Bring on the glitz and glamor

New years eve is fast approaching. With champaign and noise makers ready to go, we all have that wild 2011 party in mind.

Problem: WHAT SHOULD YOU WEAR TO RING IN THE NEW YEAR?

Solution: If you want to shine and stand out, start the year off right with metallics.

Bronze, silver, and gold metallics give a polished look that are playful, yet sophisticated for any occasion. New years eve is the perfect time to break away from the ordinary and try something daring. Whether you wear a metallic dress or eyeshadow, this flashy finish will not only get you compliments by your friends, but attract that cute boy you see across the room (hello new years kiss). We're in a season where neutral colors are dominating a women's wardrobe, so why not add an element of surprise? You're entire look doesn't have to be one shiny disco ball, (although, it's New Years so WHY NOT?) but you could have flashes of the trend by playing around with purses, pants, or shoes to mix and match. Marc Jacobs has plenty of metallic examples, as does Dries Van Noten and H&M. This year, don't be bland and boring with a little black dress - spruce it up with a metallic finish and you will shine the entire night through.

Text Jessica Moy

Winter Beauty

Just as there are four seasons of weather, there are four corresponding seasons of beauty. In the spring, it’s typical to want to start experimenting with color. In the summer, it’s all about bronzer and barely-there eye makeup. In the fall, hair colors darken and makeup is left clean and simple. In the winter, many women aren’t exactly sure how to make the transition. I never really understood how to properly apply “wintery” makeup until I saw this photo, which has instantly inspired me.

To achieve this look, there are a lot of different steps that you’ll need to take. In order to create the perfect canvas on which to apply makeup, make sure to moisturize every day and every night before bed. The harsh cold weather tends to really dry out the skin, which can cause your makeup to flake and become extremely noticeable. So, once you have a smooth surface to work with, you can begin to create the base. Start with a foundation or tinted moisturizer that matches your skin tone, dab concealed on any problem areas, and then set with a fine loose powder. While you allow this to set for a minute or two, fill in your brows with a pencil in a shade darker than your hair color. It’s important to not go too dark, because you will then look like you drew them on with a sharpie (which, in my opinion, is a cardinal sin of makeup). Next, curl your lashes and apply a single coat of lengthening mascara, and line the top lash line with a black kohl eye pencil. In order to make your eyes really pop the way Emma Watson's do in the photograph, apply highlighter or white eye shadow on the inner corners of the eye. To finish the look, swipe on some deep red lipstick and add just the slightest dusting of a rosy colored blush. The look is perfect for night time, but it can be worn during the day as well as long as you lose the lip color.

By Ali Antonucci

Twelve Days of Dresses

If you’ve already read my last post, you’re probably aware that I am on the hunt for the perfect holiday dress. However, I realized that all of the dresses that I picked were totally out of my price range. Marc Jacobs, Milly, and Juicy Couture are a bit too much of a splurge for a dress exclusively for the holiday season, so I’ve spent the last week looking for some more wallet-friendly options. I set my budget at $100 and began scouring the Internet, but I found that way too many of my favorite inexpensive retailers just didn’t have the kind of quality I was looking for. After combing through the selection at H&M, Topshop, and Forever21, I decided to check out Urban Outfitters. Last year around this time I was incredibly disappointed with UO’s holiday dress selection, so my expectations were low. However, as soon as I clicked on the website, a banner titled “The 12 Days of Dresesses” appeared and I knew that I had just struck gold. The first thing that caught my attention once I clicked on the banner was the way the page is set up. The 12 dresses are divided into four rows of three, and as you move your mouse across the images, the models in the picture begin to move! As a result, I was able to see the way that each dress looks on the body in 3D, something that Urban Outfitter has never offered before. 

Winter Fashion is Changing!

Red and Black are No Longer the Only Hip Winter Colors! Tan, a color typically meant for the fall, is becoming a common color for the latest winter coats and boots. Everywhere I look, I see tan leather boots. In the past, besides UGGs, black was the only color of boots you'd see. That has completely changed. Gray, tan, beige, brown. Brown was a color you might see, but not as commonly as you might see this year. This might be a good thing for people who prefer beige and brown earth tones. Black is not for everybody. Brown is not for everybody. Now people have a choice. For a woman who may think black would not be the appropriate color with her cream colored coat, tan might be that right color to finish off her classy golden winter look. Certain people look better in lighter colors as opposed to others who need that dark shade around their fair complexion during the winter months.

Happy Holidays from coast to coast!

Text Alexandra Faye

Virtue and Vice

Another day, another literary-to-big-screen adaptation. There Will Be Blood director Paul Thomas Anderson wants to direct a film version of Inherent Vice, the 2009 novel from genius reclusive writer Thomas Pynchon. The book is made for cinema: a charismatic, burnt-out private detective named Doc Sportello, a mysterious disappearance, a bevy of beautiful women, and a good-looking cop, all set in Malibu and Las Vegas after the Summer of Love.

Rumor has it Robert Downey Jr. might play the lead male role of Sportello. Keep your fingers crossed for a decent adaptation – this might be one killer of a film.

Text Molly O'Brien