Sally Strikes Again!

I had a manicure last weekend, and while it was nice, every single nail was smudged and imprinted by the next morning. I hate that. Though there are some products that can help with the drying aspect, they can't beat my newest nail obsession - Sally Hansen Salon Effects. I love you Sally!


These little wonders last up to 10 days (though personally I've only made it to six) and needs no drying time. All that, and everyone freaks out when they see them. My favorite is the houndstooth 'Check It Out' - I can actually match them to a pair of Comme des Garçons crops I have!


Not my hand - important because her application isn't good.
They aren't cheap at $10 a box, but for a decent looking polish that chips minimally after several days and can last longer than a week? Yeah, I'll pay. Now I just need to head down into America where the selection is bigger...

source, source

Tim Tam

So I really have no excuse for half the stuff I buy, but I can always justify it. Last summer, I was planning my September excursion to Tokyo, which was experiencing their hottest summer in 100 years. Yippee. Looking into my wardrobe and spotting nothing but a lot of black, I decided to shop - of course. There was a Vivienne Tam sale on Gilt and I thought their butterfly motif of that collection was adorable. So...guess what happened next?



The white one was not sweat-proof enough. Too much information.

Thanks, What Not to Wear

Thanks to the folks at “What Not To Wear”, every 45+ year old woman I talk to believes that all you need to do to look stylish is match your bag and shoes. Thanks a lot, Stacy London and blonde-ish guy.


Unfortunately, this “rule” has been abused. Give them an inch, and they run a mile, as the saying goes. Does the photo above scream ‘style’ to you? (If it does, the next question is whether you are 45+ or not and/or potentially from rural areas. It matters.)


One of the nice things about style and fashion is that generally, there are few rules. Buy clothes that fit you – don’t look at sizes. Buy quality clothes – these are available in all price ranges. Try to wear colours the look good together. Don’t wear mom jeans. Try not to wear only jeans. (I hate jeans.) Also, the cardinal rule should always be upheld – workout pants are not pants.


After going over that, matching bags and shoes doesn’t seem so bad. But unless the bag and shoes in question are black, I think anything else would look kind of silly. See the photos above again if you are unsure about that. Unless you are sporting an outfit like this:


But only in black and white!

Wang

Wang. The Wangster. The Wangman. All these ridiculous nicknames are attributed to Alexander Wang. By me. Which is lame. But anyway.

So as you've guessed by now, most of the time I spend in Japan, I spend inside shops, shopping. Mostly window-shopping though...until I see something remarkable. Shopping at Opening Ceremony (again) in Shibuya, I spotted the most fantastic pair of Alexander Wang shoes. Meet Ines.


Now, no one I talk to seems to like these shoes. I do!! So I tried to buy them. My size was sold out and very expensive in Tokyo.

I tried again a few weeks later at Holt Renfrew here in Vancouver. The very disinterested salesman managed to scrounge me up a size 40 and they were tight. My foot looked like it was swelling inside a tensor bandage. Not the look I was going for. The salesman half-heartedly suggested trying to find a size 41 somewhere else in Canada, checked, and found none. He stared off into space while I decided if I wanted to spend $475 on a tourniquet shoe. I didn't.

Goodbye Ines.

Tilly Bloom

On gloomy days like today (out here on the left coast, anyway), I really like an odd thing to make me smile and remember sunnier times. Cheesy sounding, isn't it?

I first saw Tilly Bloom at the Takashimaya Department Store Shinjuku in Tokyo back in 2009. I was passing through the accessories section, generally overwhelmed by the pearls and delicate gold chains when something completely curious lept out at me.



I immediately flip over the object in question and was greeted by a cute little emblem of the brand - Tilly Bloom. Like the savvy (or cheap) consumer I am, I jotted down the name of the brand and continued on my merry way (because surely I can find this imported item cheaper at home, right?)


Fast forward to Christmas 2010. I order Tilly Bloom for myself and my sister who I have in our gift exchange. I also requested Tilly Bloom from my other sister in the gift exchange. It was a very Tilly Christmas.

Mine:




For my sister:


I was right, ps. Wayy cheaper online! Check out the lass at here.
All images from www.tillybloom.com