I Love My...L'Oreal EverPure Shampoo and Conditioner

I have incredibly fine, flat hair. I am also allergic to sulfate. My whole life, I have used shampoo that has sodium laureth sulfate (check the ingredient list in your shampoo...chances are, its in there). Until recently, I never thought that maybe part of the reason my hair is so fine is because of my allergy to sulfate, and the fact that I have used it on my scalp every single day of my life. A few months ago, I bought some sulfate-free shampoo, but let's just say it sucked. It left my hair looking like a wet sheep dog. Not that sheep dogs aren't cute....it just wasn't a good look for me.

So I abandoned the idea of using sulfate-free shampoo, and went back to using my uber-expensive Kérastase (which I was actually never that thrilled with, but I'll save that for a different post). Then, I heard L'Oreal was launching a sulfate-free line, and I happened to grab the Volume Shampoo and Moisture Conditioner on a random shopping trip to Target (yay, Target!). It actually left my hair fluffy (which is a difficult feat, given how extremely flat my hair is). And, the texture is super-foamy -- more foamy than sulfate-containing shampoos!

I liked it so much, that I picked up the Smooth Shampoo and the Smooth Conditioner, since my hair can also get a little frizzy. Yeah, I know...what a great combo...fine, flat hair that can also get frizzy. Anyway, needless to say, the Smooth Set actually works too! It leaves hair shiny, without a frizzy strand of hair in sight.

There are so many beauty products out there that just don't work, that I'm more than thrilled to applaud when beauty products actually work.

The Great Black Tie Dress Hunt, Part II: Get Thee to Off Fifth...

I had some time on my hands this weekend, so I drove to Off Fifth, the Saks Fifth Avenue Outlet, which just so happened to be having a huge sale. 20% - 30% off of everything...just fabulous, right?!

So off I went, in search of the elusive black tie evening gown for the event I have to attend this spring. Last week, me and a couple of co-workers discussed the event, and decided that we need floor-length gowns. We decided that we wouldn't be able to get away with cocktail-length dresses, since most of the men are wearing tuxes. After scouring the store, and looking at every single floor length gown in the entire store, I found one dress in my size. Still, this was more promising than finding none.

So, I trekked off to the dressing room, waiting for dissappointment. After slipping on the dress, however, it fit perfectly and seemed to be flattering because it made me look about 10 pounds lighter...what could be better than that? Little did I know, it was about to get a lot better. After checking the tag, I saw that the dress was marked down from $900 originally to $100. And the sign above the dress rack indicated there was an extra 25% off. Score! A Badgley Mischka evening gown for $75 plus tax! Seriously...it doesn't get any better than that....

The only wrinkle now, is that I had planned to wear black...and the dress is a wine/burgundy color. I now need to re-think accessories...shoes, jewelry, etc. But scoring the dress for $75, means more money to accessorize, right?

I Love My.. NP Set Eyeshadow (Yay Target!)

Photo Source: Target.com

On my last trip to Target, I spotted Napoleon Perdis' line for Target, NP Set. I loooove loose eyeshadow, and this application looked intriguing. Target actually had samples out that you could try, and the consistency of the eye shadow powder felt really rich, and looked like it would last. I also thought the applicator was really unique, and would make for a very easy application of loose eyeshadow. So I bought it, and I've been wearing it ever since. The only downside is the price....$26 for eyeshadow purchased at the drugstore? Yes, the price point is a bit steep....

The Best of the Worst in Denim Part 2: See By Chloé Denim Jumper

Photo Source: Yoox.com
At the risk of repeating myself, seriously? What in the world is going on in the world of denim? Are we really supposed to pay $300 to look like we are hanging out at the dump? I love Chloé, and I have gone so far as to defend the brand, but again...these take jumpers a bit far...then again, I never really been a fan of the jumper. Jumpers just look too trite and too forced. And really? A denim jumper? Its just so much denim!

I'm going to say that the See by Chloé Denim Jumper probably comes in second to the Current/Elliott Suspender Pants (see the post here), because there are probably a few gals out there who could rock this jumper. But like I said...a few....

The Great Black Tie Dress Hunt Begins...Part I

Photo Source: Nordstrom.Com

I found out today that I get to attend a black-tie lawyer's awards dinner in New York City this spring. I am super-excited to go, but on the other hand the dress hunt is on. How am I ever to find the dress that strikes the perfect balance between black-tie formal and being appropriate to wear around co-workes (i.e. bosses). I also don't want to look like a school-marm...I want to look young, yet elegant...classic and timeless, yet sophisticated. Oh, the pain and the hours of trying on dresses that I am about to put myself through. Because we all know that wearing a dress one already owns just won't do.

The great Possessionista posted this dress in this post, and I have to say that I really like it. It looks sophisticated, elegant, and better yet it isn't too sexy so as not to offend (not that anyone ever shoots to offend, but still....) If I can find time to get myself to Nordstrom's this weekend, I may have to try this one on. Until then, I'm sure this is only the first post of many....because how likely is it that the first dress you try on is the perfect dress? Who knows, maybe this time I'll get lucky....

Fab or Foul? BR Monogram Ruched Faille Coat

Photo Source: BananaRepublic.com

I'll be honest...I haven't really loved most of what Banana Republic has been producing the past couple of seasons (maybe even the past year), and most of my friends have had the same sentiment. Somehow, what used to be a "go to" store for quality basics and "on-trend" pieces has somehow managed to miss the mark on both accounts. But nevertheless, because I used to love Banana Republic so much, I'm still willing to give them a chance to win me back.

So I can't decide whether I love the BR Monogram Ruched Faille Coat. As I mentioned before, I love frilly layering pieces (see this post). But what about frilly outerwear? I feel like this collar could either look really really great, or could wobble dangerously on the edge of being over the top. And I'm not quite sure if it really looks more polished than a standard collar....especially for wearing to work. I have to imagine myself dashing out for lunch with the senior partner at the law firm wearing this, and wondering whether I would look like a silly strumpet, or a chic business-person.

Maybe I have also gotten a little too used to the dire state of the economy, but I also think the price point for this coat is super-high....$300 (actually about $220 after the coupon codes, BRSPRING, 20% off, and 10% for using your BR Card). For $300, you could get a designer coat, rather than a coat from Banana Republic. I don't even think J. Crew's spring coats are as pricey before the discounts.

So I'll leave the final verdict at undecided for now....who knows, maybe it will go on super-sale, and then I'll be more tempted....

Oh. My. Gosh. Seriously? Current/Elliott 'The Boyfriend' Stretch Jeans with Suspenders

Photo Source: Nordstrom.com

Can I please, pretty please, pay $300 to look like I fished my jeans out of a bin at the dump? Or to look like I am going to go fishing for things at the dump? I think this is taking boyfriend jeans about five steps too far....show me a lady who can rock these suspenders, and I'll show you cows that can fly.

The ChickDowntown Jeans Saga: Part I

Photo source: Chickdowntown.com

Way back in December I bought a pair of Current/Elliot jeans (Skinny Slouch in Loved Destroyed) from Chickdowntown.com. Upon deciding that I didn't like them, I returned them. Because I had used one of those super-great promotional coupons they had back before Christmas, something crazy like 40% off everything, they wouldn't give me a refund, but rather, gave me store credit. Fine....I suppose I can be happy with store credit. Two weeks later, I spotted a pair of Genetic Jeans (Dark Ol' Vintage Denim pictured above) that I liked. However, due to the crappiness of their website, I couldn't use BOTH a discount code, and my store credit. Just fabulous. So what did I do? I bought the Genetic Jeans with the crazy 60% off promotional coupon they had at the time (it wouldn't have even exhausted the store credit I already had anyway). I ordered said jeans on December 15th, 2008, in what was apparently a "pre-order" because the jeans hadn't actually arrived yet at Chickdowntown. Pre-orders must be paid for up front, according to store policy, but at the time I placed my order, the jeans were set to arrive on December 23rd. Great...I could wait a week or two to get the jeans in my size (especially because I couldn't find them elsewhere).

Flash forward almost two months, and the jeans still haven't arrived. According to the website, they are now set to arrive on February 27, 2009...all of this without any communication from the store each time they pushed back the arrival date of the jeans (which is about five times now). Occasionally, I would go..."oh yeah...what happened to those jeans I ordered?" And I would check the site....and sure enough the arrival date had been pushed back yet again. And yes, they did charge me up front for the jeans...so at this point I am not even sure if I could even cancel the order.

In the meantime, I did notice that they have fixed the whole using a coupon code and store credit thing simultaneously problem. However, I am still sitting on my ridiculous store credit, and waiting for jeans I ordered in December. Am I a happy customer? No. Will I be ordering anything else from this store if I can help it? No. Now, if I could just find something to use the store credit on, so I can get this store out of my life for good, I will finally be happy. Let's just hope I like the jeans I've been waiting for two months to arrive actually come....and that I don't want to return them (which will turn into another one of these vicious cycles...)

I Hate My...J. Crew Chiffon Ruffle Blouse

Photo Source: JCrew.com

I snapped this blouse up way back before the shopping ban, when the new J. Crew stuff hit stores because I loved it so much. I love ruffly layering pieces, in case you haven't noticed the trend. Needless to say, I hadn't really gotten around to wearing it, and I was curious when I saw it was already marked down. I finally tried it on last night, and realized why it has already gone on sale. I didn't notice how sheer it was on the website, so when I tried it on, I was really surprised. This blouse is completely see-through, such that you cannot wear it at all on its own...you must have a cami underneath and/or something on top. This is a bit tricky...and sometimes I hate having the sheer layer with the cami underneath because I think it looks a little more forced than effortless. And I am more about the effortless than the forced. To add insult to injury, the buttons in the bust area are ill-placed, such that it raises a major gaping issue, when the fit of the body isn't all that fitted. So I went ahead and packed this up to return...so I guess it really won't be "mine" anymore...

I Love My...J. Crew Crystal Chain Necklace

Photo Source: JCrew.Com

It goes with everything, and it looks a lot more expensive than it actually is -- the crystals don't look cheap, and the necklace looks chic and sophisticated. Throw it on, and you look pulled together. Simple and done.