Winter Breakouts

Have you noticed a few breakouts this winter? No doubt the weather and all the layers we start to pile on are the culprit. The constant contact with scarves and hats against the skin cause flare ups now and again. In order to prevent this, you need to make sure you take a bit more care of your skin. You should be washing your face everyday regardless, however now toner is a necessity. The cheapest option, and my personal favorite, is Witch Hazel. You can find Witch Hazel at your local convenience store, and the best news is that a bottle seldom costs more than $5. Certainly your grandmother kept a bottle of Witch Hazel in her medicine cabinet. It is a natural astringent that comes from the Witch Hazel plant, therefore it is the most natural toner you can find. You can reapply during the day with a cotton swab. Not only will it keep your breakouts in check, but it is extremely refreshing.

Boots - Street Style - How To Shop Vintage

Keeping with the theme of Winter boots, I have been browsing the web for interesting boot selections. I stumbled upon elle.com street style, and to my excitement I saw that they were featuring boots. The street style feature reinforces why I love NYC fashion so much. The distinct style and and fresh layered look that is seemingly effortlessly.

Below there are a select designer boots. Most of the population finds such styles to be out of their price range. However there is an alternative! You can find quality boots for the fraction of the price of Chanel or Fendi. Solution, pop into a vintage clothing store. For those of you who are wary about buying vintage, especially shoes, take a chance. I have had reservations in the past about buying vintage, but with a little practice and know how you can become quite adept. Who knows, you may even find a diamond in the rough. There are a few suggestions you should consider before making your purchase.

-Pay attention to details. Make sure the shoe is well made. Look at the instep, stitching, heel and sole.

-Look at the designer. Vintage allows you to buy designer brands at a fraction of the price. Yes designer duds tend to be extremely expensive, but the price tag is also relative to the quality of the product. Vintage allows you to get quality at a fraction of the price.

-Do not forget that about your shoe maker. Make sure you find one whom you trust and who charges reasonably. A good shoe maker can bring vintage shoes back to life.

-Look at the material. You shouldn't be buying pleather vintage shoes. Look for quality materials such as good leather or snake skin. Look for rich fabrics and unusual styles. The great thing about vintage is that it is virtually impossible to pass someone on the street wearing your same shoes, that will most likely happen if you buy your shoes at say Nine West.

-Always always clean your shoes after purchase. A little polish and shoe cleaner will go a long way.

-Since we saw snow early this year, do not forget to get your shoes treated for the weather. The last thing you want is to ruin a pair of pumps because of snow and salt.


Designer Styles


From left to right : Fendi, Chanel, Manolo Blahnik


Vintage Styles



Bargain Styles

Zara Boots



Image Credit : elle.com

Snow Day... Dress Appropriately

For all of you dreaming of a White Christmas, you got your wish. The first snow storm of the season hit the tri-state area today and left everyone scratching their heads. New Yorkers are used to a little snow, but not really this early in the season. Nonetheless, lots of people welcomed the storm as they walked in Central Park and threw snowballs at one another. It was fairly easy to catch a cab, not so easy to find parking. The city was absolutely beautiful. The streets were covered in white and the trees collected snow on their boughs.

After enjoying the beauty of the snow, reality set in. The commute from New York City to Northern Jersey took over two hours, which is not typical for the middle of the afternoon. Cars were going literally 5 miles per hour on the highway. Welcome to winter everyone. Not only was the commute bad, but my toes were freezing. No one anticipated that we would need to get out our snow boots this early, but alas tis the season. Below are a few suggestion that I found on zappos.com, one of the best shoe sites on the web. The most important thing is that you keep warm, however it doesn't hurt to look good while warm.


Lassen Boots
Ava
$103.50
zappos.com







Lassen Boots
Merida
$134.10
zappos.com







Fitzwell
Kelly
$139.00
zappos.com







Steve Madden
Power Embellished
$99.90
zappos.com







Prari
Amberleigh
$160.00
zappos.com







Lacoste
Bundle Patent
$129.95
zappos.com







Image Credit: nytimes

Nerdy Chic - How To Choose The Right Glasses For Your Face

As a young child no one wants glasses. Showing up at school with a pair of glasses can be a death sentence. I have seen children left in tears because of the incessant taunts of bullies pushing them around and calling them four-eyes. Luckily I wasn't one of those children. I have always been proud of my perfect 20/20 vision, until one day I was kicked off my high horse when I realized I couldn't read a sign across the street from me. All those years of boasting, and sitting in front of a computer, have finally caught up with me. Turns out I developed myopia and astigmatism in my left eye. Now the search began for the perfect frames.

The possibility of a new look is exciting, however there is pressure to find the right pair. After all most people have one pair of glasses, for the most part, and they need to fit your face correctly, as well as fit with most of your wardrobe. As you get older, you get over the angst of your youth and the fear of looking 'nerdy.' You begin to fall for the appeal of the glass and metal object that sits on the bridge of the nose. The right pair of shades can change your look, even enhance it. Whether they make you look more intelligent, as the popular stereotype suggests, or they make you look more sophisticated. Nerdy chic is my preference as of late, as the square plastic rims I purchased suggest. When I put them on I look like a different person, and frankly I love a new look every once in awhile.

The LensCrafters website has a wonderful tool in order to figure out what glasses flatter someone's face shape. There is also the option to upload a picture of yourself and virtually try on a pairs of lens.

OVAL This face shape always seems to be the easiest to fit because of the even proportion. You can experiment with many frames but make sure the glasses do not overpower you. Try rectangular or butterfly frames.

SQUARE This face shape has a strong prominent jawline therefore you might want to try frames that will soften your strong features. Try oval frames or even rimless frames to create a softer look around your face.

ROUND This face shape is fuller without the angular features of the square. You do not want to emphasize the fullness so try a rectangular shape that will create angles on your face. Glasses that rest higher on your face will lengthen the roundness.

HEART This face shape is almost looks like the shape of a heart. You have a wider forehead and a narrower jaw. Also high cheekbones. Frames that have a wider bottom help to balance out your wider forehead. Avoid frames that call attention to the top of your head. Cat eye, butterfly, or round lenses are a good choice for you.



Check out some pictures of the celebrities who make frames look good.

Blogging Hiatus, But I'm Back

For the past 6 months I temporarily replaced my obsession with fashion and beauty for a new obsession, le Français. I moved to Montreal with the sole purpose to conquer the French language. Unfortunately, in the meantime, my blogging was put on the back burner. The struggle with verb conjugations, pronunciation, and miscommunication proved to take up much of my time.

For most of my adolescence, I idealized anything French. Just hearing someone utter a few words, used to make me melt into a puddle (ok admitedly sometimes it still does). I would pick up French Vogue and flip through the pages, wishing that I could read them. The aura is infectious, after all French fashion has inspired fashion enthusiasts throughout the world. Marketers need merely to slap on a French label on any beauty product, and instantly the image of that product enhances. Atleast in the beauty world, French is associated with high-end products, great quality, and style. However I don't want to confuse anyone. Quebec is not like France. If anyone has ever been to Montreal, you will notice that the only thing our neighbor to the north shares with our distant neighbor oversees is the language. Quebecois culture is vastly different whether you are comparing poutine to croque monsieur or merely the mannerisms of its inhabitants. The accents are so different that many people, even the French themselves, just can't understand what the heck the Quebecois are saying. In the end, despite my bias to all things from France, I fell in love with Quebec, even if it is a little rough around the edges.

Despite my new love, New York City missed me, as the French like to say. The first day I stepped foot on the island, I felt a strong feeling of nostalgia. The annoying yellow cabs, the rushed faces, the smelly subway, even tacky Times Square, I missed it all. I walked out of Port Authority with a huge grin plastered on my face. Trust me Port Authority ain't pretty, but I was happy to be back.

New York has a strange place in my heart. Afterall, it has always been so close to my reach, since I grew up just over the bridge. I know the skyline very well. The city is noisy and confrontational, but what I've learned, however, is that I can't stay away. I always yearn to come back, for now, until a new obsession enters the horizon.