Lazy Beauty Sunday

Last night Astor and I went to Le Cirque for dinner with Daddy and then hung out at the bar, so I am tired and wayyy to lazy to do anything today and I decided to have another Lazy Beauty Sunday. I took a shower this morning and washed my face with June Jacobs Radiant Refining Power.

http://junejacobs.com/p-109-radiant-refining-exfoliating-powder.aspx

June Jacobs Radient Refining $52

Apply a small amount of this powder onto wet hands and create a paste (or you can also mix it with your favorite cleanser). This Powder removes yucky dead skin cells, exfoliates, and opens clogged pores. You will see a huge difference with this cleanser; it's anti-bacterial, minimizes pore size, brightens skin and is super refreshing.

http://www.leonorgreyl-usa.com/

Leonor Greyl Shampoo $43

I am totally obsessed with this shampoo. If you have long hair - mine is a bit past my shoulders - or even if you don't have super long hair like Astor (yes, I am super jealous and trying to grow mine out!) it is still a great shampoo for you. This shampoo is very multi-purpose; it strengthens, adds shines, and increases body and volume! It also detangles hair so you don't need to use conditioner.

http://www.montagnejeunesse.com/white-chocolate-face-masque-229

Montagne Jeunesse White Chocolate Mask (They are all under $2.00)

I truly love this mask, and it amazes me how inexpensive it is. I feel like I am treating myself. I cannot put into words how amazing this smells, it is actually very hard to apply to face and not try to eat it. (Please don't do this, weirdo). It is super deep cleansing and empties those yucky pores.

http://www.ulta.com/ulta/browse/productDetail.jsp?skuId=2249700&productId=xlsImpprod4560053&navAction=push&navCount=1&categoryId=cat1050001

$14.99

I left my face mask on and continued my spa experience, I applied Lee Stafford ArganOil Deep Nourishing Treatment - available here, which I use once a week. I love this mask, it leaves my hair super soft and shiny, without being greasy.

http://www.brushlove.com/hair-therapy-wrap-w.html

 Hair Therapy Wrap $29.95

Once my hair is covered, I put on the Hair Therapy Wrap. I put on the plastic shower cap and then heated up the gel pads in the microwave, slipped them into the wrap and then wrapped my head up. This penetrates the deep conditioning treatment and makes my hair look like it has never been dyed, straightened or bleached. It is warm and comfy, I close my eyes and could swear I'm at a spa instead of my apartment with the dog climbing all over me trying to lick the face mask off.

I am off to relaxing.

Perfectly Glossed Kisses,

Sutton

What We're Wearing

Today I am wearing Vapour Beauty's Solar Translucent Bronzer. How could you not love Organic?

http://www.vapourbeauty.com/

Is there anything worse than looking like this?

http://www.styleite.com/beauty/lindsay-lohan-bronzer-court/#0

Clearly you can wear too much bronzer. I like to have a sun-kissed glow. This bronzer is perfect for achieving this look. Don't worry, I am going to let you know how to achieve this look. This bronzer is activated by warmth. So you want to rub the stick against the back of your hand. Then just use your finger tips to apply. Quick tip: apply bronzer to the areas that you would naturally get color from the sun, down the nose, across the forehead and the apples of your checks. If you already have a base color then feel free to just apply to the cheeks. (You can also use the bronzer all over your body, low cut top with a pasty chest? no problem!)

Perfectly Glossed Kisses,

Sutton

Today I'm balancing the almost-too-prim feminine floral power of my blazer with my favorite top ever - a vintage Slayer T-shirt. It is that holy grail vintage T-shirt, perfectly worn-in and soft. And it has a huge rip in the back that makes it almost backless, and while it's pretty precisely cut, I like to think some fashion-conscious metalhead tore it very accurately in a mosh put. 

Handbags and Hugs,

Astor

DIY: Prabal Gurung SS13 Blood-Dipped Manicure

"Oh my, are you bleeding?" is not something you really want to hear... unless you have an amazing "blood-dipped manicure" on your finger tips. Prabal Gurung used 'blood-dipped' nails on their models and we all swooned, well at least Astor and I did, because we have deep, dark souls.

http://styleblazer.com/81870/nyfw-runway-recap-prabal-gurungs-blood-dipped-nails-on-the-catwalk-will-you-be-rocking-these-digits/

As I know (due to Astor updating me on fashion news about 14 times a day) the color oxblood has become a huge hit for fall and, bonus, we are getting close to Halloween which means you really need to dip your nails in blood - well, oxblood-hued nail polish. 

Astor loved this manicure and asked me to try it out on her, and being the amazing and loving sister that I am, I agreed. (Okay, fine, I made her agree to let me borrow her gold-plated YSL loafers.)

First I had her paint a coat on clear polish on her nails, I am not her slave contrary to what she may believe and I made her do this step on her own.

After the clear dried, I painted a fat line across the edge of her nail, really lay it on thick, and the line doesn’t need to be straight. Then use a toothpick (or something similar, i.e. bobby pin) and drag the line upwards toward your cuticle in a few different spots to get the 'dripping' effect.

Finally, you will want to pour out a tiny bit of the polish and dip the toothpick in, then apply the polish somewhere on the nail not connected to the french tip.

You want to be asymmetrical; if your pointed finger has 'blood' dripping more on the right side of the finger your next nail should have 'blood' dripping on the left side.

This manicure was much easier than I anticipated, I promise.
Would love for you try it out and send me a picture!

Perfectly Glossed Kisses,

Sutton

Scoring on eBay

If you follow us on Twitter, you might have noticed I'm a fan of the old eBay. Well, we have a love/hate relationship. I find a lot about eBay frustrating, and mindlessly searching through its million pages for vague hunts like "vintage jewelry" makes me think that I've actually died and am wasting away in purgatory. But, if you know what you want, eBay could be your ticket to an amazing price. And it may not be - I feel a baffled sort of resentment toward people who want more than the original price for something that's not sold out anywhere or hard to find - why would I pay you more, birdbrain? The key to eBay is patience. Don't jump on the first find when you're searching for something. When you have something specific in mind, keep things in your watch list for a while to survey the different prices, then you'll know the lowest price you can expect to find. And when you find it, don't bid until it's almost over - it might suddenly skyrocket in the last hour and you don't want it then, anyway. If you watch ten different versions of the item you want, I promise you at least one of those has been overlooked. While twenty-five people are competing for one, another is going unseen and that's your chance. If you don't have regular access to sample sales, eBay is your best friend - it will help you get high end pieces for less, you just have to stalk your prey. 

I decided to look up a few things that a lot of us probably covet and see how they're doing on eBay - are there a ton? How much are they going for?

Isabel Marant Sneaker Wedges:

From Bobby to Boston to Betty, these will often run higher than retail because of their fly-off-the-shelves hotness. They sell out everywhere, so right now sellers can get away with jacking up the prices.

You can get these for a starting bid of $500 or Buy It Now of $550:

Or, if you're willing to the pre-owned route (they still look pretty good), the bid is at $330 right now for these: 

The Celine Luggage Tote:

Again, this is a hot commodity, so be prepared. The big deal here seems to be with minis - if you're willing to downsize (which is on trend anyway), you can get a good price. 

Like this one, for example, with a bid currently at $610: 

If you're a human being with a soul, you'd sell it for anything Valentino Rock Stud. From shoes to bags, here's what's up.

This pre-owned (but in good condition) clutch is at only $375 - hurry, it's over in a few hours! I love its shade of coral, plus it comes with a free thumb.

These precious sandals are almost in steal-range at $475, Buy It Now of $530: 

We all love anything Miu Miu sticks crystals on, yes? Well, here you go.

These are only at $250 right now with a Buy It Now of $600.

And finally, the Rick Owens leather jacket. Without it, you will never reach fashion alien status.

You could go corduroy and leather with this one, currently at $699: 

And this one is new with tags, and at $1,750, is a steal since these jackets run upwards of $2,000.

Happy bidding!

Handbags and Hugs,

Astor

DIY Paint-Splashed Records

Last night I decided that it was time to do some crafting. Being that it was too late to stop by a craft store I had to get creative and use what I could find in the apartment. I had an old record, some paint and nail polish... and ta-da, look what I came up with.

First I painted the entire record with some cheap black poster paint, to cover the label and give the entire record a matte finish.

Next I went through my nail polish and picked out some colors that wouldn't clash too much. (No need to use similar colors, use whatever you want!) But this does use up a ton of the polish so don't use your favorite or most expensive like I did. (Woops.)

Next shake and open the polish and just pour it on, use quick motions so it can drizzle out, just dumping it will only make blobs!

Repeat until you have used all of your colors and are satisfied with the results. Now go shop online until the polish dries completely.

Then I used some Mod Podge and covered the entire record (don't worry, it dries clear!) You could also use clear nail polish, but that would take forever. If you like the matte finish then you can skip this step.

Once dry, the rocord is nice and shiny. Now you just need to think of something to do with it! You could hang it on the wall, but I decided to use it as a 'candle tray' (yes, I just made that up). But it looks so much cuter then just putting your candle on the table.

I lit one of my all-time favorite candles on my newly invented candle tray. The MOR scented candle in Neroli Clementine. It has such a nice scent; citrusy and sweet. One of the things that I love about MOR's candles is that they truly scent the entire room and not just a two foot radius around the candle. I also used unscented tea light candles around it for added interior-decorator genius. The candle is 100% soy wax with a cotton wick and it burns for up to 35 hours, so they last me sooo long - and I am candle-obsessed so I know what I'm talking about.

$18

http://www.morcosmetics.com/

If you end up trying this craft or candle I would love to hear your feed back or pictures! SobbingOnFifth@gmail.com

Perfectly Glossed Kisses,

Sutton

* Editor's note: as vinyl-philes, please keep in mind that we recommend this project only with ridiculous, recent records you got in a $1 bin at a flea market because you couldn't bear to leave without buying something, or with a record that is so scratched you literally cannot listen to one song. Please, do not abuse any innocent, musically precious records! 

Hampton Sun Giveaway

You may remember I posted about some Hampton Sun products because, well, I LOVE their stuff.

And as Astor and I love you all, too, we thought that you might want the products as well, so you can see for yourself.

There's the SPF Suntan Gel - an amazing non-greasy gel to give you a beautiful sheen and protect you from turning into a lobster. (Wear it all over every day.)

And the All Year Face Cream with SPF 15, perfect for everyday, moisturizes and works on all skin types.

Finally, the Serious Shimmer Cooling Spray. This is one of my all time favorite Hampton Sun products, just shake and spray for a gorgeous shimery glow.

Total value of all three products: $107.

We so want you to be able to try these products because we know you'll become just as addicted as we are. Head to our Twitter and retweet when we tweet "I love @hamptonsun"
We'll tweet it every now and then between now and Friday at noon EST, so whenever you see it, retweet for a chance to win!

*Note: US and Canada residents only, please! Thank you!

Kisses & Hugs,

Sutton and Astor



Designer Spotlight on Elizabeth Lyons

Elizabeth Lyons pretty much defines "renaissance woman." Already a successful author and entrepreneur, it's no surprise that her creativity would lead to yet another venture - but it's always refreshing when a multi-slasher (say, author/entrepreneur/designer) is so good at each path they simultaneously take. I've become basically obsessed with Ms. Lyons' jewelry - it's earthy yet industrial, edgy yet unassuming, on-trend yet treasure-forever.

One of my favorites is the William cuff, constructed of hammered copper and topped with a beautifully etched panel, finally topped by a panel engraved with '"To thine own self be true" - Shakespeare.' This piece embodies this jewelry line's spirit of organically created cool - it's very diamond-in-the-rough, and that "rough" is the artisanal metal work of this collection. And the quote adds this element of sweetness that is seen throughout all of these pieces, a little personal touch.

I'm a sucker for a good leather wrap bracelet, and this, the Jane, gets me. It's the perfect mix of urban and bohemian. The plaques, engraved with the phrase 'The only way through is out' add that signature Elizabeth Lyons sage charm. This would look amazing in an eclectic wrist stack.

I'm not a huge earrings person - except when they're really special and different. These Dana earrings are set with little excerpts from antique books, giving them this incredibly unique vintage feel. Knowing I could never find these anywhere else makes them a must-have to me - they are so elegant yet so cool in their vintage-y charm.

There are a ton more variations on the cuffs, bracelets - and plenty more at Elizabeth Lyons' site. It's definitely a must-visit site if you're in the market for something really different and individualistic.

Handbags and Hugs,

Astor

What We're Wearing

Today I am wearing one of my favorite lipsticks, Napoleon Perdis Lipstick in DéVine Goddess. They have a ton of different shades so you will definitely be able to find one (or like ALL of them) that works for you. Not only does this lipstick leave a pretty light color, but it is also good for your lips, no need for chap stick. It is enriched with herbal extracts and antioxidants. The consistency is very soft and goes on super smooth, so you can apply on the go without even a mirror (it doesn’t bleed out) - but it lasts so long, there's really no need to constantly reapply. (PS, how cute is the tube?)

http://napoleonperdis.com/usa/

$35

Perfectly Glossed Kisses, 

Sutton

...And I'm wearing: 

My new J.W. Anderson x Topshop top - this was one of those serendipitous must-haves, the moment I saw it, I knew it was everything I'd been searching for. It's so baroque-perfect that I don't even care that it makes me look like a human refrigerator box. Plus, I'm wearing it with a quilted (shinier-than-pictured) vinyl skirt, also from Topshop, and I'm enjoying being quilted from head to toe.

Handbags and Hugs, 

Astor

Meet Thirteen Vintage. You're Welcome.

For a few years now, I've had a secret to my style. I've had an arsenal of completely unique, statement-making pieces from both favorite brands and emerging designers at my fingertips, and at prices that make me weep from joy. Well, I'm starting to feel guilty keeping the secret to myself, because, ya know, I like you guys. So, this is my gift to you. The secret is Thirteen Vintage. 

You may have seen me wearing some Thirteen Vintage amazingness before - like here - but it's time for me to fill you in on why you want to shop this place. Which you can do in person if you happen to find yourself in the incredibly charming town of New Hope, PA (highly recommend it), but, thankfully, you can do it from anywhere online. Anywhere, any time - I like to shop there at work, at lunch with boring people, during any movie with Jennifer Aniston in it...you get the idea.

Here's the deal: this is the best curated store/site I've found to date. I don't know how these guys do it, but they toe the perfect line between on-trend and individualistic. They can predict trends before they happen, so you'll always be ahead of the curve but you'll never look like a fashion victim. Plus, you can see their real love of fashion and expertise in every piece - everything is thoughtfully picked, everything is different and fun and flattering. They actually think about the girl who will wear every single piece. The results are feminine but always with a very cool edge, running the gamut from subtle to Daphne Guinness-esque boldness.

You'll find the store's own private label mixed in with vintage, and even downtown-girl brands like Unif and Gypsy Junkies. Here's a must-have Unif dress in the store now, of course perfectly styled:

(Available online here)

And boy, do they know their shoes. Doc Martens, Jeffrey Campbell, Betsey Johnson - plus other hard-to-find brands - and everything is unique, fresh and edgy. I'm dying for these brocade Docs...

(available online here)

In short, if you like cool clothing, shoes and accessories and you don't want to eat ramen to afford them, this is a no-brainer. It's like, what, you don't want one of these babies?

(Available online here)

Handbags and Hugs,

Astor

Ciate Caviar Manicure Put to the Test

I have been SO nail art-inspired after seeing the beautiful manicures that were featured during Fashion Week. One I particulary liked was from the Joy Cioci show (photo courtesy of CND).

http://www.stylelist.com/2012/09/14/new-york-fashion-week-nail-trends_n_1878236.html

Another spin on the Caviar manicure was also seen at The Blonds:

(photo courtesy of: http://www.stylelist.com/2012/09/14/new-york-fashion-week-nail-trends_n_1878236.html#slide=1516862)

I have wanted to try the Ciate Cavaiar Manicure set and after seeing this picture I needed a similar manicure myself!

 http://www.sephora.com/ciate-caviar-manicure-P311207

I purchased the Caviar Manicure set from Sephora for $25. I am going to give you a quick demo and then will let you know my thoughts.

The kit comes with a pink nail polish which will be your first step.

You are going to want to paint each nail and let dry. Then you will want to do a second coat and apply the 'Caviar'. You want the nail polish to remain wet for the caviar beads to stick, so do each nail's second coat at a time - apply the second coat for just that nail and then caviar that finger up.

Now that your nail is wet pour the 'Caviar' on your nail (make sure you use the tray that comes with the kit otherwise you'll be finding these beads everywhere - I mean EVERYWHERE - for days. And your boyfriend may not take kindly to these flavoring his food.)

The just gently press the small beads into the nail polish.

Now you are done and you have a beautiful manicure. It made me feel like my fingers were covered in sprinkles!

BUT, be warned...

This is what my manicure looked like 48 hours later. Basically all of the beads had fallen off my pointer and middle fingers. To make it last longer you could always do an accent finger as the beads on my ring finger lasted longer. It is a very fun look, I would just recommend doing this manicure on the day of an event.

Are there any manicures you want me to try? Let me know Sobbingonfifth@gmail.com 

Perfectly Glossed Kisses,

Sutton

Your Fall Wish List Picks

One of my favorite things to talk about is what everyone's buying for Fall. It's all I think about, so at least be glad I'm not so self-absorbed that I only care about what I'm buying. I am truly dying to know what every person in my life is buying so I can steal it judge them gush with him or her. 

It says a lot about a person to know what he or she is buying for fall. Is this person classic, a trendsetter or trend lover? Is this person planning on attending a lot of parties, spending a lot of time being boring and staying in the office, or hitting flea markets hard on the weekends? 

I've asked on Twitter and what I learned is that you guys like boots. Nay, you love boots. I'll admit, it is the ultimate fall buy. Every fall you must buy new boots, even if the only difference between your new knee-high black flat riding boots and your old knee-high black flat riding boots is that the new ones have a studded toe. It's a rite of passage, it's taking the year on with new resolution. It's symbolic stuff, people. Someday, the first day of fall will be celebrated by exchanging the gift of boots with our loved ones.

For example, I agree with TheGlamourina that these Nicholas Kirkwoods are naturally a must for this season. 

These are more practical than you may think. They will give looks a shot of glamour and texture whether your outfit includes daytime leggings and a sweater or an after-dark cocktail dress. $1,390 at Bergdorf.


I was also shown the light to these Tabitha Simmons Early ankle boots, which I'm pretty sure I or anyone else would end up living in all fall - they're the ideal city-weekend shoes and would be a cool finish to anything from skinny jeans to floral dresses.

$1,195 at Tabitha Simmons.

Another fall MUST is the biker jacket. This classic is always getting reinvented every season, so I find it mandatory to have both a timeless black version as well as the reiteration du jour. For a classic, there is no better label to turn to than Acne.

$12,000 at My Wardrobe.

But I'm just as in love with Maje's striking patterned spin on the coverup:

$685 at Net-A-Porter.



Loafers and slippers are proving their staying power and there is definitely no cooler way to stay comfortable. This season, fashion-forward girls like MissClare are upping the ante with studded renditions and I can't think of a better way to give any day or night look some edge.

The good news is, there are so many options that you can find a pair at any price point - or buy them all, ALL OF THEM. Sorry, I'll calm down. Anyway, here is a dreamy version from Giuseppe Zanotti: 

$1,295 at Couture.Zappos.com.

And then there's this way-cool but whoa-affordable pair:

$24.99 at Necessary Clothing.

What are YOU buying? You can call me at any time of night to tell me.

Handbags and Hugs,

Astor