Feb 27, 2012 | Beauty, Fashion
Do you use a flat iron to straighten your hair?
For the longest time, I didn’t…not until my late twenties, at least. In fact, I was mostly just a get-out-of-bed-pull-my-hair-into-a-ponytail kinda gal. It’s only as I’ve gotten older – and begun to look at myself and how I look as a complete picture, that I finally realized that the make-it-or-break-it component to any stylish outfit is what you wear on your head. Yes folks (as probably everybody else already knows;-) it’s your hairstyle (or lack thereof) that truly ties everything together and makes your look chic…or not. So I’ve added flat ironing into my repertoire of hair styling techniques, and as my hair’s growing out longer, there’s a lot more to play with. So awhile ago I bought myself a $29 iron (a national, well-known brand) from my local discount store, thinking that there was no reason to spend money on what was the equivalent of just a couple of hotplates stuck on a pair of tongs. Boy was I wrong. (more…)
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Feb 25, 2012 | Fashion
I just love it when a company takes something fairly entrenched in our culture – and makes a design improvement upon it. Case in point: these Goody DoubleWear hair elastics and headbands I recently spied at my local Target.
I’ve been growing my hair out for awhile, and it seems almost every day I’m wandering around with a hair elastic around my wrist and a headband on, since I just like having my hair up and off my face most of the time (but I’m determined to wear it down since I went to all the trouble of growing it out). But yes, the elastic around my wrist looks like precisely that…a boring black bit of elastic…and my headband often hurts my head after awhile but I can’t just slip it off when I’m out and about and stick it in my pocket or something. (I go through plastic headbands like candy because I always misplace them somewhere and then sit on them or snap them in half somehow.)
Enter these lovely things – actually chic, affordable (around $4.99 for a set!), surprisingly well-made elastics that sport a thin metal tube. The headbands come in a set of gold and silver – and the hair elastics come in black with silver, black with gold, or shades of blue with silver. (There may be more, I just haven’t found them yet!) They look amazing with a plain white blouse, or even dressy when worn with an LBD. A
nd they look fabulous stacked with other jewelry too! I can easily pull my hair back with them when I want things off my face. And then drop them back onto my neck or my wrist when my hair needs to come down for awhile.
They’re just brilliant. And you can buy them anywhere that Goody is sold. (Like Target!)
I’m just loving their minimalist, chic sleekness!!
xoxox
Carly
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Feb 18, 2012 | Fashion
Horse-printed chiffon shirt: ASOS (bought on sale – see below for similar)
3-ring necklace: 100yen shop (Tokyo)
Black faux fur bag: handmade by me
Chain-link belt: ASOS (bought on sale)
Wool wide-leg pants: Banana Republic (thrifted)
Suede lace-up booties: Target (a steal since they were on clearance sale in-store!)
What I wore to Lil Tot’s Spring performance for his school on Friday. (more…)
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Feb 14, 2012 | DIY, Fashion
New York Fashion Week is now in full swing, everyone – and even if we all can’t be there, we can peruse the collections, get a glimpse of what’s to come in a little less than a year, and start formulating ideas for what to buy and what to DIY. Here are a couple possibilities for at-home creativity:
Catherine Malandrino
Cut long rectangles in the front and back of a leather skirt, leaving the side seams intact, and sew (or use leather glue) to affix mesh panels on the inside of the cuts.
Imitation of Christ
This tie-front buttoned tube top would be such an easy DIY…just refashion it from a men’s chambray button-down! (And use the scraps for the neckerchief;-)
Thakoon
Girly up a standard trenchcoat by gluing (or sewing) a swatch of pink leopard printed fabric over the collar.
Zac Posen
Make your own chic capelet like the one at Zac Posen by sewing together the edges of a faux-mink throw and making slits low down where your hands would go. An instant cold-weather topper!
all images from Style.com
xoxox
Carly
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Feb 11, 2012 | Beauty, Fashion
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If you celebrate V-day with your significant other and want to look your best on the big day…here are a couple tips for romantic makeup, hair, and outfits. With just a little bit of effort, achieving the whole package just got a little easier!
MAKEUP
A great look starts off with your face – and what better way to find inspiration than a slideshow of different romantic looks from Refinery29?
HAIR
From Nicholas Penna, Jr., owner and lead stylist at SalonCapri in Newton and Dedham:
The Sock Bun: Start by blow-drying hair with a natural bristle brush; once hair is dry, apply a dime-sized drop of smoothing serum to the shafts and ends of hair. Using a fine-tooth comb to smooth out bumps, slick hair back into a high ponytail at the crown of your head and secure it with an elastic. Cut off the end of a clean, unwanted sock (where your toes would be), and roll it up into a donut shape, placing it around the base of the ponytail. Tilt your head slightly forward and spread your ponytail evenly around the sock so that half of your hair is toward the top of the sock, pointing toward your forehead, and half is at the bottom, pointing toward your back. Use a second hair elastic to wrap and secure hair around the outside of the sock, creating a ballerina-bun at the crown of your head. Twist remaining hair in one direction and use bobby-pins to tuck and clip the ends underneath your bun. Finish with a light application of hairspray.
Sleek, “Wet-Inspired” Hair: Start by combing through wet hair with a wide-tooth comb to remove tangles, and add a walnut-size dollop of styling balm to the top half of wet, tangle-free hair. Brush your hair towards the back of your head with a fine-tooth comb and secure it tightly with an elastic. Twist hair gently, and wrap it into around the base of the ponytail to create a round bun. Use bobby pins to secure the end of your ponytail and tame fly-aways. Run a fine-tooth comb through the top of your hair up to the bun to smooth over any bumps, and finish with a generous amount of an extra-hold hairspray.
Bouncy, Volumized Hair: Start with a classic blow-dry using a round, natural bristle brush and a palm-full of volumizing mousse. Once hair is dry, add volume to the top of the head by teasing the hair using hairspray and a round brush. After desired volume is achieved, curl hair away from the face from end to root with a large barrel (2″) curling iron.Using a dime-sized drop of smoothing serum, rub your hands together and gently run your fingers through the curls to separate them. Finish the look with light hair spray and you’re red carpet ready!
Smooth and Sleek Hair with a Center Part: Start by parting wet hair directly in the center of your head using the edge of a fine-toothed comb. Dry hair with the nozzle attachment of your blow-dryer, and a natural bristle brush, pulling hair and the dryer downward to smooth out hair. Apply a pea-sized drop of smoothing serum from the shafts to the ends of your hair. Run a straightening iron through your ends to straighten out any waves and voila, you have a classic look for day or night!
OUTFIT
Need some ideas for what to wear on your hot date? Want to go beyond “sexy and red?” Try checking out looks that other stylish ladies on Chictopia have put together:
HANDMADE GIFTS TO GIVE
And if you’re still stuck for a gift, try out this handmade chocolate box from Delia Creates:
or this geek-chic Lego heart necklace from Iridium on Karmaloop (try a DIY if you have the parts!):
or a whole bunch of ideas of what to craft for your guy over at Dollar Store Crafts (heart-print boxers from ILoveToCreate.com):
Hope that gives you some ideas for the Day of Love!
Happy Valentine’s Day to everyone!:-D
xoxox
Carly
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Feb 10, 2012 | Fashion
Mercedes-Benze New York Fashion Week is now fully in swing, and already the news and trends we have to look forward to next season are trickling in. But first and foremost: what to wear around town and to the shows this week.
Rue La La offered up a curated boutique yesterday on some must-have pieces to wear in NYC (curated by Lauren David Peden), and though the offerings dwindled quickly, I thought I could offer up some affordable possibilities instead.
Looks from left to right; click on the links for an affordable option:
LOOK 1: gradation sunnies, knee-length tweed coat, textured fur scarf, terracotta striped top, grey skinny jeans, black ankle booties, structured black tote bag
LOOK 2: oversized sunnies, fluffy fur stole, black-and-gray striped sweater, knee-length black wool coat, black skinny jeans, leather over-the-knee boots, large brown tote
LOOK 3: zebra finch fur mid-length coat w/ black belt (original still avail. here!), light gray silk drape top, colorblock bag
, gray skinny jeans, black knee-length suede boots
LOOK 4: amber sunnies, cropped leopard faux fur jacket
, gold tassel necklace, olive silk blouse, dark-rinse skinny jeans
, mulberry-colored doctor bag, suede wedge ankle boot
LOOK 5: black cocoon coat
, colorful silk scarf, blue leather gloves, gray drapey long-sleeved dress, quilted black structured handbag, black tights, suede wedge ankle boot
(And if you still want to check out the Rue La La boutique to see if anything’s left, use this invite here!)
Hope this gives you some styling ideas for some high-fashion citified wear!
photos from Ruelala.com; arrays by me
xoxox
Carly
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