Repetto for James Perse

Fashion collaborations are always fun. I am especially thrilled about Repetto's collaboration with James Perse. Repettos are a little hard to find here in the States and when you do find a boutique that carries them, the selection is usually scarce. Not to mention the price for these classic ballet flats here in the States is double that in Paris. I was really excited to hear about the collaboration with James Perse because the flats were not created in their usual leather, but instead in a cute linen material that is perfect for us LA girls. They are casual and go great with the relaxed JP collection. They are completely sold out in stores nationwide, but you can still purchase them at www.jamesperse.com. Here's a helpful note, they fit quite snug, so it is recommended that you purchase a full size up.

A Little Laduree in LA

Not all of us can munch on Macarons Ladurée anytime we want, like Blair Waldorf, but we can have a little Ladurée in our own homes in a different way. I bought these candles in Paris and I still have not burned them because I want to save them for forever! What's amazing about these is that they are so fragrant, that even without being burned, they release a delicious sweet scent that is reminiscent of the famed confectionery. However, in this month's Lucky magazine I noticed a little blurb about these candles along with a website where they can now be ordered! Now I can order them and more importantly, I can finally burn the ones that I have!

www.aedes.com
Laduree online

IPhone Goodies by Kate Spade

 

Kate Spade has come out with a cute new line of cell phone case covers for the IPhone 4. She offers a selection of soft silicon cases as well as hard cases. They are adorable and they actually fit the phone properly unlike the Juicy Couture case that I purchased for my previous IPhone 3G.

The Juicy case completely covered a vital sensor and when I realized that this case was the reason why my phone was not working properly, they refused to take it back and gave me an extremely hard time. The lady at the store up in Palo Alto said that it was a dysfunction of the IPhone, not their case. This was funny to me because wasn't the case made for the IPhone? If my phone was the problem and the case does not work on my phone, then what is the function of the case? What was it made for? Ridiculous.

This Kate Spade case is adorable, fully functional and all together a dream!

Check out her site or stores for more designs.

Twilight Freshface Glow

I love eye makeup and I have a plethora of lip glosses; however, I don't really use that much face makeup. I reserve powder and foundation for when I'm dressing up and for those times when I want to make sure I look polished. But for the most part I stick to tinted moisturizer and a few swipes of bronzer.

But then I discovered Fresh's Twilight Freshface Glow. It can be used as a primer under foundation or just alone on top of moisturizer. It has a lovely texture and adds just a hint of shimmer. I hesitate to even call it shimmer. It's like "glow" that has been bottled up. I like to mix a little bit with my moisturizer sometimes for that dewy look. It makes you look fresh and young. If you don't want to go all over with it, you can use it as a highlighter and just focus on the cheekbones, under your brows and the bridge of your nose.

$36

How I Get The Perfect Pink Pout

Left to Right: Fresh Sugar Rose Tinted Lip Treatment, Clinique Almost Lipstick in Black Honey, Guerlain Kiss Kiss Laque #721 Purple Star

I am always searching for the lip product that will give me the perfect color. I wish I could do red, but with my Asian tones, it just doesn't look right. I want something that will give a pop of color but won't be too dramatic. Just in a "I just had a popsicle" kind of way.

So here are my go-to products:
From the left to the right, I've lined them up by degree of intensity.

1. Fresh - Sugar Rose Lip Treatment SPF 15 $22.50
This is the lightest of the 3. Don't be turned off by it's shocking pink color. It's more of a lip balm with a tinge of color. The color is light, sheer but definitely substantial. I can wear this all day everyday. It's super moisturizing and won't dry out your lips like most lip color. The packing is cool, but I wish they would put the product in simpler packaging and charge half the price for it instead.

2. Clinique - Almost Lipstick in Black Honey $14
This one is an oldie but goodie. I seriously have been using this since the 7th grade. It's perfect for day when you want to look a little more polished. Don't be fooled by it's appearance. It looks dark, but again it's totally sheer. You can get a richer color by layering it on. This product has good lasting power. Again, it won't dry your lips out.

3. Guerlain - Kiss Kiss Laque in #721 Purple Star $28
This is my go-to when I want a little more va va voom. It's definitely more of a night time color. It has just the right amount of drama. It's a gloss, but it's very pigmented like a lipstick. My lips dry very easily with most glosses, but not this one. I like this shade, because it's not bright red, but rather a deep plumy red.

All of these are available at Sephora. Let me know if you have go-to products for that perfect lollipop pout!

The Original MOROCCANOIL Oil Treatment

This stuff is truly amazing! They advertise this product everywhere, for a reason. Fashion magazines, stylists and celebs are always raving about this product. I used to think, oil on my hair? No thanks. I wanted light bouncy Sassoon hair! Not greasy weighed down limp locks.

Then summer rolled around and my hair was feeling so fried from being in the sun and out by the pool too. A lady at the beauty supply store suggested this product and guaranteed that I would be happy with it. I was a little resistant, but intrigued. I thought, maybe it was an updated version of those VO5 hot oil treatments from the eighties. I also wanted to know what the fuss was about.

I am SO happy that I tried it! I am completely obsessed with it. I use a little after the shower on damp hair and it produces shiny, smooth, super soft and bouncy hair. It makes your hair feel so healthy and it speeds up the drying process. A little goes a long way. But you don't have to worry about putting too much on, because your hair won't feel weighed down or greasy. It also leaves a yummy coconuty scent that reminds me of vacationing. Now I'm guaranteeing that you'll like it!

Beauty supply store its $39. But you can probably find it cheaper online. Look at the label carefully. There are a few different options for different colored hair.

Instant Eye Lift

For awhile now, I've been desperately hunting for a good under eye concealer. I didn't need hardcore coverage, I just wanted something light to brighten up the under eye area. Most of the ones that I have used in the past were thick and while giving good coverage, it would often result in a cakey (creating even more wrinkles) or ashy look which would make me look even older.

Then someone at Sephora recommended Benefit's Ooh La Lift. This is Sephora's description of the product:

• dream cream for the under-eye area
• wonder eye cream that works like an instant eye lift
•  magic pink balm gives eyes an instant brightening boost

Those words were enough to hook me in.

I dab the applicator on the back of my hand and use my hand as a palette. With my finger, I lightly dab under my eyes and apply in a swoosh from under my eyes to up the side of the eye. This gives the illusion that your eyes are being pulled upward. Hence the "instant eye lift".

Of course lots of water and sleep doesn't hurt either.

$22

Paradoxal - Your Nail Color for Fall

I'm totally obsessed with this nail polish color from Chanel! My Sister brought it with her on a recent trip and was raving about it. In the bottle it looks like a sparkly dark plum. I took one look and was not into it at all. I'm not a fan of sparkle and I don't really like purple. She urged me to try it, saying that it looks different on than in the bottle. One swipe and I was hooked! It looks completely different on! It almost looks more gray than purple and the color seems to change in different light. I guess that's the paradox! It's a more exciting version of "greige" that is so popular these days.

In the above photo, I put my hand near other dark colored objects to help you see the true color of the polish better. My camera does not do the shade justice, but if you want to get a better idea, check it out next time you're in a department store. I promise you will love it!

Once again, Chanel has given us a beautifully unique color. It is perfect for fall!

$23

Korean Air Uniform courtesy of Gianfranco Ferré

photo from korean-chic.blogspot.com

I was at LAX this morning and couldn't help but ogle the attendants at the Korean Air counter. Their uniforms, both for men and women, are so chic and stylish. I love the crisp teal and white. My Mother enlightened me by telling me the uniforms were designed by the late great Italian designer Gianfranco Ferré. I snapped a few pictures with my phone, but they do not do the uniforms justice.Thankfully, blog Korean-Chic, had several beautiful pictures.

photo from korean-chic.blogspot.com

 

I know it is difficult to see, but the men's uniform is a crisp baby blue shirt with white cuffs and collar worn with a beautiful pastel striped tie.

The uniforms are so smart. I am reminded of the time when flying was a luxury and people would get glamored up to fly. Although flying today, can be quite aggravating, it is nice to see that aesthetics still exist.

photo from wikipedia

Who doesn't love a Tiffany Blue plane?!

Shiseido MAQuillAGE Double Brow Creator

I was at the spa one day with one of my most beautiful and stylish friends, YC. As we were touching up our makeup I realized that I had forgotten my eyebrow pencil. I asked if I could borrow hers and I was presented with a beautiful sleek little brow pencil. I exclaimed that I loved it, as I do with everything that she owns, and demanded to know where I could get one for myself. She tells me Tokyo. Damn! This occurred a few months ago.

Today I met with YC once again at the spa and she presented to me this adorable little package. I'm a sucker for presentation and I just love how the department stores in Tokyo have a flair for making everyday items seem so luxurious and beautiful.

This brow pencil is from the MAQuillAGE line from Shiseido. Judging by the website, this line seems to be available only in Asia. This is extremely unfortunate because everything on the website looks so sleek and gorgeous. Look at this packaging! I'm over the moon about it. The pencil comes in three little packages. First you have the Holder, then the Pencil, then the Powder.

Not only are the pieces in their own little box, but they come in their own little plastic packaging, like candy! Then you assemble it. This is so later you don't have to buy the Holder again, just the refills as you need them.

I love that the pencil end is so skinny so you can really be precise when drawing in your brows. There's a powder smudger on the other end which is so light and natural.

Here is the finished product! So sleek, it feels like a fancy pen when you hold it in your hand. Thank you YC for this beautiful gift! You are so generous! I know it wasn't cheap! I am so in love with it, that I had to share it on this blog. YC, I have you to thank for the birth of this Strawberry and Lemons spin-off blog! If any of you ever find yourself in Asia, or have friends traveling to Asia, I highly recommend this product. The color that I use is a medium brown and the number is BR611.