Keep the Brass Out of Your Summer Blonde

If you're looking for a quick and easy refresher for your summer highlights, Redken's new Blonde Glam Color Enhancer is a MUST.

How it works: Once a week I work the violet-tinted cream of the Perfect Platinum shade into damp hair and leave it in for about 5-10 minutes before rinsing. Each use deposits a little hint of toner to counteract any brassiness that may have occurred due to minerals in my shower water, or simple fading of the toner my colorist used. (The product also comes in a Warm Vanilla shade for golden blondes.)

Cost: $17 for 8.5 oz.

Buy It: Find a Redken salon near you by using the locator in the upper left corner on Redken.com

Win It: Install the Redken 10,000 Blondes application on Facebook and add your photo and you could win free samples.

The Old Way: I used to buy little bottles of violet pigment at Sally Beauty and add them to my shampoo, but it never distributed evenly and the impact on my color was not as strong. The $17 on the Redken solution is totally worth it!

Our Michael Jackson Fashion Tribute

He may have turned into the corpse of a Japanese woman in his later years, but when I was a kid Michael Jackson was hot business. His wardrobe was like a dream collection of dress up clothes, and I partially blame him for my unforgivable love of sequins and metallics and tacky belts. Here's to the King of Pop - may your freaky style live on.

Silence and Noise satellite moto jacket, $128 @UrbanOutfitters; Sgt. Pepper jacket, $80 @FredFlare

Joyrich metallic hoodie, $64 @ RevolveClothing; Sequin blazer, $160 @ Topshop

Or you can always wait for this Jean Charles de Castelbajac dress to hit stores...

eLuxury No Longer Selling Luxuries

Looks like eLuxury, the ecommerce site dedicated to the most upscale brands in fashion, has gone from store to editorial. They announced the plan in January and recently had a closeout sale - which I totally forgot to visit (did anyone get anything?) They intend to relaunch as a social networking site dedicated to the tastes of what hillbillies might call "fancy people."

Bar Refaeli Pimps Garnier Hairspray

The model best known as Leonardo DiCaprio's teenage girlfriend has been hired as the spokesmodel for Garnier Fructis Anti-Humidity Hairspray, to launch this month.

I love that drugstore brands hire millionaires to hawk products you know they would never, ever use. I mean, I'm a mere mortal and I don't use Garnier products. I'm expected to believe SJP rubs $12 lotions on her face?

[PRNewsFoto/Garnier]

40% off Sale at ASOS

ASOS is offering select name brand items for 40% off this week. See them all here.

My picks:[Click to enlarge]

Kookai sweater, $49.59; Wrangler Megan jeans, $75.24; Blonde and Wise dress, $76.95; Colette Powell rosette dress, $64.98; Maggie by Margo Folk dress, $64.98; Richard Nicoll for People Tree ruffle collar shirtdress, $75.24

Hollister To Open 4-floor EPIC Store in SoHo

On July 16 Hollister will open a 4-level, 40,000 square foot monster (they're calling it EPIC) at 600 Broadway in the SoHo shopping district of lower Manhattan. The store is replacing the long standing DKNY wall:

[Image by wallyg]

If you care at all (do any 15 year olds read HLS?), find out more at the store's microsite.

If you've never been, Broadway in SoHo has become extremely mall-esque in the past decade, much like Boston's Newbury Street. All that is left is to turn the peanut vendors into Panda Express and the transformation will be complete.

15% Off at Urban Outfitters

Sale items purchased at UrbanOutfitters.com will automatically be 15% off when placed in your cart. No idea how long this sale is going on...

For The Birds

[Click to enlarge]

Diesel "Durem" Dress, $275 (50% off); Diesel "Borneck" necklace, $25; Keds by Loomstate (Barney's CO-OP exclusive) $75; Forever 21 necklace, $5.80 (in stores); Lulu's necklace, $14; Urban Outfitters scarf, $19.99.

This Week's Private Sale Boutiques (Editor's Picks)

Today
Mint Jodi Arnold @ Gilt
Alice + Olivia @ Rue La La

Tuesday
Elizabeth and James (yes, the Olsens' line) @ Hautelook
Rafe (bags) @ Gilt

Wednesday
Yigal Azrouel @ Gilt

Thursday
Rory Beca @ Hautelook
Marc by Marc Jacobs @ Gilt
Notte by Marchesa @ Gilt
Rachel Leigh (jewelry) @ Gilt

Coach Puts Out Younger Cheaper Poppy Line

Coach is about to release a new youth-geared collection of shoes, bags and accessories called Poppy. The price point is lower (starting at $198) and the items incorporate brighter colors and details like sequins.

If I'm going to drop close to $200 for the cheapest bag by a major brand, I'm sure as shit not buying something that looks like it was designed by a clown and is sold at Claire's. Who is their Target market, Teresa's brood of budding Jon Benets on the Real Housewives of New Jersey?

[Photo via BravoTV.com]

Better get your wads of laundered money ready - Poppy is for sale starting Friday.

Burton Bleaches Another Brunette

The Huffington Post put up a bunch of shots of the actors in character for Tim Burton's upcoming "Alice in Wonderland." Burton has a habit of turning dark haired girls platinum blonde for his movies (Christina Ricci in "Sleepy Hollow" and Winona Ryder in "Edward Scisorrhands" and now Anne Hathaway for her role as the White Queen.)

Agyness Deyn already did the dark brows and bleach look, so I highly doubt that will be a trend (god, I hate it. HATE IT.) The drama of icy porcelain skin (sans blush) and blood red lips, however, is killer.

American Apparel Factory Flea Market July 4-5

If you're going to be in L.A. over the 4th of July weekend and you don't already have a party to head to, then you're in luck. American Apparel is having one, along with a blowout sale where items will be as cheap as $2.
The line last year was roller-coaster long, but for $10 you can buy a ticket that allows you to skip it, score a free taco and a $5 AA gift card, and you get to skip the checkout line too. So basically $10 - a $5 gift card - price of a taco = pretty good effing deal.

The times are as follows:
July 4, 10am - 8pm
July 5, 9am - 7pm

Also on site: a full bar, dunk tank, slip and slide, tanning area, sno-cone and cotton candy machines.

Rodarte Wins Award, Designer Dresses Like a Hobo

Kate and Laura Mulleavy won a Council of the Fashion Designers of America award on Monday night for their drool-worthy designs under the Rodarte label.

Hats off for that! But hats back on and add another f*cking hat for the one on the left showing up dressed like me shopping at Target during my period. Seriously - you do work in fashion, right? Flats and a cardigan to an awards ceremony where you're up for an award? I'd hate to be the intern that had to clean the shit out of Andre Leon Tally's pants after he saw her walk in like that.

EndsTonight: 25% off at M.A.C.

Sale ends in just a few hours! Use code SAVE25 for the discount.

Highest Paid Models in the Biz

Not eating food is clearly among the most sought-after skills in today's society. No?


Forbes.com 10 highest-earning models June 2008-June 2009

1. Gisele Bundchen - $31 million
2. Heidi Klum - $20 million
3. Kate Moss - $10.5 million
4. Adriana Lima - $10 million
5. Doutzen Kroes - $7.5 million
6. Alessandra Ambrosio - $7.5 million
7. Natalia Vodianova - $6.8 million
8. Daria Werbowy - $5.6 million
9. Miranda Kerr - $3.75 million
10. Carolyn Murphy - $3.75 million

Jean Charles de Castelbajac Lego Sunglasses

[Photo by Dominique Maitre. Source: WWD.com]

In case you missed his Spring RTW collection (or any of his other collections), kooky old French designer Jean Charles de Castelbajac has had a thing for childhood toys. If you liked the Lego dresses he put out this spring, you'll probably want to pick up a pair of the matching sunglasses, which you can build on with your own bucket-o-Legos if the spirit moves you.

You can buy JCDC stuff online from boutique Seven New York - much of it is 50% off.

Jimmy Choo for H&M Promo Shot

[Photo by Magnus Magnusson. Source: WWD]

Here's a shot of two of the actual Jimmy Choo for H&M shoe designs, to be released November 14, 2009.

Trend Alert: Fugly Nylon Longchamp Bags

According to my Red Line-riding pal Erin, there's been a megatrend of chicks on the Boston T rocking these totally fug nylon bags by the brand Longchamp:FYI: Unless you are hauling diapers or corrected 3rd grade test papers, there is no excuse for this bag.

Now, I've heard of buying the smallest Coach bag on earth just because it's Coach, or even carrying the plastic store bag of a pricy designer just to appear as if you grabbed any plastic bag and you're so posh that that one came up by chance in a heap of other posh plastic bags (telltale fading aside), but seriously - I draw the line at purchasing something ugly as hell just because it's got a label. And in this case - double WTF - who even cares about Longchamp??!

[Photo by Mert Alas and Marcus Piggott]

Now that their hot new ad (above) has launched, I may or may not be changing my tune about the brand's chic-itude. But the nylon bag is still a no-no.

Jimmy Choo for H&M this Holiday Season

[Images via JimmyChoo.com]

Never thought you'd own a Jimmy Choo accessory? According to Women's Wear Daily, he's teaming up with H&M for a special capsule collection of shoes and bags for holiday 2009. ZOMG.

Another Euro ShopThat Needs to Emigrate

NV is based in Ireland, and only ships to the UK at this point. But they have such cute dresses!
(I love the third from the left - I may need to con an expat friend into shipping it to me...)

Marc Jacobs Wedding in P-Town?

Boston-area stalker alert - word has it MJ plans to get married at the tail end of Cape Cod in super-gay Provincetown this summer. You may want to rent a boat if you're doing any spywork though - the fabulous can't land their big-ass private jets at the tiny P-town airport. Bring on the yachts.

Slutty Calvin Klein Billboard Upsets NYC

This billboard in Manhattan's SOHO is supposedly causing an "uproar." (Seriously?) So much so that even people who aren't wearing fanny packs are complaining.

Aside from the fact everyone in this ad probably hasn't eaten since they were 9, and are probably currently only 11, I see nothing to fuss over.

It Takes Way Cuter T-Shirts to Fight AIDS

[Images via HM.com]

I stopped into H&M this weekend and saw their latest Fashion Against AIDS t-shirt collection. Like their last FAA collection, these shirts were all designed by musicians and celebrities who can't design for shit. It's really unfortunate, but it's true.

From Katy Perry's disgusting airbrushed bodysuit portrayal of the human digestive system to Dita von Teese's uber-creative "look, it's my eye. I drew my eye." shirt, it's just a sad scene.

Hair vs. Hair

Try Celebrity Hair Wars on Marie Claire's site. I just wasted 20 minutes of my life!

It's 2010 Resort Season (If You're Loaded)

Most people think fashion has two seasons - Spring and Fall - in which all designers show their collections. But there's a third season - resort - which is sort of a year-round thing (though most of the collections are shown around May and June.) The clothing is basically intended for wear on private islands and yachts.

I can't even swing a beachfront room at a HoJo this summer, but it's still fun to see what I'd be shopping for if a fat trust fund had me headed for the Riviera.

From left: Marchesa dress, two looks by Lanvin.
[Images via WWD.com]

I love that the heavy metallic beading and sequin trends are going strong for resort as well as the fall and holiday seasons this year. I'm not sure if it's because I grew up on the 80's end of the glam rock era, but I live for sequins and beads and jewels and it's more than likely that the reflection off one of my outfits will one day cause a bus accident (like it almost did in high school.)

From left: Chanel, Balenciaga and Cynthia Rowley.
[Images via WWD.com]

Having come of age in the grunge era, I'm also pretty psyched that aspects of that aesthetic are emerging. I could give or take a flannel shirt, but I never got over layers, lace and disheveled looking textures. Chanel's knicker/bike shorts may gross out most people, but I'd rock those in a second.

This Week's Private Sale Boutiques (Editor's Picks)

Today:
Custo Barcelona and Tarte (cosmetics) @ Hautelook
Tory Burch @ Rue La La

Tuesday
Richard Chai, Trovata and DVF (shoes/luggage) @ Gilt Groupe

Wednesday
Cynthia Steffe and Dannijo (jewelry) @ Gilt Groupe
Theory @ Rue La La

Thursday
Geren Ford, Lulu Frost (jewelry) and Laura Mercier (cosmetics) @ Gilt Groupe
Mara Hoffman @ Billion Dollar Babes
Gucci (accessories) @ Rue La La

Friday
Habitual @ Gilt Groupe

[Dannijo bracelet image via Dannijo.com]

Product Review: Pureology Essential Repair Hair Care

For the past two months, my daily go-to shampoo and conditioner have been the new Essential Repair products by Pureology.

Who it's for: Anyone looking for great moisture, a vegan product, and/or to preserve the vibrancy of their dye job. My hair feels thicker and softer because of moisturizing ingredients like soymilk, olive oil and chamomile.

The line also includes masks, split end treatment, and a leave-in conditioner. Thanks to daily use of the shampoo and conditioner (which I have just about used up) I haven't had to bust out the heavy artillery quite yet, but I did give the split end treatment a try. I know full well you can't "heal" split ends and you need to have them trimmed every six weeks or so, but my hair does appear less frazzled at the ends in the meantime. Oddly, the product smells a little bit like pita bread.

Product Review: Model Co Tan Airbrush in a Can

I'm very fair-skinned, and I don't want to look like a leather purse when I grow up, so it's fair to say I've tried a LOT of self-tanning products. My most recent purchase was the $42 Tan Airbrush in a Can by an Australian company called Model Co. I got it on sale, but it was still pricy, and I have been beyond horrified with the result.

First of all - like most airbrush tanners - the bottle claims you don't have to rub it in. Yes, you always do, unless you want to look blotchy. (Note: If you self-tan, invest in a box of disposable thin plastic or rubber gloves, like the ones that come in home haircolor kits, to prevent orange palms.) This product comes out the color of Hershey's sundae syrup, so if you don't rub it in you'll end up looking like a chocolate zebra.

After one time directly spritzing it on my skin and trying to rub it in I discovered how difficult the product is to spread and blend. I got out the plastic gloves and began spritzing it into my palm and rubbing it in from there, making it slightly more possible to blend in the color.

The product contains an instant bronzer, and the tan is supposed to develop over several hours beneath that. I found that after 24 hours or so, there was no hint of a tan and all that was left were two strange bronze amoeba shapes on the front of both of my shins (and yes, I exfoliated pre-tan), which basically made me look like I suffered from whatever skin disease Michael Jackson is claiming to have. A friend likened them to birthmarks. And guess what? After over a week, they still are visible. I've exfoliated twice a day and just now resorted to trying a Magic Eraser sponge. (That has worked the best so far, but now my shins are red and sore.)

Verdict: Total ripoff, awful product.
Instead, try: Neutrogena MicroMist Tanning Sunless Spray. It's about $10 and is the best airbrush tanning product I have tried so far. The CVS brand knockoff works well too, but you'll only save about $1, so go with the name brand. Whichever you choose - rub it in!