Like any human being on planet earth, I love a good laugh. And if I can marry a good laugh with some fashion inspiration, I'm even happier. That's where the gals at Fashion Binge come in. Penned by my pal Tamar Anitai (and her equally-as-delightful friend Catherine), this blog lives up to it's tagline, with "so much style, you'll want to vom."
Tamar and I are soul sisters when it comes to fashion details, in particular, jewelry and accessories (we love a good stud, what can I say?) So, I was particularly keen to sneak a peek inside her bag. In her own (very colorful) words, here's what she's packing:
The bag itself is from Eryn Brinie. I love it because the studs are kind of subtle, but even empty, the bag is REALLY heavy. It isn't real leather (meaning I could afford it), and when I first got it, it smelled so chemically. It was like something that grew out of Three Mile Island or something. I thought I was going to air it out overnight on the porch I don't have -- the smell was THAT intense.
Wallet: It's kitschy and plastic (two of my favorite attributes!), by "Darling Dynasty," and I got it at Exit 9 (one of my favorite gift stores) after the turnlock on my Hayden-Harnett leather wallet broke, and they wouldn't fix it! So after that, I was like fuck it. I'm off leather wallets for a while.
Dooney & Bourke coin purse: My "work wallet," which holds my work ID, receipts, whatevs. Handy because it always has extra change or a surprise forgotten dollar!
Eyelash curler: I just bought a new one from Sephora. Still box fresh!
Raybans: ice blue!
Point cards: I have one for Sephora and one for Chop't. I get unnecessarily excited about accruing points. It's sad. I know I can eventually get a free salad, but I keep banking the Sephora points, and I don't even know what I can someday redeem them for. Like, perhaps if I rack up enough points, they'll make me the CEO or something? That'd rule.
Lipsticks and stuff: A SPRAYPEN hand sanitizer (gah! so smart!) I got when I did the Avon 2-Day Walk for Breast Cancer this past October; my Laura Mercierblack gold eyeliner; My Elie Faas bullet lipstick (blood red! BRILLIANT blue-red shade); Stila Kajal liner in Topaz -- my daytime liner -- it's like a big, fat, opaque nude/ peach and brightens and widens my eyes (seriously, if this is the ONLY liner you EVER buy, then it should be the only liner you ever buy); MaybellineShine Sensational Watermelon Punch gloss, and this random but excellent lipbalm from Denim of Virtue. They make excellent denim AND a great lipbalm. Weird, right? Oh, and MAC "Way to Love." My biz-casual shade.
Hayden-Harnett coin purse: holds my subway card. My co-blogger, former roommate and all-around bestie Catherine gave me this as a bridesmaid gift. SCORE!
Aleve. So strong it oughta be illegal.
iPod and BIG-ASS HEADPHONES. Matador the beef jerky people sent me these. I have no idea why, but thanks! I had amazing Senneheiser ones that JUST broke when I tried to plug them into the headphone jack on a recent flight. SCREW YOU, CONTINENTAL AIRLINES! Oh, and to make matters worse, I plugged them in to watch The Blind Side. My time would've been better served watching two straight hours of local car dealership commercials or credit rating commercials or something. THAT'S how bad The Blind Side was.
Tiny Sanrio mirror: A little gift from my little sister!
Cloth-covered notebook: Got this at the Brooklyn King Con comic book festival when I volunteered there. I used to record my workouts when I was going to Crossfit somewhat regularly, but lately this thing's been enjoying a run on blank pages!
CO Bigelow lavender peppermint hand lotion -- because I be ashy!
Bowery Hotel pen -- I stayed there the night of my wedding, and don't think for ONE SECOND that I didn't walk off with every pen in the room.
Work Blackberry
Real-life Blackberry, because I'm paranoid work's reading my emails. This one is exclusively for texting, personal emails, and, of course, cat videos.
Read more of Tamar's genius and hilarity over at Fashion Binge and (some small entertainment site I've never heard of called) MTV Buzzworthy.
My dear friend Julia DiNardo really SETS THE STANDARD for multi-tasking. Not only does she write the amazing blog Fashion Pulse Daily (and for other outlets like Stylelist), she's also a professor at NYU and the designer behind the aborbs Neighbor Teaze line.
With all of those responsibilities, I expected Julia to carry a wonderland of goodies in her bag - and I must admit, she didn't disappoint.
In her own words, here's what you'll find tucked in Julia's MMS Design Mary Kate Studded Messenger Bag from HandbagHeaven.com:
Won't be caught without a slew of Fashion Pulse Daily business cards, a Metro Card, and my Starbucks Card!
Always gotta shield my pale eyes for the sun - been rocking these Jones New York oversized shades quite a bit
Keeping hydrated via The Heart Truthnalgene water bottle (a New York Fashion Week freebie)
I'm always prepared for a fashion emergency with my Tide Pen, pack of tissues, mini brush, Purell, Opti-Free Contact rewetting drops, Marc Jacobs Grapefruit splash perfume in a mini atomizer from Sephora, Color Sensational Maybelline lip glosses in 'Born with it' and 'Triple Yum' and Sweet Thing Collection Nail polish in 'Minty, MAC lipstick in Peta Lure, and Dior concealer.
For subway rides of 10+ minutes, it's imperative to have something on hand to read; my choice is one of my numerous magazine subscriptions (seen here, Marie Claire) or a WWD.
J.C. Penney's first ever Manhattan outpost opens officially on July 31, but at my exclusive sneak peek of the store yesterday, I learned that the 'soft launch' was today. So, what does that mean? J.C. Penney's Manhattan Mall location is open for business!
If you're a longtime Manhattanite, you may be wondering what to expect. Well, this J.C. Penney stocks all of the brands you'll see at the store's suburban locations, including Paul Frank, Bisou Bisou, American Living (which I have a sneaking suspicion is designed by Ralph Lauren) and I Heart Ronson. There's even a Sephorain store. Narrow departments make this particular location super simple to shop - and expect stellar customer service - the store employs an army of 500.
One Manhattan-only perk? $15 dollar delivery anywhere within the borough.
So, what won't you find? Furniture. This J.C. Penney stocks only soft home goods - think linens, throw pillows and the like.
For more info on launch-specific store events, including an in store appearance by David Cook, click here.
I'm going to be totally honest with you. I positively hate the idea of smelling like every Jane Doe, so it's pretty rare that I'd even consider spritzing myself with a fragrance sold at a mass market store like Sephora. That said, the new KenzoAmour Florale ($55-75) is enough to make me reconsider.
A bouquet of delicate white flowers makes up this feminine floral. The star Neroli, is an elegant white flower distinctive for its refreshing floral aroma with a hint of spice. Surprisingly, it's an intensely sensual fragrance - the kind that draws people in to smell more of - that is just so, so perfect for summer.
I love it and if you like skin scents or florals, I think you will too.
p.s. That gorgeous bottle? Created by none other than acclaimed designer Karim Rashid, who has a long standing relationship with Kenzo.
Beauty gadgets have come a LONG way in the past few years, breaking new ground in zit zapping and hair removal. In May, the new Silk’n SensEpil at-home laser hair removal device ($499) launches exclusively at Sephora/Sephora.com.
FDA cleared, the Silk'n SensEpil (not the catchiest name, I must say) is billed as the safest device for laser hair removal. It incorporates a built in skin sensor that tests the users’ skin type before the laser will activate for use. In as little as three months, 80% of Silk’n SensEpil users experienced noticeable hair reduction on arms, legs, underarms and bikini area.
While $499 might seem like a pricey pill to swallow, it's downright affordable when compared to professional laser hair removal, which can run into the thousands. What do you think? Would you give the Silk'n SensEpil a try or do you plan to leave laser hair removal to the professionals?
Lavanila's all-natural line of vanilla-based fragrances has been a hit or miss for me in the past. I love the clean, crisp, fruity medley of the Vanilla Grapefruit though all of the other blends are too heavy for my tastes. The latest addition, Vanilla Lavendar, is a huge WIN for Spring, however.
A spritz of this fresh and clean blend of Spanish Lavendar, Rose Absolute, Violet Leaf and warm Madagascar Vanilla and you'll feel like you just stepped out of the shower. It's one of the few fragrances I can think of that's appropriate for day or right before bed.
As always, Sephora has you covered when it comes to the gifties this season - I'm loving the can't miss treats from Make Up for Ever (Aqua Eyes are the the smoothest eye liners ever!), Tarte (the cutest lip glosses, yes, ever), Shu (who wouldn't love the luxe Gold Eyelash Curler in their stocking?), Lancome (Juicy Tubes are a staple IMHO) and of course, Korres (the set above is perfect for your Secret Santa.)
And in case you aren't blessed like I am (there's a store across the street from my office), you CAN still order online and get your goodies in time for the holidays - in fact, they're now upgrading shipping to 2 Day for FREE.
Just order by tomorrow and enter code UPS2DAY at checkout to make sure that pressies arrive by Christmas.
With everyone becoming a recessionista these days, AZJeans is a great site to find fashionable clothing and accessories on an affordable budget, particularly if you're shopping for any teens this holiday season.
The site sells cute accessories, apparel and shoes from brands Decree, Arizona andFlirtitude (and you can even click through and shop Sephora directly!)
Right now, the great prices on site are even lower - you can save 35-65% on a wintry mix of hoodies, sweaters, jackets and more and if you enter DWMPER, you'll save an extra 20% off all sale, regular & clearance items.
Best of all, AZJeans.com is giving 2 eye4style readers a $50 gift card to the site!
To enter the contest, simply leave a comment on this post by Friday at 11:59pm and email me at eye4style (AT) gmail (DOT) com with your name, address and phone number. I respect your privacy - all information will remain confidential and used for shipping purposes ONLY. The two winners will be randomly selected and notified by email this weekend.
Good luck!
Please note: AZJeans is not a sponsor or co-sponsor of any contest involving e-gift cards, please visit www.azjeans.com for terms and conditions of use.
UPDATE: Sonia and Renee are the winners! Congrats, ladies. Enjoy the gift cards!
JimmyJane, home of artfully designed sex toys and a luscious assortment of Massage Candles (left, $65), won't let you have a lonely holiday. Enter code HolidayLove at checkout for 30% off from now through December 19.
Melange for Women celebrates eight years of silk jersey and the like. Enter code great8 at checkout for 20% today only.
Everything at Pink Mascara is 40% off, also for today only. Use code 40OFF. Excludes select designers including Mike & Chris and DVF.
Shopbop has gone code-crazy all of sudden, which confirms that the retail industry is in shambles. Enter code DB40 for 40% off Designer Boutique items through Friday.
Just in time for holiday soirees and the slinky dresses that accompany, Spanx is offering free shipping online on orders of $50 or more, no code required. Expires January 6.
With everyone becoming a recessionista these days, 
