Purse Hooks Save Lives!

I was out at the bar last night, with my group of friends from my acting class. I was talking with J., as we were putting our purses on the ground. She had fished around for a hook under the bar to hang her purse on but there was none. And I said, bummer! And then we talked about those awesome hooks that you can keep in your bag that you can affix to any type of table surface. And we sighed that we wished we had one, as our bags laid in the muck of the bar room floor.

I started to play social butterfly and went over to talk to M. As she and I were talking, she whips out her very own purse hook and puts it on the table!!

Ironic, no? I told her about my conversation with J. and we laughed. Ha ha ha. And then I said, this is a blog post. And here we are.

I remember hearing about the purse hooks sometime last year when all the news shows were talking about how your bag can make you sick - when it sits on the floor of places, collects all those germs, we pick it up and then put on our lip gloss...you can see the problem.

M. got her hook at the LA County Fair at a random booth. I love that the part on the table is a little purse. There are some cute ones at PurseJewelry.com and of course there is the PurseHook.com. I think I am going to go with Bed, Bath and Beyond on this one - they have their "As Seen On TV" collection, which includes a purse hook that is $9.99 for a set of two. Sold!

- Buttercup

PS - how 'bout that dramatic blog post title? I thought I would get all "evening news" up in here...

Have you tried Minx Nails?

I remember reading about Minx Nails awhile back on a blog I haunt daily. Of course, now I can't remember which one it was, otherwise I would give you a shout out. But it was awhile ago! Either way, I did not forget about how cool I thought they looked. You've probably seen them on Beyonce or Rihanna - when they have those metallic nails that literally look like silver or gold has been melted and transformed into polish on their nails? Turns out it is not a polish but a fancy kind of sticker called Minx Nails that is applied by a manicurist and lasts longer than traditional mani/pedis. From the research I did, the application seemed a little expensive for me (around $50) and I figured it was reserved for the Beyonces of the world...

Until I saw my friend G. with amazing Minxed-out toes the other day! They looked fierce and her toes matched the silver on her sandals. They look futuristic but not too outlandish for everyday. I'll admit, I was a little jealous. And now I can't wait to go try this out. If it really does last longer than normal pedis, which G. says it does, then it seems worth the little extra investment. And it's not just metallics! On G.'s other foot, on her big toe, she had a red lattice design. They come in animal prints, polka dots, flame patterns, plaid - you name it, they probably have it. There are over 150 swatches to look through. You can visit the Minx website to find a salon near you that offers this next trend in nails. What do you think? Does it look like something you would want to try? Or have you tried it?? Let me know what you thought of it!

- Buttercup

Jimmy Choo for H&M Sneak Peek!

And that's just SOME of the shoes...

Images have been leaked for Jimmy Choo's collaboration with H&M and they have gotten my knickers in a twist! I didn't realize there was going to be clothing too! I never knew how badly I needed a blue suede dress in my life, until now. Man, November 14th can't get here soon enough...

You have to check out the entire slideshow over at The Cut and tell me what you think! Especially because the few who commented on the slideshow don't seem nearly as excited as me. I need to know if I'm crazy or if they are just jaded...

- Buttercup

Best and Worst of the 2009 Emmys

Hey there, Witty/Pretty people! We're back! Sorry for the lack of posting last week - I was on a much overdo vacation, spending time with family and I took a break from my computer. Sometimes you just gotta unplug and get away. I spend so much of my time online that it is always interesting when I leave the laptop at home...sometimes I feel the pangs of withdrawal but then it passes quickly and I go back to reading my book. I finished the third in the Twilight series, Eclipse, the first two days of my vacation and I'm thirsty to read the fourth. But it will have to wait because right now I'm reading Ahab's Wife and it is transporting me to another time and world and I am loving it. It feels like I'm bringing part of my vacation home since I get to keep reading it out of the vacation context. I'm just missing the beach that I was lounging on...

Anyway, a lot happened while I was away - the VMAs, Fashion Week and the Emmys. I'll have some thoughts on all as the week progresses - but not too much, because that stuff is so last week. Emmys are more current though...so here are my picks for best and worst dressed...

For best-dressed, I have a tie but I feel like I can get away with it since one dress is full-length and the other is not. Kind of like drama versus comedy categories....moving on....

January Jones rarely disappoints on the red carpet and last night was no exception. She won best dressed from me in the traditional gown category. I love that she takes fashion risks that remain fresh and flattering. And she always looks light years away from Betty Draper.

We saw a few shorter dresses on the red carpet also - Kristin Chenowith, Mary Louise Parker and Mila Kunis all went cocktail style instead of full-length gown but it was Mila's tulle-y concoction that stole best dressed for me. And, ohmygod, her shoes stole my heart.

For worst-dressed, it wasn't really the dress that was so bad, it was the styling that didn't do it for me. Hayden Panettiere is a pretty girl. Her dress is a great color and I like the layering of the fabric. But. The pulled back hair, the choker, the harsh gold bag and shoes (which you can't see in this picture, but they're there) just look dated to me. And make her look older than her teen years - is she still a teenager? I'm not sure but either way she is too young for this look and she always looks like this. I say, let your hair down, lose the choker...and your stylist.

Who did you love on the red carpet last night?

- Buttercup

TERRIBLE Advice from Cosmo

Oh, Cosmo. You are a joke of a magazine. That's why I read you - your fake stories are comical. You make me laugh - and often cringe. Your sex "advice" is basically soft porn which is really disconcerting when I think about the young girls who are undoubtedly reading you. Occasionally you have helpful beauty tips though, which I appreciate. But now you've gone too far. Accompanied with the below picture and headline was this text...I can't make this stuff up, so I am going to quote directly:

Use Your Thong as a Hair Tye

There are few things guys like more than long hair, women's underwear, and sex. So combine all three!

If things are getting hot and heavy, stopping the action to go search for a ponytail holder will kill the mood. So instead, grab - or take off - your underwear. Simply fold the crotch up so that the thong forms an open circle, twist your hair into a low pony or bun, and use your panties like an elastic band to secure your locks. (10/09, pg. 183)

No. NO. NOOOOO! Seriously, Cosmo?? You are writing this in all seriousness?? This isn't a joke? You really are going to publish this as a "sexy trick?" I'm done with you.

- Buttercup

My New Favorite Thing: TEA TREE OIL

As a person who has suffered from acne-related woes for a good 15 years now, I've tried pretty much every skin solution in the book: Antibiotics, topical gels and creams (including over-the-counter stuff like benzoyl peroxide and salicyclic acid, as well as prescription-only stuff like Differin and Retin-A), birth control pills...even Accutane. The most lasting and dramatic results up to this point were from the Accutane, which I took everyday for a three-month period shortly after my freshman year of college. My skin cleared up completely and stayed that way for years. Then, around two years ago, I started breaking out again.

It wasn't as severe as it was when I was in high school, but it wasn't mild either. I didn't particularly want to subject my body to another round of Accutane unless it was absolutely necessary, so I started searching for alternative solutions. Here and there, I've found cleansers that seemed to help, learned which brands of foundation made me break out, tested out tons of spot treatments, etc. Then, after breaking out yet again earlier in the week, I was browsing through blog posts about skincare and acne solutions yesterday and I found a mention of tea tree oil. Now, I had heard of tea tree oil, obviously, but I'd never used it. I always assumed that my acne was too severe for a "natural remedy" to have an effect on it. Still, I figured it was worth a shot, so I picked up a bottle from the vitamin aisle of the drugstore yesterday evening, and put a little on my face before bed last night.

All I can say is wow. I have never used anything that worked so quickly and so dramatically at clearing up my blemishes! (I wish I had taken before-and-after shots to show you what I'm talking about.) As soon as I put the oil on my face (it's really more of an astringent than a greasy-feeling oil, so don't worry about that), it began to tingle - not an entirely pleasant sensation, but not painful either. Then I took a look in the mirror, and I was astounded. My zits already looked smaller and less inflamed! True, the medicinal smell was a little difficult to get used to, but after about 10 minutes it was absorbed into my skin and I could barely even detect the odor. Then I went to bed.

This morning, my zits were gone, with just a few marks left behind as reminders. I applied the tea tree oil again after my shower, and voila - the instant improvement was evident yet again. Now, less than 24 hours after purchasing the bottle, my breakout is around 90% contained. I've truly never seen anything like it.

The moral of the story? If you regularly break out, I would HIGHLY recommend picking up some TEA TREE OIL. I've never seen anything work so quickly or so effectively on my moderate acne. One caveat: Only buy 100% pure tea tree oil - check the list of ingredients to make sure there are no additives. (You wouldn't believe how many companies add things like soybean oil, corn oil, chemicals, and so forth!) I have this kind, by Radiance, and it cost me less than $10 - far less expensive than some of the varieties with all those nasty additives in them!

Here's how to use:

1. Wash your face and remove all makeup.
2. Apply 100% tea tree oil to a cotton ball.
3. Swish it over the areas where you're breaking out.
4. Let it absorb.

That's it. It can be a little drying, so start slowly and figure out how much your skin can tolerate. If your skin is particularly dry or sensitive, you may want to dilute it with a little water. Also, since it is drying (and the smell is quite potent), I wouldn't recommend using it all over your face unless you have to. Just put it where it needs to go and marvel at the results.

Anyone else a fan of this stuff? Tell me how it worked for you!

- Theodora

Milani's Black Magic Collection for Halloween

Good morning, Witty/Pretty readers! In case you haven't noticed, I've been on a brief, self-imposed hiatus from W/P for the past couple of weeks or so. (I've been busy!) But I come bearing glad tidings of the Halloween season: Milani's Black Magic Collection of nail polishes. This collection is three of my favorite things: Gorgeous, affordable, and perfect for fall.

Attempting to swatch Whimsical!

Black Magic consists of six polishes, each of them featuring a different color of glitter in a black base; it's a bit like Chanel's Moscou Collection, but the colors aren't quite the same. The colors available are:

• Whimsical - Black with purple glitter
• Spellbinding - Black with red glitter
• Fairy Tale - Black with blue glitter
• Magical - Black with copper glitter
• Charmed - Black with silver glitter
• Enchantment - Black with indigo glitter

I bought Whimsical and Spellbinding, and I've been thinking about going back to CVS for Fairy Tale ever since. All of them are lovely, but those three are my undisputed favorites. (The color of the glitter in Enchantment is too dark, making it almost indiscernible in the black base, and Charmed is a just little too close to one of my favorite polishes, Sally Hansen's Raven's Wing, although the glitter in the Milani color is much larger and more prominent.)

My swatching abilities definitely leave something to be desired, so if you want to see these shades in all of their glory, ignore the above picture and click on the link to the post on Steph's Closet instead.

In any event, I really like this collection. I like the names, I like the concept (this kind of embellishment really breathes new life into the black nailpolish trend), and I love that Milani created a Halloween collection that wasn't the usual black/white/red/orange/glow-in-the-dark lineup. Will you be checking this out?

- Theodora

Happy Beatles Day!

It's 09-09-09, and if you've had access to any sort of popular media for the past month or so, you know what that means: It's Beatles Day!
What's your favorite Beatles era, style-wise? I'm partial to their later years myself, for two reasons: First, their style of dressing became so much more flamboyant. And second, the facial hair. Oh, the facial hair. (I'm a fan of Ringo's sideburns, but they're definitely being upstaged by John's beard in this photo.)

Has anyone played Beatles Rock Band yet? Do tell!

- Theodora

Fashion Showdown: Rachel McAdams -vs- Rumer Willis

Rumer Willis was out last week promoting her new slasher-flick Sorority Row and, a few days later, Rachel McAdams was overseas introducing The Time Traveler's Wife in France. Both lovely ladies chose to wear a Stella McCartney resort design but styled very differently. Rachel opted for a high-waisted full skirt with peep-toe platform heels. Rumer went with black slacks, a wide belt cinched at the waist and classic black pumps. They both pulled their hair back so that the lace bodice was the star. Rachel went with a bold red lip color, while Rumer kept it simple with neutral makeup tones. Unfortunately, I think she looks a bit washed out but then again, I might be biased because I love red lipstick. Overall, they both looked lovely, but which look do you prefer? Leave a comment and let us know!

- Buttercup

The Trick to Getting Grease Stains Out of Clothes

Hope you all had an awesome Labor Day weekend! I had a not too bad one, nothing too exciting. Although I did get two new pairs of jeans at Target, which was exciting for me. I don't usually do my jeans shopping at the Bullseye but they had a big display when I walked in (where the maxi dresses used to be) and I was drawn to them like a moth to a flame. It is really hard for me to find jeans because I'm "little in the middle, but I got much back" so I tried on two pairs on a whim - not expecting anything but disappointment. Well, I experienced surprise instead because both fit and looked great. So I snatched them up at $20 a pop. And I couldn't wait to wear them....which leads to the point of this post....

My husband and I went to dinner at a pizza place last night and I wore my new grey wash jeans. That was probably a mistake but I was really careful throughout dinner. We finished up, got our remaining slices to go and I was pretty proud of not spilling something - anything - on myself. I'm prone to spillage. We ride home, we get out of the car, I look down and....THE PIZZA GREASE HAS LEAKED THROUGH THE BOX I WAS HOLDING IN MY LAP. I had a lovely orange grease spot on my new jeans. While, yes, I was in all-caps-frustration, I also knew there was a light at the end of the tunnel and I'm here to share that light with you:

A few months back I was home visiting family and I was whining about how one of my favorite skirts has a grease spot on it and now I have to wear a strategically placed belt if I want to wear the skirt at all. And my sister-in-law, S., looked at me like I was crazy and said, "Didn't you put dish soap on it?" And I was all, "Huh?" She said, "Dish soap. It cuts grease on dishes and clothes." Ok, so maybe she didn't say it in a commercial-esque way like that, but I got the point. I promptly brought the skirt to the sink, rubbed in some soap, rinsed and voila! The grease spot was gone. Which is also what I did with my jeans last night. Now, I'm nearly 30 years old. I've never heard of this trick. I just always assumed that once grease got on my clothes, that they were ruined forever. Perhaps you're in the "No, duh" category of people who know this, like S. But if you're in the "Huh?" category of people, like me, I hope I've just saved some of your clothes!

- Buttercup

PS - my grease stain on my skirt was at least a month old when I finally learned the dish-soap-trick, so you can actually resurrect pieces you thought were long gone! You're welcome :)

From Couch to Runway: Snuggie at Fashion Week!

I am not going to lie: When I first read this headline, I wondered if it was an April Fool's Day joke. Even though we are in September:

Snuggie to Hold Sexy Fashion Show During Fashion Week

That has to be a joke, right? Oh, The Cut. You cheeky blogsters....wait a second....you're not joking?

Nope. According to their post, they received an invite from the good people of Snuggie announcing that they will be having their own fashion show, during fashion week, to debut their new fabrics and colors, as well as their line of Snuggies for dogs. I'm still not entirely sold on whether or not this is a parody...if it is, it is a good one. If it isn't, it is a good one. This is a bit of a win/win, isn't it?

Now I need you to fess up: Do you own a Snuggie? Or, as Liz Lemon calls it, a Slanket? Did anyone see that 30 Rock rerun recently? Happy Labor Day Weekend, Witty/Pretty people!

- Buttercup

Stimulating the Economy with My Shoe Love

I couldn't help myself. I've been thinking about these darned things since I first laid my eyes on them. I know I found a much more reasonably priced version of purple booties, but these were the first ones that made my heart sing. And Nordstrom just marked them down. And even though at 40% off they still were not the most reasonable in price, I had to have them. Buying these shoes is my contribution to our flailing economy...that excuse works, right?

- Buttercup