Fashion Beauty Friend Friday - 03.11.11

FBFF Questions for 03.11.11 - This week, the topic is "Finding the balance – How do you do it all and still live, work, and play as you want to?" Courtesy of ModlyChic.

1. When it comes to prioritizing your life, in what place does blogging fall?
It's not that high, but it's not last either. However, planning a good & blog-worthy outfit is right up there -- more for me than just to blog it, but y'know, if I wear it, I might as well photograph it & then blog it. I try to post at least 3x a week, otherwise it's not a real blog, imo.

2. We all wish we had more free time to dedicate to blogging and all it entails. What are your tricks for taking advantage of the time you do have to be as productive as possible?
I streamline as much as possible, & really I only blog in the time I have alloted. In the morning, I have about 15 minutes, maximum, to take photos. On my lunch break at work, I take maybe 20 minutes (while eating at my desk) to write up a post & the outfit. When I get home, I edit the photos right after I walk in the door (well, after feeding the cats!). Done!

3. Have you discovered any short-cuts that makes blogging easier or more time efficient?
Not short-cuts, other than keeping the whole thing short & sweet. Don't deviate from your focus or you'll discover that blogging will eat up all your time. My blog is strictly an "outfit a day" blog. I don't do a lot of essays or tutorials & the like. The only time such things sneak into my blog is when I have spare time & felt like writing those things & stored them up to use when I didn't have something else to blog (like when I was traveling). I guess my point is this: Don't let yourself aimlessly blog. That will become a huge time suck!

4. Do you have an editorial calendar or something similar that helps you plan ahead?
Gawd no. I do enough of that at my real job ;-)

5. If time wasn’t an issue what you would be doing on your blog/for your blog that you aren’t doing now?
I might do some DIY tutorials because I love making crafty things, but I end up making them & wearing them without any explanation of what I did. But, as I said, that's not my focus here. I do some of that already in my costume dress diaries, but it's more to just document what I went through, not even to instruct how to do it. I'm pretty satisfied with what I do on this blog right now.

Saves & Splurges

Most people have a mix of things they prefer to save money on & things they'll spend a lot of money on. I think only a few people are complete scrimpers or total spend-thrifts. Some people have heavy leanings, sure, but even the super-budget-shopper may regularly indulge, while big spenders still can't stand to pay a lot for certain stuff.

So I thought I'd share my own fashion saves & splurges -- please share some yours in the comments!

My top cheap-outs:
Things I can't stand paying full-price for or buying fancy brands...

• Sandals (they're just going to get beat up, besides, there's hardly any there there)
• Underwear (plain cheap cotton bikinis in a 3-pack, thanks)
• Most accessories (hair pins, scarves, belts, flashy jewelry; I might make jewelry out of expensive materials, but I'll rarely buy it)
• Skin care products (plain drugstore stuff only)
• T-shirts & similar "layering" pieces (solid color, boring-but-necessary basics that will be worn underneath sweaters & jackets -- why spend more? I buy a bunch of cheap ones in black & a few other dark colors, replace as needed)

My top indulgences:
Things I have a hard time passing up, even tho' they're pricey...

• Lipstick (so creamy, such deep pigments, so many colors! hard to find all that in the cheaper ones)
• Tights (I'm a convert -- expensive brands tend to last longer & also have a wider range of sizes, unlike the "one size fits some" cheapos)
• Perfume & scents (I don't wear them often anymore, but what I do like is always high quality, such as Black Phoenix Alchemy Labs or a couple designer scents like Anna Sui; my husband has this same addiction, & oh boy, does he smell great!)
• Hangers (Joan Crawford was right: No more wire coat hangers! they wreak havoc on your clothes -- but that said, I sometimes find my fave. padded, reinforced steel hangers on sale at Ross or TJ Maxx...)
• Jeans that fit (my petite plus-size holy grail, especially if they're black! I will pay any amount of money if/when I find jeans that feel & look good on me; they're so dang rare)

My shopping may seem pretty arbitrary at times. But these are the things I'm most consistent about when spending my wardrobe dollars.

Note to Self

I dropped my silver Celtic knot ring down behind or underneath a dresser in the bedroom this morning & have to fish it out at some point when I have more time. Couldn't reach it before work & won't have time tonight because I have to pack, as I'm leaving for Colonial Williamsburg early tomorrow!

Yep, I'm off again. This time, it's for a conference on 18th-century clothing accessories, preceded by a few days of costumed madness with my pals Kendra & Sarah & others.We've done this kind of thing before, only without the excuse of an academic gathering.

Now I have to pack both huge, elaborate costumes *and* modern clothes suitable for attending lectures & workshops. Oi! I'll let ya know how that goes in a week or so. And that's about when I'll be able to hunt for the missing ring.

What I'm wearing:
Burgundy flutter-hem sweater, Anthropologie, gift from Sarah
Black & white damask-print knit top, Speigel
Black velvet & satin swirled skirt, unknown brand
Black tights, unknown brand
Burgundy faux suede boots, DSW
Black bead bib necklace, Torrid
Black w/inset cross earrings, vintage
Chanel Vamp lipstick

A Lipstick Lesson

I tried to wear black lipstick to work today & failed. I suppose I should have know it was just too goth for the office. Heck, it's too goth (or cliché goth) for me usually. But sometimes, the old-school in my bitter dark heart calls out... well, & I found a bunch of deliciously dark lipsticks at Sephora this weekend!

As noted in last week's FBFF, I'm a sucker for high-end lipstick. And the first thing I saw when I walked into Sephora (where I had half a gift card to use up) was a black lipstick by Illamasqua (the shade is called Pristine). I was compelled to buy it. And next to that was the Makeup Forever display, which had another black lipstick, plus a couple rich, super-dark burgundies & purples, perfect for my quest to own all the dark lipsticks ever made.

About a year or two ago, Mac came out with a black lipstick that was the talk of all the goth communities online (see the Gothic Charm School review for tons more detail). I had to hunt around 3 stores to find & buy it. But that lippie was a bit of a disappointment to me-- the color was kind of sheer & only looked good if you layered it over another dark color. Good for a black-cherry effect, for example, but hard to get a solid black. Of course, full black lipstick is a difficult look to pull of anyway...

I was hoping that I could make it look "edgy" but not "goth cliche" with slightly colorful CorpGoth oufit, as shown. I wanted color & pattern & texture, nothing too hardcore. Just that little extra something special, y'know? Alas, it was Just Not Right. So back to a more traditional (for me) dark burgundy, Sephora house brand.

 What I'm wearing:
Fuschia cardigan with ruched shoulders, H&M
Black jeweled T-shirt, NY & Co.
Black & white plaid dirndl skirt, H&M
Black studded belt, Macy's
Black tights, unknown brand
Purple velvet ankle-strap pumps with roses, RocketDog
18th-century woman's shadow pendant on black silk ribbon as choker, gift from Kendra
Pewter square earrings
Large black metal roses ring, Icing

Perhaps the black lipstick will work better with a casual outfit. I'd feel too obvious wearing it with an uber-gothy ensemble. I've only worn the Mac black lipstick with historical costumes gone goth (specifically, an 18th-century Halloween party :-). What can I say, I like to do goth non-traditionally & traditional gothically.

Have any goths out there tried seriously goth looks at the office & really made it work or did it flop like my attempt? Have any of you non-goths tried an edgy trend outside your comfort zone & worn that to the office?

Fashion Beauty Friend Friday - 03.04.11

FBFF Questions for 03.4.11 - This week, the topic is beauty products, courtesy of ModlyChic.

1. What's your favorite drugstore makeup product and your favorite higher-end product?

Drugstore - Probably the Loreal HiP eyeshadows. The second I discovered those, I snapped them up & have been addicted to them! Fantastic colors, great pigment, compact (thus great for travel), & ideal for all my eyeshadow needs.

High-end - This is one of my little indulgences. I really adore high-end makeup & haunt Sephora to randomly buy fancy makeup whenever I have a bit of cash to spare. But to pick just one, I'd have to say Chanel Vamp lipstick. It's the ultimate goth lippie, tho' sadly being discontinued (rumor has it). I have a few tubes stockpiled & will cry when they are gone.

2. Is there one type of product that is your go-to, can't live without?
If I'm honest, I'll say Burt's Bees lip balm. There's a tube in every purse, next to my bed, at my work & home desks, & in the bathroom. But I'd like to say lipstick in general.

3. What's the best hair product you've ever used?
Too hard to pick just one! Beauty Without Cruelty leave-in conditioner is fantastic for soothing my tangled mess of wanna-be curls right out of the shower, & Garnier Fructis curl creme is perfect for styling the dry waves into soft curls for the day. Oh & I'd be remiss in not mentioned Aqua Net Extra Super Hold Unscented, which continues to play a large part in my hairstyling life (from teenage Robert Smith 'dos to historical hairstyles to retro pinup everyday fashions).

4. Fess up, what's the worst beauty look you've tried to rock and look back at now with a little shame or apprehension that you actually did that?
I will never, ever again cut my hair into a bob. *shudder* Awful look on me. Most really short hairstyles make me look like Paul McCartney in the end.

5. When it comes to beauty products, we all use the same basic products. What do you use that helps show off your personal flare and personality?
Well, I don't think "we all use the same basic products." I suppose that was intended to mean the same basic products are available to everyone.

My makeup trademark is probably dark lipstick. I always wear it. Dark lips, light eyemakeup (just black liner & a touch of shadow -- can't see too much of it behind my glasses). I wear dark lipstick every single day if I'm going outside the house, tho' I have stopped bothering for mundane trips to the grocery store or doctor's office. I almost reflexively buy any dark burgundy or purple-ish shade of lipstick I see at Sephora or the drugstore to add to my collection.  I match the lipstick to my outfits. I reapply thruout the day. I ask friends if I have "hooker lips" (y'know, when there's only a trace outline of lipstick around the edges of your lips). I'm kind of obsessed.

Stripey Silk

I've been sewing clothing & stuff since I was a little kid -- taught by my mom & grandmom. But I don't like sewing modern clothes to wear everyday. Too much trouble. What I do like is to buy fabric & trims & shiny bits to use for historical / fantasy / gothic costumes or to refashion everyday clothes.

That's how I came across this fabric. Just  a couple yards, last little bit on a bolt, of black silk with pinstripes of silver. Not enough for a full gown, but omg, such awesome fabric, I had to have it. Could use it as contrast or trim on something, someday.

Then, my dear friend Donna suggested a jacket. A modern jacket, that she would make. Fantastic! She's such a dear. She had this pattern & whipped it together as a Christmas gift for me.

What I'm wearing:
Black with grey pinstripe silk jacket, custom-made by Donna of Original Sin Designs
Black T-shirt, Old Navy
Black trousers, Target
Black wedge heels, Kenneth Cole (thrifted)
Burgundy flower pin (also works as a hair pin), Forever 21
Black sparkley necklace, random accessory store
Silver cameo earrings, vintage
Large sparkley gunmetal ring, Icing
Chanel Vamp lipstick

Sundress Between Raindrops

Drizzly morning, so just the one photo. But I wore this sundress a lot in Kauai the other week & couldn't resist giving it a wintery remix.

What I'm wearing:
Black, white, & purple print dress, Target
Black T-shirt, Gap
Black elastic belt, NY & Co.
Black leggings, Newport News
Black boyfriend cardigan, Chadwicks
Red heeled ankle boots, Aerosoles
Silver chunky bead necklace, Target

Ran out the door without earrings on! Nearly forgot my rings & studded bracelet.

When you're having a rushed morning, what do you tend to forget?