Cheap or Chic

Blame it on Valentine’s Day or on the fact that I’m kind of bored with my make-up routine, but lately I’ve been fascinated with ruby red lips.

I came across this picture of Ashley Olsen-who love or hate her- looks undeniably gorgeous in this photo…

Problem is, I don’t have her coloring in any way, shape or form so I’m at a total loss when it comes to finding the right shade. Every counter person I’ve ever been too has made me look like a clown instead of the 50’s pin-up girl look I oh-so desire.

So I’m asking yall for help…if you’ve got olive skin, blond hair and brown eyes, is this a look you can even try?  What are you favorite red lipsticks?? And more importantly, how do you make it last all night??

I found this one above from Victoria’s Secret that looks really pretty but when it comes to shopping online for lipsticks, I don’t recommend it…this is one of those times to hit up your local drug store or a Sephora!

While the thought of exposing this much skin right now makes me shiver, thanks to the sub-freezing temperatures we’ve been having for the last FOREVER, I’ve been seeing this cut-out detail trend on everything from tights to dresses and it needs some serious discussion.

Should the cut-outs only be on the back? Maybe only on a dress? Or is that too risque and should we keep them on tops only so you can tone down the look with a jeans or trousers??

This coral number from ASOS retails for only $42 (plus $6 flat rate shipping to the USA!) and it definitely caught by eye, but I’m wondering if it might border on the trampy line…in a good way?

Like many things in fashion, sometimes all it takes to transform a dress from street to chic is the styling.  I would keep my legs bare with this dress and go for a classic nude pump.  I’d also keep all of my accessories super simple and lady-like to balance the super-hero/vixen-y look of the dress.

What do yall think?  Is this trend here to stay? Do you dare to bare with all of these sexy cut-outs?

The good news is whether you’re on the fence or totally gung-ho on the cut-out craze, here are some inexpensive buys that you can experiment with…

While part of me finds the idea of these a little to Ice Capades-y the other part thinks they’re beyond fabulous and a must have!

These sparkly tights/glitter hose/call them what you want  have gotten some serious air time over the last week with stars like J.Lo wearing them during her SYTYCD performance and SJP wearing them on the season finale of Watch What Happens Live.

They look amazing on both women, but as always, I wonder if they’re appropriate and even wearable for us regular folk??  My plan is to wear them for New Year’s Eve or for a black tie event I have coming up in January…but I’m not sure if they would work for just a normal night out.

I’m a huge fan of the textured tights movement and they’ve become an essential part of my winter wear, but what do you think? Are you into the sparkly legwear or should they be left on stage??

I’m ecstatic that there is actually a pair of skinny “jeans” out there that will not cut off my circulation…and they’re now knows as Jeggings! Ah, what a fun word to say!

My first instinct was to make my jeggings more of a casual, day type look with long blazers, baggier t-shirts, bangle bracelets and maybe even a hat thrown in the mix… but upon further thought I realized that these babies are perfect for those nights out when you have “nothing to wear”and I can totally see them looking fierce with my new sequin jacket!

My only request is that you DO NOT TRY this trend with any kind of  body suit or form fitting top.  This look is all about playing with proportions and if you do tight on bottom, there is really no need to do tight on top!  That would just create a tight mess and no one has that good of a body…well unless you’re a VS model who reads this blog and then you’re free to wear whatever the hell you want!

This is a really fun style that is comfy and surprisingly chic so feel free to play with it and make it your own!  So what do you say girls, can you handle jeggings?

For all of you non-Spanish speakers that means “blond”…

I seriously had no idea who this person was when I saw her picture!  I stared at the screen wondering who is this blond person standing in the middle of all the Kardashian sisters!?!

As a natural brunette I can honestly say that not everyone looks good with their god-given hair color.  I happen to look way worse with my dark locks and have been hitting the bleach since 2001.  BUT, that doesn’t mean everyone should do it and the jury is still out on this one.

I think Kim is gorgeous and could probably pull off any hair color but it’s definitley going to take some adjusting.  What do you think? Is this color on her Cheap or Chic??

I’ve recently came across these Rainbow colored heels by Brian Atwood and had to pause. Though I totally love Brian Atwood’s apparel line, I’m not too sure if I love these shoes just as much….

I keep asking myself, “can I pull off rainbow iridescent heels”? Aaahh? Not so sure! Not to mention these colorful babies are $460! Thank goodness they’re way out of my budget, but even if they anywhere near affordable I’m not so sure I’d even purchase a pair. Would you?

For the first time EVER, I had an “am I too old to wear this” moment this weekend…and the item in question was my favorite pair of cut-off jean shorts.

I wasn’t going anywhere special or trying to make a style statement, but I wanted to look cute and summer-y and in my mind, nothing looks cuter (and sexier) than a pair of cut-offs on a hot summer day.  In a way they signal that the summer is finally in full swing, but this year they also signaled that I’m getting older and beginning to walk that fine line between what’s acceptable and inappropriate for someone of my 29 years.

Now don’t get my wrong, I’m totally from the school of “if you got it flaut” it (in this case “it” being legs)…but within reason!  You can’t be the only person that thinks you got “it” and you need to have a high-level of self awareness of what truly looks good on your body.

I do not think that everyone can or should be allowed to wear short-shorts, but I wanted to put it out there…is approaching 30 too old to wear them?  Does it depend on the woman in question?  How short is too short?

In my case, I went for it and I actually felt really good about it!  I threw on a men’s V-neck, some gold gladiators and went on my merry way feeling very youthful and chic!

So if you do decide to take the short-short route, I suggest you balance them out with a loose tee or even a cute peasant top with a flat sandal.  And if you’re in your earlier twenties, I would even say it’s totally fine to pair them with heels…I love the pics above w/Nicole Ritchie in her heels/wedges!  She still looks ab-fab without looking the least bit trashy!

And check out these affordable and appropriate denim shorts below…

After taking a break from her Lauren Conrad Collection, Laguna’s biggest star is already back in business.  She’s teaming up with Kohl’s to launch the “LC Lauren Conrad” brand in 300 stores nationwide come October.  And while the line will start with apparel only, it could expand into footwear, jewelry, handbags, intimates and sleepwear …wow, she’s out to make some serious cash!  What’s next, an LC line of cleaning products???

So why Kohl’s…Conrad explains, “My family has always shopped at Kohl’s, so I’ve always known about them and I think that they do a really great job.”  Hmmm…I don’t know if I’m buying that for one second…I’ve never seen her or any of her frenimies going into a Kohl’s on The Hills!!

Lucky for us, prices for the line will range from $20 to $60 and they clearly represent a much more modest price point than the totally over-priced Lauren Conrad Collection!

I’ve profiled many of Lauren’s looks on this site and I do think she has a great style about her, not that it’s super original, but she alwasy looks super cute and chic so I will definitely be checking out her collection in the Fall…what about you?? Are you excited for this collection?  Will you give it a chance?

Here’s one of my favorite celeb-reality stars walking the red carpet at the Bravo A-list awards in a Marchesa gown.  I would typically shy away from a gown like this because I’d be scared that I would get totally lost in all the layers and layers of fabric, but on her teeny-tiny frame it actually hides the fact that she’s probably 20lbs underweight and makes her look healthy and radiant!

What do you think of Rachel’s look?  Do you love it/hate it …or think it’s a little of the “been there, done that” nature?  IMO,  I would have liked to see something a little more daring from one of my favorite stylists, but she does look really pretty!

This dress stuck out from the pack a few weeks ago when I first saw it online, and now Forever 21 has made a tube top version of it.  I like it, but I’m kind of on the fence about the diagonal origami-like pleats because I think they might overwhelm my small frame…

What do you think?  Would you buy the dress version or the top…or neither?

I love Forever 21’s “shop by outfit” option…it provides a great a visual for how to mix all of their seemingly un-mixable items and create a fabulous look! It’s a great resource for anyone that feels overwhelmed when presented with their vast selection of inventory and a great way to get inspired to try something new!

I came across this look today and kind of paused.  There’s so many elements that I love about it, like the colors, the necklace, the layers and those shoes.  Yet there’s so many that I kind of hate, but namely it’s the pants. Maybe I’m just missing something here??

What do you think…is this look Cheap or Chic?

So just in case you don’t recognize her, this is Carrie Bradshaw…I mean Sarah Jessica Parker sporting some interesting color…and I’m not talking about the darker locks.

Check out the seriously chartreuse heels she’s got on!  I happen to love them, but I asked around and that was not the general consensus.  I keep seeing this color pop up in stores, on the runway at Fashion Week, and now on one of my style icons as seen here.

I searched high and low and could not find an acceptable pair of shoes in this color…everything I found was totally unfortunate or just too green and I’m starting to think this might be one of those  illusive colors that you have to fork over the big bucks for!

So what do you think about this color trend?  Would you wear green shoes?

If you’re a regular reader, I don’t have to tell you about my love affair with Twleve by Twleve…but sometimes I come across an item on their site that causes me to raise an eyebrow.  This dress jumped off the page at me (mostly because of the dramatic back) but I’m not quite sure if I like it.  I like the idea of it, but that skirted ruffle thing is totally throwing me off and its causing an Eva Longoria/SAG awards flashback!!

So instead of debating myself on this, I’m going to leave this one up to you… is this “Cheap or Chic”?

PS:  The belt is removeable in case that was a factor in your decision.