So we received an offer in our mailbox from Puritan’s Pride today. It’s an offer for a bottle of FREE Hydrolyzed Collagen 1000 mg with ANY $10 Order + Free Shipping!
Being ladies of a certain age, loss of skin elasticity due to depletion of collagen is a major concern for us. Frankly, even if you’re in your 20s you need to start bolstering your skin so that when you get to your mid thirties and beyond your skin won’t begin to slacken and loosen and sag and make you look older than you would like to look.
But what exactly is hydrolyzed collagen?
And what benefit will it be to us to try Puritan’s Pride’s hydrolyzed collagen supplements? Will it make us look like we’re 20 again?
Image via pixabay.com
Product indications as stated on seller’s website
Restore Strength and Flexibility to Hair, Skin and Nails
This 100% pure collagen protein supplement provides the major building materials for growth and maintenance of nails, hair and skin. Collagen is also an essential component of muscles, tendons, cartilage and teeth.**
No Artificial Color, Flavor or Sweetener, No Preservatives, No Sugar, No Starch, No Milk, No Lactose, No Soy, No Gluten, No Wheat, No Yeast, No Fish
On the subject of Hydrolyzed collagen
Our search of Google took us to a wikipedia page for hydrolyzed collagen. According to the information on that page, Hydrolyzed collagen is a form of collagen that is also called:
Collagen hydrolysate
Collagen peptide
Gelatine
Gelatine hydrolysate
Hydrolyzed gelatine
What it says on Wikipedia (keep in mind that Wikipedia can be edited by anyone just for the fun of getting people to quote things that aren’t accurate. We recommend you seek out other sources to validate the wikipedia information)
Hydrolyzed collagen is produced from collagen found in the bones, skin, and connective tissue of animals such as cattle, fish, horses, pigs, and rabbits. The process of hydrolysis involves breaking down the molecular bonds between individual collagen strands using combinations of heat, acids, alkalis, or enzymes. Typically, with skin-sourced collagen, hides are put in a lime slurry pit for up to 3 months, loosening collagen bonds; the hides are then washed to remove lime, and the collagen extracted in boiling water. The extracted collagen is evaporator concentrated, desiccated with drum driers, and pulverized.
The process by which hydrolyzed collagen is produced hardly sounds glamorous but the product is supposed to help you maintain tight, supple youthful skin, strong healthy hair and strong healthy nails. All the good things we want.
So are we going to take Puritan’s Pride up on their offer of a free bottle of their hydrolyzed collagen? We’re not sure yet. We’re thinking about it; but we’re not big on taking supplements, and even though these are claimed to have none of the things we usually try to avoid, such as dairy, soy, gluten, sugar etc., we still have to be careful about what we put in our body. We’ll have to do some more reading on hydrolyzed collagen and find some more reviews of hydrolyzed collagen products. If we find enough raving reviews that hydrolyzed collagen will give us back the skin we had at 25 (or at least make our face look a little firmer even if it can’t take us all the way back to 25) we’ll go on over and buy something from Puritan’s Pride so we can claim our free bottle of their hydrolyzed collagen.
Here are a handful of the reviews we came across on the Puritan’s Pride website
Note that the reviews are from 2012. All comments mention that the pills are too big. We don’t know if Puritan’s Pride has since made them smaller.
1. Effective but the pills are really too big! (August 16, 2012)
Puritan should consider selling collagen powder instead of pills! But overall this product is effective. I can notice my neck becoming firmer after only one week.
2. They work well. Good value (July 7, 2012)
Yes the pills are large, but unless you have dental issues you can chew on them, though they might not be to everyone’s taste. My personal tastes likes chalky things so I’ll chew on them like a snack while working or watching a show. In the end the price is great and they work well, so I’ll keep taking them no matter the size. However if they could come out with a smaller version that would be great.
3. WAY too big! (July 5, 2012)
I love all of the Puritan products EXCEPT these chalky rock-like horse pills! They are impossible to swallow, and when I attempt to break them up, they feel like they will crack my teeth. I have cut my throat swallowing the broken up chunks. They also have a nauseating taste, like you are trying to swallow fish bones! I feel that I have wasted my money, especially since I bought on the buy one get two free! Maybe my kids can use them to write on the side walk!
We’re loving the look of this Pure Collection true blue cashmere blend peacoat.
The color of this coat looks so gorgeously vibrant. It lifted our spirits a couple of degrees when we came across it while browsing on the purecollection.com website. On our screen it looks like a shade somewhere on the turquoise to teal line. It’s listed in the product description page as a true blue cashmere blend coat.
We’re loving the look of the true blue cashmere blend coat on the model.
Her outfit: Pure Collection gray wool tailored ankle length trouser with a black long-sleeved roll neck jersey top.
We’re assuming she’s wearing black stiletto-heeled pumps as that would seem to be the perfect choice of footwear to go with this look. A pair of stylish black leather ankle boots can work as well. And of course a black leather shoulder bag to accessorize the look.
The Pure Collection blue cashmere blend peacoat comes with a $348 price tag. It’s a blend of wool, polyamide and cashmere (75% Wool / 20% Polyamide / 5% Cashmere) with a 100% viscose twill lining.
The seller description
Style never sleeps in the city so sleek tailoring and hard-working smart pieces are key. This neat pea coat looks as good with well-cut trousers and heels as it does with off-duty jeans and boots. Choose from grey or this stunning standout blue (which looks great with all skin tones and colouring).
The List of features
Italian Cashmere Blend Fabric
Contrast Colour Melton Undercollar
Double Breasted With Contrast Colour Buttons
Feature Jet Pockets With Topstitch Detail And Back Vent
Fully Lined
This coat also comes in the color “soft grey”. It’s perfect for the grown up working girl who prefers a casually sophisticated style. We love how the true blue color of the coat brightens and enlivens the complete look. Even on a gray late fall morning or afternoon you can have a bit of a “spring” in your step thanks to this gorgeous Pure Collection blue cashmere blend peacoat.
Featured: model wearing yellow in the form of a yellow cashmere blend coat. The coat is available for purchase via PureCollection.com.
We’ve compiled a list of questions about wearing yellow.
Our wearing yellow questions and answers list is by no means a comprehensive list. These are questions people have asked around the Internet and questions our editorial team put together. We’re venturing to answer 15 questions about wearing yellow. Keep in mind that our answers are just our opinions.
What color shoes goes with a red top and yellow skirt?
We would go with black shoes. Why? Because red and yellow are both very bright and very bold colors. When you combine the two you’ll need something to tone down the brightness and theh boldness, and black is a strong commanding color that has the ability to balance other colors.
Will I look ridiculous wearing yellow thigh high boots?
We think if it’s Halloween, or if you’re attending a costume party, then you can probably get away with wearing yellow thigh high boots without looking ridiculous. But we can’t envision a scenario where someone is wearing yellow thigh high boots as part of their outfit for the day and they don’t look like they’re dressed up for Halloween. Matter of fact we browsed on Polyvore to find yellow thigh high boots and it seems designers don’t think yellow is a good color for thigh high boots. The only yellow boots we could find (that weren’t ankle boots) were a pair of rain boots. If you’re feeling like wearing yellow boots you’ll have to stick with yellow ankle boots. Those seem to be okay to wear (if you style them right of course). But yellow thigh highs? You might want to think twice about that.
Tom Ford Hummingbird & Floral Fully Embroidered Over-the-Knee Boot Floral and hummingbird beaded upper with calfskin trim
Can yellow work for Fall season bridesmaids dresses?
We looked through a collection of Autumn bridesmaids dresses on Pinterest. Yellow didn’t seem to be a very common color. There were a couple of pictures featuring bridesmaids wearing yellow dresses; but for the most part the colors were in the maroon, burgundy, lilac, lavender, cream, rust brown family. The ones that were yellow were a more mustard yellow shade and a shade that mustard yellow might look like if it had been diluted with milk. Of course, it’s your wedding and if you want your bridesmaids wearing canary yellow that’s up to you. It really shouldn’t matter if there’s a general rule that bridesmaids dresses should not be yellow if the wedding takes place in the fall/autumn season.
Can I wear yellow and brown together?
Sure you can. Why not? Brown is a great color to pair with yellow (depending of course on the shade of yellow and the shade of brown. A yellow top works nicely with a brown skirt or brown pants. You can wear a brown jacket with a yellow dress or a yellow jacket with a brown dress. Brown shoes are a great choice for a yellow dress. it even works when you wear yellow shoes with a brown dress. Wearing yellow and brown together is perfectly doable.
Can I wear yellow to an interview?
We don’t see why not; but we’d suggest that you don’t wear something that could be distracting to the person conducting the interview. Yellow can be tastefully worn to a job interview, but you probably don’t want to put together a head to toe yellow ensemble. You would risk giving the impression that you don’t take the job opportunity or yourself seriously. If you don’t have to wear yellow maybe you shouldn’t; but if, for example, yellow is your lucky color and you always wear yellow when you’re hoping for some good luck to come your way, then by all means incorporate the color into your look. Just don’t let it dominate and demand that people take notice of what you’re wearing. You want if your interviewer takes notice of what you’re wearing, that he/she thinks something favorable.
Can I wear yellow to a funeral?
If you’re attending a funeral where it has been specifically stated that you can wear any color clothing you wish to wear then certainly you can wear yellow. But if you’re attending a traditional funeral where everyone will be wearing black, you will probably stand out if you wear something that is yellow. And people will probably think that you’re being disrespectful. A funeral is not the place to test the waters and challenge societal norms.
Can blondes wear yellow?
We’re not blondes and we don’t know much about the rules for what blondes can and cannot wear. But going by what we see, yellow looks perfectly fine on blondes. We see no evidence that their hair color makes any difference in how yellow looks on them. Do a quick google image search on “can blondes wear yellow” and you will come across pictures of famous blondes including Reese Witherspoon, Blake Lively, Gwyneth Paltrow, Naomi Watts and Kate Hudson wearing yellow in shades from pastel light to canary bright. They clearly don’t agree that yellow is off limits to blondes.
Can I wear yellow with pale skin?
From what we’ve read, certain shades of yellow apparently make people with pale skin look washed out. We’re going to take a risk and suggest that this is just an opinion, like the opinion that blonde hair clashes with yellow. Some of the ladies we mentioned above under “Can blondes wear yellow” have pretty pale skin from what we can see, and they look perfectly fine in all the shades of yellow represented. No one looks particularly washed out. Although we do think that brighter and darker shades of yellow would contrast better with pale skin than pastel and lighter shades.
Can I wear yellow with dark brown skin?
We have never questioned whether a color looked right on us or didn’t look right on us based on our skin tone. We read a lot of material on the internet written by people who insist that the colors that look good on you are based on your skin tone. They talk about color analysis and color palette and all this headache-inducing nonsense about choosing the right colors for your skin. The question that always comes up in our minds is, who gets to decide what color looks good on a person and what color does not? Shouldn’t we wear what color we want to wear? Shouldn’t we wear the colors we like?
If someone likes how she looks in green, is she supposed to not wear green because other people who know their color palettes and know (based on what the color charts say) what colors are okay to wear on what skin tone, think green is not a color she should wear based on her skin tone? One of the more ridiculous comments we came across was from someone who made it out as if women have a responsibility to know what colors suit them and to avoid colors that are not considered suitable for their skin tone. She made it seem like such a majorly important matter, as if wearing yellow when that’s not a shade in your color palette is something for which you should be mercilessly condemned and rejected from society.
Frankly, whether your skin is fair or your skin is dark brown, whether or not to wear yellow should come down to how you personally feel about it. It should not come down to a question of whether or not some color chart created by some so-called expert agrees or disagrees that yellow is a color you can wear.
Do pink and yellow match?
We’re going to have to say that pink and yellow don’t really match per se; but that doesn’t mean that wearing yellow and pink together isn’t doable. Color blocking has shown us that you can pair colors that don’t necessarily match. You just have to work all your other items into the look well enough to balance the non-matching colors.
Can I wear a yellow top with gray pants or skirt?
Based on the pictures we’ve seen of ladies wearing yellow tops with gray pants or gray skirts, we’d have to say that you can definitely wear a yellow top with gray pants or a gray skirt. This is a pretty subdued look so it won’t be a combination you’d want for a New Year’s eve party for example, unless you’re wearing bright colors with sparkly sequins.
Can I wear a yellow top with green pants or skirt?
We’ve seen pictures of ladies wearing a yellow top with green pants and pictures of ladies wearing a yellow top with a green skirt. Based on the pictures we’ve seen, we’d say this is a look that can work; but you have to match the right shade of yellow with the right shade of green. Some of the looks we saw didn’t really work that well. Not because of anything to do with the skin tone of the person wearing the combination. It was because the shades of yellow and green weren’t the best match. Yes, we know we just said that color-blocking allows us to put colors together that don’t necessarily match; but some combinations work better than others. Even so, we still maintain that if it looks good to you and you want to wear it, you shouldn’t concern yourself with what anybody else thinks.
Will I look ridiculous wearing yellow with red and green?
It would really depend on what you’re wearing. We typed “yellow red green outfit” into google and found some pictures that were actually interesting. An outfit combining yellow red and green probably isn’t something most people would try; but if you like to experiment and take chances with your style and you have the confidence to wear bright color combinations that most people wouldn’t dare try, we think there are interesting ways you can wear yellow red and green together. You could, for example wear a yellow cardigan with a green dress and red ballerina flats. Or like one lady we saw, a yellow top with red pants and green pumps. Or a red top with green pants and a yellow belt. There are any number of possible fun ways to wear these three colors. And you don’t have to look like you’re channeling a Christmas tree.
Can I wear yellow pumps with a black dress?
Well, you can, and if you accessorize effectively the combination can look pretty striking; but it can also look a little out of place and like someone is trying too hard to be bold with their fashion choices. You want to get people going hmm, that looks pretty good, instead of why in the world is she wearing yellow pumps with that black dress? But then again, like we always say, people’s opinions really don’t matter. As long as you like the way you look it doesn’t matter what the rest of us think.
Should adult women wear yellow tights?
This question was inspired by seeing an adult woman wearing yellow tights. She was wearing her yellow tights with a black skirt, white blouse, black cardigan and black pumps. When we googled “yellow tights outfits” we found mostly pictures of young adult teenage girls wearing quirky outfit styles. It’s probably not all that common to see adult women wearing yellow tights. Some of the looks we saw were cute and incorporated the yellow tights well. Others weren’t looks we would recommend. As for the question of whether or not adult women should wear yellow tights, by all means if an adult women is able to work yellow tights into her outfit in a way that is flattering, why shouldn’t she wear the yellow tights? But we definitely think yellow tights are difficult to pull off regardless of your age.
Missed out on 2015 Black Friday deals? Not to worry, here are some cyber monday deals in which you might be interested.
Black Friday is over but you can still update your closet by taking advantage of Cyber Monday deals. If you’re looking for sales on designer bags, you can save up to 30% on designer bags at Forzieri.com. To save 30% you would have to make a purchase of at least $750. That means if you purchase a $750 bag between today and midnight Tuesday, you’ll get the bag for $525. A $200 bag purchase comes with a 20% discount. So you can get your hands on a $200 bag for $160. Of course you won’t get the ultimate high end brands; but they do have some cute bags in the $200 price range from brands like Michael Kors, Rebecca Minkoff, Moschino, Marc by Marc Jacobs etc. You can also save on designer shoes during the Forzieri Cyber Monday sale.
At saksfifthavenue.com you can get up to $150 off designer denim. So if you’ve been wanting to try a pair of designer jeans you might want to check out the Cyber Monday deals at SAKS. We got excited and swung by their website, but it turns out you have to buy a pair of jeans that costs at least $500 to get that $150 savings. We were hoping for something like $150 off a pair of $200 jeans. Ha Ha. But you can take $50 off a pair of $250 jeans. So if those savings work for you, hurry on over to saksfifthavenue.com before their sale period ends.
Image via saksfifthavenue.com
If we could afford them we’d happily purchase these 7 For All Mankind black Coated High-Rise Ankle Skinny Jeans. But even $198 is too steep right now.
For the Ella Moss type of girl you can save 40% off everything at Ellamoss.com
Image via Ellamoss.com
Or swing by dkny.com to check out their 20% off everything Cyber Monday deals.
Image via DKNY.com
Black Friday and Cyber Monday – do you really get good deals?
It is our opinion that Black Friday and Cyber Monday are over-hyped. Unless you’re a big spender, you don’t really get savings worthy of all the dredged up excitement. Someone saving $225 on a $750 purchase can call that a deal, assuming the $750 item was really worth $750 to begin with. Someone saving $40 on a $200 purchase, not quite as impressive we don’t think.
We did not do any Black Friday shopping on Friday. The primary reason wasn’t even lack of funds. We didn’t have any money, yeah, but seriously, the sales were so boring. Black Friday was a huge disappointment we have to say. Thumbs down to the retailers–pretty much all of them. There’s nothing exciting about saving $50 off $500.
For all the hype they make over Black Friday you’d expect to be able to make out like a bandit.
One of our best Black Friday experiences was when we were able to purchase almost $600 worth of merchandise (decent quality) for just under $200. That’s the kind of sale that gets us spending.– being able to purchase things we otherwise could not afford. Spending $550 instead of $600, that’s not a sale worthy of all the hype they build up around Black Friday and Cyber Monday.
So we did not buy anything on Black Friday. We wanted to; and we spent a good few hours trying to find great deals; but we just didn’t find any. And to be frankly honest, we’re seriously disappointed.
As for Cyber Monday, we’re not even going to bother trying to look around for deals. We’re near to giving up on trying to find nice things that don’t come with exorbitant price tags. Either we’re going to have to make our own stuff or find a blind 90 year old billionaire who will take us at our word that we’re 20 and look like a Victoria’s Secret model. Of course there’s also the option of working for our money, but we’ve been doing that for years and we still don’t have the money to show. Apparently, the gods still don’t think we’re working hard enough to deserve high end rewards.
We came across a cute V Neck Cashmere Sweater while browsing the PureCollection.com website.
The Pure Collection V Neck Cashmere Sweater (with product code LK-T47) is described as being a sweater that “epitomises pared back style”. It’s a 100% cashmere sweater that comes in the colors Blue Sapphire, black, Classic Grey, Grey Camel and red berry.
We love the way the sweater is styled in these pics from Pure Collection. These for sure reflect a nice casual “pared back” style.
If you’re a lady over 35 trying to find a style that won’t get you accused of not being age appropriately dressed but on the other hand won’t make you look like a dowdy frump who has given up all vanity because you’re no longer 25, we think the Pure Collection style is something to look at.
Image via PureCollection.com
In the first look the model is wearing the redberry version of the Pure Collection V Neck Cashmere Sweater with casual gray tweed pants. If we were wearing this combination we would probably wear a pair of black leather ankle boots with at least a 3-inch heel. To keep the look pared back we’d go for block heels on the ankle boots. To make it a little sleeker and sexier we’d choose stiletto heels of at least 4 inches in height. We love the featured models over-sized sunglasses. A shoulder bag is the perfect choice to keep the look casually laid back.
Suggested Shoulder Bag
Emilio Pucci Mini Janis Black & Ivory Leather Shoulder Bag
In the second look the model wears the black version of the Pure Collection V Neck Cashmere Sweater with beige jeans. We’d go with oxford style flats or canvas style leather sneakers for this look. Or maybe a pair of Timbalands or similar styled lace-up rubber-soled boots?
This V Neck Cashmere Sweater comes with a $148 price tag.
The seller’s description:
Polished and sophistcated in cosy cashmere this V-Neck sweater epitomises pared back style. Team with jeans for a casual off duty look or dress up with a smart pencil skirt and heels.
One of the brands we were lucky enough to try thanks to Rakuten Marketing and the #RANBonusBox was Monica Vinader.
The Bonus Box we received earlier in the month contained a Monica Vinader Fiji Friendship Bracelet.
The folks at MonicaVinader.com call the Fiji friendship bracelet the “ultimate and iconic friendship bracelet”. The bracelet comes in “a mix of colours and finishes including cord, chain and diamonds”.
The one we received was the 18ct Rose Gold Plated Vermeil on Sterling SilverFiji bracelet with black cord. It’s a cute little bracelet that brings out our spirit of girlhood.
We have to confess, we were total outcasts in our elementary/junior high school days. No one ever gave us a friendship bracelet. Then again we never gave anyone a friendship bracelet either. But that was because we couldn’t find anybody who wanted to be friends we us.
Now that we’re all grown up the girlish friendship bracelets (the ones made out of string) are a no-no to wear. But friendship bracelets like the Monica Vinader Fiji friendship bracelet are perfectly appropriate to buy for yourself or to give as gifts to your adult girlfriends.
Most of the reviews we found for this bracelet are raves. It seems to be mostly something people buy to give as gifts to their friends, which makes perfect sense. But if you don’t have anyone in your life who would buy you a friendship bracelet (or anyone for whom to buy a friendship bracelet), buy a friendship bracelet or two for your inner little girl. Show her how much she means to you.
Other cord colors for the Monica Vinader Fiji friendship bracelet include plum, coral, green, royal blue, nude and navy. And available finishes include yellow gold and sterling silver.An example of the sterling silver Monica Vinader Fiji Friendship bracelet. Like the yellow gold and the rose gold corded versions of the Fiji bracelet, the sterling silver comes in the same variety of cord colors.
An example of the yellow gold Monica Vinader Fiji Friendship bracelet. This features the 18ct yellow Gold Plated Vermeil on Sterling Silver with racing green cord.
We wouldn’t mind getting our hands on a few more of the Fiji bracelet. We really like the girlishness of it. Sometimes you need to let inner little girl out to play. It can get pretty tiresome and boring having to take life so seriously all the time just because you’re an adult. It’s important to be able to lighten up and be childlike sometimes even if you’re 35, 45, 55, 65, 75, 85, 95 or 105. The other day we saw an 85 year old woman wearing her hair Pocahontas style and swing dancing like she was seventeen. We’re willing to bet the reason she looked happier and more filled with life than women 30/40 years younger is because she never allowed the spirit of her inner little girl to die. She kept her youthful spirit alive by allowing herself to lighten up and have fun through all the decades of her life.
An outfit idea for styling your Monica Vinader Fiji friendship bracelet
This might be a little over the top but we like the idea of the look for a photo shoot. Maybe not as an outfit for real world wear. It’s a look we’d love to test drive, but the Balmain dress comes with a $4,440 price tag. The Tibi fur coat comes with a $3,200 price tag. (We are not advocating wearing fur. Were we so lucky to try this look we would opt for a faux fur coat). The Saint Laurent bag comes with a $2,750 price tag. The Stella McCartney boots are $870. And let’s not talk about the price of the other pieces of jewelry.
About the Monica Vinader brand:
Monica Vinader is a British luxury jewelry brand. They create “instantly wearable, contemporary pieces to style, stack and personalise with engraving”. They list among the famous names who love the brand: Emma Watson, Olivia Palermo and the Duchess of Cambridge.
Today we came across a picture of this multi-color printed Fausto Puglisi skirt from the Fausto Puglisi Fall/Winter 2014 collection (via Moda Operandi).
Although the Fausto Puglisi skirt is out of season we were immediately inspired to try to style it. Of course it would have been more exciting to style the real thing, but the $2,050 price tag would have made that an unlikely prospect even if the skirt was still available for purchase.
The Skirt…
We love how the colorful geometric patterns on one side of the skirt contrast with the textured black pattern on the other side.
We also love…
The sexy short length
The asymmetric hemline
The flared style
This skirt is versatile in the way it allows you to wear a top in a wide variety of colors and styles.
3 ways to style your multicolor printed Fausto Puglisi skirt
Look #1 – with a Martin Grant Black Wool Classic Turtleneck and an Antonio Berardi emerald silk scuba short jacket
Who would wear this look? A girl with a lot of confidence who likes to look sexy in a colorful and quirky way. It will take a lot of confidence to pull off these Giambattista Valli Open Toe Lace Up Boot and this Antonio Berardi Emerald Silk Scuba Short Jacket.
Look #2 – with a red Prabal Gurung Crimson Needle Rib Turtleneck and a black Elie Saab Black Peplum Leather Jacket
Look #2 pairs the Fausto Puglisi skirt with a Prabal Gurung red turtleneck sweater, a black Elie Saab leather jacket, and Nicholas Kirkwood Stretch Suede Thigh High Boots.
Look #3 – with a black Martin Grant Black Wool Classic Turtleneck Sweater and a yellow Jonathan Saunders Seymour Double Breasted Wool Jacket In Pea Green
Look #3 pairs the Fausto Puglisi skirt with a black Martin Grant wool turtleneck sweater, a mustard yellow Jonathan Saunders Seymour Double Breasted Wool Jacket, and a pair of Charlotte Olympia Lucinda Booties.
Jewelry and accessories…
We think either of these two bags work with our 3 looks:
Valentino Mini Lock with Laquered Studs
Edie Parker M’O Exclusive : Customizable Name Velvet Clutch
And for jewelry any of the following bracelets:
Eddie Borgo Expansion Joint Bangle
Eddie Borgo Aerator Bracelet
Eddie Borgo Large Axis Cuff
Vionnet Plexiglass Abstract Ribbon Cuff
Any of these earrings:
Jennifer Alfano 18K Gold Baby Bullseye Emerald Studs
Jennifer Alfano 18K Gold Baby Bullseye Ruby Studs
Eddie Borgo Aerator Stud
Any of these necklaces:
Daniela Villegas Bespoke Fufluns Locket Necklace
Eddie Borgo Helix Link Necklace
What do you think of our 3 outfit ideas for styling the multicolor printed Fausto Puglisi skirt? Would you wear any of these looks? How would you style the skirt yourself if none of these looks would work for you?
If there’s ever a time brown orange yellow outfits should be okay to wear it would seem to be the fall and winter.
Here are some brown orange yellow outfit ideas for fall/winter 2015. Of course Fall 2015 is on its way out and the trees no longer have leaves. We had our first snowfall two days ago. But even though the trees are no longer bursting with brown orange yellow and other beautiful fall colors, you can still wear these colors through the rest of the fall and all of winter.
Brown orange yellow outfit idea #1
This first look pairs an orange sweater with brown leather pants, a yellow coat, brown suede knee high boots and a brown suede bag.
The items…
Orange cashmere-wool blend Sarah sweater from Rag and Bone
This orange cashmere sweater from Rag & Bone comes with a $678.46 price tag. It’s 95% cashmere and 5% wool.
Brown skinny leather trousers from Stouls
These brown skinny leather trousers from Stouls come with a $1,748.83 price tag. They are made of 100% calf leather and lined with 97% cotton/3 % spandex.
Yellow Rochas alpaca-wool blend coat
If we had the $2,877.08 to afford it we would definitely buy this yellow Rochas coat. We love the style and the color. The coat is Alpaca 80% and 20% wool.
Brown leather and suede over the knee-length boots from Giuseppe Zanotti Design
These brown leather and suede Giuseppe Zanotti over the knee boots come with a $1,358.90 price tag. Boots feature a square toe, side zip fastening and a high block heel.
Vanessa Bruno Cacao Nubuck Leather Shoulder Bag
Cross-stitch detailing at the strap and a tassel trim highlight this brown leather shoulder bag from Vanessa Bruno. Price tag is $665.83. (via avenue32.com)
Brown orange yellow outfit idea #2
This next outfit pairs a yellow turtleneck sweater with a pair of orange Giulietta New York Wide Leg Trousers, a luggage brown Tagliatore classic overcoat, a pair of Burberry suede ankle boots and a La Martina Alfonsina Color Block Leather Satchel Bag.
The Items…
Rag & Bone colour block turtleneck sweater
This yellow stretch merino wool blend color block turtleneck sweater from Rag & Bone comes with a $268.09 price tag?
Giulietta New York wide leg trousers
These orange stretch cotton blend wide leg trousers from Giulietta New York are priced at $578.21. They feature a high rise, button & zip fastening, a flared style and side flap pockets.
Camel coloured alpaca-wool blend classic overcoat from Tagliatore
For $1,548.68 you can get this Camel coloured alpaca-wool blend classic overcoat from Tagliatore. The coat is composed of 60% Alpaca and 40% wool.
Burberry brown suede ankle boots
We have to admit to being completely shocked that these gorgeous Burberry ankle boots are only $995. Not that we can afford them at that price but they look more in the $1500 range. You can get these at Stylebop.com.
La Martina Alfonsina Color Block Leather Satchel Bag
This Alfonsina Color Block Leather Satchel Bag comes with a $798 price tag via Forzieri.com. It’s the perfect accessory to complete our second brown orange yellow outfit idea.
Does my Furla Candy Gloss Bon Bon Mini Crossbody bag go with my outfit?
Probably not if what you’re wearing is your Philipp Plein Split Boyfriend Jeans with your chocolate brown Brunello Cucinelli Turtleneck under your hot pink Sacai Luck Two Tone Sweater under your chocolate brown Guild Prime Biker Jacket with your chocolate brown Sergio Rossi Suede Knee Boots on.
Yeah, your sweater is hot pink; but the style of the hot pink Furla bag (Candy Gloss Bon Bon Mini Crossbody) just doesn’t work with this look. And we’re tempted to think a hot pink bag just isn’t the best choice for this look even if the bag was style appropriate.
The Furla Candy Gloss Bon Bon Mini Crossbody bag is a cute bag that you probably want to use in the spring or summer to accessorize a cute spring or summer dress. We imagine there are some top notch stylists out there who can put together a Fall/Winter outfit that is nicely accessorized with this hot pink Furla bag; but we aren’t top notch stylists, and we couldn’t put together a look for the fall and winter that incorporates this cutie without looking completely wrong.
You can purchase this bag in hot pink (Fuchsia), dark green and beige at Forzieri.com
What do you think about this bag?
We love the high gloss effect and how it lives up to it’s name in appearance. It’s a cute little bag, and it doesn’t cost an arm and a leg. Only $148. Since we don’t actually have one we can’t speak for how big it is in actuality and the room capacity etc. Obviously these mini bags aren’t designed to serve practical purposes. They exist to be cute, not to aide you in toting around your kitchen sink!
We recently got our hands on a Foreo Luna Mini (#Foreo #LUNAminibyFOREO) It was included in the most recent #RANBonusBox we received from Rakuten Marketing.
Foreo is a brand that specializes in “beauty and well-being solutions”. The company was founded in 2013. The The LUNA™, their award-winning flagship product, is a “silicone skincare device that channels pulsations in various intensity levels for facial cleansing and anti-aging”.
From what we can tell the LUNA™ is already quite popular. Since we have only just received ours, we can’t really comment yet on how well it works; but we’ve seen a lot of youtube testimonials and reviews that support Foreo’s claims that their product is revolutionary and will visibly improve your complexion, leaving your skin looking clearer, healthier and glowing. We’re excited to find out if indeed the LUNA mini can get us closer to our goals of flawless skin.
Image via Foreo.com
Who wouldn’t want skin as flawless as the Foreo model above? We don’t think Foreo is saying their product will give you flawless skin by itself, so if you have problem skin you probably shouldn’t get excited thinking this product by itself is going to remove your blemishes and other skin problems. But it promises to help accelerate the process of clearing up your skin by making your skin more responsive to the products you use.
The Product details from Foreo
The LUNA™ mini is a vibrant, palm-sized, silicone skincare device that delivers deep yet gentle facial cleansing in 1 minute via innovative T-Sonic pulsing technology designed for all skin types.
Visibly improve your complexion in 3 days by gently cleansing away blemish-causing impurities, which will not only improve the absorption of your other skincare products, but leave your skin looking clearer, healthier and glowing.
The Luna Mini comes in a wide variety of colors.
We received the gray. We probably would have chosen the turquoise blue or the purple if we’d had the opportunity to choose our own color; but the gray is nice too.
We’ve already started to use our LUNA mini, but we’ll wait at least a few months before we venture to comment on how it’s working for us. If you’re anxious to get user feedback, we suggest checking out some of the review videos on youtube.
Here are some of the claims about what LUNA will do
Provide a deep clean
Eliminate blackheads
Reduce pores
Make skin appear brighter
Make skin appear clearer
Slough off dead cells
Unclog pores of 99.5% of dirt and oil
The folks at FOREO promise that you will notice improvements in your complexion after just 3 days of using the LUNA twice per day. Your routine with the LUNA will last just 1 minute. So it will take just 2 minutes per day of your time using the FOREO LUNA to give your skin the benefits of being cleaned with FOREO’s revolutionary T-Sonic technology.
We’ll continue to use or LUNA mini over the next month or two and write a follow-up with some feedback that is based on actual use. We’re definitely excited to discover what the FOREO LUNA mini can do for our skin. It would have been awesome to get to try the version of the LUNA that includes anti-aging features. It seems like the mini doesn’t come with an anti-aging mode. For that you have to get the regular LUNA.
I recently came across the Instagram page of a girl with a body to put Kim Kardashian to shame. She’s ridiculously fit with jaw-dropping curves. She’s a fitness coach who claims that it’s possible for anyone to get a body like hers. I’m going to assume that by anyone she means anyone under the age of 35. Although, I do know it’s possible for women over 35 to transform their bodies via weight training, but I imagine it’s got to be a lot harder for them to do than it is for a 21 year old. I’m definitely inspired though. Not that I have a problem with my body as it is; but if I can make it more shapely why not try?
So I’ve been trying to do some of the exercises I see her doing. They’re supposed to make you more curvy by shrinking your waist and giving you a shapelier behind and shapelier thighs. I don’t necessarily need her killer curves. What am I going to do with curves like a Kardashian at this stage in the game? Even the rich 90 year old guys want girls under 30, so it’s not like I’ll be able to use my wicked curves to snag an 80-year old billionaire. And I don’t have the kind of money and fame that’s needed to go out in hot pursuit of cougar bait. My name is not Jennifer Lopez. So I’ll pass on the killer curves and just aim to tighten everything up a bit and maybe take an inch or two off my waistline.
I’ll be satisfied with a slightly curvier figure. I don’t need to have curves like the Kardashian women or like the girl from Instagram that I’m talking about. Although, maybe if I’d had curves like that I’d own a pair or two of Louboutin pumps by now. Definitely seems like girls with curves don’t have any trouble whatsoever making the kind of money to afford to stack their closet shelves with designer shoes.
Just in time for one of our birthdays we’ve received a #RANBonusBox box of goodies from @RakutenMKTG_US.
We can’t thank the folks at Rakuten Marketing enough. You’ve made our day!
And thank you also to:
The folks at Monica Vinader for the beautiful Fiji friendship bracelet
The folks at #Foreo for the #LUNAminibyFOREO
The folks at e.l.f. eyes lips face for the e.l.f Day to Night Eyeshadow Palette
The folks at DL1961 (we can’t wait to choose and receive our jeans!)
The folks at timetospa for the samples of Elemis beauty products.
The folks at TBDress for the cute costume necklace
It’s always fun to be able to discover new brands, and we are beyond thrilled that we’ve been selected to receive this quarter’s #RANBonusBox.
We owe thanks to Rakuten Marketing and the brands that have been so kind to participate in the Bonus Box, because we have discovered some great brands that we otherwise might never have known existed. We’re still raving about Ole Henriksen because their products have done amazing stuff for our skin. Their 3 Little Wonders are now part of our regular beauty regimen. So, thanks again Rakuten.
So what’s in the box?
Monica Vinader Fiji Chain bracelet
About the brand:
Monica Vinader is a British luxury jewelry brand. They create “instantly wearable, contemporary pieces to style, stack and personalise with engraving”. They list among the famous names who love the brand: Emma Watson, Olivia Palermo and the Duchess of Cambridge.
About the Fiji bracelet
The Fiji bracelet is said to be the brand’s “iconic friendship bracelet”. It’s features include a smooth, curved bar and an adjustable fit. It is an 18ct Rose Gold Vermeil on Sterling Silver bracelet. Recommended to be worn layered with your other favorite bracelets and bangles.
Foreo Luna mini revolutioary t-sonic facial cleansing device
About the brand
Foreo is a brand that “focuses on using technology and forward-focused insights to create revolutionary solutions that change existing standards in the pursuit of making people’s lives better.”
About the LUNA Mini
The LUNA Mini is a skincare device that is said to deliver “deep yet gentle” facial cleaning in oe minute via “innovative T-Sonic pulsing technology”.
It promises that it will improve your complexion in just 3 days by “gently cleansing away blemish-causing impurities”, and in so doing leave your skin looking “cleaner, healthier and glowing” and improve the absorption of your other skincare products.
timetospa – Elemis beauty product samples
About the brand
timetospa provides to you “a respite from the chaos of modern life”. Whatever you need to look and feel your best each and every day they promise they can provide it. Pamper yourself with the luxury brands used in elite spas and on luxury cruise ships worldwide. Also get access to the tips and secrets that will help you “achieve the beauty you deserve – both inside and out”.
About the Product Samples
Elemis Total Glow Bronzing Moisturizer – a daily moisturizer that will help you develop a “subtle gradual tan” on the top layer of your skin.
Elemis Pro-Radiance Illuminating Flash Balm – a product that will instantly brighten your complexion and help your skin to “exude health and vitality”.
Elemis Pro-Radiance Cream Cleanser – Said to be more than just an anti-aging cleanser. It promises that it will actually withdraw impurities while simultaneously infusing your skin with anti-aging properties.
Elemis Pro-Collagen Marine Cream Ultra-Rich – A cream that is said to be clinically proven and specially formulated to intensively nourish and moisturize dry and dehydrated ski.
DL1961
About the brand
Based in New York City and specializing in “high performance and technologically advanced denim” DL1961 states that their denim is “engineered to be a utility” with “98% shape retention, 360 degree movement and a wide variety of washes, fabrics & weights” to provide their customers with “denim that outperforms everything in their closet”.
a mission to create “the perfect fitting jean”, using the revolutionary technology XFIT LYCRA®.
Celebrities seen wearing this brand include: Kim Kardashian, Kylie Jenner, Selena Gomez, Jennifer Lawrence, Eva Longoria, Alessandra Ambrosio, Rihanna, Gabrielle Union, Halle Berry, Jenna Dewan, Blake Lively, Lupita Nyong’o, Emmy Rossum.
e.l.f. – Eyes Lips Face Party Ready Day to Night EyeShadow Palette
About the brand
The stated mission of e.l.f. eyes lips face is to “empower and educate women to play in innovation without sacrificing their budget.”
The folks at e.l.f. Cosmetics believe that beauty comes from within all of us. They offer a line of “luxurious cosmetics” designed to “let your inner beauty shine through” by capturing great looking skin with gorgeous colors and quality ingredients.
We’re still on our burgundy and pink trip. We’re casually clad in burgundy and pink with some white today so we’ve decided to do an outfit idea post built around these three colors.
Depending on who you ask, burgundy and pink are the colors of the season.
Burgundy is one of those colors that can surprise you. You might be tempted to avoid it because it’s not so commonplace and by itself it seems kind of boring, but then you see someone wearing an outfit with burgundy and you realize it’s not that boring a color after all. And it goes surprisingly well with colors you wouldn’t necessarily expect.
Not everyone will agree that burgundy and pink go together but we’re loving the combination.
Our outfit idea pairs a wine red (basically a bright burgundy) Queene and Belle San Moritz cable-knit roll-neck sweater with a pair of pink cotton blend cropped slim fit jeans from Tory Burch. For outerwear we’ve chosen an ivory white oversized coat from Apiece Apart.
For footwear we’ve chosen a pair of Giuseppe Zanotti Fringed Suede Mid-Calf Boots in a burgundy color.
The bag is a brick red Love Moschino Eco Leather Medium Satchel.
The look is accessorized with a pink waffle knit slouch hat, a Giorgio Armani scarf, and yellow gold jewelry.
Item details and price breakdown
Queene and Belle San Moritz cable-knit roll-neck sweater – $895
Tory Burch Cropped Slim Fit Jeans – $191
Apiece Apart Oversized Vida Coat – $695
Giuseppe Zanotti Fringed Suede Mid-Calf Boots – $1075.00
Love Moschino Eco Leather Medium Satchel – $315
Total: $3171.00
Depending on our mood we would go for a pink or wine red lip and wine red or pink nails to go with this look.
Other ways of wearing Burgundy and pink and white…
A burgundy Emilio Pucci Bell Sleeves Ribbed Turtle Neck Sweater worn with burgundy L’Autre Chose Knee High Stiletto Boots, a pink Harris Wharf London Single Breasted Coat and a white Givenchy medium ‘New Line’ shoulder bag.
White turtleneck pink skirt burgundy coat burgundy boots
A pink Cushnie et Ochs Pink Mid Length Body Con Skirt paired with an ivory/cream/white Chloe Classic Turtleneck Sweater, a burgundy Gianluca Capannolo Egg Shaped Coat, a pair of burgundy Diane von Furstenberg Leather Knee Boots, a cream/white Chanel Jumbo Classic Flap Bag and a Vassiliki Folded Solid Gold Choker.
What do you think of our outfit ideas? Would you wear these looks? Do you think burgundy and pink go well together?
Our colors for today were green and black so we’ve decided to do a green and black outfit ideas post.
We think black is one of the best color to wear with green. It tones down the green, especially if it’s a very bold and/or very bright shade of green.
There are other colors that go nicely with green of course, but we don’t think you can ever go wrong pairing black with green. Well, we should probably amend that as it clearly depends on what you’re wearing with what.
Our first green and black outfit idea pairs a green Diane Von Furstenberg dress with black Saint Laurent pumps, a black Saint Laurent clutch and a black Jil Sander navy coat.
We’re thinking this outfit would work best for an early evening affair that requires some dressing up, but nothing too fancy. Not a ballgown type affair but something semi-formal in the kind of company where the ladies dress more modestly. Or it could be worn to work with a more appropriate bag.
Green and black outfit ideas – Look #1
Diane Von Furstenberg dress in green and black Saint Laurent pumps
Item details and price break down
Diane Von Furstenberg Zoe Dress – $527.66
Saint Laurent ‘Janis’ pumps – $704.62
Jil Sander Navy boxy overcoat – $930.54
Saint Laurent ‘Monogram’ clutch – $1,827.45
Just for those 4 items alone you will need $3990.27. Actually you’ll need more to cover taxes. We haven’t included the jewelry in the calculations.
Green and black outfit ideas – Look #2
For our second look we have paired a black Proenza Schouler Off-the-shoulder tweed top with a Thakoon Kelly Green Wool Boucle Flared Hem Skirt. For footwear we’ve chosen a pair of Saint Laurent knee high boots in black suede and for outerwear we’ve chosen a Giambattista Valli black metallic jacquard coat. This look is accessorized with a cute Charlotte Olympia Cactus Crossbody bag, a Vicky Davies Green Tourmaline Gold Ring, a pre-owned 1970s David Webb Green Enamel Gold Bracelet, emerald and diamond stud earrings, diamond gold and Chrome Diopside necklace, and a pre-owned Chanel Gripoix glass ad rhinestone bracelet.
We’re not quite sure to what type of affair this outfit would make a good choice for wearing. Something dressy. Definitely an evening affair.
Item details and price break down
Proenza Schouler Off-the-shoulder tweed top – $1210.00
Thakoon Kelly Green Wool Boucle Flared Hem Skirt – $1250.00
Saint Laurent knee high boots – $1595.00
Giambattista Valli black metallic jacquard coat – $1523
Charlotte Olympia Cactus Crossbody – $699
To get this look without the jewelry included it will cost you $6277
What do you think of our green and black outfit ideas? Would you wear either of these looks? We’d love to hear what you think, even if you think our outfit ideas suck. Tell us how you would make the looks more interesting.
The 2015 Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show is just weeks away.
From what we can tell lots of people are very excited for the upcoming #VSFashionShow.
For sure Kendall Jenner is beyond excited. If we’re recalling correctly, Kendall once said it was her dream to model for Victoria’s Secret. Well, her dream is about to come true. She will be making her Victoria’s Secret Show debut this year, sharing the stage with seasoned veterans Adriana Lima and Alessandra Ambrosio, as well as Behati Prinsloo, Candice Swanepoel and Lily Aldridge.
For those of you who plan to watch, the show will air on CBS at 10PM on December 8th 2015.
We’ve never actually seen a single Victoria’s Secret fashion show before, and we don’t have any plans to watch the 2015 show. But it’s not because we have specific objections to the show.
Some people think Victoria’s Secret as a brand is exploitative and demeaning to women. We’re not sure what to think to be completely honest. While we do see how some people might arrive at the conclusion that Victoria’s secret is anything but empowering to women (apparently this is their stated mission–to empower women), we also can’t help but think this is one of those things that can just be left alone. Not everything that is not ideal necessarily needs to be built up into a big enough issue to where battles become necessary to be fought.
We’re all for the kind of female empowerment that helps girls value themselves for who they are and not for how they look and how many admiring eyes they can attract. But we’re not convinced that there’s anything so extremely wrong with young women enjoying being young women. Courting the attentions of the opposite sex is a natural and normal part of being human. And one of the ways that some women do this is by the way they dress. Victoria’s Secret appeals to a demographic of women who are at that stage of life where everything is about sex and having sex appeal. They want to look sexy. They want to feel sexy. This does not mean they think that their only purpose in life is to attract men and that their only worth is in how they look. We’re confident that today’s young women are much smarter than they get credit for being. And they can enjoy all the Victoria’s Secret sexiness and fun without compromising their dignity, lowering their self-worth and setting women back centuries.
LONDON, ENGLAND – DECEMBER 02: Victoria’s Secret models Doutzen Kroes (L) Allessandra Ambrosio (R) walks the runway during the 2014 VS Show on December 2, 2014 in London, England. – Copyright: fashionstock / 123RF Stock Photo
Is Victoria’s Secret exploitative and are the brand’s marketing tools (fashion shows, catalogs, commercials etc) demeaning to women?
Today we came across an article titled “Victoria’s Dirty Little Secret” on the blog Beauty Redefined. We’re definitely on board with any movement that aims to redefine beauty such that future generations of women will no longer value themselves based on how flawless their skin looks, how much they weigh, their bra size, how their butt is shaped, how curvy they are, how long and lustrous their hair is, how perfectly their facial features fit the accepted standards of beauty, how many men want to take them to bed and so on.
The article in question seemed to have as its aim to expose Victoria’s Secret for their hypocrisy in claiming that their brand and their products are about female empowerment when in fact it’s all about catering to men’s desires. And we can certainly see their point. But we still think this is one of those things that isn’t necessary to make a fuss about. The authors of the article may well be correct in their claims as to the true intentions of Victoria’s Secret. But at the end of the day, women have a choice to buy the company’s products or not. And you can’t really blame a company for the success of their marketing efforts can you? It’s not as if their target market are a bunch of gullible children.
By the time a girl purchases her first Victoria’s Secret bra and panties for the primary purpose of entertaining her boyfriend, she has already been exposed to alternate points of view. She knows she doesn’t have to buy and wear the thong and the pasties if she doesn’t want to, but she chooses to buy and wear them because she wants to. It’s not the fault of Victoria’s Secret and it’s not the fault of the guys who will get to enjoy seeing her in her sexy lingerie. And when all is said and done, if she’s happy, and if the guy is happy what’s the problem?
Yes the company that is Victoria’s Secret makes a lot of money off of women entirely because they have become so well and thoroughly established as the intimates brand to wear if you’re young and sexy. And part of their success comes from marketing their brand in a manner that makes it seem like they’re all about helping women to grow confident in their sex appeal and to own their power over the men who would objectify them. But we don’t think their success comes strictly as a result of convincing women of their message that wearing Victoria’s Secret lingerie is empowering. We think women are smart enough to know the difference. But they buy the lingerie anyway because they want to be sexy. And what’s really so wrong with that?
Does the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show encourage the objectification of women?
Like we’ve said, we’ve never watched one of the Victoria’s Secret fashion shows; but we’ve seen enough and read enough to be aware that it’s a very sexy event with lots of T & A on display.
It has always seemed to be a bit much to us; but as we were browsing through stock photos from past events we noticed that the models look like they’re having so much fun. It occurred to us that if the models who are wearing the sexy lingerie and parading all up and down while people are watching them–if they are having a blast, and if the audience is having a blast, and if the millions of people watching on television are enjoying the show, how much of a bad thing can it be? People are just having a little fun. We don’t always have to take ourselves so seriously all the time. For some people the show is about leering at and objectifying women, yes; but we want to be believe that for the majority of people in the audience and at home watching on television it’s about the show and the entertainment. It’s about having fun and that’s a good thing. Let women make their own choices. Invest the energy into battling the real problems, and then maybe everything else will fall into place.
By the way, if you’re planning to watch the 2015 Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show and you’re wondering what models will be doing the show this year, we got this list from WWD (source)
Is there something wrong with wearing all black to work on a Monday morning?
It’s Monday morning and we’re decked out in all black.
As we were preparing to do a ‘Black Monday‘ outfit post it occurred to us that there are probably a few stylists out there who would suggest that wearing all black to work on a Monday morning is not a good idea. So we turned to Google to see what we could find on the subject of wearing all black to work on a Monday morning.
We asked Google:
Is it okay to wear all black to work on a Monday?
We came across a few interesting articles, but surprisingly we didn’t stumble across any lists of do’s and don’ts for what to wear to work on a Monday morning that had any rules about wearing all black.
First an all black outfit idea for work…
How to copy the look…
The rich girl copy
Pair a black turtleneck sweater with a black pencil skirt and add a black single button blazer. Finish the look with a pair of black pumps and black tights. Accessorize with a chic black leather briefcase.
Now back to the discussion on wearing all black to work on a Monday morning
One of the articles we came across via Google examined the possible psychological reason behind someone’s choice to wear all black to work on a Monday morning. Are you wearing all black by conscious fashion choice? Or all you wearing all black (consciously or subconsciously) because you feel a bit low and depressed and dark and uninspired to face the week?
Possible sub-conscious reasons we’re wearing all black to work on a Monday Morning…
We feel fat – they say black is slimming.
Maybe without knowing it we choose to wear all black on a Monday morning because we overindulged on fattening chocolates over the weekend and feel like we’ve put on a few pounds.
We feel depressed – black is the color of mourning.
Maybe our reason for wearing all black to work on a Monday morning has something to do with how we’re feeling. Maybe we’re unhappy about something (our relationships, our on-going struggle to achieve our goals, the negative balance in our bank accounts), and we just feel totally uninspired. So we sub-consciously chose an all black outfit that reflected how bleak we are feeling.
Our maybe we’re wearing all black to work on a Monday morning just because that’s what we happen to be wearing.
There are no rules that say you can’t wear all black to work on a Monday morning…
We started the day trying to do a shoot to capture some photos to illustrate the Burgundy Black Friday feature we planned to write much earlier in the day; but we had some hiccups.
Burgundy Black Friday is practically over and here we are only now getting around to doing this feature (with no awesome images to go with it :().
The point of burgundy black Friday was to wear burgundy and black in some combined form today. Burgundy is still having a moment. It’s one of the hot colors of fall 2015.
Here is an outfit that is pretty similar to what our editor in chief wore today for Burgundy black friday.
Basically, she wore a burgundy semi sheer Forever21 tie bow blouse with a black leather pencil skirt, black tights with burgundy socks and her several years old faux leather black ankle boots.
Here’s what the tights boots and socks looked like.
We know–you’re wondering WHY?? with the burgundy socks, but she wanted to try something different…
The boots and tights aren’t nearly as extravagant as the Hogan boots and Saint Laurent tights shown in the similar outfit picture. Her boots were about $40 compared to the $429 for the Hogan boots (you can find these at farfetch.com). And her tights were between $5 – $10. The Saint Laurent tights are $410.92 (can you believe a pair of tights can cost $410?) If you can afford four hundred dollar tights, you can pick up a pair of these Saint Laurent classic stockings at farfetch.com
The RED Valentino silk blouse above can be purchased via stylebop.com. It comes with a $415 price tag. It is a 100% silk top and is actually cranberry red which is a deep red that looks burgundy. The Blazer is a $555Paul Smith black wool single button blazer. The skirt is a Plein Sud Black leather blend pencil skirt. It comes with a $1,350 price tag. And the bag is a Class Roberto Cavalli Pantera Nera Black Embossed Leather Satchel Bag. You can find the bag via Forzieri.com. It comes with a $515 price tag.
By contrast the burgundy blouse worn by our editor in chief was a thrift shop purchase. It’s from Forever21 and made of polyester. And the blazer was also a thrift shop purchase.
Don’t wear this outfit to the grocery store…
Our editor in chief went to the grocery store in her burgundy blouse and black leather skirt outfit today.
Her advice: only go to the grocery store dressed as above if you’re heading to the grocery store straight from work. If you’re getting dressed specifically to go grocery shopping and you’re going to be shopping for at least an hour, wear a comfortable outfit. Mostly make sure you’re wearing comfortable shoes. But don’t look like you’re coming from the office if you left straight from home to the grocery store and you’re going from the grocery store straight back home with no plans to head to the office.
The above outfit is better suited for a day at work.
For the grocery store, if you want to do black and burgundy, try black jeans and a burgundy top or a burgundy sweater, or burgundy jeans and a black top or sweater.
The last time I went shopping at my local Goodwill, I found a floral silk blouse that I thought would come in handy for my style practice blog posts. It’s probably not something the fashion experts would call fall season appropriate. But I thought I’d attempt a fall outfit post with the blouse anyway.
The blouse is very brightly colored and the floral pattern is very busy.
It’s definitely not a blouse that’s going to escape notice.
I find I like the way this floral silk blouse looks with a purple skirt so I’ve put an outfit idea together pairing the blouse with a purple T By Alexander Wang mini skirt.
I still can’t figure out what color shoes would work with the combination of the top and the purple skirt. I figured I’d go with black just to cut back on the bold bright colors a bit. Probably the skirt and blouse provide enough color between them. But I kind of like the idea of a bright pink coat. This is not an outfit being envisioned for everyday wear. More of an outfit for a photoshoot done to illustrate bold bright color outfit ideas.
Some people say grown women shouldn’t wear tights; but I like the idea of purple tights with the outfit.
Would I actually wear this outfit in public? It’s hard to say. I can’t think of a place where the outfit would make a good choice. Maybe it could be office appropriate without the tights, the bright fuchsia coat and the ankle boots.
The Makeup…
I had a little fun in photoshop, Perfet365 and on tazz.com digitally applying makeup to a photo I took of myself last week wearing the floral silk blouse. The blouse is a little big for me and I took the photos with the shoulder pads still in. I’ve since removed the shoulder pads. I guess the blouse must be quite a number of years old because the shoulder pads were pretty ridiculous.
As for the makeup:
I went with green and pink eye shadow, and magenta pink lips.
I think these colors work nicely with the blouse when it’s worn with a purple skirt. Of course it will be necessary to go with shades of pink and green that not only work with the blouse and skirt but also with my complexion.
I like the idea of a lavender pink nail color and lavender and/or magenta accessories.
So what do you think of my outfit idea?
Let me know what you think of the suggested outfit, even if you think it’s completely hideous and not something you’d ever wear.
I’d love to hear your thoughts on whether or not it looks like an appropriate style for an over 35 woman or if the tights and the bright fuchsia coat give an impression of a teeny bopper?
And what about the shoes? I’d have loved to go with a color other than black but I couldn’t think what color might work. Rust orange is a possibility; but that might really take things too far over the top with the colors.
If you have a better idea for how to style this floral silk blouse let me know. I’d love to hear it.
A few weeks back we were browsing some sites when we came across a page of pink and burgundy fashion clothing items. We thought the combination of pink and burgundy looked pretty good.
Both pink and burgundy appear to be trending colors this fall season.
Today, for pink and burgundy Wednesday, we are putting together some outfit ideas featuring pink and burgundy combinations.
Pink Marni sweater burgundy chestnut Joseph skirt
This first look pairs a pink cashmere and wool crew neck sweater from Marni with a chestnut burgundy leather skirt from Joseph.
This would make for a pretty fuss free outfit that can be as laid back or stylish as you desire simply by choosing the right shoes, accessories and outerwear.
For our look we’ve elevated the chic points with the addition of a pair of Tory Burch leather knee high boots, and a Fendi Sienna (burgundy brown), charcoal, and Dove Grey colorblocked shearling Peekaboo satchel.
To make the outfit even more stylish we’ve selected a rust orange ALBERTO BIANI Double breasted coat, a Links of London watch, and a pair of Jennifer Alfano18K Gold Baby Bullseye Ruby Stud earrings.
To get your hands on this exact outfit it will cost you $11082.29, largely due to the $6,250 price tag of the Fendi bag. Needless to say you don’t need a six thousand dollar bag, or for that matter a $900 skirt, $800 sweater or a $900 coat. You can always shop for affordable alternatives to the items above.
Burgundy Zac Posen top with pink Tibi wrap skirt
What about if you flip the switch?
Does a burgundy top with a pink skirt work as well as a pink top with a burgundy skirt?
In look #2 we paired a burgundy red Zac Posen cashmere sweater top with a pink TIBI stretch crepe wrap skirt.
While conducting our virtual experiment we found that it was more difficult to put the right combinations of pink and burgundy together when the skirt is pink and the top is burgundy.
Pink skirts can difficult enough to style by themselves. Not all shades of burgundy will blend nicely with all shades of pink (at least that’s our inexpert conclusion).
The rest of the look includes a pair of burgundy knee high boots, a burgundy bag and a dusky rose coat.
Max Mara Dusky rose alpaca and wool blend coat- $1553.58
Lucque Paris Tote Burgundy Embossed Croc – $529.90
Look #2 will cost you a total of $3900.48 — a lot more affordable than look #1 but still a bit pricey for the average girl.
What’s the most common pink and burgundy combination?
Based on our observations, it seems as if a pink top worn with a burgundy bottom is a more common pink and burgundy combination than a burgundy top worn with a pink bottom.
Other interesting ways to wear pink and burgundy include wearing a pink coat over a burgundy dress or over an outfit that pairs a burgundy top with burgundy pants; or accessorize an outfit that prominently includes pink with burgundy shoes or a burgundy bag. You can also accessorize a pink dress with a burgundy necklace and burgundy bracelets.
You can accessorize burgundy with pink, but we think burgundy accessories are more versatile and flexible than pink accessories. So it’s probably better to accessorize a pink outfit with burgundy accessories than to accessorize a burgundy outfit with pink accessories.
The argan oil hype – is it justified or is the awesomeness of argan oil exaggerated?
Beauty experts have been touting the wonders of Argan oil for a good few years now. Many have been calling it the best ever thing for hair and skin. Some insist that argan oil is so amazing they have been able to toss out all their various bottles and jars of hair and skin products. They insist that argan oil is all they use to achieve and maintain supple youthful skin and sleek, lustrous hair.
With all the hype about Argan oil we wanted to try it ourselves to see if it could possibly be all that people claim.
So we got in touch with Puritan’s Pride. Puritan’s Pride is a company committed to “giving
you the tools to make Healthy Choices for Healthy Living every day”. They sell a wide range of health and wellness related products. They also have an exclusive hair, face and body care line called “Perfectly Pure” and one of the products they carry under this line is the much hyped Moroccan Argan oil. Since we have collaborated with Puritan’s Pride in the past to giveaway some of their other Perfectly Pure products to our lucky readers, we reached out to them to see if they would be willing to provide us with a bottle of their Moroccan Argan Oil to try out and a few additional bottles to give away to our readers. They were kind enough to oblige.
So, for the last few weeks we’ve been putting argan oil to the test using Puritan’s Pride Perfectly Pure Organic Moroccan Argan Oil.
Win a 2 fl oz bottle of Puritan’s Pride Organic Moroccan Argan Oil along with other goodies from top brands including Chanel, Dior, Kate Spade, Marc Jacobs Beauty, Clinique and Estee Lauder (details)
Our editor in chief has been using it in her hair and on her skin, and will soon detail her personal feedback about argan oil, and whether or not the hype is warranted, in a beauty journal entry in the Monica’s Closet blog.
So, Is Argan oil all it’s cracked up to be?
Let’s first examine the claims that are made about Argan Oil.
Has conditioning and anti-aging properties
Revitalizes skin and hair
Treats split ends
Minimizes fine lines
Moisturizes dry skin
Clears up eczema and psoriasis
Reduces the visibility of wrinkles
Plumps and softens lips
Promotes eyelash growth
Promotes the growth of thicker eyebrows
Fades dark spots
Brightens skin tone
Evens skin tone
Softens even the the driest most brittle hair
Leaves hair looking shiny and feeling silky
Treats dandruff and dry itchy scalp
Thickens thinning hair
Re-grows balding hair
Lengthens hair
The list of claims could go on and on. Just about any problem you could have with your skin or your hair, someone somewhere swears that argan oil can fix it.
Can you imagine needing only one product for your skin and hair?
Argan oil sounds like everybody’s dream. It’s natural so you don’t have to be concerned about chemical effects on your skin and hair. You can even cook with argan oil apparently. And it simplifies your beauty routine. No longer will you need to apply ten different products on your skin and hair to combat your various issues. All you’ll have to do is warm up some argan oil by rubbing it between your hands, then rub it into your hair and on your face. And before too long you won’t even be needing to apply makeup. Because argan oil will transform you into a radiant beauty with clear, smooth, airbrush quality skin.
For sure the argan oil hype would be justified if the claims above are true.
But are the claims above true?
We won’t say anything to contradict the people who claim that argan oil has done marvelous things for them. Everybody’s experience will be different. And just because argan oil hasn’t yet transformed us into radiant beauties doesn’t mean the people who say it did that for them are telling false tales.
We did find argan oil useful; but not so useful that we felt it could replace all our other hair and skin products. It’s useful enough to become an additional product in the arsenal; but we wouldn’t rely on it for hardcore things like minimizing fine lines, reducing the visibility of wrinkles, fading dark spots, thickening thinning hair, regrowing balding hair, brightening skin tone, evening skin tone etc..
It does seem to soften hair and make hair look shinier. Used with other product it does seem to help keep lips looking soft and plump. And while it’s still early to say for sure, our resident tester thinks that it combines well with aloe vera gel to give length to eyelashes. She doesn’t want to claim the combination is growing her eyelashes just yet; but it looks promising.
So should you buy into the argan oil hype?
We think the argan oil hype is a bit exaggerated. However, we do believe that argan oil has benefits that make it worth adding to your list of products that you use on your skin and hair. Mostly we think mixing it with other things to enhance them by adding the benefits of argan oil to the benefits your regular products provide is the way to go. You definitely will not throw out all your other products and start relying solely on argan oil. The people who claim they did that probably didn’t have much to fix in the way of bad hair and bad skin.
If you’re working with hair and skin that need major help, you’re going to need more than a bottle of Moroccan argan oil.
But you should definitely include argan oil among your weapons of battle.
For your lips, use it with your preferred lip balm. For your hair, add some to your preferred hair moisturizer. (You’ll definitely want to read about an amazing moisturizer our editor in chief has concocted with argan oil and an unlikely product). For your eyelashes and eye brows (to possibly grow them), mix argan oil with aloe vera and use a clean mascara brush to apply the mixture to your eyelashes and eye brows. For your face, mix it with cinnamon and blackstrap molasses and/or honey and a dash of paprika to create the world’s most amazing exfoliating scrub.
Don’t buy the hype, but do buy the oil. It won’t transform you into a ravishing beauty with thick lustrous hair and radiantly glowing skin. But it will help you in your quest to improve the condition of your skin and your hair and minimize your myriad flaws.
About the product – Perfectly Pure Moroccan Argan Oil-2 oz Oil
What it is: Argan Oil naturally contains essential fatty acids and antioxidants such as Vitamin E, and is trusted for its ability to hydrate both your skin and your hair. What it does: As a natural emollient, Moroccan Argan Oil helps restore moisture and balance to dry, thirsty skin and hair. Add a few drops of this hydrating oil to your bath for a truly decadent experience, or enjoy it every day as a moisturizer for your skin, and to help tame frizzy hair. What its completely FREE OF: Parabens
Want to win a bottle of Perfectly Pure Moroccan Argan Oil-2 oz Oil? We’re dropping one of these in our first #MFWFanBox along with tons of other awesome goodies including products from brands such as Chanel, Dior, YSL, Estee Lauder, Kate Spade, Fossil, Clinque, Urban Decay, Bobbi Brown and more. Entry period is from November 1st 2015 – December 15, 2015. (more details)
You can enter the giveaway by entering your email below:
