Fearless Fashion

(Zara t-shirt, Armani Exchange denim skirt, borrowed red sweater, J.Crew necklace, Crocs Melbourne II Nautical Graphic shoes) 

I like to think I'm pretty much fearless when it comes to trying new things, particularly in the realm of fashion. So when I was asked to participate in the Fearless Fashion campaign (sponsored by Luxury Palladium and Cosmopolitan), I was game for anything. To my surprise, I received a pair of Crocs to style—ones that looked nothing like my idea of Crocs! The comfy canvas slip-ons (covered in a charming lobster print, no less) lent themselves well to an equally laid-back outfit.

 

Also, be sure to enter the Fearless Fashion Giveaway sponsored by Luxury Palladium and Cosmopolitan to win $1500 worth of jewelry.

Where vodka and very stylish people meet...

When vodka and style collide, you get EFFEN's Art of Design event. Held at Marvimom in downtown Los Angeles last week, the soiree showcased top-notch design across the board: local mixologists crafting martinis made with EFFEN's silky-smooth vodka, as well as the work of up-and-coming designers and artists like Amanda Thomas of Luv AJ, Alana Hale, and Bethany Barton. An evening of fashionable tastemakers and tasty libations? Count me in.

 
Alana Hale with a model in her custom-made design for the night, a gorgeous white dress with provocative cutouts meant to evoke the EFFEN bottle's streamlined design. Hale said she was considering producing the dress for her line, including a shorter, more versatile version. Um... putting in my order now.

Designer Amanda Thomas told me she'd been making and designing jewelry for years, and finally decided to take the leap with Luv AJ. Thank goodness she did, as her incredible pieces are somehow both wearable and edgy, the kind that make friends go, "Where'd you get that?" 

One of my favorite cocktails of the night was this delicious mix made with EFFEN's Dutch Raspberry flavor. I had as many of these concoctions as I could handle. 

The gorgeous venue, Marvimom.

Channeling Frank

(Frank Ocean t-shirt from eBay, Zara leather skirt, Loeffler Randall sandals, Michele watch)

Photo by Sarah Chiarot.

Most of my friends know how much I adore Frank Ocean (with my nearest and dearest subject to Channel Orange listening sessions). Naturally, I wanted to express my love to the world, so I hunted down the best Frank Ocean t-shirt I could find. After a thorough Internet search, I found just the one on eBay: a unisex shirt by Actual Fact featuring a photo from Frank's 2011 GQ shoot. 

For the office, I proudly wore my Frank with a leather mini and heels. For his recent concert at Los Angeles' Wiltern (read my review here), however, I swapped the skirt for shorts, the heels for ankle boots, and the coffee for an alcoholic libation that was the perfect accompaniment to Frank's silky vocals.

Brews, blueberries, and blowouts

Owner Nava Nabavi (left) and me, post-blowout

When I was invited to get a blowout at Séchoir+ (pronounced seh-schwahr) in Santa Monica, I jumped at the chance, especially when I heard the hybrid hair salon served up blooming tea, espresso, refreshments, and iPads at every guest's station alongside a full blow dry bar and a menu with options like cut, color, highlights, and extensions. A latte and Internet access at my fingertips as I'm getting a blowout? Yes, please.

With 20 years of training (including a stint as one of the original Drybar stylists) behind her, owner Nava Nabavi clearly knows how to fine-tune the salon experience. As soon as I walked into Séchoir+, I was stunned by the attention to detail: a crystal chandelier and soothing blue walls, a piping hot latte (with refills!) and an array of yummy treats and fruits like fresh blueberries, a scalp treatment and hand massage as a stylist washed my hair (note: the salon uses only Aveda products). Nava herself worked on my blowout, and as her nimble fingers whipped my hair into sleek, bouncy strands, I found in her a kindred spirit.

But the moment I realized I'd received an out-of-this-world blowout was several hours later, when I confidently skipped out of my apartment with barely a glance at the mirror. I didn't need to look: Thanks to Séchoir+, my hair was perfection.

Séchoir+, 1121 Montana Ave., Santa Monica. 310-310-8238.

So, how do I use a flat iron?

Before.



After.



Yoshi's magic tools.



With Yoshi Hagiwara himself.

When I walked into Yoshi Hair Studio the morning after Thanksgiving, I was not looking too hot (in truth, I looked quite terrible). I'd just eaten up a storm the night before (turkey, cake, beer, the usual T-Day suspects) and I was tired from the holiday festivities. I did what I usually do when I'm in that kind of mood: I threw on my trusty denim button-down, pinned my bangs away from my face and ran out the door.

Thankfully, hair guru Yoshi Hagiwara rescued my look. A veteran stylist with an intimidating amount of experience in the biz (over 25 years), Yoshi now offers one-on-one individual styling classes, which include a restorative conditioning treatment and styling session, at his Beverly Hills studio. During my 60 minutes of Yoshi's undivided attention, I peppered him with questions about my hair troubles ("Um, I'm not sure how to use a flat iron?" and "Volume, please?"). He spent time styling my hair various ways, then explained each step to make sure I could replicate the look at home. Best of all, he introduced me to his specially developed product, Magic Water, an amino ion mist from Japan that works wonders to give your hair instant luster (and when I say instant, I mean it - I saw it work with my own eyes).

After class, I sauntered out of Yoshi's studio with shiny, freshly blown out tresses, a bottle of Magic Water, and a teeny bit more hair confidence. Thank you, Yoshi!

My first pair of ecofriendly earrings

(Cynthia Steffe cardigan, Madison Marcus top, Madewell skirt, vintage Moschino belt, Sam Edelman boots, Giles & Brother cuff, gold earrings courtesy of AmaraGold)














Photos by Morgan Olsen.

I've got a thing for earrings. Big, small, hoops, chandeliers, studs - it really doesn't matter, I love 'em all. So I was pleased as punch when AmaraGold, a company based near Boston that operates out of their ISO14001-certified facility, sent me a pair of hammered bead drop earrings (quite possibly my first pair of ecofriendly earrings ever). Amara crafts jewelry that's environmentally and socially responsible, using recycled metals and a patented formula to create beautiful, classic pieces. My 14K yellow gold bead drop earrings are no exception. These little gems have so much sparkle they give off a subtle shimmer in the light. They're also the perfect size and length: long enough to stand out against my dark hair, light enough so that my ears aren't weighed down, casual enough for everyday use, elegant enough for a night out. Best of all, whenever I wear these glistening golden beauties, I feel proud about wearing ethically sourced jewelry.

And that feeling is worth its weight in gold.

Some of my other Amara favorites:
14K gold spiral drop earrings, $425
14K gold silk hinged bangle, $315
14K gold leaf eternity ring, $325

L.A. Denim Lovers, Come Out To The Henry & Belle Launch Party!

I'm so bummed that I won't be in town for this event, but I highly encourage all you Los Angeles-based fashionistas to attend the Henry & Belle launch party on Saturday, October 1st, at Blues Jean Bar. If you haven't heard of Henry & Belle (the brand counts Jessica Alba and Megan Fox among its loyal following), let me just tell you one dirty little secret about myself: I haven't taken off my Henry & Belle Ideal Super Skinny jeans for at least three weeks.

If you try on a pair of jeans at the party, let me know what you think! As an added bonus, the event supports a non-profit center for South Central Los Angeles at-risk youth called A Place Called Home. A $25 donation to the organization gives you 20% off a pair of Henry & Belle jeans.

Orange you glad?

(J.Crew shirt, Zara skirt, BCBG shoes, Michele watch, Elizabeth Wahyu earrings)









Photos by Maricela Correa.

I barely resisted when I saw this little orange skirt with flared pleats on sale at Zara. $19.99? Yes, please. I know summer's over and I'm fully aware that this isn't a piece I'd wear everyday (mostly because it's very short). But giving into small desires and wants - Magnum ice cream bars, a third pair of gold hoops, a popsicle maker, late night movies on a weekday, a bright orange mini - is sort of what makes life worthwhile to me.

Blown away

As previously mentioned, I'm not extremely beauty savvy, but I'm on a quest to change that! Take blow dryers for example. Up until recently, I thought all of them were one and the same. When Misikko offered me their HANA Air Premiere Hair Dryer, one of their best hair dryers, I shrugged, thinking it was just another fancy-looking tool that wouldn't make a difference in my daily hair routine (15-second shampoo, 20-second rinse, hasty blow dry into a semi-presentable state, dash to work, repeat next day).

Then one morning, in a hurry to get to the office, I plugged in the HANA dryer, flipped on a switch and after 10 minutes of the sleek black machine purring and whirring away, found my hair was almost completely dry. I have never - and I mean, never - dried my hair so quickly since growing it long in high school! And miraculously, my tresses looked shiny and smooth, bouncy and full of volume. Today marks my two-month anniversary using this elite salon blow dryer, and I've since thrown out my old one (no offense, Conair, but you didn't stand a chance).

Thank you, Misikko, not only for the dryer, but for forever changing the way I look at beauty tools!

A Dior & Lucky crash course

I have a confession: As much as I know about fashion, shopping and clothes, I know very little about beauty and makeup. My friends berate me when they discover that hairspray remains an enigma to me and that I'm clueless about how to apply eyeliner.

So when Lucky magazine and Dior asked me to host a Dior Pretty Party, I was thrilled, but also nervous. I mean, who was I, a girl who could barely tell eyeshadow from bronzer, to host a beauty party? Turns out I needn't have worried at all because that evening, I learned everything I ever needed to know from celebrated Dior makeup artist, Kevianno Guerrero.

As our party of 10 girls gathered at the Dior counter in Bloomingdale's Santa Monica, a psychic, Dora Blackman, read our cards - with impressive results!

Then, we were ushered into a private room by Juan, one of several lovely and accommodating Dior team members, for our master class with Kevianno. After digging into frosted cupcakes (a must for a girls' night out!), we sat down at our own individual makeup stations.

Class was in session! Kevianno patiently guided us through a step-by-step tutorial of how to get a youthful, glowing day to night makeup look. We learned how to prep our skin with soothing serums and creams, how to use Dior's new Airflash Spray Foundation (it's magic, I'm telling you!) and so much more. I was maniacally jotting down notes as if preparing for a final exam. As the hours passed, I saw my friends, all pretty girls, transform into gorgeous BOMBSHELLS in the best, most natural way possible.

"Radiant" is really the only word to describe my friend Wendy of Too Poor For Couture. Psst... her cool cross necklace is from F21!

Chic bloggers Rebecca and Melanie looked cute (but then, what else is new?!) as they chatted by the Dior counter.

I knew right away that I'd purchase the Dior Airflash Spray Foundation (color 200) after class was over!

Post-makeover, my good friend Mary was at supermodel status, especially with that million dollar smile!

Morgan's eyes were definitely enhanced by the Dior mascara; I could see her lashes from miles away.

Christine and Mary. Glowing.

Almost all the girls, plus Kevianno!

My lovely new friend from Dulce Candy, who reminds me of Jessica Alba and is extremely knowledgeable about all things beauty!

Last two photos provided by Dulce Candy.

While I'm by no means a beauty expert now, I know the next time I encounter an eyeliner pencil, I'll have some idea of what to do with it! So thank you to Lucky, Dior and all my friends and fellow bloggers for coming to my Pretty Party for a truly fun, fabulous Friday night.