Wednesday, October 28, 2009

Affairs, Accusations, and Obsession!

No, I'm not talking about David Letterman and his female employees!
I'm referring to the scandalous and infamous names of O.P.I.'s nail polish. O.P.I. has shocked manicure clientele with hilarious and witty names as if to create a community of customers who not only compliment each others nails, but go so far as to ask "What are you wearing?!" The exchange of O.P.I. Lacquer nail-color names stretches into a fashion statement for every season. This answers your question for why Vogue's September Issue now includes an entire two pages dedicated to the appropriate Fall nail-color to match that $9,000 Alexander McQueen gown on page 212. You can't possibly wear "I Don't Do Dishes" in all its fierce, red, housewife connotations with an elegant purple satin dress, right?

Ellen Degeneres, a staple in my dorm room every morning at 9 a.m., notes the fun she has with O.P.I.'s crazy polish names yet the difficulty it can have when choosing your polish for an everyday manicure.



I will be the first to admit of falling victim to the cheeky name game when holding two beautiful colors in the salon and my indecisiveness forces me to choose the better name, not the more appropriate color. Who wouldn't want "Jumbo Shrimp" over "Suzi Says Da!?" But don't worry, because my favorite colors this season are not only gorgeous and flattering with every outfit, but their names will bring smiles to all those that inquire!

Top 3 O.P.I. Fall Colors
  • Affair in Times Square - I'm currently wearing this color and I love it! The matte finish is professional and feminine. A perfect purple tint with brown undertones, the ideal Fall color. 












  • You Don't Know Jacques!- Another matte finish with greenish-brown tones. I like this during the week because it goes with most outfits for work and class. A tad darker than the previous color yet not as Gothic as last seasons shiny black and purple colors, yikes!













  • Mod About You- This color does not appear to fit for the Fall season. But what I think is the kicker this season is ignoring anything sparkly or shiny (until the Holidays) and really sticking to a matte polish. This polish is a very faint pink with almost a white color, ideal for the weekend or date night. So cute and innocent!













Happy Polishing! Does anyone have other colors this season they're swooning over?

Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Fall Favorites

My New England upbringing has made it impossible for me not to love those moments of the year when the days get just a bit cooler  and a dash shorter. I enjoy nothing more than walking on crunchy, brightly-colored leaves as they drop in front of a new pair of school shoes (namely, Mary Janes) that my Mom has just bought to match some thick wooly tights worn under a Lands End jumper. Unfortunately, the luxury of back to school shopping on Mom's account no longer exists, yet that same chilly scent for my elementary school days returns every Fall.


I'm not sure if it's the delicately displayed pumpkins on stoops along Boston's Longwood Ave., the delicious looking caramel apples in the windows of Emack & Bolio's, or just that Fall-ish smell that blows in the breeze and leaves my nose with an icy glow as it rests above my favorite cranberry Pashmina. Despite the reasoning, nostalgia ripples through my veins from September 1st until Celine Dion's Silent Night hits "Star 99.9" right after Thanksgiving.



Halloween is quickly approaching (4 days away!) and my Minnie Mouse costume must move from just an idea to a tangible outfit for the many upcoming costume parties. With that in mind comes the end of my favorite month, so I would like to reflect on a few of my favorite Fall things...
  • Anything pumpkin- which includes, but not limited to: 
    • Pumpkin Spiced Lattes from Starbucks. I'm also a sucker for Chai Lattes with soy milk so one of the genius barristas at this luxury coffee chain suggested I mix my favorite hot beverage with the seasonal specialty and voile! You're sipping a delicious Chumpkin latte :)
    • Paula Deen's Pumpkin Cheesecake...uh, I die. 
    • Martha Stewart's Mini-Chocolate Pumpkin Whoopie Pies. Have not tried these yet, but they look divine after I spotted them on Emily's blog!
  • Scarves, Scarves and more Scarves!
    • Anthropologie has some beautiful floral scarf designs for the Fall. They also have them displayed in various ways to show the diversity in which a scarf can be worn.
  • Killer knee-high boots...to stomp those crunchy leaves of course!
  • Pale Lips- spread on medium coverage foundation or concealer to give your lips a frosty glow in the colder months. 
  • Practical Magic, starring Nicole Kidman, Sandra Bullock, Stockard Channing, and Evan Rachel Wood with Camilla Belle when they were itty bitty! Great flick complete with New England foliage, witches, romance, and a fabu soundtrack (stevie nicks and joni mitchell, need I say more?)
What are some of your Fall favorites?