Wow, just looking at the title of this blog I’m realizing that in 13 (the eerie, mystical bad-luck number) days Halloween 10′ will be upon us. Even though I won’t be in college this time around, dressing up will certainly still be a top priority! And if you’ve been keeping up with the trends and this year’s most popular choices, you should know which crazy costumes are commanding the least amount of ‘boos.’ One of this year’s top ghoulish get-ups is none other than the pint-sized Princess of Poughkeepsie…Snooki! For almost a year at this point, the cast of Jersey Shore has been at the heart of media coverage (for the good and the bad) and while I’ve definitely seen my fair share of Jersey Shore themed socials and over-poufed NJ posers, the Snooki look is quite unique and something that deserves characteristic attention to detail. If you didn’t tune in to this morning’s Regis and Kelly show, I’ll fill you in..Nicole ‘Snooki’ Polizzi and her taller, equally busty counterpart, Jenni JWOWW Farley visited the talk show and let everyone in on some J.Shore antics as well as some totally inappro fan encounters. Snooki’s wardrobe for the show was a fitting choice for her personality and one that didn’t scream ‘overly orange NJ skank (as a disclaimer, I think I can use those terms considering I’m a Jersey girl myself),’ but a more tamed, stylish and sassy New York party-girl. Now, this classier, more elevated look can certainly serve as a Halloween muse. Snooki’s animal print design by Sherri Hill was a great compliment to her wild free-spirit, but something that was a distinct change from her usual skin-tight all over leopard minis. This dress had layers (and not literally..but you know what I meant), personality, depth; perhaps a reflection of a multifaceted Nicole that successfully squashes the negative commentary surrounding the reality star. This is the ‘Snook look’ I would definitely work to pull off for Halloween. Snooki 2.0, rockin the animal print as a styling stunner. For those who choose a more literal, show-like version of Miss. Guidette, go ahead..but that extra high pouf might cost you a very uncool punch in the face….I’d go for the class-act curls

Okay, so this may sound outlandishly silly for the moment..but, I will proceed without judgment, hopefully. This past weekend was a pretty boring one.. Not that I don’t love seeing old high school friends or picking pumpkins with my little cousins..I just thought there would be ample time for more outdoorsy, exciting activities considering how GORGEOUS the weather was – summer sun without the frigid fall temps. Thus, to make up for the rather tepid weekend, my Columbus Day was spent doing something I haven’t done in years. (Now here’s the part where I expect some head tilts, snickers and sneers). I watched Disney movies. Not the new-aged ones, the ones that I have trouble relating to..but the classic stories of love and loss, romance and comedy, serious plot line intermixed with an essential blend of family-friendly, memorable music numbers. And my favorite? The Lion King. “Can You Feel the Love Tonight..” Genius. So anyway, as I was thinking of a blog topic for today my mind wandered back to Pride Rock. See where I’m going? Animal Print. Some of us love it, some of us consider it a tacky mess, and others outright protest its very existence. I once erred on the side of the non-believers, but after falling in love with leopard and zebra prints this summer, I’d put myself somewhere in between. It’s fun and flirty, obviously ‘wild,’ but needs to be ‘tamed’ once in a while. Interestingly, I read somewhere that everyone has a flair for animal printing (even if it’s entirely subconscious). Our ancestors hunted and gathered way back when, and now I guess we ‘prey’ on fierce fashion. It’s a pretty intriguing theory. Nevertheless, animal prints are always in style (one of Fall 2010′s hottest trends) if worn appropriately – i.e. noooo head-to-toe dressing and never too much mixing/matching of prints, if at all. For the more style savage, dramatic animal print designs might be the way to go. For the less ferocious fashionistas, a little bit of AP may go a long way – consider choosing a bag with a little bit of leopard or maybe even heels with subtle giraffe print accents. Whichever way you choose to ‘let your inner animal out,’ Sherri Hill is the perfect ‘zookeeper.’ Sherri’s collections of long gowns and shorter cocktails feature a ‘herd’ of animal printed designs. Accented with brightly colored ribbons or complete with fashion-appropriate feathers, these animal-inspired dresses are cause for roaring applause!!

Okay, so in a nostalgic look back to well, Tuesday’s post, I wanted to elaborate more on this idea of dual products and how they can weasel their way into the budget-tightened purses of today’s shopper. As I was saying the other day, during the Depression there became a beauty phenomenon called the Lipstick Effect. Now what this meant was that even during the most deafening economic times, women allocate whatever extra (or maybe not even..) money they had to buying a single lipstick or other seemingly cheap cosmetic. Today, the illustrious Lipstick Effect has taken on a new vision. Women are once again in financially compromising times, but feel comfortable ‘indulging’ in a relatively less expensive dirty little secret….Not lipstick this time, though – Instead of enhancing their pucker with a color-rich smooch-stick, women are lathering up, spritzing, washing, and beautifying with two-in-one or dual purpose beauty products. My own theory on this is that beauty products (if not designer) are usually always less expensive than a couture clothing piece or a night out on the town, and if that ONE product has MULTIPLE uses, then why the hell wouldn’t you buy it? Killing two birds with a small stone. So as I picked up Marie Claire’s November issue this afternoon, the wheels in my head already started to turn. Page 105-106: Natural Beauty. A feature that uncovers a plethora of ‘green’ beauty products. Now how does this organic story fit into the ‘already been said’…Well, glossed over these two pages are products that pack insane amounts of cosmetic benefit with the ADDED bonus that they are environmentally friendly and bodily sound (i.e. no chemicals eating away/wreaking havoc on your skin and internal health).  The catch? Some of these organic specific products come with a designer price tag.  Take for example, the Lavanilla organic deodorant – $18 or the Organic Pharmacy Self-Tanner – $60.  A teeeeny bit more money than you’d like to spend on some bronzing oil, right?  I still think it works for the Lipstick Effect, though, through some well-thought out, exaggerated rationalizing.  A woman knows that she wants/needs her beauty supplies; they’re basically a necessary priority.  So she’s going to buy them, regardless..But, before making the infamous purchase she thinks ‘well, I need this..I’m going to buy it sometime anyway, AND it’s going to take the sun damage out of my skin AND reduce the aging process so it’s really a miracle for more than one reason!  Now prefacing these products with ‘organic’ only facilitates the process. This product can do so much already AND is good for me/will ward off the later-in-life health problems, I’m buying this for sureee. And to be honest, I would be the forerunner of this group, most definitely…..

Sooo one of the only things that makes Mondays and Tuesdays tolerable is the thought that between 8-10pm (MON) and 9-10pm (TUE), I’ll be plopped down on my couch glued to ABC’s Dancing with the Stars. Now, I can officially call myself a newbie, because this is the first season I’ve tuned into (and there have already been 10 seasons!). And while it pains me to admit sometimes, I’ve truthfully dedicated my Mon/Tues TV time to this show to watch my favorite J. Shore guido – The Situation. Every time that tanned ab-machine advances to the next round, I salute with my own [at-home] fist pump. Under no circumstances do I agree that the ‘Sitch’ has prized ranking among the dancing elite, but it’s definitely endearing to watch him relinquish his Karma beat bumping to join the impressive roster of celebs – Jennifer Grey, to name one of the favorites. Personally, I think ‘The Hills’ own Audrina Patridge is going to take the competition. Her delicate, beautifully danced, and ‘touching’ performance on Monday night only further reinforced my bets on Justin Bobby’s outgoing Ex. But, to return to Mike…his outfit was quite interesting on Monday. I wouldn’t give him high scores for his on-stage wear, but it certainly proved a risky and vaguely successful maneuver to show off his celebrated 6-pack.  On the other hand, the rest of Dancing’s designs are killer this season.  Audrina’s cobalt blue two piece skirt and glittery webbed long-sleeve top was insane last week, as was Jennifer Grey’s gold shimmy dress that matched the fringe and fun to the fitting Metro Station hit “Shake It.”  I was also in love with Margaret Cho’s hot pink feathery skirt beneath a zebra printed top.  It was fun, colorful, and full of movement (a great compliment to her personality) – a welcomed change from her over-sized kimono look of week 1.  Even the boys have been dressed to the nines..While I didn’t loveeee Rick’s mustard-colored open button down from this past week, he has looked dapper every other time.  Kurt was all kinds of handsome this week in his dark navy suit with a bubble gum pink tie, and Kyle is, well, always adorable (see his bedazzled argyle vest from this week).  And really, the Situation looked pretty dapper in his military jacket from last week – very refined compared to his usual fashion choices!  9 more couples left..18 + costumes..sublime excitement!!!

So it’s about time I re-introduced the broad scope of beauty into our daily blogs..fashion certainly warrants discussion on a daily basis, but clothes can only do so much to dress up a lady – the rest of her ‘make up’ is driven by beauty products and cosmetics galore. Until this morning, I had never heard of the ‘Progressive Grocer.’ Hearing the phrase out of context would no sooner make me think of a grocery store that was, in all respects, successfully ahead of the consumer curve. Well, this magazine does just that – describes and commentates on the patterns and trends in grocery store management and maintenance that make a unique and fruitful impact on business. A couple things that immediately stuck out to me upon browsing the ‘Getting Personal’ feature in the Health & Wellness section: the growth and explosive success of the masculine grooming market and the techniques productive in getting women to invest in ‘little luxuries.’ If you asked a group of women and men what they thought about ‘manscaping,’ it’s likely that you’d encounter a full gamut of responses (ranging from ‘yes, please’ to ‘Nah, I prefer my man rough and scruff’). Personally, I like it when a guy can put aside his own insecurities and ‘freshen up’ in a completely masculine way. According to the Progressive Grocer entry, beauty or self-care (less gender-specific) companies are dedicating loads of energy and resources into catalysting the male market to compare with the already successful female market. Entire aisles are being built around men’s products. Grocers are using the label ‘Guy Space’ to preface the all-male, masculine and rough-and-tumble experience men and women will have strolling down the navy blue, red, and black decorated item lane. The result: clean-smelling and hygienic men who feel comfortable prepping to beautify when they have their own testosterone concentrated space. And for women, a return to the Depression Era-coined ‘Lipstick Effect…’ Meaning that in tight, stressful economic times, women would steal away to ‘little luxuries’ to satisfy their cravings for ‘the goods’ without putting strain on their finances. Fast forward to 2010, women are again using these tactics, but practicing with another muse – dual, two-in-one purpose products. I guess this works in the same way too, sufficing a desire for self-rejuvenation and beautification with little monetary deficit. Plus, knowing that there are multiple benefits/uses to a product makes the rationalizing a lot easier.  The beauty industry ‘ain’t going nowhere’ as evidenced by the marketing prestige highlighted in this article..Especially when considering the ‘family-focused’ shopper…must read to comprehend!

So maybe it’s because we’re phasing out the very last day of September, but I am convinced that the month’s radiating sapphire birthstone dictated everyone’s fashion choices for the burgeoning fall season. My muse: InTouch Magazine, Oct. 4th edition. And the feature that drew my jewelr-adoring eyes in (much like the way the actual gemstone entrances me)? It headlined ‘Blue hues ruled at Fashion Week!’ Well, it may have ‘ruled’ at Fashion Week – as evidenced by the beautifully beryl runway bound celebs decorating the glossy InTouch pages (see Carmen Electra, Ashley Greene, Jessica Lowndes, Rebecca Romijn and Kristin Cavallari all looking phenomenal), BUT the blue trend was catalyst a while before fashion week 2010 appearances. Lea Michele and January Jones both wore shades of blue for the 2010 Primetime Emmy Awards in August. While the adorably outgoing GLEE star didn’t walk away with a golden trophy, she scored insane points for fashion finesse..making almost EVERY best dressed list. Any which way you turned this month, blue was icing over every starlet’s wardrobe color palette. I just love blue so much because it looks good on everyone – especially light-skinned ladies. There is an elegance and a very regal quality with the shade, as well. And, returning to my scholar background, almost any psych professional would tell you that blue is extremely calming, relaxing, and therapeutic. Looks good on, feels good on, and makes ME feel good..almost too good to be true…blue! Sherri Hill’s bevy of blue echoes the beautiful and regal aesthetic of Oscar de la Renta and Versace gowns. And just like a sapphire, these dresses command serious attention. For once, maybe having ‘the blues’ is a good thing?

So it’s pretty likely that you’ve heard the phrases ‘old money, new money..’ ‘old world, new world..’ tossed around from time to time. Well nowadays, with a pop culture obsessed and entertainment savvy society, it’s also likely that you’ve been hearing ‘Old Hollywood Vs. New Hollywood.’ For good reason, too! Even though George Clooney, Richard Gere, Brad Pitt and Johnny Depp (to name a few) have won over the hearts of our mothers, there is an entirely new class of talented, suave, and unmistakably fine young Hollywood gentlemen blazing the star-studded trail. This goes for the starlet arena, as well; while our fathers look to Nicole Kidman, Catherine Zeta Jones, and Sandra Bullock as beauty icons, we admire the adorable and undoubtedly mature and sweetly sophisticated looks of Demi Lovato and Taylor Swift. As a disclaimer: I’ve used these celeb references in relation to my age – 22. I realize that Old Hollywood connotes something/somebodies wholly different, but for me, as a Generation Y-er, these actors and actresses are sufficing as reps for the ‘Old Hollywood’ category. Anywho..’Young Hollywood’ is totally in these days..has been for quite some time. Every day, with every new Disney show, Nickelodeon program, ABC Family series, and/or CW teen drama, a hot celebrity newcomer is born. And these fresh sweeties and studs are everywhere. Decorating the glossy pages of celebrity, fashion, and beauty mags, posing for a much publicized red carpet shot, or joining together for a PSA that will surely tune the attention of some otherwise apathetic listeners. With all this hooplah surrounding the Young Hollywood circuit, it’s only fitting that there would be TONS of parties, grandiose social events, and ‘mixers’ planned to celebrate their fame and success. With a keen insight into all things young, fresh, fashionable, and on-trend, TEEN VOGUE has played host for seven [going on eight] annual ‘Young Hollywood’ parties. Complete with a camera flashing red carpet, the event ushers in the hottest of the hot to mingle, compare filmography, and possibly even jumpstart a budding romance. This Friday, October 1st, will be the eighth annual young celeb soiree, and with a track record of some fierce and fiery fashion, it’s a pretty good guess that these paramount powerhouses will be dressed ‘to the nines!’ Needless to say, I’M looking forward to each and every red carpet debut…Even though these stars are my peers, they still make fab style icons!!!

So this blog is going to be a little different, thematically, from most of my previous entries – but still interesting and worthwhile, nonetheless. As I was doing my usual perusing of magazines last week, I stumbled upon a really cool feature in the Oct. issue of People StyleWatch. If you’ve been keeping up with the blahblahblonde blogosphere, this is definitely not the first time I’ve referenced the ever style savvy and uber forward thinking People counterpart. In fact, this post will stay in the same color palette as last week. Only, instead of peach and buff, I will be talking about PINK (my favorite!). As almost everyone knows, October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. The approachable and identifiably female color, pink, has headlined and guided the breast cancer cause/research campaign for what seems like forever at this point. No mistakes to be made, this campaign has found tremendous success and support. I think this is the case, because the ribbon insignia and the universal pink color are so hyper-connected to womankind. The marketing schema surrounding the breast cancer campaign has also proven very fruitful; the cause has been received and recognized by millions of people and that alone can incite contribution and philanthropy. Now once that strong symbol is paired with items that consumers crave, the campaign gains even greater encouragement. One such item that PSW featured was the Coach brand ‘BCRF Maggie’ leather shoulder bag. A bag that would certainly reserve top priority on any woman’s (myself included) wish list. Coach is donating 20% of all earned proceeds to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation. My guess is that the pink color draws them in, and the attached cause only reinforces the purchase. Whether the woman commits to buying the bag as a treat for herself or feels more comfortable because the buy is promoting charity, all three parties make out well. One happy and stylish customer, a happy and richer Coach employee, and a stronger BCRF alliance made. Ralph Lauren’s ‘Pink Pony’ operation has been around for years now. And even while the effort has most definitely driven in profits for RL itself, PP exudes nobility with strong philanthropic roots. According to Ralph Lauren himself, “Breast Cancer is not just a woman’s issue — it affects all of us: the brothers, husbands, fathers, children, and friends. Pink Pony is our effort in the fight against cancer.”

So about a month back I was falling in love with the ‘nude’ trend. Uh, no, not referencing streaking or the au naturale look – although if you’ve been keeping up with MTV premieres, this Monday’s first season 2 episode of The Buried Life might cover that..watch the previews, you’ll know what I’m talking about. In all seriousness, I’m talking about the new nudes trend that is basically leading this fall’s fashion forecast. Perfect example, and reason why you’ll want to explore the trend: People StyleWatch October issue. Three of the first major fashion pages of the magazine are dedicated to paying homage to the nearly nudes. Not to mention, these three illustrious pages also feature items that are all under $100!!! Stylish, chic, and not threatening to burn a hole in your purse. Just as the PSW gurus expressed, these pale, peachy, buff, and blush items all prescribe a feminine and fresh look (enhanced and made only more chic by occasional sparkle). Taking the style sage advice from People and matching it with a few of my own interpretations, I’ve come up with a tightly honed philosophy on why this trend is so appreciated. Just as a white and/or ivory color palette connotes an angelic look, light and airy, silky and serene, a neutral or nude color palette works to create a goddess-like look. A nude gown, complete with delicate draping and relaxed ruffles can synthesize a soft Aphrodite-like aesthetic. Uber feminine and very approachable, especially for a porcelain complexion like mine. And also, which such a neutral non-ostentatious foundation, an outfit can be elevated with a likewise classic and beautiful piece of jewelry, a matching clutch, and/or a simple pair of matte or antiqued stiletto heels. Sherri’s own interpretation of the nude trend takes form in peachy, champagne inspired minis and long gowns that use jewel and crystal embellishment to achieve that desired sparkle. For the shorter, baby doll silhouette designs, Sherri uses layers of soft tulle to create pretty, bouncy, and ultra-girly effect.

So if you were tuned in to our facebook and twitter posts for the day, you already know that last night C.I. Visions got ‘Snooked!!!!’ And for those Jersey Shore illiterate, I mean that the show’s own Nicole ‘Snooki’ Polizzi and our client Sherri Hill formed a match made in GTL heaven. The adorable pint sized guidette [self-proclaimed] appeared on the Late Show with David Letterman yesterday – leaving the crowd laughing and thirsting for a taste of the notorious ‘Ron Ron Juice.’ And while the majority of the segment gave us just a more detailed glimpse into the antics and chaotic circus-like behavior at the Seaside/Miami beach estate, watching the golden goddess interact with David in such a candid way was just refreshing. Sometimes everyone needs to let go of inhibitions and release their tension with a fist-pump that rivals those of the Karma-dwelling ‘juice-heads.’ Snooki shocked everyone when she ditched her signature animal print wardrobe and switched it up for a silver sparkling mini from Sherri Hill. Even though it may not have triggered her ‘animal instincts,’ Sherri Hill’s style # 2334 definitely channeled Snooki’s fun-loving, party/club-rocking personality. Definitely a dress that she can ‘beat up the beats’ with – that means dance in Snooks. Check out the full video on Sherri Hill’s own facebook page. And feel free to browse the website for more Snooki-approved looks..with or without the poof