Check Mate.

It's no surprise that I'm obsessed with all things editorial. And when an interesting fashion spread comes around, I tend to take notice. Recently, I was roaming around a convenience store in London and UK Glamour's April issue caught my eye. Though January Jones looks beautiful (as always) on the cover, all of my attention went to what she was wearing. I know, are we surprised? "Cheers for sporting Louis Vuitton's spring collection," many style groupies might've said as they picked up their copy and headed towards the till. I, on the other hand, couldn't get another editorial moment out of my head: AnnaSophia Robb's Teen Vogue cover shoot. Not to mention Rihanna sported pieces from the collection on the cover of Elle. Though there is no real competition-- each magazine has its own target audience-- I couldn't help but wonder who wore it better.

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After looking at these three variations (they're so similar, but so different), I've come to the conclusion that they represent three different aspects of fashion: AnnaSophia is runway, January is commercial and Rihanna is street style.  The Carrie Diaries did not merely throw on the ensemble and call it a day. Instead, her look is meticulously planned to play up the mod factor. Though Jones's statuesque frame is catwalk-approved, the Mad Men starlet looks as if she's toning the edginess down with red carpet worthy adored hair and a glamazon lip. Rihanna's red pout, on the other hand, offers a sense of street style that is splashed all over fashion blogs.

With that fashion nerd moment over and done with, let's talk business! She may be young, but I have to admit that AnnaSophia Robb has was it takes to be one of Hollywood's up-and-coming fashionistas. Though the top and skirt are supposed to be cropped, it just looks too cropped on Jones and Rihanna. On the contrary, Robb looks utterly classic. While the "Diamonds" songstress is giving the ensemble some personality, Jones looks very...forced in this ensemble. Even though Rihanna's low heel is trendy, I don't love how matchy-matchy this look is.

One of the reasons I love this collection is because Marc perfectly infuses some teenage spirit into the otherwise traditional Louis Vuitton brand. AnnaSophia Robb perfectly embraces this concept. Not to mention her hair and makeup looks divine.

And when push comes to shove, she rocked this look first.

Clean, sophisticated and funky-- Teen Vogue's fashion team nailed this one.

But what do you think? I'm dying to know!

xx

Glamourous and Green

About a year ago, I promised myself that I would become a beauty junkie. Yes, I suppose it's a tad bizarre to aspire to be a junkie of some sort, but can you blame me? There are so many incredible products to make any glamazon have a mild beauty-gasm. Lately, I've been going crazy over "health-conscious"products. These finds are everything  I could want: my beauty junkie aspirations tied into my green New Year's Eve resolution. Though I'm not a Beauty Blogger (let's stop and take a minute on how cool that'd be), I wanted to share my favorite green beauty products with you.

Eco-Friendly Nails

As any glam, green girl will know, formaldehyde is a force to be reckoned with. But what are we supposed to do- go nail polish-less for the rest of our lives? Um...no way. I have so many different eco-friendly companies to still try, but my favorites right now are Scotch Naturals and Sheswai.

 I'm currently loving these Scotch Naturals products. This coral (Highland Fling) is going to look super sick with a summery tan. After my day, the polish is chipping; however, I didn't use a top coat so I'm not too concerned. In addition to super trendy colors, Scotch Naturals sell top coats, base coats, and nail polish removers. J'adore. Thankfully, these products are free of formaldehyde, toluene, dps, acetone, and heavy metals. I used the nail polish remover last night and I must say removing my nail polish wasn't as easy as the alcohol-infused remover makes you think it is. On the bright side, the remover came with a spritz nozzle, so it was a cleaner cleaning process (I'm so punny). Whoever said that glam nails couldn't be chic clearly has never heard of Scotch Naturals.

I'm obsessed with Shewsai Lacquer. Not only is the packaging super eco-friendly, but the lacquers themselves are formaldehyde, toluene, and dp free. The colors are quite limited (for now), but I treated myself to Sheswai's "Honeyfox." The red is super feminine and has stayed on pretty well! I'm so excited to test more Sheswai colors!

Anything Indie Lee & Co.

I may be a tad biased, but I'd never lie to you beautiful people: these products are amazing. Ever since I've started using Indie Lee & Co., my skin has been super smooth. So what's the best part about Indie Lee products? They're not green-washed, which means that the naturals ingredients aren't just there to hide all the toxic ones- they're there to help you. Besides, there are NO toxic ingredients in Indie Lee products so you don't even have to worry about it. Three of my absolute favorites are Indie's Moisturizing Oil, Indie's Lavender Oatmeal Cleansing Bar, and Indie's Coconut Citrus Scrub. I literally use this oil every single day and I can proudly say that my legs are silky smooth. The vanilla citrus scent is so summer-ready. The lavender cleansing soap smells like heaven and gives my skin an all natural glow. And the scrub? It's major. The rough texture really eliminates dry skin, leaving me feeling amazing. Using all natural skin care products truly make me feel glamourous and, honestly, like a better person. If her products aren't inspiring enough, Indie's compelling story and advocacy will make you want to change your beauty routine (and feel good about it, too). Sure, a lot of your favorite products don't come in an all natural form; however, using natural products at least  gives your body the TLC it needs.

We are Young

Without a doubt, my favorite makeup company of the moment is Young Blood. Not only are Young Blood products paraben free, but they have fabulous colors. Their lipsticks ("Just Pink" is photographed) are both long lasting and give your lips that necessary pop of color.The primer and the Hi-Definition Hydrating Mineral Perfect Powder work together to give me a smooth face. I love using Young Blood's eyeliner when I either want a smokey eye or a super thin line. Even their boldest eyeshadows  look effortless with my skin. Obsessed.


Yes, Yes, Yes! 

Call me cliche, but I'm officially deeming "Yes To" a must for your beauty cabinet. I recently bought the Yes to Carrots Rich Moisture Day Cream, which I'm loving thus far. It leaves my face feeling moisturized all day long! What's so great about these products is that they're accessible and free of parabens, petroleum, SLS, and phthalates. From SPF-infused lip balm to leave-in conditioner, there are so many "Yes To" products that I'm dying to try! 

Tone it Down

My awesome sister gave me this toner for Christmas and I've never looked back. First of all, Elemis is a British-based company, so I'm bound to love it. Second of all, this Balancing Lavender Toner is free of alcohol and harsh detergents. Um, music to my ears? You bet! This toner strips my face from those pesky dry flakes. Heaven!

Do you have any eco-friendly beauty musts? Let me know! 

xx

The Power of Red

First of all, I'm really sorry this blog is all over the place! I feel really guilty for not blogging in a while and am going off on a tangent, so bear with me! I just came back from college-ing and fell even more in love with the university I'll be attending come fall.I stocked up on my school apparel, and obviously red was one of the colors. I've always thought that red was such a great color: it was flattering, powerful,sexy, glamorous. Just like Christian Louboutin soles. I discussed the Louboutin/collaboration in my former blog, but I have never exactly analyzed how amazing Christian Louboutin is in my blog: he is honestly a genius.He knows exactly what a woman wants: comfort, appeal, and recognition. And his shoes do just that. I hope to have a whole closet of Louboutin heels when I grow up; I have already started my collection (a chartreuse leather wedge: they are comfortable and make my legs look great)! I love how he can create fun and sexy shoes in different heights and silhouettes. Of course we all love our stilettos, but there's only so much of it we can take! I've always found his inspiration so interesting: showgirls. As classy as we all love to say we are, I just know that everyone secretly wishes they danced in sequins and sparkles. But Louboutin can make shoes that are classy and fun at the same time! And the red sole was genius. It was unprecedented but the smartest thing. Women love feeling empowered as they strut down the street, with their red sole peeking out during each step. And it furthers Louboutin's brand! You know how people brought back the "Volkswagen punches", I think there should be "Louboutin punches" whenever somebody spots the red sole! Good plan? Whenever people think of high fashion heels, I feel like Jimmy Choo and Manolo Blahnik (thank you, Carrie Bradshaw) are the first brands to come to mind. But I really feel like, no offense to the other two (you have my complete love and admiration as well), Christian Louboutin is where it's at. I think we all need to start paying attention to him, his shoes, and the iconic red sole!

xx

Laced to Perfection

As an aspiring fashionista, I am always on the prowl for good fashion taste everywhere: on the streets, in school, and in magazines. So I was extremely happy to find this spectacular number on www.teenvogue.com. I really wanted to see the movie Remember Me but not for the reason everyone else wanted to: Rob Pattinson. Personally, I'm more of a Taylor Lautner kind of girl. The plot seemed interesting but, besides good 'ol Rob, I had no idea who was in the movie. Apparently Emilie de Ravin is. And apparently, she dressed quite well to the London premiere of her movie. I've always been a big fan of lace: it can be feminine, sexy, old school glamour, or all of the above! But it can also be something else: old lady. Some people can pull of the lace quite beautifully, but others fail and look like a reject from Grandma's closet. But Emilie did it perfectly; the short dress, bowed waist, and some lace on skin action made her look like a feminine sexy vixen from Old Hollywood. To put it bluntly, I loved it. I sometimes think that people are afraid to wear lace, in fear that they'll look too matronly. Quite frankly, you can wear lace anytime: a mini, a sexy dress, a sweater with lace detailing, or even your lingerie! And in terms of the color: I thought it was genius. In my personal opinion, lace can only be worn as outter wear in either dark or nude colors. NO NEON LACE. I also think that people instantly associate black to being "emo". I wear black all of the time and I consider myself a rather happy person! Emilie de Ravin looked chic and sexy in black. In conclusion, a major fashion do in my book! This outfit doesn't have to beg to be remembered, it'll never be forgotten!

xx

Mah Gurl, Cheryl

Still completely enamored with all things London, I of course purchased and constantly listen to the Cheryl Cole CD, "3 Words". My personal favorites? "Fight for this Love", "Parachute", and "Heaven". I think this woman can honestly do it all: she has a wonderful career, is absolutely gorgeous, and can still remain on top after battling a terrible divorce from her husband. But I had no idea she was such a fashion icon! So just imagine my excitement when I found out Cole won the coveted title of "Best Dressed" in Glamour's 8th Annual "Best Dressed Women's List". But she is no stranger to being a fashionista. Last year, she was Britian's best dressed celebrity in the eyes of GMTV. The X Factor judge exercises "her fashion mojo" (Henry Holland's words, not mine) by wearing some spectacular designers: Giles Deacon, Marios Schwab and Richard Nicoll. Upon receiving this news, I decided to research her fashion look.I then realized why she is the "Best Dressed Woman": she has variety. Cheryl Cole does not wear the same cookie cutter outfit. She experiments with colors, lengths, inspirations, and silhouettes. The beauty of Cheryl Cole is that she is still sensible while following trends. Some fashion icons (cough, Rihanna) take too many risks and ultimately look foolish, instead of fashion forward. Everything looks well put together, but not extremely predictable. I am actually glad that a well known fashionista, like Rihanna (this blog post may turn into a bashing Rihanna's personal style entry even though "Rude Boy" is Emily and my London jam) didn't win this coveted prize: it is about time we get some new fashionistas to inspire us. Cheryl Cole is one of those people I would love to meet in my life. I can relate to her songs, her life, and ultimately her fashion. So congratulations, Cheryl!

xx