and the weeds grew taller than the flowers,

Last week my friend and I ventured into the wilderness to capture some whimsical photos. Here are the results (there was no apparent theme or inspiration, just nonsense) :

It is 30 degrees plus at home. Therefore, I have been forced to take refuge in the comforting air-conditioned house. Hence, I have had copious amounts of time to lurk online. These are the items that my soon full coin jar will be contributing to.

1. Christian Louboutin Patent Rolando Pumps -$665.00 US

2. Marc by Marc Jacobs Over-the-Knee Boots- $545.00 US

3. A snazy new backpack (Marc by Marc Jacobs)- $158.00 US

4. Metallic ballet flats, preferably Miu Miu, Lanvin, or Marni

A Diamond in the Rough

And just because I love my readers so much, here is my secret list of amazing Toronto Vintage stores.

Fashionably Yours- http://fashionablyyours.ca/. More of a designer consignment than vintage, but still excellent.

Paper Bag Princess-http://www.thepaperbagprincess.com/boutiques/toronto-boutique/

I Miss You- http://www.torontolife.com/guide/fashion/vintage-clothing/i-miss-you/. Great for vintage coach bags, 60’s and 70’s frocks, and glittery designer wear.

Thrill of the Find- http://www.blogto.com/fashion/thrillofthefind

The Closet Inc. – Ok, so this one isn’t in Toronto, it’s in Boston. However it is truly phenomenal.

When I find more gems I shall let you know.

Beauty Update

The new Diorshow Maximizer Lash Pluming Serum promises to “instantly prime, plump, and lengthen”. Hmm, skeptical? Definitely. Well, the reviewers on Sephora.com aren’t. One woman parrots  “It does everything it claims to. In general, I love Dior’s mascaras, and this is the perfect compliment to them. My lashes look and feel wonderful!” I think I shall give this a try and post my findings on a later date.

Diroshow blahblahblah etc… ($28.00 US)

Another product I am dying to try is MUFE’s Aquarell, a highly pigmented paint that can be used on face or body. It comes in such an array of colours that choosing one will be difficult. I think I will settle for the black or violet.

MUFE Aquarelle $20.00 US

Last up is a fetish worthy set of temporary tattoos by Temptu. It’s a good test run for anyone thinking of making them permanent. Trust me, you’ll want to test first… too many friends have gotten silly stars or hearts tattooed in seemingly discrete places, only for them to be spotted by bosses or parents.

Temptu Adorn Temporary Tattoo Kit. $25.oo.

On that note, what do you think of the tattoo I am considering? It’s a gun. WAIT. Before you judge, let me inform you of it’s meaning. My last name is pronounced like “gun”, and it’s like keeping a part of my family with me at all times. I am the last of the “gun” line, and when I marry, it will disappear forever. It is to be put under my armpit, where a bra or bathing suit covers it up. It’s the same one Rihanna has, although I will modify the gun’s actual design.  Here’s a photo of the general idea:

Bye-bye for now!

“My body is a journal in a way. It’s like what sailors used to do, where every tattoo meant something, a specific time in your life when you make a mark on yourself, whether you do it yourself with a knife or with a professional tattoo artist.” -Johnny Depp

Fall Beauty: To The Max… Or Min?

Everything about this season’s beauty  is scarily intimidating. From 80’s clown masks to 90’s minimalism, these looks can be hard to recreate without looking, uh, how shall we put this? UGLY. So here are the right, and wrong ways to paint your face this fall.

80’s Full Face

 To pull this look of, do it in a modern way. What’s modern? A dewy/fresh face; no over powdering allowed! Another hint: although contoured cheeks are a must, they have to be done naturally. A.k.a not bright red. Lastly, if you insist on using lipliner either use it tres, tres sparingly, or fill in the whole lip. I am highly disappointed with the looks created by Francois Nars, creator of NARS cosmetics for Marc Jacobs after a 10 year hiatus.

4 looks created by Nars, for Marc Jacobs Fall 09. WRONG

Emanuel Ungaro got the 80’s “in a modern way” look just RIGHT! Hello two-toned lips!

TOOLS OF THE TRADE

1. shu Uemura Rouge Unlimited Pink Collection, $23

2. Urban Decay eyeliners, $18

3. Nars blush/bronzer duo, $37

4. Lorac Breakthrough Performance Lipstick SPF 15, $22

Oh Natural

The bare-faced look is an ode to the Kate Moss 90’s minimalist look. This doesn’t mean “no makeup”, it means “lots of makeup to look like no makeup”. There were many very good examples this season, and a couple horrendous ones. Enter Jill Sander and Miu Miu. Sure these girls still look gorgeous, but they are perfectly structured and groomed models! If an average woman tried to wear this, she would look prepubescent, or worse granny-ish! Actually I retract my statement that the models look good in any makeup, the one from Miu Miu looks partially deceased. Chloe hit the right notes with a brown smoky eye and smooth foundation.

Chloe doing it RIGHT

Jill Sander and Miu Miu doing it WRONG.

TOOLS OF THE TRADE

1.Yves Saint Laurent TOUCHE ÉCLATRadiant Touch, $42

2.Stila Smudge Pots, $20

3. Make Up Forever Face and Body Foundation, $38

4.Yves Saint Laurent OMBRES 5 LUMIÈRES5 Colour Harmony For Eyes – 1 Sahara, $56

Red Lip

The red lip is a classic that has endured decades and yet still looks exceptionally chic at every age. Yves St. Laurent, Lacroix, and D&G perfected this timeless look. Unfortunately for humanity at large, McQueen did his models up like clowns; the only thing missing is a bright red nose.

 

RIGHT at YSL, Lacroix, and D&G. 

WRONG at Alexander McQueen.

TOOLS OF THE TRADE

1.MAKE UP FOR EVER Lipstick, $23

2. Calvin Klein Electric Edge Liquid Liner, $18

3.Benefit Cosmetics Benetint, $28

4.MAKE UP FOR EVER Aqua Lip Waterproof Lipliner Pencil, $17

Pompadour Hair

They can be the epitome of cool, or the definition of god-awful: whether you like it or not, pompadours are back. Everyone from Milly to Oscar de la Renta was showing them elegantly. However, Prada displayed exactly what not to do; a truly horrible up-do was complimented by an equally gargantuan amount of frizzy mouse hair.

RIGHT at Milly and Oscar de la Renta

WRONG at Prada

TOOLS OF THE TRADE

1.Phyto Phytovolume Actif Maximizing Volume Spray – Fine Limp Hair

2. Jonathan Product Dirt Texturizing Paste, $14-25

3. Sephora Brand Snag Free Hair Elastics, $10

4.Sephora Brand Wide Tooth Comb, $4

“Beauty, to me is being comfortable in your own skin. That, or a kick ass red lipstick!”- Gwyneth Paltrow