GEEKISTA | STYLE

Musing About the Met Gala 2013

The annual Met Ball Gala is dually a feast and nightmare for the eyes. As a fashion fan, I love it all because unlike the traditional red carpet event, Hollywood fixtures are obligated to dress for fashion and not for what will get them on the Best Dressed list. Well, in theory anyway. This year’s “punk” (in quotes) theme was interpreted with spikey coifs, cutouts and, for some reason, wearing trousers under dresses (???). I don’t get that last one either, but here are some of my favorite looks nonetheless.

Allison Williams channeling ’90s goth in this long, lacy gown.

I love the blonde pixie cut on Anne Hathaway! It looks fresh, doesn’t wash her out and contrasts nicely with this faux-shreddy long-sleeved cutout number.

Blake Lively combining elegance and whimsy.

I know Cameron Diaz’s royal blue gown will be polarizing but I LOVE it: the cape, the shape, the color. Fabulously futuristic and retro at the same time.

Cara Delevingne plunges in something appropriately punk-inspired. Dig the studs.

Looking ever the ladylike muse, Carey Mulligan in this all-black ensemble is cute and coquette-ish.

Adorable Emma Watson sasses up an elegant black gown with cutouts.

Midriff bare, don’t care. And that is why Gwen Stefani can wear anything.

Jaime King in a sleek pantsuit. So glad she opted out of attaching a giant skirt to this, contrary to some of her Met Ball peers.

Say what you will, but January Jones always dresses for fashion and I appreciate her for it.

I like about 90% of Jessica Pare’s combo trouser-gown (trown?. Had the peplum been longer and the trousers lost, I would’ve been on-board 100%.

Like only J. Lo could.

Punk? Not even in the slightest. Still, I love Lana del Rey’s old-school glam, compete with cape. Drama!

Both Miranda Kerr and Olivia Wilde reminded me of Leeloo from Fifth Element in their bandaged-cutout numbers.

The zippers seal the deal for Rooney Mara’s structured mullet-cut dress.

Jacket. Punk. Want. And rocked in that insouciant British way that only a Brit like Sienna Miller could.

Sources: Vogue.com, GoFugYourself.com

Love this Look: Jennifer Lopez in Maria Lucia Hohan

Can this woman do no wrong? Jennifer Lopez looked classy and glamorous in a vintage-inspired nude gown by Maria Lucia Hohan, berry lips and sleek hair, topped with a blinged-out clutch and heels at the premiere of What to Expect When You’re Expecting. I really appreciate how toned-down yet still 110% movie star she looked in the relatively demure gown as opposed to, say, in her rockstar Idol get-ups (which i still adore for totally different reasons) . In the rom-com (I think that’s the only classification that’s appropriate?), J-Lo plays a photographer in the process of adopting a baby. Not sure if she plans to have more kids in the future, but I wouldn’t mind if she adopted this chic look once in awhile. Via.

Love this Look: Jennifer Lopez in Michael Kors

Loving the highlighter hues that Jennifer Lopez rocked in Brazil for a talkshow appearance. Forget florals - neon looks new, fresh.

Oscars 2012: The Faves

The 84th Academy Awards telecast yielded mixed reviews and while I was pretty disappointed in some parts of it (hello off-color jokes about race and class!), I wasn’t let down by the red carpet looks. Top knots, updos and shorter blunt cuts ruled hair while shades of white, red and green made the carpet pop with color. Yep, Hollywood was lookin’ good.

Michelle William’s red Louis Vuitton number reminded me of the outfits I used to put on my Barbies in the early ’90s, with its long skirt/mini skirt (or is that considered a peplum?) combo, albeit way more elegant and red carpet appropriate.

Nip slip or not, Jenny from the block rocked this plunging cutout Zuhair Murad in a way only Jennifer Lopez could. The elegant updo and simple bling kept the look chic and sleek.

Rooney Mara is fast becoming my new Tilda Swinton, i.e. she could wear a Trader Joe’s bag and a fanny pack and I would think it’s amazing. Right on trend with the color that dominated the evening - white - Rooney’s edgier art deco-inspired Givenchy gown was a nice contrast to sister Kate’s demure beaded mauve number.

The second of two gowns Giuliana Rancic wore was this Tony Ward Couture number with intricate detailing and winged flourishes.

Octavia Spencer shows Hollywood (and everyone watching) that you don’t need to be skinny or blonde to look showbiz-worthy gorgeous in this beaded Tadashi Shoji gown.

The face of young, fun Hollywood Emma Stone “bowed” out in this floor-sweeping deep fuschia Giambattista Valli gown. Who cares if people think she ripped of Nicole Kidman from a few years ago? Lady looked equal parts elegant and adorable.

Channeling old Hollywood glamor was Gwyneth Paltrow in this simple Tom Ford gown. It was understated AND functional: With that cape, she was probably the least chilly one there!

Bridesmaids’ Ellie Kemper kept it quirky and fun in copper sequins by Armani Prive.

Berenice Bejo looked tres chic in a long-sleeved mint Elie Saab number, pulling it off with a smirk that only a Frenchwoman could.

Maria Menounos dipped it low(ish) in this Maria Lucia Hohan gown.

Rose Byrne shimmered head-to-toe in this sequined Vivienne Westwood, a fun contrast to her blunt bob.

Recessionista Irreplaceables

Last month I blogged about beauty items I swap out to save scrilla; now it’s time for a follow-up on the items I will use my coupons and eat at Subway for for months on end to afford. That sounds extreme but I would actually do it: I have a whole sheet of coupons for Buy 1 6” Sub & Drink Get 1 6” Sub Free; I’m not afraid to use every last one. Bold, I know.

Kiehl’s Ultra Facial Cream. I’ve used this stuff for years and ever since Kiehl’s started exclusively packaging the stuff in a larger size, I’ve had no choice but to shell out around $50 a tub. Thankfully, a little goes a long way: it’s rich enough without being greasy and gets absorbed easily into your skin, especially if you prime it first with a serum. Smooth over your face and neck before bedtime for hydration that lasts well into the next morning.

Too Face Shadow Insurance Anti-Crease Eyeshadow Primer. This costs around $18 for what looks like a tiny tube but again, a little goes a long LONG way. For days I’m out in the field (e.g. not shooting in a studio or otherwise controlled setting), I have to knockout a makeup look that lasts all day. This means prepping my skin with primers and anything else that would guarantee makeup’s sticking power against the elements - in southern California that means sunshine sunshine sunshine (hello greasy T-zone; we’ll save that issue for a later post). I dab a teeny tiny sized drop on each eyelid/browbone area and rub in fully before applying eyeshadow. The difference between non-Shadow Insuranced and Shadow Insuranced eye makeup is noticeable: Shadow Insurance does a great job of making shadow instantly brighter when it’s applied so I end up actually using less color. Read: I don’t have to pound on the shadow to make it show up because this magical tube of awesomeness makes it show up almost instantly. I’m so enthusiastic about this, I mailed it to one of my best friends who was living in NYC and working part-time in theater. She, like me, hasn’t laid eyes on another primer since; that partly has to do with the fact that she’s probably still on her first tube.

The only drawbacks are that you need to make sure to rub in the primer all the way so it doesn’t end up looking like poorly color-matched concealer on your eyes and that, if left in the tube unused for too long, the formula gets a little watery-greasy. A simple shake before squeezing usually solves the latter problem.

MAC Bronze Eye Shadow. Increasingly, I buy eye shadows from drugstore brands because when it comes to quality, I don’t find much of a difference between the pricey and cheapy stuff. The only drawback is I’m a terrible judge of color. Yes, that sounds really racist when I write it like that. If there isn’t a sample shadow for me to actually SEE how a shadow color renders, I’m super hesitant to drop even $5 on an eye shadow - I don’t care how convinced I am about what I think the color is. This is why I’ve consistently bought MAC’s Bronze. MAC has always hit it out of the ballpark with their eye shadows with their high pigment and range of colors but at $13 a pop, they’re not exactly, uh, budget-savvy IMHO. But I’m a Bronze loyalist: it’s the perfect shade of golden bronze, not too dark and not too light. Just intense enough to give my eyes a little glow a la J. Lo. It’s my go-to for an everyday look that can be amped up with easily for night with some gold shadow on your browbone or silver shadow in the inner corners of your eyes.

Get Beyonce with me here: do you have any irreplaceables in your kit?