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.

 

Urban Decay's Naked 3 Palette Coming in December

source: Reddit

 

Rejoice, Naked palette fans. Urban Decay has released a video that confirms the coming of the Naked 3 palette. With a tentative release date of December 16th, this set leans towards purples with lots of shimmer. Originally I wasn't impressed with the Naked 2 palette due to glitter fallout, but since my other shadows starting giving me the same problem I'm thinking I need to reevaluate my lid primer.

I think I'm actually more interested in the colors in this palette than the earlier two versions, although these seem to have gone through Instagram's Valencia filter.

 

Seeing as the fallout problem was more of a 'me' problem and not Urban Decay's fault, I'm thinking I may give the Naked 3 palette a shot.

 

Reader Request: Wide Calf Boots

(1) Ros Hommerson  (2) J. Crew  (3) Aerosoles
(4) Fitzwell  (5) Anne Klein  (6) VANELi

I recently received a reader email requesting some help in finding wide calf flat boots. She said she was having trouble finding them in stores. She didn't mention where she was from, but I looked in both the Huntington Mall and the Charleston Town Center to see what I could find. There wasn't much. At both malls, Macy's, Sears, JC Penney, and The Shoe Dept. all had wide calf selections. The Shoe Dept. had the largest selection that I saw.

The most important rule of shopping for wide calf boots is to know your calf measurements. You can do this easily with a tape measure, just measure the widest part of your calf. The measurement you want to take note of is the circumference. Each brand is going to be different so if you do go online to buy boots, you'll be saving time and money by knowing your size. 

Wide calf boots still too tight? Ros Hommerson and Fitzwell both make boots with extra wide calf measurements. 6pm.com carries a decent selection of Fitzwell boots in the extra wide calf at really good prices. 

If you need help trying to track down something, just email me:
wvfashionologist {@} gmail .com

Warming Up to Winter with Talbot's

Jersey Wrap Dress  |  Fair Isle Dress (plus sizes only)  |  Fur Collar Coat
Shetland Blazer  |  Cable Cardigan  |  Leather Pencil Skirt

When I first jumped onto Twitter and Facebook this morning, I saw pictures people were starting to post pictures of snow. My friend who works at Snowshow had a respectable dusting on his porch and my best friend in Chicago had to shovel her walkway. With snow being this dangerously close, I'm thinking I may want to revamp my plans for my autumn wardrobe. I was truly hoping to get some additional wear out of those summer-to-fall transitional pieces but it's probably not going to happen.

Since I'm in desperate need of work clothes for winter, I thought I'd start out with Talbot's. Talbot's is one of those stores I had always thought wasn't my style until I randomly ended up on their site one night and have been hooked ever since.

Everything I pictured here would work well in a business casual office, not to mention great for the weekend. If I had to pick out a favorite piece, I'd lean towards the fur collar coat or the Fair Isle sweaterdress. It's only available in plus size but I love it enough to try to figure out a way to make it work.

Oh, and yes, everything on this page is available in plus size with many in petite sizes, too.

Not only do these pieces work well in the fall, they won't stop working until next spring. If you've been like me and have always considered Talbot's to be that place where your grandma likes to shop, it's time to give it another look.

Warby Parker Is Changing How You Buy Glasses

For the past two decades or so, it's been possible to buy almost anything on the internet. Jeans, sweaters, kayaks, bagpipes, etc. However, there were a handful of items that had a hard time making the jump on to the World Wide Web. Glasses remained one of those things where you still had to jump in the car and head on down to Lenscrafters. Luckily for those who enjoy shopping in their Underoos, buying your spectacles online has become easy thanks to companies such as Warby Parker.

What makes Warby Parker (and its competitors Bon Look and Lookmatic) successful is the ability to try frames on at home for free. With all three brands, you can select up to five different frames and have them sent to you. Try them on, ask for opinions, take funny pictures, they're yours for the week. If you don't like anything, you can always just send them back and try some more frames. 

I probably went through at least 15 different pairs of frames before settling on the Bensen model (in Olivewood) from Warby Parker:

For $95, I was able to get the frames, lenses with my prescription, and an anti-glare coating. The cost for something similar from my optometrist's office was going to be a few hundred dollars with insurance. I placed my order on a Friday and had them within a week.

Warby Parker also sells sunglasses with and without prescription lenses for $150.

I am mostly happy with my glasses. There are a few points that I'm not satisfied with:

• My glasses smudge almost instantaneously due to the anti-glare coating. Also due to the coating I can't wash them if they get dirty. You have to use a special microfiber cloth to rub the smudges out which it seems like I have to do once an hour if not more.
• If you do wash your glasses or use a lens cleaning wipe the anti-glare coating develops an iridescent pink tint which is almost impossible to get rid of with the microfiber cloth. 
• If you need wide frames, you may be out of luck. There are some frames with the spring temples, but if you're looking for a traditional tortoiseshell frames the Bensen is the widest size offered. Bon Look and Lookmatic don't offer anything near as wide as the oft-mentioned Bensen.

I'd also like to mention that none of these outfits accept insurance payments. Depending on your insurance company you may be eligible for a reimbursement. 

I highly suggest giving Warby Parker, Bon Look, and Lookmatic a look-see if you wear glasses.

Off Week

Friday Reading Room: October 11

 

In the depths of my laptop lie the graphic remains of when this blog was called The Mountaineer Fashionologist. When I can break out the Photoshop this weekend I'll update post header to reflect on my new branding (which I'm a little too excited about).

 

As posted on Instagram yesterday //  I bought this absolutely adorable key chain by Elizabeth McKay because I'm tired of not being able to find my keys in my cavernous purse. I think he'll do the job quite nicely, don't you think? Don't follow me on Instagram? You should: @wvfashion

 

Here's some of the stuff I've been reading this week:

 

Capitol Hill Style // Belle tries out Alterna's Anti-Aging hair line.

 

Design Darling // Pointy toe shoes are making a comeback, thankfully.

 

A Lovely Being // Love to drool over home interiors? Check out this lovely picture set of French writer Jean Cocteau's safari-inspired home.

 

Atlantic-Pacific // Normally, I think Blair Eadie looks like she got dressed in the dark, using clothes from a Goodwill in Mogadishu. However, she's really done well with these two looks in
black and white:

 90s inspired look // elegant

 

coco + kelley // If you're not feeling the black and white love, why not try something a bit unexpected like olive green and bright red?

 

Also...

 

It's Columbus Day weekend so there should be some pretty decent sales going on.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Easy Smokey Eye from The Body Shop

 mascara // eye definer // shimmer cube

I love The Body Shop for many reasons, but probably the thing I love about it the most is how unintimidating the products are. You can look it at and know exactly how to use it.  If you like a simple makeup routine than you really need to check out The Body Shop.

Over the weekend while stuck at the Atlanta airport (my version of Hell), I wondered into The Body Shop on the F Terminal and walked out with these three products. In a rush to make the plane, I had grabbed my travel makeup bag so I could do my makeup mid-flight. Halfway from CRW to ATL, it turns out I only had some foundation. No mascara, no lipstick, just foundation.

With less than an hour before my flight started to board, I grabbed these products and pretty much did my makeup on the Plane Train. I used the soft pinkish-tan all over my lid to my brow bone. I used the copper on just the lid, with the rich brown in the crease. Using the dark chocolate brown I outlined my outer corner in that trendy thing where it looks like a V laying on its side. Added a little eyeliner which I winged out  (I did NOT do that on the Plane Train) and two coats of mascara. It took me less than three minutes and my friend told me I looked fantastic when she picked me up in Newport News, VA.

With these products, I didn't have to think about what color to use where. I really think that makeup is getting too complicated. It's supposed to be used to help you look like yourself, not David Bowie in his Ziggy Stardust days. I  hate when makeup comes with a freaking map to tell me how to apply it.

Anyways, this makeup line is super simple to use and has excellent pigment payout. Worth a look if you're into natural beauty or simple beauty products.


Check out the widget below to see more of my favorites from The Body Shop!

The Body Shop

Spend or Save: Skinny Jeans

NYDJ Alina Skinnies  |  Old Navy Rockstar Skinnies

I've been a long time fan of Old Navy Jeans. They've always fit me well, I can get them in trendy colors or prints, and the price is always right. Recently, I've been reading several fashion blogs that focus on a minimal wardrobe. Their main argument is that buy purchasing items of better quality, they can reduce the size of their wardrobe and spend less on having to replace items. In other words, they spend a lot less time trying to decide what to wear in the morning because they know everything works well together. While in the "minimalist" spirit to to speak, I broke down and bought a pair of NYDJ skinny jeans, despite having bought a pair of the ON Rockstars less than a month ago. 

Judging criteria: I wore each pair on my weekly errand day. I wore them to the grocery store, bank, and a few other odd places. 

Fit | The Rockstars say their low rise, but I found them to have a mid-rise. The NYDJ has a majorly high rise. I'm pretty tall (5'11") with an average sized torso and the rise came up to damn near the bottom band of my bra . Remember Urkel and his highwaters from from Family Matters? Yeah, it was like that. I also found them to run rather large in the hips and rear. On the Rockstars, they aren't nearly as baggy in the hips nor rear and they stretch out as well (I do recommend getting the Rockstars in your size). The legs in the Rockstars are very skinny, like legging-skinny. The legs for NYDJ are skinny, but not clingy-skinny.

Craftsmanship | Both pairs are made of very stretchy denim. They seem very similar and both pairs are holding up quite nicely after washing (inside out in cold water, air dry). I know with just about any other pair of ON jeans I've bought, they look good for about a year or slightly longer, and then they almost immediately fall apart and look like crap. I really think the NYDJ jeans will last much longer.

Overall |  If your hips and rear are a concern area for you, the NYDJ Alina skinnies are perfect for you. I really do like them and aside from the super-high rise, they're comfortable as hell. If you're like me and have an average size butt and hip measurement, the Rockstars will fit better. 

Verdict | It's a draw. For me, the Rockstars win because I can get them in different colors and even prints at a great price. If you're into classic denim and don't need colors or prints (and don't sneeze at the $130 price) the NYDJ will work great for you.

Introducing Tory Burch's Beauty Line

Since the recession, beauty has been one of the highest-grossing sections of the fashion industry, if it's not sitting on top of the list. Outselling handbags, shoes, and jeans, high-end designers and brands are jumping on the lipstick bandwagon. Burberry, Tom Ford, Michael Kors and now Tory Burch have all recently released beauty lines that are doing quite well.

Tory's beauty line is currently pretty small. What I have featured here is most of the collection, minus a bottle or two of lotion and a candle. There's only one color choice for the lipstick, the creamy cheek/eye color (pictured at the bottom right), and the blush/bronzer duo. Simply put, this is a color collection that will look good on 99% of people. 

The packaging is the best I've seen for any cosmetics:

I recieved a sample of Tory's new fragrance last week and I was so excited to try it. The Tory Burch website describes the notes:

Floral peony and tuberose blend with crisp citrus notes of grapefruit and neroli — anchored by earthy vetiver. A bright and complex mix in a super-chic glass bottle with a signature fretwork top.

 To me, at first whiff this smelled just like Clinque's Happy, a perfume I wouldn't exactly consider my favorite. I really smelled grapefruit and an unidentifiable floral. After the first spritz I thought I wouldn't be too crazy about this scent but then came the middle notes and the dry down. The middle notes had peony and other soft florals with just a hint of the grapefruit. Not bad. The dry down is the best part. I could smell jasmine--one of my favorite scents--with a hint of vanilla and vetiver. The perfume goes from being energetic and bright and dries down to soft and elegant. This is really a fantastic scent and would be perfect if you're looking to replace your everyday perfume.

My birthday is in a few weeks, and I've been thinking over what to get myself. I've looked at getting a new bag, an expensive pair of heels I'll never wear, etc., but I'm really thinking that this collection would be a nice gift to myself.