Simple Work Dresses

I love LA-LOVE Target. It’s just a fact. The retailer always has so much to offer so it didn’t surprise me when I found this adorable Mossimo shift dress to add to my work wardrobe. This is perfect in terms of modesty and fit!! Unfortunately, it quickly sold out and my order was cancelled. I’ve been sulking about it ever since as the dress is nowhere else to be found…

Luckily, I’ve found a perfect substitute on ae.com! I actually like this dress a whole lot more as it has a bit more of a mature and refined look. I can also wear this out to dinner or a party. The darker navy color will serve as a much better go-to dress for work days. I would’ve never thought I could find something for work at AE, but I am so happy I found this!

I’ve never been a big fan of slacks, so hopefully I can find some more cute and simple dresses for those days where I just don’t think I’ll be able to fit into my pants. As an intern, I was warned far too often about the expected weight gain as a first-year associate.

Biz Casual

Business casual - It’s an ambiguous, nebulous term. For girls in more conservative industries, i.e. law or finance, the term differs from professional attire in two ways: 1) no jacket is required, and 2) sweaters and shells can be worn instead of collared shirts. In more relaxed industries, like media and advertising, girls can afford to be more flexible and less “corporate” looking.
 
Even when dressing down, it is important to keep in mind, on these business casual days, that you still need to be sharp. Since your external appearance can directly impact your daily performance, it is easy to feel sloppy at work when wearing more casual clothing. Here are some tips to maintain looking polished and professional:

1) Tailor your pants/skirts - properly fitting bottoms is key to not looking as if you’ve been playing around in your mom’s closet. As a petite girl myself (standing at 5′2″), I find that I need to hem most of my trousers, unless they are specified shorter lengths. I usually like my pants to show 1.5″-2″ of my heels, so that they don’t drag on the ground. My skirt hems come to just above my knees, since anything lower cuts off my legs, and stunts my vertical lines. Also, make sure bottoms are not too tight, since they can be distracting.

2) Wear a belt - this is usually the finishing touch on a work outfit. It pulls the whole look together, and is useful for more casual days to prevent looking too undone. Nothing too flashy: one brown and one black belt is enough for different color schemes, and they should have simple buckles. I’ve had an Esprit and Calvin Klein belt that I liked.

3) Heels! A classy look. There are many different heights to choose from nowadays. For pants, a 3″-3.5″ is fine. To balance skirts, I like shorter heels, nothing higher than 2″. I know flats are getting more and more popular now, but heels make me stand a little taller (which never hurts) and feel more professional. No patent leather or metallic colors, no open-toed shoes, and the tips should not be super pointy (these scream too sexy). I’ve found Nine West, Seychelles (padded footbed!), and Enzo Angiolini heels to be comfortable.

4) Do your hair - a girl’s hair is her crown, so why not make sure it’s clean and polished? A few minutes to brush your hair, clean up your part, straighten it, curl it into loose waves, add some shine serum, or matte down flyaways can help you look neater and ready for work. A simple ponytail also works to keep hair out of the face.

The Gift of Choice

When it comes to buying presents, I'm really quite good at getting stuff that I would want, and assume that if I am as enraptured by it, of course the lucky person would be more than happy to receive. Flawed logic much?

This Christmas, while searching for presents that I other people would like, I stumbled upon the Scent Sampler Kits at Sephora, a genius idea that lets your be-gifted choose their favorite scent from a possible 8-10 selections, and turn in a voucher for a full-size bottle! It takes the (not fun part of) guesswork out of gifting and injects a fun activity for the recipient to partake in. Also, I've never understood how people can give perfumes to others, without for sure knowing it's that person's signature scent, since smell is such a personal and subjective characteristic.

Each kit includes vials of trial-size samples (you know, the kind that Sephora gives out with online purchases), and is $50, a good deal considering that the full-size versions of the samples cost more than that on its own.

There are four sets to choose from, including one for the men in your life. With so many varieties of perfume, each set targets a different type - the "Bestseller" for fragrance newbies and girls who want to try the most popular scents, the "Trend Setters" for girls who are looking for a new olfactory experience, and "New Classics" which have heavier scents and may a good choice for older sisters and moms. For guys, there is 1 set, and includes my personal favorites - Bvlgari Aqua and YSL L'Homme.

For the ones who want to upsize - for $70, there is a Deluxe set, and includes 8 vials of glass samples that are miniature replicas of the large sizes, allowing your loved ones to try each scent for longer, and also keep the cute bottles afterward.

Happy gifting!

HBC: Prescriptives 2008 Holiday Collection

The title HBC refers to our Holiday Beauty Collections feature and not Hot B*tch in Charge per I Love New York's Tiffany Pollard. I'm sorry, I had to mention it because I *love* that term even though I can't really stand the show.

Anyway, on to our very first HBC feature!! Prescriptives won my heart with its amazing Virtual Matte foundation. It is one of the few beauty products that I have ever truly used up to the very last drop. I anticipated good things with this brand for my Christmas shopping.

If you're at all familiar with the brand, you know that its packaging is pretty basic. The company doesn't stray far from its signature silver and lime green colors. When I saw the Prescriptives holiday banner, I got SO excited. THERE WAS COLOR!! What better time than the holidays to introduce something as lively as color?! The strategy of keeping things light and simple works fairly well for a brand like Prescriptives which prefers to market the fact that its products are based on the healthy-prescription ideal. However, holiday collections offer the opportunity to have some fun and appeal to customers' visual tendencies.
 
I was disappointed to see that although the brand boasts a line of limited edition holiday kits and a holiday collection called AGLOW, the products in these "collections" were more or less part of the basic line. The few things that caught my eye were the ones that came in colored pouches (a total of 3/16 available kits). If I were to walk through the beauty counters of a department store, I don't think that the Prescriptives brand would pop out to me as a great gift idea based solely on presentation.

Here are the two items I would choose:

 

Overall, I'd seriously consider buying the Px Duets Pencils ($29.50) because the colors are gorgeous and versatile and this is a limited edition item. The Blush More or Less ($21.50) is just a basic cream blush, but it's a must for the colder seasons! I could definitely add it to any gift bag I was putting together for one of my friends. The other gift sets are definitely worth checking out as well if you know someone who actually loves the brand. They're great deals! These offerings might keep loyal customers happy, but I'm not sure that they will win over any new ones. I wouldn't expect to wow anyone too much with this holiday collection if you're looking for something more fit for the season.

Holiday Beauty Collections

Now that the holiday shopping season is officially underway, it's time to get started on all those Christmas shopping lists! What better way to gift a fabulous loved one than with a beauty offering? This is definitely my favorite time of the year--I lovelovelove the decorations. It's also a time when beauty companies introduce new glitzy beauty packages and limited edition items fit for the gifting season. Often there are quite some gorgeous finds to be made. Prices can vary--you may have to dish out some extra cash for highly coveted LE items or you may score some savings when purchasing bundles and kits.

Over the next couple of weeks, I will be featuring various brands as I scope out their holiday collections and campaigns. Keep an eye out to see what items you may want to put on your list as well as those that you may want to skip. I can't wait because I can usually find quite a number of things to add to my own beauty collection as well!

 

Winter Warmerland

As a California girl who loves (and misses!) sweet sunshine-y shine, one of the biggest adjustments of moving to New York City was getting used to the cold. During October, it started to get chilly, and I brought out all my scarves, peacoats, and gloves. I suffered that week as my native NY friends made fun of my weak sauce ability to stand the cold, but I'd rather be lame and warm than cool and freezing.

I realized that there are 4 essential parts of the body that must be kept toasty, and if you do that, you'll be covered (literally). We'll start from the bottom up:

1) Cozy toes - Ever notice that it's harder to sleep when your toes are sticking out and freezing? For me, warm and happy toes are important to keeping the rest of me content. So after 4 years of resisting them in college, 2008 marks the winter when I finally gave in and bought Uggs. If you have them, you understand just how nice and fuzzy these are.  I chose the tall gray ones, which I haven't seen before in past seasons (left). For the rain and slushy snow about to come though, I'm hesitant to wear my Uggs. A girl definitely needs rain boots too. I really like the toe shape on the Jeffrey Campbell ones (right), but they are sold out at Nordstrom.

    

2) Gloves - Same idea as having your toes covered, phalanges are another external part  that will make the cold seem that much worse if exposed. I currently have a gray  cashmere pair, which are really warm due to the material, but they stretch out a bit, and I  want a more structured pair that will keep its shape, like these long leather ones from Saks or Portolano.

3) Scarves - Everyone has their favorites, or multiple favorites. I like cashmere ones for the warmth, and pashminas because they shed less on my wool coats. Recently, I've been trying to expand my toolbox of scarf-tying techniques, and ran into this helpful tutorial on Modcloth.com:

Scarf Tying 101, part 2

4) Earmuffs - Ears are the small peripheral parts we normally don't bother with, but in the cold, it's one of the first places to be afflicted by strong winds. I was recommended to get the 180s, which wrap around the head, but I find they're not as comfy for women to wear, as it clamps onto the hair and pushes it down. They're great for sporty activities though, like ice skating or running through Central Park with a ponytail. What I really want for Christmas are earmuffs that sit atop the head, like these Burberry ones, super cute!

Sephora Beauty Insiders Offer

My gruesome week at work has been uplifted by a pleasant Sephora Beauty Insiders surprise. I found a $15 off $35 gift card in my inbox tonight!! I was so excited because I couldn't get myself to buy anything during Friends & Family week. But now... things may have changed.

Some things that I have been lusting after:

Philosophy Microdelivery Wash: I like my Mario Badescu Glycolic Cleanser, but this cleanser seems to have so much more oomph in it. I've heard great reviews and have been wanting to try this for quite some time. At $22 for a 16oz bottle, this would be a steal!! My problem is that I never finish any cleansers that I have because I'm always buying new ones!

Smashbox Photofinish Primer: Yes, yes, this product comes off almost "overrated" because it's talked about so often. As someone who's tried again and again to resist, I finally tried some samples and am hooked!! This makes my Napoleon Autopilot Primer seem like quite the dud (one that smells amazing, but doesn't do much). I fear that I will end up being dependent upon this and going broke repurchasing it in the future. 1oz for $36 is a pretty hefty price.

I'm not sure which one I will go with yet, but I am looking forward to picking something up this weekend. Check your email, because this offer should not be missed!

Have a great Thanksgiving. I'm still debating if I will make it out to any Black Friday sales. Sleep is one of my most wanted items as of now.

She Sells Sea Shells at the Sample Sale

November is crazy sample sale season in NYC. This weekend, I received a tip from a girl friend about a Theory one. Having missed the previous ones during the summer, my heart did a little flutter, and I got myself to the garment district as quickly as I could. Good thing, because I scored two winter coats/jackets for 70% off!

I knew I wanted a navy pea coat, and found a classic knee-length double-breasted wool/cashmere style called the Emmalei that would keep me warm(er) in the chilling winds of NY winter. The price tag? $250. Soo awesome for a Theory pea coat! Also got a cozy charcoal short jacket with removable collar lining. Online, it is super cropped and plaid, whereas mine covers my wrist and falls a bit longer. These are the downfalls of not standing at a model-esque height =P

Overall, I was ecstatic. Something about the hunt of a style you like, praying that it's in your size, and the final triumph of finding a great deal, is so exhilarating to me. And they say shopping isn't a sport. Psh.

So what is a sample sale?

I used to think it was leftovers from past seasons, but actually, it's the merchandise from the current season that a designer either brought to a potential buyer for showcasing, or used in magazine ad shoots. Sometimes the clothes are imperfect, but at discounts as steep as 80% off, these sample sales are a great way to get designer duds for a steal. Get notified of these events either by signing up on mailing lists, or reading about them on fashion blogs.

Tips that I've gathered for a great sample sale experience:

1) Wear comfortable clothing and shoes. Flats are best for multiple trips to the dressing room; boots are a nuisance to take off and put back on if you're trying on bottoms. Most sample sales also don't have private dressing rooms; instead you are in a large open space, so have underclothing that you are okay with others seeing i.e. thongs not advised.

2) Know when the sale starts and go early . If possible, go during the first day, and snap up the most desired items, especially if you have something particular in mind. I went to a Kooba event and all the shoulder bags I wanted were gone, only remaining were random colors. However, towards the end of the sale, there may be additional discounts on whatever is remaining, since the point is to get rid of everything.

3) Take friends with you. When you're surrounded by so many discounted items, it's easy to become heady and plunk down your credit card for everything in sight. No? That's just me? Anyway, all sample sales are final, so buyer's remorse is irreversible here. Friends are great to help rationalize through unnecessary purchases, and on the other hand, can also be the extra push you need to go ahead and buy that thing you've always wanted =)

4) Bring cash. Sometimes sample sales will only accept cold hard greenbacks. Have some just in case, or be ready to cry when that must-have becomes must-put-back.

Shu Uemura Friends & Family

What's not to love about holiday season? Layering up with cute coats and scarves, tree lightings, crossing off items on wish lists, but best of all, all the Friends & Family events going on! Yeah you knew there was a beauty motive behind it.

Now through December 1st, Shu Uemura is offering 20% off your total purchase when you use the code SHUFRIENDS at checkout. Shu almost never has sales, so use this opportunity to gather wood for the winter, so to speak.

Need product recommendations? Most of what I love from Shu aren't makeup products per se - though I like and own several of their color products (they make great eyeshadows and blush), what I really like are Shu's skincare items and beauty tools in prepping the face.

I was introduced to the line through their highly acclaimed Eyelash curler, that is my number 1 must-have. I don't know any girl who has heard of Shu but doesn't own their curler. When I was 16, I saved up money to buy my first haha. Many replacements after (think I'm on #5 now), I'm still as enthusiastic about this curler as I was on day 1. A note - over time, the hinges will become softer and the curler will lose its shape. This happens with all curlers, and is the reason why yours should be replaced every so often... ideally every 4-6 months, although I don't practice this. I will say though, when I use my roommate's new curler, I can definitely tell a big difference in lash appearanace.

Depsea Water Facial Mist is another item in my shopping cart, as something I've been eyeing for awhile but didn't have the heart to pay retail. Facial Mist is similar to MAC's Fix+; you can spray it before and after foundation to set it, after powder to take away any cakeyness, and anytime your face feels dry and needs moisture. I like this particulary for cold New York winters, when my face takes a beating everytime it faces the wind. A technical improvement over Fix+ is that Facial Mist sprays on sheerer, whereas I feel Fix+ has a harsher spray. I would go with Rose, because the color is so pretty and smells classic!

Basic Mascara is another goodie-but-pricey-when-not-discounted. This simple mascara is great for daytime, and the applicator is really exact to grab all the wispy hairs. I also love the reflective pewter silver tube - it feels sturdy in my hand and makes the application process even more enjoyable.

The hardest part about Friends and Family events is remembering their named purpose - that they are meant to gift others with, and to share with friends and family.. but I end up buying all the products on my own wishlist instead! Funny how that works.

Coasting from Los Angeles

I am going to reiterate Janice's great enthusiasm for the start of our blog as we have been chit chattering about this since our senior year in college! Despite being swamped with recruiting, papers, exams, and fitting in all the "lasts" of our college careers, we have always looked forward to writing about one of our greatest shared passions: beauty!! I'm glad that we're finally giving it a real go. Work will not get in our way!

So let's see... how about a little about myself? I'm a native LA girl who loves the hustle and bustle of the city, but STILL hates the traffic. I love dressing up, but would choose lounging around in sweats and a ponytail any chance that I got (it's a luxury much missed now that college is over...). Being a true nerd at heart, I love reading, writing, and Photoshop. IMDB is one of my favorite websites aside from celebrity gossip blogs. Things that don't quite get me excited are awkward silences, clutter, windy days, and driving to the mall with a mission, only to be disappointed because I can't find what I'm looking for (doesn't this always happen, though?)

I've been trying a bevy of products on and off, but the ones I've stuck to for now are:

Cleanser: Aveeno Calming Cleanser (morning), Origins Clean Energy Cleansing Oil (night), Mario Badescu Glycolic Cleanser (every other night)

Moisturizer: Korres Cinnamon & Echinachea Moisturizer (daytime), Olay Regenerist Night Recovery Treatment (night)

Mask: Murad Exfoliating Fruit Enzyme Mask (I was recommended this after getting a facial at their spa and now use this every Sunday. Like their facial, I LOVE THIS!!)

Make-up: Murad Oil-Free Sheer Tint SPF 15, Everyday Minerals Intensive Foundation, MAC Peachykeen, Too Faced Shadow Insurance, MAC Uniform Technakohl Liner, CoverGirl Lash Blast

Live from New York City

Unfolded laundry sits in the hamper, work is in 7 hours, and yet I'm too excited about this blog that I'd rather be posting!

In Amelie style - Janice is a former Californian girl recently moved to New York City with a long-instilled appreciation of beauty as art and creative release. Janice dislikes neck sores from being in one position for too long, holes clustered together, and static-y hair. She likes microfiber sheets, the smell of new tennis balls, and emptying her traincase reorganizing it and putting everything back.

This is actually the second attempt at a beauty/fashion blog for Michelle and me. The first ended with acceptance that we were too busy with work to keep up posting, but this second try is a stubborn refusal to give into the doldrums of working life. The goal is to not only report on the happenings in the beauty/fashion industry (new collections, sales, etc.) but also to offer insight and commentary on how marketing and promotions has affected us and our mentality as consumers, and specifically as young professionals. Aaaand of course these posts will be punctuated by entries about recent impulse buys and great purchases that we just have to share those who can share our excitement =)

For the record, here are the products currently in rotation:

Cleanser: Neutrogena Oil-free Acne Wash or Shu Uemura Cleansing Oil in Light

Moisturizer: Olay SPF15 Oil-Free Moisturizer during the day, Lancome Aqua Fusion Moisturizer at night

Eyecream: 100% Pure Coffee Bean Eye Cream*

Makeup basics: Prescriptives Virtual Matte Foundation, Cargo Medium Matte Bronzer, MAC Stereo Rose Mineralized Skin Finish*, MAC Uniform Technakohl eyeliner

* denotes loooves