SAG's Sartorial Superstars

My best-dressed highlights from the SAG Awards last night; I hate E!'s coverage since Joan and Melissa left; Ryan Seacrest simply can't be counted on to religiously ask, "Who are you wearing?"

Cate Blanchett takes the cake I think, radiant in her Armani Prive gown.



I also thought Anne Hathaway looked magnificent in Marchesa, no doubt channeling her Devil Wears Prada character.



Joy Bryant went for a fail-safe, red Valentino number, though some experts take issue with the whole red-dress-on-red-carpet thing, my opinion is that one cannot go wrong in a red Valentino.



Usually funky fashionista Sandra Oh is toned down in Armani.



Reese Witherspoon also looked great, again in Nina Ricci, playing it safe I guess but her bod has never looked better. Depression over the divorce, probably.



And Kyra Sedgwick, who was a mess at the Golden Globes, redeemed herself in Herve Leger, showing off a sick body (she's 41!) in a dress that leaves no room for, well, anything.

eBaying

My unsold Marc Jacobs Kira bag is now up for sale on eBay, though despite posting several items on eBay in the past nothing has ever sold? Am I missing something here? Either way, I'll return the bag or keep it for spring.

And, oh, wouldn't it be just perfect for Italy in April??? We booked our flights today, yay!

But, seriously, what is the secret of success to selling on eBay. Somebody please enlighten me.

Fashionosophy's Frugal Finds

Once again, all culled from the Neiman Marcus Last Call in Miami.

My favorite score is this lovely Tracy Reese sundress, that retailed for $350. Neiman's Last Call price? $80. Aww yeah.



Then there's this adorable LaRok jacket, which retailed for $270. I got it for $41.




This Nanette Lepore skirt though was brought about by true designer intervention, as I already possessed the matching top, purchased last year at Bergdorf's. Retail: $275. My price: $44.

The skirt . . .




And, now, a complete set . . .



Now, vote, damnit, vote!

Retail Research

Naturally I am marooned in my condo watching E!'s pre-show red carpet coverage of the Golden Globes. On Saturday I was on assignment at Bal Harbour, scoping out fabulous things for Juli B.

I was a little pressed for time, since it took me like an hour to get there due to road closures that resulted in me pulling up to the security gate in an exclusive Miami Beach community and sitting in the gatehouse with the lovely security officer who was kind enough to draw me a map to Bal Harbour.

I hit Hermes, Chopard, Van Cleef, Judith Ripka and Books & Books. (It's a varied assignment.) Mom arrives on Thursday, so assuming therapist doesn't intervene any further into our shopping habits, we will return on Friday for more "research."

My favorite finds:

Chopard






Van Cleef

Products, Pretty Please

So I know it's been a while, but I had to show my apartment this morning, and find myself awake with some time to kill. I wanted to share with you five readers my beauty and product tips, because of late, I've gotten to try some really nifty stuff courtesy of my beauty writing gig. I'll also share with you my beauty staples; I'm one of those loyal product whores, who believes, why fix it if it's not broken.

First, my staples:

Mascara: Make Up Forever Lengthening Mascara. This is availabe only at Sephora I believe. But it's the best mascara, lengthening without being clumpy.

Blush: Stila Convertible Color Dual Lip and Cheek Creme in Camellia (#1). Available at most Saks and also Sephora I think. I don't use on my lips, but I use on the face and on the eyes as a great natural daytime highlighter.

Lips: For glosses I use Laura Mercier Bronze Glitz (for years now) and Chanel Force (#39) for evening. For day I wear Mercier and for night I combine the two. For moisturizing/chapping, I'm now addicted to Dr. Hauschka's products. There's the Lip Care Stick
and the Lip Balm. Both are equally fantastic.

Eyes: I prefer cremes for shadow and blush, etc. So lately I've been using, in order of application: Revlon EyeGlide Shimmer Shadow in Charcoal. Next, I line the upper lids with either liquid liner that has a brush or Revlon ColorStay eyeliner pencil in black. This Revlon ColorStay pencil stays on even in flash floods I swear. It's amazing. I use it on the upper and lower lids and then smude it onthe lowers.

I also use, depending on the day or look I am going for, Stila's Convertible Eye Color dual shadow and liner in Onyx. I don't know what they mean by dual, because basically it's a liner on one end with a smudge brush on the other. (Actually, now that I'm reading the Sephora description, apparently the brush has shadow in it, so maybe I just have to figure out how to get it out.) I think you are supposed to use it in tandem with Stila's Smudge Pot creme eyeshadow, which I have in grey. If you want a more dramatic look, you can simply dip the smudge brush into the smudge pot and use that as a liner, which gives you that whole smoldering, smoky look.

Foundation: This foundation has absolutely changed my life, and if you buy one thing I recommend, buy this. It's brand-new and is the first-ever brush on foundation. It's Yves Saint Laurent's Perfect Touch Foundation. It's an all-in-one foundation with a wide applicator brush attached. It literally provides a flawless finish and is not oily at all. I use color #7

Face: For moisturizer, I use the Creme de la Mer, which is pricey yes, but a 1 oz tub should last you about 3-4 months for $110. For me, it just works.

Body: I'm addicted to the Bliss Body Butter in several scents, the best being the lemon+sage one.

Perfume: Jo Malone, a mixture of the Lime Basil and the Grapefruit. And here's a hint: their samples are in these huge bottles, so they can last you for months. I've been using samples for like 6 mos. I'm not kidding.

Hair: Since I've got the Jap straightening, I have to use no products. I let it air dry if I'm not doing anything special, apply the Frederic Fekkai glossing cream, and then when it's dry I apply the Frederic Fekkai Finishing Polish. (They are both in green packaging.)

Nails: I always do my own nails and toenails, always in French-style. But the secret is NailTek II Intensive Therapy clear gloss. If you have weak, chippy nails, this product will change your life. Seriously. I used to have the weakest nails and after years of using NailTek, they are now hard as rocks.

Cleansing and Moisturizing: I have to admit I go back and forth on cleansers. Lately I sampled Kiehl's Brightening Botanical Cleansing Cream and I dig it, so I might just buy it. For eye moisturizing, I've been using Kiehl's Creamy Eye Treatment with Avacado. It's very gentle and absorbs quickly so you can use morning and night.

Now for some good products I've test-marketed:
The La Mer Radiant Facial kit. This works pretty well, although personally I'd have to think twice about shelling out $320 for a treatment you use once a week. Here's what you'll look like while using it, well, if you were me.

La Mer, The Eye Balm. Good, but $100 better than Kiehl's? Not really.

Yves Saint Laurent Temps Majeur Eye Cream. Nice, but again, worth the price differential? Probably not. But it is substantially lighter than the Kiehl's one I use, which has its advantages.


My God, I'm link-exhausted. I'm off to Bal Harbour to stock up on La Mer and do some more market research for a Valentine's story I'm working on...

Barneys, Balenciaga and Bugs

Some of you may remember that the last time I was in Barneys in New York, mom had a rather funny encounter with a bee and a Prada bag.

Well, it seems that the Prada department on the ground floor of Barneys has some sort of critter problem, as this past weekend, something equally troublesome was afoot in amid the overpriced bags. As I entered Barneys and wandered over to the Prada dept., I witnessed the salesgirl fleeing away from behind the counter and shrieking, "Ewww, Omigod, Omigod!"

"What?" I asked, horrified and amused at once. "Is it a bug? That happened last time I was in this dept.!"

She shook her head and her eyes were wide with fear. To me this translates to one thing: Rodents, capital R. As you all know, I have a thing about Rodents. In fact, they are one of the main reasons I was driven out of Manhattan, the Rodent capital of the country.

I asked the saleswoman what she'd seen and she just shook her head and kept running. Hello, enough of a cue for me to move over to the Balenciaga section. I often have to aid and abet mom and her friends in their fashion purchases.

"Steph, what will I wear this with? Can I wear this with jeans? Is this too young? Will this go out of style in a year? What do you think?" they often ask. Of course I always tell them the truth and they often buy the pieces and wear them for years. Such was the case with mom and all her Habitual, Citizens, Seven and Marc Jacobs jeans, and often is the case with Lynn. This time, I talked mom into another pair of jeans (she seems to think five pairs is "enough"), faded brown Habitual ones, after I lost a bet with her in which I proclaimed, "Mom, they just don't make jeans in brown anymore." Well, imagine my chagrin when I found just such a pair, by my favorite jeans-maker nonetheless, at Barneys. You can't win em all.

So I would love to start a personal shopping advisory business to cater to my mom and her friends, and others interested, but this is just a dream at the moment. In the interim, they get my profound wisdom for free. As do you;)

Anywho, such was the case as mom and I moved away from the rodent and into Balenciaga-land. I have been trying to convince mom to bite the Balenciaga bullet for a few years, mainly cause I love the bags, they are super-soft and lightweight and she desperately needed a large every day bag. (Plus, when she gets sick of it, I'll be the lucky recipient.) This time it worked, and as is always the case when my advice is sought by her in fashion matters, she is wary at first and then happy. She lurves this bag as much as I do. Check it out:



I myself didn't score so big this time—just a new pair of Habituals, a new pair of Nikes for the gym and two shirts at Bergdorf's, which I actually purchased myself, a first among shopping expeditions with mom—thanks to a clandestine rule/deal crafted between my dad and my therapist, for which she will be read the riot act. I mean, shopping is one of the pre-eminent bonding rituals between mom and me. So, brilliant therapist or not, she can't take that away from me. And, finally, I got a good shot of my mom's beloved (on my behalf) Chopard watch. I got to wear it New Year's Eve, and proceeded to stroke and kiss its beautiful face throughout the evening. Yummy, yummy, yummy, I've got love in my tummy for this watch.


And this is the facade of the Cartier store through the window of a cab, which I just thought was pretty.