Say Happy Valentine’s Day to yourself with awesome nail charms.

Oh, hey! How’s your Valentine’s Day going? Are you sick with a bacterial infection, alternately sweating and shivering under four layers of blankets? Are you out with your beau right now drinking a nice Merlot or at home with a tall, refreshing glass of Emergen-C? (I wonder if Emergen-C mixes well with vodka. Will report back.) Do your eyeballs burn so badly that you’ve had to turn your Kindle’s brightness setting down to the lowest level to read that escape from the FLDS cult memoir you’ve been meaning to finish?

That’s been my evening thus far. But you know what, I’m far from bitter. I spent a lovely day working from home, then took a nice little jaunt to CVS for some more cold medicine, and now I’m settling in to watch the highly anticipated second season of House of Cards. Not all bad. And the cherry on top? Doing my nails, of course! Continue reading →

Fashion & Beauty

Five pick-me-ups for days when you feel like this:

There’s a phrase I’ve coined for my own occasional bout of crippling insecurity: “having a moment.” Like my personal heroine above, we all experience this phenomenon at one point or another. It’s natural. But here’s the thing: these feelings should last only a moment. They should be only temporary; nothing but a blip in your day. Acknowledge them– indulge them, even. But then pick yourself up, slap some spackle on your face and go to happy hour. Here are five fool-proof ways to make yourself feel at least 50% better in a time of need. Continue reading →

Fashion & Beauty

Kiehl’s Midnight Recovery Concentrate

So while I’m (still) on the subject of vanity, I thought I’d share one of my absolute favorite products with you. It’s a multi-use miracle serum, and I can’t stress enough how sweet it is.

Kiehl’s Midnight Recovery Concentrate

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Fashion & Beauty

Product Review: Konjac Sponge

I am vain. This is not a secret. Not self-absorbed or narcissistic… Just slightly obsessive. After all, my life’s greatest passions revolve around aesthetics, and that sensibility extends itself to the manipulation of my appearance as a vehicle for self-expression.

JK, obviously. I know there’s no way to rationalize this. I just like pretty things in shiny packages that promise to effectively transform me into a Disney princess, or a unicorn, or something more awesome than myself. I’m so easily tempted by these delusions, it’s kind of embarrassing. Like, if you were to tell me that a magical Japanese sponge could slough years of stress and hardship from my weathered 25-year-old face… Um, hey, go get my purse? Take my credit card, it’s in my wallet. Just take it, seriously.

In short, the internet told me to buy this, so I did:

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Fashion & Beauty

Men’s Office Style: Volume Four

I saved this one for Friday because it seemed like kind of a Casual Friday look to me. (Full disclosure: these pictures were taken on a Tuesday.) I feel like if I were a guy, this would be the kind of oufit I’d try to get away with most often. Not that he doesn’t look great, but there is something to be said for comfort.

Alec

Button-down: GAP, Shirt: H&M, Jeans: Levi’s 511s, Shoes: Clarks Chukkahs, Glasses: Warby Parker

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Fashion & Beauty

Men’s Office Style: Volume Three

Today I thought it might be fun to feature a look on the more conservative end of the spectrum. Tyler’s style is pretty classic and well-tailored. Fit and quality are two of the few variables men have to play with when it comes to fashion. Like, they can literally only wear shirts, pants, jackets, shorts and blazers, so they should probably make sure they’re flattering. Women’s trends are more fluid and diverse, and it’s easier to supplement a wardrobe with statement pieces. But I digress; we all know girls get more cool stuff. Anyway, here are some style tips from Tyler.

Tyler

Loafers: Ferragamo, Slacks: Ralph Lauren, Sweater: Ralph Lauren, Shirt: Ledbury, Belt: Trafalgar.

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Fashion & Beauty

Men’s Office Style: Volume Two

Finding styles that flatter your body-type is a tough but necessary task. It’s taken me years to understand that as much as I like certain things, like high-waisted pants, they’ll never look right on someone of my height and build. On the other hand, there are many looks that I can pull off because of my size. It’s taken me years to build up a repertoire of cuts and styles that I know work for me, and I admire Pupon for the fact that he’s done that so well for himself. Here’s another look that I loved this week.

Pupon

Jacket: H&M, Shirt and Pants: Express, Shoes: Cole Haan “Lunargrand”

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Fashion & Beauty

Men’s Office Style: Volume One

The guys in my office dress all right. Ok, I’ll be honest, I’m usually kind of impressed by what they’re wearing, given the disdain I usually feel when I see men in DC trying to wear clothes. It’s like Halloween, if Halloween were an occasion for all dudes to dress like somebody’s dad.

I asked some of my friends at work to let me take pictures of their everyday attire, and they were kind enough to answer a few questions about their personal styles. This week, I’ll be posting a few of my favorite looks.

Kyle

Jacket: Zara, Jeans: Levi’s, Shirt & Shoes: J. Crew, Tie: Dior, Glasses: Warby Parker

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Fashion & Beauty

Colorful Life

It’s been a while, I know. I’m sorry. I’ve had a trying month, but it’s nothing a little materialism hasn’t been able to fix. Sometimes I think I’m kidding, but I’m really not sure. Not going to try too hard to figure that out.

Anyway, luckily for all of us, there’s a trend that will now allow us to part with our money a little more easily. If you live in a city that’s been thoroughly infiltrated by fleets of food trucks (the best invention ever, maybe), you’re probably in luck.

Clothing trucks have been quietly making the rounds for a bit, and I’m lucky enough to know a real live person who owns one. I reached out to my friend Gechi, who I’ve known since high school, after seeing that she’d started her own business here in the DC/VA area. I was, and still am, super impressed by her moxie, and I wanted to hear how she got started. Continue reading →

NOVA Brewfest

On Sunday, a few friends and I headed out to the Northern Virginia Brewfest at Bull Run Regional Park. This was our first weekend of real, quintessential fall weather, so I got to break out a hat for the occasion. Monumental. But honestly, I’ve been excited to start layering again. I think we can all agree that fall outfits are way more fun to put together… You just keep piling on stuff until it works.

Hat: Anthropologie, Scarf: Moschino, Top: Riller & Fount (ideeli), Sunglasses: Marc by Marc Jacobs, Jeans: Rachel by Rachel Roy, Boots: Indigo by Clarks, Bag: Charles Jourdan (ideeli), Jacket: Blank NYC.

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