A shine for accessories
While stopped for a red light recently, my gaze wandered across the lanes to a small, nondescript burgundy car.
I’m not even sure why it caught my attention. The windows were tinted, but not menacingly dark. A thin layer of road dust left the paint dull. Then I noticed the wheels.
Chrome spinners so shiny I could have checked my lipstick in them.
I couldn’t help but smile. Accessories matter to the person who owns that car, I thought.
Accessories have the same appeal for many women. Me, I like handbags and shoes. Some women prefer earrings. Others have a penchant for hats, lamps, pillows. They’re all accessories.
After seeing that car, I thought of Olympia Dukakis’ character, Clairee Belcher, in the movie “Steel Magnolias.”
“The only thing that separates us from the animals is our ability to accessorize,” she said, an often-repeated quote that has become one of my favorites.
No matter how we’re dressed, what furniture is in our homes or the cars we drive, often it’s the little things that grab attention, that set us apart from others.
Like a great apple green handbag. Or a cheetah print throw pillow. Or a pair of shiny spinners.
Smile pretty
Here’s another accolade for Carrie Underwood, Oklahoma’s own country songbird.
Her smile has been named the 2008 Female Celebrity Smile of the Year by Dear Doctor, a dentistry magazine.
She stands out because her face and smile are well balanced and harmonious, satisfying the essential tenets imparted by the Golden Proportion, a defined proportionality studied by cosmetic dentists and orthdontists to design and restore smiles, said Dr. David A. Garber, who teaches and lectures on the subject of smile design.
Do you want jelly with those shoes?
Fendi black jelly ballet flat. Melissa blue wedge from Allyson’s Closet.
Remember plastic jelly shoes from the 1980s?
Well, they’re back but with a big dose of style. Details include buckles, crystals, even cork heels. Word on the street is that this new generation of plastic shoes is much more comfortable than its predecessors.
Probably the most noticeable change, though, is the price. Oh, you can still find inexpensive jelly flip-flops and sandals for $25 or so, but the best-looking shoes on the rack will cost upwards of $100 or more.
Yes, for a plastic shoe. And you’ll be surprised which brands are pushing the look.
* Melissa continues to do well with colorful wedges and sandals. Many styles are in the $65 to $85 range. Melissa, the Brazilian shoe brand known for its molded plastic, claims to be the original jelly, born in 1972. Melissa has callaborated with several fashion designers, including Alexandre Herchovitch, and this season Vivienne Westwood, the queen of British fashion. (Lindsay Lohan has been photographed often in a Melissa.)
* Stuart Weitzman offers clear slides, sandals and thongs accented with Swarovski crystals. My daughter bought a pair of the slides about two years ago, and she says they’re some of the most comfortable shoes she’s ever worn. They conform to the foot as it warms. The price: $115 to $145.
* Kors Michael Kors jumped on the trend with jelly thongs and toe-ring styles. $95 to $110.
* Fendi offers a jelly ballet flat with removable strap and faux buckle detail at the peep toe. $175.
* J. Crew entices shoppers with a jeweled ballet flat. $59.50.
My most memorable jellies moment was at Six Flags Over Texas. It was the middle of summer, and I saw this woman sitting on a bench. She had on pink jellies, and her feet were beet red and swollen so much they appeared to be spilling out of the little cut-outs in the shoes. I wondered at the time why she chose plastic shoes on a day when it was 100 degrees. Of course, I also wondered why I was at Six Flags when it was 100 degrees.
Some of the new plastic shoes do look like fun. And they would be perfect on a rainy day. Let’s see how many woman slip into them.
Ice is nice
Love, love, love this new product.
Freeze 24-7 IceCrystals rejuvenating polish claims to instantly resurface and retexture your skin all in a matter of minutes, plus eliminate blotchy, discolored skin to reveal a natural, radiant glow.
I can’t swear to all that, but my skin did feel great after using the product just one time. And this morning, after a few more uses, I do believe my skin looked better. And I was looking into a 5X magnification mirror, which is almost always scary.
The company also touts:
* 55 percent reduction of age spots.
*35 percent reduction of scar intensity.
* 41 percent reduction in surface roughness.
* 37 percent reduction in sebum content.
* Illuminates and rejuvenates dull, dry, lifeless skin, restoring a healthy glow.
* Improves circulation and the production of elastin and collagen with Active Massage Beads encapsulated in Jojoba, which helps repair skin damage due to aging, sun exposure and environmental aggressors.
* Decongests acne-prone skin and helps reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, sun spots, blemishes, hyper-pigmentation, and enlarged pores .
* Resurfaces and smoothes hands to help reduce age and sun spots.
Freeze 24-7 IceCrystals sells for $65. Other than being a bit pricey, the other drawback is that I’m not aware of any store in Oklahoma City that carries the brand.
Here’s an update: Just heard from the public relations company that the product is available at Bath & Body Works in Penn Square Mall.
c. Booth products now at Walgreens
c. Booth bath and body products are now at Walgreens.
The collection includes bath soaks, body lotions, dry oil spray and hand creams formulated with aromas such as antioxidant acai berry, coconut fig, honey and almond, sweep apricot and Brazilian nut.
Prices range from $5.99 to $9.99. The produts are also sold at Ulta stores.
Color me Dolly
Dolly Parton cosmetics?
Don’t laugh.
“I want my own cosmetics line,” Parton told Billboard magazine.
“When I first came (to Nashville) I really was the backwoods Barbie. Too much make-up, too much hair, the big boobs, country girl straight out of the mountains. It’s hard to take somebody looking like that serious, I guess, so I had to work double hard to prove myself.”
Hey, the country singer has been doing it her way since 1964. If she wants a cosmetics line, I’m betting she gets one.
Adding a little polish and a gift for you
I’ve always liked sheer pastel color on my fingernails. My nails look presentable and any wear and tear doesn’t show much.
Lately, though, I’ve been loving all the pink hues. Today I’ve got bright fuchsia on my toes and a pretty opaque pink on my fingernails.
So it was with eager anticipation that I opened a package from Essie, the nail care company. It contained six new summer shades that range from fuchsia to pink strawberry to red-coral. The new colors are available May 1.
I’m keeping one bottle to try myself, but I’m going to share the other five. Shoot an e-mail to fashionmatters@oklahoman.com and I’ll send a bottle out to the first respondents. Be sure to include your name and address.
Check back here for more giveaways and also in my Sunday Living column. You never know when I may feel generous.
Friday fashion at Northpark
I took these pictures at the “Fashion in the Park” event presented by The Lime Leopard and The Perimeter. I promise to work on my photography skills.
Every day is a good day for fashion, but today was exceptional.
First came the Northpark Mall luncheon and fashion show featuring the mall’s retailers. Needless to say, the children and dogs stole the show. Nothing is going to outshine a toddler in a pink tutu.
All the clothes looked good, though, and with warmer weather finally blessing us, everyone was in the mood for flirty dresses, bold color and bare legs.
The event was a benefit for Infant Crisis Services.
Friday evening, The Lime Leopard and The Perimeter presented “Fashion at the Park,” a tent-style runway show in the parking lot that took its cue from New York.
The show included men’s and women’s clothing — everything from jeans and sport shirts (untucked, of course) for the guys to women’s dresses that danced near the edge. Great stuff. The crowd loved it, and the weather was perfect for an outdoor fashion show.
Proceeds benefitted Children’s Miracle Network.
Like I said, a great day for fashion. Let’s have more.
On Target
Anyone been to Target to check out the new GO International Private Label collection that debuted April 13?
I’m thinking Friday is my day to shop. I saw pictures of the new collection, and some of the pieces look good. Prices range from $16.99 to $49.99.
The new label is an extra layer to the popular international series that brought Proenza Schouler and Temperley London to the fashion masses. (The next big designer brand lands on the racks in May. More on that later.)
Each GO International Private Label collection will be available for one month. If you find something you like, buy it. It may not be there the next day. At least that’s what Target hopes.
Let me know what you think of the new label.
Paying less for shoes
People are talking about Payless Shoes — in a good way.
The company has designer collaborations with Lela Rose, Abaete and Alice + Olivia. My fashion writer friend in Little Rock, Ark., loves the styles and the price. She said she gets compliments on her shoes all the time.
A co-worker couldn’t wait to show off her Payless pumps.
I haven’t been in a Payless store in years. I did glance in the window during Fashion Week, and saw some really cute shoes. It’s time to give the store a more thorough look.
Here are few spring styles. What do you think?
