FabSugar

Fab Read: The Beautiful Fall

FabSugar — Mon, 25 Jun 2007 14:50:33 -0700

If you love drama drama drama, this book is for you! The Beautiful Fall: Lagerfeld, Saint Laurent, and Glorious Excess in 1970s Paris, $16.49, is well-researched by author Alicia Drake, and follows the lives of both Karl Lagerfeld and Yves Saint Laurent from when they were nobodies to the fashion strongmen they are now.

This book follows everything - not only the high points, but the low points too - and there's definitely a fair share of sex, drugs, and rock and roll (Mick Jagger gets mentioned a time or two). A good read, and afterwards, you'll realize - fashion may be pretty on the outside, but the industry itself can be pretty ugly.

Top Five Beauty Must-Haves for Fall

FabSugar — Fri, 22 Sep 2006 08:00:36 -0700

Contradictory to the pink palettes that dominated Spring and Summer, this Fall's beauty trends take you for a walk on the dark side. From black nail polish to bold cherry lips, these new styles are more defined. The most important thing to remember is to get your foundation right, since a bold color palette calls for a flawless canvas. Here are the top five Fall beauty must-haves.

1. Stained berry lips are the number one beauty trend for Fall. Prime your lips with either concealer or a wax-based lip balm to stop color from bleeding around your lip line, then line your lips in either a matching berry color or a nude liner. If you want a softer look in berries or red, dab on color like Benefit Benetint and use your fingers to pat and spread. This will result in a more sheer, less fussy look.

2. Metallic eye shadow is all the rage for fall. Golds, silvers, and bronzes have been mixed into blues, purples, and other vibrant colors to add some heavy metal to the traditional autumn colors.

To see the other three trends, read more

3. Luminosity and highlighters can do wonders to add a sunny radiance to pale autumn complexion. I absolutely love Benefit High Beam and Moon Beam Highlighters, as well as the Bobbi Brown Gold Shimmer Brick. These products enhance your features and give your face an instant, youthful glow. Blend them into your foundation, or wear them alone to accentuate your cheekbones and brow bone.

4. Dark nail polish and black polish let you make a fashion statement without having to spend a lot of money. Now is the time to spring away from sheer pinks and neutral peaches and fall into deep brick reds and even vampish blacks and blues. Just be sure to apply a base coat first to avoid yellowy stains.

5. White Eyeliner is making a huge comeback this fall with the return of the mod look. It creates a beautiful, fresh look and really does make your eyes look brighter and more awake. To wear white eyeliner, simply line the inner corner of the eye or your lower lashline with an eye pencil in shimmery white, cream, or silver and blend in the line. For extra brightening, use the same pencil to highlight the brow line.

To complete the look this fall, try totally blowing off your blow out and opt for the just-rolled-out-of-bed, I'm-too-sexy-for-my-brush hairstyle. Just rub some volumizing spray or mousse into the roots of your hair, then blow dry your hair upside down, flip your head up, and shake it like a Polaroid picture!

The Pros and Cons of Buying Topshop Online

Fab Community — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 09:00:22 -0800

Check out what Emily EMS has to say about her online Topshop experience in our 24/7 Go-To Fashion Guide group.

I always knew they existed - I have seen their chic dresses, sexy heels and cool tops. I am talking about Topshop. I got even more excited when I found out they opened a store in NYC, although I live in Denver, Colorado. I must say, things come around a lot slower around here, and don't get me wrong, there are nice stores here, but it's not to the point where they satisfy my fashion cravings.

This is when the beauty of online shopping comes in handy. My friend Sophie loves to shop online. She says that it's the best because she can buy things anytime, even at two in the morning, not have to worry about driving to the mall, (and not finding anything at the mall!), and in most cases, there's no sales tax, a small shipping fee, and usually, the return and exchanges are easy.

I must say, I was never comfortable with buying clothes online. Shoes and bags, I'm OK with. With clothes, things are different simply because every brand has slightly different sizing and all. Topshop was no exception. It's from the UK, and I know sometimes the equivalent of those sizes can be confusing - look at H&M!

One day, as I was looking through tons of pictures as always - new trends, jackets and coats for Fall and Winter. And there it was. I fell in love with this striped knit jacket from Topshop. I looked at the price, and fell in love with it even more - it's only $80!

I had to go to the store - but wait, there is no Topshop here in Denver! As I envied those folks in NYC, I went online. I quickly navigated myself to look for the jacket and there it was! I want, I want! Pause. What is my size?

Suddenly, I was lost. I usually wear a 2 or 4, depending on the brand. I also have jackets and tops that run rather small or large. While all those thoughts kept going around my head, I looked up on the sizing chart. Hmm . . . I think I am 4, but I don't want it to be too tight since it's a knit jacket . . . oh well, let's just order 6 in case, and if it didn't fit, I'd just exchange it. Before placing an order, it suddenly dawned on me that in case this size didn't work out, I better check on the return policy. Just in case. I'm not sure if that was a sign of something, but I looked. And I discovered many things I did not know. At first, I did not know Topshop's merchandise all ship out from UK. Thus, $15 shipping charge makes sense. Then I realized another thing. What if I wanted to return or exchange something? Sure, you can either return it in person at their stores but that is not my option. According to their website, if you wanted to return or exchange an item, you have to ship it back to their UK warehouse at your own expense. Hmmm . . .

Now I'm determined to make my purchase more "oops wrong size" free. I certainly don't want to go through with shipping the item back and forth till I get it right. It's not only time consuming, but also could end up being costly. I carefully studied the sizing chart, I realized, I needed some real people's opinions. Of course, the chart gives you the idea to narrow down which size you could possibly be, but just in case, to double check it, I did my own research.

I googled the "Topshop sizing review" and voilà! There were a few out there, but one forum was particularly helpful - Facebook. People with the same problems come together and discuss the sizing. Some argue Topshop's sizing runs smaller. Others disagree.

In the end, I ended up getting a 6 - I figured if it's bigger rather than smaller, I could live with it. I haven't gotten the jacket just yet, because I just ordered yesterday, but I'll keep you posted on the sizing. I must say the forum, like the one Facebook, did help me tremendously, sometimes a sizing chart won't do justice. Real people's opinions really do count.

So will I shop online again? Yeah, sure. But do some research beforehand, and read the fine print in case you don't like it, or it's too small or too big, or it's not what I thought it would be, or whatever the reason may be. As for me, for now, I'm waiting and hoping that all the research and reading will pay off.

There are already a bunch of groups you can join and explore, and please - start some new ones! Here's a helpful guide to creating in case you need some clarification.

Girls on Film: Daria Werbowy, Vogue Nippon, Nov. '09

FabSugar — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 05:50:22 -0800

I will never tire of Daria Werbowy's amazingness. For Vogue Nippon's November issue, the Ukrainian-Canadian model strutted her stuff in an editorial dubbed "Girl of the Golden Field." Now this is how Fall dressing should be: cozy sweaters, sherpa-lined leather jackets, ponchos, boots, and fur coats. Daria continues to astonish me with her scintillating bod - boobage alert! - and piercing blue eyes. Of course, her hair is tousled to perfection – Bella, how can I get this look? Furthermore, the prairie backdrop is beyond beautiful. Keep clicking for more Daria action . . .
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Which Marchesa Was Most Fab at the Music Unites Fall Masquerade Gala?

FabSugar — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 03:50:22 -0800

Last week at the Music Unites Fall Masquerade Gala, Kerry Washington and Georgina Chapman wore pretty, poufy frocks from Georgina's coveted Marchesa line. Both dresses were white, but notice how the two styles varied in texture. Kerry's tulle embellishment and streamlined shape gave a more architectural appeal, while Georgina's feathered creation emoted flirty, flapper energy. Both beauties accessorized with sleek black clutches and matching pumps. This one's a toughie: do you prefer the designer or the celebrity?

Look of the Day: Vintage Vixen

FabSugar — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 06:50:22 -0700

FashionSheSays screams vintage vixen today. The Ralph Lauren vibe she's exuding is refreshingly Fall, and I love how she's simultaneously polished and disheveled. Note her fearless fabric mixing. Beautifully executed, top to bottom!

Here's what she has on:

Belt: Vintage Chanel
Earrings: Agatha
Bracelets: Vintage
Boots: Vintage

Congrats to FashionSheSays!

Everyone else, join the Look of the Day group then submit your looks. I might feature you on FabSugar!

The Look For Less: Brochu Walker Cable Wrap Vest

FabSugar — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 06:50:22 -0700

Menswear vests are still in, but now is the ideal time to cozy up to a cable-knit sweater vest. It whispers Fall, and keeps you warm enough without suffocating. You can wear it over a tank to show off your arms or a long-sleeve tee when it gets super chilly. This Brochu Walker Cable Wrap Sweater Vest ($385) is blissful and beautiful, but I'm not paying that much for a vest. Movin' on . . .

To see the look for less, read more

I admit, this New York & Co. Belted Cable Sweater Vest ($28, originally $40) doesn't look as cozy, but for such a major price cut, it will do. It has the same serene hue and can be wrapped around your body for warmth. It also comes in wine, black, and heather gray. Alloy has a gray version that's really nice, too. For a tinge of severity, I would wear it over rockin' liquid leggings and booties.

CelebStyle Smarts

FabSugar — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 16:36:22 -0700

This week's celebrity looks were blazer-heavy and beautiful - if you haven't invested in one yet, I suggest you do. I also noticed everyone's transition into Fall colors via dark metallics, hunter green, and Autumn orange. In fact, Lauren inspired me to try the orange and black combo. Were you zoning in on all of the fine fashion details?

Take the quiz

I Love Your Shopstyle: Bundled and Beautiful

FabSugar — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 13:30:22 -0700

Tanita Pe and I are ready for the crisp, Fall weather. Don't get me wrong - I love my Summers - but Autumn in SF is just as nice. Once the temperature drops a couple more degrees, I'm taking cue from Tanita Pe's warm and ravishing ensemble. It includes a dope pair of butterscotch zippered boots, roar-worthy animal-print skirt, and cashmere cable-knit sweater - bundled and beautiful. Can't you picture Carine Roitfeld sporting this fantastic getup?

Fab Face: Kendra Spears

FabSugar — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 14:00:22 -0700

Oh to be dubbed "Little Cindy," (i.e. Cindy Crawford). Thanks to the perfectly placed mole on her upper lip and her gorgeous looks, 21-year-old model Kendra Spears was given that nickname by her family when she was young. And so, the Seattle-born Spears was destined to become a model. She was discovered by Ford on MySpace, then became a finalist in the agency's Supermodel of the World competition. She is currently one of the faces of Prada's Fall ad campaign and can be seen on many a catwalk when she's not working towards her BA in sociology from the University of Washington. Beauty and brains? Sounds just like Cindy!

To see more of Kendra, read more

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