Part of being green is buying organic, sustainable fabrics, vintage, recycled…getting the most wear between washes. You can be the most green by buying nothing at all. How do you keep up when you aren’t buying anything new? Like an artist turning the canvas to get new perspective, I’ve seemed to taken a liking to turning my clothes around, like last week’s one shoulder dress, Samantha suggested working with a blouse with a large collar, where I’m almost certain the likes of Susie Bubble has gone to such realms… I’ve not, until this morning. Where I spent the majority of the morning trying on every blouse, sweater and dress upside down.

Getting new perspective on the clothes you already have, not only saves you money, it rewires your brain, elevating your IQ by encouraging experimentation.* It gives your wardrobe more depth… a boring cardigan like the one I’m wearing here, becomes an interesting wrap sweater… and of course, I’m wearing my Jil Sander skirt as a dress, maybe next week I’ll be shamelessly copying Style Rookie and wear all my dresses as skirts. Who knows where this road will lead?

*Like almost everything else I write… pure speculation.

Someone once told me that if the eyes are windows to the soul, then eyebrows are the window frames. She went on to explain the virtues of creating beautiful brows and how their importance cannot be overlooked, because your eyebrows frame your face. When tended to, you get a polished look and virtual facelift. Ever since then, I’ve never neglected my eyebrows.

The Proper Tools

At my sister’s wedding, I did makeup for all the bridesmaids. I kept finding myself saying, “Oh, honey, let me do something with those brows. It’s time to tweeze!” I explained that they needed to pick up a pair of award-winning Tweezerman tweezers. They make plucking little wayward hairs so much easier, because they’re sharp and precise. If you don’t have a pair, you need to make this purchase. You will wonder how you ever lived without them.

Shape Up

If your eyebrows haven’t been shaped, I suggest going to a salon and having it done professionally. Once you’ve got the right shape — and shapes that match — all you need to do is maintain with plucking here and there as little hairs pop up. I recommend that you don’t get them waxed, because this is a really sensitive area. You can get ingrown hairs; and you have to let the wayward hairs grow a bit so the wax can grab onto them. That in-between look is not attractive.

If you want to avoid the expense of a salon visit, get a set of stencils. Ditzy Cosmetics has come up with a fabulous innovation. Instead of a traditional stencil that goes around the brow to show you where to fill in color, they have reusable, “hands-free” stencils you press onto the brow to guide you in tweezing. They’re easy to use, because the medical-grade material is thin enough to mold to the browbone and won’t hold on so tight as to pull out your hair.

But don’t get carried away with the tweezing or you’ll end up looking like those old ladies with pencil-thin or lopsided brows — or both. I checked in with makeup artist Giana Santelli, the president of Ditzy Cosmetics and the creator of the Beauty-Full Brows line. She says overtweezing is the most common mistake that women make. Once those hairs are plucked, they often don’t grow back. Giana has some helpful recommendations:

• Only tweeze the bottom part of the brow, because, if you don’t know what you’re doing, you can easily ruin the shape and symmetry of your brows.
• Tweeze daily so it doesn’t become a major exercise.
• Reduce pain by holding taut the area to be tweezed (don’t just pull) and tweeze close to the skin. Pull in the same direction that the hair grows.
• Tweeze after a bath or shower when hair follicles are more open and the skin is softened. Everything is more pliable.
• Don’t forget to moisturize the tweezed area.

Filling in the Gaps

Once you’ve got the shape down, you’ll probably find that you want to beef up what you’ve got to work with. I’m half Korean and have learned that Asians tend to have sparse brows. Don’t know why that is but I deal with it just fine with a little know-how and the right products.

Whether you use a pencil or a brow wax and powder, the key is to use a light touch with light, feathery strokes. Don’t get carried away and simply draw on a set of brows, unless you really want to look like a clown. You want to create a shadow that creates the illusion of brows that look natural and fuller.

Choose a color that is a bit lighter than your brows to get a natural look. I find that taupe is a good choice for most people, from blondes to brunettes. Ditzy Cosmetics has a universal palette with brow wax and powder that works really well. Brow wax helps the color last and stay put. If you use just powder, it will wear off quickly. Ditzy’s is resistant to water and smudging.

I also really like the Tarte Toolbox. It’s a great all-in-one kit with a pencil, brow wax, powder, tweezers, gel to help keep hairs in place, three different-shaped stencils to help guide where to fill in the color — all in a smartly designed case that travels well. The tweezers are a little hard to work with so still get a pair of Tweezermans; but these work in a pinch.

Both Ditzy and Tarte’s sets include easy-to-understand instructions with illustrations on how to use their products.

A Unique Alternative

If you’ve really gone and overdone it or simply have little hair to start with, how about an eyebrow restoration? Bosley, a hair replacement center with offices in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico, now offers a service to transplant hairs into the eyebrows in much the same way as they do on the scalp for people with balding or thinning hair. I’m not sure if I’m up for that. But I’m sure are plenty of women who are.

I hope you find these tips helpful. Brooke Shields doesn’t have to be the only one with beautiful brows.

top image via Epiclectic

Have you ever bought a fake “It” bag, designer watch or any other faux luxury item? I have. These are the bogus items I’ve bought or bartered for: fake Gucci strap watch (mid-90s, Canal Street, NYC); fake Rolex (late 90s, Canal Street); faux Chanel chain link purse (early 00, garage sale); a fake Louis Vuitton clutch (clothing swap a few years ago). Oh, and I once unwittingly bought a pair of fake Citizens of Humanity jeans on eBay. Thanks to several anti-counterfeiting campaigns and exposes, including Harper’s Bazaar “Fakes are Never in Fashion,” I’ve learned the error of my ways. I’ll never fake it again.
But what is exactly behind those counterfeit and pirated goods? A new ad campaign, led in part by the International Anticounterfeiting Coalition, that is sweeping this country is tying such items to child labor, drug trafficking, organized crime and terrorism.

The Fake Trade is Bad, Bad News

So why is it bad to buy fake (or counterfeited) goods? Well, according to the International Anticounterfeiting Coalition, fakes can be tied to child labor and exploitation, drug and people trafficking, organized crime and terrorism.

The coalition gives five good reasons why you should never fake it:
1. Counterfeiting is illegal and purchasing counterfeit products supports illegal activity.
2. Counterfeiters do not pay taxes meaning less money for your city’s schools, hospitals, parks and other social programs.
3. Counterfeiters do not pay their employees fair wages or benefits, have poor working conditions, and often use forced child labor.
4. The profits from counterfeiting have been linked to funding organized crime, drug trafficking and terrorist activity.
5. When you purchase a fake, you become part of the cycle of counterfeiting and your money directly support these things you would never want to support.
That takes the fun out of a fabulous faux Marc Jacobs bag, doesn’t it?

Welcome to our Fake World

It’s not just handbags and jewelry that’s being faked. The flourishing counterfeit market includes things like brake pads, airplane parts (um, yikes), electric cords and equipment and pharmaceuticals and health care supplies. Basically, if it’s being made, it’s also being faked. In a sense, the potential danger associated with less visible counterfeited products makes the fake trade a health issue.

Weapons of Mass Consumption

In a brand obsessed, consumption-driven world, is it any surprise that product counterfeiting has skyrocketed in the last two decades? For many, shopping and acquiring has become a religion of sorts. And it’s easy to use shopping as a quick-fix — a quick, viable way to feel good. Since consumerism is so thoroughly integrated into our society, it’s no wonder that people fail to see connect themselves to the consequences of purchasing fakes.

There’s a great essay on the Fashion Lawyer Blog that breaks down the legal and moral implications of counterfeiting. The author wonders if the fake trade could be killed if we, as a society, could reign in our rampant consumerism. I totally agree. What do you think?

The Global Impact

• $600 Billion- estimated annual sales in counterfeit products worldwide
• 10%- estimated percentage of fakes among all goods produced worldwide every year

Source: http://www.fakesareneverinfashion.com/fakes_numbers.asp

Further Reading:

Ethical Style: A Victimless Crime
Business of Fashion: Counterfeit Culture

1998 was also the time when I started to dabble in fashion… before then, I was a thrift store queen, and never thought of buying designer, all the sudden I could afford it..and boy did I buy up all the Miu Miu shoes possible. It was also the first time I could afford magazines, therefore I quickly became a magazine junkie. My favorites at the time tended to be British ones like Dazed and Confused, I-D, The Face, and a little new one called Tank. I think I liked these in particular because the design of the layouts, and of course the fashion. It was so different from what I was used to thinking of a Fashion Magazine, something with a lot of ads and articles on how to please men. This new breed of fashion magazines were great because they didn’t patronize me… in fact they led me into a world I really didn’t know anything about, a world I could be interested in. If it weren’t for these magazines, I highly doubt I’d be typing these words today.

Tank is celebrating their ten year anniversary… here are some snippets from the special issue. Mary Kate photographed by Mark Hom… for the first time in my life, I want to recreate a skeletwin outfit.

More delicious stripes… Photography by Jurgen Teller

I hope Ipso Facto means wigs… if not.. it should. Photography by Cameron Smith

The Russians are coming!

Another magazine celebrating their 10th anniversary is Russian Vogue. To commemorate the anniversary, they’ve asked a whole slew of designers to decorate a Russian folk classic… YSL, Prada, Maison Martin Margiela… so cute, I totally want these…

Fashion journalism is so different today than it was 10 years ago… I almost can’t wait to see what it’s like in another 10 years.

Farmaesthetics Eyebright Eye Makeup Remover and Treatment Oil is a major bargain when you consider all that it does – and does well. It’s excellent at gently removing eye makeup. While it cleans, it also moisturizes, smooths, soothes, and depuffs so I don’t have to apply an eye cream afterward. I discovered that this oil soothes red, puffy skin like a champ when I got a nasty cold this weekend. I even used it around my nose, which became chapped from endless noseblowing. Before I go to bed, I dab some on my lips to make them nice and soft. You can also put the oil on cotton pads to make relaxing eye compresses.

It’s safe for sensitive skin, because it has no scent and is free of the chemical and synthetic ingredients, which are often found in makeup removers. In fact, it’s only made of six ingredients, including eyebright complex, which reduces redness, and soothing Chamomile, which is a powerful anti-inflammatory. $23 for a one-ounce bottle that lasts a long time, because a little goes a long way. Available at farmaesthetics.com and at spas around the U.S.

Farmaesthetics is a line of 100% natural, synthetic-free, premium “green” skincare products for face and body. They use organically grown herbs and flowers from American family farms. The company has signed the Compact for Safe Cosmetics, a pledge to formulate products without ingredients that are known or suspected to cause certain health harms within three years of signing.

Do you have a great multitasker you love?

In light of these troubled times, I’m keeping an eye out for more high-quality multitaskers and other beauty bargains. I’ll continue to share them with you as I find them. Do you have a great multitasker you love?

eye image by ssh

‘Ideas such as jewelry suggesting garment, jewelry taking over the body of the wearer, and jewelry breaking out of the traditional role of adornment are some ideas that enthrall me.’ ~Hisano Takei

I really like these pieces because they do have the sculptural qualities without coming off as too delicate or precious. It actually makes me want to take up felting… if it weren’t crafting klutziness… like my inability to knit a scarf with a straight edge, or sew a straight line. Ah… well, we can dream, can we? Until then, I’ll just stick to blogging and ogling other people’s work.

via design sponge

“Instead of being choosy, you’ll go for almost anything…” Perfect for Sunday music, Berlin based, Soffy O, sings this lovely song Everybody’s Darling. To be honest, I hadn’t heard about her before even though she’s been around for a while making electroclash classics like Missy Queen’s Gonna Die. Rocky got all excited when I asked him about this… I missed it somehow, but she has my attention now.

Lucky for me, she’s going to be in Frankfrut Nov. 22nd

Peanut Butter cookies are one of those classics that reminds me of  grandma… sitting on a green mid-centruy kitchen stool… while she would press the crisscross shape in the cookies with a fork. It makes me think of the smell of tea towels and Folgers coffee (my mom used a dishwasher, and until Starbucks came along, didn’t drink coffee at all).

Ever since I heard this anecdote about how Nan Kempner would eat a slice of peanut butter toast for breakfast every morning, I’ve always kept a jar of peanut butter on hand. It’s a quick fix of protein, and it’s really yummy… so whenever I’m in a pinch it makes for a good cookie.

I find that once you get into the rhythm of baking, making baked goods for presents is always a nice and simple thing to give, because they are inexpensive, yet they have a personal touch. In fact, I don’t make baked goods unless they are going somewhere, because lord knows, if they stay home, they’ll get eaten by yours truly.

Ingredients

1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla (can add an extra tsp)
1 1/4 cups of flour
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda

A while ago, I made the switch to using whole wheat instead of white flour when making cookies. I think it adds a little depth to the flavor, a little heavier-but not in a bad way, whole wheat is so much better for you than white flour… and if you can swap it out whenever possible, give it a go. Though I wouldn’t use whole wheat for Angel Food Cake.

Method

Preheat oven to 300F (150C)

First you mix the butter, peanut butter, sugars, egg, vanilla together until smooth. I usually soften the butter in the microwave first, it makes life easier. Then add salt (makes a nice balance with the sugar) baking soda, baking powder, and lastly flour. Stir until the dough becomes pretty solid, it will stick together enough to just take out the dough, put it on a plate, cover it with plastic and refrigerate for at least 3 hours.

After you have refrigerated the dough, take a spoon full and roll into a ball. I was able to to fit the whole batch on one sheet. My grandmother would always sprinkle the balls with sugar, and I like to do it, just to give the cookies a little sparkle. Then take a fork and impress a crisscross pattern on the balls.

Place in the oven and bake for 15 min.

Makes 12 cookies.

So before you run out and buy your one shoulder dress, check to see if you haven’t given your gauchos circa 2005 to charity… I”m sure it will work. Heck, I’m going to go foraging through my closet now to see what else I can make into a one shoulder dress, or blouse… and maybe I’ll wear it until it goes out of style any minute from now.

i bet you can wear gauchos like a one shoulder dress…

or… make a skirt into a ruffle shirt

As if this season’s collection didn’t do enough… he went on to make a wonderful collection of sexy knits with long fringes and wooden bead details for SSO09. Though he refers to this collection as : “an antiglamour show with nostalgic moments of the past eras with contemporary influences.” I beg to differ… it’s very glamourous… I would even say it’s glamazon worthy.

IoannisDimitrousis.com and there’s a great interview with him on Lynn&Horst.