NAILED IT

Got my nails done this weekend and can I tell you how much I love my new color? It is now my all time favorite summer toe color so I had to share. Misa's "Bed of Roses". It's like a Stila Lip Glaze for your toes!

COOL IT

Summer is officially here. That means beach, pool, outdoor fun and of course summer fashion. Course there are a lot of looks that wind up on the beach that are downright disastrous but the differences are honestly what make going to the beach so much fun.  While the girls to the left are super cute... how boring would it be if the entire beach looked like that? (Not to mention rough on the ego.) Everything sort of goes when it comes to the beach...except for private beach poachers. That is definitely not cool.
Stay cool my friends.

WIND SHIFT

Is anyone else as excited about Creatures of the Wind collaborating with J.Crew this Fall as I am? I'm dying to see how they'll integrate their fabulous color, pattern and fit bravado into the streamlined, classic J.Crew but I'm sure they'll do it with integrity. With color blocking so on the rise, maybe we could be in store for some powerful knits that will finally gain the attention they deserve.

CASEY HAVING A BABY

A little while back I did a post about my sister (sister-in-law officially, but that is so not who she is to me so from now on refer to her as my sister, okay?) getting married. It was a stylish wedding in Sun Valley, Idaho with a stylish girl and boy saying "I DO". Now they're adding a handsome cool prince to the mix, (sorry Bender...of course you were the first!) due in a month. Just like their wedding, their belly shots are so personal and so pure, so authentically beautiful. This is how pregnancy shots are supposed to look. Her husband took the pictures but if yours isn't quite this talented (who's is, I mean come on??!!!) find a photographer like Boston photographer Kristina Young to capture your personal spirit. 

See more pictures of Casey on my Facebook page Sparkle, Inc.

VROOM

Maison Martin Margiela

I have a thing about shoes that curl up at the toe. I just can't do it. But every moto boot I've seen has clown toes so I feared it just wasn't meant to be. But then, Barney's answered my prayers. The Maison Martin Margiela boot finally gets it right... part tough, part refined. Now all I'll need is the bike.
www.barneys.com

TRES BON

If you're in the mood to give your dear old Sparkle girl some love, then this would be the time. Northshore Magazine is ready to take your votes for the Reader's Choice awards for all sorts of things, makeup artists included. Just vote for Larissa Mills under the Makeup Artist category and you're done!
Merci.
http://nshoremag.com/bons

MOTHER LOVER

Mothers do a lot so maybe it's time to hook her up with something she'll really love and really use. Pants she can move in. Shoes she can run in. Shirts she can breathe in. But better than anything else, just tell her you love her.

mother's day by sparkleinc featuring black wedges

3 1 Phillip Lim see through blouse, $450
Boden fitted t shirt, $44
Mint green jeans
Rebecca Minkoff black wedge, $275
Valextra envelope clutch, $1,320
FTD Floral Festival Flowers Bouquet at 1-800Florals Florists, $45

LOVEY DOVEY

Let me just start off by saying, it's $3.96. That's right, $3.96, and it works just as well if not better than some of the pricier ones. Dove's Dry Shampoo is great on the greasies but quite honestly I'm a bigger fan of dry shampoo to add volume and texture to clean hair. I hate when my hair is silky... seriously nothing irritates me more. Shiny, silky, Wella girl hair? YUCK! I'm not joking. Give me slept in, slightly rat's nest, Brigitte Bardot hair and I'm good.
www.dove.us

BIGGIE SMALL

Did you know the huge as your head bag is sort of taking a break at the moment? Yup. It's true. The clutch (and the smaller bag in general) is having its moment. It's just so sophisticated and cool. I always love the look of freshly manicured nails holding a clutch or how cool and nonchalant it looks tucked under your arm while reapplying lipstick. If you need one that can go from jeans to cocktail dress I have a good one for you. Big Buddha bow clutch. Saw it at Babe Boutique in Beverly Farms and have wanted it ever since. Go small or go home.
www.babeboutique.net

IP HELL

After

I'm not gonna lie. It hurts. A lot. Well not that much but way more than I expected. Don't let the name, Photo Facial, fool you. IPL laser "facials" feel nothing even remotely like a facial. No, more like a zapping of an electrical current (rubber band, my ass). I can't tell you if it was worth it yet but what I can tell you is this. Do NOT get this done if you have an important event to attend OR if you have a serious aversion to looking like Morgan Freeman.

Before

BB

Ok, so I've been waiting to share this multi-task product with you only because I hadn't used it enough to know if it was worth it or not. It is. But here's the catch. It only comes in one color (suitable for fair and medium skin tones) and it has no SPF (something I like but a lot of you may not... but keep in mind, no SPF means better in photographs). But it pretty much does everything else except drop your kids off at school and clean up the kitchen. It moisturizes, it reduces wrinkles, it increases antioxidant levels, it primes, it reduces pore size, has blemish control, reduces redness, is long lasting and is HD!
It's for all of you who want beautiful skin but refuse to wear foundation or even tinted moisturizer but it's also for those of you who want added support for your current foundation. Wear it alone or wear it with powders, foundations or concealer, either way, it's the balm.
http://www.stilacosmetics.com

BECAUSE I SAID SO

It's really hard to find the time to be fashionable if your kids are always the ones in control and calling the shots (shouldn't it be the other way around?). If you're stuck in a parenting rut or just wanting to be way different than your helicoptering, overzealous, paranoid, overindulgent, overprotective friends, here's a book for you. I attended a talk given by the author and it was empowering. Oh, and for the record, 'because I said so' is a perfectly good reason.

WATER YOU TALKING ABOUT?

Pick up any magazine and read what celebs are doing to keep their skin so beautiful and chances are they'll credit it to a good diet but most of all because of all the WATER they drink. "I drink 20 glasses of water a day!" one states. "I am never without a water bottle in my hand!" another exclaims. Oh come on! Here's the thing. My mom has great skin. I mean, amazing skin, and her idea of hydration is a cup of coffee in the morning, tea in the afternoon and a few cocktails and wine at night. She not only doesn't drink water she pretty much has an aversion to it. I'm not saying water isn't good, I'm just saying it isn't going to make a sow's ear into a silk purse.

NOT PINTERESTED

I know a lot of you are into Pinterest and while I have an account myself, after about 3 times of trying to add images to my albums I was bored. I honestly just don't get it so please explain it to me. Is it basically a scrapbook of stolen images of things you like/want (just what we all need, more consumerism)? Or is it just inspirational and something to cure boredom? I saw stationery on there I liked but of course since it was Pinterest there wasn't any way of knowing where the hell the stationery was from! What is the point of that!? And it's not very creative...just ask any artist their opinion of Pinterest. But clearly people are loving it, but people love Facebook too and I really don't get that either.

GIRLS IS SO DUMB

A guy friend of mine recently announced (proudly, I might add) that he had finished a 450 page book. Given that reading isn't really his thing (well, not books anyway, more like box scores, graphs and stats) my curiosity was piqued. What could keep his attention for 450 pages?!! I had to read it.
So I did. And let me just say, it should be required reading for every 13 year old girl out there who doesn't wish to become a moron. I have known some pathetic, trashy, insecure nut jobs in my time, but the women described in this book take the cake. Tucker, the author, while being a complete jerk, is just taking full advantage of it . I'm sure a lot of women blame Tucker for the serious debauchery in this book but ladies... this one's all on you.

EGG ON YOUR FACE

I've been a total slacker. I've been using this pink egg for the past year and haven't shared. I apologize. It's become so much a part of my regular beauty routine that I forgot it may not be a part of yours. The Beauty Blender, its official name, creates a flawless, airbrushed finish to any foundation. It also works with other liquid products like highlighter, concealer and cream blush. Just dampen and apply. What a good egg.
www.beautyblender.net

BUTTER ME UP

Revlon ColorBurst Lip Butters

I'm pretty excited. There's a whole new breed of lip color hitting the market and they couldn't come soon enough. While I am so over gloss, I have, truth be told, been having an equally hard time with lipstick. I've been feeling a bit like Goldilocks... this one's too goopy, this one's too dry, this one's too shiny but these are JUST RIGHT. Part gloss, part balm, part lipstick. I'm melting.

SKIN DEEP

I'm obsessed with more natural skincare products. While I tried to dabble in a bit of hydroquinone (you know, for THAT SPOT!) it just wasn't for me. But what is for me and what seems to be making the biggest improvement is SkinCeuticals' serum with phloretin, vitamin C and ferulic acid in a biodiverse formulation to divide and conquer sources of damage at every level. Phloretin CF, a broad-spectrum treatment, protects against not only free radicals, but the range of other reactive molecules known to cause damage and DNA mutations among the integral cell types. In addition, it corrects existing damage by stimulating the synthesis of essential proteins and fibers and accelerating cell turnover. The result - a strengthened support structure on the inside and a more youthful, firm, radiant appearance on the outside. To paraphrase, it protects your skin and corrects hyper pigmentation, uneven skin tone and dullness. Yippee!

LESS IS MORE

I hate being pushed or "sold". That goes for fashion, cars, boys, friends, you name it. It feels like manipulation and in the end comes across as phony and just plain trying too hard. If you have to work that hard at it, sell it that strongly, it's probably not really there to begin with.

LET IT BE

Oooooh I just love words as art especially when they impart a solid, do good message. Although, if they came out with "Be the Bad", I might like that just as much.
https://www.onekingslane.com

JUMP, JUMP, JUMP!

I can't help it. I'm still in love with the jumpsuit. It just doesn't get any easier than this for chic, easy, wickedly comfortable dressing up or down. Jump in.
http://www.lindestore.com

PLACES TO GO, PEOPLE TO SEE

Maybe I'm getting old or maybe I'm just getting smart. After walking miles around NYC last week I realized I'm over high heels. I'm not just talking stilettos here, I'm talking wedges, platforms, kitten heels, etc.
I have places to go and I want to get to them.... quickly...while I still can. Heels slow me down. I'm not saying it's all about comfort but sometimes it is, and should be, about function. Now before you think your problems are solved with your riding boots, think again. Mid calf height is where it's at. La Garconne has some down right pretty ones but Frye is another good bet.
http://www.lagarconne.com

PUNK'D

I am seriously starting to think Marc Jacobs was trying to punk us when he sent these shoes down his Fall 2012 runway show. But the worst part is, the more I sit here staring at them and cursing at the absurdity of them, the more I start to....... sort of...... like them???!! I am definitely punked in the head.

BOWLED OVER

Measuring was never this much fun. Might have to pick these up tomorrow on a shopping visit to Isabel Harvey in Wellesley.
http://www.isabelharvey.com

BLOODTHIRSTY

I couldn't be happier about the return of oxblood for the fall runway shows. It's neither purple, nor brown, nor red which is why it's so adaptable to every color under the sun. I personally love it with peach or pale pinks but it's equally gorgeous with grey and rich tans. Derek Lam did it particularly well so check him out this Fall. http://www.barneys.com

COME FLY WITH ME

PF Flyer Center Lo

I'm not a huge fan of sneakers. I relegate them to gym wear and the occasional necessity if I'm doing something that might abruptly require sprinting (like visiting NYC with my 5 year old). But after a lot of traveling this year in weather that was not sandal/flat appropriate, I relied heavily on them and decided maybe it's time to get a fresh pair that not everyone else is wearing.
PF Flyers. I secretly lust after the leather high top versions but the canvas ones at right are a bit more discreet.
http://www.pfflyers.com

STATE LINES

I know it's slightly absurd but if you have the money to spend and feel like showing some state pride, this would be the way to do it. Some state shapes are cooler than others (Texas, anyone?) but they all have their own charm. You can specify where your town is so they know where to put the diamond. I prefer the gold version to the silver, I feel like it makes more of a statement.
http://mayabrenner.com

SPOT ME

Last week I told my 7 year old daughter that I had run into her friend's mom. The response I expected and the one I got were scarily different. It went like this....
Me: "Hey, I ran into Serena's mom today."
Ella: "Were you wearing makeup?"
Me: "No, why?"
Ella: "Were you embarrassed?"
Me: "No. Why? Should I have been?"
Ella: Silence
Me: "Why do you care if I had makeup on?"
Ella: "I just think you should at least try to look pretty."

Follow that up with the next day's comment and you're ordering tubes of hydroquinone and a massive bag to pull over your head.
7:20 a.m.
Me: "Have a great day at school!"
Ella: "Will you have makeup on when I get home?"
Me: "I don't know, why?????"
Ella: "Well I just don't like having to see THAT (she is now pointing to the freckle (age spot) on my cheek."

Ouch. Ok, here's where I'm going to go with this. If she's going to have a critical eye about beauty, let it be about me and not her. Let her focus on my flaws instead of fixating on her own. Let her see that while that spot may not be the ideal shown in magazines, the face it rests on has enjoyed 40 years of living to earn it.

LET'S HEAR IT FOR THE BOYS

All images courtesy of The Sartorialist

Watching the Globes made it pretty apparent that there are two ways in which women dress. Dressing for women and dressing for men, regardless of who they are actually trying to attract. Men also dress for both sexes, but men dressing for women sometimes get confused about what women find fashionable as well as hot.
These guys have pushed the fashion envelope while still looking like men who attract women.

ONE THING LEADS TO ANOTHER

I like to indulge. What fun is life without it, right? But I heard a favorite song of mine today by the Fixx. While the song has nothing to do with going down a path of destruction in the way that I was thinking (I think it's more about politics but what do I know?) it made me think about if it's better to stay clear of the things we are really really tempted by, but know will have negative consequences (sales at Neimans, double size banana splits) or is it better to test ourselves and see if we can be strong in the midst of them (just go window shopping, watch bakery cooking shows). One thing usually does lead to another (who ever eats just one bite?) so maybe it's best to just avert your gaze and run away quickly. Or maybe not. I haven't made up my mind. Back to Fixx tunes for resolution.

TWO IN ONE

Two very elegant friends of mine have two very distinctive and creative ventures. One is a blog about hotel style, Hotel Chic, and translating that style to real life. The other is a divine property/inn located in Tuscany, Tenuta Santo Pietro, that Hotel Chic recently blogged about, which I think you will agree, looks like heaven on earth. If you're looking for a great getaway or looking for design inspiration check them out.
   

SLEEPERY SLOPE

You can't tell but I slept in these all night!
Why wear actual clothes when you can just wear
pajamas all day!

I know I've lived in the suburbs too long when pajama jeans start to look like a valid fashion option. Hmm, my suburban brain thinks. I could go to bed, wake up, slip on my equally lazy Uggs and be out the door to drop off the kids and no one would know I was still in my pajamas!!!? What a fantastic idea! Except it's not. People are already wearing sweatshirts and jeans to the theater and visit any mall in America and you will see what comfort clothing has done to not only our waistlines but our sense of style, pride and overall demeanor.
Nope. When I am being a lazy sloth, you will know it.

TWINKLE TWINKLE LITTLE STAR

If you're looking for some last minute stocking stuffers or just a great pair of fun, festive earrings that cost less than a chicken, check these out. I got them last week at Forever 21 and ever since then have been asked a) where I got them and b) were they really expensive. A lot of stuff from Forever 21 does look cheap but it's always rewarding when a $4.80 cent pair of earrings gets more praise than the $150 baubles. And being called "Sparkling Star Earrings", they were near and dear to my heart.
http://www.forever21.com

SAVE FACE

GOING THE DISTANCE

The holidays are a great time to up the elegant factor and one way to do that is with a long skirt. While everyone else will still be desperately clinging on to the short silhouetted mini dress, you can be the stand out. The longer the better. Pair it with a more casual top or cashmere sweater to keep it fresh.
http://www.net-a-porter.com

STINGS A LITTLE

You iPhone people are really starting to irritate me. First it was the cool apps, then it was the great camera, now it's the cool accessories. Enough already! Can't anyone make a snazzy cell phone case for the non Apple folk? (yes, I wanted one but I don't get reception where I live. Fine. I've said it!)
I am willing to put aside my petty phone envy and allow your phone to be even more coveted with these unbelievably chic, cell phone cases made of stingray. They come in different colors and would make any iPhone happy. Like it needs that.
www.vivo-studios.com

ZONE OUT

If you're looking for some inspirational purchases this season beyond the boring, I mean, J.Crew, I mean, GAP, the usual, oops. Well, there. I've said it. Get outside your comfort zone this season. Check out Boston's LF Store on Newbury Street (or LA, NYC, Dallas, Miami locations) for some fun alternatives.
www.lfstores.com

JUDGEMENT DAY

I have come to the conclusion that I'm an a**hole. I came to this conclusion after reading one of Gwyneth Paltrow's GOOP posts with quotes from people like Deepak Chopra about not judging people, and how, if you do, it really says more about you than them. We all tell this to our kids and while I agree it's an important message to spread around, I secretly believe that anyone who can't judge an idiotic thing someone says or does, has either had a lobotomy or is an idiot themselves. I mean, isn't judgement just another word for being discriminating? Don't you rely on being judgmental to pick a good mate? Make a good business decision? Pick out a great skirt? Judgement is helpful and even funny (would Dennis Leary even have a routine without judgement?) and even Santa is judging....all year long, or so I tell my kids. So judge away.

MIDDLE OF THE ROAD

Are things really that bad in the fashion world that we need to resort to following Pippa Middleton for fashion trends? I'm not saying I don't love the Middletons, quite the contrary, but fashion, I'm afraid, is not really their strong suit. If inspiration is needed, please reference real fashion icons like Kate Moss, Blake Lively, Alexa Chung, Chloe Sevigny, Michelle Williams or even Victoria Beckham! Pippa may have the rear but the rest is rather....flat.

TRANNY WRECK

Remember when you were a kid and begged your mother to let you wear high heels? Chances are she gave you the standard-issue response, "You're too young; wait until you're older." It's good advice, but it could use some amending. How about....."You're too young. There will be a period of your life from maybe, 23 until 45, that you can, and should, teeter around in shoes that are impractical, overpriced, yet fabulous and sexy as hell. But after that (and this is the really important bit) YOU'RE TOO OLD FOR SUPER HIGH HEELS!!! I say this so emphatically because on a recent buying trip to Bergdorf's with a client, I witnessed gaggles of women in their late 50's to mid 60's hobbling around in 7" heels. That's right, SEVEN INCHES. It took everything I had not to approach the woman in this picture and say, "Ma'am, you really don't want to do this. Please take off those tranny shoes and let's go find you a sensible pair of 2" Ferragamos. If you won't do it for your arthritic ankles, do it for your grandchildren." Class is sexier anyway, so act your age, not your shoe size.

LET IT REIGN

Tory Burch 

They're so back. Not that they ever completely left, but statement earrings are starting to reign again over the statement necklace. The bigger, longer, wider, the better. (Yes, we're still talking about earrings here.) Tory Burch, Prada, Missoni... they all showed them on the runways but you can get just as fabulous a pair at www.shopstyle.com

D DAY

Remember how you used to put any top, no matter how fancy, with your jeans and high heels and you felt perfectly dressed up/down? Yeah, well, we're all pretty sick of that look too but luckily there's a replacement. The denim shirt (I know you know this already but just in case....). If you're trying to modernize those dress pants or unfuss that tweed skirt or make that taffeta ballroom skirt casual, a denim shirt is your solution. Denim lives.
http://www.madewell.com

HAVE YOUR CAKE AND EAT IT TOO

Ahhh the holidays. Parties. Dressing up. EATING. Sometimes the fashion doesn't quite coincide with the waistline but luckily with this Vince sparkle dress you can have both. Comfort and rockin' style. Music to my ears.
http://www.net-a-porter.com