Favorites: May 2008 Archives
Hi Ladies,
The sky is as crystal clear as the reflection of an Asscher-cut diamond. (I’ve never seen an Asscher diamond in person, but I hear they are as clear as water.) The sun is beaming more than a mom at her child’s first recital. The waves are gently crashing the shoreline creating a sound that mimics the angels’ celestial chorus. And I lie here (veiled in SPF 30, of course, because no sun is too good for me not to be well protected) looking like a golden goddess: even-toned, bronzed, radiant, sun-kissed. Ahhh…I love St. Barth’s. Okay,
Okay, really, I’m on the rooftop deck of my
Now, wait! Before you recite (because I’m sure you already thunk it), “She’s-got-to-be-kidding-me!,” know that I am so sincere. Seldom will I recommend one product for a task. But, last Wednesday (after several Fed-Ex delivery attempts) I received a package in the mail from a friend with “ties” to the house of LMVH’s Givenchy. Never, never, did I expect the contents of that package to make me smile, make me coo, make me imagine frolicking on a white sand beach.
I’m a tan-in-a-can skeptic — and for several reasons: 1) I’m naturally melanin-ed. I am of African-American,
Today, however, I’m a convert. For the last five days, I have forgiven my typical complexion smoothing routine. I’ve ditched mixing one part of a slightly-darker-than-my-natural-skin-tone-liquid foundation with my daily face hydrant to create a delicately tinted moisturizer. I haven’t applied concealer to camouflage the signs of sleep deprivation. (That’s my trick to flawless looking skin.) Instead, I’ve followed the directions in the pamphlet that accompanies Givenchy Tan-to-Go face spray.
Avoid spraying in eyes. Hold eight inches from face, spray. Let dry. Spray until desired complexion…
Or something along those lines. The point? I’m sold. I’m a believer. I’m buying Shade 02 in large quantities this week since Givenchy decided that this clever and effective invention should be available only for a limited a time.
It dries in less than two minutes to a powder so it won’t rub onto your (or your significant other’s) clothes. I wish it came in 5 instead of two shades, but I asked friends, some darker and others lighter than me, to try, and the shades were pretty compatible.
So, as I head to a lunch meeting in not-so-tropical
Givenchy Tan To Go, $45, sephora.com
Have you ever had a tan-in-a-bottle or spray-tan mishap? Or is there a product or method you absolutely love? Do tell!
Tai
The birds in the Northeast are finally chirping (loudly). Flowers are budding, tree branches are sprouting leaves, and I’m feeling good. It’s been a terribly long winter. During this unpredictable season of chill, snow, ice, and rain, I continued to frequent a few of my favorites boutiques and stores: Intermix, Tracey Reese, J. Crew, Barneys, Anthropologie, and New Jersey’s Ruby almost weekly, absorbing the season’s best looks and hoping and praying that the Sun gods would smile down on us soon.
Despite my pleas and regular boutique-drop-ins, until now — when the temperature has seemed to settle itself above 59-degrees Fahrenheit — I wasn’t able to wrap my mind around purchasing a sleeveless blouse, sandal, or sundress. Just last week, I finally felt 1) inclined to change over my closet, emptying it of cashmere sweater dresses, platform knee boots, and the dismal hues, 2) motivated to make a spring fashion purchases and 3) it justifiable to ask my Starbucks barista to add ice to my Grande-Triple-shot-skim-latte. Say goodbye, winter.
Spring fashion trends are many. There’s the safari trend, the animal print (zebra or snake) trend, there’s the floral trend, the bold print and color block trend, there’s the white shirt trend, the gladiator sandal trend, the peep-toe shoe boot trend…the list goes on. One of my favorite style trends this season is classic, bold, bright, and, of course, statement-making — literally, paying homage to the Mother Earth. I decided, my wardrobe should catch up with my recycling, shopping, and homemaking behaviors…“I’m going green!”
Whether a vibrant emerald or a more subdued khaki designers and style experts alike agree that green looks good on all skin tones. Here are a few of the green purchases I’ve made or hope to make. The trick to pulling this and any trend flawlessly? Don’t go overboard. Take it one green at a time.
What fashion trend puts an extra little spring in your step? Do tell!
Diane Von Furstenberg Tuvallu Zig Zag dress , $325, dvf.com
I love how casual, yet feminine, this tunic looks. And it’s versatile! If you’re feeling especially flirty, forgo the jeans on the bottom and wear it as a dress. Add the safari trend by pairing it with platform gladiator sandals.
Zagliani Metallic Python Handbag, $3600, intermixonline.com
I’ll be the first to admit, this bag (and its price) is my guiltiest green pleasure. I haven’t purchased it yet; but it’s certainly on my wish list. (I’ll need to save some green to go this green.)
Martine two-color satin heel
, $245, jcrew.comA sling back shoe adds vavavoom to any simple look. Pair these with a simple shift dress, khaki shorts, or skinny jeans –— all probably in your closet. A little unexpected? Maybe. But definitely stylish. They come in ballet flats as well.
Amulet Glass Necklace, $24, urbanoutfitters.com
Even when I revert to my winter-dressing ways by wearing all black, this necklace and the J.Crew shoes will brighten up my look.
Ladies,
Believe it or not, I am a beauty buff who rushes away from the fragrance section of a department store as if escaping a pack of wild skunks. No, I am not one of those women who prefer a “more natural” body scent. In fact, I loooove perfume. I can tell top notes (what gives a fragrance’s first impression) from bottom or base notes (the heaviest and longest lasting note that gives a fragrance its “defining” aroma). I can categorize a fragrance pretty accurately. (There are six basic categories: floral, fruits, woods, greens, oriental, and aquatic—usually determined by the heart or middle note.) And I’ve even been told I have a great “nose” by one of the world's most revered perfume aficionados, Laurice Rahme of Bond No. 9, formerly of Creed.
Still, I have always felt overwhelmed by the lovely salespeople who flood passer-bys with of-the-moment sprays.
As personal as fragrance is—it’s the one thing that can make an entrance before you do and linger post your physical exit—I usually try new fragrances only when:
a) One is purchased as a gift
b) I take the suggestion of a trusted beauty editor who waxes poetic about it in a magazine
c) I feel intoxicatingly mesmerized after inhaling a scent strip advertisement in a magazine
d) I build up the courage to ask the lady standing next to (darn near on top of) me on the subway what she’s wearing
What do all of my fragrance-finding practices have in common? Though it’s love after first spritz, I don’t choose my “love in a bottle,” they usually happen to find me.
But this season, I decided to venture outside my eau de toilette comfort zone. I wanted a few new scents that would let four of my most sprayed, warm-weather classics, rest easy on their shelves. Here are some of my new favorites.
My Floral Classic
: Creed Spring Flowers EDP, $190, neimanmarcus.com
The Newcomer:
Why: It’s a fresh floral with blends of orchids, gardenia, and iris. Not to mention, it’s a tenth of the price. You can’t beat that!
My Fruit Classic
: Calypso Christiane Celle Mimosa, $85, calypso-celle.com
The Newcomer: Lavanila Vanilla Coconut, $65, sephora.com
Why: I’ve always been a little skeptical of vanilla, but the coconut blend gives this all-natural fragrance crisp freshness
My Green Classic
: L’Artisan Parfemeur The Pour un Ete Eau de Toilette, $95 bergdorfgoodman.com
The Newcomer
: Prada Milano Infusion D’Iris Eau de parfume, $70, neimanmarcus.comWhy: It is technically a floral scent, but it’s also complex, lush, very green and clean smelling.
My Aquatic Classic
: Marc Jacobs perfume, $65, sephora.com
The Newcomer
: Missoni Acqua, $75, at Nordstrom storesWhy: It’s airy, fluid, and alive. Seriously, with every inhale, feel the ocean’s breeze.
So what’s your aromatic pleasure? You can click and purchase one of these for yourself. Or even better, just in time for Mother’s Day (or even Mother-To-Be-one-day-sometime-in-the-future Day), drop a hint (or this link to Compacts & Vignettes) to your significant other or children.
Be sure to come back to share your likes (or dislikes). In the meantime, do tell what fragrances you consider warm-weather must-haves.
Tai
