Morning-Saving Tips... AKA How to Get to Work on Time

We've all been there... we look at the clock and realize we are 10 minutes late and still have sopping wet hair and our bathrobe on. As a blogger who posts her outfit daily for all to see, has a dog, a decent commute for work and a ton or responsibilities that pile up each day, I have worked hard to streamline my morning routine so I can get to work on time and still be polished and prepared. Here's a few tips: 1. Don’t hit the snooze button. I know it is sooo tempting, a few more minutes under that comforter all snuggly and cozy. But really think of what you could be accomplishing in those extra nine minutes. Also hearing your alarm TWICE in one morning makes anyone a twinge more grumpy. 2. Be realistic with your tasks. This coming Monday, really see how long it takes for you to feed the cat, take the dog for a walk around the block, put out the recycling, pack the lunches. Also be realistic with what HAS to be done in the AM, and what could be done at a different time of day. When you over-schedule your morning, you set yourself up for failure. Consider packing lunches at night, laying out your clothing, even showering before bed. 3. Keep the TV off. If you want to hear the news, listen to the radio. When you have the TV on, you are more likely to sit down “for just a minute” and wait to leave the house or hop in the shower until a commercial break. 4. Invest in your hair. If you have a great cut and color, you will spend less time cursing your mane and torturing it under hot tools. I have difficult hair – thin but lots of it, not fully wavy but not straight and it seems to never curl in the front and curl too much in the back. And the cowlick? But getting my hair properly cut, trimmed every 6-8 weeks and my color maintained has made hair styling each morning almost product-free and a breeze. It really is possible to get a good cut for ALL hair types. It may not be what the It Girl of the week is wearing, but if it is flattering to your face and hair, then it is stylish. 5. Gut your closet. Take out all your out-of-season pieces, hide in the back the things you don’t wear on a regular basis (interview suits, cocktail dresses) and leave in the forefront only that which fits, is clean, pressed, and looks good when on your body. Donate that which depresses you, doesn’t fit quite right or is not in optimum condition. Remove any item that requires repair and don’t let it back in the closet until it is fixed. Now after this if you only have one pair of pants hanging there… well heck it’s going to be much easier to dress in the morning! Less options means less time to fuss over what to put together. It is far better to own one pair of black pants that fit like a dream and wear them every day, than to have a closet full of ill-fitting, stained and ugly trousers that make you wince each time you catch your reflection. 6. Do your laundry. Often times we fret over what to wear because what we want to wear is balled up at the bottom of the hamper. You should be doing laundry at least once a week. If you only have time (or the quarters) for one load, stop and think about your coming week and what takes precedence – is it jeans and tees for casual events, or is it sweaters and trousers for work? I often put a load in the washer before I go to bed, in the morning throw it in the dryer while the dog is doing his thing in the yard and then fold and put away when I get home from work (this works best for things like towels and workout clothes that can handle being a bit wrinkled). 7. Save the beauty treatments for the weekend. You don’t need to scrub, steam, mask and bleach every day; find a day (or evening) that isn’t the AM to get these things done. My weekday shower consists of shampooing, conditioning, leaving it in as I wash my body, do a quick swipe with the razor to the underarms (and anywhere else if I am wearing a dress or have a special event), rinse hair and go. I wash my face at night, I do the fancy shaving and the scrubbing and the foot polishing on weekends. If your hair, face or skin require special treatment, consider switching your showers or routine to evening. 8. A place for everything, and everything in its place. Your mother probably said this to you multiple times as you grew up, but if you took the time to put things back after using them, you would spend less time later cleaning up your mess. Same holds true for your morning routine – take the time to put back your brush, hang up your bathrobe, store away your cosmetics and you will spend less time searching for something or digging through piles to find what you need. If your moisturizer, your contact lens solution, your deodorant, your shoes, your earrings are always in the same place, you can easily assembly-line through getting ready each day. 9. Keep it simple, stupid. Who needs three concealers, a mattifier, a primer, a foundation, powder, highlighter, four shades of shadow for a weekday? On a day when you have time, play with making a simpler face uniform (hopefully you have started to make a bit of a wardrobe uniform based on previous posts). There are so many new two-in-one products on the market that you may be able to consolidate. For me, I found a powder foundation that does triple duty for all day wear, good coverage and shine control and a shadow quad of long-wearing colors that go great with my entire wardrobe and look great for day wear. 10. Make time for breakfast. Even if it’s a piece of toast as you head out the door, eat something. You may not be hungry now, but you will be ravenous later and it will ruin your whole day, your appetite, your diet, your metabolism and your mental clarity. Instant oatmeal, a whole wheat tortilla with some cheese and leftover meat or veggies from last night’s dinner (fold and cook for like 40 seconds) is a great dine-and-dash solution. Get your breakfast to be a routine and it won’t end up being left out due to lack of time.

Body Shop Contest Winners

Congratulations to readers Nora and Jackie for winning the Satsuma gift set from The Body Shop. Excellent ladies, as that again over 100 people applied for this contest! Enjoy! I hope to have at least one more contest prior to the end of the year, and as always - any new products I offer for a contest, I will also provide an honest review! For those of you who have your own business or product that you would like featured in one of my reviews and contests, please email me for more details!

Fashion for the Plus-Sized Athlete

Reader Catherine contacted me with a fashion concern that I and probably many of you readers can relate to: “Allie, where does a plus-sized woman find stylish yoga and gym attire? I can ever seem to find something that is flattering to my curves, supportive of my bust and isn’t shapeless knits in hum drum colors. Can you help?” I hope so… I too have had this issue and often end up making streetwear workout attire (nicer fitted tees, capris and pants of stretchy moveable fabrics, etc.) because it is so hard to find cute workout gear. However there are some amazing companies out there that provide great gear for all sizes and shapes of women! Athleta is a fabulous company geared exclusively to female athletes. Not only do they carry a multitude of their styles in plus size, they also carry tall and petite lengths for many of their active bottoms. I have shopped with them and have always been pleased with my purchases and the customer service. Their Cargo Tech Stretch Pant is a great item for cold-weather activities like hiking, and would be so sassy paired with their Love Tattoo 1/2 Zip (pictured, available in three colors). Athleta also offers dozens of styles of bras and categorizes them by impact level of the activity and whether you desire wireless or underwire. Woman Within offers activewear in a bevy of colors and styles. I am partial to the Intimate Promises X-Back Tank with Built-In Bra (love when the tops are sold by bra size instead of generic sizes). The purple geometric print (pictured, also available in solid colors) is kicky and fun and would be cute paired with the Stretch Bootcut Yoga Pants from the same brand. Junonia is an amazing company that provides gear for active women sized 14 and above. And when I say active gear, it’s not just a site of a few black yoga pants and sports bras. Swimsuits, ski apparel, tennis outfits, hiking pants and moisture-wicking everything imaginable. I love the Zippity Cami – great for the treadmill or the yoga mat, the little tank hides a super-supportive zip-front bra (FYI there is a printed version at a very nice sale price right now!). The Roll Waist Yoga Capri is comfy and of matching fabric so you can have just as sassy of a set as any other woman in the studio! Go Figure is a site completely geared toward the woman who is a size 12 and up. The Dominique Sleeveless T-Shirt is hip and I love the color contrast; the Marla Skort is a great choice to be able to go from gym to grocery on a busy day. My favorite part of this site? Refresh any page and see multiple picture of REAL women sporting the duds - muscular, plus-sized, every age (picture to left from the Go Figure site). Very refreshing to see!

From Allie's Mailbag

Boy you guys have had a lot of questions lately! Not that questions are a bad thing – on the contrary and I am more than happy to answer them. Those that I believe may be questions of other readers, I like to post here for reference: What are the Staples for a Stay at Home Mom? I have been blasted in the past for not understanding the needs and life of a mother, and I agree I have not been in your shoes. However I have posted about the clothing of an SAHM here and here. As for great tips from a stylish Stay At Home Mom, I recommend that you visit this blog. Leah always looks chic and still is able to crawl on the floor, scramble up monkey bars and manage 50,000 things and little ones at once. She is a wonderful inspiration and her blog is packed with great ideas. How Does One Wear Black with Navy? A good question as that this color combo is popping up on celebs, fashionistas and Erin Featherstone for Target collections this season. I have found that if your navy is more on the indigo side, and your black is true, the contrast is strong enough to not look as though you dressed in the dark. Also, use one of the colors as an accent hue – if you have a navy dress with a black patent belt and heels, a navy blouse with black skirt, black heels and maybe a black belt or jacket; a black outfit with a indigo belted trench a la Jess Simpson this past summer. Another option is to have a piece such as a blouse, scarf or skirt in a print that holds black and navy in it to pull together the rest of the outfit. These tips can also work to combine black with brown – by having one hold the spotlight and another as an accent color, the combination looks purposeful and crisp. Can You Help with Proper Hem Lengths? This was asked by one of my petite readers. Unfortunately, a good tailor does not always mean a fashion-knowledgeable tailor and it requires you to be armed with proper pant and sleeve lengths before entering the shop. First, it is near impossible to have one standard length of pant that works with all of your shoes, unless all of your shoes are 4” heels or flats. Take with you the shoe height you are most likely to wear with the pants you are having hemmed so you have a realistic idea of proper length. Even if you have pinned the length on the pants before arriving at the tailor, do change into these trousers and have the tailor re-pin the hems. If you did the pinning yourself, bending over will give an unrealistic idea of proper length, and if you did it by holding up another pair of pants, it still may not be accurate due to the cut of the trousers and your body shape (one leg may be longer or thicker, adjusting the length ever so slightly – no human is symmetrical). As for the length, the pant should end up falling somewhere between the top and middle of the shoe’s heel. This length will keep you puddle-safe, will give a nice break (bend of fabric) at your instep and the pant will fall straight without bunching or showing off your ankle bone. As for flats, I often see women end the pant at the bottom of the ankle bone. This is fine if you are going for a more retro look, but if you are trying to achieve a professional or polished look, there should be no ankle showing. Your pant should hit right a twinge above where the fabric/leather of the flat ends and the sole begins. Short enough to survive shallow puddles, but long enough to not resemble high waters. With jeans, if you want to keep the look of the jean but cut off many inches, look to a denim professional. – major cities have shops dedicated to this practice but for those of us not near one these places, higher end department stores like Nordstrom usually offer this service for free if you purchased the jeans there, for a fee if not. As for jackets, the sleeve should end right at the top of your hand so that as you move, you don’t have your entire wrist exposed, but when standing still, your entire hand is visible. Again, the jacket should lie flat when standing still – no bunching and no wrist showing. If you are unsure if the garment is pinned at the right place, do not hesitate to ask the tailor to press the potential hem line (fabric permitting) for a better view. It’s pretty easy to lop off a few inches from a sleeve, but hard to fix if it is done too short. Always trust your instinct – you know your body and style best! What is the Difference between Cheap and Fugal? Frugal is scouring sales racks, researching items to find the best price before purchasing, getting to know your salespeople so you are tipped off to sales and promotions, checking out places like eBay and even thrift stores to find expensive items at a song. Frugal is ignoring name brands and looking for what you need and saving up for what you don't need but terribly love. Frugal is spending probably the same amount as someone who is cheap, but ending up with less item that last longer and are more versatile. Often people will scoff at an expensive item, not taking into account that those more expensive shoes may last for eight years of stylish wear, an acrylic sweater will pill and stretch out and a wool one will look the same seasons after the purchase. Being frugal is finding that quality, but getting it for the best darn price and not succumbing to whims and trends. So really, they can be the same to some, but to me cheap means all about the price, and frugal means all about the value.

Food for Thought from Daily Om

I get a lot of email being a blogger, and end up subscribing to a lot of e-newsletters for different fashion, beauty and lifestyle websites. Some I tire of and delete before I even open them, some I end up looking forward to every day (hello Daily Candy!). As many of you know, my husband is a part-time yoga instructor. Through his interest and classes, I have come to enjoy and respect this practice and love how it has changed my body and spirit. I must admit, I started it in hopes to lose a few pounds and be more flexible, but have continued because the practice has helped me become more centered and connected with myself and the world around me. Anyway, another daily e-newsletter I receive is from Daily Om - each day I receive an email with some food for thought. Today's email was geared toward women, and some of it I felt would be a great reminder to you readers, no matter your religion, beliefs or level of spirituality (if any). I really believe that women are magnificent and beautiful creatures and that how we care for our outsides both helps us nurture our insides and represent ourselves correctly and share ourselves with the world. From Daily Om: Woman Embracing Womanhood There are many ways and myriad reasons for women to honor and embrace all that they are. And when any individual woman chooses to do so, all women collectively move closer to becoming what they are truly capable of being. By honoring her experience and being willing to share it with others—both male and female—she teaches as she learns. When she can trust herself and her inner voice, she teaches those around her to trust her as well. Clasping hands with family members and friends, coworkers and strangers in a shared walk through the journey of life, she allows all to see the self-respect she possesses and accepts their respect, too, that is offered through look, word, and deed. When a woman can look back into her past, doing so without regret and instead seeing only lessons that brought her to her current strength and wisdom, she embraces the fullness of her experience. She helps those around her to build upon the past as she does. And when she chooses to create her desires, she places her power in the present and moves forward with life into the future. Seeing her own divinity, a woman learns to recognize the divinity in all women. She then can see her body as a temple, appreciating its feminine form and function, regardless of what age or stage of life she finds herself. She can enjoy all that it brings to her experience and appreciate other women and their experiences as well. Rather than seeing other women as competition, she can look around her to see the cycle of life reflected in the beauty of her sisters, reminding her of her own radiance should she ever forget. She can then celebrate all the many aspects that make her a being worthy of praise, dancing to express the physical, speaking proudly to express her intellect, sharing her emotions, and leading the way with her spiritual guidance. Embracing her womanhood, she reveals the facets that allow her to shine with the beauty and strength of a diamond to illuminate her world. At the end of my husband's class, we always end with the entire room saying "Namaste" to one another. Though the definition of this word seems to differ depending on religion and spiritual practice, in our class we use it to mean, "The divine in me recognizes the divine in you." To all of you reading this, Namaste.

Contest - Satsuma from The Body Shop

The Body Shop is a company I have loved for many many years. In middle and high school, my friends and I would hop on the D.C. Metro and head to Georgetown to visit The Body Shop, using babysitting money to buy little soaps and perfume oils. Come college, it was a place I knew sold good products that didn’t make me break out and also didn’t test on animals. After college I ended up in the retail industry and when I decided to leave the apparel industry, one of the first companies I looked to transfer to was The Body Shop. I was a trainer for them, and when I left retail, I ended up being an at-home consultant for them. I have stopped being a consultant, but I still love the company, its beliefs, ethics and of course the awesome products. One of my favorite lines is the Satsuma range – this is a sweet orange scent that is delicious, addictive and raises your spirits. They have had this scent for years and it is always a best seller. Well I recently received two Satsuma gift sets from The Body Shop and would love to give them to two of you readers! The kits are in a great little box, hold the lotion, shower gel and soap in this scent and a little bath poof to match. Keep it for yourself to enjoy (these are great travel sizes), or give as a small gift to a loved one. These gifts retail for $15 each. Send me an email to the address in the left sidebar and I will pick two readers at random to win the prize. All emails need to be received by this Sunday, November 18th at midnight. Winners will be notified on Monday. Have you used the Satsuma line from The Body Shop? If so leave a comment and share your experience with it! For everyone else: The Body Shop currently has their world-famous Body Butter moisturizing creams (yeppers the one that every other company is copying) on sale 2/$30 - this is a savings of $10. Be like Victoria Beckham, Jennifer Lopez, Megan Mullally, Susan Sarandon and more and check out this amazing addictive moisturizer!

Stop Being a Snob!

Yes, YOU. The one who thinks that Nordstrom is too expensive and would never set foot in that place, who believes that Forever 21 only sells crap, Claire’s Boutique only sells accessories for tacky teens and Talbot’s only caters to conservative old ladies. Yes, I fully agree that finding brands that work can save time and stress at the mall. You know what flatters your figure and caters to your lifestyle and budget – go there first. However if you have an extra hour to kill, I encourage you to enter a store you usually shun. Maybe you shun it because you are not a model size 4, maybe because you don’t have deep pockets, maybe because your daughter shops there. We all have reasons for brand snobbery, but sometimes opening your mind and the door to an unknown store may offer you new ideas or styles perfect for you. For those living under a rock, Nordstrom is having their Half-Yearly Sale and this is a not-to-miss. This morning as I was scanning the New Sale Arrivals (yes there is an option on the Nordstrom site for this, and yes new things are added every couple of days) I saw petite suits from high-end brands that were around $100 for the set (really, that’s a price you would pay at a discount store), plus-sized cocktail dresses begging to be worn to a holiday party, workout attire, Oprah-famous Wacoal bras for $35 and everyone-famous Hanky Panky thongs $8 off. For those sorts of prices, you can’t say that Nordstrom isn’t a store you shouldn’t consider. The sale is going on now in stores and online (and after this sale, do know there is always a sale section at Nordstrom – I have gotten designer jeans for 50% off, designer leather purses under $100, even my professional-style makeup case for 70% off when the Big Sale wasn’t taking place). I am always preaching “quality not quantity” to you on this blog, but do know quality can be found most anywhere. I have dresses and tops that look as great now as they did a year ago that were purchased at Target, Kmart, H&M and Forever 21. They are also pieces that a year or two after purchase, still look classic and fit into today’s styles. These stores can often be overwhelming – racks and racks of cheap faded cotton and slimy polyester in garish colors and prints that went out of vogue 15 minutes ago; take your time, shop the top of the rack (just as you would when thrifting) and look first for colors and fabrics that appeal to you, only then pull the garment from the rack and check to see if the cut is worthy of a trip to the fitting room. I have found lower-end items that were utter crap, but I have lower-end pieces that I have been wearing for near a decade and get far more compliments when worn than the designer duds in my closet. As for jewelry, women often tell me they don’t wear it because they can’t afford it. It’s true, if you wanted to invest in 14K gold hoops that are larger than a thin wire wrapping around your ear lobe, you’re going to have to pay. But who says you have to wear that which is real? I’m not saying cover yourself in fake jewels and forearms full of gold-painted bangles, but a few pieces can be purchased at lower-end places for dirt-cheap prices to add to your wardrobe without looking chintzy. I find the accessory shops in malls like Claire’s often have some great buys amidst the jelly shoes, feather-topped pens and mood rings. Each summer I invest in a few simple, thin, unadorned hoops in silver and gold from there. Summer begs for hoop earrings, and by the end of the season, you have often lost one on a dance floor or in a hotel room on holiday. All the better to only pay $6.99 for them. If they are thin and simple, no one will really care or question the ticket price of the hoops. If you keep them dry and in your jewelry box when not in use, they should stay shiny for a long time. Summer also is a great time to get more bold with other accessories. I find that in the Brass Plum section of Nordstrom, shops like Claire’s, H&M and even shoe stores like Aldo I can find cheap yet stylish plastic sunglasses, cute totes for the beach or pool, and chunky plastic beaded necklaces and bangles to jazz up a simple tank or knit sundress. You’ll see the almost exact same necklace or tote in the “adult” stores for three times as much. As for those stores you find are too old/too young for you… well it doesn’t hurt to do a “figure-eight” through it on your way to the parking lot. I have a super cute navy twill blazer I wear all the time. I sport it with jeans and a ribbed tank for casual days, with chinos and a silk knit shell for spring work days. I always get compliments on its fit and style. Knowing my personal style, I am classic with a bit of funky/rocker thrown in and would never be the poster girl for a place like Talbots. However this cute blazer was found on their sale rack for only $14.99. My mom has pieces in her predominately Chico’s/J. Jill wardrobe that are from Express, Ann Taylor Loft and Banana Republic. I may be in a conservative office environment and in my 30s, but I still stroll Brass Plum, Forever 21 and Charlotte Russe looking for pieces that could work in my simple wardrobe. You never know, that silk blouse you were eying in Bloomingdales may have a very similar cousin in the junior’s section of Macy’s! Red knit dress, Forever 21; Black dress, Talbots.

Aliza Darik Shoe Clip Contest Results

Congratulations to reader Lizette who won the Aliza Darik shoe clip contest! Almost 100 of you entered - I'd like to thank all of you for being readers and hope to have some more fun contests and giveaways in the next several weeks! Stay tuned, next time you may be the winner! Until then, visit Aliza Darik and save 15% off with the code 273zpfest - now until the end of the year!

Product Review – Sephora the Smokey Eye Kit

I believe in purchasing quality instead of quantity when it comes to beauty products as well as clothing. Almost a decade ago, I received a major promotion that would require me to travel for my job teaching people about my company’s line of clothing, how to pair it with other pieces and how to merchandise it in the store. This required me to be very polished and I thought a makeover was in order. I visited the Trish McEvoy counter and left with a whole new palette of colors, and an arsenal of wonderful, high-quality brushes to accomplish most any look. I really feel that with the right tools, you can achieve wonders and often those wonders can be accomplished with a lower-end product. I use my Trish McEvoy brushes to this day, often with drugstore brands of eyeshadows, bronzers and lipcolors. Thanks to Coutorture, I recently received Sephora’s Smokey Eye Kit – a cute metallic wallet holding Sephora’s idea of the tools necessary to achieve the proper smokey eye. Like me, they saw the necessary tools to be brushes, not shadows. The kit contains four brushes, a brow and lash groomer, a tube of Sephora Brand Volume Mascara and a how-to card. I was interested in trying this - makeup styles come and go but a few trends (matte red lips with simple eyes and a smokey eye with lighter lips) seem to endure. The case is well made, beautiful gray metallic leatherette with a black nylon interior that is made to not just be pretty, but to properly protect the brushes and make the kit easy for travel. The case does not have extra compartments, so it really is meant to only hold this ensemble. The left flap had a clear pocket to hold the how-to card. The brushes are quite nice – larger than most kits have (almost “regular” size), nice weight in the hands, easy to hold and maneuver, and soft bristles. I have a Sephora Brand bronzer brush that I love; these seem to be of the same material and quality. Each brush has it’s name (small dome, all over shadow, etc.) so it is easy to know which tool .to use to achieve your desired look. This morning I decided to try out the kit and follow the how-to to the letter to see how it actually works. Is this Smokey Eye Kit worth the $42 price tag? The appearance says yes yes yes, but will the experience match? The kit says first step is to use the Allover Color brush to apply a shimmery light shade from brow to lash line, concentrating on the brow bone area. It also suggests the Sephora Brand champagne shade. I do not have that shadow, instead I used my Pop Beauty shadow set for Brown Eyes – the sparkly beige shade. The shadow picked up pigment nicely without scratching up the shadow, application was good – these are not natural hairs in the brushes so the application wasn’t as perfect as say with sable/squirrel; but a very excellent job for a synthetic. Next, I was to use a darker shade (again a Sephora Brand shadow – charcoal, was suggested) and apply with the Wide Crease brush from lash line up to crease. I chose to mix the dark brown and soft black of the Pop Beauty kit for my own version of a warm charcoal. This brush I wasn’t as happy with. The shadow didn’t seem to “grab” onto the brush and even with a very gentle hand, dark shadow flicked off the brush and everywhere – in my eye, on my temple, under my eyes. I knew it was not the shadow as that I had used it several times before with my Trish brushes. The size also was a bit awkward for my personal lid shape, and it was hard to maneuver from lash up, instead of from side to side. This ended up with me brushing away shadow and re-applying powder so I didn’t look as though I had been in a fight. Next step was a tad confusing – the kit instructs to use the Detail Brush with a dark color and line both top and bottom of the eye AND to use the Sephora Brand black pencil (not included). It does inform you to make the line heavier on the outside part of the eye, but doesn’t explain HOW to apply the line and WHY to use powder and pencil. It also doesn’t explain how thick said line should be for either the top or bottom lash line. I tried applying my black shadow with the liner brush and it went on well, though faint. Again, this is an issue with synthetic brushes and powder. By moistening the brush (not mentioned in the kit but I know from past experience) I was able to get a stronger line of color along both lash lines. As for pencil, I used my Black Eye Definer from Body Shop, and just ran it along the lower lash line, for fear of ruining the line I made with the powder already. For a makeup newbie, I found this step of the directions confusing and if in the wrong hands, leaving a very 1980s raccoon-eye look instead of a smokey finish. The next step was to take the Small Dome Brush and smudge the line you made, from lash up toward crease. This worked, and I really liked this brush – the angle was well done, the bristles were packed enough to give some oomph without ruining the finish. I have always done this step with my finger – this gave a far more refined finish and helped blend all the layers of color nicely. The steps then instruct one to curl lashes (with the Sephora Brand lash curler, natch) and apply the Sephora Brand Volume Mascara (included). I instead used my Shu Eumura curler, and tried out their mascara. It’s not bad… not really volumizing (especially in comparison to my believed DiorShow mascara) but it applied well. It has a brush that has four mini combs to apply the product – I found it went on relatively well – few clumps but it was a bit sticky/gooey. It dried well, but to add a second layer of product, I definitely needed the Dual Sided Brow Brush/Comb (included) to separate my lashes. Final opinion? This kit is an amazing value for someone who does not have the tools to achieve this look. For $42, you are getting decent quality of synthetic brushes, a decent mascara for day wear, and a great carrying case. This is a wonderful shadow brush starter kit for someone who is considering starting a brush collection or has none. The All Over Color brush is one you would probably use every day, and the Detail Brush is a very good tool to make your eye shadows double as a liner. By using other references for shadow application (check the net, some beauty blogs, and my favorite resource are the books by the late Kevyn Aucoin) you will be able to have steps that may be clearer and more appropriate to your lid shape and personal style. And if you are considering investing in this, right now Sephora is having their Friends and Family promotion. Use code FF2007 at checkout (until November 21, not applicable in Canada) and you will receive 20% off your entire order! Have a smokey eye day! (all photos can be clicked to enlarge. I apologize for the quality - hard to photograph yourself with your eyes closed on a mediocre camera!)

Kicking it Old School - Aliza Darik

Growing up, I remember my mom having a bunch of weird accessories from the 70's that seemed normal for the times. Remember dickies? For those who don’t, they were faux turtlenecks or collared shirts you slipped under a sweater. They had the traditional collar and even a few buttons, but were as long as a bib so you had the layered look without the bulk. I remember having sweaters from The Limited a few years ago that had detachable white collars and French cuffs that felt like a new-millenium version of the dickie. I also remember shoe clips. Who needs a closet full of shoes when a clipped-on buckle or rosette can transform your simple pumps? The only time I donned a shoe clip was in 9th grade – my mom made me a strapless homecoming dress and it was a bit too big in the bust. No worries, we rouched the fabric in the center of the bodice and held it in place (and held the dress to my strapless bra) with a black grosgrain shoeclip in the shape of a rose. Gave the dress a nice sweetheart neckline and some security for my underdeveloped frame. Besides that one time, I thought shoe clips were hokey and just as hip as say… wearing a dickie. Recently the company Aliza Darik contacted me regarding their collection of shoe clips. Shoe clips? They still make those things? I mean I see them when trolling through eBay and think they are fun in a vintage/campy way but wouldn’t consider them for my personal style of clothing. But then I visited the Aliza Darik site and received two pairs of them and well… I am a shoe clip convert. These are GORGEOUS and very current. No cheesy grosgrain rosettes or gold-plated pilgrim buckles in the bunch – these are elegant pieces that honestly can add current style and pizaaz to your existing shoe collection. Aliza Darik sent me two very different styles – a pair of brown satin bows, and some flashy bejewled clips in a variety of cool tones. I was impressed by the materials used – very elegant and the clip itself is strong and sturdy (wish the one for my homecoming dress was as secure – it fell off during a slow dance to Babyface). I went to my shoe collection and easily found favorite pairs that could get an easy makeover with a clip. (click on photos for a larger version to see detail.) These are pictures of my own shoes, and how they have been transformed with these shoe clips. Websites can show you pretty perfect pictures with pretty perfect shoes, but I wanted to show you the actual quality and size of the clips with shoes bought this season (those who visit my other blog will quickly recognize the leopard-print heels). When the shoe is worn, you cannot feel the clip itself – it is very slim and streamlined. The clip did not put a dent in the shoe and held in place while walking and moving about. As you know from my other posts on this blog, I believe in buying quality simple staples from which to build your entire wardrobe. A pair of simple black pumps and some dressy heels are on my list of must-haves. Instead of investing tens (or hundreds) of dollars more on additional pairs to match your entire wardrobe, shoe clips are an economical way to take your classic footwear and make them fun, creative and look completely different. I love the cute styles that Aliza Darik sent me, and am also eyeing their tropical pink orchid clips to add to my tan sandals come summer! Best news – you too can join in on the shoe clip fun! I am having a contest where one reader will win a pair of Aliza Darik shoe clips! Just send me an email (address link in the left sidebar) or a comment with your name and email and I will pick a reader at random. Contest ends Sunday, November 11th at midnight. For everyone else – Aliza Darik has set up a 15% off discount code just for Wardrobe Oxygen readers! At checkout, enter the code 273zpfest and you too can enjoy these beauties at a great price! Discount valid until 12/31/07. Enjoy!