Closing Time, and This Time I Mean It

To answer an email I received today: yes, WV Fashion is closed.

 

I would like to thank everyone for reading these past several years, it really does mean a lot to me.

I'm very thankful for all the support I've received from everyone throughout the state.

I really hope you enjoyed reading the blog as much as I loved writing it.

 

If you'd like to keep up with my current thoughts on fashion, head on over to Prep'd and say hi!

 

You can also continue to email me for whatever reason at

wvfashionologist [at] gmail.com

 

 

Again, I really can't thank you all again for reading.

 

K. Elizabeth Reich

A Fond Farewell to Daily Candy

Yesterday, NBCUniversal announced it was closing two websites: the wonderfully snarky Television Without Pity and fashion & lifestyle newsletter DailyCandy. The closures will be effective as of April 4th, 2014. While I visited TWOP on only a few occasions, I was obsessed with DailyCandy for several years, starting back in 2007. I'd probably call it the first fashion blog/website I ever read.

DailyCandy started off as a daily newsletter full of local fashion and lifestyle happenings. It covered everything; food to fashion to events. For me and lots of other women I knew at the time, DailyCandy was simply required reading. While there were plenty of fashion blogs at the time, most were still small and none that I can remember were at the professional level you see now in Cupcakes and Cashmere or Capitol Hill Style (whom I've read religiously since 2008). As fashion blogging started growing in popularity, DailyCandy started to move from its newsletter format to that of a an online magazine. After several months of poor content I eventually unsubscribed from the newsletter but would stop by the site on occasion.

DailyCandy never seemed to find its way, despite being a what I'd call a Founding Mother of the online fashion publishing industry. Was it killed by readers moving to fashion blogs? I'd say yes even though NBCUniversal has stated it had trouble monetizing the site. Around 2009 as DC's content grew bland and I started reading (and writing!) fashion blogs, DC seemed to disappear from most people's inboxes.

I believe that if someone wanted to, DailyCandy could be revived. There's a lot of stiff competition (Racked/Refinery 29/Temptalia), but if it kept focusing on the local editions I think it'd do well. For awhile when I was dating a guy who lived in DC I'd make it a point to catch up with DailyCandy's Washington coverage. It was always on point and there was plenty that I'd do or see that I wouldn't have otherwise heard of had it not been for DailyCandy.

The best part of DailyCandy, though, were the sublime illustrations by Sujean Rim:

 Godspeed DailyCandy & your staff. 

Illustrations

WVF Will be Back After These Messages

Hello, everyone.

Until further notice, there will be no posts on West Virginia Fashion.

There are several reasons why:

1) I'm burnt out on the fashion blogging thing. Despite the amazing amount of fashion and beauty news that goes on daily, I got to the point where I frankly didn't care anymore. Post writing was stressful and became a chore. At this point, it's best I step away and take some time to decide what I want to do with WVF.

2) I started a small side project website last summer. I estimate I put in 15, 20 hours tops into it last year. The readership for that tiny project is damn near five times than that of  WVF. From a ROI (return on investment) standpoint, I would have to be crazy not to seize this opportunity. 

If you need/want to get into touch with me for any reason, 

just email me at

wvfashionologist [at] gmail.com

Pinterest Board of the Month: Updating Your Winter Look

 I thought it would be interesting to highlight one of my Pinterest boards each month, just to let everyone know what's really caught my eye. This month I'm highlighting a brand new board which I actually just started this morning.

This month's board I named Update Your Winter Look 2013 to highlight how to really dress in the winter. A lot of people assume they have to dress like crap in cold weather, which isn't true. It does take a bit more imagination but it's actually pretty easy once you know what to look for. A lot of women--and I have no idea why--simply don't dress for the weather. A sweater, leggings, and Uggs might be okay if the temperature is in the low 50s, but when it's 20-something with snow on the ground? Oh, honey...


Anyways, click on the photo above to head over to Pinterest to figure out how to look your best in a parka. It's possible.

Introducing Radiant Orchid, 2014's Color of the Year

One of the first posts I ever wrote for this blog was about Pantone's color of the year. That year, 2011, the official color was Honeysuckle, a rosy pink. If you want a quick breakdown of who/what Pantone is, read this old post of mine. 

So what color is "Radiant Orchid" exactly? This is how Pantone describes it:

“An enchanting harmony of fuchsia, purple and pink undertones, Radiant Orchid inspires confidence and emanates great joy, love and health. It is a captivating purple, one that draws you in with its beguiling charm.”

Answers the question, doesn't it? To my eye, Radiant Orchid comes across as a vivid pink-ish lavender.  According to the actual Pantone formula, however, it's the color you see in in the title above, a basic but pretty lavender. Whatever shade of lavender/purple/fuchsia you want Radiant Orchid to be, you're probably not too far off.

As opposed to last year's color, Emerald, Radiant Orchid is a natural match for cosmetics. There's already quite a few matches out on the market; Sephora also has a collection done in collaboration with Pantone that will be out soon.  Here's a quick breakdown of some of the Radiant Orchid items out there to add some colorful contrast against the gray and muddy weather:

1. Illamasqua Velocity |  2. butter LONDON Molly Coddled  |  3. Essie Splash of Grenadine |
4. OPI A Grape Fit  |  5. Vera Wang Lovestruck Floral Rush  |  6. Guerlain Prune Zip  |

7. Sephora Heartbreaker  |  8. Revlon Sugar Violet  |  9. Marc Jacobs The Punk  |  

10. L'Oreal Stacked Heels  |  11. Stila Wisteria  |

Two of my best buys are both under $10! The first one is Essie's Splash of Grenadine polish which is probably the closest polish out to the Pantone formula. Essie is in the $8-9 range and can be found everywhere from Ulta to Walmart to Walgreen's. I will warn you this shade may be one of the harder ones to find as it's an older color, but I know for sure Ulta carries it.  The other best buy is this stunning eyeshadow palette from L'Oreal in Stacked Heels ($8).  This is a good general palette, it can do a simple yet colorful day eye, or a smokey eye for girl's night out. 

 1. New Balance 574  |  2. Sperry Top-Sider hat  |  3. Kate Spade Circle Chandelier earrings  |

4. ASOS leather satchel  |  5. Tory Birch iPhone case  |  6. Converse Rebound watch  |

7. Coach tattersall scarf  |  8. Tory Burch crossbody  |  9. Kate Spade necklace  |

As I mentioned, there's a lot of different opinions on what shade of lavender that Radiant Orchid actually is. The shades on some of the products I showed above are a bit off, but there's not too much out yet in shades of lavender. I'm crushing on the ASOS satchel and the Coach scarf pretty hard, but I just know I have to have the New Balances. I need some new sneakers and those won't stop calling my name.

Radiant Orchid is poised to be big seller this year in fashion, I'm thinking. Last year's color, Emerald, floundered and I was only able to find the shade in Sephora's Pantone line. Emerald came at a bad time, though, as neons and bright over-saturated colors have been tops of the fashion charts for the past few years. Despite what Jenna Lyon says at J.Crew, pastels are coming back in, as evidenced on the catwalk for the 2014 seasons. Personally, I love pastels and I'm happy to finally be able to find them and get them in rotation in my wardrobe.

Find these and many more fabulous additions on my Radiant Orchid board on Pinterest! Click on the picture below to check it out and don't forget to follow me!

The WVF Guide to Black Friday 2013

This page will update as information comes in.

This is the first year that I'm not working Black Friday. Having worked Black Friday in retail for a few years, you might imagine that I'm looking forward to staying in my warm bed with my new Kate Spade bed set but surprisingly no, I'm pumped to go Black Friday shopping this year. Since I've already done most of my Christmas shopping (new Bean Boots for Dad, Blenko for Mom) I've got a bit more to spend on myself this time of year.

This is also my first time shopping on Black Friday that doesn't involve me stopping by Lowe's for a few additions for my tool box. I've seen all the TV news stories and newspaper articles about having a plan for shopping. Take a list so you don't overspend. Carry cards instead of cash, no, wait, use cash so you don't overspend! So on and so forth. I am planning out what stores I want to go to, though, and what order I should visit them in. Making a list? Eh, I don't know. Probably, maybe I should, but when I go shopping I find it easier to make a list of what I already have so I don't buy duplicates.

Here are some helpful links that I've found:
SavvySugar  |  Interested in beauty products? SavvySugar has a list of beauty brands and their sales.
SaavySugar  |  A list of helpful phone apps to see if you're getting a good deal or where a certain item is located in a store.
BlackFriday.com  |  A listing of stores and their sales.
Bfads.net  |  A listing of ad scans for stores.
Musings of a Muse  |  Info on Sephora's Black Friday deals. I think I may be hitting here first.
Huffington Post  |  Everything--and they mean everything--is 50% at Old Navy Black Friday.

West Virginia Mall Hours:
Huntington Mall: Open 12 AM-10 PM.
Charleston Town Center: Open 12 AM-10 PM.
Crossroads Mall (Vienna/Parkersburg): 12 AM-10 PM.
Grand Central Mall (Beckley): 12 AM-10 PM.
Morgantown Mall: 12 AM-9 PM.
Ohio Valley Mall (St. Clairesville, OH/Wheeling): 12 AM-10 PM.
Meadowbrook Mall (Bridgeport): 12 AM-10 PM.
Martinsburg Mall: 8 PM Thanksgiving day-9 PM

If you know of any West Virginia stores having Black Friday specials or their hours, please feel free to let me know! Email wvfashionologist@gmail.com or on Twitter @wvfashion

Which Exfoliator is Right for You?

 Olay Pro-X Exfoliating Cleanser  |  St. Ive's Walnut Scrub  |  Vasanti BrightenUp!

I love winter and cold weather. I truly do love fall, but bring on the snow, hot chocolate, and hockey season. Maybe, just maybe, this will be the season the Capitols don't choke in the playoffs. 

Next to driving on ice, crowds at the mall, and the song "Christmas Shoes," one of the few things I hate about winter is dealing with my dry, itchy, flaky skin. Exfoliation and moisturizing are key at keeping it at bay. I'm going to cover the three most popular types of exfoliate that you can find either on the shelves of Sephora or your drugstore.

Plastic mini-beads  |  These gentle beads are typically found in many cleansers as opposed to an independent scrub. They're good for simple everyday exfoliation. While you won't see results immediately, you'll notice the results over time. If you have sensitive skin, I highly recommend using a face wash with the plastic mini-beads and gently rubbing your face in circles with a soft wash cloth for exfoliation without bothering your skin too much.
Also try: Bliss Fabulous Foaming Face Wash, $24, Sephora

Walnut/natural scrubs  |  Many scrubs have walnut shells or other natural products like sugar in them. These materials scrub harder than the plastic mini-beads by taking off the very top layer of dead skin cells and anything else that might be floating around. St. Ive's Apricot & Walnut scrubs has been around for decades and is recognized as one of the best scrubs on the market. That should mean it's expensive, right? Nope. It's around $3 at any drugstore. Use these natural scrubs a bit less than plastic mini-beads as they are more abrasive. Every other day should be the max, and most people could get away with using it two-three times a week.
Also try: Sugar Face Polish, $55, Sephora, which has brown sugar as its exfoliant.

Microderm Crystals  |  Microderm crystals are made up of aluminum oxide particles which are more potent of a scrubber than the walnut shells in the St. Ives scrub. Microderm crystals scrub goes a bit deeper and with regular use can help make pores look smaller, help erase fine lines and scars, and lets skin care products sink in better. If you're concerned about aging and are using anti-wrinkle products, you should consider adding microderm crystals into your skin care routine. I received this Vasanti BrightenUp! microderm scrub in my Birchbox this month and I really like it. It's helped tremendously with the dry patches around my nose and on my forehead. Just as a note, microderm scrubs run expensive. At $34, the Vansanti is a good deal.
Also try: Orgins Modern Friction, Nature's Gentle Dermabrasion, $39.50, Sephora

An important note:
As much as everyone hates dead skin cells, they do serve a purpose: helping to protect your face from sun damage. No matter the time of year, you need to add an SPF with broad protection to protect your skin.