Spring Shoe Porn!

At two price points:

Manolo Blahnik at a crushing $585

JCrew at a slightly less eye-popping $198

photos courtesy of neimanmarcus.com and jcrew.com

Let's File Under "Poor Idea"

I was never a big fan of the shoe bootie trend, or as I like to call them, "shooties."

It looks cool on the runway.  I'll give you that.

However, on anyone who ISN'T five foot ten and 100 lbs, it's just a one way ticket to looking dumb.

But now, the evil fashion industry who hates us has foisted another trend upon us.

The O-shootie.

That's right.  

The open toed shoe bootie.

Oh yeah.  Get a load of this.  Not only do they expect you to wear a shoe that is guaranteed to make your legs look short, stumpy and fat...they want your toes squishing out of them!

There are only four things that are certain in life:

Death

Taxes

Ralph Nader losing yet another election

and this trend making someone look like a fool.

photos courtesy for stylebytes.com and thetrendsetter.wordpress.com

Ultra Monday

As I type this, it's T minus 15 minutes and counting until The Hills season continuation premiere!

But I want to tell you about something else.  Something serious.  A new facial cleanser on the market!

Last week, I stopped into Kiehl's to pick up my favorite cleanser, the Washable Face Milk and I also snagged some samples of the brand spanking new Ultra Facial Cleanser.

Since I also regularly use the company's Ultra Facial Cream, I was pretty psyched to make all the bottles on my sink match.

Honestly?  I wish I could tell you that I loved it.

Well, I could.

But I would be lying.

It comes out looking like shampoo, very viscous and cloudy looking.  And it feels like honey spreading onto your face.  I happen to prefer a little less work in the evenings to get my cleanser on my face.

It lathers up really well once you start rinsing it off, but I felt it took a lot to get it all off my face.  And then my face didn't feel squeaky clean.

To be sure, it was a little disappointing.  

But then again, I'm sure The Hills will be too.  I heard Justin Bobby is back though!  Maybe not so disappointing....

photo courtesy of kiehls.com

I Swear

I swear to all that is holy to me (re: Prada) ... if I have to read one more fawning, obsequious article about Dennis Kucinich and his wife Elizabeth and about how they fondle each other just everywhere they go ... I will just go postal.

I get it!

He's an elfin, twice married, twice divorced, UFO sighting peacemonger vegan who met and married a tall pretty red-haired Brit and they just can't keep their unevenly matched attractiveness hands off each other!

GAG.

This, somehow, is news fodder for MONTHS.

(fyi...this all comes after belatedly reading my March issue of Elle Magazine and wasted ten minutes of commercial time reading a five page spread on the couple)

Guess what?!?

Washington is over it.

And the rest of the country couldn't care less!

Please.  Media.  Stop.  Seriously.  Mainstream media.  STOP.

Now excuse me while I yak.

Read All About It!

Big News Day!!

And, no, I'm not talking about Jim McGreevy's former limo driver revealing that he had a threesome with the couple.  But that was some pretty awesome reading.

First up!

Gap is launching the second Design Editions line!  Last year, the white shirts designed by Rodarte, Doo.Ri and Thakoon flew off the shelves...mostly because I grabbing them.  This year's designers include 3.1 Phillip Lim, Band of Outsiders, Threeasfour, Phillip Crangi and Michael Bastien.  Yum yum yum!

As for the Hills alumnas:

Lauren Conrad's collection was positively panned by the Fug Girls.

Whitney Port's line was mostly well received.

And Heidi Montag continues her shame spiral (or what should be a shame spiral) with this collection of pure evil.

It's like hooker wear.  Only cheaper.  And sluttier.

And...Botkier will design the next line of handbags for Target!

Whew...now back to reading tawdry stories about the secret lives of governors.

Going to Pot

This past week I had the distinct pleasure of going out after having a full hour or so to get ready!

That's right...no glancing in the mirror three minutes before departure time and swiping on a little blush and praying that the bar will be dark and everyone will be liquored before I get there.

Nope.

I tried on three pairs of shoes!

And, I got to play with a MAC Paint Pot!

One of the Fafi Collection, I tested out Cash Flow, a straight up gold cream shadow with a hint of a green undertone.

The shadow is what is really awesome.

It goes on smoothly (I used my fingers, I didn't have THAT much time on my hands) and pretty sheerly.  This is especially since it looks like the mud of the Dead Sea in the pot.

I was able to layer it on a little at a time and make it darker by my lash line and sheerer up near my brows.

With a heavy coat of mascara, I was good to go!

After a night at Marvin dealing with some guy who just swore he knew me from somewhere (hey, buddy, maybe I'm just kind of generic looking?) I got home and there was nary a crease in sight!  This stuff is strong...but it slid right off with a little of my trusty Almay remover.

As is my vice, I eyed a few other colors that might get added to my stash, including Artifact, Greenscape and Moss Scape.

Wow, so much for any resolution to save and not buy more makeup, right?

Responsible Makeup

One of my favorite parts of the movie Clueless is when Cher stomps around her room before her driving test whining for her white collarless shirt from Fred Segal...her most capable looking outfit.

Call me what you will, but I truly believe that clothes can make the difference between looking capable in a certain I-really-won't-send-your-office-into-a-shame-spiral.

The same could be said for makeup.

When prepping for an event when "capable" is the image you need to project, it's important to look polished and pretty, but without crossing into sexy territory.

And let me tell you, there are people who think the slightest hint of tackiness in you lipgloss means that you will spend more time picking your hair out of your gloss than writing briefs to win that motion for summary judgement.

Here is my formula for impressing the higher ups:

A light pink, natural looking blush like NARS in Sin, which, despite its name, looks dark enough that no one will worry about you sinking the company health plan with the pernicious anemia, but not so dark that you look like a tavern girl in an old Western movie.

A blend of brown eyeshadows. Usually, I like to layer my MAC Shadesticks in Beig-ing and Cement or a combination of Vincent Longo Baby Love and Sweet Dreams.

A light coat of mascara. Waterproof. Strongest you've got. No whore eyes here.

On the lips, tread very carefully. Keep your lips shiny, but not sticky. Natural colors. This is not the time to test out that lastest Juicy Tube in Poppy Pink or whatever. I will often just use a swipe of Rosebud Salve, but on days when I need a little more color (interviews can make me go paler than I already am), I use a little Clinique Almost Lipstick in Black Honey or Prada Lip Balm #4.

The most important thing is to look nice and well put together, because Lord knows, if you can't put on your makeup...well, it may be terrible and prejudicial and trite...but can you really handle everything else?

XXL - The Redux

I stopped by my local CVS this weekend for the usual...some Cottonelle (yeah, that's right, I'm a sucker for the Zack Braff puppy commercials)...peruse some magazines without buying...and cruise out the mascara aisle.

I needed a replacement for my recently beloved Maybelline XXL, and I was prepared to simply buy the same one...until I noticed that they were on sale for buy-one-get-one-free!

Sweeet....

I picked out the Curl Power version and tried it this morning.

The first thing I noticed was that the primer is a light purple. That threw me a little bit. The second thing is that the curved brush takes a little getting used to.

I had trouble depositing enough mascara on my lashes, so I ended up looking a little weird today. But I'm willing to try again.

I think I noticed a little extra curl in the lashes when I put on the primer, but that could just be wishful thinking. (Does anyone else think that curling mascaras are a bunch of hooey? It's the Barnum Effect of beauty.)

My second choice was the Intense XXL, hopefully it will give me what the Curl Power lacks...

Will report back!

photo courtesy of maybelline.com

Support a Good Cause

I always feel like breast cancer gets the lion's share of the colorful, research-money dedicated products, considering everything in October is painted pink. While I would never choose one disease over another, I was alerted that theBalm was creating a limited edition version of their lipgloss to benefit the efforts of the NYC Chapter of the National MS society in honor of National Multiple Sclerosis Education and Awareness Week (March 10th-17th) called KISS MS GOODBYE.




During the month of March, theBalm will donate 25% of proceeds from the sale of this shade- a wearable coral hue infused with SPF 17 and a delicious strawberry banana scent- to the cause. The New York City Chapter of the National MS Society helps the thousands of New Yorkers impacted by MS to move their lives forward. They provide comprehensive support services and educational programs to people with MS, their family and friends, and raise funds locally to support the National MS Society’s research initiatives.



I'm a huge fan of theBalm's lipglosses, with their sheer sparkly shades and incredible scent. Seriously, it's actually kind of hard to stop licking your lips. So I fully endorse a purchase of a lipgloss so good that does good. And, multiple sclerosis research is a wonderful cause to support. (Full disclosure, I have a friend who suffers from the disease.)



Of course, if you would make a donation instead of buying a lipgloss, or simply learn more, please visit The New York City Chapter of the National MS Society.

Deep Thoughts by CapHillBarbie

Do you ever wonder whose job it is to pry eye shadows from their cases into little lozenges of powder to be photographed for magazines?

Do you think it takes practice?

There must be an art to getting it crumbled just so.

Do you think they have a separate person to remove lipstick from the tube?

Or artfully squeeze shower gel into the perfect, alluring swirl?

I sometimes do.

Fafi Mania

I've always had a rather complicated relationship with MAC Cosmetics.


When I first got interested in makeup and would wander the cosmetics floor, I was always intimidated by the MAC counter. They were always mobbed by girls who looked infinitely cooler than me, bedecked in the latest Betsey Johnson looks, being made up by makeup artists who looked like they walked in from a music video.

Let's just say I bonded with the Clinique lady in those early years. And wore a lot of Gap.

But, as I've grown, I've become more confident in approaching the MAC counters, and lately, their collections have been really bold...maybe still a little too bold for me.

The latest collection, Fafi, is a collaboration with a French graffiti artist whose work is like a combination of Japanese anime and Lisa Youskavage...except with the sexuality dialed WAY down.

The collection itself is a panoply of bright vibrant colors, many bordering on unwearable...unless you work at a MAC counter. However, there are some diamonds among the neon jewelry.



My favorites are the Fafi Eyes 1, a quad of two nude shades, a sheer grey and a light pink, great for doing a light daytime look or a smoky night eye and the Fashion Frenzy blush, a bright pink that makes me look like I actually am awake for once.

The best part might actually be the packaging in this case. Decorated with Fafi's work, they are little works of art on your bathroom counter. Tres chic. Makes me feel like I've got the best Betsey Johnson and the coolest Doc Martins.

Did I mention I was a teenager in the 90's? Do I have to?

Plus, it's just so much fun to say Fafi...


photos courtesy of maccosmetics.com

CapHillBarbie Down

I know I am woefully behind on PR recaps and haven't told you about my bridal hair and makeup trial, but I've been felled by a nasty sore throat.

I promise to catch up soon!

In the meantime, enjoy some of the web content I've been enjoying:

Trying to find the perfect shade of makeup when the spectrum doesn't cover your skin color in New York Magazine...

The yummy Tory Burch spring/summer line, especially this dress

The dresses from the Banana Republic spring line, which I will be more likely to be able to afford....

The Other Boleyn Girl! The dishiest read about 16th century royals EVER is now a movie! It's like Gossip Girl on an acid flashback.

Ok, off to gargle with ice cold vodka...I mean...warm salt water

Good Morning Internet!

Hello...I apologize for the radio silence lately.

I've spent the past week chez the 'rents for a wild week of wedding planning, visiting friends and general lounging time.

The highlights?

Braving the Barney's Warehouse Sale (albeit on the 6th day after opening) and having to sift through racks upon racks of Kate Moss for Topshop, which was practically discounted to a price-per-pound levels, to find a sweet pair of brown flat boots at half off.

Discussing with my father, fiance, brother, mother, sister, and the hair and makeup team for the wedding whether we thought LiLo's boobs were real or fake. (The verdict? Too saggy to be fake.)

Eating dinner while sitting across from David Schwimmer and not really noticing because the food was so awesome.

Finding out that I still fit into my wedding dress despite horrible holiday eating (whew...)

That's all for now! Will post more about my hair and makeup trial soon...

Exciting News!

Topshop will finally arrive stateside this fall!

Yes, at long last, the UK haven for all clothes trendy and cheap will land here and promises to infiltrate and conquer our shores like the colonial bastards they are.

(I'm totally kidding, we can't have a little friendly rivalry Britain? Oh...still pissed about that Revolution thing? Sorry...)

That's right. New York Magazine is reporting that construction has already begun on a SoHo store which will emulate the London flagship, complete with a sweets shop and Kate Moss's unfortunate line. Also, another two stores are in the planning phases.

The best part?

The price points will be the same, but the prices themselves will be different.

Meaning that for anyone who has been to London, picked up a tag and said, "oh, a hundred for this dress that looks exactly like a Balenciaga, that's totally reasonable! Wait a second...that's a hundred POUNDS. That's like, TWO hundred dollars! Holy balls, that's expensive!" and promptly put the garment back on the rack, this is some pretty awesome news.

Looking forward to some serious shopping in the fall....

Dirty Little Secrets

Ok, this is the point in my life where I announce to the whole world my dirty secret.



Or at least the tiny part of the world who reads this thing.



I mean, it's not like Bob Packwood dirty or anything.



It's just one of those totally dorky little things I shouldn't be saying at my age, but here goes nothing.



I love Teen Vogue.



I don't subscribe. But I definitely buy it at least four times a year on the newstand.



Ok fine! Laugh it up. I'll admit that as I type these words, my face goes red and my head hangs in shame.



But you know what? It's got really cute clothes. At more attainable prices than Big Girl Vogue. And great ideas for mixing and matching high low fashion. It even has a cute article about transforming a girl's bedroom!



And to be perfectly honest, I can relate more to the article about private school kids who binge drink on the weekends than I can to an article about the latest wrinkle filler and fertility treatments.



This month, I found out that the "fashion line" in Gossip Girl is actually a real line called Lorick. She has a lot of sweet, slightly retro looks for spring, including this one...perfect for a relaxed spring day at the office with happy hour drinks later on a patio somewhere...



Plus, I really want the hair that the blonde from Gossip Girl has on the cover. My hair appointment is Friday.

Oh, please, who am I kidding. Serena. I want Serena van der Woodsen's hair.



And! It comes in a handy small size for purses...not that I would be seen reading it in public.


photo courtesy of loricknewyork.com

Pixel Pink!!

Yes, that's right.

I'm buying into the latest Pout a Porter publicity fest foisted on the beauty blogging world by Lancome.

Let's face it.

I'm kind of a whore for these things.

I was way too late to jump on the Behnaz bandwagon.

I got my ass handed to me by my readers for suggesting that I thought the Proenza Pink was cool.

I pined away for the PS Kiss until I got my hands on a tube and have been recieving rave reviews from everyone except the drinking glasses I've stained around my apartment.

And now, the last one is here and it's so pretty!

I'm planning on checking it out as soon as it hits the counters so I'll give you all a report asap!!

pictures courtesy of lancome-usa.com

Project Runway: Raw Talent

Ok, ok, ok. I know that I haven't recapped the last episode. I'm exercising my Mulligan card and just skipping it. Not just because I've been busy, but because I would actually pretend that it didn't happen and that Victorya just disappeared, like my goldfish from third grade.



So, at this opener, we are greeted with Heidi again telling the designers that they will go on a field trip...tomorrow.


GROAN.


For the sake of narrative, just lie to us. Tell us this is happening now. I mean, c'mon.

Oh, and Ricky stays with his model who has one of the most outrageous noses I've ever seen. I'm not saying it doesn't work for her, I'm just saying...wow.


So the next morning, Tim leads the designers downstairs with Christian chirping "Is it fierce?" the whole way. Apparently this is his version of "are we there yet?"



Inside the runway room the designers hear grunts and shrieks which everyone says sounds like someone being tortured, except for Christian who says it sounds like sex noises. Clearly, Christian has never had sex. Or has sex I don't want to think about.



Upon entering, we see that the clients are not having sex, but are, in fact, wrestling! Which they do for a living! In stripper clothes!


That's right...they are the Divas of World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). Because they are no longer allowed to call themselves the WWF since they lost that lawsuit to the World Wildlife Fund.

So, the challenge is this: design an outfit for each WWE Diva to wear in the ring to fit her "character."



They get to confab with their Diva and then it is off to...I shit you not...the House of Spandex to buy fabric.



Chris and Christian hit the ground running on this one, the former going with an allegedly green (I have HD and I swear that looked yellow to me) leopard print fabric and the latter choosing to do a black leather and lace bonanza. Jillian, clearly sounding like she would rather be back on East Egg in her madras shorts, picks a Diva with an All American sportly style, and goes for a metallic blue shiny fabric. Ricky gets an assload of orange and gold. Whatevs.



Sweet P and Rami really seem to flounder, with Rami picking hot pink stretchness and Sweet P picking a Reynolds Wrap looking fabric.



The stitching sessions are greatly enhanced by the appearance of the Divas for a fitting. They seem almost normal until they whip off their clothes and model the teeny tiny stretchy outfits. Rami eeks out a "you're so toned!" while poking his Diva in the stomach muscles.



During the work sessions, most people seem to be swimming along except Sweet P who is having real issues making anything other than a bandeau top and mini shorts. Her Diva asks her to whore up the outfit with some spangles or feathers, but P balks. Hell, even Tim tried to help. it was just a holographic tin foil nightmare.



Ricky seems content to just bliss out while making what looked like a standard off the rack piece for Everything but the Water, while Christian tried shooting him the look of "you suck" with his eyes.



Onto the runway! Where Michael Kors is just flabbergasted that there are women with actual boobs! And hips! Oh, the humanity!

Top: Jillian, Christian, Ricky

Bottom: Sweet P, Chris, Rami

Christian's Diva just loves hers to death. It's very the artist-formerly-known-as-meets-Professional-Bull-Riding. With boobs.



Jillian's outfit is turning out much better than anticipated, a lot like a boxer's outfit with the short shorts and tie waist. Even the strappy bra top really makes the Diva's torso look leaner and longer than before. However, when she turned around, I think my fiance's eyeballs popped out of their sockets and cried, "I mean! That is butt crease! On network TV!"



Chris's outfit is simply genious and fits the model like a dream. The Diva plyaed up the sass factor, but her shorts were the best of the bunch, not airbrushed on, in black sparkles and the leopard top didn't make her look like she was falling out of anything. And that garter knife thing made it look like she was about to go nijna on their collective asses! Mostly, though, it makes me think I need to hit the gym more often.



Poor Sweet P. Getting the worst take down of the show so far, her model says to her, "it looks like I could have bought it at the stripper store." Note the use of "THE stripper store." Not "A stripper store." There is one stripper store in particular that this woman frequents.



Speaking of strippers, Rami takes his hot pink fabric and makes a hot pink mess. There is this Barbarella meets Barbie bra top and this old lady swimwear skirt which reveals a pair of tiny shorts. Very Debbie Does the Flintstones.



Ricky's outfit ends up looking like his Diva decided to wear boots and fishnets to the beach. Wrapped in one of those foil things they hand out to people who have just finished a marathon. But, god bless his hats, he is just pleased as punch with himself.



The judging comes to pass, and the consensus is that Nina HATESHATESHATES Rami's color choice. He notes that he knew it would be controversial. Like the death penalty and the U.S. stance on torture level controversial. I think Chris Matthews will be talking about it tonight actually.



Ricky gets body slammed (i couldn't help myself!) for it just being a bathing suit with a gold thingy. Sweet P gets the predictable gouges for it not being dramatic enough. Apparently disco balls are no longer dramatic? Huh?



The toss up on the win is clearly between Chris and Christian, and Chris pulls it out! I felt good for him. This outfit was pretty rocking. Chris does his sad face, but c'mon man, you're doing fine. Jillian was set up a possible win here, but that was just for show, I think.



Rami, Sweet P and Ricky are up on the chopping block, with Rami getting the stay early. Sweet P eventually gets let off the hook, but just barely. That leaves Ricky to cry it out on stage alone....



Poor kid. Maybe he can make a hat from the extra gold fabric.



As always, Blogging Project Runway has all the shizz including links to the final collections! Also, I heard that all five of the designers showed at Fashion Week this morning...and that Rami and Christian are the clear favorites for top two...



Do you think they all made it? How many decoys?

Going the Distance

I've blogged before about my admiration for the staying power of Bobbi Brown's cosmetics.



Most eyeshadows will melt away faster than an ice cube on a K Street sidewalk in August, leaving you with a nice little slick of goop right in the crease of your lid for the 6 hours remaining in your day.



Most eyeliner will dribble south of the lower lash border making you look like you came straight to work from the eye makeup remover free home of some dude you met last night at Town Hall, instead of the clean and sober girl that everyone knows you to be.



But with Bobbi's Long-Wear line, you can keep your squeaky clean reputation intact!



Or at least hide all of those indiscretions....



I recently picked up a second color of her Long-Wear Cream Shadow (the first being my fave, Galaxy) in Sand Dollar, a golden taupe color that makes me look polished but not made up. It can be layered with any number of other shadows for a more intense look, but with the nasty winter weather getting me down, I've been sticking with something simple.



The salesperson also used one of the Long-Wear Gel Eyeliners on me. I currently have two, but once I saw her little pot, I realized that it's time to throw mine away. Why? Because her's wasn't all dried up and cracked and dull looking.



Yeah, that's right, I'll admit it, I keep stuff way past it's prime. My fridge has mustards from the Clinton years and I listen to DMB like it's 1998. What up?



Anyhoo, she used the Chocolate Shimmer Ink, a dark brown shade with just a little shimmer. It was nice, but I think I prefer Espresso, which is a wee bit darker and minus the shim.



I also notice that Bobbi has debuted a new Bridal Look, complete with a kit to purchase which includes the Long-Wear Eyeliner. A handy gift for any bride you know who's registry is sold out of items under $100.



Speaking of which....any one have any recommendations for a wedding makeup artist in New York? Help a sister out!

In Other News

If you feel the need to escape from the non-stop Super Tuesday coverage which has innundated the airwaves, take a gander at the video released by Heidi Montag of "The Hills"!

Oh man.

That is rough.

It will totally scare you straight back to watching Tim Russert shining with glee for at least another few hours.

So Much Smarter than Sliced Bread

You know those nights you get all dressed up?





The kind where your SO has actually found the time to get on Opentable and make a reservation? Or where you and your girlfriends are planning to be classy for an hour or so at dinner before getting raucous at the Park at 14th?





And you pull out your pretty clutch, stuff it with wallet, keys, Mace, three lipglosses, and a ponytail holder in case your hair falls flat and head to the dinner locale of choice.





And then you sit down and realize that there is no place to put said clutch.





You definitely don't want to put it on the floor. Yuck.





It kind of slides around on your lap and you have to keep touching it every time you reach for your napkin. Irritating.





My grandmother (from whom I have a gorgeous green pressed mock croc envelope clutch on permanent loan) told me that etiquette dictates that a woman put her purse on the table. But in reality, I think that's odd looking. And someone could spill.





Well, apparently, Alain Ducasse has solved that problem at his new spot in New York, Adour.





The chairs have little pull out shelves on which you can rest your bag!





Brilliant.





It also gives you the chance to show off a particularly covetable bag.





Seriously, as long as the waiters don't start tripping over these things, this might be the greatest purse related discovery since those little hooks under the bar.





If only other restaurants would follow suit!



what? no one else carries Mace? Have you seen some of the guys at the Park? I'm just saying...


photo courtesy of nymag.com