Tag Archives: beautydart

July 29, 2011 · 9:30 pm

Beauty in the Movies: Don’t Tell Mom the Babysitter’s Dead

Don’t Tell Mom the Babysitters Dead is one of the best movies ever, please don’t be misled by the title. Sure, if you like super serious movies where you get knocked over the head by meaning and intense emotion and all that, then fine, you might not agree, but if you were a girl who was growing up in the 90s, you probably love this film—and there’s no shame in that, only pride!

DTMTBD is like Working Girl for the 90s teen set, only kind of better because the fashion is way more fun. When Sue Ellen (or “Swell” for short) Crandell’s mom decides to jet off to Australia with her new boyfriend leaving her five children alone for the summer, at first they think they’re going to have the time of their lives. So it comes as quite a surprise when an old woman shows up at the door proclaiming to be their babysitter. It’s even more of a surprise when she drops dead leaving the kids with no money.

Sue Ellen soon realizes that, being the oldest, she’s in charge of her ramshackle gang of siblings for the rest of the summer. She and her burn-out brother Kenny (Keith Coogan) toss a frozen pizza to decide who will get a job and who will stay home with the kids. Sue Ellen loses the pizza toss, and soon finds herself cleaning fat vats at fast food joint Clown Dog. She quits pretty quickly, but not before meeting Brian (Josh Charles), a cute delivery-guy.

As a result of copying her resume straight from a book, Sue Ellen lands a coveted position as Executive Administrative Assistant at General Apparel West, making an enemy of the original candidate for the position, bitchy receptionist Carolyn (Jayne Brook).

Swell’s killer interview outfit and fake resume may have won her the job, but now Carolyn and her boyfriend (a greasy pre-X-Files David Duchovny) are determined to take her down.

Luckily Sue Ellen has the best boss ever, Rose (Joanna Cassidy) who not only can’t stand Carolyn but also gives us viewers the delightful phrase “I’m right on top of that Rose”, which to this day I still hear in my head when given an important task at work. Unfortunately 17-year-old Sue Ellen is in a bit over her head and things soon unravel, but not before an amazing work montage, beach romance, and some truly amazing 90s fashion.

DTMTBD has stuck around and remained in our hearts because it’s atypical for a teen movie. I love that Sue Ellen has a power-suit wearing female boss who is awesome and supportive instead of evil. It’s also great that while she gives herself her own “business” makeover, her younger brother is really the one who ends up going through a typical physical transformation—haircut, clean clothes, etc.

Swell was a fashion icon for me in my formative years, I still marvel at how she made harem pants and over-sized blazers look so effortlessly hip. Her awesome early 90s friends are also an inspiration, they remind me of the babysitters I had as a kid who I though were just the coolest. girls. ever. Side ponytails, teased hair, chunky jewelry, as far as I’m concerned they still look damn amazing.

Don’t be betrayed by the name, if for some reason you’ve never had the delight of watching DTMTBD, give it a try. It’s great this time of year if you’re working your butt off in business wear and feeling bitter about the tourists and day-trippers that surround you on your commute (I speak from very strong personal experience). It’s worth it alone to watch for the fashion show at the end, but really, whether she is wearing doc martens or shoulder-pads, Christina Applegate is just so damn wonderful. So crank up the AC, microwave some popcorn, and revisit a teen movie with style and charm that far exceed its title.

Beauty in the Movies: Don't Tell Mom the Babysitter's Dead

Maxi dress
$38 – topshop.com

Diane von Furstenberg sheer blouse
250 – net-a-porter.com

Off the shoulder shirt
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Viktor Rolf slim fit blazer
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Freda blue jacket
144 – matchesfashion.com

River Island long jacket
50 – riverisland.com

French Connection harem pants
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Forzieri black leather briefcase
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Dannijo silver cuff bracelet
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Black earrings
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NERIDA FRAIMAN vintage hat
259 – harrods.com

Ray-Ban ray ban sunglasses
€71 – my-wardrobe.com

Calvin Klein wide leather belt
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Cuteberry floral scarve
$16 – yesstyle.com

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January 7, 2011 · 4:12 pm

Beauty in the Movies: The Devil Wears Prada

I had a job interview this week, and on my way I couldn’t help thinking of The Devil Wears Prada. That might sound silly, but it was reassuring to know that even if the interview went badly, it couldn’t possibly be as bad as finding Miranda Priestly (or Anna Wintour) sitting at that desk across from you.

The Devil Wears Prada is the story of Andy Sachs (Anne Hathaway), a Midwesterner in New York, fresh out of college and desperate for experience. Andy wants to be a journalist, but she finds herself at the world’s top fashion magazine, Runway, interviewing to be the assistant of Miranda Priestly (Meryl Streep), a job a thousand girls would kill for. Miranda isn’t just an editor at a fashion magazine, she is the voice of fashion. Her word is the last word, and all other opinions be damned. She is cold, brutal, and unsympathetic, but also elegant, successful and respected beyond compare.

Miranda hires Andy despite her “frumpy” (ahem, I have the j. crew coat she wears in the opening sequence—it’s cute, ok?) appearance in the hopes that she is different from the fashion obsessed girls who usually land the job. While Andy is up for the challenge, the demands of her new position put her relationship with her family, best friend (Tracie Thoms), and boyfriend (Adrian Grenier) into jeopardy. Andy has to choose what’s important to her, but in the process of self discovery there’s also a bunch of montages, a few Madonna songs, a makeover, and some great designer clothes.

This is not the most unpredictable film, but it certainly has its charms, most specifically Meryl Streep’s perfectly frightening portrayal of Miranda. It’s hard to take your eyes off her, everything from the way she enunciates her words, to the cruel flicker in her eyes while torturing Andy with impossible tasks, further propels the believability of her character. Miranda Priestly makes Working Girl‘s Catherine Parker look like a whiny, disheveled brat. Rumor has it the character was based on Anna Wintour, the notoriously steely editor-in-chief of American Vogue, but Streep creates her own Miranda and delivers a woman who is both vicious and awe-inspiring in her approach to life and business.

Emily Blunt is fantastic and funny as Miranda’s other assistant (the 1st assistant), she is the stand-out among the supporting cast and steals all her scenes right out from under Anne Hathaway. Stanley Tucci is also charming, while stereotypical as Nigel Runway’s Art director who is adored by both Miranda and Andy. Simon Baker plays a roguish writer and Valentino and Giselle (proving she shouldn’t quit her day job) make appearances as well.


Most people have had a boss or supervisor whom they’ve found less than pleasing, but this film takes it to new levels. Miranda’s treatment of Andy could be seen as character building—a tough love of sorts, after all she does learn a lot and come out on top in many ways. Unfortunately the ugly side of that coin is that her sadistic treatment virtually ruins Andy’s life, and as we learn, Miranda’s personal life isn’t all roses and sunshine either, leading the viewer to believe that great success comes only with great sacrifice. It’s an issue I wish the movie explored a bit more, because it feels like we’re meant to believe Miranda must be evil in order to be respected, which forgives her cruelty just a tad too much. There is too much of a shine put on everything in this film and the minute you think you might get to look deeper, you’re placated by pretty clothes, which is fine and can be really enjoyable, but it doesn’t make you think too hard either.

The Devil Wear Prada is a fun, entertaining, possibly unrealistic look at the fashion world. It’s also a coming of age film, and a film about figuring out who you want to be as a professional and as a person—but most of all it’s about really pretty clothes, Chanel and Dolce & Gabbana and Patricia Field’s beautiful styling. I’d take a film like this over a bland rom-com with Jennifer Aniston or Katherine Heigl any day, because while it might not be groundbreaking, it’s about something other than just men and cliches. Don’t expect to be surprised by the twisting plot or unconventional characters, just get lost in the brilliance of Meryl Streep and the beauty of Chanel while you sit back and wish you could afford designer clothes.

The Devil Wears Prada

The Devil Wears Prada by justinez featuring peep toe shoes

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Lanvin T-Strap Sandal
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Christian louboutin shoes BLACK
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Gepa Vitello Daino Tote
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Prada handbags »

Marc by marc jacobs bags DARK BLUE
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Leather totes »

Susan caplan vintage jewellery GOLD
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Gold jewelries »

CA & LOU Bracelet
315 EUR – colette.fr
Couture bracelets »

Chanel Gold Medallion Chain Belt
$900 – cmadeleines.com
Chanel belts »

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October 12, 2010 · 1:48 pm

Fabulous Hats

I’ve been meaning to do a post on hats for a long time now, and after watching Glee last week and seeing Kurt’s fabulous church hat, I decided I had to pull it together and make this post happen—so thanks for the inspiration Kurt!

I’ve always admired people who can really pull off an amazing hat. I’ve tried before but I always end up feeling awkward and obstructed somehow. Winter hats are a different story, they’re much-needed and practical, what I’m talking about are statement hats, they draw attention, they express an attitude, and they require a special kind of confidence to pull off.

I put together this collage of fabulous hats worn by fabulous women as inspiration for myself, and maybe for all of you too. Nothing shows off your confidence like an amazing hat.

(Click to enlarge—you want to see these hats!)

I consider this to be the ultimate fabulous hat, so it gets its own picture. If you haven’t seen the film My Fair Lady, it’s worth it just for Cecil Beaton’s costumes and this hat.

One of the reasons I wanted to do this post is because at my wedding in 17 days (Ahhh!!) I will be wearing a hat. I kind of love the idea of a “wedding hat”, it seems so old-fashioned somehow. I had it made at a great little hat shop on Thompson street in the village, they did the purple bow, feathers, and lavender veil custom for me, which I love! Since most bridal salons charge upwards of $200 for a row of Swarovski crystals pinned to a piece of tulle, having a custom wedding hat made doesn’t seem extravagant—it seems like a lot more bang for your buck.


I can’t wait to wear it—it goes perfect with my purple shoes!

Wedding hats—and any statement hat, are a great way to add some pizazz to an outfit, and unlike other fashion risks, you can always just take the hat off if you decide you don’t like it.

Anyone have pictures of themselves in fabulous hats? I’d love to see them!

*Sorry my posting has been so sporadic, this whole wedding thing takes up a lot of time.

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September 22, 2010 · 2:37 pm

A Wedding Miscellany

I’m sorry to do another wedding post, but I have them on the brain. I am breathing, eating, and sleeping weddings recently. Whether it’s putting together my wedding play-list, ordering candy for our wedding candy bar, or painting bridal card boxes for others with upcoming nuptials, it’s a huge part of my life right now.

I’ve written before about the stress of planning a wedding, but there are so many things to keep track of that you can’t keep your mind from running all over the place, so this post might be a bit scattered, and I apologize for that.

All of the illustrations featured below are from an adorable little book my mom bought for me when I got engaged—it’s called The Little Big Book for Brides, and it has all sorts of cute advice, customs, and strange facts you never knew about weddings, here are some examples:

“Feed a cat out of your wedding shoe for good luck”—hmm, kind a gross, but I could try it!

“If in October you do marry , love will come but riches tarry”—this doesn’t surprise me at all, sounds about right actually. Darn.

My favorite part of this book is a whole long excerpt from an article entitled “The Instruction and Advice for the Young Bride”, it was published in an 1894 newsletter and it will blow your mind! For example:

“One cardinal rule of marriage should never be forgotten: GIVE LITTLE, GIVE SELDOM, AND ABOVE ALL, GIVE GRUDGINGLY. Otherwise, what could have been a proper marriage could become an orgy of sexual lust.”

Cracks. me. up. Here’s some more sage advice:

“Clever wives are ever on the alert for new and better methods of denying and discouraging the amorous overtures of the husband. A good wife should expect to have reduced sexual contacts to once a week by the end of the first year of marriage and to once a month by the end of the fifth year of marriage.”

I hope you’re listening ladies!

Moving on, today I am officially starting my pre-wedding diet. I know, I wrote a whole post about how I wasn’t going to let the pressure get to me and I wasn’t going to starve myself, but here’s the thing; I went for my final dress fitting and things changed. The good news is that the dress fits perfectly—too perfectly. It fits so perfectly that breathing is a bit of a problem. If I had money to spare I’d probably just let it out a little, but money is an issue, and the cost of alterations on bridal gowns are astronomical. So in the interest of saving a few hundred dollars, I have to cut back on my beloved cheese, ice cream, fried anything, and all the rest of my favorite foods. It’s just for a month, so I can handle it, and I just need to keep thinking about all the food I won’t be able to eat on my wedding day and my inability to dance if there is no room to move in my dress as motivation. So for the next month I’m counting points, snacking on carrot sticks and praying that come October 29th, I can breathe, move, dance,—and eat comfortably.

To those of you who are getting married soon, or planning on getting married soon, or have some kind of big party or event to plan in general, here is some advice—start planning now. Months ago, even a year ago, I kept poo-pooing things “oh, we have time” I’d say, and now I wish I could go back in time and knock myself upside the head. Not only do I wish I had taken care of some things earlier, but also, spending money in small bursts over a year is far easier than doling out large amounts all at once. So, if you see something you like—whether it be a wedding dress or favors, buy it, or at least bookmark it now, you’ll thank yourself later.

So, right now I have to order my favors, and research hairstyles and follow-up with the florist, the hotel, the venue, and so much more, and every phone call will hopefully soothe a bit of the madness, but really all I can hope is that I fit into that dress and actually get to eat some of my wedding cake, and of course, cheese.

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September 10, 2010 · 4:47 pm

Beauty on Television: Veronica Mars

This week I’m changing things up. Instead of a movie, I’m featuring one of my favorite TV shows—the sadly canceled Veronica Mars. I’ve often been teased for watching it, but I stand by Veronica Mars as being one of the best things on television—ever. A lot of people don’t know what Veronica Mars is, perhaps you’re like me and had the idea it’s about a teen psychic (maybe I got it mixed up with That’s So Raven?) or maybe you think it’s a UPN teen soap-opera in the same vein as The OC, or maybe you’ve just never heard of it at all. Whatever you thought, it’s worth giving a chance, because you might just end up as obsessed with it as I am.

Veronica Mars is a television series about a teenage girl (Kristen Bell) living in one of the wealthiest neighborhoods in Southern California, the fictional town of Neptune—but Veronica lives on the wrong side of the tracks. She used to live on the right side, she used to be one of the popular kids, and she used to be the daughter of the local sheriff, but things change. We meet Veronica a year after she has lost everything, and we watch as she tries to sort out what happened to her life. A year earlier Veronica was happily attending the homecoming dance and pep squad meetings with her best friend Lilly Kane (Amanda Seyfried), she was also dating Lilly’s younger brother Duncan (Teddy Dunne), and living in a big house with her mom and dad. But when Lilly is found dead on her parent’s estate, (they’re the wealthiest family in Neptune) her murder sets off a series of events that will change all the character’s lives forever.

Veronica’s father Keith Mars, (Enrico Colantoni) the sheriff of Neptune, investigates Lilly’s death and believes the wrong man has been arrested for the crime. When Keith accuses the Kane family of foul play in the murder of their own daughter, the town (and the nation) turn against him. Keith is removed from office, leaving the Mars family with no money and no status. After her mom leaves town, Veronica and her dad set up “Mars Investigations” and move into a small apartment on the other side of Neptune.

Veronica Mars recalls another dark television mystery—Twin Peaks, the question on everyone’s mind (especially Veronica’s) being “who killed Lilly Kane?”.

The first season (there are two more) of this series is the best mystery I’ve ever seen played out on TV—and maybe ever. After the first episode you’re hooked, and from then on it’s a ripping yarn to the finale. Each episode follows its own storyline in which Veronica solves a mystery, but the season-wide arch involving Lilly Kane’s murder, keeps you eagerly watching as things unfold.

This show features some heavy issues not often seen on television, let alone a teen show; classism, racism, rape, and violence are all dealt with often throughout the series. Despite the high school setting and the focus on hefty subjects, there is nothing sappy or “after-school special” about this series. The writing is incredible, the characters are diverse and well-developed, and the result is an extraordinarily mature show that was unfortunately sold to a teen audience on UPN. The marketing plan was just all wrong. I used to cringe at the commercials for Veronica Mars, even while I loved it, because it was edited to look like an overly dramatic, cheesy, high school series. I just don’t think they knew how to market it, or who to market it to.

This is one of those rare shows, like My So-Called Life, where the parents and teens are equal characters, fleshed-out and sympathetic, they interact with one another in a believable way. I’d watch a whole show just about Keith Mars, but the bond between Veronica and Keith is what turns this show to gold. Maybe it’s just that Kristen Bell and Enrico Colantoni have incredible chemistry, or maybe they’re both simply great actors, but the father-daughter relationship is what gives the series heart. Their love for each-other is so tangible it has brought me to tears many times (not that it’s hard to make me cry).

The show is packed with great actors, some known and some unknown, but they’re all well cast and each one adds something to the story. There are appearances by well-known actors such as Alyson Hannigan (from Buffy and How I Met Your Mother), Harry Hamlin and wife Lisa Rinna, Ken Marino (from The State), Tina Majorino (Napoleon Dynamite) and lots more. Joss Whedon and Kevin Smith have also made guest appearances because they were both huge fans of the show. The unknown actors are just as skilled as the veterans, rounding out the cast is Percy Daggs III as Veronica’s best friend Wallace, Jason Dohring as the school’s “psychotic jackass” Logan Echolls, and Francis Capra (although to anyone who has seen Kazaam he is hardly unknown) as the leader of high school motorcycle gang the PCHers.

I don’t want to give anything else away—it is a detective series after all. So, I am commanding you to watch this show. Seriously, you should, if you like mysteries, if you like good stories, cliff hangers, and twisting plot lines, you’ll love it. Kristen Bell is excellent, sometimes I still get sad when I realize she is just an actress and not Veronica. I can’t emphasize how refreshing the character of Veronica Mars feels, and it’s a shame we don’t see more female characters like her on television. She is smart as a whip, tough as nails, and full of surprises. Veronica is a role model for all women because of her strength and determination, and she doesn’t let anyone push her around—she will tase you if she has to. She doesn’t have super powers like Buffy, but she does have tons of awesome gadgets and a dog named “backup”. Veronica always does whatever is necessary to find the information she needs, and usually gets herself into heaps of trouble, but more often than not she beats the bad guy, saves the victim, and she always, always, solves the mystery.

So come on, aren’t you just dying to know who killed Lilly Kane?

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Denim Mini Skirt
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Frye Veronica Slouch
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Remembrancer Bracelet
$18 – modcloth.com
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V. Fraas Pinstripe Scarf
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Gap Hoodie cardigan
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September 3, 2010 · 1:57 pm

Beauty in the Movies: Whip It

I wasn’t expecting to like this movie as much as I did. I’ve had moments where I’ve found Drew Barrymore incredibly annoying, but recently I’ve been liking her. It could be that she is one of the few people in Hollywood who has the pull, and the desire, to make more films about women.

Whip It is the story of Bliss Cavendar (Ellen Page), a high school outcast in her Texas town of Bodeen. Her beauty pageant obsessed mother (Marcia Gay Harden) keeps Bliss on a tight leash and is mortified when Bliss seems less than thrilled about the world of pageants. Bliss and her best friend Pash (Alia Shawkat) dream of escaping their “hick town” while working at local eatery—”The Oink Joint” where they wear aprons with pigs on them. After discovering a Roller Derby flier while shopping with her mom in Austin, Bliss and Pash trick their parents into letting them attend. By the end of the night Bliss has a new dream, and despite being only 17 (the league’s only requirement is that you be 21) she sneaks out to the auditions for the team and makes the cut.

Bliss joins the Hurl Scouts, the league’s underdog team who have never won a game. The team also includes Smashley Simpson (Drew Barrymore), Maggie Mayhem (Kristen Wiig), Rosa Sparks (Eve), and Bloody Holly (Zoe Bell), their frustrated coach is played by Andrew Wilson (he’s the third Wilson Brother, as in Luke and Owen). As you can imagine there are some great sports montages and team bonding. There is also a boy, (Landon Pigg) and a great soundtrack. Juliette Lewis captains the league champions, and the Scouts biggest competition, the Holy Rollers, she is pitch perfect as the bitchy, mean, cool-girl you love to hate, but can’t actually hate at all because it’s Juliette Lewis and she’s awesome. There is also a charming performance by Daniel Stern, looking much changed from his Home Alone days, as Bliss’s dopey, but sweet dad.

What’s really freaking great about this movie is that it portrays female relationships with honesty, in a completely un-sappy way. Pash and Bliss have a relationship that reminded me of the ones I had with my close friends in high school. You do stupid things to each other, and then it hurts really bad, but you know you messed up—and then you cry a lot. In this film you understand the characters motivations, you care about them and they feel convincing too, which is a triumph because Ellen Page as a Rolly Derby girl could easily be hard to believe.

This film handles the mother daughter relationship in a way I haven’t seen in too many movies. In a lot of films there are moments where a mother and daughter who fail to see eye to eye have a moment of understanding, but you never really believe they love and care about each other in a profound way. Often, the mother especially, is a cardboard cut-out of an overbearing mother. In this film, you feel the pain on both ends of the conflict, and you see how a mother and daughter can be completely different, and yet need and love one another even when it’s hard to. This isn’t Gordon Bombay dealing with his daddy issues as it relates to the sports competition at hand (I had to get a Mighty Ducks reference in there). This isn’t just a sports movie, it’s also a coming of age story, and it’s about family, friends, and the search to find what you love.

There is also a pretty cool underwater make-out scene.

While my Fiancé and I were watching this movie he turned to me and said “You know, Drew Barrymore makes movies about girls having fun”, and as Cyndi Lauper taught us, that’s really all we want isn’t it? There are a lot of movies where women are trying to find love, or trying to be sexy, but there aren’t too many where they’re trying to find themselves and having a whole lot of fun while doing it. You can tell everyone involved in this movie had a good time, and it really shows through and gives it a great energy. I hope Drew Barrymore continues to make films like this, whether she produces them or directs them, because there is a sad lack of fun female movies available, and us girls really do just want to have fun don’t we?

Put this film on your Netflix queue people, it’s a good time—if you don’t like it, I give you full permission to send me angry e-mails.

Have a GREAT Labor day weekend everyone!! Have some fun, hang out with good people and eat some tasty food, and I’ll see you back here next week!

Tiger Tiger Tee
$5.99 – delias.com
Tiger t shirt »

Green stabstitch plain collar top
14 GBP – debenhams.com
Green tops »

(3-Pack) Full Woven Skirt
$114 – americanapparel.net
American Apparel skirts »

Star Pleat Skirt
$335 – lagarconne.com
Print skirt »

Burton Boot in Black
$250 – blackbirdballard.com
Wolverine boots »

Funky Bangle (Stars)
4.99 GBP – phixclothing.com
Bracelets »

CLOSED 100032 GREEN COTTON M.JACKET
249 GBP – farfetch.com


MAC ‘Greasepaint’ Stick
$18 – nordstrom.com



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August 27, 2010 · 12:13 pm

Beauty in the Movies: A Midsummer Night’s Dream

Sadly summer is coming to a close. This is the last Friday in August, so I thought (although it’s long since midsummer) featuring A Midsummer Night’s Dream would be a nice way to close out the past few months.

(click any image to enlarge)

I’m not going to get into the specific plot, because as with most Shakespeare, it’s complicated. Basically four mortals and a band of actors end up in the woods on a summer evening and have their loves lives unknowingly played with by fairies. If you want to know more specifics about it, read the play, or go here.

The two couples are played by Calista Flockhart (Helena), Anna Friel (Hermia), Christian Bale (Demetrius), and Dominic West (Lysander). The queen of Fairies, Titania, is played by Michelle Pfeiffer, and the king, Oberon, by Rupert Everett.  I personally think Oberon should be a bit more masculine and intimidating despite the title “king of fairies”, but Mr. Everett certainly doesn’t achieve either of those things in this role, so to each his own.  Playing his tricksy sidekick, Puck, is Stanley Tucci. And rounding out the cast supremely well as Bottom the ass, is Kevin Kline. Oh and if all those actors aren’t enough, the dad from Alf (Max Wright) is also in it.

All the performances are decent, some stand-out more than others, but honestly, I saw a production of this by Gorilla Shakespeare in Washington Square park in the 90s and those actors blew all these guys out of the water. Maybe seeing Shakespeare live is just always better. I don’t love this movie for the outstanding performances though, I love it because it’s effing gorgeous and I never get sick of the beautiful sets, costumes, lighting, and music. This is one of those movies I put on just for background noise, because it’s makes me happy and it’s beautiful.

This adaptation is set in Edwardian Tuscany, a bit strange, but it works in its own way. Some die-hard Shakespeare devotees were surely annoyed by it, but it actually suits the story pretty well. The plot involves escaping into the woods, outside the rules of the city, where there are no laws and no propriety, just nature and mischief. The Edwardian and Victorian eras were incredibly repressed and obsessed with decency and modesty, so juxtaposing the refined life of the characters with the wild world of the fairies works nicely. Why Tuscany? I guess because it’s pretty. The original play is set in Athens, Greece.

This adaptation also works because the play itself was incredibly popular during this era. The play was acted out as a major spectacle and the music, written by Mendelssohn, became wildly popular as well. In fact The Wedding March, used in most western weddings is from Mendelssohn’s overture for A Midsummer Night’s Dream. It makes sense, because Shakespeare wrote this play as a wedding gift for a close friend of Queen Elizabeth I, and it was during the turn of the century that much of what we consider western wedding traditions came into practice, like the white dress.

I know this movie only kinda sorta passes the Bechdel test—but whatever. The test has flaws, and when a movie is completely about relationships and all anyone talks about is love, the whole test falls apart. There are many movies that should pass the test in spirit, but don’t technically pass it. The real purpose for the test is to get us thinking, not to limit the movies we watch and enjoy. It’s god-damn Shakespeare for cripes-sakes, even if the parts were originally played by men impersonating women, they still stand up as good female characters, far better spoken and developed then some of the cardboard cutouts we see in romantic comedies today.

A Midsummer Night’s Dream, like most of Shakespeare’s plays, is overflowing with beautiful quotations, but I’ll just choose one and leave you with that. May you all have weekends (and lives) filled with fairy magic!

Studded Slip Dress
$50 – topshop.com
Slip dress »

Sleeveless Tiered Dress
$42 – yesstyle.com
Summer dresses »

Sheerlock Holmes Top
$36 – modcloth.com
Short sleeve blouse »

Victorianna Lace Insert Blouse
15 GBP – oasis-stores.com
Lace blouse »

Vanilla Skies Parasol
$50 – modcloth.com
Umbrellas »

Victorian Bloomers – White
$45 – ladiesemporium.com


Miniature Victorian Oil lamp
riverjunction.com


hair comb
luscious-locks.co.uk


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August 26, 2010 · 1:56 pm

Beauty Grab-Bag: Lush, Sparkle, & Kittens

So for this week’s Grab-Bag I have a few fun things to share. Firstly, my parents were recently in Quebec and my wonderful mother brought me back some Lush goodies (they’re cheaper up there because you don’t have to pay the import tax), including a new cleansing lotion called 9 to 5, and I love it.

It’s made with almond oil and dove orchid extract so it makes your skin really soft. It’s also supposed to be a make-up remover, but if you wear a lot of eye make-up it’s not strong enough to get all of it off. As a cleanser it’s really nice. I usually use a cleanser you have to rinse off with soap, but this one just needs to be wiped away with a face towel—and I tell you, it’s gentler on the skin. So far I’m really liking it.

Another great recent Lush product (recommended by my sister) is this Coconut deodorant powder. I’m a bit powder crazed, so when I saw this was a deodorant I was a little disappointed, but when I found out you can use it like a powder, and it has smell stopping deodorant-like properties, I got excited about it. It smells really nice and coco-nutty, similar to Lush’s trichomania solid shampoo. For the summer, just to be safe, I’ve still be using a real deodorant along with this powder, but I think in the cooler weather I’ll be able to use it alone. Also, as much as we like to pretend it’s not true, we sweat in other places but our underarms—and for the particularly dreaded boob-sweat, this stuff really works wonders!

In a post last week I discussed my search for purple wedding flats, well I found a pair, but they’re not purple. I was at DSW, and I came upon these. They were the most comfortable pair I tried on. Obviously if they were in purple it would be ideal, but silver kind of works too, I just can’t decide if I should keep looking for something similar in purple, or just stick with these.

They were $60, they’re gray suede, and they’re a perfect mix of cute (with the bows) and dress-up (with the sparkle). These pictures don’t do them justice, the sparkle is really nice, and since my dress is tea length and fifties inspired, the pointed style works too.

What say you readers? Keep looking or keep these?

Another recent purchase is this MAC eyeshadow, the color is ‘filament’, it’s very shimmery. It’s the first real eyeshadow I’ve bought at MAC since I stopped working there. I used to only buy the palette size, but for everyday use the palettes get unwieldy and it’s nice to have some that are stand alone. It’s not a new color and it sort of looks like fairy dust, which is appropriate since tomorrow for Beauty in the Movies we’re saying farewell to Summer with a bit of Shakespearean magic in A Midsummer Night’s Dream.


Oh right, I promised kittens, my sister recently adopted a couple, and they’re excessively cute, one of them is a Maine Coon named Thora and I think she’s the cutest thing I’ve ever seen. Her paws are enormous, which only add to the cuteness. I didn’t get a good pic of the other guy, so I’ll save him for another day.

She’s pretty darn cute isn’t she?

Don’t forget to check back tomorrow for Beauty in the Movies, and also don’t forget to tell me about your best beauty buys!!

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August 25, 2010 · 1:03 pm

The Basic Beauty Essentials Everyone Should Have—For Real

There are a lot of fun items involved in beautification, there’s lipstick, eyeliner, deep conditioners, toners, and hundreds of other “important” things for you to buy and use, but sometimes it’s the simpler items that are essential. You always keep them stocked, you use them more than pricey products, and they’re available at your local drug store. It’s not usually that exciting when you re-stock them, but if they ever stopped making any of these products (god forbid) you know you’d be really upset. If I run out of any of this stuff, or lose any of these tools, I have to make a rush visit to the drug store to replenish ASAP.

A lot of these items also have multiple uses, they’re tools, honest to goodness tools, just like hammers and nails. Who needs a pliers when I have a cuticle clipper? I’ll never forget working at MAC and listening to one of the very masculine stock guys going on and on about the wonders of nail polish remover and how it could erase sharpie marker. He was impressed by the untold usefulness of beauty products, and so am I, most women have an arsenal of tools disguised as beauty products sitting on their bathroom shelf—we’re savvy like that.

Hair elastics are about as essential as it gets if you have hair past your chin. I’m a Scünci girl, Goody is alright, but I don’t find them as well made. I like the no damage elastics without any metal on them, and they’re strong too. Hair elastics have many purposes, I never have rubber bands so they end up being used for a multitude of things, like bundling pencils or keeping shutters closed, oh yeah, and putting your hair in a ponytail too.

Scünci Elastics, Medium Black, $2.69 for 28

My hair is a battle ground for hair accessories, only the strong survive. My strands snap hair elastics like nobodies business and they laugh at silly little hair clips. I’ve tried dozens of hair claws and clips, so when I found these heavy-duty, no-slip gripped clips, my hair finally met its match. They still break sometimes, but they stand up to my hair like nothing else. They’re also essential for keeping curtains closed and you can clip them all over your bathroom so you always have one on hand.

Scunci No-Slip Grip Jaw Clips, $3.19 for 2

There is always one of these looped over my bathroom doorknob, if you have bangs or even long layers around your face, you need one of these to push your hair back when you put on a cleansing mask, or just wash your face everyday. I treat them like crap and they always end up looking ratty, but you can throw them in the wash, and whenever I lose them I realize how much I need them, especially if I’m in need of a bang trim.

Scunci Hairband, Assorted Colors, 5 for $5.69

One of my favorite things about beauty supply stores is the huge tub of bobby pins you can get for like, 2 bucks, so cheap and they last forever. Unfortunately when you can’t make it to a real beauty supply, you have to settle for the slightly more expensive (but still pretty cheap) Conair or store brand bobby pins. If you’re growing out your hair, or you like to wear up-dos, you need bobby pins. They’re also great for cleaning up nail polish in the corners of your nails, unlocking doors, and so many other little things.

Conair Brush Styling Essentials Matte Minis Bobby Pins, Black, 60 for $1.29

Ok, so this one is hard to use as anything but soap, although Wendy does try to re-attach Peter Pan’s shadow with a bar of soap, but mostly I just love this stuff because it’s extra gentle and I have very sensitive skin. I try to get someone with a BJ’s membership to buy it for me or let me tag along on a trip because they have it there in bulk. I’ve been using it forever and it never disappoints in making my skin soft and irritation-free.

Cetaphil Gentle Cleansing Bar, Antibacterial, $4.49

A cardinal rule of skin care is “don’t touch your face”, and it’s really true, my skin has gotten so much better since I started following that rule, I should have listened to my mother when I was teenager. If you must pop a pimple or squeeze a blackhead, use this loop, it’s worth the $9.00 to keep your skin clear and satisfy the urge to pop. It looks like a torture device, and you can go a little squeeze-happy with it, but it’s a great thing to have on hand when you need it, always clean it off with some rubbing alcohol (another essential) between uses too.

Tweezerman Skin Care Tool, $8.99

These are an ultimate essential product, I actually buy mine in bulk at Costco, but I’ve tried these Johnson’s wipes and they’re good too. I know that Terrence Howard thinks they’re essential for other reasons, but they’re great for cleaning out your makeup cases, and they can be critical for makeup application. If it’s hard to get a straight line on your eyeliner, or if you screw up and need to wipe it all off, you need some of these babies on hand.

Johnson’s Baby Hand & Face Wipes 25 for $2.99

I don’t know about everyone else, but I don’t wash my hair that often. It takes literally six+ hours to dry and it doesn’t get greasy very quickly. So when I shower I need to protect my hair from the water, otherwise the steam has a field day creating frizz. I like these Goody shower caps because they’re super cheap, brightly colored and they last a long time. My fiance things that shower caps are hysterical, which is why I’m considering ordering one of these immensely silly caps from Urban Outfitters, because he’ll get a kick out of it, it’s fun—and who cares? You’re in the shower anyway!

Goody Shower Cap Large, $1.49 or

Urban Outfitter Shower Caps, $8.00

This tool is probably the most essential of my essential products. It’s meant for clipping cuticles and it does an amazing job with its super sharp edges, but it’s also great for clipping the tags off clothes. To me, it’s a standard do-everything tool. I use it to open stubborn products and I pretty much use it as a pliers most of the time, I have a toolbox with a legit pliers, but this guy works better for everything. I’ve had mine for about six years and it’s still pretty sharp, I think I might send it back to Tweezerman for a sharpening and re-aligning though, because they let you do that, so it’s worth the investment too.

Tweezerman Stainless Steel Cuticle Nipper, $24.99

We all need a nail file sometimes, especially in a nail emergency—this is a no-brainer. I’ve also used them to sand wood, but I’m weird, I use a lot of these products for art projects. These Trim boards are the way to go. I’ve bought cute nail files with hearts and patterns on them, and they’ve given me cuts under my nail, seriously—those things can be dangerous. Stick to these, they’re effective, last a long time, and the price is right.

Trim Salon Boards, Grit Heavy Duty/Medium 2 for $2.29

Ok, so now I want to hear about your essential items, I’m sure I’ve left some great products out, but I think it’s different for everyone. These are items that are either very cheap, or last forever and are used often, you can get them at the drug or beauty supply store, and you always need them, extra points for products with multiple uses! Let’s hear what you got!


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August 17, 2010 · 4:13 pm

An Ode to Costco

If you’ve read this blog before, you may have gotten the impression that I’m a wee bit obsessed with a little store called Costco, and if so, well you were absolutely correct. I do a lot of my shopping there, and since moving to the suburbs I have an even greater appreciation for it. If you don’t have a car, Costco can seem pretty darn worthless, trying to fit a 2 pound box of cereal in your purse and then carry it home on the train, it’s not easy and not elegant. You also have to be a member to shop at Costco, or have a friend who will take you (I’m always willing to bring someone along with me into this wonderful world). Regular membership is $50 for a year, and for $100 you get an impressive “executive” membership which means you get money back on what you spend. If you’re like me and do a majority of your shopping at Costco, the $100 is totally worth it—for sure.

In order to give you a little insight into Costco, what it’s all about, and why I have a (maybe unhealthy) love of it, I attempted to document a typical trip to the magical superstore. It was kinda hard since I’m scared of people, and hate getting yelled at for taking photos in stores. We tried to be real covert—so please excuse me if the pictures are kinda lame. Like this one for example, I almost dropped the camera in the fish freezer when someone walked by, which would have been all kinds of gross.

Costco has come under fire about selling over-fished fishes, especially cod, so I’ve stopped buying it there. I’ve been sticking to salmon and flounder, and I’m hoping that they get themselves together and stop selling those poor cods. Bad form Costco.

Costco is a big ol’ warehouse where you can get most anything. Eyeglasses, tires, office supplies, underwear, shampoo, prescription drugs, meat, a huge tub of cheese-puffs—and so, so, much more. There is an optometrist, pharmacist, baker, photo lab, and butcher all on the premises. I think when most people think about discount clubs they think of items like this one gallon jar of mayonnaise. It kind of makes me sick just looking at it.

And while, yes you can purchase most condiments in gallon sizes at Costco, I assume (and hope) most of the people who buy them own restaurants, or have a lot of extra space in their fridge. The majority of people who shop at Costco are buying more practical items in bulk, like granola bars or paper towels. There is also some great produce; five huge avocados for $6, six heads of Romain lettuce for under $4, two pounds of blueberries for under $6 and dozens of other fruits, vegetables, nuts, spices, meats, and cheeses, all at unbelievable prices. Alright, I know I sound like an advertisement, but I am continually blown away by the price difference between Costco and the supermarket.

Costco also treats their employees pretty well, at least compared to other superstores like Walmart and even Target. 85% of Costco employees have health insurance (compared with less than 50% at its competitors), and they renegotiate employee contracts every three years which provide things like paid vacation, bonuses and benefits. They also have an insane return policy, I mean they will take anything back, even years later. I’ve seen people bring in moldy fruit, used clothing, and broken electronics only to receive a cash refund without any hassle—truly astonishing. I can’t get into the impact that Costco has on small businesses but I’m sure it can’t be good, I try to buy stuff at the farmer’s market, but when you’re broke, Costco gives you the ability to eat healthy foods on a budget.

As much as I love Costco I can’t deny that it can be incredibly wasteful. Chips go stale, cheese becomes unrecognizable, you get so sick of cheerios that you never want to look at that stupid yellow box again, and don’t even get me started on some of the packaging. I mean does spinach that’s already in a sealed bag really need a huge plastic case clamped over it? No, it really doesn’t.

There’s also a stigma (and joke) about buying crap in large quantities, but sometimes it’s not crap it’s healthy stuff, and when you buy in bulk you’re forced to eat more of it. Of course that’s not always a good thing, and a certain percentage of the time you end up with a rotting pile of something in your crisper that you feel guilty about. I used to never buy fruit, it was so expensive at the grocery store, and then I felt precious about eating it, and then it rotted in my fridge. Buying large quantities of fruits and vegetables can be wasteful if you don’t eat them regularly, but at the same time, when they’re in your fridge you’ll find a way to consume more of them, and they don’t feel like a luxury.

Speaking of luxury, Costco has some fabulous luxury brands, perfumes, cosmetics, and of course, my beloved Fekkai shampoo. I’m so glad they re-stocked it.

One more problem with buying in bulk is storage. I’ve been routinely hit on the head with falling boxes of cereal, nearly cried when everything in my freezer shoots out and attacks me (nothing hurts more than a pound of frozen chicken cutlets), and I’ve found myself thinking “maybe the 10 pounds of oatmeal wasn’t such a great idea” when I can’t fit anything else in the cabinets. If you have space, it’s wonderful, if you don’t, it seems totally ridiculous. What I’ve learned is that you choose wisely. Stick to buying things that can sit around for a long time, don’t have to be refrigerated, and are used on a regular basis, like laundry detergent or of course cheese-balls.

Look at me with my loot, see how happy Costco makes me? Actually I used to have panic attacks when I went there due to the crowds, but I’ve learned not to go before big holidays, or on weekends or Thursdays (the orthodox community does a lot of shopping here, especially for shabbat).

I’m sure you’re just dying to know what I bought on my trip, so I’ll end with a little graphic for you to enjoy. Click to make larger.

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