9.27.2006

Lust List : Kate Spade Party Shoe


I have been lusting after and searching for this shoe for the longest time and still no luck finding it in my size. Need help -- must - have - this - shoe!!!

9.26.2006

In My Bag : CND's Cuticle Eraser


Best new product I can't live without : Creative Nail Design's Cuticle Eraser. If you have ragged cuticles or are prone to hangnails, this AHA-packed cream is the solution. I rub a tiny amount in once a day and Voila! It comes in a small tube and is available at salons where CND products are sold for about $12.

9.21.2006

Poll : What's the one thing you'll splurge on?


I tend to treat myself to major jewelry pieces as well as shoes and bags. (No surprise there!) My biggest recent splurge, Janna Conner's gold Freya necklace -- a total splurge-worthy item if I ever saw one -- has actually turned out to be an item I wear at least once a week. Aside from the fact that it is simply gorgeous and metallic is an essential Fall trend, it can be adjusted to be worn as a choker which works with Ts and denim or it goes the distance for a longer v-neck sweater and works well with other gold chains. This gives me so many options for seasons to come, which in my opinion, justifies the cost of any good splurge! $158: Available at HomeMaiden.

What are your favorite splurges?

9.14.2006

Beauty Scoops: From Neiman's to Cover Girl

Free Beauty Loot Alert:
Get free mascara at Covergirl (yes, the new mascara with the cool wand from the Queen Latifah ads!) when you trade in your department store brand (I just mailed in my old standby (Lancome Definicils) since I was near the end of it anyway). Or, if you're feeling in the mood to splurge, spend $85 or more on cosmetics at Neiman's and score a complimentary red tote stocked with the season's beauty essentials. Fragrance purchases count -- I was planning on ordering the Michael Kors parfum (I was wearing MK Island all summer and wanted to revert to something more "Fall" but it's on back order so I'm on the fence now about what to pick). No matter, the tote and treats will certainly make the shopping more fun!

9.13.2006

Stainiac Maniacs


One of our top-selling items this season is The Balm's hint-of-tint Stainiac gel blush. Just featured in this month's Lucky magazine, too, so it looks like we're all a bunch of Stainiac Maniacs. I chose it for this season's HomeMaiden collection because it is truly a staple item every girl should have in her bag -- it's an easy way to acheive a natural flush and look pretty in a snap. $14

9.12.2006

Fashion Week Fave: DVF























Loving, loving, loving Diane von Furstenberg's Spring 07 presentation...the cuts are wearable yet sexy-chic and her prints are spot on for the first time in awhile. Gorgeous!

9.10.2006

Pay It Forward: A Tale of 8 Lip Glosses


I consider myself a savvy traveler... I fly enough to know the secret to stepping off the plane looking like a million bucks is all in what you pack in your carry-on bag (see earlier post about the world's greatest black tote) and I usually know the FAA's latest rulings on whether or not I can bring my cuticle cutters and eye lash curler on board. Last week I had to take a day trip and completely forgot that lip gloss is now a no-no. Somehow or another, all 8 of my glosses made it through the first security check (big surprise, right?!?) but on my return flight I was asked to step aside as they ripped through my bag withdrawing the dangerous gloss.

To know me is to appreciate that in my line of work it is necessary to own a billion shades of lip gloss (all the better to determine which colors are best for my customers, of course!) and that I need to have as many color options at my disposal as possible. Given the choice to dump the glosses in the trash amidst the other offending liquid beauty items or mail them to myself, I didn't hesitate to seek out a mail drop in the airport. Unfortunately, I do not carry stamps on my person at all times and had to then go find a stamp machine...which of course was temporarily out of service. After a few stressful moments I realized if I didn't find a solution I'd miss my flight all over some lip gloss. A giant Thank You to Edith, an information desk worker in the St. Louis airport, who sympathized with my plight and offered to mail my stash home. She wouldn't accept money for the postage she would have to put on the envelope, she just smiled and said she understood. While not a crisis or matter of life and death, those glosses are headed home thanks to the kindness of a fellow maiden. I love people who ask for nothing in return and I hope to pay the random act of kindness forward in some manner or another.

Above, The Balm's Plump Your Pucker glosses in three must-have shades I almost lost. $14 each

9.06.2006

Lust List: Lip Scrub


My friend Laura can't stop talking about how fabulous Lip Scrub by Sara Happ is. She's literally addicted to the brown sugar flavor and its amazing exfoliating properties. Laura is a total beauty junkie so her promise that it is one of the best products on the market got me lusting after it immediately. It's now at the top of my shopping list for the weekend! $20