Back to eBay

I can’t believe how long I stayed away from eBay for, exactly two months! The itch somehow came back today and I had to browse. And I’m glad I did. The first things I looked were shoes (of course) and I found this lovely ebay store that sell trendy shoes for amazing prices. It’s definitely going on my favorites list. I’m so tempted to click on Buy it Now on all these.

HANBIT Ankle Top Double-Platform Womens Shoes Beige $52.90

Water-Snake Leather Rare Womens Pumps Pink $132.64

PeepToe 1″ Platform Hook Sandals Pink $19.99

Gladiator Sexy Lace-Up Womens Sandals Beige $38.48

Side-Open Platform Pumps Women Sexy Heels Black $38.89

0.8″Platform Simple Pump Longboots Brow $24.99

Want expert cosmetics reviews? Subscribe to Beautypedia.com!

So everybody knows how big of a fan I am of the Cosmetics Cop Paula Begoun. Her website and her book, Don’t Go to the Cosmetics Counter Without Me, 7th Edition, have armed me for years when I go shopping for new skincare products and makeup. Now she will no longer publish any more editions of her book (the 7th edition was her last one), but she has an even better tool to help women — her new website, Beautypedia.com! It is literally an encyclopedia of most beauty products on the market today. That’s thousands of products from hundreds of lines that she has reviewed. I immediately subscribed to it, it’s only $24.95 for a year. It is kept up-to-date with new products and new lines added constantly, so I can read up on any new products that I’m curious about. It has really saved me money so far when I wanted to splurge on expensive ones that didn’t pass Paula’s tests. Her reviews are all scientific and unbiased, and she definitely doesn’t play favorites towards to fancier department store brands over cheap drugstore brands. I have recommended this website to all my friends (now they don’t have to borrow my book anymore) and I’m recommending it to you darlings. I’m pretty sure I’ll be a life-long suscriber.
Right now, you can try it out for a month. Click Here for a Free Month of Beautypedia.com

Deal Alert – Linea Pelle Pull Through Soft Lambskin Belt

Linea Pelle Women’s Pull Through Soft Lambskin Belt $175 on sale for $43.75! Nina Garcia says you cannot have enough belts in her book The One Hundred: A Guide to the Pieces Every Stylish Woman Must Own. Linea Pelle is among her favorite brands for its Italian craftsmanship at its finest. Add this belt to your belt collection. The lambskin leather is buttery soft, it molds to your waist perfectly. The perforated edges make it so pretty and feminine. Available in black, brown, cherry, sun (yellow), tan (light brown)

Paula’s Choice is my choice

We all have a line of skincare products that we always go back to because they are tried and true and take care of our basic skincare needs even after trying out many others, right? Mine is Paula’s Choice from Paula Begoun, the Cosmetics Cop. I follow her teachings religiously. I learned from her that you must wear sunscreen all year around, even on rainy days because the UV rays still reach the ground; your sunscreen must contain Titanium Dioxide, Zinc Oxide, or Avobenzone to be effective for both UVB and UVA rays, which means you must read the label carefully; you must exfoliate and apply a topical disinfectant as part of a regular anti-blemish routine; you should go for fragrance-free products for minimal irritation, etc, etc. I have her Don’t Go to the Cosmetics Counter Without Me, 7th Edition which I use as a reference book for thousands of product reviews.

After a bout of oily breakouts on the T-zone and dry peeling skin around the eyes (I think my hormones are out of whack), I had to go back to her no-frills un-glamorous but highly effective products. And they are very reasonably priced for their generous sizes.

Skin Balancing Cleanser for Normal to Oily/Combination Skin $14.95. One of the best gentlest cleansers you’ll ever try. It takes off all my makeup without much effort. It is 100% fragrance and colorant-free.

Exfoliating 2% BHA Gel for Normal to Very Oily Skin $17.95. I use this beta-hydroxy acid gel for exfoliation. I think I mentioned before that I’m not a fan of facial scrubs because they tend to be too harsh for the face. I like chemical exfoliants better. Unfortunately there aren’t that many great BHAs on the market, a lot of them are either ineffective or too harsh. This one works great! It gets really into the pores to get rid of blackheads.

Skin Balancing Super Antioxidant Mattifying Concentrate Serum for Normal to Very Oily Skin $22.95. I use this super light-weight serum afterwards to use all over my face. It doesn’t even make my t-zone oily. It’s loaded with antioxidants which I looooove.

HydraLight Moisture-Infusing Lotion for Normal to Oily/Combination Skin $18.95. I use this lotion only on the cheeks and around the eyes. Also loaded antioxidants and anti-irritants. It just makes me feel “guarded” when I know I’m putting lots of antioxidants to protect my skin.

Right now these four products are my must-haves (I use toners, disinfectants, sunscreens from other lines). They all have versions for dry skin. If you haven’t tried this line, I strongly recommend. They are offering free shipping until January 1st. I just stocked up again.

The Official Filthy Rich Handbook

This is the latest book that I’m dying to read, the tongue-in-cheek The Official Filthy Rich Handbook ($10.54). If you are all about decadent escapes from the daily grind, this book will amuse you to no end.

From Publishers Weekly
Those top-drawer trendies from the 1980 Official Preppy Handbook have grown older and richer; it’s time now to tweak the lifestyles of the über-rich, people Tennant, one-time columnist for the New York Post’s Page Six gossip column and cofounder of Radar magazine, knows well. Tennant opens with a plutocrat primer, a sketchbook detailing various Filthy Rich types, from hedgers to heirheads. Chapters follow on where to buy homes and how to hire staff, especially that jewelry handler who carries illicit substances for high-echelon rappers. Vacations are another big issue, involving whole new wardrobes and leisure activities. Sports are great for conspicuous consumption of time and money; the most desirable sports, like fly fishing, big-game hunting or polo, can involve special vacations of their own. Even simple sports like golf require joining the right club; Tennant’s matter-of-fact listing of the clubs’ discriminatory barriers speaks for itself. Then, since to heir is divine, there’s a chapter on having children—which boils down to buying the most exclusive baby buggy, hiring the least marriage-threatening nanny and picking the most ego-satisfying boarding school. Jazzy page layouts and endless name-dropping make for a great tongue-in-cheek humor book.

What I’m reading – Deluxe: How Luxury Lost Its Luster

I finally got my hands on this book, Deluxe: How Luxury Lost Its Luster after hearing so much about it. I’m about 1/3 way through it and it’s been a very enlightening read. The luxury industry is quite a ruthless world.

I found the fact that great great great grandson of Louis Vuitton had to ask the LVMH group owner Bernard Arnault for a job.

“Today, there are three Vuitton family members employed by the Louis Vuitton company: Patrick-Louis, a fifth-generation descendent of the founder, who oversees special orders and serves as a house ambassador; his youngest son, Benoit-Louis, born in 1977, who is watch special orders manager at the headquarters in Paris; and Pierre-Louis, his oldest son, who works as a craftsman in Asnieres. I ran into Pierre-Louis as I visited the workshop in the spring of 2006. Pierre’s a kind-looking fellow, rather pale, with hazel eyes, closely clipped dark hair, and protruding ears. He was dressed in a white lab coat over a checked shirt and jeans. On the pocket of his coat was an LV logo embroidered in brown thread. He was walking some bits of canvas for jewelry boxes from one station to another. Pierre had joined the company about a year and a half earlier, after a short stint in computers. He had visited the Vuitton factories in the provinces and was so moved by the craftsmanship that he asked Vuitton owner Bernard Arnault for a job. Arnault said, “Of course.”
“I love this company,” Pierre told me. “It’s in my veins.”
And then he got back to work.”

A review from Publishers Weekly
“Newsweek reporter Thomas skillfully narrates European fashion houses’ evolution from exclusive ateliers to marketing juggernauts. Telling the story through characters like the French mogul Bernard Arnault, she details how the perfection of old-time manufacturing, still seen in Hermès handbags, has bowed to sweatshops and wild profits on mediocre merchandise. After a brisk history of luxury, Thomas shows why handbags and perfume are as susceptible to globalization and corporate greed as less rarefied industries. She follows the overarching story, parts of which are familiar, from boardrooms to street markets that unload millions in counterfeit goods, dropping irresistible details like a Japanese monk obsessed with Comme des Garçons. But she’s no killjoy. If anything, she’s fond of the aristocratic past, snarks at “behemoths that churn out perfume like Kraft makes cheese” and is too credulous of fashionistas’ towering egos. Despite her grasp of business machinations, her argument that conglomerates have stolen luxury’s soul doesn’t entirely wash. As her tales of quotidian vs. ultra luxury make clear, the rich and chic can still distinguish themselves, even when Las Vegas hosts the world’s ritziest brands. Thomas might have delved deeper into why fashion labels inspire such mania, beyond “selling dreams,” but her curiosity is contagious. (Aug.)”
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

What’s in your handbag?

Dear Ma Petite Chou,

I’ve been curious about this for a while now, what do you carry in your bag? Please let us know!

thanks,
M

Sure! I took a picture of the stuff I’m carrying with me this week. Good thing I cleaned out my bag last weekend, hehe, no more useless crap like old receipts and candy wrappers. It’s not too messy, right? . Oh I forgot to include my keys, coin purse, mint, facial tissues etc. etc., but you know we pretty much all have those things. Let me know what you have in your bag, too!

- my Burberry wallet, BlackBerry, cellphone
- Shiseido Extra Smooth Sun Protection Lotion SPF 34 PA++
- Beauty Addicts GlowEYES eyeshadows
- Beauty Addicts GlowLIPS lipcolors
-
e.l.f Super Glossy Lip Shine SPF 15
- Rimmel Eye Magnifier Mascara
- Sephora Brand Volume Mascara Brown
- The book I’m reading, The Lost by Jack Ketchum, one of my favorite horror writers.

What I’m going to read – “What Would Audrey Do”

I’m going to Chapters after work to get this book, What Would Audrey Do? by Pamela Keogh. I’m always interested in Audrey Hepburn style books. Her style is always going to be relevant. I imagine people will still be writing about her in a hundred years. Toronto Star’s article, What Would Audrey do is a fun review.

Audrey Hepburn is the anti Britney.

Brit should pick up a copy of What Would Audrey Do?: Timeless Lessons for Living with Grace and Style by Pamela Keogh, author of Audrey Style, Jackie Style and Elvis Presley: The Man. The Life. The Legend.

Audrey Style took 10 years of research, interviewing relatives and Rob Wolders, Hepburn’s partner till she died in 1993 at 63 of cancer.

This is Audrey Lite, a self-help Audrey Primer like Miss Manners.

“Audrey Style, Jackie Style and Elvis were big, serious bios,” says Keogh over the phone from New York. “This is looser, rowdier and fun. What could we learn from A.H.?”

To wear undergarments, for one.

That it coincided with the meltdowns of the Lohans, Richies and Hiltons was fortuitous but coincidental. “This took so long, I was writing it way before they all blew.”

I was smitten with A.H., as are people of all demographics. She is an icon to girls and grandparents.

“The young girls know her movies. They don’t know World War II,” Keogh says. “They see her on- screen and she seems like a nice person. She is childish and grown-up at the same time. Her honesty, beauty, vulnerability and genuine guilelessness are appealing.”

A.H. is also a style icon: white shirt, LBD, ballet flats, oversized glasses and black capri pants. She was the muse for 30 years of Hubert Givenchy. An unrepentant clothes horse, A.H. stated, pre-Sex and the City, she’d “rather have more closets than a swimming pool.”

She travelled with 52 suitcases.

“That was when she was in her career prime,” Keogh specifies. “At UNICEF, she travelled with two suitcases – one for Rob Wolders – with jeans and polo shirts.”

She was a stick figure – size 2 and a 20-inch waist – but “she made non-sexy, sexy.”

“It was her intelligence that was sexy. There was a depth to her, and sophistication,” says Keogh. “She’d look at a guy and he’d fall over.”

A.H. didn’t think she was beautiful. She thought her upper arms too thin and feet (size 10) too big.

She was born in Brussels in 1929. Her mother, a Dutch baroness, wasn’t exactly a morale booster: “Considering that you have no talent, it’s really extraordinary where you’ve got.”

“That was a `wow’”, Keogh admits. “Audrey said, `My mother didn’t mean anything,’ but it was a double-edged sword. I didn’t want people to think she is a princess and was perfect. No matter what the challenge she went through, she kept up to give other women a bit of confidence and hang in there.

“The biggest misconception about A.H. is that her life was charmed and she didn’t have challenges.”

Her father walked out when she was 6. Both her husbands (actor Mel Ferrer and Andrea Dotti, a psychiatrist) cheated on her.

“Audrey came from a very good family,” says Keogh. “It was a difficult upbringing but you had your public life and your private life and they were very separate. You behaved a certain way and didn’t go off the deep end.”

What would Audrey not do?

Continue reading »

What I’m reading

Bringing Home the Birkin: My Life in Hot Pursuit of the World’s Most Coveted Handbag by Michael Tonello is the book I’m reading right now. Any of you read it yet? You must’ve heard about this amazing story how this man bought and resold hundreds of Birkins, the world’s most-coveted bag, through eBay. I’m half way through so far and I’m totally loving it. He gives away his foolproof “formula” for acquiring his Birkins! It’s been called “The one-step, one-stop shop guide to buying a Birkin.” I wonder if women who read the book are employing his strategy successfully .

Here’s a video clip of Michael Tonello talking about his book.

Obsession continues…

Has everybody bought the Sex and the Citybook? ($17.97 at amazon.com). I’m going to use this book as a reference when I plan all my party outfits.

Yay a new Sophie Kinsella book!

I can’t believe I was so out of loop on this! I didn’t know Sophie Kinsella had a new book out until my best friend told me that she bought it. Gosh she’s had us wait for quite a long time for her new book, hasn’t she? Have any of you read Remember Me? yet? Is it good? Who am I kidding? It gotta be fantastic like all her other books. Here’s a video in where she talks about the book. She looks so adorable. I’m going to pick up a copy today after work.

It’s a great day to read a love story

Happy Valentine’s Day, darlings! May this day bring you lovely surprises. Be loving and be loved

I heard a real life love story on the radio this morning so beautiful that it brought tears to my eyes. It was a classic boy meets girl, boy loses girl, after 45 years, girl finds boy, girl and boy marry. The story began in the 1950s, Charlotte was 16, the beautiful daughter of a strict missionary in Taiwan. Tony was 21, a military officer stationed there. They met at a party. Charlotte in a gorgeous curve-hugging white Chinese sheath dress caught Tony’s eye. It was love at first sight. They secretly dated, they were madly in love, they were each other’s first love. Tony proposed to Charlotte after only 4 months. When she showed the ring to her father, he was enraged and did not acknowledge their engagement and forbade her to see Tony. Shortly after, on a fateful night, Charlotte fainted and was rushed to the hospital. It turned out that she had been pregnant for 2 months and had a miscarriage. Imagine the wrath of her father! He threatened to file charges on Tony for saturetory rape. Charlotte stood up to her father but eventually had to agree to go back to the U.S. in order for him to drop the charges. She kept the miscarriage a secret from Tony and left. Tony was devastated but there was nothing he could do. He thought she didn’t love him the way he thought she did. For the next 45 years, they each had many hardships in their lives. Charlotte’s marriage faltered. Tony was an alcoholic for 20 years and two of his daughters died. Charlotte kept searching for Tony, sent numerous letters that were returned because he changed his station frequently, she even hired private investigators to no avail. Then one day, she saw an ad for reconnecting people from your past on Internet. She signed up for the service. Lo and behold, the service provided her with a phone number — Tony’s! She called and left a message. Tony couldn’t believe his ears when he heard it. He was stunned and incredibly happy. They reconnected by emailing each other. She finally told him the secret she carried solely for so many years. He felt shamed, guilty and tremendous responsibility to make her happy again. She asked to see what he looked like after so many years. He was shy to send her his pictures because he had ballooned up to 260 pounds. Charlotte still remembered the 21-year-old Tony with a lean and healthy body and with those striking blue eyes. He was a hunk! When he did send her pictures, Charlotte said her feelings for him did not change from the feelings she had for the handsome young man she loved. But she encouraged him to lose weight. He lost 100(!) pounds in 4 months. He jokingly said she would not marry him if he remained fat. They married after 6 months and lived happily ever after. This story re-enforces my belief in the notion of “Love conquers all”. When you have love, what problem can’t be overcome? Time, distance, even weight, can not stand in the way of love.

If you are in the mood to read a love story, may I recommend Enduring Love by Ian McEwan?

Wish list – books

Is everybody compiling their Christmas wish list? My friends and I are doing ours and comparing them. Ours are huge! Granted, many of the things are true dream items, but there are a lot that I really want. I’m dividing them into categories. Of course I won’t be heartbroken if I don’t get them. I’m a simple girl and easy to please. But just in case Santa’s really listening, my list is long. I love reading. There are so many books, fashion related or otherwise, that I want to read. Buying a boatload of books at once can be expensive though, so I’m always happy to receive books as gifts.
These are the fashion books that I want to read. By the way, I’m reading Posh Spice’s That Extra Half an Inch: Hair, Heels and Everything in Between. It’s surprisingly good. Some of the stuff is pretty basic, but she also has good tips. However, I think she should listen to her own advice when she says you shouldn’t hoist your boobs so high up to your nostrils, hahaha!

Anyway, I’ve heard nice things about these books (or not so nice things, but I don’t like to discriminate any books that I haven’t read). Hopefully I’ll get to read them all.

The Little Black Book of Style by Nina Garcia $12.21

Tim Gunn: A Guide to Quality, Taste and Style (Tim Gunn’s Guide to Style) $12.21

Style A to Zoe: The Art of Fashion, Beauty, & Everything Glamour by Rachel Zoe $16.49.

In Style: Style 101 by Editors of In Style Magazine $16.47

Things a Woman Should Know About Style (Things A Woman Should Know Series) by Karen Homer $10.20

The Golden Age of Couture: Paris and London 19471957 by Claire Wilcox $64.66

Tribute to Chanel vintage sale at YOOX.COM!!

What is better than vintage Chanel?! Ladies, whether your wallet allows or not, you simply must click over to Tribute to Chanel Vintage Sale on YOOX.COM (ends Dec 15)! Your love for fashion and style will not allow it if you don’t. Treat yourself a comprehensive collection of vintage Chanel. YOOX.COM launches the sequel to their Tribute to Chanel vintage sale, which, when it launched two weeks ago, sold out in just 24 hours. The online pieces show off house signatures: Quilted bags, pearls of every measure, camellia-strewn belts and necklaces, and tweeds are all in the mix. Holly Brubach, former style editor of the New York Times, helped curate the selection and has included some collectibles from her personal archive. Pieces are selling out faster than I can type this post. Check now!!

YOOX.COM takes a trip through time with Coco Chanel and her Maison, whose style remains as influential and cherished as ever. For months, the fashion experts at YOOX.COM have been selecting unforgettable pieces from around the world: from Paris to Milan to New York where Holly Brubach the former Style Editor of the New York Times and celebrated author of fashion books handed over various pieces from her private collection. An extraordinary selection of precious items will be featured including hard-to-find signature styles and classic everyday treasures that make perfect gifts for those wanting something truly unique.

Coco Chanel’s famous quote: “Women are always overdressed but never with enough elegance” that today has even more of a profound meaning. Almost a century ago, Gabrielle Chanel astonished the world changing women’s fashion forever. She promised ladies a never-seen-before combination of elegance and comfort; the freedom of “moving ones arms and walking quickly.”

Grandchildren of this innovation, women of the third millennium yearn for what was once considered the masculine uniform including tweeds that were sculpted perfectly to the body resulting in the ultimate feminine silhouette. After decades of success, the Chanel jacket lives on today adapting itself to contemporary styles looking as good with a pair of jeans as with a formal skirt.

YOOX.COM’s virtual voyage departs from the ballroom at The Ritz, Paris, 1930s when Coco reflected, “to dress women in black and white for a ball – you can see only them.” These are her colors, simple and elegant. Gabrielle changed how women dressed, “before me, nobody had enough courage to dress in black”. She continued, “black is so strong, so noble that when people see you it remains forever in their memory.”

Gabrielle’s intuitions were genius: why would women need to change for each appointment throughout the day? Tea, cocktails and dinner. A dress with two pieces must allow one to leave in the morning and remain in perfect attire even for an elegant meal. In 1930 just as it is in 2007. Tweed jackets and suits provide an eternal luxury while jersey (another one of her hallmark fabrics) allows complete freedom.

From the 1930s, Coco designed jewelry to accessorize cloths. Pearls of every measure, faux diamonds and gold toned metals combined in stunning designs; her costume jewelry was the perfect accompaniment for her couture creations. Of the pearls, she commented: “I just simply won’t start working without all my pearls.”

Gabrielle Chanel’s favorite flower, the camellia, inspired her very first jewelry pieces and remains to be the symbol of her brand and a reoccurring theme throughout her creations. For her there were hundreds of ways to wear her favorite flower.

CHANEL Medium leather bag $2,040. Production date: 1980s.

CHANEL BOUTIQUE BLACK LONG DRESS
$4,050. Production date: 1980s.

CHANEL BOUTIQUE RED LONG DRESS
$1,540. Production date: 1980s

CHANEL LONG DRESS $550.

CHANEL SET $4,380

CHANEL NECKLACE $1,170. Production date: 1980s.

THE WORLD OF COCO CHANEL $53

Hell Yeah!

Would you take fashion advice from this woman?

If you say yes, then her book on style is coming out soon.

THAT EXTRA HALF AN INCH. $31.68 for hardcover, $13.57 for paperback if you pre-order.