Beyoncé’s Chanel earrings from the other night left me craving a petit, recession-friendly Chanel treat:

These engraved Chanel Cell Phone Charms are going for a splurge-friendly (for Chanel) $136, and are a unique way to glam up for a little less. Grab one over at Bluefly!
Adri

Hey boos!
Today I stopped into a cool exhibit at the Museum of Fashion on French Designer Sonia Rykiel:

Nicknamed the ‘Queen of Knits’, Rykiel is best known for her sweaters, and was the first designer to put seams on the outside of a garment and weave pictures into her designs. The exhibit in Paris celebrates her 40 years in the business, and shows a progression of her apparel–from fun sweaters in bright colors, decorated with rosettes, words, and stripes to more serious dresses and gowns:
I could only take a few pix before the guards told me I had to stop–in case you can’t make it here, a few more shots:
I’m off to a Kanye West/Roots concert tonight and I’m going to snap some serious Real Style (I’m on a mission!!). Stay tuned for that on Monday–and for Mail Bombs tomorrow:)
Bisous!

It’s Adri, back on the scene after a quickie fashion jaunt to Boston (more deets on that soon!) but first things first…did NYC just get Arctic overnight?! Brr! My skin is not feeling this at all, so it must be time to enact my winter regime. Here are a few of my favorite tips for keeping your skin healthy and looking fabulous during winter!

1. Limit the hot water on your skin:

I know it’s hard–what’s better than a steaming hot shower on a cold day? But too much hot water dries the skin out, so keep the showers to just warm and save the high heat for your swagger 😉
2. Step Up the Body Moisturizer:
If you use a light moisturizer in summer, transition to something thicker with an enriching ingredient, like Vitamin E. I double-swear by Creamy Petroleum Jelly with Vitamin E)–it’s so rich that sometimes I can skip a day (but in winter I hardly take chances!).
3. Make your makeup work double duty!
Use foundations, lip tints, and other products that have side benefits like moisturizers and sunscreens. Ever since I interviewed celeb makeup artist Jackie Gomez, I’ve been addicted to Korres’s Lip Butter, which has great natural hues and built-in moisturizing (“Quince” is my go-to).
4. Sunscreen!
80% of the sun’s rays STILL get through clouds, snow, etc., and one of the big myths about having melanin is that it prevents skin cancer when in fact it only just lowers your chances–brown and black folk are still susceptible. Light-weight sunscreens are the best–my fave is Bliss’s Oil-Free Sunban Lotion with SPF 30.
5. And don’t forget to hydrate from the inside-out with as much water as possible:
…especially during the winter months when cold can dry you out just as easily as heat in summer (not to mention the healthy glow and blemish banishing it gives your skin).
~Adri

Coutorture gives us fashion hounds a glimpse at Payless’ holiday ’08 collections featuring shoes from Lela Rose, Patricia Field, and Abaete:

I’m loving those Patricia Field boots; seems like a great way to upgrade you winter wardrobe without spending all your bling. Which ones do you like?