5

On Shuffle

8.31.2011

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Dream closet right here.

from l to r: Chloé, See by Chloé, James Perse, Asos Shoes, Alexander Wang, Asos
Thoery, Acne, Acne, Opening Ceremony, Christie Martin Jewelry, Marc by Marc Jacobs
Marni, Mara, Christian Louboutin, Jcrew Men's, Maison Martin Margiela, APC


I've basically come to realize that what I like to wear is really anchored upon just wearing basics with a twist. Give me a tastefully placed cut-out or something that has a little extra fabric in certain places and I'm good to go. It just makes throwing pieces together all that much easier.

Btw I would totally wear the crap out of that Asos ring. Must...buy...

30

An End, A Beginning

8.29.2011

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Jacket c/o Astars, Upson Downes blouse, Forever 21 shorts, Thrifted belt, Zara boots, bag c/o Rebeca Minkoff

Irene has come and gone! The city suffers with scattered fallen trees and some train lines still down, but other than that, there is barely a sign that a hurricane came through here. Today was absolutely gorgeous, a perfect day to return to normalcy.

My very first day back in NYC, I came back to my apartment, ready to start the new school year with all my luggage and belongings. I walked into my unfinished bedroom to find the most amazing array of generosity had come in the mail, and these two pieces from Astars Womens and Rebecca Minkoff were staring at me, making me weak in the knees.

I need a second to focus on the bag. If there's a brand that is 100% worth any price paid for its pieces, it's Rebecca Minkoff. The QUALITY is so fabulous: the design shape, the attention to detail, the quality of the leather... everything is perfect. This bag is kind of magic as well, it hangs flat, but even when you have it stuffed with large items such as, I don't know, an SLR camera, it always appears to be flat and far from bulky. The vintage inspiration of the design is like the chicer sister of what you would inherit from your grandma's closet, absolutely wonderful with the right amount of edge with the studs.

I was happy to throw on the cardigan as it cooled down, it provided the right amount of movement and ventilation for the summer weather, yet was heavy enough to make for the perfect cover-up as dinnertime approached.

Tomorrow is the serious start of classes and I have to say, this summer went by quickly. Tomorrow is the start of a new chapter, and I'm totally gearing for new experiences.

20

The Calm Before

8.27.2011

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Forever 21 shirt, Vintage bells & bag, Cooperative sandals (although ya can't see them), thrifted belt, Warby Parker sunglasses, Acessorize Tigereye ring, Jo wrap ring

Nuts. Absolutely nuts. Yesterday was OBSCENELY gorgeous. It was warm, sunny, not too hot, not windy at all...the epitome of the calm before the storm. 

Now the city is bracing itself for something none of us are 100% prepared for. I live on the 8th floor of my apartment building, so we should be safe from flooding and all that fun stuff.

But anyway, I pushed those thoughts out of my head for a day and wore some cheery, bright lipstick from Sephora with my favorite thrift find ever; my studded bellbottoms. This lipstick ("LoveTest 11") is amazing by the way, in these photos, I had been wearing it for 4 hours and didn't need to reapply! The bellbottoms are particularly close to my heart, despite the fact that I pretty much haven't showcased them on my blog yet. I had found them in a thrift store in Buffalo back when I was a Sophomore in high school, and, simultaneously, my best friend Elanna had found the same exact pair at Beacon's closet here in NYC in her size too! 

The bag is a fave too, I picked this weird guy up at my favorite vintage store here in the village and it's a really funky piece to add to something shapeless and loose or, in this case, 70's-inspired. I was apprehensive at first about wearing so much blue, but the basket bag fits my essentials and it was my only unpacked, un-hardware'd bag, so there. I plan to wear it next with a shift dress and loafers when there's not not, y'know, a hurricane outside.

5

FrizzFreeFriday: Product Redux & Snapple Facts

8.26.2011

Welcome to another installment of FFF, well, technically, this is the first one ON a Friday, but cut me some slack I'm moving into an apartment ova here.

Apologies for the lack of outfits/posts in general, moving in is still in process and I still have much to unpack. On TOP of that, my room mates Jenny & Nadia and I are preparing for Hurricane Irene with much stress since we live RIGHT off the Hudson in Alphabet City. Wish us luck!

So thank you to everyone who left some tips & quips in the comments. Readers Re and; The Beauty Beat and Maryebe brought some great fodder to the discussion table and have brought up what alternatives to mousse there are. I actually prefer crémes most of the time when my hair is as short as it is now, it's pliable, non-"crunchy" and de-frizzing most of the time. Here are my faves that I had left here in NYC:

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All 3 are great shapers, especially if your hair is shorter.

Hercut's curly long layers duoI bought a bottle of this at Sephora a while back when my hair was down to my shoulders. These folks are serious about the individualism of hair types and cuts, creating products that fit very specific needs from sleek and straight styles to short, blunt cuts and wavy lengths. This stuff is great because it's a créme and gel in one, it does all the work for you! When my hair was longer, this wasn't really a show-stopper since it works best with a lot of layers, and mine had grown out. I had to use a TON of it to get even coverage and it didn't really lift my hair. But after I had gotten my hair cut shorter and with a ton of layers, it worked beautifully and made my curls even.

Devachan's Arc AnGEL: The folks over at Devachan were wonderfully generous and bestowed this product unto me when I came in for a cut. Gels scare me because, well, we all know that one person who REALLY loves their gel and gets that crunchy, always wet-looking texture. The difference between the gel they're using and this one is that this gel is SUPER light and just a few scrunches after it has dried in your hair breaks up the tight curls it creates and leaves shiny, bouncy ringlets.

Sebastian Potion 9: One of the perks of fashion week is being able to try out some of the newest beauty products as well as some best-sellers. It's like, the best marketing ever because almost every gift bag I've gotten has introduced me to products that I get ADDICTED to, like this one, which was given out at the Dannijo preview last fall. I like to mix this all-purpose styler with leave-in conditioner and let it air-dry, it's a really great product that just lifts your hair with new body.

Washing Your hair

Another reader comment that was brought up was the temperature at which one should wash their hair. For a solid amount of time, I washed my hair in cold water since it made my hair appear shiny and healthy. This was and is a MAJOR misconception:

Cold water shuts the hair cuticle and keeps it from frizzing, this is true, however, the shine we see in our hair when we rinse with cold water is in fact all of the dirt and conditioner ALSO sealed into our hair. YUCK! So it turns out the best way to go is to wash with lukewarm water that won't strip as much from your hair.

That's it for this installment! I'll be back with regular posts soon since it seems I'll be having a lot of time on my hands staying inside while a hurricane rages up here on the East coast. Oh, and here's a preview of a very new haircut I have and am obsessed with thanks to Arrojo salon! I have honestly never been more satisfied with a cut. I'll keep y'all on your toes on that and give a more in-depth report soon! Until then, stay awesome everyone and to my fellow New Yorkers and those in the path of Irene, stay safe!!

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(Nail polish is OPI's "Sparrow Me the Details")

15

Hair Questions: Answered!

8.20.2011

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Hair Time!
I get asked about my hair a lot, it's probably one of my most frequently asked questions on my blog. I've had my hair just like this since I was about fifteen or sixteen when I modeled in a hair expo, and since then I've really become "one" with my curls. It's been a process and I'm still learning new tricks every now and then, but since I'm not a makeup aficionado, it's all I got. I'm super excited to share my routine with you, my lovely readers!

 So first and foremost, if you have naturally curly hair, understand that your hair has different (and sometimes more difficult) needs than straight hair does. Your hair is naturally dehydrated all the time, so infrequent washes are essential, no more than 3 times a week

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I use a super moisturizing shampoo/conditioner from Devachan, THE masterminds behind curls. Remember when I got my hair cut at their salon last November? I've never been the same since, hair-wise of course. I tend to rotate my hair products every couple of months or so though to keep things fresh. Another great shampoo/conditioner combo for curly hair is L'Oreal's Sulfate Free line, which hydrates beautifully and doesn't weigh your hair down with sulfates. I gave this to my boyfriend to try out and it literally changed his hair like magic it made it so healthy. I also use Miss Jessie's Baby Buttercream conditioner when I need an extra conditioning boost with my styling products.

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As far as styling products go, I like to keep things super simple so that my curls aren't weighed down a ton. In totale, it's Tresseme's Climate Control mousse, Sally Hershberger's shaggy style boost and Frederic Fekkai's color glaze for sunscreen. The style booster keeps things controlled while the mousse adds some amazing humidity blockage and gives curls perfect shape. While I'm on the subject, let me just rant a bit about mousse. Here is a mistake all my friends make and it drives me nuts. Here is the CORRECT amount of mousse you should be using, times 2 if your hair is long:

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NOT THIS:

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Dear God, minimal is key! let's avoid the spaghetti curls and just take it down a notch. The less your hair is heavy with product, the better the outcome.

Now, it's best to air-dry. Blow-drying just dehydrates your hair more and makes it limp and frizzy. Yes, diffusers are groozy, but my experience with them has been crap, no matter what temperature I use them at, they frizz out my hair. If you can't air-dry and you have an event the next day, it helps to go to bed with your hair a little damp. If you have the time, here's my method to shaping my curls:

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Scrunch your damp hair with a little bit of product, after this though, don't touch your hair! I know this isn't an army camp or ceramics class, but this is essential! The oils in your hands tend to make hair more frizzy

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Part your hair and section it off a bit and hold sections by the root

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At the root, grab a clip and clip the section into a little "mountain". I know it sounds silly and you might look sillier with a bunch of mountains on your head, but this technique is amazing at giving volume! It picks the hair right up!

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Keep these guys in until your hair is dry and voila! Volume galore!
Now, if like so many other curly girls out there, you find yourself with that one section of hair without bounce or spiral, I learned this tip from my amazing manager Karen over at DBA, who is the queen of curls!

Take the limp section and wrap it into a curl and secure with a clip

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High fives for over-exsposure!
Now spray with water and let dry, but not too close to your head or you'll just have one super-boingy lock

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Lifesaver, seriously. I get cowlicks ALL THE TIME and this just perks things right up!

Hope you guys liked this tutorial! If you have any more inquiries or if you feel like I left something out, keep 'em coming! I am here to serve! I think I'll be starting a routine of beauty-related posts on Fridays when I and call it "Frizz-Free Friday" (Credit goes to Reesa over at DBA for the cute name, I'm not that clever) So questions, answers, tips, I'd love to share yours and mine! Feel free to comment or hit me up on Twitter or ask a question at my Tumblr :]

Have a great weekend, everyone!

6

Stylin' Fall Looks & My Interview with Glamour Kills

8.19.2011

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Super excited to share my styling collab with Glamour Kills! I had the awesome opportunity to just have some fun and style and model the coolest tees from their FW line! Whilst in their NYC offices, a sort of behind-the-scenes + interview was filmed, which I give to you:


Yes, bask in my awkwardness!
**NOTE: Totally meant to say how "Blogging" was gaining importance in the industry, not "Fashion". Niiice!

You can peep my profile/bio here too!
Thanks to everyone at the Glamour Kills team for the super awesome opportunity!
Dream on, Dreamers

8

The Cold Shoulder

8.18.2011

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Thanks again for being awesome Kim!
F21 shirt, Silence & Noise jeans, Coach Men's belt, Restricted boots, Jcrew bag, Eye ring from Etsy

I can barely begin to tell y'all how long I was looking for a cold shoulder shirt! Unsurprisingly, Forever 21 was in supply and it has become one of those no-brainer pieces that I can just throw over a more constructed piece to make it more down to earth, or just wear to make something less boring, which is kind of the approach I took here. Another fantastique afternoon was spent with Natalie & Kim, you really can't have a bad afternoon if it's full of Vietnamese food, friends and laughs!

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Eventing: Rebecca Minkoff & Coach

8.15.2011



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So I've been embarrassingly behind on this, but this summer has been jam-packed with some great events that I've been wanting to share with you guys! So happy to report that Fall is lookin' mighty fantastic and we've all got a lot to look forward to! Click below to see just what I've been up to!

15

Heading Out

8.12.2011

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Thanks for the photo skills, Kim!
Upson Downes shirt (Having a moment with how epic that Label name is!), Lucca Couture shorts, Pilcro and the Letterpress (also an epic name) acorn flats c/o Anthropologie

As I'm typing this post out, I'm seated on my bus returning to Buffalo for one last week before I move all my things to NYC. Fun fact, a bus with internet and power strips is called a "neon bus"evidently. This last week has been an absolute blast! I loved every second of event hopping around and seeing so many familiar faces in the process. I wore this today after hitting up a morning breakfast event with Doc Martens. If I seriously could I'd wear this every day, weather pending of course! The shirt and shorts are brand new additions that were quickly purchased however I toooottally can see myself keeping them forever. After I had gotten them,I had noticed that the shorts reminded me of a dress I wore as a little girl with the double layers and black wriggle ribbon detailing, so that just maks me love them a little bit more.

13

After the Rain

8.10.2011

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Outfit photo props to Natalie!
Cheap Monday blouse, vintahhhge silk slip (borrowed from my roomie Jenny), Zara boots, BDG satchel

Oh surprise, surprise this blouse is back! I'm in the city for events, and I made damn sure this thing was packed. I caught up with miss Natalie, off duty of course, and we spent an evening stuffing our faces with Malasian food, rattling around SoHo and Chinatown like fools and conversatin' about it all. It had DOWNPOUREDDDD like crazy cakes just an hour before we met up, so the city had that lovely after-the-rain clearness about it.

More events to hit up and more adventures to be had, until then, peace out my lovelies!

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