Not able to fly to London to attend the actual William and Kate wedding? You can have one in your own home instead! Fiona Goble's Knit Your Own Royal Wedding book shows you how to create an entire wedding party out of yarn - footmen and dogs included!
Not sure how she managed to figure out Kate's dress since it seems to be more top secret than how to build a nuclear bomb *wink*
I wish I had more time for crafts as adorable as these!
Ah... the infamous Tuileries Dress that many bloggers have tried on. I personally rather like the botanical pattern and contrast with the black sash. The dress being silk is quite nice as well, though I think one could easily wear a petticoat underneath for more volume.
And look, pockets! I'm wearing it in the size 0 regular since that was all that was available in store. I would imagine the 0 petite being 4 inches shorter would hit above my knees rather than a bit below though not sure about the rest of the dress. Also, note that this is Moulinette Soeurs sizing.
Maybe it's because it's too cold outside to wear this but I somehow feel my neck is a bit bare - maybe a necklace or a bit of lace would do the trick.
What do you think sweet readers? Is this a keeper or something I should be returning to the store for someone else?
With so much going on in the world, the Japan earthquake, the upheaval in Libya, the aftermath of John Galliano’s actions and the social phenomenon that is Charlie Sheen, it’s great to see the fashion blogging community talking about the issues and bringing a little light with the fancy of fashion! Included in this week’s amazing links: Shopping to Aid Japan Relief, an outfit post for Charlie Sheen, exploring the new neon trend and behind the scenes of how Hermes scarves are made!
Links à la Mode: March 24th
Arash Mazinai- Bling Bang: Exploring the Blood Diamond Trade
This gorgeous dress by Nicole Miller made my eyes pop with the stunning effect of wet paint just dripping down the gorgeous white hammered silk. The one-sleeve really adds to the chic effect. Love!
It's an unbelievably wet, dreary March in the San Francisco Bay Area - so here are items which have helped perk up my days:
Lips like Silk. I have extremely sensitive lips that are easily chapped all the time. Literally, I am allergic to Chapstick, even high end lip glosses cause my lips to peel, and vaseline doesn't do much in the way of any real hydration. Oddly, lipsticks seem to be less irritating (i.e. my lips don't swell up in reaction), but they do tend to be a bit drying.
Enter in an amazing makeup artist at Sephora who during a lipstick shopping trip suggested Flawless Skin Lip Silk by Laura Mercier. Now I know what it means to find a product with HG (Holy Grail) status! It's a truly hydrating lip treatment that you can put on as both a night treatment and use to help prime lips for lipstick. It's not oily or waxy, and contains exfoliaters to get rid of dry skin. Truly an amazing product where you'll see a lot of improvement overnight, and my lips seem to be getting better every day.
The only thing I can be picky about is that the packaging makes it a bit difficult to squeeze out, but as long as my lips look fabulous, a little arm muscle is hardly worth complaining about.
Honey Honey. Found a great everyday nude lip colour, Nars Honolulu Honey, a satin lipstick that really works well with my olive toned skin. It's quite hydrating, I would say more so than Chanel Rouge Coco's but not quite as much as Chantecaille. It'll be making a guest appearance in one of my upcoming outfit posts!
What not to buy: MakeupForever Rouge Artiste #3. Described as a Matte Caramel colour and recommended for olive toned skin, this nude went on so dark on me, that it looked more like a matte copper lipstick. My guess is darker olives might be able to handle it, but still I didn't feel like it was a particularly natural "fleshy" nude colour.
Get the Flick Right! As a girl with rather round Asian eyes, I've always struggled to get the cat's eye (aka "kitten flick") eyeliner right. I figured that my wacky eyes perhaps were just never going to work well with a cat's eye. However, watching Lisa's Eldridge's very thorough video tutorial truly has changed my technique.
For those of you who have not yet caught on to Lisa's videos, Lisa is a professional makeup artist who has done makeup work on celebrities, models, high fashion editorials, you name it. She's also the Creative Director of Boots No 7, as if her achievements weren't enough.
Her videos are really high quality, no horrible I-filmed-this-with-my-webcam-in-my-bedroom and skip the unnecessary gab. I've literally been going through each of her very useful tutorial videos and found them incredibly useful.
Hi all! I'm Jessie from Denimology and I am happy to be one of IFB's new Links à la Mode editors! In the last couple of years, bloggers are being heard far and wide and across the globe. I am happy to be sharing the locations around the interwebs that interest little ol' me with all of you. Included in this weeks links: how to fake that you've gotten enough sleep to Gilt's Disaster Relief Fund and a first hand account of Target's Go International dress collection launch. Get to clicking and show your fellow blogger's some lovin'.
Links à la Mode: March 17th
Aesthetic Alterations: Tips on how to acquire authentic Hermès scarves safely on ebay
I've been a fan of Fluidline for a while as it's the most waterproof eyeliner I've been able to find, even more water resistent on my lids than Urban Decay's famous 24/7 pencils.
However, only recently have I tried Fluidline in Rich Ground, a gorgeous brown/bronze/coppery colour that really brings light to the eyes but isn't an in-your-face metallic look. MAC describes it as a "reddened coco with frost" although I would never describe the shimmer as frosty personally because it's quite a warm colour and I find it much more flattering against my dark brown eyes than Dipdown.
I've currently been using it with the MAC 219 Pencil Brush to get a smudgey, smokey eye topped with lots of black mascara. Normally I wouldn't think about lining my eyes with a fluffier brush like the pencil but after one of the MAC makeup artists did my eyes, I was sold on having a more blended, smudgier line.
I went to my pick up my Chanel pre-order and little gift with purchase at Nordstrom's to find a surprise announcement from Chanel in my bag! There will be a new Rouge Coco Shine lipstick to be unveiled on April 6th.
Another tidbit: My local counter is having makeup artists come in for appointments on April 8th and 9th. And, there will be another gift with purchase for $100+ purchases during that time.
A sneak peak into the other goodies they gave me. First, a gorgeously chic, glossy black Chanel Maquillage makeup bag, embossed with Chanel makeup on the other side and the logo print inside. Apologies that for some reason my camera picked up white specks of reflection that aren't actually on the makeup bag itself.
By Chanel standards, a fair number of samples were included (from left to right), Ultra Correction Line Repair Day Fluid SPF 15, Demaquillant Yeux Intense, Ultra Correction Lift Eye, Hydramax+ Active Serum, Sublimage Essential Regenerating Cream.
I just love this ad from Vitrines Parisiennes, a gorgeous French shopping site that I've been looking to for inspiration lately. It makes me want to wear a crown of feathers in my hair and lots of pretty blush tones...
Making it Your Own
Edited by Vahni of Grit & Glamour
Wow...I'm a Links à la Mode editor...can you believe it?! So thrilled to have the opportunity to discover new blogs and compelling posts to share with all of you. That said, give me two minutes in the pulpit, and my "better blog" sermon starts welling up, totally involuntarily. So allow me a moment to share what I am looking for when I review submissions. It's pretty simple: Be creative and original, tie your post into beauty or fashion, use proper grammar and punctuation (spellcheck and proofread before publishing), and credit your photo sources. Always.
And on to the list...bloggers were in deep thought this week, pondering ethical fashion and feminism, male gaze and Marthettes. But in case you need to escape the heavy stuff, there is: denim! Happy reading, and as you peruse and comment on this week's posts, why stop there? For every comment you leave, why not check out the blog of the person who commented above you and comment there too? It's a great way to expand your mind—and your readership.
I stumbled upon these really gorgeous paper eyelashes that are designed to mimic traditional Chinese paper cutting on Asos. The model above is wearing the full lashes, but the smaller, outer corner lashes can also be used for flirty effects. Definitely coveting to try these out - wishlisted!
Back in January, I purchased a pair of the West End Rain Boots from Anthropologie. They are actually also known as ankle boots from the Vivienne Westwood + Melissa Shoes collaboration. Then, of course, it stopped raining! Recently, the weather turned chilly again (yay!) so I took them out for a spin:
I bought them in a size 6 which actually works for my size 5 feet because they run small.
I tucked my cords into them to stay warm, but I think for a truly punk rock Anglomania princess look, I would wear leggings with them.
I took a few photos of the rainy landscape during my walk - the bright green was a welcome sign of spring.
Beautiful shades of purple and pink
I'm not sure what the little globes are, but I think it's some sort of nut tree? If you know what kind of tree this is, tell me in the comments!
And my favorite, the gorgeous scraggly old Oak trees -- love the patterns they make across the sky.
While at my local Anthro store over the weekend, I noted that the cashier asked me if I wanted my receipt emailed to me or printed (as receipts usually are). I looked a bit puzzled as an email option had never come up before in conversation so I blankly responded "uh, printed?" The friendly cashier explained to me that email was a new option for customers.
Now that I think about it, getting an email receipt is a pretty interesting option. Rather than hold on to the millions of little slips of paper, potentially one could take advantage of technology and search for a receipt in one's inbox, though I'm not sure if they come in HTML or PDF formats. The one downside is we all know how sometimes emails get lost or end up in spam boxes.
That said, the Anthro card technically should take care of all the tracking, but according to the online FAQ there is a slight lag for exchanges/returns:
Q: I bought something yesterday, and I'd like to return it today without a receipt. Will that be possible?
A: Electronic receipts take 48 hours to become available in our system. Please keep this in mind when making exchanges or returns without a paper receipt.
What do you think sweet readers? Would you prefer a new age email receipt or an old fashioned printed receipt?
Edited by WIT & Whimsy
One of the best parts about fashion is that it is translated differently by everyone. It’s infused in everything we do in many respects and this week’s Links a la Mode highlight that whether your style is haute couture or vintage, trendy or thirfted, style is very much ownable and deeply personal.
I’m thrilled to have this be my inaugural editing of the IFB Links a la Mode, looking forward to seeing everyone’s posts throughout the year!
I tried this on at Anthropologie and just fell in love with this City of Angels Eau de Parfum by Royal Apothic. This particular line mimics the characteristics of real world places - in this case, City of Angels refers to Los Angeles. Hence the fragrance is fresh, with a "seaside breeze of eucalyptus and night-blooming jasmine."
It comes with an old school atomizer that you screw on, reminiscent of vintage perfume bottles without being too stuffy or fancy to use daily.
Even the back of the bottle is cute!
I'm a total geek when it comes to gorgeous packaging. I've still kept the box even though I don't really know what I should do with it.
