P.S. Chocolate Sheepskin

Allow me to make an addendum to my Animal Luxury post. This is the only bag I can possibly want this winter. Sheepskin and glazed chocolate leather? And in beautifully proportioned "uptown ladylike handheld or downtown hip crossbody"? Yes please, very much. The Dean satchel by EAYRSLEE satisfies both my wool and leather cravings simultaneously in a traditional yet edgy package.

Surely, what could be more perfect to wear with my infallible white sweaters?

fin

Animal Luxury: Discoveries of Fur, Horn, Leather, and Feather

Animal Luxury by creatureofdesign featuring travel handbags

Wearing a wool sweater or carrying around a leather bag can become so routine that we forget we are in tactile contact with an animal element. The above items reverse that by bringing the organic creature to the forefront in such a way that is impossible to ignore. Counter-clockwise from top left:

-

Ruma horn bangle by Kora - Made in Kenya from recycled Ankole cow horn, these bracelets glow with an inner luminosity. The brass and leather fittings make these bangles earthy enough to wear in wintertime, preferably with an oversized cream-colored sweater that has the slouchy sleeves pushed up.

Wool "mathematics hat" by Dries Van Noten - The frayed fleecy yarns give this structured hat such an eye-catching fluffy look that you are instantly reminded you are wearing wool (alpaca/merino blend). Tone this hat down by putting on a minimalist collarless black wool long coat.

Porcupine quill bib by K/LLER COLLECTION - This necklace made from brass quills and actual porcupine quills is rugged drama. Wear it under a leather biker jacket.

Stingray cufflinks by Collette Ishiyama - I didn't know I needed cufflinks until I saw this bronze and textured stingray leather version. I would clip them onto my chambray buttondown and push the sleeves slightly up my forearms; or I'd just stick them onto the collar.

Large black haircalf portfolio by Hare+Hart - The bold strip of black haircalf instantly elevates this leather portfolio into the style stratosphere.

Victorian feather mink fur button bootie by Fendi - A prim silhouette with outrageous embellishment, this bootie manages to hit on the leather, fur, and feather fronts simultaneously. Style it with slim dark jeans and an ivory turtleneck sweater.

Chieko deer clutch by Proenza Schouler - If you're feeling particularly daring, pair this brilliantly patterned deer fur clutch with the Fendi booties.

Flux fur jacket by Helmut Lang - Colored fur trim can be obnoxious sometimes, like yelling, "Look at me! I'm wearing fur!" Black fur on black leather, conversely, draws the eye and the hand to textures.

Baseball sweater with mink by Reed Krakoff - Another tone-on-tone design with fur. This sweater is lusciously slouchy, and the mink sleeves are just playful enough for a lazy weekend in the city.

And finally, in the center, goat fur "frozen scarf" by Ann Demeulemeester - Although made of goat fur, this scarf is so airy it looks as if it could have been woven from feathers. The gray and brown hues evoke winter perfectly.

-

Which is your favorite? Do you have any "wild kingdom" additions to this collection? Is anyone going to sic PETA on me? I was a vegetarian for six years. Go figure.

fin

City Weekend Look, and a Polyvore First

Weekend Set 1 by creatureofdesign featuring a color block sweater

Why did I not get a Polyvore account sooner? Well, it looked more complicated than it really is. But now I see the possibilities and am excited by them.

For my first test drive, I went with a low-key weekend look. Something I would wear around Dupont Circle on a mild winter day. I pulled up images from the Polyvore bank without worrying about their origins or prices. Actually, I own (and got on sale) everything in this set, except for the Maison Martin Marigela ring (which I am now tempted to get). The sweater and leather pants are Helmut Lang, while the suede boots are Ann Demeulemeester. I have the Proenza Schouler PS1 in medium.

Moral of this set? There's no such thing as too much leather.

fin 

My Hangover Cure: Komenuka Bijin & Sunday Riley

We had a celebration last evening at Volt and I overindulged in red wine. The next thing I know, it's two in the morning and I'm in bed with stockings still on and a full face of makeup still on. Must save my skin!

Prevention is the first thing. I dash into the bathroom and take out a Koh Gen Do Cleansing Spa Water Cloth. This is the only face wipe I use. It effectively removes my makeup, sure, but the mineral-rich water and essential herbs also infuse my skin with enough healing moisture that I can pass on applying any creams afterward. This makes it an absolute time- and life-saver. I really ought to keep a pack on my bedside stand during the holiday season.

Then I drink three glasses of water (prevention!) and fall back into bed, bare-faced. In the morning I drink some more water and, after a thorough cleansing, assess the damage: my skin is dull, rough, and uneven. What I want to do now is revitalize my skin with nourishing ingredients and swaddle it in deep moisture. And I need to do this in a short window of time.

To the rescue comes Komenuka Bijin Massage Cream Mask. A semi-translucent white gel that aims to "rejuvenate the skin and even the skin tone," this cream mask is full of marvelous ingredients like rice bran, jojoba oil, olive oil, silk powder, yeast extract, sake, and mushroom. The directions tell you to massage the cream mask onto your face and neck in upward strokes for five minutes; then to add another layer over the face and neck without massaging and to leave in for five minutes. Rinse it all off.

The result is brighter, happier looking skin. Nothing dramatic, but my face likes the massage and the nutritious ingredients. The English label on the tube states "Natural Kobo Massage Pack." I ordered mine from Beautyhabit, though this product doesn't seem to be listed right now.

While I'm waiting with this mask on my face for the required five minutes, I exfoliate my parched, chapped lips with Sara Happ Brown Sugar Lip Scrub.

The final step is to seal my skin in with Sunday Riley Juno Transformative Lipid Serum. Two full pumps of this stuff drenches my skin in glowing moisture. My face plumps up right before my face. My nasolabial folds fill out and the tiny wrinkle above my left eyebrow vanishes.

With this ten-minute routine, I almost look better post-hangover than I did pre-hangover. I can proceed with my regular skincare routine and face the day. 

*Thanks to Product Doctor, who gave me the idea for a "hangover cure" post.

fin

Face, featuring Le Metier de Beaute Nouvelle Vague Kaleidoscope

The kaleidoscopes from Le Metier de Beaute are foolproof. The colors are so dynamic, the pigments so forgiving, that you can throw them onto your eyelid any which way and always come out looking fabulous. Le Metier de Beaute Eye Kaleidoscope in Nouvelle Vague allows you to easily create a soft pink-neutral eye or a dramatic smoky eye. For this look, I went with the second.

Nouvelle, the first shade, is a "sheer mink negative." It barely shows up on my skin tone, and works as a brow highlighter. The second shade is named Gamine and is described as a "satin pink celluloid." This translates into an opaque shimmering cool pink. The third shade, Icon, is exactly as advertised, a "silky matte Parisian mauve." It's a rather dark color. The final shade is called Fin, and is an epic "smoldering black carbon." It is intense but smooth. (Both Temptalia and Messy Wands have superb swatches.)

To create this look, I washed the first shade all over the eyelid and browbone. The second shade went on the eyelid up to the crease, and the third shade was restricted to the lower eyelid. The black shade, Fin, was tricky yet easy to work with. It's so pigmented that even a tiny amount can go overboard, but it moves around and blends effortlessly. I lined part of my upper lashline with Fin, then blended it upward, adding a little extra to the crease. Then over this, I added more of the first two shades to the center of the eyelid. I also lightly drew all four shades down along the lower lashline. Voila.

To finish off the eyes, I lined the lower waterline with Le Metier de Beaute Dualistic Eye Pencil in Noir. My upper lashes received Le Metier de Beaute Anamorphic Lash Mascara in Black. This is my favorite mascara: it simply enhances your lashes without making it obvious that you're wearing mascara. I call it MLBB (My Lashes But Better).

My cheeks gained a pop of color from Le Metier de Beaute Creme Fresh Tint in Mystique. I had been anticipating a misty wash of pink, and instead got a bubblegum pink so bright it was practically fluorescent. At a distance my cheekbones have a pretty flush, but up close you can see the unnatural cast to them: Mystique is not a color I would ever blush in real life. I suspect blondes could pull this shade off, however. If I were to redo this look, I might go with a sheer luminizer such as the pink Aura or white Halo crushed pearl & 24k gold leaf balms from Belmacz, both of which I just ordered the other day.

Rouge Bunny Rouge Succulence of Dew Sheer Lipstick in Dark Juices is described as "shiny, sheer blue-toned plum, shimmering with silver." On my lips, this shade is an intriguing multi-dimensional copper mauve that echoes the eyes beautifully. The shimmer made it difficult for me to capture a good close-up. Both Best Things in Beauty and Perilously Pale both have spectacular natural-light swatches.

The base for my face was merely Omorovicza Complexion Perfector BB SPF 20 over Visoanska VV5 Solution. Nouvelle Vague is a lovely, classic kaleidoscope from Le Metier de Beaute. It makes even an amateur like me look good.

fin

Design Gem: Jacob Albee Meteorite Collection

Last week, I was holiday shopping around downtown Frederick and ducked into McGuire Gallery. There I found jewelry made by Jacob Albee from precious metals and Gideon meteorite. The sleek, polished lines interspersed with the striations of raw meteorite captivated me.

The earrings are especially innovative. The meteorite is sliced into fan shapes, then attached to loops of gold. One end of the loop hinges outward so that it can be worn as a hoop earring.

This collection is titled "Heaven and Earth." Most apropos.

fin