decay palettes in general - I think their shadows are so much fun and a great value for the price. I think the texture of their shadows is pretty great, too. They're all very smooth and easy to blend - a huge plus when you have such intense colors. And come on... $48 for 16 shadows, two eyeliners, and primer? Definitely on my must-have list.

Ink For Eyes - I am a HUGE fan of cream eyeliner. It's so much more forgiving than liquid liner and it's much easier to be precise with cream than with a pencil liner. Supposedly, Urban Decay has a secret ingredient - Nylon 12 - which is apparently a high-tech polymer that allows for a more flawless application. Uhmmmm... Okay, sure! Whatever you guys say. Anyway, I would love to try Binge (midnight blue) & Empire (plum), but check out Temptalia again for closeups of all the colors!

Lipstick (they couldn't come up with a more creative name?) So, the packaging is unnecessarily ridiculous, but I'm intrigued by all the fun colors. I really want to try Naked (creamy pink-nude) and Gravity (rich red). Em over at Too Much Blush gives us a fab review and a few very pretty swatches for this stuff in the color Tease and I think I definitely need to give it a shot.

So, what's on your wishlist?

Made of AWESOME

There are a few things in life that earn the title 'made of awesome' from me...

These things include NYC pizza, Midnight in Moscow nail polish by OPI, Stitch, Bond No. 9 Perfume - especially Chinatown, Rob Pattinson's hair, the Balenciaga Motorcrycle bag... And now I can add something to the list.

Bobbi Brown's Limited Edition Chrome Palette is made of something even better than awesome - SPARKLES!

No, seriously. Tons and tons and TONS of sparkles and I LOVE it! There's a few lovely matte shades to compliment the shimmers, but the standouts for me are the awesome metallic shades. Storm Cloud and Moonlight Sparkle Eye Shadows practically make the price tag worth it ($75 bucks - yikes!).

I haven't experimented much with the other colors yet, but I have no doubts that they're all super fun. The lip glosses are all very pretty and very flattering - they're pretty neutral so they should work on all skin tones. You also get a pretty decent shadow brush and a mini lip brush with the kit, so when you think about that, plus four glosses and ten shadows, the price tag isn't that bad.

So? Worth the hype? How about the cash? Let me know what you think!

[photo credits: bobbibrowncosmetics.com]

Melrose Place Hits a Makeup Home Run

I'm loving Melrose Place 2.0. It's a little campy and a little overdramatic ("little" might be an understatement), but what good primetime soap opera isn't? Plus, there are some amazing clothes and some fabulous makeup. I was catching up on a few episodes on my DVR this weekend and I found myself completely spellbound by one of the girl's makeup looks.

Stephanie Jacobsen plays Lauren Yung, an ambitious med student who runs into a little trouble paying her tuition and has to resort to some...interesting methods to get her hands on enough cash to finance that expensive education. Storyline aside, Stephanie is a gorgeous girl who the most luscious lips on the planet (take that, Angelina!).

Here's the look that had me hitting the rewind button on my remote:

It's not intense or outrageous or sparkly or anything that normally makes me stop in my tracks, but for some reason I couldn't stop staring. It's just soft and flirty and makes Stephanie's brown eyes look stunning, not to mention the pinky-nude lips are a perfect compliment to the eye makeup.

Here's the closeup of her eyes:

So pretty, right? I have looked everywhere to find out what products/colors were used, but I can't find any information, not even the name of the show's makeup guru. So for now, I'll have to attempt recreating the look by myself and if I manage to get anything close to this I'll be sure to post the pic up here.

Also, major points to the wardrobe department for this dress on Lauren:

What do you think? Are you as big a fan as I am? Got any other favorite Melrose Place looks? I'd love to hear all about them!

[photo credits: cwtv.com]

You, Your Shoes, and 72

Ever wanted to have the ultimate VIP experience from Jimmy Choo? I know I certainly wouldn't mind!

Guess what! The fine folks over at Jimmy Choo are teaming up with the Elton John AIDS Foundation to give you just that chance! They have launched a photo competition in honor of Project PEP, a charity collection that donates 25% of sales to the Simelela Rape Centre in South Africa. The money goes straight toward providing the HIV-preventative treatment PEP (which must be taken within 72 hours of exposure to the HIV virus) and counselling to victims of rape in South Africa (which has the highest count of rape in the entire world).

So what about this photo competition, you ask?

Well, the theme is "You, Your Shoes, and 72" and that's basically all there is to it. Take a fun photo that somehow involves you, your shoes, and the number 72, then submit it here!
So far there have been some pretty awesome entries.

Here are a few of my favorites:

The competition runs through December 7th, 2009.

The Grand Prize winner receive the ultimate Jimmy Choo VIP Experience. Basically, you get to spend a fabulous day of luxury at the Jimmy Choo Headquarters, plus you get to choose 7 pairs of shoes and 2 handbags to take home! How awesome is that? There will also be more than 100 exclusive Jimmy Choo prizes awarded for other entries.

So what are you waiting for? Get creative and start snapping those photos!

Also, you can follow Jimmy Choo 72 on Twitter or become a fan on Facebook.

And pass the word around to everyone you know to help raise awareness for this worthwhile cause!

[photo credits: jimmychoo72.com]