Year in Review: Ogled and Obsessed, but left behind in 2011

Ahhhh, what a great year 2011 was.  As good as it was, I'm welcoming 2012 with open arms and leaving some things that I've always obsessed and ogled over in 2011.  I won't look back and these things are going in the time capsule of fashion in my head.  Not to say that I won't still think that they're amazing when someone has them, but I'm not going to want for them anymore (we'll see about that).

1) Cutouts/Mesh Inserts- I once really loved cutouts in dresses, in shirts, in anything, but I'm over it now.  I loved showing off my back with mesh inserts or revealing that little piece of my hip with a cut out dress, but I feel like I've overdone it and now I need to put this trend to rest.  Asos.com, I'll continue to shop you, but you carry an overwhelming number of cutout and mesh insert dresses and I won't be helping you get rid of them even if you are having a 70% off sale.

 
2) Floral Maxi Skirts- I'm not eliminating all maxi skirts from my regular closet rotation, but anything that has a floral print and reminds me of Little House on the Prairie will have to go.  Some girls can really pull this off with their fringe suede purses and cowboy boots, but this won't be me in the near future.  So, sorry floral maxi skirt- you're staying in 2011 with cutouts and mesh.

3) Fancy fanny packs- There was a time that I mini obsessed over this YSL fanny pack.  Even now when I look at it, I still think it's lovely, but let's get real for a second- it's still a fanny pack!  They can call it a "belt bag" all they want, but I am not fooled.  RIP fancy fanny pack!

4) The Vest dress- I'm not going on safari any time soon and I hate the though of someone sneaking a peek at my cute undies through buttons that don't sit flat on my lap when I sit down.  Vest dress, you stay in 2011.

5) Fur- I'm sure some people will disagree with me, but I'm really tired to seeing so much fur around.  At the end of the day, wearing fur is just really inhumane.  Some people will argue that if I eat chicken/beef, it's the same thing because the animals are also not always treated humanely, but hey, people eat chicken and beef. With fur, you're just killing the animals in the name of fashion, which just isn't right.  I have worn fur before, but I'm over it and I won't perpetuate the killing (or sometimes not killing- just taking of fur from live animals) of innocent animals just because we want to wear their pretty fur.  Fur is prettier and much cuter on a living animal.  Plus, I'm really sick of seeing those over-sized fur vests- faux or not!

I don't expect everyone to agree with what I'm leaving behind, but these things have got to go so that I can obsess and ogle over new things in 2012!  Out with the old, in with the new!  I hope you all have a very Happy New Year and see you next year!

Own: Lacy Little Underthings

I remember a few years ago when I moved to NY in the summer, I was riding subway and feverishly fanning myself trying to just cool down.  I looked over at a girl sitting across from me and she looked cool and comfortable as ever in a white tank top.  Peeking out from that nothing-special tank was a super sexy, black lace bra.  This was the moment that my obsession with cute undies, bralettes, and all things lace began.

Having that little bit of lace deliberately exposed totally changed an outfit.  It took a basic tank and shorts that seemed kind of thrown together feel more like an outfit.  It made the bra an accessory because it was meant to be seen.

Now, I'm not really talking about lingerie (though, I think there's a time and place for a garter belt and some fancy thigh highs), but really just a matching set of bra and undies that make you feel sexy when you're in them.  They make you want to go all Marilyn Monroe and make smoochie faces to the mirror.  They make you want to prance around and dance to Robyn.  They make you want to check out your own butt a few extra times.  They just make you feel freaking good.  Here are some that I really love and may own in the near future (I'll go ahead and apologize for the bigger busted girls out there about these bras.  They won't really provide much support)...

Eberjey Delirious Bra and the matching undies

Calvin Klein often gets bucketed into the basic underwear group, but let's not forget that they also have this red hot number.

Another cute bra and undies set from Eberjey

Cute black lace set from Chantelle

When it comes to lace, I do think that there's a fine line between sexy and trashy.  I prefer to wear the lace not in a push up bra because lace + too much cleavage tends to look a little Frederick's of Hollywood (no offense).  To keep it demure and classy, I try to stick to bralettes or unpadded underwire so that it's a little more peek-a-boo and a little less va-va-voom, but really it's up to you how you do it up.

After all that holiday noshing, why not put on your favorite bra and  panties (ick, I really hate that word) undies and do some dancing in the mirror?!  Maybe it'll help to work off that extra piece of cheesecake I had last night.  And the night before that.  Man, was the cheesecake worth it, though!  YUM!    

Own: NYE Dresses Part Deux and cheaper

If you're like me, then you waited until the last minute to get THE dress for New Year's Eve.

So, now what?  Not to worry!  After Christmas sales are on their way!  I do plan to brave the crowd a little (with my mom in tow- she throws some mean 'bows), but for those of you who aren't interested in rubbing elbows with some mean, deal-mongering hoards of shoppers, take it to the web!  There are lots of sites that are having great sales right now and some that are even offering free express shipping.  I'll be attending a Sassy or Classy New Year's Eve celebration.  Here are the dresses that I'm currently considering to ring in the New Year (some sassy and some classy!):

Sassy sequins by Mark + James by Badgley Mischka

 

Pin-up style red dress to bring out the 50's sass in you by Single 

Leather = instant sass.  Awesome vegan leather by Free People

 Very ladylike polka dot accented dress for the classy crowd from Asos

 

Classy strapless by Surface to Air

I think I'll have to go the sassy route this NYE.  Leaning towards the Free People faux leather get up right now.  What are your thoughts?  Have you already picked out your dress?  If not, gear up for super shopping the next couple of days and good lucking finding that perfect outfit!

Merry Christmas to all!

Own Being a Princess

I know that times have changed, but do girls still dream of being princesses?

I know I do!  Anything sparkly and is shaped like a tiara...give it to me! Well, let me show the list of things that get us all one step closer to being a princess:

Princess Hairpin from Etsy!  

Amazing finger bling by Charlotte Bjorlin D'Elia.  And it's on sale

Regal necklace from Fenton And it's ALSO on sale

What do princesses wear to bed?  Adorable slips by Elle MacPherson.  Duh.

Pair with any of these things with an obsession-worthy Rachel Gilbert Dress and some jeweled Miu Mius and you're all set.  Have I left anything out??

Now, go out and rule the world.  Preferably before Christmas so you can get back in time to open your presents!! :)  Happy Holidays!

Obsess: Little Charms from Dodo by Pomellato

A few years ago, I fell in love with Dodo by Pomellato.  I know from the outside it looks like just a regular charm bracelet, but really it's a bracelet with lots of meaning.  My bracelet started out about four years ago with one little bunny charm sitting on a red silk string.  It has now become a five charms on a sterling silver and gold bracelet.  I don't ever leave home without it!  Here it is:

This bracelet is now something that is so integrated into my every day wardrobe.  To tell you a little more about it, each charm on here is 18kt gold.  They do have more than animals and the collection grows every year, with certain charms retiring (it's like the beanie babies of fine jewelry?!).

The price of entry into this bracelet is $165 per charm and the silver bracelet is around $200.  Overall, this bracelet has become a pretty pricey investment piece.  I think that it can probably hold maybe one or two more charms, but I see it as an item that I will keep forever.  Here are the animals that are currently on my bracelet and what they mean (according to Pomellato, then according to me):

1) Rabbit- Let yourself be caught
I love rabbits.  Enough said.

2) Wolf- Big and bad?  Only in fairy tales
I had a dog growing up and when he was a puppy, he used to steal my brother's favorite stuffed animal which was a little wolf.  When he passed away, my brother buried the little wolf stuffed animal with our dog and I bought the charm to commemorate him.

3) Elephant- Trust me
In May and June this year, my boyfriend and I took a huge trip to Thailand.  It was an amazing trip that I can't ever forget.  I bought the elephant recently to remind myself of that trip and how lucky I was to go there and see it the way I did.

4) Angelfish- I work miracles
My nickname is Rachyfish (my real name is Rachel!  Nice to meet you all!) and I do, in fact, work miracles.

5) Shark- I can take care of myself
My boyfriend's nickname is Shark.  He bought me this shark charm for my birthday this year.  It sits next to the Angelfish on my bracelet.

:)

Best places to Ogle in NY this Holiday Season

Anyone traveling to NYC for Christmas/New Year's Eve?

If so, I know that many people will probably be doing the standard touristy things (Rockefeller Center, Empire State Building, Times sq and all that jazz), but if you happen to have time to break away from those standard NY things, there are a lot of shopping spots that are totally worth checking out.  Racked NY has a great list which they are labeling as places boys should go to get gifts for their girlfriends (gifts that they really want), but aside from this list there are a couple additional spots that I think are worth going to.

1) Phoenix Rose - Of course you'll visit Tiffany's and Van Cleef & Arpels, but for something a little more unique, visit Phoenix Roze.  The jewelry in here blows me away every time.

2) Agent Provocateur - While Kiki de Montparnasse might be around the corner, I think that Agent Provocateur is a little more fun and whimsical.  I love the underwear myself, but I'll have to dedicated an entire blog post to if it I continue on...I LOVE IT.

3) Pierre Hardy - An amazing shoe shopping experience!  The store is personal and private and the shoes are really the star.

4) Comme Des Garçons - Clearly, I'm not the only one that thinks this store is amazing, but there are no pictures online that do this place justice.  It's a great personification of the brand and the space makes you feel like you just walked into a space cloud.

5) Lady M Cake Boutique - This is NOT a bakery.  This is truly a cake boutique.  The pastries and cakes served here, especially the Mille crepe cake, are all delicious and beautiful.  So beautiful that it almost hurts to eat them.

Thanks and enjoy!  It really is the most wonderful time of the year (next to summer, of course)

OBSESSED: Blinged out Nails- Lynnderella Nail Polishes

Have you guys heard of Pinterest.com?

If not, let me tell you about this site.  Remember back in the day when you were in high school and you'd flip through your Seventeen and Teen Vogue (RIP!) Magazines and cute out pics of cute boys or dresses that you liked?  Well, it's kind of the same concept, but brought to you now through the magic of the world wide web.  Pinterest allows you to create mood boards based on whatever you want.  See something on a blog (say, this blog, for example) that you like?  "Pin it" to Pinterest and then share that board with friends.  It's a great site and it's actually really addicting.

Anyway, I was browsing on Pinterest recently, when I saw this:

I visited steffels.blogspot.com, which is where the image was originally from, and found that the seemingly DIY nail polish shown here is actually one of a collection by a woman named Lynn Chrisman and she sells them on her blog.  THEY ARE AMAZING.  They are really creative combinations of glitter into nail lacquer.  I am all up in the weird nail trends and, I have to say, I haven't seen any glitter polishes that match the uniqueness of these Lynnderella ones.  The bad news is that she puts them out in collections and they are in pretty low supply when she does put them out.  

They are $12 a bottle and you better believe that I'm going to try to get my naked nails on these!  If you want to see more pictures and try to recreate these glittery polishes on your own, check out Steffel's blog for some awesome holiday nail ideas!  Here are my favorites:

TOTALLY OBSESSED.  

Own: Look Alive and More Awake with Sephora

Since I've been on a present shopping frenzy (both for myself and my friends), Sephora was naturally a stop on my trail.  I don't purchase enough to be a V.I.B (Very Important Beauty Insider) yet, but I am a part of their Beauty Insider program and I accrued over $500 points (finally!).  That meant I got to pick a pretty sizable FREE gift!  I picked the Sephora Must Have Eye Set.  Here's what was in the gift:

Full Action Mascara and Waterproof Makeup Remover

Mini Eyeshadow in Peach Beige- kind of shimmery and looks great right above the eyelid crease and in the corners of the eyes

Supreme Cleansing Foam

Flashy Waterproof Eyeliner in Flashy Black

These were all great items, but the one thing that really stood out in the bunch was this:

Instant Depuffing roll-on Gel

I tested this on my hand at first just to see if there would be any weird sensation or burning and there wasn't- instead it was a nice and soothing cool feeling that lingered for quite a while.  Then!  I test it on my eyes and it was AMAZING.  Within a minute or so of putting it on, the redness and slight puffiness that I had under my eyes was pretty much gone.  It turned the baggy area under my eyes into a perfectly smooth canvas for makeup.  I would definitely recommend this!  After I use up mine, I'll head out to get another...or should I go ahead and get a back up now??

Obsessed: Tokyo Milk

Remember back  in high school when gifting Bath and Body Works and Body Shop items were all the rage??  All those fragrant (and honestly, overwhelming) scented lotions and antibacterial gel thingies...

After that phase, I kind of stopped paying attention to "body luxuries" and I have developed terribly dry skin on my hands when winter weather comes around (a la crypt keeper...it's kind of gross), so I have decided that I need to consider my options and get some dang hand cream.

The hand cream market is pretty vast.  I mean, I could run down to CVS right now and just pick up some Jergens, but what's the fun in that?  Instead, I skipped over to Ricky's.  I don't usually frequent Ricky's outside of Halloween time, but it was kind of nice being in Ricky's not around Halloween- there's usually a line to get into the store around that time (read: INSANE).

Anyway, I walked in and sampled a few things they had in there and I came to find this brand called Tokyo Milk.  I'd never heard of them before, but their package is so pretty and girly that I just had to touch it.  I squeezed a little bit of this onto my hands:

Gin & Rosewater, No. 12 - Bon Bon Shea Butter Rich Lotion

It was awesome!  Soft, silky and not oily!  And the smell?  AMAZING.  Soft scent of roses.  So fancy!  but wait, what??  $18 for a tube of hand cream?  Eeks!  No need to ogle because I can afford that, but it ain't cheap!  So I'll obsess....SMELLS SO GOOD. 

The brand also has some really yummy smelling lip balms and candles.  If you're looking for something to gift, I think these items would make great presents.  If you got some extra dolla dolla bills, treat yourself!

Own: The Perfect White T from James Perse

I've been scrounging through my dresser this morning, desperate and a little sweaty and I've come out defeated.

What is it I'm looking for you ask?

My T shirt.  My perfect white T shirt.  WHERE IS IT?!  AHHH.

A few years ago, I bought this shirt:

It fits perfect in every way- just a little baggy so you can wear it on your "I feel fat" days, comes it right at the arm pit for the skinny arms look, and the v neck is just deep enough that you can show a little cleavage without feeling slutty (after all, it is just a white T).

If I don't find it, I will have to replace it.  I know that $55 for a white T shirt sounds a little steep and it is, but I've tried on countless white T's and none of them fit as perfectly as this one (how many more times can I say "perfect" in this post??). I'll say that the shirt was probably getting close to having to be replaced...sometimes you just can't help pit stains even if you have good deodorant.

Ogle: Mulberry Foxy Foxes are Freaking FAB

Keeping in the theme of animal appreciation, I want to tell you about something that I saw at Mulberry recently.  I had seen this Mulberry bag in magazines far and wide:

Recently I had the pleasure of examining it in person.  It's beautiful.  It's amazing.  It's virtually flawless.  Oh yeah and it's $6,000+.

::DIES::

So expensive!  Is that the price of adorable animal perfection these days?  I was about to mope my way out of the store when the sales lady saw my disappointment and directed my attention to the fox lock bags that they had just received!  Upon closer review, I decided that these are perfect as well.

Loving the classic shape of this Oversized Bag

The Clutch Wallet which can be worn cross body

And my favorite? The Lily!

A close up of the adorable Fox face lock!

If you're going to pick one of these up, be prepared to drop more than $700.  The cheapest one is the Clutch.  Dolla, dolla bills....

I'd Own Again: PJ by Peter Jensen for Urban Outfitters

Last year, shortly after the New Year, the weather in NY was frigid.  I was on a constant search for absurdly oversized and warm sweaters.  I ended up at an Urban Outfitters because I realized that I couldn't continue to spend a fortune on sweaters.  I was also running out of space to store them.  Lucky for me and my bunny fetish, I came upon this sweater and just couldn't resist.

The sweater is perfect to wear over leggings and it's plenty warm.  I have a fear of itchy sweaters (is that an actual phobia?...lemme google that...), and fortunately for me, this sweater isn't itchy!  I love it and I wear it all winter long.  I thought that this might be the first and only collection from PJ by Peter Jensen at Urban Outfitters, but I was wrong.

Peter Jensen has returned!!  As much as I love bunnies, I actually love animals in general so and when they are the main feature of any fashion, I just fall in love.  Just look at these adorable knits:

They put Bambi on a sweater!  

And for the doggy lover!  Though this is represented as a boy's sweater, I think a girl can totally pull this off.

These sweaters are affordable at $88 a pop and currently, there's a 25% off $100 promo going on.  Check it out!

Pass on Owning...Butter Nail Products

I don't really like to be negative about things on this blog, but I need to express a recent disappointment.

Along with shoes, bags, rings, and crop-tops, I'm obsessed with nail art.  I'm always looking for the next cool nail color and next sparkly color to wear whether it be for Monday Fundays (which are rare) or Hump Days or most recently, the holidays.  I went through this endeavor last year, too, but I had come out with this polish:

Butter Polish in West End Wonderland

Looks beautiful, right?  Well, it is.  It comes out of the bottle and onto the nail pretty much like a solid stream of gold sparkle.  It's like fingernail bling.  And furthermore, it's healthier for the nail!  Butter Polish is better for your nails than some other brands because they don't contain Formaldehyde, Toluene, or DBP.

Downside?  It doesn't stay on the nail!  Maybe because it's a glitter polish, but because it spreads on like sheet, it comes off that way, too.  That means one chip, and your manicure is over.  This polish ran me $15!  Clearly an Ogle only polish.  I was fooled.

Not giving up on the brand itself, I was roaming through Ulta during Black Friday and I found these cute nail stickers:

I was so excited to wear them to a party I had coming up.  I took the time to shape my nails into perfect ovals to accommodate the images on the nail stickers.  Then came the moment of truth.  I took them out of the package.  My heart sank.

They weren't like nail stickers I had used before (Sally Hansen Salon Effects).  They were just straight up stickers that had been shaped to fit onto your nail.  They were plastic feeling.  They had weird sticker glue on the back.  They were, in short, TERRIBLE.  After I placed the first one on, I felt like a child that was trying to shape her favorite unicorn stickers to fit on her nails.  They just didn't make the cut.

Here's the worst part- I went to remove the sticker and not only was it really hard to peel off, but it left behind this sticky gunk residue!  And these cost me $10!  Down the drain...

I've been fooled twice by Butter now and I'm not going back.  Game over, Butter.  I'm moving on.

Have I just had a couple bad experiences?  Are there any Butter Die-hards out there?

Owned: The Perfect, Simple Black Boots

While I was out looking for sexy boots to replace my Alexander Wang ones, I ran into this comfy-looking pair of Prada boots. 

Not the sexiness I was looking for, but hey, whatever.  My feet were already throbbing from the Alexander Wang boots I'd been walking around in, so I relieved them for a few minutes and slipped these on.  I fell in love right away.  They were nice and cushioned on the inside and the leather was really soft- like your favorite boots that you've been wearing in for years.  They are definitely a much simpler boot than I was looking for, but the shape is casual and clean and I always have room for that in my wardrobe.  

While the price of these would usually boost it to the Obsession level, the comfort and timelessness of them made them really Ownable.  And!  Bloomingdales was having a 40% off sale so they weren't quite as pricey as you see them at Bluefly.  Either way, I walked out with them and I haven't been happier.  The boots look great with skinny jeans.  Great investment shoes! 

OGLED...and could have owned...Ippolita Sample Sale

I know I've been posting a lot of jewelry items lately so this will  be the last one for a little while, but I got myself out of bed today and pranced over to the Ippolita sample sale and I need to share my anguish with you all.

When I got there, there was a line!  If you know me, you know that I don't like the wait in line for anything much less a chance to spend my own money.  Nevertheless, I didn't have work today and I had all the time in the world, so I waited.  And waited. And waited.  After 20 minutes, I was finally let in with a personal shopping (oooo, so fancy!).

Anyway, I headed straight over to the 18k gold bangles, which is what I think Ippolita is most known for.  I saw some amazing things like this:

18k gold bangles with hammered finish.  They were amazing until I got to touch and see one up close.  I didn't even ask for the price on these because I didn't like them.  18k gold alone like this appears really yellow.  Also, the bangles were hollow!  The salesperson told me that they were made like that to reduce the weight of the item, but it just ended up making the bangle feel really cheap.  So, I moved on.  And I bumped into this stone and turquoise collection:

These were actually amazing to look at and the rings, which is what I was drawn to, were only $30 (down from $275)!  In hindsight, I should have bought some of these as gifts because they were so reasonably priced.  But alas, I got distracted by this:

This wasn't exactly the bracelet- the one I saw had light green amethyst instead of the blue topaz in this picture. The difference in the color of stone made the bracelet so delicate and sparkly!  I was in love with it.  I toiled and toiled and toiled and tried to justify spending $750 on the bangle (a savings of about 75%!  The retail price of the bangle is $2,900), but in the end I just couldn't.  I thanked my personal shopper.  I walked out, head low.  I'll remember that bangle forever...I guess that's $750 saved to go towards my Cartier Love Bracelet! :)

However, if you guys are interested in going to the sale, it goes on until Sunday!  Here are the deets:

Ippolita Sample Sale
Lighthouse International
111 E. 59th St. , between Park & Lexington
New York, New York 10022
Sat Hours: 10AM-8PM
Sun Hours 10AM-5PM

Happy shopping!

Own! New baubles from Gerard Yosca

Now that it's nearing the end of the year, I have all these vacation days to use up.  That means I have the next couple Thursday and Fridays off!  Amazing for me?  Yes, yes!  Not so amazing for my wallet though.

However, tis the season of the sample sale in NY right now and I certainly took advantage of that today!

I visited a handful of sample sales, but the one that made the biggest impact on me was Gerard Yosca.  I've never been really into large statement jewelry, but my tune has certainly changed after having been to this sample sale.  They had some amazing statement necklaces and bracelets and I was lucky enough to get to the sale early and get to try everything on.

The prices for these baubles are usually $200+, but at the sample sale, almost everything was under $100!  It was a great place to pick up Christmas presents for girlfriends!  Here's what I ended up picking up for myself:

Amazing starburst stone bangle over darkened brass

Giant and monstrous black geode ring

bling bling side sitting statement necklace

Unfortunately, because these are past season, I can't link you to them online.  You'll just have to ogle.  Sorry!  I'll showcase all the other pieces once they've gone to their owners- don't want to spoil any surprises!  Next time they have a sale, I'll a buy a few extra pieces as a giveaway!  Happy sample sale-ing!