StyleITOnline.com

On The Plus Side: Let's Colorblock

Sarah Conley — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 10:00:00 EST

$54.00$39.99 by Joseph A at Lord & Taylor

I have been in the midst of a full closet freak out. I'm not inspired to exciting looks together and when I do, I'm not thrilled with how I look (harsh handful of honesty, I know). Needless to say, I decided that an emergency shopping expedition to my favorite plus size store and in my opinion NYC's best kept secret, Lord & Taylor.

Needless to say, I went IN. This gorgeous nude and coral Joseph A tee is going to be one of my Spring favorites (if it ever gets warm enought to wear it, that is). (Editor's note: the tee isn't available on the L&T website in plus, but call your local store & I'm sure they can help you out.) I also picked up this tee in navy & purple before all was said & done.

I'm making an earnest attempt to incorporate more neutrals and color into my wardrobe this year, thanks in large part to the lovely Eye4Style holding a black clothing intervention back when we used to work together. I now plan to wear color obnoxiously and unapologetically just to remind her of those very days.

Shopping for Spring plus lady is never very easy. Generally, I hunt + gather + hoard until the weather's right. What's your strategy?

Beauty Best: NARS Pure Matte Lipstick In Valparaiso

Sarah Conley — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 10:00:00 EST

NARS 'Spring Color Collection' Pure Matte Lipstick

$25.00 by NARS at Nordstrom

If you're anything like me, you get so excited for the Spring collections by mid-January that the concept of a dark lip seems so....last year (literally). Between the newness of Fashion Week and the influx of Spring products, I just can't (and won't) anymore. I was so pleased to discover NARS Pure Matte Lipstick in Valparaiso, a true seasonless berry. It reminds me of MAC's Rebel, but with a pinch more depth and (obviously) matte.

Valparaiso is named after a city in Chile quickly becoming renowned as the country's cultural capital. It's home to Chile's first volunteer fire department, first public library and the oldest Spanish language newspaper to be consistently published in the world. Who knew product names could be so educational?

As for the Pure Matte formula, it goes on quite emollient and dries down to a smooth satin finish I wore it out all days hopping on Saturday with no need for lip balm and only reapplied four times (in 8 hours including a brunch, two cocktails and a snack).

How do you defeat the pre-Spring blues? Do you opt for seasonally inappropriate shades or stay inside the lines?

Nail of the (Past) Week: Incoco's Mirage

Sarah Conley — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 10:00:00 EST

Frankly, I love a polish strip. There's not a week that I wear them that I don't receive an array of comments from my coworkers, including but not limited to the following:

How did you do that?!
Are those the stickers (with an accompanying motion)?
I can't seem to apply those right - is there some trick?

There's not an elaborate ritual that goes into applying any of the polish strips on the market. It's best that you take your time and apply them when you're relaxed (I prefer Sunday nights with a glass of wine). Run a cotton pad soaked in alcohol or polish remover before applying and measure carefully to make sure that you're using the right strip.

Last week I decided to use Mirage from Incoco, a great graphic print mixing black and a purple-pink. I love Incoco's choice of strips, from colors to glitters to prints, plus the tools that accompany each strip pack. The strips are always a consistent quality and come in a variety of colors and prints that you can find anywhere else.

Have you tried this new category of nail products yet? Have them become a staple for you?

An Exercise in Control

Sarah Conley — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 17:58:40 EST

Over the past month, I've struggled a lot with the balance of my time between professional and personal. At the end of the work day, I'm exhausted and by Friday, I can't seem to stay awake past 8pm. On weekends, I've been staying in, sleeping and generally hiding away from the world just to re-up for the week ahead. Sometimes, even the most normal of activities seems to take so much out of me.

They say that transitioning into a new full time job can be quite taxing, but if you're reading this (and bless you if you are), you'll notice that my updates are becoming less and less frequent. It's certainly not for a lack of desire or content. I simply can't muster the energy to write a post most days, and frankly it's breaking my heart. Over this three day weekend, I've thought about my time, how to reclaim it and who to share it with. After a very relaxing lunch with friends, I came to an epiphany - I struggle with control.

Perhaps that element of control is what draws me to fashion and beauty, since it allows me to control how I am perceived and to an extent, how I perceive myself. If there was ever an opportunity for me to reclaim control over my time and all the other aspects of my life that are slipping out of reach, it is certainly now.

For months, I've neglected my friends, my site and most importantly my personal goals in an attempt to be everywhere and everything to everyone. The more I think about who I want to be and where I see myself in the future, the more I realize that I don't need to be super girl or an over-achiever. I just simply need to be myself.

Sometimes it's easy to get the wool pulled over your eyes online. So-and-so has more money than I do, a better job, a better wardrobe or is a harder worker than I am. We're consuming perfectly polished content while sitting at home in our underwear eating fried chicken and feeling sorry for ourselves. What may have started as a platform for personal expression has now evolved into an ego driven, all consuming space where people (politely) make demands and believe that they know every aspect of your life. In the end, you can end up giving everything away and leaving nothing left for yourself.

After all this thinking, I have decided to embark on a personal journey. I want to provide my body with the fuel it needs to sustain demanding work days and have the opportunity to catch up with the relationships I've neglected. I want to explore paths to achieve my personal and professional goals without the constant feeling that I owe someone something. Most of all, I just want a little room to breathe.

I'd love to know if any of you have felt this way and how you've reclaimed control of the things that are most important to you. Please leave your thoughts in the comments below.

And Now, For 2012

Sarah Conley — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 19:57:09 EST

This holiday season was a little rough (working in ecommerce + family visiting = many, many Jessie Spano moments). so I didn't get around to thinking about 2012 until...2012. I'm not typically one to make resolutions, as I believe that I am a work in progress and my evolution isn't dictated by the calendar. The more I thought about where I'd like to evolve to in 2012, including intellectually and aesthetically, I've found myself gravitating towards the following:

A Return To Pink

Last year, I fully embraced every shade of red, including abandoning some of my favorite pink lipsticks. This year, I'm making a conscious effort to bring back the pink. Some of my current faves:

MAC's Pink Pigeon lipstick
MAC's Mineralize Blush in Subtle Breeze
Old Navy's Satin 3/4 Sleeve top in Fuchsia Fusion
Marc by Marc Jacobs Memphis Colorblock Top Handle Satchel

A Different Spot

Almost every day, I will end up wearing at least one leopard item thanks to years of pure obsession. While leopard will never leave my heart, it's time to move on to - to polka dots! Here's a few pieces I've had my eyes on:

Marc by Marc Jacobs Dot Print Scarf (already purchased!)
Marc by Marc Jacobs Dotty Snake Print Shoulder Bag
Lane Bryant's Sheer Moon Top

Serious Skincare

There are so many things that I know that I should do to properly take care of my skin, but I fall short almost daily. It's time that I get serious before time catches up with me and takes my sins out on my face. I've been making great strides (though not consistently) with a little help from my friends:

Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Concentrate and Midnight Recovery Eye
Philosophy Help Me
Mario Badescu Oil Free Moisturizer SPF 30
Artistry Time Defiance Cleanser

Reading Is Fundamental

Don't get me wrong - there's no way that I could begin reading Tolstoy, but it's nice to take the written experience away from blogging and back to the exploration of a story. I'm not one for serious topics, especially in my entertainment, but a few books I've enjoyed reading through lately have been:

The Hunger Games trilogy (all three only took me four days to finish)
Bringing Home The Birkin: My Life In Hot Pursuit Of The World's Most Coveted Handbag
The Secret Of Chanel No 5: The Intimate History Of The World's Most Famous Perfume

What has the arrival of 2012 inspired you to change?

Beauty Best: Shiseido Replenishing Body Cream

Sarah Conley — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 11:00:00 EST

I'll be the first to admit that I don't do all the things to my skin that I should. Most of the time I forget to take my makeup off before I crash face first into my pillow and end up with mascara and Russian Red stains all over my pillowcases, however my biggest offense? I don't use body lotion nearly enough. Trust me when I say that it's something I'm working on.

Some nights I get the itch (or rather, find the time to decompress) to kick back and moisturize the heck out of my body. When the chilly winter air sneaks in through my window air conditioner, I love to reach for Shiseido's Replenishing Body Cream first.

There is something about the smell of prestige skincare that makes me imagine I'm living the high life, wearing mules covered in marabou fur and answering a classic rotary phone. Officially, this cream's formula restores skin's resiliance and helps minimize the appearance of cellulite. I love the bouncy gel meets whipped texture and how it sinks into my skin without leaving me feeling greasy. And the smell, of course.

Use it in conjunction with Shiseido's Refining Body Exfoliator for extra soft skin.

Please tell me that I'm not the only who who likes has fantasies of boudoirs with tufted headboards, marabou mules and an old school rotary phone. Was I born in the wrong decade?

On The Plus Side: Did Someone Say Office Party?

Sarah Conley — Sat, 17 Dec 2011 11:00:00 EST

The outfit photo that wasn't supposed to happen - at least that's what I had planned when I woke up at 5am last Thursday. Somehow, as the madness of the day evolved, I decided that my office party was a story that needed to be told. Guessing games were played, mock movie posters hung and FAQs were sent to everyone in the company surrounding our out of office adventure. People asked was there a dress code? Could I wear a ball gown? Were sequins appropriate? The response was to dress casually, because you'll be eating with your hands.

That's right, folks. My office decided that taking 250 people to New Jersey on 5 buses to Medieval Times was the best idea. After surviving two hours of traffic/tunnel confusion, packing my own plastic silverware into my purse and getting into the spirit of things, I'm inclined to agree. When your knight is the one who wins the battle (and really enjoys flirting with the audience), somehow everything comes full circle.

Outfit details:

Faux fur collar: H&M (last season, but the current season ones are great, too!)

Necklace: Adia Kibur

Striped tee: Old Navy (no longer available, but similar here)

Boyfriend blazer: Torrid (no longer available, but similar here)

Sequin skirt: Avenue (no longer available, but similar here)

Black leggings: Teggings from Re/Dress

Grey leather sneakers: Converse (no longer available, but make your own here)

Black watch: Swatch New Gent

Bracelets: Rich Rocks, Forever 21, Bauble Bar (get a closer look here)

Scarf (on handbag): Alexander McQueen

Handbag: Rebecca Minkoff Morning After Bag (color no longer available, style here)

Introducing Friends of Style IT: PR Superhero @DKNY

Sarah Conley — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 11:00:00 EST

Editor's Note: Introducing Friends of Style IT, a new interview series that offers a bit of insight (plus a side serving of whit and giggles) into the lives of some of the most superhuman people I know.

I'll never forget the morning that I had breakfast with the elusive DKNY PR Girl. First, let's state the obvious: she has stunning red hair, is smart as a whip and an Olympic-level multitasker. While we were having eggs and getting to know one another, she's tweeting, responding to emails and managing to field calls from Donna herself without skipping a beat. The entire experience was seamless, like I had become immersed into her world where everything was a perfectly functioning machine. To this day, it's still a morning that I'm not exactly quite sure how it played out, but all I know is that it was glorious to experience.

Since then, she's made the intersection of fashion & social media synonymous with DKNY, with no sign of slowing down. Naturally, she immediately sprang to mind when I brainstormed the launch Friends of Style IT. She is fully responsible for my Cozy addiction and the sole reason anyone watches Gossip Girl anymore (let's not kid ourselves, folks).

Need any more convincing? Read on.

What's the funniest fashion mishap that you've witnessed? Bonus points if it's actually happened to you.

After hand-delivering Liv Tyler's premiere gown for "Lord of the Rings" in the middle of a blizzard (via the subway & on foot), I decided to get a frozen yogurt. Walking while eating my yogurt, I missed the curb (you couldn't see it in the foot of snow) and face planted. Smart girl that I am, I fell with my arm high in the sky (to save the yogurt naturally). My colleague Sarah screamed out "Are you OK?!!!!" and I replied "Where is my spoon?!!!!"

What are three things you'd never be caught without? One thing you'd never be seen with?

Never be caught without:

Foundation

Mascara

Brow filler

Never be seen with:

Sneakers (unless I am going to Core Fusion which is basically once a year)

The last album you downloaded was.....

Glee's version of "Don't Stop Believin'"

What is your ultimate fashion (or beauty) must have?

If it's shearling, cashmere or sequins I have to have it. Additionally if there is a bow, peplum or ruffle involved, I've pretty much died and gone to heaven.

Finish this sentence: I'm currently coveting....

A nap.

Follow her on Twitter and Tumblr, plus check out DKNY's Notes On A City.

Life's Little Luxuries: Jonathan Adler's Candid Canisters

Sarah Conley — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 11:00:00 EST

Firstly, it's time that I admit that I have jumped on board the Pinterest bandwagon. If you've somehow discovered my profile, you might have taken a peek at my apartment inspiration board, that just happens to be (almost) all black and white graphic patters, with pops of color. I just can't get the design out of my head (and yes, in a Kylie Minogue kind of way).

So naturally, I'm completely drawn to Jonathan Adler's Candid Canisters. I'm in love with how the scale of the canister changes with the label. For example, wouldn't you love a giant canister full of multicolor Glitter while your need for Eyelashes might not be as great (plus, they're really compact!).

Should your lifestyle require Carbs, Peroxide, Pep Pills or Xanax, there's canisters for those, too. In a perfect, infinitely funded world, I'd have a well-placed trio on my vanity somewhere between my liquid eyeliner and my Tom Ford frangrances.

Adding these to my Pinterest board is almost like owning them, right?

On The Plus Side: The Gilded Age

Sarah Conley — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 21:48:01 EST

Returning to an office environment has been an interesting experience for me. When I was freelancing and blogging full time, some days I'd get to chill in pjs and save the great outfits for the days when I'd need to be out and about. The office environment, especially at a fashion x tech company, has certainly caused an interesting strain on my wardrobe. There are some times that I get the casual formula right and others...well I fail miserably. But hey - life's all about learning, right?

Outfit details:

Coat: Rediscovered for me by my friends at BKLYN Dry Goods, designed by Enrico Coveri

Fur sweater: MICHAEL Michael Kors, picked up at Nordstrom

White tee: Brand unknown, purchased at Lord & Taylor

Earrings: Lion doorknockers by Kenneth Jay Lane (get a closer look here), purchased on ideeli

Cuff: Safety pin bracelet by CC Skye, purchased on ideeli

Jeggings: Lane Bryant (no longer available)

Flats: Congac and gold cap toe flats, Barefoot Tess

Handbag: Halogen, discovered at Nordstrom Rack

How do you navigate your closet to fit your career?