Root Touch Up Spray

This post goes out to all of the natural dirty blondes. You know who you are. You were born with blonde hair that started out close to white, transformed to golden, and as you got a little older gradually darkened to a dull shade of meh. You’re adult life has been comprised of dropping a couple hundred a few times a year to restore its former luminance with highlights weaving glorious light streaks into the boring dark blonde. Yet, as someone who is already blonde, you tend to stretch out the time in between salon visits because, well, roots just take a while to be noticeable. No? Is that just me?

I happen to also have been gifted with naturally extremely fine (read: extremely prone to snarling) hair that seems to get a little more susceptible to rat’s nests each time I color it. In the interest of cutting down my combing time, and giving my strands a chance to revive in between dye treatments, I tend to stretch the time between root touch ups as much as possible. In this particular month, I’m holding out to get the cut closer to one of my best friend’s weddings. I’m a bridesmaid, and I want my hair to look fab in the pictures.

I know. 2-toned hair is in style right now, giving you more freedom to leave ends not matching the crown. And yet, despite my stellar motivations, I look in the mirror and my roots are crying out to be colored.

Enter the miracle of John Frieda. For $10 a bottle you can blend your color for a couple weeks until you can get an appointment with your favorite stylist. It’s called Sheer Blonde Go Blonder Controlled Lightening Spray. You apply to damp hair only on the sections needing a little touch up, blow dry as normal, and your roots disappear. Genius.

About Getting What You Want

Autumn Fashion Gets Patriotic

This fall’s fashions are all about prints. They’ve been popping up everywhere, from polka dots to the Navajo blanket revival that goes along with all things fringed and leather. The most surprising pattern I noticed was the very patriotic star motif seen all over Dolce and Gabbana’s ready to wear collection, and the latest Sonia by Sonia Rykiel line.

 D&G

  D&G

  D&G

Typically I reserve my stars and stripes for the fourth of July with a healthy dose of red white and blue. But these patterns are whimsical, yet grown up see in feminine colors, upscale fabrics and structured shapes. I think I will be adding some stars to my fall wardrobe.

 Sonia Rykiel

Would you wear this trend?

GenArt Fresh Faces in Fashion

Like Fashion, but suck at slipping past security at the shows? You’re not a magazine editor either? Don’t be resigned to oogling fashion shows on your teensy TV screen. You could try to win tickets (like I did last year). OR just bit the bullet and purchase them to see Gen Art’s Fresh Faces in Fashion New York show. 

The event goes down on September 9^th from 7pm-midnight at the Grand Ballroom of Manhattan Center. The show is designed to showcase up-and-comers in the ready to wear and accessories realms. It’s kicking off fashion week on its first night, and has been the launch pad for designers including Zac Posen, Phillip Lim, Rebecca Taylor, Eugenia Kim, Twinkle, and Lulu Frost.

It’s the real way to be on the cutting edge of what’s hot before its in every store window. The event will show collections from  

Womenswear designers:

• Ann Yee
• William Okpo
• Sunghee Bang
• ace & jig
• Eighteenth
• Jennifer Chun

Menswear designer:

• Baron Wells

Accessory Designers:

• Osborn
• Falconiere
• Wool and the gang
• Collina Strada

You can stand and watch the show for a reasonable $50. With your ticket you get access to a pre-reception at 7pm, the runway show at 8pm, and the After-party at 404 starting at 10pm. The After-After-Party is up to you. Get the details here.

Summer, Don't Go!

Yesterday I wore boots to work, actual shoes, with socks and closed toes and a long sleeved dress. It filled me with a sense of sadness and dread very fitting for the cloudy, rainy day. Lately there has been a nip of cool air at night, and the distinct feeling that summer’s heat is over. My friends are excited. They hated the heat wave, and welcome long pants and fall’s crisp air.

But to me? Summer is a time to be carefree, the months of vacation and swimming that we itch for all year long, the season we look forward to like giddy little kids getting out of school. I’m just not ready for it to end quite yet. I don’t even have a tan! I want endless sunshine filled days stretching before me to yawn away on park blankets in sundresses. It is my favorite season to dress for, where a fluttery top, or flowing skirt will do for any occasion. I want to be in the ocean more. I want to wear shorts and eat ice cream cones. I am not ready for falling leaves, and getting out of work in the dark.

So here’s a little ode to summer and its relaxation for you. Don’t go quite yet!

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Sweet Summer

by Wayne Jarus

The boats adrift in the harbour
As thoughts in a calm mind
A liquid sun beaming today and forever
We hoard happiness a smile at a time

As thoughts in a calm mind
Finding respite in cool shade
A liquid sun beaming today and forever
Butterflies flutter in a golden haze

Finding respite in cool shade
In this pastel world of light and shadows
Butterflies flutter in a golden haze
And crickets sing in motionless meadows

Oh sweet summer stay and sleep
A liquid sun beaming today and forever
Lingering dreams and afternoons of heat
The boats adrift in the harbour.

Disco Nap

I have a new favorite term: disco nap. I came across it for the first time when reading an article in W magazine about the idyllic island retreat of the wealthy upper crust that still values privacy and class over reality tv and flash. After days of sunning and swimming off the backs of yachts, the elite would take "disco naps" before nights of dancing until dawn. I did a little googling to find the definition of this foreign expression. Turns out it was an art I had mastered long ago, but just didn't know the name.

The BFFL and I have been disco napping since freshman year of college. Every evening around 6pm, exhausted from the day of laying around and sitting in class, we would close (but not lock) our always open door, turn off the lights, and task a friend with waking us up when they started to get ready to go out. We needed a solid two hours of sleep before the night's events, and would always greet the unlucky soul by yelling at them to get out of our room when it was time to awake. We were napping pros.

When you're rich and glamourous, and the days of leisure wear upon your stamina, you need to sleep to prepare for your fabulous plans later on, you squeeze in a disco nap too.

The rich and famous. They're just like us!

Words of Wisdom